All of Us

All of Us

 

2 Peter 1:16-21

Shining with the glory of God 

 

1:16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.

 

1:17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

 

1:18 We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.

 

1:19 So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

 

1:20 First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation,

 

1:21 because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

 

I have always ascribed to the scholars’ idea that the Petrine epistles are remembered/transcribed sermons, possibly by Peter, although I seem to recall that most “Bible guys” give the letters too late a date for that to be true. They certainly could be messages by one of Peter’s younger charges, though. I can “hear” Peter’s voice in these letters, at least the enthusiasm and temperament of the “Peter” we read of in the Gospels. Like so much of the Bible, though, it really doesn’t matter a great deal. This is the canon we have, and the Bible with which we must wrestle, interpret, and preach, so there you have it. And the Petrine letters are chockful of stuff worth wrestling with, all kind of jammed in there together—much like most of our sermons, wouldn’t you say?

 

Therefore, let’s start with the last two verses of this passage, since they have to do with the very idea of scriptural interpretation. As an immature, Christian youth, I remember thinking these verses were telling us that, ultimately, it would be the Holy Spirit that would have to help us understand what scripture means, since the Holy Spirit was the “inspirer” of them, in the first place. Remembering how my various literature teachers used to go into long excurses about what William Shakespeare really “meant” with his flowery prose, I used to think, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could actually ASK Bill Shakespeare what he meant? Wouldn’t that end the sometimes wide-a-field speculation? 

 

One of my favorite scenes in Woody Allen’s Oscar-winning film, “Annie Hall” happens when he is standing in line with Diane Keaton, waiting to get into a movie. A man behind him is “pontificating” to his date about the “depth of meaning” in this film and all kinds of other artful media expressions from film to television. Allen eventually “has enough” of what he believes is just pseudointellectual babble, and when the man moves on to express his opinions regarding media scholar Marshall McLuhan’s work, Allen openly expresses his displeasure. The man reacts by stating that he “teaches a course” at Columbia on modern media, which he believes elevates him to the level of expert, especially on the work of McLuhan. Allen responds, “Oh YEAH, well…” and he reaches off camera and tows in the REAL Marshall McLuhan, who denigrates the man’s lack of knowledge of his work, putting him in his place. Allen then breaks character again, looks directly into the camera, and speaks: “Don’t you wish REAL LIFE were like this?” Kind of my idea about trusting that if the Holy Spirit is the true inspiration behind what we read in the Bible, then the Holy Spirit should be “patient zero” in our efforts to interpret it.

 

Not so easy, is it? Don’t we ALL have our own ideas about how the Spirit “speaks” to us? Some of us talk of the “still, small voice,” while others rise in public worship and spew long speeches in “tongues,” awaiting an interpretation, in the full believe that we have just regurgitated an actual, in-real-time message DIRECTLY from the Holy Spirit. How in the world can either of these “voices” be trusted to give us the unarguable “interpretation” of something from the Bible? See the problem with expecting the Holy Spirit to be Marshall McLuhan, waiting just off camera to be consulted? 

 

AND, even IF we could tap the Holy Ghost as a resource, we still have to deal with the “living” nature of scripture. I have come to believe this means that the Bible CAN be interpreted “freshly” for each time and era, and that it can mean different things to different people, consulting it for different reasons. Is this what the Petrine voice (which I’ll now refer to simply as “Peter” to keep the narrative easier to follow) is trying to tell us in these verses? Is Peter saying that, since the Holy Spirit “inspired” these words, desiring them to have universal, not time-locked, meaning, we are FREE to interpret their meaning for what we are facing, at any given time, both as individual Christians, and as the church? I believe the author is amplifying this assertion by stating in verse 20, that there IS no “one person’s interpretation” that can be said to be exhaustively “right.” The texts of scripture are for ALL people, for ALL time, and may have a VARIETY of interpretations, as led by the Spirit in kairos time, and as called upon by the zeitgeist. In other words, even if we are somewhat successful at deducing what a given text meant when it was first written, it is true that its meaning in the current era may be different, or at least apply differently, because history, circumstances, and WE have changed. What ALL of us should affirm together is that the scriptures HAVE MEANING for us, and are “inspired by God and are useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in right living.” I’ve heard that somewhere. What we ALL can affirm is the value of the Holy Bible for our individual and corporate “wrestling matches” over its meaning. No ONE can say “Here’s exactly what this means for all of us.” It just doesn’t work that way. Never has. If you don’t believe that, just pick up a good text on church history. We can see things so very differently, depending on our perspective, our need, and our OWN history, can’t we. Another case in point…

 

Recently, the nation has been doing its “dividing” thing over a Super Bowl halftime show by the Puerto Rican musical star, “Bad Bunny” (real name: Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio.) Some people felt his show was obscene, while others of us thought It was artistic and amazing. Some felt it was divisive and “political,” while most of us saw it as celebrating American inclusivity, unity, and love. Some pontificated that “only Americans should be performing at the Super Bowl,” while others pointed out that, as a native-born Puerto Rican, Mr. Bunny IS an American. Discounting the actual factual correction stated in the last postulate, it should be clear that different audiences can see the same show and come away with entirely different meanings and opinions about it. We should be able to agree on the facts, even if that is the only thing, but the context we are in currently even puts these in dispute, so let’s move on.

