Joy Complete

I amaze myself sometimes, and am amazed at others, too. What amazes me is that I--we--want a "spiritual life", to be close to God, to know how to live in ways that are holistically healthy, productive, and good...and yet we don't do it. At least, I don't do it, not often enough!

What's truly amazing is that we KNOW what it takes. It's not that hard, is pretty simple in fact. If we want a solid, ongoing, consistent spiritual life, then we have to, um, act spiritually!--in an ongoing and consistent way. We need to do spiritual things...the most basic of which are prayer and scripture study. We have to read the Word, reflect on it, pray about it some, and LISTEN to God. If you are like me, you KNOW that this works, that the Holy Spirit will teach you, guide you, edify you, comfort you, and give you "peace that passes understanding," whenever you are willing to give God the time of day...or at least, a little of your time every day. It works. Duh. And we do not need to be Biblical scholars, lettered theologians, or certified prayer warriors; we just need to spend time with God, on God's terms. But we don't, even though we know it works. Are we just plain stubborn?

Part of the lesson from Exodus 17 would seem to be that we ARE just plain stubborn, if we accept that the text speaks about human nature in general (and I think it does, like most scripture), as well as a specific historic circumstance. Those desert wanderers had experienced God's DIRECT intervention and salvation, in the most earthly and immediate ways, but they...forgot. And they kept forgetting. And whining, and complaining. It seemed God could never do enough.

In Philippians 2.3-4, Paul lays out pretty clearly the core of solid, ongoing spiritual life...or at least, describes what it looks like: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." The people of the Exodus weren't doing that; but lest we judge them too harshly, neither do we, not very often...and we aren't faced with the harsh realities and momentous upheavals in our lives which they were living through.

In the Matthew text for this week, we find that even religious "experts" have a hard time living out that core of spiritual life, even when the living incarnation of that life is standing before them and teaching them. They question Jesus' authority, and in what is really an ironically funny confrontation, Jesus tosses the ball back into their court, and they cannot respond, caught up as they are in their own brand of stubbornness and forgetfulness.

An old-fashioned word applies: REPENT. To escape my own stubbornness and forgetfulness, the only thing that will work is repentance. I have to "turn away" from my own pride, my own will, my own problems...and give God some time. And control. And I have to KEEP doing this...while a one-time repentance from sin may be absolutely necessary for Christian conversion and salvation, I find that I have to keep on repenting of my essentially selfish tendencies (and all that flows from them which mess up my life and others' lives too). I may be a "new creation" in Christ, but that new creature is stuck in this same old busted, selfish world, and is prone to relentless attacks from the Adversary, who would rather you and I not have a consistent, ongoing spiritual relationship with our Creator.

So...we gotta pray, and read the Word, and do spiritual things, if we are ever going to consistently "consider others better than ourselves," and "look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." To find that complete joy Paul speaks of, we need to get out of selfishness, and into selfless-ness. In that liberation we find not just joy, but God's blessing on our lives as well. But then, maybe those are one and the same.

Speaking for myself, I cannot do this on my own; God has to help me. He's just waiting to do that, too...if only I will ask!

Invocation for Proper 21A/Ordinary 26A

Lord God, send Your Spirit upon us today with specific intent to teach us, and may we learn most of all to seek Your guidance above all other sources. You're smarter than the smartest of us, purer than the holiest of us, more faithful than the most ardent of us, and better at loving than most compassionate of us. Send the Spirit to teach us to LEARN from You, first, to seek You, first, and to gently guide us into everyday spiritual growth. Help us understand that it matters not how long we have strayed, or wandered, or just plain ignored You. You stand ready to redeem, make new, and grant us the fullness of joy. Only you can help us get past ourselves, so come, Holy Lord, and help us get started...again. Amen.

