That's the way I feel this morning. Socked in...the nose and sinuses clogged with a nasty cold. It's hard to breathe...to get enough oxygen to keep the system running. The result is a tired, cranky, thick-headed, slow-brained guy staring at a computer screen. Not a pretty sight!
But it did make me wonder if there's an analogy here. My head is so full of guck that I can't get the oxygen I need to keep my body running right. Sometimes, we get so distracted by all the temptations of the world...so full of the guck around us...that it's hard for us to get the Good News we need to keep our souls running right.
Thanks be to God: there is a fix for this...something (or rather someone) who can make us whole and give us our breath back. That one is Jesus, whose love for us couldn't be stopped even by a cross, and whose resurrection points the way towards our own life with God. And the best part is that you don't have to go to Rite-Aid to pick him up. He's already present with you...ready to hear your prayers and guide your heart back towards wholeness and real health.
Why stay dense when you don't need to?
24 September 2007
17 September 2007
I believe...
There's a T-shirt I've seen that says: "Everyone believes in something." Then in smaller print below: "I believe I'll have another cookie." Good for a chuckle...but loaded with truth.
Take, for instance, the first line. Although I doubt the writer had Fr. Martin in mind, it's vintage Luther...reminding us that everyone believes in some thing or some one. Everyone has a god or gods...that force, concept or reality in which they trust. Even atheists have gods. (If you trust yourself above all else, then you are your own god...as disturbing as that might be!) So the T-shirt speaks the truth: everyone believes in something.
The second sentence also has something interesting to teach, i.e. that belief is always connected to action. To believe something implies more than just intellectual assent. To believe something requires that we act accordingly...that our lives reflect in some measure the grounding principals that we claim.
That's where things get sticky for a lot of Christian "believers." Our words may be right, but our actions often tell a different tale. The priorities reflected in our daily choices don't always match our stated intentions. Folks who are not Christian notice these things, and quite rightfully point out the hypocrisy of our lives.
It's an old, old problem, of course...goes all the way back to a man, a woman, a serpent and an apple. Ever since that fateful day in Paradise, we've been trying to reconcile belief in God with what we'd like to do on our own. Some days we shine. Most days we fail. At best, our performance is uneven. And if that were the end of the story, we'd surely be in sorry shape. There are few options for us when our cookies (or our false gods) crumble. Take your pick: denial or despair.
Christians profess, however, that there is some one beyond us...one who has made the decision to forgive and redeem us...one who remains faithful as our God even when we're off chasing our own tails. That one is Christ Jesus whose death put an end to our shame and whose resurrection opens a new life of opportunity. We don't need to live as though there were no God or, worse yet, as though we were gods. We are set free to believe and live with Christ as God, with mercy as motivation, and with hope as our way forward.
A bit of T-shrit wisdom: Everyone believes in something. I believe I'll give today another chance under the lordship of Christ. And when I do, how will my choices, my priorities, my values be different?
Take, for instance, the first line. Although I doubt the writer had Fr. Martin in mind, it's vintage Luther...reminding us that everyone believes in some thing or some one. Everyone has a god or gods...that force, concept or reality in which they trust. Even atheists have gods. (If you trust yourself above all else, then you are your own god...as disturbing as that might be!) So the T-shirt speaks the truth: everyone believes in something.
The second sentence also has something interesting to teach, i.e. that belief is always connected to action. To believe something implies more than just intellectual assent. To believe something requires that we act accordingly...that our lives reflect in some measure the grounding principals that we claim.
That's where things get sticky for a lot of Christian "believers." Our words may be right, but our actions often tell a different tale. The priorities reflected in our daily choices don't always match our stated intentions. Folks who are not Christian notice these things, and quite rightfully point out the hypocrisy of our lives.
It's an old, old problem, of course...goes all the way back to a man, a woman, a serpent and an apple. Ever since that fateful day in Paradise, we've been trying to reconcile belief in God with what we'd like to do on our own. Some days we shine. Most days we fail. At best, our performance is uneven. And if that were the end of the story, we'd surely be in sorry shape. There are few options for us when our cookies (or our false gods) crumble. Take your pick: denial or despair.
Christians profess, however, that there is some one beyond us...one who has made the decision to forgive and redeem us...one who remains faithful as our God even when we're off chasing our own tails. That one is Christ Jesus whose death put an end to our shame and whose resurrection opens a new life of opportunity. We don't need to live as though there were no God or, worse yet, as though we were gods. We are set free to believe and live with Christ as God, with mercy as motivation, and with hope as our way forward.
