Step Right This Way

Psalm 66
Walk among the sideshows at the circus or at the fair and you may find yourself enticed by the cries of the carnival barker. A barker, of course, is the person whose job it is to drum up a crowd, to build interest, and to generate as much business for the sideshow as possible. “Hurry, hurry, step right this way. Don’t you dare miss the awesome wonder that is the four-headed cow,” he might say. Or the bearded lady, or the frozen mermaid, or the man-eating geranium. And if we are willing to let ourselves believe the unbelievable, we will pay our money and take a look at what we know cannot be true. For a carnival barker to be effective, he or she must display enough enthusiasm to overcome our natural skepticism, to make us do something that we would not normally do.

Psalm 66:5 has the ring of a carnival barker to it. “Come and see what God has done,” it calls to us. “(H)e is awesome in his deeds among mortals.” There is a great deal of enthusiasm here for what God is doing in the midst of God’s people. “Look here! Step right up! Don’t you dare miss the awesome deeds of God!” What deeds are these? Well for one thing, says the psalmist, God “turned the sea into dry land; (God’s people) passed through the river on foot. There we rejoiced in him, who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations…” (vv. 6-7). And again––later in the psalm––we are told to “come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me. I cried aloud to him… (T)ruly God has listened; he has given heed to the words of my prayer” (vv. 16, 19).

Call this evangelism Israelite style. It is a charismatic cry to the people to put aside any doubts they might have harbored and to listen to what God has done, both on a grand scale, and on a personal level. It is the sort of invitation offered by Paul throughout the Roman empire as he called men and women to hear and believe the good news of Jesus Christ. It is the sort of invitation offered by countless saints throughout the generations as they shared their own stories and called others to believe as well. It is the sort of invitation that we, too, are called on to offer to the world, baptizing and making disciples, working to overcome the skepticism the confronts our message.

The invitation of the psalmist, and of Paul, and of the church in all generations is an invitation to praise the living God. “Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth,” we read, “sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise. Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds” (vv. 1-3a). When we can respond to God with praise, when we can marvel at God’s awesome works in our midst, then for us the skepticism is less acute. When our hearts are full of praise and worship, then they are also ready to work and minister in God’s name, to feed the hungry, to revive the dispirited, to comfort the distressed, to house the homeless, then we are ready to enthusiastically invite others to come and see what God has done.

The carnival barkers do not remain in one place long. They follow the circus, or head to the next fair, and they take with them the four-headed cow, and the frozen mermaid. The God of all creation remains in our midst and invites us to remain at work with enthusiasm calling others to join in.

Prayer: Lord, guide us by your word and your will to serve you faithfully in all that we do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now the Real Work Starts

Acts 2:14, 22-32
“This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses” (Acts 2:32). Peter’s words to the crowds in Jerusalem on Pentecost are appropriate for the day after Easter because they remind us of the good news of the resurrection, but also of the responsibility that we now bear for sharing that good news with the world. The truth is, if we think that Easter has somehow brought us to the end of something, we are wrong; Easter is, in so many ways, only the beginning.

Think of the empty tomb as a pebble dropped into a pond. From the point of impact, ripples move outward across the water until the entire pond has been stirred. As people of faith, we play an important role in transporting the gospel, conveying the message of Jesus’ resurrection further and further through time and space. It may be by you or me that others are stirred from their placid apathy into lives of discipleship. It may be our actions or our attitudes that help others recognize Christ at work in their lives, that awaken them to the possibilities that God is offering in grace.

Because of the cultural aspect of this holy day–the egg hunts, the new clothes, the candy-filled baskets–Easter may seem somehow to be a culmination or a fulfillment; what it represents, though, is a starting point. We may have put the decorations into storage until next year, but if we are paying attention we will recognize that the real work is just beginning. Oh, but what joyous, life-affirming work it is.

Prayer: Lord, may the season of Eastertide bring us new opportunities for service and growth as we seek to follow our risen savior. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Context

Luke 13:18-30
There are passages of scripture that I have become so familiar with and so comfortable using that I forget to consider them in their broader context. Today we have encountered one such passage, a verse often used during the sacrament of communion. "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrown out. Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last" (Luke 13:28-30). The description of those who will gather at table in the coming reign of God, the folks coming from every direction, is bracketed by words of judgment and of warning. Can we really speak of the table of the Lord as a place of universal inclusion when just a verse before Jesus has excluded some from that very table?

