"Love"

            This coming Sunday we continue our examination of the question, “What makes the Christian lifestyle unique?”  Last week, I suggested that there are five moral virtues, which are at the heart of a distinctive Christian lifestyle.  I described virtues as the values that define who we are as persons.  These virtues are the attributes of our inner character that others see reflected in our outer life of words and deeds.  Think of virtues as “habits of the heart.”  Virtues become habitual, so ingrained within us that they guide and inform our actions without our awareness of their influence.  The five Christian virtues strengthen us as Christians to live ethically in a way that reflects Christ in what we say and do—and, this leads to a distinctly Christian lifestyle. 

Last Sunday, we began by exploring the virtue of Christian hope.  This Sunday, I will focus on the virtue of Christian love.  In subsequent weeks, we will also consider the virtues of justice, frugality, and humility. 

            Of course, the word, “love,” has many different meanings.  There is the romantic love of a couple who have entered into marriage with one another.  Alternatively, I love ice cream, or I love living in the town of Lincoln, Nebraska.  Clearly, these examples are not what we mean by love as a Christian virtue. 

            What, then, do we mean by love as a Christian virtue?  C. S. Lewis, a English professor and Christian, once wrote:  “Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person’s ultimate good as far as it can be obtained”[i]  I think this observation from Lewis contains the gist of love as a Christian virtue.  For the purposes of describing a Christian virtue, I would re-frame the Lewis definition in this way:  “The Christian virtue of love is both an attitude and action.  As an attitude, love means accepting and affirming the inherent value of those whom we meet, regardless of how repulsive or evil they are as persons.  Building upon this attitude, Christian love means seeking that person’s ultimate good as far as it can be obtained.”

            In our scripture reading this week, Jesus describes the ultimate act of Christian love, when he says:  “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).  Then, Jesus continues by saying, “You are my friends if you do what I command you” (John 15:14).  Of course, this was exactly what Jesus did at the end of his ministry, when he accepted crucifixion on the cross in order to demonstrate the depth of God’s love for each of us.  Carol O’Day, a Biblical scholar, notes that in this passage the Greek word for friend is “philos,” which comes from the Greek verb, “phileo,” meaning “to love.”  O’Day goes on to observe that the English word, “friend,” does not adequately convey the depth of Jesus’ meaning.[ii] 

Perhaps a better word would be the word, “beloved.”  So, we could read John 15:13-14 in this way:  “No one has great love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s beloved friends.  You are my beloved friends if you do what I command you.”  Previously Jesus had told his disciples, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12).  So, when we love Jesus, then we keep Jesus’ commandment to love others and then we become Christ’s beloved friends.

Jesus goes to some length to stress that his followers are his beloved friends, distinguishing his beloved friends from servants:

“I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father…And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that would last…I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.”  (John 15:  15-17)

            So, to summarize, the relationship between Christ and humans is based upon a love that elevates Christ’s followers to the status of beloved friends.  Christ’s love for his beloved friends is exemplified in his life, ministry, and crucifixion.  Jesus loved us so deeply that he accepted the torturous death by crucifixion in order to demonstrate how awesome his love is.  All persons who obey Christ’s command to love are his beloved friends.  As Christ’s beloved friends, we are invited into a special relationship, which has two important components.  First, Christ promises to share all that he has learned from the Father; that is, we are to grow in our relationship with the Divine.  Second, we are invited to go and bear fruit.  When we share the love of Christ, then we become Christ’s junior associates, joining in the work of establishing God’s Reign throughout the world.

            Many philosophers and theologians believe that virtues may be strengthened and developed through practice.  In other words, if we want to have the Christian virtue of love, then we can develop it intentionally.  When we consciously cultivate an attitude of accepting and affirming the inherent value of those around us, regardless of their faults and failures, then we can strengthen the Christian virtue of love within our own character.  Similarly, when we diligently work for each person’s well-being and ultimate good, then we strengthen the Christian virtue of love within our own character.

If you live in the Lincoln, Nebraska area and do not have a place of worship, then I invite you to come and join us this Sunday, January 15th, at Christ United Methodist Church, as we reflect on the Christian virtue of love and how we can cultivate that virtue.  The church building is located at 4530 A Street.  Our classic worship services are at 8:30 and 11:00 on Sunday mornings. 

Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.

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[i] C. S. Lewis quotations from the website, http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/22-awesome-c-s-lewis-quotes/, accessed 11 January 2017.

[ii] Carol O’Day, , “Commentary on the Gospel of John,” in The New Interpreter’s Bible, vol. 9, accessed by CD-ROM.

