8/31/09 My breath prayer for the day is Proverbs 22:1, "A good name is to chosen rather than great riches." I have been reflecting on what's really important today, upon how we will be remembered, upon what impact we have upon the world. I think a good name, that is, a reputation for integrity, for faithfulness, for justice, for peace is what I would choose to be remembered for. I give thanks for the riches I do have, but more than the material ones, I give thanks for the relationships, the memories, the holy encounters that I have had.
Love,
Lynn
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Have-to's and Get-to's
8/30/09 from my sermon from Ephesians 2:1-10
Hello, my name is Lynn, and I am an eldest son, super-responsible, high-achieving, goody-goody, workaholic. I have been in recovery for many years, but I have also had many relapses.
I don't know where I got it--from my family of origin, or Protestant work ethic, or where--but somehow I thought if I were only good enough, God would have to love me. I know that I am the only one who has ever felt this way. (Laughter)
Some of us get confused. We think that Christianity is about doing good works, being perfect, and earning our way into heaven. It is like there is a points system. I know all of the St. Peter at the Pearly Gates jokes only reinforce this. "Well, let me check in my book, and see if you had enough good deeds."
The problem I had with this was that even though I was working very hard to please God, I never felt very happy. I felt a sense of obligation. I felt I never could do enough. I was always disappointing God...others....and maybe what was the worst...myself. I felt like the passage says, dead in my trespasses.
Thankfully, in my senior year in high school, my girl friend showed my a passage of scripture. It was right before a big revival. I didn't need the revival. The verses from Ephesians 2:8-9 were exactly what I needed to hear. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not because of works, lest anyone should boast." What a relief! What a burden lifted! It wasn't about what I did, but about what God had already done. It was a gift, not about my good works.
Now I have fallen back many times, trying to prove that I deserve to be saved, but this is the gospel. We are saved by what God has done in Jesus Christ.
When I went to seminary, I found that I was in pretty good company. Martin Luther, of the Protestant revolution, went through the same process. He crawled up the steps of St. Peter's in Rome on his knees, and many other things, trying to prove how good he was. But it was a verse in Romans that got to him, that said, faith was made him righteous, not his good works. John Wesley, who started the Methodist reform movement, that eventually became our UMC, had nearly the same exact story. He visited in prisons and even became a missionary to these American colonies in the 1700's , trying to convert others, but having no assurance of his salvation, until his heart was "strangely warmed" by God's grace.
You know that I am an Aggie, so I keep things simple so that I can understand them. So I came up with this distinction between have-to's and get-to's in understanding God and salvation. Let me illustrate. Some people look at the 10 commandments as have-to's....they are rules not to be broken. If you look at the rest of the OT, you find that they get expanded to some 630 commandments. Then when the scribes and Pharisees come along, they grew to thousands in number as they were applied to every part of life.
But I look at the 10 commandments as get-to's. They are about relationships...between God and us. Remember how they begin...."I am the LORD, the one who brought you out of bondage in Egypt." There are only 10 simple things to tend to, only 8 of them in the negative. I like what Godly play teaches about these with children. They are called the 10 best ways of living.
Then when Jesus comes along, remember how he approached the 10 commmandments in Matthew's Gospel, in the sermon on the mount, chapter 5. "You have heard it said...you shall not murder," number 6 on the top ten list, "But I say to you, if you harbor hatred and anger in your heart, you have just as well murdered." "You have heard it said....love your neighbor, but I say to you, love your enemies." Jesus takes us way beyond what the law requires to what love is.
Have-to's feel like "what is the minimum I need to do in order to pass this class?" Get-to's feel like "how much can I give back to you for all you have done for me?" Have-to's feel like rules. Get-to's feel like relationships. Have-to's feel like fear of punishment. Get-to's feel like gratitude. Have-to's feel like law. Get-to's feel like love.
May I tell you a story? When you used to go camping in the mountains of New Mexico, several families would go together meeting near Tres Ritos. After setting up camp, we would go further up the mountain to get firewood, filling up a pick-up with huge logs. Back a camp, my Dad among others would say, "Now you boys work up that firewood." A have-to that we resisted. But Mr. Wattenburger would say, "Now Marty, I bet no one could split that log in just 5 ax blows." "Oh, yeah, watch this!" And proceed to do it. He would say, "Now Lynn, you and Duffy couldn't saw through that big log with the cross cut saw in under a minute." "Oh yeah, watch this." And we did. He made it into a get-to. Have-t0's feel like work. Get-to's feel like fun.
I came across some quotes from years ago. I don't even remember where I got them, but they are keepers about have-to's and get-to's. "The church is not an institution forcing us to follow its rules. It is a community of people inviting us to quench our deepest thirsts at is table. Doctrines are not alien formulations to which we must adhere, but the documentation fo the most profound human experiences which transcend time and place, handed down from generation to generation as a light on our darkness. Jesus never threatened people into church. The only ones threatened were the religious ones."
So should we do good works? Absolutely, but only as a response to our salvation, not as a way of earning it. Verse 10 says, "For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works , which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." Once we have received the gift of our salvation, we spend the rest of our lives saying thank you to God by our deeds.
This is what I have found to be true: People will do things out of love that they would never do out of law.
We give backpacks today to people we don't even know because we get to.
We go on mission trips to New Orleans to do home repair. Understand this, we pay money to go work long days, putting up sheet rock for no pay, then stand in line waiting for one of the showers before going to bed in our bunk beds in the dorms. And we say it's fun, because we get to do it.
I am starting a series of sermons today on the foundations stones of what we UM's believe. I want to be clear from the beginning that all of our vows and sacraments are get-to's not have-to's. So we don't have to pray, we get to. We don't have to be present, we get to. We don't have to give money, we get to. We don't have to serve with our spiritual gifts, we get to. WE don't have to witness, we get to. We don't have to come to this table, we get to. We don't have to be baptized, we get to. We don't have to be saved, we get to. We don't have to have peace in our lives, we get to.
I want to be the pastor of a get-to church.
Hello, my name is Lynn, and I am an eldest son, super-responsible, high-achieving, goody-goody, workaholic. I have been in recovery for many years, but I have also had many relapses.
I don't know where I got it--from my family of origin, or Protestant work ethic, or where--but somehow I thought if I were only good enough, God would have to love me. I know that I am the only one who has ever felt this way. (Laughter)
Some of us get confused. We think that Christianity is about doing good works, being perfect, and earning our way into heaven. It is like there is a points system. I know all of the St. Peter at the Pearly Gates jokes only reinforce this. "Well, let me check in my book, and see if you had enough good deeds."
