Emmaus Road
I remember reading a news story in 1991 about a professional athlete named Hugh Millen. If you never heard of him, don’t fret; most people probably have never heard of him. You see, that was kind of the point of this news story. He was the New England Patriots starting quarterback, and he was able to walk around Boston’s Hot Spots and even attend a Sox game with other Boston Sports fans without being recognized. Keep in mind that a NFL team’s QB is generally the most high profile player on the team, and here was a starting quarterback who was able to walk around without any harassment, precisely because people had no idea it was him. This was even more amazing given the fact that they were in the midst of a 6 game upswing. The Patriots who were 1-15 the previous season finished at 7-9 during Hugh Millen’s first season as a starter. Yet they were still so steeped in mediocrity that fans couldn’t see their quarterback even when he was right there in a seat in front of them.
I know that Hugh Millen is not the savior of the world and a 7-9 record is far from a resurrection from the dead. However I was reminded of this as I struggled with the road to Emmaus story this week. Cleopas and his fellow sojourner were walking the road to Emmaus when they encountered Jesus and mistook him for some ignorant out-of-towner. We don’t know why we they were going to Emmaus, but as I hear Cleopas’ testimony I wonder if they’re moving on to find the next best thing, the new prophet and miracle worker to put their hope in, because he and his friend were obviously without hope. Listen again to his own words.
Luke 24:19-24 Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."
These are not the words of a man who found hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The tone that I hear when I picture this scene is a solemn mixture of sadness and disappointment. I actually think “disappointment” may not be strong enough word. It’s the kind of ultimate disappointment that comes with lost or unfulfilled hope. I am sure that you can all remember times in which God answered prayer in ways different than we had hoped; we all know the despair of unfulfilled hope. It is precisely this kind of grief which blinded the two travelers to the fact that their resurrected Lord and Savior still walked with them in spite of their grief and in the midst of it as well.
Sadly this isn’t the only emotion that can hinder our ability to acknowledge God’s presence. Anger, sadness, loneliness, shame, even pride and ambition can all hide God’s presence in our lives. Pride and ambition can do it by hiding God behind ourselves, we become bigger than God. The others do it using our problems; they become bigger than God.
Brothers and sisters, praise God that His presence on the road to Emmaus did not depend on Cleopas’ ability to see him, and the truth of the resurrection is not dependent on his or even our capacity to understand it or believe it. We live in a world where we are often told that truth is only a matter of perception. Thankfully this was not the case in Emmaus and it’s not the case today either.
Ultimately, brothers and sisters, our perceptions fail us. They cloud our minds and our hearts and we are at a loss with nothing to grasp onto for hope and assurance. However, brothers and sisters, where our perceptions and emotions fail us, God does not. He journeys with us in our denial, disregard, disbelief and reveals himself in many ways; in the prayers and lives of other Christians, through our time with scripture, the music and liturgy of our church service, and the sacraments. That is right; much like those in Emmaus we meet God in the breaking of the bread and passing of the cup. This week I encourage you to think about where your Emmaus Road is, the place in your life where your perceptions fail and God is hidden. But also think about how God opens your closed eyes, minds, and hearts and thank God for those moments. Please pray with me.
Great God, We don’t always see you and appreciate you as we should. Sometimes we put our hope into other things or give up hope entirely. But you are an amazing God who continues to walk with us, and you persistently show yourselves. Thank you for not quitting on us; help us not quit on you.
In Jesus’ name.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Reflections on 4 of the 7 last words for Good Friday
Reflection 1 Father Forgive them, they know not what the do.
In a reflection about Good Friday Martin Luther wrote that we are viewing Christ’s suffering rightly when “we deeply believe and never doubt the least, that we are the ones who thus martyred Christ. For our sins most surely did it. Thus St. Peter struck and terrified the Jews as with a thunderbolt in Acts 2:36-37, when he spoke to them all in common: "Him have ye crucified," so that three thousand were terror-stricken the same day and tremblingly cried to the apostles: "O beloved brethren what shall we do?" Therefore, when you view the nails piercing through his hands, firmly believe it is your work. Do you behold his crown of thorns; believe the thorns are your wicked thoughts”
Oftentimes when I hear of the suffering of Jesus my first instinct is to blame others for that suffering. Whether it be the high priests, the Jewish crowd that greeted him with palms one minute and called for his crucifixion the next, the Roman officials, or even my neighbor with his blatant denial of Christ and corresponding lifestyle. After all I am a good Christian and am nice to others; I never would’ve participated in the ugly beating and execution we remember today.
Brothers and sisters, that kind of spiritual arrogance doesn’t do ourselves any favor. Without his blood on our hands we are not redeemed by that blood. Failure to properly place ourselves among those who crucified God’s son is a failure to claim for ourselves the forgiveness that Jesus offers at the cross. .And that forgiveness is for us brothers and sisters, when we find ourselves incapable of living the life that God hopes for us, we can be forgiven. When we refuse to acknowledge God as the giver of all good gifts, we can be forgiven, when we are utterly unable to throw ourselves at God’s feet and call him Lord, we can be forgiven. Perhaps this is why today is Good Friday because in the midst of our sin we see God’s goodness, despite our role in Jesus’ death and persecution we can hear him say, Father forgive them they know not what they are doing.
Please pray with me,
God we come to you as sinners. We don’t treat you or others as we should, we fail to thank you for all your blessings in our lives, and we stand with the mob this Good Friday that mocked you and spat on you as you were crucified for our sakes. Yet your beloved son stands in the face of it all and speaks your forgiveness. Thank you for making this day and our futures good with your holy forgiveness.