"Hope"

          What makes the Christian lifestyle unique from other lifestyles?  While there are certainly additional considerations to be included, I believe that five moral virtues are at the heart of a distinctive Christian lifestyle.  These five virtues are:

(1) hope

(2) love

(3) justice

(4) frugality

(5) humility

Beginning this Sunday, January 8th, I will explore these critical virtues over the next five weeks.  We can define virtues as the values that define who we are as persons.  They are the attributes of our character that others see in our lives.  Virtues strengthen us as Christians to live ethically in a way that reflects Christ in what we say and do.  That is, virtues give us moral strength to make ethical decisions, even when those decisions make us unpopular or those decisions are not in our own best interests.  More than that, virtues give us clarity of vision so that, in confusing and difficult ethical decisions, we can see clearly what ought to be done.

            We begin this weekend with the virtue of hope.  What does it mean to have hope?  What is hope, exactly?  In his book, The Anatomy of Hope, How People Prevail in the Face of Illness, Jerome Groopman explores hope and its role, especially in the lives of persons struggling with cancer or some other serious illness.[i]  Jerome Groopman, who is a medical doctor on the faculty at the Harvard Medical School, is an oncologist.  Over a 30-year career as a physician, specializing in cancer, he has become very interested in how patients who are seriously, or terminally, ill with cancer have coped with their diagnosis.  In particular, he has studied how the virtue of “hope” can sustain these patients.

            Groopman believes that there are two components of hope.  One component is a rational, or cognitive, element while the other component is emotional.  In his study of hope, Groopman interviewed Richard Davidson, an experimental psychologist studying positive emotions, such as hope.  In their discussion, Davidson suggests that hope contains both rational and emotional elements, which are intertwined.  Davidson explains the rational component of hope this way:  “When we hope for something, we employ to some degree, our cognition, marshaling information and data relevant to a desired future event.  …[we] generate a different vision of [our] condition in [our] mind.”[ii]

            Dawson continues by describing the second component of hope as emotional.  The emotional component involves, “…affective forecasting—that is, the comforting, energizing, elevating feeling that [we] experience when [we] project in your mind a positive future.  This requires the brain to generate a different … [positive, emotional] …state”. [iii]   

For Groopman, then, genuine hope occurs when the rational and emotional components interweave and modify one another.[iv]  Groopman elaborates further, claiming that the distinction between “true hope” and “false hope” concerns the intertwining of these two components.  On the one hand, true hope integrates both the rational and the emotional components.  On the other hand, false hope is more like blind optimism.  It is only emotional and does not have a rational component.

I find Kroopman’s proposal that hope is comprised of both rational and emotional components to be very plausible.  However, in addition to these two components, the Apostle Paul suggests a third component to hope in his discussion in Romans 8.  Paul writes, “For by hope we were saved.  Now hope that is seen is not hope.  For who hopes for what is seen?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”  (Romans 8:  24-25)

It is important to see Paul’s discussion of hope within the broader context of this scriptural passage in Romans 8.  For Paul, God’s work of redemption is ongoing and not yet complete.  Further, this redemptive work is not restricted to just human persons.  Instead, the scope of God’s redemption includes all of Creation.  A little earlier in chapter 8, Paul had written, “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God” (Romans 8:19). 

Paul’s expanded view of Creation is based upon two themes within the Hebrew scriptures.  First, in Genesis 1, when God creates human beings, God assigns humans the role and responsibility of caring for the rest of Creation, as stewards working on behalf of God.  This role of caretaker which humans have been given is both a great privilege and a great responsibility.  Secondly, in the Hebrew prophetic book of Isaiah, God promises a sweeping re-creation in which all things are made new: 

“For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth;

the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind.”

                                       (Isaiah 65:17; see also Isaiah 66:22)

For Paul, God is still active in world, working to redeem and re-create the world.  However, God’s transformative work has not yet been completed.  Thus, all of us—humans, as well as the nonhuman environment—are waiting on the full establishment of God’s Kingdom here on Earth.  Paul writes, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies”  (Romans 8:  22-23).

While God’s re-creative work of redeeming and transforming all of Creation has not yet been completed, Paul believes that it has already begun through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Indeed, for Paul, the Resurrection offers a foreshadowing and guarantee of the redemption and transformation to come, when the Kingdom of God will be fully established.  Thus, God’s Reign has been established, but is not yet completed.

Christ invites his disciples to join in the work of kingdom-building, as junior associates.  And, for Paul, humans have a special opportunity and responsibility to ultimately bring about the transformation of nonhuman creation.  Paul believes that through humans “the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:21).  Commenting on this key theological point for Paul, the British New Testament scholar, N.T. Wright has written that humans “will be God’s agents in bringing the wise, healing, restorative divine justice to the whole created order.”[v]

Both humans and nonhumans alike continue to wait for the full establishment of God’s Kingdom and God’s transformation of everything in a New Creation.  Yet, we do not wait alone or in isolation:  “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.  And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:  26-27).

