sight to see

Mark 10: 46-52

Bartimaeus is a blind beggar, sitting on the outside of town, no one worth paying much attention to, just a normal part of his community.  He is doing what beggars do- waiting for people to have pity on him.  That is, until Jesus comes to his home town of Jericho.  As Jesus leaves town Bartimaeus can hear people begin to mummer and the voices of the crowd declares that Jesus is coming by. This rock star, Jesus, miracle worker and healer.   He doesn’t know where Jesus is.  He can’t see him.  So, he uses the only tool he has- his voice.

 “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

This outcry is seen as a nuisance.   They didn’t mind him being there- as long as he was minding his own business -easily ignored by the crowd.  

Each week as I drive into Atlanta there is a beggar on the corner at the Druid Hills Exit.  He is always holding a sign asking for help or food.  I and everyone else that use that exit know he is there.  Some days we look away not wanting to feel guilty or obligated to help.  Other days we may throw him a dollar or two or offer him a pack of crackers but then we go about our lives- off to church, work, school or home.  The crowd knew Bartimaeus was there but once they passed- out of sight out of mind.  While they were aware of his presence, like the man on the street corner, he was never really seen.

But now he starts in with the attention seeking behaviors- he cries out, demands to be seen, heard, understood, it’s irritating.  Who does he think he is?  We are forced to look; we are forced to see his desperation.  He isn’t trying to be obnoxious, it is a cry for help but it’s disturbing and disruptive to the disciples, the crowd trying to get a glimpse of this Rock Star Jesus, and the good folk trying to get along with their daily lives. 

It’s making them uncomfortable, it makes us uncomfortable. The need is too great, the smell too pungent, the problem too big and we think we can’t really help him. So, they tell him to hush- we want him to be quiet.  As long as he is quiet we can ignore him and pretend he isn’t there.  We can keep Jesus all to ourselves.

But this time, he will not be ignored.  He is persistent and cries out even louder “Jesus, Son of David have mercy on me!”  Jesus hears his plea of desperation even over the noise and objection of the crowd.  Jesus is our Lord, our messiah.  He is off to do a great and wonderful thing- he is on his way to the cross to die for our sins.  There is no time to waste on this one beggar.

But, Jesus disagrees.  He stops- Jesus gives him permission to be seen, there is always time for one more child of God to be found and to be healed.

Bartimaeus jumps up at this opportunity and throws his cloak to the side.  Jesus hasn’t done anything yet but still Bartimaeus is full of faith and trust in what is yet to be and what cannot be seen. This piece of fabric was not just his coat but his blanket, his cup (Eerdmans’s Dictionary).  People would throw the loose change on the fabric so that it could be easily collected.  As he throws off the cloak and jumps up- whatever money he had that day is lost.  The man on the corner- tosses his cup- change rattles as it hits the pavement as he runs to greet the one person who gives him hope.

Bartemaeus knows Jesus is more than just a healer, a miracle worker.  He knows Jesus is his only chance to regain his sight, his life, his dignity.  So, he doesn’t hesitate and doesn’t just ask for sight but instead asks to see. 

Tradition tells us this request was not simply to regain his physical sight but a desire to understand and to know more fully (CBQ).  Jesus has mercy on him, heals him.  Not only is his sight restored but his life is restored.  He is made whole.  The man who was never really seen by his own people is now seen by Jesus and sees himself.  He is no longer just a beggar he is now a Disciple of Jesus. When told to go he chooses the most difficult but rewarding path- to follow Jesus “on the way” to Jerusalem… and the cross.    

The crowd is following Rock Star Jesus – miracle worker and enigmatic teacher but this blind beggar has known Jesus all of two minutes but knows because of him, his life has been changed forever.  He may even know him better than the crowd of followers and the twelve disciples. The Gospel of Mark likes to portray Jesus as a mystery and yet while the demons and those he heals know him, the disciples remain confused.  They have spent three years with Jesus.  They have observed the miracles and the signs.  They have learned at the feet of the Master himself and yet, they still don’t quite understand what this blind man sees- the true identity of Jesus of Nazareth, Son of David, Messiah!

Is this who we see, when we see Jesus?  We, like the disciples often find it easy to hear the words of Jesus.  We read our Bibles; we study diligently, wanting to understand more.   We come to church and bible study and Sunday school to hear about this amazing man and the life he desires for us and we ask all kinds of questions about what he said and did but yet, we still don’t always understand.  We are blind to who Jesus really is. We are asking the wrong questions.  We ask for understanding when we need faith.  We ask for sight but what we really need is to see. 

We all have things in our lives which are broken and in need of the healing words of Jesus.  And yet, we tend to put more energy into hiding them, ignoring them and hushing them, than we do seeking help.  When our brokenness can’t take it and desires to cry out in desperation… are we willing to be like Bartimaeus?  Are we brave enough to ask for what we really need? 

Jesus can and will show us the way, shine light in the world of darkness, heal us, make us whole and allow us to see but that seeing leads us away from what is comfortable and known. 

What we gain is so much more! We gain salvation, a life healed and made whole.  A full life, filled with the love of Christ, no longer digging through the trash of this world looking for meaning, no longer begging for someone, anyone to give us love and attention, no longer dependent on the charity of others to give us value.  When we realize that we are seen by Jesus; we realize that we are valued by the one who knows us inside and out, sees all those things we try to hide and loves us anyway.  Then we know we too must cry out “Jesus, Son of David! Have Mercy on Me!”

