On the Way to Wonder

         Today we read in Romans 1:16-17 one of the favorite verses people memorize from Romans and the theses of the letter Paul is writing to the people in the church in Rome.  He’s introduced himself, thanked them for their ministry that is talked about around the empire, and now he makes a foundational statement that resonates within us, reminding us of our core identity.  We are people who profess a gospel, good news that we believe. 

^“16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹⁷ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, ‘The one who is righteous will live by faith.’^”

         Paul is not ashamed of his faith.  Mass media today has identified Christian faith with so many causes and beliefs that a profession of being a Christian can be embarrassing.  Or at least we think twice before saying it as we evaluate how the other might interpret our statement.  Many identify it with ultra conservative political beliefs that might even advocate violence.  Others can dismiss Christians as just do-gooders, trying to save the ecology.  And there is a whole host of other baggage that people connect to a profession of Christian faith.

         Paul says he is not ashamed because the gospel is the power of God and the righteousness of God.  I suspect today in our culture we might say we are not ashamed of the gospel because it is the love of God through faith or we might identify it as the forgiveness of God through faith – for all, Jews and Gentiles, Americans and nonAmericans, men and women…all people. 

         Let’s take a minute and honestly ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts.  Are we ashamed of the Gospel?  When we think of the Gospel do we think of power, righteousness of God, love or forgiveness?  What is core to the Gospel that gives us courage to share with another?  Blessings as you reflect.

Acts 18: 1-11

         “Do not be afraid.” I love those words.  Fear seems so real and is so crippling!  I sometimes think “fear” is my middle name.  My confirmation verse was Isaiah 41:10 that opens, “So do not fear, for I am with you.”

Paul has now traveled from Athens to Corinth in today’s reading and Paul is reunited with Timothy and Silas.  Again we see a pattern in Paul’s life.  He starts sharing in the synagogue.  Some Jews and Gentiles believe and others object.  Paul moves his place of sharing to the home of Titius Crispus, a worshipper of God, who lived next door.  Paul himself must have recognized the pattern and feared that mobs, beatings and prison were about to unfold.  We sometimes think Paul was a super believer and never doubted but this little scene shows us a human fearing the future and a God who reaches out to him to comfort and assure him.  It is a tender moment looking at the process of spiritual growth.

         “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision; ‘Do not be afraid; keep         on speaking, do not b silent.  For I am with you and no one is going to     attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.’”

         I do not know what fears plague you today.  Perhaps the mistakes of the past will side swipe you in the future.  Maybe the secrets of the past will become known.  Someone who out performs you in an area you are proud of may come on the scene.  Then there are the fears from the outside forces of disease or politics.  Some of us grieve loss and fear we will not be strong to carry on.  God comes to us and comforts us that he knows, he sees and he is walking with us into and through our future.  “Do not fear, I am with you,” says the Lord.  Thank you.  Blessings as you face your fears with the Lord.

Acts 15: 12-28

Paul and Barnabas arrive in Jerusalem to report to the elders.  How is the dynamic of Gentiles coming to faith be combined with the existing Jewish believers?  Should the Gentile believers be required to become Jews and accept the Mosaic law or is something new becoming evident?  Sometimes we only see through a glass dimly as the future approaches.  The elders  in Jerusalem listen silently and recognize the bottom line.  God initiated life in the Gentiles.  The Gentiles demonstrated the same dynamics as the early believers showing the presence of the Holy Spirit.  They referred to Scripture and saw that what was happening was fulfilling prophecy.  Therefore…  

         The bottom line was that God was working with the Gentiles.  But what was the bottom line of how to proceed.  Four criteria were agreed to be basic.  Do not eat food polluted by idols.  Do not be involved with sexual immorality.  Do not eat meat of strangled animals.  And do not eat blood.  These four things would be stumbling blocks to forming community.  How many times do we make rules that divide and do not enhance unity?

