A Thought

“Printed words are concepts.  One must endure the experiences.”  - St. Augustine

“You must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction to righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” 2 Timothy 3:14-17

St. Augustine also said that if we accept only what we like and reject what we don’t like (all from the Scriptures), we do not believe in God; we believe only in ourselves.  It seems we may be comfortable with the concepts we can grasp, but we are often complacent (if not downright hostile) toward those things we find difficult for our own lives, our own circumstances, and then slink away in “grace”, convincing ourselves that “God understands my situation”. 

Indeed the Lord “understands” the human situation so much so that He came to us to become like us so that we would ultimately strive to become like Him.  Jesus did not come to help us get settled where we are; He came to lead us OUT OF where we are and into something much greater!  But if we remain uninspired and thus unmoved, it is as though Jesus never came at all.  Thus it is that we cannot resign ourselves only to “reading” the Bible or only “going to church” or only “taking Communion” or making fellowship only with those we personally like; we must resolve ourselves to “endure the experiences” of Christ Himself, all His experiences … that is, IF He is “the Way”.  That is, if ALL Scripture is really divinely inspired for purposes much greater than for just something to read so we can make a mark on our “to-do list”.

The only reason we are “uninspired” to strive for greater heights is our own lack of effort and our unwillingness to “endure the experiences”.  But if we dare to reach higher, ah, the heights He will take us to!  So reach!  Strive!  Endure!  Hope!  Never settle, and never get settled; for it is not over until the Trumpet Sounds!

Blessings,

Michael   

The Feast of Family

John 2:1-11

Marriage is a big deal.  The sacramental union of a man and a woman together in our Lord's Holy Covenant is worthy of our prayers, worthy of serious contemplation before entering into such union, and worthy of the full weight of the Church's support not only when things go wrong but to also assure that things stay right!  When that union is threatened in any way, the Church must be prepared and willing to engage in spiritual battle because there is much more at stake that many of us realize.  So it is significant in the Season of Epiphany that this succession of events, from Jesus' baptism to Jesus' presence at a wedding, reveals to us much more than Jesus' ability to change water into wine as only a "sign to be believed".

We are also being shown much more than Jesus affirming the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman; the sanctity of that reality is already affirmed in Genesis 2:24: "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh".  In fact, it could be said that Jesus' presence at the wedding is incidental because when He was "invited", there is no indication that His role as Messiah was even considered.  Yet we are being shown by His presence the covenantal relationship between the Lord and His Church; between the Bridegroom who is Messiah and the Bride which is the Church.  But we are not being shown this merely by Jesus being present.  There is much more. 

Perhaps it is that the significance of running out of wine is not so much indicative of more guests showing up than were anticipated but rather that there is only so much we can do within our limited human capacity to anticipate and endure the reality of life's certain challenges, especially for a married couple.  We must remember that in Jesus' day, they could not run to the corner liquor store or the county line to get more wine!  It had to be prepared beforehand.  So perhaps it is that we begin to "run on empty" (that is, 'fall out of love' or 'it wasn't meant to be') without fully realizing the preparation work necessary before the wedding should even take place (I do not mean planning the wedding!), not to mention the incredible work that must be done to protect and preserve that union because it is a UNION OF TESTIMONY.  But we must also realize, within the sacramental context, that apart from our Lord, we can never really be prepared for all that lay ahead.

The Roman Catholic Church has for centuries maintained the integrity of matrimony as a bona fide Sacrament of the Church, and it is a shame the reformers did not take more seriously the full weight of what truly constitutes "sacramental" before they dismissed all but two (baptism and the Lord's Supper).  It is a shame and a profound loss because when the sacramental nature of marriage is diminished to a mere "ordinance" or when the "sacramental nature" is removed altogether, we are left with little more than a legal, perhaps social contract that can endure only for so long as each party is willing; which is to say, only for so long as the "good wine" lasts.

Calling marriage a "sacrament", however, is no magic formula for success without understanding what "sacramental" really means.  When we understand Sacrament as "the Lord's giving of Himself to us", we can see this more clearly in baptism when we are given new life and we can appreciate its depth in the nourishment of the Lord's Supper when we are renewed in repentance.  Where the Lord "gives of Himself" in marriage, however, is a little more elusive, a little harder to pin down because in the beginning of just about any marriage, it's all about mutual attraction, infatuation, idealism, and romanticism.  We often hear that "I want to spend the rest of my life with him/her", but we rarely (if ever) hear, "I want to glorify our Lord's Covenant with humanity through my union with my beloved".  And we don't hear this because it is likely the very LAST thing on a couple's mind. 

Which may beg the question: Did the Lord give us marriage, or did He enter into marriage in order to make it mean something, to give it depth; that is, the depth of a Covenant as a UNION OF TESTIMONY rather than as a mere partnership of convenience?  The Season of the Epiphany has a natural progression to this end in that while we are told of Jesus' special role as Messiah by the presence of the Gentile "wise men" who were led from afar and by His baptism when the "Spirit descended as a dove", we are now introduced to the fulfillment of that special role in the nature of the Covenant between the Holy God and the unholy human race for the sole purpose of sanctifying us to Himself.

So just as it is that baptism by water is an "outward sign of an inward grace", society is shown the "outward sign" of the Covenant by the sacrament of marriage made sacramental not by a priest but by the intentional commitment each partner has to the other "for better AND for worse, in wealth AND in poverty, in sickness AND in health"; that is, "sacrificially", "sacramentally".  The covenant commitment we make to our spouses in giving ourselves completely to them is one and the same sacrament attested to in our Lord giving Himself to us in the new birth (justifying grace) and in continuing to grow in love and mutual support and nurture of one another in the faith (sanctifying grace); "going on to perfection" but recognizing that perfection that can never be achieved by man alone.

Make no mistake.  A sound and fruitful marriage is no accident, and it does not "just happen" as a matter of fate (fond as that unbiblical notion may be).  And while it is true that it "takes two to tango", it is equally true that a marriage can rise to new heights by the genuine commitment, perseverance, and self-sacrifice of only one just as a marriage can be utterly destroyed by the irresponsible, selfish, and often devious and diabolical acts of only one.  The challenge of the sacramental marriage is of the very same nature as that of the sacramental commitment to the Divine Covenant, the fulfillment of which is portrayed by the "new wine", the "good wine" at Cana - made possible only by the hand of our Lord.

