"Living Waters, Healing Waters"

            This Sunday, April 26th, my congregation will celebrate “Earth Sunday.”  The theme for our celebration is “Living Waters, Healing Waters.”  Part of our focus during the service will concern the importance of being good stewards of the water and other natural resources that God has entrusted to our care.  We will also focus on the pivotal role that water plays within the Christian faith. 

            I have chosen John 4:  7-15 as the foundational scripture for my proclamation during this service.  This scripture tells the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.  Regular readers of this blog may recall that I recently preached on this text.  (See my June 28, 2014 post, entitled “Beyond the Safe Walls of the Church.”)  In that previous sermon, I focused on the relationship between Jesus and the un-named woman from Samaria.  By contrast, I intend to focus this week on what Jesus says about water.

            As the story unfolds, Jesus and his disciples have stopped at a village well to rest from a long journey they are making from Judea to Galilee.  It is the middle of the day, as Jesus waits by the well for the rest of the disciples who have gone to buy food in the market.  Jesus is hot and thirsty.  As he waits for the disciples, a Samaritan woman comes to the well to draw water for her household.  Jesus asks the Samaritan woman to give him a drink of water from her bucket.

            It is important to understand that there was great animosity and social strife between Jews and Samaritans at that time.  Although both groups have the same sacred texts and share a common faith, they disagree bitterly over how to interpret those texts and live out that faith.  Their most important point of contention concerns the correct location of their “holy of holies” sacred site.  For the Samaritans, the correct location is Mt. Gerizim; for the Jews, it is the Temple in Jerusalem.  The social tension between the two groups had escalated to such a heighth that Jews had no contact with anything Samaritan due to a fear of ritual contamination.

            Jesus’ request for water perplexes the Samaritan woman because drinking from her container would mean ritually contaminating himself.  So, she asks Jesus, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?”

            Jesus’ reply is unexpected and unconventional:  “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 

            Now, the term, “living water,” can have two possible meanings in Aramaic.  First, it can refer to running water, such as water running in a brook or gurgling up from a spring.  Second, it can refer to life-giving water.  Of course, Jesus is using the second meaning of life-giving water, but the Samaritan woman misunderstands, thinking that he is referring to the first definition of running water, and she is flabbergasted.

            She responds, “Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep.  Where do you get that living water?”  Given the context and her interpretation of “living water,” we can appreciate how astounding Jesus’ claim appears to her.  Afterall, here is a man without rope or bucket, who just a moment ago was asking for help in getting a drink from the well.  Now, suddenly, he is claiming to have superhuman access to running water.  This conversation is not coherent.

            Jesus clarifies:  “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty.  The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.”

            It’s at this point that we realize Jesus is using “living water” as a metaphor for the loving grace which flows down upon us through his life, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection.  Living water is an especially poignant metaphor.  Adequate water is absolutely essential for biological survival and flourishing.  Water is the signature resource that astronomers and astrobiologists focus on in their search for extraterrestrial life because it is hard to conceive of life existing without water.

            Water is also pivotal in Christian faith:

Ø  In the Creation Story contained in Genesis 1, God begins by moving over the face of the waters.

Ø  At a water well, Jacob met his future wife, Rachel, and helped water her sheep.

Ø  When the Hebrew people escape from their slave-bondage in Egypt, God parts the waters of the Red Sea to provide an avenue of escape from the pursuing Egyptian army.

Ø  Jesus sought out John the Baptist to be baptized by water; when he emerged from the baptismal waters of the River Jordan, a voice from heaven identified him as, “…my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

Ø  As we’ve seen already, Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well and asks for a drink.

Ø  On the night in which he was betrayed, Jesus used water to wash the disciples’ feet, teaching us to serve one another.

In the Christian tradition, water heals and water is sacred.  In the Sacrament of Baptism, we use water as the physical substance which points beyond itself to that inward, spiritual grace which God offers to us from the deep reservoirs of God’s limitless love.  With the tactile substance of water, we welcome persons into the family of Christ, while also anointing them for ministry as Christian disciples.  At Baptism, water also offers healing.  Just as physical water is very effective for physical cleaning, so also Baptismal waters point to the spiritual cleansing, forgiveness, and healing that Jesus offers to those who truly repent from their sins and shortcomings.

