Advent 4

How are you all doing, besides braving the weather? Is your health holding up? What about financially; have you suffered a great loss? Has anyone hear lost their job? 401ks have dropped, yes, five figures perhaps? If anyone has lost six figures please adopt me. We are certainly living in the midst's of financial and employment uncertainty. This is the collective punishments for the financial misdeeds of those who were in power of this nations capital investments. We aren't treated like human beings as much as we are treated as commodities. We become something less than human and are treated as an assets or liability to be employed or released from employment. It is dehumanizing. The Romans treated people in occupied Judea and Galilee like commodities. They were bought and sold into slavery, imprisoned or killed for the betterment of the Roman Empire. People were not treated as humans in Roman occupied territories but as objects to possess. The priesthood in Jerusalem wasn't any better. They put God in a box, a large guilded box, but a box nonetheless. All people were seen as sinners and only sacrifices could take away sin. Sacrifices required money to pay for the sacrificial animals, so those who could not afford the sacrifices were seen as sinners and outsiders. These outsiders could lose their land, possessions and families. This is why Jesus' message of the forgiveness of sins is so important to us and controversial to the Temple priesthood. In the midst's of all this uncertainty, the angel Gabriel, whose names means "warrior of God" appears to Mary, a social nobody to say that she will bring The Savior into the world. She, as meek as she is, boldly asks questions. Zachariah was struck mute when he disbelieved Gabriel, in contrast, Mary's questions are answered. Mary is treated as a human, and Jesus makes us all humans. God is often viewed as some sort of mystical gas, which floats around us and in the universe. God is real and God matters. We are created in God's image and are re-created in God's spirit through Jesus. We are human and we count. We matter. In all the talks and debates concerning the bail-outs, in just a matter of months, people began to matter again. People we seen as needing help not as commodities that employers use for their own benefit. How much more important do we matter to God and to one another in Christ? We need to treat people as being fully human as God treats us as fully human. Because we are seen as something that matters to God.

Advent One

• Today is November 20, 2008 on the calendar, but on the Church Calendar today is the New Year’s Day. Although we are 26 days away from Christmas today is The First Sunday in Advent, day one in 2009. Today is also the commemorative Feast Day of St. Andrew. Saint Andrew was one of John the Baptist’s disciples who saw Jesus and knew Jesus to be the Messiah and then told his brother, Simon that he had seen the Messiah. It is fitting that on the first day of the New Church Year, we commemorate the first man to tell someone about Jesus.
• In today’s Gospel reading we hear of the Sun, Moon and Stars being darkened and falling from the sky. Mountains and valleys represent the powerful and the weak in the world in Isaiah and the Gospels. The birds and the lilies are birds and lilies that Jesus uses to make a point. Think about our pagan ancestors and what they thought of the Sun, Moon and Stars; they gave them names of deities because to them they were gods and goddesses. Many of them were hunters and warriors, such as Orion, Sagittarius, Diana, Hercules, Apollo and Ares. These gods are still worshiped when worldly authority preys upon the weak and wages war on enemies.
• Pagan godlike behavior can be seen in the competitiveness of businesses and special interest groups lobbying and manipulating Congress. The Wall Street elite, before the latest crash called self-proclaimed them to be “masters of the universe” a true deifying title. They followed the god Mammon and accumulated wealth as their greed ran rampant. Celebrities as well are made into gods and goddesses when they can openly be naked and the media celebrates their life styles of sex, drunkenness and substance abuse. The media makes them into demigods and demigoddesses who can avoid legal punishment when they openly break the law. They do not have to pay the full penalty nor any penalty at all because they are seen as being above the law as gods and goddesses.
• Allowing these gods and goddesses to dominate us as well as the world leads to death and destruction. However, the One True God is loving and selfless. By living a life without fear we can live a life controlled by life and not by death; we can do this by obeying God who is light and love.
• This creates a big order of change not only for us but also for the entire world. This is a Spiritual Revolution called the Kingdom of God. This is usually seen as life inside ourselves and inside the four wall of a congregation. It is seen as having no place in the world, because it is a change for us only. I cannot imagine what life for me would be without the Gospel of Jesus Christ. How would anything in my life make sense at all? It just wouldn’t. The Gospel of Jesus Christ exists to be spread beyond the four walls of a congregation and into the whole world. There are too many victims suffering the results of the pagan worship of Mammon. These are the victims of sex and drug abuse. These are the victims of greed.
• It is the duty and joy of every Christian to be the light in the darkness about us to show that the One True God is love and light; He is selfless and cares for and cares about us.

Christ the King

How do we know Jesus is here and where is he? Jesus is present in Holy Communion in each of us and around us. We see Jesus in the poor and needy. We are giving to Jesus we give to the least of these among us--those who are in dire need. The Judgement of the Nations 31 ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” 37Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” 40And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,* you did it to me.” 41Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” 44Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” 45Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” 46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’ Let us look at the criteria that are not there for Judgement. That is what is not being considered to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven--eternal life.

• Wealth--Social power and social position.
• Doctrine
• Gender
• Looks and Ethnicity
• Family and Ancestry
• No State forms or requirements
• Faith--not having to say I believe in Jesus or adhering to a Creed.
• Intelligence/Education
• Sex and sexuality
• What we eat.

It is easier to say I believe in Jesus but much harder to believe Jesus by living out the faith. Keeping the faith in practice is harder than it is to say that we believe.

