Pentecost 8a - Matthew 14:22-33

Matthew 14:22-33
I’m a little reluctant to argue with the Holy Scriptures but it seems to me a little faith goes a long way if it gets you to step out of a perfectly good boat in a storm. On the other hand what’s a little wind, even a strong one, when you are already walking on water? Maybe that’s the point. A little faith can get you out of the boat but it can’t keep you from sinking. Peter took his eyes off Jesus and suddenly the “Rock” was sinking like a stone. It is true for us as well when after a little while of enduring the storms of life, sorrow, pain, or loss, the winds of despair and the waves of grief lead us to doubt the goodness and the grace of God and we sink into the depths of despair. But in those times faith can cause one to cry out “Lord, save me!” so even when we are sinking a little faith goes a long way.  

Pentecost 8a - Romans 10:5-15

  Romans 10:5-15

“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek…” is as radical a statement as any Paul made. Israel was a nation specifically set apart to be God’s own people. The psalmist declares “God has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. He has done this for no other nation…” (Psalm 147:19-20) They were distinct from other people through adherence to the Mosaic Law, through a restrictive diet, by the practice of circumcision. They were warned repeatedly to remain pure to avoid the ruin of the nation, by God’s own hand no less! But now Paul declares the “new thing” that was promised through the prophet Jeremiah that even he could not have anticipated. The law that set Israel apart has itself been set aside for the sake of nations long denied equal access to the God of Israel. In Jesus Christ “God come down” the Word is as close as our own breath and the beating of our own heart. Of course we have made new distinctions; defining exactly how someone must “call on the name of the Lord to be saved” or what must be believed in order to qualify as one who will not “be put to shame.” Maybe we need an equally radical expression of the grace of God who apparently after a thousand years or so with Israel was willing to be less exclusive when it came to who qualifies as “my people.”



Psalm 85:8-13

Psalm 85:8-13
There is no peace when righteousness is held captive to self and salvation is defined by personal piety devoid of compassion or mercy. Salvation near to you is near to me for the way faithful people turn their hearts to God is to turn to neighbor. You cannot love God without loving neighbor. So when steadfast love and faithfulness meet together righteousness and peace engage in PDA (public display of affection) and the people prosper. That’s not to say all paths are the pathways to God. Jesus, betrayed by a friend with a kiss, is the righteousness that goes before the Lord so that in “Peace be with you” faithfulness might spring up in the most unexpected of places, the human heart.

Pentecost 8a - 1 Kings 19:9-18

1 Kings 19:9-18

In the previous chapter of 1 Kings, before the “very zealous for the Lord” Elijah crawled into the cave, he called down fire from heaven on wet wood that consumed both altar and sacrifice in a flash.  So why is he hiding in the hills? Maybe the “very zealous for the Lord” is not as zealous as he claims to be? So instead of fire and smoke on a mountain God speaks in a still, small voice, a whisper on the wind, to still the heart of the very zealous but fearful prophet. So it is with us who may have seen and believed the wonder of the Lord before but in a current crisis doubt that lightning can strike the same place twice. A still small voice, a whisper on the wind, calls to us to come out of hiding, to come out of fear, to come out of fretful forecasts of gloom and doom and believe that the Lord knows our need and will provide in the present as God has provided n the past.

Pentecost 7a - conclusion



It’s late in the day and I’m fixin to go ride my mare Seraphina as soon as the temperature drops below 100 degrees, which means I might be riding in the dark. Of course I wouldn’t mind giving up the ride if the clouds that have been gathering all day actually contained some rain. The texts for Pentecost 7a are all about God providing. Isaiah imagines captives with little or no resources feasting on bread and milk and wine without spending a dime. The psalmist sings of the gracious and compassionate God whose hands open wide provide food at the proper time. Paul would sacrifice himself for the sake of his kindred and by chapter 11 in Romans concludes God has done the same for the sake of Israel. And Jesus gives up his solitude to heal the clamoring crowd and before the day is done feeds 5000 and more as well. So pray that the promises contained in the Pentecost 7a texts might seed the clouds with rain that the parched land of Texas might once again rejoice.

Pentecost 7a - Matthew 14:13-21

Matthew 14:13-21
“When Jesus heard this he withdrew to a lonely place…” What Jesus heard was that his cousin John had been beheaded by Herod. Overcome by grief Jesus needs to get away. And maybe the Messiah also realized John’s violent death meant his days were numbered as well and the powers that be would not be satisfied stilling the voice of the Baptist but would come for the One who John claimed was “greater than me.” But Jesus can’t get away for long as the crowds clamor for more miracles, more entertaining parables, more in your face confrontations with Pharisees and temple big wigs. Compassion for the crowd calls him out of his own need for healing. The disciples short on vision and compassion would send the crowds away to fend for themselves in villages already closed for the night but Jesus has one more trick up his sleeve and multiplying a meager meal makes a feast of five loaves and two fish. If Jesus is the self expression of God’s personality then this is not a God who demands payment upfront but whose own need for solitude and quiet and healing can be interrupted by crowds well fed who not long from now will forsake “hosanna” for “crucify”.

