Christ The King

In seminary, I had a professor who admitted to an interesting habit: He would read the last chapter of a mystery first, and then he would go back and start the book from the beginning. We, quite naturally, objected. We said that knowing how the story was going to end would ruin the whole book. What enjoyment could you get if you knew how the story was going to end? His response was interesting: he said it all depended on what you wanted from the story. If you wanted the big surprise of “whodunit,” well, then you needed to read the story the way it was written. But if wanted to enjoy the craft of the artist, then you needed to read the last chapter first. When you know how the story is going to end, you can watch the way the writer weaves the various threads together to form the finished product.
Thinking about it in that way, reading the last chapter first kind of makes sense. Granted, it is a different way of reading, a different way of enjoying the book. It may not be the way most of the world reads books, but just because it is different does not mean it is wrong.
Now, there is something else about reading the last chapter first – and this may sound a little odd – but there is something comforting about it. No matter what is going on in the story, you know by the last page of the last chapter, the story will have reached its resolve. It may sound obvious, but since you know how the book will end, you know that the book will have to get to that end. So you can comfortably watch what happens in the book, knowing it will all work out.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could do this in life? Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to know exactly how life is going to work out; to know the last chapter? You know we try to read the last chapter. We read horoscopes to give us some insights into what is going to happen. We have all kinds of ways to try to predict the future. Ten years ago, there was all kinds of anxiety about Y2K. Many people thought they had read the last chapter and that everything was going to end when we entered the year 2000. I guess even one of the local Mega-church pastors was telling people that they needed to be prepared for the end to come in 2000. Now, we have movies and books telling us that we need to worry about the earth ending in the year 2012. (Dec. 21st of 2012 to be exact.) And so the anxiety continues.
This is the interesting thing about what the world puts out there as the last chapter of the story: In just about every story we hear from the world, the last chapter involves pain, death and destruction. Bad things happen and few people, if any, are able to escape. But so often, the last chapter, as told by the world, involves total destruction, complete annihilation of all. And I think the really sad part of this is that the world just eats this stuff up! I don’t know why, but people just seem to go crazy over all of this stuff!
And people have been going crazy over these end of the world scenarios for centuries! I once worked with a guy who kept quoting the Bible, especially the Book of Revelation and kept talking about The New World Order. He kept telling me about how “they” were trying to create one world currency and how “they” were keeping track of us by our debit cards. Truthfully, I felt that if “they” needed to keep track of everything I did, “they” must surely have a boring life! But he kept it up. He was totally worried about the whole New World Order thing. He also kept pulling Bible verses to back up what he said. Finally, I had to put a stop to this. I asked him, “Did you read the end?” He stopped and looked at me. I asked him again, “Did you read the end?” He asked, “End of what?” “The end of the story? Did you read it?” I asked. “In the end, God WINS!”
This seemed to have no effect on him. Well, almost no effect; he did stop talking to ME about The New World Order. But I am willing to guess he still will not use a debit card.
As people of faith, we should be more like my seminary professor than like my coworker. We need to remember that God has written the last chapter. We need to have faith that we can trust in the true word of God. Through our faith, we know how the story will end. We know that the last chapter has everything to do with love and nothing to do with death. In faith, we know that Christ vanquished death and that eternal life reigns.
Today, we celebrate the feast of Christ the King. Today, we celebrate the end of the story. Today, we celebrate the victory of Christ over death. The feast of Christ the King gives us strength and comfort in the same way that reading the last chapter can give us comfort. No matter what we see, we can be sure that Christ will emerge victorious.
We do not need to worry about asteroids striking the Earth. We do not need to worry about Yellowstone exploding. We do not need to worry about total chaos breaking lose in 2012. We do not need to worry about these things because these things are not the end of the story!
Knowing the ending opens us up for all kinds of possibilities for us! Knowing the ending gives us the comfort of knowing that we really can’t mess things up too badly. Knowing the ending means that we have the freedom to be out and about in the world. If we trust that Christ is King and believe that Christ will reign victorious, then we can be comforted in knowing that no matter what is happening, that God the creator is still in charge.
Christ the King marks the end of the church year. It is important for us to remember at the end of the church year the promises that God has made to all of us. It is important that have faith that what we see now is not how the story ends. It is important for us to know that God has more in store for us! Remembering that God has already written the end, allows us to enjoy the way the story of our lives unfold. Remembering that God has already written the end allows us to appreciate the genius of our creator God.
Today we celebrate Christ the King, the end of the story. Next week, we begin our wait for the birth of Christ, we wait for the story to begin. But in all things, in our times of celebration and our times of waiting; we need to remember we are people of the promise. We have the promise of life, love, and joy in abundance.

Pentecost 20 Year B

Mark 10:35-45

I think one of the downfalls of having a background in psychology is that you become a watcher of people.  Whether you like it or not, it just becomes something you do.  And you don’t just watch people, you pay attention to what they are doing and try to figure out just exactly why they are doing what they are doing. 