Yet, much of our planet’s water is dirty and polluted.  Even more distressing, social scientists warn that our planet is facing a water shortage challenge in the near future, if appropriate conservation measures are not taken soon.  We have grossly mismanaged our water resources.

As the only earthly organisms created in the image of God, we have been charged with stewardship of God’s good Creation.  This is both a privilege and a responsibility.  Water, along with all of the Earth’s other natural resources, do not belong to humans.  Instead, they belong to God, the Creator, who has entrusted humans with the responsibilities of stewardship and careful management for a relatively short time.

 

Come and join us this Sunday, April 26^th, as we celebrate Earth Sunday and recommit ourselves to the task of stewardship of water and all of the natural resources which ultimately belong to God the Creator.  Our church is located at the corner of Main and Dawson Streets in Meriden, Kansas.  Our classic worship starts at 10 am. 

Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.

"Seized by Terror and Amazement"

             As an ordained pastor for over 30 years, it seems to me that on Easter Sunday, there are always two separate congregations attending Easter Worship.  The two congregations intermingle and worship together.   Frequently, there are members of the same family, sitting together on the same pew, yet, they belong to separate congregations.  These two congregations are:

1.      The “true believers.”  This group is firmly convinced of the Resurrection and they harbor no doubts that through faith in Jesus they will have eternal life with God.

2.      The second group is the “quiet doubters.” Although they would like to belong to the “true believers” congregation, they have doubts that Jesus really was resurrected from the dead.  However, they are silent about their doubts because it might be considered impolite and it would upset others at the Easter Service.

In my faith journey, I have belonged to both congregations—both the “true believers” and the “quiet doubters.”  So, I think that I know how both congregations think and feel, as they gather for worship on Easter Sunday.

Let me focus a bit on the quiet doubters.  For this group, the resurrection is at odds with what we know from science and real life experiences.  For instance, we know that over the first 3 days of death, the physical body begins to decay and some post-mortem bloating may set in.  This raises serious questions about the resurrection of Jesus.  People are not just resurrected from the dead, as the scriptures claim for Jesus of Nazareth.  “Perhaps,” the quiet doubters may say to themselves, “Jesus was not really resurrected.  Perhaps his disciples just made up the resurrection because Jesus was such a special moral leader.”

The level of doubt may range along a continuum from some persons who completely reject the Resurrection as an actual event to others who basically accept the Resurrection, even though they retain a twinge of doubt and uncertainty in the back of their minds.  “Quiet doubters” may attend Easter services for a variety reasons, but they generally refrain from openly sharing their doubts.

As a pastor, who in the past was a “quiet doubter,” I feel it is important to point out to both congregations that there is a “bright red thread,” or common theme, that runs throughout all four gospel accounts of Christ’s Resurrection.   This red thread is so obvious that it is almost impossible to overlook.  Yet, many Easter services ignore or downplay this red thread. This red thread is that in all four gospels there is profound doubt expressed by some of Christ’s followers, concerning the Resurrection:

Ø  In the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus’ disciples meet him on the mountain following his Resurrection, “they worshiped him; but some doubted.” (Matthew 28:17) 

Ø  In Luke, when the women returned from the empty tomb and their encounter with the two men in dazzling white, their words seemed to the disciples to be “an idle tale, and they did not believe them.”

Ø  And, of course, in John we have the story of “doubting Thomas,” who said:  “‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’” (John 20:25) 

Ø  In Mark’s account of the first Easter morning, when the women arrive at the empty tomb and encounter the man in white, they run away from the scene because they are seized by “terror and amazement.”  (Mark 16: 1-8)  In Mark, when the disciples are afraid, it usually indicates that they lack sufficient faith in Jesus Christ.  For instance, when the disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee during a fierce storm, they become terrified.  Then, Jesus calms the sea, reassuring the disciples and asking them:  “Why are you afraid?  Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:  40)

Frequently, we overlook the disciples’ doubt in our rush to shout “Alleluia!” and sing “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today.”  We ignore the red thread in our rush to plan Easter egg hunts and scrumptious Easter dinners with our family and friends.  Amid the Easter eggs, jelly beans, ‘peeps,’ chocolate bunnies, and Easter lilies, we always manage the avoid discussion of the disciples’ doubts.  Yet, regardless of which Gospel account you turn to, there is always at least one person who has doubts and is not sure about the resurrection. 