 

One more assertion I need to make, concerning what Peter tells us in these last two verses: “scriptural authority” does not mean that there is one single “interpretation” of scripture that is absolutely, unarguably correct. It just means that we agree that the Bible is the “one book” Christians have as our common source of faith, guidance, and life. We are clearly free to take different meanings away from it, as the Holy Spirit inspires. The closest parallel I can think of from secular history is the Constitution of the United States of America. It is AUTHORITATIVE because it was made so by the founders, and as properly amended through our history. Would anyone argue, though, that any part of it has one, clear INTERPRETATION? History has proved this wrong, as well, as Supreme Courts have shifted gears on its meaning multiple time. Its interpretation and meaning, whilst varied, do not reduce its authority. The preamble begins with the main thing: “We the people.” We’re in this together. Ultimately, our “divisions” shouldn’t matter. Later, regarding God’s heartfelt desire in giving us Jesus and the Word of God, Peter will tell us that God wishes that “none should perish.” WE are in this together, and this is the main thing that we should keep the main thing. If it isn’t about ALL of us, then none of us is safe.

 

While there is a lot of good stuff in this passage, I want to close with one phrase that keeps haunting me in this time of disaffiliations, division, and downright nasty badgering between factions, of which I confess I’ve been quite caught up in, frankly. Peter uses the phrase in verse 19 of “a lamp shining in a dark place.” He refers here to “prophecy,” but given the wider context of the passage, I believe he is speaking of the Word of God, namely Jesus Christ, himself. And as “ambassadors for Christ,” we are being challenged to keep this lamp shining. It is clear that the “dark places” do not go away just by the clock ticks of history. We are in one right now, both in the church AND in American society. One message that can be universally accepted if we preach it right is this “ALL of us” message. And yes, this is a follow up on my “All for One, One for All” message of a couple of weeks ago. Can we at least agree that there is ONE God, one faith, one baptism, one Lord of us all in the Christian church? (And “one nation under God,” if you want to stretch this to patriotism?) Is this not the “main thing”? I would argue that both the Word of God and the U.S. Constitution are here to draw believers (and patriots) into single communities, where mutual respect and the “common good” are perfected and practiced. Whenever one person or one faction believes it has the “ultimate truth,” this kind of unity is not only threatened, but probably impossible. We’re very close to this right now.

I encourage us to bring out those lamps, for only light can drive out darkness, and only love can drive out hate. I’ve heard that somewhere, too. Jesus told us “a house divided against itself will not stand.” And for we patriots, Benjamin Franklin said, “We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.” Both were right, and should be passionately heeded by those of us with the lamps. Amen.

Bland

Bland

 

Matthew 5:13-20

The teaching of Christ: salt and light 

 

5:13 "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

 

5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.

 

5:15 People do not light a lamp put it under the bushel basket; rather they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.

 

5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

 

5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

 

5:18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.

 

5:19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

 

5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

 

My dietitian wife decided years ago that I am what they call a “super taster.” Super tasters can discriminate countless flavors and nuances of flavors in anything they might eat. I am usually the first to suggest that the milk is on the verge of spoiling, or that something has “too much garlic,” or is over-cooked. Back when Dara was doing the cooking, my unusual tasting ability was a thorn in her side, especially because back in that time, I was a pretty picky eater. Believe me, being a picky eater AND a super taster is a very bad combination, especially when someone is trying to prepare dinner for you! For this reason, Dara was ready to give up fixing meals for yours truly, very early on. Our hectic schedule and my “food terrorism” led us to eat our meals at restaurants much of the time. This way, we could each order what we wanted, and I was free to pick establishments whose cuisine was both consistent and mildly seasoned. I had added to my future retirement agenda a desire to learn how to cook, myself, something I had never done, beyond frying an egg or flipping a flapjack. Highly-processed foods and the microwave had become my friends, when forced to dine alone at home. 

 

COVID and the Great Shutdown pushed my “learning to cook” agenda item up to “now.” Once cloistered at home, Dara had reminded me that she would not return to making food that would almost need to be prepared separately, in order to even marginally appeal to our divergent sense of taste. SO, I began to search the Internet for interesting sounding recipes, and SURPRISE! Most published recipes used a wide variety of seasonings and ingredients that I had heretofore eschewed in my picky, super-tasting culinary experience. I confess that, early on, I tried making some of those dishes and leaving OUT the “offensive” spices and foodstuffs, but, as you can guess, the resulting meals were bland beyond measure. I simply HAD to learn to eat a wider variety of things AND be willing to hit the spice cupboard. Then, not long after retiring, something else happened.

