Sheep without a Shepherd

14 June 2020 – 2^nd Sunday after Pentecost (Green)

Psalm 116:1-7, 12-19; Romans 5:1-8; Matthew 9:35-10:15

St. Paul wrote to the Romans, “We boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint – because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us” (5:3-5).

“Suffering”.  What does it mean?  I think our modern interpretation misrepresents what is being lifted up as a spiritual virtue for the sake of Christ in the life of the Church.  We think suffering is something to be avoided, no matter what we must do.  After all, if Jesus does not give us a life that is pain-free, what is the point of following Him?  Of course, His assurance is offered only to those who have the faith and the willingness to “endure [persecution and suffering] to the end” (Matthew 10:22).

Yet even though a type of suffering (as we understand the word) can be mitigated through holy means (fasting, praying, the support and fellowship of the Church), the biblical context of suffering is that which “produces endurance” and leads us to a firm and resolute sense of “hope”.  So if suffering is such a bad thing (again, as we understand it), why should we not avoid it at all costs regardless of St. Paul lifting it up as a holy virtue?

Notice when Jesus sent His disciples out, He gave them explicit instructions: “Take nothing with you”.  Knowing there was the possibility of resistance to their message, even hostility, He still instructed them to take nothing with them except the clothes on their backs, His authority, and the Good News of the Kingdom.  Even though they were to avoid the Gentiles and the Samaritans, there was still the possibility of trouble “because of His Name” (Matthew 10:22).  Even then, in the case of trouble, Jesus instructed them to “flee to the next town” (vs 23).

It seems Jesus is instructing them to avoid “suffering”.  What He is telling them – and US – is to leave the trouble zones if possible … after He has assured them the trouble-makers will not avoid being called to account: “It will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town” (vs 15).  Retribution and judgment are coming, but these cannot come by our own hands.

“Suffering”, in the biblical context, can be understood to mean “allowing”; i.e., “Suffer the children to come unto Me” means “Allow the children to come to me”.  But if there is trouble for His Name’s sake and we cannot avoid it, what are we “allowing” if we do not fight back, if we do not “return evil for evil”?  To be brutalized?  To be persecuted? 

Not necessarily.  What we are “allowing” for, what we are to wait for, what we must have the faith to see, is that these trouble-makers will face the Day of Judgment – and they will be judged, as we will be, “according to their works” (Romans 2:6). 

Paul wrote that to the Romans, but Jesus alludes to it in His declaration that these who reject, persecute, and brutalize those whom Jesus sends out with the Good News will be judged more harshly than Sodom and Gomorrah.  In other words, rather than strike back, we are to have the faith to trust that The Lord will see to it in His Time rather than ours.  He is not asking us to measure it back to those who may be the cause of our suffering; in fact, by instructing them to “flee to the next town”, Jesus actually forbade them from taking any sort of counter action.

Like “turning the other cheek”, this may be the single, most challenging act Jesus charges His followers with.  You may be aware of the street preacher in Seattle who recently tried to enter the so-called “capital hill autonomous zone (CHAZ)” in that city.  From the start, as far as we can see in the video, it was clear he was not welcome.  When he was physically attacked by the mob, it appears he did not try to fight back.

I am sorry he got choked and beaten, and it broke my heart that it appeared there was no one willing to listen, let alone defend the man.  While we may admire his willingness to walk into the “lion’s den” for the sake of the Gospel, he apparently missed the part of Jesus’ instruction: “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that … town” (Mt 10:14).

Jesus does not ask, command, or expect us to deliberately walk into trouble.  It is not His desire that we “suffer” in such a way.  Watching the video, I became filled with such a rage that I wanted the police to come in with such force that would overwhelm them and put an end to the nonsense.  Even after the preacher was let go, he appealed to the president to send in forces to deal with it.

Can we not see, however, that there is so much more at play here than just the idea of retribution?  There are a lot of things wrong with this “autonomous zone”; and as a ‘law-and-order’ kind of man, I want this crowd dealt with – by force, if necessary.

But aside from Jesus’ explicit instructions under just such circumstances, there is another parable which comes into play.  In Luke 20:9-16, Jesus told the story of a landowner who planted a vineyard and then leased it out to tenants.  When the landowner sent servants to collect what was due him, they beat the servants and sent them away.  When the landowner finally sent his own son, believing the tenants would not hurt him, the son was beaten and killed.

Jesus used this parable to highlight the nature of the conflict between Himself and the religious leaders, but we can see in such a parable another certain reality; though it was the landowner’s right to call in state authority (the ‘king’s sword’ as in Romans 13:4-5) to reclaim what was rightfully his, the conflict was – and still is - much deeper and more sinister and diabolical than violation of the “law of the land”.

In Seattle WA, in Miami FL, and at every point in between, including Murfreesboro AR, the “law of the land”, though necessary for the sake of order, is not even the point at which Christians must take notice.  If we seek retribution or vengeance in any form, we are refusing to suffer for the sake of righteousness.  And we most certainly refuse to “wait for The Lord”.  Our sense of suffering only means we are not getting our own way.  And if we are not getting our own way, someone must be to blame.

So we attack.  We gossip privately.  We slander and defame publicly.  Even as we call ourselves “Christian”, it becomes very clear to those on the outside looking in that we are not Christ followers; we are not disciples of Jesus.  Then they notice they are about to enter a “hostile area”.  We go to church on Sunday, and renew our attacks on Monday because we are so self-absorbed – even if we really have been done wrong – that we cannot see Jesus and will not hear Him.

