a soldier's faith. a servant's life.

The story.   Gospel of Luke 7:1-11

¹After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. ²A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. ³When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. ⁴When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy of having you do this for him, ⁵for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.” ⁶And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; ⁷therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. ⁸For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” ⁹When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” ¹⁰When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

 What's it mean? 

This weekend many of us pause to remember those men and women soldiers and sailors who gave their lives on the battlefield’s of American history.   With bravery, most of these sacrifices were made in foreign countries; Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia…President Obama has made pilgrimage to Hiroshima and Vietnam in recent weeks---mainly to suggest that former enemies can become allies, partners, friends over time with diplomacy and leadership.  Germany and Japan have become important U.S. allies and points of stability in the world.  The moral arc of the universe bends toward Justice.  As we remember and honor the soldiers who gave the last full measure of valor, storming beaches, invading jungles, crossing deserts, we hear a story about Jesus and a Roman soldier---the enemy occupier of Israel. 

The Roman centurion is a commanding officer responsible for 100 Roman soldiers.  He is there as part of the occupying forces on the ground in Israel.  He is stationed in the north away from the city of Jerusalem.  He’s thankful for that.  Jerusalem is far more dangerous.  Apart from a few rabble rousers, his time in Galillee has been relatively easy time.  He has learned that military occupation of foreign territory requires some finesse.  He appreciates the stress civilians experience with soldiers patrolling their streets.  And some soldiers do not act with valor or respect toward others.  He does.  He has come to like these Jews.  When their synagogue burned down last year, he and his men joined the work crew and helped them rebuild it.  By doing so, he has built relationships with local leaders.  He can acquire intelligence from them and Capernaum remains a safe place for everyone. 

There is a Rabbi who heals sick people.  They say he made a blind person see and a paralyzed man walk. When the centurion’s servant boy becomes deathly ill, he remembers the rabbi called Jesus.  He speaks with a couple of the Jewish elders, asking them if they thought Jesus might help him. But why would a Jewish Rabbi help the enemy?  Why should he care what happens to Roman soldiers or their households?  The man knows he is not a Jew, knows he is the enemy of Israel.  But the Jewish elders insist that they go and ask Jesus on his behalf.  When they return to say that Jesus is on his way, the solider is shocked.  But the boy, his slave has gotten sicker.  He will die without help.  He sends friends to meet Jesus on the way and to tell him that he understands authority and power.  He knows that when he gives an order, even from a distance, if it isn’t carried out people could die.  He knows that authority and command are given from a higher seat of power.  He draws a parallel between his life and the life of the healer.  And he knows that if Jesus says the Word, his servant boy will be healed.  Jesus is astonished and announces that his faith exceeds that of all of Israel.  And the boy is healed.  A soldier, enemy occupier of Israel, has faith? 

What does Jesus mean by faith?  Faith is not personal assent to religious belief and practice.  Faith is not rooted in ethnicity.  It is not tied to one’s piety.  Those who go to synagogue, or church, who read their bible and pray daily are not the only ones with faith.  We do not know what this man knew of holy scripture, of prayer, of God.  He was a Gentile Roman soldier, enemy of Israel and he had great faith.  Perhaps it was his character---the Jews say he is worthy to have this done, but he himself says he is not worthy to receive Jesus into his home.  Humble and generous.  So is that why Jesus calls him faithful?  I think it is simply for this reason:  Because he called on Jesus and believed that Jesus could heal.  He did so on behalf of a very sick child.  Faith may be a single act, in which a community of people act together on behalf of someone in need.  Those people may be enemies who come together for a common cause.  What does it mean for us to respect the faith of our "enemies"? When we face matters of life and death, faith shows us the power of God.     

I noticed how many people are involved in the care of this sick slave boy.  Jewish elders, friends of a soldier, a Roman Centurion.  A community of people, both Jews and Gentiles, seek out Jesus for his sake, for a slave boy.  Everyone is worthy to be healed in the kingdom of God.  No one is insignificant.  GOD favors the poor, the slave, the servant---those in the bottom of the economic and social pyramid.  God sees them and powerfully helps them.  And those who cannot speak or act for themselves can be borne up to God.  Something about this story is like intercessory prayer.  When we pray for others, Jesus hears us.  And something about this story is an answer to the prayer of Solomon, who prayed that God would even hear and answer the prayers of the foreigner.  Solomon, King of Israel, prayed that God would listen to his enemies!  And now God listens to Israel’s enemies, who come to Jesus for healing! Foreign enemies are included in the Kingdom of God, a borderless kingdom.    

