September 22, 2024 Mark 9: 30-37
The Greatest
When I was a kid Mohammed Ali was the heavyweight champion of boxing. I didn’t like him because I thought he was so arrogant. ‘I am the greatest’ was his trademark. I loved it when Joe Frazier beat him, but it didn’t seem to bring him down even a notch. Baseball was the game of choice for most kids back then and our coaches wouldn’t tolerate showboaters or players who were in it for themselves. There’s no “I” in team was often heard. Fast forward to todays sports and it seems everyone’s a Mohammed Ali. In fact Ali would be a toned down version of today’s athletes. The more showboating the better. Even the coaches get into the act. I still don’t like it, call me old school. Our son who is a huge sports fan says its good for the game, its entertainment he says, and the more innovative and over the top, the better in his mind.
Today’s reading shows the disciples treading the waters of self absorption as they argue about who is the greatest. Jesus makes it very clear that there is no room for this attitude in the kingdom of God. I don’t want to get carried away with old stories about my seminary days (I realize I’ve shared a couple with you all), but this one seems especially appropriate. Let me set this up first by saying this. I don’t think it’s right that somebody chooses their own nickname. I mean, a lot of nicknames aren’t exactly the coolest monikers so some people might want to head it off by choosing their own. So they might want to be “jet” or “champ” or “beast.” Otherwise they could end up with “stinky” or “peewee” or “potsie.” There was a guy in seminary who wanted to be called “bishop.” When our professor took roll call he would read the list of names to which most people replied, “Present, or Here.” This guy said, “call me Bishop.” You see, he saw himself as becoming a bishop one day. He wore a clergy collar to school every day (he was the only one who did this). One day professor Nelson took roll and the guy says, “It’s Bishop,” to which the prof replied, “Call me Cardinal.” Everybody roared!
In the age of self absorption, rugged individualism, egocentric thinking and actions here we have a scripture verse that cuts to the core of how we place ourselves in the kingdom of God. If you recall last week I mentioned John 15, the vine and the branches. This imagery, I think, is the most powerful image of the church that we find in the scriptures. That’s because when you stand at a distance you can’t determine where one branch ends and another begins. You can’t readily identify which branch the grape clusters are attached to. The point of that imagery is that in the church you shouldn’t be able to clearly identify which branch (or person) holds onto the fruit. But also, there is the work of another branch which bears the leaves that protects the grapes from being exposed to too much sun. It’s this symbiotic relationship that teaches us what the church should look like, and that there isn’t really a greatest, but rather, we are equal parts working for the sake of the vine, Jesus. As Paul wrote in Galatians 3:28, “Gentile or Jew, servant or free, woman or man, we are all one in Christ.”
The problem in today’s reading involves the disciples arguing amongst themselves about who is the greatest, or who Jesus likes best, or who has been the hardest worker. We’re primarily talking about fishermen here. I imagine there was a sense of competition in their work, just like any other. Who knew the best place to drop the nets, who could repair a net the quickest, who can pilot the boat best in a storm, who could filet a fish and leave no bones….This rivalry doesn’t appear to let up despite Jesus’ teachings. The gospel of John names the disciple whom Jesus loved, namely himself- John. “Jesus always did like me best!” Ah, no John, Jesus loved everybody.
In order to make his point Jesus turns to a child who is in the room. Now children in Jewish culture were precious, they were considered to be a blessing from God. But as children they had no standing in society, they are on an equal footing with a slave. Not until their coming of age, their bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah did they have any form of status.
What would make this have an even greater impact would have been if this child was an orphan who has no chance whatsoever of inheriting the fathers property.
Jesus is telling them that unless you put this child ahead of you, you cannot be the greatest. This takes on greater significance when you think about a child’s social status on par with a slave. Unless you live your life serving others, you will not be great. Certainly Jesus lived his life this way, becoming a servant to the lowly and outcast. By his very actions Jesus places the child ahead of him in assuming this status among his disciples. The strongest example of this is of course when Jesus washes their feet.
