Have You No Shame?

 

Have You No Shame?

 

Psalm 71:1-6

You have been my strength 

71:1 In you, O LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.

71:2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me.

71:3 Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

71:4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.

71:5 For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth.

71:6 From my birth I have leaned upon you, my protector since my mother's womb. My praise is continually of you.

If you are looking to take your deepest emotions on a walk through the Bible, steer clear of places like Numbers, Revelation, or even Genesis, unless creation stories trip your trigger. No, if your feelings need some soothing—or seething, in some cases—put your “Psalms” shoes on, and come on in! The Psalms ARE songs, and like the songs we sing and/or listen to, they are meant to bow the strings (or slap strum the Eddie Balls on your Stratocaster) of our innermost selves. Happy? There’s a song for that. Sad? There are LOTS of songs for that, particularly in the Country Music genre. Needing peace? Get out the symphonic stuff. Love a parade? Grab a recording of a Susa march. There pretty much is a song for any need, and one whose composer was prompted by her or his feelings, at the moment. The Book of Psalms is just the same, in this regard.

 

Years ago, I had a good friend whose dad was a strong man of faith. He was an ordained Presbyterian minister who got filled with the “fullness” of the Holy Spirit during the Christian charismatic revival period, and after a long stint with his family as missionaries in Japan, he brought them back to the good ol’ USA. That’s when his son and I became friends. “Brother Earl,” as well knew him was one of the most driven, Spirit-filled, inspirational Christian leaders I have ever known, AND could be one of the most stubborn and difficult ones, as well. (Sound like any of us? Of course it does!) Anyway, Brother Earl had a long-suffering wife who cared for their several children, did all of the cooking for numerous, weekly groups that visited “Christ’s Castle,” their home base and retreat center, and was just as expected as everyone else was to keep up on her daily Bible reading. She also had to love and temper Brother Earl, and I’m guessing that was NOT an easy assignment. Brother Earl once told us that every time he asked his wife WHERE in the Bible she was reading currently, she would say, “In the Psalms…” It always made me laugh, for I can imagine that life with Brother Earl—while blessed in many ways—was also quite a challenge for her, and where else but “In the Psalms” would she find refuge? This story has a rough ending, in that one day, Brother Earl began having a heart attack, and his wife got him into a car and they headed for the hospital, knowing that with their remote “Castle” location, she could get him there faster. Unfortunately, he died on the way, but not before looking at his dear wife and saying, “I’ll see you in the morning,” which was Brother Earl’s euphemism for a future reunion in Heaven. I share this story both because my life was forever altered by the witness of Brother Earl, and by his patient wife, but also because I’m sure she found her solace and comfort “In the Psalms.” 

 

The phrase, “Have you no shame?” came to mind when I first looked at today’s lectionary passage from Psalm 71, for it begins, “In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. None of us like to be “shamed,” do we? Shaming is a nasty business. Not only does it “call out” someone for some negative behavior, but it doubles down by putting them down or belittling them for it. “Shame” differs from “guilt” in a number of ways. As one of my colleagues who does a lot of counseling defines it: Guilt says, “You’ve done a bad thing;” Shame says, “You are a bad PERSON.” All of us do “bad things,” which is what we call “sin” in religious jargon. But these activities don’t have to mean we are a bad person. We are forgiven of our sins by God and compassionate others. However, getting labeled as a “bad person” is much harder an accusation to escape. None of us like to be “shamed” in this way. Guilt can be a helpful thing, as it holds us accountable for our sin; shame just beats us up and doesn’t “fix” anything, including the temptations that may have fueled our behavior.

 

One of the most interesting stories in the Gospels is the one where the Pharisees bring a woman whom they “caught in adultery” to Jesus, reminding him that the law requires she be stoned to death. Every preacher has “nuanced” this story by asking the obvious questions such as: How did they KNOW where to find this woman so they could “catch her in the act?” Was this a setup? Where is the man, for he, too, was guilty of adultery? Some commentators have speculated that her “partner” in crime WAS one of the Pharisees, and that when Jesus stoops down to begin writing in the dirt, he was writing the names of the girlfriends of the accusing Pharisees! Maybe so, as they all began to walk away quietly, as Jesus wrote. When they had all departed, Jesus turned to the woman and said, “Woman, who are your accusers?” to which she replied, “No one, sir.” Jesus answered, “Neither do I accuse you. Go and sin no more.” Not only did he refrain from shaming her, but he offers her a better way for her future, going forward. 

 

If you are suffering from shame, dear friend, either being heaped on you by others or the self-imposed variety, keep reading this “anti-shaming” Psalm! While many believers have questioned why the God of the Old Testament seems to differ from the loving, forgiving, “Son-sending” God of the New Testament, actually, nothing could be further from the truth. Clearly, the psalmist writing today’s passage trusts mightily in the Lord, sees God as “protector,” as one who will not only “protect” us from the shaming attempts of others, but will never shame us from heaven, either. The God spoken of here is one who desires to lift up God’s people, and give them hope from the moment they entered the world. What I like about the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) is that it gives us more of the stories of human struggles, with enemies, with each other, and even with God and God’s law. It seems so “authentic” to me, given my experience as a human in the human community, and my own struggles with all of the above. 

