The margins are the most important part of any returned paper. After dozens of hard-fought days of putting off a paper, and a couple of wee-morning hours of actual writing; it is critical to examine the margins. Professor Thomas is infamous for her margin scribbles. They mirror her speaking cadence and rhythm perfectly.
Once she wrote a positive comment to let me know that I had found my "authentic voice." It is one of the most coveted red-pen markings her students look for; and I found it on my paper. Just once, though.
I have been preaching recently, and in writing and orating sermons I have tried to find my authentic voice in the sermons I preach. I can't help but realize that my "authentic voice" is a rich amalgamate of the voices who declared the Good News to me over my lifetime.
My sermons are timed by Pastor Rod Smith's watch. He was my childhood pastor, and to my recollection - his sermons never exceeded 15 minutes. They were rich and insightful. They connected the people and God. And they were short.
Rev. Lori Blocker taught me how to speak with vulnerability. Lori once shared a story with our congregation. She spoke of the great loneliness she felt to be sleeping alone - she described the ache and pain of celibacy beautifully - and then she described the sensation of literally feeling Jesus surround her with His arms and hold her. This story didn't sit well with the high-hair types and those with make-up to hide the bruises. The congregation hated it. The complained about it for weeks. I LOVED it. It was the most real thing that had happened in our church in ages and it opened a flood gate (it was only a little while later that a woman spoke of her families struggle with alcoholism - inspired, I believe, by Lori's vulnerable sermon) that brought renewal to our church.
Rev Bill Beatty taught me to always speak the truth. He apologizes publicly for sins committed publicly. He stops mid-sermon to correct any untruth he might have spoken. His sermons are interactive and accessible. They connect on many different levels and with all of the senses.
Pastor Craig taught me to preach the old time religion - and to let people know that the altar is always open. Pastor David and Pastor Charles gave me my cadence and rhythm. Dr Larsen and Dr Ken taught me to find where my congregation is and to work from there - but to not be afraid to challenge them.
Andy and Tom taught me to feel the beat and groove to the music while speaking. Darlene taught me to make a point and drive it home - to love the people enough to speak the truth in a non-judgmental voice.
I continue on the journey to find my "authentic voice." I feel that the journey is wonderful and illuminating.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Welcome to the Great Blog Post Challenge of 2010!
A group of friends and fellow bloggers have decided to challenge each other to think, write, and dream in new and innovative ways. The group will take turns challenging each other (with a topic, theme, photograph, song, etc... ) to write meaningful entries.
We all share a common fear of the unknown. Will people like my post? Will they be offended? Will they be bored? We are challenging each other to move beyond our normal frames of reference and to embrace new forms, media, styles, and content.
This might get interesting. When one of my post titles is [in brackets], be aware that it is an official submission for the [Challenge] and read it with a grain of salt.
Above all, we hope to grow as people and writers through this challenge. We hope, as a side benefit, that you will all enjoy our broader horizons as much as we do.
Friday, June 18, 2010
buried
Perhaps the cemetery was larger than people remembered, or perhaps no one cared. In the Austrian city of Lemberg, today the Ukrainian city of L'viv, a large Jewish temple sat back behind the famed opera house. A cemetery connected the two grand buildings.
When Hitler rolled in his men used the grave stones to pave roads, when Stalin marched through he expanded those roads. As capitalism makes its triumphant stroll, a few of those streets must be rebuilt. As the workers tore up old city streets to upgrade the sewer system they began to find graves well outside the perceived boundaries of the old Jewish cemetery.
The Nazis destroyed the old temple. All that remains is one small marker in Hebrew and English. Some little prick has painted a swastika on the marker. I tried for three hours to think of a more polite word for the person who would do such a thing. You have read the polite form.
Jonathan received more bad news from the latest rounds of medical tests. Things look more bleak now than they have ever looked before. He will need to begin treatments that his body can't physically handle in order to save his life - it's a catch-22 and I'm unbelievably angry and hurt.
My voice cracks and I can't seem to keep on pitch. Sitting alone in an apartment that suddenly seems so massively huge, I sing the songs that have helped before. Number 707 has brought great comfort in the past, today it rings hollow and empty. Today the pain sounds more true.
And I feel like such a selfish prick. I have treated my body horribly - I've eaten whatever I wanted, exercised rarely, and drank cheap liquor - and I'm healthy. I'm healthy. I get to fully realize my hopes and dreams and one of my closest friends might never have that chance.
And the graves are well outside of the perceived boundary of the cemetery. The feelings and thoughts that I'm having are not the typical emotions I should encounter. They are well outside of the boundary - for people to find a hundred years from now.
When Hitler rolled in his men used the grave stones to pave roads, when Stalin marched through he expanded those roads. As capitalism makes its triumphant stroll, a few of those streets must be rebuilt. As the workers tore up old city streets to upgrade the sewer system they began to find graves well outside the perceived boundaries of the old Jewish cemetery.
The Nazis destroyed the old temple. All that remains is one small marker in Hebrew and English. Some little prick has painted a swastika on the marker. I tried for three hours to think of a more polite word for the person who would do such a thing. You have read the polite form.
Jonathan received more bad news from the latest rounds of medical tests. Things look more bleak now than they have ever looked before. He will need to begin treatments that his body can't physically handle in order to save his life - it's a catch-22 and I'm unbelievably angry and hurt.
My voice cracks and I can't seem to keep on pitch. Sitting alone in an apartment that suddenly seems so massively huge, I sing the songs that have helped before. Number 707 has brought great comfort in the past, today it rings hollow and empty. Today the pain sounds more true.
And I feel like such a selfish prick. I have treated my body horribly - I've eaten whatever I wanted, exercised rarely, and drank cheap liquor - and I'm healthy. I'm healthy. I get to fully realize my hopes and dreams and one of my closest friends might never have that chance.
And the graves are well outside of the perceived boundary of the cemetery. The feelings and thoughts that I'm having are not the typical emotions I should encounter. They are well outside of the boundary - for people to find a hundred years from now.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Sermon #5
This will be my last sermon before David and Shannon return. (I'll preach once in July and maybe occasionally through the fall - I have an idea for a sermon series I would like to write) so I should be able to get back to more regular blog posts soon.
In English we have many polite euphemisms for "sinful woman." I didn't use any of them. The adjectives I used are somewhat harsh and that is intentional. Too often we speak as though Christians are afraid of sinful people - I don't believe we should be. As followers of Jesus we should be more than capable of addressing sin head on, without the use of euphemism.
Our story picks up not too far from where we ended last week. Jesus entered the city of Nain and quickly made a name for himself by raising a young man back to life. A religious leader, a Pharisee, wants to dig deeper. He wants more facts before he makes his judgement call. Like Simon Cowell on American Idol - he just wants to hear a few more notes to decide if this person is the real deal or a sham.
You have to admit, it's all pretty fantastic. Jesus shows up out of nowhere and before he even says hello he stops a funeral parade to give a widow-woman her life back. So this Pharisee invites Jesus to his home so that he can get the rest of the story. He's not overly concerned with showing Jesus hospitality - he'll ask questions first and figure out if Jesus deserves to be treated like an honored guest.
Now last week we talked about a woman for whom everything had been taken. Today we look to a woman who gave it all up willingly. The widow woman didn't choose for her son to die. She didn't choose to lose everything. The woman today, arguably, made such a choice. She was known primarily by the sins she chose to commit. She chose to make her living on her back, and while most of the world would find sympathy for the widow - who cares about a prostitute?
Jesus shows up at the home of the Pharisee and is treated a little poorly. Jesus was a radical person, more or less homeless who entered cities and began teaching things that people had never heard before. He was probably used to being treated as less than the honored guest. Jesus was full of humility and took everything in stride. His own teaching was to sit at the place of least honor and wait to be brought to the seat of honor.
Jesus was probably sitting at a place of little honor, far from the host. If his hands had been washed at all, he was probably last after the water was already dirtied by several other more honored guests.
And then this woman enters through the open door. She is in all things, a contrast to the Pharisee hosting the dinner.
He is educated and respected. She is known to the whole community as the whore she is. He's righteous and faithful. She's slept with more people than she can remember.
The Pharisee is calm, cool, and collected. The woman is emotional and overwhelmingly forward. As a child he received an excellent education in the scriptures and old women would speak of the bright future he surely had. As a child she had been passed between male relatives or friends of her brothers.
These two would never be seen in public together.
She enters through the open door and immediately sees the One who can heal her heart and forgive her of her sins. Jesus was reclining at the table. In middle eastern cultures, you always sit with the flats of your feet facing out.
Feet are dirty and disgusting things. In some countries, showing the flats of your feet to someone is extremely rude. This was why it was shocking when Jesus had begun washing the feet of his disciples. Only the lowliest slave would wash feet - and apparently our Pharisee host thought that none of his slaves were lowely enough to bother to wash Jesus' feet, because by the time the woman entered Jesus' feet were still unwashed.
This emotional basket case of a woman rushes in and falls on the floor behind Jesus. She isn't even worthy for Jesus to see her face. She was a bad person. Where do you think she got the money for the expensive ointment in the alabaster jar? She earned her money pulling tricks and apparently she was quite good at her profession.
As she tries desperately to open the alabaster jar to anoint his feet , she realizes that his feet are already wet with her tears. Embarrassed she looks futily for a towel. Seeing none she takes down her long hair and begins to dry Jesus' feet with her hair. Of course, in their culture women always wore their hair up. Only a whore would take down her hair in the presence of men other than her husband. Knowing that she had tried her best and had failed miserably, she brought her head down and rested her face against his feet in utter failure. She kissed his feet, over and over again, until mercifully she managed to open the expensive bottle of ointment and began spreading it on his feet.
As she sat in a puddle of her own tears and saliva, with oil on her hands and throughout her mop of hair - she probably felt like the biggest failure in the whole world. Her panicked expression gave voice to her innermost thoughts – “why did I just do what I have done.”
We're completely unrealistic in how we map out our social interactions. We swear that we won't lose our temper. We plan a cautious dialogue and remind ourselves to keep a stiff upper lip. In the heat of the moment the gloves come off and we begin yelling. We say hurtful things we wish we could take back and we leave with tears in our eyes and acid in our throats.
For all of this woman's efforts to plan a casual, collected anointing of Jesus she failed miserably. She came off looking like a basket case whore - and as the room grew silent with the Pharisees' outrage she realized that that … was … exactly who she was.
Now the Pharisee had secretly hoped that Jesus was all he was cracked up to be. He had hoped that Jesus would prove to be a prophet after all. But as the disgusting, disease ridden prostitute but her lips on Jesus, the Pharisee decided that clearly Jesus was no prophet.
A prophet would know who this woman was. A prophet would know her despicable past and would respond accordingly.
But Jesus is so much more than a prophet. Not only did Jesus know the despicable past of the woman touching his feet, but he knew her beautiful future.
He knew the righteous woman of God she would become. He knew her present anguish in the face of her accusers and He knew the joy she would possess as she shared the good news with others.
[[Jesus breaks the silence by sharing a story of two men whose debt had been forgiven. The Pharisee must admit that the one whose debt had been larger would be more thankful for its relief.]] - - - I'm going to have someone read this parable out loud - or bring two people up to act it out.
Because this woman had been forgiven much, she will love much.
Jesus stands this woman up and assures her that her sins - her numerous, incalculable sins - have been forgiven.
And perhaps, after all that has transpired in this little dinner, this is the most shocking event for those gathered together. In these simple words Jesus claims his full divinity. Only God can forgive sins - and in this story we see God forgiving sins. The men gathered around the table that day witnessed God forgive sins.
I don't really know all of you. I don't know where you've been or how far you've gone. I'll never stand at a podium and decry others for their moral or sexual failures.
I won't go into details of my own sins, but I will say that I love much because I have been forgiven much.
When we look at ourselves we tend to dwell on the past. Our dark pasts seem to overshadow any hint of a future that lies on our horizon. We are not God. For God sees our hope and our future. God sees the promise of redemption in our sinful past.
Henri Nouwen shares the story (which I can’t find and might very well be butchering) of a woman who claimed to be able to speak with Jesus while she slept. A priest at her church wanted at least a shred of proof. He told her to ask Jesus, the next time she “talked with him” what he had confessed during his last confession.
Clearly this woman wouldn’t know the deepest darkest sins of the priest and she would be caught in her lie. The next day she came back with the answer she had received from Jesus. “I don’t remember.”
We truly believe that when our sins have been forgiven by Jesus Christ that He keeps no record of our wrongs. There is no secret list of dirty deeds that God keeps to remind us of our failures. We keep that list (and the devil keeps one for us as well ) and Jesus wishes that we didn’t.
Satan would love to keep you paralyzed by the reality of your past sins. Jesus wants to set you free – that you could live out your future and hope.
As Jesus said to the sinful woman anointing his feet – I know say the same to you.
Your faith has saved you. Go in Peace.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
In English we have many polite euphemisms for "sinful woman." I didn't use any of them. The adjectives I used are somewhat harsh and that is intentional. Too often we speak as though Christians are afraid of sinful people - I don't believe we should be. As followers of Jesus we should be more than capable of addressing sin head on, without the use of euphemism.
Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."
Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."
"Tell me, teacher," he said.
"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"
Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."
"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."
Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"
Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
Our story picks up not too far from where we ended last week. Jesus entered the city of Nain and quickly made a name for himself by raising a young man back to life. A religious leader, a Pharisee, wants to dig deeper. He wants more facts before he makes his judgement call. Like Simon Cowell on American Idol - he just wants to hear a few more notes to decide if this person is the real deal or a sham.
You have to admit, it's all pretty fantastic. Jesus shows up out of nowhere and before he even says hello he stops a funeral parade to give a widow-woman her life back. So this Pharisee invites Jesus to his home so that he can get the rest of the story. He's not overly concerned with showing Jesus hospitality - he'll ask questions first and figure out if Jesus deserves to be treated like an honored guest.
Now last week we talked about a woman for whom everything had been taken. Today we look to a woman who gave it all up willingly. The widow woman didn't choose for her son to die. She didn't choose to lose everything. The woman today, arguably, made such a choice. She was known primarily by the sins she chose to commit. She chose to make her living on her back, and while most of the world would find sympathy for the widow - who cares about a prostitute?
Jesus shows up at the home of the Pharisee and is treated a little poorly. Jesus was a radical person, more or less homeless who entered cities and began teaching things that people had never heard before. He was probably used to being treated as less than the honored guest. Jesus was full of humility and took everything in stride. His own teaching was to sit at the place of least honor and wait to be brought to the seat of honor.
