Rock Climbing Discipleship

Some of you already know that flying is not one of my favorite pastimes. When I was traveling on business in my previous career, I flew frequently enough to graduate from a "white knuckle" flyer to a "sweaty palm" flyer.

What is really strange though, is that although I don’t like flying too much, I want to have a window seat as often as possible when I fly. Maybe it is a subconscious attempt at distracting my attention from the fact that I am hurtling along at an altitude of 30,000 feet, at a speed of 500 miles an hour, in a pressurized metal tube.

But I think another reason I enjoy window seats so much when I fly is that I love heights. My love of heights is probably one of the reasons rock climbing interests me, as well. I imagine standing on top of a mountain—any mountain or big hill with a great view will do—and just taking in the wonder of it all.

Of course, getting to that point tends to be an issue. Have you ever watched rock climbers? There are no escalators on those places they are climbing! Hey, there aren’t even any decent steps! Rock climbing takes strength, endurance, dedication, intelligence, and the willingness to take risks. Rock climbing can be both exciting and dangerous at the same time.

Come to think of it, this description sounds a lot like Christian discipleship, doesn’t it?

Jesus knew all of this and more about discipleship. That is why Jesus gave instructions to the 70 women and men whom he was sending to the towns to which he himself intended to go. Like Jesus sent these folks ahead to proclaim the kingdom of God before Jesus arrived, we who call ourselves Christians are called to proclaim the kingdom of God before Jesus returns. So what were these instructions of Jesus?

First, pray. Notice how prayer was the number one instruction? Jesus said, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." In other words, there is more than enough for all of us to do, folks. Christian discipleship is not a spectator sport! Amen?

Jesus went on to say, "Therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." We are supposed to be praying for one another , as well as for others to become disciples of Jesus Christ as well!

Next, travel light. You’ve heard this from previous sermons I have preached. Like rock climbers cannot make their ascents with a lot of extra gear, neither can we be successful disciples of Jesus Christ if we are carrying around a lot of unnecessary baggage.

Baggage takes a lot of forms, too. For example, jealousy is an extremely heavy (and worthless) item of baggage; jealousy about the gifts of other disciples that we do not share; jealousy about the leadership positions others have that we want; jealousy about the really fabulous programs and facilities of other churches.

All that baggage slows us down, folks. Let’s lose it and concentrate on the work God has for US, using and honoring the resources with which God has blessed US. Remember, the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. There is more than enough work to go around. Amen?

The next instruction was to focus. Jesus said, "Greet no one on the road." Jesus wasn’t saying the disciples should ignore others; Jesus was basically saying, "Don’t let anything or anyone distract you from your mission."

Distraction is a big challenge in today’s world. There is so much going on around us that it is easy for us to lose our way. Professional rock climbers would probably tell us that losing your focus on a climb could have deadly consequences.

What distracts us? The desire for more money? The desire for more power or prestige? The desire for a partner? These things are not evil in and of themselves; but if they distract us from the work that God has called us to do, they could spell spiritual disaster for us.

Let’s look even closer at Jesus’ instructions to the 70.

"Whatever house you enter, first say, "Peace to this house!" "Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid." "Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’"

Basically, we are to approach our call to discipleship peacefully. Like Jesus, we are to meet people where they are; which means if we are talking to friends in a bar, we do not enter Bibles blazing and telling everyone there they are going to hell because they have not confessed Jesus Christ as Lord. Such heavy-handed approaches to evangelism have turned far more people away from Christ than they have brought people to Christ.

Christian discipleship also means presence, in whatever healthy forms that presence takes. For it is through that presence that God can work miraculous healing—in the lives of others, as well as in our own lives.

Finally—and this is the hard part—we are to proclaim the Kingdom of God both in our words AND through the examples of our lives. While Jesus did say to approach others with a greeting of peace, to meet others where they were, and to help others—named in this passage as curing the sick—Jesus also said to proclaim the Kingdom of God.

Jesus didn’t say to proclaim the Kingdom of God unless it offended others. Jesus didn’t say to proclaim the Kingdom of God unless it meant your offerings would go down. Jesus didn’t say to proclaim the Kingdom of God unless it meant upsetting denominational leaders. Jesus said to proclaim the Kingdom of God--period.

It’s that "proclamation of the Kingdom" part that gets us into trouble—at least it has gotten me into trouble. See, some folks don’t like to hear that the Kingdom of God is inclusive of people who are a lot different than them.

On the other hand, there are others who don’t like to hear that, while the Kingdom of God is full of inclusive love, there is judgment involved as well. That means God has standards, folks. The Kingdom of God is not "an anything goes" kind of place. As the old saying goes, "we don’t change the message—the message changes us."

So, while we don’t run into the bars or coffee shops, parties or classrooms with our Bibles blazing, we don’t change the inclusive, yet challenging message of the Word of God to make people comfortable, either—and some folks are not going to appreciate that one bit.

Jesus knew there would be those people who would reject the message of his disciples. The advice of Jesus then is just as solid today: "Move on." Rejection hurts, yes; but rejection is not fatal. Move on. There is actually a term for this type of moving on in rock climbing. Its called "fallure."

Fallure occurs when a climber falls onto his or her safety rope after using every physical, mental, and spiritual resource at his or her disposal. "Isn’t that failure?" we might ask. No, failure is when you give up and let go. The difference is subtle, but important.

Where are we accepting failure instead of fallure? Where is it in our lives that we are giving up and dropping, without using all the physical, mental, and spiritual resources with which God has blessed us? If we push for fallure, we may actually tap into more Godly power and opportunity than we ever thought possible!

Look at the 70! They returned after their mission excited beyond belief, even though I am positive at least some of them experienced some painful rejections!

One type of outreach program isn’t working for you? Pray and then try another one! The target group your leadership worked so hard to identify would rather eat glass than listen to you share the good news of Jesus Christ? Pray and then go back to the drawing board!

Sure, it would be great if everything we touched turned into discipleship gold! But sometimes it seems like everything we touch turns into something else—and here’s a hint: it makes great fertilizer! But guess what? What we think is just "fertilizer" can be the foundation of some amazing growth we never expected!