Reflection 3 Woman Behold Your Son, Behold Your Mother
Hopefully our confirmation students can tell you that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. On the way to the cross we see both the divine Jesus and human Jesus in many ways. I think we encounter the human Jesus in all his despair the moment he looks upon his mother from the cross. He sees this woman who gave birth and raised him, this woman he called mother. We can’t even begin to imagine the grief that took place in Jesus Christ when he looked out and saw this woman’s tears. He was able to heal his own heartache at least a little by assuring that Mary would be taken care of after his departure, after all that’s what people who call themselves Christ’s disciples do they take care of the sick and lonely. Mary and the beloved disciple were called in their grief to open up their lives and their homes to each other.
Something else may be happening here as well, something beyond a man making sure his already widowed mother will be in good hands after he departs this life. What happened on that cross that Friday night radically alters our relationship with God. Altering our relationship with God can’t help but change our relationships with the people all around us.
At the cross any boundaries that we may use to group or divide us are blown out of the water, for example things like biology and ethnicity. At the cross of Christ we gather and are joined together by God’s Holy Spirit into one community called the church. We are called to love and serve each other, and doing so we are loving and serving Jesus Christ whose death we remember today. You see brothers and sisters the bonds that are forged at the cross of Christ will create a new intimacy with all we worship and serve with, so in our hours of great need we are blessed by one another.
Please pray with me,
Suffering God, you know our pain and struggles. And you have blessed us with your words and comfort in our relationships with each other. May you continue to work in our lives so we may be touched by you in our relationships with others.
Reflection 5 I Thirst
Due to the crucifixion and the days that preceded it Jesus would’ve lost many bodily fluids between blood, sweat, and tears, thus he would’ve been extremely thirsty. However John tells us that its inclusion here is about so much more than a statement about mere dehydration. John tells us that Jesus said this to fulfill scripture. In the 69th psalm the suffering servant is seeking solace and comfort and is instead given poisonous food and sour wine.
You see all that happened on the fateful night of the crucifixion was fulfilling scripture, and God’s will. That was ultimately what Christ thirsted for, to do God’s will. The very cup that he tried to rid himself of the previous night was the same cup that would quench his thirst in a way that bitter wine never could. As disciples of Christ we should also hunger and thirst for God’s will in our lives, or as the beatitudes call it hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Brothers and sisters there’ll be times in our lives that God’s will tastes like bitter wine, but that God who used death on a cross to offer us life eternal will turn our burdens to blessings. Just as God has blessed each and every one of us through this awful burden that Jesus Christ took upon himself for our sakes. Please pray with me,
Lord God, we so often try to quench our thirst with things that leave a bitter taste in our mouths and leave us thirstier than we were before. Only you can quench our thirst nourish our troubled spirits. May we boldly receive the cup you offered us as Jesus did. In Jesus’ name we pray.
Reflection 7 Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit,.
Once more the only words that Jesus has to express himself in his dark hour come directly from the psalms. Here Jesus invokes the 31st psalm when he commits his Spirit to his Father.
The 31st psalm begins as a desperate cry for divine help, it evolves into a committal of the psalmist’s very life into God’s hands, this is the verse that Jesus speaks from cross. This statement is a radical act of trust and faith, Jesus knows that our most precious and personal things belong entirely in the hands of God the Father, even things as precious as our very lives and as personal as our own deaths.
In God’s hands this death that we remember tonight destroys death and transforms life. In God’s hands the death of His only Son offers us life as God’s children. In the hands of God we who gather around the cross of Jesus are made into a holy people, people who are called to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and commit our very lives to God, as broken and imperfect as those lives may be.
One of my favorite quotes from Martin Luther replayed in my mind as I thought about Jesus’ words.
I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess”
Brothers and sisters, by committing his spirit to his Father in heaven Jesus Christ shows forth both the love and Power of God. Let us gather around Jesus and with him place our lives in God’s hands, after all there is no safer place.
Please pray with me,
Lord God,
Your son Jesus Christ trusted in your Holy will, and doing so trusted you with his life, even as he hung from a cross. May be we granted with faith so fixed on Jesus that our lives can be placed in your hands.
In a reflection about Good Friday Martin Luther wrote that we are viewing Christ’s suffering rightly when “we deeply believe and never doubt the least, that we are the ones who thus martyred Christ. For our sins most surely did it. Thus St. Peter struck and terrified the Jews as with a thunderbolt in Acts 2:36-37, when he spoke to them all in common: "Him have ye crucified," so that three thousand were terror-stricken the same day and tremblingly cried to the apostles: "O beloved brethren what shall we do?" Therefore, when you view the nails piercing through his hands, firmly believe it is your work. Do you behold his crown of thorns; believe the thorns are your wicked thoughts”
Oftentimes when I hear of the suffering of Jesus my first instinct is to blame others for that suffering. Whether it be the high priests, the Jewish crowd that greeted him with palms one minute and called for his crucifixion the next, the Roman officials, or even my neighbor with his blatant denial of Christ and corresponding lifestyle. After all I am a good Christian and am nice to others; I never would’ve participated in the ugly beating and execution we remember today.
Brothers and sisters, that kind of spiritual arrogance doesn’t do ourselves any favor. Without his blood on our hands we are not redeemed by that blood. Failure to properly place ourselves among those who crucified God’s son is a failure to claim for ourselves the forgiveness that Jesus offers at the cross. .And that forgiveness is for us brothers and sisters, when we find ourselves incapable of living the life that God hopes for us, we can be forgiven. When we refuse to acknowledge God as the giver of all good gifts, we can be forgiven, when we are utterly unable to throw ourselves at God’s feet and call him Lord, we can be forgiven. Perhaps this is why today is Good Friday because in the midst of our sin we see God’s goodness, despite our role in Jesus’ death and persecution we can hear him say, Father forgive them they know not what they are doing.
Please pray with me,
God we come to you as sinners. We don’t treat you or others as we should, we fail to thank you for all your blessings in our lives, and we stand with the mob this Good Friday that mocked you and spat on you as you were crucified for our sakes. Yet your beloved son stands in the face of it all and speaks your forgiveness. Thank you for making this day and our futures good with your holy forgiveness.