 

The model I have defaulted to in understanding humanity’s relationship with the divine has typically been that of parent-child. Apart from the dysfunction that can occur in the experience of human parenting, a normal relationship between parent and child is one of love, nurturing, and “pleasing.” A parent develops a unique love and desire to protect one’s child pretty much as soon as the child is born. In my work with teenagers throughout my ministry, I told them that the moment I held my firstborn in my arms for the first time, I suddenly understood all of the rules my parents made for me, and that they probably won’t have this understanding until they do the same thing, if they are so privileged. The nexus between parental responsibility and the on-rush of a unique parental love for the newborn child is an amazing thing. There is nothing like it, in my experience, and it never goes away. Our two children are 42 and 40 years of age now, and are successful, responsible adults, and our daughter has children of her own. Yet, we have never gotten over our parental love for them, and our never-ending desire to want the best for them, and for them to be safe. (Grandchildren DO mediate some of this, as the parental love gets transferred—and some might say even “turbocharged”—toward them, when they come along!) Children grow up wanting to BE loved by the parent(s) and desiring to please the parent(s), often hiding their “sins” or mistakes, for fear the parent(s) may no longer love them, if their misdeeds are found out. Sound familiar. THIS is why I think the love between God and us is very much like the love between a parent and a child. John 3:16’s “For God so loved the world” line stretches from the first verse of Genesis to this very moment as you read this sermon, and God’s love for YOU, like a parent’s love, will never wane. And when we experience the acceptance of God’s love and forgiveness (which Jesus labeled being “born again” in John chapter 3—makes sense, doesn’t it?), we enter into that “child” relationship wherein we desire to “please” our Parent God. Unfortunately, we also tend to try to hid our mistakes and “sins,” just like a kid does, which brings “shame” back into the picture, doesn’t it?

 

This is why the psalmist prays that God will never let us be put to shame, as shame is one of the most hurtful feelings we can experience, and as we said earlier, it is not productive. When we sin and feel guilty about it, the guilt provokes us to not want to keep committing the same sin again and again, and guilt well responded to, results in a positive behavior modification on our part. Shame just beats us down, and the last thing any loving parent wants to see is their child being bullied or defeated. As we want the best for our children, so God wants the best for us, including that we be safe, as this psalmist writes. 

 

One of the old hymns of the church says, “Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms…” I’ll bet the hymn writer, Elisha Hoffman, got his verse from this Psalm! And the truth is, all of us must “lean,” from time to time. As children, we daily leaned on our parents’ provision, protection, and love. As teens and young adults, we strived for independence, but when times got rough, we were happy we had those “everlasting arms” of the home front to fall into. Having just laid the last of our four parents to eternal rest, I know how it feels to experience both the forever love of a parent AND the caring, custodial love the other direction, from me to my mom, as I managed her care in her last few years on earth. Being loved and “loving back” was such a wonderful and rich experience, and it well-modeled the kind of love between the divine and me, and that which the psalmist experienced, as well. 

 

So, Dear Ones, I hope this Psalm finds you experiencing this kind of love relationship with the divine. AND, I hope that leaning on God’s everlasting arms allows you to confidently state, “I HAVE NO SHAME.” Being “born again” into a relationship with Jesus Christ certainly has its perks, and being able to live a “shame free” life is one of them. And remember, don’t let “guilt” get you down, but instead motivate you to “get up” and fix stuff. After all, our call to “fix the world” begins with getting our own act together. And if you need a respite along the way, remember, you HAVE a “rock” and a “fortress,” and the eternal hope of a loving, Parent God! Amen.

 

 

The Fix is In

The Fix Is In

 

Luke 4:14-21

Jesus reads the prophet Isaiah 

4:14 Then Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding region.

4:15 He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

4:16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read,

4:17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed,

4:19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

4:20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.

4:21 Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

 

The phrase “the fix is in” may be applied to any contest, from sports to politics, and usually means that what is intended to be a “fair” competition has been tampered with by one or the other party, assuring their “side” wins. In this regard, the sports world has been rife with accusations of a “fix” being “in,” most recently accusations made during NFL playoffs. Some have accused the NFL officials of having a bias in the direction of the Kansas City Chiefs, the current “darlings” of the Super Bowl winning set. It has been said by some that their quarterback, the talented and crafty Patrick Mahomes, “manipulates” the referees into throwing the penalty flag for “roughing the passer” by creatively landing, making it look like he was abused by potential tacklers. Frankly, I don’t see this as any kind of a “fix” or a cheating strategy; if he’s good enough to make it LOOK like he was roughed, and if a tackler came close enough to fouling him on the play such that a ruse like this might work, then more power to him. If there is a “fix” going on in the sports world, I’d look to college football.

 

I have enjoyed watching college football for most of my adult life. However, now it has fully made the transition into a “farm system” for the NFL by allowing college athletes to rather freely transfer between college teams, AND get paid for their “service” to the sport. This comes close to being a “fix,” in my mind. Teams with more prestige, a name-brand coach, and a serious chance at the college playoffs have FAR more leverage to garner players via the “transfer portal” than lesser teams. It’s certainly not the varsity contest it once was, as money—and betting lines—talk. 

 

If there’s a sport that is hard to fix, I’d say it’s fishing. When one goes out to fish, no matter of skill—or specialized equipment, unless it’s a big net—will guarantee catching a fish if they just aren’t biting. Here’s a fish story for you…When my son, Evan, was a little guy, one day he said to me—in the presence of his Mom—“Hey, daddy, could we go FISHING?” I love my son dearly, and while fishing was not something I’d done since my own childhood, I couldn’t say no. Of course, his mother made sure to rub this in so his “bookish” dad wouldn’t back down at this invitation to join the “Bass Masters” beside some pond somewhere. Out we went to buy some fishing tackle, and of course DAD would need a fishing license, so after a hundred and a half well-spent dollars, we went fishing at the small lake at Two Mile Run County Park, where my father was the Assistant Superintendent. 

