Bone Picking Vulnerability

Epiphany 4a, Micah 6:1-8 with I Corinthians 1:18-31 in the b.g.

Props – 2 sheets of paper – Bone to pick?

                                                  So What To Do? Nothing?

Did you ever have a bone to pick with somebody? I mean did you ever have something going on with someone else or even a group of other people that you really wanted to air, to work out? You know you really gotta love somebody, or care about an entire group if you are going to truly have a controversy with them. I mean if you don't care about that someone else, or that group, when they irritate you or seriously ruffle your feathers, you will just leave, give up on them.   

 

I remember 2 people. I will call them George and Ed. They were brothers, I mean literal brothers. But something had happened in their relationship, that they were no longer speaking to each other. But one day – someone who cared about both of them, invited them to sit down together with him. They aired their story. He reminded them of their own parents, long since dead – and it was the beginning. The controversy still mattered. But they wanted to find a way through it. They wanted to once again live as brothers.

 

God loves people, real flesh and blood people. God's love is more than mere words, even words in the Bible, words such as we hear in John 3:16. Dare to read through the entire first Testament on into the Second:  from Adam and Eve, to Moses, to David, to the prophets, through the exile, the construction of yet another temple, through more occupation onto Mary and Joseph, and to the early disciples of Jesus onwards, to us. God doesn't give up on us! God does get ticked, hurt, sometimes angry and frustrated as we do not listen, do not respond, do not embrace God's love.

 

For you who are parents it might be like when your son or daughter takes the keys to your vehicle without asking or has a party resulting in the trashing of your house while you were away on vacation. For you teens or even younger children, it might be like when you tell your best friend a secret and they blab it everywhere. Then people know your business. The Bible show that God becomes frustrated with us, when we don't listen or care about God or respond or are even aware that God loves us. But God doesn't give up! God refuses to stop caring about us.  

 

To be sure there are consequences to what we do and to what we don't do. Sometimes our relationships are damaged: with others, with the earth, with God. Then some people end their relationship with us individually and or collectively. They leave, thinking that they alone are correct while we are wrong. They leave thinking and feeling that we don't care or that nothing will ever or could ever change. But God doesn't give up on us. And God is God!  

 

The Scriptures show us that God continues to work, to hope and even dream that we people will act justly. God commands us to care for others, even to share what we have been entrusted with. Such gifts are means of living, not the goal of living. God wills for us to listen for God and to each other. I mean really listen, not just construct an argument from the first sentence that issues from the other's mouth.  I mean listen, not seek to blame. God wills and commands that we not kill, damage, or exclude each other from relationship.  Nevertheless we continue doing so. As a result God has a bone to pick with us, just as God had a bone to pick with the people of Micah's time.

 

What shall we do then? What can be done so that we might be in relationship with God, with others, even with creation in ways that lead to life and not death, in ways that are marked by peace and harmony, not war and strife?

 

We could try different approaches. We could offer some kind of "sacrifices", doing what we see as good things, things designed to help others. Such actions may help others. Such actions might even get our names up in lights. But does that change the ongoing reality of our brokenness with others and the earth, with God? Does that undo the injustice we have already done, taking the whole pie from our kids and their kids' kids? We have already made lasting marks through consuming so much more than we need, through not getting our priorities straight, through not making the time or sometimes any effort to listen for God or others!

 

At other times we have tried to at least appease our guilt. But it hasn't worked. Ask therapists – ask addiction counsellors – be honest with yourself. God's controversy with us is real, because we and others matter, because all of creation matters to God. God's controversy with us continues because we continue ignoring God and others.

 

What can we do? What should we do? (holding up placard)

 

Our children remind me of an important truth. It's not all about me! It's not all about us!

  

So listen up people. God refuses to give up on this world that God love

Imagine Freedom

Epiphany 3a, January 23, 2011 (Matthew 4:12-23 with Isaiah 9:1-4 and I Corinthians 1:10-18 bg

(Two large sheets of paper are prepared in advance)

 The first has printed on it: YOU GOTTA SERVE SOMEBODY!

