June 24th, 2012 MARK 4:35-41

MARK 4:35-41

³⁵On that day, when evening had come, he said to them,  “Let us go across to the other side.” ³⁶And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him.

³⁷A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. ³⁸But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him,  “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

 ³⁹He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. ⁴⁰He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” 

⁴¹And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

***

I tend to read the line, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” in the most extreme version of,  “What gives?” Jesus is asleep while they are all bailing out the boat trying to save their lives. The least he could do would be to pitch and grab his own pail. Though come to think of it, he did not come with anything to help. He only brought what he was wearing. Jesus is the one whose idea it was to cross this often-treacherous sea at night. He was the one who wanted to go over to the other side, so he could associate with people with whom we don’t usually associate. Yeah, he heals people, but I really doubt he can calm the wind and the sea. Darn it get up and help us bail Jesus we are dying. That is often how I read, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

Yet, there is another way to read it too, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” This way of lament is the way I have heard this phrase in hospital rooms, and with people after long oppressive struggles of years and years. The lament comes when there is no more energy for anger, and the grief underneath is an open wound. The lament comes from a place of helplessness. We know these helpless places of death, of violence, of poverty, of failing health, of broken relationships, of unemployment, of addiction, of depression, of PTSD, of mental illness, of children hungry and neglected and people abused and at war, helpless places. In these helpless places we know just how rough the sea and the wind can be. The disciples know how rough the sea and the wind can be. Many of them are fisherman. They know they face their death, a death at sea, away from loved ones, a brutal death by what was thought of in that time as demonic wind and waves. They know the grave reality of the sea versus the man. They come to Jesus and pled their lament. They are hurt by the inaction of their teacher. Many among us have been hurt by Jesus’ inaction. Perhaps, they simply want him to be present with them as they perish. They just want to know he is there. This is the lament, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

What both these approaches show is that the disciples, and we, at times, believe Jesus does not care. How can we, how can the disciples, think Jesus cares when we see Jesus is asleep while we are perishing? How can Jesus care if Jesus sleeps while we are perishing? This question is for you to struggle with and answer on your own. I don’t know if Jesus is all knowing and knew the disciples would wake him up to save the day. I don’t know if Jesus knew death was already conquered and therefore knew the disciples were already saved. I don’t know if there was some plan or lesson about the whole thing, part of me thinks the lesson was just the outcome. I wonder though if Jesus was at work in his sleep. That what better defiance to a storm than to sleep through it, to be at peace in the midst of it, and not to let it win. Perhaps Jesus was at work against the demonic sea and wind by merely peacefully sleeping. Who knows?

Yet, whether or not the disciples responded with anger or lament, once awake Jesus takes them seriously. He does not say, ‘This wind, these waves are nothing. I’m going back to bed’. He does not belittle our trials. Jesus also saw the danger and responded by reprimanding the wind and the sea, and even the doubt of the disciples. “Peace! Be still!” To say, “Peace! Be still!” seems the opposite of what is needed in the midst of a storm. If I was the angry disciples, I would wonder for what I woke Jesus up, if he only going to talk at the storm, and yell at us. If I was the lamenting disciples, I would wonder if Jesus heard my cry since he was not acknowledging my fear.  In emergency rooms fear can take over families trying to make decisions. Their brain can become flooded with panic and their thoughts immoveable. Yet, as a chaplain I had to encourage them to breathe, to be still a moment when moments were racing by, to find peace where there is no peace. Fear is paralyzing, and renders us helpless. Jesus did not respond with fear. He responded with the opposite, with peace and stillness. Maybe in the same way he did while sleeping.

Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. The wind and sea were taken over by Christ’s peace. The disciples were also taken over. Jesus had cared for the disciples when they doubted his care. He cared that they were perishing. He cared that the wind and the waves had grown too strong. He cares for you in your helplessness, he cares for you in your great storm, he cares for you when you are angry with him, and he cares for you when all you have is one last lament.