Reflection 3 Woman Behold Your Son, Behold Your Mother
Hopefully our confirmation students can tell you that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. On the way to the cross we see both the divine Jesus and human Jesus in many ways. I think we encounter the human Jesus in all his despair the moment he looks upon his mother from the cross. He sees this woman who gave birth and raised him, this woman he called mother. We can’t even begin to imagine the grief that took place in Jesus Christ when he looked out and saw this woman’s tears. He was able to heal his own heartache at least a little by assuring that Mary would be taken care of after his departure, after all that’s what people who call themselves Christ’s disciples do they take care of the sick and lonely. Mary and the beloved disciple were called in their grief to open up their lives and their homes to each other.
Something else may be happening here as well, something beyond a man making sure his already widowed mother will be in good hands after he departs this life. What happened on that cross that Friday night radically alters our relationship with God. Altering our relationship with God can’t help but change our relationships with the people all around us.
At the cross any boundaries that we may use to group or divide us are blown out of the water, for example things like biology and ethnicity. At the cross of Christ we gather and are joined together by God’s Holy Spirit into one community called the church. We are called to love and serve each other, and doing so we are loving and serving Jesus Christ whose death we remember today. You see brothers and sisters the bonds that are forged at the cross of Christ will create a new intimacy with all we worship and serve with, so in our hours of great need we are blessed by one another.
Please pray with me,
Suffering God, you know our pain and struggles. And you have blessed us with your words and comfort in our relationships with each other. May you continue to work in our lives so we may be touched by you in our relationships with others.
Reflection 5 I Thirst
Due to the crucifixion and the days that preceded it Jesus would’ve lost many bodily fluids between blood, sweat, and tears, thus he would’ve been extremely thirsty. However John tells us that its inclusion here is about so much more than a statement about mere dehydration. John tells us that Jesus said this to fulfill scripture. In the 69th psalm the suffering servant is seeking solace and comfort and is instead given poisonous food and sour wine.
You see all that happened on the fateful night of the crucifixion was fulfilling scripture, and God’s will. That was ultimately what Christ thirsted for, to do God’s will. The very cup that he tried to rid himself of the previous night was the same cup that would quench his thirst in a way that bitter wine never could. As disciples of Christ we should also hunger and thirst for God’s will in our lives, or as the beatitudes call it hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Brothers and sisters there’ll be times in our lives that God’s will tastes like bitter wine, but that God who used death on a cross to offer us life eternal will turn our burdens to blessings. Just as God has blessed each and every one of us through this awful burden that Jesus Christ took upon himself for our sakes. Please pray with me,
Lord God, we so often try to quench our thirst with things that leave a bitter taste in our mouths and leave us thirstier than we were before. Only you can quench our thirst nourish our troubled spirits. May we boldly receive the cup you offered us as Jesus did. In Jesus’ name we pray.
Reflection 7 Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit,.
Once more the only words that Jesus has to express himself in his dark hour come directly from the psalms. Here Jesus invokes the 31st psalm when he commits his Spirit to his Father.
The 31st psalm begins as a desperate cry for divine help, it evolves into a committal of the psalmist’s very life into God’s hands, this is the verse that Jesus speaks from cross. This statement is a radical act of trust and faith, Jesus knows that our most precious and personal things belong entirely in the hands of God the Father, even things as precious as our very lives and as personal as our own deaths.
In God’s hands this death that we remember tonight destroys death and transforms life. In God’s hands the death of His only Son offers us life as God’s children. In the hands of God we who gather around the cross of Jesus are made into a holy people, people who are called to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and commit our very lives to God, as broken and imperfect as those lives may be.
One of my favorite quotes from Martin Luther replayed in my mind as I thought about Jesus’ words.
I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess”
Brothers and sisters, by committing his spirit to his Father in heaven Jesus Christ shows forth both the love and Power of God. Let us gather around Jesus and with him place our lives in God’s hands, after all there is no safer place.
Please pray with me,
Lord God,
Your son Jesus Christ trusted in your Holy will, and doing so trusted you with his life, even as he hung from a cross. May be we granted with faith so fixed on Jesus that our lives can be placed in your hands.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Lent and Discipleship:
“So What Are You Giving Up For Lent?”
The practice of choosing something to give up during the 40 days of Lent has become common throughout the Church. So much so that I have often heard it compared to making a New Year’s resolution. I think there is a crucial difference between making a New Year’s resolution and struggling with a Lenten discipline. When we make a New Year’s resolution it is undeniably about ourselves. To be sure, losing weight or volunteering more are worthy endeavors, but sometimes we do these things for no other reason than to feel better about ourselves. Lenten disciplines, on the other hand, should focus on our spiritual lives. As Christians, focus on our spiritual lives should mean that the focus is off of us and on God and our relationship with Him.
That is right; the goal of a Lenten discipline should be increased closeness to the God whose voluntary suffering and self-denial for our sakes we remember during this season. So, before you decide to give up pizza or videogames for Lent I encourage you to ask yourselves, “in what ways will eliminating pizza from my diet or my favorite game from my daily schedule bring me closer to God?” You may find that more important than what you lose is what you gain. The time that would be filled with video games can be filled with more praying or Bible reading. The money that isn’t being spent on pizza can in turn be given to charity or added to your support of the ministry of Christ Hamilton.
What it boils down to is that Lent is a time in the Church year where we pay more attention to what it means to be a disciple. Discipleship is about self-denial to the extent that disciples make their own will secondary to the will of God. You may have heard it said in this way; “I must decrease so Christ can increase”. I hope and pray that our lives of discipleship are nurtured by the decisions we make this Lent.
- Pr. Matt for
The Stewardship Committee
“So What Are You Giving Up For Lent?”
