Easter 3 Year C "Feed My Sheep!"

Last week I was asked why it seemed that, in the Bible, everyone who encountered the risen Christ didn’t recognize him? And I have to admit, all the people in the Bible seem a little dense about the whole Christ thing. Here again today, in our gospel reading, we have another example of the disciples not recognizing Christ.


Now, my usual answer to the question is that the disciples were not expecting to see a dead man walking around, so it took an encounter or two for them to recognize that it was Jesus. Let’s face it; we normally don’t expect the dead to be showing up at dinner, so why would we expect the disciples to be any different? I usually say that they are not recognizing Christ because they are not expecting to see him. And, in all honesty, this answer works for most of the situations, but it doesn’t work for today’s gospel reading. For the disciples in today’s gospel reading, this is the third encounter they have had with the living Christ, having Christ pop up at unexpected times should almost be old hat!

But again we have the pattern: Initially, the disciples don’t recognize Christ on the beach. They are going about their lives, doing the things they would normally do. And in the midst of all of this, Christ appears. And they don’t recognize him until something happens that opens their eyes to his presence. Then once something happens, they all recognize that it was Christ that was there all along.

We have a pattern that is starting to emerge here: First, the disciples are going about their life, doing whatever they are doing. Second, Christ appears in their midst and awakens their senses to the possibilities that are spread before them. And finally he commissions the disciples, sends them, out into the world. Now, not only do we have this three-part pattern of restoration and commissioning, but we have this three-part pattern enacted three times. I am guessing we are supposed to be paying attention to all of this!

Now one of the things that can help us to understand what is happening here is an understanding of what numbers represent in the Bible. The number we are dealing with here, is the number three. In the Bible, the number three can be just something simple like the amount that is more than two but less then four. It can be that simple. But it can also have some deeper, symbolic, meaning. The usual symbolic meaning of the number three is that of “wholeness” or “completeness.” When something appears in the Bible in a series of three, we need to think of a totality.

So we have a three-part pattern of restoration happening three times. I think we are supposed to be getting message here!

And if this were not enough to catch our attention, we have Peter’s encounter with Christ. In this encounter the pattern of three is most obvious. If we think back, Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times. If we use the symbolism of three, we can say that Peter had denied Jesus in the fullest way possible. But Christ does not leave Peter in wallowing in his guilt, sadness, and separation. Christ draws Peter to him, feeds him, forgives him, and sends him out into the world. And this is not just a “go out and do something” kind of sending. Christ has a specific purpose; Christ sends Peter out to care for the people of the world. Not once, not twice, but three times Christ tells Peter to go out and feed His sheep.

This three-fold call is not just for Peter, this call is to all of us. And it is not just a call to some kind of abstract feeding. This is a call to real, actual, action. This is a call to be out among the flocks and bringing the food to them. Some of us were actively involved in bring food to Christ’s flock last week through providing soup and sandwiches at Crossroads, and that was a wonderful thing! But that is only the beginning! Christ tells Peter three times to feed his sheep. He tells Peter that in totality Peter is to be about feeding the flocks.

As Christians, we are not sent into the world as an afterthought. Our primary reason for being is to spread Christ’s love to those who need to feel it. Christ has called us in our baptism and feeds us and strengthens us through the Holy Eucharist and through this community of faith. This is why we are here. We are here to be the hands, the voice, the heart of Christ in the world. Then after we are gathered together, we are sent out to feed Christ’s sheep!

There is so much we can learn from this story! We see that Christ calls the disciples over to where the fire is prepared. Christ has already started to cook fish. Christ has begun to prepare food but asks the disciples to bring their fish too! We will be fed, but we are also asked to add our contribution. Christ will feed us but also asks that we put forth our gifts and talent into the feast. The disciples are given the gift of the catch (153 fish! I always wonder who stopped to count them!?!) and then asked them to give a part of that catch to the meal that Christ was preparing.

And after they had eaten, it was then that he questioned Peter. And it was in the process of this questioning that Christ forgives Peter, restores Peter, and sends him out into the world. And with the words, “Follow me,” the risen Christ commissions not only Peter but us all.

So, where are we supposed to be following Jesus? Where are the sheep we are supposed to feed? That is a tough question. Now there may be a few sheep that need to be fed sitting in this building, but I would probably guess that the majority of the sheep we are supposed to feed are outside of our building. The lambs we are to tend are those who may be sitting next to you, but they are also those who are driving by. The sheep we are sent to may never turn into our parking lot and may never set foot into our building, but these are the people that Christ tells Peter, and us, three times, to care for.

If we take this seriously, if we believe that we are sent to feed and care for Christ’s sheep in the world, how would that change our lives? How would that change us as a congregation? How would that change us as individuals? What things are we doing right and what things will we have to change?

Another question to think about is what are we doing that is NOT feeding Christ’s sheep? What are we doing that may be sending sheep away hungry?

One thing that I like about being new to a congregation is that I can ask questions like this and not be accused of having an agenda. I really am not sure of all the things that are happening here nor am I aware of the things that are not happening. So I can ask these questions as a way of sparking interest and conversation. The things that we are doing well, we need to keep on doing them, but so often with most congregations, there are a lot of things we could be doing that we aren’t. It is at these places, places where we see that there is more we can do, that we have to ask ourselves if we are willing to add our fish to the fire that Christ has prepared and are we willing to go out and feed Christ’s sheep?

I believe we see the risen Lord in the world, but do we recognize him? Do we see him in the eyes of the homeless? Do we see him in the face of the single-mother? Do we see Christ in the tattooed and pierced teen who has dropped out of school? Do we see Christ’s sheep in the executive who is just too busy for that God stuff? Do we see Christ’s sheep in the gay or lesbian who has been driven out of their childhood church and is now bitter to anything even remotely smacking of religion? Do we see Christ’s sheep in the person who feels as if their sins are just too great for ANYONE to forgive?

We know the story for the risen Christ. We claim to believe that Christ has risen from the dead. Are we willing to have Christ question us?

Christ looks at us and asks: “Do you love me?"