I think that we should pay more attention to the disciples and other followers of Jesus who had doubts about the Resurrection.  As a former “quiet doubter” myself, I have always found it easier to identify with “doubting Thomas” and the others who did not initially accept the reality of the Resurrection.

Yet, in each case, the doubts of Jesus’ followers eventually gave way to assurance of the Resurrection reality.  Through Jesus’ appearances and words, through the mutual support of the community of faith, through the growth and maturation of their faith, Jesus followers become convinced of his resurrection and they ultimately become … people of the Resurrection.

So this brings us to the central question of Easter, regardless of whether we are “true believers” or “quiet doubters.”  This central question is this: 

What does it mean to live as a Resurrection people?

In my message on Sunday, I will suggest that to live as Resurrection people means that we must learn to see with new eyes: 

First, we need to avoid the trap of seeing Jesus’ Resurrection as just another unconnected miracle performed by God.  Instead, we must view the Resurrection as part of the overarching story of God’s Creative work in the universe.  This story begins when God created the universe and judged it to be very good.  However, God’s creative activity is not limited to just the beginning.  God is continually at work creating and redeeming the world.  Ultimately, God promises to transform all of Creation and make it new.  As the New Testament Book of Revelation says:  “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, …[and God said], ‘See, I am making all things new.’”(Revelation 21: 1-2, 5)  In God’s New Creation, the old will be transformed.  Jesus’ Resurrection is the “tipping point,” when God begins to transform this universe into the New Creation described in Revelation.

Secondly, as a Resurrection people we must live towards the future and this New Creation which God has begun through the resurrection of Christ.  In other words, we are not enslaved by the past.  Instead, God intends for us to look forward to the future and Creation’s final redemption.  The celebration of the Lord’s Supper is an example of this forward way of looking and living.  Too often, when the community of faith gathers to celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion, we dwell on how the sacrament was first established.  We look to the past and remember how on the night when he was betrayed by Judas and denied by Peter, Jesus gathered with his followers in the Upper Room where he instituted the sacrament.  Although how the Lord’s Supper was established is very important, it is perhaps even more important to remember that the Lord’s Supper points forward to the future New Creation, when Jesus will join with all of his followers and feast and drink at the heavenly banquet in the kingdom of God.  (See Mark 14: 22-25 and Matthew 26: 26-29)

Finally, as Resurrection people, we no longer need to live in fear and dread of death—either the death of our friends or even our own death.  Through the Resurrection, God has provided conclusive proof that death is not the final word.  Rather than being the termination of our existence, death is a transition from this life to New Life with God through Jesus Christ.

 

Come and celebrate Easter with us this Sunday, April 5th.  Our church is located at the corner of Main and Dawson Streets in Meriden, Kansas.  Our classic worship starts at 10 am. 

Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.

 

Born Again?

            One day at recess, when I was in the fourth-grade, several classmates came up and asked me if I was a “born again” Christian?   They informed me that, according to the Bible, only people who have been “born again” are truly saved and going to heaven.  People might think that they were Christians, faithfully following Jesus, but if they had not been born again, then they were just fooling themselves and God would judge them harshly.

In the small southern town where I grew up, to be “born again” usually meant that the individual had experienced a dramatic, spiritual and emotional conversion, in which they heard Jesus calling them to repentance and rebirth.  Most of the “born again” Christians around me could identify the exact moment when they “truly accepted Jesus into their lives, gave Jesus their hearts, and promised to follow in his footsteps as one of his disciples for the rest of their lives.”  Frequently, these intense moments of conversion occurred at the end of a Christian Revival service, when the individual responded to a preacher’s “altar call” by sliding out of their pews, walking down the aisle of the church, and then kneeling at the altar as the preacher prayed for them. 

After further questioning, I determined that the church which my fourth-grade friends and their families attended was having a Revival that week.  At the revival service, my friends had responded to an “altar call” and “given their lives to Jesus,” as the revival preacher prayed and they knelt, crying uncontrollably.  Although I should have been happy for my fourth-grade friends’ spiritual awakening, I was actually annoyed—and, a little terrified.  You see, now that they were “real Christians,” my friends became somewhat arrogant and downright judgmental.  They kept telling me that if I did not have a single moment of conversion and become “born again,” then I was not really a Christian and I was not really saved.

