Jesus

Without Jesus

Frank

I already posted on this subject but I made a different take for yesterday’s communion service. I’ll provide the text below, but first I want to thank everyone for their encouragement. I probably received more feedback from this three-minute talk than any others I had done before. One person, who has been faithful for roughly 20 years, commented that this was probably in the top three communion reflections she’d ever heard. Wow. That’s God, not me. I just come up with the context, the Holy Spirit does the rest. Anyway, here you go…

Last week celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Apollo Moon landing. Trivia question for the space buffs out there… What was the first food eaten on the moon?

Believe it or not, the first food eaten was the bread and wine of communion. Buzz Aldrin took communion with him and celebrated on the moon. If you’re old enough to remember, the Eagle landed on a Sunday.

This is what he said, “I’d like to take this opportunity to ask every person listening in, whoever and wherever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his or her own way…” Then off-air he gave himself communion and read this from John 15:5, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whosoever abides in me will bring forth much fruit.”

Interesting use of Scripture, John 15:5. For some reason, he doesn’t read the rest of that verse, “apart from me, you can do nothing.” His focus was that even 235,000 miles away, he was still on the vine. But I think the end of that verse is more profound. Here is man, on the moon, who apart from Jesus can do nothing.

Going to the moon was in some ways a Tower of Babel moment. The whole world was watching and we did, literally, reach into the heavens. But unlike those in the story in Genesis, Buzz knew who deserved credit. His communion service wasn’t broadcast because NASA was afraid of a lawsuit. They were already in hot water because the Apollo 8 crew read the creation account from Genesis while orbiting the moon the Christmas before. Point is, it’s hard to not appreciate God’s creation when seeing it from a perspective never seen before. Apart from Jesus, they could do
nothing.

Think about that. Apart from Jesus, you can do nothing. These men went to the moon. What dreams do you have? For your own life, your career, your family, your children? Your church, your neighbors, the lost? Apart from Jesus, you can do
nothing.

No dream is too big for God. Psalm 105 reads, “Praise the Lord, oh my soul; all my inmost being, praise his name.” And then in verse 5, “who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

But apart from Jesus, you can do nothing.

This is how Buzz described taking communion, “I opened the little plastic packages which contained the bread and the wine. I poured the wine into the chalice our church had given me. In the one-sixth gravity of the moon, the wine slowly curled and gracefully came up the side of the cup… I ate the tiny Host and swallowed the wine. I gave thanks for the intelligence and spirit that had brought two young pilots to the Sea of Tranquility. It was interesting for me to think: the very first liquid ever
poured on the moon, and the very first food eaten there, were the communion elements.”

On the moon. Amazing.

Irreconcilable Differences

Frank

Divorce should never be an option for Christians based on Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 5, yet the divorce rate in the church (little-c) is a little higher than the national average (60 to 50 percent, last I looked). The number one reason for divorce in the United States, with laws defining “no-fault divorce”, is irreconcilable differences. In other words, arguments that can’t be resolved. Again, this should be a non-option for Christians based on Romans 12: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought… Honor one another above yourselves… If possible, as much as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:3b,10b,18)

Reading Matthew 5 this morning, Jesus’ instruction on divorce is buried in the middle of a larger train of thought. If your Bible has headings, it might look something like this beginning in verse 21: Murder, Adultery, Divorce, Oaths, An Eye for an Eye, Love for Enemies. Since Jesus’ theme in these passages is less the action and more the heart consider this sequence: Anger, Lust, Unfaithfulness, Integrity, Turn the Other Cheek, Love Your Enemies.

What is your irreconcilable difference(s) with your spouse? What is the one (or more) thing that you two can never seem to resolve? How does that make you feel? (Come in, lay down on my couch) Angry? Do you use that as an excuse to be lustful? Remember that even lust is adultery and adultery is unfaithfulness to your marriage. Remember that you took an oath before God and your ‘I do’ means ‘I do’ just as your “yes be yes and your no be no”. Are you still angry at your spouse? Is there anything you haven’t let go of and forgiven? Turn the other cheek. Last, but certainly not least, if this is still too hard, love your enemy.

Irreconcilable Differences

Frank

Divorce should never be an option for Christians based on Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 5, yet the divorce rate in the church (little-c) is a little higher than the national average (60 to 50 percent, last I looked). The number one reason for divorce in the United States, with laws defining “no-fault divorce”, is irreconcilable differences. In other words, arguments that can’t be resolved. Again, this should be a non-option for Christians based on Romans 12: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought… Honor one another above yourselves… If possible, as much as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:3b,10b,18)

Reading Matthew 5 this morning, Jesus’ instruction on divorce is buried in the middle of a larger train of thought. If your Bible has headings, it might look something like this beginning in verse 21: Murder, Adultery, Divorce, Oaths, An Eye for an Eye, Love for Enemies. Since Jesus’ theme in these passages is less the action and more the heart consider this sequence: Anger, Lust, Unfaithfulness, Integrity, Turn the Other Cheek, Love Your Enemies.