Jesus was probably sitting at a place of little honor, far from the host. If his hands had been washed at all, he was probably last after the water was already dirtied by several other more honored guests.
And then this woman enters through the open door. She is in all things, a contrast to the Pharisee hosting the dinner.
He is educated and respected. She is known to the whole community as the whore she is. He's righteous and faithful. She's slept with more people than she can remember.
The Pharisee is calm, cool, and collected. The woman is emotional and overwhelmingly forward. As a child he received an excellent education in the scriptures and old women would speak of the bright future he surely had. As a child she had been passed between male relatives or friends of her brothers.
These two would never be seen in public together.
She enters through the open door and immediately sees the One who can heal her heart and forgive her of her sins. Jesus was reclining at the table. In middle eastern cultures, you always sit with the flats of your feet facing out.
Feet are dirty and disgusting things. In some countries, showing the flats of your feet to someone is extremely rude. This was why it was shocking when Jesus had begun washing the feet of his disciples. Only the lowliest slave would wash feet - and apparently our Pharisee host thought that none of his slaves were lowely enough to bother to wash Jesus' feet, because by the time the woman entered Jesus' feet were still unwashed.
This emotional basket case of a woman rushes in and falls on the floor behind Jesus. She isn't even worthy for Jesus to see her face. She was a bad person. Where do you think she got the money for the expensive ointment in the alabaster jar? She earned her money pulling tricks and apparently she was quite good at her profession.
As she tries desperately to open the alabaster jar to anoint his feet , she realizes that his feet are already wet with her tears. Embarrassed she looks futily for a towel. Seeing none she takes down her long hair and begins to dry Jesus' feet with her hair. Of course, in their culture women always wore their hair up. Only a whore would take down her hair in the presence of men other than her husband. Knowing that she had tried her best and had failed miserably, she brought her head down and rested her face against his feet in utter failure. She kissed his feet, over and over again, until mercifully she managed to open the expensive bottle of ointment and began spreading it on his feet.
As she sat in a puddle of her own tears and saliva, with oil on her hands and throughout her mop of hair - she probably felt like the biggest failure in the whole world. Her panicked expression gave voice to her innermost thoughts – “why did I just do what I have done.”
We're completely unrealistic in how we map out our social interactions. We swear that we won't lose our temper. We plan a cautious dialogue and remind ourselves to keep a stiff upper lip. In the heat of the moment the gloves come off and we begin yelling. We say hurtful things we wish we could take back and we leave with tears in our eyes and acid in our throats.
For all of this woman's efforts to plan a casual, collected anointing of Jesus she failed miserably. She came off looking like a basket case whore - and as the room grew silent with the Pharisees' outrage she realized that that … was … exactly who she was.
Now the Pharisee had secretly hoped that Jesus was all he was cracked up to be. He had hoped that Jesus would prove to be a prophet after all. But as the disgusting, disease ridden prostitute but her lips on Jesus, the Pharisee decided that clearly Jesus was no prophet.
A prophet would know who this woman was. A prophet would know her despicable past and would respond accordingly.
But Jesus is so much more than a prophet. Not only did Jesus know the despicable past of the woman touching his feet, but he knew her beautiful future.
He knew the righteous woman of God she would become. He knew her present anguish in the face of her accusers and He knew the joy she would possess as she shared the good news with others.
[[Jesus breaks the silence by sharing a story of two men whose debt had been forgiven. The Pharisee must admit that the one whose debt had been larger would be more thankful for its relief.]] - - - I'm going to have someone read this parable out loud - or bring two people up to act it out.
Because this woman had been forgiven much, she will love much.
Jesus stands this woman up and assures her that her sins - her numerous, incalculable sins - have been forgiven.
And perhaps, after all that has transpired in this little dinner, this is the most shocking event for those gathered together. In these simple words Jesus claims his full divinity. Only God can forgive sins - and in this story we see God forgiving sins. The men gathered around the table that day witnessed God forgive sins.
I don't really know all of you. I don't know where you've been or how far you've gone. I'll never stand at a podium and decry others for their moral or sexual failures.
I won't go into details of my own sins, but I will say that I love much because I have been forgiven much.
When we look at ourselves we tend to dwell on the past. Our dark pasts seem to overshadow any hint of a future that lies on our horizon. We are not God. For God sees our hope and our future. God sees the promise of redemption in our sinful past.
Henri Nouwen shares the story (which I can’t find and might very well be butchering) of a woman who claimed to be able to speak with Jesus while she slept. A priest at her church wanted at least a shred of proof. He told her to ask Jesus, the next time she “talked with him” what he had confessed during his last confession.
Clearly this woman wouldn’t know the deepest darkest sins of the priest and she would be caught in her lie. The next day she came back with the answer she had received from Jesus. “I don’t remember.”
We truly believe that when our sins have been forgiven by Jesus Christ that He keeps no record of our wrongs. There is no secret list of dirty deeds that God keeps to remind us of our failures. We keep that list (and the devil keeps one for us as well ) and Jesus wishes that we didn’t.
Satan would love to keep you paralyzed by the reality of your past sins. Jesus wants to set you free – that you could live out your future and hope.
As Jesus said to the sinful woman anointing his feet – I know say the same to you.
Your faith has saved you. Go in Peace.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
The real sermon #4
Ok, I've gone back and forth a number of times about what to preach this Thursday. This is the third sermon I've written this week ... and I think it's the one I'm actually going to preach.
Luke 7:11-17 (Today's New International Version)
Jesus Raises a Widow's Son
Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry."
Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
They were all filled with awe and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people." This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.
Some days we need to hear a tale of resurrection. Perhaps this is one of those days for you. If your soul is heavy, your heart is troubled, or your mind is tired – listen up. If everything’s perfect for you … well, I’ll try and work something in for you, too.
Almost everyone has lost someone close. Most of us have attended a funeral or mourned the loss of a relative.
When I was 8 years old my aunt died. By that age I had been to more than a dozen funerals and I knew the routine very well. Once I attended a funeral as a toddler. My mischievous Uncle gave me a wallet and showed me how to open it up and beg like a street beggar. I was a cute kid and came home with a nice chunk of cash.
When my aunt died, everything was different. I was old enough to really understand. I knew what had happened, I knew what death was – and I hated it.
The scripture today focuses on the widow of Nain. As the Bible describes her as a widow we know that she had already lost a husband. As Jesus enters her city, her only son is on the slab and about to be buried. Her culture treated widows terribly. A widow could inherit her husband’s property if she had children to take care of. If she had no children, her property would go back to her husband’s family. She would be left with nothing. No house, no income, no family, and no prospect for future love. No one would demean themselves to marry a widow. This woman had truly lost everything.
Sometimes in life it feels as though we have lost everything. When relationships come crashing down, while waiting on a diagnosis from a hospital, after failing a class, when we hear of an accident, or simply when a day has been too long and there hasn’t been enough sunshine.
At one point in my life;I had given up my job and my job security, I had no home of my own, my family was on the other side of the world, my friends were all on vacation enjoying the seaside, I became sick and had no one to take care of me, and then I got the phone call. One of my closest friends explained that he had cancer. It would more than likely prove to be fatal – doctors discussed his life in measurable quantities. Weeks, months, or years. I felt my world crash that day. I needed a resurrection story.
When Jesus saw this pitiable woman he approached her and said, “Don’t cry.” He walked over to her dead son and beckoned him to rise once more. The boy sat up and began speaking. Jesus gave him back to his mother.
This is a story of healing. Jesus physically healed this man by bringing him back to life. But this story is also one of spiritual, emotional, and social healing. Jesus restored life for this young boy – but he restored EVERYTHING for this woman.
When the people around Jesus saw this miracle they began to rejoice. Suddenly this stranger became their savior. He was automatically a prophet and God. This was wonderful. But sometimes we experience the opposite. When God fails to perform the miracle we demand, we turn our back. We cry and curse God for the failure.
The death of my aunt was especially painful because I had prayed for a miracle. I had prayed that she would be healed and she wasn’t. My magic genie Jesus failed to deliver and I was angry.
When we hear this story, I hope you think of the widow woman. She had lost everything – and Jesus gave it all back to her … and then some.
This body – this useless shell of a body – will pass away. When my friend Jonathan dies (and I really do pray that he will die decades from now, after years of us sitting together on a porch being cranky old men yelling at the neighborhood kids) we will rejoice in his obedience to God. We will rejoice that God restored him.
The healing in this story, and in mine, is so much more than a physical healing. “This story shows that healing is not simply about curing illness or raising the dead; it is about redeeming the entirety of human life in relationship with God.”
Because of the resurrection of Jesus, our lives are redeemed.
WE are the resurrection story.
When life is too hard and you need a resurrection story, look around at the people in this room. Look at the people who have been redeemed by the words of Jesus. Look to those who were spiritually dead until Jesus said, “Get up!”
And remember in all of your days, that when those around you are having a rough day – you are the resurrection story they need to hear.
This story is a beautiful reminder that we serve a God who heals. God still restores people, he raises the dead, and he cures the sick. And he uses us to do it. Pope John XXIII said, "Consult not your fears, but your hopes and dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what is still possible for you to do." The mistakes you have made don’t matter. God doesn’t view the forgiven sins and failures of yesterday – he sees the hope and future of tomorrow. God has a plan for you to help restore the people around you.
If you allow it, God will use your resurrection story to restore others. Go forth this day, and live life in such a way that those watching will be amazed at the Jesus who has raised you back to life.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Luke 7:11-17 (Today's New International Version)
Jesus Raises a Widow's Son
Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry."
Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
They were all filled with awe and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people." This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.
Some days we need to hear a tale of resurrection. Perhaps this is one of those days for you. If your soul is heavy, your heart is troubled, or your mind is tired – listen up. If everything’s perfect for you … well, I’ll try and work something in for you, too.
Almost everyone has lost someone close. Most of us have attended a funeral or mourned the loss of a relative.
When I was 8 years old my aunt died. By that age I had been to more than a dozen funerals and I knew the routine very well. Once I attended a funeral as a toddler. My mischievous Uncle gave me a wallet and showed me how to open it up and beg like a street beggar. I was a cute kid and came home with a nice chunk of cash.
When my aunt died, everything was different. I was old enough to really understand. I knew what had happened, I knew what death was – and I hated it.
The scripture today focuses on the widow of Nain. As the Bible describes her as a widow we know that she had already lost a husband. As Jesus enters her city, her only son is on the slab and about to be buried. Her culture treated widows terribly. A widow could inherit her husband’s property if she had children to take care of. If she had no children, her property would go back to her husband’s family. She would be left with nothing. No house, no income, no family, and no prospect for future love. No one would demean themselves to marry a widow. This woman had truly lost everything.
Sometimes in life it feels as though we have lost everything. When relationships come crashing down, while waiting on a diagnosis from a hospital, after failing a class, when we hear of an accident, or simply when a day has been too long and there hasn’t been enough sunshine.
At one point in my life;I had given up my job and my job security, I had no home of my own, my family was on the other side of the world, my friends were all on vacation enjoying the seaside, I became sick and had no one to take care of me, and then I got the phone call. One of my closest friends explained that he had cancer. It would more than likely prove to be fatal – doctors discussed his life in measurable quantities. Weeks, months, or years. I felt my world crash that day. I needed a resurrection story.
When Jesus saw this pitiable woman he approached her and said, “Don’t cry.” He walked over to her dead son and beckoned him to rise once more. The boy sat up and began speaking. Jesus gave him back to his mother.
This is a story of healing. Jesus physically healed this man by bringing him back to life. But this story is also one of spiritual, emotional, and social healing. Jesus restored life for this young boy – but he restored EVERYTHING for this woman.
When the people around Jesus saw this miracle they began to rejoice. Suddenly this stranger became their savior. He was automatically a prophet and God. This was wonderful. But sometimes we experience the opposite. When God fails to perform the miracle we demand, we turn our back. We cry and curse God for the failure.
The death of my aunt was especially painful because I had prayed for a miracle. I had prayed that she would be healed and she wasn’t. My magic genie Jesus failed to deliver and I was angry.
When we hear this story, I hope you think of the widow woman. She had lost everything – and Jesus gave it all back to her … and then some.
This body – this useless shell of a body – will pass away. When my friend Jonathan dies (and I really do pray that he will die decades from now, after years of us sitting together on a porch being cranky old men yelling at the neighborhood kids) we will rejoice in his obedience to God. We will rejoice that God restored him.
The healing in this story, and in mine, is so much more than a physical healing. “This story shows that healing is not simply about curing illness or raising the dead; it is about redeeming the entirety of human life in relationship with God.”
Because of the resurrection of Jesus, our lives are redeemed.
WE are the resurrection story.
When life is too hard and you need a resurrection story, look around at the people in this room. Look at the people who have been redeemed by the words of Jesus. Look to those who were spiritually dead until Jesus said, “Get up!”
And remember in all of your days, that when those around you are having a rough day – you are the resurrection story they need to hear.
This story is a beautiful reminder that we serve a God who heals. God still restores people, he raises the dead, and he cures the sick. And he uses us to do it. Pope John XXIII said, "Consult not your fears, but your hopes and dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what is still possible for you to do." The mistakes you have made don’t matter. God doesn’t view the forgiven sins and failures of yesterday – he sees the hope and future of tomorrow. God has a plan for you to help restore the people around you.
If you allow it, God will use your resurrection story to restore others. Go forth this day, and live life in such a way that those watching will be amazed at the Jesus who has raised you back to life.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Monday, June 07, 2010
Sermon 4
So, I didn't actually mean to post this. If you read this yesterday you read a rough draft. It's still not ready - I'll probably work on it a few hours tomorrow and Thursday - I might post an updated sermon before or after Pilgrims.
38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
We enter into a situation of sibling rivalry in our story today. We find ourselves with Jesus seeing an all too common side of human life. There were other sibling rivalries in the Bible – Cain and Able, Jacob and Esau – and they didn’t end so well. We enter the lives and we think we know the story – we think we have lived this story.
My sister and I are four years apart. When we were in school my sister was perfect. I say this not out of spite or in exaggeration, but simply as a fact. It’s ___________ outside today and my sister was perfect. My sister was a natural leader and an obvious teacher’s pet. She would grow up to be a doctor, and her academic resume reflect her future career path. She visited teaching hospitals throughout High School and sang and played her instrument in regional competitions.
