Psalm: Psalm 8
Second Lesson: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20
BONUS: Thoughts on the Trinity, Experience, Revelation, Theology and Preaching:
First Lesson: Genesis 1:1-2:4a
So there they were: eleven pious Jews. They might not have been the cream of the crop when it came to theological education, but they certainly had had the core and essence of their faith pounded into them again and again: "Hear O Israel: the LORD is our God, the LORD alone." (Deut. 6:4) Along with their relatives and neighbors they recited this daily. Their teacher and leader himself quoted scripture to resist the tempter: "Away with you, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him." (Deut. 6:13) Israel had ONE GOD....and Israel came to believe THERE WAS ONLY ONE GOD. THAT'S IT. These pious, if a bit rough-around-the-edges, Galilean Jews would not only have known this, it was core to their being.
And yet, here they are on a mountain WORSHIPPING their teacher. Why? I imagine they were doing this because it was the right and natural thing to do. It just made sense (and NOT in that way that eating a second jelly donut "makes sense" at the time). Despite the teachings and values that (quite rightly) scream at them "Don't worship a person, DON'T WORSHIP A PERSON!!!!" they worship Jesus.
Thank God, literally, that he's not JUST a person. And let's face it, if Jesus is JUST a person we Christians are in big, big trouble.
Perhaps right in the middle of the experience, they began to think "...is this really what we should be doing?..." (hence the doubts). But, it was the right thing to do (or Jesus would have stopped them).
And he doesn't stop them, he even talks about "The Father, Son and Holy Spirit."
Here's the thing about the relationship between EXPERIENCE, REVELATION, and THEOLOGY (at least in my mind). The EXPERIENCE and REVELATION of Jesus Christ come first...the THEOLOGY comes later as we try to make to make sense of what God is doing. Now, if you are a Lutheran pastor reading this you might be about to "defend the importance of theology." Hey, I have no problem with theology, it's very important...but it comes later as we try to make sense of things. EXPERIENCE and REVELATION come first (and they go together, having one without the other doesn't really work).
As Rolf Jacobsen says, "Theology is always playing a catch-up game - trying to catch up to the reality of who God is. Doctrine doesn't make God triune; God is triune. Our language runs to catch." (Crazy Talk pg. 175). So there's not a doctrine of the Trinity spelled out in Scripture? So what!?!? The doctrine is trying to catch up with what God is up to.
So, in my humble opinion, that tries to "explain the Trinity" with all sorts of analogies really misses the point. Why does it matter? I prefer a sermon that gets at the heart of the experience of God in Jesus Christ (and the revelation that comes from God).
This is what I usually say about the Trinity: at God's very core essence, God is RELATIONSHIP and COMMUNITY (that doesn't mean that relationship and community are God...) God is love (I remember reading that somewhere...like, say First John). That's what the Trinity is getting at (at least to me). If we are "made in the image of God" that means the importance of relationship and community are core and central to who we are. As the musical Les Mis says "To love another person is to see the face of God." Well, yeah.
So theology is important, especially if it's put into the right place. Jesus Christ didn't die and rise from the dead to that we could have perfect theology. Nope. It's so that we can have life in his name. Life in his name, where we truly get to be who we were meant to be...claiming our gift of being made in the image of God.
When I hear people talk about the Trinity, I need to hear about the wild and crazy and totally fitting experience of the disciples in Matthew 28. I don't need a talk about how the Trinity is like a piece of pie or H20 in it's three forms. Give me the crazy and amazing revelation and experience of God any day.
And yet, here they are on a mountain WORSHIPPING their teacher. Why? I imagine they were doing this because it was the right and natural thing to do. It just made sense (and NOT in that way that eating a second jelly donut "makes sense" at the time). Despite the teachings and values that (quite rightly) scream at them "Don't worship a person, DON'T WORSHIP A PERSON!!!!" they worship Jesus.
Thank God, literally, that he's not JUST a person. And let's face it, if Jesus is JUST a person we Christians are in big, big trouble.
Perhaps right in the middle of the experience, they began to think "...is this really what we should be doing?..." (hence the doubts). But, it was the right thing to do (or Jesus would have stopped them).
And he doesn't stop them, he even talks about "The Father, Son and Holy Spirit."
