March 22, 2009
Ephesians 2:1-10
John 3:14-21
Causes and Cures
Year B
Fourth Sunday of Lent
What brings more fear to people than the snake. Most of us absolutely hate snakes. Perhaps that is why we make up so many stories about them. As the bad guy. The story goes that is was the snake which bought evil to mankind in the garden of evil, and God instilled a hatred of humans and snakes every since. I don’t know if that satisfies my fear of snakes, but I guess it is a start.
Moses takes up on the story of the fear of snakes when the Isrealites are wandering in the desert, and they start to complain that they want to go back to Egypt. Moses prays and a brood of snakes come into camp and kills them. In order to stop the snake attack, Moses is told to make a statue of a snake and lift it up – if people look up at the snake on a stick, then they would be saved from the snakes at their feet.
That may seem a little absurd, except when you realize that the modern symbol for a physician as one who heals is a snake wrapped around a stick.
We may hate snakes, and even think of it as an evil creature – but it is also the universal symbol of healing. Everywhere in the world – people understand the symbol of a snake on a stick as a symbol for a doctor.
Parasites were a big problem in the ancient world, and in many poorer parts of the world they are still a problem. There is one called the fiery serpent- which will live inside of the body and cause a lot of damage. The only way to get it out – is to cut a slit in the skin, and as it crawls out- to carefully wrap it around a stick. If you are not careful, it could break off a stay inside. The need to get rid of this parasite was so common in ancient times that the universal symbol for someone who could heal you from sickness . So even today, doctors have the symbol behind their name.
In the modern world – our explanations for sickness have changed, the illnesses which affect us are still the same. Many of us don’t worry too much about parasites, even though we don’t realize that they are still the cause of many of our illnesses. But we still do look for people who can heal us and make us better. We still seek the person with the reputation for making things better. We still seek those with the symbol of the snake on a stick.
Perhaps that is why the book of John picks up on the ancient theme of the snake on a stick, but instead of talking about snakes – John says that Jesus himself must be lifted up high so that the people can see.
John is saying that we will look for the sign of Jesus being lifted up on a cross to be healed. In this instance, we are not seeking healing from a physical condition, but a spiritual condition – the condition of sin in our lives.
In our world we are no longer worry too much about being poisoned by snakes, but we can worry about the poison of sin in our hearts. There is the poison of jealousy, greed, and worry in our life. We have to remember that sin is anything in our lives that poisons our thinking and our way of life from what God intended. I think my biggest sin in life write now is learning to be comfortable with stress in my life. When I am stressed out I eat different foods than I would otherwise, my sleeping habits are different, my whole daily routine is different. I forget to take time out for myself and more importantly for my relationship with God. Just yesterday I realized that I am starting to get comfortable with those stressed reactions, so much so, that I am forgetting what it means to live healthy. I can’t even tell the difference anymore.
Lent is that time for us to take time to realize that there is a difference in our lives when we are living with God, and when we are sinning - which means missing the mark of being who God intended us to be.
Luckily for us, lent is the time for us to look for the universal symbol of healing – of Jesus on the cross. (since I am not catholic – I don’t have any symbols of Jesus being lifted up high on the cross) But I do have many symbols of the cross – our source of healing for not only physical illnesses, but spiritual ones as well.
This year we have been focusing in the promises of God. Both Ephesians and John capture that promise very well. Ephesians 4 and 5 say But God, who is rich in mercy, out of great love , even when we were dead in our trespasses, were made alive with Christ Jesus. John contains the most well known verse in the bible – for God do loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so that whomever would believe in him would have eternal life and have it abundantly. God’s promise to us is that even when we are sinners, we are still loved. God has prepared a place for us in heaven, even before ever realized that there was a heaven to aspire to.
The book of Ephesians is thought to be a book of prayers and instructions for a disheartened community. People who had given their life to the Christian way – but had lost sight of why they had put their faith in Christ. They had been told that Jesus was coming soon, and that all would be better, but they begin to see that was not the case. The comfort of Ephesians is not so much in the words, but in the tone of the words. For a people who are tired of waiting, the author is reminding us that The work of God has already been done. We have already been saved, we have already been given eternal life, we have already been forgiven. So we don’t need to wait for something to happen – it has already happened. God’s healing for us is a gift freely given. It is a gift that has already been given to us, - while we are still stuck in our bad habits.
Eckhardt Tolle – who is not a Christian writer, but is a spiritual writer- has a book called the power of now. He says that we have become comfortable with waiting for things to happen. Waiting for change. Change is something that is going to happen in the future. Our happiness is out there somewhere, things will get better out there at some point. We will live the life we dream about when we are ready for it, it will happen eventually. We will have a better relationship with God and be able to really think about what we are called to do, when life slows down and we have time for it. We have become so busy thinking about change. That we forget that change is here with us – in our relationship with God, with ourselves with others and with the world. We really don’t have to wait for God to come to be with us – because God is already here. God has been with us before we came into being, and God is with us every step of the way.
The message of Ephesians is to get in touch with the now-ness of God. You don’t have to wait for things to change – because the change has already happen.
