An open letter regarding the withholding or diverting of giving to congregations of the ELCA as a way of expressing dissatisfaction.
The decision by the ELCA churchwide assembly to open the clergy roster to those who are in a committed, publicly accountable same sex relationship has for some church members been cause to celebrate, and for others it has been upsetting. In passing these decisions, the ELCA has made allowances for those who disagree, but some members have found these allowances insufficient. A group (of mostly pastors I believe) who met in Indianapolis in late September is now calling on those who disagree with these decisions to withhold their giving to their congregations, unless the congregations discontinue paying their benevolence assessment to synod. Whatever their purpose in suggesting this action, the effect of it is to threaten the church's most vulnerable ministries, and those who depend on them will be hurt.
When we give as Christians, we are giving of ourselves – our time and our financial resources – out of a sense that everything we have and everything we are is given to us from God. So we give back to God what is already God’s so that the love of Christ can be proclaimed through the ministry of the church. The money I give to my congregation pays for the ministry of the whole church: for the hospital visits, the food pantry, the worship services, the bread and wine of communion, the Sunday school, confirmation. Besides funding our local ministry, a portion is sent to the synod as benevolence. This benevolence pays for Lutheran Social Services’ work of feeding and helping those in need; it pays for synod staff such as the new outreach coordinator who is now working directly with the Wartburg Parish; it provides resources to keep struggling congregations open and serving their communities in places where the need is great but resources are few – such as Trinity Lutheran Church in Kankakee; it pays for the First Call continuing education program for new pastors. A portion is also sent on to the ELCA, where it pays for churchwide youth events, disaster response, new congregational start-ups, campus ministry, Lutheran World Relief, and on and on. The money I give to my congregation each week does all of this! And this is possible only because my congregation is a partner with both the Central/Southern Illinois Synod and the ELCA. To stop giving is to imperil these ministries and risk hurting the most vulnerable programs and people.
It has been suggested that people and congregations who are unhappy with church-wide decisions can channel their giving to those programs that they approve of and thereby have more money to contribute to those programs. But Christian giving is not like donating to charity or an arts organization, where it is appropriate to single out only those programs that appeal to us. Christian giving is Stewardship. It is involving ourselves in the whole ministry of Christ. And this includes working together to resolve disagreements as we continue our larger ministry. Look at the variety and scope of the ministries which are supported by congregational giving and benevolence. There is no way to reach out in that many directions except through the congregation.
To those of you who have been diverting your giving or have stopped it altogether: I would respectfully and humbly ask that you prayerfully reconsider this move. Please prayerfully reconsider your calling to support the ministry of Christ through your home congregation. We must all continue to respect each other's perspective on this critical issue and maintain an open heart as we move forward in exploring the sincere disagreement within our church. But the ministry of the church must not be suspended as we engage in this discussion, and it cannot continue, either on the local or broader level, without continued support from you, its members. I respect that you disagree with this decision, but I would also respectfully suggest that this is not the most effective way of registering that dissatisfaction, for what you are doing is hurting the ministry of the church and those who depend on these ministries on the local, synod, and national level. For my part, I am proud to be a pastor of the ELCA, proud to be a member of an ELCA congregation and honored to be able to give to my congregation so that my money is utilized in so many varied, important and wonderful ministries.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
An open letter regarding the withholding or diverting of giving to congregations of the ELCA as a way of expressing dissatisfaction.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Some Pastoral Reflections - November 2009
Jesus went throughout the Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the Good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. St. Matthew 4:23
“Extra, Extra, Hear all about it!!!” Such was the proclamation of the newsboys back maybe a century ago. Of course their “news” was a mixture of good and bad news from around the community, the state and the world. We too have something to proclaim, but for us Christians it is Good News – the Good News of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen again.
Last month I began a series of reflections on the name of our congregation. While we usually refer to our community as “Peace Lutheran Church,” the official name is: “The United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Peace.” Last month I wrote a few words reflecting on “Peace.” (You can read this reflection on my blog if you missed it – see below for the URL). This month I want to take a couple moments and write about the word “Evangelical.”
What comes to mind when you first hear this word? Does the word hold positive or negative connotations for you? For many of us, unfortunately, the first thing we think about when we hear this word “Evangelical” are people handing out tracts, pushy door-to-door visitors and television preachers. If that is what you think of, then probably “Evangelism” means primarily proselytizing or trying to convert others to our version of Christianity. But this is not what “Evangelical” really means. To be Evangelical – or to engage in Evangelism is not primarily trying to convert folks to our way of thinking. But this has become the image we associate with “Evangelism.” Perhaps this is why it is so hard to recruit folks to serve on the Evangelism committee in many parishes, because the impression is that it is all about proselytization.
But that is not what this word means. “Evangelical” means Good News. And as stated above the Good News is the Good News of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen again. So to be “Evangelical” or to engage in “Evangelism” is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. But this doesn’t only mean talking, it doesn’t mean passing out tracts, going door-to-door or any of that. It might include that if done with care and grace and respect, but that would only be a tiny part of what being “Evangelical” is all about. Being “Evangelical” is really a way of being in the world. When we “proclaim” the Good News of Christ, we might sometimes talk about our faith – but the most important way we “proclaim” is in the way we act and relate to others. We “proclaim” the Good News when we are open to others; when we are kind, gracious and caring; when we reach out to others in service; and when we give of our time, talents and treasures. “Evangelical” is a way of being Christian in the world.
That our forebears have chosen to call this church “Evangelical” means to me that they understood this calling; that they understood that the members of this community of Christ would engage in “Evangelism” – reaching out in love and service to the community. Evangelical is a word then that defines all of the ministries of the this congregation – Worship, Music, Sunday School, Confirmation, Food Pantry, Wednesday All-Stars, Property and so forth. For in each of these ways we are proclaiming the love and grace of God through our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Pastor S. Blake Duncan+
“Extra, Extra, Hear all about it!!!” Such was the proclamation of the newsboys back maybe a century ago. Of course their “news” was a mixture of good and bad news from around the community, the state and the world. We too have something to proclaim, but for us Christians it is Good News – the Good News of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen again.
Last month I began a series of reflections on the name of our congregation. While we usually refer to our community as “Peace Lutheran Church,” the official name is: “The United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Peace.” Last month I wrote a few words reflecting on “Peace.” (You can read this reflection on my blog if you missed it – see below for the URL). This month I want to take a couple moments and write about the word “Evangelical.”
What comes to mind when you first hear this word? Does the word hold positive or negative connotations for you? For many of us, unfortunately, the first thing we think about when we hear this word “Evangelical” are people handing out tracts, pushy door-to-door visitors and television preachers. If that is what you think of, then probably “Evangelism” means primarily proselytizing or trying to convert others to our version of Christianity. But this is not what “Evangelical” really means. To be Evangelical – or to engage in Evangelism is not primarily trying to convert folks to our way of thinking. But this has become the image we associate with “Evangelism.” Perhaps this is why it is so hard to recruit folks to serve on the Evangelism committee in many parishes, because the impression is that it is all about proselytization.
But that is not what this word means. “Evangelical” means Good News. And as stated above the Good News is the Good News of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen again. So to be “Evangelical” or to engage in “Evangelism” is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. But this doesn’t only mean talking, it doesn’t mean passing out tracts, going door-to-door or any of that. It might include that if done with care and grace and respect, but that would only be a tiny part of what being “Evangelical” is all about. Being “Evangelical” is really a way of being in the world. When we “proclaim” the Good News of Christ, we might sometimes talk about our faith – but the most important way we “proclaim” is in the way we act and relate to others. We “proclaim” the Good News when we are open to others; when we are kind, gracious and caring; when we reach out to others in service; and when we give of our time, talents and treasures. “Evangelical” is a way of being Christian in the world.
