majoring in the minors

Scripture: Mark 7

Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, ²they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. ³(For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands,^* thus observing the tradition of the elders; ⁴and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it;^* and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.^*) ⁵So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not live^* according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?’ ⁶He said to them, ‘Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written,
“This people honors me with their lips,
   but their hearts are far from me;
⁷ in vain do they worship me,
   teaching human precepts as doctrines.”
⁸You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.’ 9 Then he said to them, ‘You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition! ¹⁰For Moses said, “Honor your father and your mother”; and, “Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.” ¹¹But you say that if anyone tells father or mother, “Whatever support you might have had from me is Corban” (that is, an offering to God^*)— ¹²then you no longer permit doing anything for a father or mother, ¹³thus making void the word of God through your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many things like this.’

Observation:

An initial read of this story suggests that there is some internal conflict or debate within first century Judaism having to do with interpretations of Scripture (the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament) and human-formed religious traditions or rules.  Like most religions and cultures, there were purity rules that were followed to one degree or another.  These cleanliness laws protected people from disease (thought to be related to evil spirits and the power of sin in the world).   We know a lot more about the spread of infection now.  And we know that washing hands is important for prevention.  No one today would argue that purity rules are important in avoiding the spread of infection.  So, what's Jesus' point?  Apparently, Jesus' followers were not participating in the routine purity practices around meals.  They were ignoring these traditions and eating with dirty hands. This disobedience marked them as "unclean" or "impure" and kept them outside the "safe community".  But Jesus turns the matter onto their accusers,  the religious leaders. He suggests that they are living as hypocrites, ignoring what truly matters in order to follow their "human traditions". They validate their own sense of "holiness" or "righteousness" as God's people, while excluding people who do not observe the way they do.  Jesus is intolerant of traditions and routines that create insiders and outsiders.  He's even angry about the way they use the rules to ignore greater responsibilities. 

Application:

We can get stuck in routines, patterns, and habits that distract us from doing the things that truly matter.  Churches (late 20th century American congregations) have too often "majored in the minors"---focusing energy and resources on things that matter only to a few "insiders" but mean nothing to the rest of the neighborhood, community, or world.  Church buildings and pipe organs became religious idols that determined a congregation's financial stewardship.  I have heard congregational leaders say, "We can't take care of the community until we take care of ourselves first".  It's no wonder so many people have abandoned American religion.
But Jesus' movement did not have a building (not even the temple) or a fancy instrument.  The only instruments were the voices and the healing hands of his followers.  We need to be discerning and critical of any religious requirement that threatens to take us off mission and message   The mission and message are reconciliation, forgiveness, healing, and inclusion of those who have been rejected, cast out, or marginalized in any way.  We are called to embrace those as beloved children of the one God.   And when routines, rituals, or religious activity gets in the way of the people we're supposed to care about, then we ought to stop doing them. 

Prayer:

Lord, you are critical of religious people who care a lot about minor things, but are indifferent toward major things; congregations and churches that care about furniture and instruments, but do not care about racial or economic injustice.  Keep us focused on the people and things that you care about.  Give us hearts that beat like yours.  Amen.  

an adverse wind

Scripture:  Mark 6:45-52.

45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray.
47 When evening came, the boat was out on the lake, and he was alone on the land. ⁴⁸When he saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came towards them early in the morning, walking on the lake. He intended to pass them by. ⁴⁹But when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; ⁵⁰for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’ ⁵¹Then he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, ⁵²for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

Observation:

After a day of teaching and feeding hungry people, Jesus spends time alone in the mountains in prayer.  He sends the disciples on ahead of him.  They experience an adverse wind on the lake.  Without Jesus, they struggle to make headway.  I always wondered about Jesus' intention to pass them by.  But they do see him walking on the water and are afraid.  As soon as he enters the boat, the wind stops.  I also wonder about the last sentence; "they were utterly astounded for they did not understand about the loaves, but their heart were hardened".  What did the mutliplication of loaves have to do with their astonishment about Jesus' power to walk on water?  And what does hard heartedness have to do with this story?  Are they struggling to comprehend his power?  Are they failing to understand his identity as God's anointed messenger?  They fail to perceive the truth about Jesus. 

Application:

It's difficult to understand Jesus' actions and abilities.  He is fully human like me and you; and he is somehow different.  He is able to do things we cannot do.  He walks on water.  He calms waves.  He multiplies loaves of bread.  He has enough energy to teach, heal, and feed thousands of people and then abandons his disciples to remain alone on a mountain to pray.  He causes fear and says "Don't be afraid."  The disciples are entering D2, a season of conscious incompetence.  They will fail to understand or believe Jesus, even while they watch and listen and experience him in action every day. 
Think of a time when you struggle to comprehend something that was taking place; when you had a hard time learning something.  We all have these challenges.  They are part of any learning process.  We hit a wall, a point of uncertainty, a moment of doubt when we fail to comprehend.  Any life of faith that is real will encounter a D2 period, when one does not know or understand.  God is gracious and patient with us when we do.  It is necessary for growth to go through these times.  We must face the harsh headwinds of uncertainty and ignorance, in order to experience the calm and peace of new understanding.  This moment on the water will begin to prepare the disciples for another experience, in which they will see Jesus and not know how he is alive with them.  Perhaps then they will remember this time and trust that what they are seeing is possible and real.  Sometimes God gives us experiences we don't understand that will only become clear to us in the future.    

