Thoughts on...
March 22: Fourth Sunday in Lent
Gospel Lesson: John 2:13-22
I'm struck by the journey of life and its many ups and downs. Each major life event presents us with an opportunity to choose how we respond. Will we be graceful or fight it tooth and nail? John sets before us a journey that takes us either to the light or to the darkness.
"For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God." (20-21)
John is a fan of dualisms in his gospel. It's either black or white. Are you attracted to the light or to the darkness? An optimist or a pessimist? Do you seek after goodness or evil? We control how we respond to life changes. A thin thread of light can grow into a radiant beam over time as our faith grows stronger in the decisions we have made and as we put our trust in God.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Thoughts on...
March 15, 2009: Third Sunday in Lent
Gospel Lesson: John 2:13-22
What does it mean to be the church? Is the church defined by its building, those gathered, its worship?
Jesus was outraged by what he found at the temple as he went to celebrate Passover. People were selling animals and changing money. It was all about what was happening inside. Folks were travelling a good distance and would need an unblemished animal for sacrifice. What was going on inside was not technically out of bounds, it was all a part of the worship process.
What's wrong with the money changers and sellers setting up close to where their wares would be sacrificed? Jesus cries out, "Stop making my Father's house a marketplace." This isn't worship, this is convenience. You are too comfortable. You are going through the actions but it has lost its meaning.
Jesus shakes up the comfortable temple and leaves those gathered asking by what authority do you do this? Jesus says, "Destroy the temple and I will raise it in 3 days." Jesus has stopped talking about the physical building and is now refering to his death and resurrection that is to come.
The church is all about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is not about the comfort that you find in a particular building with familiar people surrounding you in worship. The church is to be on the move. Knocking over the tables of complacency and tearing down the walls that separate us from the community. To be the Church is to reach out with the love of Christ and minister to those around us.
March 15, 2009: Third Sunday in Lent
Gospel Lesson: John 2:13-22
What does it mean to be the church? Is the church defined by its building, those gathered, its worship?
Jesus was outraged by what he found at the temple as he went to celebrate Passover. People were selling animals and changing money. It was all about what was happening inside. Folks were travelling a good distance and would need an unblemished animal for sacrifice. What was going on inside was not technically out of bounds, it was all a part of the worship process.
What's wrong with the money changers and sellers setting up close to where their wares would be sacrificed? Jesus cries out, "Stop making my Father's house a marketplace." This isn't worship, this is convenience. You are too comfortable. You are going through the actions but it has lost its meaning.
Jesus shakes up the comfortable temple and leaves those gathered asking by what authority do you do this? Jesus says, "Destroy the temple and I will raise it in 3 days." Jesus has stopped talking about the physical building and is now refering to his death and resurrection that is to come.
The church is all about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is not about the comfort that you find in a particular building with familiar people surrounding you in worship. The church is to be on the move. Knocking over the tables of complacency and tearing down the walls that separate us from the community. To be the Church is to reach out with the love of Christ and minister to those around us.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Reflection Questions
Reflection Questions from Fredrick Buechner's book, Listening to Your Life.
When you look at your face in the mirror,
what do you see in it that you most like and
what do you see in it that you most deplore?
If you had only one last message to leave to the handful of people who are most important to you, what would it be, in twenty-five words or less?
Of all the things you have done in your life, which is the one you would most like to undo?
Which is the one that makes you happiest to remember?
Is there any person in the world, or any cause, that if circumstances called for it, you would be willing to die for?
If this were the last day of your life, what would you do with it?
When you look at your face in the mirror,
what do you see in it that you most like and
what do you see in it that you most deplore?
If you had only one last message to leave to the handful of people who are most important to you, what would it be, in twenty-five words or less?
Of all the things you have done in your life, which is the one you would most like to undo?
Which is the one that makes you happiest to remember?
Is there any person in the world, or any cause, that if circumstances called for it, you would be willing to die for?
If this were the last day of your life, what would you do with it?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Thoughts on....
March 8, 2009: Second Sunday of Lent
Gospel Lesson: Mark 8:31-38
Mark 8:31 begins "Then he began to teach them..." this is a new phase in Jesus' ministry, Jesus begins to give private instruction to the disciples and public instruction to the multitude that is gathered. In the first of three teaching moments, Jesus informs the disciples that "the Son of Man" must undergo great suffering, rejection, be killed and after three days rise again.
Peter rebukes Jesus, stop this talk about suffering, rejection and death. These are worldly experiences not something to be experienced by the Messiah. Show us the glory.
Peter did not like the way Jesus was allocating his time. The Messiah is to reign in glory not spend time suffering, being rejected and dying. Peter thought he was focusing on the divine as he tried to protect the status of the Messiah. But Jesus was showing the disciples another way.
Human thinking would have us focus on happy times, the glory-filled times when our connection with God is clear. Human thinking would have us forget about what goes into discipleship, the struggle and the denying of self. Jesus shows us that how we spend our time in the process is important. We can't jump from the baptism, to the transfiguration, and the resurrection, we can't have only the happy, glory-filled times. Jesus in the suffering, rejection and death made a more complete picture of a Messiah that comes to us in all of life, not just the good times.
March 8, 2009: Second Sunday of Lent
Gospel Lesson: Mark 8:31-38
Mark 8:31 begins "Then he began to teach them..." this is a new phase in Jesus' ministry, Jesus begins to give private instruction to the disciples and public instruction to the multitude that is gathered. In the first of three teaching moments, Jesus informs the disciples that "the Son of Man" must undergo great suffering, rejection, be killed and after three days rise again.
Peter rebukes Jesus, stop this talk about suffering, rejection and death. These are worldly experiences not something to be experienced by the Messiah. Show us the glory.
Peter did not like the way Jesus was allocating his time. The Messiah is to reign in glory not spend time suffering, being rejected and dying. Peter thought he was focusing on the divine as he tried to protect the status of the Messiah. But Jesus was showing the disciples another way.
Human thinking would have us focus on happy times, the glory-filled times when our connection with God is clear. Human thinking would have us forget about what goes into discipleship, the struggle and the denying of self. Jesus shows us that how we spend our time in the process is important. We can't jump from the baptism, to the transfiguration, and the resurrection, we can't have only the happy, glory-filled times. Jesus in the suffering, rejection and death made a more complete picture of a Messiah that comes to us in all of life, not just the good times.
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