Legacy

Mark 14: 3-9

What do you want to be when you grow up?  This is a question we ask children and teenagers all the time.  Some adults are still asking this question.   Think for a moment what your answer to that question was when you were 10, 11, or 12 years old?   Did your dream come true?  Were you encouraged by your parents and teachers to reach for the stars? Did you have cheerleaders along the way who pushed you to try harder, study, do your homework, or accept that first job to learn a work ethic?

If you had asked me that question as a child, I would have told you I wanted to be a Marine Biologist.  I didn’t really know what that meant but I loved the beach and thought dolphins were pretty cool! Needless to say this was not my cup of tea in reality.  I don’t even like cleaning out fish tanks now and science was not my best subject in school.  As I got older I thought maybe I would go into counseling.  I liked listening to people talk and all my friends said I gave good advice and Psychology was pretty interesting- Not very useful in and of itself, but I enjoyed it.  All along the way I was told I could be anything, as long as I worked hard, studied and made responsible decisions. 

Not everyone is as lucky as I was though.  Some people seem to hit a road block and get knocked down every time they dared to dream.  We don’t have the money for you to go to college and you’re not smart enough to get a scholarship,  what makes you think you would ever be successful anyway.  School is a waste of time, just get a job; but not that job it’s not for boys or girls can’t do that kind of work.  Are you stupid, why would you ever think you could do that, know your place, no one will ever accept you…… seeds of doubt and a desire to maintain the status quo are too strong for many to escape or even explore what God is calling and gifting them to be. 

The woman in this story may have felt that way.  She is first and foremost a woman.  Marginalized by the society she lived in with no authority, no rights and little to no say in how her life would turn out to be.  She is in the margins again as she walks into the room and interrupts a meal between Jesus and his male companions.  She shouldn’t be there; all the men stare at her, irritated by the interruption.  I can hear her thinking—ah man, what am I doing here.  What if Jesus gets mad or won’t accept my gift?  But she gathers up all her courage and takes out a small jar of sweet smelling oil.  She breaks it and pours it on the head of Jesus. 

This gets a reaction alright- the men at the table begin to murmur, criticize, scold, rebuke- what an idiot, stupid woman, such a waste, we could have fed a lot of people with that money, how dare you waste all that money!

Jesus stops them though.  Jesus knows the importance and significance of her actions even if she and the disciples didn’t.  The verses prior to this story are of the Pharisees and chief priests plotting to kill Jesus and the verses after are of Judas deciding to volunteer to betray Jesus.  Jesus knew his days on earth were numbered.  One of the translations called the anointment “a beautiful thing”.  Her gift was accepted after all, even praised.  Even though the other men at the table didn’t appreciate what she had done; Jesus did and that was the only person who mattered.

Anointment in Biblical times served several purposes.  Kings and prophets were anointed to set them apart for God, make them sacred, give them power and ability to do what they were called to do, people were anointed for healing, celebrations and yes, for burial.

Jesus was anointed for his work on earth at his baptism and here, just days before his crucifixion, he is being anointed again for the next task- his death, resurrection and eternal place as King of all creation. The Legacy of Jesus will forever be remembered and the legacy of this unnamed woman will forever be a part of that story. 

The complaints of the disciples may have felt like legitimate ones.  We are called to care for the poor, the marginalized, the sick, the spiritually and physically needy and Jesus never tells them it is not important but they were blind to the big picture.  Jesus wants them to understand that worship and service go hand in hand.  The two are never separate.  We serve because of Jesus; not because we want to “win souls” or get kudos from our fellow church members and community.  We serve because we love and we love because we are loved.   That is worship. That is what this woman’s act of worship meant.  Her worship was service.    

We are called through the love of Christ to risk taking mission and service.  The jar of nard cost a year’s wages- costly to anyone but she was willing to risk her wealth for Jesus even before she knew he was willing to sacrifice his life for hers.  How much more should we be willing to risk- knowing the abundance of his love?  She was willing to risk ridicule to worship Christ- but the act of worship wasn’t for the bystanders and the naysayers- it was for Christ. And Christ knew the true meaning of her worship and praised her for it- putting the rest to shame and forever cementing a place for her in this story.  Her legacy would remain forever. 

Like Jesus, we have each been anointed through our baptisms to serve God in this life.  Our call is to serve Christ- each of us will do that in our own unique way.  The legacy of the woman in the story today is not only what she did for Jesus but by her willingness to be bold, vulnerable and to risk offering everything she had for Christ.  It took courage to walk into someone’s home uninvited.  It took a willingness to be vulnerable- not knowing if her gift would be accepted or if she would be criticized for it.  It took fearlessness to offer an item of such great value.   

What do you want to be when you grow up is the question we ask children.  They look to their heroes, their skills, and their life situation to dream big.  As we age the question changes to the one addressed by our scripture today…focus shifts from the future through the eyes of a child to the present.  Not what do you want to be- rather what do you want your legacy to be? 

This is entirely dependent on how you live in the present.  We see the legacy of this woman, of the disciples, of the others who followed Jesus. The woman in our scripture had no idea the impact this sacrifice would make but she acted out of love. 

What will your legacy be? Will you be remembered as the scoundrel who turned your life around when you entered into a relationship with God?  Will you be remembered as the person who always showed compassion to others?  Will it be one of someone always willing to go the extra mile for others?  One who was never ashamed of their faith willing to share it boldly with others?  Will it be of someone willing to welcome others into a life with Christ and his community of believers? 

What will your legacy be?  What will the legacy of this church community be? What will Christ remember about us?  What will the people we leave behind remember?

Now is the time to decide.  There is no time like the present.  If you have thought about this question and you aren’t sure you like what the answer is- now is the time to fix it.  If you have wandered away or maybe never felt your heart warm with passion and love for Christ- now is the time to return to Christ, repent, start over. 

