“The Surprising and Captivating Kingdom of Heaven”

A sermon from the seventh Sunday after Pentecost. 

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
 
Jesus put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."

He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened."

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Have you understood all this? They answered, "Yes." And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."

“The Surprising and Captivating Kingdom of Heaven”

    When I was a kid I wanted to grow up to be either an archeologist or a paleontologist. Those are two really fancy words to tell you that I wanted to dig up old stuff. I wanted to discover relics and hidden treasures from the past, treasures of myth and legend. I also want to dig up dinosaur bones. As I put it to someone who asked me who I wanted to be when I grew up - I want to grow up to be Indiana Jones or Alan Grant. Indiana Jones - the famous leather jacket and fedora wearing, whip welding archeologist. Alan Grant the paleontologist from the movie Jurassic Park who dug up dinosaur bones and got to meet them in the flesh. I had a keen sense of adventure and discovery. I fashioned myself as one of my childhood heroes because of their amazing adventures and what they found along the way. I was captivated by their lives and experiences.
    I still have a keen sense of discovery and adventure - I still want to discover new things, or perhaps uncover really old things. On our trip to Turkey last year with LSTC I was dubbed “Indiana Travis” by my friends. More often than not we would be found trying to translate the Greek texts we would find on the marble remains of the great temples now lying in ruin. We were trying to uncover something that was lost - some great treasure. I was on a great quest of discovery. I was captivated by the thought of finding something important. (I also had a really cool hat!)
    Parables work in the same way. Sure they are teaching moments - stories that break us out of the normal pattern of life. They are great teaching tools because they have such a depth of meaning. We have been debating them for thousands of years. Parables don't come with just one lesson. They help us to re-imagine the world. They help us to encounter the kingdom of heaven in our midst.
     The parables we encounter today do so just that - they show us the power of the kingdom of heaven as an adventure. They demonstrate what the kingdom of heaven can to do our lives. And it’s breath-taking.
    Today we get five parables to wrestle with, and they all start the same way; “The kingdom of heaven is like…” The kingdom of heaven is like…. a mustard seed; a measure of yeast/leaven; a hidden treasure; a pearl; a net full of fish. These items seem to have nothing in common. So why does Jesus use them as metaphors for the kingdom of heaven? Perhaps we should look at the actions of the parables for a clue.
    The five parables we encounter today show us the unpredictability of the kingdom of heaven. There is no rhyme or reason to how God’s kingdom comes into our lives other than surprise. The parable of the mustard seed is not so much about size and growth as it is about surprise and expansion. Sure the mustard seed is small - not the smallest seed in the world - nothing too remarkable about its size. But its reach is what we should notice. The mustard seed surprises us. It creeps into our well-kept flowerbeds and gardens and takes over - creating homes for the birds. It surprises with its reach. It captivates and captures us with its growth.
    The same thing happens with the leaven. The leaven, folded into a great deal of flour, hidden by the women making the dough, soon takes over the whole batch of soon to be bread. It’s unexpected. It literally captures the bread - by surprise.
    The same patter exists with the hidden treasure - it surprises a man and captivates him enough to go home and sell all he has in order to buy the field. 

     The man who finds the pearl in the course of his job of looking at pearls is so surprised by the value and beauty of the pearl that he too sells all he has in order to obtain it. 