A bit of T-shrit wisdom: Everyone believes in something. I believe I'll give today another chance under the lordship of Christ. And when I do, how will my choices, my priorities, my values be different?
05 September 2007
Back Again...
Well...the suitcase is unpacked. Shirts and shoes, books and files are once again in their respective places. But the mental, emotional, theological and spiritual unpacking after sabbatical is still very much underway. I'm back...but still not exactly sure what that will mean for ministry here at Grace. I suppose that together, as pastor and parish, we'll continue that unpacking process for some time to come.
In the meantime: it is good to be home. I've missed the people here. I've missed the sense of place here. I've missed the privilege of sharing the word and the meal around a familiar table. Sunday is coming...and I can't wait.
See you then.
In the meantime: it is good to be home. I've missed the people here. I've missed the sense of place here. I've missed the privilege of sharing the word and the meal around a familiar table. Sunday is coming...and I can't wait.
See you then.
30 April 2007
Hearing the voice...
"My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me."
I've noticed that the older I get, the less tolerant I am of noisy things, people and places. (Hell is probably a Chucky Cheese restaurant with eight birthday parties going on at once. I shudder at the thought.) Sure...part of that is just getting older (I'm slowly and somewhat proudly moving towards curmudgeon status) and the deterioration of my hearing (too much rock-n-roll as a crazy youth). My grandpa and my dad both struggled with the same thing as they got older and their hearing got worse. I'm just next in line.
And yet, it's not just a "guy thing" or a "getting older" thing. The world around us is, indeed, getting noisier all the time. There are so many voices...so many inducements...so many offers and ideas and temptations floated our way every day...all demanding our time, our attention, our investment of self and resources and loyalty.
How does one decide what to listen to? How do we determine those voices that are good and genuine and life-giving? How do we learn to listen?
It's not easy. But it occurs to me that a part of what we do in worship each week and in our own daily prayers is just that...we learn to listen for God. Not just to pile up before God our needs and fears and demands, but to open our hearts and minds and wills to the guidance and direction of the One who has promised to be Good Shepherd for us.
I had the opportunity a couple weeks ago to spend some time practicing and learning more about centering prayer...an ancient practice of holy listening that helps us focus on the speaking of God to us. I think we need to do a workshop or retreat around this idea here at Grace (watch for info on that).
In the meantime, I'd like to encourage you to take time...quiet time...focused time...even just a few minutes a day, if that's all you've got. Think about a favorite Bible verse or hymn text or prayer. And then listen...not to the clamor of the kids or the TV or the iPod or the "Whack-a-Mole" game going on in the next room...but for the voice of the Shepherd. He already knows you. He's already expecting you. And indeed, He has promised to find you as you seek Him...even amidst the noise of life.
I've noticed that the older I get, the less tolerant I am of noisy things, people and places. (Hell is probably a Chucky Cheese restaurant with eight birthday parties going on at once. I shudder at the thought.) Sure...part of that is just getting older (I'm slowly and somewhat proudly moving towards curmudgeon status) and the deterioration of my hearing (too much rock-n-roll as a crazy youth). My grandpa and my dad both struggled with the same thing as they got older and their hearing got worse. I'm just next in line.
And yet, it's not just a "guy thing" or a "getting older" thing. The world around us is, indeed, getting noisier all the time. There are so many voices...so many inducements...so many offers and ideas and temptations floated our way every day...all demanding our time, our attention, our investment of self and resources and loyalty.
How does one decide what to listen to? How do we determine those voices that are good and genuine and life-giving? How do we learn to listen?
It's not easy. But it occurs to me that a part of what we do in worship each week and in our own daily prayers is just that...we learn to listen for God. Not just to pile up before God our needs and fears and demands, but to open our hearts and minds and wills to the guidance and direction of the One who has promised to be Good Shepherd for us.
I had the opportunity a couple weeks ago to spend some time practicing and learning more about centering prayer...an ancient practice of holy listening that helps us focus on the speaking of God to us. I think we need to do a workshop or retreat around this idea here at Grace (watch for info on that).
In the meantime, I'd like to encourage you to take time...quiet time...focused time...even just a few minutes a day, if that's all you've got. Think about a favorite Bible verse or hymn text or prayer. And then listen...not to the clamor of the kids or the TV or the iPod or the "Whack-a-Mole" game going on in the next room...but for the voice of the Shepherd. He already knows you. He's already expecting you. And indeed, He has promised to find you as you seek Him...even amidst the noise of life.