Our past does not determine our future.  Jesus likes spending time with people who make mistakes.  Jesus loves people who are honest in their faith and in their doubt.  We little information about  what the disciples were like before they met Christ.  We have no idea what this woman’s history was before this moment of worship and service.  What we do know is how they were changed by their relationship with Christ.  This is the legacy they leave behind. 

True Value

1 Timothy 1: 12-17

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” what a mighty and powerful statement.  It is one we say and hear quite often but sometimes it is easier to say than to believe. 

Maybe you remember learning about Paul’s conversion experience.  He was a Pharisee, a leader in the temple who felt that the followers of Jesus were destroying the community of faith and needed to be destroyed themselves.  He was willing to maintain the status quo at any cost- including taking the lives of anyone who dared to go another way.  Until, that day on the road to Damascus, his life is changed forever.  Jesus confronts him, convicts him and sends him as a messenger for Christ.

This is a dramatic turnaround for Paul and a significant moment in the life of the church.  The greatest enemy to the cause of Christ has become the greatest ally.  While this is dramatic and wonderful on all levels, it is hard for most people to relate.  While I do know people who have had a similar experience, many people have a slower and more gradual turn around.  Instead of a U-Turn back to Christ we go around the block a few times to find the right direction.  But it is in Paul’s retelling of what that moment of conversion did in his life that most Christians can relate.

As I read Paul’s story and reflect on my own faith journey, I know I can relate.    I was not a violent person or a persecutor but I did seek to find self worth in all the wrong places.  Paul found value in the encouragement of his peers to kill the Christians.  He found value in his position in the Temple and within the Jewish hierarchy of society- thinking he was better than others because he followed the law better than others. 

We can all relate to that.  It is part of human nature to compare ourselves with others.  See if you can relate to any of these scenarios from a book I am reading- Teaching as a Sacramenta Act:

                A group of youth stand on a street corner jeering at an old man… they feel agile and youthful in comparison.  The man is watching a ragged woman with unkempt hair and dirty clothes walk by him thinking how pathetic she is because she is not successful like him.  Meanwhile the woman who is white looks grumpily back at the man who is black.  She resents the way he holds his head high, she deems his race inferior to hers and does not like his “uppity ways”. 

                Down the street a boy is drinking alcohol with his friends.  His family had rejected him so he acted out to get acceptance and attention from his peers.  A girl from his class sees him drunk on the street and in her mind chastises him while feeling stable and wise thinking she would never do anything like that. (Teaching as a Sacramental Act)  These people are no different from each other, from us, from Paul; we on some level all compare ourselves to others to make ourselves feel better.  But we are looking for value in places that provide a moving target and put others down in the process.

Paul’s story about his relationship to Christ turns this competitive notion on its ear.  He realizes that all the places we seek to find value are false idols.  Promotions and raises at work, relationships with other people, drugs, alcohol, sex, youth, new cars, stylish clothes, wealth… all these are false idols because the value doesn’t last.  Companies close and jobs are lost- where is your value then? Relationships end- friends move, marriages end- the loneliness sets in- where is your value then?  The high ends, youth fades and there isn’t enough Botox and plastic surgery in the world to stop the sands of time, cars break down, clothes go out of style and money- stock markets crash, the value of the dollar plummets.   When the thing that gives you value and worth comes to an end- then what?

When we place value on earthly things we feel it is important to save face when the world falls apart.  We put on a brave, stoic face and build up walls around our personal lives so that others cannot see that we are dying inside.  We whitewash over our imperfections by blaming others or doing as the people in the stories do- find someone who seems less important with whom to compare ourselves. Or, we Band-Aid our problems with busyness, chemicals and empty relationships. But the whitewash and the Band-Aids only mask the fact that we are still falling apart.

Paul’s conversion not only convicted him of his sin but rearranged the order of where he found value.  This is what a relationship with Christ does for everyone.  Conversion is not a one-time experience and it is not a fix all to the problems in our lives.  Even after we begin a relationship with Christ we continue to sin and Christ in his endless patience calls us to repent time after time, convert, return; we are repeatedly convicted of our sins so that we can be put back in a right relationship with Christ.  I don’t know about you but every time I am in a worship service where they do a sinner’s prayer or call for repentance and conversion- I am there in my heart- of course I want to be in right relation to God, of course I want to be forgiven of my sins- It reminds me of my rightful place in this world; unworthy of the love and forgiveness of Christ.  The love and forgiveness of Christ is an act of mercy, love and compassion that Jesus bestows on anyone who will accept it but no one truly deserves. 

We are down here and God is up here.  That order never changes. God never changes so when we stop finding personal value in things of this world and realize that it is Christ alone who gives us value it doesn’t really matter if the world falls apart around us.  Yes, it is devastating to lose a job and relationships but we don’t lose our pride and our value because that is not what defines us- Christ defines who we are.  Our value does not come from what we do or who we pretend to be, our value comes in our willingness to admit and recognize that without Christ we are nothing. 

Paul retells his story of conversion, not because it is novel- Timothy has spent years in ministry with Paul. He already knows the story.  But retelling it reminds Timothy and us of the hope we find in Christ.  As we begin to see ourselves as God sees us it is important to share that story with others.  This change, conversion, repentance is an inward event that is not always immediately evident to the people around us but as people see how God has changed us, they find hope and encouragement for their own lives.

