SCRIPTURE
“Jesus Christ is the living and abiding Word of God. By the power of the Spirit, this very Word of God, which is Jesus Christ, is read in the Scriptures,”—Principle 1 of “The Use and the Means of Grace”
“Jesus Christ is the Word of God incarnate. The proclamation of God’s message to us is both Law and Gospel. The canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the written Word of God. Through this word in these forms, as through the sacraments, God gives faith, forgiveness of sins, and new life.”—Principle 5 of “The Use and the Means of Grace”
“Preaching is the living and contemporary voice of one who interprets in all the Scriptures the things concerning Jesus Christ.”—Application 9A of “The Use and the Means of Grace”
The Homoerotic verses:
Genesis 18:16-19:29—Sodomy
Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13—Tobah “abomination”
Romans 1:18-2:11—an orgy?
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and 1 Timothy 1:8-11—Arsenokoitai—a word Paul coined! “those who bed men”
Jude 1:7—See Genesis 18:16-19:29
RACE
Closeted or out?—“I’m only a homosexual when I’m having sex with a man.”
The African American Community—“It's like you've let down the whole black community, black women, black history, black pride. You don't hear black people say, 'Oh yeah, he's gay, but he's still a real man, and he still takes care of all his responsibilities.' What you hear is, 'Look at that sissy faggot.' ''
The Black Church— “coming out of the closet and pressing for rights in the Black church would be, I’d say, suicidal and destructive.”—Rev. Dr. Mozella G. Mitchell
Economics--“If you don’t have a job or a steady income, the thought of coming out may seem more like masochism than liberation.”-- Keith Boykin
The Gay Community--''The choice becomes, do I want to be discriminated against at home for my sexuality, or do I want to move away and be discriminated against for my skin color?''
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Cover: Scripture and Race
Just a quick update. Tonight I will be doing the second half of my two part series about the spiritual implications of being on the DL. Last week we talked about the breadth of the sexuality statement and its grounding principles, especially about building and protecting trust in relationships—and how those principles were, or were not, being valued in the movie Cover, and in DL relationships. Then we talked about homosexuality, what the ELCA has to say about it and what that means for people on the DL.
Tonight we are going to look at scripture, what it is, and what it says about homoeroticism. Then we are going to talk about race, specifically about why being on the DL is mainly an African American thing.
At some point I’m going to do a full post about the whole DL thing.
Peace,
Chris
Tonight we are going to look at scripture, what it is, and what it says about homoeroticism. Then we are going to talk about race, specifically about why being on the DL is mainly an African American thing.
At some point I’m going to do a full post about the whole DL thing.
Peace,
Chris
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sermon: Freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain.
Greetings in the name of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. Greetings in the name of St. John’s Pimlico. Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
In Janis Joplin’s song, “Me and Bobby McGee,” the refrain is, “Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.”
Today I would like to maintain two somewhat opposing statements. In so far as discipleship is concerned, “Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.” But, in so far as salvation in concerned, “Freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain.”
When we talk about discipleship Joplin’s original verse, “Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose,” is accurate. When we talk about salvation, “Freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain.”
Let us pray:
Lord God, may the words of my mouth, and the meditations of all our hearts, be acceptable to You. Amen.
“Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.”
I genuinely believe that the central message of today’s gospel is that part of being a disciple of Jesus—part of following Jesus—is about losing and leaving everything behind to go on the journey God has called us to. Part of freely following Jesus is having nothing left to lose.
And this isn’t a small thing! Leaving and losing everything—if it is more than words on a page or lyrics in a song—is a scary thing!
Think, for example, of some of the severe instances of losing and leaving everything in recent days.
Think of General Stanely McCrystal. He was the Commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, until some… less than flatter words he and his aides had made in front of a Rolling Stone reporter came to light. By this last Wednesday he was relieved of his command and forced to resign. For that matter he doesn’t even get to go back to Afghanistan to pick up his belongings!
His 34 years of service, the four stars on his shoulder—all gone. We can, in a sense, see before our eyes a man loosing everything—leaving everything behind.
As the crisis in the Gulf Coast continues, whole eco-systems—whole circles of life—as well as the livelihood of shrimpers, fishermen, and all those dependent on tourism—are being brought down because the earth is bleeding from a man-made wound. On an economic level, as well as environmental level, the gulf is losing everything—leaving everything behind.
And we can even sharpen our focus and move this message of loss a little closer to home. We can cast our eyes upon the inner-harbor here in Baltimore. We can watch as employees of the ESPN-zone arrived to work 11 days ago only to find their place of employment empty—their means of making a living was punctuated with a pink slip. They lost everything.—they are leaving everything behind.
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
And in today’s readings we find people losing and leaving everything to go on the journey God has called them to. In today’s readings we find that, in order to be free to follow God’s calling, there must be nothing left to lose.
Today we find Elisha called by God to lose everything. He is tapped by Elijah to be his replacement. He is called forth from his job as a farmer to follow in the footsteps of Elijah. And, as Elijah yokes him with the mantle of prophecy, Elisha takes the yoke of his cattle, and the cattle themselves, and burns them all up. He takes all the tools of his trade, all that has provided him with an income, and I dare say all that has provided him with an identity, and puts them to the flame. He is losing and leaving everything.
Today, we find James and John, wrestle with the full implications of their calling. Today they are forced to let go of ancient stories about angry prophets of angry Gods burning unbelievers. They are instead confronted with the cost of discipleship—being a disciple of the Son of Man means wandering from village to village. It means leaving the nest for the empty skies and not even having the common comforts of a foxhole. They are losing and leaving everything.
Today, one man is advised to go against both religious conviction and familial obligation.
This is, in fact, so shocking of a command that some scholars try to blunt its force by adding a Greek word to this gospel that simply isn’t there. They want to change Jesus’ command to say, “let those who deal with dead bodies bury the dead.”
But in the end the calling of the Kingdom of God leaves bodies behind. He is losing and leaving everything.
Today, another man is told that he can’t even say good-bye. He is told that if he was to say farewell to friends and family it would be like plowing a crooked field, because you have to look ahead if you want to plow straight. He is losing and leaving everything.
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose. The freedom to follow Jesus comes from losing and leaving everything.
There is no doubt that these people are losing and leaving everything to go on the journey God has called them to. But why? What kind of journey requires everything to go? What kind of journey requires burnt oxen, wandering, bodies unburied, and friends uninformed?
Why does following Jesus require having nothing left to lose?
Because, today! Today! Today! Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem! Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem.
Today the focus of his ministry shifts—his mission changes—it becomes cross-shaped.
If you could look into Jesus’ eyes today you would see the cross of Calvary! Because Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem.
And so, when his disciples are surprised at being rejected on the journey—when people ask him if they can follow him… after they’ve done this or that of course!—he responds that they need to lose and leave everything if they are going to journey with him.
Because, when you go to Jerusalem you can’t take anything with you. When you go to Jerusalem you lose and leave everything—because anything you take with you—any pre-conceived notion you had, any hang ups, anything you were particularly attached to—will be stripped away. Because the cross transforms all of it!
And if Jesus is the Messiah. If the journey of faith this Jesus brings us on, is true is in fact God acting in the world—then all those things have to be looked at again.
It is as if the cross is a sort of microscope—or telescope—or set of night vision goggles.
Before Jerusalem—before the cross—we saw a stone rejected by a builder—now we see a capstone. Before Jerusalem—before the cross—we saw a slain lamb—now we see the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Before Jerusalem—the cross was a sign of torture and Roman power and domination—now we see it as the throne of God that casts down the tyrants and lifts up the lowly.
In short, we leave and lose everything because everything is a loss beside the cross.
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
But it doesn’t stop there. It doesn’t stop with Christ crucified. The good news this day is not simply that Jerusalem changes our expectations, that Jerusalem frees us in such a way that we have nothing left to lose. The Gospel is more than discipleship, as important as discipleship is.
When it comes to salvation freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain! When it comes to salvation freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain!
At the cross everything has shifted! The journey begun today—the journey that requires leaving and loss—doesn’t end with God’s loss on the cross.
No! We killed Jesus but he came back and continues to forgive! He won’t quit us! His journey to Jerusalem and beyond is a continued yes to us!
If there is anyone here within the sound of my voice who doesn’t know, or hasn’t experience, or hasn’t heard, that yes.
If there is anyone who doesn’t want to believe that yes because they think their particular sin is deeper than the love of God.
Anyone who, in the depths of your loss, feels that there is nothing left to lose.
Anyone who has left so many times that you think God has left you.
Anyone who has been so amazed by grace that they don’t know where to go for there.
Anyone who is in need of a reason to love their neighbor.
Anyone! Everyone!
I want you to know today that God says yes to you!
God has named you and claimed you since the start of creation.
God has named you and claimed you on the cross.
God continues to name you and claim you with each God-given breath you take.
I want you to know God’s yes to us lead to our yes to others—we respond to God’s love with our love of neighbor!
For freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain, and so there is nothing we do to earn more love than has been poured out for us on the cross.
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain and so there is nothing we can do to earn God’s grace, because grace is God’s gift to us.
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain and so it is “for freedom Christ has set us free.”
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain and so we have been freed from the slavery of sin to become servants of all.
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain and so we have been given more than license, we have been given liberty.
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain and so Jesus Christ has set us free to follow the one law, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain. Freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain.
A+A
In Janis Joplin’s song, “Me and Bobby McGee,” the refrain is, “Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.”
Today I would like to maintain two somewhat opposing statements. In so far as discipleship is concerned, “Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.” But, in so far as salvation in concerned, “Freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain.”
When we talk about discipleship Joplin’s original verse, “Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose,” is accurate. When we talk about salvation, “Freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain.”
Let us pray:
Lord God, may the words of my mouth, and the meditations of all our hearts, be acceptable to You. Amen.
“Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.”
I genuinely believe that the central message of today’s gospel is that part of being a disciple of Jesus—part of following Jesus—is about losing and leaving everything behind to go on the journey God has called us to. Part of freely following Jesus is having nothing left to lose.
