But You're Still A Bigger Sinner Than I Am

Lectionary Reading: 1 John 1-2:2

One of the things (among many) that I will miss about preaching in a single church setting will be the ability to look at one book of the Bible over many Sundays.  If you've followed my lectionary devotions, you can tell that I enjoy exploring the various themes that the authors project across an entire work.

I believe that the individual books of the Bible are richer when we can ingest them as a whole.

That being said, I will enjoy looking at the first letter of John over the Easter season which will carry through seven Sundays ending with May 16.  My series is entitled, "Abiding in the Resurrection" and we'll explore how our lives are influenced by our resurrection faith.

Is there less judgment if 
this is part of a contest?

This letter is actually more of a sermon or essay rather than an epistle.  Scholars think that it was written after John's Gospel and likely from a different author.  The targeted audience was dealing with church schism and were likely experiencing a variety of teaching - some of which questioned the physical presence of Jesus in the flesh at any time in his life (not just post-resurrection).  Of course, the physical presence is important to our theology of God knowing our short-comings and difficulties as mortals.

Evidently, some of these false teachers were claiming to be without sin.  This is a judgmental attitude that also belies the ability to relate to others.  Rather than approaching one another with humility, as if we are on a level playing field, we may look down upon those whom we feel are spiritually inferior to us.  So the author whom I'll refer to as John reminds us that a person making this claim is a liar which, of course, is a sin!

The need to place ourselves above our peers is part of the human condition.  It doesn't seem to be a part of what God calls us to be but that hasn't kept people from engaging in this behavior throughout Christian history.  And while some might begrudgingly admit to past sins, we might like to rank ourselves as less odious in God's eyes!

This Sunday, I hope that you'll join us for worship as we continue to explore this theme.  We'll gather in the sanctuary at 8:30 and 11 am and we'll also gather outside at 9:45 am across the street next to the Wesley Foundation building on the lawn.  We appreciate everyone signing in prior to the service for reservations!  We'll also continue to offer the safest option which is online worship via YouTube or Facebook!

I look forward engaging with you in one way or another on Sunday!

In Christ,

Sam

Photo by opus moreschi via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

All scripture quoted is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Recovering God in the Old Testament

Third Sunday after the Epiphany, Year B

Lectionary Reading: Jonah 3:1-10 (NRSV)

As a pastor, I am attuned to how people talk about God.  Sometimes, I hear people say that they prefer the God of the New Testament.  They characterize God as being very vengeful in the Hebrew Bible but forgiving and merciful in the New Testament.  This is pretty reductionist and doesn't allow for the grace in the Old Testament that is clearly evident (it also washes over the judgment we see in the New Testament but that is another blog).  

Jesus doesn't just invent the forgiveness and grace that he espouses but he emphasizes it from the teaching present in so much of the Bible of his day.  

This week's reading from Jonah is a perfect example.

If you thought Jonah was only a story about being swallowed by a whale that emphasizes why we should be obedient, then you haven't read it as an adult.  It's only four chapters.  You could easily read it right now.

But to summarize, the first chapter is about Jonah running.

The second chapter is about Jonah praying.

The third chapter (our subject for today) is about Jonah preaching.

The fourth chapter is about Jonah sulking.

What?  

Is this how God saw Jonah at the end
of chapter four?

It really is an odd way to end a book of the Bible.  Jonah is angry because God does what Jonah is afraid that God would do in the first place.  God forgives the people of Nineveh.

It turns out that this is why he ran in the first place.  He had no interest in the success of his preaching.  In fact, Jonah had a very New Testament understanding of God.  I write this very facetiously and as a way for us to realize how people had varying ideas about God prior to the first century of the common era.  

This brings us to the idea of the grace of God.  Specifically, who wouldn't God forgive?  The Assyrians (of which Nineveh was the capitol) were not very nice people.  They had already invaded and done some pretty awful things to the northern kingdom of Israel.  Jonah wouldn't have been interested in any mercy for them.  

Is there anyone you would sulk about if they got away with murder?  

I'm sure we all have our lists.

Which is what makes this such a challenging book.  Jonah may be my favorite book of the Hebrew Bible.  I find it raises my own bar higher than I think I can jump.