So what is being Judged must be really important. We see this Genesis 1 when on the last day of creation humanity is created. This is not to be confused with Adam and Eve in chapter two, which is a separate story with a completely different message. In Genesis 1 all of humanity is given dominion over all creation. Humanity is given the fruit of the land to eat for nourishment. They ate fruits and vegetables. There was no war because everybody had enough. Gandhi said it best when he stated that there is enough in the world for every one's need but not enough for every one's greed.

Greed enters in as the separating factor for those who are left eternal punishment. They did not share what they had with those who were in need, the least of these, because of greed. They wanted to keep everything for themselves. We hear their reasons from the greedy people around us today. They won't share with those of different backgrounds or the poor who have too many children. They have their excuses for not sharing.

This parable isn't the end all be all of how we are to live. It certainly shows that loving one another and taking care of the least among us is very important. We know that Jesus taught us much more than this and we know that we are to grow up and do the right things because we can and we know better. Remember in Genesis 1 everything is shared. All creation belongs to God and is given to us, not as ownership but to possess and use and not abuse. We take possession held in trust.

The better translation of perfect in the Sermon on the Mount is mature. We are to grow up and be mature which means taking responsibility for our actions and taking care of those who we can.

Parable of the Talents

Jobs—Whom do we really work for? We are all working for God. God wants us to learn and learning is fun. The jobs God wants us to do include, learning, praying, singing and loving one another. Today in Matthew we hear the parable of the talents. Matthew 25:14-30 to be exact. It is the third slave that really stands out in this parable. Rather than replying as the other two did with this what you gave me and this is what I did—identifying God through action, the third slave gives his prepared answer to what God is. “I knew you were a harsh man” With this statement the slave blames his master, he is saying it is your fault. He goes on, “I was afraid, you reap where you don’t sow.” If the master had not returned the first two slaves would have had nothing for themselves, because they invested the talent, whereas, the third slave would have kept his talent because he buried it and it was his to keep. Perhaps the third slave responded as he did because his master returned and ruined his scheme. The Rabbinical rule of the day was that a trust of money was to be buried to keep it safe. The third slave represents the Priestly traditions that Jesus argued against. The argument becomes for us then “do we identify God by His actions or by what we believe Him to be? We put labels on God, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, and Omniscient should we be thinking of God in these terms or in terms of what he is doing? He loves us, cares for us, is present with us, and knows us. The slave made a judgmental statement concerning his master. The first two made a \statements of action, you gave me talents and here are more. Is God a reaper? In the parable of the sower much earlier in Matthew’s Gospel it is clear that God sows everywhere with no direct method, He takes off and scatters seed everywhere, on the road, the high rocky ground, among the weeds, and then among the fields. Mark 4:1-20 Again he began to teach beside the lake. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the lake on the land. 2He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3‘listen! A sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. 6And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. 7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’ 9And he said, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’ God is a God of abundance. There are Mosquitoes are over 3,000 known species of mosquitoes exist worldwide. More than 160 species have been documented in North America. There are probably more than 100 billion (1011) galaxies in the observable universe. There are a lot more varieties and amounts of life and energy in the universe than is necessary. God shows us abundance throughout of all creation. None of us are important to the function of the universe, yet here we are. Nothing is here because it’s necessary. Everything that is exists is a miracle. The first two servants took a risk; the third servant played it safe and obeyed the Priestly understanding that God is harsh. Near the end of the book of Job God talks about large frightening creatures and mountains that He cares for. God is generous and sows His love everywhere far beyond the our ablity to reap. God is not harsh but generous. He treats the third servant at the servant’s prejudice dictates. Are we ready to be joyful, or are we going to be scared or harsh? Being joyful with what God has given us lays open our hearts and minds. God is the joyful master. There is an understanding that is parable promotes capitalism. There are many types of capitalism, industrial capitalism and laissez-faire capitalism, finance capitalism and state monopoly capitalism, rony capitalism, and liberal Captialism. In this parable, all the profit goes to God. What shall we call this then, divine captalism, perhaps? Warren Buffet is a good example of how this works. He lives modestly in Omaha, Nebraska and gives away most of his money. He strives for excellence but does not do it for greed. We have a living example of this parable in Warren Buffet. We are here because God made us out His abundance. We are here because God called us to be here, despite how unnecessary we are to the universe.Therefore, let us be joyful and reap what God has generously sown.

Pentecost 26

Parable means a parallel story with two meanings. Jesus used parables to show how secular matters are parallel to spiritual matters. The 10 virgins in this parable are divided into wise and foolish. The wise ones brought extra oil. Wisdom comes from experience and involves taking care of someone; Wisdom understands how our actions affect others. The Bridegroom is Jesus. The passage in 1Thessolians is not talking about the believers going into the sky and staying there. Paul is using Imperial language. In the First Century, the Roman Emperor would announce that he was coming to a city or town and the residents would work hard to fix and beautify their residence and public places. When he arrived trumpets would sound and the people would come to greet him outside the town and then proceed with him into the city limits. Jesus, the true Emperor, will descend from on high and those who are living will greet him in the sky and come to earth with him. Matthew 25:1-13. Being wise and gaining wisdom are not catch phrases in our culture. How to define Wisdom? Wisdom is experience and learning from it. It is being able to look ahead and seeing what happens. It is being compassionate. Wise people do not lead a lot of things, and they know what to expect. The fear of The Lord is the beginning of Wisdom and Wisdom gives insight. To be wise you don’t have to be wealthy. When you fear The Lord you fear nothing else. Wisdom allows you to multi-task while keeping the big picture in you mind so that it is understood how the pieces fit together. We are living in foolish times. It seems we are living the motto of the film Wall Street: Greed is good as spoken by Gordon Gekko as played by Michael Douglas. Oliver Stone’s message in Wall Street was that pursuing greed that everything falls apart around you. The virgins were foolish for not joining into the procession. The Bridegroom might have helped the situation by either giving them oil or pointing out that it didn’t matter. Foolishly it didn’t occur to them to show up anyway even if the didn’t have the oil. Our culture follows other gods such as, Mammon, Death, Terror and Aphrodite. Following other gods leads others away from Wisdom. Our job is to invite them in and meet the Bridegroom.