There is therefore much more to this commitment than just being happy with one another, much more than mutual compatibility.  The nature of "sacrament" is attested to in our understanding of discipleship and the important role marriage and family life play in this understanding.  Author Josh Hunt writes in his book, "Disciple-making teachers", that there is no greater public testimony to the unity of Messiah to YHWH and the Church to Messiah than by Jesus' statement and prayer in John 17:23 when He prays, "May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent Me ..."  The writer states, "Do you understand the significance of Jesus' words?  It is almost as though Jesus is turning to the world and saying, 'If My people don't love each other, you have My permission to believe I did not come".  Wow.

The writer is not talking about the absence of divorce because, clearly, that ship has long sailed.  Rather he is talking about the presence of passion and purpose within the marriage covenant, the very same passion you and I need to have toward the Lord - the very same passion our Lord has for us ... as attested to at Calvary!  The Lord could have simply "willed" that all are saved, but He didn't do any "magic trick" nor did He simply take for granted that one day everyone would know of His Love.  He found it necessary to SHOW His love with intention.  He found it necessary to PROVE His love with purpose.  With complete disregard for Himself.  This relationship in our Lord's heart does not merely "exist", nor should our marriages simply "exist"; because what merely "exists" is, more often than not, taken for granted and neglected to its detriment and eventual annihilation. 

You want to know why people don't take the Church seriously anymore? It is because we do not take marriage or our spouses seriously anymore.  We use these, more often than not, as means convenient to our own selfish ends.  So when we do not take our spouses and our marriages seriously but simply let them "exist" as long as we are personally satisfied (so long as the wine holds out), we testify to the world that we do not take our Lord and our relationship with Him seriously.  We give them "permission", as the writer stated earlier, "to believe Jesus never came".  We give them permission to believe such Love does not exist. 

Jesus elevated the status and role of marriage by the "new wine", the "sign" of His remarkable presence in what was once an ordinary social event.  He portrayed YHWH's passion for us in the "new, superior wine", making the ordinary extraordinary ... not merely for the wedded bliss of the happy couple but for the WORLD TO SEE where He is in our lives!  It is a Perpetual Feast worth celebrating not only on the wedding day but each and every day to testify to the Goodness of our Lord and His commitment to US! 

It is discipleship at its finest.  It is relationship at its fullest potential.  It is Life in the Eternal Covenant.  It is, at its very best, "Emmanuel"; God with us.  Amen.

A Thought

“Consider [Jesus] who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”  Hebrews 12:3

Everyone has a bad day from time to time, and it is sometimes especially so for those who work diligently in the faith to serve as witnesses to what is good and right and holy.  Yet there are always those moments and those persons who will not only resist what is offered but will sometimes become hostile as if they are somehow being threatened.  And maybe they are, at least in their own minds and within their own personal realms, threatened to the extent that they discover that our Lord does not seek to make us comfortable with or justify us in our sins.  Rather our Lord calls us out of and away from a life of and bondage to sin so that we may be justified before our Holy God to a much better life with a much greater promise than merely the next moment.

We must try to remember that the Son of God was rejected, even to the point of death, because the religious leaders of His day did feel genuinely threatened; not because they were offended in their own sense of righteous and pure religion (though it was their excuse) but because they attempted to use their own sense of religion to justify their own lofty social status.  They did not want to serve; they only wanted to be served.  They did not want to repent and follow; they wanted to be followed. 

This is not so for disciples of the Risen Christ!  We are called to serve just as our Lord sought to serve.  So let us seek to serve (without being self-serving!) with due diligence and with the faith and confidence that we are in Good Company!

Blessings,

Michael

A Thought

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most Hight shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.’”  Psalm 91:1-2

Do you remember the game of “chase” we played when we were children?  That simple, physically demanding, and exciting game which allowed us a “base” where we could stand and be safe from the one who was “it”?  The purpose of the game was to run from one “base” to another (usually each end of the yard or playground) without getting caught by the one who was “it” because if we got caught, we would be stuck in the madness and the chaos of that open field and unable to return to the safety of the “base” until we were able to catch someone else.

Life is a lot like this.  The sad part is that so many have distanced themselves from the Lord and His Church to the extent that they cannot find the safety and sanctuary of “base”.  For these there is no “refuge”, no “fortress”; only the madness of others running desperately from “base” to “base” without finding any real safety, no real rest.  There is only the chaos.

Let us return to our “base” at least long enough to catch our breath; it is the promise of our Lord who promises “true rest”.  Like a parent with a child, the faithful are of no real use to a world gone mad if we do not connect to our “base” often and take the necessary rest.  It is the foundational theology of the Sabbath, that remarkable Gift from Above which enables us to reconnect to our Lord and to one another in the fellowship of the Church, the Body of Christ.  It is the necessary place of “refuge” in which we can never be “caught” because we are safe, yet it is also the place from which we are sufficiently rested, strengthened, and enabled to endure the game as we must.

We cannot stay on “base” without disengaging from the game itself just as we cannot disengage from life itself, but we cannot function to our full capacity without the knowledge that “base” is always there and that real rest is to be found “under the shadow of the Almighty”.

Touch “base” regularly.  We are no good to our spouses, our children, our employers, or society in general without it.

Blessings,

Michael

P.S. – take your children’s TV, Ipods, Ipads, electronic games, computers, and cell phones away from them and teach them the game of “chase”!  

All Wet

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

The saying, 'you're all wet', has an uncertain origin but has come to mean "mistaken" or "wrong" such as, "If you think you will hit the lottery by buying more tickets, you're 'all wet'".  We might believe buying more tickets increases our odds of winning which would be statistically correct, but it still ignores the fact that nothing we do will affect how the numbers roll out, whether it's buying more tickets or rubbing a lucky rabbit's foot.

By the same token, if we think getting baptized makes us Christians, well, this also makes us - literally and figuratively - 'all wet'.  This is not to say baptism does not matter (it does) or will make no difference in our spiritual life (it will), but baptism as a practice and as a doctrine of the Church does speak to general beliefs about baptism, sacraments, discipleship, and church membership; in other words, what it truly means to be connected to and follow our Lord.

If baptism does not matter one way or the other, Jesus surely would not have bothered because I think we can see that when it came to religious practices, Jesus made no time for what He considered to be nonsense.  If anything, He would have stopped on the bank of the river and hollered out, "SNAKE!"  Some of you water-hole-swimmin' country boys know perfectly well this warning will not only clear a water hole but has also been known to cause some to walk on water!

But why does baptism matter?  Is the act in and of itself the "end"?  Or is the act a "means" to an end, much like any other practice we observe in the Church, those "means of grace" by which we encounter the Holy (sacramental)?  And if a "means", to what "end"?  Heaven?  That's too obscure, too abstract though worthy of our attention and awe!  For many, however, such obscurity can actually blind us to a greater reality so much so that we lose sight of baptism's meaning for us and for the Church.  And I think we may be, to a large degree, at that point of spiritual blindness, especially when we come to believe it necessary to repeat a baptism for ANY reason.  When we do this, we make baptism the "end" rather than a "means to an end".