The problem I had with this was that even though I was working very hard to please God, I never felt very happy. I felt a sense of obligation. I felt I never could do enough. I was always disappointing God...others....and maybe what was the worst...myself. I felt like the passage says, dead in my trespasses.
Thankfully, in my senior year in high school, my girl friend showed my a passage of scripture. It was right before a big revival. I didn't need the revival. The verses from Ephesians 2:8-9 were exactly what I needed to hear. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not because of works, lest anyone should boast." What a relief! What a burden lifted! It wasn't about what I did, but about what God had already done. It was a gift, not about my good works.
Now I have fallen back many times, trying to prove that I deserve to be saved, but this is the gospel. We are saved by what God has done in Jesus Christ.
When I went to seminary, I found that I was in pretty good company. Martin Luther, of the Protestant revolution, went through the same process. He crawled up the steps of St. Peter's in Rome on his knees, and many other things, trying to prove how good he was. But it was a verse in Romans that got to him, that said, faith was made him righteous, not his good works. John Wesley, who started the Methodist reform movement, that eventually became our UMC, had nearly the same exact story. He visited in prisons and even became a missionary to these American colonies in the 1700's , trying to convert others, but having no assurance of his salvation, until his heart was "strangely warmed" by God's grace.
You know that I am an Aggie, so I keep things simple so that I can understand them. So I came up with this distinction between have-to's and get-to's in understanding God and salvation. Let me illustrate. Some people look at the 10 commandments as have-to's....they are rules not to be broken. If you look at the rest of the OT, you find that they get expanded to some 630 commandments. Then when the scribes and Pharisees come along, they grew to thousands in number as they were applied to every part of life.
But I look at the 10 commandments as get-to's. They are about relationships...between God and us. Remember how they begin...."I am the LORD, the one who brought you out of bondage in Egypt." There are only 10 simple things to tend to, only 8 of them in the negative. I like what Godly play teaches about these with children. They are called the 10 best ways of living.
Then when Jesus comes along, remember how he approached the 10 commmandments in Matthew's Gospel, in the sermon on the mount, chapter 5. "You have heard it said...you shall not murder," number 6 on the top ten list, "But I say to you, if you harbor hatred and anger in your heart, you have just as well murdered." "You have heard it said....love your neighbor, but I say to you, love your enemies." Jesus takes us way beyond what the law requires to what love is.
Have-to's feel like "what is the minimum I need to do in order to pass this class?" Get-to's feel like "how much can I give back to you for all you have done for me?" Have-to's feel like rules. Get-to's feel like relationships. Have-to's feel like fear of punishment. Get-to's feel like gratitude. Have-to's feel like law. Get-to's feel like love.
May I tell you a story? When you used to go camping in the mountains of New Mexico, several families would go together meeting near Tres Ritos. After setting up camp, we would go further up the mountain to get firewood, filling up a pick-up with huge logs. Back a camp, my Dad among others would say, "Now you boys work up that firewood." A have-to that we resisted. But Mr. Wattenburger would say, "Now Marty, I bet no one could split that log in just 5 ax blows." "Oh, yeah, watch this!" And proceed to do it. He would say, "Now Lynn, you and Duffy couldn't saw through that big log with the cross cut saw in under a minute." "Oh yeah, watch this." And we did. He made it into a get-to. Have-t0's feel like work. Get-to's feel like fun.
I came across some quotes from years ago. I don't even remember where I got them, but they are keepers about have-to's and get-to's. "The church is not an institution forcing us to follow its rules. It is a community of people inviting us to quench our deepest thirsts at is table. Doctrines are not alien formulations to which we must adhere, but the documentation fo the most profound human experiences which transcend time and place, handed down from generation to generation as a light on our darkness. Jesus never threatened people into church. The only ones threatened were the religious ones."
So should we do good works? Absolutely, but only as a response to our salvation, not as a way of earning it. Verse 10 says, "For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works , which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." Once we have received the gift of our salvation, we spend the rest of our lives saying thank you to God by our deeds.
This is what I have found to be true: People will do things out of love that they would never do out of law.
We give backpacks today to people we don't even know because we get to.
We go on mission trips to New Orleans to do home repair. Understand this, we pay money to go work long days, putting up sheet rock for no pay, then stand in line waiting for one of the showers before going to bed in our bunk beds in the dorms. And we say it's fun, because we get to do it.
I am starting a series of sermons today on the foundations stones of what we UM's believe. I want to be clear from the beginning that all of our vows and sacraments are get-to's not have-to's. So we don't have to pray, we get to. We don't have to be present, we get to. We don't have to give money, we get to. We don't have to serve with our spiritual gifts, we get to. WE don't have to witness, we get to. We don't have to come to this table, we get to. We don't have to be baptized, we get to. We don't have to be saved, we get to. We don't have to have peace in our lives, we get to.
I want to be the pastor of a get-to church.
Friday, August 28, 2009
ear to mouth ratio
8/28/09 My breath prayer for the last 2 days has been from the book of practical wisdom in the New Testament, James 1:19, "Let everyone be quick to listen, be slow to speak, and slow to anger." I am really good at speaking. Most people call me a "preacher." Speaking comes with the territory. But I have concentrating not on what I have to say but what others are saying. People like to heard. People need to be heard. God likes to be heard. God needs to be heard. Maybe that is what keeps us from getting angry so fast--listening to others and to God.
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
overflowing
8/26/09 My prayer verse for the day is Psalm 45:1, "My heart overflows with a goodly theme." I tried to live into the truth of this verse as I walked early this morning by letting my heart be filled with God's presence and then letting that grace wash over all the people and all the situations I was bringing before God in prayer. Only God has the resources to meet all of our needs.
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
marriages
8/25/09 My reading this morning was from the Song of Solomon or the Song of Songs 2:8-13. This is a book that got into the Bible because it depicted the relationship between God and us and that of lovers. I think the book also celebrates the goodness of marriage, the joy of our sexuality, and the intimate trust that exists in marriage. So today in my prayers I am remembering many marriages, people who know this joy, and some who are struggling in their relationships. I give thanks for my marriage to Cathy.
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Monday, August 24, 2009
New School Clothers
from my sermon on 8/23/09, Ephesians 6:10-20
Boy and girls, do yo know what you are going to wear tomorrow on the first day of school? I always loved those new school clothes. You adults, how important are clothes? Do you have a power suit? Designer Labels? And you youth, how conscious are you of what others are wearing? Is there ever a clothes competition? I know that many schools have gone to dress codes and school uniforms.
