At first reading, the prophet Hosea and the Lord's Prayer have absolutely nothing in common. But I think we might be able to at least find that they make sense together.
At the time that the Lord began to prophesy to Israel through his servant Hosea, Israel was at war with Assyria. The inhabitants of the Northern Kingdom, were we able to ask them, would tell us that they were Jews, followers of Adonai, the one God. I am sure that the Shema - Hear O Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is one - was uttered daily by all of these people. Not only did they proclaim God as Lord, they also kept all the feasts and sacrifices as prescribed by Moses.
The problem wasn't that they now considered themselves children of Baal or Astarte, it was that they were very comfortable being Jews. They had it in the back of their heads that the Lord was their God and the Lord would always be there for them, would always rescue Israel. This made them so comfortable that they promptly forgot everything else they knew about God and how they had been told that children of God behave. They used questionable ethics to get ahead - in business, in society, in government and foreign affairs. They believed in God but they trusted that they knew what was best for Israel and God was behind the times.
So God has Hosea act out his prophecy. "Go marry a prostitute, Hosea. For my people are prostituting themselves by forsaking me," says the Lord. "You will have children but they will be the product of prostitution, Hosea, because the children will be like their mother, selling themselves to the highest bidder to get what they think is happiness and security.
"Your first child will be a boy named Jezreel, named after the place where King Jehu slaughtered so many people, ostensibly in my name but in truth to avenge his ancestor Naboth. Your daughter will be named Lo ruhamah because Israel will get no pity from me this time. And the third child, another boy, will be named Lo-ammi. By this Israel will know that they are not my people and I am not their God.
"But in the days far ahead, the children of Israel will be more in number than the grains of sand on the seashore and in this very same place, I will call Not My People the Sons of the Living God."
It couldn't have been easy for Hosea to marry a prostitute. Gomer was probably a temple prostitute, one who was part of the fertility rites of the local gods. Everyone knew who and what she was. Having her in his house, walking down the street with her, raising her ill-gotten children would have been an awful embarrassment, bringing shame on Hosea and his extended family. But he obeyed the Lord and married this most unsuitable woman, letting everyone know that Gomer is a symbol of how they treat the Lord.
The United States has always considered itself to be a Christian nation, one nation under God. Europe is the cradle of Western Christianity and yet the consensus today is that Christianity is dead in Europe. That is certainly a generalization; however, consider this story. My sister Beverly was in Sweden for Easter one year. At a dinner on Easter Eve, someone asked her what she was going to do the next day. Bev said she was going to go to church. "Why?" her companion asked.
Nor can we honestly say that the United States is a Christian nation. Besides the fact that we have become a haven for many faith traditions - a very good thing and one that is part of our charge from God to welcome the stranger - we seem to be Christian like Hosea's Israel was Jewish. We believe in God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit but can't seem to translate that into daily living. We would rather trust ourselves or those we have chosen to lead us.
And so we come to the Lord's Prayer, probably one of the first things we ever memorized, somewhere around the tender age of three. It is as much a part of us as the Shema was a part of Hosea's Israel. We can all say it at the drop of a hat and with just about that much thought. Hear again Luke's version:
Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.
If we stop and listen to what we are praying, we may well be brought up short. This is not something to be rattled off. It is a prayer we say boldly, with the conviction that God hears us.
Father, hallowed be your name. There is no one or no thing greater than you, Lord. You are the beginning and end and in you we live and move and have our being. I trust you.
Your kingdom come. I will not spend my life raising up my own kingdom, God. I will look to you for guidance and direction so that your kingdom may thrive and that I may live there.
Give us each day our daily bread. I'm not asking for more than I need or deserve. I trust that you will help me find what I need and what my family need. I will not be greedy.
And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. I know, Lord, that I have sinned against you either by what I have done or what I have not done. Others have sinned against me and they are indebted to me for forgiveness. Some have even asked me to forgive them and I know that I need to do that. Maybe if I remember that I am indebted to you for forgiveness, I will remember to forgive them.
And do not bring us to the time of trial. Please, Lord, do not try my faith. For I know I will be found lacking even though I strive to be righteous.
This is but one interpretation of the Lord's Prayer. It isn't perfect or the only way to interpret what Jesus told us to pray. The key is to go beyond these few short sentences, this small collection of words, and pray it as if all of life hinged on God's answer.
Because it does.If we continue to pay lip service rather than taking God as the center of our lives from whom everything flows, we will end up like Israel did. Defeated, killed, removed from the land.
We are here because we know this to be true. We understand that the Lord expects us to be serious about being faithful children of God, that the Lord desires nothing more than to be in loving communion with us. And so we pray boldly not just for ourselves but to call upon the Lord to be present with us even when we are afraid, full of sin and anger and greed. We turn to the Lord because there is simply no one, no where else to turn. We live in God and with God and act through God.
Because the Lord did not abandon the people of Israel. God allowed their decisions to form their destruction but when they saw how wrong they were, God restored them and called them Sons of the Living God. We are the inheritors, through Christ, of the land, called Children of God forever. The Lord is our God, the Lord is one and to the Lord be all the power and the glory. Amen.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Samaritans and plumb lines
It is a good thing that tomorrow's lectionary pairs the parable of the Good Samaritan with the reading from Amos about God setting a plumb line in the midst of Israel. Here's why I think this is so.
