A Model Community

Luke 9:1-17
There is a portion of our gospel reading today that gives me a particular sense of comfort. “When the crowds found out about it,” we read, “they followed (Jesus); and he welcomed them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be cured” (Luke 9:11). Here Jesus was, in a deserted place dealing with thousands of people. And yet, according to Luke, he offered compassion and hospitality to them, making them feel welcome, sharing good news with them, healing them of their illnesses. At this particular moment in his ministry Jesus was offering the gift of community, and he was handing it out by the bushel.

As I reflect on the struggles that face the church today, the issues that split us apart and that lead others to doubt our intentions and our relevance, I can’t help but reflect on Jesus’ offer of community. Could it be that in our desire to claim doctrinal purity, to hold other accountable while insisting that our version of “the truth” is the only one that matters—and I’m saying this to conservatives and liberals alike, to Roman Catholics, Protestants, the Orthodox—could it be that we’ve forgotten the simple gift of community and the power it has to touch lives and to change hearts? Just to sit together, to share each other’s needs and to lift one another’s spirits; to cry and to laugh and to wonder at all the things that happen in life; sometimes this is what folks need, and it is a gift that the church, in the name of Jesus Christ, has to give.

Jesus welcomed others, gave them good news, met their needs, and sent them on their way. Now why can’t we do that?

Prayer: Lord, help us to build community in our world and through our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Something That May Be Of Interest Only To Me

Mark 6:30-46

Look at this verse from the gospel reading for today. “Taking the five loaves and the two fish, [Jesus] looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all” (Mark 6:41). After Jesus blessed and broke the bread he had the disciples pass the food out among the crowd. Luke tells the same story in very similar language (Luke 9:16). But in the book of Acts—also written by the author of Luke—we find that serving food has taken on a different perspective. After complaints arise about certain widows not getting as much food as others, the twelve—also known as the apostles—say, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables (or keep accounts)” (Acts 6:2b).

Now we should note that in the gospels the term disciple does not always refer specifically to one the twelve. But notice how some of the individuals who distributed food for Jesus were later so focused on spiritual matters that they were not able to minister in that way for the early church. As the title of this posting implies, I may be the only person to find this at all interesting. But here’s what I think this development in the role of discipleship has to say to us today. What you and I are called to do one day may not be the thing we are needed to do on another day.

I understand that Walt Disney was very concerned that the special effects in his movies not become predictable or stale. “Change the trick,” he would say, “before folks catch on.” For very different reasons what I have to offer the church has changed over the years. I have grown and matured and could not remain president of the youth group forever. Instead I have worked or volunteered as a youth leader, church secretary, substitute sexton, Sunday School teacher, committee member, co-pastor, pastor, interim pastor… you get the idea. At times I have been needed to pass out the food, but at other times I have had to let someone else wait tables while I took on other responsibilities. For all of us, a willingness to do what is needed, to use our talents to their best effect, is essential to a meaningful journey of faith.

Prayer: Lord, help us to serve you as we are needed. Do not allow our resistance to change hamper our faithfulness, but open our eyes to the new things you are doing and the ways we can participate. Amen.

On Being a Human Bobble-head

Luke 9:51-62

According to Luke, “When the days drew near for (Jesus) to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). This is a pretty clear indication that knowing what lay ahead of him Jesus was nonetheless determined to meet it head on. “Setting his face” is a poetic way of saying that Jesus oriented his entire life, everything he did or said, toward that which God was calling him to do. He would turn neither to the left nor the right, but like the arrow of a compass would remain true to one direction.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t claim to be locked onto to anything, and certainly not the direction God wills for me. I try. Really. I just can’t always manage it. Instead I end up setting my face on whatever appeals to me at that moment, or according to my emotions or my whims. I end up more like an oscillating fan or the spinner in a game of Chutes and Ladders. It’s an ongoing struggle, but I rejoice that Jesus Christ has traveled the right path for all of us, and that in his determination, his faithfulness and devotion to God, he has provided us with a sure and certain hope.