Prayer:

Lord, sometimes we don't understand you, what you're doing or what you're teaching us.  Be gracious and patient with us. Encourage us to keep following you, even when we fail to perceive your powerful presence.  Amen.

rebels, rule-followers, and rescuers

Based on Luke 15 and the story of the Father and his two sons.

Grace and peace from God the Father and the savior Jesus Amen.

Two people.  Two very different worlds.  The rebel and the rule-follower.  The rebel resists authority; the rebel is self-indulgent, following his or her passions or cravings; the rebel is not typically religious unless it benefits him or herself; the rebel is not concerned with the law, sees himself as above the law, is willing to break the law for selfish gain.  They are not interested in rewards or entitlements, they prefer to take what they want; The rebel values personal freedom above all else, even if the exercise of that freedom hurts others; The rebel likes chaos; the rebel is often not a planner; The rebel takes risks, chooses adventure over stability; they want to have fun; and thinks rule followers are hypocrites.  The rebel lives excessively and love extravagance and likes to share it with others; They think everyone should be a rebel.

The rule follower despises the rebel; they value obedience above all else; they follow authority whether they agree or not; the rule follower is self-righteous and judges others based on the rules they follow; non-compliance is a betrayal, treasonous; rule-followers believe in conditional rewards and entitlements, they expect to be rewarded for good behavior;  the rule-follower is religious because it’s right to be so and because they anticipate a reward for fidelity; They think you get what you deserve; they practice stability, consistency, hard work, thoughtful planning, thriftiness, discipline. Think boy scout.  They appreciate simplicity.  They think everyone should be a rule-follower and those who are not should be punished. 

Now, a show of hands---who self-describes as a rebel?  A rule-follower?  Neither?  Then you’re a rebel.  Unless you don’t think you are…then you’re a rule follower. 

Some of you might think, I’m a little of both.  These are generalized caricatures, to be sure. And there’s a dark side and a light side to both, right?  We can identify people who conform to these persona though, can’t we?  There are people who rigidly follow the rules and people who go their own way.  We admire people who are purists in both camps.  Superman is a rule follower.  Batman is a rebel.  You can be either of these and be rich or poor, educated or uneducated, black or white, man or woman.  These types cross cultural, social, economic borders.  Because they speak of the human condition.  Think of famous pairings; Cain and Abel.  Jacob and Esau. Laverne and Shirley; Bert and Ernie.      

The whole gospel is contained in the story we heard this morning.  It’s a story told to self-righteous rule-following religious Pharisees and rebellious tax collectors and sinners; It’s a story about these two brothers; the rebel and the rule follower.  The younger son demands his inheritance, one third of the family property.  He wants it immediately, thus abandoning his place as a son, and rejecting his father.  You get an inheritance after all when a loved one dies.  And his father divides it up.  He had to sell off a third of his livestock and land to pay off the younger son. This will affect retirement and the elder son’s inheritance. No one in their right mind does what the father does.  But people do.  More often than we care to discuss. 

The younger son takes off to another country.  Spends all the money on lavish living. He goes broke and a famine strikes; when he runs out of everything, he gets a job slopping pigs on a farm.  This is rock bottom for the Pharisees in the room. Can we get a collective “EW”?  Thanks.  When he’s finally realized how bad things are, he comes up with a plan.  Highly unrebel-like. He rehearses a speech. He doesn’t expect entitlements.  He’s willing to be hired as a laborer. He’s still not willing to be the son.

He makes his way home.  And then the father runs out to him.  He does not wait for the son to come groveling.  He meets him on the road.  The son starts his routine.  I wonder if he thought the father might beat him.  Instead he embraces and kisses him.  Go get the best robe in the house (his own robe), the ring and prepare a feast.  The son is reinstated, restored, welcomed, received.  He hardly apologizes. He shows up dirty and broke.  And the Father throws him a party?  What? No consequences?  He says, “he was dead and is alive again, lost and has been found.”

The elder son catches wind of it and refuses to join the fun.  Not sure this guy would know fun if it bit him in the you know where.  He’s angry, bitter, indignant.  When the Father leaves the party to beg him to come in, the elder son says, “All these years I have slaved for you and never disobeyed you but you never gave me even a goat to have a party with my friends; but when this son of yours (denying brotherhood) who spent all your money on prostitutes comes home, you through him a party?  He sees himself as a slave, not a son.  And he doesn’t want a relationship with the father either, just enough reward to enjoy a dinner with friends.  Of course reinstatement means the elder’s inheritance will be divided with the younger again, so he’ll get less than 2/3 of the original estate.   

The Father is concerned about only one thing; Coming home.  My sons are with me.  He is willing to share everything with both of them.  He is mostly concerned about the younger, who was dead and is alive, lost and is now found.”  Will the elder son come around and embrace his younger brother? Will they live happily ever after? What does this teach us?

Jesus represents a third person, another way.  The reconciling rescuer.  He stands between the two groups, the two brothers.  He welcomes the younger rebels home with open arms (he eats with them) and invites the elder rule followers to open their hearts and do the same.  Jesus comes to rescue us from ourselves and to reconcile us to one another and to the father who loves us all extravagantly, absurdly, and unconditionally.  Jesus represents the rule-follower who loves to be with the rebels. He restores the only condition of our humanity that truly matters; we are one family to the God and Father who loves us all. Come home, he says.  Come home.   Amen.      

leftovers

Scripture: Mark 6
when Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd. At the sight of them, his heart broke—like sheep with no shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them.
^35-36 When his disciples thought this had gone on long enough—it was now quite late in the day—they interrupted: “We are a long way out in the country, and it’s very late. Pronounce a benediction and send these folks off so they can get some supper.”
³⁷ Jesus said, “You do it. Fix supper for them.”
They replied, “Are you serious? You want us to go spend a fortune on food for their supper?”
³⁸ But he was quite serious. “How many loaves of bread do you have? Take an inventory.”
That didn’t take long. “Five,” they said, “plus two fish.”
^39-44 Jesus got them all to sit down in groups of fifty or a hundred—they looked like a patchwork quilt of wildflowers spread out on the green grass! He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples, and the disciples in turn gave it to the people. He did the same with the fish. They all ate their fill. The disciples gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. More than five thousand were at the supper.

