SONGS OF CHRISTMAS

“Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” “Silent Night,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” “What Child is This,” “O Holy Night,” “Mary, Did You Know?” Songs that glorify and praise God. Songs that describe some part of the Christmas miracle. I love them, but there are many other Christmas songs, aren’t there? Songs that capture the joy of Christmas, the warmth of family on Christmas, how Christmas itself affects people, and of course, the silly songs about Christmas. There are a lot of Christmas songs that we don’t sing in church (for good reason)- songs like “Rock Around the Christmas Tree,” “Run Rudolph Run,” “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,”“When My Heart Finds Christmas,” “Aint’s No Chimneys in the Projects,” and Tom Waite’s wonderful song, “Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis.” I love Christmas songs in all of their forms and genres. They try to describe the indescribable, to tell of a joy that surpasses understanding, and to deal with a moment that is both soft and sweet, and radical and threatening. Christ is born in Bethlehem (house of bread). The anointed Savior lives and he is the King of Kings. Unto you a child is born- unto you who are unclean, uninvited and unwelcome, unto you who are tied to your machine in the factory, your desk and paper, or your kitchen sink, unto you who have walked mostly uphill in the rain and who have grown weary making lemonade out of life’s lemons- unto you, a forgiver and a life-giver is born! Sing it out! Joy to the world! Unto you Christmas has come… and whether you get all that you want, or nothing at all, you will never be dismissed as a nobody again- not in God’s eyes- for unto you, a Savior is born! The characters of Christmas will soon fill the stage in our churches- Mother Mary and Joseph, and their newborn child; the cattle and the sheep (their numbers vary depending on the number of children in the church), the feeding trough is there, the room is filled with unclean shepherds and the foreign astrologers who had seen the star are there too, although it’s not quite accurate. The innkeeper is out of sight, Herod is lurking behind the curtain, and we know that the critics, the doubters, and the powers-that-be, will soon challenge and a reject both the singer and the song… but it doesn’t matter really, because unto… you... Christ is born! Mary’s boy is born! So lift your hands in praise and raise your voices… for he is calling you to a joyful and purposeful life, which will go on and on and on, forever! Amen. If you are hungry in all the ways we get hungry, he will feed you; if you are thirsty, he will give you a drink of living water; if you are naked and vulnerable, shabby and embarrassed, he will clothe you; if you are lost, if you are walking in the shadows, and you can’t see where you are going, because of the tears in your eyes, He will walk with you and carry you if you fall; if you are chained and imprisoned in all the ways we get chained, He will save your souls and set you free; if you’re shut-in, shut-away, shut-down, and shut-up, if your voice is silenced and unheard, He will listen to your story and open doors that have long been shut to you; if you have trouble living, remember that his eye is on the sparrow, and if you are afraid of dying, know that those who trust in Christ will never die! Christmas is worthy of a 1000 songs. Christmas is worthy of adoration and praise! They say that we should put Christ back in Christmas … but Christ is Christmas… and apart form Christ, Christmas loses its meaning because He is the gift! And without, Christmas, there is little to sing about because, for every sentimental song we know, there is a sad song too. We can’t make Christmas good or bad, not really, because it is not about us. It’s about the gift of life that God chose to give us because He so loved the world. Without Christ, Christmas will be gone as soon as the company leaves, but with Christ, it will change who we are and how we live. Christmas is surely worth a song and I will close with the first Christmas song. It was sung by Mother Mary, and the words go like this: My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. I sing because I must! I celebrate my Lord and praise God from the depths of my being… Because He has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. In a world where everyone is known by a number, my Lord knows my name. He has an eye on me and I am somebody to him- somebody worth blessing and worth calling to a sacred place. From now on generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me- holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him from generation to generation, He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has scattered those who are drunk on their own wine, who are lost in their own thoughts, blind to God’s presence, and deaf to God’s invitation. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has lifted up the humble. He has brought those who think little of him… down, and lifted up those who know they need him and who embrace him as their Lord. He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty. He has blessed those who hunger for righteousness and justice, but dismissed those who think that it is all about them. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful  to Abraham and his descendants forever just as he promised our ancestors.” It is Christmas and the King of Kings has arrived. He is partial to those who see that they need a Savior and also to those who hunger for justice and righteousness. He has an eye on those who struggle and tread water. He is mindful of their need for love, grace, new beginnings and joy… and he offers these gifts to all who would receive them. It’s Christmas, and the God of renewal, empowerment, and mercy… has showed up in a cattle shed, in a nothing little town, in an occupied state. Sing a song of salvation. Sing a song of grace. Sing a song of acceptance. Sing a song of love. Sing a song of victory. And sing of gratitude too. Joy to the world! Good for you… because unto you a Savior is born!

When Christmas Was All About Me

       Well, its Christmas time and I'm a little nostalgic again. I think about the Christmases my brothers and I had when we were growing up. They were traditional and festive. Mom and dad tried their best to give us a good Christmas and mother made sure that the dollar amount spent on each one of us was exactly the same. Dad was around more on Christmas... as we gathered with family and friends to celebrate and open our gifts. Since we weren't a religious family, Christmas, for us, was a time when we gathered together, had fun, and opened gifts.
      There was more drinking than there needed to be, but Christmases were good for my brothers and me because we always got more than enough presents. As a kid, I looked forward to Christmas, but I was concerned that things were "just right." It was up to me to give just the right gifts to others, and I had lot of anxiety about receiving just the right gifts myself. Even as we gathered to celebrate, I had a secret fear that I would disappoint someone... or be disappointed myself... which brings me to the Christmas when I received a shotgun instead of the bowling ball. I was bowling in league at the time and I wanted my own bowling ball. My father, on the other hand, wanted me to join him and my brothers on their hunting adventures. He didn't take many days off, but sometimes, he would get up extremely early and hunt pheasants in a farm field... or take a day trip to his duck blind. I'm sure that he saw hunting as a right of passage and as something we could bond around because he wasn't into sports... but I hated hunting and my heart was set on a bowling ball.
      I made my wishes known for weeks before Christmas, but come Christmas morning, there it was- a brand new shotgun. My number one, central gift, was a stupid shotgun... and I was devastated! My Christmas was ruined because it didn't meet my expectations. It didn't play out as I had envisioned it and I was heartbroken. I was fixated on what I wanted and I couldn't appreciate what I had actually been given. Christmas, it seems, was all about me. I couldn't let go and celebrate the joy that others were experiencing. And I kept struggling to accept things as they were until I first believed! Yes, until I first believed.