What is your irreconcilable difference(s) with your spouse? What is the one (or more) thing that you two can never seem to resolve? How does that make you feel? (Come in, lay down on my couch) Angry? Do you use that as an excuse to be lustful? Remember that even lust is adultery and adultery is unfaithfulness to your marriage. Remember that you took an oath before God and your ‘I do’ means ‘I do’ just as your “yes be yes and your no be no”. Are you still angry at your spouse? Is there anything you haven’t let go of and forgiven? Turn the other cheek. Last, but certainly not least, if this is still too hard, love your enemy.

The Things We Do for Love

Frank

“Mawage. Mawage is what bwings us togevah todayy…” (From the Princess Bride, thanks Peter for the inspiration!)

I know I said I was going to shy away from gotcha headlines, but I couldn’t resist with these two stories today.

First is a moving piece (yeah, I said it) from a gay couple who are one of the few whose marriage was upheld by the California Supreme Court earlier this week. The other is of the notorious priest, ‘Father Oprah’ who left the Catholic Church so that he can marry the girlfriend he recently got busted with.
What do these have to do with one another? The irony to start. In one case, long standing tradition and legal precedence prevent gay couples from being married (the couple in this case call themselves the “lucky ones”) and in the other, long standing tradition and legalistic precedence prevent priests from being married. And I don’t necessarily agree with either. (Yet somehow some consider me a bigot, go figure) The irony is that Evangelical Protestants would be quick to defend the priest on the basis of being able to marry whomever he chooses on the basis of love, yet that is the very same argument used to support gay marriage that they vehemently oppose.
Not that I side with either of these couples, however. The description David Schmader gives of his ceremony and the tearful toasts from their fathers is just as possible with a Civil Union. Interestingly, in the subtitle of his article he says he doesn’t “feel” married since the California Supreme Court decision. I’ve been married for five years and I wonder what being married feels like. I know what love feels like and I know what stress feels like, but I don’t need a marriage certificate to experience either.
Meanwhile, Father Alberto Cutie’ made an oath before God to remain celibate in his calling. (Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. -Matthew 5:33-37) He says, “I believe that I’ve fallen in love and I believe that I’ve struggled with that, between my love for God, and my love for the Church and my love for service.” But we are told by Jesus that to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” is the Greatest Commandment (Mark 12:28). And we are also instructed that to follow Jesus, we “must deny [ourselves] and take up [our] cross daily and follow [him].” (Luke 9:23)
And that’s the problem in both of these cases. Neither is willing to deny themselves and take up their cross. That’s not a popular stance, but then Jesus didn’t live to a ripe old age on account of his popularity either.

The Things We Do for Love

Frank

“Mawage. Mawage is what bwings us togevah todayy…” (From the Princess Bride, thanks Peter for the inspiration!)

I know I said I was going to shy away from gotcha headlines, but I couldn’t resist with these two stories today.

First is a moving piece (yeah, I said it) from a gay couple who are one of the few whose marriage was upheld by the California Supreme Court earlier this week. The other is of the notorious priest, ‘Father Oprah’ who left the Catholic Church so that he can marry the girlfriend he recently got busted with.
What do these have to do with one another? The irony to start. In one case, long standing tradition and legal precedence prevent gay couples from being married (the couple in this case call themselves the “lucky ones”) and in the other, long standing tradition and legalistic precedence prevent priests from being married. And I don’t necessarily agree with either. (Yet somehow some consider me a bigot, go figure) The irony is that Evangelical Protestants would be quick to defend the priest on the basis of being able to marry whomever he chooses on the basis of love, yet that is the very same argument used to support gay marriage that they vehemently oppose.
Not that I side with either of these couples, however. The description David Schmader gives of his ceremony and the tearful toasts from their fathers is just as possible with a Civil Union. Interestingly, in the subtitle of his article he says he doesn’t “feel” married since the California Supreme Court decision. I’ve been married for five years and I wonder what being married feels like. I know what love feels like and I know what stress feels like, but I don’t need a marriage certificate to experience either.
Meanwhile, Father Alberto Cutie’ made an oath before God to remain celibate in his calling. (Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. -Matthew 5:33-37) He says, “I believe that I’ve fallen in love and I believe that I’ve struggled with that, between my love for God, and my love for the Church and my love for service.” But we are told by Jesus that to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” is the Greatest Commandment (Mark 12:28). And we are also instructed that to follow Jesus, we “must deny [ourselves] and take up [our] cross daily and follow [him].” (Luke 9:23)
And that’s the problem in both of these cases. Neither is willing to deny themselves and take up their cross. That’s not a popular stance, but then Jesus didn’t live to a ripe old age on account of his popularity either.