Observation:  Jesus' disciples were tired and hungry.  They're ready for the day to end and for the crowd to disperse.  "Send them away to fend for themselves," they suggest.  But Jesus has another idea. "You give them something to eat."  Of course, their resources are scarce and the needs are excessive---thousands of hungry people, 5 loaves of bread and two fish (barely enough for Jesus and his disciples).  Jesus invites the crowd to sit and then he takes, blesses, breaks, and gives the bread to them.  And all are fed and are satisfied and there are 12 baskets left over!  Scarcity becomes abundance.  Resistance becomes generosity. Hunger becomes satisfaction.  An end to the day's work becomes a promise of more feeding yet to come (leftovers!)  It's amazing!

Application:  God is willing and able to provide in ways we can't imagine or believe.  Because God is the creator and giver of life.  And food is a gift of creation for all living things.  I have seen abundance appear where once there was scarcity.  If you create the conditions and the intention, God will provide.  Peter's Porch was started after some leaders listened to this story and heard Jesus command us to "give them something to eat."  By creating a hospitable feeding ministry, more resources have become available to us.  We receive generous gifts all the time that allow us to do more than we ever thought possible, to serve more people than we ever imagined we could.  Jesus is all about multiplication.  His "UP" relationship with God allows his relational mission ("OUT") to thrive.  He gives away his powers, so that others might do what he does.  Disciples are "equipped' with "baskets full of leftovers", so that they can continue the work of "feeding the hungry."   What have we been given in abundance that we are invited/challenged to share with those who hunger?  What hungers exist around us that cry out to be satisfied?   If you could ask God for more of something, what would that be? 

Prayer:  Jesus, your generosity amazes us.  Your resourcefulness surprises us.  Your commands challenge us.  Forgive our reluctance and our belief in scarcity.  Give us baskets full of leftovers to continue your mission of generosity. Amen.  
 

Rest

Scripture: Mark 6:30-24. 

^30-31 The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. Jesus said, “Come off by yourselves; let’s take a break and get a little rest.” For there was constant coming and going. They didn’t even have time to eat.

^32-34 So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves. Someone saw them going and the word got around. From the surrounding towns people went out on foot, running, and got there ahead of them. When Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd. At the sight of them, his heart broke—like sheep with no shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them.

Observation:
"God designed us to be productive.  But we build our identities around our activities.  We are not living in the truth of who God created us to be.  We have become human "doings" rather than human "beings".  We need a biblical framework for a rhythm of life that allows us to be fruitful in balance with being at rest." --Mike Breen, "Building a Discipling Culture."   He points out that God created human kind and commanded them to rest on the Sabbath day.  God established a creative/recreative rhythm that requires rest.  We are not made to work 24/7/365.  We are made in God's image, and God rests.
Mike goes on to suggest that our productivity as people of faith begins with rest.  We grow and bear fruit out of a season of abiding in the still presence of God.  This is not easy for American busy bodies like us.  We reverse the order and usually crash exhausted after a period of overwhelming busyness.  Rest comes only after we're worn out, weary, and dragging.  We are a commodity society of endless production that considers rest a sign of weakness.  And we are teaching our kids this vicious cycle by involving them in as many extracurricular activities as we can tokeep us endlessly running and constantly moving.  
In contrast, Jesus invites his enthusiastic disciples to take a break and rest after their first exciting and successful day out on mission together.  They were literally running low on fuel, with no time even to eat!  Rather than send them back out, he invites them to come away on retreat with him. 
While they rest at his feet, Jesus teaches the crowds who gathered around them.  He invites more than his disciples into his rest.  He invites crowds of people---all anxious and restless, looking for help and guidance for their lives. I suspect Jesus invited all of them to relax and trust in their creator to provide for them in every need.  No need to work now.  Rest and let God do the work.   

Application:
 We are made to live in a holy and healthy rhythm of rest and work, abiding and frutifulness (see Gospel of John chapter 15).  Jesus knows you need times for rest, reflection, restoration, and re-creation.  Every day. Every week.  Every month and season and year. This contemporary culture will work us to death if we let it.  It will devour all of our time, our attention, our physical and mental energy and reserves until we have nothing left.  Have you ever been so busy that you failed to stop to eat? I have, more often than I care to admit. 
This week, make sure you're getting to rest (not just enough sleep).  Rest includes time apart with your beloved community, your extended family.  
What restful activity is restorative to you?  What would restful worship look like?  How can dinner church and huddle be space/time of restoration for us? 

Prayer :
O Lord, you bid us come and rest awhile and you see how busy and restless we are.  Help us to choose your life rhythm.  Help us to find balance and teach us to trust you to do the heavy lifting today.  Amen.   

sent

^{Scripture: Mark 6:7-13.}

^7-8 Jesus called the Twelve to him, and sent them out in pairs. He gave them authority and power to deal with the evil opposition. He sent them off with these instructions:

^8-9 “Don’t think you need a lot of extra equipment for this. You are the equipment. No special appeals for funds. Keep it simple.
¹⁰ “And no luxury inns. Get a modest place and be content there until you leave.
¹¹ “If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.”
^12-13 Then they were on the road. They preached with joyful urgency that life can be radically different; right and left they sent the demons packing; they brought wellness to the sick, anointing their bodies, healing their spirits.

