A Journey With the Family

Psalm 34
My father-in-law's health has been less than stellar of late, so naturally I have spent time thinking about him recently, about the impact he has had on many lives as a minister and as a friend. Those lives include mine. The Christian faith really is a family in so many ways; not one of birth or marriage, but one of covenant and community. My father-in-law has done much over the years to help me feel at home in the family of faith and I think of people like him when I read words like those found in Psalm 34. "O magnify the Lord with me," says the psalmist, "and let us exalt his name together" (Psalm 34:3). These are words of invitation meant to make us feel at home in the family of faith. These are words that say "come and share in a life of purpose and joy that can only be found in serving God." They say "come and be a part of God's people, the community of the covenant. Come and belong." These are words my father-in-law has embodied through decades of ministry and discipleship.

Each of us who considers him- or herself a Christian has a different story as to how we came to have faith in Jesus Christ. Like Paul on the road to Damascus, you may have experienced conversion from a life that was leading you in one direction when you experienced a change of heart that led you in another. Or perhaps like Timothy, you may have simply grown up in the faith,  never realizing it was possible not to believe. In any case, there were others who played a part in getting us to where we are today in our journey with God, whether it was friends, co-workers, family members, neighbors, fellow church members, even strangers. Any of these may have touched us at an appropriate time and helped guide us on our way. The end result is that we stand in community, in covenant with one another and with God. We now have the opportunity to reach out to others the way that others have reached out to us, to say with the psalmist, "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together."

Obviously, we are not the source of the message; it is Jesus Christ who calls us into relationship with God. But we have a vital role to play nonetheless. The community of faith as we know it is always in flux. It is not a rigid, fixed group of people, in lockstep, marching along the road of faith. It is, instead, a changing, dynamic collection of saints at various stages of their respective faith journeys. The joyous call to discipleship, then, is not an invitation to a sit-down, black-tie dinner. It is a "come as you are" affair, a ramble along the road that leads to the coming kingdom. It is a trip that changes us from what we were into what we can be. It is a trip without much in the way of a fixed starting point, but it has a goal: full, self-giving service to God through Jesus Christ. Our words of invitation, addressed to the world, can be the starting point for someone else's trip along the road to the kingdom, and it may be the only invitation that some people ever receive. So let us magnify the Lord, and let us exalt his name together.

Prayer: Lord, on our journey of faith help us to remain open to what you are doing in and through us and to what we may do through you for others. In Jesus' name. Amen.

All In This Together

Jeremiah 5:1-9
Living as we do in an age of divisiveness, perhaps it is helpful to be reminded by the prophet that sometimes we are more united than we realize, and that it isn’t always a good thing. “Then I said, ‘These are only the poor, they have no sense; for they do not know the way of the Lord, the law of their God. Let me go to the rich and speak to them; surely they know the way of the Lord, the law of their God.’ But they all alike had broken the yoke, they had burst the bonds” (Jeremiah 5:4-5). Sin is sin. Disregard for the Lord is a problem no matter where it happens or by whom it is perpetrated. Jeremiah surveyed the people of his day and found that no matter their place in the social spectrum, no matter their level of achievement, no matter how well-educated or politically connected they might be, they still fell short of God’s intentions. Interestingly, the fact that Jeremiah assumes that the poor might be less righteous based on their place in society is unusual in scripture where God continually shows great compassion for the oppressed and impoverished. Of course, the prophet quickly finds that there is no status in life where God’s will is followed consistently.

Finger pointing, it would seem, will get us nowhere. What we need is not more accusations against others, but a thorough self-examination to remind us that we, too, have fallen short of God’s will for our lives and that we, too, whoever we may be, whatever our station in life, must allow God to work in and through us to bring us to righteousness. As Paul reminds us in our epistle lesson today, “There is no one who is righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10). Driving in the car earlier today I experienced a modern interpretation of Paul’s words as I passed cars festooned with stickers in support of one cause or another. I applaud these folks for standing up for their beliefs, but I also hope that in their zeal for a particular cause they do not lose sight of the fact that they, too, need the mercy and forgiveness of God as found in Jesus Christ if they are to walk in paths of faithful obedience and true discipleship.

