Beatitude

Stones and Bread

I had a sobering conversation with my mechanic just last week. Our 180,000 mile car is nearing the end of its useful life. My mechanic and I got to talking about the business of repair and I reminisced about my days repairing Xerox copy machines. “I used to pray, ‘God, fix this machine.’” And then I laughed and said, “God never really came through on that prayer.” My mechanic said, “That’s because the real prayer was about your character.” He’s right. We're here to deal with what really is rather than depend on God to magically change things.

I’m thinking that is partly why Jesus disagreed with the devil when he asked him in Matthew 4 to change the stones into bread. Jesus was undertaking the spiritual discipline of fasting. What was behind the temptation was to forget the spiritual discipline and look to God for a magical relief. Jesus chose to live primarily by the Word of God and let stones be stones.

Could it be true that we often wish God to simply change the circumstances, when what God really wants is our faith and the character development that goes with it?

It Takes A Congregation

How many Presbyterians does it take to change a light bulb? You know where that normally goes. They form a committee, then decide to study the matter and discover it's really not about the switch, it's more about the essence of light... and perhaps we could consider the light of God instead of physical light, etc. But here's where I'll go with it today, thinking about whole new light fixtures and bulbs: It takes the whole congregation. At Westminster Presbyterian Church, Olympia, Washington, we've watched the drama unfold over 20 years. The congregation turned on the lights this summer. God inspired us, challenged us, encouraged us and then showed us the final steps. These days, every time I flip a switch, I picture 20 years of faithful worshipers. In know these faithful worshipers will be the hosts to thousands of guests and that Christ will be our host each day. It takes a congregation.

Aligning our Treasure

When Jesus spoke "“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom," in Luke 12:32, he was helping his followers, and by extension us, to learn to trust. It is a good time to learn that trust. We've seen a great deal of wealth moth-eaten recently. My suggestion is to take some of the wealth we've trusted, give it away and watch what happens. In the mean time we'll have more time to pray, shifting our trust from things to God. I admit it's a risky challenge. But I think we in America need to take a careful look at what we're doing with our possessions. We're probably not at risk for trusting God too much and our wealth too little. Are we?

Standing in the River of Grace

In Acts 11:1-18 Peter is called upon to explain to the Jerusalem council why he ate with and baptized Gentiles. Peter had been through a great deal to get to the point of doing so. It came to him even through great perplexity and his own resistance. Two independent visions and a series of miraculous coincidences combined with some authentic religious experience and a deep reflection on scripture; these and about 80 miles of travel helped transform Peter, and through him the church into a multi-racial, multi-cultural movement. 

To me it is as though Peter was standing in the middle of the spring runoff where tributaries had overflowed their banks and come together. Peter could look and see the waters of grace flowing for the Gentiles and he could also recognize the waters of grace flowing for his fellow Jews. He simply responded by baptizing his new Gentile friends in those same waters. Those in the Jerusalem council could not see the other half of the flowing waters until Peter showed them. Then “they praised God.” 

We stand in the same spring runoff. A multitude of people experience such grace flowing. The church needs to find a way to welcome them. They are of many races and many persuasions. They are young and old, popular and friendless, rich and poor, sick and strong. God loves and embraces people. All people. And I just think the church can get to be too much like the Jerusalem council before Peter tells them about the grace he witnessed. Do you think we could more effectively reach out and welcome a larger variety of people?

Whom Are You Looking For?

Mary Magdalene came to the tomb looking not for Jesus, but simply for a place to grieve in John 20:1-18. She told others about the empty tomb with the assumption that Jesus’ body was stolen, not that he had risen. She is still convinced that Jesus’ dead body has been placed somewhere else, as she weeps outside the tomb. Then the resurrected Jesus speaks to her and she can’t see him as Jesus. Even though she looks right at him, she thinks he’s the gardener. Jesus asks her the question: “Whom are you looking for?” Evidence has it that she wasn’t actually looking for the living Jesus. That would have been too much to ask of someone who had just been crucified.

This is true for most of us. Daily you and I look resurrection in the face and don’t see it. My faith is too reasonable. I expect the life and death cycle to be reliable and predictable. The normalcy of life and death, anger and hatred, wars and crime, disbelief and defeat are commonplace and reinforce our expectations. They also blind us to the very abnormal and out-of-the-ordinary divine act of resurrection.

Mary recognized Jesus when he called her name. This text was not written to remind Mary of the event, but to show us of its truth today. Jesus calls our name just as Jesus called Mary’s. The opportunity is open for us to accept resurrection life; to open our hearts to Christ’s life. This challenges us to live not according to death, and all its relatives like hatred, wars, and crime; but instead to live according to life, love, peacemaking, justice, faith and hope. I submit that it’s not a one-time deal. We need frequently to turn to the risen Christ. I’m praying that I can keep turning toward the one who calls my name. How about you?

Blessed Interruptions

As human beings tend to, we go forth into the world with our assumptions intact. We are determined to save the world in our own way, whether it be helping people as though we were the Savior, perfecting what we think needs fixing, showing the world our superior achievements, or being so happy-go-lucky that nothing else matters. Jeremiah took his youth to mean that he was not responsible for God’s call. In each case our assumptions get checked by God. God has a way of using us for very significant things, but we’re often in need of staying humble and loving.

Thankfully God interrupted Jeremiah’s assumptions and God interrupts our own. Sometimes we may just need to lighten up and enjoy being who we are created to be. Often we need to rethink our initial intentions so that they align more with God’s. A good deal of Jeremiah’s story is caught up in the idea of re-aligning his intentions with God’s. It started with this:

⁶ Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy."  ⁷ But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a boy'; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you.  ⁸ Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD."  ⁹ Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me, "Now I have put my words in your mouth…” (Jeremiah 1:6-9)