Do The Right Thing

Romans 12:1-21
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 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 12:14-18). I wonder what would happen if we took Paul’s exhortations as seriously as we do some other biblical texts. I wonder what would happen if we challenged ourselves to no longer repay evil for evil with as much vigor as some people of faith use in speaking out against what they consider to be among the more egregious sins. Or if we took Paul’s directions to “live in harmony with one another” to be as essential to a godly life as we hear certain other activities to be contrary to God’s will.

I’ve noticed a tendency on my part to do some picking and choosing when it comes to standards of conduct as a Christian. I’ve also noticed that I’m not the only one. It is terribly easy to make up our own catalogue of dos and don’ts and to add what we feel is appropriate to the list while leaving off some items we aren’t as fond of. The fact is that over and over again in the words of Paul—just as in the words of Jesus before him––the focal point remains love for God and love for one another. With this love comes a willingness to suffer with and to care for those around us. Jesus said that “God so loved the world” (John 3:16), a sentiment echoed by 1 John which says, “God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God” (1 John 4:16); Paul himself says clearly that “faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). It all comes down to love and the harmony, and the shared burdens, and the peaceable living, and the willingness to associate with folks from all classes that comes with it. It all comes down to opening our hearts to God in such a way that we also love our neighbors as ourselves.

As we ponder the word of God and God’s will for all people, we must embrace the entire scope of scripture. Yes, God does offer judgment, does seek to correct our sinfulness, does lead us to a more profound sense of righteousness. But first and foremost God calls us to build a community in love and forbearance where no one is haughty and everyone seeks to live in peace with everyone else. I just wonder what that would look like.

Prayer: Almighty God, may our lives be filled with love for you and for each other, and may we be guided in all we do to build a world full of your grace and peace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Love and Hate

1 John 4:7-21
Like many of you, I’ve been reading news reports about the bombing in Boston on April 15, 2013. While the news is tragic and heartbreaking, I have been disappointed as well by comments left on various websites concerning the role of religion or politics in the event, even though no suspect or motive have been identified. As people of faith, we must take seriously the charges being leveled against us: that we are led to violence by our God; that our faith is one of hate and vengeance which––as one writer claimed––has overseen far more deaths than were caused by Hitler and Stalin combined; that were there no religions the world would be a better place. We need to hear these words not as truth, but as assumptions too often based on the acts of those who claim they believe in the God of Jesus Christ.

And when we have heard these words, we need to read from our epistle lesson for today: “We love because [God] first loved us. Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also” (1 John 4:19-21). Granted, to some these are just words on a page which is why we must learn to share God’s love unambiguously and without qualification. We must let the world know, to the best of our abilities, that God is love and that it is because of God that we are capable of showing love for one another even in the face of greatest evil.

One glimmer of hope to appear in the midst of yesterday’s turmoil is the renewed use of a quote from Fred Rogers, a man of faith who dedicated his life to enriching the lives of children. His mother’s advice to “look for the helpers” in scary times has resonated with many. You can find the original video of this quote at:

http://pbskids.org/rogers/parentsteachers/special/scarynews.html?guid=5dcfab82-485d-40e4-b398-6a8ed4eae64e

Rogers is not claiming that all helpers are people of faith, simply that there are always those who will show compassion in times of distress. Our job, as Christians, is to make sure that we are among the helpers, those who renounce acts of violence to embrace ministries of hope and reconciliation. This may not lead others to share our faith, but it will serve the will of a loving God and will help to push back the darkness of evil with the light of life.

Prayer: Lord, we pray for all those who are victims of violence and ask your peace to be upon all people this day, in Boston and around the world, so that all may enjoy your gift of abundant life, now and forever. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Are We Paying Attention?

Jeremiah 1:11-19
“The word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Jeremiah, what do you see?’ And I said, ‘I see a branch of an almond tree.’ Then the Lord said to me, ‘You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it’ (Jeremiah 1:11-12). At first glance, the most important part of this text may seem to be the pun between the word for almond tree and the word for watching which are very similar in Hebrew. But today what strikes me most is the question that the Lord addresses to Jeremiah. “What do you see?” the prophet is asked. What a profound thing for God to say to anyone. What do you see? How do you perceive your surroundings? What is it that attracts your attention? What gives you pause or causes you to wonder? What do you see? This word from the Lord is an invitation to be engaged by creation and to embrace all that God is doing there.

Indeed, this is a question we should ponder far more often than we do, because it can lead us to some significant realizations. What do you see in your day to day life that indicates God’s presence in the world? What do you see in your friends or loved-ones that speaks of community and fellowship? What do you see in a stranger that reminds you of Jesus? What do you see in world affairs that lets you know that grace abounds? What do you see in your neighborhood that confirms the need for God’s love in ways that only you can provide it?

