"Not Seeing IS Believing" April 12, 2015

Acts 4:32-36 John 20:19-31 Before the days of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Howard Stern, even before Casey Kasum the Radio talk show everyone listened to was the familiar twang of Oklahoma announcer Paul Harvey reading the daily news and his commentary: “The Rest of The Story.” Paul Harvey was a master story-teller, who provided context and back story to events we all think we know, as well as creating descriptive compound phrases like “Reaganomics.” Paul Harvey seamlessly flowed from one story to the next, into a commercial, accented only by his introduction of “Hello America” his turning the sheets of his Yellow-pad saying “Page 2” and concluding every broadcast by saying “Good Day!” This morning's passages are stories from the New Testament, so familiar we all think we recognize “Doubting Thomas” and the classic Stewardship Sermon that immediately after Barnabas sells his field sharing everything there is the story of Ananias and his wife who conspired not to and they died! We celebrate Easter, but this morning, consider “The Rest of the Story.” Because according to John's Gospel, Easter morning was the Resurrection, and Easter evening was Pentecost, when Christ shared his own breath, his spirit, his peace with the Disciples. And Acts describes the company were of One heart and soul, everyone shared everything they possessed. Diana Butler Bass is a friend who has been writing about NextChurch compared to Great Awakenings the first of which occurred in the mid 1700s in the Colonies, a crisis causing those already baptized Church members to question the depths of their faith/ their need for Salvation. The Second in the 1800s took place here in Central New York, reaching out to the unChurched. What Diana describes is that a Revival is aimed at attracting more number of people to the belief; an Awakening is brought about by a crisis, any crisis, causing us to See things differently possibly losing faith but possibly going far deeper than we ever have before. Seeing differently than we had seen previously, differently from those with whom we had been one. Things that seemed important even the day before, suddenly feel meaningless and we feel numb. When the Boston Marathon bombing happened, when September 11th happened, when our child was born. Diana believes, and I agree with her, that our culture is preparing for a next Great Awakening of Faith, not concerned with membership numbers but every person stopping to Breathe, to reflect and See our need for trust, for loving ourselves and one another. While we know there were an even dozen disciples, other than Peter, James and John, most of us remember the names of the 7 Dwarfs better than we do the names of Jesus' Disciples. Despite sharing meals and sharing experiences, the disciples were a diverse group, who co-existed without knowing each other intimately. Judas Ischariot and Simon Peter both denied and betrayed Jesus on Maundy Thursday; for the one, it led to an abandonment of God and abandonment of everything; to the other a crisis of faith that empowered him to have conviction, to commit to the faith he already espoused. PAGE TWO We have an earlier reference to Thomas, at the Last Supper. Jesus said “In my Father's house are many rooms, if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again to take you to myself. You know the way I am going.” And Thomas said, “We do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus responded, “I am the way, the truth and the life. If you had known me, you would know the Father also, henceforth you know Him and have seen Him.” When Jesus was arrested and died on the Cross, all the disciples dispersed in crisis. Thomas dropped out becoming one of those like so many today who declare I require proof in order to believe. The problem being that belief can only be belief, when there is no proof, when you have to trust without evidence. On Easter, Thomas was not at the tomb before dawn, or in the evening in the Upper Room. Not that he was unafraid, but Thomas had lost his way. Last Sunday, after the celebration, after the doves were released and the organ had gone quiet, a little girl came into the Sanctuary looking around as if entering a room she thought she might not belong. Coming to Baptismal font she rubbed the colors as if making a wish. Just then she saw me, I winked at her and smiled. In this big space her voice sounded so small, so clear: “Is Jesus coming back?” It was as if wondering if Ronald might make an appearance at McDonalds, Wendy at Wendy's or Mickey at Disneyland. After a moment I said, you know how when Mom and Dad take you to School or Day Care they always come to get you? Sometimes it seems we have to wait and wait, but they come. God is coming. She said, but my Daddy does not come get me anymore, Daddy is in heaven. I sat down on the step beside her and said “So your Daddy is keeping God company, telling God all about you.” She asked, “But how do you know: if God is coming?” I responded, “You know how sometimes, your heart swells up in your chest because you are so excited, so filled with love and joy? Those are the times when God is with us, right with us in our hearts, and we know we are not alone, we are loved.” When asked what it will take for Thomas to believe, Thomas asks for a Scar Story. We each have Scar stories, the time I got bit by a dog. When my appendix burst. When we were arguing and I got burned by the dish coming out of the oven. The Car Accident. The Ski trip. Scars are proof of endurance, the remainder and reminder of an experience that changed you. There is an important irony here... When we die, our mortal bodies, with arthritis, disease, age and disability die. In the resurrection, we are spirit without body, as such we are without disability, without pain, without suffering. BUT Jesus body has an importance to us. According to the Gospel of John, Jesus spirit was with God in the beginning, then giving up divinity in order to become human. That life is important to us, because in the body we know Jesus was born, God incarnate with us. Jesus ate with sinners. Jesus touched people and healed them. Jesus suffered on the cross, and the suffering was atonement for all the sins of all the world. So the physical reality of that body, that is important. The scars, the holes in the hands, the spear laceration in his side, those scars are the vestige of the mortal wounds of the world. Where often we feel guarded and defensive of our wounds, we feel our scars are deformities, However when Thomas names this, Jesus willingly offers his wounds to be touched. Such is the devotion of our God. Touching a wound is an especially intimate vulnerability. As the toddlers describe, “This is an Ow-ie.” This is a wound, a reminder of hurt and pain. Allowing, inviting another to touch that wound, that hurt, is a conviction of trust. Rather than an image of power, glory and divinity, when Thomas does witness the wounded-ness of Jesus, when Jesus reaches out holding nothing back for Thomas to touch his wounds, Thomas provides the most powerful affirmation in the Gospels. Where the High Priests had declared that they had no King except Caesar, and that the charge against Jesus was Blasphemy for identifying himself as being God; Thomas replies to Jesus wounds: “My LORD and My God!” PAGE THREE Joseph, like Paul was included among the Apostles, although they had not been disciples of Jesus, had never seen him in the flesh. Joseph was a Levite from Cyprus, meaning he was Jewish but from the Great Diasopora, the Babylonian Exile, Joseph had learned to live in the world. Joseph received a new name as a Christian, he is called:“Son of Encouragement”: Barnabas. Whereas some kept possessions to