Yesterday came and went, and I didn't even think about writing a post. Nice to be relieved of duty for the summer, but I would like to try to continue something weekly, just to stay in touch. It would be REALLY great if each member of the group could take a week. I'll be happy to take care of the logistics if you email me the post. That way we could even include our dear friends who have moved on to new places, but still have their old place in our hearts.
The topic for this week - intercessory prayer. Does it work? Why do it? What is the purpose? I have been praying for a close one with cancer that is not responding to any treatment, a family friend who had triple bypass surgery this week, another family friend - a 22 year old firefighter who is on life support after a horrific car accident - and of course the day to day needs of my family as we face some major transitions. I thought I would get comfort, but I don't. I feel like the fog, I'm there, you can see me, but I can't do a darn thing. Nothing. I know that, so where is the help?
Anyone have any answers?
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Get Ready, Get Ready
Well, we have had our final meeting for the year going in to summer. We will resume in September, usually after Labor Day. As I sat down to write the post from yesterday's meeting I kept hearing The Temptations singing "Get Ready." Today we looked at the parable of the Ten Bridesmaids/Virgins from Matthew 25:1-13. It is a pretty straightforward story about being ready for the bridegroom, but we spent a lot of time looking at some of the other, underlying messages. Those are the ones that captured my feeble mind this week.
First, according to The Message there were five silly virgins and ten smart virgins. The smart virgins must have been Girl Scouts because they were prepared with extra oil for their lamps, but the silly girls did not take any extra oil. When they realized they were almost out of oil they asked the smart girls to give them some oil, but the smart girls refused. Come on, couldn't they share just a little bit? We decided that the message for us on this day is that you are responsible for your own readiness. We are told over and over again that no one knows when Christ will return - except God, of course - and our job is to live right and be ready. So are we not our sisters' keeper? Where do we draw the line between making disciples and being responsible for disciples? We talked about "let go and let God" in terms of bringing others, especially people who are close to us, into relationship with God. Clearly the silly virgins didn't take their responsibility to the bridegroom seriously, and when they were forced to go out and buy more oil they were caught and had to face the consequences of their actions.
And that brings us to the second point of the day: there is judgment for those who were not ready. We don't really talk a lot about judgment in the church today, and we needed to clarify when the judgment Jesus is talking about occurs - the Second Coming - and who does the judging - God. Well, what about judgment in our daily lives, for all our sins? I think most of us decided that natural consequences are our day-to-day judgment, and that if we react to those and return to God (and don't keep sinning) then we will be OK at THE judgment, whenever that may be.
We also talked about Matthew's intention when writing the Gospel. Matthew was very concerned with tying the life and times of Jesus to scripture, addressing a primarily Jewish audience. If you think about it, the Old Testament scripture he was quoting quite often spoke of harsh judgment. He was also very concerned that Jesus had not yet returned. They expected Jesus sooner rather than later, and he was trying to bolster the spirits of the early Christians, pointing out to them the need to always be ready since they were expecting Jesus any time. Two thousand years after the fact that seems a little... naive? But at the same time it reinforces the very clear message that is repeated throughout the Bible that Christ will return in God's time, only God knows when that will be.
It is hard to think about judgment, and harsh judgment like exclusion from the kingdom for the silly virgins. It is hard to think about the Second Coming without some fear. It is hard to think about loved ones who haven't come as far in their faith journey not being ready. It is hard to embrace the mystery and to trust that whatever the outcome, the loving God that I worship has a plan in store that is more wonderful than anything I can imagine, and even though there will be judgment (consequences) if I work at being ready God will keep working with me and on me. I guess I had better get ready...
First, according to The Message there were five silly virgins and ten smart virgins. The smart virgins must have been Girl Scouts because they were prepared with extra oil for their lamps, but the silly girls did not take any extra oil. When they realized they were almost out of oil they asked the smart girls to give them some oil, but the smart girls refused. Come on, couldn't they share just a little bit? We decided that the message for us on this day is that you are responsible for your own readiness. We are told over and over again that no one knows when Christ will return - except God, of course - and our job is to live right and be ready. So are we not our sisters' keeper? Where do we draw the line between making disciples and being responsible for disciples? We talked about "let go and let God" in terms of bringing others, especially people who are close to us, into relationship with God. Clearly the silly virgins didn't take their responsibility to the bridegroom seriously, and when they were forced to go out and buy more oil they were caught and had to face the consequences of their actions.