So clothes are important. Mark Twain said this, "CLothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society."
As Christians what should we wear? This letter to the early church has some fashion advice. It says, "put on the whole armor of God." I know you may have some problems with the military imagery as I do, but remember who the dominant power was at that time...Rome. So the writer is simply referring to an image that everyone would be familiar with...that of a Roman soldier. Note also that 5 of the 6 dress items mentioned have to do with defense. They are non-violent terms. They provide protection. No part is left uncovered. In fact the word in Greek for the whole armor is a word that we sometimes use in English. It is the word panoply.
We need the whole armor to stand or withstand, a Greek word that is used 4 times in this passage, the rulers, cosmic powers, the evil one. Now I know you will have trouble with this imagery also, saying, we are sophisticated and have moved beyond this dualistic understanding of the world. But stay with me a moment. Isn't there evil in the world? Especially as we go back to school. When I was in grade school, the James Bond movies were just coming out. I remember a kid in my grade, a chubby kid, who came to school one day with a 007 sweat shirt on. That day on the playground, I hear another kid say to him, "I didn't know James Bond was fat." OUCH.
What the writer is saying here is that evil is more than just personal, it is systemic. Walter Wink has written extensively about this topic. He says that there is a domination system, that evil has become part of institutions, organization, and societies. To illustrate, he talks about a friend in the clothing industry who wants to provide health insurance for her employees. I know that is hot potato right now. She wants to do right by them and provide them with a benefit. But there is a cost to offering this coverage. She may not be able to compete with others in the U.S. much less with the sweat shops in 3rd world countries that offer no benefits, low wages, and long hours. Walter Wink says, "You don't have to be greedy. The system will be greedy enough for itself."
So what are we to wear in confronting evil? The belt of truth. The breastplate of righteousness. I take righteousness to mean right relationships. We are ready to run with the good news of peace with our shoes. We have a shield of faith. Now this was a large shield, that covered the whole body. What's more it was made to interlock with your fellow soldiers so that you could stand together and withstand the flaming darts. I take this to mean we need each other; we need Christian community. We have the helmet of salvation. And the only offensive weapon we have is the sword of the Spirit, the word of God. That's why we read the Bible. That's we are starting Disciple Bible study again.
Let me give you some examples of what this might look like. Remember Ghandhi in India and what he wore....the sari, the simple dress of a peasant. He took on the government with non-violence and by his stance was able to show the powers what their abuse meant. He brought about a transformation of his society. Corazon in the Phillipines did something very similiar and what did she wear? Yellow....and truth and righteousness..and... The system doesn't know what to do with the non-violence and so has to reflect upon itself and possible change.
So what you will wear tomorrow as you go to school or to work or to play? Jesus says, "don't be anxious about what you are to wear." Remember this from Matthew's gospel. I had a house blessing this past week. Yes, we pastors still make house calls. One of the suggested readings was from Matt. 6. It said, something like, don't worry about what you are to wear. Consider the lilies of the field, how they neither toil nor spin, and look how God clothes them with even finer robes than even Solomon in all of his glory had. I won't forget this passage because one of the little girls in this house was named Lily, and she looked up when she heard her name mentioned in the passage.
So we don't need to worry. In fact, we can wrap ourselves in prayer. That is how the passage ends. We pray a lot as a staff. Yes, we plan and calendar and coordinate, but we also pray a lot. This past staff meeting, Pastor Jim had a great story for us about prayer. Remember last week that Jim wasn't in worship with us. He was finishing up his questions for ordination. We are all students, life-time learners, aren't we? Well, we as a staff covered his parts without trouble. What we didn't know is that last Saturday night Jim was working on his laptop using a little flash memory drive. He stood up, the laptop slid off its lap board, crashed on the floor, breaking off the flash drive. Jim had not backed up anything. Half of his answers were on the flash drive. Now when I was a kid, we used to say, "The dog ate my homework." Today we can say, "The flash drive broke off in my laptop." Jim was devastated. He prayed. He said, "Help." He remembered other times when he felt helpless like taking Hebrew in seminary. His prayer then and now was, "God, help me. Help me take just the next step." Jim finished his questions by the Monday deadline. Prayer reminds where we get our help, our strength. Remember how this passage begins, "Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his power." It is not by ourselves that we make it. It is by God and the community. So we wrap ourselves in prayer.
What will you be wearing tomorrow? I am hoping that as you get dressed you will be putting on the whole armor of God.
Clothes are important. They make the person. But I disagree with Mark Twain about naked people. What was Jesus wearing in his last hours? About all he had on was truth, righteousness, peace, faith. I know these seem so small against the cosmic powers. But I remember his helmet of salvation, a crown of thorns. I remember his word, his prayer, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
These are always in style. They always overcome. That's the good news I have to share.
Boy and girls, do yo know what you are going to wear tomorrow on the first day of school? I always loved those new school clothes. You adults, how important are clothes? Do you have a power suit? Designer Labels? And you youth, how conscious are you of what others are wearing? Is there ever a clothes competition? I know that many schools have gone to dress codes and school uniforms.
So clothes are important. Mark Twain said this, "CLothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society."
As Christians what should we wear? This letter to the early church has some fashion advice. It says, "put on the whole armor of God." I know you may have some problems with the military imagery as I do, but remember who the dominant power was at that time...Rome. So the writer is simply referring to an image that everyone would be familiar with...that of a Roman soldier. Note also that 5 of the 6 dress items mentioned have to do with defense. They are non-violent terms. They provide protection. No part is left uncovered. In fact the word in Greek for the whole armor is a word that we sometimes use in English. It is the word panoply.
We need the whole armor to stand or withstand, a Greek word that is used 4 times in this passage, the rulers, cosmic powers, the evil one. Now I know you will have trouble with this imagery also, saying, we are sophisticated and have moved beyond this dualistic understanding of the world. But stay with me a moment. Isn't there evil in the world? Especially as we go back to school. When I was in grade school, the James Bond movies were just coming out. I remember a kid in my grade, a chubby kid, who came to school one day with a 007 sweat shirt on. That day on the playground, I hear another kid say to him, "I didn't know James Bond was fat." OUCH.