 

One beautiful, Summer night, we were fishing beside the lake together, and the sun was just starting to dip toward the horizon. Evan was both little and now a little bored, as I don’t think we had caught anything at all, at that point. He asked if he could go play on the playground equipment at the campsite just behind our fishing spot, and I gave assent. While he enjoyed the monkey bars and swings, I put a lure of some kind on my line and continued casting peacefully out onto the still waters, enjoying both the increasingly golden rays of the waning Sun and the smooth, gurgling sounds of the lure, as I reeled it back in after each cast. Then something hit the line, and all hell broke loose! Turns out, it was a something large and rather powerful, and with my lack of fishing prowess, I basically panicked, tugging at the line and attempting to reel in whatever it was. Just offshore, a small boat with two real fishermen was coasting into view, and they, having witnessed the “strike,” began yelling instructions to me as to what to do, quickly noticing my panic. With no better counsel, I kept doing what they suggested, and eventually got a rather large beast—worn out from the struggle with a clueless fisherman—to the edge of the shore. “What is it?” the men in the boat inquired. “It’s a FISH!” shouted a useful idiot from the shore. “Where is the mouth on it?” came the next inquiry. “At the FRONT,” I reported. “No, does it go back under the EYE of the fish?” one boatman asked. “YES” I expertly answered. “It’s a Large Mouth BASS,” came the final response. I thanked the men for schooling me, and then had to figure out how to get this thing off my line, a process that involved a rag (I’m not touching a slimy, live fish), a set of needle-nosed pliers, and my sneaker, to kick the tired old boy back to his freedom. Nope there is no “fix” in the fishing world, just a lot of luck, and some bragging, which came later. If golf is “a good walk, spoiled,” fishing at a placid lake is a serene evening, interrupted. My son soon abandoned his interest in fishing, for which I was grateful, as I found it to have too much risk of actually catching something.

 

How does this relate to our Lukan text involving Jesus reading a text from the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue? I wish it were some clever tie-in to his “I will make you fishers of people” statement, but no, not to be. Instead, we’re looking at the “fix” that is “in” because of his boast that HE is the fulfillment of what the prophet had said some centuries earlier. Jesus IS the “fix that is in” for the ills humanity faces.

 

And we ARE in need of numerous fixes, aren’t we, and I’m talking fixes NOT of a cheating nature, but of a HEALING nature. I confess to having many concerns and fears after this most recent election:

 

It may be a very dark time for those of us who have a bent for social justice, diversity, and inclusion. We need a fix.

 

It seems like it may be a dark time for those of us who believe that immigrants have been the historical lifeblood for this nation, fueling not only come of its most difficult work and fields of labor, but also some of its “fields” needing creative and brilliant minds.

 

Dara and I have been involved with a Working for Justice group that is supporting an Afghan refugee family that arrived in America just after the Christmas holiday. They have joined an adult daughter here, who came for her education, and has a job. They have a number of children, including a younger daughter, who has enrolled in school for the first time, as the Taliban did not permit her to attend school in Afghanistan. We’re excited to be helping them get established in our country, which they hope to make their new home. The President has cut off all travel for refugees from Afghanistan, now.

 

It is certainly a dark time for those of us who have worked for more strict environmental protection laws and less-polluting practices such as green energy production and electric vehicle adoption. We own an electric vehicle, mostly because we want to help heal the environment, and the new administration is already signaling they will withdraw government support of EVs and cut back on funding for new charging stations. This, while our American auto manufacturers have geared up to produce EVs, have designed some of the best of them (we own a Chevy Bolt EUV), and have been quite successful at selling them. Why is this President opposing them? Because he has “adopted” this as one of his political positions, logic not needing to apply.

 

It may well be the beginning of the new “dark ages” for those of us who have always believed the United States is a land of law and order. Presidential “pardons” strike at the center of fair and equal judicial prosecution of persons accused of serious crimes. 

 

And it is a dark time for those of us whose faith beckons us to work for justice and remedies for our nation’s poor, and especially those in need of healthcare. These people need advocates, not abandonment.

 

The Good News is that Jesus will not abandon us in our quest to partner with him in providing a “fix” for these problems. This is clear from today’s scripture passage.  However, we must counter one of the assertions of ultra-conservatives who say that “the church” should take care of the poor and the oppressed, and that it is not a “government problem.” In fact, according to our own Declaration of Independence AND the U.S. Constitution, these ARE within the purview of our government, and while “the church” must do its part to help alleviate such suffering on the part of “the least of these,” it is incapable of meeting the great universe of their needs. It’s a question of the economies of scale.

 

“Economies of scale?” you might ask. Well, it goes like this: if EVERY dime collected in EVERY offering plate of EVERY church, synagogue, or mosque in America were to be dedicated to “feeding the poor,” this total could barely cover the SNAP (food stamp) program. The need is far greater than the religious community—no matter how compassionate and willing it is—can possibly meet. The Declaration of Independence speaks of our “inalienable rights” and of a path to the “pursuit of happiness” for ALL Americans, and the Constitution spells out rights and privileges for “WE the people,” not just “SOME people.” Government cannot abdicate its responsibility to be part of “the fix,” too.

 

Jesus’ fulfillment of the Isaiah passage, “[God] has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed…” is both a promise to and a vision statement for the people of God. Jesus came to BE the fix by participating IN the fix, and by calling his own people to OWN the fix for all who are in need. Coupled with the great Jewish code of hospitality to the immigrants—“strangers in our land”—the Christian may NOT turn her or his back on any of these people. And while responsible immigration laws and application of them is not counter to the goal of making a way for refugees and immigrants to find hope and a home here, they are not meant to slam the door in their face. Neither does any President have the right to do so, as a much “higher authority” is proclaiming what “the fix” is that is “in.” 

 

I know that there are well-meaning people—even many people of faith—who are supporters of this President and many of his policies. This is their right, but this text from Luke DOES urge people of faith in Christ to refrain from advocating against programs and national efforts that address the needs of the poor, the oppressed, and even the “strangers in our land,” if we want to align ourselves with Jesus. We may also disagree about HOW to do this, and what is the most EFFECTIVE way to help, but Jesus just doesn’t allow us to say we don’t have to care. I believe we Christians should do more to explore what “proclaiming the year of God’s favor” might look like! It sounds celebratory to me, and if the poor are fed, the oppressed freed, and the downtrodden lifted up, it would seem like “God’s favor” might just be forthcoming! In the name of the Jesus who IS the fulfillment of these promises, and who calls us to be a partner in the effort—“the fix”—Amen! 