     The metaphor of the net shows surprise by the breadth of its reach. No fish are discriminated against - all are caught. Fish who never dreamed of being caught in a net are swept up into its folds.. Each parable contains an element of surprise that takes over the person involved in the experience. The kingdom of heaven is ultimately not about us or what we find or create. It’s about how the presence of God makes its way into our lives, often in unexpected and unseen ways. And this unexpectedness has a way of taking over everything - much like a mustard seed or prospect of a hidden treasure uncovered. 
    The kingdom of heaven is not something that we can capture or control. The kingdom of heaven is something that captures us - it captivates our imaginations, it consumes our energy, it takes over our lives.
    So how does the kingdom of heaven capture or captivate us? I think the metaphor of selling can be helpful. In the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl, the person who finds the object sells everything in order to possess that object. They literally turn their whole lives over to the object. Its foolish. Its not the way the world works. They are so captivated by the treasure and the pearl that they can do nothing else but turn their whole lives over to the object. The kingdom of heaven can work in the same way.
    Do we have to sell everything we have to find the kingdom of God? I don’t think so - but perhaps its always an option. Selling everything we have may look like opening ourselves up to another point of view. Listening to another side of a story. Giving up control of what we think we know. Letting go of the idea that we have all the right answers. Selling all we have may be risking our very lives by opening them up to another point of view, one that clashes with our currently held notions of how the world is suppose to work.
    Perhaps selling everything we have looks like taking the time to learn another perspective of life. Taking the time to listen to someone else’s story of trying to make it in this world. That’s what I did with our high school youth in Chicago a little over a week ago. We traveled to that great, yet troubled city to take the time to listen. To open our lives up to another perspective on life. It was not your typical youth trip. We did not spend our days painting houses or making repairs or picking up trash or building things. We spent most of our time listening - opening ourselves up to being surprised by the kingdom of heaven.
    We took a chance. We gave our time and energy over to the opportunity to gain a different perspective, a new awareness, of what is going on in God’s kingdom in our world. We gained a new perspective on some things familiar - like when we toured the national offices of the ELCA. We spent time with our own church people and experienced the global impact of our own denomination. We learned another perceptive of our story.
    We gained a new perspective on things very different than what we previously knew. We toured the Faith Community of St. Sabina on the south side. We heard about their work with gang violence - about their hosting of basketball tournaments for members of rival gangs - tournaments designed to start conversation and break the cycle of violence. We heard about the kingdom of heaven breaking into the violent streets through the peace of God offered by the faith community. We learned about their housing for senior citizens. We encounter another story of God’s people - another rhythm of God’s work in our world. We opened ourselves up to be surprised and captivated by the kingdom of heaven in our midst.
    The kingdom of heaven is happening in the present tense. Jesus does not say - “the kingdom of heaven was like….” or “the kingdom of heaven will be…” Jesus declares “the kingdom of heaven is…” The kingdom of heaven is happening now! Right here! In our midst!
    It’s going to happen this week through Day Camp. All week long this place will be filled with kids and we will be planting seeds. Not mustard seeds or sunflower seeds, but seeds of faith. And who knows what will take root. God will take the growing into God’s hands, we will plant the seeds. And the kingdom of heaven will surprise and capture and captivate. The kingdom of heaven is present in our midst.
    Where do you see it? I haven't really done this before in a sermon, but I am offering us a challenge this week. I want you to write on a piece of paper - “The Kingdom of Heaven is _________.” Put it on the visor in your car. Put it on your fridge. Put it on a note in your spouses lunch box. Text it to a friend. Share it on Facebook. Let’s see if we can encounter the kingdom of heaven going on in our midst. Take note of what surprises you, what gets your attention, what captivates you. And lets share these stories with each other. Remember - “The Kingdom of Heaven is _________.” It’s a blank canvas, an open invitation from Jesus to encounter the kingdom of heaven in our lives.
    Blessings on your adventures this week in God’s kingdom. I pray we will be surprised, captivated, captured by God's dynamic and radical love.

"Take my yoke upon you..." - Actions Speak Louder than Words

A sermon from the fourth Sunday after Pentecost. 

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 (NRSV)

“But to what will I compare this generation? 
It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another,
'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not mourn.'
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon'; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."
At that time Jesus said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Actions Speak Louder than Words