My face my act like a bobble-head doll, but in Jesus I find stability and resolution. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord, guide us in the right direction and forgive us when we stray. In Jesus name. Amen.

It Depends On Who You Ask

Luke 9:18-27

According to Luke’s gospel Jesus was “praying alone with only the disciples near him” when he asked his followers what the crowds were saying about him (Luke 9:18). When they had answered Jesus asked, “But who do you say that I am?” (v. 20). The juxtaposition of Jesus praying followed by his questions is of interest to me. Luke has made a point of setting them side by side. But why? What is the connection? For one thing, in praying Jesus had been talking to God, interacting with his heavenly Father. In doing so Jesus would have encountered the truth: about his ministry, about his coming passion, about the world in general. But in turning to the disciples Jesus would have found supposition, rumor, gossip. John the Baptist, Elijah, one of the prophets raised from the dead, this is what the crowds were saying about Jesus (v. 19), none of which was true. Only when Peter made his profession of faith, that Jesus was “the Messiah of God,” was there a blending of God’s truth with the imperfect insight of humanity. By God’s grace Peter got it right and so put to rest the idle chatter of the crowds.

God had to be present for the truth to come out. God had to be a part of the conversation before Peter or anyone else could grasp what was going on. Jesus represented that place where God’s word and human understanding intersected, a place that remains available to us today. Before we can fully understand our own place in the work of the church we should pray, listen for God’s voice, study scripture, converse with others, and trust the Holy Spirit to guide us in our thinking. We should ponder in our hearts what it means to be a part of God’s people and who Jesus really is, for us and for the world, and then seek to bring that understanding along with us in our day to day lives. Who is Jesus? In a lot of ways, I suppose, it depends on who you ask. But the best answer will only come when we accept the honesty we find in God and allow it to work in our hearts.

Prayer: Gracious God, you have made yourself known to us in Jesus Christ. Help us to make that Jesus known to others in what we do and say today and always. Amen.

Listening In On the Conversation

Micah 2:1-13
Luke 9:51-62
There is a conversation going on between these two passages, reaching back and forth across the centuries. If we listen in we can learn more about what it means to be the people of God. Micah speaks words of condemnation to his audience in an effort to lead these people to righteousness. Their response is to try and silence him. “’Do not preach’—thus they preach—‘one should not preach of such things; disgrace will not overtake us'" (Micah 2:6). "If someone were to go about uttering empty falsehoods, saying, ‘I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,’” Micah laments, “such a one would be the preacher for this people” (v.11). Jesus, speaking to the people of his own day, seems to address the prophet. “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:60).

“But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Whatever else we may find important, or compelling, or desirable; no matter how resistant we are to the idea; no matter what people say about us, or think of us, or do to us; no matter how distracted we are, even by good things like work or family, Jesus tells us to “go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” It really is that simple. But in order to proclaim the word, we must first hear it and remain open to it. We must let it judge and correct our wrongs. We must let it affirm and celebrate our joys. We must let it form us into a community of faith and sustain us as individuals. Only then can we live in faithful obedience to God and share the message with others. The ministries of Micah and Jesus were separated by hundreds of years, but when we hear them “conversing,” sharing their common understanding, we find purpose and direction for our lives. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord, open our hearts and minds to your word and lead us in your paths, that we may serve you faithfully all our days. Amen.

Different…But the Same

Hosea 13:9-16
Acts 28:1-16
Luke 9:28-36
Our readings for today would seem to be about as dissimilar as they could be. The passage from Hosea is an oracle of judgment against Israel strongly condemning the people. Acts continues the story of Paul’s journey to Rome as a narrative. Luke, also in narrative form, tells the story of Jesus’ transfiguration. While God’s words are spoken in Hosea and Luke, God is not directly quoted in Acts. Each reading has a different thrust, with Hosea calling for repentance, Acts demonstrating the healing power of those who followed Jesus and the will of God that Paul arrive in Rome, and Luke foreshadowing the resurrection. And the differences go on from there.