This is the basis for the third component of hope.  As Christians, we have hope because God is still at work in the world, redeeming and transforming the world—and each of us—into a New Creation.  We wait with eager anticipation; we wait with longing that the wait will be over and God’s Reign will be established.  We wait, knowing that God has invited us into the work of building God’s Reign.  But, ultimately, we know that we are not alone in our waiting.  God is with us, and that grounds our hope. 

Hope is a core Christian virtue because it shapes our outlook on life.  We live with optimism and confidence for the future because we know that we are not alone.  God is still active in the world, working to transform us into a New Creation.

If you live in the Lincoln, Nebraska area and do not have a place of worship, then I invite you to come and join us this Sunday, January 8th, at Christ United Methodist Church, as we begin an examination of the virtues which make the Christian lifestyle unique.  Our classic worship services are at 8:30 and 11:00 on Sunday mornings. 

Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.

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[i] Jerome Groopman, The Anatomy of Hope, How People Prevail in the Face of Illness (New York:  Random House, 2004). 

[ii] Richard Dawson, as recorded by Jerome Groopman in The Anatomy of Hope, 193.

[iii] Richard Dawson, as recorded by Jerome Groopman in The Anatomy of Hope, 193.

[iv] Groopman, 193.

[v] N. T. Wright, “Commentary on Romans,” in The New Interpreter’s Bible, vol. 10, accessed by CD-ROM.

“Keeping the Faith in the Face of Anxiety & Uncertainty”

            This Sunday (January 1st), we will gather for worship as we “ring out the old year and ring in the new year.”  It will truly be a day of new beginnings.  Of course, new beginnings inevitably entail change.  Change can be good or bad; expected or unexpected; minimal or hugely transformative; expected or unexpected.  Most of us will experience some changes as we move through the next year, 2017.

            For instance, in my family we anticipate my daughter graduating from college in 2017.  This will represent a major change for my daughter, as she moves from the life of a student to becoming a full adult—with all of the freedoms and privileges, as well as responsibilities, inherent in being an adult.  We are looking forward to this milestone in my daughter’s life.  Yet, at the same time, there is uncertainty and some anxiety associated with this change--even though it is a clear, positive change.

            Our society faces some major change, as well, as we move into the next year.  On January 20th, Donald Trump will be sworn in as our next President.  Although we do not know exactly what will happen to our country under the new Trump Administration, there clearly will be significant changes in the laws and policies of our government. 

            Just as with our country as a whole, so also my congregation, Christ United Methodist, is deeply divided over the candidacy and presidency of Donald Trump.  On the one hand, a great many in my congregation strongly opposed the candidacy of Donald Trump and voted against him.  These Christians enter the new year with great fear for our country and in deep depression.  On the other hand, many others in my congregation supported Donald Trump for President and voted for him.  Even though their candidate won the election, I think that these Christians must be experiencing some level of uncertainty and anxiety, as well, even if it is more muted than their fellow Christians who opposed Trump.  Although we fully expect change from his Administration, Donald Trump has sent many mixed messages and made rapid, dramatic reversals on positions.  And, we just don’t know what the full ramifications of anticipated policy changes will be.  

            Within my congregation, there seems to be a heightened level of uncertainty and anxiety this year over previous years.  I sense that this same heightened level of uncertainty and anxiety extends beyond my Midwestern congregation to encompass our society as a whole.  Regardless of political beliefs or other differentiating factors, there seems to be a heightened sense of uncertainty and anxiety, as we stand on the brink of a new year, 2017.

            As we gather to worship on New Year’s Day, I want our Christ United Methodist community of faith to reflect on this heightened sense of uncertainty and anxiety from a biblical and faith perspective.  As my foundational text, I have focused on Jesus’ discussion of worry and anxiety in Luke 12:  22-31.  To fully understand this text, it is important to notice the context in which it appears.  Just before this passage, Jesus has told a parable to the crowd of people who had gathered to listen to him teach. 

            In this parable, which immediately precedes our passage, Jesus tells the story of a rich farmer who has an incredibly good crop yield, one year.  In anticipation of a hugely bountiful harvest, the farmer tears down his barns in order to build bigger barns, in order to hold and store his incredible harvest.  After all of the crops are harvested and stored in the new barns, the rich farmer reasons to himself that he has “amble goods laid up for many years…[so that he can] relax, eat, drink, be merry” (Luke 12:19).  However, in a great reversal, the rich farmer dies that evening.  The point of this parable concerns where we place our trust.  The rich man trusted in his own ingenuity and good fortune as a farmer, and he used his bounty to serve himself alone.  This proved to be a misplaced trust.  By contrast, Jesus calls us to trust and serve God.

