Truth is Love

1 John 1:1-2:2

This world is dominated by death.  It is evident in how plants turn to the sunlight, sometimes crowding out others.  It is evident in the speed of rabbits and the speed of foxes.  Humans are not as cut and dry.  It is not the smartest or strongest that inherently succeeds, for socialization adds more nuances to how we are affected by the shadow, the darkness, of death.  It is not all bad, as it is why we generally stop at stop signs, but it plays out through rivalry and violence, both physical and emotional.  This is done both via individuals and groups. It is the darkness.

God has no darkness at all.  Jesus went to the cross not because of death but because of the light; life not the opposite of death, but life of God totally other than life and death.  As the writer of Hebrews shares:

looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. (12:2)

It was not that he knew he would be raised, it was because of the Divine Light; life that knows no death.  Even our early martyrs would be kidding themselves if their death was not in part motivated by pride.  As those that bowed to Caesar and hid the church, were scared of death, the martyrs too were motivated by the darkness in part (just as those that kept the church going in secret were motivated in keeping the knowledge of the Light alive).  It is impossible for humans to completely leave the shadow and darkness of earthly death, yet we are called to bring the light forward. 

Light that does not require violence, for God does not require the sacrifice.  It is humans that do.  The Old Testament seems to have God wanting sacrifices, but truly it is actually the people who do.  Take Genesis 22 when Abraham is to sacrifice is only legitimate son.  God provides the ram instead.  The sacrifices are the people's ritualized way to demonstrate love to the God that saved them and provides everything for them.  Thus in Jerusalem God provides His only Son as the sacrifice  to our violence.  God only has love, so much so He gives Jesus.

This act on the cross is what creates the eighth day.  That is it finishes creation.  If we think of creation as only the beginning of time, we ignore the scriptures that say Jesus was there in the beginning.  This Christian idea of Jesus being part of creation is why Creation is completed at the resurrection, opening up the Light of the world so we know about this Light without any darkness that has taken away the sting of death.  We are still affected by the darkness but we have a way to follow to avoid rivalry, war, violence, and all the darkness, for we know of the greatest love of all, that God gave his only son into our darkness to give us light and salvation.

 

 

 

 

*Note this sermon was a review for the congregation of themes I was working on.  It was an attempt to weave together God as Ultimate Other, Love, atonement and creation.  Must admit it was preached better than written. 

Forgiveness Blooms

Mark 16:1-8

Here in the original ending of Mark we see the women going to anoint Jesus’ body. This is part of life; death.  It is known that all living things die.  It hangs over all of us and its reality is important to how we live on earth.  Call it survival if you want, call it thriving, but death shapes how we live. 

Fear is an important theme in this passage, but it was not fear of the dead body or of death.  I am always struck at how fearful some people are to be with a dead body, but these women were going to do the things we have professionals do today.  They were going to handle the body to pay deepest respects to the one lost.  No the fear was that Jesus was not there.

It is in this fear that Christian hope begins.  Remember Sarah laughs when she is told she will bear a child.  Yes because it is funny, but out of fear of this great possibility that can only happen because of the Divine.  The empty tomb is much more radical and hence the running in fear, not just nervous laughter.

God is the only true other.  What I mean is that because of death being part of life on earth, we are all in the same boat, or globe, what have you.  God is however beyond this as the creator.  I remember learning about Creation ex nihilo, in seminary, and questioning it like any good seminarian, for in the first verses of Genesis, there is reference to the deep, to chaos, as if something existed before creation.  Well I was studying with Dr. Rev. Joe Jones in a study group (a great theologian of the Christian Church), and he made it clear it was less about the existence of matter before creation, but that creation was not made of God’s own self.  That is nothing God created is Divine, we may see something or experience something and say “Wow that is Divine,” however I believe we are pointing to the great Divine with that experience.  God created, to have relationship with, not to simply be an extension of God.  This is however, not to support the gnostic idea that all earthly and physical is inherently evil.  I remember that God said it was Good when it was created, but it is not God.  It is physical and that with life does die.

Thus the fear of the women was the realization that God is truly the only other.  We are all invited to the wedding banquet, as the parable Jesus tells in Mathew 22.  We are all invited and we wear our wedding robe (of course the people on the street did not really have their special robe with them), but when the one not wearing a robe asked he was without word.  He did not understand, he would have stood at the empty tomb and thought “I wonder who took the body?”  He would question the angel and may had experienced fear, but not the fear that sent the women running.

