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How Sweet It Is
Date: April 12, 2009
Text: John 20: 1-18
“March Madness,” the college basketball championship, captures the attention of a lot of people this time of the year. Of course, it would have been more fun if Syracuse had stayed around a little longer but the games still are exciting. If you are among the many fans, you will recall that Billy Packer, TV sports announcer, always used to say “how sweet it is” for those teams who make it to the final 16. It’s interesting that Robert Schuler of Crystal Cathedral and TV fame uses the same phrase when describing the impact of Easter morn. “How sweet it is,” he writes, “HOW SWEET IT IS TO STAND ON THE EDGE OF TOMORROW.” Have you ever considered the strong possibility that as we come to worship this morning we stand on the edge of a different kind of tomorrow? We come to Easter with the hope its meaning will give us renewed courage and understanding in a world filled with too many dark stories such as what is happening in the war in Afghanistan or the terrible tragedy in Binghamton last week.
It needs to be clearly stated at the very beginning that the resurrection speaks to people in many different ways. In the New Testament as word spread of the empty tomb the news was met with doubt, bewilderment and hope. It has been my experience that these are just the human emotions that are brought to each Easter service. Some are skeptical, others are confused, many are hoping. Great caution has to be exercised so that the Biblical claims surrounding the Easter event are not exaggerated. Reinhold Niebuhr, one of the leading theologians of the 20th century, was wont to say that “it is unwise for Christians to claim any knowledge either of the furniture of heaven or the temperature of hell.” What can be said is that lives were expanded and transformed because of what happened that day and a community of faith came into existence that continues to this time. Men and women felt deeply in their hearts that God had conquered death and that Christ was alive. The details of the story, how the stone was rolled away, etc., can be discussed and debated but I always prefer to emphasis the reality of changed lives. Something happened back then that transformed individuals. People were convinced that Christ would walk with them into the tomorrows of life. “How sweet it was.”
One of the most striking illustrations of this point is the life of Mary Magdalene, who has received renewed attention in recent years. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the Gospel writers, all agree that she was among the women who went to the tomb on that Sunday morning. Mary Magdalene traditionally has been associated with the sinful woman who anointed Jesus with expensive oil and probably was a prostitute. However, recent scholarship led by feminist theologians has suggested the alternative opinion that she was the woman mentioned in the 8th chapter of Luke who was described as “possessed by demons,” which meant in our terms that she had a mental illness.
Let’s speculate a little bit on this possibility. A woman, mixed up, feeling trapped, maybe she would be diagnosed today as having clinical depression. This individual discovered in Jesus the strength to put her life back together. She became one of the strongest people around our Lord during his last days. What a transformation! – from being on the fringes of life, afraid to venture forth, to standing at the empty tomb! Wouldn’t we say that Mary had been resurrected, saved from a life of depression and sadness to a life full of brightness and possibility? No wonder she humbly declares “I know that my Redeemer lives.” This is the power that Jesus the Christ offers as a possibility for each and every one of us. Easter morn is not just about Jesus’ resurrection but our own as well! How sweet it is!
It’s not surprising that theologians speak of the Cross-Resurrection event as God’s ultimate victory. Christ throughout his ministry challenged the evil forces of life: selfishness, pride, even death, the same forces which are at work today. On Good Friday it appeared that there would be no tomorrow for hope or love or peace but then came Easter and the divine triumph. Easter is God’s new day!
Can you now see why when we think of the resurrection the phrase “HOW SWEET IT IS TO STAND ON THE EDGE OF TOMORROW!” is so appropriate? To emphasize this point even more, contrast the life transforming experience of Mary Magdalene with what might be called the normal view of the future in the Roman culture of that day. In First Century cemeteries it was quite common to find this inscription upon the gravestones: ”NFFNSNC.” The letters stood for “I was not, I was, I am not. I do not care.” What a view of life!
Hopefully the worldview of the 21st Century is not so pessimistic. Still you have to ask yourself: does the experience of Mary Magdalene offer the possibility of a better way of life? There is an old story about a man on a horse galloping swiftly along the road. A farmer standing in the fields, seeing him pass by called out, “Hey, rider, where are you going?” The rider turned around and shouted back, “Don’t ask me, just ask my horse!” I find that story saying a lot about contemporary society, don’t you? We all are racing around but do we really know where we are going? Which offers more hope as we search for direction and a new tomorrow: the experience of Mary Magdalene on Easter morn or the inscriptions on the tombs in Roman cemeteries?
It’s always interesting to me how many books on the bestseller list deal with the subject of death, as an example the popular “Afternoons With Morrie.” People intuitively may be sensing that if they can understand what happens at the end of life, then, what is happening today will make more sense. I would call this “a resurrection search” because their desire is very much in keeping with Paul’s line of thought in the New Testament. Paul kept saying that if “death has lost its sting”, then, the whole of life takes on new dimensions. Isn’t he right? If we have an assurance that our Creator stands waiting beyond the grave, doesn’t that bring a new confidence for living in partnership with our Maker each and every day? Recently I visited a friend whose cancer has reoccurred. In the conversation he said to me, “I have a lot to live for now and a lot to look forward to when I die.” That’s what the resurrection is all about
Easter morn and the empty tomb enable us to look at death and thus life differently. Another of my favorite phrases that I use repeatedly in times of sadness is to ask God to help us “lift our eyes beyond the shadows of the earth.” That is what Easter morn is all about. The empty tomb gives us a glimpse beyond the traffic jams, a little spare tire around the waist, the exhaustion at the end of a day and even the agonizing moments at a hospital or graveside.
I learned a few years ago that in Europe there are homes started by churches whose sole purpose is to “care for those in danger.” Since the Middle Ages these places have embraced those who were in some peril. In the 1920’s the focus moved to those in sexual danger especially women and young girls who had been abused. What a wonderful ministry. Here is the most interesting part. These homes are given very special names: “The Magdalene Convent,” The Magdalene Hostel,” The Magdalene Care Center.” Obviously Christians in Europe see Mary Magdalene as a symbol of life being put back together.
It is a marvelous example of what can happen because of God’s victory on that first Easter. I said in the beginning that people come to Easter with a variety of feelings: doubt, bewilderment and hope. It’s up to each of us to decide whether the example of Mary Magdalene and countless others speak to us about life’s direction and meaning. If the stirring words ‘HE IS NOT HERE. HE HAS RISEN” touch you deeply then you too can declare “HOW SWEET IT IS TO STAND ON THE EDGE OF TOMORROW.”