That we get baptized only because Jesus did is a good start (but ONLY a start) to a much more profound and fulfilling conversation, but that conversation must take place not to state opinions and pretend these opinions are biblical facts but, rather, to explore and understand that what actually begins at baptism transcends and overwhelms that single moment.  We must think bigger and more broadly because what we seek - and what our Lord seeks from us - is much bigger and broader than this single moment or any other moment in our lives.  We think of our Journey of Discipleship not as a series of "events" but as moving from one transitional phase to the inevitable next.

Most of us are probably familiar with a general definition of "disciple" as being that of a "student or a follower", but general notions of "discipline" (both from the same Latin root) are probably more negative and reactive rather than positive and proactive.  In our Wesleyan Methodist tradition, we think of baptism within a disciplined (that is, an "ordered") environment to be that of "preparation"; that is, "proactive" rather than "reactive".  We don't have religious instruction to prepare for baptism; we use baptism and religious instruction as preparation for discipleship.  And it seems to me that Jesus' own time of preparation also began with His baptism.  THEN He went into the "wilderness" to commune with YHWH through prayer and fasting.  We are shown these "means of grace" as necessary for a successful confrontation with "temptation", the same temptations you and I endure every single day of our lives - incidentally, from the same source.

So it is the discipline (the practices, the habits) of the Church that structures this intentional, purposeful growth as "means of grace" to a glorious end; not to "keep people in line" but to nurture, aid, and sustain.  Discipline takes nothing for granted and assumes nothing.  It is the Word that reminds us we are not alone, it is the Spirit that teaches us by and through this same Word, and it is the discipline - the ordered structure of discipleship, our practices, our habits, our "means of grace" - that keeps us focused on the Holy Word in our holy deeds on our common, Holy Journey.  Just like Jesus in the wilderness.  It is the Path we are called to follow.

It is the discipline of the Church which reminds us that bumper stickers and Facebook postings do not in themselves constitute discipleship.  I hate to be the one to break it to you, but discipleship is much more challenging than that - AND - much more fulfilling!  There are no "magic spells" in discipleship.  Genuine disciples pursue much more than slogans, symbols, and clever sayings, such as "If God leads you to it, He will lead you through it".  This common saying dances around a biblical theme and has a nice ring to it, but it also leaves much unsaid.  The discipline of the Church gives us ordered - but not rigid - steps to help us endure, to help us get "through it" - but also challenges us to determine that where we are is not necessarily where we were supposed to be in the first place!  In order to get "through it", however, there must be a beginning.  That beginning is, of course, baptism.

The saving grace of baptism by the Lord's hand - before we've "done" anything of ourselves! - is expressed by UM pastor D. Stephen Long in his book, "Keeping Faith: an ecumenical commentary on the Articles of Religion and Confession of Faith in the Wesleyan Tradition" as a "mini-exodus in which we are called to leave the 'Egypt' that is our slavery to sin, pass through the waters, and then journey with" the Lord toward the Promised Land.  This doctrinal concept by which the practice of infant baptism is retained in our tradition includes our children regardless of age and speaks of parental and community responsibility toward our children.  The Exodus story does not tell us of Israelites who left their young children behind simply because the children could not make up their own minds about whether to stay or to go.

We should not get too caught up in baptismal prescriptions; but making a conscious decision NOT to receive the sacrament of baptism or deny our children this evidence of our Lord's "prevenient grace" (that is, HIS work before our conscious awareness) must be made in good conscience according to a sound knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and the Church's discipline and doctrines (structured journey) and not according to loosely translated man-made traditions (remember the "THREE KINGS" from the "ORIENT" that actually are not, according to Scripture??).  It is that "structured journey" by which we express our knowledge that just as there is only One true and living God, there can be only One Faith, One Word, One Baptism, One Cup of Salvation ... One Journey.  And it is the Journey we understand we must endure together.

None of this has anything to do with religious dogma, but it has everything to do with what we understand of our Holy Father's saving grace expressed through our centuries-old doctrines!  This divine, eternal grace exists in the Exodus, and it certainly exists at Calvary.  Late 19th-century theologian Karl Barth, when asked when he was "saved", was fond of saying, "33AD".  So he understood everything AFTER "33AD" to be his response to that "prevenient" grace, a lifetime journey of gratitude, awe, discovery, spiritual growth, and reverence to grace imparted - before he was ever aware; grace which exists whether we choose to partake of that grace or not.  And a decision to "NOT at this time" is in itself a decision, yes?

A study of the sacraments of the Church and their corresponding doctrines is an exhaustive endeavor that cannot be completely covered in a single sermon.  Suffice it to say that the practices of the Church have come from centuries of tradition tried and tested in accordance with a substantial knowledge of what is written in the Scriptures and not in what we simply make up as we go and as we please.  All is a devout effort to "pass through the waters" without being "all wet".  And this we do earnestly, faithfully, and in community with one another.

Let us begin again in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit.  Amen.   

A Thought

“We have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed, as a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretations, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”  2 Peter 1:19-21

The first thought I had this morning after having read this passage was Tony Alamo, the self-described “prophet” from Fouke AR who is now serving time (and will likely die) in prison for child molestation.  Then I thought about Warren Jeffs, the Fundamentalist Mormon also serving time for the same thing.  Then there was David Koresh, Jim Jones, and so many others who have taken the mantle of spirituality upon themselves and were so charismatic and exciting that hundreds of people followed these men, many to their deaths.  Each of these men claimed to have been speaking on behalf of the Lord and knew the Scriptures well.  What made them so dangerous and yet so compelling that men and women willingly surrendered themselves, their spouses, and even their children to these men and their ideals?

I think the answer lies in the danger expressed by St. Peter in that “private interpretation” is best expressed to those who live in ignorance of what is actually written in the Scriptures.  When our children are not exposed to the stories of the Bible and when we decide for ourselves that we do not need to read and study the Scriptures, we are susceptible to any and all strange ideas that appeal to us on some level of spiritual hunger.  It doesn’t get any more bothersome, however, than when a single preacher becomes the focal point of an entire church’s ministry.  When any community of faith is defined by the pastor rather than by the community itself, there is this substantial risk. 