 

I FINALLY listened to the advice of both my physician and my M.Ed., RD, LDN spouse, and lose some excess poundage. My doctor suggested “10 or 15 pounds,” but when I looked at those BMI and “healthy weight for your height and age” diagrams, I knew that if I was to do this, we were looking at more like 50, not 15 pounds! Regarding the weight loss journey, by simply using a free APP on my phone and counting calories, I did succeed in losing almost 50 pounds over a year period (I set the APP to lose “a pound a week,” and it worked!) By continuing to use the APP to log what I eat, I have been able to maintain my “best weight” for almost three years, now, and I don’t see myself going back. But what really happened, between learning to cook (still a work in progress) and eating healthier, is that I am eating a much wider variety of savory food ingredients: onions, fresh garlic, natural flavors like lemon, lime, basil, parsley, dill, and an increasing palette of spices. Making flavors and mixing tastes (should have been natural for a super taster?) became the “game” of enjoying food, substituting for a bland diet of “consistent and familiar” tastes, supplemented by larger quantities of what I ate. Eating less, enjoying it more, and experiencing the pleasure of sharing a new recipe with my wife, who now can eat the same things I’m eating, has truly been a salvific revelation. And not once has my beautiful partner said, “I told you so!”, even though she certainly would be right to do so.

 

I’ve preached on this text from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew a hundred times, but now it has so much more meaning to me. As I’ve shared here, I now UNDERSTAND his caution to the Christ follower about not being a BLAND witness, or living a life without “savor.” The Christian should “taste” different to the world, and not one that has a bad aftertaste, or the pungent, bitter shock of something that has spoiled. Salt that gets wet and dissipates its savor is worthless, even gross. As I’ve learned through cooking, things don’t taste better just because you add MORE of a particular seasoning, or throw a bunch of competing spices together. In fact, good recipes “work” because of the balance of flavors and tastes. This is exactly what Jesus is telling us in this metaphor of the “saltiness” of the Christian witness. It should not be bland, the way I used to eat my food, but neither should it be overly spiced, out of balance, or loaded up with what “ingredients” are free, cheap, or easy to acquire. Good cooking requires careful planning, quality ingredients, deliberate processes, and aimed at an “audience” with just the right appetite for what you are offering. A Christian life lived to glorify God and demonstrate the love and grace of Jesus Christ follows exactly the same formula, or “recipe.” 

 

[Sidenote: By the way, if you are interested in doing more cooking yourself, here’s a lesson I learned early on about seasoning—most of the best chefs in the world will tell you that the two most essential seasonings are basic SALT and PEPPER. Other herbs and spices should be used sparingly, but in any savory dish, they will ALWAYS default to “sea” or “kosher” salt and “freshly ground” pepper. Meats, potatoes, seafood, vegetables—start with salt and pepper and keep it simple.]

 

All of us preachers have probably fallen prey to the “salt and light” pairing in a sermon or two about this hallmark message from Jesus, haven’t we? Still, even as “saltiness” is essential for good cooking and effective witnessing, so is LIGHT essential as a metaphor for what we “project” onto the world around us. In an earlier message (or two) I shared about my life-long interest in astronomy, and my delving more seriously into it in retirement. I am the proud owner of two different “smart” telescopes, and one new-to-me HUGE Schmidt/Cassegrain reflector telescope that is just itching for nice weather to point heavenward. Of course, all of these devices are for viewing light sources of the cosmos that are nigh unto impossible to view without amplification. The smart telescopes use highly sensitive digital sensors to “stack” methodically acquired photos of deep space objects over time. It is this stacking that brings out the exceptional images of nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies. Most of you have seen some of these images I have posted on social media. We can likewise learn a “light of the world” lesson from this hardware, as well. The “light” our life and our witness gives off does not need to be blindingly bright, especially when our “audience” is our neighbors, family, friends, and others with whom we frequently interact. Their perception of us is like the methodical stacking of images accomplished by the smart telescope. They will be wowed not by our brilliance, but by the consistent “light” we shine over time. Our goal should be to be a consistent witness of the presence of Christ in our life, not dazzle them with some artificial “bling.” It doesn’t take much to get their attention, initially, especially when we profess to be a person of faith. It is our profession of this that will point them in the right direction, and believe me, they will know what to look for, in their quest to see how “genuine” we are. We don’t have to be perfect, just honest with our journey and transparent enough for others to “see in” to what is taking shape in our faith journey. The question is, “Can I live my life in such a way that someone else, looking in, would want to live like I do?” I am reminded that on more than one occasion, the Apostle Paul actually told his charges, “If you want to follow Jesus, follow me and do what I do.” I wish I could say that! I’m not there yet, but similar to my cooking expertise, I’m getting better at it!

 

We all know the church is just a “gathering of believers,” but again, the world is watching us. Some of our congregations have allowed themselves to become so bland that the “flavor” they offer to members, visitors, and the outside world is like the basic, poorly seasoned fare I used to call my “staples.” It’s no wonder that so many of our “members” are inactive, when we don’t offer much to grab their spiritual tastebuds. That old chestnut, “The church is called to be faithful, not successful” has bothered me. I think we are called by the Holy Spirit to strive for both. Faithfulness means we keep the main thing the main thing. “Successful” means we can still attract a crowd. Had Jesus not gathered a mob around himself, we might never have heard of the “Sermon on the Mount.” In my ministry, I told my staffs that my goal was to make what we do in the church “exciting” enough that people were afraid of what they might miss, were they absent. It’s a tall order in this day of so many options and choices, but God is a pretty good draw, if we can refrain from too much “old time religion” and always having to be “theologically correct.” And any church in our time that doesn’t have some foot in the work of social justice is putting their light under a basket. Period.