Pentecost 7a - Romans 9:1-5

Romans 9:1-5
Despite Paul’s difficulties with his own people at whose hands he was stoned, beaten, whipped, imprisoned etc. he would still be willing to trade heaven for hell for their sake. Evangelism motivated by great sorrow and unceasing anguish with a willingness to be completely cut off from Christ for the sake of someone else embodies the mind and heart of Christ. He was cut off from the land of living, despised and rejected, a man of sorrow and familiar with grief for the sake of those who betrayed, denied, mocked and crucified him. Too often we act out of spiritual superiority, protecting sacred cows, human institutions and traditions, or personal piety etched in stone which even when well intentioned obscure the simple truth that the faith is mostly about mercy and a relationship with Christ is worth sharing for the sake of the relationship itself.

Pentecost 7a - Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21

Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21
Desires can be tricky, especially when having them fulfilled turns out to not be desirable at all. But the desires the Lord fulfils are not like the desires that promise much and deliver little, that satisfy self at the expense of others, that cost more than they are worth. The desire the Lord fulfills satisfies fully, for the deepest desire is to have the kind and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in love Lord near to us. In times of plenty and in times of want, when having fallen we need to be upheld or bowed down we need lifting up, the Lord opens wide the nail scarred hands that could not be destroyed by the wicked to satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart. And as with most things good and noble and praiseworthy our desires and the Lord’s are the same for the deepest desire of the Lord is simply to be near us.

Easter 7a - Isaiah 55:1-5

Isaiah 55:1-5
Isaiah encourages recently released captives who doubt the promises that motivated them to leave Babylon to hope in an offer they should remember. Rebuilding the ancient ruins will not be an easy task but the same promise that delivered them through the wilderness the first time around will deliver them now. Those who had nothing then were given everything so those who have nothing now should expect the same. But you don’t have to be poor to be thirsty as even those who have money to spare find themselves lacking the peace and comfort riches promise to afford. So we find in this word a promise to which we who have never known captivity come running for the Holy One of Israel who offers water, bread, wine and milk without price or cost is not restricted to a single nation but is a witness to all people.

Pentecost 6a - conclusion

We’ve just come back from a family gathering on Table Rock Lake in Branson, MO to celebrate my father’s 80^th birthday. We had marvelous meals, enjoyed fun and games, worship and prayer and on Thursday morning baptized my brother-in-law Bob in the lake. It was in every way a kingdom come time for which we are all grateful. In the texts for Pentecost 6a Solomon asks for the wisdom to discern between good and evil and is rewarded with riches and long life as well; the psalmist living in God’s mercy and loving the Lord’s commands weeps for those who neither understand or obey; the Spirit interceding for the saints means even the worst of times work together for good when the good is “nothing can separate” one from the love of God; and the parables of the mustard seed and yeast and hidden pearl are the wisdom Solomon sought, the life the psalmist lived and longed for others and the way God remains always present in things unexpected, things unseen and things worth having above all else.

Pentecost 6a - Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
Despite the disciple’s “Yes” what we understand about “all these things” is that we don’t really understand the kingdom. That is not to say we don’t know how to package new treasures in old and keep the kingdom safely within the boundaries of what we know, which usually means we make the kingdom of heaven conform to the kingdoms we create in our own image, That is true for Christians on both sides of the aisle, those who make social justice the defining characteristic as well as those who see the kingdom through the prism of personal piety. Truth is the kingdom cannot be contained by human constructs and like a mustard seed produces more than one could image while like yeast it works unseen and hidden like a pearl waits to be found.

Easter 6a - Romans 8:26-39

 Romans 8:26-39
“All things work together for good” is a bold statement in light of the laundry list of laments that follows. Hardship, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, and being killed all day like sheep led to slaughter sounds like bearing the cross on steroids. I don’t think “all things work together for good” means we should attach some deeper meaning to the suffering that is part and parcel with the human condition. Troublesome times come to the faithful and unfaithful alike, but for those who love God all things work together for good because of the “no separation clause” of the covenant. The good for which all things work together is that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. That means God cannot be separated from our suffering and endures hardship, distress, persecution, famine, etc, right along with us. We don’t desire difficult days or rejoice in our sufferings but we do find great courage and strength and enduring hope that even death cannot destroy the relationship we have with the One who sighs deeply for and with us.

Pentecost 6a - Psalm 119:129-136

Psalm 119:129-136
I think the psalmist weeps because the nature of God’s statues is not understood. They are not meant to be burdensome or arbitrary or restrictive of liberty. They are wonderful because they enrich relationships within the human community which is the way God is blessed. The law of the Lord is about living with each other in peace and harmony, celebrating the good gifts of life while together enduring difficulties with dignity and patience and enduring hope. A community living in the light of the Lord, who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, is redeemed from human oppression which is self centered and judgmental, quick to anger and consumed by hatred. But even secret sins we keep politely hidden diminish relationship and rob us of the joy of living the freedom the law offers. So the psalmist praying for mercy and panting for the commands of the Lord weeps streams of tears for those who do recognize the gift that God offers in the law.

