Pathways

The lectionary for next Sunday gives us two stories of healings. The story of Naaman, in 2 Kings 5:1-14 concerns the healing of a Gentile by Elisha. Naaman mysteriously contracts leprosy and after trying all conventional cures is advised by a Jewish slave woman to go to Elisha. The drama turns on the fact that Naaman expects to pay a great deal and see a wonder. Instead, he is simplly told to wash in the Jordan and no payment is accepted. The other story is Jesus’ healing of a leper in Mark 1:40-45. There, Jesus touches a man, heals him, and is unable thereafter to enter communities. Traditionally it has been assumed Jesus couldn’t enter other cities because of the crowds that followed him but some have now begun to suggest that the reason is the ritual uncleanness attaching to anyone who touches a leper.
One issue both passages raise is the purpose of Jesus himself references the case of Naaman in explaining that healing is not simplly a response to illness. Instead, these healings seem to be the enigmatic sign of the presence of God expressed in a restorative act that creates evangelism. The healed leper in Mark is told to go through the appropriate rituals and keep his mouth shut; instead, he tells everyone what happened, an amazing feat for someone who would have been required by law to continue wearing a bell and yell, “Unclean! Unclean!” an anyone’s approach. Naaman, on the other hand, promises never to worship other gods (although he carefully inserts a pass to let him get by for official functions!).
It’s clear that a vast amount of disease in our own nation is caused by our deliberate, conscious behavior. Three of the four leading causes of death (heart disease, stroke, cancer) contain large elements of choice in their genesis. Thousands are simply not willing to pay the price of health if the price includes quitting smoking or a regimen of diet and exercise.

Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? -Isaiah 9:2
This is such a ringing, wonderful affirmation that for years I’ve read it out without thinking too much about what it says. Isaiah is speaking to people who are in awe and afraid of larger, threatening powers. It seems like a time for comfort and Isaiah does offer comfort elsewhere: “Comfort, Comfort ye”, he says. But that comes later, from a different Isaiah.
This Isaiah, the first Isaiah, in the midst of crisis does not offer a hug, a kind word or a pat on the shoulder and a sympathetic whisper. Instead, he says bluntly: “Haven’t you already heard about God’s power? Don’t you already know?”
There’s a story of a preacher who was called to a new congregation simply on the basis of a reputation for inspiring sermons, without listening to him first. And they weren’t disappointed. His first Sunday, many were deeply touched and the search committee members knew they had made the right choice. Even inactive members were there the next Sunday for his second sermon. But strangely, to many, it sounded just like the previous Sunday. But all preachers have their odd habits, so people shrugged. There were some tight lips when the same sermon was preached the third Sunday and visibly empty pews when it was heard the fourth time. That week marked the preacher’s first meeting with the church council and after an hour and a half of routine business, the chair of the Board of Deacons finally asked what was on every one’s mind. “Pastor, we are all so happy to have you here,” he began. “Your sermon has been great, but we are used to a different sermon each Sunday. Some of us are just wondering, though, when you are going to preach a new one.”
The preacher smiled and simply replied, “Why, as soon as I can see you have heard the first one and are doing what it says.”
Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Hear it: do it.

First Sunday in Advent, Year B
Isaiah 64:1-9

I’m thinking tonight about meetings. Congregationalists are all about meetings. Our history is the perfection of the meeting as a theological frame and an operating reality. Real Congregationalists love meetings. But sometimes it seems we become all about the meetings. So this is the question I’m posing here and through The Congregationalist, the NA magazine I edit: What is the ration of meetings to ministry in your church?

I’m back from Wisconsin and today I’m living in between two sermons. Last Sunday, Michelle Dean, one of our Deacons, preached here. Michelle is one of our former “I will never go to church members.” Hearing her talk about what a difference this church has made to her made me a little misty eyed—but that’s just emotion. What really sunk in is that what we do is important even thought it often feels small.
The other sermon, of course, is the one coming to be in my head. This week the text is Matthew 23:1-12. Jesus says something very interesting: do what the religious leaders say, don’t do what they do. He means to critique the showiness of the religious leadership but also to underline the ultimate value of the message. It all comes down to the tassels: the tassels apparently were decorative and denoted status.
So much to think about this week: 2000 American casualties in Iraq—we never mention how many thousands of Iraqis and others, the budget is up for drafting and so is our pledge campaign, the women’s toilet is not working again, Haloween is on Monday, Rosa Parks died. These are the grains of sand on the beach this week. I wonder what kind of castle they make?

Next Sunday I’ll be in Wisconsin, celebrating the wedding of my sister, so the press to look at the next set of scripture lessons is off for the moment. I thought it was a good time to reflect on the question we’re all asking right now as we create our 2006 budget: what does our congregation mean? I have two thoughts.

