The Other Six Days

Who's to blame?

2008-05-21T11:04:00.004-04:00

I don't know how many of you have heard but recently in the news there have been reports of increasing violence in South Africa. Apparently there has been a large influx of refugees from Zimbabwe. There are many South Africans who are upset that the refugees are taking jobs away from South Africans, they're upset the Zimbabweans are taking aid that would otherwise go to South Africans. So the Zimbabweans, who left their country because of dire circumstance, because the unemployment rate is over 80% and the political stability of the country is in serious question, these Zimbabweans are now being raped, beaten, killed, and in one instance even being burned alive. All of this simply because they could not survive in their own country and fled seeking just the basic human necessities of food and shelter.

The president of South Africa condemned the violence saying, "We dehumanize ourselves the moment we start thinking of another person as less human than we are simply because they come from another country".

Those are powerful words that we here in the United States would do well to heed. The whole situation in South Africa reminds me of the ongoing tension around immigration here in the United States. Certainly there are many differences, but there are also many more similarities than most of us are comfortable with. People from other countries in dire situations, countries experiencing much poverty and political instability, and seeking the basics of food and shelter come to the United States. We call them illegal aliens rather than refugees and we certainly are not understanding of their situation. We have the same complaints as the South Africans: they are taking our jobs, they are taking our aid and resources that should really be going to our own citizens. And instead of large scale riots and mops, we have government sanctioned walls being constructed all along our borders. We may not be experiencing murderous mobs. But with increasing economic strain in the United States, I wonder, really how far are we from seeing those same types of behaviors in the US?

When xenophobic behavior happens in other countries, we shake our heads, condemn the behavior, and on occasion even speak out about it. But when the same situation occurs here in the United States, we cry out with clenched fists for those looking for help to "Go Home!" These jobs aren't for you, this aide isn't for you! Somehow we have gotten it in our minds that we are more deserving of the jobs and aide because we lucked out and were born here instead of some other country. In essence we dehumanize those who have sought help and safety in our midst.

In both situations our first response is to blame others. We blame those in other countries for not being more tolerant of foreigners. We blame the foreigners in our midst. We blame other governments and our own for not preventing the situation. But very rarely do we recognize the roles we have played that contribute to the situations. How much more aide would be available if more of us lived simply so others could simply live? How many of us support companies that exploit cheap labor in other countries thus perpetuating the poverty of other nations? How many of us consume media and pop culture that encourages us to look at other people as objects or a means to an end?

There are many ways that we each contribute to these systematic problems. But instead of recognizing our role, instead of acknowledging the places we have fallen short, we start by defending ourselves, pointing fingers at other people, and criticizing others. We would do well to follow the example of Daniel. Daniel was a righteous person, he was faithful to God even when it endangered his life. And yet, Daniel recognized that Israel had fallen short of the standards God has set for them. Daniel recognized that Israel had failed to live up to their part of the covenant. So Daniel's response was to pray fervently to God and ask for forgiveness. In his very impassioned prayer in Daniel 9:3-19, Daniel asks for forgiveness for all of Israel, himself included. Daniel does not point fingers or assign blame, instead he acknowledges that as part of the larger community, even Daniel has played a role in their situation and bears part of the shared responsibility.

We too are part of a larger community, and as such bear part of the responsibility for how the community acts. It's a concept quite foreign to our American individualistic spirit but it is part of our biblical heritage. What would happen if we all prayed that God would forgive us for the ways each of us has contributed to the problem? What would the country or even the world looked like if we asked God to help us be part of the solution rather than part of the problem? What would happen if we really meant it?

Tattooed Hearts

2008-05-18T12:00:00.004-04:00

Below is a sermon I preached this morning for confirmation sunday. The sermon was on the text Jeremiah 31:31-34.

Tattooed Hearts

What would you have tattooed on your body? Tattoos. You can tell a lot about a person by what they choose to tattoo on their bodies. Tattoos, certainly don’t define a person, but they do tell us something about that person. After all, that’s why people get tattoos, tattoos tell the world what’s important to that person, or at least what was important to the person at the time.

People get tattoos for a variety of reason. Sometimes people just like a specific design. But often tattoos have some meaning behind them. Sometimes they mark a significant event, such as the destruction of the world trade Center on September 11^th or sometimes it’s something more personal, like a particular battle a soldier fought in or graduation from school. Often tattoos are reminders of loved ones, either living or dead. In such instances, dates, names, or faces will be tattooed in honor of a loved one who has passed away. Sometimes names or faces are tattooed as a sign of ones devotion to another person. I’ve even heard of people having their wedding bands tattooed on.

Tattoo can also be used to mark ones affiliation with a particular group or organization. Many gang members have tattoos that symbolize their identity with and loyalty to a particular gang. Often members of sororities and fraternities have their letters tattooed on. Members of the armed forces will sometimes get tattoos of their service branch’s insignia, or symbols specific to their unit. There are many different things that tattoos can show our affiliation with.

Regardless of why a person gets a tattoo, Tattoos are permanent. This fact is both part of the allure, and for some people part of the downside to tattoos. If you are getting a tattoo you need to make sure it’s something you want to carry around with you for the rest of your life, not simply a passing phase. Tattoos are permanent, because of where the ink is placed. Your body has layers of skin that is continually shed. The ink is imbedded beneath those layers of your skin and placed where is will not be pushed out of your body. In other words, the ink has been internalized and is carried within the body.

Today’s scripture passage from Jeremiah, speaks of God tattooing our hearts. Jeremiah proclaims that God intends to write on our hearts. And what is it that God intends to write? God intends to place God’s law within us. But more than just rules and expectations, this law is to be a sign of our covenant relationship with God. Just like the ink of a tattoo is embedded in our skin, God wants to embed our relationship with God into the very core of our being.

God wants us to know God personally, and to be in relationship with God. But knowing God is more than just knowing about God. It’s the difference between knowing when someone’s birthday is or what their favorite color is and actually being with them to celebrate their birthday. Building relationships with someone is not really based on what you know about them. Rather relationships are built when you have shared experiences with another person. Relationships involve allowing that person to be a part of your life and them allowing you to be a part of theirs. And you nurture your friendship with others by inviting your friend to be a part of the little insignificant things in your life as well as the big monumental moments. These shared experiences with someone is what moves you from being acquaintances to deep friendship.

The same is true of our relationship with God. God is not interested in us simply having book knowledge about God and having our theology all worked out. God is interested in truly being known by us. We worship a God who wants so deeply to be known by humanity that God has become human in Jesus Christ so we could know God more fully. God wants to be a regular part of our lives, even a permanent part. This involves allowing God to be part of the little decisions in life like should I burn a copy of my friends CD or should I buy my own. God wants to be a part of decisions about what kinds of stores we support with our money or how we treat the people at school and work who are just down right annoying. Nurturing our relationships with God means allowing God to be a part of the mundane, day-to-day tasks and decisions of life.

God also wants to be a part of the bigger decisions we make in life like whether we should switch jobs, what should we major in at college, and what kind of car should we buy. Even what medical procedures should you or a loved one undergo. God wants to help you make all those decisions in life. God wants to celebrate the exciting moments in life with you, and to console you during life’s painful moments.

Our relationship with God is more deeply embedded in our hearts as we continue to allow God to be a part of our lives, as we allow God to be part of the big and little decisions we make.

