Pentecost 7 C - Luke 10:1-20

Luke 10:1-20

To be sent out with no purse or provisions as lambs into the midst of wolves doesn't sound so promising unless the success of the mission does not depend on the missionary. In fact, the kingdom of God comes near the house that welcomes peace and the house with the “No Soliciting” sign. Where the kingdom is recognized healing happens. Where it is not recognized the kingdom stands as a sentence against the shortsighted as they are left to their own devices which is always less than what the kingdom offers. The dust shaking judgment anticipates the woes in the verses the lectionary leaves out. It is a litany of losers, where even sin city Sodom is better off “in that day” than the cities who choose not to welcome peace. But even those who proclaim peace don’t quite recognize the kingdom come near for they rejoice not in the name of Jesus but in the power they wield with his name. Jesus redirects their joy from submitting spirits to their names written in the final kingdom come. And if the one despised and rejected, the Lamb who led to the slaughter and before his shearers was dumb is the one who writes the names recorded in heaven, maybe there is hope even for the litany of losers?

Pentecost 7 C - Galatians 6:1-16

Galatians 6:1-16
Jesus said, “If you love only those who love you what good is that to you? Even the pagans do that.” Which means to fully fulfill the law of Christ one must bear the burdens of those who you are quite happy to see weighed down. In which case the law of Christ cannot be fulfilled unless you bear the burdens of “those who want to make a good showing in the flesh” in the same way you "do not grow weary in doing what is right” for those “who follow this rule.” Maybe the apostle Paul was too close to the conflict to apply his own instruction about gently restoring those who by their transgression troubled him so. Of course it is true of our time as well when well meaning people passionate about defending the faith as they understand it violate its first principle. Love is the law of Christ. Is it any wonder that those outside the faith grow weary of our witness? If we are to be the body of Christ then to be crucified “to the world” is to be crucified for the world. When we argue over doctrine and dogma and in defending the Gospel fail to live it we are no longer defending the Gospel but violating it. Does that mean anything goes and there are no truths to be taught? No. But if the fullest expression of the truth is love then love determines how all lesser "truths" are taught, which means Paul might have to recant his wish that “those agitators go the whole way and emasculate themselves!” (Galatians 5:12) Oy Vey!

Pentecost 7 C - Psalm 66

Psalm 66
Psalm 66 praises the awesome works of God remembering the rescue through the sea when escaping from Egypt the children of Israel were trapped between an army and a wet place. It is the story told time and again down through the centuries. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord heard your cry and with a mighty arm rescued you from Pharaoh’s grasp bringing you to a land flowing with milk and honey. While it is remembered with shouts of joy and singing it is also the story told when the milk has gone sour and the honey runs out, when enemies are all around, when life hangs in the balance and feet are on unsteady ground. When all seems hopeless remembering in the present the providence of God in the past is how one gets through today and into tomorrow. It is remembering God’s faithfulness that preserves the life that is essential, the life of hope. It is remembering God’s mercy that places the feet of faith on the solid ground of trust. And so we remember the awesome work of God on our behalf, not a passing through the sea on dry land, but God in human flesh passing through the sea of sorrow and suffering and death. In the tomorrow that will be the day that never ends the enemy that will cringe before God is death which like the chariots of Pharaoh has been swallowed up in the sea of victory.

Pentecost 7 C - Isaiah 66:10-14

Isaiah 66:10-14

Isaiah might be enamored by Jerusalem’s anatomy but I’d rather be consoled in Paris. On the other hand no city in the world seems to attract as much attention as Jerusalem, which sadly has not been the source of much rejoicing. Jerusalem, which means the city of peace, has more often been a city of sorrow. Isaiah’s vision of the exile’s return to Jerusalem to be nursed and carried on her arm and dandled on her knees was not realized and even the rejoicing of Zionist exiles reclaiming the Promised Land was short lived because of the violence and bloodshed that greeted their return. In our time devout Jews gather at the Wailing Wall to pray for the restoration of the temple as Palestinian Christians weep at walls that surround and separate them from the part of the Promised Land that is their home and all the while God weeps over the plight of all people who love Jerusalem. But in the dream of God’s design those who rejoice in her and those who mourn because of her will both be comforted by her. In the dream of God’s design Jerusalem is for all people a place of peace where the feast that never ends will begin. It may be that we have to do more than pray for the peace of Jerusalem for the dream of God’s design to come true, but not by denying the right of Jewish people to live in safety or by denying the real plight of the Palestinian people imprisoned in their own land. The hatred that exists and is the cause of such suffering will only be overcome when each sees in the other the dream of God’s design. And when God’s dream comes true Paris, although full figured, will play second fiddle to Jerusalem, the real city of amour.

Pentecost 6 C - conclusion

I bought a four pan steam table for the Calvary kitchen today. It meant I got to spend some time at Mission Restaurant Supply on White Settlement which for me is like being a kid in a candy store. So much stainless steel under one roof! The steam table means we will retire the roasters and can serve and keep food warm more efficiently even if the gradual transformation of the kitchen resembles something like a takeover by the Borg. Of course the changes are driven by use and like so many of the spaces at Calvary what was intended is no longer what is needed and what will be only the Lord knows. It's like burning the yoke and eating the oxen and taking a call to Minot, North Dakota. It's trusting the purposes of the Lord are that we land in pleasant places even if the way there means going through Sheol. Like any change in the church it calls for cooperation rather than self-indulgence though I dare say differences over doctrine are more easily resolved than opinions over remodeling. But in all things we are to learn the lesson of the Gospel. It is not our place to call down fire on those with whom we disagree. We are to follow Jesus as if we had no home, no time to bury the dead or say goodbye to the living. And when we follow Jesus with single minded devotion every place is home and the dead are raised and there are no goodbyes.

