tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45133071221265894312024-02-22T04:52:54.516-05:00The Sermon Blog @ Union Presbyterian ChurchRev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.comBlogger151125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-64330666252177094482015-03-10T09:57:00.000-04:002015-03-10T09:57:14.635-04:00A New (Personal) BlogI've mentioned below that my sermons can now be found at the Union Presbyterian Church website, upcendicott.org.<br />
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I am also starting a new, more personal blog. "<a href="http://swimmerinthefount.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Swimmer in the Fount</a>." An explanation of the title is here.<br />
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It will probably contain all kinds of things... personal, political, churchly, theological (watch out!).<br />
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But I start with knitting.<br />
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Maybe I'll see you there?<br />
<br />Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-21118086073557935272015-03-01T12:43:00.002-05:002015-03-01T12:43:44.629-05:00You may have noticed something....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_RVIG2HnH0nO1eoxok3UPfQnaOkhYUYlKQhQQG_zngVPr9LHHcer7FCOSvLI7RR_LGbXYt5J75g7Sd6h81FKl1FaC-7V7CebABS0HViCVkXZkEOz2F3ofvGGk3LhFQS7SLsb5Ai_yG29t/s1600/Website+picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_RVIG2HnH0nO1eoxok3UPfQnaOkhYUYlKQhQQG_zngVPr9LHHcer7FCOSvLI7RR_LGbXYt5J75g7Sd6h81FKl1FaC-7V7CebABS0HViCVkXZkEOz2F3ofvGGk3LhFQS7SLsb5Ai_yG29t/s1600/Website+picture.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></div>
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This blog will no longer be updated with new sermons after Sunday February 22. All meditations and sermons for Union Presbyterian Church will now be found on our website, <a href="http://upcendicott.org/">upcendicott.org</a>, under "Sermons." Videos can be found there, too, usually a few days after worship.<br />
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Thank you for reading! Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-77471341640163216262015-02-22T11:30:00.000-05:002015-02-22T11:30:00.321-05:00On Burdens and Gifts: A Sermon on Matthew 18:15-35<style>@font-face {
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sS0zn9tU7UFj1TnGUITfBkPBbz5qsk6-ijOw0mJK8tk2ACRx6jRMMyEG1JppXHi42QhFcpjlqWLnZB1TO4Y6-J5d4_ENY3HC2cgb-HS5doR0yMZVzKi0kyImQb0VCkhlav6RSO7FKwUz/s1600/Give-Forgiveness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sS0zn9tU7UFj1TnGUITfBkPBbz5qsk6-ijOw0mJK8tk2ACRx6jRMMyEG1JppXHi42QhFcpjlqWLnZB1TO4Y6-J5d4_ENY3HC2cgb-HS5doR0yMZVzKi0kyImQb0VCkhlav6RSO7FKwUz/s1600/Give-Forgiveness.jpg" height="221" width="320" /></a></div>
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Scripture can be found <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+18%3A15-35&version=NRSV" target="_blank">here</a>... </div>
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Almost
all of us have the stories. The best friend who said something cruel. The
parent who favored the other child until it broke a heart. The one who lied and
lost our trust. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These seem to be the
stuff of life: the normal hurts and harms and betrayals that seem to signify
the very heart of what it is to be fallibly human. Some, without a doubt, are
worse than others. The parents who weren’t merely neglectful, but were abusive,
or entirely absent. The sibling who stole from the family. The heart-friend who
abruptly, inexplicably, turned away, went silent, and disappeared from our
lives. </div>
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<br /></div>
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And,
to turn this thing entirely on its head, I suspect we all have the other
stories, too, although these are stories we don’t share so often or so openly.
Of the times we were the one who disappeared when we should have stayed, or the
times when we did not live up to our promises, vows, and compacts. The times
when we weren’t there for our children, turned hard-hearted towards a friend or
relative. Maybe some of us have even had the experience of asking for
forgiveness, and hearing, if not “no,” then a stony silence that told us… the hurt
was still too deep, or too fresh, not something they could forgive. </div>
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<br /></div>
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And
so, Jesus has a story to tell us, about being the forgiver and being the
forgiven. Beginning today, and throughout Lent, we will be reading parables of
Jesus—stories, sometimes brief, sometimes just a sentence or two, designed to
help us to think and intuit more deeply about a problem or paradox. Parables
are not allegories. It’s not always easy to identify who, in a parable, stands
for God, for example. Sometimes it is the very last person we expect. Sometimes
parables are framed as analogies: they begin, “the kingdom of heaven is like
this…” and then we hear a story.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Sometimes
parables are hilarious. Sometimes they are horrifying. Today’s is both, though
the hilarity, we have to dig for, just a little, because we are not first
century Palestinian Jews, and therefore, don’t necessarily catch all the nuance
of the tale.</div>
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But
before the parable, we need the setup. And today’s setup is a long one. It
begins with the issue of conflict in the church. What do we do when someone in
the church has harmed us? Jesus outlines an incredibly sensible and gentle path
towards reconciliation and healing, a path churches still use to this day. At
last, Peter raises a critical question. Lord, he asks, if a member of the
church sins against me (actually, in the Greek, it’s “my brother,” but we
understand it to be a church member by the context), how many times should I
forgive him? How about seven?</div>
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Seven
is a great number. Seven is a symbolic number in scripture, a number of
fullness and completion—the six days of creation plus the day of rest. Perfect.
Complete. It’s a brilliant suggestion.</div>
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No,
Jesus says. Try seventy-seven. (That’s what it says in English.) Try seventy <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">times</i> seven. (That’s what it says in the
original Greek.) In other words, there is no limit to how often we ought to
forgive. None. </div>
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This
is a hard teaching. I’m not going to sugar coat it. Being hurt—physically,
emotionally, spiritually—affects us on so many levels. For one thing, it plays
out deep in the reptilian brain where everything is about fighting or running
away. For another thing, our conscious minds tell us the story of how it was
supposed to be, and that can be hard to let go of. Someone has said,
forgiveness is giving up on the idea that we can change the past.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a>
Sometimes, we can’t seem to find our way to giving up on that.</div>
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<br /></div>
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And so
Jesus tells a parable. There is a king, and there is a slave. And the slave
owes the king ten thousand talents.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So,
let’s stop right there. A talent was more than fifteen years of wages for a day
laborer. This slave owes the king ten thousand talents. So… that’s 150,000
years’ worth of wages for a day laborer. The king orders the slave and his
whole family to be sold for cash, but the slave begs him for time to repay.
This is the hilarious part. The slave is planning to work so that he can come
up with 150,000 years’ wages to pay his debt. The king has absolute discretion.
The life of this man is in his hands. He can imprison him, or sell him, or do what
he will to get his money back.</div>
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He
forgives him. He forgives him this debt, which might as well be a gazillion
dollars, or a kajillion dollars. A googolplex of dollars.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></a></div>
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And
then, the slave does something really unforgiveable: he refuses to forgive
someone else’s debt. Another slave owes him 100 denarii—the denarius is one
day’s wages for a day laborer. So, this is a debt that could be paid off in
less than a year, theoretically. Instead, the forgiven one has his fellow slave
thrown into prison. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Of
course, the king finds out. And, it turns out, the king can forgive a debt of a
googolplex of dollars. But he cannot—or will not—forgive a lack of forgiveness.
Well, isn’t that ironic? The king sentences the slave to be tortured.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The
parable uses forgiveness of financial debts, which is a relatively simple
matter in one sense. The king evidently had the wealth or the magnanimity or
both to forgive the ridiculously enormous debt of the slave; but that same
slave could not or would not forgive a far more modest, even meager debt.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s
not so simple when we remove numbers and money from the equation and start
talking about the heart. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As for me and
my family, I come from a long line of Olympic-level grudge-holders. For a time,
one of my relatives could have proudly told you her statistics in this area.
She never forgot a wrong, and she never forgave one either. Until, she held a
grudge against her own sister for a good dozen years. And then, when that
sister’s husband became ill, the grudge was dropped, and all was forgiven. And
the further truth is, that grudge had cost my relative. It was a little like
being sentenced to jail to be tortured, except she kept the key to her cell on
a chain around her own neck. It was time she never got back.</div>
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<br /></div>
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To
err is human, to forgive is divine, we are told. So, it might not always be
possible to forgive under our own steam. But what feels impossible to us might
be possible if we were to enlist God’s help in the matter. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Elsewhere,
Jesus tells us that we should pray for our enemies. One tiny step towards
forgiveness might be this: to start praying for the person who has injured you.
Notice, I didn’t say, “whom you want to forgive,” because sometimes, we don’t
want to forgive, and so it’s hard to get started on any action that might lead
us down that path. So, rather than thinking about forgiveness, we might think
about praying for our enemies, and start there. It's a small thing. But it
gives God something to work with.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Many
of you know the story of the late Christian Dutch underground member Corrie ten
Boom. She told a story of traveling in Germany after the war, bringing a
message of forgiveness. The war had cost her family dearly. Though they’d
hidden and saved countless refugees, Jews and Christians alike, they could not
save some of their own. Corrie had watched her beloved sister, Betsie, die in
Ravensbruck concentration camp. She writes,</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“It was in a church in Munich that I saw
him—a balding, heavyset man in a gray overcoat, a brown felt hat clutched
between his hands. People were filing out of the basement room where I had just
spoken, moving along the rows of wooden chairs to the door at the rear… And
that’s when I saw him, working his way forward against the others. One moment I
saw the overcoat and the brown hat; the next, a blue uniform and a visored cap
with its skull and crossbones. It came back with a rush: the huge room with its
harsh overhead lights; the pathetic pile of dresses and shoes in the center of
the floor; the shame of walking naked past this man. I could see my sister’s
frail form ahead of me, ribs sharp beneath the parchment skin. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Betsie, how thin you were!...</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Now he was in front of me, hand thrust out:
‘A fine message, Fräulein! How good it is to know that, as you say, all our
sins are at the bottom of the sea!’</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“And I, who had spoken so glibly of
forgiveness, fumbled in my pocketbook rather than take that hand…</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“‘You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk,’
he was saying, ‘I was a guard there…’</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“‘But since that time,’ he went on, ‘I have
become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did
there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fräulein,’ again the
hand came out—’will you forgive me?’</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“And I stood there…and could not forgive.
Betsie had died in that place—could he erase her slow terrible death simply for
the asking?</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“It could not have been many seconds that he
stood there—hand held out—but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most
difficult thing I had ever had to do…</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“I knew [forgiveness] not only as a
commandment of God, but as a daily experience. Since the end of the war I had
had a home in Holland for victims of Nazi brutality. Those who were able to
forgive their former enemies were able also to return to the outside world and
rebuild their lives, no matter what the physical scars. Those who nursed their
bitterness remained invalids. It was as simple and as horrible as that.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“And still I stood there with the coldness
clutching my heart. But forgiveness is not an emotion—I knew that too.
Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the
temperature of the heart. ‘… Help!’ I prayed silently. ‘I can lift my hand. I
can do that much. You supply the feeling.’</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my
hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took
place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our
joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being,
bringing tears to my eyes.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“‘I forgive you, brother!’ I cried. ‘With
all my heart!’</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“For a long moment we grasped each other’s
hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God’s love
so intensely, as I did then.”</i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn3" name="_ednref3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iii]</span></span></span></span></a></div>
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Forgiveness
is not an emotion, and even the most faithful and courageous among us can find
it a burden. And though she describes it as “an act of the will,” it was still,
clearly, something that could not be conjured up by her will alone. Forgiveness
was something she needed to receive as a gift from God. She couldn’t come up
with it on her own. She had to ask for it.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Ten
Boom suggests that those who were unable forgive the war crimes against them
were unable to heal from their injuries. I’ve heard that phenomenon described
in many ways, but this may be the best: To forgive is to set a prisoner free,
and then discover that the prisoner was you.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn4" name="_ednref4" style="mso-endnote-id: edn4;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iv]</span></span></span></span></a> </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Forgiveness
is not easy, it is not automatic. With God, it is possible. It starts with asking
God to help us to forgive. If we can’t do that, it starts with asking God to
help us to want to forgive. If we can’t do that, it starts with asking God for
help, to set this prisoner free. Thanks be to God. Amen. </div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Ann Lamott.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The number “1” followed by a “googol” of zeroes; 10<sup>(10100)</sup>.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn3" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref3" name="_edn3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iii]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Excerpted from “I’m Still Learning to Forgive” by
Corrie ten Boom, from <i>Guideposts</i> Magazine. Copyright © 1972 by Guideposts
Associates, Inc., Carmel, New York 10512.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn4" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref4" name="_edn4" style="mso-endnote-id: edn4;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iv]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Lewis Smedes.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-7216785811240334432015-02-15T11:30:00.000-05:002016-05-07T14:37:08.535-04:00On Holding On and Letting Go: A Sermon for Transfiguration and Baptism Sunday <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Scripture can be found <a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=291006455" target="_blank">here</a>...<br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i>A First-Person monologue, from the point of view of Simon Peter. </i><br />
<br />
Little
one, I don’t know who he is. And that’s the truth. Sometimes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Sometimes
I think he is the greatest wonder worker that ever lived. Sometimes I think he
is the harshest master I’ve ever had. Sometimes I think he is God himself. And
sometimes I think… well, he called me “Satan.” So, I wonder.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Look,
I’ve only ever done one thing in my life. I’m a fisherman. I know how to
prepare the nets, and repair them. I know how to cast them and haul them in. I
know how to bargain with men in whose faces I can read their plan to steal from
me, and walk away with enough for my family.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
But
the first day I saw Jesus’ face… the first time I looked into his eyes, when he
looked at my brother and me, sitting there in our boat, and said, “Follow me,
and I’ll teach you to haul in a catch of souls.” And he didn’t mean the fish!
Well, I knew, little one, that here was a man who was speaking the deepest
truth of his heart. I could see it in his face. And my brother and I dropped
everything—we dropped our nets, and stepped out of our boats, and never looked back.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Then
I thought of him as “teacher.” And he still is, little one! Everything I count
as the truest I have ever known I have learned from him. But then… he started
his wonder-working, and I was shaken to my core. I’m not a story-teller. I’m
not one for dreams that tell you what to do, or when you’ll die. I mostly think
those are the result of fish gone bad. But almost immediately after I started
following him, my wife’s mother became ill- sick unto death, with a terrible
fever. We chased away the children, and called the mourners, and readied
ourselves to bury her. But Jesus came in, and looked at her with those…
terrible, compassionate eyes of his. And he touched her hand. And the fever
left her. Not in a day or a week—in a moment. Her color calmed, and her eyes
cleared and opened, and she looked into that face, and smiled, and rose from
her bed to follow Jesus too.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And
that day, the people in the neighborhood told one another what had happened,
and they told others at the market, and soon my house was surrounded by people
with fevers, and demons, and leprosy, and paralysis… crowds of people… and
every one, every one of them, little one, he touched. And they too were healed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
He
scared people. I’ll tell you that. They didn’t know what to make of him. For
the life of me, I didn't know either, but before too long, as the crowds grew that
came to see him, and hear him, and learn from him, and be healed by him… I
began to understand. And then one day he turned to us, his followers, and said,
“Who do people say that I am?” He asked us, so calm, like he didn’t much care
about the answer. But I can read a man’s face. And I tell you, there was
something… was it worry? Was it hope? Something. He wanted to know. He needed
to know. And I listened as the others spoke. “Elijah,” one of them said, “Him,
or Jeremiah,” someone else offered. He nodded his head at each suggestion,
encouraging us. Then Andrew, my brother, said, real quietly, “Some say, John,
the Baptist.” And Oh-little one! His face flushed red, I thought he was angry,
but then I saw the tears in his eyes. And I knew there had to be some fear. There
had to be. Didn’t there? But then he turned to me, and I became bold. “You are
the Messiah, the Son of the living God!” I said. I almost shouted it. I
believed it! Who else could he be?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
He
looked at me then, most gently, and he said, “Blessed are you, Simon Peter, son
of John! You have been listening to my Father in heaven.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And
I thought: He’s the one. He IS the Messiah. He is! And my heart, little one, it
about swelled as if to break.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And
then, he started—I don’t know—it sounded like nonsense to me. He began saying
that it was time to go to Jerusalem, and that when he got there, all the
religious leaders would decide it was time for him to suffer, and die—but then,
he would be raised up on the last day. And I shouted—then I really shouted,
little one—NO! “God forbid it Lord!” And then he turned his wrath on me—there
is no other way to say it. He was in a fury. And he said, “Get behind me Satan!
You are not listening to my Father in heaven at all!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It
was hard to hear what he had to say after that. He was talking about how we
were all going to die. That, we all had to carry the cross. I remember this
that he said: “Those who want to hold on their life will lose it, and those who
let go of their life for my sake will find it.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Well.
And here I was. Hadn’t I already lost my life for his sake, little one? Let go,
walked away from my nets, and my livelihood, and my family, to follow him? To
follow and learn from the man with the most trustworthy face I’d ever seen?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Sometimes
I think I know just who he is, and then… I just don’t know. I don’t know.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It
was a week later, I think. Jesus took three of us, myself, and John, and James,
and we broke off from the others, and we climbed a mountain. Higher and higher
we climbed. I don’t much care for mountains, myself. Tricky weather in the
mountains. I can read the clouds above the Sea of Galilee like I can read a
man’s face, but the clouds on a mountain… they can play tricks on you, and that
is no joke. So I was uneasy, climbing and climbing, but he must have had his
reasons.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And
then we came to a more level place, high up, and what should happen. A light…
no, a glow. The sun? Maybe it came from behind a cloud? I don’t know little
one. But his face, all of a sudden, it became—unrecognizable. It glowed, it
flashed. It was the sun, it was brighter than the sun, his clothes too. His
robe, which was brown, and his cloak which was another shade of brown—they were
white, too white to look upon. It was painful to look upon him, that’s it. His
face… it was like… can I say it? It was like looking upon the very face of God.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And
then, he wasn’t alone. But there were two men speaking with him, just suddenly
they were there. And… how did I know? They were Moses and Elijah. These great
men, I’d heard of them all my life. Moses stood there with two great tablets in
his arms—I hardly knew how he held them. And Elijah, well, he always dressed
strangely, so they say. A cloak made of camel-skin, and a leather belt around
his waist, and so that is who the second one was. And there they were—Jesus,
and Moses, and Elijah, talking, like… well, like three fishermen standing by
the lake. Like they knew one another, from, oh, long ago, and were wondering,
how are the fish running today?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
“Master!”
I called out. I called out! I don’t know what gave me the boldness to do it.
“It is good to be here. I will set up three booths, for you, and… Moses, and
Elijah.” I heard my own voice, and I thought, I sound mad. No one would ever
believe me. I don’t even believe me! And while I was wondering at this,
suddenly, a great cloud—not a dark one, but one of those odd mountain clouds
you can’t read—bright, and unsettling—it came over us, just sort of fell on all
six of us, and John and James and I were on the ground, face down, praying for
our lives. Well, we thought our time had come. What with all his talk of dying,
little one. We thought we might go up in a chariot with Elijah. But then the
voice: a voice like nothing I’d ever heard before. It was like thunder, but it
was like whispering, too, and water rushing, and a wave crashing. “This is my
Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And
we looked up, and… it was just Jesus, little one. And his cloak was brown
again, and it was his own dear face again, and he was touching us each on the
shoulder. And he smiled a little, and said, “Don’t be afraid. Let’s go.” And…
we had to let go of that mountaintop, and go down again to the town, because…
wasn’t there a boy, possessed, having seizures, and wasn’t his father
heartbroken and terrified? And didn’t they need Jesus? Didn’t they need… us? Wasn’t
that our life, down there, with the people? And so we went down. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Little
one, sometimes I just don’t know who he is. And that’s the truth. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Sometimes
I think he is the greatest wonder worker that ever lived. Sometimes I think he
is the harshest master I’ve ever had. Sometimes I think he is God himself. I
have so many questions to ask him, and I long to keep that face before me. I
don’t know all the answers. I want to keep asking him questions. I want to
follow him, little one, because I think I understand… I let go of my life, and
I found my life. All in following him. And that’s the truth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Thanks
be to God. Amen.</div>
Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-12417717490111682342015-02-08T11:30:00.000-05:002015-02-08T11:30:00.737-05:00On Worry and Wildflowers: A Sermon on Matthew 6:24-35
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF5JDfalIv6Re4agWvpV224yXJecvW4oVfE1foFnXF4wiqlA1YFGMFMDwv4CMUzM_spXr7iRb-y6k9CG8LACyowByZLodXD7M_tJl1dtyb87tZ3IhhjOK1t_jIvT0Ch3bH6olphZ0hWp_v/s1600/Joan-Fontaine-Rebecca-flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF5JDfalIv6Re4agWvpV224yXJecvW4oVfE1foFnXF4wiqlA1YFGMFMDwv4CMUzM_spXr7iRb-y6k9CG8LACyowByZLodXD7M_tJl1dtyb87tZ3IhhjOK1t_jIvT0Ch3bH6olphZ0hWp_v/s1600/Joan-Fontaine-Rebecca-flowers.jpg" height="320" width="242" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joan Fontaine in "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032976/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">Rebecca</a>," 1940.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Scripture can be found <a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=290399624" target="_blank">here</a>....<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
If
you’re looking for a really wonderful old movie, a great grande dame of a film
in black and white from the glamour days of Hollywood, it’s hard to find a
better one than the early Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece, “Rebecca.” It’s a love
story, between the fabulously wealthy (and somehow vaguely tragedy-shadowed)
Maxim de Winter, played by a dashing Laurence Olivier, and the woman who will
become the second Mrs. DeWinter, played by Joan Fontaine. They meet cute in
Monaco, of all places, where Joan is the much-mistreated companion of a stuffy,
pretentious social climber. Maxim sweeps our girl off her feet, and they marry
quickly, returning home to a brooding castle called Manderley on the coast of Cornwall.
The castle comes complete with the scariest housekeeper this side of a horror
story, one Mrs. Danvers, who appears suddenly and often to scare the daylights
out of the young bride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It’s
a love story, but more than that, it’s a mystery, and a kind of a thriller. The
poor bride. She knows something is wrong, but she doesn’t know what it is. Shaky
organ music gives us a sense that there must be a ghost. Maxim won’t tell her
what’s wrong, even though he’s prone to dark moods and long absences. The new
Mrs. DeWinter’s desperation comes out, finally, as she begs her husband to
reassure her that everything’s all right. “We're happy, aren’t we? Terribly
happy? And our marriage is a success, isn’t it? A great success?” Her husband
pats her on the back absentmindedly, and says, “If you say so, then we’ll leave
it at that.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
new Mrs. DeWinter is worried. She’s worried half out of her mind, and no
wonder. She doesn’t even know exactly what it is that she’s worried about… Her
worry lurks in the shadows, its face hidden, just beyond her sight. And if you
want to know the true source of her worries, well, you’ll just have to rent the
movie or read the novel by Daphne DuMaurier. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
My
worries seem so…domesticated, by comparison. Boring, really. I’m worried about things
like not getting the newsletter article done on time, or getting backed up on
my laundry. I’m worried about driving in the snow, and that the salt all over
the streets is going to rust my car. Pretty run-of-the-mill stuff. Nothing
anyone would make a movie about, certainly not a movie starring Laurence
Olivier and Joan Fontaine. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
OK.