For instance for me in my own struggle – I don’t have to wait for life to get better to stop living a stressed out life. The healthy vegetables, the 64 ounces of water, even the gym is already present in my life – all I have to do is acknowledge them. You can take the time to think about your own situation, your own habits, your own relationship with God. You can apply the things that you are waiting for in your life. The Ephesians were waiting for Jesus to return before things would change – what are you waiting for?
Ephesians message is that what you are waiting for – it already happen a long time ago. When God made a decision to love you no matter what. And that love started to unfold in history. So stop living as if you are waiting for it to happen, and start living as if it has already been given to you. By grace – you have been saved. And raised up in him and seated us with him in heavenly places.
Jesus Christ just came to deliver the message – that the work had already been done. Jesus too preaches the importance of living in the now-ness of life. We don’t have a moment to lose in waiting – that we have to spread God’s message of love to a world which needs it now.
Speaking of snakes, there is the story of old man John and his two sons, Jake and Joe, who lived out on a ranch out west. They never had much use for the church – until one day when the son Jake was bitten by a rattlesnake. They called the doctor first, but the doctor said that Jake was surely going to die. So they called for the priest to come pray for Jake. The priest’s prayer was Dear Lord, thank you for sending this snake to bite Jake – because it sent him to seek you out and to ask for your grace in his life. I pray for a bigger snake to come and to bite his father John and his brother Joe – so that they too can have an opportunity to seek your salvation.
Depending on where Jake was in his faith journey, that may have not been a comforting prayer for him, seeing that he was destined to die anyway. But I am sure that it scared the heck out of John and Joe.
Snakes have been a source of fear for humans for ages. We have been afraid of their poison for years, rightfully so. I want you to think about where the source of poison is in your life?
The symbol of the snake on a stick has been the symbol of healing for ages. The sign of the cross is our sign of healing. If the symbol of Jesus be lifted up – then all who believe will have eternal life.
What are you doing on your life to lift jesus up – so that others can see that there is a universal sign of healing in the world. It is a sign not of what is to come – but of what is already been done. God’s love for us is s done deal – and there is nothing you can do about it – but go in peace and love. Amen.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
A Command, A Promise, or a Way of Life - March 15, 2009
Exodus 20:1-17
John 2:13-22
March 15, 2009
Year B
Third Sunday of Lent
A Command, a Promise or a Way of Life?
Memorizing the 10 commandments is a rite of passage or all Sunday school students. Who can remember them by heart?
(I can’t)
Teach you a short trick to remember them….
Start with your hands together in prayer. This reminds us that God heard the
prayers of the Hebrew people when they were in slavery in Egypt and freed them
(Exodus 3:7, 20:2). The commandments are a way for us to show our gratitude for
God's love in our lives and to further just and peaceful relationships in God's
world.
1. "I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other gods before me." Hold up one
index finger for the number one. We worship one God.
2. "You shall not worship idols." Idols, false gods, are not only things like
statues, but anything in which we place our ultimate trust and allegiance-- for
example, money, possessions or weapons. Hold up two fingers. Should we worship
more than one God? No, two is too many! One of them must be an idol, and we
should not worship it!
3. "You shall not take the Lord's name in vain." Use three fingers to form the
letter "W' which stands for "words." Watch your words! God wants us to use his
name in loving, caring ways, as we pray and as we talk about him, not in
swearing or in anger.
4. "Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy." Hold up four fingers, and fold
your thumb under to let it rest. The thumb has the right idea. It's the Sabbath,
and the thumb is following the commandment to take a day of rest. God does not
want anyone to overwork or be stressed, so we need a day to rest, to be at
peace, and to worship with others. God also gave us the Sabbath so that working
people would not be taken advantage of by their employers (Deut. 5:14)
5. "Honor your father and your mother." Hold up all five fingers on one hand as
if you are taking a pledge, to honor your parents. God wants there to be peace
and love in all our family relationships.
6. "You shall not kill." Pretend the index finger on your second hand is a gun,
shooting at the first five fingers. God's sixth commandment teaches us not to do
anything that would hurt another person unfairly.
7. "You shall not commit adultery." Hold one hand out flat. The five fingers and
hand become the floor of the church. Two fingers on the other hand are the man
and woman to be married, standing in the church, making
promises to each other. This seventh commandment calls for couples to keep the
marriage promises they make.
8. "You shall not steal." Hold up four fingers on each hand, for the eighth
commandment. If you stretch out your fingers slightly, these become the prison
bars, which hold someone who was been arrested for stealing. Our Study Catechism
says "God forbids all theft and robbery, including schemes, tricks or systems
that unjustly take what belongs to someone else."
9. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." Hold up all five
fingers on one hand and four on the other. Fold your second thumb under and turn
your hand around, so the thumb is hiding. It is secretly going around telling
the other four fingers on that hand lies and rumors about the five fingers on
the other hand. It is "bearing false witness," as it talks behind people=s
backs, spreading gossip, criticizing others without talking directly to the
people involved. Again, our Study Catechism teaches us "Negative stereotyping is
a form of falsehood that invites actions of humiliation, abuse, and violence as
forbidden by the commandment against murder."
