The Ties that Bind
There are not any gospel lessons harder on our ears than today’s. The harsh words spoken by Jesus today should definitely offend and even confuse. The Gospels often talk about reconciliation and the peace that Jesus brings. Today he tells us he’s not bringing peace but fire and he’ll create divisions even within families. Brothers and sisters when Jesus speaks like this it is imperative that we don’t skip over it and find the more comfortable parts of the gospel but we wrestle with all his words. Before I get into families I want to say a little something about the peace that Jesus doesn’t bring and the peace he does.
Throughout Luke’s gospel Jesus tells those who he heals and teaches “Peace be with you”. From Jesus these aren’t mere words of greeting or departure. It is a blessing, the gift of a very special peace; the peace that comes only from the presence of God. In today’s gospel when Jesus says he doesn’t bring peace he is talking about a worldly peace. Mortals have perceived peace as an absence of conflict and strife. God’s peace isn’t an absence of conflict or strife, but rather an acknowledgement of God’s presence in the midst of conflict or strife. Jesus brings a peace of the highest order, which calls for a restructuring, reordering, and redefinition of human values, priorities, norms, and institutions, processes that may even create conflict and strive.
Even the most fundamental of human institutions the family isn’t immune from the restructuring and redefining work of the Holy Spirit. That’s because it isn’t immune from the corruption of human sin. A look back in the Old Testament would remind us that family division and dysfunction is not a new thing but it was common long before Jesus came. Moses and pharaoh were brothers, Jacob and his mother schemed to steal the birthright out from under Esau, Jonathon was forced to choose between loyalty to his father King Saul or his best friend the future King David; he chose David proving that there are indeed bonds stronger than biology. These are all extreme cases of familial division but the truth is that all families in some way or another deal with conflict at some level, including your own, some creating insurmountable chasms between members and some prove to be bumps in the road.
The truth is brothers and sisters that families are always in conflict over earthly things that in the end will perish anyway; things like money, politics, and land just to name a few. If these earthly matters work to create tension within and divide families than shouldn’t matters of faith; things we believe to be of eternal significance be important enough to create even bigger divisions. Unfortunately in our world all too often families are willing to sacrifice relationships over the worldly and temporal matters but are willing to compromise when it comes to the questions of faith and the state of our souls. Perhaps some of the re-ordering which is done in the incarnation of Jesus Christ needs to be done in the area of priorities as well.
Brothers and sisters these are tough words to hear indeed. Largely because our identity and feelings of self worth are so wrapped up in our family and our experience of family. To hear Jesus tell us that he is bringing another thing with the potential to tear apart families scares us because it challenges our understanding of who we are and where we belong.
Who we are and where we belong. I believe these questions are absolutely fundamental to us as human beings. For Christians, the incarnation of Jesus Christ and the faith it creates replaces the family as the primary source of answers for these questions. This is why our baptism rite doesn’t include last names and we often talk about families of faith. Because there are indeed bonds stronger than blood or biology. Relationships forged in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and strengthened by the Holy Spirit go deeper than those of heredity. Sure our birth families are still important to us and should be. But they are no longer the relationship that comes first in our lives. We have been claimed as Children of God and been given a spirit of adoption from our Heavenly Father.
Brothers and sisters no matter how happy and near-perfect your earthly family may be this is indeed good news. As God’s own we are blessed with an inheritance that doesn’t perish when this world fades and a lineage to be very proud of. We are created in the image of our heavenly Father and called to live out that resemblance in the world around us. We belong to a daddy whose lap has room for all of us and whose love knows no bounds.
The human family like the humans who make them up are sinful and not forever. They know the limits of our best intentions and the hurt of our worst moments. They may know irreconcilable divisions or merely annoying differences. They can cause deep painful despair or overwhelming joy. But it is God’s family that’ll continue to be a source of hope for all of eternity, it is God’s family that is as perfect as its parent, it is God’s family that Jesus Christ came to bring, it’s not always easy as we try to live in both worlds but it is always good.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Sermon on Mary and Martha
I heard about a father who was so happy to have a son and was so willing and ready to share his love for baseball with his son that he buys all the right clothes and equipment. He brings his son to all the local games and as the kid gets older he sent him to the most expensive baseball camps. It isn’t until the boy is much older, reaching adulthood, until the father finds out that his son never really liked the game, as a matter of fact he hated it with a passion. The father didn’t set out to be a bad or oblivious parent; as a matter of fact all he wanted to do was share the game he loved with the child he loved. But yet something was amiss. His inability to hear his son or his refusal to even be in conversation with him caused the dad to confuse what his son wanted with what he himself wanted. I am sure many of you can think about times when better listening, communication or observation could have aided your good intentions.
The truth is brothers and sisters I think we as Christians even do it in our faith lives more than we’d like to admit. Sometimes we are all too willing to serve the Lord and in our eagerness we may miss a step. We jump into the serving without first listening to how we are being called to serve the Lord. Despite our good intentions we may be serving ourselves, the world, or yes even Satan. I think service and obedience to Jesus always includes discussion and listening to Him. Christians have a special name for communication with God, its called prayer.
The story of Mary and Martha offers us a corrective for this tendency that all Christians struggle with from time to time. Like many familiar texts it runs the danger of misinterpretation. So many times I hear it said that there are Marys and Marthas in this world and that is ok. After all we need people serving. I don’t think it’s fair to Mary to assume that since she’s sitting at Jesus’ feet she’s not called to service. And it’s definitely not right to assume Martha doesn’t belong at Jesus’ feet because she feels she is called to prepare the meal. And most importantly I think lifting up Mary and Martha as a typology where we see two ways of being a Christian fails to acknowledge Jesus’ admonition to Martha that her sister did in fact choose rightly, implying of course that she herself chose wrongly. I am not denying that there are different ways to serve and people are called to those different ways. The New Testament is full of passages that highlight that fact, but today’s isn’t one of them. What today’s Gospel lesson tells us however is that whatever we are called to; however we may serve the Lord it always begins and ends at the feet of Jesus, listening and learning from our Lord and Savior. Jesus may not be knocking on door and visiting homes with his disciples like he did in today’s reading. But through study of God’s word and unceasing prayer we are offered the same opportunity that Martha and Mary had to be in God’s presence, and that is where we should desire to be as Christians. As we see in Martha anything else leads to distraction, hardened hearts, and confusion.
If you ask me Martha’s rebuke of Mary and her words to Jesus speak volumes about the heart and mind with which she served Jesus and the disciples. Martha’s bitter words are not a result of serving Jesus. I think they are a result of confusing the world’s expectations with the call of Christ. She knew she was expected to be in the kitchen so she succumbed to the expectation without realizing this was an opportunity to serve God’s son. Somebody had to prepare a meal and act as host and it may have been Martha’s call to do so. But I highly doubt either Jesus or his disciples would’ve minded waiting a little longer to be fed so Martha could join her sister in Jesus’ presence. Christian hospitality doesn’t begin with food on the table and end when the dishes are clean. Like all Christian service it begins and ends in the presence of Jesus Christ. If you find yourself becoming angry, jealous, or distracted in your service to the Lord I ask you to take a break and in prayer and study of the bible return to the feet of Jesus. You may find yourself able to return to the same service or you may find that perhaps God was calling you to something different the whole time.
As important as it is for individual Christians to learn this lesson it’s equally important that it is taken to heart at the congregational level. All too often mission is equated to having a lot going on. The busiest churches are seen as the most faithful or effective; and thus the churches do be emulated. Programming is good and churches should be striving to meet the needs of the wider community in the name of Christ. But any programming comes out of continued conversation with God and with their specific situation. I am reminded of a story from internship. The situation in which I did internship was a unique one. After a volatile departure of a Pastor 5 years before there was still a lot of hurt. After years of being vacant they decided to welcome a detached intern.
