Why do we plant trees?
That might seem like a rather stupid question in some regards. I mean, most of us know that trees are very good for the environment. They take carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen–a very important process for those of us who need oxygen to live. Trees provide shade and relief from the sun. They provide us with paper; wood for housing and warmth. Indeed, trees are very, very important.
But why do we plant them? Think about this for a moment. How long does it take a tree to grow to maturity? How long does it take for a tree to grow to enough of a size to provide shade for a house? How long does it take for a tree to grow to become large enough to produce a board or a log large enough to burn for hours? How long does it take for a tree to grow so that one can sit under its branches without fear of sun? It takes a long, long time; depending on the tree it can take 10 to 20 years for such a thing to happen. And so, I ask again.
In this day of instant gratification and instantaneous access to information, why do we plant trees? And if we are nearing the twilight of our lives, why even bother knowing it is unlikely we will get to see the fruit of our work?
Why do we plant trees?
Perhaps it is because of the hope we have. Perhaps it is because we believe that such planting will be a benefit even if it takes years for it to happen. Perhaps it is because we believe that somewhere in the future a tree will be a benefit for the planet, for our children, or for another person. We plant trees because we have hope for the future.
Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 27and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”
This week as I prepared for my sermon, I listened to several sermons and read several commentaries that wrestled with this teaching–and the following parable about the mustard seed. They tried to get their heads around these teachings because they tried to apply them to living out the Christian life. Many said, “Well, we can’t do anything to bring about the kingdom of God. It just happens. God does it, and that’s a dangerous idea because it can make us complacent. It can make us think we don’t have to work toward a better world or a better society. God does everything. We do nothing except scatter a few seeds from time to time. This is actually a dangerous parable.”
If you interpret this parable in such a fashion, then I think you would be right in assessing the danger. I think you would be right in being very uncomfortable with what Jesus says. Indeed such an interpretation could lead–and it very often has led to complacency among Christians. It has led some Christians to disengage from the world and fail to work for peace and justice. And, of course, for every action there is a reaction, therefore other Christians have taken up the cause of peace and justice and have decided that it is all up to the Church to establish the kingdom of God. They are tired of waiting for it and are fed up with lazy Christians, so they roll up their sleeves and strive to make the kingdom happen by changing laws; challenging governments; raising awareness or community organizing through various social ministries. For many, it becomes an either/or proposition. Either we say it’s all up to God and become complacent thinking God will handle it, or we believe it’s all up to us and we run ourselves ragged trying to change and, dare I say it, save the world.
I think this actually speaks to a deeper division within humanity. I think it actually reveals a deeper problem with how we live our lives–a problem that is not just inherent to the Church. I think it runs the gamut of our societies. For I think, as we go through life we are torn between the forces which tell us we need to live for ourselves or we need to live for others. In the Church this plays out by those who think the kingdom of God will come completely and totally by God’s own hand therefore we have to do nothing except sit back and survive and be pious–I would call this living for ourselves. And it plays out with those who believe everything is up to us to change and save the world and make it a better place–living for others.
Outside of the Church, I think this struggle gets played out in politics by the ideology of individualists and socialists. Individualists tend to put the rights of the individual above the good of society and see individual freedom as more important than societal responsibility. Do you hear the idea of living for one’s self here? Socialists tend to put societal responsibility ahead of individual freedom, so individual rights and power become limited for the expense of the group. Can you hear living for others? Now, I’ve simplified things here. I want you to know that I think things are a bit more nuanced than this. I am painting in black and white because I think these two forces are constantly working against each other. I would be happy to expound further in other discussions, but I do think there is enough evidence to support my position–especially since these two sides are constantly arguing and bickering and striving for position and power. And really and truly, this has been and will be an ongoing struggle if we don’t find some sort of way to bring this conflict into some sort of balance.
I would like to begin working toward that balance this morning as we seek to understand the Gospel and its application for our lives. For I believe the Gospel captures our hearts as individuals; roots us in a vision of the kingdom of God; and compels us to work toward the kingdom of God as a reality right here and now. How does this all work, and can I squeeze it all in without preaching for an hour? Let’s find out.
First, I would like to begin by saying that we must be grasped by the Gospel, and this is no easy task. Why?
Many of you know that for a very long time now, John 3:16-17 has made a regular appearance in my sermons. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world may be saved through Him.” Martin Luther once called this snippet “The Gospel in a nutshell.” These two Bible verses capture the nature of what God has done on our behalf. It was He who took on human flesh. It was He who became the spotless Lamb of God. It was He who allowed Himself to be betrayed, arrested, tried, beaten and crucified–all that we might be reconciled unto God. You see, our hearts are not naturally tuned to serve God. Our hearts are naturally tuned to serve ourselves or serve others. They do not naturally seek out God, and when we place ourselves or others as the ultimate things in our life, we break God’s first and most important commandment: you shall have no other gods before Him. Because we do not seek God and seek to replace Him with either ourselves or others, we deserve His wrath and punishment. But God does not want our destruction. God wants to seek and save the lost, but He cannot simply forgive without payment of the cost. Either we have to bear the cost, or He does. In the crucifixion, God pays the cost for our disobedience. He suffers on our behalf. He endures that wrath on our behalf–even though we did not deserve it. Thus, we did not earn reconciliation with God. We did not earn our own salvation. It was all accomplished by Jesus.
