Pentecost 13a - Psalm 103:1-13

Psalm 103:1-13

It is easy to bless the Lord, O my ssy to bless th eLord oul on a beautiful day like today in Fort Worth, TX. 78 degrees and sunny with a slight breeze is a benefit I will not forget, especially next week when triple digits are forecasted to return for one last hurrah. The psalmist satisfied with good things and filled with youthful energy remembers sins forgiven and diseases healed, which means there were days when benefits were hard to find and blessings too few to number. But the love of the Lord can be counted on to be steady and constant precisely because our lives are not.  Which is why my thoughts and prayers turn this beautiful day in Fort Worth to people all over Texas battling fires started by high winds and low humidity and devastating drought. We count on lives redeemed from the grave so that in times of ease or difficulty, abundance or want, justice or oppression, beauty or devastation we remember we belong to the Lord and all our times are in God’s hands. And in the meantime we pray for rain.

Pentecost 13a - Genesis 50:15-21

Genesis 50:15-21

This is the happy ending to a story of sibling rivalry that led to violence and treachery and a father’s broken heart. It is as much our story as it is theirs. Like Jacob favoring Joseph because he grieves the death of Joseph’s mother Rachael we often do not anticipate the chain of events that follow in the wake of our grief. While Joseph can’t be blamed for being thrown down the well it was his boasting that pushed his brothers over the edge. We often speak in ways unbecoming without considering others. The violence and deceit that broke Jacob’s heart is the tragic consequence of jealously unchecked. This too is our story as from Cain and Abel to the present human beings would seem to be predisposed to violence. But the happy ending is our story as well. Jacob blesses Joseph’s sons before he dies and maybe repents of that colored coat and the misery it brought.  Joseph humbled by his journey from favored son to slave to master of Egypt’s grain surprises his fearful brothers and the family torn apart by deceit is restored in shared tears. It might read like a fairy tale but the truly happy ending to this story flows from a Father’s broken heart over his children’s warring madness who showing no favorites takes on the form of a servant to suffer the harm of the cross in order to preserve more than just “a numerous people.” It is God’s hope that knowing what we know we would be more inclined to live the end of story than the part that comes more naturally to us.

Pentecost 12a - conclusion

The LSU Tigers and the Oregon Ducks are in Fort Worth, Texas for the Cowboy Classic. It’s easy to tell the difference. The Ducks are the ones molting in the Texas heat. The Tigers are purring in the low humidity. Of course it won’t matter when they play tomorrow in the Jerry Dome (the world’s largest sports bar) as it is air conditioned and the way the Dallas Cowboys play the temperature is always lukewarm. (Ouch!) Sport rivalries lead to all sorts of shenanigans and even pleasant people who give others the benefit of the doubt can act in ways unbecoming when scores are kept. It would appear that God is keeping score of rights and wrongs and holding Ezekiel responsible for recording them but would be willing to award extra points for hearts in the right place. The Psalmist dreads disgrace but delights in fair play and even if the outcome is less than favorable welcomes a judgment that is just. “Love does no wrong to neighbor” might not be in the playbook tomorrow but playing by the rules will be and in some ways that is the same thing. And finally the proscription for church discipline is obviously not the same as the regulated violence on the gridiron, but then again it would appear that a game based entirely on violence is able to control conflict whereas a movement based entirely on peace can’t seem to escape it. (Ouch!)

Pentecost 12a - Matthew 18:15-20

Matthew 18:15-20
The Matthew 18 step by step process for promoting harmony in the church is often cited but rarely followed, at least in the order Jesus intended. More often than not we stop speaking to the one who has offended us while “venting” to one or two others who then spread it around the church until it gets back to the source of the sin. Along the way some will side with the sinner and the church becomes embroiled in a conflict that was originally a private matter between two people. Meanwhile the pagans and tax collectors look on and laugh and wonder why in the world anyone would want to belong to such a dysfunctional family. But maybe that is where the trouble starts for us. We all say the church is made up of sinners but then seem surprised when members of the church sin against each other. Let’s just own our dysfunctional status and agree that conflict in the church is the inevitable result of putting sinners in the same room and expecting them to get along without telling the truth to each other. But Jesus hopes that his love for us will lead to our loving him and our loving him will inevitably lead to loving the other sinners in the room enough to do a difficult thing. The reason you go in private to the one who has sinned against you is because you love Jesus and Jesus loves the dysfunctional family that bears his name.