 

So, I’ll sum up my understanding of this passage thusly: as followers of the Christ, we are at our best when we are “tasty and bright,” not bland and dull. Go hit the spice rack and light a signal fire, Christian! Let them see what you are made of! Amen.

All for One and One for All

One for All and All for One

 

Micah 6:1-8

The offering of justice, kindness, humility 

 

6:1 Hear what the LORD says: Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.

 

6:2 Hear, you mountains, the case of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the LORD has a case against God’s people, and will contend with Israel.

 

6:3 "O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me!

 

6:4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

 

6:5 O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the LORD."

 

6:6 "With what shall I come before the LORD and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before God with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?

 

6:7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?"

 

6:8 God has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?

 

 

“The Lord has a case against his people,” that’s what our text tells us in verse 2 today. I don’t know about you, but I’d be pretty concerned if the Creator of the universe, the Father of Jesus Christ, and the “Ancient of Days” was harboring a grudge against me. What could God have against Israel, in this text’s context, or against US, as the modern-day people of God?

 

Of course, one could answer WAY too simply by saying “sin.” Problem is, a lot of things get labeled “sin” that probably don’t even cause God to twitch; maybe even a few that God would actually bless. But thanks to human nature’s penchant for “one-upmanship,” people will accuse each other of infractions, hoping to gain a higher rung on the status ladder, and this may include labeling something a rival does, “sinful.” In my weekly preaching days, I defined “sin” as behaviors and/or attitudes that could distance us from God, others, or even from ourselves. “Sin” is that which has the power to delay or deter the forming of community, and even to dissolve one that exists. When God gave Moses the “top ten,” God was trying to give us all a universal guideline as to what sin actually was. Think about it: 

 

1)    I am the Lord your God – Remember who is your rock and fortress, but don’t throw rocks, and don’t sequester yourself in the fortress, thinking everyone outside is the bad guy.

 

2)    Don’t make idols – Israel had a thing for wanting these, as a God you can keep on a shelf is a God that is easy to control. This is a deal breaker for Yahweh. After all, even putting women “on a pedestal,” something that used to be thought of as a compliment, is not, as it turns out. Women want a sincere, equal opportunity with men, not to be “shelf candy.” God’s the same way. For Israel, making “gods” out of gold was an attempt not only to have a God they could control or own, but it was a way to justify hording wealth (the gold) “in the name of God,” just like those TV evangelists do with their mansions and private jets.

 

3)    Do not take the name of the Lord in vain – Don’t we all want to be treated with respect, and not have our name dragged through the mud? God is the same way. Disrespecting God is the first step toward abandoning our relationship with the Almighty.

 

4)    Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day – Relationships are fragile things. If you don’t spend time nurturing them, they tend to fall apart or become “rote” or obligatory in nature. Besides, even God knew that if we didn’t take a sabbath, we’d wear ourselves thin, and we don’t function well when spread thin with little depth.

 

5)    Honor your father and mother – Families that “forget” their parenting heritage, likewise don’t hold up well. Honoring our elders is one of the linchpins of a stable, supportive community. 

 

6)    Do not kill – Well, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to understand how destructive indiscriminate killing is to a community! And personally, I don’t allow much room here for “just war theory.” I think this commandment is in place to challenge humanity to do EVERYTHING in our power to avoid killing, even when we think it is justified. 

 

7)    Do not commit adultery – Again, not rocket science. Breaking the sacred boundaries of covenantal relationships to engage in extramarital relationships not only breaks community, but it cheapens marriage, something God sanctions as sacred. And no, I don’t believe restricting covenantal relationships (marriage) to just “between a man and a woman” as being biblically defensible. It’s not about whom you love, but about the commitment of a true love between two people. Since the earth has “been replenished,” marital relations are no longer just about population growth. Love wins. But breaking the covenant breaks down supportive community, hence this commandment.

 

8)    Do not steal – Stealing is a violation. Anyone who has been the victim of any kind of theft knows this well. Stealing is a betrayal of basic human values, harming or crippling community. Furthermore, the practice of stealing necessitates the forming of security forces to curb it, and these, too, cause division and separation between peoples that God wants to “live in harmony.”

 

9)    Do not bear false witness – In other words, don’t lie about someone and/or slander them, either to hurt them or gain an advantage over them. Lying destroys trust, and eroding trust seriously harms—even destroys—community. Since the Bible calls us to seek truth, succumbing to “false witness” (lying) sends us 180 degrees in the wrong direction.

 

10)         Do not covet your neighbor’s goods – The community-breaking thing here is that a focus on what your neighbor has, instead of being thankful for what YOU have puts your affections and desires on the wrong wavelength. The old expression, “Keeping up with the Joneses,” refers to the competition that can result from thinking what the Joneses have is better than what you have, so you must “catch up” with them by buying bigger, better, or more showy stuff. The KJV Bible adds “wife” and “ass” to this list of things not to covet, so you can make up your own story, here. I’ll just say it can be summarized by, “Be content with what you have, and thank God for helping provide it.” 

