“Turning the World Right-Side Up”

Micah 6:1-8

January 29, 2023

Rev. Deborah Beloved Church

White Rock Presbyterian Church

He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?

(Micah 6:8, NRSV)

“What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?”

As I thought about this morning’s sermon, I considered just repeating that verse–  maybe a few times–and calling it good. Letting Micah preach the sermon today. Because that’s it in a nutshell. Right?? 

What does God require of us as God’s people? To do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God. 

And by the way, the Hebrew verb, “darash,” translated as “require” in that verse, doesn’t mean “demand” or “insist on,” like we sometimes understand “require,” but rather it means “seek,” or “yearn for,” or “need”–like a child requires their mother’s love…or a flower requires sunshine and rain…

And so, in asking, What does God require of us as God’s people? Micah is raising the question, What does God seek from us who are God’s people? What does God yearn for from us who are in relationship with God? What does God need from us as intimate partners with God in this world, where God longs for healing and wholeness and the creation of God’s beloved community? 

What does God require of us as God’s own people? To do justice, to love kindness, to walk humbly with our God. 

Simple. Straightforward. And short! 

I wish I could let that be my sermon and sit down. Maybe some of you wish that, too… 🙂 

But I can’t. Or at least, I’m not going to. 

Because yes, it’s short, and straightforward, and simple. 

But it’s not easy.

It’s not easy to do those things. 

It is so far from easy. 

And it’s so important.

And it’s so needed!

And I’m tempted to say that it’s so needed especially now, in these days when it seems like injustice, and unkindness, and arrogance are more the norm… But honestly, I don’t know if these days are any different from times past with regard to those things… 

I think we’d like to believe that there’s somehow less injustice, less unkindness, less arrogance now than there’s been in times past. I think we’d like to believe that we humans have evolved and are living in times of greater justice and more widespread kindness and deeper humility…

Maybe that’s true. Maybe it isn’t.

Whatever the reality of all of that relative to times past and even times to come, it seems to me that what matters is that we are here, now, in these days. And if we want to do something about any of that, if we want to do something about any of that…(do we??)  these days are all we have.

But before we jump in and try to do something about any of that, I think we have to be willing to talk about all of it. To talk about doing justice and what that means. To talk about loving kindness and what that looks like. To talk about walking humbly with our God and what that is.

For many of us, I think, just talking about all of that can be where the “not-easy” starts… And, I think we have to do it anyway. 

It’s too important and too needed not to. 

Not to mention, for us who are people of faith, it’s a huge part of what our faith is about!  All of that!

As people who claim to follow Jesus, I think we have to be willing to talk about what it means to do justice and love kindness and walk humbly with our God…in full recognition that it’s not easy. 

I want to consider for just a minute why that is–Why is it so hard to talk about doing justice and loving kindness and walking humbly with our God? 

I think it’s hard because in order to talk about doing justice, we have to be willing to acknowledge and talk about the realities of injustice…and we have to be willing to consider our participation in those realities, both individually and communally…

And that’s not easy.

I think it’s hard because in order to talk about loving kindness, we have to be willing to recognize and talk about the prevalence of unkindness…and we have to be willing to recognize our thoughts and actions that have been unkind, both as individuals and as a society…

And that’s not easy.

I think it’s hard because in order to talk about walking humbly with our God, we have to be willing to acknowledge and name and talk about arrogance…and we have to be willing to see those tendencies not only in others but also within ourselves and our practices and our institutions…

And that’s not easy.

And, all of that is so important. And so desperately needed in these days. 

“What does the Lord require of you” declared Micah, “but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?”

That was declared by Micah, but it was lived by Jesus. Fully. Unwaveringly. Unhesitatingly. Well, there was that one occasion of hesitation…but other than that…Jesus fulfilled those requirements of God’s in his words, and in his actions, in what he taught, and in how he prayed, in whom he healed, and by what he was angered, and in how and whom he loved.

Jesus did justice. He loved kindness. He walked humbly with God.

Micah declared it; Jesus embodied it. 

And we claim to be followers of Jesus–which means that simply by being here, we’re making a statement about our intentions to do as he did–to do justice, to love kindness, to walk humbly with God.

Simply by participating in the life of this community of faith–which is built around the life and death and resurrection of Jesus–we’re communicating our intentions to follow him–and do justice, and love kindness, and walk humbly with God.

Whether we’re broadcasting it boldly and publicly or not, whether we’re even aware of it or not, part of what we’re saying to each other and to the world around us simply by our presence here, at White Rock Presbyterian Church, is that we are interested in doing justice, like Jesus did, and in loving kindness, like Jesus did, and in walking humbly with our God, like Jesus did. 

Are we, in fact, interested in those things? 

If we are–and based on my experiences among and with you over the past three and a half years, I think we are–let’s go beyond simply being interested in them.

Let’s get talking about them.

And let’s get talking about them so that we can begin to consider–or continue to consider–what God is inviting us to do about them.

Because justice and kindness and humility are so needed in these days. And these days are all we’ve got. 

Over the next few weeks I’ll invite you further into this conversation, spending time next Sunday talking about justice and injustice, and what it might mean to do justice. And then the following week we’ll explore kindness and unkindness, and what it might look like to love kindness. And the week after that, we’ll consider humility and arrogance, and reflect together on what it might feel like to walk humbly with God.

Because justice and kindness and humility are so needed in these days. And these days are all we’ve got. 

“What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?”

What does the Lord require of US but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with our God.

Amen.

“Good Guy or Bad Guy?”

Matthew 2:1-12

January 8, 2023

Then Herod secretly called for the magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” (Matthew 2:7-8, NRSV)

Sometimes it’s so obvious who the bad guy is, isn’t it? The character in the story who’s got no redeeming qualities. None. The one who is only out for themselves, who wants to win at any cost. The one for whom the end justifies the means; and the “end” is whatever it is they want and the “means” is whatever it takes to make sure that happens. That’s the kind of bad guy that we love to hate… 

I’d say Herod is one of those bad guys. Particularly in today’s story. Don’t you think? He’s deeply insecure. He’s profoundly threatened by the possibility of a new king. He seems to be terrified at the thought of losing any of the control, power, prestige, and privilege he enjoys so much. The bottom line is he’s jealous and afraid of a child. A baby. And so, with all that fear and dread and anxiety and anger energizing him, Herod schemes, and lies, and maneuvers. He is the embodiment of deceit and manipulation…

And then there are the magi. The wise men. The three kings. Well, we actually don’t know how many there were, and it’s pretty likely they weren’t kings! But whoever they were and however many there were of them, they were likely astronomers–since they appeared in Jerusalem because they were following a star. Some sort of unusual, brilliant, noteworthy star. And it had led them there. 

In contrast to Herod, it’s easy to understand these characters as the good guys of the story, right? There’s certainly an air of curiosity about them, and even a semblance of honesty. They’re seemingly patient, having already made a long journey to get from where they came from as far as Jerusalem; and I’d say they exhibit humility as well, since they are hoping to bow down to a new king–in other words, to someone other than themselves! We could possibly also use words such as devout and learned to describe them–certainly traits that supplement their characterization as good guys! 

So, there’s a really, really bad guy in our story for today–King Herod–and there are some pretty good guys–the magi. And by the way–I read several commentaries that explicitly mentioned the lack of historical clarity and scholarly agreement around not only the number of magi in the caravan described in today’s story, but also the gender, stating that it was more common than not that a large group would be traveling together, comprised of men and women alike. And I share that in anticipation of the question I’m about to ask:

With which character or characters in this story do you resonate? 

Obviously, the magi, right? The good guys. And let’s even extend that and include whoever might have been traveling with them–young, old, male, female, perhaps even some nonbinary folks… But all of them, honest… curious… patient… humble… devout… educated…although we can allow, to different degrees.

Yes, those are the ones with whom I, at least, resonate.

For sure. 

Obviously not with the bad guy. Not with the one who is insecure, threatened, and terrified. In no way do I resonate with his all-consuming jealousy and fear, nor with the anger and anxiety that drove him. I cannot imagine doing as he did–scheming and lying and manuevering, deceiving and manipulating–to get what I want…to keep what control I have…to hold on to my power and privilege… Thanks be to God, I do not resonate with Herod.   

Not to mention, it was to the magi that God had spoken. It was to the magi that God had revealed that there was something really, really special happening. It was to the magi that God had disclosed the impending fulfillment of God’s thousands-of-years-old promise of a Savior. It was to the magi–the good guys–that God had communicated… Right? 

Or was it? Yes, God had revealed to the magi that something really, really special was happening …but through a star. Through something in the sky. Through a magnificent celestial event. God had communicated to the magi through something that was, theoretically, available to everyone. Accessible to all. Visible to anyone…with eyes to see it.

God didn’t whisper God’s revelation directly into the ears of the magi, so that no one else would hear. God didn’t disclose the fulfillment of God’s promise in way that only they could understand and no one else. God didn’t send them a private, secret message, with instructions to keep it to themselves. 