Recently a church member and I were discussing signs of grace that seem to pop up in our lives in unexpected ways. We eventually agreed that God is always at work –– grace is always in evidence –– but that eyes of faith are the ones best trained to see it. Jeremiah was able to “see” God’s work through as common an item as an almond tree. But we, too, have opportunities to perceive the work of God if only we will look around, open our eyes wide, and take in the grace-filled view. So what do you see, and how does it aid your journey of faith?

Prayer: Lord, give us eyes with which to see you and your work all around us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

What Does It Mean To Be The People of God?

Isaiah 49:1-12
What does it mean to be the people of God? For one thing, it means bearing the news of God’s salvation to the world. As the prophet Isaiah tells us, “Thus says the Lord: In a time of favor I have answered you, on a day of salvation I have helped you; I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages; saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves’” (Isaiah 49:8-9a). As an aspect of their own salvation, God has given God’s people as a covenant, a sign of God’s abiding presence to all the nations, but more specifically to those who suffer or are oppressed. What an amazing message we carry when we speak of God’s grace. To those who have been disenfranchised we grant a share of the kingdom and restore fairness to the means of self-fulfillment. To those in prison we offer a way out. We encourage those who have remained hidden, who cower under cover of night, to step forward without fear. We do not clutch at God’s blessings as though they were ours alone, we do not turn inward at the exclusion of others. We recognize that the circle of God’s grace moves ever outward encircling all whom God includes.

God has long used God’s people as a blessing to others. Noah and his family were set aside by God as a means of grace for generations to come, reestablishing God’s relationship with humanity. Abraham and Sarah were likewise called to be a source of goodness to the nations. Like our reading from Isaiah today, the message of the prophets can often be summed up as an exhortation to care for the alien and the outcast in our midst. And with the words of the great commission Jesus Christ, too, sends all who would be disciples into the world to meet needs and lift spirits.

There is a poignancy to Isaiah’s words. As a parent I can think of a number of times when I’ve encouraged my children to set aside their fears and to step forward, to trust me to love them and to take care of them. God wants that message conveyed to all people. God wants all nations, all races, all cultures to trust in the divine will, to accept the good news of salvation, and then to care for one another with open hearts and open hands. To be God’s people, then, is not to end a journey, it is to be reoriented along a new path that carries us well beyond ourselves, to a world that God loves and to people for whom God cares deeply.

Prayer: Lord God, in love and grace you have called your people to care for one another and to reach far into the world with your good news. May we find the strength and courage to serve you in all we do, for it is in Jesus’ name that we pray. Amen.

Oh, Grow Up!

Ephesians 4:1-16
Our reading from the Letter to the Ephesians for today includes these words: “But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love” (Ephesians 4:15-16). For the author of Ephesians, a life in Christ begins and ends in love. There is a time and place for righteous anger, sorrow is an appropriate response to many events in our lives, joy and happiness are blessings, but all of our emotions and feelings must be bound up in love if we are to become the people God has called us to be. As John Lennon sang, “Love is the answer, and you know that for sure.”

Consider the inability of many in our world to regard others with even a modicum of respect. TV commentators, editorial writers, politicians, entertainers, heads of organizations and lobbying groups, neighbors, even some who claim to be serving the church seem completely incapable of loving those with whom they disagree. Tom Lehrer, the satirical singer/songwriter, has quipped, “…I know there are people in the world that do not love their fellow human beings and I hate people like that.” Point taken. How are we to respond to the anger and animosity of others? Is it not typical to get angry ourselves? Yes, but it shouldn’t be, and this is where the message of Ephesians might be boiled down to the simple call to “grow up!” For growing up in Christ means doing our very best to love one another as Christ first loved us. As we seek to love one another we will find ourselves less and less capable of causing each other pain. The challenge is to see and affirm what it is that makes a person—even someone with whom we differ greatly––lovable, and in doing so, to set aside our anger, our insults, our hatred and speak in terms that express our convictions but at the same time seek to build a community of dialogue.

Why would a member of the National Rifle Association ever say a kind word to a member of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence? Why would a liberal Democrat ever waste a compliment on a conservative Republican? Why? Because that is what God calls us to do. God challenges us to “grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ…”and that means to be “built up in love,” because “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son… Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16a, 17).

Prayer: Lord, help us to love one another just as you have loved and cared for us. 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.