God says “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God and they shall be my people.” Just like a tattoo, the writing God does on our hearts is internalized. We carry within us God’s law and the sign of our relationship with God. Once we’ve internalized it, living life in relationship with God is no longer something we have to think about all the time. It just becomes our natural way of acting.

But this process of internalization takes time. It’s not a one time deal, something that happens once then we never have to work at it again. Instead, this process of internalizing God’s law, this process of embedding our relationship with God in our hearts, is a process that happens over a life time. It happens as we continually allow God to be a part of our lives.

In many cultures, tattoos are used to signify a particular rite of passage in a person’s life. Often they are used to mark the transition from childhood into adulthood. And so it is with the tattoos God places on our hearts. As we come to a deeper relationship with God, as we each transition from the infancy of our faith to a more mature faith, God more deeply embeds the sign of the covenant in our hearts. Most of us can look back on our faith journey and remember times where we experience periods of intense growth. Sometimes this comes out of a formalized class and other times that growth happens as a result of the many varied life experiences we all encounter.

At the eleven oclock service today, twelve confirmands will mark the beginning of their transition from a childhood faith to a mature, adult faith. This service of confirmation is one of the formal, outward signs the church uses to symbolize the internal work of God tattooing our hearts with the sign of the covenant.

Confirmation marks the point in a person’s life where they claim as their own a relationship with God. It marks the time where the confirmand begins to move from the faith of their parents to their own faith. By joining in the vows of confirmation, the confirmands take responsibility for nurturing their relationship with God and continuing to grow as a disciple of Christ.

But this process is one that will take a life-time. And as members of the household of God, all of you have promised to support and uphold one another in this process. You also promise to support these confirmands, the newest members of the household of God, as they continue to grow in faith and learn to live as true disciples of Jesus Christ.

Tattoos, you can tell a lot about a person based on their tattoos. But God is the only one who truly knows what’s tattooed on our hearts. God is the only one who knows if you have allowed yourself to be claimed as one of God’s people. As we continue to journey through life and grow as disciples of Jesus Christ, I invite you to pay attention to what’s tattooed on your hearts. Where is your ultimate allegiance? Who do you belong to?

On days like today, confirmation Sunday, some will have a chance to answer this question in a big way. But these are questions that are answered over and over again, every day, in the little mundane choices and actions that our lives are made up of. As we celebrate the joyful occasion of 12 young confirmands dedicating their lives to God, I encourage you to remember the times in your life that you have committed yourself to living in relationship with God. Remember that is a decision that is made over and over again. Each time you include God in the decisions you make in life, the sign of the covenant is embedded more and more into your heart. I invite you to consider, what’s tattooed on your heart?

Amen.

Cyclones and Earthquakes

2008-05-14T16:01:00.002-04:00

As many of you are well aware, our world has experienced much chaos this last two weeks. A cyclone hit Myanmar and the death toll is between 63,000 and 100,000 and thousands are still missing. There is little or no food or clean water available to those who survived. Now the weather forecasters are predicting another tropical storm will hit the same area in Myanmar in the next few days. This information is being broadcasted on foreign media stations but not on Myanmar's government controlled media.

On monday, an earthquake devastated parts of China. Hundreds have died and thousands are still missing, trapped under ruble and debris.

As Christians, sometimes our only response is one of lament, a response that cries out in pain to God. Sometimes our only response is to cry out to God, to voice all our hurt but ultimately to cry out in trust and hope that ultimately God will prevail. Below are some of my thoughts, my own lament, that I journaled as part of my devotions today.

How long O Lord

Will swirling waters and swindling governments

Flood our lives?

How long will shifting grounds

And collapsing walls crush our children?

How long will we have

Abundant aid and insufficient care?

How long will we be consumed with secrecy

And ignorant of needs?

How long, O Lord

until you hear our cry?

How long must we feel like

Orphans of hope?

To you, O Lord, we cry!

Reclaim us as your children and

Flood us with your hope and healing.

Creator God,

Be our Re-Creator.

Face-to-Face

2008-05-01T11:04:00.002-04:00

The church I serve is increasingly coming into the technological age. Aside from the typical things you expect like webpages and email addresses, we have wireless internet, and network drives that anyone in the building can access. I can even wirelessly print to any printer in the building. We have a new high tech phone system where you can conference call with other people in the building. I no longer have to waste five minutes walking to the other side of the building to ask someone a question, I can just pick up the phone and call them.

Yet, with all our new technology, most of the time, I still walk over to the persons office to ask them my question. I know it would be faster to call but I don't. I think it's because with all the technology in my life, from cell phones, email, PDAs, to webcams, websites, and blogs, after awhile, I just crave face to face contact with other people. There's just something about seeing the person you're talking to. After all, we were created in the image of God who is relational in nature. Why would we be anything but relational? Now granted some of us, are a bit more relational, than others. But each of us has in innate desire to connect with other people and sometimes that desire can only be fulfilled with face to face contact.

This desire for face to face contact is nothing new. In scripture, psalmists and prophets alike cry out to see the face of God. Or ask God not to turn God's face away from them. And you know what? God answered them. God answered with the incarnation of Jesus, God in human form. Humanity was able to have face-to-face conversations with God, to look upon the face of God.

At times I have wished we had a photograph of Jesus, so we could have seen what his face really looked like, rather than all those blue eyed and blond haired portraits we so often see. Without a photograph we are left to wonder and to imagine. But Jesus himself paints a picture for us when he says, what you have done to the least of these, you have done to me. Jesus tells us that if we want to see the face of God, all we have to do is look around us. Every day we are surrounded by the face of God, embodied in ordinary imperfect people just like us.

Last night I saw the face of God in a group of people who gathered for a support group. I watched and listened as they shared their stories, supported one another, comforted one another, and encouraged one another. What an incredible sight to witness! People who are hurting and struggling helping each other. Only by the grace of God is something like that possible.

Where have you seen the face of God recently? For whom have you been the face of God?

Luminary Prayer Vigil

2008-04-22T14:46:00.001-04:00

On Wednesday April 16^th, we gathered in response to the removal of the women and children from polygamist ranch in Texas. We gathered together to pray and lit 555 luminaries on the front lawn of Calvary UMC. There was one luminary for each of the 416 children removed from the ranch and one luminary for each of the 139 women who voluntarily left the ranch.

Authorities removed the 416 children from the ranch after receiving a phone call from a person claiming to be a 16 year old girl who said she was repeatedly beaten and raped by her 50 year old husband. 139 additional women left the ranch voluntarily. There have been reports of young girls, barely teenagers, being married to men old enough to be their fathers or grandfathers. Authorities are now unsure that the girl who called to complain actually exists.

On Thursday April 17^th, the courts began the process of trying to decide whether to keep the children out of the ranch or if the children should be returned to the custody of their parents at the ranch. We gathered Wednesday April 16^th, to pray for those associated with the ranch, and for the authorities who must decide what is in the best interest of the children. We ask that everyone continue to keep this situation in your prayers.

When we hear reports of abuse, whether as isolated events or as part of systematic oppression, we often wonder where God is in the midst of so much pain. I can only imagine that acts of abuse and oppression leave the victims feeling as if they are in exile, as if they have been removed from their homes, from the safety and security of what they have known, and even as if they have been removed from God. It is my guess that the children who have been removed from their home on this ranch in Texas, must feel like they are in exile. How scared they must be as they have been removed from their sheltered environment, and separated from their parents. In the midst of such fear and anxiety, God speaks a word of hope.

In Jeremiah 29:11-13, we hear God’s words to the Israelites in exile.

“'For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.’”