What the writer is saying here is that evil is more than just personal, it is systemic. Walter Wink has written extensively about this topic. He says that there is a domination system, that evil has become part of institutions, organization, and societies. To illustrate, he talks about a friend in the clothing industry who wants to provide health insurance for her employees. I know that is hot potato right now. She wants to do right by them and provide them with a benefit. But there is a cost to offering this coverage. She may not be able to compete with others in the U.S. much less with the sweat shops in 3rd world countries that offer no benefits, low wages, and long hours. Walter Wink says, "You don't have to be greedy. The system will be greedy enough for itself."
So what are we to wear in confronting evil? The belt of truth. The breastplate of righteousness. I take righteousness to mean right relationships. We are ready to run with the good news of peace with our shoes. We have a shield of faith. Now this was a large shield, that covered the whole body. What's more it was made to interlock with your fellow soldiers so that you could stand together and withstand the flaming darts. I take this to mean we need each other; we need Christian community. We have the helmet of salvation. And the only offensive weapon we have is the sword of the Spirit, the word of God. That's why we read the Bible. That's we are starting Disciple Bible study again.
Let me give you some examples of what this might look like. Remember Ghandhi in India and what he wore....the sari, the simple dress of a peasant. He took on the government with non-violence and by his stance was able to show the powers what their abuse meant. He brought about a transformation of his society. Corazon in the Phillipines did something very similiar and what did she wear? Yellow....and truth and righteousness..and... The system doesn't know what to do with the non-violence and so has to reflect upon itself and possible change.
So what you will wear tomorrow as you go to school or to work or to play? Jesus says, "don't be anxious about what you are to wear." Remember this from Matthew's gospel. I had a house blessing this past week. Yes, we pastors still make house calls. One of the suggested readings was from Matt. 6. It said, something like, don't worry about what you are to wear. Consider the lilies of the field, how they neither toil nor spin, and look how God clothes them with even finer robes than even Solomon in all of his glory had. I won't forget this passage because one of the little girls in this house was named Lily, and she looked up when she heard her name mentioned in the passage.
So we don't need to worry. In fact, we can wrap ourselves in prayer. That is how the passage ends. We pray a lot as a staff. Yes, we plan and calendar and coordinate, but we also pray a lot. This past staff meeting, Pastor Jim had a great story for us about prayer. Remember last week that Jim wasn't in worship with us. He was finishing up his questions for ordination. We are all students, life-time learners, aren't we? Well, we as a staff covered his parts without trouble. What we didn't know is that last Saturday night Jim was working on his laptop using a little flash memory drive. He stood up, the laptop slid off its lap board, crashed on the floor, breaking off the flash drive. Jim had not backed up anything. Half of his answers were on the flash drive. Now when I was a kid, we used to say, "The dog ate my homework." Today we can say, "The flash drive broke off in my laptop." Jim was devastated. He prayed. He said, "Help." He remembered other times when he felt helpless like taking Hebrew in seminary. His prayer then and now was, "God, help me. Help me take just the next step." Jim finished his questions by the Monday deadline. Prayer reminds where we get our help, our strength. Remember how this passage begins, "Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his power." It is not by ourselves that we make it. It is by God and the community. So we wrap ourselves in prayer.
What will you be wearing tomorrow? I am hoping that as you get dressed you will be putting on the whole armor of God.
Clothes are important. They make the person. But I disagree with Mark Twain about naked people. What was Jesus wearing in his last hours? About all he had on was truth, righteousness, peace, faith. I know these seem so small against the cosmic powers. But I remember his helmet of salvation, a crown of thorns. I remember his word, his prayer, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
These are always in style. They always overcome. That's the good news I have to share.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
strong
8/20/09 My breath prayer for the day has been from Ephesians 6:10, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power." I will be preaching from this text on Sunday, so my study of the Greek reveals that the opening verb would be better translated as "be continually empowered." So we realize that is not so much a command to us as a process in us. We realize that is not our strength whether that is education, or money, or office, or body, but God's power at work in us. And we realize that this strength is not violent or aggressive, but is able to defend us against the worst foe even suprahuman powers and principalities.
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Psalm 84
8/19/09 My center prayer today comes from Psalm 84 , one of my favorite psalms. I wanted to go to old familiar verses. There is a popular contemporary Christian song, "Better is one day" that comes directly from this psalm. So yes, it has been playing in my soul today. I love the phrase, "I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in tents of wickedness." One of the roles I like to play is that of greeter, standing at the door of the sanctuary, looking for that person who may be a first time guest. But the line I was drawn to this day was the second half of verse 11, "No good thing does the LORD withhold from those who walk uprightly." I love the generosity of our God...not one good thing withheld. I believe that God only wants our deepest happiness and wants to give us all good things....maybe not materially, but certainly spiritually. Even to walk uprightly is a gift. It is not about our goodness, but about God's grace.
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
forgive
8/18/09 My breath prayer for the day comes from I Kings 8:30, "O hear in heaven your dwelling place; heed and forgive." As I went through my prayers this morning while walking I asked others to forgive me. I asked God to help me forgive them. I asked God to forgive them. And then the hardest, I asked that we could forgive ourselves. I am glad that this verse which is itself a prayer ends with the word "forgive."
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Monday, August 17, 2009
foreigners
8/17/09 I have been reflecting on II Kings 8:41-43 this morning. The passage talks about how foreigners will be attracted to name of the God of Israel, and how they will pray toward the temple in Jerusalem. It led me to pray for the whole world--all nations and all peoples. I ran through all of the continents and as many nations as I could name on that continent. I prayed that they would be drawn to God. I prayed that they would learn war no more. I prayed for governments, and especially for Afghanistan which has its elections this week. May all be drawn to God until we are no longer foreigners to God or to each other.
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Imitation Christians
8/16/09 from my sermon from Eph. 4:25-5:2
"Be imitators of God," the text says. I want to give up before even starting. It sounds impossible. I know that I fall far short of this goal....because I am married. And I am the parent of 2 adult sons. They are good about reminding me of my failings. I feel like an imitation Christian.
And did you see what the text says? "Be imitators of God"...not just Paul....or Jesus....but God. This is only place in the N.T. where it, says this but it does remind us O.T. where we are called to be holy as the LORD is holy.
The text says we are to do this imitating in our conduct and especially in our speech. Here I really feel that I fall short because I am a pastor. I know I have done things and said things that reflect well upon our God.
So I hope what I say today in the sermon follows the text where it says to "speak the truth...because we a members of one another." But especially, "Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so your words may give grace to those who hear." I want these words not to be mine, but the Lord's.
