Blog Archives
The Not-so-Grim Reapers
The “Not-so-Grim” Reapers…
Luke 10:1-9
† In Jesus Name †
May You find your lives reflecting God’s glory into the darkness, as you are sent out with the Father’s grace, mercy and peace, proclaiming God is really in control.What we Jesus tell you, that you couldn’t take?
Looking at the picture on the bulletin cover, of the two men reaping a harvest, and the simple lives of the Amish, a thought began to develop.
If Jesus was sending us out today, as we heard Him send the 12 out a few weeks ago, as He sent the 72 out in today’s gospel, what would He tell us we couldn’t take with us?
No cash, no credit cards, no ATM cards, probably not even scrip cards for gasoline or restaurants! He might even send us out walking, telling us for this journey we don’t need our cars!
He even might ban our electronics, no computer, no tablet computer, no {gulp} smart phones…
He’d instruct us to stay on task, not to get bogged down in texting each other about what we see and experience, no stopping at Starbucks to enjoy a Venti latte froze espresso cappuccino with pumpkin flavoring, while chatting with friends No suitcase full of clothes and spare shoes – just you and your partner, hitting the pavement,
Move along now…..
If He sent us out with the Message, but forbade us to bring anything besides what we were wearing.. how would we react?
Why should our Load be Lightened?
It is quite easy to get the wrong impression as to why Jesus would separate the disciples from that which our minds think would benefit to their ministry. We usually see this as a matter of sacrifice and obedience. Are the seventy-two willing to suffer for Jesus, are they willing to demonstrate their faith by doing without? I’ve read commentaries where this is hailed as a mark of the disciples devotion, as standard for those who would serve God. Indeed, there is a sense of pride that can become involved, as people compare what they are willing to give up, what they were willing to endure. Some even went as far as seeking pain, suffering, and embracing poverty, in order to prove they were holy…
We do not need such suffering to prove our holiness, any more than the young man last week had to sell everything he had, to gain eternal life, to be in fellowship with God. We, like the young man, find ourselves in God’s presence, now!
But those things Jesus directed them to leave behind, if the reason isn’t to prove their faithfulness, why would He ask them to leave them behind….
unless they would get in the way of the harvest?
unless the disciples would depend on what they had, more than depending on who was with them.
God doesn’t ask us to give up what we need, as much as He would see us freed from what holds us back, as He would free us from what compels our dependence upon His providence.
If we are always looking to our credit cards statements;
if we are considering why our lunch bag is empty;
if we are wondering how far we can get on the nearly empty gas tank;
if we are distracted from our work by less important text messages;
then does the reaping, the harvesting get done? Or do we focus on our grim situation, and become “grim” non-reapers?”
It is not really about the items we leave behind, it is the anxiety that they can cause, the stress of caring for what we have, or the concern caused by focusing on what we lack…that takes simple things and turns them into idols, into what we count on, more than we count on God
Yet – in Jesus commanding us to leave it behind, in recognizing that the work of the Harvest is His as our Lord, He is taking responsibility to make sure we have all we need.
Just as when He brought us to faith, and granted us repentance, we need to learn to depend on His care, on His Lordship. It is as much about depending on Him, as it is about obeying Him.
Why do we have to depend on others?
The seventy two found the same challenge, when it came to where they would stay.
Many here would rather serve in the kitchen, then be the one hosted. Part of it is how we are brought up, how we are trained – especially in the church. The laws of hospitality, whether rigid in Jesus day, or the more rigid ones around today, are explicit. We take the idea of being servants, and relegate it to the physical world, to preparing food and doing that which we think we must do, to appease our guests, to entertain them, and in doing so, sometimes we think we’ve done well…
So did Martha, and it was because Mary wasn’t holy enough, that Martha went to Jesus to complain!
While the 72 were sent to serve, they were just as much to depend. There was to be a relationship here – where they were to feed these people spiritually, even as they were being fed. They were to bring God’s blessings to these people, who would respond by blessing them.
It is not unlike our relationship with God – who brings us incredible blessings through the work of Christ, then gladly receives our worship and praise and yes – our sacrifices in response. Each brings something to the relationship – not one party taking advantage of the other, but each being a blessing to each other!
It’s like the command to eat what is put in front of you – what if the host, the one to whom you are bring the word of life, give you a portion that is significantly larger, is noticeable better? Can we receive blessings, even if people sacrifice greatly to give them to us?