I grew up as a Methodist preacher’s kid in North Carolina.  I was baptized as an infant, and I had been raised as a Christian all of my life.  I could not identify a transformative moment when I was “born again.”  I had always been raised in the faith; always been growing in the faith. I distinctly remember thinking to myself that God was not very fair, if it was true you  had to have a dramatic “born again” experience.  Since I believed that God was ultimately fair, I began to doubt what my fourth grade friends had heard in their church during that revival.

Then, several months later, as I continued to think about not being “born again,” it occurred to me that nothing had really changed in the lives of my “born again” fourth-grade classmates.  While they were different for a few days, before long they begin to return to their old selves.  Now, after several months, you could not really tell that they had ever been “born again” Christians.

            The Christian concept of being “born again” comes from our scripture reading for this weekend, John 3:  1-21.  The story begins with Nicodemus who was a Pharisee and a leader of the Jews in his community.  The Pharisees were very devout in their faith and very rigorous in following Jewish law and customs.  Representing the Jewish leaders of his town, Nicodemus seeks Jesus out at night, under the cover of darkness.  John, the Gospel writer, makes a point of emphasizing that Nicodemus approaches Jesus at night because for John, darkness suggests a separation (or, alienation) from God.

            Nicodemus begins by affirming Jesus.  He refers to Jesus as a “Rabbi,” a title of honor and he further affirms that Jesus must be “a teacher who has come from God.”  Unfortunately, at this point, Nicodemus stumbles in his approach to Jesus, by confirming that Jesus must be a great teacher because “no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.”  Earlier, in John 2, the Gospel writer has told us that Jesus does not trust those believers whose faith is based upon the miraculous signs that he does (2:23-25).

            As a result, Jesus responds to Nicodemus 3:3 by challenging him with a word puzzle:  “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born again.”  This, of course, is the verse that grounds the claim that “true Christians” must be “born again” Christians.  However, this is one of those cases when the words say more than they appear to say.  The Gospel of John was written in Greek and the phrase looks like this in Greek:  “to be born άυωθευ”.  Now, άυωθευ has a double meaning in Greek, which cannot be captured in English.  The word can mean either, “again,” a reference to time or “from above,” a reference to the Divine. 

It’s clear that in the story, Nicodemus interprets άυωθευ as meaning to be “born again.”  Nicodemus responds by asking “How can anyone be born after having grown old?  Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?”

However, in understanding this passage, we must take into account both meanings.  The Gospel writer clearly wants us to understand that in his word puzzle for Nicodemus, Jesus is talking about being both being born again and from above.  Jesus says, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.”  As Christians, we normally associate “water” with baptism.  But, here, we need to remember that Nicodemus is not yet a Christian.  Rather, he is a Jewish Pharisee.  So, for Nicodemus, being “born of water” is a metaphor for physical birth from the womb.  In other words, as a Pharisee, Nicodemus would have understood Jesus to mean that one must be born physically and spiritually.

This realization prompts a cry of disbelief from Nicodemus, “How can these things be?”  At this point, the dialogue between Nicodemus and Jesus ends.  The remainder of the passage, 3:11-21, is a monologue by Jesus, as he tries to explain what he means by being born again and from above. 

Jesus begins his explanation by foreshadowing his future crucifixion on the cross.  He explains that “the Son of Man must be lifted up.”  John, the Gospel writer, understands Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension as one continuous event in which Jesus of Nazareth is revealed as the Messiah—or, Son of God.  Thus, at the crucifixion, Jesus is physically lifted up on the Cross and crucified, but in so doing, Jesus is also lifted up and exalted as the Messiah. 

This leads to what the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther believed to be the very essence of the Christian Gospel, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

In the remaining verses, 3:17-21, Jesus elaborates on the meaning of John 3:16.  The key to interpreting these final five verses is to recognize that the verb tense is present—not future.  So, verse 17:  “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”  Present tense—not future.  The verb tense is important here because it signals what theologians refer to as a “realized eschatology.”

The term, “realized eschatology” is just a fancy way of saying that in this verse God’s judgment and salvation of the world is underway now, in the present, initiated with Jesus’ first coming into the world.  God is not waiting for some future, cosmic end-of-the-world moment to redeem the world, although as Christians we look forward to that cosmic event, as well.  In a realized eschatology, the word “eternal,” means more than just a never ending existence.  It means more than simply living “to infinity—and beyond,” to quote the movie, Toy Story.   

