tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1973070205147607562024-03-13T08:12:58.943-07:00Julie's JourneyJulie Scheibelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801428959541613205noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-23144507948054879722016-02-01T09:01:00.004-08:002016-02-01T09:01:24.929-08:00A Simple Gift<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Matthew 2:1-12, Epiphany C, January 3, 2016</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>This is the story of a Palestinian American Christian woman named Naomi. Her name means beautiful, and she became a beautiful light in another’s eyes. This Naomi’s story takes place in Albuquerque, of all places.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>While Naomi was walking through the Albuquerque airport terminal to her gate, she heard over the intercom that her flight would be detained four hours. Although a bit bummed, Naomi didn’t think much of it. She could handle waiting four hours.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Then the next message over the speaker was a bit more urgent, “If anyone in the vicinity of gate 4-A understands any Arabic, please come to the gate immediately.” Naomi’s gate was 4-A, so she went there quickly.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>At her gate, she found an older woman in traditional Palestinian dress and wearing a head scarf. She was on her knees wailing. Naomi looked up at the flight attendant’s desperate expression. Seeing Naomi’s olive-colored skin, the attendant pleaded for her to help this older woman. Naomi didn’t speak much Arabic, yet she knew enough to ask what was wrong.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Hearing her own language, even if terribly spoken, the older woman quieted down. Naomi discovered that this woman thought that the flight was canceled, not postponed. She had a medical procedure scheduled for the next day, and she was sure that she wouldn’t make it. Now both breathing a sigh of relief, they considered how they would spend their four hours together. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>So, they found the older woman’s cell phone and called her son. Naomi told him - in English - what had happened. Then, to bide their time, they called this woman’s other sons, too. Then Naomi wanted this woman to be able to speak Arabic with someone, so they called Naomi’s father. Although her father was Christian and this woman was Muslim, they discovered that they had many Palestinian friends in common. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>After two hours of talking on the phone, the Muslim woman was calmed down. She was laughing and talking joyfully. She was so full of good cheer that she must have been like the wise men when they found the Jesus child.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>You see, her joy in that moment was so special. It was almost holy. All of the weight of her grief, terror, and discomfort was lifted from her shoulders. Now relieved, she could find time and space to breathe. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>I can only imagine that is what the wise men went through. For they too were not Jewish or Christian. They were foreign Zoroastrian astrologers. They saw the stars change, and they knew that a world-changing event had happened. They followed that star to Judea, yet they couldn’t find Jesus immediately. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>So, these wise men went to Jerusalem to discover where the King of the Jews was born. The scribes and chief priests told them that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem, as the Hebrew scriptures had foretold. Only then could they once again follow the star until they found the young Jesus with his mother Mary.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Upon finding the child king, the wise men paid him homage. This means they either honored him as they would a king, or they worshipped him as they would the Lord. Because these men are pagan, we don’t know whether they honored or worshipped.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Then they gave those famously odd gifts - gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These are gifts fit for a king, but not for a child. These gifts also foreshadow Christ’s life and death, for the spices are used for anointing and embalming. These gifts are expensive and seemingly frivolous, yet some other gift can also make the world of difference. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>So, we return to Naomi and the older Muslim Palestinian lady in Albuquerque. After two hours of talking, the older woman sticks her hand in her bag and comes out with a sack of homemade mammal cookies. These wonderful date and nut cookies were covered in powdered sugar. This woman happily went around offering cookies to all the women at the gate. Sorry guys. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Surprisingly, not a single woman declined. This strange assortment of women - of all races and religions - were joined together in that moment. They all were covered in the same powdered sugar. This simple gift of a cookie ended up being like a sacrament to these people. Seeing how special this moment was, the flight attendant pulled out complimentary drinks. Two little girls passed out apple juice and lemonade to everyone at the gate. All because one Muslim woman offered some cookies to a few women.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Naomi concludes her story, “And I looked around that gate of late and weary ones and thought, this is the world I want to live in. The shared world. Not a single person in this gate—once the crying of confusion stopped—has seemed apprehensive about any other person. They took the cookies. I wanted to hug all those other women too. This can still happen anywhere. Not everything is lost.” <span class="s2"><a href="http://kindnessblog.com/2015/11/20/wandering-around-an-albuquerque-airport-terminal-by-naomi-shihab-nye/">http://kindnessblog.com/2015/11/20/wandering-around-an-albuquerque-airport-terminal-by-naomi-shihab-nye/</a></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>This is true. Not everything is lost. Our good Lord can work through the stars in the sky to bring a few wise men to the Christ child. And our Lord can work through Muslim women (and men) to bring a holy moment to Christians. Not everything is lost. In fact, the best is yet to come. I pray that we each take a moment to look around and find the face of God in people who do not look like us, especially Muslims. By the grace of God, we will be able to do so. Amen.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-42972524163590409262016-02-01T08:58:00.006-08:002016-02-01T08:58:57.466-08:00Blue Christmas
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<span class="s1">John 1:1-5, 10-14, Blue Christmas C, December 22, 2015</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>On December 12th, my mother's father passed away. We knew that he was in his last moments as we traveled to the Christmas party for my father's side of the family. My mother had posted on the Facebook event for this party to let everyone know that her father might die. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>So when we arrived, we were surrounded by hugs and love. Some had read the post, others hadn't. Then, halfway through the party, my mother received the phone call. She pulled my sister and me into an empty room as she heard the news from her brother. From then on, our experience of the party changed. When we reentered the party, we sat back down to our abandoned plates of food. Many people simply walked up to my mother and gave her a hug. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>No words needed to be said as the tears flowed. So, from then on, about half of my family knew that my mother's father had passed away while we ate. Others didn't have a clue. My mother oscillated between tears and laughter. We truly enjoyed the rest of the party, even as we began to wonder what her family's Christmas party would look like. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Isn't this how so many of our Christmas celebrations will be this year? If we are brave enough to join our families, we will oscillate between tears and laughter. We will confide in those who know our struggles, and we will put on a fake smile for those who don't. We will remember and tell stories, and we will create new traditions without our lost loved ones.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>All of us are grieving something. Most of us are grieving for people who have died. Others of us are grieving for broken relationships and hard life changes. We are grieving for our living loved ones who are struggling with illness even as we grieve for our deceased loved ones who lost the battle. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>For some of us, our lives are a little easier now, no matter how hard that is to admit. Even though caregivers would gladly take on all of that work to have that one alive again, they also can breathe a sigh of relief that they need not worry about wheelchairs and medications. Our sick loved ones were never a burden, yet they did take a lot of our time.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>For others of us, our lives are a bit more complicated now. We struggle to find a way forward without them. We also need to deal with all of the paperwork and phone calls involved in closing an estate. All of our lives are different this year.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>For those of us who have lost a loved one, we know that they are at peace. At the same time, we search for living peace. So, this evening, we turn to the One who provides that peace. We turn to the One who is love embodied. We turn to the One who is the Word.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>As we honor Christ coming to us in the flesh, I can’t help but wonder, why? Why would our Lord choose to come live among us? Our Lord who created the entire world and all living things. Our Lord who can make promises lasting generations. Our Lord who is constantly surrounded by angels praising Him. Our Lord who can make barren women pregnant. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Our Lord who can change the world from the safe distance of heaven. So, why would the Lord then choose to come down to earth in the flesh? Knowing how messy our lives are, why would the Lord want to get messy with us? Why would our Lord want to put on flesh and blood and experience all of the limitations that come with that? Why would our Lord then be willing to die for us? </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>I think this is the beautiful reality of the incarnation. Jesus, being fully God, had all of the power of God to perform miracles and teach us the truth. Yet Jesus left the safety of heaven to put on the flesh and blood of a child. Jesus experienced the messiness of life, from a newborn through to an adult. Jesus experienced all of our sadness, our anger, and our anxiety. Jesus cried when Lazarus died. Jesus threw over the money changers’ tables. Jesus worried for his mother. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Yet Jesus also experienced all of our hope, our joy, and our love. Jesus pulled little children onto his lap to talk to them. Jesus shared meals with his closest friends. Jesus cared deeply for his family. Jesus, in all his fleshiness, experienced life. The best and the worst of earthly life was his to feel in his thirty three short years. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>So, before the Lord gave us life eternal, He experienced life on this earth. Throughout the centuries, the Lord continued to make promises to the Israelite people and to the entire world. All of those promises were then fulfilled in Jesus Christ. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Everything was fulfilled in Jesus who is the Word made flesh. In Jesus who is life eternal. In Jesus who is the light of the world. Even despite all of the darkness in our lives, Jesus’ light never ceases to shine. For those of us who are grieving loved ones, Jesus wipes our tears away. For those of us who are grieving broken relationships, Jesus provides us with new relationships. For those of us who are anxious about the future, Jesus continues to shine a ray of hope. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>This Christmas season, no matter what you are facing in your lives, I pray that you find time to find Christ’s love in your heart and in the hearts of those you encounter. Amen.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-9584590508179889512016-02-01T08:55:00.001-08:002016-02-01T08:55:50.449-08:00Mary Did You Know?Luke 1:39-45, Fourth Sunday of Advent, Dec. 20, 2015<br />
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When we look at the Magnificat (Luke 1:46b-55), we hear Mary's proud song of defiance. She knows that she is special and that her child will save the world. So, when we look at the song, "Mary Did You Know?" the answer is yes!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-56922051442144028552016-02-01T08:52:00.001-08:002016-02-01T08:52:08.775-08:00Joy in the Lord<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Philippians 4:4-7, Advent 3 C, December 13, 2015</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>For so many of us, we cannot find joy this Advent. So many of us are grieving over loved ones. We all are grieving for D. W.. Others are frustrated by the hate against strangers that is spewing all over the internet. So many of us are finding short tempers in ourselves and those around us. With all of this weighing on our hearts, how can we find the space in our hearts to rejoice? </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>In these times when so many of us are overwhelmed by sadness, anger, or both, we struggle in so many ways. The passage from Philippians has a few words of encouragement for us. Edward Pillar finds five pieces of good news for us in this passage. <span class="s2"><a href="http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2696">http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2696</a></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>First, hold on to the joy to be found in God (Philippians 4:4). </span></div>
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A simple way for us to hold onto the joy of the Lord is to look around us every day. Despite our grieving, the Lord still gifts us with beauty. In particular, the sunrises along the river are simply gorgeous.</div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Second, hold on to the character of Christ (Philippians 4:5). </span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span>Political analysts on cable channels are so often at each others' throats. We have come to expect that sort of language - a sad sign of our times. Yet Krista Tippett, on her podcast On Being, always talks in a quiet, soothing voice. Her show usually focuses on faith, yet she talks to a wide range of people. No matter the topic, Krista Tippett is able to keep her interviewees calm and collected.</div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Third, hold on to the nearness of God (Philippians 4:5). </span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span>Every weekday morning when I say some words of prayer in my office, I light a candle. I find that the flicker of the candle flame reminds me how close God is. I know that God is listening to my prayers.</div>
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<span class="s1">Fourth, pray with thankfulness (Philippians 4:6). </span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span>Although our prayers are often long and filled with requests, we have so much to be thankful for. Despite our grieving and our yearning for the health of our loved ones, sometimes we need to step back, quiet down, and simply pray, "thank you Lord."</div>
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<span class="s1">Fifth, God’s peace will be our guard. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">We can trust in the Lord to protect us from all that comes our way. Thanks be to God! Amen.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-25356631875872893082015-11-30T08:44:00.003-08:002015-11-30T08:44:28.233-08:00From Fear to HopeLuke 21:25-36, Advent 1 C, Nov. 29, 2015<br />
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When we respond to dangerous situations, we can either respond in fear or hope. For example:<br />
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<a href="http://zackhunt.net/2015/07/30/two-church-robberies-two-very-different-responses/">http://zackhunt.net/2015/07/30/two-church-robberies-two-very-different-responses/</a></div>
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The pastor from Texas responded out of fear, yet the pastor from Rhode Island responded out of hope and love. In our gospel lesson today, Jesus tells us that the world will get worse before it gets better. As we respond to natural and human-made disasters, the world tells us to respond in fear. Yet Christ tells us to respond with love and to live in hope.</div>
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Christ calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves. The entire Old Testament proclaims that we are to care for the orphan, the widow, and the alien (foreigner). So, we have an obligation to care for the Syrian refugees. The world tells us to leave them across the world so that we don't welcome any terrorists. That is a fear response. Christ tells us to welcome them here (trusting our government's vetting system to keep us safe). As Lutherans, we proclaim this together: </div>