This passage reminds us that God is present even in the midst of pain and suffering. God does not intend to harm these children but to bring them a hope and a future. But God also does not intend for us to hurt one another. We were created to live in loving and mutual relationships with one another. Acts of abuse and oppression go against what God has intended for us.

Yet even when we cannot see it, even when situations seem desperate and hopeless, God’s love and grace is actively at work to bring healing. I believe it is God’s grace that gave strength and courage to the young 16 year old girl that enabled her to call for help. I believe it is God’s grace and love that lead the authorities to remove all the children from the ranch. And I believe is it God’s grace at work in our community, that led each one of us here tonight to pray for those affected.

God’s grace is at work long before we realize it. God’s grace is continually at work in each one of us to make us more fully into the image of God, to make us more fully the people God intends us to be. As we grow more fully into the people God intends each one of us to be, God’s grace calls us to speak out on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves. God calls us to embody the loving mutual relationships God intends for all of humanity. It is God’s grace, active in concrete ways through ordinary imperfect believers like us, that is able to bring hope and healing to a broken world.

Please join us in continuing to praying for this situation and everyone involved.

Re-Creation

2008-04-17T17:03:00.001-04:00

Wow. The last few days have been exhausting. It seems like every moment has been packed with one thing after another. And then we had a few unexpected surprises along the way, namely me getting sick and our basement flooding, to make things even more hectic. And now that it’s Thursday my whole being is yearning for rest.

Because Sunday is a work day for me, my normal day “off” is Friday. I put that in quotes because it is supposed to be my day off but more often than not I find myself finishing up a sermon, making calls, working on a disciple class, or any other number of various tasks. More often than not I find that my time off is used to catch up on the multitude of things still on my to-do list. It’s easy to justify using this time to work. After all, it’s all worthy stuff that needs to get done. It’s all a way of helping other people. All of it needs to happen at some point and since my husband is at work I tell myself I might as well get this done while he is busy instead of working on it when I could otherwise be spending time with him.

I think this is a common scenario in our day and age. Many people work way more than 40 hours a week. In a society where our value is determined by our productivity level, it is easy to guilt ourselves into working on weeks. We feel lazy if we actually take a day to rest and relax.

Yet one of the first things that God commands us to do is rest. I think it is striking that every living thing that I can think of needs some form of rest. Even plants lay dormant for a period of time. All of life needs rest to be renewed, to be re-created. God knew that we would need a day of rest and it would seem that God has made us partners in the creation process. God invites us to a time of rest and recreation so that we can be re-created, so we can be renewed and regenerated.

So tomorrow I will be having a day of much needed rest, a day without sermons or phone calls, a day without prep work for classes or any other ministry. What needs to happen so that you can also have a day or rest? What are the barriers to you experiencing a day of rest each week? And how can you work towards removing those barriers?

Housecleaning

2008-04-09T18:07:00.000-04:00

My husband and I are getting ready to move from our house in Damascus to a smaller house here in Mount Airy. As we prepare for our move we have begun the arduous process of repacking most of our belongings. We began this process last weekend and as we looked around the house at the task before us, we realized there were still several boxes that had never been unpacked.

As an army brat who moved around a lot, I’m used to this process of packing, unpacking, and repacking. And with every moved we made in life, no matter how long or short our stay had been, there were always at least a few boxes that had never been unpacked from the previous move.

Those boxes are mostly filled with old papers or toys, well loved stuffed animals or the occasional trophy. But more than anything else those boxes are filled with tangible reminders of past memories. Some of them are happy memories, some of them remind me of how proud I felt after particular accomplishments, some of them remind me of painful times in my life. I have old report cards that remind me how proud I was to have earned an A in a particularly hard class. But I also have letters that my father wrote to me while he was stationed in Iraq back in the 90’s. The letters remind me of the painful time of my life and yet I can’t bring myself to throw them out. Those boxes are filled with the stuff of my memories, and I carry them with me, wherever I go.

But this past weekend, I realized that just like those boxes in my basement, most of us have unpacked emotional and spiritual boxes we carry around in life. So often we go through life, carrying with us the scars of our past. We carry the guilt of things we’ve done and things we left undone. We carry the anger and resentment caused by past wrongs and wounds. We carry the fear and anxiety that our previous experience has taught us to expect the worse possible outcome. We all have past baggage we carry with us wherever we go.

Sometimes we need to take some time to clean our houses and our hearts. We need to be intentional about inviting God and the Holy Spirit into our lives to help us remove the unnecessary baggage we carry around with us. God wants to help us clean out our hearts.

I encourage you to consider what needs to be removed from your heart? And what would you like God to place within you?

If you would like a scripture to help you think and pray about this question, read Ezekiel 36:25-28.

Identity Theft

2008-04-02T22:15:00.003-04:00

We live in a world where Identity Theft is the newest kind of theft. With a few bits of personal information such as name, date of birth, and social security number, strangers can take on our identity. They can take money out of our accounts. They can open new accounts in our name and not pay the bills. They can even take out loans. In the electronic world we live in, they essentially become us.

This Identity Theft affects the way we live. It can takes years to sort out the purchases and accounts that we made from the fraudulent ones made in our name and it can be difficult to rebuild our credit scores. Since Identity Theft can be so difficult to correct after it has happened, most of us take a lot of precautions to prevent it. We shred anything with our name on it, we put passwords on all our accounts, and we guard our social security number as if our lives depended on it. Identity Theft is something most people are concerned about but perhaps it's not as new as we think it is.

Identity Theft has been something that people have struggled with through out the ages. When Israel was conquered by other empires, many of the Jews would be dragged into exile where the conquering empire would do whatever possible to erase their Jewish identity. The Jewish elite would often be taught the language of the conquering empire, they would be given new names, and they no longer had access to the temple in Jerusalem.

In order to preserve their Jewish identity even in exile, many Jews would keep strict food observance, as well as observance of the sabbath, even though they were not able to go to the temple or offer sacrifices. Additionally, many Jews would live in community with other Jews in exile. They would observe special holidays together and would continue to tell the stories of their corporate Jewish history. These historical stories became even more important to tell and retell. These stories reminded them of where they had come from and who's people they were. These stories reminded them of God's previous acts among them and that God is still God even outside of Israel.

It occurred to me recently that, like our forefathers in faith, Christians also struggle with Identity Theft. We are bombarded by a variety of language and cultural differences that are counter to our Christian identity. We are told over and over again that money is how we keep score, that looking out for ourselves, and getting even is the only way to succeed in life. We're told that demeaning language and harsh words are the only way to gain respect. We're told that sex, drugs, alcohol, and the latest electronic gadget will make us happy. With all the pressure coming at us from every angle, Christians struggle with how to live out their Christian Identity in today's world.

So what is it that we can do to combat this Identity theft? What can Christians do to support one another in living out their identity as God's children? In many ways, this is where being part of a Christian community comes in. Having other Christians around to encourage us, to share our corporate story, and to hold us accountable helps remind us of our identity as God's children and that we are called to live in a particular way.

There are many different ways that we can guard against our Christian Identity Theft. What are your thoughts? What can we do to combat this Identity Theft?

What are you going to do about it?

2008-03-25T11:25:00.001-04:00

The following is a sermon I preach on Easter Sunday (March 23, 2008) on the scripture passage John 20:1-18:

Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen indeed!
What are you going to do about it?

