Taking Stock

Lent is an invitational season. We are invited into deeper discipline, longer reflection, more community time, and to pay greater attention to Jesus' journey to Jerusalem, the cross, and the resurrection. It's good time to take stock of our commitment to the First Commandment: "You are to have no other gods before me."

Note here that God isn't saying that there are not other gods. Instead, the Creator is saying, "I'm first. You are to fear, love, and trust Me above all else."

There are little gods all around us. If we did an audit of our time, energy, and expenditures, would someone who didn't know us be able to tell that God was our priority, that we placed the Holy Divine above all else?

Lent invites us into this spiritual audit, an examination of thoughts, words, and deeds. We have a season in which we can change our habits so that our bottom line is truly more reflective of our priorities. I encourage you, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to accept the invitation.

Revelation Read-Along: Day 3

Reading: Revelation 2:12-29

Advent Theme: Fidelity

Even though it may not seem like it at first glance, the churches at Pergamum and Thyatira are struggling with the same issue. Like Ephesus, there are false teachers in their midst. The false prophets here represent an even greater danger to those who are following the Way of Christ because they (the lying leaders) are attempting to equate Christian discipleship with the worship of the emperor or being in league with Roman power.

How can you tell? The metaphor of fornication and/or adultery, when used in scripture, is often used to depict unfaithfulness in the relationship of people to God. And, let’s be clear, God is never the party that adulterates the relationship. Yes, there are many times in the Bible when adultery is meant to indicate unfaithfulness in human marital relationships and fornication is used to refer to illicit or inappropriate sexual activity. That being said, the mention of Balaam is meant to remind those who hear this letter of the prophet in Numbers 25 who did cause some in Israel to go astray from proper worship of the one true God. 

Additionally, the use of the name Jezebel here is meant to prod a recollection that fear of a power and persuasive leader (2 Kings) caused apostasy, or abandonment of the faith, among some who had been faithful. The terms “fornication” and “adultery” in these verses underscore the reality that spiritual unfaithfulness has consequences. While Paul wrote to the Corinthians regarding eating meat sacrificed to idols (1 Cor 8) and the relative safety of such a practice, the situation in Pergamum and Thyatira is at least half a century later, a totally different emperor, and a Christianity that is under attack in a new way.

In western English, we sometimes use the phrase “in bed with” as a business or civic term. “Well, if we can get a good interest rate, I don’t mind getting in bed with XYZ firm for this project.” So, while we might not use the term adultery or fornication in the business or civic world, we are familiar with sexual metaphors to indicate a partnership go well or going poorly. The false teachers among these churches may have been telling Christians that it was okay “to get in bed with” Roman power for whatever reason.

Potential takeaway: We can only truly worship one God. Relationships with our money, our stuff, our homeland, other people, even our church life can adulterate what is meant to be our primary allegiance- our relationship with our Creator. Is the voice you hear most often coming out of your television, from across the dinner table, through a radio or a telephone? What can you change in your life, if you need or want, to be sure that the voice you are listening to and for most often is the One that truly has your best interests at heart and is always faithful? 

Holy God, You have kept your promises from generation to generation. Throughout time and across lands, You have sent true prophets who revealed Your will and Your word. Then You sent the Son to make clear what people could not understand from the prophets. Guide us into true faithfulness to You, forsaking all others, for as long as we shall live and then beyond. In Christ’s name, amen. 

Thinking about Failure

I do not like to fail. 

Nobody really enjoys failing (I assume), but some people seem to take it a little more in stride than I do. 

In the past year, I've come to embrace falling short of the mark. Not failing because I didn't do what I was supposed to, but missing the goal I had set for myself. 

Case in point, I really wanted to blog every day this month. I knew I had a lot going on, but I thought it would give me plenty of fodder for the days when the well seemed dry. 

It didn't happen. 

Even in the first couple days, I had to fall back on posts that seemed ineffectual and a poor representation of what I can write and show here. Not everything is Pulitzer-quality. Not everything can be. 

I thought I was doing well and then I looked back and I realized that I had missed Day 5. Well, that's that. 

The thing is, I missed Day 5 because I went out and played with my kids. I missed a different day because I took my son to the Bear Paw Festival. A separate time, I was too tired to write because I managed to walk 13 miles. 

A friend of mine says, "Writers write. Butt in chair. Do it." 

This is most certainly true. However, none of the other things happened because I was avoiding writing. They happened because they are what my life looks like right now. I haven't developed the discipline for quiet daily writing because I've made other things a priority. 

That's the lesson for me here. Maybe for you? 

We can all say, "I don't/didn't have time." You have the time. I have the time. 

The real question is: what did we decide to do instead? 

If you look at how you spend your time (money/energy/spiritual devotion) and it reflects your values,

then you haven't failed. 

If your checkbook, your extracurriculars, your gods are otherwise, what does that mean? 

I wanted to write every day and I didn't. One goal: F

I value spending time with my family, working toward a healthier me, and being outside. Second goal: A.

Choose This Day (Sermon 8/26)

Joshua 24:1–2a, 14–18; John 6:56-69

If, on a morning, I open my eyes,

My first decision thereupon lies.

