Dear Family,
We can tell that we are entering another season of holidays, can't we? Go to the store and see Christmas trees adjacent to Halloween costumes and Thanksgiving Day settings. Google something and witness your screen light up with themes pointing to the next great celebration. And even our televisions are victims to the onslaught that is seasonal programming. The other day i was watching my favorite sitcoms, which point to Halloween and the 'trick or treat' theme, and i was enjoying the laughter emerging from my soul, when i decided to check the movie channels. What did i find?
Movie after movie celebrating horror, violence, death, and disturbance. We can click off one channel, turn to one of our regulars, and eventually they, too, will show a horror flick. Our prophets, at least on the television set, may not be godly, but they are noteworthy: Jason, Freddy, the Thing, 'legion of deathly angels,' masked killers with witty retorts, and even ghosts and ghouls on Scooby Doo. The inner sanctum of our homes, which is truly our personal vineyard, is invaded, nightly, by these unwanted characters trying get us to keep our lights on, listen to eery creeks, and stay away from dark basements; it is safe to say that these 'workers' of horror haunt and annoy us, nightly.
But isnt that what anyone does who challenges our stautus quo? Dont they, by virtue of making us feel uncomfortable, annoy us to no end? Some of them are relentless in their drive to 'change' us, and we just want to be free of them. What do we do? We do what any good, godly civilization does: we kill them or we ask them to move to Kansas, which is, in and of itself, a banishment worthy of death.
Seriously though. Any voice that makes us face our fruitless existence becomes that pesty fly that wont go away until we swat it. It has always been that way, and my sense is that it will always be that way. They killed the prophets of ole, and Jesus' parable of the vineyard elucidates this truth. We killed the prophets, in one way or another, of today, and Martin Luther King Jr proves this. But why?
I dont know, unless we are so insecure with the 'truth' these godly people bring that we would rather strike them and silence them than listen to them. It is easier to silence the voice of change than it is to fall in line and produce the fruit they speak about. Maybe it will always be this way, even for those of us 'saved' by Jesus.
However, the parable speaks about religious folks who think they are 'in' when in reality they are, by the fruitlessness of their faith, on the outs. God loves them enough to send, like the Halloween themed shows on our TVs, teachers, prophets, and a Messiah, to help the religious see, but the religious refuse to see or hear or change. So, according to the parable, God is giving the vineyard to fruitful followers. (Those who were often left out of the religious circles).
What will be our destiny? How will we know which path we are on? What is Godly fruit?
According to our reading, within the Brethren context, the fruit of the vineyard God seeks are: mercy and justice. Are we merciful? Are we just? Do we seek justice? Struggle for it? Live for it? I would add these fruits to that as well: love, peace, forgiveness, acceptance, holiness. Are these our fruits? If these are descriptors of what we produce, how much longer will God keep our vineyard open? And if we don't produce these fruits, what's holding us back?
Maybe we fear a loss of life, but i contend life is only truly life when we enter the vineyard and becomes vessels of love, mercy, forgiveness, peace, and holiness. It is only life, true life, abundant life, when these fruits flow from our being. We should no longer worry about the sacrifices we have to make or the lives we will lose to follow Jesus, because what awaits us is something greater and more holistic than we could ever dream. We have yet to experience the fullness of life, but when we bear the fruits of Jesus, we experience the fullness of life, and that makes it all worthwhile.
Whether we like it or not, we will be inundated with images and themes of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas until 2012 comes into being, and these false prophets will annoy us, for sure. But through it all, outside the comfort of our homes, is a vineyard where the only TRUE prophet lives, and when we quit muting Him, we will find the freedom, the joy, the peace, and the life we have been seeking all along. Amen.
Shalom
Salaam
Peace
Jerry
Friday, October 28, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
What's Holding us Back?
Dear Family,
Respect your elders. Respect those in authority. Respect your elected officials. Respect your parents. Respect your pastor?.?. I remember being taught that all of the above, well the one exception is the pastor, but the other positions, my parents taught me to respect those persons, because they had authority, they earned the authority, and i had none, zero, zilch. Now it does call into question what happens when someone of authority abuses that authority, like when a politician declares war without really much support? Or when a parent abuses and misuses a child? Or when an elder, though demands respect, refuses to do what is necessary to earn it, like be a conduit of wisdom and great listening, because i have finally learned that great wisdom begins with listening, true listening. So what do we do when we are called to respect all of these 'titles' and yet, when we are honest with ourselves, those persons do little to warrant our respect or admiration?