Take kids for instance.  I used to direct an after school program.  No matter what we were doing, if it involved a line, all the kids would try to get to the front of the line.  If we were going outside, there would be a push to be the first one by the door.  It we were going to have a snack, there would be a push to be the first one by the window.  It didn’t matter what, there was always the push to be the first one in line.

This behavior confused me.  If we were all going to be going outside, then why was there such a rush to be the first one?  We always had enough snacks for everyone.  Why would there be such a rush to be sure to be the first to get one?  What was so important about being the first person to get something?

Well, I was thinking about this while swerving in and out of traffic while trying to get to the Meridian Mall.  And while I was driving, I started thinking: Why was I rushing?  Why did I need to get ahead of everyone else?  It was not like the mall was going to disappear at a certain time; it would still be there.  So why was I rushing?  It really struck me as weird.  Why was I putting so much effort into rushing, pushing, and trying to get there first?

Now, not to be so hard on myself and on the kids, but trying to be first does make some sense.  When things are limited, trying to get there first makes real sense.  If you are not one of the first, you may not get what you want.  I don’t know if you remember, now what is many years ago, the whole big uproar over Cabbage Patch Kid dolls.  I remember people getting into fights just to get one of these things.  People would wait in line for hours and then push and fight just to one of the few dolls that were available.  If you wanted one, you had to be first.

I guess we want to be first because we want our own part of the limited supplies that there are.  And not only do we want a part, we want the best of it all.  We want to be first so we can have the best seat in the house, the best gaming system, or the best new gadgets there are.  We want to be first so we can get the best.  And really, wanting what is best is quite natural.  If you have the best, you tend to live better; you tend to live longer.  Having the best is not a bad thing.

So when we look at James and John in today’s gospel reading, we can understand what they are trying to do.  They really are not doing anything that is all that unnatural.  They wanted to be assured that they would have the best places, the places next to Jesus.  I guess it would be like having front row seats at a concert.  To sit at someone’s right and left would be to have your status publicly acknowledged.  To sit at someone’s right and left would be to say that these people are “second in command.”  By sitting on someone’s right and left, you get to bask in the light of the person who is sitting at the head.

John and James wanted these positions.  They wanted to be seen as those who were in power.  They wanted to bask in Jesus’ light.  They were like the people waiting to the Cabbage Patch Kids, they wanted to be there first so they could get the best.  Although they wanted to be in positions of power, they really didn’t seem to understand the whole message of Jesus.

But not too surprisingly, the other disciples didn’t seem to understand the message either.  The others become angry with James and John.  I am guessing the reason the others were angry was because they had not thought of asking first!  When they heard James and John’s request, their thought was probably, “Why didn’t I think of that!”  The other disciples didn’t want James and John to get the best positions, so they got angry with the two.  But, you know, the other disciples didn’t understand Jesus’ message either.

Our reading for today follows the stories of bringing the children to Jesus and the rich young man.  In these past stories, Jesus was showing them, and showing us, that in the reign of God, things are not always as they seem.  The young children are the ones Jesus tells should be brought to him, and all the wealth in the world cannot buy our salvation.  What we see is not what is real. 

The reign of God that Jesus has been trying to show is the reign of abundance.  In the reign of God, the blind see and the deaf hear.  The ill are made well and the poor hear the good news.  The reign of God is not filled with Cabbage Patch dolls or other things that will parish.  The reign of God is unlimited!

The request of James and John, and the other disciples’ response to this request, shows us just how much they believe in a limited God.  The disciples were constantly with Jesus.  They saw how Jesus healed, how Jesus taught.  They heard Jesus tell that the reign of God is at hand.  But even with all of that “proof,” the disciples still didn’t get it.  Even with all they had seen with their own eyes, they still believed that the world of limitations that they saw around them was the world of reality.  Even though they saw the abundance poured out through Jesus, they persisted to believe in the world of scarcity.

Our whole economy is powered by our belief in scarcity.  Our prices are set, based on how scarce an item is; whether this scarcity is real or perceived.  Because this belief in scarcity surrounds us, it is hard for us to think in any other manner.  However, Jesus presents us with a different worldview, a radically different worldview. 

So often we say that Jesus presents a radically different view of the world, but have we really considered how different this is?  Jesus does not view the world from a viewpoint of scarcity.  Jesus does not see the limits that we impose on the world.  Jesus functions within a worldview of abundance and tries to pass this view on to his followers.  He tells them that whoever wishes to be great must become a servant and whoever wishes to be first must become a slave to all.  We have been given a choice:  if we wish to be first, we must become a slave, if we wish to be great, we must become a servant.