I don’t think St. Peter is as concerned about the individual opinions we all have more than he is concerned about our choosing to follow any individual preacher who promises to lead us and challenges us to follow him or her rather than to follow Christ alone (rigid rules might be our first clue).  We must remember, however, that hungry people will follow the food and will not care where it comes from. 

Think of the very hungry Jesus in the wilderness who, when tempted by the evil one, resisted with the Word of the Lord: “It is written: ‘man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).  It is the Word of the Lord – and not individual opinion – by which we find Eternal Life!

Read the Word.  Study the Word.  Gather in the Word in communion with others of the faith.  Opinion is one thing, perspective is another, but “every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” is the ‘manna’ which sustains us and saves us.

Blessings,

Michael 

A Thought

“Wisdom is better than strength.  Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.  Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard rather than the shout of a ruler of fools” (Ecclesiastes 9:16-17).

Wisdom can come from unlikely sources and never be heard or appreciated for this simple reason: we judge a person’s worth by physical appearance, stature, lineage, social status, and level of education before we will consider taking what this person has to say seriously.  Because these criteria are not satisfied, we judge the person to be lacking in wisdom because he or she lacks credentials.  It is fair to say, then, that we miss out on quite a bit because we require that our physical senses be stimulated before we will even prepare ourselves to listen.  Think about it; how can a “poor” person possess any sort of wisdom and still be “poor”?? 

Credentials go a long way when we consider whether a person can speak to a particular situation, but it is a colossal mistake to believe only “rulers” or the highly educated or the well-connected can say something worth hearing.  Our Lord announced the birth of Messiah to shepherds in the field; not to rulers and kings or even the religious leaders of the day.  It is a mistake to believe the Lord will entrust true wisdom only to the well-to-do.

The writer’s message is simple: we must do more listening and less looking, for our eyes can deceive us.  And when our eyes are deceived, so are our hearts.

Blessings,

Michael

A Thought

“… by this time you ought to be teachers, [yet] you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.  For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the world of righteousness, for he is a babe.  But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:12-14).

The writer is not admonishing his audience as much as he is encouraging them to be more purposeful, more intentional toward pursuing spiritual perfection.  By the tone of this passage and by that which follows in chapter 6, it seems clear the reading audience had reached a point of complacency in their own spiritual development by which they had (by their own standards) decided they had learned as much as they need to know.  It is a like a toddler who is determined to walk and jerks away from mom or dad and then immediately falls to the floor but hits her head on the coffee table on the way down.  She lacked the skills necessary to take those few steps (though we might applaud the confidence and determination!) but worse, the toddler was unable to discern the danger of the coffee table being so near.

This is the danger of pulling away from religious instruction too soon – or not participating at all in worship attendance and group Bible study sessions.  Having the “senses exercised” means much more than merely experiencing what we perceive to be good and evil in our own settings and in accordance with our own basic understandings.  We need only to look around and see the degeneration of the home and our society to understand that too many have “pulled away” from those “first principles” before they were fully prepared.  Stumbling from time to time is not the problem because that will happen, but a lot of heads are hitting an awful lot of coffee tables on the way down!

We must not be afraid nor too proud to ask for and seek out help in the fellowship of the Church.  It does not mean we are wrong and someone else is right; it means only that we take our spiritual development seriously and that we care for the well-being of others, understanding that the Church and the home (as well as our children and grandchildren) benefit from our devotion to things beyond ourselves.  Being comfortably conversant in the basic doctrines of the Church means knowing what we are committed to and why – and then committing fully.  This is understanding our roles as “sojourners” in the faith and the life-long commitment to sanctification, the pursuit of spiritual perfection.  Getting “saved” or being justified (depending on your particular denominational tradition) is only the beginning of an incredible journey!  So let us journey together!

Blessings,

Michael           

A Thought

“There is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it.  This also is vanity and a great evil.”  Ecclesiastes 2:21

Clearly the writer is lamenting the reality that nothing we do or earn or acquire in this life can be taken with us once our time on this earth is done, but there are two points to be taken from this passage.  One is to remember that the mad dash to accumulate riches for ourselves on this earth will ultimately be for nothing.  These are not the “treasures” Jesus tells us to worry about, for these are the treasures which can rot or rust or be taken from us.  These treasures are no treasure at all but can, in fact, more closely resemble shackles!

The second thing to remember is Divine Grace evident in this passage, for our Holy Father does not love us for what we do; He loves us for who we are.  This is not to say we discount the value of work, whether we are working in the labor of our Christian witness to build up Christ’s Holy Church or working to make our daily bread.  Both are important, both have value, and both are means to an end and not the end themselves. 

Consider the work of the servants in Jesus’ parable of the talents (Mt 25).  The servants had important work to do, but the work was not simply for its own sake.  The servants were entrusted with the “talents” necessary to gain profitable return for the master while he was away.  Those who worked diligently and made significant gains for the master were rewarded for their good works.  More importantly, however, was the work done in preparation for the greater work to be done later.  It is not unlike “working our way to the top” by our willingness to do the “grunt work” and do it well.  No one begins as CEO of a corporation; the work, the training, the education had to be done to prove one’s worth and ability to serve in that top position. 

Jesus points out in the parable that there is something even greater to be entrusted with once our Master returns and judges our labors.  Did we prove to Him that we can be trusted with all He has given for our use?  Have we proved to Him that we earnestly want to be with Him and continue working for Him in the life to come?  Can we be trusted with even greater riches for His sake? 

The “vanity” spoken of in Ecclesiastes is that vanity by which we only focus on our personal gain; this includes that religious notion of “personal salvation” by which so many mistakenly believe they have been relieved of any need to “work” for our Lord and build up His Church.  Anything we do strictly for personal gain is “vanity and a great evil”.

The people of the Lord have been given priceless treasure to nourish us and our “neighbors” on our pilgrimage to the Promised Land.  Our gain is that which prepares us for the next day’s journey, for we are Kingdom People; and the Kingdom is where we are headed.  It is the Kingdom of Heaven for which we are being prepared.

Blessings,

Michael

A Thought

It has been said, “One who breaks a [New Year’s] resolution is a weakling; one who makes a [New Year’s] resolution is a fool”.  I've often wondered why we have such a time-honored tradition in making resolutions or, more significantly, why we wait until the end of the year to make them.  This may be the first indication that New Year’s resolutions are doomed to failure before they've even had a chance; that we would resolve to wait until the end of the year before we make any significant changes in our lives could mean we don’t take seriously our need to change.