Much of the ministry that occurred was helping this congregation get back on its feet. In one conversation we were talking about new things we should be trying. One longtime member who has become a trusted friend was smitten with the mega church in West Des Moines said we need to do small groups like the Lutheran Church of Hope. I looked at him and said “Chuck you need to remember two things Dayton is not West Des Moines and Church of Hope does small groups so they can be more like you guys.”
The truth is if churches spent as much time talking about how to emulate Christ as they did talking about how to emulate each other, I think the whole church would be much better off. Congregations need to be more like Mary placing themselves in Jesus’ presence through prayer, study, and conversation before they act.
In my brief time here I have experienced a healthy congregation with a solid approach to mission. However in light of Mary and Martha I want to challenge us as a congregation to be more intentional about placing ourselves at the feet of Jesus, surrounding all we do with prayer and the Word of God. I would also challenge us to be in constant discussion not just with God but with each other about the ministry of Christ Hamilton. Because simply doing without asking questions, listening, and learning leads to distraction, hardened hearts, and confusion. Please pray with me.
Lord God,
Like Martha we often find ourselves distracted, confusing the expectations of the world with your call to serve. Help us choose the right thing like Mary did putting ourselves and our actions at your feet. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
The truth is brothers and sisters I think we as Christians even do it in our faith lives more than we’d like to admit. Sometimes we are all too willing to serve the Lord and in our eagerness we may miss a step. We jump into the serving without first listening to how we are being called to serve the Lord. Despite our good intentions we may be serving ourselves, the world, or yes even Satan. I think service and obedience to Jesus always includes discussion and listening to Him. Christians have a special name for communication with God, its called prayer.
The story of Mary and Martha offers us a corrective for this tendency that all Christians struggle with from time to time. Like many familiar texts it runs the danger of misinterpretation. So many times I hear it said that there are Marys and Marthas in this world and that is ok. After all we need people serving. I don’t think it’s fair to Mary to assume that since she’s sitting at Jesus’ feet she’s not called to service. And it’s definitely not right to assume Martha doesn’t belong at Jesus’ feet because she feels she is called to prepare the meal. And most importantly I think lifting up Mary and Martha as a typology where we see two ways of being a Christian fails to acknowledge Jesus’ admonition to Martha that her sister did in fact choose rightly, implying of course that she herself chose wrongly. I am not denying that there are different ways to serve and people are called to those different ways. The New Testament is full of passages that highlight that fact, but today’s isn’t one of them. What today’s Gospel lesson tells us however is that whatever we are called to; however we may serve the Lord it always begins and ends at the feet of Jesus, listening and learning from our Lord and Savior. Jesus may not be knocking on door and visiting homes with his disciples like he did in today’s reading. But through study of God’s word and unceasing prayer we are offered the same opportunity that Martha and Mary had to be in God’s presence, and that is where we should desire to be as Christians. As we see in Martha anything else leads to distraction, hardened hearts, and confusion.
If you ask me Martha’s rebuke of Mary and her words to Jesus speak volumes about the heart and mind with which she served Jesus and the disciples. Martha’s bitter words are not a result of serving Jesus. I think they are a result of confusing the world’s expectations with the call of Christ. She knew she was expected to be in the kitchen so she succumbed to the expectation without realizing this was an opportunity to serve God’s son. Somebody had to prepare a meal and act as host and it may have been Martha’s call to do so. But I highly doubt either Jesus or his disciples would’ve minded waiting a little longer to be fed so Martha could join her sister in Jesus’ presence. Christian hospitality doesn’t begin with food on the table and end when the dishes are clean. Like all Christian service it begins and ends in the presence of Jesus Christ. If you find yourself becoming angry, jealous, or distracted in your service to the Lord I ask you to take a break and in prayer and study of the bible return to the feet of Jesus. You may find yourself able to return to the same service or you may find that perhaps God was calling you to something different the whole time.
As important as it is for individual Christians to learn this lesson it’s equally important that it is taken to heart at the congregational level. All too often mission is equated to having a lot going on. The busiest churches are seen as the most faithful or effective; and thus the churches do be emulated. Programming is good and churches should be striving to meet the needs of the wider community in the name of Christ. But any programming comes out of continued conversation with God and with their specific situation. I am reminded of a story from internship. The situation in which I did internship was a unique one. After a volatile departure of a Pastor 5 years before there was still a lot of hurt. After years of being vacant they decided to welcome a detached intern.
Much of the ministry that occurred was helping this congregation get back on its feet. In one conversation we were talking about new things we should be trying. One longtime member who has become a trusted friend was smitten with the mega church in West Des Moines said we need to do small groups like the Lutheran Church of Hope. I looked at him and said “Chuck you need to remember two things Dayton is not West Des Moines and Church of Hope does small groups so they can be more like you guys.”
The truth is if churches spent as much time talking about how to emulate Christ as they did talking about how to emulate each other, I think the whole church would be much better off. Congregations need to be more like Mary placing themselves in Jesus’ presence through prayer, study, and conversation before they act.
In my brief time here I have experienced a healthy congregation with a solid approach to mission. However in light of Mary and Martha I want to challenge us as a congregation to be more intentional about placing ourselves at the feet of Jesus, surrounding all we do with prayer and the Word of God. I would also challenge us to be in constant discussion not just with God but with each other about the ministry of Christ Hamilton. Because simply doing without asking questions, listening, and learning leads to distraction, hardened hearts, and confusion. Please pray with me.
Lord God,
Like Martha we often find ourselves distracted, confusing the expectations of the world with your call to serve. Help us choose the right thing like Mary did putting ourselves and our actions at your feet. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Sermon for Gaudete Sunday
Real Joy in the Midst of Suffering
Many liturgical traditions historically referred to the 3rd Sunday of advent as Gaudete Sunday; this designation came from the early church and marked the halfway point of Advent when Advent was longer than it is now. This is taken from the Latin meaning to rejoice, joy is the typical theme of the day. Zephaniah is a strange prophet to be hearing on a Sunday named after Joy. His book of prophetic oracles is probably the darkest and gloomiest of all the Old Testament prophets. Also one of the shortest its 4 and a half chapters of dismal judgment. Luckily today we hear the half of a chapter which isn’t.
As a matter of fact today’s readings all come from books of the bible that may not be the first to come to mind for a day we call Rejoice Sunday. Our psalmody like last week doesn’t come from the psalms but from the prophet Isaiah who is known as much for his words of judgment and gloom as he is for his words of joy and hope. Then you have Paul’s letter to the Philippians, a letter written from a cold hard prison floor. Even the Gospel from Luke this morning doesn’t come across as entirely joyful. John the Baptist was a fiery preacher who wasn’t known for his joyful disposition. He began his message this morning by calling his listeners a “Brood of vipers”. I’m sure nobody would be rejoicing if I began my sermons by calling you all snakes.
But yet these are the lessons today and they do indeed have something to say about what it means to find joy in the fulfillment of God’s promises. Paul writes to the new Christians in Philippi.
Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Remember that this exhortation was written from prison. Paul knew what it meant to know the joy and peace of God in the midst of human pain and suffering. Zephaniah ended his oracles with the final verse we heard today.
Zephaniah 3:20 At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the LORD.
It seems that even the gloomiest of God’s prophets couldn’t ignore how wonderful God’s promises were. Perhaps real joy isn’t the absence of sin, shame, pain, or death. But is the awareness of God’s presence in the midst of all of it. Rejoice brothers and sisters God has promised to be present and that is what we rejoice in.
