Lectionary 21 A - 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 is the way we overcome whatever troubles, whatever frightens, whatever might lead us to become comfortable with captivity.

Lectionary 20 A - 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 lesson 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 who were always meant to be a light to the Gentiles but instead became hell bent on their exclusion. And so Jesus in welcoming the woman embodies the vision of Isaiah 56 in flesh and blood. The foreigner and the outcast and yes, even the eunuchs, have a seat at the table where previously they begged for crumbs.

Lectionary 20 A - 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 Paul, like the Christ he professes, have both been rejected by those who are imprisoned in disobedience Paul none-the-less proclaims that in the end God will 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 despite the unfaithfulness of God’s people who “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.

Lectionary 20 A - Psalm 67

Psalm 67

The blessings of God are not always measured by the earth bringing forth increase even though God surely knows our need. On the other hand God has given us the ability to feed everyone on the planet even though at present a good portion of the planet’s human population is often at risk of food shortage if not outright starvation. This is exacerbated by the inhumanity bred by hatred and violence that seems to be hard wired into the human DNA. God must surely lament the nations that are only glad when singing with joy they beat their plowshares into swords and their pruning hooks into spears. Those who love peace and desire the ways of a merciful God of saving health to be known on the earth are faced with the difficult decision to wage war to establish peace. There are no easy answers in the here and now but in light of the absolute evil that has engulfed Syria and Iraq it would seem that the only way God can guide the nations on earth is if the ones who are presently committing such heinous atrocities against the innocent are defeated. But even if the current crisis is averted or resolved and the innocent find a momentary respite the only way Psalm 67 will be fully realized is when the ancient prayer of the church, “Come, Lord Jesus” is answered.

Lectionary 20 A - Isaiah 56:1-8

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 that will be better than having sons and daughters. The Mosaic law makes no such exception as males emasculated by crushing or cutting "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 Isaiah 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. His death at the hands of the chosen and his resurrection orchestrated by God made possible the promise that restores those castrated by the Law of Moses to the 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.

Lectionary 19 A - Matthew 14:22-33

Matthew 14:22-33

I’m a little reluctant to argue against 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 and waves of unrelenting 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.  

Lectionary 19 A - 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.”

Lectionary 19 A - Psalm 85:8-13

Psalm 85:8-13

There is no peace when righteousness is held captive to self and salvation is defined by doctrines 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 their hearts and hands towards their neighbor. You cannot love God without loving your neighbor. Or as Jesus will say, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39)  So when steadfast love and faithfulness meet together righteousness and peace engage in PDA (public display of affection) and the people prosper. All this is made possible by Jesus, betrayed by a friend with a kiss, who by his death and resurrection became 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. 

Lectionary 19 A - 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 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.

Lectionary 18 A - 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 interrupted by crowds well fed who not long from now will forsake “hosanna” for “crucify”. 

Lectionary 18 A - 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. 

Lectionary 18 A - Psalm 145

Psalm 145
Desires can be tricky, especially when having them fulfilled turns out to not be desirable at all. But the desires the Lord fulfills 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 that the Lord fulfills satisfies fully for the deepest desire, whether we know it or not, 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 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.

Lectionary 18 A - 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 often 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 know captivity in Babylon come running to the Holy One of Israel who offers water, bread, wine and milk and is not restricted to a single nation but is a witness to all people. 

Lectionary 17 A - 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 more like all things working together against us. 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. 

Lectionary 17 A - Psalm 119:126-139

Psalm 119:126-139

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.

Lectionary 17 A - 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. One wonders how he thought to pray it. You would expect him to pray for the death of his enemies since the boy king had so many. 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 for 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 born in Bethlehem 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.

Lectionary 16 A - Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

The first hearers of this word were no doubt encouraged by it. 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 in the same way it is for wheat. In the end the final job of judging between wheat and weeds is none of our business and naming some ultimately good and others ultimately evil or dividing along the us and them line 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 16 A - 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. That 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.  

Lectionary 16 A - Psalm 86:11-17

Psalm 86:11-7

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 the 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.

Lectionary 16 A - Isaiah 44:1-8

Isaiah 44:1-8

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 short lived, golden age of Solomon was not solid 14 K and compared to the great civilizations of history hardly compares 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 the big G God has 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 chooses to magnify a nation and people of no account.