First, the plumb line is a symbol of God's judgment on Israel. I tend to think of a plumb line as something I fashion to help me hang wallpaper straight. The theory is that getting the first strip of paper on the wall straight will cause all of the others to go on straight, too. The last time I put up wallpaper, I got out a plumb line, chalked the string, found the line and hung the first strip along the chalked line. By the time I finished the job - well, actually, about eight strips of paper into the job - I was just a shade off. Since this job was for my pleasure in my house and the unaligned strips met in an obscure part of the wall, my philosophy was, "it's close enough for government work." (Who came up with that line anyway??) So I left it.
But if you are building a structure - or a nation - you can't stray from plumb ever. There are no obscure parts of the wall. There are no places in the government that can be left even a little askew or the whole system will rot.
It seems the Israel hadn't been checking the walls of the nation often enough to make sure than they were still plumb, that there were no places where internal pressure had caused the wall to bow out, no corners where the ground had settled and taken a part of the foundation down with it. Furthermore, they didn't seem the least bit concerned about it. Perhaps they believed that God would continue to make everything okay or maybe they felt they had outgrown God and could take care of everything themselves without heavenly "interference."
So the Lord gives Amos a vision (literally makes him see) of the plumb line being set against a wall this is no longer straight. Amos' job is to tell the high priest Amaziah and King Jereboam that the nation is damaged beyond repair and the Lord intends to tear it down. This does not mean that the Lord no longer loves Israel or has turned from the promise made to them to be God's people forever. It does mean that God is not content to go with business as usual. And apparently a quick fix is not possible. The nation is too far out of line. The walls are bulging precariously.
So why does this vision complement the parable of the Good Samaritan. Well, the summary of the Law can easily be seen as a plumb line for life. It was not new with Jesus but had been a part of the teachings of the nation of Israel back even before the time of Amos. The lawyer demonstrates that he knows it well and we might even surmise that he has tried his best to live by it. But he is not content to let it stand as it was written and taught. He wants Jesus to qualify it, to modify the design.
So Jesus tells him a story that is both reasonable - there were good reasons for the priest and Levite to pass the injured man by - and so horrible that the lawyer has to couch his answer in different words than the ones Jesus used. He couldn't bring himself to say "Samaritan." The lawyer can only answer Jesus' question about true neighborliness by saying, "the one who showed him mercy."
The Samaritan had the same summary of the Law in his heritage. The difference between him and the priest and Levite is that it is so ingrained in his being that he cannot possible pass the man in the ditch by. It is not possible for him to leave him there. He simply has to do something.
There is a bumper sticker that says, "Practice random acts of kindness." The Samaritan - and Jesus and Amos - would tell us that there is nothing random about acts of kindness. Mercy and kindness ought to be as much a part of every day as breathing in and out. They are not uniquely Christian in nature. Most all faiths profess mercy and kindness to others as well as to self. We have no exclusive claim on them, although that hasn't stopped us from thinking we do. I remember someone talking about another person who did not belong to a church and saying, "He's such a good person, almost as if he were Christian!"
At a time in the life of the world when we are bombarded daily with stories of destruction and unkindness, of violence rather than mercy, it would be very easy to read these two lessons and here only doom, destruction and vindictive judgment (vengeance is mine, says the Lord, after all). In fact, that is where I have been with the readings all week. Then today, I read a reflection by Jennifer Lord, a professor of homiletics at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. She sees the crux of the lesson here in the lawyer's answer, "the one who showed him mercy." Jesus tells him to go and do the same.
Mercy is so much more than goodness or even kindness. Lord says, "it means something more than forgiving a debt or an offense. [Mercy] suggests blessing and unwarranted compassion as well as lenience. It is about pardon, kindness, strength and even rescue and generosity." (CC, June 29, 2010:19)
Mercy is part of love. We show mercy to those we love - blessing, compassion, kindness. We are generous with those we love and we are - usually - quick to pardon their offenses. Jesus tells us quite simply in this passage that the love and mercy, kindness and goodness we have for our intimate loved ones is to extend to our neighbors. And Jesus does not put any limits on the neighborhood.
So rewrite the parable of the merciful Samaritan for yourself. Where in our neighborhoods would the crime occur? Would the story be different for you if a child or a woman were attacked and left for dead? Who would pass the injured one by and what good reasons would they have? A doctor's wife once told me that her husband no longer stopped when he saw an accident for fear of being sued for malpractice. Is that a good enough reason to keep going?
Who is the Samaritan for you? Who would be the hardest person for you to cast in the starring role? That is who Jesus would use if he were telling you this parable. It would not be a close friend or someone who sees the world through the same lenses you do.
Finally, ask yourself what role you play in the story. Whatever the answer is, the theme of the parable is mercy. Jesus offers mercy to the lawyer when he tells him to go and do likewise. He does not hold up before him all his previous failed attempts to do so. He does not condemn him. Jesus uses the parable to tear down a bulging wall in the lawyer's faith and then he rebuilds it by showing him, through the parable, how to get back in plumb, how to straighten out and up.
First, the plumb line is a symbol of God's judgment on Israel. I tend to think of a plumb line as something I fashion to help me hang wallpaper straight. The theory is that getting the first strip of paper on the wall straight will cause all of the others to go on straight, too. The last time I put up wallpaper, I got out a plumb line, chalked the string, found the line and hung the first strip along the chalked line. By the time I finished the job - well, actually, about eight strips of paper into the job - I was just a shade off. Since this job was for my pleasure in my house and the unaligned strips met in an obscure part of the wall, my philosophy was, "it's close enough for government work." (Who came up with that line anyway??) So I left it.