And this isn’t a small thing! Leaving and losing everything—if it is more than words on a page or lyrics in a song—is a scary thing!
Think, for example, of some of the severe instances of losing and leaving everything in recent days.
Think of General Stanely McCrystal. He was the Commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, until some… less than flatter words he and his aides had made in front of a Rolling Stone reporter came to light. By this last Wednesday he was relieved of his command and forced to resign. For that matter he doesn’t even get to go back to Afghanistan to pick up his belongings!
His 34 years of service, the four stars on his shoulder—all gone. We can, in a sense, see before our eyes a man loosing everything—leaving everything behind.
As the crisis in the Gulf Coast continues, whole eco-systems—whole circles of life—as well as the livelihood of shrimpers, fishermen, and all those dependent on tourism—are being brought down because the earth is bleeding from a man-made wound. On an economic level, as well as environmental level, the gulf is losing everything—leaving everything behind.
And we can even sharpen our focus and move this message of loss a little closer to home. We can cast our eyes upon the inner-harbor here in Baltimore. We can watch as employees of the ESPN-zone arrived to work 11 days ago only to find their place of employment empty—their means of making a living was punctuated with a pink slip. They lost everything.—they are leaving everything behind.
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
And in today’s readings we find people losing and leaving everything to go on the journey God has called them to. In today’s readings we find that, in order to be free to follow God’s calling, there must be nothing left to lose.
Today we find Elisha called by God to lose everything. He is tapped by Elijah to be his replacement. He is called forth from his job as a farmer to follow in the footsteps of Elijah. And, as Elijah yokes him with the mantle of prophecy, Elisha takes the yoke of his cattle, and the cattle themselves, and burns them all up. He takes all the tools of his trade, all that has provided him with an income, and I dare say all that has provided him with an identity, and puts them to the flame. He is losing and leaving everything.
Today, we find James and John, wrestle with the full implications of their calling. Today they are forced to let go of ancient stories about angry prophets of angry Gods burning unbelievers. They are instead confronted with the cost of discipleship—being a disciple of the Son of Man means wandering from village to village. It means leaving the nest for the empty skies and not even having the common comforts of a foxhole. They are losing and leaving everything.
Today, one man is advised to go against both religious conviction and familial obligation.
This is, in fact, so shocking of a command that some scholars try to blunt its force by adding a Greek word to this gospel that simply isn’t there. They want to change Jesus’ command to say, “let those who deal with dead bodies bury the dead.”
But in the end the calling of the Kingdom of God leaves bodies behind. He is losing and leaving everything.
Today, another man is told that he can’t even say good-bye. He is told that if he was to say farewell to friends and family it would be like plowing a crooked field, because you have to look ahead if you want to plow straight. He is losing and leaving everything.
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose. The freedom to follow Jesus comes from losing and leaving everything.
There is no doubt that these people are losing and leaving everything to go on the journey God has called them to. But why? What kind of journey requires everything to go? What kind of journey requires burnt oxen, wandering, bodies unburied, and friends uninformed?
Why does following Jesus require having nothing left to lose?
Because, today! Today! Today! Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem! Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem.
Today the focus of his ministry shifts—his mission changes—it becomes cross-shaped.
If you could look into Jesus’ eyes today you would see the cross of Calvary! Because Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem.
And so, when his disciples are surprised at being rejected on the journey—when people ask him if they can follow him… after they’ve done this or that of course!—he responds that they need to lose and leave everything if they are going to journey with him.
Because, when you go to Jerusalem you can’t take anything with you. When you go to Jerusalem you lose and leave everything—because anything you take with you—any pre-conceived notion you had, any hang ups, anything you were particularly attached to—will be stripped away. Because the cross transforms all of it!
And if Jesus is the Messiah. If the journey of faith this Jesus brings us on, is true is in fact God acting in the world—then all those things have to be looked at again.
It is as if the cross is a sort of microscope—or telescope—or set of night vision goggles.
Before Jerusalem—before the cross—we saw a stone rejected by a builder—now we see a capstone. Before Jerusalem—before the cross—we saw a slain lamb—now we see the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Before Jerusalem—the cross was a sign of torture and Roman power and domination—now we see it as the throne of God that casts down the tyrants and lifts up the lowly.
In short, we leave and lose everything because everything is a loss beside the cross.
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
But it doesn’t stop there. It doesn’t stop with Christ crucified. The good news this day is not simply that Jerusalem changes our expectations, that Jerusalem frees us in such a way that we have nothing left to lose. The Gospel is more than discipleship, as important as discipleship is.
When it comes to salvation freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain! When it comes to salvation freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain!
At the cross everything has shifted! The journey begun today—the journey that requires leaving and loss—doesn’t end with God’s loss on the cross.
No! We killed Jesus but he came back and continues to forgive! He won’t quit us! His journey to Jerusalem and beyond is a continued yes to us!
If there is anyone here within the sound of my voice who doesn’t know, or hasn’t experience, or hasn’t heard, that yes.
If there is anyone who doesn’t want to believe that yes because they think their particular sin is deeper than the love of God.
Anyone who, in the depths of your loss, feels that there is nothing left to lose.
Anyone who has left so many times that you think God has left you.
Anyone who has been so amazed by grace that they don’t know where to go for there.
Anyone who is in need of a reason to love their neighbor.
Anyone! Everyone!
I want you to know today that God says yes to you!
God has named you and claimed you since the start of creation.
God has named you and claimed you on the cross.
God continues to name you and claim you with each God-given breath you take.
I want you to know God’s yes to us lead to our yes to others—we respond to God’s love with our love of neighbor!
For freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain, and so there is nothing we do to earn more love than has been poured out for us on the cross.
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain and so there is nothing we can do to earn God’s grace, because grace is God’s gift to us.
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain and so it is “for freedom Christ has set us free.”
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain and so we have been freed from the slavery of sin to become servants of all.
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain and so we have been given more than license, we have been given liberty.
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain and so Jesus Christ has set us free to follow the one law, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain. Freedom is just another word for nothing left to gain.
A+A
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Applying the Sexuality Statement in a local context
So, I am currently working on an interesting… challenge. The subject of men on the down-low has been talked about at one of my Bible Studies. So, I decided to face the issue head on. Next Tuesday night we’re doing a Bible Study/discussion using the movie Cover as a jumping off point to talk about the ethics of living a “down-low” lifestyle.
I have to admit this has been an odd topic to explore, being a straight white man and all. I’m still not sure what I will say and where our conversation will go. I do know I’ll focus on building and protecting trust as well as the church’s role in people’s “personal life.” We’ll also look at the biblical verses about homoerotic acts—since they’ve already been brought up preemptively in this group.
Right now I’m re-reading “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust”to mine a little more insight from it for this discussion.
I’ll let everyone know how it goes next week.
Peace,
Chris
I have to admit this has been an odd topic to explore, being a straight white man and all. I’m still not sure what I will say and where our conversation will go. I do know I’ll focus on building and protecting trust as well as the church’s role in people’s “personal life.” We’ll also look at the biblical verses about homoerotic acts—since they’ve already been brought up preemptively in this group.
Right now I’m re-reading “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust”to mine a little more insight from it for this discussion.
I’ll let everyone know how it goes next week.
Peace,
Chris
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Sermon: Did you hear about the part?
Did you hear about the party? Did you hear about the party at Simon’s house? Did you hear that Jesus showed up! Did you hear that… someone else showed up!
All the religious folk had got together at Simon’s house. We all wanted to know what kind of man this Jesus was. We all wanted to know what type of teacher he was.
Some, like the followers of John the Baptist, were wondering if he was a prophet. Others, already convinced he was a prophet, wanted to know what kind of prophet he was. In short, we wanted to know Jesus!
And there he was, he came in, and took his place at the table. Finally, we could get to know him!
But! But! But before the wood of his reclining chair could creek, there she was!
We wanted to know what kind of prophet this Jesus was, but that sinner woman got in our way.
Let us pray:
Lord God, may the words of my mouth and the meditations upon all of our hearts be acceptable in your sight. Amen
Yes! An honest to God sinner! Right there in the midst of the party—our party—our party where we planned to figure out this Jesus fellow.
I mean, there weren’t bouncers or anything, but, you would think with all us religious folk there we could have at least kept… a woman like THAT out of our party!
Because we wanted to see what kind of prophet this man Jesus was, but she got in the way! She bent down, cried, and wiped her face! Her tear stained face upon the soles of this prophet Jesus’ feet! She wiped his feet with her hair.
And. You know what? This, this prophet Jesus, kind of let out a giggle. Sort of a ---ehhchk, that tickles—a giggle snort.
And then, with the whole crowd of us waiting to know what kind of prophet this Jesus was, with the whole crowd of religious folk kind of awestruck and horrified, at… that sinner woman! Right there out in the open she… she kissed his feet and then poured anointing oil upon them.
I mean, I’ve heard of anointing someone’s head, but… who anoints someone’s feet? That’s just SUCH extravagance! Such a waste!
And we all just stood there, agape as this sinner interacted with this… prophet?
And then Simon asked the question we were all thinking, “if you’re a prophet, why don’t know that you are being TOUCHED—touched… so intimately… by a sinner! A sinner like her!”
And this so-called-prophet, Jesus, responded, “Simon, there are two debtors. One owes 52,000 dollars. The other owes 5,200 dollars. Neither can pay their bookie. If he forgives both of their debts who will feel more gratitude?”
Simon looked a little taken aback—after all a party like this isn’t Pimlico racetrack or something! Talking about bookies is a little… low class… don’t you think?
But Simon responded, “The one who owed more and was forgiven more. That’s the one who would feel more gratitude.”
“Yup,” shot back this Jesus fellow… I mean seriously, what kind of prophet talks like that?
Then, Jesus squirmed around in his chair so he was facing the woman, “Look at her!” he said, “Then look at yourselves! I came here, with everyone all expectant—yet you gave me no water or oil. You didn’t even kiss me!
