Looking At Advent

Today is the first day of Advent for me. I know Advent doesn't really start until Sunday, but today I begin looking at those texts in earnest. (Which means in greater detail than just choosing which texts I'll preach on and what hymns we will sing.)

I will try to embed the link to Prof. Matt Skinner of Luther Seminary talking about Advent texts for Luke (Year C) or put it to the side. Listening to him makes me glad I attended a Lutheran Seminary (Gettysburg) because it helps me understand a context that is not always found in progressive Brethren churches; Christ's 2nd coming.

Now you wouldn't think the 2nd Coming would be a topic for the celebration of Jesus' 1st coming. But it is for Lectionary year C. My sermon title is planned to be, "This Year Give Hope" and reading Luke 21:25-36 I have trouble finding the hope. I have some ideas about making Christmas celebrations real and bringing our hope from 'Disney-movie' expectation to reality. My ideas need a good bit of simmering to reach the point of sermon delivery. Meanwhile, my life mirrors the chaos of Luke 21, or so it seems as I look around this morning.

I'm surrounded by boxes and have so many more to pack. (Getting the boxes takes as long as packing them.) I'm about to contract with movers for one week from today. There's a house to get ready for renters when all this does get moved. It all seems quite impossible and yet I'm living with hope. I still hope and plan for the move to happen next Monday. And, as impossible as it seems right now, I am working toward that day.

hmmmm maybe there's a sermon in there. . .

The Whole Truth

Consider Pilate. I want you to try to identify with him, not feel sorry for him, or get angry with him, but for just a few moments, try to put yourself in his shoes. If you will navigage to Ralph Milton's Rumors

you will find a great portrayal of Pilate's wife's version of Sunday's text, Jesus' trail before Pilate.

I can’t help but wonder if she was right. I wonder if Pilate and Jesus could have identified with each other if they had met under different circumstances?

On Sunday, 11/22, we end the Church year AND prepare for it’s beginning by celebrating the REIGN of CHRIST.

We do so by recognizing that Jesus’ reign wasn’t recognized during his time. His Kingdom, as he said, is not of this world. Hear the dialogue between the two: (now that you have the perspective of Pilate’s wife from which to hear the story.)

(John 18: 33-38)

Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and said to him, “You are the King of the Judeans.”

³⁴Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own, or did others tell you about me?”

³⁵Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?”

³⁶Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be violently contending[i] to keep me from being handed over to the Judeans. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”

³⁷Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?”

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth hears my voice.”

³⁸Pilate asked him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no case against him.

Pilate needs to know if Jesus is a threat to him and his little piece of the Roman kingdom. Perhaps others might see Jesus’ as a minor disturbance, not hardly a threat. But Pilate has faced trouble before from these Judeans. He is not above a little paranoia about how this particular disagreement could turn into a major revolt.

Can you put yourself in his shoes?

He sees that Jesus has incurred the wrath of the Judean Officials,

As the governing authority for ALL the people in the territory, he has a few options.

• He can determine if there is a valid case against Jesus, for which he can apply punishment.
• He can evaluate if Jesus is of any political use to him.
• He can work WITH the Judeans, possibly making them indebted to him
• He can even decide if Jesus really has a kingdom and how that fits (if it fits) into his world.

Barbara Brown Taylor calls Jesus a mirror (in this story):

She says the dialogue that day between Pilate and Jesus

“involved a collision between religion and politics. While Pilate and the chief priests conspired to solve their mutual problem

while managing to remain enemies,

Jesus stood at the center of the stage like a mirror in which all those around him saw themselves clearly for who they were.”

She challenges us to look into that same mirror, “One way we Christians have avoided seeing our own reflections. . . is to pretend that this is a story about Romans and Jews. As long as they remain the villains, then we are off the hook -- or so we think.”[ii]

We may not preside over trials, nor anything as significant as what Pilate faced, yet moments come when we are faced with the truth, and the opportunity to decide for truth.

