Nov. 23-Ezek. 34, Mt. 25:31-46 Justice v. Charity in God's country

Nov. 23 Ezek. 34, Mt. 25:31-46

The last two weeks, we had parables that would delight political conservatives. The bridesmaids don't share their oil, and last week the shrewd investors got praised by the stern rich man on a trip. We come this morning to the favorite biblical quote for politically  liberal, charitable Christians. This is a parable, so it is designed to move us out of our usual thought world.I rather doubt if it is a ethical prescription any more than the previous stories we read of the kingdom of heaven.

Here the big surprise is seeing or not seeing Jesus in our actions. Neither group saw Jesus.

When are they separated; when are they together? Who are the least: are h they those in need, or or they the disciple of Jesus, the little ones? Act like what you are-act like who you have become Act out of intrinsic good, not for benefit of who sees it-not for the hope of heaven, not for the  fear of punishment. Who are the nations, all or within the church Gentile and Jew alike? Grasping one’s membership,one citizenship in God’s country, God’s way is to be good and to do good without seeking recognition,reward or punishment.It is a a wayof being in this world.

In Ezekiel, God feels sorry for the lean sheep being pushed around by the fat sheep. God sees that as a failure in being a shepherd, so things are going to change. The choir has sung a psalm that fit this reading. After the election, we can see it as a public judgement of the shepherding done by political representatives/ Ezekiel new ruler, he does not use the word king any more perhaps had messianic hopes built into it.In this prophetic work, it is clear what the measure of public justice is. It should be to limit the scope of the need for private charity.Ebenezer Scrooge would not need to get a goose for the Cratchits if he paid a livable wage in the first place. Further Ezekiel goes after the fat tough sheep who not only push around the little ones but they muddy, no they foul the water that is to be shared, the water for the other s who need a drink,.The public dimension of this is obvious. Economists try to pretty it up by calling it externality. Thi is a clarion call for community of care across the board. I shudder to think of God’s justice when we are asked about a generation’s worth of ignoring the needs of the mentally ill, especially those who need to be committed. God is furious that the political leaders have failed the people repeatedly. I tremble since the word pastor refers to a shepherd. God is also furious at how the members of the community, the flock behave. God is angry at how the fat and strong sheep act. This time, God’s pasture is justice-I will feed them with justice. It is crystal clear in the bile that a measure of justice is how the poor and vulnerable are treated. Justice is a collective, structural, social condition, equal protection of the laws, the 14th Amendment calls it. Here, justice means that the need for charity decreases.

The mark of character is how one acts when no one is watching. It isthe idea of what happends in Vegas stays in Vegas.Here the mark of Christian character is how do we act if we do not seeJesus among us? Better put, when do we see Jesus constantly among us?

When were sheep and goats separated? Often were in the same flocks-sometimes they were separated at grazing time.By and large, thesheepand goatslive together. If separation is to be done,God does it, notus.

Devotional Pts. Week of Nov. 2

Sunday-Ps 34 has the great line, taste and see that the Lord is good.Replace the word saints for righteous ones , and one gets a sense of why it was selected for All Saints day readings. It prompts in me the question, why does life seem so much more complicated than this? why do we need to push such promises over to the afterlife?

Monday (From God Pause, Oct. 25)Grandpa Knute had a ministry; he would spend his Sunday afternoons visiting the homebound, singing Norwegian hymns for them. Since Grandpa Knute himself had been widowed for a number of years, suspicious connections were made in the minds of some.He likely sang (from the old country) "Den store hvide flok" ("Behold the Host Arrayed in White,") and "I himmelen, i himmelen" ("In Heaven Above,") but also "Peace to Soothe Our Bitter Woes", bringing comfort to those bereaved, including himself, who outlived his spouse and nine of his eleven children, two of whom died in an 1897 lightning storm.

Tuesday-"putting the most charitable construction" part of Luther's explanation (words I learned in confirmation). To the occasional chagrin of her children who came storming home after a schoolyard spat, she would gently explore why the offending child may have acted in the way she or he did—the most charitable construction. By her words and example, we learned and grew. More than just the sentiments of a dutiful son, these thoughts are echoed by a cousin who similarly says of her aunt: "She was the most affirming person I have known."(God Pause)

Wednesday-”there’s a wideness in God’s mercy” Our human attributes for God tend to be those of power and might, wisdom and strength and the like.  While power and might can destroy, mercy recovers, refreshes, redeems, restores, renews. We may be so fearful of mercy, lest it be exploited, that "we make this love too narrow by false limits of our own; and we magnify its strictness with a zeal God will not own."There's a wideness there, more than we can see, and with it we can breathe, freely.