She on the other hand washed me with tears and hair, she brought oil here at her own expense, and kissed not only my cheek, but my feet!”
We grumbled at that, as you might imagine.
“You say I can’t be a prophet because I don’t see what kind of woman she is!
Well, I’ve watched everyone at this party. By the way she acts the only conclusion I can come to is that she’s a forgiven woman who is just so glad about that fact!
The love she pours out was poured out as gratitude—just like the debtor who owed the bookie much.”
Then he squirmed a little more and turned back to Simon… and well… frankly towards the rest of us, and said to us all, “The one to whom little is forgiven, shows little gratitude.”
The crowd erupted, insulted by his words!
“Wait! He’s talking about us!” said one person.
“Well, if amount of sinning is required in order to express gratitude, think how much gratitude the CEO of BP will feel when he realized God forgives him!” Said another snidely.
As for me, I thought of king David. After all it is written that he was a man after God’s own heart—yet if you read in the book of Samuel you realize this man after God’s own heart was a sinner like all of us. No! A worse sinner than most of us!
He sent his messengers to capture Bathsheba,
He impregnated her,
He tried to trick Uriah into covering up his sin,
and when he failed at that he used his power and influence to kill Uriah and then marry Bathsheba!
…
Maybe that’s what the so-called-prophet Jesus meant when he said, “the one whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
But, before I could contemplate still deeper the meaning of this idea. The idea that the depths of our sin draws us deeper into the gracious love of God—the so-called-prophet and the so-called-sinner-woman continued their very public conversation.
“Your sins are forgiven,” he said.
And again, the crowd burst asunder saying, “Who but God can forgive sins? Not even a prophet would make such proclamations!”
He didn’t pay attention to us, but said to her, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
And that would not be the last time we would hear Jesus speak the words, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
To a Samaritan leper he said, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
To a woman who had been menstruating for years he said, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
To a blind man he said, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
All these people! All these vulnerable people Lepers, blind men, bleeding women, and sinner women—all these people our society conciders sinners—responded with great faith and trust that this Jesus—a so-called-prophet—was a prophet and more than a prophet.
And later I saw this Jesus. He was in the company of woman—lots of them! Women who were high up in society, and women like the woman at the party, who were afflicted by demons and sins and all kinds of malarkey.
It would seem that the kind of prophet Jesus was, was not obscured by sinners, but expressed by his interactions with sinners.
I’d thought I would get to know Jesus if there wasn’t that darn sinner getting in the way of my experience of him.
But it was that woman that showed us Jesus, because the kind of prophet Jesus was, was not obscured by sinners, but expressed by his interactions with sinners.
A+A
All the religious folk had got together at Simon’s house. We all wanted to know what kind of man this Jesus was. We all wanted to know what type of teacher he was.
Some, like the followers of John the Baptist, were wondering if he was a prophet. Others, already convinced he was a prophet, wanted to know what kind of prophet he was. In short, we wanted to know Jesus!
And there he was, he came in, and took his place at the table. Finally, we could get to know him!
But! But! But before the wood of his reclining chair could creek, there she was!
We wanted to know what kind of prophet this Jesus was, but that sinner woman got in our way.
Let us pray:
Lord God, may the words of my mouth and the meditations upon all of our hearts be acceptable in your sight. Amen
Yes! An honest to God sinner! Right there in the midst of the party—our party—our party where we planned to figure out this Jesus fellow.
I mean, there weren’t bouncers or anything, but, you would think with all us religious folk there we could have at least kept… a woman like THAT out of our party!
Because we wanted to see what kind of prophet this man Jesus was, but she got in the way! She bent down, cried, and wiped her face! Her tear stained face upon the soles of this prophet Jesus’ feet! She wiped his feet with her hair.
And. You know what? This, this prophet Jesus, kind of let out a giggle. Sort of a ---ehhchk, that tickles—a giggle snort.
And then, with the whole crowd of us waiting to know what kind of prophet this Jesus was, with the whole crowd of religious folk kind of awestruck and horrified, at… that sinner woman! Right there out in the open she… she kissed his feet and then poured anointing oil upon them.
I mean, I’ve heard of anointing someone’s head, but… who anoints someone’s feet? That’s just SUCH extravagance! Such a waste!
And we all just stood there, agape as this sinner interacted with this… prophet?
And then Simon asked the question we were all thinking, “if you’re a prophet, why don’t know that you are being TOUCHED—touched… so intimately… by a sinner! A sinner like her!”
And this so-called-prophet, Jesus, responded, “Simon, there are two debtors. One owes 52,000 dollars. The other owes 5,200 dollars. Neither can pay their bookie. If he forgives both of their debts who will feel more gratitude?”
Simon looked a little taken aback—after all a party like this isn’t Pimlico racetrack or something! Talking about bookies is a little… low class… don’t you think?
But Simon responded, “The one who owed more and was forgiven more. That’s the one who would feel more gratitude.”
“Yup,” shot back this Jesus fellow… I mean seriously, what kind of prophet talks like that?
Then, Jesus squirmed around in his chair so he was facing the woman, “Look at her!” he said, “Then look at yourselves! I came here, with everyone all expectant—yet you gave me no water or oil. You didn’t even kiss me!
She on the other hand washed me with tears and hair, she brought oil here at her own expense, and kissed not only my cheek, but my feet!”
We grumbled at that, as you might imagine.
“You say I can’t be a prophet because I don’t see what kind of woman she is!
Well, I’ve watched everyone at this party. By the way she acts the only conclusion I can come to is that she’s a forgiven woman who is just so glad about that fact!
The love she pours out was poured out as gratitude—just like the debtor who owed the bookie much.”
Then he squirmed a little more and turned back to Simon… and well… frankly towards the rest of us, and said to us all, “The one to whom little is forgiven, shows little gratitude.”
The crowd erupted, insulted by his words!
“Wait! He’s talking about us!” said one person.
“Well, if amount of sinning is required in order to express gratitude, think how much gratitude the CEO of BP will feel when he realized God forgives him!” Said another snidely.
As for me, I thought of king David. After all it is written that he was a man after God’s own heart—yet if you read in the book of Samuel you realize this man after God’s own heart was a sinner like all of us. No! A worse sinner than most of us!
He sent his messengers to capture Bathsheba,
He impregnated her,
He tried to trick Uriah into covering up his sin,
and when he failed at that he used his power and influence to kill Uriah and then marry Bathsheba!
…
Maybe that’s what the so-called-prophet Jesus meant when he said, “the one whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
But, before I could contemplate still deeper the meaning of this idea. The idea that the depths of our sin draws us deeper into the gracious love of God—the so-called-prophet and the so-called-sinner-woman continued their very public conversation.
“Your sins are forgiven,” he said.
And again, the crowd burst asunder saying, “Who but God can forgive sins? Not even a prophet would make such proclamations!”
He didn’t pay attention to us, but said to her, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
And that would not be the last time we would hear Jesus speak the words, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
To a Samaritan leper he said, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
To a woman who had been menstruating for years he said, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
To a blind man he said, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
All these people! All these vulnerable people Lepers, blind men, bleeding women, and sinner women—all these people our society conciders sinners—responded with great faith and trust that this Jesus—a so-called-prophet—was a prophet and more than a prophet.
And later I saw this Jesus. He was in the company of woman—lots of them! Women who were high up in society, and women like the woman at the party, who were afflicted by demons and sins and all kinds of malarkey.
It would seem that the kind of prophet Jesus was, was not obscured by sinners, but expressed by his interactions with sinners.
I’d thought I would get to know Jesus if there wasn’t that darn sinner getting in the way of my experience of him.
But it was that woman that showed us Jesus, because the kind of prophet Jesus was, was not obscured by sinners, but expressed by his interactions with sinners.
A+A
Thursday, June 03, 2010
What if Luke chapter 12:13-21, the man Jesus called a fool, is about the father of the two brothers?
So, I’ve spent the day looking at the final 8 sermons I’ll be preaching… because if I’ve learned nothing else on internship it is to be intentional and to prepare things in advance.
I was reading the gospel readings for August 1st and hit upon an imaginative question: What if the man Jesus calls a fool is in fact the “father” of the two men squabbling about inheritance rights?
Let me set the scene, Jesus is chilling out telling a crowd about faithful fearlessness and a dude in the crowd switches up the conversation, asking Jesus to intervene and get his brother to split his inheritance.
Jesus responds, “that’s not on me… but be careful about this possessions thing—that’s not what life’s about. It can lead to greed… in fact, let me tell you about a man, who was very rich. He decided to build bigger warehouses because he had a LOT of stuff.
In fact he saw having all that stuff secure in an even bigger building to be a sign to his soul that he would be protected for years to come.
And then he died. He was a fool.”
So, what if the man Jesus calls a fool is, either spiritually, or even physically, the father of this man who is after his inheritance. That, to me, would add an even deeper barb to this story. The ending becomes, “he died. He was a fool. Look now, those mighty barns he built up are being torn into two by you! That foolishness is being spread even as it is being torn up! You too are a fool!”
I was reading the gospel readings for August 1st and hit upon an imaginative question: What if the man Jesus calls a fool is in fact the “father” of the two men squabbling about inheritance rights?
Let me set the scene, Jesus is chilling out telling a crowd about faithful fearlessness and a dude in the crowd switches up the conversation, asking Jesus to intervene and get his brother to split his inheritance.
Jesus responds, “that’s not on me… but be careful about this possessions thing—that’s not what life’s about. It can lead to greed… in fact, let me tell you about a man, who was very rich. He decided to build bigger warehouses because he had a LOT of stuff.
In fact he saw having all that stuff secure in an even bigger building to be a sign to his soul that he would be protected for years to come.
And then he died. He was a fool.”
So, what if the man Jesus calls a fool is, either spiritually, or even physically, the father of this man who is after his inheritance. That, to me, would add an even deeper barb to this story. The ending becomes, “he died. He was a fool. Look now, those mighty barns he built up are being torn into two by you! That foolishness is being spread even as it is being torn up! You too are a fool!”