Have you ever been someplace with a caterer?  Often the staff is allowed to eat.  But when do the servants eat?  (Or maybe I should call them “waitstaff.”)  Do they eat first?  Do they eat before the people at the party?  No, they would eat after the party is over and all of the people left.  It is then that they can eat.  But lets think of something else.  What would happen if the servers knew that the way they were serving the food would result in there being no food left for them to eat?  What would happen then?  Would the servers truly serve?  Would they give all they were supposed to give or would they hold some back some food for themselves?  To truly serve, there needs to be the assurance that there will be enough for all.  After the guest have eaten their fill, the servers need to be the assurance that there will also be enough left for them.  If there is not the assurance of abundance, the servants will hold back food for themselves and not truly serve as they should.  Because we are human, we can only truly serve when we have the assurance that there will be enough.  When we are assured that there is an abundance, it is then that we humans can serve with a loving heart.

Jesus calls us to be servants.  He wants us to go out and serve with a happy heart.  When he calls us to drink the cup that he drinks and to be baptized with his baptism, Jesus is calling us to God’s reign of abundance.  In these words, Jesus is calling us to give our lives in the service of others.  If we believe that God is limited, like Cabbage Patch dolls, we will have trouble giving our life, but Jesus shows us that we have life in abundance.  In the reign of God, there is so much life that death does not even have the final say.  Although Jesus was killed on the cross, death did not have the final word.  In the reign of God, abundance of life will always have the final word.

What is interesting is that Jesus does not say who will sit at his right and left.  Jesus says that is for God to decide.  So who does God choose to sit in these coveted positions?  Well, when Jesus is crucified, who flanks him on the cross?  Is it his disciples?  No, when Christ is undergoing the ultimate humiliation, the two who are on his right and left are two criminals.  Two recognized sinners are placed in the positions of power!  God’s love for us is so abundant that even the criminals are included!  In God’s reign, even the sinners are given positions of honor!

We can be servants because we know there is an abundance.  We can be generous because Christ shows us that scarcity is an illusion.  The world of God is not a Cabbage Patch kind of world!  It is a world where leaders are servants.  It is a world where the powerful are lowered and the lowly are raised up.  It is a world where the killed becomes the savior who brings eternal life.  The world of God is the world where the place of honor is reserved for you and for me.  The world of God is where all are wanted, all are cared for, all are loved.  We don’t need to rush, we don’t need to be first, we don’t need to grasp for whatever we can get.  The God love has placed a world of abundant love right in our midst!  We just need to look with the eyes of faith.

Obama Derangement Syndrome

Pentecost 19 Year B

Mark 10:17-31



“Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’”

Ok, there has GOT to be a mistake here! Someone, somewhere, must have made a translation error. I am sure the verse went something like this, “Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You’ve worked so very hard to get all of your money. You deserve to give yourself a treat. Go out on a shopping spree so you can show the world how much you have been blessed. And then, when you are comfortable, you can come and follow me.” That HAS to be the translation. The Bible says that Jesus loved the guy! When we love people, we don’t want them to be poor, do we? But there it is, “go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor...” That is what Jesus says to those whom He loves.

I find it interesting that even people who claim to interpret the Bible literally will drive expensive cars and live in expensive homes. They seem ever ready to jump on the “literal” meaning of the Bible, except where it becomes difficult. And I should not be so quick to lay judgment upon others; aren’t we all like that? (I say this at the risk of tarnishing my liberal reputation) I heard Dr. Laura once say that we would all like to have OTHERS have a Biblical morality. We think it would be great if others followed all the rules in the Bible and followed all the Ten Commandments. But when it comes to us, we would like to have a little wiggle room. Ok, we would like to have A LOT of wiggle room! Living life is not easy. And trying to follow all the injunctions of the Bible is not easy. So it just seems cruel to lay all of these injunctions on top of a difficult life! If Jesus really loved the guy, Jesus would have been willing to let the young man spend all of his money, and Jesus would have made all of the man’s water into wine just to help ease the burden!

But that is not what we are told happened. Jesus loved the man, and in loving him, Jesus told the man to sell everything and give it to the poor. Then, after he sold everything and had nothing left, then, and only then, should the man come and follow Jesus. These are very uncomfortable words. And as I said before, words that even the most staunch Biblical literalist finds ways to avoid.

The effect these words of Jesus have should be very similar to the effect of last week’s gospel reading. We should be jarred by them. They are not what we would expect to hear and they should cause us to sit up and take notice.

Does Jesus really want the man to become poor? This seems kind of silly. He sells all he has and in the process becomes poor. It seems to kind of defeat the purpose. And yes, you would be right. But, Jesus, being the great psychologist that he is, knew how to make a point.

See, when talking to people, if you want to make a point and don’t want to offend people, you use a HUGE example. This allows people to get involved in the story and does not make them feel like the example is directed specifically at them. So in this case, Jesus is using the example of selling EVERYTHING to make a point.

So what is the point that Jesus is making? Well, once the man sells everything and gives it to the poor, it is then that Jesus tells the man to come and follow. Does that mean that Jesus wants us all to be poor? No. But it does mean that Jesus wants us to be in a state where we are ready to learn.

