November 28, 2007
Romans 3:7-13
“Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory.”
Though there are many interpretations of Murphy’s Law, the one most known to us is that “whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.” This negative mentality was well at work among the original hearers of these words. Most likely, this was being written to people in Asia Minor who perceived themselves as oppressed. Of course, oppressed persons are hardly bold and hardly confident.
This scripture is meant to speak to the power that exists within the church and a power that we all too often deny. The author uses Paul as the model. Here was a man who experienced the power of God and God’s grace and as a result became a vessel through which God could work. He became an evangelist—one who boldly and confidently told the story of Christ to people (especially Gentiles) who might not have had the chance to hear it had it not meant so much to him. The result was the formulation of groups of people who had personal experiences with Christ. These became known as churches and when these churches gathered they realized not only the enthusiasm that flowed from relationship but a sense of contagion. They were compelled by their experience to share with others, to encourage each other in that experience of relationship and the byproduct was the gift of God’s continuing wisdom granted to them.
If you were to study the history of Murphy’s Law and Edward Murphy himself, you might well determine that Murphy was actually a very positive person whose phrase has been reinterpreted through the years. It is thought that he possibly said something more to the effect of “if it can happen, it will happen.” This, by my thinking, has a much more positive slant to it. So if we apply that law to our scripture, we have to ask first of all, what is it that has gone so wrong with the church? How did we come to a state where church is so habitual, so rote, so mundane seeming? When did we forget about the EXPERIENCE of relationship with Christ? When did we start keeping our sinfulness to ourselves and stop being real with each other? (Maybe when we stopped offering forgiveness?) I think it is safe to say that whatever could go wrong did go wrong with the church.
And yet, by God’s grace and wisdom, the church goes on, in spite of the churchgoers. If it can happen it will happen. If we invest in that perspective, we have to ask, how? Are we committed to making the church different? Are we committee to having a personal relationship with Christ that we are bold and confident enough to share because it has changed us so profoundly? Are we willing to accept the changes that will inevitably come because of our courage to profess what Christ is doing in our lives? Are we willing to be REAL SERVANTS? Real servants do the good of feeding and sheltering but they have the courage to go beyond that to challenge people to change their lives and take responsibility by claiming their own personal relationship with Christ.
My hope for the church universal this day, is that we will move beyond the labels that are so dear to us; that we will move beyond our marriage to traditions especially those that stymie us; that we will have the courage to feel and experience intellectually and otherwise the profound movement of God in our lives. My hope is that “if it can happen, it will happen” will become our mantra simply because we know the power of God. May God’s power, wisdom and grace be known to us this day! Amen.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
defining calling
November 21, 2007
Ephesians 3:1-6
“This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed by to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”
When I was growing up there were “rules” or maybe spiritual suggestions is the better way to put it. Nonetheless expectations were held that the children of the Taylor family would meet three requirements. Number one: read C. S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity. Number two: memorize Philippians 2:1-16a. Number three: develop a purpose statement. Being the eldest child, I saw no other option than to meet the expectations. My purpose statement started out as “To love God and to live like it.” Through the years it has migrated to a more specific calling that I hope I am living out in my life, to help others grow spiritually deeper. I seek to allow that calling to drive my living and experience such a deep sense of gratitude for the clear direction I have been given. Given that, I relate well to these words of “Paul”.
At this point in the scripture it becomes necessary for us to really decide what we believe about the authorship of this book because, on some level, it influences one’s interpretation. I’ve put “Paul” in quotes because I believe that someone else was sharing their perspective and sort of riding on Paul’s coattails. While we may not be able to attribute these words or thoughts to Paul, that really doesn’t change the fact that the author makes a great point. This chapter was meant to speak about calling and these first six verses were meant to defend Paul’s calling. The question as to why he was spending so much time ministering to the Gentiles must have been a question that haunted him. So it is that the author tries to explain that Paul has been given a calling—a purpose that is to drive his life. That purpose is to unite Jews and Gentiles so that they come to see each other in the context of oneness.