I was not perfect. I was awkwardly shaped and couldn’t do many things well. I wasn’t a leader. I didn’t like school and my teachers knew it. I didn’t play an instrument well and I didn’t sing well yet. I did my own thing. I was artsy and thought outside of the box.
It was sometimes a miserable experience to grow up in the shadow of my big sister. I can’t count the times teachers explained to me how much smarter my sister was and how much better she was.
When I read today’s story I immediately tense up. He visited “Martha’s home.” Not the home of Mary and Martha … or even the home of Martha and Mary … but the home of Martha.
Mary was an afterthought. Mary could never measure up to her big sister. Perhaps she was a little lazy and maybe not as bright or put together as her sister.
Maybe Mary was all of these things – but she had her priorities straight. When she was interested or intrigued she followed her gut. When Jesus of Nazareth came through Mary realized that the dishes in the sink didn’t matter.
Jesus had just come from teaching. He had been out and about and a religious leader asks “Who is my neighbor.” He tells the story of the good samaritan. In the familiar story, 3 good people pass by one of their own and only the last, a political enemy stops to help the injured man.
The question is aked - who is my neighbor? Whom do I have to love? And Jesus resoundly answers … EVERYONE.
And in this setting, the all too familiar setting of sibling rivalry, the question is posed again - whom do I have to love? EVERYONE, even your sister. How often do I have to love? ALWAYS.
As a Christian, I need to love everyone. Even my perfect sister.
They say that sharing your faith with a family member is hardest. Witnessing to a stranger on the street is SO much easier than telling a family member that Jesus loves them. I think that Christians sometimes do street evangelism because they’re too scared to share real life with people.
I was taught once that if you have a hard time telling others about Jesus that you should look at yourself in the mirror. Say, Michael, I love you, and Jesus does too.
The gospel transitions from one setting to another. Whom do I have to love? A political enemy and a perfect sibling. How often do I have to love? Always.
I always read this story as though Martha finally got what she had coming. Final vindication for all the awards and diplomas my sister had earned.
I read the story wrong.
Jesus isn’t putting Martha down – he’s lifting Mary up. He’s teaching them to love one another and making them equals. I believe he’s teaching Martha to learn from Mary and Mary to learn from Martha. He’s teaching them to not jockey for position as leader; but to walk side by side – hand in hand as friends.
We see these sisters later on in the Jesus narrative and they are described as inseparable friends. They learned their lesson and began to love one another.
In college my sister stopped being so perfect and I grew up a whole bunch. Jesus has taught us to learn from each other and to walk side by side. I’m not in my sister’s shadow and she’s not in mine.
Some people see this story as an admonition that it’s better to sing praise hymns than to wash dishes. I don’t believe this is the case. Jesus commends Mary because she has lovingly accepted her sister for who she is. We all show love in different ways – Martha showed love by preparing the house and Mary showed loved by sitting and listening to Jesus – but Mary showed love to her sister by humbly accepting Martha’s show of love.
When we love others we accept who they are. We love our roommates even though they snore at night. We love our friends even though they do so many weird things. We love our families even though they are a little crazy. We love our sister even though she’s perfect.
This is the essence of the Gospel message. Love God, Love others. Love your brother, love a commie pinko, hug a hippy, share a meal with a stranger, live with less and give the rest away, worship God daily. This is the core of the message.
Do you know that you are the Gospel? You are the good news of Jesus Christ living in a sad world hungry for something more. Our lives open the Bible to thousands who will never crack the cover. To a hungry man, bread is good news. To a world that has never experienced unconditional love, your kindness is good news. You are the Gospel. You are the proof that Jesus rose from the dead 2000 years ago. Your life of loving service proves His divinity.
Go into all the world and love – even when it’s hard.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
We enter into a situation of sibling rivalry in our story today. We find ourselves with Jesus seeing an all too common side of human life. There were other sibling rivalries in the Bible – Cain and Able, Jacob and Esau – and they didn’t end so well. We enter the lives and we think we know the story – we think we have lived this story.
My sister and I are four years apart. When we were in school my sister was perfect. I say this not out of spite or in exaggeration, but simply as a fact. It’s ___________ outside today and my sister was perfect. My sister was a natural leader and an obvious teacher’s pet. She would grow up to be a doctor, and her academic resume reflect her future career path. She visited teaching hospitals throughout High School and sang and played her instrument in regional competitions.
I was not perfect. I was awkwardly shaped and couldn’t do many things well. I wasn’t a leader. I didn’t like school and my teachers knew it. I didn’t play an instrument well and I didn’t sing well yet. I did my own thing. I was artsy and thought outside of the box.
It was sometimes a miserable experience to grow up in the shadow of my big sister. I can’t count the times teachers explained to me how much smarter my sister was and how much better she was.
When I read today’s story I immediately tense up. He visited “Martha’s home.” Not the home of Mary and Martha … or even the home of Martha and Mary … but the home of Martha.
Mary was an afterthought. Mary could never measure up to her big sister. Perhaps she was a little lazy and maybe not as bright or put together as her sister.
Maybe Mary was all of these things – but she had her priorities straight. When she was interested or intrigued she followed her gut. When Jesus of Nazareth came through Mary realized that the dishes in the sink didn’t matter.
Jesus had just come from teaching. He had been out and about and a religious leader asks “Who is my neighbor.” He tells the story of the good samaritan. In the familiar story, 3 good people pass by one of their own and only the last, a political enemy stops to help the injured man.
The question is aked - who is my neighbor? Whom do I have to love? And Jesus resoundly answers … EVERYONE.
And in this setting, the all too familiar setting of sibling rivalry, the question is posed again - whom do I have to love? EVERYONE, even your sister. How often do I have to love? ALWAYS.
As a Christian, I need to love everyone. Even my perfect sister.
They say that sharing your faith with a family member is hardest. Witnessing to a stranger on the street is SO much easier than telling a family member that Jesus loves them. I think that Christians sometimes do street evangelism because they’re too scared to share real life with people.
I was taught once that if you have a hard time telling others about Jesus that you should look at yourself in the mirror. Say, Michael, I love you, and Jesus does too.
The gospel transitions from one setting to another. Whom do I have to love? A political enemy and a perfect sibling. How often do I have to love? Always.
I always read this story as though Martha finally got what she had coming. Final vindication for all the awards and diplomas my sister had earned.
I read the story wrong.
Jesus isn’t putting Martha down – he’s lifting Mary up. He’s teaching them to love one another and making them equals. I believe he’s teaching Martha to learn from Mary and Mary to learn from Martha. He’s teaching them to not jockey for position as leader; but to walk side by side – hand in hand as friends.
We see these sisters later on in the Jesus narrative and they are described as inseparable friends. They learned their lesson and began to love one another.
In college my sister stopped being so perfect and I grew up a whole bunch. Jesus has taught us to learn from each other and to walk side by side. I’m not in my sister’s shadow and she’s not in mine.
Some people see this story as an admonition that it’s better to sing praise hymns than to wash dishes. I don’t believe this is the case. Jesus commends Mary because she has lovingly accepted her sister for who she is. We all show love in different ways – Martha showed love by preparing the house and Mary showed loved by sitting and listening to Jesus – but Mary showed love to her sister by humbly accepting Martha’s show of love.
When we love others we accept who they are. We love our roommates even though they snore at night. We love our friends even though they do so many weird things. We love our families even though they are a little crazy. We love our sister even though she’s perfect.
This is the essence of the Gospel message. Love God, Love others. Love your brother, love a commie pinko, hug a hippy, share a meal with a stranger, live with less and give the rest away, worship God daily. This is the core of the message.
Do you know that you are the Gospel? You are the good news of Jesus Christ living in a sad world hungry for something more. Our lives open the Bible to thousands who will never crack the cover. To a hungry man, bread is good news. To a world that has never experienced unconditional love, your kindness is good news. You are the Gospel. You are the proof that Jesus rose from the dead 2000 years ago. Your life of loving service proves His divinity.
Go into all the world and love – even when it’s hard.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sermon # 3
Apparently no one is posting these days. Haha. Sorry for the absenteeism.
This is the sermon I preached last Thursday at Pilgrims. We had 36 people, some were sitting in the other room craning their necks to see into the worship room. When I began chopping up the scheduler (you'll get to that part) there were panicked gasps - which is exactly the reaction I was hoping for.
Luke 9:11-17 (New International Version)
11but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.
12Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here."
13He replied, "You give them something to eat."
They answered, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd." 14(About five thousand men were there.)
But he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." 15The disciples did so, and everybody sat down.16Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people. 17They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
Today we share in the story of a familiar miracle. Huge crowds form to hang on every word of Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus is intent on feeding them.
With limited financial resources; the more pragmatic disciples fully realized that feeding a crowd this large would be impossible.
Feeding people is no easy task – and the larger the crowd the more difficult it is. While the people listen intently to the words of Jesus, their stomachs begin to grumble and something must happen. So when Jesus’ disciples are confronted with the task of feeding 5000 men along with their wives and children – they simply take the pragmatic approach and ask their teacher to send them away. “Let them go to the nearest villages and find dinner and a good place to sleep.”
But Jesus looks at the 12 men who had given up everything to follow Him – the 12 ordinary men who had left jobs, families, and friends to follow this Jesus of Nazareth – and He tells them, “You feed them.”
Get creative.
Figure it out.
This is your responsibility.
So the disciples start trying to figure out a way to solve this problem. They start figuring up just how much it will cost only to discover that it would take a whole year’s wage to feed this crowd.
And then a small child steps forward and opens up his lunchbox containing two fish and five loaves.
Sometimes pictures show two giant deep sea fish and five large batons of French bread. This was probably not the case. The meal provided was the daily lunch of a small boy – the scraps his mother had thrown together that morning to send him off with to hear this new teacher.
-Bring out two sardines and 5 rolls-
This is probably the meal brought to the attention of the disciples – this is probably the meal that they showed to Jesus. This laughable little snack was probably it.
Obviously a miracle would be needed for this small meal to feed such a large crowd – but a miracle had already happened.
God had performed the first miracle in the heart of the young boy. This young lad had decided that the needs of those around him were more important than his own. No small miracle, indeed.
Children are better at this than grownups. They’re better at not dismissing ideas. Adults are all too good at dismissing a new idea because, “we’ve never done it that way,” or “that’s just not how things work” or “my contribution is just too small.” With 5000 thousand men – some with their wives and children – do you really think that no one had thought to bring food? Others had food, but they quickly dismissed the idea of sharing:
I don’t have enough to make a difference
If I give up my food who will provide for me?
The others should have thought to bring some food.
But this little boy had a grand idea:
I could share my food with those around me!
There is this wonderful recklessness in the words and actions of this young boy.
This is the first miracle. A small boy shows reckless generosity.
Jesus takes this small offering and holds it up to heaven and thanks God for it. He has the people sit down into groups of 50 and has the disciples start passing out the food.
Ok … so 100 groups of 50 people – so I have to split this food up into 100 pieces. [Bring out cutting board and knife and start chopping.]
There is this wonderful recklessness in the actions of Jesus and the twelve. They all start passing out these meager portions with the full knowledge that God will take care of the rest. And God does.
The second miracle happens in the hearts of those sharing the meal. Men, women, and children start pulling out their own meager meals and begin to share with those around them. Inspired by the recklessness of this young boy and the faith of Jesus and the 12 they take the next step and decide to share.
And the third miracle is that God multiplies the food that has been offered up so that it is enough to feed the multitude and to have much left over.
This is just how things work in the Kingdom of God.
There is a problem.
Christians see a solution that others might think laughable.
The followers of Jesus give recklessly, the others are inspired and God takes care of the rest.
We are not a huge crowd. We are not hungry. We are well fed and not particularly poor. So how does this story apply to us?
Well, what are we short of? What do we need more of?
Time.
We don’t have enough time. We share panicked glances as we are asked to do “just one more thing.” As our course papers pile up and the threat of never-ending finals looms over our heads we find ourselves at a loss for time.
We as a community are gathered together, we hear the teachings of Jesus, but we quietly check the clock. We look at our wristwatches or cell phones to see how much time we have before our next activity. We realize that something must happen.
Today I wonder, who will be like the small boy? Who will step up with his or her calendar and say, “I don’t have much time, but it’s yours, God.” Who will give their meager portion to Jesus?
- Bring out scheduler –
Like the small boy, the first miracle we need is the courage to be reckless. Instead of selfishly holding on to every second, we must have the courage to recklessly offer our time to others. Call up a friend and drink some tea at the student center, spend an hour in the prayer corner, or spend some extra time cleaning around your house to improve things for your family or roommates.
The second miracle will happen in the lives of the others who are led by your example. If we give generously of our time and others see how much it reduces our stress, perhaps they will want to follow our lead. When we recklessly begin sharing our time with others, they will see the joy we find in this and will follow our lead.
- Begin cutting up scheduler –
And the third miracle will be when you begin to see your time multiplying. When we take a step back from our schedule, we might realize that if we organized our time better and planned more effectively that we have more time than we ever realized. As a group, we might see that we have baskets full of time left over.
We might, maybe, perhaps …. These things will only happen if we are wiling to follow the example of the young boy. These events are conditional, depending on our hearts and our actions.
This week I challenge you to step up with your small portion of time and offer it to God. You shouldn’t be surprised when God blesses your sacrifice by multiplying your time.
If you think you don't have enough time to do all things you need to do, remember this little snack and the 5,000 people it fed.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
This is the sermon I preached last Thursday at Pilgrims. We had 36 people, some were sitting in the other room craning their necks to see into the worship room. When I began chopping up the scheduler (you'll get to that part) there were panicked gasps - which is exactly the reaction I was hoping for.
Luke 9:11-17 (New International Version)
11but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.
12Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here."
13He replied, "You give them something to eat."
They answered, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd." 14(About five thousand men were there.)
But he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." 15The disciples did so, and everybody sat down.16Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people. 17They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
Today we share in the story of a familiar miracle. Huge crowds form to hang on every word of Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus is intent on feeding them.
With limited financial resources; the more pragmatic disciples fully realized that feeding a crowd this large would be impossible.
Feeding people is no easy task – and the larger the crowd the more difficult it is. While the people listen intently to the words of Jesus, their stomachs begin to grumble and something must happen. So when Jesus’ disciples are confronted with the task of feeding 5000 men along with their wives and children – they simply take the pragmatic approach and ask their teacher to send them away. “Let them go to the nearest villages and find dinner and a good place to sleep.”
But Jesus looks at the 12 men who had given up everything to follow Him – the 12 ordinary men who had left jobs, families, and friends to follow this Jesus of Nazareth – and He tells them, “You feed them.”