“LEAVING BEFORE THE GAME IS OVER”
Date: April 5, 2009
Test: Mark 11: 1-11
Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey while people waved palm branches. Later that day or the next he angrily chased the moneychangers out of the temple. Tuesday and Wednesday were spent teaching the disciples so they could pick up the ball after he was gone. Thursday a very precious last meal was celebrated with his closest friends. After supper he went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, a prayer filled with great human emotion, and then the soldiers came with Judas to arrest him. The trial and his death on a cross took place on Friday.
That’s the story of Holy Week. It’s one that is familiar to most of us but there are some questions lurking in the background. One question is old, the other new; one comes from the 1st century, the other from 2009.
Here’s the question regarding the original story. Have you ever wondered what happened between Palm Sunday and Friday to turn the crowd against Jesus? On Sunday it seemed as though all of Jerusalem was cheering. It wasn’t quite like that but the pilgrims who were entering the city for the Passover celebration did join the disciples in waving palm branches and shouting praises. On Friday, another crowd had a choice to spare either Jesus or Barabbas from crucifixion. They inexplicably chose the thief Barabbas.
How could there be such a turn of events? Actually there is a simple answer: there were two very different groups. The crowd on Sunday was primarily pilgrims in a festive mood; the crowd on Friday was handpicked supporters of the religious leaders of the day. It was a done deal even before Pilate gave the crowd the choice. We know something about nasty politics, don’t we, given all that goes on in Washington and Albany much of the time?
That may be the plausible answer but perhaps it is a little too simple. The Sunday crowd could have followed up. They could have asked questions, sought Jesus out, found their way to the temple on Friday. They did none of that and why not? I suspect that if we could ask them they would say that they got involved in the festivities, with family doings, etc. and just forgot. Leo Tolstoy, the Russian novelist, tells a story of an onlooker at the scene of the crucifixion who scarcely paid any attention to Jesus hanging on the cross because he had a toothache! Too busy to follow through, other things more important so Jesus slips into the background. Does that have a contemporary ring to it?
Actually that leads us to our 2nd and 2009 question. Why do so many people come to worship on Easter and so few on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday? It’s not true in other countries as we discovered one year when I was on sabbatical in Mexico We were in Mexico City during Holy Week. There Good Friday is the major religious holiday of the year. We had a hard time finding any special Easter services but the Good Friday pageants were spectacular. In this country it is just the opposite: Statistics indicate that if 20 people will be in worship on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday then about 100 will be present on Easter Sunday!
Now as with our first question, there is a reasonable explanation for the gap in numbers. People have other plans for Friday; they are on vacation; the kids have commitments, etc. All valid reasons but could it be that we, like the original Palm Sunday crowd, haven’t really put Christ at the center of our lives? Thus, it is so very easy for other things to get in the way. We probably are just as guilty of neglecting our Lord as were those in the cheering multitude.
A more disturbing element, however, than just neglect may lie beneath the surface. William Barclay, a great Scottish Biblical scholar, says that Jesus rode into the city with a price already on his head and his action only escalated the feeling among the political and religious powers against him. Hence, Palm Sunday, rather than a joyous celebration, at least for those in the know, actually was the beginning of the end. Jesus “rode on” to challenge, confrontation and then death.
Who wants to deal with the reality that the life that God called His Son to be about and which God bids us follow is the way of the cross? In a world of great stress, who wants to hear that there is “no crown without a cross?” Indeed, one of the great theological concerns of our day is what is referred to as “triumphalism.” American Christians are tempted to assume that the promises of scripture are easily acquired. “Just show up at a time convenient to your schedule, sing some praise songs and you’ve got it.” Is it just a coincidence that in the few mega churches I have visited there wasn’t a cross symbolizing Christ’s sacrifice? It’s what’s called “a feel good religion.” It’s a little bit like all those ads that declare “lose 20 pounds and eat all the chocolate from Oliver’s that you want.”
Could it be that sub-consciously people shy away from Good Friday and its meaning as part of the American tendency to look for a quick and easy fix to everything? It feels so good to come on Easter Sunday and hear the glorious words “Christ is risen” and that new life is a possibility. But to come on Thursday or Friday and see the cross shadowed in darkness and to be aware of all the ramifications that might just be a different matter.
One may have to question this line of thinking in light of the success of the film “The Passion” a few years ago. The film made by Mel Gibson depicted the last 12 hours of Christ’s life in graphic gory detail. Maybe people aren’t just looking for something that will make them feel good. I hope that is the case because such an approach doesn’t work with weight loss and it doesn’t work that way with Christian living. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who gave his life resisting Hitler warned, Christians have to be wary of “cheap grace.” There has to be a commitment for the long haul and a willingness to give of one’s self if one is to move toward what Jesus called “abundant living”. In other words, one has to be a disciple! Jesus made it very clear when he declared in the 10th chapter of Mark: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Servanthood needs to become a way of life for those who are serious about following Christ.
Christian discipleship might be compared to what happened to me one time at a Bills football game. Obviously Sunday games don’t fit in with a pastor’s schedule normally but a couple of guys in the Gates church convinced me to leave immediately after worship so we could make a 4 pm kick off. I really had been looking forward to this game since with Sunday commitments it was my first opportunity to get to Rich Stadium. Just my luck, the Bills were awful. The score was 26-0 by half time. It was getting colder and I wondered to myself if the men with whom I came ever left the game early as many others clearly were doing. Then to the surprise of everyone, probably including the players, a tremendous rally ensued and the Bills ended up winning.
Lots of people leave the stadium when their team is getting beaten and plan to come back when things are better next week or next year but think what they may miss in the meantime. The same is true for our faith. On one hand, we can be “Easter people”, meaning we show up on good days when victory is assured. Or we can be “Easter people” who have made our way through the pitfalls of daily Christian living, who have tried to be loving and serving and know what forgiveness is all about and who long for the resurrection that begins this very day. For those who have “walked the walk”, I can assure you that Easter takes on a whole new meaning, both in this life and that which is to come.