That our forebears have chosen to call this church “Evangelical” means to me that they understood this calling; that they understood that the members of this community of Christ would engage in “Evangelism” – reaching out in love and service to the community. Evangelical is a word then that defines all of the ministries of the this congregation – Worship, Music, Sunday School, Confirmation, Food Pantry, Wednesday All-Stars, Property and so forth. For in each of these ways we are proclaiming the love and grace of God through our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Pastor S. Blake Duncan+
Monday, October 19, 2009
Winning The Prize - Sermon – Pentecost 20B – Mark 10:35-45 – Peace Lutheran Church
What follows is my "inaugural sermon" preached this weekend at Peace Lutheran Church during regular services. My installation followed Sunday afternoon
Winning The Prize - Mark 10:35-45 - Pentecost 20B
Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone grew up in the Italian town of Assisi during the 12th century. His father was a wealthy cloth merchant who had been very successful. Francesco, as his father called him, lived a privileged life as a child and a young man. His youth was given over to drinking and street brawls and the love of pleasure. Always looking for adventure he enlisted in the army of the Count of Brienne and during this experience of war and imprisonment something happened to Francis. When he returned to Assisi discouraged, and ill with fever, he was changed. He began to pray and study, he went on pilgrimage and began to have visions. His father was furious and finally dragged Francis before the bishop where Francis then returned everything to his father – including his clothing. Standing in the village square of Assisi, he removed all of his clothing and rings and returned them to his father. He rejected all of his possessions and embraced a life of poverty and service. We know him now as St. Francis of Assisi.
This morning brings to an end our series of readings on Jesus’ teachings about discipleship from the Gospel of Mark. It has not been an easy experience for the disciples and, quite frankly, it is going to get worse before it gets better for them. But a new stage of Jesus’ ministry is about to begin. Jesus has tried to prepare his disciples for this new stage – but they just have not understood. They have fought with each other about who was to be the most important in the kingdom, they have argued with Jesus about crucifixion after the first passion prediction, they have gotten jealous of another who was healing in Jesus name, they have tried to keep the children away from Jesus and they have generally misunderstood the ministry which Jesus has invited them to participate in. They were looking for glory and power. After all isn’t that what a Messiah is suppose to be about? They wanted to be important – they wanted to win the prize! As Peter explained to Jesus last week, they had given up everything to follow him – shouldn’t they expect something in return? Shouldn’t they be in line to receive some kind of prize? Throughout all of this Jesus repeats over and over – look, we are on the road to crucifixion and resurrection; you must pick up your cross and follow me to Calvary; if you want to be great you must be least of all and be a servant of all; the last will be first and the first will be last; you cannot earn your way into God’s Kingdom, it comes as a gift which must be received with the innocence and openness of a child.
By the way, in case you have not picked this up yet – we are the disciples in these discourses. Mark is writing this specifically for us to see ourselves standing with the disciples. And it’s true isn’t it? We are just like the disciples – fighting over who is the most important among us, looking to be important, putting our own needs, wants, opinions and ambitions above those of others, looking to the church – Christ’s community to provide for us, instead of understanding that it is specifically a place which provides us with opportunities for service; putting conditions on our giving and service to the church; and expecting that Christ’s priorities are the same as our own. We are the disciples. We are the ones who are wanting to be served instead of serving, and who completely miss the point of Jesus’ teachings – just like those 12 disciples who walked with Jesus – just like Mark’s fledgling Christian community in the generation or so after Jesus – just like the congregations of Luther’s Saxony at the time of the reformation. These teachings are for us – we are Jesus’ disciples.
Understanding this then – let us review our Gospel text for today once more. The passage really begins a few verses ahead of where the lectionary reading actually started. Beginning at verse 32 (instead of verse 35) in chapter 10 St. Mark writes: “Jesus and the disciples were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; the disciples were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. Jesus took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again." And then, immediately following this, James and John come up to Jesus and try to manipulate him into giving them a special honor or prize. “Teacher, we want you to promise to do whatever we ask you to do.” This sounds like something a child would say in order to get her parents to buy her candy in the grocery store – “if you really love me, you will do whatever I want you to do.” And the timing is so inappropriate as to be almost comical. Jesus has just told all 12 of the disciples where they are bound – in detail – “when we get to Jerusalem I will be handed over to the chief priests, condemned to death, mocked, spit on, flogged and killed and then I will rise again.” And the response from the Zebedee brothers? “Ahh… ok – but…. When you take over the kingdom could you put us in charge – give us positions on your right and left? Could we get our prize? Pleaseeeeeeeee.” Where have they been – are they really that insensitive and self-centered? What they don’t understand is that Jesus will be crowned – his throne will be a cross and his crown will be made of thorns and on his right and left will be crucified two thieves who will die with Jesus.
When the other disciples realize what has happened they get angry with James and John. It doesn’t say why, but Jesus’ response gives us a hint that it wasn’t because they thought James and John were being so inappropriate but because they, the other disciples are looking for glory too and were upset that James and John might have gotten a step ahead of them. But Jesus doesn’t get angry this time He is gentle but firm; he is loving and gracious and he again reminds them, and us, that our calling is to service; our calling is to give of ourselves in every way; that the prize we are all seeking is to be found in being least of all and serving others; the prize is God’s love – it is forgiveness – it is being received into the arms of God’s amazing grace!
I think we can understand where the disciples are coming from though. We also like to receive prizes – we like to be honored – we like to be considered important. And when our culture or society puts such a strong emphasis on this it is hard for us to compete with it or resist it. Nearly a decade after leaving professional basketball, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar decided to return to the sport he loved by accepting a coaching position with the Alchesay Falcons - a high-school team of mostly White Mountain Apaches. Now this is one of the greatest players in the history of basketball – he could have chosen any number of opportunities but it was this team of Native Americans he chose to coach. And he had to learn a great deal about his athletes and the tribe. He discovered surprising cultural traditions that made it difficult to coach the team. But slowly he grew in sensitivity to the special challenges faced by young Native Americans. And by working with these students and coaching them, Abdul-Jabbar moved from a historical appreciation for the Apaches as a people to a new understanding of them as individuals. Did he lord it over them as an NBA superstar? Not at all. He served them. He was first among them by acting as their coach, their teacher, their helper and their servant. In the end, he may have learned more than he actually taught during his season on the reservation. Abdul-Jabbar, a Hall-of-Famer considered great by the world, discovered that true greatness is found in an unexpected place - a place of service.
This is our calling as well – we are called to serve; we are called to respond to God’s calling for us to reach out to others in a variety of ways to serve – not in order to get praise, or win a prize or receive honor, or have our positions and opinions confirmed – but to serve. As we serve others we are serving Christ.
There is one other point I want to make about these disciples – who you remember are us. As I said earlier these couple chapters have been tough. We might have expected these disciples to throw in the towel and quit. They hadn’t signed a contract, they were not even bound by an oath of any kind. They were following Jesus because they had been called – in the same way we are called to follow Jesus. And when the going got rough they could have quit – returned to their homes and families – found another community – joined another church – found a different leader who preached an easier Gospel. They could have, but they didn’t. The disciples stayed with Jesus until the very end. Our Gospel today tells us that despite all of the controversies, the inappropriate lusting after power and glory; despite to intense desire to win that prize NOW, the disciples continued on the road with Jesus – the road to Jerusalem – the road to crucifixion and resurrection.
