March 2012 Newsletter Article

I have found myself listening to more classical music this year.  It started with listening to classic Christmas Carols on the radio, and now Mindi and I find ourselves tuning back to the classical station.  My expertise is within theology, church, and Bible, among other passions; however music education is limited to my grade school years.  While I have a rudimentary understanding of the written notes, some of the history (for I know the term classical itself is misleading), and I have been exposed to great performances, I am no expert.  This is truly one of the reasons I enjoy music, the mystery.

As a minister and theologian, during Lent we are preparing for the celebration of the greatest, life changing, world changing event: the Resurrection!  We have many terms, theologies and explanations for how the Cross and Empty Tomb, save us all from death and sin.  It is great to explore, wonderful to delve deeper into these ideas—some that were present with the early followers of Jesus, and many that were developed at various times during our history.  I believe each has validity, for looking at the cross itself from one angle, the other side may not be visible, but it certainly still exists.  And it is difficult to imagine that the human mind can completely see the full meaning of the cross, for it is God’s ways of saving us, a God whose love surpasses all understanding.

When a piece of beautiful music is heard by my ears, I know my heart is moved even if I do not have a complete understanding of how it was created and preformed.  It still moves me.  I encourage exploring different and known theologies of the cross; I am a great proponent of greater education on all levels.  However, during Lent I also turn inside to open myself up for the glorious and mysterious power of the Cross and Resurrection, that has changed my life and will continue to change.  

As a church we are also discerning God’s vision for our specific congregation, and there will be events to participate in the coming months, leading to a strategic plan next fall.  It is a journey of heart and head, but it is the proven process to discern the mystery of God’s wonderful composition, sending His Son, for our specific locale.

Light of the World

John 9

July 7, 1974 a woman pregnant with her second child had a vivid dream she would not be able to find her husband when she gave birth and that the child would be born with a heart problem, which there was no reason for her to believe.  On July 8th she did go into labor and as you might have guessed, by the fact that I shared this story, her husband was not found.  Thus when she was told by the doctors that her newborn girl would need heart surgery, her comfort came from that dream, that vision.  God was with her during such a hard time.

In this chapter, Jesus, is asked about the man born blind, if it was the man’s parents or his sin that caused him to be born blind.  Jesus clearly answers them “Neither.” Which is also confirmed by his statement in Luke 13:2-3:

He asked them, ‘Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.

Jesus is clear that an ailment or suffering is necessarily connected to sin of a individual or their family.  I could not imagine my God would punish children because of their parents or grandparents, nor can I believe newborn know sin.  Yet within the Old Testament there are many times that the writers did attribute a military loss or the exile as a punishment from God.  Thus they seemed to believe that sins could cause punishment for others. 

Many of the prophets do talk about punishment for the entire chosen people for living in sin, however they do begin to understand that it is not about passing sin, but an individual.  A great example of this is when Ezekiel is warning that a punishment is coming and he says (14:14) “even if Noah, Daniel, and Job, these three, were in it, they would save only their own lives by their righteousness, says the Lord God.”  Showing that only an individual can save themselves, and Jeremiah goes on in chapter 31 to talk of a new covenant that will be on our individual hearts. 

The Pharisees don’t interpret sin as Ezekiel and Jeremiah are trying to demonstrate.  Their interpretation is rule oriented.  They call Jesus a sinner, because He healed on the Sabbath, not because of the miracle or even his identity claims.  They are concerned only about the rules for to them it is about the societal order not the relationship with God.  When Moses brought the covenant down to the people it was in response to their liberation that the people would follow the covenant with God.  Once powers and principalities got involved it became follow the rules to prove your in relationship with God.

One could follow exacting directions to get through a pitch black room or field, but it is much easier with light.  Jesus defines sin as not having a relationship with the one “who sent me.”  And that while it is day Jesus is the light of the world.  Jesus made it clear that ailments and suffering are not directly because of sin, but rather allow God’s work and glory may be known in the healing and comfort God provides.  For my mom in 1974 with that vision that comforted her and the miracle of the surgeons working on my sister with Jesus’ guidance and the miracle of the man being able to see because of Jesus opening his eyes, are signs of Jesus as the light.  If you are in relationship with Jesus you will be able to see the righteous path (no creed or rules as the only compass) but using only the rules of the power and principalities as your light one may say “we see,” and Jesus says “your sin remains” (v. 41). 

We need Jesus as our Vision, our Dream!

God’s Time

John 2:1-11

When Mary finds out there is no more wine at this wedding, she turned to her son, who replied that it was not their concern and his “hour” time had not come.  His mother then says to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”  She is not claiming to know it is His time, but she is confident in His authority and desire to help.  Sure enough Jesus does decide to help, and according to John this whole miracle was about revealing His Glory.  It is Jesus’ hour, and that is a major point of this paricope.  Time is essential to this first miracle, this is highlighted by the introduction as specifically three days, Jesus’ mention of His “hour,” and most of all John’s commentary that this miracle was the first and thus the disciples believed, because His glory was revealed.