Even when God’s word contains judgment, it nonetheless remains a source of grace. God is aware of who we are and what we do and there are consequences to our actions. We are called to a higher standard as God’s people and we are made aware of our responsibilities as disciples. And lest we feel like we are the only people God could possibly draw together into the coming reign, here come people from every direction imaginable, all at God’s request, and turning the whole order of things upside down. Why is this a message of grace? Because this is the message that we have been given to share. These are our words given to us by our Lord and Savior. Jesus continues to cast a wide net and to send us out as well to fish for men and women. As such, we have become instruments of God’s inclusivity.

These verses, taken in context, are an invitation to live more fully into our calling, not in order to win God’s affection, but because in Jesus Christ God’s love has already been poured out lavishly upon us. There is a contrast––a stark one––between the wailing and gnashing on the one hand, and the feast on the other. As faithful disciples we are challenged to live so that others may know the way to the feast and away from the darkness. Grace is serious business, but then God’s love is serious as well, and we are to be serious in our efforts to share it.

Prayer: Lord, you have embraced your people with love and mercy. Help us to live into your calling so that others may know this good news. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

He’s Been Everywhere

Acts 14:19-28

How does this sound as an itinerary? “The next day (Paul) went on with Barnabas to Derbe. After they had proclaimed the good news to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, then on to Iconium and Antioch…Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had completed” (Portions of Acts 14:20b-26). Names of cities are flying around in this passage almost as fast as they do in the old Johnny Cash song, “I’ve Been Everywhere.” In it Cash sings,

I've been to:

Louisville, Nashville, Knoxville, Ombabika,

Schefferville, Jacksonville, Waterville, Costa Rica,

Pittsfield, Springfield, Bakersfield, Shreveport,

Hackensack, Cadillac, Fond du Lac, Davenport,

Idaho, Jellico, Argentina, Diamantina,

Pasadena, Catalina, see what I mean-a.

While Cash’s song is lots of fun, we need to recognize the significance of the reading from Acts. The sort of evangelism in which Paul is engaged is not for the faint of heart nor for the weak of spirit. It is grueling work demanding nearly tireless efforts, boundless energy, and, yes, the willingness to move about. Paul might have found a comfortable spot somewhere under a tree beside a river and waited for folks to come by, but instead he went (nearly) everywhere in order to find those in need of grace and to call them to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Not all of us have that kind of energy or drive, not all of us are able to travel so extensively, but for those who are so blessed the ministry of evangelism is, in many ways, its own reward for it allows people of faith to see, firsthand, the gospel at work in ways that may not be imaginable otherwise.

So thanks be to God for those who are willing to travel and to witness and to share their faith with others. And may each of us find our own way to serve God.

Prayer: God of energy and movement, help us to serve you in whatever way you need us, but always according to your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Skepticism Abounds

John 1:43-51

In our increasingly electronic age we find ourselves bombarded with information of all sorts, much of which is dubious in nature. A healthy dose of skepticism is a necessity when opening an email, for example, or watching a political ad.

But what if we need to convey information to someone else? How do we overcome their doubts? The gospel of John offers insight on addressing skepticism. “Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see’” (John 1:45-46). Ultimately all Philip did to answer Nathanael’s question was to invite him to check it out. “Come and see,” he said.

The good news of Jesus Christ, as enlivened by the Holy Spirit, is capable of changing lives. In our efforts to share that good news we do not really need to be experts on complicated theological subjects. Imagine approaching your neighbor with the words, “Bob, I need a minute of your time to tell you about the Second Helvetic Confession and what a difference it can make in your life.” I don’t know about you, but most of the neighbors I’ve had are far more interested in personal stories of faith than ancient rubrics or constructs authored by long-dead academics. (There’s a place for such stuff, but it isn’t back yard barbeques.) Philip hit the nail on the head. When Nathanael scoffed at what he said, Philip simply challenged Nathanael to “come and see.” Sometimes that’s all it takes. Sometimes we need to let God deal with the skepticism and simply invite others to participate.