That’s not all I’m worried about. I’m worried about my children, in the same
ways all parents of young adults worry about their children, plus all the
worries that come along being the parents of young people who want to make a
life in the arts. And I’m worried about the future, in some general and some
specific ways. And sometime my sleep gets abruptly terminated at a time I still
consider to be the middle of the night, and these worries swirl around in my
head until it’s pretty clear: night’s over. Might as well get up. That’s what
worry will do for you. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
We’re
circling back this week, to chapter 6 of Matthew’s gospel, right smack in the
middle of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. And we’re landing on one of the
better-known parts of that sermon, the part about worry. Or, rather, the part
telling us not to worry.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Jesus
begins by speaking of money. If you’re wondering what is the topic Jesus talks
the most about, look no further. It’s not war. It’s not sex. It’s not family
life or values. Jesus’ most frequent topic is money. And verse 24 tells us why:
Jesus regards the love of money as something that has the power to enslave us,
to take the place of God in our lives. Don’t let this happen to you, he says.
Don’t get the idea you can serve two masters. You can only give your heart to
one. And by all means, don’t choose the wrong one. It’s either God or wealth;
it can never be both. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Therefore,
Jesus says, don’t worry. And the worries he lists are very basic ones:
sustenance—food and drink. The lack of clothing. These are not the worries of
the elite, or even the middle classes. These are the worries of the poor. At first
glance, it almost seems that Jesus is being callous—in effect, downplaying the
seriousness of poverty and want, even ignoring them. The letter of James has a
scathing retort to that kind of callousness: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘</i><span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them,
“Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their
bodily needs, what is the good of that?’ [James 2:15b-16] </span></i></span><span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That’s not Jesus, anyway. That’s not what he’s saying. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And
because that’s not what he’s saying, he starts talking about birds. Birds and
wildflowers. Look at the birds, Jesus says. There they are, just… being birds.
They are not punching in and punching out. They are not working hard for the
money. They are not planting crops or harvesting them to get their fill of
worms and seed. They are just going about the business of being birds, and look
at that. They are fed. They are fine. God watches over them. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Will
worry make your life one hour longer? Will worry make your life one minute
longer? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
same is true for the flowers. When he says, “Consider the lilies of the field…”
—Jesus is talking about wildflowers. Things like Queen Anne’s lace and bergamot,
buttercups and bluebells. They’re not working for a living either… no flower
ever labors over a spindle or a loom. They’re just being flowers. They’re just
being. And Solomon, the king whose most famous attribute is his wealth, couldn’t
hold a candle to them. Not even in his finest outfit. Not even on his best day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Will
worry make your life one hour longer? Will worry make your life one minute
longer? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Again.
There’s something here that feels almost like a disconnect. How can Jesus
simply say, “So don’t worry about it!” when confronted with a crowd of people
who are at real risk for chronic hunger and worse? Because, make no mistake,
that’s who he’s talking to. Those he will call, “the least of these, who are
members of my family” [Matt. 25:40]. What is going on here?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
When
in doubt, look closely at the language. There is something interesting going on
in the original text. Without getting too heavily into Greek verb tenses, I
want to tell you that they are part of Jesus’ argument. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
“Therefore
do not worry,” Jesus says, “saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we
drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ [Matt. 6:31]. Except that the verbs are subjunctives,
they are conditional, so Jesus is really saying: “Do not worry, saying, ‘What <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">might we be eating</i>?’ or ‘What <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">might we be drinking</i>?’ or ‘What <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">might we be wearing</i>?” The verb tenses
are telling a story of anxiety, of half-heartedness: the worry and fear have
reached such a point that they have even colonized the language people are
using. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Don’t
be half-hearted, Jesus is saying. Be like the birds. A bird is a bird. It
doesn’t occur to the bird to worry about where its next meal is coming from.
It’s too busy just being a bird, with all its heart and intentions. It doesn’t
occur to a wildflower to worry about its appearance. A wildflower is simply
reveling in its wild and flowery state. Wholeheartedly. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Be
like that, Jesus says. Be wholly yourself, who you are… And who you are, is
this: you are beloved children of a loving God. Put that first. Then everything
else will call into place.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
What
Jesus says, specifically, is “strive first for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the kingdom of God</i>.” But we need to interrupt this program to clear
something up. Until this point in the gospel, Jesus has been talking about the
“kingdom of heaven,” and I think we need to get clear what these various words
are all about. When we Christians hear the word “heaven,” our default setting
is to think of something very specific: We think of a place where God and the
angels are, and our deceased loved ones, and we think of it as the place we
will go—God willing—after we die. There is one very big problem with this. This
is not what Jesus is talking about at all. He is not talking about an
afterlife, the pearly gates, the great beyond where we will meet up with the
Spirit in the sky. He is talking about the life of faith we live right here,
right now, the life that is fully informed by him, and the ways in which he
shows us the love of God. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Jesus
starts talking about the kingdom of heaven in chapter 4. “The kingdom of heaven
has come near,” he says, and what we see is: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Jesus gathering together a group of people who
will listen to him and try to be like him. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Jesus teaching and preaching and telling people
the good news about God—how God loves them; about God’s great reversals—the hungry
being filled, the mourning being comforted, the meek inheriting the earth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Jesus touching people to cure them of every kind
of disease and sickness.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
When
Jesus says, ‘the kingdom of heaven’, he is not talking about what to expect
when we die. He is talking about how we need to live. Jesus invites us to live
in a community whose focus is healing and caring for those who are struggling
with things like hunger and poverty. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
Jesus says, “Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” he’s
not talking about an individualistic notion “me and Jesus” salvation. He is talking
about whole-hearted devotion to God’s project of people caring for one another.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
big turning point in “Rebecca” is the moment when the second Mrs. DeWinter stops
seeing herself as a timid and pathetic person constantly in need of her
husband’s validation. A great revelation helps her to recognize that she is a powerful
woman, a source of strength and consolation. She blossoms, because instead of
being focused on what she lacks, she is now wholeheartedly focused on what she
has to give.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
As
Jesus looks out at the crowds gathered on the hillside, listening to his
sermon, he sees, yes, hurting people, needy people, even hungry people. But he
also sees strong people, people who have endured, people who have made do and
made it through and who have it in them, not only to survive, but also to
thrive. He sees beloved children of God, who have the ability to share that
love with one another. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
God
sees us. God knows what we need. God asks that we train our hearts and minds on
who we are and Whose we are. God urges us that we get our priorities clear, understanding
ourselves to be God’s beloved children. God assures us that we have been equipped
to share God’s love, not in some distant future, but today. Thanks be to God.
Amen.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
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Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-31108648599180130722015-01-25T11:30:00.000-05:002015-01-25T11:30:00.630-05:00The Light of the World: A Sermon on Matthew 5:1-20
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4F8pDsTgov-MF_l0pErI8EL1aNS27jHcWgYNzjsHaqUGLQ-Ov3pgch68edIs-uDjH4KwehD8YF0LUYi6NwgtaWAp9jGfYcm2XsrWSuXQDJFSnM8szqlqd1-VcUgf3KrTqB63OAafMTt3v/s1600/img_9517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4F8pDsTgov-MF_l0pErI8EL1aNS27jHcWgYNzjsHaqUGLQ-Ov3pgch68edIs-uDjH4KwehD8YF0LUYi6NwgtaWAp9jGfYcm2XsrWSuXQDJFSnM8szqlqd1-VcUgf3KrTqB63OAafMTt3v/s1600/img_9517.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mount of the Beatitudes, Galilee</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Scripture can be found <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5%3A1-20&version=NRSV" target="_blank">here</a>....</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
morning’s New York Times Sunday Review has a column by Nicholas Kristof. He
writes about human rights, women’s rights, health, and global affairs. Today’s
column sports a picture of two teenagers, both wearing their cross country
jerseys. He writes, </span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Dateline:
YAMHILL, Ore.] — THE funeral for my high school buddy Kevin Green is Saturday,
near this town where we both grew up.</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The doctors
say he died at age 54 of multiple organ failure, but in a deeper sense he died
of inequality and a lack of good jobs….</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Kristof tells Kevin’s story. He grew up
on a small farm, where his family lived with, “if not the American dream, at
least solid upward mobility.” The farm was not the main source of their income:
Kevin’s dad had a good union job; it paid him well above the minimum wage. An
ethic of hard work was the family standard. Kristof describes Kevin as “sunny,
cheerful, and astonishingly helpful: Any hint that something needed fixing, and
he was there with a wrench. But then,” he writes, “the dream began to
disintegrate.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The local glove manufacturer closed up
shop, and so did the feed store. Blue-collar jobs vanished. For a while, Kevin worked
nonunion in construction for low pay. Then that company went under. He worked
as shift manager making trailer homes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Then, about 15 years ago, Kevin hurt
his back and was laid off. A cycle of disability and debt spiraled out of
control, and the state took his driver’s license because he was behind on
child-support payments. That, his younger brother said, is what “knocked him to
the dirt.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Kristof closes the piece: “So, Kevin
Green, R.I.P. You were a good man — hardworking and always on the lookout for
someone to help — yet you were overturned by riptides of inequality. Those who
would judge you don’t have a clue. They could use a dose of your own empathy.”<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a></span></div>
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As
we come to our passage in Matthew’s gospel, which we call, “The Sermon on the
Mount,” it might be good to be reminded of something. If we’re crowded in with
all the others on the side of the mountain, listening to Jesus preach, it’s
good to know who’s in the crowd with us. At the end of chapter 4 Matthew writes,</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><sup><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">23</span></sup></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching
in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing
every disease and every sickness among the people. <sup>24</sup>So his fame
spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who
were afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and
paralytics, and he cured them. <sup>25</sup>And great crowds followed him from
Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">~ Matthew 4:23-25</span></i></div>
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Kevin
Green is standing in the crowd, too, as Jesus opens his mouth and says,</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven. </i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will
be comforted.</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit
the earth. </i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they will be filled.” </i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">~Matt. 5:3-6</i></div>
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I
remember fairly vividly the first time I ever heard these words. I was in the
fourth grade, in my Catholic elementary school. My first response was confusion.
I certainly didn’t relate to anything that was being said. I knew I couldn't
claim to be poor, in spirit or otherwise. I certainly wasn’t meek. I had lost
my Aunt when I was four, but really, it was my mother who mourned, not me. Pure
in heart? I didn’t think so. Peacemaker? Spend an hour observing my brother and
me at play. So, no to peacemaking. I couldn’t relate to these words. It was
that simple.</div>
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Thank
God that my teacher, a remarkable and talented woman who, like Kevin, died far
too young, was persistent. These words, she persuaded me, were at the heart of
what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. </div>
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Yet,
when you read these “blessings,” they almost give offense. Blessed are the
poor, or poor in spirit? Blessed are those who are grieving? Blessed are those
who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for fairness? No, thank you, got any
other blessings today?</div>
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Some
years back I was going through a tough time, and I talked with a friend whom I
not only liked, but also admired. She had been through the same kind of
difficulty. She said, “Well, all I can tell you is, it made me a more
compassionate person.” And I thought, “Well, I would like to learn that lesson in
some other way, thank you very much!”</div>
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But,
oh my, she was on to something there. Jesus looks out at the crowd, and he sees
the Kevins, all those who have been knocked to the dirt by life. The least and
the lost, the poor and pathetic and possessed, the sick and the heartsick. And
he says, “Well, all I can tell you is, there will be a blessing in this for
you, even if you can’t see it right now.”</div>
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Around
the same time my friend gave me her words of wisdom, I was attending West
Presbyterian Church in Binghamton, and the troubles I was going through
affected the whole family. One day after church, I learned that the pastor had
asked if we were all right. He had said to my then husband, “You both look so
incredibly sad.” I tell you, when I heard what he had said, my eyes filled with
tears. I was so grateful. It is a powerful thing to be seen, really seen, and
to have your suffering spoken aloud, to have it named. It is the beginning, I
would say, of healing.</div>
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Jesus
looks out at the people crowded on the mountainside, and he says, not only, “I
see you,” but also, “God sees you. And God will bring a blessing to you.” And I
wonder whether part of that blessing is what my wise friend said. I wonder
whether part of the blessing of undergoing a period of suffering is the way in
which it cracks our hearts open, and allows us to know that others are in pain,
too. I suspect my friend was right. </div>
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“God
sees you, and will bless you in this and through this,” Jesus says. And then,
in a curious turn of the tables, he tells all these crushed and crying people
that, in fact, there are ways <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">they</i>
can bring a blessing to the world around them.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Blessed are the merciful, for they will
receive mercy. </i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they
will see God. </i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will
be called children of God. “</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Blessed are those who are persecuted for
righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” </i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">~ Matt. 5:7-10</i></div>
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In
God’s paradoxical way, it is the bruised and broken who can, in fact, become
powerful—not in the under-my-thumb, I’ll-have-my-revenge, action-movie
definition of powerful. Not “powerful” in its most common understanding. Powerful
in spirit. Powerful of heart. </div>
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To
show mercy, to forgive, is powerful. To be single-hearted—to pursue the calling
of your heart—is powerful. To make peace (O, my eight-year-old self, listen
up!) is powerful. To stand firm even when the people who seem to have all the
power rain their wrath down upon you, is powerful beyond expression, almost
beyond our comprehension.</div>
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Because,
of course, Jesus is talking to us, but like lots of preachers, he is also
talking about himself. I read somewhere this week, “The beatitudes are Jesus’
self-portrait, the most personal description we have of him in the gospels.
They are the timeless image of Christ… Would we today recognize him if we saw
him?”<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></a></div>
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Jesus
is talking to himself, but of course, he is talking to the people before him,
humanity in all its beauty and brokenness. And he goes yet another step
further. “You,” he tells them, “are the salt of the earth… and you,” he says,
“are the light of the world.”</div>
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Just
imagine. There you are. Knocked to the dirt by the loss of your job, or the
spouse who left, taking the kids. There you are, groping around for some way to
cope with the grim diagnosis or the loss of mobility. There you are, still
swooning in your grief. And Jesus tells you, “God sees you. And here are the ways
in which you are blessed. And here are the ways in which you are powerful. In
fact, you are the light of the world.” </div>
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You,
just as you are, can shine the powerful light of Christ as you reach out in
forgiveness. You, just as you are, are the light of the world when your heart
shines with purity of purpose. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You, just
as you are, are a beacon of God’s hope when you choose peaceful and nonviolent
ways of being in the world. You are the light of the world, when you allow your
heart to be cracked open, when you allow yourself to feel empathy, to
comprehend the pain of, to give one example, the Kevin Greens of this world,
and vow to use whatever power you have to make a difference in their lives.</div>
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Jesus
is talking to us, but, of course, he is also talking about himself. Jesus is
the light of the world, a light no darkness can extinguish. And we are an
essential part of his light-the-world project. Would we recognize him if we saw
him today? Here is his self-portrait. Look for him where forgiveness, and
peace, and empathy are healing hearts and changing minds. And don’t forget to
shine. Shine for all you’re worth. Thanks be to God. Amen. </div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Nicholas Kristof, “Where’s the Empathy?” in the New
York Times, Sunday January 25, 2015, p. SR13. </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/opinion/sunday/nicholas-kristof-wheres-the-empathy.html?_r=0"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/opinion/sunday/nicholas-kristof-wheres-the-empathy.html?_r=0</span></a><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">. See also, re: “Reagan, Obama, and inequality,” from
the New York Times, Thursday January 22, 2015, p. A27. </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/22/opinion/nicholas-kristof-reagan-obama-and-inequality.html"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/22/opinion/nicholas-kristof-reagan-obama-and-inequality.html</span></a><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">. </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Edward Farrell, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Surprised
by the Spirit</i> (Dimension Books, 1973), as quoted in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Disciplines for the Inner Life</i> by Bob Benson and Michael W. Benson
(Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989).</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-35305441319724359282015-01-18T11:30:00.000-05:002015-01-18T11:30:00.532-05:00The First Temptation of Christ: Sermon on Matthew 4:1-17
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx5dYyD7cTkwzhI17r8QRKn9t1lAyO9XXEIpERzieqiAV9F0Of-a1ro8EoaCYaAbgChfpb7j6c9iIhxwBegEiHKQOM4zgdDjGBeMMY_-I78CJ1aSkusi2aOVfrYiY58ep-uvF6KD4bli_n/s1600/person-walking-in-the-desert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx5dYyD7cTkwzhI17r8QRKn9t1lAyO9XXEIpERzieqiAV9F0Of-a1ro8EoaCYaAbgChfpb7j6c9iIhxwBegEiHKQOM4zgdDjGBeMMY_-I78CJ1aSkusi2aOVfrYiY58ep-uvF6KD4bli_n/s1600/person-walking-in-the-desert.jpg" height="196" width="320" /></a></div>
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Scripture can be found <a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=288587814" target="_blank">here</a>...</div>
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<br /></div>
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The
wings of the Spirit-dove are still beating the air, and the words of the
Almighty still hang there, when the action of our passage begins: “Then Jesus
was led up by the Spirit to the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew
4:1).</div>
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<br /></div>
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Let’s
just say, for the sake of argument, that there really is such a creature as a
devil.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Actually,
let’s go back to basics. Biblical Devils 101. </div>
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<br /></div>
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First:
There are no “devils” in the Hebrew Scriptures. None.</div>
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Second:
There is, however, a character called “Ha-Satan,” or “The Satan.” </div>
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<br /></div>
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Third:
“Satan” is a Hebrew word, meaning “tempter.” </div>
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<br /></div>
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Fourth:
And the Tempter in the Hebrew Scriptures is actually a part of God’s heavenly
court. He functions to <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">prod the Almighty, to test the divine
worldview. As an example, see Satan pushing God to question the righteousness
of his servant Job.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Fifth:
Once we get to the New Testament, something changes, radically. Instead of the
Satan being one skeptical lawyer on God’s team, he abruptly appears to be on the
other team, the anti-God team. And…</div>
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<br /></div>
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Sixth:
In the New Testament, the devil’s job is no longer to help God to see things
clearly. Now his job is mess up the vision of people—to tempt, seduce, and ensnare
them to join his team. This is the traditional understanding of the devil that
appears today, in our reading from the gospel of Matthew.</div>
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<br /></div>
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And
now, Jesus is face to face with one who is called “devil” or the “tempter” or “Satan.”
The function of the devil in this particular passage seems to be to test Jesus’
sense of self. This follows that extraordinary peeling back of the heavens to
reveal God’s sense of Jesus at the end of the preceding chapter. “My Son. Beloved.
Well-pleased.” </div>
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<br /></div>
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And
Satan jumps right in: “<i>If you are the Son of God, command these stones to
become loaves of bread”</i> (v. 3). The devil seems to be tempting Jesus to use
his identity or power as the Son of God to exempt himself from the human experience
of hunger. But Jesus refuses, quoting Deuteronomy (8:3): <i>“One does not live
by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”</i> (v. 4).
Jesus’ connection with God, his identity as “beloved child,” is a precious
gift. Jesus refuses to use this connection as a convenience, as a
“get-out-of-hunger-free” card. Jesus lives with his physical hunger while
reminding himself of his spiritual hunger for God. Jesus deals with his hunger in
a very human way.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The
devil’s second temptation incorporates another quote from scripture, as if to
say to Jesus, “I see what you did there. Two can play at that game.” <i>“If
you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,</i> <i>‘He will
command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you
up,</i> <i>so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
devil seems to have come up with a strategy of matching Jesus, quote for
scripture quote. Here he’s quoting Psalm 91. However, Jesus seems to have a
particular view as to how we should quote scripture. I think it goes something
like this: to quote scripture with the goal of causing harm is a violation and
a perversion. Jesus quotes scripture to tell the truth. <i>“Again it is
written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” </i>(v. 7). If
Jesus was not inclined to use his connection with God to fill up on miracle
bread, he is even less inclined to use it to try to bend the laws of nature,
turning falling into flying. Jesus is committed to his humanity.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The
devil tries a third time, offering Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world” in
return for his bowing down to him in worship. Jesus’ response is decisive: “<i>Away
with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only
him.’”</i> (v. 10).</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
tempter does indeed give up and go away…only to be replaced by angels,
ministering to Jesus. I think it is fascinating that the angels appear just
now. Jesus has not performed any miracles. Jesus has not shown the fearsome
power of God by calming a storm at sea. The angels appear after Jesus has essentially
given up all claim to divine power and authority. Jesus has been described so
far in this gospel as “Messiah,” “God-with-us,” and “Son of God.” And yet Jesus’
power seems (ironically? paradoxically?) to rest in his absolutely, and tenaciously,
clinging to his humanity.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
test completed, Jesus begins his ministry. Upon hearing that John the Baptist
has been arrested, Jesus “withdraws” to Capernaum, in Galilee, safely out of the
jurisdiction of Herod Antipas, the equally bloody son of Herod the Great. This
means that Jesus is intentionally avoiding conflict with potentially hostile
authorities. He does this on several other occasions in this gospel. He is not
looking for a confrontation—not yet, anyway. This also means that Jesus’ ministry
begins in Gentile territory. And so Jesus begins his ministry much as be began
his life: on the run from a king named Herod, and unexpectedly welcome in
Gentile territory. By the last verse of our passage, Jesus has picked up John’s
mantle, preaching in the same key: <i>“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has
come near”</i> (v. 17).</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
So…
let’s assume this creature is for real. This tempter, this Satan. We could ask,
what, exactly, has the tempter accomplished? How devil-like does he feel to
you?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
A
friend in ministry wrote this week, </div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Because of years of traditions we tend to
see the "devil" as someone who is trying to lead Jesus astray, as the
demonic face of evil trying to stop the good from triumphing. I suspect
such an image would be foreign to Matthew as he wrote this story down. It
appears that this is more a story of being tested than being tempted. Not
being led astray but refining from a variety of options who he will be, how
will he live out the calling of Messiah.</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br />
Who will Jesus be? Will he feed the hungry? Will he overturn the
laws of nature? Will he come in power to rule?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br />
OR will he be something totally different?</i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Jesus
is in the wilderness, forty days and forty nights, just as Moses was in the
wilderness with God’s people for forty years. But there is something completely
new going on here. Jesus is not just a throwback, he is not Moses reincarnated.
