Lent 3

Readings are here.

Sermon notes:

This is the reading that was the Gospel at my ordination as a priest. It is so rich with so many themes. The Orthodox call the Samaritan woman St. Photini - the enlightened one. Well stories in the Bible are always about betrothal - those seeking a wife or husband meet at the well. Does the Samaritan woman pledge herself to Jesus in this encounter? She goes to the well at mid-day - just the opposite of the parallel story we heard last Sunday of Nicodemus visiting Jesus in the dark of night. Many have speculated about why she would be out by the well at noon. Most of the women would go in the early morning and make a daily social occasion of their heavy water bearing work. Why had she had 5 husbands? Did they die? Did they put her away? Perhaps either she or her current partner did not marry because they felt it brought bad luck? She has had a tumultuous life to date - 5 husbands in the short life that most people had in those days. Whatever it was Jesus knows her deepest secrets.

Her response to encountering Jesus and his tender compassion towards her - is the urge to share it with all the townspeople. The disciples had gone to town to buy food - why didn't they bring back anyone to see Jesus? This woman shares in such a powerful way that the whole town believes and comes to learn more and believe even more deeply. Jesus uses this story to say the harvest is ready -- go out into the fields. The Pacific NW is the least "churched" of any area of the country - but what are the essentials that St. Catherine's offers that might entice others to join us?

We say we want St. Catherine's to grow - what do we mean by that? Do we mean people filling seats? or people finding a spiritual home - a place where they can join a community seeking the Holy? What do we find here that brings us back each week? What are the barriers we put up to newcomers? This church is one of the friendliest Episcopal churches I have ever attended. When our daughter came with me one Sunday - she was struck with the welcome that was not related to being my daughter - but you seemed genuinely interested in her for who she is. From that point what happens? Is there room for new people to move from welcome to finding a place with us. Where will they sit if they come through the doors. What about children? How can we build on the things people already find here? Extending the welcome -- church growth people say that a followup phone call or visit after someone comes to church is important - within 24 hours. Even more important a connection with a member - not just the priest. Those who attend 8 a.m. invite newcomers to go to breakfast - a great start to incorporation. The men invite other men to the Altar Boys-- another great way to help people find a place in our community.

Concerts for the community is one of our gifts and brings many through our doors. There is an active group who sees to this offering. Last week we had a wonderful first concert in the Mary and Paul Barthelemy series. This afternoon Jennifer Goodenberger will perform her music. In April Susie Godsey and David Carlson will offer yet another afternoon of enjoyment. But how multipurpose is our space? Could we do anything to make that experience more inviting? Are any who come to the concerts people who might join us for worship? Do we have materials available for information if they are looking for a church?

We are linked with the Center for Contemplative Arts - a place where people can explore their spirituality in a variety of ways. People who might not at first consider "church" -- can find a space to begin or continue their journeys in faith through art, meditation and other spiritual exercises. While not a formal part of our structure - many of us attend or participate in the offerings there. Do others there know we are members of St. Catherine's?

The service on Monday evening has brought us members who find worshipping in Spanish a community of welcome. Children are at ease and take part in the music and the liturgy - helping at the altar - playing the rhythm instruments as we sing.

A sign of a healthy church is one that cares for more than itself -- the Grub Club is one project that reaches out - to provide healthy lunches for children who might otherwise go without during the day. We are trying to reorganize that so the work is spread more widely. We have a current survey that says 50-60 children need this program - I am hoping that some of you will volunteer to join an oversight committee to revision how this program might continue. A committee that would also look at the other outreach projects and give oversight to those projects. There are also many of you who serve in the community in a variety of ways - teaching, running the Food Bank, looking in on neighbors, active in organizations that make the area better for all, voting.- active in government -- is your faith a motivator for these actions? Do people know you come to church at St. Catherine's? Are you ready to talk about your experiences if anyone asked. You don't have to beat people about the head with "are you saved" -- just go about your daily life and let your light shine.

To make ourselves more visible - we are revising our web site to make it more user friendly - so we can highlight current events - show who we are. Most people find a church if they are looking via the web site.

But really the most important step is invitation - most people join a church because when people show an interest - someone who is already a member invites them and accompanies or meets them there the first time.

The Samaritan woman gives us a model for sharing our faith. She tells of how encountering Jesus has changed her life. She is not afraid to say why it makes a difference. She is not thinking about church growth - she is sharing an encounter that changed her life. Perhaps the disciples could not be heard because they were outsiders - did not know the struggles of the Samaritans - the Samaritans knew her - they could see the transformation beyond mere words - they wanted what she had found.

Think about your own journey in faith - is this a place where you can "live the questions?" How did you get here - what has been your faith journey? What led you to walk in and what made you stay? Could you tell someone else about it?

As your interim vicar I have heard some of your stories of your encounters with the Holy One -- they are amazing. Maybe we might start with sharing those with each other - practicing before taking our "show on the road"? Ask someone you know at this church about their story. You will be surprised and you might surprise yourself in the telling of your story.

People are thirsty- we have a well.

Image by He Qi

The welcoming church h/t to Scott Gunn at 7 Whole Days.

2 Lent

Readings are here.

Notes towards a sermon:

Nicodemus – victory-people – (Nike – demos)

John –used for the gospels in Lent (A –Matthew, B-Mark, C-Luke) – parallel stories – this week – Nicodemus – next week Samaritan woman.

In the world of John there is a split between the Jews who followed Christ and those who did not. – a religious split that you can see referenced all through the Gospel of John – why there are such harsh words for “the Jews” – it is a gospel that has been used to justify terrible things- yet it arose between kindred and close friends and neighbors.

