I have been doing some thinking about the “church thing” lately. I have a confession to make to you. No, that's not true. It is not a confession. It is more a statement about my spiritual journey. Last week, I skipped church, I did not go to a 'house of worship' with other believers. No, that's not true either. I did go to church, but I did not go to what we would consider to be a 'house of worship' like we normally think of them.
As a matter of fact, I was with other believers. I was with my family. And I did go to 'church.'
I took my grand-dog, Max, on a long, slow walk along the Chicago shores of Lake Michigan. I sat on concrete barriers holding back the gentle, persistent waves. I watched a row of perhaps 20 sailing ships heading into the free and open water. I just sat and watched the water. There were sunbathers, bikers, joggers, family, and even a wedding – on a perfect day and in a perfect place.
It was there that I experienced God. It was there, with the warm sun and a dog that I 'went to church.' It wasn't like I 'talked' to God, or that he 'spoke' to me. But for me, it was just the kind of 'church' that I needed.
How often have I (How often do we) go about our lives from one appointment to another, from one chore at home to another, from work to home to sleep. From work to home to sleep. From work to home to sleep. Weary and tired. Drink more coffee. Go to bed late. Get up early. ----Whatever happened to 'the moment?'
You see, it is in these Precious moments that God often has “church” with us. It may be in a church, but it may also be on a plane ride. It may be in a cathedral or a state park. It may happen when we are holding our children or grandchildren. It may happen during your morning devotions or at lunch away from the office. It may happen as you stare into the night sky or into a pages of a great novel.
The presence of Almighty God seems to reach out to us at unexpected times and in odd ways. Indeed, it seems that God does most of the reaching.
Remembering my experience along the shores of Lake Michigan kind of made me wonder: why would anyone want to come to the 'house of worship' anyway? The out-of-doors cathedral is so beautiful and majestic. Any of these venues invite, even lure us into the presence of the Almighty.
And so it is with our two readings here today that we are offered some insights into the presence of the Lord. In Psalm 29, the focus is on the powerful voice of the Lord. The voice of the Lord here is associated with the thunder and lighting, the mighty waters, the floods, which can bring cedars and great forests to complete ruin. Surely at various times God addresses his creation in these ways. And we would be wise to pay attention. But, we would also be wise not to read God's words into every destructive act of nature.
It is this Presence which we desire and seek when we come to worship, whether in our 'house of worship' or in the house of His Majestic Creation. This presence is not something that we can conjure up (though many try to do this). Indeed, if we were honest there are many times that we have tried to stir up God's presence in the same way we try to cook up some soup. We keep adding different ingredients for just the right effect. The problem is that not all soup tastes good. Likewise, our efforts to elicit God's presence often taste as flat as that soda that been sitting in your glass on the counter since yesterday. We read about Isaiah's call and realize how disconnected it is for us in our real existence. It may be helpful for us to recall that this only happened once in his life. And in spite of the visions that Isaiah recorded, they really are not the norm – even for Isaiah. So, let us remember that Isaiah had years just like us, experiencing God's presence just like us.
My observation is that God's presence is around us, all the time – but that we have been misinformed about how God speaks and reveals his presence to us. Somehow, somewhere we were fed this bill of goods indoctrinating us to the belief that it is in the 'house of worship' that we are supposed to encounter God's presence. This is really Old Testament Tabernacle/Temple stuff that does not really apply for us as New Testament believers. For Paul tells us that Christ is in us, which is the hope of glory. We do not need to come to church to find Christ. He resides in us by His Spirit.
The idea that the 'house of worship' is where we encounter God his has had two negative effects. First, we are completely missing 167 hours of opportunities for worship (or experience His presence) during the rest of the week. Sitting on the porch. Walking the dog. Jogging. I 'shuffled' in the Sunburst 5K yesterday. The sun was bright, the trees were green. People were cheering and encouraging us on from their front lawns. I thought to myself again about the majesty of God. There He is again.
The other negative effect (of the idea that we encounter God primarily in our 'house of worship' during one hour a week), is the one hour that we do devote to is under intense pressure to deliver the desired product. In other words, the less we are aware of his presence during the other 167 hours, the more demanding we are that it must happen during the one hour that we want that to happen. If it is to happen in that one hour, then everything must be perfect. The music, the sound, the scripture, the preaching, the specials, and let's not forget the ambiance and temperature of the place. And if our perception of God's presence in that 60 minute time frame falls short of our expectations, then we may choose to go someplace where that can happen. And usually that means that we want to feel good about God's presence.
Most of us gauge our own experience of the presence of God on the yardstick of how good we feel after the Sunday Morning Church Service. I hasten to point out to you that Isaiah's experience was markedly different. Isaiah became undone and simply said
Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!
Upon realizing our true inadequacy for very real sin, God is then able to rush in and cleanse us which is demonstrated in the story as the seraph touches Isaiah's tongue with a live hot coal. This removes all guilt and atones for Isaiah's sin.
But that is not the end of the story. God did not simply share his presence, enjoy Isaiah's prostrating before him, and granting him cleansing. No, God was offering an opportunity. God offered Isaiah an opportunity to respond. God asked rhetorically, who he could send? Again he asked, who would go? We note also that Isaiah really had no idea of what the task would be, but he volunteered nonetheless.
And so we have discovered in this story 4 of the key elements of true worship.
1. Encountering God's presence
2. Our coming undone, the awareness of our real sin
3. Cleansing (the guilt is taken away and the real sin atoned for)
4. Something often changes (our response)
There are times when we read the scripture that these powerful examples are the norm. I am not convinced of that. I need only return to one of my favorite Bible passages for a glimpse of the end of Elijah's ministry in II Kings 19. God had just defeated the prophets of Baal through the ministry of Elijah. But when Ahab went crying back to Jezebel, Jezebel threatened to kill Elijah. So, Elijah became terrified and went in hiding. When God asked him why he was in the wilderness, Elijah complained that he was the only one left and now they are trying to kill me. Here's how God responded:
Then he was told, "Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by."