Here's the thing about the relationship between EXPERIENCE, REVELATION, and THEOLOGY (at least in my mind). The EXPERIENCE and REVELATION of Jesus Christ come first...the THEOLOGY comes later as we try to make to make sense of what God is doing. Now, if you are a Lutheran pastor reading this you might be about to "defend the importance of theology." Hey, I have no problem with theology, it's very important...but it comes later as we try to make sense of things. EXPERIENCE and REVELATION come first (and they go together, having one without the other doesn't really work).
As Rolf Jacobsen says, "Theology is always playing a catch-up game - trying to catch up to the reality of who God is. Doctrine doesn't make God triune; God is triune. Our language runs to catch." (Crazy Talk pg. 175). So there's not a doctrine of the Trinity spelled out in Scripture? So what!?!? The doctrine is trying to catch up with what God is up to.
So, in my humble opinion, that tries to "explain the Trinity" with all sorts of analogies really misses the point. Why does it matter? I prefer a sermon that gets at the heart of the experience of God in Jesus Christ (and the revelation that comes from God).
This is what I usually say about the Trinity: at God's very core essence, God is RELATIONSHIP and COMMUNITY (that doesn't mean that relationship and community are God...) God is love (I remember reading that somewhere...like, say First John). That's what the Trinity is getting at (at least to me). If we are "made in the image of God" that means the importance of relationship and community are core and central to who we are. As the musical Les Mis says "To love another person is to see the face of God." Well, yeah.
So theology is important, especially if it's put into the right place. Jesus Christ didn't die and rise from the dead to that we could have perfect theology. Nope. It's so that we can have life in his name. Life in his name, where we truly get to be who we were meant to be...claiming our gift of being made in the image of God.
When I hear people talk about the Trinity, I need to hear about the wild and crazy and totally fitting experience of the disciples in Matthew 28. I don't need a talk about how the Trinity is like a piece of pie or H20 in it's three forms. Give me the crazy and amazing revelation and experience of God any day.
First Lesson: Genesis 1:1-2:4a
Challenges:
This is a wonderful piece of scripture, but it is also very long (over a chapter). If it is being read in worship people might get lost in the descriptions of days, or get destracted by something else as they try to listen (if you have ever experienced trying to keep a three year old setting the contents of your pew on fire, you know what I'm talking about). There's a lot to digest and cover...and unless your sermon is centered on Genesis 1, you might not get to it in your sermon.
Opportunities:
While it might come as a surprise to some, this is not an excerpt from a science textbook, but rather amazing poetry that gives us truth (not necessarily "fact"). There's a cadence and rhythm to the words here. How can you emphasize those two things? Perhaps you can ask whoever is reading to put a small pause between the descriptions of the days (verses 5/6, 8/9, 13/14, 19/20, 23/24, 31/2:1)
There's also the "obvious" (at least after you've been shown it and learned about it), "sighting" of the Holy Trinity as God creates: there's God the creator, the "wind" from God is the Holy Spirit (wind, spirit, and breath all come from the same word), and when God speaks things into being, there is Christ "the Word." Something tells me that the original writers of this text didn't think to themselves, "Let's get this just so because, hundreds of years from now, it'll be part of an important dogma in the church. But that doesn't mean the Holy Trinity ISN'T there.
While it might come as a surprise to some, this is not an excerpt from a science textbook, but rather amazing poetry that gives us truth (not necessarily "fact"). There's a cadence and rhythm to the words here. How can you emphasize those two things? Perhaps you can ask whoever is reading to put a small pause between the descriptions of the days (verses 5/6, 8/9, 13/14, 19/20, 23/24, 31/2:1)
There's also the "obvious" (at least after you've been shown it and learned about it), "sighting" of the Holy Trinity as God creates: there's God the creator, the "wind" from God is the Holy Spirit (wind, spirit, and breath all come from the same word), and when God speaks things into being, there is Christ "the Word." Something tells me that the original writers of this text didn't think to themselves, "Let's get this just so because, hundreds of years from now, it'll be part of an important dogma in the church. But that doesn't mean the Holy Trinity ISN'T there.
The Good News:
God creates, God makes things that are good. Humankind is made in the image and likeness of God. I'll say in other places that Christians believe that at God's core essence, God is COMMUNITY and RELATIONSHIP. Because we are made in the image of God, there is something in us, at our very core, that longs for and needs COMMUNITY and RELATIONSHIP. With God and with each other. Hmmmm....that reminds of me of the two greatest commandments: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind....and love your neighbor as yourself." It's as if these things fit together...weird. It's as if the Holy Spirit just might have had something to do with this whole compilation of the Bible thing, eh?