07 March 2007
05 March 2007
Reading a truly good blog...
On those days (like today) when I don't have anything earth-shattering to share, might I suggest you surf on over to First Things (www.firstthings.com). And while you're there, sign up for the RSS feed so that you'll get the daily postings from their blog. Always excellent, challenging stuff. Enjoy!
20 February 2007
Fat Tuesday...
Pancakes and sausage for dinner. Red wine later as I while away my time and dull my brain cells watching "Boston Legal." Maybe I can even find a leftover pascki to stuff in before bedtime. Ah...the delicious decadence of the night before the fast.
May your Mardi Gras be gras indeed. And may you wake up tomorrow ready to wear your repentance faithfully.
May your Mardi Gras be gras indeed. And may you wake up tomorrow ready to wear your repentance faithfully.
14 February 2007
An unexpected gift...
There's enough snow on the ground to blow into the top of your jeans. The roads are a mess (though getting better); schools are cancelled; businesses are closed; and the manufactured anxiety flowing out of the TV reporters would have you believe that we're all going to be consumed by the raging winter beasty at any moment.
Granted, there are some legitimate problems. If your car's in a ditch or your furnace has gone out, you've got issues. But is it just possible that we might be missing something here? Could it be that winter storms are a gift...an opportunity to take a little break and to simply watch the snowfall?
Last night, the Mrs. and I didn't have to...couldn't actually...go anywhere. Her office closed early. Meetings at the church were cancelled. So we did something daring. We had dinner together...a nice, quiet, conversation-filled dinner. We shared a bottle of wine. We watched Law & Order re-runs until the cable gave out and we got tired. What a lovely evening. What an unexpected gift in the midst of what is usually a very busy time of year.
Excuse me while I go pray for more snow.
Granted, there are some legitimate problems. If your car's in a ditch or your furnace has gone out, you've got issues. But is it just possible that we might be missing something here? Could it be that winter storms are a gift...an opportunity to take a little break and to simply watch the snowfall?
Last night, the Mrs. and I didn't have to...couldn't actually...go anywhere. Her office closed early. Meetings at the church were cancelled. So we did something daring. We had dinner together...a nice, quiet, conversation-filled dinner. We shared a bottle of wine. We watched Law & Order re-runs until the cable gave out and we got tired. What a lovely evening. What an unexpected gift in the midst of what is usually a very busy time of year.
Excuse me while I go pray for more snow.
06 February 2007
Channeling Grandma...
This morning, the Mrs. and I talked to our youngest face to face...even though he's in Germany. Thank you, Skype. Later this morning, the youngest and I IM'd for a few minutes while I was updating the church's website. Just after that, I spoke to elder son on his cell phone while he's pulling up stuff on his computer about a database/search program that I had entered about two minutes prior, and telling me about his new VISTA-running, 1024M, 120Gig, 6-cell, 15.4 TGVA computer. (Does that thing have four on the floor and a hemi?)
And in the back of my head the whole time, I'm hearing Grandma Piehl telling us how she walked to the one-room schoolhouse more than a mile, even in the winter with snow up over your knees. They carried a baked potato in the pockets to keep their hands warm and to have something for lunch. On the way home this time of year, your hands just got cold.
I know: the mere act of channeling Grandma is testimony to the advancing years. But I'm amazed at some of the things we're able to do now. She'd be absolutely flabbergasted.
And in the back of my head the whole time, I'm hearing Grandma Piehl telling us how she walked to the one-room schoolhouse more than a mile, even in the winter with snow up over your knees. They carried a baked potato in the pockets to keep their hands warm and to have something for lunch. On the way home this time of year, your hands just got cold.
I know: the mere act of channeling Grandma is testimony to the advancing years. But I'm amazed at some of the things we're able to do now. She'd be absolutely flabbergasted.
01 February 2007
Just for fun...
This is for my friends on the political right. (Lefties, you'll be offended...so just don't go there.)
Check out Kitty Myers' blog (http://myerskatt.blogspot.com) for the Hillary Clinton poetry slam. I couldn't resist contributing something myself. Bring a hymnal.
Check out Kitty Myers' blog (http://myerskatt.blogspot.com) for the Hillary Clinton poetry slam. I couldn't resist contributing something myself. Bring a hymnal.
