Fifth Week of Lent A New Heart March 21, 2021 Jeremiah 31:31-34 I want to begin today by asking you a serious question. If you could get a do over on one part of your body, what would you chose? Straighter teeth? A smaller nose? Maybe longer legs to be a few inches taller. I’m torn between having hair or having better eyesight. I ask this because I think if given the chance, most of us would go under the knife to change how we look before we’d do the hard work of changing something that actually matters. Because let’s be honest, it’s easier to change one’s outer appearance than it is to change what’s on the inside. As we continue our look in the Old Testament at the covenants God made with Israel, we see again and again how God works to renew our hearts. Today’s words are from the prophet Jeremiah, who has spent most of his life warning God’s people that their idolatrous ways would only lead to judgment being heaped upon them. And when it came, it came with a vengeance. The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and dragged their king and religious leaders off in chains. Everything they believed was important now laid in waste and God’s people are faced with a serious crisis. Not only had the lost their power and prestige, but they felt as if they had also lost their God. Or at least the assurance of God's faithfulness and security. Instead of shaking his head and saying, “I told you so,” Jeremiah offers his community these words of hope. The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband,[a] says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. Jeremiah 31:31-34 Despite the infidelity and idolatry, despite the corrupt kings and priest who twisted God’s laws to exploit and promote their own agenda, despite all the ways that people have broken faith with God, God does not break faith with them. This is the reoccurring theme we’ve been looking at throughout Lent. God remains faithful even when we aren’t. God is always there, even in our deepest despair, creating life out of death.
Although we are getting closer to our Easter celebration the good news seems still so far away. Thus, Jeremiah’s words offer us a sense of comfort and encouragement. He reminds us that God does not give up on us. Whether we are worthy or not, God takes the initiative to pour out unmerited favor upon us. Because of God’s covenants of grace there is always hope when we have faith. But even though we have the assurance of God’s grace, there is also the reality of what happens when we don’t live into what God is calling us to do. For example, when we choose to live in love we are more likely to receive love back. But the same is true when we choose to withhold justice or be inhospitable. It’s safe to say the people of Judah faced the consequences of their actions. Now their hearts and faith are shattered like their beloved Temple. Again, Jeremiah could have stuck his nose in the air and said, “It sucks to be you.” Instead, he encourages God’s people by telling them hope is on the way. A new covenant is coming. One that is not engraved in stone for all can see but none to follow. God is changing the game – engraving God’s law inside them. From the least to the greatest, everyone gets a new heart. And to celebrate this divine promise, God does the unthinkable. God wipes the slate clean and forgets their sins forever. In his book Tattoo’s on the Heart, Greg Boyle shares stories about the many lives that have been transformed by God through his organization Homeboy Industries, which he created to give criminals and gang members a second chance at life. One such story is about a homeboy struggling to quit his life of violence. Boyle tells the young man that in trying to leave his gang, he was acting with far more courage than he’d ever shown shooting at enemies in his hood. But what catches this young man off guard isn’t his courageousness but God’s willingness to wipe his slate clean and remake his heart. When Boyle told him that God loved him no matter what this homie blurts out, “Damn, G…I’m gonna tattoo that on my heart.” Why does God do such crazy things like forgiving the unforgivable? Or loving the unlovable? Perhaps God knows that the only way we can truly live into God’s will is to have our hearts free of the anger, guilt and shame that traps us in the cycles of sin. The best way God can do this is by giving us a new heart one that is tagged with a tattoo gun filled with grace. This is why I love these words from Jeremiah because I love the idea of a God tattooed heart. It’s like God wants to be a part of my life forever. And takes the initiative to make sure that our relationship happens. God has set up shop in everyone’s heart…no matter who you are or what you’ve done. Why does this important for us? Because no longer are we defined by what society deems worthy, or by a particular religious affiliation or a set of rituals we practice. We are defined solely on the merits how we let God’s law of love shine from our hearts. This is exactly what Jesus did. He made love his priority - touching the untouchables, eating with sinners, and raising the dead. When questioned about purity laws, Jesus’ response was, “It’s not what goes into a person’s mouth that defiles them but what comes out.” You see our words, our actions, our faith, all come from the same place – from a God-etched-tattooed heart. Not only is this the place where God’s grace flows into us. It’s also the place where it flows out. Now, it shouldn’t surprise us that God comes to be with us in the center of life. What is surprising is God is willing to risk it all hoping our actions will reflect the best of what God requires of us – to act justly and kindly, promote love and peace, and to walk in sync for the building up of God’s kingdom. As much as we say we love God, we still struggle with the notion of doing the will of God. Don’t let that get you down. The world has