If we answer, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you," then be prepared for the next line! Christ himself will look us in the eye and say, “Feed my sheep!”

Blogaversary!

I just realized I missed my Blogaversary!

Wow!  I have been doing this for  four years!

You would think I would have become better at it!!

Thanks to all of you who have stuck around since the beginning and those of you who have joined the ride.  I hope you continue to stick around as I question this thing called life.

Theological Dillemmas

I find personal theologies to be interesting. So often, I just want to ask people, "Why do you believe that?" But asking that of a parishioner would probably not be a good thing!

Last weekend seemed to be filled with head-scratching moments.

I was talking to a parishioner and we were talking about making changes in the standard operating procedure of the church. He mentioned how many people just default to the "that is the way we have always done things" mode and will never move from that. Then about five sentences later, the guy was complaining how the "young kids" in the congregation don't wear shoes in the sanctuary, especially during the summer. "You know, we are supposed to wear shoes in church." I don't think he caught the irony of the comment.

Then I had a woman ask me what happens when no one shows up for a church service. (We had only one person show up for the 8:30 am service on Sunday. She decided she would come back for the later service.) The woman asked, "Aren't you supposed to do the service up to the communion part?" I said, "No, when there are no people, we just don't do the service."

WHY WOULD WE DO A SERVICE IF NO ONE WAS THERE? Liturgy means "work of the people," if there are no people, there is no liturgy! I just had to wonder if the woman thought that the worship service was something that we did for God?  Didn't she see that worship is something that is given FOR US?

Then there was the "I was gone and no one called me..." (as in "I stopped coming to church because I was mad at you and I wanted you to call and beg for forgiveness.)  Isn't part of being a Christian supposed to be living a life of humility and service?  The whole "no one called me" thing just strikes me of self-importance.

Granted, it is important to appreciate people, but to leave a church because "no one called" seems childish.  It is almost as if there is some kind of test being placed before the pastor.  Problem is, the pastor is not even aware that the test is being given.  The psych person in me says, "Let people be adults and ask if they need help or are having problems."  But others see this is "not caring."  Kind of crazy-making.

No, this is not a problem here, now, but it occurs in churches quite often.

I Doubt It

The gospel story for this Sunday always seems to leave me with an uneasy feeling.  I guess part of the reason is that I have often been in Thomas’s place.  I have been the one left feeling unsure when all those around me have been so sure about what was happening.  Now if you have never felt that sense of being left out, then you are truly blessed and you can go get a cup of coffee or something.  But I think most of us have been in Thomas’s place at least once or twice.

I guess what bothers me the most is the way Thomas is commonly portrayed in society.  The phrase “Doubting Thomas” is a byword of our language.  We hear the words “Doubting Thomas” used in such a way as to make it seem as if there is something wrong with having doubts.  Some theologians would have us believe that Christ was angry with Thomas for his lack of faith and that part of today’s gospel story is Jesus rebuking Thomas for his lack of faith.  Maybe that is what bothers me: the concept that any feeling of doubt we may have is wrong and is shameful.

Are we bad Christians if we have doubts?  I guess some would say “yes.”  Some people would have us believe that doubt is a sign of sin in our lives.  Some would say that if we had true, strong, faith, then we would have no reason to doubt.  Some would say that doubt is a glaring flare marking our moral shortfalls.  So I guess by that standard, then I have been a bad Christian; I have had doubts about Christ’s presence in my life.  Like Thomas, I have questioned Christ’s presence among the living.  At times I have doubted all the stories and promises I have heard from others.

The problem with thinking of Jesus as rebuking Thomas is that it doesn’t make the situation any better.  The interpretation of Thomas as a “bad Christian” does not help the situation in any manner.  We all have problems in our life.  We feel troubled about the problems in our lives.  We want to bring these troubles to Christ but feel we can’t.  And why can’t we?  Because we feel that in the midst of our problems we will be told that we are not good enough Christians.  Because we doubt Christ’s presence, we are not good enough to bring our troubles to Christ.

When we hear these judgments and feel the pressure to be stoic in our suffering, it only heaps more trouble onto us.  Not only is life difficult, but it is now our own fault that we are suffering.  It almost feels like we have to have all of our problems solved before we can bring our problems to Jesus.

When we stop to think, having to solve our problems before we can bring them to Christ is pretty silly.  If we could solve our problems ourselves, we wouldn’t need to bring the problems to Jesus.  If Thomas could believe, he wouldn’t need to see.  Thomas was in need.  We are in need.  Jesus does not come to rebuke us for our needs; Jesus comes to help us in our need.

That is the major point we are to take from this reading: Jesus comes to us in our need to help us.  Jesus does not rebuke our need.  Jesus does not punish our need.  Jesus fills our need.  Jesus showed his hands and his side to the other disciples so they could believe; Jesus also shows these wounds to Thomas so he may come to believe.  Just as the other disciples needed to see to believe, (remember, Mary had told them about seeing the risen Christ and the disciples did not believe), so too Thomas needed to see to believe. 

But what about that comment Jesus makes about seeing and believing and those who believe without seeing.  Isn’t that kind of a slap in Thomas’s face?  I guess we could look at it that way.  However, we could also see these words as a truism.  It would be better to believe and not see, but usually we don’t work that way.  We usually need to see before we believe.  So even though it would be better if we could believe without seeing, Jesus still comes to us and gives us what we need to be able to believe.  So instead of a rebuke, Christ’s words are actually the loving words of a concerned teacher.

I stick with this interpretation because it works.  I have found the Bible to be very psychologically sound.  Jesus is very good at bringing out the best in people; we find this throughout the gospels.  Now we know that to attack someone when they are down is no way to help bring out the best in someone.  Wouldn’t our creator know the same thing?  Wouldn’t our creator know that we need support in our times of fear and doubt, not rebuke and reprimand?  So the story of Thomas has noting to do with how “bad” Thomas was and has everything to do with how good God is.

So how does God come to us when we are doubtful?  Christ is no longer here for us to probe his hands and side.  How then are we to see and believe?