I think our ability to “rejoice in the Lord always” is what allows us to live as God’s children should in this fallen world. One thing we hear a lot during advent is “do not fear”. The angel Gabriel said it to Zechariah, Mary and, Joseph when he brought his messages to each of them. This week in this context of rejoicing we hear it as well. Zephaniah tells his hearers not to fear because God is with them, Isaiah says that he will not fear because the Lord God is his strength, Paul tells the Philippians not to worry.
Does fear disappear because of faith in God? I don’t think so, but I do believe that the joy that comes from awareness of God’s presence empowers us and enables us to embrace life without being frozen by fear. On Wednesday night we watched the Nativity Story. There was a scene where Joseph was telling Mary about his visit from Gabriel. He told her that the Angel said do not be afraid. Mary looks at him and said “well are you afraid?” Joseph’s answer was an unqualified well yes I am and Mary was able to also able to speak of her fear. But because they knew that God has promised great things they were able to carry on with their journey. Now I can’t imagine how terrifying it was to be told they’re going to be the parents of God’s only son, and that they would have to travel to Bethlehem while Mary was pregnant. The pressure must have been enormous, but yet their awareness of God’s presence a presence made real to them by Gabriel’s visits kept their very real fears from immobilizing them.
Brothers and sisters I don’t pretend to know all the fears that are gripping the hearts and minds of all of you but I know they are there. The reality of illness and very real health concerns of us and our loved ones, the uncertainty of a trying economic downturn, and strife in our personal relationships can all be sources of fear in our daily lives. As a congregation we are asking some very difficult and scary questions about what lies ahead for the ministry of Zion (Immanuel) Lutheran Church. Brothers and sisters it is moments like this that we must stand in our advent joy and hear the angel saying to us. Do not fear; rejoice for God is with you.
It’s important to remember that Paul doesn’t say rejoice in all things but Rejoice in Christ at all times. We don’t boast in our trials and tribulations but we boast in our God who is with us in those trials and tribulations. As Christians we don’t show of our scars and pains like they’re jewels in our crowns. But we thank God for his scars and pains which he acquired in his love for us. Brothers and sisters do not fear; rejoice for God is with you.
Many liturgical traditions historically referred to the 3rd Sunday of advent as Gaudete Sunday; this designation came from the early church and marked the halfway point of Advent when Advent was longer than it is now. This is taken from the Latin meaning to rejoice, joy is the typical theme of the day. Zephaniah is a strange prophet to be hearing on a Sunday named after Joy. His book of prophetic oracles is probably the darkest and gloomiest of all the Old Testament prophets. Also one of the shortest its 4 and a half chapters of dismal judgment. Luckily today we hear the half of a chapter which isn’t.
As a matter of fact today’s readings all come from books of the bible that may not be the first to come to mind for a day we call Rejoice Sunday. Our psalmody like last week doesn’t come from the psalms but from the prophet Isaiah who is known as much for his words of judgment and gloom as he is for his words of joy and hope. Then you have Paul’s letter to the Philippians, a letter written from a cold hard prison floor. Even the Gospel from Luke this morning doesn’t come across as entirely joyful. John the Baptist was a fiery preacher who wasn’t known for his joyful disposition. He began his message this morning by calling his listeners a “Brood of vipers”. I’m sure nobody would be rejoicing if I began my sermons by calling you all snakes.
But yet these are the lessons today and they do indeed have something to say about what it means to find joy in the fulfillment of God’s promises. Paul writes to the new Christians in Philippi.
Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Remember that this exhortation was written from prison. Paul knew what it meant to know the joy and peace of God in the midst of human pain and suffering. Zephaniah ended his oracles with the final verse we heard today.
Zephaniah 3:20 At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the LORD.
It seems that even the gloomiest of God’s prophets couldn’t ignore how wonderful God’s promises were. Perhaps real joy isn’t the absence of sin, shame, pain, or death. But is the awareness of God’s presence in the midst of all of it. Rejoice brothers and sisters God has promised to be present and that is what we rejoice in.
I think our ability to “rejoice in the Lord always” is what allows us to live as God’s children should in this fallen world. One thing we hear a lot during advent is “do not fear”. The angel Gabriel said it to Zechariah, Mary and, Joseph when he brought his messages to each of them. This week in this context of rejoicing we hear it as well. Zephaniah tells his hearers not to fear because God is with them, Isaiah says that he will not fear because the Lord God is his strength, Paul tells the Philippians not to worry.
Does fear disappear because of faith in God? I don’t think so, but I do believe that the joy that comes from awareness of God’s presence empowers us and enables us to embrace life without being frozen by fear. On Wednesday night we watched the Nativity Story. There was a scene where Joseph was telling Mary about his visit from Gabriel. He told her that the Angel said do not be afraid. Mary looks at him and said “well are you afraid?” Joseph’s answer was an unqualified well yes I am and Mary was able to also able to speak of her fear. But because they knew that God has promised great things they were able to carry on with their journey. Now I can’t imagine how terrifying it was to be told they’re going to be the parents of God’s only son, and that they would have to travel to Bethlehem while Mary was pregnant. The pressure must have been enormous, but yet their awareness of God’s presence a presence made real to them by Gabriel’s visits kept their very real fears from immobilizing them.
Brothers and sisters I don’t pretend to know all the fears that are gripping the hearts and minds of all of you but I know they are there. The reality of illness and very real health concerns of us and our loved ones, the uncertainty of a trying economic downturn, and strife in our personal relationships can all be sources of fear in our daily lives. As a congregation we are asking some very difficult and scary questions about what lies ahead for the ministry of Zion (Immanuel) Lutheran Church. Brothers and sisters it is moments like this that we must stand in our advent joy and hear the angel saying to us. Do not fear; rejoice for God is with you.
It’s important to remember that Paul doesn’t say rejoice in all things but Rejoice in Christ at all times. We don’t boast in our trials and tribulations but we boast in our God who is with us in those trials and tribulations. As Christians we don’t show of our scars and pains like they’re jewels in our crowns. But we thank God for his scars and pains which he acquired in his love for us. Brothers and sisters do not fear; rejoice for God is with you.
Friday, November 20, 2009
NE IA Synod Takes a Step Back Towards Orthodoxy and Confessionalism
On November 14th the Northeast Iowa Synod Council voted on and adopted two resolutions in regards to CWA and the Sexuality/policy changes. The 1st one was in regards to the Synod's Bound conscience. Affirming the actions of the last couple Synod Assemblies the Synod voted to uphold the 1990 Documents "Vision and Expectations" and "Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline”. And recommends the Bishop and candidacy committee to do the same.The second resolution states that the Social Statement is in direct violation of the ELCA's confession of faith and memorializes Churchwide Assembly to repudiate the actions of CWA 2009 on that basis. We are the first Synod to take any sort of constitutional actions and regardless of Secretary Swartling and the Church council's reactions and responses this was a huge step. The resolutions can be read below.
