The 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

 

Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; 7 for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; 8 but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. 11 But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will bring about at the right time-- he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. 16 It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. 17 As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, 19 thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life. (1 Timothy 6.6-19 NRSV)

 

And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes. 10 "Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? 13 No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." 14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they ridiculed him. 15 So he said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of others; but God knows your hearts; for what is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God. 16 "The law and the prophets were in effect until John came; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is proclaimed, and everyone tries to enter it by force. 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one stroke of a letter in the law to be dropped. 18 "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and whoever marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery. 19 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. 24 He called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.' 25 But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.' 27 He said, 'Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house-- 28 for I have five brothers-- that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.' 29 Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.' 30 He said, 'No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' 31 He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"  (Luke 16.9-31 NRSV)

 

“DO YOU SEE THE GORILLA?”

 

            Some things are hard to miss.  Some of them are big things, unusual things.  The Week mentioned that it was a “bad week for going out for a relaxing beer after a National Guard jet accidentally dropped a dummy training bomb into the parking lot of a Maryland pub, barely missing cars and leaving a three-foot-deep crater.  ‘The bomb squad told us we should rename the bar the ‘Bull’s-eye,’’ said the owner of Darlene’s Tavern.”  A three-foot deep crater in a parking lot would be hard to miss and you would certainly want to do so.

            The Gospel reading has a story of something that is also hard to miss.  It is the story of a rich man.  He had much good food to eat, and daily.  He was well dressed.  At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus.  Now, you might think that it would be hard to ignore someone lying at your doorstep, but he did.  And from there, Lazarus saw the rich man eating.  The poor man died and so did the rich man.  The poor man was at the side of Abraham.  The rich man was in torment in Hades.  The rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus with a drop of water for his tongue.  It is rather amazing that he ignored Lazarus in life when he needed something and now he needs something and wants to put Lazarus to work on it.  The rich man is still only conscious of his own needs.  Maybe we are starting to understand why he didn’t see Lazarus.  Even right on his doorstep.

            Well, back to the story.  Abraham tells the rich man that this is now fair.  The rich man enjoyed life and now suffers; Lazarus suffered in life but is now in a good place.  Now, this, by itself, is not the point of the story.  Because if the poor will be blessed, then it is better for them to leave them poor and suffering.  No, this is about not ignoring the poor.  Besides, Abraham says, travel between Paradise and Hades is just not possible.  So the rich man does not give up, but still has a favor he wants Lazarus to do for him.  He wants him to appear to his brothers as a warning.  Abraham’s reply is that they have Moses and the prophets and if they do not listen to those, even someone who has come back from the dead will not change their minds.  If they are ignoring Scripture, which means ignoring God, then even seeing a ghost will not matter.

            It is easy to ridicule this rich man.  We, of course, could not miss such a big thing as a man at our doorstep.  There is a now-famous psychology experiment in which people watched a videotape of a basketball game and were asked to keep track of something like the number of points one of the teams scored.  Then they were asked if they saw the man in the gorilla suit who walked right through the middle of the game.  They replayed the tape, yup, he was there.  Many did not see him.  I didn’t see the gorilla.  The reality is that if you are looking at something else, you might miss other things, even extraordinary things.

            The reading from First Timothy is one of the warnings about the danger of earthly riches.  There are many things in life that are that something else we look at and miss other things.  Wealth is one of them.  Paul, or someone writing for Paul, says that the better way is contentment with what you have.  Also, we are to spend our time, our lives if you will, in pursuing good qualities and to remember the gift of eternal life and keep that hope pure.  Lastly, the writer of the letter tells the rich to put their hope on God, not on unstable riches.

            One of the reasons that the Bible has warnings about riches is that it is so easy to fall under their spell.  What do we make of our national obsession with gaining wealth?  Do we listen to the Wall Street Journal more than the prophets?  Do we care what Warren Buffet says more than what Moses says?  Has pursuit of money replaced the spiritual life in this country?  If it has, we are in danger like the rich man and his five brothers.  With greed in our eyes, what possibly can warn us?  Money is all around us, in our daily lives.  The other is that money can blind us.  It can make us increasingly self-centered and blinded to others, or worse yet, make us so we only see others in terms our own needs.

