(Click on the title above to hear this sermon)
Paul devotes much of his first letter to the Corinthians answering questions and addressing issues that have arisen within the Corinthian church. These issues run the gambit from problems with personal morality, division in the church, suing fellow Christians in court, abuses in worship, sexual immorality, etc. It appears as if we can boil many if not all of these problems down to one root cause – a misunderstanding and misuse of Christian freedom. Thus, Christian freedom is a major theme that is scattered throughout the entire epistle. For example, in chapter 6, Paul argues that while all things are lawful (6:12) not all things are beneficial. A key principle, Paul further explains, is that the Christian’s body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and that therefore we are not our own – that we have been set free so that we might glorify God with our bodies (6:19-20). Similarly, chapters 7 (marital and sexual ethics) and 8 (food sacrificed to idols) also address questions regarding the proper use of Christian freedom.
As we move to chapter 9, Paul uses his own personal example to lay out his basic attitude toward Christian freedom. In a nut shell, Christian freedom does not mean that we insist on exercising our freedoms and our rights. Rather, Christian freedom means that we have been freed from the slavery to sin and selfishness and enabled to renounce the exercise of our freedoms and rights for the good of the community. So, though Paul is free with respect to all, he has made himself a slave to all that he might win them (9:19).
Paul then describes what this looks like by appealing to three different categories of people. To the Jew he became as a Jew in order to win the Jew. To those outside the law he became as one outside the law in order to win those outside the law. Finally, to the weak, he became weak, so that he might win the weak. In other words, Paul’s basic approach to Christian freedom is that his freedom enables him to do whatever is necessary to either win people to Christ (Jew and outsider) or help them to a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God in Christ than they have already (weak). It is not the exercise of the individual’s freedoms and liberties in Christ that is important, but rather the benefit that comes to the kingdom because of them.
So what does this passage have to do with us?
When asked, most Christians place a high value on evangelism and conversion. Most Christians believe that it is an important Christian honor and duty to bring others to Christ. However, there is a large gap between professed belief and church or individual practice.
What is it that accounts for this gap? I believe it is not that people are not sincere in their desire for conversion; it is rather that, in general, we want evangelism and conversion to happen on our terms and in ways that make us feel comfortable. For a large majority of Christians, evangelism and conversion will happen only if it does not take us out of our comfort zone and only if it does not get us too involved in the mess and the muck of humanity and sin.
Jesus, however, became the Christ – God incarnate – precisely so that he could meet us on our terms; he did everything he could to remove the barrier between us and God so that we might enjoy a renewed relationship with God. I believe that Paul’s point in 1 Corinthians 9 is that he did and would do everything in his power to remove the barriers that stood between people and a relationship with God in Christ – he would meet people on their terms so that they might experience the good news of the kingdom.
Our church vision for 2009, expressed by the elders, is to reach out to the families of the North Birmingham kids and to young adults, professionals, and families in North Shelby County. Our vision is that we would be a church that spreads the good news of the kingdom and experiences growth. In order to achieve this goal, are we willing to meet other people on their terms, and not expect them to meet Jesus and come to faith on ours? In other words, do we in our church practice, albeit unknowingly, place barriers that people find it difficult to cross to come to Jesus? If so, are we willing to break them down so that others might experience the freedom in Christ that we do? Are there things in our church practice and worship that we will have to change in order to accomplish and implement our vision, and if so, do we have the collective will to make these changes?
Let us decide as we move forward with our vision to set tradition, preference, and personal desires aside and join with Paul in becoming all things to all people for the sake of the gospel.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
A Reflection on God's Holy Fire: The Nature and Function of Scripture
Today, our adult Bible class began a study of God’s Holy Fire: The Nature and Function of Scripture, by Ken Cukrowski, Mark Hamilton, and James Thompson.
The authors state that “people live by stories that locate their lives in the larger picture of the world. Stories express a way of viewing reality. From these stories, we can discover how to answer our most basic questions: who are we, where are we, what is wrong and what is the solution? A community without a narrative explaining where it came from and where it is going will lose its purpose and die” (3). These foundational stories or community narratives are very powerful and they are largely responsible not only for giving us our purpose and meaning, but also for our continued survival. Christianity is a religion that is founded upon a story and that story is found in the Bible. Churches will survive and continue to be the Kingdom of God to our world, therefore, only inasmuch as we are connected to our foundational story in the Bible.
Unfortunately, the authors claim, the church is facing an increasing biblical illiteracy rate in America. In other words, we are rapidly becoming out of touch with our story. While there are several reasons that could be given to account for declining biblical literacy, the authors offer three. First, past experiences in Bible class have immunized people from wanting to study the Bible. Many of us grew up in Bible classes that did not show us how the Bible is relevant to our lives and were boring. These experiences served to take away our motivation for good Bible study when we got older. Second, our culture has prepared us to do our reading and get our information in short bursts and sound bites. It is difficult for us to devote the time that is necessary to do good Bible study. Third, Bible study appears to be a daunting task because of the large gap in time, distance, language, and culture that stands between us and the biblical text. There are many other reasons that could be named, but each of them only supports the authors’ position that biblical illiteracy is reaching an all time high.