themselves, because there was no restriction against it, there were some like Ananias and his bride Saphira who conspired together to lie to community, misrepresenting what they were sharing. Yet there were also those individuals like Barnabas, who encouraged the whole community by freely sharing everything they had. When, Saul was converted on the Damascus Road to become Paul of Tarsus, the community did not trust him. Barnabas is named as speaking on behalf of Paul to the Disciples. Barnabas, Son of Encouragement stood up for other people, offered the possibility of hope, offered his companionship. Barnabas became traveling companion and partner in mission with Paul to the Gentiles. When they set out on their first journey, they took along another young convert named John, who was called Mark. In the midst of this 1400 mile journey, Mark and Paul got into an argument and Mark left, went home. When Paul and Barnabas prepared for their second journey, Barnabas insisted on bringing Mark, and Paul said No. Their disagreement became so strong, Barnabas went with mark and Paul with Silas. Barnabas always seemed to work for the reconciliation and forgiveness of others. SO the two questions we are left to consider this morning are 1. DO you need a Scar Story, to see and touch the wounds and suffering, in order to believe, OR can you like Barnabas Trust, hoping and believing that faith will come? 2. DO you believe Christ will come? Do you believe you are all alone, or do you know what cannot be seen that God is with you? “Good Day”

"Answering Why" Easter April 5, 2015

John 20:1-18 Part of me there is, that loves Easter! Gathering with family and friends at sunrise in the Gazebo. A full Sanctuary not only makes the organ sound better, it makes the preacher preach better. Trumpets and singing “Jesus Christ is Risen Today!” Lilies, little girls in dresses, Chocolate and Jelly beans. Easter is a day of absolute unbridled joy, beyond reason, without understanding, Joy! Part of me there is, that does not, because Easter is really all about answering: After Death. And if we are honest, Easter is not about coming back, or beating Cancer; the Resurrection is not a consolation for having died. Easter is a new and different reality! And Easter happens again and again as we have to let go of what we have been hanging onto, in order to live life differently with God! Death may be sudden and horrific. A train that hits an SUV. A plane that crashes into a mountain. Death is working at a job for 40 years and suddenly being told there have to be cut backs. Death is discovering that working all your life to pay down a mortgage, discovering your property has been losing value. Death is finding a note with a pile of legal papers saying Marriage to you has become too hard. Death is a family intervention, where your blood relatives abandon you. Death is being told, we can try a lot of things to control pain, but there are no options. Death is a black hole, in which everything you thought you knew, is now different. Hopeless. We are a culture that avoids Death. I phoned a company the other day, asking to speak with the manager I had worked with for years, and the person I was speaking with said “They passed.” I thought they had gotten a promotion, or graduated with a degree, until it sunk in “passed” meant Death. We get out of bed at 5 in the morning to exercise, we avoid all the things that give us pleasure, take enough vitamins and medications to make us rattle when we walk, all in hope of postponing Death. There are circumstances and relationships that are beyond our control. When we are born and to whom. When we die. We cannot discriminate. We cannot make religion mean what we want it to mean. It is poignant that 70 years ago this week, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was put to death, because as a minister he stood up against the Nazi State saying you cannot claim religion as the reason for persecution, for hate. When someone we know is dead, we ask for an autopsy, which names what, when and how, not Why. In all the Bible, we are following the 5 questions of Journalism: Who, What, When, Where, How. There is no reason Why God created the Heavens and the Earth. No reason Why Abel's offering was accepted and not Cain's offering. There is no answer for Why God chose Abram, or why Abraham was to be Kosher and Circumcised. There is no answer for Why Moses. There is no answer why the people sinned, turning away from God. It is not logical, not a matter of reason, that after exiling the Nation, Why God brings them home. There is no reason Why Mary and Joseph were chosen. No explanation for Why lepers were cleansed. The first clue we have, concerning Why, comes in relation to Lazarus who died... Jesus loved him. There is no identification who The Beloved Disciple was, throughout John, I wonder if it was Lazarus? Easter in John is different from the other Gospels. In Matthew, the Marys get to the tomb, and there is Lightning and Thunder, the ground shakes and the Guards are paralyzed like dead men. Suddenly, Jesus appears and in one of the few places the Bible includes an Exclamation Point Jesus says “Hail!” Like jumping out and saying “Surprise!” or “Boo!” In Mark's Gospel, the women went away terrified and told No One what they had heard or seen, in Luke they thought it an idle tale. John is different. John is told with sensitivity, as if understanding that Death is hard to confront, hard to answer. John is dealing with Answering Why. We may question whether God created the Universe, or if it was an accident of fate. We may question and theorize much about life. But the facts as presented in the Gospel of John are that Jesus was Dead, they took his body down from the cross, Nicodemus who had visited Jesus at Night speaking of being Born Again, and God so loved the world God gave God's only begotten Son, Nicodemus paid for an elaborate burial which would have included washing the body and spices and perfumes and flowers, they laid his dead body in in the tomb, wrapped his body and covered his face with a handkerchief. Then the guards sealed the tomb forever. Mary Magdalene is alone in dealing with death. She goes to the Garden while it is dark inside her and out. In Genesis, there was a Garden where there had never been death, we call it Eden, Paradise. In John, Death is the context, for what comes after. There are no pyrotechnics, when she comes to the tomb all is silent and empty, violated and open. Fearing someone did something to Jesus' dead body, Mary runs to find the disciples. Hearing her, say “They have taken his body” the disciples run toward the tomb. The Beloved Disciple gets there first but does not go in. Again, I have to believe Lazarus would have reason to be reticent to enter a tomb. Simon Peter looks in. The Beloved Disciple physically goes into the tomb. And now they see he is gone and they believe in the empty tomb. They go away wondering. For some of us, that is as far as we get in faith, is wondering, and that is okay. Mary stayed. Mary looked in and saw two angels. There is no shock, no surprise. They ask “Why she weeps?” She sees someone, her mind will not allow her to recognize who he is. The grammar here is wonderfully non-descript as if to say, “Mister, if you have taken the man, tell me where.” She does not name the stranger, or Jesus whom she wants, Mary makes the assumption the stranger is the Gardener. Which given what we said about the Garden of Eden is quite cute. He calls her by name, and she responds with a pet-name, an intimate relational identity, “Teacher!” Everything about Death is a denial of Life. Denial of relationship. Denial of intimacy. Denial of Hope. Denial of God! The most natural thing when we experience the death of someone we love, is