Thursday-It's extraordinary how many numbers we carry around in our heads—countless telephone and fax numbers, ., ZIP codes, area codes, and so on and so forth.Numbers are lifeless and boring abstractions, yet for each of us there are some that are so charged that, if we happen to be paying attention, they can make our hearts skip a beat. The year somebody we loved was born or died... The number of steps there were to climb to our bedroom as a child. The age we were when we first fell in love. Uninteresting as they are in themselves, numbers remind us that, if we have our wits about us, almost anything we look at has treasure buried in it.

Friday-Micah 3:5-12-It is hard to wake up to the words of Micah. Micah is crying out in the darkness of a world torn by war and mothers crying out for food for starving children. He brings a word from God who is not only distressed that his creation has fallen into deep darkness, but is downright angry that the very People he has called to be a beacon of light are a part of the darkness.

Saturday-Which dimension of your work needs more attention: your inner work (prayer, meditation, journaling); your outer work (finding a vocation that fulfills you and helps mend the world); or your sense of connection to the greater work (the integration of your microchip into the eternal arc of God's work)? Don't try for anything: just be with the creative tension. See if you hear a whisper of invitation. (Ira Kent Groff)

All Saints Mix -Rev. 7, Josh. 3

Nov. 2 All Saints Rev. 7, Josh. 3   

We receive a vision, a  brief picture of the saints in heaven -they have arrived in the Promised land called heaven-  crossed the Jordan between life and death, life here and a fuller life with God, within the very life of god.The dead live. Not only do they live; they live an exalted life in the very throne room of God. They may have been despised on earth, but in the sight of god they are utter royalty.they received promises from both parts of the Bible. the lamb and the shepherd get brought together. The living water is available for people who thirst no longer for a better world. It is an extended play on dwelling with God (tabernacles feast) when Israel dwelt in tents, so did God. When israel dwelt in homes, god presided in the temple. Now the people live in God’s own dwelling place, God’s own heavenly tabernacle. the robes are washed, baptized, in blood, but they are dyed white, not red. they sparkle with life. One could assume that they are martyrs at the hands of the state.Victims of bloodshed are now in the very throne room, the altar, the very residence of the Holy One.  At the same time, we gain access to heaven through the life, the work, the faithfulness, the death and resurrection of that same slain little Lamb of god, Jesus Christ.

We get Jericho as first stop in the Promised land-needed to keep their distance from the ark

Not a military action, it is a liturgical procession. It frames the story of the parting of the red sea in leaving and now the river parts to enter the Promised Land. Can it be an accident that the town is called Adam? The saints of Israel are in liturgical or choral procession. In a way, it is the attack of the saints.the walls fall with ritual worship, not the force of arms. Here is the Bible at its most martial, the conquest of the Promised Land, but the entry is through worship, not force of arms.Their standing in the throne room answers the plea of the preceding chapter, who can stand?

At first, i wanted to draw a bright line between being on top in Joshua and being a victim in Revelation, but it is not that easy. The Joshua story, after all, is a reimagining the entry and conquest, when Israel and Judah were already defeated. They cannot even imagine winning a war, so it is place directly through the hands of god through action of worship, their connection with the divine. In reverse fashion, the victim martyrs are now on top, literally, in heaven, when they were on the bottom on earth. To some degree, our view of heaven projects our fondest hopes on the future. it also may well project a reversal of that which causes us so much pain here on earth. their voices may be stilled on earth, but they resound in heaven.

American slaves called the Ohio river, the Jordan, the route to the promised land of freedom. Some of us call the passage from death into the new life in God in heaven the Jordan.

We get a rationale for heaven in this short piece from i John about the lavish love of god. Can such divine love respect the love lavished on us only before we die?. In Bargainers and Beggars (1919) James Huntington hit the nail on the head: "In [God] alone do we find the full realization of bestowal, of donation. For only his own love prompts him to give existence to his creatures, and to continue to endow them with what they have, or are, or ever can become."

All Saints notes Lk. 1

We sang the song of Zechariah.Its words are so appropriate for this late afternoon when he speaks living in darkness and in the shadow of death. All Saints Day has us face squarely the reality of the death of loved ones.