What if God is a painter? What would that look like? He would paint creation. What if God wanted to repaint? He would paint a new creation. We are a new creation in Jesus Christ/ Today we are celebrating the 45th anniversary of Peace Lutheran Church. Although this congregation was organized in 1962 our corner stone date is 1963. Peace Lutheran began as mission congregation in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). They project was a church building with a large piece of land, for the purpose of building a school. Our congregation was started with big ambitions; ambitions don’t get much higher than having a church and a school together. The LCMS was the first mainline protestant congregation to be targeted by the fundamentalist movement, In reaction to this the Concordia Seminary professors broke away and left the LCMS. They walked out over theological issues and began The Seminary in Exile later called Seminex. This created a loud discord within all the LCMS where the laity had to decide where they stood on these issues. This congregation was part of the 25-30 per cent of the LCMS that chose to follow the Seminex professors and became the Associated Evangelical Lutheran Church. The main dispute was over the authority of the Bible. The Augsburg Confession begins with God. The Fundamentalists say that the Bible is the first authority. Jesus is the cornerstone and Jesus Christ is the Word of God. The Bible is important because it bares Jesus Christ to us. The AELC realized the futility of having yet another Lutheran denomination and they sought out unity with the LCA and the ALC, which were two distinctly different facets of Lutheranism. Finally, in 1988 all three Synods merged to form the ELCA which we are now. After the beloved pastor Earl Merz left Peace Lutheran an explosion happened; a fight broke out. There was a large group the was hoping to return to the LCMS and when that didn’t happen they left in anything but a peaceful manner. The\y left and formed Christ our Savior LCMS. Later another group became angry over various issues and left and formed Good Shepherd ELCA who are having a ground breaking ceremony today. Finally the big dream died when the land was sold to Holland Christian Schools. In the book, Unbinding the Gospel a former fundamentalist pastor who is now part of a mainline protestant congregation says that mainline Christians do not understand the power they have in the Gospel and they don’t share it. They have a case of Gospel Constipation. We like most mainline Christians are hesitant to talk about our faith. We have communion every Sunday to see, taste and feel that Christ is truly here and truly leading us and truly present with us.

Jesus and the coin.

Sunday October 19, 2008 23rd Sunday after Pentecost Yesterday was St. Luke’s Feast Day. Both the Gospel according to St. Luke and the Book of Acts are attributed to him, making St. Luke the most prolific writer in the New Testament. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_the_Evangelist Today we hear about the Pharisee’s disciples and the Herodians, Jesus and a coin. Jesus asks specifically to see the coin, because he mentioned it we need to pay attention to it as well. The face on the coin was Emperor Tiberius, the adopted son of Augustus Caesar. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/Tiberius%26Livia_Aureus.jpg/330px-Tiberius%26Livia_Aureus.jpg The Roman Senate declared his divinity and according to Wikipedia, Tiberius refused to be worshipped as a living god, and allowed only one temple to be built in his honor at Smyrna.[96] The town Tiberias, in modern Israel on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee was named in Tiberius's honour by Herod Antipas. Jesus is not saying that we have to obey the state as it was later preached. Jesus is saying that the Emperor is not a god and we have to decide who our God is. Is God the Emperial State, wealth/mammon, the self? Anything we use to replace God is the false god. When Jesus showed them the coin with the incsription Diviunus Tiberius he was showing them that they were in direct disobiedence to the First Commandment. Have you heard of Moloch? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moloch The immotality rites included passing infants through fire. This was done out of a fear of death. We have heard a lot about finincial distress and crisis. A word we are hearing from Wall Street and Washington is ‘trust.” The government wants us to trust their decsions, meanwhile, the banks can’t trust each other. The risk of loaning money and going into debt was spreading and finally it came to a crashing end. The question agains come to us: Who is really God? God is really God! All of us can trust God and we don’t have to trust the world’s materalistic methods. We do not and should not be ruled by our fears or the fear of a weak ecomomy. The people, that means us, have been letting the leaders run our country without accoutablity. The lies were believed that everything was going to be fine and the Stock Market would continue to climb. The banks actions were not regulated and debts incurred. It seemed their slogan was, “Just Trust Us.” We did not hold our leaders accountable. We trust God alone, All of us do. Our wealth and well being comes from God. God allows us to share our possesions.