Have you ever tried to teach something to a “Know-It-All?” It is really difficult! Nick tells me stories about a guy where he works who will ask a question. Then, when Nick tries to answer it, the man says, “No, that is not right!” Nick wants to scream and say if the guy already knew the answer, why was he asking questions! Whether we want to admit it or not, we quite often approach our faith in this manner. We will go to God in prayer about something, but we already have the answer in mind. So when the answer comes to us, we are very ready to say, “No, that is not right!” We want God to answer our prayers, but we want them answered in the way that we already figured out!

I am sure the man in the gospel reading had some idea in mind when he asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. I am sure he had some kind of “To Do” list and was looking for Jesus to verify his ideas. I am sure he was not so much searching for truth as he was looking to have his ideas verified. But that is not what happened! In bringing his question before Jesus, the man had his world rocked! After his encounter with Jesus, I am sure the man would not look at the world in the same way again.

What Jesus told the man, in effect, was, “Everything that you consider to be important, is not!” Think about this! How would you feel if Jesus told you that the sacrifices you made raising your family were not important? How would you feel if Jesus told you that the money you contributed to charity was not important? How would you feel if Jesus told you that the time you donated to the homeless was not important? In all of these things, what you did was a good start, but was not enough? What YOU did was not important! How would that make you feel? I would guess it would probably make most of us feel pretty bad. And in the gospel reading, we see this very response; the young man went away grieving.

Now this seems cruel, and would be except for one thing: We are told that Jesus loved the young man. Jesus was not doing this to the man to be cruel to him, he was telling this to the young man because Jesus loved the man!

So, there has got to be some clues here to help us. If we look, we see that Jesus does have a plan for the young man. The young man, after removing all those things that he, the young man, thinks are important, can finally open himself up to those things that are truly important. It is only when the false idols, or maybe we could call them “False Securities” are gone that the man is finally able to follow Christ!

We are pretty self-reliant people. We want to be in control even if that control is an illusion. We want the lists and we want the ironclad contracts. We want to know exactly what we have to do to get into God’s good graces. We want to know just how many sins we can commit, or what type of sins to avoid, so we can be issued a heavenly harp upon our death. We want to be sure we have it all sewn up before we die. We don’t want to leave it up to chance! This was the mindset of the young man: How could he use his money to assure his place in Heaven?

And Jesus jarring response is the loving truth: You can’t use your money to assure a place in Heaven. Money can buy you a seat on the Heavenly Bus just as easily as it will allow a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. Our money, our possessions, our talents will NOT assure us a place in the Eternal Kingdom.

So, what is our assurance? Well, for God, all things are possible. We have been given money, and gifts, and talents to use for the promotion of God’s reign on earth, but these are not what assures us of Eternal life. It is our faith in Christ in all things. It is our faith that if we release these things that we hold so dear and allow God to work through our lives, that we will find the life we have been looking for. It is in our faith that God will provide for our needs that we find the truth.

How is our wealth holding us back? I am not just talking about money here! We may have a wealth of insight. We may have a wealth of strength. We may have a wealth of caring. How are we holding onto these things as a means of ensuring that we will receive Eternal Life? How do we trust that God will not abandon us and just go out and give it away? That is not an easy question, is it? But that is the ideal Christ places before us. Christ wants us to be as extravagant with our gifts has God has been in giving us gifts! Our gifts are to be used and shared!

We have been assured eternal life through our Savior. We do not need to be searching for ways to save ourselves. Christ saves us through faith, which opens us for a whole realm of possibilities!! Do we wish to hang on to those things that we feel are important or do we want to follow our faith and find the true treasure?

This is the challenge placed before the man in today’s gospel, and this is the challenge placed before us. But we have one advantage! We know that Christ is raised from the dead and has saved us by his blood! This is the good news of the Gospel! This is the true treasure we can hang onto, even while we share it!

Pentecost 18 Year B

Mark 10:2-16

Isn’t it fun to watch little kids?  They are so interesting, and in many ways, so predictable.  I have a little thought experiment for you.  There is a plate of candy sitting on a table.  Now, there is a little kid in the room and you tell the kid to not touch the candy.  To make it even more interesting, you say, “Now, don’t touch any of that really yummy candy!”  Then, after saying that, you walk out of the room.  I am sure all of us would agree that the kid will go about doing whatever the kid was doing previously and will not, no matter how long the kid is left alone, touch the candy.

Who am I kidding!  We know that the kid, no matter how good, will eventually go over and take a piece of the “really yummy candy!”  That is just the way kids are.  The moment you tell them “no,” it is then that they want to do exactly what you told them not to do.

And even though we are adults, I think we are still guilty of this behavior.  I have seen people in stores handle things while standing in front of a sign that says, “Please Do Not Touch.”  I have seen people graze their way through a grocery store knowing that they will never pay of the things they have eaten.  We are told, “No, we should not do this,” but we still knowingly break the rules.