Pentecost 6a - 1 Kings 3:5-12

1 Kings 3:5-12
It is a smart prayer for a boy who doesn’t know how to come or go and one wonders how he thought to pray it. You would expect him to pray for the life of his enemies since the boy had so many. And a long life generally follows praying a shorter one for one’s enemies. Riches almost always makes it to the top of the wish list and despite his estimation of God’s people as great a little extra cash is always appreciated. God is surprised and certainly quite pleased that this second son of Bathsheba and David’s badly begun union turns out to be a king worthy of the title. God grants Solomon understanding and a discerning mind and all the rest as well and for a time there really is no king like him. Unfortunately for Israel and I suppose God as well, Solomon gives up on the gift of discernment in favor of the counsel of foreign wives and the golden age of Israel ends with a kingdom divided between warring sons. It is the stuff of Shakespeare and the great Greek tragedies and more times than we care to admit our own tales of fortune and folly. It will take a long time but there will be a king who eclipses Solomon and all his splendor. He will never know riches and his life will be cut short by his enemies but in the end his poverty is our wealth and his death and resurrection the only hope for friend and enemy alike.

Pentecost 5a - conclusion

I’ve been blogging all week from Ebert Ranch Camp in the Texas Hill Country. Most of my day was spent helping the wranglers with the horses and encouraging confirmation youth to keep their hands on the reins with heels down and heads up. Back in the day, as they say, I was a camp counselor so I truly appreciate the young women and men who give up their summer to work long hours for little pay to share the love of Jesus with 7^th and 8^th graders. This year the community that was formed by their efforts and the work of the Holy Spirit was truly a foretaste of the feast to come and although the Hill Country was so dry it was fixin to blow away it was still a little slice of heaven. “Do not tremble and do not be afraid” is a good word when sitting on a horse or traversing the Ebert Ranch high ropes course, but truth is God’s word is for all of life’s ups and downs. The psalmist's “save me” is not the same as “whoa Nelly” but none-the-less believes the compassionate and gracious God will deliver. Like the apostle Paul and the church in Rome we experience the hope of the future in community shaped by the Spirit of God. And while some horses may act as weeds among the wheat a good wrangler can make a difference, which come to think of it is what Christ does with us.

Pentecost 5a - Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43

Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43
The first hearers of this word were no doubt encouraged by them. Justice will be done and love wins as good will triumph over evil. It is a good word for all who weary of a world infested by evil and the misery it causes, even if one hopes God’s judgment is tempered by mercy for weeds as well as wheat. In the end the job of judging between wheat and weeds is none of our business and naming good and evil us and them might just mean we have some weeds in our wheat as well. Maybe that is the point of the parable on a more personal level. We are weed and wheat, saint and sinner, and only God can pull out one without uprooting the other.

Pentecost 5a - Romans 8:12-25

Romans 8:12-25

The sufferings of the present may not be worth comparing with the glory of the future, but when subjected to futility we groan as in labor, waiting patiently is not as easy as Paul would make it seem. Which is why we are in debt to hope, charging to the future what we cannot afford in the present so that these bodies decaying day by day might anticipate the forever future banquet long before the party has started. The nature of faith is to look past the present difficulties, without denying that they cause us to groan, by keeping our eyes on the prize, which is the day when sorrow and sighing will flee and groaning will cease. In the meantime we wait with eager expectation, albeit patiently, by going deeper in debt to hope.  



Easter 5a - Psalm 86:11-17

Psalm 86:11-17

The psalmist looks to the Lord, gracious and full of compassion, in the face of violent people intent on doing bodily harm. Maybe it’s not such a good thing that God is slow to anger and full of kindness when the arrogant rise up against you. One might be better served by a great God of might to smite the evil doers. But then all that is needed is a sign of God’s favor that those who hate will be put to shame, which truth to be told, is where redemption begins for us as well. Not the kind of shame that leads to destructive behavior or self loathing. No, it is the sign of God’s favor that exposes the self that is less true than self on the other side of shame. Arrogance is shamed by humility, violence by peace, hatred by love so that the wicked forsake their ways and set their eyes on the Lord. There is only one sign that can accomplish such things, the sign upon which the child of the Lord’s handmaid was crucified.

Pentecost 5a - Isaiah 44:6-8



Isaiah 44:6-8

The God of Israel is throwing it down in the deity ring. The first, the last, there is no other like me, is laying claim to big G god status. Even though the golden age of Solomon was not solid 14 K and compared to the great civilizations of history hardly merits mention, the Word of the Lord declares otherwise. The One who says “there is no other” is telling the truth. Maybe the proof is that today we praise the God of Israel and not the gods of Assyria or Babylon or Rome. The word for the small and of no account is “do not be afraid” which is the way this God is like no other. Small g gods are magnified by great civilizations. The big G god magnifies a nation and people of no account.