         If we were asked today what the bottom line is for us in worship, what would we say?  Perhaps reflect on what you truly appreciate about your worship experience.  Is it “tradition” for is it core to your faith beliefs?  Lord, give us wisdom to discern what the real issues are when we disagree.  Help us to see your hand working to bring people to you.  Thank you for the forgiveness you have given me for my mistakes and for those who have been patient with me as I have grown in faith.  Blessings!

Luke 24: 9-11

Disinformation can be defined as “false information deliberately and often covertly spread (as by the planting of rumors) in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth.”

The women go to the tomb early Easter morning to anoint the body of Jesus whom they saw brutally crucified right before them.  They are grieving.  At the tomb, they find the stone rolled away, the body gone, and two “angels” who said that Jesus had risen. They were in shock.  The women returned to the others and reported.  “Nonsense” or disinformation from hysterical  women?

⁹ When they came back from the tomb,

they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 

¹⁰ It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. ¹

¹ But they did not believe the women,

because their words seemed to them like nonsense.

We have here several women returning from the tomb, reporting that the body is missing or risen.  The others of their group though, did not believe them for they were women, unreliable witnesses!  It sounded like nonsense.    

         The word “disinformation” makes us think  of Jan. 6 and our present cultural battle over what happened at the event and who is to blame.  Both explanations of the happenings are accusing the other versions or explanation of the event as disinformation.  Why?  Is it because they do not believe they are reliable witnesses?  I am not taking sides here but I am pointing out that the dynamic of the Biblical story is not unique.  Matthew 28 goes further to say that at the same time as the women return to the apostles and are not believed, the guards sent to guard the tomb are returning to Jerusalem and reporting to the chief priests what happened.  Matthew says they were paid “a large sum of money” to spread the story that the disciples had come in the night and stolen the body.  Oh my, stories are flying and who is telling the truth?

     It feels awfully similar to “disinformation” claims being thrown around today.  The women, the guards, and the apostles are deliberate in their stories and are trying to convince others of their version of reality.  There is a public explanation of a public event that is being fought over.  I see two elements in the Jan 6 and the resurrection story: the credibility of the event and the credibility of the reporters.  Peter and John immediately leave to check out a story that sounds like nonsense.

     Perhaps you are a “believer” in the resurrection for you have 2000 years of religious history to confirm your belief.  Perhaps you are a “believer” because you too have had an encounter with the divine.  Who you believe and what you believe is crucial to the values that guide your life.  May we pray today to be a believable witness to our faith and not sound like nonsense to others!  Blessings as you share.

It is difficult to spend a week reflecting on the epic moments in history like the Moses story in the Bible without singing the song, “Go Down Moses.”  This very famous African American spiritual speaks directly to oppression and freedom and God’s goal of liberation.  Many slave owners prohibited singing this song for they understood the Moses story to be speaking against slavery of all kinds.

         “Go down, Moses,” was first heard being sung by “contrabands,” the name given to slaves caught running away and being held at Fort Monroe.  Rev. Lewis Lockwood heard the song and translated it onto sheet music.  It was then published in 1862. The Nile valley was considered lower than Jerusalem so when Moses was told by God to go to Egypt, he had to go down to Egypt.  Many slaves in the underground railroad had to cross rivers and going down the Mississippi was going down into slave country.  From this came the saying, to be “sold down the river.”

         Core to the Christian story is the call to liberation from slavery and specifically liberation from slavery to sin.  Our epic hero, God, is making a nation where people can be free and live their potential.  He will make it happen.  Below are two famous versions of the song for your enjoyment.

Paul Robeson:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtLcELU1brA Louis Armstrong:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf6jBP4YXwo

Exodus 13:17-14:31.  The reader might think that the culmination of the tenth plague would settle all issues for Moses.  Our epic hero, God, has shown himself more powerful than all the gods of Egypt and the people have finally started the journey to the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey.  Sounds like a good start but the plot thickens.  This fledgling “nation” reaches their first challenge, the Red Sea.  It really doesn’t matter how deep the water was as some like to quibble.  There is a block on the road to happiness.  The wedding is over and it is not uncommon for there to be a major fight that first week of honeymoon as reality sets in.  The operation is over and cancer removed by physical therapy begins and it hurts.