I think that must have been the question of the day. What are we going to do about it? Imagine the disciples, after the death of Jesus. They’re all mourning the loss of their teacher, their friend. But more than that, they’re mourning the loss of all their hopes and expectations, all their dreams of what the future would look like with Jesus in their midst. And now, with the painful reality of Good Friday still fresh on their minds, they’re faced with the tomb, and the penetrating question, what are we going to do?
While the others are wondering what to do, Mary visits Jesus’ tomb. So early on Sunday morning Mary goes to the tomb. But instead of finding things as expected, Mary is confronted with an empty tomb. She runs to the other disciples and says “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have put him.” Her words and her urgency seem to be calling the other disciples to action and it seems she’s really asking, “What are we going to do about it?”

In response, Peter and the other disciple run to the tomb, and inspect it. They find the tomb empty, with only the grave cloths left behind. After inspecting the tomb and finding Jesus’ body missing, the disciples return home to ponder, what are we going to do? Scripture tells us the disciples still did not understand that Jesus would rise from the dead. In the midst of the chaos and the pain of their grief, the disciples still didn’t understand what was happening. It would seem there was nothing they could do at the tomb so they return home.

Yet, Mary remains at the tomb, consumed by her grief, still plagued by the question. Mary in her grief and her pain yearns to do something, anything. She wants to do something so badly that she wants to find the body of Jesus and bring it back, even if she has to do it by herself. Mary can’t bear for things to end this way.
When faced with the empty tomb, Mary and the disciples, think it’s the end of the story. The two disciples return home, and Mary remains at the tomb consumed with her grief. How could it have ended this way? Wasn’t it bad enough that they killed him? Did they have to steal his body too? The disciples had given up everything to follow Jesus and now the end of the road has come. The end has come and they’re left with nothing, not even the body of Jesus. And the question remains: what are we going to do?

Most of us get to this part of the story and think to ourselves, how could the disciples not know? How could they have spent all that time with Jesus, seen all the miracles, heard all the parables, shared all those meals with him, and still not know? how could they have gone through so much with Jesus, and still not know that an empty tomb wasn’t really the end? Jesus had repeatedly predicted his death and resurrection. How is it they could possibly think the empty tomb was the end?

We chastise the disciples for thinking the crucifixion was the end, and yet many of us act as if the resurrection is the end. We have the benefit of hindsight. We know that when Jesus talked about his death and resurrection that he meant he would be raised from the dead. And when we hear of the empty tomb, we automatically think of the resurrection. We know that God has triumphed over death and evil and as the story is read we wait with anticipation for Mary to realize the person she speaks with in the garden is not the gardener but the resurrected Jesus. We celebrate with the disciples as they learn that Jesus is risen! With triumphant joy we shout, Christ is risen! That’s the story most of us come to hear and most of us end the story there.

The disciples made the mistake of thinking of the crucifixion was the end, and most of us make the mistake of thinking the resurrection is the end. It’s such a common mistake that many people in our society believe that to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior is an ending. We act as if it's one more thing we can check off our list and then get on with the rest of life. But what we see in the gospel story is just the opposite. Belief in the risen Lord is not an ending but a beginning.

As soon as Mary recognizes Jesus, he sends her to the other disciples. Mary becomes the first person to proclaim the good news of the resurrection. Mary’s realization that Jesus has risen, is not the end of the story. Instead Jesus commissions her to go forth and share the good news. This story begins to answer the question, what are you going to do about it? This story marks the beginning of the disciples’ witness to the world. Likewise, Jesus’ appearances to the other disciples are also marked by him calling them to service. When Jesus appears to the disciples in the locked room, he sends them forth. When Jesus appears to Peter, he commands Peter three times to care for his sheep. Each appearance of the Risen Christ implicitly asks the question, what are you going to do about it? Each appearance of the Risen Christ involves the disciples being called to witness to the resurrection.
It is a witness that happens not just in word but in deed. The disciples are called to live their lives in such a way that everything they do points to the resurrection of Christ. They are called to love one another, to offer forgiveness, to share with one another, and to be a community in which the presence of God is made known. Once the disciples encounter the resurrected Jesus their whole purpose in life changes. They realize that Jesus really is the Son of God. They realized that the crucifixion wasn’t the end, and neither was the resurrection. Instead the resurrection was just the beginning of God’s work in the world and their new life in God.

The same is true for us. When we encounter the risen Lord we too are commissioned to proclaim the good news of the resurrection with our words, but more importantly with our lives. When we believe in Jesus, we find ourselves with a new purpose in life. We have received forgiveness for our sins and the times we have hurt one another. But we have also been called to extend that forgiveness to others. As a believer, we are called into community with other believers and we are called to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world. We are called to be a part of God’s work in the world. God is actively at work to bring healing and wholeness to the world and we are called to be a part of that process.

We, like the disciples, are asked the same question this morning, what are we going to do about it? This morning the Risen Christ calls us. This morning the Risen Christ calls us each by name. This Risen Christ calls us to proclaim the power of the resurrection and the work of God in the world. The story of Easter, and our own personal experiences of the risen Lord, are all beginnings that draw us deeper into relationship with God, and deeper into God's mission in the world.

This Easter morning is not too different from that first Easter morning. The question of the day is still, what are we going to do about it? Yes Jesus is risen. Yes, death has been conquered and our sins have been forgiven. But what are we going to do about it? Are we going to choose to live in the reality of the new life God has given us? Are we going to act as if nothing has changed?

Christ has risen!
Christ has risen indeed!
What are we going to do about it?

How is that Good News?

2008-02-20T16:45:00.003-05:00

Here's a question for you to ponder. If you are willing to share your thoughts that would be great and hopefully we can help one another come to an answer. Here's the question:

The word Gospel literally means "good news." In all four of the gospels, we hear Jesus calling the disciples to a radical new life. It is a new life in which we are held to a higher standard of the law than before, we are called to show hospitality to all, we are called to love even those that despise us. We are called to live more simply, so others may simply live. In other words, we are told to give up those extra material things so we can use the money we would have spent on those items, to help feed the hungry and heal the sick. We are told that we will be blessed when we are persecuted for our faith. In short, the Gospels call us to a life of self-denial and suffering. So how it is, that this call to suffering and self-denial is Good News?

So love

2008-02-17T16:12:00.000-05:00

The following is a sermon I preached this morning on John 3:1-17.

“For God so loved the world…”

Have you ever stopped long enough to ponder what “so love” is?

“For God so loved the world…”

So love is hard to define, but it’s easy for us to recognize. To help us understand so love, I want to share a few stories with you.

There was a young girl who was sick and needed a blood transfusion. Her slightly older brother had the same blood type so the parents and doctors gently explain the situation to the boy and asked if he would be willing to let them take blood from him to give to his sister. The boy silently pondered the situation for several moments and then with a resolute look on his face, agreed. The doctors performed the transfusion while proud and hopeful parents looked on. Afterwards the boy timidly asked the doctors “how long till I die?” The boy thought he had to give all of his blood to his sister. “So love.”

During WWII in the Nazi death camps, if one prisoner escaped 10 others were randomly selected and executed. On one such occasion one of the 10 men selected cried out that he had a wife and children and begged for his life to be spared. Much to the shock of the prisoners and guards, a fellow prisoner stepped forward and willing died in place of the chosen man. “So love.”

A son gently told he must be humiliated, tortured, and eventually killed for the sake of all, even those that despise him. After much anguish he obediently gives him self for others, and father and son weep together. “So love.”