The practice of choosing something to give up during the 40 days of Lent has become common throughout the Church. So much so that I have often heard it compared to making a New Year’s resolution. I think there is a crucial difference between making a New Year’s resolution and struggling with a Lenten discipline. When we make a New Year’s resolution it is undeniably about ourselves. To be sure, losing weight or volunteering more are worthy endeavors, but sometimes we do these things for no other reason than to feel better about ourselves. Lenten disciplines, on the other hand, should focus on our spiritual lives. As Christians, focus on our spiritual lives should mean that the focus is off of us and on God and our relationship with Him.
That is right; the goal of a Lenten discipline should be increased closeness to the God whose voluntary suffering and self-denial for our sakes we remember during this season. So, before you decide to give up pizza or videogames for Lent I encourage you to ask yourselves, “in what ways will eliminating pizza from my diet or my favorite game from my daily schedule bring me closer to God?” You may find that more important than what you lose is what you gain. The time that would be filled with video games can be filled with more praying or Bible reading. The money that isn’t being spent on pizza can in turn be given to charity or added to your support of the ministry of Christ Hamilton.
What it boils down to is that Lent is a time in the Church year where we pay more attention to what it means to be a disciple. Discipleship is about self-denial to the extent that disciples make their own will secondary to the will of God. You may have heard it said in this way; “I must decrease so Christ can increase”. I hope and pray that our lives of discipleship are nurtured by the decisions we make this Lent.
- Pr. Matt for
The Stewardship Committee
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Transfiguration sermon
As you probably know a few weekends ago I was at an event with some of our youth and a few of our adults called a youthquake. I have been to several of these events in 3 different states and have come to love watching both the young people and the adults just become saturated in the constant and concentrated praise and worship, especially those people who have never been to one before and have usually never experienced anything like this before. One word that I have heard used to describe this experience numerous times from numerous people is the label “mountaintop experience”. This label may bring to mind some experiences that you have had in your walks with God. Women of faith retreat, marriage seminars, certain bible studies, for me the Society of the Holy trinity general retreat always provides me with a mountain top experience.
What exactly is a mountaintop experience? My understanding of a mountaintop experience is when a person is so completely in the presence of God that even our limited senses and understanding can’t help but recognize it for exactly what it is. In this experience of God’s presence the sense of the holy is all around us. In these moments we truly encounter all that is pure and good in an extraordinary, even supernatural way. I believe that God provides us with these experiences to equip and empower us to live out our lives of discipleship in a fallen world, these are supposed to serve as moments of preparation if you will as opposed to moments of completion.
In today’s Gospel lesson Peter, James, and John had a mountaintop experience that actually took place on a mountain of all places. The three of them were walking up a mountain with Jesus when all of a sudden Jesus’ appearance changed, he began to glow, now it wasn’t like a spotlight being shone on some celebrity but the light was coming from Jesus himself. And all of a sudden he was joined by Elijah and Moses and God’s voice was heard saying this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."
Peter being the spokesperson of the crew had something to say before he was driven to his knees by the voice of God. I must say that Peter is by far my favorite disciple. This is because we see in Peter what a life of discipleship is made of. The life of a disciple brothers and sisters is full of highs and lows. They’ll see moments of astounding faith and understanding followed by hours of obliviousness. The Christian life will be marked both by acts of radical obedience and times of inaction and indecision. Just like Peter’s life of discipleship.
For example at the beginning of the trip up the mountain we are told it was 6 days after an event. Do you know what event this is referencing? The meal where Peter responds to Jesus’ question “who do you say that I am?” with his confession “You are the Christ, the son of the Living God”. Only to be rebuked and called Satan by Jesus a few minutes later because of his unwillingness to accept Jesus’ description of the work of the Messiah.
Once again on the mountaintop we experience this kind of two faced disciple in Peter. First he realized that something special is truly happening and that it is truly a blessing for him and his colleagues to witness this holy encounter. But then he makes a move that displays that he doesn’t quite get it in its entirety. He offers to Jesus to build 3 booths or tents, one each for Jesus, Elijah, and Moses. These shrines would serve to capture this very special moment. However what Peter failed to understand is the purpose of this moment wasn’t to be caught and captured in some glass box. But instead I think the goal was in part to nurture a heart and mind that would allow the disciples to stand beneath the cross of Jesus in bold and steadfast faith and continue the work of Christ Jesus as the church.
We may hear Peter’s words and roll our eyes thinking Peter, Peter, Peter you did it again. However the truth is that Christians are constantly struggling with this same tendency that Peter is showing today. A tendency to confuse God’s gifts with God. The result may be making idols of all the things God offers, things like mountaintop experiences, offered to bring us closer to him become an end instead of a means to an end. If the goal of faith is an intimate and profound relationship with God than like any relationship it’ll be made stronger in moments of increased closeness and love. However if our sole purpose of relationship is to have those moments we will be disappointed by human relationships that are characterized by disagreement and hard work. Even our relationship with God isn’t easy on this side of eternal glory. It’ll be full of moments we have to chose between our wants and desires and obedience to God’s call, thankfully we have the memories of past mountaintop experiences to help us make the right choices at least sometimes.
Because you see, in the end we need to remember that it wasn’t Peter who was transfigured, no he still leaves the mountain and denies his Crucified Lord 3 times. Jesus who shone with his own brilliant light and glory lifted Peter, James, and John off of their knees to bring them off the mountain back to the world he came to redeem. If anybody had a reason to build a dwelling and stay on the mountain it was Jesus who knew exactly what awaited him in the valley. Although if Jesus didn’t want to redeem the world he never would’ve left his holy mountain and come to us in the womb of a virgin to begin with. A God who would do that for us would not want us to create mountaintops for ourselves where we escape the world that God so loved that he gave his only begotten son. Instead he creates those mountaintops for us so we can more fully love the world he created and redeemed. Please pray with me.
Lord,
Thank you for the times in our lives when we were brought closer to you. Help us remember those times on those days we drag ourselves farther from you. In Jesus’ name we pray.