But if you are building a structure - or a nation - you can't stray from plumb ever. There are no obscure parts of the wall. There are no places in the government that can be left even a little askew or the whole system will rot.
It seems the Israel hadn't been checking the walls of the nation often enough to make sure than they were still plumb, that there were no places where internal pressure had caused the wall to bow out, no corners where the ground had settled and taken a part of the foundation down with it. Furthermore, they didn't seem the least bit concerned about it. Perhaps they believed that God would continue to make everything okay or maybe they felt they had outgrown God and could take care of everything themselves without heavenly "interference."
So the Lord gives Amos a vision (literally makes him see) of the plumb line being set against a wall this is no longer straight. Amos' job is to tell the high priest Amaziah and King Jereboam that the nation is damaged beyond repair and the Lord intends to tear it down. This does not mean that the Lord no longer loves Israel or has turned from the promise made to them to be God's people forever. It does mean that God is not content to go with business as usual. And apparently a quick fix is not possible. The nation is too far out of line. The walls are bulging precariously.
So why does this vision complement the parable of the Good Samaritan. Well, the summary of the Law can easily be seen as a plumb line for life. It was not new with Jesus but had been a part of the teachings of the nation of Israel back even before the time of Amos. The lawyer demonstrates that he knows it well and we might even surmise that he has tried his best to live by it. But he is not content to let it stand as it was written and taught. He wants Jesus to qualify it, to modify the design.
So Jesus tells him a story that is both reasonable - there were good reasons for the priest and Levite to pass the injured man by - and so horrible that the lawyer has to couch his answer in different words than the ones Jesus used. He couldn't bring himself to say "Samaritan." The lawyer can only answer Jesus' question about true neighborliness by saying, "the one who showed him mercy."
The Samaritan had the same summary of the Law in his heritage. The difference between him and the priest and Levite is that it is so ingrained in his being that he cannot possible pass the man in the ditch by. It is not possible for him to leave him there. He simply has to do something.
There is a bumper sticker that says, "Practice random acts of kindness." The Samaritan - and Jesus and Amos - would tell us that there is nothing random about acts of kindness. Mercy and kindness ought to be as much a part of every day as breathing in and out. They are not uniquely Christian in nature. Most all faiths profess mercy and kindness to others as well as to self. We have no exclusive claim on them, although that hasn't stopped us from thinking we do. I remember someone talking about another person who did not belong to a church and saying, "He's such a good person, almost as if he were Christian!"
At a time in the life of the world when we are bombarded daily with stories of destruction and unkindness, of violence rather than mercy, it would be very easy to read these two lessons and here only doom, destruction and vindictive judgment (vengeance is mine, says the Lord, after all). In fact, that is where I have been with the readings all week. Then today, I read a reflection by Jennifer Lord, a professor of homiletics at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. She sees the crux of the lesson here in the lawyer's answer, "the one who showed him mercy." Jesus tells him to go and do the same.
Mercy is so much more than goodness or even kindness. Lord says, "it means something more than forgiving a debt or an offense. [Mercy] suggests blessing and unwarranted compassion as well as lenience. It is about pardon, kindness, strength and even rescue and generosity." (CC, June 29, 2010:19)
Mercy is part of love. We show mercy to those we love - blessing, compassion, kindness. We are generous with those we love and we are - usually - quick to pardon their offenses. Jesus tells us quite simply in this passage that the love and mercy, kindness and goodness we have for our intimate loved ones is to extend to our neighbors. And Jesus does not put any limits on the neighborhood.
So rewrite the parable of the merciful Samaritan for yourself. Where in our neighborhoods would the crime occur? Would the story be different for you if a child or a woman were attacked and left for dead? Who would pass the injured one by and what good reasons would they have? A doctor's wife once told me that her husband no longer stopped when he saw an accident for fear of being sued for malpractice. Is that a good enough reason to keep going?
Who is the Samaritan for you? Who would be the hardest person for you to cast in the starring role? That is who Jesus would use if he were telling you this parable. It would not be a close friend or someone who sees the world through the same lenses you do.
Finally, ask yourself what role you play in the story. Whatever the answer is, the theme of the parable is mercy. Jesus offers mercy to the lawyer when he tells him to go and do likewise. He does not hold up before him all his previous failed attempts to do so. He does not condemn him. Jesus uses the parable to tear down a bulging wall in the lawyer's faith and then he rebuilds it by showing him, through the parable, how to get back in plumb, how to straighten out and up.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sunday morning musings
This line from Galatians 5 jumped out at me this morning as I listened to the lessons being read. Biting and devouring isn't usual Sunday fare, thanks be to God, but I wonder if it was usual Sunday - and maybe even daily - fare for the new Christians in Galatia. It's such colorful language for sniping and fighting!
I suspect I bite and devour sometimes even though I feel like I bend over backwards doing just the opposite. When others begin to do so, I try to ease the tensions or simply walk away rather than get involved.
But there are times when we have to stay and fight. It seems to me the various parts of the Anglican Communion have been biting and devouring lately - or should I say once again or still. A part of me wants to jump into the fray and do a little biting myself. Part of me wants to walk very far away, even out of the relationship. But that feels like I am letting the biting and devouring consume me.
