Again I will Say...

 

Again I Will Say…

 

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice, the Lord is near 

 

4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.

 

4:5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.

 

4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

 

4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

One thing I have learned in life is that there is a difference between “being happy” and having JOY, or “rejoicing.” The Apostle Paul, who is credited with writing these verses, had little to be happy about. Thanks to an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, his life had been turned upside down. The scholar Paul, whom the Bible says was taught by Gamaliel, an acclaimed Rabbi and teacher, “had it made” in the Jewish community of his day. He was already a great Jewish leader, and had been assigned the task of “purifying” the Jewish faith of upstart Christians. In the lingo of our day, Paul was an Ivy League graduate who had a job for life, and the high esteem granted his position. Jesus gets ahold of him and turns him into the “apostle to the Gentiles,” something the Jewish Pharisee Paul would have found abhorrent, were it not for his dramatic conversion. History suggests that his blinding encounter on the road may have left him with a vision impairment, which meant he was at the mercy of others to travel, and travel much he was called to do. I have a clergy colleague who has lived his life with serious vision impairment, and who is not able to drive. He has to use an electronic device to enlarge print even to read. And yet, he has served in a wide variety of important positions within our denomination, was a District Superintendent, and served as Assistant to the Bishop. He also started a number of innovative ministries in Western Pennsylvania, has been deeply committed to dismantling racism in our Annual Conference, and came within a few votes of being elected a bishop of the church, himself. Every time I read of the exploits of the Apostle Paul, I think about Rev. William Meekins, Jr., who has been an inspiration to me for many years. I tell William’s story, though, to say that William has had a number of close friends and colleagues who made it part of their ministry to transport William around to serve God. While William’s own spouse, Jennette, has been his primary chauffer when he was named a D.S., and other times, these clergy friends would take William to countless Conference and general church meetings and events. I know that each of them developed a strong bond with him, and became life-long friends. This is exactly the experience the Apostle Paul had, growing close to his own traveling companions who made his journeys possible. Both men could have used their vision disability as an excuse to do less, but in each case, they found ways to strengthen their ministries through the parties who came to their aid.

 

Still, Paul had little to be “happy” about. If you read his whole resume from the Bible accounts of his experiences, several times he details how often he was beaten, stoned, and even thrown in the garbage heap outside of town and left for dead. Once, he was even bitten by a poisonous viper while making a fire on the beach after surviving a shipwreck! It would appear he had few “happy” moments, which are typically based on immediate circumstances and fleeting feelings of euphoria. Instead, what Paul experienced most often was JOY. 

 

Joy is a “big picture” emotion. In fact, it may not even be limited to BEING an emotion! One experiences joy by taking stock of the opportunities life has brought along, being motivated by them, and having a measure of pride in what has been accomplished. I’ve been battling a really lousy cold this past 10 days, or so, and really “felt” terrible. I could not account for a single “happy” moment during this time. However, when I didn’t feel like doing anything else, I would intentionally take stock of my family, my marriage, my life as a called pastor, and the joy all of this has brought me. In a brief conversation, I also got to “relive” some of my time in seminary, which was an exceptionally joyous experience for me. It drives Dara crazy, but at this point in life, I find I just like to sit and watch her. She thinks I’m just taking in her beauty, which has always captivated me, but I’m doing far more than that. I’m using her presence as a mnemonic device to recall the incredible experiences our 47-pluse years together have brought to me. I can’t help but smile with great joy—Paul uses the word “rejoicing”—at the thoughts of our two children, and what they have become as adults, the towns we have lived in and enjoyed, and the incredible people we have had the privilege to know in each of our churches. We’ve taken lots of trips together, several to Europe, one to South America, and visited our kids in Alaska and Hawaii. I think of the nights when we just sit with each other and read, or watch a football game together. Most of all, though, I think of our shared Christian faith, and the depth and breadth of Dara’s experience of it, which has both inspired and challenged my own. My soul truly rejoices. I GET IT when Paul says, “REJOICE…and AGAIN I say REJOICE!” It’s not enough to rejoice only once. And this kind of joy is not confined by our most immediate sufferings. Not at all.

 

Paul says that in Romans 8:18: “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.” Paul’s joy—and I believe OUR joy—is neither limited to looking back, but has a “drive” setting! What is ahead is even more joyous and glorious! I feel that way about my relationships with my wife, my family, my calling, and my faith in Christ. I hope you can get caught up in this kind of optimistic joy, too, if you haven’t already! The BEST is yet to come! There are many who are discouraged by the results of this most recent national election, and I easily could have been one of them. However, I believe that we are called to continue our diligence over our leaders actions, responding to protect the rights and privileges of the “least of these,” and to work in all ways and in all times to make sure they get their most basic needs met. The incoming administration with its “America First” philosophy should be challenged to do all it can to end homeless (especially homeless veterans), assure the domestic tranquility and inalienable rights of all, and do what is necessary for ALL Americans to have a shot at the pursuit of happiness. If these things are not addressed for ALL Americans, then “America First” becomes just an empty campaign slogan. Economic justice, racial justice, the availability of affordable healthcare and a decent education—these all certainly fit under an “America First” banner, don’t they? We who believe in these things, if not motivated by our Christian faith, then held accountable by our own Constitution, must be vigilant, encouraging, and be driven by our joy that we DO have a free nation, and not by our disappointment that our person didn’t win the election. And for those whose candidate DID win, don’t hide behind your victory, as your folk have much work to do with us to meet the “America First” agenda! Will we be a nation of REJOICERS, or a nation of sad-sacks and gloaters? 

 

Likewise, the United Methodist Church is reorganizing after the devastating disaffiliation process. We can sit around and wring our hands, filled with cries of “woe is me,” or we can get to work, the work of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thanks to the “present suffering” of Jesus, we are now in the position built with the JOY and REJOICING of redemption and reconciliation. The last thing the church needs are sad-sacks and gloaters. It doesn’t matter who’s “right” or “wrong,” what matters most is who is willing to pick up the mantle of servanthood, and find new and creative ways to love our neighbors as ourselves. People are hurting out there. The church should be a balm of healing and a house of encouragement, not a collection of mourners and moaners over how “resource poor” we are. After all, Paul would work hard to raise enough money to engage in his missionary journeys, and you never read of him complaining about not being able to do what God had called him to do because the offerings weren’t “full” enough. 

 

In the midst of an era of violence and conquering, Paul encourages the Christians of Philippi to be GENTLE people, which he saw as a tremendous witness. He also urged them to be a “non-anxious” presence in the world, for there was certainly enough crippling anxiety to go around in Greco-Roman society. Then he does this fantastic thing with PEACE. Only Paul can turn a phrase like “peace that passes understanding.” When I was much younger, I naively thought that Paul was referring to a peace that was so strong and obvious that it was almost impossible to comprehend. Older and wiser, now, I see that Paul’s “peace that passes understanding” is the peace of God that supernaturally comes upon us in the midst of circumstances that would NEVER bring such peace. When we are grieving the loss of a loved on, fighting a terrible illness or handicapping condition, facing economic hardship, or battling an addiction, THIS peace can show up, and it makes absolutely no SENSE. It is a peace that boggles the mind. While it is truly a supernatural gift from God, it may be borne by believers—kind, non-anxious, and gentle ones. Encouraging ones. Praying ones. This is what Paul is telling the church at Philippi. We need to hear this, too.