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<a href="https://www.elca.org/News-and-Events/7797">https://www.elca.org/News-and-Events/7797</a></div>
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<a href="http://seiasynod.org/synod-news/iowa-bishops-write-to-governor-branstad/">http://seiasynod.org/synod-news/iowa-bishops-write-to-governor-branstad/</a></div>
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The greatest example of moving from fear to hope is found in this video: </div>
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May we have the bravery of this young child to find the hope in these difficult times. <br />
As Christ has taught us, we will stand tall, respond with love, and live in hope. We can do this because of what Christ has already done for us on the cross. Amen.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-39242876366925961422015-11-30T08:10:00.001-08:002015-11-30T08:10:16.093-08:00The Reign of Christ breaking into our livesJohn 18:33-37, Christ the King B, Nov. 22nd.<br />
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My sermon began with Al's story:<br />
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<a href="http://themoth.org/posts/stories/love-song-for-malawi">http://themoth.org/posts/stories/love-song-for-malawi</a><br />
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This story tells of what we think of Christ breaking into our lives - those moments when the Lord's presence is so heavy you can't help but notice it.<br />
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Sometimes Christ breaking in is more complicated, like the story of Kelly:<br />
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<a href="http://www.thelutheran.org/article/article.cfm?article_id=12768">http://www.thelutheran.org/article/article.cfm?article_id=12768</a><br />
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Kelly was executed because the reign of Christ isn't complete yet. The reign of sin and death is still prevalent in this world. We look toward the day when Christ will return, when death will be destroyed for good. We look toward that day with hope and expectation. Amen.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-40420526420493834842015-11-30T07:58:00.000-08:002015-11-30T07:58:37.973-08:00Hannah and Mary<div class="p1">
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>It has happened again. Terrorists have struck fear into the hearts of millions as they murdered at least 120 innocent lives in Paris. These extremists carefully chose locations where common citizens would be out enjoying the city. Those murdered were no threat to anyone.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Events like these can seem to be unfathomable. What could bring a group of people to chose to murder so many innocent lives? What could inspire someone to be willing to put on a suicide belt? What horrors must they have faced in their lives to create such horrors in other lives? </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>What happened in Paris is a great tragedy. It strikes a bit closer to home because those murdered looked like us. We may not have seen the names and faces of the dead, yet we know that those murdered were out socializing in Paris. So, many most likely were white and moderately wealthy. ISIS intentionally attacked a western nation and threatens more attacks to come. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>The unsettling feeling that this makes in our gut is not dissimilar to what the Israelites experienced during the time of the judges, the time before our first lesson. After the Israelites settled in the Holy Land and before the monarchy was created, the people struggled to stay under control. The book of Judges tells of such atrocities like: </span></div>
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<li class="li1"><span class="s2"></span><span class="s1">Jael murdering Sisera by nailing a tent peg through his temple</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span class="s2"></span><span class="s1">Jephthah killing his only daughter as a sacrifice for the Lord</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span class="s2"></span><span class="s1">A group of men raping and murdering a concubine; then her master cuts her into twelve pieces and sends them across Israel.</span></li>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>After all of these terrible acts, often of violence against or involving women, we then hear the story of Hannah. She is living a comfortable life, happily married. Yet she is barren. Her greatest desire is to have a son. She wants this child not for her own protection or economic support. Instead, she desires a son because she is measured socially by her ability to bear children. Her marriage is not enough - she needs a child.</span></div>
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Malnazar_-_Hannah_before_Eli_the_High_Priest_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg/800px-Malnazar_-_Hannah_before_Eli_the_High_Priest_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Malnazar_-_Hannah_before_Eli_the_High_Priest_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg/800px-Malnazar_-_Hannah_before_Eli_the_High_Priest_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Hannah needs a child to bring her joy. She may be able to love her step children, but that is not the same as raising her own flesh and blood. Hannah saw how her husband and his other wife drew close as they watched their kids grow from babies to toddlers to children. Hannah wanted to have her own baby to suckle at her breast, her own child to smile at her, her own child to love her so deeply.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>When the Lord finally heard her prayers and opened her womb, Hannah somehow knew that this child was destined to greatness. She dedicated her son at the house of the Lord at Shiloh. Her prayer is recorded in chapter two, what we read in place of the psalm. This beautiful poetry proclaims God’s mighty power to overturn the wealthy and lift up the lowly. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>It may seem odd how one little baby can bring so much hope into the world. Can one child really make that much of a difference? Yes. I have seen this in my own family. The Scheibels are a pretty close family. What started as my grandparents, my dad, and his five siblings has grown through the generations to include about 45 aunts, uncles, cousins, and second cousins. We first cousins were each others’ best friends growing up. Even my mom, who divorced out of the family decades ago, continues to be included in all Scheibel events. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Then, in 2007, everything changed. Our happy family was struck with tragedy when my cousin J died suddenly. Just 30 years old and days before her wedding, a pulmonary embolism took her life. My family was devastated. J’s mother, my Aunt J, hasn’t truly smiled since then. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>The Christmas after J passed away, we found out that my Uncle G had cancer. He passed away in 2009. If that wasn’t enough, about a year after that, J’s dad, my Uncle C, died suddenly, also from a pulmonary embolism. So, over the course of four years, three of my family members died tragically from natural causes.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Needless to say, family parties were a bit more somber after that. My family needed a reason to hope again. We needed to smile. We needed a child in our midst to bring us joy. In November 2011, my nephew L gave that to us. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>With such a happy baby to pass around, we couldn’t help but smile. As he grew, we rejoiced with his progress. As he began to walk and talk, he brought joy into all our lives, even Aunt J. After grieving for her daughter and her husband, she still doesn’t smile much. But at least now she is not overwhelmed with grief when she sees us happy.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>One baby can change family dynamics. One child can bring joy where there was only grief and despair. One little one can make a world of difference. Lukas brought some much needed healing to my family. Yet Hannah’s child did so much more.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Samuel grew up to be an important prophet. After the terrors of the judges, Samuel blessed the first kings of Israel, Saul and David. David would then bring peace to the people, a peace the likes of which they would never experience again. Samuel did not bring peace on his own, yet he pointed towards the peace that would come.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>It is fitting that the song that Hannah sang when Samuel was born is very similar to the song that Mary sang when she was pregnant with Jesus. Both of these prayers rejoice in the new life found in babies. Both sing of God’s power to bring down the mighty and lift up the lowly. Both proclaim that God is in charge.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>We need to hear Hannah’s song just as much as we need to hear Mary’s song. We need to hear that God will make all things right in the end. We need to hear that only God can judge terrorists just as only God can judge any of us. We need to hear of God’s mighty power. Because when terrorists have the ability to destroy anything or anyone, we desperately need to hear that God is in control. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>When Hannah prayed her prayer, Samuel was still a young baby. She could not have known how Samuel would help to change the history of Israel. Even so, she hoped as she prayed. She trusted in the Lord.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>When Mary sang her song, she had not yet given birth to Christ. She could not have fully understood how Jesus would change the world. She knew that Jesus was the child of God, yet even she could not know how Jesus would save the world. Even so, she hoped and she trusted God’s word. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Samuel brought peace to Israel, and Jesus brought salvation to the world. Yet despite all of this, there is still evil all around us, found this week in terrorists. Despite the life that Jesus gives to us, there is still death all around us, stealing away loved ones. We cannot fully experience the salvation that Jesus gives to us until we too face death. In the meantime, we trust in the Lord. We trust that the Lord is enacting justice. We trust that the Lord is in control of our lives and of the world. Most important, we trust that the Lord will give us life everlasting. Amen.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-73883314247512885092015-11-30T07:48:00.002-08:002015-11-30T07:48:26.289-08:00The metaphors of heaven<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Revelation 21:1-6, All Saints Sunday B, November 1, 2015</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>My father’s father passed away on my thirteenth birthday. While my father’s grief was still fresh, he had a dream of heaven. He fully believes that this vision came directly from God. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>In this vision, my father saw my grandfather in a dorm room, not unlike where my father stayed at the University of Illinois. Grandpa was sitting near his desk, leaning back in a chair reading. Grandpa was content.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Then Walter Payton, the famous Bears player, walked by. He was wearing street clothes, yet he had a football in his hand. Walter leaned in the open dorm doorway and said, “Jack, do you want to go to the tv room with me and watch some football?” My grandpa hopped out of his chair and went along. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Not too long later, my dad had another dream which was a continuation of this vision. This time, Grandpa was in the cafeteria. He had a tray of food and turned to look where to sit. He saw Abraham Lincoln eating alone, so my grandfather sat down with him. I can only imagine what sort of conversation they had.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>For my grandfather, my father, and me, our years in college were like heaven. Being able to read all day, spend time with friends, and have conversations with important people is what it is all about. Yet, when my father described these visions to me, he made it clear that he did not believe that all of heaven is one dorm or even one college. People have their own ideas of what is the perfect place to be. For my dad, this vision is not a literal description of what heaven is like. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>What this vision did for my father, though, is provide some comfort. Even to this day, my dad looks back on these visions with fondness. He knows that his dad is in a better place. He knows that Grandpa is with God. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>To some degree, I think this is what the book of Revelation is all about. It does not describe literally how the world will end, nor does it describe literally what heaven will be like. Instead, it speaks in coded symbolism. Scholars can interpret some of those symbols based on the text’s original context, yet others remain a mystery. Even so, I’m not sure if deciphering the code is the point. If you step back and look at the bigger picture, I believe that the book of Revelation is meant to provide some degree of comfort.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>With all this in mind, I am still curious about what John of Patmos means when he says that he saw “a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.” (v. 1) and that God is “making all things new” (v. 5). This author is speaking truth, even if he is not speaking fact. What does a new heaven and a new earth look like?</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>One commentator online says that the best way to understand this is to read C. S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. More specifically, <i>The Last Battle </i>describes the end of the Old Narnia and the beginning of New Narnia. Just like Revelation and my Dad’s vision, C. S. Lewis is using metaphor to describe what heaven will be like. Because he wrote a fictional novel, he had more freedom to express his ideas in beautiful, figurative language. Even though Lewis is describing the end of a made up world full of talking animals, his descriptions are spot on. Replace “Narnia” with “Earth” and you get the point.</span></div>
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<a href="http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OFLSV6?keywords=the%20last%20battle&qid=1448898241&ref_=sr_1_4&sr=8-4"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OFLSV6?keywords=the%20last%20battle&qid=1448898241&ref_=sr_1_4&sr=8-4</span></a></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Lewis describes a severe scene in Old Narnia. A monkey dressed up a donkey in a lion’s skin and tried to pass him off as Aslan, the Jesus figure in these tales. This leads to an epic battle between the true Narnians and the Calormenes who worship an idol. The last king of Narnia left the battle’s end as he saw a mysterious door and walked through it. As he entered New Narnia, he met all of the good kings who had died before him. All of these people were mysteriously ageless, no matter if they died young or old.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Then Aslan appeared in the doorway and called all of creation from Old Narnia to him. He judged these creatures one at a time, although it seemed to not last very long. Aslan sent the wicked into eternal darkness and invited the good through the doorway. Once everyone welcome into New Narnia had entered, King Peter closed the mysterious doorway and took out the key. Old Narnia was gone, and it was time for them all to experience New Narnia. “Come further in! Come further up!” (p. 181) Aslan bellowed.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>As the characters moved in and looked around, they marveled at how much everything was so much like Old Narnia while also being so different. The colors were brighter and deeper. The mountain range looked further away and yet…somehow… “more like the real thing.” (p. 193) The land that they had previously experienced was only a shadow of the real dream where they were now.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>One of the characters exclaimed, “I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the Old Narnia is that it sometimes looked a little like this…Come further up, come further in!” (p. 196) </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Then everyone began to run. They felt the rush of air and the joy of moving, yet they never became out of breath or sore. They realized that they could not feel afraid, nor angry, nor sad. They found all of the beloved people and creatures they had met on their previous journeys. This New Narnia truly was heaven, and their new journey had just begun!</span></div>
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<span class="s1">We may not know exactly what a new heaven and a new earth will be like, yet we can hope. We can hope that it will be just as exhilarating as C. S. Lewis describes. Maybe everything will be like it was, but richer, deeper, and brighter. No matter what, at the time that we experience heaven, it will be more of everything good because we will be with God. Surrounded by God's love like we have never experienced before, it must be worth it. We hope for the future because of God's promises! Amen.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-87652368374274651852015-10-29T12:06:00.000-07:002015-10-29T12:06:14.178-07:00Blind Bart and the Luther Rose<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="s1">Julie Monnard, Zion Lutheran Church</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mark 10:46-52, Reformation Sunday B, October 25, 2015</span></div>