The lesson for today: Yes, discipleship is required of all Christians—not just clergy. Yes, discipleship is tough sometimes; not everyone is going to love us—in fact, some people may even hate us. And yes, we are going to fall sometimes.

The good news: We don’t have to worry about any of those things. Why not? Because if we strive for fallure, with Jesus Christ as our safety rope, there is no way that our discipleship climb will fail.

Think about it. Let us dare to imagine the view from the top.

Then, let us start climbing together.

Real Survivors

Does anyone else remember the "Survivor" series craze of a few years ago? Or am I so out of the loop that there is another series airing as I write this? Just in case, as a review, the premise of these shows went something like this: You take a diverse group of people, drop them in a challenging environment, and give them various tasks to do. In a show of true community spirit, the group slowly eliminates other members by vote each week. Catfights, backbiting, and drama ensue.

Somebody eventually wins the million-dollar prize, and we have a big group hug at the end of it all. All the contestants hit the talk show circuit for a time, and a year or so later, we have Survivor Reunions.

Just like real life, huh?

While I am poking fun at the whole Survivor series, I must admit I have no desire to attempt the challenges faced by these women and men, and absolutely no stomach for some of the things eaten on those shows. I do well to eat some of my own culinary experiments sometimes.
But while there are men and women out there who are very adept at surviving under some of the most extreme circumstances, we could all take a few lessons from the Desert Tortoise of the Mojave Desert. Deserts are harsh, ruthless, and unforgiving places. So it is especially fascinating to learn how a creature can not only survive, but thrive in such an environment.

Question: What do the Desert Tortoise, Elijah, and us have in common? A lot more than you might think.

First things first. How in the world does the Desert Tortoise of the Mojave manage to survive in such a harsh environment?

He gets plenty of sleep. The Desert Tortoise goes to sleep sometime in November, and awakens sometime in March. This routine probably reminds some of us of our school days in years past, huh?

She finds nourishment in unexpected places. The Desert Tortoise at times gets some of the minerals in its diet from gravel. This information could actually be used as a good excuse for those of us who experiment in the kitchen. Tastes like gravel? Hey, it’s full of minerals! It’s good for you!

Every year or so, it rains in the Mojave, causing plant life to spring forth. The tortoise eats the plants then stores the water from the plants, and reabsorbs it and recycles it into her body as it is needed until the next rain falls in a year or so. The tortoise is actually able to control its internal environment in the face of external and hostile conditions.

Elijah actually chose to head for the desert in today’s reading from 1 Kings 19, which says a lot about the hostility of his environment. At this particular time, Queen Jezebel was killing God’s prophets, and the few that were left were in hiding. Baal was her god, and she had no patience for competing deities. So, silence the prophets, and you silence the deity.

But not this time.

In response to God’s call, Elijah confronts Jezebel’s husband, Ahab, the king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and challenges the prophets of Baal to a show of ultimate divine power. In a show of mighty power, God silences the prophets of Baal, and puts to rest any question as to who is truly God.

This turn of events did not set well with Jezebel, and she sent word to Elijah that now he was on her hit list—and Elijah hits the road. Now, that is one hostile environment.
After journeying to the wilderness, it appears that Elijah has had enough. He sits beneath a broom tree, and tells God he’s had it, that he is no better than his ancestors, and that he just wants to die. Then, he rests.

Notice what Elijah does. He vents to God. He’s tired, he’s done what God wants him to do, and to say the least, the people in power weren’t impressed, and even the God-fearers weren’t coming to his defense. Then, he rests.

Notice what God does. God lets Elijah vent and God lets Elijah rest for a time. God does NOT annihilate Elijah for being tired and discouraged. God doesn’t replace Elijah with a younger prophet and give him a gold watch for faithful service.

The point, folks, is there are times in our lives when we are tired and discouraged. We may be doing the best we can for God, for our employers, for our families and friends. But stuff just happens; and sometimes a lot of stuff happens that just seems to pile up on us.

The good news is we can take it to God. If God is big enough to create the universe, God can surely deal with our telling Him about our problems.

Then, get some rest! Put yourself in timeout for a little while. It’s OK. The world will get along fine without us while we are resting. Just remember that there will come a time to continue our journeys.

After some rest, Elijah woke up and took nourishment prepared by an angel. Talk about finding nourishment in unexpected places! But then he does something we might think is a bit odd—he goes back to sleep! But then he wakes up again, takes more nourishment, then continues his journey.

Folks, we aren’t going to survive long on this journey called life without good spiritual nourishment. Where do we get our nourishment for the journey? From worship services? From Bible studies? Maybe we get some of our nourishment from friends who listen to us and give us good, healthy advice. Maybe we get nourishment from support groups or therapy.

Wait a minute! Nourishment from support groups or therapy? Isn’t that a little unusual? Think about it. Is it possible that "angels" come in many different forms?

There is one more lesson we can take from Elijah’s taking nourishment. It takes more than one meal to give us the strength we need to continue our journeys.

What that means is that it takes more than one worship service, one Bible study, one recovery group meeting, one session with our therapists, or one prayer to Almighty God to give us the strength we need to survive in an often hostile environment! Like the Desert Tortoise, what we don’t use today, we can always store for those dry periods in our lives that are sure to come our way.

Elijah continues his journey for 40 days and nights until he hides in a cave at Mount Horeb. He’s still running. But not for long.

God asks Elijah, "What are you doing here?" Elijah basically replies, "I’ve had it. Life stinks. Death is stalking me. Nobody likes me. Everybody hates me."

But God is having none of it. "Come out of the cave!" God commands Elijah. But even through wind, earthquake, and fire, Elijah didn’t move. Why not? Maybe it was because all those things were too much like what Elijah was experiencing in his life at that time—upheaval, turmoil, persecution, strife. Maybe Elijah just wanted some peace and quiet.