            Jesus follows this parable on the basis for trust with a discussion of human worry and anxiety.  He begins by noting that people frequently worry about having enough physical resources, focusing on food and clothing.  Jesus encourages his followers not to succumb to worry and anxiety about these needs.  And, he gives five reasons why we should not be consumed by anxiety and worry:

            1.  First, Jesus reminds his followers that “…life is more than food, and …clothing” (v 23).  It’s important to recognize that Jesus was not speaking to an audience of desperately poor persons, who were living “hand-to-mouth” and were in desperate poverty.  Instead, he was speaking to people who had enough to eat and who had sufficient clothing.  Christ’s basic point was about keeping perspective. 

            It is part of human nature to worry and be anxious.  Sometimes, anxiety breeds more anxiety.  We become like hamsters running on a wheel.  The faster we run, the faster the wheel spins, and the faster we have to run to keep up.  So, we end up running faster and faster.  Similarly, our anxiety breeds more anxiety, which breeds more anxiety and we become more and more anxious and worried about the future.  As we stand on the brink of 2017, we face much uncertainty, and it is tempting to become more and more anxious.  However, I think that Christ’s advice to us in 2017 is that we should remain balanced, keeping our legitimate fears and worries and anxieties in perspective.

            2.  Then, Jesus exhorts his followers to trust in God’s providence.  Using the metaphor of birds, he tells the crowd, “Consider the ravens, they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them.  Of how much more value are you than the birds!” (v. 24).  This message of faith remains the same for us today, despite the uncertainty and anxiety that we face in 2017.  We should remember and trust that God’s love for us continues and that God will guide and take care of us.

            3.  By contrast, obsessively worrying reveals a lack of faith in God and God’s providential love for us.  Jesus says, “Consider the lilies, how they grow:  they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even [King] Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you—oh, you people of little faith!” (vv. 27-28)

            4.  Jesus also appeals to our common sense.  He points out that worry and anxiety in the face of uncertainty actually accomplishes nothing.  “Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?” he asks.  The answer is obvious:  of course, not.  So, why be consumed by worry and anxiety, since it doesn’t really make any actual difference?  Similarly, for today, even though there is high uncertainty around the future and direction of our country, worry, anxiety, and fear do not accomplish anything positive.

            5.  Finally, Jesus observes that when his followers are fully devoted to pursuing and building his Reign, then they will not need to be anxious about other things.  He exhorts his followers, “strive for God’s kingdom, and these things [food and clothing] will be given to you as well” (v. 31).  Similarly, in our 2017 context, we must work to establish God’s Reign here on earth; a Kingdom characterized by justice, equality of opportunity, care for the poor and needy, as well as good stewardship of God’s Creation.  Undoubtedly, this will entail opposing some change, while supporting other change.

            If you live in the Lincoln, Nebraska area, I invite you to come, join us as we celebrate the New Year through Worship this Sunday, January 1st.  As we worship, we will explore Christ’s advice to his followers on coping with uncertainty and anxiety. And, we will remember that Christ calls us to join with him in establishing and building the Kingdom of God in the here and now.  Although we normally have two worship services at 8:30 and 11 am each Sunday, on New Year’s Day we will have a single worship service at 11 am.  Come, join us. 

Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.

Reflections on the Star, the Wise Men, and Seeking the Divine

             There’s been quite a hiatus since my last blog post.  Over the past weeks, I have taken some vacation time and on many of the other Sunday mornings , the various church choirs at Christ United Methodist Church have been performing.  As a result, I have not been posting to this blog because it is designed principally to preview my sermons and provide more in-depth scriptural interpretation than the worship service allows.

            This Sunday, December 18th, our 8:30 and 11:00 worship services will be led by the “Serenity Singers,” a women’s choral group that is part of Christ Church’s music program.  However, I am collaborating with the Serenity Singers by offering some theological reflections, interspersed with their lovely Christmas music.  So, I thought that I would post a blog about our service this weekend.

            Our focus this Sunday will be on the Christmas Star and the story of the Wise Men, who went to visit and pay homage to Jesus.  The story of the Star and the Wise Men occurs in Matthew 2: 1-12.  Biblical scholars tells us that the Greek word, “magi,” can be translated variously as “wise men,” “astrologers,” “magicians,” or “sorcerers.”  These individuals were affluent scholars, who belonged to the priestly class of Babylonian experts in the occult, such as astrology and the interpretation of dreams. 

Traditionally, we have assumed that there were three wise men because there are three gifts:  gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  However, the Gospel does not specify the precise number of wise men.  For Matthew, the story of the wise men is important to tell because the Wise Men are pagan, non-Jews who followed the Star they had seen in the sky.[i]

            In the music which the Serenity Singers will be performing during our worship, there are these words which raise an interesting observation:

“When they [the wise men] saw the star, they rejoiced with great joy!

….

