Romans 2:3-4 “Showing Respect for God”
When you have done wrong, forgiveness is a very gracious thing. But, forgiveness comes from outside of you, from someone else to you; repentance comes from within you. And, repentance means a change from sin to righteousness. To experience forgiveness, causes and encourages repentance; but, repentance can begin before you experience forgiveness. In human relationships, if you’ve done something wrong, you usually are going to have to change your ways, before the one wronged can begin to forgive. In many ways, I think forgiveness is overrated. What is important is turning from what is wrong towards what is right. If you are really repentant, and someone withholds forgiveness, well, you can’t do anything about that. The most important thing is to be at peace with God, acting righteously before God. We would do better to speak of repentance and reconciliation, and leave off talk of forgiveness for a while. If you really desire reconciliation, you will repent/change towards the good, and you will forgive] The yearning for reconciliation or peace with others motivates us to change towards what is good, and motivates us to set aside disagreements, forgive wrongs done. If you love someone, there is a strong desire towards reconciliation; but, what if someone wrongs you, and you don’ tcare much at all for them? The motivation to forgive must come from somewhere other than your yearning for reconciliation.
Paul has begun this letter to the Romans by explaining that God has made himself known in the things he has made, and that there is some reflection of God in the conscience of every human who has a sense of what is right and what is wrong. But, here in this second chapter, Paul turns towards those who believe in God, those who count on God’s forgiveness. And, he has some pretty sharp things to say.
“Do you think that you will escape judgment when you are doing the very wrongs that you judge others for?” “Or, do you despise the richness of God’s mercy, that is meant to lead you to repentance?”
What Paul is saying here is “you cannot mock God and get a way with it.” And, it is mocking God when you take his forgiveness for granted, and continue in those same sins with no change in your life. Dietrich Bonhoeffer called this “cheap grace” which is taking God’s mercy for granted, and failing to realize how costly that grace really is. Grace that couldn’t overcome sin in the world until Jesus, the Son of God, was put to death, buried, and raised as the first-born of a new creation. The people of Israel knew the One True God; they heard the teaching of the prophets, experienced the liberation from slavery; but, the grace of God could not find a resting place among the people, only a few here and there. When Jesus came, the grace of God shone on the earth, but there was no resting place for the Son of God, because the power of sin was so strong in human beings, that they could not receive the Saviour. They rejected that grace of God that they needed so badly. There was something twisted in human beings, that couldn’t be straightened out, except by that one person, Jesus, who shared the divine and the human experience in his flesh and blood. In him humanity was true, God’s grace found a resting place in Jesus human flesh. And, Jesus leads us in that way on this earth. A way in which God can be honored in human flesh. But, there is a cost on this way. Because, God’s grace does not find a resting place in us until we take up the struggle against sin; until we turn against the sin within and without.
What Paul is saying here is: “if you aren’t really bothered by sin, and if you let sin come and go as it pleases in your life without a fight, then you have no business with God’s forgiveness.” Because when you are open to God, when you receive God’s grace, you are filled with respect for God, and a desire to please God. As Paul says: “Don’t you know that God’s mercy is to bring you to repentance.” If you think you are receiving God’s forgiveness, but you are not turning against your sin, then it may not be God’s forgiveness, but just a cheap substitute, cheap grace, which God has nothing to do with. God’s forgiveness comes with the power of repentance, the power to change. Now, change doesn’t come all at once; it is usually a step at a time – with a stumble or two along the way – but, the change keeps going, the eyes of the heart are fixed upon the glory of God.
False religion is built on cheap grace. And, yes, sometimes that cheap grace is accompanied by a lot of false, sentimental preaching. True religion is built on costly grace. And, James gives a good description when he says: “True religion is this: to take care of orphans and widows and keep yourself unstained by the world.”
And, it takes some effort and some struggle to do those things: care for those in need; remain holy/dedicated to God, not lesser gods. I would like for all of us to come before our Holy God this morning, face God’s holiness, to know God’s power, and to give God the pure praise of our hearts. And, if we can come before God in this way, to truly come with that deep reverence for God’s wisdom and power and goodness, with deep gratitude that we are able to seek God and to live before him. If we can start right here, then the grace we will find will comes as forgiveness, and the power of repentance, the power to overcome sin and become living examples of God’s goodness and grace.
But, don’t think you can tell God what to do, when to do it, and don’t think God is waiting around to serve you and me. God is about his business, and we need to come before God with a concern for God’s business/God’s will, and ask humbly that we could be humble workers in God’s business. When we do that, God’s Spirit begins to move within us and through us. We experience ourselves drawn to love and honesty and life, and we experience that there is little room within us for sins like condemning, lusting, envying, and hating.
Can you rest just a minute in prayer? Can you draw near with me and seek that Holy Presence that created all that is and that sustains all that is? Can you let that reverence/ that deepest respect for God awaken in your heart, and guide you?
Let us pray.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Remembering Mary Magdalene
Mary’s life had been changed when she heard the teaching of Jesus, and came to know the healing of God through Jesus. What had once been a life of torment had become a life of purpose. She had come to understand that Jesus was the Messiah of God. But, there were many around them that didn’t see Jesus the way she did. There were Jewish leaders who thought he was a trouble maker, and there were some Roman leaders that didn’t like prophets who caused hostility among the Jewish people. The Romans were the rulers over the Jews in those days, and they had seen what trouble Jewish religious fanatics could be.
But, Mary knew what these authorities didn’t know. She knew the power of Jesus’ holiness. She knew the purity of his presence, and the cleansing air of his teaching. And, then the day came when Jesus’ days were up, when the soldiers came to arrest him, for some trumped up blasphemy charges. Trumped up by those who were threatened by Jesus truth, the truth of God which exposed the falsehood of man. And, after his arrest, he was given a mockery of a trial, and sentenced to death by crucifixion. There were no appeals from the death sentence, just a painful and lonely walk carrying the instrument of death on your own back. And, Mary followed in grief as her Lord walked to his place of execution. As he walked closer to that dark place of suffering, her hope was crushed, her heart was broken. But, she still followed, right to the place where he was hung on a cross, within earshot of the hammers and so that she heard his cry as he died. The male disciples may have fled, but she didn’t – she couldn’t she held onto her Lord as long as she could, the only way she could, through her grief, sharing his suffering of this humiliation and pain.
And, she watched as Joseph of Arimathea asked for the corpse of Jesus, and buried Jesus in his own tomb. And, she watched as they rolled the great stone against the tomb to seal it. But, then on that third day, early before dawn, she went with the other Mary to show respect and love for her fallen master and teacher and friend. She held on to him in her grief, seeking to anoint his body in the tomb. She was grieving his death in the way of her people. There had been no memorial service, no gathering in his honor, for he was buried after being executed as a criminal. Mary was trying to rescue some semblance of decency from this indecent horror done to her lord.
And, as she came in her grief, and looked towards the tomb, she noticed the stone was rolled away, the tomb was opened, and the body of Jesus was gone. One more cause of upset. Not only had he been disfigured and cruelly killed, now someone had disturbed him even in death and caused an even deeper wound to those who loved him. “Woman, what are you looking for?” They have taken away the body of my lord, and I do not know where they have laid him!!!
Mary had discovered the empty tomb, which caused her a terrible fright and poured salt into the wounds of her heart. She had discovered the depths of her own sorrow and pain, the pain that comes from the loss of those we love, and the loss of our deepest dreams and hopes. There she was. She had discovered a depth of pain and hurt and emptiness that she could never have imagined. That’s exactly where she was – in the valley of the shadow of death.
