This holiday, this year, is different. In past Novembers we gathered to watch floats in a parade, this year we have difficulty knowing where to look as those without jobs, those in debt, those in trouble, those without food are with us. Thanksgiving's past, we gorged ourselves on turkey and pie, tables and chairs groaning under our weight. This week, there will be empty places, for those far from home, those at war, and those who's chairs will remain empty who are with God. Holidays gone by were filled with football games, yet with the Stock Market, Cash for Clunkers, Ponzy Schemes, and TARP monies we find ourselves tired of the games people play. We walk passed stores that put merchandise on sale before it has arrived. This holiday, we find ourselves feeling something we have not allowed ourselves to feel, appreciation for our lives, for blessings from God, simple thanksgiving to the one who has blessed us.
As much as some have interpreted the Book of Revelation as apocalyptic prophecy of the End of the World yet to come, the Revelation was written down in a time of persecution, at the Fall of the Empire of Rome. Difficult for us to imagine a time of persecution for what you believe! We know of genocides between warring nations, between races and tribes, these are in the News every morning and night. But persecution for what you believe, seems hard to fathom. We have believed in candidates only to be disillusioned. We have believed in a product and had it recalled. We have believed in tests and practices, that the next morning we were told we no longer need. When cultures shift and change, as they do, how do we know what to bear witness to as true?
The Enlightenment of the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries, the Age of Reason, was a grand Scientific Experiment. For four hundred years we thought, we could prove, by objective scientific method the reality of basic truths, of natural order, thereby ruling out chaos. The Scientific Method we were taught followed from Geometry. That we can imagine Theories, and these can be tested by various Hypotheses. We operationalize the hypothesis, following rules of analysis, to gain results, which are to prove or disprove our hypothesis.
But in 1985, a group of researchers postulated a new Truth; no matter the experiment, when dealing with people, there always were a few spurious cases that do not fit the mold. We could prove 99.99% of the time, but still there was a margin for error. The researchers in 1985 stated that we thought we had been looking through a telescope only to discover it was a Kaleidoscope instead. Rather than being able to prove ABSOLUTE TRUTH by Scientific Method, all we could do was describe from our experience what we know to be true, then it is for the reader and listener to decide for themselves what fits with their circumstance, what we know from our sense of normal, our reality of life, to be TRUE.
Marriage is different for each of us. Home-ownership. Child-rearing. Family. Being a Citizen. We may go through exactly the same experience, but we will each respond differently, based on what we know from our life experience to be true. I was speaking with a specialist in Alzheimer's and Dementia recently, who described, when a person has a different reality you cannot convince them yours is right. If it is a practice that is dangerous, if they are using a knife backwards and upside down, if they wish to drive a car, these are places to intervene. But does it really cause harm for the ones we love to believe something different? So the question of Thanksgiving Dinner, do we need to correct our sister-in-law, if Grandma likes to set a spoon at the top of every place setting or place the glasses on the left instead of the right, does it matter?
Early this Spring, my Father died. I thought we had resolved everything that could be done. We sat by the bedside, we laughed and cried, and revisited old family stories. Family and friends from around the Nation gathered to honor his life and memory. Then about six weeks after he had died, a man contacted us claiming to be an illegitimate brother. He desired nothing, except to be acknowledged as TRUE. He wanted to know the family genealogy and to know our father. Personally, the pain of this, is that to acknowledge his claim, was to deny everything of integrity and relationship we had known to be true about the one we loved for a lifetime. In addition, while we could share the information of a genealogy, we could share stories about the one we loved, he could never experience that relationship.
Each of the Gospels have this poignant, powerful scene, in which Jesus is on trial before Pilate, the Roman Military Authority over all Judea; John's is especially meaningful for us because of the Trial's conversation and the reasoning that is recorded. The crowds have arrested and accused Jesus for crimes against the Empire, claiming to be a king. Pilate asks, and “Are you King of the Jews”, and Jesus responds “You have said so.” To which Pilate inquires, “So I am a Citizen of Rome, a Military Conquerer, representative of the Caesar, are you saying I am a Jew?” Reality however, it seems is defined by Language! Putting Jesus on Trial, Pilate, who is responsible for all Judea, must choose whether to identify himself with the people he governs or with the Empire of Rome. Would that instead of washing his hands of the matter, Pontius Pilate had claimed relationship with the people, and with this people of Faith! Is not that the question we all face, whether we identify ourselves with ideals, or the circumstances and problems around us, or whether we identify with a separate reality? Are we defined by what we have known to be TRUE, or can we help to reveal new relationships, new commitments by our being Faithful and True?