What exactly is a mountaintop experience? My understanding of a mountaintop experience is when a person is so completely in the presence of God that even our limited senses and understanding can’t help but recognize it for exactly what it is. In this experience of God’s presence the sense of the holy is all around us. In these moments we truly encounter all that is pure and good in an extraordinary, even supernatural way. I believe that God provides us with these experiences to equip and empower us to live out our lives of discipleship in a fallen world, these are supposed to serve as moments of preparation if you will as opposed to moments of completion.
In today’s Gospel lesson Peter, James, and John had a mountaintop experience that actually took place on a mountain of all places. The three of them were walking up a mountain with Jesus when all of a sudden Jesus’ appearance changed, he began to glow, now it wasn’t like a spotlight being shone on some celebrity but the light was coming from Jesus himself. And all of a sudden he was joined by Elijah and Moses and God’s voice was heard saying this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."
Peter being the spokesperson of the crew had something to say before he was driven to his knees by the voice of God. I must say that Peter is by far my favorite disciple. This is because we see in Peter what a life of discipleship is made of. The life of a disciple brothers and sisters is full of highs and lows. They’ll see moments of astounding faith and understanding followed by hours of obliviousness. The Christian life will be marked both by acts of radical obedience and times of inaction and indecision. Just like Peter’s life of discipleship.
For example at the beginning of the trip up the mountain we are told it was 6 days after an event. Do you know what event this is referencing? The meal where Peter responds to Jesus’ question “who do you say that I am?” with his confession “You are the Christ, the son of the Living God”. Only to be rebuked and called Satan by Jesus a few minutes later because of his unwillingness to accept Jesus’ description of the work of the Messiah.
Once again on the mountaintop we experience this kind of two faced disciple in Peter. First he realized that something special is truly happening and that it is truly a blessing for him and his colleagues to witness this holy encounter. But then he makes a move that displays that he doesn’t quite get it in its entirety. He offers to Jesus to build 3 booths or tents, one each for Jesus, Elijah, and Moses. These shrines would serve to capture this very special moment. However what Peter failed to understand is the purpose of this moment wasn’t to be caught and captured in some glass box. But instead I think the goal was in part to nurture a heart and mind that would allow the disciples to stand beneath the cross of Jesus in bold and steadfast faith and continue the work of Christ Jesus as the church.
We may hear Peter’s words and roll our eyes thinking Peter, Peter, Peter you did it again. However the truth is that Christians are constantly struggling with this same tendency that Peter is showing today. A tendency to confuse God’s gifts with God. The result may be making idols of all the things God offers, things like mountaintop experiences, offered to bring us closer to him become an end instead of a means to an end. If the goal of faith is an intimate and profound relationship with God than like any relationship it’ll be made stronger in moments of increased closeness and love. However if our sole purpose of relationship is to have those moments we will be disappointed by human relationships that are characterized by disagreement and hard work. Even our relationship with God isn’t easy on this side of eternal glory. It’ll be full of moments we have to chose between our wants and desires and obedience to God’s call, thankfully we have the memories of past mountaintop experiences to help us make the right choices at least sometimes.
Because you see, in the end we need to remember that it wasn’t Peter who was transfigured, no he still leaves the mountain and denies his Crucified Lord 3 times. Jesus who shone with his own brilliant light and glory lifted Peter, James, and John off of their knees to bring them off the mountain back to the world he came to redeem. If anybody had a reason to build a dwelling and stay on the mountain it was Jesus who knew exactly what awaited him in the valley. Although if Jesus didn’t want to redeem the world he never would’ve left his holy mountain and come to us in the womb of a virgin to begin with. A God who would do that for us would not want us to create mountaintops for ourselves where we escape the world that God so loved that he gave his only begotten son. Instead he creates those mountaintops for us so we can more fully love the world he created and redeemed. Please pray with me.
Lord,
Thank you for the times in our lives when we were brought closer to you. Help us remember those times on those days we drag ourselves farther from you. In Jesus’ name we pray.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
The Church Forged in Persecution
This week I received a mailing from The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM). For those of you who don’t know, VOM is an international ministry organization whose goal is to heighten awareness of and advocate support and services to the persecuted church around the world. I often include persecuted Christians around the world in my personal prayer life. So the work of VOM is something I am interested in and try to keep up with.
Anyhow this most recent mailing in particular was noteworthy because of a world map that was included. This map was color coded to portray two things. The first category was what was called “restricted countries.” These were countries in which government policy and practice prevented Christians from obtaining Bibles, other Christian literature, and assembling for worship. In these countries laws may allow or even promote harassment, imprisonment, or even assassination of Christians. This category includes Egypt, China, Cuba, and Iraq among many others. The second category is what VOM has labeled “hostile countries.” These are countries in which Christianity is technically legal and laws may even protect them, however Christians continue to be victimized by violence because of their witness. These countries include Columbia, Ethiopia, Mali, and Turkey among others. This map struck me because no matter how many stories I hear or books I read on Christian persecution, American Christians have no idea what communities of Christians around the world face. In a world of religious freedom, we have nothing to fear as we gather to worship and read the Bible together.
This week, however, as I looked at this map and read the stories that came with it I started wondering if we could learn something from these persecuted Christians. In many instances these countries and regions where the Christian Faith can get you incarcerated or killed are precisely the places the church is thriving and the gospel is being spread like wildfire. Perhaps this is because when faith remains something worth dying for, it becomes increasingly something worth living for.