Their fear was that the resurrection did happen.  It meant they would have to deal with their doubt, their sin, their shortcomings to the one that is coming with a winnowing fork.  The one that would separate the chaff from the grain with the help of the Holy Spirit.  To accept you were that loved that Jesus would go to the cross and to face him, is wear the fear comes from, and the hope begins. 

Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. Revelation 3:20

Hope stirs when we realize Jesus does not avenge, but witnesses as the ultimate other.  The one that knows the truth is that forgiveness blooms on earth as it is in heaven. For when Jesus comes through the locked door He says, “Peace be with you.”

April 2012 Newsletter

 

Easter is a time to celebrate life. The tomb is empty demonstrating to humanity that death is conquered by the divine love of God. Jesus was hung on the tree because of the earthly violence that permeates life on earth. Most sin comes from the breaking of the greatest commandment as Jesus sums it up,

He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22: 37-40)

It is a call against coveting, a call to follow a different model of desire. Earthly desires are tied to the desires of others, and thus jealousy, hatred, rivalry, etc. become the basis of most sin. The perfect and completely sinless Jesus is murdered and demonstrates not only God’s power over death, but the reaction of love and forgiveness by God. The empty tomb turns the earthly world inside out and upside down.

Jesus does not simply mean for us to wait for Heaven, but to bring the Heavenly model to earth as he did. Our desires are to be in line with that of His. As John shares in his Gospel, Jesus demonstrates that model with the washing of the disciple’s feet. Jesus even clearly states he has set this as our example:

You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. (John 13: 13-15)

Let us go forward in the season of Easter, following this model of Heaven. As His Disciples we are all servants of each other and the world. We are called out of the world together to share this wonderful good news, this wonderful example of Heaven on Earth.

Blessings,

Pastor J.C.

Lifted Up

Hebrews 5:5-10; John 12:20-33

The writer of Hebrews suggests that Jesus is of the order of Melchizedek.  It is an obscure reference, to the  priest who blessed Abram.  Psalm 110 picks this up as well, and it seems to be a way to demonstrate an old old way as if it is new again.  Which is what I am interested in doing here, for we are looking at the cross today, and there are many theologies of atonement, but the one I will explore I believe is one of the earliest, with its simplicity, that has come to a greater understanding these days.

I do not believe that any of the theologies of atonement or the cross are wrong, but rather a unique view of a great mystery that cannot be completely understood.  Prof. Mark Heim explains it by saying the actual cross is three dimensional and thus when you look at it at one angle the other side is not visible, but that does not mean it doesn’t exist, it is part of this great mystery.

As the Hebrews writer suggests, not only is Jesus designated by God from an old line, he went as a perfect sacrifice via submission and obedience.  The writer even suggests that He “learned obedience through what he suffered,” which is hard to phantom.  However, that demonstrates to me that Jesus was fully human and thus understood something divine on the cross when he was lifted up.

Lifted up for John seems to have a double meaning for he does not separate the resurrection from the cross. In this pericope, John makes it clear he is referring to Jesus being lifted-up on the cross, yet we only are aware of this cross moment because of the resurrection.

In the news, Trayvon Martin is much of the discussion.  He was no perfect boy, but he was certainly innocent of deserving death.  I do believe there are demons of racism and anxiety, and I am certain that one civilian following another is not standing one’s ground.  It is so very tragic.  If Trayvon survived we would be able to have his witness.

Jesus the perfectly innocent man, who was tempted to enter our desires of a worldly kingdom.  Who told Peter to put the sword away despite being scared of the tree he was to be hung on.  Jesus was not just a good man, but acted and taught that participation in rivalry was not the divine way.  He desired people to love the neighbor as they would love themselves. And be perfect as the heavenly Father is, raining on the righteous and unrighteous. 

He did nothing but teach love, healed all who wanted healing, and taught peace, and the authorities of the state and the religion condemned him to death.  He followers fled.  Alone though on that cross he drew us all to Him.  For we would have the witness of the victim.  The witness that did not come back with the heavenly hosts (army), did not command his Disciples to guerilla warfare, or even with a judgment.  He came back and said, Peace be with you, demonstrating the scars and thus the love and forgiveness the Divine has for us all. 