‘GETTING OFF THE ROOF”
Date: March 15, 2009 Text: Mark 2: 1-12
New Testament scholar Walter Wink used to ask people: with whom do you most identify in this Biblical story? That’s a crucial question if stories like the one just read from Mark are to have an impact on what is going on in our lives this coming week.
Let me reset the scene: a house crowded with people, so many wanted to hear this man from Nazareth that there was not even space around the door; 4 men arrive bearing a paralyzed friend on a stretcher. What disappointment they must have felt when they saw the crowd. They had come so far only to be turned away. But no! There was an outside stairway to the roof, common in homes of Israel, and they carried their friend up the stairs. It wasn’t much of a job to remove the mud and grass that were used between the wood planks of the flat roof and before long they were carefully lowering the man into the room where Jesus was. Our Lord was greatly impressed with their faith and immediately turned his attention to the paralytic.
Following Wink’s suggestion, let’s look closely at the people in the story. Can you identify with any of the players in this little drama?
Are you like the scribes who were in the room? They were deeply religious men, learned, but unfortunately all too often they assumed that they had all the right answers. Indeed they were uncomfortable with the type of questions Jesus raised because they threatened their rigid point of view. Religious people of that nature continue to exist, don’t they? Generally they seek out churches that supposedly will provide all the right answers. Tragically, such an attitude is like a closed door and the breadth of God’s activity passes these people by simply because they are not open to all the wondrous ways of the Almighty.
Are you like the paralytic? All of us have times when we are immobilized by the forces of life. Health problems, family difficulties, job uncertainties, we know what it is like to be unable to move forward emotionally, don’t we? It’s not just the inability to walk that can paralyze an individual. The pressures and circumstances of life can have a similar effect.
Are you among the bystanders? Wherever Jesus went there would be people on the edge of the crowd who would have a degree of curiosity and interest but, unlike Zacchaeus, never stepped forward. In every congregation, there are people like that. They have an interest, may come to worship but they really never make a commitment or get involved. Sadly, spectators in the game of life usually miss out on all that Jesus promises in life.
Are you like the 4 friends? It is their faith and determination that really made the difference in the story. They would not give up. They believed in Jesus and were convinced he could help their friend so, with great ingenuity and compassion, they made it happen. Jesus was impressed with the depth of their faith. Some of you, though perhaps not recognizing it, play similar roles at work or in your neighborhood. You are the one who has an extra few minutes to talk to a neighbor who has lost a loved one or can’t cope at home. It’s just small things that put us in the corner with the 4 friends.
Who do you most identify with on March 15, 2009? It’s been my experience that at different stages of our lives, sometimes from day to day, we may identify with all 4 groups of people in the story from Mark. It doesn’t matter whether we are intellectualizing our faith, on the perimeter watching, immobilized or with the friends. The key point of the narrative is that wherever we may be at this moment in our lives, Jesus can make a difference. The writer of Mark is particularly clear that the miracle stories are intended to be used as signposts that point to the power of the one God sent. Mark would have his readers, 1st century or 2lst, know that what flowed through the body of the invalid can flow through us, not necessarily in terms of physical healing but much more significantly in terms of inner peace and energizing love.
Power at work. Think of a source of energy, something more powerful than anything yet discovered but as readily available as the electricity in your home. As that electricity brings light and warmth so this inner spiritual energy can bring a new glow to our entire being.
How are we to get this power? I fear that the answer to that question has been distorted. Some would say that you must “be born again” or do this or that. What I think is that we must be extremely sensitive to all that is happening in our lives because God can work in a multitude of ways. There is an old story about a man whose house was in the path of a huge flood. He prayed to God to spare his life. As water crept up through the basement, a 4-wheel truck came along and offered him a lift out. The man replied, “No, that’s okay. God is going to look after me.” Again he prayed for divine intervention. As the water reached the second floor, a boat approached but again the man refused assistance and continued praying for divine help. Finally, when the water had chased him to the peak of his roof, a helicopter came and offered to lower a rope. The man still declined the offer saying that God would come through. Eventually, the water engulfed the house and the man drowned. He stormed the gates of heaven and told God: “How dare you let me down! I prayed for assistance and you never came.” God replied, “Who do you think sent the truck, boat and helicopter?” Which is to say that it isn’t always thunder bolts or miraculous moments but that God can use our life experiences, our friends, our involvements as a mean of bringing us into the presence of the Living Christ.
Indeed, it has been my observation that it is when people begin to live out their faith, even though they may have uncertainties, that the roof is taking off so that we can move into Jesus’ room. I have seen people come to a Bible study with plenty of questions and gradually, even though there still are doubts, begin to move forward spiritually. I have seen people work with refugee families and that has been the experience that brought an encounter with Christ. Like the friends, we have to trust in God’s love and power and then find creative ways to unleash those gifts in our daily lives. As the man in the flood discovered, God works best when we do our share and thus it is crucial that we begin to endeavor to live out the Jesus way. It’s not enough to seek intellectual answers as did the scribes; it’s not enough to be among the bystanders. We need to act as did the four men who found a way to get their invalid friend into the presence of Christ.
It seems that every week TV has a bunch of shows with a similar format. Generally there is a plot line which begins with a problem and then a solution. At a much different level, the New Testament miracle stories had a plot line or structure: a problem was presented and a solution was offered.
A problem: what are the needs of your life, big or small? Have you chosen to share them with God?
A solution: God’s love given in Jesus the Christ. This doesn’t mean that Jesus does everything for us or there are no more difficulties. It does mean that in Christ a new source of inner energy is discovered. Some of you could bear witness. You have tapped into this source of spiritual energy and you are not the same person that you were a few years ago.
It is because we are like the invalid in the story and do have needs that Jesus says to us as he said to the people listening back then: “Your faith has made you whole.”
"DESPAIR TURNS INTO HOPE"
Date: March 1, 2009
Text: Psalm 22, Mark 15: 33-39
Before the President’s address to Congress last Tuesday, many news commentators spoke of the despair filtering through our nation as the economy worsens and the need for hope that things will get better. Despair and hope may be two of the crucial psychological themes facing our nation at this time. Our scripture lessons address the same point on a much more personal level. The individual who wrote psalm 22 and Jesus on the cross shared the same deep, intense emotional feeling of despair: God had abandoned them! Listen to a contemporary paraphrase of our first scripture passage by Eugene Peterson and you will sense what a cry of despair is found in both morning scripture lessons.