This is what I have hammered and hammered and hammered for many, many sermons. I was asked this past week, “When are you going to stop?” My answer is, “For as long as God needs me to preach it, and if you ever get tired of hearing God’s love for you, then we have a problem.” There is a reason I answered in that fashion. As I said before, our hearts are not naturally tuned to God, and they are not naturally tuned to accept any sort of thing that we do not earn on our own. They are not accustomed to accepting any sort of gift that costs us nothing. We tend to think that we must earn everything. Society teaches us over and over and over to work hard, and if we do so, we will be rewarded. We have that embedded deep within us. And so we believe we have to have the same sort of relationship with God. We believe that it is all up to us. We believe we have to make our faith grow. We believe we can make peace grow inside of us. We believe the more we can try and be perfect; the more we can attend church; the more we can do Bible study; the more we pray; the more our faith will grow.
But that is not true. We cannot make our faith grow. We cannot even make ourselves believe in Jesus. We cannot bring ourselves to any sort of knowledge of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul says it this way, “No one can say Jesus is Lord except by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Even basic belief is impossible on our own. Our hearts must be brought to that saving knowledge. Our hearts must be changed and captured by the good news of Jesus. Our hearts must be turned around by understanding the lengths God will go through to love us–HE IS WILLING; GOD IS WILLING TO DIE FOR YOU!!! You have to do nothing. Jesus has done everything. This is tough to get our heads around. This is tough to get our hearts around. This is why I repeat it Sunday after Sunday after Sunday. The Spirit convicts our hearts as we hear the Word–as the Gospel is proclaimed. The farmer plants the seed, but he does not make it grow. The kingdom of God begins in our hearts: tiny, sometimes imperceptible, but as time passes: it begins to grow.
And when it begins to grow, transformation happens. When the Gospel seizes your heart, things happen deep within you. You begin to sense a deep peace. You begin to have a calmness and assurance about you. You look less with a self-righteous eye. You see others as those whom God desperately wants to have His Kingdom grow within. You know it is important for you to plant seeds as well. You know it is important that they come to the same saving grace that you have. And so you begin to work. You plant seeds.
And there is oftentimes preparation that must be done. Sometimes the weeds of poverty and injustice must be cleared before the Gospel can be heard. Sometimes compassion must be shown to those who grieve before the love of Jesus can be announced. Sometimes, houses must be built for the homeless. Sometimes the sick must be comforted. Sometimes, hunger must be satisfied. Sometimes trust must be built. Sometimes old wounds must be healed. In each case, copious amounts of time pass. There is no quick fix. The Kingdom of God takes time to grow in others just like it takes time to grow within your heart. At this point, I hope you can see how when the Gospel takes root, it moves us away from individualism–living for ourselves and socialism–living for others. For when the Gospel seizes our hearts, we live for neither. We live to spread the Kingdom of God. We live to have that Kingdom grow within ourselves and within others because of what God has done through Jesus Christ on the cross.
Why do we plant trees? Because we hope in the future. Why do I preach the Gospel every Sunday? Because I hope in the future Kingdom of God. Why do we feed the hungry and work for peace and justice? Because we believe these things are a part of God’s future reality which is already growing in our hearts. Such things might start small and inconsequential, but they grow. They cannot be hindered. They will produce fruit as we seek not to serve ourselves or serve others, but serve the Kingdom of God which has come to us through the Gospel–through the work of Jesus–For God so loved the world!” Amen.
Showing posts with label God's Work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's Work. Show all posts
Monday, June 15, 2015
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Intriguing Questions
Yesterday, I received some very intriguing questions from a congregation member. They made me think quite a bit. I answered as best as I could, but thought I'd share with you as well. There is a lot to chew on, I think. The questions and comments by my member are in italics--copied by permission. My answer is in regular print.
Pastor: I just finished a book “Holocaust Survivor”. It’s a
book about a young man who became a Rabbi before he was 20 years old. That was
during the early part of WWII. Being a Jew he later was put into concentration
camps where he was severely punished. He said that the only thing that kept him
from giving up was that he believed that one day those who were dishing out the
punishment would eventually be punished. He told of once when they were
transported from one prison camp to another. They were put in overcrowded
boxcars, shoulder-to-shoulder, standing room only. One night a lady gave birth.
The baby was crying because of hunger and the severe cold. When they arrived at
their destination they were hurried out of the boxcar and the baby was crying
even more. One of the guards took the child by its feet and slammed its head
against the side of the boxcar and that stopped its crying.
More and more I’m buying into what you are preaching. I can
understand that Jesus died for that guard who slammed the child’s head against
the boxcar, too. But I also believe there has to be repentance.
For years and years we used the (ALC Service Book and
Hymnal) and during the public confession part the pastor would say, “As a
minister of the Church of Christ, and by his authority, I declare unto you who
do truly repent and believe in him, the entire forgiveness of your sins.
“On the other hand, by the same authority, I declare onto
the impenitent and unbelieving, that so long as they continue in their
impenitence, God hath not forgiven their sins, and will assuredly visit their
iniquities upon them, if they do not turn from their evil ways and come to true
repentance and faith in Christ, ere the day of grace be ended.”
The repentance one is the most difficult, and I
am going to have to give you a slightly nuanced answer to it. Remember
first, that we are not saved by any work that we commit--that includes
repentance. You cannot turn repentance into a work. You just can't.
Jesus' action even overcomes our un-repentance. My evidence: Jesus' own
words from the cross, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what
they do." Forgiveness for an unrepentant sin.