Is it possible that Jesus is doing something that has been called a “vision
quest”? I read this week that a traditional vision quest consists of a person
spending an extended period of time, at least one to four days and nights, in
nature or the wilderness. During that time, the person enters a deep communion
with whatever they understand to be God—they might call it spiritual energy, or
the forces of nature. And it is hoped that this intense experience will result
in a spiritual aha—dare I call it an “epiphany”?—in which the person receives a
profound insight into themselves and the world, a dream or a vision, telling them
about their identity, their purpose, and their destiny.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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What
if the role of the tempter was not to turn Jesus away from God, or from his
true mission or ministry, but to actually help him to refine, and clarify, and
discern exactly what his true mission or ministry was? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if the time in the wilderness was Jesus’
vision quest?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It
seems to me that Jesus’ fundamental realization in his wilderness sojourn is
this: the Son of God, the Messiah, is not someone who will accomplish his work
by separating himself from humanity. The deepest truth of Jesus’ mission and
ministry flow from embracing his humanity. And Jesus does just that: in the
face of each test, he does the human thing, wholeheartedly. And then the
tempter’s work is done. Jesus’ path is clear.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
For
those of us watching with interest, this is good news. Very good news. If we
are called to follow Jesus, it’s to follow him by fully embracing our own
humanity.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
We
are human beings—formed from the earth, and made in God’s image, at once
grounded and exalted.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
We
are human beings—created for community, for belonging, for relationship.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
We
are human beings—called “beloved,” and tested by all that life throws at us, to
be sure. But God is our open book for that test—God is with us in all of it.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
In
the end, God doesn’t ask us to be anything other than we are. Which is, after
all, what God created us to be.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
So,
about that devil… that tempter. Is it possible that the Hebrew Scriptures had
it right? That the role of temptation is to help us to gain clearer vision?
That in being drawn to certain things or situations or people we learn who we
are, and who we are not; what we treasure above all, and what we are willing to
let go of? Is it possible that what we perceive as the “tests” of this life can,
if we allow them, help us to understand what our true path is? And if Jesus
gives us any clue, our path has to do with being fully human—grounded and
glorious, individuals in connection and communion with one another, and beloved
children of God. Thanks be to God. Amen. </div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Rev. Gordon Waldie, “Looking Forward to January
18—Jesus Tested in the Wilderness,” Ministerial Mutterings Blog. </span><a href="http://ministerialmutterings.blogspot.com/2015/01/looking-forward-to-january-18-2015.html"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">http://ministerialmutterings.blogspot.com/2015/01/looking-forward-to-january-18-2015.html</span></a><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">. </span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">“Vision quest,” Wikipedia.com, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vision_quest"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vision_quest</span></a><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">. </span></div>
</div>
</div>
Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-3549323797774261402015-01-11T11:30:00.000-05:002015-01-11T12:41:21.667-05:00The Dangers of Baptism: Sermon on Matthew 3:1-17<style>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquHhAZjEGi9n7zYrlqKpJZ9YWZWmNozAX0VqRir_RQrA-2R1_TyciftbpI3xRUR3lZ3L2qlXLcHK339WUP97UOX6UNAdxyoAfB1YPVeqrrqIvTmMhiuSw3fyjthOITDMKK-9b4wbTQPRQ/s1600/st-john-the-baptist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquHhAZjEGi9n7zYrlqKpJZ9YWZWmNozAX0VqRir_RQrA-2R1_TyciftbpI3xRUR3lZ3L2qlXLcHK339WUP97UOX6UNAdxyoAfB1YPVeqrrqIvTmMhiuSw3fyjthOITDMKK-9b4wbTQPRQ/s1600/st-john-the-baptist.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. John the Baptist by Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Scripture can be found <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+3%3A1-17&version=NRSV" target="_blank">here</a>...</div>
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<br /></div>
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Christmas is over. Jesus is all grown up now. The shepherds
and astrologers have all gone home, the starlight has dimmed, and the sounds of
the angel-song have faded away. In today’s gospel passage Jesus the man
encounters John the Baptist, who, honestly, seems like a pretty scary guy. Let
us be frank: John sounds little unhinged. But Jesus is going to see him anyway,
and that feels dangerous. Stand with me now, at the Jordan. And, here, in this
space, and with apologies to David Letterman, let us discuss the Top Ten
Dangers of Baptism. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Obviously,
in choosing to be baptized (or to bring a family member to be baptized) there
would seem to be a chance we might be directed towards some guy in a camel hair
vest with locust-breath calling us nasty names. In our reading, John the
Baptist calls out the religious professionals of the day, the Pharisees and the
Sadducees. This seems to indicate that people like me should be very nervous
about baptism, because it means we are to be subjected to a level of
truth-telling we don’t always relish.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l9 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>That same locust-breath guy also appears to come
armed with an axe and a winnowing hook, making the whole thing feel vaguely
like the beginning of a slasher film. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l8 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>In choosing baptism—or even, in renewing our own
baptismal vows—we might need to repent. The Greek word for “repentance,” the
word used in this passage, is “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">metanoia</i>,”
and what it really means is to turn around, to change direction. If I repent,
what direction will I have to go in? What path will I have to take? What if I
am directed somewhere I’ve never been before? What if I’m unsure of the way?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>As a result of repentance, we might need to
learn humility. Oh, what an unpopular word this is. Humility means rootedness,
groundedness. We think it means volunteering to let people walk all over us. It
doesn’t. It means to recognize that though we are all different, we are all the
same, too. It means that we are no better (and no worse) than anyone else,
though we have our own individual strengths and weaknesses, and quirks and
twists and ways of being in the world. Humility means being able to say, as
John says to Jesus, “I am not worthy” in a completely non-ironic way. It also
means being able to say, “I can do that,” or “I can learn that,” or maybe even,
“I was wrong.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>We might also need to learn when it is, and when
it is not, about us. Here’s a clue: Mostly, it’s not about us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John looks like the ultimate successful
new-church-startup pastor. There he is, out by the Jordan, sleeves rolled up,
baptizing person after person—and the people are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">streaming</i> to him, <span class="text">the people of Jerusalem and all
Judea, and all the region along the Jordan. John is the guy all of us pastors
would be discussing over coffee, or in a corner at the Presbytery meeting. How
does he do it? What’s his secret? But when the rubber hits the road, which is
to say, when Jesus shows up, John completely gets that it’s not about him. A
famous painting of John shows him pointing a finger over his shoulder. The
message is, “Not me. Him.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo7; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>And then there’s the water. If we present
ourselves for baptism, we’re going to have to deal with the water. With the
prospect of getting wet, wading in, plunging in. There’s also an unnerving
element of needing to let go, needing to place ourselves and our trust fully in
the arms of the one dunking us. Baptism is a frightening and dangerous act of
trust. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo8; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>And the waters of baptism can do all kinds of
things. They can wash us clean, but what if I liked my makeup or my hairdo or my
carefully constructed mask?? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo9; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>The waters of baptism also place us in a pool—a
pool with all kinds of other people, and we don’t get to carefully curate our
companions. In choosing to be baptized, Jesus jumped into the pool with all
humanity, and, in a certain sense, we do too. And you know how dangerous humans
are, with their ability to change one another’s hearts. All the beauty and
brokenness, all the sin and glory of messy humanity is in that pool, and so are
we, clinging with all our might to God’s grace to stay afloat…. until we
realize we can stop clinging. We are floating, and it has nothing to do with
our own abilities or might. It’s God who is holding us. That’s the definition
of grace.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l6 level1 lfo10; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>And then there is the aftermath. After Jesus was
baptized, the heavens opened and he saw the Holy Spirit descending to rest upon
him. What was that like? What does it mean, to be saturated or covered or
anointed with the Holy Spirit? Ask a baptized person. You will get a variety of
answers. The letter to the Ephesians tells us that, in baptism, the Spirit
equips us for ministry—not all the ministries, but the one or ones to which we
are called. What does that feel like? Being called to ministry? Do we get a
phone call? (Answer: Sometimes.) Do we get a sense that something might give us
joy or energy? (Answer: Sometimes.) Do we get a sinking feeling, a “I can’t say
no to this even though it’s going to be hard” feeling? (Answer: Sorry, but,
sometimes.) If we present ourselves for baptism, we have to be ready for the perilous
aftermath.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l5 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></span>And finally: the voice. In baptism we are
claimed by one who calls us beloved. After the heavens open and the Spirit
comes down, the voice of God speaks: <span class="text">“This is my Son, the
Beloved,<sup> </sup>with whom I am well pleased,” says God. Imagine. How would
it change your life to know that God calls you beloved? You. Not the movie
star, 25 lbs. thinner, several years younger, more hair and muscles, less
baggage you. You. Now. As you are. Now, don’t imagine it. Know it. You are
God’s beloved, and so am I, and so are those people who are driving by the
church right this minute, and so are all the football players on the team you
can’t stand. God calls us all beloved. Beloved. How would it change your life to
know that? How <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">will</i> it change your
life? What possibilities will you dare? What risks will you take? </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Baptism seems dangerous to me. It is the first step into a
life that is out of our control—but most assuredly in God’s keeping. It’s the
first step to discovering things about ourselves we could not have otherwise
imagined. And it’s the first step in accomplishing what Howard Thurman calls
the real work of Christmas: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To find the lost,</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To heal the broken,</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To feed the hungry,</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To release the
prisoner,</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To rebuild the
nations,</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To bring peace among
brothers [and sisters],</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To make music in the
heart.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Christmas is over. The work of our baptism, the dangerous,
joyful work of following Christ has begun. Thanks be to God. Amen.</div>
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<![endif]-->Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-42596920870095081662015-01-04T11:30:00.000-05:002015-01-04T18:16:49.810-05:00A Weeping, Wandering God: Sermon on Matthew 2:13-23<style>@font-face {
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbXqNLxw9OizFOrtQKN29VMRYU9pXUrhGMep36VVCmx6VIXyT3FG4ojYBrCanBAK5XaRlPHRMOEgmtNx5bj5awaruSAaWkwxs0MYHnOtInKsp5yvF1vFYfKXpo-vF47ZRdVPH7KDoSGSv/s1600/Merson_Rest_on_the_Flight_into_Egypt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbXqNLxw9OizFOrtQKN29VMRYU9pXUrhGMep36VVCmx6VIXyT3FG4ojYBrCanBAK5XaRlPHRMOEgmtNx5bj5awaruSAaWkwxs0MYHnOtInKsp5yvF1vFYfKXpo-vF47ZRdVPH7KDoSGSv/s1600/Merson_Rest_on_the_Flight_into_Egypt.jpg" height="216" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">"Rest on the Flight Into Egypt" by Luc-Olivier Merson, 1880</span></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Scripture can be found <a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=287375645" target="_blank">here</a>... </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Well,
it’s finally happened: The much-loved TV show “Friends” is now streaming on
Netflix, and millions of fans are wondering: will we ever leave the house
again? Does anyone remember “The One Where Old Yeller Dies”? For those of you
uninitiated into this show, the episode centered on the character of Phoebe,
who is at once incredibly wise and naïve, street-smart and oblivious, a truly delightful
collection of personality quirks and warmth and beauty. In this episode Phoebe
learns, to her horror, the real ending of Old Yeller, in which it is discovered
that he has rabies, and his owner is forced to euthanize him. Phoebe’s worldview
is shattered, because she never heard or saw the end of the story before.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
We
are nearly two weeks on from Christmas, and today, we hear the end of the story
of his birth and infancy. Today’s gospel passage is only in the lectionary
every three or four years, and no wonder. Who wants to hear about the murder of
children by a vicious king while the lights are still sparkling on the tree? Who
wants to hear that the Holy Family is forced to run for the life of their child,
across the border to another country? But that is the piece of the story we
have today. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
We
start with Herod. He is the consummate villain. What can you say about a king
who gained the throne by conquest, and who held onto it by means of secret
police, with a personal bodyguard of 2000 soldiers, a policy of violently
putting down protests and demonstrations, and a habit of murdering family
members—including his wife and two sons? Herod is a very, very bad guy. And
when the traveling astrologers (also known as the Magi) tell him that a king
has been born, he does what he usually does in these situations. He sends out
someone to kill off his rival. In this case, thoroughness dictates that his
henchmen target all children in and around Bethlehem, under the age of 2 years.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
A
quote from Jeremiah (31:15) underscores the horror of the tragedy: <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“A
voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her
children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.” And in the
midst of a story of political power turned deadly, we are asked to take a
moment to recognize that mothers are weeping. People are heartsick and
sorrowful, because children have been lost.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
don’t think I need to enumerate for you all the stories of loved ones lost to
violence that splash across our newspapers and computer screens on a daily
basis: from a school in Newtown, Connecticut, to one in Peshawar, Pakistan; from
a refugee camp in Syria to a police cruiser in Brooklyn; or from a crosswalk in
Missouri to a Walmart in Idaho.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
because so many incidences of violence are connected to loud national arguments
about things like public policy, and personal safety, and issues around race,
and guns, and the nature of policing, we sometimes forget the simplest, the
most basic fact at the heart of each tragedy. Someone is weeping. Someone
cannot be consoled, because the one they love has been lost.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A
friend preached on Christmas Eve, “Christmas comes into the world just as it
is; Jesus is born, not into a perfect world, but into the world as it is.”<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a>
And that means that Jesus comes into a world where, every day, children of God
are lost and other children of God are crying rivers of tears over it. I have a
hard time imagining that God isn’t weeping right along with us, over all these
losses, every face that will never smile again, every voice that will never
again be heard, every pair of arms that will never again give a hug. I believe
in a God whose love and compassion for us mean that God weeps right along with
us. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
God
travels with us, too. Joseph is warned about Herod’s murderous plans, and is
able to escape with his wife and child to Egypt. Our Christmas stories tell us
of a Jesus who is displaced, who is a refugee to a country not his own. A Texas
professor of the New Testament reminds us of this “sobering fact: <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">if
Joseph had received the dream to leave his endangered village and take refuge
in a foreign country with his family in global-political circumstances similar
to our own, he would likely have been turned back at the border, told to wait
it out and hope for the best in Bethlehem.”<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></a>
When we read of displaced people—when we hear the stories of the hundreds of
thousands of men, women, and children in camps in Iraqi Kurdistan, or in Chad,
or in Jordan… it’s good for us to remember that Jesus was a refugee, and one
who found welcome in an unexpected place.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
said on Christmas Eve that the story of Jesus’ birth is the whole gospel in
miniature. All the big themes. All the important ideas. And that holds true
here as well. Jesus comes into a world in which powerful forces are afraid of
(and lash out at) people and ideas that threaten their power. And Jesus comes
into a world where there is tragedy and loss and conflict and grieving. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But
that is not the end of the story—it’s not even the end of the story of Jesus’
birth. There’s more to that passage in Jeremiah. God continues to speak: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thus says the <span class="sc">Lord</span>:
Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for there is a reward
for your work, says the <span class="sc">Lord</span>: they shall come back from
the land of the enemy; there is hope for your future, says the <span class="sc">Lord</span>:
your children shall come back to their own country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">~ Jeremiah 30:16-17</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jesus
returns to the place that will be his home, to Nazareth. And isn’t that the
marvelous work of the Savior on our behalf as well? Jesus comes to bring us
home, too. In Advent we sing a melancholy song of exile—</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">O come o come, Emmanuel </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and ransom captive Israel</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">that mourns in lonely exile here</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">until the Son of God appear.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
deepest longing of the one in exile is simple: home. Just as Jesus and his
family find a home in the land of Israel, Jesus-followers find a home in him. He
is our home, because he knows what it is to weep and grieve, and keeps vigil
with us in our grief. He is our home, because he knows what it is to be a
wanderer, and he walks the road with us while we wander. He is our home because
he invites us in, again and again, to gather around a table, and to find an
unexpected welcome, balm for our soul, light for our eyes, and food for the
journey. Thanks be to God. Amen.</span></div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Rev. Gord Waldie, Pastor of Saint Paul’s United
Church, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada, and blogger at “Following Frodo.”</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Matthews, Shelly, “Commentary on Matthew 2:13-23,”
Narrative Lectionary Commentary, <a href="http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2262">http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2262</a>.
</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-1855005111343220892014-12-25T00:30:00.000-05:002014-12-25T00:30:20.348-05:00The Christmas Story: A Sermon for Christmas Eve<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Nj6Rofw5e5VCnORtlxgcwBcjF5uheo-TAVF_vmwRr8yvQWZACEP6oCnCdqvRxDUYg90e9wiaawz10taozKi1NS6CyS1UTk7hYFX3U5jAkyIznXPUTkEy6L5QhiDkOQV4GCEKzM1V10NG/s1600/Candles+and+Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Nj6Rofw5e5VCnORtlxgcwBcjF5uheo-TAVF_vmwRr8yvQWZACEP6oCnCdqvRxDUYg90e9wiaawz10taozKi1NS6CyS1UTk7hYFX3U5jAkyIznXPUTkEy6L5QhiDkOQV4GCEKzM1V10NG/s1600/Candles+and+Tree.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Scripture can be found <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+2%3A1-20&version=NRSV" target="_blank">here</a>..... </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few years ago, a woman was standing in the check-out line
at the grocery store a few days before Christmas. She overheard the following conversation,
between the customer in front of her and the checkout clerk:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Customer: “Do you have Christmas stamps?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Clerk: “No. We just have Liberty Bell and some lady holding
a baby.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Customer: “Can I see them? That’s Mary holding Jesus. I’ll
take those.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Clerk: “How did they get a picture of them?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At this point, the customer looked back at the woman who was
listening, to hide her laughter, so the woman chimed in, “I bet it’s someone’s
interpretation of what they may have looked like.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Clerk: “Maybe. ‘Cause I don’t think anyone took pictures
back then.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The woman who overheard all this was a pastor. And she wrote
about it on her blog. And, I’m happy to say, she didn’t clutch her pearls in
anguish at the clerk’s not knowing who that lady and her baby were. Rather, she
delighted in it. She wrote, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">For too often, as
Christians on this side of the story, we forget how ordinary the whole stable
scene was. Mary and Joseph were teenagers. In a barn. To all who journeyed to
Bethlehem to pay taxes, they were another young couple…</i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would add this: I think maybe we Christians haven’t been
entirely successful at sharing the story. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh, we’ve done a great job at sharing what you might call
“Corporate Christmas,” a.k.a., December’s Mandatory National Holiday. Judging
by what’s out there online, and in the media, and in the stores, it’s pretty
clear that Christmas is understood as a time for spending lots of money in
order to buy presents, and decorate, and entertain, and look our best (and most
efficient and successful and in control!). Like it or not, that is the
predominant idea as to what Christmas is all about. And you know what? I’m
going to go out on a limb and say, that’s not Good News. If Christmas is about
is acquisition and achievement, that’s Very Bad News. That bad messaging
entirely misses the mark, in terms of what is incredibly and beautifully ordinary
in the story of Christmas, and what is earth-shatteringly extraordinary. As a
colleague said, the story is real, radical, and raw.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They were teenagers. And, it’s good for us to remember, they
were teenagers from the part of the world known today as the Middle East, so
they reflected that ethnicity. They had dark skin, and darker eyes. They
weren’t on the road because they wanted to be. They were on the road because
they had no choice—they were compelled to travel for the census, the long arm
of the Roman Empire exerting its power. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Into this little, wayfaring family comes a child. Born far
away from home. Lodged with the animals. An inauspicious beginning, it has to
be admitted. A birth that speaks of poverty, and humility, and discomfort. How
do we square it, then, with the angelic announcement that seems to be taking
place more or less simultaneously, somewhere out in a field? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The announcement of a Savior, a Messiah, the
Lord? How can these two disparate pieces possibly fit together?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Smarter folks than I have pointed out that the story of
Jesus’ birth is the whole gospel in miniature. All the big themes. All the
important ideas. Everything, in fact, we need to know about Jesus—almost—is
contained in the beautiful ordinary story of this birth. Here is what it tells
us.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~ Jesus comes into a world in which ordinary people are at
the mercy of powers far greater than themselves. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~ Jesus comes to remind us that all of us are connected—the
small-town craftsman Joseph is connected to the most famous and beloved king in
all of scripture. All of us are connected.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~ Jesus makes his way into situations where people are
vulnerable, and maybe a little (or a lot) afraid, and not-quite welcome. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~ Jesus’ birth is not announced to the emperor or the king
or the mayor or the priests or the merchants, or anyone with any significant
amount of power whatsoever. The announcement goes to the utterly powerless—the little
people. Shepherds. And that’s not because the power people don’t need a
savior—everybody needs a savior—it’s because the power people are often not
aware that they need a savior, or if they are aware, they’re pretty sure they
can figure out how to save themselves. The announcement goes to the people who
really get it: this is Good News.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~ The angel calls Jesus “Messiah.” That’s a Hebrew word, which
means the same as “Christ,” the Greek word. They both mean “anointed.” To be
anointed is to be set apart for a particular task. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few chapters from now, Jesus will tell us, using the words
of Isaiah, exactly what he has been anointed for:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“The Spirit of the
Lord is upon me,</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>because he has anointed me</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to bring good news to the poor.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He has sent me to
proclaim release to the captives</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and recovery of sight to the blind,</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to let the oppressed go free,</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to proclaim the year
of the Lord’s favor.” ~Luke 4:18-19</i></div>
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And it’s all there in the story of his birth. Jesus is
anointed to bring Good News to the poor, the powerless, the hurting and the haunted.
And the Good News is so simple, and yet so radical and raw: God is here. Right
here. As close at hand as someone you might see in line at the grocery store,
some lady holding a baby. Or some dark-skinned teenage boy, grabbing a soda. Or
some tired cop, picking up dinner as he heads home from his beat. Or some
panicked-looking woman who doesn’t quite know how to ask for the help she needs
in English. God is here. Right here. Close at hand. This is the sum and
substance of the Christmas Story. God does not push over the first domino and
then leave us on our own. In the ultimate act of love and solidarity, God
chooses to throw in his lot with us—God is with us in all of it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of the messiness of human existence. All
of the pain. All of the joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every
ordinary and extraordinary minute of it.</div>
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<br /></div>
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This is my Christmas prayer for all of us: That we might,
for even one second, look around us, maybe in line at the grocery store, and
see, and understand: God is here. Right here. God is with us. Thanks be to God.