God’s Holy Fire, then, is their attempt to curb this lack of Bible reading, study, and knowledge. “We write this book because we are convinced this decline in biblical literacy will result in the loss of the church’s memory – a devastating form of amnesia. Therefore, we challenge Christians to rediscover the Word that has sustained God’s people for generations. We hope to encourage the love of scripture, to lead the church toward the knowledge of scripture, to equip the church for the proper use of scripture, and to clear away misunderstandings of scripture…to encourage Christians to reclaim the central place of the Bible in their lives” (ix-x).
If we would stave off the rising tide of biblical illiteracy that threatens the health and stability of the church, then we must rediscover the Bible and its relevance for our lives today, even though it was written so long ago. It cannot be, for us, simply a history book; it is not simply a book full of good stories; nor is it some kind of blueprint that when followed will get God to like us more. The Bible is a book which defies categorization. Ultimately, it is the story of God’s quest to restore a relationship with humanity.
I highly reccomend this book to any and all who want to recapture a zest and passion for good Bible study and the use of scripture in the church of today.
The authors state that “people live by stories that locate their lives in the larger picture of the world. Stories express a way of viewing reality. From these stories, we can discover how to answer our most basic questions: who are we, where are we, what is wrong and what is the solution? A community without a narrative explaining where it came from and where it is going will lose its purpose and die” (3). These foundational stories or community narratives are very powerful and they are largely responsible not only for giving us our purpose and meaning, but also for our continued survival. Christianity is a religion that is founded upon a story and that story is found in the Bible. Churches will survive and continue to be the Kingdom of God to our world, therefore, only inasmuch as we are connected to our foundational story in the Bible.
Unfortunately, the authors claim, the church is facing an increasing biblical illiteracy rate in America. In other words, we are rapidly becoming out of touch with our story. While there are several reasons that could be given to account for declining biblical literacy, the authors offer three. First, past experiences in Bible class have immunized people from wanting to study the Bible. Many of us grew up in Bible classes that did not show us how the Bible is relevant to our lives and were boring. These experiences served to take away our motivation for good Bible study when we got older. Second, our culture has prepared us to do our reading and get our information in short bursts and sound bites. It is difficult for us to devote the time that is necessary to do good Bible study. Third, Bible study appears to be a daunting task because of the large gap in time, distance, language, and culture that stands between us and the biblical text. There are many other reasons that could be named, but each of them only supports the authors’ position that biblical illiteracy is reaching an all time high.
God’s Holy Fire, then, is their attempt to curb this lack of Bible reading, study, and knowledge. “We write this book because we are convinced this decline in biblical literacy will result in the loss of the church’s memory – a devastating form of amnesia. Therefore, we challenge Christians to rediscover the Word that has sustained God’s people for generations. We hope to encourage the love of scripture, to lead the church toward the knowledge of scripture, to equip the church for the proper use of scripture, and to clear away misunderstandings of scripture…to encourage Christians to reclaim the central place of the Bible in their lives” (ix-x).
If we would stave off the rising tide of biblical illiteracy that threatens the health and stability of the church, then we must rediscover the Bible and its relevance for our lives today, even though it was written so long ago. It cannot be, for us, simply a history book; it is not simply a book full of good stories; nor is it some kind of blueprint that when followed will get God to like us more. The Bible is a book which defies categorization. Ultimately, it is the story of God’s quest to restore a relationship with humanity.
I highly reccomend this book to any and all who want to recapture a zest and passion for good Bible study and the use of scripture in the church of today.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Freedom through discipleship - 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
(Click on the above title to hear the sermon)
In Warner Sallman’s painting, “Christ at the door,” Jesus is depicted as standing at a door with no doorknob, knocking. This painting has captured the imaginations of thousands who have seen it. People are drawn to a Jesus who came from heaven to invite us to be a part of a new way of life in the kingdom of God.
In Mark 1:15 we read where Jesus began his ministry by issuing a call to repentance and faith – to a life of discipleship. This call to discipleship is not simply a message of hell-avoidance. Jesus believes that his preaching is “good news” for people, and that living the life of discipleship will make a difference in peoples’ lives right now. That difference is freedom (Romans 8:2 – “set free from the law of sin and death”; Gal. 5:1 – “For freedom Christ has set us free”).
Obviously, Mark has condensed his story for our benefit. He describes the disciples’ response to Jesus’ call as immediate and life-altering – Peter, Andrew, James, and John all immediately left everything – careers and family – to follow Jesus.
But in what sense did they leave everything to follow Jesus? If we look down at Mark 1:29, we are told that after leaving the synagogue, Jesus and the disciples went to Simon and Andrew’s house, where Jesus cured Simon’s mother-in-law. Obviously they did not become complete ascetics and completely divorce themselves from their families and previous lives. So in what sense did they leave everything to follow Jesus?
I think we get a glimpse of an answer in the epistolary reading from 1 Corinthians 7:29-31. These verses are basically an apostolic aside inserted into a discussion regarding sex and marriage, but they have serious implications regarding Christian ethics and the Christian way of life.
Paul begins by saying that “time has grown short,” which is to provide the motivation for the discussion which is going to follow. There is no universal agreement about what Paul means by saying time has grown short. However, I believe that Paul is referring to the end of the ages that was inaugurated by the resurrection of Christ. This event signified that a new world order had begun, and that Christians now live as a part of the kingdom of God, while at the same time waiting for a greater manifestation of the kingdom when Jesus returned. In this sense, it is an eschatological, or end-time, hope that colors how one lives, even if Jesus’ return is not as immanent as was once thought.