He speaks of the tender mercies of our God. As Paul said, death is the last great enemy of the path of life. For Christians, God;s. Ruth read Mary’s song. Mary too repeats the word mercy.Her son would die, far too young. We hold that he broke down the gates of death as a permanent prison. Instead he opened the way to new life with God in a new place. great tender mercy is the afterlife in the presence of God.Saints in our tradition are not saints due to the perfection of their lives, but that they are set apart in the faithful holiness of Jesus Christ; they are part of a great house of the holy family.

Zechariah's name means God remembers, or better calls to mind. Memory is a foretaste of resurrection.-+Mercy is an old word and has the sense of showing compassion and grace.In Greek, the word is translated from God’s lovngkindness at times.

Halloween has us ridicule the spirits of death and evil with costumes and candy.Here we truly hallow the memory of the departed in this service.

Carrie Newcomer who graced us with her insight and music recently uses this time frame to construct altars of memories replete with prayers and photos of those who have touched her life who have preceded her in death.Week after week we read the Creed about the communion of saints. Yes, in baptism we are joined with all Christians. It goes further, especially this afternoon. The communion of saints moves past the door of death. God’s merciful energies allow us to continue to participate in the lives of those who go before us, Geddes MacGregor in The Rhythm of God tells of a priest who, when asked, 'How many people were at the early celebration of the Eucharist last Wednesday morning?' replied, 'There were three old ladies, the janitor, several thousand archangels, a large number of seraphim, and several million of the triumphant saints of God.' Such a 'cloud of witnesses' answers a deep human urge to be part of something larger, to not stand alone, to give our little lives meaning. One drop of water, left alone, evaporates quickly. But one drop of water in the immense sea endures."and they in ours. Love passes into prayer; we still love them; why not hold them, in that love, before God?”

― N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope:

Column on Interstellarmovie

One of the signs of growing older is that my imagination is growing circumscribed by the past. My sense of possibility is growing truncated. One antidote for me is watching a movie.  Recently I saw the new movie Interstellar. I am starting a collection of essays on faith and film. This one will definitely be in consideration.

Science fiction gives directors permission to let their imaginations fly: to create new worlds, to imagine the realm of the black hole, to peer deeply into human nature. Christopher Nolan, the director does not disappoint, as his palette is rich and full and opens up the viewer to new worlds.

It is set in a familiar future, but the natural order is spinning away, as blight threatens the food supply. To hold off destruction, humanity has narrowed its vision into becoming caretakers, not explorers or visionaries. It pushes the questions back to us. Have we become so chastened, so disappointed, that we have lost our push to aspire for something large, something great and noble? Can we face big questions-How much peril have we left our precious globe? Will the planet be saved? Will the human race survive? Should it?

Science fiction places great questions and possibilities before me into a distant time and place. It creates a safe distance, a remove, to consider our own concerns and issues. The writer and director are fond of paired relationships. We get two poles of a father-daughter relationship, one worshipful and one alienated, but both come from the deep bond of the relationship itself.

Kip Thorne, the physicist who worked on the movie Contact, is an executive producer. His fingerprints are on the movie in its consideration of time at the edge of our grasp of it. From Einstein, most of us now realize that time is not always a constant, but that it can change if one approaches the speed of light. The script also points in a most human way. As time passes memories fade and change. Parents provide the template of memory, not the future, the past, for their children. In a way, parents are the ghosts of time past for our children. We occupy their presence with our words and actions. The quality of our interaction will check if those memories haunt them or give them courage.

When the movie goes into space, the crew has a robot on board. It has a humor program set into it. It has an honesty level programmed into its circuits that can be adjusted. To what degree can we, should we adjust our settings, depending on circumstance? The robot is even willing to sacrifice its own existence for the mission and the pursuit of knowledge. In the New Testament, we call that the very definition of love in some instances.

As they struggle to grasp shifts in time, space, and gravity, the characters face that particular element of humanity, love. One character says that love is the force we know that can transcend space and time. She goes on to say that we love those who have gone on before us in death. What social utility does such a force present?

Finally, the question is raised: is it enough for us to merely survive, or shall we flourish? One day at a time works when the future seems threatening. If the future seem brighter, we may well aspire toward better days. A character repeats the famous line of Dylan Thomas: rage against the dying of the light. It applies to death, but it could also apply tour acceptance of a half-lived life of foreshortened expectations and goals and hopes. Imagining a new and better future gives us the energy to change in the here and now.

Devotional Pts-Week of Nov. 9

Sunday-Ps. 78 is a long prayer of Asaph. Our assigned verses are through v. 7 today, where the psalmist, like Jesus will speak in parables.This vehicle seems to be a way to remove the veil over our minds and hearts; it tears down our defenses. the trouble is that I don’t usually get the story, so the hidden things remain hidden. What is an effective way to reach you religiously?

