Fifth Sunday in Lent--Seventh Sunday of Easter.
Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 22, 2015
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Psalm 51:1-12
Hebrews 5:5-10
John 12:20-33
Engaging the Texts
Jeremiah: Covenant language is an important part of the Hebrew
Bible. Readers of the entire story in this testament learn of moments
when the covenant was lived faithfully and moments when the people of
God betrayed the covenant and failed to live into it. This is much like
what we continue to do today.
"Covenant," as detailed in the Bible, is defined as the
agreement between God and the ancient Israelites, in which God promised
to protect them if they kept the law and were faithful. (1) The covenant
between God and God's people is one that gets played out throughout
the history of both Jews and Christians. The covenant that has been
prophesied in chapters 30 and 31 of Jeremiah is now detailed in a more
explicit nature. Unlike previous covenants, which have been displayed on
stones, this covenant will be written on people's hearts. This is a
profound image for preaching. Knowing that God's promises are not
simply a contract written out in legal terms, but are carefully and
consciously written onto our hearts can be a transformative reality for
those who hear this message of grace. Helping listeners hear the
difference between "contract" and "covenant" would
be important.
Psalm: In this text we read of David's confession of sins and
his repentance for those sins. He is pleading with God for forgiveness
and the second chance that comes from the cleansing of one's
transgressions through salvation. In golfing, a player can get a
"do-over" by claiming a "Mulligan." Receiving a
"do-over" in life is a profoundly important moment. We all are
sinful and are in need of a "Mulligan." We receive this
through the love and grace of God. We receive this through the power of
the salvific acts of Jesus. We receive it by naming our sinfulness and
being repentant for that sinfulness. Claiming that forgiveness is a
vital step.
Gospel: In this reading, individuals who are not part of the Jewish
community come to see and hear Jesus. They have come because they seek
him. They had, like many during those days, heard of his teaching and
healing. For all we know, they might have been friends with Philip. The
grain of wheat needing to die in order to flourish is an element of
nature that many would have been very familiar with. This reading also
alludes to the reality of Jesus' own life that will be played out
over the next few weeks through the readings during Holy Week. The
allusions to his coming death are clear, but there is an homage to the
baptism and transfiguration of Jesus as well. When a voice from heaven
proclaims the glory of the Son, we are once again reminded of the past
glorification and the glorification to come.
Pastoral Reflections
Preaching throughout the season of Lent can be incredibly enriching
and powerful. We live in a culture that is profoundly image-rich and the
texts during Lent are image-rich as well. We think and remember through
images. Preaching sermons that are centered on images and use
descriptive language can bring listeners into our preaching in important
ways. Utilizing the power of these images as a preacher can add rich
dimensions to the preaching moment and provide entry points for those in
our communities of faith.
In the Gospel text, as well as the baptism and transfiguration
stories alluded to in the imagery of the text, and in the covenant
language of the Jeremiah text, we see and hear God "naming and
claiming" God's beloved. One of the most blessed moments in
pastoral ministry, for me, is to baptize someone. Naming that person as
a "Child of God," claiming them for and within the community
of faith, and placing the water on their head is a significant moment
for the initiate, their family, and for the congregation. But for me it
is also a profound and spiritual moment. The joy of being God's
representative in these events has brought me to tears. The first
baptism I ever performed was of two teenagers who came to faith through
our youth ministry program. We all cried throughout the baptism. These
young people had names, histories, and families, but being publically
claimed as children of God for the first time was a powerful event for
us all. These ritual experiences are special. The readings today once
again take us to the claiming of God's beloved. Being beloved by
God can lead us to a transformed life.
Stepping into the pulpit on this fifth Sunday of Lent, the images
and threads of covenant, repentance, and claiming are quite powerful.
But these diverse threads can feel disjointed and can lead to a sermon
that is focused on too many different ideas. Discerning the primary
focus is one of the most important steps preachers can take in helping
their listeners engage the sermon. So pick one theme, one image, and one
main thing. Let it shine. There are obviously links between these
images, but the preacher has to make choices. What do your people in
your pews need to hear? How can you best relate those images to
them--through story, poetry, or images? Be aware of the contextual needs
of your people and craft a sermon that addresses their needs.
Karyn Wiseman
Palm and Passion Sunday
March 29, 2015
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
Philippians 2:5-11
Mark 11:1-11 (Palms)
Mark 14:1-15:47 (Passion)
Engaging the Texts
Isaiah: The clarity of trust in this third Servant's Song,
despite dealing with difficulty, is a testimony to faithfulness that few
of us can exhibit. The phrase "morning by morning" reminds me
of the lyrics of the hymn, "Great is Thy Faithfulness."
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy
faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath
provided--
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto
me! (2)
The promise of God's persistent love each and every day is one
that has potential to bring comfort despite all we face in our daily
lives. We may not always feel that love, but it is there nonetheless.
Palms text (Mark 11): Jesus rides into Jerusalem as David or
Solomon might have entered the city to shouts and praise, but this
strange king is on the back of a lowly colt. This is an image that most
people in the congregation are familiar with. The allusion to the humble
entry depicted in Zech 9:9 is evident. The people along the road were
chanting Psalm slogans celebrating the entry of a king, but this leader
is to be different from what anyone expected.
Passion text (Mark 14 and 15): The story of Jesus on the way to the
cross is a multi-faceted look at a weeks worth of events and encounters:
an anointing, a meal with friends, a trial and the cross itself. The
opening image is of Jesus being anointed by an unnamed woman with very
expensive ointment. The extravagance of this act portrays--for the
reader and the listener--the ability for us all to be extraordinarily
extravagant in our love for and care of others. Jesus proclaims that
this woman's story will be remembered forever. What a phenomenal
witness of grace. The move from Bethany into Jerusalem was dictated by
Jewish law as the Passover meal had to be consumed within that city.
During the meal, the disciples are told of the upcoming betrayal of
Jesus by one of his most trusted companions. Judas was not predestined
to betray Jesus. He made his own choice and we, too, make our own
choices in life--some good and some bad. As the week progresses, we see
more intense scenes in the Garden of Gethsemane, the arrest, and the
trial. All of these events bring us to the final acts of the crucifixion
and death of Jesus. Many people today know more about this story from
movies like The Passion of Christ and The DaVinci Code than they do from
experiencing Holy Week services. (3) For this reason and others,
engaging this Gospel text as Mark has written it becomes vitally
important.
Pastoral Reflections
Preaching on Palm/Passion Sunday can be an issue for the preacher.