It is written in Matthew’s Gospel, “When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (9:36).  There was surely His Holy Compassion for those who were suffering needlessly, but there may also have been a sense of Compassion for those who were needlessly – yet perhaps very intentionally – causing the suffering only because they had their minds made up they had been done wrong.

This crowd going this way, that crowd going that way, demanding what they think they are due, and trampling on those caught in the middle.  It can surely be said The Lord has Compassion for those caught in the middle, “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” … suffering through no fault of their own. 

Those who are the cause of so much suffering, however, are no less “sheep without a shepherd” because they refuse to heed and obey the Good Shepherd.   Regardless of which side we are on, if we are the cause in any way of someone’s suffering, we are left with two options … and ONLY two options: we will repent of our actions and our hateful words, or we will be condemned by our actions and our hateful words.  There will be no in-between.

We need a shepherd.  More than this, we all need The Good Shepherd.  I pray – as we all must – that The Good Shepherd will gather us once again and bring us back to a righteous state of mind and being before we destroy ourselves, one another, and everyone in between.

“Come soon, Lord”.  Amen.

Name it, Claim it, Face it, Get Rid of it

It was taught to me at any early age, as I was preparing to make my first confession (Roman Catholic), that a generalized confession of sin can be a good start toward reconciliation with The Lord.  It was also told to me that if I could not or would not name a specific sin (not just a commandment I had violated), then it could be that I had thrown a shade over that sin and am refusing to confront it or even acknowledge it as sinful.

This was the day of behind-the-curtain, anonymous confession; the priest could not see the confessor, and the confessor did not have to look the priest in the eye.  In a large parish, one could do this.  In our small parish, however, there was no way the priest would not know to whom he was listening; and given the layout of the small church, not only would everyone be able to see that someone is going into the confessional, it could well be that those confessions could be overheard by someone other than the priest.

It soon came to be that the practice of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) faded away.  I can recall very few who actually went into that confessional.  I don’t remember ever going back myself even though Catholic doctrine teaches that one must not receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion while knowingly in a state of sin (1 Corinthians 11:27); and the only way to be absolved of that sin is to confess.

Even many Catholics (my former Catholic self included) don’t really understand the nature of the confessional.  Protestantism insists it is sufficient to make one’s confession directly to The Lord and thus be forgiven.  The discipline of the confessional, however, is not strictly the idea of priestly authority to absolve one of sin even though a biblical argument can be made (John 20:23, for instance).  The discipline of the confessional is to acknowledge our sinful nature, do an honest self-examination, name the sin(s) aloud, and face the harm that specific sin has caused or can cause.  Only then can we really know of our genuine sorrow, and only then can we really get rid of it.

Racism is the big sin of the day, and no one – NO ONE – is confessing.  The recent death of George Floyd at the hand (or knee) of an apparently overly aggressive police officer has renewed the persistent national rage to the point of boiling over.  The nation is aflame, literally and figuratively.  The flames of righteous anger are in the streets, marching peacefully and in great numbers, demanding that racism be acknowledged and the sin confessed so real social reconciliation can happen.

Here is a hindrance to confessing racism as a sin (by my own admittedly limited observation); there are many who insist they do not see color when they look at another person.  I know they mean well and I’m pretty sure they honestly do not quickly judge a person they see based only on the color of that person’s skin.  However, if these non-racist persons have eyes and the gift of sight, they cannot help but to notice the physical characteristics of a person.  White or black or anything in between, we all clearly see physical attributes.  Depending on our state of mind or biases, we also take special note of certain physical attributes.

With George Floyd, then, it is clearly seen by a certain social narrative that a black man was taken to the ground by a white police officer.  Racists note the contrast; white or black or anything in between, the outrage comes in noting the contrast and immediately jumping to conclusions. 

The video which has been shared (the one I saw with my own eyes) only shows us the restrained man on the ground with an officer’s knee on the back of his neck (I’ve seen this technique many times on the TV show “Cops”).  If we watch the video without sound, we see the restrained man struggling.  Without sound, we see perhaps a criminal suspect resisting arrest, which is a crime itself.  On sight alone, then, we see a police officer doing what he has been trained to do with a suspect who physically resists.  The officer is not only trained but charged to gain control of a situation.  Only when we turn on the sound can we hear the restrained suspect saying he cannot breathe (I’ve heard this on “Cops” many times as well).  Though many have said bystanders were pleading with the officer to get off his neck because Mr. Floyd could not breathe, I didn’t hear those pleas on the video I watched and listened to.  It could be I’m hard of hearing, the sound quality of the video, or the speakers on my computer.  That I did not hear it does not mean others could not hear it.  I only say I didn’t hear it.

What we do not see – and this, I think, is big – is what happened prior to this video being shot.  We do not see any sort of physical exchange that would have compelled the officer to restrain Mr. Floyd and put him on the ground.  Though the crime Mr. Floyd was suspected of was non-violent (forgery), had he become indignant and eventually physically aggressive toward the officer even in only resisting (again, a crime unto itself), the officer was left with no choice but to restrain the suspect.

Mr. Floyd’s death is a tragedy, and there is no way to make it less so.  The upgraded charge to second-degree murder only to satisfy political will and demands will become a problem sooner or later because that charge requires proof that the officer in question had “intent to kill” and that the other officers deliberately “aided and abetted” his alleged “intent to kill”.  On the surface, the officer only had intent to contain the situation so everything could be sorted out.  If Mr. Floyd had been putting up a fight, physically resisting the officer’s instructions, the officer was left with little choice. 

