Matthew 17:1-9
The Transfiguration. The moment that Peter, James, and John go up a high mountain with Jesus and see him suddenly transfigured into a dazzling shining Jesus alongside the prophets Elijah and Moses. It is a shocking moment which gets even more shocking when they heard the voice of God speaking. They fell to the ground, those disciples, overcome by fear. But Jesus reminds them not to be afraid.
Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear.
But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid."
What is this story, which appears at the end of the Epiphany season, supposed to teach us each year? The Epiphany season is called the Season of Light. It begins with the light of the star over Bethlehem that the Wise Men follow to reach the Child Jesus. And now, here, it ends with the light of a shining Jesus, glowing with the prophets Elijah and Moses in the moments before Jesus begins his journey toward Jerusalem and a cross. In fact, just before this story, Jesus has hinted at this certain journey he must take with the disciples, telling them that if any wish to be his disciples, they must take up their own crosses and follow him.
It is almost as though Jesus needs this moment of glowing and the assurance that he is God's Beloved as he takes on the journey. In the same ways his prophet Moses would have had in the moments with God on Mount Sinai when he is receiving the Commandments. God gives Moses the Law to protect the people, to continue to seal the covenantal relationship the Hebrews have with God. Jesus would have had so much respect for this leader of the Exodus, the leader of the Israelites, his people. So, it's almost as if the moment of connecting on the mountain top is as much for Jesus as it is for the disciples.
Who do we consider transformative leaders of our own faith journeys? Who, just by knowing their story, inspires us to 'glowing' praise and aspirations to be similar people of faith? What do we need from our own 'mountain top experiences' to connect us to our faith this Lenten season? Lent focuses more on the valleys than the peaks.... so why is this story at the top of a mountain today so valuable to us as we head down that 'lonesome highway' toward the cross?
Email me or comment below.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
"The Sound of Your Soul"
Matthew 5 (The Message)
We have spent the whole month in Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount. We have heard about those who are blessed, about being salt and light for the earth, about teaching AND obeying the commandments, about finding those we need to forgive and offering them forgiveness, about loving even, and especially, those who persecute us. Heavy stuff. Strong words and important commandments. Love always, in all circumstances. Be generous. Be gracious. Always. Mission impossible, right?
This week we are fortunate to have our healing bowls friend Myrna Castaline joining us. She was here a couple of years ago and we have had many requests for her return. This is the perfect way to end our series on the Spirituality of Sound. We have heard the sounds of everyday life, the sounds of secular pop/rock tunes, the sounds of Djembe drummers, and now we slow our heart rates down with the Tibetan healing bowls.
Our service will be in the style of Taize. We will read again each of the scriptures we have heard from Matthew 5 in February. We will hear other readings. And Taize songs. And the sounds of the bowls.
What makes you find your quiet center? Do you even have one? How can you commit to making your life less crazy and more holy? How can you decide that the most important place you can be on any given day is with God in quiet reflection?
Email me or comment below.
We have spent the whole month in Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount. We have heard about those who are blessed, about being salt and light for the earth, about teaching AND obeying the commandments, about finding those we need to forgive and offering them forgiveness, about loving even, and especially, those who persecute us. Heavy stuff. Strong words and important commandments. Love always, in all circumstances. Be generous. Be gracious. Always. Mission impossible, right?
This week we are fortunate to have our healing bowls friend Myrna Castaline joining us. She was here a couple of years ago and we have had many requests for her return. This is the perfect way to end our series on the Spirituality of Sound. We have heard the sounds of everyday life, the sounds of secular pop/rock tunes, the sounds of Djembe drummers, and now we slow our heart rates down with the Tibetan healing bowls.
Our service will be in the style of Taize. We will read again each of the scriptures we have heard from Matthew 5 in February. We will hear other readings. And Taize songs. And the sounds of the bowls.
What makes you find your quiet center? Do you even have one? How can you commit to making your life less crazy and more holy? How can you decide that the most important place you can be on any given day is with God in quiet reflection?
Email me or comment below.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
"Letting Go"
Matthew 5:21-24, 38-48
So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same?
In Eugene Petersen's version of this text in The Message he says, "in other words, Grow UP! You're kingdom subjects, now live like it." I kinda like that... quit taking yourself so seriously, quit worrying about what every single person does or says or doesn't do or say to you. Love everyone who shows no love. Pray for those who turn their backs on you. If you come to receive God's grace during communion, but are holding grudges against someone... go find that person and say, "hey, let's let it go." And hug that person. Embrace a new path with that person.