 

With all of the challenges he—and they—faced, Paul REJOICES and then REJOICES AGAIN! This is a word for us, today, too. We as AMERICANS face challenges. We as GLOBAL CITIZENS face challenges. We as individuals and FAMILIES face challenges. And certainly, we as the church of Jesus Christ face challenges. May we begin by rejoicing…and AGAIN I say rejoice. It bears repeating, doesn’t it? Amen.

Tender Mercies

 

Tender Mercies

 

Luke 1:68-79

God's tender compassion 

 

1:68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.

1:69 He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his child David,

1:70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

1:71 that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.

1:72 Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors and has remembered his holy covenant,

1:73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us

1:74 that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear,

1:75 in holiness and righteousness in his presence all our days.

1:76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

1:77 to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins.

1:78 Because of the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us,

1:79 to shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

 

 

I remember seeing the film, “Tender Mercies,” starring Robert Duvall, back in 1984 and being taken in by the wonderful story of Mac Sledge, the aging, faded country and western singer. If you’ve never seen it, it’s worth streaming. Duvall won the Best Actor Oscar for it, and Horton Foote won one for best screenplay. The film just lost out to “Terms of Endearment” for Best Picture. As a story about redemption and “second chances,” it’s hard to beat; kind of a modern-day parable. As I read this week’s preaching text, the scenes of this film kept repeating in my head. God is all about tender mercies.

 

This goes right to your view of the nature of God. My friend and mentor, Ron Hoellein, would often say that a person’s view of the nature of God pretty much dictated how they related to God. And our understanding of the nature of God is something that is probably formed in us developmentally, as we grow up. It is “fed” by our church history, our family values and parenting, and our personal religious experiences. If you grew up hearing that we are “sinners in the hands of an angry God,” as Jonathan Edwards preached, then for you, God’s mercy was not “tender,” but a legal pardon, and God was “the judge” warning you to straighten out your act. On the other hand, if your religious exposure in any of the arenas I mentioned earlier was one of God’s “universal” love wherein everyone is accepted, no matter their response or behavior, then you probably don’t see God as the “screenwriter” of tender mercies, either, just the one who tears down all the fences and lets the animals roam free. While this latter view of the nature of God is more accurate, if taken to its free-wheeling extreme, God, Godself, may become irrelevant beyond the “freeing” exercise, and any idea of a sacrificial love may be lost. Portia’s words about “the quality of mercy” fall on deaf ears.

 

If I had to fall into one of these two camps, I’d choose the latter, given my understanding of the nature of God and my years of studying the Bible. If you want to find only a judgmental God who is “angry” at the sins of God’s people, you can find verses that will uphold that view, but if you really read things in the broader context of the message, you begin to see just how many times God “vents” about sin, but keeps on forgiving, offering second and third and fourth chances to God’s people, and pulls their fat out of the fire time and time again. The “big picture” of the Bible is, in my opinion, one of tender mercies and undying love. But it all comes at a price for God, be it God’s “sanity” in trying to understand our love of temptation and transgression, but also resulting in Christ’s death on the cross.

 

If I were to summarize my view of God’s tender mercies, I would quote to scriptures: For God so loved the world that God gave God’s only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life; and Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. The tenderness in God’s mercy comes in part from the nature of the sacrifice God made on behalf of the world, AND in the simple rules we have to live by to honor both God and our existence and bring about a sustainable Beloved Community.

 

In the Horton Foote screenplay, Sledge has lost his career, is divorced from his country-singer/headlining wife, and estranged from his daughter. He winds up drunk and abandoned by his cronies in a rural hotel after a weekend bender, and without money to pay the widowed owner for the room, he offers to do odd jobs around her property to work it off. She doesn’t know who he is (or “was” in his heyday as a famous singer/songwriter), and holds him to his promise, initially with little grace. Both she and her young son come to love the now repentant guest, who eventually chooses to be baptized in the widow’s church, as a sign of his new leaf, and lease on life. Of course, they fall in love and are subsequently married. After a tragedy wherein his rebellious daughter is killed in a car accident, his career is restarting, thanks to a few new songs he writes about his redemption and rediscovery of true love. One of my favorite scenes is when he joins an amateur group of teen C & W musicians to sing at a barn dance, mesmerizing the unsuspecting crowd. (It would be kind of like going to a friend’s daughter’s wedding, only to have Billy Joel or Elton John show up at the piano to provide dinner music.) The tension Foote puts in the script due to Sledge’s history of self-destruction keeps the viewer on edge, always waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop. Thankfully, everyone lives happily ever after, highlighting the title, “Tender Mercies.”

 

Sledge’s story is humanity’s story. But while sledge gets “one more chance” to find and accept his redemption, humanity is blessed by a God who never turns God’s back on us, always loves us, and keeps giving us new chances to acknowledge these tender mercies, for the Christian at least, via Jesus Christ. I guess I like the movie so much because it so parallels, or at least points to, what I believe is the nature of God—a loving, forgiving, sacrificing deity who so wants to have a bond with the creation, to partner with us to restore the Beloved Community God first envisioned, and to live happily ever after. Our Jewish siblings have a phrase that best summarizes this “partnership” with God: tikkun olam, which is translated “mend” or “fix” the earth. Anyone who has been through a troubled—or even shattered—relationship knows that there is no “fix” that is one-sided. If both parties don’t agree to partner in the restorative process, it dies on the vine. This is why God’s tender mercies are meant to entice us to first acknowledge and accept this redemptive, loving view of God’s nature, and then to join the “partnership” in fixing the world, one step at a time. One of my other mentors used the phrase, “putting feet to your prayers.” 

 

I’ll be honest with you, I’m not a fan of Country and Western music, but the beautiful story of “Tender Mercies” drew me in to the potential “story nature” of its best songwriters. The same could be said for how I saw the Bible, as a young person. But when I eventually got “drawn in” by the story therein, I began to change, as did my hunger for studying and reading it. But remember, our view of the nature of God colors how we will understand what we read. It is entirely possible that our view of God’s nature must be the first thing to be redeemed. The “sinners in the hands of an angry God” view will only create a society of people living in fear, not love. This view metes out forgiveness very sparingly, is quick to revoke it over some alleged offence, and tends to “que” the anger down to the currently unrepentant. Go for the “For God so loved the world” view of God’s nature—you’ll be glad you did, and have a good chance at the “happily ever after” thing.

 

As we’re in the Advent season, when the church has historically looked forward to the “return” of Jesus Christ, this raises another question: If Jesus IS coming back some day, as many believe, is it to bring retribution for the sins of the world, or to put the final keystone on the arch of the Beloved Community? You can read the Bible either way, but your view of the nature of God will dictate where you will fall on the question. I encourage you to adopt the “tender mercies” view, that in the words of our Luke chapter one passage, might “serve God without fear,” and have our “steps guided into the way of peace.” Sure sounds like a formula for “happily ever after” to me. Amen.

 

 

Reaffiliation

 

Reaffiliation

 

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

Strengthen hearts of holiness 

 

3:9 How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you?

 

3:10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.