A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn't to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn't in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn't in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper.
When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there. A quiet voice asked, "So Elijah, now tell me, what are you doing here?" Elijah said it again, "I've been working my heart out for God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, because the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed your places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I'm the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me."
God said, "Go back the way you came through the desert to Damascus. When you get there anoint Hazael; make him king over Aram. Then anoint Jehu son of Nimshi; make him king over Israel. Finally, anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Anyone who escapes death by Hazael will be killed by Jehu; and anyone who escapes death by Jehu will be killed by Elisha. Meanwhile, I'm preserving for myself seven thousand souls: the knees that haven't bowed to the god Baal, the mouths that haven't kissed his image."
And so here on the mountain, in the middle of nowhere, God announces to Elijah, the great prophet of God, that God's presence will pass by. About that time there is a great and mighty wind that tears up the mountain – it is that powerful. It shatters rocks. And yet, the great, Almighty God of the Universe is not to be found in this great wind.
Then along comes an earthquake. If I were Elijah, having just been subjected to such forceful winds that rocks were shattered and now an earthquake, I believe I'd be moving away from the mountain. But Elijah does not move, for he is waiting for the presence of the Lord. And still God does not show up.
Then there is a fierce fire and still God does not show up.
Wait, the wind, the earthquake, and the fire have all subsided. There is no more wind, no more shaking of the ground and the fire has been reduced to embers. And in the quiet aftermath of these natural disasters, God appears in a quiet, inquisitive and yet seemingly troubled voice. I can almost picture God kneeling down on one knee, placing a hand on Elijah's shoulder and taking one hand in his and saying, “I just don't get it, Elijah. What are doing here?” For some reason, Elijah's duplicated response indicated to God that Elijah had just ran out of gas. The tank was completely empty. There were no fumes left. He was done. And God spoke to him quietly.
God gave him a few specific instructions and assurances. God let Elijah know
1) that there were others who had remained and would still be faithful,
2) that God would punish those who had wrought destruction, and
3) that God would continue Elijah's ministry through Elisha.
God's presence is characterized in Psalm 29 as a powerful voice that can be demonstrated in the forces of nature, particularly the destructive forces.
God's presence is also characterized by the pattern of worship demonstrated in the bizarre story of Isaiah's calling. His presence undoes us, reveals our sinfulness and cleanses us in the process and moves us beyond that experience as changed people.
And then there are those times like my walk along Lake Michigan where I experience God's presence and attend 'church' all by myself.
May you experience God's presence in you lives sometime in the next 167 hours, before we meet again.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
generosity
GENEROSITY
Presented at County Line Brethren Church on July 26, 2009.
Year B, Proper 12
Scripture passages: 2 Kings 4:42-44 & John 6:1-21
Those of us who tend to focus on the New Testament over the Old Testament do ourselves and others a great disservice.
Focusing too much on the New Testament might go something like this. We read the passage in John chapter 6, as if it is the first time this kind of thing ever happened. We may give Jesus more credit than is due him in this story, if that were possible. And so, we may speak of Philip as having no point of reference in the history of this type of thing ever occurring previously. Now, I don't mean to malign Philip. Nor am I saying that he should have remembered that Elisha directed that 100 people be fed from some meager initial contributions – only 900 years earlier. All I'm saying is that if we focus too heavily on the New Testament, we run the risk of missing some very rich stories which enhance the stories of Jesus and the writings of Paul, to name just a couple benefits.
Let's take a look at the context of the story of Elisha and the feeding of the 100. In chapter one of II Kings, Elisha was named as the replacement for Elijah, the consummate prophet of the Old Testament, next to Moses.
Now some of you have not been given the secret tips on how to remember which one came first. Their names sound so similar and it is hard for many people to keep them in their proper place. For Elijah and Elisha, the easy way to remember who came first is that Elijah comes first in the dictionary or the encyclopedia. Now that trick does not work with every sequence in the Bible, but it works here. It also works for Thessalonians, Timothy and Titus, three of the Pauline epistles.
Anyway, Elijah comes before Elisha. Elisha had some big shoes to fill. Elijah seemed to be the prominent, John the Baptist type of prophet. He spoke out against the evils in society, government and the religious establishment. He pronounced an extended drought and lived in seclusion in the wilderness. We get the impression that he was kind of living separate from the people, sometimes in isolation. Elijah was not seen as intimately connected to a community.
On the other hand, the very first miraculous act of Elisha addressed a need in the community. Some men come to Elisha saying that their water is bad. They actually refer to Elisha as “our lord.” Elisha then heals the water (which is perhaps the only time in scripture that an inanimate object is “healed”).
The very next story is when some youths make fun of his bald head. Elisha calls down a curse upon them, bears come out of the woods and maul 42 of them. Let this be a lesson not to make too much fun of other people. The consequences can be dire.
Chapter four begins with the story of the filling of the poverty-stricken widow's oil jars, so much that their financial needs were met thereafter.
Next, Elisha takes up residence with a family in the town of Shunem. The wife of the family was without children. Elisha told her she would have a son in about a year. And so it happened. But sometime later the son became sick and died. Elisha subsequently rose the boy from the dead in a bizarre story.
And finally, immediately prior to our passage today, Elisha transformed an inedible (and perhaps poisonous) stew healthy and good to eat.
You can see that Elisha is living in community with other people. This is somewhat different from Elijah. This difference between Elijah and Elisha can be loosely compared to the differences between John, the Baptizer, and Jesus, the Christ.
So, now knowing that Elisha has been performing miraculous acts within the context of community, our story now does not sound so bizarre.
Let us first make note that Elisha appears to garner the respect of the people, as one having authority. This is brought to bear as we observe a man bringing Elisha his first fruits. Now there is a lot we can say about 'first fruits.' First fruits are the first and the typically the best of the harvest. It is the gift of a gracious steward. It is the gift of one who fully understands that every good and perfect gift comes from above – that it is not our doing. Whatever we “harvest” is a gift from above.