Lillian Daniel writes about things she has heard that bother her.  One such thing was a presentation at a conference.  The presenter made statements like that it was harder for rich people to experience God’s love than the poor. And that the poor have to rely on God’s love so much more.  And that they just seem so much happier.  Her thought was, “I have heard rich people say that ‘the poor are lucky’ before.  But I have yet to hear a poor person say it.”  There are ways of treating the poor like the rich man wanted to, in self-serving ways or in ignoring who they really are.

            Perhaps what we really need to start with is to learn to see again.  And learn not just to see what we want to see or not to see what we don’t want to see.  Maybe we need to start with the world around us.  If we do that, it will not be long before we see people who we did not know were there, or people who need us.  Perhaps we need to learn to see again, not as we see but as God sees, as J. Brent Bill talks about.  He had a dinner guest, his brother-in-law, whom he found annoying.  He thought he knew everything and talked too much.  But because his wife loved her brother, he decided to see him as she did and then had the thought to see him as God does.  The evening went well, because of what the Spanish philosopher Baltasar Gracián found, “When the eyes see what they have never seen before, the heart feels what it has never felt.”  God sees people with needs where we see the poor, or people in our way, or annoying people.

 

            There are things that we never thought we could miss, but we do.  We tend more to see what we want to see and disregard the rest.  But we have a warning.  We are not to go through our lives unaware of what and who is around us.  It is easy to do that.  We are not to go past those who need us and not touch their lives.  What are we not seeing?  We need to see new things, even the obvious.  Lillian Daniel ended her piece with this prayer: “Dear God, give bread to those who are hungry and thirst for justice to those who have plenty.  Amen.”

 

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The 27^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

 

NRSV 2 Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I am grateful to God-- whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did-- when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. 6 For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; 7 for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. 8 Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, 12 and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. 13 Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.

 

NRSV Luke 17:5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" 6 The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. 7 "Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here at once and take your place at the table'? 8 Would you not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink'? 9 Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, 'We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'"

 

“WITH OR WITHOUT?”

 

            We eat 20 billion hot dogs a year in this country.  When you have a hot dog, you have a decision to make.  What to put on it?  Mustard is a typical possibility.  There is, of course, catsup and relish, or some may prefer sauerkraut or chili.  Mustard is a perennial favorite.  According to the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin, mustard is the most popular hot dog condiment.  They have the largest collection of mustards, the MustardPiece Theatre, a tasting bar, gift shop, and host, on the first Saturday in August, National Mustard Day festivities.  They tell us to mark our calendars—in bright yellow.  How do I know all this?  One of my sisters was once a tasting judge in the annual World-Wide Mustard Competition.

            In the Gospel reading the disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith.  Now, that is not a bad request, but Jesus’ answer to them is unusual.  If you had the faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to a mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.  It is a startling picture of faith.  The disciples talk about faith like it is some kind of activity, like lifting weights.  Jesus talks about faith like a tiny seed.  Faith is very simple and very powerful.

            The reading from 2 Timothy talks about faith as well.  Paul greets Timothy and praises his sincere faith, which he learned from his mother and grandmother.  It is an essential part of his life.  That part of faith can be passed down over the generations.  And we are reminded about Paul’s faith, too.  It is trusting in God who is able to guard what has been entrusted to him.  Faith, is not only believing truths about God, it is also trust in God.  That kind of faith focuses more on God’s power than our own.

            That is true for Jesus’ reply to the disciples.  They have just been told that they need to forgive others, even seven times, a difficult, but not impossible, thing.  It is a thing requiring effort.  They ask Jesus to increase their faith.  Jesus brings them back to the simplicity of faith.  It is both more simple and more powerful than their question asks.  He tells them if they had the faith the size of a mustard seed they could do incredible things.  A seed is one of the smallest of common things.  A tiny seed can grow into a great bush or tree.  A seed is not an effort, not a project, it is a thing with the potential of life in it.  All it needs is a place to be planted and grow.  A farmer or gardener can’t make the seed grow.  There is no effort that can make it grow.  All they have to do is plant it and care for it.  Faith, while simple, requires us to respond to it.

That is the message of the rest of the Gospel reading, this parable about a slave.  The slave does not come in from work and then the master serves him or her.  He or she finishes the work in the field and comes in and then has to serve the master.  All this seems a bit, well, harsh.  But it is the picture of humility.  The servant works for someone else.  That is the reminder that we receive God’s gifts, faith and what faith make possible, not by thinking we are in charge but by receiving it.  We, like the servant, have nothing to claim our own.  We receive what we need from the Master.  It is also the reminder that faith and what we do by faith really is for someone else.  It is for God.  The kind of faith that Jesus is talking about is not self-serving control of the world, or some kind of showy magic tricks.  It is for how we can advance the mission of God in our world, so it can grow in spectacular ways, like the mustard plant.  Sometimes that requires that we do great things.

