“ The Part about NOT Following Jesus ”

 Jesus Followers, 

While “stewardship” is usually the word we use to describe “giving to the church,” I hope you’ve both seen written and heard proclaimed that it’s primarily or even more rightly about how we are called to live, how we are invited to use the gifts God has placed within our reach, and about seeing the Kingdom of God and how we might “fit” as a part of it.  Yes.  Our money is a part of how we respond to God and a part of how we might “fit” into the work of the Kingdom—but it’s certainly not the only part.  Let’s face it.  If looking good “with our money” were how this worked, we would simply have people write checks toward their place in heaven.  Can you hear all the personal appeals… 

“…there could be streets lined with gold, if you join heaven’s pre-payment plan.” 

You don’t need me to tell you that this isn’t how it works; you know already that our congregation’s mission and vision operates differently:  WE love because God first loved us!   

You know already, probably, that stewardship and following Jesus go hand in hand.  They’re about living fully and faith-filled lives following Jesus—who is the epitome of how God loves.  It’s about incorporating and using all the gifts we’ve been given to “make life on earth as it is in heaven” (to borrow from what Jesus teaches us to pray and do).   

But this month in worship, we’re facing some of Jesus’ most challenging stories.  You’ve heard about following Jesus.  …I wonder if you’d be willing to think about it differently.   

In his book, The Jesus Way: A Contemporary Approach to the Teachings of Jesus, Eugene Peterson asks:  

What if Jesus' messiahship was about creating a messianic community filled with the Spirit who would join him in turning the world right side up ...getting heaven into us rather than getting us into heaven? 

…What if Jesus weren’t just the one we followed, but the one who “gets heaven into us?”   

Maybe start with an image like communion—where we literally take Christ in—as a catalyst for transforming us.  …Like God, who at the time of creation, took chaos as a building block, transforming it as creation.   

What if we’re not just “following Jesus,” but supposed to be transformed into Jesus-ness …being made into little pieces of heaven-ness ourselves?  So that we are turning the world into the image that’s resident in each of us—the creator, or just as Jesus teaches us to pray, “on earth as it is in heaven.”   

It might mean then, that not just following Jesus, but that we are invited (or CALLED) to use God’s gifts “on earth as it is in heaven.”  And “stewardship” is how we manage what we’ve been given.   

…Then, it would help if we began to talk about heaven as something we’ve already been given; rather than simply believing, it’s only yet to come.   

It is my privilege to remind you that Jesus loves you.  So do I.  God wants the best for us and is inviting us to fulfill our calling.  Out of chaos, into hope and love and light and joy!   

“ Called to be a Blessing ”

 Fellow Believers,

October marks a change of many seasons.  College football moves to more serious matchups.  We’ll soon be noticing the change in leaves.  The temperatures begin sliding into more comfortable measures.  The daylight begins growing more noticeably shorter.  And creation seems to heave a last, exhaustive sigh, with harvest being on the horizon.  There’s not a new church season, but if there were one, it might be stewardship. 

It's true …this month our congregation will honor time-honored traditions.  You’ll soon be hearing from the Budget and Finance Committee, about the annual stewardship dinner, and the publishing of the challenge budget, and invitations with pledge cards.  But stewardship isn’t about money, or meeting the budget, or about fundraising.  “Stewardship,” as my friend Robert Hay says, “is the church’s theological antidote to the chief idols of our age; consumerism, materialism, and acquisition.” 

We’re used to hearing about flu shots and vaccines this time of year, but not “theological antidotes”!  We’re used to feeling as if there’s little we can do to fight back against a virus, or a pandemic, or an epidemic of the stomach bug.  So, what can a “theological antidote” do? 

We may not be able to do much to fight inflation or the price of gas, but Jesus offers us lots of ways to think about sustaining another way of living aside from consumerism, materialism, and acquiring—the old rule that says, “the one who dies with the most …wins.”  Stewardship is about the joyous discipline of thanking God with the way we live our lives and spend and share our money.  God invites us into a different rhythm of life, a graciousness that can redefine our worldly heartache and lead us toward the fulfillment of God’s desires. 

If you feel caught on the constant merry-go-round of life’s necessities …God offers us a different way.  It doesn’t require moving to another place or starting our lives over …it means tuning them toward the rhythm of creation, calling us out of chaos and darkness, and living in the light of Christ’s love.  God invites us to invest our whole selves—as God has invested God’s self—in different patterns of living.  Part of this is found in the ways we live, and the ways we spend and share our money and other resources. 