that we feel Numb. We feel Nothing. Because Death is that Void, that Waste, that Chaos, named in Genesis before God began God's Work. Yet, when Jesus speaks to Mary in relationship, calling her by name, it is like Calling Life into being. While she knows and is certain of his death, this Call transforms her to believing Easter, believing Jesus is alive again. There is irony here. Whenever people cry in Church they try to apologize for their tears, they try to hide them and explain them away. There is NOTHING more natural or expected in an intimate personal place dealing with the joys and sorrows of life and death, weddings, love, birth, loss, than tears. However, the natural response of Mary to finding Jesus alive, would have been to fling herself into his arms, her arms wrapped tightly round his neck; and instead Jesus says “Do not hold onto me.” Something tells me, this is not about physical contact, so much as we cannot “hold onto” Easter, the living cannot hold onto the resurrection, life is always moving, always growing, and as much as we face death and believe we have it all answered, facing a different death we struggle all over again. Easter is not about going back, denying death, or doing whatever we can to postpone death. Easter is Answering Death with a new Identity and relationships. Jesus Death on the Cross atoned for all the sins of the world.Christ's Resurrection was the Death of Death, the answer to Fears and Doubts and Shame. In Genesis, humanity was exiled, forced out of the Garden in shame... In John, Jesus sends Mary out on a mission, she is the first Apostle telling others “He was dead and now He is risen!” This morning, being Easter, I came to the church early, while it was still dark, to prepare for the Sunrise Worship service. As I went to unlock the doors, I found a man's body lying in front of the doors. On Easter morning, when you meet a stranger with long brown hair and a beard, like Jesus, you do not question, I invited him in where it was warm to rest. He came in, describing he was from Seattle and had been visiting his daughters for the first time in Maine, and was returning home. I made coffee found some cereal and bagels, and allowed him to rest while I went to the Sunrise Worship. When I returned, he had gone. Easter is not about doubting or questioning, but living life differently, trusting God and one another.

Maundy Thursday, April 2, 2015 "I AM"

Learning anything foreign to us, discerning what is “other,” we discover the most important word is the Verb: “To Be.” Tonight, as we read and share the Scriptures, we listen for the that word, “I AM” paying attention to the differing contexts and meanings and what “I AM” says about God, and about us. CALL TO ILLUMINATION EXODUS 3:1-14 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his Father-in-law, Jethro, Priest of Midian; and he led his flock to the westside of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and lo, the bush was burning, yet was not consumed. And Moses said, “I AM turning aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.” When the Lord saw that Moses turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And Moses said, “Here, I AM.” Then the voice said, “Do not come near; put your shoes off from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” The voice said, “I AM God of your father, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then said the Lord, “I AM seeing the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, I AM hearing their cry because of their taskmasters: I AM knowing their sufferings, I AM coming down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, I AM coming to bring them up out of that land to a good broad land, flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebuzites. And now behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I AM seeing the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I AM sending you to Pharaoh, that you may bring forth my people, the sons and daughters of Israel out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who AM I that I should go to Pharaoh, to bring Israel out of Egypt?” The Voice said, “But I AM with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I AM sending you: When you have brought forth Israel out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this mountain.” Then said Moses to God: “If I AM to come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' and they ask me 'What is his name?' what AM I to say to them?” God said to Moses: “I AM WHO I AM” And God said, “Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'” INVITATION TO PRAYER JOHN 13: 1-13 Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Ischariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, that he had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a towel. Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I AM doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I AM not washing you, you have no part in me.” Peter said to him, “Not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said, “He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over; and you are clean, but not all of you.” For Jesus knew who was to betray him. When he had washed their feet, and taken his garments and resumed his place, Jesus said to them, “Do you know what I AM to you? You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I AM. If I AM then your Lord and Teacher, who has washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.” SCRIPTURE TEXT John 18:1 – 19:22 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples across the Kidron Valley, to where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas, procuring a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns, torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that was to befall him, came forward and said to them, “whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I AM.” Judas who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said “I AM” they drew back and fell to the ground. Again Jesus asked them, “Whom do you seek?” And they said “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, “I told you, I AM, so if you seek me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill the word which he had spoken, “Of those whom Thou gavest me, I lost not one.” Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's slave, cutting off his right ear. The slave's name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword in its sheath; shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given?” So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews seized Jesus and bound him. First they led him to Annas; for he was the Father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year. It was Caiaphas that had given counsel, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. As this disciple was known to the High Priest, he entered the court of the High Priest along with Jesus, while Peter stood outside the door. SO the other disciple, who was known to the High Priest, went out and spoke to the maid who kept the door, and brought Peter in. The maid who kept the door said to Peter, “Are not you also one of this man's disciples?” Peter said, “I AM NOT.” Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves; Peter also was with them, standing warming himself. The High Priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered him, “I AM speaking openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the Temple, where all Jews come together; I AM saying nothing secretly. Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me, what I said to them; they know what I AM saying.” When he had said this, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand saying, “Is that how you answer the High Priest?” Jesus said, “If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness to the wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high Priest. As Simon Peter was standing warming himself, they said to him, “Are not you also one of his disciples?” Peter denied it and said, “I AM NOT.” One of the servants of the High Priest, a kinsman of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” Peter again denied it, “I AM NOT” and at once the cock crowed. Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the Praetorium. It was still dark. They did not enter the Praetorium, so that they might not be defiled, but might eat of the Passover. So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They answered him, “If this man were not an evildoer, we would not have handed him over.” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your Law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.” This was to fulfill the word which Jesus had spoken to show by what death he was to die. Pilate entered the Praetorium again and called Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it about me?” Pilate answered, “AM I a Jew? Your own nation and Chief Priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My Kingship is not of this world; if my Kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I AM not to be handed over to the Jews; but my Kingship is not from the world.” Pilate said to him, “So you are a King?” Jesus answered, “You say that I AM a King. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.” Pilate said to Jesus, “What is truth?” After he had said this he went out to the Jews again, and told them, “I find no crime in him. But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at Passover; will you have me release for you The King of the Jews?” They cried out, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a thief, rapist, murderer and rioter. Then Pilate Jesus and had him scourged. And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple robe; they came up to him saying “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. Pilate went out again and said to them, “See I am bringing him out to you, that you may know that I find no crime in him.” So Jesus was brought out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” When the Chief Priests and Officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no crime in him.” They answered him, “We have a Law, and by that law he ought to die, because he has made himself the Son of God.” When Pilate heard these words, he was all the more afraid; he entered the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. Pilate therefore said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore, he who delivered me to you has the greater sin.” Upon this Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man you are not Caesar's friend; every one who makes himself a king sets himself against Caesar.” When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, in Hebrew “Gabbatha.” Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The Chief Priests answered, “We have no King but Caesar!” Then Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is “Golgotha.” There they crucified him, and with two others, one at either side, and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross; it read “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. The Chief Priests of the Jews then said to Pilate, “Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but 'This man Said I AM King of the Jews.'” Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written.” PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD At the turn of the 19th - 20th Century, with World Wars looming between ancient Monarchies, Dictatorships, and rising Powers, Industrialization expanding, and the cloud of International Economic Depression about to burst, The London Times sent invitation to the greatest writers and world leaders of the time, asking “What Is The Greatest Threat to The World?” G.K. Chesterton was a well known author, having published over 4,000 articles and 100 books, edited his own weekly paper, while writing a column for 30 years in the London News, and a different column for 13 years in the Daily News. Chesterton is the author of The Father Brown Mysteries. Chesterton was identified by C.S. Lewis as the inspiration for Lewis turning from being an Atheist to becoming Christian. Chesterton was identified by Mohandas Gandhi as the force behind the revolution against British rule of India. He was the debater of his age, having written the definitive biography of St. Thomas Acquinas, being the frienemy of George Bernard Shaw, challenging ideas of Consumerism, Capitalism, Progressivism, Conservativism and Monopolies. Chesterton responded, “What is the Greatest Threat to the World? I AM.”

"God is in the Details" March 29, 2015 Palm Sunday

Mark 10 - 11:11 This is the greatest story ever told, retold in paintings and music, and drama... and yet if we are honest with ourselves, it is not the story we desire. We would spare Jesus the suffering and the death, but if we did, we would prevent the resurrection. Ironically, in telling this first climax, the Gospel writers have made the story as Anti-Climactic as possible. Jesus tells two disciples to go into the Village and find a donkey, untie it, if anyone asks tell them “the Lord has need of it.” Riveting! And the two went into the Village, and found of all things A Donkey! And as they untied it, some people said “What are you doing untying the donkey?” And they responded “The Lord has need of it.” Pretty exciting stuff! Since the coming of Jesus, we have been waiting, building intensity through every healing, every miracle and parable, all for Jesus to enter Jerusalem the city of David to come to the Temple of God. Genesis began with the Fall in human sin, so we look for the Bible to provide reconciliation and hope. The First Testament described the rise of Israel, from slaves of Egypt to being the greatest most powerful Nation on the face of the earth. The transition from nomads wandering after God, to a settled people in a promised land, the rise of Kings, and building of the Temple for worship of God. Then the people sinning, accommodating to the pressures to conform, abusing the poor, neglecting God, their destruction, captivity and dispersion. They returned to the land, and prophets foretold of a coming Day of the Lord, a Messiah who would save the people. And when finally the Messiah, the Son of God comes to confront Caesar, to confront the Greek and Roman Cultures, to confront the perversion of Religion that buying and selling sacrifices had become,... We are told Jesus rode a donkey down the hill to the Temple, and realizing the hour was already late, he left... I used to have a neighbor who described “The Devil is in the details.” What they meant was that we agree on the goal and outcome of our desires, the difficulty is in how to make it happen. America wanted to put a person on the moon, the devil was in the details. We want to have a wonderful loving family, the devil is the details. We want a great career with challenges and experiences to reflect upon/a marvelous home/a lovely community: the devil is the details of how to see these made real. But in Palm Sunday's story, in addition to what is accomplished, God is in the details. The Gospels were not written for 40 - 60 years after the Crucifixion of Jesus. The disciples each had their lives, their missionary journeys, establishing of individual churches, wrestling with whether Christian faith, faith in God, is for everyone, or only for a few, whether Christianity is about Morals or Sacrifice, Religion or Relationship to Others/ to the World as Self-Sacrifice? Whether Christianity