Lent 2: Born Again....From Above...Again

Genesis 12:1-4a

Psalm 121
Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
John 3:1-17

First Lesson: Genesis 12:1-4a

Challenges:

Okay, I'll admit it, the John 3 text is going to get more attention today. Those of you looking for good stuff on Genesis 12: you can have a refund if you'd like. I use this challenge over and over again, but that's because it keeps popping up.  How much time do you have to go into who Abram (Abraham) is and what this is all about?  How much do people really want to know?  It's a short lesson, but there's a lot to it. 

Opportunities:

I read this text and it makes me think of what the Gospel of John is talking about when it mentions 'Eternal Life." Basically Abram (Abraham) is being blessed so that he can be a blessing.  Abram is not only being blessed, he is also given a purpose.  This gives him meaning and significance: something that we are all looking for. If "Eternal Life" in John isn't just about a long, long, long, long time, but about something more than that: I see it here in what Abram is being called to be.

 

The Good News: 

There are many pieces of good news here: I believe that, like Abram, we are blessed to be a blessing as well.  We are given a purpose, meaning and significance.  This is life-giving.  Also, here we see the beginning of God's plan to bless the entire world.  My ancestors were not living in the Fertile Crescent at this time, they were off worshipping trees in northern Europe.  But eventually they will be blessed by the God of Abraham through Jesus Christ.  What's the longest street in your town/city? Basically you can say that this is the beginning of that street and that it will stretch through town all the way to the other end, where we are.  It's a tremendous endeavor to bless the world and now we are a part of it.  After all "Father Abraham had many sons.  Many sons had Father Abraham and I am one of them and so are you..."

Psalm: Psalm 121

Challenges:

What does 'help from the Lord' actually look like in our lives today? Miraculous intervention?  Coincidence?  Something else? 

Opportunities:

This strikes me of a psalm about faith...about trust.  The person saying this is using words of trust.  What does trust look like?

The Good News: 

I don't know the percentage of trust that the person who originally spoke these words had in God.  Was it 70% trust, 30% doubt? Was it a 50/50 split? Ultimately, however, looking at it that way isn't helpful.  I think these words can both reflect and name the trust we already have and they can also engender trust/faith in God that we didn't know what there.  I truly believe faith and doubt isn't a clear percentage in us: they are all wrapped up into one. 

Second Lesson: Romans 4;1-5, 13-17

Challenges:

Romans is an excellent book...no doubt about it.  It is foundational for us as Christians. It's also rather dense and takes some careful consideration. If you have a person from the congregation reading this lesson are they familiar with the words? Did they practice reading it outloud a few times?  Last week, when the lesson from Romans was even denser than this one, our lector called in sick and the person who took his place gave it her all but with only a few minutes of time to read it over, it was a real slog.  This, of course, is a challenge and I don't have a ready answer.

 

Opportunities:

What IS faith?  This is a great chance to talk about the many other meanings of the word other than just "belief."  I often use "trust" as synomymous with faith.  Abram trusted God and left his home and acted on the promise. It can also be said that Abram messed up tremendously and severely lacked in faith as his travels continued (the "that's not my wife that's my sister" incident in Egypt comes to mind).  But what does it mean to have faith?  I like to say, "Having faith in a bridge means trusting that it won't collapse while you walk on it."

The Good News: 

I mentioned above that Abram/Abraham's faith wasn't perfect...not by any means...and that brings me comfort.  You and I are the same way.  When I strive for a righteousness that comes from me a few different things happen: 1) I fail...surprise, surprise 2) I decieve myself 3) I make myself miserable and my life looks harried and stressful.  When I am able to step back and realize that righteousness doesn't come from me, but rather is a gift from God my life is changed....very much for the better.  If this life is a gigantic potluck...God is the one bringing the righteousness to the table (I imagine that God's righteousness at a potluck would look a lot of like Oreo dirt pudding, but that's just me).

 

Gospel: John 3:1-17

Challenges:

So there's this Greek word, anothen and it can either be translated "again" or "from above."  I could imagine that it can be something of a "fighting word" if we let it. I can't speak for the rest of the world, but in the United States, the idea of "being born again" carries a tremendous amount of cultural weight (some would call it baggage).  In many ways this could be a distraction. If you are a mainline pastor, it could be really tempting to turn this into a diatribe against "evangelical" churches that insist on translating this "born again" rather than "from above."  To do this drastically misses the point. The commentary on this text at the Working Preacher website does a good job talking about how it really can be "both/and" not "either/or."  You can read that here.

Now is not the time to get into denominational, theological, or cultural arguments that show why we are right and they are wrong: to do this would miss an amazing opportunity to talk about something important.  Let's not be like the two competing news anchors in the Ron Burgundy movie who are eaching trying to get in the last word at the end of the broadcast: "You stay classy San Diego..." "And thanks for stopping by..." "But, mainly, stay classy..." "Thanks for stopping by..."
And another thing...anytime Jesus says something in the Gospel of John it can feel very abstract, other-worldly and...well...remote to me.  That could just be me and people like me.  Maybe you don't feel that way.  But there will be people like me listening to your sermon!

Opportunities:

To say somemore about anothen: The People's New Testament Commentary says "The issue is not how many times one has been born (Nicodemus's misunderstanding) but the origin of one's life (Jesus' meaning).  This kind of misunderstanding is a frequent Johannine literary and theological technique, with Jesus intending his statement at one leve, but being heard only at a different, mundane level."  Maybe you could site another humorous example of this found in other gospels where Jesus says "Beware of the yeast of the pharisees" and the Disciples think "He's telling us this because we don't have any bread!" And Jesus basically has a "face-palm" moment. (the Disciples have a way of causing those kind of moments).

