Epiphany 4b - conclusion

We are grateful for rain in Texas, even if it comes five inches at a time. A lifelong friend, Kathryn Lucht, posted a “remember the 1967 Chicago snow” on Facebook this week and if Texas had been as cold as Chicago on Tuesday, 2012 would have been our 67. The “old timer’s memories of the 1967 Chicago snow were snow tunnels and igloos and cars buried on shut down expressways and a Lutheran grade school principal who never called a snow day in his life giving in and calling it a day – or two depending on how we “old timers” remember it.  Epiphany 4b is halfway between Christmas and Lent where memories of tinsel and tree are dim and Ash Wednesday is four weeks away. In Deuteronomy speaking a word about God remembers the past and anticipates the future.  In the psalm God remembers the covenant and asks us to do the same. The apostle Paul is willing to give up whatever is necessary to include those who would be excluded by their piety. And in the Gospel Jesus calls out an unclean spirit from a man in the synagogue but given what will happen to him he might have been better served by doing an exorcism on the scribes.  

Epiphany 4b - Mark 1:21-28

Mark 1:21-28
Speaking as a scribe – with an unclean spirit - I‘m not sure what to think about this. I’m not saying I’m possessed; unless we’re talking about pride which more often than not is just the disguise worn by self-doubt. Truth is we are all possessed by unclean spirits, from overeating to overwork to sleeping one’s life away and as it turns out present day pastor scribes are no different than people in the pew especially when they pretend to be as holy as people in the pew might want them to be. I know I am taking this story in a direction it never intended to go but it occurs to me that the key to life in Christ was understood by the unclean spirits and rejected by the scribes. The unclean spirits “obeyed him.” The scribes crucified him. The good news for scribes with unclean spirits is that the Holy One of God did not come to destroy us but to give us life and love and freedom by calling us to come out of our places of possession. What is this? A new teaching? Maybe so. So obey and be free.

Epiphany 4b - 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Differences in theology and practice rarely lead one side to change behavior so as not to offend the other. The more natural course of action is to demonize the opposition and become more firmly entrenched in the absolute truth of one’s own position. Meat sacrificed to idols was a big deal for those who all their life had been taught that destruction follows consumption and God’s righteous judgment could only be appeased by ritual purity. Even the apostle Peter cried, “Heaven forbid” when offered shrimp on the sheet! (Acts 10:14) Paul’s use of the term “weak believers” is not meant to denigrate their faith but merely point out that their trust in the mercy of God is not quite as free from constraints as is Paul’s and because he sees Christ in every believer, weak, strong and in-between he refrains from practicing his freedom so as not to offend. Maybe if we were to think of each other as family, claimed by Christ for whom and through whom all things exist, we would stop sinning against each other by always insisting on having it our way.

Epiphany 4b - Psalm 111

Psalm 111
The gracious and merciful Lord is ever mindful of his covenant, which is to say God remembers us even if we forget to give thanks with our whole heart. Of course the covenant is a two way street even if God does most of the heavy lifting.  And while we are always on the receiving end of God’s forever covenant of redemption it is God’s intention that in remembering us we would remember God and grow in grace becoming the faithful and just works of God’s hands.  When we practice the beginning of wisdom, which is to recognize God in the everyday and the extraordinary, God rejoices and our whole life is transformed into praise.  

Epiphany 4b - Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Deuteronomy 18:15-20
I speak “a word” about God everyday without worrying about the Deuteronomy consequences. But maybe in light of the warning (and even within the relative safety of the scriptures as the sole rule and authority and the constraint of the creeds) I should pause before speaking any more “words” about God as Gospel truth. After all God is beyond knowing and anything I might say about God is from my limited knowledge – we know in part and prophesy in part. (1 Corinthians 13:9) But then how can God be known unless we speak (Romans 10:14) So if I have misrepresented God in my preaching and teaching I hope I erred on the side of mercy and not judgment and I am betting my life that the cross will cover a multitude of misspeaks, though I have no doubt this prophet will one day die – though pray God not any time soon.