At the end of the day, I think this is the calling for all of us—oneness, unity. Maybe our success in that ultimate calling rests in how well we live out our particular, individual callings. So this week, I challenge you (if don’t already know it) to define your specific calling and purpose. (God will show you what it is if you are willing to listen.) For those of us who already know our callings, our challenge is to be certain that we are living toward that ultimate calling of oneness. This week, may we rise to God’s calling for us and find both gratitude and freedom in the living of our mission. Amen.
Ephesians 3:1-6
“This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed by to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”
When I was growing up there were “rules” or maybe spiritual suggestions is the better way to put it. Nonetheless expectations were held that the children of the Taylor family would meet three requirements. Number one: read C. S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity. Number two: memorize Philippians 2:1-16a. Number three: develop a purpose statement. Being the eldest child, I saw no other option than to meet the expectations. My purpose statement started out as “To love God and to live like it.” Through the years it has migrated to a more specific calling that I hope I am living out in my life, to help others grow spiritually deeper. I seek to allow that calling to drive my living and experience such a deep sense of gratitude for the clear direction I have been given. Given that, I relate well to these words of “Paul”.
At this point in the scripture it becomes necessary for us to really decide what we believe about the authorship of this book because, on some level, it influences one’s interpretation. I’ve put “Paul” in quotes because I believe that someone else was sharing their perspective and sort of riding on Paul’s coattails. While we may not be able to attribute these words or thoughts to Paul, that really doesn’t change the fact that the author makes a great point. This chapter was meant to speak about calling and these first six verses were meant to defend Paul’s calling. The question as to why he was spending so much time ministering to the Gentiles must have been a question that haunted him. So it is that the author tries to explain that Paul has been given a calling—a purpose that is to drive his life. That purpose is to unite Jews and Gentiles so that they come to see each other in the context of oneness.
At the end of the day, I think this is the calling for all of us—oneness, unity. Maybe our success in that ultimate calling rests in how well we live out our particular, individual callings. So this week, I challenge you (if don’t already know it) to define your specific calling and purpose. (God will show you what it is if you are willing to listen.) For those of us who already know our callings, our challenge is to be certain that we are living toward that ultimate calling of oneness. This week, may we rise to God’s calling for us and find both gratitude and freedom in the living of our mission. Amen.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
the right material
November 14, 2007
Ephesians 2:19-22
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.”
I went hunting around the church building yesterday kind of surprised that after almost seven years I didn’t know where the church cornerstone was located and to my surprise I noticed something I’d never notice before. Clearly, I’m very unobservant! Looking at the sanctuary from Hawthorne Lane as it runs in front of the building there were two very large stones on either sides of the front doors. To the left was all of the typical information that belongs on a cornerstone—the founding date, etc., and to the right was this very scripture. Eighty-five years ago charter members of St. John’s Baptist Church wanted to ensure that this church body was built on the right material!
For Paul’s community, the Gentiles really weren’t treated in an inferior way at this point in history, though, of course, there we other churches where this had happened. So Paul rejoices with them that they are equal partners in the Christian effort. But, to really be true partners in the effort he needed them to understand what it is to be the church and what it is to be built on the right material.
The scripture reminds us that it was the apostles and the prophets who got the credit for getting the church movement started. It was their mission and in their fulfillment of it they became the foundation. Historically, we have thought of apostles as those who had some sort of eyewitness experience to the ministry of Jesus Christ. The Greek in this text would invite us to understand that the word apostle should really be considered in a broader context than just first century eyewitnesses—that essentially an apostle is anyone who has witnessed to the mystery of Christ and prophets, then, would refer to anyone called out to serve God in a teacher/preacher role. If that is the case, then the church’s foundation is made up of you and me!
In large measure this scripture is about church growth. I’ve been in a lot of churches in my life and one thing I have learned is that the church that understands its roots and lives by the tenets on which it was founded is the church that grows. By roots, I don’t mean the people who chartered the church or even the widened picture of apostles and prophets, I mean the very cornerstone that the author mentions.
In ancient construction, buildings always had one important stone that was set to determine how the rest of the building would “lie.” It was the directional stone. Jesus Christ is that stone for the church and should be that same stone for the living of our communal lives together.
