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LOVE: HOW MANY RULES DO WE NEED?

8/30/2020

We human beings love rules! We just love them! No? Well, if we don’t love them than why do we have so many of them? At any point in our lives we have hundreds of rules telling us what to do and how to do it. It’s as if we are terrified that, without all those rules, we might get it wrong.

Could it possibly be that we don’t really need all these rules?

In the Old Testament God gave Moses 10 Commandments, just 10, but that wasn’t good enough for the people who need to control and pin down and legislate every emotion, every action, and so the Holiness Code came into being. You can find it in Leviticus, chapters 17-26 – easily some of the most boring reading to be found in the entire Bible – it details what you can eat, what you can wear, who you can associate with, how you can make a living, what kind of animals you can keep, what you can have in your home – just on and on and on.

Later on when Jesus was asked which of the Commandments was the greatest he boiled them down to just two: You shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and Love your neighbor as yourself. He explained that all the other commandments were contained within these two.

Still later, when St. Paul was trying to explain to the people of Rome the difference that living with the Spirit of Christ makes within you he listed the characteristics that define a true follower of Jesus. I put his list into list form here for clarity:

Romans 12:9-18
let love be genuine
hate what is evil
hold fast to what is good
love one another with mutual affection
outdo one another in showing honor
be ardent in spirit as you serve the Lord.
rejoice in hope
be patient in suffering
persevere in prayer
contribute to the needs of the saints
extend hospitality to strangers
bless those who persecute you, do not curse them
rejoice with those who rejoice
weep with those who weep
live in harmony with one another
do not think yourself superior, but associate with all
do not claim to be wiser than you are
do not repay anyone evil for evil
so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all

Again, all of these are good rules. They tell us to live in good ways. And yet, couldn’t they all be contained within the first: Let love be genuine? If our love is genuine, if we truly love God and all our brothers and sisters – ALL of them – and if we sincerely strive to treat each other – EVERY other – with love and respect – how could we not include all the other rules, without having to parse them out separately? Why must we continuously overthink this point?

In the words of Lin-Manuel Miranda: Love is love is love is love is love.....

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LEAVING HOME

8/23/2020

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Exodus 12: 34, 39
So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls wrapped up in their cloaks on their shoulders .... They baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had brought out of Egypt; it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves.

Well, this has been one whopper of a crazy week so far. We’ve been on evacuation warning all week because of the Walbridge fire so we’d packed everything we couldn’t do without into our cars every evening, and every morning we dug through and pulled out what we needed at that moment. I had to go find the computer I’m typing this on before I could write anything.

It has been frightening and it’s been exhausting. But still, somehow, I woke up in my own home this morning. And I am constantly aware that so many did not. No one expected this in August and we seem to have been woefully under-prepared with evac centers, and many of those folks who just got an abrupt “leave now” seemed to have no idea where to go. Even if an evac is of the “better safe than sorry” kind — still, they’re frightening.

As I was trying to kick my sleep-deprived brain into some sort of thought for this service, I noticed that one of the secondary readings for today is from Exodus — not the one I quoted above — but still, Exodus. And it got me thinking of our present day connections with that long-ago story — specifically their hasty preparations to leave Egypt.

You know, for better or for worse, Egypt was home — they’d lived there as a people for over 400 years. Being wandering herdsmen, they had never lived anywhere that long before. And even though they were virtual slaves by this time, they still had homes, and homes mean stuff, homes mean connections.

The Israelites in the Exodus story had only a few hours to decide what to take before setting out on a journey to who-knows-where. As one who has had to pack up and get out now, that is not something you do calmly and peacefully.

They trusted God (mostly--they were human after all), they trusted Moses (somewhat), and they definitely didn’t want to stay where they were — so they were willing to go. But still, grab what you can grab because we’re going now, is rarely a good thing to hear. Going ahead to something or somewhere new always involves leaving something behind.

This generation of Israelites had all been born in Egypt, as had their parents and grandparents and great-grandparents before them. They had no idea what they might be going towards. Going toward the new can be exhilarating—deciding what to leave behind can be agonizing and frightening, whether you’re a homeowner fleeing a fire, or an ancient Egyptian slave, or someone leaving a bad relationship, or leaving a steady job to follow a dream—whether you are going willingly or by force. There is so much fear connected to chaotic situations.

The chaos is stilled—partially, if not wholly—when we remember that God is with us. In the middle of chaos, in the middle of fear – we remember that God is with us in the midst of it all, that we are not alone. And we recognize that there are others all around us with hands held out to help – this is the only way through our fears and confusion.