 

3:11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you.

 

3:12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you.

 

3:13 And may God so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

 

 

RECONCILIATION is a most powerful word. The dictionary gives it two main meanings: 

 

The restoration of friendly relations.

 

The action of making one view or belief compatible with another.

 

One of my favorite Bible passages is II Corinthians 5:17-19:

 

¹⁷ So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being! ¹⁸ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹ that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.

 

There’s that word, reconciliation, in the midst of Paul’s powerful assertion that the work of Christ is to make all things right with the world, and between God and humanity. Reconciliation is a two-headed arrow, here, “restoring friendly relations” between God and us, and “making one view or belief compatible with another,” so that people of different “tribes” may find common ground. If ever there was a need to review what the Bible says about reconciliation, it is certainly now! The church AND the world have split into “warring” tribes, separated by faith and numerous other “beliefs” from political ones, to the economy, the environment, to education—you name it. We even get into fist fights over our favorite sports teams. If God isn’t grieved over how we have so fractionated ourselves, then there is no God. After all, God gave God’s “only begotten Son” that we might not perish, and yet here we are, perishing in spurts and spades seemingly on a daily basis.

 

The Apostle Paul faced this in the early church for myriad reasons, too. First, you had the dispute between the Jews who did not accept the ministry of Jesus, and those who did, putting enmity even between family members. (Jesus said this would happen when he talked about “bringing a sword” that would divide brother against brother. He knew that in its earliest stages, the “new” faith he was instituting would first divide before having the power to eventually unite.) Then the was the whole Jew/Gentile thing, which had a long history, and while many of the Jews had become Christ followers, they still didn’t believe the “hated” Gentiles could—or should. This is part of what Jesus was after in the story of “The Good Samaritan.” Samaritans were Gentiles, and the thought of receiving compassion and healing via a Samaritan/Gentile was anathema to a Jew, even one that had been an early adopter of the Christ Event. 

 

Then, of course, there were the run-of-the-mill territorial rivalries and disputes, some of which we see playing out in a seaport town like Corinth, where a multitude of cultures came together in pursuit of culture and trade. I can only guess what the taverns in Corinth were like—think Star Wars cantina scene. Add in the socio-economic strata that populated the early Christian gatherings, and you have a wildly difficult “gathering” to manage. The early church didn’t hold “membership classes” as much as “Reconciliation 101,” I’m sure. For leaders like Paul, it must have been doubly difficult. Paul was a highly educated religious leader, and now he found himself dealing with some of what he might have earlier considered “riff-raff,” and yet they were his church members and lay leaders. He had to educate them in the faith without seeming condescending and “elite” in their eyes. And he had to do his best to reconcile them not only to GOD, but to the wide variety of “others” in the church community, many of whom they’d just rather punch out in a battle of brutes. 

 

Let’s not forget the pagans who joined the church. Pagans came in a wide variety of colors and styles, too, but common threads included: multiple Gods, one to cover each of your anxieties about nature, power, weather, wealth, etc.; and a theology of appeasement—keep your shelf of Gods happy so you could go about your business. And thanks to the fact that several of these Gods had sexual fetishes, pagans could have a habit of strange worship gatherings. It was no quirk that we have Bible passages (i.e. I Timothy 2) warning early Christian women to refrain from wearing fancy hair, clothes, and jewelry to church, as it would be bad if the society were to think that Christians were employing “temple prostitutes” like some of the pagans did as part of their “worship.” 

 

Cram THIS crowd together and try to get them to sing, “Blest Be the Tie That Binds,” will you? But the Christian church survived, and here we are. Maybe this is what Jesus was thinking when he said that the “gates of hell” would not prevail against it? He saw the great cultural mélange that the church must become if his goal of reconciliation was to become a reality. In many ways, compared with the nightmare Peter, the Jerusalem Council, and Paul faced in those early days, the cross must have seemed like a picnic. At least it was over quickly. (I know, I know, some of you will fault me here, pointing out that the real “pain” of the cross was that momentary estrangement between the sin-bearing Son and the “can’t look upon sin” Father in heaven, but that’s a debate for another day.)

 

Pagans had a hard time believing that any god could just offer free forgiveness. This is why the persecution and execution of Jesus was an important message for them, as was his resurrection, because pagans believed gods did that kind of thing. The cross was more “foolishness” for the Jewish converts, as they never abided human sacrifices of any kind, having viewed their altar “sacrifices” as more of a “gift” to God, especially when the temple priests got to have barbecue with the leftover meat. That “God’s Son” would submit to such a thing did not make a lot of sense to these early Jewish Christ followers. Again, these kinds of theological perspectives added prickly “spice” to early church life. I get a kick out of the centuries of speculation as to what Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” might have been. Isn’t this enough? 

 

So the early church leaders had to be reconcilers, both in preaching the Gospel of Christ’s action to “restore friendly relations” between God and humanity, and in helping early believers find shared beliefs, creating a foundation upon which a church could be built. We see this tension in today’s passage, wherein the author talks of restoring whatever was lacking in their faith (reconciliation with God) and encouraging them to “increase and abound in love for one another and for all,” (reconciliation with each other via shared beliefs). These were no easy tasks, but they certainly ARE in the job description of pastors, even modern ones.

 

I’m doubting there is a pastor out there who cannot resonate with these tensions—preaching and teaching a “common” faith, and “managing” relationships in the church around some shared belief, knowing that even this may well be in dispute. Seminary-trained pastors often find themselves tempted to debate with an “energetic” parishioner who just read the latest “how-to” book (“Theology for Dummies”?) on living like Jesus, and quickly realizing how counter-productive that might be. How sad it is, though, when said parishioner announces they are “leaving the church” because they are “not being fed.” Puts a real guilt trip on the pastor, believe me. On the other hand, trying to bring harmony to the “two or three gathered together in Jesus’ name” is no easy task, either. Still, compared to the menagerie Peter and Paul faced in the First Century, our task should seem meager. Maybe we are the ones making it harder by gathering into various theological camps, or believing that “harmony” in the church means everyone gets along like BFFs? I’m guessing that our practices and expectations need a bit of “reconciling,” themselves.

 

As any United Methodist knows, our church is in the throes of what became known as “disaffiliation.” For almost half of our churches, at least here in our Western Pennsylvania Conference, it was supposedly the theological differences between themselves and “the denomination” had just become so great that remaining together was some kind of a “curse.” (I’ll be honest, I am offended by the resulting “accusation” that my theology is “wrong” or even “heretical.” It is doubly sad that most of this animas is coming from former colleagues.) Hence, in our Conference, 43% of our churches “disaffiliated” from the United Methodist Church, and either became independent or joined another denomination, such as the newly constituted “Global Methodist Church.” While we may experience an overall sadness in this parting, given the “ministry of reconciliation” Christ has given the church, there are two “sadnesses” I observe: many of the disaffiliating churches are very small and may not survive without being on some kind of pastoral and institutional “life support,” and this may not be available to them for some time in their new setting; and, unfortunately, it appears that behind the scenes of the disaffiliation movement there were leaders who were engaging in more of a power struggle than in pursuit of theological purity. Some of them have already become bishops in the new denomination. 