Scholar Ralph Martin has said that church ‘growth is set by its conformity to this original plan . . .It is not measured by statistics or budgets. Rather, it is the growth of a living organism which takes shape by the Spirit’s guidance . . ..” (Martin, Interpretation: Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon, p.39)
As our pastor at St. John’s begins to take a brief hiatus to renew himself, it seems a very important time for us to remember our roots and tenets. It seems a crucial moment in our history to make sure that we are focused on God’s Spirit at work in our individual lives; that we realize for the church to grow--our individual and corporate eyes have to be focused on the cornerstone that is Christ among us. God’s Spirit is contagious and if we are living by it, we will be astounded at what is to come! Our challenge then, is to make sure that our eyes are focused and that we are built on the right material! May it be so! Amen!
Ephesians 2:19-22
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.”
I went hunting around the church building yesterday kind of surprised that after almost seven years I didn’t know where the church cornerstone was located and to my surprise I noticed something I’d never notice before. Clearly, I’m very unobservant! Looking at the sanctuary from Hawthorne Lane as it runs in front of the building there were two very large stones on either sides of the front doors. To the left was all of the typical information that belongs on a cornerstone—the founding date, etc., and to the right was this very scripture. Eighty-five years ago charter members of St. John’s Baptist Church wanted to ensure that this church body was built on the right material!
For Paul’s community, the Gentiles really weren’t treated in an inferior way at this point in history, though, of course, there we other churches where this had happened. So Paul rejoices with them that they are equal partners in the Christian effort. But, to really be true partners in the effort he needed them to understand what it is to be the church and what it is to be built on the right material.
The scripture reminds us that it was the apostles and the prophets who got the credit for getting the church movement started. It was their mission and in their fulfillment of it they became the foundation. Historically, we have thought of apostles as those who had some sort of eyewitness experience to the ministry of Jesus Christ. The Greek in this text would invite us to understand that the word apostle should really be considered in a broader context than just first century eyewitnesses—that essentially an apostle is anyone who has witnessed to the mystery of Christ and prophets, then, would refer to anyone called out to serve God in a teacher/preacher role. If that is the case, then the church’s foundation is made up of you and me!
In large measure this scripture is about church growth. I’ve been in a lot of churches in my life and one thing I have learned is that the church that understands its roots and lives by the tenets on which it was founded is the church that grows. By roots, I don’t mean the people who chartered the church or even the widened picture of apostles and prophets, I mean the very cornerstone that the author mentions.
In ancient construction, buildings always had one important stone that was set to determine how the rest of the building would “lie.” It was the directional stone. Jesus Christ is that stone for the church and should be that same stone for the living of our communal lives together.
Scholar Ralph Martin has said that church ‘growth is set by its conformity to this original plan . . .It is not measured by statistics or budgets. Rather, it is the growth of a living organism which takes shape by the Spirit’s guidance . . ..” (Martin, Interpretation: Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon, p.39)
As our pastor at St. John’s begins to take a brief hiatus to renew himself, it seems a very important time for us to remember our roots and tenets. It seems a crucial moment in our history to make sure that we are focused on God’s Spirit at work in our individual lives; that we realize for the church to grow--our individual and corporate eyes have to be focused on the cornerstone that is Christ among us. God’s Spirit is contagious and if we are living by it, we will be astounded at what is to come! Our challenge then, is to make sure that our eyes are focused and that we are built on the right material! May it be so! Amen!
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
mending walls
November 7, 2007
Ephesians 2:14-18
“For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made us both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father.”
I was in the tenth grade when I fell in love with Robert Frost’s poetry and specifically a piece known as “Mending Wall.” You can find the full script of this poem at http://writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88/frost-mending.html. The poem talks about the fact that we are so intentional in our living about building walls between each other. We pour our energies in to working together to be sure that our lives can be lived separately. Our mantra becomes “good fences make good neighbors.” But in the grand scheme of things the fences lead to our tolerating each other rather than really loving each other.
This section of the Ephesians scripture invites us to remember the temple structure of the Hebrew Bible times. There were several courts that led up to the inner sanctum of the temple. At least one of those courts was separated by a fence of sorts and on that fence was written the following, “No man of another race is to enter within the fence and enclosure around the temple.” This was a reminder that non-Jews must keep their distance from the sacred space of Israel.