      When I accepted that God had sent his Son to save my soul, I felt loved for the first time in my life. A peace that I had not known before came over me, and knowing that I had been accepted by grace... freed me to accept others. Now, I look forward to Christmas without anxiety because I am focused on Christ instead of myself. Indeed, once I had got out of the driver's seat and "let God," the ride became much more enjoyable, and I know that Christmas will be good because things are good when God's in charge! My brothers are gone now and I would give anything to see them at Christmas. Mom and dad are gone too, and it's been over 60 years since I received a shotgun as a present... but if I could do it over again, I would say, "Thank's for the gun, dad. It's beautiful. Do you have time to take us out shooting later this week?"

 

GRACE AND NOTHING ELSE AT ALL

A friend once told me that her pastor preached "responsible grace," and while I think I know what she had in mind, grace cannot be burdened with any adjective. Grace is simply grace, unearned, undeserved, unfair, and hard to understand. It must be unmerited and unconditional to be grace at all. I've known people- perhaps you have too- who seem to believe that grace ought to be given to those who are "trying hard," or who will "appreciate it," or who "won't need it again." But this cannot be grace because grace cannot keep score. Grace is unfettered and undeserved loving kindness. It forgives those who will "straighten out their ways"... and those who won't. It lifts up those who will "pass it forward"... and those who won't. It blesses those who are very, very good... and those who aren't even trying to be good! Grace seems unfair to us and most people feel as if they don't "deserve" it. They don't... deserve it... but it is the only hope we have                                                                                                                                         

When God "speaks" to us. it is grace... when God listens to us, it is also grace...when God clothed Adam and Eve, it was grace... when     Jesus dined with Zacchaeus, it was grace...when a Rainbow appears in the sky...when a wound heals...when hope rises, it is grace...when   people stick with us and don't run away...when they don't give up on us, it is grace...a smile is grace... so is a tear... when Jesus hung on his  cross and welcomed the thief hanging next to him into his kingdom, it was grace and when the Son of God ended his work by saying, "Father, forgive them," it was amazing grace!

 "Rain is grace," Updike said. "Grace is love that stoops and rescues," according to John Scott. "Listen to you life," Buechner says, "touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it (because) life itself is grace." In Rumi's view, "grace comes to forgive and then forgive again." When Jesus talked about forgiving 70 times 7, completely and as a way of life, he was talking about grace. Creation is about grace. Salvation is about grace. Kindness is about grace. Heaven is about grace. Dying with a loved one at your side is grace. Forgiving and loving yourself is grace! It's all about unmerited, unearned. undeserved favor and that is grace! May we dry our tears, leap for joy, and get out there and shower others with grace in Christ's name and for God's sake! Amen.
    

 

WHAT I OWE TO GOD, MY SPOUSE, AND TO CAESAR

 In the 22^nd chapter of Matthew, Jesus is confronted by a group of Pharisees and several Herodians (supporters of Herod) with a question that was designed to entrap him. Rabbi, they said, since we know that you always speak the truth, tell us if it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? “Show me the coin for the tax,” Jesus said, and they brought him a denarius, which was a day’s pay for a working man. “Whose likeness and inscription is this,” Jesus asked as he looked at the head of Emperor Tiberius, with the inscription: “Tiberius Caesar, son of the deified Augustus.” They said, the likeness and the inscription are Caesar’s, and Jesus replied, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” A clever answer to a loaded question, but what does it mean to us today, as we gather in a society which is much, much more secular and individualistic than anything Jesus and his critics ever knew? What belongs to God? And what belongs to Caesar?

 

What do we owe God? What do I owe God?

 

Obedience? Surely I owe God obedience. The rules and the laws from which they come are all about obedience and Jesus plainly said that those who hear his words… and live them out- do them- are those who love him.

 

Gratitude? Surely I owe God gratitude, for the gift of life, for the gift of love, for the blessings I’ve received, for saving my life and my soul. And how am I to express my gratitude? As our hymn says, “How does the creature say thanks?”

 

Love? Jesus noted that the entire law is based on love. Love God with everything you are- heart, mind, soul, strength- and love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law rests on these.

 

Surrender? I owe God to surrender my will to his, to let him have his way with me, to be “born again” and to grow, day by day, into the person God wants me to be.

 

Authenticity, being real? I owe God the real me. Trust- letting go. I owe God a relationship that involves conversation, laughter, and tears, just like any other important relationship!

 

Investment. I owe God a sincere effort to invest and commit to my relationship with him. To really listen to God as God speaks to me through the Bible, through the people around me, and through the events of our time.

 

What do I owe to my lover- the one whom God has given me to walk with through this life on earth?

 

Transparency comes to mine. I need to share what is in my heart and on my mind, so that there is opportunity for healing, changing, forgiving, or just knowing what’s going on.

 

Speaking the truth in love, where the words “truth” and “love” both count. Without love, truth can be a blunt instrument and without truth, love is just an illusion.

 

Elbow room. I owe my love space so that he or she can become all that God intended. As Gibran noted, two people should grow in the same garden, but not so closely that one of them blocks the sun from the other.