But, then after seeing the tomb empty, and seeing two angels in white sitting, she began to weep and turned away from the tomb. Then, the angels said: “Woman, why are you crying?” She said: “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid him.” “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Not only had this cruel death ripped her hope and dear master from her, but now she was deprived of the chance to mourn him. She turned from the tomb, and saw a man standing. He said to her: “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Mary thought he was the gardener and said, begging: “sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
It was a moment of deepest sorrow, and the deepest expression of love. And, the man turned to her and said: “Mary.” And, she turned immediately to him and cried out: “Rabonni, which means “master.”
She discovered the empty tomb, and the depths of her empty heart, and she continued to love him in her sorrow and grief. And, when she felt all was lost, she heard his voice. She didn’t recognize him with her eyes but with her ears. He didn’t make him self known to her by his appearance but by his Word. “Where you there when they crucified my Lord, where you there when they nailed him to the tree, ,where you there when they laid him in the tomb? “ Mary was. And, I hear Mary sing: “where you there when I saw the empty tomb? Where you there when all my hope was gone?” Where you there when he spoke my name out loud? Where you there when my heart began to live? Where you there when my despair was shaken by hope? Where you there when I began to doubt defeat? Where you there when my shaky faith arose on the troubled soil of sorrow? Where you there when I first believed, but couldn’t quite believe? Where you there when I said: "I believe, help thou my unbelief?" "Where you there when my heart began to sing in the freedom of faith!" Amen.
But, Mary knew what these authorities didn’t know. She knew the power of Jesus’ holiness. She knew the purity of his presence, and the cleansing air of his teaching. And, then the day came when Jesus’ days were up, when the soldiers came to arrest him, for some trumped up blasphemy charges. Trumped up by those who were threatened by Jesus truth, the truth of God which exposed the falsehood of man. And, after his arrest, he was given a mockery of a trial, and sentenced to death by crucifixion. There were no appeals from the death sentence, just a painful and lonely walk carrying the instrument of death on your own back. And, Mary followed in grief as her Lord walked to his place of execution. As he walked closer to that dark place of suffering, her hope was crushed, her heart was broken. But, she still followed, right to the place where he was hung on a cross, within earshot of the hammers and so that she heard his cry as he died. The male disciples may have fled, but she didn’t – she couldn’t she held onto her Lord as long as she could, the only way she could, through her grief, sharing his suffering of this humiliation and pain.
And, she watched as Joseph of Arimathea asked for the corpse of Jesus, and buried Jesus in his own tomb. And, she watched as they rolled the great stone against the tomb to seal it. But, then on that third day, early before dawn, she went with the other Mary to show respect and love for her fallen master and teacher and friend. She held on to him in her grief, seeking to anoint his body in the tomb. She was grieving his death in the way of her people. There had been no memorial service, no gathering in his honor, for he was buried after being executed as a criminal. Mary was trying to rescue some semblance of decency from this indecent horror done to her lord.
And, as she came in her grief, and looked towards the tomb, she noticed the stone was rolled away, the tomb was opened, and the body of Jesus was gone. One more cause of upset. Not only had he been disfigured and cruelly killed, now someone had disturbed him even in death and caused an even deeper wound to those who loved him. “Woman, what are you looking for?” They have taken away the body of my lord, and I do not know where they have laid him!!!
Mary had discovered the empty tomb, which caused her a terrible fright and poured salt into the wounds of her heart. She had discovered the depths of her own sorrow and pain, the pain that comes from the loss of those we love, and the loss of our deepest dreams and hopes. There she was. She had discovered a depth of pain and hurt and emptiness that she could never have imagined. That’s exactly where she was – in the valley of the shadow of death.
But, then after seeing the tomb empty, and seeing two angels in white sitting, she began to weep and turned away from the tomb. Then, the angels said: “Woman, why are you crying?” She said: “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid him.” “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Not only had this cruel death ripped her hope and dear master from her, but now she was deprived of the chance to mourn him. She turned from the tomb, and saw a man standing. He said to her: “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Mary thought he was the gardener and said, begging: “sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
It was a moment of deepest sorrow, and the deepest expression of love. And, the man turned to her and said: “Mary.” And, she turned immediately to him and cried out: “Rabonni, which means “master.”
She discovered the empty tomb, and the depths of her empty heart, and she continued to love him in her sorrow and grief. And, when she felt all was lost, she heard his voice. She didn’t recognize him with her eyes but with her ears. He didn’t make him self known to her by his appearance but by his Word. “Where you there when they crucified my Lord, where you there when they nailed him to the tree, ,where you there when they laid him in the tomb? “ Mary was. And, I hear Mary sing: “where you there when I saw the empty tomb? Where you there when all my hope was gone?” Where you there when he spoke my name out loud? Where you there when my heart began to live? Where you there when my despair was shaken by hope? Where you there when I began to doubt defeat? Where you there when my shaky faith arose on the troubled soil of sorrow? Where you there when I first believed, but couldn’t quite believe? Where you there when I said: "I believe, help thou my unbelief?" "Where you there when my heart began to sing in the freedom of faith!" Amen.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
"The Lord is my Shepherd: Looking for a Center of Gravity in Life"
To get through one week in this life with an open heart and mind requires a lot of balancing, regrouping, reflecting. It just takes a lot of give and take inside for a person to travel through a week and still be intact psychologically and spiritually at the end of the week.
It is easy to get off-balance internally, and for the off-balance way of being to become the status quo. What is needed is some internal sense of spiritual balance that can adjust and change with all the challenges while maintaining some sense of continuity. I guess I am trying to talk about "the soul" again. What I am wanting to talk about is having a "center of gravity in life." A center that is strong enough that it allows you to venture out and try on new thoughts, new perspectives without losing a sense of where you have been as a person and where you are hopefully going.
Psalm 23 leads us into the experience of "having this center of gravity" in God. These words reflect a profound "God-orientation" in living. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the quiet waters. He stills my soul."
This "God-orientation" means that I am turned and drawn towards God in my living. That whereever I go, whatever I do, I am always drawn back to God, prone to turn my heart God's way, and be influenced and guided and restored by the Spirit of the Living God.
The only real center of gravity we can have in life is found in a real relationship with a living being. An analogy is found in the relationship of a child to a parent. As a child grows up, his or her center of gravity psychologically or spiritually is what helps her have the courage to venture out while not losing a sense of who she is. But, this center of gravity isn't necessarily found in strict rules for living that are internalized, but in a living, vital relationship between child and parent. Only this living bond is strong enough and adaptable enough to respond to the real struggles and challenges of life. In the same way, with regard to religious faith, it is not primarily a set of rules that are internalized that provides the center of gravity for living. It is the living bond, the relationship with the great Other, God, that is a well of living water, a source of renewal, a voice of judgement calling us back.
Our center of gravity is in finding ourselves truly in relation to others: human, God, and other creatures as well. In these vital relationships, we are not only sustained, but we help sustain others. In these vital relationships, what is deep in us is respected and strengthened. But, it is in the One vital relationship that we find the Center of Gravity that orients and refashions and revitalizes all our other relationships and keeps them alive and oriented towards God, the source of all life and love and hope and purpose.
"The Lord is my shepherd... I shall not want... Though I should walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil... Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
In the end, the great thing is that God has a profound "human-orientation." Without that there would be no power to draw us, to call us, to restore and renew us. Without the deep and pervading Love of God at work continuously in this world, there would be a nothingness. With this Spirit binding all things together, there is always hope, always a chance that our spirits will relax just a little and be renewed by that grace.
It is easy to get off-balance internally, and for the off-balance way of being to become the status quo. What is needed is some internal sense of spiritual balance that can adjust and change with all the challenges while maintaining some sense of continuity. I guess I am trying to talk about "the soul" again. What I am wanting to talk about is having a "center of gravity in life." A center that is strong enough that it allows you to venture out and try on new thoughts, new perspectives without losing a sense of where you have been as a person and where you are hopefully going.
Psalm 23 leads us into the experience of "having this center of gravity" in God. These words reflect a profound "God-orientation" in living. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the quiet waters. He stills my soul."