29 January 2007
"When a penny in the coffer rings..."
You have got to check this out.
I decided (after listening to all the hoo-hah about global warming) to try and figure out what my "carbon footprint" was. What could it hurt to determine my personal responsibility for the planet's slow drift into the grave? So I googled up some sites that might help me calculate my culpability and ended up at a place labeled www.conservation.org.
Once on the site, I was invited to join the Dixie Chicks and Pearl Jam in their fight to save the planet, and then was led through a series of questions about my housing situation, automobile usage, etc. Apparently, I am personally dumping 18.5 tons of bad carbon into the air every year. Mea culpa. Mea maxima culpa.
Here's the kicker. At the end, was a little "invitation" from the site's sponsors: I can send them money to offset my environmental debt. The good people at conservation.org assure me that a donation of $185 will eradicate the effects of the carbon that I produce each year. Such a deal!
But wait just a minute. That sounds vaguely familiar.
Of course! 490 years ago, Pope Leo wanted to build a new church in Rome. So he sent preacher/salesmen into the German territories with a deal for the peasants: give us money and we'll give you a plenary indulgence...the entire forgiveness of all your sins (or the sins of a loved one already suffering in purgatory). They even had a catchy slogan: "When a penny in the coffer rings, another soul to heaven springs."
Times change. Back in the early 16th century, people were terrified at the prospect of spending eternity in hell. Here in the 21st century, people are terrified at the prospect of being blamed for hell on earth. Isn't it interesting that the solution to the problem doesn't seem to have changed at all. Apparently, you can still buy forgiveness.
Yikes!
I decided (after listening to all the hoo-hah about global warming) to try and figure out what my "carbon footprint" was. What could it hurt to determine my personal responsibility for the planet's slow drift into the grave? So I googled up some sites that might help me calculate my culpability and ended up at a place labeled www.conservation.org.
Once on the site, I was invited to join the Dixie Chicks and Pearl Jam in their fight to save the planet, and then was led through a series of questions about my housing situation, automobile usage, etc. Apparently, I am personally dumping 18.5 tons of bad carbon into the air every year. Mea culpa. Mea maxima culpa.
Here's the kicker. At the end, was a little "invitation" from the site's sponsors: I can send them money to offset my environmental debt. The good people at conservation.org assure me that a donation of $185 will eradicate the effects of the carbon that I produce each year. Such a deal!
But wait just a minute. That sounds vaguely familiar.
Of course! 490 years ago, Pope Leo wanted to build a new church in Rome. So he sent preacher/salesmen into the German territories with a deal for the peasants: give us money and we'll give you a plenary indulgence...the entire forgiveness of all your sins (or the sins of a loved one already suffering in purgatory). They even had a catchy slogan: "When a penny in the coffer rings, another soul to heaven springs."
Times change. Back in the early 16th century, people were terrified at the prospect of spending eternity in hell. Here in the 21st century, people are terrified at the prospect of being blamed for hell on earth. Isn't it interesting that the solution to the problem doesn't seem to have changed at all. Apparently, you can still buy forgiveness.
Yikes!
23 January 2007
Finally...
At long last, we have snow on the ground. And it's cold...supposed to get down into the teens tonight.
I know it's not a popular idea, but I love this time of year and this kind of weather. I'm not sure why. Maybe I didn't get my share of snow angels and snowball fights as a kid, although I seem to remember enjoying plenty of those. Maybe it's because I've been blessed to have always had enough food and a warm place to live so that I haven't had to face the cold like some folks do. Or maybe my medication just needs adjusted again. Who knows?
For those of you living in (or fleeing to) warmer climates: you're missing out on a beautiful thing. I just wish my knees still worked so we could go skiing.
I know it's not a popular idea, but I love this time of year and this kind of weather. I'm not sure why. Maybe I didn't get my share of snow angels and snowball fights as a kid, although I seem to remember enjoying plenty of those. Maybe it's because I've been blessed to have always had enough food and a warm place to live so that I haven't had to face the cold like some folks do. Or maybe my medication just needs adjusted again. Who knows?
For those of you living in (or fleeing to) warmer climates: you're missing out on a beautiful thing. I just wish my knees still worked so we could go skiing.
20 January 2007
Resolution...
At the beginning of the year, I had privately resolved to do a better job of keeping up with my blog. Now that it's the 20th of the month, I finally got around to it...and have discovered that I don't have much to say.