⁴⁰He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” 

I don’t think this is Jesus telling the disciples the storm was not scary. It was scary; Jesus himself opposed it. I think Jesus questions the disciples fear of Jesus not caring. Where was their faith in his care? I wonder too if sometimes our fear of being uncared for is bigger than our fear of the storm. I wonder if sometimes the storm brings out our fear of being uncared for, of feeling worthless. I wonder if this story is Jesus reminding us of not only Jesus’ care but also our worth.

⁴¹And the disciples were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Who is this that can both battle the sea and the storm, yet brings peace to us. Who is this that sleeps peacefully through the storm, and cares for us? Who is this that cares for us?

I think the disciples had it easier. They were in the boat with Jesus. The scripture speaks of other boats with them, and I think our lives, as Christians today, are a little more like those in the other boats. We don’t get to see the action firsthand. We just know that we were in a great storm followed by peace. We just know that at one moment we were perishing, or even did perish, and that in the next moment we were saved. There seems much less answer to the storms of our lives than the storm of the disciples. Yet, I wonder if in the midst of our storms too, we can know that Jesus is merely in the next boat, caring for us deeply. 

June 17th, 2012 John 3:16-21

June 17th, 2012

John 3:16-21

 ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him

may not perish but may have eternal life.

 ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world,

 but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Those who believe in him are not condemned;

but those who do not believe are condemned already,

because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 

And this is the judgment,

that the light has come into the world,

and people loved darkness rather than light

because their deeds were evil. 

For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light,

so that their deeds may not be exposed. 

But those who do what is true come to the light,

so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.

***

For God so loved. God of care, and hope, and justice. God of healing, of covenant, and presence. God beyond all time, Alpha and Omega. God who is Abba, Father, Mother, Womb. For God so loved.

For God so loved the world.  A world that hated God. A world of idols, and oppression, a world of sickness, and brokenness, a world of broken relationships, between humanity and God, between humanity and each other, between humanity and creation. For God so loved the world. 

For God so loved the world that God gave. God of grace and action. God of forgiving and living. God of Spirit’s wind. God to earth and God on earth. God willing, God doing, God breathing, God entering in. God blowing evil out. God of Word and God of deed. God abiding, For God so loved the world that God gave.

For God so loved the world that God gave God’s only Son. Son of God. Shepard of the people, sacrificial lamb. Friend of children, advocate of the diseased, corrector of tax collectors, Rabbouni, Teacher, Prophet, Healer. Healer of the world, of oppression, of poverty, of broken relationships, healer of death, and healer of life. Light of the World. For God so loved the world that God gave God’s only Son.

The beginning of John 3:16 sets the scene for the rest of John 3. We hear the character of God as loving, and the state of the world as God hating. We hear the problem of distance from God and the rising action of God giving. We hear the foreshadowing of an answer in God’s Son. In twelve words we get all this and they are instruction not only for the remainder of the passage but for us in life.

We too are to be loving in a God hating world. We too feel distance from God and long for God’s gift. We too find an answer in the Son of God. These are perhaps many of reasons we have faith, and lack faith. These perhaps are the reasons we are both condemned and not condemned. Perhaps we lack faith when we speak in anger to a family member, yet we faithfully attempt to be more loving. Perhaps we lack faith because we see the poverty and neglect of children yet our faith allows us to lament the brokenness of the world. Perhaps we lack faith when we feel alone and hopeless, yet our faith enables us to feel closer to God. Perhaps we lack faith when we feel ashamed or unworthy yet our faith tells us of God’s saving grace. Perhaps we lack faith when we try only human answers, yet our faith allows us to seek the divine. Our lack of faith condemns us, and our faith frees us.

Our lack of faith leaves us hopeless for a better world. Our faith gives us hope for God’s world. Our lack of faith leaves us hopeless. Our faith gives us hope. Our lack of faith puts us in darkness, our faith shines the light in. Our lack of faith can be seen in our deeds just as our faithfulness can be seen in our deeds. Those who believe in the Son are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already. In what have you not believed? What do you believe?