Pentecost 6 C - Luke 9:51-62

Luke 9:51-62

Either the disciples are accustomed to calling down fire on folks or they’re blowing smoke. I’m voting for the latter. But then church folk do get a little hot under the collar when what they believe to be sacred is not well received. Jesus puts out their passion for revenge (and ours?) with a rebuke and the narrative continues with three on the road sayings. The cost of following Jesus will be high. No home. No time to bury the dead. No turning back. We tend to have an easier time of it and even if we make sacrifices we are not without the comforts of home or time to mourn or take care of business before doing whatever it is God has called us to do. So we are either “not fit for the kingdom of God” or the text does not apply to us. I’m going to opt for a middle way aka the Lutheran solution. We may indeed have comfortable places to lay our heads and take time to bury our dead and say farewell before following but being fit for the kingdom depends wholly on the One who had the power to call down fire on rude Samaritans but did not. So what might seem as an absolute (…not fit for the kingdom) is actually a rebuke and a rebuke is correction not rejection. And in the Lutheran solution the rebuke of the law always leads one to cling more firmly to the Gospel which is the only way we are ever fit for the kingdom of God.

Pentecost 6 C - Galatians 5

Galatians 5:1,13-25

Self-indulgence comes in many forms and even the perfectly pious can be bound by it. Granted the more obvious forms are found in Paul’s long list of the fleshly fruits but self-righteousness is just as limiting and destructive as licentiousness. So those who indulge the more carnal desires sell themselves short and pay dearly for what appears to be living large. Those who do not indulge the flesh but are intoxicated with pride biting and devouring one another also pay dearly for the illusion of freedom and do not experience the true fruits of the pious life. But the freedom for which we have been set free is to be in relationship with one another and all people in the same way that Jesus freely loved and gave himself up for the sake of the world. Now it may appear that having one’s hands and feet fastened to wood is the opposite of freedom but that is the way of God who chooses to be emptied that we might be filled. If freedom is defined by living the fruit of the Spirit list then it doesn't matter if you are behind bars or nailed to a cross. So we crucify the desire that would drive us insane as well as the passion to control everyone else for the sake of being free to be bound to others.

Pentecost 6 C - Psalm 16

Psalm 16

False gods promise pleasure or power or peace but only manage to multiply sorrows even if for a while we think ourselves satisfied. It is the nature of the gods we design, even the ones propped up by Biblical texts and dressed up in doctrinal straitjackets. But the God come down apart from whom we have no good thing was not like that and if our boundaries are to fall in pleasant places then following the way of Jesus is the only path of life that will do. It means we trust with all our heart the very things Psalm 16 proclaims. We will not be abandoned or forsaken. We will know fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore. But this isn't some pie-in-the-sky promise that only comes true at the end of the fairy tale  No, the promise begins and ends with the statement of faith. You are my Lord and apart from you I have no good thing. That means even when the path of life twists and turns and makes its way through valleys of despair and deserts of heartache we hold on to hope. Sorrows are not multiplied when one has the Lord at hand. Sorrows are endured. They are overcome. And one day they will be no more. But for now the joy we experience is despite sorrow and the heart is glad even when it aches.  

Pentecost 6 C - 1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21

1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21

There’s no going back to the plow once the yoke has been burned and the oxen have been eaten. Jesus makes the same observation in reverse, “no one who puts their hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service…” (Luke 9:62) The point being when God calls you are either all in or you’re out. I had the privilege to preach at the ordination of Calvary's former intern and now Pastor Alex Hoops on Saturday. As I write this he and Emily and daughter Amelia are in route to Minot, North Dakota (via Indiana) where he has been called as the Associate Pastor of Bread of Life Lutheran Church. For a boy from Florida that’s like burning the yoke and boiling the oxen. Why Not Minot? Because the fields are ripe for harvest in North Dakota but in this day and age the harvest is in the oil boom that has brought workers from all over the country and so God has called Alex as an evangelist to speak the Gospel to the faithful of Bread of Life Lutheran but also to the lonely far from home who might not know how hungry they are for the bread of life that satisfies. Emily (who speaks Spanish which will come in handy for the large population of migrant workers) is a co-worker in the Gospel, and an evangelist in her own right through whom the love of God shines without the need of translation. And so it is with all of us who are called to follow and not look back trusting that as long as we have breath in our body God has placed us where we need to be to do the work that needs to be done. That being said I am glad God called me to Texas.

Pentecost 5C

I’ve been on our mission trip to Aqua Viva Lutheran Church, El Cenizo, TX all week and blogging was low on the list of things to do so for the first time since the week of All Saints 2009 I didn’t. But since I have some time while I’m in flight to Tampa, FL for former intern and soon to be Pastor Alex Hoops’ ordination I thought I’d say a few things about the texts for Pentecost 5C. The word from Isaiah 65:1-9 is not nearly as nice as other bits of the book but then Isaiah is not shy in naming the sin that separates us from God. Even so there is always a promise of return as within the shriveled cluster there is a blessing that God preserves. In the same way Psalm 22, “My God, My God” takes a dramatic turn in verse 19 as the lament turns into praise. In Galatians 3:23-29 all the barriers we have erected are brought down so that in the singularity of the Christ race and gender and social class disappear. And in the Gospel the man freed from demons is desperate to depart with Jesus only to be told that he has work to do at home. It’s been my experience that a mission trip is almost always transformative for those on the giving end. For me the blessing left in the cluster of my faith was an El Cenizo angel name Natalia. Of course she was really a charming little third grader who was captivated by my guitar and strummed the strings while I held down the chords and we sang "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart." Like a lament turned to praise or barriers broken down or demons cast out the gift of a girl whose name means Nativity birthed in my spirit a renewed sense of the Spirit’s presence. That it should happen in a poverty stricken border town should come as no surprise as the promise is “the poor shall eat and be satisfied.” The surprise is that I was the hungry one waiting to be well fed. By the way Natalia said when she grows up she's going to be a famous singer and guitar player. I asked if there was someone famous that she wanted to be like. She said, "yes." I asked, "who?" She said, "you." Imagine that.