God, God...my God!
Why did you dump me miles from nowhere?
Doubled up with pain, I call to God
all the day long. No answers. Nothing
I keep at it all night, tossing and turning.
And you! Are you indifferent, above it all?
leaning back on the cushions of Israel's praise?
We know you were there for our parents:
they cried for your help and you gave it;
they trusted and lived a good life.
And here I am, a nothing - an earthworm
something to step on, to squash.
Everyone pokes fun at me:
they make faces at me, they shake their heads
"Let's see how God handles this one;
since God likes him so much!"
One might say the psalmist was having a bad day. I am not suggesting that all of existence fits this dismal dirge. Certainly there are moments, long periods hopefully when things are upbeat, but life also has its share of down times, doesn’t it? Indeed, if an individual is continually up, claiming to be able to conquer the world, seemingly unconcerned about anything. then that may be cause for concern. In those days when it feels like the bottom has fall out we feel like that great philosopher Charlie Brown? One day he was pondering life and said to Linus. “Look at this tiny bug. It appalling how little he knows. He's not like us. He doesn’t know anything about jobs or disease or earthquakes or love or Monday mornings.” To which Linus replied, “whose better off?” At such times we are likely to shout within - "WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU GOD?"
It's important to realize that it is okay to share feelings of anger, bewilderment, and dismay with our Creator. I tell people who are simply overwhelmed by the events of life and going through unbearable circumstances that the wonder of our God is that the Almighty is big enough to accept and understand all of our emotions.
As a human being Jesus knew his share of despair, I am sure. In the 40 days before Easter, we remember Jesus challenging the cultural and religious mores of his day while calling people to seek the kingdom of God. Eventually his teaching and action will lead to Calvary and death on the cross. As he makes that journey, Jesus is taking upon himself all the suffering and evil of human existence. The spiritual declares that "Jesus walked that lonesome valley and we've gotta walk it too" but for the Christian always there is the comforting knowledge that because God has sent Christ to share the human experience we will be able to find the true meaning of existence.
The Psalmist makes a remarkable discovery in bringing all of his deepest feelings to God including the dismal and rotten side. In the midst of his "downness," God becomes ever so real to him. The Holy One stands with this suffering human being! Thus the psalm surprisingly moves from a dirge to a great song of praise.
The New Testament elaborates on this movement from lament to praise as it calls people to look to Christ for life’s answers. Again and again, I try to remind people in times of sadness that in Psalm 23 God never promised to miraculously lift us out of the “valley of the shadow.” He does, however, promise to see us through the valley to a brighter day. It’s only natural to ask, what evidence do we have to support this truth? We turn to Good Friday when darkness covered the land as Jesus died with the anguish of humanity in his heart. At that time he cried out as did the psalmist in what to me is one of the most poignant moments of our Lord’s life. 3 days later despair turns to hope with the extraordinary breakthrough of the resurrection. In 3 short days our view of existence is completely turned around. Sure there is a lot wrong with the world. Sure we have bad days. Yes, we will all die at some point. BUT that is not the last word. God has the power to bring newness of life beginning this very day and then to lead us to an even fuller life after we die. That's the impact of Easter morn.
The resurrection helps us turn despair into hope. The loss of a loved one, job uncertainty, family tensions, a broken relationship are all sad happenings. However, depending on how we deal with life’s events, it is possible that such experiences can move us to a new and more mature way of looking at life. The Bible consistently maintains that with God's help growth can come out of adversity. Have you heard the old joke about the turtle sitting on a psychiatrist’s couch trying to work through a time of despair? He sticks his head out of the shell just a little and the psychiatrist responds: “well, that’s a start.”
With Christ, we can begin to stick our heads out a little and start seeing life in a different way. Caution is called for, however. All too often Christians tend to cheapen suffering by saying "God must have caused this for some greater purpose." Or what is one of my least favorite sayings, "God never gives you anything you can't handle." I have seen all too many situations where the burdens of life seem totally unfair and beyond an individual’s capability or endurance. Thus, I never would suggest adopting such clichés. What I am saying is that the individual who is going through tough times who opens his or her heart and life to the Almighty discovers that suffering can have a treasure chest of its own. One can discover a new intimacy with those closest to us, a broader appreciation for what matters in life, an inner peace that truly does "pass all understanding." One of the great lessons I learned in the first church I served was that God could make something positive out of life’s most trying experiences. There was a man in our congregation who had terminal cancer. Since he lived down the street, I would stop to see Bill several times a week. He wasn't a great churchgoer or particularly religious but over that year I saw a growth in his outlook on life and in his family relationships. He died content with himself and confident of the future. Now that isn't to say he wouldn't have liked to live longer. It is to say that God can take the very worst human experiences and bring good out of them. One of the most powerful verses in scripture and one that I believe in ever so strongly is Paul’s comment in the Book of Romans that “God works for good in everything with those who love him.” Of course, we have to be open and seeking new possibilities in order for Paul’s comments to become a reality in our lives.
The ability to share all of life with our God gives a new appreciation for each day. This week if you knew that God was with you and regardless of whether things were going well or not that your Creator was guiding you, wouldn't that make a difference? Wouldn't there be less frazzling at the stresses and more joy out of the pleasures? Life isn't quite so overwhelming when there is One greater than ourselves who walks with us.
The sermon started out with the depressing words of the psalmist. Now hear the song of praise that the psalmist brings when he discovers God's presence and power. Again from Peterson's
paraphrase of Psalm 22.
Here's the story. I'll tell my friends when they come to worship, and punctuate it with Hallelujahs:
Shout Hallelujah, you God-worshippers
He has never let you down, never looked the other way
when you were being kicked around.
He has never wandered off to do his own thing;
he has been right there, listening.
From the four corners of the earth
people are coming to their senses
and running back to God.
God has taken charge,
now he has the last word.
All the power-mongers are before him
- worshipping!
All the poor and powerless too
- worshipping!
Along with those who never got it together – worshipping!
MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCES
Date: Feb. 22, 2009
Text: Exodus 24: 12-18; Mark 9: 2-13
You may recall that back in January I said that at the beginning of every year the story of Jesus’ baptism is read. That event, which is recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke, clearly is a pivotal moment in our Lord’s ministry. Now at the edge of Lent a second decisive moment becomes our scriptural focus. Jesus on the mountaintop with three of his disciples, the Transfiguration, is part of three gospel accounts and is read in many churches at this time of the year. It too marks another stepping stone in Jesus’ understanding of his calling.