Faith As A Road To Joy

Romans 15:1-13
The Rev. Dr. Jack Rogers, Presbyterian minister and theologian, has written, “If you read a passage in scripture that you believe is telling you to hate or hurt your neighbor, then you have misunderstood it.” I would add a corollary to Rogers thought. If you read scripture and believe it is telling you that faith has nothing to do with joy or hope, you have misunderstood that passage as well. Paul puts it more clearly. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13). Believing in God—the God of hope––is about embracing life in this world and striving earnestly toward life in the world to come. It should never be about fear or subjugation, it should instead be filled with openness and community, light and peace. In short, to believe in the God of hope is to be opened to the joy and peace that only the Holy Spirit can truly offer.

Does this sound too good to be true? Maybe. But that is the miracle of God’s grace, that even in a dark world there are springs of fresh water where those who thirst for something better, something more sacred may drink before moving on in their journey. The mountains are high, but God’s watchfulness is never-ending. And so we believe, and we hope, and by the Holy Spirit we are filled with joy and peace. Our struggles remain, but in God they are struggles that have a higher purpose.

Prayer: Lord, fill our hearts with joy and our days with peace. And if we struggle, may it be with the knowledge that your steadfast love remains with us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Mercy In The Neighborhood

Luke 10:25-37
The meaning of the word neighbor is radically challenged by Jesus in our reading from Luke this morning. “’Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise’” (Luke 10:36-37). In Hebrew and Greek, as in English and many other modern languages, a neighbor is either someone who lives nearby (a nigh boor, with boor drawing on an earlier form of the English buan, to dwell) or, in very general terms, a fellow human being. Jesus, in his conversation with a lawyer, pushes well past both the specific idea of the guy next door and the general idea of any other person to provide a godly definition of neighbor: one who shows mercy.

Most of us understand this idea at a rational level. We hear what Jesus is saying, that we should love and care for others regardless of how we are related to them. Where I think we break down is in the practice. “Charity begins at home” is an adage I hear often, even in the church. “We should care for our own first,” we say. Jesus will have none of that. According to him, “our own” are whoever need us. To be a neighbor is to respond in times of duress no matter who may be lying in that ditch. Jesus says that we must be guided by mercy to respond to others, and in doing so create a new community, a new neighborhood.

In these final days of the presidential campaign in the United States, I wonder how Jesus’ radical redefinition of neighbor might affect the way we see those around us. Can it serve to blunt some of the harsher language of politics? Can it allow us to seek common ground where the trend is to vilify and demonize those who disagree with us? Indeed, once we have heard Jesus confirm mercy as the essential criteria for neighborliness can we ever again justify the “win-at-all-cost” mentality that permeates our political process? Here’s a little experiment to try. Imagine yourself in Luke’s account, not as the Samaritan or as the man in the ditch, but as the lawyer who addressed Jesus. At the end of their conversation Jesus instructs him to “go and do likewise.” When it comes to mercy, that’s a pretty clear message. But will we do it?

Prayer: Lord, may we speak with justice but also with compassion this day, so that like Jesus we may sow the seeds of love and kindness and not those of suspicion and hate. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A “No Zombies” Gospel?

Galatians 5:1-15

A college English professor of mine made the point that you can tell a lot about a society’s mindset by noting the themes found in its science fiction. For example, Japan is the only nation to ever experience a nuclear attack. Japan is also the birthplace of the Godzilla, a made-for-film reptile supposedly transformed by nuclear radiation. During the cold war there were many films and books that dealt with World War III and the expected aftermath. The early days of the US space program led to stories about space travel and the arrival of aliens from other worlds. Now as we become aware of more and more bio toxins in our environment and of new strains of viruses that continue to develop we see a renewed focus on…Zombies, you know, those flesh-eating creatures who are dead yet living. The national media has carried stories recently detailing the so called “Zombie Apocalypse” and the creatures themselves have found an expanded role on TV and in the movies.

And then we read Paul’s words from Galatians for today: “For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another” (Galatians 15:14-15). Yikes! What is Paul talking about? Well, not Zombies, that much is sure. Paul is warning us that cut-throat behavior can lead to unforeseen consequences. While the entire law of God can be summarized in love for our neighbors, the willingness to claw our way to the top and to turn on one another leaves us vulnerable to being clawed, bitten, and devoured ourselves. Let’s call it––not a Zombie Apocalypse––a contagion of self-centeredness that grabs hold of us and won’t let go until we have made ourselves ruler of the mountain no matter the cost.

Consider the preceding verse. There Paul says, “do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another” (v. 13). This is very un-Zombielike behavior. While it still leaves us vulnerable to one another, it does not lead us to the sorts of activities that Paul condemns. Instead, approaching each other in love allows us to demonstrate grace and to be enveloped by God’s will. It also could save us from tearing each other apart.