Observation:  Jesus did not do what he did alone.  He invited 12 others to join with him in the health and justice movement he was advancing.  12 people would remind the Jews of their origin story in Genesis, in which the 12 tribes of Israel were first identified.  He sent them in pairs.  This sending onto mission is what gave them the title "apostles" which means "sent".  No one goes alone. Partnership is an important characteristic of this movement. This mission required a community of friends, willing to go all in together. 
Jesus gives them power to "deal with the opposition."   And he advises them about their response to rejection, as if they ought to expect it.  These people were not well-trained experts.  They were not experienced leaders or practitioners of this work.  Jesus suggests that they don't need anything more, that their presence is enough.  It is clear, however, that they were sent to people who were sick, to people who were failing to thrive, to people who were disoriented, to people who were struggling to live "in the light." The opposition included religious people, political leaders, and those whose power came from wealth.  It also included mental and physical illness.  

Application:   Jesus chooses ordinary people to spread the good news of God's powerful mercy.  He recruits and sends people who are willing to go and share.  It is a movement of anybodies for everybody, and especially for those who desired healing and a better life.  The learning is in the doing of the work, the encounters they will face along the way.  Participants can anticipate rejection, because we are challenged to confront systems of injustice, oppression, and sin.  (Sin is the inner condition of the human heart that draws us away  from the right path, the lighted way, the good and righteous cause.  Both indifference to evil and active malice are equally sinful.  No one is exempt from it's power.)  When it's hard, we ought not to get discouraged, but simply move on.  Jesus' followers have seen and heard him in action, and are now invited to imitate him. He expected them to be able to do what he did. And they did it!  Simplicity, humility, community, and joy characterize their journey.  We have been invited to be part of Jesus' healing work, too.   

Prayer:  O Lord, we dare to believe that we can be your disciples.  Send us together to spread your compassion, your forgiveness, your peace.  Give us courage to confront injustice with urgency and hope.    Amen.

rejected

Scripture: Mark 6:1-6

He left that place and came to his home town, and his disciples followed him. ²On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, ‘Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! ³Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary^* and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offence^* at him. ⁴Then Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honour, except in their home town, and among their own kin, and in their own house.’ ⁵And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. ⁶And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Observation:  Jesus has had a successful road trip in which he has confronted illness and suffering, brought healing and mercy to individuals and communities suffering under the weight of oppression and hopelessness.  His mission is bringing hope to a population of people who feel abandoned by God.  They are victims of imperial violence and economic paralysis.  They experience, in Jesus, the possibility that God is still with them.  They see him as a messenger from God, a prophet, the Messiah (anointed by God to save Israel).   

Now, he comes home.  And he is received with incredulity.  The people who know him the best, know his story and his family, are unable to experience him in this new vocation as a prophetic teacher and healer.  They are shocked by his authoritative teaching.  Where did this come from? They ask. He is rendered practically powerless by their disbelief.  Jesus’ humanity is highlighted in this experience in Nazareth.  They simply cannot receive him as anyone other than the carpenter, the son of Mary.  It’s a reminder to us that before Jesus’ adult baptism and spiritual conversion, he was known as an ordinary Galilean Jew.  His life changed at the river and the wilderness and he was inspired/empowered to be a teacher/healer.   

Application:     It’s not easy to accept when someone experiences a significant change in their lives; when someone goes through a kairos and comes out of it a different person with a new set of values, goals, purpose/mission.  When someone suggests that God has spoken to them, called them, reached into their lives we may be skeptical.  The people who know us the longest or best may have the hardest time accepting that God is doing something new with us.  Jesus knows rejection and the powerlessness of familiarity.  “Isn’t he a carpenter?  What’s he doing teaching people about God?  What’s this about healing and forgiving sins?” It’s audacious for any of us to claim that God has authorized us to speak/act on God’s behalf.  And yet, we believe that in baptism God has claimed and called even us to demonstrate God's way of love to others.  To whom are we being sent to bring hope, healing, and help?  Who might reject us along the way? 

Prayer:    Lord, help us to receive criticism, rejection, and failure as a part of the journey of faith.  Help us to trust your invitation and calling in our lives. For you have named us as your sons and daughters and empowered us to serve the world as authorized agents of your merciful love.  Amen.  

