Yearning

Isaiah 26:1-9 (NRSV) On that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; he sets up victory like walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, so that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace - in peace because they trust in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for in the Lord GOD you have an everlasting rock. For he has brought low the inhabitants of the height; the lofty city he lays low. He lays it low to the ground, casts it to the dust. The foot tramples it, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy. The way of the righteous is level; O Just One, you make smooth the path of the righteous. In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and your renown  are the soul's desire. My soul yearns for you in the night, my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.  "Yearn" is one of those words we just don't use much anymore, but boy, is it a good one.  There's a lot of power in that word.   God as our soul's desire…yearning for God in the middle of the night.  That's something a lot stronger than worshiping God on a Sunday or even following God's laws the rest of the week.  To yearn for someone, or desire someone, really puts them first and center in your life, doesn't it? One of my professors, Dr. Wengert, related our relationship of faith in God to falling in love.  Lutherans get a lot of jest from other denominations about our reliance on "justification by faith alone."  Come on, some say, that sure gives you ample opportunity for cheap grace.   But if our life of faith is falling in love with God, then we yearn for God.  We don't seek to sin knowing we can fall back on forgiveness.  When you love someone, you don't seek to hurt them. You yearn for them.  You desire them. Yearn and desire are words that I think we associate more with romantic love than the kind of "agape" love of God and neighbor.  But it seems agape love is meant to have the same kind of power and passion that romantic love does.  Maybe the love we bear for God and our neighbor has something to learn from the blush of first romantic love. How would that passion change how we worship God on a Sunday and all through the week?  How can yearning and desiring God play out in our worship and in our lives? God of power and passion, thank you for the ardent love you bear us and help us to bear such passionate love for you and for your people as well.  Amen.

Self-Deception

John, Apostle and Evangelist
1 John 1:1 - 2:2 (NRSV)

We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life - this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us - we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 

These words have come off my lips so often on Sunday mornings in church, that I often think I may take them for granted.  "If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  It's been a while since I've used these particular words in worship, so when I read them now, it is maybe with fresh eyes.

How often is the truth in me?  I think there must be multiple times a day where I say something defensive to get out of feeling guilty or wrong for something I've done.  Often the person I'm not being honest with isn't someone else - it's me.

It's a hard thing to live with when you deceive yourself.  The truth tends to eek out in other ways, sometimes in conscious ways, and sometimes in unconscious ways.  One of the reasons I've long been interested in the 12 Step program of AA and other addition recovery groups is the grounding in the truth -  and the importance of repeating the truth over and over - until it sinks in.  Beginning each day by admitting you are powerless - whether it is over alcohol, drugs, lying, anger, selfishness, or sin, is a good way to start things.  It is a confession that "cleanses us from all unrighteousness."

Living in truth can be hard when we've become too comfortable with self-deception.  But living with truth is freeing.  It frees us not simply from our sins, but also frees us to be something new.  The new creation God intends for us.  The light comes in and banishes the darkness of the lie.

It frees us to have fellowship with one another so that our joy may be complete.

***

Forgiving God, I admit I am powerless over my need to be right, my need to be in control and my need to escape from the hollowness of my guilt.  Only you can restore me to the truth.  Restore me.  Heal me.  Renew me.  Write the truth on my heart and let it sing out.  Amen.