10. "Do not covet what belongs to your neighbor." Hold out your hands, palms
up, and wiggle all ten fingers to show that they've got the "gimmes." Your
fingers are saying, "Gimme what belongs to my neighbor. I want all those things
my neighbor has." This is not the way God wants us to live.
I bet you didn’t know that catholics, Lutherans, other protestants, and jews have different ten commandements. There are actually 15 commandments that have been grouped in different ways.
A preacher was depressed that he lost his bike…..In a small town there were two preachers, one Methodist and one Baptist.They both liked to ride bicycles around town, and they would greet eachother when they met on their way somewhere. Well, so one day when they met, the Baptist preacher was on foot. Methodistpreacher asked him, "What happened to your bicycle?" Baptist preacher said, "I don't know. I put it somewhere, and can'tremember where. I hope somebody didn't steal it." So the Methodist preacher said, "I know what we can do to get your bicycleback. This Sunday we'll both preach on the Ten Commandments. When we getto 'Thou shalt not steal,' we'll dwell on it long and hard. I'll betthat'll get your bicycle returned." So they proceeded to do this, and one day the next week they met up again,and the Baptist preacher had his bicycle back. "Hello, friend," said the Methodist preacher. "I see one of our sermons didsome good." The Baptist fellow hung his head and said, "Yeah, but not how you'd think.I preached on the Ten Commandments, just like we said, and when I got to'Covet not thy neighbor's wife,' I remembered where I'd left my bicycle!"
That is how we usually use the ten commandments – as a set of rules that we are supposed to obey, with a realization that we will be punished if we disobey. And there are times when it is justified that we are punished. These are social boundaries where there should be consequences if we violate them. These are the basic rules of how we should live in community.
These are the first known rules of community. The story goes that the people did not want to talk with Moses on their own, so they ask Moses to go on the mountain and to bring back those rules to live by.
Today, even with all of the controversy of separation of church and state, they are the basis of our legal system. And play an important in our modern societal boundaries.
I told you that during lent we would be dealing with the 6 promises of God. At first thought, this hardly seems like a promise. It seems more like a list of rules to follow or else.
That is because no matter how well we may remember all of the commandments, we are not told of the first words o Exodus 20:2 – Where God says, I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.
I brought you out of the house of slavery – the promise for us is not a demand a demand of obedience, but a request of obedience. The first promise for us is that we would not be destroyed. In spite of out bent toward sinning. The second promise is that the world would be blessed if we live out of our faith. The promise for today – is that even though we are sinners, even though there are always consequences for our sin, - we have been set free. We are free to be in relationship with God and with one another. Without freedom, there is no relationship – because you are not giving out of your heart.
Without God, where would be be? Without God’s love for us where would we be? Without God opening doors and providing a pathway for us – where would we be? So why would we put other gods before God?
The first 4 commandments teach us how to have a relationship with God, the next six teach us how to have a relationship with one another.
Jesus reminds us that we should love the lord our God with all of our heart, all of our mind and all of our souls. And to love one another as God loves us. To treat one another, as God treats us.
Perhaps that is why Jesus got so upset in our gospel. Because people seemed to get so caught up in following the rules, that they forgot to be in relationship with one another, and with God.
This is another story which is told in all of the gospels. In John’s story – this is the beginning of Jesus ministry – when he comes to the temple – and finds money changers in the temple. He is not so much upset that they are selling worship materials – it is okay for us to have bake sales, and fundraisers in the church. That is not the problem. He is upset because of their attitude in selling products. They don’t care about the people that they are serving – many who can’t afford the prices that they are being charged. Also, they have set up shop in the gentile section of the temple, which means that there are people who are not allowed to come to worship while all of this is going on.
They have turned worship of God into a mockery of all that God stands for. A relationship of love.
Jesus ties some rope together and starts to destroy what they are doing by upturning everything. I love the response of the religious leaders in this story – who gave you the authority to do this?
When I was in Israel, one of the leaders said, it is not that Jews don’t like Jesus, they just don’t understand. It was like he made a mockery of the whole point of Jewish tradition. like he is doing in this scene.
Jesus is reminding us that we are free – we are not bound by tradition, or by circumstances, or by rules. The Lord our God has set us free. And all that God asks of us in return – is to obey – to never forget our relationship with God and to live out that relationship with one another.
The temple in which we worship is not a building (as important as it is), the temple is our relationships with one another and with those in the world. Without a relationship with who we are, what we are doing, and how we affect others – we don’t have anything.
I want to leave you with these words from Meister Eckhart
“as long we look for some kind of pay for what we do, as long as we want something from God in some kind of exchange, we are like merchants. Do all that you can in good works, solely for the praise of God. Live as you do not exist. Expect nothing in return. Then the merchant inside of you shall be driven out of the temple. Let God alone dwell in the temple. This is how the temple is cleared: when a person thinks only of God and honors him alone. Only such a person is free and genuine.
Worship no God but God
Don’t use the lords name in vain
Remember the Sabbath
Honor your parents
Don’t murder
Don’t commit adultery
Don’t steal
Don’t lie
Don’t wish for anything that belongs to another.
No matter what you do – always remember that you are loved, so you are free.