No.  In a realized eschatology, “eternal life” describes a life lived in God’s unlimited presence and glory.  God sends the Son into the world in love to save the world here, now, in the present, today.  We respond to that love by living our lives in God’s Presence here, now, in this present moment, in this present world, knowing that God is already with us through the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Messiah. 

Unfortunately, this “eternal life” is too much for us as broken, finite, sinful human persons.  Using Jesus’ metaphor of light and darkness, the light is too bright and we slip back into a grayness that is both light and dark.  Or, as my fourth grade classmates who had been “born again,” we slip back into the familiar routine of our daily lives, unchanged by God’s realized eschatology.

In the Christian year, we are currently in the season of Lent, that 40 day period of spiritual preparation leading up to Easter.  It is a time of penance, remorse, confession, and self-sacrifice.  It is a time to take stock of our lives and acknowledge how far we can slipped from the light of Jesus, back into the darkness and separation from God.  It is time to reclaim God’s realized eschatology and to be born once again.

 

Come, join us this Sunday, March 15th, as we explore further the story of Jesus and Nicodemus.  Our church is located at the corner of Main and Dawson Streets in Meriden, Kansas.  Our classic worship service starts at 10 am on Sunday mornings. 

Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.

On Being God's Gardener

            Although I intend to follow the lectionary for most of the Sunday’s during Lent, I’m going to break away from the lectionary in order to focus my sermon time on an important announcement that was shared with the Meriden UM community this week.  The announcement was that I have agreed to accept an appointment to become the next pastor at Christ UMC in Lincoln, Nebraska, effective July 1st—and a new pastor will be appointed to follow me here at Meriden UMC.

            In view of this completely unexpected development, I’ve decided that we would be better served if I preached on 1 Corinthians 3:  4-11.  Two key verses from this passage are vv. 5-6:

 “What then is Apollos?  What is Paul?  Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each.  I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” 

            Whenever we approach a passage from Paul’s First Letter to Corinthians, it’s a good idea to begin with the question, “What’s the conflict this time?”  As the first Christian missionary, the Apostle Paul established a church in the City of Corinth, which at the time was the capitol of Achaia.  After he was certain that the fledging congregation was well established, Paul traveled on to other areas, to spread the Gospel and establish new churches in those places as well.  As he traveled, Paul received updates about how things were going in Corinth, as well as in other cities where he had started churches.

            The news from the church in Corinth was usually bad.  Those Corinthian Christians were always in conflict with one another, about one thing or another.  In chapter 3, Paul addresses one of those controversies.  This particular controversy involves competing allegiances to two pastors.  The first pastor was Paul, himself, who began the church during his missionary journeys.  The second pastor was Apollos, who was a Christian Jew originally from the Egyptian city of Alexandria.  After Paul left Corinth to continue his missionary journeys, Apollos had come to Corinth for a time, preaching and teaching. 

            Difficulties arose within the church of Corinth, when some Christians began to say that they were disciples of Paul, while others who opposed them claimed to be followers of Apollos.  This led to an escalating division within the church.  In order to heal this division, Paul addresses the controversy in his letter.  

            Paul begins by appealing to the metaphor of a gardener.  Since Paul was there first, he claims for himself the role of planting the garden, which represents the church in Corinth.  Yet, recognizing the important role played by Apollos, Paul writes that Apollos watered the young plants which he had planted.  Then, he concludes the metaphor by writing, “For we [Paul and Apollos] are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.” (v. 9)

            At this point, Paul switches to the metaphor of a building. In verse 10, he writes, “According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else [Apollos] is building on it.”

            I really appreciate Paul’s two metaphors when thinking about pastoral transitions in a 21st century church.  I believe that pastoral ministry is fundamentally about helping people make connections with the divine, with other persons, and with Creation.  Helping people make connections is a slow process.  Ordained clergy are frequently planting seeds which will not fully mature and produce fruit until after was have moved on.  So, for the nearly four years that I have served as pastor at Meriden UMC, I have tried to water the seeds and young plants which my predecessors have planted—and, I have planted some seeds of my own.  Or, following Paul’s metaphor switch, I have built upon the foundation laid by those who came before me as pastors of this community of faith. 

