Friday, December 27, 2024

Holiday Inn

 


Holiday Inn

 

Luke 2:1-20

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

[Since we’re away this coming Sunday, I’m sharing my Christmas Eve message with yinz via my blog as this week’s retirement sermon. Enjoy!]

 

Yes, the text is the same one I use every year on Christmas Eve, and yes, it’s from the “Authorized Version,” or as it is more popularly known, the King James Version. Why? Let’s just say that Charlie Brown (actually Linus) and tradition win the day. The shepherds being “sore afraid” when the angel of the Lord appears to give them the skinny on what was going on in Bethlehem also carries weight with me. While the “experts” tell us that “sore” just means “very” in King James lingo, I see much more in it. All kinds of things in life make us “sore afraid,” don’t they? That call from the doctor’s office that says, “We got your tests back; you’d better come in,” or the middle-aged Mom of two pre-teens who gets the word that her recent “discomfort” is caused by an unexpected pregnancy. These have every reason to be “sore afraid.” Or word that your pension may be in jeopardy, due to some bad investment management—“sore afraid.” When I was a young teen, and on delivering newspapers in the early dawn hours, and suddenly saw a large dog running my direction, snarling and baring its considerable teeth, BELIEVE ME, I was, in that moment, SORE AFRAID. “Sore afraid” is a fear borne of a sudden threat, the full nature of which one doesn’t yet know, AND has no idea how to face it. The “sore” is that hurtful emptiness that occurs in the “pit” of the stomach, and is amplified by the body’s being suddenly caught between the “fight” or “flight” responses. The “sore” is a kind of paralysis that begins and even lingers between the ears of the one who is afraid. In the case of the shepherds, being “sore afraid” is a group activity. Have you ever faced an angel of the Lord? Neither have I, but even imagining being out in a cold, dark field surrounded by nothing but bleating sheep and a small group of your peers, and to have an angel appear, illuminated by “the glory of the Lord” would probably rob me of my consciousness, at least for a few minutes. “Sore afraid” is one of those fear moments when the blood rushes from your flesh and you turn as white as a turnip. I’m guessing that even the sheep went quiet. I know I’m kind of beating this horse a bit hard, but I’m trying to make the point of the power of the ancient translation of this transformative birth narrative by pointing out how no other rendering adequately captures a phrase like “sore afraid.” 

 

And it’s not the only one: a “decree went out from Caesar Augustus”; Joseph was of the “house and lineage of David”; Mary was “great with child” and “the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.” This wonderful version just keeps casting Christmas images and warms our hearts, especially when the shepherds “make haste” (book it) and “found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe, lying in a manger.” Can’t you just hear Linus reciting this passage, explaining to the disillusioned Charlie Brown what Christmas is REALLY all about? I’m guessing that most of us would have been unimpressed, had Linus quoted a modern translation that states everything in the current vernacular. Have you read what the Heavenly Host says, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” in a contemporary translation? The Contemporary English Version translates Luke 2:14 as: “Praise God in heaven! Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God.” Bor-ing! For me, the King James narrative of this story just grabs me where I’m “sore.” The poetic nature of it soothes, reassures, and paints a picture that has deep, placid colors, quiet, “hushing” sounds, and adoring, young couple witnessing the world’s greatest miracle. The shepherds represent the world. The whole world. The REAL world. None of them was Elon Musk or even Warren Buffet. Neither were they soldiers bearing arms “to protect the child.” They were sheep herders who slept under the stars, had no coffee breaks, and no “day offs.” So it is with most of the people who live on planet earth, and so God invites THEM to the birth of his son. Jeff Bezos wasn’t invited, even with his promise of two-day delivery. Mary had beat that, anyway.