If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
Take care that you are not consumed by one another, says Paul. It sounds to me like we have permission to disagree even to the point of taking chunks out of each other but that we are never to go for the knockout punch. Hmmm.... I would love to know what Paul was talking about, wouldn't you? Is he saying, "If you are going to argue, don't walk away mad" or "If you are going to fight, don't draw blood?" It's hard to know, isn't it.
But it refreshing to see that Paul doesn't seem to be saying that we should make nice just for the sake of keeping the peace. We shouldn't paste that plastic smile on our faces and pretend everything is fine. Somehow we are meant to engage each other about our differences. It ought to be a loving disagreement with each of us listening to the other and thinking about how best to respond without saying "well, that's just stupid," no matter how obliquely we try to do that.
So I guess biting and devouring are not generally appropriate behavior amongst the greater family but Paul is realistic enough to know we will still try it on once in a while. 'When you do," he seems to be saying, "take care not to cause the other - and hence, ourselves - irreparable damage. Always leave the discussion with the door still open and all the bodies intact.
(Image from winning-smiles.co.uk)
Friday, June 18, 2010
what are you doing here?
Elijah led an amazing life. He is fed by ravens and widows, raises a child from the dead and then takes on Jezebel and her prophets/priests of Baal. While Eliijah was living with the widow, King Ahab had been looking for him everywhere and is quite pleased to find him. At last he has a chance to get rid of this annoying prophet.
But Elijah tells Ahab to gather all of Israel together at Mt. Carmel and "bring 450 priests of Baal with you." I guess the mix is enough to make Ahab curious. In any case, he does not take this opportunity to get rid of Elijah but does what he asks instead.
And so the famous contest takes place. One prophet of God versus 450 of Baal's. Two bulls cut into pieces and placed on a stack of dry wood were the weapons of choic. The person or group who can get their god to light the fire wins. Elijah is ever gracious, offering to let his adversaries pick the bull and go first. So the prophets of Baal picked a bull, prepared it for sacrifice and then began chanting to their God. O Baal, here us! All day long they prayed and prayed, shouting out to their god and calling his name over and over again. But nothing happened even though they continually walked around and around the offering.
Then it was Elijah's turn. First he gathered twelve stones and repaired the altar of the Lord that had once stood there. Then he dug a trench around the altar, laid the wood in a particular order, placed the pieces of the bull on top and told the Israelites to pour lots of water on top. And then he prayed. Not all day but really for only a few minutes. The Lord answered his prayer and lit the fire, consumed all of the sacrifice and even the water in the trench. The Israelites seized the prophets of Baal and Elijah killed them all.
To top it off, the drought ended and it began to rain.
After a triumph like that, you would think Elijah would find a comfy chair, a skin of good wine and some great barbeque and relax. But instead, he chases the king back to Jezreel. Ahab tells his wife all that had happened - he was a real whiner - and she sends a message to Elijah telling him he is in for it now. She swears that she will have him killed by the end of the day.
Even thought Ahab has just been incredibly vindicated by the Lord, proving to one and all that the Lord is great and mighty, he hears the message and heads for the hills. He runs from the northern part of the kingdom to the very southern end. There he sees a lovely tree in the barren wilderness and lies down to sleep.
Can you hear the Lord sighing as Elijah runs away?
Despite all the times God has acted on Elijah's behalf, keeping him safe from famine and from Jezebal, Elijah is so elated by "his" triumph at Carmel that he is vulnerable to threats and criticism. Isn't that what happens to us when we are on an incredible high, having just accomplished a goal or done something we thought was beyond our ability? We are so happy that it takes almost nothing - an unkind word, a smirk or sneer - to pop our balloon and send us crashing to earth. This is how Elijah feels.
So the Lord sends an angel to feed Elijah and prepare him for an even longer journey deeper into the wilderness. The Lord sends him to the very mountain upon which Moses and God used to talk. You would think just being there, remembering the stories of Moses being in God's presence would be enough to turn Elijah around, to remind him whose prophet he is.
But Elijah tells Ahab to gather all of Israel together at Mt. Carmel and "bring 450 priests of Baal with you." I guess the mix is enough to make Ahab curious. In any case, he does not take this opportunity to get rid of Elijah but does what he asks instead.
And so the famous contest takes place. One prophet of God versus 450 of Baal's. Two bulls cut into pieces and placed on a stack of dry wood were the weapons of choic. The person or group who can get their god to light the fire wins. Elijah is ever gracious, offering to let his adversaries pick the bull and go first. So the prophets of Baal picked a bull, prepared it for sacrifice and then began chanting to their God. O Baal, here us! All day long they prayed and prayed, shouting out to their god and calling his name over and over again. But nothing happened even though they continually walked around and around the offering.
Then it was Elijah's turn. First he gathered twelve stones and repaired the altar of the Lord that had once stood there. Then he dug a trench around the altar, laid the wood in a particular order, placed the pieces of the bull on top and told the Israelites to pour lots of water on top. And then he prayed. Not all day but really for only a few minutes. The Lord answered his prayer and lit the fire, consumed all of the sacrifice and even the water in the trench. The Israelites seized the prophets of Baal and Elijah killed them all.
To top it off, the drought ended and it began to rain.
After a triumph like that, you would think Elijah would find a comfy chair, a skin of good wine and some great barbeque and relax. But instead, he chases the king back to Jezreel. Ahab tells his wife all that had happened - he was a real whiner - and she sends a message to Elijah telling him he is in for it now. She swears that she will have him killed by the end of the day.