The second has printed on it: WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

 

(Hold up the first sheet) YOU GOTTA SERVE SOMEBODY                Years ago Bob Dylan penned these lyrics as a statement, an experience of his life. I ask this statement as a question – do you gotta serve somebody? My initial gut response is, "No I don't!" I will take care of myself. I am free! We declare this reality in our national anthem as we sing, "True north, strong and FREE!" We declare this reality in our spending habits. We will buy what we want, when we want, how we want. (and yes our spending does sometimes lead us to wontenness). Or we won't purchase anything to prove just how "free" we are.

 

Of course there have also been wars waged for supposed "freedom". There was that war to end all wars. This was euphemistically called the first great war. Then there was the war to free the world from Hitler's tyranny. Today there are wars for "independence", "freedom", "democracy". Certainly we are free, aren't we? Free to do to others as we "please".

 

Everyone seems to want to be free. Youth particularly long for freedom. Free from mom and dad's rules. Free to drive. Free from school. Won't that be great. Then we (they) will be free to make our own choices.

 

Most of us in attendance this morning are Canadians. By the grace of God we experience a degree of freedom. But part of that freedom also necessarily involves service: service to the world community, to be part of the United Nations, of NATO,  of world relief efforts in combating AIDS and providing disaster relief to such places as Haiti, Sri Lanka, and Australia. Such service involves commitment: money, time, one's self. The flag draped caskets of our dead soldiers remind us that even this relative freedom involves service and incredible cost.

 

Then in terms of our spending habits, we may think that we are free, but there is also cost or at the least consequence to such compulsion. We pay interest on our lines of credit and credit cards. On the other hand if we are hoarders or spend very little, where is the freedom in that? For whom are you saving? You have to know, you can't take it with you!

 

In the midst of all this, our propensity, our hunger/thirst for violence continues: abroad, on our streets, and too often even in our homes. Yet, we like to claim that we are free! Well, are we? Are we free to stop hating others and ourselves? Are we free to love those who seem different than us? Are we free to love ourselves when we have not met our goals or aren't pleased with the way we look? Are we free to forgive, to experience forgiveness?

 

(Hold up the second statement). This brings me to my next thought. WHY ARE WE HERE? Why have you come to this place now? Why do many of you seek to be part of a worshiping community, gathered around Word and Sacrament?

 

There could be a variety of reasons. Whatever they may be, I want each of us to wrestle with, "Why am I here?"

 

Is it possible that you have a hunger for an encounter or even encounters with the living God? Sometimes we aren't even aware of such a hunger. Sometimes we are just minding our own business, literally, like Simon and Andrew or James and John in today's Gospel. But then, in the midst of a seemingly "ordinary" moment, God touches us!

 

I remember my friend Carson. He was in charge of the X-ray department of a mid-sized hospital. For the most part he took good care of himself. He didn't smoke. He drank very little. He engaged in some exercise. He wasn't overweight. When he was younger he had done some amateur boxing.  Now in his 40's, in a loving relationship with his wife that included two daughters, he had a decent job and enjoyed life. If you had asked him he would have told you that life was great, that he was content and very free! But one day he suffered a serious heart attack. He was air evacuated to a larger center and underwent emergency heart surgery which included five bypasses. Later when he regained consciousness he said to his wife, "I should have died! There has to be more to life than what I have been experiencing. There must be a God. And I am going to seek this God out."

 

So it was that one day Carson showed up on a Sunday morning for worship. One of our members had invited him while they were having coffee at work. The next week he brought his wife with him. And about three months later he brought his teenage daughters to be instructed for baptism. Carson wanted, he needed an ongoing encounter with the living God who had somehow both given him life and then spared his life. As time went on and Carson grew in h is faith, he wanted to respond to this living God with the way he lived his own life.