It is also a world where you are born into a certain status and you stay there – you don’t move. Your honor is dependent on who are “your people” – until fairly recently in history – this was the case – you might as well not try – unless you could somehow become attached to a higher status family – that was the only possibility. Jesus in this is shaking the very foundations of society in this passage. No wonder Nicodemus is confused about the idea of being born again. His reference to the wind blowing where it chooses is scary not reassuring – but yet

Nicodemus is a seeker—though he is a Pharisee, a leader of his people – he has not found a home in his faith. (Jim and I – where is home?). Else why would he come to Jesus. In the night – not only perhaps so no one would see him but perhaps also symbolizes “being in the dark” as we might say – about his relationship to God. I wonder if he had something happen that shook his faith? That caused him to wonder, “where is God?”

Jesus has come to the one who offers healing – healing for the whole world through those who follow him. Moses lifted up the snake to cure the people. Jesus will be crucified for confronting the divisions of the world and offering a way of healing. His death will show the world that death is not the end. Death is separation and believing that some humans are better than others – not a way of life.

Abram was also a seeker – in his world you did not take off from your ancestral homes – but he felt God calling him out of his settled life – to go out to be a blessing for the whole world.

Neither Nicodemus nor Abram (who we now call Abraham) were called to stop with themselves and their close kin – they were called to be a blessing – to bring a new understanding to the world. Paul refers to Abraham’s faith – that there was one God who could be trusted to keep faith with humankind. Nicodemus by the end of the Gospel is bringing a hundred pounds of spices and oils for Jesus anointing after his death – “hundred” – unheard of - his conversion – his love for Jesus showing in this over abundance.

I think these readings give us hope – no matter where we are on our journey in faith. Whether we are confused and wondering like Nicodemus or if we are stepping out in faith like Abraham. The key is asking the questions and walking the path of life. Perhaps as Rilke says:

to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.

I Lent

Readings are here.

Once again the readings take us back to the beginning. Eve and Adam begin their life outside that perfect relationship (called Eden) with God and all creation. And Jesus takes his first steps from his baptism to the cross and beyond. Each responds to the challenges in very different ways.

For Eve and Adam, they live in perfect relationship – an unconscious unity with God and creation. They have all their needs met.

For Jesus – he lives in a totally different place. He is born into a world where needs are not met, the Roman empire rules with legions of soldiers, most live day to day – on the edge of starvation, hoping to have enough to feed the family day by day. Even those who seem powerful in the Gospels (the religious leaders of the community) live in fear – fear of loss of position, loss of status and needing to appease the Roman rulers to keep chaos away from their community. People have forgotten those easy days of perfect relationship with creation and the Creator.

In his baptism Jesus hears his call to life – “this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Our passage today comes directly after those words. Today we hear that Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness. He goes to sort out what being the beloved will mean.

Throughout the Bible and as we know from our lives, temptation comes to us in attractive ways (like the songs "devil with the blue jeans/dress on?") and when we are most vulnerable. The fruit is attractive – the snake is charming. And in a way the snake is right – they won’t die immediately from eating the fruit of this tree. Eve and Adam will have the knowledge that no other creature has. Knowledge that will make them think they can be God. We know about this. We begin to think we are so smart – we do not have to obey the rules of creation. We see it in our time – watch the news. The rules of gravity and geology still hold true - regardless of how smart we become.

Jesus on the other hand, lives fully in right relationship with God and even though lonely, hungry and tired, he remembers who he is – the beloved. The tempter taunts him with “if you are the beloved” – trying to undercut Jesus’ confidence in his essential being. Well, the demonic says, “if you are the beloved (and that’s a big stretch for anyone to believe- he insinuates) then why are you out here starving, poor and alone? If you are the beloved you could change your circumstances in an instant. You can feed yourself – why you can feed the world – just turn these stones into bread. What not powerful enough – oh well – guess you aren’t who you think after all.”

Or “The beloved can have all the kingdoms of the world – think what you could do if you ruled the world – just worship power and wealth.”

Or “How about being spectacular – miraculous – jump off the roof of the temple – surely the beloved can fly – angels bearing you up and all that?”

And so it goes between temptation and Jesus – but Jesus remembers who he is and whose he is – staying steady in the midst of it all. This is the beginning of how he will return us to that perfect state of being – Eden-like – that realm of eternal life that is happening now. Jesus lives in it all the time and invites us into it here and now. His body is the bread of Eden, his blood – the drink of wholeness (salvation).

Each time we come to partake of the bread and the wine we are re-membered – put back into that moment when we walked and talked with God in the garden in perfect relationship. We remember that we are the creatures and not God. We live into our call to serve not rule.

We can do many things for ourselves but it is not the doing that gets our relationship with God back on track, Jesus has already done that for us. We can take that grace, accept it, breathe it in. Taking time for being in relationship with God – taking time to be in the presence of God— being out in God’s creation, praying, taking time for our relationships with others, worshipping and praising, listening, sharing the sacred stories, seeing God in each person – helping them to see that too.

Image by Michael O'Brien

Ash Wednesday

Readings are here.

Today we begin Lent – taking time for our spiritual lives. Traditionally we have given up things like chocolate or other candy, alcohol, meat, or other physical sacrifices. These are worthy things to do as each time we are are confronted with the thing we have given up we are reminded that it is Lent and a time for reflection on our spiritual journey. Taking on a spiritual discipline is another common practice. Daily reading of scripture, meditation, working for the Food Bank or some other agency that serves those with less, are some ideas. USA Today http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2011-03-01-Lent28_ST_N.htm noted this week that many are doing other activities for Lent. Some are doing a carbon fast – trying to use less electricity and more mass transit. UMC is encouraging all its members to give up alcohol – which Methodists are not supposed to drink in the first place – but to confront the use of it in their midst. I did that one year in solidarity with all who have abuse of alcohol issues. I was amazed then at how many tried to get me to take a drink. I think times have changed as everyone seems to offer alternative beverages now. Maybe that Lenten fast served a purpose – at least I hope so.

