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Translation:
(31) And when the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon the throne of his glory, (32)and all the peoples will gather before him and he will separate them from one another just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. (33)And he will put the sheep at his right and the goats at his left. (34)Then, the king will say to the ones at his right, "Come, those who are blessed by my father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. (35)For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, (36)naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you cared for me, I was in prison and you came to me." (37)Then the righteous will answer him, saying "Lord, when did we see you hungry and we nourished you or thirsty and we gave you drink? (38)And when did we see you, a stranger and welcomed you or naked and we clothed you? (39)And when did we see you sick or in prison and we came to you?" (40)And answering, the King will say to them, "Truly I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least of these my brothers, you did for me. (41)Then he will say to those on his left, "Depart from me. You have been cursed into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels. (42)For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not care for me." (44)Then they will answer and say "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and we did not serve you?" (45)Then he will answer them saying, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me." (46)And they will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
I'll never forget the time I told this story to some kids at Trinity. The question I asked them was if Jesus isn't physically sitting with us, how can doing any of these things be like doing it for Jesus? One of the children responded and was almost annoyed that my question was too simple. He said "Well, since God made us there is a little piece of God inside all of us and if we help other people, you're kind of helping God too."
Our Sacred Space group watched a video that talked a little bit about this. God breathed the breath of life into each one of us. God was intimately involved in everyone's beginning. God knows each breath we take.
Its true that if we see other people as made in the image of God, it's harder to do anything to harm them. It's harder to hurt their feelings. It's harder to deny them basic rights and privileges. It's harder not to feed them and it's harder to ignore their cries. This was a very basic principle in the Nazi concentration camps such as Auschwitz. The Nazis denied inmates basic human needs such as proper nourishment, baths or even properly fitting clothes. The fact of the matter is that if someone looks less than human it is easier to treat them that way.
When we honor every life as one that was sacredly made, then we honor each person as if they were Jesus. I think Jesus was telling us to take care of each other, but I think Jesus was also telling us that ordinary people are no less worthy of our greatest care and attention than the Son of Man, the Messiah, is.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Acts 2:42-47 for Sunday, February 24, 2008
Translation:
(42)And they were devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers. (43)And everybody continually was awestruck, there were continually many wonders and signs through the apostles. (44)And all the believers were together and they possessed all things in common. (45)And the possessions and the property they sold and they distributed it all according to anyone who needed. (46)Every day they devoted themselves together in the temple, breaking bread at home, they shared food in extreme joy and humility of heart (47)praising God and having goodwill to all the people. And every day the Lord increased the number of those being saved among them.
We are fortunate that Luke (who most scholars believe wrote the Gospel of Luke and Acts, sometimes called Luke-Acts) gives us descriptions of what the first communities of Jesus-followers were like. I don't think we can call them Christians as such, because I doubt they would have called themselves that. They are a distinct group of believers, though.
What is remarkable to me is how we can see just how these believers are creating their own culture. For as much heat as "culture" takes these days, it can be a good and necessary thing. Without a culture, this group of believers would be hard to distinguish from their Jewish counterparts, or maybe even from their pagan counterparts. Several things were very important to them: devoting themselves to the apostle's teachings, eating together, having fellowship together and praying. They even share their possessions together, fulfilling each other's material needs.
From the very beginning, followers of Jesus have found it necessary to gather together, eat together and share teachings together. Though some Christian mystics managed a solitary lifestyle, this is clearly not the historic norm. It's incredibly difficult to be a Christian in isolation. I think Luke demonstrates this as he describes how the earliest believers forged a community.
I also notice that this community of believers did a lot of things together, but worship is only one (v.46), in the list of many others. The way Luke describes it, most of the community's time was spent in fellowship, receiving teachings, and breaking bread together. If we were to model this in our own communities, we would spend maybe twice as much time in fellowship and study together than we would worship.
This is a difficult model to hold up today, as our hours are quickly filled with so many things. Sometimes it is a challenge just to get to worship weekly; it would be difficult to find another two hours for group study and fellowship. I think the challenge is for each of us to find ways to be in Christian community so that we can grow in our faith.