 

We may be "minding our own business". We might even think/feel that our lives are full, complete. But there is always more than what we can see. Followers of Jesus have been proclaiming him as the light of the world for nearly 2000 years for many reasons. In Jesus we are given a glimpse of God and an up close look at ourselves. Sometimes when we see ourselves honestly by the light of the love and holiness of God, it is anything but easy. But such seeing is also good, because Jesus' love also has the capacity to birth change within us. Jesus is also the light of the world, because as He shines into and on our lives we begin to see others and the rest of creation differently. We are not in competition. We are not "against them!" We are brothers and sisters. We are all part of God's great dream, to be freed from the powers of death and hatred, from our instincts to quickly exclude or blame to new life. Following Jesus involves working humbly and joyfully for this "dream" in all that we do: with our families, our congregations, our larger communities, our world.

 

To be sure, this involves change both individually and collectively. Ah, we Lutherans, like most people are resistant to change. But we need to be delivered – beyond ourselves and what I want or think that I need – to become open to wrestling with what God wants, with God's call upon our lives here and now.  This requires that certain parts within us will die. Sometimes such mini "deaths" are sudden. Sometimes these changes, involving letting go, even surrendering, are a much more gradual process.

 

In the late 60's and early 70's our predecessor church body, the ELCC, was wrestling (and I mean WRESTLING) with the question of women's ordination. You know, we had never done it that way before! So, in her wisdom, the church commissioned different people to undertake Bible studies on the question. One of those people was a seminary professor. For some time had been seriously opposed to women's ordination. But on the day of his presentation to the National Church Convention he stood up and told everyone that after much study and prayer, his mind had been changed. Now he was convinced that it would be good (as in of God) for our church to undertake training of women for ordination.

 

When parts of us die as a result of following Jesus, God births new realities among us and through us.

 

I cannot know exactly why you are here today. But I am thankful that you are! And I am convinced that through people gathered around the Word and Sacrament, the Creator, holy and loving God is speaking to us. Part of God's word to us is, "I LOVE YOU!" We glimpse this in Jesus, his life, suffering and cross. And part of God's Word to us in the light of God's love is, "Follow Jesus! Trust him in all the living of your lives, individually and together. Then see what will happen." Peter and Andrew, James and John could not have imagined. Nor can we! But this listening and following of Jesus can be amazingly good – leading to the freedom of new life involving service so far beyond ourselves that we ourselves couldn't have imagined!

 

May it be so with us, for Christ's sake! Amen.  

Light Sensitive!

The Day of Epiphany, January 9, 2011.  (Matthew 2:1-12 with Ephesians 3:1-12 in the b.g)

I tell you a story. The happenings about to be described occurred at a 10 year high school reunion. Quite a few people were in attendance. That particular graduating class had numbered about 140 people – over half of them returned. Most of them brought along with them partners, spouses, dates. Very few of attended singly. One of the few who attended as a single was a young pastor. As the night progressed he felt even more alone.  It seemed like everyone else was paired up. Have you ever felt like a fifth wheel? Although many of the people were friendly and although it was great to have many more mature conversations than he had remembered  in high school, he still felt pretty much  all alone. Such feelings were not new to him. He had often felt alone in his congregation. He was young, single, living in a tiny rural community, where most people married when they were quite young. While the people in the congregation he served were very friendly and often did their best to include him, he still felt quite alone especially on Friday nights, at wedding dances, or on any holidays. This particular reunion evening he was smiling on the outside. He looked good. He was well respected, even popular

 

As the post dinner music at his reunion started in earnest, people paired up and began to dance. The young Pastor decided that he would quietly head out. Nearing the door, he felt a tug on his elbow. Turning around he saw Ed. Ed was tall, towering over him and smiling. Ed motioned towards the door. Ed wanted to speak to him before his exit. Interestingly enough Ed and this young pastor had never really  been friends. They had been high school acquaintances. He had heard that Ed had gotten into law school. He had also heard that Ed had married a "nice" girl from a nearby high school.  But he couldn't imagine why Ed would want to talk to him. Still, he wanted to be polite. So outside the two of them went. At least outside  was closer to his car, closer to getting away from  all "this".