 

The Good News:

Verses 16 and 17 (especially 16 of course) get a great deal of play-time.  If there is a verse that most people, Christian or not, know it's John 3:16. It's been parodied and mocked on many occasions.  Maybe one way to see good news is to look at the Greek word for love that is used here: agape.  This is "self-giving" love.  Maybe this is a great chance to talk about what God's love really means.  God gave of Godself in order to save the world.  There was sacrifice (TREMENDOUS sacrifce) involved.  An awareness of this warms the heart in a profound way.

And when it comes to talking about "eternal life" the guys from The People's New Testament Commentary have some more good things to say: "Eternal life does not mean just an endless extension of this-worldly life, but a new order of being, the life of the age to come, in John's theology already present in the life of Christian faith." I like to think of ETERNAL LIFE not just having "two dimensions" but being a "three-dimensional" thing: long and deep and broad and wide. 

Lent 1: [No] Sympathy for the Devil

Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
Psalm 32
Romans 5:12-19
Matthew 4: 1-11

 

First Lesson: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7

 

Challenges:

Talk about a selection of scripture that carries a tremendous amount of weight.  Talk about ancient words that still have a pull on the human pysche. Talk about a story that just about "everyone" knows (sortof...kindof...even if they get the details wrong).  It's always a challenge to talk about scripture that people know (or think they know).  There are too many challenges to talk about here.  But how about this one: anytime someone tells me "You can do anything except fill in the blank here what do I immediately want to do (or am at least curious about)? Of course that thing.  Someone might ask, "What was God thinking?"

 

Opportunities:

Rob Bell talks about this in his book Velvet Elvis in a way that is really helpful (especially in light of the Bill Nye/Ken Ham science/creation debate).  He says "...Is the greatest truth about Adam and Eve and the fruit that it happened, or that it happens?  This story, one of the first in the Bible, is true for us because it is our story. We have all taken the fruit.  We have all crossed boundaries.  We have all made decisions to do things our way and then looked back and said to ourselves, What was I thinking? The fruit looked so great to Adam and Eve for those brief moments, but the consequences were with them for the rest of their lives.  Their story is our story.  We see ourselves in them.  The story is true because it happened and because it happens. It is an accurate description of how life is.  The reason the stories in the Bible have resonated with so many people over the years is that they have seen themselves in these stories." (Velvet Elvis  58-59)

 

The Good News: 

Two things: this story ends before we get some good news.  Later on God will clothe Adam and Eve and continue to be with them.  Much, much later than that God will send God's Son Jesus and take care of sin once and for all.  You have to go beyond these actual verses to get good news, but it's there...thanks be to God (literally).

Psalm: Psalm 32

 

Challenges:

Apparently the author of this psalm hasn't read Luther's Bondage of the Will.  What was he thinking being born a few thousand years too early? Come on! It's like this person has an actual choice to turn back to God and acknowledge their sin. Hmmmm....

 

Opportunities:

Again and again I hear people talk about wanting sermons to be relevant to their lives. They'll get no argument from me.  This is an AMAZING psalm if you want to talk about relevance.  How often do we waste away inside when we are holding a transgression within us and are unwilling to admit our imperfections? How stressful and depressing and scary is our life when we feel like we can't mess up one little bit? How amazing is it when we can take that messy burden we are holding and give it over to God and then receive forgiveness and instruction? If you're preaching on the Gospel (where Jesus is victorious over temptation) you can turn to this passage so people know that they don't have to be perfect like Jesus. This is a practical thing.

The Good News: 

See opportunities.

Second Lesson: Romans 5:12-19

Challenges:

 

I see what you are doing here RCL.  I'm picking up what you're putting down.  Genesis 2 and 3 for the first lesson and then Matthew 4 for the Gospel and this lesson from Romans to tie the two together. Touche! At the same time, 'Original Sin' doesn't have the same weight that it might have in years gone by.  This lesson has been tough for many people, especially people who hold to the idea that the Bible is the literal, infallible Word of God.  (I go with the "inspired" Word of God approach myself). If there really wasn't just ONE Adam, then how does Paul's point work with the ONE Jesus bringing the free gift of grace?  I don't want to dismiss this out of hand in a snarky way, of course.  It's worth thinking about.

Opportunities:

I talk about what Rob Bell says about the Adam/Eve/Fruit story above. Check it out in the "opportunties" section.  Maybe we all can insert our names (male and female) where it says "Adam."  Because his story is our story.  Maybe we don't have to think about this, as Rob Bell says, as something that HAPPENED, but something that is HAPPENING in our lives. 

 

The Good News: 

"But the free gift is not like the trespass..." The free gift of grace abounds for the many.  If we start playing a game where we weigh our good deeds versus our bad deeds a few different things will happen: we'll either think we're winning the game and decieve ourselves, we'll feel like we're always losing the game (which, while accurate, won't help our lives be transformed alone) or we'll just decide to stop playing and live selfishly.  Instead, we can observe the game and our inability to win and then look to Christ and the free gift of grace that comes from him.  Then we are free from deception, depression and apathy.  Christ makes us free.

Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11

Challenges:

This is a pretty well known story as they go.  It's certainly captured our collective mind.  Dave Matthews wrote a song about this exchange between Jesus and the tempter ("Save Me") where he changed the story drastically.  He has the Devil asking Jesus for help and Jesus not really getting it. (I really love Dave Matthews and his music, but I didn't love the thrust of the song). There's also the pesky issue of whether Jesus' resistance to temptation is something we should emulate or something that we know that we can't and are just glad that Jesus can.  I think it's both. 