When we think of the words of Ash Wednesday - remember you are dust and to dust you shall return - remember that the scientists have learned that we are of the same dust as stars - so remember also you are stardust and to stardust you shall return.

This year I would like to share with you another way of looking at Lent – I used this a few years ago and I still like the ideals it puts forth – a way of keeping Lent that improves my relationships with others, the planet, myself and God.

Fast from judgment, Feast on compassion
Fast from greed, Feast on sharing
Fast from scarcity, Feast on abundance
Fast from fear, Feast on peace
Fast from lies, Feast on truth
Fast from gossip, Feast on praise
Fast from anxiety, Feast on patience
Fast from evil, Feast on kindness
Fast from apathy, Feast on engagement
Fast from discontent, Feast on gratitude
Fast from noise, Feast on silence
Fast from discouragement, Feast on hope
Fast from hatred, Feast on love
What will be your fast? What will be your feast?

After Bishop Arthur Lichtenberger

Last Sunday after Epiphany

Readings are here.

Today is the last Sunday of the season of Epiphany – a season of revelation and revealing. Beginning with the Baptism of Jesus by John to the revelation of transformation on the mountain – transfiguration. The question behind each reading in this season of Epiphany seems to be – how are we to reveal Christ in this world as he reveals himself to us? In the baptism – he plunges into the waters of our life – the one without sin immerses himself fully in the world showing us eternal life – not in the hereafter but in the here and now. In the absolution after the confession we pray, “keep us in eternal life”

Once again in the gospel today Jesus urges us to enter fully into life – go down from the mountaintop of encounter with the Holy One, don’t stay in the wonderful memory – live.

Peter, James and John accompany Jesus to the high mountain where they experience the fullness of Christ. With Moses and Isaiah at his sides, Jesus seems transfigured – the Greek is metamorphoomai – like a larva becoming a butterfly. He revealed his true self – and the reaction was typically of the “disciples are clueless” variety. Peter babbles on about building booths – probably like Jews do to celebrate the Exodus – the feast of Booths – Sukkot, a remembrance of living in a fragile tent or lean-to in the desert. It is a natural reaction – coming out of his culture. Trying to make sense of something completely new and mind blowing by connecting it to something we know. But in the midst of this – a voice speaks from a cloud – repeating the words heard at Jesus’ baptism, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him.” Stop talking – listen.

The disciples fall down in terror. Jesus comes to them and touches them – reassuring them and they move down into the valley – the valley where life goes on in all its wonder and messiness. You would think they might be changed by this experience but no – it takes more events and encounters and revelations until they are ready to go out into the world with the message of the revelation of God in Jesus.

One of the key phrases in this reading is “listen” – we can’t really capture the word in English -- (akouete) is a present imperative, implying continual or repeated actions: "Keep on listening to him" or "Continue to listen to him. It will take more than one retreat, one encounter, one sermon, one reflection – keep listening is the message. It is why I like to begin all meetings with a Bible study – so we can listen before we talk, listen to what God might have to say about the issues before us. And I like to just use whatever is the lesson for the day – not pick one that “I think” has something to say. It is why I like the Lectionary – it makes me wrestle and listen instead of allowing me to just pick a comfortable passage. It is why I like the Daily Office as a daily discipline – though I have been a slacker lately – it sets the day in the context of something to think about as I go about my days. It is why I wrote Streams of Mercy – collecting those bits into one place for contemplation each day.

This Wednesday, after our festive feeding frenzy of the Pancake Supper, we enter into Lent – with the imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday. Lent is a good time to enter into listening. St. Catherine’s will offer a variety of opportunities for you to keep Lent and listen for where God is calling you next in your journey. Instead of giving up chocolate – think about taking on a spiritual discipline, or attending one of our extra events, or just reading the Daily Office each day at home. Slow down, take a break from the constant barrage of “news” or anything that makes you anxious. Walk on the beach, do some gardening, tend your soul, tend your mind, tend your body.

Jesus was transformed in the eyes of the disciples – they saw him in a new way. He did not really change but showed them how he has always and will always be. Their ability to see was changed. The transformation for us is to join this metamorphosis – to gradually become the hands and feet of Christ in this world. To become that which God has seen from the beginning. Listen.

VIII Epiphany

Readings are here.

From the psalm:
But I still my soul and make it quiet,
like a child upon its mother's breast; *
my soul is quieted within me.

When I read through the lessons for today - I immediately thought of our primroses. A few weeks ago we were buying some primroses. Our children and their children came to visit and so they sat on the porch unplanted. From the warm sunny false spring of early February - the weather has been more like Wyoming the last few days - cold, bitter, snowy. So we have been putting our plants in the garage at night and maybe next week we will get them in the ground where they will have a better chance to grow and thrive.

Here at St. Catherine's we hope to grow and thrive as a point of God's presence in the communities we serve. Santa Catalina, served by Padre Jorge (George) is certainly growing and thriving with the majority of our younger families and children. Last week 75 people attended a Presentation of a three year old child. St. Catherine's is active with service to the the area. New members have come to join us and are adding their gifts to the already wonderful gifts present in our midst. Plans for a Vacation Bible School are in the works for summer. While we are still looking for new leadership for the Grub Club - many are willing workers for that program. Other ministries continue in quiet ways and soon Lent will be upon us with its commitment to a deeper faith. The Search Committee is organizing ways, like our meeting today, to discern who will be called as Vicar for the next stage of the journey even as we pray that God is already preparing the heart of the one who is to come.