The truth is that I know that I have offended persons in this church and in others I have served, especially the one where I preached last Sunday, Laurel Heights UMC, in San Antonio.
That was my hardest pastorate and my shortest tenure.
I own 100% responsibility for my role in it. I was still naive. I am a nice person. People in the church are nice persons. I thought all I had to do was to work hard and love the people and everything would be fine. It wasn't.
I know we have some guest in our midst this day and some new Christians. I need to tell you the truth: conflict and anger are inevitable in the church. Did you see how many words about this are mentioned in our short text? Anger, evil talk, bitterness, wrath, wrangling, slander, malice.
I tried for the longest time to deny and run from anger and conflict. It didn't work. Things only got worse. When I left LHUMC, that first summer, I took a course on conflict management and resolution. Then another. Then I did Partners in Ministry. We have done that course around here. Remember the HEART principles. They have much to say about fighting fairly and communication: Hear me and understand me. Even if you disagree, don't make me wrong. Acknowledge the greatness within me. Remember to look for my loving intentions. Tell me the truth with compassion.
Here's what I found. These skills can be learned. Education is really a lot about imitation, isn't it. We learn by following others. I found I was pretty good at it too. I have even been called into other churches and situations to defuse conflict.
Remember my first year as your pastor, how I preached from I Cor. the whole year? WE found that there was a lot of conflict in the church from the very beginning. We have fought over women in ministry, over power, over sex, over sacraments, etc. And here is the amazing good news: Christ comes not in the absence of conflict, but in the midst of it.
So, how are we to be imitators of God? First, it is not by how hard we work. It is by how hard God is at work within us. The passage says, "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption." This is baptism language. I bet we have some baptized folks here today. We have been claimed, marked, sealed. We are not our own.
The Holy Spirit is the presence of God in every present moment. My favorite image of the Holy Spirit today is that pesky God. You know, that God, who interrupts my life, my plans, and my schedules, but God has even better ones for us. We have been marked. Even on a large church level.
I was reading our UM newspaper a couple of weeks ago. To be candid, I usually just scan it quickly. But there was the title to an article that said something like, "Holy Spirit shows up at Annual Conference." Now Annual Conference is a big, once a year meeting where some 1,000 delegates gather to pray, debate, vote, and do the business of the church over a large region. This particular meeting was in Western North Carolina. There was the closing ordination service. It is always long because there is great music and liturgy and preaching, and then those 10 persons who are to be ordained expect to kneel before the bishop and have hands laid on them. It takes awhile. Well, the service was nearly over. All that remained was the closing hymn, the benediction, and then the recessional. But the presiding bishop, whose name is, Goodpaster(what a great name!), says, "The Holy Spirit is moving in me. I know the worship committee will kill me, but, I want to give an invitation during this last hymn. I want the District Superintendents to line up here behind me on the stage and if any layperson here feels the call to ordained ministry, I want you to come to your D.S. and make an appointment with them. Some of the D.S.'s were saying, 'this won't take too long.' But then there was clapping as someone from the back of the worship center started coming forward. Then another. The music was playing and people were coming forward. The bishop was trying to greet them as they came on the stage. Now on this side, now over there. Thirty-seven person came forward because the bishop gave an altar call at annual conference! We are not our own. We have been marked, sealed with the Holy Spirit!
We are imitators because we have been forgiven. Did you see what the text says? It doesn't say what the Lord's Prayer says, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." It says, "forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you." Because we have been forgiven by God, we can forgive others.
I don't know about you, but I need to come to worship every week, confess my sin, and hear that I have been forgiven.
I was reading this past week about grief, the kind of grief when someone you love dies. I found a quote that might also apply to the kind of grief, the grieving over sin. It said, "I am not perfect. I am loved." Oh, how I need to hear that! Say it to yourself. I am not perfect. I am loved. Say it out loud. I am not perfect. I am loved.
And this is how we become imitators of God, because the text says we are "beloved children." That's why we come together to worship week after week to remember who we are. We wrangle and fight, but we rub off each other's rough edges and call each other to become who God intends for us to be. And we learn how to love each other.
I like what they say in AA. You know that Alcoholics Anonymous has wonderful meetings and pithy sayings that help people recover from addictions. One of the sayings ties in with today's passage, "Fake it till you make it." That's what we are called to do.
C.S. Lewis says it in another way, I think in his book, Mere Christianity, "pretend that you love, until you actually love." We keep going through the motions until we become genuine.
There is a phrase from common culture, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." We are called to be imitators of God. If we don't imitate God, them whom will we imitate? We say like father, like son. We were made in the image of God. We are called to be like our Father.
Maybe all we will ever be is imitation Christians. But by God's grace, that's enough. That's the good news I have to share with you today. Amen.
"Be imitators of God," the text says. I want to give up before even starting. It sounds impossible. I know that I fall far short of this goal....because I am married. And I am the parent of 2 adult sons. They are good about reminding me of my failings. I feel like an imitation Christian.
And did you see what the text says? "Be imitators of God"...not just Paul....or Jesus....but God. This is only place in the N.T. where it, says this but it does remind us O.T. where we are called to be holy as the LORD is holy.
The text says we are to do this imitating in our conduct and especially in our speech. Here I really feel that I fall short because I am a pastor. I know I have done things and said things that reflect well upon our God.
So I hope what I say today in the sermon follows the text where it says to "speak the truth...because we a members of one another." But especially, "Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so your words may give grace to those who hear." I want these words not to be mine, but the Lord's.
The truth is that I know that I have offended persons in this church and in others I have served, especially the one where I preached last Sunday, Laurel Heights UMC, in San Antonio.
That was my hardest pastorate and my shortest tenure.
I own 100% responsibility for my role in it. I was still naive. I am a nice person. People in the church are nice persons. I thought all I had to do was to work hard and love the people and everything would be fine. It wasn't.
I know we have some guest in our midst this day and some new Christians. I need to tell you the truth: conflict and anger are inevitable in the church. Did you see how many words about this are mentioned in our short text? Anger, evil talk, bitterness, wrath, wrangling, slander, malice.
I tried for the longest time to deny and run from anger and conflict. It didn't work. Things only got worse. When I left LHUMC, that first summer, I took a course on conflict management and resolution. Then another. Then I did Partners in Ministry. We have done that course around here. Remember the HEART principles. They have much to say about fighting fairly and communication: Hear me and understand me. Even if you disagree, don't make me wrong. Acknowledge the greatness within me. Remember to look for my loving intentions. Tell me the truth with compassion.