A RESOLUTION ON THE “BOUND CONSCIENCE” OF THE NORTHEASTERN IOWA SYNOD WITH RESPECT TO CHANGES IN MINISTRY POLICIES
WHEREAS, The 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the ELCA has adopted 4 Recommendations on Ministry Policies (CA09.05.23; CA09.05.24; CA09.05.26; and CA09.05.27), and
WHEREAS, CA09.05.23 states “that in the implementation of any resolutions on ministry policies, the ELCA commit itself to bear one another’s burdens, love the neighbor, and respect the bound consciences of all”, and
WHEREAS, CA09.05.27, in the 2nd “RESOLVED” states “that this church, because of its
commitment to respect the bound consciences of all, declare its intent to allow structured flexibility in decision-making regarding the approving or disapproving in candidacy and the extending or not
extending of a call to rostered service of a person who is otherwise qualified and who is living or
contemplates living in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship”, and
WHEREAS, the 5th “WHEREAS” introducing CA.09.05.27 states,” other members, congregations, candidacy committees, and synods of the ELCA acknowledge those gifts and skills for ministry, but believe that this church must maintain an expectation of celibacy for any gay or lesbian person, whether or not that person is in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship, and thus believe that this church cannot call or roster people in such relationships” and
WHEREAS, the use of “structured flexibility” is portrayed in the “Report and Recommendation on Ministry Policies” as presented to the Churchwide Assembly on lines 488 – 498 of the Pre-Assembly Report in the following manner:
"To choose structured flexibility does not imply that same-gender-oriented people in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships would be able to serve everywhere in this church. The existing discernment processes for approval and call already assume that synods, bishops, candidacy committees, rostered leaders, and congregations will make decisions in keeping with their own conscience and convictions. If structured flexibility were added to the process, this assumption would still protect any congregation, candidacy committee, synod, or bishop from having to violate bound conscience by approving, calling, commissioning, consecrating, or ordaining anyone in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship. Similarly, a structured flexibility process would protect the decisions of a congregation, candidacy committee, synod, or bishop who concludes that mission would be served best by approving or calling a particular candidate or rostered leader who is in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship." (bold added), and
WHEREAS, it is evident from these portions of the materials adopted and presented at the 2009 Churchwide Assembly that the “all” whose “bound conscience” the actions of the assembly have committed the ELCA to honor include “synods”, and that this “bound conscience” includes the ability to choose not to approve, call, commission, consecrate, or ordain someone in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship, and
WHEREAS, the “bound conscience” of the Northeastern Iowa Synod can most clearly be determined by the actions taken at synod assembly, and
WHEREAS, actions of the Northeastern Iowa Synod Assembly in 2004 (SA04.06.9), 2005 (SA05.06.38), 2007 (SA07.06.33, SA07.06.36, SA07.06.38 & SA07.06.41), and 2009 (SA09.06.15 & SA09.06.18) have declared the position of the Northeastern Iowa Synod to be that “Marriage, an institution ordained by God, is the life-long union of one man and one woman for the creation of human life and for their mutual love and care… Sexual intercourse is part of the vocation of marriage and is misused in any other context” (SA04.06.9); have opposed any changes in the church’s teaching concerning marriage and sexuality (SA04.06.9, SA09.06.15); and have opposed any changes in the ELCA’s standards for pastors and other rostered leaders as expressed in the 1990 documents “Vision and Expectations” and “Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline” (SA05.06.38, SA07.06.36, SA07.06.38, SA07.06.41 & SA09.06.18); therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Northeastern Iowa Synod Council, recognizing the past actions of the Northeastern Iowa Synod Assembly as evidence of the Northeastern Iowa Synod’s strongly-held views with respect to the approving, calling, commissioning, consecrating, or ordaining of one in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship, determines that the standards for rostered ministry as outlined in the 1990 documents, “Vision and Expectations” and “Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline” shall remain in effect for the Northeastern Iowa Synod, and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Northeastern Iowa Synod Council encourage the Northeastern Iowa Synod Candidacy Committee and the Office of Bishop of the Northeastern Iowa Synod to continue to abide by such standards for rostered ministry in the Northeastern Iowa Synod during the period leading up to the 2010 Synod Assembly, and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Northeastern Iowa Synod Council recommends the following Continuing Resolution to the 2010 Synod Assembly of the Northeastern Iowa Synod:
S14.02 A10 In addition to the standards for ordained ministers in the current “Vision and Expectations” as adopted by the ELCA Church Council, this synod shall continue to maintain this expectation from “Vision & Expectations” (1990) in its candidacy process and in its standards for pastors and other rostered leaders:
Ordained ministers, whether married or single, are expected to uphold an understanding of marriage in their public ministry as well as in private life that is biblically informed and consistent with the teachings of this synod. The expectations of this synod regarding the sexual conduct of its ordained ministers are grounded in the understanding that human sexuality is a gift from God and that ordained ministers are to live in such a way as to honor this gift. Ordained ministers are expected to reject sexual promiscuity, the manipulation of others for purposes of sexual gratification, and all attempts of sexual seduction and sexual harassment, including taking physical or emotional advantage of others. Single ordained ministers are expected to live a chaste life. Married ordained ministers are expected to live in fidelity to their spouses, giving expression to sexual intimacy within a marriage relationship that is mutual, chaste, and faithful. Ordained ministers who are homosexual in their self-understanding are expected to abstain from homosexual sexual relationships.
A RESOLUTION IN OPPOSITION TO THE ACTIONS OF THE 2009 CHURCHWIDE ASSEMBLY
WHEREAS, the 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the ELCA has adopted the social statement, “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust”, and
WHEREAS, in Part IV (lines 620 – 628 in the Pre-Assembly Report) this statement reads:
The historic Christian tradition and the Lutheran Confessions have recognized marriage as a covenant between a man and a woman, reflecting Mark 10: 6–9: “But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one put asunder.” (Jesus here recalls Genesis 1:27; 2:23–24.), and
WHEREAS, in Part IV (lines 740 – 744, as amended, of the Pre-Assembly Report) it reads:
Recognizing that this conclusion differs from the historic Christian tradition and the Lutheran Confessions, some people, though not all, in this church and within the larger Christian community, conclude that marriage is also the appropriate term to use in describing similar benefits, protection, and support for same-gender couples entering into lifelong monogamous relationships, and
WHEREAS, the statement then goes on to treat these two positions and the variants within them as of equal validity, on the basis of the “conscience-bound beliefs” of those who hold them (Part IV, lines 809 – 868 of the Pre-Assembly Report), and
WHEREAS, on this same basis of the “conscience-bound lack of consensus in this church” (lines 452 – 453 of the Report and Recommendation on Ministry Policies in Part V of the Pre-Assembly Report) the resolutions on ministry policies (SA09.05.23 – 24 – 26 & 27) were adopted, and
WHEREAS, neither the Social Statement nor the Recommendation on Ministry Policies present an argument based on Scripture, the Lutheran Confessions and with the aid of sound reason either to reject what is admitted to be the position of the historic Christian tradition and the Lutheran Confessions based on Scripture or to accept a position which is admitted to be contrary to the historic Christian tradition and the Lutheran Confessions, and
WHEREAS, the Confession of Faith of the ELCA (Chapter 2 of the ELCA Constitution) commits the ELCA to accept the canonical Scriptures as the authoritative source and norm of our proclamation, faith and life, and to accept the confessional writings of the Lutheran Church as a true witness of the Gospel and valid interpretations of the faith of the Church, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Northeastern Iowa Synod Council, repudiate the decisions of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly in adopting the social statement “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust” and the 4 Resolutions on Ministry Policies (CA09.05.23 – 24 – 26 & 27) as violations of the Confession of Faith, Chapter 2 of the ELCA Constitution, and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Northeastern Iowa Synod Council memorialize the ELCA Church Council to repudiate these actions as violations of the Confession of Faith, Chapter 2 of the ELCA Constitution, refuse to implement these actions, and begin the process to overturn these decisions at the 2011 Churchwide Assembly
A RESOLUTION ON THE “BOUND CONSCIENCE” OF THE NORTHEASTERN IOWA SYNOD WITH RESPECT TO CHANGES IN MINISTRY POLICIES