Does this behavior make us horrible people?  Does it make us terrible people?  Does it make us “BAD?”  No, nothing of the sort!  So what does this behavior make us?  Well, it makes us human.  Part of being human is to see how far we can push the rules.  Don’t believe me?  It this weren’t so, we wouldn’t need police; we would all know that rules and not break them.  But because we are human, we always push the rules.

And if anyone would understand this, it would be God.  God knows we are going to push the rules.  Heck, more than that, we will knowingly break the laws God has given us.  God has given us freewill and in the use of freewill, we WILL go against wishes of God.  That is just a simple statement of life.

So, because kids, and adults, are going to break the rules, does this mean that we totally abandon all laws?  Because just about everyone ignores speed limits, does this mean that we never have speed limits?  Well, of course not.  We have rules and laws in place because it is a good thing to do.  Rules and laws keep us safe.  Rules and laws make life easier to live.  Rules and laws are a good thing.  Rules and laws make our lives better. 

But we still have the problem of breaking the rule.  Well, there are the possible consequences such as getting an upset stomach from eating too much candy or burnt fingers from touching the hot pan on the stove.  There are also other consequences such as the anger and disapproval of the parents or possible fines.  But even with all the consequences, I think we would all agree the world would be a better place if we would all just follow the laws and the rules.  But, alas, being human, we just aren’t going to always follow the rules.

Is God going to abandon us if we don’t follow God’s laws?  Or should God just stop making rules and laws and allow us to do whatever we want?  Of course the answer to both of those questions is, “No.”  God will not abandon us if we don’t follow God’s laws.  God wants us to follow God’s laws and rules, these make life more enjoyable, but God will not abandon us.  And God is not going to stop expecting the best of us.  Just as we expect the best for our children, God expects the best from us.  But God is not going to abandon us if we fall short of the goal.  Just like we would not abandon our own children if they fall short, God will not abandon us.

This is the lesson we are to learn from today’s scripture readings.  God has great plans for us, but when we fall short of these plans, we are not abandoned.  God wants what is best for us, but when we don’t live up to these plans, God does not leave us dangling.  Although God wants what is best for all of God’s children, God loves us enough to have some contingency plans.

Jesus tells us that divorce was not part of God’s plans for us.  God does not want our relationships to fall apart.  I am sure we have all seen some pretty messy divorces and I am sure we can agree that a world where divorce was not necessary would be a pretty wonderful thing.  But I think we would also agree that in some situations, divorce can be quite a blessing.  Although we may not want to see marriages end, in some cases, the best thing that can happen is for a marriage to end and for the people to continue their lives apart.  Divorce is not what God wants for us, but because we are human and we have freewill, divorce is given to us.  Divorce, even though it is not the ideal, is still a gift.

God knows that we are not perfect.  God knows that we are going to wander away and try to do things our own way.  God knows that even though we are given an ideal, because of freewill, we will fall short of that ideal.  And in God’s goodness, we have that out.  But Jesus also reminds us that this is not what God had wanted for us.  Just like we do not want our kids to get into trouble, and we would like for our children to listen to us, God wants us to pay attention and to learn.  But when we fall short, we are not abandoned.

Now lets do a quick jump to the end of the gospel reading.  At the beginning of the reading we have all this talk about divorce and adultery, all this really deep stuff.  But suddenly, at the end of the reading, we are talking about children.  "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.”  The shift is almost jarring.  However, it is this jarring shift that should make us think.

The children are brought into the picture to help us to gain perspective.  How do we love and care for our children?  We set up rules, we set up laws.  We provide expectations and we send them on their way.  We know that our children will make mistakes, but we also know that our children will learn from their mistakes.  We would hope that our children would listen and learn, but we also know that our children will have to experience life in their own way.  We would hope that we could pass our knowledge on to our children, but we know that our kids will go out and find the truth themselves.

And as jarring and disjointed as this shift may seem, it does make sense.  God has a vision for our lives.  God has a dream for our lives.  But God also knows that we, just like we know our children will do, will go out and experience life.  We will run over God’s law and we will experience the pain of our mistakes.  But in the midst of our experiencing of life, we are given the assurance that because we are the beloved children of God, we can still come to Christ, and we will still be accepted with open, loving, arms.  "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them…”  That is what Jesus is saying to us.  God would prefer we follow God’s plan for our lives, but when we take the candy from the candy dish, we can rest assured that we are still loved and accepted.

We are the children of God and we are all accepted.  Even if we fall short, God is there for us.  Even when we flaunt God’s law, God still calls us to the table.  God is the ultimate parent; we are loved more than we can ever know.  We are called to the table in love, and we are called to spread that love to the world.