It's so high.  I can't possibly get over that, can I?

Not without some help.

I hope you'll join us for online worship on Sunday as we pursue this scripture together!

In Christ,

Sam

Photo by Mindaugas Danys via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

Patience

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year A

Lectionary Reading: Matthew 18:15-20 (NRSV)

As I assigned various Fruit of the Holy Spirit to the lectionary passages, I decided that this particular scripture was a good one to talk about patience.  You can look at it from both sides.  It would be difficult to be patient with someone who was obstinate in their wrong beliefs or behaviors.  Likewise, it would be difficult to be patient if you thought you were in the right and a group of people from the church were trying to correct you!  I'm not sure which would be more annoying!

Dictionary.com defines patience as "the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like."  While I'm old school and don't like it when you use the root word to explain the meaning, I thought they recovered pretty well!  I think we can be taught to bear provocation.  I think we can also be influenced to be too sensitive to irritants.  I believe stress has something to do with our ability to show patience with a person or situation.  In other words, when I'm stressed out or afraid, I have much less patience with people.

As Christians, our example should be Jesus Christ.  I believe his response to his own suffering and crucifixion showed an immense amount of patience as per the above definition.  The phrase, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" from Luke 23:34 reminds us of the composure Jesus showed on the cross.  How many of us when confronted unjustly in this manner from our enemies (you can picture them) would rather respond, "Father, get them; they're killing me!"

When this is the case, we are setting our minds on human things rather than divine things.

Sometimes rubbing a rock with the word on it
can actually be a good reminder for us!

So how can we show more patience with one another?  I think it is crucial during this time with everything that is occurring.  Since patience is a Fruit of the Holy Spirit, we must immerse ourselves in the Holy Spirit to show the world we are connected with God.  How do we do this?  I think that each person may do this differently.  All of us connect with God in a unique way.  But I also think that today's reading gives us a hint when Jesus says, "For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."  

When we gather together, we are going to disagree on some things.  It should be expected.  But we also recognize that if we begin to focus on disagreement, we will soon be standing alone.  It is better to focus on that with which we recognize and agree.  The love of Jesus Christ as our witness to the world becomes our focus.  If this was not true, it is much easier to send an offender packing than seeking to work with them in love.

We'll continue to explore this on Sunday - join us online or in person!

In Christ,

Sam

Photo by M Cheung via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

All scripture quoted is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Helping God Out

Sometimes the weeds are so obvious!

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Year A

Lectionary Reading: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 (NRSV)

The parable of the weeds and the wheat causes us to stumble sometimes.  We want a clean field.  We don't want weeds taking any precious moisture needed by the growing wheat.  If things are orderly in the field, the rest of our universe becomes more orderly.  It is easier to deal with.

Yet, Jesus tells us to leave the weeds alone.

Don't bother them.

Well, why not?  We can easily identify them at an early stage - when they are easy to root out!

Jesus says to leave them.  We might uproot the wheat in our zeal to take out the weeds.

I think what it really means is that when we find an eye for the weeds in life, we may become more interested in pulling weeds than in nurturing wheat.  And the more we look for weeds, the more weeds we seem to see.  

Is that wheat or a weed?  It could be wheat.  Hmm.  Better not take a chance.  Pull it up.

Of course, Jesus is talking about people.  We don't really know the hearts and minds of people.  We don't know what God thinks about them.  But we think we do.  We're just helping God out a little.  God, we'll pull these weeds now and you won't have to worry about them later.  Oh, don't bother thanking us, we're glad to do it!

This also assumes that people are fixed - that they can never change.  Once they head down the wrong path, they are lost forever.  This kind of thinking would take out most of the disciples of Jesus!

How can we apply this parable of Jesus to our lives together today?  I'm sure you've never written anyone off as hopeless, have you?  No, of course I haven't either.  Maybe if we nurture a weed, it will begin to look like the wheat.  Of course, that's foolish thinking.  Weeds can't become wheat.  That would take a miracle.

Hmm.

Join us as we continue to explore this parable in worship on Sunday!

In Christ,

Sam

Photo by alh1 via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.