never made this easy. Just ask Jesus. As the world threw the worst at him, his heart remained true to the law of love placed in him. Jesus kept his heart free of revenge, hatred or anger despite having good reason to feel that way. But I imagine if we made the effort to live out God’s love in the world like Jesus did, then maybe it might get easier. Maybe we wouldn’t need to steal, cheat, or lie. Or make our opinions more important than someone else’s needs. Maybe we’d take better care of creation and the health and wellbeing of all the people in our communities. Imagine the impact on the world, or this pandemic, if we lived like Jesus did. There would be no reason to withhold resources out of fear of not having enough. For the love that God has etched in Jesus is etched in you, and everyone else. In harming or denying someone else’s heart, you are also harming and denying God. Pascal reminded us that, “God wants to motivate the will more than the mind.” That motivation is initiated by God’s grace given to us through Christ Jesus. In him, we are drawn into this new covenant that was signed with his blood. But Jesus does more than save us. He shows us how to do the same for one another. He gives us real world examples on how to live – fully and faithfully – so our heart beats in perfect sync with God’s. While our world is more concerned with outward appearances, Jesus directs our attention inward – to seek and find the divine heartbeat in every person you meet. Jesus said the way to do this is to love them as if you are loving him. Whenever you feed the hungry, welcome a stranger, care for the sick and the poor, or help someone trapped in whatever prison they are in Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it also to me.” God doesn’t care what you look like or how you are put together any more than God is concerned about what you’ve done in your past. You may not like the way your nose bends, the curls in your hair, or the way you have treated people in your life. But God loves you, nonetheless. You are perfect with your imperfections as my wife likes to say. It doesn’t matter how much money you make, or how popular or famous you are. God is only interested in your heart. And what you do with your money and popularity. For its in our actions that people will come to know God and believe. We know that God knows our heart because God is tattooed in it. God has done this so you can share God’s grace and love with a world that hungers and thirsts for it. This can be a scary endeavor for some of you to do. But as you leave here today, remember that Jesus not only revealed his divine heart to us, but in doing so was able to reconcile us back to God. He is our common example, the model from which we learn to live truly and rightly. Following in his footsteps, we can endure, we can triumph, and we can change the world. Reshaping and remaking it in God’s image. And not in our own. Let us pray: Work Cited Bartlett, David L and Barbara Brown Taylor, eds. Feasting on the Word: Year B Vol 2. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2008.
0 Comments
Fourth Week of Lent New Cure March 14, 2021 Numbers 21:4-9 We are in our fourth week of Lent, and I hope by now you’ve figured out that this season is more than a time for self-reflection. It’s also a time where our faith can feel vulnerable or like it’s being put to the test. And what a test it’s been. Yesterday was the one-year mark since COVID pretty much shut down the entire world. With nearly 530,000 American lives lost, it’s hard to think we’ve done well on this exam. What I do know is God has been present through it all - delivering on the covenant promises not to destroy the entire earth again - be it a flood of water or disease. We’ve spent the last three weeks in the Old Testament, looking at the covenants God has made. Today we’re going to examine at how the covenant plays out as we look at a passage from the Torah that Jesus quotes when he reveals something important about the covenant God made through him out of God’s love for the world. It comes from the Numbers 21:4-9. From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea,[a] to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.” Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live. As our Lenten journey moves closer to the High Holy week, this odd and down-right icky story reminds us to always watch our step. You never know where snakes will pop up.
This story reminds me of my least favorite scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indiana Jones is led to a dark tomb that holds a clue to the treasure he’s seeking. When he drops a torch down in the cavernous hole, Indi discovers thousands of slithering, slimy snakes! I can’t tell you what happens after that because my eyes are always tightly closed. But over the hissing sounds, I hear him complain, “Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?” I imagine the Israelites were saying the same thing during their great exodus from Egypt. I’m not sure exactly how long they had been searching for the land that God had promised them. But the longer they wander, the crankier they become. By this point in the story, they began to get restless and whinny. They’re tired walking and sick of camping. They k’vetched about the lack of food and water. And many wanted to go back to Egypt and be slaves again. For a while, God remains steadfast, putting up with their incessant complaints; sending them food and water, and a fiery light to guide them. But when they griped about these gifts too, God just seems to snap. And sends them something to really complain about…deadly snakes! You might be thinking, “Well that was a little harsh, God.” But I get it. I’ve taken many road trips with a minivan full of restless kids kicking the back of my seat screaming for snacks and asking over and over again, “Are we there yet?” If I didn’t hate snakes so much, I