Prayer: Lord, give us the courage to share our faith in simple terms and to allow your Spirit to work through us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Lost Identity

Lamentations 1:1-12

I wonder which is more tragic, those who are compelled to give up their identity, the essence of who they are, or those who give it up with no thought or concern. One answer comes from the book of Lamentations. “Judah has gone into exile with suffering and hard servitude;” we read, “she lives now among the nations, and finds no resting place; her pursuers have all overtaken her in the midst of her distress” (Lamentations 1:3). As a result of their sins the people of God have been dispersed into exile. They no longer have a place to call their own. They have been stripped of their identity in many ways.

I’m afraid that too often we are willing to lay down our identity as believers in order to blend in with the world and what it offers us. It’s a fools bargain, a bad deal for us, but we do it anyway. I’m not encouraging sectarianism or isolation or fanaticism on our part. What I am suggesting is that we honor our beliefs, that we participate fully in our religious institutions, that we teach our children to value the tradition in which they are being raised, that we study and pray and discuss and listen and contribute so that the community of faith may offer things to the culture that are worth having: peace and hope and justice and righteousness and truth.

We worry a great deal about identity theft these days. We fear that someone will use our name or our credit cards without our permission. Wouldn’t it be something if our identity as Christians so appealed to others that they were willing to use it as their own? Isn’t that what evangelism is all about? What will it take to get us to that point, where we live the joy of our faith to the fullest?

Prayer: Lord, help us to live our faith in obedience to you so that others may know the love that you alone offer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Anti-Evangelism

Acts 9:1-9
For many the thought of evangelism, of sharing the faith with others and inviting them to become believers, can cause severe distress. We love the Lord, we say, but we aren’t the types to meddle in the affairs of others. We aren’t eloquent enough to share what we believe. That’s the minister’s job. And besides, all of our friends are members of churches or synagogues already. So we are often more than hesitant to share our faith with others, to evangelize.

Perhaps this makes our reading from Acts today seem all the more disturbing. “Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem” (Acts 9:1-2). Why we may not be well motivated to share the faith, there was a day when Saul (later Paul) was more than happy to try and snuff it out. Let’s call it anti-evangelism, spreading the news that Christianity is not to be trusted, adhered to, or otherwise accepted.

I doubt we’d be likely to make the connection, but when we clam up and decline to share our faith with others we are committing a form of anti-evangelism, too. The world has plenty of options to offer, plenty of choices for folks to make in spending their time and money, in sharing their attention. To let the world make its offer without holding out the good news of the gospel as an alternative is the same as breathing threats and murder against the church. At least it can lead to the same results.

Saul was perfectly willing to round up Christians for punishment. The world is willing to snare folks for its own purposes. So why aren’t we willing to offer what we know to be better?

Prayer: Lord, give us the courage to speak the good news and to share your love with all people. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Return to Sender

Acts 26:1-23
Luke 8:26-39
In our reading from Luke this morning Jesus heals a Gerasene man possessed by a number of demons. Near the end of the account Luke tells us, “the man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you’” (Luke 8:38-39). In Acts, Paul tells King Agrippa the story of his Damascus-Road conversion. There the risen Lord said to Paul, “I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light…” (Acts 26:17-18).

Sometimes we concentrate so much on what it means to be “called” by God that we forget that we are also “sent” by God, often in the very same moment. Yes, the disciples were summoned to walk with Jesus during his ministry, and yes, Paul was drawn into the early church as a convert. Likewise, we are called to enter into the community of Christian fellowship. But the disciples were frequently sent throughout the countryside to perform tasks, on Pentecost Sunday they were practically propelled into the streets to proclaim the good news, and Paul found himself traveling the known world sharing the new of Jesus Christ. In the same way we, too, are sent as disciples and followers of Jesus into the world to “declare how much God has done” for us. This is where the doctrine of election can be seen as a two-way street of sorts. God chooses a people and sets them aside. But election is not solely a matter of salvation; it has every bit as much to do with service. To be one of God’s people, to follow Jesus Christ, is to embrace opportunities to share the good news, to bring light to those who face darkness, to live as though the faith has really made a difference in who we are.

The Gerasene demoniac was so utterly changed that others became frightened. Some who heard Paul speak remained angry and unmoved by his words. We can expect similar circumstances. But every so often we will find ourselves ministering to someone who is touched by the Holy Spirit through our words or actions. At moments like this we will have made the transition from those who are called to those who are sent. Each is vitally important. Each is the will of God.

Prayer: God, help us to live faithfully as your people, praising you and seeking your forgiveness, but also reaching out to others that they may know the good news of the gospel. In Jesus’ name. Amen.