Isaiah

Heartbreak and Yearning

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I feel like I need to preface this post by saying that the Hebrews passage for this week is one of my favorites and I often look forward to preaching on it. I usually read it as a reminder of how many, many generations of people have wrestled with faith and run the race to it’s completion. I love the image of being surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. It’s a great image of hope and encouragement. But work has been intense these days. I’ve witnessed some difficult acts of aggression and violence that are not easy to let go of. My vacation is coming soon, so all shall be well.

But my thoughts on this Hebrews passage shifted this morning. That cloud of witnesses that I think of as cheering us on, turned into one disappointed and trying to find words that will get us running the race again. You see, on my drive into work I heard about the violence in Egypt and the hopelessness people on both sides feel about the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Talks. When I came home and looked for more information about these stories, I found more violence in Egypt, Somalia, Iraq, Yemen, and Syria, and  possible sabotage to submarines in India.

These events, though far from where I sit, feel overwhelming and I cannot make sense of them. I keep hearing the words to “God of Grace and God of Glory” in the back of my mind as I try to understand the violence that slashes through the world today.

oldtown_19_bg_022506Isaiah says, “he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!” When will our response to God’s love for us be justice for all people?

Jeremiah reminds us that God is nearby and not far off. Our ways are not hidden from God. Why have we not learned to take better care of the gifts we have been given?

Hebrews speaks to the lineage we have as God’s children. We are not alone. We are, in fact, “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.” What are they saying to us? What do they call out to us?

Luke shares Jesus’ message of division. It’s not a comforting message for sure. But I have to wonder if Jesus isn’t still waiting for his fire to be kindled. There have been flames here and there, but a fire that burns so brightly and clearly? I don’t know…as we try to run this race?

I don’t have an answer to these questions. I don’t have anything more than a yearning for humanity to do better and stop breaking the heart of our Creator. So I will keep singing the hymn that has echoed through my thoughts all day. And I will add the words of the Psalmist:  Restore us, O Sovereign God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

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RCL – Year C – Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 18, 2013
Isaiah 5:1-7 with Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19 or
Jeremiah 23:23-29 with Psalm 82
Hebrews 11:29-12:2
Luke 12:49-56

Challenge, Change, and Faith

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churchThe church is dead. The church is dying. The church is irrelevant. I’ve heard statements like these increasingly more often in the last couple of years. Truth be told, I’ve made similar observations myself for more than a decade. But after reading this week’s lectionary, I no longer agree that the church is dead, dying, or irrelevant. Although, it could be if we don’t pay better attention.

First, Isaiah’s words to the people of Israel. God is not pleased. The offerings and prayers of the people have become meaningless. They are going through the motions of faith, but they do not seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend orphans, or plead for widows. They have lost their way, again. God does not want empty religious rituals. God wants their hearts and their lives. It wouldn’t be much of a stretch for Isaiah’s word’s to be meant for today’s church goers.

The Hebrews text is the beautiful reminder of the power of faith. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. The passage goes on to remind the church in Jerusalem that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had faith in the midst of challenge and change; they did not sit still and wait for things to happen. The emerging church was changing the face of religious practice in those days, and it was scary. The reminder to trust God to guide the journey and fulfill promises was a timely one. And, like the Isaiah text, it’s not hard to imagine that these words spoken to the church now.

No, we aren’t dead. No, we aren’t dying. No, we aren’t irrelevant. But we could be all these things if we don’t pay more attention. The caution to Jerusalem’s emerging church was not to do things that would make God ashamed to be their God. It’s a reasonable caution for today’s emerging church. Where have our rituals become empty? Where have our offerings become meaningless? Is God honored by our actions or ashamed of them? Do we truly seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend orphans or plead for widows?

We aren’t dead or dying, but we are changing; something new is emerging. Change is essential to the church’s survival and we don’t like it. This resistance to and dislike of change has been consistent since the early church. We don’t know what to do when the shape of our religious practice shifts. It makes us anxious and in our anxiety we tend to cling more firmly to things and rituals that don’t really mean all that much. Therefore, the reminders of the faithful who have gone before us. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Miriam, Rebecca, and Rachael. Peter, Paul, and Stephen. Mary, Martha, and Lydia. And the countless men and women who walked paths of faith when the present and the future were unclear.