All Thru Jesus’ trial, the world (as represented by the Judeans AND Pilate) operates on self-serving versions of the truth. The WORLD (THEIR world) “supposes it has placed Jesus on trial and condemned him by its own criteria. .” When we move from identifying with Pilate to identifying with Jesus, OUR KING, we recognize that it was “the world on trial that day and in condemning Jesus, it condemns itself.”[iii]

It all hinges on how WE view the truth.

For the Judeans, the high priests and leaders of the People who are Jesus’ opponents, the truth is expressed in chapter 11 when this same high priest, Caiaphas says,

“You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.” (11:50)

This is THEIR truth. They need to keep power and control because in their ‘truth’, only keeping control will protect the people. AND save their own interests. Therefore, no threat to their power can be tolerated .

For Pilate, Truth is the potential that any political situation can evolve into a revolt that will get back to his superiors and ruin his reputation. Perhaps even resulting in his removal from office. (Which history tells us does happen later.)

Truth is Pilate’s power over everyone in the territory, the power of life and death and yet it is THIS power that Jesus’ rejects.

Jesus’ compares the truth of the world’s kingdom and its violence when he explains that IF his kingdom WERE of this world, violence WOULD be used to gain his release. But that is NOT the case.

Jesus’ power is not based on violence, his kingdom is not from this world, his truth is not based on relative position or political power.

For people in power, truth is what they make it. We see it in our time too.

• Truth can be any statement that is repeated enough times until people believe it.

• Truth can depend on which news channel you watch or which newspaper you read. It should not be so, and in
• a court, we trust that ‘truth’ does come out. But for people my age, we have learned to have doubts about what people call ‘truth’.

Truth is a major theme in John’s gospel.[iv] (25x’s in John)

Jesus says,

“Those who do what is TRUE come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.” (3:210

“The hour is coming , and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. .”

Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. . he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (4:23-24)

Pilate’s mistake is in assuming that truth is a ‘what’ that can be clearly stated.

This is not the understanding in John’s gospel.

Jesus’ doesn’t teach the truth, he doesn’t ‘have’ the truth, Jesus’ is not just a great teacher who conveys ‘great truths’.[v]

JESUS gives himself.

He said, “If you continue IN MY WORD, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH will make you free.” (v. 8:31-32)

TRUTH Is a ‘who, not a ‘what’.

“Truth is a personal encounter and a relationship with the Holy Spirit who guides’ ALL the disciples of Jesus into ‘truth’.

TRUTH is doing, it is ethics and following what we term, ‘God’s will’ or what is later called ‘Jesus’ Way’.

For Pilate, “Truth is not an axiom that can be proven. Truth is the one who stands on trial before him.[vi]

We have to answer Pilate’s question, What is truth?

We can not avoid choosing between the truth of the world and Jesus’ truth by saying this story is about Romans and Judeans.

We can walk in someone else’s shoes to see if THEY recognize truth.

We can analyze situations and make decisions based on the world’s truth.

But we can only Know What Truth Is by Knowing Jesus and Following Him.

Unless we know ‘truth’ in the person of Jesus’ - we will never understand the paradox that makes Jesus’ crucifixion ALSO his exaltation.

Jesus is ENTHRONED on the cross.

That contradiction in terms is as the heart of Jesus’ truth.

It makes this story that leads up to his crucifixion, the perfect story for “Christ The King Sunday.”

When we know Jesus.

When we are baptized into his community,

Then TRUTH is at the heart of WHO we ARE.

All The truth of Jesus life, his priority on the poor, his rejection of violence, his embracing people of all kinds and his ‘telling the truth’ to people who thought they had the power of life and death over him,

ALL this, is the truth of Jesus’ Kingdom.

This Truth makes a difference in our lives and they way we live it, and it comes at a very high cost.

Giving up the priorities of the world,

Even giving up life itself, is HOW Jesus’ Reigns.

Pilate, poor, poor Pilate, with all his wealth and power, he couldn’t pay the high cost of entering this Kingdom.

He didn’t see THE truth.

DO WE?

---

[i]

[ii] Barbara Brown Taylor Barbara Brown Taylor teaches at Piedmont College in Demorest, Ga. This article appeared in the Christian Century, March 18-25, 1998, page 283; copyright by the Christian Century Foundation and used by permission. Current articles and subscription information can be found at www.christiancentury.org. This material was prepared for Religion Online by Ted & Winnie Brock.