Mark 5:21-43

(I follow a prescribed daily reading that includes an Old Testament story, a Gospel story, and a New testament letter.  I’ll mostly connect us to the gospel, so,we’re becoming familiar with the story of Jesus). 
Scripture:  Mark 5:21-43
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat^* to the other side, a great crowd gathered round him; and he was by the lake. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.’ So he went with him.
And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, ‘If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.’ Immediately her haemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ And his disciples said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, “Who touched me?” ’ He looked all round to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’
While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?’ But overhearing^* what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’ He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, ‘Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha cum’, which means, ‘Little girl, get up!’ And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Observation: Jesus is becoming known in the villages around the Galilee region as a teacher and a healer.  Crowds have begun to follow him.  His activity has taken on the flow of a movement or a campaign.  His activity is both public (crowds) and personal (one-on-one).  Increasingly, he risks his reputation by actively engaging with outcasts.  The bleeding woman in the story would have been ineligible for marriage and generally cut off from community as cursed.  A sick and dying child, though tragic for her family, was not uncommon.  Most families would have known the loss of children.  Jesus walks in solidarity with the most vulnerable; women and children.  Both were facing impossible circumstances; with no other help available to them. Jesus allows himself to be interrupted in order to bring restoration.  Jesus ignores social norms and barriers to show mercy and justice.   Jesus breaks Jewish laws when he is touched by the bleeding woman and touches the dead girl.  He says, “Daughter your faith has healed you.”  And “Do not fear, only believe.” 
Application:  Jesus represents God’s intentions for humanity.  God intends for the most vulnerable to receive help and healing.  Suffering and death are not God’s intentions for us. Faith is the willingness to accept what God alone is able to give:  Life. Women and girls are still unjustly mistreated in the world, and continue to be the most vulnerable people on earth.   Who is vulnerable around us today?  How can we enter into their story to bring mercy, healing, and hope? Who is touching you or in need of your touch?  Who needs you to go with them? 
Prayer:      Lord Jesus, you came to rescue the vulnerable from suffering and death.  We pray for women and children in need of health care.  Amen.        

Jonah

I'm reading the Book of the Prophet Jonah. We named our first born son after this guy.  To say that I identify is an understatement. Here is the abbreviated version:
The LORD God calls and Commissions the prophet to be the voice of God.
The Prophet despises the people to whom God sends him and, therefore, rejects call.
Prophet attempts to flee/hide from the presence of God.
God finds and chastises prophet by making life uncomfortable for the prophet and those who unknowingly participate in the prophet's flight.
Prophet brings peace to his co-conspirators by choosing to go out alone.  He literally enters the abyss, (point of death), believing that he has achieved absence from God.
God rescues the prophet from the abyss.
Prophet spends 3 days in limbo.  Solitude. Neither fully alive, nor dead.
Prophet prayerfully gives thanks to God for gift of salvation and promises to sacrificially "pay what he owes" in allegiance for the gift.
God releases prophet from limbo, restoring prophet to life.
God re-issues call and commission to prophet.
Prophet obeys call.
Prophet enters city and publicly announces God's Word; a word of judgment and potential condemnation/punishment against them.  (The city is a 3-day journey for the prophet.)
Sinful people immediately and surprisingly accept God's judgment, repent, issue a kingdom-wide period of fasting, and faithfully wait for God to act.
God changes God's mind (repents) and does not punish the people.
Prophet becomes angry with God for sparing the people he despises, believing them worthy of divine judgment, anger, wrath, condemnation, and destruction.
Prophet begs God to end his life, so that he does not have to see the mercy and abundant love of God offered to an undeserving people.
God asks, "Is it right for you to be angry?"
Prophet sulks and waits for God to act.
God produces a bush to shade the prophet from the sun.
Prophet is pleased.
God sends a worm to kill the bush.
Prophet grows faint in the hot sun and begs to die.
God says, "You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night.  And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?"
The End.

The Lesson:  Jews and, by adoption, Christians are called and commissioned by God to go to the people who do not know God; God's ways, God's laws, God's intentions.  
We may not like them, agree with them, or trust them.  We may despise them, fear them, or misunderstand them. We may be prejudiced against them.  We may neglect or ignore them, create walls and borders between them and us.
We may resist, decline, or outright reject our calling and commission.  We may hide in the boat (read church building and our friends).  We may surround ourselves with people who don't rock the boat, who prefer maintenance of status quo.
We may think the city is a scary place that we dare not enter.
We may rather drown than speak in public.  
We may feel justified in our disobedience, because we think we're right about them.  And we have evidence to support that.
But, we have no right to be angry.  Because we are no different from them. Our disobedience, our hiding, our prejudices, our reluctance means that we are just as broken as they are.  Maybe more so. Because we know.  We know God.  We know what is right.  We know better.  

God, on the other hand, is committed to restorative justice---setting things right between God and us and them.
God is committed to a process of healing that requires something akin to death and resurrection.  For all of us. The broken human condition affects all of us; Jews, Christians, Muslims, atheists...and everyone else.
We can't set it right.  Not personally.Not systemically.  Not globally.
But God can.  God does.  God will.
God has changed God's mind about you and me.
God chooses merciful restoration, not punishment.
God chooses reluctant, stubborn, disobedient people to do God's restoring work.
There is a pattern, a way, a transformation process.
The 3 days.
Day 1= death (end of former self, grief, loss);
Day 2= limbo.  Start of healing process. Reconnection with God is established;
Day 3. A resurrection. A new way of life, a new pattern, a new relationship emerges.
This pattern is repeated in the story of Jesus, a prophet mighty in word and deed who declared forgiveness to all the people.  (See the gospels)
Jesus announced and enacted the restorative, healing justice of God.
Jesus was crucified for it. He died and was buried.
On the 3rd day he was raised from the dead.
That we might also live a new life.
This is what God has done.
For you.  For me.  For them.
Even for the animals.
The end.

widowslivesmatter. the power of hope

Based on two bible stories.  1 Kings 17:8-16; Gospel of Mark 12:38-44.

There is a power at work in these stories we hear today.   We can see the connection between the first reading and the gospel today.  The plight of widows.  It might be more difficult, with retirements and social security, to appreciate their plight.  In the developing world, conditions for women are still very challenging.  Women and children are more vulnerable and have less economic opportunity.  In recent times, microloans have provided women with opportunity to start cottage industries and small businesses out of which they might sustain their households; especially in the wake of the AIDS crisis and civil wars in Africa.  But widows with children are particularly vulnerable to the predatory behavior of men.  A widow’s life is harder. 