This is a tough thing.  This is the world we exist in.  Jesus has not physically walked the earth in over two thousand years.  How is the world supposed to pace their finger in the wounds in Jesus’ hands?  How is the world supposed to place their hand in Jesus’ side?  In our situation now, how is the world to see and know?

This is the situation of the second reading for today.  The most of the people John was writing to, in his epistle, had not seen Jesus, risen or otherwise.  So, because they had not seen Jesus, John was telling them the story.  John was sharing with them the truth as he knew it so that the message of the risen Christ could be shared; even with those who have not had first hand experience.  In sharing the message, John is making Christ real to those who are around him. 

We too bring Christ to the world when we share the message.  When we tell others of the life we have found in Christ.  When we share the blessings we have found in life.  It is when we share with the world that the world experiences Christ.  It is when we share that the world gets to touch Christ’s wounds.  It is when we extend love and forgiveness that the world feels love and forgiveness.

Often our personal experience of Christ is like Thomas’s; we are lost and we want proof that Christ is near.  However, if we think that our feeling of being lost is bad, we will not seek out that which can help us.  Christ still gives us what we need, but that gift is found in the gathered congregation.  It is when we are together, when we are a “y’all”, that we can reach out and touch Christ and have Christ reach out and touch us.

The sad thing is that quite often when the world hears the word “Christian,” they think of anger and judgment.  I have friends who cannot see how I can call myself a Christian when all they see are people who are much more concerned about hatred than about love.

This hurts me and it should hurt us as a community.  I truly believe that the world wants to see Jesus and to touch Jesus.  But what they are seeing and what is being presented to them is something that is wrong.  What the world keeps presenting is a Jesus that would have nothing to do with Thomas.  What the world seems to keep presenting is a Jesus that would only allow Thomas to see him after Thomas had finally become good enough.

For many people, the only Jesus they see is the Jesus of judgment that is presented on television.  But I hope we know that Jesus was so much more.  The Jesus we know is the Jesus who would die for us.  Who was raised for us.  And who would present his wounded hands to us to we may believe. 

Our call is to present the Jesus of love to the world.  Our call is to give to the world what it so desperately needs, the true message of love and understanding that we ourselves receive through Christ.  Our call is to live out our baptismal call and share a living love to a world in need.

It would be nice of we all could believe without seeing, but we are people and we have our doubts.  And Thomas was not bad because he doubted.  Jesus came to address not only Thomas in his doubt, but all of the disciples and their doubts.  We have the Bible to help address our doubts.  But sometimes, we may be the only Bible some people will ever read.  And if we don’t bring the message of Christ love to the world, there are plenty of others who will continue to spread message of judgment and hate.

Brief Updates

Boy do we I have a lot of crap!  We started moving last week with the "Big Move" happening on Saturday.  Well, we are still moving stuff.  It will get here, but I just hate doing all of this.  Wouldn't it be nice to just leave and have new stuff delivered to the new place?

I finally have my "new-to-me" car!  All the pieces fell into place and I was able to finally get it.  I think I am going to name it "Garsh Darn" because it is a Focus.  (Faux Cuss, get it?  That was Nick's suggestion.)

I am getting used to my new place but have been hitting the pavement running with hospital visits, nursing home visits and pre-planning on a funeral.  And if we could figure out the phone system, life would be great!

Well, gotta drive to Lansing and load some more.

Happy Easter!

Move Update

This is coming to you from the media center at the new Quest Labs!

We moved the major chunk of stuff today.  And thankfully, everything and everyone made it here safely.  I am a bit sore in the neck and shoulders, but not too bad.

What I feel bad about is that there is one of my folks who is very nice, he would do anything for you.  Problem is, he is a know-it-all.  No matter what happens, he has the ultimate say on it; no one know anything and he knows it all.  I tried to look beyond, but he has to insert himself into every situation.  I drives me nuts.  But then I feel bad about feeling nuts over someone who is trying to be helpful.  Kind of a no win situation.

Oh well....

We are here, we have some moving to do still, but the major stuff has been moved.

Happy Easter to all!

Easter Sermon

(Pastor runs down the center aisle wearing an obnoxious shirt, dancing the samba, throwing leis and yelling “He’s Alive!”)

            Probably not quite what you were expecting on an Easter Sunday morning, huh? Most of the time when we come to church we expect a calm, quiet, sedate service.  On Easter especially, we expect a very “nice” reverent service.  As I was thinking about the whole Easter thing, I began to feel uncomfortable with the concept of the “nice” service.  I was bothered.  “Why should a ‘nice’ service be a problem?  Certainly we are entitled to a nice service.  After all, this is Easter and we are celebrating the most holy holiday of the church year.”

        “Yes,” I thought.  “We should have a nice, reverent Easter service; something people will enjoy and be happy with.”

        So I started to prepare a nice, reverent, Easter service.  But still something kept bothering me.  As I continued to study the scriptures and to think about the meaning of Easter, it struck me. 

        Easter has nothing to do with being nice.  Easter has nothing to do with being reverent.  Easter has nothing to do with being happy.  Let’s think about it; Easter is about the dead coming back to life!  Easter is about a total change in time as we know it.  Easter is about a total change in life as we know it!

        How should we be acting if the dead came back to life?  Should we be “nice”?  Should we be ”reverent”?  Should we be “happy”?  By no means!  Think about it, if my cat was to die and came back to life, I would be running up and down the street, telling everyone I know!  If a person were to come back to life, I would be more than nice, reverent, and happy!  I would be jumping up and down, shouting at the top of my lungs!  I would be ecstatic beyond belief!  I would not be nice, reverent, and happy.

        Nice, reverent, and happy are for people who do not quite get it.  Well, people who don’t get it or for people who think this raising from the dead doesn’t apply to them. 

I can see Mary, the mother of Jesus, at a cocktail party eating those little meatballs and talking to Ethel, the wife of Simon the potter.

        Mary says, “Ethel, do you know my son Jesus?”

        Ethel says, “Oh yes, he was such a nice boy.  Sorry to hear about the cross situation."

        Mary says, “Yes, that was a terrible tragedy.  But I have some good news.  He has been risen from the dead.  Isn’t that nice?”