I began this sermon by sharing about St. Francis. Like many of the saints, St. Francis can seem larger than life. His public embrace of poverty is really dramatic. We could never do what he did and we are not called to do what he did. But yet, the life of St. Francis is best understood as a life of service – a life filled with simple acts of love and grace. For example, during the early years as his group of brothers were getting established they made an impression on all the people they encountered because, as they would hike through the mountains and villages they were said to be always full of songs and happiness – blessing all who they met in various ways. Later in life Francis traveled to the Holy Land and spent some time with the Muslim Sultan Malek-el-Kamel – this at the time when the European crusades were in full swing. But yet, in their conversations and debates Francis is said to have treated his host with graciousness, respect and even love, to the extent that the Sultan was deeply moved. For 100’s of years afterwards, from the late Middle Ages and to as late as the 17th century, as the fractured relationship between European Christians and the Muslim world continued to fester, the Franciscans alone were permitted to live in the Middle East and were permitted to establish hospitals and other avenues for service: all because of Francis’ attitude of service. This we could stand to learn from St. Francis. Instead of searching looking for what’s best for me – instead of looking for position – power – strength; instead of seeking after winning the prize – may we learn from St. Francis something about an attitude of humility and service.
Jesus said: “whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.
And St. Francis prayed: “For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
SBD+
Winning The Prize - Mark 10:35-45 - Pentecost 20B
Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone grew up in the Italian town of Assisi during the 12th century. His father was a wealthy cloth merchant who had been very successful. Francesco, as his father called him, lived a privileged life as a child and a young man. His youth was given over to drinking and street brawls and the love of pleasure. Always looking for adventure he enlisted in the army of the Count of Brienne and during this experience of war and imprisonment something happened to Francis. When he returned to Assisi discouraged, and ill with fever, he was changed. He began to pray and study, he went on pilgrimage and began to have visions. His father was furious and finally dragged Francis before the bishop where Francis then returned everything to his father – including his clothing. Standing in the village square of Assisi, he removed all of his clothing and rings and returned them to his father. He rejected all of his possessions and embraced a life of poverty and service. We know him now as St. Francis of Assisi.
This morning brings to an end our series of readings on Jesus’ teachings about discipleship from the Gospel of Mark. It has not been an easy experience for the disciples and, quite frankly, it is going to get worse before it gets better for them. But a new stage of Jesus’ ministry is about to begin. Jesus has tried to prepare his disciples for this new stage – but they just have not understood. They have fought with each other about who was to be the most important in the kingdom, they have argued with Jesus about crucifixion after the first passion prediction, they have gotten jealous of another who was healing in Jesus name, they have tried to keep the children away from Jesus and they have generally misunderstood the ministry which Jesus has invited them to participate in. They were looking for glory and power. After all isn’t that what a Messiah is suppose to be about? They wanted to be important – they wanted to win the prize! As Peter explained to Jesus last week, they had given up everything to follow him – shouldn’t they expect something in return? Shouldn’t they be in line to receive some kind of prize? Throughout all of this Jesus repeats over and over – look, we are on the road to crucifixion and resurrection; you must pick up your cross and follow me to Calvary; if you want to be great you must be least of all and be a servant of all; the last will be first and the first will be last; you cannot earn your way into God’s Kingdom, it comes as a gift which must be received with the innocence and openness of a child.
By the way, in case you have not picked this up yet – we are the disciples in these discourses. Mark is writing this specifically for us to see ourselves standing with the disciples. And it’s true isn’t it? We are just like the disciples – fighting over who is the most important among us, looking to be important, putting our own needs, wants, opinions and ambitions above those of others, looking to the church – Christ’s community to provide for us, instead of understanding that it is specifically a place which provides us with opportunities for service; putting conditions on our giving and service to the church; and expecting that Christ’s priorities are the same as our own. We are the disciples. We are the ones who are wanting to be served instead of serving, and who completely miss the point of Jesus’ teachings – just like those 12 disciples who walked with Jesus – just like Mark’s fledgling Christian community in the generation or so after Jesus – just like the congregations of Luther’s Saxony at the time of the reformation. These teachings are for us – we are Jesus’ disciples.
Understanding this then – let us review our Gospel text for today once more. The passage really begins a few verses ahead of where the lectionary reading actually started. Beginning at verse 32 (instead of verse 35) in chapter 10 St. Mark writes: “Jesus and the disciples were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; the disciples were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. Jesus took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again." And then, immediately following this, James and John come up to Jesus and try to manipulate him into giving them a special honor or prize. “Teacher, we want you to promise to do whatever we ask you to do.” This sounds like something a child would say in order to get her parents to buy her candy in the grocery store – “if you really love me, you will do whatever I want you to do.” And the timing is so inappropriate as to be almost comical. Jesus has just told all 12 of the disciples where they are bound – in detail – “when we get to Jerusalem I will be handed over to the chief priests, condemned to death, mocked, spit on, flogged and killed and then I will rise again.” And the response from the Zebedee brothers? “Ahh… ok – but…. When you take over the kingdom could you put us in charge – give us positions on your right and left? Could we get our prize? Pleaseeeeeeeee.” Where have they been – are they really that insensitive and self-centered? What they don’t understand is that Jesus will be crowned – his throne will be a cross and his crown will be made of thorns and on his right and left will be crucified two thieves who will die with Jesus.
When the other disciples realize what has happened they get angry with James and John. It doesn’t say why, but Jesus’ response gives us a hint that it wasn’t because they thought James and John were being so inappropriate but because they, the other disciples are looking for glory too and were upset that James and John might have gotten a step ahead of them. But Jesus doesn’t get angry this time He is gentle but firm; he is loving and gracious and he again reminds them, and us, that our calling is to service; our calling is to give of ourselves in every way; that the prize we are all seeking is to be found in being least of all and serving others; the prize is God’s love – it is forgiveness – it is being received into the arms of God’s amazing grace!
I think we can understand where the disciples are coming from though. We also like to receive prizes – we like to be honored – we like to be considered important. And when our culture or society puts such a strong emphasis on this it is hard for us to compete with it or resist it. Nearly a decade after leaving professional basketball, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar decided to return to the sport he loved by accepting a coaching position with the Alchesay Falcons - a high-school team of mostly White Mountain Apaches. Now this is one of the greatest players in the history of basketball – he could have chosen any number of opportunities but it was this team of Native Americans he chose to coach. And he had to learn a great deal about his athletes and the tribe. He discovered surprising cultural traditions that made it difficult to coach the team. But slowly he grew in sensitivity to the special challenges faced by young Native Americans. And by working with these students and coaching them, Abdul-Jabbar moved from a historical appreciation for the Apaches as a people to a new understanding of them as individuals. Did he lord it over them as an NBA superstar? Not at all. He served them. He was first among them by acting as their coach, their teacher, their helper and their servant. In the end, he may have learned more than he actually taught during his season on the reservation. Abdul-Jabbar, a Hall-of-Famer considered great by the world, discovered that true greatness is found in an unexpected place - a place of service.
This is our calling as well – we are called to serve; we are called to respond to God’s calling for us to reach out to others in a variety of ways to serve – not in order to get praise, or win a prize or receive honor, or have our positions and opinions confirmed – but to serve. As we serve others we are serving Christ.
There is one other point I want to make about these disciples – who you remember are us. As I said earlier these couple chapters have been tough. We might have expected these disciples to throw in the towel and quit. They hadn’t signed a contract, they were not even bound by an oath of any kind. They were following Jesus because they had been called – in the same way we are called to follow Jesus. And when the going got rough they could have quit – returned to their homes and families – found another community – joined another church – found a different leader who preached an easier Gospel. They could have, but they didn’t. The disciples stayed with Jesus until the very end. Our Gospel today tells us that despite all of the controversies, the inappropriate lusting after power and glory; despite to intense desire to win that prize NOW, the disciples continued on the road with Jesus – the road to Jerusalem – the road to crucifixion and resurrection.