 

Opportunities:

Okay, so I'm never going to measure up to Jesus' track record against temptation. If I could that whole dying-on-the-cross thing would be a waste of time.  At the same time, this is a great time to talk about how we face temptation.  To just say "Well, Jesus does it for us and aren't we glad he does?" And leave it at that is okay, but will leave people a little less than excited. It could also lead people to think, hey it doesn't really matter what I do, it's all cool. They might not think this consciously, but these sorts of thoughts have a way of boring into our subconscious and are then lived out in our lives.

So, how do you resist temptation? And what do you do when (not if) you fail?  The answer to the second question is found in Psalm 32. Go read that one again, it's good!  How to resist? I believe we can take a page from Jesus' book (literally!) by turning to scripture.  If we can have a few verses stored away in our minds (or even written on scraps of paper in our wallets or purses) they can be very helpful.

At the same time, it's important to remember that the tempter knows and uses scripture too. And let's face it, the Tempter knows it better than us.  Just a thought. Also, did you notice how the Tempter waits until Jesus is at his weakest...famished from a lack of food?  It can happen to us.  It's often tempting (interesting) to have some sort of sympathy for the Devil.  There's the Dave Matthew example mentioned above, and of course the Rolling Stones song, but it's nothing new. Even John Milton in Paradise Lost seemed to have a secret respect or admiration for Satan.  And besides, Americans love an underdog.  This is scary isn't it?  How can we show the Tempter for who he really is? Someone selfish who will throw anyone else under the bus if it helps him out, because "that's just the way the world works."

And another thing: the great take-away for me is the fact that the Tempter is trying to get Jesus to use his power, privilege and advantage for his own selfish gain.  This is something we all have to watch out for.  Even the most lowly of us have SOMEONE or SOMETHING (even if it's the family pet or a younger brother or sister) who we can take advantage of. 

If you are looking for an image to this text: I see this as a verbal and spiritual boxing match or fencing duel between Jesus and the Tempter.  You could even call this encounter like it's a boxing match between the two. Perhaps you could even ring a bell to start the rounds.

 

The Good News:

Jesus passes the test.  He is victorious.  At the end of this story, his mission has not be derailed. If it had, I'm sure he would have been a good earthly king (at least better than most), but he would have continued on the same old story and there would still be a tremendous gulf between God and humanity. Instead, that gulf has been bridged and the bridge is the One who took all that the Tempter could throw at him and won.

Transfiguration of Our Lord

Exodus 24:12-18

Psalm 2
2 Peter 1:16-21

Matthew 17:1-9

First Lesson: Exodus 24:12-18

Challenges:

Seems like a pretty straightforward story as you read it.  Moses goes up the mountain and he leaves Aaron and Hur behind to take care of things in his absence.  Moses encounters God on the mountain and God like a devouring fire.  Again, a bit terrifying, but still pretty straightforward.  This brings up to me the question of our access to God. I feel that we humans push to one extreme or the other.  Sometimes we feel that God is totally and completely aloof and "other" and "alien."  This can make us feel separated from God in a way that isn't healthy. At other times we act like God is hear always and is something like a warm, cuddly teddy bear that we can hold when we're feeling bad.  This is an image of God that never challenges us.  It's so very easy for us to fall into one extreme or the other...even to the point where we over-correct one extreme to the other.

Opportunities:

This could be a good chance to talk about the awe and majesty of God.  The phenomenal power that God wields can indeed be impressive.  Have you experienced power like this? Has it inspired you? Terrified you? Both at the same time?  This could also be a chance to talk about the importance of delegation when you are a leader. Moses leaves Aaron and Hur behind to settle disputes, etc. (Of course, things go bad when the people convince Aaron to make other gods for them at the foot of the mountain in chapter 32...)

The Good News: 

God comes and meets the people through Moses.  God reaches out and gives the people a way of life and a leader.  God has saved the people from slavery and is now giving them a way of life that will bring joy and happiness and community to them.

Psalm: Psalm 2

Challenges:

The image of "the LORD" here isn't too positive.  The Lord is something of a bully: acting with derision toward enemies and other peoples.  I don't particularly like the way God is portrayed here.  How can this work for us today?

Also, it can be very surprising for us to learn that Ancient Kings claimed to be 'the Son of God' all of the time, since they are "God's Annointed." This could take you aback if you're only thinking of Jesus as having that role.

Opportunities:

It's easy to feel like there is no control in the world, as if it will all fall apart in a minute or two. Maybe your life or the lives of the people who will be listening to you feel like they are teetering on the edge of falling apart. This can be a good chance to talk about how God is indeed in control. It doesn't mean that absolutely everything that happens comes from God, but that ultimately God's Kingdom is coming one way or the other.

The Good News: 

There are many ways to view God and we get many different descriptions of God throughout the bible. It is always good news for us that we get to view God through the "lens" of Jesus, who we proclaim as God's Anointed One every time we call him "Christ."

Second Lesson: 2 Peter 1:16-21

Challenges:

Wow, big stuff going on here.  This is Peter telling people about his experience.  Granted it can be a bit hard to follow his line of thought, especially if your attention is taken elsewhere in the middle of the reading of the lesson.

Opportunities:

There's that moment in most of our lives (hopefully when we're relatively young) where we realize that just because something is written in a book doesn't make it true.  It's an astounding and rather disorienting experience.   It means that we need to think critically about the sources of our information.  It also means that deciding what is really truth, fact or anything else is very difficult.  How do we know what to believe.  I love history and I read lots of books about World War II.  Thousands of scholars have written books about this subject, and each has a slightly (or drastically) different view on the conflict.  Which one is right? That's where critical thinking comes in.  The author of this passage is talking about something similar.  How do we know a prophecy comes from God or not? How do we know what is "of God" or not?  We have a community of faith around us, of course. It also helps if a voice from heaven says, ""This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." 