That is, I have been “Apollos” to my predecessors’ “Paul.”  In a few months, a new pastor will come to Meriden and become an “Apollos” to my “Paul.”  This is the same dynamic that has played out over and over and over in Christian churches down through the ages, since Paul and Apollos in the first Christian churches.

Perhaps ordained clergy get way too much credit when our churches are doing well—and perhaps way too much blame when things are not going well.  As Paul observes while talking about Apollos, “So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” (verse 7)  Ultimately, it is God who powers our ministry and helps them be successful.  Whether it is ordained or lay, ministry is always about opening ourselves to become channels through which God’s love, power, and healing can flow, as God chooses.

 Come, join us this Sunday, March 8th, as we explore further what it means to become a channel through which God’s love, power, and healing can flow.  Our church is located at the corner of Main and Dawson Streets in Meriden, Kansas.  Our classic worship service starts at 10 am on Sunday mornings. 

Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.

"Jesus Lights the Way!!"

            Traditionally, the Church has encouraged the recollection and observance of “Transfiguration Sunday” on the weekend immediately preceding Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent.  This year, Ash Wednesday comes next Wednesday on February 18th, making this weekend, “Transfiguration Sunday.”

            “Transfigure” comes from the Latin word, “transfiguratio,” meaning to change or transform the outward appearance of something.  The term, “transfiguration,” is typically used in a positive, spiritual sense, referring to physical glorification or exaltation.  Transfiguration is a religious revelation, in which the divine blessing bestowed upon an individual is momentarily revealed in a brilliant, white flash.  It is transformative in that we momentarily see the individual as they are truly are in their divine nature.

            The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ is described in three of the Gospels, Matthew 17: 1-9; Mark 9: 2-10; and Luke 9: 28-36.  It is also referenced in 2 Peter 1: 16-18.  This weekend, our scriptural basis will be Mark’s description of the Transfiguration:

²Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, ³and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. ⁴And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. ⁵Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁶He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. ⁷Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” ⁸Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

⁹As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. ¹⁰So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead could mean.

            Of course, we, 21st century Christians, have the advantage of looking back over history knowing that Jesus will be crucified, buried, and then will be resurrected from the dead three days later.  At this particular point in Jesus’ life and ministry among them, the disciples did not have the benefit of foresight into how Jesus’ time on Earth would conclude.  So, in the story, they appear ignorant and say foolish things.

            For example, when they reach the mountain summit, Jesus becomes transfigured into a dazzling white brilliance.  The disciples see Jesus talking with the Hebrew prophets Moses and Elijah from the Old Testament (or Hebrew Scriptures).  Within the Jewish faith, Moses and Elijah were two of the three historical figures believed to be already living eternally, in the presence of Almighty God.  (Enoch was the third person; see Genesis 5.)  That is, the disciples believed that Moses and Elijah were already living in Heaven in the Glory and Presence of God.

            When the disciples see Jesus transfigured and talking with Moses and Elijah, they are flabbergasted—and, terrified!  Peter doesn’t really know what to think or do.  So, he says, “Rabbi…let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”  Perhaps Peter was caught up in the awesome wonder of the moment.  Yet, when we step back and look at what’s happening, this was a ridiculous suggestion.  Think about it.  Why would Moses and Elijah ever want live in an earthly dwelling, when they were already eternally living in the presence of God and all God’s glory?

            Then, out of the cloud, the disciples hear the voice of God the Creator, saying, “This is my Son, the Beloved, listen to him!”  In this moment of Transfiguration, God confirms what the disciples have already begun to believe and affirm—that this Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the long-awaited Messiah promised by God.

            Still, there is a distinct hint that the disciples can’t fully comprehend what they are seeing, hearing, and experiencing.  As they walk down the mountain, Jesus orders them to tell no one about what they’ve seen on the mountain, until after he has risen from the dead.  Mark records that the disciples followed Jesus’ instructions, but that they questioned among themselves what Jesus meant by “rising from the dead.”  This suggests that they “just don’t get it” because Jesus had already begun preparing the disciples for what would happen in the previous chapter, Mark tells us that Jesus “began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected [and] killed, and [then] after three days rise again.” 