I began this sermon by sharing about St. Francis. Like many of the saints, St. Francis can seem larger than life. His public embrace of poverty is really dramatic. We could never do what he did and we are not called to do what he did. But yet, the life of St. Francis is best understood as a life of service – a life filled with simple acts of love and grace. For example, during the early years as his group of brothers were getting established they made an impression on all the people they encountered because, as they would hike through the mountains and villages they were said to be always full of songs and happiness – blessing all who they met in various ways. Later in life Francis traveled to the Holy Land and spent some time with the Muslim Sultan Malek-el-Kamel – this at the time when the European crusades were in full swing. But yet, in their conversations and debates Francis is said to have treated his host with graciousness, respect and even love, to the extent that the Sultan was deeply moved. For 100’s of years afterwards, from the late Middle Ages and to as late as the 17th century, as the fractured relationship between European Christians and the Muslim world continued to fester, the Franciscans alone were permitted to live in the Middle East and were permitted to establish hospitals and other avenues for service: all because of Francis’ attitude of service. This we could stand to learn from St. Francis. Instead of searching looking for what’s best for me – instead of looking for position – power – strength; instead of seeking after winning the prize – may we learn from St. Francis something about an attitude of humility and service.
Jesus said: “whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.
And St. Francis prayed: “For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
SBD+
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Sermon from 10/4/09 - Pentecost 18B – St. Mark 10:2-16 – Peace Lutheran Church – Marriage, Divorce, the Kingdom and the Cross
Mark 10:2-16
Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her." But Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, "God made them male and female.' "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."
People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
I wonder how many of you were a little uncomfortable with the Gospel lesson today. I was, I would have preferred a different text, at least for a few months. But here it is – Jesus’ teaching on marriage and divorce. Jesus is rather blunt about what he says and it’s uncomfortable for us 21st century Christians. Let’s face it – divorce is a part of our culture. There is probably no one here today who has not been touched by divorce in some manner or another. And for the sake of full disclosure – many of you already know that I am divorced, so when I talk about this I am speaking from my own experience as well.
But we can’t get around the text – this is Jesus’ teaching on marriage and divorce and it appears in Mark, Matthew and Luke. So, as uncomfortable as it might be, we need to look at this text carefully – because there is Gospel here; there is Good news in this text as well as law.
Now, this text from chapter 10 is linked to the texts which we have had in the last few weeks from chapter 9. Most importantly these readings begin with a passion prediction – Jesus tells His disciples that He is on His way to Jerusalem to be crucified and raised again on the 3rd day; and that this is the path to the Kingdom. Now none of Jesus’ disciples understand or accept this. Consequently, Jesus’ teaching gets more and more blunt and stark and uncompromising as a result. Today Jesus is cornered by a group of Pharisees who begin to question Jesus – not because they want answers – but because they want to trap Jesus in some way. And so, they ask Jesus the question about divorce. This is where we often run into difficulty in understanding this text. In our society marriage is about love and relationship. Both men and women choose their partners based on love and compatibility. There is usually some kind of courtship involved and marriage is the culmination of all of that. This is, however, not the experience of men and women at the time of Jesus in 1st century Palestine. For them marriage was essentially a property transaction. Women were the property of their fathers who would determine the marriage partner; then the woman would become the property of the husband. These girls had no choice in the matter. And if a man decided to end a marriage – then it was his call and there was nothing the woman could do about it. And since women had value in that society only on the basis of their relationship to a man – either a father or husband – a divorce would be bad news for the woman because it meant poverty and homelessness. Women who were discarded in this way often would have to turn to begging or prostitution in order to survive.
It is then in this context that Jesus quotes the book of Genesis to these religious men. Now, these Pharisees were men who knew their scripture backward and forward and were very intent on following the law. “For this reason a man shall leave His father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh.” But Moses allowed for divorce, you can hear them arguing back. Jesus is not swayed – marriage knits a man and a woman into one – “Therefore what God has joined together let no one separate.” Here Jesus is deliberately undermining the male prerogative by asserting that in God’s eyes these men do not have the right to just put their wives aside. Jesus appeals to the creation story and asserts that when it comes to marriage both the man and the woman are equal in the relationship. The disciples, as usual, are surprised and confused and they question Jesus about this later – “Can you be serious?” Jesus reiterates this point again for the disciples and makes it even more blunt – what is good for one is good for the other – both the man and the woman are equal in marriage. It is hard for us to understand how radical this would have been to Jesus’ audience at that time.
So, a couple of observations about what Jesus says about divorce: First, Jesus makes it clear that in God’s eyes marriage is not just another property transaction. God takes marriage seriously and both partners are equal in the eyes of God when it comes to marriage. One is not the servant or property of another. When we pray and ask God to join a man and woman and knit them into one in marriage God answers this prayer and husband and wife are knit together. Divorce is thus a ripping of this unity that God has brought about through marriage. Divorce is a sin – in that it is not what God desires and breaks the bonds God is creating. It is a breaking of the vows we have made to each other and before God. Finally, divorce hurts. It is painful – it hurts everyone who is involved. When you rip apart something that has been knit together it is going to hurt. I have never met anyone who said that divorce was no big deal – no matter how necessary and inevitable, it is painful.
But is that it? Should those of us who are divorced just slink away and hide? By no means! Divorce is a sin – but it is not the unforgivable sin. Sometimes divorce is inevitable; sometimes divorce is necessary; sometimes people break their promises, people are unkind, people get themselves into places in their relationships that they’re unable to set right again; they do things they shouldn’t, they hurt each other and themselves, sometimes severely; they misunderstand, misinterpret, misbehave; they’re too self-centered, or they’re too inattentive to their own needs; they give too little or too much; sometimes the trouble in our marriages affect just us; sometimes it extends to our children, our parents, and our wider families. We all recognize ourselves in these patterns of brokenness: we all have lots of experience of falling short of God’s vision for our relationships with each other.
But… Divorce is not the unforgivable sin. It is so common and tempting in our society to extract these passages of scripture – pull them out of their context and make new laws out of them. It is not hard to turn Jesus into a new Moses who brings a new and more severe law. Luther himself warned against this. Luther writes in an essay*: “Be sure, moreover, that you do not make Christ into a Moses, as if Christ did nothing more than teach and provide examples…. As if the gospel were simply a textbook of teachings and laws.” For Luther, in order to understand the bible and specifically the teachings of Jesus we must always begin with the cross and the resurrection!! In fact, this passage itself is set in the context of Jesus’ 2nd passion prediction. Divorce is a sin; vows are broken. But is divorce the only sin where vows are broken? Is divorce the only sin that separates us from God and others? Is divorce the only sin which causes pain? No, we must guard against the temptation to judge divorce more harshly than we do other sins; we must guard against the temptation to judge ourselves or others. We are not called to judge. Rather, we are all invited to lay our sins – all of them, our divorces, our unfaithfulness, our tendency to judge, our selfishness, our disregard of others – we are invited to bring these sins and lay them at the foot of the cross. And we know that God will grant us all forgiveness; God will be present with us in the midst of our pain and struggle. And because of the resurrection we know that through Christ, God can bring new life out of death; that through forgiveness God will bring us new life, new love, new joy.
In the Gospel of John, a group of men drag in a woman who had been caught in adultery. Now this sin was punishable by death according to Mosaic law. The men are ready to stone her to death, but they ask Jesus what he thinks. After a pause he simply suggests that whoever is without sin in their lives may go ahead and cast the first stone. Slowly the men disappear and leave the woman alone. “Who condemns you?” Jesus asks her eventually. She looks around, “No one, sir.” “Well,” says Jesus, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” Let me repeat these words of Jesus: “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” In these words of Jesus there is forgiveness; there is the promise of renewal and there is a call to responsibility.
We are all sinners. We are all guilty, but because of Jesus we are forgiven and renewed. May we all be able to forgive others, and ourselves – to accept the forgiveness with is ours in Christ and allow God to fill our lives with His love and grace. SBD+
* From A Brief Instruction on What to look for and Expect in the Gospels by Martin Luther
Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her." But Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, "God made them male and female.' "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."
People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
I wonder how many of you were a little uncomfortable with the Gospel lesson today. I was, I would have preferred a different text, at least for a few months. But here it is – Jesus’ teaching on marriage and divorce. Jesus is rather blunt about what he says and it’s uncomfortable for us 21st century Christians. Let’s face it – divorce is a part of our culture. There is probably no one here today who has not been touched by divorce in some manner or another. And for the sake of full disclosure – many of you already know that I am divorced, so when I talk about this I am speaking from my own experience as well.