would survive in the Empire of Rome? How would the faith manifest from the teachings and miracles of Jesus, to being a world wide phenomenon? ...What was known and remembered was that Jesus died on the cross at Golgotha outside Jerusalem. Everything that happens, all of the Gospel, is perceived through that singular event. The details, the stories of all the people along the road, are vital to understanding this as a vital story of faith. One day, someone came to Jesus inquiring “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” That is the eternal question is it not? And what do we know about this individual? He is named as a Rich, Young, Ruler. Male, Affluent, Educated, Young and Healthy, Powerful. He has it all. Dismissively, Jesus says, you know what Moses said. And he said, “All this have I done since the days of my childhood.” To which Jesus says, “One thing more you must do, go, sell all you have to give to the poor and follow me.” And the individual went away. Jesus told his listeners “It is easier to see how to get a Camel through the Eye of a Needle than for a Rich Man to see how to get into the Kingdom of Heaven.” Jesus goes on to answer challenges about death, divorce, taxes authority and religion. When along the road, the brother disciples James and John, who along with Simon Peter were the most famous of the disciples, come to Jesus saying “We want you to do whatever we ask.” Parents, when your children have asked this of you, has anyone every said: Yes, of course? Their request is we want to be first when you come into your glory, we want positions of authority, at your right and left. But who were the ones, one at Jesus left and one at his right, at the crucifixion? The two who knew they were guilty, who were crucified beside him. To whom he offered assurance, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.” But also, after asking for the greatest authority, Jesus sends James and John on a mission. “Get the donkey.” Can you not see these two walking down the road, saying to each other “You had to ask for power! Now we are tasked with cleaning up after a donkey.” But details,... that Rich Young Ruler who went away unable to see how to inherit eternal life, what was his name? No name is given. Personally, I have to believe there is a connection here. If I said to you Warren Buffett or Madonna you know who I am speaking of. If I named Dickens, Lincoln, DaVinci, Plato, all of these are recognized as only being those individuals. In all of literature, the name Timeaus occurs only in Plato's The Republic published about the year 360 BC, a significant piece of Greek Philosophy. In this, Socrates and Plato, Hermocrates and Timeaus each describe what they believe to be The Ideal State. This is one of the only places which describe the origin, history and loss of Atlantis. Timeaus' argument begins with distinction between the physical world and the philosophical. The physical world changes and perishes, the philosophic is perfect and eternal, never changing and therefore is the ideal of reason. Here Timeaus offers the equation that “As Becoming is to Being, so is Belief related to Truth, therefore in the natural world one should not look for anything more than a good and likely story.” Timeaus also is given credit by Plato for describing the origin of “The Soul.” Finally in relation to Timeaus, he derives what in mathematics is called the “Golden Ratio” a formula for calculating Perfectly balanced design. Why is it some shapes appear odd and yet a Rectangle, a Pyramid, a Flower, a Nautilus shell, are pleasing. In the Renaissance a mathematician named Fibonacci developed this as the formula for perfect balance, as such it is the required design ratio of all Apple products and logos. So why is it we are forever seeking the next iPhone? Because even perfection is not satisfying for us! The Renaissance Ideal was to be gifted at all, to be a superb Athlete, Scientist, Artist all; in Ancient Greece the ideal was balance, the Mean, doing nothing to excess, all of which are described in Plato's Republic, attributed to TIMAEUS. Now in Greek, when your father's name is Timeaus, to identify the son of Timeaus, his name would be BarTimeaus, much as we might say Johnson, or Richardson, or Thompson, or Davidson. So what if, the detail of identification here is not so much his physical name, but identification the Rich Young Ruler was a student of Greek Philosophy, aspiring to the Truth, the Ideal, Eternal Life. When first he heard Jesus reply, the Rich Young Ruler went away sorrowful, but eventually he came to the conclusion that in order to get to that state of Being, that ultimate Truth that is Eternal Life, he needed to Become in order to Be, he needed to Believe in order to find Truth. He went and sold all he possessed giving to the poor. But having given away all his possessions, he was still a man, with youth, energy, health, education, power, reputation and authority, which he could not escape, so in essence he was now hopelessly: a Beggar and Blind to the Truth. Having no where to go, Bartimaeus sat on the curb in the City of Jericho, a blind beggar. When, who should come by, riding a borrowed donkey from Jericho to Jerusalem, but Jesus? And Bartimaeus cried out “Have Mercy on me, Son of David.” The detail we have of this, is that in Greek, the word for “Have Mercy Upon Me” is “Hosanna!” Bartimaeus is the first person that day to cry out “Hosanna to the Son of David” and he gets up and becomes a follower. So while the crux of Christianity is that Jesus was Crucified, throughout the story of Christianity are details, details about people. James and John wanting to have importance and being told: Get the donkey; the guilty at Jesus right and left who are promised seeing Paradise; Timaeus philosophical origin of Ideal Balance 400 years before; BarTimeaus who had it all and traded everything for the mercy of Jesus, people like you and me 2000 years later. “Have Mercy on us Son of David, Hosanna!”

"The Meaning of Life" March 22, 2015

On pulpits throughout the country there are brass plaques which as inspiration to the preacher state: “Sir, we would see Jesus!” On our pulpit there is a Post-it Note: “March Madness, Round 3, and Syracuse does not get to play.” The fact of the matter being that while “We would see Jesus” was intended as inspiration to reveal the Savior to us, to make the Scriptures palatable, the goal of worship is not to make us into Greeks, or to lift a single phrase out of context, but to know the Holy Spirit, to know Christ, to know God, and to know as frustrating and disappointing as life circumstances can be, we will not be left hopeless. Someone gave me a bumper-sticker that says: “What if what it's all about IS the Hokey Pokey?” There are times when all we are prepared for is putting our toe in, other times when being part of a team everyone puts in their left hand to say “GO TEAM,” times when we greet strangers by extending our right in friendship, times when we show our backsides to others, times when we are willing to commit to putting our whole self in, and the times in between each, when we turn ourselves round and round, trying to figure out what to do. I have been intrigued by a recent commercial in which people are asked to place a yellow sticker for circumstances of loss or tragedy, and a blue post-it note for positive ones. The announcer comments on our futures being virtually all hopeful, and the past being a mixture with as many losses as gains. This morning we are addressing the assessment of the meaning of our lives, and hope for the future. One minister colleague used to describe his greatest fear, was that the churches he had served, the places where he had been a leader and made sacrifices, would be forgotten. For many