The Advent of...

 Luke 21:25-36 is the lectionary text for next Sunday, November 28 - Advent I.

In the lectionary text of two weeks ago, it would seem that Jesus was dissuading His disciples from looking for signs.  In this text, Jesus acknowledges the signs of the end.

The signs will include distress in the world - among the nations and in the creation itself.

Jesus warns His followers to guard their hearts against being weighed down with moral slides, anesthetizing ourselves against the stresses of the world and obsessing over the conditions of the world around us.  That will keep us from being aware and alert to what is actually happening, and keep us from addressing the conditions of the world with the Good News of Jesus.

We must keep our heads in the work of radical, Agape Love.

We must keep our hearts engaged in life with God and Neighbor.

We must keep our feet and hands engaged in the work of lifting up and building up the lives of our sisters and brothers in need.

We must keep our spirits focused on God's Will through Jesus' Way, God's presence, power and love.

We SEEM to be in the Advent of world collapse.  We SEEM to be in the Advent of extreme hateful violence and injustice on our streets, in the halls of government, in the courts and in business and all economics.  We SEEM to be in the Advent of natural disasters beyond what we can manage, the migration of desperate peoples beyond what we can manage, the right-wing assaults on democracy and decency beyond what we can manage, and the violent chaos that will ensue because of those realities.  

It would be very easy to join the fray of those destroying the world, in order to get a little more for ourselves.  It would be very easy to self-medicate our way into oblivion rather than watch these things happen.  It would be very easy to get obsessed with all of this and ourselves turn into hateful, violent reactionaries to those who have continued to promote this evil.

It will be faithful for us to Be Alert and Aware of what the truth is in all of this, and to engage in the work of Agape Love in the world, to transform the world by transforming individual lives and communities within it.  It will be faithful for us to be determined to follow Jesus by living what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for us in the Good News of Agape Love, and address the injustices by speaking truth to power and exhibiting an alternative based on that Agape Love.  It will be faithful for us to show a better way - Jesus' Way, for the world and everyone in it.

Then, when Jesus comes back, we will have been engaged in the work of the Gospel.  Whatever happens between now and then, we will have been engaged in the living of Agape Love and Grace in the world.  Then, however things evolve, we will stay engaged in making life better for God's creation and God's children, in alignment with God's Kingdom values.  Then, we will "stand before the Son of Man."

Let this not just be the Advent of world collapse.  It is the Advent of Emmanuel!  It is the Advent of God's Will being done on earth as it is in heaven!  It is the Advent of Jesus' return!  Let this also be the Advent of the fulfillment of the movement of Agape Love that Jesus started in faithfulness to God.  Let this be the Advent of YOUR transformation, the transformation of the church that bears Jesus' name, the Advent of transformation for whole communities and the Advent of the transformation of the world by the living of Agape Love and Grace by the followers of Jesus.

What do the signs tell you?  I believe they are telling me that IT IS TIME.

Pastor Jamie

to testify to the truth

 John 18:33-37 is the lectionary text for Sunday, November 21 - Christ The King Sunday.

The truth was that Jesus' Kingdom* and His presence represented a threat to those who had the power in that time and place, in empire, in society and in the religious community*.  Jesus' presence, authority and teachings flew in the face of the empire values of greed, lust for power and desire for status that drove those living under empire, even those in tentative positions of power under them.  Herod, the Sanhedrin* and most of the people had resolved to their plight under empire, and within that occupation and oppression sought to get whatever it is that they could, some just to survive and others, those in position, to thrive.

Jesus' Good News of the Kingdom of God provided a different vision based on Kingdom values.  It was centered on the living of Agape Love for God and Neighbor, and defined neighbor as stranger, enemy and the most vulnerable - those most held down, back and out by empire.  This radical Agape Love, Grace and Mercy presented by Jesus as God's Will flew in the face of the empire values that Rome, the Throne of Israel and Temple Cult Leaders* had embraced and manipulated to gain more at the expense of the people of God.  It was a growing certainty that Jesus would have to go, because more and more folk heard His message, saw His examples of it at work and could not have that disrupt their systems designed to get them more power, wealth and status.

Pilate was caught in the middle, but he represented empire.  Empire had the absolute power to occupy, oppress, imprison and execute whoever they wanted for whatever reasons they wanted.  He had to uphold that power.  The Sanhedrin and Herod found a way to exploit empire to serve their purposes of ridding themselves of a Jesus who exposed them as the frauds that they were in that time, based on the Word - here the Logos made flesh.  Jesus was the real deal.  Every time Jesus spoke and acted, it uncovered the inconsistencies that their duplicitous and disingenuous values and practices had set up as truth.  Jesus' truth was God's truth, and it exposed their falsehoods.