 

The first four commandments are about keeping our relationship with God solid. As someone has said, “The main thing is keeping the main thing the main thing.” Having a healthy relationships with God is indeed “the main thing.” Next, though, is “loving your neighbor as yourself,” which is an essential in building, nurturing, and maintaining ANY healthy sense of community, be it a family, a faith community, a civil community, or a global one. And remember that Jesus’ parable of The Good Samaritan defines “neighbor” a moral imperative, not a geographical one. Is it clear how the next SIX of the Ten Commandments prohibit behaviors and attitudes that harm community or make it impossible to form in the first place? Is it also more clear how Jesus could summarize all TEN with a simple command to “love God and love your neighbor”? And do you see how this stuff works together? All for one, and one for all! 

 

Or as Steve Smith (as the TV character, Red Green) used to say: “Remember, we’re all in this together. I’m pullin’ for ya’.”

 

Which brings us back to the text. Micah tells us plainly that God doesn’t want a lot of crap, be it sacrificial animals or a lot of personal groveling. As I have said in prior sermons, in the Christian context, what blesses God in our worship is not all of the “praise stuff” we do that we think might get God’s favor, nor is it the liturgy and ritual, which we often focus in God’s direction, thinking THAT might. No, what God gets off on, according to God’s prophets, is the GATHERING of God’s people, coming together in peace, unity, and for the purpose of caring for one another, loving one another, SERVING others together, and PRAYING for one another, and those in need. Forget the religious stuff; change it out for the other two “R” words: Relationships and Righteousness! These will get God going!

 

Oh, and forget that idea that “righteousness” is just trying to be “sin free.” I like that John Wesley didn’t talk as much about “sinlessness” as he did “going on to perfection,” which has a forward vector. Righteousness is a focus on “right living,” which is what Wesley meant by “going on to perfection.” God is perfect; we are not. The question is, which direction are we moving? If we’re moving in God’s direction, we are indeed “going on to perfection.”

 

Micah finishes this text up with a bang: God has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God. There it is—our formula for “right living”! Number one on the list is “justice,” for God’s top desire for God’s people to live in harmonious, supportive community is IMPOSSIBLE when injustices go unanswered, especially by ones who may be experiencing justice. When some of the Beloved Community suffer injustice, we ALL suffer injustice! This is what Micah is communicating. Right now, immigrants are suffering, and their plight is dividing America. A fair and just policy concerning immigration is BADLY needed in this country; Congress needs to act, and the President needs to sign a bipartisan law. Absent that, we will continue to have strife, and many of God’s people will be oppressed and harmed. I lift this issue, since it is on the “front burner” in America right now, but there are so many others, such as hunger, poverty, RACISM, sexism, and rapidly growing income inequity—all things that divide us into the “haves” and “have nots.”

 

The second of Micah’s “trinity” is love kindness.” I confess that, while I like to think of myself as a kind person, the current warring over domestic and social issues is threatening to turn me into a not so nice person. I wish I could label it the proverbial “righteous indignation,” but sometimes I just get so angry at those that want everything their own way—a way that most benefits them—that I’m just nasty, especially on social media. Still, there is a bigger issue here than my own struggle with contrition. We cannot form ANY kind of Beloved Community, as God designed us to become, without building in a “kindness” default. Being kind is not about smiles and niceties. Kindness is ABOUT loving our neighbor “as we love ourselves.” One of my colleagues used to always end our exchanges with the unction to “Be good to yourself.” He was stating step one of loving my neighbor. We all need to not beat ourselves UP over our shortcomings, fears, or feelings of inadequacy, but purpose to IMPROVE, and take positive steps Godward, in this regard. As a nation (a community?), we have a command here to “love kindness,” not eschew it, as some do, thinking themselves to be “tough” or “strong.” The strongest people I have ever known were usually the kindest, too. Their kindness made them strong, and then their resulting strength removed the kinds of fears that cause kindness to be rejected. Kind, strong people become strong, kind people, capable of genuine love. The brand of kindness being “preached” by Micah isn’t fishing for compliments kindness or “what do I get in return” kindness. It’s kindness for kindness’ sake, as this is living into God’s plan for the creation. (Remember all that apocalyptic language about the “lion lying down with the lamb”?)

 

And finally, there’s walking humbly with God. We regularly butcher what it means to be “humble,” often equating it with self-denigration or pretending to reject the praise others may offer us when we do something nice or that demonstrates competence (kindness?). Humility here means “being comfortable in your own skin,” “knowing your limits,” “staying in your own lane,” or even just having a sober, accurate view of yourself. Humble people accept who they are now, but understand that we all are challenged to “go on to perfection,” not being satisfied with the personal status quo, nor the harmful entropy of the community at large. If you think about “false humility,” which most of us understand, then think of the opposite of it, and you are well on your way to a better knowledge of true humility! 

 

And what of the walking with God part? Well, first of all, we aren’t “walking with God” when we ignore God’s highest commands to love God and neighbor, which might be seen as the best definition of humility. God wouldn’t want the company of us when we’re all about ourselves and what WE want. Secondly, I’m not sure I’d want to walk with God without at having attained at least a level of humility that removed most of my “fears” of God and God’s judgment, settling in instead with the “God is love” thing. “Walking humbly with God” also means accepting that in Jesus Christ, God has promised to ALWAYS be available with that walk…ALWAYS. We are the hold-up on it, not Yahweh. When we know we have personal work to do, we advance by doing that work, incorporating our faith in Christ to affect the healing necessary, and grabbing God’s hand for a stroll to the next “level” of perfection. In this sense, we build God’s dream of Beloved Community one person at a time.

