No Exchange Policy

Jeremiah 2:1-13, 29-32
Romans 1:16-25
Portions of two of today’s readings intersect to offer a word of warning for those whose attention is not on God and the divine will. “Cross to the coasts of Cyprus and look,” we read in Jeremiah, “send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has ever been such a thing. Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for something that does not profit. Be appalled, O heavens, at this, be shocked, be utterly desolate, says the LORD…” (Jeremiah 2:10-12). In his letter to the Romans, Paul makes the same point clear, saying, “they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever!” (Romans 1:25). In each case, the issue is one of idolatry, the placing of anything – any aspect of life, any activity, any idea or concept – between ourselves and God. The people of Israel had “changed gods,” according to the prophet, had chosen to serve “the creature rather than the Creator,” in the words of Paul. As a result, the heavens should be “appalled… shocked… (and) utterly desolate,” according to Jeremiah.

While it is easy to place such comments in the past tense and therefore to see them as historic failings, we ourselves must continually be aware of our own focus, that in which we place our ultimate allegiance. The problem, even within the Christian community, is that we find the idolatries of others to be so much worse than those we carry. We easily remove the speck from the eye of fellow believers while the log remains firmly lodged in our own. Why is that? Why is it that people of faith have so much trouble finding common cause on this issue? If nothing else, we Christians should be able to pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our day to day lives and God’s help in our effort to cast aside whatever it is that blocks our view of God’s will. We all fall short of God’s intentions. We all have “changed gods” at some point in our lives. We all have been bedazzled by the creature and lost sight of the Creator, if only for a season or for a moment. We all stand in humble need of God’s forgiveness and grace, and it seems to me that prayers of confession should replace words of accusation and acrimony on all levels.

Then, perhaps, once we have recognized our common plight as sinners in need of redemption, we can pray for one another, humbly and honestly seeking what is best even for those with whom we disagree strongly, for God’s glory is certainly not served in our willful disregard for the hurts and needs of others any more than by our inability to remain focused on the one by whose grace we all live.

Prayer: Lord of light and life, we confess that we have not always followed you and your will for our lives. Forgive us when we allow anything to distract our attention from your glory, and restore us in our faithful obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

One God Only

Psalm 82
It may seem odd to find a psalm dealing almost entirely with the presence of other gods. After all, Judaism is the very essence of monotheism and the Old Testament is full of reminders that there is but one God only. Yet this particular psalm speaks as if there were other gods, the gods of nations and of harvests and of seasons, and it is as if these gods were in fact active in human life. Of course at the time that Psalm 82 was written Israel was surrounded by nations and peoples, each of which claimed the existence of other gods –– their gods. How else could they explain the apparent ebb and flow of life than the existence of fickle or capricious deities? In light of these beliefs Psalm 82 takes on an especially monotheistic tone. Indeed, God –– the God of Israel –– is the supreme God and nothing lies outside of God’s sovereign control. “You are gods, children of the Most High, all of you;” the psalmist declares, “nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, and fall like any prince’” (Psalm 82:6-7).

We are far too sophisticated to fall for the notion of other, albeit lesser gods. We know there is only one God. And yet, we can not free ourselves from the sin of idolatry, the practice of setting up items to worship or placing matters of primary concern between ourselves and our Creator. Wealth, power, influence, the value of our own opinions and beliefs: these ideas cause great harm when we allow them to distract from our worship of God. These may be the gods of our age, but when Psalm 82 is read in the light of Easter, placed within a Christian context, it becomes a fresh breeze sweeping away the idols and the gods of our lives, reminding us once again that in Jesus Christ we are freed from our dependence on such false deities and enabled to live in full relationship with God alone.

Yes, God is in control so even the gods of the nations, even the idols of our lives fall under God’s authority. In grace, then, we are able to live as God’s people, confident of God’s love and mercy for us.

Prayer: Lord, help us to cast away our idols and to love you alone with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Oh Yeah?

Psalm 96

There is a scene that plays out in countless school yards all over the world. One child makes a claim that another child finds difficult to believe. Soon someone is bound to say, “Oh yeah? Well, prove it!” Do what it is that you say you can do: climb that wall, lift that rock, prove you can do what you say you can.