Pentecost 4 C - Luke 7:36 - 8:3

Luke 7:36-8:3
A woman who can crash the Pharisee party with an alabaster jar of ointment is not a “Pretty Woman” as prostitutes in the first century were slaves in the same way they are today. So a woman of means with an expensive gift embarrasses the proper Pharisee who is no small potatoes himself as he is able to host a party that scores the guy from Galilee. It’s springtime in the Hamptons. Simon probably deals with her (or her husband) on the side because people of means often set aside philosophy for profit. But the woman of means not included on Simon’s guest list acts in a way that is scandalous. It could be that her weeping at Jesus feet has more to do with Simon than it does with her and Jesus’ word “your faith has saved you” sets her free from a system where she is identified as “that sort of woman.” Of course Simon puts the onus on Jesus “if this man were a prophet” because Simon knows who she is and would have kicked her to the curb. The turn-about-is-fair-play is that Simon has violated all the laws of hospitality that the unnamed woman has broken. Jesus compares Simon’s neglect of proper things with “that kind” of woman attending to things frowned upon. Imagine that. Laws broken can be laws obeyed.

Galatians 2:11-21
Paul has a problem with Peter who formerly went where no Jew had gone before but now under pressure has changed his behavior, if not his mind. At the heart of Paul’s accusation of hypocrisy, against the Rock upon which Christ promised to build his church no less, is the question of what makes one right with God. Jews sought justification by religiously obeying the 613 laws in the Torah. Paul sees justification in the invitation to die with Christ, which is an invitation to die to any attempt to justify oneself. It is the invitation to be crucified with Christ that calls us to speak the Gospel where people might raise their eyebrows so that one day the rest of their bodies might follow suit.

Pentecost 4 C - Psalm 32

Psalm 32

Silence is golden, unless you have something you need to say. The psalmist, which in the way of the psalms is always meant to be whoever happens to be reading the psalm, is wasting away one night at a time. You've been there, or maybe you still are. You toss and turn waking every hour on the hour as things said or left unsaid replay in your head on a continuous loop. A sleepless night is followed by an endless day until back in bed it starts all over again. Maybe you've also been in that place where sick and tired of being sick and tired you come clean and tell the truth and determine to do what you always knew you had to do but didn't have the will or the courage or the desire or the help to begin. Of course that makes it sound so simple when it is often only by bit and bridle and living “many are the torments of the wicked” that one tells the truth and acknowledges sin to oneself, to the Lord, and here’s the hard part, to someone else who loving us will not abandon us to more of the same. It is why we are called to be in community and if we weren't always putting on a happy face and pretending as if everything is fine and I’m okay, really I am, we might take advantage of what the church was always meant to be; a hiding place where no one hides. 

Pentecost 4 C - 2 Samuel 11:26—12:15

2 Samuel 11:26-12:15
“Each one is tempted when, by one’s own evil desire, one is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:14-15) David is not bewitched by Bathsheba’s beauty but consumed by his own evil desire and when his desire conceives he compounds it by killing Uriah. The story that leads up to Nathan’s “you are the man” details David’s desperation to hide his deceit. If Uriah had been more like David and slept with Bathsheba the plan would have succeeded. Of course sooner or later someone would have noticed that Uriah’s boy looked a lot like the King. But when the righteous one will not cooperate with evil schemes the only solution is to kill the righteous one. Nathan sent by the Lord is given the unenviable task of speaking truth to power which is why he comes through the back door and tells a story of injustice before identifying David as the villain. That David can become so incensed at Nathan’s story of a rich man taking a poor man’s only lamb and not connect the dots speaks of sin’s power of self deception. David, a man after God’s own heart has broken God’s heart and in continuing to live as if nothing happened David is as dead as Uriah. That power to deceive self is why the accusation “you are the man” (which sounds like judgment) is actually good news for David for though the he suffers the penalty of sin he is restored to life. It is so for us when Nathans sent by the Lord tell the truth about our infidelity, for all sin is unfaithfulness towards God. In the naming of our sin the Word that forgives is found for the One who was more righteous than Uriah, whose heart melted like wax within him as he hung upon the cross, recreates in us a clean heart and renews within us a right spirit.

Pentecost 3 C - conclusion

Mary Ruth found herself a "Tika" cat who was destined for the shelter and persuaded us to say yes to her bringing it home by texting pictures of a kitten too cute to be destroyed. Of course all kittens are cute but Oscar (the new Tika) was posed in such a way that even people who are not fond of meows started purring when they saw it. In the texts for Pentecost 3c a widow's accusation "what do you have against me...?" motivated the prophet to throw himself on a lifeless body three times until God returned breath to the boy. The psalmist endures the weeping of the night convinced that by morning's light better things will be revealed. Paul defends what has been revealed to him because he is convinced it is more true that what he had previously believed. And when in the gate of Nain the widow parade of lament meets the Jesus parade of expectation anything is possible.