of us, there is an expectation that gold stars from our past, should count for something when there are hardships and doubts, like a Get Out of Jail Free card, but often people have moved on forgetting what has been when new crises come. The tragedy for this minister was that late in life, his own loss of memories meant that he forgot who people were, what events had happened, even who he was. My father had a BS, 3 Masters in Engineering from Syracuse, a M. Divinity, an MA in Counseling and EBD for a PhD in Education. When he died, I had been researching our family's genealogy, and it occurred to me that throughout life we try to amass degrees, stories and accomplishments, so that when we die we might win at having the best obituary, for the meaning of our lives; yet in successive generations, who we become is simply a place marker in the lineage, if remembered at all. Whom we married, who were our parents and children; all the stories, accomplishments and academic degrees are interesting anecdotes, but really not helpful to the genealogy, as we are reduced to being our Christian names. We mentioned on Ash Wednesday, how odd it is that throughout life there are two times when our Christian Names are used, at sacred occasions our Baptisms, Confirmations, Graduations, Weddings and Funerals; and when we are in trouble. There seems to be something important in that when we have sinned, when we have gotten into trouble, are linked to our sacred identity before God. One of the lessons we learn doing Bible Study of the New Testament, is that the Letters: Corinthians, Ephesians, Galatians,... actually were written and circulated long before the writing of the Gospels. The Gospel of Mark was not published until roughly 40 years after Jesus crucifixion at the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, the Gospel of John after that. SO what was known and meaningful about the life of Jesus, so much of value that throughout history people have called themselves Christians, is that Jesus suffered and died on the Cross for us. As described in the Apostles' Creed: “He was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried and rose again on the third day.” Everything else, the Parables he taught, the Healings, the institution of Baptism and Communion, all are remembered through relationship to what Jesus names in today's Gospel as being “Glorified.” This is a wonderful story, only preserved by the Gospel of John. At the Passover in Jerusalem, there were some Greeks, Gentiles, non-Jews, who had come for the festival, much as people today go to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, or Times Square for New Years Eve. While at Passover in Jerusalem, they heard stories of Jesus raising Lazarus from the tomb. So they found Phillip, who was from their home town of Bethsaida, and asked of him “Sir, we would see Jesus!” While their statement is much like “We want to take a Selfie with this historic figure,” instead of inviting them in, Jesus recognizes this as a transition point between his having been Rabbi and Healer to his being the Sacrifice for the Sin of the world, but even more that this is a defining moment disclosing his purpose and identity. Having been the great teacher of Parables, Jesus begins with a parable. A seed is just a seed, and could be kept and preserved as a seed for years. But if a seed is planted in the earth, the seed dies in order to reveal the real purpose of the seed, in germination to sprout and grow producing many kernels or seeds from every one planted. How many sermons have been preached about passing the point of no return, facing a circumstance that changed your identity? I remember mountain climbing with the Boy Scouts, and hoping to just make it to the plateau, so I could gracefully tell the group this was not my thing and good bye, but when we reached the plateau I realized there was no way back down, only ahead for seven more days and 50 more miles. I recall a mother describing having brought her baby home from the hospital laying it on the bed and saying “I don't know nothing about raising babies!” There was a Mother of a child with serious illness of birth, who had prayed that either the illness be taken away, or if not then the child, and instead God had given her a church of support to work through what she needed. Like so many Parables, the disciples do not understand, so Jesus shifts to speaking personally. This is my purpose, this is what I have longed for and come to do, but if I could ask that this cup pass before me, and I not have to die, while I would prefer that, I know it is better for you that I should fulfill this purpose. Courage is not about being without fear. Courage is doing what you are most afraid of doing because you know it is yours to do. I love this passage in John, because it is one of the most human expressions by Jesus. Somehow we have this image of his willingly becoming this sacrifice, but here he names his fears and doubts and still his faith in God. Ultimately, Jesus speaks to God about his glorification. Naming his loss and fears, a voice of assurance comes saying “This I have done, and will do again!” John has this wonderful description that no one else heard or understood it, some thought it was thunder and lightning. How often we are in our own world, hearing the narrative of our lives and we do not pay attention to the signs and wonders going on around us. But Jesus sacrifice, the death of the Messiah for us all, demonstrates what the Prophet Jeremiah described. With Abraham and Sarah, God had made a Covenant. God will be God and we would be the people of God following where God led. But in successive generations the family struggled with relationship. With Moses, God made a Covenant to lead the people, all they/we needed do was follow the Commandments as law. But we broke the laws. For over two hundred years after the time of King Solomon, the people played games, hid their true feelings. The nation made political alliances with other nations and other gods. They sacrificed to fertility idols. SO God sent the people into exile. But as was demonstrated in the prophecy of Hosea, even though God had sent them away, God still loved them, God ached for their redemption and reclaiming. SO here in Jeremiah, God prophesies a new covenant with Israel. That every person would know the Lord in their heart. HG Wells described “In the heart of every person is a 'god-shaped piece'. We were born with an inherent understanding of the divine expectation.” No longer is there any need for people to judge one another or say “Know the Lord” because everyone will know the Lord. BUT still they will violate trust and God will forgive. Not that our suffering causes God to act, but that even when we have broken the Covenants, when we suffer, God will not leave us hopeless. I do not know if you have been watching but Matt Lauer of the TODAY Show and Ellen DeGeneres have been playing pranks upon one another. Every prank leads to the other getting even, to the point where after a series of pranks, one said to the other “Now it is Game On, look out!” That is our habit in life, we respond insult with insult, competition with competition. You get a lawyer, I get a lawyer. But this new Covenant prophesied in Jeremiah, fulfilled in Jesus, is that the Powers of this World have lost all power, because the debt of sin was already paid for us. No longer is there need for fear of whether we measure up as Good enough for Heaven, or in need of suffering, or purgatory or limbo, because Christ died for us. The proof and assurance for us, is in our own lives. All we need do is stop and consider. All we need do is turn ourselves around, and decide if we are going to put our whole selves in, or take our whole selves out?