WHEREAS, The 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the ELCA has adopted 4 Recommendations on Ministry Policies (CA09.05.23; CA09.05.24; CA09.05.26; and CA09.05.27), and
WHEREAS, CA09.05.23 states “that in the implementation of any resolutions on ministry policies, the ELCA commit itself to bear one another’s burdens, love the neighbor, and respect the bound consciences of all”, and
WHEREAS, CA09.05.27, in the 2nd “RESOLVED” states “that this church, because of its
commitment to respect the bound consciences of all, declare its intent to allow structured flexibility in decision-making regarding the approving or disapproving in candidacy and the extending or not
extending of a call to rostered service of a person who is otherwise qualified and who is living or
contemplates living in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship”, and
WHEREAS, the 5th “WHEREAS” introducing CA.09.05.27 states,” other members, congregations, candidacy committees, and synods of the ELCA acknowledge those gifts and skills for ministry, but believe that this church must maintain an expectation of celibacy for any gay or lesbian person, whether or not that person is in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship, and thus believe that this church cannot call or roster people in such relationships” and
WHEREAS, the use of “structured flexibility” is portrayed in the “Report and Recommendation on Ministry Policies” as presented to the Churchwide Assembly on lines 488 – 498 of the Pre-Assembly Report in the following manner:
"To choose structured flexibility does not imply that same-gender-oriented people in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships would be able to serve everywhere in this church. The existing discernment processes for approval and call already assume that synods, bishops, candidacy committees, rostered leaders, and congregations will make decisions in keeping with their own conscience and convictions. If structured flexibility were added to the process, this assumption would still protect any congregation, candidacy committee, synod, or bishop from having to violate bound conscience by approving, calling, commissioning, consecrating, or ordaining anyone in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship. Similarly, a structured flexibility process would protect the decisions of a congregation, candidacy committee, synod, or bishop who concludes that mission would be served best by approving or calling a particular candidate or rostered leader who is in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship." (bold added), and
WHEREAS, it is evident from these portions of the materials adopted and presented at the 2009 Churchwide Assembly that the “all” whose “bound conscience” the actions of the assembly have committed the ELCA to honor include “synods”, and that this “bound conscience” includes the ability to choose not to approve, call, commission, consecrate, or ordain someone in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship, and
WHEREAS, the “bound conscience” of the Northeastern Iowa Synod can most clearly be determined by the actions taken at synod assembly, and
WHEREAS, actions of the Northeastern Iowa Synod Assembly in 2004 (SA04.06.9), 2005 (SA05.06.38), 2007 (SA07.06.33, SA07.06.36, SA07.06.38 & SA07.06.41), and 2009 (SA09.06.15 & SA09.06.18) have declared the position of the Northeastern Iowa Synod to be that “Marriage, an institution ordained by God, is the life-long union of one man and one woman for the creation of human life and for their mutual love and care… Sexual intercourse is part of the vocation of marriage and is misused in any other context” (SA04.06.9); have opposed any changes in the church’s teaching concerning marriage and sexuality (SA04.06.9, SA09.06.15); and have opposed any changes in the ELCA’s standards for pastors and other rostered leaders as expressed in the 1990 documents “Vision and Expectations” and “Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline” (SA05.06.38, SA07.06.36, SA07.06.38, SA07.06.41 & SA09.06.18); therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Northeastern Iowa Synod Council, recognizing the past actions of the Northeastern Iowa Synod Assembly as evidence of the Northeastern Iowa Synod’s strongly-held views with respect to the approving, calling, commissioning, consecrating, or ordaining of one in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship, determines that the standards for rostered ministry as outlined in the 1990 documents, “Vision and Expectations” and “Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline” shall remain in effect for the Northeastern Iowa Synod, and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Northeastern Iowa Synod Council encourage the Northeastern Iowa Synod Candidacy Committee and the Office of Bishop of the Northeastern Iowa Synod to continue to abide by such standards for rostered ministry in the Northeastern Iowa Synod during the period leading up to the 2010 Synod Assembly, and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Northeastern Iowa Synod Council recommends the following Continuing Resolution to the 2010 Synod Assembly of the Northeastern Iowa Synod:
S14.02 A10 In addition to the standards for ordained ministers in the current “Vision and Expectations” as adopted by the ELCA Church Council, this synod shall continue to maintain this expectation from “Vision & Expectations” (1990) in its candidacy process and in its standards for pastors and other rostered leaders:
Ordained ministers, whether married or single, are expected to uphold an understanding of marriage in their public ministry as well as in private life that is biblically informed and consistent with the teachings of this synod. The expectations of this synod regarding the sexual conduct of its ordained ministers are grounded in the understanding that human sexuality is a gift from God and that ordained ministers are to live in such a way as to honor this gift. Ordained ministers are expected to reject sexual promiscuity, the manipulation of others for purposes of sexual gratification, and all attempts of sexual seduction and sexual harassment, including taking physical or emotional advantage of others. Single ordained ministers are expected to live a chaste life. Married ordained ministers are expected to live in fidelity to their spouses, giving expression to sexual intimacy within a marriage relationship that is mutual, chaste, and faithful. Ordained ministers who are homosexual in their self-understanding are expected to abstain from homosexual sexual relationships.
A RESOLUTION IN OPPOSITION TO THE ACTIONS OF THE 2009 CHURCHWIDE ASSEMBLY
WHEREAS, the 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the ELCA has adopted the social statement, “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust”, and
WHEREAS, in Part IV (lines 620 – 628 in the Pre-Assembly Report) this statement reads:
The historic Christian tradition and the Lutheran Confessions have recognized marriage as a covenant between a man and a woman, reflecting Mark 10: 6–9: “But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one put asunder.” (Jesus here recalls Genesis 1:27; 2:23–24.), and
WHEREAS, in Part IV (lines 740 – 744, as amended, of the Pre-Assembly Report) it reads:
Recognizing that this conclusion differs from the historic Christian tradition and the Lutheran Confessions, some people, though not all, in this church and within the larger Christian community, conclude that marriage is also the appropriate term to use in describing similar benefits, protection, and support for same-gender couples entering into lifelong monogamous relationships, and
WHEREAS, the statement then goes on to treat these two positions and the variants within them as of equal validity, on the basis of the “conscience-bound beliefs” of those who hold them (Part IV, lines 809 – 868 of the Pre-Assembly Report), and
WHEREAS, on this same basis of the “conscience-bound lack of consensus in this church” (lines 452 – 453 of the Report and Recommendation on Ministry Policies in Part V of the Pre-Assembly Report) the resolutions on ministry policies (SA09.05.23 – 24 – 26 & 27) were adopted, and
WHEREAS, neither the Social Statement nor the Recommendation on Ministry Policies present an argument based on Scripture, the Lutheran Confessions and with the aid of sound reason either to reject what is admitted to be the position of the historic Christian tradition and the Lutheran Confessions based on Scripture or to accept a position which is admitted to be contrary to the historic Christian tradition and the Lutheran Confessions, and
WHEREAS, the Confession of Faith of the ELCA (Chapter 2 of the ELCA Constitution) commits the ELCA to accept the canonical Scriptures as the authoritative source and norm of our proclamation, faith and life, and to accept the confessional writings of the Lutheran Church as a true witness of the Gospel and valid interpretations of the faith of the Church, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Northeastern Iowa Synod Council, repudiate the decisions of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly in adopting the social statement “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust” and the 4 Resolutions on Ministry Policies (CA09.05.23 – 24 – 26 & 27) as violations of the Confession of Faith, Chapter 2 of the ELCA Constitution, and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Northeastern Iowa Synod Council memorialize the ELCA Church Council to repudiate these actions as violations of the Confession of Faith, Chapter 2 of the ELCA Constitution, refuse to implement these actions, and begin the process to overturn these decisions at the 2011 Churchwide Assembly
Monday, September 21, 2009
a few thoughts
This isn't a sermon so some may say this is the first time i am actually blogging.