Others saw the star, but they followed it not;

To them it would come and pass.

The wise men kept trusting with all of their hearts

that the star would find the Baby at last.”[ii]

These lyrics raise an interesting question, which I had never thought about much.  According to Matthew, the Wise Men saw the Star in the sky and recognized it as a special sign from God, pointing the way to the Divine.  Yet, if the Star was visible in the night sky, then it was seen by many, many people gazing into the night. 

            This raises a very profound question:  Why is it that, out of the thousands of people who saw the Star, only the Wise Men recognized this Star as a sign from God, pointing the way to the Divine?  Think about it.  Why did only the Wise Men recognize the Star as a sign?  The Wise Men were not even Jews; they were practitioners of pagan religions.  Yet, they recognized the Star as God’s sign to humanity.  Could it be that the Wise Men recognized the Star because they were actively seeking the Divine in their lives? 

            This raises several interesting questions for us today:  Are we actively seeking the Divine in our lives, just as the Wise Men?  What are the signs pointing to the Divine, which God has given to us?  That is, what is our Star today?  Not in a celestial sense, but rather in a symbolic sense.  What are the signs which God has given to us today, that point the way to the Divine?

            During our worship service, we will hear an abbreviated version of “The Story of the Other Wise Man” by Henry van Dyke[iii].  In this imaginative and fictional story, van Dyke imagines an additional Wise Man, named Artaban.  Artaban plans to take three precious jewels as his gift to the Messiah:  a sapphire, a ruby, and a pearl.  Artaban has already arranged to rendezvous with the other Wise Men. However, just before he reaches the pre-arranged rendezvous point, Artaban encounters a dying stranger, lying in the middle of the road.  Artaban reluctantly stops to aid the stranger.  As a result of his unplanned stop to aid the stranger, Artaban fails to reach the rendezvous point in time to journey with the other Wise Men.

            Desperate to see the Messiah, Artaban uses one of his jewels to buy camels and supplies so that he can travel across the desert to Bethlehem.  When he reaches Bethlehem, he discovers that he has once again missed the Wise Men.  He has also missed Joseph, Mary, and the young Jesus, who have already fled to Egypt out of fear for King Herod.  So, Artaban decides to follow the Holy Family to Egypt, so that he can see and pay homage to the Messiah. 

As the story unfolds, Artaban spends the next 30 years searching for the Divine in the person of this great King.  Along the way, he helps those around him, performing incredible acts of charity and doing much good.  Artaban decides to travel to Jerusalem, thinking that perhaps the “King of the Jews” can be found in Jerusalem.  When he arrives in Jerusalem, the streets are filled with discussion of the impending crucifixion of Jesus from Nazareth, the “King of the Jews.”  Artaban decides to go the place of Christ’s crucifixion, in order to finally see Jesus.  However, once again, he is asked to defer his trip in order to help someone in need.  Using his last jewel, he helps a young woman pay her father's debts and escape slavery. 

After helping the young woman, Artaban is struck on the head by a falling roof tile, loosed by the earthquake which occurs at Christ’s death on the Cross; see Matthew 27: 50-54.  As he lays dying from the falling tile, Artaban has a vision in which he sees Christ.  In his vision, Artaban laments that he was never able to realize his quest to see Christ, the Messiah.  In reply, Jesus tells Artaban that he has seen Christ multiple times, whenever he has helped someone in need.  Quoting Matthew 25:40, Jesus says:  “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

Since God loves us so much, there is, undoubtedly, no shortage of signs pointing the way to the Divine.  For the Wise Men, it was the Star in the heavens.  For the shepherds, it was the Heavenly Host of Angels.  Sometimes for me, it can be walking in a majestic forest of trees; or being in Worship celebrating The Lord’s Supper.  God provides us with a plethora of signs.  Yet, Christ is very clear that the most important sign pointing to the Divine occurs when we reach out to those in need; when we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, build housing for the homeless, care for the sick and lonely, visit the imprisoned.  There, we will see the face of the Divine.

If you live in the Lincoln, Nebraska area, come, join us this Sunday, December 18th, at Christ United Methodist Church.  Together, we will experience an inspiring worship service with the music of the “Serenity Singers” and our reflections on the Star and the Wise Men.  God offers us many signs which lead us back to God and into a loving relationship with the Divine.  I pray that some of these Divine signs will be evident in our worship together.  Our church is located at 4530 A Street in Lincoln, and our traditional worship services are at 8:30 and 11:00 on Sunday mornings. 

Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.

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[i] For this paragraph, I drew from Eugen Boring’s exegesis of The Gospel of Matthew in The New Interpreter’s Bible, vol. 8.  Accessed by CD-ROM.

[ii] “Rejoice with Exceeding Great Joy,” Lanny Wolfe, arr. By Tom Fettke.