Lord, what a mess. Commitment with no urgency. Energy for the task, but not the eloquence to pull it off. More and more each day, I come to appreciate what Luther is after when he labels human beings "simul justus et peccator." It's not just a theological statement; it is true, practical and insightful anthropology. We are divided creatures whose intentions and actions rarely correspond with one another. (And sometimes, that's a good thing.)
"Wretched man that I am! Who can rescue me from this body of death?" See Romans 7:25 for the answer to that one.
Lord, what a mess. Commitment with no urgency. Energy for the task, but not the eloquence to pull it off. More and more each day, I come to appreciate what Luther is after when he labels human beings "simul justus et peccator." It's not just a theological statement; it is true, practical and insightful anthropology. We are divided creatures whose intentions and actions rarely correspond with one another. (And sometimes, that's a good thing.)
"Wretched man that I am! Who can rescue me from this body of death?" See Romans 7:25 for the answer to that one.
25 July 2006
Blue Plastic Cups...
So, fine. It's a bit odd that I'm excited about a bunch of blue plastic, 16 oz. stadium cups. But they're here...and they look good (resplendent with their Grace 100th Anniversary logos)...and we can hand them out on Sunday at the big Centennial Picnic.
I think this is going to be great fun. Worship outside under the trees...you can listen to the birds singing and quite often spot an eagle overhead. We'll sing and pray. We'll speak and hear the Word. We'll share memories of ministry past and hopes for mission yet to come. And then all that good potluck food afterwards, along with plenty of time to continue visiting, telling stories, etc. And we'll be drinking our lemonade in blue plastic cups that are marked for the day.
100 years is a long time...at least it seems so when you're only 50. What a great blessing for this place to have been around that long. Apparently, God really is gracious. This Sunday, we'll celebrate that as we raise our blue plastic cups in thanksgiving for all that has been and for all that will be. Sounds like a good time.
I think this is going to be great fun. Worship outside under the trees...you can listen to the birds singing and quite often spot an eagle overhead. We'll sing and pray. We'll speak and hear the Word. We'll share memories of ministry past and hopes for mission yet to come. And then all that good potluck food afterwards, along with plenty of time to continue visiting, telling stories, etc. And we'll be drinking our lemonade in blue plastic cups that are marked for the day.
100 years is a long time...at least it seems so when you're only 50. What a great blessing for this place to have been around that long. Apparently, God really is gracious. This Sunday, we'll celebrate that as we raise our blue plastic cups in thanksgiving for all that has been and for all that will be. Sounds like a good time.
22 July 2006
Surprised Again...
So...it's about time I checked back in here after a wild couple of months. I distinctly remember someone saying to us as seminary students: "Sure, it's busy in the fall, winter and spring; but summer's pretty quiet."
That was a lie.
Lest I complain too much, however, it has been a good kind of busy. I'm constantly amazed (apparently I'm a slow learner) at the generosity of folks in this place, and at their sense of call to participate in the mission of the church. Back in mid-May, it looked like our little expansion project wasn't going to happen. The construction bids came in way higher than the estimates...so much so that, in spite of having raised more money than we thought we needed, we were still $25,000+ short. So the leadership of the parish and I are dreading this congregational meeting where we're going to have to make a decision to hold on the project. Then two families come forward and write the checks for what we need. As a consequence, there's a hole by the front door, a jack-hammer on the sidewalk, and some guys climbing on the roof. And by early September we'll have a gathering space that's twice as big as it was before. Very cool.
One of these days I'm going to learn more about faith and how to relax into it.
That was a lie.
Lest I complain too much, however, it has been a good kind of busy. I'm constantly amazed (apparently I'm a slow learner) at the generosity of folks in this place, and at their sense of call to participate in the mission of the church. Back in mid-May, it looked like our little expansion project wasn't going to happen. The construction bids came in way higher than the estimates...so much so that, in spite of having raised more money than we thought we needed, we were still $25,000+ short. So the leadership of the parish and I are dreading this congregational meeting where we're going to have to make a decision to hold on the project. Then two families come forward and write the checks for what we need. As a consequence, there's a hole by the front door, a jack-hammer on the sidewalk, and some guys climbing on the roof. And by early September we'll have a gathering space that's twice as big as it was before. Very cool.
One of these days I'm going to learn more about faith and how to relax into it.
08 May 2006
A Dent in the Chalice...