Amen.</div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a>
Masters, Ashley-Anne. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Some Lady Holding a
Baby.</i> Retrieved December 22, 2014, from <a href="http://revaam.org/">http://revaam.org/</a>.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></a>
Jason Chestnut, Mission Developer, Delaware-Maryland Synod, Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America. Captured on Facebook, 12-24-2014.</div>
</div>
</div>
Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-65369274320700640502014-12-21T11:30:00.000-05:002014-12-21T12:21:13.690-05:00A Righteous Man: A Sermon on Matthew 1:18-25<style>@font-face {
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhan5lSfDZyMcvZDl-auwmXZOGYgh2kY6bkgmRi9cpuYuHaoE28eXMWOyXq9iiIjZhloVL3Tg4RbHecD-1DZ94ZWVoXwacuZwSEN3-H0T1kgKnGuvzF2UqpHrV9oJR_o1W3G4K9xxnhmm23/s1600/CherryTree08Art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhan5lSfDZyMcvZDl-auwmXZOGYgh2kY6bkgmRi9cpuYuHaoE28eXMWOyXq9iiIjZhloVL3Tg4RbHecD-1DZ94ZWVoXwacuZwSEN3-H0T1kgKnGuvzF2UqpHrV9oJR_o1W3G4K9xxnhmm23/s1600/CherryTree08Art.jpg" height="320" width="218" /></a></div>
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Scripture can be found <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+1%3A18-25&version=NRSV" target="_blank">here</a>... </div>
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So
many of us experience the season leading up to Christmas through music, and I
am no exception to that. Last night Joan and I indulged in our long-standing
tradition of enjoying<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the Burns Sisters’
holiday music by attending their concert at the Endicott Performing Arts
Center. That music means Christmas to us. We are steeped in memories of
Christmases past with a soundtrack of those songs that we love, baking, or wrapping
presents, or unwrapping them. I’ve been posting music online each day in
Advent… Advent music, Christmas music, carols, hymns, ancient, contemporary,
all kinds of things that seem to speak and sing to the season. And
lately—probably because I knew I’d be preaching on this very passage, this very
morning—I’ve been paying special attention to songs about Joseph. Joseph
doesn’t get as many songs as Mary or Jesus do. But they do exist. And today
there are three particular songs about Joseph that are swirling around in my
head.</div>
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You
have the lyrics to “The Cherry Tree Carol” in your bulletin. This is a late
medieval song, based on an early medieval text, the gospel of pseudo-Matthew. Music
and memory are so intertwined; I have a vivid memory where I was when I first
heard this song. It was 1982, and I was in a car on a snowy road in New
Hampshire, listening to a newly acquired cassette tape by a band called “Nowell
Sing We Clear.” This was, for me, one of those songs that stops you in your
tracks. Prior to hearing this song, I thought I knew all there was to know
about Jesus’ earthly father. But the Cherry Tree Carol persuaded me otherwise. It
introduced the thought that my ideas about Joseph had been pretty one-dimensional,
and that he was entirely capable of a greater range of motivations and emotions
than I’d given him credit for. </div>
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In
the carol, Mary and Joseph come upon a cherry orchard, and she asks him to
gather some cherries for her to eat. Joseph snarls, “Let the father of thy baby
gather cherries for thee.” That was the line that exploded my earlier notions
about Joseph, that introduced the idea that, maybe he was just a little angry
at the situation he found himself in. He was engaged to a young woman. She was
pregnant. He was not the father. Why had I never imagined this possibility
before? I am guessing that most of us probably have at least a little sympathy
for Joseph the man, the shadowy figure behind the gospel story. Who was he? How
did he cope? How did it all turn out?</div>
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As
to who Joseph was, the first seventeen verses of the real gospel of Matthew
provide us with “<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">An account of the genealogy of Jesus
the Messiah,</span>” which also happens to be a genealogy of Joseph. Given the
story we are reading today, that is both interesting and confusing. Is Joseph
Jesus’ father or not? Genealogies in scripture are very careful recitations of
pretty much everything you need to know about the person at the end of the line.
The story of the family tells the story of the man. So, this story includes
many of the giants of scripture: The patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Kings
David and Solomon and Josiah. But this genealogy is fascinating, and unique,
because it also includes four women. And each of these women is very, very
interesting. Not one of them is a Jew. And every one of them has endured life
circumstances that would have been described as anything from tragic to
scandalous. We have giants of the faith and we have characters that raised
eyebrows. The story of the family tells the story of the men, Joseph and Jesus.</div>
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The
other thing we think we know about Joseph is that he was a carpenter, and he
may have been. But the Greek word we find in the gospel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tektonos</i>, means artisan or builder. In recent years scholars have
suggested that Joseph was a stonemason. Nazareth is in a part of Palestine that
has few trees and little wood, but it is surrounded by an abundance of stone
and rock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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“<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now
the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way,” the gospel tells us.
Mary and Joseph were engaged, but they were not yet living as husband and wife.
</span>The second song I’ve been humming lately is “Christmas Song” by Dave
Matthews. Joseph has a brief mention, as Matthews simplifies the story. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She was his girl; he was her boyfriend</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She’d be his wife; take him as her
husband</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A surprise on the way, any day, any day</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One healthy little giggling dribbling
baby boy…<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></b></span></span></span></a></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/vDz__sxKun8/0.jpg" height="266" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="320"><param name="movie" value="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/vDz__sxKun8&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/vDz__sxKun8&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
likelihood is that Mary was quite young, but Joseph may have been somewhat
older. (In case you are wondering, the Cherry Tree Carol’s suggestion that
Joseph was an old man is based on a medieval church tradition that Joseph and
Mary never lived fully as husband and wife.) During the engagement Mary “was
found” to be pregnant. I wonder, how did that happen? Did Mary know and tell
him? Did Mary start to show? Was there a baby bump? Did everyone figure it out?
This version of the story is different from the one in Luke’s gospel; Matthew doesn’t
tell us.</span></div>
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We
read that Joseph was “a righteous man.” Joseph’s way of righteousness involves quietly
separating from the woman he assumes has betrayed him. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The
third song rolling around in my head was written by Brandon Flowers and Elton
John. They put it all out there, all the possible roiling emotions.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Is the touchstone forcing you to hide,
Joseph?</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Are the rumors eating you alive, Joseph?</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">When the holy night is upon you</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Will you do what's right, the position is
yours…</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Do you see both sides? Do they shove you
around?</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Better you than me, Joseph</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Better than you than me…<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></b></span></span></span></a></i></div>
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How
did he cope? Joseph doesn’t shame Mary, he doesn’t drag her to the town square
for what, according to the laws of Leviticus, could have been a death sentence.
He quietly ends the engagement. But the songs speak to the gaps in the story. Was
he brokenhearted, or did his heart turn to stone or ice? Was he furious? Are
the rumors eating you alive? Let the father of thy baby gather cherries for
thee. Better you than me, Joseph. </div>
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I
love the sheer messiness of this story, the story of the birth of the Messiah.
Classic Christian theology tells us that Jesus was like us in every way except
sin. That, apparently, includes a complicated, slightly scandalous family
history, including folks who were</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Less than golden hearted</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">… all soul searchers</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Like you and me</span>…<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn3" name="_ednref3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iii]</span></b></span></span></span></a></i></div>
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All
these songs make specific what is strongly implied in the gospel story: there
was a crisis. Rumors were flying around, and an explanation was needed. And,
thanks be to God, the righteous man Joseph was a dreamer as well as a doer. He
was able to hear the words of the angel whispering in his ear while he slept:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid
to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy
Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his
people from their sins.” ~ Matthew 1:20-21</span></i></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Do
not be afraid. Usually when we hear those words in the mouth of an angel, she
is referring to her own terrifying splendor. But here, the angel says, do not
be afraid to marry this woman. Do not be afraid to adopt this child, for he is
meant to be your very own son. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And
this is another emotion that Joseph may have been feeling—and we don’t have to
go searching unusual Joseph songs to find it, it’s right here in the gospel
story. Fear. Joseph may have been afraid. We take blended families for granted.
All of us, it seems, come from them, or are forming them. But in the ancient
world, marry a woman who was pregnant with a child not your own was to
potentially subject yourself to a lifetime of ridicule or worse. Exclusion.
Ostracism. Never again being seen as what you are—a righteous man. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Do
not be afraid. Those are God’s words to Joseph, whispered to him in his dream
by the angel. The angel tells Joseph something else: to name the child, Jesus. This
is the adoption moment, the moment in which Joseph names the child. It is the
moment when the community will know:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>whatever has happened, he is the true father. And “Jesus” is a name that
comes from Greek and Hebrew words meaning “salvation.” Rescue. Joseph, the angel
whispers. You might think you are rescuing Mary and the child. And maybe you
are. But the deeper truth of it is this: he will rescue you.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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How
did it all turn out? The three songs end in very different places. “Better you
than me,” sing Brandon Flowers and Elton John, over and over again. At the end
of the Cherry Tree Carol, Mary is sitting on Joseph’s knee, and Joseph is
speaking to the baby in her womb—such a typical, tender thing, something
fathers have always done.</div>
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<i>Then Joseph took Mary, all on his right knee, </i></div>
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<i>Saying, “Tell me, pretty baby, when your birthday shall
be.”</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>“On the sixth day of January my birthday shall be,</i></div>
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<i>And the stars and the elements shall tremble with glee.”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
know how the gospel story turns out. Joseph doesn’t—not yet. Whatever his
internal struggles, whatever his emotions, he was a righteous man. He is a
model for us. Here’s what righteousness looks like: He is not vindictive. He is
gentle and caring, even in the midst of confusion and hurt. Persuaded by the
angel of his dreams, he lets love guide his actions, and not fear. Wherever
Jesus came from—and we are told, he is from the Holy Spirit of God—Joseph
becomes his true father on this earth. He provides Jesus with a stable, blended
family, woven together by love and commitment, not very different from the kind
of family we see all around us, every day, not very different from the families
we will forge ourselves, or the families we come from.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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At
the end of “Christmas Song,” Dave Matthews has Jesus singing words that could
have been from Joseph:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Father up above, why all this anger … </span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">fill me up with love</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fill me with love love love…</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
think that’s a good place to end our exploration of Joseph. A late 20<sup>th</sup>
century prayer in song, suitable for every person, for every situation. A
prayer to help us find our own righteousness in the midst of confusion and
chaos. A prayer that we will never stop needing. Father up above, fill us with
love, love, love. Amen.</span></div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, “Christmas Song,” Dave
Matthews and Tim Reynolds, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Live at Luther
College</i>, 1999.</span></div>
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<div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Brandon Flowers, Elton John, and Neil Tennant, “Joseph,
Better You Than Me,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Killers (RED)
Christmas EP</i>, 2011.</span></div>
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<div id="edn3" style="mso-element: endnote;">
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref3" name="_edn3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iii]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Matthews and Reynolds, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Op. Cit.</i></span></div>
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Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-18096638464877444192014-12-17T19:33:00.000-05:002014-12-17T19:33:04.207-05:00Advent Evening Prayer: Meditation on Luke 1:26-55<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Scripture can be found <a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=285862760" target="_blank">here</a>....<br />
<br />
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I grew up on the protest songs, the songs of liberation of
the 60’s. Well, to tell you the truth, I grew up on “Build Me Up, Buttercup”
and anything by the Partridge Family and the Osmonds. But when it was time for
me to learn to play the guitar, a sweet and gangly 16-year-old boy name Michael
placed in front of 10-year-old me the chords to “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and I
was introduced simultaneously to Bob Dylan, and Peter, Paul and Mary, and the
anti-war movement.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How many roads must a
man walk down before they call him a man?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How many seas must a
white dove sail before she sleeps in the sand?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yes, and how many
times must the cannonballs fly before they’re forever banned?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The answer my friend
is blowin’ in the wind. The answer is blowin’ in the wind.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Throughout history, people have lifted their voices in song
to raise the social justice issues of their day. Those who wanted an end to the
war in Viet Nam sang “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “If I Had a Hammer.” In Selma
and Montgomery marchers for Civil Rights sang “We Shall Overcome.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is the kind of song Mary is singing in tonight’s
reading—the song we all just sang together. Mary is singing a song of
liberation. She’s singing a freedom song.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“My soul magnifies the
Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on
the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me
blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown
strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their
hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the
lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the
promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a curious thing, this freedom song of Mary’s. So far,
what we know of her story is that God sent an angel to announce to her that,
with her consent, she would give birth to a child. And Mary is young. Younger
than you can imagine. Mary and Joseph are engaged, and young girls were engaged
at around the age of 12, so this is any time after that. She is young, and she
is inexperienced—she has no intimate knowledge of Joseph, or any man for that
matter. But the angel tells her, nevertheless, she is the one God has chosen
for the mother of this Son of God Most High, who will sit on the throne of her
ancestor David. The Holy Spirit will make this happen, because nothing is
impossible with God, the angel tells her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And so Mary says, “Yes. Here I am, God’s servant. Let it
be.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, if I were to guess the nature of a song that Mary would
sing at this point, the only thing that comes to mind would be some great psalm
of supplication. “But you, O Lord, do not be far away! O my help, come quickly
to my aid!” Help. Help me. What am I doing? What is happening to me? Help!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And yet, just a little while later, while visiting her
cousin, Mary receives for the first time, confirmation that this is all not
simply some fantasy she has cooked up in her adolescent mind. Her cousin
Elizabeth, on seeing her, gets what sounds like the first kick from the baby
she is carrying, and she blurts out, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed
is the fruit of your womb.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And so Mary hears from another person that this is real.
That the angel’s promise is true. And instead of singing a lament of anguish or
fear or simple puzzlement, she belts out a true freedom song. Here’s Eugene
Peterson’s paraphrase, from “The Message.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>I’m bursting with God-news;</i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m dancing the
song of my Savior God.</i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i>God took one good look at me, and look what happened—</i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m the most
fortunate woman on earth!</i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i>What God has done for me will never be forgotten,</i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the God whose very
name is holy, set apart from all others.</i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i>His mercy flows in wave after wave</i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>on those who are
in awe before him.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mary is feeling blessed by God—chosen, special, amazing. But
listen to what else she is saying:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>He bared his arm and showed his strength,</i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>scattered the
bluffing braggarts.</i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i>He knocked tyrants off their high horses,</i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pulled victims out
of the mud.</i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The starving poor sat down to a banquet;</i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the callous rich
were left out in the cold.</i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i>He embraced his chosen child, Israel;</i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he remembered and
piled on the mercies, piled them high.</i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i>It’s exactly what he promised,</i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>beginning with
Abraham and right up to now.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In God’s choosing her, a nobody from nowheresville, Mary
sees the fulfilment of a promise God made to her people long ago: A promise of
a great reversal, a great leveling. The people who have been at the top of the
heap and the ones at the bottom will be changing places. The hungry will be
filled. The victims will be cared for and tended. God sees us. God has not
forgotten.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
God sees us.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is what the coming of God-With-Us is all about. God
sees us. God hears us. Our joys and sorrows, our cries of distress, our pains
and anguish, our grieving and our dancing. God sees it. God hears it. And God
chooses to be in it with us, to be a part of it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And so Mary sings. She sings her great freedom song. She
sings, and invites us to sing it too. Because God is here. God is with us. God
is here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let us pray.</div>
Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-88783437046885862342014-11-30T11:30:00.000-05:002014-11-30T11:30:00.040-05:00How Long? A Sermon for Advent 1 on Habakkuk<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Scripture can be found <a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=284352565" target="_blank">here</a>....</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">First: this, from the young Somali/ British
poet, Warsan Shire:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“later
that night</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">i
held an atlas in my lap</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">ran
my fingers across the whole world</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">and
whispered</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">where
does it hurt?</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">it
answered </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br />
everywhere<br />
everywhere<br />
everywhere.”</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Oh
Lord, how long? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Today
we are hearing the words of a little heard, little-known prophet, but a prophet
sometimes considered dangerous, nonetheless. Just one example: In 1940 a church
newspaper in Switzerland published an article titled “Word on the [Current]
Situation,” about the political realities of life in Europe as the Nazi regime
was on the rise. The article included excerpts from Habakkuk. Military censors
promptly banned the newspaper. Habakkuk can be a dangerous prophet.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
He is
speaking here of a “Current Situation” that existed about 2600 years ago. The
kingdom of Israel was gone—ten tribes, obliterated, almost without a trace, by the
Assyrian Empire. And the kingdom of Judah, which contained the holy city
Jerusalem, was on the chopping block as the Babylonian Empire gained strength
and size.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Habakkuk
called it a time of “destruction and violence, strife and contention.” Justice,
he said, did not prevail. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It
is hard to hear these words without thinking of our own “current situation.” This
is what the writer of the letter to the Hebrews meant when he/ she wrote,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Indeed, the word of
God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it
divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts
and intentions of the heart. ~Hebrews 4:12</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Word of God keeps up. It is capable of speaking to us
from the shadowy recesses of millennia past, and yet to remain as absolutely
fresh and relevant as the morning paper. Or maybe, your Twitter feed.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So we hear this word in the context of the news of the week—Ferguson,
Missouri. Or Cairo, Egypt. Or even the riots that have become a part of the
annual Black Friday shopping spree—this year, the toll is 9 killed, 96 injured.
“</span></span>Destruction and violence, strife and contention.”<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At the same time, we hear this living and active Word of God
in the context of all this <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(gesturing to
the partially decorated sanctuary, the Advent wreath, the Jesse Tree)</i>.
Advent. A word that means, “It’s coming. It’s approaching. It’s dawning.” A
word that whispers, wait. Just a bit. This may take some time.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It all comes back to time. Advent is a particular time. But
what does that mean, exactly?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The ancient Greeks had two words for time. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chronos</i>, which refers to measured time,
minutes, seconds, days, the months on a calendar. We can measure Advent like
that—it begins today, and it ends on Christmas Eve. That’s 25 days, more or
less.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But then there’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">kairos</i>
time. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kairos</i> means, the right time,
the appointed time. One example: this season of Advent, in the way in which it circles
back, again and again each year, just when we need it. Advent asks us to pause,
to stop, to listen intently for what God is trying to say to us, not just about
the news of the day or week, but about the ultimate nature of reality, about God’s
reality and intention. Advent asks us to ask the question: For what is it God’s
appointed time right now? Or, perhaps: How will we know when it’s God’s
appointed time?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
prophet complains bitterly to God in the first chapter—cries out in protest,
and, honestly, in frustration. How long, God, do we have to keep clamoring for
your attention? How long will </span>destruction and violence, strife and
contention have their way with us?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Habakkuk reports God’s answer in chapter 2:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Write the vision; make it plain on
tablets, so that a runner may read it. For there is still a vision for the
appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry,
wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>~Habakkuk 2:2b-3<span class="text"></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
answer is: I meant what I said. Tell the people. Put it on a billboard. But you
may have to wait.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
I
hate waiting. I don’t want to wait. I was that kid in the car, saying to my
poor parents, “Are we there yet?” I was that kid in high school, saying to my
teacher, “Can’t you tell me NOW what I got on the test?” Even now… the worst
thing you can say to me, pretty much, is “We need to have a talk, but not now.
Later.” That is the way to drive me right over the edge. I want to know now. I
hate waiting.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And,
truly, when it comes to those things that speak of injustice, or violence, or
despair, or the breakdown of society… I don’t have a lot of patience to wait
for these things to get better. I hate waiting, especially when I believe
people are being harmed. Waiting feels irresponsible. I want things to get
better, and I want them to get better right now. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Though
the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; though the flock
is cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls… though rich and
poor are farther apart than ever, and the death toll from Syria doesn’t even
make the front page any more (191,000 and counting), though Ebola might …Though
things are not as they should be, yet, things are as they often are, right
before they get better. We are still asked to cling to the truth of God’s
promise that it is coming. As Advent tells us. It is not coming according to my
personal stopwatch or to assuage my lack of patience. It is coming at God’s
appointed time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Some
of you are aware that I spent my study leave trying out, as a complete
beginner, the practice of contemplative prayer. Silence does not come naturally
to me; I’m sure that’s not a shock to anyone who knows me even slightly. But
contemplative prayer is not like my worst imaginings, hours and hours of being
locked away. All it asks of us, as beginners is a small daily investment in
finding silence, which will allow us, eventually, to behold God in all things.
Carl McColman writes:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Consider this: beholding God in everything
is our natural state of being. So the trick it to unlearn all the ways we keep
ourselves from beholding God. And that has a lot to do with learning how to
shut up or at least slow down the internal chatter and commentary—the monkey
mind that keeps intruding on all your efforts to be silent</i>.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
I
don’t know what Habakkuk’s prayer life was like. But I believe that he must
have created a spacious enough silence that he was able to behold the intention
of God, even as destruction swirled around him. And he faithfully reports what
each of us can do: We can voice our complaints to God, in the strongest
possible terms. Which is another way of saying, we can pray for all those
places and situations where we see so clearly the need for a savior. And we can
listen for God’s response, if we can quiet ourselves, just a bit. We can use
our lovely and powerful Advent devotional guide. And we emulate the prophet’s
combination of hopeful waiting and activism—after all, he puts God’s vision on
a sign, for all to see.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Another
fragment poem for you, this one from Steve Garnaas-Holmes:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">…The only doorbuster
is one that set you free long ago.<br />
There are no long lines here, no rush,<br />
but solitude and silence and a purposeful slowing,<br />
and the deepening of your longings.<br />
There are throngs—find your place among them—<br />
who sit and wait, who know each other by their songs,<br />
exiles bound by a memory that weaves all geography,<br />
prisoners waiting, dreamers who dare to yearn<br />
for what others have abandoned <br />
for the love of good deals and shiny things.<br />
Sit in stillness and wait with them,<br />
cry out and march with them, work quietly with them.<br />
Perfect your hope for the Advent of the Loving One,<br />
the light that spills from divine hands,<br />
the new world that blossoms where we live.<br />
Enter the breathing darkness, live in the hoping world,<br />
let your eyes be opened.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanks be to God. Amen.</div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Juliana Claassens, “<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Commentary on Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:2-4; 3:17-19,” Working Preacher </span>Narrative
Lectionary for November 30, 2014, <a href="http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2238">http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2238</a>.
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Carl McColman, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Answering
the Contemplative Call: First Steps on the Mystical Path</i> (Charlottesville,
VA: Hampton Roads Publishing Company, Inc., 2013), 103.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-16051286856090439612014-11-23T11:30:00.000-05:002014-11-23T11:30:01.044-05:00Gratitude and Grace and Giving: A Sermon for Thanksgiving Sunday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
Scripture can be found <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A31-46&version=NRSV" target="_blank">here</a>...<br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I am going
to tell you a story some of you will remember, because I’ve shared it with you
before. But for some of you it will be brand new.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I am going
to tell you a true story. It is about a man named Jim. That’s his real name,
and I’m using it because, once upon a time, he gave me permission to tell his
story. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I met Jim…
I’m not exactly sure where. But at a certain time in my life—say, 20 years ago,
he was sort of everywhere. When I looked out my window, there would be Jim,
rolling his shopping cart down Lathrop Avenue, and coming up on my porch to
pick up a bag I had left there for him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Jim was a
small guy, perhaps in his sixties when we met, but he looked much, much older.