So peace and quiet is what he got—and it is exactly where Elijah found the presence of God. In that peaceful moment, even though Elijah still complained, he found a presence of God that assured Elijah that he mattered. Yes, life is harsh; but I am with you, and I have a job for you. Your life has meaning. In that moment, Elijah found the inner peace he needed to face the hostile conditions of his external environment.

Who needs the Desert Tortoise? Future generations, if the species is to survive. Who needed Elijah? A lot of folks! He was one of the few true prophets left to carry on God’s message to the children of Israel. They definitely needed Elijah to train other prophets if they were to survive.

So it is with us.

Each and every one of us matters to Almighty God. We may not always feel like that we matter; but we do. Who needs us?

Some of us have partners who need us—and we them. Some of us have children and other family members who need us. Most all of us have friends who need us. Our churches need us. Our community needs us to speak out for equality on behalf of those who feel they are silenced. All of us are needed to serve God in one capacity or another. Each and every life has meaning to God, and God has something for each and every one of us to do.

So, get your rest, get proper nourishment, and listen for that inner peace that only God can give. And for goodness sake, come out of that cave! We need you out here!

There’s no need to be afraid, either. After all, if God is for us, who is against us?

Herding Cats

I read in an article recently that it is a well-known truth that you can’t herd cats. Pigs, sheep, and cattle are really no problem. But you can NEVER herd cats.

As I contemplated this well-known "truth," one of our cats was either lying on my lap, or sitting very close to me on the couch (I can’t remember which). A second cat was lounging on the back of the couch just behind my head, occasionally licking the ever-growing bald spot on my head; and the third cat was sleeping on the love seat nearby.

Now I’m not sure who was the originator of the comment that you can’t herd cats. But I can tell you this: this person did not ever visit the Lofstrand-Spears household!

Don't misunderstand me; our cats do have attitude. There is an old T-shirt I remember from years ago whose message read: "In ancient Egypt, people worshipped cats—the cats haven’t forgotten." That would pretty much describe our three feline children. But they CAN be herded.

All you have to do in our house to herd cats is shake their food container. I don’t care if they are under the bed in the back bedroom sound asleep; within mere seconds of this sound, you will have three very impatient, yet three very well lined-up cats in your presence.

Bedtime is a potential—but not guaranteed--herding time, too. If Richard and I are both in the house, it means we both have to go to bed at the same time, AND turn out the lights. Then, within a very short time, we normally have three cats in very inconvenient places in our bed; and whatever you do, once they are in place, PLEASE try not to disturb them!

For the most part, though, cats are pretty hard to keep under control, I must admit. But if you think cats are difficult, try managing those pesky critters called "temptations". Temptations are a whole different ballgame, now aren’t they?

Temptation is the subject of today’s Gospel lesson from Luke 4:1-13. Of course it’s hard for many modern readers to relate to this reading. After all, it isn’t everyday the Devil literally shows up on our doorsteps to offer us the world. "And besides,’ we may say to ourselves, ‘this passage doesn’t address MY particular temptations."

Well, that may be true in a sense. Maybe the Bible doesn’t detail every little (or big) temptation that may come our way. The Bible IS inspired; but it was also written in a particular cultural context. So the human authors of Scripture would not have been aware of some of the temptations of the 21st century. But if we take a look at the bigger picture, I think we will see that the Bible does actually address the core issues underlying our temptations—and how to handle them—right here in these 13 verses. How is that? How can these words written so many years ago speak to 21st century humanity?

Each of the four Gospels emphasizes a different aspect of Jesus. John focuses on Jesus as the Word Incarnate. Matthew focuses on observing the teachings of Jesus, and Mark stresses the "suffering servant" aspect of the ministry of Jesus Christ.

In Luke, however, we see Jesus as embodying Christian virtues: he is empowered by the Holy Spirit; he associates with women, tax collectors, and other "sinners"; he is compassionate toward the sick and outcast; he dies a martyr’s death while praying for his persecutors. In other words, in Luke we see the "How To" Jesus as it relates to Christian living. So, following this logic, the temptation narrative can be seen as an example for all of us who are tempted in various ways.

In the first temptation, the Devil says to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread." Now Jesus had been fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, so naturally he was weak and hungry; and I am sure a loaf of heavenly bread was sounding REALLY good about that time.

Isn’t that just like temptation? It seems that temptation shows up most often when we are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. In recovery language, there is an acronym for this situation called "HALT." The logic here is that if you become too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired, you are more susceptible to a "slip", and begin indulging in your addiction of choice once again. So the point is to HALT before the situation reaches that point.

Now that logic is great, and it has helped many a person in recovery to avoid relapse and to grow stronger in his or her journey toward wholeness. But if we look closer, this temptation is about more than food or recovery. The NRSV translation of this passage reads, "…command this stone to become A loaf of bread." So this temptation can be seen as symbolic of misusing our God-given gifts for our own selfish self-interest.

Jesus knew his call was to feed others spiritually—and sometimes he even fed people physically. As Christians, we too are called to use our gifts and resources to feed others spiritually, physically, in whatever ways we can. But when we use our gifts to benefit only ourselves, we are straying from the Christian mandate of serving others.

So how did Jesus handle this temptation? Jesus used scripture. In fact, if you will notice in our reading for today, when Jesus spoke, it was only to quote scripture. Notice there was no debate with the Devil. Jesus knew that there was more to life than self-gratification, and he used Scripture to support that truth.

"But preacher, what if I don’t know that much scripture?" Well, if that is the case, I have two words for you: Bible study. While I think group Bible study can be far more effective than studying alone, sincere and prayerful study of scripture in ANY format can be an enormous help in dealing with temptation.

The second temptation is interesting. The Devil shows the glory of all the kingdoms of the world at once and offers it all to Jesus. Now this temptation is a little trickier than it first looks. If Jesus knew there was more to life than what was on this earth, why would the Devil even think such a temptation would be attractive to Jesus?

But let’s take this temptation a little deeper. With all the power and glory of the earthly kingdoms, Jesus could have made some great reforms: world peace, universal employment, and eradication of hunger, protection of ALL human rights, the establishment of true justice. Good stuff, huh?