 

Trust. All relationships worthy of the name are a matter of trust. Keep your promise of fidelity and steadfast love, no matter the temptation, or how things are going in your life.

 

Time. Nothing grows without time and nurturing, not our careers, not our golf games, not our bonds within a relationship. Relationships need to be nourished!

 

Forgiveness is a given because, unless we are willing and able to forgive, our relationships, even with the people we love, are doomed!

 

How about my children? 

 

Well, it seems that we owe our kids at least this much:

Moral guidance through word and example.

Love: supportive love, forgiving love, empowering love, and tough love (if its love).

Respect. As the great Dr. Seuss said, “A person is a person no matter how small.”

A good example at home. Not a perfect one, but one in which people respect one another, use language that builds others up, and provides the peace that a home should provide.

 

And Caesar. What belongs to Caesar?

 

Authority, but to what extent? Enforcement, but in what ways?

 

Are there “two kingdoms?” And has God ordained them both- one in heaven and one on earth?

 

Is faith something we hold in our hears and keep to ourselves… or is it something that must be seeable, in our polity and in our politics?

 

Can we worship the Christian flag and the American flag, or is it inappropriate to worship either one?

 

Is Caesar's world off-limits to Christians, or is it the arena in which we feed the hungry, fight for justice and set the prisoners free?

 

Is faith a private matter or a public act?

 

These are the questions that God asks us today. Let take inventory of what we owe to our friends, our country, our church, our employer, and for that matter, our country club. Let’s list what we owe to God and others, and then take stock in how we are doing! 

 

May we become more aware about our relationships and may we also struggle with Caesar and Christ. What do we owe to each of them? Nothing? All? Or something in between? Amen!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the little gods we worship

Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases.
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.
They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk;
Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them.” Ps. 115

 

Although I’ve long since forgotten where I saw it, I remember a cartoon that showed a well-dressed middle-aged couple kneeling before a huge, golden, dollar sign. They were worshiping the sign and the woman said, “I was happier when we were Presbyterian!” Happier, for sure, because money doesn’t listen, or talk, or care at all. Jesus noted that it is impossible to worship both God and money and he warned against the love of money again and again.

 

A God who gives life and restores life. A God who listens to prayers and invites us to listen to him. A God who gave his Son so we would live… or an idol made of wood and stone? It seems like a no-brainer, but it’s not. Many people prefer to worship themselves instead of a God whom they can’t see or control. Many people, even more, prefer to store their treasure on Wall Street, where they can see it, rather than in heaven, where it’s in God’s hands. Many of us would be just as quick to demand a golden idol as the Israelites were in our passage today, which comes from the 24 chapter of Exodus. You know the story. When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they cried, “Come, make us gods^[ who will go before us. And Aaron, who could’ve reminded that they were in God’s hands- the same God who had parted the sea for them, answered appeased them instead, “Bring me the gold earrings that your wives and children are wearing, he said, and when they did, he proclaimed, “These are your gods, who brought you up out of Egypt!” It was an absurd and pathetic violation of the 2^nd commandment and God lost his patience with them. “Stand back,” he said to Moses, while I destroy this people and I will start again with you. But in one of his finest moments, Moses asked God to forgive their sin… or blot him out of the book he had written.

 

It’s a powerful passage which invites us to ask ourselves a few questions: Do we ever become impatient with God? How long will we keep the faith if our leader is gone and our God is silent? How often are we tempted to take matters into our own hands and to place our trust in the things we can see and hold? God was powerful, the Israelites knew that, but he also seemed unreliable. They needed a god, even a small god, who would always be with them and never give them cause to worry, How about us? How small is the God we worship? In the 12-Step world, someone told me that your god is that person or thing that you can’t imagine living without. Your idol is the person or thing that you think about every day. It is the person or thing that you count on in times of sorrow and need, and it is the person or thing you turn to when it is time to celebrate. As Tim Keller states in his book Counterfeit Gods, an idol is “anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, and anything that you seek to give you what only God can give.”  

 

1. Alcohol

 

From 1965 to 1976, my idol was alcohol. I needed it daily. I would go out of my way to get it and I would get frantic if it wasn’t around. I loved it. I thought about it constantly. and I couldn’t imagine life without it. It drove me to abandon my best self and to compromise my principles. For me, alcohol was my servant, my friend, and finally my master, but there are many idols contending for our worship.

 

2. Self

The theologian, Karl Barth, noted that we are prone to worship ourselves in a loud voice and pretend that we are worshiping God. Kenneth Hought with Stephen Ministries notes that we are all tempted to worship the “omnipotent baby within,” the little god who wants what he/she wants…right now! We are tempted to worship ourselves and our own needs and agendas, and if worshiping Christ jeopardizes that, we simply leave Christ behind. Worshiping ourselves won’t work, of course, because we are hopelessly flawed.

3. Security

Security is one of our most basic needs, whether we’re talking about getting in from the rain, earning enough to get our daily bread, or saving enough to make things work when we are old. Feeling secure is a basic need, whether we’re talking about binkies for babies, or simply believing that the one we love will be with us tomorrow. Jesus knew that we needed to feel secure, but he said that God would keep us secure. Jesus said that we should not panic when we are in the valley of death, or worry about tomorrow, which is God’s time!

4. Wealth

God’s biggest competitor is money, which is a bit like alcohol because it takes our souls and rules our lives. In it’s most basic form, money is nothing more than a currency that allows us to obtain things that we couldn’t grow or make. Money serves us, then it walks with us, and then it has its way with us. We count it. We watch it grow and it leads us to believe that we are somebody special. Money and self-worth have been hopelessly intertwined forever, which is why the first thing we often ask when we meet someone is: what do you do? But we are only rich when we store our treasure up in heaven.