Giving and Forgiving

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Francis_of_Assisi http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06221a.htm Yesterday was the Feast Day of St. Francis. He was born rich but later lived a life of poverty. Today, we hear Jesus during a very tense situation. Jesus had stopped the sacrifices in the temple and the priests were angry with him. The people were astounded and believed him to be a prophet. The basic understanding at the time was that God wants revenge on the bad people. The response the gave Jesus was “He will put those wretches to a miserable death.” Yes, kill those miserable wretches. God is seen from different viewpoints in present day. God can be seen as Great-Grandpa who was something great in his day, but now is he distant, we will come visit him from time to time, but we are in charge now. God is also seen as the murderous monster full of wrath and is going to get us all. This is a very American view made popular in colonial times by Jonathon Edwards in his fire and brimstone sermon, “sinners in the hands of an angry God.” http://www.lgmarshall.org/Reformed/edwards_angry.html From this rises the understanding that we cannot take God seriously unless we are terrified of Him. This response to God works well with our reptilian brains. Then comes St. Francis’ view of God. God is the giver and the forgiver. God is love and God is light. This sounds wimpy to those who see God as vengeful but Jesus shows the true strength of God’s power through healing, raising from the dead. God gives us reconciliation and unity. The temple leaders reaction and response to Jesus was to only kill him. They were envious of him. Today, people go to church to get something for themselves. “It’s all about me” which is directly contrary to Jesus who gives himself to us. But, it always comes back to our culture and what we want, or what “I” want, and this is easily seen with the “I” Phone and “I” pod. God isn’t Great-Grandpa to whom we say thanks see you later. God isn’t a ravenous monster God is Loving, Giving and Forgiving, let us also do the same as Jesus did.

20th Sunday after Pentecost

Jesus is questioned about his actions in the temple the day after he knocked down the tables and let loose the animals that were set aside for sacrifices. Jesus quotes two prophets, Isaiah and Jeremiah. "My house should be a house of prayer and you have made it a robbers cave." The priests questioned his authority and in true Rabbinical form answers their questions with another question; "Did the baptism of John come from heaven or was it of human origin?" The Bible is ambiguous concerning animal sacrifices. Meat in all Biblical times, unlike today, was expensive, rare and extraordinary. Animal sacrifices were for the wealthy, regular workers could not afford the extravagance. Torah speaks of animal sacrifices in both Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Leviticus gives details on what kind of animals to sacrifice and for the specific reasons. Yet, in other places such as Ps. 50. Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Micah it is clear that God does not want animal sacrifices but wants righteousness, which is caring for the poor. Jesus walks into a sacrificial system and ceases all sacrifices, thereby, siding with the prophets and showing the sacrificial laws to be false. He references John the Baptist who taught that we should take care of everyone. Jesus puts Tax Collectors and prostitutes in the same room and at the same table. Tax Collectors took what they wanted from the people; they were traitors to Israel and destroyers of Israel. They overtaxed the people and kept the profit. They would grab whatever they wanted, possessions, food, land, children and women. They created prostitutes by operating under their own rules. In short, they were loan sharks and pimps. The problem and solution are at the same table, by bringing the victimizers and the victims together and creating reconciliation. The Tax Collectors and Prostitutes will enter the Kingdom of Heaven together. They will be changes economically and spiritually at the same time. The question is then, sacrifice or sharing? What will happen in Washington this week? Will someone proverbially get it in the neck, or will there be sharing and healing of a very large economic problem. Jesus preaches and teaches sharing, even sharing himself as he did on the cross and as he does in communion. Few congregations spend outside their own four walls. Every congregation must ask as we also must ask, "are we keeping finances for ourselves or are we sharing by giving it away?"

Workers in the Field

Pentecost 19--Last Day of Summer There is a lot of anger toward God in today’s readings as well as in daily in life. Jonah was angry enough to die. The workers in the field in the Gospel lesson were angry that they got paid as much those who hadn’t worked as long. Even the well-dressed, well-behaved church-going Christians get angry with God. The workers are angry because they are expecting to get rich. If those who only worked one hour got the daily wage then they should receive even more in their eyes. This parable comes as a response to Jesus’ encounter with the rich lawyer who claimed to have followed the law to the letter and wanted eternal life. Jesus tells him, as the Greek states, to start selling all you have give to the poor and take up your cross and follow me. This is the one area where Jesus’ ministry failed. He then tells the parable of the workers in the field to show us how generosity is supposed to work. In today’s society we are not clear whether everyone has a place at the table. Everyone needs to belong. We have Welfare, Food Stamps, Aid to Dependent Children, WIC, and Social Security to help people belong to society and to show them that they have a place a the table. For the past twenty years the attitude has been to let those who can run full out and see how much money they can accumulate. The person with the most toys wins. This behavior co-exists with neglecting the needy. This past week in Washington a 700 billion dollar plan to give away taxpayers money was formulated. This is a paradigm shit from thinking we should get what we can to being responsible. Jesus proclaimed, “Release Now” to being the work of righteousness, which is taking care of the poor and needy. The workers in the parable are standing in the market place as unemployed day laborers that work for a day to get money for one meal. They have lost their farms, the same farm that had been in their family for 1000 years, because the burdens the Roman Empire placed on them. Now they work from 6 am to 6 pm to get their one coin to pay for their one meal. The owner of the vineyard, God, hires workers at the 11th hour, 5pm. These workers won’t get much work done in an hour. Yet, he pays everyone the same and those who worked 12 hours get paid last and see that everyone got the same amount. God reminds them of the contract they made, and challenges them with these words, “Is your eye so evil?” We have to remember that everything belongs to God and God is generous with his possessions. Everyone is supposed to be employed. God pays everyone the same. We see this at our own communion table. Everyone gets the same amount. Everyone is included, and we get an equal portion. “I chose to give to this last the same I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?” All we have is a gift. There are those who went to the right business schools and made the right connections, they would complain, “we all get the same?” Yes! Everything is a gift from God. Carl shouldn’t be living today. His pancreas is damaged that the doctors are amazed that he is still living. Everyday that Carl is alive is a gift. The difference between Carl and the rest of us is that Carl is keenly aware of this fact. He knows it. The rest of us tend to take it for granted. Should we be generous as God is generous or should we look at the world with the evil because we want more than everyone else? We should be generous.