 

Scholars have spent countless lifetimes trying to get to the bottom of what actually transpired that night, both theologically and historically. I know that is their job, but frankly, the human race has decided already how it came down. Luke’s story as told by the King James interpreters is how it works for us. It delivers and aesthetic and a promise of “peace on earth, goodwill toward men” that no collection of facts or hypotheses can top. We shouldn’t really CARE what actually happened, as life is story, and this is our story—the CHRISTMAS story. It speaks to us, and continues to transform us. I’ve argued for years that anything we DO to celebrate Christmas that even nibbles at the edges of “peace on earth, goodwill toward men” is authentic and should not be discouraged. Even if it includes over-shopping, over-eating, and having a bit extra of the “Communion” wine. When people get together in the name of Christ’s birth and love one another, it’s a genuine Christmas, regardless of the trappings. When armies declare a ceasefire on December 25, and those who HAVE, give to those who DON’T, it’s truly honoring the “Heavenly Host.” And when this time of the year we offer a little extra care and affection to our animals, it is certainly a flashback to that first Christmas, because, after all, they were the first witnesses to the miracle, beyond Joseph and Mary. 

 

And speaking of hosts…I have a painful memory of my childhood, and like the manger scene, it is juxtaposed against a great blessing. As kids, my brothers and I LOVED to go on vacation. We were a lower-middle-class family with professional parents who, due to the nature of their jobs, were on and off in terms of regular employment, or at least jobs that paid consistently well. Hence, when our Summer vacation time rolled around, resources were often limited. Yet, our parents NEVER let that get in the way of us getting in the car and heading out. Our folks would often just choose a destination and away we’d go. Of course, this was before the “online” world, or even updated paper travel guides, unless you belonged to “Triple A,” which our budget didn’t allow. So, we’d be bearing down on a busy, Summer destination like Atlantic City, Geneva on the Lake, or Niagara Falls, with no hotel reservations or any idea about where we’d take our meals, other than the “snacks” mom would pack in a small cooler. Often, we’d drive for hours and hours, and night was rapidly approaching. We kids were tired, and the painful Sterling ritual of multiple stops at budget motels to see if they had a vacancy. However, since we were now in popular venues, there wasn’t any “room at the inn.” Sometimes we’d not find a motel that we could afford until close to midnight, and we would all be exhausted. I remember one particular trip when we had already stopped at probably 10 or 12 hotels that had “no room,” and we happened upon a glistening, new, hotel chain that called itself “Holiday Inn.” Their giant, neon marque announced “VACANCY,” and it had a pool! As we pulled in, my brothers and I could see that this place was definitely a cut or two above our usual places. “Holiday Inn” seemed to be saying, “You’re WELCOME here! Come on in!” Of course, dad emerged a few minutes later to report, “They want $40 a night! I’m not paying THAT!” And on we drove. In those late night hours, I came to sympathize with Joseph, Mary, and the babe, although there were some nights I would have gladly bunked in a manger. We boys LOVED vacation, but those night terrors? Of them we were “sore afraid.”

 

What that experience did for me is that my family NEVER went anywhere without reservations! To this day, even when Ms. Dara and I head out for a “random” trip, we STILL pick a direction and reserve a motel room. Our version of the Holiday Inn—which has also gone the way of the Dodo bird, now just “Holiday Inn Express”—is the Hampton Inn. We find kind hospitality, a good bed, and a “free” breakfast there, and with reliable consistency. In terms of spiritual metaphors, my childhood “no room at the inn” experience has also regularly caused me to examine, as a spiritual practice, whether I am granting Jesus “room at the inn” in my life. This has nothing to do with my “salvation,” but everything to do with my “sanctification,” or “living into” what I profess to believe. The hotel “fire drill” of my youth also compels me to be a part of efforts to “welcome the stranger” and “love my neighbor.” Dara and I just recently gave a major gift (for us, anyway) toward helping a political refugee family find a new home in America. There will be room at the inn for them, thanks to the gifts and efforts of a number of concerned Christian disciples. Holiday Inn, indeed!