Something like this story is happening in our midst.  Today a child has been borne up to us.  She has been brought here to this community, brought for healing and cleansing from sin and death.  Today, we baptize Tegan Lynn and welcome her into the kingdom of God.  Tegan comes here because of the faith of her parents, grandparents, and great grandparents.  This is the place where they met Jesus.  Those people helped to build this place. They are worthy to have this done for them. Though we do not perform baptism today because of that or them.  It is not their character or their religious devotion that gives them access to Jesus, to the mercy and love of God.  It is only this.  They asked on her behalf.  Those who are far off and those who are near; those who have been enemies and those who are friends, those who are ethnically and culturally other and those who are citizens, foreigners and strangers and dearest loved ones---all are received and welcomed into the household and  kingdom of God. No one is insignificant here.  Rejoice today, the Lord brings rebirth, healing, and new life here and now. And a child is blessed and we are blessed to be part of it.  Amen.                   

Replacements

Scripture:  Acts 1
In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred and twenty people) and said, ‘Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus— for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.’ (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) ‘For it is written in the book of Psalms,
“Let his homestead become desolate,
   and let there be no one to live in it”;
and
“Let another take his position of overseer.”
So one of the men who have accompanied us throughout the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.’ So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed and said, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.’ And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

Observation 

After Jesus departs, the community gets organized.  Peter steps into public leadership.  They address the "elephant in the room"---Judas' betrayal of Jesus and his death by suicide.  Notice Peter suggests that Judas played a role, albeit a tragic one, in the mission of Jesus.  And that he was indeed one of them, "allotted a share in this ministry".  He does not demonize him or reject him as an apostle.  He was, in fact, also chosen!  So they set out to replace him, because every person has a place, a calling, a role to play.  They establish criteria for election; they propose two possible candidates; they pray a simple prayer; they roll dice; and Matthias is chosen.  The eleven didn't elect him. It is the Spirit that chooses through prayer and chance. 

Application
Little is known about Matthias.  But he is selected into apostolic leadership.  He will help to organize and direct the community of disciples.  Why didn't the apostles just operate without a 12th man? I mean, Jesus chose those 12 people to accompany him and be his disciples.  Because, if Peter didn't do this, the movement would die with the remaining 11. And Jesus expected them to go and make more disciples, learning to do what he did, to love like he loved.  Peter begins a process of leadership regeneration and multiplication.  (Notice 12 represents one tenth of the total population.)  Each of them becomes responsible overseers of 10 people. 
We're all replacements.  Someone came before us, preparing a way for us to be part of Jesus' love revolution.  You have been called, chosen, to play a role in the emerging faith community here. What is it?  How does your participation organize and multiply the community's mission and impact?  What is your experience of Jesus and the gospel?  What is it about him---his teaching, his work, his life--- that draws you in, inspires you, challenges you?

Prayer  
Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show each of us why and to what you are calling us as leaders of this emerging expression of church in this place.  Amen. 

UP and OUT

Scripture:  Acts 1
In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over the course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. ‘This’, he said, ‘is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’  So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’

Observation:
 Luke's gospel closes with this story and the book of Acts opens with it.  Like brackets--this event marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another chapter in the story of God, Jesus, and the the new community of disciples.  It is a kind of coronation event.  Jesus is revealed as the true Lord of earth and heaven (not Caesar), as he rises above to the heavenly realm of God. And a graduation, too.   For the disciples must begin a new life without Jesus' physical presence and leadership, living out the radical way of love he taught them.  What will happen to this fledgling body of believers in resurrection miracles and divine justice/mercy?
There are also two promises made:  1.  He will return.  2.  The Holy Spirit is coming.