(42)And they were devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers. (43)And everybody continually was awestruck, there were continually many wonders and signs through the apostles. (44)And all the believers were together and they possessed all things in common. (45)And the possessions and the property they sold and they distributed it all according to anyone who needed. (46)Every day they devoted themselves together in the temple, breaking bread at home, they shared food in extreme joy and humility of heart (47)praising God and having goodwill to all the people. And every day the Lord increased the number of those being saved among them.
We are fortunate that Luke (who most scholars believe wrote the Gospel of Luke and Acts, sometimes called Luke-Acts) gives us descriptions of what the first communities of Jesus-followers were like. I don't think we can call them Christians as such, because I doubt they would have called themselves that. They are a distinct group of believers, though.
What is remarkable to me is how we can see just how these believers are creating their own culture. For as much heat as "culture" takes these days, it can be a good and necessary thing. Without a culture, this group of believers would be hard to distinguish from their Jewish counterparts, or maybe even from their pagan counterparts. Several things were very important to them: devoting themselves to the apostle's teachings, eating together, having fellowship together and praying. They even share their possessions together, fulfilling each other's material needs.
From the very beginning, followers of Jesus have found it necessary to gather together, eat together and share teachings together. Though some Christian mystics managed a solitary lifestyle, this is clearly not the historic norm. It's incredibly difficult to be a Christian in isolation. I think Luke demonstrates this as he describes how the earliest believers forged a community.
I also notice that this community of believers did a lot of things together, but worship is only one (v.46), in the list of many others. The way Luke describes it, most of the community's time was spent in fellowship, receiving teachings, and breaking bread together. If we were to model this in our own communities, we would spend maybe twice as much time in fellowship and study together than we would worship.
This is a difficult model to hold up today, as our hours are quickly filled with so many things. Sometimes it is a challenge just to get to worship weekly; it would be difficult to find another two hours for group study and fellowship. I think the challenge is for each of us to find ways to be in Christian community so that we can grow in our faith.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Psalm 84 for Sunday, February 17, 2008
Translation:
(1) To the director: Upon the Gittith, for the sons of Korah, a Song
(2)How lovely are your tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts
(3)My being longs and even faints for the courts of the Lord
My mind and body shouts with joy to the Living [One]
(4)Even a bird finds a house, and a swallow a nest for itself,
where she puts her chicks; on your altars
Lord of hosts, my king and my God.
(5)Blessed is the one who lives in your house, forever praising you. (Selah)
(6)Blessed is the man whose strength is in you, whose heart are the highways.
(7)Those passing through the valley of Baca will make it a spring.
Even the rain wraps it in blessings.
(8)They go from strength to strength, it will be seen before God in Zion.
(9)Lord God of Hosts: Hear my prayer! Listen, O God of Jacob (Selah)
(10)Look at our shield, O God look on the face of your anointed.
(11)For better is a day in your courts than a thousand I have chosen
It is better to be a guard in the house of God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
(12)For the Lord God is a sun and shield, He gives grace and glory.
The Lord will not withhold good things to those who walk with integrity.
(13)O Lord of Hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you.
This Psalm has been chose as the scripture for our Sunday sermon on "Passionate Worship." Some scholars think that this Psalm was recited or maybe sung by pilgrims as they mad their way toward Jerusalem for one of the three major pilgrimage feasts. You can imagine a pilgrim saying these words with anticipation of reaching the Temple to worship.
I like what this Psalm suggests about worship. To me, it suggests that worship is something powerful. The Psalmist is drawn to God in an almost magnetic way. Take a look at verses 1-3. The Hebrew words here don't leave any part of the Psalmists physical being out. The heart, the mind and the corporal body are all included. The whole being, the Psalmist's whole self is yearning for God, to sing praises to God and to just stand in God's courts.
Then, verses 4-8 seem to indicate a transformation in the worshiper. Particularly verse 7 and the valley of Baca. Though we do not know exactly where the valley of Baca would have been, the Hebrew word Baca is very close to the word for "tears." Some translations actually say "the valley of Tears." Imagine the transformation here--the valley of sadness is transformed to become a spring where the rain blesses the earth. What a powerful transformation we're talking about here!
There is some kind of petition in verses 9-10 where the Psalmist is asking God to do something. The Hebrew imperative verb form is used here, probably to indicate a sense of urgency that God should listen and hear the pleas of those who pray to him. And finally, the Psalm ends in the way it began--with the Psalmist's own experience of what it feels like to be in the presence of God.