“So love” is hard to define, yet easy to recognize. We have all heard countless stories like these. We have all heard countless stories of “so love” because humanity, made in the image of a so loving God, is also capable of “so love”. And as I came to this realization I began to wonder, not whether or not we so love, because we all so love. But I began to wonder what do we so love? For example:

There was a loyal husband and father of four who was convicted of embezzlement. It is the scandal of the small country church. The congregation whispered for months “Can you believe the finance officer has stolen thousands of dollars from our church?? From us?? Hadn’t we always wondered how he lived so lavishly?” Meanwhile the innocent wife and children slowly withdraw and eventually leave the church, completely unnoticed. What do we so love? Our money or our neighbors?

Untold numbers of men, women, teenagers, and children get hooked on drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling or countless other things every day because they are looking to fill a void. And we turn our back on them. We decide they aren’t the kind of people we want around. They might steal from us, or mess up our building, or perhaps we are worried that just by having them around somehow our own family and friends might be infected by them. What do we so love? Our comfort zones or our neighbors?

As you can tell from these stories, as well as the stories from your own lives, so love is an incredibly powerful thing. In fact, it is so powerful that it transforms us. Sometimes slowly and imperceptibly, little by little, and other times we are transformed quickly by leaps and bounds. But fast or slow, so love is transforming.

The verse doesn’t just say that God so loved the world, it says God so loved the world that God sent God’s one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Many wonderful, deeply religious, well-meaning, well-intending people have used this verse to tell others that if they would only believe in Jesus Christ all their sins would be forgiven and they would be able to escape hell and spend a blissful eternity in heaven. But to reduce this verse to simply what happens after we die is to miss the point entirely.

In the Gospel of John, eternal life is used to describe a change in life caused by belief in Jesus. Eternal life is used to describe not simply a long period of time but rather continually living in the presence of God. Eternal life isn’t about just about knowing where we go after we die, It’s about the here and now, it’s about being willing to enter into the presence of God and to live our transformed lives there. Eternal life starts now, in the present. It’s about being willing to accept the invitation to believe and to share in the life of a loving relational God.

The invitation to believe is an invitation to be transformed by so love. God intends to transform the world with so love. God intends to redeem the world with so love. That’s why God sent Jesus in the first place. That’s why Jesus’ ministry was so profound and provocative because he lived a life of so love. This transforming power of so love is why we try to emulate Jesus, it’s why we come to church, it’s why we put so much time, energy, and effort into ushering in the kingdom of God, it is because we hope to transform ourselves and the world through God’s so love.

The offer of new life that Jesus extends to Nicodemus flows out of God’s abundant love for the world. God so loved the world, and Jesus, the son of God, the incarnation and personification of God’s love also so loved the world. Jesus’ embodiment of so love is what made his life and ministry so profound. It is what makes his words still resonate with us even today.

But this offer of new life, is an invitation to new life that begins right now. We don’t have to wait till we die to experience the new life offered by Jesus. Because Jesus is more than salvation from death. Jesus is an incredible example of the transforming power of so love, right now. Just take a look around. See how far reaching the effect of his so love is. Hundreds of denominations created, hundreds of thousands of churches in existence, millions of lives touched in one way or another, a world in the process of transformation. And while none of us are the savior of the world, we all hold this transforming power of so love because we are all made in the image of a so loving God.

We all so love something. It’s a love that transforms us and overflows into the world around us. But here’s the thing. What we so love determines how we are transformed. When we so love money we become more and more like the tax collectors. When we so love theology we become more and more like the Pharisees. When we so love our comfort zones we become more and more conformed to society around us. But when we so love God, when we choose to be born anothen, to be born again and to be born from above, we become more and more like Christ. When we so love our neighbors we allow the love of God to permeate our lives so fully that it shines out of us and transforms the world around us.

During this season of lent, as you consider the things that tempt you, I encourage you to remember this: For God so loved the world. For God so loves us.

What do we so love?

Amen.

Homecomings

2008-02-06T16:30:00.000-05:00

The following is a sermon I preached tonight at the Ash Wednesday Service on Joel 2:1-2, 12-17:

Homecomings

In recent years, I have begun to receive invitations to my High School reunions. And with those invitations to reunions, I have experienced the mixed bag of emotions that goes along with it. For some people, going to reunions is an activity that is eagerly looked forward to. They want to see all their friends, they want to catch up with people and be caughten up with. For others, reunions are preceded by intense dieting, strenuous exercise programs, frantic calls to find a date, and generally just large amounts of stress. They worry about what people will think of them and whether or not they lived up the expectations others had for them. But my guess is that most people, experience a mixture of these emotions. There’s excitement to see how people are doing, and the chance to reconnect with old friends. But that is also mixed with a bit of nervousness, a bit of wanting to impress people with how far you’ve come in life and how much you’ve accomplished. Reunions are indeed a mixed bag of emotions

These various emotions associated with reunions and homecomings are due to the underlying process of rediscovery. As we are intentional about gathering together and seeking out one another, we find that time and circumstance has changed us. We have each become new and different people than we were years ago. We have learned and grown, made mistakes, been hurt, our passions and priorities have changed and we are only a shadow of our past selves.

When we change, our relationships also change. The change in us changes the way we perceive others. It changes the way we understand the world around us, and this new perception and understanding alters how we choose to interact with others. But we often don’t recognize this change in ourselves, because it is gradual and happens over time, so we don’t realize how much we’ve actually changed until we get together with someone we haven’t seen in awhile. And then we find that the process of rediscovering who they are, leads us to rediscovering who we are.

This process of rediscovery is what we are invited to during the season of lent. Lent is a time when we are invited to be intentional about rediscovering God and ourselves. In Joel we hear God’s earnestly invitation for us to come to a reunion, we hear God earnestly calling us home. Listen again to verse 13: Return to the Lord your God, for [God] is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and relents from punishing. What a wonderful invitation to return to God, to come to a reunion with God.

When Joel spoke these words to the Israelites, there was a famine in the land. People were hurting, and hungry. Some scholars believe the Israelites must have sinned and brought this destruction upon themselves, that this destruction is actually punishment from God. Other scholars point to the lack of any direct accusation of sin in the text to suggest that the Israelites sin is not to blame for this famine. The debate is not whether or not the Isrealites sinned. The Israelites were sinful to be sure. We all are. We all have moments where we don’t live up to the standards God has set for us. The presence of sin in this situation is not in questions. Rather, the debate here is whether or not this destruction, this famine, is punishment from God for the Israelites’ sin. Some scholars say yes, others say no. We certainly have biblical support for both sides of the debate. And we have support for both sides of the debate in our own lives. We know that our own brokenness and hurtful actions have consequences, that we hurt ourselves and those around us when we act in inappropriate and selfish ways. But we also know that not all destruction can be contributed to the sins of people. Sometimes disaster strikes in our individual and corporate lives and we are left wondering what is to blame. And we know the bad things certainly do happen to good people.

I personally think it’s a good thing that the text is ambiguous about the cause of the famine. It allows this text to touch and speak to more people. Whether or not the people’s sin has accounted for the famine, God sees the hurt and hunger of the people. And God calls out to them, inviting them to rediscover who God is. Regardless of if you are experiencing the hurt and brokenness that sin causes in your life, or if you are hurting from things way beyond your control, God calls you and invites you to rediscover who God is. God hasn’t changed. God is still gracious and merciful. God is still slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. God hasn’t changed but the people have. The Israelites are not the same as they were last year, and so God invited them to come home, to rediscover who God is.