But we can’t get around the text – this is Jesus’ teaching on marriage and divorce and it appears in Mark, Matthew and Luke. So, as uncomfortable as it might be, we need to look at this text carefully – because there is Gospel here; there is Good news in this text as well as law.
Now, this text from chapter 10 is linked to the texts which we have had in the last few weeks from chapter 9. Most importantly these readings begin with a passion prediction – Jesus tells His disciples that He is on His way to Jerusalem to be crucified and raised again on the 3rd day; and that this is the path to the Kingdom. Now none of Jesus’ disciples understand or accept this. Consequently, Jesus’ teaching gets more and more blunt and stark and uncompromising as a result. Today Jesus is cornered by a group of Pharisees who begin to question Jesus – not because they want answers – but because they want to trap Jesus in some way. And so, they ask Jesus the question about divorce. This is where we often run into difficulty in understanding this text. In our society marriage is about love and relationship. Both men and women choose their partners based on love and compatibility. There is usually some kind of courtship involved and marriage is the culmination of all of that. This is, however, not the experience of men and women at the time of Jesus in 1st century Palestine. For them marriage was essentially a property transaction. Women were the property of their fathers who would determine the marriage partner; then the woman would become the property of the husband. These girls had no choice in the matter. And if a man decided to end a marriage – then it was his call and there was nothing the woman could do about it. And since women had value in that society only on the basis of their relationship to a man – either a father or husband – a divorce would be bad news for the woman because it meant poverty and homelessness. Women who were discarded in this way often would have to turn to begging or prostitution in order to survive.
It is then in this context that Jesus quotes the book of Genesis to these religious men. Now, these Pharisees were men who knew their scripture backward and forward and were very intent on following the law. “For this reason a man shall leave His father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh.” But Moses allowed for divorce, you can hear them arguing back. Jesus is not swayed – marriage knits a man and a woman into one – “Therefore what God has joined together let no one separate.” Here Jesus is deliberately undermining the male prerogative by asserting that in God’s eyes these men do not have the right to just put their wives aside. Jesus appeals to the creation story and asserts that when it comes to marriage both the man and the woman are equal in the relationship. The disciples, as usual, are surprised and confused and they question Jesus about this later – “Can you be serious?” Jesus reiterates this point again for the disciples and makes it even more blunt – what is good for one is good for the other – both the man and the woman are equal in marriage. It is hard for us to understand how radical this would have been to Jesus’ audience at that time.
So, a couple of observations about what Jesus says about divorce: First, Jesus makes it clear that in God’s eyes marriage is not just another property transaction. God takes marriage seriously and both partners are equal in the eyes of God when it comes to marriage. One is not the servant or property of another. When we pray and ask God to join a man and woman and knit them into one in marriage God answers this prayer and husband and wife are knit together. Divorce is thus a ripping of this unity that God has brought about through marriage. Divorce is a sin – in that it is not what God desires and breaks the bonds God is creating. It is a breaking of the vows we have made to each other and before God. Finally, divorce hurts. It is painful – it hurts everyone who is involved. When you rip apart something that has been knit together it is going to hurt. I have never met anyone who said that divorce was no big deal – no matter how necessary and inevitable, it is painful.
But is that it? Should those of us who are divorced just slink away and hide? By no means! Divorce is a sin – but it is not the unforgivable sin. Sometimes divorce is inevitable; sometimes divorce is necessary; sometimes people break their promises, people are unkind, people get themselves into places in their relationships that they’re unable to set right again; they do things they shouldn’t, they hurt each other and themselves, sometimes severely; they misunderstand, misinterpret, misbehave; they’re too self-centered, or they’re too inattentive to their own needs; they give too little or too much; sometimes the trouble in our marriages affect just us; sometimes it extends to our children, our parents, and our wider families. We all recognize ourselves in these patterns of brokenness: we all have lots of experience of falling short of God’s vision for our relationships with each other.
But… Divorce is not the unforgivable sin. It is so common and tempting in our society to extract these passages of scripture – pull them out of their context and make new laws out of them. It is not hard to turn Jesus into a new Moses who brings a new and more severe law. Luther himself warned against this. Luther writes in an essay*: “Be sure, moreover, that you do not make Christ into a Moses, as if Christ did nothing more than teach and provide examples…. As if the gospel were simply a textbook of teachings and laws.” For Luther, in order to understand the bible and specifically the teachings of Jesus we must always begin with the cross and the resurrection!! In fact, this passage itself is set in the context of Jesus’ 2nd passion prediction. Divorce is a sin; vows are broken. But is divorce the only sin where vows are broken? Is divorce the only sin that separates us from God and others? Is divorce the only sin which causes pain? No, we must guard against the temptation to judge divorce more harshly than we do other sins; we must guard against the temptation to judge ourselves or others. We are not called to judge. Rather, we are all invited to lay our sins – all of them, our divorces, our unfaithfulness, our tendency to judge, our selfishness, our disregard of others – we are invited to bring these sins and lay them at the foot of the cross. And we know that God will grant us all forgiveness; God will be present with us in the midst of our pain and struggle. And because of the resurrection we know that through Christ, God can bring new life out of death; that through forgiveness God will bring us new life, new love, new joy.
In the Gospel of John, a group of men drag in a woman who had been caught in adultery. Now this sin was punishable by death according to Mosaic law. The men are ready to stone her to death, but they ask Jesus what he thinks. After a pause he simply suggests that whoever is without sin in their lives may go ahead and cast the first stone. Slowly the men disappear and leave the woman alone. “Who condemns you?” Jesus asks her eventually. She looks around, “No one, sir.” “Well,” says Jesus, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” Let me repeat these words of Jesus: “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” In these words of Jesus there is forgiveness; there is the promise of renewal and there is a call to responsibility.
We are all sinners. We are all guilty, but because of Jesus we are forgiven and renewed. May we all be able to forgive others, and ourselves – to accept the forgiveness with is ours in Christ and allow God to fill our lives with His love and grace. SBD+
* From A Brief Instruction on What to look for and Expect in the Gospels by Martin Luther
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Some Pastoral Reflections:
And the Peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
The inscription on the cornerstone of this church reads that the church was established in1896, and that the church was built in 1935. And the name of the established church was Evangelisch Lutherische Friedens Kirche – The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Peace. Somewhere along the line the word “United” was added so the congregation we lovingly call “Peace Lutheran Church” has a long official name: The United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Peace.
I would like to reflect a bit on this name over the next few newsletter articles and I am going to start with the word “Peace.” In our culture this word peace has the strong connotation of the absence of conflict. I suspect that our forebears who built this church in 1935 may have had this definition in mind at least somewhat considering that one great war had just concluded and in 1935 the world was moving quickly towards another. So Peace church was, I am sure, a place to pray for the end of and to look forward to the conclusion of this worldwide conflict; and a place to pray for those who were caught up in the conflict in some manner. This is one of the important places that the church holds in our society. We do need a place to come for support and to pray and to have a respite from the conflict of the world. This was true then, and it is true now. In this way Peace Lutheran church is there to meet this need.
But this also points to something else which includes but also goes beyond the church being a cultural place of respite. And that is the Biblical understanding of peace. The Old Testament word which is translated as “Peace” in English is the Hebrew word Shalom. This Hebrew word means much more than the absence of conflict. Shalom is a promise and a gift of complete well-being. Shalom is being in perfect harmony with God and with one another. And while we can choose to initiate the end of hostility and establish peace, Shalom is not something we can create for ourselves. It is a gift from God through Christ. We experience Shalom in all kinds of unusual circumstances. Sometimes when we least expect it God will give us a moment of grace or a moment when His presence is with us in a profound way – this is an experience of Shalom. We experience Shalom at times in our interactions with others, in times of deepest need, in the midst of joy, in times of loss, in times of laughter and in times of tears.