There are so many rich texts and vivid images from which to choose that
the task can become overwhelming. Knowing the focus of your message,
whether palms, passion, or some combination of the two, is imperative.
There are a number of reasons to read and incorporate both the palm
and passion texts. The reality is that some people will not attend all
of the Holy Week services planned for your community of faith. Providing
an opportunity for them to hear both sets of texts before they return
for Easter Sunday is very important. However, simply reading all of the
texts for this week can feel daunting, let alone preaching a sermon with
so many foci for the day.
The preacher has to make a decision. Is the reading and hearing of
the Gospel narratives with a very brief message enough in your context?
Is there an expectation that you preach on all of the texts? Or is it
possible in your community of faith to read all of the texts, preach a
sermon of typical length, and know when church is over--it's
over--without complaint if it "runs over"? Know your context
as you begin this week's preaching preparation and lean into that.
Themes for this Sunday could include the image of journey. The
journey through these texts is a complicated one, as is the journey that
Jesus takes through this final week of his life. Another possibility is
the use of juxtaposition between the crowd shouting "Hosanna"
at the beginning of the week and the crowd shouting "Crucify"
later in the week. One might also use the relationship between bitter
and sweet as a way to talk about the highs and lows of the week's
events by using the meal images in the texts.
We can all too easily identify with those who might be labeled as
fickle in their choices as depicted in these readings, both the crowds
and the disciples. But it is important to hear the presence of God and
God's faithful acts in the life, suffering, death, and coming
resurrection of Jesus. God is active and evident in these narratives.
Jesus is not a helpless victim in all of this. He is the protagonist. He
announces his death and interacts with the Jewish and Roman characters
in the story. (4) Seeing God, in the person of Jesus, acting decisively
in his own drama is something important to note for our listeners. We,
too, must be active participants in our own journeys of faith. And, like
Jesus, we are not alone on this trek.
Karyn Wiseman
Maundy Thursday
April 2, 2015
Exodus 12:1-4
Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
John 13:1-17, 31b-35
Engaging the Texts
Exodus: The Exodus passage includes part of the instructions for
the Passover meal. The communal nature of the meal, especially for
families not large enough to have a lamb on their own, sets up this
week's readings with the theme of holy meals. The lamb is an
important part of the meal, not just because it is on the menu, but
because it is the lamb's blood that is to be sprinkled over the
door to mark Jewish homes to protect their firstborn sons from the angel
of the Lord. The gift of deliverance and protection of the Jews was a
gracious act by God and the yearly Passover meal was to be honored as a
reminder of this grace.
1 Corinthians: The words in this text may be some of the most
familiar in all of the New Testament, particularly to those who have
grown up in the church. These words, profoundly echoed in our
Eucharistic liturgies, guide us to the table of our Lord. The words are
so well known that many could and probably do recite them internally
along with the presider when they are spoken from the table. Regardless
ofhow your tradition understands Eucharistic theology, this act of
remembrance of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is a pivotal
liturgical act that connects all who partake with the saints eternal and
the gathered community. The words are powerful, but the physical act of
eating and drinking is profoundly important.
Gospel: The narrative of Jesus' Last Supper with the disciples
has been depicted by some of the most famous artists in history. This
meal is one of the key moments of the disciples' collective
experiences. We are reminded in John's text that they were gathered
for a meal, but in the midst of it they received an astonishing blessing
when Jesus washes their feet. In this act we witness the humanity,
humility, and love of Jesus. He rises from the table to wash the
disciples' feet and in that one moment we are reminded of how we
are to serve and sacrifice for others. But, like Peter, we want to turn
the table and wash the feet of Jesus instead.
Love is the final piece of this reading. Jesus has first modeled
servant love, but then he speaks emphatically that the new commandment
he brings is to love one another. In doing so people show their
discipleship to him. This is the crux of the Gospel narrative.
Pastoral Reflections
Babette's Feast is one of my all-time favorite movies. The
film is about a young French woman who comes to work for two Danish
sisters in a small village. Babette wins the lottery and chooses to use
her winnings to cook an extravagant feast for the sisters and their
friends. What follows is an amazing visual feast of cooking and eating.
The reserved Danish guests do not want to enjoy the meal, but the
extraordinary feast is impossible to ignore and they succumb to the
astonishing magnificence of the meal. Likewise, the meals in this
week's texts, the Passover and the Last Supper, are meals that have
lasting and profound importance for both Jewish and Christian
communities.
Meal metaphors invite connections to peoples' lives. Family
and friends gathering around a meal are almost commonplace in many
cultural contexts. We gather for meals for holidays, birthday
celebrations, special occasions, and for other reasons. Meals in my
family are loud and exhilarating. They can be joyous and at times
complicated. But we always look forward to them. Utilizing the meal
metaphor of the readings for this day is not only easy, given the
threads of connection between the various texts, it is expected. And
that is absolutely the right thing to do. We also connect the meals in
the texts with our most ordinary daily meals. Jesus is present in these
meals, too.
The other primary image from the texts is Jesus' washing of
the feet of the disciples. Many people are incredibly uncomfortable with
the act of foot washing--and I'm among them! Feet are body parts
that many of us hide within socks and shoes. When a foot-washing ritual
is suggested, we're the ones who hang back and hope no one notices
that we never came forward. Allowing another person to touch our feet is
bad enough, but to be subjected to someone washing our feet is too much.
Hearing about Jesus doing this is a powerful reality. Jesus knew what
was coming. He announced, "The hour has come to depart," so he
was clearly aware of all that was to come (v. 1). And in the midst of
dealing with his own feelings, he stopped to serve the ones who followed
him.
Helping your listeners pause in the midst of their own lives to
serve others in every way possible would be a significant message to
deliver from the pulpit. Helping your community of faith live out their
faith with a servant attitude and participate in vital, physical, and
humble service sometimes requires concrete examples of ways to do that.
Providing these concretizations from the life of the community, from the
wider context of our world and your church, and from the individual
lives of your people will go a long way to help them live into this
call. Living faithfully and loving fully is what this new commandment is
all about.
Karyn Wiseman
Good Friday
April 3, 2015
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Psalm 22
Hebrews 10:16-25
John 18:1-19:42 (or Mark 14:1-15:47)
Engaging the Texts
The Isaiah text is the fourth "Servant Song" in the book
of Isaiah, usually called the Suffering Servant text. In this text we
sense the patterns of sinfulness, redemption, judgment, and grace that
are part of the story of the Hebrew people in the Old Testament. This
text is about the long-awaited Messiah, but it is not specifically about
the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Preaching the gospel into this text
does not do justice to the Hebrew narrative, but it is still hard not to
"hear" Jesus as we read the text. Attend with integrity to the
realities of the context of this passage in its time and place.