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Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.</div>
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In Seminary, I studied this text about blind Bartimaeus for a final project. In addition to the paper, I also had to create some sort of integrative project. I knew that crocheting would take too long, so I decided to paint my learning. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimoInHyjF6py7wp_xjA18AO63Ll8As3T9CHxruIygCPMLWHsUtZeFXZA4UO6DhbR8cnjOI3NmI_dnDG2_Y8ouKuHbt0xJ39wFYwuM_x990URqQvmC6xgnuHocs_Kjx0qFSoNn73vcZn5M/s1600/IMG_2121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimoInHyjF6py7wp_xjA18AO63Ll8As3T9CHxruIygCPMLWHsUtZeFXZA4UO6DhbR8cnjOI3NmI_dnDG2_Y8ouKuHbt0xJ39wFYwuM_x990URqQvmC6xgnuHocs_Kjx0qFSoNn73vcZn5M/s320/IMG_2121.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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When Bart cried out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" he was using loaded terms. By calling Jesus "Son of David," he was confessing that he believed all that was told about him in the Old Testament. More specifically, he may have been referencing Psalm 110:1 which is quoted in Mark 12. So, that is what I painted in the speech bubble.</div>
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Now, here's the truth: I am not proud of this painting. I wasn't then and I am not now. I don't even want to hang this up in the privacy of my own home.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7T3A6FkuRMbhmi3QHQ3tBIxEpuom7xio-8QBH1NlL7XKDEwArgP6JqmOKuW6FBM8XctxuU8kKzRc6qL8IvqEvNVmrHeX_sNFqLCU2SgZWNAITuieGY4Uhmmuz9GLmO8-SQ9jVSKjfrgc/s1600/IMG_2120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7T3A6FkuRMbhmi3QHQ3tBIxEpuom7xio-8QBH1NlL7XKDEwArgP6JqmOKuW6FBM8XctxuU8kKzRc6qL8IvqEvNVmrHeX_sNFqLCU2SgZWNAITuieGY4Uhmmuz9GLmO8-SQ9jVSKjfrgc/s320/IMG_2120.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where's Jesus</td></tr>
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A wise pastor friend once taught me that once a canvas has served its purpose, it is time to wipe it clean and start fresh. Some art is not meant to last forever! So, this past week, I did just that. I took this bad painting of blind Bart, painted it white, and started fresh.<br /> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKtnCvcehXlQ9xW8Nkg9ntHNs_6Cj_33g1oUu8rr-POTLG7YKyk2C9BLKmGK0dLAr0keNOjuYHERMt2f-WGhWGZ5pcOlOp762qw9e-agl_BmRAZFT6rOmLEa_1OGqZasJAgqVFaoupek/s1600/IMG_2125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKtnCvcehXlQ9xW8Nkg9ntHNs_6Cj_33g1oUu8rr-POTLG7YKyk2C9BLKmGK0dLAr0keNOjuYHERMt2f-WGhWGZ5pcOlOp762qw9e-agl_BmRAZFT6rOmLEa_1OGqZasJAgqVFaoupek/s320/IMG_2125.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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As I considered what to paint, I thought about blind Bart's confession of faith. If I had to visually confess my faith, what would I use? Well, on this Reformation Day, of course I would use a Luther Rose. Luther put some careful thought into this symbol, and I still stand behind all that it represents. The background is the liturgical calendar. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJsr7pq1ygjNlzqXOQQg3ePNPGYAEjDsE2OCwx2OlnWJkjdJav2AuzH6yqyACAgmPBWsaJFf4BKejXz9MOVSskAOSPXppV_Kcd23Aum-p95mWuGrhFM-Uo_SlfgiAQ5OV7RfPPBxZ5TvQ/s1600/IMG_2126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJsr7pq1ygjNlzqXOQQg3ePNPGYAEjDsE2OCwx2OlnWJkjdJav2AuzH6yqyACAgmPBWsaJFf4BKejXz9MOVSskAOSPXppV_Kcd23Aum-p95mWuGrhFM-Uo_SlfgiAQ5OV7RfPPBxZ5TvQ/s320/IMG_2126.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Now, I'm still a bad painter. I had more fun figuring out the math of how to get each of the 52 wedges the same size than I did painting it in. I even had to trace the Rose and the Heart! </div>
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This represents for me the cycles of faith and how I experience God in the Lutheran tradition. </div>
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If you had to represent your faith in visual terms, what would you create?</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-69068638543440430182015-10-29T11:45:00.003-07:002015-10-29T11:45:53.892-07:00Of camels and needles<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Mark 10:17-31, 20th Sunday after Pentecost B, October 11, 2015</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>If you don’t feel convicted after listening to this lesson, then you weren’t paying attention. Jesus is speaking some hard words directly to us. Because, let’s be honest, even if you are struggling financially, you are still richer than most of those in this world. Jesus is telling us to sell everything that makes us comfortable and give the money to the poor. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>It is impossible for a rich person to enter heaven just as it is impossible for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle. This statement has made people so uncomfortable over the ages that scholars, pastors, and lay people alike have explained it away. Some have spiritualized it by saying that we don’t really need to sell our possessions. Instead, we need to purge our bad thoughts! When we make this about what goes on inside the individual, then we can easily ignore our homeless brothers and sisters.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Others turned away from spiritualizing the comment. Instead, they want to find a way to get a camel through the eye of a needle. Jesus is using a metaphor to make a statement, so why not make either the camel or the needle metaphorical? For example, some Christians built a small gate in the wall of Jerusalem and called it the eye of a needle. A camel could get through this gate if it was stripped of the loads of stuff it was carrying. Therefore, we don’t need to get rid of all our wealth, just that which is a burden.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>More recently, I found a political cartoon on a Google image search which quotes this verse. It shows a camel stuck halfway through a very large needle. A rich man in a top hat watching this distressed camel says, “It’s simple. We’ll buy a bigger needle!” He is hoping to buy his way out of this metaphor and thus completely subverts the point!</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Of course, there is the artist who created camels so small that not one but nine camels fit into the eye of a sewing needle. For centuries, rich people have tried to prove Jesus wrong. With each of these examples, it is like we are saying, “Look Jesus! A camel <i>can</i> fit through the eye of a needle. Can I enter heaven now?” I can only imagine Jesus facepalming. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>We don’t get it! Jesus is telling us that it is impossible for us to enter heaven by our own good will. We can’t buy our way into heaven, although the rich man certainly wanted to. Did you notice that in his question? He said, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” First, he is asking what he can do, implying that he has any authority to earn his way in. Essentially, he thinks God has some massive spreadsheet where God keeps track of everyone’s good and bad deeds. Jesus shows us this isn’t true. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>The second part of the question is specifically about money. The rich man asks about inheriting eternal life. Here, he is referencing the fact that landowners often became wealthy by exploiting the nearby poor landowners. When the poor couldn’t pay back loans tot he wealthy, then the rich could take the poor’s property. It was a way to “inherit” without being a next of kin. This rich man doesn’t just want to earn his way into eternal life, but he wants to buy his way in. How is Jesus supposed to respond to a question that is so off key?</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Knowing that this man isn’t ready to hear the truth right away, he eases him in by talking through the commandments. Notice, Jesus never directly states that following the commandments is a prerequisite into eternal life. But they are a way to get closer to God. By following God’s law, this rich man is closer to accepting the good news Jesus has to give.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>There is one more step! Clearly, this rich man is relying on his wealth instead of God to get him through life. So, Jesus tells him to sell his possessions and give the money to those in need. That would enable this man to take his focus off himself and put it on another. This is not good news for the rich man, so he went away grieving. He couldn’t bear to stay any longer! He left before he heard the whole story.<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>I think it is important to note why Jesus said this. Last week, the Pharisees were trying to trick Jesus, so Jesus responded truthfully but harshly. Here, the text says that Jesus loved the rich man. The rich man isn’t trying to trick Jesus; instead he is asking an honest question. Jesus is trying to carefully point this man in the right direction. When he puts his trust in God instead of wealth, then he will be ready to hear the good news. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>When we hear this passage, we often respond either like the people of old who explained away the tough message here, or we also walk away sad and unwilling to hand over our wealth. But not everyone. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Shane Claiborne is the author of <i>The Irresistible Revolution</i>. In it, he tells of his journey to Calcutta to spend a summer with Mother Teresa. He spent that time helping the sick and homeless have a little dignity in their desperation. He wasn’t the only one serving there, though. He wrote of a man named Andy who worked with him. Shane learned that he used to be a wealthy German businessman until he became a Christian. He took Jesus’ words quite literally. He sold all of his possessions and gave much of it to the poor. Having offered his money to the poor, now he is offering his time and talents. This man made a commitment to the Lord when he agreed to live and work in Calcutta. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.whychristian.net/speakers2015/tiffany-thomas">http://www.whychristian.net/speakers2015/tiffany-thomas</a></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Another example of this was shared at the Why Christian? Conference. Tiffany Thomas is a Baptist pastor in Charlotte, NC. Although she once was on staff at a wealthy congregation, she now serves two poor congregations. Her members live in systemic poverty and face crisis after crisis. Their lives are a mess, yet they always come on Sunday. They need to hear the good news. Offerings at one congregation are only about $200 a week. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>One fall, a local newspaper was interviewing Tiffany. She was talking about the homeless in her neighborhood when she blurted out that her church would be open every night the temperature got below 20. She hadn’t passed that by anybody in her church. She had no plan for how to staff her church to care for these homeless.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Then her janitor stepped up. That entire winter, he slept at the church and let in any homeless who needed a warm place to sleep. That janitor sacrificed so much for the poor.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>These are extreme examples, yet I hope you might be inspired to do something extraordinary to follow Jesus’ teaching. Yet even selling everything and giving your money to the poor won’t earn you a place in heaven. Following the commandments won’t earn you eternal life. Even baptism isn’t a free ticket.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>So what is Jesus’ good news? He says, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”(v. 27) There is nothing that we can do to earn our way into heaven. Nothing. Eternal life is beyond our reach on our own. The good news is that God gifts us with eternal life. God, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, brings us into eternal life. No amount of money, brownie points, or prerequisites can get us there. Only God.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>This is the good news. There is nothing that we can do to earn eternal. That is a gift, a gift that we do not deserve, yet a gift that we willingly receive. All that we do is a way to return thanks to God for all that Jesus has done for us. We serve the Lord cheerfully for the grace that Jesus gives to us. Amen.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-62538595942357676452015-10-29T09:51:00.003-07:002015-10-29T09:52:03.490-07:00Divorce wasn't part of God's plan<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Mark 10:2-16, 19th Sunday after Pentecost B, October 4, 2015</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>I recently read the young adult novel Divergent by Veronica Roth. The main character, Tris, took a test as a teenager to determine what faction she would live in for the rest of her life. The leaders of her city wanted her to fit neatly into their box, yet she didn’t. Her test results showed that she could have fit into multiple factions, marking her Divergent. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Each time that someone asked her about her test results, she answered truthfully yet differently. When her brother asked right after the test, she said that she wasn’t allowed to talk about it - which is true. Later, after she moved to another faction, her mother found her and asked her test results. Then she said that her results were inconclusive (meaning Divergent), which is true. Towards the end of the book, when the woman hunting Divergents asked of her test results, she said that her result was for her home faction, which is what was manually recorded.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Each time, Tris answered truthfully yet differently. I think that is what Jesus is doing here. The Pharisees are trying to trick Jesus - they want to figure out which faction of Jews he fits into. Jesus can see through their question about divorce, and he answers in a way that does not fit him into a box. Instead of answering directly whether divorce is legal or not, Jesus turns the question on its head. <span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Jesus takes a question that is about law and makes it about relationships. Jesus does not state whether a certificate of divorce is legal or not. He does state that God’s original plan was for man and woman to be together forever. Divorce was not part of God’s plan, neither was adultery or homosexuality.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>But sin entered the world, so now divorce is a sad reality. The sins that we commit break relationships apart. They separate us from God, and sometimes they force husbands and wives to separate too. Divorce is a sad reality, yet Jesus reminds us of the love that God has for us, from the beginning of creation to today...</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-67471811478792521082015-10-19T09:46:00.005-07:002015-10-19T09:46:51.035-07:00Finding Good Christian Resources<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">When I was learning how to preach in seminary, my professor encouraged us to ask ourselves the question, “Did Jesus have to die for this sermon to be preached?” That means, “Did I proclaim Christ crucified in my sermon? Was my preaching reflective of the theology of the cross?”</span></div>
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<span class="s1">These are good questions for us to ask of sermons, yet they also are important to ask when looking for Christian materials. If you are looking for something to read, watch, or listen to that reflects your Lutheran Christian beliefs, you face a steep challenge.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">There are Christian resources all over the place, yet most do not reflect our specific beliefs about Christ. Walking through the Christian Family Bookstore or looking at <a href="http://christianbook.com/"><span class="s2">christianbook.com</span></a>, you will most likely find a lot of evangelical resources. Instead of proclaiming that ONLY CHRIST can save us, many of these other resources say that we can influence our own salvation. Instead of upholding the Bible and the Sacraments as the best ways to experience God, these proclaim personal revelations. Instead of encouraging communal experiences of faith, these almost always emphasize personal relationships.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">So, here are some suggestions that I have for finding good Lutheran (or at least mainline) Christian resources:</span></div>
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<li>Check out resources from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America:</li>
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<li>Publishing House - <a href="http://www.augsburgfortress.org/">Augsburg Fortress</a> (Including <a href="http://fortresspress.com/">Fortress Press</a> and <a href="http://wearesparkhouse.org/">Sparkhouse</a>)</li>
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<li><a href="http://www.augsburgfortress.org/">Ausgburg Fortress</a> is the general publisher, including Bible Studies and worship materials.</li>