Presents Presents, and Presence

 

Presents Presents, and Presence

 

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

A variety of gifts but one Spirit 

12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be ignorant.

12:2 You know that when you were gentiles, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak.

12:3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Let Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit.

12:4 Now there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit,

12:5 and there are varieties of services but the same Lord,

12:6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.

12:7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

12:8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,

12:9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,

12:10 to another the working of power deeds, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

12:11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

“Gifts” of the Spirit have messed up the church for millennia. I don’t think that was God’s intent. The gifts of the Holy Spirit that Paul addresses several times in his writings, and here in today’s passage from First Corinthians, are meant for “the common good.” Why, then, have they often so divided us? The whole Charismatic/Pentecostal side of the church revel in the “sign” gifts such as speaking in tongues and healing, while less “spirited” branches of the church crave wisdom, knowledge, faith, and discernment of Spirits, all of which seem to have more practical applications than “ecstatic” tongues and Oral Roberts-like “laying on of hands.” 

 

As one who passed through the “Charismatic” movement while having my young-adult “Aldersgate” renewal experience, I am sympathetic to those who venerate and practice the “sign” gifts. I suppose I should explain the Aldersgate reference, first. I grew up in a vital, large United Methodist Church that was blessed with a series of solid clergy leaders, courtesy of the itinerant system practiced by our denomination. And while I was an every week church attender with my family, and even an officer in the youth group while in high school, my Christian faith was pretty pedestrian. I certainly believed in God, and thanks to sitting under good preaching and the witness of faithful lay leaders, I understood the salvific work of Jesus Christ, the importance of his teachings for the world, and his “membership” as part of the godhead. In the denominational church, the role of the Holy Spirit was mostly that of a loving Mom—supportive, soothing, guiding, and protecting. There were no supernatural manifestations of the Spirit’s presence, other than a warm, inner feeling if an anthem was exceptional and “struck a chord” in our psyche, or a particularly poignant sermon hit home. Then, I went off to college to study journalism.

 

One night, while gloating in my college dorm room that my life was unfolding just as I wanted it to, and feeling pretty good about myself, I had a very personal encounter with the Living God. I can’t explain it, really, except to say that I had a “conversation” with God, who seemed to be saying that I was at an important juncture in my life, and that I had been making plans with little consultation with my Creator. This experience, which for me is best understood as my own personal “Aldersgate” moment, set me on a new plane of faith in Christ, one that I am still exploring and growing into, even as a retired pastor at age 70. For Wesley, his experience at a Bible study with a group in a house on London’s Aldersgate Street changed the direction of his life and gave birth to Methodism. For me, my “Aldersgate” experience led me to a sojourn through the “Jesus revolution” happening in the early 1970s, the Charismatic movement paralleling it, and eventually to discern a call into ordained ministry, several years later.

 

During this journey, I fellowshipped with a group of Christians in my home town who were involved with the Charismatic renewal movement, and most especially what we now call the “sign” gifts. At prayer meetings, Bible studies, and even worship services with these folks, it was not unusual to hear some of them “speaking in tongues,” and from time to time, one person might speak out loud in this ecstatic, “heavenly tongue,” followed by another who had the spiritual gift of “interpretation of tongues.” As a late-teen young adult, this was all quite stimulating, as well as quite a fuel for my curiosity. It seemed like a very personal “sideling up” to God, and led many of us normally carnal teenagers into a much deeper relationship WITH God, focused on Jesus. Unfortunately, this fascination with the charismatic gifts also led to disputes over what gifts were still “operative” in the Body of Christ, and which ones should be eschewed or abandoned, due to their schismatic tendencies. This experience has led me to accept the legitimacy of the “sign” gifts, and not to disparage them, when they are properly employed, but to also understand that they may be optional in their incorporation in one’s spiritual practice. As a mainline pastor, I chose to not promote the “sign” gifts, but instead focused on the many other manifestations of the Holy Spirit that truly “built up” or edified the church, such as wisdom, knowledge, faith, and healing.

 

This brings me to what I believe to be the core of this message on the gifts of the Spirit the apostle profiles here. God presents these PRESENTS, as a means of being PRESENT to the church and to its Christ followers, in order to empower their witness and promote the work of the gospel. The goal is not to glorify the gifts themselves, or the people to whom they are gifted. Spiritual gifts are tools, not trophies, or jewelry to be worn as a sign of the intensity of one’s faith. Again, as Paul writes, they are for the COMMON good. With this in mind, maybe a redefining of these gifts, what they “do,” and their application for Christians and the church in 2024 may be in order. Obviously, I’m not God, so this preacher can’t actually “re-order” these gifts, but since each of us IS given much freedom by God as to how and when to “use” them, I am free to make a few suggestions. Here we go.

 

The gift of “knowledge” I have observed is active when laity or clergy manifest a far above normal ability to assimilate, analyze, and act on complicated information or circumstances. Whether planning strategically for a church’s (or a denomination’s) ministry, or addressing the kinds of crises they—or their communities—may face, the Holy Spirit may impart this gift to focus, coordinate, and combine the thoughts of otherwise widely differing persons and their experience fields. This imparted “knowledge” leads to effective collaboration, and builds a community spirit of cooperation, all to advance the cause of the gospel. 