That being said, is the wording from the previous confession service wrong? No. Not in the least? Why? Remember, God does not condemn us to hell. It is God's desire to save everyone. Only those who choose separation from God receive it. If you do not repent of your sins as someone who has been exposed to Jesus and His action, then you are purposely choosing to separate yourself from God and remain estranged from Him. Thus, you are condemning yourself and still in your sin. This means the confession and forgiveness spoken in the previous hymnal is only, only mind you, for those who have professed to follow Christ. This cannot be pointed at those who are not Christian.
(This was the end of my emailed reply. I have a few further thoughts.)
I do believe we will somehow be held accountable for our actions, although I do not know exactly how this will take place. I don't know if we will be made to relive the event and then feel the pain we caused. I do not know whether or not we will stand before the Father in judgement and feel a deep sense of shame--so deep that it will inflict a terrible pain upon our hearts. I just don't know.
But what I do know is that the punishment we deserved fell on Jesus. That's one of the radical claims of Christianity. We proclaim:
"But he was wounded for our transgressions,
crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the punishment that made us whole,
and by his bruises we are healed." Isaiah 53:5
Just as that little baby's head was crushed, so was Jesus'. Just as the German guard deserved to have his head crushed in return; Jesus took that punishment for that guard so that the guard would receive forgiveness and be reconciled to God.
This may be hard to accept because we like to say that one sin is greater than another. We like to think our smaller sins do not measure up to someone bashing an infant's head against a train car, but remember, Jesus equated anger with murder! Anytime we become angry with another, we commit murder!!
Why would Jesus equate the two?
I think it is because they have the same root cause: a sense of superiority. That German soldier believed he was superior to the Jews and that little baby. Whenever we become angry, we believe we are somehow morally superior to the one who we are angry at (I would never do something like that to anyone!). Whether it is moral, mental, or physical, the idea that we are somehow superior to another person leads us to anger, contempt, frustration, and the like. If we have no sense of humility or shame, atrocity follows.
This underscores the importance of grace and what Jesus did for us on the cross! For as I have proclaimed in my sermons--passed down to me from others--the Gospel does not allow you to have any sense of moral superiority at all. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. All need Christ's redemption on the cross. Big sin. Little sin. No matter. It is the heart that counts, and all hearts are messed up in some way, shape or form.
Thanks be to God for Christ's work which redeems us all!
Also: In confirmation we were taught that gambling was a sin. Today it seems that gambling is so common place, raffles, football pots, scratch offs and casinos that most folks no longer regard that as being sinful. Where do we stand on that?
Secondly, gambling. I do not believe the ELCA has a position on this. I know our congregation does not. I personally do not regard gambling as a sin as I do not believe there is any biblical law speaking out against it. Are there other things to use one's money toward which are better than gambling? Absolutely. Would it be a sin for a person to gamble instead of putting food on the table? I believe so, strongly. Is it right for the state of Texas to have a lottery given that mostly poor people buy tickets? I don't think it is. There are better ways to get funds. Again, there are no biblical prohibitions or admonitions here, but I think I would be on firm theological ground here.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
What is Your Definition of a Christian?
A Facebook friend asked this question in her status.
It made me think.
Hard.
I mean, at one level, the definition of a Christian would seem to be very simple: one who follows Christ. But is that the sum and substance of what it means to be a Christian? I mean, I know of quite a few folks who follow Jesus, but they are not professing Christians. There are may who profess to be Christians--they say they follow Jesus, but they do not worship or receive the sacraments.
And it goes further.
In the intramural debates within Christianity, there are many who point fingers accusingly in our culture. Those on the "right" hand side of the squabble point to those on the "left" hand side and say, "You aren't following Jesus because your morals are out of whack! You support gay marriage; the ordination of practicing homosexuals; legalized abortion; the legalization of marijuana; banning prayer from schools; the promotion of safe sex; and so on and so forth. You are not true Christians!!!"
Those on the "left" are just as vociferous toward those on the "right." "You aren't following Jesus because you don't care about justice. You care more about your pocket book and supporting the rich and do not want to fight for health care; to ensure those in poverty are not kept there; to end racism, sexism, ageism, and whatever other ism is out there! You don't care about the environment! You don't care about the structures that cause poverty! You are not true Christians!!!"
The truth of the matter is--no one follows Jesus correctly. No one. None live up to His standard, and the self-righteous finger pointing that we do only serves as an illustration of this fact. When we, as Christians, act in such a fashion, are we no different than the disciples who argued about who should sit at Jesus' right and left hand as they walked along the road? Jesus had a few words of chastisement for such behavior. Yet, we cannot seem to escape it. We cannot seem to get passed arguing about who follows Jesus "better."
And so when we try to say a Christian is one who follows Jesus, we inevitably find ourselves in a conundrum. For who really follows Jesus by Jesus' standards?
But that is just the tip of the proverbial ice berg. There is even more to this because there are quite a few doctrinal concerns to deal with as well when it comes to defining what it means to be a Christian which are not tied to simply following the commands Jesus offers.
As I reflected upon such things, I realized how much emphasis was placed on how WE acted and what WE believed. The definition of a Christian centered on us, but Christianity isn't about us, is it? Christianity isn't about our actions and our beliefs. It's about God's action through Jesus Christ. It's about God's grace bestowed upon the world through the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
Shouldn't the definition of a Christian center upon God and His work and not our own?