But there’s a catch. The Devil said, "if you worship ME…" Ah, the temptation of misplaced ambition. Now, healthy ambition is a wonderful trait. The problem with ambition, however, is that when it is misplaced, it means worshipping someone—or something—other than God.
This temptation is a tough one for many of us. We start out with good intentions. We begin to excel in our careers (secular or faith-based). Then the time comes when, in order to move up, we are asked to do things that we know are not right—or maybe we are asked (either directly or indirectly) to turn a blind eye to behaviors that are unethical (or in the case of Christian denominations, un-Christ-like). After all, "no one is really getting hurt here, right?"

Or, are they?

So what do we do? Keep silent and hopefully move up in the world, or speak up at the risk of being exiled (either figuratively or literally) from our jobs or communities of choice?
How did Jesus handle this temptation? Jesus used scripture. Jesus told the Devil, "It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.’" The message for us here is: stay true to your Christian calling—whatever that calling may be. Stay focused on your relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Remember: There is no goal so noble that it is worth abandoning God along the way! There is no ambition so pure that it can achieve a godly end without having God in the process.

The final temptation may be a little confusing for some modern readers. The Devil takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple of Jerusalem and said, "If you are the Son of God throw yourself down from here." THEN the Devil adds, "For it is written, ‘on their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone’". So, when’s the last time the Devil asked you to throw yourself off the top of our church?

This third temptation can be seen as the temptation of testing God. How did Jesus respond to this temptation? He used Scripture! You’re beginning to see a pattern here, right?

Jesus said, "It is said, ‘do not put the Lord your God to the test.’" Now notice how Jesus not only quotes the scripture, but he also follows through by not putting God to the test. What an example for all of us! Even though Jesus was Emmanuel—God With Us—throughout all these temptations he is identifying fully with humanity as well by saying in effect, "The instruction of the scriptures apply to me as well."

We may not tempt God by literally throwing ourselves off the top of tall buildings, but some of us do tempt God in other ways.

For example, we may say something like, "Well, the Bible says God will forgive me if I repent of my sins, so I’ll just live any way I want to live, and then make sure I make it to church on Sundays to repent. Well, if I can get up that early after being out all night the night before."
Scripture DOES say God will forgive us if we repent of our sins. And as Christians, we DO believe that God loves us and protects us. But folks, that does not give us license to go out and tempt God by abusing our bodies, our relationships, our planet, and our very souls in any of the several ways we tend to do. Amen?

Using Scripture. Staying true to our calling as Christians. Refusing to tempt God. These things may not help us herd cats—or any other animals for that matter—but by following the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are our best hope for herding those pesky critters called "temptations."

May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ—the peace that passes all understanding—the peace that can bring us through every temptation, be with you all.

Amen.

The Gospel Truth

I love the comics! Comics such as Doonesbury, Peanuts, Non-Sequitir, and For Better Or For Worse (as well as many others) make some very serious points in a comical way. Just when you think you are doing some light reading, BAM! Right between the eyes! Entertainment and education in mere minutes—I love it!

I also enjoy watching "animated features." That’s just the adult way of saying, "I like watching cartoons on TV, DVD, or in theatres, too." I don’t think I’m alone, either. If you have noticed, in the past few years there have been quite a few animated movies that, while fine for older children, are geared for adults as well.

For example, what about the lessons of history respect for the land, as well as Native American theology taught in "Pocahontas"? The movie "Shrek" was filled with messages of not judging others based on appearances; and that true love and friendship has many expressions and faces. That movie had some great jokes in it, too!

In the Disney feature, "Hercules," there was an animated chorus (ala Diana Ross and the Supremes) who, in true Greek theatre fashion, helped move the story along with their narratives. They would often emphasize their claims by repeating the refrain, "And that’s the Gospel truth!"

Unfortunately, the "gospel truth" this choir was proclaiming was a hard-nosed, hard-boiled truth about the world in which we live. Sure, there was a lot of humor in the movie; but at the same time, some of the "truths" presented in it could be seen as seemingly without hope.

Now, we may say that "Hercules" was just a myth, and the movie just a cartoon. But at the same time, there are grains of truth in most all myths, and cartoons can make some very strong points—even in a very adult world. But is the hard core hard-nosed reality of today all there is to the gospel truth?

Speaking of the difference between gospel truth and "myth," the passage for today comes from the book of Revelation, chapter 21, and verses 1-6. People have made millions off this particular book of the Bible by using it as a "code" of sorts to figure out when the second coming of Christ will occur, and who all the creatures in Revelation represent in terms of the people, places, and events of today.

On the other end of the spectrum are people who treat Revelation as symbolic only—so they don’t preach on it at all. As with most everything else in life, I believe the "gospel truth" lies somewhere between these two extremes. That is to say, Revelation is not a code to be cracked; but at the same time, there are relevant messages in it for us today.

As a pastoral letter, Revelation was addressing a particular situation for a particular group of
people living in a particular time. It is believed that the author of Revelation wrote the book while in exile on the island of Patmos, and this exile was a direct result of his Christian preaching. In other words, persecution was his "gospel truth." The author saw his persecution, as well as that of his brothers and sisters in Christ, as just the beginning of things to come.

Now there is something interesting to note about the persecution theme here. According to church history, during the time period the book of Revelation was thought to have been written, persecution of the church was probably occasional at the most. So, if persecution wasn’t a huge problem at the time, what could the author have had in mind with this book? Could it be maybe that he was warning the early church against complacency in the absence of persecution?

Think about it. What happens today when world, national, state, and even local events don’t seem to pertain to our individual situations? We get complacent. "You know that world hunger issue is just getting out of control. Could you pass me another helping of mashed potatoes, please?"

While some of our sisters and brothers in other countries take their very lives into their hands by attending worship services, many American Christians are busy complaining about the temperatures of their spacious sanctuaries. In our own community, there are people who can afford to speak out on issues of equality and oppression, yet refuse to do so, because whatever the issue may be never seems to be "their issue." After all, It is not THEIR jobs, nor the sanctity of THEIR relationships, nor their religious freedom that is at stake.