Amen.
John 2:13-22
March 15, 2009
Year B
Third Sunday of Lent
A Command, a Promise or a Way of Life?
Memorizing the 10 commandments is a rite of passage or all Sunday school students. Who can remember them by heart?
(I can’t)
Teach you a short trick to remember them….
Start with your hands together in prayer. This reminds us that God heard the
prayers of the Hebrew people when they were in slavery in Egypt and freed them
(Exodus 3:7, 20:2). The commandments are a way for us to show our gratitude for
God's love in our lives and to further just and peaceful relationships in God's
world.
1. "I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other gods before me." Hold up one
index finger for the number one. We worship one God.
2. "You shall not worship idols." Idols, false gods, are not only things like
statues, but anything in which we place our ultimate trust and allegiance-- for
example, money, possessions or weapons. Hold up two fingers. Should we worship
more than one God? No, two is too many! One of them must be an idol, and we
should not worship it!
3. "You shall not take the Lord's name in vain." Use three fingers to form the
letter "W' which stands for "words." Watch your words! God wants us to use his
name in loving, caring ways, as we pray and as we talk about him, not in
swearing or in anger.
4. "Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy." Hold up four fingers, and fold
your thumb under to let it rest. The thumb has the right idea. It's the Sabbath,
and the thumb is following the commandment to take a day of rest. God does not
want anyone to overwork or be stressed, so we need a day to rest, to be at
peace, and to worship with others. God also gave us the Sabbath so that working
people would not be taken advantage of by their employers (Deut. 5:14)
5. "Honor your father and your mother." Hold up all five fingers on one hand as
if you are taking a pledge, to honor your parents. God wants there to be peace
and love in all our family relationships.
6. "You shall not kill." Pretend the index finger on your second hand is a gun,
shooting at the first five fingers. God's sixth commandment teaches us not to do
anything that would hurt another person unfairly.
7. "You shall not commit adultery." Hold one hand out flat. The five fingers and
hand become the floor of the church. Two fingers on the other hand are the man
and woman to be married, standing in the church, making
promises to each other. This seventh commandment calls for couples to keep the
marriage promises they make.
8. "You shall not steal." Hold up four fingers on each hand, for the eighth
commandment. If you stretch out your fingers slightly, these become the prison
bars, which hold someone who was been arrested for stealing. Our Study Catechism
says "God forbids all theft and robbery, including schemes, tricks or systems
that unjustly take what belongs to someone else."
9. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." Hold up all five
fingers on one hand and four on the other. Fold your second thumb under and turn
your hand around, so the thumb is hiding. It is secretly going around telling
the other four fingers on that hand lies and rumors about the five fingers on
the other hand. It is "bearing false witness," as it talks behind people=s
backs, spreading gossip, criticizing others without talking directly to the
people involved. Again, our Study Catechism teaches us "Negative stereotyping is
a form of falsehood that invites actions of humiliation, abuse, and violence as
forbidden by the commandment against murder."
10. "Do not covet what belongs to your neighbor." Hold out your hands, palms
up, and wiggle all ten fingers to show that they've got the "gimmes." Your
fingers are saying, "Gimme what belongs to my neighbor. I want all those things
my neighbor has." This is not the way God wants us to live.
I bet you didn’t know that catholics, Lutherans, other protestants, and jews have different ten commandements. There are actually 15 commandments that have been grouped in different ways.
A preacher was depressed that he lost his bike…..In a small town there were two preachers, one Methodist and one Baptist.They both liked to ride bicycles around town, and they would greet eachother when they met on their way somewhere. Well, so one day when they met, the Baptist preacher was on foot. Methodistpreacher asked him, "What happened to your bicycle?" Baptist preacher said, "I don't know. I put it somewhere, and can'tremember where. I hope somebody didn't steal it." So the Methodist preacher said, "I know what we can do to get your bicycleback. This Sunday we'll both preach on the Ten Commandments. When we getto 'Thou shalt not steal,' we'll dwell on it long and hard. I'll betthat'll get your bicycle returned." So they proceeded to do this, and one day the next week they met up again,and the Baptist preacher had his bicycle back. "Hello, friend," said the Methodist preacher. "I see one of our sermons didsome good." The Baptist fellow hung his head and said, "Yeah, but not how you'd think.I preached on the Ten Commandments, just like we said, and when I got to'Covet not thy neighbor's wife,' I remembered where I'd left my bicycle!"
That is how we usually use the ten commandments – as a set of rules that we are supposed to obey, with a realization that we will be punished if we disobey. And there are times when it is justified that we are punished. These are social boundaries where there should be consequences if we violate them. These are the basic rules of how we should live in community.
These are the first known rules of community. The story goes that the people did not want to talk with Moses on their own, so they ask Moses to go on the mountain and to bring back those rules to live by.
Today, even with all of the controversy of separation of church and state, they are the basis of our legal system. And play an important in our modern societal boundaries.
I told you that during lent we would be dealing with the 6 promises of God. At first thought, this hardly seems like a promise. It seems more like a list of rules to follow or else.
That is because no matter how well we may remember all of the commandments, we are not told of the first words o Exodus 20:2 – Where God says, I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.