Should I stay or should I go? This is the question that I have heard many fellow pastors, Lutheran laity, and entire congregations ask over the last month. Initially my response to the question was you need to discern what God is calling you to do, but as for me I am not being called to leave the ELCA. This claim has been based less on any great thological ponderings and more on a personal experience about five years ago. When my endorsement was postponed by the New England Candidacy committee (Yes I am living proof that Orthodoxy can come out of New England) many friends and family questioned their motives, they asked the same question I was asking "Is my theological orientation the real reason behind this decision?" Naturally such questions led me even then to question a call to ordained ministry in the ELCA. I grew up Roman Catholic and my wife was raised LCMS so despite the fact that I had come to love the ELCA both Heather and I were able to think about, talk about, and pray on the possibility of calling another church body home. It was in this time of prayer, wilderness time I have been known to call it, that I heard God's call more clearly than I have before or since. We were worshipping at my In-Laws' LCMS church and during communion I was on the kneeler praying and God said to me "I have called you to the ELCA, it won't be easy but I will not leave you"I have felt God's call before but this wasn't a feeling but a voice in my ear. So I have felt obliged to tell people that until God tells me just as clearly that I can and should leave I am obligated to stay in the ELCA. I was mostly comfortable with this answer.
That was until a couple weeks ago. You see I am a pastor who feels strongly that part of my call is to connect the local congregation to the wider church. I strive to do that by supporting and particapating in synod events. It was in this spirit that I brought 16 people, youth and their families, to the Jesus, Justice, Jazz Tour co-sponsored by Wartburg College and the NE IA Synod. This was a concert by the same musicians who headlined the Youth Gathering in New orleans and the proceeds were slated to go towards Hunger Relief, a cause all Christians can get behind, right? As the concert went on there seemed to be almost as many references to sexual orientation and homophobia as there were hunger and poverty. I started wondering if I can belong to a church body that can't come together to do the work of the Gospel without making it about sex. I know I can't equate the antics of 3 idependent musicians with the ELCA, but one can't read the latest statements of Lutherans Concerned and Goodsoil without wondering if this experience will be representative of the trajectory the ELCA is going in. Will the ELCA be a denomination that an orthodox pastor and congregations can survive in only by playing the role of the ecclesial ostrich, sticking its head in the sand while the world goes by around them. I would argue that this tragic act of self-isolation is akin to congregationalism at its worst and is an alternative that any Lutheran who claims orthodoxy and the evangelical catholic perspective should abhor. So ultimately if the ELCA becomes a church body that leads it's most traditional/orthodox/confessional voices down that route it can't be a church body in which I call home. Unfortunately despite all this language about bound conscience and bearing each other's burdens the signs tell me that this is where we are headed. So how do I answer the question with which i started this post? Do I stay or do I go? I can't answer it with the certainty that I once did, which pains me greatly. My best answer at this point is that God is calling me to wait and see. To wait and see if the ELCA truly becomes a place hostile to what I have to offer, to wait and see if the policies that are put in place post CWA truly create a church body in which I can truly offer a safe place for orthodox and confessional Lutherans, and to wait and see if any real alternatives come to bear, right now the alternatives are all to congregational for me. Waiting and seeing always consists of prayer, dialogue, study, and more prayer. I hope that someday I hear God's voice in my ear as clearly as I did that Sunday morning and Roselle IL.
Should I stay or should I go? This is the question that I have heard many fellow pastors, Lutheran laity, and entire congregations ask over the last month. Initially my response to the question was you need to discern what God is calling you to do, but as for me I am not being called to leave the ELCA. This claim has been based less on any great thological ponderings and more on a personal experience about five years ago. When my endorsement was postponed by the New England Candidacy committee (Yes I am living proof that Orthodoxy can come out of New England) many friends and family questioned their motives, they asked the same question I was asking "Is my theological orientation the real reason behind this decision?" Naturally such questions led me even then to question a call to ordained ministry in the ELCA. I grew up Roman Catholic and my wife was raised LCMS so despite the fact that I had come to love the ELCA both Heather and I were able to think about, talk about, and pray on the possibility of calling another church body home. It was in this time of prayer, wilderness time I have been known to call it, that I heard God's call more clearly than I have before or since. We were worshipping at my In-Laws' LCMS church and during communion I was on the kneeler praying and God said to me "I have called you to the ELCA, it won't be easy but I will not leave you"I have felt God's call before but this wasn't a feeling but a voice in my ear. So I have felt obliged to tell people that until God tells me just as clearly that I can and should leave I am obligated to stay in the ELCA. I was mostly comfortable with this answer.
That was until a couple weeks ago. You see I am a pastor who feels strongly that part of my call is to connect the local congregation to the wider church. I strive to do that by supporting and particapating in synod events. It was in this spirit that I brought 16 people, youth and their families, to the Jesus, Justice, Jazz Tour co-sponsored by Wartburg College and the NE IA Synod. This was a concert by the same musicians who headlined the Youth Gathering in New orleans and the proceeds were slated to go towards Hunger Relief, a cause all Christians can get behind, right? As the concert went on there seemed to be almost as many references to sexual orientation and homophobia as there were hunger and poverty. I started wondering if I can belong to a church body that can't come together to do the work of the Gospel without making it about sex. I know I can't equate the antics of 3 idependent musicians with the ELCA, but one can't read the latest statements of Lutherans Concerned and Goodsoil without wondering if this experience will be representative of the trajectory the ELCA is going in. Will the ELCA be a denomination that an orthodox pastor and congregations can survive in only by playing the role of the ecclesial ostrich, sticking its head in the sand while the world goes by around them. I would argue that this tragic act of self-isolation is akin to congregationalism at its worst and is an alternative that any Lutheran who claims orthodoxy and the evangelical catholic perspective should abhor. So ultimately if the ELCA becomes a church body that leads it's most traditional/orthodox/confessional voices down that route it can't be a church body in which I call home. Unfortunately despite all this language about bound conscience and bearing each other's burdens the signs tell me that this is where we are headed. So how do I answer the question with which i started this post? Do I stay or do I go? I can't answer it with the certainty that I once did, which pains me greatly. My best answer at this point is that God is calling me to wait and see. To wait and see if the ELCA truly becomes a place hostile to what I have to offer, to wait and see if the policies that are put in place post CWA truly create a church body in which I can truly offer a safe place for orthodox and confessional Lutherans, and to wait and see if any real alternatives come to bear, right now the alternatives are all to congregational for me. Waiting and seeing always consists of prayer, dialogue, study, and more prayer. I hope that someday I hear God's voice in my ear as clearly as I did that Sunday morning and Roselle IL.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Sunday's sermon
Jesus is the Answer
But What is the Question
In seminary we had a running joke that the harder the questions got all we had to do was remember back to our Sunday School days when the answer was always Jesus, granted this didn’t always work with our professors, but we often tried it anyway. I was reminded of the Larry Norman song of the late 60’s entitled Jesus is the Answer. Sometimes the Christian faith seems like a strange episode of Jeopardy where we all know the answer, but are all guessing what the question is. I think this was the problem Peter and Jesus’ disciples faced as well. In today’s gospel we see Peter had the correct answer but never really understood the question. He knew that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the Christ but failed to acknowledge that he really had no idea what that meant. Jesus turned the disciples’ expectations of their Messiah on their heads, and he continues to do that to this day.