The beauty of The Revelation to John, is that God is identified as “the One who was, and is , and is to be”. God is not an absolute, but is known to each of us in our particular experience. While in Science, there is always the possibility of finding the exception to the rule; in over 2000 years God in Christ has met us in our need, responding to who we are, and been compassionate.
This Holiday is different. There will be new relatives and others missing. There will be new traditions along with the familiar. But my hope and prayer is that this will be an occasion for appreciation of what and who we are thankful for.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Misunderstanding the Ordinary, Nov.15, 2009
If you look to the top of the bulletin, you will note that not only is this the Middle of November, but the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. That is not a reflection of boredom, but rather that the Christian year is marked by the seasons of Advent and Lent, the Days of Christmas and Easter, Epiphany and Pentecost, and the balance of the year is described as ORDINARY, not in the sense of common place, but ORDINAL, measured, equal, anticipated, like the hours of a clock.
Yet, to carry this theme, the point is not that the ORDINARY is BORING, but that all life is a blessing, a gift from God and we need to be intentional about how we live. Where is our integrity? Who are we in the ordinary times? There are churches and communities known for having FINE MUSIC programs, for Awesome MISSIONS, for beautiful stone buildings and Stained Glass windows, and the leadership of this church have worked tirelessly for these, but also we are privileged to be part of a lot of weddings and baptisms, which have become normal to our identity, but are not routine for other churches. What we each must keep in mind, is that despite the $30,000 that goes into the Bride's gown, the thousands of dollars for Engagement rings, and photographers and receptions, this is one day, and MARRIAGE is more than the groom having once gotten down on one knee. Marriage is the blessing of holding hands after 20 years together.
This morning, I watched the sun come up over the lake, at first the sky was clear and bright filled with stars and planets, gradually everything seemed in silhouette, then the sky pinked as the dawn brightened, a blanket of fog 12 feet tall lay upon the water at the south end. The old sailors' adage came to mind: Red sky at night, a Sailor's delight, red Sky at morning Sailor's take warning! Suddenly we were enveloped, as the sky disappeared, all markers and familiar signs were lost in fog.
We look for signs, indications of the change of seasons, change in our lives, we are accustomed to calendars and budgets, contracts and reports, to let us know how to plan for every event, we listen to News reports and Traffic Monitoring, Weather Forecasts, and Sports Broadcasts to try to know what is going to happen, even the end of the world. I recall on September 11th eight years ago, as some were interpreting that there had been pilot error, and others that this was indeed an act of terrorism, someone read the events far differently than I had ever experienced, asking if this was The End of The World. I am certain that for those who lived through the attack on Pearl Harbor, for those who have first-hand witness of any trauma, be it a hurricane, fire, rape, or vehicle crash, it can feel like The End.
I am also guided by memory of the words of the missionary, when we as a church said we wanted to help with the building of the Clinic in Sudan. He laughed and said, you are Westerners, Americans, you plan with calendars and budgets and contracts for who is going to do what, when. THIS IS AFRICA, as old as time itself, someone has to go, to share life, to look this people in the eye, as you worship God, as you share a meal; THEN and only then will you have established trust, only then can you begin, but once you have trust then everything is possible. The challenge is not interpreting cataclysmic events, not predicting the future, prophetically planning, but instead developing trust, relationship in the ordinary times, such that when the familiar is lost, when suddenly the fog rolls in, you are not alone and can work together.
Jesus' words to the disciples WERE a word of warning, to be prepared, to resolve your differences, knowing that as established and comfortable as ever you may become, prejudice and fears and change, time itself, can topple everything. I am told that what the disciples were commenting upon in awe were the stone foundations of what we call the Wailing Wall at Jerusalem, and that these massive blocks make the base of the Pyramids seem small. Immediately our minds wonder how they could have been moved, how these ancient masons could have engineered something so immense. Then we come to realize, that what we know to be the Wailing Wall, 12 feet thick and a dozen feet tall, is only the rubble of what once stood as one wall of the Chancel. Nothing is permanent. The question is how we respond, in fear, in desperation, or confident that when the time comes, God can be trusted to remember us. The Presbyterian Church does not have a Book of SINS defining what things are and which are not. Or how to explain culturally, that at one time, the eating of shellfish and Divorce were considered sins and today they are to a greater and lesser degree accepted. Instead of a monumental work, we have a very basic understanding, that ANYTHING which causes you guilt, which causes you shame, which you would hide from God, is a sin. Again, the point is not whether the foundations have been toppled, whether institutions and establishments fall, they do! But what is our integrity, who are we in faith? Do we remember, does God?