Throughout the history of the church, the places where it faced resistance are also the places where it was strengthened. We do not have to go all the way to the early church or the Acts of the Apostles to see this is true. As a matter of fact in much more recent world history we can see how the church was blessed by many faithful leaders during the regime of Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany. There are three well known church leaders who are still remembered and celebrated and whose work was essential to the “confessing church” (i.e., the name given to the segment of the European Church that continued to resist Hitler’s rule): Karl Barth, Martin Niemöller, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
The life and work of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, especially, have continued to provide inspiration and faithful witness to the church. I am happy to provide Christ Hamilton with an opportunity to explore that life and work during the season of Lent. On Wednesday nights, I would like to invite you all out to come out and learn about this amazing martyr. We will watch a portion of the film Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace each week followed by a presentation/discussion. In the midst of this time together, I also hope to introduce you to his work entitled Life Together. This book remains to be an authoritative text on Christian community and came out of his experience directing an illegal seminary for the confessing church in Finkenwalde. Although we shouldn’t wish persecution upon anybody, I pray that the faith of the persecuted church can bless and inspire us as we explore what it means to be disciples of Christ.
This week I received a mailing from The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM). For those of you who don’t know, VOM is an international ministry organization whose goal is to heighten awareness of and advocate support and services to the persecuted church around the world. I often include persecuted Christians around the world in my personal prayer life. So the work of VOM is something I am interested in and try to keep up with.
Anyhow this most recent mailing in particular was noteworthy because of a world map that was included. This map was color coded to portray two things. The first category was what was called “restricted countries.” These were countries in which government policy and practice prevented Christians from obtaining Bibles, other Christian literature, and assembling for worship. In these countries laws may allow or even promote harassment, imprisonment, or even assassination of Christians. This category includes Egypt, China, Cuba, and Iraq among many others. The second category is what VOM has labeled “hostile countries.” These are countries in which Christianity is technically legal and laws may even protect them, however Christians continue to be victimized by violence because of their witness. These countries include Columbia, Ethiopia, Mali, and Turkey among others. This map struck me because no matter how many stories I hear or books I read on Christian persecution, American Christians have no idea what communities of Christians around the world face. In a world of religious freedom, we have nothing to fear as we gather to worship and read the Bible together.
This week, however, as I looked at this map and read the stories that came with it I started wondering if we could learn something from these persecuted Christians. In many instances these countries and regions where the Christian Faith can get you incarcerated or killed are precisely the places the church is thriving and the gospel is being spread like wildfire. Perhaps this is because when faith remains something worth dying for, it becomes increasingly something worth living for.
Throughout the history of the church, the places where it faced resistance are also the places where it was strengthened. We do not have to go all the way to the early church or the Acts of the Apostles to see this is true. As a matter of fact in much more recent world history we can see how the church was blessed by many faithful leaders during the regime of Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany. There are three well known church leaders who are still remembered and celebrated and whose work was essential to the “confessing church” (i.e., the name given to the segment of the European Church that continued to resist Hitler’s rule): Karl Barth, Martin Niemöller, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
The life and work of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, especially, have continued to provide inspiration and faithful witness to the church. I am happy to provide Christ Hamilton with an opportunity to explore that life and work during the season of Lent. On Wednesday nights, I would like to invite you all out to come out and learn about this amazing martyr. We will watch a portion of the film Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace each week followed by a presentation/discussion. In the midst of this time together, I also hope to introduce you to his work entitled Life Together. This book remains to be an authoritative text on Christian community and came out of his experience directing an illegal seminary for the confessing church in Finkenwalde. Although we shouldn’t wish persecution upon anybody, I pray that the faith of the persecuted church can bless and inspire us as we explore what it means to be disciples of Christ.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Cold Hands, Sore Feet, and Hard Foreheads
Cold Hands, Sore Feet, and Hard Foreheads
My Reflections on my First March for Life
“I am a feminist as well, and I think women deserve better than abortion”
She looked me in the eye and said “Don’t you dare call yourself a feminist”
Stacy shared the encounter with me moments after it happened outside the Supreme Court building. We were sitting in a small sandwich shop blocks away from where the march ended. The small eatery was buzzing with pro-life activity, most of it from one group of college students from University of Dallas. Rob and I sat at on adjacent table with our paninis and I nodded at the young women and thanked them for their witness, commenting on how wonderful it was to see so many young people come out to make a stand for life. That is how the conversation started, we never knew each other we were from different generations, different parts of the country, and didn’t share a gender. These divisions however were bridged in the moment by a singular love for life and devotion to the God who created it. I shared that when Heather was pregnant with Toby he tested as possibly having a high probability with downs syndrome and they wanted to know if we would consider “terminating the pregnancy”. She shared that her mother gave birth to her younger sister Sophia at age 47 and was also encouraged to “terminate” the pregnancy. Stacy’s profound intellect and passion for the battle she chose were evident throughout our short time together and was easily beyond her years. The fact that she was seen as a threat and extremist by her peers would not deter her from being who God called her to be.
Stacy is only one of the faces that will come back to me as I remember marching in DC this year. Other faces belong to a group of young Catholics from Brooklyn who had brought guitars and bongos. As I marched with them singing Psalms and the Magnificat I commented to Rob and anybody within earshot that I felt like I was in Joshua’s army toppling the wall that was created by a culture of death and decay.
I know that many colleagues and classmates would tremble at the sound of such an explicit militaristic analogy (some might even accuse me of contributing to our country’s uncivil discourse) but I feel that especially in the area of life issues the Body of Christ needs to continue to wave its banners and blow its trumpets. Perhaps we can learn from young people like Stacy and the musical Brooklynites who are faithfully standing against the world and standing for God’s creation and for LIFE. Their steadfast determination and bold faith are gifts from God that need to be recaptured by the whole Church.
I am reminded of the Call of Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 3:7-8 But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me. Because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. 8 Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.
Sometimes answering God’s call to discipleship and faithfulness requires acts of stubborn determination. Acts that would by today’s standards label us as zealots. In a world where love is confused with indifference and conviction is seen as problematic as opposed to virtuous the church has often ignored God’s call to pronounce judgment. Let us remember however that God’s judgment is always an act of steadfast love. When we fail to pronounce God’s law we also fail to proclaim God’s love. God gave Ezekiel a hard forehead to equip him to speak all God’s oracles including;
Ezekiel 36:26-28 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
The church needs to say no the culture of death and decay so the whole world can know God’s ultimate and eternal yes. And if Monday’s march is any indication there are many young people in the church ready to deliver that message. I just hope we don’t soften their foreheads.