[iii] Boring and Craddock, People’s New Testament Commentary (Louisville: WJK, 2004) p. 349

[iv] Boring and Craddock, see above, p. 350

[v] Boring and Craddock see above p. 350

[vi] Paul Berge, Emeritus Professor of NT at Luther Seminary on Working Preacher.org

Good News Or Else

We talked before (at least I have) about the importance of telling our stories and telling them in light of the Bible stories.
For example;
How can we comprehend what it means to hear God’s call without knowing the story of the burning bush that wasn’t consumed.
How Moses asked God, “Who shall I say you are?” and God’s answer, “I am who I am”How can we hear Martin Luther King, Jr.’s message without the knowledge of Moses confrontations with Pharaoh asking him to, “Let My People Go!”
How would we know the appropriate response to God without Moses and Abraham or Samuel’s story, when he answered God’s call in the night with “Here I am, Lord”.
How do we deal with periods of confusion and feeling lost without having Israel’s history as part of our story, knowing they wandered for 40 years in the dessert to learn dependence on God.
How do we face tragedy and sorry without understand the Exile, and Israel’s cries to God for justice, and restoration and God’s steadfast response.
How do we comprehend the depth of God’s love for humanity without the Christmas Story?

All these wonderful stories that describe the major trauma and celebrations of our life are from this book, the B-I-B-L-E.

But (and but always negates what came before it) But, if this book doesn’t contain GOOD NEWS for you, then why revere it, or even read it?
And if you don’t find hope and help in these stores, can you even call this the Good News?
Because if you find no meaning here for your life this isn’t Good News for You.
And if these core stories don’t touch you, or speak to your life, then where DO you go for Good News? Where can you find it? In that case, You may just be categorized as ‘the lost’.

Today we lift up the Bible, our source book for guidance and wisdom, the place we go for meaning, and the stories of our faith. The New Testament is as close to a creed as Brethren get, saying we take the ENTIRE New Testament as our rule for faith and living. (which means we embrace the contradictions we understand are in there as part of humanity’s experience and varied understanding of God.)

Today I invite you to think about the Bible and how these words are Good News to you. We each have our own experience with church and pastors and the authority of scripture. I can only tell you what this Bible means to me.

This was my father’s Bible. It’s not the first one I remember him carrying. We, mom, brother and I, gave this to him on the 20th anniversary of his ministry in September 1979. Three years later, in September 1982, he died of cancer. For those last three years, and thru the 6 months of his illness, this was his source of comfort and questions. It was the place where he tried to make sense of life and what lay beyond.

As his young daughter, I remember Bible stories from SS and especially from VBS. Don’t all of us who had the good fortune to attend those special summer weeks, have memories of acting as disciples, or crawling around as sheep or some other lively encounter with these stories.
I remember having to memorize psalms that return to my mind at surprising times to this day. (From the ‘Lord is my shepherd’ to ‘enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise’
My mother told me how afraid I was of Samuel’s story when I came home from VBS one year. “I don’t want God to talk to me in the middle of the night,” I said to her. I’m sure I spend a few nights in their bed after that particular fear.

As a young adult, I turned to words of promise in the gospel during difficult times, hearing Jesus speak the words,
“Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?”

As a young mom, working in the outdoor setting of a Christian camp, I listened again to the Psalms, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the starts, which you have set in place…”
And over the years I heard God’s voice speak to me, and I wasn’t afraid of the sound any longer. It was a persistent call that grew louder and louder and came from friends and from this BOOK and from sermons until I thought I’d run screaming from the sanctuary. (Never something a preacher wants to see!)
Until one day, walking down to the camp lodge in the season before camp opened, the voice calling became loud and persistent until I feel to my knees and said, “OK, if this is what you want, you are going to have to make it happen somehow.”
And I soon found myself in seminary unsure of where I’d work next but knowing that each step of the way was working out, just as I leaned my weight onto the foot ahead.