I brought you out of the house of slavery – the promise for us is not a demand a demand of obedience, but a request of obedience. The first promise for us is that we would not be destroyed. In spite of out bent toward sinning. The second promise is that the world would be blessed if we live out of our faith. The promise for today – is that even though we are sinners, even though there are always consequences for our sin, - we have been set free. We are free to be in relationship with God and with one another. Without freedom, there is no relationship – because you are not giving out of your heart.
Without God, where would be be? Without God’s love for us where would we be? Without God opening doors and providing a pathway for us – where would we be? So why would we put other gods before God?
The first 4 commandments teach us how to have a relationship with God, the next six teach us how to have a relationship with one another.
Jesus reminds us that we should love the lord our God with all of our heart, all of our mind and all of our souls. And to love one another as God loves us. To treat one another, as God treats us.
Perhaps that is why Jesus got so upset in our gospel. Because people seemed to get so caught up in following the rules, that they forgot to be in relationship with one another, and with God.
This is another story which is told in all of the gospels. In John’s story – this is the beginning of Jesus ministry – when he comes to the temple – and finds money changers in the temple. He is not so much upset that they are selling worship materials – it is okay for us to have bake sales, and fundraisers in the church. That is not the problem. He is upset because of their attitude in selling products. They don’t care about the people that they are serving – many who can’t afford the prices that they are being charged. Also, they have set up shop in the gentile section of the temple, which means that there are people who are not allowed to come to worship while all of this is going on.
They have turned worship of God into a mockery of all that God stands for. A relationship of love.
Jesus ties some rope together and starts to destroy what they are doing by upturning everything. I love the response of the religious leaders in this story – who gave you the authority to do this?
When I was in Israel, one of the leaders said, it is not that Jews don’t like Jesus, they just don’t understand. It was like he made a mockery of the whole point of Jewish tradition. like he is doing in this scene.
Jesus is reminding us that we are free – we are not bound by tradition, or by circumstances, or by rules. The Lord our God has set us free. And all that God asks of us in return – is to obey – to never forget our relationship with God and to live out that relationship with one another.
The temple in which we worship is not a building (as important as it is), the temple is our relationships with one another and with those in the world. Without a relationship with who we are, what we are doing, and how we affect others – we don’t have anything.
I want to leave you with these words from Meister Eckhart
“as long we look for some kind of pay for what we do, as long as we want something from God in some kind of exchange, we are like merchants. Do all that you can in good works, solely for the praise of God. Live as you do not exist. Expect nothing in return. Then the merchant inside of you shall be driven out of the temple. Let God alone dwell in the temple. This is how the temple is cleared: when a person thinks only of God and honors him alone. Only such a person is free and genuine.
Worship no God but God
Don’t use the lords name in vain
Remember the Sabbath
Honor your parents
Don’t murder
Don’t commit adultery
Don’t steal
Don’t lie
Don’t wish for anything that belongs to another.
No matter what you do – always remember that you are loved, so you are free.
Amen.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
The Rest of the Story - March 8, 2009
March 8, 2009
The Rest of the Story
Romans 4:13-25
Mark 8:31-38
Year B
Second Sunday of Lent
Telling of a story that we have all heard before.
Once upon a time there was a little girl, with a read hood. Her mother sent her to her grandmother’s house with some cookies. In order to get the grandmothers house, she had to pass through a forest. Along the way, she met a wolf. She told the wolf where she was going. The wolf seemed intrigued, and wished her well on her journey. She made it to her grandmother’s house – they sat down together with milk and cookies and told stories all afternoon, and both lives happily ever after.
That is not how the story goes. Stories don’t have happy endings – there has to be some drama, some struggle between good and evil, something bad has to happen.
We all know that in the real story – The wolf gets to the house before little riding hood and eats the grandmother and that both have to eventually be rescued, before they live happily ever after.
We want happy endings – but that is not how the story goes.
That is the point that Jesus is trying to make in the gospel for today.
Back up a little, Jesus is talking with disciples and Peter realizes that he is talking with the messiah.
But in his mind the messiah is the happy ending, the triumph, the answer to his prayers. When Jesus starts talk about suffering and dying, and giving up what you have to follow me – Peter is upset and tells Jesus not to talk like that.
Jesus response – get behind me Satan
Reminder that because we want happy endings – that is not the life that we live. Life of suffering, pain and problems.
Jesus not here to be the hero of our dreams – the savior of our lives. The definer of our faith. In order for faith to matter – it has to be connected to real life.
We all fall into the temptation of Peter – Jesus this is who you should be for us. Jesus reminds us this is who he really is. Jesus reminds Peter, and us, that we get out fairy tales and our faith tales confused. We confuse the stories of man and the stories of God. No matter how bright and creative we are, we could never create the stories of God.
This lent we are dealing with the promises of God. The things God said would always be so. God promised Abraham that the world would be blessed for generations to come – because of his son.
We know that this was strange for a couple who were almost in their 90’s. But it happen. And today- Abraham is our biggest example of faith. The story of his life sticks with us. Not because it was a strange story – but because it is a faith story.