They realize there is no need to hide, no need to pretend that their life and world is perfect because no one’s is.  It encourages us and allows us to be authentic, real, caring and compassionate knowing that our successes and failures are not what make us valuable or important.  What makes us each important and valuable is that we are loved by the God who created heaven and earth, the God who has mercy and compassion on us, and who is patient and faithful to the promises made to us, willing to be vulnerable, willing to suffer and die so that our lives could be eternal with him, willing to love us and forgive us each time we make mistakes.

The gospel lesson assigned for today that I did not read, is the two parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin.  Reminding us that God finds value in each and every person- willing to seek us out, willing to risk everything to find those who are lost, and celebrating each and every time we are found.  This is a God of love, who places value on even the least of these- the marginalized, the abused, the forgotten and the lost all have value and worth in the eyes of God.  You have worth; you are priceless to God not because of what you can do or what you have done but in spite of these things.  God just wants you to recognize that you are loved, cherished, and cared for, valued so much you were worth dying for.  Christ came to earth to save sinners from a false sense of self-worth, from the false idols in our lives, from ourselves. 

Do you know you are loved?  Do you know you are valued by God? Have you been hiding from the realness of this life afraid of what others might think? Afraid you will lose value if people know the real you? Take this moment of reflection: turn from these false idols, these places of false value and turn to the one who truly knows you and loves you anyway- Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

               

God’s not done with you yet!

Jeremiah 18: 1-11

I am not sure how many of you have “thrown clay” before but it is a messy process of creation that on one hand seems violent- the term itself is a violent image.  Throwing, smacking, pressing, kneading are all very forceful words. But on the other hand the image is beautiful- smoothness, balance, centering, proportion and shape- more like a dance than a battle requiring an even, gentle touch.  There is beauty in the finished product but there is also beauty in the process of creation as well.  The creator has an image of what he or she wants that lump of clay to become… a bowl, cup, plate, vase…. The possibilities are nearly limitless but as the creation process progresses the clay does not always want to cooperate or imperfections develop so the potter begins again- smashing it down and starting from scratch.

In Jeremiah’s time, pottery was less about beauty and more about function.  Pottery items were used for everything- tools to cook, vessels for holding and serving food, lamps, items for worship including personal alters and idols.  Pottery was very utilitarian for most people and it was very fragile.  It was important that blemishes be worked out and corrected during the creation process so that it would be strong, functional and resist the temperatures from the kiln and from future cooking processes. 

I know for me, the first image that arises when I think of creating pottery is the romantic scene between Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore in Ghost.  It is sweet and romantic if not a little messy.  But if we are honest and look at the reality of creation; it is always messy and often violent. 

Even the way children become adults is often a painful process.  Children are exposed to violence, forced to navigate the tortures of making friends and dealing with bullies and betrayals of trust, learning to deal with the highs of success and the lows of failure, learning to love their imperfections as well as the places they excel. This is often a lifelong process whether we are 15, 35, 55 or 85- with each decision we make right or wrong we learn to live with and embrace the consequences, repent of our mistakes and try to make better choices the next time. 

This is the process that God is trying to explain to the Israelite people in our scripture but the lesson is not just for them.  This is a lesson that transcends time.   We have the benefit of hindsight when it comes to scripture.  We know how that particular segment of the story ended.  The Israelites, despite this warning refused to change, refused to turn back to God, refused to repent.  Soon thereafter, Jerusalem was destroyed by the neo-Babylonians and the people were scattered throughout the region.

God’s grace and love remained though and this was not the end of Israel’s story.  If it were we would not have many other books in the Bible including the New Testament.  God used this very painful time in the history of Israel to reform, recreate and give the Israelites another chance to choose God. 

While on the surface, this scripture lesson and the lesson we learn from the lives of the Israelite people in Jeremiah’s time seems to be one of doom.  With God there is always hope always another chance. 

No, their story does not end with the destruction and defeat by the Neo-Babylonians.  Yes, they are scattered for a time but as the Persian Empire gained strength and power the Jewish people were allowed, even encouraged to return to their homeland.  It was a difficult process I am sure to be a part of how God started over with the people and nation of Israel but even today it is evident that God has not given up on them. 

God tells Jeremiah that there is a connection between God’s self and the work of the potter.  We believe in the depths of our soul that God is the creator of all things.  We believe God created the universe, each thing we see- both man-made and natural.  We believe that we were lovingly and wonderfully made by that God.  God as creator was very evident as we walked through Deep Creek yesterday.  Plants in bloom, shade from the trees full of leaves, the cool breeze and warm sunshine.  There is even something holy in the laughter from the kids tubing down the creek as tubers and hikers alike enjoyed this gift from God. 

Creation though often requires reshaping.  A community once stood in that place; homes, gardens, dams and roads now gone or repurposed to be enjoyed by a new generation of people and animals.  Old trees rotting, upended at the root, the power and strength of the waterfalls crashing down, smoothing the rough edges of the rocks below, leaves beginning to turn yellow and fall to the ground. 

The beautiful Islands of Hawaii were created from the violent explosion of a Volcano!  The majestic Grand Canon was created from the violent forces of rushing water.  Even the magic of life itself is brought forth through the violent act of labor.  Creation is a painful thing--- but it is also a beautiful thing full of joy, excitement and passion.   Creation is both life and death and death that harbors in new life. 

God is the potter and we are the clay.  God is the creator and we are the created. 

We often have the benefit of 20/20 vision as we look back on the story of the Israelite people, the story of the people and nature that surrounds us in these mountains, and sometimes even our own lives. 

We see the results of the latest edition of God’s creation.  We watch as children grow, learn from their mistakes and begin to make mature well thought out decisions instead of emotion charged impulse choices.  We look back at the history of our own lives and see how God has smoothed the rough patches of our lives.  We can see how although there have been times of pain, there have also been times of joy. It is difficult and often impossible to see the process of creation in the midst of emotion but it is there and can often be seen more clearly as we examine our past. 

