The Time is Now.

"And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down.  The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.  Then he began to say to them, 'Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing'." (Luke 4: 20-21 NRSV)

In chapter twenty of "We Make the Road by Walking," Brian McLaren takes us into the early days of Jesus' public ministry in Galilee.  Of particular interest is his visit to his hometown synagogue of Nazareth.  McLaren offers a challenge in this story, and I'll present that challenge to you as well.

At a particular point in the Jewish Sabbath ritual, men are allowed to read from a particular scripture and offer comment on it, much like Christians today are used to hearing a pastor or priest give a sermon or homily.  Imagine sitting in the synagogue in Nazareth that day.  Jesus himself would be a familiar site, after all he had grown up in your town.  He'd probably read and offered comment in the synagogue before as well.  Let's say you've enjoyed what Jesus has had to say, so you settle in and look forward to it.

Jesus asks for, and receives the scroll from the prophet Isaiah.  He begins to read and then gets to the part which we today know as the first verses of Isaiah 61: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free."

We love verses like that today, don't we?  Certainly the people in the synagogue that day probably did as well.  As McLaren mentions, these kinds of verses give us hope that someday somebody will come along and really set things right.  This would have been especially meaningful back then as the people were living under Roman rule and oppression.  They were looking for that Messiah who could come and toss out the Romans and set things right, someday, they believed, he would come.

McLaren suggests that message could very well have been what the men in the synagogue were expecting to hear from Jesus that day. Someday, perhaps someday soon, the Messiah will come and set things right.  Are we as Christians in the same boat?  I think many of us are.  How many times have each of us sat in church over the years and listened to somebody read verses like these, maybe out of Revelation, and talk about how wonderful it will be when Jesus returns in glory and sets everything right?  I bet most of us have, multiple times.  These messages give us hope, hope for a better tomorrow.

But then Jesus goes in a totally different direction.  He says: "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." Wait now, what did he say?  He's not promising a better tomorrow, he's suggesting something better....today.  He's not suggesting that there will be some glorious afterlife with streets paved with gold, he's suggesting something that's happening....now.

There was some excitement in this.  Perhaps this man was a new prophet, could he, just maybe, be the promised Messiah?  And hey look, that's Joseph's son!  He's one of our own!  This man proclaiming this bold new message is one of us, from Nazareth, how awesome IS THAT?

But then thinks get ugly.  Jesus resorts to two stories from the Old Testament prophets Elijah and Elisha, about how they went outside their own people to do some of their deeds, and how displeased some were back then.  You and the other folks are starting to get confused, and as his point starts to dawn on you, you start to get mad.  This guy isn't preaching some new thing just for you, but he's talking about others, outsiders!  This good news is meant for us, not for all of those sinners, rule breakers, and the OTHERS.  This guy is a heretic!

At that point, you and your buddies, in a fit of righteous, or shall we say self-righteous, anger, drive Jesus from the synagogue and corner him on a nearby cliff, where you're ready to give him the old heave-ho. 

That's pretty scary stuff.  However, Jesus holds out long enough and is eventually able to pass through the crowd without harm and continue his ministry, a ministry that would be marked by the calling of dirty fishermen and tax collectors, a ministry that would heal those with the most untouchable diseases, a ministry that would exalt adultresses and prostitutes over the "righteous" religious folks of the day, a ministry that would turn the world on its head even centuries later.

McLaren challenges us first to think about this kind of a situation today.  Imagine if some very charismatic guy, or girl, popped up on the all the cable news networks and started to say:  "The time is NOW! This is the time for bringing about the kingdom of God. This is the time for ending violence and oppression.  This is the time to treat the poor with dignity and make sure everyone has a place at the table.  This is the time to expand the blessings of modern medical care to everyone no matter their ability to pay for it.  This is the time for peace, justice, and reconciliation."

Moreover, this message is for EVERYBODY!  This light, this new life of service and sacrifice, of peace and understanding isn't just for Christians or people we think follow all the rules.  The life, the light of all people is for everyone regardless of creed.  This life is for everyone regardless of gender. No more are there to be things that people are excluded from because of gender.  This life is for everyone, no matter their skin color.  Now is the time for prejudice to cease, especially prejudice in the name of religion.  This life is for everyone, straight, gay, lesbian, or transgender.  No longer are we to discriminate against people because of who they love.  All are God's children, made in his image, and engraved upon the palm of his hand.

Well, how would you feel about taking part in that message?  Not just the parts you agree with, mind you, all of it.  Love all, serve all.  Would you be one that would join in and be a disciple of this person, or would you be one of those who would be more interested in tossing this individual off of the proverbial cliff?  We've seen the attitudes toward Pope Francis with some of these very things. It's not always pleasant, and there are things listed above that I'm sure he won't even touch, such as gender issues.