At first reading, the Transfiguration account is not an easy passage to comprehend. Clouds coming over a mountain, dead people appearing, a voice from heaven, these are not the kind of rational happenings that we are accustomed to dealing with unless we are into TV shows such as “The Mentalist” or “Medium.”
Hence, let’s try first to get a better understanding of what was going on. One problem we always have in deciphering the message of scripture is that our knowledge of the Old Testament is so limited. As a review: Moses was the great lawgiver, Elijah a prophet. They represent the finest of Hebrew religious tradition. Exodus 24 talks of Moses being up on the mountaintop and God coming to him in a cloud. The cloud from the Exodus narrative symbolizing God’s presence becomes a frame of reference for Jesus’ baptism, A voice from heaven declared that God had blessed the life of the one John had baptized as our Lord stepped out of the Jordan River.
The Gospel writers in describing the Transfiguration used the symbolism of the Old Testament and our Lord’s baptism to make a statement regarding the relationship between Jesus and the Almighty. What happened is referred to as a “theophany”, an encounter between a human being and the Divine. The power and authority of the Almighty was bestowed on Jesus on the mountaintop. As Moses was called to deliver the Israelites, now Christ has come to deliver all of us and complete the restoration of the divine/human partnership that has been splintered by human waywardness. If Jesus’ ministry was confirmed by his baptism, then the mountaintop experience re-enforces that affirmation. The Transfiguration is so important because the experience gives renewed focus to Jesus’ ministry as God emissary and now his disciples clearly are part of that commissioning. A direction has been set and power has been given to move forward.
Our morning reading may seem too mysterious or too far removed from daily life to have much relevance for us. However, let’s look at the incident in terms of focus in life and the power to put this so-called “mission statement” into practice before we discard this event as not speaking to our lives. The first McDonald hamburger stand in California catered primarily to teenagers and wasn’t wildly successful. Ray Kroc, the owner, decided to try to reach a broader group of people. Eventually he came up with the slogan “You deserve a break today.” The slogan apparently touched people of all ages because immediately after the release of that ad the number of franchises grew, as did the number of hamburgers sold. Kroc came up with a slogan that defined his objective and got people excited. How about seeing the Transfiguration experience in terms of clarifying our purpose in life and finding the ability to live out that new perspective? Who doesn’t need some chance to regroup somewhere along life’s journey? Jesus himself got worn out caring about the needs of others and found it necessary sometimes to leave the crowds to go to the other side of the lake seeking renewal.
The Transfiguration experience addresses the same human emotions, as did the McDonald’s slogan. Where can we find a break from the routine and hecticness of daily living and re-establish our priorities for what is important? Hamburgers may provide a quick fix. Vacation breaks are wonderful and all of us wouldn’t mind winning a trip to some warmer climate about this time of the year but something more is needed if we are not to bog down and get trapped in the same old ruts.
Do you begin to get a hint of the relevance of this event recorded in the Gospels? We need to find that power and life focus that the disciples experienced during the Transfiguration. Symbolically mountaintop experiences come in many shapes and forms but getting back in touch with our Maker on a regular basis is a powerful ingredient in finding the richness of each day. The early Church recognized this need and set aside the six-week period before Easter to be a time of particular spiritual renewal.
Let me share two totally different experiences in my life when it felt as though I had gone to “the mountain-top.” In 1963 I was privileged to take part in the lst civil rights march on Washington and to sit on the grass by the Lincoln Memorial to listen to Dr. Martin Luther King share his dream. He took us to a mountaintop where blacks and whites lived together, where all of God’s children clasped hands, where no one was denied human dignity or a job because of the color of their skin. It was a deeply moving experience that has continued to influence my life 46 years later.
The other experience occurred several years ago when I took a group of teenagers to visit NYC as part of a work project. The first stop was the World Trade Center. We were fortunate to get to the top, all 110 stories, on a clear day. The city looked beautiful, majestic, and glorious. Somehow the drug pushers, the homeless, the rat infested houses, all of that was relegated to the background and one could imagine the ‘alabaster cities” that inspired the words of “America The Beautiful.” I want to say more about this experience in just a moment.
Two totally different kinds of mountaintops but each enabled me to view life from a different perspective. Cities are more than dirt and drugs; racism needs to come to an end. I probably knew both of those truths in principle but I needed some mountaintop experience to touch me at a more basic level. I needed a new vision. I needed, to speak in theological terms, a transcendent moment in which a power greater than myself came into my life. Now experiences of deep and lasting spiritual significances come in many shapes and forms, sometimes in small and unanticipated ways, a moment of quiet in a worship service, an insight at a Bible study. The opportunities are unlimited and God always is surprising us. Notice that each experience involved doing something out of the ordinary. Also a degree of risk was present in participating in a protest march and going into a big city with a group of teenagers One thing is sure, however, the mountaintop seldom if ever comes to us while we are sitting in our Barker lounge chair in front of the TV.
The cynic, upon hearing of the Twin Towers, would say, “Yeah, it might have been a great moment but look at it now? What happened to that wondrous feeling you had back then?” In one sense the skeptic is correct: you can’t stay up on the mountain When you come down you are apt to be engulfed in the problems of humanity. Jesus encountered exactly the same thing after the Transfiguration. He returned after this momentous meeting with the Old Testament heroes to find his disciples looking for help. A sick individual desperately needed assistance. They couldn’t do anything but could Jesus? The very power that he experienced on the mountain flowed through him to this individual in need and the person was healed. The Twin Towers sadly are no longer there but the feelings of God’s presence experienced looking over NYC from the top continues to be a source of strength and support as we live in a vastly different world.
Such is the role that “the mountaintop” can play in all our lives. We can’t stay “up there” forever, even though it might be extremely comforting to do so. We have to come back into the everyday world with all of its aches and pains. But if we have been to that place where we have encountered the Living God, then, we re-enter the world filled with new power and vitality. Do you see how going to the mountaintop can bring a new perspective to your life? How it can empower you to move on or to change directions? The question then becomes: where do you personally go to find the mountaintop and bask in the presence of the Almighty?