Application:
Where did he go?  No other gospel answers this question well.  After death and the grave, Jesus continues to live on.  But where?  Real history, myth, speculation---how do we receive this ascension story?  Did he literally float off to "heaven"?  And where is that?  Beyond space and time?  This is an unsolved mystery that is filled with significance and meaning for church.
Absent its founder and teacher, how will this "school of faith-active-in-love" continue? I think this is the key question.  Jesus is viewed quite early on by the faith community as a person of great authority and power.  As Lord, King, Savior, Messiah, in some deeper union with God.  This ascendency is tied to his resurrection from the dead, a miracle that vindicates and affirms his identity as the restored Son of God.  But, he does not remain present to them after some time.  He departs.  His departure marks a turn in history.  For it is after this that the church will emerge, called out of their former lives to a new way of life--the Jesus way.  They will become responsible for the perpetuation of the love revolution.
What do we take away?  Jesus handed over power to his followers. Great leaders know when to get out of the way to let others take over.  Jesus created a culture with reproducible habits and practices given away to his followers to imitate.  Then he left.  They will do what he did. The revolution will spread like wildfire out of control.  Because the message and the ministry are exactly what the world needed.  And still needs.  Mercy.  Forgiveness. Economic justice.  Shared abundance.  Servant love.  So now, its our turn.  With spiritual guidance and courage beyond ourselves, we are called out.                 
Prayer
 Lord, here we are.  Send us.  We'll do what we can.  Our neighbors need us to do so.  You command us to love like you love us.  And you love us to death, to life, from beginning to end.  More than we can imagine.  Help us to follow you UP and OUT.  Amen. 

that we may be one

Scripture: John 17

 [Jesus prayed:] ²⁰“I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²²The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, ²³I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. ²⁴Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
  ²⁵“Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. ²⁶I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Observation:

That all may be one.  Unity.  Communion.  A shared life of love. Jesus prays for the people who receive faith by hearing the message his first disciples bring.  Basically, he prays for the next generations of His people, which includes us.  Not for materialistic needs.  But for our inner selves to be connected to God through His love.  I in them and you in me.  God is in us. That does not mean that I am God or you are God.  It means that the goodness and love out of which we are made dwells in our minds, hearts, spirits.  We are spiritual beings. We breathe.  We connect.  We pray.  Jesus intends for his followers to experience divine love---a powerful,redemptive, healing love--the force that binds all things together.  Jesus' anticipated your and my participation in His life.  He prayed for us, because he wants us to know his love and his peace.     

Application 

Connection, authentic loving relationships. This is the heart of Christian spirituality/religion.  If your practice as a Christian person does not involve love, you are missing Jesus' point.  Christianity is not a program. It is not entertainment.  It is not a rock concert.  A lot of what churches do today to attract people has nothing to do with Jesus or a sense of communion with God.   In fact, we may be doing a lot and forgetting ourselves and God in the process.  This is why prayer matters.

Prayer is the inner ear, the inner voice, the moment of silence in which one becomes reconnected.  I have experienced this kind of communion sitting on a mountain above Lake George in the ADK.  Eating with close friends.  Being with my wife and kids on a quiet day. I experienced God this morning.  I was waiting for someone for an appointment we had together.  She didn't show up.  Turns out, we both needed a way out of that appointment so that we could stop, breathe, remember that God is in control, surrender our need to get things done and abide in the Word.  Today, I say yes to God, who speaks.  In the passage above, I hear God say to me:  I am inside, close, near.  You are loved absolutely.  You are being sent to the world I love with good news.  But let it be good news for you too.  Rest in my grace.  Nothing you do or fail to do today will change what matters--life in me. Perfect love.  Joy.  Peace.  Calm. 

So, in my mind I am going to Lake George.  To my mountain.  To warm sun and fresh air and silence and the presence of the God who loves me.  Wanna come with me? 

Pray:

Lord, I want to surrender myself to your presence, your love, your peace.  I want to experience oneness, unity, communion with you and all of life.  Help me to stop and breathe and trust you.  Amen. 

     

soil, roots, seed

Scripture:  Matthew 13
‘Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away.^* As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.’

Observation:

What is the "word of the Kingdom?" It is the good news that Jesus brought through his powerful teachings.  He healed, fed, and welcomed outcasts.  He confronted evil, racial prejudice, and sinful abuses of power and wealth. He promised merciful justice for all,especially those at the bottom living under the yoke of oppression.  He criticized bad stewardship that damaged lives.  He called people to a higher law, love of God and neighbor (enemy and friend alike).   
What prevents this word from growing and spreading?  1.  A failure of understanding.    2.  Shallow roots + Trouble, hardship, persecution.  3. The cares of the world and the lure of wealth.
What causes growth?  Hearing and understanding.  Deep roots. 

