Far From the Cheering Crowd

And when he entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee.”  (Matthew 21:11)

Sitting here one block from a parish where I could be worshipping but feel most unwelcome as an outsider, I am again stridently aware of how atypical it is to be outside the community of faith as we enter this week that is all about community. The church gathers to share the stories of our faith; welcome its newest members into the family of faith, and together in faith experience the empty tomb.

Today we complete a 4-week series of exploration of faith that brings me to the final verse of I am the Bread of Life (S.S. Toolan)

Yes Lord I believe that You are the Christ

The Son of God

Who has come into the World

and the assurance of Jesus

And I will raise you up on the last day. 

(Minute 1:59 on recording)

On each to the 3 preceding Sundays, we have met and been challenged by people of faith: the woman at the well, the man born blind, and the family of Lazarus. We lose the arc of faithful confessions that have preceded this day. Today we are again faced with a confession of faith.

This year, I will again be exploring the essentials of faith with my mom, quietly, far from the “cheering crowds” but close to the heart of my primary faith mentor.

I will be wondering:

• How much faith is enough?
• Am I still standing by the side of the road asking, “Who is the guy?”
• Can I really lay aside my hopes and fears and believe in the promise of the resurrection on the last day?

You are invited to join me. Use either the comments section below or drop me a note. We are very fortunate in our time to be able to bridge the barriers of time and space to be “community” despite the diaspora.

Peace


Note: It is nearly impossible to find a recording that includes this final verse.  This is a clear case of the importance of including the end of the text -- a rant for another day.

Conversion is hard

Recitative Obadiah: Ye people, rend your hearts, and not your garments, for your transgressions, even as Elijah hath sealed the heavens through the word of God. I therefore say to ye, forsake your idols, return to God; for He is slow to anger, and merciful, and kind, and gracious, and repenteth Him of the evil. Joel II: 12–13 

Aria Obadiah: “If with all your hearts ye truly seek me, ye shall ever surely find me.” Thus saith our God. Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, that I might even come before His presence! Deuteronomy IV: 29 / Job XXIII: 3

This is the time of the year when I realize conversion is hard. We are clearly told “rend your hearts and not your garments.” (Joel 2:13) It is so much easier to rend a garment. Right? Give to the poor. Deny yourself watermelon. Attend daily mass. I ask, without judgment or shaming, has my heart changed?

This Sunday we completed the cycle of the three key stories of lent: the woman at the well, the man born blind, the rising of Lazarus. Known among my friends as “the really long gospel Sundays” (with the REALLY long readings yet come), I am sad to realize that it is the length of the gospel readings that most stay with them. I have tried to discuss these most important stories and reached a gap. They really don’t remember the essence of the stories.

It would be easy to point to the length and delivery of the stories in the context of mass. Is being “bored” only a convenient way to describe our defensive posture?

Each of these interactions with Jesus asks for the most difficult yet fundamental postures for conversion: vulnerability, faith, and authentic relationship. We know the outcome of the entire story - Jesus died to open the gates of heaven, rose from the dead, and reigns in glory. This is our reality in baptism. I am part of that great movement of salvation.

All I am asked to do is love God; to continue that, to love my neighbor as myself. So simple. Very straightforward. Near impossible.

I am not so sure that if I was the woman at the well if I would be so happy hearing from the lips of Jesus a retelling of everything I have done and be able to have faith enough to go tell everyone I know. Or, that I would sit there and let a stranger put mud on my eyes. Would I chose to remain blind and live in the comfort I know? Do I believe that I have a relationship strong enough with Jesus he would weep for me at my grave and raise me up to be with him, to be Lazarus?

I think I best refocus on rending my heart. Yup, conversation is hard.

Authentic Preaching

If you didn't see this, something to think about

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/03/04/ive-worn-ash-on-my-head-on-espn-for-16-years-this-year-was-different/?utm_term=.cf6f8b221a21

No, I did not get ashes.

Ash Wednesday is one of the most unusual days of my year. “Did you get your ashes?” rings through the air like the “bells on Christmas day.”  No, I did not get ashes. No, they are not necessary for salvation.