Get creative.
Figure it out.
This is your responsibility.
So the disciples start trying to figure out a way to solve this problem. They start figuring up just how much it will cost only to discover that it would take a whole year’s wage to feed this crowd.
And then a small child steps forward and opens up his lunchbox containing two fish and five loaves.
Sometimes pictures show two giant deep sea fish and five large batons of French bread. This was probably not the case. The meal provided was the daily lunch of a small boy – the scraps his mother had thrown together that morning to send him off with to hear this new teacher.
-Bring out two sardines and 5 rolls-
This is probably the meal brought to the attention of the disciples – this is probably the meal that they showed to Jesus. This laughable little snack was probably it.
Obviously a miracle would be needed for this small meal to feed such a large crowd – but a miracle had already happened.
God had performed the first miracle in the heart of the young boy. This young lad had decided that the needs of those around him were more important than his own. No small miracle, indeed.
Children are better at this than grownups. They’re better at not dismissing ideas. Adults are all too good at dismissing a new idea because, “we’ve never done it that way,” or “that’s just not how things work” or “my contribution is just too small.” With 5000 thousand men – some with their wives and children – do you really think that no one had thought to bring food? Others had food, but they quickly dismissed the idea of sharing:
I don’t have enough to make a difference
If I give up my food who will provide for me?
The others should have thought to bring some food.
But this little boy had a grand idea:
I could share my food with those around me!
There is this wonderful recklessness in the words and actions of this young boy.
This is the first miracle. A small boy shows reckless generosity.
Jesus takes this small offering and holds it up to heaven and thanks God for it. He has the people sit down into groups of 50 and has the disciples start passing out the food.
Ok … so 100 groups of 50 people – so I have to split this food up into 100 pieces. [Bring out cutting board and knife and start chopping.]
There is this wonderful recklessness in the actions of Jesus and the twelve. They all start passing out these meager portions with the full knowledge that God will take care of the rest. And God does.
The second miracle happens in the hearts of those sharing the meal. Men, women, and children start pulling out their own meager meals and begin to share with those around them. Inspired by the recklessness of this young boy and the faith of Jesus and the 12 they take the next step and decide to share.
And the third miracle is that God multiplies the food that has been offered up so that it is enough to feed the multitude and to have much left over.
This is just how things work in the Kingdom of God.
There is a problem.
Christians see a solution that others might think laughable.
The followers of Jesus give recklessly, the others are inspired and God takes care of the rest.
We are not a huge crowd. We are not hungry. We are well fed and not particularly poor. So how does this story apply to us?
Well, what are we short of? What do we need more of?
Time.
We don’t have enough time. We share panicked glances as we are asked to do “just one more thing.” As our course papers pile up and the threat of never-ending finals looms over our heads we find ourselves at a loss for time.
We as a community are gathered together, we hear the teachings of Jesus, but we quietly check the clock. We look at our wristwatches or cell phones to see how much time we have before our next activity. We realize that something must happen.
Today I wonder, who will be like the small boy? Who will step up with his or her calendar and say, “I don’t have much time, but it’s yours, God.” Who will give their meager portion to Jesus?
- Bring out scheduler –
Like the small boy, the first miracle we need is the courage to be reckless. Instead of selfishly holding on to every second, we must have the courage to recklessly offer our time to others. Call up a friend and drink some tea at the student center, spend an hour in the prayer corner, or spend some extra time cleaning around your house to improve things for your family or roommates.
The second miracle will happen in the lives of the others who are led by your example. If we give generously of our time and others see how much it reduces our stress, perhaps they will want to follow our lead. When we recklessly begin sharing our time with others, they will see the joy we find in this and will follow our lead.
- Begin cutting up scheduler –
And the third miracle will be when you begin to see your time multiplying. When we take a step back from our schedule, we might realize that if we organized our time better and planned more effectively that we have more time than we ever realized. As a group, we might see that we have baskets full of time left over.
We might, maybe, perhaps …. These things will only happen if we are wiling to follow the example of the young boy. These events are conditional, depending on our hearts and our actions.
This week I challenge you to step up with your small portion of time and offer it to God. You shouldn’t be surprised when God blesses your sacrifice by multiplying your time.
If you think you don't have enough time to do all things you need to do, remember this little snack and the 5,000 people it fed.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Insufficiency
I'm often reminded of the insufficiency of words to categorize God and our relationship with him ... her .. it ... God.
I once heard a preacherman ask a room full of texting, ipod weilding teenagers to "friend" Jesus. As in the facebookable verb; to add someone to a friend list. Once every few months I try to trim back the ever-expanding shrubbery of friend lists. I'm terribly afraid of hitting the 1,000 friend mark. I think the crushing reality of 1,000 friends and nothing to do on a Friday night would be too much for my fragile soul to handle.
So, have you "friended" Jesus? Like Hindu-Indians adding Jesus as another god to put on their mantle, have you included Jesus in your ever-expanding circle of influence? Have you allowed the Lord of Lords and King of Kings full access to view your pictures, wall, status updates, and favorite interests?
I'm not just picking on a pastor for creating (or, more likely, recycling) a terrible metaphore. I'm interested in how the me-generation views the very act of personal salvation in a world of social-networking. Our definitions have changed.
When my grandmother was young if she sat and wrote out her friends, there would probably be a dozen names on the list. These names probably included her family, neighbors, and relatives. And people at church. Probably her widest pool of friends was the social networking she experienced at church. Instead of being connected to a household, street, or playground she was connected to a hundred or more people. For a few hours once a week her social circle became too large to comfortably manage.
This morning I have connected with people on 3 continents (some in person, some on-line). I congratulated a dear friend in Russia on her wedding by posting on her wall, spoke on the telephone with a missionary in Mongolia, video-called my mother, watched a Ukrainian nationalist parade in L'viv, talked in person with a few students and sent out a half-dozen e-mails to people in Ukraine and America. I don't need Sunday morning worship to expand my social network - if anything I crave the comfort and safety of fewer, deeper authentic relationships when I worship. It has been over a year since I have worshipped with anyone sharing more than a few months history.
I don't want to "friend" Jesus - I want Jesus to save me from Facebook. More than another casual aquantaince I need an authentic savior. One who will lead me into true and lasting relationships to help me grow into the disciple I need to become.
Our words are insufficient, but increasingly our social constructs are also becoming insufficient. We don't have kings, lords, or fathers in our lives. Most people have never met a shepherd and fishermen are a distant concept or weekend hobbyists. Without a means of comparison, how will we know how to interact with Jesus?
Our words, and the structures they represent are wholly inadequate to help us comprehend Jesus.
I once heard a preacherman ask a room full of texting, ipod weilding teenagers to "friend" Jesus. As in the facebookable verb; to add someone to a friend list. Once every few months I try to trim back the ever-expanding shrubbery of friend lists. I'm terribly afraid of hitting the 1,000 friend mark. I think the crushing reality of 1,000 friends and nothing to do on a Friday night would be too much for my fragile soul to handle.
So, have you "friended" Jesus? Like Hindu-Indians adding Jesus as another god to put on their mantle, have you included Jesus in your ever-expanding circle of influence? Have you allowed the Lord of Lords and King of Kings full access to view your pictures, wall, status updates, and favorite interests?
I'm not just picking on a pastor for creating (or, more likely, recycling) a terrible metaphore. I'm interested in how the me-generation views the very act of personal salvation in a world of social-networking. Our definitions have changed.
When my grandmother was young if she sat and wrote out her friends, there would probably be a dozen names on the list. These names probably included her family, neighbors, and relatives. And people at church. Probably her widest pool of friends was the social networking she experienced at church. Instead of being connected to a household, street, or playground she was connected to a hundred or more people. For a few hours once a week her social circle became too large to comfortably manage.
This morning I have connected with people on 3 continents (some in person, some on-line). I congratulated a dear friend in Russia on her wedding by posting on her wall, spoke on the telephone with a missionary in Mongolia, video-called my mother, watched a Ukrainian nationalist parade in L'viv, talked in person with a few students and sent out a half-dozen e-mails to people in Ukraine and America. I don't need Sunday morning worship to expand my social network - if anything I crave the comfort and safety of fewer, deeper authentic relationships when I worship. It has been over a year since I have worshipped with anyone sharing more than a few months history.
I don't want to "friend" Jesus - I want Jesus to save me from Facebook. More than another casual aquantaince I need an authentic savior. One who will lead me into true and lasting relationships to help me grow into the disciple I need to become.
Our words are insufficient, but increasingly our social constructs are also becoming insufficient. We don't have kings, lords, or fathers in our lives. Most people have never met a shepherd and fishermen are a distant concept or weekend hobbyists. Without a means of comparison, how will we know how to interact with Jesus?
Our words, and the structures they represent are wholly inadequate to help us comprehend Jesus.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Full
Recently I have been hosting an English club once a week. While in East Asia we planned English lessons with the intent of introducing the students to good Christian concepts. We rejoiced when a handful of the students accepted Jesus as their savior after the lesson on the “American holiday” of Easter. When I first began planning English lessons for L’viv, I began with that model. But this approach rung hollow and tinny in this city of ancient cathedrals and war/famine/dictator tested faith. My greatest need was to reevaluate the Gospel message I wished to share.
Personal salvation is not the gospel. It is the stepping stone to the gospel. The gospel includes everything that comes after personal salvation. The gospel is the transformation of the world.
In a culture where everyone seems to scream "look at me!" all day* we have reduced the gospel to its opening act - the one aspect that deals entirely on the personal (me) level. Every other facet of the gospel throws the spotlight away from ourselves and onto God and others. We have managed to turn the good news of Jesus Christ and His transformation of the world into a selfish grasp for attention.
There is this beautiful video of my first Christmas. The camera zooms in on an adorable toddler holding an over sized box and dad says, "Michael is about to open his first Christmas present ever." Like a fuzzy big-foot sighting, my sister Rebecca screams, "Look what I can do!" as she jumps in front of the camera. -- We are the ones who jump into the viewfinder while Christ quietly works in the background.
It is altogether necessary for the survival and advancement of the church that it gets the gospel right - that we, in the words of Landa Cope, whole heartedly take the whole Gospel to the whole world. If churches cannot move beyond the level of personal commitment to the idea of deity - and into the realm of the Kingdom of God - they are doomed to a listless existence of self-preservation.
More and more, I'm convinced that the only message worthy of being preached in the name of Jesus Christ is "Change the World." But I wonder how long a person can really preach this message of “change the world?” Jesus preached the message for 3 years before they killed him for it. Either you preach and fail and then burn out – or you preach and succeed and they kill you for it. I don't see too many other realistic options.
This is our faith - the good news does not call people to choose heaven over hell, the Gospel calls us to choose Christ over ourselves, death over life, and reckless abandon over comfort.
If you think Jesus wants your home to have more bathrooms than people (and it's not functioning as a homeless shelter)then we haven't been reading the same accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus. Jesus wants your stuff to matter less every day and the homeless people to matter more.
I can no longer, in good faith, preach a message of personal salvation. In no way do I reject this idea - I believe fully that personal salvation is necessary - I simply believe it to be insufficient compared to the entirety of the Gospel. In order to be faithful to my call I can only preach "Change the World."
* Yes, I fully grasp the irony of complaining about the "me" generation from my personal blog - from which I write to make sure everyone knows what I think about everything.
Personal salvation is not the gospel. It is the stepping stone to the gospel. The gospel includes everything that comes after personal salvation. The gospel is the transformation of the world.
In a culture where everyone seems to scream "look at me!" all day* we have reduced the gospel to its opening act - the one aspect that deals entirely on the personal (me) level. Every other facet of the gospel throws the spotlight away from ourselves and onto God and others. We have managed to turn the good news of Jesus Christ and His transformation of the world into a selfish grasp for attention.
There is this beautiful video of my first Christmas. The camera zooms in on an adorable toddler holding an over sized box and dad says, "Michael is about to open his first Christmas present ever." Like a fuzzy big-foot sighting, my sister Rebecca screams, "Look what I can do!" as she jumps in front of the camera. -- We are the ones who jump into the viewfinder while Christ quietly works in the background.
It is altogether necessary for the survival and advancement of the church that it gets the gospel right - that we, in the words of Landa Cope, whole heartedly take the whole Gospel to the whole world. If churches cannot move beyond the level of personal commitment to the idea of deity - and into the realm of the Kingdom of God - they are doomed to a listless existence of self-preservation.
More and more, I'm convinced that the only message worthy of being preached in the name of Jesus Christ is "Change the World." But I wonder how long a person can really preach this message of “change the world?” Jesus preached the message for 3 years before they killed him for it. Either you preach and fail and then burn out – or you preach and succeed and they kill you for it. I don't see too many other realistic options.
This is our faith - the good news does not call people to choose heaven over hell, the Gospel calls us to choose Christ over ourselves, death over life, and reckless abandon over comfort.
If you think Jesus wants your home to have more bathrooms than people (and it's not functioning as a homeless shelter)then we haven't been reading the same accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus. Jesus wants your stuff to matter less every day and the homeless people to matter more.
I can no longer, in good faith, preach a message of personal salvation. In no way do I reject this idea - I believe fully that personal salvation is necessary - I simply believe it to be insufficient compared to the entirety of the Gospel. In order to be faithful to my call I can only preach "Change the World."
* Yes, I fully grasp the irony of complaining about the "me" generation from my personal blog - from which I write to make sure everyone knows what I think about everything.
I think there must be a tremendous sadness in being a saint.
After the SS arrested Casper ten Boom they decided that he was too old - they would prefer he died in his own bed than have an extra body to dispose of. One soldier said, that he was quite old and asked, if they let him go, if he would behave. He responded, "If I go home today, tomorrow I will open my door to anyone who knocks for help."
And this is the Casper ten Boom we have heard about - this is the old grandfatherly man we know and love from his daughter's book, The Hiding Place. But what about the Casper of doubt? What about the man who spent hours wrestling with the idea of turning the jews over to the authorities and protecting his family. Why don't we read about the man who felt like a failure because the jews he was protecting never fully accepted the Christian faith?
As a struggling Christian, it's easy to look to the great men and women of the faith as examples. When my doubts are heavier than my faith - I can idolize the faith of men and women like those found in the ten Boom family. But what do you do when you are the saint? When you are seen as the spiritual giant, what do you do with your doubts, your temptations, your sins, and your failures?