 

If Paul were alive today, I’m guessing he would be working toward REAFFILIATION, and not just of United Methodists and Global Methodists, but of denomination to denomination, and even greater, of the “Nones” (as they’ve become known) AND the church of Jesus Christ. Paul would be urging us to find our “common center” of faith which, judging from his writings, would be JESUS and LOVE, of God and neighbor. The “Nones” have become thus because of the irrelevance of what was going on in the church to their pursuits, desires, and needs. Many of the “Nones” just don’t get why the church spends so much time partitioning who is “in” and who is “out,” when what they understand of the love message is “allee-allee in free,” at least according to the reconciling message of Christ, as they understand it. Sadly, their understanding is probably more accurate than that of “seminary-trained pastors.” Pastors, we would do well to ask ourselves: were we ordained to be speed bumps or barriers to faith? Or ramps and doors?

 

There will be a reaffiliation at the end of the age, thanks to Jesus, but how very sad if we wait until then to be a part of it! Today’s passage gives us one key—it starts in our hearts. Each individual must decide how she, he, or they might allow the Divine to soften their hearts to those who have “disaffiliated” from us on ANY of the levels listed in this message—even those who have done so hurtfully, from our view. How we “feel” must be dealt with before we will be willing to move on this, and this may require some group therapy. Prayer is a great place for most of us to start, as it has the ability to sooth and heal the smarting heart. And what about our OWN “disaffiliation” from things or people from which WE have separated ourselves? This, too, can be examined. Last week I suggested that two obvious signs of “kingdom living” were: the examined life; and the life of gratitude. “Reaffiliation” is a call to the examined life. As we begin the Advent season, may we “risk” this renewed journey! REAFFILIATION is what Jesus is all about, Dear Ones! Amen.

Out of This World

 

 

John 18:33-37

The kingdom of Christ 

 

18:33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"

 

18:34 Jesus answered, "Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?"

 

18:35 Pilate replied, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?"

 

18:36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here."

 

18:37 Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

 

 

Since I was a kid, I’ve been interested in “aliens.” From comic books about Buck Rogers to my favorite TV show as a kid, “Lost in Space,” people from other planets have been fascinating to me. “Star Trek” only added to the mystery, with “Mr. Spock,” a Vulcan with pointed ears and green, copper-based blood, actually being a member of the crew of the Starship Enterprise. If a science fiction movie had aliens in it, I watched it. I was both scared of the various and usually “horrible” creatures the sci-fi world conjured up, AND fascinated by how life might evolve very differently on other planets. I’ll be honest: most of the weird aliens didn’t make sense to me, as blobs and bug-eyed hulks didn’t have opposable thumbs or coherent language, which to me, even as a kid, would be necessary to engineer the kind of other-worldly craft needed to visit us here on the third planet from the sun. I remember how, even when I was young and quite naive, even I knew that “Lost in Space” had “jumped the shark” by introducing the alien known as “Tybo,” who was a man in a giant CARROT suit. I’m sure that aliens come in differing colors, and with possibly “blood” based on different elements than iron, but there’s no way they are vegetables, and never, never cauliflower, for heaven’s sake!

 

“Close Encounters of a Third Kind,” the Spielberg movie starring Richard Dreyfuss, at least had intelligent aliens with fingers and musical notes as their calling card. The “Star Trek” and “Star Wars” series each had aliens as partners in space exploration and exploitation, and not always as the “bad guys” looking to ruin life on Planet Earth. Oh, sure, there was “Independence Day,” a holiday favorite with really BAD aliens looking to do to Earth what the “Drill, baby, Drill!” folk want to do, but they were defeated by that film’s equivalent of “Larry the Cable Guy,” played by Jeff Goldblum, and his trusty laptop computer. There is no doubt that many of us fall for the “Out of this world” storylines, and this week’s Bible writer picked up on a few of the things Jesus said that bordered on Ray Bradbury.

 

This week’s Gospel text picks up on the chat between Pontius Pilate and Jesus that eventually led to Jesus’ death on the cross, mostly because of the gutlessness of Pilate, who was left forever washing his hands, for the remainder of human history. Pilate is trying to find SOMETHING substantive upon which to condemn Jesus, as this would be a win-win for himself and the religious leaders who had “reported” Jesus to him as an insurrectionist. If Pilate can substantiate the claims of the religious leaders who want Jesus “gone” that he said he is a king, then he can justify putting him to death as a threat to Rome. But Jesus throws him a curve: “My kingdom is not of this world.” I can imagine the look on Pilate’s face, one that might have been punctuated by the exclamation, “WHAT?” Was Jesus claiming to be from “another world?” An “alien,” in 20^th and 21^st century parlance? I’m sure this befuddled a practical, privileged guy like Pilate, who didn’t want to get caught between the moon and Rome in trying Jesus. By claiming that he was of a “different world,” Jesus was trying Pilate!

 

Jesus tells Pilate he came from another world and is planning on building a kingdom that is NOT of this world. I’m sure this put the political ruler Pilate on his ear. He knew the kingdom of Rome and his boss, the Caesar, but what would he do with someone who claimed to be “other-worldly?” Just by getting here, most sci-fi aliens are demonstrating their superiority, at least technologically, and I suppose Pilate would have seen the same “I’m better than you people” attitude in Jesus, although some of the statements in their dialogue—as recorded by the various gospelers—seem to indicate that Pilate actually kind of “liked” Jesus, and didn’t want to send him to the cross. In being truthful about his other-worldly kingdom, though, Jesus was probably not helping his cause with Pilate and the Roman authorities. If there was anything Rome feared, it was talk of superior kingdoms that had “other-worldly” power that couldn’t be vanquished by Rome’s strong army.

 

Of course, this is not the “other world” Jesus was talking about. He was obviously referring to his “Father’s world,” which is the kingdom or “realm” of the Divine. Jesus, after all, was what sci-fi writers would call the “star child,” or the “bridge being” between two worlds, which we believers see as both of the same order of creation, one here, and one on the “other side.” The incarnation of God into the human world as Jesus the Christ was so much more than what is often made of it. Some of our creeds and much of our theology relegates Jesus to being some kind of “scapegoat” or “animal sacrifice” to appease God and forgive us of our human sin, or at the very least points to this as his “main function” in being born into the world of humans. More needs to be said about—and understood—of Jesus’ role as what Paul called the “Second Adam” and the “First Born of the Dead.” Jesus, as God’s “bridge being,” came to restore the full relationship between the Creator and the created, a relationship that had been at the least tarnished, if not trashed, by selfish human behavior, which we usually label “sin.” As I’ve preached and written before, I believe the true “sins” the Bible speaks of are whatever cuts us off from our relationship with God and/or our fellow human beings. It is this “scissoring” action of sinful behavior that God abhors because the perfect will of God is for us to have a loving relationship with God AND other humans, and to live together in harmony. God is not “offended” by sin “just because,” but is grieved by it when it drives humanity farther from this goal of loving relationships. This also fully explains how sin can be both individual and collective. Our individual selfish behaviors certainly may encroach negatively on the lives of others around us, and therefore will harm those relationships, but when humans approve corporate policies and rules that marginalize whole races, nationalities, or groups of people, this also greatly grieves the divine. 