Well, I could go on and on because the list of people and things that we are prone to worship is long, and it varies between people, and within the same person at different points in his/her lives. But I will conclude by asking you to consider what might be an idol in your own lives.

 

1.     Is there anything for which you would sacrifice your beliefs?

2.     Will you get angry if you can’t have or experience it?

3.     Do you value it over people in your lives?

4.     Does it bring you closer to God or make your relationship with God more difficult?

 

Was it a sin for an impatient people who had spent their entire lives in a culture where gold idols were worshiped to worship one themselves? Was it a sin for Aaron, who had seen the awesome power of God and who knew exactly where his brother was, to proclaim that a hunk of gold was the god who had delivered them? Of course. It was a sin because it “missed the mark,” and violated the 2^nd Commandment directly. But the greater truth is that, while we don’t worship golden calves in the 21^st century, we are prone to worship ourselves and the people and things that we think we cannot live without. Let us make sure that we are without sin before we throw the first stone. Amen!

 

October 2, 1976 is my Sobriety Birthday, which means that it has been 44 years since alcohol tempted and controlled me. Good riddance! God is good.

 

 

 

 

.

FORGIVE... AS IF YOUR JOY, PURPOSE, AND FOREVER... DEPENDS ON IT

"Forgive them, Father, for they don't know what they're doing." They haven't been able to let go of their fears, prejudices, greed, and illusions. They have all strayed. They're all lost. They're all caught up in the moment. They are afraid of dying and afraid of living too, if that means trusting you. Forgive them for they know not what they do. "Hear their prayer and their supplications, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee." (2 Chron. 6) "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." "Bear with one another and forgive one another as the Lord has forgiven you." (1 Col. 3:13) "If you forgive others, God will forgive you..." (Matt. 16:14) "Get rid of bitterness, rage, anger, slander- forgive each other." (Eph. 4) "When you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them." (Mark 11:25) As Stephen was being stoned to death, he cried out, "O God, do not hold this sin against them." (Acts 7) After Jacob deceived Esau and their father, he ran and hid and lived with the guilt for years. But when he met Esau again, after he had done business with the Living God at Peniel, the two of them hugged and wept. (Gen 33:4) After they had sold him into slavery, Joseph saw his brothers again when they came to him for food years later. By then, Joseph was a powerful official in Egypt. He had power, money, and everything he wanted, but the Bible says that when he met his brothers, he excused himself, went into an adjacent room, and sobbed so loudly that everyone in the palace heard him. (Gen. 45) Such is the power of letting go and the grace of reconciliation. The story of the Loving Father, the one we call the Prodigal Son, is another story of healing and forgiving, which is the only action that will open the door to a new beginning. Forgiving others lies at the heart of any Christian's journey! For those who ponder WWJD, forgiving others is the most Christ-like thing that we can do because it sets people free and allows them to breathe fresh air again, ourselves included. "The weak can never forgive," Ghandi noted, because it takes strength to forgive. "He who doesn't have the power to forgive, doesn't have the power to love." (Martin Luther King) "To be a Christian is to forgive the inexcusable," C.S. Lewis noted, "because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you." "Forgiveness is the final form of love." Reinhold Niebuhr said that, and the cross indicates that he is right. "Forgiveness is love's toughest work- it's love's power to break nature's rules." (Lewis Smedes) Yes, forgiveness will set us free to be and love ourselves; it will set us free to love our neighbors, our competitors, our enemies; and it will set us free from the never ending cycle of keeping score and getting even, keeping score again.... People say that we're only human, but Christ is able to make us fully human, so that we won't have to be ruled by everything that smiles and glitters, or hurts our feelings, as we go along. We all know the Pentecost story that is told so well in the 2nd chapter of the Acts of the apostles, but there is another passage that we could read on Pentecost, and it is found in John 20:19ff. "On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Shalom alakem, he said. “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, Shalom alarm. “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” Receive the Holy Spirit and then get out there and forgive someone. Forgive them of little sins that annoy you and forgive them of big sins that crush you. Forgive them if they have asked for forgiveness and if they haven't asked. Forgive them if they seem sorry about their words and actions, and forgive them if they don't. Forgive them if you think they will be grateful, and forgive them if you think they won't. Forgive, forgive, and forgive. Forgive as a way of life. 77 times, over and over again, until you begin to wonder about it yourself. Forgive for their sakes, because they are children of God, because they're frightened and fragile, just like you, because you have been commanded to. Forgive for your own sake, to set yourself free, and also, make sure to forgive yourself. Accept the truth that you are forgiven in Christ and let that truth set you free. Unless you forgive yourself, you will be forever imprisoned by the mask you choose to wear. Forgive, finally, for Christ's sake. Forgive because he has told you to, forgive, even more, because He has forgiven you! All people need forgiveness. We can't forgive them, and won't even want, to unless we forgive ourselves. Not forgiving others blocks our relationship with God. Forgiveness is a choice on our part. It is not a deal we make with someone who deserves it. Forgiveness is not something we offer from time to time, but a permanent inclination in our heart. Forgiving others is what Jesus did. Judging others is what he told us not to do. Forgiving others is the most Christian thing we can do, except for loving others, but we can't love if we don't forgive. I don't know the context in which he wrote these words, but I apply them to my Lord. Ralph Waldo Emerson said this: "His heart was as great as the world, but there was no room in it... to hold the memory of a wrong." Amen.

WHO DO YOU SAY HE IS?