Even thought Ahab has just been incredibly vindicated by the Lord, proving to one and all that the Lord is great and mighty, he hears the message and heads for the hills. He runs from the northern part of the kingdom to the very southern end. There he sees a lovely tree in the barren wilderness and lies down to sleep.
Can you hear the Lord sighing as Elijah runs away?
Despite all the times God has acted on Elijah's behalf, keeping him safe from famine and from Jezebal, Elijah is so elated by "his" triumph at Carmel that he is vulnerable to threats and criticism. Isn't that what happens to us when we are on an incredible high, having just accomplished a goal or done something we thought was beyond our ability? We are so happy that it takes almost nothing - an unkind word, a smirk or sneer - to pop our balloon and send us crashing to earth. This is how Elijah feels.
So the Lord sends an angel to feed Elijah and prepare him for an even longer journey deeper into the wilderness. The Lord sends him to the very mountain upon which Moses and God used to talk. You would think just being there, remembering the stories of Moses being in God's presence would be enough to turn Elijah around, to remind him whose prophet he is.But once Elijah arrives, the Lord speaks to him and says, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" and Elijah whines almost as much as Ahab. "I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and they are seeking my life, to take it away."
So God, hearing the despair in Elijah's whining, tells Elijah to go out on the mountain and the Lord will pass by. The Lord was not in the wind, the earthquake or the fire. No, the Lord was in the stillness. Sheer silence, a space absolutely devoid of sound or movement. And Elijah recognizes God there and hides his face.
Again God asks the question. "What are you doing here, Elijah?" Now you would think that Elijah, having experienced the Lord firsthand, would have a new answer. Even "I don't know" would have been better than his last answer to the question. But, no, he repeats what he has already said. Again, I hear God sighing, wondering what else can be done to turn Elijah around.
The Lord tells Elijah to go home by way of Damascus. God doesn't promise that all will be well, that nothing bad will happen to Elijah. There are no rainbows in the sky or pillars of cloud and fire. God just tells him to go home. "And on your way, annoint Hazael king in Damascus and Jehu king in Israel. Also anoint Elisha as a prophet."
Just as Moses needed the seventy elders to help him, so Elijah needs help. He can't do it alone - although the stories we have make it sound like he was doing a pretty good job.
When we lose trust in our faith in God, how do we answer God's question. "What are you doing here?" Sometimes it is not so much a matter of losing trust as it is taking matters into our own hands and making a real hash of things. "What are you doing here?" I think God asks us this question a lot. How about times when we agree to do something because we know someone has to do it? We aren't the right person for the job but we know it has to be done. "What are you doing here?" Are we brave enough to honestly admit we don't really know what we are doing or do we stick with the same old excuses. "Well, someone had to do it, God. You didn't seem to be helping much so I struck out on my own. I like to take charge and there seemed to be a leadership void I could easily fill."
The man with a legion of demons must have felt as high as Elijah after Jesus sends the demons out of him and into the pigs. But then he sees the fear in his kin and his former neighbors and he begs Jesus to take him with him. The fear has pricked his balloon of triumph and he loses trust in the one who just made him well.
But Jesus doesn't make it easy for him. He tells him to go home, and proclaim what God has done for him. That couldn't have been easy to do. No one wanted to be reminded of this event. They have asked Jesus to leave and the healed man's presence won't really let that happen. He knew what he was doing there.
But Jesus doesn't make it easy for him. He tells him to go home, and proclaim what God has done for him. That couldn't have been easy to do. No one wanted to be reminded of this event. They have asked Jesus to leave and the healed man's presence won't really let that happen. He knew what he was doing there.
What are we doing here? Are we doing what the Lord has called us together to do or are we content to have everything stay the same. Are we running away, sleeping under a lovely tree or allowing our demons to tear us apart? Can we set aside wind, earthquake and fire long enough to hear God in the sheer silence?
I suspect that the truth is we could probably answer yes to all of those questions. We do do the work of the Lord but we are content to remain the same, not listening for other new ways God is calling us to work. There are times when we run away, just want to get away from it all and even times when the pressures, stresses and anxieties tear us apart. And for many of us, finding that silence is what keeps us on the right track.
What are we doing here is a good question to ask ourselves. Maybe not every day but often enough that we seriously consider whether we are walking with God, sitting on the sidelines or have decided to take over and run our own show. Whatever the answer to God's question, we need to answer it honestly and be prepared for God's response. It might not be what we want to hear. It is likely to challenge us and may even be a little scary.
But just as God is present to ask the question, God is present to help us live into the answer. As the psalmist says more than once, "Put your trust in God."
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Adoption and the Holy Spirit
Before we could tell my in-laws that we were applying to adopt a child, my husband's grandmother remarked how sad it was that his cousin had to raise someone else's children rather than being able to have her own. As you can imagine, I had hysterics.
Many friends would say something like, "don't worry; once you adopt, you'll probably get pregnant right away." And a dear family friend often said about her adopted daughter, "we love her as if she were our own."
Now I knew that adoption was the right thing for us to do. Both of us came to that decision through prayer. But I worried about how we would bond with a child that we hadn't given birth to, particularly since we were not expecting to adopt an infant. Then my sister Beverly told me that giving birth to Michelle and seeing and holding Michelle for the first time were completely unrelated events. As soon as the nurse said, "here's your baby" and put her in Bev's arms, that is exactly who she was. And is.