<li><a href="http://fortresspress.com/">Fortress Press</a> publishes more scholarly materials, including textbooks.</li>
<li><a href="http://wearesparkhouse.org/">Sparkhouse</a> publishes educational materials for all ages.</li>
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<li>Magazines - <a href="http://www.thelutheran.org/">The Lutheran</a> and <a href="http://www.womenoftheelca.org/gather-magazine-pages-49.php">Gather</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://www.thelutheran.org/">The Lutheran</a> is a general magazine about who we are and what we do as Lutherans.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.womenoftheelca.org/gather-magazine-pages-49.php">Gather</a> is a woman’s magazine full of personal stories.</li>
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<li>Daily devotional - <a href="http://store.augsburgfortress.org/store/product/16935/Christ-in-Our-Home-Regular-Print-Edition?c=285662">Christ in our Home</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Day-2015-Readings-Prayers/dp/1451425732">Bread for the Day</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://store.augsburgfortress.org/store/product/16935/Christ-in-Our-Home-Regular-Print-Edition?c=285662">Christ in our Home</a> is a quarterly publication that is available for free at Zion.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Day-2015-Readings-Prayers/dp/1451425732">Bread for the Day</a> is an annual publication with daily devotions.</li>
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<li>Website - <a href="http://elca.org/"><span class="s2">elca.org</span></a></li>
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<li>The ELCA’s website is a treasure trove full of information and stories about Lutherans.</li>
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<li>Borrow from Pastor Julie’s personal library. As long as I know what you have borrowed, you are welcome to borrow anything. Beware, I love to write in my books! Here are some of my favorite authors:</li>
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<li><a href="http://www.nadiabolzweber.com/">Nadia Bolz-Weber</a>. She preaches the gospel in a fresh yet authentically Lutheran way.</li>
<li><a href="http://rachelheldevans.com/">Rachel Held Evans</a>. She is an Evangelical turned Episcopal; she writes in a light tone as she describes her faith struggles.</li>
<li><a href="http://robbell.com/">Rob Bell</a> - A speaker and writer, he has a beautifully simple way of writing about faith.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.barbarabrowntaylor.com/">Barbara Brown Taylor</a> - She describes finding faith outside as well as inside the church.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.frederickbuechner.com/content/about-us">Frederick Buechner</a> - He is a theologian and a writer; his prose is poetic in its detail.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cslewis.com/us">C. S. Lewis</a> - The author of The Chronicles of Narnia, he also has many Christian books for adults.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.henrinouwen.org/">Henri Nouwen</a> - His simple, short books are pieces of art.</li>
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<li>To be honest, I am not inspired by most specifically Christian movies available. I find that they do not have the depth of content as more mainstream movies. There are plenty of movies out that have great messages, even if they don't talk about God.</li>
<li>I also don't listen to Christian radio. I love storytelling podcasts, including:</li>
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<li><a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/">This American Life</a></li>
<li><a href="https://storycorps.org/">StoryCorps</a></li>
<li><a href="http://themoth.org/">The Moth</a></li>
<li><a href="http://truestorytime.org/">TrueStory</a></li>
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There is plenty of other excellent content out there that I haven't seen yet. Let me know what you enjoy!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-66230089632104538582015-10-08T14:41:00.000-07:002015-10-08T14:41:41.034-07:00Esther and Why Christian?<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Esther, 18th Sunday after Pentecost B, September 26, 2015</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Esther is a bold woman of faith. She literally saved the lives of her people, standing up for them when no one else could. She used her political position as Queen of Persia to convince the king that Haman did wrong. Esther is a role model.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Not only were her actions dangerous and honorable, but her words were as well. There are few women in scripture who have more words recorded than Esther. Even the fact that the book is named after her is extraordinary.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Few women throughout religious history have risen to such high esteem. Yet few Jewish or Christian women have become queen without revealing their identity. Esther is a rare case, yet it is the ordinary women who face such large obstacles who are more noteworthy. Most women do not have the power of Queen Esther, yet they also break secular systems to enact justice.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>It is stories like these that I heard about last week at the Why Christian? conference. I went because it was hosted by two of my most favorite Christian public figures, Nadia Bolz-Weber and Rachel Held Evans. Yet it was the eleven other speakers who took my breath away. These speakers were vulnerable as they told their stories. They wove their past struggles with deeply held beliefs about God.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>These female speakers gave a voice to gay, transgender, black, Asian, and Indian Christians. Most were clergy of various traditions, and a few were laity. Each shared bold stories of faith. Many of them faced situations that were just as life threatening as Queen Esther. Many felt like foreigners in their own churches.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>What was so powerful for me was to hear their stories firsthand. I could not do justice to their stories telling them secondhand, so I won’t. At least not yet. Instead, I think it is more important that I respond to the same question that they answered. Which is,</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>“Why Christian? Why, in the wake of centuries of corruption, hypocrisy, crusades, televangelists, and puppet ministries do we continue to follow Jesus? Why, amidst all the challenges and disappointments, do we still have skin in the game?”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>This question is intentionally not, “Why Jesus?” The question is not why do we intellectually believe in God. The question is why we choose to have a relationship with Jesus and the church. Why do we continue to live in Christian community even if the possibility of getting hurt is great?</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Well, for me, I haven’t been hurt too much by the church. Yes, I thought I might have to leave my internship site because of problem makers. And yes, I have faced other difficult people in other churches. But the fact of the matter is that I have never been turned away from the church.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Nobody has ever told me that I can't be a pastor because I am a woman. Sure, my young age has been a challenge at times, but you have all grown to respect me. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>So, why do I need the church? Because the church and her institutions are where I get inspired. Nature is nice, but that is not where I experience God. Sometimes, even worship is not where I get inspired. It is the classroom. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>I have been a Lutheran my whole life, but I didn’t learn to love the Bible until college. I didn’t learn to love liturgy until seminary. As each inspiration happens, my challenge is to take the old and make it new. I must take Bible passages, understand them in their original context, and then relate them to our modern lives. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>I am often amazed at how Jesus’ words, though 2,000 years old, still are as countercultural today as they were then. I love studying Old Testament women like Esther and celebrate how they break cultural stereotypes. I also grieve that so many women in the Old Testament are victims of violence.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Even the basic structure of our liturgy goes back to the beginning of the church. Since the beginning of Christianity, worship has used Gathering, Word, Meal, and Sending as the pattern. Yet my challenge is to take these ancient words and make them relevant to you. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>You know that I enjoy taking old things and reviving them for a new generation. I do this with tatting. I take hundred year old patterns, use bright thread and add some beads. Then old boring edgings become vibrant jewelry. Recreating brings me joy, be it with scripture, liturgy, or tatting.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>I may not feel like I need Jesus as much as the Why Christian? speakers do, but the fact of the matter is that I want God. I want the Old Testament stories to ring truth today. I want to follow Jesus' teaching. I want to feel God's presence in the classroom and in the sanctuary. I want it all enough that eventually, I do need it to be true. I don't need to have a dark, convoluted past to need Christ. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>This is a messy world that we live in. We are surrounded by violence, hatred, and despair. We see it in the news and on the streets. We hear of family suffering from cancer and fighting losing battles. We know friends struggling with financial crises. With so much to bring us down, only Christ can bring us up.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Only Christ can give us hope that there is something more to look forward to after this life. Only Christ could offer himself to die to show us how to live. Only Christ could love those rejected by society. Only Christ. Amen.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-38389226488574312252015-09-23T11:56:00.000-07:002015-09-23T11:56:12.919-07:00Take up your cross!<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Mark 8:27-38, 16th Sunday after Pentecost B, September 13, 2015</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Consider Ashley. Ashley comes from a wealthy household. She gets everything she wants and she flaunts it around her high school. To be honest, Ashley is a brat. No matter how many times she attended youth group with her clique, she did not understand what “taking up her cross” should look like. She figured that wearing her diamond studded cross necklace was enough. At school, she still put down her poorer friends. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Next, look at Jerry. Jerry is a middle-aged white man. He has worked hard his entire life to earn his living. When Jerry hears people proclaim, “Black lives matter,” he doesn’t understand how his white privilege has helped him along the way. His church never talks about racism, so he figures that “taking up his cross” means to remain in a place of power while he helps others.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Finally, there is Anna. Anna is an older woman who honestly is tired. While raising her family, Anna dutifully brought her kids to church. After they left the house, she didn’t have much time before her husband fell ill. She cared for him until he died. Now, Anna is ready to be the one receiving care. She “took up her cross” when she was younger, yet now she has no energy to do so. Although only in her early seventies, Anna is “done.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>When Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow him, he warns us that there will be consequences. Being Christian is not the popular thing to do. Following Christ is not the easy thing to do - or at least it isn’t when done right. Sometimes we forget how counter cultural Christ’s message was and is.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Just as Peter does in the gospel lesson, too often we set our minds on human things instead of divine things. We get caught up in wealth, or privilege, or our families so that our lives no longer focus on Christ. Even if we attend church every week, we don’t actually take up our crosses unless we bring Christ into the world.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Doing this isn’t always fun or easy, yet it is what Jesus calls us to do. Jesus calls us to reject the world and let the world reject us. Our Christian ethics will never be popular because Jesus tells us to value every human being as an equal, no matter if they are rich or poor, straight or gay, white or black. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Jesus shows us how to love them - by eating with them, by healing them, by bringing them back into community. Jesus loved the least among us by showing them how great they really are. We can only do this when Christ is the center of our lives. We must let the ethics of the world pass away so that Christ’s love can shine through.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Jesus tells us that “those who lose their life for my sake…will save it.” (Mark 8:35 NRSV) Essentially, Jesus is encouraging his followers to face persecution with bravery. Christians are not facing persecution in America. Some like Kim Davis may think that they can discriminate against others in the name of Jesus, but this is not so! For Jesus cared for all who were ostracized from the world. Discrimination is not the cross that we bear. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Instead, we together as the ELCA stand up for those who are deemed “less” by our society. We stand with blacks, gays, and the poor. We advocate for them and with them. We learn who they truly are so that they no longer are the “other.” That is the cross that we bear. So how can we help our fellow Christians truly to take up their cross and follow Jesus?</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>We can approach youth like Ashley and show her how deeply her words can hurt others. We can help her understand how her poor classmates live and the struggles that they face. Maybe Ashley could be inspired to have a drive for jeans at her school. By donating of her wealth and time, Ashley could take up her cross.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>We also can talk to people like Jerry. We can bring him into a nearby black community to listen. He can hear stories of how many extra roadblocks black men must surpass before they can be as successful as Jerry. By listening, Jerry can better understand. Then, he and his church could partner with a black church to ensure that their kids don’t grow up segregated. In that way, Jerry is taking up his cross. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Finally, there are many “Annas” in this congregation and in every congregation. Those who tire of ministry at a young age may not realize that no age is too old to take up your cross. You are never too old to try something new or take a risk. What you do in this place and in the community may change, yet Christ always needs you to serve the church and each other. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>With such risks and challenges in place, why would we be so willing to take up our crosses? Because of who Jesus is. Peter accurately proclaims that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Jesus is more than just a prophet. Jesus most certainly is not John the Baptist or Elijah. They were special men, yet they were only human. Jesus is also fully God. Jesus is the savior of the world.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>But Jesus was not the grand triumphant king that the Jews expected. Jesus was not some superhero flying in to save the day. Instead, Jesus was - and is - the suffering servant that we hear about in Isaiah. Jesus tells his disciples here that he would undergo suffering, be rejected by all Jewish authority, and then be killed. Jesus would experience physical pain, humiliation, and despair before finally giving up his life.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Then the Lord would bring Jesus back to life on the third day. And so, just as Jesus predicted, this is what happened. This is who Jesus is - our savior who gave up his own life and then rose again so that we can experience a resurrection just like his.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">We see glimpses of this resurrection when Christ enables us to lift up the lowly, the downtrodden, and the rejected. This is the cross that Jesus calls us to take up. When we help others, we truly are following Jesus. Amen.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-28250140912019189092015-09-23T11:52:00.002-07:002015-09-23T11:52:26.004-07:00Meaningless or Important?<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23, 14th Sunday after Pentecost B, August 30, 2015</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>You have heard the phrase, “You are what you eat.” My cousin D, who is in his mid thirties, learned this the hard way this week. While at a ball game, he ate two corn dogs, garlic fries, pork nachos, a hot dog, and a hot chocolate. The next morning, on Facebook he wrote, “it’s interesting: you eat a lot of [junk] food, and then you feel like [junk]. D learned that he can no longer eat like a teenager.