There's a dent in the nice pewter chalice that we use during festival seasons. I noticed it yesterday morning while setting the altar for the day's Eucharist. It's not big. It won't prevent us from using the vessel. But it's definitely there...a little chink in an otherwise beautiful thing.
It got me to thinking about the other vessels through which Christ's presence is delivered...namely the human ones. Undoubtedly, most of us would fall into the "beautiful, but dented" category, too.
St. Paul is right. We're basically a bunch of crack-pots (2 Corinthinians 4:7ff). It makes me all the more thankful for a God who could claim worth enough in us for which to die. I'd like to do better by that God...not that I think my dents will go away, but that at least His grace might be visible in and through them.
It got me to thinking about the other vessels through which Christ's presence is delivered...namely the human ones. Undoubtedly, most of us would fall into the "beautiful, but dented" category, too.
St. Paul is right. We're basically a bunch of crack-pots (2 Corinthinians 4:7ff). It makes me all the more thankful for a God who could claim worth enough in us for which to die. I'd like to do better by that God...not that I think my dents will go away, but that at least His grace might be visible in and through them.
02 May 2006
Too good to be true...
We know how things work in this world. If you want something, you’d better be prepared to work for it. And the more valuable that something is, the higher the price…the more you’re going to need to fork over in money or time or labor or integrity…whatever. It’s a simple proposition called quid pro quo...an assumption that there is a transaction behind everything we need or want. It’s what drives our culture and our economy. We are trained in it from a very early age. And in fact, if something doesn’t conform to this model we’re told to be wary…to be skeptical. If something is too good to be true (so the saying goes) it usually is.
So what, then, are we to make of the Gospel? What are we to make of a promise so bold as “I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly?”
Well…the first thing we usually do is to start “reading in” certain qualifications. That’s been the church’s solution (following the pattern of society) for centuries. You can have abundant life if you believe in the right doctrines. You can have abundant life if you don’t drink, smoke, dance or (insert favorite vice here) . You can have abundant life if you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. You can have abundant life if you have the proper experience of the Holy Spirit or if you belong to the right denomination or if you listen to the right TV preacher. You can have abundant life if…if…if…
Wonderful. We’ve just managed to make God’s promise into legal code…one more transaction in a life full of transactions. Or, as one sage recently put it, we have the nasty habit of making God’s gifts to us into just one more damn thing to do.
But there is another way…a Good News way…of hearing what God has to say. And it begins by not adding to what the Scriptures say. “I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly.” Notice: there are no qualifications on that statement. It is sheer promise. Better yet, it is promise from the One who is able to keep all His promises…even the promise that death cannot separate us from His love. And because God in Christ Jesus has made us so generous a promise…has given us life abundant and eternal even before we asked for it…we are free to respond with joy and thanksgiving...which might look something like this:
When you remain faithful to your spouse, it’s not so you can impress God by how good you are. It’s too late for that. Rather, it’s so you can pass along the love of God to the one with whom you share your life.
When you drag your sleepy self out of bed every Sunday morning (especially on those mornings when you don’t feel like it), it’s not so that you can impress God by how faithful you are. Again…too late. Rather, it’s so you can take the time to return honor and thanksgiving and praise to the One who gave you life to begin with.
When you try your best to be your best in everything you do…even when you fail…it’s not so you can impress God with how earnest you are. Too late for that, too. Rather, it’s so you can grow into being the very best disciple of Jesus you can be…with all the gifts and foibles that are yours.
For Christians, life is no longer a transaction. It’s a reaction…a response…a giving back to the One who has already given us everything we could possibly need. Our identity, our purpose, the path we follow, sustenance along the way and a final destination…all of these things are ours already. In Christ…the One who is too good to be true…we are set free to shed our anxieties and our despair. We are set free to really live.
So what, then, are we to make of the Gospel? What are we to make of a promise so bold as “I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly?”
Well…the first thing we usually do is to start “reading in” certain qualifications. That’s been the church’s solution (following the pattern of society) for centuries. You can have abundant life if you believe in the right doctrines. You can have abundant life if you don’t drink, smoke, dance or (insert favorite vice here) . You can have abundant life if you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. You can have abundant life if you have the proper experience of the Holy Spirit or if you belong to the right denomination or if you listen to the right TV preacher. You can have abundant life if…if…if…
Wonderful. We’ve just managed to make God’s promise into legal code…one more transaction in a life full of transactions. Or, as one sage recently put it, we have the nasty habit of making God’s gifts to us into just one more damn thing to do.