Psalm: Psalm 8
Challenges:
What exactly does "dominion" mean here? The right to screw up the environment? The right to "dominate" and destroy? I don't believe so. I see this as our role as caretakers, stewards, people in positions of "delegated authority." It could be very easy for us to use a psalm like this as an opportunity to lord it over everything us...be mindful!
Opportunities:
Quite often you'll hear people quote the Bible without even knowing it ("...wolves in sheeps' clothing" etc.). Verse 2 is another example of this ("Out of the mouths of babes and infants"). It's always kind of fun and interesting when you can connect Scripture with things we say everyday, it can bring the Bible to life in the lives of people.
Quite often you'll hear people quote the Bible without even knowing it ("...wolves in sheeps' clothing" etc.). Verse 2 is another example of this ("Out of the mouths of babes and infants"). It's always kind of fun and interesting when you can connect Scripture with things we say everyday, it can bring the Bible to life in the lives of people.
The Good News:
This psalm recognizes that we humans are not anything that special...except we are. Not because we have done anything, but because God chose us and gave us our...what would you call it? "Special-ness," "Speciality," "special-nicity?" Well, whatever you call it, it comes from God and it is a gift and we can live lives of gratitude because of it.
This psalm recognizes that we humans are not anything that special...except we are. Not because we have done anything, but because God chose us and gave us our...what would you call it? "Special-ness," "Speciality," "special-nicity?" Well, whatever you call it, it comes from God and it is a gift and we can live lives of gratitude because of it.
Second Lesson: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Challenges:
If the first lesson was long, this one is very short (I doubt many in your congregation will complain). Still, people will have barely settled in to listening by the time it's over. Again, the judicious use of pauses in the reading could be very helpful.
Opportunities:
Here's another one of those phrases that gets used a lot, maybe not in popular culture (okay, DEFINITELY not in popular culture), but certainly in church culture. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God..." I remember the first time I read something in scripture that is also found in our liturgy (from 1 John, "If we say we have not sinned we deceive ourselves...") and there was this really amazing moment where I thought, "Wow! We're not just making all of this up!" It gave the liturgy a greater significance and GRAVITAS from then on. This lesson can do the same thing. We're not just making it all up. Isn't that nice?
Here's another one of those phrases that gets used a lot, maybe not in popular culture (okay, DEFINITELY not in popular culture), but certainly in church culture. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God..." I remember the first time I read something in scripture that is also found in our liturgy (from 1 John, "If we say we have not sinned we deceive ourselves...") and there was this really amazing moment where I thought, "Wow! We're not just making all of this up!" It gave the liturgy a greater significance and GRAVITAS from then on. This lesson can do the same thing. We're not just making it all up. Isn't that nice?
The Good News:
The first verses talk about what the hearers should do (put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with each other, live in peace, etc.) and then there is the blessing of God's presence among them and on them. I read this and realize that all of the stuff we "should" or "have" to do becomes something we get to do...and we're not doing it alone. We're doing it with the help, inspiration, and comradeship of God. That's amazing and exciting...certainly not drudgery.
Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20
Challenges:
Opportunities:
By now you might have heard about the not-so-great job that the NRSV does in translating verse 17. It doesn't necessarily say "they worshipped him, but SOME doubted." It actually says "They worshipped him and doubted." It means that worship and doubt can co-exist together. You don't have to have it all together and figured out before you can live a life of worship. You don't have to have "a proper theological understanding of....fill in the blank" before you have an experience of Jesus. At the same time, it's not all doubts either (I think we like to lean on one or the other worship, or doubt, rather than balance them). We are called to "go" and make disciples. We do know what Jesus commanded us to do (see Sermon on the Mount as well as lots of other things). So this could be a good chance to talk about the exhilerating, glorious, chaotic, mess that is discipleship and how it can change your life and the world.
The Good News:
Sometimes I read this text and put myself in the place of the disciples (which is wholy and completely an "okay" thing to do). I think about how I Jesus is with me always, I think about how I am to "go" and make disciples, I think about the things Jesus has commanded me to do and how I can teach them. Again, nothing wrong with this. As I read the lesson today, however, I found myself putting myself outside of the story. I find myself thinking, "Because these disciples listened to Jesus and WENT somewhere, my ancestors eventually heard the Gospel, stopped worshipping trees in the forrests of Germany, and had new life. Because the disciples did what Jesus told them, I eventually heard the Good News and experienced Jesus. When I think of the story that way, above all, I feel grateful.
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