What do we do then? Is the charge to respect elders, parents, authorities, or pastors go without a checks and balance? And in the case of the pastor, how do we determine if he/she speaks with godly authority, because if one is to lead a community of spiritual pilgrims, i would hope she/he realizes that they represent more than a tradition; they represent the Divine. How do we check if they speak with God's authority?
And we must hold those in position accountable. If they insist on leading us down a path that is truly not of God, we must say NO! If they try to persuade us to follow them into a journey of darkness; we must say NO! And if they make choices that violate our sense of what it means to follow Jesus; we must say NO! How do we gauge what is of God and what is not? Scripture. The Community. Our own spiritual journey. These are but a few of the suggestions that those who follow Christ must use to discern if their leaders are of God or of the world.
But then the other question also holds.
If we cannot find any ungodliness, from Scripture, community, etc, in our leaders words and guidance, we must follow them. Period. But my sense is this second element of the equation of being a community of God is much more challenging to follow. In our "I have a voice, and i will be heard" culture, submitting oneself to a greater purpose, even the community of God, often times is more difficult than people want to admit.
And Jesus faced it too.
So what did Jesus do? He asked a question about John the Baptist's intention. Were they of God? Or were they human oriented? The people refused to answer. Why? Because to admit that John was from God, well that meant that the religious people were guilty of ignoring God's call, and no person, proclaiming a faith in God, wants to admit that he/she has fallen short of what God truly demands. On the other hand, though, they didn't want to suggest that John acted on his own accord. Why? Because so many held that John came from God, and to deny John's authority and godly call, well that is blasphemy. And the people would have rioted.
So the leaders took the cowardly way out. They said, "I dont know."
And Jesus, knowing their hearts, said, "I wont tell you about my calling either."
We do not get to choose who God sends to lead us, and if we are to be a people of God, we dont even get to choose where they might lead us. We, as a people who cling to the life and teachings of Jesus, who mourn, weep, and embrace the death of Jesus, and who praise, celebrate, and worship the resurrected Jesus must respond to Jesus like this: John's teaching, as we read the text, comes from you, o Lord.
We have to acknowledge godly leadership, even if it means we have to give up everything to follow, because God already proves true when He gave it all, so that we might have life and have it abundantly. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
Respect your elders. Respect those in authority. Respect your elected officials. Respect your parents. Respect your pastor?.?. I remember being taught that all of the above, well the one exception is the pastor, but the other positions, my parents taught me to respect those persons, because they had authority, they earned the authority, and i had none, zero, zilch. Now it does call into question what happens when someone of authority abuses that authority, like when a politician declares war without really much support? Or when a parent abuses and misuses a child? Or when an elder, though demands respect, refuses to do what is necessary to earn it, like be a conduit of wisdom and great listening, because i have finally learned that great wisdom begins with listening, true listening. So what do we do when we are called to respect all of these 'titles' and yet, when we are honest with ourselves, those persons do little to warrant our respect or admiration?
What do we do then? Is the charge to respect elders, parents, authorities, or pastors go without a checks and balance? And in the case of the pastor, how do we determine if he/she speaks with godly authority, because if one is to lead a community of spiritual pilgrims, i would hope she/he realizes that they represent more than a tradition; they represent the Divine. How do we check if they speak with God's authority?
And we must hold those in position accountable. If they insist on leading us down a path that is truly not of God, we must say NO! If they try to persuade us to follow them into a journey of darkness; we must say NO! And if they make choices that violate our sense of what it means to follow Jesus; we must say NO! How do we gauge what is of God and what is not? Scripture. The Community. Our own spiritual journey. These are but a few of the suggestions that those who follow Christ must use to discern if their leaders are of God or of the world.
But then the other question also holds.