McLaren quite startlingly argues that many Christians today would seem to be in the camp that's ready to throw Christ off of a cliff, and it can be over any of those issues listed above.  In our culture poor people are looked upon as inferior.  Many of us still lean on ancient bits of the Bible in order to continue to justify legal discrimination against LGBTQ individuals.  Many of our most important positions in our workplaces, governments, and faiths remain closed to women. 

As I've commented on several times before, the inclusiveness of Christ has been totally lost in many of our churches.  It's one of the main reasons why, years ago, I left church. Fortunately through people like Pastor Gary and organizations like the United Methodist Church, I've finally found a place that not only accepts and loves me, but welcomes and loves everybody with the open arms of Christ.  A place where you don't even have to be a Christian to partake in the Supper of the Lord.  

I firmly believe that the table of Christ, the banquet of love is set and open for all.  It is unfortunate that as the poor, the outcast, the women, the gay people, and even people of other faiths and no faith sometimes come to that table, the Christians, the "righteous," turn their noses in the air as Christ welcomes all to his table of peace, justice, and love.

Words like McLaren's have challenged me, and comforted me,  Not only are all of these welcome at the table of Christ, but so am I, despite my shortcomings and failures, which are many.  You are welcome at this table too, at anytime, free of judgement under the grace of Christ given for all.  If people judge you, come to me.  I will not.  I will be happy to chat with anyone regarding faith and the love of Christ.

The time is now.  Will you join me, will you join Christ and proclaim peace, love and justice for all?  The more of us that do that, the more of us that gather around the table and break bread together, the better our lives and our world can become.

The Prayer Room 1/11/15: Baptism of the Lord Sunday

"There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28 NRSV)

The verse listed above from Paul's letter to the Galatians is, to me anyway, one of the most powerful verses in the Bible. He's breaking the down the largest barriers of his age: Jew vs Gentile, slave vs free, male vs female.  For Paul, when Christ comes into the picture, those walls are torn down so that the light of Christ shines on all in equal measure. "You are one in Christ Jesus."

This last week was tough on the world scene.  It seems like every time I sit down to write one of these that there's some other horrible thing that's happened.  Last week it was the terrorist attacks in Paris and subsequent hunt for the killers.  That got all the news.  Let's also not forget that in Nigeria, Boko Haram militants slaughtered over 2,000 innocent men, women, and children.  That didn't get as much play here in the states.

But why? It's an easy question to answer.  French journalists working in an office are "us."  Poor people in the third world are "them."  We're nowhere near as concerned with what happens to them as opposed to what happens to us.  A massacre in a village in Africa seems a world away, while an attack on a French magazine office has us wondering if that kind of a thing could happen in our hometown.

The "us vs them" thinking comes even more into play when we look at Christians, or shall we say "western societies" vs Islam.  It was appalling to see "Kill All Muslims" trend on twitter for several hours last week.  Yesterday a certain American news outlet claimed that President Obama is going to alter the first amendment to fit Islamic law. The same outlet peddled an opinion that the City of Birmingham, in England, was now a Muslim enclave where non-Muslims are not welcome and will not go. They eventually apologized for that one, but it's clear that once again the fear machine has revved up to full volume as people seek to lay blame.  It doesn't matter that a Muslim employee at the Jewish kosher market that was attacked hid people in the meat locker and then snuck out to give police valuable info about the building and the situation inside.  That got little to no airplay.

The fear, and the "us vs them" thinking clearly goes against the Unity that Paul wishes for us to have in Christ, but it's not all bad news.  Yesterday millions of people marched in a rally in France to say that they weren't afraid of terrorism, and the President of France clearly drew a line between regular Muslims and the fundamentalists who perpetrate these actions.  It seems that despite the media hype and the raw rage of social media, most people still have their heads on straight about this.  

My prayer for the upcoming week is that it stays that way, and that it improves.  At some point, if humanity can come to conclusion that we're all in this together no matter gender, age, race, creed, social status or anything else, then we could really make some strides in this world.  Is that a tall order?  Absolutely.  Is it worth advocating for anyway?  Absolutely.  Please join me in keeping the victims of these incidents in your thoughts or prayers this coming week, and our world as well, that we can continue to try to realize that what unites us is bigger than what divides us.

Dear Christ, Prince of Peace:

We find, once again, that our world has been scarred by the worst kind of violence.

We offer up those who have died, that they may be at peace.

We offer up friends and family who are left behind, that they somehow find healing.

We even offer up those who commit these acts, that their hearts might be turned from hate.

We offer up our world to you, as we seek to find the best way to end this violence and be together.

We offer up ourselves to you, that we may recognize and void our own prejudices.

May your Spirit of peace, justice, and unity prevail as we pray the prayer you taught us:

Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.

Amen.

Book Review: "God is in the Manger" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"God is in the Manger" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, compiled and edited by Jana Riess, published 2010 by Westminster John Knox Press.