We see how God has given us a redo; new relationships, new jobs , the opportunity to put down an addiction, the chance to start over.  This process never ends.  Even if we think we always make the right decisions each phase of our life is God’s way of giving us the opportunity to be flexible, listen to his calling, allow God to mold us into a new creation, start over, begin again.  Each time we change jobs, a new child is born, when we retire, move to a new town, start a new hobby, make new friends.  Each allows us to try again.

There is joy and hope in the promise God makes to each and every one of us.  God is not through with you yet!  God is not through with you yet!

There is always a chance to return to God, make holy and healthy decisions for you and your family.  We are being shaped and molded by God to be the Christians we are called to be. 
Our ultimate desire then should be to remain soft, pliable and flexible like clay in the hands of our Creator.   These items on the altar have long been determined.  They are what they are- some useful, some beautiful and others… well, interesting- but we are not called to be a bowl or a cup.  When we get set in our ways and refuse to believe we can change or to be molded into the object desirable to God- instead of becoming something new and useful we will simply break.  Sitting still, being satisfied with the status quo, being stagnate in our faith is when we dry up and become brittle.

The joy and the curse of this is that it is up to us.  God has given us the free will to decide.  Yes, there are plenty of times when God makes things happen despite our most fervent efforts to fail but ultimately it is our choice.  Are we willing to be worked, molded and formed into the image of God- ever growing, ever listening and ever learning? Or, are we stuck, refusing to bend satisfied with the imperfections in our lives?

The Good News is that God is not done with you yet!  Unlike these items of pottery- we are not set, our future is not predetermined, God is still willing to work with us, to shape, mold and remake as many times as is necessary. We have been given the ultimate example of love, sacrifice, hospitality, salvation, and patience in the life of Christ.  

As we can see from the example of Israel and by looking back on our own live.  God is a God of second chances, and third and fourth- always willing to adjust to the decisions we make.
As Christians we don’t believe in reincarnation but we do believe in recreation.  Each day we wake up we are given the choice of how we want to live that day.   Each day is a chance to start a new life in faith allowing God to use us and mold us into the vessels of Christ’s love. 

Ponder for a moment your life until now.  Where can you see God smoothing off the rough edges?  Where can you see yourself being resistant to God’s molding?  What choices can you make today that will allow God to reshape your life, your relationships, your future? 

yeah, yeah, yeah

Hebrews 13: 1-8, 15-16

Love, hospitality, empathy… yeah, yeah, yeah.  It is a lot easier said than done.  We all know what we should do and how we should act but it is rarely that simple.

We hear stories in the news all the time about people in prison, we see images of torture sometimes at the hands of other countries but regrettably it happens at the hands of our fellow countrymen too.  We see images of children starving in foreign countries and initiated into gangs as purely a means of survival.  Yet, it doesn’t just happen somewhere else, it happens here too.

We see these images and hear stories but it is hard to have sympathy for people we don’t know in circumstances that are beyond our scope of understanding much less empathy.  It is simply hard to relate to people and situations we don’t know personally.  We can watch documentaries, read books, and go to conferences and trainings and these do open our eyes to the world around us but it just a starting place. 

Maybe God has called you to go, spend time living with and getting to know people from other places and life situations but you don’t have to travel around the world to meet people who need love and hospitality.  People all around us are struggling too.  Often in silence.

This week I participated in a training called “Darkness to Light” about child sexual abuse; how to recognize, prevent and protect children from it.  The statistics are staggering.  1:4 girls and 1:6 boys have been sexually abused.  So, chances are great that there are people in this room who have survived or still live in this emotional prison.  This is just one example.  There are many reasons people struggle.

Even though it is easier to relate when it is someone we know all of this is still in the abstract for many of us and maybe you are thinking I can’t handle helping anyone else.  I have too much on my plate already.  I have my own problems. 

I can’t possibly read another book, attend a training, much less travel the world or volunteer any more of my time and I have enough emotional baggage of my own to deal with.  I just can’t take on anyone else’s problems. 

For most people dropping everything even for a week or two is not what God has in mind.  For most, God is simply calling us to be aware, open and willing to see the people and situations around us through God’s eyes.  We are called first and foremost to know and understand that we are children of God.  It is recognizing the love of Christ in our own lives that then allows us to have compassion for others.  God is not asking us to take on and fix someone else’s life, but simply have compassion for the cashier who is having a bad day. Offer a word of encouragement and patience to the person you work with who cannot seem to get it together.  Offering a word of peace, love and forgiveness to the person who always seems to know how to push your buttons. 

That is what God is calling us to do.  It is not something that takes any more time and very little extra effort to stop, see ourselves as a child of God, see the person who gets on our last frayed nerve as a child of God, taking a deep breath and choosing to love them the way we want Christ to love us. 

One of the commentaries I read this week said that the opposite of love and hospitality is selfishness.

That is what God is asking from us; to be a little less worried about “I” and a little more worried about “We”.  Less about what is good for me and my family and more about the greater good.  We don’t have to go somewhere else to do this.  Yes, going other places,  being with other people and experiencing life outside our comfort zone makes it easier to reprioritize and refocus our lives but we are called to do this in our everyday lives; in the moments and situations that we find ourselves in every day. 