He was wiry, and sort of bent over, and he didn’t have a lot of his original
teeth left. He had a pack a day habit… these really nasty little cigars;
I couldn’t stand the smell of them. I’m not sure whether it was the smoking
that aged Jim or the drinking. Jim had a long career of hard drinking; but that
was behind him now. When I knew him he was in recovery, a stalwart of a
downtown Wednesday 6 PM AA meeting. He was so proud of his recovery. First he
counted the days, then the months, and then the years. I was invited to go to
the meetings in which Jim received his 10, 11, and 12-year medallions. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">When I first
knew Jim, he was walking around the neighborhood, miles and miles of walking
each day, to pick up cans and bottles, both those he’d pick out of the garbage
or recycling, and those he’d get off the <span class="yshortcuts">porches</span>
of friends who had saved them for him. I was in the latter category. For a long
time… I’m not sure how many years… all my returnable bottles and cans went to
Jim. It was convenient for me… no hauling them to the grocery store… and it was
money Jim lived on. He was on disability because of his health, and he got a <span class="yshortcuts">Social Security</span> check every month. But the thing that
allowed Jim to live in his little apartment on Walnut Street was collecting
bottles and cans. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Jim kept
track of his bottles and cans the way he kept track of his sobriety. Every once
in a while, he’d give me a call, and ask me to drive him and a whole car load
of returnables to the Can Man, and so I’d go, and we’d load them in the back of
my car. Not everyone rinses out cans and bottles, so inevitably my car would
end up smelling like a brewery. It struck me as odd, maybe even tempting fate
just a tiny bit, that Jim lived off <span class="yshortcuts">beer bottles and
cans</span>. You know, given that beer almost killed him, and that he spent his
days working very hard not to touch the stuff. But that smell never seemed to
bother him… maybe the cigars had killed his sense of smell, I don’t know. But
Jim, when we were driving to the redemption center, would say, “Well, last year
I got all the way to $1800. It was a slow summer for some reason, I’m only at
$1200 and it’s already <span class="yshortcuts">Labor Day</span>. But I think I
can make it this year, if the kids” (that’s what he called our local college
students) “have as many parties as they did last fall.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">To tell you
the truth, I didn’t always look forward to Jim’s and my jaunts to the
redemption center. I would get a message from Jim on my answering machine, and
I’d think, Oh great, just what I need this week. I hated that smell in my car.
And my kids were young, so I had to make sure someone was available to watch
them, because I had a station wagon and we’d have to put the seat down, so I
couldn’t bring them with me. It was kind of a pain in the neck sometimes. But
then I’d be with Jim, driving to the redemption center, and, you know, inevitably,
my mood would change for the better. Jim had this incredible optimism about
him. I’d watch him walk, see how hard it was for him… his joints were painful,
and he had <span class="yshortcuts">emphysema</span>… did I mention that? Eventually
he was pulling an oxygen tank along with him. He’d get winded just going up a little
set of three steps. Here he was… <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>this guy… living alone in a tiny apartment,
living off social security and his can and bottle money, physically in pain pretty
much all the time… and he was simply one of the most grateful people I’d ever
known. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">That was it.
Jim was grateful. He was sober. He had that to be grateful about. He was able
to not drink, one day at a time, as he often reminded me. And… in recent years
he’d become interested in genealogy, so he spent a lot of time calling people,
churches, cemeteries, trying to track down his ancestors. I think he had fully
fleshed out family trees going back into the 16<sup>th</sup> century. He was incredibly
excited about his family history, and grateful for that. Sure, he was in a lot
of pain, but he could still walk. He was grateful for that. And he loved those
dreadful smelly little cigars. They just pleased him to no end. Jim was
grateful. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Jim was a
churchgoing man. That’s the other place I saw him. I was a director of <span class="yshortcuts">Youth Ministries</span> and Christian Education for a <span class="yshortcuts">downtown church</span>, and Jim was a member. So I would see
Jim there. I’d hear his shopping cart squeaking down the hallway, and I’d know
Jim was in the building. Jim could talk about his faith; he was an unusual
person in that respect. He believed that God, working through AA, had saved his
life. And he was grateful. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">One fall the
youth group decided to do a fundraiser. They wanted to buy gifts for the women
and children who would find themselves at the S. O. S. Shelter—now known as
Rise-NY—over <span class="yshortcuts">Christmas</span>. As you may know, Rise has
offered safety and advocacy for victims of domestic violence for at least 35
years. I don’t remember who thought of this as a mission project, but the kids
were pretty pumped. This seemed like a worthwhile cause to them. They really
wanted to help. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">One of them
got the idea to do a bottle and can drive, and the others all concurred that
this would be a great, and relatively easy, fundraising project. All they’d
need to do would be to remind the people at church to save bottles and cans for
them, and then they’d bring them in, and, voila, easy money. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">When you’re
a youth leader, your best possible scenario is being able to follow where the
kids want to lead. I thought this was an excellent idea, so I encouraged them.
Sure! Absolutely. We can do this. And so the bulletin announcements were
written, the signs were made… the word went out. We were collecting bottles and
cans. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">And, of
course, I felt a little funny about this, as far as Jim was concerned. I was
worried. Would we be cutting into Jim’s income? I knew he depended on his
bottle and can money. I made a mental note to hold some of our family’s
returnables aside for Jim…. maybe we could even try to drink some extra diet
soda over the next month. I worried about the next time I would see Jim. Would
he be upset? Would he be hurt? I didn’t look forward to our next encounter. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I was in my
office one grey November day. I hadn’t seen Jim since the bottle and can drive
had begun, but it was going well; I had an appointment to meet a <span class="yshortcuts">youth group member</span> and his mom to take two carloads to
be redeemed. I don’t remember what I was working at, but I’m sure I was at my
computer. Then, I heard it: the familiar squeak of Jim’s shopping-cart wheels
coming down the hallway. I took a deep breath. I dreaded this meeting. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I stood up
and poked my head out of my office door. “Hi,” he said. He had a raspy voice, a
real smoker’s voice. “Can we talk? In private?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">“Sure Jim,”
I said. “Do you want to come into my office?” Jim nodded, and he wheeled his
cart just outside my door. He ambled in sort of slowly, and he let himself carefully
down in a chair while I closed the door. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">“I’ve been
meaning to talk to you about this bottle drive, Jim,” I said. That was narrowly
true. I’d had a sense I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should</i> talk
to him. But, in my anxiety about hurt feelings and so forth, I’d not really made
any effort to make it happen. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">“That’s what
I want to talk about,” Jim said. He reached into the pocket of his big parka.
He pulled out a wet, wrinkled $20 bill. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I looked at
him, blankly. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">“This is for
the bottle drive. I want you to put this towards whatever the kids make.” Then
he paused. “I don’t want them to know it’s from me.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">It took me a
moment to re-orient myself from the conversation I’d been anticipating. For
some reason, the first words out of my mouth were, “Jim, you don’t need to do
this.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">He looked at
me, hard. “Oh yes I do,” he said. He paused again. “It should be a lot more,
but this is all I can manage at the moment.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I did a
quick calculation. $20.00. That’s four hundred cans. I had some vivid mental
snapshots of Jim walking slowly down a street on the West Side, of Jim climbing
three stairs somewhere to retrieve a bag, of Jim excited and adding up the
numbers as we drove to the redemption center. I knew exactly what those bottles
and cans cost him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">“Jim,” I
began, but I never finished. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">“I have not
always been the person I should have been, especially when I was drinking,
especially where women are concerned. Just know that…” another pause… “I need
to do this.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">His voice
brightened up as he rose to leave my office. “Have a nice day!” he said. When
Jim said that, he said it without a hint of sarcasm. He meant it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">He took hold
of his cart, and I listened as its squeaky wheels rolled down the carpeted
hallway. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I stood
there holding that wet $20 between my fingers, and for the first time in my
life, I believe I got it. I got what grateful giving—grateful <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">living—</i>looked like. Actually, it can
look like lots of things… but on that day, it looked like a little hunched man,
wheeling his squeaky cart down the street to collect the bottles and cans he
needed to live… A man who knew that everything he had was a gift, and that when
you’ve been blessed, it feels good to share those blessings.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Blessings be
to each of you. And thanks be to God. Amen.</span></div>
Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-63642338258207819732014-11-09T11:30:00.000-05:002014-11-09T13:26:22.212-05:00Gratitude and Grace and What God Requires: A Sermon on Micah<style>@font-face {
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<br />
Scripture can be found <a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=282537870" target="_blank">here</a>...<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
On
an episode of “Glee” that aired a few years ago, one of the students at
McKinley High School discovered an image that looked very much like Jesus
Christ on his grilled cheese sandwich. And these kinds of incidents have been
in the news, recently… an image of Jesus was seen in a tree in North
Providence, RI the week of Halloween; another, in a plume of smoke coming from
a house fire in Fresno, CA. On the TV show, at least, this event sparked
theological conversations. The students started talking about God. What did
they think about God? Did they believe? Some of the students were clear: they
had faith, they believed in God, one even spoke up for the power of prayer in
the face of life’s difficulties. Others were not so sure. Some said that
Christianity seemed to deny women’s equality to men, to claim that God didn’t
love gay people, and to force a choice between faith in God and scientific
progress and discovery. But are all those things necessary to the Christian
faith? Are they essentials?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
In
response to just those kinds of question, a Methodist minister wrote a book called,
“What’s the Least I Can Believe and Still Be a Christian?”<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a>
The title seems a little odd, until you understand it is a book about the
basics, what you might call the “essential tenets” of the Christian faith. What
the author is really getting at is, “What does God want from us?”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
If we
have any inkling that we are not alone, that there is a power in the universe
greater than the human imagination, a power we call “God,” I think we want to know
the answer to that question. If there is a God, who created everything that is,
including us, and who therefore has loving intentions towards us, what does
that God want from us? What is required? This is the same question being asked
2750 years ago by Micah.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
When
Micah was a prophet, the kingdom of David had split into two kingdoms, one in
the north (called Israel) and one in the south (called Judah). Judah contained
Jerusalem, God’s chosen city, the place where Solomon had built the Temple, the
holiest place on earth, for God’s covenant people. And for a long time it was
believed that Jerusalem and the Temple were impermeable, inviolable—that
Jerusalem would always successfully repel an invasion, and that the Temple
would never be destroyed. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
At
the end of the eighth century BCE, the prophet Micah had a different
understanding of the ways things were unfolding. Micah could see the truth:
that the injustice and violence of the people and their kings was leading Judah
down a path that could only lead to destruction. Any number of
prophets—including Isaiah—were saying the opposite: that nothing would ever
destroy Jerusalem or the Temple. And of course, those words were very popular
with those in power, because it seemed to promise that they would stay in
power. Micah saw things very differently. Micah saw the truth, and he spoke it
aloud.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
This
is what a prophet does, by the way. A prophet looks at things and sees them
without a filter, without the interfering blinders of politics or popularity or
self-promotion. And then the prophet speaks out about what he or she sees. It’s
common to think that prophets are like fortunetellers—the people who can look
at your palm, and without knowing anything about you, tell you all about
yourself. But prophets are doing just the opposite. They are looking deeply at
the situation before them. They know the subject of their prophecy intimately. They
speak out of their deep reflection and understanding. God’s anointing of a
prophet isn’t so much about revealing secrets to them as it is endowing them
with the strength and courage to speak what might be an unpopular word.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
So
Micah speaks. First, he gives an indication that there needs to be a new ruler.
He’s pretty clear that the one who is currently on the throne is not the one
who will save the people. In fact, the new ruler won’t even come from
Jerusalem. Instead, he points to a little backwater named Bethlehem—Bethlehem, whose
only claim to fame at this point is its favorite son David. But Micah stresses
that Bethlehem is not so much a city as the boonies, “one of the little clans.”
This is the Ancient Near East’s version of “outside the Beltway.” Then and now,
it’s a powerful image. Power will arise where the people are generally pretty
powerless.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
With
a new ruler comes a new understanding of the covenant relationship with God.
Here is that question: What does God want from us? What does it meant to be in
relationship with God? “With what shall I come before the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>, and bow myself before God on high?”
[Micah 6:6a] And in proposing various answers to that question, the prophet
reveals what is really going on, everything he sees with those clear, anointed
eyes, the reasons God will not let this monarchy stand. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It
comes as a series of questions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Shall
I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?” [Micah 6:6b]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
would be an appropriate sin offering in the Temple. Micah’s listeners are
nodding their heads.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Will
the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> be pleased with thousands
of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil?” [Micah 6:7a] </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s
funny Micah should ask that, because… didn’t we read just a couple of weeks
ago, that Solomon “used to offer a thousand burnt offerings” upon the altar at
Gibeon? We did. And it was presented as the kind of magnificent offering that
only a king could make—and a fantastically wealthy king, at that. Micah’s
listeners are still nodding, but they’ve been put on notice—this is something
none of them could every dream of doing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Shall
I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of
my soul?” [Micah 6:7b]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
crowd freezes. What does Micah mean, exactly? Does he mean that he would
dedicate his child to God? Like the child-to-be-prophet Samuel was dedicated by
his mother Hannah? No. That’s not what he means. And they all know it.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
They
know it because they, like Micah, know all about their king, Manasseh. They
know all about his transgressions. In 2 Kings 21, we can read a long list of
his crimes.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Manasseh
took Temple worship and twisted and perverted it in the worst possible ways. He
built “high places,” illegal worship spaces where people worshiped false gods. He
even built altars to these same false gods in the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord’s</span> Temple in Jerusalem. He practiced witchcraft. And “he
made his son pass through fire.” Manasseh sacrificed his own child.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And
so Micah speaks the truth: God will not let this monarchy stand. The Temple
will be no more. Jerusalem will be no more. This line of kings will be no more.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Micah
is prophesying a dreadful loss to the people—the loss of both king and Temple.
But at the same time, he is lifting up something powerfully hopeful: there is
life after the Temple. There is relationship with God outside the Temple. And
what the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord </span>requires is
something that can be accomplished by all, women and men, royal folk and
regular people. Three things are required. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
First,
do justice.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Justice
is a word that has been somewhat hijacked by a contemporary American notion of
punishment. We speak of people being brought to justice—by which we mean,
arrested, tried, convicted, and punished. And this is a part of biblical
justice, but only one part. Biblical justice also means giving people their
rights. This is why, according to one writer, when you see the word “justice”
in the Hebrew Scriptures, you typically see references to “<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the
care and cause of widows, orphans, immigrants and the poor—those who have been
called ‘the quartet of the vulnerable.’”<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></a>
Justice is every bit as interested in the vulnerable as it is in the culpable.
This is because justice is a basic attribute of God. When we strive to “do
justice” we are also striving to be in right relationship with others, to be
generous, in short, to show by our actions that we are truly made in God’s
image and likeness.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
second thing that is required: To love kindness. The word used here in the
Hebrew is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hesed</i>, and it is rich and
layered. It means things like: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">faithfulness</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">goodness</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">strength</i>, even <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">salvation</i>.
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hesed</i> is never an abstraction—it’s
not a feeling. It is always associated with practical action on behalf of
another person. And <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hesed</i> is not
transient—which feelings so often are. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hesed</i>
is enduring.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn3" name="_ednref3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iii]</span></span></span></span></a> In
scripture, God is said to be filled with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hesed</i>.
Of all the people in scripture, the word is most associated with Ruth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And
finally, the third action: walk humbly with God. I’ve been thinking a lot about
what that word, “humble,” means. Humility—the English word—has the same root as
humus, as in, the soil, the good place where things grow. Humility seems to mean
something like “groundedness” or to put it theologically, knowing where we come
from. We human beings, according to the bible, are earth creatures—God made us
from the earth we live upon. To be humble is to keep that in mind. To humble is
also to be teachable, to know that we will not always be right in every moment
and situation. To be humble is to be willing to listen perhaps just a little
more than we speak. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What
does God want from us? It's simple, though, like so many simple things, it’s
not necessarily easy. Do justice. Love kindness. Be humble in your walk with
God. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
At
the end of the “Grilled Cheese” episode of “Glee,” some of the Christian
students have decided that their love for another student who calls himself an
atheist is not dependent on his accepting their faith. And the student who
calls himself an atheist is deeply moved by his friends’ prayers for his sick
father, even though he doesn’t understand that impulse to pray. And the boy who
found the face of Jesus on his sandwich still doesn't understand what it all
means (though he does understand that he still really likes grilled cheese). And
you know, I was reading reviews of this episode of “Glee,” and lots of those
reviews were of the opinion that the boy with the sandwich was disillusioned,
and that he lost his tentative, blossoming faith. That is not what I saw as I watched
the scene. I saw a boy eating a grilled cheese sandwich bearing the image of
Jesus—a moment of communion, or recognizing that the sacred is all around us,
and within us, even in the most ordinary things. And in their own way, the
students all seem to be doing their best. They go to great lengths to be fair
to one another—that’s doing justice. They go to great lengths to show their
love for one another—that’s loving kindness. And they are all humble enough to
know that they are still learning. That, at least, is the beginning of a humble
walk with God.</div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
What
does the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> require of us? Just
that. Fairness. Kindness. And that we keep walking, learning, opening ourselves
to God, to one another, and even to the extraordinary flashes of holiness in the ordinary moments of our lives. Thanks be to
God. Amen.</div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Martin Thielen, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What’s
the Least I Can Believe and Still Be A Christian? A Guide to What Matters Most </i>(Louisville,
KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011).</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Tim Keller, “What is Biblical Justice?” in Relevant
Magazine, </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/practical-faith/what-biblical-justice%23QJPrhXISU0tAYywe.99">http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/practical-faith/what-biblical-justice#QJPrhXISU0tAYywe.99</a>.
</span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn3" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref3" name="_edn3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iii]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Will Kynes, “God’s Grace in the Old Testament:
Considering the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hesed</i> of the Lord,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Knowing & Doing</i>, a Publication of
the C. S. Lewis Institute, <a href="http://www.cslewisinstitute.org/webfm_send/430">http://www.cslewisinstitute.org/webfm_send/430</a>,
p. 2.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-83425443556379816562014-11-02T11:30:00.000-05:002014-11-02T11:30:05.197-05:00Gratitude and Grace in Healing: A Meditation for All Saints<style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgygqGbHRuLfW-YGNG_3v0_-S6lG5NvwUyxf1LH_c9Hg8ZxM6tVnoFpgy_LTG0K6AdghHZW-09rw9we9ZiTQdC5MRJW46Pv_AXUtzWu25YcqYL0jSEY5TKbXazb4uuCgkd2iX3Do4HZyTO/s1600/il_340x270.633089211_e4gm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgygqGbHRuLfW-YGNG_3v0_-S6lG5NvwUyxf1LH_c9Hg8ZxM6tVnoFpgy_LTG0K6AdghHZW-09rw9we9ZiTQdC5MRJW46Pv_AXUtzWu25YcqYL0jSEY5TKbXazb4uuCgkd2iX3Do4HZyTO/s1600/il_340x270.633089211_e4gm.jpg" height="254" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Scripture can be found <a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=281932799" target="_blank">here</a>... </div>
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<br /></div>
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You’ve
heard it said… you’ve said it: “She’s a saint.” Or, “He was a saint.” Or,
“Anyone would have to be a saint to take that job/ raise that kid/ be married
to that one.” We tend to think saints are really special people, exceptionally
good people, people who are better than you and me. We get that from our
Catholic cousins, and I see their logic. Lift up exceptional people, and people
like you and me realize… well, it’s possible. It’s possible to be a follower of
Jesus, a lover of God, saturated with the Spirit. It’s possible, for real human
beings, to do and be all those things. I get that.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Turns
out, scripture has another, pretty different idea of saints. If you are a
saint, all it means is, you are one of us. You are one of ours. You are a
member of the household of God. And, lots of times we think (and scripture
seems to think) that means that we are of one mind, spiritually, and
religiously, that we believe the same things. But I would say a stronger
element of what it is to be a saint is connection. We saints are connected to
one another. We are links in a chain.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Here
are the links today’s story from 2 Kings: First, there’s Naaman the warrior… he’s
a powerful guy. He’s also a successful guy, the Aramean general who defeated
Israel. But Naaman is a man with a big bproblem. The text calls it “leprosy,”
but there were lots of skin conditions that went by this name in the bible.
What we need to know is that scripture describes this kind of condition as
making someone ritually impure. People with leprosy are forced to live apart
from the rest of society, and it doesn’t end at 21 days. It is a sentence for
tremendous, lifelong isolation. </div>
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<br /></div>
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So
Naaman, this powerful warrior, is also a man with a seriously debilitating
condition—at the very least, socially debilitating. He is the man at the center
of our story, the first link in our chain.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Naturally,
since he has been so successful in his work, Naaman is a favorite of the king
of Aram, another link in our chain. Naaman is also linked to his wife, about
whom we know nothing, and through his wife, to her servant, an unnamed girl.