But there are similarities as well. Each account is grounded in human history within a particular time frame. In each, God is working toward the restoration of the relationship between Creator and creature. Behind each reading there is a person of faith who is willing to record words and events for our consideration. And of course, we trust that the Holy Spirit is at work through each passage shedding light on the words and bringing them to life for us.

While there is only one God, the manner by which God interacts with us is not “one size fits all.” Different times and places require a diversity of responses or actions. What God might do in one setting is not what God does in another. If scripture could be condensed to five or six verses I fully believe it would lose it’s elasticity and it’s deft ability to touch us on so many different levels and in so many different circumstances. So thank God for all the variety we encounter in the Bible, but thank God, too, for the similarities that bind it all together and make it such a living (and life-affirming) document.

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for the word through which you speak to us and offer guidance. May we ever be attentive to you and your will for our lives. Amen.

Give Us This Day Our Daily Crosses

Acts 27:27-44
Luke 9:18-27
The words of Jesus in Luke 9:23 are familiar to us. “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” I imagine that normally we think of taking up our crosses as a difficult thing, a burden that we undertake for Jesus’ sake. But in Acts I believe that Paul demonstrates taking up his cross in a different way. Even at the height of a terrible storm, after 14 days with no food and no real certainty as to what will happen next (at least on the part of his shipmates; Paul knows they will not die), the apostle celebrates what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. “After he had said this, he took bread; and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat. Then all of them were encouraged and took food for themselves” (Acts 27:36). In this simple act of thanking God and breaking bread Paul takes up his cross, his identity as a Christian.

The language of Acts echoes that of the last supper where Jesus, too, took bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to others. Communion has become for the church a source of encouragement and hope, just as it was on board the storm-tossed boat. But there are other ways to take up our crosses daily and follow Jesus. Understanding our resources to be gifts to us from God is a profound way of identifying with Jesus. Hospitality, care for those in need, and sharing the good news of the gospel are other ways we may take up our crosses daily. Worship on the Lord’s Day, service to the wider community, and prayers for the world are as well. These are not necessarily difficult tasks, but they do demand discipline and they do require us to be open about our faith.

Paul was willing to take up his cross, even in the midst of a raging sea. Are we willing to do so in the midst of our day to day lives? When we do so we make ourselves known as disciples of Jesus Christ. And in our storm-tossed world that can be a powerful message of hope.

Prayer: Lord, give us the courage to live as your people each and every day and to make our faith known to the world, that others may be encouraged and led to know you better. Amen.

Good Question

According to Luke’s account Herod the tetrarch had heard about the things that Jesus was doing and he was perplexed by it. “…(I)t was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the ancient prophets had arisen” (Luke 9:7-8). “…(W)ho is this about whom I hear such things?” Herod asked (v. 9).

Good question. Who is Jesus, this one about whom we “hear such things?” A few answers can be found elsewhere in the same account from Luke. In commissioning “the twelve” to go and “proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal” (vv. 1-2), Jesus embodied God’s act of calling and sending prophets like Elijah and Elisha, Isaiah and Jeremiah who were given powers to speak and to act on God’s behalf. And later, when he fed the 5,000 near Bethsaida, Jesus repeated a similar event in the prophetic career of Elisha (2 Kings 4:42-44). Jesus was also at work welcoming, teaching, and healing the crowds who had followed him (Luke 9:11). In this very busy passage from the gospel Jesus tells us much about himself and reveals much about his work and his identity. Who is this about whom we hear such things? He is the one who transcends the ancient prophetic witness, rises above the teachings of John, and lays claim to the power and authority that belong to God. Yet this is just a glimpse of Jesus that Luke gives us in this passage.

The resurrected Jesus may be more difficult for us to define, but today he remains in our midst, Immanuel, God with us calling, teaching, healing, and proclaiming the kingdom of heaven so that we, may discern God's will and live accofdingly.

Prayer: Lord, help us to discern your work and your will in our world, and give us the strength to follow you in faithfulness. Amen.