I think this Psalm has a great stage before our own contemporary ears. Sometimes we take worship for granted. It happens every single Sunday, with much the same ordo or pattern. You might even call it predictable. But, this Psalm reminds us that our worship is more than just a pattern, more than just a weekly routine. Our worship is powerful because it happens in the presence of God. It is powerful because it is one way that we can communicate with God and a time and a place where we can have fellowship with God.
(1) To the director: Upon the Gittith, for the sons of Korah, a Song
(2)How lovely are your tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts
(3)My being longs and even faints for the courts of the Lord
My mind and body shouts with joy to the Living [One]
(4)Even a bird finds a house, and a swallow a nest for itself,
where she puts her chicks; on your altars
Lord of hosts, my king and my God.
(5)Blessed is the one who lives in your house, forever praising you. (Selah)
(6)Blessed is the man whose strength is in you, whose heart are the highways.
(7)Those passing through the valley of Baca will make it a spring.
Even the rain wraps it in blessings.
(8)They go from strength to strength, it will be seen before God in Zion.
(9)Lord God of Hosts: Hear my prayer! Listen, O God of Jacob (Selah)
(10)Look at our shield, O God look on the face of your anointed.
(11)For better is a day in your courts than a thousand I have chosen
It is better to be a guard in the house of God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
(12)For the Lord God is a sun and shield, He gives grace and glory.
The Lord will not withhold good things to those who walk with integrity.
(13)O Lord of Hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you.
This Psalm has been chose as the scripture for our Sunday sermon on "Passionate Worship." Some scholars think that this Psalm was recited or maybe sung by pilgrims as they mad their way toward Jerusalem for one of the three major pilgrimage feasts. You can imagine a pilgrim saying these words with anticipation of reaching the Temple to worship.
I like what this Psalm suggests about worship. To me, it suggests that worship is something powerful. The Psalmist is drawn to God in an almost magnetic way. Take a look at verses 1-3. The Hebrew words here don't leave any part of the Psalmists physical being out. The heart, the mind and the corporal body are all included. The whole being, the Psalmist's whole self is yearning for God, to sing praises to God and to just stand in God's courts.
Then, verses 4-8 seem to indicate a transformation in the worshiper. Particularly verse 7 and the valley of Baca. Though we do not know exactly where the valley of Baca would have been, the Hebrew word Baca is very close to the word for "tears." Some translations actually say "the valley of Tears." Imagine the transformation here--the valley of sadness is transformed to become a spring where the rain blesses the earth. What a powerful transformation we're talking about here!
There is some kind of petition in verses 9-10 where the Psalmist is asking God to do something. The Hebrew imperative verb form is used here, probably to indicate a sense of urgency that God should listen and hear the pleas of those who pray to him. And finally, the Psalm ends in the way it began--with the Psalmist's own experience of what it feels like to be in the presence of God.
I think this Psalm has a great stage before our own contemporary ears. Sometimes we take worship for granted. It happens every single Sunday, with much the same ordo or pattern. You might even call it predictable. But, this Psalm reminds us that our worship is more than just a pattern, more than just a weekly routine. Our worship is powerful because it happens in the presence of God. It is powerful because it is one way that we can communicate with God and a time and a place where we can have fellowship with God.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Matt 18:1-5 for Sunday, February 10, 2008
Translation:
(1)In that time, the disciples approached Jesus saying, "Who, then, is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" (2)And summoning a child, he put him in the middle of them. (3)And he said, "Truly I say to you, if you do not change inwardly and become as the child, you may not enter the kingdom of heaven. (4)Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (5)And who ever welcomes such a child in my name welcomes me."
We get all kinds of warm and fuzzy feelings when we read this scripture. When we read it, we start thinking of all the ways we could work in children's ministry. Unfortunately, I don't think this is what Jesus had in mind.
In Jesus' time, children were seen as inferior members of the human race. It makes perfect sense, if you also know that many children did not live to see their second birthdays. A child was not useful to society until he or she was old enough to contribute in meaningful ways. Until then, children were a huge liability. Very rarely would anyone consider that a rabbi would use a child in an illustration about how to become a member in the kingdom of heaven. Children did not have the kind of social status that would be noticed by a rabbi.