Who are these little ones in the world today? Who would be as children to us as the church and what can we do to serve them? A better question might be, what can children teach us about the love of Jesus? I listen to the preschool children when they are playing outside. They are having so much fun, their play is exciting to them, or simply being outside is fun and exciting. When I’ve looked carefully there is an interesting dynamic taking place. They share, they take turns, they find joy in the simplest of things, as displayed by their cries of laughter. Can you imagine if our world looked like that? In a world that is filled with so much pain, hunger, and death- there is hope in that playground. Now who would we say is the greatest?
Did Jesus choose a child in his example to humiliate the disciples? I don’t think so. Did he sit that child on his knee to show them that they need to be like this child? No. The example of a servant isn’t the child, it’s Jesus. People came to Jesus about their children’s illnesses, their diseases. And he heals them. He shows compassion upon them. They’re not his children, why should he feel any responsibility for them, that’s the parents job. How often does this mentality prevail when it comes to a school levy? We should want nothing but the best for our communities children. I went through a stretch of 10 years across 3 different communities when not a single school bond was approved.
People didn’t seem to care about an asbestos laden middle school or an elementary school without a decent operating heating system.
I digress- Jesus is showing this level of servanthood as a model of mission because his followers will soon be moving beyond the children of Israel and into the Gentile world. They are being sent to care for the lost sheep in the world, and in most cases, to people who are not like them. This is what it takes to be great wouldn’t you agree? Getting out of our comfort zone, going to foreign places, surrounding yourself with strangers. Unfortunately, it’s not going to come with fanfare, or prestige or awards. Quite the opposite really. The early apostles, in many cases, met a fate of violent death. But they were willing because they knew that God would restore their life, they would be in heaven with all of God’s children.
That’s a great image, we are all God’s children. Could Jesus have set me in his lap to teach the disciples this lesson? Essentially Jesus is going to serve me? That’s really humbling. But that’s exactly what he did for all of us isn’t it. Jesus came to serve us all, to wash our feet, to set a feast before us, to sacrifice his life so that we might live. In light of that, none of us have any right to even consider that we are the greatest. We simply are not, we’re flawed, sinful human beings. Even Mohammed Ali, even the “bishop.” Even you and me. But thanks be to God that instead of great, we are forgiven and free. Amen.
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September 1, 2024 Song of Solomon 2: 8-14
A Song of Love
I’ve preached on this text maybe once or twice in my career but as I contemplated these verses over the last couple of weeks, I think I missed the boat when it comes to using Song of Solomon to talk about God’s love. On the surface this book seems to be a celebration of the love between a man and a woman. What I’ve overlooked every 3 years when this passage comes up in the lectionary is that marriage is likely the strongest earthly example of God’s love for us. We acknowledge this in a marriage ceremony using the UM liturgy. Here’s the opening words of a service of Christian marriage- “The covenant of marriage was established by God, who created us male and female for each other. With his presence and power Jesus graced a wedding at Cana of Galilee, and in his sacrificial love gave us the example fo the love of husband and wife.”
Now if you’ve read this book you know that the content on the surface reads like the intimate relationship between two lovers. How did this kind of content make its way in the canon of scripture? Talking about our intimate relationships in a public forum can cause many to squirm. When I went to the Veneta church I quickly discovered that they wouldn’t pass the microphone around during prayer time. They were pretty up front about why they didn’t put a microphone in just anyones hands. It seems there was a woman in the church who loved to share her prayers in lengthy detail. In their 70’s she and her husband took a dream trip to Hawaii. She unashamedly shared that on that vacation they revitalized their love life and for the congregation her prayer request created an awkwardness by sharing too much vivid detail (and I’m gonna leave it right there). That was the day the microphone stopped being passed around. OK I get it.
But the fact remains that the intimacy and spiritual relationship between a couple is a height of love that helps us to understand how deeply God loves us. Not in a physical way of course, but in a way that touches our souls. So how did this song of love make its way to scripture status?