Pentecost 3 C - Luke 7:11-17

Luke 7:11-17
Two parades meet in the city of Nain. One led by Jesus. The other by a weeping widow. The Jesus parade, having just witnessed the healing of the Centurion’s servant, is following with anticipation expecting something from the prophet from Nazareth who never disappoints. The widow’s parade loudly wailing anticipates nothing as the widow’s only hope is borne lifeless on a bier. The parades meet in the gate where one will have to give way to the other. One might expect the Jesus parade to step aside and show some respect but the prophet from Nazareth filled with compassion will have none of that. “Do not weep” means the widow’s parade is the one that will step aside and when the son sits up the two parades become one because the prophet from Nazareth never disappoints.

Pentecost 3 C - Galatians 1:11-24

Galatians 1:11-24
You don’t have to like the apostle Paul to appreciate what the Lord accomplished through him. Truth is he seems to be rather full of himself for one who will admit elsewhere to be the least of the apostles. That being said it was God who did the choosing and scripture would seem to support the idea that God chooses those who otherwise would be left behind. Moses, reluctant and slow of speech, is chosen to speak for I AM. David the youngest brother from the smallest tribe is chosen to be king and although an adulterer and murderer is a man after God’s own heart. Mary of Magdalene, once possessed by seven demons is set free to become the apostle to the apostles. “I have seen the Lord.” And Paul, the persecutor of a charismatic but insignificant Jewish sect, is the one whose work and writings birth the church into the Gentile world to change it forever. So maybe God can work through you? Just sayin…

Pentecost 3 C - Psalm 30

Psalm 30

Sometimes the joy scheduled for the morning has to wait through many nights of weeping before it can greet us with the dawn of a new day. I think it is because we often do our weeping in the silence of our inner thoughts while trying to maintain the outward appearance of prosperity. “I shall never be moved.” The face of God is not hidden all at once but fades from view the longer we isolate ourselves, relying on the limitations of our own strength. But when we finally run out of Kleenex and tire of living in the pit we have turned into a home healing begins to happen. It doesn't mean the dancing we do is pretty or polished, at least not right away. But the better we become at being honest with ourselves and others the more familiar the “mourning turned to dancing” becomes and in the freedom of sharing the joy of the morning might even last through the night.

2010 post

Pentecost 3 C - 1 Kings 17:17-24

1 Kings 17:17-24

The widow and the prophet have the same reaction to the death of the child even though the prophet is more polite - “have you done this?” rather than “what do you have against me?” For present day prophets and widows the question does not have an immediate answer as our stories often don’t have happy "See, your son is alive" endings. So what do we do with our stories in light of this ancient tale? I think we stretch ourselves out on the lifeless body of our faith and cry out, “let this faith live!” Like a widow in ancient times who would be destitute without a son and a prophet who depends on God being present for proof we need some sort of confirmation that the One whom we question can deal with what we find difficult to understand and ultimately to bear. The good news is that the Lord listening to our questions is willing to endure our doubt and responds to our need with the resurrection hope that begins and ends with Jesus’ lifeless body held three days by death only to break free once and for all. Of course that is still an ancient story far removed from the troubles we face. But if someone we know would be willing to stretch themselves over us for three days – or whatever it takes – we might be resurrected in ways that will bring life to faith and faith to life.

Pentecost 2 C - conclusion

We bid farewell our cat Tika (pronounced tick-ah) today. She came to our house as a kitten when daughter Mary Ruth (17) was just learning to talk. Mary’s word for cat was tick-ah. Lisa brought a mamma Siamese and a box of mixed kittens home from Wal-Mart one night and put them in the TV room before going to bed. Early in the morning we heard a squeal of delight and tiny feet running down the hall announcing to all the world “tickah, tickah, tickah, mo tickah tickah tickah’s!” We found homes for the offspring of Mamma Willow and whoever but kept the smallest kitten who we named Tika. We've had a lot of cats over the years but I think Tika occupied a special place in our hearts because of the way she was named by our little Weeda. The relationships that enrich us come in many forms but Solomon prays that the One who created the heavens will spend some time on the earth. The psalmist imagines the same thing as the big G God inspires a new song as joyful as finding a box of tikas in the TV room. Paul wants to be clear there is only one Gospel and all our lives and loves depend on the God come down to dwell in the person of Jesus. And finally the centurion appreciated by the people that he has helped does not presume to ask for himself but is blessed none-the-less for the thing he desires in much the same way a little kitten abandoned in a Wal-Mart parking lot found a home for life with Mary Ruth. Godspeed Tika.  

Pentecost 2 C - Luke 7:1-10

Luke 7:1-10

I think the remarkable thing about the centurion is that he loves the people of the land he was sent to occupy. The Romans were not in business to benefit others and centurions were not typically interested in building worship spaces for foreign gods. The armies of Rome were sent to ensure the coffers of Rome were filled by populations subdued by the first century version of shock and awe. But the centurion’s love for an occupied people was also paired with humility, albeit the military version where one recognizes a superior officer. “But only speak the word…” so impresses the Jewish rabbi that he returns the favor and praises the NCO of the occupying army. The valued slave returned to good health goes back to what made him valuable in the first place and my guess is the centurion shows his appreciation to the synagogue and the folks who presumed to speak on his behalf. It’s a lovely story. Of course not all the Romans will be so kind to Jesus in the future and while we take “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” to mean those who shouted “crucify” I’m guessing Jesus remembered the centurion and included those who told to “go” made the crown of thorns and “do this” drove the nails through his hands and feet. 