It is easy to get anxious and worry about the search process, who will come, will we have enough money, will our church grow, do we have a future? Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, calls us to be stewards and be trustworthy. The first step in this is to turn to God and ask what are you, God, calling us to be. And then to be faithful to our call. We plant and water this part of God's vineyard and look to God for the growth. Being a steward is different from being an owner. As things change - as they always do - it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking we are owners. When we feel that reaction - "but we never did it that way" welling up inside- stop and examine what is it we worry or fear will happen or is happening? I know for me - liturgical dance sets off my -- oh no - not in "my" church. Or sometimes a different tune to a hymn than is familiar to me. If I stop and let my reaction pass - then examine the actual event -- I calm down and can see what I might learn.

Jesus words in our Gospel are particularly focused on no worrying or being anxious. He begins with "no one can serve two masters." Jesus talks about money, wealth and possessions more than any other subject except prayer. It is his second favorite topic. However, this gospel is not a diatribe about having wealth but a lesson on the right place of wealth and possessions in our lives. Nor is this about not planning for the future. His point is that if possessions, clothing, or what will happen, consume our minds - there is no place for God. Think about it like a pie chart - if you try to fit God into a section of the pie - then the other things crowd out God or we do not have balance in our lives. If we put God in the center - then all things take their rightful place. The kindom of God permeates all that we do. The future will take happen regardless - we may be able to plan some of it but we do not know what will emerge. Today is all we know. The past is gone - it influences today but we cannot change it. Today we can make choices as things arise - trusting God to be with us in these choices if they are faith-filled.

Thomas Merton:

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you and I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing.
And I know that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road although I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death, I will not fear, for you are ever with me and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

Or Oscar Romero's Prayer.

Or perhaps Mary Oliver:

The Summer Day

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean--
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down--
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?

or maybe -- show up, pay attention, don't get attached to the outcome.

7 Epiphany

Notes towards a sermon
Readings are here.

From the Collect: O Lord, you have taught us that without love whatever we do is worth nothing: Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts your greatest gift, which is love, the true bond of peace and of all virtue, without which whoever lives is accounted dead before you.

The lessons this week tell us how to live when we have love poured into our hearts - God's greatest gift. This is not the love - nice warm feeling we get around babies and our beloveds. This is the hard work love - wanting the best for all people regardless of their actions. Choosing life for all and not just for "nice" people.

Leviticus speaks of becoming holy as God is holy and goes on to give some examples of what that means - fields must not be stripped bare for the greatest profit from the grain or grapes Some must be left for those who have nothing - so they might earn their daily bread and have some grapes or wine to to with the bread. All must be treated as you would wish to be treated. Jesus echoes that call to love neighbor as yourself in his great commandment to his followers.

The psalmist prays that God will teach him the ways of God and keep him from straying off track.

People are holy and must be treated with the reverence we would give to a holy place. He says we are temples of the holy. Anything that we do that abuses ourselves or others defaces that holy temple.

One time when we were in Yellowstone Park with our kids, near the Falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. We had walked down flights of stairways to get near the bottom of the falls. In that awesome space our youngest, who was about 8 at the time, started picking up all the bits left by careless tourists, cigarette ends, bits of paper, - and he told us all to be quiet! He recognized the holiness of the place. Reminded me of the days when we had Morning Prayer at Grace Memorial in Portland. Mr. Richardson, who was from Wales originally - spoke - "The Lord is in his holy temple - let all the earth keep silence before him." We felt that holiness through out the church and in ourselves. I still can call up the feelings of that moment in my childhood.

I think that is the sort of sense of holiness that God calls us to feel in the presence of others and ourselves. Thomas Merton tells of a time when he suddenly saw that in a crowd of people on an otherwise ordinary day in NYC. Each person shone with the light of God for him.

How do we stay in that belief - how do we maintain a loving stance even in the midst of others doing evil things? This is the question that Jesus is addressing in our reading from Matthew today.

Suzanne Guthrie: I remember a Tibetan monk who had been tortured in a Chinese prison for 22 years. When he reached Dharamsala, the Dalai Lama asked him: "What were you scared of the most in prison?" He replied: "I was afraid that I might lose my compassion towards the torturers." -Sulak Sivaraksa

Walter Wink has looked at the Matthew passage through the eyes of culture of the day and writes:

One of the most misunderstood passages in all of the Bible is Jesus' teaching about turning the other cheek. The passage runs this way: "You have heard that it was said, `An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, do not resist one who is evil. If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also. And if anyone takes you to court and sues you for your outer garment, give your undergarment as well. If one of the occupation troops forces you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two."

This passage has generally been understood by people as teaching non-resistance. Do not resist one who is evil has been taken to mean simply let them run all over you. Give up all concern for your own justice. If they hit you on one cheek, turn the other and let them batter you there too, which has been bad advice for battered women. As far as the soldier forcing you to take his pack an extra mile, well are you doing that voluntarily? It has become a platitude meaning extend yourself.

Jesus could not have meant those kinds of things. He resisted evil with every fiber of His being. There is not a single instance in which Jesus does not resist evil when He encounters it. The problem begins right there with the word resist. The Greek term is antistenai. Anti is familiar to us in English still, "against," "Anti"-Defamation League. Stenai means to stand. So, "stand against." Resist is not a mistranslation so much as an undertranslation. What has been overlooked is the degree to which antistenai is used in the Old Testament in the vast majority of cases as a technical term for warfare. To "stand against" refers to the marching of the two armies up against each other until they actually collide with one another and the battle ensues. That is called "taking a stand."