Two weeks ago in a suburb of Atlanta, Antoinette Tuff went to work as a school bookkeeper like she does every day but 8/21 was different.  A young man walked into her school with an automatic weapon.  He openly admitted to the woman in the office that he did not want to hurt the children but instead wanted to hurt police and commit suicide in the process.  The woman calls 911 but she also takes the time to talk with the young man.  She starts asking him questions about his life, telling him about her life.  She bonds with him, tells him she loves him, listens to him, shares her faith with him and encourages him to make the right decision.  The end of the 911 call you can hear the man show remorse for what he had done, and admit that he had stopped taking his medication and that he needed mental health treatment.  At one point as he threatened suicide, the woman at the school reminds him that he has so much more to live for, that he is making the right decisions now, encourages his positive choices and tells him again that she loves him and that she is praying for him.

Even though he shot a few rounds, this story had a happy ending.  No one was hurt, not even the gunman and this woman shared the deepest love of Christ to this man through hospitality, love and compassion. 

Who knows what any of us would have done in this situation.  Our first instinct is almost always personal survival.  We are naturally selfish.  We want to secure our own lives, safety, possessions, and emotions so we respond in fear.  This woman somehow knew though that her running in fear and desire for self-preservation would ultimately end with someone else losing their life so instead she showed love. 

I hope I would have the courage and faith to ask God to be in that place with me but hopefully I will never know what it means to experience that kind of fear.  The antidote for fear is love.  Loving and respecting the needs, relationships, emotional and life situations of others.  The message of hope we receive in our scripture lesson today is not just one of “do this- don’t do that” but reassurance that as we share love and hospitality with others we too will be blessed.  It is the reassurance that even on the darkest days when loving others is the hardest we still serve a God who refuses to leave us behind, will help us through the difficult moments in life and if we allow God to be a part of our lives, will grant us peace in times of fear.

We can look around this room, around the dinner table and know we are not in this alone.  We read the Bible, we look at pictures of our ancestors, we see the names of those who came before us tagging the pews, window, tables and font.  We can see proof in the lives of these people and their stories that God is faithful, God has not changed and really neither has this world.  God is still calling us to live a life of love, sacrificing our selfishness, pride, comfort and resources all the while praising God through our actions and our words. 

Is there someone in your life who needs love, compassion and forgiveness from you?  Take this time to pray that God will open your eyes to someone around you who needs to see the love of Christ through you. 

You can't do that!

Luke 13: 10-17  You Can’t do that!

How many times have we heard or said the phrase- You can’t do that?  More often than we can count.  As a church and as a society we have more rules than we realize; some unspoken cultural norms, some which take 300 pages to write down all the details and some are just silly.

Don’t smack your gum, chew with your mouth closed, No food or drink in church, you must have rhythm to sing or clap in church, each person is expected to be in church at a minimum of once a week with only 2 excused absences allowed per calendar year.  Any absences beyond this can only be excused when accompanied by the bulletin of an approved alternate place of worship for that week, all ushers must wear a tie and sport coat, candles on the alter must be polished weekly and placed at a perfect 42 degree angle to the chip of paint on the back of the sanctuary wall …. I am sure you have heard other rules like these in your life- some more serious and some just as outrageous.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  Not all rules are frivolous.  Some have a very good purpose.  Some of our rules protect people from discrimination, physical, emotional and financial harm.  They create order, provide for our safety and ensure our rights are not violated as humans and as citizens of this country.  These, usually anyway, are the good kinds of rules and most of them make sense. 

There are rules however, disguised as protective and normative, but instead of creating an environment of safety they work to maintain the status quo, control, elevating the value and status of some while suppressing the rights and freedoms of other individuals and groups.  Some rules, were meant to be broken. 

Jesus was a rule breaker.  He not only broke the rule of healing on the Sabbath but he broke the unspoken cultural norms of the day too.  This woman was oppressed because of her gender and her disability.  She was not even supposed to be allowed in the temple but Jesus calls her out anyway-instead of ignoring her he acknowledges her worth as a daughter of Abraham and a child of God. 

Where would we be as Protestants if people like Martin Luther and John Calvin hadn’t challenged the authority and rule of the church?

Where would we be as people called Methodists if John Wesley and others had not challenged the system of church and worship?

I would not be your pastor if over 40 years ago someone hadn’t decided to break the rule of male only church leadership.

What would life be like today if college students in the 1960’s hadn’t participated in the lunch counter sit-ins or if a tired seamstress had not broken the rules by refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white man in Birmingham? 

This week, we commemorate the 50^th Anniversary of the civil rights March on Washington.  Where would our society be today if people of all races had not fought for non-discriminatory hiring practices and a minimum wage?  These people chose to break the sometimes unspoken but always present rules of segregation and white supremacy. 

When we abide by these rules that cause division, discrimination, and oppression; we become like the woman in our scripture today.  Crippled by demons with a field of vision so narrow we can see little more than the dirt on the floor and the wear of someone’s shoes. 

We all know people like this.  Maybe we are these people.  We all have arbitrary rules of life. Some are seemingly insignificant like “always wash the dishes before bed” But some are still used to oppress and demean- even if we don’t realize we have them.  Maybe someone isn’t helped on the side of the road because of the way they appear; maybe someone isn’t hired because of their gender, they have an ethnic name or an accent.  We make up stories and assumptions about others because of preconceived notions and stereotypes. 

Life doesn’t have to be that way.  Jesus is calling us to break these rules, allow his presence to heal our lives and to stand up straight, break the bonds that cripple us and prevent us from seeing the Kingdom of God, understanding our capacity to love and grow in faith, loving our neighbor and being an active and willing disciple of Jesus Christ. 