Pentecost 2 C - Galatians 1:1-12

Galatians 1:1-12
The Galatians really got under Paul’s skin and despite the grace afforded to the “chief of sinners though I be” the “least of all the apostles” (1 Corinthians 15:9) felt justified cursing anyone who messed with message he received by revelation. In this day and age we might also ask for references since no one but Paul was there when the revelation was received. But then it’s not Paul we depend on for our salvation but a particular story of which Paul was just one of the tellers. It’s the story of Jesus that is compelling and while the church throughout the ages has messed with the message by making it about power or prestige or conforming to human conventions the story continues to be told and believed. Martin Luther claimed “The gospel is not to be believed because the church confirms it but because one recognizes it is God’s word.” What makes the Gospel God’s word is the offer of freedom from all that enslaves including, in the case of the Galatians, the law that was received as revelation to Moses but was replaced by the revelation of Jesus Christ received by the apostle Paul.

Pentecost 2 C - Psalm 96:1-6

Psalm 96:1-6

All the gods of the peoples are small g idol gods. It’s a bold statement to make in a pluralistic culture where many would say the new song to be sung is any song not sung so loudly as to make religious waves in the secular sea. But if we believe there is only one big G God who alone is worthy of a new song then we have no option but to sing it as the only song there is. But even as an exclusive song it is not a song of conquest, as much as I like Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus and Onward Christian Soldiers. No. The new song that is our salvation was a lullaby first sung in a stable by an unwed mother to a new born who just so happened to be the Big G God come down on earth to dwell. The new song that is our salvation was sung by the same baby grown to be a man as an invitation to pick up a cross and follow. The new song that is our salvation was sung as mercy and kindness and healing – your faith has made you well. The new song that is our salvation was sung as a challenge to rule bound religion – the Sabbath was made for you; not you for the Sabbath. The new song that is our salvation was sung as a lament, my God, my God why have you forsaken me? And finally the new song that is our salvation refused to be silenced by death and broke the grave's stranglehold on humanity once and for all. So if we are to sing the new song we have to sing the old song which reminds me of one my favorites – I love to tell the story.

Pentecost 2C - 1 Kings 8:22-23, 41-43

1 Kings 8:22-23, 41-43
In the verses the lectionary leaves out Solomon wonders if God whom “the highest heaven cannot contain” will be found in the sanctuary built by human hands. Solomon’s plea and prayer is that when people gather in the holy house God will be present. But more than that Solomon prays that God will be merciful so that sin will be forgiven and sin’s consequences mitigated. When the heavens are shut up and famine inhabits the land, when plague and pestilence and blight consume the people’s strength, God will see the plight of God’s people and provide. We no longer associate a single place as the location of the Divine presence but there is something to be said for a house that is a home.  And as it turns out we’re the ones that need a house that we can call God’s home so that we have a place to go when troubles grow too great to bear alone. Reminds me of a Willie Nelson cover of a song by Tom Waits classic “Come On Up to the House”.

 Well the moon is broken
And the sky is cracked
Come on up to the house
The only things that you can see
Is all that you lack
Come on up to the house

All your cryin don't do no good
Come on up to the house
Come down off the cross
We can use the wood
Come on up to the house

Come on up to the house
Come on up to the house
The world is not my home
I'm just a passin thru
Come on up to the house

There's no light in the tunnel
No irons in the fire
Come on up to the house
And your singin lead soprano
In a junkman's choir
You gotta come on up to the house

Does life seem nasty, brutish and short
Come on up to the house
The seas are stormy
And you can't find no port
Come on up to the house
There's nothin in the world

there's nothin in the world
that you can do
you gotta come on up to the house
and you been whipped by the forces
that are inside you
come on up to the house
well you're high on top
of your mountain of woe
come on up to the house
well you know you should surrender
but you can't let go
you gotta come on up to the house

The Feast of the Holy Trinity Year C - conclusion

The thunderstorm rolled in about 4 AM and shook the double wide that functions as support staff housing for Ebert Ranch. Lisa will tell you that I usually sleep through thunderstorms (unless Mr. Spud steps on me trying to get to safety under the covers) but this was the kind of strike that could wake the dead or give Mr. Spud a heart attack. It was still raining and rumbling at noon and by late afternoon the horses were drinking out of the windmill pond that was dry as a bone yesterday. By mid week Ebert ranch will be ablaze with color as the wild flowers that have been waiting for just such a soaking will take full advantage of the rain. I'm tempted to do a Trinity two step and make some kind of inadequate analogy but let's just say the wisdom established before time that is the majestic name above all the earth who justifies us through faith by the truth that we cannot fully bear is as terrifying as a lightning strike that makes the air sizzle, as welcome as a pond full of water in a year long drought and as indescribably beautiful as a Texas Hill Country ranch blanketed in wildflowers.

The Feast of the Holy Trinity Year C - John 16:12-16

John 16:12-15
I'm blogging from the Headwaters Saloon in Harper, Texas after my first day working horses with wrangler Lorianne at Ebert Ranch. It's taken a shower and a Shiner to get me thinking about the Trinity even though I rode three different horses today and I suppose green broke Miss Candy was wild enough to be the Spirit to Cisco the Father and Tom Too the Son. But that's the problem with the three in one and one in three Trinity. It takes some thinking and is still beyond what mortal minds can bear. Of course everything about God is beyond our frame of reference since God is not like us. Even the flesh and blood Son who was like us in every way was "without sin" (Hebrews 4:15) which means he's pretty much not like us at all. At Calvary we make the intern preach on Trinity Sunday so that we can make sure he or she is not a heretic. It's a sign of progress that we can joke about such a thing rather than banishing or worse burning at the stake those whose musings on the mystery stray from the status quo. Maybe we should just say the Trinity was God's idea and not ours and explaining the nature of God by means of analogy is always lacking. So the Father Son Spirit beyond our ability to bear comes down to lead us into the only truth that counts. God is love and the best way to understand that is for us to love one another and not worry too much if our description of the Trinity canters into an equestrian modalism.