Just to be clear right from the get-go, this isn't a book written for this purpose by Dietrich Bonhoeffer during his lifetime.  It's a compilation of various reflections, sermons, and thoughts about Advent and Christmas that have been gathered from his papers and letters.  However, that shouldn't dissuade you from checking this out.  It's a wonderful compilation, and I think the great man himself would be very happy with the way it turned out.  The book lets Bonhoeffer speak for himself on the subject with little, if any, extra interpretation added.  Much of it is from the period when Bonhoeffer was in prison in Berlin, and that context gives many of the letters and reflections quite a powerful setting.

The first part of the book is dedicated to the Advent season.  As are most Advent devotionals, the book is geared around four themes, one for each candle around the Advent wreath.  These four themes are: Waiting, Mystery, Redemption, and Incarnation.  This book actually jived pretty well with the study we were doing for Advent at church, and I thought it was really on point.

The first week's theme, "waiting," centers around the action that is most familiar to us at Advent, which is of course waiting, waiting in expectancy and hope.  Not only do the readings reflect on our waiting, but God's waiting as well, his waiting to send his son, and his waiting to see the fruits of Christ's mission brought forward.  The second week, "mystery" focuses on the great mystery of why all of this was done for us, and what it all means.  Bonhoeffer describes this mystery not as an unknown, but as something we know to a certain extent and strive to learn more and more about. Some of the most powerful reflections were from this second week.

The third week tackles the topic of redemption: just what is it that Christ has done for us?  In this theme, the manger certainly foreshadows the cross as the life of Christ is looked at as a whole.  Some folks who haven't spent any time reading in Bonhoeffer's original writings might get a little bogged down here, as some of it is pretty heavy, theologically speaking, but the overall thrust is that the baby in the manger becomes Christ on the Cross, which is good news for us in the final analysis.

The final week of Advent focuses on the Incarnation itself: what a powerful thing it is for creator of the stars, the sky, the land, the sea, and all within it to become one of his own frail creatures just to save us from ourselves. For me this has always been the most powerful aspect of Christmas, and I was not disappointed in what Bonhoeffer had to say about it.

The last part of the book contains devotions for the 12 days of Christmas and one for Epiphany itself. These devotions focus largely on how we should respond to the gift of Christmas and dealing with what we have in front of us.  Contained in this section are some of Bonhoeffer's final letters, and they really help to put things in perspective.

This book was a top notch Advent study, and as I mentioned earlier, I really like the way they put it together.  The same group has another Bonhoeffer compilation for Lent that is out, and I'm seriously considering it getting it as well.  I wouldn't even say that you have to know a lot about Bonhoeffer to really get something out of this book.  There's something for everyone and it can really help folks to have a meaningful Advent and Christmas season.  I know it certainly helped me.

The Prayer Room, 1/4/15: Epiphany Sunday

And then the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." (Revelation 21:5 NRSV)

How many times in the past few days have you heard someone mention "New Year's Resolutions?" How many "New Year, New You" sales have you seen advertised on television and in stores?  It's big business as the calendar changes over from December to January and we add to our count of years.

It's probably for the better anyway.  Think about what we go through, and what often put ourselves through, during the holiday period.  We eat too much, we spend too much, we sit around too much, some folks drink too much, and then you add on the stress of running around to do shopping as well as time with family friends, time that we all want to be perfect but often ends up creating more tension than peace.  So it's really no big mystery why so many of us look at the start of the new calendar year, and the end of the holiday season, as a chance to start over and to get back on track.

It also happens to be a great time to look at your relationship with Christ, and with others, and see how you're doing.  We can use this time for a fresh start in our walk with God, and through that, a fresh start in our walk with others: our families, friends, and neighbors.  I wonder, as we've sat about thinking how we're gonna pay our Christmas bills and lose that extra weight, how many of us have thought about what God might have in store for us in the new year?

It can be an intimidating thought to ponder.  If we really strive to be open to his will and direction, there's no telling where that might take us.  Earlier this evening I read the beginning of the story of Abraham, where God tells him to pack up everything, leave the land of his family and culture, and venture into a strange and foreign land.  It is in doing this, taking this initial step of faith and trust, that begins a relationship and covenant with God, wherein Abraham's descendants will bring about a blessing to all the earth.

He had to be open though, he had to take the first step. Will you join me in trying to be more open to God this year, as scary as that might seem?  Remember that taking that first step into a new experience can lead to great growth and enrichment for ourselves and others we come into contact with!

Instead of the usual prayers I offer every Sunday, I invite you, if you are willing to try to be more open to God and new things in this new year, to join me in John Wesley's Covenant Prayer.  This is often used as a recommitment to God in the United Methodist Church during the first services of a new year.

I am no longer my own, but yours.
Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing, put me to suffering;
let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you,
exalted for you, or brought low for you;
let me be full,
let me be empty,
let me have all things,
let me have nothing:
I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things
to your pleasure and disposal.
And now, glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours. So be it.
And the covenant now made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.