Here's what I found. These skills can be learned. Education is really a lot about imitation, isn't it. We learn by following others. I found I was pretty good at it too. I have even been called into other churches and situations to defuse conflict.
Remember my first year as your pastor, how I preached from I Cor. the whole year? WE found that there was a lot of conflict in the church from the very beginning. We have fought over women in ministry, over power, over sex, over sacraments, etc. And here is the amazing good news: Christ comes not in the absence of conflict, but in the midst of it.
So, how are we to be imitators of God? First, it is not by how hard we work. It is by how hard God is at work within us. The passage says, "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption." This is baptism language. I bet we have some baptized folks here today. We have been claimed, marked, sealed. We are not our own.
The Holy Spirit is the presence of God in every present moment. My favorite image of the Holy Spirit today is that pesky God. You know, that God, who interrupts my life, my plans, and my schedules, but God has even better ones for us. We have been marked. Even on a large church level.
I was reading our UM newspaper a couple of weeks ago. To be candid, I usually just scan it quickly. But there was the title to an article that said something like, "Holy Spirit shows up at Annual Conference." Now Annual Conference is a big, once a year meeting where some 1,000 delegates gather to pray, debate, vote, and do the business of the church over a large region. This particular meeting was in Western North Carolina. There was the closing ordination service. It is always long because there is great music and liturgy and preaching, and then those 10 persons who are to be ordained expect to kneel before the bishop and have hands laid on them. It takes awhile. Well, the service was nearly over. All that remained was the closing hymn, the benediction, and then the recessional. But the presiding bishop, whose name is, Goodpaster(what a great name!), says, "The Holy Spirit is moving in me. I know the worship committee will kill me, but, I want to give an invitation during this last hymn. I want the District Superintendents to line up here behind me on the stage and if any layperson here feels the call to ordained ministry, I want you to come to your D.S. and make an appointment with them. Some of the D.S.'s were saying, 'this won't take too long.' But then there was clapping as someone from the back of the worship center started coming forward. Then another. The music was playing and people were coming forward. The bishop was trying to greet them as they came on the stage. Now on this side, now over there. Thirty-seven person came forward because the bishop gave an altar call at annual conference! We are not our own. We have been marked, sealed with the Holy Spirit!
We are imitators because we have been forgiven. Did you see what the text says? It doesn't say what the Lord's Prayer says, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." It says, "forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you." Because we have been forgiven by God, we can forgive others.
I don't know about you, but I need to come to worship every week, confess my sin, and hear that I have been forgiven.
I was reading this past week about grief, the kind of grief when someone you love dies. I found a quote that might also apply to the kind of grief, the grieving over sin. It said, "I am not perfect. I am loved." Oh, how I need to hear that! Say it to yourself. I am not perfect. I am loved. Say it out loud. I am not perfect. I am loved.
And this is how we become imitators of God, because the text says we are "beloved children." That's why we come together to worship week after week to remember who we are. We wrangle and fight, but we rub off each other's rough edges and call each other to become who God intends for us to be. And we learn how to love each other.
I like what they say in AA. You know that Alcoholics Anonymous has wonderful meetings and pithy sayings that help people recover from addictions. One of the sayings ties in with today's passage, "Fake it till you make it." That's what we are called to do.
C.S. Lewis says it in another way, I think in his book, Mere Christianity, "pretend that you love, until you actually love." We keep going through the motions until we become genuine.
There is a phrase from common culture, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." We are called to be imitators of God. If we don't imitate God, them whom will we imitate? We say like father, like son. We were made in the image of God. We are called to be like our Father.
Maybe all we will ever be is imitation Christians. But by God's grace, that's enough. That's the good news I have to share with you today. Amen.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
revelation
8/13/09 I have just spent 2 days studying with Dr. Mickey Efird on the subject of apocalyptic literature and especially the last book of our Bible, the Revelation to John. If you want to know more about him and his work, his teachings, his books, his video series, etc., you may find out plenty about him by "googling" his name.
My quick "take-away's" from his workshop are these:
1. we claim that God is ultimately in control, especially in those times when it seems He isn't
2. We believer's are to hope/ never give up/ keep the faith especially in times of persecution
3. There is a promise of reward for all who believe and punishment for those who don't. In other words, there are consequences for our actions.
4. Evil is real. We must resist it. We must reveal its deceptive nature.
The Revelation to John is not about the Rapture, being Left Behind, or the Great Tribulation. It is about keeping the faith, trusting in God, staying in relationship with Him, especially when it is hard to do so.
Love,
Lynn
My quick "take-away's" from his workshop are these:
1. we claim that God is ultimately in control, especially in those times when it seems He isn't
2. We believer's are to hope/ never give up/ keep the faith especially in times of persecution
3. There is a promise of reward for all who believe and punishment for those who don't. In other words, there are consequences for our actions.
4. Evil is real. We must resist it. We must reveal its deceptive nature.
The Revelation to John is not about the Rapture, being Left Behind, or the Great Tribulation. It is about keeping the faith, trusting in God, staying in relationship with Him, especially when it is hard to do so.
Love,
Lynn
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
ask
8/11/09 My prayer verse for the day is from I Kings 3:5, "And God said, 'Ask what I should give you." As I was walking and praying this morning, I grew in confidence to ask boldly of God on behalf of many people and situations--healing of diseases, relationships, grief; peace in the Middle East; cessation of wars; relief from famine; etc. After all, didn't Jesus also say in Matthew's Gospel that we believers were to seek, ask, and knock.
And then I thought that what this passage is leading me to was to ask for what God wanted to have happen. Yes, that's it...what do you Lord want for this person and this situation? And then I remembered my favorite benediction/blessing of these days, Ephesians 3:20-21, "Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
So, ask.
Love,
Lynn
And then I thought that what this passage is leading me to was to ask for what God wanted to have happen. Yes, that's it...what do you Lord want for this person and this situation? And then I remembered my favorite benediction/blessing of these days, Ephesians 3:20-21, "Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
So, ask.
Love,
Lynn
Monday, August 10, 2009
in order to go forward, retreat
8/10/09 Our church staff had a retreat today. It is amazing the energy that flows into an individual and a group when we pull back and look at things differently. We began with a drumming circle with teacher who took us from chaos to harmony. We learned several techniques. Mostly we learned to listen to each other and to work together.