Create the universe! That’s the implied challenge of Psalm 96. “For all the gods of the people are idols, but the Lord made the heavens” (v. 5). The God of Israel has already done something that none of the other gods could ever do. “The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved” (v. 10b). Why bother following after a statue carved out of stone or made of gold? Why worship an inanimate object when the God who made all things is alive in your midst? Why give praise to the created when you can instead give praise to the creator?

Where do we put our confidence? In our money, or in the God who created all things? Where do we put our faith? In buildings and roads and bridges, or in the God who made the earth firm? Where do we place our hope? In the use of drugs or stimulants, or in the God of all nature? Obviously, we must choose carefully because confidence, faith, or hope placed in a modern day idol is wasted. On the other hand, the God who created all things is capable of using all things according to God’s will and to God’s glory. Money is not an evil thing, nor are buildings and roads, nor are pharmaceuticals when used properly. The problem comes when we see these or other objects as ultimate and fail to see the God who stands over and above all creation as the source of all that is.

Only God can answer the challenge to create the heavens. Only God can provide us with all that we need to live our lives to God’s glory. Idols will mock us with their blank stares, but God goes on creating and redeeming as an active participant in our lives. Who is the Lord of all? The God of Israel is the Lord of all and this God’s creative power is all the proof we need.

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for the world you have created and for all that you continue to provide. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

First Thing First

Exodus 20:1-21

“Then 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” (Exodus 20:1-3). It is fitting that the Ten Commandments should begin where they do, with God’s relationship to the people––and the implications of that relationship––made clear. Of all the commandments, however, it is this first one that remains the most difficult to keep.

What is it that motivates us? What is it that fills our lives with joy or purpose? What is the thing that we take most seriously? If our answer to these questions is anything other than God, we have violated the first commandment. Nothing shall come between us and the one true God. God, THE God, must remain first and foremost in our lives. Once this foundation is set the meaning of the other commandments becomes more apparent. For example when our central focus remains on God’s will we see there is no need for idols to serve as good luck charms or totems. If we are focused on God’s will we will be disinclined to substitute our own desires, our own biases and to claim them as the word of God. When we are focused on God we are better able to see the necessity of rest and wellbeing for ourselves and others and to forego the constant drive to achieve or to accumulate. When we are attentive first to God our relationships with others become more meaningful and we begin to better understand the blessings of community and the appropriate ways to live in it.

“You shall have no other gods before me.” As God’s people we are challenged to accept God’s role in our lives and to let go of anything that might stand in the way. This is not an easy task but it leads to a life filled with grace and abundance.

Prayer: Lord, help us to keep you first in our lives and to live in faithfulness and fidelity to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Burning For the Lord

Acts 19:11-20

Book burning is almost always a bad sign. It is generally associated with close-minded, intolerant folks. Historically this sort of thing has run the gamut from German Nazis burning “offensive” material to an awkward moment in 1979 when a Major League Baseball game in Chicago was forfeited during Disco Demolition Night. But our reading from Acts today speaks of book burning in positive terms, as an indication of the profound effect the gospel was having, especially in Ephesus. There Paul was evangelizing with such power that even some who had previously believed in magic were converting to Christianity. “Also many of those who became believers confessed and disclosed their practices. A number of those who practiced magic collected their books and burned them publicly; when the value of these books was calculated, it was found to come to fifty thousand silver coins” (Acts 19:18-19). The big difference between what happened in Ephesus and other such demonstrations is that it was the owners of the books themselves who were burning them. They had become so committed to the new faith that they were willing to sever all ties with their previous beliefs, a sort of reverse idolatry.

By no means do I recommend or support the burning of books or other material. But I do wonder which of our possessions––or our perspectives––might make the biggest blaze were we to dispose of them in such a way. What is standing most firmly between us and God? What is most severely hampering our ability to respond to God’s will? Are we willing to build a “spiritual fire” in which to leave these factors behind? I think it is well worth the thought, because no matter what value the culture may place on our idols, if they keep us from a full relationship with God they are truly worthless.