The first time we met Heather, we knew she was ours. It didn't matter that we hadn't made her, that I hadn't carried her for nine months. It didn't matter that she was three and not a tiny infant. We took one look and became parents of an adorable blonde little girl. Life before Heather was a distant memory in the blink of an eye. The same was true for Matt although the circumstances were much different. My kids couldn't be more mine if I had birthed them.
It really doesn't matter when we come to know God for we are children of God NOT from the moment we set eyes on God but from the moment God sets eyes on us. Jesus came to let everyone know that they were already children of God. They just needed to turn to God, centering their life on the Lord rather than the marketplace, the pasture or the vinyard.
Jesus knew we wouldn't always remember that, though. So he sent the Advocate to be with us always. What a wonderful word that is! An advocate supports, advises and instructs, argues for us and maybe even with us when we stray from the way. Advocates are active. It is not a sedentary job but requires a lot of work.
When we think of the Holy Spirit, do we think of an active, relentless being working hard on our behalf all of the time? Or do we think of a being who occasionally comes down to touch our lives with a little bit of flame? The collect says that God "taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit." The flames that descended on the disciples didn't stop at the crowns of their heads. They went straight to their hearts and continued to burn there long after that fateful morning.
When we are baptized, the prayers ask that we be filled with God's "holy and life-giving Spirit." Not just on the occasion of the application of water and oil but for every moment of our lives. Read the service of baptism and see how many times we invoke the Spirit. It's a lot! We are serious about the place of the Spirit/Advocate in our lives. This is not a casual, on-off relationship; it is for life. Whenever we feel alone or abandoned, remember that the Spirit is actively working on our behalf.
Many friends would say something like, "don't worry; once you adopt, you'll probably get pregnant right away." And a dear family friend often said about her adopted daughter, "we love her as if she were our own."
Now I knew that adoption was the right thing for us to do. Both of us came to that decision through prayer. But I worried about how we would bond with a child that we hadn't given birth to, particularly since we were not expecting to adopt an infant. Then my sister Beverly told me that giving birth to Michelle and seeing and holding Michelle for the first time were completely unrelated events. As soon as the nurse said, "here's your baby" and put her in Bev's arms, that is exactly who she was. And is.
The first time we met Heather, we knew she was ours. It didn't matter that we hadn't made her, that I hadn't carried her for nine months. It didn't matter that she was three and not a tiny infant. We took one look and became parents of an adorable blonde little girl. Life before Heather was a distant memory in the blink of an eye. The same was true for Matt although the circumstances were much different. My kids couldn't be more mine if I had birthed them.
It really doesn't matter when we come to know God for we are children of God NOT from the moment we set eyes on God but from the moment God sets eyes on us. Jesus came to let everyone know that they were already children of God. They just needed to turn to God, centering their life on the Lord rather than the marketplace, the pasture or the vinyard.
Jesus knew we wouldn't always remember that, though. So he sent the Advocate to be with us always. What a wonderful word that is! An advocate supports, advises and instructs, argues for us and maybe even with us when we stray from the way. Advocates are active. It is not a sedentary job but requires a lot of work.
When we think of the Holy Spirit, do we think of an active, relentless being working hard on our behalf all of the time? Or do we think of a being who occasionally comes down to touch our lives with a little bit of flame? The collect says that God "taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit." The flames that descended on the disciples didn't stop at the crowns of their heads. They went straight to their hearts and continued to burn there long after that fateful morning.
When we are baptized, the prayers ask that we be filled with God's "holy and life-giving Spirit." Not just on the occasion of the application of water and oil but for every moment of our lives. Read the service of baptism and see how many times we invoke the Spirit. It's a lot! We are serious about the place of the Spirit/Advocate in our lives. This is not a casual, on-off relationship; it is for life. Whenever we feel alone or abandoned, remember that the Spirit is actively working on our behalf.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Follow me
All of his life, Peter had been a fisherman. His father was probably a fisherman before him and raised Peter in the trade. Peter would have raised his sons to follow in the family business as well.
But then one day, his brother Andrew came to him and announced "We have found the Messiah." Peter - who was called Simon at that time - went with Andrew to where Jesus was. It was Jesus who named him Peter and it was Jesus that Peter followed throughout the next three years.
Peter saw amazing things: the miracle of the wine at Cana, the feeding of the 5000 with just a few loaves and fish, Jesus walking on the water, the raising of Lazarus. Peter and the others heard Jesus teaching the crowds and sat at his feet for their own lessons. And right before Jesus was crucified, Peter denied he knew him three times despite having proclaimed his love and steadfast loyalty only hours before.
Still, it was to Peter that Mary Magdalene ran with the news that she had seen the risen Lord and he and another disciple ran to see for themselves. Peter was in the house when Jesus appeared to the disciples both times. He heard Jesus say, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you." Jesus breathed on all those in the house and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."
But nothing seems to have changed for Peter or the others. Rather than going out to proclaim the good news, these followers have gone back to the sea. I imagine these men lounging around, hoping that Jesus will come visit them again. When it doesn't happen, Peter announces that he's going back to work. All the others decide to go, too. So that night, they set out in the boat but they caught no fish. That's the way it is in the fishing business. One night there will be a good catch and another, there are no fish to be found.