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Sermon: An Uncomfortable bit of rope
Our lesson today begins with the words, “After these things….” And that’s an appropriate starting point—because there have been a lot of things that have led us here—to this mountain, the aged Abraham holding a cleaver glinting in the sun, about to descend into his son, his only son, the one he loves, Isaac.
A lot of things have transpired to get us here, to this last sermon in our series about, “The mixed-up, messed-up, origins of our faith.”
We have journeyed together with Abraham and his family. We have watched how God has been faithful despite the sometimes-strained strangeness of Abraham’s relationships with both family and God.
We have journeyed with Abraham and his family out of Haran only to find the patriarch pimping out his wife Sarah to Pharaoh.
Yet despite Abraham, God was faithful to His promise.
We have watched the complex and messy situation in which God’s promise of a son is threatened not only by the feuding between Hagar and Sarah, but also by Abraham’s strange mix of passivity and judgment.
Yet despite Sarah, Hagar, and Abraham, God was faithful to His promise.
We have heard Sarah laugh at God’s promise and we have heard her lie to God’s face.
Yet despite the mirth of this matriarch and her falsehood, God was faithful to His promise.
We follow Hagar and Ishmael into the desert—Ishmael is exposed—about to die, because of another familial blow-up.
Yet despite the mixed-up, messed-up origins of our faith, God was faithful to His promise.
Yet, after all these things, we find a new threat to the promise. God the Promiser tests Abraham and threatens to kill the promise! God appears to be unfaithful to His promise!
Within these 19 verses everything that comes before—every promise, every salvation of the promise, every victory snatched from defeat—is laid bare with the command to sacrifice Abraham’s son, his only son, the one he loves, Isaac.
The binding of Isaac—as this section of scripture is so often called—is an uncomfortable bit of rope.
It binds us to sacrifice.
It binds violence to faith.
It binds us to the dark side of God and forces us to untangle the question: “Who! Is! Our! God!”
Yes, the Binding of Isaac is an uncomfortable bit of rope.
Lord God, Parent, Lamb, Dove. Create for us, from the story of Abraham, Isaac, a Ram, and you, a word of God for the people of God here and now. May the Preacher’s words and heart be acceptable in your sight. Amen.
The binding of Isaac is an uncomfortable bit of rope. It binds us to sacrifice.
Listen, with me to verse three of the twenty-second chapter of Genesis. “So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him.”
In a single verse of scripture Abraham does 6 things. He rises, saddles, takes, cuts, sets out, and goes.
This same Abraham who argues with God in an attempt to save the citizens of Sodom and Gomorra, who says, “what if there are fifty righteous, what if there are 40, 30, 20, 10?” This same man who—for the sake of strangers—stands up to the Creators of all that is—almost trips over himself preparing to sacrifice his son, his only son, the one he loves, Isaac. Abraham is quick to practice human sacrifice.
And, I wish Abraham was alone in that. I really do!
But I’m reminded of Wilfred Owen’s poem “The Parable of the Old Man and the Young.” He wrote that World War One could have been averted if old men—the Abrahams of his time—would simply sacrifice their pride—not their sons. The poem ends, “but the old man would not so, but slew his son, and half the seed of Europe, one by one.”
And on the streets of Baghdad and Kabul today we again see young men—Isaacs—being sacrificed for decisions of Abrahams.
And again on the streets of Baltimore we see Isaac bound up in insane systems that lead to his being stabbed or shot, or stabbing and shooting.
We see sacrifice for Rep, sacrifice for gang affiliation, sacrifice for corners, sacrifice for drugs, and sacrifice for money.
Yes, the binding of Isaac is an uncomfortable bit of rope. It binds us to sacrifice.
But not only that! The binding of Isaac is an uncomfortable bit of rope. It binds violence to faith.
There are those who say that religion is the root of all evil.
There are those who are so horrified by what faithful people do that they would eliminate faith if they could.
And I can’t entirely disagree with them.
I think of the assault on cartoonist Lars Vilk during a lecture he was giving about freedom of speech that happened last Tuesday.
I think of the attempted car bombing in Times Square.
I think of the death threats the creators of South Park received for depicting the Prophet Muhammad.
I think of the violence done in Israel and Palestine by faithful people.
I think of the so-called Christian Militia who intended to kill cops in Michigan in order to fight the anti-Christ.
I think of the bombings of subways and trains in Europe, I think of 9-11.
I think of the attacks against churches and mosques, Muslims and Christians, committed by Buddhists in Sri Lanka and by Hindus in India.
And then I think a frightening thought! “My God! All that religious violence has happened within the last decade.”
(Long pause)
But then I think of Harriet Tubman!
I think of this faithful woman who delivered hundreds of people from the bondage of slavery.
I think of this faithful woman who risked life and limb birthing the Underground Railroad.
I think of this faithful woman who sang songs of faith to further freedom. Who sang “wade in the water” to tell people how to escape tracking-dogs and sang “let us break bread together” as a call to break free of bondage that very night.
I think of this faithful woman who is responsible for the planting of at least three churches in three different cities.
This faithful woman who on her dying bed did not ask for comfort, but instead asked, “do you know Jesus? Because I’m headed to a party!”
And confronted with these twin realities—that our faith can bring about violence and death, and that our faith can bring about freedom and life—I feel again the reality that the binding of Isaac is an uncomfortable bit of rope. I feel the rope grow tight with the overwhelming responsibility we have. Faith is like fire, it can create or destroy, cook a meal or burn down a forest.
Yes, the Binding of Isaac is an uncomfortable bit of rope. It not only binds violence to faith, but that causes us to pause and reflect.
It binds us to the dark side of God and forces us to untangle the question, “who is our God?”
And, as I look down at Abraham’s son, his only son, the one he loves, Isaac, there on the altar, I think too of the young people who will be confirmed this coming week—and I think of our youth who will be participating in Youth Involved in Worship. And I think of what kind of God we are passing on. Faith has so much power, so much potential, so much authority and sway. When we pass the torch do we pass along a light in the darkness, or the fires of holocaust?
And you know what? I’ve taught confirmation—I’ve worked on Youth Involved in Worship. If passing on faith is simply passing on a neutral tool that can be used for good and evil we’re in trouble—we as human being—we as children of Abraham—are inevitably going to sacrifice people to this powerful tool. Because we are bound to sacrifice.
But I’m here to say that faith is more than a tool. It is more than a power that can be used to free slaves or blow up buildings. Because this uncomfortable bit of rope drags us to a point at which we have to ask, “who is our God?”
Inevitably we cry out for the revelation of the personality that spawned faith.
And ultimately that God is not neutral!
When we ask, “who is our God?” The very voice of God responds by shouting through the sacrificial night saying, “Abraham! Abraham!” I am not that kind of God! “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him.”
It is not only the promise that we trust! We can also, with joy and relief, trust in the nature of the Promiser. The nature of our God. Our God is a God who “demands mercy, not sacrifice, the knowledge of God, not holocaust.”
But maybe I’m getting too abstract… I mean I have a tendency to do that.
If you come with me just a little farther I will tell you about a vision, a daydream, I once had.
As some of you know this text, genesis chapter 22, is a piece of scripture that rattles around in my soul. It is in these 19 verses that I spent a year of my life studying before going to Seminary.
You know, whenever St. John’s has a celebration involving food… in other words whenever St. John’s has a celebration… someone inevitably talks about fattening me up.
Well I can tell you why I’m so skinny! I’m so skinny because for a year of my life the only thing that touched my lips were the words of Genesis chapter 22!
One evening while studying at my desk at Tyndale House Library over in England—a copy Jewish Antiquities sitting open over there, a few translations of the book of Jubilees over here, blurry eyed from studying too long without drinking any coffee—I stopped seeing my messy desk and my books—and I sort of drifted off.
I saw Mount Moriah where Abaham took Isaac. It was a chilled morning under a grey and cloudless sky. The sun inched into view—its rays splayed out like crows feet on an elderly woman’s face.
Four figures marched up the hill, one was old, tall, and wise. Behind him three figures followed at a distance. It was Abraham leading his three children, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
They reached the pinnacle of the hill and hastily constructed an altar.
And when they finished that, Abraham turned to them and said, “I am to slaughter you, for it is God’s will,” and as he said this he took his knife from his belt.
“Father,” the three said in unison, “put down the knife, for we remember Isaac and we know that God does not demand blood.”
And at that moment the Angel of the LORD swept down and said, “You have passed the test, for you know Me by My nature.”
And with that Abraham wept, and put down his knife, and hugged his children tightly.
Then he looked up and saw the world we live in now, and he said, “My children. Yours is a generation unlike mine. In my day it was God alone who could knock down the tower of Babel.”
With that he picked back up his knife, “Now,” he said, “19 men armed with only these can board a plane and did similar. Now religious people are killing each other in Baghdad in order to insight uprisings. Now human consumption can cause a new flood and our bombs can being about Armageddon.”
“In my day it took scribes, clay tablets, and horses to get your voice heard… now keyboards and instant communication touches every part of the world. Now being respectful to your neighbor is a global affair.”
And with that he threw the knife on the altar. “Yours is a generation in which individuals can impact the whole world as never before. You carry a responsibility that previously was both the burden, and the pleasure, of only the elites and the statesmen of the world.”
“Don’t you all see! You’ve become god-like and never even noticed. And this violence that, somehow I passed onto you, must be extinguished.”
“So, please, bind your hearts to a new oath—to a new promise. Shake off violence you people of faith.”
And at that very moment the three siblings—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—affirmed that oath. And they lit the altar pyre and melted the knife of Abraham.
And with that the Angel of the LORD came a second time. And he said, “Oh, sweet Abraham, you have learned much. You have freed yourself and your descendants of violence, but you still have one more lesson. Move beyond saying no to violence—for that is simply a necessity of the time—the only option to keep humanity from co-annihilation—from collective suicide. Move to affirmation—move your children to always say yes to love, mercy, and compassion. Live into the great and timeless truths of God that are at the root of all three faiths. Despite the mixed-up, messed-up, new, and complex world we live in, continue to be faithful as I am faithful to you. Bless all the nations of the earth, for that is your calling.”