So, Pilate's truth, The Sanhedrin's truth, Herod's truth were exposed as being incongruous with God's Will.  Jesus' inconvenient truth threatened to open the eyes, hearts and minds of the rest of the people, which would put their positions, wealth and prestige in jeopardy.  Jesus had to go.

Jesus' Kingdom, a movement of people following a servant-King, did not reflect in any way the world's views of Kingdom.  Empire was built on the many serving the few, the destruction of many lives to benefit the few and the absolute power of the few "elites" over the common masses.  This King came to sacrifice for His subjects, to teach them a better way for their sake and to deliver them from exploitation and destructive systems of oppression.  This King taught the use of power for the sake of all, the sharing of resources with all and the equal value of all.  Those with power, wealth and status could not have that become the world's new norm.  Jesus had to go.  

But Jesus' Kingdom is not limited to time and place.  Just as empire has had its many iterations over the centuries, so the movement of Jesus has addressed it since the First Century CE.  "The Kingdom of God is within/among you."  "The Kingdom of God has come near to you."  "You are not far from the Kingdom of God."

In our iteration of empire, the church of Jesus Christ can and must regain the teaching and embrace of Jesus' Good News values based on Agape Love, Grace and Mercy.  We can continue, as an institution, to gain what can be gained for the institution under empire, or we can align ourselves with Jesus' Good News and address empire with Jesus' truth - God's Will, and be a part of Jesus' movement of radical love, be the Shalom Community and transform the world of empire to life in the Kingdom of God.  

Jesus testified to the truth and said, "Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

Are you listening?

Are WE listening?

Pastor Jamie

* Sanhedrin, religious leaders, Temple Cult Leaders are references to corrupt leaders of that time and place, and do not reflect any kind of polemic against a whole people for all time.  Empire corrupts, and those subject to it are easily corrupted, at least for a time.

*Kingdom is biblical language for REIGN OF GOD.  It is purposefully used here because of the truly opposite orientation of God's realm from what empire has done under the same term, thus pointing out the threat that Jesus posed by being called "King."

I would also submit that anti-Roman polemic is more vastly a polemic against empire in the Gospels, as all empires represent occupation, corruption and oppression for the peoples who are subjected to them.

Externals

 Mark 13:1-8 is the lectionary text for Sunday, November 14.

I had one - an edifice complex.  I was all caught up in the beauty and grandeur of church buildings, and am still most at home in a city skyline.  There is something amazing about them.  But they are not eternal, nor are they that about which the eternal is concerned.

"The end is near" has been written about and talked about since Jesus.  People look to the environmental disasters, horrible state of affairs in politics and economics, seeming moral decay and violence on our streets and across the world as a sign of the end.  This is not that about which the eternal wishes us to be concerned.

Here and Now.  What is going on within, between and among us.  How we are living with one another in Agape Love and Grace, Loving-Mercy.  THAT is the thing.  THAT is eternal and what is valued within the eternal.

The end will come.  Temples tumble, as do empires.  I pray for the end of empire everyday.  It cannot come too soon.  And some days I pray for Jesus' return more earnestly than others, as well.  The end will come.  Whether it is because of our own arrogant ignorance and hatefulness or by some cosmic act of God, it will come.

It should not effect how we live and on what we focus here and now.  To be faithful to God as followers of Jesus is to focus on living the Agape Love and Grace that Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for us.  If we do that, then we will not destroy the planet ourselves and we will welcome the coming back of our Lord.  Temples fall, as do empires.  Natural and human-created disasters will happen around the world.  Corruption, exploitation, oppression, abuse and their consequences will take place.  There is also much GOOD going on.  There are also those who have not lost sight of continuing the mission of the Good News of Jesus in the midst of all these things.  There is also still faith in God's love and grace for us.  There is also the mission of Jesus - that we transform the world by living His Agape Love and Grace in it.  THAT is the thing.  

Getting caught up in the externals keeps us from focusing on what is within, between and among us - Agape Love and Grace, and it keeps us from working to put those things out in the world around us so that it might be transformed to be in alignment with Jesus' Kingdom values, which is faithfulness to God.  It is ALL about living that Agape Love and Grace, Loving Mercy until Jesus returns.

Don't get caught up in the signs, the prophecies and dystopian (or utopian) visions.  Don't be heaven-minded so that you ignore the plight of sisters and brothers in front of you.  Don't be fearful about or bitter about the end coming.  See the Good in here and now.  Be faithful to Jesus' Way here and now.  BE the good in here and now.   It IS enough.  That IS faithfulness.

Pastor Jamie

sincerity

 Mark 12:38-44 is the Lectionary Gospel text for Sunday, November 7.