Pentecost 14 Year B

James 2: 1-17

One time, I was at a conference where the speaker was talking about Welcoming Congregations. He said that he has never met a congregation that did not consider itself welcoming. He said that every congregation, when asked to describe themselves, would say that they were “Welcoming.” It wouldn’t matter what the emotional temperature of the congregation was, they always saw themselves as warm and welcoming.

Truthfully, I don’t think he is too far off. Most people would not want to think of themselves as cold an aloof. And also, I don’t think that the congregations were lying, they probably truly think they are warm and welcoming. And for every congregation out there, there is probably a group of people who, upon entering the congregation, feel warmly welcomed.

Knowing that most congregations will say they are welcoming, when I interview in a congregation, I will purposely ask the question, “How would you describe your congregation?” But I always put a stipulation on the question; the people have to describe the congregation without using the words “warm” or “welcoming.” It is interesting to watch the wheels turn as they process what this actually means. Most congregations are quick to toss out the old saw that they are a “Welcoming Congregation,” but often they cannot go beyond that to tell me exactly what they mean by “welcoming.”

Being welcoming is such an interesting concept. Being welcomed is how we know that we are part of the group or how we know if we are outsiders. If we enter a new place and we feel truly welcomed, we know that this is a place for us. If we find a place that is “nice” but not welcoming, then we know that this is not the place for us. How a person is welcomed has a lot to do with whether a person will return or will stay away.

Welcoming is also an important concept for us as Christians. It is in how we welcome those who are new in our midst that we show the world the love of Christ. And it is in how we welcome those whom we have disagreements and anger that we share Christ’s love with each other. When we are welcoming, as Christ would welcome, we are letting people know that they are part of the “in group,” part of Christ’s promise. But if we give a cool welcome, we also send a message that Christ’s love is not for these people.

In the epistle reading for today, James talks about how we live out our faith in our lives. He especially focuses on how and who we welcome. Do we welcome only those who fit our stereotype of a “good” person? Do we only welcome those whom we know? Do we reach out in warmth and love to those whom we may not find comfortable? Or do we just treat them with cool kindness.

Christ welcomed all people to his table. He welcomed the rich and the poor. He welcomed the noble born and the lowly. Jesus called as his disciples the simple fishers, the tax collectors, and the physicians. Jesus did not only pick those who were well healed or the most respectable. Jesus knew that all people needed to be welcomed, needed to feel part: Needed to belong. This is the example that we are given and the example we are to follow. But how do we do this? How can we know?

Something that may help us to assess how we can go about welcoming is to look at our Vision Statement. You may not have noticed it, but it has been on our bulletin for some time now! If you look you will find it right on the bottom. It says, “To spread the joy of Christ’s love through prayer and Christian action.” What that statement is, is the guide for all of our actions as a church. In everything we do, we should be asking ourselves if these actions are in keeping with our vision statement. From the way the ushers greet people to the way the building looks should be influenced by this statement. How is the way we welcome people an expression of our Vision Statement? How is the way we welcome each other an expression of our Vision Statement? Is the way we are presenting ourselves to the world in keeping with our vision?

But something else that would help us to be truly welcoming Christians is to have a true understanding of ourselves. Who are we as a congregation? What are our concerns for ourselves and for our community? What do we present to a nonbelieving world? These are important questions. If we do not look at them intentionally, they will just be answered haphazardly. If we are not intentional about answering the questions about WHO and WHOSE we are, we are saying that these questions are unimportant and the world will notice. But if we intentionally answering these questions, we become more comfortable with ourselves and in return, can become more welcoming.

We are called to reach out beyond our own doors and beyond our own comfort zones. We are called to reach out to the people of the world who need to find the love and support of God. In seminary, we were always reminded that the church is NOT for the people who are within the walls; the church is a body that is to reach out to those beyond the walls. As Christians, we are called to bring the light to even the darkest corners.

James reminds us that we probably are not going to find people who “look like us” in these dark corners. We are going to find those people who are different. But even those who are different need to know about Christ’s love; maybe even more so! Would we rather have our sanctuary sing with a multitude and variety of voices or echo in emptiness? If we want it to sing, we need to look at all aspects of our church life. We need to look at our worship. We need to look at ourselves.

This won’t be easy, but we will not be alone in the process. We have Christ, the great leader, teacher, and Savior. We have the Spirit guiding and encouraging us. We have our Lord God creating a way for us to go!

We are called to be a place of rest, a place of sanctuary, a place of growth, and a place of peace. We are called to be a place of joy and a place where people can find joy. We are Christians and we are called to be welcoming, love filled presence to the world.

Pentecost 13 Year B

James 1:17-27

Be doers of the word.

Such a simple statement. Be doers of the word. This really shouldn’t be something that needs to be preached upon. But from pulpits all over the world today, preachers will be extolling their congregations to not just be hearers of the word, but to be doers of the word.