Ephesians 6:13 says, "Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand (antistenai) in that evil day and having done all to stand (stenai)."
...

When Jesus says, "Do not resist one who is evil," there is something stronger than simply resist. It's do not resist violently. Jesus is indicating do not resist evil on its own terms. Don't let your opponent dictate the terms of your opposition. If I have a hoe and my opponent has a rifle, I am obviously going to have to get a rifle in order to fight on equal terms, but then my opponent gets a machine gun, so I have to get a machine gun. You have a spiral of violence that is unending.

Jesus is trying to break that spiral of violence. Don't resist one who is evil probably means something like, don't turn into the very thing you hate. Don't become what you oppose. The earliest translation of this is probably in a version of Romans 12 where Paul says, "Do not return evil for evil."

Jesus gives three examples of what He means by not returning evil for evil. The first of these is, "If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also." Imagine if I were your assailant and I were to strike a blow with my right fist at your face, which cheek would it land on? It would be the left. It is the wrong cheek in terms of the text we are looking at. Jesus says, "If anyone strikes you on the right cheek..." I could hit you on the right cheek if I used a left hook, but that would be impossible in Semitic society because the left hand was used only for unclean tasks. You couldn't even gesture with your left hand in public. The only way I could hit you on the right cheek would be with the back of the hand.

Now the back of the hand is not a blow intended to injure. It is a symbolic blow. It is intended to put you back where you belong. It is always from a position of power or superiority. The back of the hand was given by a master to a slave or by a husband to a wife or by a parent to a child or a Roman to a Jew in that period. What Jesus is saying is in effect, "When someone tries to humiliate you and put you down, back into your social location which is inferior to that person, and turn your other cheek."

Now in the process of turning in that direction, if you turned your head to the right, I could no longer backhand you. Your nose is now in the way. Furthermore, you can't backhand someone twice. It's like telling a joke a second time. If it doesn't work the first time, it has failed. By turning the other cheek, you are defiantly saying to the master, "I refuse to be humiliated by you any longer. I am a human being just like you. I am a child of God. You can't put me down even if you have me killed." This is clearly no way to avoid trouble. The master might have you flogged within an inch of your life, but he will never be able to assert that you have no dignity.

The second instance Jesus gives is, "If anyone takes you to court and sues you for your outer garment, give your undergarment as well." The situation here is dealing with collateral for a loan. If a person was trying to get a loan, normally they would use animals or land as collateral for the loan but the very poorest of the poor, according to Deuteronomy 24:10-13, could hock their outer garment. It was the long robe that they used to sleep in at night and used as an overcoat by day. The creditor had to return this garment every night but could come get it every morning and thus harass the debtor and hopefully get him to repay.

Jesus' audience is made up of debtors -- "If anyone takes you to court..." He is talking to the very people who know they are going to be dragged into court for indebtedness and they know also that the law is on the side of the wealthy. They are never going to win a case. So Jesus says to them, "Okay, you are not going to win the case. So take the law and with jujitsu-like finesse, throw it into a point of absurdity. When your creditor sues you for your outer garment, give your undergarment as well."

They didn't have underwear in those days. That meant taking off the only stitch of clothing you had left on you and standing nude, naked, in court. As the story of Jonah reminds us, nakedness was not only taboo in Israel. The shame of nakedness fell not on the person who was naked, but on the person who observed their nakedness. The creditor is being put in the position of being shamed by the nakedness of the debtor. Imagine the debtor leaving the courtroom, walking out in the street and all of his friends coming and seeing him in his all-togethers and saying, "What happened to you?"

He says, "That creditor has got all my clothes," and starts walking down to his house. People are coming out of bazaars and alleys, "What happened? What happened?" Everyone is talking about it and chattering and falling in behind him, fifty-hundred people marching down in this little demonstration toward his house. You can imagine it is going to be some time in that village before any creditor takes anybody else to court.

What Jesus is showing us in these two examples so far is that you don't have to wait for a utopian revolution to come along before you can start living humanly. You can begin living humanly now under the conditions of the old order. The kingdom of God is breaking into the myths of these people now, the moment they begin living the life of the future, the kingdom of God.

Jesus' third example is "If one of the occupation troops forces you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two." Now these packs weighed 65 to 85 pounds, not counting weapons. These soldiers had to move quickly to get to the borders where trouble had broken out. The military law made it permissible for a soldier to grab a civilian and force the civilian to carry the pack, but only one mile. There were mile markers on every Roman road. If -- and this is the part we have left out -- the civilian were forced to carry the pack more than one mile, the soldier was in infraction of military code, and military code was always more strictly enforced than civilian. So Jesus is saying, "All right. The next time the soldier forces you to carry his pack, cooperate. Carry it and then when you come to the mile marker, keep going."

The soldier suddenly finds himself in a position he has never been in before. He has always known before exactly what you would do. You would mutter and you would complain, but you would carry it. As soon as the mile marker came, you would drop it. Suddenly, this person is carrying the pack on. The soldier doesn't know why, but he also knows that he is in infraction of military law and if his centurion finds out about this, he is in deep trouble. Jesus is teaching these people how to take the initiative away from their oppressors and within the situation of that old order, find a new way of being.

Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. found these lessons from Christ for their leadership of groups resisting oppression.

Wink calls it the Third Way. Looking for a way to stand up for ourselves without becoming like the one we are resisting. It can work for those things within ourselves too - if we are trying to change. Finding ways that are loving towards ourselves - not beating ourselves up for being bad or failures.