 

“Wisdom” is a gift that may be learned over time, as most of us on the far side of 39 know. However, the Holy Spirit may also offer this gift of knowing HOW to apply knowledge to problems or opportunities, and to make wise decisions, to those without those years of experience. I have seen this gift working in teenagers who otherwise might manifest the typical foibles of the teen years, which get in the way of such “wise” choices. Believe me, when a teenager comes up with a brilliant idea far beyond their years or expertise, the whole room knows the Spirit is afoot! Or when anyone in a meeting called to deal with a presenting issue leans forward and says, “Here’s what I think we should do,” before sharing a game-changer of a strategy, the same applies. Not that people can’t have their own, smart ideas, but there is a witness in the room that more is happening than is humanly possible—it’s the gift of wisdom at work. 

 

The same can be said of such gifts as “working of power deeds,” which may be akin to a supernatural/intellectual “adrenalin boost.” When a team of teenagers and its semi-skilled adult leaders accomplish a Habitat for Humanity blitz-build of an entire house in a week, you had better believe the Holy Spirit had a “power boost” in the mix. The “gift” of faith may be a similar, sudden “turbocharging” of a person’s or a group’s trust in God that gets them through a crisis or leads them to accomplish an audacious goal. The gift of faith may also be viewed as a faith that arises when someone is mired in deep doubt, lifting them out of their spiritual despair. I’ve seen this “gift” granted to a person in the midst of crippling grief or in the face of a life-threatening diagnosis. 

 

While “sign gift” folk see prophecy as God speaking a message directly to humans, I suggest that it is more often granted as a clear, sober view of current reality, which in turn leads to an effective plan or a solution to a difficult problem. A “prophetic” view is the ability to see things from God’s angle, which probably can’t happen, apart from the Spirit’s agency. This accurate, love-centered “picture” is most helpful in the work of social justice. It counters the WAY too often “image” of reality built upon our human self-centeredness.

 

While not wanting to insult my Pentecostal friends by saying anything negative about the gift of “speaking in tongues” or “interpretation of tongues,” I will say that these ARE gifts that the Apostle Paul warns about how they are used. While he admits to speaking in tongues “more than any of you,” and saying it can be a positive gift, he does say that they may not be understood by “unbelievers,” and can be divisive in a public worship service. I see this gift as mostly something other than the “prayer language” or “messages from God” that Pentecostals may employ. In my experience, I have seen these gifts played out most effectively in the mission field where languages other than English are used. People with these gifts have shown an unusual propensity for learning and employing languages other than their native tongue. Colleagues I’ve been on international mission trips with have demonstrated a unique ability to quickly learn and use the languages of the people among whom they are serving, including the occasional very unusual tribal languages of native peoples. While those of us without these spiritual gifts CAN learn other languages, it requires great labor and much practice to do so, and rarely becomes as “natural” to us as it does to those so gifted. When Paul talks of “seeking the better gifts,” this latter understanding of speaking in tongues and interpretation of tongues is what he may have been talking about, as it serves a greater purpose in the ministry of the Gospel message.

 

If you were to ask me which of these gifts stands out the most, I would say “discernment of spirits.” Again, while we all may “learn” to separate legitimate or genuine truth from deception, for example, people with the gift of discernment of spirits have what I would describe as a supernatural ability to detect deception or evil motives at work, and likewise may also discern when GOD is acting or leading, versus merely human agency. The former is an extremely valuable gift to have available in the Body of Christ, for the church—or any fellowship of well-meaning Christian people, for that matter—is too often “ripe” for being exploited by persons seeking to capitalize on our “good intentions” and desire to “love our neighbor.” Interestingly, in several of the churches I served, it was the custodian who manifested this gift! Many times a person would stop by the office with a sob story for the pastor, hoping to use my sympathy/empathy as a path to tapping the “Pastor’s Fund” for aid, and Gary, Dave, or Bob would pull me aside and say something like “Be careful there; something doesn’t ring true about that guy.” I learned to take these “discerned” warnings seriously, and upon a little further conversation with the “client,” found the holes in their story, or caught them in an outright lie about their actual circumstances. I tried not to “judge” these individuals, but these experiences caused me to enter into a pact with my ministerial colleagues in these communities that we would reach out to each other when encountering a person seeking monetary aid. So often when we compared notes, we found these persons to be taking undue advantage of our “assistance.” Again, discerning individuals had the “gift” of being able to detect the error or deception afoot. These same, discerning persons would also often be the ones affirming that they “felt the Spirit’s presence” during the worship service, or “knew” that God was touching a certain person in some way. Discernment of Spirits is an easy gift to recognize. It is the opposite of “paranoia” or skepticism, instead manifesting itself as a kind of “spider sense” in the gifted individual. I would definitely put this one on Paul’s list of “greater gifts”!

 

Two important things stand out in our understanding of this passage about Spiritual gifts: they are “activated by the Holy Spirit,” as the author says; and they manifest the presence of God in the midst of God’s people. As I stated earlier, the spiritual gifts are given for the “edification (building up) of the Body of Christ,” and to be used as tools for ministry and mission. They are NOT jewelry or medals “worn” as a sign of heightened or superior spirituality. As the title of the sermon says, they are PRESENTED by God as PRESENTS to the Body, and they demonstrate God’s PRESENCE in our midst! It just doesn’t get better than that! Oh, and lest I forget, I urge each of you to SEEK these gifts of the Spirit. Don’t shy away from them, as they are essential for accomplishing any church’s vision and carrying out the ministry to which God has called us. Amen!

 

For the Birds...