The long-established pattern for this is in the rhythm of creation and sabbath rest.  God rested.  Creation rests.  We rest.  Creation is renewed; we are renewed; God is all renewing.  God calls creation OUT of the chaos—and I believe God does this for us, calling us out of a chaotic life to take up a meaning-filled life, like Christ Jesus.  A life defined by giving and receiving and giving.  A life defined by helping others and receiving help; of supporting and being supported.  An abundant life, with enough and for all. 

We are not alone, but we belong to the one who gives creation life and breath.  And even when life seems oppressive and overwhelming, with things to fear and be fearful of, with worry and stress to run us over—we are invited, no …CALLED OUT by God to live in new ways.  We live out that call as stewards, managing a menagerie of gifts to point ourselves and our lives toward the one who gives us life and breath.  …The joyous discipline of thanking God with the way we live our lives. 

It is my privilege to remind you that Jesus loves you.  So do I.  God wants the best for us and is inviting us to fulfill our calling.  Out of chaos, into hope and love and light and joy.  

“ True Identities ? ”

 Fellow Believers,

I don’t know if this has happened to any of you, yet.  For a number of years now, there’s a scam in which people are sent texts or emails purported to be from their pastor, asking the recipient to purchase gift cards or wire money—allegedly so the pastor can help another person in need.  In other words, you get a text you’ll think is from me, asking you to buy gift cards or send money for me to offer aid to someone else. 

You should know that I will never ask you to send money or make purchases by text or email, or over the phone—for any reason that isn’t related to our church community—or in a way that you wouldn’t already know about or be able to confirm.  If there’s ever any doubt, ignore the instructions until you can talk to me, call the Church Office or check with session members.  All fundraising in the church, including the pastor asking for any support, should always have prior approval of the Session. 

This doesn’t mean that I’m not going to ask for money or support from you.  The work of Jesus Christ, through the church, means the ability to connect, resource, and support friends, neighbors, AND strangers.  Money is a part of that, too.  But “relationships” are how we navigate this.  I won’t be “cold-calling” you or texting.  You should read about it in the newsletter, hear announcements or see something in the bulletin, too!  While this might not always be true, there should be other signs you would know it’s legitimate. 

If you ever have any questions about legitimacy or doubts—call me directly, or call the church office, or talk to session members.  And don’t feel pressured to do anything with money until you have confirmation.  In almost every case of these scams, the text or email arrives from a different number or email address than the ones I ordinarily use.  Also remember, this isn’t your fault—someone is taking advantage of your desire and willingness to help others.  We’re NOT going to let the scammers win. 

I wish I could say that this was going to get better.  Today, the tools available to those with nefarious goals are truly amazing.  Spoofed texts, emails, and social media posts—those are easier to spot.  Now, there’s technology for someone to register voice patterns, and you’re just as likely to receive a phone call, with my voice, asking you to send money.  In fact, this has already happened with my children; both of their grandparents have received calls from impersonators who had just enough information to be believable.  It’s scary.  But in each case, the grandparent was quickly able to determine that something wasn’t quite right. 

You don’t have to be afraid.  Like Jesus teaches us, part of the solution to these first-world challenges is in our relationships.  The ways we know and care for one another directly.  If I’m asking you for help, it will always be something I can tell you about.  I won’t ever say, “I can’t tell you, just send me the money.”  We build community by being authentic, transparent, and we communicate clearly. 

So …don’t just give up and stop helping.  Learn to be careful and strategic in how you help.  Never be afraid to ask questions and get details.  Ask someone else.  Verify.  If something sounds or feels off—don’t do anything until you can verify it.  I will always be OK with you asking, double checking, just making sure.  …And if you hear something that doesn’t sound right from another member, encourage them to check it out, too! 

Jesus loves you.  So do I.  We want the best for all of us.  We want and need help, we want to give help, we want to build the Kingdom of God.  When we do that, there will be no more scams.  

“ Along for the Adventures ”

This summer we come to one of my favorite parts of the lectionary cycle.  From now, until nearly Advent, we follow the adventures of the patriarchs and the Israelites in the books of Genesis and Exodus.  The cycle begins in familiar territory to most of us—Abram is called by God and asked to “go to a land that God would show him.” 

For many of us, one of the tell-tale signs of “summer” is the classic summer vacation.  As I’m writing this, my family and I have traveled across Arkansas and Oklahoma to the great plains of Kansas.  We’re seeing the “golden waves of grain” on our drives, and basking in the summer sunshine where the sun’s light won’t fade until nearly 10 pm!  Some of you have been traveling for graduations and birthday celebrations and visits with children and grandchildren, too.  And there will be trips to the beach and the mountains and the far west coast! 