It is sad and awfully tragic we do not have Trayvon’s witness, as he certainly did not deserve death for being a  black youth with a hoodie.  It reminds me that I have been drawn to the salvation of Jesus, for His perspective as victim, questions the individual and corporate sins that pave the earthly realm through rivalry.

The victim saved us and forgave us, so we would have no more death. 

Teacher & Savior

Exodus 20:1-17; John 2:13-22

The “ten best ways,” as we call the ten commandments in Godly Play and Worship and Wonder curriculum, are very important.  I believe they are the foundation of our society together.  It is not that they are put on court lawns or in our court houses, which I do prefer to statues I have seen on court lawns, but that it is the covenant for God’s people.  Let us review, God made a covenant with people, starting within the garden, but accumulating with the great covenant with Abraham and Sarah. 

Then in Egypt, God hear their cry and remembered the covenant.  To make the long story short, salvation from slavery was provided by God’s leadership through Moses.  Then God provided the “Ten Best Ways,” the ten commandments, or better yet the covenant.  This promise was the ways humans should live together.  The first four are about loving the One True God, and the remaining six are about how you treat others, or rather neighbors.

It seems to me  a wonderful Rabbi was asked to choose the most important and he said something like this: 

What you yourself hate, don't do to your neighbor. This is the whole law; the rest is commentary. Go and study. (Rabbi Hillel)

And my savior and the great rabbi Jesus of Nazareth said something quite similar:

He said to him,  "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

To me Jesus is restating the convenant God made with people, love God and Love neighbor.  Basically Love, and as Hillel states if you don’t get it read on and study.

Thus when according to John, Jesus enters the temple and drives out the money changers, you must realize that they were the most “religious” people he was angry with.  The priests knew that this market place existed, and instead of worrying about treating the neighbor they were only worried about the institution, the rules and the money.  I am sure many were not being fair with their trading practices, but it developed with a need for people to fulfill the law, the commentary.  It made sense, but the anger I believe came from robbing people of the meaning of the covenant, the Best Way, LOVE of God and Neighbor.

Powerful Prayer

Psalm 22; Philippians 4:6-9

There is a Target commercial that is quite colorful, and if I sing the first word of the song you would probably be compelled to sing it aloud (or at least in your head).  “Alouette…”  I am sure you can imagine the tune and many of the words, despite reading this post in English.  Well I must share that this popular French Canadian song, does annoy me, for it is about a lark being plucked.  However, I brought it up for the fact that everyone seemed to know this little song by heart, just as we would most nursery rhymes. Or just as we respond when we hear, “Our Father who….” or when I start saying, especially at a funeral, “The Lord is my shepherd…”  We know these prayers and psalms by heart, and we can almost not stop ourselves when we hear it begun.

This is important for us to understand to understand Jesus’ words from the cross, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me…” it was not simply a statement of angry at God for letting Him die on the cross, rather this traditional lament we call Psalm 22 today.  Dyeing of affixation Jesus had very little breath to spare on the whole Psalm, but once he started this, I imagine, that those gathered, even those who did not follow Jesus, were finishing the Psalm.  It would be part of the Jewish tradition to know the Psalms by heart, for they were sung as part of worship, part of life. 

Why Psalm 22? It is a classic lament from an individual’s perspective, and Jesus would certainly lament as a human being crucified.  But you may notice that as the lament moves into thanksgiving for God, it becomes more communal.  By the conclusion of the Psalm the writer is admitting that God is for not only Israel, but families of the nations (gentiles) and not only for those now, but who have gone before and those yet born.  So Jesus makes it clear that God will rescue Him not to simply rescue His Son, but the whole of Humanity.

  Just as we should remember when Paul writes:

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, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

It is not to an individual Paul is writing.  He is writing to a community, and we know in our hearts that when we ask in prayer God does not see us as the center of the universe.  God will answer prayers for one only in community.  So if we think we are praying for what we think the church should like like as per our individual perspective, we may be disappointed that God has not answered our prayers.  However, if we understand that even Jesus while lamenting about His awful and painful emptying on the cross, knew God in Heaven was responding not just to save Him, but to save us all from this worldly way of sin and death. 