Yet.

Addressed to the church at Laodicea, Revelation 3:15-16 states, "I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth." Complacency, folks, is a far more deadly enemy of churches and whole communities than persecution.

If we follow the complacency theory, then it could be that the author of Revelation is saying, "WAKE UP, PEOPLE! It may not be bad for you, now; but look what is coming! Will you be able to stand?"

What follows looks pretty serious, too: famine, disease, earthquakes, hail and fire mixed with blood, falling stars, and the list goes on. Everything was looking pretty bleak at that point—and that was the gospel truth.

Today we have famine, disease, earthquakes, war, violence of all kinds, abuse, addiction, and the list goes on. Churches splitting over who is in and who is out; indifference to the pain and suffering of our sisters and brothers who were not fortunate enough to be born in a free and wealthy country like ours’. Everything is looking pretty bleak at this point—and that is the gospel truth.

But, that is not the WHOLE gospel truth.

Our reading today starts with a new heaven and a new earth, and the sea is no more. The terms "heaven and earth" refer not to two distinct places; these terms refer to the entire cosmos! So, things are definitely beginning to change in radical, new ways. From where does this new heaven and new earth—this new cosmos-- come? Let’s look at verse 5: "And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See I am making all things new."

Notice God did not say, "I am making all new things." The words are, "I am making all things new." The symbolism here is powerful. God does NOT start all over from scratch. God does not REPLACE creation—God REDEEMS creation—including you and me.

While the imagery of no sea sounds confusing at first, it may help to know that in Near Eastern literature the sea represented chaos. There were monsters in the sea, and all kinds of unmentionable evil and horrors. With the new heaven and the new earth—with God’s redemption--the chaos disappears.

But it gets even better. In verse two, we see the vision of the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven. In verse three, a loud voice proclaims that God will dwell with humanity; we will be God’s peoples—that’s plural, folks—and God will be with us.

The symbolism here is amazing. In Jewish history, Jerusalem was seen as the dwelling place of God. With the coming of the New Jerusalem, God not only redeems all of creation, God’s immanence—God’s closeness—becomes incredibly real for creation.

Isn’t that great news? No matter how bad it gets, the day is coming when God’s redemption will remove ALL the chaos from our lives! Not only that, God’s love and presence is going to be made manifest in ways we can’t even imagine! THERE IS HOPE, folks! THERE IS HOPE!

How do we know this is true? Because Revelation 21:6 tells us that God said, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end." In Hebrew, the word for truth is "emet," spelled aleph, mem, taw. Aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet; mem is the middle letter of the Hebrew alphabet; and taw is final letter of the Hebrew alphabet. What does that mean?

God was. God IS. God always will be. Emet. Truth.

And because God was, because God IS, because God always will be—because God loves us so much—God sent Jesus, so that whosoever believes in Jesus may not perish, but may have everlasting life.

"Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true."

God was. God IS. God always will be. There IS hope.

And THAT, my friends, is the "gospel truth."

Spiritual Pacifiers

There has been a lot of talk throughout the ages as to the best way to bring about world peace. Some folks believe pre-emptive strikes and using the threat of nuclear annihilation are the ways to go. Of course, what many of the "nuke’em all" camp seems to forget is when WE nuke THEM, it tends to destroy the planet in the process. "Yeah! We’ll show you! You don’t play by OUR rules, we’ll destroy civilization as we know it! That’ll show you!"

Of course, on the other end of the spectrum, we have the John Lennon Fan Club singing, "All we are saying, is give peace a chance," while terrorism is on the increase. So what DO you do?
I submit to you today my proposal for the best way to achieve world peace. I submit to you today---the binky! Or boo, or pacy, or whatever you called this amazing peacekeeper when you were a child.

Some of you laugh. Some of you are probably in shock. But if you have ever raised or otherwise cared for an infant, you KNOW the power of the binky! And since I personally feel that war is the result of the ultimate in childish, immature, and selfish behavior, a binky might be just the ticket we’ve been looking for all these years.

No, none of us can really doubt the calming effects of a pacifer. Not only does it give the child using it a sense of security, it also gives the adults around the child a sense of peace and quiet.

Then the day comes when its time to lose the pacifer. And oh, what a traumatic time that can be for anyone within hearing distance of the child being weaned from his or her "best friend." But everyone eventually realizes that it is in the child’s best interest for he or she to move on to the next level of maturity, and that means losing the binky. Amazingly enough, everyone always seems to survive this growth process in one piece—a little frayed around the edges, maybe—but OK nonetheless.

You may be surprised to learn that there are things called "spiritual binkys", too. Spiritual binkys are those things we cling to (whether they are healthy or not) that make us feel secure, peaceful, and calm in our spiritual lives.

Actually, spiritual binkys are not a new phenomenon. Take the twelve apostles—well, now eleven as of today’s Gospel reading--for example. We can look at this reading and pick up a few examples from them.

First, in today’s reading, the apostles are hiding in fear for their lives. They have either seen, or been told about, the empty tomb, but as scripture last week told us, they still didn’t quite understand what was going on.

To be fair, they probably had every reason to be afraid. They were Jesus’ main entourage just days earlier. No doubt the religious leaders had picked up on that bit of information. While those leaders may have thought Jesus was the big problem, no doubt they would be looking for the apostles, as well. After all, if one crucifixion is good, just think of the message they could send with eleven more!

The apostles were basically paralyzed with fear; so they tried hiding behind closed doors.
Believe it or not, safe space can actually become a spiritual pacifier. Week after week, people who feel persecuted, beat up, and just plain worn out make their way to churches all over the world. Behind those closed doors, many of these people find safe spaces where they can be loved, affirmed, and refreshed—and that is wonderful! It is my prayer that you find our church a safe place where you feel loved, affirmed, and refreshed by the Holy Spirit, as well.

But just as the time comes to lose the pacifier, the time also comes for us to leave these four walls. We can’t live here. This isn’t a monastery, and it isn’t a convent. The church IS a place of spiritual rest and refreshment. But it is also a place of training where we do NOT sit paralyzed with fear, afraid to leave for fear of what people may say or do when should they just happen to find out we are Christians. The church of the living God is NOT just another closet where we hide in fear! Amen?