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>That is a sad reality that most people learn in their thirties. You are what you eat. When you eat healthy food, you feel good. When you eat unhealthy food, you feel bad. But the point of the matter is this: what you eat only impacts you. Well, if you ate a whole Magic Mountain, maybe the people around you might feel a bit uncomfortable too.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>For the most part, personal decisions about food only impact the person eating the food. Jesus says, “There is nothing outside of a person that can defile him by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles him.” (Mark 7:15 NET)</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>He goes on to say that it is our evil words and deeds that do the most damage. I think a major reason for this is that your words and deeds impact others. You can make a person’s day by saying something nice, yet you can ruin a person’s day by saying something cruel. A corn dog might give you an upset stomach, yet a degrading comment can give someone else an upset heart. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Here, Jesus is setting priorities. The Jews back then- and even some today - followed strict laws regarding food preparation and consumption. Many foods, like pork and shellfish, were off limits. Others, like dairy and meat, were not allowed to be eaten together. This is why a bacon cheeseburger is the ultimate dietary sin.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>A young Jewish man named Moshe recently told his story of this on the Moth podcast. He describes his childhood in an ultra orthodox Jewish community as being like Amish but with electricity. He wasn’t able to read secular books, watch tv, or eat non-Kosher food. His rabbis threatened that the Lord would directly punish him if he disobeyed any of these rules. Because then he would know that the Lord is God. So everyday, Moshe would look over his shoulder wondering if the Lord would smite him.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>When he was fifteen, he began to question his orthodox Jewish upbringing, and his parents were going through a rough divorce. So Moshe decided to leave the fold. He went to Long Island to spend some time with his aunt and his brother. But Moshe had only known his orthodox Jewish community, so he wasn’t ready quite yet to break all of his childhood habits. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>When it came time for dinner, Moshe wanted to eat Kosher food, but his aunt’s kitchen was filled with only secular food. So, they hopped into the car and drove around Long Island looking for Kosher restaurants, but they all were closed. Then Moshe suggested getting a Kosher frozen pizza, but even those weren’t available. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Moshe secretly wanted something not Kosher, but he was too afraid to admit it. Then he came up with a solution: if he didn’t know that it wasn’t Kosher, then maybe he could eat it. So, his aunt went into a pizza place to get him a slice of mushroom pizza. Moshe stayed in the car. The entire time that she was in the pizza shop, Moshe was afraid that the Lord would smite her. He was afraid that his pizza slice would be cut with a knife that had touched pork. He was afraid that something would go wrong.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Then his aunt came out of the shop just fine. They went back to his aunt’s home, and he greatly enjoyed that slice of mushroom pizza. He wouldn’t admit it out loud because he was still afraid that the Lord would smite him. <a href="http://themoth.org/posts/episodes/1510"><span class="s2">http://themoth.org/posts/episodes/1510</span></a></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Moshe never returned to the orthodox Jewish community. He learned that he could still be faithful without following every dietary law. Because he could love the Lord while eating a slice of pizza. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>These laws were created for many reasons, one of which was to separate the Jews from their foreign neighbors. During the exile, when the Jews were trying to find out how they could still worship the Lord in a foreign place, they turned to these dietary laws to set them apart from their Gentile neighbors.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>In Jesus’ time, this separation from community was no longer necessary. From Jesus’ perspective, dietary restrictions including the washing of hands was adiaphora - or not relevant to salvation. There is nothing wrong with washing hands before a meal - in fact that is good hygiene! We wash our hands today not because God commands us to but because it is common sense.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>The Pharisees questioning Jesus were following the letter of the law without considering the spirit of the law. Jews were blindly following dietary restrictions without having their hearts set on God. And that is where Jesus found the problem. What is the point of washing your hands before dinner if you are going to proceed to bully your dining companions?</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Jesus reminds us that our words can hurt people more than they will ever share. Our offhand comments can cut deep. Our neglect of others can be the most dangerous. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>So, what can we do? We can help the people of Nepal through our noisy can offering. We can love our neighbors in word and deed. We can feed the hungry through the Salvation Army dinner. We can clothe the naked through donations. We can encourage Princeton’s firefighters and police this Rally Day. We can do the work of God. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>We can do this, not because Jesus commands us to but because Jesus enables us to. We can do this because Jesus gives us the inspiration, the strength, and the encouragement to do so. Thanks be to God! Amen. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-46831111262542867112015-08-24T10:59:00.003-07:002015-08-24T10:59:55.285-07:00Bible Telling of 1 Kings 5-9<div class="p1">
After Solomon became King of Israel, the Lord gave him rest from his enemies. During this time of peace, Solomon built the Temple. He gathered a large workforce from Israel to quarry stone and gather other supplies. Solomon also imported cedar from a friend of the late King David. </div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>When the Temple was complete, it was a sight to see. The inner walls, floors, and even the ceilings were lined with cedar. Each surface was ornately carved with cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. All of the vessels and furnishings were made of pure gold. The Holy of Holies - that inner room where the ark of the covenant would reside - was lined with pure gold. Solomon’s men worked for seven years to complete the Temple.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>In time, Solomon gathered all of the leaders of Israel to Jerusalem to dedicate the Temple. Solomon created a grand procession from the Tent of Meeting - where the ark of the covenant was - to the Temple. Priests carried all of the vessels and furnishings from within the tent, the tent itself, and the ark of the covenant. All along the way, priests sacrificed oxen and sheep to the Lord. So many animals were sacrificed that they could not be counted. <span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>The priests placed the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies. As they were leaving the Temple, the entire building filled with thick smoke. This was the glory of the Lord residing in that place. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Solomon addressed the leaders of Israel. He proclaimed that he completed what his father had started. Solomon fulfilled the prophecy made to David that he would build the Temple.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Then Solomon turned to face the altar and raised his hands to heaven. He prayed, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no other God like you. You have kept your promises that you have made with your people, including the promise of this Temple. May you always keep a descendant of David on the throne.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>“This Temple cannot contain you! May you listen to the prayers of your servants in this place. When people come here to confess their sins and make amends, may you judge them appropriately. When your people are suffering under foreign enemies, from drought, or from plague, may you heed their prayers and bring them relief. When you respond to prayer, your people will fear you.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>“With this Temple, your name will become great even beyond your chosen people. When these foreigners come to pray at your house, listen to their prayers. Show them your might so that all people across the world will know and fear you.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Then Solomon turned once again to the people and said, “Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people as he promised. Every promise made to Moses and our ancestors has come to pass. O Lord our God, continue to be with us and lead us to follow all the commandments.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Solomon proceeded to offer more sacrifices to the Lord, including thousands of oxen and sheep. He also offered grain, fat, and burnt offerings. Then the people feasted and celebrated for seven days.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>On the eighth day, Solomon sent the people to their homes. Some time later, the Lord appeared to Solomon saying, “I have heard your prayers. I have consecrated the house you built for me. My eyes and heart dwell in the Temple. If you stray from me and no longer follow my statutes, I will destroy the Temple so that foreigners will mock you. But if you remain upright and follow my commandments, I will keep David’s line on the throne. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-72845390182172993212015-08-17T11:21:00.001-07:002015-08-17T11:21:03.709-07:00The bread of transformation<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">John 6:51-58, 12th Sunday after Pentecost B, August 16, 2015</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Ms. Giovanazzi’s fifth grade class was learning about the Civil War. As a final project, she assigned the class together to create a living history demonstration. Each group of students was assigned an aspect of the war - from how they camped in the field to how they created hospitals. Each student was expected to make a Civil War uniform to dress the part. Then parents and younger siblings would be able to walk through the demos.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>My group demonstrated what Civil War soldiers ate while in their encampment. My job specifically was to make hardtack, those bland crackers that seem to last forever. So, the night before my presentation, my father and I pulled out some baking supplies. We gathered a bowl, a sheet tray, a rolling pin, and flour. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>In the bowl, we mixed lots of flour with just a small amount of water to make the dough. That was it: no oil, no salt, no eggs; just flour and water. Then we rolled it out, divided it into biscuits, and baked it until it was truly hard. That was some bland bread. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>And that is about the extent of my bread baking experience. Sure, I have made unleavened communion bread before, and I certainly have made my share of cookies and other baked goods. Yet I have never made leavened bread. I always have feared making leavened bread because it looks so complicated and time consuming. The dough needs to be kept in a place that is warm but not too warm and left for a time that is long but not too long.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>I recently listened to a TED Talk where the baker Peter Reinhart described the bread making process in twelve steps. Twelve steps that take hours - if not days - to complete. No wonder bread making sounds so complicated! </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>The TED speaker reminded me of one more reason why making leavened bread scares me - because it is alive. Bread dough is literally alive, or at least the yeast is. As the yeast burps and sweats, the dough rises. As the dough proofs, it proves that it is in fact alive. Then, when the bread is put into the oven, the yeast dies. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>That is the crazy thing about bread. It goes from living to dead to living to dead to giving life. With the process of creating bread, we find the perfect metaphor for Christ. Peter Reinhart divides bread making into three transformations. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>First, from alive to dead. Bread begins as living wheat flourishing in the field. Yet the wheat must be harvested, or killed, before its seeds can be crushed into flour. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>In his TED Talk, Peter said, “And at that point, the wheat has suffered the ultimate indignity. It's not only been killed, but it's been denied any potential for creating future life.” The wheat cannot produce more wheat, yet it has become flour.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>So also, Jesus begins his ministry alive and well flourishing in Israel. His teaching, preaching, and healing are important, yet before he can become the true living bread, he must be killed and his body crushed. Unlike the wheat, though, Jesus’ potential for future life does not die when he breathes his last.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>The second transformation is from dead to alive. The flour is dead wheat, yet when yeast is mixed in, the dough becomes alive again. The proof is when the dough rises. All of those “yeast burps, sweats, and starch guts” show how alive the dough really is. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Peter Reinhart said, “[The word] Leaven comes from the root word that means enliven -- to vivify, to bring to life… And we know it's alive because… it grows. Growth is the proof of life.” While the dough is growing, it is transforming more. The enzymes produce sugar; the yeast turns the sugar into carbon dioxide and alcohol; and the bacteria turns sugar into acid. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>So also, Jesus becomes alive again after dying on the cross. After three days, the Lord raised Jesus from the dead. And, just as the living dough is much different from the living wheat, Jesus is different now too. Jesus’ body has changed. Now resurrected and on earth, Jesus can walk through walls yet still eat fish. Jesus now can do things and know things that he couldn’t before.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Third, the living dough is transformed into dead bread. In the oven, the yeast dies when it reaches 140 degrees. The yeast must die before the bread can be complete. Peter Reinhart said, “The yeast, whose mission it has been up till now to raise the dough, to enliven it, to vivify it, in order to complete its mission, [it] has to give up its life.” <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/peter_reinhart_on_bread/transcript?language=en"><span class="s2">http://www.ted.com/talks/peter_reinhart_on_bread/transcript?language=en</span></a></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Yet it is the finished bread, with the wheat and the yeast dead, that is finally food. The bread is what sustains people until the next meal. Wheat or yeast alone could not do this.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Jesus does not die again like the bread does. Jesus is changed once more, though. Jesus is reunited with the Lord in heaven now that his mission on earth is complete. Jesus is not dead, yet he also is no longer physically with us.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>The Lord has transformed Jesus from life to death, from death to new life, and finally from new life to everlasting life. Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:51) </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>All of the bread that we can make in the world, including that hardtack from the Civil War, is dead. The wheat is ground into flour, and the yeast is killed in the oven. Even the manna in the wilderness was dead. But Jesus is the living bread. Not even death itself can kill Jesus. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Now Jesus is offering this living bread to us. Not just in communion, but in every way, Jesus offers his flesh to give us life everlasting. Jesus offers his flesh and blood as real food and drink, but not physical food and drink. Hardtack may be able to survive for years if stored properly, but only Jesus the living bread can survive forever. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>With Jesus’ flesh and blood, we never need to hunger for God again. We experience this food and drink not just in communion but also when Jesus abides in us. Jesus is with us, sustaining us through our deepest darkness and encouraging us through our greatest joys. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Living bread is the best metaphor to understand who Jesus is and what he gives to us. Yet Jesus himself is the best gift of all. After all of this bread talk, aren’t you hungry for communion? Amen.