“FOR ALL YOU DOUBTING THOMASES”
Date: April 26, 2009
Text: John 20: 19-29
Remember the old phrase “a doubting Thomas?” It’s been a long time since I heard anyone say that and I wonder if teenagers would even know that it originated with the actions of Thomas the disciple. I want to suggest that we re-visit this disciple because he may be very much a person of 2009. John Eudes from the Abbey at the Genesee near Geneseo wrote “the name of ‘Thomas” means ‘twin” and the early Christians noted that all of us are two people, a doubting one and a believing one.”
At Easter time we tend to present our believing side as we listen to the story of the empty tomb and Jesus’ appearances. Within many of us, however, there are some lingering questions, aren’t there? How was Jesus raised? What did he look like? Most important of all: what will Easter mean in my life in days ahead? We aren’t going to answer all those questions in this brief time but let’s travel the road with “the doubting Thomas” of our scripture lesson. You may be surprised at what is discovered.
First off, is it wrong for Christians to have doubts? Should Thomas have been kicked out of the fellowship because he always was so skeptical? A basic part of my own theology and personal faith experience is that only by questioning and seeking does one grow spiritually. It scares me when I converse with Christians who seem to have all the answers and are quite complacent. I identify much more comfortably with Paul Tillich, one of the leading theologians of last century, who said, “the true Christians may not be the ones who have all the answers but those who ask the right questions.” Carl Sanburg described what many feel when he wrote “I always have enjoyed riding on a train in the car with railroaders going back to the home base. Once I saw a young fireman in overalls take a seat and slouch down easy and comfortable. After awhile a brakeman in blue uniform came along and planted himself alongside the fireman. They didn’t say anything. The 2 of them didn’t even look at each other. Then the brakeman, looking straight ahead, said ‘well, what do you know today?’ and after a long pause adding, ‘for sure.’ I remember the answer. It came slow and honest. The fireman made it plain what he knew that day for sure: ‘not a darn thing.’”
“What do you know today…for sure?” Is the church in the business of supplying absolute answers or helping people live with the ambiguities of life? The shape of ministry may vary greatly depending on how a congregation answers that question. There are churches that do seem to have a rule or response to every issue while others are trying to be more open and seeking knowledge together. I could travel around Genesee County and, regardless of denominational affiliation, Catholic or Protestant, evangelical or liberal, churches would fall on one side or the other in terms of how they approach scripture and their faith.
Sadly, from my point of view, the vast majority of people who are not in the church have the wrong impression of those who come to worship. Through the media and conversation, the idea is given that those in the church have life down pretty pat and they are sure of where they stand. I quickly learned how false that impression is when I led a Lenten Bible study in my first parish in a community like East Bethany. I worried about how my searching would be greeted by these mostly older women who had been in the church for ages. I need not have worried because as we sat around a table in the church kitchen I discovered that they had just as many questions as I did!
A lot of those questions begin with the Easter event and what God was doing. For some, it simply is as the Bible said. For others, there are too many questions and an absolute literal interpretation will not do. Both views, in my estimation, are valid within our faith and, as John Eudes suggested, may exist within each of us. Speaking personally, I grew up assuming that the Biblical account of Easter was just as it stated. In college and seminary, questions were raised. After many years celebrating Easter, I find myself still seeking some middle ground between literal interpretation and rational explanations. I am comfortable saying that God did something so powerful that it had a lasting impact not only on the original followers but also upon me regardless of the details of the story. It would be great to know your thoughts on this matter.
Remember I said in the beginning that Thomas was very much a person of our day. This disciple lived with the ambiguity and uncertainty that we all face and tried to be honest about his doubts. He always seemed to be raising questions. In John 14, Jesus was talking about where he was going and the way there. It was Thomas who was skeptical and asked, “how can we know the way?” This disciple, upon hearing from the other followers about seeing the Risen Lord, might have kept his doubts to himself, but it was his nature to keep raising questions.
The gospel writer of John used Thomas to make a crucial point: “blessed are those who do not see and yet believe.” The writer knew that future generations were going to have to work through lots of doubts and to set forward in faith. Jesus is not going to suddenly appear and tell us exactly how to feel or what to do. Fundamentalists may miss this very basic point when they are so insistent in having an answer for everything because John suggested that it is as we work through our uncertainties that our faith grows. One of my favorite verses in scripture takes place when a man approaches Jesus and says, “Lord, I believe. Help, thou, my unbelief.” The resolution of doubt comes not with answers but rather comes from trusting that this God who loves us so much will see us through the murky waters of life and that through it all Jesus will be by our side. The intent of John 20 is to assure the early church and us that even though we cannot share with Jesus as did the original disciples still the power of the Risen Lord will be there for us.
Thomas can become a model for how one can grow spiritually. He was asking all of these questions and yet at the same time he was living out his faith. In the last century, a collection of writings that tell of the teaching of Jesus was discovered that is called “The Gospel of Thomas” and which points to his significant role in the early church. Further, tradition has Thomas traveling to India and establishing Christianity there. A legend maintains that a wealthy Indian prince hired Thomas to build him a magnificent castle. The prince went on a trip leaving behind a large sum of money for construction. Thomas spent all the money helping the poor of the area. When the prince returned he asked to see the castle. Thomas responded, “You cannot see it now but when you depart this life you will see it.”
These incidents from Thomas’ life reveal a crucial point about spiritual growth. A person doesn’t have to have all the answers or be absolutely certain before one begins to live out the faith. So often people have said to me, “I’m not very sure about what I believe. I don’t know enough.” That may be true and we need to keep on searching but it doesn’t mean that we can’t follow Thomas’ example and begin to put into practice the Jesus’ way. Indeed, it is as one continues to wrestle with the meaning of faith daily that new avenues of challenge and opportunity emerge.
I don’t know how many “doubting Thomases” there among us. My experience is that all of us have our share of questions and doubts when our faith is challenged by life situations. In the Presbyterian tradition, there are no easy answers or ironclad guarantees. What is offered is the chance to be part of a group of people sharing together in the search for meaning and purpose in life, willing to deal with life’s big issues like war and sexuality. In that sharing, praying, in disagreeing, in growing, we proclaim with confidence and joy the words of the old spiritual that we are re-introducing this morning.
“He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus Christ, the first and last. No one works like him. No one works like him.”