So, in view of the time in which we now live, let those who are married live as if they were not; let those who are joyful live as if they are not; let those who mourn live as if they are not; let those who buy and sell possessions live as if they are not; and let those who deal with the world live as if they had no dealings with the world, because the present form of this world is passing away. (JJ’s paraphrase)
I think the last phrase of the passage – “For the present form of this world is passing away” – is the key to understanding the passage. It is not only our conviction of faith, but our own observations and experiences about this life that sees the truth in Paul’s claim about the impermanence of this world. The forms, structures, institutions, forces, powers, etc. of this world were not built to last. Our own experience of the end of 2008 reminds us of the impermanence and fragility of the forms of this world. To live as a Christian, in view of our eschatological hope for Christ’s return and a fuller experience of the kingdom of God, means we recognize that this world is temporal, temporary, and is fading away as we speak. Therefore, discipleship means that we experience a radical reorientation of our perspective.
As Christians, we should no longer regard what happens in this world and in this life as what is ultimately important, because it is going to pass away. It is not that we don’t engage this world – we marry, we experience joy and sorrow, we buy and sell possessions, we accumulate wealth – but we do it recognizing that these things are not of ultimate importance. Rather, they are less important than our relationship with God in Christ.
However, Paul is not just calling for a change in our perspective. He is calling for a change in our lifestyle because of our changed perspective. It is not enough to simply say that the forms of this world are not of ultimate value and importance and to keep living as if they are. Discipleship means that we adjust our lifestyle to reflect this confession of faith. All of the lectionary passages from this week reflect this same focus. Paul calls this lifestyle a change in our relationship with the forms of this world. Mark 1 describes this radical lifestyle adjustment as “leaving nets” and leaving career and father. Jonah 3 says that Ninevah made this lifestyle adjustment by declaring a city-wide fast and a city-wide dress code of sackcloth (adjustments that were so wide-spread that they were to include the livestock as well).
Changing our relationship with the forms of this world will look different for everyone – we all have the responsibility for making the life of discipleship concrete in our lives. For example: many Christians, despite the conviction to follow Jesus alone, still live as if the accumulation of wealth is what is ultimately important. How can we find ways to view money, wealth, and possessions, as tools in our hands to carry out our service to God and not as ends in themselves? How can we participate in the structures of this world, for example, the stock market, or the housing market, without placing our ultimate trust for our well being in them? How can we live in America without succumbing to the rampant wave of civic religion that has been sweeping across the country, believing that America holds the solution to the world’s problems? How can we work in our careers and yet not place our personal identity in what we do for a living? Or does our anxiety and stress about our jobs suggest that we have been looking to them as a source of satisfaction that can only leave us wanting something deeper and more fulfilling?
Jesus lived and died so that we might be free. Why then do so many of us still seem to be in slavery? Why do we still seem bogged down with the weight and care of this world? Why do so many of us still live as if the things of this world have ultimate meaning?
I often use words like obedience, holiness, and discipleship to describe the Christian life. These words can sometimes invoke negative images in our heads because they remind many of us of the church that we came from – a church that sought to earn salvation through a legalistic approach to faith and that used these words to beat us up and only increased our feelings of guilt and unworthiness. Therefore, after much theological discussion, it is our conviction as a church that salvation comes by God’s grace and mercy and that there is nothing that we can do to merit God’s favor or earn our salvation, a position that I whole-heartedly agree with and fully support and believe in.
So many might wonder why I still use these words. I use them because it is also my conviction that the freedom that Christ offers comes to us in a very counter-intuitive way. We experience God’s freedom through our practice of repentance, faith, and discipleship. Isn’t that what Jesus calls us to in Mark 1? “Repent, believe in the good news, and come follow me.” Isn’t that the message of Paul in 1 Corinthians 7? “…let those who deal with the world live as if they had no dealings with the world …”, as if God is the source of ultimate value and the source of our life and well-being.
Jesus is there, standing at the door knocking. And it is only through a full-bodied embrace of the life of discipleship to which we are called that we can find the true freedom that he offers, and live out the good news of the gospel that he came to proclaim.
In Warner Sallman’s painting, “Christ at the door,” Jesus is depicted as standing at a door with no doorknob, knocking. This painting has captured the imaginations of thousands who have seen it. People are drawn to a Jesus who came from heaven to invite us to be a part of a new way of life in the kingdom of God.
In Mark 1:15 we read where Jesus began his ministry by issuing a call to repentance and faith – to a life of discipleship. This call to discipleship is not simply a message of hell-avoidance. Jesus believes that his preaching is “good news” for people, and that living the life of discipleship will make a difference in peoples’ lives right now. That difference is freedom (Romans 8:2 – “set free from the law of sin and death”; Gal. 5:1 – “For freedom Christ has set us free”).
Obviously, Mark has condensed his story for our benefit. He describes the disciples’ response to Jesus’ call as immediate and life-altering – Peter, Andrew, James, and John all immediately left everything – careers and family – to follow Jesus.