A+A
A lot of things have transpired to get us here, to this last sermon in our series about, “The mixed-up, messed-up, origins of our faith.”
We have journeyed together with Abraham and his family. We have watched how God has been faithful despite the sometimes-strained strangeness of Abraham’s relationships with both family and God.
We have journeyed with Abraham and his family out of Haran only to find the patriarch pimping out his wife Sarah to Pharaoh.
Yet despite Abraham, God was faithful to His promise.
We have watched the complex and messy situation in which God’s promise of a son is threatened not only by the feuding between Hagar and Sarah, but also by Abraham’s strange mix of passivity and judgment.
Yet despite Sarah, Hagar, and Abraham, God was faithful to His promise.
We have heard Sarah laugh at God’s promise and we have heard her lie to God’s face.
Yet despite the mirth of this matriarch and her falsehood, God was faithful to His promise.
We follow Hagar and Ishmael into the desert—Ishmael is exposed—about to die, because of another familial blow-up.
Yet despite the mixed-up, messed-up origins of our faith, God was faithful to His promise.
Yet, after all these things, we find a new threat to the promise. God the Promiser tests Abraham and threatens to kill the promise! God appears to be unfaithful to His promise!
Within these 19 verses everything that comes before—every promise, every salvation of the promise, every victory snatched from defeat—is laid bare with the command to sacrifice Abraham’s son, his only son, the one he loves, Isaac.
The binding of Isaac—as this section of scripture is so often called—is an uncomfortable bit of rope.
It binds us to sacrifice.
It binds violence to faith.
It binds us to the dark side of God and forces us to untangle the question: “Who! Is! Our! God!”
Yes, the Binding of Isaac is an uncomfortable bit of rope.
Lord God, Parent, Lamb, Dove. Create for us, from the story of Abraham, Isaac, a Ram, and you, a word of God for the people of God here and now. May the Preacher’s words and heart be acceptable in your sight. Amen.
The binding of Isaac is an uncomfortable bit of rope. It binds us to sacrifice.
Listen, with me to verse three of the twenty-second chapter of Genesis. “So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him.”
In a single verse of scripture Abraham does 6 things. He rises, saddles, takes, cuts, sets out, and goes.
This same Abraham who argues with God in an attempt to save the citizens of Sodom and Gomorra, who says, “what if there are fifty righteous, what if there are 40, 30, 20, 10?” This same man who—for the sake of strangers—stands up to the Creators of all that is—almost trips over himself preparing to sacrifice his son, his only son, the one he loves, Isaac. Abraham is quick to practice human sacrifice.
And, I wish Abraham was alone in that. I really do!
But I’m reminded of Wilfred Owen’s poem “The Parable of the Old Man and the Young.” He wrote that World War One could have been averted if old men—the Abrahams of his time—would simply sacrifice their pride—not their sons. The poem ends, “but the old man would not so, but slew his son, and half the seed of Europe, one by one.”
And on the streets of Baghdad and Kabul today we again see young men—Isaacs—being sacrificed for decisions of Abrahams.
And again on the streets of Baltimore we see Isaac bound up in insane systems that lead to his being stabbed or shot, or stabbing and shooting.
We see sacrifice for Rep, sacrifice for gang affiliation, sacrifice for corners, sacrifice for drugs, and sacrifice for money.
Yes, the binding of Isaac is an uncomfortable bit of rope. It binds us to sacrifice.
But not only that! The binding of Isaac is an uncomfortable bit of rope. It binds violence to faith.
There are those who say that religion is the root of all evil.
There are those who are so horrified by what faithful people do that they would eliminate faith if they could.
And I can’t entirely disagree with them.
I think of the assault on cartoonist Lars Vilk during a lecture he was giving about freedom of speech that happened last Tuesday.
I think of the attempted car bombing in Times Square.
I think of the death threats the creators of South Park received for depicting the Prophet Muhammad.
I think of the violence done in Israel and Palestine by faithful people.
I think of the so-called Christian Militia who intended to kill cops in Michigan in order to fight the anti-Christ.
I think of the bombings of subways and trains in Europe, I think of 9-11.
I think of the attacks against churches and mosques, Muslims and Christians, committed by Buddhists in Sri Lanka and by Hindus in India.
And then I think a frightening thought! “My God! All that religious violence has happened within the last decade.”
(Long pause)
But then I think of Harriet Tubman!
I think of this faithful woman who delivered hundreds of people from the bondage of slavery.
I think of this faithful woman who risked life and limb birthing the Underground Railroad.
I think of this faithful woman who sang songs of faith to further freedom. Who sang “wade in the water” to tell people how to escape tracking-dogs and sang “let us break bread together” as a call to break free of bondage that very night.
I think of this faithful woman who is responsible for the planting of at least three churches in three different cities.
This faithful woman who on her dying bed did not ask for comfort, but instead asked, “do you know Jesus? Because I’m headed to a party!”
And confronted with these twin realities—that our faith can bring about violence and death, and that our faith can bring about freedom and life—I feel again the reality that the binding of Isaac is an uncomfortable bit of rope. I feel the rope grow tight with the overwhelming responsibility we have. Faith is like fire, it can create or destroy, cook a meal or burn down a forest.
Yes, the Binding of Isaac is an uncomfortable bit of rope. It not only binds violence to faith, but that causes us to pause and reflect.
It binds us to the dark side of God and forces us to untangle the question, “who is our God?”
And, as I look down at Abraham’s son, his only son, the one he loves, Isaac, there on the altar, I think too of the young people who will be confirmed this coming week—and I think of our youth who will be participating in Youth Involved in Worship. And I think of what kind of God we are passing on. Faith has so much power, so much potential, so much authority and sway. When we pass the torch do we pass along a light in the darkness, or the fires of holocaust?
And you know what? I’ve taught confirmation—I’ve worked on Youth Involved in Worship. If passing on faith is simply passing on a neutral tool that can be used for good and evil we’re in trouble—we as human being—we as children of Abraham—are inevitably going to sacrifice people to this powerful tool. Because we are bound to sacrifice.
But I’m here to say that faith is more than a tool. It is more than a power that can be used to free slaves or blow up buildings. Because this uncomfortable bit of rope drags us to a point at which we have to ask, “who is our God?”
Inevitably we cry out for the revelation of the personality that spawned faith.
And ultimately that God is not neutral!
When we ask, “who is our God?” The very voice of God responds by shouting through the sacrificial night saying, “Abraham! Abraham!” I am not that kind of God! “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him.”
It is not only the promise that we trust! We can also, with joy and relief, trust in the nature of the Promiser. The nature of our God. Our God is a God who “demands mercy, not sacrifice, the knowledge of God, not holocaust.”
But maybe I’m getting too abstract… I mean I have a tendency to do that.
If you come with me just a little farther I will tell you about a vision, a daydream, I once had.
As some of you know this text, genesis chapter 22, is a piece of scripture that rattles around in my soul. It is in these 19 verses that I spent a year of my life studying before going to Seminary.
You know, whenever St. John’s has a celebration involving food… in other words whenever St. John’s has a celebration… someone inevitably talks about fattening me up.
Well I can tell you why I’m so skinny! I’m so skinny because for a year of my life the only thing that touched my lips were the words of Genesis chapter 22!
One evening while studying at my desk at Tyndale House Library over in England—a copy Jewish Antiquities sitting open over there, a few translations of the book of Jubilees over here, blurry eyed from studying too long without drinking any coffee—I stopped seeing my messy desk and my books—and I sort of drifted off.
I saw Mount Moriah where Abaham took Isaac. It was a chilled morning under a grey and cloudless sky. The sun inched into view—its rays splayed out like crows feet on an elderly woman’s face.
Four figures marched up the hill, one was old, tall, and wise. Behind him three figures followed at a distance. It was Abraham leading his three children, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
They reached the pinnacle of the hill and hastily constructed an altar.
And when they finished that, Abraham turned to them and said, “I am to slaughter you, for it is God’s will,” and as he said this he took his knife from his belt.
“Father,” the three said in unison, “put down the knife, for we remember Isaac and we know that God does not demand blood.”
And at that moment the Angel of the LORD swept down and said, “You have passed the test, for you know Me by My nature.”
And with that Abraham wept, and put down his knife, and hugged his children tightly.
Then he looked up and saw the world we live in now, and he said, “My children. Yours is a generation unlike mine. In my day it was God alone who could knock down the tower of Babel.”
With that he picked back up his knife, “Now,” he said, “19 men armed with only these can board a plane and did similar. Now religious people are killing each other in Baghdad in order to insight uprisings. Now human consumption can cause a new flood and our bombs can being about Armageddon.”
“In my day it took scribes, clay tablets, and horses to get your voice heard… now keyboards and instant communication touches every part of the world. Now being respectful to your neighbor is a global affair.”
And with that he threw the knife on the altar. “Yours is a generation in which individuals can impact the whole world as never before. You carry a responsibility that previously was both the burden, and the pleasure, of only the elites and the statesmen of the world.”
“Don’t you all see! You’ve become god-like and never even noticed. And this violence that, somehow I passed onto you, must be extinguished.”
“So, please, bind your hearts to a new oath—to a new promise. Shake off violence you people of faith.”
And at that very moment the three siblings—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—affirmed that oath. And they lit the altar pyre and melted the knife of Abraham.
And with that the Angel of the LORD came a second time. And he said, “Oh, sweet Abraham, you have learned much. You have freed yourself and your descendants of violence, but you still have one more lesson. Move beyond saying no to violence—for that is simply a necessity of the time—the only option to keep humanity from co-annihilation—from collective suicide. Move to affirmation—move your children to always say yes to love, mercy, and compassion. Live into the great and timeless truths of God that are at the root of all three faiths. Despite the mixed-up, messed-up, new, and complex world we live in, continue to be faithful as I am faithful to you. Bless all the nations of the earth, for that is your calling.”