Furthermore, in a day when we are accustomed to giving God our extras, or our leftovers, or our 'already-used-up', this man brought to the “man of God” the first and best of what he had. But as it relates to Elisha, let us notice that Elisha, though not a priest, accepted this gift of first fruits. We may surmise then that Elisha is viewed as someone of spiritual importance by his community.
We should also make note that the man was not required by law to give his gift of first fruits to Elisha. To the contrary, first fruits were to be brought to the priests. This man was bringing the first fruits to Elisha, who was not a priest. We are never given any indication that Elisha was a priest. So whether this was a matter of convenience or passive rebuke, Elisha's acceptance signals that this infraction of the law was ok. Nevertheless, in a sense, Elisha is acting like a priest by accepting the gift.
We are able then to identify a couple more similarities with Jesus. We can hear Jesus' words being foreshadowed here when he says that the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. We also recall that Jesus acted as a priest. Indeed, Jesus is our high priest.
Elisha, true to his unexpected modus operandi, accepts the gift by directing that it be given to 100 men. We almost get the impression that Elisha does not even touch the gift or partake from it in any form.
I typically observe two reactions by the giver of the gift, when gifts are received in this manner. Many givers are disappointed or even offended that the recipient does not accept the gift for their own use. Many givers are willing to make a donation to a charitable organization in the name of the intended recipient. But this seems to be impersonal. Maybe Elisha is suggesting a better idea – give it directly (or face to face) to those in need. For it does not take much extrapolation to conclude, given the surrounding context, that the community is living in a time of scarcity. Actually giving it to people, as differentiated from an organization, makes it much more personal.
But when Elisha tells the man to feed 100 people with the first fruits, this creates a dilemma for the man. He would much rather have Elisha distribute it as he sees fit. If Elisha were to distribute the food, it perpetuates the distance between the giver of benevolence and the receiver. You see, it is so easy to write a check of our 'first fruits' and never have to look a hungry person in the eye. {By the way, I am so pleased that you hand out food directly from this church} It is so easy to drop off some clothes at the Salvation Army box and never have to talk directly with the homeless person who will receive it. Please let me clarify. I am NOT speaking against these practices. The organizations that provide these services should be supported. I only point out that in some sense, they perpetuate and exacerbate the distance between those who give and those who receive. It was never intended to be this way. And Elisha forced the man to look these people in the eye.
There was another problem for the man. He was being forced to take a risk. What would happen if he set it in front of the 100 men and there was no miracle? Would the man's reputation be marred? Would he be embarrassed? Would the men be angry? Would they laugh? Even more of a possibility is that he would call them to eat, some would remain hungry and he would be looking at them in the eye and have to tell them there was no more. And here is some rhetoric like what I have heard from time to time: if this is done for the 100 men today, won't they expect it again tomorrow or next week?
Nevertheless, after first objecting, this brave man set the food before the 100 men. He was willing to take the risk. After all, Elisha had said that “this is what the Lord says.” And as a result, this small offering was multiplied, feeding 100 men with some left over.
What we find here is an incredible story of community. Elisha was sufficiently respected in this community such that at least one person brought him their first fruits. We may say that Elisha coerced this man into a more intimate communion with his neighbors. I'll bet he never looked at his neighbors in the same way. I'll bet his neighbors never looked at him in the same way either.
A few points to ponder before we look at our Gospel lesson.
1. We are reminded that everything we have comes from God.
2. We are to be encouraged to give God our first best, not our 'already-worn-out.'
3. Generosity sometimes goes beyond writing checks.
4. Generosity has a special meaning when it is more personal, eye to eye.
5. Generosity costs somebody something.
6. Generosity sometimes bends the law to accomplish its higher purpose.
7. Sometimes generosity implies risk. Indeed, I would submit that there is always risk with generosity, but that may need to be covered later.
8. Generosity is best done in the context of community.
9. Generosity builds community.
In our gospel passage, we find a similar story. I will not look at this in depth. But I would like to draw out some correlations to our Old Testament reading.
1. Jesus lived in the context of community. He spent much of his ministry around the Sea of Galilee. He was well-known there. People would come to him, bringing their sick to be healed. Although he would part from them for periods of prayer, Jesus lived among the people, just like Elisha.
2. Both Andrew and the boy took the risks of generosity. Andrew took the risk by bringing such a small pittance of food, compared to the actual need. And the boy – he also took a risk. He may not get his lunch back. He may not eat. What would he tell his mother? Would he say, like Jack, that he sold the cow for some magic beans? They are remarkably similar stories you know. And as an aside, I know many you mothers are wondering: where was the mother of this boy? I don't have any answer – I just knew that some people ask this of the text privately. So, both Andrew and the boy took some risks.
3. For the boy, generosity was costly. He did end up handing over his lunch before it had been multiplied.
4. I should point out that this was all done under the scrutiny of the crowd. There was no green room or board room to discuss all this in private. Talk about transparency, this was done within the hearing and sight of over 5,000 people.
5. Jesus took a risk also. He may have known that the people would seek to elevate him to an office he did not seek or aspire to. Jesus knew their hearts. He knew this would throw him “off-message.” He did not come to do all the miracles. They were only tools. But Jesus realized that many of the people would only want to experience the excitement of the miracles and were not concerned with the message. Perhaps he knew that they would soon be coming back for bread to eat rather than for the bread of life. You see, Jesus understood that his generosity would be misunderstood and taken advantage of. Nevertheless, Jesus fed the 5,000. And he continued to be generous throughout his ministry. Pay special note here. It is NOT our responsibility to assure that our gifts be utilized in wise ways. Not even Jesus could assure this. And yet, he continued to be generous. Should we not do the likewise?
Some final words of encouragement.
Be generous when it is risky.
Be generous face to face.
Be generous with our best.