The work of love is not easy but the rewards are eternal.

6 Epiphany

Readings are here. This is also the week we celebrate Janani Luwum, Archbishop of Uganda who was murdered February 11, 1977.

This is one of those gospel readings that might make one wonder why there are not more one-eyed, one-handed Christians. A literal reading and following of this passage might stop anyone in his or her tracks. And in a desert community where eating is done with the right hand and less cleanly activities with the left -- it is even scarier. We might wonder where did that nice Jesus go - with his forgiveness and love? So how are we to make sense of this passage without losing the essential message or watering it down into something like Paul refers to in the letter to the Corinthians? Milk instead of solid food? How does it fit in the word from the Book of Deuteronomy about life and death, prosperity and adversity?

First we look at the context and the culture of Jesus' day. Rhetorical flourishes are common to get people to pay attention. Much like we might say - "oh that happened a million times" when really it happened just a couple of times - the language of Jesus' and others used over the top metaphors and analogies. The call to tear our your eye and cut off your hand (this is you doing it to yourself not someone else deciding you need it) is an attention getting device. It means - listen up - important message. Where we might dismiss the whole message if someone used such an outrageous statement (though I am not sure that is true from my occasional watching of television and reading some blogs), those hearing Jesus would sit up and take notice.

Second we read the whole message of the Gospels - and their continual questions about what it means to follow God in Christ Jesus, to live as he would have us live and to pass on the message to others.

Deuteronomy is written in a time when what seems to be forecast in Moses' day has happened. Looking back at the stories of the people of God - the writer shows why they are in Exile now. The answer is they did not choose life - they chose death. They chose the ways that led them away from living in right relationship with each other and God - instead of that which leads to life. They are no longer living in the land of their ancestors because they did not do what is set down in the commandments. As they look back from being conquered and sent away from their land - it is clear cause and effect.

Paul is writing to that fractious Corinthian congregation. They are arguing over who is the best from externals - who had what baptism. This very jealousy and quarreling shows that they really don't "get it." Among bishops there used to be (maybe still is) an argument like this -- from what line of bishops did one receive one's "bishopness"? Can you trace your laying on of hands back to the earliest bishops of the Anglican-Episcopal tradition and is it the most direct line. (sort of an episcopal genealogy). And heaven forbid for some if a woman bishop was in your lineage!! or even if one of the men helped consecrate a gay bishop or a woman bishop! Definitely shows that one has lost the main point of being a Christian when this sort of quarreling breaks out.

What then are we to understand from our reading from Matthew, today? I think we need to go back to Genesis and its message about human persons being created in the image of God. Whenever we objectify or abuse one another we abuse God. Each of us bears the image of God in the world - we are living images of God. One of the commandments is you shall not make images of God - the making of images allows us to think we can control God. Since each human is the image of God - objectifying anyone is has control as its goal. Humans are to be treasured and loved. Murder is forbidden, of course, but the steps that result in murder, like anger - are also to be noticed and not allowed to grow and spread. Anger turns the other into an object - one cannot see anything good about the other when angry. We start to make them into a thing-- we see that in war - where the people we are fighting have a derogatory name. And how hard it is to continue to hate when we get to know someone's story and life and struggles. We have seen that in the church as gays and lesbians have "come out of the closet" and told their stories and others discovered that the "them" are really our neighbors, our sisters, our brothers, our children.

Talking to each other, becoming reconciled, learning each other's stories, going to those we have offended and making amends - this stops the murderous process of making people into strangers.

Though Jimmy Carter got a lot of "flack" over his lusting in his heart statement - he was alluding to this passage and that when we begin to use people for our own gratification instead of truly offering love and commitment - these are the steps that lead to isolation and loneliness instead of love and community.

When we ask upon reading this lesson from Matthew, where did "nice Jesus" go? We miss the point that in order to love as Christ asked us to love- we are told what will take us away from that ability to love. Of course we have these feelings of anger and desire, but where are they leading and for what purpose? Anger at injustice is one thing - we see Jesus angry in the temple, we see him angry whenever someone is left out of the circle of concern by the community. He turns his anger to action against systems - not against people. He sees that the ways we deal with one another much change at every level. He chooses death on the cross rather than armies of death and destruction. He shows us that relationship and love is more powerful and life giving.

Janani Luwum whom we celebrate this week lived this message:

In 1974 Janani Luwum he became Archbishop of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga-Zaire. As we have seen, it was a time of widespread terror. Archbishop Luwum often went personally to the office of the dreaded State Research Bureau to help secure the release of prisoners.

Tension between Church and state worsened in 1976. Religious leaders, including Archbishop Luwum, jointly approached Idi Amin to share their concern. They were rebuffed. But Archbishop Luwum continued to attend Government functions. One of his critics accused him of being on the Government side and he replied: "I face daily being picked up by the soldiers. While the opportunity is there I preach the Gospel with all my might, and my conscience is clear before God that I have not sided with the present Government which is utterly self-seeking. I have been threatened many times. Whenever I have the opportunity I have told the President the things the churches disapprove of."

Early in 1977, there was a small army rebellion that was put down with only seven men dead. However, Amin determined to stamp out all traces of dissent. His men killed thousands, including the entire population of Milton Obote's home village. On Sunday, 30 January, Bishop Festo Kivengere preached on "The Preciousness of Life" to an audience including many high government officials. He denounced the arbitrary bloodletting, and accused the government of abusing the authority that God had entrusted to it. The government responded on the following Saturday (5 February) by an early (1:30am) raid on the home of the Archbishop, Janani Luwum, ostensibly to search for hidden stores of weapons.