This should be the thing that we are about. We should be about living out our faith in the world. All who claim the title of Christian should be living out their faith just because of who they are. The past week at work we have been surrounded by people dressed in green and white and living out the live of an MSU student. I jokingly commented about a Michigan State shirt, that of course Michigan was a state and that the woman was standing in the state. And this woman looked at me like I was a nut! For these people, being a Spartan was just who they were and just a natural expression of their being. To be otherwise would just be weird.

So too, for us Christians, our faith should just be so much of us that we cannot help but live out the word. Not that we need to be wearing tee shirts emblazoned with Christian slogans all the time. But we should be putting the teachings we have learned through our faith into action in our lives.

Now, lest we get confused, we need to make sure we get the order of events correct. Again, I will use the MSU people as an example. You would all find it kind of odd if I were to tell you that getting accepted to MSU was dependent upon how much MSU clothing you could wear, right? You would find it silly to think that if you totally tattooed yourself green and white that you would get the top scholarships, right? That just seems silly to say. But some still believe that the teachings we find in the book of James is the rule book on how to get salvation. Some believe that we have to DO all of this stuff before we can finally be accepted.

Well, that is not the case.

The folks that are arrayed in green and white are so proudly displaying the school colors because they have ALREADY been accepted! They are part of the group! So they display the colors as a means of spreading their excitement. In the same manner, we do not live the word in the world to earn Christ’s salvation, we have been assured of that salvation in Christ’s death and resurrection, and we have further been assured of that salvation in our baptism. Our salvation is a given. Christ is not going to take it back! So when we are called to go out and be doers of the word, we do it to share with the world the joy that we have found!

So, if we are to be doers of the word in the world, what would that look like? James gives us some ways. We are to be “quick to listen, slow to speak, [and] slow to anger.” That is some good advice. We are to bridle our tongues and be sure that when we speak, that we are to be careful of our words. You know, if we could all just do that, the world would be so much better. So often we are so very quick to become angry and then to speak. We are so quick to speak without listening to what the other is saying.

But whether we like it or not, when we claim the title of Christian, we are also claiming to be the voice of God in the world. When we claim the title of Christian, we are claiming to be the heart of God in the world. When we claim the title of Christian, we are claiming to be the arms of God, reaching out to send the unending love of God into the world.

When the world encounters us, what does it find? What does it find about Christianity as a whole? Is this the image that Christ would have been proud to die for? Is the worlds view of Christianity that of love or that of intolerance? When the world encounters the Episcopal Church, does it find love, care, and joy or does it find judgment and oppression? How ‘bout us as a congregation? What does the world think about us? What do visitors think about us? What does Swampland think about us? A difficult question would be, “Does Swampland even know we exist?” If not, they why not? How can we as a community built in the love of Christ be doers of the word? We don’t need to be a megachurch to be a mighty church. We have been promised God’s love and care in our actions. But we need to be more than just hearers. We have done great things, we have helped families in need, but can we be doing more? And finally, each of us; we need to ask ourselves, “What are we doing to be doers of the word?” Are we content to just sit and listen, or are we willing to be out in the world. Are we willing to be doers of the word?

I often feel bad doing sermons like this. I feel bad because I am not able to give you a clear cut, three point plan on how to be doers of the word. It would be nice if I could, but I don’t think it really is my place to tell you. You see, we each have our own unique talents and gifts. We each have our own unique way of living the word and doing the word. We each have our own special way and our own special voice.

And as a congregation, we each have an important part to give. We are all inspired by the Spirit to reach out. What I find sad is that so often we forget that our inspiration most often IS from God and that we can act boldly upon it! We begin to second-guess our actions and then fall into inaction. We go from being doers to being listeners. When we are generous in giving, and when we are generous in love, James tells us that we can trust that that impulse is coming from God. We can trust that we are being grown into the first fruits. Or to use more modern language, God is forming us into the best we can possibly be.

We are the beloved, accepted, redeemed children of God. That is something that will not be taken from us. The love of God surrounds us, fills us, and sustains us. And it is through this love that we go out and be doers of the word in the world. My prayer is that you feel this love of God so strongly that, like the MSU students, you cannot keep it to yourselves; you just have to let it out! And when you feel that urge, DO IT! Let the love of Christ show throughout your life!

Pentecost 12 Year B

John 6:56-69

Well, did you feel it? Did you feel the axis of the Earth shift? Events of the past week have caused a rift in the cosmic fabric that may NEVER BE REPAIRED! People are appalled! APPALLED I SAY! And why? Why are the ducks going to be flying north this fall and south next spring? Why? Well, it seems that Michelle Obama emerged from Air Force One wearing… oh, it pains me to say it…wearing SHORTS!

Yes, after listening to the news from the past week, you would think that she did something horrible like show up in public with her dress stuck in her pantyhose or something. But all she did was act like a normal human, on vacation, in Arizona, in the summer. But because she decided to do something a little different, a little change on what was expected, she was plastered all over the TV and internet.