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-6285118033267818762015-07-20T12:32:00.001-07:002015-07-20T12:32:10.319-07:00Good out of Evil<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">1 Samuel 8, 11, 2nd Sunday after Pentecost B, June 7, 2015</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Personally, I cannot believe that our Lord deliberately causes tragedies. After attending Tori Vogel’s visitation and funeral, I cannot believe that the Lord intentionally brought about her death. The scriptures tell us that the Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Tori was an innocent fourteen year old. The Lord had no reason to take her life. I do not believe that the Lord directly causes tragedies.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Instead, I believe that we humans bring some tragedies on ourselves through our faults and wrongdoing. Our consistent lack of care for our earth throughout the generations has brought about a lot of negative changes. Some forms of cancer may stem from that. In many ways both directly and indirectly, we cause our own tragedies.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Yet despite all of humanity’s faults, the Lord is able to bring some good out of tragedy. After natural disasters, communities work together in beautiful ways that they couldn’t have without that common cause. Sometimes a person’s death can inspire change in others. I pray that something good comes out of Tori’s passing.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Today’s first lesson is an example of good coming out of evil. The people of Israel make a terrible mistake, yet the Lord is able to bring good out of it. We are familiar with the story of Samuel’s call to ministry. Samuel hears the Lord in the middle of the night and thinks it is his mentor, Eli. When Samuel finally answers the Lord’s call, the Lord tells him to renounce Eli’s sons for their evil deeds. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Five chapters and almost a lifetime later, now Samuel is the old sage and now his sons are misusing their privilege. Almost as soon as Samuel sets his sons as judges over Israel, they begin to swindle money, accept bribes, and twist the law. The Israelites were sick of these judges’ perversions, and they were sick of generations of bad judges. They want a new central form of government. They want a king!</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Up until this time, the Lord was considered their king. The judges handled the human squabbling, yet the Lord was the ultimate ruler over Israel. Now, this is not enough. The twelve tribes want one ruler to guide them in war against their enemy neighbors, including the Philistines.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>In many ways, the Israelites’ shout for a king is a rejection of the Lord. Their faith is not strong enough to trust the Lord to care for them, even against their enemies. They don’t want to be the unique nation compared to those around them. Now they want to look just like their neighbors.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>So, the Lord tells Samuel to give the people every reason why they most certainly should not want a king. Samuel explains that a king will want a standing army. Each family will have to send their sons to war and risk them not coming home. Many families - and even communities - will now have to make weapons of war instead of plowshares. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>The people want a military, though, so the threat of their children dying in war is a sacrifice they are willing to make. The Israelites did not feel safe with so many larger countries surrounding them, so they thought that an army would protect them. They were willing to do whatever a king would ask as long as the king was the first into battle.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Next, Samuel describes what he thinks is even worse than war: <i>taxes</i>. Samuel cries out that they will have to give the best ten percent of their crops to the king. The ten percent of their crops that they already give to the Temple is distributed to the poor, but this extra ten percent taken by the king will be given to his courtiers who are already rich. In a sense, Samuel is saying that their taxes will help the one percent get richer while they, the 99 percent, get poorer. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>But the king is entitled to more than just crops! The king also can take a family’s work animals and servants. The king has a right to claim whatever he wants, and the people won’t be able to do anything about it. Sound familiar?</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Yet even the threat of taxes is not enough to deter the people. They want a king, no matter what. So, the Lord gives in and decides that Saul will be their king. As the Bible describes him, “There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he; he stood head and shoulders above everyone else.” (1 Samuel 9:2b) </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Not only was Saul tall and handsome, he also was a competent leader. Before he is crowned king, he leads an army of Israelites against the Ammonites and wins. He proves his worth as leader of the people early and often.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>The Israelites' demand for a king was a rejection of the Lord, yet the Lord was able to turn that tragedy into a triumph. Certainly, after David and Solomon, Israel and Judah would be plagued by kings who “were evil in the sight of the Lord.” </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>The people would eventually face their greatest fear and be overtaken by a foreign nation. They will be sent from their holy land into a foreign place, forced to worship their Lord away from Jerusalem. Even when they eventually return to their land, they will still be under foreign rule. After the exile, the Israelites will never again have a king.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>In the end, though, all of these bad kings and foreign rulers lead to the one true king, Jesus Christ. Jesus will go into battle, but his foe will not be a human enemy. Instead, Jesus will conquer death itself. We have life eternal because Jesus went before us and sacrificed himself. Jesus is the ultimate king. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Once again, our earthly government is corrupt, but Jesus never will be. We know that we can turn to the Lord for the eternal leadership that will never fail us.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Every generation has found ways to reject the Lord. Even so, the Lord has made the ultimate sacrifice in Jesus. Despite all of the ways that we turn our backs on the Lord, Jesus never turns his back on us. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>We humans can be cruel and petty, yet the Lord never is. The Lord takes what we screw up and makes something good out of it. The Lord takes the tragedy of death and gives us life instead. Thanks be to God! Amen.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-48858966046178355542015-07-20T12:27:00.002-07:002015-07-20T12:27:35.982-07:00The Rest God Gives Us<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Mark 6:30-56, Lectionary 16 B, July 19, 2015</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Consider these stories:</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>CPE, or Clinical Pastoral Education, is an intense time for seminary students. Over one summer, students spend long hours in a hospital visiting patients, examining family history, and analyzing experiences with classmates. CPE students are always “on.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>One of my friends completed his unit of CPE away from home and school, so he even stayed in the hospital. He once commented that his only time alone was when he was in the bathroom. It wasn’t until then that I realized that the bathroom and the car were the only places where I was alone during CPE.</span></div>
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<a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Five-Minutes-Peace-Jill-Murphy/dp/0698117875/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8">http://smile.amazon.com/Five-Minutes-Peace-Jill-Murphy/dp/0698117875/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8</a></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>This week, I learned of a children’s book called “Five Minutes’ Peace.” In it, a mother elephant named Mrs. Large wants just five minutes away from her three children. She walks into the kitchen in the morning to find it a huge mess. Then she tries to take a bath. One at a time, each of her kids pops in wanting to share something with her. For Mrs. Large, even the bathroom isn’t a silent place.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Why is it that sometimes in our lives we are so busy with work and family that we have no time to ourselves? The world never stops working. Emails and text messages come in at all times of day and night. Families have every minute of every day scheduled. From sports to dance to band, they are busy.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Some even get booked solid on vacation. Take yesterday, for example. Brett and I left my mother’s house at 8 a.m. We drove to the Bristol Renaissance Faire. We spent the entire time walking around the faire, until 5 p.m. Then we drove straight down to I-80 where we stopped at my Aunt Laurie’s house for a half hour. We visited with my Dad’s whole extended side of the family, including Skylar. Then we drove home. I wasn’t in bed until 11. We were so busy yesterday that it certainly did not feel like a vacation!</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>For many of us, resting can be hard work. Some of us need to schedule time alone. Sitting still for even ten minutes without a phone, TV, or other screen can be a challenge. If we are always on the go, how can we find time for God?</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Jesus certainly struggled with this. His disciples have just come back from their first mission away from Jesus. They are grieving for John the Baptist. These twelve and Jesus just want to spend some time together before meeting up with the crowds. They want to share the stories of their journeys with each other, yet the crowds always seem to find them.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Jesus can never turn away from a crowd. Today’s gospel skips over the feeding of the 5,000. Then when the twelve finally escape the crowds and spend the night in a boat, the wind and waves won’t die down. That is when Jesus walks on water. When they return to dry land, crowds immediately pile up. Jesus starts this lesson by asking his disciples to come away and rest, yet they only get a few moments here and there. They sound like they need a retreat, yet they don’t get one yet.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Even for Jesus and his disciples, resting is hard work. Getting away from the crowds takes planning and ingenuity. Jesus knows that they need time to process what happened to them on their journeys. They need time to consider how God helped them along their way. They need time to pray.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>And don’t we as well! It takes time to process how God is active in our lives. It takes time to see how God is working through us. The rest that we need is not necessarily time to sleep - although I certainly am going to nap this afternoon! Instead, we are challenged to find what we need to recharge and reconnect.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>For some of us, that means spending time in front of the tv or video game. For others of us, it means turning all the screens off.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>For some, it means cleaning and reorganizing the house. For others, it means living with the mess.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>For some, staring at a lit candle. For others, having a deep conversation with a loved one. <span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>For some, getting away. For others, staying put.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Walking outside or sitting still.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Laughing or crying.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>We all have different personalities that require different activities to recharge and reconnect.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>By escaping the busy-ness of our lives, we might just find time to write, to color, to reflect, to pray. God is always there with us, yet we might not notice until we take the time to listen.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>God once told us to “remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.” Keep it set apart. Keep it different from other days. On this Sabbath, I pray that you don't let your work consume you. What will you do this afternoon to just “be” with God?</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Marilyn McEntyre recently wrote, “I do not believe it is God’s will for us to be weary. Rest is always a teacher: God is in charge, and we are not indispensable. Play is a blessing. In laughter we become like little children; in sleep we are watched over; in lingering over a meal we learn something about love we can’t learn anywhere else.” <a href="http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2015-06/july-19-16th-sunday-ordinary-time"><span class="s2">http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2015-06/july-19-16th-sunday-ordinary-time</span></a></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>I pray that today you do find time to rest and recharge. I pray that you find time to play and laugh. I pray that you spend valuable time with your family. I pray that you find time to realize how God loves you. Jesus says to us, “Come away…and rest a while.” Let us do so today.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Because on Monday, you are sent out again. God sends you into your work or your community to be God’s hands and feet. Recharge today so that you can get back to God’s work tomorrow! Amen.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-65516436571686335852015-07-13T12:07:00.002-07:002015-07-13T12:07:49.852-07:00The Ark of the Covenant Comes Home<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">2 Samuel 6:1-19, Lectionary 15 B, July 12, 2015</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Our gospel shows us the dangers of corrupt power. Herod is fool hardy as he offers anything to his daughter. When she takes her mother’s advice and asks for John the Baptist to be killed, Herod grants the request without a second thought. John the Baptist was murdered simply because he denounced Herod’s marriage. He was never legally sentenced to death. This whole story is one of human power gone corrupt. This is human power gone wrong.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Yet our first lesson is part of a long history of God’s power in the ark of the covenant. God is near to the people in this ark, for better and for worse. God’s power is just as dangerous as Herod’s power, yet the Lord is never corrupt.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>The story of the ark of the covenant goes back to the time of Moses. Moses is up on Mount Sinai receiving the ten commandments and detailed instructions for building the ark of the covenant. This will be a place for the Lord to dwell among the people without being a graven image. Yet when Moses descends the mountain, he is angry to find the people worshipping the golden calf. Moses destroys the golden idol and then has the ark of the Lord built with new gold.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Essentially, the ark is a box. It is made of the finest gold and the most precious wood. On top, two cherubim - winged angels - sit with their wings stretched toward each other. Between these angels is the mercy seat. It is not a literal cushioned place to sit, yet it is the place where the Lord dwells. Inside this box is the ten commandments. Two poles extend from both sides. The people carry the ark from these poles, but they are not allowed to touch it or to look inside. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>The people do carry this ark with them wherever they go, and they benefit from the Lord’s presence. When not on the move, the ark is kept in the tabernacle, which essentially is a tent. Once in the promised land, the people bring the ark of the Lord with them into battle, and the Lord often helps them to defeat their enemies.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Until they fight against the Philistines. That time, they lose the battle and the ark. The Philistines take the ark back with them, yet they do not expect how terribly they will be cursed. The Philistines suffer so greatly in possession of the ark that they cannot take it anymore. They return the ark to the Israelites, delivering it to the people of Beth-Shemesh.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>These Israelites are so excited to have the ark returned to them that they do not remember the rules. These men peer inside the ark of the covenant, and the Lord killed them for it. Maybe it was as gory as what was shown in <i>Raiders of the Lost Ark</i>, maybe not.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Some time later, Saul takes the ark of the Lord into battle, and the Lord helps him conquer his enemies. Saul returns the ark about ten miles west of Beth-Shemesh to a town called Baale-Judah. This is where our lesson begins. