Except for These Chains

The Apostle Paul - not the first person you would want to emulate! A reformed Pharisee, rough and rowdy advocate for Jesus Christ, in prison more than free, a martyr for the early Church. We want to live for Christ, but dying for him seems a little extreme! In our sermon today at Main Street United Methodist Church Rev. Todd Watson reminded us that Paul's call to service need not be a call to die. "I pray that you become like me, except for these chains." What does it mean to be like Paul in 21st century America?

Todd constrasted being a church member with being a member of the Rotary Club:

1. You are expected to give of your time and money.
2. You are expected to form relationships.
3. You are expected to show up for the meetings.
4. You are expected to invite your friends.

If being a church member is no different than belonging to a civic or social club, why do we bother? Are we truly a Christian, or are we just playing at being a Christian? Are we truly an engaged church member or just a consumer of religion? What is the difference?

Paul tells us our relationship with God is so important that the rest of our life should consist of serving God and making Him known throughout the world. That's a little more commitment than Rotary, huh? We need to live our life in a way that people can see our beliefs in the way we live and love.

Do we model God to our children, grandchildren, or spouse?

Do we model God in our workplace - do we give our all to our work, the way God gave His all for us?

Do we model God in our leisure? Our God is a playful God, He wants us to enjoy our life and have happiness.

To be the church in the world, we have to put it all on the line, give all of our life to God, and know God and make Him known in the world.

Our committment will be different than Paul's, but no less important. We do not lose by surrendering to God. Our prayer: O God, make our hunger and thirst for you so great that we can't rest! Amen!

Job: God's All-sufficient Grace

Sometimes the muse is silent, and other times inspiration comes in great rushes! Today our Covenant Bible Study tackled Job, probably one of the most depressing books in the Bible!  How could we receive a word from God in the midst of such suffering?

Job was probably written very long ago by a group of wise men.  They studied to try to find the meaning of life and apply God's revelations to everyday life.  They wrote of Job, not a Jew, but possibly an Edomite.  Job actually is "everyman"  - a character stripped of national or racial distinctions, without political or religious distinction to distract us. Job stands entirely alone.

Why did God have a conversation with Satan in the first place? Why did God allow horrible things to happen to Job? Why are bad things allowed to happen to good people? Does God have a role in our suffering?

Job has a classic "dark night of the soul" but God doesn't give up on him.  In spite of Job's friends' bad advice, God remains close at hand.  Despite Job's insistence in his own righteousness, God still shows up and doesn't give up on Job.

In the midst of his anger and despair, Job dares question the infinite, eternal, and all-powerful God. In a shocking turn of events, God does not smite Job dead, but remains intimately interested in Job. After Job's anger runs its course, Job allows himself to acknowledge that he is face-to-face with God, and he his anger gives way to awe. This is the point where Job can truly begin to know God.

It was interesting to contemplate the role of chaos in human life. I usually try to avoid chaos - it sucks so much energy from the situation. In this study we learned that without chaos there can be no life. Job certainly experienced his share of chaos. Am I prepared to embrace chaos as an agent of change that I may need in my life?

Though Job was supposedly perfect, it may have been this perfection that created a barrier between Job and God. We often think that traveling through adversity will bring us out the other side stronger. Have we ever considered that we might emerge softer, gentler, and in closer communion with God?  What doesn't kill us will only make us stronger? Maybe God has something else in mind.

The resolution of Job is not about resolution but about relationship. The relationship between God and Job continues. Grace is revealed as all-sufficient. As Job comes to realize that he is nothing without God, his reconciliation is complete. What was once viewed as a tragedy emerges as inspiration. God can find value in any situation. Don't remember the desolation of Job, but remember his redemption.  Our God is always enough!

We are the Church!

Some people say  the only difference between Christians and non-Christians is the hour or two Christians spend in church each week. What do you think? Are we Christians actually identifiable by what we say, how we live, how we spend our resources, and our ability to love and forgive unconditionally?

Yesterday's sermon by Todd Watson at Main Street United Methodist Church focused on Priscilla and Aquila, friends and disciples of Paul They came to Athens after Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome. They were tent-makers or leather-workers. Paul lived with them for the longest stretch of his freedom. The only longer periods in one place were during his incarcerations.

Priscilla, though a skilled tradeswoman, did not enjoy true freedom. As a woman, she was considered chattel property of her father and then her husband. Despite being disenfranchised, Priscilla became a leader in the church. Through her Apollos, a former disciple of John the Baptist, came to know the living Christ, moving from good to great in his witness to the world.