too might be tempted to let a few loose in the car. But I too can be a bit whiny...so I too can sympathize with the Israelites. Their complaints seem legit. They’re stuck in the wilderness – with no clear direction or end in sight. The only choices they have are to follow this God who pushes their faith by challenging everything they thought they knew about the way the world worked. Or return to the brutality of slavery in Egypt which offered some semblance of consistency and predictability even if it was sure to kill them. If this past year has taught us anything, it’s that the only thing certain is how uncertain life can be. It’s a truth that makes us all uncomfortable. And only puts us on edge. This uncertainty is too much for God’s people and they begin to crack. They want the way life used to be. They’d rather face the devil they know than to do the hard work of faith that God is requiring of them. Who could blame them? How many times have you thought, “I can’t wait to go back to the way life used to be.” We want our churches open, our restaurants teeming with people, and our streets gridlocked with commuters. We want the old normal, the devil we know how to navigate. While COVID has made us feel a bit lost in the wilderness, I believe God has given us this time not to test our faith but to show us a way to rely on it so that we might begin to see the world differently. Through God’s loving eyes. This pandemic has also shown us how little control we have in life. We like to pretend we do. The problem with this is that when things don’t go as we want them to, we make sure God gets an earful. And in return, we get a bunch of snakes. I’ll admit, it seems like an odd way to show love, but so too are the covenants God has made. But again and again, God is willing to do whatever it takes to maintain a relationship with us. God continues to come into our mess in the most unusual ways to rescue and redeem us. There was something about being bitten repeatedly by venomous snakes that helped the Israelites see the error of their way. They beg Moses to intercede on their behalf. If there is one thing they’ve learned about their God – and we can take this to heart too – is when you cry out, God listens. And God reacts, even if it seems a bit outrageous and weird. God tells Moses to make a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. “Everyone who looks upon it shall live.” Because of his faithfulness, Moses does what God asks. And immediately all the Israelites who died are given new life, and all who were bitten are instantly healed. It makes me wonder if the American Medical Association adopted this image as their logo to reminds us that sometimes our flesh and bones have to be ripped open or broken before we can be made right again. Ernest Hemingway wrote, “The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places.” He knew all too well, how hard life can be. Sometimes it feels like the snakes are getting the best of us. But this Jewish story reminds us that no matter how bleak life might seem there is always hope. Because out of great love for us God never gives up on us. Which takes us to Jesus, who in the Gospel of John says: “As Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up.” You see, Jesus is God’s covenant promise, incarnate, meaning in the flesh. By setting our eyes on him, we are healed and given new life. Like Moses, Jesus is one who intercedes for us...even when it feels like we don’t deserve it. And the reason for this is stated in the next verse when Jesus famously declared God so loved the world, that God was willing to give his only begotten Son to die for us, just so we can live. Again and again, God upholds this covenant, even if it seems a bit outrageous and weird. Think about it, from death comes life. From the cross of Christ we set our gaze on comes our healing and salvation. And boy do we need it now! It’s been a hard year of suffering around the world. From businesses to homes to schools, COVID has affected everyone. Compounded with the toxic and venomous attacks we’ve endure socially, politically, and even spiritually…it seems like the snakes have won. But here’s the good news. God gave us the antidote in Christ Jesus. His cross is our assurance that the snakes don’t win. God does. For God so loved you and me that God was willing to risk it all on a cross to save us from the deadly venom of violence, self-doubt, jealousy, greed, addiction, and the deadliest of all venom – fear. Fear of the unknown; fear of the other; fear of failure; fear of death – nothing causes spiritual and emotional paralysis more effectively than fear’s venom. It corrodes faith; cuts off our pathways for loving God and one another; and when left untreated, it hardens the heart and soul. Fear tempts us away from God’s promise and tries to return us to the devil we know. As we continue on our Lenten journey, now is time to take inventory of all the ways fear afflicts how we live God’s love in the world. Ask yourself how fear is stopping you from loving others. Or standing up for justice and equality. How is it keeping you from forgiving a friend, or caring for someone who is unable to care for themselves? In Christ, God casts out all fear and puts love on full display. Jesus taught us how to live God’s love faithfully and fearlessly; in a way that pushes us to see the world differently. From death comes life. As we fix our eyes upon the cross of Jesus, may we never forget that the cure for the snake was a snake. And the cure for all of human life is the sacrifice of one man’s life. Again and again, God upholds this covenant, even if it seems a bit outrageous and weird. As you go out into the world, facing the uncertainty of life, remember this wherever God’s love is displayed, the snakes can’t win. For God so loved the world... Works Cited Bartlett, David L., and eds. Barbara Brown Taylor. Feasting on the Word: Year B Vol. 2. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2008. Helmer, Ben. Snakes. http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/stw/2018/02/11/snakes-lent-4-b-february-18-2018/ (accessed 03.09.2018). Jolly, Marshall A. https://modernmetanoia.org/2021/03/01/4th-sunday-in-lentb-god-so-loves-the-world/ (accessed on 03.11. 2018). Third Sunday of Lent New Rules