Be generous by bending the rules sometimes.
Be generous among the people in this community.
Be generous sometimes even when we highly suspect it will be misused.
Wow, who'd have thought that there was this much in a small obscure story, hidden in II Kings?
Stephen Barber
Presented at County Line Brethren Church on July 26, 2009.
Year B, Proper 12
Scripture passages: 2 Kings 4:42-44 & John 6:1-21
Those of us who tend to focus on the New Testament over the Old Testament do ourselves and others a great disservice.
Focusing too much on the New Testament might go something like this. We read the passage in John chapter 6, as if it is the first time this kind of thing ever happened. We may give Jesus more credit than is due him in this story, if that were possible. And so, we may speak of Philip as having no point of reference in the history of this type of thing ever occurring previously. Now, I don't mean to malign Philip. Nor am I saying that he should have remembered that Elisha directed that 100 people be fed from some meager initial contributions – only 900 years earlier. All I'm saying is that if we focus too heavily on the New Testament, we run the risk of missing some very rich stories which enhance the stories of Jesus and the writings of Paul, to name just a couple benefits.
Let's take a look at the context of the story of Elisha and the feeding of the 100. In chapter one of II Kings, Elisha was named as the replacement for Elijah, the consummate prophet of the Old Testament, next to Moses.
Now some of you have not been given the secret tips on how to remember which one came first. Their names sound so similar and it is hard for many people to keep them in their proper place. For Elijah and Elisha, the easy way to remember who came first is that Elijah comes first in the dictionary or the encyclopedia. Now that trick does not work with every sequence in the Bible, but it works here. It also works for Thessalonians, Timothy and Titus, three of the Pauline epistles.
Anyway, Elijah comes before Elisha. Elisha had some big shoes to fill. Elijah seemed to be the prominent, John the Baptist type of prophet. He spoke out against the evils in society, government and the religious establishment. He pronounced an extended drought and lived in seclusion in the wilderness. We get the impression that he was kind of living separate from the people, sometimes in isolation. Elijah was not seen as intimately connected to a community.
On the other hand, the very first miraculous act of Elisha addressed a need in the community. Some men come to Elisha saying that their water is bad. They actually refer to Elisha as “our lord.” Elisha then heals the water (which is perhaps the only time in scripture that an inanimate object is “healed”).
The very next story is when some youths make fun of his bald head. Elisha calls down a curse upon them, bears come out of the woods and maul 42 of them. Let this be a lesson not to make too much fun of other people. The consequences can be dire.
Chapter four begins with the story of the filling of the poverty-stricken widow's oil jars, so much that their financial needs were met thereafter.
Next, Elisha takes up residence with a family in the town of Shunem. The wife of the family was without children. Elisha told her she would have a son in about a year. And so it happened. But sometime later the son became sick and died. Elisha subsequently rose the boy from the dead in a bizarre story.
And finally, immediately prior to our passage today, Elisha transformed an inedible (and perhaps poisonous) stew healthy and good to eat.
You can see that Elisha is living in community with other people. This is somewhat different from Elijah. This difference between Elijah and Elisha can be loosely compared to the differences between John, the Baptizer, and Jesus, the Christ.
So, now knowing that Elisha has been performing miraculous acts within the context of community, our story now does not sound so bizarre.
Let us first make note that Elisha appears to garner the respect of the people, as one having authority. This is brought to bear as we observe a man bringing Elisha his first fruits. Now there is a lot we can say about 'first fruits.' First fruits are the first and the typically the best of the harvest. It is the gift of a gracious steward. It is the gift of one who fully understands that every good and perfect gift comes from above – that it is not our doing. Whatever we “harvest” is a gift from above.
Furthermore, in a day when we are accustomed to giving God our extras, or our leftovers, or our 'already-used-up', this man brought to the “man of God” the first and best of what he had. But as it relates to Elisha, let us notice that Elisha, though not a priest, accepted this gift of first fruits. We may surmise then that Elisha is viewed as someone of spiritual importance by his community.
We should also make note that the man was not required by law to give his gift of first fruits to Elisha. To the contrary, first fruits were to be brought to the priests. This man was bringing the first fruits to Elisha, who was not a priest. We are never given any indication that Elisha was a priest. So whether this was a matter of convenience or passive rebuke, Elisha's acceptance signals that this infraction of the law was ok. Nevertheless, in a sense, Elisha is acting like a priest by accepting the gift.
We are able then to identify a couple more similarities with Jesus. We can hear Jesus' words being foreshadowed here when he says that the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. We also recall that Jesus acted as a priest. Indeed, Jesus is our high priest.
Elisha, true to his unexpected modus operandi, accepts the gift by directing that it be given to 100 men. We almost get the impression that Elisha does not even touch the gift or partake from it in any form.
I typically observe two reactions by the giver of the gift, when gifts are received in this manner. Many givers are disappointed or even offended that the recipient does not accept the gift for their own use. Many givers are willing to make a donation to a charitable organization in the name of the intended recipient. But this seems to be impersonal. Maybe Elisha is suggesting a better idea – give it directly (or face to face) to those in need. For it does not take much extrapolation to conclude, given the surrounding context, that the community is living in a time of scarcity. Actually giving it to people, as differentiated from an organization, makes it much more personal.
But when Elisha tells the man to feed 100 people with the first fruits, this creates a dilemma for the man. He would much rather have Elisha distribute it as he sees fit. If Elisha were to distribute the food, it perpetuates the distance between the giver of benevolence and the receiver. You see, it is so easy to write a check of our 'first fruits' and never have to look a hungry person in the eye. {By the way, I am so pleased that you hand out food directly from this church} It is so easy to drop off some clothes at the Salvation Army box and never have to talk directly with the homeless person who will receive it. Please let me clarify. I am NOT speaking against these practices. The organizations that provide these services should be supported. I only point out that in some sense, they perpetuate and exacerbate the distance between those who give and those who receive. It was never intended to be this way. And Elisha forced the man to look these people in the eye.