That was Hannah's Prayer, that God remember her. We are part of a culture in which if you cannot become pregnant, there are hormonal drugs, there is invitro-fertilization, there are surrogates who can supply the egg, or carry the egg, and for those who cannot give birth there are ten thousand other ways to live a full and productive life. But Hannah lived in a polygamous culture, where the whole point of marriage was producing children, and not only could she not conceive, her rival would taunt her with it. Hannah felt as though she were forgotten by God. Others were blessed, others had children, why not Hannah?
Hannah does what most of us forget. She has planned, she has prepared, she decorated the baby's room, then she goes to Pray for GRACE and Praying she offers what in Hebrew is described as “SAAL”, that a Gift of GRACE is not a possession, but as this is lent to us, so it is then lent to others. Hannah vows that if she could be given the Ordinary gift of pregnancy, once the child is weaned and strong, she would then the gift to God. This day, this life is not a possession but a gift of grace lent to us. To be "ordinary" is to be a gift of Grace lent from God.
Yet, to carry this theme, the point is not that the ORDINARY is BORING, but that all life is a blessing, a gift from God and we need to be intentional about how we live. Where is our integrity? Who are we in the ordinary times? There are churches and communities known for having FINE MUSIC programs, for Awesome MISSIONS, for beautiful stone buildings and Stained Glass windows, and the leadership of this church have worked tirelessly for these, but also we are privileged to be part of a lot of weddings and baptisms, which have become normal to our identity, but are not routine for other churches. What we each must keep in mind, is that despite the $30,000 that goes into the Bride's gown, the thousands of dollars for Engagement rings, and photographers and receptions, this is one day, and MARRIAGE is more than the groom having once gotten down on one knee. Marriage is the blessing of holding hands after 20 years together.
This morning, I watched the sun come up over the lake, at first the sky was clear and bright filled with stars and planets, gradually everything seemed in silhouette, then the sky pinked as the dawn brightened, a blanket of fog 12 feet tall lay upon the water at the south end. The old sailors' adage came to mind: Red sky at night, a Sailor's delight, red Sky at morning Sailor's take warning! Suddenly we were enveloped, as the sky disappeared, all markers and familiar signs were lost in fog.
We look for signs, indications of the change of seasons, change in our lives, we are accustomed to calendars and budgets, contracts and reports, to let us know how to plan for every event, we listen to News reports and Traffic Monitoring, Weather Forecasts, and Sports Broadcasts to try to know what is going to happen, even the end of the world. I recall on September 11th eight years ago, as some were interpreting that there had been pilot error, and others that this was indeed an act of terrorism, someone read the events far differently than I had ever experienced, asking if this was The End of The World. I am certain that for those who lived through the attack on Pearl Harbor, for those who have first-hand witness of any trauma, be it a hurricane, fire, rape, or vehicle crash, it can feel like The End.
I am also guided by memory of the words of the missionary, when we as a church said we wanted to help with the building of the Clinic in Sudan. He laughed and said, you are Westerners, Americans, you plan with calendars and budgets and contracts for who is going to do what, when. THIS IS AFRICA, as old as time itself, someone has to go, to share life, to look this people in the eye, as you worship God, as you share a meal; THEN and only then will you have established trust, only then can you begin, but once you have trust then everything is possible. The challenge is not interpreting cataclysmic events, not predicting the future, prophetically planning, but instead developing trust, relationship in the ordinary times, such that when the familiar is lost, when suddenly the fog rolls in, you are not alone and can work together.