I don’t consider myself a racist, but I do acknowledge certain biases.  I don’t look at Halle Berry and think, “What a gorgeous black woman” (she’s just beautiful), and I don’t look at Barack Obama and think, “What an articulate and clean black man” (as opposed to a certain politician who actually said this out loud and supposes himself non-racist).  I also do not presume to say or to even think one “ain’t black” if one supports the president for re-election. 

It may be that the real racists, the ones who unapologetically see and proclaim color especially in contrast/conflict and for political gain, are the ones who used this video to deliberately manipulate public opinion and provoke social outrage.  The real racists are the ones who insist we see color.  The real racists are the ones who demand we take note that a white police officer aggressively restrained a black criminal suspect who may have been resisting.

Few of us, regardless of our race, can fully escape the accusation of racism, and the sin of racism itself is exacerbated by those who seek to use racism toward a political end.  It is this particular and deliberate bias in which “systemic” racism exists in the human mind and soul, not in institutions.  Until these are called out and removed from the public eye, there will always be a “system” by which human beings – regardless of race – are marginalized, diminished, and presented as less than human.  Only when we are honest enough to confess our own biases will racism cease to be a thing.

Resurrection: Life beyond our own - 4th Sunday of Easter 2020

3 May 2020 – 4^th Sunday of Easter

Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 23; 1 Peter 2:19-25; John 10:1-10

“If we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged”.  So says St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians.  He was referring to our need for self-examination before we may receive The Lord’s Supper.  “For all who eat and drink without discerning the body [that is, our flesh], eat and drink judgment against themselves” (1 Corinthians 11:27-32).

In the Roman Catholic tradition it was taught to us that before we could receive the Eucharist, we first had to go to Confession.  The Church taught that receiving the Eucharist while knowingly in state of sin would not only render the Eucharist ineffective; it would also invite condemnation as Paul wrote. 

Confession was not just some perfunctory thing we did for its own sake.  It is as much a means of grace as fasting, praying, and the study of Scripture.  I have shared with you before a Confession I did, maybe it was my first at around the age of 12, when I found myself struggling to remember which Commandments I had violated.  Finally the priest spoke: “You’re gonna have to learn to go deeper than that, son”.

As a “means”, then, Confession may be compared to Jesus’ encounter with the rich man who had asked what he must do to gain eternal life.  In his case, Jesus told Him he should obey the Commandments, sell all he has, give it to the poor, and then take up his cross and follow.  We remember the rich man walked away, having made his choice to keep his wealth – that is, his old life which was weighing him down and preventing him from being able to take up his own cross.  In a manner of speaking, the rich man’s spiritual hands were full; there was no room for anything more.

And that is the heart of Confession – not just the Roman Catholic practice but the discipline of self-examination we must learn to practice faithfully; because it is not strictly about whether we have too much money.  It is about not taking so much for granted.  It is about carrying too much of this world’s burdens that can prevent us from discerning the Voice of the One who is leading us to Life. 

Repentance is hard.  Repentance is not without its own pain; and if we somehow manage to make it painless, we have found for ourselves “another way to enter the sheepfold”, the way of “thieves and bandits”, as Jesus taught.  Repentance may mean a whole new circle of friends because repentance requires the death of our old self.  Repentance literally means “to turn away”, and this means we leave the life that was once familiar and comfortable and safe because our honest self-examination has revealed that our former life has been not at all a reflection of the Messiah whom we claim to love and follow. 

Repentance means the old way of doing and living are out the window.  This is necessarily what must happen if we are to be “born again”; for we cannot be “born again” into the same old life.  This is perhaps one of the biggest lies perpetrated by the Church.

And this is part of what makes self-examination so challenging.  When we measure our lives against what Jesus teaches, we come up woefully short.  But rather than accept the challenge laid out for us by growing in faith and in love, by trusting The Lord to take the lead and following His example, we settle for a cheap version of “grace” so we can justify ourselves, keep all we have, and call ourselves “saved”. 

This kind of grace, however, does not come by the Father’s Hand; it is an excuse we’ve learned to settle for.  It is the kind of grace we bestow only on ourselves, not on others.  That is, we don’t have to change a thing.  We can continue to hate and slander those we always hated.  We can continue to curse and demonize those with whom we disagree.  We can continue as before because we have convinced ourselves we don’t have to do anything.  It is a “feel-good”, painless grace that acknowledges our status as sinners but excuses us from our need to partner with Messiah, take His hand, and overcome that sinful state.

To repent, however, is much more than simply “turning away” from something; it is turning toward something greater, something better, something far more fulfilling than anything we can find on our own.  Jesus’ discourse in John’s Gospel (10:1-10) goes much deeper than to simply call Him “Lord”, call ourselves “saved”, ignore the Written Word, and then expect to be able to discern His Voice. 

The “thieves and bandits” factor into this discourse at such a level that they cannot be discounted.  Jesus seems to infer that “those who came before Him” had a significant following; significant enough for Jesus not only to teach but to warn others about which way to “turn”.  It may also be that rather than only referring to those who came before Him chronologically, Jesus may also be referring to that which we place before Him in our lives even now.

Self-examination is about much more than measuring our conduct against any particular Commandment; it is about measuring not only our conduct toward others but also against whom we have been following and what (or whom) we once worshipped.  Self-examination is about much more than mere “confession”; saying we’re sorry yet going right back to it.  It is about discerning the paths we have chosen and whether the one leading us is willing to give his or her life for the Gospel’s sake – or is simply taking life for his or her own sake. 