        Ethel replies, “Oh yes!  Very nice!  You must be so happy.”

        No, I think the responses would be much more intense.  Mary would be either excited or stunned.  She would be overcome with some emotion but she certainly would not be indifferent.  The same would apply to Ethel.  Ethel would either be terribly excited or terribly worried about the mental health of Mary, but Ethel, too, would not be indifferent.  Jesus returning from the dead would have a very real impact on their lives.  Because of this impact they could not be indifferent.

        I see in our “nice”, “reverent”, and “happy” services an indifference to the fact that Jesus has risen from the dead. I see a lack of understanding how this effects our lives, today! We shout “Christ is risen, indeed!” but the immensity of what we say fails to move us. 

        Folks, because Christ has died and is risen, HE NOW IS ALIVE!  This is something that is for the present, the here and now.  This is not something that just happened in the past.  And because Christ has broken the bonds of death, WE TOO WILL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE!  This is the gift we are given!

        We do not have to earn this gift.  If you have to earn a gift it isn’t really a gift is it?  No, this gift is freely given to us.  CHRIST HAS BROKEN THE BONDS OF SIN AND DEATH!  THROUGH CHRIST WE TOO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE!  Just let that sink in for a moment.  We do not have to do anything to earn salvation, Christ did it for us.  We do not have to live up to the standards of the world; these standards have no power.  We do not have to have the right car, the right clothes, or the right job.  We do not have to follow what the advertisers tell us, we are lovable and special because Christ gave his life for us.

         In our second reading Paul tells the Corinthian congregation and us that Christ’s death and resurrection is redemptive to us all.  Through the sin of Adam, sin and death came into the world.  Through the sin of Adam we too are sinners.  But through the death and resurrection of Christ, we have all been redeemed.  It is through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross that our sins have been forgiven.

        The early Christians were confused about this whole death and resurrection thing, they heard the prophecies but it was almost too incredible to believe.  When they first encounter the risen Christ, they didn’t know what to do.  But when Christ came and ate with them, they began to understand. 

Finally, at Pentecost the Holy Spirit came to them.  It is at this time that they couldn’t control themselves.  At risk to their own lives they went our to tell the world about the wondrous resurrection of Christ.  And it was through their passionate telling of the Good News that many came to faith.

        I am here to tell you that the resurrection is not something that happened in the past and has no effect on us today.  The resurrection is here, today!  The resurrection is for you!  The resurrection is for me!  The resurrection is now!  Christ is risen and because of this the bonds of death have been broken, forever!  We are freed to be about the work of God in the world!  We are free to love not only our friends and family but also our enemies because Christ has loved us, and them, first!

        Christ died on the cross!  Christ suffered the ultimate separation, separation from God, so that we wouldn’t have to.  And Christ has broken the ultimate bonds, the bonds of death!  Christ is ALIVE!  That is something to be excited about!  That is something to cheer about!  That is something to shout to the whole world!  So if it means we dance in the aisle, SO BE IT!  Christ has died and conquered death!  We have eternal life!  THAT IS COOL! 

THANK-YOU JESUS!  THANK-YOU GOD!  THANK-YOU SPIRIT!  AMEN!

Death Dreams

I remember as a kid having someone tell me that if you die in your dream that you die in reality.  Well, I am here to tell you that it just ain't so.  I have had it happen a couple of times.

However, I had a few that were odd in that I actually was dead in the dream.  Probably the most terrifying dream was where I was experiencing nothing:  no sound, no light, no sensation at all.  And then the thought dawned on me, "I am dead and this is all that will be FOREVER."

But the other night I had a less terrifying dream, but I still was dead.  I was up and walking around.  My coffin was there, and I was stepping on it and dragging it around.  At first I didn't realize that I was dead, but then I went to take a shower and realized I had been embalmed.  One of the last things I remember about the dream was realizing I had to pee and not wanting to spend eternity with a full bladder.

I wonder if dreaming of death may be something like the Death card in tarot.  Does it predict change instead of actual death?  I know that we have been through a lot of changes lately.  Maybe Dr. Spo has a comment?  I know that the both of the dreams weirded me out when they happened, and the NOTHING dream weirded me out for a long time!  (Still does.)  But the latest dream kind of makes me chuckle.

Don't know.  Just know that dreams or not, we have changes in our future; some things begin, and some things die.

Life Update

Yes!  I am alive!

That is a good thing!  It has been really busy here so posts have not been happening too regularly.  I have had a lot of deep thoughts (Well, at least deep for me!) but have not had the time or energy to post them.  I hope to remediate that, maybe it will help me sleep at night.

The general thing that has been happening has been the transition to a new church and moving.  I still feel a little detached as I am still 70 miles from the church.  But we are moving on Saturday, so that should help.  Moving on the day before Easter with two pastors is probably as close to suicide I hope to come, but all too often the world gives us what it will, not what we will.

The car situation is still on hold.  I have not gotten the release of lein on the truck so I cannot sell it.  In the meantime, the guy who was planning on buying it has lowered his offer.  So I got financing assuming that I was going to have a $1500 down payment.  Now the guy says he will only give me $1000.  So now I have to search to find $500 during this time of high finances.

DO NOT USE BUDGET TRUCK RENTAL!  I was going to rent a truck from them.  I could not get the web site to work.  I was ignored in the store.  I called to complain...

This is a great story!  I called to voice my upset at their location in Plymouth, MI.  The person I was talking to on the phone seemed much more in finding a way to get me to still rent a truck instead of listening to my concerns.  I asked if anything was going to be done about PILGRIM FIRESTONE in Plymouth, MI (yes, they pissed me off!) or if the whole thing was going to get glossed over.  The guy said, "Oh, please hold."  So I heard some clicks and then I heard a recording saying the conversation would be recorded.  Then a woman came on the line.  When I said that I had a problem with a Budget Truck, she started going on about saving me $40.  It sounded like she was reading a script.  I asked if she was going to do anything about PILGRIM FIRESTONE in Plymouth, MI, and she said she could get me a 6 month subscription.  "To what?"  She told me "Traveler's Advantage!  You are not talking to Budget Truck rental."  THE GUY AT BUDGET TRANSFERRED ME TO A TOTALLY DIFFERENT COMPANY!