The Archbishop called on President Amin to deliver a note of protest, signed by nearly all the bishops of Uganda, against the policies of arbitrary killings and the unexplained disappearances of many persons. Amin accused the Archbishop of treason, produced a document supposedly by former President Obote attesting his guilt, and had the Archbishop and two Cabinet members (both committed Christians) arrested and held for military trial.

On 16 February, the Archbishop and six bishops were tried on a charge of smuggling arms. Archbishop Luwum was not allowed to reply, but shook his head in denial. The President concluded by asking the crowd: "What shall we do with these traitors?" The soldiers replied "Kill him now". The Archbishop was separated from his bishops. As he was taken away Archbishop Luwum turned to his brother bishops and said: "Do not be afraid. I see God's hand in this."


The three (the Archbishop and the two Cabinet members) met briefly with four other prisoners who were awaiting execution, and were permitted to pray with them briefly. Then the three were placed in a Land Rover and not seen alive again by their friends. The government story is that one of the prisoners tried to seize control of the vehicle and that it was wrecked and the passengers killed. The story believed by the Archbishop's supporters is that he refused to sign a confession, was beaten and otherwise abused, and finally shot. His body was placed in a sealed coffin and sent to his native village for burial there. However, the villagers opened the coffin and discovered the bullet holes. In the capital city of Kampala a crowd of about 4,500 gathered for a memorial service beside the grave that had been prepared for him next to that of the martyred bishop Hannington. In Nairobi, the capital of nearby Kenya, about 10,000 gathered for another memorial service. Bishop Kivengere was informed that he was about to be arrested, and he and his family fled to Kenya, as did the widow and orphans of Archbishop Luwum.

The following June, about 25,000 Ugandans came to the capital to celebrate the centennial of the first preaching of the Gospel in their country, among the participants were many who had abandoned Christianity, but who had returned to their Faith as a result of seeing the courage of Archbishop Luwum and his companions in the face of death.

4 Epiphany

Readings are here

The last few weeks we have been hearing about Jesus beginning his public ministry - calling the disciples. Now he is gaining more attention and crowds are gathering wherever he goes. Today he begins to move beyond the healing ministry that has attracted the crowds and preach the message that will startle the world around him and call for a new way of looking at life. Looking at life the way God sees it.

In the days of Jesus blessed meant to those the Romans and Greeks "the gods" - the ones who lived beyond the normal cares of humanity. Or it could mean to many - those who had died and were finished with the trials of living. Or it most likely meant the elite-- those with great success, wealth, large families, land, business. We know this meaning from our daily news-- someone survives a wreck where everyone else is injured or klled - they say "I was blessed," or someone recovers from a life threatening illness and people say - "she was blessed," or someone wins the lottery - the news proclaims "showers of blessings!"

NOT blessed meant shame, being without any resources, loss of status, without hope, and overwhelmed by the world and its pain.

For Jesus to state in his first big public statement that it is these who had been seen as without blessing to be the blessed ones is shocking, foolish as Paul would call the world's view of this belief. How can this be - it goes against everything "people know."

What Jesus knows is that blessing is who we ARE not something we attain. Created in the image of God - just being here on this earth is enough. Many do not grow up with this belief about themselves. They never feel worthy enough -- always feel like they cannot earn enough, be enough, measure up because this is the message they hear at home and in the world. What message did you hear? I was lucky - my grandmother always delighted in being - just being born was enough to have her favor. It is something each child needs to hear. We know from studies that if a child has one person in his or her life who treats him with respect and listens and spends time her - it can change the course of a life. It does not have to be a relative - it can be a teacher - a person who sees the child in a store. Anyone.

Bishop Tutu - the great hero of South Africa says that for him it was a priest. He grew up thinking he was less than human because he was black in South Africa - he could never really do much because of all the barriers. He was about 10 years old living in the townships. One day a white man, an Anglican (Episcopal) priest walked by his home while his mother was out sweeping the steps. The little boy, Desmond, was watching out the window when he saw the priest tip his hat to his mother. It changed his life - seeing his mother treated as a full human being worthy of respect. He suddenly realized that he was not second class human but as good as anyone. Blessed as Jesus says in our reading.

That priest suffered and was persecuted for his belief in the dignity of every human being. Nelson Mandela suffered for that belief, Desmond Tutu suffered. Often the world does not want people to know they are blessed. It wants to keep people "in their place" --- the message of Jesus is "don't believe it" -- believe that you are created in the image of God - you are born blessed - you cannot lose the blessing not matter what happens nor what you do. It is grace and it is always there - always waiting for you to notice and accept it. We are called to know this as Christians - to tell each other when we forget - to tell others who may not know this message. But Jesus says it may cost you your place in the society of some -- but this is not Junior High where if you offend the 'in' crowd and you are cast out. This is the way to life abundant. A way of living without fear of who is in and who is out, who is up and who is down. It is a banquet with seats for everyone - Jesus offers himself as the way to find you place at the table.

When Paul talks about the foolishness of the cross - he is talking about following the One who could have done a miracle or could have brought the armies of angels to his rescue but chose to die as we die, God born as a helpless baby, who hangs helpless on the cross to show us that the rules of this world about who is blessed have no power. Claiming our blessedness - means we let go of fear - fear of death, fear of the stranger, fear of failure - because that is not real - it is not our doom - it is only something to pass through - it will not really kill the essentials of who we are.

The message of the cross is not becoming a doormat - it is about choosing to believe in our selves and the power of our choices even in extreme danger. When we poor in spirit - dispossessed and abandoned - we are still blessed. When we are mourning - grieving the state of the world or ourselves - we are still blessed. We do not seek these things to BE blessed we are blessed regardless of these things. The events are not blessings but we walk through them knowing that we are beloved of God and God knows what it is like to be poor and grieving.