Pentecost 12a - Romans 13:8-14

Romans 13:8-14

It is not a debt we care to own up to as loving neighbor as yourself is not as sweet as it sounds. First of all we hardly love ourselves, although we like ourselves well enough to fulfill desires as if they were needs. We almost always neglect the “neighbor” as defined by the parable of the Good Samaritan and avoid contact with them when we can. We don’t even fully love those who love us, withholding a certain amount of capital in reserve, fearful that full commitment may lead to personal bankruptcy. That’s the truth. Fear drives the process and love demands more than anyone is willing to pay. If it came easy we’d be better at it and the Bible wouldn’t have to talk about it so much. But as it is we are reluctant to love fully, especially when it means we have to sacrifice time or energy or pay real dollars on the debt. There are some who recklessly disregard conventional wisdom and even if they had a rainy day fund would have spent it long ago on the needs of others. We call them saints and most of them are dead or in prison or live in ways the rest of us do not care to live, thank you, very much. They do inspire us, though, don’t they? Maybe enough to put ourselves on a payment plan to pay down the debt of love we can never repay. For the Jesus who inspires saints to live with and love neighbors not like themselves died to save us all and rose to pay the debt the law demanded.

Pentecost 12a - Psalm 119:33-40

Psalm 119:33-40

The way of the Lord is life in all its fullness, but it doesn’t come naturally. Our hearts are more inclined to unjust gain and the falsehood of fooling ourselves with excuses. That is why the psalmist prays to be taught the ways of the Lord and led in the paths of righteousness and turned from falsehoods that promise much but deliver nothing. The Lord’s reproach is the truth about us, which is a good enough reason to dread it, but there is life on the other side of a just judgment which is why in our inmost being we long for the law of the Lord that is life.

Pentecost 12a - Ezekiel 33:7-11

Ezekiel 33:7-11
God gives Ezekiel an incentive to warn the wicked, “you will surely die” by tying the prophet’s fate to speaking the difficult word of warning. The “prophetic” voices of our time need no such encouragement to preach against wicked behavior. Many of them make a lucrative career out of warning others, although they spend most of their time preaching to the choir. There are some who risk ridicule by standing on street corners, like those in downtown Fort Worth, TX last Saturday night warning wicked movie goers and diners of the error of their ways, although personally I think they are misrepresenting the Jesus who ate and drank with prostitutes and tax collectors. The trouble is warnings fall on deaf ears without the benefit of a meaningful relationship and party poopers on street corners have little chance of saving anyone, save those who already considered themselves to be saved. But the Lord’s lament, “as surely as I live I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked” is not the same as “turn or burn” as the warning “why will you die?” is not as much a threat as it is an invitation to live. That is because the Jesus who spent a good bit of time cavorting with sinners decided dying for them was the only way the wicked and the ones who warn them would have a chance to live.

Pentecost 11a - conclusion

Phillip Sheridan’s comment about the Lone Star State “If I owned hell and Texas I would rent out Texas and live in hell” hits a little too close to home this summer. Some folks are saying the record drought will forever change the face of rural Texas as ranchers sold all their livestock because they ran out of water in July. The Brazos and Guadalupe have run dry in places and as one preacher lamented in Llano, TX, “Good Lord, help us, even the Johnson grass isn’t growing!” One of the good things that came out of the ELCA assembly in Orlando last week is that some Lutherans from Iowa met some Lutherans from Texas and heard firsthand about hard times for ranchers in Miles and Avoca and so are sending truckloads of hay to help them out.  The people I’ve met from the Panhandle and Rolling Plains and West Texas embody the faith of Jeremiah, who despite the difficult nature of his call never gave up trusting in the Lord. And like David those who depend on the right combination of sun and rain rely fully on God’s faithfulness. The kindness of Iowa farmers to Texas ranchers is the real life example of Romans 12 – contribute to the needs of the saints and extend hospitality to strangers. And like the Good News of the Gospel “great suffering and death” can be faced with faith only because “and on the third day rise” is the last word for Jesus and for us. We hope and pray the rains will come soon and those who have been spending the summer in hell with General Sheridan will come back to Texas in the fall.