Prayer: Lord, bless us with community and with the guidance to find it. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Loving Deeply

1 Peter 1:13-25

Our culture defines love in ways too numerous to count. We hear about it in music, we see it portrayed on TV and in the movies, we read it in our literature, and we use slag terms to explain it. And within this cultural context love essentially has been reduced to some level of sexual activity or the exploits of dysfunctional family systems. God begs to differ and in scripture we find love discussed in much different terms. For the believer love is centered around God and is shared by the community of faith. This is the love that makes human society possible and that allows us to hold one another in esteem and affection.

“Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love,” we read in 1 Peter, “love one another deeply from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22). For the author of this passage love arises from a purity of purpose, an obedience to what is true to God's will, and a mutuality that binds people together and does not push them apart. It is only with such purity, obedience, and mutuality that we can then love each other “deeply from the heart.”

I wonder what would happen to pop music if this notion of love as pure, obedient, and mutual became the norm; TV shows and movies if characters actually loved deeply and from the heart. This is a radical thought, I know, but wouldn’t it be interesting to see people responding to one another in the daily activities of life with sincere regard and not just anger or lust. Until that day, the word of God remains a source of encouragement for those who wish to love more fully, more deeply, and in a more godly manner.

Prayer: Lord, help us to love one another as you love us. In the name of Jesus Christ who expresses your love in his life and death. 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.

Not So Fast, Paul!

1 Corinthians 7:32-40

As a happily married man I find Paul’s words to the church in Corinth to be interesting. “The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided” (1 Corinthians 7:32b-34a). Now I will admit that I am concerned about a number of things, among them living up to the expectations of my family. But I can not in all honesty claim that were I single my concerns would all be focused on God. I know myself better than that; there would always be something for me to worry about.

It is not that I believe Paul is wrong necessarily. Relationships--and especially marriages--do lead us to new levels of concern and even anxiety. There are a whole host of things that I deal with now that I did not face when I was single. Add children to the mix and the list grows even longer. But committed relationships based on mutual love and regard are among the most profound blessings one may receive in life. When taken seriously and nurtured with care close friendships, marriages, and families each offer their own benefits and help us to carry much of the pain and sorrow of life.

Were I unmarried I am sure that my anxiety would still be split between the Lord and any number of other matters. So, all things being equal, I will count myself richly blessed to be in a loving relationship, one that helps me to make sense of my life and to be a better person, one that also helps me to be a better disciple of Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, help us to live our lives in mutual love and support so that together we may deal with the pain of life and give glory to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

If Only…

John 18:28-38

We can have all the information in the world, all of the emails and letters and TV broadcasts and newspapers and magazines and spreadsheets and campaign ads and tweets and, yes, blog posts, but at the end of the day we may be left asking the same question that Pilate asked of Jesus. Jesus said, “’For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’ Pilate asked him, ‘What is truth?’” (John 18:37b-38a). I can imagine Pilate smirking as he said it, as if he had heard that sort of thing before. After all, everybody claims to have the truth in some shape or fashion.

Years ago, just as the internet was becoming more common, a woman who regularly visited the church I served approached me with an email she had received. The email claimed that members of the board of directors of Proctor and Gamble were Satan worshipers and that the CEO of the company has said so publically. The woman was aghast at the news and wanted to know what I thought about it. I tried to explain to her that even though she had gotten the item off of her computer it didn’t mean that the story was factual. That particular rumor had been going around for some time.

“What is truth?” It’s a question that we all must wrestle with constantly. It is so easy to accept what we want to believe. There is no such thing as a compassionate conservative; all liberals are out to destroy the country. The president is a socialist; his main rivals are idiots. The denomination to which I belong willingly ignores the Bible; anyone who disagrees with me is filled with hate. I hear variations on these comments on a regular basis and they make me sad. Jesus spoke the truth when he said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (15:12). Love is what Jesus wants; not hate or apathy or disdain or disinterest, but love. And this love is true because Jesus died for it. If we could only begin there, with the love of God, and reorient our lives accordingly. If we would only let go of the falseness of life. If only…

Prayer: Lord God, help us to hear your truth and to embrace it even as we seek to embrace one another in love. For it is in Jesus’ name that we pray. Amen.

NOTE: Beginning on February 25, I will be including blog posts each Saturday written by "guest bloggers" who will offer their insights on the readings for that particular day. I deeply appreciate the willingness of these folks to share their time and talents with us. Be sure to stop by on upcoming Saturdays to see what they have to say.