       There comes a point in any relationship when you have to get down to business and deal with what it really means.  So, when they reached Caesarea Philippi in the north of Israel, Jesus asked his disciples to tell him what people were saying about him. Considering all of his teachings and the miracles he had worked, Jesus asked, "Who do people say I am?" What have you heard? Well, you know that people say a lot of things- some say that you are a teacher, others say you are a physician, still others consider you a philosopher, and many people say that you are a prophet. Then Jesus asked the question that he really needed to ask, "Who do you say I am?" Who do you say I am? Of all of the Bible's profound questions, this may be the most important. Who do you say I am? It's a life-changing question and Jesus asks us the same question today- who do you say I am?
      Well, Simon bar Jonah (the son of John), a man who was often impulsive, shouted it out, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!" What a marvelous answer. You, my friend and teacher from Nazareth... are the anointed one of God. You are the man who has come to set us free. You are the Son of the Living God! It was an awesome answer, and although he credited the Holy Spirit for giving Simon the insight, Jesus affirmed it, saying. "Blessed are you, Simon bar Jonah" for my Father in Heaven has revealed this to you. "And I tell you that you are Petros (Peter) and on this rock (petra) I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it!"
      Christ used a play on words to say that he would build his church on such divine revelation and the profession of faith, but from that time on (Matt. 16:21ff) Jesus began to talk about his suffering, death, and resurrection plainly. He began to tell his followers what it really meant to be a follower, but Peter the Rock, would have none of it. In a bold and inappropriate move, Peter took Jesus to the side and told him to quit talking about things that we never going to happen to him. Peter assumed the position of teacher and was bold enough to re-define that it meant to be God's Messiah. In plain English, while he was thoughtful enough to avoid embarrassing Jesus, Peter told Jesus to "knock off" all of his talk about suffering and dying. He wanted Jesus to embrace an easier and softer way, a way without sacrifice, and Jesus had already heard this temptation in the wilderness. So, Jesus turned and said, "Get behind me, Satan, because you are a stumbling block to me! Get behind me, Rocky! Go back with my other followers... and fix your mind on the things of God while you're at it!
      Then, Jesus said to all of them, "If anyone wishes to follow me (and we do have a choice). (s)he must deny himself and pick up his cross." We don't have to follow Jesus. We don't have to get involved, but if we choose to, we must let go of our agenda and embrace His. If we decide to follow him, we will need to be a follower! We will find our purpose and joy in life by going where Jesus leads us. We may encounter a leper on the edge of town, we may meet a widow who is burying her son, we may be asked to take a stand against injustice, we may find ourselves dining with the least among us. No one knows exactly where Christ will lead them, but we do know that if we sign-on for the journey, we must follow... with a cross on our back! Our cross is a cross of surrender, service, and love, that we pick up daily, because we cannot follow Christ on our own terms! No one can, of course, and the cross that we carry is a daily reminder that we have chosen the road less traveled... AND a purpose-driven life that will store our treasure up in heaven.
      If we give ourselves to Jesus, we will find lasting peace and joy. We will experience the joy of being authentic and of being free from our own baggage and temptations. Some people insist on a small god- a god who actually serves them and whose greatest desire is to make them happy and comfortable. But this is NOT the God of the Bible or the Cross! Christ didn't die to applaud everything that we think of and do, but to transform us and lead us to a full and everlasting life. The journey to life begins when we die to ourselves and discover the wonder and the joy of living for God. Amen!
   
      

IT IS ALL ABOUT LOVE!

      In Jesus'day, the Pharisees and other religious scorekeepers kept an eye out for anyone who may be violating any one of the 613 commandments that made up the Law. The Law covered ways in which God should be worshiped, means in which the poor and vulnerable people of the land should be protected, foods that were forbidden, justice in the marketplace, and personal behaviors that were offensive to God. You can easily look these up and read them for yourself, but here is a sampling. 1) KNOW THERE IS A GOD because God's handiwork is easy to see; 2) LOVE GOD, where the word love has more to do with commitment and actions than it does with attraction and "funny feelings inside"; 3) EMULATE GOD'S WAYS. Study the Bible, listen to God's word, see what God is doing and inviting you to do. Discover God's ways and be like God; 4) CLING TO PEOPLE WHO KNOW GOD. Connect with a faith community, attend their events, make friends, and don't let go of them; 5) DON'T OPPRESS THE WEAK. There is no room in the kingdom for bullies; 6) If you are a man, don't wear women's clothing; 7) DON'T TATTOO YOUR SKIN; 8)DON'T WITHHOLD FOOD,CLOTHING, or SEX FROM YOUR WIFE; 9) RELEASE A MOTHER BIRD WHO HAS BEEN TAKEN FROM HER NEST; 10) LEAVE A CORNER OF YOUR FIELD UNCUT FOR THE POOR; 11) DON'T USE OR POSSESS INACCURATE WEIGHTS AND SCALES; 12) DON'T MURDER; 13) DON'T LEND WITH INTEREST.
     There are 600 other commandments, but you get the idea. Someone asked Jesus (Mark 12) to identify the most important of all the commandments. Which one is the greatest? Is it one of the commandments that deals with social justice? Or dietary matters? Or relationships? Or self-discipline? Which one is the greatest? And Jesus said,"Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is One, and you shall love your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind, and with all of your strength." (Deut. 6) Love God with every fiber of your being and with everything you have! This is the first and the greatest commandment, and the second is this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." "All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matt. 22:40) because it's all about love! You won't know God unless you love Him and you can't love God without loving your neighbors. It's all about love.
      If we love another, we will go out of our way to serve, understand, and be present to the one we love. If we love another, we will be faithful. We will try our best to make things better for those we love. We will work to ease their burdens and bring joy into their lives. And if our love is deep, we will give the one we love everything we have, including our lives, because that is what love demands. Love leads us to give generously and forgive easily, then to give some more and forgive again and again. It's all about love, and in John 13, Jesus added what He himself called a "new commandment." "As I have loved you,"he said,"so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples- if you love one another." Love one another deeply, honestly, sacrificially... and people will see that you belong to me.
     Love God. Love your neighbors, without regard to color, culture, point of view, or sexual preference. Love them every bit as much as you love yourself. Give them the same amount of slack you give yourself, consider their intentions to be as good as your own, believe that their stories and dreams are just as meaningful to them as yours are to you. Give them a helping hand when they're down and stand and applaud when they win the prize. And if we are part of the church, we must love one another in such a visible way that others will see Christ in your midst. Let our love for one another shine so brightly that others are attracted to the light!
      "Above all things have fervent love for one another."(1 Peter) "Owe nothing to no one, except love." (Rom. 13:8) "Let all that you do be done with love." (1 Cor. 16:14) O it's easy to see. Our journey with God and one another is all about love! Martin Luther once said that we should "love God and sin boldly," knowing that if we love God, we won't sin and certainly not boldly. Love God and sin boldly seldom pleases a Calvinistic crowd, but Luther was making the point that love is a much stronger source of faithfulness and commitment, of support and sacrifice... than all of the rules and monitors in the world! Let us go forth, then, as people who worship, serve, and live as if it is all about love. Amen.