Using this as the starting point, I propose the following:
A Christian is one whom God views as redeemed by what Jesus has done.
I invite your thoughts.
It made me think.
Hard.
I mean, at one level, the definition of a Christian would seem to be very simple: one who follows Christ. But is that the sum and substance of what it means to be a Christian? I mean, I know of quite a few folks who follow Jesus, but they are not professing Christians. There are may who profess to be Christians--they say they follow Jesus, but they do not worship or receive the sacraments.
And it goes further.
In the intramural debates within Christianity, there are many who point fingers accusingly in our culture. Those on the "right" hand side of the squabble point to those on the "left" hand side and say, "You aren't following Jesus because your morals are out of whack! You support gay marriage; the ordination of practicing homosexuals; legalized abortion; the legalization of marijuana; banning prayer from schools; the promotion of safe sex; and so on and so forth. You are not true Christians!!!"
Those on the "left" are just as vociferous toward those on the "right." "You aren't following Jesus because you don't care about justice. You care more about your pocket book and supporting the rich and do not want to fight for health care; to ensure those in poverty are not kept there; to end racism, sexism, ageism, and whatever other ism is out there! You don't care about the environment! You don't care about the structures that cause poverty! You are not true Christians!!!"
The truth of the matter is--no one follows Jesus correctly. No one. None live up to His standard, and the self-righteous finger pointing that we do only serves as an illustration of this fact. When we, as Christians, act in such a fashion, are we no different than the disciples who argued about who should sit at Jesus' right and left hand as they walked along the road? Jesus had a few words of chastisement for such behavior. Yet, we cannot seem to escape it. We cannot seem to get passed arguing about who follows Jesus "better."
And so when we try to say a Christian is one who follows Jesus, we inevitably find ourselves in a conundrum. For who really follows Jesus by Jesus' standards?
But that is just the tip of the proverbial ice berg. There is even more to this because there are quite a few doctrinal concerns to deal with as well when it comes to defining what it means to be a Christian which are not tied to simply following the commands Jesus offers.
- Can a person be defined as a follower of Jesus--strictly speaking--who does not believe in the Trinity?
- Can a person be defined as a follower of Jesus--strictly speaking--who does not believe in Jesus' divinity?
- Can a person be defined as a follower of Jesus--strictly speaking--who does not believe the Bible is inerrant or infallible?
- Can a person be defined as a follower of Jesus--strictly speaking--who does not believe in the resurrection?
- Can a person be defined as a follower of Jesus--strictly speaking--who is not baptized?
- Can a person be defined as a follower of Jesus--strictly speaking--who rejects the miraculous?
- Can a person be defined as a follower of Jesus--strictly speaking--who rejects substitutionary atonement?
As I reflected upon such things, I realized how much emphasis was placed on how WE acted and what WE believed. The definition of a Christian centered on us, but Christianity isn't about us, is it? Christianity isn't about our actions and our beliefs. It's about God's action through Jesus Christ. It's about God's grace bestowed upon the world through the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
Shouldn't the definition of a Christian center upon God and His work and not our own?
Using this as the starting point, I propose the following:
A Christian is one whom God views as redeemed by what Jesus has done.
I invite your thoughts.
Monday, June 2, 2014
What We Do Divides Us; What God Does Unites Us: Sermon on John 17
Jesus prayed that His followers may be one. “Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.” So, how have we done as the Church, as Jesus’ followers, at being one?
Not. So. Good. Not so good at all.
There have always been divisions in the Church. All you need do is read through the book of Acts. Read through Paul’s letters. Take a look at history, and you will see that after Jesus’ ascension, those who followed Jesus often argued about how to follow Jesus correctly.
Let’s take this snippet from the book of 1 Corinthians. St. Paul is writing to the congregation chastising them for becoming divided:
10 Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you should be in agreement and that there should be no divisions among you, but that you should be united in the same mind and the same purpose. 11For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. 12What I mean is that each of you says, ‘I belong to Paul’, or ‘I belong to Apollos’, or ‘I belong to Cephas’, or ‘I belong to Christ.’ 13Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
Mind you, Paul was working and writing only a decade or so after Jesus’ death and resurrection. These divisions surfaced in the church early on. Very early on. Why? Why such divisions? Where do they come from.
Let’s fast forward a couple of thousand years to get a handle on this question. I firmly believe there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to human behavior and interaction. The things the ancients were dealing with are the same things we modern or post-modern folks deal with. We just have technology. That’s the only difference.
There was an interesting Yahoo! article that came out about a week and a half ago titled “Don’t blame college kids for intolerance. Blame us.” written by Matt Bai. I would like to read a few snippets from this article and see if it resonates with you as it did with me:
We'd grown up with TV news that tried to get at complicated issues (Ted Koppel's "Nightline" was the single most influential news program of the era) and op-ed pages that crackled with competing arguments. I remember meeting William Colby, the former CIA director, at a symposium. A lot of us were disgusted by the role he had played in Vietnam, but it never occurred to us that he shouldn't speak or that his beliefs weren't at least defensible.
It was reasonable to hope, with the sudden explosion of what we called cyberspace a decade or so later, that this kind of exchange would become more commonplace and more enlightening, rather than less so. Only that's not what happened. Almost from the moment the first iteration of political blogs appeared, not long after the 2000 presidential election that exposed a deep cultural rift in America, like-minded activists began to wall themselves off from any version of reality they didn't like. They set about building ideological silos in the space where virtual town squares might have thrived.