Like the Israelites, we are not the same as we were last year. We have changed and so our understanding of God and our relationship with God has also changed, even though God is still the same. So each year we are invited to intentionally rediscover who God is. We start our journey in lent with reflecting on our current understanding of God, because it is through knowing God, that we come to know ourselves. It is in rediscovering God that we rediscover who we are called to be. And it is through relationship with God that we are able to come to terms with the tension between who we are and who we are called to be.

As a result, Lent is also a time to reflect on who we have become. We are asked to be honest with ourselves about the areas of our lives that have changed. And in light of our new understanding of God, we are asked to be honest with ourselves about what areas in our life we need to change. Because all of us still have growing to do, all of us are still trying to rediscover and live into the image of God within us.

So as we set out on our journey of rediscovery, we are given a physical sign, a physical reminder of our identity to help guide us in the process. We are marked with a cross of ashes. The ashes come from burning last year’s palm branches. On the one hand, they remind us of our own mortality. They remind us that we are formed by God from the dust and one day our bodies will return to dust. But the ashes also remind us how quickly our Palm Sunday praises fade into shouts of condemnation. They remind us that we still have sin in our lives. That we still act in ways that are contrary to what God wills for us.

But the ashes also help us remember our baptism. Like the water or oil that was used in your baptism, the ashes are placed in the sign of the cross on our foreheads. The ashes make the cross visible for us to be reminded that we have been incorporated into the body of Christ. The visible cross reminds us that we children of God and we have been incorporate in the death and resurrection of Jesus. This visible cross calls us to be continually striving to live more fully into the image of God within us. These ashes are for us a visible reminder of the tension between who we are and who we are called to be.

So tonight, and during these six-weeks of Lent, I invite you to intentionally come home. Return to God and rediscover who you are.

Amen.

Confounding Wisdom

2008-02-05T13:41:00.000-05:00

Well it's now Tuesday afternoon and I have yet to start actually writing my sermon for tomorrow's Ash Wednesday service. But as I sit down to focus on that, I find my mind wandering back to this blog because I have been doing my usual sermon prep and I have been struck by the powerful imagery used in the Ash Wednesday service.

In the church year, we move from ashes to fire. We move from the Ashes of our own mortality on Ash Wednesday, through the season of Lent as we reflect on our lives and what things we need to improve on in our relationship with God and one another. We see the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, and a few days later celebrate the power of God's love and grace in the resurrection of Christ. We witness the resurrected Christ in our midsts during the season of Easter and then on Pentecost sunday, what all began in the ashes of our own mortailty is now on fire with the love and grace of God. What was once a rag-tag group of people, is now one body, united in the triune God who loves us so much that we are made new, and not just new, but we are made whole.

This part of the church year goes contrary to our usual way of thinking. We usually experience fire that burns for a while and then dies out, leaving only a pile of ashes behind. And yet God confounds our wisdom and refuses that. Instead God brings life and passionate fire, where there was once only death and ashes.

As I thought about this I was reminded of a prayer I journaled awhile back. I thought I would share it with you:

Confounding Wisdom

You are confounding wisdom
overturning worldly knowledge
Your teachings confuse us
your example convicts us.

You speak of death leading to life
of liberation in servanthood
of power in weakness
of rebirth and life from above.

You are confounding wisdom
the world cannot comprehend you
We so often misunderstand you
even limit you to our preconceived notions of impossibilities

Confound our wisdom this day!
Turn these ashes into fire
Reveal your truth
and expand the realm of possibilities.

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, whose obedience liberates.
Amen.

More than Monuments

2008-02-03T12:28:00.000-05:00

The following is a sermon I preach this morning on Matthew 17:1-9:

Today is Transfiguration Sunday, one of those turning points in the church year where we move from one season to another. Actually, everything in the church year so far can be seen as leading up to this moment. All the waiting in advent, the celebration of Christ’s birth on Christmas, and the many large and small revelations of God in our midst during Epiphany have been moving us towards this day. In today’s scripture we see, for a brief moment, Christ’s identity as fully as we are able to. Christ as human and yet as light radiant, God with us. Not only God with us but God for us.

Then as quick as we see it, the moment is gone and we move forward in the journey of Lent. Jesus, God for us is at work for our redemption but that redemption is still a long road ahead. There’s still much ministry to be done, and the shadow of the cross still lingers over the road ahead. Redemption will not be achieved while Jesus shines in glory on the mountain. Instead it will be the result of a long road of suffering. Yet today we get a small glimpse of how this story turns out. We see past the suffering, past the cross and we get a little glimpse of the resurrected Christ in all his glory.

This passage is a wonderful reassuring gift to us. In this story we see God’s commitment to the resurrection and are assured that the suffering which lies ahead will not overcome the light of God in our midst. But this passage is a hard one for many of us to understand. That’s due in part to the large amount of symbolism wrapped up in this story. There’s the mountain top which reminds us of God giving Moses the law on top of Mt. Sinai. Then there’s the appearance of Moses and Elijah, who represent the law and the prophets. The simple mention of their names reminds us of Jesus’ connection with the long history of Israel and God’s acts of deliverance on behalf of Israel. The cloud from which God speaks reminds us of the pillar of cloud that symbolized God’s abiding presence with the Israelites in the wilderness. And there are many more elements of symbolism embedded in this text.

There’s so much symbolism that it is easy for us to get bogged down in it as we read this story. But even without such rich symbolism, I think this passage would still be hard for us to understand. I think that’s in large part because the event itself, transfiguration, is difficult for us to imagine. Occasionally the movies will help us imagine what transfiguration might look like but even then, transfiguration seems to happen only as the rare exception. In movies, we see ordinary people transformed into angry hulks, superhero-crime fighters with spider traits, or even an occasional princess turning into a loveable ogre. In movies transfiguration is the exception rather than the rule.

But transfiguration also happens in real life, right in our midst, and often we just don’t recognize it as that. Each year, right in our own congregation we see youth and mentors transfigured before us as they journey through confirmation. The confirmands and mentors come to know God on a deeper level, and they begin to form a faith that is their own, that’s not simply their parents’ faith, or even their pastors’ faith. We see transfiguration each time a group comes back from a mission trip and is on fire with the Holy Spirit. These groups have experienced the powerful ways that God is at work around the world, and in desperate situations. They have experienced the deep, passionate faith of others, and as a result something inside them changes. Those who are involved in intensive bible study inevitably find themselves face to face with the word of God, and wrestling with it as they try to figure out how to live their lives in light of their new found knowledge of God. There are countless other ways that transfiguration happens right here in our midst because for Christians, transfiguration is not something that happens only to an elite few.

Based on the reading of this scripture passage, it’s easy for us to think that transfiguration is something that only happens to Jesus. After all, Jesus is the one who is transfigured and we don’t witness much immediate or obvious change in the disciples. It is Jesus who is transfigured, not the disciples. So what does this passage have to do with us, Christ’s modern disciples, and our transfiguration? After Christ’s resurrection and ascension to heaven, the church is the body of Christ in the world. And as such, the transfiguration of Jesus points to the transfiguration of each one of us.

Our transfiguration is not the exact same as what happened to Jesus on that Mountain with the disciples. Most of us will probably not become all radiant and shiny and most of us will probably not find ourselves talking with Moses and Elijah. But each one of us was made in the image of God, and with each transfiguration we go through, the light of God shines that much stronger through us.