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

 He would be nearly 100 now, and I wish he was here so that I could say, "Happy Father's Day," or "I love you," or simply, "goodbye."
      He died suddenly, with a massive heart attack, on July 11, 1977, and I wasn't there.  My not being there was not surprising... because I was busy trying to make a name for myself (just as he had done). Besides, the unpredictability of either one of my parent's moods kept me on edge, and dad and I never talked much anyway. It never seemed as if we had much to talk about. He loved hunting, but I loved golf. He worked with steel, but I pushed a pencil. He was a combat veteran, and I had not served at all. He loved to make things work, whereas I loved to think about them. He was a Tea Party member before its time, and I was a child of the 60's.  I didn't know what to say to him and when we were growing up, he was seldom around the house anyway. He always seemed to be at "the plant," and when he did come home, he would often be very difficult to live with. When he entered the house, my brothers and I made ourselves scarce, and between his work schedule and his moods, I never felt entirely comfortable when I was around him. I often wished that I would've had a dad to play catch with, or one who would've listened to my worries and my dreams, but things just never turned out that way.
      Therefore, we didn't talk much, and as the years passed, and we went our separate ways after Sherry and I moved to Omaha. Yet, I wish we would have spent more time with him and the rest of my family. I wish that things could have been different because I loved my father dearly... and I admired him in many ways. Like many of his peers, he only had an 8th grade education... but he was very bright. He had a quick wit, a wonderful sense of humor (he absolutely loved Red Skelton), a legendary work ethic, and a well-earned reputation of being a man people could trust. He also had an immense amount of courage...and almost frightening perseverance. In short, he was a man's man. He filled a room... and the record shows that he accomplished a lot, rising to the rank of VP and Co-Owner in the field that he chose.
      He lived, it seems to me, in three worlds at the same time. At home, he seemed unhappy and at odds with my mother much of the time. At work, he was somebody important, who played a big role and cast a big shadow, and within himself, he carried the memories of the depression, the War, and any number of regrets, hopes, and wishes. Of course dad was somebody's child himself. He grew up in what seems to have been a stern and volatile household, and he was definitely affected by what he experienced in WWII (which he seldom mentioned at all.) He had seen too much death, experienced too much pain, and pushed himself to be more than he was able to handle at times. He played the cards that had been dealt to him with strength and courage, and he never complained about not being dealt the very best hand. This is the same thing I've tried to do in my life and in many ways, I am much like my dad... except that, when I hit bottom... I was blessed with a transforming grace... and he never had that experience. Grace. A second-chance. That's the only difference between us. Otherwise, I am pretty much a chip off the old block. Indeed, in many ways I wish I was even more like my dad. With a better hand and a moment of grace, dad could've done great things. There is not a doubt in my mind, but (like me) he needed an "unconditional hug." He needed to be known... and loved anyway.
      This man... who once put his fist through a picture window, wrapped his own arm with his shirt, and then drove himself to the doctor... who lost a co-pilot and many of his buddies in the war... who loved to fill his house with laughter and friends- who had lost siblings and parents- who loved to play with his grandchildren and grill food for the whole family- who prayed to God when he picked up enemy fire during the War- who gave us everything he had to give... was my father... and I love him. His body is now resting next to my mother's, in the Masonic section of Highland Memory Gardens, grace 4, lot 170... which is not far from either one of the plants he used to run. I won't get there in person this year, so I will say it now: "Hello, dad. I hope you are at peace. I know you did the best you could. Happy Father's Day."

Your son,

BIG, INCLUSIVE, PERMEABLE CIRCLES OF LOVE

Most of us like to hang out with people who are a lot like us. We know that differences exist in the world, but we're a tribal people. We're northsiders or southsiders, democrats or republicans, Cub fans or Cardinal fans. When we enter a room, we gravitate to people who look like they may be one of us. We watch TV programs, even networks, that affirm what we think because we feel "at home" with them. We attend churches where the people are likely to worship God like we do, and we make sure to sit on the "right" side of the stadium when we go to a watch a game.
 
The North going Zax and the South going Zax don't talk much because they don't think they have much in common. There's no doubt about that, but the circles we draw isolate us and make others... the targets of our fears. The circles we draw to keep others at bay... give us a distorted view of what's really going on, and they create unnecessary fears and prejudices. Thus, people who are different from us...become people who are dull-witted, mean-spirited,  even evil. And so it was between the Jews and the Samaritans in Jesus' time. They despised each other. The Jews considered Samaritans to be deplorable and they would go out of their way to avoid them. But the Bible says that Jesus and his disciples journeyed through Samaria one day, and that they stopped at the site of Jacob's well. According to John, while his disciples went into town to buy food, Jesus waited by the well... and a Samaritan woman came alone to draw water at noon. "Can I have a drink?" Jesus asked, and his question took the woman aback. "How can you, a Jewish man, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?" she replied. It was a good question because Jesus had transgressed the social boundaries that were in place at the time. But the Jewish rabbi and an unnamed Samaritan woman talked on. They talked about religious differences and other things, but their dialogue ended with the woman saying, "I know that God's Messiah will make all things clear when he comes"...  and Jesus said, "Ego eimi, I am!" I am the Messiah, the One who can meet your needs... for water, acceptance, forgiveness, and love. It is to this woman that Jesus reached out and offered both grace and opportunity!