God's use of Priscilla, showed that reform in the church might be the way to ultimately bring societal reform. Since Christ is not returning to the world as quickly as Paul thought, we need to work to bring the Kingdom of God to the world. The Corinthians faced problems in their church. Similar problems continue to this day.

1. Do we feel that we have done the unforgiveable or do we fail to forgive someone else? This is the poison that can contaminate a body of believers. We are called to forgive and be forgiven. We need to suspend some of our judgmental ideas. As Todd said, "Have I just become what I said they were?" That is definitely food for thought!

2. Do we believe that some folks don't belong in the church and it is our duty to help them find their way out? Wouldn't life be simpler if certain people would just disappear? I certainly needed to be reminded that it is for each individual to discern whether they belong. The church is not like a civic or social club. We don't get to choose who we love as brothers and sisters in Christ. The church cannot operate by corporate principles.

This idea fell right into line with this excellent book I just finished. The premise of this book is that we can learn a lot from the early Christian Church. We think the internet has changed our world with the seemingly endless information available at the click of the button. Has this rendered Christianity passe? Chakoian contrasts this to the building of Roman roads in the early days of Christianity, linking all parts of the known world. Christianity survived that, and modern religion will as well.

The author squarely addresses the fiction that the church can operate effectively using the corporate business model.  "The work that church leaders spend so much time on - preserving church buildings and pipe organs, meeting about curriculum and what to serve at fellowship, arguing about staff vacation policies or the color of the carpet in the sanctuary - will not prove to be important in the long run...churches can no longer rely on endless commitee meetings, votes, and papers."  Priscilla didn't need a committee to help her talk to Apollos about Jesus - and neither do we!

If we don't need to be acting corporately, what should the church be doing? We are called to be "ekklesia" the household of God. Rather than functioning like CEO's maybe we should try to truly be a family. We need to create a place where individual gifts are prized and shared, attendance statistics can be thrown out the window, and we can focus on each member as an individual.

Like a family, there will be problems. Rather than creating written mission statements and policy manuals, maybe we should focus on personal relationships. Chakoain tells us that "Churches become toxic when 'ungrateful, unholy, unloving, contrary, and critical' comments are allowed to circulate unchecked...When people are behaving badly, the church needs to intervene." The church must to police itself. Our shortcomings need to be addressed and resolved with love, rather than swept under the rug. As Todd reminded us yesterday, "Be gentle with the faults and messiness of others, heaven knows they are being gentle with yours!"

At a recent Wednesday night Bible Study on the book of Acts, Todd described our life as existing in the tension between grace and holiness. Living in this tension is not easy. Like Priscilla and the early Christians, our call is still to bring the message of Christ to the world. Chakoian says "Now, it may mean making points on Facebook posts, and Pinterest and holding discussions in town halls, at tailgates, or even in taverns." We can only do this if we have a loving foundation in our own church.

So, do we have anything in common with Priscilla the tent-maker? We continue to worship the Almighty God as she did, and continue to trust in His word. We must remain open to the moving of the Holy Spirit, and carefully discern our proper path. Like Priscilla, we need to be prepared to let God use us. WE ARE THE CHURCH!

Evidence??

I saw a sign like this many years ago. I didn't have my camera, and it was years before camera phones. It really made an impression on me. I've recreated it here through the use of a "church sign generator." Did you know such a thing existed? It fit so well with a wonderful sermon I heard this morning, that I had to dig it back out.

Rev. Todd Watson, at Main Street United Methodist Church, preached on Acts 17:1-15. It really made me think! He focused on Acts 17:6 - "These people who have been disturbing the peace throughout the empire have also come here." Common English Bible. Todd challenged us with these questions: Does knowing God (through Jesus) make a difference in our lives, in the world? Do we live any differently because we know Jesus? Lots of room for introspection here!

Todd compared our religious status quo with camping in an RV. We never really leave home, because we take home with us. In my Christian life, do I ever step out of my comfort zone in a way that will leave me open to God's transformational power? What am I missing?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer tells us that God calls us to come and die. It is only through dying to self, ego, and control, that we can begin to live into God's call for our life. We need to get out of our climate-controlled RV and breathe in that fresh spiritual air.

God wants all of us. He wants us to have enough faith to be those noisy, messy people who disturb the peace. We are called to surrender daily to God's will and move into a new life. Christianity in action always results in a revolution in the life of the individual that will ripple out into society.

Thanks, Todd, for pointing us to the joy in the journey of faith. I strongly believe that God won't do what we can do for ourselves. We've got to take action. WE are the church! Amen.