Jesus Leads

A more accurate translation of today's text would be "Peter chewed him out." The NRSV says he rebuked him, but the Greek word is very harsh and strong. To be the messiah, as Peter earlier confessed Jesus to be, means that Jesus has to go to Jerusalem not to lead a revolt, but to undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. Peter wanted Jesus to go to Jerusalem and restore the Kingdom of David to make Judea and Galilee free from Roman rule and to rule as the King of all of Israel. What kind of leader what Jesus had been if he accomplished that task? That is. providing that the Roman legions didn't subdue his revolution and crucify him and all his followers. This very event happened when Jesus was about 8 when Judah the Galilean lead a revolt and Vargas, the Roman General stopped the revolt and crucified thousands of Galilean rebels. If Jesus had succeeded in such a revolution, there would not have been a Christian movement. His reign would have been limited to Israel alone; there would not have been a Resurrection. We would not be Christians today because there would not have been a Great Commission. His movement and actions would only be a part of Jewish history not world history. It is through the Great Commission that we understand that Jesus is mystically and spiritually present with us at all times. This affects the way we think of Church and how to run a church. There is a certain way of becoming a church by asking Jesus to lead us. There is a concept that Jesus and God are far away from us and that we must hold the Bible close and dear to us because that what was left us to connect with God. Because God is seen as being distant, leaders in the church become God's representatives for us, and finally the individual becomes important, so that lifestyles make the church. Such a church exists near us called Mars Hill, the name taken from the Book of Acts, where there is rock and roll music and the pastor preaches about meaningful life lessons. Church should be here where we are because Christ is present here with us We have to be spiritually aware of Christ's presence with us. Jesus Christ a leader for everyone.

What is in a name?

Matthew 16:13-20 16:13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" 16:14 And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 16:15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16:16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." 16:17 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 16:20 Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

In today's Gospel reading we hear some names, John the Baptist, Elijah and Jeremiah. People who encountered Jesus thought that he might be one of them. John the Baptist, Jesus' predecessor was beheaded. Perhaps people that that Jesus was John brought back to life or perhaps John wasn't beheaded at all. Elijah was a great prophet who was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire. People thought that it was possible that Elijah had come back to earth from heaven. Other's said Jeremiah. Jeremiah didn't like the temple sacrifices and the rules that the priest enforced. Perhaps Jesus was Jeremiah back from the dead.

Peter says that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. No one had said that before. As we read the Gospels we know that it is understood who Jesus is. The Gospels have nice little titles such as, The Gospel of Jesus Christ according to St. Matthew. In the Gospel narratives Jesus' divinity is slowly revealed to us. Matthew shows the disciples making a confession of faith, "Truly this is the Son of God." In today's Gospel reading, Peter makes a confession of faith, without being told this ahead of time.

When I was a pastor of a three point ministry in North Dakota, two country churches and one city church, I taught a Bible Study on the book of Exodus. The church was Sigdal Lutheran Church in Pekin North Dakota. I pointed out to the class that there are two stories fused together in the crossing of the Red Sea. The first one is the one we know from the movies. It is the deep water story with the walls of water on each side. The other story is a the marsh story. They cross over the sea of reeds or a marsh. After the class was over, one member, Harlan, approached me in the parking lot. Parking lot questions are the serious questions. He asked me, "what is the purpose of Christianity?"

He asked this because he had heard something new and his faith was being challenged with this new knowledge. He asked me this question in the same spirit that Jesus asked the disciples,"who do you say that I am?" I knew I had to get the question right with four years of seminary and being ordained, I had no other choice. I said to Harlan, "Christianity is communion with Christ." He nodded and said, "good."

When Peter answered as he did, he was stating that Jesus has authority as the Messiah and the Son of the Living God. It was until more recent history that God's authority has been questioned. Luther challenged the authority of Rome, but knew that God was the true highest authority. All disciplines of study and profession could not be done without knowing that God is charge of the universe. God came first in, medicine, politics, law, economics, etc.

Jesus, the Son of the Living God leads us in all facets of life and living. He is a living sacrifice.

Get out of the Boat

Matthew 14: 22-33 Jesus walks on water is section title in most Bibles. In this story Jesus gives two commands: "Don't be afraid and Come." Jesus speaks about fear in other places the one the comes quickly to mind is "fear not but believe." To Jesus, the opposite of fear is not courage, but belief, or faith. Many times Jesus will say "oh you of little faith." When we come to realize who is really in power, that is, God. we will not fear the things of this world. but we will fear God, God who claims us as his own. Again, Jesus said, "Do not be afraid, but believe." In the world around us we are being sold to love fear, and to be afraid. Terrorism, the economy, Islam, Global Warming, are just a few examples of how we are being sold on fear. We even take pleasure in fear and other negative feelings which we can in turn project on something or someone else. There is around us the understanding that we can take joy in someone else misfortune. This mentality is marketed in the Entertainment Industry and we see it in video games and movies. We know some of these names who are icons of fear, Jason, Freddie, Micheal Meyers, etc. In Matthew 8 Jesus and his disciples are going from Galilee to the pagan side of the Sea of Galilee. Here in Matthew 14 they are making a similar trip. In Matthew 8 the disciples are afraid of the storm and Jesus who is sleeping awakes and calms the storm. They ask, "who is this man that the wind and the waves obey him?" In Matthew 14, the answer is given: "Truly you are the Son of God." Notice though in today's Gospel reading Jesus is not in the boat but walking outside of it. Being outside of the boat, Jesus opens the mechanisms of fear. The fear we feel does not come from outside us, but resides fully inside us. We do not have to be afraid. The fear works in us and we use it to make ourselves afraid. We don't have to do this and Jesus does not want us to be afraid. Jesus is our Lord and if we truly believe Jesus and believe in Jesus we will not be afraid and will be able to step out of the boat and come to Jesus. The world likes to see Jesus as a buddy only. We know better and we can and will daily step out of the boat.