In the morning, a man calls to them from the shore, asking them if they have caught anything. When they shout back that it was not a good night for fishing, he tells them to cast the net out on the right side of the boat. So many fish they couldn't haul the net into the boat! And one of the men says, "It is the Lord!" Peter immediately puts on his robe and jumps into the water.
That's one of my favorite biblical moments. I know Peter wouldn't be wearing Gucci loafers and an Armani cashmere sport coat but, still, it seems terribly strange to get dressed to go swimming. Now Peter would have to sit around the fire hoping his clothes dried quickly. And the weight of that wet robe must have slowed down his swim time considerably.
After breakfast on the beach, Jesus begins to question Peter. "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" What does he mean, "more than these?" Is Jesus asking if Peter loves him better than the other disciples love Jesus? Is he asking if Peter loves him more than Peter loves the other disciples? These possibilities don't seem likely given that Jesus didn't teach them to love one person more than another. And Jesus never said he loved one of them more than the others. If he is to be the example of love, then quantifying love can't be what he has in mind here.
It is more likely that Jesus is asking Peter whether he loves Jesus more than his life, his vocation, fishing. Does Peter love Jesus so much that he is willing to give up that which shaped and defined him for all of his years before the last three? Peter assures Jesus that he loves him and Jesus tells him to "feed my lambs." Two times, then, Jesus asks "do you love me?" And Peter assures him of his love, finally adding that Jesus knows everything so surely he knows of Peter's love for him. Each time, Jesus tells him to tend or feed his sheep. And finally he says to Peter, "Follow me."
Follow me. If Peter looks back at the last few hours of life, he may realize what that means. It does not mean business as usual Monday through Friday with weekend trips into the nearby towns to proclaim the good news. It means proclaiming that good news all the time. It means doing what Jesus did, loving and feeding the flock, bringing others into the fold and even dying in the proclamation of the Word. Jesus didn't stay in one place for long and Peter is meant to leave home, too. Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead and Jesus did not limit himself to citizens of Israel. All of this, Peter is to do as well, going wherever the Spirit takes him, preaching and healing to whomever he encounters. Loving Jesus, following Jesus will take all of his life.
Jesus says to us, "Follow me." That is not something we fit into spare moments or section off a part of the week to take care of. Being a follower of our Lord is a life-long commitment made for us, usually, at baptism and affirmed by us when the bishop lays hands on us at confirmation. We need not to ask ourselves, "How will I fit Jesus into my life?" but rather ask "How will my life fit into my commitment to follow Jesus?" When we begin each day praising God and giving thanks, we have our priorities straight. When we wake up wondering how we are going to get everything done and beginning to make lists, we need to start over.
Fortunately, we are not the final judge of how well we answer Jesus' call to follow. And the very good news is that Jesus will keep asking us, bringing us back to the fold when we stray too far away, reminding us who it is we love. Every time we gather at his table, we are brought home - home to God's never failing love, home to the one who knows everything about us.
But then one day, his brother Andrew came to him and announced "We have found the Messiah." Peter - who was called Simon at that time - went with Andrew to where Jesus was. It was Jesus who named him Peter and it was Jesus that Peter followed throughout the next three years.
Peter saw amazing things: the miracle of the wine at Cana, the feeding of the 5000 with just a few loaves and fish, Jesus walking on the water, the raising of Lazarus. Peter and the others heard Jesus teaching the crowds and sat at his feet for their own lessons. And right before Jesus was crucified, Peter denied he knew him three times despite having proclaimed his love and steadfast loyalty only hours before.
Still, it was to Peter that Mary Magdalene ran with the news that she had seen the risen Lord and he and another disciple ran to see for themselves. Peter was in the house when Jesus appeared to the disciples both times. He heard Jesus say, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you." Jesus breathed on all those in the house and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."
But nothing seems to have changed for Peter or the others. Rather than going out to proclaim the good news, these followers have gone back to the sea. I imagine these men lounging around, hoping that Jesus will come visit them again. When it doesn't happen, Peter announces that he's going back to work. All the others decide to go, too. So that night, they set out in the boat but they caught no fish. That's the way it is in the fishing business. One night there will be a good catch and another, there are no fish to be found.
In the morning, a man calls to them from the shore, asking them if they have caught anything. When they shout back that it was not a good night for fishing, he tells them to cast the net out on the right side of the boat. So many fish they couldn't haul the net into the boat! And one of the men says, "It is the Lord!" Peter immediately puts on his robe and jumps into the water.
That's one of my favorite biblical moments. I know Peter wouldn't be wearing Gucci loafers and an Armani cashmere sport coat but, still, it seems terribly strange to get dressed to go swimming. Now Peter would have to sit around the fire hoping his clothes dried quickly. And the weight of that wet robe must have slowed down his swim time considerably.
After breakfast on the beach, Jesus begins to question Peter. "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" What does he mean, "more than these?" Is Jesus asking if Peter loves him better than the other disciples love Jesus? Is he asking if Peter loves him more than Peter loves the other disciples? These possibilities don't seem likely given that Jesus didn't teach them to love one person more than another. And Jesus never said he loved one of them more than the others. If he is to be the example of love, then quantifying love can't be what he has in mind here.
It is more likely that Jesus is asking Peter whether he loves Jesus more than his life, his vocation, fishing. Does Peter love Jesus so much that he is willing to give up that which shaped and defined him for all of his years before the last three? Peter assures Jesus that he loves him and Jesus tells him to "feed my lambs." Two times, then, Jesus asks "do you love me?" And Peter assures him of his love, finally adding that Jesus knows everything so surely he knows of Peter's love for him. Each time, Jesus tells him to tend or feed his sheep. And finally he says to Peter, "Follow me."