(I used to complain that I wanted to hear the stories in this book as if for the first time. I wanted to hear them new, not with all the memories of childhood, but really fresh, like the disciples heard them. I found myself in GREEK class, not enjoying God’s sense of humor. Be careful what you wish for.)

Thru life and thru death, these words have offered me substance and comfort.
“For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is MORTAL may be swallowed up by LIFE.”

“Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hope all things, endures all things. Love never ends;

These words, this book of books and letters, of poems and songs have offered hope and meaning to humanity for millenna. What has it given to you?

What is the good news of the Bible? Can you name it? Do you claim this as YOUR good news?

The Good News comes through all the stories in this book, that God’s love for humanity can’t be undone by human unfaithfulness.
Whether in a desert worshiping a golden calf or
Running away from arresting officers in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The Good News came again when God entered into humanity in the life of one man; in a way difficult for us to comprehend, but that people experienced in Jesus.

And because of that story, HIS STORY, there hope for my story. And hope for yours for everyone who calls this book the GOOD NEWS, can ask for strength to live another way than most of the people around us.
When love seems far away, we can turn to the Good News and see the Love of God made human in Jesus, the Christ.
When the world calls us to concentrate on wealth, we can hear another voice that calls us to focus on people.
When the world is fixated on vengeance, we can find strength to reach out with compassion.
When violence rips through the fabric of your life, we can find courage to speak the words of peace instead. We can help others find this other way, the way of non-violence and non-resistance.
Because Jesus absorbed the violence that took his life, we too can lay ours down in trust that God can make sense of it all. That even death is not the last word.

All this, because the stories in this Book, The BIBLE, tell of the never-ending love of God for us. I call it, GOOD NEWS,
And if this is GOOD NEWS for YOU, then THIS – Is – YOUR- Story, too.

The Widow's Last Lepta; a Reality Check

What SHOULD it COST a congregation to conduct high quality worship every Sunday?
To put on good program? To enact mission that feeds the hungry, nurtures Christ’s disciples, and proclaims the Good News in word and in DEED?
And HOW should a church balance that cost without requiring a widow’s last lepta?

As we usually do, we look at the big picture of scripture, not just the few verses marked off for today. We began by reading of Jesus’ exchange with another scribe, one who was commended for his understanding. That scribe reminded us that everything starts with priorities, namely - by putting God first.

“Hear, O Israel, the Lord Our God is ONE and you should love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength. AND You should love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12: 29-31)

LOVE GOD. LOVE NEIGHBOR Simple words, but it is not so simple to keep priorities straight in a world where church can be as corrupt as financial institutions. Where the people entrusted to protect your money are found to have squandered it. Where those designated to care for widows, take their last penny.

Surely Jesus would condemn any church that teaches the poor to contribute ‘all they have.’ Unless a church is about caring for the most vulnerable of society and offering nurture for their body and spirit, today’s temples will face destruction too. Does that make a stewardship message difficult? I don’t think so. Jesus loved the temple. He went there daily when he was in Jerusalem. It was a beautiful place of worship; a holy place for loving God with ritual sacrifice and prayer. He hated the corruption of the ancient priesthood when it became infatuated with perpetuating itself instead of WORSHIPing GOD and CARING for neighbors.

We must constantly evaluate our priorities as we do in each budget season. We compare what we do with our mission remembering, As St. Francis said, to “Preach the gospel, if necessary, use words”. We are entrusted with building up a community that lifts others up, that is why we are here. Our pledges and promises today are part of it. But they must not be ‘cost-less’ pledges. Unless our pledge cards include the promise of ALL we are, (heart, soul, mind and strength) we risk falling into the category of the scribes who were insincere and the rich who gave without any ‘cost.’

We need a regular reality check to keep our priorities straight. If we pledge our time, talent and treasure, (as we do today), to God’s Glory, Keeping our priority on Worship and Service, then regardless of the amount we give, small or large, God’s work will go forward. We can pray, like Jesus did, for God’s kingdom to come on earth, and trust that we – are – part – of - it, giving and receiving as we have need -- - Loving Our God and loving our neighbor.