Vision First

Habakkuk 2:2-3; Mark 1:9-15

This first Sunday of Lent we generally start with the account of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness.  This year we are concentrating on the Gospel of Mark, who only writes of the occurrence and not interactions with Satan.  Mark mentions Satan three other times.  The next time is in chapter three, and refers to “Satan casting out Satan.” Jesus is making the point that even Satan doesn’t succeed split, then in chapter 4 is in the explanation of the Parable of the Sower.  The last is in chapter 8 and is actually the lectionary scripture for next Sunday.  This one is the most pertinent to today’s reading.  It is when Jesus tells Peter to get behind him, Satan.  Right after Peter answered correctly who Jesus was. 

Of course in the first chapter of Mark Satan is the tempter but what is he tempting?  In chapter 4 with Satan coming and taking the word from the one’s on the human created path.  That is not where the seeds will grow, so Satan seems to tempt the word away with the what we humans create.  This is goes right into Jesus’ use of the word “Satan” for the man who just identified Him correctly.  Jesus knows that Messiah has a connotation of an earthly king.  He realized when Peter rebuked Him about the way being the death and resurrection, Jesus knew Peter mind, “was not on divine things but on human things.”  Peter was thinking of the packed down earthly path was the way, but Jesus knows that is Satan’s temptation.  That we take the ways of the world to be the ways of the church.

So when Jesus went from His baptism, into the wilderness, driven by the Spirit.  What was the temptation according to Mark?  For Jesus to start His ministry it was important He did not sin, but the ultimate sin would have been for him to rule the earth like an earthly king.  It is clear this temptation by Satan was squashed, for as John reported in his Gospel, when Jesus feed the 5,000 they wanted to force him to be king, he slipped away.  And found the twelve in the middle of the Sea of Galilee in rough water, thus demonstrating with His power over the elements, was not a king as they know earthly kings.

Now before I was a minister I was a pastry chef in a Manhattan Restaurant.  I was thinner then and so often people would state they would not be so thin if they did what I did.  Well little did they understand it was hard physical work as well as you do get tired of the desserts.  I would encourage my workers to always try the desserts for it was important to keep things tasting their best, and they would consume the least attractive versions.  It was never an issue.

I do remember my first week as the head pastry chef, three weeks into the job (it was a surprise to me as well).  I was working on a hazelnut linzer torte with a fig filling as I had developed at a previous restaurant.  I made a small version for the chef.  This was inspired by the fact the kitchen had a plate with black mission figs, but they were not using enough.  She suggested using Madeira Wine to enhance the fig filling.  So the next morning before anyone was at the restaurant, I went to the bar to sign out my two cups of wine.  I started by searching the well and then the lower shelves.  I found no Madeira Wine until I looked about eye level (important to note I’m tall).  So I signed out the wine and made my tasty torte and served it with cardamom ice cream (it was very tasty).

So the next day when the bartender arrived he came to talk to me.  Well yell in my face, and as I took it I did realize that the numbers he mentioned would mean the 12 slices of that dessert at 12 dollars would not pay back those two cups of madeira.  I knew the chef had said Madeira and I know I did not miss any cheaper version in the bar.  When I apologized to her, she apologized to me, that I was not yet informed of the cooking madeira and red wine in the kitchen.  I never really got upset at the bartender for even today I can feel my blood boil when someone cuts off the entire top of a strawberry to remove the stem.  It is simple with a small pairing knife to remove just the green, and waste no strawberry meat.  In the kitchen I had talked to many assistants about that, even making some go back to cut the green out of the scraps for a strawberry sauce.

For in a restaurant it is really a business.  The vision may include tasty gourmet food, a wonderful dining ambiance, but it comes down to money.  It is all about making a profit. The church does need to be in the black, which is difficult for many congregations.  However the vision cannot be the worldly path.  That path seems the easiest and is the path for businesses, but the church is different.  It is not of this world.

Our path is among the good soil.  We are rooted in God’s Word and Love and yet we are running off the path that Satan tempts us with.  We need a vision that resembles the one Habakkuk writes of:

Then the Lord answered me and said:
Write the vision;
   make it plain on tablets,
   so that a runner may read it.
For there is still a vision for the appointed time;
   it speaks of the end, and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
   it will surely come, it will not delay. (2:2-3)

Jesus knew the worldly path, the worldly kingship, would be our temptation as well.  Church we need to look for Jesus’ vision and get behind him and follow.