How sad must it be to realize the depth of your own doubt, frustration, sin, and laziness and then to realize that you're probably it. You are probably as faithful as anyone else. What pain must belong in the knowledge that after you are gone, people will remember your name - that you lived for Christ so poorly that people will remember you first and then Christ; that people will make you an idol.
What a sad life Mother Theresa and John Paul II must have led - living with the full knowledge that this is probably it - this is probably the extent to which the frail human form can live fully for God.
After the SS arrested Casper ten Boom they decided that he was too old - they would prefer he died in his own bed than have an extra body to dispose of. One soldier said, that he was quite old and asked, if they let him go, if he would behave. He responded, "If I go home today, tomorrow I will open my door to anyone who knocks for help."
And this is the Casper ten Boom we have heard about - this is the old grandfatherly man we know and love from his daughter's book, The Hiding Place. But what about the Casper of doubt? What about the man who spent hours wrestling with the idea of turning the jews over to the authorities and protecting his family. Why don't we read about the man who felt like a failure because the jews he was protecting never fully accepted the Christian faith?
As a struggling Christian, it's easy to look to the great men and women of the faith as examples. When my doubts are heavier than my faith - I can idolize the faith of men and women like those found in the ten Boom family. But what do you do when you are the saint? When you are seen as the spiritual giant, what do you do with your doubts, your temptations, your sins, and your failures?
How sad must it be to realize the depth of your own doubt, frustration, sin, and laziness and then to realize that you're probably it. You are probably as faithful as anyone else. What pain must belong in the knowledge that after you are gone, people will remember your name - that you lived for Christ so poorly that people will remember you first and then Christ; that people will make you an idol.
What a sad life Mother Theresa and John Paul II must have led - living with the full knowledge that this is probably it - this is probably the extent to which the frail human form can live fully for God.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Pictures from Kiev.
This is me and some of the students I work with (from L'viv Ukraine), and two pictures I took of an ancient church.
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Happy Mothers' Day!
Yes, I know you're reading this Debbie Airgood.
Sorry I can't be there to celebrate with you!
Love, (your son) Michael.
Sorry I can't be there to celebrate with you!
Love, (your son) Michael.
Friday, May 07, 2010
Some rules
We're incredibly talented at getting everything wrong.
I saw a copy of this statue in Moscow a few years ago. I genuinely thought that it had been mislabeled - because I couldn't think of any story in the Bible where Moses grew horns.
When the Bible was first translated into Latin this was one of the linguistic mistakes. When Moses came down off the mountain his face shone with a beam of light ... but it was originally translated that his face had a large horn on it.
Hundreds of years after the mis-translation this beautiful statue was painstakingly carved by a great master. But, it's wrong.
The Jews genuinely believed that they had the whole "Messiah thing" figured out. They thought they knew when he would come, how he would come, what he would look like, and what he would do. They were wrong. When the Messiah came he was backwards of everything they expected. He never had great wealth, he never commanded an army - their Messiah was a homeless teacher/carpenter. They had all these strongly held beliefs, but they were wrong.
I see millions of Christians with very strong opinions. Some Christians believe that it is okay to kill abortion doctors to stop abortion because abortion is murder. Some Christians believe that immigration is a social justice issue and that we should support all immigrants, legal and illegal. Christians on one side of an issue believe very passionately that God hates ___________________ and Christians on the other side of the issue believe very passionately that God supports _________________. Of course both sides manage to pluck a few words from the Bible to tell us all how God feels.
The more I study the Bible the more I realize that I don't really know how God feels about many things - and neither does anyone else. And that's okay.
Here are a few things that I think Christians should think about before declaring how God feels about a topic:
1. How important is this issue in the long run? I know it's important to Fox News and CNN, but how important is it to Jesus and His bride? Is it as important as 30,000 children dying every day? Does a wrong answer to this question send people to Hell? Did Jesus spend any time talking about it? How important is this issue?
2. Does the whole cannon of scripture back up my strongly held belief? Yes, I know what First Hesitations 2:19 says ... , but if that stands in contrast to the life and ministry of Jesus, are you really willing to bet all your chips on this belief? Would you have found the Bible verse that supports your cause on your own? Do you only know it exists in the Bible because of propaganda material you have read that supports your strongly held belief? Is it only mentioned once? In passing? By someone other than Jesus? In a long list that we otherwise disregard? If this issue is really important in the long run I believe that it would be a recurring theme in the Bible.
3. Is there a third way? Solomon charged the women to saw the baby in half, knowing that the mother would want her child to live no matter what. Solomon had two options - mother 1 or mother 2 - but he chose the third way. Do we really believe that the God of this universe will only pick from the two options we clearly see and that God couldn't find a third way? Really? Before we declare that God loves black and hates white or loves white and hates black - let's step back and realize that perhaps God's solution is bigger than we might realize.
4. Are we interpreting the Bible passages correctly to arrive at our strongly held belief? (Hint - if your strongly held belief is based on something in Revelation you should probably tone down your rhetoric a bit!) Are we reading Paul like a new Christian in Corinth or are we reading him like an American sitting inside our air-conditioned den? Leave room for grace in instances where our reading might be mistaken.
5. Does my strongly held belief leave room for the Grace of God in case I'm wrong? When you get to the Pearly Gates will God chuckle amusedly that you really thought ________________________? Or will God grieve that thousands of people are in Hell because you falsely taught ____________________________?
I hope these rules and guidelines help everyone understand where I come from when I write about socio-political topics. I hope these are useful for everyone else, as well.
I saw a copy of this statue in Moscow a few years ago. I genuinely thought that it had been mislabeled - because I couldn't think of any story in the Bible where Moses grew horns.
When the Bible was first translated into Latin this was one of the linguistic mistakes. When Moses came down off the mountain his face shone with a beam of light ... but it was originally translated that his face had a large horn on it.
Hundreds of years after the mis-translation this beautiful statue was painstakingly carved by a great master. But, it's wrong.
The Jews genuinely believed that they had the whole "Messiah thing" figured out. They thought they knew when he would come, how he would come, what he would look like, and what he would do. They were wrong. When the Messiah came he was backwards of everything they expected. He never had great wealth, he never commanded an army - their Messiah was a homeless teacher/carpenter. They had all these strongly held beliefs, but they were wrong.
I see millions of Christians with very strong opinions. Some Christians believe that it is okay to kill abortion doctors to stop abortion because abortion is murder. Some Christians believe that immigration is a social justice issue and that we should support all immigrants, legal and illegal. Christians on one side of an issue believe very passionately that God hates ___________________ and Christians on the other side of the issue believe very passionately that God supports _________________. Of course both sides manage to pluck a few words from the Bible to tell us all how God feels.
The more I study the Bible the more I realize that I don't really know how God feels about many things - and neither does anyone else. And that's okay.
Here are a few things that I think Christians should think about before declaring how God feels about a topic:
1. How important is this issue in the long run? I know it's important to Fox News and CNN, but how important is it to Jesus and His bride? Is it as important as 30,000 children dying every day? Does a wrong answer to this question send people to Hell? Did Jesus spend any time talking about it? How important is this issue?
2. Does the whole cannon of scripture back up my strongly held belief? Yes, I know what First Hesitations 2:19 says ... , but if that stands in contrast to the life and ministry of Jesus, are you really willing to bet all your chips on this belief? Would you have found the Bible verse that supports your cause on your own? Do you only know it exists in the Bible because of propaganda material you have read that supports your strongly held belief? Is it only mentioned once? In passing? By someone other than Jesus? In a long list that we otherwise disregard? If this issue is really important in the long run I believe that it would be a recurring theme in the Bible.
3. Is there a third way? Solomon charged the women to saw the baby in half, knowing that the mother would want her child to live no matter what. Solomon had two options - mother 1 or mother 2 - but he chose the third way. Do we really believe that the God of this universe will only pick from the two options we clearly see and that God couldn't find a third way? Really? Before we declare that God loves black and hates white or loves white and hates black - let's step back and realize that perhaps God's solution is bigger than we might realize.
4. Are we interpreting the Bible passages correctly to arrive at our strongly held belief? (Hint - if your strongly held belief is based on something in Revelation you should probably tone down your rhetoric a bit!) Are we reading Paul like a new Christian in Corinth or are we reading him like an American sitting inside our air-conditioned den? Leave room for grace in instances where our reading might be mistaken.
5. Does my strongly held belief leave room for the Grace of God in case I'm wrong? When you get to the Pearly Gates will God chuckle amusedly that you really thought ________________________? Or will God grieve that thousands of people are in Hell because you falsely taught ____________________________?
I hope these rules and guidelines help everyone understand where I come from when I write about socio-political topics. I hope these are useful for everyone else, as well.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Rhubarb
It's a good day.
I bought rhubarb in the marketplace this morning. I didn't need rhubarb, it was an impulse buy. Like twinkies, ho-hos, or Taco Bell. But who impulse buys rhubarb. I'm not even sure I remember what rhubarb pie tastes like. I think I've only had it once.
Betty made rhubarb pie. When we were young we would go to Betty's house and have tea and cookies while my mom talked with Betty and Althea. We were always treated like grown-ups - just miniature. I drank coffee like Bill. Bill & Betty were always simply ancient. While I know now that they were about the same age as my grandparents - Bill & Betty always seemed so much older.
Bill had served in the war, the second great one. He had a fun story of how he got drafted. I don't remember it well, but basically - he had an old truck that he was driving even though he was too young to drive on the roads. A cop pulled him over for not having a taillight and found that the driver was unlicensed. He told Bill that he could pay a fine of $400, go to prison for a week, or (if he was really as old as he said!)join the service. Bill had never seen $400 and he had seen the outside of a prison and didn't want to see the inside ... so he chose to join the service.
After tea and cookies we would all go for a long walk. I only loved the walks when we would stroll through the woods behind their house. With them, in those woods, I saw a tranquilized bear, deer, and large fields of blueberry bushes. In season we would pick for hours. My mother always seemed to pick thousands more than my sister and I could. Even Betty's arthritic hands managed to pick faster than us.
So maybe tomorrow I'll work on a rhubarb pie. We'll see.
I bought rhubarb in the marketplace this morning. I didn't need rhubarb, it was an impulse buy. Like twinkies, ho-hos, or Taco Bell. But who impulse buys rhubarb. I'm not even sure I remember what rhubarb pie tastes like. I think I've only had it once.
Betty made rhubarb pie. When we were young we would go to Betty's house and have tea and cookies while my mom talked with Betty and Althea. We were always treated like grown-ups - just miniature. I drank coffee like Bill. Bill & Betty were always simply ancient. While I know now that they were about the same age as my grandparents - Bill & Betty always seemed so much older.
Bill had served in the war, the second great one. He had a fun story of how he got drafted. I don't remember it well, but basically - he had an old truck that he was driving even though he was too young to drive on the roads. A cop pulled him over for not having a taillight and found that the driver was unlicensed. He told Bill that he could pay a fine of $400, go to prison for a week, or (if he was really as old as he said!)join the service. Bill had never seen $400 and he had seen the outside of a prison and didn't want to see the inside ... so he chose to join the service.
After tea and cookies we would all go for a long walk. I only loved the walks when we would stroll through the woods behind their house. With them, in those woods, I saw a tranquilized bear, deer, and large fields of blueberry bushes. In season we would pick for hours. My mother always seemed to pick thousands more than my sister and I could. Even Betty's arthritic hands managed to pick faster than us.
So maybe tomorrow I'll work on a rhubarb pie. We'll see.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Lead on, Dr. Height.
“I just keep feeling that social justice is not some kind of utopia, I think it’s a positive reality, and we have to work at it,” - Dorothy Irene Height 1912-2010
Maybe you've never heard of Dr. Dorothy Height. But you should have. She has been awarded 36 honorary Doctorates, she was the only female on the platform while Dr. Martin Luther King gave his I Have A Dream speech, she was proudly on the platform at the inauguration of Barack Obama and she has led more civic organizations than I could recount.
She was a United Methodist of strong faith and character. She fought for the rights of the underprivileged regardless of the opposition. She was friends with Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune even though she was decades younger than them. She has mentored dozens of women who hold prominent positions in government and civic life.
Her book, Open Wide the Freedom Gates, shares her story of fighting for equal rights. Although her death hasn't quite made national headlines, (Newsweek has a wonderful tribute and UMC.org had a great write up, though!)it should have. Her life has irrevocably changed history - her vision has brought elements of social justice to wide swaths of the population who had never known it before.
May her life be an example to all those who wish to follow the risen Christ.
Elizabeth Warren for Supreme Court
I think that Elizabeth Warren would make an excellent Supreme Court Justice.
Here is an article from Newsweek advocating her strengths.
I've been a big fan of Mrs. Warren for a number of years. Before the housing market bubble burst, she was a strong advocate for change. I read an article where she stated that if mortgages and credit cards had the same level of regulations that toasters merit we would be able to avoid impending doom. We didn't fix the system and the doom came full force.
She's a strong advocate for the middle class and poor and used to be a Sunday School teacher. She says she is inspired by John Wesley.
She fits my criteria. She fits President Obama's criteria.
I hope she's the pick!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Process
I'm working on a future sermon for Pilgrims.
It will be based on Romans 5:1-5:
I think this passage sums up my frustration with a lot of Paul's writing - what he says is good and valuable - but it's so wordy and text dense. I think this would get a C- in a Professor Thomas class. He says so much in each passage and never fully extrapolates any discernible theme. While he makes intriguing points, his work is entirely didactic and lacks a strong sense of catharsis. See - that analysis would have received at least an A- from Ms. Thomas.
I feel that I could spend 30 strong minutes unpacking this package for the students and that their lives really wouldn't profit much from it. I simply don't identify with Paul's writing because it lacks a narrative arc. Instead of the beautiful parables and stories of Jesus I read in the gospels, I hear the teacher from Peanuts when I read Paul's books. Waa, waa, waa, waa, waa.
And this passage is beautiful. It's beautifully intricate and succinctly teaches the process of Christian maturity. It just doesn't reach me in the same way that a story would.
So I'm struggling with how to present it.
I think I'm going to make giant posters with all of the different stages of spiritual growth and put them up around the worship space - maybe I could stand in front of each of them and share a story or two to give some examples.
I'll probably focus on the ideas of suffering, perseverance, and hope more than the other themes - primarily because I feel that these thematic elements are lacking in the personal theologies of some of the students(and like any good teacher, I'm teaching to the test!).
I'll probably talk about my weight loss (75 lbs in 3 years is slow and steady progress - but I'm clearly still on the journey so it works well) and show before and after pictures.
I'm just stuck - this isn't the type of passage that would stop me in my tracks - and need to buckle down and get some ideas flowing.