This "God-orientation" means that I am turned and drawn towards God in my living. That whereever I go, whatever I do, I am always drawn back to God, prone to turn my heart God's way, and be influenced and guided and restored by the Spirit of the Living God.
The only real center of gravity we can have in life is found in a real relationship with a living being. An analogy is found in the relationship of a child to a parent. As a child grows up, his or her center of gravity psychologically or spiritually is what helps her have the courage to venture out while not losing a sense of who she is. But, this center of gravity isn't necessarily found in strict rules for living that are internalized, but in a living, vital relationship between child and parent. Only this living bond is strong enough and adaptable enough to respond to the real struggles and challenges of life. In the same way, with regard to religious faith, it is not primarily a set of rules that are internalized that provides the center of gravity for living. It is the living bond, the relationship with the great Other, God, that is a well of living water, a source of renewal, a voice of judgement calling us back.
Our center of gravity is in finding ourselves truly in relation to others: human, God, and other creatures as well. In these vital relationships, we are not only sustained, but we help sustain others. In these vital relationships, what is deep in us is respected and strengthened. But, it is in the One vital relationship that we find the Center of Gravity that orients and refashions and revitalizes all our other relationships and keeps them alive and oriented towards God, the source of all life and love and hope and purpose.
"The Lord is my shepherd... I shall not want... Though I should walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil... Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
In the end, the great thing is that God has a profound "human-orientation." Without that there would be no power to draw us, to call us, to restore and renew us. Without the deep and pervading Love of God at work continuously in this world, there would be a nothingness. With this Spirit binding all things together, there is always hope, always a chance that our spirits will relax just a little and be renewed by that grace.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Another Look at 1 Corinthians 13
This is the love passage. The part of the Bible often read at weddings. This passage about love has been used in the context of romantic love.
But, Paul was addressing a church community about how to get along with each other. He didn’t write this for a couple getting married, though it would be some good advice for that occasion too.
No, Paul had written this letter known as 1 Corinthians to a group of Christians that were really having trouble getting along with each other. They were having problems with sexual immorality, lawsuits among members, arguments over theology and pastoral leadership, and disputes over how to conduct worship services and communion, and trouble with the rich looking down on the poor. So, in the Corinthian church there was a real need for some teaching to bring things more into line with the way of God’s peace and love in Jesus.
Paul writes: “I will show you a still more excellent way (to get along with each other).” And, that way is love.
. . . but if I have not love, then I am nothing. It is important to note what Greek word Paul uses for love. And, that word is Agape. You see, in Greek, they have a word for friendship love, romantic love, and then this other kind of love that seems the foundation of all love: Agape.
And, it is not the word for romantic love, eros that Paul uses here. It is not the word for friendship love, philos, that Paul uses here. It is the word, Agape, which is so often used in the New Testament to speak of the Love of God.
Romantic love has a lot to do with the one you love, and your attraction to the one you love. It is force that draws you and holds you.
The love between friends, is a different kind of love than romantic, but it does have to do with an attraction of a less intense sort to the friend. It has to do with really liking and being liked, really respecting and being respected.
But, Agape, this kind of love, is not restricted to friends or lovers, but has to do with what’s inside of you. It is a condition of the soul that allows you to “love” stranger or friend, lover or even enemy. It is a condition of the soul which is of God, and formed by the grace of God in your soul. Agape. This is the love Paul speaks of.
And, listen to how he describes it. “Love is patient and kind. It is not boastful or irritable or arrogant or rude or proud. It does not seek its own way, but the way of the other. Love believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
Remember, he is telling this to church people who are fighting with each other about what is moral, about what is true, about which way to worship, about who’s the best preacher, about who ought to speak out in services. And, they are fighting with each other about who owes who money, etc, and there are threats of lawsuits. Those who have a lot are not showing much concern for those who don't.
So, it seems to me that Paul is talking about love to help these people think differently and act differently towards those they don’t love. In fact, he is counseling them to show love towards those they don’t even like.
And, Paul clearly puts the emphasis on inner change. That is, this love he is talking about is a condition and a reality of our souls. My neighbor does not have to change before I can love him. Demanding that others change and conform to your wishes is a way of being arrogant, irritable, rude and conceited. Looking for change within yourself takes the pressure off of others. Like the church sign I saw said: “Lord, I’ve got a problem – me.”
The love between friends and couples is an attraction. In some ways it is the experience of being drawn to someone. In that sense it is somewhat passive. You don’t sit down and intentionally decide very often who will be your friend or your mate. It happens.
But, this love that Paul talks about here seems more deliberate, more intentional, more a matter of the will at the start. Patience, seeing things from the perspective of the other, encouragement of another, endurance. These things are matters of the will. This Agape love is fired by the experience of grace, but it is characterized by a strong will and making some real decisions on how to act towards others.
If you carry yourself in such a way that it irritates me, I need to look inward. Because that irritation is first of all my responsibility to handle. Once I get that log out of my eye, then I can turn and help you get the speck out of your eye. Am I impatient, ill-tempered, rude towards people? If so, I need to look inward, into my own soul first, for I am responsible for the condition of my soul.
That is a primary responsibility. To look within and seek God’s help and open our souls to the coming of God’s healing and redeeming grace and wisdom. And, that’s how this love starts. That’s how this love of God in our hearts is received,discovered and renewed.
And, this divine love poured out through the Spirit can take up residence in your soul. There is a holy place within you in which the Spirit of Christ can dwell. When that Spirit has room in you, it awakens your spirit to true life and to love.
This love is strong. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things. As for prophecies, they shall fail; as for knowledge, it will pass away. Three things remain: faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.
Love is a condition of the heart and soul and mind; it is internal and it is always reaching out, going out to meet others. That’s what it means to be a loving person. It means that your heart is renewed by God’s peace and kindness and that your heart goes out towards others showing understanding and peace and concern.
I am working on this sermon very early in the morning. I will be going to work in around three hours. I will get some phone calls pretty soon after I get to work. Then, I will decide what cases I am going to work on, which people I will call up, what research I’ll do, and in the middle of that, I will get some more calls from people wanting to know something about their case. And, I will also be interacting with my co-workers at the Public Defender’s Office. And, I will speak with a person or two in church by phone, and probably communicate by email with at least two or three people in church. I will either talk to or email the architect and contractor.
All in all, I will have the chance to encounter and deal with a number of people and consider a number of people as I decide what to do today.
And, I wonder right now: how will I do? How is the condition of my soul as I approach this day? Paul would show me a better way to do things. A way he calls love.
It is not arrogant or boastful or rude. It is patient and kind. It hopes for the best for others. It endures.
Is that spirit of love in me? Is that the condition of my heart? O, Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high. O, Lord, help us to be children of quietness and heirs of peace. O, Lord, fill my anxiety with your peace; replace my criticism with your acceptance; replace my anger with your love; replace my hurry and worry with your patience and trust; replace, O Lord, my heart with your heart, so that I may dwell in your presence, and under the guidance of your living Spirit. Make my heart one with your heart; my desires one with your desires; my love one with your love.
Break down every wall within me, every barrier within me that keeps me from loving my neighbor as myself.
Amen.
But, Paul was addressing a church community about how to get along with each other. He didn’t write this for a couple getting married, though it would be some good advice for that occasion too.
No, Paul had written this letter known as 1 Corinthians to a group of Christians that were really having trouble getting along with each other. They were having problems with sexual immorality, lawsuits among members, arguments over theology and pastoral leadership, and disputes over how to conduct worship services and communion, and trouble with the rich looking down on the poor. So, in the Corinthian church there was a real need for some teaching to bring things more into line with the way of God’s peace and love in Jesus.
Paul writes: “I will show you a still more excellent way (to get along with each other).” And, that way is love.