The suffering servant of God is lifted up in this text. The song
expresses a number of differing realities: he is exalted, he
sacrificially cleanses, his words will not be honored, and he will give
himself over to pain and sickness. The powerful reality is that this
chosen servant of God will bear our pain and sickness--willingly. The
servant will suffer for our sins and we will be healed. Whatever your
theory of atonement, this is the crux of the passage--the assurance that
our sins will be removed and our pain and sickness will be healed. At
the end, this passage also states emphatically that the servant will
triumph over death (53:10-12). However, it is the self-giving nature of
the servant that is so powerful for most readers and listeners.
Gospel: The Gospel passage for Good Friday includes the betrayal,
arrest, and trial of Jesus as well as the crucifixion narrative from
Johns gospel. Evidently the garden where Jesus was arrested was a place
that the disciples had visited before with Jesus, as Judas knows the
place well. This familiarity is striking. Using a familiar place to
betray a friend and leader is frightening. Who among us has not
encountered betrayal of one kind or another? But this is another layer
of betrayal.
John's gospel is extremely helpful in bringing the reader into
the physical realities of Jesus' suffering and death. Many scholars
describe Christ's death as taking less time than was typical of
others who were crucified signifying that he willingly gave up his life
on the cross. (5) The crown of thorns, the nailing of his body to the
wood, and the piercing of his side are vivid reminders of the suffering
he endured. This fact taken into proper perspective means more to the
listener even in the modern era.
Pastoral Reflections
Good Friday is one of the most profound and sobering moments in the
cycle of the Christian year. Being given the opportunity to preach on
this holy day is both a privilege and an honor. On this most solemn day,
preaching means telling the story. For many who are part of the church,
Good Friday is one of the days of the liturgical calendar that holds the
most meaning. In the midst of this service they feel both the depths of
despair and the heightened awareness of what is to come. For others, for
whom being present in this service of darkness and death may be new or
problematic, the feelings may be raw and uncertain. Preaching needs to
be sensitive to the emotional range that may well be present in the
room.
We live in a world of such pain and suffering. People are killed by
rampant gun violence. Black and brown lives are relegated to a
"less than" status far too often. Women are paid less and
forced to hear others denigrate their bodies and choices. Relating to
the suffering in these texts can help our listeners connect to the pain
and suffering of Jesus, which can be pivotal to hearing the message.
Often we feel distance between Jesus and our own lives. This is a moment
when our own experiences and the suffering of others can lead our
congregation members into the story in a more personal manner.
Preaching on these very familiar texts can be both a blessing and a
curse. Acknowledging that many know these texts quite well and will come
with assumptions and understandings of their own will be key. You as the
preacher have the opportunity to speak something new and intriguing into
this situation. Connecting the garden images of the Hebrew creation
story and the garden of Jesus' arrest might be an important image
for you to develop. Perhaps the relationship between the suffering
servant and the suffering Christ is your leading motif.
One of the questions about preaching on Good Friday is how to end
the sermon and service. Leaving people with the discomfort of loss and
death is a powerful way to send them into the emotional reality of Holy
Saturday and then to Easter Sunday. The final piece of this passage is
the placing of the body of Jesus in the tomb by a secret disciple,
Joseph of Arimethea, and Nicodemus. This loving act seals the story and
leaves off in a world without a Savior. The hope and promise is that
Jesus will be resurrected, but for now he is gone and we have to sit in
that darkness.
Karyn Wiseman
Easter Sunday
April 5, 2015
Acts 10:34-43 or Isaiah 25:6-9
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-34
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Mark 16:1-8
Engaging the Texts
All four Gospels along with the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of
Mary include women as the first witnesses of the empty tomb. The
presence of the women "is a non-negotiable part of tradition
..." (6) While the names and the number of women vary, Mary
Magdalene is always there. Three women are featured in Mark's
account. These three women were remembered by name at the cross (15:40)
and two of them saw the place where Jesus was buried (15:47).
Mark's resurrection story seems rushed--like the first verse
of his gospel. "The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the
Son of God." There isn't even a verb! Mark's resurrection
story ends with the word gar--"for." That ending feels
unfinished and it didn't take long for others to add a shorter
ending, then a longer ending! But Mark's original ending
wasn't haphazard but very well planned. The grammar and syntax of
Mark 16:8 show a carefully constructed verse in two parallel parts:
The final gar creates an especially
abrupt ending to the gospel. However,
the author has artfully shortened the
clauses to wind the syntax down toward
the gar. The two halves of v. 8a each
have six words in Greek; the two halves
of v. 8b wind down to four words,
then two.... (7)
Mark created an unfinished ending. He's pointing beyond this
story and wants the reader to move beyond the story, too. That little
word gar isn't a mistake, but a word that leaves readers on the
edge of their chairs, tipping forward. New Testament scholar Joan
Mitchell sees the women's silence as an intentional strategy in
Mark, opening a space for the reader to respond:
The women's concluding silence creates
generative potential space ... in which
readers and hearers can respond. The
empty tomb and the fear and silence
of the last disciple characters surviving
in the narrative bring the readers
and hearers to their own thresholds of
faith, to the limit of words to speak
the unspeakable, to the limit of story
to make the absent One convincingly
present, and to the limit of human
experience to trust Who or What is
beyond death. (8)
Pastoral Reflections
We are closer to these three women than to any other resurrection
story. They didn't see Jesus (at least not in this story). We
haven't seen Jesus either. The empty tomb proved nothing except
that Jesus was gone. Let these women be afraid and perhaps we will allow
ourselves to be afraid also.
But there was something else. "Galilee." That's what
the man in white said: "Go back to Galilee." The young man had
been quite specific. "Go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is
going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told
you." But the women fled, filled with terror and amazement. They
said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. And that's where
Mark's story ends.
Now the text doesn't say it, but they headed for Galilee. We
can be quite sure of that because some time after this, they must have
said something to somebody. They headed for home. Something happened to
them in Galilee as it had happened before. Oh, we can argue that they
went out believing because they had seen the tomb empty. But what sort
of evidence is that? The empty tomb could only be the source of endless
speculation, never the source of faith. These women went to Galilee and
Jesus met them there. How? What did he look like? What did he say? Mark
tells us none of these things. But it was more than the memory of an
empty tomb that broke their silence. Here's another question: Why
would anybody remember the testimony of these three women? There was no
reason under the sun to remember those whose voices had absolutely no
authority. Their testimony was next to worthless in verifying anything,
let alone resurrection. Only something deeper than terror could break
their silence. It happened in Galilee. It always does.