"Symbol or Sign and Seal" March 15, 2015

Numbers 21: 4-9 John 3:1-21 When my children were little, their favorite pastime was collecting snakes. Garter Snakes, Rat Snakes. In Wisconsin, there was a Hognosed Snake which grew to about 30” with a rattle on its tail, a Cobra-like neck and diamond markings, that would coil and hiss, but if confronted, it would roll over and play dead. From ages 5-9, the boys loved to keep these in their pockets, pulling them out at lunch, or when meeting company. The point of this morning's sermon is not for us to all go out and capture snakes! But rather for each of us to face our worst fears, we cannot get to the resurrection without the cross! So what are you most afraid of? Death? Threat to your health? The illness or death of your child? The illness or death of your spouse? Your spouse leaving? The loss of your income? Loss of your home? Loss of your retirement? Loss of productivity? Loss of reasoning? Fear of being found out? Loss of your faith in God? All that is what the snake represented. In the wilderness for 40 years with Moses the people of faith became bored. What a terrible indictment! God Loved the World. We are forever hearing challenge of Evolution, versus those who believe in Creation. The first issue of faith is whether Reality exists as an Accident or Love? With that backdrop, the Chosen People of God, people set free from slavery to do whatever they chose, became bored! Our beliefs, that which we are to be passionate about, that which fills us with awe and wonder and imagination and hope and desire, miracles beyond our understanding, became boring. I believe this is the underlying problem today. We have expectations of what is going to happen, there is nothing new under the sun. When the Prelude music ends and you see the pitcher of water on the Table, you know it is to be poured. When our Associate steps forwards, you know his first words will be “Good morning, Church!” Faith, particularly faith in God, is supposed to equate to finding meaning and purpose for living, has become routine. I think the greatest sin of the 21st Century is that we have bored God and bored one another with our lack of belief, our lack of trust, our lack of faith and imagination. From the Greeks, we adopted a Dualistic understanding... Where there is Good or Bad, Life or Death. The struggle of faith is lived in the in-between, in the cross lifted up between earth and heaven. When Abram and Sarai received The Promise from God with new names and new relationship to God, they became Abraham and Sarah, they became pregnant, but they did not yet have the child or Land. When Israel left Egypt crossing the Red Sea it was not into the Promised Land of Milk & Honey but into a Desert for 40 years. The problem of faith, like our fear of Winter, is this season will never end. We become a people longing for nostalgia of the past, struggling to survive in the present, without Hope. Lifting up the Cross, looking beyond our fears, we are able to imagine relationship with God without fear. What would it be, if we were a people without fears, we were a people trusting God? The People do what people have always done, they form a committee, but this is a “Back to Egypt” Committee. Not a committee for breaking tasks down, not a committee for how to accomplish, not a committee guaranteeing representation, but a committee gathered to find fault. “It will never work” “We tried that before” “We have never done it that way before” “It will cost too much” “We are too old” “We are too young” “Others won't appreciate it” “We do not know how” “We need to study this” Not much has changed in the last 8000 years of human development, has it? This same thing happened in Numbers 14, when the spies sent into Canaan came back complaining that there was already someone living in their land. The people began electing Captains to take them back to slavery, and God determined to bring pestilence and devastation upon them, but Moses interceded. Here, the same people were complaining, forming Committees to take them back to Slavery, for which God sent snakes which bit them on the ankles and they died! In response, the people came to Moses repenting and confessing they had sinned against God, so God told Moses to place a serpent on a pole, for the people to look up and be reminded of their fears, and witnessing their fears, they would not die. The problem with any symbol is that it only works as a symbol as long as it is understood for what it is. Generations later, in the reign of King Hezekiah, the people had worshipped the Serpent upon the pole, as if it were a Golden Calf, so as an act of faith in God, the King broke the thing. When I was very young, my father had been organizing pastor of a church in Missouri, and the church erected a sign for the church out by the road, with a brick flower garden 6' by 4' with a stone plaque with my father's name as pastor and the dates of his service. Decades later, I visited that church who were in a quandary because the road was to be widened and the brick flowerbed had to be moved, and they had come to believe the plaque was a headstone for the organizing pastor who was buried inside. The image of serpents on a pole always reminds me of the symbol for Medicine, Caduceus with the intertwined serpents on a Pole... but that is a Greek image from Centuries later. I am told the origin may be the Guinea Worm, which is a parasite, that is harmless when living in stagnant ponds of water. But if taken into the human body, these take up residence in your veins and arteries, causing terrible pain as they grow. If you try to cut them out they break off and remaining pieces grow. The only remedy, is to insert a shaft of wood like a toothpick into the serpent and slowly over several days twist, until the whole thing is drawn out wrapped around the shaft. The amazing thing is that through the work of World Health Organization, UNICEF and Medical Clinics like the one created through the missions of this church, in 2005 80% of the diagnosed cases of Guinea Worm in the world were found in South Sudan 5,600 cases, and in the last ten years this has been reduced by 99% to just 70 cases. Jesus used this same symbol explaining belief, being born from above, filled with the Holy Spirit, to Nicodemus. We take John 3:16 as being familiar, like a symbol for the whole of the Gospel, as if everyone knows its meaning: “God so loved the world God gave God's only begotten Son that who so ever believes should not perish but have ever lasting life.” To the Early Church, this passage would have screamed for attention! Because the images were polar opposites. “To Perish,” in Aramaic means more than death, this is complete ruin, absolutely and completely missing what God designed life to be! “The everlasting Life Gifted in Jesus Christ,” to those who trust & believe, is life as God intended, the redemption of Created Order. The point is not the duration of a life-time or eternal life, but the quality of life and relationships. The point of perishing is not a judgement inflicted by God, but those bored, complaining, without trust, like those in the Book of Numbers are already living in a state apart from God which is itself condemnation. By choosing to be bored, choosing control apart from God, these have chosen to not live in relationship, have chosen chaos instead of election. There have been those who have questioned that preaching can be academic and intellectual, in that way impersonal or not emphatic about the reality of the Holy Spirit. So allow me to confess, that my partner and I married shortly after college. We went to Grad Schools, had our children, had successful careers and worked on our home and family, but probably took life for granted, took each other and our faith for granted. But all the struggles along the way, health fears, fears for our children and extended family, financial worries, and employment scares, all of these have been opportunities for challenge and re-commitment. The point of Election is not to be complacent as Chosen, but recognizing God's love, recognizing the opportunities and challenges of life, What are you going to do? For the last ten years, we have had these baskets hanging on the North wall. They were a gift from John Dau's Mother, Anon, which she made in the refugee camps in Uganda for bringing to us to symbolize the binding together of her family and this church. Even more, one is filled with rice, one with red beans, as an offering that whomever enters beneath these doors would never go hungry. All of which is why we share the Sacrament of Bread and Wine. This is not merely a symbol of Body and Blood, but Jesus' Body and Blood are for us The Sign and Seal of our Covenant Relationship with God. The Bread, symbolizing the Christ's Body, is a Physical Sign and Seal of our Relationship through his incarnation and his suffering. Jesus had a human body, like all of ours, a body and life filled with suffering for our sake. The Cup which symbolizes the blood signature of the New Covenant, is Sign and Seal of our redemption, of our relationship and Hope. What does it mean to you to be married? What does your child, your spouse mean to you? What does your job, your career mean? Do you recognize your health? Of what importance is our faith in God? Are we taking life for granted or perpetually reborn not from logic and reason, but born from above, are you simply a reality like a rock or snow bank or are you a Gift of the Holy Spirit?