[iii] Henry van Dyke, The Story of the Other Wise Man, see http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/story-of-the-other-wise-man-henry-van-dyke/1103574201?ean=9781298497994&st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_Core+Shopping+Books_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP62464.

"Centering"

            This Sunday, November 20th, we enter a special six-week period for both cultural and religious holidays.  It all starts this coming Thursday with Thanksgiving Day, and then ends with New Year’s Day. 

This six-week period is a fun time within secular culture.  It is a time for shopping and preparation; a time for decorating our homes; a time for holiday concerts and programs; a time for holiday parties at the office, and among neighbors, and with family and friends.  For some of us, this is a special time for sporting events; for others it will be a time for travel to see friends or enjoy a vacation. 

In addition to all of the festivities and merriment, this is also a special time to encounter the Divine from a Christian perspective.  Thanksgiving is an opportunity for gratitude to God for all of the blessings which God gives us.  Christmas offers the celebration of Jesus’ birth and God’s love for all of us.  New Year’s Day offers the opportunity to make a new beginning and be mindful of all the opportunities which God offers us as we move into the future. 

The next six weeks are, indeed, a special time during the year.  But, this coming Sunday, November 20th, we will be asking a very foundational question of ourselves:  “How do we intend to celebrate during this special time?  Will we focus on our opportunities to encounter the Divine?  Or, will we be so dazed by many distractions so that we miss the opportunity to encounter the Divine?”

Our anchoring scripture illustrates two very different approaches to these next weeks.  It tells the story of two women and how they responded to an opportunity to meet and welcome Jesus:

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.  She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying.  But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself?  Tell her then to help me.’  But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing.  Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:  38-42)

Martha and Mary present two polar opposite approaches to encountering the Divine in Jesus.  On the one hand, Martha focuses on being the perfect hostess.  She works to insure that her house was clean and refreshments were prepared.  She wants everything to be just right for her guests, especially Jesus.  So, she became distracted by all of the details of hosting people. And, she lost sight of the most important thing:  to meet and engage with the Divine.

            By contrast, her sister Mary sat down at Jesus’ feet and listened intently as he began to teach his disciples and others visiting in Mary and Martha’s house.  Mary kept the most important thing, the most important thing.  She met and engaged with the Divine through Jesus Christ and his teachings.

            As we stand on the cusp of this six-week special time of the year, we must decide how we will approach this time and the opportunities for encountering the Divine.  All of us will embrace and claim Mary’s approach to meet and engage the Divine in Jesus the Christ.  However, the truth is that each of us has a healthy streak of Martha within ourselves, as well.  We can be easily distracted during this period and lose contact with the Divine.  We can become easily distracted and lose our balance.

 

            To guard against this tendency to become distracted, we must learn to keep our balance by being centered.  In my proclamation, I will suggest that there are several practices which we can follow to stay centered during the next six weeks.  These practices include:

1.  Being intentionally grateful for all that God has already given us.

2.  Being generous, by investing time and money on those who are most needy:  the hungry, the homeless, the lonely, the imprisoned, the sick.

3.  Spending some time in corporate worship, celebrating the birth of Christ and the new

     possibilities inherent in new beginnings.

4.  Spending some time appreciating Creation, and actively seeking God within Creation.

This perspective is beautifully summarized in the anthem, which our Chancel Choir will sing during the 11 am service on December 20th:

“Lord, before this fleeting season is upon us,

let me remember to walk slowly.

Lord, bless my heart with Love and with quiet.

Give my heart a leaning to hear carols.

Grace our family with contentment,

and the peace that comes only from You.

Lord, help us to do less this busy season;

Go less; stay closer to home; kneel more.

May our hearts be Your heart.

May we simply, peacefully, celebrate You.”

If you live in the Lincoln, Nebraska area, come, join us this Sunday, November 20th, at Christ United Methodist Church, as we worship and center ourselves for the start of the holiday season.  Our church is located at 4530 A Street in Lincoln, and our traditional worship services are at 8:30 and 11:00 on Sunday mornings. 

Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.

“How Christians Can Bring Healing to our Country”

            We are just emerging from the most controversial, bitter, divisive political campaign in the history of our country.  We are no longer the United States of America.  We are deeply, deeply divided.  Although neighbors may live side-by-side in a common neighborhood, they may have completely different perspectives and value systems.  Indeed, we are so polarized that we are really two separate nations overlapping a single geographic territory.  

            This polarization has shredded the fabric of our society, leaving us with deep, gaping holes.  We are all bruised and battered as individuals and as a society.  As a nation, we are in deep need of healing.  In my proclamation this Sunday (November 13th), I will suggest that Christians are uniquely qualified to bring this desperately needed healing to our country.