Back in the day there was much debate about this writing. Along came the commentator Rabbi Akiba who said that if the writings of scripture are holy, the song of songs is the holy of holies. The earliest Christians felt just as strongly about it. Origen wrote a 10 volume commentary on the book. In the middle ages there were more things written about this book than any other in the bible! Bernard of Clairvoux in the 12th century wrote 82 sermons on the Song of Solomon without going past chapter 2! These writers focused on the book being about the relationship between God and Israel or Christ and the church. Today, most scholars focus on the intimate relationship between two lovers.
Either point of view can teach us something about relationships and love. My take on the poem is that the two lovers are young, recently gaining the attention of one another. Remember the courting stages when you would do things like write love notes, poems, songs, and create special moments to share with new found love? One of the interesting things about this writing is that it features the womans voice as the primary (maybe the woman is better at poetry than the man?). Anyway when it comes to love and relationship there is an equity seen here that isn’t so prevalent in other parts of the bible. Consider the story of Adam and Eve when they are kicked out of the garden paradise. God tells her that, “her desire will be for her husband and he will rule over you.” This book sets up what will be a new way of looking at relationships but also places women in a different light than the Genesis statement that Jesus will reinforce. Jesus includes women in his ministry much to the irritation of the religious leaders and even his disciples. Indeed, it is a woman who becomes the first evangelist to the Samaritans, it is women who are the first witnesses and the first to testify the risen Christ! I’m wondering if this is the position thought of by Rabbi Akiba, that the nature of the couples relationship is equitable and by that model is truly holy of holies.
At the very least the imagery of this poem seem to be creating a garden paradise where this love will be lived out. The flowers are blooming, the turtledoves sing, the fig tree is in bloom and the grape vines have blossoms. All the sounds and smells- things are beautiful. It sounds idyllic doesn’t it.
Another thing about this poem is the display of faithful love by the couple. In a day when the emphasis on men and womens bodies revolve around sex and sex appeal; in a time when our culture seems to crave the purely sexual part of a relationship. This moves us to the place where people only desire sex and not commitment, that there’s no interest in living in a committed relationship. God’s design for love is different. Love should be in it for the long haul. Isn’t it nice to have a story that paints itself with poetic brushstrokes of desire, devotion, and perhaps most importantly fidelity? We should use this passage more often as a solid reminder!
These thoughts translate into explaining the metaphor as well- that the relationship with God is not meant to be fleeting, a one night stand, on again/off again kind of a thing. God not only desires but blesses our fidelity. Jesus too shows us an amazing amount of devotion- to the degree that he will sacrifice himself so that we can live. No greater love is this that this man lays down his life so that we might live. The passion that is expressed in these verses is an ideal scenario for God and God’s people. The love God has for Israel is so great that it inspires the beloved (which is Israel) to express their passion for God. From Rabbi Akiba’s perspective who was definitely living in a post destruction of the temple era, is that even without the building Israel can find God through their prayers and worship. The holy of holies that is the inner sanctum of the temple, is now found in the passionate devotion to God if they only serve and believe.
Another point of view that this passage might teach us is that our love for God can and should perhaps be voiced creatively and with passion. Do we sing our hymns with passion or do we just mumble the verses? Do we sing out with fervent praise or do we simply mouth the words?
The woman speaking in the passage speaks with clear passion. Passion towards her lover and with imaginative and vivid images of what their love looks like. We can do the same. It’s kind of sad we who once were challenged to write poetry, or do engage in some form of creative writing back when we were in school. But somewhere along the way, most of us leave that kind of thing behind.
Maybe we think its childish or silly. What would your love letter to God look like? Certainly we all have thoughts about what God means to us. Can you find a way to tell Him? I’d like to share a song with you this morning. It’s a song about how much God loves us- cares for us even more than He cares for the birds.
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August 18, 2024 1 Kings 2: 10-12, 3: 3-14
The Wise Choice
Today we hear the very familiar story of God saying to Solomon, “Ask what I should give you.” Can you imagine being asked that? Have you ever thought about how you would respond? Here’s a man (boy really) who’s going to become the ruler of the great nation of Israel. There’s a lot of power involved in becoming king. What is the likely thing one would say? To gain riches and honor? That’s what God gave him anyway after he asked for wisdom. At any rate, today we talk about wisdom and by some misfortunate occurrence you have me to talk about it. I will do my best.