- or -

They Will Know We Follow Jesus by Our Deeds

“But to what will I compare this generation?!”
    Jesus is frustrated. His ministry has led him into rough waters. The Pharisees and scribes are angry with his teachings and his progressive ministry of feeding the poor and dining with prostitutes and tax collectors. John the Baptist, who we haven't heard from since his arrest, has a great deal of time on his hands in prison. John - the one who was the forerunner, the one who prepared the way for Jesus with a career of preaching repentance - is beginning to wonder about Jesus. He sends his own disciples to make sure Jesus is the one for whom he was preparing the way. On top of all these issues, Jesus’ own disciples continue to demonstrate energy in following him, but they keep on falling short. They continue to plant their feet firmly in their own mouths - they are not always the sharpest tools in the shed. So yes, Jesus is frustrated.
    All of these issues drive Jesus to exclaim “But to what will I compare this generation?!” His contemporaries do not seem to understand his ministry and his talk of the kingdom of heaven. They do not seem patient enough to understand the rhythm of his life. So they complain and plot against him. Jesus encounters fracturing of relationships and arguing on his journey.
    Jesus recognizes their discomfort. He sees the scheming of the religious leaders. He hears the bickering and arguing - so he tells a little story. He tells of children in a marketplace, upset that no one will respond to their music of joy or mourning. Upset that no know will dance, or cry, or play along with their games. Jesus has seen this play out through the people. He has seen this behavior in the religious leaders, in the questioning of his ministry, and in his own disciples. There is division in the wake of his ministry. The world just doesn't seem to get what Jesus has come to do. So they argue. 
    John came preaching repentance and folks said he had a demon. Jesus dined with sinners and tax collects and was called a glutton and a drunkard. Those in power have had their expectations dashed. They were expecting someone from God, but they expected the one from God to play by their rules. Neither John nor Jesus fit the job description they had created. Neither John nor Jesus played by their rules. There was a division between the groups. The religious leaders, the powers, expected one thing - God delivered something quite different. There was grumbling and arguing over who was correct - who was right. And they all missed the point. 
    We know this kind of division. We know this grumbling. It’s all around us. The issue of immigration divides us. The supreme court decision in the Hobby Lobby case divides us. If we wade into the rough waters of the argument, we get lost by trying to choose sides. The division that Jesus spoke about two weeks ago becomes a reality. It’s republicans versus democrats. Fox News versus CNN. Congress versus the white house. States against the federal government. “Us” in the united states versus “them” of the immigrant. Neighbor against neighbor. Father against son. Mother against daughter. And all of it is done in the name of being correct. For some, it’s even in the name of Jesus. But the reality is that Jesus left the conversation a long time ago. The argument is about our own egos and being correct. We loose sight of the ones in need, the ones left out, the ones that Jesus has called us to help.
    Jesus does not get drawn into the argument. He does not choose sides. He does not debate and try to win over the other side. He simply names the division that is going on and continues teaching. He knows that the debate will end with fractured relationships. Nobody will win in the end. It is through action, through reaching out and putting his hands on the needs of the world, that Jesus will live into his calling to bring the kingdom of heaven into the world. He knows that the witness of his life will not be in catchy slogans or won arguments. It will be in the flesh and blood, the tears and joy, and healing and feeding of those in need. His deeds - the way he lives his life - will be the witness of God’s presence in the world.
    “Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds” - this is how Jesus responds to the arguing. And Matthew is quick to point it out. In Matthew’s Gospel - Jesus is wisdom. For Matthew, Jesus is a wisdom teacher who teaches in parables and proverbs. Jesus is connected to a very old movement. Wisdom is a movement that has been going on since the beginning. Wisdom moved with God at creation. Wisdom moved through the prophets. Wisdom was and is God’s will lived out in community with one another. And now wisdom has a heart beat and callused hands from helping those in need. Wisdom is incarnate in Jesus. The world will know God through the deeds of Jesus.  
    Wisdom is known by her deeds. Jesus - God’s wisdom incarnate, (God) is know by his deeds. The presence of the kingdom of heaven is made known through the deeds of Jesus. The disciples of every generation will be known as disciples of Jesus by their deeds - they will participate in the kingdom of heaven by living out the same rhythm of love and healing and relationships as Jesus. We will be known as disciples of Jesus Christ by bearing witness to God’s work in the world. God’s work of repentance, redemption, and salvation. Jesus has advice for those who are willing to stop the arguments and follow him.
    “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” The word “weary” can allude to being emotionally drained and discouraged. This is where the arguments get us - weary. No one wins, we just get worn out and disgusted at each other. The community breaks down. Jesus welcomes us who are weary of the static of the arguments into a way of life that has meaning. Jesus offers us rest from the vicious cycle of arguments through following him in a way of life that serves others.
    “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” Yoke is an agriculture metaphor. A yoke is a way of tethering horses or oxen or mules together in order to pull a heavy load. And the yoke Jesus has in mind is not a single one. We are yoked with Jesus. He is with us on the journey. When we walk with Jesus we learn the rhythm of his life- the rhythm of the kingdom of Heaven. The rhythm of God’s love for the world.
    When Jesus asks us to learn from him, he not talking memorizing doctrine and having all the right answers to win the argument. He is not asking us to be students. He is asking us to be apprentices. To learn new skills for living in this world. He is drawing us into a way of life. Learn from me - watch what I do - and do likewise. Learn to pattern your lives after mine in a rhythm of healing and building relationships and loving one another. Jesus draws us into a life of humble service. Serving others as Jesus has first served us. It’s an active way of life. Which begins us back to the opening question.
    “But to what will I compare this generation?!” To what will Jesus compare this generation? Will we get caught up in the arguing - or will we follow in the example of Jesus? Will we take on his yoke and learn from his ways of serving and loving? Jesus calls us into the later - the life of humble service. The cross is our example. The cross is where Jesus served all peoples - the whole world - where God’s love and power was demonstrated for all to experience.
    We are a people of God’s creating. We are a people drawn into a way of life that does not get caught up in the arguments of this world. We are created to be so much more. God works through us. Empowering us to take on the yoke of Jesus and walk with him in the journey of discipleship. It’s not always easy. But we are not alone.
    As we go out this week, into the midst of swirling arguments enough to make any of us weary, know that Christ goes with us. Know that his yoke is one of love and mercy. May we seek to take on this yoke, instead of tear each other down in vicious arguments. May we lift each other up and reach out to those in need. May God strengthen us as we witness to God’s kingdom.

Hospitality is a Divine Encounter

A sermon from the third Sunday after Pentecost. 

The audio can be heard here. A note on my method - I write a manuscript, but do not use it while I preach. The following manuscript is close to the audio, but not exact.

Matthew 10:40-42 (NRSV)

Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple — truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.