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>David wants to bring the ark to Jerusalem, so he gathers 30,000 men (and women?) to bring it home. They lead the procession with singing and dancing. Two men, Uzzah and his brother, are set in charge of actually transporting the ark of the Lord. They have it on a cart driven by oxen. Huzzah is walking next to the cart when it begins to sway and threatens to tip over. He throws out his hand to stabilize the ark. The instant Uzzah touches the ark of the covenant, the Lord strikes him dead. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>David is terribly afraid of this ark now. He doesn’t understand why the Lord would kill a man who seemed to be doing the right thing. David is stricken by the fear of the Lord. He will not let an item so powerful into his city. So, David sends the ark out of Israel to Obed-Edom. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>After three months, David receives word that Obed-Edom and his family have been greatly blessed. Because they have the ark of the covenant, the Lord has helped them to flourish. Now having received a good sign, David will finally bring the ark of the Lord home.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Just like before, David gathers his people to join him in this procession. They sing and dance and make music because of this joyous occasion. David is so overwhelmed with relief and excitement that he takes his clothes off. He dances about Jerusalem only wearing his underwear. He looks a bit foolish, yet everyone can sense his enthusiastic joy. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Once the ark is in place, David makes sacrifices, and the people feast. </span>The people of Israel is blessed by the presence of the Lord found in this ark of the covenant. The ark will later be placed in the Temple Solomon builds. It will remain there in the Holy of Holies until the Temple is destroyed hundreds of years later. </div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>These stories surrounding the ark of the covenant show us how dangerous our Lord can be. We often domesticate our understanding of the Lord. We focus on how loving, kind, and forgiving our Lord is. Yet the Lord also can take life without warning. We are to fear the Lord, falling to our knees and shielding our eyes in His presence. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>The Lord is not safe, but the Lord is good. Unlike Herod, our Lord is not corrupt. Our Lord loves us enough not just to send us an item in which to dwell. The Lord sent us Jesus Christ. The Son of God lived and breathed among us, only to die and rise again for us. Jesus showed us that the Lord is loving, kind, and forgiving. Yet even Jesus had his angry moments.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>So let us love and fear the Lord. Let us feel the Lord’s presence near to us while also honoring the fact that the the Lord is larger than we can ever comprehend. Let us respect the Lord, and maybe the Lord will bless us in return. Amen.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-62281022394999603212015-07-13T11:32:00.002-07:002015-07-13T11:32:15.410-07:00Weakness turned into strength<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">2 Corinthians 12:2-10, Lectionary 14 B, July 5, 2015</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Heidi was literally crying over spilled milk. But this was no ordinary glass of milk spilled at home. No, this was five gallons of milk spilled on the asphalt of the farmers market. As Heidi cried while mopping up all that milk, she thought about how her day had changed so fast.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>On her family farm in Missouri, Heidi was sitting at the kitchen table enjoying a simple breakfast of toast with homemade jam. She also had a tall glass of the raw cow’s milk that made her family famous. Her father walked up to the table and dropped the keys to the pick-up right in front of her.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Heidi looked up, confusion written across her face. “What are these for?” She pondered aloud.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>He responded, “Your brother is already at the farmers market, but I have six more gallons of milk ready to go. Why don’t you bring them to the market? Whatever you earn is yours to keep.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Heidi’s eyes lit up in astonishment. “Really?!” she exclaimed.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>“Consider it an investment,” her father said, “on that prom dress you are drooling over. Maybe you can use this money to buy some chickens and sell the eggs.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Well, Heidi didn’t have to be told twice. She grabbed those keys and darted out the door. She could barely focus on the road as she thought of that gorgeous sapphire blue dress that matched her eyes. It had just enough sequins to sparkle in the bridal shop window as she walked past it every day on her way home from school. Heidi was certain that Todd McManus would notice her if she could wear that dress to prom.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>By the time she arrived at the farmers market, it had already started. She couldn’t drive right up to her family booth, so she parked in the lot across the way. Without any wheels on the cooler, she couldn’t bring it along. So, she gathered up all six gallons of raw milk in her arms and walked towards her family booth.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>She had chickens, eggs, and dresses floating through her mind as she dodged patrons and their dogs. Then, when Heidi was only about fifty feet away from her brother, the one and only Todd McManus came toward her. “Hi, Heidi,” he said as he walked past. Her heart fluttered. She was so flabbergasted that he even knew her name that she tripped over the spaniel that had just walked in front of her.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>All six gallons of milk flew out of her arms and fell to the asphalt. Three exploded on contact, and two others lost their caps and started spouting out. Only one gallon of milk kept its seal. A sea of spectators grew even as they gave her space to clean up her mess. She gave the remains of the gallons to her brother and began to mop up all of that spilled milk. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>She tried to hide her tears as she was overwhelmed by her embarrassment and grief. No longer was she dreaming of dresses, chickens, and eggs. As all of her dreams were mopped up with all that raw milk, Heidi felt completely empty. She had no motivation, no hopes, no desires. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Then, in that emptiness, she realized how foolish she had been. Not because she had tried to carry six gallons of milk at once - she had done that before. No, Heidi was foolish for wanting such an expensive dress that she could only wear once. Heidi’s cousin in the city had already lent out her prom dress to three of their cousins. Why did Heidi think that she would not be the fifth?</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Even so, Heidi was determined to prove to her father that she was responsible. So, she sold that one good gallon of raw milk. By the time that Heidi had returned home, her brother had already told her father what had happened. Her dad saw her expression of grief and immediately gave her a hug.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>“Are you ok?” he asked.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>“Yeah, Dad.” She said, “I may not look it, but actually I am better than ok. Spilling all of that milk reminded me how foolish I was. I don’t need that dress. But could I still buy a chicken and sell the eggs?”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>She pulled out the five from her pocket. That was all that she had earned from that one gallon sold. Even so, it was almost exactly the cost of one hen.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>“What will you do with the money?” her father asked.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>“I’ll donate it,” she replied, “so that people far away can also raise chickens and sell eggs.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>“I bet if you tell the church what you are doing, they will match your donations.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>So, that is exactly what Heidi did. Over the course of the next year, she and her congregation raised over $1000 for Heifer International. The apostle Paul once wrote, “I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” Certainly it was Christ working through Heidi at her weakest to inspire her. Christ strengthened her so that she could push her emotions aside and use this mistake for good.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Often when we are at our weakest, that is when God is most able to inspire us. For when we are torn down by embarrassment, grief, or anxiety, we of our own will can’t stand on our own two feet. It is in those weak moments when we know wholeheartedly that we cannot do this on our own. Christ is better able to fill our hearts when our hearts are already empty.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Yet Christ does not enter our lives just to comfort us. No, when we are weak, empty, and unsure of the path forward, that is when Christ guides us to beautiful new ministries. That is when Christ gently - or not so gently - nudges us in a new direction. I personally have experienced this many times, including the instance that I wrote about in this month’s newsletter. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Sometimes these moments of Christ’s intervention are powerful and obvious, yet other times they are not. So many Sundays, I enter this church worn down from nervousness, anxiety, or simple tiredness. Those days, I do not feel that I have the energy to properly lead worship. Yet those Sundays when I feel incapable are often when I have the most energy. It is not my energy, but it is God working through me. Maybe you have experienced this too. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Paul writes, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” Yet it is not we providing our own strength in our weakness. No, it is God who keeps us standing when our knees buckle. God enables us to do God’s work at our best and at our worst.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Through our weakness, God gives us strength. Thanks be to God! Amen.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-50389487768730028082015-06-23T10:07:00.001-07:002015-06-23T10:07:53.320-07:00The Goliaths in our lives<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">This Sunday, I preached on the Charleston shooting without a manuscript. The following is a sermon illustration that I had planned to use before the shooting happened. To be clear, this is not an entire sermon. It is simply a story. How would you conclude this story?</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Sharon left her doctor’s appointment grief stricken. She had just received the worst news possible: stage IV cancer. She sat in her car in the parking lot, her hands shaking against the steering wheel. Tears streamed down her face as she cried. Realizing that she was not safe to drive all the way home, she decided to go to her son’s house instead.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Only going a few blocks, Sharon arrived safely. She shuddered as she walked to the back door. She tried the handle - it was unlocked. She walked in slowly, tears continuing to stream down her face. As she entered the kitchen, she saw her son George leaning over a table strewn with papers. He had his head in his hands. As Sharon went closer, she discovered that the papers were student loan documents and mortgage bills. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Her own anxiety set aside, Sharon said, “George, honey, are you ok?”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Not realizing she was there, George jumped out of his chair.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Catching his breath, he said, “Oh, hi Mom. I’ve been better. I’m swamped in debt and I can’t seem to find a way out. How am I supposed to have a house big enough for my expanding family if my student loans are ruling my life?” </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Then really looking at his mom, he said, “Are <i>you</i> ok?”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>“I’ve been better,” Sharon replied, “I just came from the doctor.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>“Bad news?” George asked.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>“Stage IV. They won’t tell me anything more than that, but it doesn’t look good. I’m scared, honey!” Then Sharon fell into her son’s arms and sobbed. They remained like that for some time until George’s daughter Jamie walked in.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Both Sharon and George looked down in astonishment. Jamie was wearing a Superman t-shirt, and her hair was in shambles. Her usually long, beautiful locks were now ragged and short. It looked like she had tried to cut her own hair.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>“Jamie,” Sharon said, “what have you done with your beautiful hair?”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>“Not beautiful,” Jamie replied, “Beautiful is for girls. I want to be a boy!”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>“A boy?!” George exclaimed. “Are you jealous of your little brother?”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>“No!” Jamie shouted, “I am a boy! I don’t want to be a girl.”</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-81293495627892161112015-06-02T09:38:00.000-07:002015-06-02T09:38:01.069-07:00The Challenges of God's Calling<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Isaiah 6:1-8, Holy Trinity B, May 31, 2015</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><u>Our Unworthiness</u></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>In our first lesson, we see the vision that the Lord showed to Isaiah. The glory of the Lord fills the Temple, and the seraphim are calling out their praises. The whole place is trembling. Yet amid all this holy beauty stands Isaiah. He is just a simple man. He does not feel worthy to be there in the Lord’s presence.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Isaiah - one of the most prominent prophets of all time - does not feel worthy to be receiving this vision. How often do we too not feel worthy! Some important Christians also have had moments like these. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>First, consider Shane Claiborne, the author of <i>The Irresistible Revolution</i>. Early on in his career, Shane decided that he wanted to meet and work with Mother Teresa. He wrote her a letter that essentially said, “Dear Mother Teresa, we don’t know if you give internships out there in Calcutta, but we would love to come check things out.” (p. 73) </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>He wrote about his ideas of what the church can look like. All of Shane’s friends and colleagues hearing of this letter exclaimed, “You are writing who?!” People did not think Shane was worthy to write to Mother Teresa. Even he was unsure if he should be doing it. He wanted to see Calcutta, yet he wondered if he was worthy.</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="https://embed-ssl.ted.com/talks/jeffrey_brown_how_we_cut_youth_violence_in_boston_by_79_percent.html" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Next, consider the Baptist minister Jeffrey Brown. His first church was in Boston. He had great aspirations to become a megachurch pastor, yet that never happened. He was too busy leading funerals for black teenagers caught in the violence in the streets of Boston. As other churches moved out of the city to avoid the violence, Pastor Brown tried to offer social services for these teens. Yet, nothing helped.</span><br />
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Then a young black man was shot near the church. As this man was running to reach the safety of the church, he collapsed and died. There was nobody at the church to help him anyway. It was at that time that Pastor Brown realized that he needed to take drastic steps to reduce the violence in his city. As he feared what might happen to him, he prayed to God and asked, </span></div>
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<span class="s1">"Why me? Why do you want me to do this?" </span></div>