2010 post

The Feast of the Holy Trinity Year C - Romans 5:1-5

Romans 5:1-5

The second article of the faith tells the story of the One not created who was before time began and yet chose to let go of glory and empty himself to be found in human likeness. This is where the Trinity gets tricky and the creeds only state the "what" leaving humans to figure out the "how", which is where we get into trouble. But if the unbroken unity of the Trinity is love for the children of creation then Father Son Spirit are equally engaged in the work of redemption, though it would appear that the Son does the heavy lifting. In the person of Jesus the One uncreated becomes weak to save the weak, becomes sin to save sinners, and surrendering his life forgives his enemies. The image of an angry God now appeased by a human sacrifice, albeit God in human flesh is not what Paul means by being saved from the wrath of God, for God’s love is proved by the death of Christ and wrath and love cannot coexist. God is the only actor on the stage of salvation. While we were ungodly, while we were weak, while we were sinners, while we were God’s enemies, God died for us, ahead of us, instead of us so that by the life of God the love of God might be poured into our hearts through the Spirit. This One in Three and Three in One, Father Son Spirit, dwelling within us produces hope that does not disappoint by enduring suffering and reflecting the character of Christ, which is love.

The Feast of the Holy Trinity Year C - Psalm 8

Psalm 8

The "work of the heavens" wreaking havoc on Moore, Oklahoma calls into question just how mindful God might be about mortals. But then whenever humans suffer sudden destruction God’s providence is almost always called into question. The ability to hold onto faith without minimizing the reality of loss does not diminish the majestic name above all the earth. Indeed, it is because the God who in the psalmist’s imagination created the very winds that wiped away Moore, OK was himself swept away by death on a cross that we can claim God knows our pain and shares our suffering. It could be that you prefer a majestic name that remains above all the earth but I am going to hold onto a God come down whose hands and feet are fastened to wood so that mine are set free from trying to understand why things happen trusting that in the end the Majestic name knows ours.

The Feast of the Holy Trinity Year C - Proverbs 8:1-4. 22-31

Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
I’m not a big fan of the book of Proverbs even though there is certain comfort to addressing the complexity of life with simple sayings. Like my Facebook profile picture of the WWII British poster “Stay Calm and Carry On”. Sometimes staying calm is only achieved by denial and carrying on is a costly illusion. That being said the wisdom established from the beginning that raises her voice for all who will hear is more than a collection of memorable clichés. In the infinite mystery of the Trinity Wisdom engages the world in ways that appear as random or mere coincidence but are labeled by folks of faith as a “God thing”. By that I mean all that goes beyond our ability to fully comprehend – even if we attempt to express whatever “it” is by inadequate analogies – operates under the surface of our lives but when push comes to shove gives us the ability to keep calm and carry on. Not as denial or illusion but as the way in which confidence in the Wisdom of God gives courage to the fearful and strength to the weak. The beauty of this image is that the Holy “totally other” whispered into the silence before time a Wisdom that would become an expression of the Divine in ways that delight in our being which given human nature might be the greatest mystery of all.  
 
http://livingthelectionary.blogspot.com/2010/05/feast-of-holy-trinity-proverbs-81-4-22.html

The Feast of Pentecost C - John 14:8-17, 25-27

John 14:8-17, 25-27
Years ago I had one of those moments when I desperately wanted a clear word from the Lord. Nothing seemed to be working. Not prayer or conversations with colleagues or time in silent meditation. I don’t recommend what I did next because I think it treats the scripture like a Christian version of the Magic 8 ball®, but desperate times called for desperate measures and so I opened my Bible at random and landed on John 14:9. “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still don’t know me?” That’s the other reason not to do it. God might use your name and when God has to use your name you know you haven’t been paying attention. Philip asks the question that is on everyone’s mind and though Jesus' answer sounds like a rebuke Jesus honors the question and shows Philip what he asks to see. It is in the person of Jesus that the mystery of the Holy One is made known. And even if the humanity of John’s Jesus plays second fiddle to his divinity Jesus is for Philip and the disciples a present, physical reality that can be seen. It is Judas (notably not Iscariot) who asks the question for us who have not seen and yet long to believe. It is in keeping the word from Jesus’ own lips, “Love one another” that God is made known. The Holy, Invisible, God Only Wise revealed in kindness offered, in mercy shown, in comfort extended, in generosity sown in the name of Jesus. In that we become the answer to someone’s desperate prayer - ask anything in my name. God made visible in love. In the same way that the internal unity of Father, Son, Spirit cannot be separated, so we too cannot be separated from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. No longer alone without a home like those who have been orphaned the good news for us is that even if God’s answer sounds like a rebuke God uses our name because we are known.