This servant girl was taken from Israel as plunder by the Aramean army. Aram
won, and they took what they wanted. It’s this girl who proposes a connection
to the prophet, Elisha.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Naaman
hears her suggestion and follows it. Being a man of power, he goes through
power channels. He goes to the king who provides a letter of introduction to
the king of Israel. The King of Israel is a link in the chain, too, though he
seems, largely, to be about comic relief. He responds to the request with
complete confidence that it’s a set-up. He’s terrified. He becomes hysterical. That’s
the thing about links in chains, though. As long as they keep us connected...
they’re still links.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And
Naaman, being a man of power, also knows that money speaks. He brings gold that
would go for about $2.8 million at today’s prices, as well as lots of luxurious
gifts. He arrives with the equivalent of Armani suits and Rolex watches. His
desire for healing is urgent. It reveals itself in how much he is willing to
give to get it.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
When
he arrives at the prophet’s house, we find another link: a messenger from the
prophet, who tells him: Go take a bath. Seven baths. In the river Jordan. Naaman
is outraged—by the fact that the prophet didn’t bother to come out to meet him
personally, and the fact that the prophet didn’t perform like a magician in a
Vegas show, and also the suggestion that the Jordan River might somehow be
superior to the rivers of Aram. But the final link in the chain arrives in the
guise of some more unnamed servants, who, very gently, and very carefully, say
to Naaman, “Just… give it a try.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
We
all know how the story ends. Healing. But after healing… a few verses after our
passage ends, Naaman is still trying to press all his riches upon Elisha, who
is just not interested. But Naaman’s gratitude needs somewhere to go. It goes,
as it turns out, to God. Appropriately. He asks for a curious thing: two
cartloads of earth from Israel, so that, wherever he goes, he can worship the
God of Israel on God’s own, chosen soil.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Naaman
has been a beneficiary of grace, such unlikely grace, given all the links in
the chain that were needed to convey it to him. Prophet to servant girl to wife
to general; general to king to king to messenger to servants to prophet. But
that is grace: the unwarranted, the unexpected, even the undeserved bounty of
God, whether it takes the form of healing or of blessing or of faith. And those
links in that chain, every one, the rich ones and the poor ones, the named ones
and the nameless ones, the ones who remained calm and the ones who got
hysterical… every one is a member of the household of God. Some were born
there. Some were invited in. Some wandered in accidentally. But all were drawn
in by acts of love. All are saints of God.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
In a
few minutes we will be sharing in our annual remembrance on the occasion of All
Saints Day. Of the names you see in your bulletin, only three were members of
Union Presbyterian Church. The others are all members of the household of God
for one reason and one reason only: love. The love of God and the love of God’s
people. Someone here loves them, or someone here loves someone who loves them,
or loves someone who loves someone who you get the picture. And they transcend
things like church membership and geography and even religious belief. But
that’s so typical of love, refusing to stay in its little proscribed box,
spilling out to enemy generals and unnamed servant girls and people most of us
have never met. But that’s love. And that’s what it is to be a saint, to be one
of ours, to be one of us. It’s to be a link in a chain, a powerful chain,
forged by love. Thanks be to God. Amen.</div>
Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-25830100984083613062014-10-26T11:30:00.000-04:002014-10-26T11:30:01.089-04:00Wisdom and Compassion: Sermon on 1 Kings 3:4-28
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTPBufYe5h2ZHKxXIcesTekX7kyA4fj9u1z19_o2JA8WA9UX26AJdFcfDGzDLIKoRAwGqOF8-VB1I8lcNY1iP_gJ-0LPXfbpN5rReiWY2lDCafBSQwMyjXYcdWeRF5lJjEF4wBwcuX5zJ/s1600/Judgement_of_Solomon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTPBufYe5h2ZHKxXIcesTekX7kyA4fj9u1z19_o2JA8WA9UX26AJdFcfDGzDLIKoRAwGqOF8-VB1I8lcNY1iP_gJ-0LPXfbpN5rReiWY2lDCafBSQwMyjXYcdWeRF5lJjEF4wBwcuX5zJ/s1600/Judgement_of_Solomon.jpg" height="400" width="318" /> </a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Solomon the Wise" by Gustave <span class="citation" id="CITEREFDor.C3.A9"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustave_Dor%C3%A9" title="Gustave Doré">Doré</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Scripture can be found <a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=281326799" target="_blank">here</a>... </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
They
say “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom
and instruction.” Well, actually, Solomon says it, in the book of Proverbs,
which is traditionally attributed to him. Solomon talks a lot about wisdom. But
it is very hard to know how to talk about Solomon.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
If I
were to ask you to come up with one adjective to describe this well-known King
of Israel, I am willing to bet money that you would reply: “Wise.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And
the stories we have today—both parts of this chapter in 1 Kings—are designed to
show just that: Solomon asked God for wisdom, and God thought that was a
splendid idea, so God gave Solomon wisdom, and then some. This is one very
popular, very common reading of these passages.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
There
are other readings, though.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
We
come this week to the kingship of this son of David. And while we know David
was God’s dearly beloved, though flawed, child, and to this day the Hebrew
Bible’s most famous and beloved king, Solomon holds a different place.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Let’s
remember how Solomon got here. Solomon’s mother is Bathsheba. She is the woman
at the center of last week’s passage, in which David’s flawed character so
spectacularly revealed itself—side by side with his confidence in the love and
forgiveness of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the prophet
shared a word of warning for David. “<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now therefore the sword shall never
depart from your house.” </span>You will reap what you have sown. [2 Samuel
12:10].</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
That
prophecy comes true in chilling ways. David’s son Amnon rapes his own
half-sister, David’s daughter Tamar. David’s son Absalom, furious with his
father for not punishing Amnon, takes revenge by killing his half-brother.
Absalom then rebels against his father, and moves to claim the throne for
himself. Absalom is killed in the resulting battle and David loses a second son.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
As
David lies dying, his son Adonijah is the heir-presumptive to the throne.
However, Bathsheba and the prophet, Nathan, go to David on his deathbed and
persuade him to name Solomon to be the next king. Adonijah does not go quietly.
He devises a scheme to give himself greater legitimacy as David’s heir by
claiming for himself a young woman who has been David’s companion in the time
of his final illness. When Solomon hears this, he has Adonijah killed. The
throne is his.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
This
is the background for this morning’s passage. A bloody path leads from David to
Solomon. We use the word “wisdom” to describe the character of King Solomon. In
Hebrew the word is “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hokmah</i>.” And <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hokmah</i> has another sense, a slightly
different meaning. It can mean wise. It can also mean: cunning. Wily. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crafty. Shrewd. Even, deceitful.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
So,
what version of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hokmah</i> is in play
when the Lord visits Solomon his dream? “Ask what I should give you,” God
demands. Dream-Solomon certainly has a way with words. He replies with all the
flowery speech of a wide-awake politician, describing his<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
father David, as one who “walked before [God] in faithfulness, in
righteousness, and in uprightness of heart…” Solomon praises God for giving
David “a son to sit on his throne today” [1 Kings 3:6]. A fair bit of
forgetfulness, if not outright whitewashing, informs that version of history. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Solomon
continues:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“And now, O Lord my God, you
have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a
little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. … Give your servant
therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between
good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?” [1 Kings 3:7, 9]. I
am only a little child, Solomon protests. I don’t know my right hand from my
left. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">OK.
It is possible that, in the face of this tremendous elevation in his status—won
at a significant cost of blood—Solomon may well have felt out of his element,
incapable of the task. Fair enough. He wouldn’t be the first public servant or
the last to feel that way. It’s normal—even healthy—to feel overwhelmed by the
responsibilities of leadership. And if Solomon’s dream-self is having this kind
of conversation—you can be sure it was on his mind.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whatever
the truth of Solomon’s motivations, conscious or subconscious, God is most
pleased. Because Solomon has asked for wisdom, and not riches or honor, God’s
plan is to give him the whole package—wisdom, riches, honor, and even—if he
plays his cards right—a long life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Solomon
has it all. He is king. He possesses a wise and discerning mind. He will become
so fabulously rich that his wealth will be proverbial, something we still refer
to, to indicate unimaginable riches, three thousand years later. And in an era
where the number of wives a man had was directly proportional to his wealth,
Solomon had 300 wives and 700 concubines. Solomon has it all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now
meet someone who does not have it all. Who, in fact, has nearly nothing.
Immediately after the description of the dream and God’s promise to Solomon, we
meet two nameless prostitutes. To be a prostitute in the biblical era is to be
a woman utterly alone. In the ancient Middle East, well-being and security are possible
almost exclusively through a woman’s connection to a man, ideally her husband, but
perhaps another male relative—father, brother, son. Women are not able to own
land. They are not able to own or run businesses. Women without a male relative
are, as Blanche DuBois would say, dependent on the kindness of strangers. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
laws of Leviticus and elsewhere make it clear that such women are to be cared
for and protected by the community—they are to be given opportunities to glean.
They are to be given food and shelter. The presence of prostitutes in this
story tells us something important: it tells us that these laws are not being widely
obeyed. The “haves” are not sharing their abundance with the “have-nots.”
Prostitution is a last ditch attempt to survive.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">These
women, who live together in one house, have given birth, and each of them has
borne a son. Which means, that, at last, they each have something of value. Of
course, true help is years and years away—the sons have to grow up, and make
their own way in the world before they can actually care for their mothers.
Still. Each woman has a male child, in a world in which maleness is the ticket
to survival. The birth of these children must have been experienced as an
incredible blessing, a sign that perhaps, God is looking out for the women
after all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And
here this reading becomes painful, for so many women, and so many men, who know
this kind of searing loss.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One
of the babies dies. And then, the mother of that child switches the babies, a
tiny cold body exchanged for a tiny warm one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And
now they are before the king. Wise Solomon. Cunning Solomon. Solomon, whose way
to the throne was paved by the use of the sword.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Should
it surprise and shock us that Solomon’s impulse is to bring a sword to this
case? And are we to believe that, if one of the women had not cried out, had
not taken on the part of an angel to stay Solomon’s hand, that he would not
have, in fact, done exactly what he proposed to do? Treat a living child as an
inert piece of property, as if this were a dispute over the last piece of pie?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But
a woman does cry out. A woman with nothing, who has had a few hours of joy as a
mother, cries out to say, No. Let the child live. Let her have it. I will leave
here with nothing, except the knowledge that I gave life to this baby and
didn’t let it be taken away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She
did this because, the text tells us, “Her compassion burned within her.” We’ve
talked about this before, but you know me. I never get tired of bringing up
Hebrew when it makes a difference to our understanding of a story. The Hebrew
word translated “compassion” here is “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">rachamim</i>.”
The word is a plural for <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“womb,” so the sense
is something like, “because womb-love for her son burned within her.” The
implication—the strong implication—is that the real mother, the true mother, is
the mother whose womb burned with love for her child.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That
word, compassion, is most often used of God in scripture. Generally speaking,
as far as the bible is concerned, it’s God whose womb burns with love for us.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But
I’d like, at this point, to put in a word on behalf of those whose wombs were
not involved in the process of becoming parents. Like, for instance, fathers. And
adoptive parents, people like my mom and dad. God, fathers, teachers, foster
parents, scout leaders, coaches, people who adopt—all these, I truly believe,
can have that deep compassion and love for children, regardless of whether they
share DNA or have the same nose. Which leads me to believe, something else is
going on here. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s
happened again. Scripture has, once more, given us a glimpse of the love of God
shining through just about the least likely person in the story. And it’s not
Solomon. Solomon may be wise, or cunning, or just plain impatient with these
bickering women who are taking up his time. He is not the one who shows us what
the love of God looks like. That would be the mother who is ready to give up
her child rather than see him harmed. She is the one who shows us the kind of
love that relinquishes its own claims—to ownership, or to being the one in the
right. Hers is the kind of love that gives up her hopes of gain, so that the
one she loves might have life, even if it is life without her. This nameless
prostitute might well be the patron saint of birth mothers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Solomon
is wise. Solomon is cunning. And he will continue to wow and impress people
with his wisdom, in all kinds of situations. All the people will stand in awe
of him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No
one will stand in awe of the prostitute as she gathers her baby up in her arms
and takes him home. People will stand aside as she walks by, so as to not be
associated with her. But within her, this woman who isn’t even on the fringes
of polite society, burns with the love of God. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Maybe
the wisdom of God burns within her too. Proverbs tells us,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wisdom cries out in the street;</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">in the squares she raises her voice.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At the busiest corner she cries out;</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">at the entrance of the city gates she
speaks… [Proverbs 1:20-21]</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
the presence of wise King Solomon, this woman spoke. And the words she spoke
clued us in, not only to the nature of love of God, but the nature of God’s
wisdom, revealed time and again where we least expect to see it. Thanks be to
God. Amen.</span></div>
Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-72929774773234158272014-10-12T11:30:00.000-04:002014-10-12T11:30:00.955-04:00A Way Out of No Way: Sermon on Joshua 24:1-15<style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjoOBA-ej3EuqsDwx7zQ_Hxz1-JY7Rm27T1c3yEhHpXOWZ7iFprE-GCAZlljGUvNsqyV7XwkCRKY_l_PvTWNA62PHb1pEkJMSJBiC2L33Oqg2bL5ozpE82YECBDEAMEA_EFNnqNd_7dDU5/s1600/IMG_1705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjoOBA-ej3EuqsDwx7zQ_Hxz1-JY7Rm27T1c3yEhHpXOWZ7iFprE-GCAZlljGUvNsqyV7XwkCRKY_l_PvTWNA62PHb1pEkJMSJBiC2L33Oqg2bL5ozpE82YECBDEAMEA_EFNnqNd_7dDU5/s1600/IMG_1705.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Scripture can be found <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua+24%3A1-15&version=NRSV" target="_blank">here</a>... </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
“Can’t
get there from here.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Anyone
who has ever lived in New England—and most everyone who has traveled there—has
heard this. It’s said in a Down East accent, meant to evoke a grizzled,
salt-wrinkled guy in waders who’s just stepped off his trawler, and who is
trying to “help” hapless travelers who are utterly flummoxed by the Maine
coast. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
“Can’t
get there from here.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Have
you ever said that to yourself?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Maybe
you were really on an actual road, with a co-pilot trying diligently to read
and interpret an incredibly confusing map, to no avail. Lost. (This may only
apply to those of us over a certain age). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Or
maybe you had depended on your brand new GPS, one you’d even affectionately
given a name (Greta). And instead of leading you to the cool restaurant/
brewery, she’d led you to a dark hill, in the middle of the woods, in the
middle of Nowheresville, PA. (This may apply to family members of the person in
the pulpit).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Or
maybe your GPS was of a different kind—the internal kind, the inner voice, that
said, “Sure, you should definitely try out for the team, or try to get into
this graduate program, or apply for that job, or ask that girl out.” And it
became evident—over time, eventually, or maybe sooner than that—that you had
somehow been misdirected. That this plan, this road, this map, was not going to
work out. Not at all.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Can’t
get there from here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
For
some of us, these are distant memories. Even fond ones, memories that we draw
upon in conversations over coffee that start, “You wouldn’t believe what I used
to…!” Memories shared from the perspective of the good land of plenty in which
we are now planted and flourishing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
For
some of us, these are not memories at all. They are the present vortex, the
crucible in which we live, study, work, and toss and turn all night long, so
that the next day of living, studying, and working is made all the more dreary
and long. For some of us, we are living “Can’t get there from here,” right now,
and it’s awful. Just awful.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Allow
me to introduce to you, one Joshua. Joshua, whose name in Hebrew means, “YHWH is
salvation.” Joshua, who took over for Moses, once it was clear that Moses,
personally, was not destined to cross the toll-bridge that led from the desert
wastes to the land of promise.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And
before Joshua, there was Moses, who heard the voice of God in the middle of a
desert wasteland, speaking to him from a burning bush, and who, as a result,
worked alongside God to lead God’s people out of slavery in Egypt, and into freedom—and
also forty years of wandering in the desert wasteland.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And
before Moses, there was Joseph—the hated second-to-youngest son of Jacob, whose
brothers were so jealous of him they turned him into a kind of “Gone Boy,”
selling him into slavery and telling their father he was dead. Joseph, who
worked alongside God as second-in-command in Egypt, to make a home, to provide
food, not only for Egyptians, but for his own remorseful, traveling, long-lost
family.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And
before Joseph, there were Abraham and Sarah. Called at ages 75 and 65 to uproot
themselves, to leave home, family, and gods behind, to follow and enter into
covenant with a new God, the God YHWH, who promised them children, and land,
and blessing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And
before Abraham and Sarah, there was Noah, called at the age of 600, for God’s
sake, to craft an ark to save a faithful remnant from the destruction of the
floodwaters, to help that remnant to pass through the waters to a new beginning.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
At
each stage of this story—this story of God’s people, which also happens to be
our story—at each and every stage, any one of these people could have said,
must have thought, had to have believed:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Can’t
get there from here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Can’t
become a mother at age 65-plus, never mind moving all around to God-only-knows-where.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Can’t
go from being a hated boy sold into slavery to being the second-highest ranking
official, in a country not even your own.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Can’t
singlehandedly walk into Egypt—where, by the way, you’re wanted for murder—and
say to the Pharaoh, “Let my people go,” and expect him to take you seriously.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Can’t
get there from here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
There
is an African-American folk saying, “Our God can make a way out of no way.” <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And
that means, if you are a slave in Egypt or a slave in Montgomery, and you are
longing for freedom, God can make that happen. God can make a way, even if it
seems there is no way. </span>That is the gist of the long speech Joshua has just made to the people of
Israel. He goes through their salvation history (not backwards, like I did),
and he reminds the people. God did this. And this. And this. And all that time,
we were thinking it could not be done.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Who
could save an entire sampling of God’s creative powers on a single boat?
(Noah—with God’s help.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Who
could go from being a small family consisting of one childless, retirement-age
couple to being a great nation? (Abraham and Sarah, with God’s help.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Who
could climb out of the hole of hatred and find, not only power, but integrity,
faithfulness, and forgiveness? (Joseph, with God’s help.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Who
could speak for a group of slaves and be heard? (Moses, with God’s help.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
In
each and every instance, the temptation—the strong temptation—is to say, no
way. There is no way. We cannot get to that promised land of safety, of
fullness, of reconciliation, of freedom. Can’t get there from here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And
yet. So the story goes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Joshua
recounts all the history of God’s people. And he includes a less savory part,
the part often known as the “conquest” of the land. And it amounts to some
serious chest-thumping. We beat those guys, and we beat those guys, and we
annihilated these other guys, and look. “Weee are the champions, my friends.
And weeee’ll keep on fighting, till the end.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Weeee
are the champions. Weeee are the champions!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
No
time for losers! ‘Cause weeee are the champions! Of the world!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And
they are!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And
yet, in a fashion decidedly atypical for the commander of a conquering army, Joshua
takes great care to say, “We didn’t do this. God did it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And
if we look at our passage, we see all kinds of signs that, while there was
violent conflict, there was also some measure of restraint, some effort to
frame God’s victories differently. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God,
speaking through Joshua, says: “… it was not by your sword or by your bow. I
gave you a land on which you had not labored, and towns that you had not built,
and you live in them; you eat the fruit of vineyards and oliveyards that you
did not plant.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
This
is tricky terrain. I walk upon it, and invite you to walk with me, with
tremendous trepidation. Here we are, with a part of the story that makes us
wonder how we are to connect with it, and live into it. And it makes sense, as Joshua
asks us to consider in his speech—his last speech, by the way, his deathbed
speech: who will we serve? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Joshua:
his name in Hebrew means, “YHWH is salvation.” Do you know how to say Joshua in
Greek? Jesus. Jesus and Joshua: “God is salvation.” God saves. God makes a way
where there is no way. God even makes a way through a sticky, prickly, thorny
passage like this, which simultaneously asks us to accept a story in which
God’s people claim their right to a land with no concern for its native inhabitants,
and also to serve a God whom we claim to see reflected in Jesus of Nazareth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Can
we get there from here?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Can
God make a way from stories of conquest to the stories of the table we find in
the accounts of our New Testament Joshua, Son of Joseph?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Can God
make a way for us to find, in this little snippet of God’s story, some continuity
with the God who is pleased, as Paul tells us in our first reading, when we
persevere in suffering, and open our doors to strangers? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Can
God make a way for those of us who feel we can’t get there from here? Whatever
we might mean by that?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
God
not only can; God does. As for me and my household, ours is not to ignore these
passages, or try to wish them away, or pray them away, or pretend them away.
Ours is to read them with empathy. Empathy for the fervent hopes of a people
who had traveled those desert wastes for many, many years. Empathy for their
fear that God’s promises might all come to nothing. Empathy, even, for the
dying warrior Joshua, a human man who has spent his whole life way out on a
limb. A man whose bones probably need to be in the ground before a new day can
dawn in which a new set of ears can listen for the words of YHWH. A man who is
but one in a great cloud of witnesses who listen and discern what are God’s
desires and dreams for God’s people in a new day, today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And even
some empathy for ourselves, as we claim these stories as our own, even as we
struggle to recognize ourselves in them.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
These
are our stories. We are in there. We are the tired ones. We are the frightened
ones. We are the ones who wander through stages, and years, and false starts,
and the wrong job and the wrong major until—zing!- we figure out where we are
meant to be. We are the ones who wonder, can we get there—wherever our personal
“land of promise” might be—from here? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
We
are the ones to whom God makes the promise: I will make a way for you. I will
make a way with you. We are the ones who call Jesus “the Way.” We are the ones
who are asked, even today: who will you serve? And we are the ones who are
privileged to have a moment, an opportunity, to take a deep breath, and give
our answer.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Thanks
be to God. Amen.</div>
Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-32748922954852490642014-10-05T11:30:00.000-04:002014-10-05T11:30:00.021-04:00But- And- A World Communion Sunday Meditation
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLTEE8mkSLymtZgRqtmKucN0u9o9HMWP-r1DcXCSgVbv3h97loGI8VR9Slsq1mbO053FabQ8NvCYsNG8WGwDsQkRbi0CfnZKtJx00NH2xHY2tU9QjtCk8XKicypEyZFZJfuzh1YegcxTu/s1600/Hands-holding-earth-600x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLTEE8mkSLymtZgRqtmKucN0u9o9HMWP-r1DcXCSgVbv3h97loGI8VR9Slsq1mbO053FabQ8NvCYsNG8WGwDsQkRbi0CfnZKtJx00NH2xHY2tU9QjtCk8XKicypEyZFZJfuzh1YegcxTu/s1600/Hands-holding-earth-600x300.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Scripture can be found <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+9%3A8-15%3B+12%3A1-9%3B+39%3A1-6%2C+19-23&version=NRSV" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+19%3A3-7%3B+20%3A1-17&version=NRSV" target="_blank">here</a>....</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Have
I mentioned how very much I loved studying Hebrew in seminary? There was
something about it that I never expected: the pure astonishment when I realized
I was reading stories in the language spoken and understood by God’s people
thousands of years ago. It gave me the shivers. I frightened me and enthralled
me all at once.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
I
will never forget the thrill of translating, for the very first time, a
fragment from the book of Genesis. I was working late in my little dorm room at
Union Theological Seminary. It was almost 2:00 in the morning, and I was
laboring away, letter by letter. It took a long, long time. I was close to
giving up. And then, like those scenes in movies when the camera shifts focus,
and something goes from being completely blurry to being crystal clear, the
meaning revealed itself to me. I could read it. The sentence was, “Although
Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him” (Gen. 42:8). </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One
of the most valuable things I learned in Hebrew concerned a certain word—a
certain letter, actually. The letter “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vav</i>.” The letter <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vav</i>, all by itself, is an amazing word in that it can mean two
things that are distinctly, startlingly, different. It can mean “and.” Or it
can mean “but.” And the way the word is translated normally comes down to
context.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Think
about that for a second. Think about a normal sentence with the word “and” in
it. I’ll give you one. “The <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>
was with Joseph, and he became a successful man…” (Gen. 39:2a). Now, imagine
translating that, instead, “The <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>
was with Joseph, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">but</i></b> he became a successful man…” That is a very different
sentence. Both are viable translations, but in the context of the faith
described in the Hebrew Scriptures, only one makes sense to us. of course, the
first translation is correct. The connection between God’s presence with Joseph
and his success seems obvious. God’s presence enabled Joseph to prosper in all
he does. That is a very classic Hebrew Scriptures theme. And—but—it is an idea
that is exploded just as often as it’s held up. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Now,
how about this sentence: “<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Indeed, the whole
earth is mine, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">but</i></b> you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation”
(Exodus 19:5-6). The use of the word “but” in that sentence implies something. God
is in the midst of telling the people of the Exodus how precious and beloved
they are, how special and chosen. And, that is surely the witness of scripture.