AArrrggg!!!

I am getting a truck from U-Haul.

Holy Week is here, and my secretary is new to the whole church secretary thing.  We are doing a lot of e-mail and facebook communicating.

Probably more later.  Maybe even some of the deep thoughts!

Palm Sunday Sermon

Lent is quite the season of contradictions.


We reflect on our death so we can truly live. We look at those things that hold us trapped so that we may find freedom. We cry out “Hosanna!” at the beginning of a worship service just so we can cry “Crucify Him!” at the end. Contradictions, we are surrounded by contradictions. But it is just these contradictions that help us to grow. It is these contradictions that help us to become mature Christians. It is just these contradictions that help us to see the places in our lives where we are not living; it helps us to see those places in our lives where we are just merely existing.

Today we are confronted with one of the most jarring of the contradictions: We are faced with the people doing a complete “about face” to Jesus. When our service started, we experienced the crowds shouting “Hosanna.” But this is at the beginning; this is when things are going well. However, when the times started getting difficult, the people stopped shouting “Hosanna” and quickly change their tune. The people went from shouts of “Hosanna” to screams of “Crucify Him!” I would suggest that this is possibly one of the most jarring changes in the whole lectionary.

Now, of course, we know that if we were around in Biblical times, the words of “Hosanna” would never leave our lips. We would continue to proclaim Jesus as Lord no matter what was being said by those others. We know that we would never add our voices to the chorus of “Crucify Him!” And we can say that because we have 2000 years of perspective and interpretation behind us.

But have we really learned much in those 2000 years? In what ways do we as people, as a faith community, and as individuals cry out the words “Crucify Him!” when we should be singing out “Hosanna?”

We cry out “Crucify Him!” whenever we choose the way of our comfort, pleasure, or security over the vision of Christ for the world. We cry out “Crucify Him!” whenever we choose to let others take the blame for our failures, shortcomings and mistakes. We cry out “Crucify Him!” when we choose to exploit the shortcomings of others for our own benefit. We cry out “Crucify Him!” when we fail to honor and celebrate the Christ that is in every individual we encounter.

Our culture cries out “Crucify Him!” when it can justify giving multimillion dollar bonuses to employees while taking trillions of dollars from taxpayers who are having difficulty just paying their mortgage. (Remember when “trillions” was a nonsense word?) It cries “Crucify Him!” when those in the positions of power and majority actively work to take rights away from those who are weaker and in the minority. Our culture cries “Crucify Him!” when it sees other peoples and cultures as just a means to boost its own standing in the world.

It is harder to see how we as a faith community may be crying “Crucify Him!” This would seem totally at odds with what we would think. We would think that, as people of faith, we should always have “Hosanna” on our lips. But to think this would be naive. Church history is full of stories of one group attacking another group because “They don’t follow the true faith.” Even various groups who claim to be Christian have been known to attack each other; just look at the Protestants and the Catholics in Northern Ireland. Look at The Episcopal Church and the Southern Cone. And just the other day, I had a Pentecostal person ask me if Episcopalians were even Christians.

And, of course, we personally cry “Crucify Him!” When we fail to recognize the dignity of those around us, we crucify the Jesus that is in that person. When we belittle or gossip, we crucify the Jesus that is found in each person. When we take our family and friends for granted, we call for Jesus to be placed on the cross just as the crowds did so many years ago.

Man, this can seem really depressing! But I believe that it is only in seeing how we have fallen short of the ideal that we can fully comprehend the immense gift we have been given in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ! If I have so many houses that I cannot remember the number, the gift of another house will hardly register. But if I am living on the streets, the gift of a bed for the night can be miraculous! If we believe we can do no wrong, then the gift of forgiveness is just and empty box. But if we realize that we are capable of sin in so many different ways, then the gift of Christ on the cross takes on its full significance.

That is the miraculous thing about the Passion and the Cross: Jesus remembers our “Hosannas” and forgives our cries to “Crucify Him!” Jesus lifts up our strengths and places our weaknesses behind us. We are loved as a parent loves a child, and are forgiven and guided into the way of righteousness.

I am sure the calls of “Crucify Him!” were painful to Jesus. I have to wonder why Jesus didn’t just give the whole thing up and “poof” back up to heaven. If I were Jesus, I would want to say, “People, I am doing this for you! Can’t you have a little gratitude?” But Jesus didn’t. Even while the people were calling for his crucifixion, Jesus was willingly going to his very painful death for just those people. For just those people, and just for us!

And even though we, as a people, as a congregation, and individually continue to call for Christ to be crucified, Christ still gives us the gift of forgiveness and asks us to share that gift with those around us.

This is the miracle, the gift and the challenge. The miracle is that the one who was truly God and truly human would suffer on behalf of those who so very often and so easily turn their back on him. The gift is the full and total forgiveness that the cross and resurrection brings to us. This forgiveness is a gift that allows us to move boldly beyond our shortcomings and to move boldly into the world. And the challenge is to take this gift of forgiveness and extend it to all those we encounter. To realize that as Christ looks beyond our sin, we, too, should look beyond the sins of those around us. That as Christ give us total forgiveness, we are called to extend that forgiveness to others.

Knowing that we have the forgiveness of Christ should not become an excuse to wallow in our shortfalls. Knowledge of our forgiveness should become our challenge! Can we go out and love as Christ loved? And even if we can’t, we know that we will be welcome back to hear the message, to be fed at the table, and to be sent out again.

We can bear to have a time like Lent because we know that the stumbling blocks we find in our lives are already forgiven by our God. God knows our shortcomings and loves us and forgives us anyway! Even when we may be saying “Crucify Him!” with our lives, God hears the “Hosanna” that we sing in our heart.

Our Lenten journey is nearing its end. But we are not at Easter yet. We still have Good Friday and the grave. But we can courageously walk this path because we know that our Savior goes before us to lead the way. And we know that even if we fear to follow, our Savior is there to forgive us, to renew us, and to encourage us.