Application

Learning how to love and forgive and serve like Jesus (aka discipleship) is a kind of maturation process.  And the soil matters.  I have seen all of these soil descriptions played out.  Even in my own life!  I have failed to seek understanding.  I have retreated in the face of challenges, trouble, or personal attack.  I have been overcome by busyness and anxiety about money. I have failed to trust in God's abundant love.  I have tried too hard to force growth.   I have seen new hearers of the good news tempted away. I have seen doubts emerge when new faith faces ongoing challenges or troubles.  They say, "Why hasn't life gotten easier since I've found faith in God? Doesn't God care?"
Soil matters.  God is, not only a sower of seeds, but a cultivator of good soil.  God prepares hearts to receive the word.  Timing is everything.  Kairos moments are like the Rototillers of the heart and mind.  And roots are important.  Roots are the faith community digging deeper together.  We need each other to grow.  But there is nothing at all without the seed and the sower.  God is planting love and peace and joy and grace and mercy in people's hearts and minds.  What happens after that?  "Part mystery, part soil science." Theologians call it "faith". 

Prayer
Lord, make my heart be good soil attentive to your word of love and grace.  Amen.  
   

do not worry

Scripture: Matthew 6
 ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,^* or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?^* And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
 ‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Observation:
 Jesus contrasts human anxieties over bare essentials, food and clothing, with the birds and flowers.  They don't spend all of their time and energy to acquire food and clothes, yet they seem to have all that they need.  Jesus proposes that basic needs are not met by human toil, but by a graciously providing God.  And that if we focus on the kingdom of God, all these things will be added as well.  He goes on to suggest that we live in the present, dealing with one day at a time.  The future is not real.  Today is enough to handle.

Application:
It is hard to hear these words.  We are driven by anxiety and worry.  About the future.  About today.  About having enough.  We believe in scarcity and the possibility that what we have can be quickly lost.  Some of us have experienced such loss.  Others have seen its effects on loved ones, neighbors, friends.  Jesus' mockery of anxiety seems out of touch with reality in this world.
And yet, there is something beautiful and simple about his words.  We do get hung up on material things that don't matter.  There is an abundance of food and clothing around us.  Most of us have more than we need every day.  Yet we still worry.  Anxiety is, however, a serious matter.  That's why Jesus addresses it.  He knows its a part of the human condition.  He wants to free us from its paralyzing effects and make us aware of the simple gifts all around. I know when I am worried, I need to remember "the birds and the lilies".  Creation teaches us that we are valuable, precious, beloved by God. The creator has given us so many gifts.  Do I recognize them?  Do I know who and what truly matters and what doesn't? Sometimes I need to sit in nature and enjoy the birds, bees, flowers, and trees.  You know?  Martin Luther said that the Word of God is written there, too. I hear creation say "Life is good. Enjoy it. Share it.  Care for it. Trust me.  I've done all this for you."  

Prayer:
 Lord, give us faith to trust in your abundance, to live gratefully with what we have, and to be generous toward those in need.  Amen.  

imitation

Scripture:

A reading from Acts

³⁶Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. ³⁷At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. ³⁸Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.” ³⁹So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. ⁴⁰Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. ⁴¹He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. ⁴²This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. ⁴³Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.

 A reading from Luke

 Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. Just then there came a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. He fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, who was dying…

 While he was still speaking, someone came from the leader’s house to say, ‘Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer.’ When Jesus heard this, he replied, ‘Do not fear. Only believe, and she will be saved.’ When he came to the house, he did not allow anyone to enter with him, except Peter, John, and James, and the child’s father and mother. They were all weeping and wailing for her; but he said, ‘Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and called out, ‘Child, get up!’ Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then he directed them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astounded; but he ordered them to tell no one what had happened.

Observation:

These two stories take place at different times and places.  The healer and the patient are different people.  A child and an adult woman are raised from the dead by Jesus and by Peter.  Though Peter is present in the Luke story, Jesus is not "present" in the Acts story.  And yet there are many things similar about these stories. Both Jesus and Peter are summoned to a home of a faithful person.  There has been a death in both places.  Both of the deceased are female.  Both Peter and Jesus say to the dead person, "_____, get up." In Mark's version of the story, Jesus says to the girl "Talitha, Cum" or "Tabitha Cum".  (The ancient manuscripts differ on the words).  Essentially, we can say that Peter and Jesus say the same words.   Both men lift up the woman/girl as she gets up.