And for the dog days of summer (as some people call them), on Sundays we’ll be following the stories of ancient travelers who moved about creation following the voices of God and of God’s messengers, who encounter strange happenings and whose journeys are marked by signs of God’s presence that reminds them and us of God’s abiding promises. 

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, their wives and families; and eventually, a whole nation formed by famine and fleeing and enslavement and escape and wilderness and wandering.  And there’s amazing stuff to see and hear about!  In church …and in our travels! 

One of the most amazing things to me has been to re-learn what I think about our ancient ancestors.  Today, we travel by planes, trains, ships, and automobiles—both great and small distances.  We cover great chucks of territory in pretty short order; and it’s pretty easy to think that in the ancient world, people didn’t travel …or they at least didn’t travel very far.  …But that thinking is pretty off the mark! 

Maybe not with our speed, but ancient peoples were travelers, too.  The Magi?  That was a great distance, navigated by the stars.  And ancient people, long before the Romans, created trade routes that extended far into Asia and Europe, far from the world of the Israelites and the Egyptians.  In North America, scientists have archeological evidence demonstrating not only that ancient people traveled long distances, but somehow circumnavigated the globe—even tens of thousands of years before biblical times! 

Human beings travel.  And God travels with us.  Sometimes God is the reason we travel—as in, “go to the land that I will show you.”  Sometimes, we try and run away from problems, or to escape from conditions we don’t like.  Sometimes we’re seeking to start over, or looking for second chances, or just to relax and recuperate with a nice view.  Sometimes we “have to get there;” while other times, we’re just along for the ride, or out for a Sunday drive. 

Wherever this summer may take you—literally or figuratively—keep your eyes peeled.  God is with us, wherever we’re roaming, or even if we’re just couch-sitting.  See what it is that God would “show you.”  Listen for the voice of the one who would seek to guide us to and fro, and who promises to be with us always.  Mark down the places where you find God is near—even if that seems far, or far-fetched.  And remember to tell us all, at some point, where you were and what you did this summer …when God was with you. 

The journey isn’t always about the end; the adventure is always what happens along the way.  Enjoy your time, take advantage of the breezes, bask in all God’s realm.  Just bring home some stories!  

“ The Pentecost Moment(s) Among Us ”

 

Pentecost.  The name bears in part the reference to the 50 days after Easter.  At one time, a Hebrew celebration marking God’s gift of the Torah; but the roots of the celebrating also go back to a harvest festival and a time when Israel lived in temporary housing.  It was a “pilgrim festival,” meaning it was a time when Jews traveled especially to visit Jerusalem, which partly explains why so many different people with a host of different languages suddenly appear in the story in which some fellows from Galilee speak to them in languages in which the speakers were unfamiliar.  …A day when the world was changed forever in the appearance of the Holy Spirit among believers. 

We remember this day mostly because of what happened to the disciples in Jerusalem—when the Spirit appears to have set heads aflame and ears a-burning.  We remember the strangers who heard in their own native languages the testimony of the Galileans, even though the Galileans knew not their languages or where they were from.  We remember words about Jesus and words about repentance and the promise of salvation …if we also call on the name of the Lord. 

…as if Pentecost were a thing of the past. 

“The Pentecost moment,” however, isn’t about the past; or at least, it shouldn’t be.  What happened to the disciples in Jerusalem witnessing to Jews from Jerusalem and from places across the globe—is but “A Pentecost moment.”  Pentecost …as Luke’s story in the Book of Acts describes …isn’t limited to the disciples! 

“All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit …as the Spirit gave them ability.” 

We’re simply so used to these words being descriptive of what happened to the disciples, that we fail to see that “all means ALL, Y’all!”  The disciples—AND “the devout Jews from every nation under heaven.”  The disciples who had been waiting in Jerusalem …AND the faithful who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the festival.  And while we can certainly point to the events and what happens to the disciples …it would be short-sighted to think that Pentecost were only about them.  Truly. 

Pentecost …is about us, too.  Pentecost is about believers …wherever we find ourselves.  Pentecost …is about the gift of the Holy Spirit—TO US! 

If you’re like me, it’s a “tingle” on the back of your head and neck.  It’s NOT just about speaking in tongues, or different languages.  In fact for me, it’s never been about that.  But I have a feeling when I know that God is near; and usually it comes with an awareness of some kind of ability—of some form or fashion—to make a difference. 