Most resolutions are noble and good; give more and take less, quit smoking (or drinking or overeating).  In other words, we take an inventory of our lives and decide where we need to improve, but we are less resolute about when this improvement should take place.  Acknowledging our short-comings, however, is part of an often painful spiritual process that should be a part of our daily prayer life; think of it as the Lord’s “refiner’s fire” (“If we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged”, 1 Corinthians 11:31) .  Reflecting on these things while speaking to and listening for the Holy Spirit is how we come to more fully understand our need not necessarily to change but to always evaluate because everything we do (good AND bad) is a direct reflection of our faith.

If there is one resolution worth making, it is to resolve to look more deeply and critically at our own lives (rather than the lives of others) daily in prayer and consider how our Lord looks to others through us; and if we identify an area of our life that needs to change, change it right then and there!  If we would worry more about how our Lord is reflected in our lives and less about whether we need to lose weight, the other things within us that need to change will change as we resolve.  For instance, don’t think of overeating as bad for your health; rather think of overeating as “gluttonous” which is offensive to our Lord when we take for ourselves more than we need).  If we think of the weak areas of our lives in much broader terms than “me”, we might be more inclined to change for the sake of our relationship with our Lord.  I cannot help but to think that our relationship with the Lord will by such efforts become more of a genuine relationship!    

It is time much better spent, and the Church will be the stronger for it.

Blessings,

Michael   

The Beginning is not the Ending

1 Samuel 2:18-21

Colossians 3:12-17

Luke 2:21;25-35

Rarely, if ever, do we look upon a child and see or even think "demise" or "ending".  Rather when we look upon a child, we see so many positive things all of which can be summarized in "promise" or "potential".  A child's life is always the beginning of something wonderful, something incredible, even - and in spite of - the certain heart aches and heart breaks that will surely come!  So it always saddens me whenever I hear of young married couples who make a conscious choice never to have children because, they reason, "the world is so foul" they cannot bear the thought of bringing an innocent child into such an evil place.  They fail to understand or appreciate that by their very nature, in the purity of their innocence, and in the hope and potential inherent to their very being, children always - ALWAYS - make the world a better place!

This is the perspective we would do well to remember and embrace especially when reflecting on the birth of Messiah Jesus and what that means for us.  If we were to seriously consider the Might and Power of our Holy God and Father, knowing He could come to us however He chooses, we could not help but to think there is no better portrayal of Divine Promise than in the infant birth of the Blessed Child.  And even though there is a certain perspective of theology that suggests we are "worthless" apart from our Lord and that we "deserve" Hell as some might suggest, we are reminded in Messiah's birth that our Holy Father clearly does not share that sentiment.  By entrusting to humanity His most beloved infant Son protected only by two devout and righteous parents, our Holy God proves to us that we are not "worthless" but rather "priceless" to Him!

We are beyond the Incarnation, however, and the Scripture story we encounter now is the Presentation.  Jesus is taken to the Temple after He has been circumcised into the Covenant of Abraham and after Mary has completed the days of her purification.  An appropriate sacrifice is made for Mary, and Jesus is given over to the Lord as the first-born male child to open the womb; each according to what is written in the Law of Moses.  A detail Luke leaves out, however, is the act of redemption performed by the father.  If the father intends to take the child home, a sacrifice is required in order to "redeem" the child.  Jesus is not left to serve in the Temple as Samuel was; He was presumably taken home by His parents.

Of course we can try to read into a prophetic future by Luke's sharing these details, but I think maybe we don't do ourselves any real good by trying to read into Luke's early account of Jesus' life by trying to back into the story.  It is perhaps a fair attempt given the prophetic nature of Simeon's discourse and blessing, but we miss a great deal by trying to insert into any given text something that clearly is not there.  Instead we should explore Luke's account as it is written rather than as we think it should read.  Let us see the beginning of Jesus' life just as Mary and Joseph would have seen it: a beginning filled with promise and unforeseen potential. 

And we can learn how to begin by giving more attention and credit to the faith and patience and gratitude of Simeon who, according to Luke, didn't celebrate the notion that sinners and evil-doers and enemies of Israel are gonna get it.  Rather Simeon celebrated in the infant Jesus the "Consolation of Israel", the "light to the Gentiles", and "the salvation of all the peoples".  It may also be no small, insignificant detail that Simeon "took Jesus up in his arms"; that is, Simeon literally and figuratively embraced the promise of the New Covenant which was upon "all the peoples".  It has been suggested that Simeon's embrace of the Child was a necessary step for a Temple priest, but the text says Simeon was led "by the Spirit into the Temple".  Simeon is not presented as a priest; rather he is given to us in the story as a "just and devout man"; a "man in Jerusalem". 

It is not necessary for us to make Simeon out to be something he perhaps never was.  It better serves our purposes to allow Simeon to serve as the "ideal" of the faithful, the higher calling that still belongs to us even today as we have witnessed through faith and Scripture the birth of Messiah and trusting in the Holy God to see to the rest while we wait patiently and expectantly - just as Simeon obviously did.  Exactly what we can anticipate from this moment remains to be seen - and the same can be said of Simeon, I think - but it is enough for the moment that we have witnessed the fruition of the Divine Promise; that Messiah would come and bring with Him a New Age, the messianic age, the time of Messiah.  It began at His birth, and its end is far from over!  This means 2000 years after His birth and even in the repeat - and sometimes redundant -cycle of the Church calendar, we can still look forward to potential unforeseen because the messianic age is still upon us.

Even Joseph and Mary "marveled" at the things spoken of by Simeon.  We continue assuming Jesus' parents were always consciously aware of exactly who Jesus truly is and what He means to "all the peoples", but I have often wondered if the grind of daily living and the potential of a new child would not have been as much a distraction to Mary and Joseph as it is to us.  Do we dare be honest enough to admit that the Lord and His will for our lives is not always foremost on our minds or in our hearts?  Do we dare to be honest enough to admit we do not often consider our lives to be part of a spiritual "journey"?  Do we dare to be honest enough to admit that we are happy just to make it through another day with our sanity intact, our jobs and pensions secure, and our loved ones safe?

To suggest  Joseph and Mary did all these things of the Law strictly because they were always aware of Jesus' special status - OR - even that they only did these things because the Law required it is, I think, a bit presumptuous and gives no attention or credit to the evident faith Mary and Joseph had both previously displayed.  Especially in this particular context, we might remember what the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews says when we are reminded that "faith is the substance of things hoped for" (11:1).  Can it be enough in this moment that Mary and Joseph were simply grateful to the Lord for their child and for all every new child means to any mother and father? 