A+A
Friday, May 14, 2010
Children's sermon for this Sunday--its a concept from Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling put into story form... get it? :)
Once upon the time, in the Kingdom of __(1)_____ there lived two squires. There names were __(2)_____ and ___(3)____. Now, in case you don’t know, squires are people who are training to become knights. To do this they learned to use swords and shields, learned how to put on armor quickly, and learned to ride horses well.
___(4)____, the Queen of __(1)_____ took a special interest in ___(2)____ and ___(3)____. In fact she so wanted them to succeed as knights that she gave them each a horse that she promised was there’s forever. Additionally she promised them that when they were ready she would make them knights.
___(2)____’s horse was ___(5)____ with ____(6)___ speckles. Her name was___(7)____. __(3)_____’s horse was ___(8)____ with a __(9)_____ __(10)_____ on the right side of his face. His name was ___(11)____.
Also knight __(12)_____, the most famous knight in the entire kingdom of ___(1)____, gave the two squires lessons on how to be a knight. They also rode their horses every day, practiced sword fighting and polished their armor.
Then one night ___(2)____ and ___(3)____ woke up to people shouting, “the stables are burning the stables are burning!”
“Oh no!” said __(2)_____.
They both rushed to the stables and found ___(7)____ and __(11)_____.
The two horses were scared and trapped—the only way to get them out was to get them to run away.
“We have to let them go,” said _(2)______.
___(3)____ replied, “I… I know…but… but…if we do that I’ll never be a knight and never see ___(11)____ again.”
“We’ll still become knights. We’ll see our horses again,” ___(2)____ replied, pushing a piece of wood away from ___(7)____. He slapped her flank hard, so that she would run away. And with that ___(7)____ was gone.
“I’ll never be a knight. I’ll never see ___(11)____ again,” ___(3)____ repeated and sent ___(11)____ off.
After the fire the two squires moped around for a few days. They frowned and thought longingly about their horses.
But after a time they began to get back to work. Knight __(12)_____ continued to teach them.
Still ____(3)___ continued to say, “we’ll never see our horses again, and we’ll never be knights.”
And just as often ___(2)____ would reply, “We’ve been promised knighthood and we’ve been promised that __(11)_____ and ___(7)____ are our horses forever.”
___(3)____ would reply, “that’s ridiculous… but I’ll still practice.”
And ____(2)___ would counter, “I will live assuming knighthood is coming and those horses are always ours.”
And so it went for years and years. They queen continued to watch the two squires from afar. And one day she said to Knight ___(12)____, “find those horses.”
And __(12)_____ traveled far and wide, from the __(13)_____ Ocean to the ___(14)____ Mountain. Finally, near the ___(15)____ cliffs Knight ___(12)____ noticed a ___(5)____... something in the distance. He climbed the cliffs and soon enough that ___(5)____ something turned into a ___(5)____ horse with ___(6)____speckles. And ____(11)___ was close by too!
Then one day ___(2)____ and ___(3)____ were called to the royal stables.
And there, amongst the horse droppings and hay, was queen ___(4)____.
She said to the two squires, “I’ve seen how you continue to train to be knights.”
And before she could finish ___(7)____ neighed from behind her, and the two squires saw Knight __(12)_____ holding the reigns of ___(11)____ and ___(7)____.
The queen continued, “You have your horses, and its time for you to become knights.”
Both squires broke into smiles and tears. ___(2)____ was confirmed in his continued hope in the promise that the queen had told him.
___(3)____, on the other hand, was at first ashamed, but then simply overcome with gratitude by the continued truthfulness of Queen ___(4)____’s promise.
___(4)____, the Queen of __(1)_____ took a special interest in ___(2)____ and ___(3)____. In fact she so wanted them to succeed as knights that she gave them each a horse that she promised was there’s forever. Additionally she promised them that when they were ready she would make them knights.
___(2)____’s horse was ___(5)____ with ____(6)___ speckles. Her name was___(7)____. __(3)_____’s horse was ___(8)____ with a __(9)_____ __(10)_____ on the right side of his face. His name was ___(11)____.
Also knight __(12)_____, the most famous knight in the entire kingdom of ___(1)____, gave the two squires lessons on how to be a knight. They also rode their horses every day, practiced sword fighting and polished their armor.
Then one night ___(2)____ and ___(3)____ woke up to people shouting, “the stables are burning the stables are burning!”
“Oh no!” said __(2)_____.
They both rushed to the stables and found ___(7)____ and __(11)_____.
The two horses were scared and trapped—the only way to get them out was to get them to run away.
“We have to let them go,” said _(2)______.
___(3)____ replied, “I… I know…but… but…if we do that I’ll never be a knight and never see ___(11)____ again.”
“We’ll still become knights. We’ll see our horses again,” ___(2)____ replied, pushing a piece of wood away from ___(7)____. He slapped her flank hard, so that she would run away. And with that ___(7)____ was gone.
“I’ll never be a knight. I’ll never see ___(11)____ again,” ___(3)____ repeated and sent ___(11)____ off.
After the fire the two squires moped around for a few days. They frowned and thought longingly about their horses.
But after a time they began to get back to work. Knight __(12)_____ continued to teach them.
Still ____(3)___ continued to say, “we’ll never see our horses again, and we’ll never be knights.”
And just as often ___(2)____ would reply, “We’ve been promised knighthood and we’ve been promised that __(11)_____ and ___(7)____ are our horses forever.”
___(3)____ would reply, “that’s ridiculous… but I’ll still practice.”
And ____(2)___ would counter, “I will live assuming knighthood is coming and those horses are always ours.”
And so it went for years and years. They queen continued to watch the two squires from afar. And one day she said to Knight ___(12)____, “find those horses.”
And __(12)_____ traveled far and wide, from the __(13)_____ Ocean to the ___(14)____ Mountain. Finally, near the ___(15)____ cliffs Knight ___(12)____ noticed a ___(5)____... something in the distance. He climbed the cliffs and soon enough that ___(5)____ something turned into a ___(5)____ horse with ___(6)____speckles. And ____(11)___ was close by too!
Then one day ___(2)____ and ___(3)____ were called to the royal stables.
And there, amongst the horse droppings and hay, was queen ___(4)____.
She said to the two squires, “I’ve seen how you continue to train to be knights.”
And before she could finish ___(7)____ neighed from behind her, and the two squires saw Knight __(12)_____ holding the reigns of ___(11)____ and ___(7)____.
The queen continued, “You have your horses, and its time for you to become knights.”
Both squires broke into smiles and tears. ___(2)____ was confirmed in his continued hope in the promise that the queen had told him.
___(3)____, on the other hand, was at first ashamed, but then simply overcome with gratitude by the continued truthfulness of Queen ___(4)____’s promise.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Akedah as a subject for Apophatic contemplation
When I think about Genesis chapter 22 I am always struck by the threat to the promise found within these 18 verses. Everything that comes before—every promise, every salvation of the promise, every victory snatched from defeat—is laid bare with the command to sacrifice Isaac—the promised son.
God is the Promiser, the Faithful One who will bring about a new and amazing thing—bringing a barren couple out of their homeland and creating a new people.
Yet God is not the Promiser; God is the very threat to the promise, God will slaughter the very center of his promise. If God is followed the promise becomes a lie.
I affirm that God is the Promiser. I affirm that God is not the Promiser. Between these two statements—the cataphatic (positive) and the apophatic (negative) I find the God beyond god. I push through the meaning of these words and these concepts and am forced to wrestle with a God beyond description and peek behind the veil of language and experience, and hear on God’s own terms the words, “Abraham, Abraham—I am not that kind of God.”
God is the Promiser, the Faithful One who will bring about a new and amazing thing—bringing a barren couple out of their homeland and creating a new people.
Yet God is not the Promiser; God is the very threat to the promise, God will slaughter the very center of his promise. If God is followed the promise becomes a lie.
I affirm that God is the Promiser. I affirm that God is not the Promiser. Between these two statements—the cataphatic (positive) and the apophatic (negative) I find the God beyond god. I push through the meaning of these words and these concepts and am forced to wrestle with a God beyond description and peek behind the veil of language and experience, and hear on God’s own terms the words, “Abraham, Abraham—I am not that kind of God.”
Sunday, May 09, 2010
What my mom received along with a Bonsai tree
Motherhood is affirmed
When a child becomes an adult
Success! Mom! Success!
When a child becomes an adult
Success! Mom! Success!
Friday, May 07, 2010
Let play who can find Chris' articles
So the april fools edition of the Seminarian came out today. I wrote three articles in it. Can any of my readers catch which articles are mine?
Peace,
Chris
Peace,
Chris
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Jesus Christ Super Star 2000
Well, your friendly neighborhood blogger is sick. You already knew that you say? Not that kind of sick! I’ve been aching and cold for most of the day, and keep falling asleep.
That said I did manage to slink over to the couch and pop in a Netflix DVD—Jesus Christ Super Star:2000.
Maybe its my illness, but the flick stunk/maybe my heart just goes all aflutter for the hippie rendition of 1973, but the 2000 version didn’t feel right.
In 2000 Jesus and his disciples aren’t very likable. They’re brooding and cynical. They all look like they could be out of an Ambercrombie catalogue. There is no comradely or love expressed between any of them. They’re all too busy posing and giving one another snotty and hurt looks. Even Mary Mag’s “I don’t know how to love him” is focused on the line “I’ve had so many men before.” Part of the tragedy of JCSS is the break down of friendship and hope into disillusionment, betrayal, and ultimately crucifixion. None of that was present in 2000.
Speaking of dark and brooding… if you think the disciples are bad you should see the Council and the Romans. They look like storm troopers, all decked out in black and often masked. Here’s the problem though, “the Jews” are also dressed in all black (trench coats and fedoras for the men and burka-ish things for the women).