Our political leaders and our media might have recognized the danger here and done their traditional duty, which was to ignore all the noise, and focus instead on explaining the complex realities of a country in social and technological transition. With some notable exceptions, that didn't happen, either. Instead, politics in the past 10 years has become a perennial contest of the already converted, a constant pursuit on either side of "base strategies" and data sets that tell you exactly which voters you need to turn out in order to get and hold power...
What's happened is that we've effectively left behind the Age of Persuasion and ushered in the Age of Confirmation. It sometimes seems the whole world exists to re-affirm our conceptions of it; you can get through days, even weeks, without being at all discomfited, if you know which sites to visit and which channels to watch.
http://news.yahoo.com/don-t-blame-college-kids-for-intolerance--blame-us-085916423.html
Let me repeat one of those last sentences, “What’s happened is that we’ve effectively left behind the Age of Persuasion and ushered in the Age of Confirmation.”
If Matt Bai is correct, and I think to a great extent he is, what does it mean that we are in an age of confirmation? What does it mean that we can go days even weeks at a time without encountering a differing point of view? What does it mean that we can go on and on and on without our beliefs getting challenged and having to argue with merit our particular stance?
I think it means we are curved in on ourselves. I think it means we become self-satisfied with our positions. Our egos never get bruised because we never find out that we could be wrong. And if we never feel like we could be wrong, we become self-righteous in our particular stance and belief. We believe everyone else is the one with the problem and that we are safe and secure and absolutely correct in what we believe. And if everyone else is the one with the problem, then they are the ones who have to change. I don’t. I don’t change. I don’t give. I don’t budge. I am right. You are wrong. And if you don’t agree with me, then I will just go find someone else who does.
And this happens over and over and over again in society. Democrats and Republicans are sharply divided pulled to the extremes in their respective parties. Liberals and Conservatives have their own radio shows, television channels, and websites to frequent; and they rarely mingle other than to take shots at each other. Our churches are not immune to this. In fact, they often mirror society.
I mean, think about how things often take place in churches. Things might go along swimmingly for a time. Most congregations have periods of harmony when everyone gets along with everyone else, but then something controversial comes up. Sometimes, it’s a matter of doctrine. Sometimes it’s a matter of what color floor should be placed in the bathroom. Sometimes its whether or not the church should hire or fire a particular person. Lines get drawn. People become assured of their own beliefs and thoughts. People begin to believe they are being persecuted for righteousness sake. And before you know it, a new congregation is being formed. A new denomination starts. People stop coming to worship because those people over there fight, and we are better than that. People attend other churches where they find others who share their particular beliefs. In fact, if you don’t like what I say this morning in church, you can easily go turn on the television and find someone who tells you exactly opposite of what I say. That may make you comfortable and happy, and it should. It should because it’s all about you.
And if it’s all about you. If it is all about each and every one of us as individuals. If Christianity is all about each and everyone of us as individuals–if we believe Christianity is all about us and what we believe and what we do, then we will continue to see congregations split. We will continue to see new denominations form. We will continue to argue about which one of us is living the correct form of Christianity.
Remember Paul’s words to the Church in Corinth? “12What I mean is that each of you says, ‘I belong to Paul’, or ‘I belong to Apollos’, or ‘I belong to Cephas’, or ‘I belong to Christ.’” If we continue to focus on what we do–if we are doing Christianity the right way, we will continue to be divided. For it is what we do that divides us. Let me say that again–it is what we do that divides us.
But it is what God has done that unites us. Let me say that again. It is what God has done that unites us. And what has God done?
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him may not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but so that the world may be saved through Him.
Listen to Jesus prayer once more. I know it can be a bit heady to work through, but listen to verses 1-8 once more, “‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. 5So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. 6 ‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.”
You see, Jesus has completed the work the Father sent Him to complete. Jesus has completed the work of reconciling the world unto God. Jesus has completed the work of salvation for each and every one of us. It was not something you and I accomplished. It was not something you and I were able to do. None of us here sitting in these pews this morning could ever live the perfect life–the life required by God. Jesus did. None of us here this morning sitting in these pews could pay enough through our actions or our death to rectify the debt incurred by all the violence, sickness, suffering, and death caused throughout history by the human race. None of us could, but Jesus did. Jesus lived the life we should have lived, and He died the death we deserved. And He did this for each and every one of us here this morning. He did this for each and everyone who calls upon His name.
You and I could argue all day about what we are supposed to do and how we should follow Jesus. We could spend all day pointing out each other’s faults and how we don’t measure up. We could spend all day calling one another to account and pointing out the flaws in each other’s logic. And we would be right in doing so. We would be absolutely correct in telling each other that we don’t measure up. And at the end of the day, we would probably walk away angry at each other. No one likes his or her faults pointed out like that.
Unless it is done by someone who is willing to point to his or her own faults first. Unless it is done by someone who says, “I am broken. I am a messed up sort of person, and I will tell you exactly how. I will show you how broken I am because I know you are broken too. I know deep down you know you are not perfect–that you don’t measure up to even your own standard of how to live. We are broken people, but there is one who was not broken. There was one who walked this earth and lived and died so that our brokenness could find healing. Our brokenness could be redeemed. There was one who loved us when we were still sinners and who still loves us in such a fashion. There is one who has given us eternal life, not because of who we are, but because of who He is. We could spend a lot of time pointing out each other’s faults or we can give thanks to the One who works to heal our faults.” One of these things will divide. The other will unite. In a world as broken as ours, I vote for unity. Let us proclaim what God has done. Amen.