Jesus' words to the disciples WERE a word of warning, to be prepared, to resolve your differences, knowing that as established and comfortable as ever you may become, prejudice and fears and change, time itself, can topple everything. I am told that what the disciples were commenting upon in awe were the stone foundations of what we call the Wailing Wall at Jerusalem, and that these massive blocks make the base of the Pyramids seem small. Immediately our minds wonder how they could have been moved, how these ancient masons could have engineered something so immense. Then we come to realize, that what we know to be the Wailing Wall, 12 feet thick and a dozen feet tall, is only the rubble of what once stood as one wall of the Chancel. Nothing is permanent. The question is how we respond, in fear, in desperation, or confident that when the time comes, God can be trusted to remember us. The Presbyterian Church does not have a Book of SINS defining what things are and which are not. Or how to explain culturally, that at one time, the eating of shellfish and Divorce were considered sins and today they are to a greater and lesser degree accepted. Instead of a monumental work, we have a very basic understanding, that ANYTHING which causes you guilt, which causes you shame, which you would hide from God, is a sin. Again, the point is not whether the foundations have been toppled, whether institutions and establishments fall, they do! But what is our integrity, who are we in faith? Do we remember, does God?
That was Hannah's Prayer, that God remember her. We are part of a culture in which if you cannot become pregnant, there are hormonal drugs, there is invitro-fertilization, there are surrogates who can supply the egg, or carry the egg, and for those who cannot give birth there are ten thousand other ways to live a full and productive life. But Hannah lived in a polygamous culture, where the whole point of marriage was producing children, and not only could she not conceive, her rival would taunt her with it. Hannah felt as though she were forgotten by God. Others were blessed, others had children, why not Hannah?
Hannah does what most of us forget. She has planned, she has prepared, she decorated the baby's room, then she goes to Pray for GRACE and Praying she offers what in Hebrew is described as “SAAL”, that a Gift of GRACE is not a possession, but as this is lent to us, so it is then lent to others. Hannah vows that if she could be given the Ordinary gift of pregnancy, once the child is weaned and strong, she would then the gift to God. This day, this life is not a possession but a gift of grace lent to us. To be "ordinary" is to be a gift of Grace lent from God.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Two Widows, November 8, 2009
Ruth 1
Mark 12:38-44
Meeting with a group of church leaders recently, we asked “WHY WORSHIP?” They described being spiritually fed, passing tradition and wisdom from one generation to the next, a few moments of solace and comfort in busy lives, learning and giving in thanksgiving, connecting with others, assured we are not alone.
From this morning's passages, I would suggest that FAITH IN GOD is the antidote to life, not valuing as the world esteems success, but seeking redemption, seeking the lost. The story of Ruth comes from the time of the Book of Judges “When each man did as he thought right according to his conscience.” There is little mention of God, except perhaps implicit within the story. The story reads like a parable of extended hyperbole. Ironically, as the time of the Judges allowed that each man did as he thought right, this is a story of women.
There once was a Levite (a descendant of the Priests) of Bethlehem (the Breadbasket of the Ancient World) named Elimeleck whose name means “Faith in God”. Elimelech had a wife named Naomi, meaning “Sweetness” and two sons Mahlon meaning “sickly” and Chilion whose name is “short-lived.” There was a famine in Israel, a famine in the breadbasket of the world, which drove Elimelech and his family to go to Moab, a foreign land, where Elimelech “Faith in God” died. Seeking comfort for her sons, Naomi took wives for them among the Moabites, the name of the one was Orpah meaning “back of the neck”, the name of the other was Ruth best understood as “hesed the opposite of ruthless”. After living a decade in Moab that foreign land, Mahlon (Sickly) and Chilion (Short-lived) both became ill and died.
So Naomi, whose name means “Sweetness” sets out to leave Moab, that foreign place, to return to breadbasket which had driven them away in famine, Bethlehem. Naomi (Sweetness) daughters-in-law try to follow, but she sends them to their home And Orpah (back of the neck) embraces her and weeps on the back of her neck; but Ruth (hesed the opposite of ruthless) refuses to leave. So they set out and walk all the long way home. They arrive at the Marketplace, the PNC Grocery or Hilltop Restaurant after worship, where everyone goes. Everyone rushes to welcome Naomi, who says “Do not ever call me Naomi again. God sent me away full with a spouse and children and a bright future. Now I have returned from that foreign place empty and alone, with nothing, prepared to die. Call me Mara “Bitter-herb”.
Overly melodramatic, perhaps, but have we not each seen ourselves like that at times? We nostalgically recall we once had everything, with a bright future (even if there was a famine, and we so knew our children were sickly and going to die that we gave them those as names); and now we are burned out and tired, depleted, depressed and empty, with nothing (ignoring even the existence of those who share life with us). Throughout history, the People of Israel have been described as the Chosen and Elect, those of The Promised Land, but in truth the story of Ruth points to this being a Place of Redemption and a people ReClaimed.