The cost of honest self-examination is our old life, and that is the entire point of the Resurrection.  It teaches us to discern between those who take life and the One who gives it.  Jesus did not make such discernment easy for those who were hearing Him speak, so we must not convince ourselves discipleship and discernment are ever easy.  This is because, although “Christ suffered for us”, He nevertheless left us “an example so that we should follow in His steps”, as St. Peter wrote (1 Peter2:21).

These are made much more difficult because of the very fact that neither discipleship nor discernment are impulsive acts.  It could very well be that our impulses, which are geared toward self-satisfaction and self-survival, may also, in a manner of speaking, be the “thieves and bandits” Jesus is warning us about.  So when we act – or react – impulsively, we are not giving serious thought to which way we are headed; we are only doing what we may instinctively think is right for ourselves.  As it is written in the Proverbs, “there is a way that seems right, but it is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25).

Yet Life is before us.  Jesus says “Whoever enters by Me will be saved; and will come in and go out and find pasture.  The thief comes only to kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:9-10). 

Honest self-examination is hard, but the Scripture teaches us we can do no less than to first be honest with ourselves.  Only then can we be honest with our Shepherd.  And maybe then, with His help, we can finally learn how to really listen, how to really live as we are meant to live.  To His Glory and no other.  Amen.

Burning Hearts - 3rd Sunday of Easter 2020

26 April 2020 

Luke 24:13-35

It is written in Luke’s Gospel, “Jesus took a loaf of bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body, which is given for you.  Do this in remembrance of Me’.”  (22:19).

I mention this because the so-called Emmaus Moment has always been very odd to me.  The Resurrected Jesus was walking on the road to Emmaus with these two disciples and speaking with them, asking them questions … and they did not recognize Him.  We often speak of a “glorified body”, but it is still strange to me that these two guys did not seem to realize whom they were speaking to.

It was not until Jesus was at the table with them, blessed and broke the bread, and handed it to them that their “eyes were opened, and they recognized Him” (24:31). 

St. Augustine believed this to be the preeminent Sacramental Moment.  He wrote, “Remember, dearly beloved, how the Lord Jesus desired to be recognized in the breaking of bread, by those whose eyes had been kept till then from recognizing Him.  The faithful know what I’m talking about.  They know Christ in the breaking of bread.  It isn’t every loaf of bread, but the one that receives Christ’s blessing and becomes the body of Christ.  That is where [these disciples] recognized Him.  They were overjoyed and went straight to the others.  They found whom they already knew.  By telling what they had seen, they added to the Gospel.  It was all said, all done, all written down.  And it has reached us” (sermon 234.2).

For John Wesley, The Lord’s Supper, mysterious though it is, was very simple.  The Lord Jesus commanded us to receive this mercy.  “Do this”.  In the remembrance of the Resurrected Messiah, we are shown through the Scriptures and through doctrinal history and tradition that the surest way for our eyes to be opened is through the breaking of Sacred Bread; remembering all that goes with it.  It is, therefore, our need, the Church’s need, to be in “constant communion”.

In the early days of American Methodism, infrequent Communion was only because of the infrequency of an ordained elder’s visit, the circuit riders.  Over time it came to be known by many as Methodist Communion Sunday, usually the first Sunday of the month.  This was never Wesley’s intent, however, and he makes reference to our need to be in “constant communion” just as surely as we are encouraged by St. Paul to “pray without ceasing”.  The meaning is found in our need to constantly – and actively - remember Him.

Our need to remember, our need to be nourished, our need to be sustained, our need for constant mercy requires that we obey our Lord’s simple commandment: “Do this in remembrance of Me”.  Judging by what is written in Luke’s Gospel, then, it seems to be that this is when our eyes can be fully opened to experience His Presence, enabled as we are by the Mercy of The Lord to humbly submit ourselves to this Precious Gift our Shepherd and Teacher has left for us.  So we are left to ask, “When is there a time when we are not in need of His enduring mercy”??

Wesley also went to great lengths to answer objections to “constant communion” from those who argued according to St. Paul’s admonishment to the Corinthians (1 Cor 11:17-33) to refrain from receiving the Sacrament in an “unworthy manner” so as to avoid condemnation.  The plain truth as Wesley understood it is we are indeed unworthy to receive such a mercy.  Yet our merciful Lord commands us to “Do this in remembrance of Me”.

The manner in which we receive the Sacrament has everything to do with the means by which the Sacrament is delivered.  The long-standing practice of the Roman Catholic Church has been to require Confession prior to receiving the Sacrament.  This is the Church’s understanding of Paul’s instruction to “examine ourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup.  For all who eat and drink without discerning the body eat and drink judgment against themselves” (11:28-29).  Then he reminds us that “if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged” (vs 31).

Though we do not practice the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) as the Roman Church does, we are not excused from “examining ourselves” before we receive this remarkable Mercy.  Failing to do this honestly and openly is how we learn to take The Lord’s Supper for granted.  As Jesus established this enduring Sacred Moment we call “Sacrament”, He still pointed out that that not only would all abandon Him, one would go so far as to betray Him. 

Knowing this and calling them out on their own “unworthiness”, He nevertheless established this Mercy, this Means of Grace by which we are fed and through which we are forgiven – after we “examine ourselves”, of course, and confront and confess our sins.  As ugly as Confession can sometimes be, we acknowledge our “unworthiness” in this examination and feel our profound need to be forgiven.  So through this Enduring Mercy, to the humble and contrite heart, our Holy Father bids us to come, eat, be nourished, and be forgiven.