Transfiguration happens often, and in a variety of ways. But one thing that is true of all transfigurations, is once you’ve changed. There’s no going back. Those who have been transfigured will never be the same. Something has changed in them, and it is a change that is intended to propel us ever deeper into God’s mission in the world.

That’s the real importance of every transfiguration. The importance of the experience on that mountain-top or the experience of confirmation, or mission trips, or bible study or any other transforming experience lies not in the experience itself but rather in the way that experience affects the rest of our faith and the rest of our lives. While we don’t see any instantaneous change in the disciples in this passage, I do think it is striking that the same disciples that were present for the transfiguration are the ones Jesus takes with him into the garden of Gethsemane. On the mountain, these disciples witness the joy and glory of God in human form. And it prepares them for the cost of God in the form of suffering servant, it prepares them for all that will happen in the garden and on the cross.

And so it is with us. Our transfigurations help prepare us for the work of God’s mission in the world. In fact, the transfigurations not only prepare us for God’s mission but propel us ever deeper into God’s mission. One whose life is the same after confirmation as it was before has missed the point of transfiguration. And one whose life is the same after a mission trip as it was before, has missed the point of transfiguration. The same goes for those involved in intensive bible study. If our life is the same after the study as it was before, then we have missed the point. None of these activities, and the transfiguration that happens in us as a result, is an end in itself. Instead all of these things should lead us into caring for the sick, declaring justice and righteousness for all, and proclaiming the freedom and forgiveness we find in Jesus.

But for some of us, that is not our immediate response. Sometimes we, like the disciples, would simply rather build monuments to honor and remember the transfiguration. It certainly is easier to try to live in the glory of that moment than it is to live out the costly discipleship we are called to.

Yet these transforming experiences are not intended to be a monument, a sign of our achievement, but rather are intended to provide us with greater momentum in serving God and our neighbors. The excitement, and energy, and enthusiasm that we get from transfiguration moments should be channeled into the serving God in the world.

As we enter into the season of Lent, I encourage you to look back over your life and try to identify some of the moments of transfiguration you have experienced or witnessed. But don’t just stop there. Once you have identified them, consider what those moments of transfiguration have prepared you for, and what aspects of God’s mission in the world you are being called into. What aspects of God’s mission in the world are you being called into?

Amen.

Winter Winds

2008-01-24T16:35:00.000-05:00

I don't know about where you are, but here in Maryland the winds have been blowing rather fiercely the past several days. Wind is one of those paradoxal elements of nature. Sometimes it's a warm gentle breeze that is comforting and refreshing. Other times it's a cold, gusting wind that seems to chill to the bone. Sometimes winds are creative, smoothing rocks or carving canyons. Other times, hurricane force winds show us the destructive power of the wind.

The last few days I have had many chances to be reminded that the same word in Hebrew is used for wind, breath, and spirit. With each breath we breath, we are breathing in the spirit of God. And every time the wind blows I am reminded that God's spirit is active in the world. Just like the wind, God's spirit is often experienced in paradoxal ways. Sometimes God's spirit comforts and soothes us. Other times God's spirit can be uncomfortable as it pushes us to grow or to remove things in our lives that are destructive.

Lent begins a week from tonight on Ash Wednesday. During this week, I encourage you to think about what things in your life you might need to remove to allow God's spirit to be more active in your life.

You won't believe what I heard...

2008-01-24T15:39:00.001-05:00

It's amazing how many of our conversations start out that way, only to be followed by some juicy piece of gossip with questionable reliability. It is even more amazing to think about how much gossip we are exposed to through the media. Many radio stations have a special time each morning that goes over celebrity gossip. We have entire magazines that consists of nothing but gossip, Countless tabloids sport pictures of celebs in compromising situations. Even the reliable newspapers and stations occasionally run pointless celebrity gossip.

We don't just gossip about celebrities, we gossip about co-workers, bosses, family, friends, people we don't like, people we are jealous of, and just about anyone else we have some connection with. Countless conversations around lunch tables and water-coolers consist entirely of gossip. Not to mention all the phone, text, and IM conversations that revolve around gossip.

Gossip is so much a part of our culture that it's hard to tell if our culture's fascination with gossip is what drives the media to focus so much on gossip, or if it's the media's fixation on gossip that desensitizes us to it and integrates it into our culture. But one thing is certain, we are inundated with gossip everyday to such an extent that most people have trouble differentiating gossip from normal conversation. So how do you know when you are just sharing news or information about someone and when you are gossiping?

If you have difficulty determining if something is gossip or not, here are some basic questions to ask yourself:

1. Is it true? Often we gather information and pass it on, without ever considering the source from which we got the information. If your source is not reliable or you have serious doubts as to the accuracy of the information, then it's probably gossip. This question also applies to things that are true but taken out of context and construed in a false way.

2. Is it kind? This goes back to the age-old wisdom of generations of parents "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." If it's not nice, if it's not something you would want someone to say to you, then it's probably gossip. If you are saying it to tear someone down rather than build them up, then it's gossip.

3. Is it timely? Is this an appropriate time and place to share this information?

4. Is it necessary? Do other people have a need to know this information? Is it helpful to them in some way or are you sharing this information just because you want to be known as the person who's always in the know?

5. Does sharing this information help you or someone else become a better disciple? As Christians, we need to be concerned about growing as disciples and helping others to grow as disciples. If we share information that creates an obstacle to someone becoming a disciple or living out their faith then it's probably gossip, but at the very least it is destructive. But if that information can be used to help others grow in faith and in their love of God and neighbor then it's worth sharing, and probably not gossip.

The season of Lent is approaching. Lent is a season of self-reflection and trying to be better Christians. It is a season during which many people give something up as a reminder that God has given so much for us. As you consider what you might give up, this year rather than giving up chocolate or sweets, try giving up something that might actually make a difference in your life or someone else's. If you're at a loss for ideas, try giving up gossip for lent. It may surprise you what a difference it can make in your life and the lives of those around you.

Good Enough?

2008-01-17T14:08:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe it's midway through January already. January is a weird month. For some it represents new beginnings, starting over, making new years resolutions. Many people in January think "This will be the year that I ..." get in shape, stop smoking, stop drinking, find a job, or whatever else you want to fill in the blank with. New years resolutions can certainly be wonderful things. They show our desire to grow and mature. They help us recognize that we are not perfect, that we could stand to improve on a few things.

Yet by this point in January, many New Years resolutions have been broke, discarded and/or forgotten. People once again feel like a failure, like they're not good enough because they still aren't in shape, still smoke, still drink, still don't have a job, or whatever their own particular struggle may be. They were more determined than ever a few weeks ago. And yet now, it seems like they have lost all hope of ever changing.

One of the most common New Years resolutions is to start going to church again. But most people who resolve to go back to church, resolve to go to church only after getting other things in their life squared away. Many people feel like they cant go to church or have a relationship with God until all their ducks are in a row, that they have to be good enough to go to church or for God to accept them.

But lucky for us, God loves all of us, and accepts us just as we are. No one at church or outside of church has everything figured out. We all have a past, we have all made mistakes, we've all done things we wish we hadn't, and we've all not done things we wish we had. But God knows who we are and God loves us.

God doesn't require of us that we get our life together before God is willing to welcome us with open loving arms. God doesn't expect us to change and be perfect before we can enter into a relationship with God. Instead God wants to help us become the people we were created to be. God wants you to know that you are loved and accepted. God wants to be a part of your life, right now, even in the messyness. So when you start to think you're not good enough, know this: God loves you just as you are. In God's opinion, you are good enough to be a part of a relationship with God. As far as getting things right in your life, God wants to help you with that too. God wants to be a part of the transformation.