Ruth, whom Naomi overlooked and thought worthless, provides for them by going to the fields and gleaning, gathering the remnant that is leftover. More than finding enough for them both to eat, Ruth gains the attention of Boaz the owner of the field where she has been gleaning. Suddenly the story shifts from Boaz providing charity to widows and orphans by leaving leftovers in the field, to his falling in love with Ruth and choosing to Redeem her as his bride.
The Bible is filled with tradition, with customs and mores that may seem strange to us; but in a day without Social Security, a time prior to Health Care and Pensions, provided for those in need with cultural traditions, laws of redemption and responsibility.
The Law stated that if a husband died, his next of kin could claim all his brother's belongings including the man's wife, in fact the next of kin had responsibility to do so. BUT as means of continuing the legacy, if this couple had children, all that belonged to the first husband and half the estate of the second went to the child. So it was that none of Chilion's next of kin, except Boaz were willing to claim Ruth. Boaz redeemed her as no longer one receiving charity, but as his wife, and the child conceived of Boaz and Ruth was Obed, who was the father of Jesse, Jesse was the father of David the King and ancestor of Jesus of Bethlehem.
There is a difference between Charity, which is culturally appropriate, a means of providing for those who have nothing, and Risk-Taking, Life-Changing Mission. Charity is giving an offering out of all we have. Mission is not focused on the giving, on the offering, on the amount, but only on doing what needs to be done, risking to change lives.
This church, this people of God continually amaze me. There is a marvelous story in this church, that we are known for mission, for a Senior Citizen's Residence, for the Ecumenical Food Pantry, for sponsoring Sudanese Refugees and building a Clinic in their homeland. But there are so many other stories that have gone untold, just simply done.
That children had warts that covered their hands and made them ostracized. Their parents could not take time off from work to take them to the doctor, and could never have afforded treatment. So quietly, without recognition members of the church took turns driving them to the doctors and sitting the girls as they received treatment, then taking them back to school, without any attention.
That a woman knit hats and gloves for children, that inspired others to give winter coats to children in Auburn who had none, and this inspired more, that we could create a trust fund, so when there are children who need glasses or dental care or to see a doctor and cannot, that this church would make certain they could. No longer a tithe or a charity, but seeking to make a difference in others' lives.
We have spoken many times of the miracles and Biblical stories demonstrated by risking to be part of the clinic at Sudan. A story that has not been shared, is that at the Dedication of the Clinic, all the chiefs and government officials, all the dignitaries came to be seen and to make speeches. But after all the words were spoken, before the feast of thanksgiving began, a young woman stood up, she had a child balanced on her hip as she walked to the front. In the hush as people watched, someone described she was a young widow, who had barely enough for she and her child, but she had reserved a tiny amount of what she had from every meal, week after week, until she could give this offering, and pouring from the can the grain seemed to flow endlessly.
Mark 12:38-44
Meeting with a group of church leaders recently, we asked “WHY WORSHIP?” They described being spiritually fed, passing tradition and wisdom from one generation to the next, a few moments of solace and comfort in busy lives, learning and giving in thanksgiving, connecting with others, assured we are not alone.
From this morning's passages, I would suggest that FAITH IN GOD is the antidote to life, not valuing as the world esteems success, but seeking redemption, seeking the lost. The story of Ruth comes from the time of the Book of Judges “When each man did as he thought right according to his conscience.” There is little mention of God, except perhaps implicit within the story. The story reads like a parable of extended hyperbole. Ironically, as the time of the Judges allowed that each man did as he thought right, this is a story of women.
There once was a Levite (a descendant of the Priests) of Bethlehem (the Breadbasket of the Ancient World) named Elimeleck whose name means “Faith in God”. Elimelech had a wife named Naomi, meaning “Sweetness” and two sons Mahlon meaning “sickly” and Chilion whose name is “short-lived.” There was a famine in Israel, a famine in the breadbasket of the world, which drove Elimelech and his family to go to Moab, a foreign land, where Elimelech “Faith in God” died. Seeking comfort for her sons, Naomi took wives for them among the Moabites, the name of the one was Orpah meaning “back of the neck”, the name of the other was Ruth best understood as “hesed the opposite of ruthless”. After living a decade in Moab that foreign land, Mahlon (Sickly) and Chilion (Short-lived) both became ill and died.