There was another problem for the man. He was being forced to take a risk. What would happen if he set it in front of the 100 men and there was no miracle? Would the man's reputation be marred? Would he be embarrassed? Would the men be angry? Would they laugh? Even more of a possibility is that he would call them to eat, some would remain hungry and he would be looking at them in the eye and have to tell them there was no more. And here is some rhetoric like what I have heard from time to time: if this is done for the 100 men today, won't they expect it again tomorrow or next week?
Nevertheless, after first objecting, this brave man set the food before the 100 men. He was willing to take the risk. After all, Elisha had said that “this is what the Lord says.” And as a result, this small offering was multiplied, feeding 100 men with some left over.
What we find here is an incredible story of community. Elisha was sufficiently respected in this community such that at least one person brought him their first fruits. We may say that Elisha coerced this man into a more intimate communion with his neighbors. I'll bet he never looked at his neighbors in the same way. I'll bet his neighbors never looked at him in the same way either.
A few points to ponder before we look at our Gospel lesson.
1. We are reminded that everything we have comes from God.
2. We are to be encouraged to give God our first best, not our 'already-worn-out.'
3. Generosity sometimes goes beyond writing checks.
4. Generosity has a special meaning when it is more personal, eye to eye.
5. Generosity costs somebody something.
6. Generosity sometimes bends the law to accomplish its higher purpose.
7. Sometimes generosity implies risk. Indeed, I would submit that there is always risk with generosity, but that may need to be covered later.
8. Generosity is best done in the context of community.
9. Generosity builds community.
In our gospel passage, we find a similar story. I will not look at this in depth. But I would like to draw out some correlations to our Old Testament reading.
1. Jesus lived in the context of community. He spent much of his ministry around the Sea of Galilee. He was well-known there. People would come to him, bringing their sick to be healed. Although he would part from them for periods of prayer, Jesus lived among the people, just like Elisha.
2. Both Andrew and the boy took the risks of generosity. Andrew took the risk by bringing such a small pittance of food, compared to the actual need. And the boy – he also took a risk. He may not get his lunch back. He may not eat. What would he tell his mother? Would he say, like Jack, that he sold the cow for some magic beans? They are remarkably similar stories you know. And as an aside, I know many you mothers are wondering: where was the mother of this boy? I don't have any answer – I just knew that some people ask this of the text privately. So, both Andrew and the boy took some risks.
3. For the boy, generosity was costly. He did end up handing over his lunch before it had been multiplied.
4. I should point out that this was all done under the scrutiny of the crowd. There was no green room or board room to discuss all this in private. Talk about transparency, this was done within the hearing and sight of over 5,000 people.
5. Jesus took a risk also. He may have known that the people would seek to elevate him to an office he did not seek or aspire to. Jesus knew their hearts. He knew this would throw him “off-message.” He did not come to do all the miracles. They were only tools. But Jesus realized that many of the people would only want to experience the excitement of the miracles and were not concerned with the message. Perhaps he knew that they would soon be coming back for bread to eat rather than for the bread of life. You see, Jesus understood that his generosity would be misunderstood and taken advantage of. Nevertheless, Jesus fed the 5,000. And he continued to be generous throughout his ministry. Pay special note here. It is NOT our responsibility to assure that our gifts be utilized in wise ways. Not even Jesus could assure this. And yet, he continued to be generous. Should we not do the likewise?
Some final words of encouragement.
Be generous when it is risky.
Be generous face to face.
Be generous with our best.
Be generous by bending the rules sometimes.
Be generous among the people in this community.
Be generous sometimes even when we highly suspect it will be misused.
Wow, who'd have thought that there was this much in a small obscure story, hidden in II Kings?
Stephen Barber
Seeds
SEEDS
Presented at County Line Brethren Church on June 14, 2009.
RCL, Year B, Proper 6
Scripture passages: 2 Corinthians 5:6-17 & Mark 4:26-34
J. Ray Klingensmith was an older-than-dirt, raw and earthy, some would call him irreverent (but that was not true), never-quite-retired, grace-filled Brethren minister whose parish consisted of college students; some of whom had lost their direction, some of whom weren't sure if 'direction' even existed, some of whom didn't want direction, and some of whom thought they knew the one and only acceptable direction. I have spent a reasonable length of time in each of these categories.
During my time at Ashland College, as it was called then, I think all students were required to take a Bible intro class, even if it had nothing to do with your major course of study. I entered the Introduction to New Testament class believing I knew everything. After all, I had grown up in the church. My father was a pastor. I had performed satisfactorily on Bible Quiz teams that took me all the way to General Conference. I knew the Bible, and especially the New Testament. Contributing to my cocky attitude was that 90% of the class did not know the Bible very well. J. Ray Klingensmith was my professor. Early on, I was “earning” A's on virtually every test without really doing any studying. Without any significant preparation, I could easily contribute to class discussions and ask intelligent questions. Surely I was a favored student. That is, until Klingensmith gave us an unannounced pop quiz on material that was not covered in class discussions. I did very poorly on that test. Mind you, that was the only test (as I recall) that I did poorly on. To top it off, at the end of the semester, he gave me the grade of a B!!! Just as I did when I was a child, and as I continue to do today sometimes, I thought it was unfair of the professor to pull that kind of shenanigans.
I'd been had, taken to the cleaners and taught a lesson. J. Ray, wise as an owl and cunning like a fox, had given me exactly the grade I deserved. So much for grace, huh? To a college student, it did not feel much like grace. I later learned that grace has nothing to do with “letting it slide” but is all about someone else paying a price.
J. Ray was one of several influential mentors in my life. Some of those include Charles Munson, who recently passed away, Jerry Flora, Dr. Richard Dobbins, Walter Schuman and Dr. Joseph Schultz. It was wonderful to see Doris a couple weeks ago when we were back in Ashland.