Why is this a problem? Well, you can’t really tell them apart. Part of the tension in JCSS is that there are clearly four factions, Jesus’ band, the Romans, the Council, and the average Jew. The average Jew sort of waffles and could be described as morally ambiguous, first joining Jesus on his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, then latter shouting for him to be killed. No such tension in 2000. In 2000 the Romans are storm troopers in black, the Council are storm troopers in black (minus military insigia), and the average Jew are basically secret police. In fact they don’t participate in Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem (only the Ambercrombie crew do that).
Worse still, when Pilate decides to flog Jesus it’s the average Jew who flogs him… literally “the blood is on their hands.” Anyone who knows any history of passion plays and the unfortunate anti-Semitic use of this particular trope knows that this ain’t good.
Also the set is SO dark. I get that they are putting Jesus into a fascist world and therefore it needs to be dark, but some of the JCSS music just doesn’t fit with dark and brooding.
Also Jesus actually seems a little bored with the whole process at times, for example when he visits Herod.
That said I did manage to slink over to the couch and pop in a Netflix DVD—Jesus Christ Super Star:2000.
Maybe its my illness, but the flick stunk/maybe my heart just goes all aflutter for the hippie rendition of 1973, but the 2000 version didn’t feel right.
In 2000 Jesus and his disciples aren’t very likable. They’re brooding and cynical. They all look like they could be out of an Ambercrombie catalogue. There is no comradely or love expressed between any of them. They’re all too busy posing and giving one another snotty and hurt looks. Even Mary Mag’s “I don’t know how to love him” is focused on the line “I’ve had so many men before.” Part of the tragedy of JCSS is the break down of friendship and hope into disillusionment, betrayal, and ultimately crucifixion. None of that was present in 2000.
Speaking of dark and brooding… if you think the disciples are bad you should see the Council and the Romans. They look like storm troopers, all decked out in black and often masked. Here’s the problem though, “the Jews” are also dressed in all black (trench coats and fedoras for the men and burka-ish things for the women).
Why is this a problem? Well, you can’t really tell them apart. Part of the tension in JCSS is that there are clearly four factions, Jesus’ band, the Romans, the Council, and the average Jew. The average Jew sort of waffles and could be described as morally ambiguous, first joining Jesus on his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, then latter shouting for him to be killed. No such tension in 2000. In 2000 the Romans are storm troopers in black, the Council are storm troopers in black (minus military insigia), and the average Jew are basically secret police. In fact they don’t participate in Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem (only the Ambercrombie crew do that).
Worse still, when Pilate decides to flog Jesus it’s the average Jew who flogs him… literally “the blood is on their hands.” Anyone who knows any history of passion plays and the unfortunate anti-Semitic use of this particular trope knows that this ain’t good.
Also the set is SO dark. I get that they are putting Jesus into a fascist world and therefore it needs to be dark, but some of the JCSS music just doesn’t fit with dark and brooding.
Also Jesus actually seems a little bored with the whole process at times, for example when he visits Herod.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Genesis 16--The Journey is messy
The Journey is messy
I bring you greetings, from Renee, Gregg, Gavin, Gwendylyn, Mecedes, Jennifer, and Justin. They told me to tell you they’ll be back this afternoon, unless the weather is nice, in which case they’ll be staying on the Eastern Shore for a few more days, or maybe a couple of weeks.
I also bring you greetings in the name of Jesus.
It was getting late Friday evening. The sun was dipping out of existence. We sped along I-50—Pastor Gregg—who may be known forevermore as pastor-led-foot was in the lead, Gwendylyn following him, and Justin and I followed her.
Just out of curiosity, and boredom, it’s a 150-mile drive after all, Justin and I turned on my GPS to see if it liked the path Pastor Gregg was taking us.
And it didn’t. Every 300 feet it would say, “Make a U-turn” and when we continued to follow Gwendylyn it would say “recalculating” and then tell me to again, “make a U-turn” or, sometimes it would phrase its dislike of our path slightly differently and say, “Turn Left, then turn left.”
You see in my GPS’s mechanical mind there was only one way to get to 10,301 Costal Highway Road, and Pastor Gregg’s way of getting there wasn’t it.
My machine’s mechanical mind believed that if things didn’t go a particular way—things just don’t go.
In fact when we arrived in the parking lot of the retreat center my GPS let me know that we still had an hour’s journey left before we would arrive at the retreat center.
I bring this up because, like our journey to the Son and Sand Retreat Center in Ocean City the journey of faith is not mechanical, but messy. The Journey of faith is not mechanical, but messy.
Let us pray: Lord God, be with me as I preach. I pray that my words may be acceptable to you and that all the things that my words elicit in both myself and others may be the same. Amen
As we read in Paul’s letter to the Galatians Genesis 16 can be read as an Allegory… That is it can be read symbolically (I would go so far as to call this type of reading mechanical). Hagar is no longer Hagar, Sarai no longer Sarai, Ishmael no longer Ishmael. Instead, for Paul, the whole story is a way to express a particular view about the theological concepts of Law and Gospel to the community in Galatia.
And as exciting and helpful as this way of reading our lesson for the day is, I believe allegory can do damage to God’s message and the plain meaning of today’s scripture. I believe it simplifies the real and raw human and divine drama that is before us today. It stops us from hearing how God acted in the mixed-up, messed-up lives of these people of faith.
After all an Allegory can’t express contempt, but a person of faith can. An Allegory can’t be okay with an agreement until its not, but a person of faith can. An allegory can’t run away into a deadly desert, but a person of faith can. In short, an allegory doesn’t express the messiness of a faith journey
Likewise, when we tell the story of the founders of our faith we often flatten their stories. We erase the smudges on their records. We clean up the messiness of their lives.
We ignore Abraham pimping his wife in Egypt as Pastor Gregg preached about last week. We mute Moses’ mumbling. We insist that Job is a patient man even though 39 of the 42 chapters of the book named after him involve him complaining!
It’s like we put together a photo album but crop all the photos with our ex-es present.
It’s like creating a family tree, but removing the limb that contain our crazy aunt and creepy cousin.
Its like we insist on taking a U-turn and going on the Ocean City Expressway when we’ve already went 12 miles down Ocean Gateway.
But by going all the way back to these stories of Abraham, the founder of three faiths, we aren’t allowed to do that!
Instead we are confronted by the messiness of, Sarai, Hagar, Abraham, and Ishmael’s journey with God.
We might like to simply say, “Abraham was faithful, and God blessed him, and that is that.”
We might like to say “God promised a child and Sarai had a child.”
But we would hear the GPS of scripture saying, “recalculating” and “Make a U-turn” because we find the holy couple waiting for 10 years in the Promised Land without receiving the promised son.
We might like to simply say, “Through Abraham’s second wife, Hagar, God created his chosen people and everything worked out.” But again we would hear “Recalculating” “turn left and then turn left.” Because Jealousy strikes and Sarai asks for God to judge between her and Abraham. Instead Abraham dons the judge’s robe intended for God and judges between Sarai and Hagar.
But surely then we may sum things up, “The offending wife, Hagar, is thrown out and order is restored!”
“Recalculating.” “Make a U-turn!” Despite Hagar having cursed Sarai—and despite God having said to Abraham that he would bless those who bless him and curse those who curse him—God steps in with a blessing. Its like a reverse Exodus.
A reverse Exodus.
Just as the people of the promise were oppressed in Egypt and God heard their cries an Egyptian woman was oppressed in the Promised Land and God heard her cries.
Just as we read today in Exodus, God looks out for the oppressed and for the resident alien!
So finally, we can sum things up!
“God blesses this son of Hagar with a life of ease and plenty… “Recalculating” “turn left and turn left.” No! The blessing God bestows upon Hagar’s child is a baffling mix of hardship and health, of anguish and hope.
Finally, finally, we can say happily ever after! No, because even when we reach the end of today’s lesson such as assessment must be met with Recalculating…. Make a U-turn! Because the Journey of faith is not mechanical, but messy.
The Journey Of Faith Is Messy.
Now, you might ask why I belabor this point. Why am I making such a big deal about this? Why am I insisting that any reading of “The mixed-up, messed-up Origins of our faith” is incalculably in need of a U-turn if it is mechanical? Why is Hagar’s journey off track if it is track-able?
Because hearing about how, and in what conditions, God acted in the past for other people shapes our understanding of how God acts in our present! Hagar’s story shapes our story.
And you see, now that its summer I’ve got out into the neighborhood more. In fact last Saturday—for the second time—I set up a table out from of the church for people to just come and sit and talk about their faith with me.
And from the stories I’ve been hearing here-and-now I have to assume the way “The mixed-up, messed-up Origins of our faith” have been told is inaccurate, it is simplified, it is mechanical, it is allegorical, it is in need of a U-turn.
Because when I talk to people about what God is doing in their life they so often respond, “I’ll worry about that once I get my life straightened out,” “I’m not good enough for God yet” “I’ll go to church once -I- take care of some things.”
First off I asked what God was doing in their life… I didn’t say anything about church!
But second, waiting to get everything together before you enter a journey of faith is, to quote the Goo Goo Dolls, like being a “young men sitting in the old man’s bar/waiting for his turn to die.”
If God can work in the messy lives of the founders of our faith God can work in our messy lives too! Even if things aren’t going a particular way that doesn’t mean they aren’t going at all!
The Journey of faith is not mechanical, but messy. Its driving behind a led-footed pastor on I-50 in rural Maryland. Its 10 years of barrenness in the face of God’s promise of a child. Its jealousy and misjudgment. Its mysterious blessing in the face of curses. It’s a mixed blessing in the desert. Its messy!
Yet its also a journey to a life giving well called “God sees” and a journey to a magnificent cost-line, a blue horizon-line bumping up against the curvature of the earth—the white-cap waves sparkling in the rising sun.
The journey of faith is messy, but God’s there in the messiness, and its worth it!
A+A
I bring you greetings, from Renee, Gregg, Gavin, Gwendylyn, Mecedes, Jennifer, and Justin. They told me to tell you they’ll be back this afternoon, unless the weather is nice, in which case they’ll be staying on the Eastern Shore for a few more days, or maybe a couple of weeks.