March 7, 2021 Exodus 20:1-17 This week the Texas governor bucked the federal government’s guidelines to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus by lifting the mask mandate and has allowing businesses to run at 100% capacity. He did acknowledge that wearing a mask in public is a good thing. But he’s left it up to individuals to police themselves, and not the government. This has made some people in his state very happy. And others very upset. Whether you like it or not, the mask mandate isn’t a federal law. So he’s not doing anything illegal. But his moral obligation might suggest otherwise. As you know, laws are put in place to ensure order and to protect public safety. When followed they help the community thrive and move in the right direction. We have federal laws that tell us what side of the street to drive on, or how fast we can go down them. But driving is more than simply obeying the speed limit. You must also be mindful of those around you. Being a considerate driver is an act of kindness. It’s a sacrifice that’s easy to make. Just because the law doesn’t force you to allow someone into your lane, you know that when the car next to you has its blinker on, you have to make a moral decision to let them in or not. Many of us follow the law because we’re afraid of what might happen if we don’t. We might get fined or go to jail. But there are those out there who find ways to skirt around the law – especially if it benefits them. I mention all this because we are continuing our look at God’s covenants. Agreements made by God that benefit us. As we learned in the stories of Noah and Abraham, we have God’s assurance that if we fail to perfectly obey the terms of the covenant, God is still bound to them. God’s word is good, even when we are not. But that doesn’t let us off the hook or free us to run amuck. Like the lines on a basketball, we need things like laws and rules that will help guide us in this game of life. Today reading gives us a look at the terms of God’s covenant. And it’s up to us to determine how it applies to our relationship with God and with one another. Read: Exodus 20:1-17 I have told the story many times before about when I decided to fast from the 10 commandments for Lent. It was a joke I made while I wasn’t very sober. Hey, it was Mardi Gras after all. But the next day, on Ash Wednesday, I decided to proceed as planned. But with a slight modification. Instead of giving up all ten, I would choose one to focus one. So I fasted from killing. It seemed like an easy goal since I don’t have the stomach for murder. But it didn’t take me long to realize how guilty I was - killing people’s ideas, dreams, hopes, and desires. This exercise was truly eye-opening and rewarding for me, despite my failures I had along the way. By the time Lent was over, I noticed something had changed in me. I was more inclined to listen to other’s opinions and welcomed their ideas. As silly as it sounds, not killing showed me how to live. It opened my heart and transformed my behavior for the better. By looking at this commandment not as law but as a way to live faithfully, I began to deepen my relationship with God and others. And isn’t that what these ten lessons are designed to do? When they were given to Moses, the Israelites were newly liberated slaves wandering the wilderness without much direction. They needed more than Google maps to find the promised land. They needed a moral compass to guide them there. Remember, they had spent the last 400+ years in Egypt. The only laws they knew were Pharaoh’s laws. The only gods they knew where his as well. So to help them understand who their God was and how they were to live accordingly as God’s chosen people, they were handed these 10 Teachings, as rabbinic traditions call them. For some reason Christians like to call these words “commandments.” But I think this makes it harder for us to see them for what they really are: teachings; lessons for a good life. They have been passed down through the generations to guide into a real relationship with the One who hears our cries and comes to our rescue. However, “these practices are not kindly suggestions,” as Barbara Brown Taylor warns. “They express the purposeful will of God for God’s people. [And] those who ignore them do so at their own peril – not because God is standing over them with a hammer, but because these teachings describe a way of life.” This is not to say we won’t sneak in some work on the Sabbath or disobey our parents from time to time. Let’s face it we’ve all broken one, if not all, of these teachings at least once in our life. But just as God remains faithful to the covenant, the bible tells us that we too must be faithful to the Lord. If we are wise, we’ll use these Ten Teachings as a road map to move us in this direction. That’s why it’s important to practice them daily, and not just during Lent. We will not always get it right, and that’s alright. These teachings aren’t meant to shame us or to be some kind of litmus test to find perfect Christians. They’re a gift from God – forged by a covenant and fashioned by grace. They are designed to help us understand who we are and were God wants us to be. That’s why we often make Lent to be a spiritual journey of sorts. It’s why we are encouraged to practice certain spiritual “disciplines” that give us a better understanding of where God wants us to be - in God’s heart. Despite their stern-sounding name, spiritual disciplines are more about deepening our spiritual growth than performing some religious