Not. So. Good. Not so good at all.
There have always been divisions in the Church. All you need do is read through the book of Acts. Read through Paul’s letters. Take a look at history, and you will see that after Jesus’ ascension, those who followed Jesus often argued about how to follow Jesus correctly.
Let’s take this snippet from the book of 1 Corinthians. St. Paul is writing to the congregation chastising them for becoming divided:
10 Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you should be in agreement and that there should be no divisions among you, but that you should be united in the same mind and the same purpose. 11For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. 12What I mean is that each of you says, ‘I belong to Paul’, or ‘I belong to Apollos’, or ‘I belong to Cephas’, or ‘I belong to Christ.’ 13Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
Mind you, Paul was working and writing only a decade or so after Jesus’ death and resurrection. These divisions surfaced in the church early on. Very early on. Why? Why such divisions? Where do they come from.
Let’s fast forward a couple of thousand years to get a handle on this question. I firmly believe there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to human behavior and interaction. The things the ancients were dealing with are the same things we modern or post-modern folks deal with. We just have technology. That’s the only difference.
There was an interesting Yahoo! article that came out about a week and a half ago titled “Don’t blame college kids for intolerance. Blame us.” written by Matt Bai. I would like to read a few snippets from this article and see if it resonates with you as it did with me:
We'd grown up with TV news that tried to get at complicated issues (Ted Koppel's "Nightline" was the single most influential news program of the era) and op-ed pages that crackled with competing arguments. I remember meeting William Colby, the former CIA director, at a symposium. A lot of us were disgusted by the role he had played in Vietnam, but it never occurred to us that he shouldn't speak or that his beliefs weren't at least defensible.
It was reasonable to hope, with the sudden explosion of what we called cyberspace a decade or so later, that this kind of exchange would become more commonplace and more enlightening, rather than less so. Only that's not what happened. Almost from the moment the first iteration of political blogs appeared, not long after the 2000 presidential election that exposed a deep cultural rift in America, like-minded activists began to wall themselves off from any version of reality they didn't like. They set about building ideological silos in the space where virtual town squares might have thrived.
Our political leaders and our media might have recognized the danger here and done their traditional duty, which was to ignore all the noise, and focus instead on explaining the complex realities of a country in social and technological transition. With some notable exceptions, that didn't happen, either. Instead, politics in the past 10 years has become a perennial contest of the already converted, a constant pursuit on either side of "base strategies" and data sets that tell you exactly which voters you need to turn out in order to get and hold power...
What's happened is that we've effectively left behind the Age of Persuasion and ushered in the Age of Confirmation. It sometimes seems the whole world exists to re-affirm our conceptions of it; you can get through days, even weeks, without being at all discomfited, if you know which sites to visit and which channels to watch.
http://news.yahoo.com/don-t-blame-college-kids-for-intolerance--blame-us-085916423.html
Let me repeat one of those last sentences, “What’s happened is that we’ve effectively left behind the Age of Persuasion and ushered in the Age of Confirmation.”
If Matt Bai is correct, and I think to a great extent he is, what does it mean that we are in an age of confirmation? What does it mean that we can go days even weeks at a time without encountering a differing point of view? What does it mean that we can go on and on and on without our beliefs getting challenged and having to argue with merit our particular stance?
I think it means we are curved in on ourselves. I think it means we become self-satisfied with our positions. Our egos never get bruised because we never find out that we could be wrong. And if we never feel like we could be wrong, we become self-righteous in our particular stance and belief. We believe everyone else is the one with the problem and that we are safe and secure and absolutely correct in what we believe. And if everyone else is the one with the problem, then they are the ones who have to change. I don’t. I don’t change. I don’t give. I don’t budge. I am right. You are wrong. And if you don’t agree with me, then I will just go find someone else who does.
And this happens over and over and over again in society. Democrats and Republicans are sharply divided pulled to the extremes in their respective parties. Liberals and Conservatives have their own radio shows, television channels, and websites to frequent; and they rarely mingle other than to take shots at each other. Our churches are not immune to this. In fact, they often mirror society.
I mean, think about how things often take place in churches. Things might go along swimmingly for a time. Most congregations have periods of harmony when everyone gets along with everyone else, but then something controversial comes up. Sometimes, it’s a matter of doctrine. Sometimes it’s a matter of what color floor should be placed in the bathroom. Sometimes its whether or not the church should hire or fire a particular person. Lines get drawn. People become assured of their own beliefs and thoughts. People begin to believe they are being persecuted for righteousness sake. And before you know it, a new congregation is being formed. A new denomination starts. People stop coming to worship because those people over there fight, and we are better than that. People attend other churches where they find others who share their particular beliefs. In fact, if you don’t like what I say this morning in church, you can easily go turn on the television and find someone who tells you exactly opposite of what I say. That may make you comfortable and happy, and it should. It should because it’s all about you.
And if it’s all about you. If it is all about each and every one of us as individuals. If Christianity is all about each and everyone of us as individuals–if we believe Christianity is all about us and what we believe and what we do, then we will continue to see congregations split. We will continue to see new denominations form. We will continue to argue about which one of us is living the correct form of Christianity.
Remember Paul’s words to the Church in Corinth? “12What I mean is that each of you says, ‘I belong to Paul’, or ‘I belong to Apollos’, or ‘I belong to Cephas’, or ‘I belong to Christ.’” If we continue to focus on what we do–if we are doing Christianity the right way, we will continue to be divided. For it is what we do that divides us. Let me say that again–it is what we do that divides us.