A Prayer of Confession for Proper 21A/Ordinary 26A

Forgive our groaning and complaining, O God, most of it caused by our selfishness and lack of compassion. Forgive our forgetfulness, O God, most of it caused by our stubborn insistence upon getting our own way, and imposing our own will on the world around us. Forgive our faith put in all the wrong sources and in all the wrong places. Forgive our blind following of so many gurus and teachers and "wise" people, when the most true and ultimate source of wisdom is You...and only You. Heal us of the pain caused by our pride and stubbornness, and redeem the mess we often make of things because we thought our way was better than Yours. Reach into our deepest places, and there pour out Your balm of healing love, so that we cannot help but respond with renewed love of our own, wherever we see others in sin or in pain. Help us accept Your authority...and believe it, and live by it, and graciously use it, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Transformed

As mentioned in yesterday's post, I've been preaching a series of late about hospitality, in all its nuances. The very first scripture that always comes to mind, whenever I hear that word hospitality, is Romans 12, especially verse 13.

It seems to me that in order for us to come even close to living a Christian lifestyle like that which St. Paul so clearly spells out in these verses, then we must be transformed (see vv. 1-2). I.e., utterly changed...become something entirely different than what we are now. This is something which, in my experience, we cannot accomplish on our own, no matter how much we like to think we can, or how many personal empowerment seminars we attend, or how many New Age gurus we listen to telling we are essentially gods ourselves and have all the power to change the world. A couple of synonyms for transformation illustrate the point: conversion, transmutation, transfiguration.

To practice radical Biblical hospitality is no small thing!

Here's a prayer for transformation, based (very) loosely and adapted (significantly) from a prayer I found on some website in Australia...it was a strange, New-Agey type church, seeming to focus on the Self as some type of deity. Which really is the problem, no? :-)

Prayer for Transformation

God of my heart, help me to enter into the presence of my own self,
into the deep places within me, where You are waiting, dwelling,
where Your Spirit lives and breathes life into me.

Help me not to look to the right or to the left, above or below,
but to have a perception of reality, of all life, that is shaped by You.
Help me see he world as You see the world.
And help me see myself as You see me.
Show me the things You want to change in me, and help me submit.

Take away from me all the shields I have built over the years.
Tear away from me that which is false, that which is error, that which is not truth.
Give me an inkling of the greatness You will call forth from me,
and help me to bow down before You, in all things;
especially Lord, help me submit to Your love for others, and use me.

Use me, Lord, as a living sacrifice; help be conformed to Your will,
Transformed by Your love and power.
Help me love sincerely, cling to the good, welcome the stranger,
and freely, generously, offer all I can to everyone I can.

This I pray in the name Jesus, who saves me, loves me, calls me, teaches me.

Amen.

Dog Days

Well, it has been over a month (almost two, actually) since a post. NOT GOOD for someone aspiring to throw WEEKLY liturgy stuff out there! Oh well...it's SUMMER. Is it just me, or is there not as much "slowing down" in the summer anymore? I find it to be one of the busiest times of the year, actually, especially July and August, as the church prepares for new ministries and initiatives in the fall.

I have not been preaching from the lectionary of late...I don't feel that tied to it anyway. It is difficult to be contextual, especially in seeking to revitalize/grow a church, and be tied to the lectionary. I have been engaged in a series about HOSPITALITY in recent weeks, trying to urge the usual crowd into more of it...and a MUCH deeper appreciation of "philonexia" -- love of the stranger. This week is Romans 12 (for my money the best concise manifesto on Christian living in the New Testament). I'm trying to lift up hospitality as more than just an "add on," or even something vitally important for evangelism...which of course, it is. But, it is more...it is CENTRAL to the whole Gospel message, to the core of who and what Jesus was all about. His whole ministry was "practicing hospitality"....the love of the "stranger". I'll post some of the liturgy I've been using (and borrowing) when I get around to it. Stay cool. And TAKE SOME TIME OFF. A colleague of mine and mentor of sorts, Jeff Patton (http://www.jhpconsulting.com/) recommends that those in full time ministry take at least THREE weeks off in a row....I'm working on that, Jeff, lol. For now, a few days at a time!

Pentecost 4, Proper 5 -- Jesus the Lawbreaker

Ever notice how Jesus was always in trouble with the law?

Usually it was because he was upholding a different standard--a higher standard--than the religious lawgivers and officials in 1st century Judea; it's just that they couldn't see it. They were trying essentially to "be good enough" to earn God's favor, to earn their way into heaven, and looked down on anyone who was a moral failure. Jesus understood that we are all moral failures, when you get right down to it, and all stand in need of God's grace and mercy...so he set about always and everywhere practicing that mercy and forgiveness, and reconciling people with God.