Witness

Stephen, Deacon and Martyr  Acts 6:8-7:2, 51-60 (NRSV) Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated some men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. They set up false witnesses who said, "This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us." And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. Then the high priest asked him, "Are these things so?" And Stephen replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers. You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it." When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Look, he said, "I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he died.  The first martyr.  The word comes from the Greek for "witness."  And really, is there anything more powerful in a witness's testimony than dying for the truth? The first witnesses to Jesus' life were the shepherds - who Luke tells us "made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them."  And we wonder what happened then. Jesus was an early witness to his life himself in his home town of Nazareth and it didn't go so well.  The town-folks wanted to send him off a cliff. After the resurrection, and right before the ascension, Jesus made his disciples apostles and told them to be witnesses (and teachers and baptizers) and to make disciples of all nations.   And one of those was Stephen: who witnessed to the truth and for his efforts was stoned to death. We expect witnesses to tell the truth ("the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help us God"), but it occurs to me that we don't often want to hear it.  It's hard not to quote Jack Nicholson here from "A Few Good Men" with "we can't handle the truth." The truth is what has been given us.  It's been charged to us, proclaimed to us, promised to us.  It's been written on our hearts and we've been directed to witness to it.  But witnessing to the truth takes an awful lot of risk, doesn't it?  Especially when we haven't come to terms with it ourselves or when we know we are living in a world that often doesn't want to hear it.  I think of all the push back that Pope Francis is getting as he tries to remind the church of the gospel. Most of us won't actually be stoned to death for telling the truth.  But sometimes the risk feels that great when we think we won't be heard or when we aren't really sure we trust the truth enough ourselves. Yet we are reminded again and again of that truth.  God has written it on our hearts.  God has promised to be faithful and God keeps promises.  The truth might be risky.  But it remains something we can depend on even when it feels scary to speak it out loud ourselves. *** Faithful God, help us to always trust in the truth of your love.  Help us to overcome fear to witness to that truth and proclaim your mercy and grace. Thank you also for witnesses like Stephen who do not fear and hold onto the truth even to death.  Amen.

The Meaning of Christmas

Luke 2:8-20 (NRSV)

8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah,^* the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,^* praising God and saying, 
¹⁴ ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’^*

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ ¹⁶So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

A very Merry Christmas to all.

A brief break from devotion writing to let someone else do the talking for me.  Probably still one of the best speeches on the meaning of Christmas ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn10FF-FQfs

God bless you, everyone!

Prince of Peace

Isaiah 9:2-7 (NRSV)

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

It’s almost impossible for me to read this text from Isaiah without hearing Handel’s Messiah in my head.  Scene 3 of Part 1 of the Messiah concludes with the beautiful “For unto us a Child is Born.”  These words from the prophet Isaiah have become as much as part of the Christmas story as have the birth narratives from Matthew and Luke.  That the prophecy had other implications for the Jewish people living in Judah at Isaiah’s time, does not detract from the living, breathing truth that the words hold for us at Christmas time.

At Jesus’ birth, the Jewish people were still looking for a Prince of Peace: one who would bring them out of the oppression of the Roman occupation.

We still yearn for peace today.  I have no doubt that despite the ravages of war that still hold our planet hostage, that most world leaders don’t enter into war lightly.  Most, but sadly, not all.

But on this side of the cross we know that our Prince of Peace has come.  The tramping boots of war and garments rolled in blood are not anymore God’s dream for this world now than they were in Isaiah’s time.  Peace is the way God has chosen for us.  Peace for all time both now and not yet.

Isaiah’s words ring out as a reminder that God’s justice and righteousness have come.  They come in the form of as innocent and peaceful a creature as can be: a newborn baby.  The light comes into the world so that we can see God’s vision for us. 

May this Christmas be one of peace and joy for you!

Come Lord Jesus!

***

Jesus meek and mild, come.  Bring peace in your wake and help us to spread that peace to all that we encounter. Amen

Unexpected Jesus

Luke 1:46 (NRSV)

And Mary said,
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever." 

A lot has been said about this beautiful poem spoken by Mary in response to the amazing thing happening to her.  It has been called radical, a protest song, a song of liberation.  And I think it is those things.  Mary speaks these words to Elizabeth - her cousin and also future mother to be. A woman also blessed with an unlikely pregnancy of a special child. Mary says these words in the context of being a women who will bear God's child in a time when her people are put down and in need of liberation.  It is likely that Mary, as well as the people who will follow her son in the future, sees the liberation that will happen as something very different than what would unfold.  Freedom from tyranny (or anything else really) normally in our minds comes across looking like a zero sum game: the losers get to win, and the winners get to lose.