Most importantly we come to Peace Lutheran Church with the expectation and the confidence that there we will experience a taste of this amazing grace and peace which passes all understanding. As we sprinkle the water, take the bread and wine, pray, sing and reach out to one another in prayer, friendship and fellowship there we find God’s Shalom; there we are given a “Foretaste of the Feast to Come.” Praise be to God for this wonderful gift – which, like all of God’s gifts, is given unconditionally out of love.
Shalom,
Pastor S. Blake Duncan+
The inscription on the cornerstone of this church reads that the church was established in1896, and that the church was built in 1935. And the name of the established church was Evangelisch Lutherische Friedens Kirche – The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Peace. Somewhere along the line the word “United” was added so the congregation we lovingly call “Peace Lutheran Church” has a long official name: The United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Peace.
I would like to reflect a bit on this name over the next few newsletter articles and I am going to start with the word “Peace.” In our culture this word peace has the strong connotation of the absence of conflict. I suspect that our forebears who built this church in 1935 may have had this definition in mind at least somewhat considering that one great war had just concluded and in 1935 the world was moving quickly towards another. So Peace church was, I am sure, a place to pray for the end of and to look forward to the conclusion of this worldwide conflict; and a place to pray for those who were caught up in the conflict in some manner. This is one of the important places that the church holds in our society. We do need a place to come for support and to pray and to have a respite from the conflict of the world. This was true then, and it is true now. In this way Peace Lutheran church is there to meet this need.
But this also points to something else which includes but also goes beyond the church being a cultural place of respite. And that is the Biblical understanding of peace. The Old Testament word which is translated as “Peace” in English is the Hebrew word Shalom. This Hebrew word means much more than the absence of conflict. Shalom is a promise and a gift of complete well-being. Shalom is being in perfect harmony with God and with one another. And while we can choose to initiate the end of hostility and establish peace, Shalom is not something we can create for ourselves. It is a gift from God through Christ. We experience Shalom in all kinds of unusual circumstances. Sometimes when we least expect it God will give us a moment of grace or a moment when His presence is with us in a profound way – this is an experience of Shalom. We experience Shalom at times in our interactions with others, in times of deepest need, in the midst of joy, in times of loss, in times of laughter and in times of tears.
Most importantly we come to Peace Lutheran Church with the expectation and the confidence that there we will experience a taste of this amazing grace and peace which passes all understanding. As we sprinkle the water, take the bread and wine, pray, sing and reach out to one another in prayer, friendship and fellowship there we find God’s Shalom; there we are given a “Foretaste of the Feast to Come.” Praise be to God for this wonderful gift – which, like all of God’s gifts, is given unconditionally out of love.
Shalom,
Pastor S. Blake Duncan+
Monday, September 28, 2009
My sermon from 9/27/09 – Mark 9:38-50 Chop, Chop! Splash, Splash!
TEXT: St. Mark 9:38-50
John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.
“For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
This is some text, but before we start pulling out our axes we should look carefully at this passage. The text is a continuation of the text from last week where the disciples are digging themselves deeper and deeper into a hole and Jesus is getting more and more frustrated and angry with them – to the point where his teaching is becoming more stark and blunt. Can you imagine the shock and revulsion that must have run through this group of disciples when Jesus starts talking about severing limbs. We can hear just the whispers – “can he be serious?
Now if you remember from last week this whole episode begins with the disciples trying and failing to perform an exorcism. Jesus is really put out with the disciples as a result. Then Jesus repeats His passion prediction. Now the first time He told them that he was moving towards crucifixion it had not gone over well; but this 2nd time the disciples don’t seem to be paying any attention because they are too busy arguing about who is going to have the most honor and be the greatest in the new Kingdom of God. Again, Jesus reminds them that if they want to be great – then they need to be a servant of all; if they want to have honor they must completely give up honor.
This brings us to the text for this morning and what I’ll call the “copyright” dispute. The disciples have come upon someone who is successfully performing exorcisms in Jesus’ name. So what is the problem with that? Well, as far as the disciples are concerned this person is not qualified or authorized to do this healing because he is not one of them. The disciples are rather indignant about this – remember that this fellow was successfully doing what they themselves had failed at not so long ago. Our text tells us that the disciples told this guy to stop and it suggests that he basically ignored them, so they comes whining to Jesus, “We met this guy who is doing exorcisms in your name, but he’s not one of us, so we told he had to stop.” Jesus is not pleased. “Do not forbid anyone from doing good, from reaching out to others in my name,” he tells them. But as with everything else the disciples don’t understand, they don’t get it. “Doesn’t Jesus understand that His name is really powerful and we need to keep control of it – why so that it can benefit us and put us in positions of importance. You can’t just let anyone use your name!”
That’s why I call it a copyright issue – what is at stake in copyright disputes is control of artistic and intellectual property – which includes ideas, theology and brand names, which is where the disciples are heading with this. The point of copyright laws is that to help us control of what is ours, right? It doesn’t matter if it is a piece of music, a song, a painting, an idea, a belief or our names – we want to keep control of it.
And this is exactly how the disciples felt – Jesus, you must keep control of your name – don’t let others just use it without some kind of authorization. Your ideas and name mean power, and if managed correctly, well everyone would benefit. That makes sense – doesn’t it? Well, but not to Jesus. Jesus had just reminded His disciples that they were heading towards crucifixion – they were on the road towards giving up power and control completely – that this was the only path to the Kingdom of God. So in this way Jesus is re-defining the argument: for Jesus it was not an issue of copyright or control, it was an issue of priority. The question suggested by Jesus response is: what is important? What is important to you, disciples? For Jesus’ disciples the priority is clearly themselves: their position, their authority, their control, their honor and importance.
But for Jesus the priority is people; especially those people who are in need; especially those people in whom faith is beginning to bud (he calls them the “little ones’). What matters to Jesus in this situation is not control of His name, it is that people are being freed from whatever is oppressing them. If that is done by you disciples in my name, great; if it is being done in my name by someone who I don’t know then that is great too; because the important thing is reaching out and caring for and healing people.
So then, what about all this chop, chop stuff – severing of limbs and so forth. Where did that come from? It follows from what has gone before – Jesus’ priority is people, caring for and reaching out to people. The disciples are called to be free from the need to control every detail, free of the need to acquire power because if you are driven by control and power that then will take over as the most important thing in your life and consequently people become less important and the “little ones” get hurt. “If your priorities are such,” suggests Jesus, “that they are hurting the “little ones” then you would be better off if we hung a millstone around your neck and dropped you into the sea. If your priorities are such that they are hurting the little ones it would be better for you to cut off all the body parts that lead you to grasp for control and power. If your priorities are such that they are hurting the little ones, then you need to die!”
And that is it – That is the point! Jesus had started this whole discussion with reminding the disciples that they were heading towards crucifixion and death. Jesus will die and be raised; we too must pick up our cross and die with Him – in order to be raised with Him, in order to be freed and to completely live.
Splash, splash! There it is – right in front of me – the Baptismal Font! In Baptism we are buried with Christ, we die in Christ and we are raised to new life and freedom in our Baptisms into Christ. In Baptism the millstones are hung and disintegrated, and our bodies and souls are restored and renewed. The disciples don’t get it of course – not yet anyway, their time will come. We don’t always get it either, but God nevertheless has restored and freed us in our baptisms and called us to a life of making people priority number #1.
I will close with a story from the sports pages from a few years ago. It was a story about university softball finals in Oregon from a few years ago. With two runners on base and a strike against her, Sara T. did something she had never done before. She hit a home run. But then as she started to run around the bases, she missed first base. Realizing what she had done she started back to tag it but in the process of stopping and turning around she ripped something in her knee and she collapsed with searing pain. She crawled back to first base but couldn’t go on. Now the dilemma: She would be called out if her teammates tried to help her. The umpire said a pinch runner could be called in, but the homer would have to count as a single.