Pentecost 4a - conclusion

This is the sower and the seed and the good soil Sunday, speaking of which, I’ve got 128 cubic feet of composting horse manure looking for a home. Pastor Kyle said I should sell it as Pastor Phil’s Holy S##t, but I’d be glad to give it away and will even deliver it to your door.  In the Isaiah text the people of God composted through the hardship of captivity will return home rejoicing to blossom like a well tended garden. The psalmist sings as transgressions that overwhelm are forgiven and the people of God are graced like fields rich with harvest.  For Paul the “there is no condemnation” clause leads one to set the mind on the Spirit where life is made possible by the death of Christ. And in the Gospel seeds are sown without regard to the state of the soil although we trust that the by-product of producing crops is hard paths softened and shallow soil deepened and thorns weeded out. Speaking of by-products…



Pentecost 4a - Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23

Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23
Good soil does not happen by itself and even without the effort of cultivation is the result of flood or glacier or volcanic eruption. Something happens to make good soil. Hard path and rocky ground and thorn infested field take heart. It’s not your fault. Of course we all hope we are good soil, hearing and understanding and producing bumper crops. But if you are like me you have good soil days and bad, times of rejoicing in the word and times of spiritual drought, times of inner peace and contentment and times when choked by cares and concerns you’re doing well to just get out of bed.  The good news is that the seed is sown despite the state of our soil. That’s because the consistent sower sows seed as if it was grown on trees and doesn’t seem to understand or care about the economics of agriculture. You don’t waste seed where it doesn’t have a prayer to produce. Some would rename this parable the parable of the soils but I think it’s still all about the sower who recklessly scatters the seeds of hope and peace and love and life everywhere, no matter what, and hopes that on good days or bad, we’ll do the same.

Pentecost 4a - Romans 8:1-11

Romans 8:1-11
“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” even when those who are in Christ Jesus continue to set their minds on the things of the flesh. That is because the “no condemnation” clause is due to “thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 7:25) and not a result of anything we have done or not done as in “I do not understand my own actions. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” (Romans 7:15) However, the experience of “life and peace” is a direct result of setting the mind on the things of the Spirit. This “setting of the mind” is an orientation towards one thing or another. Either you believe you are loved by God period end of sentence or you don’t. Behavior follows belief not vice versa. So to live fully into the Spirit begins with a confidence that the “no condemnation” clause remains in effect even when our minds are hostile to God. That is the radical nature of grace and the risk God takes in dying for ungodly, God-hating sinners before getting a prenuptial. (Romans 5:6,8,10)

Pentecost 4a - Psalm 65

White Crucifixion - Marc Chagall - 1938 

Psalm 65



“When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us” we look to the Lord to forgive our transgressions and “save us from weak resignation to the evils we deplore”. (God of Grace and God of Glory - vs. 4 - LBW 415) The psalmist could not have imagined the awesome deed by which God would get the job done and so sings of God girded with might, whose strength established the mountains and silenced the roaring of the seas. But it was God in Christ Jesus who was overwhelmed by our transgressions as the One who established the mountains and silenced the seas struggled to climb a hill where with his last cry the whole world was stilled. But if that is where it ends it would hardly be a source of hope. As it is death could contain the One who established the earth and breaking free from the grip of the grave set us free as well so that we might be overwhelmed by grace and God might "cure your children’s warring madness and bend our will to your control.” (God of Grace and God of Glory vs.3)



Pentecost 4a - Isaiah 55:10-13

Isaiah 55:10-13
Isaiah 55 begins with a word that goes out from the Lord’s mouth as an invitation to the thirsty to come and buy, without money and without cost, food and drink that delights. It is a word for a recently released captive people returned to Zion and suffering under the weight of harsh conditions while attempting to rebuild a ruined country. As sure as the seasons, Isaiah tells them, God’s word will water your work and even the mountains and hills will sing while the trees and fields keep the beat.  It is a word that requires faith, which is not the same proof, but without the word of hope the wicked return to their ways  and the unrighteous their thoughts which leads inevitably to despair. To hope in the Lord, to trust the promise, is to anticipate the everlasting sign, which is not yet and at the same time already, which means we sing the future song even while the fields are choked by thistles and the hills covered with briers.

Pentecost 3a - conclusion

I’ve been going to H2 Burger Co (taking burgers to a higher level) on Fridays for lunch. It’s located in the Red Goose Saloon on Houston and according to a recent review “When you first enter, be prepared – it is a bar…” I keep going back because the chef comes up with a specialty burger every week. Today was the H2 burger topped with Quail sautéed in cognac with pancetta and juniper berries and topped with Mission Fig jelly, micro mustard greens and Cabernet cream reduction sauce. I don’t know if it qualifies as a Jesus joint, but it’s as close as this sinner can get to burger heaven. The Gospel sets the stage for engaging the world where it lives rather than remaining separate as Jesus ate and drank in ways that made the respectable folks call him a glutton and drunkard. But if Zion’s daughters are to rejoice and the works of God’s hands experience grace and compassion then not a single “wretched man that I am” can be left out, which of course includes those who spend as much time inside the church as outside.

Pentecost 3a - Matthew 11:16-19; 25-30



Matthew 11:16-19; 25-30

Even John who “came neither eating nor drinking” wondered about his cousin Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:3) but then Messiahs are held to higher standards than mere mortals. The people who institutionalized the Exodus, ritually recounting God’s intervention through plagues and parted sea, expected the great I AM to show up in the same way the second time round, but the mold of the Passover was broken by the perfect Lamb who turns out to be a drinking man, friend of tax collectors and sinners. Oh vey! What was God thinking? It is clear that in Jesus God is operating outside the religious box of his day, which should give the wise and intelligent of our time reason enough to rethink the ways we try to make the one accused of being a glutton and drunkard more respectable. Not that wisdom is vindicated by excess in food or drink but rather in extravagant hospitality that befriends even those who burdened their own people for a profit or whose lifestyle made them ritually clean. There is no where God will not go to invite the weary and heavy burdened to come and find rest and in doing so hopes Pharisees of every generation will do the same.