We live in a world today where the gift of wisdom appears to be short supply. One can look at people in all facets of life (business, politics, drivers, lottery winners, young people, old fools and it sure seems that when wisdom was handed out, they (and admittedly we) somehow missed the memo. Those in business and politics seem to have forgone the wisdom and moved straight towards riches and honor. I’m not going to pretend that I haven’t made foolish decisions in life, we all have. But with God’s guidance, I think I’m headed in the right direction.
Solomon started out with the right kind of thinking. He knew his father was a great king. He knew that the reputation of Israel was built on David’s leadership, faith, and wisdom. Had David made foolish decisions in his life? Absolutely! But in the end, he was faithful to God and he listened to priests and prophets. Solomon also acknowledges his youth and inexperience- that he’s gonna need some divine help and intervention. It kinda seems as if he was wise about things before he even asked God for wisdom! There was some inherent wisdom from his parents but now that his father is gone, he sees the opportunity to gain guidance from God.
Isn’t that true that we gain much of our wisdom from the elders in our family? Growing up in Seattle I wasn’t exposed too much in the way of race relations. My neighborhood was white, my school was white, the only time I saw Black folk was when we went to a baseball game (the ballpark was in the redline neighborhood where the Black folks lived). But my mom was intolerant of racist remarks and beliefs. One of my uncles lived in Gary, Indiana. He was one of the most prejudiced people I ever knew, he hated Blacks. They were visiting us and my uncle never held back his feelings on the subject of (fill in blank here with “N” word). My mom kicked him out of our house! All the way from Gary! Dad was in the Korean war and was stationed at Fort Stewart, one of the first integrated military bases in the US. He worked at Boeing and has the distinction of promoting the first Black woman to a crew leader position in the companies history. I have a picture somewhere commemorating the promotion. Now I didn’t know the truth about these two occurrences until I was an adult, but those belief systems were inherent in me at a very young age because of the sharing of wisdom and instruction mostly from my mom.
The wisdom of Solomon is a definitive phrase when it comes to how wise someone can be. Solomon is regarded as the wisest of all people in the bible. “No one like you has been before you, and no one like you shall arise after you.” says God. Therefore the wisdom sayings, the proverbs, are attributed to Solomon. The allegory of “Song of Songs, or Song of Solomon,” is attributed to him. Some of the Psalms are attributed to him as well. Beyond his writings, Solomon was a builder, the great temple in Jerusalem was built under his supervision. He was a military leader and a fair and just ruler. The most famous of his acts of wisdom is the story of the two women who both claim that an infant child belongs to them.
We need these kinds of biblical examples as we approach our day to day living, or when we think about the wisest path for our church. Are we on the right path to do God’s will? What kinds of things can we do to build ourselves up? Are we serving this community in the best possible way? Do we have the right insurance for our buildings? In our day to day lives- are we disseminating information in order to find the best truth? Are we swayed by public opinion, do we make decisions thoughtfully and carefully? Now in my finite wisdom I could break these questions down, but I think the best course of action is to go to the source- Solomon himself. The proverbs or wisdom sayings at just as relevant today as they day they were first uttered. Let’s take a look at a few and I’m going to use Peterson’s, “The Message,” which is a modern paraphrase translation to help us apply them.
Proverbs 7: 1-5 1-5 Dear friend, do what I tell you;
treasure my careful instructions. Do what I say and you’ll live well.
My teaching is as precious as your eyesight—guard it!
Write it out on the back of your hands; etch it on the chambers of your heart. Talk to Wisdom as to a sister. Treat Insight as your companion.
They’ll be with you to fend off the Temptress— that smooth-talking, honey-tongued Seductress.