If we cannot find any ungodliness, from Scripture, community, etc, in our leaders words and guidance, we must follow them. Period. But my sense is this second element of the equation of being a community of God is much more challenging to follow. In our "I have a voice, and i will be heard" culture, submitting oneself to a greater purpose, even the community of God, often times is more difficult than people want to admit.
And Jesus faced it too.
So what did Jesus do? He asked a question about John the Baptist's intention. Were they of God? Or were they human oriented? The people refused to answer. Why? Because to admit that John was from God, well that meant that the religious people were guilty of ignoring God's call, and no person, proclaiming a faith in God, wants to admit that he/she has fallen short of what God truly demands. On the other hand, though, they didn't want to suggest that John acted on his own accord. Why? Because so many held that John came from God, and to deny John's authority and godly call, well that is blasphemy. And the people would have rioted.
So the leaders took the cowardly way out. They said, "I dont know."
And Jesus, knowing their hearts, said, "I wont tell you about my calling either."
We do not get to choose who God sends to lead us, and if we are to be a people of God, we dont even get to choose where they might lead us. We, as a people who cling to the life and teachings of Jesus, who mourn, weep, and embrace the death of Jesus, and who praise, celebrate, and worship the resurrected Jesus must respond to Jesus like this: John's teaching, as we read the text, comes from you, o Lord.
We have to acknowledge godly leadership, even if it means we have to give up everything to follow, because God already proves true when He gave it all, so that we might have life and have it abundantly. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Worship IHOP Style... Matthew 21: 1-17
Folks,
It was inevitable. It was. There was simply nothing we could do to avoid; it was going to happen, eventually. No matter how hard we might have tried to deny, delay, or deter it; it was going to happen, and we were helpless to stop it, change it, or even slow it down. What was 'it?' "The Simpson's" might have to go the way of the Dodo. It was inevitable, but the longest running sitcom in television history might just be staring at the finish line of its long, amazing run.
How will life go on without that quirky family blessing our evening routines? Will life still have meaning? Will we ever fall in love with another sitcom again? First the demise of the daily soaps and now this, what's next? "Survivor?" One can only hope.
Obviously i don't really care what happens to "The Simpsons," daily soaps, or even "Two and a Half Men," but i illuminate the end for these shows because too many times we value what is not important, while ignoring what truly matters.
But what does truly matter?
This seems to be the age old question. What does truly matter? Or perhaps we could put it another way, why go to church? Why worship? Why gather as followers of Jesus? Why do anything that highlights our faith? Why not sit at home watching the National Football League or skipping rocks at the lake? Or why not sleep in and let the day pass away as we catch up on sleep?
We have so many options that distract us from worshipping together on Sunday; it does raise a valid question, why go to church at all? Why take the time to get up, get dressed, maybe drink some coffee, and then drive to worship when there are so many other things that seem to be more important or in the least, when we are honest, more enjoyable? Why worship?
Have i gotten your attention? Are you shaking your heads wondering if i have finally lost my mind? Then good, but no i haven't lost my mind. I am just asking the question that so many ask, whether they want to admit it or not. But most depressing is that we actually have to wrestle with the choice.
Sure we might go to church because we feel obligated to do so, or we think we might get to see so and so there, or we might want to focus on how much money has come into the offering, or we might want to hear what blasphemy the pastor might try to feed us. But doesn't this make worship shallow? Meaningless? Empty? Depressing? And shouldn't this raise a question for all of us, what is the purpose of worship? What is worship's function in our spiritual lives?
As i sat with these questions, this revelation came to me: The purpose of worship is to love God. Period. We worship because we love God.
Why then, i wonder, does worship become about music styles? And anyone who has heard or had conversations in the parking lots after worship know that there are dissenting voices about the music. If worship is about loving God, and we complain about the music, then one of two things must be happening. One--the music must be blasphemous, meaning it does not show or illustrate or empower us to lift our voices to God in love. How do we know? What does the lyrics invite us to sing? Do the words enable us to love God?