I don’t want to dismiss the challenges vulnerable people, like widows and children face in the US.  They do face them.  But they are more likely to have access to necessary resources here.  Widows need not die from starvation here.  Bu we know some widows who depend on compassionate family to care for them as they age.  Arlene’s son and daughter-in-law care for her and Carol Royer is caring for her mother. 

But in the ancient neat east?  Life was hard. Survival was a daily challenge.  The Jews had laws that instructed them to care for widows and orphans and foreigners.  The Book of Ruth is a parable about the Jewish community’s treatment of widows and foreigners.  Boaz acts righteously and obeys the law by providing access to food for Ruth and Naomi.  He goes further by establishing a relationship with the widowed Ruth that provides economic shelter from poverty, for her and Naomi.   It’s a beautiful story about the law of compassionate economics that lifts up the poor and vulnerable.   

In the first story, Elijah the prophet is running from King Ahab, because he has publicly denounced the throne as cursed by God.  God is withholding rain as judgment against Ahab’s unfaithful leadership.  Elijah is in a vulnerable situation, hunted by the King.  The clarity with which God speaks to Elijah is amazing, isn’t it?  Direct.  Provisional.  God is personally going to meet Elijah’s needs.

Go to Zarapheth.  I have already directed a widow to feed you there.  Thing is, she’s poor.  Desperate.  Facing her last meal.  There has been a famine in the land.  She has little hope to survive another day. She has a child.  Imagine the anguish, not being able to feed your own little boy.  And now a man comes commanding you to give water and bread.  And to give all that she has left to him first.  To a stranger who promises that the LORD will provide for her and her son until the drought ends.  Do you trust him with your life? She does.  And her faith is credited to her with sustained provisions, miraculous and effective.  God is concerned for the prophet; God is concerned for the widow. God provides for them. 

Mark 12 is a chapter in which Jesus has challenged the temple leadership, priests and scribes.  He has asserted that the Messiah’s authority exceeds that of King David’s.  Messiah is not only a descendent of David, but His Lord. Jesus elevates the status of Messiah above that of the King.  He will also rule the temple.  Jesus has denounced the economics of temple, the way that the poor are neglected and the wealthy honored.  The religious elite devour widows’ houses, he says.  Religious ritual practiced by a royal priesthood cannot replace compassionate justice for the poor.  Temple worship must be balanced by greater justice in the land.  And then he teaches by the example of a widow.

I’ve never thought of her actions in this way before but, I believe the widow’s act is an act of intentional public defiance.  Civil disobedience.  No one would have blamed her if she withheld her tithe to live. She goes up to the treasury with the wealthy men.  The contrast is visible and noticeable.   She drops in her two cents.  And walks away.   And her message is clear.  What they give is nothing in comparison to what she gives.  She gives 100% of her poverty, they give 10% of their wealth.  She is shaming the system and the men who benefit from it.  She is shaming the wealthy, who give for appearances and to ameliorate their own guilt.  She is giving as an act of courage, an act of power. She is not weak.  Her vulnerability becomes her strength.  I like to think she knew the story of the widow of Zarepheth. She dares to trust God and the law of Moses to protect her.  She dares to announce her dependence before the people of Israel in the temple.  She dares to say aloud, care about me, show compassion to me and women like me.  While you give to the temple treasury, women and children starve. 

We give out of abundance.  Maybe this text makes some of us uncomfortable. But that’s not the point.  Everyone can give.  Everyone ought to give.  Generosity is human. It starts with the parent/child relationship. We need to give, in order to see our dependence and descendent thrive.   

Giving is also a reflection of gratitude.  If one is thankful, one is giving.  It’s not the amount that matters, it’s the percent.  What percent of what you have is to you a gift you have received, for which you are thankful?  What percent of that is worth giving to others?  We give out of our abundance.  What would it be like to give out of gratitude?  What would it be like to give from faith, trusting that God provides?  What sort of giving might we do that is an act of justice, of civil disobedience, that raises the awareness of the plight of a particularly vulnerable people?  Is Peter’s Porch like that? Could it be? 

The power at work in these stories is the power of hope brought about by faith in God.  A God who rasies the dead and creates a new future of provision and peace.  May we experience the generous provision of God and be compassion toward those who are most vulnerable among us.  May we see in them the power of hope to give as an act of justice and faith. Amen.         

 

All Saints Day

Its All Saints day.  We are tempted to think of all the saints as the spiritual all star team.  You know the holiest ones, the best examples of our best human selves.  Someone that is not me, but I aspire to be like.  The saints are those we might strive to imitate in their faithfulness, their generosity, their kindness, their humility, their grace, their selfless contributions to the world.  We could name these people---from St. Peter to Martin Luther.   There are famous ones in every century, including our own; we could name some personal saints, ordinary men and women who touched our lives personally by their faithful devotion to the way of Christ and his church.  Sunday school teachers, pastors, grandparents, etc… I’ve met some of them right here.  Most of these folk are the All Stars in our estimation or in the world’s.