And that brings us to the second point of the day: there is judgment for those who were not ready. We don't really talk a lot about judgment in the church today, and we needed to clarify when the judgment Jesus is talking about occurs - the Second Coming - and who does the judging - God. Well, what about judgment in our daily lives, for all our sins? I think most of us decided that natural consequences are our day-to-day judgment, and that if we react to those and return to God (and don't keep sinning) then we will be OK at THE judgment, whenever that may be.
We also talked about Matthew's intention when writing the Gospel. Matthew was very concerned with tying the life and times of Jesus to scripture, addressing a primarily Jewish audience. If you think about it, the Old Testament scripture he was quoting quite often spoke of harsh judgment. He was also very concerned that Jesus had not yet returned. They expected Jesus sooner rather than later, and he was trying to bolster the spirits of the early Christians, pointing out to them the need to always be ready since they were expecting Jesus any time. Two thousand years after the fact that seems a little... naive? But at the same time it reinforces the very clear message that is repeated throughout the Bible that Christ will return in God's time, only God knows when that will be.
It is hard to think about judgment, and harsh judgment like exclusion from the kingdom for the silly virgins. It is hard to think about the Second Coming without some fear. It is hard to think about loved ones who haven't come as far in their faith journey not being ready. It is hard to embrace the mystery and to trust that whatever the outcome, the loving God that I worship has a plan in store that is more wonderful than anything I can imagine, and even though there will be judgment (consequences) if I work at being ready God will keep working with me and on me. I guess I had better get ready...
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Case Against "Should"
Today's parable is the one about the prayer of the pharisee and the tax collector from Luke 18:9-14. It seems pretty straightforward, simple message, but remember that part of the definition of a parable that says it "... leaves the mind in sufficient doubt about its precise application as to tease it into active thought?" Well, it teased my mind into active thought (I know,k you didn't think i could do that, did you?) and I am going to ramble on - again!
In this parable Jesus addresses people who are complacently pleased with themselves, people who think they are doing all the things they should be doing (according to the Law), so God should favor them. In particular Jesus points out the actions of the Pharisee who not only prays publicly about how grateful he is to be better than all those other sinners, but postures and poses himself first. Surely that is because there is a certain way you should look when you pray. There is a certain set of words you should use when you pray. There is a formula for how you should pray. And of course everyone knows you should go to church every Sunday, you should support the church with a tithe, you should actively participate in the life of the church. You should be sure everyone knows you are doing what you should be doing. Come on, admit it. You have felt each one of those should's at one time or another. I know I have.
But look closely at all those should's. They are all about our actions gaining us favor. They have nothing to with God and everything to do with me! And if I think about it so does every other should that comes out of my mouth. We should help each other, we should be kinder to each other, we should do things this way or that way... It is all about hand-wringing and bemoaning the fact that I know better than everyone else, and they aren't listening! But in the parable it was the tax collector who was completely and utterly vulnerable, open to God and God's grace and mercy in whatever form they might take, who Jesus commends as the one who will gain entry to the kingdom. The message to me is that it not about how we believe or how we show that we believe or making sure that others know that we believe. It is all about being completely and totally open and honest with God and ourselves and letting everyone else take care of themselves, recognizing that none of us has better standing than the other because of what or how we do things. Faith is about doing, but it not about how we do it, or how we should do it. God will take us as we are, where we are, when we are ready. We simply need to humble ourselves and trust.