 

If we adopt this understanding of sin, we see how the teachings of Jesus about love and relationships, the examples he demonstrated by crossing the artificial “barriers” we erect between ourselves and others (such as the “outcasts” of his day such as lepers, those with various disabilities, “demon possessed” (mentally ill?), and even the Gentiles), and his willingness to sacrifice himself on the cross for these values , all work together toward the same goal of reconciliation. We also get a better grip on the universality and eternal nature of it. It is God’s desire that all of us might be reconciled to God and learn how to love each other as God loves us. This is precisely what Jesus was all about. Judging from the hatred, violence, and marginalization we still see in our world, it is easy to see how God’s goals truly ARE “out of this world,” and still a long way from being realized. In the great scheme of things, however, progress IS being made. Isn’t it so that we tend to take the proverbial “four steps forward and three back,” though? Human selfishness is a tough one, for we all so easily fall prey to “I want what I want when I want it,” and even when tempered by a good dose of “religion,” we still so easily backslide, especially when something we really desire is in close proximity. There you go—a good definition of temptation: When something we really desire is within easy reach! Our “world” too often deals us this set of cards, and we struggle with the “game changer” Jesus came to be. That whole “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” rule is not an easy one to follow, as we related last week. Even in our politics, we strongly tend to vote for those who will legislate what is best for US, even when it may be poison for our neighbor, or at least limit their ability to have what they need. 

 

I don’t know about you, but some of my most beloved moments of life have come when I’ve been a part of a group of people working together for a mutually beneficial, even life-giving goal. Some of you have been on a mission team, or a Habitat for Humanity build, or more locally, helped out with supplies for UMCOR through the Western PA Mission Barn, and you know how good you felt when you accomplished something that ministered to others in need. I’ve been a part of several groups/teams like the Peace is Possible Coalition and our Pittsburgh District’s Anti-Racism Team that worked for fairer public policy and protested prejudicial legal or police practices. I was privileged to bus to Harrisburg with over 600 representatives of CeaseFire PA to lobby our legislators for gun safety. It was indeed a great feeling to join that group in hoping to make a difference, and the day we were there, a very simple gun safety bill was up for final vote, and we were urging our representatives to vote for it, as it was really NOT something that flew in the face of “gun rights” folk. We all felt so good until we watched the vote together and it LOST. The disappointment we all felt must have been at least a sample of what Jesus felt when his teachings of love and acceptance were outright rejected by “religious leaders” of his time. Why should something as common sense as gun safety and seeking to cut down on senseless gun violence seem so “other worldly” to people? 

 

In today’s text, Jesus is quoted as saying “Everyone who belongs to the truth, hears my voice.” It’s hard to believe, but in modern times, we’ve managed to mangle what is truth, haven’t we? You can play someone a video of what they actually said or did, and they can deny it as “fake news.” Or you can read something they put in print and had a publisher distribute to thousands (even millions) of readers, and they may still deny they ever wrote it. We’ve even given a nice name to some of this untruth telling—“gaslighting.” God called it “lying” or “bearing false witness.” It made God’s “Top Ten” of things that have the power to do serious harm to persons and community, and that really hack God off. And here we are, seemingly perfecting it to an art form. 

 

Two sure signs that someone is attempting to step across the “great divide” to live closer to Jesus’ teachings of what God desires are: living an examined life; and living with gratitude for one’s blessings. The examined life is self-aware, and isn’t afraid to hold itself up against higher standards, with the goal of reaching them. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, believed in the examined life, and gave a name for the process of being “nudged” toward God’s standards; he called it “going on to perfection.” The second sign—what I have always called an “attitude of gratitude”—results in the thankful life. We can be thankful of our blessings regardless of how OUR blessings stack up against those of others. Being thankful is a sure sign that someone has tapped into the bloodstream of the Divine. Next week is our nation’s “ritual” of being thankful, and I’ve always liked it, forced though it may be. Thanksgiving is truly “out of this world,” in my thinking, and for that one day, our country DOES pause to give thanks, each in her or his own way. As a practicing Christian—and believe me, I need the practice!—my goal is to give thanks each and every day for the Christ who is in the process of redeeming my life, for all of the people who bless my life, and for the opportunities I have to make my life count for something other than fulfilling my personal desires. 

 

Needing to bring this to a close, let me say this. Jesus was convicted for his “other-worldliness,” and sent to the cross. In doing so, he opened a door for all of us to walk through, not just when we die, but while we live as well. My goal is to live a life that, were I to be dragged before some “Pontius Pilate” of this world, might be so “other worldly” that I, too, might be indictable, for a life of living thankfully. As the hymn writer has said:

 

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known;
the wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His name, He forgets not His own.

 

Amen. Happy Thanksgiving, Dear Ones!

The End is Yet to Come

 

The End is Yet to Come

 

Mark 13:1-8

The end and the coming of the Son 

13:1 As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!"

 

13:2 Then Jesus asked him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down."

 

13:3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately,

 

13:4 "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?"

 

13:5 Then Jesus began to say to them, "Beware that no one leads you astray.

 

13:6 Many will come in my name and say, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray.

 

13:7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come.

 

13:8 For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

 

 

The Advent season is almost upon us! Traditionally, Advent—which is the “New Year” of the liturgical year—focuses on the RETURN of Jesus, or what we have come to know as the “Second Coming.” Most of us who “grew up” in the church knew Advent as the “ramp up” to the glorious Christmas season. We weren’t very liturgical, especially when we were just kids with “visions of sugarplums, dancing”—well, you know the rest. Even if our childhood pastors WERE following the liturgical calendar in their preaching, we kids STILL just saw Advent as the countdown to Christmas Eve. We even had those little paper Advent calendars with the tear-open windows that had snippets of scripture and literally counted down to Christmas Day! Nowadays, those calendars are available with daily bits of chocolate for kids OR adults. A few Advents ago, my daughter got her Kentucky husband a bourbon Advent calendar, with each day accompanied by little bottles of well-known Kentucky bourbons. That might get you to the “Second Coming” a little earlier than expected!

 

But yes, Advent in the church year is not only the beginning, but it DOES focus on the “second advent” of Christ’s coming, as evidenced by the Revised Common Lectionary texts chosen. As you will see in the coming weeks, many of the readings are apocalyptic passages. This weekend’s text I chose for this message is of that type, only from the corpus of Jesus’ own teachings. The Gospels have three main chapters that mirror some of the “end times” utterances of Jesus: Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. In today’s passage, Jesus “plays off” of his disciples’ marveling at the massive stones that must have been part of the temple in Jerusalem. In another text, Jesus talks about the temple being “destroyed” and that he will “raise it up on three days.” That same text says that the disciples understood he was talking about his own body. I doubt that, in that these guys weren’t all that perceptive, but the writer wants us to understand that they DID eventually get what he was saying. This weekend’s text from Mark 13 is just a pre-Advent “teaser,” though. The end is yet to come.