Faith is not belief in things that we can’t see, or in things we don’t understand. Faith is being willing to be obedient without reservation. (repeat that again).
In God’s story of faith – are we Peter, or are we Abraham? Do we tell God what God should be doing to fit into our story and make us happy – or do we listen to God, and trust that God knows far more about us that we could ever know?
In our story of faith, where is Jesus? Is he the hero who makes everything perfect for is, or is he an example of what God can do in our lives, or is he the one who stands next to us to support us every step of the way in life.
Most importantly, where are you in God’s story of faith? Does your trust in God enable you to follow instructions, or does it limit your actions?
God asks each of us that question – are you willing to go forward in trust, or do you need to stand back until things go your way. True faith is being able to go forward, even though things are not going as you planned. True faith is knowing that God can make some pretty improbable promises to us – but God is always reliable. The story does not go on the way we would write it, but there are reminders along the way that it is not our story – but God’s story. Life is not a story of happy endings – but a story of faith. Which is a grander story then we could ever imagine………. (the end of the sermon)
The story of faith is not just a story of words – it can be told in many ways. This morning – our word from God will be in song. Songs of faith, of God’s promise of love, and of our response to God’s love in our lives.
The Rest of the Story
Romans 4:13-25
Mark 8:31-38
Year B
Second Sunday of Lent
Telling of a story that we have all heard before.
Once upon a time there was a little girl, with a read hood. Her mother sent her to her grandmother’s house with some cookies. In order to get the grandmothers house, she had to pass through a forest. Along the way, she met a wolf. She told the wolf where she was going. The wolf seemed intrigued, and wished her well on her journey. She made it to her grandmother’s house – they sat down together with milk and cookies and told stories all afternoon, and both lives happily ever after.
That is not how the story goes. Stories don’t have happy endings – there has to be some drama, some struggle between good and evil, something bad has to happen.
We all know that in the real story – The wolf gets to the house before little riding hood and eats the grandmother and that both have to eventually be rescued, before they live happily ever after.
We want happy endings – but that is not how the story goes.
That is the point that Jesus is trying to make in the gospel for today.
Back up a little, Jesus is talking with disciples and Peter realizes that he is talking with the messiah.
But in his mind the messiah is the happy ending, the triumph, the answer to his prayers. When Jesus starts talk about suffering and dying, and giving up what you have to follow me – Peter is upset and tells Jesus not to talk like that.
Jesus response – get behind me Satan
Reminder that because we want happy endings – that is not the life that we live. Life of suffering, pain and problems.
Jesus not here to be the hero of our dreams – the savior of our lives. The definer of our faith. In order for faith to matter – it has to be connected to real life.
We all fall into the temptation of Peter – Jesus this is who you should be for us. Jesus reminds us this is who he really is. Jesus reminds Peter, and us, that we get out fairy tales and our faith tales confused. We confuse the stories of man and the stories of God. No matter how bright and creative we are, we could never create the stories of God.
This lent we are dealing with the promises of God. The things God said would always be so. God promised Abraham that the world would be blessed for generations to come – because of his son.
We know that this was strange for a couple who were almost in their 90’s. But it happen. And today- Abraham is our biggest example of faith. The story of his life sticks with us. Not because it was a strange story – but because it is a faith story.
Faith is not belief in things that we can’t see, or in things we don’t understand. Faith is being willing to be obedient without reservation. (repeat that again).
In God’s story of faith – are we Peter, or are we Abraham? Do we tell God what God should be doing to fit into our story and make us happy – or do we listen to God, and trust that God knows far more about us that we could ever know?
In our story of faith, where is Jesus? Is he the hero who makes everything perfect for is, or is he an example of what God can do in our lives, or is he the one who stands next to us to support us every step of the way in life.
Most importantly, where are you in God’s story of faith? Does your trust in God enable you to follow instructions, or does it limit your actions?
God asks each of us that question – are you willing to go forward in trust, or do you need to stand back until things go your way. True faith is being able to go forward, even though things are not going as you planned. True faith is knowing that God can make some pretty improbable promises to us – but God is always reliable. The story does not go on the way we would write it, but there are reminders along the way that it is not our story – but God’s story. Life is not a story of happy endings – but a story of faith. Which is a grander story then we could ever imagine………. (the end of the sermon)
The story of faith is not just a story of words – it can be told in many ways. This morning – our word from God will be in song. Songs of faith, of God’s promise of love, and of our response to God’s love in our lives.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
When We See Rainbows
“What do we see when we see rainbows?”
Genesis 9:8-17
1 Peter 3:18-22
Year B
First Sunday of Lent
My favorite song about rainbows is the Muppet movie – where Kermit sings, why are there so many songs about rainbows. The rainbow connection is a wonderful song about love, beauty, and a belief that one day we will all live in harmony. I think that is what rainbows mean for many of us – harmony and living together.
And Kermit was singing a question that people have asked since the beginning of time. What is it that fascinate about us about rainbows. Almost every culture in the world has created songs and myths of why rainbows are in the sky.
The aboriginal people in Australia believe that in dream time – the time of the creation of the world- that the rainbow serpent created everything. The native Americans believe that the great father used a rainbow to create the world.