Faith has little to do with what we have already witnessed and even less to do with what we can readily see with our eyes.  So we look upon these major characters in Luke's story as those who are always looking forward not strictly through 'Jesus the Son of God" per se but rather in accordance with all He truly represents and all that is before us in Him and through Him. Even in the ashes of Newtown or in mourning the death of a loved one, Jesus beckons us forward out of these ashes and into a future yet unforeseen and unforeseeable; and yet a "future of peace and ... hope" (Jeremiah 29:11).

Let us begin our future today with all the anticipation and "marvel" shared by Mary and Joseph.  Let us begin our future together today with the knowledge and satisfaction and gratitude and patience of Simeon; knowing there will be challenges, knowing there will be heartaches, knowing there will be suffering - BUT - knowing our Lord is leading the way as faithfully as He calls us to follow Him.  Let us work together in FAITH and in HOPE and in LOVE - knowing that in all the potential that is evident in the life of a child, the best is yet to come for those who endure this incredible Journey - and perhaps even more so for those who begin the Journey anew in the Body of Christ.

It's not over at Christmas - not by a long shot!  It has only just begun ... so let us begin.

In the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit.  Amen.  

A Thought

“The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.  For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”  Romans 8:26

We know how easy it is to offer intercessory prayers for those whom we love and we know how easy it is to ask for things for ourselves, but to enter into prayer for its own sake is hard.  We don’t always know what to say or even what we think we should say.  It is common for us to enter into a time of prayer and do all the talking, but it is not so common to enter into a time of prayer with intentions only to listen.  Even the moments of silence during the time of worship are not fully appreciated but are rather more often used as transition to move from one item on the bulletin to the next.  Praying for its own sake, quite simply, can be very challenging.

This can surely be called a time of “weakness”, the moment St. Paul refers to.  We do know of those times when we feel so overwhelmed with pain or grief or despair that finding words for prayer is difficult, but those times when we simply do not have something to say are harder still.  These moments can also be called periods of “weakness” because we, by faith, find ourselves in the presence of the Almighty in prayer … and we can think of nothing to say apart from “I want” or “I need”?? 

It’s ok, though.  Jesus promises that our Holy Father knows what we need – NEED – even before we do, so to enter into a time of prayer is to ask to simply be in the Divine Presence of the One who chose to come to us in Christ to teach us, to heal us, to free us, to bless us, and to show us the way Home.  And since we are not yet “Home”, perhaps our time devoted to prayer would be better spent just listening because everything we do is incidental to this Journey.

We do enough talking in our daily living, our worship, and even in our prayers.  It is time to give ourselves a break from this need to talk, and let the Holy Spirit of our Lord talk through us and to us.  This we truly need above all things.

Blessings,

Michael

A Thought

“Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgive you, so you also must forgive.  Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”  Colossians 3:13-14

If we might ever wonder what comes after the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season besides returning gifts that didn’t fit or were “less-than-perfect”, I think St. Paul states it very clearly.  We may be past the “day” of Christmas, but we must never get past the spirit of Christmas in which Divine grace was visited on the human race in the birth of Messiah.  And when thinking in terms of Divine grace, think about the condition of the world during the time of Jesus’ birth compared to the time of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Could we honestly say that the condition of the human heart was much better during Jesus’ time?  Yet the Holy God of Grace chose not fire and brimstone by which to visit but instead in the innocence of a child.

Now with the secular season beginning to wind down, let us remember by our words and deeds what the true Spirit of Christmas is all about.  Let us remember that as we may choose to return that “less-than-perfect” gift, we must never turn our backs on the Gift that is always perfect and always fits: grace that manifests itself in forgiveness and love.  This is the only place, in this perfect state of grace, where we will ever find the “Prince of Peace”.

Blessings,

Michael

4th Sunday of Advent 2012: "Anticipation"

Micah 5:2-5a
Luke 1:46b-55
Luke 1:39-45

"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found [lacking].  It has been found difficult and left untried."  G.K. Chesterton

How are we to understand exactly what it means for us as we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of the "Prince of Peace"?  Something important happened when Jesus of Nazareth was born, yet something even more important will take place when Messiah returns to "judge the living and the dead", as the Church's creed states.  What this means for us in our day-to-day living somewhere between the Incarnation of Messiah and His Return can perhaps be anyone's guess, but I think the common thread that connects the prophet Micah, to Mary, and to Elizabeth - but seems substantially disconnected with us - is "anticipation"; waiting with great expectation and living as though something marvelous is ahead of us.  These biblical characters were excited about the coming Messiah, the "Prince of Peace".  Today?  We're just excited about Christmas, a date which will end even before the sun sets. 

Awaiting the "Prince of Peace" by merely waiting for Christmas Day is a challenge for the Church because we have so long associated Advent strictly with anticipation of Christmas.  It is a natural and traditional assumption because, as I have shared previously, it is the order of the Church's calendar though it is not necessarily an order of actual events because, after all, we cannot wait for something which has already taken place; we should be anticipating Christ's return even as we will celebrate His coming into the world. We are further challenged in the context of the promised "Prince of Peace" because we are a nation at war. 

Because of the challenges the world's terrorists continue to mount against peace-loving people, virtually the entire world is at war to one degree or another.  Because of the fears and uncertainties about the economic and political future of this nation, we are virtually at war with one another right here at home!  Because of the fears and uncertainties about the future of the United Methodist Church and the Church universal as a whole, we are virtually at war with one another within the very Body of Christ!!  Each "player" in these conflicts earnestly believes he or she is doing the right thing for whichever cause they profess, but how right can anything be when we know someone will be hurt in the process?

Yet we cannot discount or ignore our Lord who stated very clearly: "Do not think I came to bring peace on earth.  I did not come to bring peace but a sword" (Matthew 10:34).  How do we reconcile this with the promised "Prince of Peace", the One whom we proclaim and believe has already come?  How about the angelic host who announced to the shepherds, "Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace and goodwill toward men"(Luke 2:14)?  Was it a cruel joke?  Did the Gospel writers get it wrong?  Or was John the Baptist's question a valid one: "Are You the Coming One, or do we wait for another?" 

The Revelation indicates a 1000-year period in which the evil one will be locked into the "bottomless pit ... so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years are finished" (20:1-3).  This will be the time of the First Resurrection for "the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus", the martyrs who gave their all for their faithful work and witness, those who refused the "mark of the beast" (whatever that "mark" may be), those who held nothing back from our Lord and the work they were called to do.

For our purpose of understanding this great cosmic mystery is Peter's announcement of the Lord's intent in the seeming delay of His imminent return: "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some think of slowness but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but for all to come to repentance.  But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief ..." (2 Peter 3:8-10); that is, unexpectedly for those who do not excitedly anticipate this Day that is yet to come, unexpectedly for those who try to pretend it won't happen at all.