Prayer: Lord, help us to let go of anything that stands between us and you, and help us to live according to your will at all times. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

When It's Good to Cling

Ruth 1:1-14

Normally I think the message of scripture challenges us to move ahead in faith, to accept the new thing that God is doing and to be open to signs that the reign of God is at hand. If this is true then we have an interesting situation in our reading from Ruth today. After the death of her husband and both of her sons, Naomi urges her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, to return to their families of origin for she can do nothing for them. Orpah, though saddened, is willing to go. “Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her” (Ruth 1:14). This should come as no surprise, even the first time we read it. If Ruth had left Naomi and gone home to her Moabite family the book would either not exist or would be called something besides Ruth. But beyond that what does this say to us about faith?

First of all, though she “clings” to Naomi, we should realize that Ruth has chosen a scarier path than the one Orpah has taken. Ruth has no way of knowing how things will work out for her in Judah, how she will be received, what she will do. So even in clinging to what she “knows”, she is really accepting what she doesn’t know. Secondly, Ruth’s actions constitute a profound sense of family and community. When she married Naomi’s son Ruth obviously committed herself to his way of life. Even in his death she is determined to remain a part of his family, which in this case is Naomi. And finally, this understanding of community pushes Ruth to think beyond herself to the needs of Naomi. By remaining with the older woman, Ruth indicates a willingness to care for her and to stand beside her.

Sometimes we cling is to idols, those things that we place between ourselves and God. It may be our history, our way of doing things, our own limited perspectives. Ruth was doing none of that. By holding fast to Naomi she was showing a willingness to go where God would lead her. This is exactly what Abram did when he accepted God’s call to leave his father’s house and follow the Lord’s leading. It was a scary proposition. If we are going to cling to anything let it be the new thing that God is doing in our lives, the direction that God is taking us, the community of faith that surrounds us, all the while looking beyond ourselves to bigger picture. This is when clinging is a good thing to do.

Prayer: Lord, help us to let go of what we don’t need, the clutter of our lives, and to embrace the new thing you are doing. Help us to live in community, showing compassion for others. Amen.

A Clash of Cultures

Esther 8:1-8, 15-17
Acts 19:21-41
Luke 4:31-37
The continuing story in the book of Esther shows how the queen’s actions helped to save her people from destruction. In a clash of wills between Esther and Haman, she was more than up to the challenge. But this is not the only clash we read about today. Our reading from Luke this morning tells the story of Jesus healing a man who is possessed. “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” shouts the demon. “Have you come to destroy us?” (Luke 4:34). Indeed he has, and Jesus proceeds to send the demon away from the man. The crowd that witnessed these events was amazed. Clearly Jesus was up to the challenge of healing and casting out the powers of evil.

The Esther and Luke accounts are insightful, but it is in Acts that today’s scriptures “quit preaching and go to meddling.” The silversmiths of Ephesus and all the artisans who made their living from the temple to the Greek goddess Artemis were distressed by the words and actions of Paul and his followers. They could tell that if everyone became Christian and gave up idol worship there would be no more business for them. And this is where the clash of ideals really hits home in our case because in our world today there are any number of situations where the Christian faith calls us away from our chosen lifestyles, from our business practices, from our interests and proclivities. It may be as simple as a desire to play golf on Sunday mornings, or as complicated as earning a paycheck from a corporation that uses questionable business practices. If everyone was a Christian, or rather, if everyone looked at life from a Christian perspective and lived by Christian teachings a wide range of human activities would have to be reexamined. The choices we make politically, the products we buy at the store, the programs we watch on TV, the way our society embraces sports, the love of money and success, the unbridled lust and desire that guide so many of us, all of these and so many more demand our attention. If what Paul says is true, if what the Bible says is true, then there are a number of changes that really need to take place in our lives and in our world. The clash of cultures is very telling. Jesus’ lordship means nothing if it is not total. The question is, whose side are we on, and what are we willing to do about it?

Prayer: Lord, help us to let go of our idols and to focus our lives on you so that we may live in faithful obedience. In Jesus’ name. Amen.