So lest we become irrelevant, let us get moving with the great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us. Let’s ask ourselves what is essential for Christian faith right now, and pray for the courage to let all the rest fall away. It’s not too late. We aren’t dead yet. And we are not irrelevant. People need faith now as much as ever before, if not more so. The church has a unique message for those who are hungry. It’s time we look to see where our treasure lies (and move it if it is in the wrong place.)

Let your steadfast love, O God, be upon us, even as we hope in you.

For those of you who need musical motivation, check this out:  Do Something

photo from pdphoto.org

RCL – Year C – Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost – August 11, 2013
Isaiah 1:1, 10-20 with Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23 or
Genesis 15:1-6 with Psalm 33:12-22 and
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Luke 12:32-40

We Are a Hungry, Thirsty Nation

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Irony lurks in this week’s texts. It’s the third Sunday of Lent and some people have given up certain foods or are fasting to a greater extent. And here we have two passages (Isaiah 55:1-9 and Psalm 63:1-8) that speak of hunger and thirst. The Isaiah pericope opens with an invitation to a feast: Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Sign me up!

The bigger irony is that Americans are kind of obsessed with food. Fast food, junk food, healthy food, dessert food, breakfast food, all kinds of food 24 hours a day. It’s amazing, really. We use food to comfort ourselves (chocolate or mac and cheese anyone?), to celebrate (birthday cake), to ease boredom (ice cream in front of the tv), and sometimes when we are actually hungry. Beverages are similar. When did America start running on coffee? When did everyone start carrying water bottles everywhere? When did coffee mugs or soda bottles begin to accompany us to every meeting? We are a hungry, thirsty nation.

But there is something really off with all this, right? The obesity rate is climbing. Eating disorders afflict many. Food allergies plague more and more people. We’re eating, but we are at the wrong table. Then I read about a petition to the FDA to be able to add aspartame to dairy products and not have label it that way. Why? I’ve also read too much about Monsanto and genetically modified grains and vegetables. Then there is how animals are “raised” in horrid circumstances and fed hormones just to get the kind of meat that is pleasing to the consumer. We ingest ridiculous amounts of chemicals daily, even when we try to eat healthy foods. And, with a few exceptions, the healthier you try to eat, the more it costs you. So we remain hungry, thirsty, and obsessed.

Isaiah raises a timely question!  Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?  Why do we spend our money and our time on those things which do not nourish us? We’re really good at it and incredibly creative. Aspartame in milk! Who would have ever thought? It’s not just corporations and lobbyists wasting time and money and walking away dissatisfied. This lack of nourishment seems to be a real problem nearly everywhere. Look at Congress and the endless debates over budget, gun control, and immigration. Look at New Hampshire where the governor wants to pay for mental health care and education with a casino. Look at your own life and ask yourself how many times you walk away from something shaking your head and wishing you’d done something else instead.

Lent provides us a perfect time to ask ourselves where we are nourished. Whose table are we dining at? And do we walk away satisfied or do we remain malnourished?

Isaiah issues a call to a banquet, a promise to feed all who are hungry and thirsty. No one will walk away without being nourished and satisfied. Our obsession with food and drink in this country belies a much deeper yearning. The psalmist names it:  O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Lent is the perfect time to seek a better sustenance, to reclaim our faith which we know can make us whole. Stop doing the things that waste our time, and begin doing the things that fill us, satisfy us, and make us better people. It’s the right time to find our way back to the banquet table. Isaiah’s invitation is still open. We don’t have to keep thinking we are eating and feeling we are starving. We don’t have to be super-sized. It takes an honesty with ourselves. It takes time to sit and be still and realize how hungry we really are, and how empty we can let our lives become. There are weeks still in this Lenten season. Life without God is empty, and we will never be satisfied.

Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, foodand to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

RCL -Third Sunday of Lent – March 3, 2013

Isaiah 55:1-9
Psalm 63:1-8
1Corinthians 10:1-13
Luke 13:1-9

Little Christmas Thoughts

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Christmas isn’t over yet, but it would be hard to prove it in many places. The stores have all taken down their lights and Christmas merchandise and replaced them with Valentine’s hearts. The radio doesn’t play carols anymore. Most people have packed away their decorations for another year. Who would guess that the Christmas season does not end until January 6th?