Purpose

Frank

Purpose. It’s become a loaded word in my fellowship of churches. Some of you may recall the debate (still ongoing in my heart) between our “purpose” as Christians and our “mission.” I won’t get into that debate here other than comment that my heart has recently been challenged with a recent run of sermons on this topic. I want to stand up and shout, “our purpose is not to bring people to church!” The topic of evangelism always makes me queasy, because I relate that to “numbers” and “accountability” that were used as abusive, manipulative, incorrect means to the correct end. To me, evangelism isn’t about church invites, or “visitors”, or “cranking.” Instead it is literally about “sharing my faith” with someone else. If they respond, amen! If not, that seed is planted and I trust God to do with it what He pleases.

Sadly, whenever I hear “purpose” or “share your faith” in a sermon, my ears tune out the message and my ego turns on with defensiveness. So it took an outside source to shake this from me. I was listening to a radio sermon last week (if you haven’t read my last post, let me sum it up: if you listen to a radio ministry, support it financially!) and the topic was Purpose. Right away I wanted to listen thinking that this lesson would validate all my feelings on the subject. It didn’t. Instead it reaffirmed the Christian purpose to “seek and save the lost.”

This lesson referenced Philippians 1:12-30 where Paul is referring to being imprisoned for the sake of the Gospel: “Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel… The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice…I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death…If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me…Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.” (Phil 1:12,18ff,20,22ff,27 emphasis added)

While the context was Paul’s sufferings, his encouragement to the Christians in Philippi was that this suffering can be used to advance the Gospel and therefore to not be discouraged by any hardship. With that in mind, I want to focus on how Paul was evangelistic here. Obviously he couldn’t invite his captors to church, where would they go? Instead he used his circumstance to explain his conviction. This is something we all can do, and is more literally sharing our faith than a simple invite to church.

Something else he points out here that is very important to me. He talks about “Christ being exalted in [his] body,” and, “conducting [our]selves in a manner worthy of the gospel.” Our lives should reflect the gospel of Jesus. Our very lives should be our evangelism. In my wallet I have a business card that reads, “How have I been Christ’s presence today?” I keep it in front of my driver’s license because I consider this my real ID. In this context, evangelism to advance the gospel of Christ is very much my purpose.

Purpose or mission, it’s all really just semantics anyway. The real question is how have you been Christ’s presence today?

I Had a Dream

Frank

No, I’m not invoking the great MLK, I literally had a dream last night that I want to share. In the spirit of the Jenkens Lesson, and fueled by my addiction to Lost…

A man (John Locke in my dream) dies and finds himself in a subterranean cavern filled with unrecognizable creatures. He is told these creatures are God’s creation (yes, my dream had a narrative) but God was displeased with them. They were all too selfish and never learned to get along with one another. To demonstrate the point, the man is shown a hole in the ceiling of the cavern that leads to Paradise, but is too high for any one man to reach. “See,” the narrator says to the man, “these creatures had every opportunity to leave Hades, but they would not help each other escape. Look,” as the man is directed towards two humans, “here are creatures that understand what it means to love their neighbor.” And the man watches as one person lifts the other up to the hole, into Paradise.

“But there is a flaw in this plan; one person is always left behind,” observed the man. “That is correct,” replied the narrator. “That is why God sent his only son to die. Jesus had to die in order to come here. He is the only one who can leave this place under his own power. And The Christ is the one who lifts us all up to Paradise so that no one is left behind.”

And then I awoke.

Maybe subconsciously I was looking forward to tonight’s episode of Lost and pondering Locke’s fate- falling down into a cavern in order to leave the Island (Hades, or Paradise?), dying, and resurrecting back on the Island- and recognizing the recent religious references (Thomas the doubter, 316, the church being the only place that can find Paradise). Or maybe this was more divinely inspired? I’ll take the latter.

What Have You Done For Me Lately?

Frank

I recently turned 33. I joke that I want a big party in a couple of months when I can celebrate that I’m a third of a century old. A friend of mine teased me by asking, “Jesus saved the world when he was 33. What have you done?” Ouch.

Yesterday I also celebrated my ninth “spiritual birthday,” the anniversary of my rebirth in baptism. In the same way, Jesus saved the world in his third year of ministry.

Looks like I have my work cut out for me.