In this parable Jesus addresses people who are complacently pleased with themselves, people who think they are doing all the things they should be doing (according to the Law), so God should favor them. In particular Jesus points out the actions of the Pharisee who not only prays publicly about how grateful he is to be better than all those other sinners, but postures and poses himself first. Surely that is because there is a certain way you should look when you pray. There is a certain set of words you should use when you pray. There is a formula for how you should pray. And of course everyone knows you should go to church every Sunday, you should support the church with a tithe, you should actively participate in the life of the church. You should be sure everyone knows you are doing what you should be doing. Come on, admit it. You have felt each one of those should's at one time or another. I know I have.
But look closely at all those should's. They are all about our actions gaining us favor. They have nothing to with God and everything to do with me! And if I think about it so does every other should that comes out of my mouth. We should help each other, we should be kinder to each other, we should do things this way or that way... It is all about hand-wringing and bemoaning the fact that I know better than everyone else, and they aren't listening! But in the parable it was the tax collector who was completely and utterly vulnerable, open to God and God's grace and mercy in whatever form they might take, who Jesus commends as the one who will gain entry to the kingdom. The message to me is that it not about how we believe or how we show that we believe or making sure that others know that we believe. It is all about being completely and totally open and honest with God and ourselves and letting everyone else take care of themselves, recognizing that none of us has better standing than the other because of what or how we do things. Faith is about doing, but it not about how we do it, or how we should do it. God will take us as we are, where we are, when we are ready. We simply need to humble ourselves and trust.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
The Unmerciful Servant, Matthew 18:21-30
Wow! We really struggled with this one today. I just don't even know what to say, so if this is rambling and incoherent post some comments and straighten me out! One thing we didn't discuss this morning is what comes before the parable, in Matthew 18:1-20. I went back to read that and in the first part Jesus points out the need to be childlike in order to enter the kingdom of God. Then he moves on to talk about how the good shepherd leaves the 99 sheep to search for the one who is lost, and how to confront one another in love, how God responds to the prayers of the faith community. And after all that Peter works up the nerve to ask, no, really Lord, is someone wrongs me how many times do I really have to forgive them?
Well, that puts a little different spin on this parable for me. Jesus is trying to make a point and Peter, the Rock, isn't willing or able to hear it. Maybe that is why there is such an exaggeration between the amount owed by the first servant and the amount owed him by a fellow servant. Maybe that is why Jesus uses the perfect number, seven, times ten times the perfect number - another exaggeration. The other servants got action when they told on the first one for not forgiving after he was forgiven. The community is empowered to hold you accountable, no matter who you are (Peter). Are you getting the point yet? Do you suppose Jesus ever got frustrated with the Apostles? And what was it that was keeping Peter from hearing the message? Pride? Desire for justice on his own terms? Need for control? Desire for vengeance? All of the above?
The larger part of our discussion focused on the process of forgiveness. In order for it to be complete, perfect as God desires it to be, both parties must participate. If the wronged person forgives the one who wronged him, but the other does not accept responsibility or the forgiveness given then the forgiveness is not as God intended it to be.
But is the wronged person stuck because of the inaction of the one who wronged him? We decided not, but being human we couldn't get past the need to hold that person accountable. And maybe we aren't supposed to. We talked about Bonhoffer's "cheap grace" and it occurs to me after reading up on it a little that the "cheap grace" is what the offender bestows on himself by saying insincerely that he is sorry, or what the community gives out if they accept the simple apology without expecting or requiring repentance. "Cheap grace" is what the wronged person bestows on himself by saying he forgives, but not really forgiving from the heart. "Costly grace" is the treasure that has to be sought again and again and again and requires the hard work, the dirty work.
"Costly grace" requires us to look at how anger and holding a grudge poisons our lives and souls. "Costly grace" requires us to work toward an understanding and acceptance of the consequences that God will deal out - in His time - to those who have wronged us. "Costly grace" requires us to hold one another accountable even when it is awkward, uncomfortable, difficult, alienating. "Costly grace" requires us to keep working on the process of forgiveness because it comes in stages, layers, pieces. "Costly grace" is Peter following the first call, "Follow me," at the beginning and also the second call, "Follow me," at the end, after a full life of discipleship. "Costly grace" provides forgiveness, but not without consequence.
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