It was not uncommon for Jesus to cross boundaries that kept others from being all that they could be,
Jesus was a "boundary-breaker," and he calls us to consider the circles that we draw. In light of the run-away tribalism and the pervasive fears that seem to be consuming us, it is important to ask ourselves some important questions. We can shake our heads and our fists. We can roll our eyes and condemn others, or we can ask ourselves some important questions and become part of the healing. 1) Would we cross a road to give aid to a man who was not like us? 2) What people do we avoid? 3) What kinds of people are deplorable to us? 4) What sort of people do we walk out of our way... not to see? 5) Who are the Samaritans in your world? 6) Are there people who make us "anxious" simply because they are part of a group... that falls outside of our circle of love? 7) Do we have preconceived opinions about black people? Jewish people? Muslim people?Tattooed people? Loud people? Gay people? 

How wide is your circle of love? Christ lived in a world that was filled with boundaries. He knew that. He knew that he wasn't supposed to welcome children, let Mary sit with his disciples, eat with sinners, or converse with those who were leading unsavory lives. He knew all of these rules and ignored them... because love demanded it! His circle of love included everyone who was willing to be included. It still does! God's love is like that. It's inclusive and welcoming. Love demands that we reach out to others as children of God. Love demands that we ignore boundaries that divide us and walk with people of all sizes, ages, colors, and sexual orientations. So, let's draw circles that include people who root for the same teams as we do... and also those who don't. May our circles of grace be so large that they include anyone who wants to be in... even Samaritan women should we meet one at the well. Amen!

 

NO GREATER LOVE THAN THIS

There are teddy bears… and high school rings… and old photographs that mamas bring.  There’s cigarettes and there’s cans of beer and notes that say “I miss you dear.” And children who don’t say anything at all/ There’s purple hearts  and packs of gum- fatherless daughters and fatherless sons… and there’s 50,000 names carved in the wall/ They come from all across this land… in pickups trucks and mini vans, searching for a boy from long ago. They scan the wall and find his name. The teardrops fall like pouring rain and silently they leave a gift and go/ There’s stars of David and rosary beads and crucifixion figurines and flowers of all colors… large and small.  There’s a Boy Scout badge and a merit pin- little American flags waving in the wind…. and there’s 50,000 names in the wall. Lyrics from a song by George Jones... to which I can only say "amen." Many of us have stood before them in awe…. because they stand for men and women who died for our freedom,  

including my dad's co-pilot and Margaret Shetenhelm's son, Robert- both of whom died in WW2.

Indeed, the graves of those who died for us fill cemeteries throughout our land. Their names are written in stone, but their sacrifice was much bigger than that because there is no greater love than this- to lay one’s life down for another person's freedom. This weekend, we are invited to remember. It is a time to let the voices of those who really did love freedom more than life... speak to us. From the first one who died in our War of Independence to the next young soldier who will die in a foreign land, we have been blessed to walk among seemingly ordinary people who have the stuff of heroes on the inside. They stared evil in the face. They carried the fight to those who would take our lives. They've taken the narrow road, knowing that life is not worth the living if people can't be free. They were Christians, Jews, Muslims, and nothing at all; but they all loved honor and freedom more than life ... and we are called to remember them this weekend!

But as Christians, we are also called to remember the One who laid down his life to save our souls! In a far away place, almost exactly 2000 years ago, a Jew hung on a Roman cross... and died to set us free from the bondage to self and sin. Despite the warnings that the prophets gave, we were never able to love God with all of our hearts or our neighbors as ourselves. So God's Son, considering divinity as something not worth clinging to, emptied himself of it, came down to earth, and lived among us. He taught about God's love, healed the sick, and challenged practices that were punitive and unjust. He was full of beauty and grace, but still, we didn't listen. So, he paid for our sins by his stripes. rose in victory over death, and appeared to Mary and the others, commissioning them to go and tell the "good news" to men and women in every nation. He told his disciples that the Holy Spirit would empower them and help them "remember" what he had said and done. He also instituted the Lord's Supper, saying, "This is my body; take, eat, in remembrance of me," and concerning the cup, "whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me."

Remembering is an empowering thing. It keeps us connected and aware of who and whose we are. Remembering is an important thing... but it is NOT as important as living AS IF we remember, which may be why Jesus said, "those who love me keep my word." Those who know me will follow me. Those who love me will keep my words. They will take the same path that I have taken, They will mourn for a broken world, forgive 70 x 7, feed those who need to be fed, make praying a way of life, and lay down their lives for me. When it comes to those whom we love and admire, remembering is more of an embrace than a passing thought and when it comes to the One whom we call Lord, remembering is not a thought at all. It is a way of life. Amen!

O LORD, I WANT TO BE AUTHENTIC

You don't have to know much Scripture to know that Jesus didn't have much tolerance toward hypocrites because they pretended to be something they were not. They were always acting, playing a role that was meant to deceive others and perhaps even themselves. In his day, actors wore masks. They would hold a mask in front of their faces and pretend to be a person they were not. They were called "hypocrites," and on stage, it was all good fun. Some of the actors were excellent pretenders, but off-stage, in a world that relies on trust and authenticity, pretending that you're something you're not... is not worthy of applause. Instead, it merits our condemnation, and that is exactly what Jesus did. He ate with sinners, but he condemned hypocrites. He forgave adulteresses, but he condemned hypocrites. He cried for those who had lost their way and he liberated those who were "demon-possessed," but he condemned hypocrites. There are too many verses condemning hypocrisy to mention in detail, but a couple of examples will be cited. In Matthew 23:27, we find these words: "Woe to you... you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of bones of the dead and everything unclean." Jesus also has harsh words in Matthew 7:5: "You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Let's be frank: hypocrites annoyed Jesus... and they annoy everyone else. They annoy us because they're phony, and because they lay burdens on us... burdens that they, themselves, do not carry. Sadly, hypocrites also separate themselves from God's forgiving love because all meaningful relationships are based on integrity and trust.