            As Christians living in the 21st century, we might well ask what relevance Christ’s Transfiguration has for our contemporary lives and faith.  Afterall, we have other, significantly more powerful evidence through his Resurrection that Jesus of Nazareth was the long-promised Messiah.  So, what’s the point of rehashing this one Transfiguration story that briefly previews what we know comes afterwards? 

            It seems to me that there are three major insights:

            First, the three disciples remind me of myself on my spiritual journey.  Throughout this story the disciples are ignorant and they foolish.  They “just don’t get it.”  They remind me of myself a great deal.  There are many times when I fail as a disciple of Christ--times when my faith is weak; when I am ignorant and do foolish things; times when I "just don't get it."  Seeing that the disciples are working hard to “get it” makes it easier for me to identify with them and it encourages me to continue asking questions, struggling with my doubts and—in the process—growing in my faith.

            Second, hearing again the story of Jesus’ Transfiguration reminds me that God is present in our world today, just as during the time when Jesus walked the Earth.  Although the historic opportunity to see Christ’s Transfiguration was only given to Peter, James, and John, it alerts us to other possibilities in which the Divine may be discerned in a flash of revelation.  Despite their ignorance and foolishness in the moment, I believe that the three disciples perceived the Transfiguration with the eyes of faith.  Which raises the question, “How can we perceive the brilliant revelation of God in the world around us, with our eyes of faith?”  Can we perceive the brilliant radiance of God in a beautiful sunset?  Or, in the firm squeeze of an infant, as it firmly grabs our finger?  Or, in the acts of kindness which others bestow upon us?

            Finally, we see that in order to redeem the world, Jesus had to descend from the glory of the Transfiguration to endure the suffering of the Cross.  As one biblical scholar has written, “Christians frequently think of the divinity of Jesus in terms of heavenly glory …We tend to think that Jesus is most clearly Son of God in glory, not in suffering.  This passage challenges us to revise our understanding of how God’s presence comes to the world.  The command to silence reminds Christians that glory and suffering cannot be separated.”[i] 

If we are to live in the glorious presence as Moses, Elijah, and Enoch, then we must follow Jesus in his suffering, before we can follow Jesus in his glory.  As he tells his disciples in Mark 8, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.”  This self-sacrifice is what we will begin to observe this week, with Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.

 

Come, join us this Sunday, February 15th, as we explore the implications of Christ’s Transfiguration for our own life and faith.  Our church is located at the corner of Main and Dawson Streets in Meriden, Kansas.  Our classic worship service starts at 10 am on Sunday mornings.  Also, consider joining us for a special Ash Wednesday Service on February 18th, beginning with pancakes at 5:30 pm.

Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.

---

[i] Pheme Perkins, The Gospel of Mark:  Introduction, Commentary, and Reflections in The New Interpreter’s Bible, volume 8 in the 12 volume series, 2003.

 

Pollyanna Got It Right ! ! !

            The name, “Pollyanna,” has taken on a special meaning in American culture.  The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines “Pollyanna,” as “a person characterized by irrepressible optimism and a tendency to find good in everything.”[i]  Generally, the term has become a derogatory comment, suggesting that a person is unrealistic and somewhat childish.  For instance, the definition in Dictionary.com provides a flavor of this derogatory sense in its definition of Pollyanna:  “an excessively or blindly optimistic person as.”[ii]

            The term, “Pollyanna” refers to Pollyanna, the 1913 novel by Eleanor H. Porter, developed into the 1960 film by Disney Studios, starring Hayley Mills.  In the film, Pollyanna is a 12 year-old orphaned girl, who arrives in the small town of Harrington to be adopted by her aunt.  As the story unfolds, Pollyanna captivates and transforms the town with her sunny optimism and the “glad game” which her father taught her before his death.  The point of the “glad game” is to find something to be glad about in even the saddest and most disappointing circumstances.  The game is basically the attitude of finding a “silver lining in every cloud.”

            As noted, “Pollyanna” is caricatured in popular culture for ungrounded and naïve optimism.  However, this caricature overlooks the context of Pollyanna’s philosophy.  Pollyanna’s joy and optimism are firmly rooted within the context of her Christian faith.  This becomes clear in the climactic scene in the film, when Pollyanna and the village pastor have a one-on-one conversation.  In the scene, Pollyanna explains that she always tries to look for the good in people.  Further, she claims that there are 800 verses in the Bible that call upon the faithful to rejoice and be glad.  So, she concludes, that many repetitions about rejoicing and being glad must mean that it is very important to God.