God put a brilliant star in the sky where anyone could see it. Even Herod. It seems hard to believe, in fact, that Herod didn’t see it. I feel like he must have seen it. 

But he didn’t really see it. Not like the magi did. He didn’t see it with the eyes of faith. He didn’t see it with curiosity. He didn’t see it with devotion, or wonder, or awe, or humility. He certainly didn’t see it as God’s beautiful revelation that something really, really special was happening…

It seems that Herod–if he saw the star at all–only saw it with his eyes. Not with his heart.  

But it was there. It was there for anyone to see… God put a brilliant star in the sky to announce the impending fulfillment of God’s thousands-of-years-old promise of a Savior… a Savior who was coming for all–good guys and bad guys alike.

And I don’t know about you–but I find that comforting. Because as much as I want to boldly and loudly proclaim that I resonate only with the magi–the good guys–the ones in our story who are curious and devout and educated and patient and humble…the truth, that I will quietly and reluctantly confess, is that I do also resonate with Herod. The bad guy. And his insecurity. And jealousy. And anger. And desire to control. And fear of losing power and privilege. I’ve got the good of the good guys and the bad of the bad guy in me. We all do. We all do. 

But the good news, for all of us, is that God’s promise is for all of us. The coming of God’s Savior is for all of us, God’s star in the sky is there for all of us. It’s there for all of us. Regardless of how much good or bad we’ve got in us. Regardless of whether we resonate more with the good guys or the bad guys. Regardless of who we are or where we are or how far we’ve come.

God’s revelation that something really, really special is happening in the birth of the Christ child is meant for all, and is available to all. 

God’s light is available for all to see. 

Do we have the eyes to see it? 

Amen.

“In No Ordinary Terms”

Isaiah 2:1-5

November 27, 2022 1st Sunday of Advent

“A noted poet was once asked in an interview if he could explain one of his poems ‘in ordinary terms.’ He replied with some feeling, ‘If I could say what I meant in ordinary terms I would not have had to write the poem.’

I have never really considered myself a lover of poetry. You may be surprised to hear that. And honestly, I’m a little surprised at it myself!

For as much as I love words…and expressing myself with words…and working and playing with words…I have not historically loved poetry. 

Honestly, I think the reason I haven’t is simply that in order to read poetry, to really appreciate poetry, you have to do it slowly.

You have to allow time to consider the meaning of a poem, time to reflect on the images generated by a poem, time to sith with the feelings evoked by a poem…

To really engage a poem, you have to give it space in your heart, in your mind, in your soul…and that takes time.

And so often when I’m reading, I’m reading under the shadow of a deadline. Or I’m reading for a specific purpose. Or I’m reading out of a sense of obligation.

It’s been a long time since I’ve taken much time to read simply for the sake of reading, with a sense of luxury and leisure.

It’s been a long time since I’ve taken much time to really slow down, really absorb, really engage with someone else’s words on a page…

But I’ve recently been re-introduced to the beauty of poetry. The power of carefully crafted, and generally concise words. 🙂 The complexity that can be held in the seeming simplicity of a poem. And I’ve been mesmerized by it.

And all of that has something to do with the choice of our Advent devotionals this year, which you may or may not have already seen, are entitled “Advent: Poetry, Prose, and Prayer.” 

In this time of year where things seem to speed up, and our commitments often ramp up, and we feel constant pressure to hurry up…it seemed good to me to invite us to slow down. To slow the whirring of our minds, to slow the rate at which we take in information, to slow even the pace of our breath, and read some poetry. And maybe even write some ourselves…. But more about that later. 🙂 

And so through both our devotionals and here in worship, we’ll have the opportunity to consider Mary, and who she is to us. We’ll have a chance to spend time with Joseph, and reflect on where we see ourselves in his story. We’ll sit with Herod…and if we dare, we’ll have an occasion to think about power and powerlessness, violence and rage and grief and lament. And we’ll spend time with the Christ Child, reflecting on vulnerability and incarnation, on God as a child and each of us as a child of God… And all of this through poetry, and brief bits of prose, supplemented with heartfelt prayers.

Because, after all, this story that we talk about here, at this time of year–this story of the Eternal and Almighty God, Creator of the heavens and the earth–that God taking on human flesh, that God being contained by skin and bones and muscles and fat, that God being limited by a human body and being born and walking and talking and burping and stubbing his toe, and doing everything that we do in our human bodies–that story cannot be told “in ordinary terms,” to quote the quote I began with! 

Do you remember the quote? It was this: “A noted poet was once asked in an interview if he could explain one of his poems ‘in ordinary terms.’ He replied with some feeling, ‘If I could say what I meant in ordinary terms I would not have had to write the poem.’

The story of God cannot be fully told in ordinary terms. We cannot say enough about who God is, and what God is, and how God came to live and move and have God’s being among us, as one of us!, if we limit ourselves to ordinary terms. 

The story of God and God’s people and God’s unshakeable love for God’s people cannot simply be told in ordinary terms, with regular words. Regular words that get read under the shadow of a deadline, or that are read for a specific purpose, or certainly that are read out of a sense of obligation.

The story that we tell here in church, week after week after week, year after year after year, century after century after century(!)–this incredible, life-changing story that we are part of–is expressed in more fullness when it is told using poetry. And music. And art. And symbols. And parables. And visions and dreams. In addition to the ordinary words. 

Because the story of God and who God is and who God calls us to be, is so much bigger and deeper and more expansive and more mysterious than we can express if we limit ourselves to only “ordinary terms.”

The story of God and what God has done and what God is doing, and what God calls us to do in partnership with God, cannot be told in ordinary terms. 

And so, poetry. It can help us understand, expanding the ordinary terms. It can flesh out the regular words, offering sensations and feelings and images and possibilities. It can help our finite minds to grasp something more of this infinite God…

Like in today’s reading from Isaiah, which, first of all starts with something kind of weird–it says, “The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.” The WORD that Isaiah SAW… Normally, with words, we hear them. Even prophets. But in this case, Isaiah SAW the word. The word God had given him to speak to God’s people was something more like a vision–not anything that could be readily expressed in ordinary terms–and so Isaiah painted a picture.  

He painted a picture of unity and justice that will exist “in days to come”…and in so doing, he called people to return to God and God’s way. You’re not there yet, folks, he seemed to be saying, but look at what God’s people will experience when God makes it so! 

In poetic language, Isaiah also offered a vision of God’s peace, and reminded the people that that’s what God has promised and will do…and at the same time, he called them to task, speaking of God’s judgment and inviting them to walk in God’s light…

Like Mary, with whom we will be invited to spend time this week through our devotionals, Isaiah knew in the depths of his being that something better was coming. God had spoken it to them.

In this Advent season, we, too, have an opportunity to know in the depths of our being that something better is coming. If we can hear God speak it to us. 

Like Mary, Isaiah had been given a vision of the new world God was creating. God had revealed it to them.

In this Advent season, we, too, have an opportunity to be the recipients of a vision of God’s new world. If we are open to God’s revelation of it.

Like Mary, Isaiah had a special role in announcing God’s vision, to God’s people. God had ordained it, and had chosen them. 

We, too, have a special role in announcing the reality of this new creation to God’s people. …if we will accept it that we, too, have been chosen.

Like Mary, Isaiah had complete faith that God’s kingdom of unity, justice, and peace would come, despite the madness and chaos of the world around him. God had promised it. 

Do we, too, have that faith? 

In this Advent season, God continues to promise that God’s kingdom will come, that in days to come justice and peace will reign, and there will be no more war, no more tears, no more division.

God has promised that in the fullness of time God’s very Self will come and live and move and dwell among us and the glory of the Lord will be revealed and all flesh shall see it together… (cf. Isaiah 40:5). Isaiah and Mary trusted completely in that promise. And lived their lives accordingly.

Do we? Can we? Will we??

In this Advent season, I invite you to join me in considering God’s promises, and imagining what it would look like to really, fully, completely trust in them, and to live our lives accordingly…

God knows the world needs God’s kingdom to come on earth! 

And I invite you to spend time, to take time, to give yourself permission to make time, for a little poetry reading. 

May it be so.

“Dig In, Settle In, Lean In”

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7

October 9, 2022

War. Hurricanes. Covid. Exhaustion. Grief. Mental illness. Physical pain. Depression. Racism. Anxiety. Cancer. Loneliness. Addiction. Rage. Fear. Sadness.

Fun stuff! Aren’t you glad you came to church this morning?? 

Why am I listing all the hard parts of life?? All the parts of life that weigh us down? 

Well, of course, those are nowhere near all the parts of life that weigh us down. It’s a good start, maybe, but I bet if we put our minds to it, we can come up with even more…. 