The scribes had given it all over to empire.  They looked the part they were playing (hee-po-cree-teis).  They had the status they sought, seats of honor in front of everyone.  They loved life under empire.  They also lived the ruthless greed of empire, in stealing widows' houses, exploiting and destroying the lives of the most vulnerable for their own gain, even while saying long, fancy, elaborate, well-fashioned prayers to God.   Jesus warned people IN THE TEMPLE of them, even after acknowledging that ONE of them "got" the message of His Good News.

Then Mark's author pivots to the teaching and example of faithfulness in this passage.

It comes in the form of one of the poor widow who was probably defrauded of all that she had by the scribes under empire.  Jesus watched the crowd that came to do what was demanded of them by the twisting of the Law of Moses perpetrated on the people by the religious leaders of that time.  The rich came and put in large sums, no doubt so that everyone could see how generous they were with the money they had stolen from them.   They were seeking status for their giving of stolen wealth.  And, like in our culture, economic system and time, they got it.

Then came the poor widow with very little.  She gave a pittance, but it was ALL that she had.  Unscrupulous religious leaders or not, she was making a sincere offering to God as commanded.  A victim of their twisting of God's Word and unjust dealings with God's children in full view, still she gave her sincere gift to God.  It was tragic.  Just as it is tragic today when the scribes of our time in Thousand-Dollar Suits and shoes, driving Bentleys and living in mansions, dupe thousands of children of God into giving under false pretenses of being blessed monetarily in their desperate plight, she was being used for the gain of the unscrupulous religious leaders of her time.  And just like so many today, she gave out of a sincere, though perhaps misguided, heart.  The wealthy give, as they did then, to gain status and perhaps more wealth under the same false promises of the false teachers.  This woman gave, perhaps out of desperation, but also perhaps from a sincere obligation to God, regardless of what was being done with her offering, trusting in the act of giving to God from a sincere heart.

Jesus assigned the greater condemnation to those who twisted the Word of God and lived their duplicitous and predatory lives and schemes.  Jesus recognized the poor widow for giving all that she had in sincerity of heart to God.

Three people in my ministry, all from the same parish in Cleveland, exemplified this kind of faithful giving.  

One, a woman on public assistance, who joined the church and was eventually elected to the church council, only to be pushed out later by members who thought she was beneath them, gave a half bag of corn meal in what our youth group called a "pantry raid" to collect food for our emergency food bank.  It was all she had to give, and she gave it.  She had a heart for the neighbors who were struggling and often gave from her own, meager means to help them out.  She was, in truth, beneath no one.

The other was a woman of limited cognitive abilities and very limited monetary resources, who weekly made a homemade get well card and took the bus to all members of the church in the hospital to talk and pray with them.  She accidentally put her name on a stewardship survey that the Synod required of us, and her income as a pittance, but she gave 10% faithfully AND incurred the expense of her travels and materials to do her "unofficial" ministry.  I will never forget her.  She gave me $5 in a homemade Easter card one year.  When I asked the church council to make her an Emeritus Deacon for her ministry over the years, they refused because she was never "duly elected" by the congregation (and never would have been because of her limitations).  She was a giant in the faith and the living of Agape Love as commanded by Jesus.

The third person who exhibited this kind of sincere faithfulness to God was also on public assistance and never heard an end of it.  She was a single mom with physical disabilities involving arthritis.  She volunteered as an unofficial secretary for the two-point parish, so that when I was available at one church building, she was available at the other.  She answered phones, helped put the bulletin together and provided a hand-drawn picture for the children to color, based on the Gospel lesson each week.  She also helped organize and carry out a successful Vacation Bible School program every summer with almost 100 children, and provided the crafts for the two week program, guiding teen volunteers.  Yet, when I recognized her for her many ways of helping the parish, members did not hesitate to point out her "questionable life choices and habits," even to her.  She was a faithful follower of Jesus.

Regardless of a church leadership (and membership) that ignored their plight and specifically refused to recognize the gifts of these women, they offered their gifts and themselves to their God in sincere and faithful service, even at times, benefitting those who refused to recognize them, and who championed a system that exploited them and held them down, back and out.  But Jesus knew.

Jesus knows.  Jesus recognizes.

Pastor Jamie

the end of the argument

 Mark 12:28-34 is the lectionary text for next Sunday, October 31.

They had been arguing over minute issues regarding the Law.  One of the Scribes asked about which is the FIRST commandment. 

Jesus answered with the SHEMA... Jesus quoted both Deuteronomy 6 AND Leviticus 19.  It is all about LOVE... love for God and love for Neighbor.

We are commanded to love God with all we have: heart, soul, mind and strength, according to Jesus.

We are commanded to love Neighbor as self, according to Jesus.

Nothing is greater than that.  The Scribe agreed.  Jesus (kind of) complimented and affirmed him.

THIS IS IT!