Hospitality is a Divine Encounter

Three weeks ago I was on a bus with 12 of our youth and another adult sponsor. We were on the final leg of our road trip to Colorado for a week at Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp. By mid-Sunday afternoon we were road weary and ready to start our week at camp.
    The journey was winding down to its final miles when the horizon began to darken and it became clear that we were about to pass through a storm. While it never rained hard, the driving wind pounding on the bus was enough for me. The final leg of the trip found us on a road with very little shoulder. We seemed to crawl along at 40 miles per hour. After what seemed to me like an eternity, we finally pulled off the state highway and began our final four mile stretch into the mountains. Signs for camp shone out like beacons on the road side. And then finally we saw it.
    The main lodge smiled before us as staff ran around to make their final preparations for the week. We were immediately greater with huge smiles and helping hands. The bus was unloaded and parked in minutes. We waited with baited breath for registration to begin. And then it happened - the counselors came running down the hill towards the pavilion, and in an timeless Rainbow Trail tradition, they welcomed us in with song.
    It is a welcome I will never forget. It set the tone for the whole week. In an instant I knew that the staff had been thinking about us, getting excited about us, praying about us, and could not wait to meet us. Their enthusiasm boiled over and infected the whole camp. On a damp, chilly afternoon, after a white knuckled final stretched of the road, the hospitality of that camp staff was a heavenly welcome.
    The power of great hospitality is transforming. It can help to sooth nerves. It can can indicate a level of care. It can set the tone for a whole visit. Hospitality can move us from a place of uncertainty to a place of excitement in what amounts to a heartbeat. A great welcome is a powerful thing. And it’s an integral aspect of following Jesus. 
    The mission the disciples share, the calling that we have from Jesus, moves us into a place where we are in contact with others. This is not an individualistic way of life. It involves other people. It involves a relationship - between family, friends, and complete strangers. Jesus sends his disciples out, sends us out, not to develop their personal relationship with Jesus, but to encounter others and bring the kingdom of heaven into their midst. Jesus sends us out to do the work of the kingdom, the work of God’s love.
    The hospitality of discipleship is a group activity Jesus knows this. It’s hidden in plain sight in his words this morning. The word we read as “you,” is actually plural. Jesus speaks with a Texas accent this morning - “Whoever receives you (y’all) receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.” Hospitality is a communal calling. Hospitality is a divine moment. It is a thin place, where people encounter each other, perhaps at their most vulnerable.
    Jesus knows that there is a possibility, and a great one, that the disciples will be rejected on the journey. But he knows that there will be those who receive the disciples. There will be those who meet the needs of the disciples, providing them with resources - food, water, a place to stay. They will open their lives to the disciples in moments of hospitality. And in those moments, Jesus tells the disciples, the ones who are receiving them are receiving God. Hospitality is a divine encounter.
    Hospitality is a central theme and marker of the people of God. In fact, the Old Testament contains a great deal about how we receive one another. Abraham is remembered for his welcome of the strangers in the desert. Abraham, sitting in the shade of his tent in the desert, sees three strangers approaching. The natural reaction would be to run inside, lock the tent, and hide the goods, because the odds are the strangers are bandits. But that’s not what Abraham does. He jumps up, tells Sarah to throw more cakes in the oven, goes out back to get a bucket of water, and meets the strangers with open arms. Abraham reaches out with hospitality - he meets the basic needs of food, water, and shelter, lifesavers in the desert. These strangers turn out to be messengers from God, bringing word that Sarah would indeed bear a son. Hospitality is a divine encounter.
    Israel is reminded of the gracious welcome that they received from Egypt when there was a famine in there own land. The law contains commands for the farmers of Israel. God calls the people to farming practices that  leave crops on the edges of the fields - grain on the stalk and grapes on the vine - for the immigrant and the stranger that pass through the land. A mark of God’s people is how they receive one another, and the strangers and immigrants in their midst. Jesus continues this tradition.
    Jesus tells his disciples that when they are received, they are received in his name, and are thus received as God’s presence. Jesus does not say that they will always be received as God. We know the troubles and hostility that can arise on the journey of a disciple - but that is not the whole story. Hospitality is the act of receiving others as God’s presence. Hospitality is a divine encounter.
    There are two sides to hospitality. One - how are we received as people of God? For me, I have received divine hospitality since I started here at Bethany almost a year ago. Katie and I have felt welcomed. Y’all helped stock our pantry last August. You continue to ask how we are doing, how we are adjusting, is there anything we need - we have been welcomed very well in this place. I am humble and gracious for your hospitality. I am sure you can think of moments in your life when you can feel the energy of someone else’s welcome of you. Hospitality is happening in our midst.
    And on the other side - how do we received others in the name of Jesus? Our hospitality demonstrates how we recognize the presence of God in our midst. Our welcoming of others communicates if we trust the promise from Genesis 1 - that all peoples are created in the image of God. Do we recognize this? Do we welcome others in the name of Jesus, and thus welcome God into our midst? This is an integral question for us who follow Jesus.
    We do that here at Bethany. I hear over and over again how welcoming were are. We reach out to visitors. We put energy into welcoming others. But we are human. We still have work to do. It’s hard work cutting through our egos and welcoming all people - ALL peoples - as if they are God in our midst. Hospitality is a muscle that must be exercised. Hospitality is a muscle that must be stretched in order to grow. In order to learn new ways of welcoming. And the expanse of God’s presence in this world. By God’s love we are able. By God’s love we are open.
    Jesus helps to stretch us this morning. He gives a three fold example of those who are welcomed - the prophet, the righteous, and the little ones. With triads, the emphasis is on the third part of the group. And often, especially in the Gospels, the third is unexpected. As it is here, when Jesus names the “little ones” alongside the prophets and the righteous. The “little ones” are the unexpected group named by Jesus. Not children, or youth, here the “little ones” may point to those who are in need. Those who are vulnerable - those who are hungry, thirsty, in need of shelter, or cloths, or community.
    For us in the context of Texas - in the borderlands - the little ones could be understood as the immigrants in our midst. If you have been paying attention, you know that the issue of immigration has come up with renewed energy in the last few months. Especially in the last few days. The politics are messy. The media is not often forthcoming with the whole story. These are murky waters.
    National politics aside, we who follow Jesus have something to say about this issue. I am not trying to solve the problem, but the Gospel offers us something in the midst of these tense times. We are called to be a people of divine hospitality. To receive the little ones, the vulnerable ones, as if they are God’s presence in our midst. 
    God is on both sides of the border. The cross is big enough to transcend any boarder or wall we can build with human hands. God’s love is big enough to hold all peoples in love. The Gospels are a witness to this understanding. Jesus helps us to encounter the world as God encounters the world. Jesus stretches our understanding of hospitality and how we encounter God in others. Jesus helps us to understand that our resources and our impact are much bigger than we can even imagine. 
    Hospitality is a divine encounter. Hospitality has the power to change us - to transform our lives and move us to a place where we encounter the world through God’s eyes. I remember the welcome of the Rainbow Trail staff. Their energy. I knew for the minute we got there that we were thought about, prayed about, and welcomed in the name of God. It was transforming. That’s the power of hospitality. 
    Hospitality - in receiving and giving, in being welcomed and welcoming others - changes us. The divine encounter of hospitality, the thin places between the people of God - all peoples - is powerful. Practicing hospitality shapes us into God’s image of divine grace. Being welcomed - and welcoming others - especially the little ones, transforms ours lives and helps us to the encounter the height, width, and depth of God’s love.