Perhaps most of us are somewhere in the middle, both faithful and lacking faith, both hopeful and hopeless. Perhaps you know God’s love but doubt it can conquer the world. Perhaps you feel distant from God even though you know God is giving and active. Perhaps you believe in the name of Christ, but are unable to perceive his answer. Perhaps your deeds both tell of your doubt and show you are a Christian by your love. Perhaps you too are a Christian who is both condemned and not condemned. Perhaps you too are a Christian who lives somewhere in the middle between the confession of sin and the assurance of pardon. What lack of faith do you need to confess? What assurance of pardon do you need to hear? What faith do you need to share? What assurance of pardon can you give?

Here is mine for you, and for myself today from John 3:16.

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son!

June 10th, 2012 John 3:16 – 21

John 3:16 – 21 Sermon

Introduction:

I have always disliked John 3:16. For many Christians it is a favorite. The numbers 3: 16 show up not only on Bibles, but also on billboards, and tattoos. Many people can quote the verse by heart. For others it is the basis of their faith. But I have never liked John 3:16. That may be, in itself, a heresy, and I doubt it will be last one you hear today, but I don’t like John 3:16. I have never liked John 3: 16 because I know what comes after it.

The scholars who put together the Revised Common Lectionary don’t like John 3:17 on either. The lectionary is a set group of readings for every Sunday. Each time the lectionary includes John 3, which happens a lot, three times since Lent, the reading stops at 16. That’s why I’m leaving the lectionary today and next Sunday. As a priesthood of believers you deserve to wrestle with the whole passage. You also deserve to get to be heretical, or conventional, and I encourage you in the coming week, to tell me which one are you.

Today’s scripture is also the second half of last week’s Nicodemus story.

***

 ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him may not perish

but may have eternal life.

‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world,

but in order that the world might be saved through him. 

Those who believe in him are not condemned;

but those who do not believe are condemned already,

because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 

And this is the judgment,

that the light has come into the world,

and people loved darkness rather than light

because their deeds were evil. 

For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light,

so that their deeds may not be exposed. 

But those who do what is true come to the light,

so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.’

***

I was listening to a lecture on Church Outreach to Young Adults. Dr. Roger Nishoka, one of our denomination’s most dynamic, brilliant, and forward thinking minds, gave the lecture. He explained the Paradox Generation: 20 – 30 something’s, who are able to hold with ease what might seem like contradictions to others. In explanation, he told this story.

“One of my students, is in the process of being a pastor and finally is being installed. He is a Paradox Generation person, in his mid twenties. He  has to be examined by a group of clergy and laypeople in order to be a pastor. This is in the foothills region of South Carolina, Greenville - Spartanburg area. The floor is opened up to any questions to the candidate, Rodney, and a gentleman gets up,

“Son, I would like to ask you a question.”

“Yes, Sir,”

“Do you believe in John 14: 6,

where Jesus Christ himself says, in red letters,

“I am the way, the truth and the life,

no one comes to the Father but by me.”

Son, do you believe that to be true?”

Rodney says, “Yes Sir, I do.” oh, thanks be to God.

And then Rodney, stupid, stupid, keeps on talking,

“But Sir, I also have to say,

that God being God, and sovereign of the universe,

that while John 14:6 I believe is true,

and Jesus did say that, because it is in red letters,

I do believe that God can save whomever God wants.

So that while John 14:6 is true,

I think there is a broader truth that God can save whomever God pleases.”

“What did you just say?”

“Well I just said that I think God can…”

“Son, you either believe John 14: 6 is true, or you don’t.”

“Well I do, and I don’t.”

Roger continues his story,

“Rodney called me the next day and said, uh Roger; you know how I asked you to hold that date for my ordination? That date is now free. The Presbytery suspended the conversation, a huge debate occurred, and they had to wait six more months before they could examine him again. What I thought was oh Rodney, you are a Paradox Generation, but your speaking to some of us who have a very hard time holding these things with ease together, they seem like contradictions.”