The Feast of Pentecost - Romans 8:14-17

Romans 8:14-17

The conditional clause, “if, in fact, we suffer with him” might cause one to “fall back into fear” especially if one lives a life where suffering is minimal or avoided altogether. Of course all suffering is relative and in that sense painful. Even minor losses are loses none-the-less. But Paul is not talking about minor inconveniences. Nor is he talking about the kind of suffering that is arbitrary or random, like an accident or a sudden loss of health. Or the suffering caused by another. Or the suffering that is personal and borne alone. Paul is talking about the suffering one chooses to endure in the same way that Jesus abandoned the place of perfection to inhabit our flesh that like the flowers of the field fades. The suffering Jesus endured, then, was fully for the sake of others and the glory it brought him was the redemption of a world hell bent on destruction. For us to, “in fact, suffer with him” means we choose the path of pain and sorrow with and for the sake of the other - to pick up the cross that belongs to someone else in the same way Jesus bore our pain and suffered our sorrow. The condition of this clause depends on our possessing the family gene which is love and the good news is that the adoption papers have been signed, sealed and delivered by the One who made us to be children of God.

The Feast of Pentecost - Psalm 104:24-35

Psalm 104:24-35
I'm reprinting my May 23, 2010 post on Psalm 104 for my friend and Smokey Trailer Band bass player David Lakota in remembrance of his mother Doris.

The God who made the Leviathan just for fun sent forth the Spirit yesterday afternoon and while family and friends and pastors gave thanks for the life that endures forever and prayed peace on those who walk as yet by faith, Doris Lakota was birthed into the eternal future. She was a believer who sang of the goodness of God with her life as long as she lived and looked to the Lord in every season to fill her with good things like faith and courage and hope and love. But while the psalmist was anxious to hold on to this life Doris was ready to let it go and see the glory of the Lord face to face. The mediation of the heart that is most pleasing to the Lord is to not be dismayed when the Lord’s face appears to be hidden and rejoice that though breath is taken away the Spirit that renews the face of the earth will recreate us from the dust to which we return and revive us with the breath of eternal life.

The Feast of Pentecost - Acts 2:1-21

Acts 2:1-21

Lutherans are rarely mistaken for Pentecostals and even when the charismatic renewal blew through the church our version of Pentecost was more polite than possessed. It could be our Nordic or Germanic heritage where church doesn't look anything like drinking new wine in the morning. But that doesn't mean we are less spirit filled or on fire for the Lord. It just means our expression of Holy Spirit fire prefers to toast the faithful not burn them to a crisp. It is a mistake to envy the more demonstrative Holy Spirit folk or think that they are holier than thou, though thou art free to discretely raise a hand while singing A Mighty Fortress or quietly add an “Amen” if the preaching warrants such a response. While those things are all well and good this text is not about personal expressions of emotional piety. The day of Pentecost is about speaking the story of Jesus in a language people can understand. In these “last days” it means speaking the story to those who are by self definition spiritual but not religious, but in truth still seeking for something that satisfies the restless heart. On that first day of the “last days” it meant speaking in the tongues of Gentile nations. In these “last days” it means the church must step outside of its holy halls and wake up from the illusion of privilege and power. It means we stop lusting after the myth of a Christian nation and acting as if we are victims of a secular conspiracy. For those of us who call on the name of the Lord in this day of the “last days” it means speaking the story subversively so that by sowing the seeds of curiosity we may be asked why we long for peace, why we feed the hungry, why we share ourselves in service, why we hope, why we love. It may be that by speaking from the heart about the Spirit that fills us with peace those who are spiritual but not religious might be tempted to become religiously spiritual which might be an apt description of a Lutheran Pentecostal.

Easter 7 C - John 17:20-26

John 17:20-26

Whenever I go to the NTNL Mission office in Dallas I like to stop at the Starbucks at the corner of TX 183 and Mockingbird Lane. It is perhaps the busiest and nosiest Starbucks on the planet. I’m not sure why since it is also one of the most difficult to get to given one way lanes and limited parking and Dallas drivers that don’t drive Texas Friendly.® It’s not that the patrons are noteworthy. They are pretty typical Venti, no fat, triple shot, apricot la-de-da whatever Lattes. The only thing that makes this SB stand out is that the half dozen baristas periodically break into singing things like “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” and other classics at the top of their lungs. It might be that after seeing you circle three times trying to park they just want to make it worth your while once you've arrived or maybe they just like to sing loudly but whatever the reason they seem to be enjoying themselves. And while I've never joined the song their singing always orders up a Venti no fat smile. I think that’s what Jesus is praying for in John 17. Not singing at Starbucks, but a unity of mind and spirit and purpose that like a loudly sung song in a public place prompts a response. And if the world would witness a people who sing with unrestrained joy about Jesus, even if they can’t carry a tune, and serve the other out of love because it’s the right thing to do then I think they might make the effort to overcome one way lanes and limited parking and less than friendly drivers just to join the song and share in the Jesus Venti no fat lifestyle.

Easter 7 C - Revelation 22:12-22

Revelation 22:12-22

The lectionary for Easter 7c leaves out verse 15 of Revelation 22 presumably because verse 15 leaves out “dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” I don’t know about you, but the Heinze household believes all dogs go to heaven, except maybe our bad dog Chihuahua, Feliz Puppydad, who will need to be potty trained in purgatory first. Verses 18 & 19 don’t make the lectionary lesson either, but that has more to do with what one would add to Revelation than whatever one might leave behind. So warning and welcome live side by side and we do a disservice to the scripture when we pick and choose, even though denominations clearly discriminate. Those more liberal, or by self definition progressive, need to acknowledge the nasty with the nice, while those intent on saving the world as long as it is monochromatic need to look more closely at the Jesus who consistently colors outside the lines. But both sides should take note that while we argue about what verses to include or exclude the rest of the world doesn't give a damn, which doesn't really matter if they are all going to hell. But if Jesus died to make a difference then we better figure out a better way than “turn or burn” or “all paths lead to the same place” to speak the truth about Jesus so the dogs in verse 15 might actually want to find a welcome place in verse 17.