. . . but if I have not love, then I am nothing. It is important to note what Greek word Paul uses for love. And, that word is Agape. You see, in Greek, they have a word for friendship love, romantic love, and then this other kind of love that seems the foundation of all love: Agape.
And, it is not the word for romantic love, eros that Paul uses here. It is not the word for friendship love, philos, that Paul uses here. It is the word, Agape, which is so often used in the New Testament to speak of the Love of God.
Romantic love has a lot to do with the one you love, and your attraction to the one you love. It is force that draws you and holds you.
The love between friends, is a different kind of love than romantic, but it does have to do with an attraction of a less intense sort to the friend. It has to do with really liking and being liked, really respecting and being respected.
But, Agape, this kind of love, is not restricted to friends or lovers, but has to do with what’s inside of you. It is a condition of the soul that allows you to “love” stranger or friend, lover or even enemy. It is a condition of the soul which is of God, and formed by the grace of God in your soul. Agape. This is the love Paul speaks of.
And, listen to how he describes it. “Love is patient and kind. It is not boastful or irritable or arrogant or rude or proud. It does not seek its own way, but the way of the other. Love believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
Remember, he is telling this to church people who are fighting with each other about what is moral, about what is true, about which way to worship, about who’s the best preacher, about who ought to speak out in services. And, they are fighting with each other about who owes who money, etc, and there are threats of lawsuits. Those who have a lot are not showing much concern for those who don't.
So, it seems to me that Paul is talking about love to help these people think differently and act differently towards those they don’t love. In fact, he is counseling them to show love towards those they don’t even like.
And, Paul clearly puts the emphasis on inner change. That is, this love he is talking about is a condition and a reality of our souls. My neighbor does not have to change before I can love him. Demanding that others change and conform to your wishes is a way of being arrogant, irritable, rude and conceited. Looking for change within yourself takes the pressure off of others. Like the church sign I saw said: “Lord, I’ve got a problem – me.”
The love between friends and couples is an attraction. In some ways it is the experience of being drawn to someone. In that sense it is somewhat passive. You don’t sit down and intentionally decide very often who will be your friend or your mate. It happens.
But, this love that Paul talks about here seems more deliberate, more intentional, more a matter of the will at the start. Patience, seeing things from the perspective of the other, encouragement of another, endurance. These things are matters of the will. This Agape love is fired by the experience of grace, but it is characterized by a strong will and making some real decisions on how to act towards others.
If you carry yourself in such a way that it irritates me, I need to look inward. Because that irritation is first of all my responsibility to handle. Once I get that log out of my eye, then I can turn and help you get the speck out of your eye. Am I impatient, ill-tempered, rude towards people? If so, I need to look inward, into my own soul first, for I am responsible for the condition of my soul.
That is a primary responsibility. To look within and seek God’s help and open our souls to the coming of God’s healing and redeeming grace and wisdom. And, that’s how this love starts. That’s how this love of God in our hearts is received,discovered and renewed.
And, this divine love poured out through the Spirit can take up residence in your soul. There is a holy place within you in which the Spirit of Christ can dwell. When that Spirit has room in you, it awakens your spirit to true life and to love.
This love is strong. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things. As for prophecies, they shall fail; as for knowledge, it will pass away. Three things remain: faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.
Love is a condition of the heart and soul and mind; it is internal and it is always reaching out, going out to meet others. That’s what it means to be a loving person. It means that your heart is renewed by God’s peace and kindness and that your heart goes out towards others showing understanding and peace and concern.
I am working on this sermon very early in the morning. I will be going to work in around three hours. I will get some phone calls pretty soon after I get to work. Then, I will decide what cases I am going to work on, which people I will call up, what research I’ll do, and in the middle of that, I will get some more calls from people wanting to know something about their case. And, I will also be interacting with my co-workers at the Public Defender’s Office. And, I will speak with a person or two in church by phone, and probably communicate by email with at least two or three people in church. I will either talk to or email the architect and contractor.
All in all, I will have the chance to encounter and deal with a number of people and consider a number of people as I decide what to do today.
And, I wonder right now: how will I do? How is the condition of my soul as I approach this day? Paul would show me a better way to do things. A way he calls love.
It is not arrogant or boastful or rude. It is patient and kind. It hopes for the best for others. It endures.
Is that spirit of love in me? Is that the condition of my heart? O, Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high. O, Lord, help us to be children of quietness and heirs of peace. O, Lord, fill my anxiety with your peace; replace my criticism with your acceptance; replace my anger with your love; replace my hurry and worry with your patience and trust; replace, O Lord, my heart with your heart, so that I may dwell in your presence, and under the guidance of your living Spirit. Make my heart one with your heart; my desires one with your desires; my love one with your love.
Break down every wall within me, every barrier within me that keeps me from loving my neighbor as myself.
Amen.
Sexual Orientation and Ordination in the Presbyterian Church: Reflecting On it Again
Here is what I wrote in the summer of 2004 to try and express the common faith of the Presbyterian Tradition, which has always tried to read the Bible as a whole when addressing moral issues. I wrote this to find a way to address the very contentious issue in my denomination over whether persons who have a homosexual orientation should be allowed to be ordained as ministers. ************************************************************************************
We, regardless of sexual orientation, confess that we fall short of the glory of God in the expression of our sexuality. We acknowledge that we are part of a society that is saturated with unholiness of thought, word and deed in matters of sexuality.
We confess that God created human beings, male and female, in God’s goodness and that the gift of sexuality is a blessing from God that we have so often turned into a means of manipulation, bondage, hurt and self-destruction.
We confess our tendency to worship the creature rather than the creator, becoming idolatrous when we fail to love God with all our mind, and soul, and body.
We confess that we are so far from being made whole that we can only place ourselves humbly in the hands of God trusting that by God’s grace we will move step by step towards holiness in thought, word and deed.
We are unable to judge how far along the way that we or our brothers and sisters are towards sexual holiness. For we are not complete, but putting the past behind us, we look forward to the upward call of Christ Jesus, our Lord. God alone is judge. We leave the judgment of our brothers and sisters, and ourselves, in God’s gracious hands.
We encourage all members of the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. to consider others first in choosing how to express themselves as sexual beings as we join together in discerning God’s guidance in this fragile and precious area of human life.
We confess that we are not our own, but we are God’s – body, mind and soul. We confess that we are not our own, but we are God’s – in life and in death.
We have been embraced by God’s love. We do not have time to judge. We do not have the desire to condemn. If the Holy and Righteous Son of God came into the world, not to judge, but to save; then how can we as an unclean people do anything but love and believe in God’s love for each other?
We confess that the log in our eye keeps us from being able to remove the speck from our brothers’ and sisters’ eyes. We realize that our unholiness makes us unable to receive the type of truth and clarity that our world needs. But, we trust that God is preparing us each day to receive that truth and clarity that we need to proclaim the Gospel.
We confess that we are simply not wise or holy enough to declare on this matter of human sexuality and sexual orientation. We also know that God has not called us to “straighten out” others but to show mercy. We confess that part of this mercy is that we become able to provide clear guidance to children and youth and all who struggle for clarity in this area of life. We commit ourselves to providing such guidance as God’s Spirit finds room within us to work.
We acknowledge that there is an apparent conflict between what the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans, chapter 1 and acceptance of homosexual practice, but we also acknowledge the tremendous force of the Gospel Paul preached that shattered barriers, culminating in Paul proclaiming that ‘in Christ there is no Greek or Jew, no male or female, no slave or free.” We also acknowledge a tension in the New Testament between such celebration of the Gospel’s freedom and passages which sanction the subordination of women and institution of slavery. We look to the holy ground of scripture for new revelations through God’s Spirit, a Spirit that opened the doors of the church to those who had been excluded (Gentiles, eunuchs, tax collectors, prostitutes, Samaritans). We celebrate the powerful Gospel of Jesus Christ that Paul preached, and assert that the freedom of that Gospel sometime es pushed ahead of Paul’s ability to receive and understand the egalitarian consequences of the Gospel in all areas of human life.