Lord God.
Thank you for all your faithful who stand for life. Especially thank you for the youth who love you enough to say no to the sin that the world offers them. Bless the whole Church on earth with zealous determination and bold faith so we can speak the word you have called us to speak to a world in desperate need to hear it.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be a world without end. Amen
My Reflections on my First March for Life
“I am a feminist as well, and I think women deserve better than abortion”
She looked me in the eye and said “Don’t you dare call yourself a feminist”
Stacy shared the encounter with me moments after it happened outside the Supreme Court building. We were sitting in a small sandwich shop blocks away from where the march ended. The small eatery was buzzing with pro-life activity, most of it from one group of college students from University of Dallas. Rob and I sat at on adjacent table with our paninis and I nodded at the young women and thanked them for their witness, commenting on how wonderful it was to see so many young people come out to make a stand for life. That is how the conversation started, we never knew each other we were from different generations, different parts of the country, and didn’t share a gender. These divisions however were bridged in the moment by a singular love for life and devotion to the God who created it. I shared that when Heather was pregnant with Toby he tested as possibly having a high probability with downs syndrome and they wanted to know if we would consider “terminating the pregnancy”. She shared that her mother gave birth to her younger sister Sophia at age 47 and was also encouraged to “terminate” the pregnancy. Stacy’s profound intellect and passion for the battle she chose were evident throughout our short time together and was easily beyond her years. The fact that she was seen as a threat and extremist by her peers would not deter her from being who God called her to be.
Stacy is only one of the faces that will come back to me as I remember marching in DC this year. Other faces belong to a group of young Catholics from Brooklyn who had brought guitars and bongos. As I marched with them singing Psalms and the Magnificat I commented to Rob and anybody within earshot that I felt like I was in Joshua’s army toppling the wall that was created by a culture of death and decay.
I know that many colleagues and classmates would tremble at the sound of such an explicit militaristic analogy (some might even accuse me of contributing to our country’s uncivil discourse) but I feel that especially in the area of life issues the Body of Christ needs to continue to wave its banners and blow its trumpets. Perhaps we can learn from young people like Stacy and the musical Brooklynites who are faithfully standing against the world and standing for God’s creation and for LIFE. Their steadfast determination and bold faith are gifts from God that need to be recaptured by the whole Church.
I am reminded of the Call of Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 3:7-8 But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me. Because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. 8 Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.
Sometimes answering God’s call to discipleship and faithfulness requires acts of stubborn determination. Acts that would by today’s standards label us as zealots. In a world where love is confused with indifference and conviction is seen as problematic as opposed to virtuous the church has often ignored God’s call to pronounce judgment. Let us remember however that God’s judgment is always an act of steadfast love. When we fail to pronounce God’s law we also fail to proclaim God’s love. God gave Ezekiel a hard forehead to equip him to speak all God’s oracles including;
Ezekiel 36:26-28 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
The church needs to say no the culture of death and decay so the whole world can know God’s ultimate and eternal yes. And if Monday’s march is any indication there are many young people in the church ready to deliver that message. I just hope we don’t soften their foreheads.
Lord God.
Thank you for all your faithful who stand for life. Especially thank you for the youth who love you enough to say no to the sin that the world offers them. Bless the whole Church on earth with zealous determination and bold faith so we can speak the word you have called us to speak to a world in desperate need to hear it.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be a world without end. Amen
Monday, December 13, 2010
Gaudete Sunday
Isaiah 35:1-10;
Psalm 146:5-10;
Luke 1:46b-55 (alternate);
James 5:7-10;
Matthew 11:2-11 (Blue)
Many of you may remember Pastor Brett mentioning last week that the 3rd Sunday of Advent is sometimes known as Gaudete Sunday. This comes from the Latin word meaning rejoice. The first two Sundays of Advent have given us readings that were anything but joyful. week 1 of Advent we dealt with some pretty intense end time readings. Last week we heard John the Baptist’s exhortation to repent and turn away from our sinful ways. This week however we experience a little shift from the stark and uncomfortable to the exciting and joyous. After two weeks of being reminded that the world we know is perishing and we ourselves are far from perfect we get to focus on God’s coming and what that’ll do for the world. Our reading from Isaiah provides us with two images that have stayed with me this week, a crocus blossoming in the desert, a beautiful vibrant flower breaking through the parched desert ground gives us quite an image of what God’s presence brings us. The second image in our first reading that struck me was that of a highway in the wilderness, a path where there was no way before.
One thing that I think is important and seen in today’s readings is that Christian joy isn’t an escape from things like shame, suffering, or mortality but it happens in the midst of those things. Similarly Gaudete Sunday doesn’t happen at the end of the repentant season of advent as if its an end to our need of repentance or a false acknowledgement that everything will magically be better now, no brothers and seasons joy happens in the midst of all those things, and our repentance is a necessary part of that joy. As if to drive that point home today’s readings speak of joy in the midst of some pretty scary tings. The reading from Isaiah 35 is sandwiched by Isaiah’s oracles against the nations and the sacking of Judah by King Sannechrib and the Assyrians. And John the Baptist recognizes the fulfillment of God’s promises from where? Prison nonetheless. Even the prayer that gives Gaudete Sunday its name comes from Paul’s letter to the Philippians, a letter written from where? Prison. Rejoice in the lord always again I say rejoice.