 

For the Birds

 

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

The baptism of Jesus 

 

3:15 As the people were filled with expectation and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,

 

3:16 John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

 

3:17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

 

3:21 Now when all the people were baptized and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened,

 

3:22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

 

 

I’ve learned a lot from birds. We have a backyard full of them, especially when I feed them with the hundreds of pounds of black oil sunflower seeds I buy at the Mars, PA Agway store. In the Winter, like we are experiencing now, they come in droves. We also provide them with water, via a large “bird wash” that is heated so it doesn’t freeze. Here are a few of the observations of these winged guests:

 

·      Blue Jays are mean birds, usually chasing other birds away from the feeder, a behavior I really don’t understand, given that they tend to land, grab a seed or two, and fly off to a nearby tree to crack the shell and eat the seed. Why do they feel they have to arrange for exclusive access to the feeder when this is how they feed? If they were people, they might remind me of those folk who take forever ordering their food in the drive-in lines at fast-food places, then take more time checking through their order at the pick-up window, while others wait behind them. Unlike the drive-up folk, though, at least the Jays are pretty, and they put on an exciting show at the bird wash, even though they do manage to splash much of the water out onto the ground during their “performance.”

 

·      I can see why Cardinals are most folks’ favorite Winter birds. The male of the species is beautiful, with its bright red feathers that stand out so nicely against the newly fallen snow. The males seem to stand guard in the low branches of nearby trees while the females get their fill of seed, before taking their turn at the feeder. And then while the males perch at the feeder, they seem to intentionally “kick out” seed from the feeder to the ground birds below, only pausing to eat every few cycles. Again, they seem to be watching over the ground birds as they eat. They appear to be courteous and caring members of the bird community, and while accompanying their paired female at the bird wash, they hold back until the female has drunk her fill and leaves before drinking, themselves. 

 

·      In the Winter, I supply the cages on the side of our Audubon feeder with suet cakes, having read that birds need the extra fat during the cold months. While the other birds do occasionally visit the suet stations, they are mostly monopolized by the two or three species of woodpeckers that we see. Mostly we see the Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, and boy, do they hit the suet hard, especially when it’s really cold. I guess if your standard modus operandi involves rapidly smacking your beak on a tree to bore a hole to lure food into, you might need to rethink that process when the temperature falls into the teens, so a convenient suet cake is your “drive-in” option. I rarely see the woodpeckers at the seed perches, but neither are they territorial at the suet cakes if other birds decide to take a hit. And they don’t give ground if a Blue Jay tries to shew them from it, either. They seem to know their place at the feeder, and respect the other birds.

 

·      We see numerous other little finches and wrens at the feeder, many of which prefer to glean the ground feed kicked out by the Cardinals. The little Purple and House Finches will actually cue up along the deck railing for their turn in line at the bird wash, too. They are both polite and skittish, rapidly flitting away if I glance at them through the window. The finches seem to be the “cleanest” of the backyard birds, frequently taking long and vigorous baths in the bird wash. 

 

·      I confess that my favorite of the backyard birds are the Mourning Doves. These chubby rascals visit in small flocks, may be seen perching to feed, from time to time, but preferring to peck through the ground feed. While leaving the other birds alone, they DO manifest a bit of territorial mastery with each other, especially while feeding immediately under the feeder. They are fun to watch when they perch to feed, as their balance isn’t all that great, and they kind of teeter. The same is true when they perch along the edge of the bird wash, which they will often do for minutes at a time. They are not at all bashful about it, and will literally stare back at me when I am watching them at the bird wash from the window. This time of year, they seem to be rather portly, but not being an ornithologist, I’m guessing this could be extra fluffy feathers? I like to watch them take off, too, as they are a bit like a C-130 cargo plane trying to get its big carcass in the air, and they make a funny little noise when they take flight. It sounds a bit like the “whoop, whoop, whoop” that Curly of the Three Stooges used to employ. I imagine the “MDs,” as I call them for short, to have personalities much like Curly’s, as they don’t seem exceptionally bright. However, when they sing their song, I just stop what I’m doing and listen, as it is quite profound. It’s somber, haunting tone is obviously why they are called “Mourning Doves.” I find their song peaceful and soothing. While the MDs appear slow and sluggish, I have never seen one of our neighborhood’s roaming cats get even close to nailing one, as they always seem to get airborne just in the nick of time. 

 

Birds have a prominent place in our biblical record of the Judeo-Christian faith, too. Jesus referenced birds when he said in Matthew, “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” He also said that “Not a sparrow falls from the sky without the Father’s consent.” At the least, Jesus was a birdwatcher! However, the “starring bird” of the Bible is most certainly the dove, which is mentioned over 50 times. The dove is a symbol of both peace and reconciliation in these references. Remember that after the flood, Noah sends out a dove, and when it brings an olive branch back in its beak, he knew the flood was ending? The dove with the olive branch has become a symbol of peace. Doves were also sacrifices offered in the temple, including by Mary and Joseph when they presented Jesus. 

 

Today’s text from the Revised Common Lectionary is the “Baptism of the Lord” text, and it is a dove that comes down from heaven as a “bodily form” representing the Holy Spirit coming upon Jesus. As mysterious as doves are—especially my little friends the Mourning Doves--the Holy Spirit does them one better, doesn’t she? 

 

[It has been my practice to use the feminine pronoun when talking about the Holy Spirit, as a means of inclusion in the Godhead. The New Testament word for Holy Spirit—pneuma—is feminine, and in the Godhead, we have the “Father,” the “Son,” and why not the “feminine” presence of God in the Holy Spirit? I have always felt this made good sense, given that the Holy Spirit is a PERSON of the Godhead, not an “it,” or just some “force” emanating from God, and if a person, why NOT understand the Holy Spirit as feminine in nature given that WE are made in God’s image, and “male” and “female” are at the ends of the sexuality continuum. God embodies the entire spectrum, which includes female, so I tend to refer to the Holy Spirit as “she.” And YES, it gets me into trouble with the conservatives, but I stand by it.]