But there is another way…a Good News way…of hearing what God has to say. And it begins by not adding to what the Scriptures say. “I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly.” Notice: there are no qualifications on that statement. It is sheer promise. Better yet, it is promise from the One who is able to keep all His promises…even the promise that death cannot separate us from His love. And because God in Christ Jesus has made us so generous a promise…has given us life abundant and eternal even before we asked for it…we are free to respond with joy and thanksgiving...which might look something like this:
When you remain faithful to your spouse, it’s not so you can impress God by how good you are. It’s too late for that. Rather, it’s so you can pass along the love of God to the one with whom you share your life.
When you drag your sleepy self out of bed every Sunday morning (especially on those mornings when you don’t feel like it), it’s not so that you can impress God by how faithful you are. Again…too late. Rather, it’s so you can take the time to return honor and thanksgiving and praise to the One who gave you life to begin with.
When you try your best to be your best in everything you do…even when you fail…it’s not so you can impress God with how earnest you are. Too late for that, too. Rather, it’s so you can grow into being the very best disciple of Jesus you can be…with all the gifts and foibles that are yours.
For Christians, life is no longer a transaction. It’s a reaction…a response…a giving back to the One who has already given us everything we could possibly need. Our identity, our purpose, the path we follow, sustenance along the way and a final destination…all of these things are ours already. In Christ…the One who is too good to be true…we are set free to shed our anxieties and our despair. We are set free to really live.
11 April 2006
Given for you...
The words are not unfamiliar...nor is the setting. I say them more than 5000 times every year in the context of public worship. So I am not exactly sure why this past Sunday, in the midst of our sharing of Holy Communion, I could barely speak the words:
"The Body of Christ, given for you."
Perhaps it had to do with just having read the passion account from Mark's Gospel. Or perhaps I was more keenly aware than usual of my own sin and my own need before God. All I know is that the line of folks coming forward to the feast seemed to go on and on. And as I pressed the bread into each hand and looked into each person's face, I felt the tears gradually welling up in my eyes and a choking sensation in my throat...until I was finally unable to speak:
"The Body of Christ, given for you."
Please understand. The wet eyes were not for sadness. And the broken voice not simply a crumb caught in my throat. They were, instead, the deep expression of awe at a gift so magnanimous and so undeserved. We take into our hands, into our mouths, into our very bodies the life-giving presence of the Redeemer. We feast on the love of the One whom we routinely disparage, trivialize and abandon. And still He keeps coming back...anxious to transform us into his own likeness that we might bear that redeeming love to all the world.
"The Body of Christ, given for you."
Brothers and sisters, this is no mere ritual. It is divine sustenance...the only food which can make us truly alive in this world and for the world to come. We eat...seldom aware how deep our need for this banquet. But God knows. And so in grace, He continues to make Himself present among us.
"The Body of Christ, given for you."
Amen, we say. Truly it is so.
"The Body of Christ, given for you."
Perhaps it had to do with just having read the passion account from Mark's Gospel. Or perhaps I was more keenly aware than usual of my own sin and my own need before God. All I know is that the line of folks coming forward to the feast seemed to go on and on. And as I pressed the bread into each hand and looked into each person's face, I felt the tears gradually welling up in my eyes and a choking sensation in my throat...until I was finally unable to speak:
"The Body of Christ, given for you."
Please understand. The wet eyes were not for sadness. And the broken voice not simply a crumb caught in my throat. They were, instead, the deep expression of awe at a gift so magnanimous and so undeserved. We take into our hands, into our mouths, into our very bodies the life-giving presence of the Redeemer. We feast on the love of the One whom we routinely disparage, trivialize and abandon. And still He keeps coming back...anxious to transform us into his own likeness that we might bear that redeeming love to all the world.
"The Body of Christ, given for you."
Brothers and sisters, this is no mere ritual. It is divine sustenance...the only food which can make us truly alive in this world and for the world to come. We eat...seldom aware how deep our need for this banquet. But God knows. And so in grace, He continues to make Himself present among us.
"The Body of Christ, given for you."
Amen, we say. Truly it is so.
04 April 2006
How much...
You'll be glad to know that God and I are back on speaking terms. Actually, I have a sneaking suspicion that God never really stopped talking. It was just me who stopped listening. (Ever notice how hard it is to hear while you're having a good rant?) At any rate, "it is by grace that you are saved; and this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God." Thanks, God...and thanks be to God.
But that's not what's on my mind today.