Was Lydia, the seller of purple, Paul's "man" in Macedonia?

I love to come home from church on Sunday and ponder something I heard in the sermon. Back in the "olden days" that was basically all we had to do on a Sunday afternoon. Stores were closed, there were hardly any shows on TV during the weekend, we didn't really go anywhere, and it was basically a parent-imposed day of rest. Strange notion, huh?

When we would visit our grandparents in the South (my Dad was in the Air Force, so we lived all around) there would always be a big Sunday dinner after church. There would be so many dishes on the table that some never even made it out of the kitchen. As we shared this meal, the sermon would always be the first topic. I remember very clearly being kicked under the table when I waxed long on the preacher's message that divorced people would "burn in hell" in front of my divorcee aunt. However controversial, the day's message was always dissected.

We don't do that much today...facebook, instagram, sports, and shopping have all intruded into the former sanctity of Sunday afternoon. I still like to take the time to digest a good sermon. My apologies to Rev. Todd Watson of Main Street United Methodist Church if I missed the point, but I've enjoyed looking at Acts 16:9-15 from Todd's point of view.

Paul was beckoned by a man in a dream to come to Macedonia. Paul and his entourage complied, and were met on the riverbank, outside the gates of the city, by Lydia, a seller of purple. Lydia was an independent Gentile woman in a world run by men. What were the chances of Paul and Lydia meeting? The Holy Spirit had lead the Jerusalem counsel to continue to allow Paul's outreach to the Gentiles. The Holy Spirit had lead Lydia to a God who had been looking for her. Their paths crossed on a trajectory that originated outside the boundaries of our human experience. The notions of work and worship find fusion in Lydia. Lydia and her household were baptized, and she became the first European convert to Christianity.

There is no record that Paul ever encounters the dream-man who called him to Macedonia. Could Lydia have been his stand-in? Would Paul have dropped everything he was doing to respond to a mere woman? When Paul and Lydia met by the river, longing and grace met, and everything changed in a moment that was both human and divine. All the participants worked together to respond to God's gentle nudge.

What nudges are we answering or ignoring? If we continue with our normal day-to-day obsession with self, can we hear the needs of others? Are we available enough to God to feel a nudge? These instantances may not be as dramatic as Paul's dream, but they are there, nonetheless.

This text is often preached to launch missions and evangelization. Our nudges need not take us to Macedonia, or the other side of the world. God's nudges can be local, coming at any time of the day or night. Our mission can be to the person sitting next to us at home, on our job, or out in our community. God opened Lydia's heart because she allowed it. May each of us be open enough to be nudged by God, to the point that we can fully rest in God's grace.

"Peter, do you love me?"

 

We can only imagine how the disciples felt after Jesus' crucifixion. Their earthly king had not appeared, and they left Jerusalem secretly and made their way back to Galilee. They tried to find solace in their old occupations, but their nets remained empty and they were disconsolate. Peter especially carried the guilt of betraying his master in his hour of need. None of them had lived up to expectations.

We can only imagine their surprise at being greeted at the shoreline one morning by a stranger who directed them to cast their empty net to the other side - where they brought up so many fish that their net tore. Peter had to be shocked to find Jesus sitting by a charcoal fire, grilling fish and bread for their breakfast. Peter must have been reminded of that charcoal fire in the courtyard of the high priest on that night not so long ago. There he warmed himself before uttering those imfamous words..."I am not," after being asked if he was a disciple of Jesus.

Tradition says that this breakfast meal was shared on this rock which makes up the altar of the Mensa Christi. Jesus did not greet Peter with words of recrimination or judgment, but addressed him with love, asking Peter three times to confess his love for Jesus; each proclamation erasing an earlier denial.

Jesus know that Peter had betrayed him and was a sinner. Why does he choose Peter to be the leader of his church on earth? Why not choose one of the other disciples - someone who hasn't let him down? Jesus knows Peter's heart. Jesus also wants to model for his disciples, and for the world, the way of forgiveness. Reminisicent of the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus goes beyond what is expected to put things right with Peter. More than just forgiveness, Jesus restores Peter to a right relationship: Christian reconciliation motivated by love. What a lesson for us!

Jesus knows Peter's heart. Jesus takes Peter's love and directs it out into the world - calling him to be a shepherd and a fisher of men. At this moment on the beach Peter could not have known what was in store for him. He said "yes" to Jesus not out of his belief in himself or his belief in his abilities, but because of his belief in Jesus. We know that Peter was up to the task, and that he was able to give this same gift of forgiveness many times over the remainder of his life.