Application
Why does Peter think he has the power to raise a dead woman?  Because Peter is audacious enough to believe that he is able to imitate his master.  Like an apprentice, Peter is learning how to act and live like his rabbi Jesus.  He has seen and heard Jesus do this before.  He is simply repeating what he has seen and heard!  And it works!  They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  In this case, it is the practice of Jesus' disciples to do what Jesus did.  There are people whose lives are worth trying to emulate.  We can learn how to act, speak, react to failure, deal with stressors, celebrate, manage conflict, make healthy choices by watching and imitating good examples.  Jesus lived a life worth imitating.  Those of us who are learning his ways, hope to live that way too---developing habits, thoughts, and words worth repeating by others.  In this way we make disciples.  As we imitate Jesus and others imitate us, so Jesus' way is multiplied and the kingdom grows.  Wat are you doing in your life that is an imitation of something good you learned from someone?  In what ways are you seeking to imitate Jesus?  Ans what are you doing in your life that is worth imitating?

Prayer     
Jesus, you lived a life worth imitating.  Help me t learn yur ways and words and practice them for others to see and know you.  Amen. 

What's love got to do with it?

Scripture John 13

When he had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, “Where I am going, you cannot come.” I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’

Observation:

This takes place on the night when Jesus was arrested.  In the Gospel of John, just before his arrest, he begins a long monologue to his disciples.  It is four chapters in length and ends in a long prayer, chapter 17.  These chapters serve as Jesus' last will and testament.  He is saying goodbye, leaving them with instructions, resources, promises, words of affection and love.  And finally he prays for them, for their ongoing mission, and for the people they will encounter on the way.  As Jesus says goodbye, he gives them a glimpse of what's next.  Its clear that what he started isn't ending with his death.  Its only just beginning there.   

Application:

Notice Jesus does not say:  By this everyone will know you are my disciples, that you are a member of a congregation.  Or that you go to worship on Sundays.  Or that you give a tithe. Or that you wear certain clothes and avoid certain foods.  Christianity has developed criteria for belonging that Jesus himself did not require.  Discipleship is characterized by love.  They'll know we are Christians by our love. Not romantic love.  Not even brotherly love.  But agape love.  Jesus kind of love.  He commands them to "Love one another just as I have loved you."  So how did Jesus love them?  With grace.  Patience.  Consistency.  Presence.  Generosity.  He chose them.  He identified them as people with the potential to learn and carry on his mission. He chose them not because they were special but because he recruited people who were generally overlooked, under appreciated, or even disregarded.  He chose them because they represent this movement of anybodies.  He chose unlikely disciples to build a church.  Maybe you're one of those, an unlikely participant in the movement of God in the world.  Maybe you don't even see yourself as part of something greater yet.  But you are!  You have been chosen, called, selected, and recruited to continue the love revolution!  The quality of our IN relationships is important.  We are stronger and more capable when we actually love each other.  We are called to do hard things sometimes.  And we need supportive, sustaining love to do them.  The great news is the only job we have to do together is to learn and enact Jesus' way of love.  It's a lifelong endeavor and I have a long way to go to love like him.  But we're learning.  Daily I am placed in the lives of people who need Jesus' love--mercy, compassion, hope, joy, peace, friendship, personal investment in their lives.  I can only love as much as I have been loved. Because of you all, I am able to love far more people better. When we take the walk together, the walk gets easier and the burdens get lighter.  When we push in and show up, Jesus appears.  So how can we love one another better as disciples and friends?

Prayer 
Lord, with patience, grace, and presence you loved your disciples.  Help us to love one another, to care for each other, to be real with each other, to encourage and support each other, to bless and serve each other.  So that they might know we belong to you and thirst for the love we share.   Amen. 
    

the rules

Scripture:  Exodus 20
 hen God spoke all these words:
 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before^* me.
 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation^* of those who love me and keep my commandments.
 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. For six days you shall labour and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.
 Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
 You shall not murder.^*
 You shall not commit adultery.
 You shall not steal.
 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
 You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.
 When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid^* and trembled and stood at a distance, and said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.’ Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.’ Then the people stood at a distance, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