“GETTING THE LAWN CHAIR OF LIFE UNFOLDED”
Date: May 3, 2009
Text: Acts 3: 1-10; 5: 12-16
Easter was celebrated 6 weeks ago. Do you think many Christians continue to think about how significant that very special event is in their spiritual lives? I hope so because the resurrection stands at the heart of our faith and its meaning always needs to be on the front burner.
Robert Raines tells this story. My small son one night asked me, “Daddy, will Easter ever happen to me?” I replied, “Yes, I believe it will.” And the child said, “No, it won’t. Jesus was special. He was Jesus Christ Superstar.” I had to laugh and replied, “You’re special too. You’re Bobby Super Boy.” And so we laughed together and I rubbed his back some more and he went to sleep. I realized later that his question is our question too. WILL EASTER EVER HAPPEN TO ME?
That’s the question we have been asking every week, isn’t it? What would it mean if Easter really did come alive in your life in whatever is on the calendar for this week? I want to suggest that Easter is much more than a single event in Jesus’ life but it is so important because of what it says about the power of God. David Buttrick put it succinctly: “What does the resurrection mean? The resurrection is nothing less than a demonstration of God’s power, the power of life.”
If you want to talk about the power of God at work, Acts 3, one of my favorite passages, is the place to turn to in scripture. Some time after Jesus’ death a lame man approached the disciples as they were entering the temple and asked for money. Peter and John, in a statement that resonates with me, respond, “Gold and silver, we have none but what we have we give to you. In the name of Christ be healed.” This experience is what Buttrick was talking about in terms of the power of the Almighty at work through the Living Christ. The disciples are clear they are not acting on their own. It’s what we are looking for during the post Easter season. It’s something that really can make a difference in how we live each day and what happens after we die.
Did you know that the Greek word used for this divine power is “dunamis” from which we get our word “dynamite?" Look to the lives of those who were followers of Jesus if you want proof of the on-going power of the resurrection. They were very ordinary people, who could be friends and neighbors in East Bethany, but something happened to them after that first Easter. It can only be described as an “explosion” created in the aftermath of the resurrection event. Do we need such “an explosive force “ in our times? I get a feeling as I listen to many people that there is a sense of helplessness across our land. People are saying, “What can I do?” What can I do about what is going on in Albany or Washington? Or what can I do when my grown children go astray? Could it be that this power that we are talking about, that was manifested in the story in Acts 3, is a great antidote to some of the negative feelings of 2009?
The power and presence of the Almighty is the context for all our discussions regarding the Christian faith. One time I was talking with a couple about their upcoming marriage. I asked, as I often do, why they wanted a church wedding since they weren’t members. The woman responded that she felt that there was something beyond just the two of them involved in the relationship, something “transcendent” was her word, and she wanted to recognize that reality in a religious service. She sought some Greater Power.
“Spiritual Dynamite” - Do we think enough about the power of God working in our lives as we see ourselves at work, in relationships, dealing with responsibility? Is there a need for something, someone, greater than ourselves to be part of the equation of human existence so that all the pieces come together? That’s a very personal question that no one can answer for you.
If you are intrigued by the source behind the resurrection event and what it could mean in daily life, then, you may want to look more closely at this power demonstrated in Acts 3. Ted Loder, pastor and poet, beautifully has captured the essence of what to me is the great hope lying within the Easter event. He wrote
“Touch me so deeply that I will find a sense of self which makes me glad
to be whom I am and yet restless at being anything less than I can become.”
“Make me glad to be whom I am.” The power of the Risen Christ can make us feel glad to be who we are. In my ministry, I have deal with so many people who are down on themselves but the life, death and resurrection of Jesus help us to see ourselves differently. We don’t have to worry quite so much about measuring up to the standards of others or the world but rather can grasp the inner glow of who we already are as children of God. That’s the kind of stuff behind and beneath the outer circumstances of the resurrection.
On the other side, we can’t simply be complacent about where we are in life, can we? We need, as the poet suggests, for God to “Make me restless at being anything less than I can become.” Easter and the entire Christian faith is much more than just feeling good about yourself. It’s all about expanding our horizons. With the presence of the living Christ comes a sense that life can be so much more than what is right now. It’s what I refer to as a good kind of “restlessness” moving us toward more of what God intended for us to be. It’s a feeling that with Christ with us we can stretch our lives, seek and search, do more for others and continue to grow regardless of our age.
There is a wonderful story that speaks to this resurrection hope. It seems that a highway was being built in England. A very old building stood in the way. The workers took it down, stone by stone, and cleared the ground on which it had stood. Exposed to the sunshine and rain for some months, something wonderful began to happen to that barren patch of ground. Flowers started to grow and flourish. Botanists from all over England gathered to study the plants. Many of the flowers were identified as having been brought to England by the Romans almost 2000 years ago. Some of the plants were completely unknown in our day. Buried there in the ground, smothered by stone, without air or sunlight, the seeds seemed to have died but actually they were not dead. As soon as the stones were removed, and the obstacles cleared away and God’s sunlight and rain let in, they arose and came forth into life and grew into the fullness of their intended beauty.
Such is the promise of the resurrection. In contemporary, practical terms think of something in our lives that has been buried maybe for just a day or week or maybe for a long time that now has a chance to bloom. Imagine your life and mine casting aside all the boulders that keep us in the dark so that now we can enjoy the fullness of God’s sunlight. During the Christmas season we sing “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and of the “hopes and dreams” of humankind. Easter wraps up all of those hopes and dreams, not just for the present but for the future as well.
Easter is all about the power to make life different that people have found through Christ beginning in the New Testament up to the present. That’s why the resurrection event is so crucial to our faith development. The “dynamite” described in Acts 3 is fundamental to finding the real joy and satisfaction that can come in daily living.
The Church points, as it always has done, to the power of Christ’s presence. These days everybody is thinking the same thing: “How about a few more warm days like last weekend when the temperature was in the 80’s? Those first warm days after winter all I want to do is get out the old lawn chair from the basement, unfold it and simply bask in the warm sun. Sound inviting? On a spiritual level, the resurrection is like getting the lawn chair of life unfolded and really enjoying each day. Such is the hope and promise of the Risen Lord.