The words flew across the ether, “No other First Lady ever wore shorts as she emerged from Air Force One before.” That is right, no other has. This might be a difficult new teaching for us to learn. Now, I am sure no one is planning on moving to a different country just because of this one event, but there are probably a few who are thinking of changing parties. The SHORTS INCIDENT was the last straw.

Lately, this seems to be the mentality of the world: As long as things are going our way, we will stick around. But when the tide starts to change, we go off looking for a new place. But really, we don’t want a new place; we just want to continue to live in the old place. We don’t want a new place; we want the good old days. Whenever I hear that phrase, “the good old days,” I think of a line in a song by Billy Joel. He says, “The ‘Good Old Days’ weren’t always good and tomorrow’s not as bad as it seems.” But so often, we, as a people want to go back to those “Good Old Days.” But the truth is, for the most part, we really DON’T want to go back. Are we really willing to go back to the days of no cars, phones, central heating, or central air-conditioning? At first glance, it may seem nice, but I don’t think we really want to go back. That is the problem with life. We are caught in this horrible bind: We don’t like change because it is scary, but staying still will become stagnant and eventually kill us. We are caught in this internal tug. We like the thought of what is new, but we are frightened. We like the comfort of what is expected but if we have too much of it we will find it boring.

Really, this is not a new situation to our times; it is similar to the situation the disciples find themselves in in today’s gospel reading. The people are anxious: they are looking for a new teaching. They are following teachers all over the place. They find a teacher they like and they begin to follow. But when that teacher says something that is controversial or goes against their personal belief, they pick up and find a new teacher. That is why the disciples are concerned. They have been getting a big following! But Jesus has been saying things that have been causing discontent among the masses. The disciples probably want Jesus to tone back the rhetoric. They probably were pulling Jesus aside saying, “Hey Jesus, you are doing well with the talking points we agreed upon, why are you going off topic! You are losing the people!”

But Jesus didn’t stick to the talking points just because they were “easier.” He continued to speak the truth, even if it made people uncomfortable, even if it made some people turn away. Jesus would not silence the truth; he spoke the truth even if it meant his own safety would come into jeopardy.

But Jesus leaves us with a bit of a problem and not much of a solution.

The problem is: How do we know what is true teaching and what is false teaching?

This is a really difficult one and a problem that has plagued faith forever. Do we accept the uncircumcised as Jews? Do we accept the Gentiles as Christians? Do we accept women as teachers and leaders in church? Do we accept women in the pulpit? Do we accept people of color? Do we accept those who are divorced? Do we accept those who are gay? Do we accept those who have had abortions? Do we accept those who are different than us?

I truly believe that both sides of these arguments are acting in good faith and are doing what they feel God is calling them to do. I think the Pharisees were not out to dupe the people, but were trying to lead the people appropriately. But there seems to come a time when the will of God seems to run !smack! into the will of God! So at that point, what are we to do?

History seems to point us in the direction of what NOT to do. In the Gospel reading, Jesus asks the disciples if they wished to go away. In so many words, “Do you believe that I can see you through this? Or do you wish to turn your back on me and follow a new teacher?” Jesus does not want us to just pick up and leave. Jesus wants us to stay with the teaching, no matter how difficult it may seem.

But, we are not just to stand in place, the crowds did not stay in the same place, they moved, they followed. We are to remain in contact with Jesus. We are to remain in prayer and community. We are to gather in groups to learn and to grow. When we turn our backs, we become isolated, we remove ourselves from the work of the Spirit within the corporate body. When we remain - when we stay connected - when we keep the lines of communication open, we grow. It is part of the tradition the Anglican Communion: that we can gather at the table, even though we may not be able to agree on theology. That even though we may not be able to know exactly what God wants of us, we can still come together as a family. This is a very good psychological thing. If you can share a meal together, you are more likely to be able to reach a compromise acceptable to both. But when people turn their backs, the work of Christ peoples’ lives become so much more difficult.

Probably the most difficult part of this teaching is how do we discern what is a correct teaching and what it a false teaching. Not all difficult teachings are right nor are all easy teachings false. And using our feelings on the matter is not necessarily accurate, either. Many were feeling like the words that Jesus was speaking were wrong. But these words, as uncomfortable as they were, were the new message that was being sent to the people. The uncomfortable message was the message that Jesus wanted the people to hear and to follow.

We have dealt with difficult teachings in the past. At one point, women were not allowed to preach. At one time, those who were divorced were not allowed into the pulpit. At each of these times, there was much discord and people declaring the demise of the church. But you know what? We are still here!

There will always be changes. Even something we hold as dear as the church will have changes. Even our interpretations of the Bible may change. But we are not to turn our back on the community. We are not to turn our backs on those who disagree with us. Christ calls us to keep our faith in him and to not turn our back. Christ calls us to hold fast to our faith, even though we may not understand what is happening. But as long as we remain faithful, and as long as we keep working to understand, as long as we remain engaged, we can trust that Christ will be there.