Then, the some members of the opposing softball team did something that stunned spectators. The girl who was playing first base asked the umpire if she and her teammates could help Sara. The umpire consulted with her colleagues and then determined that there was no rule against it. So a couple of the infielders put their arms under Sara’s legs, and she put her arms over their shoulders. The three players headed around the bases, stopping to let Sara touch each base with her good leg. The three-run homer would count. But that is only part of the story. This act of sportsmanship and kindness by the opposing team contributed to their own elimination from the playoffs. There was a price for their compassion.
Of course! There was a price for Jesus, and for the disciples down the road as well. But it is our calling to open ourselves to God’s love and grace, allow Him to help us set aside our need to control, at least a little, and reach out of ourselves to “the little ones,” those whom God has set in our path. There is also a gift – we can expect God to stand with us throughout everything and to grant us a sense of His peace and love and grace.
Thank you to TextWeek for inspiring the title.
John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.
“For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
This is some text, but before we start pulling out our axes we should look carefully at this passage. The text is a continuation of the text from last week where the disciples are digging themselves deeper and deeper into a hole and Jesus is getting more and more frustrated and angry with them – to the point where his teaching is becoming more stark and blunt. Can you imagine the shock and revulsion that must have run through this group of disciples when Jesus starts talking about severing limbs. We can hear just the whispers – “can he be serious?
Now if you remember from last week this whole episode begins with the disciples trying and failing to perform an exorcism. Jesus is really put out with the disciples as a result. Then Jesus repeats His passion prediction. Now the first time He told them that he was moving towards crucifixion it had not gone over well; but this 2nd time the disciples don’t seem to be paying any attention because they are too busy arguing about who is going to have the most honor and be the greatest in the new Kingdom of God. Again, Jesus reminds them that if they want to be great – then they need to be a servant of all; if they want to have honor they must completely give up honor.
This brings us to the text for this morning and what I’ll call the “copyright” dispute. The disciples have come upon someone who is successfully performing exorcisms in Jesus’ name. So what is the problem with that? Well, as far as the disciples are concerned this person is not qualified or authorized to do this healing because he is not one of them. The disciples are rather indignant about this – remember that this fellow was successfully doing what they themselves had failed at not so long ago. Our text tells us that the disciples told this guy to stop and it suggests that he basically ignored them, so they comes whining to Jesus, “We met this guy who is doing exorcisms in your name, but he’s not one of us, so we told he had to stop.” Jesus is not pleased. “Do not forbid anyone from doing good, from reaching out to others in my name,” he tells them. But as with everything else the disciples don’t understand, they don’t get it. “Doesn’t Jesus understand that His name is really powerful and we need to keep control of it – why so that it can benefit us and put us in positions of importance. You can’t just let anyone use your name!”
That’s why I call it a copyright issue – what is at stake in copyright disputes is control of artistic and intellectual property – which includes ideas, theology and brand names, which is where the disciples are heading with this. The point of copyright laws is that to help us control of what is ours, right? It doesn’t matter if it is a piece of music, a song, a painting, an idea, a belief or our names – we want to keep control of it.
And this is exactly how the disciples felt – Jesus, you must keep control of your name – don’t let others just use it without some kind of authorization. Your ideas and name mean power, and if managed correctly, well everyone would benefit. That makes sense – doesn’t it? Well, but not to Jesus. Jesus had just reminded His disciples that they were heading towards crucifixion – they were on the road towards giving up power and control completely – that this was the only path to the Kingdom of God. So in this way Jesus is re-defining the argument: for Jesus it was not an issue of copyright or control, it was an issue of priority. The question suggested by Jesus response is: what is important? What is important to you, disciples? For Jesus’ disciples the priority is clearly themselves: their position, their authority, their control, their honor and importance.
But for Jesus the priority is people; especially those people who are in need; especially those people in whom faith is beginning to bud (he calls them the “little ones’). What matters to Jesus in this situation is not control of His name, it is that people are being freed from whatever is oppressing them. If that is done by you disciples in my name, great; if it is being done in my name by someone who I don’t know then that is great too; because the important thing is reaching out and caring for and healing people.
So then, what about all this chop, chop stuff – severing of limbs and so forth. Where did that come from? It follows from what has gone before – Jesus’ priority is people, caring for and reaching out to people. The disciples are called to be free from the need to control every detail, free of the need to acquire power because if you are driven by control and power that then will take over as the most important thing in your life and consequently people become less important and the “little ones” get hurt. “If your priorities are such,” suggests Jesus, “that they are hurting the “little ones” then you would be better off if we hung a millstone around your neck and dropped you into the sea. If your priorities are such that they are hurting the little ones it would be better for you to cut off all the body parts that lead you to grasp for control and power. If your priorities are such that they are hurting the little ones, then you need to die!”
And that is it – That is the point! Jesus had started this whole discussion with reminding the disciples that they were heading towards crucifixion and death. Jesus will die and be raised; we too must pick up our cross and die with Him – in order to be raised with Him, in order to be freed and to completely live.
Splash, splash! There it is – right in front of me – the Baptismal Font! In Baptism we are buried with Christ, we die in Christ and we are raised to new life and freedom in our Baptisms into Christ. In Baptism the millstones are hung and disintegrated, and our bodies and souls are restored and renewed. The disciples don’t get it of course – not yet anyway, their time will come. We don’t always get it either, but God nevertheless has restored and freed us in our baptisms and called us to a life of making people priority number #1.
I will close with a story from the sports pages from a few years ago. It was a story about university softball finals in Oregon from a few years ago. With two runners on base and a strike against her, Sara T. did something she had never done before. She hit a home run. But then as she started to run around the bases, she missed first base. Realizing what she had done she started back to tag it but in the process of stopping and turning around she ripped something in her knee and she collapsed with searing pain. She crawled back to first base but couldn’t go on. Now the dilemma: She would be called out if her teammates tried to help her. The umpire said a pinch runner could be called in, but the homer would have to count as a single.
Then, the some members of the opposing softball team did something that stunned spectators. The girl who was playing first base asked the umpire if she and her teammates could help Sara. The umpire consulted with her colleagues and then determined that there was no rule against it. So a couple of the infielders put their arms under Sara’s legs, and she put her arms over their shoulders. The three players headed around the bases, stopping to let Sara touch each base with her good leg. The three-run homer would count. But that is only part of the story. This act of sportsmanship and kindness by the opposing team contributed to their own elimination from the playoffs. There was a price for their compassion.
Of course! There was a price for Jesus, and for the disciples down the road as well. But it is our calling to open ourselves to God’s love and grace, allow Him to help us set aside our need to control, at least a little, and reach out of ourselves to “the little ones,” those whom God has set in our path. There is also a gift – we can expect God to stand with us throughout everything and to grant us a sense of His peace and love and grace.
Thank you to TextWeek for inspiring the title.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Pastoral Letter - Monday, September 14, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009 – Holy Cross Day
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ at Peace Lutheran Church,
I am writing to you to address some of the concerns that some have expressed regarding the actions taken at the ELCA national assembly in August.
The actions themselves are as follows:
1. The Social Statement on Human Sexuality was adopted by 2/3 of the assembly.
2. The church affirmed that in the future implementation of any changes and commitments adopted, it will make decisions so that all in this church bear the burdens of the other, and respect the bound consciences of all. This means that nothing will be imposed on any synod or congregation that go against its understanding and will.
3. This resolution committed the church to finding ways “to allow congregations that choose to do so to recognize, support and hold publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships.”
4. The assembly was asked whether, in principle, this church is committed to finding a way for people in such publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as professional leaders of this church.
5. The last resolution outlined the specifics of how this church can move toward change in a way that respects the bound consciences of all. Again, this means that we are respectful of each other and differences of understanding.