It is about dependence, about being thankful; whether we are offered steak, or hot dogs, or just a piece of bread, whether it is a glass of the finest champagne, or a cup of water. For if God led us to bring them the gospel and the hope of knowing Jesus, could He not lead them as well? It is a difficult lesson, is it not? It requires wisdom, and humility, for I think it takes more humility to be served, than it does to serve.
There is of course, another advantage to this – if we have no money, no food, no ability to sustain ourselves on the journey, neither can we simply run away when the journey gets too tough. It’s hard to run, when you have no way to get away, no sustenance of your own? There may be a time to leave – but surely that comes to both the one sent, and the one they were sent to, and the providence becomes something they work out together…as they abide together in Christ Jesus.
Provide therapy and ministry and tell them……
After helping the seventy two get focused on being sent, and ensuring that they brought nothing that would cause them stress and anxiety, but instead encourage their dependence on the Lord Jesus’s ability to provide for them, Jesus tells them what they are to do, as they bring God’s peace to households, and to people.
9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
While that phrase is often translated, “heal the sick”, it by no means is referring just to physical illness. The verb “heal” is from the word we get “therapy” from, and the word for ill is used not only for sick, but for any trauma that causes one to be weak, helpless, unstable, unable to stand on one’s own.
The disciples were to minister to whoever was broken, to serve whoever needed God’s love, and more importantly, God’s peace. It was about assuring them that God was in charge, that He still reigns, that He does care and is present in their lives. It was about sharing with them the lesson that they were learning more and more on this missionary journey.
That to have faith, to trust in Jesus, is about depending upon Him.
To depend upon Him for fixing that which is broken,
To depend on Him, even as we pray as Jesus taught, for what we need daily…
To depend on Him to forgive our sins, and the sins of those who sin against us.
To depend on God to give us a way to escape temptation and to protect us from evil.
For that is what it means that the Lord of the Harvest has gathered us in His harvest, even as He sends us out to gather others.
For even as the 12 sent out include the clergy today, the pastors and leaders of the church, so the 72 represents all of us, the family of God, sent to serve, to gather, to reap, not grimacing, but rejoicing, for even if we go with nothing in the world’s eyes… we know what the Lord of the Harvest provides… what He tells us to bring people…
Our reaping, our work in the harvest field is never grim, no matter what we lack in the world’s view. Rather, it is rich, for we dwell in and gather others into a peace that is beyond comprehension…
His peace.
AMEN?
The Unredeemable?
Occasionally in the life of a pastor (or priest for my RCC friends) you come across a situation that is so far beyond what you’ve been taught to deal with in seminary or pastor’s conferences. Your heart and soul twists and turns as you think about how you will deal with it, and how in the world the situation will be seen in the promise we share with everyone else….
“We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose. 29 Those whom God had already chosen he also set apart to become like his Son, so that the Son would be the first among many believers. 30 And so those whom God set apart, he called; and those he called, he put right with himself, and he shared his glory with them.”
Romans 8:28-30 (TEV)
The situations we find ourselves in have nothing glorious, nothing good it seems, and we are hard pressed to not consider the situation “unredeemable”.
Yet we have a God, who in that passage promises redemption, for H has called us to Him, He has set us apart – and He will make it right. We have the challenge of trusting Him in that, to rest assured that He is God, and that He can do what we consider impossible, including redeeming that which seems unredeemable. Forgiving and making right that which seems to dark, too evil, and causes to much despair.
He has promised to make it right, to make it good. ( I can’t but help hear that as “guuuuuuddd’ as in Jim Carrey and Morgan Freeman in Bruce Almighty”
So it figures, as I face a situation that isn’t completely unredeemable, but still weighs heavily on my mind… at the end of my devotions I come across this:
218 Get rid of that human prudence which makes you so very cautious, so—sorry to be so blunt!—cowardly. Let us not be narrow-minded. Let us not be infantile men or women, who are nearsighted and lack a supernatural breadth of vision…! Could we be working for ourselves? Of course not! Well then, let us say quite fearlessly: Dearest Jesus, we are working for you, and… are you going to deny us the material means we need? You know full well how worthless we are; still, I would not treat a servant working for me in that way… Therefore, we hope and are sure you will give us all we need to be able to serve you. (1)
And He will, He has promised. The situation will be resolved – by Him, not by us, though perhaps through us. THough there are times where we have to cry, “Lord, I believe, but help me in my unbelief!”
We have to remember – we’ve asked – “Lord have mercy” – now let us act trusting He has!