And therein lies an opportunity for group engagement! I’m hoping each person here can write down at least one thing that can feel like a burden, one thing that can cause heaviness in our souls, one thing that if we had a magic wand, we would wish away! Whether for ourselves, for our loved ones, or even for the whole blessed world…. Just a word or two, on a sticky note. And more than one if you’d like. Something, perhaps, that causes us to shake our fist at God. And it doesn’t matter if what’s most present in your mind and heart is something I already mentioned. Write it down anyway. And then if you’re willing, come and put your sticky note, or notes, in one of the offering plates. And once we’re finished, I’m going to read them and stick them to the cross…

[PAUSE…] 

[Stick them on the cross, reading them one by one…]

That’s a lot. A lot of things that make us want to shake our fists at God. A lot of things that feel like burdens. A lot of things we’d all like to just wish away…

Like the Jews in today’s passage from Jeremiah, who were in exile.

They’d been forced from their homeland, taken as captives to live in a strange land almost a thousand miles away, living among people whose language, food, customs, religion–everything–were completely different from theirs! Man, did they want to go home!

I’m sure there was some fist-shaking going on! I’m sure the realities in which they found themselves felt heavy. I can only imagine that if they’d had a magic wand, they would have wished themselves back to Jerusalem, back home, back to a time when they were comfortable and to a place that was familiar to them….

In their prayers, I imagine they prayed that God would come to their rescue, that God would let them go home, and that God would do it now. Already. Yesterday! Please, God! I can imagine they begged that God would make all their pain and suffering and uncertainty and discomfort end! Isn’t that what God wants for God’s people? 

And then, there arrived a letter from Jeremiah! A letter from home! Maybe it would contain an answer to their prayers! Maybe God had told Jeremiah that their time in exile was up, that the time had come to go home! Maybe God was God to wave God’s magic wand and bring all their suffering to an end! Maybe God was going to bless them, after all…

Isn’t that what we hope for, too? That God will reveal to us that somehow, our suffering is going to end? That our time of discomfort and uncertainty is up? That the pain we, and our loved ones, and the world, continues to experience is coming to an end?? Don’t we pray, and often, that God will deal with all of these things [on the cross], somehow, that they’ll end somehow?? And don’t we pray that God will do it now?? Today?? Yesterday, even?! 

But that’s not what the letter from Jeremiah said. It didn’t say, Pack up your things, you’re going home! What did it say? Do you remember?

It said, “Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have [babies; have] sons and daughters…” And it goes even further: “Take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters…” (cf. Jer. 29:5-6)

In other words, God is saying,

“Folks, it’s gonna be a while. This discomfort and uncertainty? this suffering and pain? It’s here to stay. Well, not to stay forever, but you’re gonna be in it for a while. For a long time, actually.

“So dig in. Live your life. Don’t wait for a magic wand to make things better. Don’t stop living while you wait for the suffering to end. Do what you can do to keep living life. Settle in to where you are, build homes and grow food, build families and grow love. Do what’s in front of you to do to keep moving forward, to keep living life.

“This season of your life will come to an end, and I will bring you home–but not nearly as soon as you’d like. So dig in. Settle in. Lean in to me. And reach in to yourselves and toward one another. Make Life as good as you can, in the midst of the pain and suffering, in the presence of the discomfort and uncertainty.“

“For surely I know the plans I have for you,” said God, through Jeremiah, a little bit further along in the same letter. “Plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” [cf. Jer. 29:11] 

“It’s just not gonna come today. So dig in…settle in…lean in…reach in and reach out, and make Life as good as you can.”

I think there’s something in that for us, too. 

Because all of these things [on the cross]–they’re all real. They’re all real sources of discomfort and uncertainty, real sources of pain and suffering in our lives, in the lives of our loved ones, and in the lives of people around the world. 

And in the face of all of that’s causing us discomfort, we have to dig in. Like the Jews in exile, we have to settle in. We have to reach in to ourselves, for strength and courage and patience…and we have to reach out toward one another, with compassion and tenderness and care.

In the face of all of that’s causing us uncertainty, we have to dig in and settle in, doing what is in front of us to do, doing what is ours to do in this time and in this place. 

In the face of all of that’s causing us suffering, we have to dig in and settle in, building relationships and growing community, building trust and growing love. 

In the face of all that’s causing us pain, we have to dig in and settle in, living our lives in a way that allows us to keep moving forward, and making life as good as we can.

In the face of all that we wish we could wish away, in the face of all that makes us shake our fists at God, we have to dig in, we have to settle in, we have to lean in to God, trusting that God does indeed have “plans for [our] welfare and not for harm, to give [us] a future with hope.”

Because we don’t know how long we’re going to be be in this season of life. But we know we’re going to be here longer than we want to be. Because it didn’t end yesterday. And it’s not going to end today. And it’s not going to end tomorrow.

But with God’s help, we can still make Life good. 

Let’s dig in. Let’s settle in. Let’s lean in to God, and reach inside of ourselves, and reach out to one another and to the world. 

And as we do that, let’s watch for God to show us a future with hope.

Amen.

“Christ In Disguise”

Matthew 25:31-46

October 2, 2022 World Communion Sunday

“And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’” (Matthew 25:40, NRSV)

This is a familiar passage to many–this description of the separating of people at the time of judgment into the righteous and the unrighteous, into those who will inherit the Kingdom of God and those who will sent to, in the words of Matthew, “the eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” (cf. Mt. 25:41). Yikes! 

And this time of judgment, so says Jesus, will be like when a shepherd separates his sheep out from the goats that were apparently sharing the same pasture, taking the sheep–who belonged to him–and putting them on one side of him, and putting the others–the goats, who were not his–on the other side.

But moving back to the people in question, what determines who goes where? With the animals it’s easy–the sheep go one way, and the goats, the other. But with people, it’s not as easy to tell one kind from the other. At first glance, in fact, it’s impossible to know who’s righteous and who’s not righteous. At least for us. 

Because unlike the sheep and the goats, who can easily be separated just by looking at them, whether someone will be judged by Jesus as righteous or not, according to this passage, has nothing to do with anything that’s visible to the naked eye. 

It’s not about their hair type or eye shape or skin color. It’s not about their age or gender. It’s not about the kind of shoes they wear or the kind of home they live in or the kind of work they do. None of those things, according to Jesus, have anything to do with whether they will be judged as righteous or unrighteous.  But Jesus says that he can, and will, make that determination at the end of time. 

Who remembers how, according to today’s passage, he will make the distinction? [answer??] Right–by how they treated “the least of these.” 

And who are “the least of these”? He lists six different categories…

  1. Those who are hungry;
  2. Those who are thirsty;
  3. Those who are strangers;
  4. Those who are naked;
  5. Those who are sick;
  6. Those who are in prison.

The righteous did what for the hungry? Fed them.

And they did what for the thirsty? Gave them them something to drink.

And for the strangers? Welcomed them.

And for the naked? Gave them clothes.

And for the sick? Took care of them.

And for the imprisoned? Visited them.

And we’re going to stop there for the moment–because as I considered this passage this week, I was struck by something, for the first time. And that is the apparent lack of judgment by those who were deemed righteous, toward those who were in need. 

There is no mention of these people taking it upon themselves to judge the worthiness of the people in need. It seems that they didn’t sit around wondering WHY the people who were hungry, were hungry, or why the thirsty ones were thirsty. It seems that they didn’t judge the stranger as bad or evil or as someone to stay away from at all costs, or even just as someone who didn’t belong with them. It seems they didn’t need to figure out if it was the fault of the person with no clothes that they didn’t have clothes, or if the one who was sick did something stupid or careless that resulted in their getting sick. And it seems that they didn’t need to know whether the ones who were in prison were innocent or guilty, whether they deserved to be there or not. 

It seems that the people who were deemed righteous by Jesus simply met the needs that were presented to them, as they were able to.

Perhaps the hungry person was someone they knew; perhaps not. What they did know, though, was that he was hungry. And they gave him something to eat. 

Perhaps the person who was thirsty was someone of ill repute–maybe a prostitute or a tax collector. But he or she was thirsty. And they gave them something to drink.

Maybe the stranger was from an enemy clan, from a tribe that had defeated Israel multiple times in the past. But now he found himself among the Jews…who remembered that they, too, had been strangers in a strange land… And they welcomed him.

What about the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned? Maybe their problems had resulted from stupid things they had done, or careless things they had said; or maybe they had been caused by circumstances totally outside of their control. However they had arrived in the states they were in, their needs were tended to by the people deemed righteous. Seemingly without fanfare. Apparently without hesitation. And clearly, without judgment. 

And in serving those in need, without fanfare or hesitation or judgment, they were serving Christ himself. Without knowing it. 

I think we are left asking, who is hungry, that we have not seen? Who is thirsty, that we have ignored? Who is a stranger, on the outside looking in, that has been invisible to us? Who is sick, and has no one to care for them? Who is naked, from who we avert our eyes? And who is in prison, that we have perhaps deemed deserving of being there, and thus allowed ourselves to put them out of our minds?

Whose needs are in front of us, who don’t need our judgment or analysis, who are hurt by our hesitation, who we don’t see…and who are Christ in disguise? 