Theology on Tap: The Movement of the Spirit - Jesus, Pentecost, and Us

The rhythm of God’s Spirit and the community of faith.

In this session of Theology on Tap we engaged the movement of God’s Spirit in the books of Luke and Acts, with a focus on the Pentecost event as a catalyst for the community of faith.

These are my notes. 

 We did not engage the Holy Spirit in a doctrinal way. The doctrine of the Holy Spirit, specifically in its relationship with the Holy Trinity, did not develop until after the time of the writing of Luke and Acts.

This discussion was grounded in the movement of the Spirit of God that is presented in Luke and Acts.

For this discussion I worked with the book Prophetic Jesus, Prophetic Church, by Luke Timothy Johnson.

“The dominant characteristic of pneuma (Spirit) in the New Testament is its association with power (see Romans 1:4; 8:2-26; 15:19; 1 Corinthians 2:4; 12:3-13; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; Galatians 3:5; 5:25), a power that elevates human capacities for knowing and speaking, touches humans in the capabilities of thinking and willing, and transforms humans into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).” (Johnson, 52)

2 Corinthians 3:17-18
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.”

We encounter this characteristic of the Spirit beginning with Jesus in the Gospel of Luke, moving into the community that Jesus starts in the Gospel and in Acts, continuing through the work of Paul and his associates in Acts, and still at work in our midst today.

Jesus promises his disciples that they will be “clothed with power from on high” in both Luke 24:49 and "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" in Acts 1:8. 

Movement of Luke/Acts

The narrative arc of Luke/Acts is important to understanding the movement of the Spirit. The author makes important statements using setting as a guide. From the perspective of the ruling powers at the time of Jesus, and Luke, the center of the world is Rome. Rome is the light. Galilee and the locations of the ministry of Jesus are on the margins of the world. To the Jewish people, the center of the world is Jerusalem - the center of political, economic, and religious life of the people.

Luke begins the Gospel on the margins of both - in Judea - on the margins. The ministry of Jesus will move him to the center of the Jewish world, but still at the margins of the Roman understanding.

The book of Acts begins in Jerusalem, still on the margins according to those in power. But Jesus promises his disciples, “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).” The movement of the Spirit will take the community of faith from the center of the world, according to the Jews, and move them into the margins. It’s a radical reversal for the status quo.

The light is not in fact Rome. The ultimate power is not in Rome. The power is at the margins, in the movement of God’s Spirit through Jesus and through the community of faith.

 The Spirit’s Movement through Jesus

From the beginning, the Spirit is a major character in the Gospel of Luke.

The Spirit is present with Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, who was thought to be barren. John is the forerunner of Jesus - the one who prepares the way.

The Spirit is present with Mary, the mother of Jesus - “The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.’ (Luke 1:35-37)”

The movement of the Spirit is present from the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry - the catalyst of his work in this world. We encounter this in his baptism.

Luke 3:21-22 - "Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.'"

“The reader is to understand from this point forward that the power at work in Jesus as God’s son is the power of God’s Spirit (Johnson, 57).”

This sets the tone for the entire Gospel. Jesus’ ministry unfolds through the power of the Spirit.

The movement of the Spirit, and it’s power in the life of Jesus, is articulated four times by Luke in chapter four.

Luke 4:1-2 - "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil."

Luke 4:14-15 - "Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. 15 He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone."

Luke 4:16-21 - "When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

18 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
        to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
    and recovery of sight to the blind,
        to let the oppressed go free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.'"

The life and ministry of Jesus is driven and empowered by the Spirit. This carries throughout the Gospel, all the way to the cross and the empty tomb of Easter. God’s power is at work in Jesus.

It is this same spirit that is promised to the disciples in Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8. This power is poured out upon the disciples in the event of Pentecost. The world has never been the same.

The Spirit moves at Pentecost and the disciples proclaim the story of God’s life-giving work through Jesus to all those who are present. Those of various languages are able to hear the Gospel proclaimed. That’s the power of the Spirit.

The Spirit drives the actions of the community of faith. It moves through Peter in his public witness of Jesus Christ - “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders…” Acts 4:8

The Spirit moved through new members of the community as the Word of God spreads - “What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.” Acts 6:5

The Spirit met Philip in the wilderness, in his encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch - “Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.” 30 So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.” Acts 8:29-31 The eunuch is baptized because of this encounter.