This could be a great chance to talk about how we decide what is true, what is right and what is "fact." How do we know who to trust? It's not an easy question, but one we really need to be asking constantly.

The Good News: 

Throughout the New Testament you get a sense that the people who are writing these gospels and letters were profoundly changed by something that they experienced.  Their lives were changed.  They encountered SOMETHING and it was powerful and inspiring and wonderful (even if they were terrified from time to time). I get a sense of that encounter here.  It is really amazing.

Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9

Challenges:

I think it's really, really easy for us to be down on the tired, stupid disciples (especially Peter) and the sad way they react to this glorious experience.  Now, it is true that Peter says something colossally stupid, but dwelling on this seems to miss the point.  Would you have done any better? I'm sure I wouldn't have.  Besides, if we dwell on how wrong Peter is, it's possible we can miss the absolutely amazing thing that is happening here: something that is totally beyond Peter's (or our) experience.  JESUS' FACE SHINES LIKE THE SUN! THERE'S A HUGE CLOUD! THERE'S A VOICE FROM HEAVEN! Are you kidding me?!?! Criticizing Peter for saying the wrong thing seems to miss the point. I'm surprised he got out any words at all.  We certainly don't have to say that he was right in what he said. But criticizing Peter feels like being a "Monday Morning Quarterback" or in this case a "Valley Disciple." Now, their performance at the Garden of Gethsemane is another matter....

Opportunities:

This is a great chance to talk about the experience of God's mystery and "otherness."  Having a brush with the Divine can be completely and totally awe-inspiring.  What are ways that we can experience this awe or otherness?  On an actual mountain-top?  In a great crowd of people?  In a beautiful building?  It's so easy for us to get so "comfortable" with God that maybe we need a bit of awe-someness.

This is also the perfect "you had to be there to understand it" moment.  I wouldn't be surprised if Peter, James and John kept quiet for a long time.  How could you explain what happened? Have you ever been on a religious retreat or some other profound experience that cannot be completely described to someone who was not there?  

The Good News:

There seems to be a tremendous convergence of grace here.  Jesus has the opportunity to speak with Moses and Elijah.  While Matthew doesn't mention the subject of their conversation (that comes in Luke) I think we can safely assume that the conversation was positive and helpful to him.  The disciples had the amazing chance (while terrifying at the time) to experience Jesus in his glory and God the Father in action. This experience must have brought them great inspiration and comfort later on.  And for thousands of years believers have been inspired by this story.  That seems to be the way God works: with so much mysterious grace and blessing bouncing around it's hard to keep track of it all.

Epiphany 7: "Perfect, Just Perfect!"

Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18
Psalm Psalm 119:33-40

1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23
Matthew 5:38-48

 

First Lesson: Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18

 

Challenges:

As I read this passage, I found very few challenges initially, but they soon began to crop up. One that came to mind was that many of these commands were geared toward a different society and economy (leaving food in the fields, etc.). Of course, it is totally appropriate to "update" these commands and to show that God expects society to care for everyone.  It is possible that there could be something of a brou-ha-ha over HOW exactly we care for those in need. Some might see this and say "Yep, farmers are supposed to help the poor, not the government!" Getting into the details of HOW we help the poor can put us into a quagmire of incriminations and unhealthy knee-jerk reactions.

Opportunities:

It is often maintained by opponents of "Religion" that our holy books are outdated and archaic. In fairness a great deal of Leviticus, with it's directions on how to slaughter which animal where, provides easy ammunition to the likes of Bill Maher.  But then you get something like this passage in Leviticus 19 and I HOPE that no matter who you are, this sounds like a good way to go. Justice, equity, community, and so much more.  To me these things aren't out of date or archaic.  They point to something amazing and life-giving.  If you are looking at this, perhaps you could joke about how crazy Leviticus is, until you get here and it sounds amazing.

The Good News: 

 

God could say, "Hey, I don't care what you do or how you treat each other as long as I get my nicely smelling sacrifices."  God DOESN'T say this.  God cares about how we treat each other, God cares about justice, God cares about you when you are being mistreated, cheated and oppressed. God cares.

Psalm: Psalm 119:33-40

Challenges:

 

These are wonderful verses, really wonderful. Hard to find a challenge here. The only thing to watch out for is the danger of not describing the actual statutes, decrees, commandments and promise.  What do they look like? What would it look like to live this way?

Opportunities:

This is a great chance to talk about following God's way as an actual "way of life."  It's a way that can change your life and, while not necessarily make it easier, it can make it better.  The Sochi Olympics have been in the news and on people's minds.  How can following God's way be like training as an athlete?  Is there a parallel? (The Apostle Paul certainly thought so!)

 

The Good News: 

 

Perhaps you are looking for a guide in life. Perhaps you feel like a rudderless ship and you need some direction. God provides us this direction, not only in God's Word but also with a community that helps us interpret and live out what's found there.

 

Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23

Challenges:

I mention in the opportunities below that the "you" being referred to in verse 16 is a plural "you" and this means that we're talking about the community here. As a Lutheran and thus a ecclesiastical descendant of the first Protestants, I have to admit that the breaking of community hits home. Of course we Protestants could say, "Well it was the Catholics who kicked us out!" And the Catholics could say, "No, it went this way..." but the point is there was a break in the community that led to individuals or whole groups to die in rather nasty ways.  Breaking community is a tricky thing. I'm not saying it's wrong to do so, I'm just saying it should never be done lightly. It also means that as Christians the burden of proof should be on those who are against ecumenism, rather than those who are for it.

 

Opportunities:

Very important to note that the "you" that is being addressed here is a plural "you" or, to quote my Southern Brethren, "y'all."  Verse 16 has often been used to talk about how you shouldn't drink alcohol or do anything else harmful to your body.  Of course, there's the whole question of what exactly is good or bad for your body (a glass of wine...or a tub of fried chicken), but that's a whole other conversation. This is talking about the community as the temple.  This is a great chance to talk about the value of community and how we can work together.  Perhaps you could show how it is easy to break one small stick, but if you put a bunch of small sticks together they are harder to break.