            We go back to that idea of the seed.  How do we learn about gardening or farming?  It is often like how we learn about faith, by seeing it in our families or watching or hearing about it.  Louise Stoltzfus talks about growing things in an Amish community, that she learned about it as her grandmother read the Farmers’ Almanac to them.  They loved its wisdom, but also learned that gardening, whether for pleasure, food for the table, or extra income, required hard work. 

            Many times we focus on effort—on what we can do.  In faith we follow God’s will, we do what is needed for following the direction God gives.  The lesson is that we need to plant the seed, but we need to be faithful with what God has given us. 

 

The seed, what we start with, is a gift.  It is from another plant, from another’s work.  No one can make a seed.  It is given to us and reminds us of those words from Lamentation: Great is thy faithfulness, O God.  It is for serving God even as God cares for us.  God cares for our hopes and dreams, for what we need in life.  The seed can be an invitation to dream and a sign that our dreams are God leading us into God’s care for us.

            Think of that mustard seed, it is to remind you to look forward in hope.  It is to let you know you are part of God’s plan, as it grows like the plant, as it unfolds, and blossoms and bears great fruit.  It is to remind you that your hopes are important to God, who will bless them with growth.

 

            If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, great things can be done.  Jesus reminds us of the power of faith.  The power of faith is the power of God in us.  And like the servants, it is not for our desires and whims; it is to serve God.  But we are also reminded that it is a gift and we see again the care God takes of us day by day.  The seed is possibility of things to come, like God’s mercies that are new every morning.  Great faith is possible.  Great things are possible.  Great is thy faithfulness, O Lord.

 

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Schedule for Trinity Presbyterian Parish, SE Minnesota:

Palm Sunday (March 24) Worship, 8:30 a.m. at Chatfield, 10:30 a.m. at Lewiston
Maundy Thursday (March 28) Service with Communion, 7:00 p.m. at Chatfield
Good Friday (March 29) Service, 7:00 p.m. at Lewiston
Easter Sunday Worship, 8:30 a.m. at Chatfield, 10:30 a.m. at Utica

Pioneer Presbyterian Church, 206 SE Fillmore St, Chatfield
First Presbyterian Church of Utica, 145 S. Center St, Utica
First Presbyterian Church of Lewiston, 60 W. Main St, Lewiston

Fourth Sunday in Lent, Year C

 

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them." 3 So he told them this parable:

15:11b "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. 13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. 14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands."' 20 So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. 21 Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out a robe-- the best one-- and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate. 25 "Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27 He replied,' Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' 28 Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 29 But he answered his father, 'Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!' 31 Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'” (Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 NRSV)

 

“BRATTY KID, ANGRY BROTHER, AND DAD”

 

            Some families have drama, as it is called.  They have conflicts or struggles over power, or money, or position.  There may be favorites and family members may take on certain roles.  There might be familiar behavior or some new wrinkle that has never been seen before.  Many of these conflicts have elements of rivalries.  There might be old hurts that resurface or there might be offenses which need to be forgiven or can’t be forgiven.  There might be harsh words or harsher actions.  There are specialized psychologists who take up the difficulties that occur within families.  These family therapists work by looking at the relationships that are involved with the people who have the problems.  For instance, if little Susie has a problem, what is happening with her mother as it is going on?  If little Susie has a problem, where is her father?  Her brothers and sisters?  What does her relationship with them tell us?  What does their relationship to each other tell us?  To get the right picture you have to see the whole family.

The Gospel reading this morning is the familiar story of the Prodigal Son.  It has been called that for many years and to hear that you might think it is just about one son.  It is not; it is about the whole family.  It is one of Jesus’ parables and was told when the Pharisees and scribes complained that he was associating with sinners.  He even eats with them.  So there is this story.  There was a father with two sons.  There was the younger son who did everything wrong.  Not wrong as in inept or without skill, wrong as in bad.  He asks his father for his share of the inheritance.  It is as if he says that he cannot wait for his father to die.  That is incredibly rude.  He is offensive.  He leaves home, cutting off his relationship with his family.  He takes the money, goes far away, and lives far beyond his means.  That is why churchy folks call this the Prodigal Son; “prodigal” means extravagant.  He wastes it all on what churchy folks call dissolute living.  This means he was up to no good.  Only when there is a famine and the money runs out and he has to find work and in that work he sees the pigs are eating better than he is does he start thinking of returning home.  He has at least enough sense to know he has offended his father.  He has enough sense to know that he can’t continue on how he was going and has to do something different.  And he knows that he can’t have things the way they were.  So his plan is this, he will ask to become one of the hired hands, he will no longer be part of the family.  And he has enough sense to actually do it.