One of our church members has a lakehouse nearby and let us use it. There we did some looking back at what we had been doing the past year. We prayed together. We ate a bountiful lunch together. We started discerning the unique reason God has called our congregation into being, as we began thinking about a church mission statement. We did some problem solving. Always we end by looking back over the meeting and seeing how Christ has shown up in our time together.
Love,
Lynn
One of our church members has a lakehouse nearby and let us use it. There we did some looking back at what we had been doing the past year. We prayed together. We ate a bountiful lunch together. We started discerning the unique reason God has called our congregation into being, as we began thinking about a church mission statement. We did some problem solving. Always we end by looking back over the meeting and seeing how Christ has shown up in our time together.
Love,
Lynn
Thursday, August 6, 2009
forgiveness
8/06/09 My prayer verse for the day comes from Psalm 130:4, "But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered." I needed forgiveness this morning when I woke up. There it was waiting for me in the ancient words of this psalm. It is not like I did anything hugely wrong. It is just that I keep returning to old destructive patterns and sometimes I invent new ones. I am glad that the verse begins with "but." God has a "but", a "in spite of," a "yet" to counter my/our sin. That "but" is forgiveness, a fresh start, a cleansing, a new beginning. This God who forgives I gladly worship.
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
wait
8/05/09 My prayer verse today comes from Psalm 130:6, "My soul waits for the LORD more than those who watch for the morning." I began my walk/prayer time in darkness this morning, about 5:40 a.m. How appropriate I thought to wait for the dawn! There was a full moon setting in the west, yet still the path was dark. I walked into a low-hanging tree branch. I kept walking. I kept praying. I kept waiting. Slowly, it began to grow light in the east. How hard it is to wait! What a gift it is though when the dawn comes!
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Deliverance
8/04/09
My breath prayer for the day has been from II Sam. 18:31, "For the LORD has vindicated you this day, delivering you from the power of all who rose up against you." As I walked and prayed this verse this morning, I realized that I don't have many enemies, at least not persons. But I suspect that we all have things that we need to be delivered from, like worry, depression, bitterness, envy, greed, lust, disease, etc. I know that I have besetting sins, patterns and desires that are hard to overcome. So as I prayed for y'all this morning, I envisioned a God who was larger than anything that would rise against us. It feels good to know we have been delivered.
Love,
Lynn
My breath prayer for the day has been from II Sam. 18:31, "For the LORD has vindicated you this day, delivering you from the power of all who rose up against you." As I walked and prayed this verse this morning, I realized that I don't have many enemies, at least not persons. But I suspect that we all have things that we need to be delivered from, like worry, depression, bitterness, envy, greed, lust, disease, etc. I know that I have besetting sins, patterns and desires that are hard to overcome. So as I prayed for y'all this morning, I envisioned a God who was larger than anything that would rise against us. It feels good to know we have been delivered.
Love,
Lynn
Monday, August 3, 2009
May I Tell You a Story?
From my sermon on 8/02/09
May I tell you a story? How many times have I used that line with you in my 2 years here? I love stories. Stories give us room to move around and find our own meaning. Jesus used to tell stories that revealed truth to people who heard. So today, before I read the scripture, I need to set it in a larger context. May I tell you a story?
Once upon a time there was a little boy. He was overlooked because he was not the first born or second or third, no, he was the eighth son. He was thought so little of that he was given the job of tending the sheep. This is a necessary job, but kinda like being a parking lot atttendant. So when the holy man Samuel came to this household to anoint the next king of Israel, no one gave the little boy any thought. But who was the one Samuel chose? The first, or second, or third? No! But the eighth son was anointed to be king.
Now this little boy had tremendous gifts. He was a brave warrior. In fact, while still a child, he faced a giant from the Philistines, and defeated him with a rock from his slingshot. Do you remember this story? Who was the giant? Goliath. This little boy grew up to be a great military leader.
He had musical talents. He was a singer and instrumentalist. In fact, his tunes could soothe the fits of depression of the current king. He was also a song writer. In fact, many of his songs are found in our Bible in the book of Psalms.
By now, you know who I am talking about....that's right, David.
David was also a skilled politician. He united the northern and southern kingdoms into one with a new capitol in Jerusalem. He further made Jerusalem the center for religious life as well, bringing the ark of the Covenant there. He married into the royal family. And his best friend Jonathan was also the son of the current king.
David had a heart for God. Remember how he worshiped, sang and danced before the ark as it was being transported to Jerusalem.
But David, like most of us, had some issues, some broken places. There was a time when the armies went off to battle, but David stayed behind. He delegated the fighting to others. Maybe he had too much time on his hands, but he was roaming around his palace, maybe catching a cool breeze on the rooftop, when he spied a beautiful woman next door taking a bath. Her name was Bathsheba. Now David did something wrong: he took another man's wife. He committed adultery. I believe that is number 7 on the top ten list of thou shalt not's.
The story reads as if it could come from today's headlines. Someone used his power--position, money, size, gender to get what he wanted. And to make it even closer to home....for 8 years I was in charge of clergy sexual ethics in the Southwest Texas Conference. I found out that clergy when they act out don't go postal--we are not usually violent--and we don't usually abscond with funds. No the way we act is sexually.
I am wondering how we might be David in the story. How have we used our power to make someone do something they didn't want to do?
How might we be like Bathsheba? Have we been the victim of abuse? Have you ever been pressured to do somethng you didn't want to do? I find that such persons often have a hard time telling their story because of the feeling of shame. They did nothing wrong, yet they feel invaded, dirty, less than whole.
Then the story takes a turn that sounds like a modern soap opera. Bathsheba reports, "I'm pregnant." Now David attempts a cover-up. He calls Uriah, who is married to Bathsheba, back from the battlefield. He tries to get to go home and sleep with his wife. But Uriah sleeps at the door of the king's palace. When David asks, "Why?, Uriah replies that other soldiers are sleeping out in the fields and even the ark is in a tent so why should he be any different. David get Uriah drunk the next night, but still he won't go home to his wife. Then David does something terrible. He sends word to have Uriah sent to the most fierce part of the battle and in the thick of it to have troops pull back so that Uriah is killed. Essentially, David breaks number 6 on the top ten of thou shalt not's.
I am wondering how we might be like Uriah, blindly obedient, so much so, that we can't see the bigger picture. Do we just follow orders?
Now at this point in the story some of you adults are wondering if it is such good advice to say to children, "Read your Bible!" That is a lot of ugliness and sin in our story.