Today we are obsessed with time.  We are obsessed with the instant.  We need things instantly, coffee, tea, whatever you need.  Our calendars are generally now electronic and to the minute.  Our clocks (at least on the computer) update themselves.  Athletes compete to the hundredths of a second and instant replay has become common for many.   There are a lot of positive things to this obsession with time and the instant and there are negatives, as well, this scripture though speaks to time then and now.

Thinking about the instant, I can not help but to think of photography.  Today most pictures are taken with digital cameras or what we call phones.  Not only is the image of an “instant” of reality, we can share it instantly.  How many times have you had your picture taken and the photographer turns the camera around to show you the captured image?  I remember in Jamaica on a mission trip, the children who did not have cameras (let alone digital) would run to see the picture I took, which made a second take difficult.  This is very different from how I did photography in high school and college.  Not very long ago, but in a very different format, I was capturing “instants” with my camera.  This would involve taking a picture with my camera, that itself meant focusing, setting the aperture and speed as per the lighting and film.  Finishing the film with other photographs, rewinding the film and then in a bag that did not allow any light in, I would spool the film on a reel, then develop the film, dry it overnight.  Then cut and put in the enlarger to expose a piece of photographic paper.  I would also use dodging and burning to correct areas of the photo, develop the image as long as I thought, then stop it and fix it in those respective solutions.  Dry the paper over night and then mat the image.  Eventually I would share the image by either an art show or informally.  This generally took weeks before I would share the “instant” I had captured on film, and today, I may take a picture, upload it to the web and have someone across the world make a comment on it within a minute.  It is amazing what has changed in twenty years, and yet the truth is the aesthetic of a good photograph really has not changed.

The miracle of the water becoming wine is written by John with a lot of detail, the conversations between Jesus and His mother and the chief steward and the servants, the specifics of the stone purification jugs, but when the water becomes wine is not specified.  Usually when the Gospel writers speak of Jesus healing someone, they mention when, generally “immediately.”  We even know the woman that touched His cloak was cured instantly, and that is how Jesus knew to ask who touched Him.  This is why I notice that John does not say exactly when the water became wine.  Was it when the water poured into the jugs?  Was it when they were filled?  Was it as they sat there a minute?  When the sample was taken or as it was taken to the chief steward?  Or was it when it touched his lips?  We will never know, we simply know that the miracle happened. 

Before I tackle when the miracle happens, I must explain why the miracle of wine.  This miracle is about Jesus revealing His glory and thus the start of the new era.  The wine is a symbol of a new era coming as per both Amos and Joel. 

The time is surely coming, says the Lord,
   when the one who ploughs shall overtake the one who reaps,
   and the treader of grapes the one who sows the seed;
the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
   and all the hills shall flow with it.  (Amos 9:13)

 

On that day
the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
   the hills shall flow with milk,
and all the stream beds of Judah
   shall flow with water;
a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord
   and water the Wadi Shittim.  (Joel 3:18)

You will notice that Amos says the “time is surely coming”  and Joel says “On that day,” and the major sign is dripping sweet wine.  This is to be the sign of the age to come, that Jesus ushers in.  And surely six containers of at least 20 gallons would be plenty of wine for a wedding in Cana.  We know there was wine already at the wedding, why didn’t Jesus just ask the servants to fill the empty containers?  Doubling the wine would have surely been sufficient.   However, this miracle was to demonstrate the beginning of a new era, and it is defined by the old forms of Judaism being filled with new content; not replacing Judaism, rather Jesus fulfills The Torah (the Law).  This new era has begun and we know it as well, as the Holy Spirit fills us at our baptism; our old form is filled with the new content of the One Spirit of Love.

When I was a photographer, it would take me a lot of time before I had what I would term a photograph.  I shared the process above, and emphasize that it was only when I “framed” the photo would it be a photograph.  Many instants were left as film, or on paper in my folder. Today it may be quicker, but I have digital images I delete, and some that I have saved but I have not shared on facebook, on my phone, or in print, and those are not photographs.  It is only the images I upload or even simply turn the camera around to share with someone that truly become pictures (not necessarily good).  It is the act of sharing that defines when the captured instant becomes a visual art, a photo.

It does not matter when the water becomes wine.  It became wine and if it just sat there it was not a miracle.  When the wine was shared, that is the miracle, when it is known it is Jesus who reveled His Glory and that was shared.  We are each filled with the Holy Spirit and we are thus charged to share this with others.  We go creating miracles by sharing Jesus’ new era for humanity and every individual.