I don't dismiss then the ideas born out of this song that God does have a heart for the poor and the lowly and the downtrodden.  I affirm God's desire for us to have a heart for the poor and the lowly and the downtrodden as well.

But Mary will likely be surprised with how God's mercy for his servant Israel will unfold.  From the moment her child will be born in the stable, it will be clear that with Jesus, nothing goes as expected.

So as we move to Christmas this week, with apologies to Charles Wesley the great hymn-writer, I would say that rather than singing "Come thou Long Expected Jesus," perhaps we should be singing "Come thou UN-expected Jesus."  

Jesus will shock and surprise us.  He will do the unexpected, love the unlikely, and will not act in the ways his followers want him to.  He will not always act in the ways we want him to.

He won't be held to a standard set by us, or even on set by his adoring, pondering mother.  He will set the captives free and lift the lowly and scatter the proud to be sure, but not in ways we would ever imagine.

And even as we await the incarnational mystery of Christmas, we look ahead to the cross where freedom will be found in the most unexpected place of all.

***

Come Lord Jesus.  Surprise us!  Amen.

Blue Christmas

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 (NRSV) Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might, and come to save us! Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved. O Lord GOD of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers? You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure. You make us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh among themselves. Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved. But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself. Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name. Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.  How long? If there is a question for advent, perhaps this is it.  How long must we wait?  How long can we wait?  Whenever we are in the midst of crisis or suffering or depression, doesn't this seem to be the first thing we want the answer to?  How long will this go on? Sometimes we feel as if we can't wait.  We are "drinking our tears in full measure" until we think we must surely dry out from all the crying. Advent has been in the past a time of painful waiting for me.  About ten years ago right before Christmas, I had a miscarriage.  It was the worst Christmas season of my life.  The holiday music and lights seemed to taunt me.  Words and ideas like "scorn" and "enemies laughing" seemed to be the ones that I could identify with.  How long, I asked God, are you going to make me wait to be happy again? Christmas time is often a time of great sadness for many people.  This year I saw that in our area several churches are offering "Blue Christmas" services.  These services are for people who are suffering this time of tear; people for whom Christmas is not a time of joy.  If that person is you this year, I encourage you to look for a service in your area.  For those in Southeastern Pennsylvania, here is a listing of some of those services.  Some have already passed, but there are three more left: http://ministrylink.org/article/congregations-list-blue-christmas-services/ What is it we are waiting for during the long dark nights of advent?  Restoration says the psalmist.  Restoration.   The place of sorrow, sadness, suffering…the place of waiting: those aren't the places we are meant to stay.  They are the valleys we will go through, but as Christmas comes we wait for restoration.  We wait to be brought into right relationship and wholeness.  We wait for a Messiah who comes in love to heal and draw us closer to God.  We wait for our tears to be dried and the light to come into our life. Come Lord Jesus.  Restore us. *** Lord Jesus come.  Come into this dark and often frightening world and be the light for our lives.  A light that shines out so that we can see others in truth and life. Restore us as your people and restore us to right relationship with you and this world.  Amen.

One

Galatians 3:23-29 (NRSV)

Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise. 

I think we need to hear this text over and over again.  Maybe we should start with it each day: "there is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female; for we are all one in Christ Jesus."

Remember that song, "One is the Loneliest Number?"  I often feel as if that's the "one" we think Paul is talking about here, rather than the "One" of U2's song: "We're one, but we're not the same.  We get to carry each other, carry each other."