The prophet Micah tells of God almost taking the people by the shoulders and shaking them - listen God says - I don't want all this ritual outward sign of your worthiness - you are already worthy -- live into it -- do what is good - this is what I require:

Do justice - see that all the peoples of the world can live in health and wholeness; Love kindness-- treat each person as you would be treated; and walk humbly with God - walk in the paths of God, see the world through God's eyes, choose LIFE.

Here is how it looks in the news today - from Egypt:
From Twitter
Sana Saleem
While Muslim Protestors prayed today, Christian Egyptians formed human chains to protect them. Solidarity,strength and co-existence and a few weeks ago when churches were attacked - Muslims neighbors surrounded churches during worship.

This is choosing to live into what it means to accept that we are blessed.

3 Epiphany

Thoughts towards a sermon:

Readings are here.

Once again the Gospel relates one of the call stories - though it differs from last week in the setting - now they are in Capernaum instead of by the Jordan River. Jesus has apparently taken up residence in this small town whose economy was based in fishing and agriculture. Recent archeological findings show that the town was made up of sturdily built houses of basalt (like we find in our rocky outcroppings along the coast) with roofs of small logs, sticks and mud (remember the healing of the paralytic where his friends tore up the roof to let him down by Jesus?). Prized possessions were small mills to grind grain and olives for flour and oil. There did not seem to be a wide disparity of social classes.

I don't often think of Jesus as having a home -- mostly in the gospels he seems to ramble about with his followers depending on the kindness and support of women for his food and lodging. But in the gospel of Matthew - they spend a lot of time in Galilee where they would not be far from home. Peter could easily return to look after his wife and mother in law. Peter and Andrew seem to work for others, as they own nets but no boat. James and John work for their father who most likely contracted with wealthier investors. This story makes me wonder about those who stayed home to support Jesus and his followers. Perhaps there is a ministry of stability that makes it possible for others to do their ministry of reaching out.

We are continuing with Paul's letter to the Corinthians. After the nice things about the Corinthian Christians that he said in the part we read last week - he begins his critique of them In this portion he is saddened by their divisions - this one over whose baptism is better. He is sort of funny in this letter - starting out with "I thank God that I baptized none of you" and then having to back track, oh except Crispus, Gauis, Stephanas and maybe a few more!! I like these segues in Paul's letters - they make him the most real of all the Bible people. He ends this section saying "the message of the cross is foolishness" - what does he mean- how can it be foolish. But looking at it from the point of view of might makes right, or wealth proves you are blessed, or he who dies with the most toys wins -- a God who dies powerless on the cross seems very foolish. A message that God chooses weakness and shame in an honor/shame culture instead of power and might and wealth - does sound very odd.

Lately I have been intrigued with the psalms. This one speaks of seeking one thing - to dwell in the house of the Lord forever, to seek him in his temple. At one time this might have meant an actual place - the temple in Jerusalem but what does it mean now. Sometimes I come into the church building when no one is around, and just sit -- this particular building has a very spiritual sense for me. I know altar guild members often report they are most able to pray and be present to God when alone setting up the altar and preparing the church for our worship. So it could be a place even now. I also believe the whole earth is a temple of God as well as our bodies - so it may be that we seek to dwell within the world and within our bodies as temples. When I walk the beach I feel that sense of holy space - a grand temple that brings awe and terror and peace in its own way. In many ways the ocean is a metaphor for God for me -- a place that gives me life and can easily take it away. If we look at our selves and our earth as a temple of God - how would that change us? Respect for the earth as holy place, respect for our bodies as holy places? What about cities?

Today we have the Annual Meeting - if we live into this idea how would it change our meetings?

There has been a plea for more civility in our public discourse. Could I start by treating each encounter with another as holy space? Acting and speaking with the sense of God's presence in the midst of us?

2 Epiphany

Looking back from Monday at what I really said -- 8 a.m. - felt to me like the sermon wanted to go in 2 directions - not sure it really came together. 9:30 a.m. - one of those rare moments when it felt like it all came together - sermon, music (not planned by me), prayers.

The congregation is beginning their search process and will have the Annual Meeting next Sunday so the focus was on their call to be the church in in this time and place?

Here are some notes --

Readings are here.

Lesson seem to be around the idea of what it means to answer the call of God and to witness that call to others?

Isaiah, not to lose hope

Psalmist - In the roll of the book it is written concerning me: *
'I love to do your will, O my God;
your law is deep in my heart."' What is written in the book about you? me? us as a congregation?

Paul and the Corinthians, -- assuring them that there is reason for their community, that God has called them in this time and place to witness to their city.

John, points to Jesus - not to himself

Jesus -- come and see. -- it is in the following that you will know.

WH Auden - Hymnal (did not end up using this - but it was in my mind)

He is the Way.
Follow Him through the Land of Unlikeness;
You will see rare beasts, and have unique adventures.

He is the Truth.
Seek Him in the Kingdom of Anxiety;
You will come to a great city that has expected your return for years.

He is the Life.
Love Him in the World of the Flesh;
And at your marriage all its occasions shall dance for joy

.


A blessing:

My friends, life is short, and we do not have much time to gladden the hearts of those who make this earthly pilgrimage with us, so be swift to love, and make haste to do kindness, and the blessing of God, who comes to us as +Creative Presence, Saving Grace and Lifegiving Spirit, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be upon you and all whom you love and pray for this day, and forever more.

Fun with Icons

Join the band with saints and angels. Gives a whole new meaning to "with all the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven" we sing!!



h/t to Phil's Treehouse