Besides, Jesus isn’t going to let us do that for very long, anyway. That is, IF we are open to receiving the power of the Holy Spirit. Scripture today tells us that even though the windows and doors of the place where the disciples were hiding were locked, Jesus STILL came and stood among them!

The symbolism here is very powerful. The locked doors and windows could very well indicate that the disciples really weren’t expecting Jesus to show up; and even if he did, they may have been afraid of what he would do to them since they had deserted Jesus at his darkest hour.
Let me ask us all a question this morning. Do we REALLY expect Jesus to show up here on Sunday mornings? Do we REALLY expect Jesus to show up in our day to day lives? Or, are we more like the apostles in today’s reading? Not really expecting Jesus, and maybe actually afraid for him to show up because we don’t know how he is going to respond to how we’ve been living our lives.

I don’t know about you, but I also really think it is a shame today when Jesus basically has to break into some churches because their doors and windows are locked in fear. Windows and doors that are locked in fear of change, fear of welcoming ALL people, fear of challenging "the way it’s always been done around here." Doors and windows locked in fear by a few people who are afraid of losing their spiritual pacifiers of power, prestige, and—dare I say it—history.
However, the good news is Jesus DOES show up! Like the apostles, it is probably going to freak us out when He does walk through those locked doors of our lives AND our churches, too—ESPECIALLY if we aren’t expecting him.

But we have no reason to fear when Jesus breaks into our lives. Scripture today tells us that Jesus said to the disciples, "Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, so I am sending you."
Now Jesus had every reason to be disappointed and angry with this group of men he had loved, cared for, and taught over the past three years. But yet he brings greetings of peace.

Jesus Christ does the same thing in our lives. If you had told me ten years ago that one day I would be pastoring a church in Corpus Christi, Texas, I would probably have laughed at you. You see, I wasn’t living exactly what you would call a "pastoral" kind of life at that time.
But as Christ had—and still has—plans for me, so Christ has plans for YOU. Jesus brings greetings of peace, yes; but Jesus also presents us with a job to do. Remember, Jesus told the apostles, …"so I am sending you…"

Sending us? Sending us where? EVERYWHERE, folks! We are called to leave this place and proclaim God’s life-changing love for ALL people to our families, to our friends, to our co-workers…everyone who will listen!

How do we do that? We get the answer from scripture today. Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon the disciples. God equips us through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives to go out and make disciples of all nations.

You may still be thinking, "OK, the Holy Spirit helps me out. Great! Still HOW do I make disciples of all nations? How do I make Jesus REAL for others?"

We make Jesus real for others—those whom we may call "Doubting Thomas or Doubting Teresa"-- through the examples of our lives. We show the nail prints of Christ’s hands to others when we put our hands to work to help those who are less fortunate than us.

We show the wound in Jesus’ side to others when we bend and stretch ourselves to not only look at, but also to ACTUALLY TRY new ways of doing ministry in this changing world. Jesus Christ demonstrated a radical new way of discipleship, service, and relating to one another in the culture in which he lived. If we call ourselves Christian, I ask you, "Can WE really afford to do anything less?"

As God sent Jesus, so Jesus sends us. Scary thought? You bet it is! But when we are afraid, let us take comfort from these words of Christ: "Remember I am with you ALWAYS, even until the end of the age."

It’s a promise we can all count on. Amen?

The Three G's of Palm Sunday

Whether we admit it or not, most of us probably enjoy checking out some of the awards shows on television. Not necessarily to listen to the over-inflated egos of some otherwise truly talented people as they accept their awards, though. No, I dare say some of us much prefer to watch the stars arrive on the red carpet before the shows begin, then we switch back and forth between other programs of interest, waiting for the awards categories that interest us most.

The conversations at some of these home (or dormitory, or bar) awards parties can be quite interesting, too. "Oh no she did NOT wear THAT outfit to the Oscars!" "Oooooo, I thought she was seeing THIS man, and now she shows up at the awards with that WOMAN!" And who does he think HE is? Is that girl he’s with even legal age?" Glitter, glamour, and gossip. The 3 G’s of the Hollywood red carpet treatment.

Today we are looking at the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. It is a day of loud "Hosanna’s!" "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!" It is a day of red carpet treatment. It is a day of glitter, glamour, and gossip. It is a day that marks—quite literally—the beginning of one "hell" of a week for Jesus Christ.

Well, that last comment was certainly an interesting way to enter into a sermon, wasn’t it? After all, isn’t this particular Sunday supposed to be all glitz and glamour? Then, we come back next week for the greatest news of all history!

Well, that’s partially true. There is a lot of joy in today’s reading, and we can’t deny that next week marks what should be a huge celebration of what Christians believe is the greatest news of all time.

But there is a whole lot that happens in the week in-between these two events—a lot of stuff that we would just as soon not think about. So many of us go from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday without missing a beat. But today, I am going to attempt to take us a little deeper than the glitz, glamour, and gossip of Palm Sunday.

In today’s lesson there is certainly a lot of glitz and glamour. Jesus arrives in Jerusalem with lots of fanfare. Like of lot of celebrities, I imagine Jesus’ growing celebrity reputation somewhat preceded him.

The disciples did some additional advance PR work under Jesus’ direction by arranging for appropriate transportation. We really don’t know if the person who gave his colt to the disciples knew WHO the disciples meant when they told him, "the Lord needs it;" but I can imagine word got around pretty fast that SOMEONE important was coming to Jerusalem for Passover.

Of course there is no one EXACTLY like Jesus—not then, and not now. But we can draw a few parallels. The office boy who becomes a media mogul—that is the story of David Geffen. The once financially comfortable woman who became a servant to some of the world’s poorest people—that is the story of Mother Teresa. It happens, you know. Little known people DO become celebrities sometimes, whether they like it or not.