What is the question? Is it anything our heart desires? Can Jesus be all things for all people? I was at a meeting of church leaders when I heard someone say “My Jesus would not say that” in reaction to one of the harder sayings of the New Testament. The problem I have with this is it allows any understanding of Jesus and his gospel to be the right understanding. People pick and choose the Jesus that makes them most comfortable ignoring the aspects of Jesus, his life and ministry, that may make some shiver, that may force transformation. Jesus becomes some politically correct love guru that would be more at home in a self help seminar than a church. The truth is that throughout Mark’s Gospel geography is hugely important. Caesarea Philippi was the urban metropolis, the center of diversity to the Roman world. You could by lunch from a street vendor and then turn around and buy a god from a vendor across the street. There were gods of all kinds to be bought and sold on the streets of Caesarea Philippi, God’s that hung around one’s neck and Gods that you stuck in your back pocket, gods of fertility and storm gods. It is in this type of deity potluck where Jesus the love guru and ambassador of political correctness may have felt home. If that is indeed who Jesus Christ really was.
Brothers and sisters a self help guru would never say something like
Mark 8:34-38 "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."
Guess what friends, our Jesus said this. The call to pick up your cross and follow isn’t a call to comfort but to discipleship. The call to lose our life isn’t a call to self neglect a call to sacrificial love. Jesus is asking all of us to renounce things in our lives that would keep us from fully embracing the God who has created us, redeemed us at the cross of Christ, and called us in Baptism. For Peter that included a false politicized understanding of what and who the messiah was. For us that may include a overly domesticated and comfortable view of Jesus Christ the self-help guru. But yet for others, it may include an image of Jesus Christ the legalistic moralist who calls not for obedience and faith but perfection. Like the love guru this understanding of Jesus is a distortion of the God-man who took our sins to the cross, bearing our burden so we could bask in his glory.
This is the first of three times in which Jesus predicts his own death in Mark. But he predicts something else as well. Peter was so distraught about the death and suffering that he missed the next part. Peter heard crucifixion and refused to hear resurrection.. Jesus Christ, our savior doesn’t only die for us, he lived and lives again for us as well. It is only in that light that we should hear Jesus’ call to lay down our lives and follow. It’s not only a call to self sacrifice, but a called to be filled with the Holy Spirit and transformed by the Glory of the crucified and resurrected Lord.
Laying down one’s life and carrying one’s cross isn’t just a matter of losing things. But it culminates in a gaining of the life that God wants. When Peter lays down his human understanding of the messiah he doesn’t all of a sudden forget there is a messiah. Instead his understanding of messiah is transformed transforming him in the process.
Mark 8:35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.
Brothers and sisters the God of Jesus Christ isn’t just another God pedaled by street vendors to be bought and discarded at a whim. The God of Jesus Christ has bought us by his own precious blood and promised to never discard or forsake us, even in death and suffering he carries us through to new life and resurrection. Who do you say that I am? Jesus you are the Son of God, fully God yet fully man, and redeemer of the world. That’s who you are. Let’s pray
Lord God you have told us to lose our lives to save them. Help us see when the things of the world draw attention away from embracing all you command and offer. In Jesus Christ's name we pray.
But What is the Question
In seminary we had a running joke that the harder the questions got all we had to do was remember back to our Sunday School days when the answer was always Jesus, granted this didn’t always work with our professors, but we often tried it anyway. I was reminded of the Larry Norman song of the late 60’s entitled Jesus is the Answer. Sometimes the Christian faith seems like a strange episode of Jeopardy where we all know the answer, but are all guessing what the question is. I think this was the problem Peter and Jesus’ disciples faced as well. In today’s gospel we see Peter had the correct answer but never really understood the question. He knew that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the Christ but failed to acknowledge that he really had no idea what that meant. Jesus turned the disciples’ expectations of their Messiah on their heads, and he continues to do that to this day.
What is the question? Is it anything our heart desires? Can Jesus be all things for all people? I was at a meeting of church leaders when I heard someone say “My Jesus would not say that” in reaction to one of the harder sayings of the New Testament. The problem I have with this is it allows any understanding of Jesus and his gospel to be the right understanding. People pick and choose the Jesus that makes them most comfortable ignoring the aspects of Jesus, his life and ministry, that may make some shiver, that may force transformation. Jesus becomes some politically correct love guru that would be more at home in a self help seminar than a church. The truth is that throughout Mark’s Gospel geography is hugely important. Caesarea Philippi was the urban metropolis, the center of diversity to the Roman world. You could by lunch from a street vendor and then turn around and buy a god from a vendor across the street. There were gods of all kinds to be bought and sold on the streets of Caesarea Philippi, God’s that hung around one’s neck and Gods that you stuck in your back pocket, gods of fertility and storm gods. It is in this type of deity potluck where Jesus the love guru and ambassador of political correctness may have felt home. If that is indeed who Jesus Christ really was.
Brothers and sisters a self help guru would never say something like
Mark 8:34-38 "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."
Guess what friends, our Jesus said this. The call to pick up your cross and follow isn’t a call to comfort but to discipleship. The call to lose our life isn’t a call to self neglect a call to sacrificial love. Jesus is asking all of us to renounce things in our lives that would keep us from fully embracing the God who has created us, redeemed us at the cross of Christ, and called us in Baptism. For Peter that included a false politicized understanding of what and who the messiah was. For us that may include a overly domesticated and comfortable view of Jesus Christ the self-help guru. But yet for others, it may include an image of Jesus Christ the legalistic moralist who calls not for obedience and faith but perfection. Like the love guru this understanding of Jesus is a distortion of the God-man who took our sins to the cross, bearing our burden so we could bask in his glory.
This is the first of three times in which Jesus predicts his own death in Mark. But he predicts something else as well. Peter was so distraught about the death and suffering that he missed the next part. Peter heard crucifixion and refused to hear resurrection.. Jesus Christ, our savior doesn’t only die for us, he lived and lives again for us as well. It is only in that light that we should hear Jesus’ call to lay down our lives and follow. It’s not only a call to self sacrifice, but a called to be filled with the Holy Spirit and transformed by the Glory of the crucified and resurrected Lord.
Laying down one’s life and carrying one’s cross isn’t just a matter of losing things. But it culminates in a gaining of the life that God wants. When Peter lays down his human understanding of the messiah he doesn’t all of a sudden forget there is a messiah. Instead his understanding of messiah is transformed transforming him in the process.
Mark 8:35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.
Brothers and sisters the God of Jesus Christ isn’t just another God pedaled by street vendors to be bought and discarded at a whim. The God of Jesus Christ has bought us by his own precious blood and promised to never discard or forsake us, even in death and suffering he carries us through to new life and resurrection. Who do you say that I am? Jesus you are the Son of God, fully God yet fully man, and redeemer of the world. That’s who you are. Let’s pray
Lord God you have told us to lose our lives to save them. Help us see when the things of the world draw attention away from embracing all you command and offer. In Jesus Christ's name we pray.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Sermon on Mk 7:24-37 and James 2
We All Belong
I remember one Sunday in Chicago Heather and I decided to visit a church where our friend’s mother was the pastor. It was a little bit of a drive being in the far southern suburbs, an area of Chicagoland we never spent a lot of time in. After finally arriving at the church we were a little late, we found some mostly empty pews. As we approached the place in the service where the choir was going to sing we noticed that everybody sitting around us was giving each other sheet music. They than proceeded to stand up while the rest of the congregation remained seated, some turned to look at the group of standing choir members that we happened to be seating in the midst of. That is right we somehow managed to show up late to this church where nobody knew us and sit ourselves right down with the Choir. I wanted to disappear I felt so foolish, like an outsider who just ruined any chance of welcome I may have had. The congregation was friendly and welcoming but that did little to subdue my feeling of non-belonging.