When I read passages such as has been read for us this morning (2 Corinthians 5:6-17 & Mark 4:26-34), I am reminded of some of the teachings I received at Ashland, and more specifically, the tension between the “already” and the “not-yet.”
So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!
It sounds so complete and so final. The old has passed away. The new is come. We feel brand new. We pass the word to others. We enjoy the new life in Christ. Just as P.O.D. sang,
Everyday is a new day
I take forth to every breath I take
I won't take you for granted
So I learn from my mistakes
It's beyond my control
Sometimes just lettin' it go
Whatever happens in this lifetime
So I trust in love
You have given me peace of mind
I, I feel so Alive
For the very first time
I can't deny You
I feel so alive
I, I feel so alive
For the very first time
And I think I can fly
Sunshine upon my face
A new song for me to sing
Tell the world how I feel inside
Even though it might cost me everything
And now that I know
This will be outta control
This I can never turn my back away
Now that I see you
I can never look away
Sonny Sandoval, a member of P.O.D. had this to say about this song in an interview with MTV.
Everybody realizes at some moment ... that you don't want to walk through life bummed all the time. No matter what it is, if you can remember just that one thing that brings you alive and that wakes you up. For me, it's the love I have for my family, for these guys, my faith and my belief in God. Once I know this love, no matter what I go through, I can always hold on to that to give me that joy and give me that hope. It's one of our most uplifting songs. (source: MTV)
This is the “already” part. We are new creations, now. We do not have to wait until we get to heaven. We are given a new life, a new mind, new relationships and new power.
But the very next song on this album by P.O.D. is “Youth of the Nation.” Here's a portion of the lyrics of that song.
Last day of the rest of my life
I wish I would've known
Cause I didn't kiss my mama goodbye
I didn't tell her that I loved her and how much I care
Or thank my pops for all the talks
And all the wisdom he shared
Unaware, I just did what I always do
Everyday, the same routine
Before I skate off to school
But who knew that this day wasn't like the rest
Instead of taking a test
I took two to the chest
Call me blind, but I didn't see it coming
Everybody was running
But I couldn't hear nothing
Except gun blasts, it happened so fast
I don't really know this kid
Even though I sit by him in class
Maybe this kid was reaching out for love
Or maybe for a moment
He forgot who he was
Or maybe this kid just wanted to be hugged
Whatever it was
I know it's because
[chorus:]
We are, We are, the youth of the nation
Inevitably the mountaintop experience is blown away by everyday problems, our own failure, or the sound of a gat. Talk about being brought back down to earth? This is definitely the “not-yet” part. We may be a new creation, but there is something about it that is not yet finished. So, maybe it is not as complete and finished as we thought it was? And yet we are told that we are a new creation.
And this is not the only tension referred to in this passage. Paul talks about being at home in the body and away from the Lord. He contrasts faith and sight. Indeed, we may say that this tension between the “already” and the “not yet” is a key to understanding the Christian life.
St. Augustine viewed the tension described in this passage as his basis for understanding history in his classic “The City of God.” Make no mistake, this is a crucial passage in the New Testament that defies cute little sayings, black and white thinking, and dogmatic theological positions.
How are we to resolve this? Are we new creations now, or do we have to wait for the future? We are given a clue about how to resolve this a few verses earlier.
So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord for we walk by faith, not by sight.
It seems to me that we are forced to accept the tension. It is not either/or. It is both/and.
We are forced to accept that we are now at home in the body. This is the moment. This is the 'right now.' This is the nitty, gritty, dirty, ugly, painful side. This is the side where people make mistakes, where people are disrespectful, and where other people are incomplete – just like us.
But Paul does not leave us there. We are drawn into the tension as he talks about walking by faith and not by sight. There is something going on inside and through us that is not always easy to see or observe, which is the new creation.
Part of walking by faith means looking through the looking glass into the future and catching a vision of the change God has already completed in us, but which is not fully visible. It is the looking glass of faith that enables us to see and/or trust what shall yet come to pass, what we shall be in the future. And without the looking glass of faith, we will not be able to see this new creation; either in ourselves or in other people.
I have brought in my binoculars to help demonstrate this. I wonder if someone would hold up something printed for me to read. First, I want to see if I can read it without assistance. Now, I would like to see if I can read it using the binoculars.
While it seems we are “not yet” completed in the present, certainly we have “already” been completed by the act of our Lord Jesus Christ. This places us in the gap between “already” and “not yet.”
This tension between the “already” and the “not-yet” means that even though I am standing here in the present and aware of my failures which accentuate my feeling of having “not yet” been completed, by looking into the looking glass of faith, I am able trust that I have “already” been completely made a new creation in Christ Jesus.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way.
In the same way that God has given us a new and wonderful vision of who we are and whose we are, Paul here encourages us to see one another with this same set of binoculars.
We are too often limited in our ability to see one another with these new “faith goggles.” It is easy to examine one another for specks which need to be removed. It is way too easy to investigate ourselves and one another for authenticity or to search for evidence of inconsistencies through a magnifying glass.
But that is not how God looks at you: that you have lots of specks that need to be removed or that you can barely stand up (spiritually) on your own two feet, or that you are not doing very well as a Christian. No, God looks at you as a completed, new creation.
This is the same way that God looks at your neighbor that makes you angry, as a completed new creation. This is the same way that God looks at your fellow believer who slighted you – as a completed new creation.
We are invited here to view ourselves and one another through the binoculars of faith, believing in what God has accomplished in the future, the 'not-yet.'
I will tell you that the more we are able to walk by faith (by seeing ourselves and others as God sees us – as completed, new creations) the more we will experience love for ourselves and one another, liberty in Christ, and abundant living – just as P.O.D. described in the first song. It is not a denial of our current condition of still being at home in the body. It is a different view.