One doesn't make us the same, but it makes us connected though our baptism in the body of Christ.  I makes us stand side by side equally before the throne of grace.  That means both you as well as the lady who sits two rows behind you in the service and annoys the heck out of you because of her gossiping.  It means me and the new visitor who is looking for a church home but sat in my pew.  It means us and the harried mom and dad with three kids who laugh and act out throughout the service making it hard to pay attention.  It means you and the young man struggling with his sexual identity and afraid to come out at church.  It means me and the Hispanic migrant workers who have moved into the area and are looking for a church home.  It means us when we have gotten into an argument, said hurtful things to each other and written each other off as the wrong kind of Christian.

Christ came into the world reminding us of that connection.  He came into the world poor.  He came into the world where outcasts and aliens and animals were his first worshipers.  As he grew he connected people from every strata of life.

I'm not going to stand on a soapbox and say it's easy.  "Carrying each other" hasn't always been my strong suit.  But what if we remember that we are first carried so that we are able to carry each other?  What if we remember that we are all heirs to that promise?

What if we remember that we don't have to like each other.  We simply have to love each other.  And love here is a verb, not a feeling or emotion.  A verb like "carry."

Loving God, carry us in your arms when we falter and fail.  Lift us up to remind us of the strength you give us: strength to love our neighbor and strength to see that our neighbor is not always who we wish it would be but it is possible to love them anyway.  Amen.

Do Not Be Afraid

Zechariah 8:1-17 (NRSV)

The word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying: Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. Thus says the LORD: I will return to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts shall be called the holy mountain. Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of their great age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. Thus says the LORD of hosts: Even though it seems impossible to the remnant of this people in these days, should it also seem impossible to me, says the LORD of hosts? Thus says the LORD of hosts: I will save my people from the east country and from the west country; and I will bring them to live in Jerusalem. They shall be my people and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.

Thus says the LORD of hosts: Let your hands be strong - you that have recently been hearing these words from the mouths of the prophets who were present when the foundation was laid for the rebuilding of the temple, the house of the LORD of hosts. For before those days there were no wages for people or for animals, nor was there any safety from the foe for those who went out or came in, and I set them all against one other. But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, says the LORD of hosts. For there shall be a sowing of peace; the vine shall yield its fruit, the ground shall give its produce, and the skies shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. Just as you have been a cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you and you shall be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong.

For thus says the LORD of hosts: Just as I purposed to bring disaster upon you, when your ancestors provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the LORD of hosts, so again I have purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; do not be afraid. These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another, render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace, do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath; for all these are things that I hate, says the LORD. 

There are four little words that almost always let you know good news is coming in scripture (or two little words if you are reading the King James):  "Do not be afraid." ("Fear not" in the KJV).  More than anything else God tells us, it is this: "Do not be afraid."

Seems easy enough since we all like good news, but finding the courage within isn't always that easy, is it?  Courage to move back home after exile and rebuild everything again; Courage to choose a way of peace rather than war; Courage to face a bully; courage to pass on that offered drink if you are an alcoholic; courage to send your child off to school for the first time; courage to ask for a raise; courage to admit your faith in God in the midst of a skeptical room; courage to change your spending habits to when you realize workers are being exploited in the making of products you've been buying; courage to leave a toxic or abusive relationship; courage to not enable someone who is fighting addiction…

Courage to say to God:  "I am broken.  Heal me," especially when aren't really sure what happens or how your life will change if you are healed.

The first words of the angels to the shepherds at Jesus' birth was "Do not be afraid," and Jesus used those words in his ministry all the time.  They say that the opposite of love is not hate, but rather is fear.  So what would happen to all the hatred and bitterness in the world if we took Jesus seriously when he said "Do not be afraid?"

We would be taking what the philosopher Soren Kierkegaard called a "leap to faith" (which we have over the years changed to "leap of faith.')  And faith is what its all about, isn't it?

Christmas is coming with the angels poised to remind us, along with the shepherds, not to be afraid.  Jesus is coming to take our fear and turn it into love.

The good news is coming. So, do not be afraid…

Holy one, be with us and give us courage: courage to live and love as you intend.  Courage to hear your call and follow you always.  Amen.