Any thoughts?
It will be based on Romans 5:1-5:
"1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."
I think this passage sums up my frustration with a lot of Paul's writing - what he says is good and valuable - but it's so wordy and text dense. I think this would get a C- in a Professor Thomas class. He says so much in each passage and never fully extrapolates any discernible theme. While he makes intriguing points, his work is entirely didactic and lacks a strong sense of catharsis. See - that analysis would have received at least an A- from Ms. Thomas.
I feel that I could spend 30 strong minutes unpacking this package for the students and that their lives really wouldn't profit much from it. I simply don't identify with Paul's writing because it lacks a narrative arc. Instead of the beautiful parables and stories of Jesus I read in the gospels, I hear the teacher from Peanuts when I read Paul's books. Waa, waa, waa, waa, waa.
And this passage is beautiful. It's beautifully intricate and succinctly teaches the process of Christian maturity. It just doesn't reach me in the same way that a story would.
So I'm struggling with how to present it.
I think I'm going to make giant posters with all of the different stages of spiritual growth and put them up around the worship space - maybe I could stand in front of each of them and share a story or two to give some examples.
I'll probably focus on the ideas of suffering, perseverance, and hope more than the other themes - primarily because I feel that these thematic elements are lacking in the personal theologies of some of the students(and like any good teacher, I'm teaching to the test!).
I'll probably talk about my weight loss (75 lbs in 3 years is slow and steady progress - but I'm clearly still on the journey so it works well) and show before and after pictures.
I'm just stuck - this isn't the type of passage that would stop me in my tracks - and need to buckle down and get some ideas flowing.
Any thoughts?
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Empire
Several weeks ago I wrote a blog post about the idea of Kingdom. I've been thinking more and more about this topic and reading more. A quick semantic change is in order - I liked the word Kingdom, because Jesus spoke about a new Kingdom - and I like the idea of the one true Kingdom replacing the old kingdom. But, many theologians use the word Empire and perhaps this is a better fit. It's less confusing than having two "kingdoms" and not every empire is a monarchy and therefore not a kingdom.
So, let's focus on Empire for a while.
If you wish to see an emaciated, neutered "church," look no further than a faith and the faithful who side with big business over the little guy, the strong over the weak and the rich over the poor. Find a congregation which proudly hangs their countries flag alongside the Christian flag - with no regard to the thousands of men, women, and children killed by their military each year. Find a building that gets filled on Sundays but sits empty during the week while the homeless sleep outside. In short - look for a church that sees no problem with Empire and you will see a church that has little to do with Christ and his Kingdom.
The problem of Empire is systemic. It surrounds all of us in our daily lives. For a quick example - think about the food that you eat every day.
I don't eat many highly-processed foods any more. Most of my diet is one or two steps away from the farm. This is less a socio-conscious choice and more a reality of living in a different part of the world. In the last two weeks I have had some peanut butter and cinnamon toast crunch my parents mailed to me, McDonald's hamburgers and fries, a bottle of Sprite, and some packaged crab. Beyond these indulgences, everything I have consumed has been preservative free. I can pronounce everything that goes into my body - and that's a wonderful feeling.
In America our tax money goes to subsidies certain crops - corn is an excellent example. Corn is made less expensive so that it can be grown more profitably by more large scale farms. However, most Americans don't eat corn in a significantly higher quantity than any other vegetable. We consume corn byproducts. Corn-syrup is in everything. It's a highly processed sickeningly sweet chemical byproduct of corn and we ingest it daily and give it to our children like candy. No, really, like candy which is usually sweetened using corn syrup. How many foods have you eaten in the last week which weren't produced by a large-scale operation? If you wanted to eat preservative free - would it even be possible? I don't think so - not unless you were quite wealthy.
Ahh, the wealthy. Another nice side effect of Empire. Our economic policy relies on a system which rewards greed. Those who are best at the sin of greed make the most money and Christians don't seem to be fairing too badly at this game. I don't feel that it is necessarily a bad thing for a Christian to be wealthy - I just think we shouldn't try so hard to be wealthy. In pursuit of Empire, we sometimes forget the Kingdom. Our time, energy, and talents go into building up a temporary empire and not into the eternal Kingdom. This is a shame.
The Kingdom of God is like kudzu. If you've never lived in the south, you don't know the ever-present reality of kudzu. It is a plant that is literally unstoppable. It starts off as such a small little plant - it even has a pretty purple flower - but don't be fooled. Kudzu has a bite. It grows, and grows, and grows. It can tear through concrete and wrap it's spindly arms around the inner-workings of your car and cause so much damage. It overgrows everything within a short amount of time.
The Kingdom of God will prevail over Empire. This is a fact - not a prediction, a question, or a guesstimate. There is only one prevalent question. When the Kingdom of God has triumphed over Empire - which side will you have fought for?
Today, life in L'viv might get interesting. There is a large protest against the President scheduled for the main square - these are the same people who ushered in the Orange Revolution - and it might get a little crazy. Later in the day a ragtag bunch of misfits who comprise the tiny United Methodist Church in L'viv will stand in the streets passing out free flowers, toys, and hugs. Which of these two actions is a true protest?
Imagine a world without Empire.
So, let's focus on Empire for a while.
If you wish to see an emaciated, neutered "church," look no further than a faith and the faithful who side with big business over the little guy, the strong over the weak and the rich over the poor. Find a congregation which proudly hangs their countries flag alongside the Christian flag - with no regard to the thousands of men, women, and children killed by their military each year. Find a building that gets filled on Sundays but sits empty during the week while the homeless sleep outside. In short - look for a church that sees no problem with Empire and you will see a church that has little to do with Christ and his Kingdom.
The problem of Empire is systemic. It surrounds all of us in our daily lives. For a quick example - think about the food that you eat every day.
I don't eat many highly-processed foods any more. Most of my diet is one or two steps away from the farm. This is less a socio-conscious choice and more a reality of living in a different part of the world. In the last two weeks I have had some peanut butter and cinnamon toast crunch my parents mailed to me, McDonald's hamburgers and fries, a bottle of Sprite, and some packaged crab. Beyond these indulgences, everything I have consumed has been preservative free. I can pronounce everything that goes into my body - and that's a wonderful feeling.
In America our tax money goes to subsidies certain crops - corn is an excellent example. Corn is made less expensive so that it can be grown more profitably by more large scale farms. However, most Americans don't eat corn in a significantly higher quantity than any other vegetable. We consume corn byproducts. Corn-syrup is in everything. It's a highly processed sickeningly sweet chemical byproduct of corn and we ingest it daily and give it to our children like candy. No, really, like candy which is usually sweetened using corn syrup. How many foods have you eaten in the last week which weren't produced by a large-scale operation? If you wanted to eat preservative free - would it even be possible? I don't think so - not unless you were quite wealthy.
Ahh, the wealthy. Another nice side effect of Empire. Our economic policy relies on a system which rewards greed. Those who are best at the sin of greed make the most money and Christians don't seem to be fairing too badly at this game. I don't feel that it is necessarily a bad thing for a Christian to be wealthy - I just think we shouldn't try so hard to be wealthy. In pursuit of Empire, we sometimes forget the Kingdom. Our time, energy, and talents go into building up a temporary empire and not into the eternal Kingdom. This is a shame.
The Kingdom of God is like kudzu. If you've never lived in the south, you don't know the ever-present reality of kudzu. It is a plant that is literally unstoppable. It starts off as such a small little plant - it even has a pretty purple flower - but don't be fooled. Kudzu has a bite. It grows, and grows, and grows. It can tear through concrete and wrap it's spindly arms around the inner-workings of your car and cause so much damage. It overgrows everything within a short amount of time.
The Kingdom of God will prevail over Empire. This is a fact - not a prediction, a question, or a guesstimate. There is only one prevalent question. When the Kingdom of God has triumphed over Empire - which side will you have fought for?
Today, life in L'viv might get interesting. There is a large protest against the President scheduled for the main square - these are the same people who ushered in the Orange Revolution - and it might get a little crazy. Later in the day a ragtag bunch of misfits who comprise the tiny United Methodist Church in L'viv will stand in the streets passing out free flowers, toys, and hugs. Which of these two actions is a true protest?
Imagine a world without Empire.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Sermon # 2
[[P.S. I'm functionally off-line for the week. No e-mails or surfing the web ... but I decided to allow myself to publish to my blog because it is my creative outlet and the whole reason I wanted to get away from the internet was because I wasn't being productive enough - so, in summary, I'm offline but on my blog.]]
Last Thursdays sermon went extremely well. I re-worked it a little from what I posted. I went into more detail about how my brother-in-law had to rebuild the engine piece by piece over many months and that it wasn't a quick fix. I think it added a layer of complexity to the sermon that was needed.
The drama team did an excellent job and were definitely better than the actors in the youtube clip. They made it very fun and very Ukrainian by changing all the situations.
After the service there was a great response and a number of people came forward for prayer - one girl even dedicated her life to Christ which was a huge blessing to my life.
I'm preaching again May 6th for Pilgims - the interconfessional worship service at Youth to Jesus. Here's my sermon as it stands right now.
I’ve left a lot of places. I’ve said goodbye more times than I wish to remember.
Sometimes goodbyes are a lot of fun. A going away party is a wonderful celebration with friends and family before going to University or before leaving on a big trip.
Sometimes goodbyes are really painful and sad. I left the United States almost exactly a year ago – when I left I didn’t know how long I would be gone, or where all I would be going while I was gone. My grandmother is in her 80s and has been sick for quite some time. When I said goodbye to her before I left, it was one of the saddest things I have ever done.
Sometimes goodbyes are confusing. Our scripture today shares in one of those times. Jesus gathers his disciples together for a “going away party” in the upper room. Before they eat the meal, Jesus stood up from the table and wrapped a towel around his waist. Acting as the lowliest servant, he began to wash the feet of his twelve students. And, if this wasn’t confusing enough - during the meal he lifts the food and drink and explains that the bread is his body and that the wine is his blood.
And then, after all of these confusing acts, Jesus begins his goodbye speech. Which ends up being – you guessed it – confusing. Jesus explains that he is going away for a little while. He tells these men that they can’t come with him. Jesus tries to explain, in the best way – that He will die, but that this will not be a sad event. At the conclusion of this speech, Jesus gives the disciples a new commandment.
After all the things that were difficult for the disciples to understand, Jesus gives them a commandment that is simple enough for little children to grasp it and complex enough that 2000 years later we are still struggling to live it out.
Love one another. ----- As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples.
I can’t walk around Ukraine without getting white marks on my coat. Everywhere I go, people are brushing white paint off of me. I try really hard to not brush up against walls – but it always seems that I have white markings on my coat.
People know that I have bumped into a wall by the marks on my coat. There is visible proof that I’m a clumsy American and can’t avoid walls here.
When we “brush up against Jesus” – how do people around us know that this has happened? Do they know we are Christians by our church membership record? By our attendance at events? By our position on the leadership team?
No! They know we are Christians by our love. Our love for one another and the world is like the white mark on my coat. It shows to the world that something has happened – that we have brushed up against Jesus and that we are changed.
The first century church wasn’t perfect – it had its faults – but their love for one another is something we can learn from them. As people began to follow Jesus, their lives were changed. These communities of people loved God and loved each other. They sold all they had and gave to the poor. They shared meals together and helped each other in daily life. When sickness came into the cities and the pagans around them began to head for the hills to keep from getting sick – the Christians stayed behind to take care of the sick. While most people ran and hid out of fear – the Christians remained and served out of love.
They will know we are Christians by our love.
While I was in University, I worked with a wonderful church in Georgia filled with wonderful Christians. My friends from church had wonderful southern names – unique to the region; names like Trey, Kip, Flay, Mignon, and a host of other really enjoyable names. One day I was traveling with one of the pastors to hear him speak to a group in a different church. He began to tell a story about someone in our church.
“I know this man named Kip … Michael, you know him.”
I shook my head in agreement – I certainly knew Kip. He was one of the leaders of the church, he really cared about the youth and young adults, and he drove a little VW bug even though he was a full grown man.
My pastor continued the story, “Kip was the meanest man you’d have ever met.”
I immediately interrupted Pastor Joe to let him know that I had misspoken – I didn’t know the Kip he was talking about. I must have know the other Kip, because the Kip I knew was a nice man, a family man, an excellent business leader, and a great Christian.
The Pastor looked at me and said, “Yes, you do. That’s the point of the story. Kip was the meanest man you’d have ever met – but then he met Jesus, and today he is a loving Christian.
They will know we are Christians by our love.
A few weeks ago I was out walking and I saw an old man getting picked on by a group of drunk men. They were poking him and laughing at him and being very mean. It was really an awful sight.
I had the privilege of watching one of our students, who will remain nameless, gently sit down next to the old man and ask him if he was okay and if he needed help. This friend told the men to stop doing what they were doing and stood up for this old, drunk, stranger.
They will know we are Christians by our love.
Look at the examples from history of great Christians – Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Оmelyan Kovch, John Wesley, or anyone else who is known primarily for their devotion to Christ. Think about their lives and try to think of one word to sum it up. I guarantee that any man, woman, or child who is renowned for their faith will have a life best summed up by the word LOVE. The love of an old woman as she holds dying babies, the love of a Pastor who was willing to sacrifice even his own life so his people could be free, the love of a Greek-Catholic priest who was willing to die to protect the week and vulnerable from the powerful, the love of a leader who believed that the message of Jesus Christ wasn’t just for the wealthy gentlemen – but that Jesus Christ was for all.
Love, love, love, love.
They will know we are Christians by our love.
------
The love of Jesus changes our hearts – our love for one another changes the world.
Within this room, there is the talent, the commitment, the knowledge, the power, and the LOVE to change the world.
We love each other by serving each other. We change hearts, minds, and attitudes – not by arguing for the validity of our beliefs, but by serving others. We change the world by serving people.
Day by day, moment by moment, action by action we are building the future. We are either building into the status quo – doing the normal thing that everyone else is doing – or we are working to change the world.
We’re either working for ourselves or working for God. We are either serving ourselves or we are serving the living Christ through serving others. There are only two options.
The Bible paints a picture of what the world will look like some day. I believe that this is the direction we should be headed – that we should work toward this goal.
This is the vision. This is where we are heading.
We make this a reality by following God, by listening to God’s spirit, and by serving others.
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes.” And he will use us to do it.
They will know we are Christians by our love. Are you ready?