Pentecost is about making a difference.  It’s about the gifts of God and the Holy Spirit filling ALL God’s people; and it’s about ALL God’s people doing something to make a difference.  In the story of Acts 2, it’s the Holy Spirit and the gift of languages and the disciples telling their stories. 

…And for us?  …Are we not also filled with the Holy Spirit—or if not, is not the Holy Spirit (the Advocate Jesus calls it) with us?  …And what stories are WE telling? 

Start with those moments where YOU feel the Holy Spirit.  Those are Pentecost moments!  What is God doing?  What is God giving?  What is God saying—to you; but also, those around you?  What’s the difference YOU get to be about? 

Pentecost moments are all around us.  You’re having them; I’m having them; WE’RE having them.  It’s not just a matter of figuring out what happened to the disciples, but we’re supposed to be trying to discern what’s happening with us.  Resurrection wasn’t the end—it was a new beginning.  Pentecost wasn’t a one-time moment—it’s a way of living …with the Holy Spirit …as a part of our lives …and telling the stories of us. 

What stories are you telling?
What stories are you telling? 

“ May God bless you with Fearlessness and Courage ”

Easter is not for the faint of heart.  By now, you’ve heard about the earthquakes, the bodies of the dead that came back to life and began wandering around the city, that Jesus was dead …until he wasn’t, the rumors of phantoms, and the Messiah, the political intrigue, the uncertainty about the future …RESURRECTION is always unsettling and unpredictable.  It’s never quite “settled” because basically—you just never know what’s going to happen next or come of it!  And when Jesus is raised from death to life, we’re not just supposed to believe it’s true.  That is, the “good news” is more than, “He is risen!” or even more than personal salvation.  Easter is about a life that triumphs over death. 

In a recent interview online, one of my colleagues offered a blessing that I believe is perfect for Easter people: 

“May God bless you with fearlessness and courage!” 

Such a blessing reminds me that Easter isn’t just a date on the calendar; nor is it a matter of becoming familiar with the unfamiliar details of the story.  Because Jesus is raised—this changes our reality! 

If Jesus is risen, “death” is no longer the end, but a new beginning.  If Jesus is risen, the triumph is not that of the empire or of the religious leaders out for their own power.  If Jesus is risen, rather than simply trying to prove it, or believing it—what does this mean for our lives and for our world? 

Jesus is risen.  This is a decisive act on God’s part.  God not only created the world but stakes a claim to the people and things that live in it.  It means that the “end” is not in doubt but is found in God who is the beginning and the end. 

Jesus is risen.  So, we live in a world that is on its way to becoming what God wills, even if, in the meantime, it’s hard to tell who or what is really winning.  Jesus is risen means God has won. 

Jesus is risen.  So, we are people of resurrection, too.  We are given opportunities to transform the lives of others by this truth that transforms us.  Rather than people who sit on the sidelines, biding our time until the end—we can take up the causes of Christ in the world and bring the Kingdom of God closer, and closer.  For God to bless us with fearlessness and courage means to activate us. 

Easter is not something we observe, celebrating for a day or even a season.  Rather Easter is something that we do, or even become.  A resurrected life takes root in the life that is coming, rather than simply clinging to what we have known.  A resurrected life finds hope in the possibility that the whole world is being saved, is being transformed, is being made new—and we are a part it.  A resurrected life allows us to take up our journey in new ways, to include others, to be freed from what has been.  God blesses us with fearlessness and courage because Easter isn’t for the faint of heart! 

God is winning.  The news headlines don’t see that, yet.  God’s winning never sells.  What it does do is give us life …again and again.  Life is coming.  If you haven’t seen it yet, get ready.  Life is coming, God has said so.  Death and resurrection are just the beginning. 

"Sleeping on Golgotha"

For the April newsletter 

One of my favorite memories from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2009 was the reality that I got to sleep beside Golgotha.  No one realized this, as our group arrived to Jerusalem “at night,” which meant we were unable to recognize the landmarks in the darkness.  It seemed a little bit like Nicodemus going to visit Jesus “at night” [the gospel lesson for the second Sunday in Lent this year]; and the next morning, we discovered that our hotel was next door to a Jerusalem city bus depot. 

As we were invited to walk to our day’s first appointment, some of us noticed a particular rock formation behind a row of buses in the back portion of the bus lot, which was directly adjacent to our hotel.  Within a couple of blocks’ walk, we arrived at the Garden Tomb, the primary site in Jerusalem where Jesus is said to have been buried.  And when you visit the Garden Tomb, they show you this photograph …taken by a British citizen in the 1800’s. 