mandate. For example, when I was discerning my call to start to start this new church, I practiced the spiritual discipline of self-examination. This required sitting quietly with God and mediating on the places God had revealed my calling to me. You might be searching your soul for answers to some big question, maybe you’re feeling lost or directionless, or you just want to get to know God better. I’d encourage you to try practicing a discipline like prayer, or meditation, or intentional reading God’s Word to see how the Holy Spirit moves you to act. As you might already know, I like to encourage people to use Lent as a time to fast from something that is keeping them from feasting on the goodness of life. By fasting and feasting on these Ten Words, I now have a clearer picture of who I am. And who I’m called to be -the visible presence of God’s love in the world. It’s no surprise that Jesus would use these teachings as the moral compass of his ministry. Everything he did was based on these words which he boiled down for us: “love God and love each other.” Jesus knew the two cannot be separated. He risked his life, and broke a few laws, to show us how to make love a part of our everyday worship of God. It’s like this: If you say you love God, then you can’t help but love everyone made in God’s image. If you make God’s love your priority, then you won’t be tempted to worship an idol like a politician or a bank account. You won’t covet what others have. Or take that which isn’t yours. If you refuse to use God’s love in vain, then you won’t cheat on your spouse or business partners, you won’t lie or bear false witness to cover up your wrongdoings. You’ll care for your mother and father. If you remember to take a day of sabbath rest, you might discover the whole purpose of what a life in God’s love is all about – to enjoy the splendor of God’s glory sharing food and fun with family and friends. These ten teachings are, as Joslyn Schaefer describes it, “like an umbilical cord, tethering us to what nourishes us, energizing us so that we can discern and accomplish God’s good purposes for our lives.” While laws are important and need to be obeyed, they will always be, second to love. Jesus confirmed this when he touched the leper and healed the bleeding Syrophoenician woman. Again and again, Jesus broke purity laws to teach others of their moral responsibility to the wellbeing of God’s children. If Jesus were among us today, I know he’d wear a mask. No doubt about it. He’d do it not out of fear of getting sick, but as a way to remind us that God's love puts other people’s needs before his own. Jesus showed us how loving God and one another is the way to live a faithful life in the fullness of God’s righteousness and grace. When we use them as blueprints to shape our lives in the image of Christ, things change. The blind see, the hungry are fed, justice is restored. People and communities are redeemed and returned to the God who loves us enough to risk it all for us. Lent is a time to shape and mold your heart in the image of Christ, so that you can bear witness to God’s unconditional love and grace as living witnesses of Christ’s church. There’s an old joke about a Lutheran minister who, when bidding farewell to his rabbi counterpart says, “Keep the faith my friend.” And the rabbi reply back, “Thank you, now go and keep the commandments.” As you might imagine, the two go hand in hand. Faith means we must trust God. When we trust God enough to follow God’s direction, practicing love becomes second nature. So we are called to keep these teachings close to our heart where God’s covenant with us was first made. As our love for God grows stronger, we overcome the fear that stops us from loving our neighbor. When we love one another, we no longer judge people unfairly, or exclude others who are not like us. When we love one another, we no longer desire to kill or to cheat or horde our resources from those less fortunate. When we love one another as God first loved us, then we put the health and wellbeing of others above all else. As Jesus showed us, when we come together in love, the hope and promise of God’s covenant comes alive. God is love. And love is life. So as you leave here today, I encourage you all to go and live that life abundantly. Let us pray: God of covenant love and grace, we are thankful that you are ours and we are yours. We are grateful for the life and the direction you have given to us in these words, and more grateful for Jesus who showed us how to live them out with each other. It’s in his name we pray for his peace to be among us, and your Holy Spirit to be within us - shining through us in all that we do so that others may come to see your love and give you glory. Amen. Work Cited Bartlett, David L. and Barbara Brown Taylor, eds. Feasting on the Word, Year B Vol 2. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2008). Schaefer, Joslyn Ogden. The Law. https://www.episcopalchurch.org/sermon/the-law-lent-3-b- march-7-2021 Second Sunday of Lent A New Name