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Last Thursdays sermon went extremely well. I re-worked it a little from what I posted. I went into more detail about how my brother-in-law had to rebuild the engine piece by piece over many months and that it wasn't a quick fix. I think it added a layer of complexity to the sermon that was needed.
The drama team did an excellent job and were definitely better than the actors in the youtube clip. They made it very fun and very Ukrainian by changing all the situations.
After the service there was a great response and a number of people came forward for prayer - one girl even dedicated her life to Christ which was a huge blessing to my life.
I'm preaching again May 6th for Pilgims - the interconfessional worship service at Youth to Jesus. Here's my sermon as it stands right now.
John 13:31-35 (New International Version)
31When he was gone, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. 32If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
33"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
I’ve left a lot of places. I’ve said goodbye more times than I wish to remember.
Sometimes goodbyes are a lot of fun. A going away party is a wonderful celebration with friends and family before going to University or before leaving on a big trip.
Sometimes goodbyes are really painful and sad. I left the United States almost exactly a year ago – when I left I didn’t know how long I would be gone, or where all I would be going while I was gone. My grandmother is in her 80s and has been sick for quite some time. When I said goodbye to her before I left, it was one of the saddest things I have ever done.
Sometimes goodbyes are confusing. Our scripture today shares in one of those times. Jesus gathers his disciples together for a “going away party” in the upper room. Before they eat the meal, Jesus stood up from the table and wrapped a towel around his waist. Acting as the lowliest servant, he began to wash the feet of his twelve students. And, if this wasn’t confusing enough - during the meal he lifts the food and drink and explains that the bread is his body and that the wine is his blood.
And then, after all of these confusing acts, Jesus begins his goodbye speech. Which ends up being – you guessed it – confusing. Jesus explains that he is going away for a little while. He tells these men that they can’t come with him. Jesus tries to explain, in the best way – that He will die, but that this will not be a sad event. At the conclusion of this speech, Jesus gives the disciples a new commandment.
After all the things that were difficult for the disciples to understand, Jesus gives them a commandment that is simple enough for little children to grasp it and complex enough that 2000 years later we are still struggling to live it out.
Love one another. ----- As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples.
I can’t walk around Ukraine without getting white marks on my coat. Everywhere I go, people are brushing white paint off of me. I try really hard to not brush up against walls – but it always seems that I have white markings on my coat.
People know that I have bumped into a wall by the marks on my coat. There is visible proof that I’m a clumsy American and can’t avoid walls here.
When we “brush up against Jesus” – how do people around us know that this has happened? Do they know we are Christians by our church membership record? By our attendance at events? By our position on the leadership team?
No! They know we are Christians by our love. Our love for one another and the world is like the white mark on my coat. It shows to the world that something has happened – that we have brushed up against Jesus and that we are changed.
The first century church wasn’t perfect – it had its faults – but their love for one another is something we can learn from them. As people began to follow Jesus, their lives were changed. These communities of people loved God and loved each other. They sold all they had and gave to the poor. They shared meals together and helped each other in daily life. When sickness came into the cities and the pagans around them began to head for the hills to keep from getting sick – the Christians stayed behind to take care of the sick. While most people ran and hid out of fear – the Christians remained and served out of love.
They will know we are Christians by our love.
While I was in University, I worked with a wonderful church in Georgia filled with wonderful Christians. My friends from church had wonderful southern names – unique to the region; names like Trey, Kip, Flay, Mignon, and a host of other really enjoyable names. One day I was traveling with one of the pastors to hear him speak to a group in a different church. He began to tell a story about someone in our church.
“I know this man named Kip … Michael, you know him.”
I shook my head in agreement – I certainly knew Kip. He was one of the leaders of the church, he really cared about the youth and young adults, and he drove a little VW bug even though he was a full grown man.
My pastor continued the story, “Kip was the meanest man you’d have ever met.”
I immediately interrupted Pastor Joe to let him know that I had misspoken – I didn’t know the Kip he was talking about. I must have know the other Kip, because the Kip I knew was a nice man, a family man, an excellent business leader, and a great Christian.
The Pastor looked at me and said, “Yes, you do. That’s the point of the story. Kip was the meanest man you’d have ever met – but then he met Jesus, and today he is a loving Christian.
They will know we are Christians by our love.
A few weeks ago I was out walking and I saw an old man getting picked on by a group of drunk men. They were poking him and laughing at him and being very mean. It was really an awful sight.
I had the privilege of watching one of our students, who will remain nameless, gently sit down next to the old man and ask him if he was okay and if he needed help. This friend told the men to stop doing what they were doing and stood up for this old, drunk, stranger.
They will know we are Christians by our love.
Look at the examples from history of great Christians – Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Оmelyan Kovch, John Wesley, or anyone else who is known primarily for their devotion to Christ. Think about their lives and try to think of one word to sum it up. I guarantee that any man, woman, or child who is renowned for their faith will have a life best summed up by the word LOVE. The love of an old woman as she holds dying babies, the love of a Pastor who was willing to sacrifice even his own life so his people could be free, the love of a Greek-Catholic priest who was willing to die to protect the week and vulnerable from the powerful, the love of a leader who believed that the message of Jesus Christ wasn’t just for the wealthy gentlemen – but that Jesus Christ was for all.
Love, love, love, love.
They will know we are Christians by our love.
------
The love of Jesus changes our hearts – our love for one another changes the world.
Within this room, there is the talent, the commitment, the knowledge, the power, and the LOVE to change the world.
We love each other by serving each other. We change hearts, minds, and attitudes – not by arguing for the validity of our beliefs, but by serving others. We change the world by serving people.
Day by day, moment by moment, action by action we are building the future. We are either building into the status quo – doing the normal thing that everyone else is doing – or we are working to change the world.
We’re either working for ourselves or working for God. We are either serving ourselves or we are serving the living Christ through serving others. There are only two options.
The Bible paints a picture of what the world will look like some day. I believe that this is the direction we should be headed – that we should work toward this goal.
Revelation 21:1-5 (New International Version)
1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
5He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"
This is the vision. This is where we are heading.
We make this a reality by following God, by listening to God’s spirit, and by serving others.
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes.” And he will use us to do it.
They will know we are Christians by our love. Are you ready?
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Sermon
I'm preaching at Pilgrims - the interconfessional worship service for Youth to Jesus students - next Thursday. Here is my sermon. Please keep me in your prayers as this will be my first long-ish sermon with translation.
Sometimes in life we don’t know what we should do next. Maybe we have finished university and we’re wondering what is next. Perhaps we are unemployed and there aren’t a lot of jobs open at the moment. Sometimes we just don’t know what our next step in life should be. We have a “what’s next” moment.
The disciples found themselves in just such a situation. Three years ago they left behind their families, friends, and careers to follow a wandering teacher named Jesus. For 3 years they followed him around and learned from him. They asked questions, they listened as wise scholars asked questions, and they watched as Jesus interacted with people.
Jesus didn’t pick favorites. He spent time with everyone. He talked with wealthy, corrupt politicians and he talked with homeless cripples as though he really believed that all people were equal. He healed people from all walks of life and performed many miracles. He turned water into wine and he turned the dead into the living.
The disciples listened as he preached, told stories, and confused the religious elite. They watched as he broke the rules and interacted with people who deserved to be left alone – children, women, ethnic minorities, and the unclean.
They sat confused as he explained that he would be betrayed and killed on a cross.
They betrayed as the guards came for Jesus.
They ran and hid as Jesus of Nazareth, their teacher, was hung on a cross to die.
They shut out the light while they mourned the death of their great leader.
They didn’t believe when the women came with the good news; “He is risen!”
They rejoiced when they saw Jesus the Christ alive from the dead again!
And after this whirlwind of emotion – they … didn’t … really know WHAT to do. They stuck together. They probably spent days talking about the recent events.
“Did you see the scars in his hands and side?” “Can you believe it really happened RIGHT in front of OUR eyes?” But, as time dragged on – they weren’t sure what to do next.
So Peter, always the leader, makes the first move. He decides to go back to his career as a fisherman.
It’s like the emotion on a Monday after a great weekend. Wow! That was great. Now it’s time for work again. The other disciples decide to join him.
The disciples have a “what’s next moment.” All this amazing stuff has happened in their lives … now what? What do they do now that the mountain top experience is over.
Sometimes in our Christian lives we find ourselves in this situation.
I met Jesus at summer camp when I was 11 years old. I had never been camping before, and I was excited to finally be old enough to go to the same Christian camp my sister had always gone to. I had so much fun at camp. I got to meet new people, breathe fresh air, and spend time with friends. But on Thursday night a woman got up to speak about the Christian faith. I hung on her every word as she told the story of Jesus. I could feel the tug on my heart as she explained that each person needed a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I knew I had experienced God’s love through the people around me and that I wanted to give my heart to Jesus. I went forward and prayed at the altar and decided to give my heart to God and become a follower of Jesus Christ.
I had an amazing experiences – we call them “mountaintop experiences” – where I was lifted up so much that I thought I could fly. And then I got home from camp and I just thought, “What next?”
What do I DO with my Christian faith?
…
My brother-in-law has a big Jeep. He and my sister love to go “mudding.” They drive his Jeep around after big rainstorms with the intent of getting everything as muddy as possible. One spring, not too long ago, Mike and Rebecca went mudding after a huge rainstorm. They went up one hill and then down another. They splashed through puddles and got Mike’s Jeep incredibly muddy. Then Mike saw a huge mud puddle. So – he decided to drive right through it.
Show picture.
Mike got stuck – and his engine flooded with mud. Of course the engine would need to be completely re-built. But, what do you think was his first reaction after the engine came to a grinding hault? He turned the key to see if it would turn back on. After this huge event – like all of us – he tried to go back to normal.
After I became a Christian I tried to turn the key in the ignition. I tried to see if I could live my life exactly like I had been living it before; Same friends, same habits, same thoughts – but somehow Christian because of the decision I had made.
My life was about as successful as my brother-in-law trying to turn the key after getting in the mud puddle.
It didn’t work.
It won’t work.
It will never work.
The disciples had the same idea when they had their “what’s next moment.” After all that had happened - the death, resurrection, and sightings of Jesus – their reaction was to go back to life and try to live exactly the same way. They tried to make all of the decisions on their own. After 3 years of following Jesus – 3 years of having Jesus sit in the control seat – they decided it was their turn.
Jesus met them on the beach for breakfast that morning with a hard question?
Who is in control of your life? Who sits in the chair and makes all the decisions?
The Youth to Jesus drama team will perform this skit - in Ukrainian of course.
This story continues with Jesus talking to Peter. While most of the disciples ran and hid when Jesus was crucified – Peter went to the extreme.
Peter betrayed more than anyone else. Although he had promised Jesus that he would never betray Him; Peter found himself in the unenviable position of betraying Jesus – out loud, to a number of people, using foul language – not once, but three times. While Peter desperately wanted to give Jesus the chair – he just couldn’t let it go. He was willing to go to any length to get it back.
So, in today’s scripture we see Jesus talking with Peter. Not scolding him for his failure. Not talking AT him for his mistakes. But talking with Peter.
While sharing a meal with Peter, Jesus asks him “Do you love me?”
Peter sees his chance at redemption and answers,” Yes! Yes!” He was willing to follow Jesus – that he loved Jesus.
Then Jesus did it again. And a third time.
Jesus offered Peter three chances for redemption – Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to make up for each time that he had betrayed his Lord.
And while Peter was finding forgiveness for his betrayals – God was giving Peter a calling for his life.
Feed my sheep. Work with my followers, teach them my ways, preach the good news to them, show them how to live out the faith. Feed my sheep.
When we give God control of our lives – the “what’s next” question is a lot easier. Feed my sheep! “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you and surely I am with you always – even to the ends of the earth.” (Matthew 28)
Jesus had told these men that they would no longer be catching fish, but that they would be fishers of men.
There’s an interesting hidden meaning in part of this passage. The fishermen, after following Jesus’ directions, pull in a catch too large to fit inside the boat. Large enough that it should have broken the nets – but it didn’t. 153 fish exactly. Now, it’s more than a little strange to write an exact number of fish caught, don’t you think? Unless that number means something. And it does. 153 is the exact number of known nations at the time of this event.
You will be fisher’s of men … go and make disciples of all nations …
And they did.
Following their “what’s next” moment, the disciples gave Jesus the chair and took up the call to be fisher’s of men for all nations – and 10 out of the 11 faithful disciples ended up giving their lives in this calling.
Jesus is ready to sit in the chair in your life; He has a plan for your life to send you out to go and make disciples – in this student center, in L’viv, and maybe in the furthest corners of the world – but Jesus will not force his plan on you. You have to be willing to give him the chair.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
John 21:1-19 (New International Version)
1Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias.[a] It happened this way: 2Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3"I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
5He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?"
"No," they answered.
6He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.[b] 9When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
10Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."
11Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.12Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.13Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Jesus Reinstates Peter
15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 19Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"
Sometimes in life we don’t know what we should do next. Maybe we have finished university and we’re wondering what is next. Perhaps we are unemployed and there aren’t a lot of jobs open at the moment. Sometimes we just don’t know what our next step in life should be. We have a “what’s next” moment.
The disciples found themselves in just such a situation. Three years ago they left behind their families, friends, and careers to follow a wandering teacher named Jesus. For 3 years they followed him around and learned from him. They asked questions, they listened as wise scholars asked questions, and they watched as Jesus interacted with people.
Jesus didn’t pick favorites. He spent time with everyone. He talked with wealthy, corrupt politicians and he talked with homeless cripples as though he really believed that all people were equal. He healed people from all walks of life and performed many miracles. He turned water into wine and he turned the dead into the living.
The disciples listened as he preached, told stories, and confused the religious elite. They watched as he broke the rules and interacted with people who deserved to be left alone – children, women, ethnic minorities, and the unclean.
They sat confused as he explained that he would be betrayed and killed on a cross.
They betrayed as the guards came for Jesus.
They ran and hid as Jesus of Nazareth, their teacher, was hung on a cross to die.
They shut out the light while they mourned the death of their great leader.
They didn’t believe when the women came with the good news; “He is risen!”
They rejoiced when they saw Jesus the Christ alive from the dead again!
And after this whirlwind of emotion – they … didn’t … really know WHAT to do. They stuck together. They probably spent days talking about the recent events.
“Did you see the scars in his hands and side?” “Can you believe it really happened RIGHT in front of OUR eyes?” But, as time dragged on – they weren’t sure what to do next.
So Peter, always the leader, makes the first move. He decides to go back to his career as a fisherman.