Wisdom is personified as a woman in many of the proverbs. There are several reasons for this but the most important in my mind is that in the Jewish household it was the mother who was tasked with teaching the children. They taught the Torah, the commitment to memory of Psalms and proverbs. It’s why I think of my mother first when it comes to the wisdom instilled in me. But there is also wisdom that has evil intent- the temptress. It is the worldly wisdom that is counter to where God wants us to be.
Proverbs 27:7 When you’ve stuffed yourself, you refuse dessert;
when you’re starved, you could eat a horse.
When you’re filled with God’s love and wisdom you want for nothing more. When you’re spiritually empty, you will take anything and everything.
Proverbs 12:9 Better to be ordinary and work for a living
than act important and starve in the process.
Be true to yourself, be authentic, live your life as God wants you to don’t pretend to be something you’re not, none of us are perfect or above others.
Proverbs 15-16 Fools are headstrong and do what they like;
wise people take advice. Fools have short fuses and explode all too quickly;
the prudent quietly shrug off insults.
Don’t be easily offended, don’t fly off at the handle. Hold your tongue and think before your speak. Listen to what others are saying and consider their wisdom, but if they speak foolishly don’t go down to their level.
Proverbs 25:15 Patient persistence pierces through indifference;
gentle speech breaks down rigid defenses.
Be careful in your conversations when others don’t care about your opinion, or of what you say. Good advice for navigating social media where people are emboldened with their words. Respond with gentleness and kindness. Good advice with our day to day interactions at the store, on the street, with neighbors.
Proverbs 26: 18-19 People who shrug off deliberate deceptions,
saying, “I didn’t mean it, I was only joking,” Are worse than careless campers who walk away from smoldering campfires.
I liked this one because we went on a quick camp trip Friday. The fools who say things to hurt others but then shrug it off are inconsiderate and bullies. Hurtful words can sometimes spread out beyond a single person that it is intended to harm and affect an entire community. The kind of people who leave a campsite dirty and with a still burning campfire. We know too well what consequences this can sometimes cause.
Wisdom didn’t disappear with Solomon. Jesus showed us heavenly wisdom that was offered in plain, simple, everyday examples- the natural world around him, farming practices, construction principles, food related matters, and many more ways to get his message across. Some say the parables are confusing, but with our own wisdom and discernment we can figure out how it affects our own understanding. Here’s a challenge for us all- read a parable a day and ponder its meaning for your life. Apply the wisdom of Solomon to yourself and you can apply that wisdom for the world.
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August 11, 2024 John 6: 35, 41-51
Humanity and Divinity
Things change every now and then. When I titled this message a couple of weeks ago it made sense to me, given the text for today. But here’s fair warning- what I’ve come up with to share is more about bread than it is humanity and divinity (although I think you will find a connection here thanks to the inspiration of the Spirit). So I’ve retitled this, “Bread for the World”.
We came across all kinds of bread in our European travel. In some cases the favorite bread of a country is unique to it, in other cases (like with the Croissant), they are universal wherever you go. In Spain there were Empanada’s, the sweet or savory hand pies. They also had pan con tomate (bread with tomato sauce), a way to salvage day old bread. Then we went to Germany and there we found- pretzels of course and pumpernickel. We didn’t have an English muffin while in London but we did have soda bread with our breakfast which was a dry, flavorless white bread. It was a good vehicle to soak up the poached eggs and beans which are part of an English traditional breakfast. In Edinburgh there were breakfast baps. A bap is like a hamburger bun, and they were quite popular. There are highland breads which we did not try like a bannock or more coastal fare like a butterie. Baps were where its at. In Belfast you got two kinds of bread in a traditional breakfast- soda bread and potato bread. The potato bread was bland and very chewy. Finally we experienced Ireland which also had potato bread but Jack had boxty, a potato pancake. My scrambled eggs came with sourdough. In other parts of the world there are tortilla’s and of course pizza crust. Pizza is really popular in Europe and every time we had it the pizza was wood fired- really, really good!
