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. 

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. 

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.

Merry Christmas

Luke 2:1-20

Do you remember the first infant you held?  The first infant that was yours, or a close family or friend’s?  It is a miracle in itself.  Each child is a little miracle and while holding the baby, you realize how helpless they are.  A baby can’t walk nor do much of anything independently from parents, honestly they are not even aware they are independent from others.  Every baby is a miracle and the Baby Jesus is no different. 

Imagine one of the shepherds being a boy who comes to Bethlehem after hearing the angel, to see the child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.  This young shepherd is encouraged the hold the infant, his first baby to hold.  Of course the chorus of Heavenly Hosts, he heard in the field would resonate in his heart, but you know that first time of holding a helpless infant is just as special.  Imagine with me, that 50 years later he holds another baby and recalls that time in the City of David.  Perhaps he even tells his experience to Luke.  50 years after that this baby, now a man, holds a baby, experiencing the miracle of a child.  And another 50 years or so that child does the same, and so forth.  That would mean that it would take only 40 people or so to have been directly connected to holding Jesus.  

I share this illustration to emphasize that our movement, the church, is not as old as we think.  First of all when the incarnation happened, Judaism in which Jesus entered was already over 3,000 years old.  It is arrogant for Christians to believe their generation is the end of the Age.  Jesus makes it clear we are to be ready and only God in Heaven will know. Calling the time of the incarnation “ancient,” and living in a time we call “post-modern,” keeps us from understanding the reality that we may simply be in the infancy of our faith.  God’s time is not human time.

Jesus as a baby demonstrated His greatest power.  The power of vulnerability.  All babies posses that power and that is why they thrive, for the parents, and even society does what is necessary for each child to live.  Jesus is no different and yet he walks into adulthood without shedding that great power.  Jesus served.  Jesus went to the cross and through that great vulnerability, the Divine Love was revealed in the empty tomb. 

As Christians, we need to follow Emmanuel who demonstrated the power of vulnerability, servitude, and love.  We must understand we are still each learning to do that, and even our movement, we call the church, is struggling to learn to be vulnerable for Love.

 

Father Richard Rohr’s Wish inspired this Christmas Day Sermon

Law of Love

Exodus 12:1-14; Romans 13:8-14

In the Exodus passage God is telling Moses and Aaron how to prepare for the first and essential Passover.  God does tell them that this is a day to be remembered as a festival of the Lord.  Even today Jews celebrate the Passover, and they remember the events as if they were there.  Not unlike when we remember Jesus at His Table, for we remember what He did for us at the cross, and we remember His presence throughout our entire lives.  Jesus’ Table was set while He was celebrating a Passover Meal, remembering what God did on the first Passover.

The first Passover was a life and death observance.  God heard the cries of the Hebrews, the descendants of Abraham, through Jacob.  The Hebrews did not have the Ten Commandments, they did not have the law yet.  They did not have anything that made them Jewish except for their family relations.  They were not Egyptians.  Pharaoh used the Hebrews as slaves and as scapegoats.  They were oppressed but Pharaoh was also worried about their numbers and thus took actions against them.  Actions that united the Egyptians as well.  We do this to this day.

Why were the Hebrews in Egypt?  Did God not give the land of Canaan to Abraham and Sarah?  Jacob came back to this promised land with his family, and after wrestling with God receives the name Israel.  And then we have the story of Joseph.  The eleven other sons of Israel was jealous of Jacob’s love of Joseph.  They were angered by Joseph’s dreams.  They banded together and scapegoated Joseph.  They were going to kill him but decided to profit from this awful violence upon the out casted brother, and sold him into slavery. 

Joseph ended up in an Egyptian prison, and eventually demonstrates his capability to interpret dreams.  Not only does he find himself in Pharaoh's court, Joseph saves Egypt from the horrific famine.  Joseph becomes Pharaoh's right-hand man.  The famine was felt back in the promised land as well.  Eventually Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt looking for assistance.  They do not recognize their brother, but he knows them.  Joseph finally reveals himself when the entire family is in Egypt.  And Joseph believes that God used his horrific experience to be able to save the entire family.  This is repeated with the Passover as God uses a people that were violently oppressed and scapegoated to establish God’s Law, starting with this ordinance that did save them that night.

What is clear is that the one true God can and will use our own systems of violence to save us.  With the Passover it was salvation from slavery, with Joseph it was salvation from famine.  Now Jesus enters as the lamb.  No longer is the blood to show God who is to be saved, but that we see His blood on our system of justice.  We understand that God brings us salvation from sin.  From this system of violence and scapegoating for everyone.  “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” (Revelation 19:9)  Through this the laws still stand, yet they are fulfilled by the love Jesus showed us.  God used our own violence so we could see that the only law is Love.  We all can follow Jesus to our salvation by following that law.

“Spirit in the Sky”

John 3:1-17

John 3:16 is a scripture that has become for many, including myself, such a pivotal and encouraging scripture and you just have to hear “John 3:16” to feel the promise of that scripture.  When I read this scripture in preparation, I was thinking about songs that encourage in the same way as this essential paricope.  The songs came to mind because Jesus talked about being “born from above” and “born of the Spirit” which made me think of the rock song called “Spirit in the Sky.”  That song was very important to me when I was trying to discern if I was called to ministry.  It was that song and “I’ll Fly Away” that I would turn up and listen to often during the time of discernment.  Both those songs emphasize the promise of eternal life, and I played them over and over as I tried to figure out if I was called to stay a lay leader, go to seminary to be a pastor, missionary, chaplain, etc. and which school.  These songs of the promised helped me concentrate on the work I was called to do on earth.

Friends of mine who were not believers did not understand these songs.  They would only think about the eternal life starting after death, and could not relate that promise to their lives today.  They did not understand that the promise relates directly to how I live my life now, for eternity starts now.  Nicodemus did not understand Jesus in a similar way.  Nicodemus was curious and perhaps open to believe, but he was not able to understand Jesus’ use of the word “born.”  Nicodemus could only understand the word literally, and could not relate to it as a metaphor for a newness of someone that turned to God.  This language of being “born from above” and “born of the Spirit” demonstrated a personal conversion that starts one eternal life here on earth.  We are born again of the spirit so we may be the Body of Christ on Earth prior to that time when in a moment our earthly body’s glory becomes our heavenly body’s glory.

We read this conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus as emphasizing personal conversion.  This is the major theme of being Born Again.  This language only becomes relevant because understood once as it is written in verse 14, “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up…”  This is essential for our personal conversion is only relevant because of Jesus.  He is referring to what is recorded in Numbers 21:5-9:

The people spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.’ Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people.And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.’ So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.

Jesus is to be lifted up on a tree for all of humanity.  Father God lifts Jesus out of the tomb to demonstrate the promise of eternal life with God.  Therefore we are baptized not by a pastor, but by the Holy Spirit to participate in the death and resurrection, starting our eternal life when we are born again.