February 28, 2021 Genesis 17:1-7 Kathleen and I recently met a couple whose names we didn’t get. I do know they had just begun the second trimester of their first pregnancy. And they had a ton of questions. One being...how we came up with the names of our children. Normally when we are asked that question, we take the opportunity to be a little creative. In this case, however, we told the truth. When our first child was due, whimsy storybook names like Ruby and Daisy were trending. But we wanted something that meant something, and that spoke to our heritage. In Gaelic, Fiona means “fair” – not as judicial but pail, like skin. And when she was born, we had no idea about the movie Shrek that had just come out. Otherwise, we probably wouldn’t have named her after an ogre. For Colleen, we thought it through a little better. We wanted a strong name that would endure time. We knew we were having a girl so we named her Colleen which is an Irish name that means “girl.” It’s a great name in my opinion, but little did I realize it’s only a few letters different than her mother’s name; adding to the growing list of things that mess me up in life. When Sean was born, we already had a long list of names we agreed on. But once we met him, none seem to fit. In a rush to get the paperwork filled out before leaving the hospital, we agreed to call him Sean – a Celtic variation of John, like Ian is in Gaelic. John mean’s God’s great gift. Enough said. Our birth names aren’t the only names that define us. Sometimes we go by our relationships and titles. I’ve been called son, husband, padre, and of course reverend. Since names are given to us at our birth, we don’t really have a say in the matter. So, it’s not uncommon for people to change their names. Some actors take a new stage name for practical reasons - it’s too long, or too hard to say, or someone else already has it. For others it’s to give them a new persona, like going from Norma Jean to Marilyn Monroe. I had a friend Darrell who change his name. I have no idea why. He’s not a celebrity or famous for anything. All I know is one day everyone just starting calling him Rick. This might have made more sense if he was the pope or someone entering a religious order where it’s commonplace to take a new name to signify their new status and new purpose. Which takes us to our reading today from Genesis 17:1-7. This is just one of many stories in Genesis that describe the covenant between God and Abram. In each one the terms are graciously lopsided. Like we learned last week with Noah, God is the giver. All Abram has to do is be himself. After all, God’s covenants do not rely on our faithfulness, only God’s. Now, the gist of this story is simple. God has big plans for reconciling the world. Plans that include some unlikely characters. Like the aging Abram who God promises to make the father of many nations. When Abram hears this he doesn’t run away or come up with some excuses as to why he’s unsuitable for the task. I suspect there’s some snickering and eye-rolling though. Who could blame him? He and his wife are in their nineties. Not the ideal time to be having babies. This year my dad will turn 90. The idea of having a new brother or sister seems highly unlikely. But then again, what we think is a handicap God sees as an opportunity to show off what God can do. To me, the most interesting aspect of this story is how everyone gets a new name; starting with God who is now called El Shaddai, which is often translated from the Hebrew as “God Almighty.” It’s not so much a name but a definition of God’s character. In using this word to describe God, the author speaks of God as the ultimate Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of all things. This is what God does. Next is Abram, whose name means “exalted ancestor.” He becomes Abraham, “ancestor of a multitude.” It’s a subtle difference with huge implications. He will not just bear a son to carry on his name, but his name will be the DNA of God’s graciousness among the nations. His wife, Sarai, is also the recipient of God’s blessing. She becomes Sarah, which means “princess.” She is the one who will carry the promise of this royal covenant to life. These changes sound subtle, but they are profound in the way they define God’s promise as their stories play out. My dear friend Dowan taught me that when a baby is born in Korea, he or she is given a name that reflects not only the child’s character but destiny as well. This seems to be the case when God names Abraham and Sarah. Blessed by God in this naming, their destiny is guaranteed. Tied to God in this covenant, they are recipients of God’s steadfast love and grace. A promise which God passes down to their heirs who will be more numerous than the stars in the sky. Just the other day I saw one of the first images taken on Mars by the rover Perseverance. While it was fascinating to see what the landscape was like, my attention was drawn to the vastness of the heavens and countless number of stars that surrounded the Red planet. Let’s just say there were too many to count. And that’s just in our galaxy. There are dozens if not hundreds more galaxies out there. I imagine Abraham and Sarah looking up in the sky and just trying to imagine the possibility of giving birth to such a large clan. But with every silvery glimmer, each twinkling light, God’s promise is remembered as they cling to hope knowing God’s word is good. And God delivers. They become the grandparents of a new generation blessed by God. From their lineal offspring will arise the Suffering Servant who will “bring forth justice to the nations” (Is 42:1). From this new family, Jesus will be born. He will be given a new name – a name above all others. Through him the covenant continues to bless us today. Which brings us to why this is an important story to read during Lent as we walk with Jesus from the wilderness to the cross. Whether or not he knew of the great Easter promise, Jesus knew of this covenant. He lived and ministered with faithfulness knowing the power of God’s word, just as his ancestor Abraham had thousands of years before. It was knowing God’s word is good that allowed the people of Israel to cling to hope when all seemed hopeless. It was knowing God’s word is good that the new church was able to survive the brutality of the Roman Empire. It was knowing God’s word is good that has allowed countless saints before us stand firm in their faith in the one who remains faithful no matter what humans try to do to change that. It’s knowing God’s word is good that allows us today to get through the challenges we face in life. What God said then, God means now. God’s word is good, even when we aren’t. As we walk with Christ, let us remember that he too received a new name. And with