 

In Jesus’ time, the idea of the Holy Spirit was hard to define. God was certainly viewed by the ancients as a “spiritual being,” and God’s “Spirit” was a thing, but being strict monotheists, the Jews would not have seen the Spirit as anything but some “extension” or manifestation of the one God. In actuality, Christians and our belief in the Holy Trinity ALSO believe in ONE God, but manifest in three “persons,” a construct which drives the monotheists crazy. Christians do not believe in three Gods, but we do postulate God as manifesting Godself as a “community” or a “family,” in three “persons.” It is considered heresy to “de-personify” the Holy Spirit into some benevolent force or “power” sent forth by God, as stated earlier. The “bodily” reference of the dove in the Luke text is quite important, in this regard, but a dove? Why a dove? In the context of the event of Jesus’ baptism, the dove—a symbol of peace and reconciliation—descending from heaven an alighting on Jesus makes perfect sense, as Jesus, himself, will BE the Prince of Peace, and the means of reconciliation for all of humankind. Doves descend gently, they don’t divebomb, as is often depicted on stained-glass windows, and their soothing sounds remind us that God loves us, redeems us, heals us, and wants peace to be a reality, “alighting” on the human community. 

 

Of course, there is another element of the dove, as I related in my earlier description of the Mourning Doves in my backyard—they are patently unpredictable. How great is THAT as a symbolic element of the Holy Spirit? I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been able to predict regularly and accurately the way which the “wind” of the Holy Spirit is blowing, and when it DOES become clear, then I have to make the choice to FOLLOW that “wind” in the direction she chooses, even when I’m not fully passionate about it. God’s Spirit has her own agenda—God’s agenda—and it does not always align with MY agenda! Just when I think I’ve got God figured out, the dove of the Holy Spirit does that “Whoop! Whoop! Whoop!” thing and flies off in a different direction. If I close my eyes and put myself in a prayerful, “listening” attitude, though, I may hear that comforting, soothing song of the Spirit.

 

Unpredictable? The Celtic Christians have long seen the Wild Goose as the symbolic “bird” of the Holy Spirit, for precisely this reason. As they say, the Wild Goose pops up when you least expect it, it does what IT wants to do, and you simply can’t tame it. In the Celtic Christian tradition, this makes much more sense as a an analog for the Holy Spirit, who likewise is not “tamable” and is working GOD’S agenda, not ours. And those things can get NASTY with you, if you don’t pay attention!

 

I guess the general idea of some type of “bird” reference for God’s Holy Spirit works for me, having spent so much time watching the “community” of birds in my backyard, as they seem to work things out, just like we need to be able to do in the Christian church, if we are to accomplish the mission of the Gospel. And while the Holy Spirit was sent by God to “alight” on us and on the church, she was also meant to fly and sing, and these are two things the church must do, both to praise God and to SERVE God. Like I learn from birds, so we may learn from our charismatic or Pentecostal siblings who spend much time “tuning in” to the Holy Spirit and yielding to her leading. The work of the Holy Spirit is not just “for the birds,” nor is it to be ignored by the modern Christian who wants to be a “tuned in” disciple and servant leader. In this regard, the church needs more Cardinals to guard and feed the community, and Mourning Doves to offer the soothing song. And that haunting song serves to remind us that it was a death that launched our redemption, but the “Whoop! Whoop! Whoop!” of taking flight that reminds us that a resurrection empowers us and gives us hope! Maybe THAT’S what the church needs—more “Whoop!” Amen!

Your Lavish Riches

Your Lavish Riches

 

Ephesians 1:3-14

The will of God made known in Christ 

1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,

1:4 just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.

1:5 He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will,

1:6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace

1:8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight

1:9 he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ,

1:10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

1:11 In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will,

1:12 so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.

1:13 In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;

1:14 this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.

 

Beginning the New Year with grace sure sounds like a good idea. We human beings seem to have a problem with generating our own grace, so let’s talk about God’s grace, for the purpose of this first 2025 sermon. Biblically, we tend to define GOD’S grace as “God’s unmerited favor.” Like any definition or explanation of the Holy Trinity, this definition falls far short of all that God’s grace—extended to the creation and especially humankind—actually is. We know that God has shown grace to God’s people since the proverbial Garden of Eden, or we all wouldn’t be here, at least as we and Hollywood tend to understand Deity. In fact, maybe THIS is our problem in defining grace—we’ve got GOD all wrong. What if God IS grace, even as the Bible says God IS love? What if the very existence of God IS as a being who, from the earliest thoughts of the creation to Earth’s final whimper, is a giant “Pez dispenser” of grace? 

 

This would be the thought of a process theologian. The “grandaddy of them all” passed away late last year—the United Methodist scholar, John Cobb. Process Theology sees God AS a dispenser of grace, with the goal of reconciling all of creation AND the human community into a concrescent, loving community. While some have criticized Process Theology as “non-Christian” because it purportedly has a “weak Christology,” I would submit that for the Process thinker, Christ is the ultimate “concrescent” being—fully encompassing both God AND humanity. And as such, Christ introduces into the human community the possibility of total unity with God AND each other. In Christ, the grace-giving God offers what Karl Barth said was the great “YES” to the world, making possible humanity’s full reconciliation and redemption. Without the Christ event, God historically had to just keep “luring” humanity toward blessedness by laying down bits of saving grace like breadcrumbs before a hungry animal. After the Incarnation and the totality of the Christ Event, humanity is now “enlightened” to see the flow of God’s grace and to live in such a way as to stay within that “flow.” Our journey’s path is not perfectly straight, due to our fits, foibles, and imperfections, but it IS “moving on to perfection,” as Mr. Wesley might put it.

 

Speaking of Mr. Wesley, he was partly famous for being a preacher of grace, and for attempting to shine a light on God’s grace in such a way as to help us understand how it applies to our lives. He saw God’s grace taking three forms:

 

PREVENIENT grace, or that which “goes before.” Prevenient grace was that which guided a “pre-cognitive” human being Godward. United Methodists put a lot of weight behind prevenient grace, believing it is particularly the agent of Christian baptism, and most especially of infant baptism. 