But in what sense did they leave everything to follow Jesus? If we look down at Mark 1:29, we are told that after leaving the synagogue, Jesus and the disciples went to Simon and Andrew’s house, where Jesus cured Simon’s mother-in-law. Obviously they did not become complete ascetics and completely divorce themselves from their families and previous lives. So in what sense did they leave everything to follow Jesus?
I think we get a glimpse of an answer in the epistolary reading from 1 Corinthians 7:29-31. These verses are basically an apostolic aside inserted into a discussion regarding sex and marriage, but they have serious implications regarding Christian ethics and the Christian way of life.
Paul begins by saying that “time has grown short,” which is to provide the motivation for the discussion which is going to follow. There is no universal agreement about what Paul means by saying time has grown short. However, I believe that Paul is referring to the end of the ages that was inaugurated by the resurrection of Christ. This event signified that a new world order had begun, and that Christians now live as a part of the kingdom of God, while at the same time waiting for a greater manifestation of the kingdom when Jesus returned. In this sense, it is an eschatological, or end-time, hope that colors how one lives, even if Jesus’ return is not as immanent as was once thought.
So, in view of the time in which we now live, let those who are married live as if they were not; let those who are joyful live as if they are not; let those who mourn live as if they are not; let those who buy and sell possessions live as if they are not; and let those who deal with the world live as if they had no dealings with the world, because the present form of this world is passing away. (JJ’s paraphrase)
I think the last phrase of the passage – “For the present form of this world is passing away” – is the key to understanding the passage. It is not only our conviction of faith, but our own observations and experiences about this life that sees the truth in Paul’s claim about the impermanence of this world. The forms, structures, institutions, forces, powers, etc. of this world were not built to last. Our own experience of the end of 2008 reminds us of the impermanence and fragility of the forms of this world. To live as a Christian, in view of our eschatological hope for Christ’s return and a fuller experience of the kingdom of God, means we recognize that this world is temporal, temporary, and is fading away as we speak. Therefore, discipleship means that we experience a radical reorientation of our perspective.
As Christians, we should no longer regard what happens in this world and in this life as what is ultimately important, because it is going to pass away. It is not that we don’t engage this world – we marry, we experience joy and sorrow, we buy and sell possessions, we accumulate wealth – but we do it recognizing that these things are not of ultimate importance. Rather, they are less important than our relationship with God in Christ.
However, Paul is not just calling for a change in our perspective. He is calling for a change in our lifestyle because of our changed perspective. It is not enough to simply say that the forms of this world are not of ultimate value and importance and to keep living as if they are. Discipleship means that we adjust our lifestyle to reflect this confession of faith. All of the lectionary passages from this week reflect this same focus. Paul calls this lifestyle a change in our relationship with the forms of this world. Mark 1 describes this radical lifestyle adjustment as “leaving nets” and leaving career and father. Jonah 3 says that Ninevah made this lifestyle adjustment by declaring a city-wide fast and a city-wide dress code of sackcloth (adjustments that were so wide-spread that they were to include the livestock as well).
Changing our relationship with the forms of this world will look different for everyone – we all have the responsibility for making the life of discipleship concrete in our lives. For example: many Christians, despite the conviction to follow Jesus alone, still live as if the accumulation of wealth is what is ultimately important. How can we find ways to view money, wealth, and possessions, as tools in our hands to carry out our service to God and not as ends in themselves? How can we participate in the structures of this world, for example, the stock market, or the housing market, without placing our ultimate trust for our well being in them? How can we live in America without succumbing to the rampant wave of civic religion that has been sweeping across the country, believing that America holds the solution to the world’s problems? How can we work in our careers and yet not place our personal identity in what we do for a living? Or does our anxiety and stress about our jobs suggest that we have been looking to them as a source of satisfaction that can only leave us wanting something deeper and more fulfilling?
Jesus lived and died so that we might be free. Why then do so many of us still seem to be in slavery? Why do we still seem bogged down with the weight and care of this world? Why do so many of us still live as if the things of this world have ultimate meaning?
I often use words like obedience, holiness, and discipleship to describe the Christian life. These words can sometimes invoke negative images in our heads because they remind many of us of the church that we came from – a church that sought to earn salvation through a legalistic approach to faith and that used these words to beat us up and only increased our feelings of guilt and unworthiness. Therefore, after much theological discussion, it is our conviction as a church that salvation comes by God’s grace and mercy and that there is nothing that we can do to merit God’s favor or earn our salvation, a position that I whole-heartedly agree with and fully support and believe in.
So many might wonder why I still use these words. I use them because it is also my conviction that the freedom that Christ offers comes to us in a very counter-intuitive way. We experience God’s freedom through our practice of repentance, faith, and discipleship. Isn’t that what Jesus calls us to in Mark 1? “Repent, believe in the good news, and come follow me.” Isn’t that the message of Paul in 1 Corinthians 7? “…let those who deal with the world live as if they had no dealings with the world …”, as if God is the source of ultimate value and the source of our life and well-being.
Jesus is there, standing at the door knocking. And it is only through a full-bodied embrace of the life of discipleship to which we are called that we can find the true freedom that he offers, and live out the good news of the gospel that he came to proclaim.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Listening For God's Call - 1 Samuel 3:1-10
(Click on the above title to listen to the sermon)
We live in a time where everyone, it seems, claims to speak for or have special insight into God – secular leaders, religious leaders, ordinary people, even Oprah. It is always difficult for a church to discern God’s will, but when everyone claims to have it, who do we listen to? Put differently: when are the words of disciples, especially leaders, the words of God? When do we hear God and think it’s someone else? When do we think someone is speaking for God when they are not?