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.

Inevitable Resurrection

Transfiguration Sunday.  I am not blogging on this sermon for this article I wrote was the majority of the message.  Enjoy and be challenged.  Blessings, JC

http://dmergent.org/2012/02/15/pacifying-the-inevitable-resurrection/

Deep Within

2 Kings 5:1-14; Mark 1:40-45

Naaman was not happy when Elisha told him what would clean him of his ailment. The scripture actually says he is angry and says, “I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would have his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy!”  Naaman even continues his statements of anger by comparing his nation’s rivers to the Jordan.  I cannot help but point out that this man’s anger does not seem congruent with his quest.  He wants to be healed and actually travels for this cure to his enemy’s king, and then onto their prophet, yet he believes he knows how the healing should occur.  Naaman goes as far to say “…that for me..” now that is arrogant. Now the servants were quite wise and understood he was willing to seek an audience with the king of Israel and thus would have done anything the prophet suggested, why was he not willing do something he perceived was too easy.  Of course we know that he was made clean, because of there were people without any power leading Naaman to the healing power.

Naaman was his own biggest enemy.  He knew how the healing had to take place, or so he thought.  And even when he heard what the prophet said, he could not get over his ego.  His healing was desired because of his own ego and self care.  That should have a place, just as most of us check a mirror before the house, we care about ourselves.  The unnamed slave girl was moved by compassion to tell of the prophet in Samaria, that could heal.  At least I believe that to be true as she is not freed, receive any credit, or even named in the story.  Being moved to help because of compassion is what the Gospel lectionary is about.

In the Gospel of Mark, it is reported that Jesus is moved to compassion, and the word used is splagchnizomai.  To be moved to compassion from one’s gut.  A term for compassion used twelve times in the synoptic Gospels in reference to Jesus, or by Jesus in a parable.  It is a Greek term the root of which means gut, but specifically the inner organs of a sacrificed animal. 

Jesus is moved to heal not from His ego, but from His sacrifice.  If we want to share the Gospel, we most not think like Naamon and believe we know how, but to look deep within and act out of sacrificial compassion, in response to the grace we can never repay. 

Holy Everywhere

Isaiah 40:21-31; Mark 1:29-39

Jesus touches Simon Peter’s mother-in-law to heal her.  He crosses a very strong line, and He implies that is to be done not only for individuals but in the synagogues, the religion as well. The healing was a miracle, but the touching was against the rules of ancient Judaism.  So even if it was good, full of love, it broke the law to touch the unclean. 

We as Christians are not immune to these lines as well.  How we worship, what we think,  we set up lines as well. 

We need to learn from young children who can see the image on a coloring sheet and yet color away with their hearts intent.  If the page is a picture of a bunny they will color across all the lines and say it is a bunny.  It is not that the lines are not important but they are not meant to contain, that which is “unsearchable” as Isaiah says in verse 28.

Let us be like the children, like Jesus, and cross over boundaries and lines to touch others with our crayons of love. 

Is not the cross and empty tomb the ultimate crossing of the boundary?

Love Builds for God

1 Corinthians 8:1-13; Mark 1:21-28

Paul writes about being vegetarian, because the churches in the Gentile cities most meats were prepared in a temple in honor of an idol.  Of course Paul and others are quite aware there really are not other gods or idols, and thus the meat is fine to eat.  However, Paul realizes that knowledge does not transfer smoothly to new believers, or believers whose family still worships at the pagan temples.  As they discover the reality of the one true God through Jesus at the table, they may slip as Paul explains again in Galatians:

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods. Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits? How can you want to be enslaved to them again? (4:8-9)

Paul sees this as an issue, but it is not knowledge that ultimately works to keep people focused on Jesus, it is love.  Knowledge puffs, but love builds.  Paul writes latter about maturing in the faith and you will notice knowledge is not mentioned:

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. (13:11-13)

Not only is it love that is more important we do not see clearly until face to face.  Which brings me to the Gospel scripture.  If we think we have the correct knowledge, we may be just puffed up.  In this scene with Jesus according to Mark it is not those following Jesus, those listening to Jesus, it is the unclean spirit that recognizes Jesus as the “Holy One of God.”  This is a humbling reminder that Love is what builds up God. 