Pentecost 3a - Romans 7:13-25

Romans 7:13-25
Ignorance is bliss and if not for the law we would be blissfully ignorant of sin. As it is the law makes us painfully aware of sin’s death grip around our lives as we with Paul lament “I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” But this confession is not the conclusion of the matter as if we were given a spiritual loophole for bad behavior. That is because Paul is not concerned primarily with the actions of the body but rather the inclination of the heart. “These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13) is how God describes those who hide evil intent behind the mask of outward piety. Since the locus of the rebellious nature of the human being is a refusal to be fully human (and by that I mean to be satisfied being creature without lusting after Creator status) then Paul’s cry, “wretched man that I am” is far more serious than simple behavior modification can resolve.  So where does that leave us? Some would say it leaves us in the lurch and we’ll live our whole lives struggling with temptations beyond our ability to control which in the end leads one to despise God or despair altogether. No. The conclusion of the matter comes in the verses that follow, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2) We do not have to pay our way by penance or accept the way we are is the way we always will be or reject the system as a set up. The resolution of “wretched man that I am” is “there is now no condemnation” which is blissfully, a change of heart.

Pentecost 3a - Psalm 145:8-14

Psalm 145:8-14
If all of the Lord’s works praised and the faithful ones blessed and those who fell down looked to be lifted up the Lord wouldn’t need to be nearly as gracious and compassionate and slow to anger. As it is even the Lord’s own people push the Lord to the limit as if slow to anger did not have a tipping point. That doesn’t mean the Lord is stuffing until one day even the Almighty can’t help but vent all over creation. No, it means the Lord’s nature as gracious and compassionate is infinitely more patient with us than we are with each other or ourselves for that matter. The gracious and compassionate nature of the Lord overflows in steadfast love that will not abandon us despite our fickle nature and willful ways. So does the Lord have a tipping point? Not in the way that we do but there comes a time when the Lord leaves us to the destructive works of our hands and minds, a spiritual timeout if you will, until lost and alone, bowed down by the burden of our pride or malice or greed or envy or apathy or lust we turn back to the Lord and experience again the steadfast love that upholds and lifts us up.

Pentecost 3a - Zechariah 9:9-12

Zechariah 9:9-12
On the day that Jesus rode Zechariah’s vision into Jerusalem the daughters of Zion shouted “Hosanna!” and for a moment the prisoners of Roman rule and Pharisaical piety were released and returned to the stronghold of hope. A week later the triumphant and victorious king was humbled by the cross and the only blood of the covenant to be seen was his. But then kings riding on donkeys are consistently cut down by chariots drawn by war horses and humility is not the chief characteristic of one who commands nations to “study war no more”. What the dominions and the daughters could not imagine was that war horses and battle bows and the bars of the waterless pit could not contain this king who breaking free from the grip of death became for us the stronghold of hope to which we return again and again. If you trust in power you will be disappointed. If you trust in wealth you will be corrupted. If you trust in self you will be deceived. To be a prisoner of hope is to held captive to a vision of a king who is more humble than we are.

Pentecost 2a - conclusion

I write a song for our mission trip Bible verse every year. In recent years I’ve written words to existing songs like Green Day’s “Holiday” or Train’s “Hey Soul Sister”. This year I heard my son Joshua playing Israel Kamakawiwoʻole’s version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” on his ukulele and wrote new lyrics based on Micah 6:8. You can give it go if you like.

    What does the Lord require of you today?
    Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with your God

Do justice means we start to act

In ways we would not but for Christ who’s gone before
And then he’ll have you go where you don’t want to
but you know that’s where you’ll always find Him - chorus

The world is not a pretty place
that’s full of love and life and grace but Christ is there
So kindness is the way we show Christ’s love to all
And that is where we’ll always find Him - chorus
 

To walk with God the humble way

is without doubt in harmony with Christ our Lord
And so we live not for ourselves but everyone who’s looking still
so they will find Him 

It seemed an ironic choice of melodies for the work we were doing but then in many ways the children of the Nelson Center dream of a place where dreams that you dare to dream really do come true and. As is so often the case the texts for Pentecost 2a could not have been more fitting for our week. Jeremiah’s tell it like it is and don’t sugar coat the reality of captivity means we can sing with the Ethan the Ezrahite of the Lord’s love forever even when lives are less than lovely. And the new relationship of freedom in the Romans text is the reward of offering a cup of cold water to one of these little ones, though truth to be told we were the ones who were thirsty.