Observation:
 These are the Ten Commandments.  God gives them to Moses and the people of Israel when they gather at the foot of Mt. Sinai, after the harrowing escape from Egypt.  The escape was a massive rescue operation performed by their God --Yahweh--who detested the cries of suffering God heard rising from the Israelites, who were treated brutally as slaves.  They were slaves for 400 years before rescue.  The rescue required bold advocacy, public nonviolent resistance, and powerful opposition to the rule of the Egyptian king.  Now the people are free at last!
But their freedom was won for them by their God, whose desire is to live in a covenant relationship with the people.  Therefore, their freedom includes responsibility and rules.  If they are going to live together as a household of faith, they will have rules to follow that define their character and identity. Will they obey the rules?  What will be the consequences for failure to comply?  Like any household, what discipline will be applied to establish authority and obedience?    

Application
 With freedom comes responsibility.  There are rules.  If all of the rules are negative, what you cannot do, how do you know what you can or ought to do?  These rules mostly prohibit certain behaviors, including ancient customs around the crafting of idols for worship.  This God is not an object, but a person.  With language and presence and the ability to move and act.  The rules govern their relationship with God and with other people. Jesus says that the summary for all the rules is love. Love God, love the neighbor.  Love is to guide our action and our words.  
These are not suggestions.  They teach Israel how to live in relationship with their God. Israel will fail to comply.  There will be consequences.  But the relationship will remain intact.  In any household, good parents have rules.  But if a child breaks the rules, they still live together.  They still love one another.  There is forgiveness.  Some parents are harsh disciplinarians with limits to forgiveness.  But not God.  There is always forgiveness and mercy.  Think of a time when you broke the rules.  What were the consequences?  How was forgiveness or mercy shown? What can love do when someone fails? When guilt and shame are present, what provides hope?

Prayer     
Lord, you give us a certain amount of freedom to test our limits.  You give us boundaries and rules for protection and for identity as your people.  You command and we sometimes obey.  When we don't, there are consequences in our lives.  But with you there is mercy and forgiveness and love.  Help us to be loving toward others.  I pray for people who have been found guilty of a crime and await sentencing.  Amen.   
   

baptized

Scripture:  Matthew 3:13-17

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

Observation:

Jesus enters into the ongoing spiritual practice of John, the desert prophet calling God's people to repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John's wilderness work reminded the people that their covenant relationship with God required an active pursuit of God's justice.  It reminded them of the exodus experience, in which they had to depend on God alone to live.  Baptism was a sign of covenant renewal and a washing away of the dead self enslaved to sin.  This is a new way of returning to God, receiving forgiveness, and renewing one's devotion to practice the faith.  John's way did not involve clergy, priests, temples, or sacrifices.  Only a heart of repentance and the Jordan river. 
Jesus came to be part of the liberation of Israel, God's holy people.  He came to set right a world turned upside down.  Jesus was not himself yet an innovator, but a follower and practitioner in this way of John.  Jesus was part of a longer narrative about God and people that goes back to the Genesis beginning story.  He stands in a tradition of prophets, priests, and kings.  And he participates in the narrative arc of Jewish teaching, customs, and rituals.  He does, however, also participate in this innovative practice of John the baptizer.   Jesus shows us that faithfulness includes both religious tradition and inspired innovation.  Both can draw us closer to God.   Jesus' identity as beloved son of God reminds us of Genesis 22 where Abraham is challenged by God to sacrifice his only beloved son Isaac.
 
Application  


This story is why Christians are baptized.  We follow Jesus into the water.  Jesus' baptism aligns him with the innovative and radical teaching of John the baptizer.  Even Jesus has a teacher.  And place is important too.  A return to wilderness and water, the borders and margins. These are places of subsistence and survival, of danger and detachment.  They are outliers, revolutionaries, spiritual radicals.  Baptism is entry into a relationship with Jesus the radical son of God.  His baptism signifies that Jesus is the son of God, the one who pleases God.  To align ourselves with his way of life is to live a life pleasing to God.  He has come to set right what is wrong in the world.  He will recruit others to work with him. Baptism is belonging to and learning the ways of Jesus---radical teacher of the God-centered life.   

Prayer 
Lord, baptism connects us to you and through you to God, who desires to love us like a parent loves a child.  Help us to accept that we are loved.  Help us to live as you lived, setting out to do what is right.  Amen. 

four women

Scripture;  Gospel of Matthew 1.