He returns home and is met with a surprise.  The father runs out to meet him.  While he was far off yet from home this happens, which can only mean that the father was watching for him, waiting for him day by day, hoping for his return.  And he wants him back in the family.  He calls for the best to be brought and a great celebration.  The father throws him a party, a heck of a party.

The older brother has a problem with this.  The father asks him to join the party.  He feels the offense the bratty kid has made to the family.  And beyond that, he holds up his behavior.  He has never done anything wrong.  (So he says.)  He has never been given anything.  (So he says.)  He is the good son, not this kid.  (So he says.)  Yet, he can’t accept his brother back.  He does not want joy.  He cannot see love.  Joy is not in his life.  The father says that he has always been with him.  Everything was his all along.  It was all around him and he did not know it.

The father wants his whole family back.  Both the one who has never done anything right and the one who thinks he has never done anything wrong.  The younger son would not know joy except for his return.  The older son sees it all around him and can’t take part in it because of his attitude.  This story has some very unexpected turns.  It was told when people criticized Jesus.  The story is about who God is.  It is about who Jesus is.  It is also about who we are.  It turns out, the Father is the extravagant one in the story.  The Father, who had given to younger son everything he asked for, had even more to give, and it was better than that first share of the inheritance.  The son who lost everything gained even more.  He started out looking for fun, but ended up knowing love, and forgiveness, and joy.  The return of the younger son is nothing less to the father than that son returning to life.  The older son could be a part of that, too.  Until he changes his mind, he puts himself on the outside.

This comes to us as we think about Easter coming up.  The characters in the story Jesus told should make us look at our lives.  Who do we see?  What catches our attention?  As we look at our families, what do we think, especially about our place in them?  As we look at life, what is our place in it?  The danger is that we might never trust the father enough to return, or that something will keep us from seeing ourselves and seeing the father and being a part of it all.  Susan Schefflein tells the story of when she had a bite to eat in a restaurant between meetings.  She was feeling resentful and frazzled when a little boy came in and walked right up to her table.  He said, “Boons!” twice and when she still did not understand, he pulled her sleeve.  When he pointed she saw that she all this time had been under a picture of a rocking horse with brightly colored balloons.  Then she could laugh with the child.  Sometimes it takes a child to let us see what is good.  Sometimes it takes coming in from outside to see joy.

In this season of Lent, let us continue to seek joy.  It is not found in self-indulgence, but in returning home to find forgiveness which will last us through all our days.  It is not found in smug self-satisfaction, either, being too proud or resentful to join in.  It is found with the Father who waits for us, whoever we are, whether we are coming home from far away or just waiting to join the party.  It is found by seeing the Father as in Wendy MacLean’s poem:

God, we are yet at a distance

still too far off

to see that open gate.

Still not close enough

to hear the noise

inside the kitchen.

Yet you see us

and come

with open arms

welcoming us home.

Tender Father

we are afraid

of the last steps

we are weary

from the long walk

we are heavy

with the shame

of our distance.

But you do not let anything stop you

from coming to us

to bring us

to you

with celebration and gifts.

Holy One

may we welcome

your welcome.

Amen.

 

Looking ahead forTrinity Parish (Pioneer Presbyterian Church, Chatfield, First Presbyterian Church, Utica, and First Presbyterian Church, Lewiston, Minnesota):

Wednesday, March 13, Lenten Supper (potluck) at 6:00 p.m. Prayer and study of the Fifth Great End of the Church--the Promotion of Social Righteousness at the Utica Church.