Two Different Dinners

At camp this week we had a meal called Fish Squares. Traditional fish sticks contain more fish meat than these fish squares. There was more infused bread than there was fish it seemed. The adults at the camp complained more than the campers. In the Gospel reading today Matthew 14 we hear of how Jesus fed a lot of people with just a little fish. Isaiah asks an important question : Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;and you that have no money, come, buy and eat!Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy? What kind of food does not satisfy, fish squares perhaps, or maybe the new Burger King sandwich, maybe it is a bigger boat? We want more and desire bigger and more grand possessions. We do not need possessions and stuff, yet it seems we identify ourselves with what we own. Our stuff determines our identity. When we went to Madagascar we had to give away at least half of our possessions. Giving away books hurt the most, I didn't care too much about the clothes. We did keep the piano and had it shipped to us. I thought that here was our chance to be more spiritual to live with less, shed the excess of our possessions. I believed I would be happier with less, but alas and alack, after a few years in Madagascar, we had accumulated more stuff, and we refilled our closets and shelves. I guess we were too conditioned to live with possessions not to live without them. In Matthew 14 we see two contrasted dinners. The first one at Herod's palace has the super rich and the poor servants present. Herod isn't a real king; Jesus is the real king as defined by Psalm 72: Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son. 2May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice. 3May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness. 4May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor. 5May he live* while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations. 6May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth. 7In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no more. 8May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. 9May his foes* bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust. 10May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute,may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts. 11May all kings fall down before him, all nations give him service. 12For he delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper. 13He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. 14From oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their blood in his sight. 15Long may he live! May gold of Sheba be given to him.May prayer be made for him continually, and blessings invoked for him all day long. 16May there be abundance of grain in the land; may it wave on the tops of the mountains; may its fruit be like Lebanon;and may people blossom in the cities like the grass of the field. 17May his name endure for ever, his fame continue as long as the sun.May all nations be blessed in him;* may they pronounce him happy. 18Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. 19Blessed be his glorious name for ever; may his glory fill the whole earth.Amen and Amen. The King deserves to be king because he serves the needy, poor and sick. Jesus feeding the 5000 is the arrival of the Kingdom of God; it is with this event that it begins. Simple common cfood is provided and there is more than enough for everyone. Herod's banquet, rich and glorious has extravagant food and it ends in death--the death of John the Baptist. Jesus' meal,simple and common, ends in life.

Weeds and Healing

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 Mustard plants are weeds; they are self-planting and left alone they will dominate a yard or field. The growing and spreading just happens and that is how we are to spiritually grow and spread. God implants the seed of spiritual life in us and it grows regardless of any preparations and planning done on our part. More than 40 passages in the Gospels tell of Jesus healing someone. Healing was a large part of his ministry. History Theologians tell us that the healing of Jesus' followers in the middle of the first century made Christianity popular. In Africa it is the healing done in Jesus name that brings many to belong to Christianity. Luke 5: One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting nearby (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal.* 18Just then some men came, carrying a paralysed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus;* 19but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd* in front of Jesus. 20When he saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend,* your sins are forgiven you.’ 21Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, ‘Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ 22When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? 23Which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven you”, or to say, “Stand up and walk”? 24But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the one who was paralysed—‘I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home.’ 25Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. 26Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today.’ Forgiveness is associated with healing Luke 6:He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them. Healing is for everyone regardless of faith and understanding. Tyre and Sidon were pagan cities. After he healed them he began to preach Luke's version of the sermon on the mount. Matthew 8: 14 When Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever; 15he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him. 16That evening they brought to him many who were possessed by demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick. 17This was to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, ‘He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.’ Matthew 4:Jesus* went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news* of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. 24So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he cured them. 25And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan. Preaching is associated with healing. Matthew 10: These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.”* 8Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers,* cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. 9Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, 10no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for labourers deserve their food. 11Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. 12As you enter the house, greet it. 13If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. 15Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement than for that town. Healing is done without receiving a payment. Matthew 7: ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 9Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? 10Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? 11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! We are encouraged to ask. Matthew 14: 34 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35After the people of that place recognized him, they sent word throughout the region and brought all who were sick to him, 36and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed. Matthew 28: Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. 18And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ Jesus' authority applies only to our hearts as our culture understands it. Jesus' authority should apply to everyone at all times and places so that without question Jesus is the ruler of the universe. The Church is very good about baptizing. We do well with that part of the Great Commission, but we are not doing well at the teaching part. We do not do well with teaching all things as Jesus commanded us to do.