I believe our lectionary passage from 1 Samuel 3 touches on these questions.
The collected book of Samuel (1 & 2) begins at the end of the period of the judges in Israel. As it opens, Eli is the current reigning judge over the tribes of Israel. Though we don’t know it at the beginning of Samuel, Eli is destined to be the last judge in Israel. In fact, though they certainly didn’t know it at the time, Israel was poised for a period of great transition. They were getting ready to transition from a tribal state to a nation; from rule by judges to rule by kings; and from Eli to Samuel. One of the first things that God told Samuel was that he was going to do something new, something that would make the ears of those who heard about it tingle (vs. 11).
I am sure that on a macro, geo-political level, there were many reasons for Israel to make these transitions. However, there are some clues in 1 Samuel 3 that give us at least one perspective for the transition. The chapter opens by telling us that a time had arisen when hearing the Word of the Lord and visions were rare. This is probably due in no small part to the situation at the end of the book of Judges, where we are told that everyone did right in their own sight (the evil ways of Eli’s sons, who were also priests, probably didn’t help things either, and were the specific reason for Eli’s downfall). Additionally, we are told in chapter 3 that Eli was losing his vision. Now while this is a physical condition, its placement in the text dramatically symbolizes the fact that the word of the Lord and visions were rare. Furthermore, the story takes place at night, a dramatic effect that only enhances our understanding of the bleak spiritual landscape in Israel.
As chapter 3 begins, we are told that Samuel, who at this time appears to be a young boy serving as a mere functionary in the temple at Shiloh, received a call from a nameless, faceless voice while he was sleeping. Three times he heard this voice and three times he believed it was the voice of Eli, calling from another room. We, the readers, know that it is God calling Samuel, but Samuel doesn’t know it. (The fact that Samuel doesn’t recognize the call of God is no bad reflection on him, in fact the text even tells us that he had not yet received God’s call and did not yet know the Lord (vs. 7). I suppose if I had been Samuel hearing this voice in the middle of the night, I might be tempted to seek out psychiatric care.) It was only after the 3rd time that he heard this voice that Eli, perhaps due to his diminishing ability to discern God’s voice, recognized the possibility that it was God calling. So, on the fourth visit by the voice of God, Samuel responds and begins his prophetic career.
On its face, the story marks the beginning of Samuel’s call to be a prophet, and as such there is little surprising to it – Samuel joins a long list of people in scripture who are also called to be God’s witnesses and prophets. What is surprising to me in the story, however, is that God called Samuel. I mean, if I were God and needed to get my message out and disseminated to the people, I would probably operate through the hierarchical structures that I had already established. I would probably start talking to Eli again, or maybe go through one of his sons who were priests and leaders of the people themselves (I know they were reprobates, but so were a number of people that God called to work with). If I didn’t like either of those options, I might even go to another recognized leader among the people, someone with some standing and credibility. I certainly would not choose a mere boy serving as a functionary in the temple. It is to Eli’s credit that he not only recognized that God might be calling Samuel, but accepted that God was calling Samuel and not him. Eli seems to have been able to accept the fact that God was acting in an unexpected way, calling an unexpected person, to do something new in Israel.
It is at this point that Samuel 3 intersects with the questions that I posed a few paragraphs ago. Sometimes we grow comfortable in the temple - grow comfortable with our worship services, comfortable with our lives, comfortable with our ministries. But maybe it is precisely because of our comfort in the temple, so to speak, that we forget that God does not always do what we expect; that the voice of the Lord can be found in unexpected people from unexpected places. Isn’t this the challenge of our gospel reading from John 1? When Philip told Nathaniel that the Messiah had come in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, what was Nathaniel’s response? “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
I do not believe that the challenge of the church is to follow God. I think that if we collectively figured out what God wanted us to do and where God wanted us to go then we would show up in our millions. I believe the challenge of the church is to remember that God does not come to us in expected ways from expected people and expected places. God’s will is not always disseminated to us through the expected channels. Therefore, we must find ways to intentionally look for where God is speaking, acting, and calling. It will require wiser heads than mine to figure out the process for how to engage this process. But I believe that remembering to look and listen is a good first step.
We live in a time where everyone, it seems, claims to speak for or have special insight into God – secular leaders, religious leaders, ordinary people, even Oprah. It is always difficult for a church to discern God’s will, but when everyone claims to have it, who do we listen to? Put differently: when are the words of disciples, especially leaders, the words of God? When do we hear God and think it’s someone else? When do we think someone is speaking for God when they are not?
I believe our lectionary passage from 1 Samuel 3 touches on these questions.
The collected book of Samuel (1 & 2) begins at the end of the period of the judges in Israel. As it opens, Eli is the current reigning judge over the tribes of Israel. Though we don’t know it at the beginning of Samuel, Eli is destined to be the last judge in Israel. In fact, though they certainly didn’t know it at the time, Israel was poised for a period of great transition. They were getting ready to transition from a tribal state to a nation; from rule by judges to rule by kings; and from Eli to Samuel. One of the first things that God told Samuel was that he was going to do something new, something that would make the ears of those who heard about it tingle (vs. 11).