Monday-For the longest time I didn’t know that the Spirit was speaking. That’s the beauty of the Spirit: it’s always speaking, even when I’m not listening. I caught a sound here and there, not sure where it was coming from, or maybe it was my imagination. More often than not, I forgot all about it. But the Spirit keeps speaking—calling. That’s the word: calling. I think the Holy is calling me—to do, to be.Abbey of the Arts"

Tuesday-Guard against anger. But if it cannot be averted, let it be kept within bounds. For indignation is a terrible incentive to sin. It disorders the mind to such an extent as to leave no room for reason."— St. Ambrose\\-An old acquaintance posted this quote recently.It Is a salutary warning to keep anger within narrow bounds. While I applaud the catharsis of anger, it doesget out of control easily.How doyou controlyour anger?

Wednesday- I Saw Interstellar recently. Like much of science fiction it broadens my imagination to deep things. For instance, it flatly denies natural evil, but sees evil aswithin human beings, even when nature is destroying the planet for human life.It promotes love as the force that can transcend time and space, and these words come from a scientist.

Thursday-”We want life to be like a train, but it turns out to be  more like a sailboat.” Barbara Brown Taylor. I very much like her analogy. I want life to be quick and have a definite direction, but my plans go awry. Instead, I drift at time and have to steer a course by tacking and taking the long way to a destination.

Friday-I want my kids to be dirty, messy, even bored — learning to become human. I want us to have a kind of existence where we can pause, look each other in the eye, touch one another, and inquire together: Here is how my heart is doing? I am taking the time to reflect on my own existence; I am in touch enough with my own heart and soul to know how I fare, and I know how to express the state of my heart.(Omi safid, from Second Pres.Indianapolis)

Saturday-Richard Rohr We are but a tiny flicker of a much larger flame:life itself...love itself...God's very Self. Where do you detect a flicker of the divine within you? where do you detect its opposite. Where does our limitation come into play here? Where is it dangerous to even claim divinity within?

Sermon Notes on Encouragement I Thes. 4-Nov 2

November 9  I Thes., 2, Josh. 24

“Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report written on birds that he'd had three months to write, which was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books about birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him put his arm around my brother's shoulder, and said, "Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.”

― Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Dr. Cameron Meredith saw his career as base don the idea of encouragement. It comes form French, to take heart.It is the opposite of discouragment.  It seems to me that coaching can be encouragement to help someone find the ability to hone their skills and cover up deficiencies; encouragement helps put us in a position to win. So often, we call realism is criticism or only looking at negative facts. In our time, we get smothered in a profusion of troubles but do not look forward to better times or back to count our successes and improvements.Encouragement bears some of the marks of what is being called life coaching. (I just passed a sign for it on Godfrey Rd. recently) Instead of rebuilding someone, it seeks to downplay negative factors and highlight its good factors. Instead of imposing a vision of the good, it seeks to draw out the good from within the person.

Last week's reading ended with Paul talking about the church acting as a s nurse to help bring people to restored health and wholeness. Paul boldly offers encouragement about death’s aftermath. I was stunned to hear that the cable TV medium Theresa Caputo was selling tickets for the Family Arena, a large venue.She sells tickets, I suppose, as people seek assurance about life after death, as we have for many years. Mary Todd Lincoln sought solace in seances held at the White House after their young son died.The Thessalonians are wondering about the state of their loved ones, are they all right? We will be together with the Lord forever,Paul says.

In the recent movie, the Judge, a middle-aged woman had a near miss with a large buck on the highway. From that point on, she decided to “become the hero of my life story.”

Josh 24 renewed a covenant-Recall in ch. 4 the standing stones recalled the crossing of the Jordan by the 12 tribal representatives.At our first parish in LaGrange, In we had 12 large granite stones flanking the Communion table, as a giant screen for the organ.good idea;but then the floor needed support, and its granite colorfelt a bit like a cemetery monument garden.

Just as the covenant community promised to live out the great promise in their own lives, and in their new situation., so  we can renew baptismal promises and healing prayers all of the time-choose- in time, but now- yes a series of failures-reminders of God being faithful even when we are not there-worship as a ritual of choice-serve=worship=putting away the old gods-serve even if it seems wrong/evil to do so. Aren’t elections, in part, renewal of our commitment to representative democracy? Isn’t confirmation a renewal claim on baptismal promises at a new stage in life? The great encouragement about the church is that we are not alone, but we are gathered together as a people. God is with us.