Pentecost 2a - Matthew 10:37-42

Matthew 10:37-42
“…and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones…” I’ve been living this text with our youth (which includes my son Josh and daughter Mary Ruth who btw I love at least as much as Jesus) while on our annual youth led mission trip. This year we built a privacy fence and a covered deck and ran a Vacation Bible School at The Nelson Center in Denton, TX. The center serves severely emotionally disturbed children many of whom have experienced extreme physical, emotional and sexual abuse. You might think in serving we’ve taken up the cross to follow but I think it’s the cross that took us up. We lost our lives for Jesus’ sake to children who are thirsty to not be defined by what’s been done to them. In many ways we are incredibly naïve to think that one week can make any kind of difference but the truth is finding the life Jesus talks about happens incrementally for all of us. Every moment of grace, no matter how brief, is its own reward. I know we’ll go home tomorrow changed by this experience and we hope and pray that our serving was worthy, not of Christ, but of the children which of course is the same thing.

Pentecost 2a - Romans 6:12-23

Romans 6:12-23
The “therefore” of Romans 6:12 is made possible by the new relationship with God that begins with death. Not the kind of death that in the end everyone dies. Not a “wages of sin” death either, the kind of death that withers the soul when as slaves to self we receive no advantage from things of which we should rightly be ashamed. No, the death that makes “therefore” possible is a death for life, if you will. Jesus dies first, as Paul writes in Romans chapter five, while we were weak, while we were still sinners, while were God-haters, so that reconciled with God we might also dare to die. Dying with Christ we die to self and are born into a life of righteousness, which is not nearly as narrow as some make it out to be. It is not a life bound by law, limited by piety, constrained by rigid rules. It is a life bound by justice, limited by kindness, constrained by humility. (Micah 6:8) Therefore, live as those who have died and have already been set free to live today the new life that is eternal.

Pentecost 2a - Psalm 89:1-4; 15-18

Psalm 89
Psalm 89 is a love song to the Lord written by Ethan the Ezrahite, a cymbal player in Solomon’s temple band. But his hymn of rejoicing was penned during Israel’s golden age and one wonders if anyone was still singing such a song when Solomon’s kingdom split between the lines his sons established, neither of which would last forever. The Northern Kingdom fell first never to rise again and while the Southern Kingdom survived captivity it would never know the glorious days of Solomon’s reign. That’s the trouble with “I could sing of your love forever” because of kingdoms and thrones established by the strength of sword and shield, even if the glory is given to God. To trust in God’s faithfulness forever is to sing, “I love you, Lord” when the enemy is at the gate and the city is overthrown and the temple is burned to the ground. That is true for us as well who love the Lord in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer. If we claim God’s love for us is unconditional then it follows that our love for God must be as well.

Pentecost 2 - Jeremiah 28:5-9

                                      The Prophet Jeremiah by Marc Chagall - 1968

Jeremiah 28:5-9

Jeremiah’s “Amen!” should be read as an “Oh really?” because the weeping prophet knows none of the exiles are coming home and the things that were taken are gone for good. Hananiah may have had his reasons to hope or he may have just been blowing smoke but it doesn’t matter because in a year he’ll be dead and peace will still be a pipe dream for the people weighed down by the iron yoke of Babylon. Not a very bright beginning for a Monday morning blog, but it’s not necessarily a doom and gloom vision like so much commentary on the state of the economy or the health of the planet or prospects for peace in the Middle East. Jeremiah prophesies political events but he is really speaking to the hearts and minds of individuals, calling them to turn back to the Lord, to forsake false hopes and not to trust in temporal power to save. Jeremiah is a truth teller and sometimes the most difficult thing to be told is the truth. But with the truth comes the opportunity to be renewed and reformed and restored. “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 God promises to be found by the exiles who seek the Lord, even while living under the iron yoke of Babylon. And so it is with us when we live beyond our limited vision and trust the plans God has for us.

Trinity Sunday Year A - Conclusion

Trinity Sunday is the only festival on the liturgical calendar dedicated to a doctrine and not a very easy one to understand at that. It was a hot topic in the fourth century, especially for those on the losing side of the conversation, but then the teaching of the unity of Father Son Spirit has been a major source of division, most famously the break between the Eastern and Western church in 1054. Today we confess the creed without much thought to the difficulty of defining three persons with one essence though this Sunday preachers will try to explain the mystery in such a way as to make it less mysterious, while hopefully avoiding any number of heresies. At Calvary we make our interns preach on Trinity Sunday just in case they are heretics in pastor clothing. Maybe letting the mystery of Father Son Spirit remain unexplained is the best way to celebrate the God beyond knowing whose unconditional love is revealed in creation and cross and confession of faith.  

Trinity Sunday Year A - Matthew 28:16-20

Matthew 28:16-20
I wonder how many disciples who “worshipped him” were included in the “some doubted” list. Since “some” is more than a couple and generally considered equal to if not slightly more than a few (which is five) almost half of the eleven, if not slightly more, are doubting worshipers. It’s not a very promising start for baptizing and teaching all nations to obey everything Jesus has commanded, which I’m guessing might include believe in me. Since I’m in such good company I’ll confess that I am no stranger to doubt and if I have to believe everything in the Bible as gospel truth I’m willing to acknowledge outright disbelief. But if the “some who doubted” disciples were willing to bet their lives on something they hadn’t quite figured out it must have been because they trusted the “I am with you always” without working out the details or understanding the how or the why which in the end is what worshipping faith is all about anyway. And that I do not doubt.