I am sure that on a macro, geo-political level, there were many reasons for Israel to make these transitions. However, there are some clues in 1 Samuel 3 that give us at least one perspective for the transition. The chapter opens by telling us that a time had arisen when hearing the Word of the Lord and visions were rare. This is probably due in no small part to the situation at the end of the book of Judges, where we are told that everyone did right in their own sight (the evil ways of Eli’s sons, who were also priests, probably didn’t help things either, and were the specific reason for Eli’s downfall). Additionally, we are told in chapter 3 that Eli was losing his vision. Now while this is a physical condition, its placement in the text dramatically symbolizes the fact that the word of the Lord and visions were rare. Furthermore, the story takes place at night, a dramatic effect that only enhances our understanding of the bleak spiritual landscape in Israel.
As chapter 3 begins, we are told that Samuel, who at this time appears to be a young boy serving as a mere functionary in the temple at Shiloh, received a call from a nameless, faceless voice while he was sleeping. Three times he heard this voice and three times he believed it was the voice of Eli, calling from another room. We, the readers, know that it is God calling Samuel, but Samuel doesn’t know it. (The fact that Samuel doesn’t recognize the call of God is no bad reflection on him, in fact the text even tells us that he had not yet received God’s call and did not yet know the Lord (vs. 7). I suppose if I had been Samuel hearing this voice in the middle of the night, I might be tempted to seek out psychiatric care.) It was only after the 3rd time that he heard this voice that Eli, perhaps due to his diminishing ability to discern God’s voice, recognized the possibility that it was God calling. So, on the fourth visit by the voice of God, Samuel responds and begins his prophetic career.
On its face, the story marks the beginning of Samuel’s call to be a prophet, and as such there is little surprising to it – Samuel joins a long list of people in scripture who are also called to be God’s witnesses and prophets. What is surprising to me in the story, however, is that God called Samuel. I mean, if I were God and needed to get my message out and disseminated to the people, I would probably operate through the hierarchical structures that I had already established. I would probably start talking to Eli again, or maybe go through one of his sons who were priests and leaders of the people themselves (I know they were reprobates, but so were a number of people that God called to work with). If I didn’t like either of those options, I might even go to another recognized leader among the people, someone with some standing and credibility. I certainly would not choose a mere boy serving as a functionary in the temple. It is to Eli’s credit that he not only recognized that God might be calling Samuel, but accepted that God was calling Samuel and not him. Eli seems to have been able to accept the fact that God was acting in an unexpected way, calling an unexpected person, to do something new in Israel.
It is at this point that Samuel 3 intersects with the questions that I posed a few paragraphs ago. Sometimes we grow comfortable in the temple - grow comfortable with our worship services, comfortable with our lives, comfortable with our ministries. But maybe it is precisely because of our comfort in the temple, so to speak, that we forget that God does not always do what we expect; that the voice of the Lord can be found in unexpected people from unexpected places. Isn’t this the challenge of our gospel reading from John 1? When Philip told Nathaniel that the Messiah had come in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, what was Nathaniel’s response? “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
I do not believe that the challenge of the church is to follow God. I think that if we collectively figured out what God wanted us to do and where God wanted us to go then we would show up in our millions. I believe the challenge of the church is to remember that God does not come to us in expected ways from expected people and expected places. God’s will is not always disseminated to us through the expected channels. Therefore, we must find ways to intentionally look for where God is speaking, acting, and calling. It will require wiser heads than mine to figure out the process for how to engage this process. But I believe that remembering to look and listen is a good first step.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Mark 1:4-11 - The baptism of the Lord
Virtually every Christian denomination affords baptism a very important place in its theology. We don’t all approach it in the same way – some do it as a response to salvation, some for salvation; some sprinkle while others immerse; for some baptism is done at infancy by parents and for others it is chosen by the individual. Regardless of our differences about reason, method, and time, however, we all believe that it is an important event early in the life of a Christian. For all of us it is an occasion where, in a unique way, the human interacts with God.
This meeting between the human and divine is no where more visible than in Jesus’ own baptism. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all include the story of Jesus’ baptism, and though John does not, he alludes to it in chapter 1:29-34. Interestingly, none of the gospels ever really settle the question of why Jesus decided to have John baptize him – Mark and Luke offer no reason at all, and Matthew’s reason (“it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness”) is sufficiently vague so as to leave one still guessing.
The question of why Jesus got baptized is not merely an academic question; it posed a real problem for some early Christians and still continues to be a source of puzzlement for us today. A major tenet of the Christian faith is that Jesus lived a sinless life from birth until death. In fact, one could argue that Jesus’ sacrifice was good for all humanity precisely because he was sinless – an unspotted lamb brought to the sacrificial altar for the sins of the world. Paul even said it in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that “for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” The problem is that Mark 1:4 very clearly says that John proclaimed a “baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Therefore, if Jesus submitted to John’s baptism, then does that mean that he was a sinner just like the rest of us? You can see where some might have a potential theological problem.