So Naomi, whose name means “Sweetness” sets out to leave Moab, that foreign place, to return to breadbasket which had driven them away in famine, Bethlehem. Naomi (Sweetness) daughters-in-law try to follow, but she sends them to their home And Orpah (back of the neck) embraces her and weeps on the back of her neck; but Ruth (hesed the opposite of ruthless) refuses to leave. So they set out and walk all the long way home. They arrive at the Marketplace, the PNC Grocery or Hilltop Restaurant after worship, where everyone goes. Everyone rushes to welcome Naomi, who says “Do not ever call me Naomi again. God sent me away full with a spouse and children and a bright future. Now I have returned from that foreign place empty and alone, with nothing, prepared to die. Call me Mara “Bitter-herb”.
Overly melodramatic, perhaps, but have we not each seen ourselves like that at times? We nostalgically recall we once had everything, with a bright future (even if there was a famine, and we so knew our children were sickly and going to die that we gave them those as names); and now we are burned out and tired, depleted, depressed and empty, with nothing (ignoring even the existence of those who share life with us). Throughout history, the People of Israel have been described as the Chosen and Elect, those of The Promised Land, but in truth the story of Ruth points to this being a Place of Redemption and a people ReClaimed.
Ruth, whom Naomi overlooked and thought worthless, provides for them by going to the fields and gleaning, gathering the remnant that is leftover. More than finding enough for them both to eat, Ruth gains the attention of Boaz the owner of the field where she has been gleaning. Suddenly the story shifts from Boaz providing charity to widows and orphans by leaving leftovers in the field, to his falling in love with Ruth and choosing to Redeem her as his bride.
The Bible is filled with tradition, with customs and mores that may seem strange to us; but in a day without Social Security, a time prior to Health Care and Pensions, provided for those in need with cultural traditions, laws of redemption and responsibility.
The Law stated that if a husband died, his next of kin could claim all his brother's belongings including the man's wife, in fact the next of kin had responsibility to do so. BUT as means of continuing the legacy, if this couple had children, all that belonged to the first husband and half the estate of the second went to the child. So it was that none of Chilion's next of kin, except Boaz were willing to claim Ruth. Boaz redeemed her as no longer one receiving charity, but as his wife, and the child conceived of Boaz and Ruth was Obed, who was the father of Jesse, Jesse was the father of David the King and ancestor of Jesus of Bethlehem.
There is a difference between Charity, which is culturally appropriate, a means of providing for those who have nothing, and Risk-Taking, Life-Changing Mission. Charity is giving an offering out of all we have. Mission is not focused on the giving, on the offering, on the amount, but only on doing what needs to be done, risking to change lives.
This church, this people of God continually amaze me. There is a marvelous story in this church, that we are known for mission, for a Senior Citizen's Residence, for the Ecumenical Food Pantry, for sponsoring Sudanese Refugees and building a Clinic in their homeland. But there are so many other stories that have gone untold, just simply done.
That children had warts that covered their hands and made them ostracized. Their parents could not take time off from work to take them to the doctor, and could never have afforded treatment. So quietly, without recognition members of the church took turns driving them to the doctors and sitting the girls as they received treatment, then taking them back to school, without any attention.
That a woman knit hats and gloves for children, that inspired others to give winter coats to children in Auburn who had none, and this inspired more, that we could create a trust fund, so when there are children who need glasses or dental care or to see a doctor and cannot, that this church would make certain they could. No longer a tithe or a charity, but seeking to make a difference in others' lives.