Saul, renamed Paul, receives the Spirit in his call from Jesus to proclaim the Gospel - “So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.” Acts 9:17-19

The movement of the Spirit, the power of the living God, is present throughout the spreading of the early church. This movement has not stopped. The story is still being written. We are continuing to experience the writing of this story with our own lives.

The movement of the Spirit is still at work today. We have been empowered by this same Spirit. The Spirit moves through us to write new chapters to God’s story.

A few parting thoughts from Luke Timothy Johnson.

“God as Holy Spirit moves ahead of human action and calculation and is capable of doing new things that are beyond human capacity or understanding (Johnson, 65).”

“At the most basic level, this perception (Holy Spirit as the symbol for the living God) leads the church - and every individual within the assembly - to grasp that the church is not answerable to itself or to its traditions, but to the presence and power that presses upon it at every moment (Johnson, 66).”

“If paying attention to the Holy Spirit’s work in the world is risk-filled, the failure to recognize the work of God in the world is more dangerous by far (Johnson, 67).”

“Luke’s point, however, is that God works through human agents, discloses his (sic) will through human spokespersons, finds expression for God’s spirit through human bodies (Johnson, 67).”

The Way of the Cross - Jesus Does Not Use Fine Print

A sermon from the second Sunday after Pentecost. 

Matthew 10:24-39 (NRSV)

²⁴A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; ²⁵it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!
²⁶So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. ²⁷What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. ²⁸Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰And even the hairs of your head are all counted. ³¹So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
³²Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; ³³but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.
³⁴Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
³⁵For I have come to set a man against his father,
and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
³⁶and one's foes will be members of one's own household.
³⁷Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; ³⁸and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

The Way of the Cross - Jesus Does Not Use Fine Print

     We live in a world of fine print. Every cell phone or cable contract we sign has fine print. Every pill we take comes with fine print. Our lives are governed by fine print. And let’s be honest - who really takes the time to read it all. The messages are in fine print for a reason. If we really knew the details of our cell phone or cable contracts, if we really knew all the details for the medicines we take, if we really knew all the warnings that come with most of the things we deal with on a daily basis, we would never go outside. The fine print is enough to drive anyone a little crazy. We sleep better at night not having the fine print. So we leave it as fine print. We know it’s there, but we get peace of mind by not reading it all.
    Sometimes we treat the parts of the Gospel as if it were written in fine print. There are some really tough sayings from Jesus contained in the pages of the Gospels. He calls us to do some pretty absurd things with our lives as we follow him. We know he says them, but we often look right past them. It’s as if Jesus says some things that ought to come with warning labels. That’s how we treat them.
    Take today’s story from Matthew as example “A.” This passage might as well be written in fine print. We know it’s there, but do we really every take it head on? This is one of the passages that gets glazed over.
    But not today.
    Jesus does not speak in fine print. So we will not treat this passage as if it were regulated to the fine print. Listen to the words of Jesus.
    “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” These are hard words. And they seem to contradict some of the things we know about Jesus and have heard him say. Just a few weeks ago we heard the story from John of the resurrected Jesus’ first words to scared disciples in a locked upper room - “Peace be with you.” We have heard Jesus claim peace. So perhaps he is working with a metaphor here.
    Jesus and his followers and the Jewish people of his time knew the metaphor of “peace.” They knew of the peace of Rome - the “pax romana.” But the peace of Rome wasn't really peace at all. The peace of Rome was won with violence and brutality. Rome imposed it’s peace with war. Jesus and his people knew all too well of this kind of peace. Perhaps Jesus is alluding to this - pointing out that the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom he preaches about and lives out, will not look like Rome. The peace of God’s kingdom is radically different. But what about the sword?
    Jesus does claim that he comes to bring a sword - which is puzzling. But this sword is not a sword of violence. It is not meant to take life. It is meant to give life. Jesus comes wielding the sword of the Gospel. The world-changing message and way of life that is the kingdom of heaven. And this message and way of life is divisive by nature.  
    The Gospel of Jesus Christ is divisive. It is in conflict with the powers of this world - the status quo - the complacent privileged. The kingdom of God is in conflict with our rabid desire to label people as “in” and “out.” There is no clearer example of this than the life of Jesus himself. Jesus is put on political trial for pushing back against the systems that were stripping life away from marginalized people. He took on the broken systems of health care, table fellowship and economics. These are not acts that bring peace into the community. There are divisive. And that’s the point. God acts differently than we expect.
    Jesus dared to heal the sick. He upset the broken system of healing that left so many outside of the community. Jesus reached out to the marginalized and welcomed them into the community. His way of healing was divisive to the statues quo.
    Jesus dared to eat with tax collectors and prostitutes. He changed the dynamics of table fellowship and how resources were shared. Jesus reached out to those who were not invited to the table. His fellowship practices were divisive.
    Jesus dares to turn over the tables of the money changers. He reacted in anger to the abuse of the economics of the temple that devoured the resources of orphans and widows. Jesus took a bold stance on how the economics of God works and declared with his life that there us enough for all in the kingdom of heaven - not just the privileged few. His economic practices were divisive.
    This way of life is what led Jesus to the cross - where God does God’s ultimate work. God works through the cross - the most unimaginable place of all. The cross - the ultimate symbol of death. The signal that the powers have made their decision and deemed the one crucified not worthy - proclaiming the victim insignificant and powerless. This is where God does God’s work. The cross becomes a signal of victory for the people of God. And it’s in this victory that we are invited to participate. Jesus invites us to take up our crosses and follow him.
    Taking up our crosses means aligning our lives with the one who turns over tables and dines with all the wrong people. Whose very ministry was divisive because it did not play into the rhythm of the privileged or the status quo. The ministry of Jesus exposed the fallenness of the world and bore witness to a way of life based on the depths of God’s love. The divisive sword of Jesus - his life and ministry - cuts through the brokenness so that all can have life. The sword that Jesus wields cuts through the divisions we have so ignorantly made in our lives and relationships. The sword of Jesus cuts through the barriers and boarders that we erect between ourselves and others. The sword Jesus wield cuts through our own egos.
    It will disrupt the lives we think we deserve to lead. It will effect our relationships with family and friends. It will effect the choices we make about how we spent our money and invest our time and energy. Following Jesus on the way of the cross will lead to death. The way of the cross will lead to the end of life as we know it - But we have nothing to fear.
    Paul writes with great confidence in his letter to the Romans. “For if we have been united with him in a death like his (the cross), we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” Paul knows what the death and resurrection of Christ has done for us all. He knows that the death of Jesus and the resurrection has united us all. He will write later on that he is convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love for us through Christ Jesus. He is absolutely confident in the love of God through Jesus Christ.
    The love of God is strong enough to united and build a kingdom that will not end. But it’s on God’s terms - and we are invited to follow. We are called to follow by proclaiming and living out the Gospel. And there is no fine print. Jesus is quite clear what will happen. There will be tension. There will be division. The road will get rough. But the love of God is strong enough to get is through. God’s love will see us through the storms that rage. And we will not be the same people on the other side. Our lives will be different. The sword the Jesus bears will reshape our lives and cast it anew in his image.     