All the same, Jesus uses this child as an illustration to say that if you want to be in the kingdom of heaven, you must be as humble as is possible. Clearly, this is not like earthly kingdoms. In a an earthly kingdom you climb the ladder of success until you reach a very important position of power. In the kingdom of heaven, you humble yourself until you are seen as a nothing, a worthless nobody to others. Only when you are as humble as you can possibly be can you truly identify with the poor, weak, and the sick. How else could any of these persons be welcomed in Christ's name?
So, I don't think the message here is that we all need to become involved in our church's children's ministry. As it turns out, Jesus is not reminding us that children are our future. Jesus is reminding us that children are our present, for with us in this very moment are members of our society who are forgotten, lonely, and deemed worthless. If any of us wish to enter the kingdom of heaven, we must change ourselves inwardly and become as humble so that we can identify with those who have been forgotten and welcome them into the body of Christ.
(1)In that time, the disciples approached Jesus saying, "Who, then, is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" (2)And summoning a child, he put him in the middle of them. (3)And he said, "Truly I say to you, if you do not change inwardly and become as the child, you may not enter the kingdom of heaven. (4)Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (5)And who ever welcomes such a child in my name welcomes me."
We get all kinds of warm and fuzzy feelings when we read this scripture. When we read it, we start thinking of all the ways we could work in children's ministry. Unfortunately, I don't think this is what Jesus had in mind.
In Jesus' time, children were seen as inferior members of the human race. It makes perfect sense, if you also know that many children did not live to see their second birthdays. A child was not useful to society until he or she was old enough to contribute in meaningful ways. Until then, children were a huge liability. Very rarely would anyone consider that a rabbi would use a child in an illustration about how to become a member in the kingdom of heaven. Children did not have the kind of social status that would be noticed by a rabbi.
All the same, Jesus uses this child as an illustration to say that if you want to be in the kingdom of heaven, you must be as humble as is possible. Clearly, this is not like earthly kingdoms. In a an earthly kingdom you climb the ladder of success until you reach a very important position of power. In the kingdom of heaven, you humble yourself until you are seen as a nothing, a worthless nobody to others. Only when you are as humble as you can possibly be can you truly identify with the poor, weak, and the sick. How else could any of these persons be welcomed in Christ's name?
So, I don't think the message here is that we all need to become involved in our church's children's ministry. As it turns out, Jesus is not reminding us that children are our future. Jesus is reminding us that children are our present, for with us in this very moment are members of our society who are forgotten, lonely, and deemed worthless. If any of us wish to enter the kingdom of heaven, we must change ourselves inwardly and become as humble so that we can identify with those who have been forgotten and welcome them into the body of Christ.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Matt 17:1-9 for Sunday, February 3, 2008
Translation:
(1)And after six days, Jesus took Peter and James and John, his brother, and he broght them up to a high mountain by themselves. (2)And he was transformed before them and his face shone as the sun and his garment was brilliant as the light. (3)Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, speaking with him. (4)Peter responded to Jesus saying, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you desire, I will make here three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." (5)While he was still talking, suddenly a cloud full of light overshadowed them and suddenly a voice from the cloud said, "This is my son, the beloved, in whom I am pleased. Listen to him." (6)And when the disciples heard this, they fell upon their faces and they were very afraid. (7)Jesus came and touching them he said, "Get up and do not be afraid." (8)And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus himself, alone. (9)And going down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them , saying "You may tell no one about the vision until the son of man has been raised from the dead."
This scripture, commonly called "The Transfiguration" is filled with references to Judaism. It all makes sense, if you consider that Matthew was probably writing to an audience of Jews who became Christians probably around 80 or 90 CE. This caused a schism in Judaism, where some Jews felt that Jesus was the Messiah and some did not. Since Matthew was writing to a group of Jews who did believe in Christ, it makes sense that he would want to portray Jesus as continuous with their Jewish roots.
Let's review some of the things Jewish readers would surely notice. Ascending the mountain is a reminder of Moses, who ascended Mt. Horeb to receive the Ten Commandments from God. Moreover, when Jesus and the disciples reach the top of the mountain, Jesus is transformed so that his face shines and even his clothes shine with bright light. Moses had a similar experience when as he came down from his mountain-top visit with God. And then Jesus appears to be conversing with Moses and Elijah, both major figures in Jewish history, responsible for carrying the promises of God forward. Both Moses and Elijah were considered to be transcendent figures, or persons who did not actually die but were taken directly to heaven by God.