Therefore, he was often found hanging out with "bad" people, unacceptable people, dirty people, socially-suspect people, powerless people, sick people, wounded people, hopeless people. Jesus hung out with people who KNEW they were broken, and FELT their need, and often came to him seeking grace and acceptance when they couldn't find it anywhere else.

And the earn-your-way-to-heaven crowd didn't like that one bit.

Where are we in this picture? What do we believe about ourselves, our innate goodness, or badness, our need? Who do we look down upon , and judge? Who do we show mercy to? Do we accept our own undeniable need for grace? Do we resent it when others receive grace....cuz they "don't deserve it"? If you are like me, these are tough questions to answer...because the truth hurts, when we really examine our prejudices!

Prayer of Confession for Pentecost 4

Father in Heaven, like Matthew, we have sought security through money, and have at time been selfish and greedy. Forgive our lack of trust in Your power. Like the Pharisees, we have acted “holier-than thou” sometimes, seeing the speck in other's eyes and not the log in our own. Forgive our self-righteousness and help us depend upon Your mercy. Like the sick woman and Jairus, we have found ourselves in need of healing, but been short of faith in Your power. Forgive our faithless ways, and stir our souls with greater and more fervent trust. Forgive our unbelief, and help us follow You like Abraham all our days. Amen.

Power & Perspective

Ever have a time in your life when you just need some perspective? I surely do. One way I find it is by stargazing, or taking a walk in the woods. When you get out of yourself for a little while, sometimes those problems and issues which seem so large and so daunting will shrink back into their proper perspective. And if you are truly dealing with something huge, that perspective may provide you with a new way of seeing and tackling the problem. And, if nothing else, you'll get a little rest :-)

Here's a video called "Powers of Ten" will give you some perspective. There are several versions of it floating around, and this vid is not new, can't even remember when or where I first saw it. There's also a newer version of it narrated by Morgan Freeman that is cool, too. Whichever one you look at, it might give you a bit (or a lot) of perspective, and help you locate yourself in the grand scheme of things...

Memorial Day

It's Memorial Day weekend. It's come to be a time of celebrating the start of summer, picnics and family cookouts, parades, golf outings, reunions, fishing tournaments, ballgames, the end of school for the summer.

This year, as in the past several years, and as we prepare to celebrate, we are a nation at war. Which should give us pause, entering a holiday conceived to memorialize the human cost of war. And since we are at war, on this Memorial Day, many families--some whom we know and live with--are remembering loved ones recently killed and wounded. It's not like in the past, when we rightly paused to remember those who fought and died a generation or two ago. It is the current generation of young men and women who are fighting and dying. So it makes me reflective, and I think about the bumper sticker on the car of a wonderful friend, which says "Wage Peace." I understand that hope and imperative. Another good friend wrote a long letter this week, itself a response to a letter from her friend who had been looking at pictures--not pretty--from the current war. Here is an excerpt from what she wrote, followed by my response...and then a prayer for Memorial Day.

"We desire to extend to each individual the kind of gracious and radical hospitality that Jesus practiced. But to do so is also to acknowledge that we are broken and deeply flawed human beings whom God is gradually knitting back together. We cannot and will not reflect a perfect hospitality, a deep and abiding generosity of spirit without the presence of God in our own lives. Equally, we have to name and reflect on the places where we are guilty both of individual and of corporate sin."

Amen. And here's the part I struggle with...

Why are we broken? Original sin. We're born busted. Or, born "tabula rasa" in a busted world that breaks us and molds us, inevitably, into less than God's intention for us. Call it whatever you will, this brokenness means there will always be, until Jesus comes back, those in this world who will use evil--in all its guises, cruelties, and manifestations--to impose their selfish will on others. Do we not see this every day?