(1) Escriva, Josemaria (2011-01-31). The Forge (Kindle Locations 944-951). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
That I may know how to…
That I May Know How..
Isaiah 50:4–10
† In His Name †
May the gifts of God’s love, mercy and peace truly sustain you when you are weary!
The purpose of being taught –
There is one phrase in our Old Testament reading that I would like to focus on this morning, and I have to admit – it is quite convenient for a day when we dedicate our staff for the new year, and we have some of our children sing.
It is the first verse of our Old Testament, there on page 5.
“The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary.”
I think if we as parents, could look ahead to see our children grown, and ready to retire from their careers, if this is a phrase that described their lives, we would be proud, and quite joyful.
If beyond what the world that counts as success, we knew they learned how to care for others; if they learned how to help others endure in life; if they learned how to care for others; how to love, then we would consider that we’ve done our job as parents and teachers and as a church well!
Think about It this way, if our children grew up to be the next Bill Gates, or Steven Spielberg, or even Tom Brady, would it be worth it, if the cost was their alienating themselves from their families; if they had no their friends and they ended up rich and famous, and alone. Would we be as satisfied and content as if they spent their life helping those who couldn’t help themselves?
We have a challenge, in this God-given task of raising children, as parents. We also have a challenge, those as the people of this church and school, to come alongside parents to support and assist and encourage them in “training up” their children.
It is a God-given task, which in order to succeed, requires that we need to trust and rely on God. For we have too accomplish in the midst of a world that would encourage them to aim for success, to look out for number one, to have it all, even though they cannot take it “all” with them.
When God teaches – we..
When Isaiah credits God for giving him the voice that speaks the words of comfort, he is crediting God for that which has trained him to be able to do so. You see, the word there for taught is used for vocational training not just academic teaching. He provides on the job training, not just schooling. Or to use our preschool’s language – God gives both an academic and developmental learning experience!
The next verse talks of how that training takes place – as God gets us to listen, to hear Him. In Isaiah that is a constant topic, as repeatedly the people of God are described as those who don’t listen, who don’t see that which God says and shows them in life. If only they did, they would not rebel, they would not get themselves into trouble, they would know peace, and their lives would not seem so broken.
In many ways, that is reflected in society today, where self-centeredness and the need for immediate gratification has made our world so dark, so narcissistic, so full of anxiety, and so little hope. We are unwilling to learn why, or why there are consequences to actions, we just take them, and the consequences be… well you know what I mean.
A great example is seen in how Isaiah talks about being able to deal with opposition, with insults, with those that would distract us from what we’ve been trained to do. In Isaiah’s day, that kind of opposition was very physical in the way it mocked and worked against those who would serve others. Today it is more subtle, more sophisticated, but the world no more understands those who try to live a life that lovingly serves others, and call them to a life that is lived hearing God.
There is a great temptation, to defend ourselves, to engage in foolish verbal fights and arguments! And often we are tempted to hit back when insulted, or when people judge us as fools, or condemn us for being “irrelevant” or out of touch. It is interesting, no its critical that we understand that it is God’s grace – His gift that enables us to have the strength to endure that adversity, as we bring the message that gives comfort and strength to those who are weary.
Learn to trust and rely on God
The message of course, is the same message that causes us to endure hardship, mockery and ever condemnation. For we learn, through experience, on the job, that it is God’s judgment we need to be concerned about, not that of others. For when we bow to the pressure of others, we become distracted. When we let the pressure and condemnation of the world affect us, we compromise, and eventually lose that faith which undergirds our message.
But when we listen to God, we find out there is no disgrace, no shame, for in His love and mercy, He has forgiven our sin and errors. It is He that vindicates us, that will judge us in the end, and He has promised that those who trust in Him, those He’s roused and who listen and trust Him, to remove all that would cause guilt. That is why we don’t have to fight – as St Paul says,
34 Who, then, will condemn them? Not Christ Jesus, who died, or rather, who was raised to life and is at the right side of God, pleading with him for us! Romans 8:31(TEV)
What happens if, in the midst of the learning, we find that we have defended ourselves, that we have treated others wrongly? If we have confidence in God, if we have learned to rely on His strength, we know what we can do, we can go back to that person, and make it right, we can apologize for our error.
Why? Because Jesus is our Model
When I started this message, I mentioned that if we want our children and the next generation to grow up well, to be the kind of people we are proud of, then the challenge is in our being the kind of people that model the faith and trust in God which develops us into such people. That we are described in those words of Isaiah as well as they are. Remember that line?
“The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary.”