God is leading us. The long-ago Israelites and us today. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, God goes with us and before us—leading us to the place we should be.

May there be peace for all. Comfort for the brokenhearted. Courage to face the unknown. And love for the stranger and the friend traveling beside us.

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The Two Sides of Forgiveness

8/16/2020

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Genesis 45:1-10, 14-15
Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, "Send everyone away from me." So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.
Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come closer to me." And they came closer. He said, "I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither ploughing nor harvest.

God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay, and you shall settle in the land of Goshen.....
Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, while Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.

The long, long story of Joseph and his brothers — Jacob’s twelve sons — sets us up for the greatest study in the Hebrew people’s history, the time when God would intervene for them and lead them out of slavery in Egypt, into their own land. But first, we need to get them into Egypt and today’s story explains that.

Resentful that this one brother seemed to be favored by their father, the other ten sons (Benjamin had not yet been born,) sold him into slavery and told their father that wild animals had killed him. Joseph ended up a slave in Egypt, but by serving both his master and his fellow slaves honorably through a long series of events, he rose, years later, to a position of power second only to Pharaoh.

So when famine struck Canaan, where Jacob and his remaining sons lived, Joseph was the one who was able to offer them a new life, with security, in Egypt. All of this takes a long time to tell in scripture, with all the hows and whys, but eventually the Israelites settled in Egypt — which long years later ended with the Exodus story.

But today’s story is that of Joseph — the once betrayed brother — who is now in a position to decide the fate of his former betrayers. He could have laughed at them and kicked them out to starve. He could have allowed them into Egypt, but as virtual slaves themselves. He could have just ignored them.

But Joseph did none of these things. Joseph was the one in power — the one in a position of choosing his response and instead of revenge, Joseph chose forgiveness. And not just forgiving words, but actual forgiveness from his heart. You see, while Joseph had been going through his times of suffering, God had been working with him. He was no longer the spoiled, conceited child he had once been. He was a man, tempered by the hard knocks he had survived and his knowledge that God had been with him all the way. His faith told him that his suffering times had all been for a reason — that he might be in a position to save his family from famine.

The choices we make when we are in a position to offer help to others, say a lot about us. Are you happy with what they say about you?

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DO NOT BE OVERWHELMED

8/9/2020

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Matthew 14:22-33
Jesus told his disciples to get into the boat and to go to the other side of the lake. He said he would come later and then he stayed there to tell everyone else they could go home. After Jesus said goodbye to the people, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. It was late, and he was there alone. By this time the boat was already a long way from shore.

Since the wind was blowing against it, the boat was having trouble because of the waves. Between three and six o’clock in the morning, Jesus’ followers were still in the boat when Jesus came to them. He was walking on the water. When they saw him walking on the water, it scared them. “It’s a ghost!” they said, screaming in fear. But Jesus quickly spoke to them and said, “Don’t worry! It’s me! Don’t be afraid.”

Peter said, “Lord, if that is really you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Jesus said, “Come, Peter.” Then Peter left the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. But while Peter was walking on the water, he saw the wind and the waves and he was afraid and began sinking into the water. He shouted, “Lord, save me!” Then Jesus caught Peter with his hand. He said, “Your faith is small. Why did you doubt?”

After Peter and Jesus were in the boat, the wind stopped. Then the followers in the boat worshiped Jesus and said, “You really are the Son of God.”

This is a story about fear and about facing up to the things in the world that make us afraid. This particular story is usually read with its focus firmly on Jesus—what Jesus says, what Jesus does. But what if we read it with our focus on Peter?

In today’s story Jesus has gone off by himself to spend some time in prayer, recharging his own connection to the One he calls ‘Abba.” While he is gone, the disciples have stayed behind on their boat, and, when they were waiting, a sudden wind has come up and blown the boat away from the shore and the disciples were distracted by trying to keep themselves all safe onboard.

Suddenly, they realize that what they thought was a shadow out on the water is actually Jesus, coming out to join them on the boat—walking to them--on the water! At first they were frightened not knowing what it really was that they were seeing--is it a ghost, is it a spirit?-- but then they realize it really is Jesus, calmly walking across the lake.

At Peter’s own request, Jesus asks him to walk out and join him—and his trust in Jesus actually carries him out of the boat, onto the waves for a few steps ... but then he looks around and realizes that he is truly walking on nothing but water, and he panics and begins to sink. It is only when Jesus reaches out and grasps his hand that he knows that he truly is safe.