The Good News: 

The church in Corinth was holy because God made it holy. We are holy because God makes us holy.  The holiness is up to God and comes from God, not us.  We have a community that comes from God and we are not alone.  While it might be tempting to get worried about eloquent detractors of Christianity, it's good to remember that there have been such detractors from the beginning and yet we are still here and still holy because of God.

 

Gospel: Matthew 5:38-38

Challenges:

I'll admit it, I struggle with this one, especially about resisting evil-doers.  Self-defense is important.  Protecting your family is important.  I remember in college our campus ministry group sang a song called "One Tin Soldier" about two groups of people, the valley people and the mountain people. The valley people attacked the mountain people in order to get a treasure kept on the mountain and after all of the mountain people were slaughtered, the valley people discovered that the treasure was the statement "Peace on Earth." The point at the end of the song says, 'Go ahead and hate your neighbor...do it in the name of heaven, you can justify it in the end...but there won't be any trumpets blowing come the judgment day..." Of course the point of the song is that we should NOT be like the valley people.

I myself, take a second, unintended, point from the song: if you are the mountain people you should be prepared to defend yourself because there are valley people out there who will attack you.  Again, not what the writer of the song intended, but there it is. As a character in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings says, "It needs but one foe, not two, to start a war...and those without swords still die on them."

I get, I really do, the idea that revenge and conquest and "military glory" get us nowhere.  I also write this about hearing of unspeakable oppression and crimes against humanity coming out of North Korea. How do we stop this? I hope nonviolently.  But the reality is always complicated.  

Opportunities:

 

When it comes to "loving your enemies and praying for those who persecute you" I have heard of congregations praying for Osama bin Laden and other hated individuals: I believe this can be powerful. Who is an individual that is hard for you or your congregation to pray for?  What would it be like to mention them in the Prayers of Intercession?  Who would you mention and how would people react?

And another thing, about this whole "perfection" thing in verse 48, there is a book you need to read. It's called Made for Goodness and it's by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu.  You can find it here.  When it was given to me I had my doubts, but as I read it was amazing.  They write an entire chapter on this idea of Godly perfection, which they see not as flawlessness, but rather WHOLENESS. Desmond Tutu remembers his Grandmother's home in the apartheid-era blacktownship of Stirtonville.  It was a home with a dirt floor and was held together with scraps of wire, but he says, "...to me, growing up, the house in Stirtonville was perfect.  It was a place in which we could live a good life.  It was a home that was loved in.  Our life in Stirtonville did not meet the usual definition of perfection.  But our life in that place was whole.  Caring and concern filled the gaps that circumstance created." (pg. 41)

He also says, "As you read "Be perfect" you may find your stomach coiling into an anxious knot as you wonder what is now to be demanded of you that you cannot achieve.  As human beings, we hear in the command to be perfect a demand for flawlessness.  But flawlessness is not the goal of God's invitation....But God's call to be perfect is not just a command-it is an invitation.  It is an invitation to something possible.  It is an invitation to something life-giving, to something joy-creating.  God invites us to a godly perfection.  Godly perfection is not flawlessness.  Godly perfection is wholeness." (pg. 42-43)
 

The Good News:

See above on what Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu have to say about "perfection."

Epiphany 6: Setting the Bar Very High

Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Psalm 119:1-8
1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Matthew 5:21-37

First Lesson: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Challenges:

If you are a Christian, especially a Lutheran, you have a very complicated and complex relationship with "the Law" of God.  For the most part, it'd be hard to deny the value of having the Law around: community, justice, love for neighbor, respect for God, etc. etc.  At the same time the most avid "nomian" (is that a word? "Antinomian" is, so why not "nomian?") has to admit that there is no way that anyone can follow the Law completely or perfectly.  So does this passage, with its blessings and curses lead us to despair? It very well might! Quite literally, thank God for Grace given to us through Jesus Christ! But then, there is a pesky issue of what do we do with the Law now?  Different people have different answers: some are good and some are...not as good.  It can all be confusing.

Opportunities:

A choice between life or death seems rather simple on the outside. It's much like British Comedian Eddie Izzard's "Cake or death?" routine, which you can see here. Of course we choose death all the time (both individually and collectively).  Destructive behaviors, destructive relationships, destructive economic systems.  How often do we always choose short term verses long term benefits? How often do we choose to be conveniently blind at the right moments?  There are so many examples of this, you might as well google "destructive behaviors:"I'm sure there will be plenty of hits.  Not only do we choose death, often we pay money for the opportunity! 

The Good News: 

Again and again throughout the Old Testament, it's important to see that GOD CARES.  It matters to God how we treat each other.  Other gods seem to not care about "petty little things" like, you know, ethical living.  But the God of Israel, the God of you, me and the entire Universe, cares deeply about oppression, corruption and dissolute living.  And as you read Deuteronomy and the prophets you get the true sense that this is because God actually has a heart for the poor, downtrodden, alien, etc.  Deuteronomy shows this to be true. It can be true today too.  Some people will say, "God doesn't care about football games or who wins."  Well, I don't think God really cares who wins, but I do believe that God cares deeply about HOW the games are played and HOW people treat each other.  That's God's M.O.  Thank God for that.

Psalm: Psalm 119:1-8

Challenges:

'Happy are those who..."  Yeah, sure must be nice being them.  In the meantime, give me a second to super-glue my good intentions back together...just so that they can get blown to pieces all over again.