As Christians we must be able to both forgive and be forgiven. Forgiveness gives life both to the giver and the recipient, and frees us from spiritual death. Only when we are free can we respond to Jesus' call to "Follow me!"

Pray for Peace

In March 2014, I was privileged to travel to the Holy Land. I would not be able to go today. With travel advisories and flights being cancelled, it is no longer safe to make this pilgrimage.  Sacred spaces are being violated by guns, rockets and bombs.That saddens me. This trip was important to me on so many different levels.  I was able to understand Jesus in relation to his surroundings.  So many of the Bible stories came into clearer view.  I want to go back - but not now. This picture was taken in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Here Jesus surrendered himself to death on the cross.  Let this "thin place" be a conduit for our prayers for peace and understanding.

Before our trip we read Blood Brothers, by Elias Chacour.  He writes from the viewpoint of a Palestinian Christian - a viewpoint I had never considered.  I encourage you to read this book, or one of the many others like it.  There is another point of view.

While we were in Israel we were exposed to the Palestinian people - do you know any? They are people just like us.  The majority of them are not terrorists or members of HAMAS. They are confined to a small area in Gaza, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights. They possess no citizenship and no rights.  This is not justification for violence, but not an unexpected consequence.  I'd never considered that before.

Modern-day Israel is a land of warning signs and checkpoints.

Armed soldiers and/or military drones were at all the places we visited.

As we traveled to the Jordan River to renew our baptismal vows, we were reminded that the surrounding area is still heavily mined, very recently serving as a military area.

 

The Church of the Nativity was guarded by a Palestinian soldier.  The sacred and secular collide at every turn.

This is a complicated situation and there are no easy answers. Please pray for God's guidance for those in power and for those without power.  Pray that calm can return to the land where our Savior walked. Pray for peace!

The Journey of a Lifetime Begins With a Single Toe

My ruminations about Israel have been interrupted by another trip.  On July 7 we embarked on a Holland America Land+Sea adventure to Canada and Alaska.  It was a trip of firsts.  Though we had been to Canada and Alaska before, this time we were venturing north of the Inside Passage and were journeying to the Klondike Gold Fields.  I guess it was the continual stories of pioneers, frontiersmen, shills, and native peoples that made me a little more adventurous this time around.

In Dawson City, in the Yukon Territory, I was introduced to the "Sour Toe Cocktail" served up at the Downtown Hotel.

From the Dawson City website:

The legend of the first “sourtoe” dates back to the 1920’s and features a feisty rum-runner named Louie Linken and his brother Otto.  During one of their cross-border deliveries, they ran into an awful blizzard.  In an effort to help direct his dog team, Louie stepped off the sled and into some icy overflow—soaking his foot thoroughly.

Fearing that the police were on their trail, they continued on their journey. Unfortunately, the prolonged exposure to the cold caused Louie’s big toe to be frozen solid.  To prevent gangrene, the faithful Otto performed the amputation using a woodcutting axe (and some overproof rum for anesthesia).  To commemorate this moment, the brothers preserved the toe in a jar of alcohol.

Years later, while cleaning out an abandoned cabin, the toe was discovered by Captain Dick Stevenson.  After conferring with friends, the Sourtoe Cocktail Club was established and the rules developed.  Since its inception, the club has acquired (by donation) over 10 toes.

So...you show up at the Downtown Hotel, buy a shot of Yukon Jack for $5 and wait in line to see the "Toe Captain."  For an additional $5 he will pronounce the rules: "Drink it fast or drink it slow, but your lips have gotta touch the toe."

He drops the gnarly toe in your glass and you drink it down!

                  

Oh yeah, there's a hefty fine if you swallow it...yuck. The Captain said they are down to their last toe.

If you pass the test, which I did, you get a certificate and are a member of the club. I still can't believe I did it!

The Holy Land - The Fifth Gospel

When we were in Israel, I became introduced to the  writings of Bargil Pixner.  He was a Benedictine monk who lived in Israel for 25 years, half of that time at the Sea of Galilee.  He believed that the land itself was the Fifth Gospel - that you would not fully understand the Bible without also understanding the land where it was set.  He believed that God's revelations were made in a particular time and in a particular place. By understanding the biblical landscape, Pixner believed that we can "experience the four Gospels with a new and greater clarity."  His books with Jesus through Galilee according to the fifth Gospel, and with Jesus in Jerusalem - His First and Last Days in Judea, are beautifully photographed and full of insights drawn from the physical topography of the Holy Land. I thoroughly recommend them.