I did celebrate the beginning of this season that has a rather uniquely male twist (more on that later) with a fresh start  with a posture that will insistently mediate my turn toward God.  The cleaning lady transformed my home into a livable space once again; I began acupuncture treatment; I ate a totally decadent chocolate chip cheesecake bar.

It was high time for a deep clean. It reminded me of the cleaning of the home before Passover.  The symbolism in this act is easy for me to see. In order to lighten my load for the journey, I had to make space in the clutter and disorganization that has accrued.  turning toward God is nearly impossible when in your pivot you are literally and figuratively knocking over old containers from take out Chinese food.

The acupuncture opens the channels in my being to receive the gifts of the Spirit.  Clutter outside; clogging inside. The gunk of life just slows everything down.   Meditation exercises very often begin with “breathing.”    It is tough to breathe when there is no circulation to meet it.

And that chip cheese bar, I needed a reminder of how far I have come in my life’s journey.  The days of trying to support life on anti-nourishing food is past.  From here I draw my hope for the future.

My hope for this lent and the future is to live beyond the clutter of a world that demands we hide behind the empty spaces of take away events, breathe the life of the Spirit into every aspect of my being and continue to build upon the goodness I have known as I journey with the One of Love.

A blessed lent to all as we each journey to our true hope : the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

You surely don’t think much of God’s wonderful goodness or of his patience and willingness to put up with you. Don’t you know that the reason God is good to you is because he wants you to turn to him?

Romans 2:4

Inauguration Day 2017

Today is a day to unplug from social media, news reports, and the anxiety they breed in the name of free expression of  “the truth.”  It is time to revisit the upper room of the earliest followers of Jesus.  They had watched their friend; their love; their hope be crushed. The voices of doom surrounded them. They were afraid. 

Their Love returned to them and brought them his essence, the Comforter, the peace the world cannot give.  It took only a word, “peace.”

No pundits. No corrections. No doomsday prophesies. 

Just the Love that brings peace.

In the end three things endure faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is Love.

1 Corinthians 13:13

This Christmastide finds us in confusing and trying times.  The news reports a new nuclear arms race; unimaginable.  It just keeps getting more and more unsettling. 

In the midst of this chaos, comes the Divine Light, human like us.  Years of teaching about “disruptive technology” leads me to think of this world changing event as the ultimate disruptive event of all time.  Into the chaos of the Jewish community enduring the Roman Empire, the Word became Flesh.  The Light made a dwelling among us, to be with us; to bring “Light and Life” to our everyday.

Each year we sing this heartily in the hymn “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.”  Again this year, I muse at Wesley’s skill as a lyricist.  Here he captures the fullness of salvation history.  The necessity of this birth is clear with only one driving force – to bring salvation and healing to a broken world.

The allegory of the nativity story draws us into a deep understanding of the focus of this mission.  The outcasts (shepherds), local leaders (Herod) and global leaders (Magi) all are invited into this grace.  Some accept.  Others reject.  This is no soothingly romantic scene.  The gospel writers capture the essential drama of the Garden of Eden: do we say yes to the Light and embrace salvation or do we continue to live in darkness?

We share so much with the young family growing up under Roman occupation and the corruption of that leadership.  Jesus knows our fears and uncertainty as he knows our joys and dreams. The current world drama is the same today as ever it has been.  Will the world embrace the Light, the healing Love that is salvation?  More importantly, are we peaceful enough to affirm our baptismal call and live the fullness of the Love of which we are members? 

For me, Christmas is much more challenging than Easter.  It is difficult to see past the romantic, soft and very comfortable story told again and again.  Easter is filled with triumph. Christmas we get a schmatta.   It is just plain hard to see Love in such a messy scene and yet, here it is.

My prayer for each of you and the world is that the greatest disruption of all time — the unfailing, limitless Light of Divine Love — enfolds you and infiltrate you with peace; to know the “healing in His wings.”  This is our time to say, “Yes” and offer “Amen” to the grace that opens us to the light brings the truth that “God and sinner reconciled”

Merry Christmas!