Not much

We are a small congregation, 30-50 adults most Sundays with 20-30 children. But we seldom reach those numbers. Another measure: we have 211 members; most haven’t been inside the building in over a year, most are inactive, a polite word to say we are out of touch and don’t have the courage to say that publicly. Inactive here means hasn’t contributed or attended worship in over a year. We are not in the stream of any major media; this blog will not be quoted on one of the Top Ten nor will last week’s sermon. We are struggling to keep all our balls in the air. So from outward appearances, it would seem we may not mean much.

A Great Deal

On the other hand, there is a great deal of activity here. There is a worship service every Sunday, Mayflower Montessori School for preschoolers every day, we support other groups financially, some students in college and we provide meals every couple of months. We house a community theatre group; we offer a place for church weddings and other rites. We are a downtown symbol of the love of God. We practice welcome to such a degree that people are often surprised.

Next Questions

The next question is: how do we connect these two things? And also: is doing these things our purpose as a church? That’s what I’m thinking about today

Answering Questions

Let’s start with the questions I listed at the last post.

Who are all these pepole?

The Pharisees are a reform party among the scribes. Josephus treats them as one of several schools of scripture interpretation, in fact the word ‘pharisee’ originally meant interpreter. The Pharisees are a popular party with a focus on purity as a means of holiness.

What isn’t immediately clear is why they should oppose Jesus. Reicke/The Nes Testament Era/p.162 suggests it may have been due to the fact that Tiberius had idsmissed an anti-Jewish advisor and oredred a more respectful attitude toward the Jews in 31 CE.

The Herodians are the party supporting King Herod and therefore collaboration with the Romans. Their nervousness about Jesus may have stemmed from all the talk about a ‘kingdom of God’ which stands in direct oppostion to the empire ruled by the self-announced son of God, Tiberius.

What does it mean to call Jesus teacher?

Teacher=Rabbi and it is normally a mark of respect. Here it may be ironic. Some commentators suggest the form “Rabbi NAME” is from a later period.

What is the cultural significance and the politics of paying taxes to Caesar

The tax is a head tax imposed in 6 CE which could only be paid with a Roman coin. The denarius has a (forbidden by the Torah) image of Tiberius on one side and a blasphemous inscription on the other.

N. T. Wright has an interesting comment suggesting that Jesus’ pithy saying “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s…” is a coded revolutionary challenge on the order of saying, “It’s payback time.” (Jesus and the Victory of God, p. 503). The succeeding parallel comment “and to God what is God’s” may recall similar language in the Psalms.

What does it mean to say the questioners are amazed?

Normally, “they were amazed” is a reaction which certifies a demonstration of divine power or wisdom.

In Matthew, the crowds are amazed at Jesus’ teaching (7:28) at the end of the typical sermon, at an exorcism (9:33), at healing of a mute (15:31). At 8:27, the disciples are amazed when Jesus stills a storm and at 21:20 when he withers a fig tree.

If they are amazed, what brings them to execute Jesus?

I don’t think this is evident here unless we follow the Wright clue and see the saying (Render to Caesar/toGod) as a call to revolution.

Now that a text is chosen, it’s time to go back and read it again; then again. I call this “a first look” and even though I often know something about the text, I try to set aside what I know for what I can learn. In this case, the first thing I notice is that the whole piece is set in the context of conflict. Jesus is in Jerusalem, according to the context, and I remember there had been questions about his authority. This text begins with open conflict: “The the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words.” So there is a plot afoot and the core of the section is underlain with this agenda of anger. In fact, when Jesus answers their question, the text says it was “knowing their evil intent”.
The core of this piece is a question and answer section:

PHARISEES’ QUESTION
Pharisees (and Herodians):
Teacher,
we know you are a man of integrity
you aren’t swayed by mane, because you pay no attention to who they are.
Tell us then, what is your opinion?
Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

JESUS’ RESPONSE
But Jesus
knowing their evil intent [said]
You hypocrites,
why are you trying to trap me?

JESUS’ QUESTION
Show me the coin used for paying the tax
They brought him a denarius,
and he asked them,
“Whose portaits is this? And whose inscription?”

PHARISEE’S RESPONSE
Caesars, they replied

SAYING
The he said to them, Give to CAesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.
REACTION
When they heard this, they were amazed
So they left him and went away.

Laid out like this, the passage seems to break down into three sections.
1.Setting in which the Pharisees are plotting
2.Questions and Answers
3.Saying and Response
I come out of this first look with a lot of questions, some of which I’ll list here so I can remember to check on them.