I think it’s a question we need to consider. Especially now, when we are deeply and painfully aware of the many, destructive, human-generated divisions in our local and global communities, factions that outdo one another in greed and violence and desire for power and control…

On this World Communion Sunday, however, let us also be reminded of God’s Beloved Community, where the needs of all are met by one another with generosity and humility, where justice and compassion and mercy and grace abound. And where judgment of one of God’s children by another has no place. 

“And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’” (Matthew 25:40, NRSV)

May God open our eyes, and our hearts, and our hands, to the least of these who are right in front of us, and all around us; who are Christ in disguise waiting to be served. 

Amen.

“A Lost Sheep, A Lost Coin, and the Enneagram”

Luke 15:1-10

Sept. 11, 2022

We’re going to jump right in this morning with an opportunity for active participation. 🙂 I’d like you to raise your hand, please, if you have ever heard of something called the ENNEAGRAM…?

It’s a word that comes from two Greek words: “ennea” which means NINE, and “grammos” which means A WRITTEN SYMBOL–because the Enneagram is a personality assessment system that’s based on nine personality types, and it’s represented by the written symbol you see below: 

Like other personality assessment tools, like the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, for example, the Enneagram helps its users to know themselves better. What makes it different is that it helps people explore and understand what motivates them, on a deep level. 

The Enneagram helps you pay attention to your patterns of thinking, and feeling, and acting, and then understand how those patterns have developed from a particular deep inner motivation–something that we are generally completely unaware of. 

And once you have some understanding about that motivation, and how it developed in the early stages of your life, you can look at both how it has served you well over the course of your life and how it has limited you. 

Now, for the most part, we don’t intentionally think and feel and behave in ways that effectively make us smaller, that decrease our ability to experience life, that limit our capacity to give and receive love. But we do it. We do it pretty consistently, in fact! And for the most part, we are completely unaware that we’re doing it! The Enneagram is one tool that can help us see the ways that we do that–so that we can begin to do things differently. 

Because as you grow in your awareness of how you have been unconsciously, and unintentionally, limiting your thinking and feeling and acting, then you can begin to intentionally make choices that increase your capacity to experience life rather than limit it, choices that enlarge your capacity to give and receive love rather than diminish it.

I first heard of the Enneagram, actually, many years ago, but to be honest, it sounded a little new-age-y to me, so I didn’t do anything more with it at that point (although in actuality, it’s thousands of years old!).

I heard about it again a couple of years ago, from one of my colleagues in the Presbytery of Santa Fe. This fellow pastor has done quite a bit of work himself with the Enneagram, had found it really helpful in his own growth, and began talking with me about it. 

I also had the chance to continue learning about it at the leadership retreat I recently attended [part of the Nollau Leadership Institute]. In fact, we spent a full day exploring it together, and I’ve continued to dig into it myself since then.

And this morning I’d like to share with you a little bit of my experience with the Enneagram.

First, according to the Enneagram system, we humans have three centers of intelligence–three brains, if you will: the head center, the heart center, and the body center. And each of those three centers is divided into three personality types. So, as I mentioned earlier, there are nine primary types, numbered, appropriately, 1-9.

Each of the nine types is characterized by, among other things, a primary motivation which reveals itself in amazingly consistent patterns of thinking, and feeling, and relating to ourselves and others. In fact, a common experience when someone first hears a basic description of what they recognize as their type, is for them to think, “Oh my gosh!! How did they get in my head?? How do they know exactly what I’ve been thinking and feeling my whole life???” 

Because while each of us has parts of all nine types within us, we find our “home base” within one of the nine types in particular, resonating most deeply with the patterns associated with that specific type.

With all that as background, there’s a particular facet of the Enneagram system that I want to lift up to you this morning. And that is that capacity I mentioned a little bit ago–the capacity the Enneagram has to show us how we’ve been limited in our experience of life. 

The Enneagram is particularly useful in helping us see what is sometimes called our shadow side. The parts of ourselves we don’t generally want to acknowledge–and in fact, are often unaware of, at least on a conscious level. For the most part, we humans tend to be much more conscious of our good intentions, our admirable traits, the positive aspects of our personalities. And while the Enneagram acknowledges those patterns and traits, it also helps us to see their underbellies. The shadow sides. We all have them. We don’t all acknowledge them. But the more freely we can see them and acknowledge them, with compassion, the more free we can be from them. 

Let me give you an example…I have determined that of the nine basic types on the Enneagram, I am a type 2. Listen to some of the characteristic patterns of this personality type: 

  • “Twos excel at making connections and empathizing with the needs and feelings of others. Focused on relationships, they are good at supporting others.” (Narrative Enneagram)
  • [Twos are] Caring, helpful, generous… and exuberant” (Narrative Enneagram)
  • “Twos’ particular ‘superpower’ is that they can be excellent friends and will often go to great lengths to take care of and support loved ones.” (CP Enneagram – Type 2)

Delightful, right?? Who wouldn’t want to be a Two on the Enneagram? Who else can I tell that I am a Two on the Enneagram?? That all seems pretty wonderful, I think, and I’m pretty proud to claim it!… 

But wait —there’s more. Listen to some of the other characteristic patterns of the Two: 

  • “[Twos] want to be accepted and liked by others, and will adapt or change to earn this approval.” (Narrative Enneagram) 
  • “Twos [repress] personal needs and feelings to avoid being needy and to maintain a helpful self-image.” (Narrative Enneagram)
  • “In seeking approval, Twos can miss authentic connection in relationships due to their tendency to ‘shape-shift’ by being overly nice, superficially friendly and flattering.” (Narrative Enneagram)
  • ‘Because it is so difficult for Twos to ask directly for what they need, they seduce others as a way of getting what they need through the indirect routes of charm and apparent generosity.” (CP Enneagram – Type 2)

Hmm. Not so delightful, right? (And there’s more, but I think that’s enough to give you a sense of some of the shadows that present with all of that other seemingly wonderful stuff!)

And those parts–the shadow parts–are the parts that we don’t tend to see, the parts that tend to be outside of our awareness. We can think of them as our blind spots. 

When my colleague and I were first talking about the Enneagram and the possibility of my being a Type 2, he asked me, “Have you ever considered yourself to be controlling or manipulative?” I was horrified! “What?? Me?? Controlling?? Manipulative?? No! Never!” And I thought, I am kind, and loving, and supportive, and helpful, and encouraging! I am not controlling or manipulative!

I think he may have responded with something like, “Hmm…” 🙂 

Eventually I began to see that at least some of my efforts to be kind and loving and supportive and helpful and encouraging, in fact, came from a need for people to like me…a deep need for people think well of me…and that at least some of my efforts, therefore, to be kind and loving and supportive and helpful and encouraging were, in fact, disguised attempts to influence how someone felt about me…disguised attempts to affect the outcome of a situation…and oh, how I was horrified to realize this–but some of my efforts were, in fact, disguised attempts to control and manipulate. Ugh. A pretty painful realization!

But a helpful one! Because once you see something like that in yourself, you can’t unsee it. And not only can you not unsee it, but you can choose to start doing something about it. You can learn where it comes from, and how it developed. You can acknowledge how it has worked for you in your life so far, how it has served to protect you from being hurt, in some ways. And, if you’re willing, with great kindness toward yourself, and patience, and support, you can learn healthier ways of thinking and feeling and interacting. With a growing understanding of yourself and an increasing awareness of your patterns and motivations, you can move toward transformation, becoming a fuller and more complete version of yourself, of the you God made you to be!

But first, you have to see. You have to see yourself with honesty and courage. And the Enneagram is one tool, one powerful tool–that can help you do that. 

So–as I seem to find myself saying more and more at some point in my sermons–what does any of this have to do with today’s scriptures??? 🙂 

I actually think there is a significant connection. Let me explain.

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus told two stories–one about a lost sheep, and another about a lost coin. In each story, the owner of the lost item searched and searched until they found it. And finding it, they called their friends and neighbors together to celebrate.

Clearly, the shepherd and the woman represent God, who never gives up and who rejoices each time “a sinner repents,” as Jesus said. Each time someone who had been lost, is found. Each time someone turns away from sin and turns back to God. Each time someone is restored from their lost-ness, and comes home to God. 

But here’s the thing–in both stories, the lost items didn’t know they were lost. The coin, obviously, had no awareness of being lost. 🙂 And the sheep–well, I’m going to suppose the sheep didn’t realize it was lost, either. If it had, I think it would have been bleating frantically, which the shepherd would have heard, which would have made for a less impactful story! So I think the sheep must not have realized it was lost. I’m going to imagine that it had just carelessly wandered off, grazing with its head down, following its own path…while the rest of the flock had gone off somewhere else. And that one sheep just kept doing what it was doing and going in the direction it was going, not scared, not worried, not concerned about whether it would be found…because it didn’t even know it was lost.

And yet, regardless of whether they knew it or not, the coin and the sheep were lost. 