For Galilee is the place Jesus is going--ahead of us, just as Jesus
went ahead of them. Easter morning moves us out of the graveyard toward
Galilee, the place Jesus has promised to meet us. We always want more
evidence than we have. If we are honest, we, too, are filled with terror
and amazement. "Who will roll the stone away for us?" is not
an old question. Who will roll away the stone of doubt? How will we know
this Easter gospel is true? What will finally assure us that this good
news is not preposterous?
We stand today with these three women. They didn't know the
answers either. But they headed toward Galilee. They knew without saying
a word that this was the direction faith was taking them. As
pastor/novelist Frederick Buechner said,
"We want to know who Jesus is before we follow him, and that
is understandable enough except that the truth of the matter is that it
is only by first following him that we can begin to find out who he
is." (9)
Barbara Lundblad
Second Sunday of Easter
April 12, 2015
Acts 4:32-35
Psalm 133
1 John 1:1-2:2
John 20:19-31
Engaging the Texts
Thomas always comes on the Sunday after Easter whether were in Year
A, B, or C. Lectionary planners knew this story needed to be heard every
year, but before we get to Thomas, a quick look at the other readings.
Acts 4 is seldom quoted by defenders of capitalism! In the Acts
community "no one claimed private ownership of any possession, but
everything they owned was held in common" (4:32). Of course, Luke
was not describing Rome or the United States, but a community of
Jesus' followers centuries ago. We hear echoes of Acts 2:42-47 at
the end of the Pentecost chapter. There, too, the believers had all
things in common, sold possessions and distributed to those in need. A
significant difference in Acts 4 is the heightened role of the apostles.
Those who sold possessions are called to lay the proceeds "at the
apostles' feet." The apostles will then distribute goods to
those in need. Some have argued that this sharing never happened--it was
simply a utopian vision of the early church; however, this text is
followed by two stories that make the picture quite real. Barnabas was
commended for selling his field and laying the money at the
apostles' feet. Ananias and Sapphira also sold a field, kept some
money for themselves, and fell dead at the apostles' feet. Sounds
pretty serious!
This Sunday begins five weeks of reading through 1 John. The letter
begins with images of light and life from the prologue of John's
gospel. Some listeners will hear familiar words from the liturgy:
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth
is not in us...." You might preach a series of five sermons on 1
John or help people come to a deeper understanding of liturgical
language rooted in scripture.
Or, you might turn to Thomas even if you have preached on this text
many times. There's a problem at the beginning: "the doors of
the house.. .were locked for fear of the Jews." Remind listeners
that everyone inside that room was Jewish! You might change the public
reading to say "fear of the authorities." It's important
to acknowledge that anti-Jewish animosity leaked back into John's
gospel from a later time. This is important on these Sundays after
Easter when there is no reading from the Old Testament (except for the
Psalm). We don't want people to think we have given up the Old
Testament after Jesus' resurrection. Jesus appears inside the
locked room without knocking. His body has been transformed in some
mysterious way, but still bears the wounds of crucifixion. It is the
wounded Christ who says, "Peace be with you." Jesus had
promised the disciples peace when he sat at table with them for the last
time (14:27). He had also promised them the gift of the Holy Spirit
(14:16-17,25-26; 15:7-15). Now Jesus was breathing that Spirit and that
peace into them. Past promises are now present.
But where was Thomas? Why didn't he feel the need to be in
hiding? No explanation is given but there is no reason to think that
Thomas ran away. It was Thomas who said he was willing to die with Jesus
(11:16). It was Thomas who asked Jesus to show him the way (14:5). Jesus
meets Thomas at the point of his need: "Put your finger in the nail
prints and place your hand in my side." It isn't clear if
Thomas actually does this but he exclaims, "My Lord and my
God!" Then Jesus speaks words that aren't really for Thomas at
all. Jesus is looking over Thomas' shoulder, looking at the
preacher and the congregation, giving us a benediction: "Blessed
are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."
Pastoral Reflections
If you have preached on Thomas too many times, you may decide to
preach on Acts 4. What would it mean if our congregations were shaped by
this communal sharing? As noted above, Luke isn't talking about the
economy of a whole society and yet if Jesus' followers were shaped
by this communal ethic they could be a catalyst for the common good
beyond the church. How can people help one another with difficult
economic decisions? "Household Economics" is an especially
helpful chapter in the book Practicing Our Faith, edited by Dorothy
Bass. Pentecost ends too soon if we don't connect the outpouring of
the Spirit with the transformed life believers are called to share with
one another.
John 20 offers an abundance of themes. Here are glimpses of a
few--but you cannot choose them all:
* The connections between Spirit and breath/wind with many clues
from earlier parts of John's gospel (e.g., Nicodemus in John 3,
characteristics of the Spirit/Advocate in John 14 and 15).
* "Peace be with you"--how can we help people experience
deeper meaning in passing the peace during worship? What word of peace
do you long to hear?
* What does it mean to retain or forgive sins? Is this a word only
for ordained pastors?
* The significance of Jesus' wounds: if we don't see the
wounds, we won't see Jesus. Where do we see wounds in our own lives
and in the larger world? This can be a very personal sermon or a more
public consideration of the tragic wounds of racism in the United
States.
* "Do not doubt, but believe"--Can there be faith without
doubt? What does it mean to believe in spite of doubt?
People feel a special kinship with Thomas. A lifetime of preaching
and listening cannot exhaust this friendship.
Barbara Lundblad
Third Sunday of Easter
April 19, 2015
Acts 3:12-19
Psalm 4
1 John 3:1-7
Luke 24:36b-48
Engaging the Texts
The hallelujahs are quieting down, the trumpets are in their cases,
and the flowers have been sent to homebound members--or are slowly
wilting as the custodian (or pastor) tries to remember to water them. By
this third Sunday of Easter much in the congregation seems to be
returning to status quo. It is precisely in this time
that the texts for today add significant power. There is another
shaking up of the people ... turning and returning.
It may be helpful to remind people of Jesus' path to the cross
which winds through the temple. It was in the temple that Jesus
challenged the practices of the day. Jesus took vendors, religious
leaders, and well-established practices to task. Jesus turned over the
tables, turned people from the temple (driving them out), and turned
several in authority against him. This week we re-turn to the temple
with Peter and John. These two Jesus-following-Jewish-disciples are
practicing their faith and engaging in religious ritual and worship. At
the temple Peter and John encounter a man born lame who turns to them
for alms. Peter announces that they have neither gold nor silver to give
(an interesting note of not bringing money after Jesus drove money
changers from the place); rather, Peter holds out the promise of life
and healing in the name of Jesus the Nazarene (an announcement that
likely made many uncomfortable). Then Peter grabs the
man--"seizing" or "arresting" him in the Greek--and
makes him stand.