Some have expressed concerns about “constant communion” becoming little more than a mechanical response, a ritual that has the potential to become meaningless.  I will grant there is that danger, but I think this is what can happen when we fail to fully and honestly “examine ourselves”.  If we simply walk forward to receive Communion without opening ourselves to this Mercy, it can become just a thing we do.  Frequently or infrequently, the Sacrament can have little meaning for us if we only go through the physical motions while neglecting the spiritual disciple of our need to confess honestly and openly.

The Christian Church established Sunday not as the “new” Sabbath but as the Day of Resurrection, the Day of The Lord when we are to be reminded that neither the Cross nor the Tomb are our final resting places.  Though we must endure both, we are assured of Everlasting Life beyond each.  And we are assured each time we “Do this in remembrance of Christ Jesus”. 

As the two disciples on the road to Emmaus show us, a simple “burning heart” is not enough.  We are as unworthy to See as we are unworthy to Receive.  Yet the One who alone is worthy is the very One who commands us to Receive so we may See.  And when we See, we Remember.  And when we Remember, we will Follow.  And when we Follow, we will finally and fully Live the Life we are created to Live.

Let us never again take this Sacred Gift for granted; for it is through Him, with Him, and in Him where Eternal Life is found.  Amen.

The Long Winter - Easter 2020

12 April 2020 – Easter Sunday

Acts 10:34-43; Colossians 3:1-4; Matthew 28:1-10

It is the strangest sensation I don’t think I will ever get used to – and I don’t want to!  Usually Easter is one of those special Holy Days when so many who otherwise would not attend formal worship do make time to gather with others.  Though we lament these absences throughout the year, we nevertheless celebrate when they come on those special occasions because it is in those moments when the Body of Christ is complete!

Yet here I stand again in an empty sanctuary, looking forward to the day when this long “winter” we will have endured will finally come to an end and we can gather formally and reconnect in a meaningful way.  It will be for many - hopefully for all - the most joyous occasion we can share; that this which we can so easily take for granted has been restored to us!  Sort of like returning from a long exile cut off from our world and all we only thought we had and knew.

When that day comes when we can gather once again, my prayer is that we will then come close to understanding what the apostles endured in those days after Jesus had been buried.  He who had become for them their True Compass was suddenly no longer leading the way.  They were not only afraid of what may have been coming to them, they were also very disoriented, confused, unsure of what to do except to hide from the religious leaders until they thought it was safe.

It was as if all Jesus had taught them about life, love, faith, discipleship, and what had to come had been completely lost on them.  We may think it strange, but this “long winter” we have been forced to endure may give us some sense of what they went through.  Though we have not been hiding from the “authorities”, we have been somewhat hidden from an unseen, potential danger, unsure of when we can go back out in public, unsure of whom to trust during this “long winter”, unsure of our next steps.

Like the circumstances we currently face, Jesus’ disciples did not really know when their “isolation” would come to an end.  In their great fear, given what they had watched Jesus endure and thinking they may be next, it is easy to believe that whatever they had learned in the past had been completely lost on them in this self-imposed isolation, in this great sense of fear.  It was perhaps the greatest trial any of them had faced.

Trials are ugly things, especially when we cannot know when they will end.  Given that our consistent prayer is that we be spared these trials and temptations, as Jesus taught us to pray, we are often unprepared for those times when our trials cannot be avoided.  Nor should they be - because we have been shown the glory that awaits us, through the Resurrection of our Lord, if we are willing to face these trials faithfully.

The trial we currently face has lasted well beyond the couple of days the apostles endured, but we are no less disoriented, unsure of our next steps, maybe even a little fearful of what may come next.  I try to read the news and stay informed, but my confusion is often exacerbated by the conspiracy theories swirling about as to the origin of this Virus and what may be next. 

The Lord alone knows what will happen next.  Regardless of what we may hear, regardless of our political affiliations, we must – we MUST – become MORE aware of our Lord and His Eternal Word than we are aware of the news from Washington DC.  There is too much uncertainty, too much conflicting information, too much believing “this” one or “that” one only because of their political party affiliation.

If nothing else, our long “winter” has been extended perhaps because The Church has yet to take from what has happened what must be lessons learned and applied to our next steps.  As I had previously shared, we have endured much worse in this nation’s past.  Each time we recovered with lessons learned but soon forgotten. 

Each time we went right back to business as usual … until the next time, the next “winter”.  It is not unlike the many times Israel stumbled, faced great challenges, and prayed The Lord to come rescue them.  The Lord heard their prayers and restored them.  It wasn’t long, however, before they were right back where they had been, having forgotten The Lord, having forgotten His Law, and having forgotten themselves and their true identity in Him.  Until finally the Exile was upon them, perhaps the longest “winter” they had faced.  Until The Lord had finally had enough of their seasonal faithfulness.

Easter is the holiest Day of the Christian calendar.  Because Easter falls in the Spring, it is easy to see the earth awaken from its long winter slumber.  It is readily seen with our eyes that which had once appeared dead suddenly appear to be full of life, never having really died.  We celebrate these things as we should, but it isn’t long before we, too, are back to “business as usual”.  The Holy Day passes and is soon forgotten.

Maybe this time the “winter” we must endure is going to take longer.  And maybe it is that, aside from all the conspiracy theories, we need this extended “winter” more than we realize.  Maybe it is we are not yet fully awakened.  Maybe it is our Holy Father is determined that we will not so quickly return to “business as usual”. 