Something’s Missing

Frank

“And I don’t know how to fix it” -John Mayer, Something’s Missing

Earlier this month, the British Humanist Association launched a campaign with banners on the side of buses saying “There’s Probably No God. So Stop Worrying and Enjoy Life” implying that a life of faith can’t be enjoyed. The numbers support this I guess. According to the speech kicking off the campaign, polls show 30-40% of people in the UK and 60-65% of youth are “non-religious” again implying that 60-70% of everyone else and 35-40% of their kids must be miserable. Of course that’s not their message. Much like the statement in the Washington State capital during Christmas, the message is that it’s ok to not be religious.

But it’s the implication of a miserable existence for the religious that really gets me. We don’t do any favors by projecting an image of super-piety by planting hedges around our convictions. Perhaps you can relate to some of these: no dancing, women can’t wear pants and skirts have to be a certain length, rock and roll is from the devil, et cetera, et cetera. My favorite example of this is the character of Ned Flanders in The Simpsons. He’s about as religious as anyone can be and while he’s far from miserable (okely–dokely!), the lifestyle he portrays is far from attractive to a non-believer. In one episode, he offers the Simpson kids “nachos, Flanders style!” which consist of Ritz crackers, cottage cheese, and a slice of cucumber. He doesn’t carry insurance because he considers it a form of gambling.

Is Ned Flanders an accurate depiction of a Christian? In some circles, sadly he is. But I don’t think this is what Jesus intended. “I came that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (Jn 10:10) Earlier in the Gospel of John we’re told this about Jesus, “from the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.” (Jn 1:16) Peter wrote that, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness.” (2 Pt 1:3) Psalm 103 reminds us that the LORD “satisfies your desires with good things.” (Ps 103:5) The psalmist also tells us that if you “delight yourself in the LORD, he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Ps 37:4)

That all sounds nice, but what does it look like in our lives? I believe what Paul wrote of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 describes what this should look like. “[T]he fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Gal 5:22-23) Love, joy peace, patience, kindness… does that sound like a miserable life to you? Isn’t this the life that Jesus promised us when he set us free from the slavery of our sinful nature? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. From this list, is there anything missing that you’d want more?

No, if you reject God you can’t relax and “enjoy life” because you can’t have the above without Him. And without the sacrifice of Jesus as God’s only Son, both human and divine, not only can we not have those fruits of the Spirit but we are also destined to a life enslaved to sin. And that is worth worrying about.

High Hopes

Frank

’cause he had high hopes, he had high hopes
He had high apple pie, in the sky hopes

All problems just a toy balloon
They’ll be bursted soon
They’re just bound to go pop
Oops, there goes another problem kerplop

-Frank Sinatra, High Hopes

Did you take Tuesday off or skip away to a TV to watch the inauguration? My local paper was filled with stories of people gathering in homes, barbershops, and churches to watch this historical event. Many were described to be in tears. There was even an interview with the granddaughter of a former slave about how she thought she’d never see this day.

The significance of this new administration with regards to our racist past, America’s melting-pot multiculturalism, and the saying that anyone in this country could become president finally being proven true is valid and worth reflecting upon. But there was another reason so many were tuned in Tuesday- an end to the policies of the past eight years in the face of global crises we face. Barak Obama was elected on a platform of change. His biggest supporters spoke frequently of hope. So with this new administration, expectations are high as crises abound. He faces war, a collapsing economy, a divided electorate, and an incompetent legislature. It may be too much for one man, let alone two terms.

Deep down in our hearts, we all want to change the world for the better (or to better us). President Obama is no different. But we must be cautious of too much hope. After all, ‘hope springs eternal in the human breast. Man never is, but always to be blessed.’ The first part is quoted often and gives a sense of warm-fuzzies. But when you include the second sentence the poem takes on a different meaning. We always hope because we never ever can get what it is we’re hoping for. Change? Keep hoping. The political establishment is well defined, there will always be wars over land, resources and power, there will always be someone in need, and people will never agree on everything.

It helps to have hope aimed in the right direction. “In his name the nations will put their hope.” (Mt 12:21) “And again, Isaiah says, ‘The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.'” (Rom 15:12) Jesus is our hope and our salvation. Everything here is just a mist.

To keep things in perspective consider:

The poor you will always have with you… (Mt 26:11)
When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed… (Mk 13:7)
My kingdom in not of this world… (Jn 18:36)

Are you optimistic about this new administration? Elated, encouraged or excited? Or are you skeptical? Discouraged, disgruntled, or disappointed? Whichever side of the isle you’re on, whatever color your state, whatever direction your political winds blow remember the words of Jesus above. Obama is only a person with a title, in a position created by people as flawed as we are. Our hope is in Christ alone.