Perhaps with the realization that sin is a part of every life we may discover a sense of unity and fellowship with others. There is no one who is without sin. No one. And here, if nowhere else, we stand united. It isn’t much, but at least it’s something.

Prayer: Forgive us when we sin against you and against one another, and help us to recognize our need for the entire community of faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Through God’s Stomach

Psalm 50
"If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and all that is in it is mine.
Do I eat the flesh of bulls,
or drink the blood of goats?
Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and pay your vows to the Most High.
Call on me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me" (Psalm 50:12-15)

As the psalmist knows, what God seeks in the divine relationship with humanity is faithful obedience and “a sacrifice of thanksgiving.” What God does not seek or need or want from humanity is food, as if the way to God’s heart was through God’s stomach. Offering bulls and goats to God meant nothing without acts of righteousness and justice, without turning to God at all times and responding to God’s word. God does not fall for flattery. God cannot be bought with cake and cookies. God is not impressed with grand assemblies. What God really wants is for us to recognize the grace and peace and love of God that is all around us and to live accordingly.

It sounds trite but sometimes the smallest gifts are the best. During this season of gift-giving and stocking stuffing, of cutting edge technology and luxury items, of commercials on TV promising us happiness if we will simply buy a new car or give someone a diamond ring, it is essential that we stop and consider what it is that God really wants from us and what it is that we really owe to one another. Consideration and thoughtfulness is in such short supply these days, as is concern for the feelings of others. Now is the time to give thought to what it is we offer to God: empty gestures, or our complete attention? Now is the time to think about how we live in community: insisting on our own way, or sharing our best with others and accepting what they have to offer? God is looking for our response. What’s it going to be?

Prayer: Gracious God, may all our thoughts and actions be tuned to your will that we may praise and serve you by living in community with one another. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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.

A Glimpse Of What Is Possible

Luke 6:12-26
Three verses in particular stand out to me today from the gospel of Luke. “(Jesus) came down with them,” we read, “and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them” (Luke 6:17-19). There is a universal, all-encompassing sense to this scene. A great crowd of disciples joined a great multitude of people drawn from all over the region, not only from Jerusalem but also from Tyre and Sidon. They came with a shared purpose, to hear Jesus speak and to be healed of what harmed them, and those who were possessed were freed of their demons, and those who were sick were made well. The focal point of all this activity was Jesus and for a few verses at least we are able to see what he is capable of doing. His word and his ministry forged community out of many walks of life; his touch healed and cast out demons; his followers were united as one.

But this scene fades all too quickly and Jesus is left to continue his work, more often than not opposed by the religious and civic leaders of his day. The crowds, drawn together by him at this juncture, will soon be screaming for his death. Even his disciples will turn their backs on him, and the twelve who have just now been called to be apostles will either run away, deny they know him, or conspire to trap him. How quickly the beauty of Luke 6:17-19 is tarnished.

Nonetheless, there is reason to rejoice. Luke has given us a glimpse of what the coming reign of God may look like, a vista of unity and healing, of God’s light drawing all people together and blessing them, a way of living built entirely around the word of God found in the Word made flesh. Luke 6:17-19 is one of those passages we might decide to revisit when we feel a sense of confusion or hopelessness. A song by the band The Police includes the words, “When the world is running down / you make the best of what’s still around.” In this case, in the case of our lives, draped in darkness, and a world which is dappled with sin, the best of what’s still around is the grace of God made manifest in Jesus Christ. The invitation remains to gather around our Savior, to seek his healing touch, to listen to his words, to come to know God better. This glimpse that Luke offers us can and will become a reality.

Prayer: Lord, may we constantly be drawn to your word and be healed of all the harm that confronts us, in this life and in the life to come. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Lowly Path to Community

Romans 5:1-11

Matthew 20:17-28

The word of God is incessant in its demand for unity through servanthood. Take today’s gospel reading for example. “But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many’" (Matthew 20:25-28). Reading these words I am aware of the human tendency to impute to others the guilt that we are unwilling to recognize in ourselves. The truth is that no one is immune from “lording it over” others, from insisting on his or her own way. And at precisely the moment we turn to point to someone we deem iniquitous we have committed the same transgression ourselves. After all, let the one without sin feel free to cast the first stone.