 

I don’t know about you, but I think we all could use some heart-warming hospitality and “peace on earth” and “goodwill” this year? We’ve just come through an election cycle that has many of us questioning whether our nation will be a “Holiday Inn” to the “huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” or one that says “GET OFF MY LAWN!” to those looking for room at the inn. People are still dying in the West Bank and in Ukraine. The nation’s wealth continues to migrate upward toward the “one percent of the one percent,” and billionaires have the ear of the incoming President. “Peace on earth” is a no-brainer—we all would like to see the killing end—all killing, including in our schools. But if we have more than three synapses firing, we know that there will never BE peace without justice, meaning until at least persons’ survival is made possible by some level of equity. And THAT won’t happen until humanity “invests” in the challenge of the Heavenly Host: “GOODWILL toward men!” Maybe this Christmas will be a new beginning? Might the angel of the Lord make a curtain call to remind us of who we are and WHOSE we are? This year, may the hearts of American people who claim Christ as Lord be a ”Holiday Inn” for the poor travelers on that endless search for an affordable vacancy. May we, like sweet, young Mary, “keep these things and ponder them in our hearts…” And then, with courage and commitment, act on them in the New Year. Merry Christmas, Dear Ones!

Saturday, December 21, 2024

THAT One

 



THAT One

 

Micah 5:2-5a

From Bethlehem comes a ruler 

 

5:2 But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.

 

5:3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel.

 

5:4 And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth,

 

5:5 and he shall be the one of peace.

 

 

I have a lot of “favorite” movies, but one of them is “Finding Forrester,” starring Sean Connery and then newcomer, Rob Brown. Connery plays a J.D. Salinger-styled novelist who writes the “great American novel” (“Avalon Landing”) and then retreats to his agoraphobia, rarely—if ever—leaving his New York apartment. He takes an interest in a young, African American high school student he sees playing basketball out his apartment window, and who has an extraordinary writing ability, himself. The two become friends and “writing buddies,” while the student, Jamal Wallace, winds up playing basketball on a scholarship to a prestigious private school, where he also excels at writing. His writing teacher, played by F. Murray Abraham, doesn’t believe the writing he is turning in is actually Jamal’s, as he is prejudicial against those on athletic scholarships, if not racially so, as well. In the climactic scene in the film, William Forrester bravely ventures forth from his seclusion to visit the classroom and read an essay Jamal Wallace has written, of which his teacher believes he plagiarized from the great author. As Forrester enters the classroom to the shocked surprise of all, not to mention Abraham’s character, he introduces himself, and then points to his own portrait on a wall filled with paintings of famous authors, and says, “I’m THAT one.” 

 

These kinds of dramatic identifications ALWAYS make for good “theater.” In Ronnie Howard’s HBO series about the history of America’s Apollo moon program—“From the Earth to the Moon”—there is a wonderful scene when astronaut personnel director Deke Slayton gathers a group of potential Apollo astronauts into a conference room and announces, “Gentlemen, the man who will be the first to walk on the moon walked through that door today; the men who will make the first moon landing are sitting right here.” The awed silence in the scene I’m sure well mirrors the actual, historical moment it portrays, as those astronauts must have looked around the room at each other and wondered who “those men” were. 

 

Have you ever been singled out for an assignment, a task, a position, or an honor of some sort that was so special it sort of became a life-changing moment? Or at least a moment that signaled that some significant others had endorsed your gifts and/or your abilities by elevating you in this way? In that moment, you became “THAT one!” 

 

Have you ever been selected for a special job, or singled out for a prestigious honor? Don’t feel bad if you’ve never had such a dramatic moment—most of us haven’t—but at least think of a time when someone you DID love or respect “chose you” for their attention. Frankly, when Ms. Dara acquiesced to becoming “Mrs. Jeff Sterling” was the highest such honor I’VE ever received! Although God’s calling me to enter the Christian ministry was a close second (Sorry God…). Do you remember how unique it made you feel? AND, in many cases, it sent us charting a new course for our lives, and resetting our priorities for how we spent our time. 