So the intent of Advent is very much a New Testament thing but is also consistent with Old Testament prophesies.  There are some OT references that seem clear about the literal birth of Messiah, at least within a traditional interpretation, but there are many other OT prophecies that go beyond the birth of Messiah when referring to the "Day of the Lord".  These are the prophecies which are carried forth by the apostles of Christ's Church and spoken of in the visions of The Revelation. That is, we still very much have something ahead of us, something to anticipate, most certainly something for which we must prepare not with dread or fear but with excitement; the kind of excitement only genuine, God-given faith can produce!

"End Times", however, is hard to teach and preach with a positive spin because "end times" is immediately associated with "doomsday".  Doom?  For those who have suffered the loss of a loved one, "the end" is a time of mourning and grief.  Who would look forward to anything like this?  And even to speak of "end times" as spoken of by the apostles - and by Jesus Himself - seems redundant today because we are 2000 years removed from the time of Jesus.  Within our human capacity to understand, we might even reason to ourselves that since He hasn't come by now, He's not coming at all! OR we are misinterpreting what is written for us in the Scriptures.

We mark time according to clocks and calendars in definitive terms; we cannot think in "eternal" terms.  So Advent themes get a little tricky for us if we remove Christmas from the overall anticipation because we can easily "count down" to a date we are familiar with and can see coming, but we cannot "count down" to the Day of the Lord, a time which "is not for you to know" (Acts 1:7).

Aside from this, however, "Count Down" is not even appropriate because we do not know, cannot know, NEED NOT know of the Day of the Lord until that Day is upon us.  Why?  Because we still have lives to live and a Gospel to proclaim!  Good News for any who are desperately searching for Good News, who NEED some Good News in their lives!  And the News is all good, of course, but we still live in a world filled with conflict and hatred.  The same world which the "Prince of Peace" had been born into, the same world - incidentally - that rejected Him, mocked Him, and killed Him; a world not unlike the one we experience even today.

It is time for the Church to get real about what life in Messiah and His imminent return can really mean for us, and it cannot begin and end on a single date on a calendar.  Call me a killjoy, Scrooge, or Grinch if it makes you feel better about yourself, but it is time to put certain holiday traditions in their appropriate places.  Even if we try to put the "St Nicholas" spin on the "jolly ol' elf" and feebly attempt to insert this tradition into the Gospel of our Lord, is it not ironic that we would celebrate this bona fide saint of the Church while making fun of the Catholics who venerate (NOT worship!) the saints, including the very Mother of the Most High God herself? 

It is time to give our children so much more than a moment which will pass as surely and as quickly as the morning of the 25th!  It is just not possible to teach children about Jesus and the Covenant by indulging in their every desire for gifts and fantasy.  And it is not possible to be a true witness of the Gospel to an unbelieving world which has outright rejected Christ's Holy Body the Church, when they are unable to distinguish the difference between a "Christian" Christmas and a non-Christian celebration of the holidays except by empty words chosen to designate the "proper" holiday greeting!

There is a distinctive, feel-good spirit about this time of year from which many of us have some of our most cherished memories.  This is the time of year when we remember to share our many blessings.  This is the time of year when we reflect on that awesome moment in eternity when the Almighty touched the human race in an unmistakable way, but this is also that time of year during Advent (which, remember, means "coming"; not "done come") when we are reminded that our journey is not complete and the time to anticipate is not ended as soon as the last package has been unwrapped; for it is as our Savior admonishes us: "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62).

The "Prince of Peace" is in the hearts and minds of the faithful who live and work and act and worship with confidence in the Risen Christ and the Eternal Covenant in an unbelieving - and sometimes - hostile world.  The peace of Almighty God has been given to His Holy Church so that we can face the present and the future with hope, with confidence, and with great anticipation for the Eternity of the Kingdom which is upon us!

It is that Eternity which came to us in Christ and the New Covenant.  It is that Eternity we become a part of NOT when we demand that our Lord follow us in our own choices - but rather when we "take up our crosses" and follow Him.  For the Way of our Lord is the Way Home.  Confidence in that spiritual and eternal reality is where our Peace comes from.  That Peace is Christ our Lord who is always before us - NEVER behind us.  And we can and must give thanks always to our Heavenly Father who grants this peace to His Holy Church. 

In the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit.  Amen. 

A Thought

“John [spoke to Jesus] and said, ‘Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.’  But Jesus said to him, ‘Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.’”  Luke 9:49-50 NKJV

If most of us were willing to be honest, we would admit we do our work in the name of the Kingdom of Heaven while focusing specifically on growing our own churches.  We equate growing the Kingdom with growing our own churches.  We have no real interest in the well-being of other churches because, frankly, we have our own agendas.  We also have our own way of understanding our Lord, and we have our own doctrines.  Beyond this, how can we know we are working effectively if the people we touch end up in other churches?

The key to understanding this passage in Luke’s gospel, I think, is in John’s concern that the “someone” who was casting out demons was not following “us”.  It could be John was concerned this “someone” was not following John and his crew – yes, including Jesus – and doing things “their” way.  What we may be able to appreciate, however, is that this “someone” was clearing working in Jesus’ name even with the disapproval of John.

We must always be careful about whom we choose to follow and in whose name we may be working.  It could very well be that John was on the cusp of becoming no better than the scribes and Pharisees who had their own sense of religion and faithfulness.  John may have been concerned that his own agenda was not being followed.  It is the danger many of us face.

Let us remember there is only one God, one Lord, one Covenant, one true and genuine religion; and it is not denominational.  It is ok if we express our faith as Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, etc. as long as we earnestly express our faith that “Christ has died for us, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again” and become an active part of a faith community.  If we lose ourselves in the senseless arguments about the proper mode of baptism, communion, or other sacramental elements of the Church, we stand to lose the sacramental nature of the Church herself as well as losing others who will not respond to our conflicts but will respond to the pure Gospel of our Lord.

It is the season of Advent for these many as well as for us!  They just don’t know it … yet.

Blessings,

Michael

A Thought

“This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all.”  Ecclesiastes 9:3

Whether good or bad, life simply happens.  Sometimes the surprises we encounter are pleasant, and sometimes they are not.  The wisdom of Ecclesiastes is in the knowledge that our physical life on this earth for its own sake is pure “vanity” (the writer’s favorite word and the overall theme of the book).  That is, we can do all we wish to do and gain all we wish to gain but in the end, it will all have been for nothing because we will all – good and evil alike – “return to the dust from whence we came”.