A couple comments and clarifications:
1. I think it is very important to note that the Social Statement on Human Sexuality was about more than homosexuality. It covered a full range of topics – including marital fidelity, sexual abuse and sexual slavery. These are topics that the church needs to speak out about, and about which there really should not be much disagreement.
2. It is also important to be reminded that the ELCA, along with many other denominations, have been ordaining gays and lesbians to serve as pastors for years. However, the expectation was that those whose self-understanding was gay or lesbian were expected to remain celibate. This has been the policy of the ELCA up until this assembly at least since the ELCA was constituted. The only thing that will change is that now a gay or lesbian pastor may enter into a committed, monogamous relationship and still be available to serve as a pastor if approved by a synod and if properly called by a congregation.
3. The resolutions make it very clear that nothing will be imposed on congregations or synods that disagree in part or on the whole. Bishops are to use pastoral discretion and congregations will be free to choose to call or not call any pastor presented to them during the call process.
4. I do not expect there will be much change for us here in Southern Illinois. There will be no immediate affect of these actions on the congregations of Southern Illinois and I suspect this is also true for of our Synod (see the attached email from Bishop Freiheit).
Personal reflection:
I have deep respect for the feelings and convictions of people on both sides of this issue. There is a strong feeling among some that this action goes against biblical understandings of marriage and sexuality. This is not a position that can be ignored and is an important concern which I deeply respect. At the same time folks on the other side of the argument point to the fact that the biblical injunctions are not always clear and that they are few and far between (there are only 7 verses that even remotely refer to this issue, and this is out of 66 books – far fewer verses than other issues such as heterosexual adultery and poverty.)
As your new pastor I would ask only that you prayerfully keep an open mind. Please do not pre-judge this issue or rush to conclusions. There is so much, especially in the media, that paints an incorrect picture of what it means to be gay and what the decisions of the ELCA assembly will mean. For example, it is not true that gays are predominantly pedophiles or child molesters; it is not true that gays are sexually irresponsible as a group. There are some who fall into all of these categories – just as there are heterosexuals who fall into these categories. My view is that these decisions will have no impact on us here in Steeleville at all for a very long time to come.
Please resist the temptation to over-react or to respond in a unilateral way. We only hurt ourselves when we do this. Leaving the congregation or withholding and diverting contributions are simply not helpful or appropriate ways of responding to this ELCA action. The only ones who will be hurt by doing this are those who are engaged in ministry here in this parish of Peace Lutheran Church. A better way is to remain engaged in dialog with the ELCA. You can call the ELCA or attend one the forums that are being planned. Also, we all need to be open to dialog and to learning. None of us have a complete and fully “correct” understanding of this issue. We need to be careful that we do not fall into the trap of thinking we are right and we have all the answers.
Finally, let us look to our Lord Jesus for guidance. When asked what rule or law was the most important Jesus was unambiguous: “Love the Lord your God, with all your mind and with all your heart… and love your neighbor as yourself.” This is what we are called to. We are called to love. We can debate and struggle with each other on various issues, we can disagree – but in the end we are to love each other and be willing to reach out of ourselves to love those who are different from us. This is our calling. It is up to God to judge – it is up to us to love. And we are called to trust: trust in the Lord to preserve and keep us and our beloved church through every storm. God has kept the church and sustained the church through all kinds of things in the last 2000 years. I believe that God will continue to keep us all in his hands; to strengthen, feed and sustain us through this and all future struggles. This is the promise of the Gospel:
On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand!
Amen!
Pastor S. Blake Duncan+
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ at Peace Lutheran Church,
I am writing to you to address some of the concerns that some have expressed regarding the actions taken at the ELCA national assembly in August.
The actions themselves are as follows:
1. The Social Statement on Human Sexuality was adopted by 2/3 of the assembly.
2. The church affirmed that in the future implementation of any changes and commitments adopted, it will make decisions so that all in this church bear the burdens of the other, and respect the bound consciences of all. This means that nothing will be imposed on any synod or congregation that go against its understanding and will.
3. This resolution committed the church to finding ways “to allow congregations that choose to do so to recognize, support and hold publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships.”
4. The assembly was asked whether, in principle, this church is committed to finding a way for people in such publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as professional leaders of this church.
5. The last resolution outlined the specifics of how this church can move toward change in a way that respects the bound consciences of all. Again, this means that we are respectful of each other and differences of understanding.
A couple comments and clarifications:
1. I think it is very important to note that the Social Statement on Human Sexuality was about more than homosexuality. It covered a full range of topics – including marital fidelity, sexual abuse and sexual slavery. These are topics that the church needs to speak out about, and about which there really should not be much disagreement.
2. It is also important to be reminded that the ELCA, along with many other denominations, have been ordaining gays and lesbians to serve as pastors for years. However, the expectation was that those whose self-understanding was gay or lesbian were expected to remain celibate. This has been the policy of the ELCA up until this assembly at least since the ELCA was constituted. The only thing that will change is that now a gay or lesbian pastor may enter into a committed, monogamous relationship and still be available to serve as a pastor if approved by a synod and if properly called by a congregation.
3. The resolutions make it very clear that nothing will be imposed on congregations or synods that disagree in part or on the whole. Bishops are to use pastoral discretion and congregations will be free to choose to call or not call any pastor presented to them during the call process.
4. I do not expect there will be much change for us here in Southern Illinois. There will be no immediate affect of these actions on the congregations of Southern Illinois and I suspect this is also true for of our Synod (see the attached email from Bishop Freiheit).
Personal reflection:
I have deep respect for the feelings and convictions of people on both sides of this issue. There is a strong feeling among some that this action goes against biblical understandings of marriage and sexuality. This is not a position that can be ignored and is an important concern which I deeply respect. At the same time folks on the other side of the argument point to the fact that the biblical injunctions are not always clear and that they are few and far between (there are only 7 verses that even remotely refer to this issue, and this is out of 66 books – far fewer verses than other issues such as heterosexual adultery and poverty.)
As your new pastor I would ask only that you prayerfully keep an open mind. Please do not pre-judge this issue or rush to conclusions. There is so much, especially in the media, that paints an incorrect picture of what it means to be gay and what the decisions of the ELCA assembly will mean. For example, it is not true that gays are predominantly pedophiles or child molesters; it is not true that gays are sexually irresponsible as a group. There are some who fall into all of these categories – just as there are heterosexuals who fall into these categories. My view is that these decisions will have no impact on us here in Steeleville at all for a very long time to come.
Please resist the temptation to over-react or to respond in a unilateral way. We only hurt ourselves when we do this. Leaving the congregation or withholding and diverting contributions are simply not helpful or appropriate ways of responding to this ELCA action. The only ones who will be hurt by doing this are those who are engaged in ministry here in this parish of Peace Lutheran Church. A better way is to remain engaged in dialog with the ELCA. You can call the ELCA or attend one the forums that are being planned. Also, we all need to be open to dialog and to learning. None of us have a complete and fully “correct” understanding of this issue. We need to be careful that we do not fall into the trap of thinking we are right and we have all the answers.
Finally, let us look to our Lord Jesus for guidance. When asked what rule or law was the most important Jesus was unambiguous: “Love the Lord your God, with all your mind and with all your heart… and love your neighbor as yourself.” This is what we are called to. We are called to love. We can debate and struggle with each other on various issues, we can disagree – but in the end we are to love each other and be willing to reach out of ourselves to love those who are different from us. This is our calling. It is up to God to judge – it is up to us to love. And we are called to trust: trust in the Lord to preserve and keep us and our beloved church through every storm. God has kept the church and sustained the church through all kinds of things in the last 2000 years. I believe that God will continue to keep us all in his hands; to strengthen, feed and sustain us through this and all future struggles. This is the promise of the Gospel:
On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand!
Amen!
Pastor S. Blake Duncan+
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