How do we find the strength for this? How do we come to be able to sustain those, with a word, when they are weary – even if it is those who mock and attack us?
The key is realizing that while this passage encourages us, it is not about us, but about the one we are courage to imitate, to live like. It’s about Jesus.
For He, when beaten and scorned didn’t fight back. But instead trusted in the Father. He sustained the weary with the “word”, He gave it all and then some, and listened to God the Father and never once rebelled.
Why? To sustain us, to bring light into our dark lives, to give us hope.
Even at the cost of His life. St Paul said it well…
“5:8 But God has shown us how much he loves us—it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us! 9 By his blood we are now put right with God; how much more, then, will we be saved by him from God’s anger! 10 We were God’s enemies, but he made us his friends through the death of his Son. Now that we are God’s friends, how much more will we be saved by Christ’s life! 11 But that is not all; we rejoice because of what God has done through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has now made us God’s friends.
Romans 5:8-11 (TEV)
It is in Christ, united with Him in our baptism, looking to His love and mercy demonstrated in our lives every day, and every time we approach this altar, that we see our example- even as the children will see our example.
He gave it all – he didn’t despite who hated Him, He listened to the Father and learned to love, He shared His life, and eternity, even though the cost was huge personally.
It is Jesus that Isaiah’s prophecy is about – the Jesus of whom Paul said, imitate me as I imitate Jesus Christ…. May we learn to do so, may we allow ourselves to be trained, so that we can say to these children, and many more – imitate us, as we imitate our Lord, our Savior, our Friend, Jesus.
As we do, as we experience His mercy and grace, we will find that a peace comes over us, the peace of God our Father, a peace unexplainable, in which our hearts and minds are guarded, in Christ Jesus. AMEN!
Abandon yourself to God
Discussion/Devotional quote of the day…
“As soon as you truly abandon yourself in the Lord, you will know how to be content with whatever happens. You will not lose your peace if your undertakings do not turn out the way you hoped, even if you have put everything into them, and used all the means necessary. For they will have “turned out” the way God wants them to.” Escriva, Josemaria (2011-01-31). Furrow
It is difficult to do that which is encouraged here, what is encouraged. Completely entrusting oneself to Jesus, allowing Him to not only judge if an “undertaking” is a success, but allowing Him to determine how it is to “turn out”.
This is one thing to say we trust in, as we gather in worship – as the sermon and music and liturgy all call to us to trust, to realize we are entrusted to the one who is more than capable of creation, of re-creation. It is another thing to see that faith build, the commitment grow stronger, as we weigh important decisions in our lives, as we suffer pain and anxiety in a hospital bed, as we mourn a friend, as we get home after a long day, and find demands on our time and attention – even there.
Think again on the passion of Christ, the feast of His Body and Blood of Christ, the promises again of our baptism, the faith that shines from a child… who simply asks… don’t they know God’s love… It is there in realizing the depth, the breadth, the height and the width of God’s love for you, revealed in Christ’s work, known in the comfort, the consolation, the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.
It is there we find our purpose, our love, our life… there in His arms… there as He comforts, strengthens, guards,….. loves us. It is there we find contentment – whether dwelling on mountain tops, or in the blazing hot desert.. or in the urban jungle. As yesterday’s epistle reading and sermon focused on… we can open our hearts wide.. and let our God fill them…and He does, as He promises… and proves that love.
Rejoice, my friend this day, this Monday, for the Lord is with you… and you can abandon yourself… knowing you are entrusted into His care…
Forgiveness or and Odd form of Revenge?
Discussion/Devotional thought of the day – and a hard one at that….
“You were very sorry to hear that most un-Christian comment, “Forgive your enemies: you can’t imagine how it angers them!” You could not keep quiet, and you replied calmly, “I don’t want to cheapen love by humiliating my neighbour. I forgive, because I love, and I am hungry to imitate the Master.” (Escriva, Josemaria )
I too have heard this line, more than a few times, and I hate to say. While I didn’t mean it crassly, reading it hear, makes it sound cold, harsh, and wrong. And it was,
While our intent in saying words is to encourage people to free themselves from the bondage that resentment and the pain of being sinned against brings…. what we actually do is simply give them a way of getting revenge. Instead of reconciling and seeing a relationship healed – we seek frustration and pain – that’s revenge – an odd twisted form of revenge, but still revenge.