Then the big day arrives. Praises are shouted from all around Jesus as he rides into Jerusalem on a colt. People throw down their cloaks before him. It had to be heart-warming to Jesus to look out over the crowds and feel the love of so many people.

I can imagine Jesus seeing some of the people whose lives he had touched directly, and wondering how many people’s lives he had touched indirectly. Sure Jesus was fully divine; but Jesus was also fully human. This entrance to Jerusalem had to be a huge "feel good" moment for him.

Life is good when everybody loves you, isn’t it? If you’ve ever led a life-changing Bible study, negotiated a major deal to the satisfaction of everyone involved, preached a good sermon, put together a fabulous Easter musical, and people recognize you, it’s a good feeling. If your success continues, eventually it feels like everyone wants a piece of you. It seems you can do no wrong. Even your mistakes are seen as "innovative experiments." Life is not only good-it’s great!

But, the major difference between Jesus and us in this respect is that he also knew this moment wouldn’t last. He knew that many of the same people who were shouting, "Hosanna!" today would be shouting, "Crucify him!" in just a few short days. What they say about Hollywood was probably true in Jerusalem as well: "People in Hollywood are always touching you—not because they like you, but because they want to see how soft you are before they eat you alive."

This is where our third "G"—gossip—comes in. There was always a certain amount of gossip that surrounded Jesus: "Who is this that even the wind and sea obey him?" "Who is this that even forgives sins?" "Who is this? He speaks with such authority!" Indeed, who IS this?

We can begin to understand at least a little more about who Jesus is though the symbolism in today’s Gospel reading. First, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a colt that has never been ridden. Some scholars say that this choice of animal points to the humility of Jesus. However, other scholars say that since in the Old Testament, Solomon rode a colt before his coronation has king of Israel, this choice of animal points to the kingship of Jesus Christ.

Why can’t it be both? Why does it have to be either/or? Why can’t Jesus be the king who comes not to bring war, but who comes in humility to bring peace?

Did you notice that there are no palm branches mentioned in today’s Gospel reading? Why is that? It could be another indication of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

It is said that at one point in Jewish history, that Palestine was under foreign rule, when a series of Jewish military actions defeated the occupation force and liberated the land. When the Jewish people entered the Temple, they waved branches, which quickly became symbols of Jewish independence.

The point here is Luke could be urging his readers to not think of the church as a community that will rise up in military rebellion against Rome. The placing of cloaks before Jesus’ path was symbolic of acknowledging the arrival of a new ruler. So, Jesus IS a ruler, but he is a different kind of a ruler.

And that’s when the gossip mill goes out of control.

Jesus comes to Jerusalem with a ragtag group of followers—not with a trained military AND religious elite who are "packin’ heat". I can hear some of the crowd now: "It’s all good, Don’t worry. They’re just bein’ cool about the whole thing. This is just a diversionary move. The reinforcements will slip in at night when no one is looking. You just wait."

But as the week progresses, the crowd mentality changes. Jesus overturns tables in the Temple! Jesus challenges the RELIGIOUS establishment, not Roman authority! What’s probably worse is there is even division in Jesus’ own entourage. Betrayal, denial, and desertion.

Jesus went from "feelin’ the love" on Sunday to feeling the crucifying rage on Friday. Why? I think this change occurred because Jesus did not live up to anyone’s expectations—not the crowd, the religious leaders, and not even his own disciples! Jesus lived up to GOD’S expectations—and that is what got him killed.

What about us? What do we do when Jesus doesn’t live up to all the glitz and glamour we expect of him? What do we do when we expect Jesus to swoop in and take care of all the oppression, pain, and hurt in our lives in dramatic fashion worthy of an Oscar nomination, and instead Jesus shows up in our lives as stage hand who challenges our preconceived notions of what is right and what is wrong? And even worse, what if Jesus tells us that WE who call ourselves Christians are actually part of the problem in the first place?

Do we shout "Hosanna!" or do we shout "Crucify him!"

Are we ready to let Jesus be Jesus? Are we ready to accept the fact that Jesus Christ does not fit anyone’s—and that includes OUR--preconceived notions of what it means to be the Way the Truth, and the Life?

If we are, then let’s get ready for some major changes. I say "changes," because Jesus is not about the 3 "G’s" of glitter, glamour, and gossip. Jesus is about the 3 "G’s" of grace, giving, and goodness. And the "3 G’s of Jesus" are neither cheap, nor short-term.

We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus gave of himself until there was nothing left to give. The goodness of Jesus cannot be compared to anyone before his earthly existence, nor after it.

While we can never duplicate the grace, giving, and goodness of Jesus Christ, it is these examples of his life that compel us to change our behavior. That is, if we take Jesus seriously. Making these changes means moving beyond giving Jesus the Hero’s Welcome on Sunday only, to making Jesus Christ a part of our daily lives—as boring as some of us may consider them.

The life of Jesus Christ is a life we are called to emulate. It is through Jesus Christ that we can begin to move from the shallowness of a live lived in and for glitz, glamour, and gossip to the fullness of a live lived in grace, giving, and goodness.

It is through Jesus Christ that we can do all these things.

And THAT is something to shout about!

Amen?

God bless you, and amen.

Channel Surfing Discipleship

In the theology of domestic bliss (you didn’t know there was one of those, did you?), it has been said that, "the one who holds the television remote, holds the power." Can I get an amen?
Now Richard and I don’t argue much over what television programs to watch. After almost 11 years together, we have learned to "share the power," so to speak. Well, at least most of the time.

But do you know what really annoys me about using a television remote? Channel surfing. Now I must admit there are times when I partake in this particular activity. But what I am talking about are those people who cannot seem to stay on any one channel for any length of time. 30 seconds into a program and zip! Next channel, please. "You know, this program looks—click—interesting."

Cable television network executives have picked up on this little habit of ours’, too. This habit of channel surfing is one of the reasons you see the same movie scheduled multiple times during the day, or over a period of days. Channel surfers like to "drop in" on movies to watch their favorite scenes, and then they are off to the next program. In a society of convenience seekers, this programming makes perfectly good sense.