February 2012

As a boy in elementary school, I would sometimes tussle with other boys. Generally we would not hurt each other, but sometimes it would result in a visit to the nurse’s office. One such incident I hit my head against the cement wall. It hurt some but I felt I was fine, however, the teacher did not believe me, but who would argue with a teacher that was allowing you to go to the nurse’s office and miss some of class, as we were just coming in from recess. The nurse examined me and asked questions. I was determined to be fine, diagnosis “boy.”

However, the last question posed was, “Are you seeing double?” My response worried her, as I stated, “No more than usual.” See I was seeing double often while reading and I just trained an strained myself to read both images simultaneously. The nurse concerned and curious, did some tests and discovered what I thought was normal; I saw double. What I also remember about her is she did not make me feel stupid for thinking that seeing double was normal and she did not make me nervous about this situation.

I went to the optometrist, and I must say that was an exciting experience. It was explained to me that everyone has a focal point in which when you get closer to the eyes, one will see double, but generally it is centimeters from the nose, not an arm’s length. This doctor prescribed intense exercises. I had various contraptions and ditto papers and spent one to two hours a day strengthening my eyes, so my focal point would be in a normal range. I was committed because reading which I greatly enjoy was much easier with only one image.

I share this story to emphasize the importance of the visioning process we are just starting here at First Christian Church of Durant. We are a great and loving church and God has a vision for us. The question is what is that vision? We cannot be church without doing the work that is necessary so we can truly sate and follow the Divine’s Vision for us as a local congregation. If we simply continue thinking we are, without exploring it, we will find we have poor vision. So please continue to pray for the visioning process and I encourage you to look to the programs and events the team will bring forth in the coming year, so we can do the work together to have vision and grow.

Let us pray as the Psalmist shares in Psalm 86:11:

Teach me your way, O Lord,

that I may walk in your truth;

give me an undivided heart to revere your name.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor JC

Time Fulfilled

1 Corinthians 7:29-31;  Mark 1:14-20

Paul writes some provocative statements to the Corinthians.  He is not advocating immoral behavior, he is emphasizing that this world has changed with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  Time has been fulfilled, as Jesus states in this passage by Mark, and emphasized by the immediacy of the first disciples to follow Jesus.  Time has changed.

Originally time was determined by the sun.  This is clearly stated in Genesis with the creation of the first day.  The Jewish people of Jesus’ day, and today, determine the day based on the end of the day.  That is when the sun goes down the day ends, thus the next day does start, hence Sabbath starts at sundown on Friday.  For the original followers of The Way (Jesus) who were Jewish, they would go to the Temple, or a synagogue, or perhaps down by the river in a Gentile city, to worship the one true God, listening to the Torah and the prophets.  They would keep the Sabbath as well if they were able, but on Sunday morning they would be truly back to work (it would had been their Monday). These first Jewish followers of Jesus, would get up early on Sunday, before work and without an alarm clock, to celebrate the resurrection with communion, hymns, baptisms, and worship.  They would do this as the sun rose.  It was like an extra day to their week, empowering them for their work and their lives.  There was an idea that the perfect creation will finally go to the eighth day with the resurrection at the end of all time.  However, the early Christians were understanding that time had changed and the fulfilling morning of worship and sharing His meal was the eighth day. 

I love sunrises, and having been a baker and pastry chef I have seen many.  My favorite still was when I was a teen.  I knew there was a snow storm coming the next Sunday morning.  With 3-4 inches already on the ground it would be wonderful to get up early to watch the sun rise with the snow falling.  So up early I got, and trekked up to the top of a cliff at the edge of the woods.  I took a thermos of hot cocoa and was buddled up.  I found a log to took in behind to protect me from the wind and settled in.  Then it occurred to me I would really not see the sun through the snow.  It was still the most amazing sunrise, so quiet, both the woods and the town below, save the wind.  A few times I could make out a perfect white ball through the clouds. It felt like hours I was there, and it was a while since I remember dusting an inch of snow of myself when I departed.  I treasure that sunrise that I never saw.