We have spoken many times of the miracles and Biblical stories demonstrated by risking to be part of the clinic at Sudan. A story that has not been shared, is that at the Dedication of the Clinic, all the chiefs and government officials, all the dignitaries came to be seen and to make speeches. But after all the words were spoken, before the feast of thanksgiving began, a young woman stood up, she had a child balanced on her hip as she walked to the front. In the hush as people watched, someone described she was a young widow, who had barely enough for she and her child, but she had reserved a tiny amount of what she had from every meal, week after week, until she could give this offering, and pouring from the can the grain seemed to flow endlessly.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Laughing at Funerals and Weeping at Baptisms, November 1, 2009
Isaiah 25
John 11:32-44
A good friend and community leader said, “You know, it's been a really hard year. Your father died, Dr. Eastman died, Kim and June, so many, who had survived cancers, then the economy died.” We no longer know how to cope with this time in our lives, how to talk about death. A prognosis of death is pronounced and we begin to whisper, so as to not disturb the person. They die and as neighbors and friends we come to the family gushing our emotions for them to console us. We find ourselves lost and afraid what we are to do. A wise woman once told me, we need to Laugh at Funerals and Weep at Baptisms. Not as an opportunity to roast the departed,laughing at their lives, but rather recognizing that their life brought us joy, and we should lift that joy up before God. In the same way, Baptism is not cute Baptism is not protection against life, but rather a washing away of all that is not God, and a new birth with Christ in faith.
We avoid death, as if a monster we could hide from, an enemy we could beat simply by outlasting.
There is an easy barometer for the things American society is most afraid of and fascinated by: What is it that our television shows are about? In the 1960s, with the Cold War and espionage, we had I Spy and Get Smart and Man From UNCLE and Mission Impossible. Today, our entertainment revolves around TRAUMA and FORENSICS. Yet, as much as we want to know, as much as we are entertained by differing diseases and disasters, we do not speak of death. There are four new shows about Hospitals and Ambulances, 3 CSIs, 2 NCISs, repeats of HOUSE every hour of every night
We dress up our children in costumes, we cover this season of our lives with candy, we focus on the falling leaves and changing seasons. Prior to all the holidays, Veterans Day, Flag day and Memorial Day and Labor Day, we came to this season and realized anther year has past. We know that the changing leaves and molds and coming snow, are not a death, but preparation for a new Spring to come. And we struggle with whether death were Punishment for life. The End to living. Genesis affirms it is NOT! In the beginning, this world was “lifeless”, “formless”, “Dark” and God created Light and Life to balance what was. God did not eliminate Chaos by the creation of order, but God balanced the dark with light, the tumultuous waters with a promised land, God balanced death with life.
There has been a recurrent visitor to worship, whom we have not named in over a year: Our Neighbor Billy. For those who may be newer to the Church and may not know, Billy is a character who acts out exactly what he feels. His neighbor had a new puppy that barked in the afternoons, when Billy wanted to sleep, ALL throughout every afternoon, so Billy Barked at the Neighbors when they were sleeping, both to let them know how irritating he found the dog's barking, and because what he felt was desire to Bark At the Neighbors. Until one day, we confronted Billy, saying “Don't you feel silly standing out in the driveway at night Barking? Would it not be better to walk over to the neighbor's to ring their doorbell and tell them the dog is annoying you?” To which Billy said, “I couldn't do that that would be to confrontational, I just bark at them.”
There are times in our lives, when we do not recognize how silly we are. When we bark at neighbors. When we really want to do is howl at the moon, or have the person who died listen to our concerns and be here with us.
A couple have built their home, and surrounded themselves with a lifetime of memories and mementos. They know, and we all know, we are pack-rats who accumulate stuff, but take the couple out of that house, away from all the mementos and memories and they lose touch with reality. Downsizing is not simply elimination of all that is in the way, but sifting through a lifetime, our lifetimes, to determine what has value, what has meaning, and what can we let go of.
Mary and Martha and the Mourners were prepared for Lazarus' Death.
When Jesus came, Mary said what most of us have thought at different times, “You could have prevented this!” “God, why do you not kill death?” “If you are God, why do you not fix my pain, save the one I love?”
Martha responds, “I know that on the last day, at Revelation, all things are going to be brought together, but I want to understand now, today.”
The mourners weep. The mourners were paid to come to cry, because surely the greatest evidence that you were loved is how many people weep at your passing.
Ironically, the translators have struggled with expressing Jesus' emotions. The RSV in the pews says Jesus was “Deeply moved in spirit and troubled”, other Translators have expressed Jesus was VEXED or FRUSTRATED. The actual translation as occurs elsewhere in Scripture is Jesus was ANGRY.
Even Mary and Martha did not understand! Mary wants Jesus to take Death away, Martha wants to believe intellectually that someday there will be a day without death, and Jesus affirms that the resurrection is here and now!
You have the power to forgive, the power to make death meaningless and life worthwhile! But too often, we become preoccupied with the manner of death, with the suffering, with chaos, rather than with what this life was all about.