"LOVING RELATIONSHIPS”
Date: May 10, 2009
Text: John 13: 31-35
Mother’s Day provides a grand opportunity to focus on all the relationships of your life and mine. What better Bible verse to guide us than the one just read: "A new commandment I give you - "love one another". I wonder if Jesus knew how hard it would be to live out that commandment. Reader's Digest one time in an article on family life asked the following question: "Do you feel that your role as a parent is beneath you." One person responded: "No, I feel it’s beyond me". Erich Fromm wrote a boo book called "The Art of Loving" and Leo Buscaglia, who has been on PBS TV, speaks of "learning how to love," both of which suggest that it is not easy to "love one another" as we discover every day. Thus, it's appropriate during the week in which family life is emphasized and on Mother's Day to seek the guidance of scripture in helping us develop deeper and firmer relationships with those we care about. Most of the illustrations used in describing what it will mean to live out Jesus’ command pertain to marriage but the principle applies as well to parent-child, friend, co-worker and neighbor connections.
Let's start with a question: How does our faith partnership with God affect our personal relationships? Does it impact at all? In the Reformed tradition of Presbyterianism, we say that there is a covenant relationship between God and his people. The word "covenant" means "agreement" or "testament". Hence there is an old covenant and a new one in the Bible. Agreements or contracts were very common in Biblical days as they are today but what is unique about the Biblical covenant is that in most agreements if one party is disloyal the relationship id dissolved but as the Bible reminds us repeatedly our God hangs in there regardless of what we do. That's what makes the relationship between God and his people so extraordinary. God is in for the long haul and never gives up on us though He certainly has good cause.
It is the concept of covenant and especially God’s unfailing love as demonstrated in Christ’s life that becomes a guide for our association with others. "Reaching out" and "Hanging in there" - relationships are built upon covenant. Thus, it is not surprising that in the marriage ceremony the bride and groom are asked, "Do you affirm your intention to enter this covenant relationship?" In other words, will you take seriously that this agreement is "for better or worse, sickness and in health, richer or poorer?" There are times when the covenantal agreement needs to be broken because of extreme differences or abuse and then God's helps us pick up the pieces. Still it is important for Christians to declare that relationships in the Christian context are based on a willingness to reach out toward the other and to be truly committed to making it work.
Note as well that Jesus didn't just give us a new commandment. He went on to say that the Spirit, the Presence of the Living Christ, would be there as well. Hence, we do not go forth this week to live with others totally on our own. There is the Spirit of the living Christ who guides us, helps us to understand and teaches us forgives and sensitivity.
I read a story that makes this connection in a way I never would have considered. A woman wrote
You crave sleep tonight, especially because you just went
to bed at 11:30 p.m. and the alarm is set for 5 a.m. You're
getting up early to put out the garbage and the recycling
and catch up on the laundry before taking the kids to day care at 7 a.m.
The house is cold. The bed warm. You're in a deep REM sleep when in some foggy corner of your dream comes a child's voice. It's not a dream. It's a child crying.
And so you haul yourself out of bed. Sometimes you feel
exactly like a power beyond your own, a kind of resurrection
power, that enables you to push back the covers, find the floor with your feet and make your way through the darkness
to your child's needs.
She goes on to say that sometimes God's grace comes in another form: "the one you sleep with and argue with on occasion is getting out of bed to answer the child's cry". That's another story and maybe an even greater miracle. I was struck by her use of the phrase "resurrection power" in finding the strength to put her feet on the cold floor. God in Christ helps us in many more small ways than we normally assume.
Part of the Biblical idea of covenant is that any relationship needs to be worked at. This is especially true because interaction between two people always is evolving. Using marriage as an example two people move from courtship to marriage, from marriage to family, from an apartment to a house, kids going off to college, and into retirement. Buscaglia says, "Relationships are living things".
For this reason, it needs to be emphasized that one has to work at any relationship just as one exercises or keeps up vocationally or pursues further education. Jesus’ command “to love one another” will not happen by osmosis.
A therapist once described her own marriage in these terms:
Several weeks ago we celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary. This was an especially joyous event, as
2 years ago we were separating for the 2nd time in our
marriage. We were unhappy people who loved each other
but had difficulty communicating this. Here we were two
therapists in the business of facilitating communication
of feelings and we were unable to reach each other. We
only came back together after much prayer, counseling
and self-reflection. It took a lot of work.
If two therapists have such difficulty communicating, then, is it any wonder that the rest of us struggle?. It's not easy to "love one another." There needs to be listening, communicating, negotiating, always in the context of the support of God's love for both parties. I worry sometimes that with the hectic pace of family life today, dashing to this game and that lesson, whether we have found the time to work on our special relationships.
In Buscaglia's book someone is quoted: "I can't believe how difficult it is to put into thoughts and words what two people being together is all about". Remember what is implied in Jesus’ teaching: a relationship is an agreement between 2 people to share at some level of life and to work at that sharing. Having said that, it's very important that we accept the fact that all of us fail in living up to this covenant idea. No one should leave here feeling terribly guilty because some relationship didn't make it. God understands and helps us try again. Always the bottom line is that God in Christ is there to lead us forward.
Do you remember one of Jesus’ most important parables, that of the Prodigal Son? It expresses a parent’s incredible love for a son who has gone astray and says so much about God’s faithfulness in the covenant agreement. There is something in our deepest interactions, such as in the family that is captured in God's attitude toward the wayward son in the parable Jesus told. See that special kind of love unfold in the following true story.
He was a teenager, restless and risking. He had taken the car that morning without a word or note. He was not in school where he was supposed to be, and the night before had
been depressed. His parents paced the floor. What if they
called the police and that only caused more trouble? Vivid
frightening images sped through their heads.
Anger too tore at them. What thoughtlessness, ingratitude,
senselessness, stupidity! The tears quickly washed away the
anger. What if he were hurt?
They paced and prayed. Prayed and paced. It was the longest 24 hours they had ever experienced. The next day
there was still no word. The descent into hell went on.
"If only I could get my hands on him, I'd tell him a
thing or two. He could at least call!", they fumed. Self-
pity, fear, anxiety became constant and cruel companions.
It was late that afternoon when they heard the roar of
the car engine in the driveway. "Let me at him!"
They flew to the car door and...wrapped their arms around
him, sobbing with relief, the story that Jesus told about a Loving Parent crowding out all other thoughts and feelings.
Such is the depth of God’s love for us; such is the depth of the love that we have for each other.