I think that is why both Isaiah’s images rang so true for me. They both point to the truth that God’s coming doesn’t mean that at the drop of a hat, or the snap of the fingers sin and earthly problems dissipate. I think sometimes we Christians assume that is what it means to be God’s children. And then when we realize that we as Christians will face things like struggle and illness we assume that we’re just not faithful enough and our troubles are compounded by self hate and despair. Or perhaps even worse we decide since discipleship doesn’t really eliminate our problems it may not be worth the effort so we walk away from the faith or replace it with a pseudo faith that doesn’t go any deeper than the surface. When faith in God doesn’t lead us to an escape from this world’s problems we all too often assume it isn’t doing anything. This fails to acknowledge that the promise of God isn’t that we’ll never hurt again but that God knows our hurts and hurts with us. I am reminded of a quote by British theologian John Stott.
He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in the light of his. There is still a question mark against human suffering, but over it we boldly stamp another mark, the cross that symbolizes divine suffering. ”The cross of Christ . . . is God’s only self-justification in such a world” The other gods were strong; but thou wast weak; they rode, but thou didst stumble to a throne; But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak.”
Christian joy isn’t a statement of the condition of the world around us, nor is it even a result of some superior personality trait. It is acknowledging God’s presence in all our struggles and despite our failings. This is why we rejoice on this 3rd Sunday of Advent because we remember that God is coming as he promised and that his coming is truly a great thing for a fallen world, a world in desperate need of a God who suffers.
Whether we are talking about God’s presence being made real in the birth of a baby to a virgin girl, Jesus’ second coming to make the world new, or in the bread and wine of the Eucharist the result is the same. Before the world is transformed our perspective is transformed. The desert looks a little more welcoming because of one beautiful flower; our thirst all of a sudden isn’t so unquenchable. Brothers and sisters yes we will hurt, and we will hurt others we will crave things that bring nothing but death and decay, but rejoice for the God who loves us enough to become flesh and blood, to live and die for our sakes, to defeat the power of death is here in our midst; lifting us up, holding us tight, and calling us his. Please pray with me.
Dear God, you know that our hearts long for the joy and gladness promised by life with you. Help us to remember that you are with us always, and that our hearts will rest only when they rest with you.
Psalm 146:5-10;
Luke 1:46b-55 (alternate);
James 5:7-10;
Matthew 11:2-11 (Blue)
Many of you may remember Pastor Brett mentioning last week that the 3rd Sunday of Advent is sometimes known as Gaudete Sunday. This comes from the Latin word meaning rejoice. The first two Sundays of Advent have given us readings that were anything but joyful. week 1 of Advent we dealt with some pretty intense end time readings. Last week we heard John the Baptist’s exhortation to repent and turn away from our sinful ways. This week however we experience a little shift from the stark and uncomfortable to the exciting and joyous. After two weeks of being reminded that the world we know is perishing and we ourselves are far from perfect we get to focus on God’s coming and what that’ll do for the world. Our reading from Isaiah provides us with two images that have stayed with me this week, a crocus blossoming in the desert, a beautiful vibrant flower breaking through the parched desert ground gives us quite an image of what God’s presence brings us. The second image in our first reading that struck me was that of a highway in the wilderness, a path where there was no way before.
One thing that I think is important and seen in today’s readings is that Christian joy isn’t an escape from things like shame, suffering, or mortality but it happens in the midst of those things. Similarly Gaudete Sunday doesn’t happen at the end of the repentant season of advent as if its an end to our need of repentance or a false acknowledgement that everything will magically be better now, no brothers and seasons joy happens in the midst of all those things, and our repentance is a necessary part of that joy. As if to drive that point home today’s readings speak of joy in the midst of some pretty scary tings. The reading from Isaiah 35 is sandwiched by Isaiah’s oracles against the nations and the sacking of Judah by King Sannechrib and the Assyrians. And John the Baptist recognizes the fulfillment of God’s promises from where? Prison nonetheless. Even the prayer that gives Gaudete Sunday its name comes from Paul’s letter to the Philippians, a letter written from where? Prison. Rejoice in the lord always again I say rejoice.
I think that is why both Isaiah’s images rang so true for me. They both point to the truth that God’s coming doesn’t mean that at the drop of a hat, or the snap of the fingers sin and earthly problems dissipate. I think sometimes we Christians assume that is what it means to be God’s children. And then when we realize that we as Christians will face things like struggle and illness we assume that we’re just not faithful enough and our troubles are compounded by self hate and despair. Or perhaps even worse we decide since discipleship doesn’t really eliminate our problems it may not be worth the effort so we walk away from the faith or replace it with a pseudo faith that doesn’t go any deeper than the surface. When faith in God doesn’t lead us to an escape from this world’s problems we all too often assume it isn’t doing anything. This fails to acknowledge that the promise of God isn’t that we’ll never hurt again but that God knows our hurts and hurts with us. I am reminded of a quote by British theologian John Stott.
He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in the light of his. There is still a question mark against human suffering, but over it we boldly stamp another mark, the cross that symbolizes divine suffering. ”The cross of Christ . . . is God’s only self-justification in such a world” The other gods were strong; but thou wast weak; they rode, but thou didst stumble to a throne; But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak.”
Christian joy isn’t a statement of the condition of the world around us, nor is it even a result of some superior personality trait. It is acknowledging God’s presence in all our struggles and despite our failings. This is why we rejoice on this 3rd Sunday of Advent because we remember that God is coming as he promised and that his coming is truly a great thing for a fallen world, a world in desperate need of a God who suffers.
Whether we are talking about God’s presence being made real in the birth of a baby to a virgin girl, Jesus’ second coming to make the world new, or in the bread and wine of the Eucharist the result is the same. Before the world is transformed our perspective is transformed. The desert looks a little more welcoming because of one beautiful flower; our thirst all of a sudden isn’t so unquenchable. Brothers and sisters yes we will hurt, and we will hurt others we will crave things that bring nothing but death and decay, but rejoice for the God who loves us enough to become flesh and blood, to live and die for our sakes, to defeat the power of death is here in our midst; lifting us up, holding us tight, and calling us his. Please pray with me.
Dear God, you know that our hearts long for the joy and gladness promised by life with you. Help us to remember that you are with us always, and that our hearts will rest only when they rest with you.
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