All Saints Ahead

All Saints Sunday is one I've been wanting to celebrate. It offers us a chance to remember in public even after the official or unofficial time for mourning is past. We can learn much from remembering since our fast-paced lives don't usually allow time for reflection.

This week I have more than enough time for reflection. Thanks to our dog, affectionately nick-named 'Devil Dog', I have cracked bones in my ankle and am in an air cast and on crutches. When I can put pressure on the foot without pain, the cast will allow me to walk on it. This is the good news. The bad news is it still hurts and is very tender to the touch so I hobble around getting up only when necessary.

I'm settled into the cuddler of the couch, which is the perfect place for a semi-invalid. There's pillows all around and plenty of room for my leg to be elevated. I have books on all sides and a power cord for times when the laptop needs charging. It gives me the illusion of independence when actually it takes only a simple pang of hunger to realize I am dependent on my family for food and drink.

Life is a similar illusion. We are "independent" souls, creating our way in the world, learning to fly on our own by getting jobs and homes and creating families. Our lives are wedded to the priorities of work and play. We "make our own way" and strive to "be all that we can be". We are "self-made people". We live a deception that we create for ourselves.

The reality is life is only a breath. We are as fragile as being knocked to the ground by my dog proves. We are a heartbeat away from death and delude ourselves into immortality by planning for the future. Recalling the Saints of the past reminds us that we too are mere mortals that depend on God for life. Not only that, we desperately need each other to live with any fullness and happiness for it is only in community that true joy is found. This is why our remembrances are important. They reunited us to a community that extends on both sides of death. The community of God's creation of all life and the promise of something beyond the last breath.

What will that 'more' be? We don't know for sure, only that the Christ promised it is found through him. Dan R. Dick (writing in Lectionary Homiletics volume XX, no.6) says,

". .of all the gifts e have been given by God, among the greatest is each other. Our relationships give meaning and purpose to our lives, filling our days with rich and rewarding experiences"

On Sunday we name the names from the past relationships that have given meaning to our lives then and now. We remember by looking back and we pull back the curtain of delusion by looking ahead, not fearing an end but trusting in a love that continues.

Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Stories, clouds, and witnesses

I'm off lectionary due to the Organ Dedication Service this Sunday so it gives me a chance to reflect on all those who have been faithful to the church over time. I read Hebrews 11 and 12 and love the reminders of the stories of that cloud of witnesses. Our stories are so important to tell and retell. But we don't sit around the fire or bake over slow-cooking stone ovens. I'm more likely to put something on the stove and pop into the living room to watch forensic television. We don't have a convenient story-telling atmosphere in daily life but our stories are so important.

Sunday the story of the organ project will be told. It involves people who will be sitting in the pews and those who have moved on to the next life. Dreamers and visionaries worked with practical concerns. Roadblocks were there and the 'impossibility' of it all loomed large from time to time and yet a great deal of money was raised off-budget, a great deal of labor was volunteered, a great deal of talent went into the rebuild and we have an incredible instrument with which to praise God.

I like hearing the stories, some I've not heard before being the 'new kid on the block'. I understand the importance of telling them. Our church, like so many others, is in a transition time. The days of a full sanctuary are memories, not current reality. The dreams for the future may need to look different than the past. Stories remind us of the heritage that brought us to this place. Stories remind us of God's faithfulness that never ends. Stories inspire us to continue in faithful response to God, trusting that whatever new thing God births in the world will be good. Even when we can't see what it is, or recognize anything that looks like 'church' to us, we can trust that our God, who acted in the lives of Abraham and Sarah, Moses, Aaron, Miriam, and so many others, CONTINUES, even now, to act in our lives - always steadfast, always faithful.

Weddings

What a joy to see your daughter marry a wonderful young man. We are so happy to have him in the family. A great time was had by everyone following the loveliest service ever. Many thanks to the colleague who exceeded my very high expectations for the ceremony, and the many other 'moms' our daughter has who created, organized, directed, and labored endlessly to make it such a special day.

After some serious downtime today, I've got some preparation to do for a big church event next weekend. But now for some zzzs.