An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.  Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.

Observation:
Matthew starts his gospel with this geneology. It connects Jesus, son of Mary, to some important characters in the Old testament:  Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and the wife of Uriah.  Four women whose stories of sexual exploitation, rape, or foreign marriage for security were well known "sins of the fathers".  From Judah to David, the Messiah's line was riddled with questionable sexual ethics.  There were good men and wicked men, good kings and bad kings listed as his ancestors.  You can read their stories in Genesis, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and Ruth.  This ancestral history  connects Jesus to royalty, to priesthood, and to Abraham the founder of Israelite faith.   It also connects him to exploitation, abuse, and shame.  The women in Jesus' story matter.

Application:
Jesus' story is a family story.   But among all the men in the biblical history, it is the women who stand out here. Why?  Jesus' own parentage was questioned.  Who was his "real" father?  Was his mother a rape victim or a whore?  When we look back at Abraham and David, we see that the great ancestors of the faith came from a messy family; one that included sexual violence, marital infidelity, and mixed racial/ethnic marriage.  (Ruth was not Jewish).   Jesus' kingship comes through the human family---full of sin, corruption and brokenness.  Our royal status as children of God  is not granted to us because of our purity or our goodness.  It is bestowed on us as a blessing or gift.  But, as we will see with Jesus, the royal identity comes with responsibilities.  We are called as God's children to act out of our identity, to use our God-given authority to recognize and serve the vulnerable and the exploited. Jesus' own family history taught him that all God's children are beloved, even the rotten ones.  And that God can transform a family from one generation to the next.  And mothers are sacred. Patriarchy is disrupted by the presence of these women, including Mary the mother of the Lord.   

Prayer     
God, the human family is imperfect.  We see that Jesus' family story included sexual exploitation, rape, and coercion.  We pray for victims of sexual violence and abuse;we pray for women and children who are forced into marriages or sold as slaves. And we ask that you bring healing and an end to family cycles of abuse.  Amen.  

the with-ness of God

Scripture:  Matthew 11
‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’

Observation:
 Jesus offers a high invitation culture, in which he shares his life with other people. He "yokes"himself with us.  To share a yoke alludes to the farming practice of teaming a seasoned ox with a young ox to teach the younger ox how to work at a steady pace.  A young ox will overwork to exhaustion and be less productive in a long, hot day of plowing the field. So, a wise farmer teams a mature ox with a young one, in order to train the younger ox for an easier and more enduring pace.   The best way for us to learn is by imitation.  Like a master and apprentice.  This is the way of discipleship. One-to-one mentoring, walking side-by-side in the work of ministry to which we are called.  The field is the community in which we find ourselves.  The yoke is the practice of Jesus--to forgive, heal, and serve.  His yoke is love.  His yoke is easy and light because the love we offer others is merely a reflection of his never-failing, constant, consistent, complete love for everyone.  To love is to have been loved.  To love greatly is to realize how greatly you are loved. 
 
Application 

The bible is a journey story in which the creator God is companion with his beloved creatures, humans.  God is described as walking beside and with us.  God promises to be with God's people over and over again. In hardship, in suffering, in weakness, in fear, in danger, in struggle, in death itself--God promises to come with us.  The story of Jesus is the enfleshed with-ness of God.  Jesus is called Emmauel, which means God is with us.  The gospel of John says that in Jesus, God's Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.  Jesus calls companions to himself to teach them what it means to experience the with-ness presence of God in the world---in the flowers and birds, in the abundance of food, in the beauty of friendship, in words of forgiveness, in acts of mercy, in the face of the child, in the longings of the poor, in the suffering of the weak and vulnerable.  God is with us in these ways. Jesus teaches them how to embody as image-bearers, the presence of God for others.    Through acts of love, people encounter God-in-the-flesh.   Discipleship is our training in bearing the image/presence of God, walking beside us.  Going with us.  And, amazingly that is often enough.  Be with me.  Be my companion. Walk beside me.  Hold my hand.  That's really all any of us wants, isn't it?  Someone who cares enough to yoke him or her self to me.  So that I might learn my own belovedness as child of God.  Today, who are you walking with as companion in their earth journey?  

Prayer

 Jesus, walk with me.  Hold my hand.  Lead me.  Teach me to be like you.  Compassionate servant.  Patient friend. Constant companion. And when I fail, show me the way.   Amen.   