And—but—imagine now an “and” instead of a “but” in that sentence. </span></span>“<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Indeed, the whole earth is mine, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i></b> you shall be for me a
priestly kingdom and a holy nation.” How does that change the sentence, ever so
slightly? Instead of God’s people being plucked out of the mass that is
humanity, removed and set apart, does this tiny little change in translation
instead locate them firmly <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in</i> the
human family? Does it somehow say, as God says to Abraham, “In you all the
families of the earth shall be blessed”?</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
“Although
Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Isn’t
that the story of the struggle of the human race? In our readings this morning,
we move from a story of a creator God giving a rainbow promise never to destroy
the earth by flood; to the story of God calling together a covenant community
by beginning with one little family; to the story of a faithful servant of
God’s languishing (though, somehow, thriving) in jail. We have the stories
bookended by the Ten Commandments, the Ten Words spoken through Moses—the law
to be obeyed by God’s people. And the whole second table of the
commandments—all the ones that have to do with humans interacting with one
another—can be boiled down to: when you see your brother, recognize him.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
All
around the world today Christians are remembering: we are all brothers and
sisters. And that is so easy to say. And that is so excruciatingly hard,
sometimes, to live out. 2014 so far is an object lesson in folks not
remembering that we are connected to one another as God’s children—“The whole
earth is mine,” says the Lord, and everyone and everything that is in it. The
making of peace is more than our pondering this for a few moments in our
Sanctuary on an October Sunday morning. When we see our brother, we are called
upon to recognize him. See him in the rich and the poor, the schooled and the
illiterate. When we see our sister, we are called upon to recognize her. See
her in the frail elder and in the fragile newborn, in the woman showing her
faith in a hijab and the woman showing her strength and athleticism in a
bathing suit. My brother, though he speaks with an accent, though he was born
in another land. My sister, though her heritage, or coloring, or size, or idea,
is different from mine. My sister and my brother. Different from me, but- and- my sister and brother, nevertheless.
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Peacemaking
requires laboring away, in our hearts and in our homes and on the streets and
in the world. It can—it will—take a long, long time. At times we will feel
close to giving up. But—and—it is the call of our gracious God. It is the
yearning of a hurting world. It is the rainbow promise, and the call to the
table. In us, by us, through us, O God, I pray: let all the world be blessed. Thanks
be to God. Amen.</div>
Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-22276178987384387112014-09-28T11:30:00.000-04:002014-09-28T11:30:00.716-04:00Deep River: Sermon on Revelation 22:1-5
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ddeTINi4VC8mTvLv5iJX0AiI5H1XrB7q5ZCQXdfvb-wpGj_5JKJM7i2TRkXiG3h1CEGOVmQYKnWTjkTfn9VZkfPeb9-fJFQGLfQ9UvYLKYXyCBzNbBHi8ThSZcAGwSCmRsG50470gFBp/s1600/IMG_2826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ddeTINi4VC8mTvLv5iJX0AiI5H1XrB7q5ZCQXdfvb-wpGj_5JKJM7i2TRkXiG3h1CEGOVmQYKnWTjkTfn9VZkfPeb9-fJFQGLfQ9UvYLKYXyCBzNbBHi8ThSZcAGwSCmRsG50470gFBp/s1600/IMG_2826.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Scripture can be found <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+22%3A1-5&version=NRSV" target="_blank">here</a>.... </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Deep river—my home is over Jordan, </span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Deep river, Lord, I want to cross over
into campground. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Don't you want to go to that Gospel
feast, </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That promised land where all is peace. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Deep river, Lord, I want to cross over
into campground.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">~ African American Spiritual</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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From
the beginning, people in anguish have called out to God for relief. At least
2500 years ago, the writer of Psalm 13 wrote,</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How long, O </span></i></span><span class="small-caps"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-variant: small-caps; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lord</span></i></span><span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">? Will you forget me
forever?</span></i></span></div>
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<span class="indent-1-breaks"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></i></span><span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How long will you
hide your face from me?</span></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">~Psalm 13:1</span></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And almost
20 years ago, Dan Haseltine, the front man for the Christian group Jars of
Clay, wrote, </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rain, rain on my face.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hasn’t stopped raining for days.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My world is a flood. Slowly I become one
with the mud.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">~ “Flood”</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Who
hasn’t felt like that? These songs, disparate as they are, are all part of the
same genre, songs of lament, songs of supplication to God. Help me God. Rescue
me God. Can’t you see me God?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
“Deep
River” is an African American spiritual, and like so many songs in that
tradition, it grew out of the experience of slavery. On one level, we hear
words that evoke images from scripture: the deep River Jordan, the place of
baptism and renewal, beyond which is a place of safety and rest—heaven, maybe?
And on the other hand, we have a song that is speaking in code of real
opportunities for escape—cross the mighty river, and the hounds that are
tracking you lose your scent, and you have a chance for freedom.</div>
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<br /></div>
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This
morning we have reached the final Sunday of our September “Season of Creation.”
I particularly love the text from last week. But instead of preaching
Wilderness Sunday, I got to go to the wilderness—my own private little,
short-lived wilderness of pain, fear, calling out to God for help, and restoration.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The
Season of Creation lectionary is set up to take us through that story. It gives
us the story of salvation in four weeks—a very abbreviated story, to be sure,
and not the story the way we usually hear it. But it gives us the story of
creation, fall, wilderness, and salvation/ restoration/ resurrection. The first
week, we heard the story of the garden—God’s perfect creation, filled with all
the things we need to thrive. The second week, we heard stories of sin and
suffering—we watched as disobedience turned murderous, though—did you notice?
God was faithful still. Last week, you heard the story of Jesus’ baptism—his
immersion into all of humanity’s pain and beauty—turned to the story of
wilderness wandering, complete with wild beasts—and angels. </div>
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Today,
we come to the river, the river of salvation. The river of restoration and
rescue. The river of resurrection. The river at which we gather—for baptism. For
new life. For welcome into the household of God. For refreshment. For a
life-sustaining drink. For healing. And our immersion into this river comes
from the book of the Revelation to John. Hear these words from Holy Scripture: </div>
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<span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then the angel showed
me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne
of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either
side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing
its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the
nations.<sup> </sup>Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the
throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him;
they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. <sup> </sup>And
there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord
God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.</span></i></span></div>
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<span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">~ Revelation 22:1-5</span></i></span><span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Book of the Revelation to John is just that—an
uncovering, a dreamscape, maybe, of John, a devout Jew, a mystic, who lived out
his life in exile on the Isle of Patmos.</span></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> It was written during a time of deep anxiety in the early
church, a time when people were wondering when, or even if, Jesus would ever
return to rescue the people from persecution under Rome. And the theory that it
describes the way the world will end, is a relatively recent notion, not even
200 years old. And all this idea has done is: to scare some people to death; to
cause some people to demonize people they disagree with politically; and to make
other people massively, obscenely rich through their twisting and exploitation
of the scriptures. This book was written for comfort. It was written for hope.
Author Elaine Pagels says, Revelation is not about how the world will end. It’s
about how John’s world ended. The destruction of the Temple. The long,
agonizing wait for Jesus to come to save and comfort.</span></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Near
the end of Revelation, John shows us this river—or, more accurately, John tells
us how an angel showed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">him</i> the river.
And the river is described like this:</div>
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<br /></div>
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It
flows with the water of life.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It
flows from the throne of God.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It
flows through the middle of the streets of the city.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It
waters the tree of life, which gives twelve kinds of fruit, and, whose leaves will
be used for the healing of the nations.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The river flows with the water of life:</b>
in a sense, isn’t all water the water of life? In our service for baptism there’s
always a prayer of thanksgiving over the water. This prayer is a little walk
through scripture. We thank God for the watery chaos of creation, the cleansing
and renewing waters of the flood. We thank God for leading Israel through the
parted waters of the sea, and for Jesus being nurtured in the waters of Mary’s
womb. We thank God for John baptizing Jesus in the waters of the Jordan, and
for Jesus speaking and hearing the truth from the Samaritan woman at the well. It’s
all there: Creating, cleansing, renewing, parting to make a way for freedom;
birthing, baptizing, springing up: the river flows with the living water, the water
of life.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The river flows from the throne of God.</b>
In the end, we go back to the beginning. The river flows from its source, the
place and person of its origin: It is a creation of God. From God, it flows out
to the whole world.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The river flows through the streets of the
city.</b> One of my seminary professors was famous for the simple but astute
observation that the bible begins in a garden and ends in a city.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn3" name="_ednref3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iii]</span></span></span></span></a>
It begins in the pristine perfection of creation and plenty—call it childhood,
call it innocence—and it ends in a place where people are called out of
childhood and into maturity; out of innocence and into wisdom; out of the
protective cocoon of the individual family unit and into community. And still: </div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A river and its streams bring joy to the
city,</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>which is the sacred home of God Most High.</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">God is in that city, and it won’t be shaken.
God will help it at dawn. </i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">~Psalm 46:4-5</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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God
is with us. The river of the water of life flows through the streets of the
city.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The river waters the tree of life. The
leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. </b>And really, the
remainder of our passage describes this perfectly: </div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nothing accursed will
be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it,
and his servants will worship him… And there will be no more night; they need
no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light… <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>~ Rev. 5:3, 5</span></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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The
Season of Creation comes to its conclusion by reminding us that God is with us
at the end, just as God was with us at the beginning, whether “the end” is “the
end of the world as we know it,” or the end of a stage in life, or the end of
this day. Last week I lay on a gurney in the Emergency Room and pondered the
“end of life as I knew it.” Lying there in pain, I seriously contemplated the
possibility that my fall at the ‘Y’ might be the beginning of decline,
disability, a life of pain, and surgeries. Nothing many of you haven’t been
through, or haven’t been present when someone you love has gone through it. The
fact that I was wrong (Hallelujah! for now) doesn’t mean that I wasn’t in a
real wilderness of fear and pain for those hours and days. And God was there,
which I know because I cried out for help, and God helped. I’m not talking
about the fact that my back wasn’t broken (though, that was definitely a good
thing). I’m talking about the fact that God put a little sentence in my head,
that went, “I am completely powerless here.” And that’s the God moment. The
moment when we know we need God, is the moment in which there is a space for
God to enter. Spirit, enter here.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It
wasn’t, as it turns out, the end of life as I knew it two Wednesdays ago,
though I am profoundly grateful these days for things like being able to walk
unassisted, and being able to reach out my arms without doubling over in pain. But
in all circumstances, God, our creator, is in our endings and our beginnings,
our source and our goal. God our redeemer turns our endings into beginnings—new
life, flowing through that river. God our sustainer teases out our gratitude,
alerting us to the ways we can begin again, no matter what kind of ending we
have just experienced. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Deep
river—we are carried along on the river of John’s dreams, which are our dreams,
too, as we live the cycle of creation over and over again. Dreams of new and
vibrant life beginning. Dreams of failure and falling, literal or metaphorical.
Dreams of wandering and wondering in the wilderness. Dreams of renewed life,
the gospel feast, the promised land where all is peace. Thanks be to God. Amen.</div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">John Blake, “4 Big Myths of the Book of Revelation,”
CNN Belief Blog, March 31, 2012, <a href="http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/31/four-big-myths-about-the-book-of-revelation/">http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/31/four-big-myths-about-the-book-of-revelation/</a>.
</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></a> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Ibid.</span></i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn3" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref3" name="_edn3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iii]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Larry Rasmussen, Reinhold Niebuhr Emeritus Professor
of Social Ethics, Union Theological Seminary.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-34845543199629529422014-09-14T11:30:00.000-04:002014-09-14T15:06:16.174-04:00Trouble in the Land: Sermon on Genesis 3:14-19, 4:8-16<style>@font-face {
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9WiSUHmxQzmUB0onel1u5d-3q0QG7Za4iub3pnK3Bpl6ksHdP0vRIIhvE8J2I05t5O2w9KxZLS-EugdmbgY2UdoRKBRNPuTBFkzLFt7lJ7VXQ4BM2LCXnzPCxx7nGaQ9B-rkawTZjExM/s1600/10369108_10152249121041957_7080896873961982456_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9WiSUHmxQzmUB0onel1u5d-3q0QG7Za4iub3pnK3Bpl6ksHdP0vRIIhvE8J2I05t5O2w9KxZLS-EugdmbgY2UdoRKBRNPuTBFkzLFt7lJ7VXQ4BM2LCXnzPCxx7nGaQ9B-rkawTZjExM/s1600/10369108_10152249121041957_7080896873961982456_n.jpg" height="400" width="297" /></a></div>
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Scripture can be found <a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=277696779" target="_blank">here</a>... </div>
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There
are a few ways we could talk about today’s passages. I’m thinking we could go
micro, focus in; or we could go macro, we could pull out and use a wide lens. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Here’s
what we see when we pull in close: In the beginning, the woman and the man eat
the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, against the express
directions of their Creator God. After their disobedience is discovered, God
doles out punishment. The serpent that tempted them is made the most despised
of creatures and his offspring become eternal, mortal enemies of the humans.
The woman is given painful childbirth and the punishment of being “ruled over”
by her husband. And the man? His punishment is all about the land. The ground
is cursed. Instead of a garden producing things for him to eat without any
effort, he will have to work hard—and he’ll get thorns and thistles for his
pains. And then that final reminder to the man that, after all, he came from
the ground—the dust—and he will return to it. In the next generation, sin
continues to infect and affect people and land: brother murders brother for no
good reason we can discern, and the blood soaks the earth and calls out to God.</div>
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<br /></div>
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At
the micro level, we have a story of sin and disobedience and punishment.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Now,
if we pull back, take a wide view, we see: a story in which sin adds to
the suffering of the world.</div>
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<br /></div>
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There
is a lot of misunderstanding about sin. “Sin” is not a word or a concept most
of us are comfortable with. To add to that, we Presbyterians have, as part of
our Constitution, something called “The Book of Confessions,” which contains
eleven historic statements of faith, beginning with the Nicene Creed, dating
from the fourth century, and continuing through the ages to our most recent
“Brief Statement of Faith,” dating from 1983. The concepts of sin found
throughout the confessions are startlingly diverse. For example, one of our
older creeds, the Scots Confession (written in 1560 during the Reformation)
describes the outcome of the events the garden this way:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">By
this transgression… the image of God was utterly defaced in man, and he and his
children became by nature hostile to God, slaves to Satan, and servants to sin</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">On the other hand, the Confession of 1967
was written in during the Civil Rights movement in this country, and is founded
on a single verse from 2 Corinthians: “In Christ God was reconciling the world
to himself…” Here, sin is described this way:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">In
sin, men claim mastery of their own lives, turn against God and their fellow
men, and become exploiters and despoilers of the world. They lose their
humanity in futile striving and are left in rebellion, despair, and isolation</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></a></span></div>
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The
descriptions of sin are diverse, but a common thread runs through them: Sin is
separation from God, and enslavement to something other than God. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
In
our passages, that separation seems to take on a very distinct shape: the
humans, created from the earth, are no longer at one with it. Instead of living
in harmony with the land, as the original design for Eden demands, the humans
struggle with the land. Instead of living peacefully on and with the land, they
are at war with it. “…Cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall
eat of it all the days of your life” (Gen. 3:17b). “Your brother’s blood is
crying out to me from the ground” (Gen. 4:10). “When you till the ground, it
will not yield to you its strength” (Gen. 4:12).</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Sin
adds to the suffering of the world. Literally. Separation from God leads to
trouble in the land. The land suffers, the earth cries out. And the humans cry
out, too. Cain cries out, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! Today you
have driven me away from the soil, and I shall be hidden from your face…” (Gen.
4:13b-14). The land suffers, the earth suffers, and we suffer.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It’s
often said that liberals like to focus on corporate sin—the things we do as
societies, or governments, or big corporations. And it’s further said that
conservatives like to focus on individual sin, the things we do one-on-one.
These passages don’t allow any of us to retreat to our comfort zones, liberal
or conservative. Sin—personal and corporate—has devastating effects, and we
can’t ignore them.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Early
last year, the New York Times reported:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A mysterious malady that has been
killing honeybees en masse for several years appears to have expanded
drastically in the last year, commercial beekeepers say, wiping out 40 percent
or even 50 percent of the hives needed to pollinate many of the nation’s fruits
and vegetables.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn3" name="_ednref3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iii]</span></b></span></span></span></a></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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Last
year the percentage of lost hives came down to 23%, which, according to one researcher,
is still “not a good number.” He said, “We’ve gone from horrible to bad.”<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn4" name="_ednref4" style="mso-endnote-id: edn4;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iv]</span></span></span></span></a>
One scientist speculated that, if all the bees should die out, humans would not
be far behind. He gave us four years.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn5" name="_ednref5" style="mso-endnote-id: edn5;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[v]</span></span></span></span></a>
God created us to be connected, to one another, and to the earth. Science
fiction movies that have us relocating to Mars notwithstanding, we cannot live
without it.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It’s
not clear what’s killing the bees, but lots of people are working on it. It IS
clear that the world is suffering, and we don’t even have to look outside our
own country: from the hives of California, to the particulate filled air of
Wyoming, to the devastated marine life and birds of the Louisiana Gulf, to the
toxic drinking water of places as disparate as Oklahoma and Pennsylvania, the
earth is crying out. This is God’s creation, God’s gift, given to us for our
sustenance and plenty. And we have a part to play. It is described right there
in the story… in last week’s passage. “The Lord God took the man and put him in
the garden of Eden to till it and keep it” (Gen. 2:15). </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
verb translated “keep” is a verb I am very familiar with. It’s the Hebrew verb,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">shamar</i>. I’m familiar with it because,
when we were taught the Hebrew verb forms in seminary, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">shamar</i> was the verb we always used. And the meaning of the verb is
“to guard” or “to protect.” And that verb, translated “till”? It turns out that
is the verb form of the Hebrew word for “slave” or “servant.” So, this little
verse, <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">really, properly, could read, should read, “The <span class="sc">Lord</span> God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">serve</i> it and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">protect</i> it.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Imagine.
We are all creatures of God, created from the earth. And our first job, the
thing God tells us to do, right off, is to serve the earth, and protect it.
That is our first vocation, our first calling. Our first priority. And, of
course, it is a calling that is completely self-serving, since, without the
earth thriving and healthy, our time as a species is not long.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn6" name="_ednref6" style="mso-endnote-id: edn6;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[vi]</span></span></span></span></a>
The call to protect the earth is not a call to self-sacrifice. It’s a call to
save ourselves.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
At
the end of our passage, God consoles Cain, who has murdered his brother, by
telling him he will not be killed. God brands him with a protective mark so
that no one will harm him. This is how God responds to our sin, to the things
we do that cause the earth to run with blood, human or honeybee. God protects
us. God serves us. God reassures us. God sends us on to a new place, in hopes
we will do better from now on. God reminds us, as in Psalm 139, that, there is
really nowhere we can flee from God’s presence. Sin might be separation from
God, but God is having none of it. God won’t be separated from us even if we <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">try</i> to climb in our roadsters and make a
getaway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sin adds to the suffering of
the world, but God steps in to ameliorate even that with second and third and
four-thousandth chances. God remains faithful. God remains creative! God keeps inviting
us to be a part of the divine creative plan. God’s love never fails. Thanks be
to God. Amen.</div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Scots Confession 3.03, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Presbyterian Church (USA) Constitution Part I: The Book of Confessions</i>,
11.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">“The Sin of Man,” Confession of 1967 9.12, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">op cit.</i></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn3" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref3" name="_edn3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iii]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">“Mystery Malady Kills More Bees, Heightening Worry on
Farms,” New York Times, March 28, 2013, p. A1.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn4" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref4" name="_edn4" style="mso-endnote-id: edn4;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iv]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">“Report Says Fewer Bees Perished Over the Winter, But
the Reason Is a Mystery,” New York Times, May 16, 2014, p. A 19.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn5" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref5" name="_edn5" style="mso-endnote-id: edn5;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[v]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Leonard Shlain, quoted in the documentary “Connected:
An Autoiography about Love, Death, and Technology,” 2011.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn6" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref6" name="_edn6" style="mso-endnote-id: edn6;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[vi]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Noam Chomsky, “The End of History?” <a href="http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=20140905133110637">http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=20140905133110637</a>
</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-63487835812109105912014-09-07T11:30:00.000-04:002014-09-07T11:30:00.680-04:00The Forest for the Trees: Sermon on Genesis 2:4b-22
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Scripture can be found <a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=277090832" target="_blank">here</a>... </div>
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I
was born in a beach-town, a suburb of Atlantic City, the daughter of parents who
were born and raised in Philadelphia. We didn’t spend a lot of time in forests.
In fact, my mother considered forests to be kind of sinister. Maybe she read
too many spooky fairy tales in the Philadelphia Public Library, but when it was
time for me to go to Camp Acagisca, mom sent dad to drive me, saying “Put me
between two trees, and I’ll get lost. Put me between two trees, and you’ll
never see me again!”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
That
said, I’ve had a kind of gentle initiation into forests all the same. My
parents took me to California when I was seven, and we spent a day among the
giant redwoods. I’ve been camping on Cape Cod. I’ve roamed through the
beautiful and well-marked trails at the Waterman Center, inhaling the sweet
smell of pine and cedar. I’ve read J. R. R. Tolkien! These are my limited
credentials, as we start our four-week “Season of Creation” series with “Forest
Sunday.”</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
But
trees: ah. Trees are another matter. Trees, I know. I have fallen in love with
trees, individual trees, in my life. Let me tell you about one such tree.</div>
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<br /></div>
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There
is a weeping copper beech outside the parish house of West Presbyterian Church.
When I went there to work as director of Christian Education almost fifteen
years ago, I parked near the tree on my first day in the office, and was very
nearly late because I was so taken by it. For those of you who have never seen this
tree up close, it is very like the image of a woman with extraordinarily long
hair, flowing right down to the ground, which she can completely hide beneath.
Think Cousin Itt, only not weird and creepy. You usually can’t see the trunk of
a weeping copper beach. But the sight of such a tree makes you want to part
those cascading boughs and walk into the fragrant darkness of its canopy. It’s
mysterious, you want to step inside. I did. On warm days I took my lunch and
picnicked there. I can truthfully say that not one day of my tenure at that
church passed without me stopping and taking grateful notice of that
extraordinary, stunning tree.</div>
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On Forest
Sunday we are offered a creation story, and it features no forests, but a
number of trees, some trees with names. The tree of life. The tree of the knowledge
of good and evil. And then more ordinary trees— let’s say apple trees, and
peach trees. Since Eden as it is described is probably somewhere in modern day
Iraq, or Turkey, or even Israel, let’s be sure to include orange trees, and
also date, plum, apricot, and olive trees. Lemon trees, very pretty. Fig trees,
powerful biblical symbols of wisdom and peace.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And
there, folded into the stories of the creation of trees and forests and
food-crops and animals, is the creation of man and woman. And do you notice how
connected everything is? The earth is created, and later man is created from
the earth. The man is created, and woman is created from the man’s own body,
“bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh,” as he will call her, right after our
passage ends.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And all
the parts of creation—all of them—are in some sense made for one another. The
man and woman to “till and keep” the trees and forests and food-crops, and the
trees and food-crops to provide the humans with food and even, science tells
us, air. When we exhale, we provide carbon dioxide for the plants and trees,
and the plants and trees, in turn, provide oxygen for us.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Everything
is so connected, so intimately connected, that, a theory emerged in the 1960’s
that the earth is, in fact, one complex organism. Think of the remarkable
photographs of the earth taken from space by the Apollo astronauts. There are
no borders. Everything is connected. God has created it all in such a way that
we have real impact on one another—for good or for ill.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And
that is the story of the man and the woman. They will have an impact on one
another. Their fates are inextricably entwined, and not simply because the
woman is described as the man’s “helper.” [By the way, if you do a search for
the word “helper” in scripture, roughly a third of the references are to God.