We are living now in a time of fear. We are disconnected from our usual routines and connections. Some days, even the ground does not feel solid anymore. Our economy is in trouble. The charts on the virus keep trending up, then down, then up again. Even those of us who are fairly comfortable now are constantly aware that things could change drastically at any time. Even our churches, for many of us the centers of our faith and trust—our stability--are unavailable to us in the forms we recognize.

And how much worse it is for those without employment, those whose jobs have disappeared with the lockdowns, those facing possible homelessness? We are like Peter, afraid that any time now we could have nothing but water under our feet. The question is: will we, like Peter, panic?

When Peter focused on what he was lacking—solid ground under his feet-- his faith weakened and he began to sink beneath the waves. When Jesus lifted Peter up, he asked him “Your faith is small. Why did you doubt?” I don’t think he was chastising Peter, just asking the question — “What happened? You were doing so well and then you began to doubt and the worry overwhelmed your faith.”

Peter did trust Jesus—he trusted from his own experience of him. After all, this event came immediately after Jesus—right there in front of everybody--had just feed 5000 people with a mere five loaves of bread and two smoked fish--but still that panic induced by finding himself walking on water—doing something utterly outside of his own expectations of life-- completely wiped all that from Peter’s thinking--and, at least temporarily, took his mind off trusting and, as our reading puts it, worry overwhelmed his faith.

We try to trust God’s promises—trust them because of the teachings of the Church, the faith of those who taught us, and our own experience of God in our lives. We, like Peter, are called to be followers, called to be Church, called to trust — even in the face of uncertain ground. Can we--will we—continue to trust? Even when we don’t know what tomorrow will bring? Even when it feels like we are out there walking on water?

We are promised, over and over, that we will never be left to face the waves of fear and uncertainty alone. And we are promised this by one who has never failed to be with us. One who chose to live with us. One who came to speak truth to us. One whose own Spirit lives within us, guiding and encouraging us.

There is no reason to doubt this promise. No reason to let worry overwhelm our faith. The one who promises is faithful and trustworthy.

God is with us, even now, reaching out a hand to lift us when we fear. Keep your eyes on that outstretched hand. Reach out and take it. It’s there for you.

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COME TO THE WATER

8/2/2020

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Isaiah 55:1-3a (Easy-to-Read Version)
“All you people who are thirsty, come! Here is water for you to drink. Don’t worry if you have no money. Come, eat and drink until you are full! You don’t need money. The milk and wine are free. Why waste your money on something that is not real food? Why should you work for something that does not really satisfy you?
Listen closely to me and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the food that satisfies your soul. Listen closely to what I say. Listen to me so that you will live.”

This is one of my favorite readings. I love the openness of it, the expansive welcome, the invitation.

Isaiah is, I believe, the longest book in the Bible. It was written over a long period of time and it goes all the way from complacency and warning, through loss and exile, grief and despair, and then finally, it comes back around with hope — hope leading to a promise of restoration.

Isaiah was written before and during the Babylonian exile. The reading we just read comes towards the end of that long story. Imagine what these words must have sounded like to a people who had, in the past couple of generations, gone through several varieties of hell — first, invasion, then they were torn from their homes and dropped in a strange land among strange people, separated from their family and friends, and finally, cut off from the Temple in Jerusalem, which was the center not only of their faith life, but also the core of their self-identity as a people. All of that was taken from them.

And now comes this word from God — this welcome, this marvelous invitation: All of you are thirsty, all you who are hungry — come, eat and drink, and it’s all free! Don’t worry if you have no money. Eat and drink until you are full! Don’t bother wasting what little you have buying food that isn’t real food, stuff that doesn’t nourish you — stuff that doesn’t satisfy you. Eat what I have to give you and be satisfied.

And do you know what? This invitation was not just for the exiles of 3000 years ago. It is for every one of us today who is thirsting for truth. Everyone who is hungry for respect. Everyone who is dying on a diet of lies and hopelessness. Everyone who is struggling with a seemingly fragmenting social fabric as well as a collapsing economy. All those struggling just to get by. Everyone who cares about love and kindness. We’re all invited to partake of God’s abundance. Come on in! Sit down at the table!

It’s all free, and you’re invited to take whatever it is you need — love, hope, caring, dignity. Whatever you need! Don’t worry about money—there’s no price for any of these things. God gives with open hands. The doors to this feast are always open. Listen to God—hear what God offers, and live!

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LOVE: HOW MANY RULES DO WE NEED?

LEAVING HOME

The Two Sides of Forgiveness

DO NOT BE OVERWHELMED

COME TO THE WATER

Rev. Cherie Marckx

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