The canannites believed that the rainbow was a sign of war. The rainbow was God’s bow that he laid in the sky to signify that he was prepared to fight and that there would be war and fighting somewhere in the world.
Actually this is the story that Noah and his generation would have grown up with. Their God Yahweh was a war God, and he protected them by winning battles. The bow was a sign of his strength and his ability to defeat others.
Rainbows did not give you a warm fuzzy feeling of harmony – but it scared you, worried you . In those days,you took it as a sign that things were about to get serious. And you needed to be prepared.
Perhaps it was this feeling of something bad to come that made Noah start building the ark. We know the story from here – of Noah building the ark and gathering his family and all of the animals and sailing the world – as God destroyed everything in a great flood.
We tell that story on the first Sunday of lent because our theme for the next six weeks will be the promises of God. God made some very important promises to the fathers of faith in the Hebrew bible. His first promise to us was in the form of a rainbow.
I think it is interesting that the Noah story is in the book of Genesis. In the scheme of things, this is a part of the original creation story. As soon as the world was created and man came to understand their place in creation, man started to ruin creation with sin. Within a few years, man was out of control, doing what we wanted, destroying what we wanted, totally oblivious to ourselves and to the world and to the one who created us in God’s image.
Not knowing what else to do, but to kill us and start all over again. We get the story of Noah and the flood. Since this story has come up already twice in one year – I want to save this story to tell you for another time, but there is a wonderful midrash about Noah having to leave his friends behind, and crying as he had to watch them die in the flood, while he and his family was safe in the ark.
Obviously, after the flood was over, - Noah must have shared his grief with God. He must have defended his friends, even though they did not care about their relationship with God- they were still people, they still has a life, they still were wonderful friends, and they did not deserve to die – without a chance to know why they were being destroyed, and particularly without a chance to change.
God agreed – and put a rainbow in the sky – explaining that what was once an ominous sign – is now a sign of hope. God’s promise was not only to Noah, not only to people, it was a promise to all of creation. Scripture says “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and all your descendents after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals.
Speaking of rainbows, we have all heard that leprechauns had access the pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow. I bet you didn’t know that the legend actually says that the only person who can get the gold at the end of the rainbow is a man in the nude. Not relevant to the story - but I thought it was a story that would wake you up.
But anyway – the big point of our scripture is that this promise is not just to us – to all flesh. God does not care about us, but about all of flesh.
Lent is about us learning to love the things that God loves, and getting in touch with all of life, to not be so concerned about our needs, but the needs of all of the things that are important to God.
I think that is the importance of this story of destruction being so close to the story of creation. The sin that God was concerned about eliminating was us developing our lives outside of nature. We have developed and eat foods which are made in a laboratory and not in the ground, we drive cars, and live in houses which are destroying the environment. We use everyday products with no regard for how others are affected by those products. I learned this year that there is a garbage heap the size of Texas swirling around in the Altantic Ocean – this heap is filled with water bottles and other debris that people just carelessly through away with no regard for where they end up.
How does God get our attention, and help us realize that our actions are wrong, hurtful and need to be changed? God’s first promise to all flesh was that we would never be destroyed for our wrongdoing.
Lent is a chance for us to think about our actions and how they affect others. A chance for us to put our relationship with God first again, and to remember to care about the things that God cares about. To think about how we are connected to all flesh, and all nature. And even in our modern day living - to take that relationship seriously.
God made a promise to us – what promises have we made to God in return.
On Ash Wednesday, I talked about lent in tough times. The economy is forcing many of us into a period of self denial and reflection already – that goes far beyond the 40 days of lent.
If we are in self denial – how to we impose even more self denial? Lent is about self denial – but it is also about relationship, about promises, about grace, and about our response to grace.
Lent is a promise that darkness will turn into light, that death will turn into life, that winter will turn into spring, that tough times will turn into happy times.
It is God’s ways of getting our attention, of reminding us that our lives have been spared, a request that when things finally do change, that you change too. It is God’s request that you not return to the old habits, the hurtful ways, the insensitivity to how you actions were affecting others. That when good times return – that you will be a better person because of it.
I don’t know what you have planned for the lent season- whatever you do – all God asks is that you learn something. Something about yourself, something about the world, something about God, Something about God’s plan for you.
My favorite rainbow story is the Norse belief that a rainbow is the bridge between heaven and earth. The only ones who can cross the bridge are the righteous. I also bet you didn’t know that no one can see the same rainbow. A rainbow – a reflection is only visible in the eye of the beholder – it is not something that you can reach out and touch in reality.
So the rainbow that I see if not the rainbow that you see – or you see. It is God’s gift to each of us, and God speaks to each of us in many different ways.
During this Lenten season – look for your rainbows, and know that God’s words for you are not far behind.
Let us pray….
Genesis 9:8-17
1 Peter 3:18-22
Year B
First Sunday of Lent
My favorite song about rainbows is the Muppet movie – where Kermit sings, why are there so many songs about rainbows. The rainbow connection is a wonderful song about love, beauty, and a belief that one day we will all live in harmony. I think that is what rainbows mean for many of us – harmony and living together.