We can spend the rest of our lives working on this, applying it to life, relationships and our place in the world.  If we love God with all our heart, soul, MIND and strength, we will strive to please God above all, and not walk away from God.  We will feel that love, walk consistently with God, critically DISCERN the truth of the Kingdom and use all the strength we have to live that love ACTIVELY in our lives.

We can spend the rest of our lives working on this, applying it to life, relationships and our place in the world.  If we love Neighbor as Self, we will no more want harm or lack to come to our Neighbor, who Jesus (Luke 10) defines as stranger, enemy and especially the most vulnerable among us.  The word is agapao in Greek, which means to ACTIVELY COMMIT on their behalf.  It is not about feelings, those we give to God.  This is about obedience to God's Will for us in the world, this part of God's Kingdom, here and now.  

Want to be faithful to God?  Love God with all your have and love (treat) your neighbor as you love (treat) yourself.  

There it is.  Period.  Don't complicate things.

Does it help or hurt neighbor (stranger, enemy, most vulnerable)?

Therefore, is it pleasing or displeasing, faithful or unfaithful to God?

That ends the argument.

Pastor Jamie

who is the greatest?

 Mark 10:35-45 is the Gospel text for next Sunday, October 17.

James and John want to be important, to be recognized as great - to have status above the others, and presumably power over them.

Jesus asked them if they were able to drink the cup He must drink.  Having no idea, they said, "Absolutely."  Jesus informed them that they would drink the cup He drank, but that the seating arrangement was not up to Him, but rather to God.

The ten were indignant.  Why didn't they think of it first?  They were a product of worldly values, having lived under empire for much of their lives.  Status was that upon which Roman society was built.  Power and wealth came with it and, to some degree, helped create it.  Status was critical to them, but not in the Kingdom.

Jesus used gentile leaders as an example of how NOT to be.  Power and status are different in the Kingdom.  To be GREAT is to be the one who serves the most humbly.  To have POWER is not to have it over others, but that in the sharing of power ALL may have Shalom (completeness, wholeness, well-being) and therefore peace.

Jesus used Himself as an example, because He gave up His GREATNESS to be born in lowly, human form and live this life.  He gave up His POWER in dying for others, and thus giving the most powerful gift of all.  

It turns upside down the worldly, empire notion of first and last.

Throughout the Gospels Jesus takes on the corrupt, evil values of empire.

So, who among us is the greatest?

Pastor Jamie

who can be saved?

 Mark 10:17-31 is the lectionary Gospel text for Sunday, October 10.

So this man comes up to Jesus and asks what he must do to inherit eternal life.  Was it a sincere question out of concern, or was it fishing for a statement of divine blessing?

Jesus referred to the Commandments of old, which this man claimed he kept all his life.  He had checked off the list, met the legalistic and literal criteria, had satisfied quid pro quo.

Jesus then looked at him with LOVE and told him the TRUTH.  He had to demonstrate AGAPE LOVE in committed action on behalf of the poor, thus giving away his wealth, in order to gain eternal life.  It is not about quid pro quo, checklists or legalistic criteria.  It is about living LOVING relationships with others out of our Love for God.

He was SHOCKED.  He had been led to believe that his wealth was a sign of God's blessing a favor, a sure sign that he would be accepted into the Kingdom.  His prosperity was not such a sign?  He went away grieving, probably for a great deal in his life!  He had been falsely taught about what God wanted of him.  He grew to love his wealth and the idea that it meant that God was onboard with him having it.  He could not just abandon his wealth and the beliefs that made him feel so good about himself, especially for the sake of nameless, undeserving poor folk.  He was SHOCKED and saddened.  He went away grieving, because as much as he wanted eternal life, he could not give up his addiction to wealth and the power and status that came with it.  He was grieving a loss that he could have prevented.  It was truly tragic.

Then Jesus told his disciples that it is HARD for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom - harder than for a ROPE (kamilos) to go through the eye of a needle!  Near impossible!  And they were perplexed as well by that.  Weren't wealth, status and power signs of God's blessings?  If those who claim to be blessed by God cannot be saved, then who can be saved?

We do not decide that.  We have no clue to that.  More accurately, we ignore the clues to that.  In Matthew's Gospel there is a huge clue regarding the criteria for salvation in 25:31-46.  Here, in this text is a huge clue as to who will inherit the Kingdom of God in eternal life.  Spoiler alert - no mention of praise, tithes, quoting scripture, tongues or having wealth.  It is about Loving Neighbor as Self (Agape - active commitment/committed action on behalf of the other, even stranger and enemy and especially the most vulnerable) out of our Love for God.

God decides who is saved, not the rich, powerful and famous.  Another spoiler alert - it doesn't look to good for them, that is, if you believe JESUS.

Pastor Jamie