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<u>The Grace of God's Blessing</u></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>We all have times when we feel unworthy. How can we come before the Lord who created the world and <i>not</i> feel unworthy? Yet Isaiah’s story doesn’t end with his cry that his lips are unclean. One of the angels in Isaiah’s vision brings a live coal and touches his lips. This is a ritualized way of clearing Isaiah of the guilt of his sin. Now that his lips are clean, he is able to hear the Lord cry out, “Whom shall I send and who will go for us?” and Isaiah replies, “Here am I; send me!” (Isaiah 6:8-9)</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>So, the Lord who is greater, more mysterious, and more beautiful than we can imagine chooses us to serve. We can’t even look at the Lord’s face, yet the Lord sends us out to prophecy. Just as the Lord sent a live coal to clean Isaiah’s lips, so also the Lord sends affirmation to us.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Consider Shane Claiborne. He waited for Mother Teresa to reply to his letter. Eventually, he got her phone number and called her. Amazingly, Mother Teresa answered! After mumbling through who he was and why he wanted to visit, he said that he would like to stay for the summer, but a few weeks or even days would work, too. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Then Mother Teresa replied, “Come for the summer. Come.” Shane then asked her were he would eat and sleep? She responded, “God takes care of the lilies and the sparrows, and God will take care of you. Just come.” (p. 74-5) Shane was so nervous he could barely speak, yet Mother Teresa exuded God’s grace and invited him to come.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Next, Jeffrey Brown. Pastor Brown began to walk the streets at night to see for himself what it was like for these gang members and drug dealers. Yet, he couldn't change anything on his own. God affirmed his needs by sending the other clergy in town to walk with him. He and these clergy walked the streets in the most dangerous neighborhoods from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. each weekend. The violent youth eventually agreed to talk with them. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>These youth showed Pastor Brown and his colleagues that they were not hard hearted but simply were trying to make it. The pastors came to value these youth and no longer saw them as a problem to be solved. Life-changing ministry was happening right there on the streets of Boston.</span></div>
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<u>The Hard Work of Ministry</u></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>When we feel at our weakest, the good Lord is often there to bring us to our feet, brush off the dust, and send us on our way. The Lord sends us out to do the Lord’s work, yet it isn’t always easy. Certainly Isaiah’s message was hard to share.</span><br />
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Our lesson today ends before we hear the prophecy that the Lord gives to Isaiah. He is to share with the Israelites this message: “Close off all your senses lest you try to repent. The Lord will send you all away after letting your land be destroyed. Even if some of you try to stay in your land, the Lord will let every little bit be demolished.” (Isaiah 6:9-13, summarized)</span><br />
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>No wonder why some prophets run away from the Lord. This is no easy task. Isaiah must proclaim to his people that they will watch their beloved holy land be brought to ruin. Sharing such disturbing news must have been exhausting.</span><br />
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>So also, the ministries that we are called to are not easy. The Lord sends us to the people who make us the most uncomfortable, and then the Lord tells us to love them. That is exactly what Shane Claiborne did. While he was in Calcutta, he spent every morning in an orphanage. He cared for disabled children who were abandoned by their parents. </span><br />
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Then every afternoon he worked in the Home for the Destitute and Dying. He helped the people there to die with dignity by providing comfort care. Shane followed Mother Teresa’s example as he followed Jesus’ teaching. Shane did not have an easy time caring for abandoned children and those dying on the streets, yet he did the Lord’s work with grace. A grace only the Lord can provide. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>So also, Jeffrey Brown worked with violent youth that others considered a lost cause. Pastor Brown and his colleagues sat down with these youth and with some of the local police force. Together, these three groups of people who normally never valued each other worked for a common goal. Instead of simply sending in more cops or providing more social services, the community listened to the needs of the youth.</span></div>
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<u>Conclusion</u><br />
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>We may be unworthy to see the Lord’s face, yet even Isaiah was able to see the hem of the Lord’s robe. Despite our sinfulness, and despite our failures, the Lord calls us to great tasks of mercy. The Lord calls us to form relationships with the least among us. We can follow the Lord’s calling - with God the Father to guide us, Christ to redeem us, and the Holy Spirit to strengthen us. Amen.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-26083791730906862292015-06-02T09:31:00.000-07:002015-06-02T09:31:00.797-07:00The Spirit is Moving Among Us<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Acts 2:1-21, Pentecost B, May 24, 2015</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><u>The Uncertainty of a Foreign Place</u></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>During May Term 2007, I went with Dr. K and a group of fellow Wartburg College students to visit Germany. For three weeks, we toured all of the Reformation sites. We walked in Martin Luther’s footsteps as we remembered all that he accomplished there. We also spoke with people from former East Germany who shared the great challenges that they faced everyday under Soviet rule. We also discovered what the Lutheran church looks like in Germany today.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>This trip was only my second time overseas. On the plane ride, we all were nervous and excited. We wondered what Germany would be like. None of us spoke German, and we hoped that would not detract from our experience. We were ready to go exploring!</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Then we walked off the plane in Berlin and onto the terminal. The complete foreignness of the place felt like a slap in the face. Most of the signs and posters were completely in German; I couldn’t read a word. The few signs that did have English only had it in small print, almost as an afterthought. All of the people around me were speaking German or other foreign languages. I didn’t understand any of them, and I didn’t know where to go. I was completely out of my element and felt quite uncomfortable.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>So, I stayed close to my group. Dr. K carefully helped us navigate our way through the airport to our bus. We drove through the city, gazing at all that we could see. Berlin was such an odd mix of beautiful and drab. Along the way, we picked up our tour guide who happened to be named Christian. When he stepped onto the bus, we didn’t know what to think of him. We were struck by how tall he was. He could have been quite a menacing figure. We knew that the quality of our entire time in Germany was focused on this one man. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Then Christian opened his mouth, and he spoke perfect English. We all let out a breath of relief. Not only did Christian speak English, but he also cracked some jokes and put us at ease. He truly made our three weeks in Germany a delight. He challenged us to look at the Reformation in a new light. Overall, Christian helped us to appreciate his beautiful country and the people therein.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>As I experienced during that class in Germany, there is something truly refreshing about hearing your own language in a foreign place. It is that relief of hearing your own language that I find inspiring in the story of Pentecost. Jerusalem was - and is - a metropolis of Jews from all over the world. They may have shared the same faith, but these Jews spoke the language of their native countries. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><u>The Uncertainty of Pentecost for the Disciples</u></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>These Jews were minding their own business in Jerusalem, visiting the Temple and other holy places. They also did not speak the language, yet they hoped that would not detract from their visit. Then they hear a ruckus happening inside a home, and they wonder what is going on! Curious, the Jews start to crowd around this little place. Then the disciples spew out of the front door. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>They are all speaking different languages! The disciples were preaching in languages they hadn’t known an hour before! What a delight it must have been for these foreign Jews to hear someone speaking their language. Immediately there must have been some bond formed. Simply hearing their own tongue in a foreign place must have opened them up to receive the gospel. They were able to believe everything they heard about Jesus because of this powerful gift from the Holy Spirit.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>In our time and place, we don’t need the Holy Spirit to give us the gift of language. Pretty much everyone we know speaks English. Yet, for someone who has rejected the church or who has never been to church, sharing the good news with them can be a challenge. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>We can say, “Jesus died so that your sins may be forgiven. You can live forever because of the cross!” Yet those words fall flat. Listeners may not know what sins are or why they need to be forgiven. They may have no desire to live forever. Even if we strip away all of the Christian lingo, the very concept of who Jesus is and what he did for us can be completely foreign. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Sometimes, we can’t evangelize using words. Sometimes, we need to show the good news through our actions. Even St. Francis supposedly said, “Preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><u>Confirmation Blessing</u></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>The confirmation students have shared with me that you are not allowed to talk about faith in school. You are not able to use the gift of words to share the good news of Jesus Christ. So, I encourage you to take St. Francis' words to heart. Show your classmates who Jesus is through the language of your actions.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Whenever you lift the spirits of a classmate who is down,</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>whenever you lead a food drive or charity fundraiser,</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>whenever you are kind to a disabled classmate,</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>whenever you follow Jesus' example at all,</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>you are showing your classmates who Jesus is.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Junior high and high school can be tough. Emotions are heightened, classes are challenging, and friendships are hard to maintain. With the Holy Spirits help, you can brighten the lives of your peers. You have a wonderful opportunity to be Christ's hands and feet. We all can do the same, no matter what the context we find ourselves in.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>We can show Christ's love to our classmates and colleagues because the Holy Spirit enables us to. We pray that the Holy Spirit might descend on us like tongues of fire. We pray that the Holy Spirit might inspire us to know what language of action we can use to make our community a little better. Amen. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197307020514760756.post-49744440991587944912015-05-18T13:19:00.000-07:002015-05-18T13:19:07.729-07:00The Big Four<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">1 John 5:9-13, Easter 7 B, May 17, 2015</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.</span></div>
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<a href="https://makingthemostblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/thedash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://makingthemostblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/thedash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Have you heard the poem by Linda Ellis titled, "The Dash"? You probably have. It is commonly used at funerals and visitations to celebrate a life lived well. The narrator of this poem considers a tombstone, including the person's birthdate, deathdate, and the dash in between. Here are three lines from the poem:</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>"He said what mattered most was the dash between those years. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>For that dash represents all the time they spent alive on earth. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>And now only those who loved them know what that little line is worth."</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>"The Dash" is a powerful reminder of the importance of our lives and how we live them. When we grieve for a life ended, we are reminded how precious our few years on this earth can be. We will be remembered by our dash. Ultimately, our birth and death dates don't matter much. It is the time between that matters.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Yet when we look at Jesus, we see that his dates matter more than his dash. We will spend the entire second half of the liturgical year considering that dash. We will read about his ministry, including the lessons that he taught, the sermons that he preached, the miracles that he performed, and the people that he healed.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Jesus had an amazing dash, and we need six months every year to learn from him and follow his example. But Jesus doesn't give us eternal life primarily because of the life that he lived. Those dates surrounding the dash are what matter. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>If you think about it, Jesus has two dashes representing his time here on earth. Jesus doesn't have a tombstone, yet I wonder what his would look like? Would it say:</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Christmas Day <i>dash </i>Good Friday</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Easter Day <i>dash </i>Ascension Day</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Jesus has four important dates marking his life, not the two that we have. These four dates have encompassed the first six months of the liturgical year. We started our retelling of Jesus' story last November when Advent began. We waited - a bit impatiently - for Christ to be born. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Then all too soon Lent came when we were preparing for his death. We grieved for Christ, only to celebrate on Easter morning. Then Jesus remained on earth resurrected for some time before he ascended into heaven. This past Thursday was the official feast day to celebrate Jesus' ascension. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>We take six months of every year to relive Christ's life and giving of life. These events from over two thousand years ago are so important that we recall every last detail. We act it out. We sing about it. We cherish these beloved stories. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>These four moments in Christ's life need to be held together to comprise his saving act. We have eternal life not just because of Jesus' life or even his death. We have eternal life because of all four of his dates surrounding those dashes. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>In 1 John, we heard this morning: "This is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." So, God gives us life eternal because of Jesus' birth, death, resurrection, and ascension.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Just as Jesus' life didn't end at his death, so also our lives won't either. After we leave this earth, we will remain with God forever. Our eternal life doesn't begin at our death, though. We experience a better life now because of what God did for us through Jesus Christ. For eternal life does not just mean never-ending. It also represents the quality of life that we experience now because of Christ. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>We have a special opportunity right here and now. We can help each other experience this quality of life. Whenever we show God's love to each other, we are sharing eternal life. Whenever we help our neighbors, whenever we receive communion, whenever we brighten someone's day, we are helping others - and we as well - experience eternal life. Right here. Right now.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>So this brings be back to that poem titled "The Dash." It concludes by encouraging us to live our lives well. Listen to these verses:</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>For you never know how much time is left, that can still be rearranged...</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>If we could just slow down enough to consider what's true and real</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>And always try to understand how people feel...</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile,</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>This poem describes well what it means to experience eternal life on earth, but it doesn't express why. This poem beautifully encourages us to experience the quality of life that we find in Christ and to share that with others. But we can only do this because Christ enables us to. We can only experience and share this eternal life because Christ was born, died, was raised, and has ascended into heaven. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>One day we will be united with Christ in a way that we cannot imagine. For now, we will enjoy this life that we have together. We will celebrate all four of the dates in Christ's life and the dashes in between. Amen.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356956948504470677noreply@blogger.com0