  Friends, there is no fine print. Just the call to follow. The call to take up our crosses, trust that God’s love is great enough to weather the storms Jesus knew would come, and follow Jesus on the way of the cross. May God bless you, this day and always, as you follow Jesus.

LSPS Reflections - Living Memories and Building Relationships

Thursday Reflections from LSPS - Part II

The Holy Spirit is at work! Of this I am sure.
 

Thursday's Reflections, Part 1 - "It's In Our DNA"

This is the second movement of my reflections from Thursday at the LSPS intensive.

The discussion that was the catalyst for this reflection was on practicing ministry amongst 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation Latin@s (the @ symbol is a way of being inclusive - Latino/a - so I have learned!). Our presenter, Rev. Al Rodriguez, pointed out that these peoples are often left out of the Latin@ ministry discussion. The dominant culture, in this case the anglo church, often only thinks of immigrants or first generation Latin@s. This is not always the case, but the norm according to the presenter, a 4th generation Latino Episcopal Rector.

Rev. Rodriguez's presentation was about the current demographics that we have on the population, specifically on the breakdown of the generations of Latin@s present in the untied states. Certain patterns began to emerge from the discussion. One really caught my attention.

There were three things that kept coming up in the discussion that formed a pattern:
1)  There is a fear that the younger generations of Latin@s are loosing their ability to speak Spanish and are not even learning the language.
2)  There is a fear that the Latin@ culture is taking on traits of the dominant (american) culture and that the younger generations are beginning to assimilate “too much.”
3)  There is fear of the dominant (american) culture and pressure to assimilate because of the negativity (often false) spun by the dominant culture in the media, specifically in politics over issues of immigration and the border - they felt the need to prove they were “american” to avoid persecution.
 


These are general observations, but were present throughout the conversation. 

When this pattern came to the surface, I began to think of my own community in Fredericksburg, Texas - a historical German community. Fredericksburg was founded in 1846 by German immigrants. Residents spoke prominently German until the mid 1900s.

I have read a great deal of the history of the town. I have listened to long-time parishioners tell me stories of the church and its history. I do not have a total knowledge of the town or its history, but I think I have a good grasp being a native, German-Texan myself and knowing that my own hometown of Brenham developed along some of the same lines.

I argue that the pattern I outlined above happened in Fredericksburg in the middle of the 20th century.

1)  There was a fear that the younger generations of Germans (2nd and 3rd generations) were loosing their ability to speak German and are not even learning the language.
2)  There was a fear that the German culture was taking on traits of the dominant (american) culture and that the younger generations were beginning to assimilate “too much.”
3)  There was fear of the dominant (american) culture and pressure to assimilate because of the negativity (often false) spun by the dominant culture in the media, specifically during the first two world wars - they felt the need to prove they were “american” to avoid persecution.

These observations are general. My hope is that they can open a discussion about how we will live into our future.

Using the previous discussion on our “DNA” as Jesus followers as a model - as a historical German, immigrant people, this experience of immigration and finding our identity in a new culture is in our DNA. I use “our” in this moment to speak from my own identity and my family's legacy, and also as the pastor of a historic German, immigrant community. This story is in our “DNA.”