 When we think of the saints, we think mainly of the faithful departed. Those buried in our cemetery.  We think of the ones we have lost in the last year; namely our faithful sister Perette.  We give thanks for her life and witness as a believer. We remember our hope in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.  Perhaps we spend this morning in our grief, reminded of those loved ones who have gone before us.  We light a candle to honor their memory.   We stand comforted, perhaps, by the Word of God; a word that promises us a heavenly banquet and an end to suffering and death.  We might think that these promises are too good to be true or are too far off to consider.   We might observe and remember those who have died unjustly in the last year.  Those who have died in war and in attempts to flee from it, from gun violence on streets and schools, in occasions of police brutality, and drug crime.  We might remember that death is the enemy, threatening to rob us of the joy and abundance of life.  We come to this day as a day to look back.  We fall back in time and think about our history as a Christian people here.  1889-2015. 126 years of Lutheran faith on Main Street in Akron.  Who do you recall on All Saints Day, for their faithfulness to this congregation? Let us give thanks to God for them.  All of them.   For those charter members, the many pastors and baptized people of God who assembled on this spot, in this and the former building.  For we would not be here in this assembly today were it not for the years of faithful service by those who came before us.  But this day is not only about our past.  In fact, the Word points forward.     

Isaiah describes the making of a feast for all people; this is indeed a multicultural banquet at which every tribe and race eat and drink together in peace.  He envisions the destruction of death.  The people who wait for God will see salvation on that day.  The revelation to John announces a whole new creation; where there are no more tears and no more dying, echoing the hope of Isaiah.  Perhaps only on the other side of death, in the heavenly realm, will this become a reality. Imagine that this reality took place in this generation, in our lifetimes.  How wonderful to consider.  No more wars, no more hunger, no more sorrow.  The Gospel of John tells a personal story of triumph over death in the resurrection of Lazarus.  John gives Jesus the power of God to defeat death. It is both anticipated and unleashed in this scene from John 11. One day, all the dead will be raised to new life.  No zombies or ghosts; real living, breathing, alive people. Restored, whole, new.  This is the Christian dream, our hope in a future that has not yet come.

As a community of both history and hope, the church lives in between what we were and what we will be.  We are a living organism and so, we breathe and move.  We are not an institution or a corporation.  We are a body.  And so we have organic properties; we change and age over time.  We mature.  We can die.  None of the churches St. Paul started exist today.  We also have reproductive properties.  Institutions and corporations do not have that. 

This church is undergoing a cycle of reproduction.  And even at the age of126, this is possible with our God.  Zion Lutheran may not be as large or active a body as we once were; but we have given birth to a new expression of church.  Peter’s Porch has been a bridge between Zion and the neighborhood around us; people who are struggling, suffering, seeking help.  It has also been an example of the church in action, on mission, in service to others and not in service for itself.  As a pastor/evangelist, I am energized by engagement with both long-time faithful Lutherans and seeker/newcomers struggling to see God in their lives. The Peter’s Porch bridge has opened access between us and allowed us to share our hope with them.  But we have learned that the bridge did not act as a way for people to get into church.  Though the fellowship hall has people in it during the week and on Saturdays, the pews are mostly empty.  And there is little we can do to change that. There is little we ought to do.  Instead the bridge and the people we have met have challenged us to become a church outside of this space.  Dinner Church emerged as a worship practice that connects with unchurched and dechurched people.  It is an entire liturgy within the context of a meal.  Between 30 and 40 people attend; many children.  They are mostly not members of Zion, Akron. But they belong to one another and see themselves as part of the one holy catholic and apostolic Church.  We have baptized at dinner church.  We pray and sing.  We eat and drink.  Last time, there were more people at dinner church than at Sunday morning church. It is a viable expression of church and an extension of this body in the world.  Christ is present around this table in the morning and around the dinner table at night.  Both gatherings make us who we are as a community of history and hope.  We remember ancient stories and faithful people who have passed and we hope for a day that is promised for all of God’s people in a future that is not ours.  We are one of a few Lutheran churches in the country to give birth to a fresh expression, a new way of being church.   

Like a seed from a tree that fell to the earth and became a new sapling, so dinner church has emerged from you.  Without your support and prayers, we cannot nurture this new plant.  But it is the way of the Lord, to make us fruitful to multiply.  So rejoice saints, your faithful service has produced a new body, a daughter or son.  Their ways are not yours, but you gave birth to them.  Like Sara and Abraham gave birth to Isaac; like Elizabeth and Zechariah gave birth to John.  You are part of God’s new creation. You are part of the great and promised heavenly banquet as as we gather at tables to anticipate that future glory. Do not be afraid, children.  This is a time of resurrection and rebirth.  And we get to be part of it.  

Good Samaritan

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus.^* ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii,^* gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’

In this story, Jesus suggests that to show one’s love for God (UP), one must show love to a stranger in need.(OUT).  I read this with a different set of eyes today.  And I noticed that Jesus’s story of the Good Samaritan has two aspects to it: 

One, Jesus contrasts priests and Levites (law-abiding, religious, faithful worshiper types---read pew sitting church goers)  with a Samaritan (read Arab Palestinian, non-Jew, aka the enemy). The former pass by on their way to temple (church/worship.)  The latter comes alongside the victim. 

Two, the Samaritan takes action—triage, ambulance, hospitalization, medical bill payment.  To follow the command to love the neighbor means to show mercy to a stranger in need.  And to show mercy is not a one-off toss of a buck in a hat.  It means to accompany, to go the extra mile, to risk and sacrifice on behalf of the other. 

 

So, here’s what I heard that applies to the dinner church movement and our desire to live on mission together.  Our UP life (love of God/worship) is practiced wholly in our OUT relationships.  Worship is not enough, especially if it prevents us from attending to the needs of our neighbors.  Dinner Church, oikos, and huddle are ways that we are called to be a church (extended family in God’s mission together.)   BUT, if we are called to love God and love our neighbors, we need to practice diakonia (service).  For some of you, this is the part of becoming church you are most interested in. Church taking action to love others with grace, hospitality, relief from suffering...   