 

I did have one other such honor when I was asked if I would be willing to be nominated to lead our Conference’s Board of Ordained Ministry. I had served on the board for eight years, under the leadership of two different pastors who were exceptional, inspirational leaders, and when I was approached about being the vice-chairperson, I suggested that I’d rather see a woman in that role. (Our Board of Ordained Ministry, or “BOOM” as it is known, was mostly a throwback to the time when only men were chosen for such roles.) I was told by the nominating committee that they had chosen a woman as the nominee for the chairpersonship, and I was therefore OK with taking the second seat. Not long thereafter, I was again approached and told that after an initial “yes,” due to family circumstances, the chair nominee had pulled her nomination. After being told that our bishop had given me the nod, at this point, I said yes to the lead role, but only if several new women clergy could be added to our board, AND if one of them would become the vice-chair. This all was agreed to, and is what transpired over the following weeks. Hence, I followed in the footsteps of a colleague who was a “giant” in the role as BOOM chair, and was felt exceedingly affirmed by the thought that my bishop and my peers felt that I could do the job. If THAT doesn’t keep you running to God for guidance, wisdom, and “knowledge,” I don’t know what would! I believe that when it comes to any service we are called to in the Kingdom of God, if we ever start to feel WE have “the right stuff” to do the job WITHOUT constantly asking God for help, we’ve most likely crossed the Rubicon into major failure territory. None of us is immune to “grabbing at the reigns,” but when we decide we should drive is when we lose our way. Becoming “THAT one” at any point by being chosen to perform an important calling doesn’t ever mean we have equaled or surpassed the lordship of THAT ONE! 

 

Today’s text is prophetic writing from the minor prophet, Micah. (And remember, “minor prophet” only means they didn’t write as much as did the “major prophets” like Isaiah or Jeremiah; it isn’t a score of the importance of what they wrote!) In this case, Christians see this as a “foretelling” of the emergence of a messianic figure that sure sounds like the Jesus we know. He shall be “the one of peace,” or in more movie drama, “THAT one!” And his responsibilities will be monumental.

 

The ”one of peace” will redeem Israel and “the rest of his kindred.” I know, my Old Testament scholar friends will flag me for “over-Christianizing” the text by interpreting “the rest of his kindred” to mean the rest of humanity and not just the scattered tribes of Micah’s day, but so be it. We ARE living in the post-resurrection era, and we DO now know that Christ came to redeem humanity, not just Israel, so what we now know tends to fog my rearview mirror a bit. It was a big assignment, even for the Son of God, who still must respect the freedom of will that God gave human beings. How it must pain God when God witnesses that such an outpouring of grace and love is somehow either not perceived by some of us, or not deemed “adequate” by others. But as “THAT one” of peace, Christ continues to call us toward Godself, and to “find” this redeeming offer that still stands. 

 

The other roles that THAT one of peace assumed include “feeding his flock,” which is a metaphor for everything from teaching to healing to serving as our “life GPS.” The “Good Shepherd” not only does not abandon the “flock,” but he even goes looking for the single, lost “sheep.” The text says that we shall “live secure” thanks to this “one of peace” and what he will do for us. There is the same danger with making this “living secure” the centerpiece of our faith as there is with believing we can “drive” without God’s continual attention and input, via prayer and our spiritual disciplines, though. Once we feel “secured” by our faith in Christ, the temptation is to enjoy the “shade” offered by Christ and fail to listen for our assignment as a servant in this endeavor. All Christians are gifted and called to servant ministry of some kind. When we keep saying “no” to opportunities to serve, often “hiding” under the excuse that we’re “not good enough” or “don’t have the right gifts,” we grieve the Holy Spirit who can fix both shortcomings very easily. Many years ago I was told something by a wise pastor that I will never forget: “God wants your AVAILABILITY even more than your ABILITY.” If God can raise up stones to offer praise, God can certainly work through my paralyzing fears or “comfortable” laziness. 

 

We light the final Advent candle this weekend, and it is the candle of PEACE—THAT one! On Tuesday night, we will gather to celebrate the birth of God’s ultimate THAT one, the “one of peace” who came to rescue us all, and to call us into service in building God’s Beloved Community. No matter how dark things me be around us, there is a light that never ceases to burn brightly, and it is Jesus Christ, the Lord. His peace WILL prevail, and the Realm of God WILL come, with us or in spite of us. May we proudly light this candle of peace, and may it be a beacon shining through and around our lives to the world that THAT one of Peace has come! Amen!

 

 

Friday, December 13, 2024

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.


Saturday, December 7, 2024

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.

 

 

Saturday, November 30, 2024

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.

Saturday, November 23, 2024

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 20th and 21st 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!

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