Fellow Citizens

The 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B




So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called "the uncircumcision" by those who are called "the circumcision"-- a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands-- 12 remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. 15 He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, 16 and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. 17 So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18 for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, 20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God. (Ephesians 2:11-22 NRSV)



The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34 As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54 When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, 55 and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed. (Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 NRSV)





“(W)HOL(L)Y CITIZENS”





I remember my report card from first grade. Well, I only remember one part of it. It said: “Tim is a good classroom citizen.” I liked that; it meant I was a good part of our little classroom. Last week, following the reading from the Letter to the Ephesians, we talked about God adopting us into God’s family. This week we hear something similar, only it is not being a member of God’s family, it is being a citizen of the Kingdom of God. “Citizen” calls to mind the freedom we celebrated earlier this month. It also reminds us of this very political year. What does it mean to be a citizen? In the Wisconsin state capitol there is a copy of the constitution of the state of Wisconsin on display. It is probably not the original, but it might be from around that time. The name “Wisconsin” is in red ink, probably to be fancy, but the problem with red ink is that it fades faster than black. So it says, “We the people of the State of _____.” It looks kinda funny. It looks generic, like we don’t belong to a particular place. That is not true of citizens. They belong somewhere, either by birth or by naturalization.

It means that one belongs to the nation or state or town and has rights. It means that one belongs to something greater than the individual. That is a source of strength in times of trouble. It is where we get our identity, our sense of who we are. We are Americans or Minnesotans or people from Chatfield or Utica or Lewiston. And it is also that we are obligated to seek the welfare of the whole. To love our country means not only that we love the things that it does, that it stands for. It is not only nostalgia for its past. It is also that we care about its present and future and that we want to make it a better place. It is that we will work to make it a better place.

With our rights come responsibilities. The nation does not exist only to take care of us; there are others. To be a citizen means we participate. That is like some young persons in the news recently: Some Boy Scouts saw a robbery take place on a trail and called the police, then they got on their bikes and found the victim’s cell phone which the perpetrator discarded in the woods. When asked about why they did it, they said that they couldn’t just stand by.

As we think of our country, we know that it is facing tremendous challenges. The world is changing rapidly and presents us with dangers and opportunities we would have never dreamt of years ago. Sixty years ago we were part of a worldwide effort to restore peace to our time. We were united in that effort. Now it seems like we are anything but united. We are facing issues of economy, and the environment, terrorism and fairness. One hundred fifty years ago the country was torn apart. Out of that time came a new understanding of what it means to be one people, one nation. There was a new understanding of what it meant to be a citizen. When the nation faced WWII, there was a commission for a musical piece to help support us, a patriotic piece to help us appreciate anew what we were fighting for. Aaron Copland wrote “A Lincoln Portrait”, looking back to the earlier crisis. It has musical sections and narrated passages, taken from Lincoln’s own words. A couple of them are:



“Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history.”

That is what he said. That is what Abraham Lincoln said.

“Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. We of this congress and this administration will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance or insignificance can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor to the latest generation. We, even we here, hold the power and bear the responsibility.”



He said: “As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy.”



He said: “That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion. That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.



It has been performed many times and one of those times is worth noting. When Leonard Bernstein conducted the New York Philharmonic years ago the narrator was the great black baritone William Warfield. After the concert performance he was visited by descendants of former slaves who heard Lincoln deliver the Gettysburg Address. It is a reminder of what Lincoln’s words were really about.

The writer to the church in Ephesus reminds them that once they did not know Christ. Now they do and so belong to God’s people. Now they share in the covenant and the peace that Christ has made with God. Now the dividing wall is broken down and they see what they share with others. There are not two groups, but one, and the goal is none other than being a dwelling place for God.

The Kingdom of God, of which we are citizens, is bigger than a political party or movement, or even a nation. We can forget that and get tied up in smaller things. The Civil War started out as about states’ rights, but became about something bigger, higher. It became about who we are and the meaning of freedom. It became about equality, not just in the words of our constitution, but in our daily lives. It became about whether we were going to continue to be one nation and a nation that tolerated slavery. It became about who we are and who our fellow human beings are. In our country, it usually comes back to that idea of freedom. Is our freedom only for ourselves? Is it only so I can do what I want? For it to be freedom is must be about something greater. Our understanding of what citizenship means gives us an answer to that.

A pastor in Texas, Scott Walker, found this meaning to freedom when in college his freshman year he was causal about attending class or studying. This led to a trip to the dean’s office and academic probation. He defines freedom differently now. “Through experience, I learned that freedom and discipline must always walk hand in hand.” What we choose each day, will determine whether our freedom is a great strength or a great weakness.