And Kermit was singing a question that people have asked since the beginning of time. What is it that fascinate about us about rainbows. Almost every culture in the world has created songs and myths of why rainbows are in the sky.
The aboriginal people in Australia believe that in dream time – the time of the creation of the world- that the rainbow serpent created everything. The native Americans believe that the great father used a rainbow to create the world.
The canannites believed that the rainbow was a sign of war. The rainbow was God’s bow that he laid in the sky to signify that he was prepared to fight and that there would be war and fighting somewhere in the world.
Actually this is the story that Noah and his generation would have grown up with. Their God Yahweh was a war God, and he protected them by winning battles. The bow was a sign of his strength and his ability to defeat others.
Rainbows did not give you a warm fuzzy feeling of harmony – but it scared you, worried you . In those days,you took it as a sign that things were about to get serious. And you needed to be prepared.
Perhaps it was this feeling of something bad to come that made Noah start building the ark. We know the story from here – of Noah building the ark and gathering his family and all of the animals and sailing the world – as God destroyed everything in a great flood.
We tell that story on the first Sunday of lent because our theme for the next six weeks will be the promises of God. God made some very important promises to the fathers of faith in the Hebrew bible. His first promise to us was in the form of a rainbow.
I think it is interesting that the Noah story is in the book of Genesis. In the scheme of things, this is a part of the original creation story. As soon as the world was created and man came to understand their place in creation, man started to ruin creation with sin. Within a few years, man was out of control, doing what we wanted, destroying what we wanted, totally oblivious to ourselves and to the world and to the one who created us in God’s image.
Not knowing what else to do, but to kill us and start all over again. We get the story of Noah and the flood. Since this story has come up already twice in one year – I want to save this story to tell you for another time, but there is a wonderful midrash about Noah having to leave his friends behind, and crying as he had to watch them die in the flood, while he and his family was safe in the ark.
Obviously, after the flood was over, - Noah must have shared his grief with God. He must have defended his friends, even though they did not care about their relationship with God- they were still people, they still has a life, they still were wonderful friends, and they did not deserve to die – without a chance to know why they were being destroyed, and particularly without a chance to change.
God agreed – and put a rainbow in the sky – explaining that what was once an ominous sign – is now a sign of hope. God’s promise was not only to Noah, not only to people, it was a promise to all of creation. Scripture says “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and all your descendents after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals.
Speaking of rainbows, we have all heard that leprechauns had access the pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow. I bet you didn’t know that the legend actually says that the only person who can get the gold at the end of the rainbow is a man in the nude. Not relevant to the story - but I thought it was a story that would wake you up.
But anyway – the big point of our scripture is that this promise is not just to us – to all flesh. God does not care about us, but about all of flesh.
Lent is about us learning to love the things that God loves, and getting in touch with all of life, to not be so concerned about our needs, but the needs of all of the things that are important to God.
I think that is the importance of this story of destruction being so close to the story of creation. The sin that God was concerned about eliminating was us developing our lives outside of nature. We have developed and eat foods which are made in a laboratory and not in the ground, we drive cars, and live in houses which are destroying the environment. We use everyday products with no regard for how others are affected by those products. I learned this year that there is a garbage heap the size of Texas swirling around in the Altantic Ocean – this heap is filled with water bottles and other debris that people just carelessly through away with no regard for where they end up.
How does God get our attention, and help us realize that our actions are wrong, hurtful and need to be changed? God’s first promise to all flesh was that we would never be destroyed for our wrongdoing.
Lent is a chance for us to think about our actions and how they affect others. A chance for us to put our relationship with God first again, and to remember to care about the things that God cares about. To think about how we are connected to all flesh, and all nature. And even in our modern day living - to take that relationship seriously.
God made a promise to us – what promises have we made to God in return.
On Ash Wednesday, I talked about lent in tough times. The economy is forcing many of us into a period of self denial and reflection already – that goes far beyond the 40 days of lent.
If we are in self denial – how to we impose even more self denial? Lent is about self denial – but it is also about relationship, about promises, about grace, and about our response to grace.
Lent is a promise that darkness will turn into light, that death will turn into life, that winter will turn into spring, that tough times will turn into happy times.
It is God’s ways of getting our attention, of reminding us that our lives have been spared, a request that when things finally do change, that you change too. It is God’s request that you not return to the old habits, the hurtful ways, the insensitivity to how you actions were affecting others. That when good times return – that you will be a better person because of it.
I don’t know what you have planned for the lent season- whatever you do – all God asks is that you learn something. Something about yourself, something about the world, something about God, Something about God’s plan for you.
My favorite rainbow story is the Norse belief that a rainbow is the bridge between heaven and earth. The only ones who can cross the bridge are the righteous. I also bet you didn’t know that no one can see the same rainbow. A rainbow – a reflection is only visible in the eye of the beholder – it is not something that you can reach out and touch in reality.
So the rainbow that I see if not the rainbow that you see – or you see. It is God’s gift to each of us, and God speaks to each of us in many different ways.
During this Lenten season – look for your rainbows, and know that God’s words for you are not far behind.
Let us pray….
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)