Okay, now, imagine how much more quickly they would have been found if they had known they were lost! If they somehow could have communicated to their owners, “Hey! I’m over here! I know I’m lost, but I don’t know how to get back to where I belong by myself! I need your help!” They would have been found, and restored to their owner, and brought back to where they belong, so much more easily and quickly… 

And so here’s the connection, in my mind, to the Enneagram: we’re all lost. In some way. And what I mean by that is that none of us is experiencing life as fully as we are meant to. None of us is using our full capacity to give and receive love. None of us is living in full communion with God or with our true selves. All of us are limited in some way by the ways we think and feel and interact with ourselves and others. I think we do have some sense of that…but I don’t think, generally, we really know why. Other than the fact that we’re human! 🙂 

But despite our best efforts and intentions, we continue to not experience life as fully and abundantly and expansively as God intends it to be experienced. Maybe some of us, once in a while, are fully aware that we are lost and have the awareness to shout out to God, “Hey! I’m over here! I know I’m lost, but I don’t know how to get back to where I belong by myself! I need your help!” But most of us, most of the time, are like the coin and the sheep and don’t even really know that we’re lost, or at least the degree to which we are lost…

And when we can’t see that we’re lost, it’s less likely that we’ll recognize that we need to be found. As long as we’re unable or unwilling to recognize our lost-ness, we’ll resist being brought back to where we belong, brought back to our true home, which is in the full presence of God. As our full selves.

And so yes, the Enneagram is one tool to help us see our lost-ness. One powerful tool. And there are others.

Regardless of which tool we choose, the real key is to be willing to see it. 

And then, to be willing to be found. 

Amen.

“POWER!”

Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

August 28, 2022

“Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:1-6 NRSV)

We’re going to talk a little bit this morning about POWER.

And as we get started, I want you to think about what it is that gives you a feeling of power…? 

Here are a few examples to help grease the wheels of your thinking…

What about any of you? How might you answer that question? (silly or otherwise…)

I might say getting a string of green lights…or one of my kids saying, in response to something I’ve asked them to do, “Sure, Mom. I’m happy to do that.” YES! Or hitting the punching bag hard in my kickboxing class! Or a more serious one–if someone were to come up to me and say, “That sermon you preached last year–it totally changed my life.” I think that would make me feel pretty powerful…

Any more thoughts?…

We don’t talk much about power. But we probably should. 

It’s real. It affects us and others. We use power. We give away power. We have power OVER others. Others have power over US. We talk about power dynamics–at work, in our families, in other relationships, in politics. Sometimes we feel powerful at other times we feel powerless. Sometimes POWER–especially our own power–is something we’re aware of, but I suspect much of the time, it’s not. 

But power–who has it, who doesn’t, when it’s exercised, how it’s exercised–all of that affects all of us, all the time. Whether we are aware of it or not, the presence and absence of power is a primary factor in how we all live our lives, a primary factor in how we all relate to one another. And I don’t just mean “we,” as in we who are gathered here. Or “we,” as in we who live in Los Alamos County. Or “we,” as in we who are Americans. I mean “we,” as in we who are created beings living on this planet. 

Whether we are aware of it or not, the presence and absence of power is a primary factor in how we all live our lives, a primary factor in how we all relate to one another. And we don’t talk about it very much. Or at least, in my experience, in my circles, not enough.

Some of you may recall that in June I was away for a week, participating in the Nollau Leadership Institute, which is a year-long leadership training program sponsored by the Council for Health and Human Service Ministries (CHHSM), which is an organization affiliated with the United Church of Christ. (phew!) 

There were 22 of us all together–17 participants and 5 facilitators–from all over the country and from a variety of settings (not just churches), and we talked about a variety of topics during our time together, ranging from different types of faith-based leadership to our own experiences of leadership to embodied leadership to social justice and leadership…and more!! In 4 ½ days. !! 🙂 

But during one of the days in particular, we talked about POWER. And it was thought-provoking. And it was hard. And it was good.

There’s no way I can share very much with you, this morning, about what we talked about, with regard to power (although I hope in coming weeks and months, I will continue to find ways to engage with all of you around some of the topics we explored at the retreat). There is one piece of our conversation, though, that I’d like to share with you; it’s one of the slides the presenter shared with us….

I know it’s hard to see–so I’m going to walk you through it…

The first column is titled “Dimensions of Diversity,” and has the following categories: Age, Race, Ethnicity, Sexual/Affectional Orientation, Physical and Mental Ability, Religion, Socioeconomic Status, Education, Gender Identity, Citizenship Status. 

The next column lists the characteristics of people in those categories who are considered BETTER THAN others–more desirable, more valuable–who, therefore, have more POWER…

Age? Middle aged

Race? White

Ethnicity? Western European 

Sexual/Affectional Orientation? Heterosexual 

Physical and Mental Ability? Able-Bodied/-Minded 

Religion? Christian 

Socioeconomic Status? Wealthy/Upper Middle Class

Education? College-educated

Gender Identity? Men, Cisgender

Citizenship Status? Citizen by birth

The column after that, as you can see or might guess, lists the characteristics of people who are considered–yes–LESS than others–less desirable, less valuable–and who, therefore, yes, have less power. Often FAR less power. 

Age? Very young and very old

Race? People of color/BIPOC [Black/Indigenous/People Of Color]

Ethnicity? All others(!)

Sexual/Affectional Orientation? Bisexual, gay, lesbian, etc. 

Physical and Mental Ability? Physical or mental disability, neurodivergent 

Religion? All others(!)

Socioeconomic Status? Lower Middle Class/Poor

Education? High school or less

Gender Identity? Women, Transgender

Citizenship Status? Naturalized Citizen by birth, work visa holders, undocumented persons

I suspect that most–if not all–of us who are here this morning can claim “membership” in quite a few of those categories in the second column…right? And the greater the number of those categories in which we find ourselves, the greater our power. Whether we realize it or not. Whether we claim it or not. Whether we use it for good, or not. 

The greater the number of those categories in the second column in which we find ourselves, the more power we hold, particularly in this country. 

And the greater the number of categories in the third column in which someone finds themselves, the smaller their power. The less desirable they are considered, the less valuable  they are considered. The less power they have. 

And again, this is true, in our country, at this moment, whether we are aware of it or not. 

So what the heck does this have to do with any of our scriptures???? Well, you could argue that it’s related to the Gospel passage for today, with its talk of the place of honor as opposed to the lowest place, and exalting yourselves vs humbling yourself… And I suppose it is! 

But I want us to look at the Hebrews passage. At the first half of the Hebrews passage. 

At the part that says this: 

“Let mutual love continue…. 

…Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:1-6 NRSV)

What does any of that have to do with our conversation about POWER??

Well, it seems to me that in those words, in those exhortations, the author–who is believed to be Paul–was encouraging behaviors that would upset the normal power distribution! 

1st: Let mutual love continue. Love for one another like sisters and brothers. Like family. Not hierarchical love. Not love that has to be earned. Not love that only goes in one direction. Not love that is only for the benefit of one. Not love that’s based on external qualifications, like education or wealth, or inherent characteristics, like race or gender. But mutual love. Love for one another just because. Love that goes both ways, that works for the good of all, that is freely given and unconditional. Let mutual love continue.

Next: Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. A stranger in those days would have been an outsider. Someone who didn’t belong. Someone who was from a different place, who perhaps spoke a different language, whose cultural traditions and practices were different. Someone whose family was faraway, someone for whom it might have been difficult to find a safe place to stay. Someone who, given all of those circumstances, very likely would have had very little power, in a Jewish community. And so the Jews–the Hebrews–were being reminded to share the power they had, to equalize the power distribution, to use their power in that setting to make sure those without it were taken care of. You belong–use that sense of belonging to include others. You have food and shelter–use them to care for those that don’t. You are part of a community and experience safety–welcome others into that community, with generosity and kindness. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Next: Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. Talk about a power differential–those who are in prison as compared to those who aren’t?? Those who are being tortured as compared to those who aren’t?? Don’t take it for granted that you are free; use your freedom to show kindess to those who aren’t. Use the power that comes with being free–or in our cases, that comes with being middle-aged, and/or white, and/or of Western European descent, and/or heterosexual, and/or able-bodied and/or able-minded, and/or Christian, and/or upper middle class, and/or college-educated, and/or cisgender men, and/or US citizens by birth… Let all of the power that comes with all of that remind you of all those who are not all of those things, and especially of all those who are not ANY of those things…and then use that power to care for them, to lift them up, to work for their freedom and empowerment…

Next: Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled… That represented an equalizing of power between men and women–unheard of in those times. And not a given, still today. Paul was saying both partners in a marriage were to honor the relationship, and hold it as sacred, honoring one another. Both partners. Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled…

Next: Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have… More money means more power, right?? Those who have more of the former automatically have more of the latter. Who doesn’t want more money? Who doesn’t want more power? A love of money leads to greed, leads to selfishness, leads to looking out for #1, leads to even greater distortion of power dynamics…. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have… There’s no need to want more and more and more; appreciate what you have. Be grateful for what you have. Be content with what you have….