The Ephesians writer may well have been referring to that very fence as he exhorts the people that the dividing wall is gone, thanks to Jesus Christ! Scholars have many other suppositions as to the reference being related to other walls both literal and figurative but the point remains the same as that of the poem. Since Jesus came, the ballgame is different--Jews and Gentiles need not be separated any longer. They can share in relationship with each other and with God. This is known as a double reconciliation. As we are drawn to God we are also drawn to each other. It is love/unity that binds us.
I am struck as I read this passage that as the Ephesians author is writing he is exhorting a community that has known one way of being for a very long time. The listeners are having to push themselves to step outside of the ways they have always lived in order to embrace a new culture of people in the Gentiles.
As the church universal, we now live in an age where life outside of the church is very different. The current generations are no longer the great supporters of the institution. The internet has changed the way that we communicate and in many ways our technology has made us both more accessible and more distant. In our efforts to maintain church as we have known it, we begin to profess to the world around us, that “good fences make good neighbors” whether it is intentional or not. The Jews had to realize that in order to spread their message they had to change how they operated to see the Gentiles as lovers of God as well and to embrace them for who they were even though they were different. In very similar ways we as the church, if we are to survive, will have to change how we go about sharing our message of God. We have to package the message differently. We have to release the mantra that good fences make good neighbors. We actually have to move beyond our fences (in whatever forms they may appear) into the lives of others who may not look like us or live like us. But in order to do that we have to be honest with ourselves about the message that we are communicating and how we are communicating it and then we have to be willing to risk changing our mantra and our ways to professing a new poetic mantra-- “something there is that doesn’t love a wall.” The days ahead of us are offering new opportunities for walls to be broken down, for lives to be changed and for unity to reign. May we jump gleefully at the offerings of our future! Amen!
Ephesians 2:14-18
“For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made us both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father.”
I was in the tenth grade when I fell in love with Robert Frost’s poetry and specifically a piece known as “Mending Wall.” You can find the full script of this poem at http://writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88/frost-mending.html. The poem talks about the fact that we are so intentional in our living about building walls between each other. We pour our energies in to working together to be sure that our lives can be lived separately. Our mantra becomes “good fences make good neighbors.” But in the grand scheme of things the fences lead to our tolerating each other rather than really loving each other.
This section of the Ephesians scripture invites us to remember the temple structure of the Hebrew Bible times. There were several courts that led up to the inner sanctum of the temple. At least one of those courts was separated by a fence of sorts and on that fence was written the following, “No man of another race is to enter within the fence and enclosure around the temple.” This was a reminder that non-Jews must keep their distance from the sacred space of Israel.
The Ephesians writer may well have been referring to that very fence as he exhorts the people that the dividing wall is gone, thanks to Jesus Christ! Scholars have many other suppositions as to the reference being related to other walls both literal and figurative but the point remains the same as that of the poem. Since Jesus came, the ballgame is different--Jews and Gentiles need not be separated any longer. They can share in relationship with each other and with God. This is known as a double reconciliation. As we are drawn to God we are also drawn to each other. It is love/unity that binds us.
I am struck as I read this passage that as the Ephesians author is writing he is exhorting a community that has known one way of being for a very long time. The listeners are having to push themselves to step outside of the ways they have always lived in order to embrace a new culture of people in the Gentiles.
As the church universal, we now live in an age where life outside of the church is very different. The current generations are no longer the great supporters of the institution. The internet has changed the way that we communicate and in many ways our technology has made us both more accessible and more distant. In our efforts to maintain church as we have known it, we begin to profess to the world around us, that “good fences make good neighbors” whether it is intentional or not. The Jews had to realize that in order to spread their message they had to change how they operated to see the Gentiles as lovers of God as well and to embrace them for who they were even though they were different. In very similar ways we as the church, if we are to survive, will have to change how we go about sharing our message of God. We have to package the message differently. We have to release the mantra that good fences make good neighbors. We actually have to move beyond our fences (in whatever forms they may appear) into the lives of others who may not look like us or live like us. But in order to do that we have to be honest with ourselves about the message that we are communicating and how we are communicating it and then we have to be willing to risk changing our mantra and our ways to professing a new poetic mantra-- “something there is that doesn’t love a wall.” The days ahead of us are offering new opportunities for walls to be broken down, for lives to be changed and for unity to reign. May we jump gleefully at the offerings of our future! Amen!
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