So much easier said than done, but so true. It relates to last week's passage about teaching AND obeying the commandments. It is important to let go that which holds us back from being our whole selves. Not forgiving people doesn't hurt them, it hurts us.
And so we have the drums, the inner beat of our heart, tha-thump tha-thump, the ringing in our ears, the sound of our rhythmic breathing. We are all instruments, sounding our souls. If you don't think you connect to the visceral sounds of the earth, the ancient, tribal sounds... you just might change your mind after you sit for a while in the presence of drums. Drumming is an ancient practice that puts us fully and wholly in tune with our souls. Even deaf people feel the beat. Drums are able, possibly like no other instrument, to connect us to one another.
Once I was part of a drum circle. Some people in the circle I liked, others I tolerated. But within the span of a couple of minutes, we found a common rhythm together and it was like my soul connected to God, to earth, to all of life. Why? Because I let go of that which held me back and just let the drumbeat steer my thoughts, my heart, my life.
How does God offer to be the drumbeat of our souls every day? Do we let God in so that we can let go? What are some real and tangible ways we could better do this? Email me or comment below.
So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same?
In Eugene Petersen's version of this text in The Message he says, "in other words, Grow UP! You're kingdom subjects, now live like it." I kinda like that... quit taking yourself so seriously, quit worrying about what every single person does or says or doesn't do or say to you. Love everyone who shows no love. Pray for those who turn their backs on you. If you come to receive God's grace during communion, but are holding grudges against someone... go find that person and say, "hey, let's let it go." And hug that person. Embrace a new path with that person.
So much easier said than done, but so true. It relates to last week's passage about teaching AND obeying the commandments. It is important to let go that which holds us back from being our whole selves. Not forgiving people doesn't hurt them, it hurts us.
And so we have the drums, the inner beat of our heart, tha-thump tha-thump, the ringing in our ears, the sound of our rhythmic breathing. We are all instruments, sounding our souls. If you don't think you connect to the visceral sounds of the earth, the ancient, tribal sounds... you just might change your mind after you sit for a while in the presence of drums. Drumming is an ancient practice that puts us fully and wholly in tune with our souls. Even deaf people feel the beat. Drums are able, possibly like no other instrument, to connect us to one another.
Once I was part of a drum circle. Some people in the circle I liked, others I tolerated. But within the span of a couple of minutes, we found a common rhythm together and it was like my soul connected to God, to earth, to all of life. Why? Because I let go of that which held me back and just let the drumbeat steer my thoughts, my heart, my life.
How does God offer to be the drumbeat of our souls every day? Do we let God in so that we can let go? What are some real and tangible ways we could better do this? Email me or comment below.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
"Salty Spirit Sound and Silence"
Matthew 5:13-20
You are the salt of the earth. You are a light on a hill. Jesus says these words just after those famous words of the Beatitudes. Telling the disciples that a certain responsibility lies within them. A responsibility to not lose their saltiness, to not become so stale and dull that they get thrown out.
Telling the disciples that they are like a light and a light should not be put under a basket and hidden.
He goes on to tell them that they are responsible for teaching the commandments AND obeying the commandments. That it is only in teaching AND obeying God's commandments that the disciples are called greatest in the kingdom. He stresses that righteousness is important.
We let a lot of 'word baggage' get in the way of absorbing the meaning of Jesus' words. We don't like the word commandment or the word righteousness in our sophisticated and secular world and so we ignore the clear call of Jesus in these words.
The band plays the music of The Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel this week. I would say it is modern music, but the truth is Nowhere Man is 50 years old next year. The Beatles debut in this country is 50 years old this year, after all. And Sound of Silence is also almost 50, written 50 years ago this month in response to President Kennedy's assassination and released in 1965. So, this is no longer the music of the young, right?
But we're not talking about youth, actually, we're talking about all people. This cry of Jesus to not be pointless in your endeavors is the theme of Nowhere Man. And listening for the voice of God nudging and perhaps shove of God to send us into directions that keep us 'salty' and 'shining' can only happen if we sit in the sound of silence.
Music that moves us. Sounds that moves us. Not just in a feel good sort of way, but move us into action. That is a lot of what early rock and roll did. And actually current rock and roll, too. We are moved to become better people. We are moved to follow a better way and become lights that shine and beacons on a hill. To be sassy and salty to a world that often looks, tastes, and feels stale.