Pentecost 11a - Matthew 16:21-28

Matthew 16:21-28

Peter thinks “the rock” upon which the church will be built should have a say so about its foundation and undergoing great suffering and death is not a part of Peter’s plan. You would think “and on the third day be raised” might make a difference, but it doesn’t. He’s a Galilean fisherman sailing in uncharted waters. He has witnessed miraculous healings and feedings and the transfiguration but the wind and waves freaked him out and made him sink even though he walked on water. When he gets the promotion from “one of the twelve” to CEO he’s already cashed in the keys of the kingdom and is looking forward to living large. The rebuke must have come as a surprise with the “blessed are you” ringing in his ears and while the Gospels do not record his immediate response Peter’s denial in the courtyard would indicate that the “and on the third day be raised” still hadn’t sunk in.  It is true for us as well. We do not wish sorrow away by the power of positive thinking. We cannot revise reality by saying the half empty glass is half full. Half full is the same as half empty in that there is 50 % less to drink. And of course we cannot avoid the inevitability of death. No. The suffering is great. The death is real. Which is why only “and on the third day be raised” can address the very things to which Peter, and we ourselves, say, “God forbid it, Lord!” The power of the resurrection is that it is the only thing that can deny death the last word about us which is why we dare to lose our lives before death can speak.

Pentecost 11a - Romans 12:9-21

Romans 12:9-21

This is Paul’s flesh and blood bullet list for the life of spiritual worship that is a holy and acceptable living sacrifice. (Romans 12:1) It is a renewed mind conformed to the way of Christ and not the pattern of this world. But the living sacrifice life is a delicate balancing act. If we hold too fast to what is good haughtiness follows on its heels. If we do not hold fast enough we cling to what is evil and neglect what is good. Boot Camp Aubree (LA Fitness instructor, Hurst, TX) says that balance is an illusion the body is always making adjustments to maintain. I say when you’ve worked at it as long as Aubree the illusion is reality and when she stands on one foot (with the other on her head ) one cannot tell the difference between a thousand tiny adjustments and standing perfectly still. So it is with the practiced life of faith that depends on Christ to make adjustments to our natural tendency toward pride, envy, arrogance and greed so instead we might be conformed to the pattern of Jesus who did not consider equality with God something to grasp. The life of faith turns the world upside down rejoicing with those who rejoice, weeping with those who weep, greeting strangers as friends, and treating the lowly like the mighty and the mighty like the lowly, though truth is we are all loved equally by the Lord. Boot Camp Aubree has us exercise upside down all the time and calls it inversion. She says we are creating new butts for ourselves and adding TEN YEARS to our life every time we do it, which means with or without the resurrection of Jesus Christ I am either going to live forever or die with a beautiful butt.

Pentecost 11a - Psalm 26:1-6

Psalm 26:1-6
David may have penned the psalm but Jesus is the one who embodied it. His blameless life was cut short by wicked evil doers whose deceit did not triumph for the glory of the Lord, high and lifted up on the cross, was vindicated by the empty tomb. But what of David singing this psalm having raped Bathsheba and murdered Uriah? (There is no choice when the king commands you come to his bed or go to war) Maybe the testing and the trying and the proving of David’s heart and mind is in the nature of his life which might have remained “blameless” as a simple shepherd but was destined for tragedy as a king. When by the prophet’s ploy “you are the man” God confronts David’s deceit and hypocrisy he does not defend himself but rather relies fully on the unfailing love of God who is just in judging and right in pronouncing guilt. Maybe in showing undeserved mercy to David God also repents of plucking a ruddy young lad out of a pastoral existence and sending him to slay a giant in the armor of his best friend’s father whose throne he will one day steal. I should quit before I entertain any more heresy but the good news is this; if God forgives David, who showed evil doers a thing or two about being wicked, then there is hope for the rest of us who rely on the one who led a blameless life on our behalf, Jesus Christ out Lord.

Pentecost 11a - Jeremiah 15:15-21

Jeremiah 15:15-21

The merrymakers do not want to hear what Jeremiah has to say and even he is getting tired of being a party pooper. The word that was the joy and delight of his heart has gone missing like a brook whose waters dry up in the summer heat. Mocked and discounted as a crazy old coot he lashes out at the Lord who has laid on him the weight of righteous indignation. But the Lord slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love has reached the limit of patience with the protesting prophet and reminds Jeremiah of his place, albeit with a promise. They will turn to you if you turn back to me. No one wants to be a Jeremiah but sometimes we have to tell a difficult truth and not count the cost, even if in truth telling we are accused of being false. How then do we know the difference between a precious word and one that is worthless? The worthless word lets us be even if that means we are left to be less than were meant to be. The precious word leads to life even if preceded by a word of necessary death, which of course no one welcomes but for which one will be eternally grateful.