Our elders in Fredericksburg have a living memory of those times and how they navigated amidst the unknown of the future. They can help us to remember - giving us a living memory - that can help guide us during our times. They are a gift. Their story is important. It’s in our DNA. It is our story.

We (I write here as a historic German, immigrant) have a gift to offer to those we encounter. Not that we need to tell Latin@ folks what to do - but that we can empathize with there experience through listening to their story. We can provide a place of hospitality. We can provide a place to listen. We can provide a place to grieve. We can provide a place of hope. We can walk into the future together.

Remembering our DNA in Acts - our DNA as followers of Jesus - we can affirm that God is at work. We may not be fully aware of what God is doing, but we trust God is present.

Our living memories can help us to build relationships. For my community - recognizing where we have come from as historic German, immigrants, can help us to build relationships with the Latin@ community. Listening, learning, and sharing stories can help us. I do not know what this looks like. It's a journey we will have to take together. The first step is looking around us and recognizing our neighbors as children of God.

The Holy Spirit is moving! This I know to be true - moving us into the future. My hope is that the church can be a companion and not an obstacle. My hope is that we can be neighbors. That we can listen. That we can learn. That my historic German, immigrant community can learn from the Latin@s, who face some of the same challenges they faced in their recent past. That we can create our future together.

La Paz de Cristo, 


Travis

LSPS Reflections - It's In Our DNA

Thursday Reflections from LSPS - Part I

The Holy Spirit is at work! Of this I am sure.

Thursday morning’s lecture/discussion was inspiring. Not in a way that wants me to take what I have learned, box it up and take it home, and try to apply it exactly as it was taught - which is a model I see fail often.

I have been inspired in a way that gets me to think deep about the patterns I am hearing in the lectures and reflect on patterns I encounter in my own community.

This reflection will be in two parts. Otherwise I think it will become a lengthy essay.

This is the first movement of reflection. It connects an event from Tuesday evening that I did not write about with a pattern of ministry that came up in this mornings discussion. The pattern is something I have been reflecting on for while, but have not written on extensively. 

We had the opportunity on Tuesday evening to experience a performance by a 5th generation descendent of the battle of the Alamo. Laura Esparza, is the descendent of Gregorio Esparza, a Tejano man who fought for the revolution against Santa Anna, but desired to keep Texas as a part of the Mexican Republic. Her great, great, great, great, grandmother Ana and her four children were five of 18 Tejano survivors of the battle of the Alamo - something you didn’t read about in Texas history books until recently. 

Her family had fought for the Mexican Republic - the original cause of the battle and the Texas revolution. Until Houston and company declared independence from Mexico on March 2, 1836, the fight was a revolution against Santa Anna’s dictatorship and not a fight for freedom. This is part of hearing the story with the Hispanic “accent” - hearing another perspective of the story (the reflection on "accents" can be read here). But I digress.
 
Laura Esparza told us about her family passing down the story of her ancestors from generation to generation. They shared the story as if they were still in the sacristy during the battle. When she was writing the story of her great, great, great, great grandfather and her family, one of her inspirations was to think - “what if my DNA remembers what it was like at the battle…” If her ancestors were there, then her “DNA” was at the battle. The battle was a part of her legacy. A part of her identity. The battle is a part of who she is today.

This idea really hit home for me.

Our lives as followers of Jesus can be understood through this lens. We who have been baptized into Christ carry “Christian” DNA. As followers of Jesus we have his legacy as part of our legacy. His life and ministry, his death and resurrection, are part of our story. Our DNA as Jesus followers takes us back to the healings, the feedings, the table, the cross, the tomb, and the commissioning to spread the good news and baptize.

Our DNA as Jesus' followers takes us back to the story of the church in Acts. We remember, through telling the story of Acts, the first Pentecost and the model of ministry that came through the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:42 tells us that “The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and prayers.”

This model of ministry is in our DNA. We do not have to reinvent the wheel. We already do these things... We spend time in the scriptures. We spend time at the table - both during the Lord’s Supper and during shared meals in our homes and community. We spend time in fellowship. We spend time in prayer. This is a cross-cultural, multilingual, movement driven by the Holy Spirit. It’s literally in our blood as followers of Jesus. It will still work in our current time and context.

This DNA remembers the story of Acts 15, of that first great church council meeting that discussed Paul’s mission of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with the gentiles. It was a heated meeting - go back and read it! At the end of the day, through much discussion and disagreement, tension and prayer, the group decided Paul should continue his call to the Gentiles. The Holy Spirit was moving in the early church and its leaders. Though they could not all agree, they decided that God was at work. They could have very well said - “We trust that God is at work. Paul, your mission to spread the good news among the Gentiles scares us - they are not like us (the Jewish people). But we affirm God’s working through you. Go in peace - Share the good news!” (Acts 10:22.5 - you have to read between the lines!) 


This is integral to our lives today. We may not always agree on what God is doing, there may be tension, but we can affirm that God is at work. God has plans that we cannot comprehend. We are just called to follow where the Spirit leads - where God is already at work. Our DNA as followers of Jesus remembers this - and calls us to follow the same movement.

There is more to come!

La Paz de Cristo,
Travis 

Thursday's Reflection, Part II - "Living Memories and Building Relationships.