Easter 7 C - Psalm 97

Psalm 97
The Lord is King! Let the earth rejoice, unless lit up by the Lord's lightning the earth trembles. Let the coastlands be glad, unless occupied by adversaries the coastlands are consumed. Psalm 97 imagines the mountains melting like wax and the Lord surrounded by clouds and thick darkness bringing it on like Iron Man 3. But for those rescued from the hand of the wicked and loved for hating evil the Lord is like the gentle light of dawn bringing joy to the upright who have survived the night. Here in lies the rub between judgment and justice, penalty and pity, the ones forgiven for eternity and those for whom eternal punishment seems to outweigh the crime. How do we bow down before the throne of the Lord as King Iron Man and at the same time proclaim the servant God of grace? It may be that the Lord as King brings a world of hurt to whoever boasts in worthless idols - but the gospel proclaims a God whose heart melted like wax within him when with his hands nailed to wood by the wicked he forgave those who knew full well what they were doing even though they didn't have a clue why he allowed it to be done to him. So rejoice in the Lord then, you who have been made righteous by the Lord as King, who forgave the wicked as if they were you.

Easter 7 C - Acts 16:16-34

Acts 16:16-34

In Acts 16 a healing happens because Paul “very much annoyed” by a slave girl outing him as a slave of the Most High God tells the divining spirit in her to shut up. Of course the slave girl freed is a set up for the freeing of the Philippian jailer who doesn't know he’s the one behind bars. Once the stage is set Paul and Silas singing in the aftershock of the earthquake is such a surprise that the jailer brought back from the brink asks, “What must I do to be saved?” even though what he really wants to know is “Why are you still here?” The answer that saves the jailer and his household is to believe in whatever it was that kept Paul and Silas singing in the cell when running away made more sense. That is the answer that saves us as well, for instead of coming down from the cross and saving himself Jesus stayed put so that like the jailer we might be brought back from the brink. In this we know we are saved, not by confessing a creed or adherence to a tradition or allegiance to a denomination or ritual, but when believing in Jesus means staying put with and for the other when walking away would be much easier. And so whether we can carry a tune or not we sing the mercy of God in the aftershock of whatever life throws at us for we know as slaves of the Most High God we are truly free.

Easter 6 C - Conclusion

My Google calendar just told me I have no events scheduled today. I wish I'd known that before I got out of bed. Of course that is only one of four Google calendars I keep and I'm sure the others have things for me to do. I don't know about you but I get messages all day long from apps or services reminding me of things I at one time must have said I wanted to do. Yesterday my running app sent me a message on my HTC One asking if it had done something to upset me and why was I ignoring it and was I ready to run again. I apologized and said I'd run again as soon as it warms up. It made me pinky swear before I could exit the app. In the time between Easter and Pentecost we might imagine the Easter 6 C lessons texting us like the man from Macedonia called to Paul. And on our task list is a morning meeting down by the river to share our faith with the Lydias we might meet. Psalm 67 reminds us that praise is on the schedule of the faithful every day and that praise will be a recurring event in the forever future when the New Jerusalem envisioned by John comes down. And in the Gospel Jesus promises an Advocate that will remind the disciples of everything he said even though there is only one thing to remember... Love.

Easter 6 C - John 14:23-29

John 14:23-29
"Do not let your hearts be troubled" might be mistaken for a Jesus "Just Do It" theology if it were not for the peace that precedes it. In the same way that "Believe in God. Believe also in me" precedes the same command in the beginning of chapter 14, the "do not let…" does not lead. It follows. And the peace that precedes the "do not let…" is not put on a happy face and the whole world smiles with you because the sun will come up tomorrow bet your bottom dollar solution to real life strife. In the same way, "believe in me" does not mean just get over it. Nor does it minimize trouble because it could be worse, even if it clearly could be. That would be worldly peace. Temporary and illusory the peace of the world denies sorrow, medicates pain with costly pleasure, or seeks solace by seeing to it that other hearts are equally troubled. The peace that Jesus gives embraces suffering and dies to destroy the power of death. Called to cling to the cross by which Jesus overcomes the world and all the trouble in it, the people of Jesus' peace believe that trouble is temporary while peace is eternal. In the fourth chapter of his second letter to the troublesome Corinthians the apostle Paul did not let his heart be troubled, though he had more than enough of his share. "We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." Do not let your hearts be troubled is not a command. It is an invitation.

Easter 6 C - Revelation 21:10-22:5

Revelation 21:10-22:5
It is a strange vision of a city that is out of this world. Carefully measured and described with twelve gates of pearl, walls of jasper, streets of gold and foundations adorned with jewels, some with names that will twist the tongue of Sunday's lectors, the vision is intended to impress. Written to those suffering the pain of persecution it must have seemed a dream too good to be true. But the vision went beyond the immediate need for rescue and redemption. For those who longed for Jerusalem's ruined temple rebuilt, God and the Lamb will be in plain sight and no curtain will hide the Holy of Holies. There will be no need of sun or moon, or gates shut to keep out the danger that lurks in the dark, for all that threatens and practices falsehood will be banished. And the twelve tree forest will heal the nation's warring madness so that all that follows in the wake of war, pestilence and plague and famine and death will be forever erased from the human lexicon. It may be a vision of the future but it came from someone who in this world longed for the out of this world that only peace can bring. We might have to wait for the city to come down but there is no reason we cannot be building the foundation today by dreaming the dream and casting the vision while working to make this world look a little more like the next. That really would be out of this world.