Pentecost 10a - conclusion

It has been quite a week for the Heinze household. Twenty years ago on the 17th, trusting the promise of Jeremiah 29:11 and a plan to prosper our relationship, Lisa and I said “I do” although the more significant vow was “in freedom and joy I bind my life to yours”.  A week later I said “I do and I ask God to help me” to the vows of ordination though twenty years after the fact I think Lisa needed to say “God help me” out loud as well. On our twentieth anniversary we moved Joshua, our first born, to Cisco, TX to start his college career, after which his sister Mary rejoicing in her “only child” status made an anniversary dinner for her parents who were too pooped to do it for themselves.  It is an adventure for us all and in spite of less than encouraging national and global news we like the prophet Isaiah recognize that God has blessed our beginning. With the psalmist we give thanks with our whole heart for God’s goodness in the past and trust God’s providence in the future. We marvel at our son who is a living sacrifice to God, as decent a man as any father could ever hope to have, although most of the credit goes to his mother. And finally with the Gospel we confess that the rock upon which we stand can never be shaken and is more than able to overcome times of turmoil for God has come down to be with us in the person of Jesus.

Pentecost 10a - Matthew 16:13-20

Matthew 16:13-20
The church has been working diligently to accomplish what Jesus promises will forever frustrate the gates of Hades. It is at once a sign of our brokenness and God’s graciousness that we survive despite all our efforts over the ages to demolish the rock upon which we stand, the confession of faith that the way of Jesus is the way of God. The truth is you and I, who make up the institution of church, liberal and conservative, thrive in the shadow of Hade’s gates.  We have overcome the command to be set apart by the overwhelming desire to fit in, the message of peace with rationalizations for war, the plight of the poor with the gospel of prosperity, unity with division, godliness with greed and love with law. But God is not contained in the cathedrals of stone or doctrine or personal piety we have constructed to diminish a grace that defies our desire to disregard it. No. When God confers the keys of the kingdom on the church and declares it to be as solid as a rock it is only because God cannot be overcome by the gates of Hades or the hell on earth we seek to establish.

Pentecost 10a - Romans 12:1-8

Romans 12:1-8

The pattern of this world is etched into our DNA which is why conformity with it comes so naturally. Even self-sacrifice and the renewing of the mind can mimic the world’s pattern as when pride in personal piety leads us to think more highly of ourselves than we ought and less of others than sober judgment allows. But when motivated by the mercies of God the sacrifice of a contrite heart is holy and acceptable and capable of being transformed into something similar to Christ. To be like Christ is to recognize and celebrate the gifts of others without immediately judging them or on the flip side coveting them. Not all members of the body have the same function but all are necessary and of infinite value to the whole because all are loved equally by God.

Pentecost 10a - Psalm 138

Psalm 138
The psalmist gives thanks for deliverance in the days of trouble and though it might sound like a prayer “Do not forsake the work of your hands” already anticipates the purpose of the Lord being fulfilled. That is because the Lord on high bends down to whisper peace to the lowly but laughs out loud at the antics of the arrogant. For in days of trouble, when surrounded by enemies and weakened by strife, the cry of the needy will not fall on deaf ears for the love of the Lord is steadfast and endures forever. Therefore the little g gods will have to listen while the lowly praise the Lord on high and the kings of the earth hearing the song will come down from their thrones and join the choir.

Pentecost 10a - Isaiah 51:1-6

Isaiah 51:1-6

The ransomed of the Lord returned unto Zion with singing (Isaiah 35) but their songs were soon silenced by the harsh reality of cities laid waste by war and neglect and the hostility of homesteaders reluctant to make room for the recently released. The ransomed of the Lord, wearied by the frustrations presented by freedom, were tempted to change their tune like their ancestors wandering in the wilderness and long to return to the relative comfort of captivity. In the midst of this crisis of identity God reminds them of the past and makes promises for the future to restore in them hope for the present. With eyes lifted to the same stars Abraham could not count they are reminded of their humble beginnings and comforted with songs of deliverance that promise a forever future of joy and gladness. Remembering God’s past faithfulness while anticipating God’s future providence is the song of forever freedom and the way we overcome whatever troubles, whatever frightens, whatever might lead us to become comfortable with captivity.

Pentecost 8a - conclusion

My son Joshua is lamenting yesterday’s sudden drop in temperature that by three degrees and two days denied Fort Worth, TX the record set in 1980 of forty two consecutive triple digit days. The sentiment is not lost on me and truth to be told if you have to endure forty days of hell on earth you want to have some bragging rights in purgatory. But then records are set to be broken and if this one is like all the others I hope to spend the record setting summer in Alaska while my son sweats in west Texas singing Queen’s immortal rock anthem “we are the champions, my friends…” Isaiah imagines the record set by the Mosaic Law broken as those denied access to the God of Israel are given a home. The psalmist sings the prayers of farmers across Texas that the land refreshed by rain would yield its increase. Paul proclaims the divisions of creed and culture erased like a record broken and forgotten. And Jesus, a living parable, sets a new record no one thought could be broken except a desperate woman who for the sake of her daughter was willing to be called a dog, even by the Savior of the world.