John 11:32-44
A good friend and community leader said, “You know, it's been a really hard year. Your father died, Dr. Eastman died, Kim and June, so many, who had survived cancers, then the economy died.” We no longer know how to cope with this time in our lives, how to talk about death. A prognosis of death is pronounced and we begin to whisper, so as to not disturb the person. They die and as neighbors and friends we come to the family gushing our emotions for them to console us. We find ourselves lost and afraid what we are to do. A wise woman once told me, we need to Laugh at Funerals and Weep at Baptisms. Not as an opportunity to roast the departed,laughing at their lives, but rather recognizing that their life brought us joy, and we should lift that joy up before God. In the same way, Baptism is not cute Baptism is not protection against life, but rather a washing away of all that is not God, and a new birth with Christ in faith.
We avoid death, as if a monster we could hide from, an enemy we could beat simply by outlasting.
There is an easy barometer for the things American society is most afraid of and fascinated by: What is it that our television shows are about? In the 1960s, with the Cold War and espionage, we had I Spy and Get Smart and Man From UNCLE and Mission Impossible. Today, our entertainment revolves around TRAUMA and FORENSICS. Yet, as much as we want to know, as much as we are entertained by differing diseases and disasters, we do not speak of death. There are four new shows about Hospitals and Ambulances, 3 CSIs, 2 NCISs, repeats of HOUSE every hour of every night
We dress up our children in costumes, we cover this season of our lives with candy, we focus on the falling leaves and changing seasons. Prior to all the holidays, Veterans Day, Flag day and Memorial Day and Labor Day, we came to this season and realized anther year has past. We know that the changing leaves and molds and coming snow, are not a death, but preparation for a new Spring to come. And we struggle with whether death were Punishment for life. The End to living. Genesis affirms it is NOT! In the beginning, this world was “lifeless”, “formless”, “Dark” and God created Light and Life to balance what was. God did not eliminate Chaos by the creation of order, but God balanced the dark with light, the tumultuous waters with a promised land, God balanced death with life.
There has been a recurrent visitor to worship, whom we have not named in over a year: Our Neighbor Billy. For those who may be newer to the Church and may not know, Billy is a character who acts out exactly what he feels. His neighbor had a new puppy that barked in the afternoons, when Billy wanted to sleep, ALL throughout every afternoon, so Billy Barked at the Neighbors when they were sleeping, both to let them know how irritating he found the dog's barking, and because what he felt was desire to Bark At the Neighbors. Until one day, we confronted Billy, saying “Don't you feel silly standing out in the driveway at night Barking? Would it not be better to walk over to the neighbor's to ring their doorbell and tell them the dog is annoying you?” To which Billy said, “I couldn't do that that would be to confrontational, I just bark at them.”
There are times in our lives, when we do not recognize how silly we are. When we bark at neighbors. When we really want to do is howl at the moon, or have the person who died listen to our concerns and be here with us.
A couple have built their home, and surrounded themselves with a lifetime of memories and mementos. They know, and we all know, we are pack-rats who accumulate stuff, but take the couple out of that house, away from all the mementos and memories and they lose touch with reality. Downsizing is not simply elimination of all that is in the way, but sifting through a lifetime, our lifetimes, to determine what has value, what has meaning, and what can we let go of.
Mary and Martha and the Mourners were prepared for Lazarus' Death.
When Jesus came, Mary said what most of us have thought at different times, “You could have prevented this!” “God, why do you not kill death?” “If you are God, why do you not fix my pain, save the one I love?”
Martha responds, “I know that on the last day, at Revelation, all things are going to be brought together, but I want to understand now, today.”
The mourners weep. The mourners were paid to come to cry, because surely the greatest evidence that you were loved is how many people weep at your passing.
Ironically, the translators have struggled with expressing Jesus' emotions. The RSV in the pews says Jesus was “Deeply moved in spirit and troubled”, other Translators have expressed Jesus was VEXED or FRUSTRATED. The actual translation as occurs elsewhere in Scripture is Jesus was ANGRY.
Even Mary and Martha did not understand! Mary wants Jesus to take Death away, Martha wants to believe intellectually that someday there will be a day without death, and Jesus affirms that the resurrection is here and now!
You have the power to forgive, the power to make death meaningless and life worthwhile! But too often, we become preoccupied with the manner of death, with the suffering, with chaos, rather than with what this life was all about.
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