 

That said, it is paramount to also be paralleling our personal journey with our work for justice and peace in the wider human community. We don’t have to be “perfect” ourselves to know that others are hurting and that changes need to be made to alleviate at least some of their suffering. Do with that what you will, but we all have work to do in this regard. In both efforts, we truly are all in this together. Or, as we read in Dumas’ “The Three Musketeers,” “All for ONE, and ONE for all! Amen. 

Cape Fear

Cape Fear

 

Psalm 27:1, 4-9

God is light and salvation 

 

27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

 

27:4 One thing I asked of the LORD; this I seek: to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.

 

27:5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.

 

27:6 Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.

 

27:7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me!

 

27:8 "Come," my heart says, "seek his face!" Your face, LORD, do I seek.

 

27:9 Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off; do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!

 

And yes, “Cape Fear” is a 1991 psychological thriller movie, a remake of a 1962 film, but this time, directed by famous director, Martin Scorsese. And no, I’ve not seen it, partly because this genre of film is not of interest to me, but ratings such as “Rotten Tomatoes” says it’s a pretty good film. I just borrowed the title, because I like THAT, and since we’re talking a bit about fear today, it seemed appropriate. 

 

Have you ever taken some time to think about fear? WHY do we fear? WHAT do we fear? And WHY? I actually have, and here are a few of my musings about it:

 

·      Fear is an emotion, and a powerful one, at that. When we are afraid, our whole body may react, in one way, or another. Blood pressure jumps, heart rate increases, and we may even shake or quiver, if the fear is extreme enough.

 

·      We often fear something we are about to experience or undergo, if we have never done it before. I’ve had a few medical procedures, and even minor surgeries, that caused me to fear—something we often dub, “fear of the unknown.” As a “customer” of UPMC medical facilities, I know that they require me to watch videos that explain a given procedure or test, with the theory that knowledge may remove some of my anxiety about it. While I find the information quite interesting, it usually tends to raise my anxiety level, mostly because (I’m sure due to liability issues) they have to be starkly honest and descriptive of both the process I will undergo AND the possible risks. I suppose when one hears what bad things might happen, then this becomes “fear of the KNOWN?”

 

·      Fear can be paralyzing. While I can’t honestly say I’ve ever been in this state, I have witnessed persons who have. Some literally freeze, when confronted by a fear, while others may freeze up psychologically, unable to answer simple questions, or make a decision in the moment. This is a good reason to have some friend or counsel to help you get through a potentially fearful task or experience, and it doesn’t hurt to have a plan, or even a “menu” of plans, depending on the outcome. These preparations may provide not just practical options, but also may serve to lessen the level of fear.

 

·      Fear may provoke primordial responses in us, if enough adrenalin us released. I know I’ve told this story before, but it is appropriate here, so here it is again. In the summer after my seventh grade year in school, I was offered a large, early morning newspaper delivery route from a friend whose family spent the whole Summer at a distant camp they owned, so he would sublet his paper route. Given I was trying to raise money to buy a significant new camera, I took him up on the offer. In order to learn the route, I was on my way to my friend’s house at 3:30AM, walking the eight blocks the morning after a huge, late-Spring storm. The wind was still howling, and the electric power was still off from the storm, meaning the streetlights were out. It was already a spooky walk, given these factors, when, all of a sudden, I heard a growling, snarling animal. Alarmed, I looked between two houses I was passing, and running toward me was a German Shepherd with white teeth showing as it gnashed them and growled all the louder. In that moment, I discovered my response to the “fight or flight” syndrome, as it is called. (Some people, prompted by their “primordial” programing will turn and run, while others will stay and face the danger.) Turns out, I’m a fighter, or maybe really stupid, but I literally started running AT the dog, waving my arms and growling and screaming deep, guttural noises back at it. I’m still alive because the dog, apparently alarmed, too, stopped dead in its tracks, looked puzzled for a moment, and then turned and ran back between the houses. I continued on to my friend’s house, accompanied only by the loudest beating of my heart I have ever heard. I will never forget THAT moment of sudden fear that provoked a kind of “caveman” response in me, one that alerted me to the fact that, in the face of serious danger, I will probably attack, rather than retreat. 

 

·      Fear obviously has its importance and some value in the human corpus of emotions and emotional responses. Some fears—especially the irrational ones—can be treated and conditioned out of us, or at least managed. Fear is a useful tool of the body and mind, though, when being manifested normally. Fear may not only protect us from harm, but may nudge us back from making a bad decision or push us to keep our important relationships healthy. Fear may also lead us to seek and trust our “higher power,” which is where today’s Psalm takes us.

 

The language of fear is found all around us. I have a friend who is a graduate of the University of Maryland, and he is fond of saying “Fear the Turtle!” (the terrapin is their team mascot). One of my favorite exchanges from the best of the Star Wars films (“The Empire Strikes Back”) is between Luke and Yoda while in “Jedi” training with the old, green master:

 

Luke: “I’m not afraid”

 

Yoda: “You will be…you WILL be!”