We acknowledge that parts of scripture which at one time seemed to stand as barriers to full participation of women and enslaved persons in society and church leadership have been overcome in our tradition by the witness of other parts of scripture through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
We acknowledge that we in the Reformed tradition have rarely bound ourselves to a simple, literal understanding even of specific ethical commands in Holy Scripture, whether the passage be Jesus’ clear prohibition on divorce except in cases of adultery, Jesus’ instruction to give up all possessions and follow him, or Jesus’ prohibition against self-defense and use of “the sword.”
We confess that the Bible is God’s holy ground, and when we step onto such holy ground in faith we should do so with fear and trembling. The Bible is not a tool in our hands, but a tool in God’s hands to be used by God’s Spirit to awaken faith and to bring about God’s glory in human beings. We have been accustomed to questioning the Bible for answers, instead of first allowing God to question us through the Bible. Having failed to answer God’s question of us first, we confess that we may be asking the wrong questions of scripture and that may be why the Word of the Lord is rare in our day.
We acknowledge that the Apostle Paul was humble enough when addressing sensitive moral/social issues such as divorce, marriage after the death of a spouse and marriage to unbelievers to admit at times that he did not have a word from the Lord, but nonetheless bore his responsibility and offered what advice he felt was in accordance with the will of God.
We confess that God alone is holy and we are not. We do not take our stand on our righteousness, but on the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. Just as this righteousness surprised the religious of the world in the days that Jesus dwelt among us in the flesh, so also we expect that God’s righteousness may express itself again in such a way that the religious, both conservative and liberal, may miss the time of God’s visitation and misunderstand the nature of God’s Word.
We confess that we may be those who think we are strong in faith, but are using our so-called freedom to hurt our brothers and sisters. We confess that we may also be those who think we are free when we are actually enslaved by immorality. We confess that we may be those who place moral burdens on others backs that we are not willing to bear.
But, we confess above all that God’s grace is greater than our sin, and that the good work God has begun in us, God will complete in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Thanks be to God, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ who is our peace and our hope and our salvation. Amen.*************************************************************************************
Now, my personal views on this matter of sexual orientation focus right in on Paul's declaration: 'In Christ, there is no Greek or Jew; no slave or free; no male or female, but all are one in Christ Jesus.' Galatians 3:28. And, my position of saying that homosexuality in itself should not be a bar any more than heterosexuality should be a bar to ordination comes from my experience that Jesus really means freedom in human life. And, it comes from a deep sense that sexual orientation is usually biologically/genetically determined.
We see in history that God's Spirit continues to reveal just how broad a reach the Gospel has. Gender barriers are falling; racial barriers are falling. We are still learning about the reach of God's redeeming grace and how it breaks down all barriers to true and healthy human unity. The liberty that Paul proclaims with the regard to male and female and Jew and Greek and slave and free surely applies to heterosexual and homosexual as well.
Once we affirm our true unity in God, then we can start understanding the way to be heterosexual and homosexual in a way that helps instead of harms. And, once we understand that our true identity is in God then we will quit making such a big deal about our identity being all tied up in our sexuality. We have put the cart before the horse. The deepest part of us is that we share the humanity of Christ,who is of the very being of God. Once this comes alive in us, then we will be able to grow into a true human being, whether we have this sexual orientation or that. And, how we express ourselves sexually will build up instead of breakdown ourselves and others.
We, regardless of sexual orientation, confess that we fall short of the glory of God in the expression of our sexuality. We acknowledge that we are part of a society that is saturated with unholiness of thought, word and deed in matters of sexuality.
We confess that God created human beings, male and female, in God’s goodness and that the gift of sexuality is a blessing from God that we have so often turned into a means of manipulation, bondage, hurt and self-destruction.
We confess our tendency to worship the creature rather than the creator, becoming idolatrous when we fail to love God with all our mind, and soul, and body.
We confess that we are so far from being made whole that we can only place ourselves humbly in the hands of God trusting that by God’s grace we will move step by step towards holiness in thought, word and deed.
We are unable to judge how far along the way that we or our brothers and sisters are towards sexual holiness. For we are not complete, but putting the past behind us, we look forward to the upward call of Christ Jesus, our Lord. God alone is judge. We leave the judgment of our brothers and sisters, and ourselves, in God’s gracious hands.
We encourage all members of the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. to consider others first in choosing how to express themselves as sexual beings as we join together in discerning God’s guidance in this fragile and precious area of human life.
We confess that we are not our own, but we are God’s – body, mind and soul. We confess that we are not our own, but we are God’s – in life and in death.
We have been embraced by God’s love. We do not have time to judge. We do not have the desire to condemn. If the Holy and Righteous Son of God came into the world, not to judge, but to save; then how can we as an unclean people do anything but love and believe in God’s love for each other?
We confess that the log in our eye keeps us from being able to remove the speck from our brothers’ and sisters’ eyes. We realize that our unholiness makes us unable to receive the type of truth and clarity that our world needs. But, we trust that God is preparing us each day to receive that truth and clarity that we need to proclaim the Gospel.
We confess that we are simply not wise or holy enough to declare on this matter of human sexuality and sexual orientation. We also know that God has not called us to “straighten out” others but to show mercy. We confess that part of this mercy is that we become able to provide clear guidance to children and youth and all who struggle for clarity in this area of life. We commit ourselves to providing such guidance as God’s Spirit finds room within us to work.
We acknowledge that there is an apparent conflict between what the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans, chapter 1 and acceptance of homosexual practice, but we also acknowledge the tremendous force of the Gospel Paul preached that shattered barriers, culminating in Paul proclaiming that ‘in Christ there is no Greek or Jew, no male or female, no slave or free.” We also acknowledge a tension in the New Testament between such celebration of the Gospel’s freedom and passages which sanction the subordination of women and institution of slavery. We look to the holy ground of scripture for new revelations through God’s Spirit, a Spirit that opened the doors of the church to those who had been excluded (Gentiles, eunuchs, tax collectors, prostitutes, Samaritans). We celebrate the powerful Gospel of Jesus Christ that Paul preached, and assert that the freedom of that Gospel sometime es pushed ahead of Paul’s ability to receive and understand the egalitarian consequences of the Gospel in all areas of human life.
We acknowledge that parts of scripture which at one time seemed to stand as barriers to full participation of women and enslaved persons in society and church leadership have been overcome in our tradition by the witness of other parts of scripture through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
We acknowledge that we in the Reformed tradition have rarely bound ourselves to a simple, literal understanding even of specific ethical commands in Holy Scripture, whether the passage be Jesus’ clear prohibition on divorce except in cases of adultery, Jesus’ instruction to give up all possessions and follow him, or Jesus’ prohibition against self-defense and use of “the sword.”
We confess that the Bible is God’s holy ground, and when we step onto such holy ground in faith we should do so with fear and trembling. The Bible is not a tool in our hands, but a tool in God’s hands to be used by God’s Spirit to awaken faith and to bring about God’s glory in human beings. We have been accustomed to questioning the Bible for answers, instead of first allowing God to question us through the Bible. Having failed to answer God’s question of us first, we confess that we may be asking the wrong questions of scripture and that may be why the Word of the Lord is rare in our day.
We acknowledge that the Apostle Paul was humble enough when addressing sensitive moral/social issues such as divorce, marriage after the death of a spouse and marriage to unbelievers to admit at times that he did not have a word from the Lord, but nonetheless bore his responsibility and offered what advice he felt was in accordance with the will of God.