Obviously I believe, like Paul, that Jesus was sinless. Therefore, I am forced to conclude that Jesus was baptized for some other reason about which thousands of people throughout history have only been able to speculate. I don’t claim to suggest that I have solved the answer to this riddle…quite the contrary. But let me list a few reasons why Jesus might have decided to submit to John’s baptism.
First, his baptism is the occasion to announce his special status as God’s son. Remember that before John the Baptist arrived on the scene, the voice of God in Israel had gone quiet. Suddenly, John arrives and people believe that God is once again speaking to God’s people. And John points not to himself, but to the one who is coming after him, the one who would be the Messiah, the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit. God was ready to do something new! But this time, God demonstrated that the new thing was going to happen in the person of the Son of God.
Second, through baptism, Jesus identifies with the sinners that he came to save, and therefore leads us in the way to a new relationship with God. Jesus came to bring about the kingdom of God. It was the most prominent theme of his teaching ministry. He called people to repent, to prepare for life in the kingdom. One way to speak of baptism is to speak of it as the door through which we enter the kingdom. It is not just an act that results in salvation or the forgiveness of sins, but it also prepares us for a new way of being in God’s kingdom. Jesus’ baptism signified that God was doing something new. It was the act at the beginning of his ministry which signified a new possibility – living in the kingdom of God. Our baptism serves the same function. We follow Jesus through the door to the kingdom. Baptism prepares us for a life lived in the kingdom, for this new and exciting possibility.
Third, Jesus’ baptism marks the kind of ministry that he would have. Christians have always associated baptism with the death of Jesus. Symbolically, at baptism we die, are buried, and resurrected as Christ was. Baptism can only function as a symbol of new life if it first leads us into death. So, for example, Paul wrote in Romans 6:3-4: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” If we look at Jesus’ baptism through the lens of our own understanding of baptism, then we can see how it prefigures the kind of life he would lead. Jesus’ ministry was going to be a ministry of radical self-denial that would lead him ultimately to his death on a cross. Jesus would be killed, buried, and then resurrected, conquering death. The end of his ministry is foreshadowed by the beginning of it.
Obviously I have not finally and completely answered the question of why Jesus was baptized. This is a question for the ages. Perhaps the question is never definitively answered because such an answer might encourage us to stop thinking about Jesus’ baptism, and thus stop thinking about how we are intimately connected with Jesus through our own baptism. That would be a tragedy!
This meeting between the human and divine is no where more visible than in Jesus’ own baptism. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all include the story of Jesus’ baptism, and though John does not, he alludes to it in chapter 1:29-34. Interestingly, none of the gospels ever really settle the question of why Jesus decided to have John baptize him – Mark and Luke offer no reason at all, and Matthew’s reason (“it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness”) is sufficiently vague so as to leave one still guessing.
The question of why Jesus got baptized is not merely an academic question; it posed a real problem for some early Christians and still continues to be a source of puzzlement for us today. A major tenet of the Christian faith is that Jesus lived a sinless life from birth until death. In fact, one could argue that Jesus’ sacrifice was good for all humanity precisely because he was sinless – an unspotted lamb brought to the sacrificial altar for the sins of the world. Paul even said it in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that “for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” The problem is that Mark 1:4 very clearly says that John proclaimed a “baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Therefore, if Jesus submitted to John’s baptism, then does that mean that he was a sinner just like the rest of us? You can see where some might have a potential theological problem.
Obviously I believe, like Paul, that Jesus was sinless. Therefore, I am forced to conclude that Jesus was baptized for some other reason about which thousands of people throughout history have only been able to speculate. I don’t claim to suggest that I have solved the answer to this riddle…quite the contrary. But let me list a few reasons why Jesus might have decided to submit to John’s baptism.
First, his baptism is the occasion to announce his special status as God’s son. Remember that before John the Baptist arrived on the scene, the voice of God in Israel had gone quiet. Suddenly, John arrives and people believe that God is once again speaking to God’s people. And John points not to himself, but to the one who is coming after him, the one who would be the Messiah, the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit. God was ready to do something new! But this time, God demonstrated that the new thing was going to happen in the person of the Son of God.
Second, through baptism, Jesus identifies with the sinners that he came to save, and therefore leads us in the way to a new relationship with God. Jesus came to bring about the kingdom of God. It was the most prominent theme of his teaching ministry. He called people to repent, to prepare for life in the kingdom. One way to speak of baptism is to speak of it as the door through which we enter the kingdom. It is not just an act that results in salvation or the forgiveness of sins, but it also prepares us for a new way of being in God’s kingdom. Jesus’ baptism signified that God was doing something new. It was the act at the beginning of his ministry which signified a new possibility – living in the kingdom of God. Our baptism serves the same function. We follow Jesus through the door to the kingdom. Baptism prepares us for a life lived in the kingdom, for this new and exciting possibility.
Third, Jesus’ baptism marks the kind of ministry that he would have. Christians have always associated baptism with the death of Jesus. Symbolically, at baptism we die, are buried, and resurrected as Christ was. Baptism can only function as a symbol of new life if it first leads us into death. So, for example, Paul wrote in Romans 6:3-4: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” If we look at Jesus’ baptism through the lens of our own understanding of baptism, then we can see how it prefigures the kind of life he would lead. Jesus’ ministry was going to be a ministry of radical self-denial that would lead him ultimately to his death on a cross. Jesus would be killed, buried, and then resurrected, conquering death. The end of his ministry is foreshadowed by the beginning of it.