It’s like the emotion on a Monday after a great weekend. Wow! That was great. Now it’s time for work again. The other disciples decide to join him.
The disciples have a “what’s next moment.” All this amazing stuff has happened in their lives … now what? What do they do now that the mountain top experience is over.
Sometimes in our Christian lives we find ourselves in this situation.
I met Jesus at summer camp when I was 11 years old. I had never been camping before, and I was excited to finally be old enough to go to the same Christian camp my sister had always gone to. I had so much fun at camp. I got to meet new people, breathe fresh air, and spend time with friends. But on Thursday night a woman got up to speak about the Christian faith. I hung on her every word as she told the story of Jesus. I could feel the tug on my heart as she explained that each person needed a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I knew I had experienced God’s love through the people around me and that I wanted to give my heart to Jesus. I went forward and prayed at the altar and decided to give my heart to God and become a follower of Jesus Christ.
I had an amazing experiences – we call them “mountaintop experiences” – where I was lifted up so much that I thought I could fly. And then I got home from camp and I just thought, “What next?”
What do I DO with my Christian faith?
…
My brother-in-law has a big Jeep. He and my sister love to go “mudding.” They drive his Jeep around after big rainstorms with the intent of getting everything as muddy as possible. One spring, not too long ago, Mike and Rebecca went mudding after a huge rainstorm. They went up one hill and then down another. They splashed through puddles and got Mike’s Jeep incredibly muddy. Then Mike saw a huge mud puddle. So – he decided to drive right through it.
Show picture.
Mike got stuck – and his engine flooded with mud. Of course the engine would need to be completely re-built. But, what do you think was his first reaction after the engine came to a grinding hault? He turned the key to see if it would turn back on. After this huge event – like all of us – he tried to go back to normal.
After I became a Christian I tried to turn the key in the ignition. I tried to see if I could live my life exactly like I had been living it before; Same friends, same habits, same thoughts – but somehow Christian because of the decision I had made.
My life was about as successful as my brother-in-law trying to turn the key after getting in the mud puddle.
It didn’t work.
It won’t work.
It will never work.
The disciples had the same idea when they had their “what’s next moment.” After all that had happened - the death, resurrection, and sightings of Jesus – their reaction was to go back to life and try to live exactly the same way. They tried to make all of the decisions on their own. After 3 years of following Jesus – 3 years of having Jesus sit in the control seat – they decided it was their turn.
Jesus met them on the beach for breakfast that morning with a hard question?
Who is in control of your life? Who sits in the chair and makes all the decisions?
The Youth to Jesus drama team will perform this skit - in Ukrainian of course.
This story continues with Jesus talking to Peter. While most of the disciples ran and hid when Jesus was crucified – Peter went to the extreme.
Peter betrayed more than anyone else. Although he had promised Jesus that he would never betray Him; Peter found himself in the unenviable position of betraying Jesus – out loud, to a number of people, using foul language – not once, but three times. While Peter desperately wanted to give Jesus the chair – he just couldn’t let it go. He was willing to go to any length to get it back.
So, in today’s scripture we see Jesus talking with Peter. Not scolding him for his failure. Not talking AT him for his mistakes. But talking with Peter.
While sharing a meal with Peter, Jesus asks him “Do you love me?”
Peter sees his chance at redemption and answers,” Yes! Yes!” He was willing to follow Jesus – that he loved Jesus.
Then Jesus did it again. And a third time.
Jesus offered Peter three chances for redemption – Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to make up for each time that he had betrayed his Lord.
And while Peter was finding forgiveness for his betrayals – God was giving Peter a calling for his life.
Feed my sheep. Work with my followers, teach them my ways, preach the good news to them, show them how to live out the faith. Feed my sheep.
When we give God control of our lives – the “what’s next” question is a lot easier. Feed my sheep! “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you and surely I am with you always – even to the ends of the earth.” (Matthew 28)
Jesus had told these men that they would no longer be catching fish, but that they would be fishers of men.
There’s an interesting hidden meaning in part of this passage. The fishermen, after following Jesus’ directions, pull in a catch too large to fit inside the boat. Large enough that it should have broken the nets – but it didn’t. 153 fish exactly. Now, it’s more than a little strange to write an exact number of fish caught, don’t you think? Unless that number means something. And it does. 153 is the exact number of known nations at the time of this event.
You will be fisher’s of men … go and make disciples of all nations …
And they did.
Following their “what’s next” moment, the disciples gave Jesus the chair and took up the call to be fisher’s of men for all nations – and 10 out of the 11 faithful disciples ended up giving their lives in this calling.
Jesus is ready to sit in the chair in your life; He has a plan for your life to send you out to go and make disciples – in this student center, in L’viv, and maybe in the furthest corners of the world – but Jesus will not force his plan on you. You have to be willing to give him the chair.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
The 400 Fund
I grew up in a church with more than 100 years of history. Close to 150 years ago, Methodists in a neighboring town saw the need for a Methodist presence in the tiny village of Kane, PA. They sent resources, people, and even a pastor to the emerging community to ensure that the residents could know and grow closer to God. I realize that it is because of those men and women who lived in the 1860s that I call myself a United Methodist, and that ultimately I am a Christian.
The church in which I currently worship will celebrate it's 6 month anniversary in summer 2010. I work with a United Methodist student ministry in L'viv, Ukraine and in January of this year the long-time goal of planting a multi-generational church finally became a reality. Our average worship, 3 months after the first service was held, is 12 people. There is plenty of room for growth - like the tortoise says, "slow and steady wins the race."
This church represents to me, exactly what The 400 Fund is all about. The 400 fund is an attempt to fund the planting of 400 new United Methodist Congregations in 4 years outside of the United States.
A few months ago, at a time in my life when I was living on a very small cost of living stipend, I made a goal of giving $1 to each of these 400 churches. I was inspired by Mary Watson, a Georgia business woman who gave $1,000 for each of the new churches. At the time, $400 was more than half of my monthly stipend, but I came to the realization that for the thousands of people around the world who would become Christians through the planting of United Methodist churches my small gift could be life changing. I was thrilled when I met my goal and sent in my check.
I'm challenging you to support The 400 Fund. Set a personal goal, encourage your children to set a goal(one dime for each church is $40 - about what your child might pay for a new video game) get your Sunday School class involved, make an announcment at church, have a yard sale, do a fundraiser, or do whatever God puts on your heart. In 4 years we can plant 400 new congregations - and with that momentum, who knows how many we can plant in the years after. United Methodist can drop a check in their weekly offering plate made out to their home church with "Advance#400400" on the memo line or anyone can give on-line at GBGM's secure site for The Advance.
The church in which I currently worship will celebrate it's 6 month anniversary in summer 2010. I work with a United Methodist student ministry in L'viv, Ukraine and in January of this year the long-time goal of planting a multi-generational church finally became a reality. Our average worship, 3 months after the first service was held, is 12 people. There is plenty of room for growth - like the tortoise says, "slow and steady wins the race."
This church represents to me, exactly what The 400 Fund is all about. The 400 fund is an attempt to fund the planting of 400 new United Methodist Congregations in 4 years outside of the United States.
A few months ago, at a time in my life when I was living on a very small cost of living stipend, I made a goal of giving $1 to each of these 400 churches. I was inspired by Mary Watson, a Georgia business woman who gave $1,000 for each of the new churches. At the time, $400 was more than half of my monthly stipend, but I came to the realization that for the thousands of people around the world who would become Christians through the planting of United Methodist churches my small gift could be life changing. I was thrilled when I met my goal and sent in my check.
I'm challenging you to support The 400 Fund. Set a personal goal, encourage your children to set a goal(one dime for each church is $40 - about what your child might pay for a new video game) get your Sunday School class involved, make an announcment at church, have a yard sale, do a fundraiser, or do whatever God puts on your heart. In 4 years we can plant 400 new congregations - and with that momentum, who knows how many we can plant in the years after. United Methodist can drop a check in their weekly offering plate made out to their home church with "Advance#400400" on the memo line or anyone can give on-line at GBGM's secure site for The Advance.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
He is Risen Indeed!
What Makes an Eagle Fly...Steven Joyce's Boy Scout Eagle Project
Center Avenue United Methodist Church sits on top of a hill in Pitcairn, Pa. It was established in 1892, and from the outside you can tell it once ministered to a large and vibrant community. Over the years, the community of Pitcairn has fallen on difficult times causing the church the church to struggle as well. While the church remains a beacon of hope the community, growth of the church family and community outreach has been a challenge. One solution to this challenge may just have come from a direction not anticipated.
This boost may have come from a teenager who did not listen to those who had low expectations of him; those who tried to tell him he was not able to do things that other kids could do. This teenager had chosen to listen to those who believed in him more than he believed in himself. He chose to listen to Sunday school teachers and pastors who taught him about Jesus and Jesus’ call on each of us to live our faith in our daily lives. This teenager listened to the Plum High School Cross Country Seniors and alumni who expected him to succeed and took a risk and believed in him when others were not so sure. He listened to the scout leaders who taught him skills. He listened to all those voices that believed in him.
Steven Joyce is this teenager and his choice of listening was vitally important because Steven happens to be Autistic. To many people, that label alone would indicate huge limitations. To most people, it would mean he could not be someone who at age 15 could undertake a Boy Scout Eagle project bringing the strength of several churches, 30 volunteers, and almost $1000 to create a new nursery at Center United Methodist Church. Steven hopes this nursery will be one of the seeds to help the church’s ministry and outreach to the community to grow.
Steven and his family are members of the Monroeville United Methodist Church and while members, they met the Bloise family who among others believed in Steven. Cyndi and Frank were two of his Sunday School teachers and their daughters treated him as a dear friend. Cyndi went to seminary, became a pastor, served as Associate Pastor at Steven’s church for six years, and now is pastor of that church on the hill in Pitcairn.
When it came time to pick an Eagle Scout project, Steven knew exactly what he wanted to do. He wanted to do something for Cyndi’s church because he said she had believed in him, and as a future Eagle Scout it was his turn to believe in her and her church. He chose the nursery project because he likes little kids and wants them to grow up strong and healthy. Steven believes the way to do grow up strong and healthy is to be at church and being there often begins in the church nursery.
Steven did not know Autistic kids weren’t supposed to be leaders; he did not know that sometimes big churches don’t help smaller churches; he did not know that believing in others wasn’t enough; he did not know his hugs were infectious and would get others motivated. Steven just moved ahead, motivated by his love and his vision, and the bigger church helped in a big way. Steven had as many volunteers as needed and when he needed funds, they materialized. His scout troop, his cross country team, his teachers, his friends and his community were there. As people look at the beautiful, clean nursery, the lesson is not the project itself but rather how God works through us as a connected body, that every small contribution adds up to make a difference of the larger project, and how God does amazing things using unexpected and ordinary people.
What makes an Eagle fly? This Eagle flew with the lift of those who took a risk and believed in him with the bright light of faith as their guide. Steven’s journey to and through his Eagle Project, shows how an honest faith and belief in others can make a big difference in people’s lives.
Center Avenue United Methodist Church sits on top of a hill in Pitcairn, Pa. It was established in 1892, and from the outside you can tell it once ministered to a large and vibrant community. Over the years, the community of Pitcairn has fallen on difficult times causing the church the church to struggle as well. While the church remains a beacon of hope the community, growth of the church family and community outreach has been a challenge. One solution to this challenge may just have come from a direction not anticipated.
This boost may have come from a teenager who did not listen to those who had low expectations of him; those who tried to tell him he was not able to do things that other kids could do. This teenager had chosen to listen to those who believed in him more than he believed in himself. He chose to listen to Sunday school teachers and pastors who taught him about Jesus and Jesus’ call on each of us to live our faith in our daily lives. This teenager listened to the Plum High School Cross Country Seniors and alumni who expected him to succeed and took a risk and believed in him when others were not so sure. He listened to the scout leaders who taught him skills. He listened to all those voices that believed in him.
Steven Joyce is this teenager and his choice of listening was vitally important because Steven happens to be Autistic. To many people, that label alone would indicate huge limitations. To most people, it would mean he could not be someone who at age 15 could undertake a Boy Scout Eagle project bringing the strength of several churches, 30 volunteers, and almost $1000 to create a new nursery at Center United Methodist Church. Steven hopes this nursery will be one of the seeds to help the church’s ministry and outreach to the community to grow.
Steven and his family are members of the Monroeville United Methodist Church and while members, they met the Bloise family who among others believed in Steven. Cyndi and Frank were two of his Sunday School teachers and their daughters treated him as a dear friend. Cyndi went to seminary, became a pastor, served as Associate Pastor at Steven’s church for six years, and now is pastor of that church on the hill in Pitcairn.
When it came time to pick an Eagle Scout project, Steven knew exactly what he wanted to do. He wanted to do something for Cyndi’s church because he said she had believed in him, and as a future Eagle Scout it was his turn to believe in her and her church. He chose the nursery project because he likes little kids and wants them to grow up strong and healthy. Steven believes the way to do grow up strong and healthy is to be at church and being there often begins in the church nursery.
Steven did not know Autistic kids weren’t supposed to be leaders; he did not know that sometimes big churches don’t help smaller churches; he did not know that believing in others wasn’t enough; he did not know his hugs were infectious and would get others motivated. Steven just moved ahead, motivated by his love and his vision, and the bigger church helped in a big way. Steven had as many volunteers as needed and when he needed funds, they materialized. His scout troop, his cross country team, his teachers, his friends and his community were there. As people look at the beautiful, clean nursery, the lesson is not the project itself but rather how God works through us as a connected body, that every small contribution adds up to make a difference of the larger project, and how God does amazing things using unexpected and ordinary people.
What makes an Eagle fly? This Eagle flew with the lift of those who took a risk and believed in him with the bright light of faith as their guide. Steven’s journey to and through his Eagle Project, shows how an honest faith and belief in others can make a big difference in people’s lives.
Monday, April 05, 2010
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Friday, April 02, 2010
The faithful few who stay behind
This is a photograph from The Big Picture's Easter Photo Section (thanks Meredith). The caption reads, "A dog sits in the place where his owner died in an earthquake in Saint Gregorio village near L'Aquila on easter Sunday, April 12, 2009. (REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi)"
To add to the long list of unflattering comparisons we use to describe followers of Jesus (because, really ... sheep?!? Who wants to be a sheep?) I would like to add that we should be like dogs.
This dog shows loyalty to a degree I don't fully know.
The women who went to the tomb showed loyalty to Jesus.
On this day we wait in silence by the tomb.
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