•Who are all these people? Pharisees, Herodians: what can we know about them?
•What does it mean to call Jesus, ‘Teacher’?
•What is the cultural significance and the politics of paying taxes to Caesar?
•What does a denarius look like?
•Does this saying of Jesus’ have precedents?
•What does it mean to say the questioners are amazed?
•If they are amazed, what brings them to execute Jesus?

Write down your questions and email them to me. Tomorrow we’ll try to get some answers.

22nd Sunday After Pentecost/Year A (Proper 24)

Someone once said preaching a sermon every Sunday is like you’re pregnant, you give birth—and then you’re pregnant again. Many preachers, preachers I often envy, work weeks in advance on sermons but for me this is a genuinely weekly cycle and I thought this week it might be interesting to take you along on the journey.
Sermons being with a first look at the readings for the week. Let’s see what we’ve got: Exodus 33:12-23, Psalm 99, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 and Matthew 22:15-22. There will be a brief pause while we all go look these up. Come back when you’ve read them once: just once, don’t get ahead.

The Scripture Readings

Exodus 33:12-23

It’s hard to know how to treat this piece. In a straightforward way, it contains one of the shortest, most arrogant speeches in all the Bible, when Moses orders God, “Now show me your glory.” (32:18). It’s on the level of an eight year old saying, “Let me drive the car”, and God responds by reminding Moses it’s dangerous to see God.

In fact this whole bit is a dialogue in which God lets Moses give the orders.

1. Moses complains God has not provided adequate support and demands God remember the special responsibility for t his people; God replies, My presence will go with you and I will give you rest (sabbath?). (vs 12-14)

2. Moses asks God t o provide a sign they are blessed and God says yes because God is pleased. (vs. 15-16)

3. Moses demands to see God’s glory; God reminds God how dangerous that is and offers a safe glimpse (vs. 18-23), complete with explicit directions.

There’s a lot of insight here for how we often deal with God, giving orders, making demands—and how God deals with us, with firm, loving kindness.

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

This may be the oldest document in the New Testament. I think some scholars think it was written about 48 AD and is the first of the Pauline epistles. This piece is the introduction to the letter which offers paeon to the Thessalonians. There are some interesting texts here.

1. We always thank God for you… [What difference it makes when we give thanks for each other!]

2. Your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ [Endurance and hope are related]

Matthew 22:15-22

This is a familiar section in which Jesus is asked about the validity of paying taxes to Caesar; he replies “render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s”, which certainly would create the core for a sermon.

Next Step: The Congregation

It’s not enough to think about the texts alone; sermons relate texts to the lives of people. On the world stage, the biggest things going on right now are the (slowly) gathering news of hurricane disaster in Central America and earthquakes in Pakistan/India. There’s still the residual waves of American disaster. Every day, someone’s kid gets killed in Iraq. Nationally, there is a great debate going on about Harriet Meirs, whose only qualification seems to be that she is a nice, smart lady who is an evangelical. Here at home, we’ve got several people sick, our attendance is down which is discouraging to many. Some people I talk to here seem to have a sense that we have “crested”, that we may not have the energy to go on. Elaine and Carl Heinrich are about to go to Australia. The Trustees will have just met and so will the Executive committee, so there will be discussion about the budget stuff.
Sometimes there are events or themes that influence preaching. This year our Trustees have decided to conduct a stewardship campaign and I agreed to lift the campaign up in preaching, so this is the first of several sermons that need to address the question of how we use what we have.

Other Resources

Are there other things that might fit in? This fall, we committed to using The Chronicles of Narnia – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as a the thematic frosting that binds our cake together. So I want to work something in from that and I think what works is the contrast between Edmund betraying his friends in exchange for the promise of endless Turkish Delight and his later change of heart.
I don’t really have a specific anecdote or a title piece this week to give immediate direction.

Pulling It Together

Stewardship sounds like knowing “what is God’s” and what is someone else’s. Also, I think the idea of sabbath is connected to this; stewardship is ultimately about how we spend our time and I’m intrigued by this idea that God’s response to remember your people is, “I will give you rest”. I’m not sure how these two things relate yet but I like them together, so this time through the lectionary I’m going to pass on the reading from 1 Thessalonians for now (although the verse that relates endurance to hope might come in to this later on if there is space).
As I start this sermon, I’m thinking that the core ought to be built around the piece from Matthew with a main point being the idea of God’s gift of rest. So the next move is going to be to thoroughly examine the Matthew scripture.

A Ministry for Voices: Conversations at the Intersection of Faith and Life
Wisdom about too much brokeness
In the Talmud, it says, “Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”

We’re not the first people who have been overwhelmed by the tremendous needs of the world. The Jewish sages thought about it deeply, talked about it thoroughly, of this we can be absolutely certain, and they simply said, do what you can.

Do what you can. “You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”