Obviously I have not finally and completely answered the question of why Jesus was baptized. This is a question for the ages. Perhaps the question is never definitively answered because such an answer might encourage us to stop thinking about Jesus’ baptism, and thus stop thinking about how we are intimately connected with Jesus through our own baptism. That would be a tragedy!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
A Reflection on Epiphany
This past Tuesday, January 6, a major Christian feast day slipped by, almost unnoticed. Tuesday was Epiphany, known in other places around the world as Three Kings’ Day, the day when the twelve drummers started drumming. In the West, the importance of Epiphany as a day has been lost in favor of an entire Epiphany season, which typically lasts until Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.
Epiphany is the climax of the Advent/Christmas Season. Quite literally, it means “to show” or “to make known” or even “to reveal.” In Western churches, it remembers the coming of the wise men bringing gifts to visit the Christ child, who by so doing "reveal" Jesus to the world as Lord and King. The Wise Men or Magi who brought gifts to the young Jesus were the first Gentiles to acknowledge Jesus as "King" and so were the first to "show" or "reveal" Jesus to a wider world as the incarnate Christ. This act of worship by the Magi, which corresponded to Simeon’s blessing that this child Jesus would be "a light for revelation to the Gentiles" (Luke 2:32), was one of the first indications that Jesus came for all people, of all nations, of all races, and that the work of God in the world would not be limited to only a few.
Epiphany, as a season, is a time not simply to focus on the mission and work of Jesus which led to his death, burial, resurrection, but is also a time for us as a church to reflect on our mission to the world in light of Jesus’ work. So as we begin to think about how our service to God and the world will play out in 2009, let us remember the mission that we believe God has called us to, expressed in the Cahaba Valley Church Mission statement.
In love and faith, by grace, we seek to do God’s will, both as individuals and as part of a fellowship of believers known as Cahaba Valley Church, an Ecumenical Church of Christ. We believe God calls us to know and to be known by God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and to love all humans as God loves us.
To accomplish this mission we commit ourselves:
• To serve the poor and the poor in spirit
• To build relationships with those who seem separated from us by country, language, community, economy, race, age, gender, and creed
• To be with those who suffer and to share our burdens in prayer, that we may comfort and be comforted
• To seek simplicity and honesty in the face of the world’s temptation
• To celebrate the abundance of God’s blessings in worship and generosity
• To hunger after God’s word and seek the guidance of the Spirit in prayer and fasting
• To nurture the young and the young in Christ, sharing the Good News in word and deed
• To praise and worship God in unity with brothers and sisters throughout creation
• To cherish and encourage the intimacy of membership in God’s family, to gather in God’s house and in our homes for meals, prayer, play, work, and worship
• To encourage and equip one another to use the gifts God gives us for service
• To leave our hearts and purposes open to God’s surprising actions
• To experience the joy and peace that comes from being a child of God
In all this, we ask God to send us forth in boldness, filled with grace and love.
Epiphany is the climax of the Advent/Christmas Season. Quite literally, it means “to show” or “to make known” or even “to reveal.” In Western churches, it remembers the coming of the wise men bringing gifts to visit the Christ child, who by so doing "reveal" Jesus to the world as Lord and King. The Wise Men or Magi who brought gifts to the young Jesus were the first Gentiles to acknowledge Jesus as "King" and so were the first to "show" or "reveal" Jesus to a wider world as the incarnate Christ. This act of worship by the Magi, which corresponded to Simeon’s blessing that this child Jesus would be "a light for revelation to the Gentiles" (Luke 2:32), was one of the first indications that Jesus came for all people, of all nations, of all races, and that the work of God in the world would not be limited to only a few.
Epiphany, as a season, is a time not simply to focus on the mission and work of Jesus which led to his death, burial, resurrection, but is also a time for us as a church to reflect on our mission to the world in light of Jesus’ work. So as we begin to think about how our service to God and the world will play out in 2009, let us remember the mission that we believe God has called us to, expressed in the Cahaba Valley Church Mission statement.
In love and faith, by grace, we seek to do God’s will, both as individuals and as part of a fellowship of believers known as Cahaba Valley Church, an Ecumenical Church of Christ. We believe God calls us to know and to be known by God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and to love all humans as God loves us.
To accomplish this mission we commit ourselves:
• To serve the poor and the poor in spirit
• To build relationships with those who seem separated from us by country, language, community, economy, race, age, gender, and creed
• To be with those who suffer and to share our burdens in prayer, that we may comfort and be comforted
• To seek simplicity and honesty in the face of the world’s temptation
• To celebrate the abundance of God’s blessings in worship and generosity
• To hunger after God’s word and seek the guidance of the Spirit in prayer and fasting
• To nurture the young and the young in Christ, sharing the Good News in word and deed
• To praise and worship God in unity with brothers and sisters throughout creation
• To cherish and encourage the intimacy of membership in God’s family, to gather in God’s house and in our homes for meals, prayer, play, work, and worship
• To encourage and equip one another to use the gifts God gives us for service
• To leave our hearts and purposes open to God’s surprising actions
• To experience the joy and peace that comes from being a child of God
In all this, we ask God to send us forth in boldness, filled with grace and love.
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