We confess that God alone is holy and we are not. We do not take our stand on our righteousness, but on the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. Just as this righteousness surprised the religious of the world in the days that Jesus dwelt among us in the flesh, so also we expect that God’s righteousness may express itself again in such a way that the religious, both conservative and liberal, may miss the time of God’s visitation and misunderstand the nature of God’s Word.
We confess that we may be those who think we are strong in faith, but are using our so-called freedom to hurt our brothers and sisters. We confess that we may also be those who think we are free when we are actually enslaved by immorality. We confess that we may be those who place moral burdens on others backs that we are not willing to bear.
But, we confess above all that God’s grace is greater than our sin, and that the good work God has begun in us, God will complete in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Thanks be to God, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ who is our peace and our hope and our salvation. Amen.*************************************************************************************
Now, my personal views on this matter of sexual orientation focus right in on Paul's declaration: 'In Christ, there is no Greek or Jew; no slave or free; no male or female, but all are one in Christ Jesus.' Galatians 3:28. And, my position of saying that homosexuality in itself should not be a bar any more than heterosexuality should be a bar to ordination comes from my experience that Jesus really means freedom in human life. And, it comes from a deep sense that sexual orientation is usually biologically/genetically determined.
We see in history that God's Spirit continues to reveal just how broad a reach the Gospel has. Gender barriers are falling; racial barriers are falling. We are still learning about the reach of God's redeeming grace and how it breaks down all barriers to true and healthy human unity. The liberty that Paul proclaims with the regard to male and female and Jew and Greek and slave and free surely applies to heterosexual and homosexual as well.
Once we affirm our true unity in God, then we can start understanding the way to be heterosexual and homosexual in a way that helps instead of harms. And, once we understand that our true identity is in God then we will quit making such a big deal about our identity being all tied up in our sexuality. We have put the cart before the horse. The deepest part of us is that we share the humanity of Christ,who is of the very being of God. Once this comes alive in us, then we will be able to grow into a true human being, whether we have this sexual orientation or that. And, how we express ourselves sexually will build up instead of breakdown ourselves and others.
Being Saul
“Being Saul” (1 Samuel 8)
Everytime I read this part of the history of Israel, I feel bad for Saul. First, he didn’t really ask to be king, but when called to be king, he tried to be the best king he knew how to be. He didn’t have any examples before him in Israel, since he was the first king.
He tried to rely on Samuel , the great judge and prophet of Israel. But, Samuel was against Israel having a king from the start, as God had always appointed a judge to lead the people. A judge in those days was like a prophet and priest as well as a judge.
But, as we read, the people were tired of being led by a priest and prophet; they wanted a king like the other nations around them. They wanted someone more like a general, who had a palace. Prophets like Samuel didn’t have palaces.
But, I keep thinking about Saul,and how things started falling apart for him during his reign. It seems like Samuel won’t show up when Saul needs him, and it seems like Samuel is just looking for a reason to condemn Saul and replace him. God seems to abandon Saul as well, as no Word of the Lord comes to Saul. Saul begins to lose his mind, it seems, and then comes David, who is taken into the royal household, especially after David’s miraculous victory over the giant Philistine warrior, Goliath. And, David is trusted by Saul, even playing music to sooth Saul’s nerves. But, soon it becomes clear to Saul that David is overtaking him in popularity, and may replace him as king.
In the end, Saul dies in battle and David becomes king, a very successful king, whom God favors.
But, I want to think about the first king of Israel today: King Saul. Sometimes in this life, we are called to serve in roles that don’t fit who we are. Sometimes the role we serve in is a burden we endure for a time. It was that way for Saul. He seemed to try to bear the role responsibly, but he just wasn’t cut out for it. And, God allowed him to fail as king.
That is the way of life often. We somehow find ourselves playing a position we aren’t good at, we aren’t suited for, and it is frustrating. And, often when we find our way to a role that is not meant for us, to a relationship that is not meant for us, to a way of living that is not right for us, we feel a sense of frustration and failure. Like a golfer trying to play football, it just doesn’t work. Like a carpenter trying his hand at neurosurgery,we just end up in the wrong place at times in life. Like a city boy trying be a farmer, or a country boy trying to be an urbanite. It is just wrong.
And, we all need to find our way to something that is right. Where we can grow and blossom in our living. We need a place where we can come to understand what our real strengths are, and also understand what our real weaknesses are. Poor ole Saul. He seemed to have been chosen because he was better looking than anyone else. But, that doesn’t go too far when it comes to figuring out how to run a nation,lead an army,resolve disputes between nations.
Saul didn’t seek out the kingship. It seemed to seek him out as the will of the people was expressed. Saul was made king to satisfy the people. But, David was chosen to be king to satisfy God.
And, I guess that might be a good thing to focus on here. Saul became king because the people wanted him to be king. Now, as the scripture tells us: God told Samuel the prophet to let the people have what they wanted. But, it was not what God wanted.
That is one thing to worry about: God will stand aside at some point and let us do what we want even if what we want is destructive and unholy. Of course, God pleads with us, works with us, calls to us for a long time before he stands aside and says: well, if you are so deadset on foolishness, go ahead. That’s what God did in Israel. They wouldn’t listen to his prophets, so he finally said: “I’ll let you be like other nations, and be led by and king, and you will end up being made into slaves in your own country.” And, it came to pass in the time of Solomon that the people were made into servants of the royal power.
This story of Saul shows that where we are seeking to please people, to do the will of people, then we have no real center and no real guidance. If we choose to serve humans and not God, then our lives can spin out of control. In your life, there are always going to be pressures from people to get you to be this way or that, to do this thing or that. But, I want to invite you to step aside from those pressures and start thinking about what God would have you to do, who God would have you to be. That is what I am asking you to begin taking seriously right now.
Saul was the one the people wanted. His kingship was a failure. Maybe he should have protested when Samuel tried to anoint him king. Maybe Saul should have asked the holy prophet: “Do you think God really wants a king?” I don’t know. Maybe it was Saul’s fate if there is such a thing as that.
If you are living a life that seems to be falling apart over and over again, its likely that you are living out a life chosen for you by people, and not a life chosen for you by God.
Now, I didn’t say that everything is perfect in a life chosen by God. I didn’t say you will all the sudden have no financial trouble or illness or conflict if you walk in a life set out for you by God.
But, what I am will say is this: When you get where you care more about pleasing God than people, you will start getting somewhere as a person. Your mind will clear up; your heart will begin to feel free; your body will begin to feel alive and rested. When you start really looking to see what God wants you to do, you quit worrying about what others want you to do. And, you start really doing for others what they need. When you start finding out what God wants you to do and who God is calling you to be, you won’t have to be looking to others to assure you that you are worth something or that you are worth loving or worth respecting. When you start listening to God as the one Lord of your life, you will hear God’s assurance in your soul and feel God’s assurance in your body. For our God is the one who has said: “I will not leave you or forsake you. For I have loved you since you were born, and I will receive you in my arms when you die. You are my child. I am your father. I am with you now, and I will have you with me always.”
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Everytime I read this part of the history of Israel, I feel bad for Saul. First, he didn’t really ask to be king, but when called to be king, he tried to be the best king he knew how to be. He didn’t have any examples before him in Israel, since he was the first king.
He tried to rely on Samuel , the great judge and prophet of Israel. But, Samuel was against Israel having a king from the start, as God had always appointed a judge to lead the people. A judge in those days was like a prophet and priest as well as a judge.
But, as we read, the people were tired of being led by a priest and prophet; they wanted a king like the other nations around them. They wanted someone more like a general, who had a palace. Prophets like Samuel didn’t have palaces.