Will and I sat down yesterday to discuss this text in preparation for this sermon. We got into some of these same loops that Rodney did with the man from South Carolina. I believe that God loves the world. Most days, I believe Jesus is divine. Most days, I believe the red letters are divine too. But the concept of hell, I don’t think I’ve believed in it a day in my life. Yet, my life has at times been hell enough to know that God is not solely loving either. All this is enough to dislike John 3:16’s conventional interpretation of either love or condemnation. Even if your not the Paradox Generation, you also might rather lean toward heresy.

There are the nice verses,

 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him may not perish

 but may have eternal life.” – Ahh

“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world,

but in order that the world might be saved through him.” - Ahh

And then,

“Those who believe in him are not condemned;

but those who do not believe are condemned already,

because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” - Ouch!

Double Ouch if you read this condemning in the conventional way of, ‘those who do not believe in Jesus Christ are going to hell.’ Very painful ouch, if you believe the conventional way, and have loved ones who are unbelievers. When I hear people talk about the, ‘need,’ for loved ones to, ‘come to Christ,’ I recognize the pain and fear that surround that statement. If God’s condemnation is hell for unbelievers, than I too would be fervent in evangelism. And although it is easy to read the passage in this conventional way, I don’t. I don’t just stop at happy verse 16 either. As a Reformed Protestant, I try to take in as much Bible, as much context, as much history, as much science, as much of the Confessions, as much of my life and others’ testimony, as much prayer, as much as I can into consideration.

In looking at the context and theology surrounding John 3:16, David Lose, a professor, and Director of Biblical Preaching at Luther Seminary, writes[1],

“The force of God's love as articulated by Jesus does raise the question of why hell is so incredibly important to so many Christians? As a theological concept, "hell" is almost entirely missing from the Old Testament and surfaces as a minor concern in the New, showing up most frequently in Jesus' parables (which, let's not forget, regularly defy a literal reading). In contrast, topics like proper treatment of the poor, good use of money, and the imperative to care for neighbor and creation all capture a strikingly disproportionate amount of the attention of the biblical authors.”

Why is it a heresy to suggest that God’s love might be in competition with hell? Why is it a heresy to question non-believers condemnation, when that condemnation itself questions God’s love? Why is it heresy to dislike John 3: 16 - 21?

Perhaps these are heresies because they make us question. Perhaps they are heresies because we uncomfortable with questions we can’t answer for sure. Perhaps they are heresies because we like to avoid the ambiguity of our faith. Perhaps they are heresies because we prefer the all too easy formula of Christians win, others loose. Perhaps they are heresies because we wish God judged others like we judge others. Perhaps they are heresies because we cannot fully imagine God’s love and God’s grace.

David Lose suggests,

“Our notions of hell don't only witness to our beliefs about the afterlife, they also speak volumes about how we imagine God. Is God primarily loving or angry, forgiving or vengeful?

Evangelical Conservatives seem to want it both ways: God is loving, but also just. Therefore, while God desires that all people be saved through faith in Christ out of love, God nevertheless must punish sinners by condemning them to hell or God's justice would be moot. The trouble is, when that's spelled out in plain English -- "God loves you very much, but if you don't believe the right way you're going to suffer eternal torment" -- there's an inescapable contradiction. Karl Barth, arguably the greatest theologian of the twentieth-century, after listening to just such a message by a noted American evangelist, is said to have commented that such logic sounded like the gospel, all right, but at gunpoint.”

We are people who understand gunpoint, perhaps that has limited us from fathoming love-point. Can we really define and pin down how far God’s love extends. Might we hold out the possibility that God’s love may eventually save all the world, all of God’s creation, all of God’s Children?

Perhaps the greatest heresy is putting God in a box that we either think we know, or won’t look into. Maybe heresy is to only put one verse on a billboard, only the numbers 3:16 on your arm, to omit verses 17 – 21, or to stop at 16? Maybe heresy is always reading the red letters literally? Maybe heresy is your preacher today skipping over the John 16 lectionary twice before, omitting it a third time last week, talking around it today, and today putting it off until next week. Perhaps the greatest heresy is putting God in a box that we either think we know, or won’t look into. Perhaps John 3: 16 – 21 is neither solely about God’s love, nor God’s condemnation. Perhaps the juxtaposition is the point today. So, lets take God out of the box this week. Lets look at John 3, the whole thing, from Nicodemus on down.  Tell me what you think God is like. Who knows, we all may end up liking John 3: 1 – 21, including 16.