Why?? “For God has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’” 

And therein lies the source of all of our power. God. God being with us. God being faithful to us. God promising to never leave us. 

“For God has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’” 

That is where our true power comes from, regardless of our Age, Race, Ethnicity, Sexual Orientation, Physical and Mental Ability, Religion, Socioeconomic Status, Education, Gender Identity, Citizenship Status, or anything else!! 

“For God has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’” 

Our power comes from God and God’s presence with us and within us. All of that other power? That worldly power? The power granted to us by those other things? That power is at our disposal to equalize the power distribution in the world around us. That power is at our disposal to use to empower others.

Listen one more time, and consider what I consider as an invitation to partner with Jesus to turn the world right-side up… 

“Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?’”

Amen. 

“Who Is This Jesus??”

Luke 12:49-56

August 14, 2022

White Rock Presbyterian Church

“Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!” (Luke 12:51, NRSV)

Wow. Did you hear that? Did you hear what I just read? Were you listening? Because the Jesus we hear in today’s passage is not the Jesus we often think of–the Jesus who’s meek and mild, and nice, who’s always telling people to just get along and love each other… 

But wait–actually, that’s not really the Jesus of the Bible!! That’s not really the Jesus of our faith. But often, it does seem to be the Jesus of the church–the Jesus who was born in a manger, the perfect baby, no crying, no colic, potty-trained at birth… 🙂 The Jesus who grew up growing in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and the people around him. No cracking voice or prepubescent acne. No teenage rebellion or carousing. No smoking, no lying, no curfew-breaking, no sexual exploration. The Jesus of the church is the Jesus who loves the little children and who welcomes them and blesses them. He’s the Jesus who feeds the hungry and heals the sick and and befriends the lonely, and who teaches his disciples to give water to the thirsty and to turn the other cheek when struck. 

That’s the Jesus we like to think about and talk about…the Jesus who makes us feel comfortable…the Jesus we want our children to learn about, and who we think we should try to emulate… Because we can all stand to be nicer, and more helpful. We can all stand to be more welcoming to the outcast, and more generous with those who are hungry and thirsty. We can all stand to be more loving and peaceful…right? 

But that is not the Jesus we find in today’s passage! Just in case you weren’t really listening when I read it the first time, I’m going to read the first part of the passage again, and I invite you to pay attention to the Jesus who shows up here… 

“I have come to cast fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were already ablaze! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Who is this Jesus?? Preaching fire and division? Where’s the nice guy we want to teach our kids about? Where’s the Prince of Peace?? Who is this guy?? 

As you consider that, I’m going to read that same part once more, this time from The Message, and so in more contemporary language. And again, listen for the Jesus who is showing up in these moments: 

“I’ve come to start a fire on this earth—how I wish it were blazing right now! I’ve come to change everything, turn everything rightside up—how I long for it to be finished! Do you think I came to smooth things over and make everything nice? Not so. I’ve come to disrupt and confront! From now on, when you find five in a house, it will be—Three against two, and two against three; father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against bride, and bride against mother-in-law.”

This is not Jesus, meek and mild, telling people to turn the other cheek, just telling people to love each other. 

This is Jesus, saying, I’m here to stir things up. To burn things down! I’m here to set fire to old patterns that don’t work. I’m here to demolish systems that keep people down. I’m here to do away with traditions that impose burdens rather than lighten loads. I’m here to dismantle what you call ‘religion’ that in fact, destroys people’s spirits rather than setting them free. I’ve come to start a fire on this earth…

“I’ve come to turn everything rightside up,” he says in The Message. To turn everything rightside up… I love that!

Except it means things are upside down now. Not the way they should be. Not the way they are meant to be. Not the way God created them to be. 

Things are upside down, by God’s standards. 

God desires wholeness, throughout God’s creation. Healing and wholeness and fullness of Life! There is so much brokenness–in our lives, in our relationships, and around the world…

In the Kingdom of God, there is abundance. Not only enough for all, but more than enough for all!

We live with such a sense of scarcity…such a feeling of there not being enough so we’ve got to make sure we get what’s ours. Because if you get too much, there won’t be enough for me. But if I get too much, well, I’m just making sure I’ll continue to have enough, which is just me being responsible, so that’s okay… 

God longs for justice, for equity, for all persons having their needs met. 

We are surrounded with injustice…injustice fueled by greed, by fear, by a thirst for power and control…

In God’s Kingdom everyone belongs. Each person and creature is accepted as they are and is an integral part of the whole. 

Left to our own devices, we generate so many divisions! So many ways to exclude others. So many ways to separate ourselves, to rank one another and rate one another, so many ways to judge others as better than us or worse than us. Rarely do we judge one another as equal to us…as equally acceptable…as equally belonging…

By God’s standards–by those things that indicate the presence of the Reality of God–so many things in our world are, indeed, upside down. 

And so Jesus is saying, “I am here to turn things rightside up!” To change things! To show you all a new way! A better way! God’s way!! I am here to show you God’s way in a way you can understand!

But I don’t have a lot of time. Because some of you won’t like this way! Some of you, in fact, who are hearing me and seeing me will hate this way. For some of you, the way things are now is working pretty well for you! You’ve got power and you like it! You’ve got control, and you like it! You’ve got influence, and you like it! People do what you say, and you like it! People invite you to fancy dinners and important meetings, and you like that! You have friends in high places who can help you out when you’re in a bind, and you really like that! You don’t need–or want–anything to change. And if they do, when they do, when I start making these changes, you’ll feel like you’re losing. And that feels scary. And threatening. And you will fight to stop them. You will fight to stop me. 

But I am here, and I am here to light a fire. A fire of change. And you will not stop me. 

And you will not stop those who follow me. 

Even if they are in your family–in following me, they will discover a greater loyalty, a loyalty not even to me but to this Way I am showing them, this Way of living and loving, this way of being and being loved, this Way that reveals God’s heart, that reveals God’s Kingdom, that reveals God’s presence and goodness and justice and abundance and Love. 

And as they step into all of that, as they begin to experience all of that, as they live and love and are loved from within God’s Way, they will discover that that will take precedence over family ties. They will discover that all of that will take priority over loyalty to religion. They will discover that their commitment to all of that will supercede their commitment to their old ways of doing things, their old ways of thinking, their former relationships, even their former understanding of faith…

And this will bring disruption. And it will bring confrontation. And it will bring division. 

And those who follow me in the midst of all of that and in spite of all of that, will need courage. And they will need conviction. And they will need comfort, from one another. 

And as they follow me, living and loving in the Way that I show them, being and being loved in God’s Way, they will find strength. And they will find wholeness. And they will find peace. And they will find Life. And they will find God. 

I imagine that’s more of what Jesus was saying, this Jesus who shows up in our passage for today. This Jesus is far from meek and mild and polite and nice. This Jesus is stressed out by his deep and urgent longing to turn things rightside up, by his profound and passionate mission to start a fire on this earth, to set things right…

And this Jesus is speaking to us. This Jesus is inviting us to follow him and join him in that work. I am not suggesting arson. In this time of dramatic wildfires, I want to be very clear about that! But I am suggesting that we get better acquainted with this Jesus of fire-starting passion, this Jesus who embraced discomfort, this Jesus with an urgency for the manifestation of God’s wholeness and abundance and justice and belonging. 

This Jesus is here, and among us, and inviting us to follow him. And we need to realize that doing so will bring disruption. It will bring confrontation. It might even bring division. And we will need courage. And we will need conviction. And we will need comfort, from one another. 

But as we follow him, living and loving in the Way that he shows us, being and being loved in God’s Way, we will find strength. And we will find wholeness. And we will find peace. And we will find Life. And we will find God. And not only for ourselves, but in and with the world around us. 

I wonder if we dare say yes?

Amen.

“God is Faithful. All the Time.”

Genesis 15:1-6, Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Rev. Deborah Beloved Church 🙂

August 7, 2022

White Rock Presbyterian Church

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen… By faith [Abraham] received power of procreation, even though he was too old–and Sarah herself was barren–because he considered him faithful who had promised.” (Hebrews 11:1, 11, NRSV)

We got into some bad habits last week. Slipped right back into our old ways of doing things without even–maybe–a thought… Does anyone know, or want to hazard a guess, what I’m talking about?… [Right (??) – No audience participation!!] 

Today we are going to slide back into our newer, becoming-established pattern, which means, yes, I’m going to invite you to engage the scriptures with me a little more actively. [What’s that I hear? Cheers? No? If we were in Navajoland, I might say, “Amen??” “Are you with me, church??” 🙂 No cheers? No amens? What about groans? Any groans? 🙂 ] 

We get to do this again today because I finally started feeling mostly alive and alert again on Friday, after spending way too much time earlier in the week feeling brain-dead and recovering from the craziness of our move, having done the official walk-through of our former apartment last Sunday at 7:00 pm. 