Most of you know I like to hike but I often find myself spending so much time looking down at where my feet are going- so worried that I am going to trip, fall or step in some mud- that I miss the beauty of God’s creation that surrounds me and sometimes miss my turn because I am not watching the blazes that mark the trails.  If we walk through life, afraid, so overly focused on the rules, worried about doing it wrong instead of doing what is right- we too can miss the wondrous creation around us and get lost to the spiritual path God wants us to be on. 

The truth is, Jesus can break these bonds on our lives. We don’t have to live that way.  Only you and God know what your demons are.  Maybe you have been bound for so long that you can’t imagine life being any different, maybe you can still hear the words of someone you admire telling you you’re not worth it, but Jesus sees you, has compassion on you and wants to offer you healing and freedom from your ailments. 

 If we are following Christ- we don’t have to worry about being led astray, getting lost or failing because we know we have a God who loves us and is showing us the right path and leading the way to a better future.  We just have to look up and listen for the voice of God telling us to stand up.

There will always be those who don’t want you and our society to be healed and will advocate for us to keep looking down instead of seeing the God given hope, love and greatness that surrounds us. Every time the TV is on it seems someone is trying to scare us into believing that there is no hope- politics, crime, corruption and fear mongering stress that the worst case scenario is inevitable. Maybe it is the parent, teacher or boss that instead of building up and encouraging independence and free thinking fosters a sense of fear and dependence on the authority figure so they can maintain control and power. Attempting to scare us into believing that the only safe place to look is down.

This creation of fear binds us and prevents us from seeing the possibilities of hope and love God wants us to experience.  Even though the voice that oppresses and insists on maintaining power and control at all costs may seem loud and authoritative; with Christ we know there is still hope.

 It only takes one act of kindness, one opportunity to stand up for someone who can’t and one offer to help someone heal, to show the Kingdom of God to that person. Jesus Christ brought the Kingdom of God to earth one person at a time, one touch at a time, one word at a time (GP).  But each person who encounters Christ is a new witness to that Kingdom and all those who see how God has changed a person’s life will be witness to a new life in Christ and together we can drown out the voices of fear and oppression. 

We cannot live our lives looking down- scared to see the opportunities God has given us to change the world, the community or even one life.  God is calling us to stand up, be healed, have faith and believe in the glory of God that surrounds us.  I promise if we allow God to heal our broken lives and broken society there will be nothing left to do but praise God.

Maybe you are you feeling bound, crippled and unable to see and experience the glories of God.  Maybe you realize you are one of the oppressors and you need God’s help to change your mind and your life.  God can do that; God can heal your brokenness.  Take these next few minutes to pray for healing. 

Maybe God is calling you to fight against the status quo or stand up for someone who can’t.  Maybe God has put it on your heart that you need to offer healing, wholeness and the Kingdom of God to someone.  Spend this time asking God for guidance, courage and discernment to what is right and what steps to take next.   – listen during these next few moments of prayer and meditation for the voice and will of God. 

Prayer from GBOD.ORG

Lift us up, O God,  as you lifted the bent-over woman in the synagogue.   Deliver us from a lifetime of looking pessimistically at the floor as though we had no hope in you,  as though you cared nothing for us.
Lift us up above the scowls of the critics and their loudly broadcasted pronouncements about the present and our future.
We choose to believe that even on the bleakest day you hold our families, our jobs
and everything about our future in your hands and we are reminded that you love us –
like the Good Shepherd that cares for the sheep, like one who lifts an infant to the cheek,
like Jesus when he saw the helpless crowds reaching out to touch him.
Hold our faces in your hands, O God.  Comfort us and help us to look beyond what we see today,
what we overheard yesterday, and what we fear about tomorrow.
Lift us up, O God, and give us the power to walk upright again. Amen.

Reflections on Faith and culture

Hebrews 11: 1-3, 8-16

I originally went on this trip to Venezuela for my own self-absorbed purposes.  I wasn’t really sure what I might learn.  I thought I would learn something about Latino culture, meet some nice people, learn how to be in ministry with people different than myself, travel, and get class credit.  I don’t know about you but I often see God as “other worldly.”  I believe all the Sunday school answers.  Prior to this trip my idea of faith was believing that God exists, Jesus lived and died for our sins, rose from the dead and that the Holy Spirit is present- gently guiding, encouraging us to do what is right but all the while thinking I was still in control. Never really expecting modern day miracles, much less actively asking for them to occur.

When I see the “God is my co-pilot” bumper stickers I often laugh and think to myself- If God is the co-pilot you are in the wrong seat my friend.  But, if I am honest, I actually live my life more like the bumper sticker than I want to admit.  Yes, God is in my life, but I still get to make all the decisions.  God is just along for the ride.  From time to time, when life hits turbulence I might throw up my hands and ask God to take control, but it is never for long.  As soon as I stop panicking and gain my confidence I take the controls back.  I might throw God a quick “thank you Lord for handling that little problem for me- I’ll take it from here.” 

I never realized before how arrogant my thoughts were and how much I had to learn; how little I knew about God, about my relationship with Jesus Christ and how the Holy Spirit is active in this world.    

I looked at the faith of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the early Christians and I thought- Oh, that must have been hard on them.  But, it is so far from my reality that I honestly struggle to relate.  Even when I see miracles and God’s provision in my life and the life of those around me, I often dismiss it as chance, giving God only perfunctory credit for answering my half-hearted prayers.  My time in Venezuela helped me see, helped me understand how these stories still apply today.  God really does provide.  God really does answer prayers.  God really is active and alive in this life.  Not just in the past and not just in some distant future, but now.  I just have to pay attention long enough to notice.