God is our helper. It’s a good word.] The fates of the first humans are connected,
and so, I believe, are the fates of all humans today, sometimes in ways we
can’t see or predict in advance. This is how we were created: we were made to
be a part of one another.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Recently
I saw an illustration of a stand of redwood trees, with a written description
that went like this: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Redwood trees are among some of the
most majestic trees. They grow to be over 300 feet tall, and can live thousands
of years, and their wood has special properties that make it resistant to mold,
insects, and rot. Also, despite growing so old and so high, they have
relatively shallow roots – around 6 to 12 feet deep. This root system could not
hold up the tree by itself if it were not for a unique interaction between the
trees. Redwoods get their stability and strength from growing up together with
other redwoods in groves, and then intertwining their roots. In essence, </span></i><em><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-style: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">they hold onto each other</span></em><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, and this enables them to grow
incredibly tall, strong, and live long lives.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></b></span></span></span></a></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
We
are like those redwoods, we people of faith. This is how we were created. We
come together in a community of believers and seekers and people who are
looking for a better way to live. We seek to put down roots here, roots that
stretch out broadly, connecting us, not so much to the place, as to one
another. What holds us up is what holds us together. We intertwine our roots,
we hold on to each other. This is what enables us to grow strong, in our faith
and in our lives.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Everything
is connected. This is how everything was created. Trees in forests. Men and
women in gardens. People to plants, plants to animals, animals to people, in an
endless round-robin of creation, one that was designed by God to give us
delight and abundance of life. We find that abundance by noticing that some
fruits are delicious and nourishing. We delight by pausing to notice its sheer deliciousness
and beauty and mystery. We find trees that take our breath away, and make us
want to sit in their shade for peace and solitude. We see late summer flowers
that make us want to take pictures so that we share them with our friends. We
hold on to each other, like the stands of redwood trees. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And all this connection—to nature and to one
another—points us back, again and again, to the One who fashioned all things
bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and
wonderful. The Lord God made them all. Thanks be to God. Amen.</div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">redwoodfamilytherapy.com. </span></div>
</div>
</div>
Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-77932101841866639002014-08-31T12:11:00.002-04:002014-08-31T12:11:41.624-04:00The Beloved Community: Sermon on Ruth 4:1-22<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qgrGXZBzu1YulQ8xhiv6Nm8yT8qruzvatSm9SOlw4NZh09OVtN1m8fjgGrie4coNJEFqUkmaP1eDc5TPGx8cK_7Vs2TEjMRSz7YWzatiILl40zyqWACxxX1HDgc9tjkoovZyBl4kxKho/s1600/Ruth+and+Naomi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qgrGXZBzu1YulQ8xhiv6Nm8yT8qruzvatSm9SOlw4NZh09OVtN1m8fjgGrie4coNJEFqUkmaP1eDc5TPGx8cK_7Vs2TEjMRSz7YWzatiILl40zyqWACxxX1HDgc9tjkoovZyBl4kxKho/s1600/Ruth+and+Naomi.jpg" height="396" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruth and Naomi by <a href="http://heqigallery.com/" target="_blank">He Qi</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Scripture can be found <a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=276501123" target="_blank">here</a>...<br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
We
come today to the last act of the Book of Ruth, and we find ourselves in the
middle of what truly feels like a romantic comedy—one last obstacle to be
overcome, the other <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">goel</i>, the (Hebrew
word meaning) “next of kin redeemer.” This is the part at the end of “My Best
Friend’s Wedding” where Julia Roberts chases Cameron Diaz to a White Sox game
at Comiskey Park to convince her that Dermot Mulroney really does love her. Except,
in our story, this is the part where Boaz slyly leaves out the crucial bit of
information—the land comes with a woman!—to first, give the unnamed “other guy”
the thought that he can redeem the land belonging to the family; and then to
allow that other guy to reveal himself as the guy who wants the land, but not
the woman, too much baggage, too much responsibility, thank you very much, I’ll
go home now.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And
so Boaz is left as the closest kin, the one who truly can redeem the situation
and the family—buy back their honor, and their stability, and their sense of
place, their sense of home.<br />
<br />
Let’s step back for a minute, and look at the big picture.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You’ve been taken by the wind… you have
known the kiss of sorrow.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
story begins with Naomi finding herself to be a wife with no husband, and a
mother with no sons. She has two daughters-in-law who don’t belong with her.
She thinks herself to be as good as dead.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
But
she has this one daughter-in-law Ruth, who insists: Wherever you go, I will go.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Doors that would not take you in… outcast,
and a stranger.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
When
they return to Bethlehem, Naomi is bitter. But her daughter-in-law, Ruth the
Moabite, begins, little by little, to restore life’s sweetness for Naomi.
First, she feeds her with the grain she has harvested. Then she lets it be
known that the owner of the field is a relative of Naomi’s husband.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Notice,
none of the three are blood relatives to one another. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You have come by way of sorrow, you have
come by way of tears…</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
After
a time, Naomi sends Ruth to make a case to Boaz that he should step up, and
obey the laws of their people, and take Ruth as his wife. Boaz is persuaded.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Then
we have our romantic-comedy-type Big Last Obstacle, and it is overcome. Ruth
and Boaz are wed, and they have a child, Obed. One last name definition for you:
Obed means “servant,” “worker.” And Obed does indeed serve God’s purposes
mightily, because he provides us the great punch line of the story, the
information saved for the very last moment: Obed will be the grandfather of
King David, the greatest king in all the stories of God’s people. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
But
for Naomi, this is a resurrection story. “Blessed be the Lord…” say the women
of Bethlehem, as baby Obed is placed in Naomi’s arms. “He shall be to you a
restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who
loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.” Naomi, who was
dead, has come alive again. She is so full of life she becomes the baby’s
nurse.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">But you’ll reach your destiny, meant to find
you all these years, </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">meant to find you all these years.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
What
can we take from this story?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Scripture
tells us stories of creation and re-creation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
We
read in Ruth about the breakdown of not only a family, but an entire society, about
the moment when its members might scatter to the winds like the seeds of a
dandelion, but instead, come together again, when family is re-created by being
re-defined. Ruth says, no matter that we are not related. I choose to make you,
Naomi, my family. We are kin.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Scripture
tells us stories of God’s love through the covenants we make.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
We
have the initial unseen covenant between Naomi and her husband, and then between
Ruth and her husband.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
We
have the completely unexpected covenant between the foreigner Ruth and her
mother-in-law Naomi.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
We
have the further marriage covenant between Ruth and Boaz.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And
we have God’s unseen hand, guiding the makers of these covenants to provide for
God’s people in ways that startle and surprise us.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Scripture
tells us stories of outsiders who, mysteriously, end up being the lynchpins in
God’s surprising designs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Ruth
is a Moabite, which means all kinds of coded things in scripture about being an
outsider, about being hated—in one psalm [108:9] we actually read, “Moab is my
washpot,” which is a very cleaned up translation of something much more like,
“I will wipe the floor with you, Moab.” Naomi’s people despise her people. But
of all the players in this little tale, it is Ruth who is most closely aligned
with not only the character, but the purposes of God. Ruth is the one whose
actions speak of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hesed</i>, of loving-kindness,
and faithfulness.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And
it is Ruth who is the necessary player—it is her re-crafting of familial
relationships that ultimately can be credited with the birth of King David.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Think
of how this story was heard in an era when intermarriage with non-Israelites
was forbidden. Think of how this story was heard as people were being forced to
break up their families, sending their wives and children away if they were not
descendants of God’s covenant with Abraham.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Think
of how God was speaking to God’s people through this gentle little tale of loss
and hunger, and re-vitalization and fullness—all because one of those hated
foreigners exceeded all expectations and definitions of love and loyalty. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Think
of how we can hear this story today. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
As
summer comes to an end, I want to end, not by talking about a romantic comedy,
but a big sci-fi action picture, “Guardians of the Galaxy.” So, we have our
hero, a guy kidnapped from family when he was just a kid, and we have what ends
up being his truly motley crew—a green killing-machine of woman, a genetically
engineered raccoon man, a very extensively tattooed wrestler-type, and a man
who is a tree. A tree-man. The tree-man’s name is “Groot.” We know this,
because he speaks only the words, “I am Groot,” in response to every situation.
“I am Groot.” For those of you to whom this means anything, think “Hodor.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
I am
going to spoil the end of this movie for you, so plug your ears if you haven’t
seen it. In the great crisis near the end, when it seems all our motley crew is
sure to die, Groot does something that will save everyone, but probably kill
him. The raccoon man, Rocket, tries to talk him out of it—“But Groot, you’ll
die.” And then, with tears brimming in his tree-man eyes, he says, “WE ARE
GROOT.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
We
are Groot. It’s the most scriptural moment I’ve experienced in a summer
blockbuster in a long, long, time. And it speaks a truth that is at the heart
of, not only the Book of Ruth, but all of scripture: our redemption, our salvation,
always, always, happens in community. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
it almost always happens because we have defied the rules that society clings
to about where our loyalties are supposed to lie, and instead, stretch
ourselves, open ourselves, to come together in a beloved community of those
outside our own tribe. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
This
is what church is. A beloved community. A community where we come together, not
because we are a biologically related family, but to find and forge a new
definition of family that does not rely on shared genes or skin color or ethnic
background. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like Ruth. Like Naomi. Like
Boaz.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You have drunk a bitter wine with none to be
your comfort,</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You who once were left behind will be
welcome at love's table.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You have come by way of sorrow, you have
come by way of tears,</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">But you’ll reach your destiny, meant to find
you all these years,</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">meant to find you all these years.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Thanks
be to God. Amen.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
~~~</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Song Lyrics: "By Way of Sorrow," Julie and Buddy Miller </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-89180170388151981542014-08-28T14:26:00.000-04:002014-08-28T14:26:00.525-04:00A Burning Bush<div class="_5pbx userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBX7JdXMN-Rs8e_cn1Z-FKXtpQE_pVrxdC4gQvMAyEZjIBRGeGmfkTn9J-T8TRw5-4tD-bj43eqWIEXk46cfHQL_g6ERRe1nF-P0gp-xEp51hGBVONek0b3V1SCtdK3k2V_a2BK73OQgY/s1600/burning+bush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBX7JdXMN-Rs8e_cn1Z-FKXtpQE_pVrxdC4gQvMAyEZjIBRGeGmfkTn9J-T8TRw5-4tD-bj43eqWIEXk46cfHQL_g6ERRe1nF-P0gp-xEp51hGBVONek0b3V1SCtdK3k2V_a2BK73OQgY/s1600/burning+bush.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail, Burning Bush/ Tree of Life Quilt by Janet Rutkowski</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=276250289" target="_blank">Exodus 3:1-8</a> <br />
<br />
I hardly dare ask... I know we have no right... <br /> But Michael Brown, I must ask this great favor, this unspeakable gift.<br />
<br />
Trayvon was not enough, nor Emmett, <br /> nor the whole host and holocaust of men of color, <br /> (did we even notice Kajieme?) <br /> enslaved, disposable, <br /> less than human through the sites of a gun.<br />
<br />
I hardly dare ask.<br />
<br />
The hashtag is good-- <a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/blacklivesmatter?source=feed_text&story_id=10152238460361957"><span class="_58cl">#</span><span class="_58cm">blacklivesmatter</span></a>-- <br /> but I fear it isn't enough, <br /> won't do the job we need it to do,<br />
the enormous breaking down <br /> of laws and structures and hearts <br /> the massive dismantling of privilege unacknowledged <br /> and assumptions unchallenged.<br />
<br />
Oh Michael Brown. I know we have no right to ask, <br /> the image is all too close<br /> to the evil fires set again and again... <br /> the symbol of hope, the cross of Christ <br /> transformed into Satan's flag of terror, <br /> crackling and crumbling in a Missouri night.<br />
<br />
I know we have no right to ask, But ask I will.<br />
<br />
Oh Michael Brown, will you be our burning bush?<br />
<br />
c. Patricia Raube 2014</div>
Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513307122126589431.post-19704423201809720772014-08-24T11:30:00.000-04:002014-08-24T11:30:01.541-04:00Oh, What a Night! Sermon on Ruth 3:1-18<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zhsvpM4Bm-A-nxC4IkOozWJ7yBJDDVsdwWn8zK_LYhjZviPafnyZVXZjpD7-UX70ClC4dEuGuRmq7CqkDkzs-28KyVguBWpoZLlcYViA55UtcUKHqYx5_pCndxuc9FaCjZlkQ_6ISCZE/s1600/bale_poster_James_Jamie_Wyeth_print.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zhsvpM4Bm-A-nxC4IkOozWJ7yBJDDVsdwWn8zK_LYhjZviPafnyZVXZjpD7-UX70ClC4dEuGuRmq7CqkDkzs-28KyVguBWpoZLlcYViA55UtcUKHqYx5_pCndxuc9FaCjZlkQ_6ISCZE/s1600/bale_poster_James_Jamie_Wyeth_print.jpg" height="275" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hay Bale" by Jamie Wyeth</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Scripture can be found <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ruth+3%3A1-18&version=NRSV" target="_blank">here</a>...<br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Try
to remember a time when you fell in love. Maybe it was summertime. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Maybe
you remember a warm evening spent walking through the park, hand in hand with
someone you’d had your eye on for a long time. And now, you knew the feeling was
mutual. And you were light-headed and giddy with the new reality. Love! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Or
maybe you were in an air-conditioned restaurant. A conversation started… “Tell
me about yourself.” And the next thing you knew, it was five hours later, and
you regretted the early morning commitment that made you say goodnight before
you wanted to. It was love.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Or
maybe you were watching the one you’d been married to for a long time already.
They were fixing a faucet. It was a hot day. It had been a frustrating project,
taking longer than planned, requiring a second trip to the hardware store. You
brought a cup of ice water, and your eyes met, for just a moment. And there it
was… you’d do anything for each other. Still. It’s still love.</div>
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In
this morning’s passage from the Book of Ruth we are given a window into an
intimate moment—but what is it, exactly? Is it the moment Ruth and Boaz fall in
love? Is it the moment when they know they belong together? What exactly
happens on that threshing floor?</div>
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The
story is set in motion by Naomi. </div>
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The
mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, from different lands, ethnic groups, and
religions, have been living in mutual commitment in Bethlehem. Their stomachs
were empty, but now they are full. It’s Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:
physiological needs come first. Then the need for safety. Then connection—love,
marriage, family. Explicitly stating that the goal for Ruth must now be marriage,
Naomi sends her daughter-in-law, washed and anointed, to the end-of-harvest
celebration, with their kinsman Boaz as the object of Naomi’s strategies. Naomi
instructs Ruth,</div>
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<i>“…
go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until
he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, observe the place where
he lies; then, go and uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what
to do.”</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>~ Ruth 3:3b-4</div>
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There
are several ways we can look at this. Maybe what we are seeing is a planned
seduction. Ruth is bathed and anointed—she’s put on her perfume, taken care as
to how she is dressed. Anyone who has been in love knows the ritual of
preparing to spend time with the object of their affections. Choosing the right
clothes. Fussing with your hair. This is all familiar.</div>
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Where
the biblical narrative takes an unexpected jag is in what Naomi suggests next.
“Don’t approach him until he’s drunk and ready to go to sleep. Then lie down
next to him…”</div>
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There
is a specter hovering over this scene, the ghost of something else entirely. I’ve
stated a couple of times over these past three weeks that Ruth and Naomi have
no options for employment. But that is not true. There is a profession open to
them, the oldest profession, and the hint, the threat of prostitution hangs around
this scene like an unwelcome guest. And I promise you: anyone hearing this
story or reading the scroll back in the time when it was written would have
understood that fact very clearly. The actions Naomi urges Ruth to take—with
the specific goal of obtaining a marriage proposal from Boaz—could easily be
interpreted as solicitation, with Ruth as the prostitute and Boaz as the
client. This is an extremely risky proposition. If you’d like to know all about
the significance of the phrase “uncover his feet,” you can catch me at coffee
hour or at bible study on Monday at 5:00 PM. </div>
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But
this is not prostitution. Ruth is not soliciting, and Boaz is no client. And,
in fact, after she follows all Naomi’s instructions to the letter, Ruth stops
short. She stops short at stopping short—she does not follow Naomi’s
instructions to wait to be instructed by Boaz. Instead, she speaks:</div>
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<i>[Boaz
says], “Who are you?” And [Ruth answers], “I am Ruth, your servant; spread your
cloak over your servant, for you are next-of-kin.”</i> </div>
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We
interrupt the flow of this sermon to bring you a brief piece of background
information on that phrase, “next-of-kin.” According to the laws of Leviticus and
Deuteronomy, close relatives must step up to guard the property rights of the
family when there is a death. In this case, Ruth is marriageable, and there is,
we learn for the first time right here, property associated with Ruth’s dead
husband—property she can’t own outright because she is a woman. “Next-of-kin” is
a legal designation. It means that Boaz is not only eligible, he is morally
required to step forward—to keep the property in the family by marrying Ruth.</div>
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But now:
did you notice what just happened? That in a story supposed to have taken place
something like 3500 years ago, a woman has proposed marriage to a man? God is
said to spread a cloak over God’s people repeatedly throughout scripture (in
Hebrew, the word is “wings.”) It is a metaphor for complete care and
protection, an act of love and nurture. When Ruth asks Boaz to spread his cloak
over her, she is asking him to care for her, to protect her. Ruth is asking
Boaz to marry her, and she is doing so in language that deliberately ties
Boaz’s action to God’s: love as an act of caring and protection. The Hebrew
word for this is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hesed</i>. It can be
translated love, or loving-kindness, or faithfulness. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hesed</i> is the kind of love God has for us. </div>
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And
Boaz’s answer? </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">[Boaz says], "May you be blessed by the
Lord, my daughter; this last instance of your loyalty is better than the first;
you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter,
do not be afraid, I will do for you all that you ask, for all the assembly of
my people know that you are a worthy woman</i>.” ~ Ruth 3:10-11</div>
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There’s
that word again, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hesed</i>, only here
it’s translated “loyalty.” But it’s the same word. Love. Loving-kindness.
Faithfulness. The kind of love God has for us. </div>
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And
here it seems like a good time to notice: this chapter is usually portrayed as
an attempt to get Boaz to save Ruth (and, by extension, Naomi, and their
family’s property and heritage). But here Boaz, with incredible grace, and
humility, and honesty, points out a poignant truth: Ruth is saving him, as
well. He reveals that he thinks of himself as less worthy, maybe less
desirable. He is honored.</div>
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I
wonder. Do you think maybe the best relationships are the ones where both
parties think that they are the lucky one?</div>
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Can
you remember a time when you realized that this was the person you wanted to
spend your life with? And it was not because they were beautiful or buff or
even smart or brave… but simply because you could see their goodness shining
through? Their heart? When Ruth looks at Boaz she sees a man who didn’t chase a
foreigner, a stranger, away from his field, but provided for her safety as well
as her empty stomach. When Boaz looks at Ruth he sees a woman who devoted
herself to the well-being of her widowed mother-in-law, despite her own
self-interest, and who, even in this act—this bold and daring proposal on the
threshing floor—continues to care for Naomi. </div>
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Boaz
urges Ruth to sleep. Because the author of Ruth is a brilliant storyteller, the
happy ending—the fullness and healing the reader is longing for—is not so
quickly or easily accomplished. There is another who is a closer relative; this
must be dealt with. Boaz, mindful of the conclusions that might be drawn if
Ruth were to be spotted leaving in the wee hours of the morning, helps her to
leave undiscovered. Still, the atmosphere is light and the symbolism heavy:
Boaz loads Ruth down with grain to take home to Naomi. Seed and fertility—fullness
of every kind—are promised. Ruth leaves, we have to believe, with a heart as
full as her cloak.</div>
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Naomi’s
question to Ruth upon her return home is translated “How did things go with
you, my daughter?” but the Hebrew is a much more spare and enigmatic, “Who
are you, my daughter?” Who is Ruth, now that she has returned home from her
assignment? Is her reputation intact? Did Boaz understand what she was angling
for? Has she returned home a woman promised marriage or not? Ruth’s response,
if the text actually reports it in total, is equally spare, and equally enigmatic:
<i>“He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said, ‘Do not go back to
your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”</i> [3:17] If Naomi’s question (and ours)
is, “What happened, exactly?” it goes unanswered. Some things are better left a
mystery.</div>
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What
a night! An assignation on the threshing floor, full of sexual tension and
anticipation. And yet it carries with it even more pressing questions of
long-term safety and well-being, life and death. Which, if you think about it,
is true of every relationship of deep commitment, certainly of every marriage.
I have a minister friend who likes to remind marrying couples that they make
their promises in the face of death—that, despite the relative ease with which
they can change their minds and go their separate ways, in the moment of
marrying they commit themselves to staying until either they or their spouse
are widow or widower. “Love is stronger than death,” the Song of Songs reminds
us, “and passion fierce as the grave.” In love we set a seal on the heart of
one another. It isn’t easily erased.</div>
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Much
like the love of God. God sets a seal upon our hearts and lives, too, and God’s
passion is without doubt stronger than death and fiercer than the grave. And
God cares about us, our lives and our loves matter to God, in all their
messiness and unpredictability and moments of embarrassment and grace. Dr. William
Willimon wrote a gorgeous essay on weddings and marriages, in which he
concludes:</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Our God, thank God, does not wait
until we get our lives cleaned up and aesthetically acceptable, until we know
what we’re getting into, until all the psychological factors indicate that we
are ready to mate, and until we figure out the <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">real </span>meaning of what it means to love another human being
forever. Our God -- the one who began his ministry at, of all places, a <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">wedding </span>in Cana of Galilee -- entered
the flesh, the tackiness and transitoriness of it all and said, strange as it
might seem to us of little faith, that our human unions are of divine
consequence.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></b></span></span></span></a></span></i></div>
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God’s
hand continues to quietly guide the characters in our story. Next week, all
will finally be revealed. But we can already see the ending, like a
well-plotted romantic comedy. We see it in Ruth, cloak full of grain, moving quietly
through the mist of a very early morning to show Naomi the promise of what lies
ahead, this very human union that is of divine consequence. Thanks be to God.
Amen.</div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4513307122126589431#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">William Willimon, “Cleaning Up the Wedding,” the <i>Christian
Century </i>June 6-13, 1979, p.653. </span></div>
</div>
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Rev. Patricia Raubehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135817205490086193noreply@blogger.com0