Everyday the sun rises, even if we do not see it.  And it is equally true that everyday God’s Son Rises, even if we do not see it.  When Jesus tells us time has been fulfilled he wants us to act as if we are starting the eighth day.  Paul makes it quite clear that the new age started and our actions should match that of the kingdom of God. 

However, we do not live in a kingdom, nor is their one person or power that really has the power on us anymore.  Today we live where our cultures have power over us.  Cultures we choose, and cultures that sneak into our subconscious.  The culture of America, the culture of TV, the consumer culture, the culture of Rock music, the culture of drugs, the culture of politics, the culture of one’s family etc.  Some are very powerful.  Some more powerful than we want to admit.  So I believe time has been fulfilled by the culture of God being near.  We need to live as if we live in the culture of God, and not simply wait to live in heaven, for time has been fulfilled. 

Come & See

1 Samuel 3:1-10; John 1:43-51

Writing the article that is linked here, I realized that it worked well with the scriptures above.  Basically my son may not answer to his name, but he seems to answer to the Divine who calls one to love perfectly.  The article is not the sermon, but in written form it worked very well, and I thought it wise to simply link that written word in this week’s sermon jotting.

Many blessings, JC

 

http://dmergent.org/2012/01/18/autism-sculpts-divine-desire-asdd/

Unveiling

Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11

Luke writes of Paul’s experience in Ephesus, where he found people that were following Jesus, but without the Holy Spirit.  They did not even understand what Paul was talking about, so Paul asked then about their baptism and they responded with water, that is John’s Baptism.  Notice Paul did not denounce them for not getting it, rather he explained that John’s Baptism was in preparation of the one to come, Jesus.  They were thus baptized with the Spirit and all was well with these dozen believers.

So what is baptism to John.  Was it simply a preparation for Jesus coming?  Paul clearly explains it as a “baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come…”  This is confirmed by Mark in verse four as it says John was “…proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” In Matthew’s account John preached this:

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near (3:2)

That is not to be confused with repent to call heaven near, or repent to get into heaven.  It is repent for God’s realm has come near, and it was John’s job to prepare the way through proclamation of forgiveness.  There were other sects of Jews and even Pagans who utilized similar ritual of water and the idea of washing someone clean.  John makes it clear that his baptism is however not the baptism we are to live for, and Paul makes that clear to the dozen in Ephesus.

Even today there are Christians that emphasize John’s water baptism, over that of Jesus’ Baptism by the Holy Spirit.  Let me be clear, just as Paul doesn’t dismiss John’s baptism, nor do I.  There is great validity in the idea of being “washed clean” of sin (forgiveness), of “turning to God” (repentance), but John had people baptized of water in preparation of the Spirit.  They repented in the Jordan because God’s Kingdom was at hand.  However, to have the baptism act like a gate, such as babies getting into heaven, or adults for that matter, leaves baptism as an archaic earthly ritual and not a way to unveil the divine in our lives. 

We still use the water, but we believe it is an outward physical sign of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus’ own baptism changed the ritual forever.  The dove came down.  Now did John continue to baptize?  Did Jesus start baptizing?  Well clearly John’s ministry stopped shortly after Jesus baptism, and no where did Jesus baptize anyone, and actually according to Mark 10, He expected the disciples to be baptized in the future.  This came about when James and John approached Jesus with an awkward request, or so it seems to us who know the entire Gospel:

And they said to him, ‘Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ They replied, ‘We are able.’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.’ (Mark 10:37-40)

Were they baptized by John?  Does it matter, they obviously did not receive the Holy Spirit at that time.  According to Luke it would be at Pentecost after the Resurrection , or according to the disciple John in the upper room after the Resurrection. So when they ask about being part of Jesus’ power, His Glory. Earthly power was their model for His Glory, even though they had heard Him preach and heal.  Something else must happen.

As Jesus alludes to in His response to the brothers, baptism would be combined with the cup.  The cup representing the New Covenant, fulfilled by His blood on the cross.  Thus baptism is not simply repentance but participation in Jesus’ baptism, death, and resurrection.  For Jesus the cup and baptism are combined, and when we know that we accept the calling with the help of the Holy Spirit, who is unveiled in us and the entire church, the Body of Christ.