 

I experienced my “young adult” years as a kind of rejuvenated Christian, having experienced a faith renewal experience in college. It was an opportune time to be seeking the Lord, as the “Jesus People Revolution” was coming East from Costa Mesa, California, where the Rev. Chuck Smith was leading thousands of young people to Christ at Calvary Chapel there. He became known as the “Jesus People” pastor, and while he was a “fluffy,” balding Four Square Gospel pastor, he had a marvelous way of teaching the Christian faith that connected with young “seekers” on the West Coast. Life Magazine featured a photo of Rev. Smith baptizing hundreds of youth in the Pacific Ocean in its edition chronicling the “hippy Jesus” movement. A bunch of his church’s youthful converts had considerable musical gifts, and formed various contemporary Christian bands that became quite famous, as the movement spread across the country. My friends and I became quite partial to these offerings from Maranatha Music and Calvary Chapel. Names like “Love Song,” the “Second Chapter of Acts,” “Children of the Day,” and songs like “For Those Tears I Died” by Calvary Chapel member, Marsha Stevens, were being played on “Christian radio” all around the country in the late 1960s and early 1970s. 

 

Part of this “Jesus People Revolution” came to be an elevated (and mostly distorted) interest in the “Second Coming” of Jesus Christ. Several of the more widely known evangelical denominations like the Southern Baptists and the Assembly of God went considerably overboard on “teachings” of the Second Coming, and an author by the name of Hal Lindsey penned a runaway best-seller named “The Late, Great Planet Earth” about it. These early, dispensational, teachings from the “Jesus People” evangelical days pretty much sucked up the rest of Christianity and became the “standards” of how people: 1. Viewed and understood the Second Coming of Christ; 2. Came to believe that this would be a literal “second trip” to earth by Jesus, who would call “up” believers into the clouds in what was called “the rapture”; and 3. Came to believe this was all going to transpire almost immediately. Authors like Lindsey even “predicted” that, based on their “modernization” of apocalyptic biblical texts, Jesus was expected to arrive around 1984. He didn’t make it, and much of that era’s “Second Coming” fervor fell out of favor.

 

Wanting to believe that God will revisit Earth and “fix” everything never HAS fell out of favor. It’s been going on for centuries, as have predictions of when it would happen. The Jesus Revolution stuff just put some good tunes to it and made a few Hal Lindseys very rich, not to mention gave rise to Jerry Falwell and his later “Moral Majority.” Our text reminds us that even Jesus’ own, personal disciples wanted to know when the “going down” was going to “get down,” and what “signs” to look for. The signs Jesus mentions in these apocalyptic gospel texts are actually ones that had been passed around Judaism for centuries before Jesus. They were known as “portents” or “birth pangs” of a more sudden and direct “intervention” on God’s part into life on earth. Things like “wars and rumors of wars,” “blood moons,” earthquakes, and the like, were pretty popular religious signs. Why do we have such a “thing” about Jesus coming back? Possibly because Jesus did amazing things during his first visit among us, and if you add in some ginned up interpretation of the mysterious book of Revelation in the Bible—and believe me, Hal Lindsey sure did—then it all becomes a pretty weird movie. The idea, though, that evil gets vanquished, the “bad guys” lose, and God “wins” is enough to get believers excited…very excited, as history shows. Some have even bought into the “Second Coming” concept so thoroughly that they have sold everything they own and moved into encampments on mountaintops or countries closer to Jerusalem, which they believe will be “ground zero” of the whole show. These kinds of manifestations are exactly what Jesus’ teachings about “the end game” are designed to avoid!

 

In this weekend’s text, Jesus warns his “end-of-the-world hungry” disciples to beware. Charlatans will come proclaiming to either “have” the truth or “be” the truth, and would “lead many astray.” Obviously, his words were wise words, and throughout Christian history this has happened numerous times. We’re seeing it today. Not to get political, but one of the negative things about the “Trump” episode is that many Christians have become convinced that he is “God’s man,” sent to rescue and lead us. Since it has worked to get Trump elected at first, and now has at least been partly responsible for HIS second coming, he has not offered a counter narrative to this distortion. No matter what you think about Donald Trump, please don’t be “led astray” as Jesus warned, by these quasi-religious narratives about him. We can debate whether he has been and will be a good President, but there is no doubt that turning him into some sort of “prophet” or “savior” is exactly what Jesus is saying NOT to do, nor to believe others when they advance that story. As we approach Advent, may we propagate a truthful telling of what the Bible does and doesn’t tell us about any Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and not get excited that it is coming soon. Most of us who have spent our life and careers studying the Bible and teaching the faith do NOT believe we are postured at all close to such a cataclysm as the movie version of this event wants to tell, and we point instead to the actual teachings of Jesus, who wants us to work with him to build the peaceable kingdom. And Jesus tells us in the Bible that “no one knows the day nor the hour” of his return, even HIM, so where do we get off trying to predict it, just because we’re seeing more extreme storms or more earthquakes? Interestingly, you rarely hear the “pro Second Coming” prophets talking about “famines,” and it’s probably because we know WE are responsible for people starving to death, certainly not GOD. Global scientists have told us that we have had the means and the technology to feed every human on planet Earth since the mid 1970s. The hold up is human selfishness and hoarding, which leads to a very unequal distribution of food, famine in many lands, and death. Jesus is trying to tell us to get off our “Second Coming” curious duffs and FEED people!

 

There are many Bible scholars and religious leaders who don’t believe in a literal “second coming.” Some believe the Holy Spirit coming at Pentecost WAS the second coming of Christ, in that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus, gifting and empowering the church with the “tools” it needs to spread the gospel, feed, clothe, and shelter the world, and partner with God to bring about the Beloved Community—the Kingdom of God. This does make some sense, in that it was Jesus who said, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” and “l will never leave you nor forsake you.” Personally, I DO believe there will be a second coming of Jesus to the earth, but I believe it will come at the “end of the age,” as he said, and it will not be to “fix” things, but to close it down and end the “human era” on the earth. But frankly, I’m OK with however it goes down, because I have my “marching orders” to do ministry, live for Jesus, and love others into the kingdom. Way too many seem bent on doing nothing but waiting for Jesus to come down and fix it all, but this just doesn’t jibe with what the Bible says, in my opinion. It’s more Hollywood than holiness. As Jesus said, the end is yet to come.

 

If you like signs, there are far more signs of things that Christians can do to make this a better world and to be innovative about how to apply Jesus’ teachings to “love God and your neighbor.” If we want to get excited about something, it seems that this is more what Jesus had in mind than standing around waiting for the “trump of God” to blow, signaling some “rapture.” God will be “enraptured” if we take being the caring, loving hands and feet of Jesus in our communities much more seriously and sacrificially. Don’t believe those who say they have all the answers, as they are who Jesus warned us about. We HAVE the answer we need—Jesus and his teachings—and we have the power to put them to work—the Holy Spirit. And we have the team we need to spread the love—the church of Jesus Christ. And a quick word for Interfaith work here: when God DOES bring things to an end on earth, it will obviously affect all people. Why not meet those of other faiths on the common ground of ending human suffering, hunger, and poverty? Our message will make far more impact when our “congregation” isn’t starving to death, or dying of diseases that could have been prevented by decent public policy and a warm, dry place to sleep. 

 

Yes, Dear Ones, the end is yet to come, meaning we have time to partner with the living Jesus to get this stuff done! Several of Jesus’ parables invite the question, “What will the master find when he returns home?” Will we have “invested” the gifts God has given us and multiplied their affects? Or will we have buried them in the ground, waiting fearfully for the Master to return? We have the tools, we have the time, and we have the Great Commission. Let’s get to it before our time is up! Amen.