---

[1] Lose, David, “The Rob Bell Controversy: Does Anyone Go To Hell,” HuffingtonPost.com, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-lose/rob-bell-hell-and-john-31_b_833627.html 3/13/2011.

June 3rd, 2012 John 3:1-17

JOHN 3:1-17

¹Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus,

a leader of the Jews. 

He came to Jesus by night and said to him,

“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God;

for no one can do these signs that you do

 apart from the presence of God.” 

Jesus answered him,

“Very truly, I tell you,

no one can see the kingdom of God

without being born from above.” 

Nicodemus said to him,

“How can anyone be born after having grown old?

Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb

 and be born?” 

Jesus answered,

“Very truly, I tell you,

no one can enter the kingdom of God

without being born of water and Spirit. 

What is born of the flesh is flesh,

 and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 

Do not be astonished that I said to you,

‘You must be born from above.’ 

The wind blows where it chooses,

 and you hear the sound of it,

but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.

So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” ⁹

Nicodemus said to him,

“How can these things be?”¹

Jesus answered him,

“Are you a teacher of Israel,

and yet you do not understand these things?

Very truly, I tell you,

 we speak of what we know

and testify to what we have seen;

yet you do not receive our testimony. 

If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe,

how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

***

Very truly, I tell you. Very truly, I tell you. Very truly, I tell you. Three times Jesus begins his explanations to Nicodemus in this way. It is almost like Jesus is saying, “This is a fact; I promise this is true; I saw with my own eyes.” They are all phrases, which preface something hard to believe or fully understand. The phrases themselves attempt to give proof to something improvable. In the phrase, “Very truly, I tell you,” Jesus is trying to convince Nicodemus of a wonder of our faith: We are re-born, born again, and born from above. We are born by the Spirit and by water.

Hearing those phrases today we can begin to discern their meaning. We know the Jesus story. We know Jesus was born once of earthly Mary. We believe his baptism was a second birth where he was adopted and claimed by God. In that same baptism Jesus was born of the Spirit, which came down as a dove from heaven. We also can see this re-birth took place in water. Re-born, born again, born from above, born by the Spirit, born by water. Hearing those phrases today we can begin to discern their meaning, but for Nicodemus, who had neither a Bible, nor a commentary, he heard those phrases for the first time.

Yet, years later, with millions of Bibles and thousands of commentaries, I wonder if we are all that different than Nicodemus. Nicodemus came to Jesus because he saw the presence of God in Jesus’ actions. Many of us came to Jesus because we saw signs of the presence of God. I saw it in a butterfly and a church community. If you have read David Terry’s faith journey in the newsletter, he saw it in hospitals and waiting rooms, Nanette heard the presence of God in prayer. Many of us have come, like Nicodemus, because we have seen signs of the presence of God on earth. Like Jesus’ baptism, we can imagine these earthly things, we can testify to what we know, and what we have seen. We can testify to the presence of God on earth, but can we testify to what we have not seen? Can we testify to heavenly things? Years and years later, we like Nicodemus, knowing the signs of the presence of God, yet unable to fully understand God.

The scripture says,

“The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know from where it comes, or where it goes. So it is with everything that is born of the Spirit.”

I know I have seen things moved by the wind, but I have not seen the wind. I heard the wind rustle the trees, and howl over a prairie but I cannot predict when I will hear it again.  If we are born of the Spirit we can testify to wind, but we cannot grasp it fully. I can tell you in baptism we are re-born, born again, born from above, born by the Spirit, and born by water, but there is a part of that which is beyond my testimony. There is part of baptism, which speaks of heavenly things, and the kingdom of God. I know the Spirit speaks in ways my words cannot. Likewise, Jesus will be there saying, “Very truly, I tell you.”  What we see in baptism is a preface to the glory we are unable to see. Today, may the Spirit blow through us, ripple over the water of the font, and pour forth in ways too deep for words, and let us be born again.