Finally, we come to this week's scripture. The first line is II Samuel 11:26, "When the wife of Uriah heard that her husband was dead, she made lamentation for him. 27When the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord,"
There enters another character into the drama, Nathan, a prophet, counselor, and advisor to David. He does a gutsy thing. He makes an appointment with the king, and he asks, "May I tell you a story?" "Sure," David says. The next part of the scripture is 12:1-7, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. 2The rich man had very many flocks and herds; 3but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. 4Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him.” 5Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; 6he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”
I can almost hear David say, "Is this a true story?" "Yes," Nathan replies. "Then who is the one who did this?" And Nathan says, "Are you sure you want to know?" "Yes," David demands. Nathan says, "You are the man!"
Have you ever been Nathan? Have you ever loved someone enough to tell them the truth about themselves? What courage! What faith! Have you ever put yourself on the line so that another might be restored? I know I have been a part of some interventions in the past: I love you very much. I am concerned about your behavior as it relates to alcohol. I have seen you under the influence and it scares me. That time you swore at me for no good reason. I was hurt, and angry, and afraid. Are you Nathan in the story?
The next verses say that there are consequences. "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; 8I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. 9Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. 11Thus says the Lord: I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very sun. 12For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.” 13David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
Even though there is repentance, reconciliation, and healing, there are still consequences that won't go away.
You may be asking where is Christ in this Old Testament story? I like what Jesus said in John's Gospel, "the truth shall set you free." Here the truth leads not to a death sentence, but new life for David. May it be so for us too. This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
>>
May I tell you a story? How many times have I used that line with you in my 2 years here? I love stories. Stories give us room to move around and find our own meaning. Jesus used to tell stories that revealed truth to people who heard. So today, before I read the scripture, I need to set it in a larger context. May I tell you a story?
Once upon a time there was a little boy. He was overlooked because he was not the first born or second or third, no, he was the eighth son. He was thought so little of that he was given the job of tending the sheep. This is a necessary job, but kinda like being a parking lot atttendant. So when the holy man Samuel came to this household to anoint the next king of Israel, no one gave the little boy any thought. But who was the one Samuel chose? The first, or second, or third? No! But the eighth son was anointed to be king.
Now this little boy had tremendous gifts. He was a brave warrior. In fact, while still a child, he faced a giant from the Philistines, and defeated him with a rock from his slingshot. Do you remember this story? Who was the giant? Goliath. This little boy grew up to be a great military leader.
He had musical talents. He was a singer and instrumentalist. In fact, his tunes could soothe the fits of depression of the current king. He was also a song writer. In fact, many of his songs are found in our Bible in the book of Psalms.
By now, you know who I am talking about....that's right, David.
David was also a skilled politician. He united the northern and southern kingdoms into one with a new capitol in Jerusalem. He further made Jerusalem the center for religious life as well, bringing the ark of the Covenant there. He married into the royal family. And his best friend Jonathan was also the son of the current king.
David had a heart for God. Remember how he worshiped, sang and danced before the ark as it was being transported to Jerusalem.
But David, like most of us, had some issues, some broken places. There was a time when the armies went off to battle, but David stayed behind. He delegated the fighting to others. Maybe he had too much time on his hands, but he was roaming around his palace, maybe catching a cool breeze on the rooftop, when he spied a beautiful woman next door taking a bath. Her name was Bathsheba. Now David did something wrong: he took another man's wife. He committed adultery. I believe that is number 7 on the top ten list of thou shalt not's.
The story reads as if it could come from today's headlines. Someone used his power--position, money, size, gender to get what he wanted. And to make it even closer to home....for 8 years I was in charge of clergy sexual ethics in the Southwest Texas Conference. I found out that clergy when they act out don't go postal--we are not usually violent--and we don't usually abscond with funds. No the way we act is sexually.
I am wondering how we might be David in the story. How have we used our power to make someone do something they didn't want to do?
How might we be like Bathsheba? Have we been the victim of abuse? Have you ever been pressured to do somethng you didn't want to do? I find that such persons often have a hard time telling their story because of the feeling of shame. They did nothing wrong, yet they feel invaded, dirty, less than whole.
Then the story takes a turn that sounds like a modern soap opera. Bathsheba reports, "I'm pregnant." Now David attempts a cover-up. He calls Uriah, who is married to Bathsheba, back from the battlefield. He tries to get to go home and sleep with his wife. But Uriah sleeps at the door of the king's palace. When David asks, "Why?, Uriah replies that other soldiers are sleeping out in the fields and even the ark is in a tent so why should he be any different. David get Uriah drunk the next night, but still he won't go home to his wife. Then David does something terrible. He sends word to have Uriah sent to the most fierce part of the battle and in the thick of it to have troops pull back so that Uriah is killed. Essentially, David breaks number 6 on the top ten of thou shalt not's.
I am wondering how we might be like Uriah, blindly obedient, so much so, that we can't see the bigger picture. Do we just follow orders?
Now at this point in the story some of you adults are wondering if it is such good advice to say to children, "Read your Bible!" That is a lot of ugliness and sin in our story.
Finally, we come to this week's scripture. The first line is II Samuel 11:26, "When the wife of Uriah heard that her husband was dead, she made lamentation for him. 27When the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord,"
There enters another character into the drama, Nathan, a prophet, counselor, and advisor to David. He does a gutsy thing. He makes an appointment with the king, and he asks, "May I tell you a story?" "Sure," David says. The next part of the scripture is 12:1-7, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. 2The rich man had very many flocks and herds; 3but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. 4Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him.” 5Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; 6he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”
I can almost hear David say, "Is this a true story?" "Yes," Nathan replies. "Then who is the one who did this?" And Nathan says, "Are you sure you want to know?" "Yes," David demands. Nathan says, "You are the man!"
Have you ever been Nathan? Have you ever loved someone enough to tell them the truth about themselves? What courage! What faith! Have you ever put yourself on the line so that another might be restored? I know I have been a part of some interventions in the past: I love you very much. I am concerned about your behavior as it relates to alcohol. I have seen you under the influence and it scares me. That time you swore at me for no good reason. I was hurt, and angry, and afraid. Are you Nathan in the story?
The next verses say that there are consequences. "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; 8I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. 9Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. 11Thus says the Lord: I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very sun. 12For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.” 13David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
Even though there is repentance, reconciliation, and healing, there are still consequences that won't go away.
You may be asking where is Christ in this Old Testament story? I like what Jesus said in John's Gospel, "the truth shall set you free." Here the truth leads not to a death sentence, but new life for David. May it be so for us too. This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
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