 

Several years ago, Dr. Leonard Sweet was the daily Bible study speaker at our Western PA Annual Conference when we were still meeting at Grove City College. Sweet talked one morning about “fear,” stating how many times the phrase “fear not” is in the Bible (lots), on the lips of prophets, warriors, angels, and even Jesus. Sweet put a modern twist on it by slightly altering the phrase to match one that was popular at that time, and that could be found emblazoned on sneakers, garments, and even sporting goods: “NO Fear!” His suggestion brought new life to the Bible texts he reread with “NO Fear” replacing the King Jimmy-styled, “Fear NOT.”

What do I fear? Certainly an illness or medical issue that significantly affects my life, would be one thing. Something bad happening to my wife, Dara, who is my best friend, lover, and true life companion. Since I’m retired, I might fear running out of resources before I croak. I DO fear my beloved country crumbling right before my eyes, and right now, that is not a pipe-nightmare. How about you? Have you thought much about it?

 

What don’t I fear? My own mortality, for one. I’m not afraid of death, both because I believe in the scriptural promises of that “one more surprise,” but also because I have been blessed with a great life, a loving family, two wonderful grandchildren, and I got to see and experience a LOT of stuff! I’m therefore not afraid of that proverbial “other shoe dropping.” I don’t fear not being loved enough, nor do I worry excessively about my children, as they have become wonderful, responsible people. My pride in them far outweighs any fear about their safety.

 

[Let me drop in a personal note here, FYI. I post a lot of “reports” on Facebook of what Dara and I are up to, the interesting things we like to cook for meals, about our myriad hobbies and interests, and photos of our rather extensive travel activities. I don’t do it to boast. Part of my interest in doing so is the “journalist” in me, a career for which I was originally trained before answering a call to ministry. Facebook has become my “newspaper” where I can chronicle what I hope are interesting things for others to see and read. But the REAL reason I do this is to ENCOURAGE my retired or retiring colleagues to DO something interesting with these important years! Don’t let too much moss grow on your North side, friends! Jesus promised an abundant life, and I’ve found that the best way to have an abundant life is to HAVE an abundant life! The old Nike ads used to say, “Just DO it!” I echo this, and through these postings, I hope to prompt others to widen their interests, temper their fears, and get out and experience life, the universe, and everything!]

 

“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” There it is in a scriptural nutshell, Dear Ones! “Dwelling in the house of the Lord” is not an allusion to heaven or the afterlife. It’s about NOW! Today! Right where you are! Even if you are facing some serious challenges—actually, ESPECIALLY if you are facing serious challenges—God IS your light and salvation. God HEARS, God ANSWERS, God does not hide God’s FACE from you when you call out, cry out, sing out, or even THINK out in God’s direction. God IS a “mighty fortress.” God IS our stronghold. God IS our rock and foundation—as Tillich said, our “ground of being.” 

 

"Come," my heart says, "seek God’s face!" Your face, LORD, do I seek. This is what we read in verse 8 of Psalm 27. What does YOUR heart say? There is no time like the present to get in touch with what your “heart” is telling you, and to pattern your life after more than just a well thought out plan, your genetics, or someone else’s expectations—unless that someone else is the Holy Spirit! Fear happens when we miss the messages of our heart and the Spirit. Only WE can choose whether we will live with “NO fear,” only healthy, normal fear that motivates positive change or moves us to safety, or whether we will move onto Cape Fear. Today, Beloved, let your “light and salvation” be the Lord your God! Amen.

 

Time After Time

Time After Time

 

John 1:29-42

Christ revealed as the Lamb of God 

 

1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

 

1:30 This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'

 

1:31 I myself did not know him, but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel."

 

1:32 And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.

 

1:33 I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'

 

1:34And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Chosen One."

 

1:35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples,

 

1:36 and as he watched Jesus walk by he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!"

 

1:37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

 

1:38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?"

 

1:39 He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon.

 

1:40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

 

1:41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed).

 

1:42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).

 

When is the last time you thought much about time? What IS it? In how many ways does it affect me? Can I control it, in any way? We’ve all heard the various cliches about time: “A stich in time saves nine,” “A watched kettle never boils,” “Time flies when you’re having fun,” “Time heals all wounds,” “Time is money.” There are songs about time, poems about time, movies about time and time travel, and Lord only knows how much personal anxiety is raised over time, meeting schedules, and arriving somewhere on time! Why, just the other night, I was heading to a meeting in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, from my home in Southern Butler County, expecting that the traffic South on I-79 and Rt. 376 would be light, because most of it was coming NORTH during rush hour (my meeting was at 6:00PM). I hadn’t counted on it being a HOCKEY NIGHT in Pittsburgh! And while my timely attendance at this meeting wasn’t crucial to its core purpose, I DO like to arrive on time, so I had left my house almost an hour and fifteen minutes beforehand. And while I arrived at almost exactly 6:00PM, my anxiety level was heightened, probably a leftover from my “working days” of ministry when I was often leading the meeting! (Of course, it could have just been elevated by my personal preference to be “on time” at everything I do?)