            The basis for my reflection will be Christ’s teachings in Luke 6: 32-37, 41-42.  There teachings come from his “Sermon on the Plain.”  While these teachings form the basis for a personal ethic, I will suggest that in our current context they make an important contribution to a social ethic.  Jesus begins these teachings by expanding the scope of one’s personal ethic (verses 32-34):

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.”

“If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same.”

“If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again.”

In these verses, Jesus points to the deficiency of an ethical scope which only focuses on our concern for those who are already our allies.  As such this is a “negative ethic.”  However, in the next verse, he summarizes these claims by flipping them and making a “positive ethic” in the process:  “But, love your enemies, do good, and lend expecting nothing in return.”

            Christ continues his teaching by announcing the consequences of following his ethic:  If we follow Jesus’ ethic, “Your reward will be great, and you will be Children of the Most High [that is, ‘Children of God’], for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.”  Then, Jesus continues with an admonishment, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

            In these reflections, Christ calls for an ethic which promotes an all-encompassing love, a commitment to promote the good of others, and a generous and merciful heart.  Jesus continues his ethics teaching with four stipulations, two negative and two positive, with their consequences (verses 37-38):

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged.”

“Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.”

“Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

“Give, and it will be given to you.”

            Finally, Jesus provides a parable, which exemplifies and summarizes the heart of his ethical proposal:  “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?  Or, how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.” (verses 41-42)

            At its heart, Christ’s proposed ethic is one of love that requires a generosity of spirit to those who oppose us.  That is, his ethic requires an attitude of generosity which seeks the good in the other, rather than celebrating and belaboring their faults and failures.  This attitude does not focus on judging and condemning those with whom we disagree.  Instead, Christ’s proposed attitude is one of mercy, forgiveness, and generosity of spirit.

            As I noted above, Christ’s proposed ethic is a personal ethic.  That is, it focuses on how we conduct our personal affairs and interactions.  However, I believe that it might also provide the social ethic which we so desperately need for our society.  Christ calls upon us to treat our political opponents—that is, those with whom we politically disagree—with kindness, generosity, mercy, forgiveness, all while trying to find the good in them.

            In our present, post-election context, Christ’s personal ethic also needs to become our political ethic.  Such a political ethic would be characterized by the following five components:

1.      Forgiveness.  The first step towards healing is for everyone to forgive each other for all of the hurtful things that have been said during this election.

2.      Empathy.  The second step towards healing would be trying to empathize with, and understand, those with whom we disagree.  To a certain extent, this means trying to put ourselves in the shoes of our opponents; trying to see the situation from their perspective; trying to understand their fears, thoughts, and beliefs.  For Trump voters, this means trying to understand why the proponents of “Black Lives Matter” feel as though they cannot trust the police and thus feel disenfranchised.  For Clinton voters, this means trying to understand why so many working class whites feel as though they have been left behind economically and culturally, thus leading to feelings of disenfranchisement. 

3.      Humility.  The old cliché, “Pride goeth before a fall,” remains true to this day.  We need to face the future with a healthy humility that we do not have all of the answers and that our motivations are sometimes flawed.  There are important insights which we can learn from our opponents, and they probably hold important pieces to the puzzle. 

4.      Compromise.  For 240 years, our society has engaged is this “Great Experiment” with Democracy.  Democracy is only possible through the art of compromise—being willing to accept partial victories.  We need to relinquish a “zero-sum” mentality in which the only acceptable resolution is when we get 100% of what we want and the other side gets 0%.

5.      Inclusivity.  Now, in 2016 and beyond, the U.S. is a very diverse society.  If we are to survive as a country and if we are to thrive as a society, then we must re-learn inclusivity.  Another old cliché says, “United we stand, divided we fall.”  If we want to be secure militarily, economically, and politically, then we cannot be divided.  We must be inclusive of everyone.  Rather, than denigrating difference and diversity, we need to celebrate difference and diversity as our greatest national resource.  In order to promote social inclusivity, we must condemn and completely reject racism, misogyny, huge economic disparity, and all forms of discrimination.

At this point, we might well ask, “How can Christians bring healing to our country?”  “How can we move Christ’s teachings from being a personal ethic to a social ethic?” 

In another teaching, Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened” (Matthew 13:33)  Christians can bring healing to our country by becoming the yeast which leavens the dough of our society.  When we follow our personal ethic in our interactions with others, then we provide the yeast which will leaven the dough and bring healing. 

That is, when we love others; when we are kind and generous and merciful and forgiving, then through our interactions we bring healing.  When we do not judge or condemn, but seek rather to understand and appreciate the fears and anxieties and perspectives of others, then we begin the healing process.  And, when others experience our love and generosity, then their hearts will be transformed and the healing will continue.  This healing will lead to more healing and more healing, rippling out to impact others, until eventually our society is healed.