In the wake of Easter what does it mean to take a
"broken," longing, hurting person waiting at the Beautiful
Gate of the Most High and to turn his gaze, arrest him (taking him by
the arm), and make him stand? The juxtaposition is in contrast to Jesus
who Peter says was condemned and died. This man is lifted up and given
life--all in the promise of God made known in Jesus. Peter now uses this
testimony to call all people to repent (be turned), to be seized by the
promise made known through the prophets, through ancestors in faith, and
now Jesus--and to be raised up (called to stand).
In the texts that follow we hear again and again of the turning and
returning to God. The Psalm offers a deeply embodied turning to God in
prayer and awareness that God is present and engaged. The Second Reading
invites people to hear the promise of being lifted up as beloved
children of God and turned and oriented to what this means for the
future.
Finally, the Gospel is a powerful Easter story of journey,
relationship, and promise. Very likely many of us have preached on the
concepts of road/journey, conversation/testimony, communion/ breaking of
bread. Today, coupled with the other texts, there is an opportunity to
reflect on turning to encounter the wounded Jesus in our midst and being
turned to joy and proclamation.
Just as Peter and John return to the temple and live and witness to
new life in Jesus; just as the epistle writer turns people in
orientation to living as beloved children of God; just as the Gospel
lesson--after two disciples returned from Emmaus--portrays the disciples
being reoriented from fear to promise, there is a wide sense of new life
in turning to the Holy.
What does it mean for people who are returning to church this third
Sunday of Easter to hear and proclaim the life and promise of Jesus? How
are they seized and changed at the beautiful sanctuary doors? How is God
embodied for them in story and breaking of the bread? The Easter story
continues to turn and reorient us in our living and being. We are now
gifted in our re-turning to tell the story (to witness and proclaim) to
others.
Pastoral Reflections
Prior to my tenure at Calvary Lutheran in Minneapolis, the
congregation remodeled the worship space. The communion table came down
to the main floor and the community created a space for part of the
congregation to be seated in a circle or semi-circle. There is a gift in
finding ways to restructure the worship space and to invite people to
hear the texts while looking at one another. This is an opportunity to
really look at who has shown up and reflect on how God is telling a
story of turning their gaze, seizing their arms, and lifting them up in
new life.
Today may also be an opportunity to teach people how to give their
own testimony. When we hear the words of Peter or experience the
disciples being lifted up as witnesses, how are we equipped to share
this story? How do we talk about the ways that God has oriented us? How
we have been turned or re-turned to God?
During the Easter season with broken bread at Emmaus and Jesus
sharing a meal of fish on the beach, it can be powerful to do a
"communion procession." Many of us have experienced a Gospel
procession, but what does it mean to take the bread and cup out into the
middle of the congregation and say the words of institution in the midst
of the assembly? This offers another way to see new life for the lame,
the hurting, the longing. It offers a deep and abiding promise of Jesus
being seen today in our very presence as the meal is shared. It invites
us to return to the places from which we have come and to be witnesses
of the en-fleshed life and promise of God.
The urban congregation I serve values hearing and seeing the word
challenge and change them. They long to see how the word is calling them
to deeper authentic relationship. Today's lessons accomplish both.
Our hearts and minds, our journeys and stories, are turned again to God
who seizes us from the life that has been and lifts us high--through the
cross--to walk and live again.
Brad Froslee
Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 26, 2015
Acts 4:5-12
Psalm 23
1 John 3:16-24
John 10:11-18
Engaging the Texts
Wrapped in the texts for this week are words of restoration and
healing. In the first reading we encounter Peter "filled by the
Holy Spirit" giving testimony about a man who is now in good health
on account of the name of Jesus the Nazarene. Through Jesus new life is
made known.
The Second Lesson calls the followers of Jesus to live God's
love and to lay down their lives for others; to give of their abundance
(the goods of the world) for the sake of their brothers and sisters in
need. The lesson calls the community into the on-going witness of
restoration.
The Gospel frames restoration in the life and laying down of life
by the good shepherd. This language speaks to the agrarian context and
familiar image of shepherd; it hearkens back to images of David (of the
keepers of God's people).
In this season of Easter, the concepts of healing and restoration
are powerful. Invite the community to reflect on what it means to hear
of one who gives his very life to heal and restore the world and her
people. What does it mean to understand God's abundance and
restoration being poured out? How are we engaged in the on-going work of
God's love and healing?
The texts provide wonderful reflection on the power of God that is
embodied by Jesus. There is opportunity to celebrate God's Spirit
dwelling or coming to life in the people.
The preacher may want to lift up testimony (Peter), God's
enduring promise (Psalm), Jesus' love for the people and through
the people (1 John), the witness of the shepherd--tied to care of
community and expanding promise (John). Framing all of these is the
salvific vision and action of God. The witness of Jesus now emboldens us
to live and proclaim the restoration of life, relationship, and care for
others.
Pastoral Reflections
Growing up on a farm and raising sheep with 4-H, I love the ability
to connect with Jesus as the shepherd who gives his life for the sheep.
As a teenager I made treks to our sheep barn every one to four hours
during the night in the midst of lambing season. I also recall stories
of my grandfather who spent time in the 1920s helping with sheep in the
hills and mountains of the Dakotas and Wyoming--watching out for
coyotes, mindful of cold weather, alert to dangers in the terrain.
The reality, however, is that the vast majority of people in church
are far removed from the reality of shepherds (other than perhaps a
romanticized version), and most are removed from agricultural life. How
can we take the richness and power of these passages and bring them to
bear on life in most of our congregations today?
Some ideas that come to mind:
In our congregation there are a number of women (many now in their
60s-90s) who might be described as neighborhood moms. Many of these
women were stay-at-home moms who cared for their own children and were
the safe place for kids in the area. They monitored the neighborhood for
dangers, they put Band-Aids on numerous "boo-boos," they put
dinner on the table always expecting that they may have two to twenty
more show up, they raced around town to schools and doctors'
offices--and occasionally the police station. My guess is that as we
hear the story of the good shepherd this may be an image that resounds
for a number of adults in our congregation who either were that person
or were cared for by that person. Many will be able to name how this
person showed love or faith to them--people who gave of their life for
others.