it, his destiny was set. You might remember that when he arose from the waters of his baptism, the spirit of God declared: ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” No longer was he Jesus of Nazareth, no longer was he the carpenter’s kid, he was now named and claimed by his God to be the Beloved. It was more than a name change, it was a calling, a direction by which Jesus’ entire ministry would be founded on. Being the Beloved. With his new name and new purpose, Jesus would become the visible presence of God’s heart in the world. Which brings me to you and me, and anyone who takes the name Christian. Our mission is to continue Jesus’ mission - to go out into the world to teach and heal and welcome others into the family of God. No matter what name is written on your birth certificate, at your baptism God has named and claimed you for this purpose. We are beloved children of God, heirs to divine glory and everlasting life. Because of our faith in Christ, we share his name. And we share his glory. Through Jesus, God calls us to be the Beloved. More than a name, it’s our destiny. This is what it means to make God our God, and to be God’s beloved people. It is our job now to be little Christ in the world so that others may come to understand God’s glory in the way we live into our love for one another; sharing our gifts, building bridges and creating communities of peace in God’s name. For most of us, faith is a hard journey. One that often causes us to stumble. But remember what God is able to do with people like us. The blessing and promise that God gives Abraham, are the same God has given to us so that we can be what we’re destined to be - God’s beloved children. We are heirs to the covenant of God’s grace which has been passed down through the ages, never altered or voided. God remains faithful to God’s own promise. It’s impossible for God to do anything less. As we move through Lent, I would like to share the words of Barbara Brown Taylor who reminds us that “We don’t just move to Easter from the shopping malls and spa. We are given a gift of time, 40 days to be exact, to examine who we are in our own covenant with God.” Lent is an invitation to take an honest look at what that relationship looks like, and what purpose it might signify as you move to bring God’s righteousness into a world hungry for love and justice. It’s a time to remember that God is calling you by your name – beloved. As Jesus illustrated in all the ways he cared for people, this name is not just a personal noun. It’s a call to action. So as you leave here today, I invite you to go and be the love of God that was made known to us in Jesus. Remembering always, that his name is your name. His purpose is your purpose. His glory is yours too, if you want it. Work Cited Bartlett, David L. and Barbara Brown Taylor, eds. Feasting on the Word, Year B Vol 2. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2008). As you were probably aware, a massive blanket of snow and ice still covers most of our country. And yet at the same time the latest NASA rover, Perseverance, has landed on Mars looking for snow, ice, or any form of water. I reckon one has to have it to live there. That’s because water is essential for life. Not enough of it and you die. Too much of it, you die. But with just the right amount you can thrive. Water is also a powerful element in so many different ways. To think, the same thing that froze the power supply in Texas is being harnessed in Japan to generate power. From a simple pond to a wild flowing river water can give life, alter life, and even take life. Be it here on earth or on Mars. This is the first Sunday in Lent, when the church historically remembers the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness following his baptism in the Jordan river - a body of water that played in important role in Israel’s story. But today I want to go a little further back in time, to a different baptism of sorts, that I hope will inspire us as we set out on our Lenten journey. It’s probably the most well-known story of water in the Bible. A story of God, some sinful people, and a great flood. There are many elements in the story of Noah that make me scratch my head and say, “What?” Like, the unlikeliness that the entire world was completely submerged underwater. Given the heights of the mountain range just around Los Angeles would mean the water level would have to be nearly two miles deep...upward! That’s a lot of water. I’m sure the shear weight of it alone would have knocked the planet off its axis. I know for a fact it would take longer than 40 days for all that water to evaporate. I’ve watched lakes shrivel up in droughts, but never that quick. So where did the water go? Was there a drain somewhere in the earth with a plug that God pulled? It’s also hard for me to fathom that every single human, sans Noah, did something so rotten that God felt justified to kill everyone. Heck, we still have a lot of bad people in our world, but we also have a lot of good people doing some really good stuff for others. So why would God kill them all? And why were the animals killed while the fish were allowed to live? Whether or not this story is true, it’s an amazing allegory that offers our 21st century sensibility a few good things to ponder especially in Lent as we think about our relationship with our Creator and all of creation. Read: Genesis 9:8-17 ... I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.” Just off the kitchen at my parent’s house is a small half bathroom. It's adorned with all sorts of Noah artwork (or should I say "ark" work). There are drawings, paintings and watercolors of the ark in various states. There are Noah hand towels, bathmats, soap dispenser, and a little statue with animals walking two-by-two up and down the mountain where a wooden ship perched like a nest. In each one, of course, there’s a rainbow in the sky.