In the nearly 2,000 years since, the landscape has changed; time, replete with wind, rain, earthquakes, and other things has transformed what once was.  The picture below is what you can see directly from the bus depot.  On the right, just out of the frame, is the observation point from the Garden tomb; on the left, just out of the frame, is the Golden Arms Hotel …where we slept.  The British

docents explain how the site has been continuously in their care since the early part of the 19^th century, and how this was one of the most prominent locales along the route into Jerusalem.  The explanation makes total sense, even if you hold a somewhat skeptical view.  And …it would mean that I was sleeping beside Golgotha. 

  I was instantly excited!  Sleeping beside Golgotha seemed like it should be a big deal.  But …what does it mean?  That I had some kind of affinity with Jesus’ death?  I wouldn’t want to sleep in the room next to the electric chair or the “death chamber;” why was I giddy beside Golgotha?  But in the end, “nothing unexpected” happened.  There were no signs or visions from God; there wasn’t any sudden realization I didn’t have before, just a deeper sense of peace amidst a world full of distractions and catastrophes—that “God’s got this” and “God’s got me.” 

As the month of April begins we’re counting down the last days of Lent.  To me, there’s a place of scarred earth that remains a silent witness to Jesus’ death.  It’s where Christians for centuries have drawn strength from the stories that surround those last days for Jesus, because we know God’s promised pathway is …dying and rising.  For Jesus, yes; but also for us. 

Friends, we know where this story is going; and we know that the cross and death is not the ending.  Like Jesus, we are all of us dying to what was …and rising into something new.  This is the promise of God’s story that is new every morning in and with and for each one of us.  Jesus offers us real change—of hearts, of minds, in life!  What has been, doesn’t have to forever.  It’s possible to leave some things behind and be transformed.  We can do this.  God can help. 

So, as we come again to this sacred story in a season of sacred time …let us be confident that God still holds our stories, and us.  And that what is coming next may not be entirely expected, but God has already promised to meet us there.  In the meantime …rest well.  

" Looking Back, Faith Forward "

I’m enjoying the new “view” out of the windows of my “new to me” pastor’s study.  I’ve especially found myself thinking about what it may have looked like, seeing the tops of the steamboats against the treetops on the far side of the river, across from downtown Camden nearly a century-and-a-half ago.  Since then, of course, many things have changed. 

Still, some things “feel” the same.  My first call in ordained ministry was serving two small congregations in the middle of Nebraska, separated by about 30 miles.  So, driving up from El Dorado to Camden almost “feels normal,” hearkening back to experiences formed early in my ministry.  It was early on in my ministry in Nebraska that I visited nearby Fort Hartstuff, a state historical park, to take the tour of the fort used briefly in the late 1800’s (AFTER the Civil War).  We walked out of one of the buildings and the tour guide pointed out a row of trees along the river in the far distance:

“See those trees along the river in the distance? …Yeah.  None of those were here when the fort was built—all the wood had to be brought from more than 40 miles away.” 

She also reminded us that the whole landscape looked different now than it once had—because of those trees!  They weren’t there …back in the day! 

In 2009, I had a similar experience standing on the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee in Israel.  While we wanted to believe we were walking in the footsteps of Jesus, the iconic shoreline was filled with the reminders that times were different.  Not only was the shoreline surprisingly littered with some used tires and obvious trash, but the tour guides reminded us over and over how the shoreline has been affected by heavy water use in modern times, dramatically altering the “look” and location of shoreline itself. 

…Despite this, almost always, it’s easier to tell where we’ve been; it’s hard to impossible, knowing what’s going to be. 

Many factors shape our physical landscapes over time: weather, human activity, environmental changes, adaptations, new technologies, necessities.  …But what about our faith? 

The Epiphany is often considered to be the last celebration of the Christmas season; but “epiphanies” happen all the time.  An epiphany is a revealing of God—think Moses and the burning bush, or the Pillar of Cloud in the escape from Egypt, or Jesus brining the Kingdom of God to bear in the world.  The Epiphany was the visit of the Magi to see Jesus.  But there are many places where we know God is present in our lives—even now. 

So how is our faith and faithfulness shaping not only “our inner,” spiritual worlds—but the outer world around us?  How are you watching for God, every day?  Not only, how you’re being shaped and reshaped by faith; but how is your faith reshaping the world you live in?  How is it making other’s lives different?  How is it recreating the landscape and reshaping the view? 

All this, is what God invites us to participate in from the very beginning, uttering “Let there be light.”  Ever since then, God has invited us to participate in making the world God’s good creation. 

…God has shown us what is good.  Time for us to move the world!  Come be a part of what God is doing!