I was reading a newsletter from another parish...something one of our folks dropped off. This other parish, like us (and like every other mainline Christian congregation, it seems) are all in a toot about stewardship. That is to say: we're struggling to pay the bills and give faithfully to mission, and we need to figure out how to encourage people to be more generous. Most of the programs and campaigns we try focus on one thing...how to help people figure out how much to give and then, how to give more.
So this approach comes out of left field...but it seems to have more than a mere kernal of truth behind it. (I'm going to paraphrase rather than quote since the original sentence structure seemed a bit clunky):
As long as we continue to ask "what shall I give" we'll always be battling a myriad of reasons why we can't give more. The assumption behind the question is that what I have is mine to start with. And since it's mine, I get to decide what to give away. Instead, we need to change the question to: "what shall I keep?" Here's a different assumption...that what we have is a gift given to us in the first place. It recognizes that our wealth originates outside of us...and for Christians, we know where that is: in the grace and mercy of God.
You may think that the difference here is all too subtle...just word play. (And you may be right!) But then again: it might do us good to remember that what we have is not first of all ours. And it just might encourage us (if we're willing to be honest) to examine more carefully what we're keeping our resources for. It's one thing to just pay the MasterCard bill every month and give the church what's left over. It's quite another thing to examine what's on that bill and to ask the question "do I really need this?" The change in perspective could open the door to that kind of analysis, and to a more faithful response to the call of God.
But that's not what's on my mind today.
I was reading a newsletter from another parish...something one of our folks dropped off. This other parish, like us (and like every other mainline Christian congregation, it seems) are all in a toot about stewardship. That is to say: we're struggling to pay the bills and give faithfully to mission, and we need to figure out how to encourage people to be more generous. Most of the programs and campaigns we try focus on one thing...how to help people figure out how much to give and then, how to give more.
So this approach comes out of left field...but it seems to have more than a mere kernal of truth behind it. (I'm going to paraphrase rather than quote since the original sentence structure seemed a bit clunky):
As long as we continue to ask "what shall I give" we'll always be battling a myriad of reasons why we can't give more. The assumption behind the question is that what I have is mine to start with. And since it's mine, I get to decide what to give away. Instead, we need to change the question to: "what shall I keep?" Here's a different assumption...that what we have is a gift given to us in the first place. It recognizes that our wealth originates outside of us...and for Christians, we know where that is: in the grace and mercy of God.
You may think that the difference here is all too subtle...just word play. (And you may be right!) But then again: it might do us good to remember that what we have is not first of all ours. And it just might encourage us (if we're willing to be honest) to examine more carefully what we're keeping our resources for. It's one thing to just pay the MasterCard bill every month and give the church what's left over. It's quite another thing to examine what's on that bill and to ask the question "do I really need this?" The change in perspective could open the door to that kind of analysis, and to a more faithful response to the call of God.
22 March 2006
Prayer...
Dear God!
How could you let this happen? These poor folks are still grieving the loss of one daughter...and now they're about to lose the second one. Another dread disease. Another terrible diagnosis out of left field. What's going on here? Does it have to be this way? What are we supposed to be learning from this? What is it that you want from these people? Love? Faithfulness? Attention? I can tell you that at this moment you're going to be hard pressed to get any of the above...for they are angry, too, and hurt and confused and wondering why life has to be such a bitch.
And yes... part of this is about me. I'm supposed to be with them and I don't want to go there. Their pain is way too much for me. I'm supposed to know what to say, but I have no glib words...no powerful prayers to offer. Just my own anger at You and my own sense of helplessness.
So thanks a lot. Thanks for nothing! Maybe we'll talk later when I'm not so pissed.
Amen
How could you let this happen? These poor folks are still grieving the loss of one daughter...and now they're about to lose the second one. Another dread disease. Another terrible diagnosis out of left field. What's going on here? Does it have to be this way? What are we supposed to be learning from this? What is it that you want from these people? Love? Faithfulness? Attention? I can tell you that at this moment you're going to be hard pressed to get any of the above...for they are angry, too, and hurt and confused and wondering why life has to be such a bitch.
And yes... part of this is about me. I'm supposed to be with them and I don't want to go there. Their pain is way too much for me. I'm supposed to know what to say, but I have no glib words...no powerful prayers to offer. Just my own anger at You and my own sense of helplessness.
So thanks a lot. Thanks for nothing! Maybe we'll talk later when I'm not so pissed.
Amen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)