Pentecost 8a - Matthew 15:10-28

Matthew 15:10-28

I wonder if the Canaanite woman was present when Jesus called the Pharisees blind guides and then chided the disciples for being slow to understand. If so it may be that Jesus is the object of his own lesson. In the past I’ve preached desperation as the woman’s motivation. She is a mother whose daughter is possessed by a demon and she will not be denied even if it means being called a dog. That may still be true but it seems ironic then that the lesson Jesus wants the disciples to understand is the one she leads Jesus to learn. After all, “it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles” are the words that come out of Jesus’ mouth. So unless you believe it is not slander to call a desperate mother a dog based on her ethnicity Jesus is as slow as his disciples to fully comprehend the implications of his own words. But before I delve any deeper into blasphemy what if God in trying to move us beyond ethnic divisions and inbred racism is willing to become a living parable? The Jesus who knew no sin becomes sin in the way this teacher of Israel embodies the prejudice of God’s chosen people destined to be a light to the Gentiles but instead hell bent on their extermination. And so Jesus in welcoming the woman is the vision of Isaiah 56 in flesh and blood. The foreigner and the outcast and yes, even the eunuchs, all have a seat at the table where previously they begged for crumbs.

Pentecost 8a - Romans 11:1-2, 29-32

Romans 11:1-2, 29-32
The irrevocable gifts and calling of God is Paul’s conclusion to the “great sorrow and unceasing anguish” for “his kindred according to the flesh” (Romans 9:2) Even though the Christ Paul professes has been rejected by those who are imprisoned in disobedience, God will in the end be merciful to all. It is a daring statement that we diminish when we qualify it based on our limited knowledge. The point is the cross confirms the covenant and unlike people who God laments “honor me with their lips” but whose “hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13) the promise from God’s lips and the love of God’s heart is one in the same.  If Paul believes God’s mercy extends to descendants of Abraham who do not confess Christ, we might even dare to hope God’s mercy extends to those for whom we have great sorrow and unceasing anguish trusting that in the end mercy trumps judgment.

Pentecost 9a - Psalm 67

Psalm 67
“May God be gracious to us” is the prayer of all people who having plotted their own way find their plans are less than prosperous. Of course for a time “the wicked prosper” even if the prophet Habakkuk laments “How long, O, Lord?” Sooner or later the currency of prosperity, which may satisfy for a time, ends in bankruptcy. When the capital of life is not invested in a relationship with God and one another the return is always less than satisfying. But God through Jesus Christ has invested everything in us and despite unstable markets tossed to and fro by anxious investors the blessing of God is a sure bet.

Pentecost 9a - Isaiah 56:1, 6-8

Isaiah 56:1-8
The lectionary cut out the verses of Isaiah 56 that instruct eunuchs not to say “I am just a dry tree” (v.3) but rather rejoice that they shall not be “cut off” from the Lord. (v.5) Instead they will be given a place within the house of the Lord better than sons and daughters. The Mosaic law makes no such exception as males emasculated by crushing or cutting (is there any other way?)”may not enter the assembly of the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 23:1) Isaiah died long before the provider of the promise was born into human flesh and even if he had been around he would have been surprised. The One who carried the promise wasn’t castrated but he was cut off by his own people. He wasn’t a foreigner but he was considered an outcast. But his death at the hands of the chosen and his resurrection orchestrated by God Jesus made possible the promise that restores those castrated by the Law of Moses to a new reality where foreigners have a home and divisions are erased and outcasts are included so that the house of God might be a place of prayer for all people.

Pentecost 8a - Conclusion

It is too hot to ride our horses, the dogs are too hot to bark and our chickens are laying their eggs already fried and sunny side up. Of course if it hadn’t been for a hotter than H-E-double-hockey sticks July it would just be August in Texas which we gladly endure to avoid winters in Chicago. The texts for Pentecost 8a call us out of the frying pan and into the fire so to speak but with a promise of comfort that comes from faith. The zealous for the Lord Prophet has cooled to his call until God speaks in silence and sends him on a new mission.  The psalmist trusts in the promise of peace despite the difficult days of exile. Paul believes a new people united in the Lord will emerge from the inherent animosity between Jew and Gentile. And Peter sinking would be pleased to swim back to the boat but crying out to his Savior walking on water is just as happy for a helping hand. Hot or cold, a little faith goes a long way.

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.