Regardless of what is going on in your life, God wants to be a part of it. And so do we. You are always welcome to be a part of Calvary United Methodist Church.

Nothing to Do - Part 2

2007-12-20T08:10:00.000-05:00

Well I haven't done very well at doing absolutely nothing for 10 minutes each day of advent. In fact, I did not manage to do it for even one day. But I did find moments of stillness. Moments like sitting in Bible Study, abandoning the topic for the night, and just catching up with friends. All of us telling stories and taking a moment to belly laugh. It was nice to spend some time actually being present with people rather than rushing to accomplish one task or another.

Or like the few moments I steal in the morning as I walk my dog and play fetch with her. In all her puppy energy she bounds all over, trying to sniff every inch of surface area we walk. Each morning she reminds me that the simplest guestures can be the most meaningful. And each morning simply being near her helps to calm my mind and ease my stress.

I guess what I needed this advent season was not nothing to do but stillness.

How are your advent preparations going?

Does God Change?

2007-12-05T08:46:00.000-05:00

On sunday, the disciple class I am a part of had a discussion about whether or not God changes. The discussion reminded me of an email conversation I had with a friend awhile back.

The basic question is this: Does God change?
But that questions quickly leads to others: If God can change does that mean God's not perfect, not all knowing? Can perfection be improved upon?

Does God change? Has God always been the same? Many people read the stories from the Old Testament and sometimes feel like they are reading stories about a God that is different from the New Testament. I often hear people characterize God as vindictive and judgmental in the Old Testament but as loving and forgiving in the New Testament. Sometimes the apparent difference can be so drastic that it can feel like we are reading about two different Gods.

In fact, this apparent difference is so strong that in the 2nd Century a theologian names Marcion decided that the God of th Old Testament was not the same as the God of the New testament. As a result he proposed that the entire Old testament be thrown out and we should only read the new Testament. This suggestion lead to the more orthodox church fathers coming together and stating that the books of the Old testament were in fact part of Christian scriptures. Yet, to many, it seems that God has changed and perhaps even learned from God's earlier interaction with humanity.

Let's assume for a minute that God has in fact changed. If that's the case, does that mean that God is not all knowing? Does that mean that God is all-powerful but with limited knowledge and understanding? Does that mean God makes mistakes and we as humans are subject to this all powerful God that hasn't really figured out what God's doing? That's a rather fightening thought. But can God change and still be all knowing? Can God change and yet still be perfect? I'm not trying to polarize the issue but it seems to me that if we are going to claim that God changes then we must be willing to claim that God is not all knowing or perfect.

Some have argued that God's tactics have changed over the course of human history but that God in God's self, that the nature of God, has not changed. Some argue that God used the discipline and interaction with humanity that was appropriate for what humanity as a whole was capable of understanding. So, the arguement goes, have we grown as a race, such that we were able to understand love and forgiveness at the time of Christ's ministry on earth but we were not able to it understand prior to that? Some have compared humanity to the life cycle of an individual human, that humanity as a whole has been able to comprehend things at different levels through out history and that our changing understanding necessarily affects our relationship with God. So when we were ready and able to understand forgiveness, God showed forgiveness.

Yet others have argues that God, and God's tactics have remained the same throughout the course of human history but that human perception has changed. Some argue that we are now able to understanding the love and forgiveness of God that has been there all along. Note that there is a subtle yet important difference between this belief and the one in the previous paragraph. In the previous paragraph the belief is that God's interaction changes based on our ability to understand. The perspective in this paragraph is that God's interaction with humanity does not change but our changing understanding allows us to better understand God, so God has not changed, we have.

It is an interesting question. Regardless of which way you answer it, it has large consequences for your faith. The teachings of the church claim that God does not change. God is. It's as simple as that, God does not change. God is the same now as God was at the beginning of creation, and will be the same at the end of time. However, the church does recognize that our understanding of God has changed through out history, but it has changed most profounding in the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The person of Jesus Christ is considered to be God revealing God's self to humanity. With this new revelation of God we come to understand God in new ways.

But what do you think? Do you think the church's teaching is a satisfactory answer? Or does that seem insufficient? What do you think?

Unlearning

2007-11-28T09:10:00.000-05:00

Last week, as I was preparing for Christ the King Sunday, I was talking with a seminary friend. She and I were talking with each other about what we were going to preach on. We got on to the topic of service and that God wants us to serve out of joy rather than out of obligation. So we asked ourselves, what's joyful about serving other people? It's easy to respond with answers like "You feel good knowing you helped someone." or "You get joy out of bringing joy to others." And those answers are true but let's be honest about this, not all service we are called to is joyful, even if you know you are bring joy to others. And it can be even less joyfilled when the actions seem unnoticed or unappreciated.

What's joyful about scrubbing a toilet? What's joyful about patching your own sneakers to wear them a little longer so you can spend that money on a pair of shoes for someone else? My friend and I thought to ourselves wouldn't it be alot more fun, alot more joyful that is, to buy that extra pair of shoes for yourself?

We came to the conclusion that these acts of service would be joyful if it weren't for our selfishness. We realized we all have a need to unlearn selfishness. This service is not joyful because we have learned that selfishness and the "It's all about Me" mentality is what brings us happiness. So we have to unlearn that selfishness and remind ourselves that ultimately our true joy comes from a life of mutuality, where we help one another.

Some are farther along on this lesson than others but we all need to work at unlearning selfishness. And how do you do that? How do you learn that lesson? By serving even when you don't feel like it because you know it's how God calls us to act. By putting other people first when you really do want that new pair of shoes, or a new t.v., or you really want to spend that time watching your favorite show instead of helping someone you know could really use it. We need to reverse the conditioning that got us into our current mentality. Slowly, as we serve, our awareness will be opened to the great need of those around us. Slowly, we will learn that "It's NOT all about me!" As we see that the things we do are bringing joy to others, as we see how God is able to move and work in those actions, we will find that service does become joyful after all. But in the mean time, we have to work a little hard at unlearning our selfishness.

Nothing to do

2007-11-19T14:54:00.000-05:00

Do you ever find yourself wishing that you just had even five minutes in your day when you didn't have anything to do? I often find myself wishing there were more hours in the day, more time to get things done. But it seems like when I'm wishing that, really I'm wishing that I could have just a few minutes in the day when I didn't have anything to do. Many of us feel this way even during the "regular" time of the year, and the holidays just seem to escalate that feeling.

The month of December finds more people in a complete frenzy. You don't need me to list all the chaos that consumes our lives during December, you're living it, and listing it just makes all of us feel that much more exhausted. The point is that Advent, the four weeks before Christmas, is a hectic and chaotic time for all of us. But Advent is intended to be a period of preparation, much like Lent is supposed to prepare us for Easter. Advent is supposed to involve waiting and anticipation. Ha! Waiting and anticipation so often seem like the exact opposite of our advent experience. And yes, pastors often find their advents are chaotic and hectic as well. So this Advent season, I'm going to try an experiment. I'm going to schedule 10 minutes each day to be more intentional about my advent preparation. And no, I'm not going to add one more thing to do during this busy season. Instead I'm going to take those ten minutes and do absolutely nothing. That's right, Nothing! I'm not going to read, or write, or listen to music, or talk with people, nothing. I'm gonna just sit there and enjoy having ten minutes to do absolutely nothing.

I'll let you know how it goes.