Contradictions: Life from Death. Forgiveness from Humility. Strength from Weakness. Our Lenten journey continues. But through it all, we know we have a Savior who will not leave us stranded on the cross.

Nine Months!!!

Why Am I Doing This?

Why am I saying anything about the Health Care Bill? Am I a glutton for punishment? What can I add to the conversation that has not been screamed from television sets and headlines? Possibly nothing.

But...

I guess being the psych person that I am, I am going to wade into the mess anyway. I am not going to say anything about the bill, itself; I don't know enough. But what I will talk about is the behavior I am seeing surrounding the bill.

I am so frustrated with our system of governance right now that I really want to move to a different country. We all realize that our health care system needs help but the career politicians are so busy worrying about what Fox News is going to say that they can't do anything. The Republicans look silly because they could not do anything that would resemble compromise without having Glen Beck shrilly screaming about how they have turned traitor to the American people.

Then we hear the Republicans saying that they were not part of the process. THEY HAD EIGHT YEARS TO DO SOMETHING AND THEY DIDN'T! And whenever anything was proposed, the assumed answer was "No." It doesn't matter if it was a good answer or even one that the Republicans had suggested in the past, it was summarily rejected. That is so childish!

I am not saying that the Democrats are sinless in this process either. Both sides have their problems. But from my point of view, it just seemed like the Republicans were acting like spoiled children (or fundamentalists!) who didn't get their way so now they were going to do EVERYTHING in their power to halt the system. Doesn't matter that they were elected to help the people. They appear to believe that they were elected to advance their own careers.

And what is up with Newt Gingrich? Civil Rights destroyed the Democrats? Do we really want to go back to a time before civil rights? Possibly if we are an old white guy.  (With a trophy wife, long live sanctity of marriage!)  And he is using that argument to say that the Health Care Bill is bad?  I don't get it.

Our law makers have gotten so out of touch with what is reality in peoples' daily lives.  Previously, I could afford insurance, but then I could not afford the co-pays.  If I really needed something, it was off to the ER, and that is sooooo cost effective to the country.  My costs were eventually paid by the insurance companies anyway.  Hospitals just passed it on to the people with insurance.  And I guess for some people, that was ok.  But instead of ignoring the problem, isn't it better to call it want it is and FIX IT?

This rant was brought to you today by the American Government System!

What Does Jesus Smell Like?

Lent 5 Year C

I ran across something while do research for this sermon that really got me thinking.  The question the author of the article asked was so off the wall that it just grabbed my attention and made me chuckle.  And what was this question?  Well, are you ready for it?  It was:  “What did Jesus smell like?”  Or maybe the better question should be:  “What DOES Jesus smell like?”

You know, smell is one of the most powerful senses we have for bringing back memories.  When I walk out onto our parking lot, I am reminded of hot summer days spent at various amusement parks.  When I walk past a freshly mown lawn, it reminds me of summer afternoons with nothing to do except mow that huge hill in the back yard.  Freshly mown lawns remind me of a simpler time.  And possibly a more strange one is the smell of sulfur of a match being lit.  That smell will always remind me of my grandma, not in a bad way, but she always smoked Lucky Strikes and I will always remember the smell of her lighting a match.  I grew up Roman Catholic so the smell of bees’ wax candles is just the way a church should smell.  And incense will always remind me of funerals.  I think you could blindfold me and take me to a Catholic church and I would be able to tell you where I was.  Possibly not the name of the church, but that it was a Catholic church.  Smells shape our lives.  Some of our strongest memories are attached to smells, so I guess asking what Jesus smells like is not so strange after all. 

In the gospel reading for today, John makes a point of telling us that the house was filled with the smell of the perfume.  Why would the author of the gospel add this little account?  It could be that he was just adding color to the account, but there is probably more to it than that.  One thing that we shouldn’t for get about this story is the people who are sitting at the table.  Of course we have Mary and Martha, but we also have Lazarus, the same Lazarus, who, just a short time before, was in a tomb.  This would also be the same Lazarus of whom, Martha, his sister, said there would be a stench if they rolled the stone away from the tomb.  So, upon hearing about this episode, we should already primed to think of death as something that is, if not bad, then at least something that stinks.

But when Mary puts the perfume on Jesus’ feet, we are told that its fragrance filled the whole house.  I don’t know about you, but when I hear the world “fragrance” I think of something that smells good.  So the author of John is making sure we have this “image,” for lack of a better word, of a wonderful fragrance filling the house.  However, the next thing that Jesus says is so very jarring; Jesus says that Mary is preparing him of death.  (I would love to have the sound effect of a car skidding to a stop right here!)  A wonderful fragrance in preparation for death?  Didn’t we just learn a few chapters ago that death was something that was full of stench?  If death and the tomb stinks, then why would Jesus talk about his death while being surrounded by the fragrance of perfume?

Well, Jesus is giving us a new thought, a new feeling, a new smell for death.  Jesus is changing our thoughts about what death is.  We have already been primed to view death in a new way with Lazarus being at the table.  Just having him sitting at the meal should clue us in that things are changing.  The man, who was dead, in the tomb, stinking of death, was sitting at the table, dining with those around him.  The view of death as a final end was being broken.  Now, this wasn’t the final breaking of death, because Jesus had not yet risen to never die again, but it was foretaste of what was to come.  In Lazarus sitting there, the finality of death had to be questioned.  And it is in this questioning of death that we find the sweetness, the fragrance of the perfume.  What once was thought of as an eternal end has changed.  The stench of a final end has been changed to an odor of sweetness.  The chains that were to be our final end had begun to break.