 

This morning, I called the Good Samaritan Shelter in Ephrata (homeless shelter for women and children).  I asked them if we could come and do dinner church there on a Sunday night.  I’m hoping to go there on December 20th.  We would bring food and share the meal with the residents.  Worship would be Christmas carols and Christmas lessons (like Christmas eve worship) during the meal.  The staff is going to discuss.  But initial response was super positive.  Also, the woman I spoke to knew all about Revolution! 

 

God placed this story in front of me today. I’ve been thinking about Dinner Church and Diakonia for some time.  I’ve been interested in finding a place to offer dinner church that will also serve.  Good Samaritan Shelter might be a place.  Are you interested? 

 

How do you react/respond to this reflection? 

Turning the world upside down

Acts 17:1-15.

After Paul and Silas* had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three sabbath days argued with them from the scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah* to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, ‘This is the Messiah,* Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you.’ Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. But the Jews became jealous, and with the help of some ruffians in the market-places they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. While they were searching for Paul and Silas to bring them out to the assembly, they attacked Jason’s house. When they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some believers* before the city authorities,* shouting, ‘These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has entertained them as guests. They are all acting contrary to the decrees of the emperor, saying that there is another king named Jesus.’ The people and the city officials were disturbed when they heard this, and after they had taken bail from Jason and the others, they let them go. That very night the believers* sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea; and when they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue. These Jews were more receptive than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the message very eagerly and examined the scriptures every day to see whether these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, including not a few Greek women and men of high standing. But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Beroea as well, they came there too, to stir up and incite the crowds. Then the believers* immediately sent Paul away to the coast, but Silas and Timothy remained behind. Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and after receiving instructions to have Silas and Timothy join him as soon as possible, they left him.

"These men, who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them; and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another King, Jesus."
Wow.  The first Christians were turning the world upside down with their message about Jesus.  It was a message that the one God, the creator of heaven and earth, had sent a Son of man to become King and to usher in a new age of peace and compassionate justice for all people.  This King lived among them as a humble servant; he gathered a following, taught disciples, healed the sick, fed the hungry, raised the dead, and challenged the religions and cultures of exclusion that denied people access to the means of grace.  This King Jesus was crucified by the Romans.  His followers believed that he had been raised from the dead and that his resurrection was vindication for his execution and validation of his divine authority and Kingship.  A power swept through the community of his followers that propelled them to act.  They took action in the streets throughout the Roman Empire.  
When we read this part of the Book of Acts, we can notice a few things. 
1.  First, the church was a movement that included men and women, Jews and Greeks. It was like a tornado when it hit.  People's lives were changed, their perspective changed, their hopes changed when they met Jesus' followers. Their way of life together was infectious. They began to see themselves as part of a bigger conspiracy to remake the world as God intended.  God's intentions were revealed to the Jews in the law and prophets; but now God's intentions had been revealed to everyone in person, in Jesus.  To summarize God's intentions, Jesus says we are made to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves.  We are made to love one another.  Those who are the most vulnerable and victimized are of particular concern to God. Dorothy Day says our love for God is demonstrated in the way we love the person we love the least.   Jesus challenges us to love our enemies and those who hate us.  In so doing, we reflect the image of God. And when we fail to do so, God forgives us, suffers with those who suffer, and promises restoration and new life where there is sin (the opposite of love) and death (the opposite of life). Jesus' death and resurrection teaches us that God's love for humanity is stronger than the worst thing we could ever do. It's stronger than our deadliest acts. God will do whatever it takes to reclaim all of humanity as sons and daughters.  
2.  The church is not confined to one location.  It travels. The church's work is public and urban.  Population centers are the soil of the movement.   This is not a stagnant church.  It is not constrained by buildings or budgets. They are not afraid to tell the story, to invite others into the story, and to share the gifts they have to offer.  They are not afraid to face doubt, skepticism, or rejection.  They are aware that their message has political implications, when it is misunderstood.  King Jesus' allies are not interested in executing a military coup.  They are not interested in a holy war. They are interested in acts of mercy for everyone, everywhere.  They want to share the story of Jesus, inspire life change, establish a community of practicing believers, and move on to the next community.  
3.  There are people of peace in every community, ready to receive the church's message and embrace it.  In this story, it's Jason. Little else is known or said about him.  But we know a church was started in Thessalonica, maybe in Jason's house.
4. The leaders of the church were sent by and for the church as representatives of King Jesus.  They worked collaboratively.  There was a team approach.  And they intended to raise up local leaders who could continue practicing ministry after the team moved on.  They started in synagogues, where they may find natural friends and people of peace.  After all, the gospel is set within the Jewish story. But they didn't stop there.  They also included non-Jews, the ones we might call "the Nones."  And the message catches the, too.  Why?  Because people are spiritual.  We are theologians.  We long for something and someone beyond our humanity that gives meaning to life.  We are curious creatures. 
5.  The church turns the world upside down.  We worship a crucified 1st century Jewish Rabbi and call him LORD.  Our highest holy day celebrates His resurrection from the dead--an astonishing claim, unprecedented, unreasonable, and implausible.  We live to serve as he taught by loving the unloved.  So we stand with criminals on death row and beg for their lives.  We spend time with people who have recently been released from prison. We feed hungry people.  We take in refugees and those displaced without a home.  We break bread with addicts and offenders.  We care for widows and orphans.  We plant gardens and share the harvest.  We rebuild homes and lives after disasters. The church's acts are demonstrative and point to King Jesus.     

So, to whom does God send us?  How does the church reclaim its energy as a movement? In what ways are we called to turn the world upside down?