On the Day of the Lord, however, when the resurrection of the righteous occurs, the “dead” will still be dead … forever.  The “vanity” of life on this earth is in the idea that personal happiness and wealth and material gain and accumulation of goods can actually mean anything in the end.  What matters in what we do in this life is what we use and how we use it on behalf of the Kingdom of Heaven.  We are sojourners – OR – we are permanent residents.  If sojourners, we are just passing through.  If permanent residents, we will go the way of the earth and every other living thing.

Messiah Jesus was born and brought into our world to show us the way out and the way home, to show us by His Resurrection that there is life beyond the grave!  And one day He will return to call His faithful home.  Let Him return and find us faithful to Him.  Let the season of Advent be that means by which we are reminded that we are not forgotten, and that one day our Journey will be complete.

Blessings,

Michael

A Thought

“If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”  John 10:37-38

This passage makes me think of the “Great Commission” as the eleven disciples (soon to become “apostles”) gathered to Christ before His Ascension into Heaven included “doubters” among those who gathered and worshiped the Lord.  We cannot ignore what is written in that passage (Matthew 28:16-20) as it is inferred that Jesus did not take offense and dismiss these “doubters” before He spoke His words. 

The “doubters” among us are never more prominent that during the holiday season when there are so many conflicts in the so-called “war on Christmas”.  These “doubters” and outright “deniers” are downright hostile to the Advent season and to the Holy Day itself.  Why do they seem so antagonistic to Christians, Christmas, and the Church?  Why do we take offense when they do not believe us? 

It may be in why many of us can become so easily offended when any errors are pointed out to us; people just don’t take us at our words, and we hate to be wrong!  More telling, however, is that people during this Holy Season do not believe our “works”.  We adamantly proclaim “Jesus is the reason for the season”, but we look and act just like the “doubters” and the “deniers” by cursing them.  Even Jesus did not seem to be offended when the religious leaders did not take Him at His word, but He was clear that His “works” could not be denied as having come from the Holy Father.

We need not be offended that so many do not believe what we believe, but we should be convicted if they do not believe our “works” as those having come from the One whom we profess as “Savior”.  If these “doubters” and “deniers” cannot see Christ in our works, they have every right and reason to reject our words.

Let the glory of our Holy Lord be the “reason for the season” and let us, by our works, give “doubters” and “deniers” a reason to believe.

A blessed Advent,

Michael 

Internal Conflict

For several years I have tried to remove myself from the political process.  When I was a political science student and a part-time preacher as well as holding down a full-time job that depended in large part on sound, responsible public policy, I found my preaching to have been substantially influenced by my political inclinations and my disdain for government run amuck.  I was soon compelled to make a decision and choose politics or religion because I found that, at least for myself, I could not do both.  Though I still consider myself a news junkie, I will often scan headlines more than I will immerse myself in the stories themselves.  I prefer my life as a preacher, an aspiring theologian, and a committed disciple of Messiah Jesus, imperfect though I certainly am.

This does not mean I have completely detached from the political process.  Though some may suggest I cannot be a responsible voter unless I am fully informed about the ins and outs of the political process and the issues, I nevertheless do the best I can with what is available for my perusal.  My commitment, however, is to the Lord; and I have discovered that our Lord does not have leanings toward the Republican Party platform OR the Democratic Party platform.  If anything, it grieves our Lord that any politician or political party would attempt to invoke the Holy Name for its own purposes ("You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain").  In point of fact, I have come to better appreciate the Jewish tradition of not even uttering the Holy Name outside of the worship setting lest we lose reverence and awe of "Hashem" (the Name).

Writer Rachel Held Evans stated in a recent blog post, "We end up more committed to what we want the Bible to say than what it actually says."  So it is with politics.  In my humble opinion, public policy (actually not unlike religious philosophy) is a moving target.  "For the good of the country" is no more a forethought of Americans in general than "for the good of the Church" is for Christians.  We are all more inclined these days, it seems, to "getting mine first".  In the realm of "individual rights", we have become convinced that these rights trump all others.

And I say that to say this: we are faced with an inept Congress (my opinion) and a formerly detached and now incredibly arrogant president (my own observation, of course) all working not toward responsible public policy but toward the next election with all plans and policies geared toward "taking control".  Our own Arkansas governor recently stated at the Arkansas Democratic Party's winter convention that their focus must necessarily be on regaining their "losses" after the state's Republican Party gained control of both houses of the state's legislature for the first time since Reconstruction.  Apparently having the Republicans in control is a "bad thing" (and I'm sure Democrats would agree) just as Republicans will agree that Democrats in control of anything is a "bad thing" regardless of the stated will of the people.  Surely it can be easily seen that neither side is interested in public policy; they are interested only in their own policies and platforms.  And sadly, each side makes subtle and sometimes overt attempts to invoke the Almighty as being on "their" side.

Does the Bible support political values?  Can political values affirm biblical values?  For that matter, as Ms. Evans stated, can any one of us adequately define "biblical" values useful in the public realm?  In other words, can "Caesar" and YHWH be successfully assimilated?  Jesus refused to take sides and even seemed to go so far as to distinctly separate the two: "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (Matthew 22:21).    

Yet St. Peter and St. Paul seem to agree that the "governing authorities" derive their authority from YHWH.  St. Paul says, "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God" (Romans 13:1), and St. Peter admonishes us to "submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake" (1 Peter 2:13).  Both passages, of course, must be read in their own contexts because neither, in my opinion, grants divine (absolute) authority to these "rulers" ("representatives" in our American context) but rather supports and promotes public safety and the "general welfare" of the people.

These passages become problematic, however, when such "hot button" social issues as same-gender marriage and abortion become public policy.  There are many conservative Christians who cannot - will not - abide by infanticide (abortion on demand), and these same Christians cannot in good conscience support same-gender marriage.  Count me among these, for the record.  In my own opinion and according to my best understanding with a sense of compassion for those who feel compelled toward abortion for whatever reason or inclined toward same-gender relationships, neither can be justified biblically without substantial "insertions", independent "assumptions", "reading between the lines", or dismissing the "antiquity" altogether.

Therein, I think, lays the danger because in the public realm, it does not really matter what I personally or theologically or politically think.  It matters, however, what I think in the Church.  It matters what I believe in the Church not only as a preacher and pastor but also as a disciple in fellowship with other pastors, preachers, and disciples.  It matters in the realm of the Almighty whose Kingdom is yet to come but whose realm is universal and eternal.  What I think and believe matters within the context of understanding - and helping others to understand - that we cannot have our cake and eat it, too.  One must choose "this day whom you will serve" (Joshua 24:15).  For the people of the Holy Covenant, the choice is clear.