 

be loved

Scripture: John 14
‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’ Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, ‘Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.  ‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

Observation:

Jesus promises a spiritual presence in his physical absence.  He does not abandon anyone.  We are never alone in the spiritual journey.  His Word dwells inside the hearts and minds of those who love him.  His Word is love, shalom, peace, mercy, faith.  To love and practice what he commands is to love him.  To love him is to love God.  Jesus promises to make a home with those who keep His Word.  Christianity is not about Jesus making a home in heaven for the faithful.  It's not an evacuation plan for dying believers.  Instead, Jesus dwells inside those who are living the way he lived.  Jesus shows up in those who embody His Spirit of peace.We are invited to be the peace the world needs. A peace that knows no fear, no trouble, no despair.  

Application:

Jesus invites his followers to live with spiritual integrity---to live the way he teaches.  His commandment is to love others. The church, I confess, has not always practiced the love of Christ.  We are sinners.  Forgive us. Author and disciples Shane Claiborne says that the church taught him what to believe about God, but not how to love like Jesus.  But I believe we can learn.  Discipleship is to learn how to be loved By God and how to love others like Jesus.     
On my way out of court today (I was accompanying a friend whose husband is standing trial), two women and a man caught my attention. When they stopped ahead of me on the sidewalk, the woman saw me and said "God forgive me."  She noticed I was dressed like a priest or pastor.  I said nothing.  But as I walked to the parking garage I was moved to speak to her.  If I saw them in the garage, I thought, I would say something.  Sure enough, I practically ran them over and they spotted me.  I opened my window and said "God did, does, and God will forgive you."  They told me after she said it, they started talking about God and sins.  She was a formerly incarcerated, recovering addict, single mom named Jen.  She was also a person of faith without a church community.  I spent twenty minutes talking with them, inviting them to dinner church and the returning citizen support group. I gave them my number and asked them to call or text me.  Tomorrow she has to go to court at 9 am.  She's facing more trouble, more hardship.  I will be there, too.  Perhaps God is speaking to her through me, bringing her peace, hope, forgiveness, and love. God has not abandoned her, even though she admits abandoning God.  I believe this was a holy encounter, directed by the Spirit of Jesus. We crossed paths because she needed to hear a Word from Jesus--Peace.   

Prayer 

Lord, you breathe your Spirit inside us, send us out on your behalf, and command us to love as you love.  Make us aware of those to whom we are sent. Give us courage to speak your grace. I pray for Jen.  Amen. 

the Jesus way

Scripture: John 14
‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.’ Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know^* my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’
 Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.


Observation:
The gospel of John insists that to see, know, love, and trust Jesus is to see, know, love, and trust God.  Jesus embodies the vision and values of God the Father (creator of life).  To follow Jesus is to embrace a particular way of life.  This way of life is demonstrated by Jesus' teachings---both works and words. If we want to understand the mind and heart of God, see Jesus.  Jesus invites us into his life, because it is a good life.  With Jesus, we experience the fullest life possible---a whole life.  It is characterized by love.  Jesus is a master of human relationships, practicing forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation with others. Jesus called disciples and trained them in his competencies and character, so that they might carry on his works of love in the world.  He promised them a place with him---ongoing relationship and a sense of home.  He promises to authorize their prayers/works, as if he himself were doing it.  He shows us that God is a relationship---God is pure,constant , unending, unfailing love.

 Application:
Discipleship is about a relationship with Jesus.  He teaches what it is to be fully alive in God, to live as if people and places matter, to be dedicated to the healing and restoration of all that God has made. He says that light is stronger than darkness, love stronger than hate, life stronger than death.  Jesus' resurrection signifies that he still exists, that he is still available, and that we can know him two millenia after he walked among people. Resurrection means that we don't have to be afraid and that his teaching still matters.  It transcends its original context and audience.  If you want to know about God, listen to and look at Jesus.  He is available in the gospel stories of his life.  I continue to get to know Jesus every day.  And I learn something from him every day.  He teaches me how to love, who to live, and what love can do.  He gives me courage to love others with compassion and humility.   

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, your way is good, if not easy.  I am still learning and sometimes I feel like I'm just beginning.  But I trust your love.  I desire your peace.  I am amazed in your power to heal and to forgive. Thanks for including me somehow in your life.  Amen.