Believers in Christ are citizens of where they live, but they become something else. Wherever they live, they also belong to another people. They are citizens not only of where they live on earth, but also a heavenly kingdom. There are rights we have as citizens, but to live in a place also means accepting the responsibilities. That is the price of freedom. And another cost is to know that we cannot be free when others are not, that we are a part of a whole. To be free has a greater meaning than getting what you want. That is why each people and generation must find it for itself, see it for itself, and choose it for itself. We cannot stand by. That is what being a citizen is, from the classroom to the world.

The 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B




Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. 5 He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight 9 he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, 12 so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; 14 this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:3-14 NRSV)



Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. 20 And he was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you." 21 But he said to them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it." (Luke 8:19-21 NRSV)



“TAKING FOR ONE’S OWN”



Adoption is a wonderful way of making a contribution to the world. There are adoptions that remain hidden from public view. One was that of a young man in the youth group in Iowa I used to help with years ago. I thought that this young man looked just like his father and then one day was very surprised when he told me he was adopted. There are other adoptions that, well, can’t be hidden, as the friends who adopted a child from Korea. Adoption is a way that people can provide children with what they need. Many of them are saved from awful conditions. In many cases, adoption saves lives. Adoption brings happiness both to someone who needs it and to the family as there is more to share. Some adoptions are obvious, some are not.

In adoption, the family takes you and makes you part of them. They take you for their own. The word has that meaning for other uses such as when we adopt rules or policies we make them our own, we say that they do or actually make them apply to us. Or we can adopt a new attitude or way of life. That changes how we live and what we do. That is especially true of when we add new members to our families, when we reach out to the world in love, to care for others in this special way.

Adoption is a powerful thing and so it is not surprising to hear it used in Scripture. In the Letter to the Ephesians we hear one of the many reasons why God is praised. It is because God had a plan to bring us into God’s family. That plan existed from the beginning of time. It is based in Christ and leads to those chosen by God to be blessed with every spiritual blessing. It is so that we will live holy and blameless lives in love. All this was so that we would be adopted into the family of God. All this is God’s gift to us. All this was so that the riches of God’s grace would be shared with us and that we would, like all family members, share in the inheritance. We become members of God’s family, as we hear in the Gospel reading, though faith and hearing the word of God. Through faith, we hear of God’s redemption of the world through Christ and through faith we believe that we are a part of this. Through faith, a living faith, we make it our own, not something we heard once and then have forgotten.

Faith leads us to believe that this is not only true; it is true for us as individuals. Faith makes it come alive in us, for us. Robert Fulghum, who is a bit of a character, talks about an event in his life. He wrote: “Good friends finally put their resources together and made themselves a child. Me, I’m the godfather in the deal. I take my job seriously.” He understands his mission as introducing the child to the good things in life—chocolate, cigars, Beethoven. He gave him a set of crayons. Each week he would put a crayon in his hand and showed him how to make a mark. Mostly the child just stared at the crayon. Then one week after he made the mark something went off in his head and he started on his own and he puts it, “There is no stopping him.” By faith we hear the truth and know what it applies to us, that we can be a part of what God is doing in the world. By faith we hear of God’s love and when we come to know that in our lives, we begin to live it.

Adoption is the means God uses to continue God’s work. The story is this. God created the world and that world turned away from God. But God was not done. God sent the Son into the world to make it possible that we would belong to God again. We belong again. What this does, what adoption does, is make us part of something larger than ourselves. It does that both if we adopt and if we are adopted. We make someone else’s life and needs a part of our own. Adoption means not only that we become the sons and daughters of God but also that we have sisters and brothers. Adoption means we can share the love. We become part of a greater whole.

Of the stories that came out of Japan after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, this is one from "The Week". Yuta Saga, age 21, heard the sirens and screams of “Tsunami!” He took his mother to the junior high school for safety but the stairs to the roof were blocked with older people who seemed to have difficulty. The younger residents started to force their way amid the older folks, pushing them aside. When the water began to rush into the building, one older resident was saved by a human chain that lifted her up. One woman handed him an infant. He took it and ran up the stairs.

It turns out we are all adopted, whether we look like it or not. God made us part of God’s family, through Christ, through God’s gift, through faith. Just as people complete their families through adoption, so God’s plan was that God’s family would not be complete until we became a part of it. And just like adoption, we find a place where we belong, out of the kindness of another. This is the good news that causes us to give glory to God as the riches of God’s grace come to us. Blessed be God, who takes us for God’s own.