Maybe it is our Gracious Father knows that in the midst of our uncertainty, our disorientation, we need more time to find our footing, to reconnect to Him before we can reconnect to one another and the world we still have to live in and navigate.  Maybe it is our Solid Rock on which we SHOULD stand knows we are not yet prepared to stand, to cast aside all else – especially our worldly affiliations - and follow His lead.

Maybe it is this pandemic is among the great gifts we can possibly receive because we are reminded of what is written in the Scriptures: “The Lord disciplines those whom He loves and chastises every child He accepts” (Hebrews 12:6).  For it must be, as the writer maintains, “If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not His children” (Hebrews 12:8).

In the midst of this long “winter”, however, we still have Easter.  We still have the knowledge of the Resurrection, and thus it is we still dare to hope.  And when our Father has determined we are indeed prepared and willing to bloom in His Glory, He will set us free from this long “winter” so we may truly begin to live.

Let us remember always to give glory where glory is due.  It is Him and Him alone who is worthy of our praise and adoration and full trust.  Let us be unafraid to claim His Name, and let us never forget the long “winter” we endured for His sake.  Glory to The Lord our God, and peace to His people on earth!  Amen.

"Signs" - Palm Sunday 2020

5 April 2020 – Palm Sunday

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Matthew 21:1-11

Writing to a dear friend this past week, I came to realize how completely consumed many of us are with the Virus – or maybe it’s just me ...  Reading through the prescribed Palm Sunday text (Matthew 21:1-11), I thought of the irony of Jesus riding into Jerusalem to a cheering and welcoming crowd even though we know they would soon turn on Him.  My mind immediately altered verse 8 without much thought: “A very large crowd … was called out on social media for being careless and inconsiderate idiots and were soon arrested and fined for violating stay-at-home orders”. 

Aside from my sarcasm, I have often wondered how we would react if we knew the Messiah were riding into town – especially today.  Would we gather?  If we gathered, would we practice “social distancing”, being more mindful of those around us than of the One coming into town?  Or would we stay home and hope someone live-streams or records it?  You know, someone from among the crowd we would still call out and curse for not being socially responsible …

I don’t mean to make light of what we face, and I certainly do not wish to diminish the importance of the reasonable precautions we must always take.  Yet even with our reasonable precautions and awareness, there is still this awareness that gets past many of us: we do not know when He is coming – only that He is.  We also do not know what He will look like.  By this, I refer to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus whose “eyes were kept from recognizing Him” (Luke 24:13-16). 

The people gathered in Jerusalem knew, or knew of, Jesus of Nazareth.  Some had only heard of Him, but it is also reasonable to assume many in the crowd had been touched by Him in some way.  It is reasonable to believe many were only excited about the prospect of the warrior-king “Son of David” driving the Romans out and reestablishing the Throne of David. 

It is also reasonable to assume many of those who had been touched and healed by Him were also among those who would demand His life only a few days later.  It is the harsh reality of being mortal – AND – impatient.

Sometimes we sanitize Bible stories to the point of convincing ourselves we would not turn so quickly in such a barbaric way, knowing Jesus as we think we do ... Yet a quick glance through some social media posts, many by known Christians - and what we surely know about “mob mentality”, reveals we do indeed have the capacity to be just as cruel, just as barbaric now as they were then – if not in deed, most certainly in word.

 We must be willing to find our own places in these stories as they unfold in the Bible.  Christ is indeed the Living Word, but the Word itself comes alive when we take our places in the stories and be honest with ourselves about where we would actually stand.  We cannot be disinterested or disconnected as though these stories are from so long ago that they no longer have any real meaning for us now.  And if we think we would recognize Jesus now as they did then, we’re really not paying attention.  Or we’re not being totally honest.

Yes, the angels did tell the apostles The Lord would return the same way He went (Acts 1:11), but did The Lord not also tell His apostles He would be with them (with His Church) until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20)?  Did our Lord not also say that whatever we do to “the least of these” is a direct action toward Him (Matthew 25:40)?

My point is this.  I’m not sure what the “coming in the clouds” will look like exactly, but our Lord has taught that He is with us now.  Our Lord looks like any number of persons who struggle just to get through each day.  He looks like the millions who have lost their jobs.  The Lord has starved to death in the streets of slums throughout the world, and I am quite certain The Lord went to bed hungry and alone right here in Arkansas just last night.  I’m also pretty sure that if He looks like He did when He walked the earth some two-thousand years ago, being of Middle Eastern descent, we might more likely look upon Him with suspicion rather than welcome Him with open arms.

It is not always easy to know the right thing to do, and our impulses often deceive us.  Even adults, who are well versed in the Scriptures, struggle with navigating day-to-day obligations to our employers (if we’re still fortunate enough to have one), to our families, to our churches, and to those in need.  We want safety and security for ourselves and for those we love, but sometimes our fears and suspicions drive us to such extremes that our faith becomes strictly an internal feeling separate from our external lives.  As we should know, that is not faith.  Not even a little bit.

These are not unprecedented times we are faced with even as our reaction to this crisis is.  This country has struggled in the past through two world wars, the Great Depression, numerous recessions, and other pandemics – some deadlier than this one.  Each time we came out with the determination to remember the lessons learned, but it is not long before we forget, things get good again, and we go back to business-as-usual as if nothing happened – or will happen again.  This is portrayed by the welcoming crowd in Jerusalem that turned into a jeering and mocking and blood-thirsty crowd only a few days later. 