But also to listen for that voice speaking in such unsuspecting places. through the sound of music, but also through so many other places. Paul Simon says it best in these lyrics:
And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence
"Fools", said I, "You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you"
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
And echoed
In the wells of silence
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls"
And whispered in the sounds of silence
You are the salt of the earth. You are a light on a hill. Jesus says these words just after those famous words of the Beatitudes. Telling the disciples that a certain responsibility lies within them. A responsibility to not lose their saltiness, to not become so stale and dull that they get thrown out.
Telling the disciples that they are like a light and a light should not be put under a basket and hidden.
He goes on to tell them that they are responsible for teaching the commandments AND obeying the commandments. That it is only in teaching AND obeying God's commandments that the disciples are called greatest in the kingdom. He stresses that righteousness is important.
We let a lot of 'word baggage' get in the way of absorbing the meaning of Jesus' words. We don't like the word commandment or the word righteousness in our sophisticated and secular world and so we ignore the clear call of Jesus in these words.
The band plays the music of The Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel this week. I would say it is modern music, but the truth is Nowhere Man is 50 years old next year. The Beatles debut in this country is 50 years old this year, after all. And Sound of Silence is also almost 50, written 50 years ago this month in response to President Kennedy's assassination and released in 1965. So, this is no longer the music of the young, right?
But we're not talking about youth, actually, we're talking about all people. This cry of Jesus to not be pointless in your endeavors is the theme of Nowhere Man. And listening for the voice of God nudging and perhaps shove of God to send us into directions that keep us 'salty' and 'shining' can only happen if we sit in the sound of silence.
Music that moves us. Sounds that moves us. Not just in a feel good sort of way, but move us into action. That is a lot of what early rock and roll did. And actually current rock and roll, too. We are moved to become better people. We are moved to follow a better way and become lights that shine and beacons on a hill. To be sassy and salty to a world that often looks, tastes, and feels stale.
But also to listen for that voice speaking in such unsuspecting places. through the sound of music, but also through so many other places. Paul Simon says it best in these lyrics:
And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence
"Fools", said I, "You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you"
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
And echoed
In the wells of silence
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls"
And whispered in the sounds of silence
How do you keep following the Way of Christ? How do you keep your lamp lighted? What do you hear in your sounds of silence?
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
The Hills Are Alive with the Sound
There are sounds all around us that we never hear. We must carefully attune our ears or we miss the sounds. Some people have no hearing, or very little hearing. Some people are profoundly deaf. And yet, they often "hear" more of the world than those of us who are capable of hearing because we simply can't stop and focus long enough to really listen to the world around us. People who can't hear have heightened their other senses so that the world IS attended to, IS noticed, and likely appreciated.
So, take a moment and listen to the sounds you hear right now. I hear traffic driving steadily down Lookout Road. I hear the keyboard keys clicking. I hear the hum of what must be the heat vent. I hear the clock ticking. And yet, most days, I never tune in to hear any of those sounds just mentioned.
Such is it with the voices of those in need, or the persecuted, or the marginalized. This week's scriptures from the prophet Micah, the Psalmist, and the gospel writer of Matthew tell us in very clear ways that we are to hear the sound of those in need and that we are to be kind and loving and compassionate. Then, we are living into the kingdom of God.
From the mountain, Jesus preaches these famous "blessed are the..." words. The beatitudes. In Micah, the mountains are listening to God as he laments the people's errant ways. The psalmist proclaims that those who can live on God's holy hill are those who are blameless and doing what is right.
From the mountains, then, the voice of justice cries out. From the mountains, God pleas for justice.
And yet, on any given moment of any given day, we drive by mountains and do not hear what is going on, do not look to the mountains for a message, do not do anything perhaps but keep our eye on the road in front of our own journey.
In what ways can we stop. look. listen. and REALLY hear the world around us? We can start by trying to tune into the sounds in our immediate world. Then perhaps we can try to connect those sounds to the world beyond us. And connect our lives to the lives outside or walls. And connect our hearts to the hearts outside ourselves.
What do you hear in your world today? Email me or comment below.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
"Ice Fishing"
Matthew 4:12-23
There's fishing... and then there's ice fishing. One is more challenging, though both are fraught with chance and skill in ways that are amazing to those of us who don't fish very well. But, ice fishing is complicated by the.... ice. You have to go out there and carve out a hole in the ice and know what the best place to do that is, and ... well, it just seems harder to me.
This week's scripture is another one of those immediately following Jesus kinds of stories. In this week's story we read another account of people being drawn to Jesus.
As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea for they were fishermen.