 

JUSTIFYING grace, or the “grace of salvation.” Justifying grace is that which offers the “all-ee, all-ee IN free” to humanity through the Christ Event. It is a “yes” grace, announcing to the world GOD’S “yes,” and then eliciting a “yes” response from the person recognizing and receiving this “saving” grace. 

 

SANCTIFYING grace, or the “on to perfection” grace. Sanctifying grace is that which guides us to “live out” what we believe, as Christians, and to work toward becoming the person WE want to be and which GOD wants us to be. (Incidentally, as a Process Theology thinker, I would suggest that most of Process Theology operates in the realm of this sanctifying grace.)

 

The most controversial of the Wesleyan “graces” would have to be JUSTIFYING grace. Conservative “Methodists” pretty much ascribe to the “Four Spiritual Laws” idea of popular evangelicalism. It goes something like this: we are sinners, needing God’s pardon, or we’re eternal toast; in Christ’s shedding of blood and death on the cross, human sin is “atoned for”; if we say the Sinner’s Prayer and confess Christ as lord, this “blood is applied,” and we are forgiven by God; and then God has a “wonderful plan for our life.” The hope of all evangelicals is that THEIR process leads to a dramatic transformation of the sinful life, and living happily ever after. The problem with it is that rarely is this the actual human reality. I have met too many Christians who deeply struggle with the fact that their lives are NOT going the way this evangelical thought-line teaches it SHOULD, and they feel so shamed by it. Oh, there ARE the occasional, miraculously-transformed lives, but this is not the experience of so many, who are chastised for “not following the program,” and made to own the blame of their faith malaise. Where’s the grace in that? The other problem with this evangelical model is that it is not Wesleyan.

 

Wesley certainly advocated a disciplined life for his followers, but it was launched and fully empowered by GOD’S grace, and in its striving for perfection, advocated for “acts of mercy,” or the “good works” of the faithful. In helping to bring about human social justice and helping those victimized by the social stratifications of the monied interests, we became co-creators of a more beloved, “concrescent” community, moving ourselves AND the human community toward God’s “perfection.” Wesley understood—and taught—that this “perfection” had nothing to do with “law” and everything to do with grace and love. God was pleased when God’s people were fed, clothed, sheltered, and embraced, NOT just by individual Christians keeping a list of rules which are often mislabeled as “God’s law.” The purpose of God’s “law” was to bring about the concrescent, beloved community, in the first place, NOT just to appease Deity. We sure get that all backwards. Mr. Wesley did not, but WAY too many folk who consider themselves Wesleyan do. 

 

While we’re at it, let me suggest two other “elements” of grace to add to John Wesley’s Prevenient, Justifying, and Sanctifying:

 

INDIVIDUAL grace, or the grace YOU need. It is clear from the life of Jesus that God does NOT see us as just a bunch of smelly sheep needing a random shepherd. Jesus cast himself as the GOOD shepherd who “knows his sheep’s voice.” Each person has value to God, and God offers grace that each of us needs. Clearly, MY needs may be VERY different than YOUR needs. Jesus Christ is not a “one size fits all” Savior! If it is true that “every hair (or follicle) on our head is numbered,” then God sees us for who we are and understands what we need to thrive at any one moment. (Here we are in the Process Theology model again, aren’t we?) 

 

CORPORATE grace, or the grace that empowers concrescent, beloved community, and that is essential to its ongoing unfolding in the “real” world, and to its survival. Corporate grace is the grace of the church, or the “Body of Christ,” and it is the grace wielded by the Holy Spirit as she weaves us together and guides our pathways toward God’s goal of a SINGLE pathway toward reconciliation and “concrescence” with Godself and each other.

 

I’m tempted to suggest yet another form of grace: the grace of patience, as we certainly struggle with each other’s current sitz im leben, which “must be wrong,” for it differs from MINE, and we all know I must be right!(?) We surely need this kind of grace to survive our political “civil war,” don’t we? I don’t really think God has a “grace” of patience, but since it IS listed among the “fruit of the Spirit,” the wider means of God’s grace can apply.

 

I called this message “Your Lavish Riches,” because I DO believe that this precisely describes God’s GRACE, offered to us “without price,” other than the price of belief and practice. The Ephesians text makes it clear that God has “lavished” this gift of grace upon us. “Lavished” is an incredible verb! A God who “lavishes” is a God who profoundly loves, not judges. A lavishing God is one who loves all that God has created. A lavishing God grieves when one of God’s “little ones” stumbles. A lavishing God wants the best for us, but ALSO for YOU. 

 

As I write this message about God’s grace, as the author describes in the Ephesians passage, and how God “lavishes” it upon us all, the words of one of my favorite hymns from “The Faith We Sing” goes through my head, which maybe summarizes this discussion of grace:

1.I was there to hear your borning cry, I'll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized to see your life unfold. 

I was there when you were but a child, with a faith to suit you well;
in a blaze of light you wandered off to find where demons dwell. 

2.When you heard the wonder of the Word I was there to cheer you on;
you were raised to praise the living Lord, to whom you now belong. 

If you find someone to share your time and you join your hearts as one,
I’ll be there to make your verses rhyme from dusk till rising sun. 

3.In the middle ages of your life, not too old, no longer young,
I’ll be there to guide you through the night, complete what I’ve begun.
When the evening gently closes in and you shut your weary eyes,
I’ll be there as I have always been, with just one more surprise.

I was there to hear your borning cry, I’ll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized to see your life unfold. 

Friends, God’s grace IS “unfolding” us, and it is indeed being lavished upon us! May 2025 be a year in which we come to understand just how RICH we are! Amen.