Life Finds a Way!

Life Finds a Way

 

Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17

Ruth wins the favor of Boaz 

3:1 Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you.

3:2 Now here is our kinsman Boaz, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.

3:3 Now wash and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.

3:4 When he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do."

3:5 She said to her, "All that you say I will do."

4:13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. When they came together, the LORD made her conceive, and she bore a son.

4:14 Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin, and may his name be renowned in Israel!

4:15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him."

4:16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom and became his nurse.

4:17 The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born to Naomi." They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David.

In the blockbuster film, “Jurassic Park,” the Jeff Goldblum character, Ian Malcolm, is a “chaos” expert. He is one of the scientists brought in to evaluate the living dinosaur exhibit made possible by “dino-DNA” and cloning. As you will remember, the “control” on the reconstituted dinosaur population to keep them from breeding was that they were all cloned as females. Malcolm is not convinced that this tactic will be effective in preventing the resurrected reptiles from procreating, and utters one of the film’s memorable lines, “Life finds a way.” I’m a big Goldblum fan, and adore the Ian Malcolm character, as he is exactly the kind of brilliant, yet quirky role Goldblum excels at playing. Better yet, I was impacted, as many were, by this assertion, “Life finds a way.” 

I’ve seen many a hospital patient, suffering from seemingly catastrophic illnesses, not only rise from the hospital bed, but make stunning, full recoveries. Life finds a way! I’ve witnessed premature or otherwise sickly infants struggling to survive the trauma of birth, emerge from the throes of death and thrive. Life finds a way. We’ve all seen saplings that burst forth from rock formations, splitting heavy stones in half in order to germinate. Life finds a way. And who hasn’t watched fragile little birds pecking their way out of eggshells, several days later to take their first flight from the nest. Life finds a way. How many times have we read about a species that scientists thought had long since become extinct suddenly being “discovered” alive and well in some remote corner of the world. One of the most famous cases of this occurred when what was thought to be a prehistoric fish extinct for over 60 million years—the Coelacanth—was caught up in a fisherman’s net in 1938. Since then, schools of them have been observed. Life finds a way!

After a heinously contested election cycle, many have been left bloodied by the results, while others are exuberant. I confess to being one of the former, and as a Christian pastor, I’m deeply concerned about the motives of the returning occupant of the White House and what it will mean for “the least of these.” Those of us who worry that personal welfare, individual liberties, and self-centered pursuits will triumph over the needs and concerns of the broader American community are left with the hope that “Life finds a way.” 

Today’s lectionary text from Ruth provides the “happy highlights” of this amazing story from the Hebrew Bible. Ruth is a young woman who is married to one of Naomi’s two sons, both of whom die and leave Ruth and her sister-in-law, Orpah, widowed. Naomi, who is still steeped in grief, tells the two young widows that they are free to go off and find new husbands, as they are still young, and should have a good future. In this, Naomi, whose husband, Elimelech, also dies, is being extremely unselfish, as in ancient Hebrew society, her care in widowhood would normally fall to her children and their families. Obviously, Naomi was a person of great faith who truly believed that in God’s realm, “Life finds a way.” But Ruth pledges her loyalty to her mother-in-law, saying in a beautiful speech:

Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried.

And yes, this is often read in modern wedding ceremonies like it is from spouse to spouse, but it IS Ruth’s speech to her mother-in-law! Still, it is such a wonderful sentiment and commitment that no one should argue with it being applied to marriages, too. Believe me, most marriages survive the trials of two people being “jammed together” who are usually so different as to create instant conflict, that successful ones are a testament to “Life finds a way”!

Ruth vows to stay with Naomi and care for her. As the story goes, Naomi still wants Ruth to “have a life,” and since both of them are surviving by gleaning the fields of a handsome, young landowner named Boaz, Naomi conjures up a plan. She tells Ruth to pretty herself up and go down to the threshing floor, waiting for the old boy to tire from his labors and lies down. What Ruth is to do next is described in a wonderful Hebrew idiom, and since this is a “family friendly” sermon, I’ll not go into the details, but suffice it to say, Ruth makes a very favorable impression on Boaz, and they become a “thing,” resulting in marriage. This thrills Naomi, who is happy for Ruth, but even happier when the marriage results in a grandchild that she gets to love and coddle. Indeed, for all parties involved, “Life finds a way.”

It gets better. The text tells us that the child is Obed, and Obed later becomes the father of Jesse, who in turn becomes the father of a young shepherd named David. Yes, THAT David. And we know that his “house and lineage” will eventually yield another birth of one named in Luke 2, “Christ the Lord.” Indeed, for all of Israel, who got a great king out of the whole Ruth/Naomi/Boaz deal, and for all of humanity that eventually got a Savior, “Life finds a way.”

This Sunday I have the privilege of baptizing a young mother and her little girl, Stella. I LOVE the name “Stella,” don’t you? This young couple reached out to me, a retired pastor serving the church where Stella’s father was baptized 28 years ago, and inquired about having both mother and daughter baptized. Honestly, I figured that my baptizing days were over, so this sounded like such a special opportunity. I met with the young couple, and they are a joy, and I’m so looking forward to the baptisms this week. All I could think of about the whole experience, including this wonderful “return” to the place where Stella’s dad was baptized into the Christian faith was, “Life finds a way.” And I’m sure glad to be a part of it!

While “life” can deal us many challenges and disappointments, the Creator of all life made us to “find our way” as we live it. One of my favorite promises of Jesus is his pledge, “I will never leave you nor forsake you…Lo, I am with you to the end of the age.” Sounds a lot like the commitment that Ruth makes to Naomi, doesn’t it? And that one brought us David and Jesus. How today will “life find a way” in YOUR life? Are you committed to living for Jesus Christ like Ruth was to Naomi? Like Stella’s parents are to each other, and to being good parents to this little one? And how about living for Jesus as an act of gratitude for the eternal commitment Jesus made to redeem all of us? This is as good a time as any to recommit yourself to faith in Christ Jesus, and “sell out” your heart to him and his mission to reconcile the whole world to himself! And if you find yourself growing discouraged, or overwhelmed by some of the “curves” life may throw at you, remember the timeless story of Ruth and Naomi, and the eternal love of Jesus, whose teachings could well be summed up in the phrase, “Life finds a way!” Amen. 

Good to Great

 

Good to Great

 

Mark 12:28-34

Two commandments: love God and neighbor 

12:28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well he asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?"

12:29 Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one;

12:30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'

12:31 The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

12:32 Then the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that 'he is one, and besides him there is no other';

12:33 and 'to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength' and 'to love one's neighbor as oneself' --this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

12:34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that no one dared to ask him any question.

 

Early in the 2000s, author James Collins hit it big with a book about why some companies “make the leap” to the next level of size and success, while others don’t. His book covered principles and observations that might help not just organizations, but even individuals how to get from “good to great,” which was also the title of the book. Collins was heralded by many, as his book became a tremendous best-seller, but over the years, he was also criticized as pointing out principles that were “too simple” or “mere common sense.” Isn’t it interesting that such elementary principles were being deemed as “not significant” causes by these critics as to result in corporate “greatness”? It reminds me of the “miracle drug,” Acetylsalicylic Acid—aspirin. It is so simple, yet it has saved many a life. Surely we can make a better drug than this “natural” anti-inflammatory? We have, of course, but aspirin is still amazing, and even with its potential negative side effects, it IS a miracle drug. So it is with some of the less-than-rocket science ideas Collins observed as being integral to successful companies. And, as we shall explore, a “good Christian” is much more like aspirin than Ozempic or some exotic painkiller.