As we move through Lent, we are coming to the time when we start looking forward to the great celebration of Easter.  We start smelling the perfume of Easter lilies, honey-glazed ham, and chocolate rabbits.  We start thinking of Christ and his resurrection.  We start to live our lives in the joy of our sure and certain forgiveness.  And this is not a bad thing to do.  I am sure Jesus would want us to revel in the gift of forgiveness and life we have been given.  But when it comes to the season of Lent, we are not quite yet to the Resurrection.  We have a bit of a ways to go yet.  We still have Good Friday to go through.  We have the sweet fragrance of the resurrection, but just like Mary, we need to be preparing for Christ’s death.  We need to realize that the gifts that we receive were bought at a price.  Just because the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume does not mean that Jesus does not have to die.  Christ still goes through death and is placed in the tomb.  But he does not stay in the tomb; he does not rot in the tomb.  He is raised from the dead and it is this, Christ’s resurrection, that the sweet fragrance of the perfume reminds us.  It is this joy after the sadness of his death, the fragrance of perfume after the stench of the tomb, the gift of forgiveness after the strictness of the law, which should impress itself on our memories. 

Mary’s extravagant gift of perfume left a lasting memory on those in the house.  Some like Judas would say that she went too far.  But Jesus says that it is a good thing that she does.  When we encounter the world, what impression do we make?  Does our witness of Jesus to the world leave a fragrance of life and forgiveness to those we encounter?  Do we show to the world the extravagant love that we have received, even if some may say we have gone too far?  Or does our witness of Jesus just leave people with the stench of death and the tomb?  Do we believe more in the ways of the world, the ways that leave only the stench of the tomb, or do we place our faith, our trust, our very lives, in the care of our savior, Christ?

I would hope that the fragrance of Mary’s perfume fills our lives.  That the fragrance would not only remind us of the death that Christ endured, but his glorious resurrection that brings us eternal life.  I would pray that we remember the gift that is given to all of us.  I pray that the fragrance of Christ’s love can fill our nostrils and fill our lives.  I pray that the fragrance will be there to remind us of the promise that has already been fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.  I pray that that fragrance is so imprinted upon our lives that just one whiff of it transports us into Christ’s presence in the same way bees wax reminds me of churches or the sulfur of a match bring up the presence of my grandma.

You know, I just realized that I haven’t answered the question that I asked at the beginning of the sermon!  Well, I asked some friends what would Jesus smell like, and I think a good friend hit it right on the head:  She said that Jesus smells “like home.”

Amen!

Name The Car Contest!

Well, this is the new (or at least new-to-me) vehicle!  I like it!  Because of financial situations, I will not be able to take possession of it for about a week or so, but that is ok.  It is mine! 

Now I have a difficulty, I need a name for it!

This is where you come in!  NAME THE CAR!  Come up with a name and let me know.  The winner will receive your own special Indulgences!  Offered up by yours truly!  In addition, if you are ever around, you will receive a free ride to the bar of your choice and one free round!

Life as WE know it.

Well, last Sunday was the first Sunday at my new congregation.  (Boy, do I love the "New Church" smell!)  It was very nice: a wonderful celebration.  Unfortunately, Nick and I were not able to stay long because of all the driving that we had to do.

We had planned to have me go to my church, do the whole potluck thing, and then head home.  Nick was going to stay home and then head up to his congregation for a board meeting and worship.  We didn't think this was the best, we wanted my congregation to meet Nick, but considering the driving times from home to my church to Nick's church and back home (almost 300 miles round trip) we figured this was most sane choice.  However, when the truck died on Thursday night, we realized Sunday was going to be the "Tour of Michigan."

My congregation was wonderful.  They were very gracious to Nick and to me.  I don't think the gay thing is really going to be a problem as I have found that the former priest was a lesbian.  She was an open secret there.  Well, with me, there will be no secret!  I have trouble being in the closet.

It is going to cost around $3000 to fix the truck.  The resale value of the truck is about $3500.  And I don't have any credit cards to max out.  When I look into my crystal ball, I see a "new to me" vehicle in my future.  The problem is that we were counting on the truck as a major part of the move.

Speaking of the move, we still need to find a place to live.  The rental market in the Detroit suburbs is really hot.  Finding a rental is almost a game of chance.  And trying to find a place that will have enough room for stained glass is difficult.  I may need to put the glass thing on hold for a while.  I am not a fan of that, but reality is reality:  It is hard to do glass if you do not have a place to live!

To add to the whole thing, Nick has been working more and more overtime.  He is in a difficult situation:  He works temp but the want him to put in 10 hour days.  Of course, if he says, "No" they just say, "Bye."  They want total commitment from the temps but the company does not want to give any commitment in return.  It really sucks.

We won't even discuss payments to the IRS! 

So, we need to move.  We need to move soon!  We need to get the money to put down a deposit.  I will finally get a check from the church.  (I hope!)  We need to get a vehicle.  We need to start packing here.  We need more time!  And I need to pay attention to my own preaching about trusting in God.  (But it is HARD!)


Sorry for the pity party.

UPDATE:  I just spoke with my financial adviser and we have been able to pay off the last two payments of the truck.  So at least I am not paying on something that is non-functional.  Not a whole lot of good news, but good news all the same.

Lent 4 - The First Sermon

If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

Wow!  Did you hear that?  In Christ there is a new creation!  What a great promise to hear on this day!  We have this great promise in scripture.  With all the changes that are occurring, it can become easy to feel lost and uprooted.  With all the changes that that are going on around us, it can be easy to become discouraged.  But with the words from our Epistle reading for today, we can take comfort in knowing that what we currently see is not all there is.  From the words of our epistle reading, we can be sure that in Christ, there is so much more:  In Christ there is a new creation!

Now all this promise of a new creation sounds pretty wonderful, doesn’t it?  But we really need to ask ourselves a question: “What does it mean to be a new creation?”  In being a new creation, does that mean that what has happened before was in some form “bad?”  Does it mean that what had occurred in the past was terrible and that now our life is going to be sunshine and roses?  Does it mean that as long as we remain in Christ, that nothing terrible will happen?  Or conversely, does it mean if we run into problems in life then we have been, in some form, unfaithful?

Well, the answer to all of those questions would be “no.”  Being a new creation does not negate what had come before.  Being a new creation does not mean that life is going to suddenly become all kinds of wonderful.  Being a new creation does not mean that bad things will no longer happen.  What it does mean, though, is that we are never apart from God’s gracious and abundant love.