I am not prepared to suggest this pandemic is The Lord’s judgment on our nation and the world.  Maybe it is.  Truth be told, I have not asked Him directly more than I have only prayed for mercy, for wisdom, and for guidance. 

If it is Judgment, we are compelled to ask why and to be open and prepared to receive the Answer honestly.  If it is another Test, as one of many Israel faced in the wilderness, we must ask if we are only residually caught up in the sins of the many, or if we are among the many and refuse to acknowledge our part. 

We must be honest with ourselves and with one another because, on this Palm Sunday, this may be the real challenge we have yet to face: who is riding into town to announce His presence and to give us hope?  Caesar with “stimulus checks”, or The Lord who asks us to trust Him?  To whom are we looking for answers?  In whom do we hope?  And which will we turn on in only a matter of days when things don’t turn out the way we hope?

There is always a measure of triumph and hope on Palm Sunday.  What is expressed and conveyed by Jesus riding into town, however, is not always what is received.  The challenge for us always is to ask and to measure where our true hope resides; in Washington DC … or in the Eternal Kingdom?  Our honest answer may surprise us – and may also chart the course for the coming days.

In Jesus’ time, He rode into town to face what He would have to face for our sake.  In the time to come – perhaps in our own time - He will ride into town to collect His own for the sake of the Kingdom.  It is our challenge always to determine where we will be standing when – WHEN – He does.  And if we are being as honest as we are human, we can only pray - Lord, have mercy.  Christ, have mercy.  Lord, have mercy.  Amen.

Why?

Why?

It is often during times of crises when we question the presence and even the goodness of The Lord.  Israel and Judah asked this often during their bleak periods before and during their respective exiles, and the Word came to them through prophets; men (and probably some women) designated by The Lord to bring His Word to them in their fear and dismay.  However, if that Word did not give them what they desired and thought they needed, that Word was not received … and the prophets who brought that Word were killed.

Hear what Jesus affirmed: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem; the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!  How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!  See, your house is left to you, desolate” (Matthew 23:37-38).

There have been self-proclaimed prophets even in recent history who tried to tell all who would listen that 9/11 was Judgment.  Others have suggested natural disasters are Judgment.  While there may have been some truth to these, perhaps even now in what we face, The Lord spoke to the prophet Elijah in a way that challenges our notions of big disasters always being Divine Wrath.  There may well be that, but there is also always more.

Recall Elijah was running for his life.  In his distress, even after being “zealous for The Lord” in the face of an unfaithful Israel which had violated the Covenant and “killed the prophets”, The Lord spoke to him: “Go out and stand on the mountain before The Lord, for The Lord is about to pass by’.  There was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before The Lord, but The Lord was not in the wind.  After the wind, an earthquake, but The Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but The Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence” (1 Kings 19:10-12).

Bad things happen; some by the hands of humans, some by natural means.  I think, though, this is more evident of the reality of the broken world in which we live.  Yet because we get so caught up in the big things, we fail to heed the “sound of sheer silence”.  It was that “sheer silence” in which Elijah got an assurance as well as his marching orders from that moment.

A wind that would “split mountains and break rocks” would certainly get our attention!  So would an earthquake and even a fire.  Note, however, that The Lord – at least in this narrative – is not “in” any of these disasters.  He told Elijah He was about the pass by, but the text continually reminds us The Lord was not “in” any of those things.  It begs the question, then: if The Lord was not in those things, did He cause those things?

We are not told one way or the other.  We are only told these things occurred.  If we were to read it literally, it could be inferred The Lord commanded these things in Elijah’s presence to make a point.  Remember, however, Jesus calmed a storm rather than that He caused it!  Like with the natural disasters Elijah witnessed, The Lord was found in the peace, the calm, the silence which followed.  We need all these things in order to hear.

So it is not so important that we concern ourselves with whether The Lord had a hand in this Virus or even to ask why.  What we must be searching and listening for is the “sheer silence” which always follows.  Our world is filled with evil, with disease, with death; but the “sheer silence” is our hope and His assurance.  Even so, by our theology, we generally say a choice was made in the Garden when Man and Woman chose to live in a world of their own making rather than to be content with the World which had been made for them.  By this, we believe we are “by our own nature inclined to evil, and that continually” (2016 UM Book of Discipline, ¶104, pg 67, Article VII).

Evil begets evil, and evil comes in many forms.  Evil is not merely the opposite of good; it is the absence of good.  As when Israel and Judah fell, we cannot say every soul of society had turned their backs on The Lord.  We can reasonably say, however, that even good and righteous persons got caught up in what befell society through no direct fault of their own.

Though I do not see The Lord “in” the Virus as He was not “in” the wind, the earthquake, or the fire which Elijah had witnessed (and I could be wrong!), we can all hear Him in the calm.  In the end, I suppose it falls on us to “be still” and learn to listen; for it seems to be that The Lord was indeed in the “sheer silence”.  Whether we think we deserve this or that others do deserve this, the truth is we are, quite literally and spiritually, in this together.  Yet The Lord also revealed to Elijah: “I will leave … all the knees that have not bowed to Baal (the ‘gods’ of this world) and have not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:18).

The righteous will survive and even thrive not only because The Lord loves those who seek after Him – but because The Lord needs His righteous to produce righteousness for the sake of the many who live in darkness and cannot hear or even appreciate the “sheer silence”.  Sometimes, it seems, we all need a slap on the head to be awakened.