 

I like those movies or TV sci-fi shows that do something with time, either controlling it, traveling in it, or being trapped by it, in some way. “Time After Time” is a favorite, a reworking of H.G. Wells’ classic, “The Time Machine,” that involves Malcolm McDowell, Mary Steenburgen, Jack the Ripper, and a stolen time machine. (If that doesn’t get your juices flowing, you need to shock your heart back into sinus rhythm!) Think of all the episodes of Star Trek TOS that involved time and time travel, or the mega-popular trilogy of films around the “Back to the Future” theme. Time DOES entertain us, one way or another. 

 

Dara and I are putting together material for a class we are leading at St. Paul’s UMC on “Native American Spirituality and Heritage,” and as part of this preparation, I was watching a webcast of an interview with a Native American author and commentator. As she was discussing a question about “prophecy,” she related how Native Americans understand time as something that “wraps around” us, and is not just a linear construct. By viewing time as an embracing factor, it means that our ancestors—both past and future—are held close to us, and we are in position to “hear” what they have to teach us. In this “hearing,” Native Americans find prophecy, both to warn them of foolish decisions or remind them of what has blazed helpful trails in the past. To imagine time as something that embraces us is a helpful spiritual component, not just for my own spiritual practice, but as an understanding of time, itself. 

 

The great physicists of the past century (this seems more prudent than always deferring to just “Einstein”) have boggled our minds with theories about the fluid and “relative” nature of time, scientifically. I get that, and will never cease to be amazed with what they tell us. In fact, as an amateur astronomer, I am able to “look back in time” using my various telescopes. Just the other night, I imaged a galaxy that is 30,000 light years from Earth, meaning that the light from it which I recorded had been traveling over 30,000 years to get here. That body may not even EXIST anymore, so I may have actually been looking back in time. As one who loves to gaze at the cosmos, I can clearly see how the physicists began postulating that in space, time is a “relative” thing. (Full disclosure: what people like Einstein and Stephen Hawking theorized about time and space goes WAY beyond not just the realities of “light years,” and way beyond my ability to fully comprehend their wider work!)

 

Why all this talk of time? Well, when it comes to “God stuff,” time is also a quite relative thing. Theologians and Bible scholars theorize that God “has always been”—had no beginning, and will have no end. Isn’t this among the “basics” we believers are all taught about God? So, if we believe in an “infinite” being, how does our temporal nature stack up against this? Today’s text has a very interesting and cryptic statement made by John the Baptist, who may be trying to tie together our existence with the reality of a divine, infinite Creator. In referring to Jesus, who is approaching John to be baptized, John says, “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” What in the world is John trying to tell us? 

 

One possibility is that this is John’s way of announcing that the infinite has stepped into the realm of the temporal. Jesus was not just “before” John, but before all of humanity, which we Christians believe he had a hand in creating. This same Jesus, who was born of Mary, was baptized by John, walked among us, was tried, put to death, and rose from the darkness of death to life again, was “before” all that we understand as the created order. Sure sounding a bit “Einsteiny” and “Hawking-like” to me! For we humans, whose experience of the linear passage of time colors how we understand time, this starts to get a bit crazy. It’s quite puzzling from our limited perspective how an eternal, infinite being could step into our temporal existence, be terminated, and then rejoin the infinite. Perhaps this is why we call it “faith”? John, who was no Rhodes Scholar, is possibly describing this tenet of our faith in one compact sentence! Here is what he is saying: 

 

“The man you are about to meet has been around since the beginning of time as part of the eternal godhead. He has been born into our temporal world in order to interact with us, understand our time-locked journey, teach us, heal us, redeem us, and love us. He participated in our creation, was deeply hurt by our selfish response to his goodness, and yet still wants to know us more intimately, and “reconnect” us with his eternal ‘Father.’” 

 

And for this, we killed him. I’m sure it’s another “mystery” of time that we don’t understand how much of the trial and killing of Jesus was part of some plan, or just another violent human response to someone’s best intentions, and whether God wanted it to go down like that, or out of love and grace, “rescued” humanity from their blood-thirsty error. I tend to go with the latter, as I do NOT believe that “everything happens for a reason.” Instead, I believe that in Jesus Christ, God KEEPS intervening in the human condition and KEEPS rescuing us from our selfish folly. In Jesus Christ, the one who was “before” will welcome us into the divine realm “after.” 

 

It should not fall on deaf ears that John’s was a baptism of repentance, and this may be exactly why Jesus chose to be baptized by him—as an example during his temporal experience that, going forward, humans will need to understand both repentance and redemption. We will have many opportunities to “turn our lives Godward” (a definition of repentance) and Jesus will be there to meet us with forgiveness and redemption! When Paul says there is “now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” he is tapping into this great eternal/temporal/eternal “cycle” of God’s redeeming work in Christ. May we not obfuscate it unnecessarily by doctrines, dogmas, and rules seeking to be “gatekeepers” of who is eligible. Please. Let God be God. We have enough on our hands being temporal, human, and trying to live by faith.

 

In this great biblical drama, we have all the time in the world, but are led by the Spirit to “get it right,” day by day. This is the “time riddle” of the Jesus who was “before,” is “now here,” and will be forever after. Accept it, my friends. Learn, live, and love, and let God handle the heavy lifting! Amen.