And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
There's fishing... and then there's ice fishing. One is more challenging, though both are fraught with chance and skill in ways that are amazing to those of us who don't fish very well. But, ice fishing is complicated by the.... ice. You have to go out there and carve out a hole in the ice and know what the best place to do that is, and ... well, it just seems harder to me.
This week's scripture is another one of those immediately following Jesus kinds of stories. In this week's story we read another account of people being drawn to Jesus.
As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea for they were fishermen.
Inevitably, people wonder how they managed to do that. What were their lives like that they could just walk away from them and follow Jesus? And we don't really know how or why or if that happens exactly like we imagine, but the writer of Matthew is intent on us believing they had THAT level of faith in this man they followed. And so was the writer of John in last week's reading.
Commitment, sacrifice, willingness to abandon a way of life for another... those are traits the gospel writers are suggesting disciples had and have. Like those who brave the conditions and the circumstances to go out and carve a hole in the ice in hopes of making a great catch. Ice fishing requires commitment, sacrifice of creature comforts and a focus on a way of life that not many are willing to join in... ice fishing as a recreational sport is not for the faint of heart or those who expect instant results. It is methodical, takes planning and focus.
I wonder if Jesus and the early disciples viewed their ministry in that way? Even though we have these dramatic accounts of people who dropped their nets and their plans and followed Jesus, I wonder if the inner circle including Jesus wasn't more intentional about their way of life. Were they methodical in where they went, who they saw, who they expected to see them? Were they fishing for a certain kind of person, the person no one else was willing to allow into the fold? It's really interesting food for thought.
And in John 3, the Lutheran Seminary lectionary text for this week, we read of the encompassing love of God. "For God so loved the world." The beginning of a passage that has been so taken out of context. A passage that is not at all about condemnation of those who don't follow, but rather a passage about God's encompassing love for THE WHOLE WORLD. If we truly follow that God of love, if Jesus truly was that LOVE incarnate on earth, then we, too, must be willing to embody and carry that love to the world.
That sort of love would make ice fishing so much easier. Because God love is warm and all encompassing and eternal. So we would no longer have to carve through the icy hearts and minds of today's cynicism, but we would allow God to melt our ice away and catch us up in a net of compassion and goodwill and justice.
How do we 'carve' out places in our icy world to fish for people today? How could we warm the icy waters instead? What role do we have in becoming Methodists who offer warmed hearts instead of icy doctrines and rules? Email me or comment below.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Weather Watch: Snowcast
This is a transitional place in the gospel of John. John has just baptized Jesus and Jesus is just about to start his public ministry. In the other gospel accounts, just after Jesus is baptized he goes into the wilderness and is faced with the forty days of temptation. Not so in John. In John, Jesus is announced in a manner of speaking by John.
The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and see.’
It's like Jesus' "Here's Johnny!" moment with John playing the part of Ed McMahon. John declares "Here is the Lamb of God," and the people nearby are interested. Interested that he is being called the Lamb of God (a lamb was a sacrifice at the altar) and interested in what this man is about. They want to know where he is staying. They follow him almost immediately. It's weird, really, "The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus." Just like that. Really?
When you hear a weather forecast for snow, do you immediately go prepare for the snow, or do you doubt for a while first? I know that I don't often believe it the first time I hear it. The weather forecasters must tell me for days on end that snow is coming before I actually can buy into the "snow is coming" reality. Did Jesus have such an aura about him that they immediately felt compelled to follow? Or is John portraying Jesus this way to make a point about following the lamb to sacrifice?
This Sunday is Human Relations Sunday in the UMC. It is the Sunday before Martin Luther King, Jr Day. It is a time to remember our call to right the injustices of the world, to align ourselves with the oppressed, to recognize that we can transform our world in little bitty ways and great big ways.
Did Martin Luther King, Jr and all those in the Civil Rights movement just go immediately? Or did they have to be in the desert for awhile to build up to the cause? I am not sure of each inner mind's thoughts, but they did have to have a sense of 'the climate shifting,' and knew that it would only continue to shift if they got involved. The sense of sacrifice and call to duty of MLK, Jr who gave his life fighting for freedom and respect and civil rights for African Americans is what we honor on the holiday.
I wonder, when John announces Jesus as 'the lamb of God,' if he is fully aware of the sacrifices he has ahead of him, can he feel a climate shift? Is Jesus able to forecast the darkness ahead? Or does he have to hear the words of the prophets over and over again before he can grab onto the reality?
What do you believe without persuasion in this faith journey? What takes time for you to believe? Email me or comment below.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)