But it is what God has done that unites us. Let me say that again. It is what God has done that unites us. And what has God done?
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him may not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but so that the world may be saved through Him.
Listen to Jesus prayer once more. I know it can be a bit heady to work through, but listen to verses 1-8 once more, “‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. 5So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. 6 ‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.”
You see, Jesus has completed the work the Father sent Him to complete. Jesus has completed the work of reconciling the world unto God. Jesus has completed the work of salvation for each and every one of us. It was not something you and I accomplished. It was not something you and I were able to do. None of us here sitting in these pews this morning could ever live the perfect life–the life required by God. Jesus did. None of us here this morning sitting in these pews could pay enough through our actions or our death to rectify the debt incurred by all the violence, sickness, suffering, and death caused throughout history by the human race. None of us could, but Jesus did. Jesus lived the life we should have lived, and He died the death we deserved. And He did this for each and every one of us here this morning. He did this for each and everyone who calls upon His name.
You and I could argue all day about what we are supposed to do and how we should follow Jesus. We could spend all day pointing out each other’s faults and how we don’t measure up. We could spend all day calling one another to account and pointing out the flaws in each other’s logic. And we would be right in doing so. We would be absolutely correct in telling each other that we don’t measure up. And at the end of the day, we would probably walk away angry at each other. No one likes his or her faults pointed out like that.
Unless it is done by someone who is willing to point to his or her own faults first. Unless it is done by someone who says, “I am broken. I am a messed up sort of person, and I will tell you exactly how. I will show you how broken I am because I know you are broken too. I know deep down you know you are not perfect–that you don’t measure up to even your own standard of how to live. We are broken people, but there is one who was not broken. There was one who walked this earth and lived and died so that our brokenness could find healing. Our brokenness could be redeemed. There was one who loved us when we were still sinners and who still loves us in such a fashion. There is one who has given us eternal life, not because of who we are, but because of who He is. We could spend a lot of time pointing out each other’s faults or we can give thanks to the One who works to heal our faults.” One of these things will divide. The other will unite. In a world as broken as ours, I vote for unity. Let us proclaim what God has done. Amen.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Bandaids Versus Systemic Change: God's Work
One of the blogs I follow had an interesting take on this past Sunday's emphasis on God's Work. Our Hands. I get what he is saying. Really. I do. But I find some of the theology behind the assertion a bit troubling. Let's think about these statements in particular:
And we did this all the while knowing that acts of kindness and charity are poor replacements for systemic change and activism.
Really; that’s just the plain truth. Systems don’t change because I’ve handed a person a sandwich. Systems change when I press back against a culture that creates the have-nots in the shadow of the haves.
God’s work would be to flatten those economies in a way that changed life for everyone.
So, God's work--His REAL work--would be to flatten our systems of power and injustice and change life for everyone. That's the underlying theology, isn't it? Handing out sandwiches is good work, but it's not quite on a par with something grander--an overhaul of the system that causes people to go hungry. Well, there is truth in that statement. It would be nice to come up with some sort of system where there were no hungry, or thirsty, or naked, or imprisoned.
But there is a two-fold problem with this theology.
Problem #1: In reality, this is a modified theology of glory; a theology which seeks the boldest and grandest; a theology which seeks a total remaking of the world and its structures; a theology which focuses on the end times promise of a new heaven and a new earth; a theology which seeks earthly comfort in the way I think it should occur. Oh, that statement will probably cause a little bit of ire, but there is little difference, at least in my book, between saying, "If I just believe and have enough faith, then I will be blessed with wealth and prosperity." and "If I just push back against a culture that creates the have-nots in the shadow of the haves, then I am really doing God's work [and systems will change so that more will have.]"
Whether we like it or not, our focus as Christians comes in the form of the God made flesh: Jesus. And Jesus wasn't exactly revealing to us the methodology of bringing about such a theology. He wasn't one to tell his followers to "do the right things and God will bless you." He wasn't one that said, "Do the right things and you will bring heaven to earth." He wasn't one going around saying, "We need to push back against this Roman invasion and those who collaborate with it to produce poor people and stomp on people." He famously spoke, "My kingdom is not of this world." And it's not.
It involves the creation of a whole new world. Why? Because it is we as humans who build the systems.
That's Problem #2: What is the system that God has built to replace that which He supposedly would/could/is tearing down? Somehow, there is an assumption built into this whole shebang that some system exists that is indeed perfect where human poverty is eradicated. Somehow, there is an assumption that some system exists which the distinction between haves and have nots is erased. Looking at the history of the world, has such a system ever been established?
I am waiting for the answer....
Again, humans build the systems of which we are a part in this world. And those systems are just like us. They have their good points. They have their bad points. They are saintly in some ways. They are sinful in others. What more can you expect out of a system put together by beings such as we?
Even the Church, in all of its myriads of expressions throughout the world does not come close to reaching perfection. It does not come close to reaching the vision of heaven as articulated by Jesus and the earliest disciples. Why? It is composed of humans. Plain and simple. In order to create a perfect system, we must achieve perfection as human beings. Anyone want to take a guess how long it will take for that to happen?
Which brings us back to God's work. What is God's work?
Perhaps it is a bit old fashioned, but let's remember what the basics of our faith tell us. You know, those things called the Creeds.