Rumor has it that a small child exited this very bathroom one day and asked my mom if she had lived on Noah’s Ark. My mom was quick to reply, “Oh heavens, no.” Without missing a beat, the boy asked, “Then how did you survive the flood?” It’s a great question, don’t you think? How did you survive the flood? In ancient times floods were often used as metaphors for chaos. So, as we look at this story, we need to keep that in the back of our heads. As we ask ourselves, “How do we survive the chaos in our lives?” I think the answer can be found in my mom’s Noah shrine. On the wall opposite the toilet hangs a gigantic Noah-themed tapestry. Woven into the top and bottom are the words, “Promises kept.” As we learned in our reading today, that promise is the one made not just to Noah, but to all of creation. As the story goes, God makes a covenant with us to never, ever let something like this happen again. Again and again, God has kept that promise. As you move through the challenges of Lent, and struggle with your faith or lack thereof, this story reminds us to lean on God because we can count on God...even if God can’t count on us. God’s word is good, even if we are not. Think about that for a moment. The flood shows God’s hurt. But the covenant shows God is willing to initiate an intervention. It’s as if God woke up and realized that punishing us isn’t the way to get us to change. Perhaps setting an example might be better. And so, it’s God who decides to change. Despite knowing we will continue to keep doing things that go against God’s will, a heavenly covenant is made. Like William Allen said, it’s like “God places a restraining order against God’s self” and then sets a sign in the sky so God will always be held accountable the vow. Again and again, God continues to remain loyal to the disloyal. Promises kept. Whether or not you believe the world was once a giant ball of water, God loves you. No matter what. As my old friend Tom Richard used to say, “No matter how far we stray from doing what God has called us to do, we are never beyond the boundaries of God’s love.” I can’t think of a better mantra to cling to as you move through the chaos of life, especially during Lent. The story of this covenant also reveals something else about God. You see, God is more than our creator, God is also our protector, committed to never punish or destroy the world again. This tells me that God is inherently invested in our fate. God cannot simply sit back or check out. But must always be present and willing to act on our behalf. “This investment introduces a new and distinct facet into the character of God. Along with power, justice, patience, and love, the ancient Hebrews also perceived that God was inherently self-giving, willing to enter into a relationship that puts limits on even God’s priorities.” Again and again, Israel tested God’s covenant. And again and again God remained faithful. Promises kept. To think God’s love for us was so great that God was willing to make a unilateral covenant - one that God was bound by it personally knowing humanity was not. That’s what makes this still relevant to us. When this flood story was first written, God’s people yet again found themselves in a state of suffering. They had watched their powerful kingdom crumble, their beloved Temple pulverized, and their loved ones scattered like dust as they were sent into exile. When all seemed lost, they had hope. Because God’s promises are never broken. They knew that no matter what challenges they faced, they could rely on God because they knew God’s word is good. We too can rely on God. No matter how much we put God to the test, promises kept. Today we face our own challenges – COVID, political turmoil, economic crisis that have left more people falling behind than lifted up. Yet, promises kept. Maybe you are suffering a great loss from death, estrangement, or divorce. Maybe you are crumbling under the weight of resentment, anger, and pride. Maybe something has happened to you that has left you feeling hopeless. Lent is a time to give in to our faith, to let go of fear knowing we can always rely on God, even if God cannot always rely on us. Promises kept. As the ancient psalmist wrote, because God keeps his promise made to our ancestors, we can cry out in our pain and suffering, knowing God will hear our cries. When it feels like the world is ganging up us, we can turn to God knowing we will find refuge. When we find ourselves on shaky ground, we can stand on God, the rock of our foundation...knowing we are protected. Promises kept – no matter what. As you struggle in the wilderness of faith, realizing what God is asking you to do, this passage reminds you of what God is willing to sacrifice for you, in order to save you from yourself. This is a divine act that will climax with Jesus on the cross. But as we will discover, death can’t stop God’s promise from being fulfilled. Through Christ, God takes this risk because God's heart is touched by creation’s suffering. In him we see that God is willing to become one of us; fully embracing all of our human experiences, including death. Through the resurrection of Christ, we see just how much God wants to be in a relationship with us. Christ is God’s greatest promise made and promised kept. He is proof that God’s unconditional love is faithful to the bitter end, and beyond to greater glory. This covenant of divine grace is the distinguishing mark of Christianity. It’s what Jesus was all about. It requires nothing from us but our desire to be a recipient of this blessed gift. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s love or to cause God to withhold it. I guess that’s why they call it the Good News. Promises kept. As Jesus himself demonstrated, we are given this gift so that we might live it – fully and faithfully – in a way that showcases God’s glory and the loving relationship between Creator and all of creation. During this season of Lent, I hope that you will set your heart upon this covenant of God’s grace knowing that God will never deny you, never turn away, reject or hurt you. God only wants to love you, protect you, and redeem you back to your rightful place in God’s heart. Like a rainbow in the heavens, God’s love is made visible to all who choose to move towards God’s open heart. Christ has shown us the way. From the baptismal font to the cross of chaos. Promises kept. But don’t take my word for it. You have God’s word. A word of promise God made just for you. And a promise God has kept just for you. Work Cited *based on a sermon Promises Kept originally given on January 3, 2016. https://www.jesusnotjesus.org/be-kind/sermon-promises-kept Bartlett, David L and Barbara Brown Taylor, eds. Feasting on the Word, Year B, Vol. 2 (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2008). With a single act of compassion, Jesus imitates and initiates God’s loving grace |
Rev. Ianhas been blogging under the name: Jesus not Jesús: Looking for Christ in the face of strangers. You can read his posts and browse his archives by clicking here. Sermon Archives
November 2021
Worship with us live on Facebook
Sunday at 11:00 a.m. |