But, I keep thinking about Saul,and how things started falling apart for him during his reign. It seems like Samuel won’t show up when Saul needs him, and it seems like Samuel is just looking for a reason to condemn Saul and replace him. God seems to abandon Saul as well, as no Word of the Lord comes to Saul. Saul begins to lose his mind, it seems, and then comes David, who is taken into the royal household, especially after David’s miraculous victory over the giant Philistine warrior, Goliath. And, David is trusted by Saul, even playing music to sooth Saul’s nerves. But, soon it becomes clear to Saul that David is overtaking him in popularity, and may replace him as king.
In the end, Saul dies in battle and David becomes king, a very successful king, whom God favors.
But, I want to think about the first king of Israel today: King Saul. Sometimes in this life, we are called to serve in roles that don’t fit who we are. Sometimes the role we serve in is a burden we endure for a time. It was that way for Saul. He seemed to try to bear the role responsibly, but he just wasn’t cut out for it. And, God allowed him to fail as king.
That is the way of life often. We somehow find ourselves playing a position we aren’t good at, we aren’t suited for, and it is frustrating. And, often when we find our way to a role that is not meant for us, to a relationship that is not meant for us, to a way of living that is not right for us, we feel a sense of frustration and failure. Like a golfer trying to play football, it just doesn’t work. Like a carpenter trying his hand at neurosurgery,we just end up in the wrong place at times in life. Like a city boy trying be a farmer, or a country boy trying to be an urbanite. It is just wrong.
And, we all need to find our way to something that is right. Where we can grow and blossom in our living. We need a place where we can come to understand what our real strengths are, and also understand what our real weaknesses are. Poor ole Saul. He seemed to have been chosen because he was better looking than anyone else. But, that doesn’t go too far when it comes to figuring out how to run a nation,lead an army,resolve disputes between nations.
Saul didn’t seek out the kingship. It seemed to seek him out as the will of the people was expressed. Saul was made king to satisfy the people. But, David was chosen to be king to satisfy God.
And, I guess that might be a good thing to focus on here. Saul became king because the people wanted him to be king. Now, as the scripture tells us: God told Samuel the prophet to let the people have what they wanted. But, it was not what God wanted.
That is one thing to worry about: God will stand aside at some point and let us do what we want even if what we want is destructive and unholy. Of course, God pleads with us, works with us, calls to us for a long time before he stands aside and says: well, if you are so deadset on foolishness, go ahead. That’s what God did in Israel. They wouldn’t listen to his prophets, so he finally said: “I’ll let you be like other nations, and be led by and king, and you will end up being made into slaves in your own country.” And, it came to pass in the time of Solomon that the people were made into servants of the royal power.
This story of Saul shows that where we are seeking to please people, to do the will of people, then we have no real center and no real guidance. If we choose to serve humans and not God, then our lives can spin out of control. In your life, there are always going to be pressures from people to get you to be this way or that, to do this thing or that. But, I want to invite you to step aside from those pressures and start thinking about what God would have you to do, who God would have you to be. That is what I am asking you to begin taking seriously right now.
Saul was the one the people wanted. His kingship was a failure. Maybe he should have protested when Samuel tried to anoint him king. Maybe Saul should have asked the holy prophet: “Do you think God really wants a king?” I don’t know. Maybe it was Saul’s fate if there is such a thing as that.
If you are living a life that seems to be falling apart over and over again, its likely that you are living out a life chosen for you by people, and not a life chosen for you by God.
Now, I didn’t say that everything is perfect in a life chosen by God. I didn’t say you will all the sudden have no financial trouble or illness or conflict if you walk in a life set out for you by God.
But, what I am will say is this: When you get where you care more about pleasing God than people, you will start getting somewhere as a person. Your mind will clear up; your heart will begin to feel free; your body will begin to feel alive and rested. When you start really looking to see what God wants you to do, you quit worrying about what others want you to do. And, you start really doing for others what they need. When you start finding out what God wants you to do and who God is calling you to be, you won’t have to be looking to others to assure you that you are worth something or that you are worth loving or worth respecting. When you start listening to God as the one Lord of your life, you will hear God’s assurance in your soul and feel God’s assurance in your body. For our God is the one who has said: “I will not leave you or forsake you. For I have loved you since you were born, and I will receive you in my arms when you die. You are my child. I am your father. I am with you now, and I will have you with me always.”
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Young Man Asks Jesus a Question
Mark 10:17-22
“There came one running, who kneeled before Jesus, and asked: “Good teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’ And, Jesus said: ‘Why do you call me “good,” there is none good, but God alone.’ You know the commandments: . . .
“The man answered: yes, I have kept these even from my youth.
“THEN JESUS BEHOLDING HIM, LOVED HIM, AND SAID TO HIM:
“ONE THING YOU LACK: GO, SELL ALL YOU HAVE, GIVE THE MONEY TO THE POOR, AND YOU WILL HAVE TREASURE IN HEAVEN AND COME, TAKE UP THE CROSS AND FOLLOW ME.
“And, he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved, for he had great possessions.”
What must I do to inherit eternal life? Obey the commandments. This I have done from my youth. If you would be perfect, go, sell all that you have, give the money to the poor and follow me.
I think that Jesus saw in this young man a holy desire; a desire for full communion with God and a desire to walk in that holy path that Jesus was on. He also saw that this was a good young man. We are told in the scriptures that when Jesus heard how he loved and respected God’s law, Jesus loved him.
But, the young man walked away sadly, feeling the pressures of his life, the possessions of his life, calling him back. The young man was seeking holiness and freedom; the real restrictions on him though, were the conditions of his own success and status, it seems. Or, we might say that the real restrictions on him were that his life was living him and he wasn’t living his life.
The conditions, pressures, responsibilities of his life were things he was reacting to, responding to, but he wasn’t freely taking up his life each day and choosing freely how to live.
Imagine that after trying for ten years, you have just won the lottery: powerball – 2.8 million! And, you get the chance to meet Jesus. And, you dare to ask him: “what do I really need to do to inherit eternal life?” And, he says: “give your 2.8 million to your neighbor you hate.” Or, maybe he ignores the lottery winnings, and just says: “be kind to your neighbor next door that you hate. That’s all; just do that.”
Or, maybe you see Jesus and have been feeling empty, and you come up to him and ask: “Lord, what do I need to do to get out of this mess of a life I’m in?” And, he says something like: give up that relationship; give up your pills that you rely on more than me; give up your drinking that you rely on more than me; give up your efforts to remain popular with others, since you are seeking to please them more than me; give up your efforts to get wealthy and secure your wealth.; give up your self-hatred and self-criticism and receive life from God, receive grace from God; get up and walk.
What was it that drew the man to Jesus to ask what he asked, and what was it that kept him from following when he got the answer that would free him? The young man came, like so many come, looking for deliverance from the conditions of his life that keep him from being free. That keep him from being able to live life fully.
And, probably what bothered Jesus the most was that Jesus saw that this man would make a great disciple, if he could just experience the freedom and joy of trusting completely in God. But, Jesus understood the young man, because Jesus understood how insecure human life can be, and when you have a house and some money, you don’t want to risk that security because it can be a hard world out there. If you have something, its hard to give it away, because who else is going to look after you, if you don’t? Who else is going to look after your wife and children and parents, if you don’t? And, so Jesus was sad as he loved the man, knew what life is like, and wished the young man could step outside his life for just a minute to experience what life is like in the Spirit of God.
We work hard in this life to have a place to live, to have health insurance if we can get it, to have a way to get around town, to have money to buy groceries for ourselves and our families. We work hard to make sense of life, and keep things in balance. We work hard to make it through life’s hardships, and carry on responsibly. But, sometimes we work so hard and worry so much, that we forget that life comes to us as a gift each day. We aren’t creating life each day – it is a gift from our Creator. We aren’t sustaining life each day – God does that with his Spirit. But, we are receiving and cooperating and passing on life from God. It is a joyful, not burdensome task when we understand this. I imagine that the rich young ruler, like most of us, just hadn’t learned this yet.