Opportunities:

Maybe not this week, but at sometime it would makes sense to get a Jewish perspective on what Torah means to them: something tells me it'll be different from a Christian view!  (Note I didn't say THE Jewish perspective, there are certainly many different Jewish perspectives, like there are many Christian ones).  I imagine that Torah will look like a way of life that creates a meaningful life.  Connect this with the bold statement that Jesus came to fulfill the Law (see Matthew 5:17) and that packs a punch!

The Good News: 

Once again: Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law and the Prophets, I have not come to abolish but to fulfill." (Matt. 5:17) Jesus is in the fulfillment business and that's good news.

Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Challenges:

I completely see Paul's point here and I can only imagine what it was like to deal with this congregation in Corinth. At the same time, I find myself wondering when the transition from flesh to spirit will take place. In some ways we're still waiting. Don't we say today "I belong to Luther" and "I belong to Calvin" and "I belong to Rome?" Maybe we're STILL not ready for things of the spirit.  But again, Paul wasn't writing about an abstract, ethereal situation, he was writing to a certain group of people in a certain situation and had to make some sweeping comments and generalizations.

Opportunities:

I made reference to denominations in my "challenges" section, and verses 5-9 is an amazing statement for ecumenism.  If you plant or water, if you are eloquent in words or powerful in deeds (or a combination of all the above) what really matters is the One who gives growth.  This connects very, very nicely with last week's Gospel lesson and how Jesus' followers are to do good works so that others will see them and give glory to our Father in heaven.

Could our present-day denominations treat each other in similar ways?  If so, it would go well beyond "liking" each other.  I doubt Paul and Apollos "liked" each other that well. But Paul is able to see beyond personal likes and dislikes as well. If only we could do the same! I have often seen liberal mainline people make snide remarks about evangelicals, and I'm sure that evangelicals do the same.  Hopefully we can come to the point where we say, "Wow, I might not "like" you, but we don't have the luxury of pettiness.  There are too many important things going on to get distracted."

The Good News: 

It's so very easy to get entangled in tribalism, jealousy and competition when it comes to working with fellow servants of Jesus.  We love to tout numbers, programs, buildings and "relevance." There are too many problems to name with this situation, not the least of which is the fact that even if a Christian "wins" a competition with a fellow believer, they still "lose." Paul struggled with this as well.  He points us toward something new beyond these entanglements: the One who gives growth.  This gives us "common purpose" as he says, and that is transformative, liberating, and darn-right exciting.

Gospel: Matthew 5:21-37

Challenges:

These sayings of Jesus feel like a succession of jabs, uppercuts and hooks to my guilty spirit.  Of course, there's no way that we can live up to this.  Lutheran theology serves very well in a situation like this and I'm able to say "Well, this conviction leads me to the realization that I am saved by Grace through Faith."  Still, I find myself curious: the writer of the Gospel of Matthew was not a Lutheran (or even a mainline Protestant...shocking I know!) and so I wonder if in Matthew, we really ARE supposed to do these things.  Frankly, I just don't know.  And that's a challenge.

You're walking a very fine line with this Gospel Lesson: there's the danger of making people despair and think it's all hopeless and also the danger or people shrugging and saying, "Well, I'm saved by grace, who cares if I don't take any of this seriously?!?!" Holding things in tension is very good and important, but not always easy!

Opportunities:

Sometimes we often equate sin with actions that are "fun."  You know, messing around with someone else's girlfriend or boyfriend, fibbing here and there: that sort of thing.  Then there are the things that might not be "fun" but are still considered "good" or at least "understandible." Like "blowing off steam"or "getting something off your chest" when you are mad at someone.  Of course, many of the people listening to you preach will know full well that there is nothing "fun" about their spouse or partner being unfaithful, or being caught up in a lie, or to be placed into a mental or spiritual place that is dark and rotting because of that downward spiral of negativity that came from "blowing off steam."  Many people have been there.

This could be a chance to call sin what it is: brokeness, falling short, missing the mark.  Jesus is going right at the heart of things here: showing us that outward appearances can simply be a mask for a rotten heart underneath.  Jesus tells us to do good works (be salt and light and all that), so that people will see our good works and give glory to God, but what people see on the outside starts from the inside.

Also: a great opportunity to show how something we do in worship (pass the peace) comes from the teachings of Jesus (i.e. 5:

The Good News:

Finding Good News of "Gospel" in these specific passages is very difficult, unless you bring in other passages.  Of course, one way to look at these statements about anger, divorce and oaths is to say that they are invitations to a new and different life where you get the chance to put down all the baggage you've been carrying.  Look to Matthew 11:29-30.

I mentioned that this passage can be a chance to call sin what it is.  This can also be a good chance for us to look at the kind of life that Jesus is inviting us into.  It's the kind of life where women are not objectified, where people are filled with integrity and where you don't have to get caught up in a cycle of negativity because "that's just how it is."  Jesus is saying, "you don't have to live that way, there is an alternative."

The people behind the "Sermon Brainwave" podcast on the Working Preacher website always do a good job, but they really hit the ball out of the park in talking about this Gospel lesson. Be sure to listen by clicking here.

Epiphany 5: Salt and Light

Isaiah 58:1-9a [9b-12]

Psalm 112:1-9[10]
1 Corinthians 2:1-12 [13-16]
Matthew 5:13-20

Okay, before I even begin, perhaps we should just call this the "Sunday of the Brackets." Choices, choices, choices!  I say, go for all them, why not??

First Lesson: Isaiah 58:1-9a [9b-12]

Challenges:

Quite often, when I hear Scripture read in worship, especially when it does not involve a plot or storyline, it is very easy for the lector/reader to make all of the words string together into a mish-mash of bible-sounds.  This can be especially true if your lector/reader does not prepare beforehand. And I get that: life really is crazy and there are plenty of things to do. Have you ever considered doing a Lector Workshop that can help people figure out how to read the Bible out loud in a way that true communicates what being said? It can be a really fun thing to do!