We have driven back and forth from the Midwest to D.C./Virginia and North Carolina many times. Perhaps you've seen those signs informing you that in a mile there will be a “scenic lookout.” These lookouts are typically near the top of a mountain overlooking a vast valley with other majestic mountains observable in the background. While we are driving along, one may be able to gain a momentary glimpse, but certainly not enough to really enjoy it. If you want to enjoy the view, you must stop, pull off the highway and gaze at the amazing panorama.
In the same way, while we are traveling along the highway of life, watching out for merging traffic, irresponsible drivers and gigantic potholes, it behoves us to pull off the road sometimes, take out our binoculars and allow faith to view ourselves and one another like God does – completed new creations.
I am on Facebook. And yes, my own propensities for addiction have kicked in yet again. I'm staying up too late at night. I think about it during the day sometimes. It also seems to provide me with some enjoyment. This propensity to go overboard is something I need to pay attention to. Nevertheless, it has given me great joy to reconnect with long lost friends and classmates.
When we consider the parable of the mustard seed in the context of our discussion today, there are some important applications we would do well to pay attention to.
We never know what seeds we are planting for the kingdom. Only God knows that. Nevertheless, the individual who functions by faith is one who is becoming aware of the very-long-term ripple effects of the choices we make today. The person of faith may not be able to see the end result of the seeds which have been planted, but the person of faith knows that there will be fruit. The person of faith may not know what kind of fruit, or how much fruit, or where the fruit will grow, only that God will cause the seed to grow and produce fruit.
J. Ray Klingensmith and all those other college and seminary professors were people of great faith. They believed that what they did would somehow have a long-term impact on the lives of their students. I'm here to say that God continues to bring forth the fruit of their labor.
Never doubt that your efforts on behalf of other people will have a great impact. Faith enables us to trust that it will.
And so, walking by faith means seeing ourselves (and our neighbors) as God sees us – completed new creations and by trusting that God takes care of the seeds and grows the fruit. He will transform our labor into his fruit. His kingdom will flourish. He is in charge after all. And the future is in his hands.
Presented at County Line Brethren Church on June 14, 2009.
RCL, Year B, Proper 6
Scripture passages: 2 Corinthians 5:6-17 & Mark 4:26-34
J. Ray Klingensmith was an older-than-dirt, raw and earthy, some would call him irreverent (but that was not true), never-quite-retired, grace-filled Brethren minister whose parish consisted of college students; some of whom had lost their direction, some of whom weren't sure if 'direction' even existed, some of whom didn't want direction, and some of whom thought they knew the one and only acceptable direction. I have spent a reasonable length of time in each of these categories.
During my time at Ashland College, as it was called then, I think all students were required to take a Bible intro class, even if it had nothing to do with your major course of study. I entered the Introduction to New Testament class believing I knew everything. After all, I had grown up in the church. My father was a pastor. I had performed satisfactorily on Bible Quiz teams that took me all the way to General Conference. I knew the Bible, and especially the New Testament. Contributing to my cocky attitude was that 90% of the class did not know the Bible very well. J. Ray Klingensmith was my professor. Early on, I was “earning” A's on virtually every test without really doing any studying. Without any significant preparation, I could easily contribute to class discussions and ask intelligent questions. Surely I was a favored student. That is, until Klingensmith gave us an unannounced pop quiz on material that was not covered in class discussions. I did very poorly on that test. Mind you, that was the only test (as I recall) that I did poorly on. To top it off, at the end of the semester, he gave me the grade of a B!!! Just as I did when I was a child, and as I continue to do today sometimes, I thought it was unfair of the professor to pull that kind of shenanigans.
I'd been had, taken to the cleaners and taught a lesson. J. Ray, wise as an owl and cunning like a fox, had given me exactly the grade I deserved. So much for grace, huh? To a college student, it did not feel much like grace. I later learned that grace has nothing to do with “letting it slide” but is all about someone else paying a price.
J. Ray was one of several influential mentors in my life. Some of those include Charles Munson, who recently passed away, Jerry Flora, Dr. Richard Dobbins, Walter Schuman and Dr. Joseph Schultz. It was wonderful to see Doris a couple weeks ago when we were back in Ashland.
When I read passages such as has been read for us this morning (2 Corinthians 5:6-17 & Mark 4:26-34), I am reminded of some of the teachings I received at Ashland, and more specifically, the tension between the “already” and the “not-yet.”
So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!
It sounds so complete and so final. The old has passed away. The new is come. We feel brand new. We pass the word to others. We enjoy the new life in Christ. Just as P.O.D. sang,
Everyday is a new day
I take forth to every breath I take
I won't take you for granted
So I learn from my mistakes
It's beyond my control
Sometimes just lettin' it go
Whatever happens in this lifetime
So I trust in love
You have given me peace of mind
I, I feel so Alive
For the very first time
I can't deny You
I feel so alive
I, I feel so alive
For the very first time
And I think I can fly
Sunshine upon my face
A new song for me to sing
Tell the world how I feel inside
Even though it might cost me everything
And now that I know
This will be outta control
This I can never turn my back away
Now that I see you
I can never look away
Sonny Sandoval, a member of P.O.D. had this to say about this song in an interview with MTV.
Everybody realizes at some moment ... that you don't want to walk through life bummed all the time. No matter what it is, if you can remember just that one thing that brings you alive and that wakes you up. For me, it's the love I have for my family, for these guys, my faith and my belief in God. Once I know this love, no matter what I go through, I can always hold on to that to give me that joy and give me that hope. It's one of our most uplifting songs. (source: MTV)
This is the “already” part. We are new creations, now. We do not have to wait until we get to heaven. We are given a new life, a new mind, new relationships and new power.
But the very next song on this album by P.O.D. is “Youth of the Nation.” Here's a portion of the lyrics of that song.