"An Un-Rational Faith" March 1, 2015

Genesis 17:1-17 Romans 4:13-25 Several have come to me this week, questioning why the Extremists feel justified in killing others? It is an atrocity, a gruesome horror. It is too easy to cast aspersions, claiming that Extremists believe only in Killing, and Judaism believes in The Law, while as Christians we believe in Love. As human beings we look to know a thing by knowing its center. As if we could peel away circumstance, peel away rationalizations, at the core is our seed, the root identity of the species. An essential part of understanding the clash of cultures today, is in understanding that throughout the last several thousand years our knowledge, our reasoning, our constructs have all come from Judeo-Christian ideas as resolved in Western Europe. The Enlightenment, Reason, Technology, Rule of Law have played significant roles in our personal and social development. At an earlier time in European History, the era of Colonialization, our ancestors waged war against those who believed differently. The world was divided into Us and Them, with the “Other” being labeled as heretic, heathen, sinner, un-educated, un-developed, lawless, in-human. The Extremists today are still fighting that same war of Us against Them, except what the West, America, Europe, the outside world, represents a challenge to morals, culture, authority, relationships, all concretized in Law. Law is not gracious, not understanding, the Law is intentionally objective so as to differentiate between Right and Wrong, with punishment. Here I am not trying to differentiate between the branches of Islam, or of Moses' 10 Commandments, or the American Constitution and Bill or Rights. But simply whether our reality is based on Law, on Reason, on hard and fast justifications of Us against Them, or whether our reality is based in faith, in trust, in relationship. But there is another way, not Our way, not the Presbyterian, the Protestant, the Christian, or even the Jewish way, But the way, the core belief as demonstrated before there was The Law, in Abraham the common ancestor of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. I believe there is a marked difference that comes in God's Covenant relationship with Abram, compared to everything that had gone before. Adam was created as an individual, a part of the whole of Creation. When we as humanity corrupted ourselves unleashing chaos upon the world, God redeemed Noah from the flood. There is naming in the passages about Noah of his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, but not of Noah's wife, or the wives of his sons. I believe God does something new and different in relationship with Abram, the father of nations, for intentionally with Abram, God calls Sarai, their nephew Lot, and the promise through family. Nations and Laws have changed over time. What we today identify as Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq, in an earlier era was Babylon and Assyria, and prior to that in the time of Abram was Chaldea. Abram his wife Sarai and their Nephew Lot, were from the City of Ur in Chaldea, when the Spirit of God came to Abram and Sarai. God also makes a shift here, God is introduced with the new name God Almighty, literally El Shaddai, the God from the furthest mountain to the furthest mountain, that God is the Creator and the Redeemer, but God will also be known through The Promise, the Covenant. This is a foundational element which we as Human beings have had a difficult time with, because we tend to imagine promises and covenants, even relationships in terms of Contract Law. A Contract identifies the parties and their responsibilities, has a beginning date and an ending, and means of termination. A Covenant is a promise for all time. A Promise is not time specific. God calls this family to leave everything and everyone they have ever known, in order to follow God, in order to trust. At this point, Abram had seen no miracles, had no proof, there was only the Promise “Follow God” and Abram and Sarai did. The promise of God to Abram was three-fold, Follow and God will give you a child, make you to have as many children as there are sands on shore. Follow and God will give to your descendants a land flowing with milk and honey. Follow and God will bless you and make others blessed through you. God is God Almighty. A Covenant is a Promise for all time. These are not Rational, not time bound. The proof comes in the eventual fulfillment, if it does come. But while there was no proof or guarantee there are three tests of Abram's commitment. First that he and Sarai did leave home and family and trust God. But decades have passed and while they pass through the land, there is no ownership and no child. The Second Test comes when Abram is 99 years old, and Sarai 90, that he should be Circumcised as shall all the males of their household. The word Covenant literally means “to Cut” and this covenant, this promise, this relationship with God would be cut into his most private and intimate flesh for all generations. Hebrew loved Wordplays, literally If a man refused to accept the Covenant, he was Cut. With this new Covenant, comes new identities: Abram meaning Great Father is Abraham meaning Father of a great multitude of Nations, Sarai is Sarah, and with the new covenant and new identities comes new responsibilities in the promise, Pregnancy. The response of Abraham and Sarah is laughter. Sarah's laughter has a degree of shame described, that other people are going to know we still have sex, that now when neighbors are grandparents and great grandparents they are having their first, “If I am 90 when the child is born how old will I be when he goes to college?” For Abram, laughter is shock and awe that God can fulfill what seemed impossible and now is un-reasonable. But in hearing this news, Abraham's body responds even before his mind can react, he falls to his knees which is the position of devotion before God. There is an important difference in the root origins of the word WOMB, for in Latin and the Western European Romance languages the meaning of womb is Hysteria, whereas in Hebrew the root word of Womb is the word for Compassion. So how are we to conceive of this new development in the covenant, Hysteria or an act of Compassion and Grace? Third will be once the child is born, will Abraham and Sarah continue to be faithful to God, once the promise is fulfilled? Do we still want what we wanted once we have what we desired? And Abraham is asked to take Isaac up the mountain to make a sacrifice to God, trusting God will provide the sacrifice. The problem with all of this is that Law is simpler to enforce. You are right or wrong. You are with us or you are an enemy. Kill all those who are not believers. If this brings on the Apocalypse, so much the better because we go to be with God. Where as Un-Reasonable Trust, Covenant Promise accepts that there sill be times of suffering and shame, there will be brokenness, but there will also be laughter. The ultimate irony is that the Pharisee Saul had been the ultimate legalist, and he was called to change to become the Apostle Paul. In Paul's Letter to the Romans, Paul is introducing himself and introducing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To the conquering, ruling enemy empire, heavily influenced by Greek Philosophy and Roman Law, Paul makes the argument for faith in Jesus Christ. The Centerpiece of Paul's letter is his justification through Jesus Christ. We as Americans have difficulty not looking for Success, not looking for prosperity to win out. So for us, we often leap over the cross, that the answer for the suffering, the redemption which comes is the Resurrection. But the converse is also true, that Just as Jesus rose from the dead, he had also been incarnate the Divine living as a human life and the center-point the place where the two meet is in his Communion and suffering to become our Savior as well as our Lord. In evidence of which Paul points us back to Abraham who was not bound by Laws but who trusted God.