            In Philippians 4:  4-9, the Apostle Paul confirms Pollyanna’s basic philosophy.  Paul writes, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”  Then, he offers them a blessing, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  In my blogs and in my Sunday sermons over the past four weeks, I have been exploring the distinctive characteristics that make the Christian lifestyle distinctive from other ways of living.  We conclude our exploration this week by looking at Christian joy and optimism.

            Joy and optimism should permeate our lives as Christians, just as with Pollyanna.  But, in saying this, it is important to add that our joy and optimism are not groundless or naïve, as sometimes depicted in the caricature.  No.  Instead, they are grounded in the context of our faith—and, our belief that God loves us and will care for us.  As Paul frames it in his letter to the Philippines, “The Lord is near.  Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  …and the peace of God will be with you.”

 

Come, join us this Sunday, as we explore what it means to put our faith and trust so completely in God that we can live with the joy, hope, and optimism of Pollyanna.  Afterall, Pollyanna got it right.  Our church is located at the corner of Main and Dawson Streets in Meriden, Kansas.  Our classic worship service starts at 10 am on Sunday mornings. 

Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.

---

[i] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pollyanna, accessed 4 February 2015.

[ii] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Pollyannaism, accessed 6 February 2015.

In God We Trust?

            This Sunday, January 25th, is the third in a five-week proclamation series entitled, “What Makes the Christian Life Distinctive?”  In this series, we are exploring how being a Christian should make a real difference in the life each of us lives—and, the persons we become.  That is, our Christian faith should make us and our lifestyle distinctive from other well-intentioned people around us.  Our focus this weekend looks at the role of faith, or the trust that we place in God.

            To ground our thinking on the role of trust and how it should make us distinctive from other people, I have chosen the parable of the rich farmer in Luke 12:  13-21 as our scriptural text.  The scripture reading opens with Jesus teaching a crowd of people.  As he is speaking, a man in the crowd asks, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.”  Apparently this person is unhappy with the way his older brother is executing their family estate.  Jesus declines the invitation to arbitrate between the two brothers.  Based upon what he says, it appears as though he senses that the man’s request is driven by greed. 

            What Jesus says in declining the invitation to arbitrate is this:  “Take care!  Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12: 15)  To illustrate and drive home this claim, Jesus follows up with a parable about a rich farmer.  One season, the rich farmer’s crops produce abundantly and his harvest is so great that he does not have room in his barns to store the crops.  The harvest exceeds his calculations.`

This presents a huge problem for the farmer, who eventually decides to tear down his barns and build much bigger ones.  The rich farmer thinks to himself, “I will do this:  I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And, I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, and be merry.”  (Luke 12:  19)

For Jesus’ audience that day, the rich farmer’s wealth and the abundant harvest would have been signs of God’s blessing and favor.  Note that in the rich farmer’s response to the bountiful harvest, he does not give God any credit or offer any thanks to God.  Neither does the rich farmer share from his wealth with his community, especially those who are poor or marginalized.  Instead, the rich farmer turns his back on God and his community.  He shuts everyone out of his life, so that there is nothing left, except for the rich farmer and his possessions.  The rich farmer begins to trust in himself and his affluence, rather than trusting in God.  He becomes a “practical atheist,” uttering platitudes about his allegiance to God, while living as though there is no God.

This quickly elicits a harsh judgment from God:  “You fool!  This very night your life is being demanded of you.  And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” (Luke 12:  20)  Jesus concludes his parable with this observation, “So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”  (Luke 12:  21)

            Throughout history, many persons have put their trust and faith in the wrong thing.  In Jesus’ parable, the rich farmer erroneously puts his trust in his money and possessions.  Others have erroneously put their trust in political or economic power, their fame, their intellect, their weapons, other people, or science and knowledge. By contrast, what sets authentic Christians apart as unique and special is their faith and trust in God--and God alone.

 

Come, join us this Sunday, as we explore what it means to put our faith and trust completely in God.  Our church is located at the corner of Main and Dawson Streets in Meriden, Kansas.  Our classic worship service starts at 10 am on Sunday mornings. 

Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.