Jesus says “he is the bread of life.” I thought about that a lot as we enjoyed the different foods in all of the countries we visited. The types of national foods varied (we had paella, schnitzel, fish and chips, haggis (well, not me), bangers, and shepherds pie- but there was always some form of bread. The critics of Jesus always seem to go for the literal in these kinds of exchanges- which is strange because a learned Pharisee certainly knows the biblical use of allegory and metaphor. In so many places it plainly reads, “and this is LIKE.” “The kingdom of God is like a banquet, faith is like a mustard seed, God is like the vinedresser…” Jesus says I am the bread of life.
One time at seminary it was communion day at chapel. Every week a different group would be responsible for presiding over the Holy Communion. The group that day came up with the idea that they would use pizza crust and grape knee-hi for the elements. They had everything placed on the altar and they proceeded to consecrate the elements. This was done amidst a chorus of giggles and guffaws. The preaching professor walked out in disgust and the look of panic struck the group in charge (he was also in charge of the chapel services). You could have heard a pin drop going into preaching class that afternoon. All he said was this, “I had no problem with the type of bread or the type of grape juice chosen. What I did have a problem with was the laughing and giggling in a solemn moment.” Lesson learned- Christ will be present no matter what the types of bread or juice or wine, it’s the attitude of the holy moment. This bread or that doesn’t matter.
The eucharist is a time when the human meets the divine. Jesus took two normal elements of the passover meal- bread and wine; and he made them holy. He made the moment holy. In that moment of institution the eucharist was born. It wasn’t the passover, it was different. Jesus commanded that we do this to remember him and the sacrifice he made. It should be a moment when our humanness, our brokenness meets the spirit of God. Through the divine mystery, we are renewed, transformed, made whole, and filled with grace and love. In communion we take in that which is a product of human hands but becomes divine, we take in the spirit of Christ.
Here’s another perspective that I gained in my trip. In art Jesus is typically displayed in two ways. As an infant and on the cross. In old Europe the skyline is dotted with Catholic cathedrals. And so you see Christ on the cross everywhere. You see the holy mother with the baby Jesus everywhere. Jesus symbolizes purity and sacrifice in those images. That shouldn’t be lost on us non Catholics,
The pharisees were confused and lost when Jesus said he was the bread of life. It’s because they couldn’t accept his divinity. He wasn’t bread- like a slice or loaf, pizza crust or a bap- he’s the spiritual sustenance that we all need, the bread of life. Spiritual nourishment. Just like at the well he declared that he was spiritual (living) water, water that if we drink of him, we will never thirst again. I feel the same way about the bread, if we take in the bread that is our spiritual nourishment we will not be hungry.
Manna is mentioned in this reading today. This shouldn’t be lost on us non Jews either. The very word, manna means “what is it? The Hebrews asked Moses that simple question to which he replied, “It is the bread given to you that the Lord has provided.” This manna sustained them through the wilderness. It also shows that God was with them through all that time (something that the wandering Jews seemed to often forget). In the petition from the Lord’s prayer, we ask for daily bread. The rule of gathering the manna was that they were allowed to only gather what they need for that day, their daily bread. Jesus is sometimes referred to as manna. Does this mean that we only take enough of Jesus to sustain us for a day? I think so. We don’t put it up in silo’s or barns, we seek it for today and accordingly we live for today. Sure, we can have plans for tomorrow but things change and our best laid plans may not work out. I think that’s a pretty good rule- to seek the bread of life daily and then just see where that leads us.
When we traveled around Europe we didn’t have a set itinerary. There were things we wanted to see, but we wound up seeing different things. We didn’t plan on the Picasso museum, or Buckingham palace. We wanted to go on the London eye, a giant ferris wheel, but the line was over an hour long. We looked ahead at restaurants with favorable ratings and fare but typically wound up at whatever we happened to pass by. We learned to not be afraid of the detours that time, the weather, or crowds put us on. It made for a trip without expectations, but it turned out to be rewarding and fun.
And so it can go with our day to day lives. Find Christ in what you do. Search for the revealing of the divine in your day. A sunrise, a nudge from the Spirit, an answer to prayer, kind words from a friend or maybe a stranger. These are things that can make your day more holy. Because Christ came to be bread for the world. Include Christ every time you break bread and make sure you share bread with others.