It is also important to explore other vocations akin to
shepherd/care giver. Is there a school custodian who greets all of the
kids by name as they come to school, who cleans up after them, who makes
sure kids, teachers, and staff have everything they need? Is there a
city bus driver who knows the people at each stop, who asks them about
their day, who waits an extra minute to make sure someone isn't
missed at their regular stop? Is there a beautician or nurses' aide
in the area hospital or nursing home who goes out of the way to relate
to the people who are there, to ask about their hurts and pains, who
gets to know people's families and gives people that extra effort?
The shepherds today may look very different from the shepherds of
2,000 years ago. Yet, there is a deep relationship, a care for the
other, a willingness to give of oneself. There is a richness in thinking
how people today live out their lives and reveal love, healing, and
promise.
Grounded in the promise of Jesus' restoring individuals,
community, and the cosmos, the on-going witness is one of following in
his ways. There is an image Luther uses of each person being a
"little christ." Today we might invite each person to be a
"little shepherd." In experiencing the one who lays down all
he has (ego, clothing, family--even last breath) for the sake of others,
how are the followers of the Good Shepherd now invited to give of
themselves for the sake of others and the world? No matter age, gender,
race, sexuality, class, status--or even vocation--the call of the
shepherd who lays down his life now lays claim to our living, dying, and
very being. If your community is one that provides opportunities for
healing services or testimony during worship, this is a day that
naturally opens up these possibilities.
Brad Froslee
Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 3, 2015
Acts 8:26-40
Psalm 22:25-31
1 John 4:7-21
John 15:1-8
Engaging the Texts
This is a day to consider making a change in the appointed
readings. Throughout the Easter season the First Reading is always from
Acts, with no reading from the Old Testament except for the Psalm. While
there are good reasons to hear Acts after Easter, there is a sense of
loss in not hearing readings from the Old Testament--as though those
texts no longer matter after Jesus rose from the dead. On this Sunday it
is especially meaningful to hear Isaiah 56 alongside Acts 8; thus, the
readings for this Sunday would be as follows:
First Reading Isaiah 56:1-8
Second Reading Acts 8:26-40
Psalm and Gospel readings would remain as appointed.
Isaiah 56 speaks of two groups of people who have been excluded
from God's chosen people: foreigners and eunuchs. This was a
surprising promise to exiles returning from Babylon. How will they
maintain their unique relationship with God? Surely not by mingling with
foreigners who do not share their religion! Surely not by welcoming
eunuchs who will have no children to pass on the faith! But God's
promise comes precisely to these two groups. The promise to eunuchs is
particularly striking: "I will give, in my house and within my
walls, a monument and a name better than sons and daughters" (Isa
56:5). What an unexpected promise to those who would never have children
to carry on their names! The Hebrew for a monument and a name is yad
vashem, the name of the holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. Those who
perished will be remembered even if they died childless with no one to
recall their names.
Isaiah 56 is the framework for the story in Acts. Luke is
especially fond of Isaiah 40-66. Here in Acts 8 Isaiah's promise to
foreigners and eunuchs is embodied in one person--an Ethiopian eunuch.
Philip and the eunuch rode along together as Philip interpreted words
from Isaiah 53 about the one who was like a sheep led to slaughter,
humiliated and denied justice. Perhaps they kept unrolling the scroll
until they came to chapter 56. Imagine the Ethiopian eunuch's joy
as he heard God's wonderful promise especially for him.
What about the gospel? There's plenty of good news in both
Isaiah and Acts. John 15 is also good news--even with images of judgment
for those who fail to bear fruit. In one of his many "I am"
statements in John, Jesus chooses the image of vine and branches to show
the close relationship between himself and his disciples. We hear this
text after Easter but Jesus was speaking at the Passover table, his last
meal with the disciples before he was crucified. Over and over Jesus
emphasizes the word "abide," a very important word since he
would soon be leaving them.
Pastoral Reflections
I encourage preachers to focus on Acts 8 alongside Isaiah 56. Both
texts heard on the same day are rich with possibilities for preaching.
The sermon can point to the many surprises in the Acts story. At the
beginning the narrator tells us this is "a wilderness road"
(literally "a desert road," erene). Tuck that away for later.
We don't talk much about eunuchs and if we do, we are probably
embarrassed. Some people are born eunuchs, others are castrated (as the
castrati boy sopranos castrated to keep their high voices). We
don't know about this eunuch's past, but we do know about his
present. He is a very powerful person, in charge of the queen's
treasury, well-educated, reading from his own scroll in his own chariot.
He has gone to Jerusalem to worship. Was he allowed in the assembly of
the Lord (see Deut 5:23)? Had he been humiliated like the person in
Isaiah? For many years churches have excluded and humiliated people seen
as sexually different. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people
may have gained respect in many professions, but Christian churches
still named them unfit to serve in the assembly of the Lord. We
don't have to claim that the Ethiopian eunuch was gay or
transgender to see that he would have been considered sexually
"other." How can we say to those who have been excluded: You
have been given a place within God's house, a monument and a name?
Another surprise in this story is how Philip answers the
eunuch's question, "About whom does the prophet say this,
about himself or about someone else?" Starting with the Isaiah
text, Philip "proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus."
But Jesus was not in the text! We believe that the Spirit anointed
Philip and Luke the evangelist to "see" Jesus in Isaiah even
though Jesus' name isn't there. Philip was interpreting the
Isaiah text--not because the Ethiopian eunuch couldn't read, but
because he didn't yet understand the fullness of the story. Without
a witness beyond the text, Philip could not have seen Jesus in the text.
We can help people who worry that we have given up the Bible when we
help them see that the words written down invite us to see more than the
words written down! The final surprise comes when the eunuch shouts,
"Look, here is water!" Remember: this is a desert road--there
shouldn't be any water! Then he asks, "What is to prevent me
from being baptized?" Some might shout "Everything!"
You're a foreigner. You're a sexual misfit. You haven't
been to catechism class. But here is water. Sometimes God makes a river
where there hasn't been one before.