Lectionary 15 A - Matthew

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 get out of bed.  The good news is that seed sown is not conditional on the state of the 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 and bad we’ll do the same.

Lectionary 15 A - 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 by dying for ungodly, god-hating sinners before getting a prenuptial. (Romans 5:6,8,10) 

Lectionary 14 A - Psalm

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 - LBW 415) The psalmist could not have imagined the awesome deed by which God would get the job done and so sings of a God girded with might whose strength established the mountains and silenced the roaring of the seas. But it was God in Jesus Christ who was overwhelmed by our transgressions and 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 the story ends it would hardly be a source of hope. As it is death could not contain the One who established the earth and breaking free from the grip of the grave God set us free as well so that overwhelmed by grace we might be cured of our warring madness and bend our will to God’s control.

Lectionary 15 A - 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 food and drink that delights without money and without cost. It is a word for a recently released captive people returned to Zion who suffer 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 as proof as the joy and peace will not come without difficulty. But without the word of hope the wicked will return to their ways and the unrighteous to 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 present which means we sing the future song even while the fields are choked by thistles and the hills covered with briers. 

Lectionary 14 A - Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

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

Lectionary 14 A - Romans 7:13-25

Romans 7:13-25

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

Lectionary 14 A - Psalm 145:8-14

Psalm 145:8-14

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

Lectionary 14 A - Zechariah 9:9-12

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

The Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul - John 21:15-19

John 21:15-19

Jesus relentless questioning might seem harsh to our ears but Peter’s threefold “I love you” was meant to make up for his three time denial in the courtyard where “what’s love got to do with it?” (Tina Turner) was all about survival. Of course it is easier to say “I love you” after breakfast than in the courtyard of the high priest when a servant girl just won’t let you get away with “I don’t know the man!” So Peter’s confession of love for Jesus – post resurrection (that makes it easier don’t you think?) is not as significant as it may appear. But when he was older, his hands stretched out, taken where he did not want to go, his confession of love more than made up for his cowardice in the courtyard. There is no doubt he cried tears on that day – he would be less than human if his crucifixion did not cause him to cry out – but unlike his tears after the rooster crowed I don’t think they were bitter.  

Lectionary 13 A - Matthew 10:37-42

Matthew 10:37-42

Ok. Truth to be told I love my parents and children as much as I love Jesus which would seem to make me more worthy of Jesus since he’s all about love. But then these passages were penned in a time when loving Jesus got you kicked out of the synagogue and being worthy of Jesus made you less than welcome in your own home. The cross that the first Christians carried was often a real life wooden one as claiming the name of Christ to gain eternal life meant losing your temporal one. We do not bear such crosses but we are called to lose self-centered lives in order to find lives of Christ centered service for the sake of those are thirsty for a cup of cold water or a warm meal or a shelter from the sun or storm. That means loving Jesus more has nothing to do with loving anyone less.

The Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul - 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18

James Brown - "the hardest working man in show business"

1 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18

I imagine we would all like to make this claim when the time of our departure is at hand. “I have fought the good fight…” In the end that simply means to finish the race with faith regardless of the difficulties faced, the struggles endured or the trials withstood. In his letter to Ephesians Paul will say it this way. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power… and having done everything, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:10, 13) It was in weakness that Paul found strength and in foolishness, wisdom. (1 Corinthians 1:26ff) so that his boasting was in the Lord (even if there was a time or three when his pride got the better of him). But that is what makes him a real person for us and not some mythological Herculean figure. A human being like you and me who did not understand his own actions, lamenting the good that he did not do and deploring the evil he repeated. (Romans 6:15ff) That being said the Paul who penned the 13^th chapter of his first letter to the conflicted Corinthians understood the heart of the faith he kept was the unconditional love that had transformed the chief persecutor of the church into the James Brown of the apostles.(1 Corinthians 15:9-10)

Lectionary 13 A - Romans 6:12-23

Romans 6:12-23

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

The Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul - Psalm 34

Psalm 34

In his letter to the Corinthians Paul details the hardships he endured for the sake of the Gospel – beatings, imprisonment, stoning, shipwrecks, dangers – and while Peter doesn’t compile his own litany of suffering we know he was beaten and imprisoned more than once. So Psalm 34 is a fitting Psalm for the feast of these two followers of Jesus who “cried out” and were “delivered from trouble” for their lives were redeemed and we are the living legacy of their faithful witness. That is not to say Peter and Paul always got along and I imagine that Peter might have thought Paul guilty of speaking deceit, especially when Paul accused Peter of hypocrisy! (Galatians 2:11-14) And Paul endured the attacks of James’s people (closely connected to Peter) who accused Paul of all manner of evil teachings and practices. So the righteous are not always right which should make us even more grateful that the Lord listens to those who are all too human – even if they happen to be Peter and Paul.       