The gospel reading for today is one that many of us are probably very familiar with.  And at the risk of doing a major disservice to the reading, I want to boil it down to one point:  The whole conflict in the story of the Prodigal Son is caused because the brothers have forgotten that the love of the Father is abundant beyond comparison.  The younger brother wants his share of the inheritance because it might otherwise be gone; and the second brother is upset because he is afraid that the first brother is coming back to get even more of the inheritance.  But the Father knows that they are both silly because the Father’s generosity is more than sufficient for both of the brothers.

When we seem to get caught in life is when we forget that there is an abundance of God’s love for all people.  We believe that if God’s love is showered on some, then that leaves less for everyone else.  The older brother thought that there would be less inheritance for him because the younger had already taken a big chunk and seemed to be back for more.  But the Father was there to reassure him that not only was there enough for the younger brother, there was always plenty for the older brother too!

When we look at becoming a new creation, we need to look at it through the eyes of the generous, loving Father -- a Father that wants the best for his children.  When we look at becoming a new creation, we need to look at this as something that has been in process since the beginning of time!  When we look at becoming a new creation, we need to look at this as the greatest gift we could ever be offered!  And in Christ we ARE a new creation!

Day by day we are being formed into a great work of art, an invaluable, precious gift!  With each new sunrise, God’s promise of abundant life is once again renewed for each of us!  With each new day, not only are we being created, those around us are also being created anew!  And as a congregation, a community with Christ as our center, we continue to be formed for the work of God in the world.

Paul tells us in the epistle reading that we are to regard no one from a human point of view.  We are not to regard the outer shell as all that there is.  When we look out into the world, we are to look upon those who surround us, and upon ourselves too, with the eyes of God, the eyes that see everyone as wonderful works of art.  We are to see all of humanity with the grace and compassion of God, the grace and compassion of the one that would send his own Son into the world to bring the world forgiveness.  We are to look upon each other with the same grace and forgiveness, as we would wish for ourselves.

And when we do fall short of the mark, which we will do, we need to remember that we can always return home.  Even though we may feel that we do not deserve to come back, we need to remember that the Father will have been waiting for us and will be there to greet us.

As we begin this time together, I pray that we can keep these points in mind.  I pray that we can always remember that in Christ we are a new creation.  Both as a congregation and as individuals, Christ is at work in each of us, using our pasts to bring us to this present, and finally forming us into wondrous creations.  In Christ we are able to do so much more than we ever thought possible.  In Christ, we are not as the world would see us, but ARE the wondrous creations the God would have us be.

And we also need to remember that no matter where we are, we can return home.  The gifts of the Father are so much more than we could ever hope.  God’s love is the “welcome” that we all want to hear, and the table is where we can still be fed.

And we need to remember that, like the older son, those who have stayed to take care of the Father’s estate, are no less loved by the Father and are called to celebrate with joy the return of those who have been gone. 

We will be going through some times of transition.  I am hoping that this will be a time of excitement, a time of insight, and a time of fun.  But I am also guessing that there will be times of frustration, times of anxiety, and times of hurt.  It is especially during these times, times when things are not going so well, that we need to remember that God is at work with us, making us into new creations.  It is also at times like these that we need to remember that Christ is at work in those around us as well.  We need to celebrate those around us as new creations.  We need to give to others the grace and forgiveness we would hope for ourselves.  As we give, we will grow.

This is a great time to be the church and it is a great time to be St. Swithins in the Swamp!  I am excited to see what God has in store and I am excited to be traveling along with you!  And in all things, we always need to remember, In Christ, We ARE a NEW Creation!

Report From the New Job

I have truly come to the conclusion that the world does not know how to deal us who are introverted.  I want to say, "Just the facts..."  I don't need to get EVERY detail in the first day.

I don't want to sound negative, but... I don't know.  I think it again comes to people trying to make me feel comfortable but getting too wound up in their own "stuff."  I need time to get used to my place in things and not have everyone immediately pressing upon me.  I have already been told that the Youth Group wants to meet with me this Sunday.  This is my FIRST Sunday!  We will have plenty of time!

But also, this helps me to know what has been happening.  I would assume that it was hard to get an "audience" previous priest so everyone wants to make sure they get their face-time.

There just seems to be a lot of anxiety floating around there.  I experienced this in my last place.  I just need to be sure to set up proper boundaries.  Some people will not like that, but that is their problem.

In general, I am looking forward to being in a new place.  I am also looking forward to some longevity!  This moving every year is getting really old.

But...On the way home last night, the truck started making some really horrible noises.  Now it is sitting in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart about 30 miles away.  (Who said Wal-Mart was good for nothing?)  Nick got to get out of bed and drive, through the rain, to pick me up.  Now there is another bill we weren't counting on.  Oh well...

Life goes on!

Deep Thoughts

"Bud Light is to Beer as Tofu is to Meat"

My Wife and Kids

 

I have to write a "getting to know you" piece for the bulletin at new church where I will be starting next week.  I HATE writing these things.  It is not that I can't do this, it is just that we have the "wife and kids" thing.

Do I not say anything?  Well, that is a red flag 'cause everyone talks about their "Beautiful Wife and Three Awesome Kids."  (Doesn't anyone have an ugly wife and mediocre kids?)  But if I say, "I have a wonderful partner of 4 years.." immediately, some people are put off and I am not around to do any damage control.

I always wonder why it has to become such a big thing.  Granted, I am gay, but it is not the ONLY thing in my life; it is not even the most interesting thing in my life.  But the moment I say it, it becomes the thing people latch onto.  And if I don't say anything about it, people accuse me of "trying to hide it because I am ashamed of it."  Neither of these are true: it is just part of who I am, like I have brown hair and a paunch. 

I don't know.

The picture at the beginning of the post is the new piece I just finished.  I kind of like it!  But do you know how hard it is to find male nude patterns?  Female nudes are everywhere, but men are mighty sparse.  And then again, comes the whole thing on the appropriateness of a priest making nudes.  I don't know if I would feel the same way if this were a female nude because those are accepted by society.

I am probably just overthinking everything.