Barbara Lundblad
Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 10, 2015
Acts 10:44-48
Psalm 98
1 John 5:1-6
John 15:9-17
Engaging the Texts
Krister Stendahl once told a group of Lutheran pastors in New York
City, "Don't preach on love if it's not in the
text." Well, this Sunday, love is in the texts! Love is explicit in
John's gospel as well as 1 John. It's not hard to hear a call
to love extravagantly in Acts 10 even though "love" is not in
the text. That story at the end of Acts 10 will be more fully understood
when set within the whole chapter. Last Sunday we heard the story of the
Ethiopian eunuch baptized on a desert road. Today the story focuses on
someone very different from the Ethiopian eunuch. Cornelius is not a
foreigner, but leader of a regiment of 100 Roman soldiers. He is an
insider in the culture even as the Ethiopian eunuch was an outsider. He
is a Gentile who is respected by the Jewish community. Most of Acts 10
describes Peter's strange dream in which a sheet comes down from
heaven bearing all sorts of animals, many of them considered unclean.
"I've never eaten anything that is profane!" Peter
protests. Later he comes to see that the dream was about far more than
food: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality"
(10:34). After Peter's little sermon something shocking happens:
the Holy Spirit falls on Cornelius' household--even though they
weren't circumcised or baptized. Connecting this story to the other
readings, Peter and those who came with him were being called to more
expansive acts of love.
In the second reading from the last chapter of 1 John, love and
obedience are intertwined. How do we love God? By keeping the
commandments. This makes love more than a squishy feeling and gives love
content that is shaped by God's justice. As Cornel West often says,
"Justice is what love looks like in public."
John 15 emphasizes this same connection between love and
commandment. So what is the commandment? The commandment is to love one
another! It often happens in the book of John that we feel like
we're going in circles, getting a bit dizzy. Jesus repeats the
command to love one another so often that we get the sense he really
means it! This chapter is part of Jesus' "farewell
discourse" to his disciples--like a professor being asked: What
would you say if you knew this were your last lecture? Perhaps by the
time John was writing this gospel, love for one another had become more
difficult.
Pastoral Reflections
I remember a Peanuts cartoon I saw years ago. Lucy proclaims in
exasperation: "I love mankind. It's people I can't
stand!" How do we preach on a word as slippery as "love"?
I love my dog. I love ice cream. I love my parents. I love music. I love
God. Knowing that there are three different Greek words for
"love" may not be very helpful. The same Greek word is used in
this text for God's love for Jesus, Jesus' love for the
disciples and Jesus' command to love one another--all forms of
agape.
This command to love one another came before Jesus began his last
lecture. He had just washed the disciples' feet when he said:
"I give you a new commandment that you love one another. Just as I
have loved you, you also should love one another" (13:34). Did
Jesus mean since I have loved you or because I have loved you? What if
Jesus meant in the way that I have loved you, you also should love one
another?
What does Jesus' love look like in John's gospel? In John
4, Jesus talks with a Samaritan woman at the well. She's a
different gender, different ethnic group, different religious tradition.
This is a reaching-beyond-boundaries kind of love. Four chapters later,
Jesus bends down to be with a woman accused of adultery. Her accusers
have the written law on their side, but Jesus does not condemn her. This
is a people-before-rules kind of love. In chapter 9 Jesus heals a man
born blind and refuses to accept the conventional wisdom that this man
or his parents must have sinned. This is a love that challenges accepted
norms. We can't stop at every chapter, but there are many clues
along the way that show us how Jesus loved. At the Passover meal, just
before Jesus' love command, we see a bending-down kind of love. At
the end of his life, Jesus looked down from the cross and saw his mother
and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her. "Woman, here is
your son," Jesus said. And to his disciple, "Here is your
mother." This is a family-creating kind of love where water is
thicker than blood.
When love is shaped by God's commandments this love can't
be whatever we make up. How do we reach across boundaries to love people
whose race is different from our own? How is that love shaped by
God's call for justice? Sometimes John's gospel can seem
other-worldly, but this is the gospel that shocked the philosophers:
"And the Word (logos) became flesh and lived among us ..."
(1:14a). How can loving one another take on flesh? It's not
optional: Jesus commanded us to love.
Barbara Lundland
Ascension Day
May 14, 2015
Acts 1:1-11
Psalm 47
Ephesians 1:15-23
Luke 24:44-53
Engaging the Texts
Ascension Day always falls on the fortieth day of Easter. The
timing is based on Acts 1:3 which tells us that the resurrected Jesus
appeared to the disciples "during forty days and speaking about the
kingdom of God." Congregations that do not have Ascension Day
services often move the commemoration to the following Sunday. Whether
Thursday or Sunday, the Acts account is too important to miss. The
disciples' question is urgent: "Lord, is this the time when
you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" The question indicates
that the disciples are still confused about Jesus' mission.
Throughout his life, Jesus kept saying, "The kingdom of God has
come near"--and it was quite clear Jesus didn't mean a
nation-state. After telling the disciples they cannot know the time, we
hear one of the biggest little words in scripture: "But." That
word usually marks an important shift, an alternative way of thinking.
Here, that little word changes the focus from speculative time to
present-tense time. The focus also shifts away from Jesus to the
disciples: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you-, and you will be my witnesses" (italics added).
Don't spend your time trying to discern God's mind; rather,
believe that you are called to carry on the ministry of Jesus, empowered
by the same Holy Spirit that anointed him back in Luke 4.
The Gospel reading from Luke 24 also tells the ascension story with
a slightly different emphasis. In this ending to the resurrection story,
Jesus "opened their minds to understand the scriptures." He
had done the same thing as he walked with two disciples on the road to
Emmaus. Would they have recognized Jesus in the breaking of bread if
they hadn't heard him open the scriptures? Part of the
disciples' call is to continue this work, opening the scriptures.
That call has been passed down through a long chain of disciples to you
and me.
Pastoral Reflections
Here's a silly question: "Why do you stand looking up
toward heaven?" Wouldn't YOU stand looking up toward heaven if
you had seen Jesus rising up? There was another time when two men in
dazzling clothes appeared to the women at the empty tomb. "Why do
you look for the living among the dead?" they asked the women.
Their question must have seemed absurd for the women had not come
looking for the living, but to pay respects to the dead.
Jesus doesn't seem to be where he's supposed to be. He
was not in the tomb, but risen and gone to Galilee. In today's
story, Jesus was no longer on earth, but risen beyond human sight. We
might begin to believe that to be with Jesus means to be somewhere other
than where we are now. We, too, are left wondering.
There's a wonderful woodcut of Jesus' ascension by
Albrecht Durer. If you look closely at the picture--not up in the
clouds, but on the ground--you can see footprints on the earth. Durer
has carefully outlined Jesus' footprints down on the level where
the disciples are standing with their mouths open. Perhaps the artist
was simply imagining a detail that isn't in the text. Or perhaps,
he is asking us the question, "Why do you stand looking up into
heaven?" The witness we have received is not "What goes up
must come down." Rather it is this: "The one who went up is
still around." Dietrich Bonhoeffer had a deep sense of
Christ's footprints on the earth. "The body of Christ takes up
space on the earth," he wrote in Cost of Discipleship. That is, we
do not have to leave this earth to be with Christ, but Christ continues
to be present to us in the power of the Spirit. Bonhoeffer goes on,
"A truth, a doctrine, or a religion need no space for themselves.