          As the people reach the Red Sea, Pharaoh again reverses his decision and sends his army after the Israelites.  There is an army bearing down on the people from one side and a “sea” to cross on the other.  Sweaty palms.  What will Moses do as this is a new type of challenge to his leadership and in-front of the “nation” God has entrusted him to lead?  Leadership decisions need to be made and the people are close to mutiny.  Families go through this often.  Sunday morning and the kids aren’t so happy about going to church.  Or perhaps it is a decision to move for a parent’s job but the kids are not so convinced leaving their friends and the familiar is the way to go.  It is at these crisis moments that leaders have to reach within themselves and grow.  Dictatorial mandates may calm the storm momentarily but it is probably fomenting under the surface. 

         All the formation that God has been investing in Moses now shows as Moses declares, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.  The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.  The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. (Ex. 14:13.14)”  Moses reaches within himself and realizes that the God who did the miracles of the plagues, probably has another miracle up his sleeve.  We call that faith.  Based on our past experience with God, we trust that what is to unfold is within his ability to handle.  It is one thing to know about the Bible but it is another thing to put the principles into action – to refuse to cheat, to turn the other cheek, to forgive, to leave a job that requires unethical actions from you.  Stepping out in faith, defines Moses as the leader.  Standing in faith is a defining moment.

         So where is the challenge facing you today?  We might call it our “growing edge.”  If we have no challenges then perhaps we need to rethink our priorities.  I note Moses does not look to his abilities but he is encouraging people to look at how God is going to solve the problem.  The answer is not what he might plan as we would never have imagined parting of the sea!  Often the answer comes in unexpected ways but we know God is watching and is able.  He is there with us in our challenge today and he has a better way forward than we can imagine.  Are we looking to him?

Exodus 12:1-42.  Jews all over the world celebrate Passover every year and Christians celebrate communion frequently.  Both of these deeply symbolic rituals are grounded in the celebration at the end of the tenth plague.  Moses has continually confronted Pharaoh of Egypt with God’s message, “Let my people go!”  Pharaoh agrees and then relents nine times.  Each time God is revealed more powerful than Pharaoh or his magicians or his officials.  To prepare for the night of the tenth plague the Israelites are given extensive instructions about choosing, caring for, slaughtering, and eating a goat whose blood is to be smeared on their doorposts.  The angel of death will pass over any home marked with the blood of the lamb.  Hence this ceremony is called Passover. After the tenth plague, Pharaoh grants the Israelites their freedom.   It marks the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.  This story is foundational to the identity of the Israelites and is remembered and retold throughout the Bible.  What is the big deal?

         Oppression of God’s creation and idolatry that denies God’s authority will not be tolerated forever.  The Pharaoh thought he was god and the people worshipped idols.  Control over life and death was the final word, settling where real power lies, who is the real God.  Pharaoh finally submits and allows the people to go worship the real God.  Secondly God has now created a ritual that reminds us who we are and what God wants from us.  Christians believe the blood of the doorpost foreshadowed the blood of Jesus on the cross.  We believe we may live under the penalty of death but death cannot cause us to perish.  Communion is the ritual we celebrate that remembers Jesus, the lamb of God, being sacrificed for our sins so we will live eternally.  Our epic hero, God, has a plan to create a nation to bless all nations and here at Passover those people are beginning to emerge.  They still have a long journey ahead to be molded but so do we.

         We would like to think we do not have idols today but there are many things that are so very important to us – health, wealth, and prestige.  We will sacrifice to secure a future for ourselves and our children.  Perhaps we need to ponder for a moment if there is anything we are holding on to too tightly.  I think we call it, “Put first things first.”  Do we need to get our priorities right?  Secondly, rituals are things we do to enact our beliefs.  Do you have rituals you do regularly that teach your family and remind them who they are and what God expects of them.  Communion is one of them but family prayer is another.  Bedtime prayers and songs settle us down and put us in a good frame of mind as we go to sleep.  Some people have special “sacred” places where they go to sort out their thinking and pray and journal.  Idolatry needs to be nipped in the bud and rituals need to be nourished.  Blessings as you journey.