 

This sermon ins not about Collins’ work, but more about that of Jesus Christ! Since it’s the Sunday when my congregation is celebrating All Saints, we will also shine a spotlight on the extraordinary lives that sought to make US “great,” or at least better than we were.  Who would argue with progressing from “good” to “great”?

 

Therein lies our first key: how do we interpret these two terms? In the corporate world of Mr. Collins, a “good” company is one that is “okay,” while a “great” company is one that excels and tends to dominate in its field of endeavor. However, this idea doesn’t translate well to individuals without some reinterpretation. After all, to call someone a “good person” is quite a compliment, in almost all cases. A “great” person, however, depending on how we understand that adjective, may be bad OR good. If by “great” we mean that the individual is “large,” we may be suggesting that they are TOO large, or “outsized.” “Great” may also be used satirically, suggesting that their ego is what is outsized, as in “They THINK they are great.” From a Christian perspective, a person may be both “good” AND “great,” if they are a serious disciple of Jesus Christ AND a solid leader, or at least a person who is living out their potential and using their spiritual gifts to the benefit of the larger community. In an earlier sermon, we looked at Jesus’ teaching about how the one who wants to be “great” must be the “servant of all.” This principle generally runs counter to what Collins identifies in “successful” companies. And while Collins decries “greed” as a positive factor in such growth, it is clear that it is often a motivator in the business world. “Good” people, in Jesus’ view, are those who DO serve others, and live for the good of all. THIS is what makes them great, not necessarily any extraordinary or laudable accomplishments. Humility, in the Christian realm, is a valued quality, even over success. So, what DOES it mean to be “great” in the kingdom of God?

 

Here's where All Saints comes in. Who are the saints in YOUR life? I would define them as the people who have (past tense) or do (present) influence you to become the person God intends for you to be. These are the people who nurture you, support you, encourage you, pray for you, model faith for you, and do so with little regard for what they “get” out of the relationship, other than a decent level of mutual respect. “Saints” is what the Apostle Paul used as a label for any and all persons who had committed their lives to Jesus Christ; it was a term of endearment, not an accolade. So, in the spirit of Paul, who are YOUR saints? On this important weekend of Christian heritage, take time to ponder and make a list of the people who have been YOUR saints. Obviously, many of them may have gone on to glory, and this is why we historically remember them during our All Saints celebrations, often by reading their names and ringing a bell to signify their significance. It matters that they lived. At least it matters to us and to God! Not wanting to discount that you may have some LIVING saints, this is especially a time to think about those who have gone on. 

 

Personally, my list is very long. It includes my two grandmothers, one who had a very simple faith, but used to share it with me, and the other who loved God through her music, having played piano and organ in several churches. My maternal grandmother was thrilled that my brother and I became pastors, and it was the Eastern Star lodge of hers that gave both of us ESTARL grants to help us afford our seminary education. I know both of them prayed for us, too, which meant a lot. I was the first of the grandchildren to go away to college, and my maternal grandmother used to send me letters of encouragement, usually with a few bucks for the college vending machines tucked inside. My in-laws were certainly powerful spiritual influences on my life, not to mention that they brought Dara into the world (she tops the list of my living saints!). My in-laws modeled a practical, yet wondrous Christian faith for many, many of my peers by opening their home for a young adult fellowship that met on Monday nights. There we studied the Bible, shared weekly faith experiences, and spent serious “seasons” of prayer to end each evening. My father-in-law would “moderate” our discussion, making sure to keep us focused on Christ and providing “clues” as to where we might find help in the scriptures, but he wisely left us young adults have our own synergy, and supported the “natural” leaders who rose up from within the group. (As I write this, behind me on the wall is an oil painting of Jesus that was given to my in-laws by a young man who stayed with them for a time while attending a local college and working a job in town. One of his friends painted it and gave it to him, and he gave it to the Apel family. It adorned the mantle of their wonderful fireplace that warmed the souls of us gathered on cold Mondays, and countless times during our evening-ending prayers, I found myself gazing at it like it was an icon. I “inherited” it when my in-laws sold their house and became “full-timers” in their motorhome in retirement. If I can find my photo of it, I’ll attach it below…)

 

 

You have your saints. Remember them this weekend, and be thankful. Say a prayer of thanksgiving for each of them. And remember why they are saints. For the most part, it is because they were a faith and life influence on us for the good. However, today’s lectionary passage holds the key as to what MADE them saints, and it truly holds the key for ANY of us who want to follow James Collins’ example of “Good to Great” in the kingdom of God. And it takes us back to that little acronym many of us discovered early in life: KISS, which = “Keep it simple, stupid!” Or, to be a bit more philosophical, as someone said years ago, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing!” In this text, Jesus does BOTH!

 

Jesus boils the law and the prophets and our roadmap for worship, mission, and Christian discipleship down to two commandments…TWO COMMANDMENTS: 

 

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

 

Love your neighbor as yourself.

 

Loving God with your heart IS worship. Loving God with your soul is salvation. Loving God with your mind is the fuel of discipleship, wisdom and growth. Loving God with all of your strength is the “heavy lifting” of mission and ministry, as after all, these things require us to do work to accomplish them.

 

AND loving your neighbor as yourself gives us our mission field. We know how, when asked, “Who is my neighbor?” by a religious leader, Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan, wherein a “hated Samaritan” helps a Jew who has been beaten and robbed. He does so with much risk, generosity, and no motive other than to be a neighbor to the man. He doesn’t do a “needs test” on him, checks his religious, national, or ethnic pedigree, nor does he even survey the man’s sexuality. He just comes to his aid, at great expense of time and money, to himself. 

 

Think of your saints, again. While they may not have totally embraced all of the values in the “Love God; love neighbor” paradigm, they at least mastered a few of them and were “going on to perfection” (as Mr. Wesley would say) regarding the rest of them, I’m sure. THIS is why we sought to learn from them and emulate them while they were alive, and now, often with warmth and tears, remember them that they’re gone. And if you are fortunate enough to still have a few of them around, take time to thank them personally for their “sainthood,” and their rich contribution to your life!

 

I suppose Mr. Wesley got something right with his “going on to perfection” syntax. After all, when the scribe “answers wisely” in today’s text, Jesus tells him he is “not far from the kingdom of God,” which sounds like he’s on a journey to “perfection,” himself. Aren’t we all? And if you were able to quiz any of the saints of your life, I’m sure that in their humility, they would clearly state that their striving toward God’s standard of “perfection” was never ending, as well, despite how “perfectly” we saw them. And, when God welcomed them home, they finished the trip from “good to great,” landing lovingly in the arms of the Almighty.

 

For those of us who remain, and who continue to be inspired by the heritage of our saints, in the words of our former Bishop, Thomas Bickerton: “The journey continues…” Shalom, Beloved!