As I read the scripture for today.  It seemed to come alive in the lives of the people I met in Venezuela.  While there I was able to meet people and hear stories of what life is like in that country.  I repeatedly heard stories and saw dramatizations of crime, danger, poverty, corruption and hope. 

I realize that hope may seem like an odd word to include in this list but despite all the negative energy and circumstances that surround these resilient people, there remains hope and faith in God to lead them to a new and better life.  They believe without a doubt that this is the new City of God.

Venezuela is a beautiful country abounding in natural resources and potential for greatness.  The land is rich with fertile soil, petroleum products and minerals with a beautiful and varied landscape.  Yet, it regularly has shortages of food, water, paper products, and other basic necessities of life.  The people have become so accustomed to life like this that it is a normal to be surrounded by crime, bribery, and manipulation. Homes and businesses alike are walled and gated to provide some level of security.  People try their best to travel in groups and stay on well-traveled paths for safety. 

And yet, while this is their reality, the people we met continue to have hope.  Most everyone we encountered, including people outside the church were friendly, happy and genuinely nice people.  Although they don’t have much, they share what they do have, greet you with a warm smile and often a kiss on the cheek.  They are industrious, kind, hospitable and full of hope and love. 

My first morning there, my Venezuelan roommates surprised me with an orange in my bed and fresh made hot tea.  They knew I was in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by an unfamiliar language so they shared their love for Christ and me through hospitality.  Instead of giving up and succumbing to the negativity of their environment, isolating themselves from this stranger, they chose hope.

Like Abraham, they desire a country built on faith whose architect and builder is God- not government, crime and corruption.  While the country of Venezuela is culturally catholic many are not practicing and according to some I met, witchcraft is still very common.  But, the people have chosen not to give up on God and the church but to seek a better way.  The Methodist church in Venezuela is less than 20 years old and has fewer than 30 churches.  Yet, while they are few in number, they know their trust lies not in themselves but on God who is greater than any government and greater than any church. 

They turn to stories like that of Abraham and see themselves.  They go out in faith, worshiping and praising our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ sharing the Good News of salvation not just in the eternal life but in this life.  While they could easily look at their surroundings and feel that their land is barren, they see the birth of each new Christian, and each new church as a seed of their faithfulness. 

The Sunday we were in Venezuela I was privileged to attend worship at the largest Methodist Church in Venezuela, Resurrection Church in Barquisimeto.  They have an average of 700 in attendance each week and the speaker that day was a high level government official who was stepping down to go into the ministry.  He spoke with a prophetic voice of how God, not the government, was in control, reliable and active.  He called out the government for not keeping promises to provide and encouraged people to understand that the love of Christ never fails and God never breaks promises.  Christ is the face of hope in a sea of corruption and disorganized government.

 The other church I was privileged to attend was a small 50 member church which although small, is in the process of building an orphanage.  They find hope in living in the Kingdom of God in the here and now.  Not waiting on an eternal peace which is promised to all those who believe but also the understanding that God is calling us to meet the needs of our community, bringing the Kingdom to life now.  There is a complete trust in the promises of God not just in the next life but in this life. 

God may have started this faith with one old man and one barren woman but together they had one son and the seed of promise was planted.  Like Abraham and Isaac, they know they may not see the full fruits of this New Jerusalem for which they ardently pray but they have assurance in the Promise of Christ.  Each time faith is shared, each time someone new comes to know Christ, each time a seed of hope in Christ is planted they glimpse the future God has promised them. And they have complete faith and trust that this will come to fruition. 

This sense of hope was felt deeply in their prayers.  Their prayers and preaching were emotional and heart felt.  They constantly gave praise to God repeating thank you Lord, Praise God, Glory to God.  Even those who seemed to have little to our standards, had faith enough and were more than grateful for all they do have.  As they prayed, even when one led the prayer, they all combined their voices giving encouragement, power and relevance to the words being prayed. 

Their prayers echoed their belief that God is alive, present and ever working to make this life better.  They cried, they laughed, they sang, jumped and clapped for joy in their worship.  There was no restraint, no holding back.  They believe God will answer their prayers, and even if they don’t see the results now they rejoice in each step towards the fulfillment of that promise.  They aren’t naive and they don’t turn a blind eye to the world around them, instead they embrace their faith and trust that the Holy Spirit is leading them to bring God’s kingdom here on earth. 

I was ashamed of myself and our culture when I witnessed their faith. It seems some days we have long given up on a God who performs miracles.  When we see miracles happen we write it off as chance, coincidence.  We depend on government and non-profit organizations to relieve suffering and care for the broken and lost.  We leave it up to someone else to bring God’s kingdom to this place and then get upset when things aren’t done the way we think they should be.   

We take scripture that tells us the poor will always be with us and we experience people who, in their effort to survive, take advantage of systems and the kindness of individuals so we choose to wash our hands, write them off and look to our own personal future of salvation instead of truly believing that the Kingdom of God is present and the Holy Spirit is active in this world today and that the promises of God are not only for eternal life but for this life too. 

I challenge you to go back, look at the stories of Abraham and Sarah and the miracles of Christ and pay attention to the world around us.  Children who should have never survived an illness, cancers that have been healed, jobs acquired just at the right time...  God is there ready and willing to hear your cries for a miracle too.  God wants your life, this life, to be full of love, joy and peace.  God wants those of us who have faith abundant to share the Kingdom of God with others. 

Where is God calling us to bring the love of Christ?  This religion which we so proudly call our own started with one voice of faith, one action of trust in God and Christ keeps calling us, sending us and urging us to have this same faith and willingness to step out and bring his kingdom to this community and this world and to every person we meet.  What is the Holy Spirit leading you to do?