Lectionary 13 A - Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18

Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18

Psalm 89 is a love song to the Lord written by Ethan the Ezrahite, a cymbal player in Solomon’s temple band. His hymn of rejoicing was penned during Israel’s golden age even though it anticipates Solomon’s kingdom split between the lines his sons established, neither of which would last forever. The Northern Kingdom fell first never to rise again and while the Southern Kingdom survived captivity it would never again know the glorious days of Solomon’s reign. The portions of the psalm that we don’t read promise punishment when the children of Israel forsake the law and violate the covenant. Even so God promises never to remove steadfast love from Israel or be false to God’s faithfulness to Judah. When “I could sing of your love forever” is based on human kingdoms and thrones established by the strength of sword and shield, even if the glory is given to God, the song is less than praiseworthy. To trust in God’s faithfulness forever is to sing, “I love you, Lord” when the enemy is at the gate and the city is overthrown and the temple is burned to the ground. That is true for us as well who love the Lord in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer. If we claim God’s love for us is unconditional then it follows that our love for God must be as well. 

The Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul - Acts 12:1-11

Acts 12:1-11

James the son of thunder has been silenced by Herod and even though Peter escapes this time his days are numbered and martyrdom will be his reward for following the One he confessed as the Christ. Peter’s escape from the clutches of Herod is the last we hear of him in the Acts of the Apostles and while tradition has him crucified upside down in Rome the scriptures are silent as to his end. The first Christians didn't choose to become the objects of ridicule, scorn and abuse but they were willing to endure all manner of hardships in order to follow the Way and cling to Christ. There are Christians who continue to suffer for the sake of Christ and the church’s fervent prayers on their behalf are much needed. But in the end even the apostles were not spared from the sword or the arena or the cross. It is a testament to their faith that they lived the teaching of Jesus to their death – love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you – even if Paul added the caveat that by doing so you heap burning coals upon their heads.  (Romans 12:20)

Lectionary 13 A - Jeremiah 28:5-9

Jeremiah 28:5-9

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

Lectionary 12 A - Matthew 10:24-39

Matthew 10:24-39

The less than gentle words of Jesus – whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me… are tempered by the hairs on our head numbered promise that we are of more value than any number of sparrows. That is not to say we should take Jesus’ challenge lightly. It is a fair criticism that in reading the Gospels through the lens of Paul we make Jesus more Gentile than Jew and lose the understanding of law as life and as gift. But in the same way that Paul’s admonition to holy living is grounded in dependency on unconditional grace Jesus demand for radical obedience depends fully upon the disciple being like the teacher. In the end the life we find in Jesus is better than whatever life we may lose. So we trust that we find our life when with hairs on our head numbered valued more than a two sparrow per penny we take up the cross and follow.

Lectionary 12 A - Romans 6:1-11

Romans 6:1-11

A common misunderstanding of the Lutheran theological dependency on God’s grace is what appears to be a leniency towards sin. Nothing could be further from the truth. Luther understood all sin to be derived from human pride as self-righteousness is the last refuge of the sinner. In the beginning the first humans traded paradise for a lie because they wanted to be like God. So dependency on God’s grace is the starting point for living the baptized life where one is untied with Christ. The mistake is when one uses grace as an excuse for excess rather than the only foundation for holy living. God intended grace to lead us to a life of gratitude from which the life of freedom springs. It is as simple as this. God believes the unconditional love revealed in the death of Christ will put to death our desire to be God and joined with Christ we will willingly return to the place of peace where we are satisfied to be creatures who trust the Creator. Untied with Christ in a death like his we will live a life like his. "It’s all about relationship." (Pr. Rusty - Faith Lutheran Church, Flower Mound, TX)