Michael

Rights and Responsibilities

8 March 2020 – 2^nd Sunday of Lent

Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; Romans 6:1-8; John 3:1-17

The late John Paul II once said, “Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do as we ought”.  He may have been expressing what St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are beneficial” (1 Cor 6:12).  Having a right to do something does not mean we should – especially if there is no corresponding sense of social responsibility, which is the life of discipleship.

A right to bear arms comes with a corresponding social responsibility to be trained before picking up or carrying a loaded weapon.  A right to free speech comes with a corresponding social responsibility to choose our words carefully in building others up rather than trying to tear them down – even in politics.  A right to the exercise of religion comes with a doctrinal responsibility to understand that religion and what is required of us in the social world.

Being “born again”, as Jesus teaches in John’s Gospel, is much more than a ticket to heaven.  It is the beginning of learning what it means to be a citizen of the Eternal Kingdom in the here-and-now.  It goes much deeper than our shallow concept of “being saved” only for one’s own sake.  It is beginning to develop in such a way as to reflect Christ in everything we say and in everything we do. 

Discipleship is, quite literally, the mindset of Abram who obeyed The Lord’s call even before he knew where he was being led.  It is, figuratively speaking, the death of our old self in our baptism so we may be raised in the being of Christ Jesus – not later.  Right Here.  Right Now.  As Paul wrote, “Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

It is that “newness of life” that gets past too many of us, I think, because we experience that moment of justification, that forgiveness of our past, but we often fail to live into the Life to which we are called.  We mistakenly believe we are somehow entitled with no corresponding social responsibility on our part. 

When that happens, when we are unconcerned by how our selfishness impacts the lives of others, “we are no longer walking in love” (Romans 14:15).  When that happens, the “newness of life” becomes the same old grind, the same old life from which we were once called.  Nothing, it seems, has really changed.

In his second letter, Peter wrote, “His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.  Thus He has given us, through these things, His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust (self-centeredness), and may become participants of the Divine Nature” (self-giving) (2 Peter 1:4).

To “escape” the old life and to “become participants” in the “newness of life” is human action in response to what is offered.  It is living into what is before us by His hand, even if immediately unknown to us.  It means a door has been opened through which we must walk.  But rather than going out, we are being invited in.  We have stepped onto the “porch of prevenient grace” (awareness), have walked into the “door of justifying grace” (accepting), and are being invited into the “house of sanctifying grace” (growing in knowledge, wisdom, faith, and love).  All these things are offered and opened to us, but we must deliberately step in.

For all which is offered to us, Peter continued, “You must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love … Be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble” (2 Peter 1:5-7, 10).

There exists a certain ‘right’, as is written in John’s Gospel: “To all who did receive [Christ], to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of [the Most High God]” (John 1:12).  By the teachings of our Shepherd and His apostles, however, that ‘right’ must be claimed AND lived into.  This “right” comes with a corresponding social responsibility.  It cannot be allowed to lay fallow and bear no fruit, and it must never be understood on any level as a point of personal privilege.

This is all much more than many are willing to bear, however, or to even hear.  It’s hard.  It is challenging.  It is incredibly inconvenient to all we have embraced as “normal”.  The idea that we can no longer demand anything but that we must learn and be prepared to give up everything does not mesh with the so-called “American Dream”.   

Growing up in my tiny Roman Catholic parish, I must freely admit I never really understood what it means to be “born again”.  It isn’t that this particular portion of Scripture was never read in Mass or taught in catechism classes; it certainly was.  Claiming Jesus as one’s personal Lord and Savior, however, was not stressed as much as one’s need to claim the Holy Church as one’s spiritual Mother and Jesus as the Shepherd who is leading us – all who are willing to follow – somewhere.  To only believe He is leading us to heaven when we die is being incredibly short-sighted in denying the here-and-now.

The challenge of being “born again”, for me, is that I still struggle with the concept of discipleship.  I struggle with the commandments that interfere with my own choices.  I struggle with the idea that everything I read in Scriptures, while intended to help me to grow personally, has a necessary social component that requires that I “Get over Myself” and realize it’s not about “me” – it is entirely about Him, the One who calls us from slavery to sin and death and into a whole new Life.  Yes, the Life of the Church, the Body of Christ.  But even more. 

Yesterday as I was leaving a store in Pine Bluff (I was killing time while my mom was doing her physical therapy), a man approached me very politely and asked if I could spare some change for a cup of coffee.  My “normal” self’s radar went up and I sensed potential danger.  My “normal” understanding of this world suspected this man only wanted to see what was in my pocket or wallet.  My “normal” suspected it could be dangerous – even in broad daylight surrounded by people.  You may agree with my “normal” as your own, but here is the curse: my “normal” did not even see a human being.

My immediate and very “normal” social impulse was to say “no” and keep moving.  I had spare change that I could have given up, but my “normal” said “no, I don’t”.  Yet my Shepherd, my Savior, my Boss, who may well have been standing there in that person, said, “Lend without expecting to be repaid.  Then your reward from heaven will be truly great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked” (Luke 6:35).

How can I claim to be “born again” if my impulsive default is my old self, my suspicious self, my cynical self?  You see, I was not acting in faith; I was reacting to the only world I really know and believe in.  I did not see Christ in that man; I only saw an inconvenient nuisance. 

The Good News, however, is that I am condemned to that old self only if I choose to be.  The Good News is that Christ Jesus shared in our humanity not only to give us the example to live by but that, by giving so fully of Himself, we may still hope to share one day in His Divinity.  That “one day”, however, begins right here.  Right Now.  It is His to offer, but it is ours to choose and live into so that, through Christ and in Christ, we “may be saved”.  Amen.