And in all honestly, we barely made it in time!! The fact that we did was thanks ONLY to all of all of you who helped us carry and move boxes, disassemble and move furniture, carry and move MORE boxes, and finally sweep and mop and scrub and dust and otherwise try to restore some order of cleanliness. It may not have quite been “move-in ready,” as my landlord had requested, but it was certainly as good, if not better, than when we had arrived over three years ago. And I would say that’s not bad, given the reality of occupancy in that time by myself, three teenagers, two cats, and a dog! 

For the next few weeks, we are staying at Jennifer and Ken’s beautiful home near the middle school. And Jennifer and Ken, if you’re joining us this morning,: thank you again! 🙂 

Anyway, here I am, and here we are, and Abraham is beckoning. 🙂 

Or actually, ABRAM. In our passage this morning, this great man of faith is still called Abram. He won’t be given the name of Abraham for a couple more chapters, which represent several more years in his life. 

So first, a little review of Abram’s timeline. I think it will give us a little more appreciation for the situation we find him in in this morning’s passage. 

Does anyone know how old Abram was when God first called him, saying: 

“Go from your country, your people and your father’s household, to the land I will show you.

“I will make you into a great nation,

    and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

    and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you,

    and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

    will be blessed through you.” (Gen. 12:1-3)

Any guesses? 

He was 75. 

75 years old when God said, Pack up your stuff, and get your family together. You’re going on an adventure! I want you to go to a strange, faraway place, and settle down there. Start a new life. Oh, and by the way, old man, after you’ve done that, I will bless you. I promise. I will bless you so much. I will give you so many offspring they’ll be able to populate a small country! In fact, they’ll become their own nation! People will know your name, and it will be great, and you will be a blessing. You will be a blessing to so many. In fact–and you probably won’t believe this but it’s true–you will be a blessing to everyone on the earth. Forever! All peoples. On the whole earth. They’ll all be blessed through you. !! But I’m getting ahead of myself. First, you have to pack up all your stuff, get your family all together, and head out.” 

Abram was 75 when God laid this on him! And I’ve been thinking that I’ve had it rough with this move I’ve just gone through! 🙂 

So, Abram was 75, when he loaded everything and everyone up, and headed for a totally unknown land. 

Fast-forward about 10 years, so Abram is now 85, maybe 86, and living in this new land. He had remained faithful to God, and had done very well for himself. We read, in fact, that “[he] had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.” (Gen. 13:2) Additionally, he and the men of his household were skilled in battle, and they had defeated the armies of several other kings. In other words, even as an octogenarian, Abram was crushing it. Successful in all things. God had promised to bless him, and bless him, indeed, God had. 

And this is where we jump in with today’s passage. 

Abram was crushing it. Livestock. Silver. Gold. Victory in battle. And God shows up for a talk. 

I would imagine some congratulations are in order… Maybe some high-fives? Fist bumps? Rainbows across the sky?? 

But that’s not what happens. Does anyone remember how God starts the conversation?… 

“Do not be afraid, Abram.” Right!! Don’t be afraid! 

What’s Abram got to be afraid of?? Why would he possibly be feeling fearful?? 

Any thoughts? [No baby.] 

[Right.] There had been no baby.

God had promised him offspring, hadn’t he? God had promised to make Abram into a great nation! And Abram was pushing 90! And Sarai, his wife, pushing 80, was no spring chicken!! And she was apparently barren! Unable to have babies. If there hadn’t been any children by this time in her life, it was not likely there would be any children forthcoming…

But God had made a promise to Abram…right?? And Abram had done everything God had asked him to do…right?? I suspect God could not only see the concern and confusion and even fear on Abram’s face, and in the way he carried his body, but that God could also see it in Abram’s heart…

And so God began the conversation, “Don’t be afraid, Abram…” Followed by a reminder: “I am your shield.” Or as the Common English Bible puts it, “I am your protector.” And part of what I hear in that is, I am with you, Abram! I got you! You’re not out here alone, you’re not doing this by yourself! And then God followed that with some reassurance: “Your reward shall be very great!” In other words, Just wait and see what I’m going to do for you! You can’t even imagine it now, but just wait and see…

And God was right–Abram couldn’t imagine it. I wonder if he didn’t even want to imagine anything else, any other “reward”…except for that baby God had already promised him. The baby that God had said would lead to enough offspring to populate a small country! As far as Abram was concerned, nothing else mattered. No other “reward” had any import… 

And he replied to God, saying with all of the honesty and courage he could muster, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless…You have given me no offspring, so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” I can almost hear the discouragement, the disappointment, the hopelessness in his voice… God, you promised…

And what did God say? Did God say, “Yeah, well, I changed my mind…”? Did God say, “I’m sorry, Abram, but the plan is different now.”? Did God say, “Since you doubted, I’m not going to give you a child after all!”? 

No! God didn’t say any of those things! God said, I think with great tenderness and compassion, “This man [this slave born in your house] shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” I made a promise to you, Abram. God seemed to be saying. And I will keep it. I made you a promise, and I am a God of my word. 

And then God took Abram outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them….So shall your descendants be.” (Gen. 15:5)

I made a promise to you, Abram. And I will keep it. I made you a promise, and I am a God of my word. 

And then what happened? 

“And he believed the Lord, and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness…” (Gen. 15:6)

Abram believed God. Abram trusted in God’s word. Abram put his faith in God’s faithfulness, and held on to the promise God had made him. 

Did he never doubt again? Nope, he doubted. And Sarai, his wife, doubted, too! In fact, after ten more years had gone by with still no baby, they doubted so much that they decided to take matters into their own hands, and Abram had a baby with Hagar, Sarai’s mistress. And this baby, as some of you know, was Ishmael, who is believed to be the ancestor of Mohammed, the prophet of Islam. 

Did God fulfill God’s promise overnight? Nope. It took thirteen more years. Thirteen more years!!

Abram–whom God had given the name Abraham when he was 99–was 100 years old when God finally gave him a son!! Twenty-five years after God had made God’s promise. 

Abraham was 100. His wife, whose name God had changed from Sarai to Sarah, was 90. 

No wonder Abram, in our passage for today, felt discouraged. Disappointed. Even hopeless. 

And yet…God was faithful. God kept God’s promise. God honored God’s word. God was faithful. 

Despite the fact that all the outward signs pointed legitimately to discouragement. 

Despite the fact that all the outward signs pointed legitimately to disappointment.

Despite the fact that all the outward signs pointed legitimately to hopelessness. 

Despite all the outward signs…God kept God’s promise. 

And Abraham took God at God’s word, and believed. 

And Abraham, at the age of 100, through his wife Sarah, at the age of 90, became the father of Isaac, and Abraham’s offspring became, indeed, a great nation, numbering as many as the stars!

So, finally, for all of you who have been waiting and wondering with baited breath when you would get another chance for active engagement(!), here it is! 🙂 

I invite you to find a sticky note, and write down a word or a phrase or a couple of sentences or draw a picture–whatever you want to put on paper to indicate some situation in your life or in the world about which you feel discouraged. A situation about which you feel, in this moment, disappointed. A situation about which you might even feel, if you are really honest, hopeless…

Some of us might need to use more than one sticky note.

And once you’ve done that, I invite you to bring that sticky note, or notes, up and stick them on the cross. We are going to acknowledge those situations, and our feelings about them, as honestly as we can…admitting within ourselves our fears, our doubts, our despair…

…and offer them to God.

[PAUSE FOR PEOPLE TO DO THAT…]

And now we are going to listen for God’s voice, telling us something similar to what I imagine he told Abram: 

Beloved children, I made a promise to you. And I will keep it. I made a promise of healing where there is hurt. I made a promise of wholeness where there is brokenness. I made a promise of hope where there is despair. I made a promise of new life where there is death. 

I made these promises to you, and I am a God of my word. These promises may not be fulfilled overnight; in fact, they won’t be. And you may have doubt me again; in fact, you will. But beloved children of mine, I have made you these promises, and I will keep them. I am a God of my word. 

And now I invite you to join me in channeling Abram, and believe. 

Despite all the outward signs with regard to the situations we wrote down, pointing legitimately to discouragement. 

Despite all the outward signs pointing legitimately to disappointment.

Despite all the outward signs pointing legitimately to hopelessness. 

Despite all of that, I invite you to join me, and much more importantly, Abram, in holding on to the promises God has made us. I invite you to join me, and much more importantly, Abram, in putting your faith in God’s faithfulness. I invite you to join me, and much more importantly, Abram, in trusting in God’s word. I invite you to join me, and much more importantly, Abram, in believing God.

God is faithful. All the time.

Amen. 

“What Do You Want From Me, Jesus??”

Luke 10:38-42

July 17, 2022

“But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things, but few things are needed—indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42, NRSV)

I’m going to ask for more “audience participation” this morning. Last week we turned the story of the Good Samaritan into a mini melodrama! This morning there won’t be any cheering or booing. 