Opportunities:

What is truly important? What really connects us with God's way?  Isaiah puts it really well. It's not empty or showy worship practices, it's righteous living.  And, yes, this can add a real weight or burden to us.  A passage like this can show us that we fall short constantly.  That's very important.  It can also show us a way to live, a path to follow.  As I was reading this Luther's explanation of the Lord's Prayer came to mind. "The good and gracious will of God is surely done without our prayer, but we ask in this prayer that it may be done also among us."  When it comes to removing yokes and not pointing the finger and offering food to the hungry, I believe it is a good thing to pray that I will be able to do these things with with help of God. (...or that God will do these things with my help)

The Good News: 

I can read this passage and feel depressed that I can't measure up. I can also read this passage and be inspired because I have seen a different way of living.  It's a way where there are no yokes and no pointing fingers, a way of light, strong bones and repaired breaches.  I can yearn after this way and pray that I can be a part of it.

Psalm: Psalm 112:1-9[10]

Challenges:

I read this psalm and it all felt so simple to me.  Fear the Lord and things will be okay!  Of course, then I look at the world around me and all that simplicity falls away. Not only do those who fear the Lord and do all of these things have a tough time, it's not really that simple to 'fear the Lord.' Paul hits the nail on the head when he says "I do not understand my own actions.  For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing that I hate..." (Romans 5:15)

Opportunities:

While, this psalm can seem really simplistic and naieve (see challenges above), it can also serve as an example of what it means to 'fear the Lord.' In other words people can ask you, "So what does it REALLY mean to love God, fear the Lord, be a Christian, etc." In other words, what does Christian living look like? Psalm 112 can be an example of that.

The Good News: 

Verse 8b says "...in the end they will look in triumph on their foes." If this hasn't happened yet, maybe it's not the end.

Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 [13-16]

Challenges:

This is a great chapter. In my opinion, anytime you read Chapter 2 and Paul's words about knowing nothing but Christ Crucified) you should remember Chapter 15 (i.e. statements on the Resurrection). It goes the opposite way as well: when you read Chapter 15 and his statements on Christ's Resurrection, it's very important to remember Chapter 2 (and Chapter 1 for that matter).  Cross and empty tomb, they go together.  You can't have one without the other.

Opportunities:

Sometimes in the church it's tempting to think that we just don't have the coolest, smartest, flashiest methods and that's why things aren't going well. I read Paul's comments about worldly wisdom and I realize that it was a "problem" in his day as well. What makes a difference, then and now? "a demonstration of the Spirit and of power."  That demonstration is not a flashy magic show which wows us all (that'd be worldly wisdom again), instead it is profound acts of community, generosity, selflessness, intergrity and righteousness. That makes people sit up and take notice.

The Good News: 

Flashy trends come and go, the Spirit isn't going anywhere...or maybe the Spirit IS going somewhere, and we get to come along for the ride.

Gospel: Matthew 5:13-20

Challenges:

The challenges here are twofold: first, while the other lessons have brackets and this one doesn't, I believe the Gospel lesson could actually use them.  Verses 13-16 form a section, while 17-20 form their own.  Of the two, verses 17-20 are much more challenging, chiefly because it will take quite a bit of time and effort to really unpack all sorts of weighty concepts like "the law," "least in the kingdom of heaven," or "righteousness." As in other gospel lessons, I feel like you should choose between 13-16 OR 17-20 as you emphasis.  That's what I'm doing, and I'll be going with 13-16.

Second, Jesus' words about 'letting our light shine' appear to contradict his statements in chapter six which say "beware practicing your piety before other in order to be seen my them." Of course, there really is no contradiction because the two actions (shining light and practicing piety) have different motivations AND results.

Second,

In verse 16, we are called to shine our light "...so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father in heaven." In Matthew 6:1, the motivation is "in order to be seen by them."  In other words, what are these actions trying to achieve? Glory for you or glory for God?  To quote the Knight from the Order of the Cruciform Sword in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade "why do you seek the cup of Christ? Is it for his glory or for yours?"  (well, that might not really be relevant, but any chance you get to reference Indiana Jones is a good thing)

The challenge comes with the fact that people will take part in Matthew 6:1 actions while believing they are doing Matthew 5:16 things. It's curious how much God's glory and our own glory can be so conveniently linked at times, isn't it?  I don't have a good cure for this except constant prayer and the grace of God.

Opportunities:

This passge has IMAGERY written all over it.  How about singing "This Little Light of Mine" as a Hymn of the Day.  How about using a flashlight as an example?  Lighthouses?  Whatever. 

Light can be useful in many different ways. It can guide us, it can protect us, it can encourage us.  It can even help us while being "unpleasant." It can show us things that we would rather keep in the darkness but really need to be seen.

Salt might be a bit more a stretch for some people: after all, it's that white stuff in the shaker on the table. You can go into the fact that before refrigeration, salt was used as a very important preservative.  Some people where even given their wages in the form of salt.  AND a little of salt goes a long way.

David Lose, in his preaching blog, talks about how this is a commissioning of the disciples to be who they already are. Lose says (and I wholeheartedly agree) that Jesus says they are ALREADY light and salt and that they should be who they ALREADY are.  A similar thing happens in 1 Corinthians 12 when Paul describes the 'Body of Christ.' He says to this rather disfunctional congregation "Now you ARE the Body of Christ," not 'you should become' or  'maybe you'll improve to be,' but rather YOU ARE.  It's the same way with salt and light.  Jesus is saying BE WHO I HAVE MADE YOU.