1. God is creator.
2. God is salvation bringer.
3. God is sustainer.
4. God is sanctifier.
I think it poignant to recite at this point Luther's explanation of the Third Article of the Creed:
I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life. This is most certainly true.
What is God's work in this day and time:
Calling. Gathering. Enlightening. Sanctifying.
That sanctifying one is pretty important, you know. That's the one where God comes in and rearranges the furniture deep within us. Where He makes us holy--more Christ like. And when we start becoming more Christ like, we start doing the things He asked us to do: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, all those stop gap measures.
Why the stop gap? Why not something more? Why not something grand? Why not something transformational which blew up the imperfect systems of which we are a part?
Well, that would involve blowing us up first. That would involve eradicating all of our selfishness; all of our desire for more; all of our focus on what we want instead of what we need. Get rid of all that, and we can have a perfect system.
And that's not going to happen until the parousia--the end of times. Jesus knew this. He had the big picture, and He knew sanctification is a life-long process. He knew the grand things weren't going to happen short of remaking the world, so He taught us to see God's action in places where it hadn't been seen before--like a child and a seed and a prodigal father and a cross.
The grand remaking of the world is still to come. The trashing of all those imperfect systems is still to come. In the mean time, God's work continues. Don't sell it short.
And we did this all the while knowing that acts of kindness and charity are poor replacements for systemic change and activism.
Really; that’s just the plain truth. Systems don’t change because I’ve handed a person a sandwich. Systems change when I press back against a culture that creates the have-nots in the shadow of the haves.
God’s work would be to flatten those economies in a way that changed life for everyone.
So, God's work--His REAL work--would be to flatten our systems of power and injustice and change life for everyone. That's the underlying theology, isn't it? Handing out sandwiches is good work, but it's not quite on a par with something grander--an overhaul of the system that causes people to go hungry. Well, there is truth in that statement. It would be nice to come up with some sort of system where there were no hungry, or thirsty, or naked, or imprisoned.
But there is a two-fold problem with this theology.
Problem #1: In reality, this is a modified theology of glory; a theology which seeks the boldest and grandest; a theology which seeks a total remaking of the world and its structures; a theology which focuses on the end times promise of a new heaven and a new earth; a theology which seeks earthly comfort in the way I think it should occur. Oh, that statement will probably cause a little bit of ire, but there is little difference, at least in my book, between saying, "If I just believe and have enough faith, then I will be blessed with wealth and prosperity." and "If I just push back against a culture that creates the have-nots in the shadow of the haves, then I am really doing God's work [and systems will change so that more will have.]"
Whether we like it or not, our focus as Christians comes in the form of the God made flesh: Jesus. And Jesus wasn't exactly revealing to us the methodology of bringing about such a theology. He wasn't one to tell his followers to "do the right things and God will bless you." He wasn't one that said, "Do the right things and you will bring heaven to earth." He wasn't one going around saying, "We need to push back against this Roman invasion and those who collaborate with it to produce poor people and stomp on people." He famously spoke, "My kingdom is not of this world." And it's not.
It involves the creation of a whole new world. Why? Because it is we as humans who build the systems.
That's Problem #2: What is the system that God has built to replace that which He supposedly would/could/is tearing down? Somehow, there is an assumption built into this whole shebang that some system exists that is indeed perfect where human poverty is eradicated. Somehow, there is an assumption that some system exists which the distinction between haves and have nots is erased. Looking at the history of the world, has such a system ever been established?
I am waiting for the answer....
Again, humans build the systems of which we are a part in this world. And those systems are just like us. They have their good points. They have their bad points. They are saintly in some ways. They are sinful in others. What more can you expect out of a system put together by beings such as we?
Even the Church, in all of its myriads of expressions throughout the world does not come close to reaching perfection. It does not come close to reaching the vision of heaven as articulated by Jesus and the earliest disciples. Why? It is composed of humans. Plain and simple. In order to create a perfect system, we must achieve perfection as human beings. Anyone want to take a guess how long it will take for that to happen?
Which brings us back to God's work. What is God's work?
Perhaps it is a bit old fashioned, but let's remember what the basics of our faith tell us. You know, those things called the Creeds.
1. God is creator.
2. God is salvation bringer.
3. God is sustainer.
4. God is sanctifier.
I think it poignant to recite at this point Luther's explanation of the Third Article of the Creed:
I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life. This is most certainly true.
What is God's work in this day and time:
Calling. Gathering. Enlightening. Sanctifying.
That sanctifying one is pretty important, you know. That's the one where God comes in and rearranges the furniture deep within us. Where He makes us holy--more Christ like. And when we start becoming more Christ like, we start doing the things He asked us to do: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, all those stop gap measures.
Why the stop gap? Why not something more? Why not something grand? Why not something transformational which blew up the imperfect systems of which we are a part?
Well, that would involve blowing us up first. That would involve eradicating all of our selfishness; all of our desire for more; all of our focus on what we want instead of what we need. Get rid of all that, and we can have a perfect system.
And that's not going to happen until the parousia--the end of times. Jesus knew this. He had the big picture, and He knew sanctification is a life-long process. He knew the grand things weren't going to happen short of remaking the world, so He taught us to see God's action in places where it hadn't been seen before--like a child and a seed and a prodigal father and a cross.
The grand remaking of the world is still to come. The trashing of all those imperfect systems is still to come. In the mean time, God's work continues. Don't sell it short.
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