God shows us another way. According to Paul, “rarely will anyone die for a righteous person - though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:7-8). Only when we are willing to die for one another—just the way that God suffered death on our behalf—will we know the true worth of all humanity. Only when we are willing to be servants to one another, to meet the needs of the world even at our own expense, will we discover the wonder of community. What can we do for one another today? How can we soothe the pain of those who are suffering? What can we let go of so that others may find fulfillment? These are the questions that should drive our decisions, our conversations, even our prayers. The gospel of Jesus Christ begins in weakness and builds toward godly strength. May we all know the love of God and embrace it even as we embrace one another.

Prayer: Lord, when we feel most victorious, most powerful, most vindicated may we also see and to share the pain of others so that the love of your kingdom may abound in the world. In the name of the one who died for us all. Amen.

The Natural High

Ephesians 5:1-32

“Do not get drunk with wine,” we read in Ephesians today, “for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:18-20). If you want to find harmony in your life, join in the singing, the “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” being offered up by the community of faith. But do not resort to drinking and intoxication.

What an interesting parallel. On the one hand there is the admonition against debauchery and then, of all the alternatives that might be offered, Ephesians points to the presence of the Spirit that comes to those who are joined in song, the sense of well-being that develops when we praise God with all our heart. Call it a natural high, or musical contentment, or song-based sobriety. Whatever the case we are challenged to turn away from that which dulls the senses and instead to embrace God’s presence in our lives.

Singing is one of those activities that can draw people together. It happens around campfires, at civic gatherings, as a part of family celebrations, and of course during worship. When we sing we take many parts and fold them into one. And when we vocalize our thanks and praise to God our hearts are filled with song too, and filled with the Spirit of God. When we are numbed by our actions we lose touch with what God is doing in the world, but when—in good times or in bad—we sing we are connected to one another and to the Lord. If you want to find harmony in your life, just follow the sounds of praise, and then sing along.

Prayer: Lord, fill us with your Spirit and give us voices with which to praise you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Growing Up

1 Corinthians 14:20-33a, 39-40

Paul offers sensible advice to his readers in Corinth. “Brothers and sisters,” he writes, “do not be children in your thinking; rather, be infants in evil, but in thinking be adults” (1 Corinthians 14:20). This verse resonates strongly with me. Part of thinking as an adult means to expect difficulties and challenges to arise, to know that events will not always flow smoothly, to accept that at times life will seem to “jump the tracks.” Under these circumstances it would be childish to lash out in anger, to point fingers, to sulk or pout. But it would be equally childish to lose all hope. The “adult” thing to do in such cases is to turn to God for direction and for strength. How is God working through me at this time? What is God calling me to do? Where is God leading me to go? These questions require mature consideration and prayer, not childish responses based on pride or guilt or selfishness.

Paul’s words were directed to a community of faith that was torn by dissent. He challenged them to come together in the faith and to seek the will of God as a family. This sort of unity cannot be approached childishly. It takes hard work and patience and it requires us to grow up in our relationship with God and with one another. But hope abounds.

Prayer: Lord give us the guidance we need to face life and all of its challenges. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

It All Depends

Romans 12:9-21

Paul had lofty standards for believers, and he shares some of them in our reading from Romans today. “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them,” he writes. “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:14-17). As far as it depends on us we are to live in peace with all. Paul understands that there will be times when peace is not possible, when conflict will be thrust upon the believer. In such cases there may be no escape from the situation. But as far as it depends on us we are to live in peace with all.

And yet if we have blessed our persecutors, rejoiced with the joyful, wept with the sorrowful, lived in accord and humility, admitted to our own limitations, refrained from “getting even,” and lived with an eye toward what all consider to be noble, haven’t we done just about all that we could do? Clearly it seems like some folks go looking for trouble, and typically they will find it. Paul is offering us a way to go looking for community instead, a lifestyle that lessens the likelihood of conflict in the first place, that turns down the heat for everybody. Tensions will still pop up from time to time and they will need to be dealt with. But as far as it depends on us the climate should be one of love and mutual regard. Perhaps this is what it missing from the political realm and from the interaction between cultures and perspectives. Are we looking for trouble, or are we doing all we can to set a tone of peace and cooperation? As far as it depends on us there should be no reason for hate or violence.