Will I continue to lie in the bed,

Allowing my thoughts to run through my head?

Will I get up and go to the shower,

Regardless of both weather and hour?

What of my child, who may want me to stay?

What of the tasks that call me this day?

From the minute of waking, there are choices to make,

What will I give today? What will I take?

I want to be saintly and say my first thoughts are of God,

But sometimes they’re not and, in that, I’m not odd.

We may rise with the sun or maybe at noon,

And we make hasty promises to get with God soon.

Yet, that instant, a choice has been made-

The balance of time against God has been weighed.

We can’t do it all. Surely God understands.

Consider this: did not God make this world, its demands?

But in each thing we choose, and it is choose we must

We have decided in which god we shall trust.

When we make decisions for work or for pleasure,

With money or time, talents or leisure,

With each small decision we leave or we make,

We are choosing a god for each task’s sake.

When Joshua says, “Choose this day whom you’ll serve.

My household and I, from God we’ll not swerve.”

He means the God of justice and freedom,

The God who through the desert did lead them.

This is a God of providence, of mercy and manna

Compared to others, God proved top banana.

For the Israelites, Joshua clearly lays out a decision,

Because they had, in history, treated God with derision.

Sometimes God seemed so far and so distant,

They struggled to find God’s mercy consistent.

Yet, who gave the manna? Who gave the quail?

Who brought forth the water when the people did wail? 

“People of Israel,” Joshua said,

“Turn all that you’ve known ‘round in your head.

Think of the guidance through both day and night,

Think of God’s grace. Think of God’s might.”

The people responded, “Our choice has been made.

We’ve looked around. Only Yahweh makes grade.

Only one God can say, ‘I am who I am’

Only one God would work for our father, Abraham.”

So Israelites promised to serve God whatever may come,

For richer, for poorer, when happy, when glum.

The years passed, however, and memories faded.

People thought of this choice and became jaded.

The desert, the manna- they all became history.

What God’s doing now… that became mystery.

It became easier to feel freed by law and instruction,

Only society’s rules prevented destruction.

But that structure left some people wanting,

The gift of the law could seem rather daunting.

When onto the scene, this man Jesus appeared.

Some people rejoiced. Some people jeered.

Then, and again, he talked about bread

About life here right now and life after we’re dead.

He healed sick people, he fed many others,

But his teaching confused both sisters and brothers.

What was this about flesh to eat, blood to drink?

A hard teaching to swallow, most people did think.

Said his disciples, “Jesus, this is enough.

What you’re teaching- it’s too much. It’s too tough.

We don’t like it. We don’t understand.

We’d like to quit you, but it doesn’t seem that we can.

We’ve looked around as to where we might go.

The problem is, there’s some truth we do know.

Within a world of struggle and strife,

You have the words of eternal life.

Only you have offered hope in the future,

Between God and us, you are the suture.

Even though it is hard to stay,

We cannot leave you or your way.”

The disciples decided (or most of them did)

It was with Jesus that they placed their bid.

They decided, as their ancestors had,

To be on God’s side couldn’t be bad.

And so I say to you this day…

“Wait, Pastor Julia, I’ve something to say…”

“What is it, my child, what bothers you so?”

“Well, you’ve confused me. And so I must know

I thought God chose us. I thought it was done.

I thought the war’s over. The fight had been won.

Didn’t Luther write we’d never say yes…

Without God’s Spirit, we can’t acquiesce!

If you tell us, ‘Today you must choose’

Are you not setting us up… to lose?”

You are right, my child, in every way.

And yet you made a choice today.

You came to be here, to be in communion

To pray, to eat, to embody reunion.

Each day, we see gods far and near.

We can worship success. We can give over to fear.

We can spend our resources or over-honor our kin,

We can reverence our bodies from our toe to our chin.

We can make work our idol, honored, adored.

We can seek that which gives immediate reward.

But in the end, it all fails. It all becomes dust.

These idols- they fade, they die, they rust.

In the end, what we want is something that lasts,

Something that goes beyond all other forecasts.

What can bring order to confusion and strife?

Only the hope of eternal life.

Eternal life, both for there and for here.

A growing, a knowing, a ridding of fear.

This is what Jesus offers- in body and blood.

Without that promise, bread and wine are just mud.

Like us, they’re from dust and to dust shall return,

But through eating and drinking, still we can learn

That God has chosen in creation’s favor,

The presence of Christ is what we savor

When we gather at table, both willing and able

To experience Jesus as truth and not fable.

To trust, to be open, is the choice we must make,

Each day, in the moment right when we wake.

In every moment, we choose a god to serve

With all that we have, each sinew and nerve.

We have a God on the side of all of creation,

Who knows and who loves without cessation.

Who gives us each talents and gives us each gifts,

Who forgives our sins, who mends our rifts.

Who with body and blood has chosen to feed us.

Who through valleys and o’er mountains, has chosen to lead us.

Lord, where could we go? You made us, you know us.

Now, through the Spirit, continue to grow us.

God has called you by name, so as your fear eases,

Choose your god. Every day. I recommend… Jesus. 

Amen.