The woman Jesus confronted in today’s Gospel had every right to feel that way. She was a gentile woman asking Jesus for help, being a gentile she had no right aprproaching a Jewish rabbi, being a woman in that world she had even less right. I am sure as well that having a demonized daughter made sure she was even marginalized in her own community. This is a woman who was an outsider by every possible definition, yet she crossed all those boundaries and brought her need to Jesus Christ. Even when Jesus Christ challenged her she didn’t shy away but offered a confession of faith that any disciple would be proud of. This outsider knew who Jesus was and came to him in faith despite it being against the rules of society.
Just a week removed from Jesus’ challenge to the Pharisees where we are faced with the dark truth that insiders often create stumbling blocks for themselves and others we are confronted with the flip side of the same coin. In Jesus’ words and the woman’s words we are reminded that in God’s eyes there are no such things as insiders and outsiders, haves and have nots, and us and them. Yes the life and work of Jesus Christ was initially for those labeled as God’s chosen people, which ironically included those Pharisees he is always rebuking. But the grace and glory of God as we have come to know in the incarnation is to great to be lavished on one small group of people. The grace that is offered in Jesus Christ is made available to all people regardless of whatever side of whatever line they may be on.
As a matter of fact Jesus came because throughout the history of humankind we have proven ourselves again to need that life-changing grace of God. Perhaps it is safe to say that in God’s eyes we were all outsiders and have-nots. Between the incarnation and resurrection of Jesus we have become insiders and the haves. We have been welcomed fully into God’s presence and been given the gift of God’s Holy Spirit. The healing that we see in today’s Gospel lesson, both the exorcism of the daughter and the healing of the deaf man was more than a healing of individuals, but communities that have been destroyed by divisions created out of sin are restored and made whole.
In the 2nd reading James the brother of Jesus speaks to what happens when a community of disciples let human partiality take root. Not only are we sinning but we are actively damaging the Gospel. When the church shows the partiality that the world shows, creating groups and cliques the church isn’t acting as the Body of Christ. As Gentiles we need to be grateful that the promises of God were and are for everyone. As baptized Christians we should feel compelled to take pause and think about ways that we have indeed participated in a system of brokenness and partiality, and thank God that Jesus came to fix what was broken and draw us all to God.
In such an individualistic and polarized society I think we need to really reflect on how radical God’s word is. Sin is not only separation from God but also isolation from one another, distortion and brokenness of community. Last week at Immanuel we baptized a baby boy Iver Neal Ellingson, this week at Zion we witnessed Cathy Larsen and Adam Roethler reaffirm their baptisms, claiming God’s promises for themselves and officially joining our fellowship. Brothers and sisters today readings about the impartiality of God’s grace and the universality of his love made incarnate in Jesus Christ give us an amazing opportunity to reflect on what membership in our local congregation and in the Holy catholic church mean, remembering that when Lutheran say catholic it is always a lower-case c and means universal. We are doing more than officially acknowledging their presence on the pew beside us. We are welcoming them as blessed Brothers and sisters in the Glorious Presence of God. We are receiving them as fellow sojourners on this journey to which God has called us all in baptism. We are being blessed by the gifts that they are in our community a faith. A community torn and broken by sin and yet restored and transformed by Jesus Christ. I want to leave you today with not an answer but a question, in a world full of us and thems, haves and have nots, insiders and outsiders, how do we live in that world while living for a God who shows no partiality?
I remember one Sunday in Chicago Heather and I decided to visit a church where our friend’s mother was the pastor. It was a little bit of a drive being in the far southern suburbs, an area of Chicagoland we never spent a lot of time in. After finally arriving at the church we were a little late, we found some mostly empty pews. As we approached the place in the service where the choir was going to sing we noticed that everybody sitting around us was giving each other sheet music. They than proceeded to stand up while the rest of the congregation remained seated, some turned to look at the group of standing choir members that we happened to be seating in the midst of. That is right we somehow managed to show up late to this church where nobody knew us and sit ourselves right down with the Choir. I wanted to disappear I felt so foolish, like an outsider who just ruined any chance of welcome I may have had. The congregation was friendly and welcoming but that did little to subdue my feeling of non-belonging.
The woman Jesus confronted in today’s Gospel had every right to feel that way. She was a gentile woman asking Jesus for help, being a gentile she had no right aprproaching a Jewish rabbi, being a woman in that world she had even less right. I am sure as well that having a demonized daughter made sure she was even marginalized in her own community. This is a woman who was an outsider by every possible definition, yet she crossed all those boundaries and brought her need to Jesus Christ. Even when Jesus Christ challenged her she didn’t shy away but offered a confession of faith that any disciple would be proud of. This outsider knew who Jesus was and came to him in faith despite it being against the rules of society.
Just a week removed from Jesus’ challenge to the Pharisees where we are faced with the dark truth that insiders often create stumbling blocks for themselves and others we are confronted with the flip side of the same coin. In Jesus’ words and the woman’s words we are reminded that in God’s eyes there are no such things as insiders and outsiders, haves and have nots, and us and them. Yes the life and work of Jesus Christ was initially for those labeled as God’s chosen people, which ironically included those Pharisees he is always rebuking. But the grace and glory of God as we have come to know in the incarnation is to great to be lavished on one small group of people. The grace that is offered in Jesus Christ is made available to all people regardless of whatever side of whatever line they may be on.
As a matter of fact Jesus came because throughout the history of humankind we have proven ourselves again to need that life-changing grace of God. Perhaps it is safe to say that in God’s eyes we were all outsiders and have-nots. Between the incarnation and resurrection of Jesus we have become insiders and the haves. We have been welcomed fully into God’s presence and been given the gift of God’s Holy Spirit. The healing that we see in today’s Gospel lesson, both the exorcism of the daughter and the healing of the deaf man was more than a healing of individuals, but communities that have been destroyed by divisions created out of sin are restored and made whole.
In the 2nd reading James the brother of Jesus speaks to what happens when a community of disciples let human partiality take root. Not only are we sinning but we are actively damaging the Gospel. When the church shows the partiality that the world shows, creating groups and cliques the church isn’t acting as the Body of Christ. As Gentiles we need to be grateful that the promises of God were and are for everyone. As baptized Christians we should feel compelled to take pause and think about ways that we have indeed participated in a system of brokenness and partiality, and thank God that Jesus came to fix what was broken and draw us all to God.
In such an individualistic and polarized society I think we need to really reflect on how radical God’s word is. Sin is not only separation from God but also isolation from one another, distortion and brokenness of community. Last week at Immanuel we baptized a baby boy Iver Neal Ellingson, this week at Zion we witnessed Cathy Larsen and Adam Roethler reaffirm their baptisms, claiming God’s promises for themselves and officially joining our fellowship. Brothers and sisters today readings about the impartiality of God’s grace and the universality of his love made incarnate in Jesus Christ give us an amazing opportunity to reflect on what membership in our local congregation and in the Holy catholic church mean, remembering that when Lutheran say catholic it is always a lower-case c and means universal. We are doing more than officially acknowledging their presence on the pew beside us. We are welcoming them as blessed Brothers and sisters in the Glorious Presence of God. We are receiving them as fellow sojourners on this journey to which God has called us all in baptism. We are being blessed by the gifts that they are in our community a faith. A community torn and broken by sin and yet restored and transformed by Jesus Christ. I want to leave you today with not an answer but a question, in a world full of us and thems, haves and have nots, insiders and outsiders, how do we live in that world while living for a God who shows no partiality?
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