Trinity Sunday Year A - 2 Corinthians 13:11-13

2 Corinthians 13:11-13
These are the last recorded words of Paul to the contentious Corinthians. The beginning of this short chapter anticipates a third visit to Corinth and warns of harsh words for those who refuse to reform their willful ways. Paul doesn’t pull any punches and promises not to spare “those who sinned earlier or any of the others.” He asserts this authority from God for the building up of this gifted congregation, not for its tearing down, and makes one last appeal for them to put aside differences and live at peace with one another. Paul’s last words to the Corinthians are the first words we speak in the liturgy to remind us that we gather in the name of the God of love and peace. There are some things that are not optional for those who claim the name of Christ. The holy kiss may have fallen out of use (except between couples sharing the same pew) but if we are going to be the church the sharing of peace never can.

Trinity Sunday Year A - Psalm 8

Psalm 8
The God of majesty and might, who flung the stars and moon into the sky and with imagination gone wild created all creatures great and small, is mindful of mortals. It’s a good thing because the crown of creation has chaffed at being a “little lower than God” and desiring more glory and honor has generally made a mess of things. Being mindful does not mean keeping an eye on us, as if the majestic name needed to worry. But the works of God’s hands could use a little relief from human domination and I imagine a good bit of creation “under our feet” wishes we would walk a little more softly. Maybe we should be more mindful of things created a little lower in the same way God does.

Trinity Sunday Year A - Genesis 1:1-2:4

Genesis 1:1-2:4

“In the beginning God created…” seems to divide the Trinity by function, the Father calling forth Creation while the Son and Spirit wait in the wings for the Cross and Pentecost. The two creeds we confess liturgically, the Apostle’s and Nicene, don’t help in that “I believe in God the Father” appears to give sole credit for creation to the first person of the Trinity. There was a time when we trotted out the Athanasian Creed on Trinity Sunday but it’s fallen out of favor due most likely to its length and perhaps the damning to hell all things Arian. Arius argued that a son by definition must come from a father and so there is a time when a son (even the Son of God) is not.  Athanasius disagreed in no uncertain terms. God is and always was Father, Son, Spirit all at the same time in every way from before the beginning. We don’t have a lot of scripture to lean on as the doctrine of the Trinity was not as important in the beginning of the church as it came to be a century or so later. But you might have noticed that in the creation account God creates humankind in the image of “us” and while that is not proof for the doctrine of the Trinity you could read it that way, in which case Athanasius would applaud and Arius might understandably roll over in his grave. 

Pentecost Year A - conclusion

A few weeks ago I started getting emails from my RunKeeper app. I hadn’t run with the Keeper for two weeks and the RK app was wondering if it could help by offering motivational strategies for getting back on track. If RK were a person I could have told it I was running the treadmill because it’s June and I live in Texas but instead I deleted the messages and changed my settings to keep the Keeper quiet in my absence.  The Day of Pentecost comes as a reminder of all that Jesus said and motivated by wind and fire there was no stopping the disciples from speaking. The psalm reminds us even the great Leviathan needs the Lord who provides for all of creation’s wonderful works. The gifts of the Spirit are given for the common good so that one encourages the other to stay with the program. And Jesus in John literally inspires the disciples, breathing on them the Spirit which is the only motivation faith ever needs.

Pentecost Year A - John 20:19-23

John 20:19-23
John’s Pentecost arrives with less fanfare than Luke’s but perhaps with greater weight. No rushing wind, no tongues of fire, no speaking in languages not learned, just Jesus breathing the Holy Spirit on disciples. If Luke imagines the reversal of the tower of Babel (where language was confused) John wants us to go back to the very beginning where the breath of God animated the dust formed in God’s image. The disciples, formed in the image of Jesus, animated by the Spirit, are to forgive (or not) and their granting of forgiveness (or withholding) has the final say. That raises a few questions and we wish Jesus would have said a little more. On what basis is forgiveness offered or denied? What if I forgive someone who you don’t or vice versa? Is this earthly or eternal? Does forgiveness extend beyond the boundaries of the church or is this only pew to pew coverage? If you’re looking for me to answer my own questions you’re out of luck. All I will say is that when Peter asked Jesus a question to quantify the extent of forgiveness Jesus answered with mathematics. Forgiveness errs on the side of mercy at least 70 x 7 of time.

Pentecost Year A - 1 Corinthians 12:3-13

1 Corinthians 12:3-13
Spiritual gifts are given for the common good even if the Corinthians, puffed up with pride, can’t see the common good for the gifts. Focused on the cult of self they elevate tongues of angels above the language of love and miss the point completely. The whole body is weakened when one member claims to be more important than the rest. Variety is the spice of life and the strength of the church when we recognize it is the Spirit who allots to each the gifts that serve the common good. In the same way that grace is freely given so God gives  gifts not based on merit but on need, which means the proper response to being gifted is to say “thank you” not “look at me!” That being said and at the risk of contradicting the apsotle Paul, the spiritual gift that best serves the Lutheran common good is whoever makes the coffee on Sunday morning.