How to respond? Especially to those so totally amoral and broken that hacking off arms of innocent children, or burning people alive (to name just a few horrors of war--ever read "The Rape of Nanking"; THAT one will keep you wake nights!)? I used to think Gandhi's form of nonviolence could and would always out. In some circumstances, perhaps it can. I also know that, in this busted world, the poor we will always have with us, as well as war, and selfishness, and cruelty. Jesus warned us about that. No amount of wishing it weren't so can change that. That said, of course, I believe in working for peace, and trying to end war. It just is never going to happen until the redemption of creation is complete. And only God knows when that is going to happen.

So I will honor those who fight, and celebrate that we have a military, unlike that in other places, where there ARE rules, and where we continue to try and reduce the costs of war--understanding of course that you cannot make something inherently bad into something good. Be that as it may, most soldiers I know--even generals, especially the generals--NEVER want to go to war. They've seen it. They understand the costs. They know it's really bad.

I'm not smart enough to figure it all out! I believe in Waging Peace...and think we should have a cumpulsory draft, like in Israel. I believe in Just War theory and diplomacy...and in sending in the Navy Seals, or a Marine Expeditionary Unit when the occasion demands. I believe in walking softly, treading lightly...and having a big stick, just in case. We SHOULD be careful, and count our own personal and corporate sin; that is at heart the focus of the debate about the current war, when you get right down to it...and we all want it to be over, and soon.

Until then, let us not forget those who have given part of themselves, literally, or given their very lives, for us. Whether or not you agree that the current war is "just," our brothers and sisters fighting it are doing it for us, and because they are willing to risk everything for us.

A Memorial Day Prayer

God in Heaven, how you must grieve our warring ways. Eden is your goal for Earth, but Hell is what we so often make of it. However we are responsible for turning Heaven into Hell, forgive us, and through your ever-gracious and loving Spirit, convict of us our sin and short-sightedness, our greed and ambition, our pride and lusts for power, and every other cause that turns us against one another. Your Son would have us seek you first, before everything else. So simple...and yet we are so unwilling. God, hurriedly, quickly, change our willful ways and be merciful to us.

And Lord, grant peace beyond whatever we can give to those who have given their lives to defend and protect us. Be with their families in a supernatural way, that they might know peace, even as they suffer the terrible cost of war. Strengthen and miraculously comfort those with ruined bodies; unfailingly help those who help them to offer great compassion, and unending patience. Stir the hearts of all those who have the means to help the wounded and the dying, especially our leaders who hold the purse strings, so that nothing is held back. Help us all to count the costs, and understand; to tread lightly when we can, and exercise restraint when we must, and serve courageously when needed. And finally, God of Creation, help us pursue, with your unstoppable divine power, every option for justice and peace, before we turn against others and unleash our earthly power. Give us your wisdom, and help us depend less on our own. Amen.

Trinity Sunday Redux

Below is another prayer for Trinity Sunday. I guess it could apply any time though, really. Each week I usually try to include a "prayer of commitment" (or some other response for the gathered community) after the Word is proclaimed in worship. It is not enough for us to just "fill the pews" at our regular worship times. Proclaiming God's Word always demands a response. Hearing God's truth is always an invitation to us, demanding more of us than just showing up to "fill our tanks for the week." Indeed, when folks are asked "Why do you go to church?", one of the most common responses is that we go to be spiritually fed and powered-up for the week ahead. We go to worship to top off our spiritual tanks.

I contend that rightly understood, being fed and powered-up is really a BY-PRODUCT of true worship--a gift from God to be sure, but not THE reason for worship. We worship because we are CREATED to worship. We worship God mainly because God DESERVES our praises and thanksgivings. Adoration is the prime reason and motivation for worship. We are not the "audience" and God is not the Primal Actor. We are the Created whose primary responsibility is acknowledging and worshiping our Creator. As I've heard it said by some great teachers of worship, true worship should always cost us something. Check out Romans 12.1-2.

A Prayer of Commitment

Lord of Creation, we cannot look at any part of this world, even with its storms, fires, and earthquakes, and not be amazed by your power and your providence. Yet so often we live as if you don't exist! Accept our promise today to live not only to live in the knowledge of your Reality, but our promise to participate with you in renewing and redeeming the world, starting when and where we can, in our own lives, loves, and relationships. So helps us, Lord; you have made us in your image. Let us reflect that image always! Amen.