July 20, 2008

What do we do with our hands when we pray? We fold them, lift them up, hold hands with one another in a group or dinner table. Healing prayer Prayer is an extension of healing. Jesus begins his ministry with healing and then later he teaches the disciples how to pray. In this manner, it can be seen that prayer flows from the power of healing. The larger view of what healing is can be found in Romans 8: When we cry, ‘Abba!* Father!’ 16it is that very Spirit bearing witness* with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. 18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Social suffering in the first century is much like what it is in the Middle Eastern countries today. It is not the short lived physical suffering, but the suffering of a shamed reputation. A shameful reputation reflects on the person and families of that person and can last centuries. The futility in Romans 8 comes form sin and death as seen in Genesis 3. Creation is ours to nurture and care for, but if we waste it then it is all futile. There were three curses in Genesis 3: 1) curse of women pain in childbirth and being subject to their husbands. Thank God for Jesus Christ who removed that curse when he said that marriage is a covenant not a business relationship. 2) The ground was cursed with thorns and thistles and man had to work the ground by the sweat of his brow. Jesus shows how this curse is removed in his parable of the sower when 100 fold yield is produced. This is a miracle just as Laban's yield in Genesis. 3) snakes were cursed--too bad for snakes. All these curses will be fully lifted. These curses do not say that this is the way the universe is and too bad for us. This point of view either makes us the victims or the greedy who horde everything. With the curses lifted we can live without fear, greed and hatred and live with forgiveness, healing and peace. The resurrection to come is foreshadowed in the healing ministry that Jesus began. It is a beam of light, a beacon to the future that reflects the great healing to come. This is not a removal of death. In fact, Jesus never prevents anyone from dying. Jesus never avoids death. He even dallied to let people like Jarius' daughter and Lazarus to die so he could show that death is like sleep. Prayers for healing are not a talisman or magic bullet to protect us from suffering and death. Healing prayer is a foreshadow of the complete healing to come.

July 13, 2008

Pray to help and heal people. Praying for others makes us all stronger. The strength comes to us from God's love as we feel His Holy Presence. Isaiah 6: Go and say to this people:“Keep listening, but do not comprehend;keep looking, but do not understand.” 10Make the mind of this people dull, and stop their ears, and shut their eyes,so that they may not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears,and comprehend with their minds, and turn and be healed.’ 11Then I said, ‘How long, O Lord?’ And he said:‘Until cities lie waste without inhabitant,and houses without people, and the land is utterly desolate; 12until the Lord sends everyone far away, and vast is the emptiness in the midst of the land. 13Even if a tenth part remains in it, it will be burned again,like a trebinth or an oak whose stump remains standing when it is felled.’ The holy seed is its stump. In Isaiah the people's hardness of heart comes from God resulting to the destruction and annihilation of the land. Jesus changes this: Then the disciples came and asked him, ‘Why do you speak to them in parables?’ 11He answered, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 13The reason I speak to them in parables is that “seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.” 14With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says:“You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. 15For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears,and understand with their heart and turn— and I would heal them.” 16But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it. To Jesus, the hardness of heart rests solely with the people. "I would heal them," Jesus says. It is up to us we can chose to be a rivalry with God or we can chose to be at peace with God. God's peace, that is the Peace of Christ, is not quid pro quo. It is transcendent and transforming, uniting us with God and all of God's people who are simultaneously being transformed. John Calvin said that the time for spiritual healing was in the First Century only and does not happen anymore. Because of this many mainline protestants don't take healing services seriously. Healing services on Television are impressive. I am not certain what the term, "slaying of the spirit" means but this showmanship that goes with it brings spiritual healing into disrepute. A true healing is shockingly simple and direct; it is just asking. It is not out-sourced. The common perception is that there are steps involved and we God's healing power is distant from us. Through medical practitioners, doctors, surgeons, pharmacists, etc God works His healing ministry. His healing power and love is so strong that it even transcends through an atheist doctor. No religion, faith nor lack thereof can impede it. Yet, our culture says that healing cannot be that simple and a healing service seems foolish. God will use any means to be a conduit to transcend His healing power. There is a stigma placed on healing which comes from an understanding in the last 100 years. Mary Baker Eddy the founder of the Christian Scientist convinced by her own study of the Bible, especially Genesis 1, and through experimentation, Eddy claimed to have found healing power through a higher sense of God as Spirit and man as God's spiritual "image and likeness." She became convinced that illness could be healed through an awakened thought brought about by a clearer perception of God and the explicit rejection of drugs, hygiene, and medicine based upon the observation that Jesus did not use these methods for healing: It is plain that God does not employ drugs or hygiene, nor provide them for human use; else Jesus would have recommended and employed them in his healing. … The tender word and Christian encouragement of an invalid, pitiful patience with his fears and the removal of them, are better than hecatombs of gushing theories, stereotyped borrowed speeches, and the doling of arguments, which are but so many parodies on legitimate Christian Science, aflame with divine Love. (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, 143:5, 155:15) She eventually called this spiritual perception the operation of the Christ Truth on human consciousness. She claimed that medicine is a fallacy. Christian Science forms attitudes about healing that make a simple and direct prayer for healing seem foolish to many people. To the Christian Scientist what we do hear at Peace Lutheran is too simple and to those who are outside of a faith community we can be seen as primitive or naive. May we all see God's transcending healing power in all His conduits.

Pentecost Sunday

Jesus said, "Call no man you father because you have one father in heaven." There was a role for mothers in the early church, but fathers became like brothers. Mothers can share fully in the inheritance. On Mother's Day we should think about the Church mothers. They are important to the life of every congregation. In Southern Baptist churches you can see the mothers on Sundays. They sit in a pew of honor and they wear large hats. They are honored and respected in their congregation as nurturing leaders. The Holy Spirit: There are two ways of being religious, open or closed. Closed churches will eventually close. Open churches are always ready for transformation, to receive a large variety of people. On that first Pentecost Sunday, these back wood hicks from Galilee were speaking in languages that they didn't learn about God. These were the languages of the whole world. In the first century when someone spoke about God, people listened. God was important then, unlike today. They were not talking about the Kingdom of Israel, but of the Kingdom of God. Openness and inclusion marked the early church and should mark the open church of today. God's importance was understood, but you had to be theologically trained to talk about it. You had to be a prince, priest, poet or lawyer. Today that is not the case at all. But, those who were there at Pentecost listened because was so important.