 

The Good News:

You could talk about the deep sense of satisfaction and meaning that we can get from having a purpose. We have been given a mission: to make things better, so that it will be to the glory of our Father in heaven. Will we fall short? Of course! Will this mess up God's plans? Nope. Something tells me that God has things well in hand. We just get to be a part of things: that's pretty exciting.

Plus, we always think about the need to be the light and the salt. There's truth to this. But think about it this way: say you're in darkness or you need something to keep your life from being rotten (i.e. salt).  Guess what? God is providing light and salt through the followers of his son Jesus.  If you are in trouble, help is on the way.  That sounds like good news.

Epiphany 4: Happy Cheesemakers

Micah 6:1-8
Psalm 15
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Matthew 5:1-12

First Lesson: Micah 6:1-8

Challenges:

Challenges? What challenges? This passage is awesome. The only challenge is having enough time to do this passage justice!  Well...there's more to it than that, I guess. Micah references stories and people from the Old Testament that many (if not most) in your congregation will not be familiar with at all.  Moses will be a relatively familiar guy and the mention of Egypt and slavery might ring a bell, but Balak of Moab and Balaam son of Beor will probably draw blank looks.

 

Opportunities:

Micah 6:8 is the perfect verse to have people memorize.  You could have it printed on little slips of paper, placed in bulletins for everyone to take home with them.  You could also talk about how this verse is the prophetic message is the prophetic message in a nutshell: religious ritual and observance is nothing compared to just and righteous (right-related) living.

The Good News: 

When looking at this passage through Lutheran eyes, it'd be easy to see this as all "law" or command of God that we cannot keep. Well, true, I'm never going to be able to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God in the way I should, not going to happen.  BUT, since Christ has freed me from sin, death and myself I can see this passage as an INVITATION to a new, full, meaningful and abundant life.

Psalm: Psalm 15

Challenges:

Yeah, if I read this psalm in a certain way it simply fills me with dread and fear.  I can't do this stuff, I just can't! Plus, there's this whole 'those...who do not lend money at interest..." line.  Uh...that kind of does a number on our entire financial system doesn't it?  While I DO believe that our financial system needs a major, major overhaul I don't think you can just glibly or lightly say to people who could work in finance, "Oh yeah, your entire career is unGodly," without a more indepth conversation.  You might be right, but that will do little good!

Opportunities:

I'll admit, I'm a bit stumped on opportunities here.  You could always take a few of these attributes and give examples of them in life today.  This will make it much more real.

The Good News: 

The notes in my study bible say of verse 5: "the closing promise cannot be understood to affirm that the righteous will be unopposed, but rather that they will have a secure foundation facing anything.

Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Challenges:

This is an amazing passage, but it's important not to go overboard. Yes, Paul says "not many of you were wise...not many were powerful...not many by noble birth..." But that doesn't mean that ALL Christians were the poor and destitute. Historian and sociologist Rodney Stark points out that there quite a few wealthy Christians in the first century.  He says that this isn't contradicted by Paul: Paul says "not MANY of you..." he DOESN't say "NONE of you."

Think of Acts 16 and Lydia, the purple cloth merchant: there were rich Christians. It doesn't meant that we should go along with a gospel of prosperity (BY NO MEANS!). It just means that the early church (like everything else in this world) was much more complex than many of us originally thought.  In a way this is rather amazing: it means that people of different backgrounds came together, which was especially amazing in the ancient world.

Opportunities:

Great imagery here: stumbling blocks, signs, foolishness, wisdom.  Really amazing.  Verse 25 is especially good in giving an almost spatial relationship to God and humanity. If you're going to preach on this passage: make it a vivid sermon!

The Good News: 

We have a source of life through Christ Jesus.  We are connected to the One whose foolishness is wiser than our wisdom. Boom!

Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12

Challenges:

These words are very familiar to many, even if they don't think about them too often. Any time we preach on a familiar passage our job is harder rather than easier because people often have their minds made up about what something means (at least I often do). It will take some effort to get people to look at and listen to this with fresh eyes and ears.

Opportunities:

There's some excellent stuff out there on the Beatitudes.  Check out Brian Stoffregen's thoughts, David Lose's thoughts and Amy Oden's thoughts.  If you have a comedically-minded congregation, they might enjoy it if you quote Monty Python's "Life of Brian," where people in the crowd say "What was that? I think he said, "Blessed are the cheesemakers!" "Well, it is obviously not supposed to be a literal translation, but rather makers of all dairy-products." Some might laugh, while some will look at you blankly.

I'm going to try to do a separate blog-post on the Sermon on the Mount, because it's so central and important. Just let me say here, there are a couple of different ways to look at these Beatitudes: is this a list of things that will give you a good life or a list of the unlikely people who God is coming to save.

I go with the later and was really changed by Mark Allan Powell's idea that the first four beatitudes: 1) poor in spirit 2) those who mourn 3) the meek 4) those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are the people who need help and that the next four: 1) merciful 2) pure in heart 3) peacemakers 4) persecuted for righteousness sake are the ones who help them and for that action are persecuted too.  The final beatitude has to do specifically with Jesus' followers.

There is going to be a great reversal and it will come for those who have been oppressed and those are helping them. 

AND...if you are looking for an excellent example of "the peacemakers" look at this online article about Orthodox priests in the Ukraine who are standing between protestors and riot police in an attempt to curb violence in that country:  ORTHODOX PRIESTS

The Good News:

These are not the types of people who you would expect to be blessed and, frankly, if there is no God there is no blessing for these people, because experience has shown us that no one else is blessing them!  Again, back to Monty Python, when someone hears that the meek are blessed, she says "Oh that's nice...they've had a hell of a time!"  Yes, true! They have and God is doing something about it.  What is God doing? The answer is one word: Jesus.