This was our first glimpse of the Sea of Galilee - which is actually a fresh-water lake.  It is also known as Kinneret, Lake of Gennesart, or Lake Tiberias.  The majority of Jesus' ministry took place in the area of the Sea of Galilee - in what is often called "The Evangelical Triangle" - from Capernaum to Korazin to Bethasida.  This is where the marjority of Jesus' miracles ocurred.  The first side stretched from Tabgha-Eremos-Korazin.  The second stretched from Korazin along the Roman road to Bethasida.  The lake shore from the mouth of the Jordan as far as Tabgha forms the base of the triangle, with Capernaum in the middle of the base of the triangle.

Tiberias is located on the Sea of Galilee. There is no record of Jesus ever visiting Tiberias. He probably avoided this area, as it was the home of Herod Antipas. Tiberias is located on the west side of the Sea of Galilee.

These are ruins in the Tiberias area dating back to the time of the Ottoman Empire. The building stone is basalt - volcanic rock.

These are the Golan Heights. Even though it comprises a large amount of land, only 8,000 Palestinians are allowed to live here, under very strict restrictions.

Here we read Mark 1:16-20 about the calling of the apostles. It probably happened in this area.

This is the rock where tradition says Jesus dined with his apostles after the resurrection.

Here Jesus forgives Peter for denying him.

We ended our day at the beautiful Ein Gev Kibbutz on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. We each had a cabin right on the water's edge. It was stunning!

Our view of sunset on the Sea of Galilee from our cabin. What a beautiful end to a wonderful day! Shalom!

Into the Wilderness...

"The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.  And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan.  And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him." Mark 1:12-13.We left the lush oasis of the baptismal site at the Jordan River and began our own journey into the wilderness.

We are reminded that we are in West Bank, where, as the sign indicates,  Israelis are not to enter. Between the two fences is "no man's land."  This area is heavily mined.

Off to the distance we view Jericho "City of Palms," the oldest most continuously occupied city in the world. It is also the city located at the lowest elevation in the world.  It is the first city Joshua captured as the Israelites entered the Promised Land..

In Luke 19:1-10 we read of one of Jesus' visits to Jericho:

"He entered Jericho and was passing through it. 2 A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. 7 All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who  is a sinner.” 8 Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” 9 Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. 10 For the son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

Tradition names this as the Zacchaeus tree. Experts confirm that it could well date back to the time of Jesus. The tree was the centerpiece of Jericho's 10,000th birthday celebration in 2010. We are reminded that Jesus' ministry was also for the marginalized.

As we leave Jericho, we move toward the Mount of Temptation.  Though there is no definitive evidence as to where Jesus went after his baptism, this is traditionally recognized as the mountain where Jesus was tempted by Satan.  A monastery clings to the side of the mountain, hewn from its very rock.

As we sat in the Temptation Gallery and Gift Shop and gazed at the Mount of Temptation, while sipping complimentary green tea, we read Luke 4:1-13:

 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, ² where for forty days he was tempted  by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. ³ The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

⁵ The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. ⁶ And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. ⁷ If you worship me, it will all be yours.” ⁸ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” ⁹ The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. ¹⁰ For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you carefully;
¹¹ they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

¹² Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

¹³ When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time

Here I am riding a camel with the Mount of Temptation in the background. Camels have an interesting place in the Bible. Some archaeologists believe that camels had not been domesticated at the time of Moses and the Patriarchs, and that references to them in the Septaguint are anarchronistic.  This same group of archaeologists prefer to believe that the Old Testament was not written or assembled until the first century BC.  We think of Abraham sending his servant Eliezer to find a wife for his son. He comes upon Rachel who draws water for him and his ten camels. Recent discovery of camel bones dating back to the 7th century BC indicate that camels were around much earlier than once believed, even as early as the second millennium BC.  This evidence is further bolstered by the discovery of early depictions of camels.

There are no biblical records describing Jesus ever riding a camel.  He was familiar with camels, as indicated in Matthew 19:24, where he tells the rich young man "...it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle,  than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  Many of the beautiful nativity sets I saw in the Holy Land depicted the wise men traveling to Bethlehem on camels.  Please note: the Bible contains no such reference!

Israel is often described as "The Land of Milk and Honey." The "Land of Milk" describes the area where we are now - a land of livestock that produce milk. This area is less lush, with more scrubby foliage and grasses suitable for grazing. It seems to me that more of this arid land was given to the Palestinians. As we enter Galilee, we will be moving to the land of honey - the land of agriculture. Israel is a small country of great geographical diversity. I look forward to experiencing it all!