After witnessing this, Peter suggests that they stay on the mountain with Moses and Elijah. He is excited and filled to the brim with the Holy Spirit. Who would want to leave? And, in his typically Jewish way, he suggests building tents, or tabernacles, as Jews do during the Festival of Booths. Some first century Jewish traditions associated the future reign of the kingdom of God with the Festival of Booths.
But just then a cloud of light comes over them! What an oxymoron! Imagine a cloud of light that is so bright that everything else seems dark. In my imagination, that is what I think they experienced. God also appeared in a cloud to Moses. The voice from the cloud speaks the same words as were heard at Jesus' baptism (Matt. 3). This whole experience was enough to bring the disciples to their knees, bowing down in fear. When they rise again, everything is back to normal. Just as it was before.
The story of the Transfiguration is very exciting to me. It is proof positive that Jesus was more than a healer or miracle worker. It proves that Jesus is part of a larger history and a bigger story. It reminds me that God's story goes back many hundreds of years and that God's work in Jesus is part of this larger work. It impresses me all the more that God would send his only son to be our savior, because I am reminded that God has an intimate knowledge of his people, a long history with these people. God knows well the shortcomings of human creatures. God knows first hand how things can go very wrong. And still, God was willing to send his only son to die on a cross so that our sins could be forgiven. Astounding!
(1)And after six days, Jesus took Peter and James and John, his brother, and he broght them up to a high mountain by themselves. (2)And he was transformed before them and his face shone as the sun and his garment was brilliant as the light. (3)Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, speaking with him. (4)Peter responded to Jesus saying, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you desire, I will make here three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." (5)While he was still talking, suddenly a cloud full of light overshadowed them and suddenly a voice from the cloud said, "This is my son, the beloved, in whom I am pleased. Listen to him." (6)And when the disciples heard this, they fell upon their faces and they were very afraid. (7)Jesus came and touching them he said, "Get up and do not be afraid." (8)And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus himself, alone. (9)And going down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them , saying "You may tell no one about the vision until the son of man has been raised from the dead."
This scripture, commonly called "The Transfiguration" is filled with references to Judaism. It all makes sense, if you consider that Matthew was probably writing to an audience of Jews who became Christians probably around 80 or 90 CE. This caused a schism in Judaism, where some Jews felt that Jesus was the Messiah and some did not. Since Matthew was writing to a group of Jews who did believe in Christ, it makes sense that he would want to portray Jesus as continuous with their Jewish roots.
Let's review some of the things Jewish readers would surely notice. Ascending the mountain is a reminder of Moses, who ascended Mt. Horeb to receive the Ten Commandments from God. Moreover, when Jesus and the disciples reach the top of the mountain, Jesus is transformed so that his face shines and even his clothes shine with bright light. Moses had a similar experience when as he came down from his mountain-top visit with God. And then Jesus appears to be conversing with Moses and Elijah, both major figures in Jewish history, responsible for carrying the promises of God forward. Both Moses and Elijah were considered to be transcendent figures, or persons who did not actually die but were taken directly to heaven by God.
After witnessing this, Peter suggests that they stay on the mountain with Moses and Elijah. He is excited and filled to the brim with the Holy Spirit. Who would want to leave? And, in his typically Jewish way, he suggests building tents, or tabernacles, as Jews do during the Festival of Booths. Some first century Jewish traditions associated the future reign of the kingdom of God with the Festival of Booths.
But just then a cloud of light comes over them! What an oxymoron! Imagine a cloud of light that is so bright that everything else seems dark. In my imagination, that is what I think they experienced. God also appeared in a cloud to Moses. The voice from the cloud speaks the same words as were heard at Jesus' baptism (Matt. 3). This whole experience was enough to bring the disciples to their knees, bowing down in fear. When they rise again, everything is back to normal. Just as it was before.
The story of the Transfiguration is very exciting to me. It is proof positive that Jesus was more than a healer or miracle worker. It proves that Jesus is part of a larger history and a bigger story. It reminds me that God's story goes back many hundreds of years and that God's work in Jesus is part of this larger work. It impresses me all the more that God would send his only son to be our savior, because I am reminded that God has an intimate knowledge of his people, a long history with these people. God knows well the shortcomings of human creatures. God knows first hand how things can go very wrong. And still, God was willing to send his only son to die on a cross so that our sins could be forgiven. Astounding!
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