June 29, 2008

Peter and Paul Apostles

Jabez from 1 Chronicles 4 whose name means Ouch, prayed to God. He prayed to God to extend his borders (enlarge his land) and keep him from harm. He had no descendants.

We are already living beyond our borders and using more than what we need. We don't have enough closet space. There was a time when houses had two hooks, one for work clothes and one for church clothes. Today houses are built with large closets, finished basements and two stall garages to keep all of our stuff. Our way of life is becoming unsustainable, having more than we need.

The world is changing rapidly. The North Pole could melt away this year. There is so much plastic waste that the North Pacific Gyre is 100 miles thick with floating plastic which washes up on the shores of the Hawaiian Islands. The Mariana Trench is filled with garbage. All this has happened in last 50 years as we have become an oil based economy.

Thank God for fossil fuels. Oil has helped communication, education and transportation. I belong to a society of Bible Scholars. There are more members now than there ever have been. It is because of oil that has happened. Thank God for oil and all the benefits it has given us and then preserve it and live and sustain our society and not abuse the gift. God's universe is bigger than we used to think. This planet, our home Earth, is part of God's will. We are to live a life of discipleship which is the opposite of consumerism.

June 15, 2008

Jesus feeds us with himself. "I Bishop John Schleicher am a social introvert." Our Synod Mission Statement is "Marked with the Cross of Christ forever we are claimed, gathered, and sent for the sake of the world." Marked with the Cross of Christ forever: I am baptized. We rejoice in our sufferings. We are not masochistic. The privilege to be in a broken world for Jesus. We we will be raised as Jesus was raised. We are claimed: I get to be in Christ and always--in Christ and with Christ. We are claimed; we are not our own. We have to ask ourselves, "What is for the good of The Church?" We are gathered: Everyday we are gathered we are not lonely or alone, this means even the introverted. We are gathered to encourage and challenge. We can lift up one another and grow. We are always a brother or sister in Christ and we are always with a brother or sister in Christ. We are sent, just as the disciples were sent two by two, in pairs, to cast out demons mend the brokenness. Harsh words won't break us and each of us ask for forgiveness when we are overly harsh. Demons cause lies and confusion. The Kingdom of God is nearer. Not a kingdom of destruction but one of deep care and sacrifice. Not about me, but about the world. Peace Lutheran where 95 worship, where 95 people all who are disciples should pray everyday. I will pray that the world may change the way things are done. Let God change me. We give sacrificially; give generously. We are here for others.

Things unseen

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

There was a lot of thunder and lightning last night. The ancients thought it was Zeus/Jupiter striking at humanity in anger. Later the Norse thought it was Thor fighting a battle.

In our world seeing is believing. Jesus said to Thomas. "Blessed are they who have not seen and yet believe." The unseen things in our lives have a greater effect on us than the seen things. We confess in the Nicene Creed, that God the Father is the creator of all things seen and unseen. The unseen things like, Heaven, Faith, Gravity, Air, The Holy Spirit, unholy spirits, love, all the emotions, pain, our minds/souls, are all unseen. So are, spirit, intellect, fear, joy, God, Jesus, and music.

Mystries

The Junkyard Dog shows how a Chicago sewer worker who is part of the political machine has the clout to get things done. The Kingdom of Heaven works on faith not clout. The religiosity of most people, that is, trusting in their religions behavior rather than faith, is how their understanding. We sometimes think that the Kingdom of Heaven is like the model of give and take--clout. It is called the gospel of prosperity where it is believed that God will give us a big house and a big car and all the trimming that goes with it. Then something happens and luck runs out. Where is faith when a spouse or child dies? Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount and they were amazed that he spoke as one who has authority. Jesus said. "All authority is given to me." Before Christianity became a book full of ideas and things to memorize it was a way of life. It was called The Way. The do nots make our lives hard when we do them. Jesus gave us his mandate. That is what we remember on Maundy Thursday. "This is my commandment, love one another." "Go teach and if it is really really really necessary use words"--Desmond Tutu.

Just Enough Stuff

Tomorrow is Memorial Day. Roman soldiers, Centurions rather, have a place in the New Testament. We see in Luke 7 how a Centurion understood Jesus' authority. Capernaum was a border town. Jesus was able to heal from a distance. Centurions maybe seen as outsiders in the church, just as Jesus who was crucified was seen as an outsider to the Roman Empire. In Mark 15 a Roman Centurion commits blasphemy and treason by declaring Jesus to be the Son of God an imperial title. We have to ask ourselves. What did this centurion see to make him say, 'This is truly a Son of God." We should start by looking at Roman Officers. Roman officers took orders from above and gave orders to the men below them. They lived and understood the system. They saw the silliness and nonsense in the Roman Empire. The Emperors called themselves gods but they were mortal and immoral as anyone else. The Roman officers understood Jesus; they got him. They saw the political machinations. The Roman Emperors, Generals, Governors were all miscreants. The officers had to sacrifice their lives for those miscreants. They had to ask themselves. "Is this worth it?" Jesus was a direct opposite to the Emperors and Generals. Jesus was not gathering power for himself but empowering those who had none. Understanding what sacrifices really were, the Centurion saw that Jesus was someone to follow and was a much better person than his own leaders. Jesus was a worthy cause. God's Peace happens through Jesus.