Follow me. If Peter looks back at the last few hours of life, he may realize what that means. It does not mean business as usual Monday through Friday with weekend trips into the nearby towns to proclaim the good news. It means proclaiming that good news all the time. It means doing what Jesus did, loving and feeding the flock, bringing others into the fold and even dying in the proclamation of the Word. Jesus didn't stay in one place for long and Peter is meant to leave home, too. Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead and Jesus did not limit himself to citizens of Israel. All of this, Peter is to do as well, going wherever the Spirit takes him, preaching and healing to whomever he encounters. Loving Jesus, following Jesus will take all of his life.
Jesus says to us, "Follow me." That is not something we fit into spare moments or section off a part of the week to take care of. Being a follower of our Lord is a life-long commitment made for us, usually, at baptism and affirmed by us when the bishop lays hands on us at confirmation. We need not to ask ourselves, "How will I fit Jesus into my life?" but rather ask "How will my life fit into my commitment to follow Jesus?" When we begin each day praising God and giving thanks, we have our priorities straight. When we wake up wondering how we are going to get everything done and beginning to make lists, we need to start over.
Fortunately, we are not the final judge of how well we answer Jesus' call to follow. And the very good news is that Jesus will keep asking us, bringing us back to the fold when we stray too far away, reminding us who it is we love. Every time we gather at his table, we are brought home - home to God's never failing love, home to the one who knows everything about us.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Maundy Thursday
I am officially tired of the Gospel of John. It's not that the readings during Holy Week aren't wonderful ones but I'd like to hear from Luke tomorrow. Ah well, that's not what we are mandated and, after all, it is Mandatum Thursday.
This I command you, to love one another. We would be happier probably if this commandment had followed something other than the washing of the disciples' feet. That is uncomfortable enough already without having it linked to loving. We understand how giving our infants a bath is an act of love but we aren't so sure about how washing our teenagers' sneakered, sockless feet might be the same act of love.
And then there's all those other feet in church with us. Sure we love each other but that doesn't mean we want to touch everyone's feet. Jesus doesn't particularly care if we want to or not.
Jesus tells Peter that refusing to have his feet washed has no part of Jesus. Jesus washes the feet of all twelve disciples, too. He doesn't pass over Judas but treats him with the same love he has for all the others. Jesus washes all the feet because he loves all of the disciples and he knows that in some way or another, all of them will let him down, even betray him, that night.
There are two great acts in the service on this night. The first is the washing of feet, something we are all encouraged by our Lord to do. It is a symbol for us of our servanthood and reminds us that humility is a good thing. It also says to the one whose feet we wash, you are loved, loved by the one who first washed feet and loved by me. As you wash someone's feet, think of all the people you love enough to do this for. Then think of all the people who have betrayed you in one way or another and ask yourself if you could wash their feet.
The second is coming together to share in the Eucharist. This is something we do all the time in the Episcopal Church. It is the action that brings us close to our Lord as we honor his command to Do this. It is also, for Christians, as holy as Passover is for our Jewish brothers and sisters. It is a clear sign that God is with us, that God saves us from ourselves. As you come to the table to take the bread and to drink the cup, look at those who are there with you. Remember that Jesus came to earth for all of us, that there is no one at this table who is lesser or greater than the next. We are all loved intensely by the God who created us, died for us and rose again that we might live.
Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est. Whereever there is charity and love, God is there. Footwashing and feasting, charity and love. May they fill our hearts and spil over into our actions.
This I command you, to love one another. We would be happier probably if this commandment had followed something other than the washing of the disciples' feet. That is uncomfortable enough already without having it linked to loving. We understand how giving our infants a bath is an act of love but we aren't so sure about how washing our teenagers' sneakered, sockless feet might be the same act of love.
And then there's all those other feet in church with us. Sure we love each other but that doesn't mean we want to touch everyone's feet. Jesus doesn't particularly care if we want to or not.
Jesus tells Peter that refusing to have his feet washed has no part of Jesus. Jesus washes the feet of all twelve disciples, too. He doesn't pass over Judas but treats him with the same love he has for all the others. Jesus washes all the feet because he loves all of the disciples and he knows that in some way or another, all of them will let him down, even betray him, that night.
There are two great acts in the service on this night. The first is the washing of feet, something we are all encouraged by our Lord to do. It is a symbol for us of our servanthood and reminds us that humility is a good thing. It also says to the one whose feet we wash, you are loved, loved by the one who first washed feet and loved by me. As you wash someone's feet, think of all the people you love enough to do this for. Then think of all the people who have betrayed you in one way or another and ask yourself if you could wash their feet.
The second is coming together to share in the Eucharist. This is something we do all the time in the Episcopal Church. It is the action that brings us close to our Lord as we honor his command to Do this. It is also, for Christians, as holy as Passover is for our Jewish brothers and sisters. It is a clear sign that God is with us, that God saves us from ourselves. As you come to the table to take the bread and to drink the cup, look at those who are there with you. Remember that Jesus came to earth for all of us, that there is no one at this table who is lesser or greater than the next. We are all loved intensely by the God who created us, died for us and rose again that we might live.
Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est. Whereever there is charity and love, God is there. Footwashing and feasting, charity and love. May they fill our hearts and spil over into our actions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)