Now this habit of channel surfing is not a threat to anyone’s salvation; in fact, compared to what is out there, channel surfing is a pretty harmless habit. But all habits—harmless or not—have a way or shaping our lives. Our habits are those practices that eventually shape who we are. For example, if we get so used to channel surfing when it comes to our television viewing habits, how long will it be before we begin to practice channel surfing when it comes to our relationships?

Extreme? Maybe. But if our attention spans are conditioned for little "snippets" of information, eventually it is going to be challenging—if not impossible—for us to give our full attention to anyone or anything, including God, for more than a few minutes.

Call it "channel surfing discipleship."

The children of Israel were certainly familiar with the concept of channel surfing discipleship. Some of you may remember how God worked through Moses and Aaron to deliver the children of Israel from bondage and put them on a journey to the Promised Land.
But it wasn’t long after leaving Egypt that they began to complain. "We’re hungry!" "We’re thirsty!" "Are we there yet?" God would send a miraculous sign—sometimes a good sign, and sometimes a plague of some type—the people would repent, then would return to their old ways soon after.

The Israelites followed this pattern of behavior until eventually God allowed them to be defeated by their enemies and scattered. The devastation was so complete you could say it was the lucky ones who were taken in captivity to Babylon.
Now from our vantage point, we may look at the Israelites and say, "Why didn’t they get it? God had blessed them so much! Why did they not pay attention? How could they let themselves get so side-tracked?"

Let me ask us all a question today: "How different are we from the children of Israel in this regard?" Think about it. God has truly blessed us in many ways. God has delivered—or is in the process of delivering us—from the various things that hold us captive: addictions to various substances, sex, love, money, work, and power, to name just a few.

Then the going gets tough—and believe me, I know it gets tough sometimes. But what do we tend to do? We change the channel. It’s somewhat like watching a movie at home, and switching to another channel when we get to the scary part.

The sad part is we tend to change the channel back to a program with which we are more familiar. Like the children of Israel, we begin to think that maybe our "Egypt’s" weren’t so bad, after all. Then eventually, also like the children of Israel, we end up back in bondage—usually worse off than we were before.

But, praise God that is NOT the end of the story. Amen?

Today’s reading is dated by scholars at around 539 B.C, around the time of Cyrus of Persia’s edict when the Israelites were granted the right of return to Jerusalem from their exile and captivity in Babylon. This is a message of restoration—and responsibility.

I think it is important to note that the verbs at the beginning of our verses this morning are imperatives in the Hebrew language. What that means is they are to be read with emphasis—almost like commands.

In verse one, God issues the invitation, "Come!" Come to the water! Come buy and eat! Taste and see how good God is! And here’s the best part: "without money and without price!" God’s gracious invitation to all is FREE! We do have a responsibility here, however. God sets the table, but we have to pull up the chair. The first move is God’s—always—and our appropriate response is faithful obedience—always.

I believe verse two is VERY relevant to us today. "Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?" God, through the prophet is asking the Israelites, "Why are you wasting your resources—your very lives—in a place which will never be your home?"

See the Israelites were now free to return to Jerusalem. So we could look at this question as God’s way of saying, "What are you waiting for? Quit wasting your time and come home!"

Good question, huh? Why do some of us waste so much of our time, talent, and resources on things that do not build up the kingdom of God? Why do some world leaders continue to use the lives of others to build their own little empires? Indeed, why do some Christians waste so much of their time building their own little ecclesial power structures—and getting sound bites on CNN-- at the expense of sharing the good news that is Jesus Christ with a world that desperately needs such good news?

In verses two and three we are told to both "Listen," and "Hear." There is a big difference between the two, believe me. When we listen, we pay attention to sound, we pay attention to God’s voice, and we do that by tuning out the competing voices of the world around us. When we hear God is when we actually begin to get the message.

So, what is God saying to us?

I think that at least part of that message is to seek God. Search diligently for God. Make being in the presence of God a priority—not only on Sunday mornings, but each day in prayer and devotional time. We can be in the presence of God as we study, work, and minister to others in various ways.

Of course choosing to be in God’s presence means letting some other stuff go. According to verse seven, we are to forsake whatever hinders our relationship with God. Look at what is holding you back from growing into a mature relationship with God through Jesus Christ and LET IT GO! Give it to God.

So how do we just "give it to God?" Is "letting go" all there is? What do we do after that? After letting go of the bad, grab the good. Turn to what is right, good, and positive. Turn to God for forgiveness and mercy. Our reading today tells us that when we do that, God abundantly pardons!

So how do we "grab the good?" Becoming part of a Christ-centered community of faith can be a huge support in growing in our walk with God. But if we need additional help in the form of support groups or therapy in our struggles, I say, "Amen!" Do it! God’s mercy and healing comes in so many ways we can’t count them.

God’s message through the prophet probably didn’t make sense to some of the Israelites. Sure they were free; but for some it probably looked like they were being set free to return to the devastated ruins of a city to face what looked like a very uncertain future. Maybe Babylon wasn’t so bad, after all.

Maybe some of us feel that way when preachers tell us to turn from what is keeping us from growing in our relationship with God, and to live a life of discipleship that requires more than a channel surfing mentality. After all, wouldn’t that mean giving up the remote? Probably.

That’s why the prophet reminds us that God’s ways are not our ways, and God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. That is the heart of the life of discipleship, really. If we order our lives by a higher reasoning, a different way of doing business, a divine wisdom, we will then begin to align our lives more in accordance with God’s purposes, rather than our own.

The relationship that God wants with us is not of the channel surfing variety, where we drop in and out at our leisure. The mature life of faith feasts on a deep and abiding relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Dropping in or dropping by isn’t enough.

This kind of deep relationship with God can be compared to a long and satisfying meal where we linger over the food, and the conversation is lively and interesting. It’s a wonderful time; one that we never want to end. And do you know what? I believe God feels the same way.
The choice is ours’, you know. We can come, taste and see how good God is, or keep flipping through the channels of life. My prayer for each of us today is that we choose God—and lose the remote.

God bless you and amen.