Prayer: Lord, show us the way to live and work as your people so that the world may reflect your love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Is That Really Necessary?

Ephesians 4:17-32

“Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy” (Ephesians 4:28). When I read this verse I always chuckle to myself. This may be the most obvious admonition to be found in all of scripture. Did the author of Ephesians really need to tell us that stealing is wrong? Not if we’ve been paying attention to the rest of the Bible. But then we arrive at the next verse, “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear” (v. 29), and I begin to get antsy.

Theft is wrong–and obviously so–but what we say about and to one another often falls into a grey area; or so we’d like to think. Politicians call it “pointing out distinctions” between themselves and their opponents. Groups and organizations based on hate or racism offer their viewpoints in crass terms called “protected speech.” A joke told at a party, a comment made to a coworker, a bit of gossip shared at a potluck supper all pass as “polite conversation.” Few of us would ever endorse theft, but depriving others of their dignity is just as bad and robbing a community of its cohesion is no better. The problem is that while I can see what it means to steal I don’t always choose to see what harm I’m doing by what I say. The author of Ephesians offers me no room to wiggle. Theft and the use of language lie side by side and challenge me to take my actions seriously.

I feel confident that I will not steal today, but what words will I use and what language will I convey? Evil is evil, but perhaps the subtle wrongs are the ones to be feared most for they are the ones we have the most trouble avoiding.

Prayer: Lord, help us to live lives of faith and truth today and always. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Face to Face

2 John 1:1-13

There is something about personal contact that cannot be duplicated by any other means. We may value the convenience of talking on the phone, or of texting or e-mailing, or of “following” one another on Facebook or Twitter, or of connecting via Skype or another form of video conferencing, but it simply is not the same as meeting someone in person and spending time in her or his company. The same idea is expressed in pre-technological terms by the author of 2 John. “Although I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink; instead I hope to come to you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete” (2 John 1:12). The church is a community of faith built on relationships, those among individuals and between Jesus Christ and humanity. To participate fully, then, we must be present with and to one another as we seek to serve our Lord. There is a time and a place for “paper and ink.” But only when we stand together do we find complete joy and fulfilled purpose.

Like virtually all congregations the one I serve celebrated Christmas Eve with a worship service. Attendance that evening was higher than at any time during my brief tenure. I suspect that when we reach Easter Sunday we will have a similar turnout. I’m not complaining. It is ALWAYS a blessing to worship God, no matter how many are present, and I am delighted whenever people are willing to participate. But it is essential for us to understand that we are not fully God’s people when we are not fully engaged with one another, and that means face to face.

The author of 2 John longed for the opportunity to put down his pen and instead to visit face to face with his sisters and brothers. That need still exists and can never be replaced – not even by a blog based on the daily lectionary!

Prayer: Lord, bring us together in the faith that we may serve you fully. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Breaking Down the Barriers

Mark 7:24-37

"Then looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, 'Ephphatha,' that is, 'Be opened'" (Mark 7:34). These words come from an account in which Jesus heals a deaf man with a speech impediment. But the simple command to be opened is one that means a great deal to me. Why? While I am blessed with hearing and speech, with sight and full use of my limbs, there are many areas of my life that are closed up, shut off. There are days when I find myself angry or lonely or not willing to deal with other people. At times like these I may try to hide behind cynicism or humor. I may simply close the doors of' my mind and try not to think too much. Whatever the case, I long for Jesus to appear at those moments and sigh and say to me, "Ephphatha, be opened."

Perhaps you understand what I'm talking about. Maybe you feel the same way. If so, there is hope for all of us. Jesus desires for us to be opened up; our hearts, our minds, our souls, our very living. And in our openness Jesus wishes us to build community, one open life linked to another and another and another until all people stand in honest and loving relationship under the sovereignty of God. Meanwhile, a good verse to remember and to turn to is Mark 7:34, because it reminds us that Jesus can and does heal and restore, and that in Jesus God was willing a new and abundant life for all.

Prayer: Gracious and loving God, touch my life and open it fully to you and to those around me that I may live as a part of the community you are building. In Jesus' name. Amen.