It seems that we make the trip to Bethlehem at a frantic pace, barely taking time to notice the journey. But we don’t linger there. The gospel reading this week invites us to take a breath, pay attention, and be changed by the experience of greeting Christ.

If you have not read T.S. Eliot’s “Journey of the Magi” it’s worth checking out. Eliot brings those magi alive in an unforgettable way. And once they are alive they are a bit meddlesome, at least for me.

I look at the news today and I am disgusted. The fiscal cliff fiasco and the impending debt ceiling debates make me want to run away. But then I am smacked in the head with the fact that more than 60,000 people have died in Syria. Right next to that tidbit, there is increased violence in Iraq and Pakistan. Further down the page, economic troubles in Portugal add to the growing list of struggling European countries. And these are just the headlines. It appears that no one is heading in a new direction.

So back to the magi. They went to Bethlehem to pay homage to the new born king. The had a long journey to get there. They were intercepted by Herod who had less than pleasant plans for this new king. They knelt before Mary and the baby Jesus. They offered their gifts. Then they went home by another road because the risk to Jesus was too high for them to return by the same route.

This is where they become meddlesome. Every time I read this passage I ask myself what gifts do I offer to Jesus and are these gifts the very best of what I have. This question is followed by a more difficult one: Does the road I travel pose any risk to Jesus, to my faith? Do I need to go in a new direction anywhere in my life for Christ’s sake, for my sake?

These questions and the search for their answers are better than New Year’s Resolutions if you’re wanting to make some changes in your life. If you got yourself to Bethlehem and knelt before that manger, why would you want to give less than your best or walk away unchanged?

If you and I linger for a bit, it won’t make headlines but it might make a difference.

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
DSC00034RCL – Year C – Epiphany – January 6, 2013

Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14
Ephesians 3:1-12
Matthew 2:1-12

Rejoice, Give Thanks, and Sing

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Some of this blog might sound trite or naive,  but it’s neither. This week’s reflection is composed with the lectionary in mind, and following a rather dramatically hostile day at the hospital. Yet I choose joy, because I really believe we are beloved of God. Only in this relationship can we experience true joy, ever.

I think joy is misunderstood. I don’t think it is happiness magnified so much as it is life embraced. It isn’t a fleeting feeling of ecstasy or amusement, either. Joy takes root deep inside a person’s soul and blossoms into strength and wisdom that keeps one grounded when tragedy and chaos strike. Joy is part gift and part hard work.

It is easier to focus on the horrors. Another shooting rampage (this one in Oregon). Syria firing missiles at rebels. North Korea testing missiles. An Egyptian blogger jailed for blasphemy. A human mind tortured by mental illness. Looking for joy is challenging.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I believe these words from Philippians are at the core of the Advent message. We are preparing for Christ to come anew. We are anticipating Christ’s return. But Christ is already here. So rejoice! Breathe. Be gentle with everyone including yourself. And stop worrying. It’s a choice to celebrate Christ’s presence even when things are painful and messy.

I have often begun worship with an invitation to worshippers to share things for which they are grateful. There is never silence. If people in a psychiatric facility can find joy then there’s hope for the rest of us. The good news of Advent is that we are already Beloved. Christ has claimed us.

We worship and participate in the seasons of the church to remind ourselves of the ancient story and our place in it. In this season let us remember all that Christ has done for us and choose to rejoice.

Surely God is my salvation;544839_10151221234859375_1385174662_n
I will trust, and will not be afraid,
for the Lord God is my strength
and my might;
he has become my salvation.

RCL – Year C – Third Sunday of Advent – December 16, 2012

Zephaniah 3:14-20
Isaiah 12:2-6
Philippians 4:4-7
Luke 3:7-18

It Isn’t All About the Work

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RCL – Year B – Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost – September 9, 2012 Series 1: Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 Psalm 125 Series 2: Isaiah 35:4-7a Psalm 146 James 2:1-10 [11-13] 14-17 Mark 7:24-37 Labor Day has come and gone. The summer has come to an end (never mind what the thermometer or the calendar says). … Read More

Have you not heard?

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RCL for 2/5/12: Isaiah 40:21-31 Psalm 147:1-11, 20c 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 Mark 1:29-39 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of … Read More

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