And actually, what I’m asking for is not “audience participation,” per se–because this is not a performance with me providing the entertainment and you all providing the applause. What we are doing is group engagement with the scriptures. Or at least that’s what I hope it is. 

So, with that in mind, as we move into that group engagement process, I’m going to invite all of us to participate a little differently than we usually do. I’m going to invite you, and me, too, to engage not only with our heads and our hearts, but also with our bodies. But just briefly! And not in any way that will be too uncomfortable for anyone. I think. I encourage you all to participate, but of course, if you choose not to, that’s totally fine. 

Okay. Well, now that you’re all completely distracted wondering what on earth I am going to ask you to do with your body (!!), let me gently guide you back to the text for a moment. Like last week’s story of the Good Samaritan, today’s passage tells another familiar story, this story about Mary and Martha. There’s Mary, who we imagine to be in the living room area, presumably with the men who were also there, sitting at Jesus’s feet and listening to his teachings. A picture of devotion. And there’s Martha, Mary’s sister, who is most often placed in the kitchen, apparently by herself, and multitasking like the best of them–I can imagine her warming pita bread on the fire and boiling water for the lentils and chopping onions for the tabouleh. A picture of productivity. 

Here’s where your bodily engagement is invited. 🙂 I’m going to ask you to consider which of these two women you most identify with. And then to acknowledge it in front of all of us! And to commit to it by not just raising your hand timidly, but by standing with conviction. 

Now, this is not to say that you always and only identify with Mary or Martha. I’m looking for a gut reaction kind of response–which one do you more easily feel a kinship with? And there’s no judgment! Just curiosity. Ready?

How many of you resonate more readily with Mary, sitting at Jesus’s feet and listening to his teachings with single-minded devotion?

And how many, with Martha, hard at work, bustling about, a thousand things on her mind? 

Okay. Thank you all for your courage. 🙂 And remember–no judgment. 

Except…that…it kind of feels like there is judgment, doesn’t it? In Jesus’s response to Martha? Martha is doing her thing, focusing on the tasks at hand, presumably preparing a meal for her guests, whom she had welcomed into her home. And as far as she knows, she is doing the right thing! Showing hospitality to guests was considered a “mitzvah,” a commandment, an act of obedience to God, as well as an expression of kindness. According to the Jewish Virtual Website, “When [a Jew] knows of strangers who are hungry or need a place to relax, it becomes a legal obligation.” This was especially true in biblical times, with Jewish law specifically requiring that strangers be made to feel welcome, “for you [the people of Israel] were strangers in a strange land.” (Lev. 19:34 and see Ex. 12:49)

So showing hospitality was a thing in Jewish culture in Jesus’s time! 

Back to Martha. So having invited Jesus into her home as he was passing through her village, very likely knowing, since he was traveling, that he was both hungry and needed a place to relax, Martha, as a devout Jew, had an obligation to fulfill. A law to obey. A commandment from God to keep. 

And so, she busied herself keeping it. She focused on fulfilling it. Her mind and heart and hands were quickly occupied with how she was going to obey the law of hospitality. She wanted to honor her guest and her God by expressing kindness as shown by extending hospitality.

As far as Martha knew, she was doing what she needed to be doing.

As far as she knew, she was doing the right thing. 

AND, at the same time, Martha knew that Mary was not doing the right thing. She was not doing what she needed to be doing. She was not helping Martha. She was not showing hospitality. She was sitting in there, with the men, doing what?? Listening to them talk? She was sitting in there, right next to Jesus, doing nothing! As far as Martha could tell, Mary was not honoring their guest or their God. As far as Martha could tell, Mary was doing the wrong thing. 

I can imagine Martha trying to catch Mary’s eye, and when that didn’t work, maybe making a racket with the cookware in the hopes that Mary would look up and realize the error of her ways and get her butt out there and help! 

But she just kept sitting there, looking at Jesus, listening to every word he said…oblivious to everything else that needed to be done!! I can imagine that it was infuriating to Martha… I can even imagine Martha rolling her eyes before directing her glare at Jesus, who perhaps felt the heat of her stare and looked away from his listeners and met her gaze.

Having his attention, and figuring that even if Mary wouldn’t respond to her, she would clearly listen to Jesus, Martha said, as we know, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her, then, to help me!” And I can imagine her punctuating her words with a final glare in Mary’s direction, and then immediately turning and heading back to her chopping station, not waiting for an answer but assuming Jesus would make Mary do the right thing. And picking up her chopping knife, in anticipation of handing it over to her sister so she, Martha, could start pouring the wine. Because she sure could use a glass! 

But before she could do any of that, Jesus delivered his zinger. 

“Martha,” he said, perhaps with firmness in his voice. Something in his tone that made her stop where she was.

“Martha,” he said again, perhaps with more tenderness. And she turned around and this time met his gaze.

“You are worried and distracted by many things,” he continued, and perhaps the hardness in her eyes and in her heart began to soften as she realized her Lord was seeing her.

“You are worried and distracted by many things,” he had said. Martha realized how right he was. She was worried and distracted. And frazzled. And overwhelmed. But there were things she needed to get done! Many things! Who else would do them if she didn’t?

But holding her gaze, and as if reading her mind, Jesus continued, with gentle authority, “But few things are needed—indeed only one.” What? Martha thought. What one thing? she wondered. Wine? Olives? I should have brought out the bowl of water for their feet. How could I have forgotten??

And she looked at him, wondering what the one thing was, and Jesus said, “Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Ouch. Mary has chosen the better part? What?? I don’t understand… What are you talking about? What do you want from me, Jesus??

And that’s where the story ends. We don’t know what Martha did after that. Nor do we know what Mary did after that–although my best guess is that she stayed right where she was. I wonder what Martha did?

Either way, the question remains: what is that one thing? That one thing needed? What is the thing that Mary chose that Jesus called “the better part”? 

Often, it seems that this passage is used to make a distinction between being and doing, between sitting at Jesus’s feet and listening and being up and active and doing the work. 

We ask, like I did earlier, Are you a Mary or a Martha? Do you sit and listen? or do you do? Do you more readily contemplate Jesus’s teachings, or are you more likely to be found getting your hands dirty and doing the work of a disciple?  

Which one are you? And we ask that question with an unspoken–or at least sometimes unspoken!–understanding, as least from this passage, that it’s better to be a Mary… Right??

Because Mary chose the better part. Jesus said that!! It’s true that Jesus didn’t ever say anything directly about homosexuality or gender fluidity. But there is it–right there– Jesus said straight up: “Mary has chosen the better part”!!

So what about all of the Martha’s in the world? What about all of the Martha’s in the room?? Is there something wrong with us?? Do we have to change who we are? and how we are in the world? And if we do…how will all the work get done?? Because the Mary’s sure as heck aren’t going to do it! 🙂 

I don’t think that’s what Jesus had in mind when he said to Martha that what Mary had chosen was the better thing. I don’t think Jesus was making a distinction between being and doing, or  judging contemplation as better than action, or condemning the worker-bees in the world and praising those who sit and listen. 

I think Jesus was lifting up being present. 

What a gift it is to be in the presence of someone who is fully present. Not distracted. Not focused on a hundred other things. Or ten other things. Or even one other thing. But fully present. Taking in the fullness of what is going on. Offering their full self to what is going on. Knowing, perhaps, that what is going on, here, in this moment, is important…more important than all those other things they could be doing. More important, even, than the things it seems like they should be doing. At least according to the world around them. Valuing what is happening in these moments above all else. 

That, I think, is what Mary was doing. That, I think, is what Jesus was lifting up. Being fully present. Because it is a profound gift. I would even say it’s a holy gift.  Being in the presence of someone who is fully present, fully focused, someone whose attention is not divided, whose mind and heart are not distracted–that is to be in a sacred space. Talk about honoring the other. Talk about honoring God! 

To show up for another person as your full self, as your true self, offering to be fully present, not distracted, with heart and mind and hands available to the fullness of those moments–that is an incredible gift. 

And it’s a rare gift. Especially in our present culture of multitasking and distraction and 30-second attention spans. It’s rare because it’s hard to do! For most if not all of us, being fully present–if we’re honest and as Martha would attest to–is not easy. It’s an incredible, profound, and yes, even sacred gift to give–and it’s a hard one. 

It’s much harder to give the gift of full presence than to offer a delicious meal. It’s much harder to give than a comfortable place to relax. 

To show up with and for another as completely present is what Mary chose, and was rightfully acknowledged by Jesus as the better thing. 

To show up with and for another as completely present is to extend hospitality to the fullest, is to fulfill the law in Love. 

That, I believe, is what Jesus was lifting up. 

That is the work, as followers of Jesus, to which we are called. 

We’re going to end with one more opportunity for bodily engagement. Same idea, different questions. Except this time stay standing.

Which of you has received the gift of someone being fully present with you? [some?]

Which of you has offered the gift of being fully present to someone else? [some?]

Which of you has the capacity to give and receive the gift of full presence? [all!]

Absolutely. 

Amen.

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