Last day of the rest of my life
I wish I would've known
Cause I didn't kiss my mama goodbye
I didn't tell her that I loved her and how much I care
Or thank my pops for all the talks
And all the wisdom he shared
Unaware, I just did what I always do
Everyday, the same routine
Before I skate off to school
But who knew that this day wasn't like the rest
Instead of taking a test
I took two to the chest
Call me blind, but I didn't see it coming
Everybody was running
But I couldn't hear nothing
Except gun blasts, it happened so fast
I don't really know this kid
Even though I sit by him in class
Maybe this kid was reaching out for love
Or maybe for a moment
He forgot who he was
Or maybe this kid just wanted to be hugged
Whatever it was
I know it's because
[chorus:]
We are, We are, the youth of the nation
Inevitably the mountaintop experience is blown away by everyday problems, our own failure, or the sound of a gat. Talk about being brought back down to earth? This is definitely the “not-yet” part. We may be a new creation, but there is something about it that is not yet finished. So, maybe it is not as complete and finished as we thought it was? And yet we are told that we are a new creation.
And this is not the only tension referred to in this passage. Paul talks about being at home in the body and away from the Lord. He contrasts faith and sight. Indeed, we may say that this tension between the “already” and the “not yet” is a key to understanding the Christian life.
St. Augustine viewed the tension described in this passage as his basis for understanding history in his classic “The City of God.” Make no mistake, this is a crucial passage in the New Testament that defies cute little sayings, black and white thinking, and dogmatic theological positions.
How are we to resolve this? Are we new creations now, or do we have to wait for the future? We are given a clue about how to resolve this a few verses earlier.
So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord for we walk by faith, not by sight.
It seems to me that we are forced to accept the tension. It is not either/or. It is both/and.
We are forced to accept that we are now at home in the body. This is the moment. This is the 'right now.' This is the nitty, gritty, dirty, ugly, painful side. This is the side where people make mistakes, where people are disrespectful, and where other people are incomplete – just like us.
But Paul does not leave us there. We are drawn into the tension as he talks about walking by faith and not by sight. There is something going on inside and through us that is not always easy to see or observe, which is the new creation.
Part of walking by faith means looking through the looking glass into the future and catching a vision of the change God has already completed in us, but which is not fully visible. It is the looking glass of faith that enables us to see and/or trust what shall yet come to pass, what we shall be in the future. And without the looking glass of faith, we will not be able to see this new creation; either in ourselves or in other people.
I have brought in my binoculars to help demonstrate this. I wonder if someone would hold up something printed for me to read. First, I want to see if I can read it without assistance. Now, I would like to see if I can read it using the binoculars.
While it seems we are “not yet” completed in the present, certainly we have “already” been completed by the act of our Lord Jesus Christ. This places us in the gap between “already” and “not yet.”
This tension between the “already” and the “not-yet” means that even though I am standing here in the present and aware of my failures which accentuate my feeling of having “not yet” been completed, by looking into the looking glass of faith, I am able trust that I have “already” been completely made a new creation in Christ Jesus.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way.
In the same way that God has given us a new and wonderful vision of who we are and whose we are, Paul here encourages us to see one another with this same set of binoculars.
We are too often limited in our ability to see one another with these new “faith goggles.” It is easy to examine one another for specks which need to be removed. It is way too easy to investigate ourselves and one another for authenticity or to search for evidence of inconsistencies through a magnifying glass.
But that is not how God looks at you: that you have lots of specks that need to be removed or that you can barely stand up (spiritually) on your own two feet, or that you are not doing very well as a Christian. No, God looks at you as a completed, new creation.
This is the same way that God looks at your neighbor that makes you angry, as a completed new creation. This is the same way that God looks at your fellow believer who slighted you – as a completed new creation.
We are invited here to view ourselves and one another through the binoculars of faith, believing in what God has accomplished in the future, the 'not-yet.'
I will tell you that the more we are able to walk by faith (by seeing ourselves and others as God sees us – as completed, new creations) the more we will experience love for ourselves and one another, liberty in Christ, and abundant living – just as P.O.D. described in the first song. It is not a denial of our current condition of still being at home in the body. It is a different view.
We have driven back and forth from the Midwest to D.C./Virginia and North Carolina many times. Perhaps you've seen those signs informing you that in a mile there will be a “scenic lookout.” These lookouts are typically near the top of a mountain overlooking a vast valley with other majestic mountains observable in the background. While we are driving along, one may be able to gain a momentary glimpse, but certainly not enough to really enjoy it. If you want to enjoy the view, you must stop, pull off the highway and gaze at the amazing panorama.
In the same way, while we are traveling along the highway of life, watching out for merging traffic, irresponsible drivers and gigantic potholes, it behoves us to pull off the road sometimes, take out our binoculars and allow faith to view ourselves and one another like God does – completed new creations.
I am on Facebook. And yes, my own propensities for addiction have kicked in yet again. I'm staying up too late at night. I think about it during the day sometimes. It also seems to provide me with some enjoyment. This propensity to go overboard is something I need to pay attention to. Nevertheless, it has given me great joy to reconnect with long lost friends and classmates.
When we consider the parable of the mustard seed in the context of our discussion today, there are some important applications we would do well to pay attention to.
We never know what seeds we are planting for the kingdom. Only God knows that. Nevertheless, the individual who functions by faith is one who is becoming aware of the very-long-term ripple effects of the choices we make today. The person of faith may not be able to see the end result of the seeds which have been planted, but the person of faith knows that there will be fruit. The person of faith may not know what kind of fruit, or how much fruit, or where the fruit will grow, only that God will cause the seed to grow and produce fruit.
J. Ray Klingensmith and all those other college and seminary professors were people of great faith. They believed that what they did would somehow have a long-term impact on the lives of their students. I'm here to say that God continues to bring forth the fruit of their labor.
Never doubt that your efforts on behalf of other people will have a great impact. Faith enables us to trust that it will.
And so, walking by faith means seeing ourselves (and our neighbors) as God sees us – completed new creations and by trusting that God takes care of the seeds and grows the fruit. He will transform our labor into his fruit. His kingdom will flourish. He is in charge after all. And the future is in his hands.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