Pentecost Year A - Psalm 104:

Psalm 104:24-34
What might it mean that the Leviathan, formed to folic, is terrified despite its size when “you hide your face?” The psalmist imagines all creatures great and small recognize the ground of all being and forever connected to the source of life depend on the Almighty just as much as we do. Of course they praise God as they are able and in the case of the Humpback Leviathan give praise by breaking free of the sea for a moment. The psalm doesn’t say so but I imagine God laughs out loud at the sight of it. And so it is with much smaller mammals created in the image of God who breaking free of all that binds renew the face of the earth by mimicking the God who formed us out of the dust of the earth.  The praise that is pleasing to the Lord is to open our hands and satisfy the hungry with good things and to sing the song of salvation with our whole life, laughing out loud at the wonder of God’s many works.

Pentecost Year A - Acts 2:1-21

Acts 2:1-21
Peter denies being drunk based on the hour of the day but when it comes to the Holy Spirit it’s always noon somewhere. Lutherans, as a rule, prefer to drink in private and tend to be suspicious of outward signs of spiritual intoxication. That’s the way the crowd responded when the rush of a violent wind blew down the doors of  the language barrier and men of Galilee started speaking like a Rosetta Stone® commercial. Amazed and perplexed the crowd none-the-less listened and by the end of Peter’s sermon a whole bunch were baptized into the new faith that was really a movement of the Holy Sprit to bring God’s vision into focus so the dream of God might come true in the here and now. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female for all are one in Christ Jesus. This present unity anticipates the future where one vast multitude of every tribe and race, creed and color, language and tongue sings the same language of praise. Even if you remain suspicious of some of the story, (tongues of fire and not a hair out of place) the point Peter made to the crowd is what we are to take away as well. The Spirit has been let loose and from now on sons and daughters and old men and women will be getting drunk on the Holy Spirit morning, noon and night.

Easter 7a - conclusion

Last night, June Holden, a dear saint of God and tireless worker in the kingdom, peacefully entered the hope that sustained her throughout this life. She was surrounded by her children, who despite the sorrow of separation, sped her on her way with tears and kisses and well wishes. Now we with limited sight and knowledge, peering through the mirror dimly, can only wonder at what she sees clearly - beauty beyond description, peace beyond imagination, perfect love beyond comprehension.  We are left like the disciples standing on the mountain where just a moment ago Jesus disappeared into a cloud. Not quite sure what to do they stood still and stared until an angel reminded them there was work to do while they waited for Jesus to return.  We too after having said goodbye for a time to those we love have work to do until our time to cross comes. The psalmist sings of that work where God provides for widows and orphans and the lonely through the people refreshed and rejoicing.  Peter reminds his people the family of faith throughout world shares their suffering so casting anxieties upon the God who cares is a communal exercise. And when we live more fully into Jesus’ prayer “may they be one” we anticipate the day where with perfect harmony we will sing the forever future song. Well done, June, good and faithful servant. Enjoy the promised rest.

Easter 7a - John 17:1-11

John 17:1-11
It is a shame we haven’t lived the prayer of Jesus, “so that they may be one” in a way the world can see. Instead the church that Jesus prayed to be protected from the world might need to be protected from itself as denominations and non-denominations (which have become denominations unto themselves) divide and disagree to protect thought and word despite the fact that their deeds are often less than pure. And truth to be told even those who elevate unity above all else live less of it than they like to believe.  But then the people who were present as Jesus prayed didn’t do much better. Certain men from James, the brother of the Lord, criticized Peter (the Rock no less) for eating with non-Jews and he withdrew from doing what he knew was right. Paul didn’t hold back from expressing his displeasure with the Jerusalem triad, those “reputed to be pillars” and his letters detail the difficulty believers had in making “every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” So I suppose we should not be surprised when the ways of the world creep into the culture of the church. That doesn’t mean we can’t live more fully into Jesus’ prayer, even while remaining loyal to the denominational lines we love. If we understood being one as singing together in harmony then every note in the Christian chorus has a place in the choir and as long as we don’t insist on our note being the best perhaps the world would hear a different tune coming out of the church and want to listen, or maybe even sing along.

Easter 7a - 1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11

1 Peter 4:12-14 5:6-11
In the middle of these passages about fiery ordeals and insults and roaring lions on the prowl is the passage that makes standing firm possible. “Cast all your anxieties on God who cares for you.” The ability to “cast” depends on trusting God cares for us despite all that tends to increase anxiety. For Peter’s people it was organized persecution intent on stamping out the followers of the crucified and now reportedly resurrected Jewish rebel. Our anxieties are not produced by persecution but that doesn’t mean we do not experience them as fiery ordeals or roaring lions. Relationships gone sour, jobs lost or threatened, more bills than income at the end of the month, cells that rebel and multiply, fears without and within, all of it produces anxiety that steals our sleep and colors our world in shades of gray until we despair of life itself. To lay the blame on lack of faith merely adds to the anxious list which is why Peter reminds his people “the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” To humble oneself is to admit you can't go it alone which is why we’re in this thing together. Anxiety is diminished when shared as God intended casting cares on Christ to be a communal exercise.