They are disembodied entities ... that is all. But the incarnate Christ
needs not only ears or hearts, but living people who will follow
him." The body of Christ takes up space on the earth.
The Ephesians text says it boldly: "And [God] ... has made
[Christ] the head over all things for the church which is his body, the
fullness of him who fills all in all." Sometimes, it's still
easier to keep looking up there or out there or somewhere other than
where we are--especially if we think of the church as the body of
Christ. We see so many blemishes, so many things wrong. Perhaps you have
friends who say, "Show me a church where ministers aren't
self-serving, where people aren't hypocritical, where love is
genuine, and I'll join that church." Maybe you have said that
yourself. We will have to wait a long time for this perfect church. Such
a church takes up no space on this earth.
At the end of this Ascension Day service, invite people to look at
each other--across the aisle, behind and in front. Ask people to keep
their eyes open as you pray the prayer from Ephesians: "I have
heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the
saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I
remember you in my prayers."
Go in peace. Jesus is here with us. Thanks be to God!
Barbara Lundblad
Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 17, 2015
Acts 1:15-17,21-26
Psalm 1
1 John 5:9-13
John 17:6-19
Engaging the Texts
If you are marking today as Ascension Sunday, see previous comments
on those texts. If you held Ascension Day services on Thursday, the
focus today will be texts for the Seventh Sunday of Easter. The first
reading from Acts takes up the story after Jesus' ascension. In
Luke's understanding, the disciples represent a restored and
renewed Israel; thus, it is critical that there be twelve disciples
corresponding to the twelve tribes. Judas must be replaced and his
replacement must be someone who has accompanied the disciples from
Jesus' baptism until his ascension. How that is possible is a
mystery because the disciples were not called until after Jesus'
baptism. The two who qualify are not known anywhere beyond this text:
Joseph called Barsabbas, also known as Justus, and Matthias. It may seem
a rather arbitrary process to make the choice by casting lots, but there
are many references to casting lots to make decisions in the Old
Testament. Jonah 1:7-8 is probably the most familiar. The lot fell to
Matthias and the circle of twelve was now complete, awaiting the
promised gift of the Holy Spirit that follows immediately in Acts 2.
Today completes the readings from 1 John that began the Sunday
after Easter. Themes in this portion reflect the theology of John's
gospel: "If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is
greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his
Son." With that reading in our ears we turn to the gospel.
John 17 is often called Jesus' high priestly prayer. This
prayer concludes a lengthy time around the Passover table that began
with Jesus washing the disciples' feet. That image of Jesus bending
down needs to be remembered as we listen to Jesus' prayer in which
he seems to be very exalted.
"Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given
me, so that they may be one, as we are one." While Jesus is praying
to his Father, this is a very motherly, tender prayer. Jesus'
prayer isn't only in the past. The verse that follows today's
reading goes on: "I do not pray for these only, but also for those
who come to believe in me through their word, that they may all be one
..." Jesus is praying also for us. We are over-hearing a great
pastoral prayer. Each section ends with a silent "Lord, in your
mercy" and the whole church responds, "Hear our prayer."
Pastoral Reflections
That they may be one--this is Jesus' prayer for the twelve
disciples and for all who come to believe through their word. Then
shouldn't we get rid of denominations? Some church growth workshops
recommend deleting denominational names all together. I understand the
reasoning: if you grew up as a Methodist you might never walk in the
door of a church called "Lutheran." And if you've never
been inside a church, you have no idea what "Lutheran" is. Get
rid of those denominations--let's all be the one Christian family
Jesus prayed for.
Well, there's a problem. Jesus prayed that they might all be
one, not the same. Jesus didn't even pray that they would all
agree. Denominations can be seen as signs of human brokenness, but
denominations can also be gifts--if we remember that our oneness is in
Jesus Christ. Denominational names are adjectives rather than nouns.
There are Lutheran Christians and Roman Catholic Christians,
Presbyterian Christians and AME Zion Christians and many more (even
though we use shorthand and turn the adjectives into nouns!)
Non-denominational churches may be appealing, but they can also be
deceptive. It is surely possible to be prideful in saying,
"I'm a Lutheran." I once wore a little charm on my watch
with the Luther rose on one side and "I am a Lutheran" on the
reverse. Perhaps this was, in case of an accident, someone would call a
Lutheran pastor! It is also possible to be prideful about having no
denominational name. "Our church in non-denominational," a
woman told me some years ago when she stopped in to invite me to a
neighborhood Bible study. She gave me a little book titled Christianity
Can Be Profitable. It was about making money and it was written by her
minister. Technically, she was right: her church was
"non-denominational." But we could also say it was a very
small denomination defined by one minister and those who followed his
teachings.
Denominations can be seen as gifts and reminders of the larger,
global family that is Christ's Church. When I say I'm a
Lutheran Christian I am mindful that there are others with different
adjectives who name the name of Jesus. It is possible to worship in a
thousand different tongues and rhythms, to raise our arms in ecstatic
praise or sit quietly barely moving an eyebrow. It is all right to drink
wine or grape juice from a common cup or a little glass. It is all right
to use a green hymnal or a red one or none at all! Our oneness is not in
these human constructions or constitutions, not in popes or councils.
When we forget the source of our oneness, Jesus is still praying for us.
Barbara Lundblad
(1). http://dictionary.reference.com/ browse/covenant (Accessed
November 30, 2014).
(2.) https://www.hymnal.net/en/ hymn/h/19 (Accessed on December 10,
2014).
(3.) http://www.gbod.org/resources/ palms-or-passion (Accessed on
December 2, 2014).
(4.) Mary Margaret Pazdan. "Passion Narratives" in The
New Interpreter's Handbook of Preaching. (Nashville, Tenn.:
Abingdon Press, 2008), 94.
(5.) Accordance Bible Software commentary on John 18:1-19:42.
(6.) Joan L. Mitchell, Beyond Fear and Silence: A Feminist-Literary
Reading of Mark (New York: Continuum, 2001), 39.
(7.) Ibid., 15.
(8.) Ibid., 114.
(9.) Frederick Buechner, The Magnificent Defeat (New York: Seabury
Press, 1966), 98.