Think about the cross – where Christ endured pain to bring forgiveness – pure forgiveness. Did He do it to cause us frustration, anger, pain? No, he did it to restore us to the Father – to heal the relationship. Did he fear being hurt again? For that is often a fear that forestalls forgiveness. A rational one at that – those who hurt us the most – having the opportunity to do so again – if we let them. (and we often suggest that forgiveness includes a sense of self preservation – that we will love enough not to let them sin against us again.) If we forgive to cause them grief – simply put – we haven’t. We simply have found a way to convince ourselves we have gotten our revenge. We haven’t worked to heal… which is what forgiveness is about.
Can we trust in the Father, in the Son, in the Holy Spirit, to love as they love (see yesterday’s blog) to endure the fear, to risk the hurt, to go through what it takes to see a relationship healed? If we were the one that sinned, can we love as we love the Father, Son and Spirit to receive the forgiveness.
We can’t – not by our human strength or forgiveness.
We can – as we look to God – and see His will, His desire. His love – His healing….His peace and realize we are in that will.
Lord, have mercy…for we seriously need that mercy… and help us to heal, and work through us to heal others..
The Heart of an apostolic disciple
Discussion/devotional thought of the day:
“After twenty centuries, we have to proclaim with complete conviction that the spirit of Christ has not lost its redemptive force, which alone can satisfy the desires of the human heart. Begin by feeding the truth into your own heart, which will be perpetually restless, as Saint Augustine wrote, for as long as you don’t place it entirely in God.” (escriva)
My thoughts:
Over the years, in different denominations, I have that the proclaiming fo the gospel – the sharing of Christ’s mercy and love, is the responsibility of the pastor/priest/church planter/missionary. It is they who are supposed to have the zeal, the wisdom and the knowledge that will lead the billions of people on this planet to Christ, and their preaching will be used apostolically by the Holy Spirit to cut open hearts, to cleanse the sin and repressed anger (as others sin) to bring to life and faith those who would know the promises found in Christ.
Pragmatically I have struggled with this – as some of the greatest apostolic hearts I have seen in young children – for they simply love God, trust in what is promised and tell people about that. I’ve seen it in retirement homes, as eyes barely able to see the pages of scripture and voices confined to wheelchairs share their faith with those around them. I’ve seen it in the jails, where a man in his seventies – who had heard a sermon that reminded him of God’s love – asked permission of the chaplain to share what he heard – for he was under the impression that he wasn’t allowed to, he wasn’t good enough, that God couldn’t use one like him. Given permission to share the grace he knew – but struggled to accept – he filled the chapel the next night….
Anyone who walks with Christ, who trusts in Him in this life and for the next – has a treasure that grows as it is given out – it is the richest of treasures – for it gives that which we need.
We confess that the church is one, its holy, it is catholic (in other words it is more than us, or our congregation, or our brotherhood/denomination) and it is apostolic – but that doesn’t just mean it is founded on the teachings of the apostles, It also means that we are part of the apostolate – all of us, those sent by God to be salt and light in a world that needs something to save and preserve it, to reflect His light into the darkest, slimiest, most putrid of places – lives those who sin… – and then rejoice as they are cleansed….we all pastors/priests/laypeople…. children, the elderly, the intelligent, the average, the simple – we all are sent into this world…
Lord – help us this morning – to realize who You are sending us, and give us the wisdom to reflect Your love and mercy to them… that they may be sure that they are welcome in your presence…. AMEN.
A Challenge to my faith
Discussion Thought of the Day
“You have never felt so absolutely free as you do now that your freedom is interwoven with love and detachment, with security and insecurity; for you do not trust yourself at all, but trust in God for everything.” Escriva, Josemaria: Furrow
In many ways, I don’t feel so free. Too many things demand my attention, too many people need my attention. Too many crisis, too much that needs healing… and then household chores that have gone undone too long (still – 6 months later have a garage that needs to be unpacked and organized!) It is easy to let such things burden me, create guilt which will paralyze me even more. Freedom? Really?
Yeah – this morning I will know it… as the people of God gather, as I lose myself in playing music that helps people lose themselves in prayer and praise…there is freedom there… there will be freedom in sharing His word – that tells us of how He binds us together in our absolution, as He gives us a new mind – that is able to focus – not on what is temporary and passing… but instead in what is permanent.. eternal… with Him.
Escriva nails it – we find that freedom – not in being free of that which constrains us, but in our trust in a God who is present… in whose presence we presently dwell, even if it is only a hint of eternity. No matter the hellishness that surrounds us now… the Lord is with us!
Go in peace… even better – come – be gathered in that peace… with us!