My biggest problem then... is the plank in my own eye. You are not to blame, neither is the world, or my bad luck. In my quest to be understood, accepted. and even loved, the problem is me, my ego, my fear of being real, my hypocrisy! I learned the art of "acting" to get by, and now I find that it keeps me from the very thing I need most... which is to be known and loved anyway. I need to "get real," I confess it and offer this prayer: 

O God, help me live with integrity in everything I say and do. Let me be true to myself, and in that way... free, Give me the courage to practice what I preach. Give me the courage to be vulnerable and the grace to love those who are vulnerable. Teach me to be authentic, Lord, and use the experiences that you give me to shape me into something real.  Let me be what I profess to be, so that I might receive the acceptance I seek. If I preach about mercy, make me merciful, and let it be the same with forgiveness. If I boast about being in your hands, God, let me show that I believe it... by living boldly and daring to love the unlovable, and Lord... if I say that I love my neighbors, show me how to be a neighbor. Lord, let the face that I show others... be my face... so that, for better or worse, others will know the real me. My tears and laughter, Lord, let them be real. O God, let me experience the deep joy of knowing that Christ died for me- for the real me, I mean- just as I am.

"Being me" has never seemed quite enough somehow... but it was enough for Christ, who died for me and who beckons me to throw my masks away and die to him. Believing this... is real freedom... and besides, the masks that I carry have become too heavy to bear.  Amen.

YOU WILL NEVER WALK ALONE

Many years ago, I asked a candidate we were interviewing for the ministry  if he had ever seen the Holy Spirit at work in his church. It was meant to be a challenging question because we don’t give the work of the Holy Spirit much attention in the “mainline church.” But after giving the question a little thought, he said that people in his church seemed to enjoy one another’s company when they gathered at fellowship events. I call this the “reserved” version of the Holy Spirit and in Paul’s letter to the Galatians, we see that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit do include… kindness, gentleness, joy, and love, among others. When the Holy Spirit is alive within a person and moving freely in a group, you will see God’s people at peace and in harmony, as they show His love to one another.

But in the second chapter of the book of Acts, we encounter the Holy Spirit as an agent of renewal, power, and energy. We’ll get to it in a couple of weeks, but it was moment when God’s people were energized and reborn as zealous witnesses to His ministry and resurrection. People who spoke in different languages could understand one another and there was a oneness of purpose that swept through their community. New people joined and old people embraced new possibilities. I am sure that God’s people were kind to one another. They may have also been patient, but they were neither bold nor helpful… until the Holy Spirit swept through them. In this view, the Holy Spirit is a transforming agent of change (which is hardly the church’s strong suit).

Holy Spirit, work within us so that we can love another and come to rest in a place of peace and abiding joy! Holy Spirit, get a hold of us. Wake us up and set is on fire with zeal and a iron-clad commitment to tell and show the entire world that Christ is risen! And then there is a third view of the Holy Spirit, as an unpredictable and wild part of the Holy Trinity. In many people’s eyes God is something like a stern Father who keep yelling at the neighborhood children to behave. Jesus is His loving and understanding Son, who understands that we’re doing the best that we can and who also sticks up for us when his Father gets angry. But they keep the Holy Spirit out of sight, for fear that he will get someone excited about their potential, or challenge them with the truth.

The Holy Spirit, it seems, is a Peacemaker, a radical change-agent, and an unpredictable truth-teller. But in our passage today, we meet the Holy Spirit as a Paraclete, which means someone who is “called to walk alongside.” In ancient times the term “paraclete” often had legal overtones, as in a lawyer who argues your case, but for some time now, it has meant something like, “comforter, advocate, encourager.” When Jesus came up beside Cleopas and his friend on the Road to Emmaus, he showed some of the ministry that the Holy Spirit would be doing after he ascended… when he listened to them, challenged them a bit, and explained Scripture to them… so that their hearts would be warned.

A joy-giver, change-agent, truth-teller, and paraclete- the Holy Spirit is all of these- but today, our attention is turned to our Paraclete. ¹⁵”If you love me,” Jesus said in the 14^th chapter of the gospel of John, “you will keep my commandments. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.¹⁷This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.¹⁸”I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. ¹⁹In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. ²⁰On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. ²¹They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

If you love me you will love one another, Jesus noted, because love demands a response. If you love me, you will live out my words because they will burn in your hearts. As we have journeyed together, I have been your Advocate and I have showed those things that are dear to me- like mercy and justice- and now, I will give you the Spirit of Truth, who will keep my words and work alive in your hearts. He will continue showing you what you must do and reminding you that I am the Truth. There are some who won’t believe this because they are consumed with lies, but you will enjoy a deep and abiding relationship with this Advocate… and it will last forever. Oh friends, I will not leave you orphaned! No I won’t. I won’t abandon you and leave you frightened and vulnerable. I am giving you a Paraclete who will walk alongside you… when you’re dancing with joy and when your sobbing in the darkness. I will walk alongside when your running downhill as fast as you can and when your struggling to get to your feet. You and I will always be in relationship and you will draw strength, knowing that I am in the Father, that I am in you, and you are in me. You will never walk alone because the Comforter will always be at your side. This is the truth. Hold it tightly until we meet again. Amen.