Sometimes it feels like life depends on you. But, life and the power of life and the goodness of life is being offered to you each day by God. What is yours to learn is how to recognize and receive this life from God, and how to pass it on. That’s what Jesus was trying to teach this young man. To learn that life is a gift from God’s hand, a gift to pass on to others as we live it. Jesus meant to teach the man that you can’t possess life, but you can celebrate it and live it fully if you know the author of Life.
Jesus stood among the men and women and children of his day saying “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me will not hunger.” I am the way, the truth and the light . . . he who comes to me I will in no wise cast out.. . And, Jesus said: “I have come that they might have life and that abundantly.”
The rich young ruler came to Jesus; about how he could be everything God wanted him to be. And, I invite you to come before the Lord today in this same spirit. To come to this Table with a desire to be all that God has asked you to be. To come to this Table today with a yearning to follow the way of Jesus in this world. And, I ask: “What must I do, Lord, to become a faithful man devoted to you in all of my life?” “What must I do to become a faithful woman devoted to you in all my life? “ To know you more clearly, To love you more dearly; to follow you more nearly – day by day. And, to hear God’s answer, you need to go deep within. To a place that only you and God’s Spirit can go. To the inner sanctuary of your soul, the holy of holies within. There, the Christ waits, to lead you to life, to awaken your joy, to celebrate with you the gift, the glory, the purpose and the promise of life in God.
But, there are other voices calling to you: voices within and voices without. Voices that tell you you are not worthy to follow in the way of life; voices telling you you are not able to follow in the way of life; voices telling you that it just doesn’t matter, and that what matters is either how you look, how others think of you, and what you power or wealth you have. Amidst all these voices, listen for that still small voice of the Lord; let those who have ears to hear, hear what the Spirit is saying.
I close with a prayer from Richard of Chichester:
Thanks be to you,
O Lord Jesus Christ,
for all the benefits which you have given us;
for all the pains and insults which you have borne for us.
O most merciful redeemer,
friend and brother,
may we know you more clearly,
love you more dearly,
and follow you more nearly,
for your own sake. Amen.
“There came one running, who kneeled before Jesus, and asked: “Good teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’ And, Jesus said: ‘Why do you call me “good,” there is none good, but God alone.’ You know the commandments: . . .
“The man answered: yes, I have kept these even from my youth.
“THEN JESUS BEHOLDING HIM, LOVED HIM, AND SAID TO HIM:
“ONE THING YOU LACK: GO, SELL ALL YOU HAVE, GIVE THE MONEY TO THE POOR, AND YOU WILL HAVE TREASURE IN HEAVEN AND COME, TAKE UP THE CROSS AND FOLLOW ME.
“And, he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved, for he had great possessions.”
What must I do to inherit eternal life? Obey the commandments. This I have done from my youth. If you would be perfect, go, sell all that you have, give the money to the poor and follow me.
I think that Jesus saw in this young man a holy desire; a desire for full communion with God and a desire to walk in that holy path that Jesus was on. He also saw that this was a good young man. We are told in the scriptures that when Jesus heard how he loved and respected God’s law, Jesus loved him.
But, the young man walked away sadly, feeling the pressures of his life, the possessions of his life, calling him back. The young man was seeking holiness and freedom; the real restrictions on him though, were the conditions of his own success and status, it seems. Or, we might say that the real restrictions on him were that his life was living him and he wasn’t living his life.
The conditions, pressures, responsibilities of his life were things he was reacting to, responding to, but he wasn’t freely taking up his life each day and choosing freely how to live.
Imagine that after trying for ten years, you have just won the lottery: powerball – 2.8 million! And, you get the chance to meet Jesus. And, you dare to ask him: “what do I really need to do to inherit eternal life?” And, he says: “give your 2.8 million to your neighbor you hate.” Or, maybe he ignores the lottery winnings, and just says: “be kind to your neighbor next door that you hate. That’s all; just do that.”
Or, maybe you see Jesus and have been feeling empty, and you come up to him and ask: “Lord, what do I need to do to get out of this mess of a life I’m in?” And, he says something like: give up that relationship; give up your pills that you rely on more than me; give up your drinking that you rely on more than me; give up your efforts to remain popular with others, since you are seeking to please them more than me; give up your efforts to get wealthy and secure your wealth.; give up your self-hatred and self-criticism and receive life from God, receive grace from God; get up and walk.
What was it that drew the man to Jesus to ask what he asked, and what was it that kept him from following when he got the answer that would free him? The young man came, like so many come, looking for deliverance from the conditions of his life that keep him from being free. That keep him from being able to live life fully.
And, probably what bothered Jesus the most was that Jesus saw that this man would make a great disciple, if he could just experience the freedom and joy of trusting completely in God. But, Jesus understood the young man, because Jesus understood how insecure human life can be, and when you have a house and some money, you don’t want to risk that security because it can be a hard world out there. If you have something, its hard to give it away, because who else is going to look after you, if you don’t? Who else is going to look after your wife and children and parents, if you don’t? And, so Jesus was sad as he loved the man, knew what life is like, and wished the young man could step outside his life for just a minute to experience what life is like in the Spirit of God.
We work hard in this life to have a place to live, to have health insurance if we can get it, to have a way to get around town, to have money to buy groceries for ourselves and our families. We work hard to make sense of life, and keep things in balance. We work hard to make it through life’s hardships, and carry on responsibly. But, sometimes we work so hard and worry so much, that we forget that life comes to us as a gift each day. We aren’t creating life each day – it is a gift from our Creator. We aren’t sustaining life each day – God does that with his Spirit. But, we are receiving and cooperating and passing on life from God. It is a joyful, not burdensome task when we understand this. I imagine that the rich young ruler, like most of us, just hadn’t learned this yet.
Sometimes it feels like life depends on you. But, life and the power of life and the goodness of life is being offered to you each day by God. What is yours to learn is how to recognize and receive this life from God, and how to pass it on. That’s what Jesus was trying to teach this young man. To learn that life is a gift from God’s hand, a gift to pass on to others as we live it. Jesus meant to teach the man that you can’t possess life, but you can celebrate it and live it fully if you know the author of Life.
Jesus stood among the men and women and children of his day saying “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me will not hunger.” I am the way, the truth and the light . . . he who comes to me I will in no wise cast out.. . And, Jesus said: “I have come that they might have life and that abundantly.”
The rich young ruler came to Jesus; about how he could be everything God wanted him to be. And, I invite you to come before the Lord today in this same spirit. To come to this Table with a desire to be all that God has asked you to be. To come to this Table today with a yearning to follow the way of Jesus in this world. And, I ask: “What must I do, Lord, to become a faithful man devoted to you in all of my life?” “What must I do to become a faithful woman devoted to you in all my life? “ To know you more clearly, To love you more dearly; to follow you more nearly – day by day. And, to hear God’s answer, you need to go deep within. To a place that only you and God’s Spirit can go. To the inner sanctuary of your soul, the holy of holies within. There, the Christ waits, to lead you to life, to awaken your joy, to celebrate with you the gift, the glory, the purpose and the promise of life in God.
But, there are other voices calling to you: voices within and voices without. Voices that tell you you are not worthy to follow in the way of life; voices telling you you are not able to follow in the way of life; voices telling you that it just doesn’t matter, and that what matters is either how you look, how others think of you, and what you power or wealth you have. Amidst all these voices, listen for that still small voice of the Lord; let those who have ears to hear, hear what the Spirit is saying.
I close with a prayer from Richard of Chichester:
Thanks be to you,
O Lord Jesus Christ,
for all the benefits which you have given us;
for all the pains and insults which you have borne for us.
O most merciful redeemer,
friend and brother,
may we know you more clearly,
love you more dearly,
and follow you more nearly,
for your own sake. Amen.
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