 

Ed began immediately. "I don't want you to think I'm crazy. You know, in high school I had nothing to do with religion or God." The young pastor nodded, not sure where any of this was going. He just wanted to get out of there. Now Ed was looking at him intently. "You knew I got into Law School?" There was a nod of affirmation. "Well, when I got into Law School we already had 2 little kids. So it was really important that I do well. And I was doing well. But then I met some people. And they had a plan whereby I could make a fair bit of money quickly. We needed the money. But the plan was a pyramid scheme. I figured – who would ever know? So I did it.

 

But then- I got caught. I was jailed. I was thrown out of Law School. It was bad, particularly for my wife and kids. But while I was in jail, some people came to visit me. They heard my story. They went to visit my wife and kids. They helped out with food, even with rent. I couldn't figure out why they were doing any of this, why they cared about me or my family. When I asked them, they told me in a very simple but weird way, that they did this because" Jesus loves me and cares about me".  And you know, as crazy as it sounds, after a while I came to believe them. So, that's why I am talking to you tonight, because now I try to listen to whatever God may be saying to me,  to respond in positive ways to that. And tonight – well somehow God told me that you are lonely and that I should talk to you – that I should tell you, don't be embarrassed by your loneliness, but let the people in your church know. Some of them can help you. That's it - thanks for listening to me". And with that Ed left. The young pastor stood there, quite speechless,  overwhelmed.

 

So, I ask, "Where do you expect God to reveal God's self to you? Through whom and when might that happen?"

 

Today's Gospel highlights that God can reveal God's self to anyone, at anytime. The so-called wise men were either astrologers or dream interpreters. They were not Jews. They would not have worshipped God as we understand God. If that Gospel account were being told today the magi would be palm readers or tarot card readers. Remember also, the magi were foreigners, coming to Jerusalem. Most foreigners are not easily trusted. But these magi  were seekers. They were people who looked beyond themselves towards a greater being. When they received messages of any sort, they would respond. So it is, by God's grace, that they come to the baby Jesus. Did you see what they do as they near the baby Jesus? They bow down in that baby's presence. They worship by giving of what they have.

 

Are we open to God revealing God's self, God's direction or dream for us through others?

 

We need to know that God doesn't always (ever?) fit into our neat expectations or categories. God is not limited to working  through people or situations that we might expect. God's work can never be  limited to the walls of this building or of any church or even of the various Christian communities!

 

We also need to know that the incredible love and forgiveness of God flowing through God's own Son, Jesus the Christ, is often met by great resistance, sometimes even among his followers. Doesn't it seem to be so much easier to hold onto a grudge than to look at ourselves, our part in any unfolding of events? Isn't it easier to hate, to judge or to blame another or others,  than to seek to care, to love or to attempt to understand that other? Such hatred, such seeking vengeance even under the guise of justice, such blaming is often the way of our world, our culture, what many post modern theologians call empire. We can so easily embrace any or all of that or be caught up in its clutches.

 

God knows Herod wanted to keep the status quo, particularly his own place in it. See what Herod does then. He murders babies and  very young children.

 

But such resistance, such hatred, such fear and vengeance seeking  is not the way of following Jesus!  We need to struggle against our own resistance to the revelation of God in Jesus.  And then by God's grace we need to exemplify in loving, strong but non violent ways against such resistance in our culture and world.

 

2011 has begun. God continues to work at loving this world, particularly through the reality of His Son Jesus the Christ and in the lives of those who would seek to follow Him. The light of Jesus Christ shines in the darkness. And ultimately the darkness cannot and will not overcome it. By God's grace may we be open to this light of Jesus, wherever and through whomever it shines. In what we say and do, in what we think and aspire to, by God's grace we can be reflectors of the light of Christ! May we be open to His light wherever He chooses to let it shine. May we also gladly reflect that light.  Though this rarely is easy, this can be very good. May God help us, for Christ's sake, Amen.