Lectionary 12 A - Psalm 69:7-18

Psalm 69:7-18

In the baptismal liturgy we invoke the images of Psalm 69:14-15 over the water in the font; “By the baptism of his death and resurrection, your Son Jesus has carried us to safety and freedom. The floods shall not overwhelm us and the deep shall not swallow us up for Christ has brought us over to the land of promise.” It is a confident hope in what will be that allows the psalmist to endure what is. God’s steadfast love, faithful help and abundant mercy will overcome reproach, shame, insults and the indignity of being the subject of gossip and drunken songs. A life of zealous service is often misunderstood although in our cultural context one’s piety is largely ignored which I suppose is a more subtle form of insult. It could be that we are less than zealous for the sort of things that might generate criticism. Like selling all our possessions and giving to the poor (Mark 10:17-31) or taking literally the 70 x 7 forgiveness rule (Matthew 18:21-22) or the admonition for those who sin to leave the stones on the ground (John 8:7) or overturning the tables of our own institutional idolatry. (Mark 11:15-19) Maybe if we were more zealous for the things that got Jesus crucified we would be the subject of drunken songs. Not saying that’s a good thing just that maybe getting noticed for doing what Jesus did is better than not doing anything worthy of ridicule. 

Lectionary 12 - Jeremiah 20:7-13

Jeremiah 20:7-13

The prophet Jeremiah might be complaining in these passages but he isn’t weeping because the Lord has prevailed over Jeremiah’s will for self-preservation and put his back up against the wall. With no way out Jeremiah declares with confidence that God will turn the tables on Jeremiah’s tormentors. Of course it was his God enticed truth telling that got him into trouble in the first place because he gave voice to what no one wanted to hear. The past and present unfaithfulness of the children of Israel had finally overpowered God’s patience and the coming captivity in Babylon was a done deal. Bad news with no exit strategy is the reason no one wants to be a Jeremiah and truth to be told the end of his story is not a happy one as he disappears into obscurity after having held forth for God and suffered all manner of abuses. Truth telling is a tricky thing and just because people object to what you say does not make you prophetic. That is not to say we are to avoid saying true things. The scriptures are full of truths that cry out for a voice. The trouble comes in choosing which truth to tell which generally reveals more about the teller than the truth. So maybe the lesson of Jeremiah is to let the Lord test your heart and mind by listening more closely to scriptures that entice and ultimately overpower you. Tell that and if it troubles you it might just be the truth for someone else.

The Feast of the Holy Trinity Year A - Matthew 28:16-20

Matthew 28:16-20

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

The Feast of the Holy Trinity Year A - 2 Corinthians 13:5-13

2 Corinthians 13:5-13
These are the last recorded words of Paul to the contentious Corinthians. The beginning of this short chapter anticipates a third visit to Corinth and warns of harsh words for those who refuse to reform their willful ways. Paul doesn’t pull any punches and promises not to spare “those who sinned earlier or any of the others.” He asserts this authority from God for the building up of this gifted congregation not for its tearing down and makes one last appeal for them to put aside differences and live at peace with one another. Paul’s last words to the Corinthians are the first words we speak in the liturgy to remind us that we gather in the name of the God of love and peace. There are some things that are not optional for those who claim the name of Christ. The holy kiss may have fallen out of use but if we are going to be the church the sharing of peace never can.

The Feast of the Holy Trinity Year A - Psalm 8

Psalm 8

The God of majesty and might, who flung the stars and moon into the sky and with infinite imagination created all creatures great and small is mindful of mortals. It’s a good thing because the crown of creation has chaffed at being a “little lower than God” and desiring more glory and honor has generally made a mess of things. But being mindful of us does not mean keeping an eye on humanity as if the majestic name needed to watch us to keep us in line. It means that we occupy a place of affection and as such are always on God’s mind and in God’s heart. On the other hand the “works of God’s hands” could use a little relief from human domination and I imagine a good bit of creation “under our feet” wishes we would walk a little more softly. Maybe we should be more mindful of things created a little lower than us in the same way God thinks of things created a little lower than God.

The Feast of the Holy Trinity Year A - Genesis 1:1-2:4

Genesis 1:1-2:4

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

Pentecost Year A - Psalm 104:24-34

Psalm 104:24-34

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

Pentecost Year A - John 20:19-23

John 20:19-23

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

Pentecost Year A - 1 Corinthians 12:3-13

1 Corinthians 12:3-13

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

Pentecost Year A - Acts 2:1-21

Acts 2:1-21

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