If you live in the Lincoln, Nebraska area, come, join us this Sunday, November 13th, at Christ United Methodist Church, as we explore the possibilities for being instruments of healing for our nation.  Our church is located at 4530 A Street in Lincoln, and our traditional worship services are at 8:30 and 11:00 on Sunday mornings. 

Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.

"The Most Important Thing You May Ever Do"

            What is the most important thing that you will ever do in life?  Think about it.  Is the most important thing success and accomplishment in the work that you do?  Is the most important thing making money?  Or, is it how well you love and take care of your family?  Is the most important thing excelling in a game or hobby?   Is the most important thing having time for leisure or travel?  What is the most important thing that you will ever do in life?[i]

             This week, I want to suggest that one of the most important things we can do in life is to invite another person to church and help them establish a meaningful spiritual life with Christ.  Think about it. 

Imagine that you knew someone who did not have a deep, spiritual life.  Perhaps this person was struggling with a job loss or an addictive behavior or a divorce or the death of a loved one and that individual would be really helped by the support of a church.  Or, perhaps that person was not struggling at all; instead, they were gliding through life, doing well.  Yet, even though things were going well, this individual lacked spiritual depth in the enjoyment of their life.  Think about how much this person could benefit by renewing the spiritual dimension of their life through a relationship with a community of faith. 

As Jesus’ disciples, we know how deeply and profoundly our lives can be transformed through our spiritual relationship with Christ.  Think about it.  When we encounter huge challenges in life or deep disappointments or tragic losses, we are sustained by our spiritual relationship with Christ.  Alternatively, when we experience important accomplishments or great joys, these satisfactions are enriched through our spirituality.  Our ability to flourish through good times and bad is enhanced and blessed through our relationship with Christ and our church.

If our Christian faith brings joy and flourishing to our lives, shouldn’t we be interested in sharing that faith with others?  Jesus seemed to think this was extremely important.  In fact, his last earthly instructions to the disciples were simply to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations… .” (Matthew 28:19a)  Inviting others to establish a deeper spiritual relationship with Christ is at the very core of what it means to be a Christian.  It is integral to discipleship.  Some call this process of invitation, evangelism.

Unfortunately, evangelism has acquired a reputation among many American Christians.  When many of us hear the word, “evangelism,” we get tense and nervous.  We think about being asked to go house-to-house, knocking on doors and essentially making “cold calls” in which we encourage complete strangers to attend our church.  Or, we think about handing out pamphlets to complete strangers, giving our “testimony” and asking strangers if they “know Jesus”.  Yuck!

For most of us, the very thought makes us very uncomfortable.  As a result, “evangelism” is just an awful concept and task, which we don’t want any part of.  Interestingly, this aggressive form of evangelism is not Biblical at all. 

Jesus calls upon us to share the good news, he calls us to share the good news by inviting others to simply “come and see.”  As a result, in my message this weekend, I am going to propose a biblical evangelism.  That is, the type of invitation which we see unfolding when Jesus calls together his twelve disciples.  My message is based upon the scripture, John 1: 40-51.

In this passage of scripture, a person named, Andrew, hears Jesus speaking and becomes convinced that Jesus is, indeed, the long-awaited Messiah.  So, Andrew tells his brother, Peter, who also becomes a disciple.  Continuing the story, we learn that Andrew and Peter’s neighbor, Philip, becomes a disciple.  Philip tells Nathanael, who is a friend, that Jesus of Nazareth is the long-awaited Messiah.  At first, Nathanael is skeptical.  He asks, “‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’”  Rather than arguing with Nathanael, Philip simply invites him, saying, “‘Come and see.’”  Later, when Nathanael sees and talks with Jesus, he also becomes a disciple.

In the scriptures, evangelism does not involve going house-to-house or handing out pamphlets on a street corner.  For the most part, sharing the gospel in the scriptures does not involve talking with strangers at all.  No.  Instead, evangelism is simply inviting those persons whom we know already—family members, friends, neighbors, classmates, colleagues from work, and others—to simply “come and see.” 

In our social networks, each of us knows persons who do not have a church home, where they can feel welcomed, secure, and supported.  Some of these persons are struggling with life’s challenges and disappointments, while others are gliding through life.  It doesn’t matter.  Everyone can have a happier, more flourishing life through developing further the spiritual dimension of our lives.  Isn’t that what we want for our family, our friends, our neighbors, and everyone else who is important to us?

If you live in the Lincoln, Nebraska area, come, join us this Sunday, October 16th, at Christ United Methodist Church, as we explore what it means to be an invitational church.  Our church is located at 4530 A Street in Lincoln, and our traditional worship services are at 8:30 and 11:00 on Sunday mornings. 

                Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.

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[i] I posted an earlier draft of this blog in 2014.