I also bring you greetings in the name of Jesus.
It was getting late Friday evening. The sun was dipping out of existence. We sped along I-50—Pastor Gregg—who may be known forevermore as pastor-led-foot was in the lead, Gwendylyn following him, and Justin and I followed her.
Just out of curiosity, and boredom, it’s a 150-mile drive after all, Justin and I turned on my GPS to see if it liked the path Pastor Gregg was taking us.
And it didn’t. Every 300 feet it would say, “Make a U-turn” and when we continued to follow Gwendylyn it would say “recalculating” and then tell me to again, “make a U-turn” or, sometimes it would phrase its dislike of our path slightly differently and say, “Turn Left, then turn left.”
You see in my GPS’s mechanical mind there was only one way to get to 10,301 Costal Highway Road, and Pastor Gregg’s way of getting there wasn’t it.
My machine’s mechanical mind believed that if things didn’t go a particular way—things just don’t go.
In fact when we arrived in the parking lot of the retreat center my GPS let me know that we still had an hour’s journey left before we would arrive at the retreat center.
I bring this up because, like our journey to the Son and Sand Retreat Center in Ocean City the journey of faith is not mechanical, but messy. The Journey of faith is not mechanical, but messy.
Let us pray: Lord God, be with me as I preach. I pray that my words may be acceptable to you and that all the things that my words elicit in both myself and others may be the same. Amen
As we read in Paul’s letter to the Galatians Genesis 16 can be read as an Allegory… That is it can be read symbolically (I would go so far as to call this type of reading mechanical). Hagar is no longer Hagar, Sarai no longer Sarai, Ishmael no longer Ishmael. Instead, for Paul, the whole story is a way to express a particular view about the theological concepts of Law and Gospel to the community in Galatia.
And as exciting and helpful as this way of reading our lesson for the day is, I believe allegory can do damage to God’s message and the plain meaning of today’s scripture. I believe it simplifies the real and raw human and divine drama that is before us today. It stops us from hearing how God acted in the mixed-up, messed-up lives of these people of faith.
After all an Allegory can’t express contempt, but a person of faith can. An Allegory can’t be okay with an agreement until its not, but a person of faith can. An allegory can’t run away into a deadly desert, but a person of faith can. In short, an allegory doesn’t express the messiness of a faith journey
Likewise, when we tell the story of the founders of our faith we often flatten their stories. We erase the smudges on their records. We clean up the messiness of their lives.
We ignore Abraham pimping his wife in Egypt as Pastor Gregg preached about last week. We mute Moses’ mumbling. We insist that Job is a patient man even though 39 of the 42 chapters of the book named after him involve him complaining!
It’s like we put together a photo album but crop all the photos with our ex-es present.
It’s like creating a family tree, but removing the limb that contain our crazy aunt and creepy cousin.
Its like we insist on taking a U-turn and going on the Ocean City Expressway when we’ve already went 12 miles down Ocean Gateway.
But by going all the way back to these stories of Abraham, the founder of three faiths, we aren’t allowed to do that!
Instead we are confronted by the messiness of, Sarai, Hagar, Abraham, and Ishmael’s journey with God.
We might like to simply say, “Abraham was faithful, and God blessed him, and that is that.”
We might like to say “God promised a child and Sarai had a child.”
But we would hear the GPS of scripture saying, “recalculating” and “Make a U-turn” because we find the holy couple waiting for 10 years in the Promised Land without receiving the promised son.
We might like to simply say, “Through Abraham’s second wife, Hagar, God created his chosen people and everything worked out.” But again we would hear “Recalculating” “turn left and then turn left.” Because Jealousy strikes and Sarai asks for God to judge between her and Abraham. Instead Abraham dons the judge’s robe intended for God and judges between Sarai and Hagar.
But surely then we may sum things up, “The offending wife, Hagar, is thrown out and order is restored!”
“Recalculating.” “Make a U-turn!” Despite Hagar having cursed Sarai—and despite God having said to Abraham that he would bless those who bless him and curse those who curse him—God steps in with a blessing. Its like a reverse Exodus.
A reverse Exodus.
Just as the people of the promise were oppressed in Egypt and God heard their cries an Egyptian woman was oppressed in the Promised Land and God heard her cries.
Just as we read today in Exodus, God looks out for the oppressed and for the resident alien!
So finally, we can sum things up!
“God blesses this son of Hagar with a life of ease and plenty… “Recalculating” “turn left and turn left.” No! The blessing God bestows upon Hagar’s child is a baffling mix of hardship and health, of anguish and hope.
Finally, finally, we can say happily ever after! No, because even when we reach the end of today’s lesson such as assessment must be met with Recalculating…. Make a U-turn! Because the Journey of faith is not mechanical, but messy.
The Journey Of Faith Is Messy.
Now, you might ask why I belabor this point. Why am I making such a big deal about this? Why am I insisting that any reading of “The mixed-up, messed-up Origins of our faith” is incalculably in need of a U-turn if it is mechanical? Why is Hagar’s journey off track if it is track-able?
Because hearing about how, and in what conditions, God acted in the past for other people shapes our understanding of how God acts in our present! Hagar’s story shapes our story.
And you see, now that its summer I’ve got out into the neighborhood more. In fact last Saturday—for the second time—I set up a table out from of the church for people to just come and sit and talk about their faith with me.
And from the stories I’ve been hearing here-and-now I have to assume the way “The mixed-up, messed-up Origins of our faith” have been told is inaccurate, it is simplified, it is mechanical, it is allegorical, it is in need of a U-turn.
Because when I talk to people about what God is doing in their life they so often respond, “I’ll worry about that once I get my life straightened out,” “I’m not good enough for God yet” “I’ll go to church once -I- take care of some things.”
First off I asked what God was doing in their life… I didn’t say anything about church!
But second, waiting to get everything together before you enter a journey of faith is, to quote the Goo Goo Dolls, like being a “young men sitting in the old man’s bar/waiting for his turn to die.”
If God can work in the messy lives of the founders of our faith God can work in our messy lives too! Even if things aren’t going a particular way that doesn’t mean they aren’t going at all!
The Journey of faith is not mechanical, but messy. Its driving behind a led-footed pastor on I-50 in rural Maryland. Its 10 years of barrenness in the face of God’s promise of a child. Its jealousy and misjudgment. Its mysterious blessing in the face of curses. It’s a mixed blessing in the desert. Its messy!
Yet its also a journey to a life giving well called “God sees” and a journey to a magnificent cost-line, a blue horizon-line bumping up against the curvature of the earth—the white-cap waves sparkling in the rising sun.
The journey of faith is messy, but God’s there in the messiness, and its worth it!
A+A
Thursday, April 22, 2010
My mom's take on her time in B'more
Tue
: Arrived in time for a nice dinner--stir-fried shrimp/scallops/calamari cooked by Chef Chris! Then on to his evening Bible study--got to meet a few congregation members, who complimented me on raising such a fine man--I agree(though I don‘t take credit for it!) Also got to meet Chris’ cat, Simul.
Wed:
We went to a Baltimore Orioles game with Joe & Joel--Methodist & Lutheran interns. Orioles lost 9-1, but we had a good time!
Thurs:
We went downtown to the Inner Harbor--saw awesome city views from atop the Lutheran Center, had lunch in Little Italy, saw a fun art museum, and went to the fabulous Baltimore Aquarium!
Fri:
Went to Annapolis--had scrumptious crab cakes for lunch & met Christina, Chris’ friend who’s interning as a Unitarian minister. Went on a harbor tour by boat, and met Eileen & daughters Katy & Jackie for coffee--she’s my friend since Brussels, and we had a wonderful visit--felt 20 years younger!
Sat:
We went to Fels Point, Ft McHenry(where Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner), and later to a play--Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat--with Kelly, whose husband Ward cooked up some amazing burritos for dinner!
Sun:
We attended services at Chris’ church--got to meet his awesome Pastor Greg & the congregation, & see Chris in action. We went bowling in the evening.
Mon:
Returned to the Inner Harbor, also walked around the Johns Hopkins University campus. Packed to head home--flew out at 5PM, arrived home at 10PM, in time for a quick night’s rest, as Tuesday was back to work.
: Arrived in time for a nice dinner--stir-fried shrimp/scallops/calamari cooked by Chef Chris! Then on to his evening Bible study--got to meet a few congregation members, who complimented me on raising such a fine man--I agree(though I don‘t take credit for it!) Also got to meet Chris’ cat, Simul.
Wed:
We went to a Baltimore Orioles game with Joe & Joel--Methodist & Lutheran interns. Orioles lost 9-1, but we had a good time!
Thurs:
We went downtown to the Inner Harbor--saw awesome city views from atop the Lutheran Center, had lunch in Little Italy, saw a fun art museum, and went to the fabulous Baltimore Aquarium!
Fri:
Went to Annapolis--had scrumptious crab cakes for lunch & met Christina, Chris’ friend who’s interning as a Unitarian minister. Went on a harbor tour by boat, and met Eileen & daughters Katy & Jackie for coffee--she’s my friend since Brussels, and we had a wonderful visit--felt 20 years younger!
Sat:
We went to Fels Point, Ft McHenry(where Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner), and later to a play--Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat--with Kelly, whose husband Ward cooked up some amazing burritos for dinner!
Sun:
We attended services at Chris’ church--got to meet his awesome Pastor Greg & the congregation, & see Chris in action. We went bowling in the evening.
Mon:
Returned to the Inner Harbor, also walked around the Johns Hopkins University campus. Packed to head home--flew out at 5PM, arrived home at 10PM, in time for a quick night’s rest, as Tuesday was back to work.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
My mantra is getting smaller
As the sun comes out and I walk the labyrinth in front of St. John's and try to break down my prayers into a stark and easy to remember phrase I’ve reached this so far:
I bow
Forgive
Save
Sustain
Here
I bow
Forgive
Save
Sustain
Here
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