If they do then if we are complaining about songs in the parking lot, after worship, then the roots of the false worship must be us. If worship is about loving God, and the songs we sing, whether we like them or not, invite us to show our love of God, and we still complain, then arent we what's stopping the worship from being holistic? True? Powerful? How can we proclaim a love for God if we let a song or two deter us from showing God, showering God with that love? Would a song stop us from loving our spouse, our children, our parents? Then why do we allow it to stop us from loving God?
It seems we have made music an idol in worship, and like Jesus turning over the tables, its time for us to get our worship right. Worship is about loving God and loving neighbor. It is NOT about gossiping about the choices people make, the music styles, or Scripture focuses. When we complain about things as arbitrary and yet holy as elements of worship, we are really saying i am too good to offer my love for God in all circumstances, and when that happens we inch closer to becoming the money changers who abused the poor, the lame, and the Gentiles who could never make into the temple, but these ostracized persons had to stay in the outer courts to worship. The money changers, though they were selling elements necessary for worship, did not do it for love of God but for personal gain.
And Jesus tossed their tables and whooped them out of the temple area. When we make worship about what we want, about what we like, or about making our own personal statements, we are the money changers, and we need Jesus to come into our temple and toss some tables. Let's hope and pray He leaves the whip at home.
When we love someone, nothing stops us from showering them with our love, nothing. We do not make excuses. We do not find other things to do. And we do not allow others to interfere with our desires to demonstrate our love. We do all these things for spouses, parents, children, friends, and family, right? So why can't we approach our love of God the same way? What would worship be like if God's children, all of us, simply came to love on God? Would we sing as loud as possible? Would we need to sleep in? Would we complain about this or that? Or would we simply come, offer our voices, our gifts, and our time, doing all we can, all that we have in us to do, to shower God with love?
Jesus said, "It is written that my house should be called a house of prayer for all nations..." Meaning, to come to worship is about honoring God, not hearing ourselves. So lets try loving God holistically, what do we have to lose? Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
It was inevitable. It was. There was simply nothing we could do to avoid; it was going to happen, eventually. No matter how hard we might have tried to deny, delay, or deter it; it was going to happen, and we were helpless to stop it, change it, or even slow it down. What was 'it?' "The Simpson's" might have to go the way of the Dodo. It was inevitable, but the longest running sitcom in television history might just be staring at the finish line of its long, amazing run.
How will life go on without that quirky family blessing our evening routines? Will life still have meaning? Will we ever fall in love with another sitcom again? First the demise of the daily soaps and now this, what's next? "Survivor?" One can only hope.
Obviously i don't really care what happens to "The Simpsons," daily soaps, or even "Two and a Half Men," but i illuminate the end for these shows because too many times we value what is not important, while ignoring what truly matters.
But what does truly matter?
This seems to be the age old question. What does truly matter? Or perhaps we could put it another way, why go to church? Why worship? Why gather as followers of Jesus? Why do anything that highlights our faith? Why not sit at home watching the National Football League or skipping rocks at the lake? Or why not sleep in and let the day pass away as we catch up on sleep?
We have so many options that distract us from worshipping together on Sunday; it does raise a valid question, why go to church at all? Why take the time to get up, get dressed, maybe drink some coffee, and then drive to worship when there are so many other things that seem to be more important or in the least, when we are honest, more enjoyable? Why worship?
Have i gotten your attention? Are you shaking your heads wondering if i have finally lost my mind? Then good, but no i haven't lost my mind. I am just asking the question that so many ask, whether they want to admit it or not. But most depressing is that we actually have to wrestle with the choice.
Sure we might go to church because we feel obligated to do so, or we think we might get to see so and so there, or we might want to focus on how much money has come into the offering, or we might want to hear what blasphemy the pastor might try to feed us. But doesn't this make worship shallow? Meaningless? Empty? Depressing? And shouldn't this raise a question for all of us, what is the purpose of worship? What is worship's function in our spiritual lives?
As i sat with these questions, this revelation came to me: The purpose of worship is to love God. Period. We worship because we love God.
Why then, i wonder, does worship become about music styles? And anyone who has heard or had conversations in the parking lots after worship know that there are dissenting voices about the music. If worship is about loving God, and we complain about the music, then one of two things must be happening. One--the music must be blasphemous, meaning it does not show or illustrate or empower us to lift our voices to God in love. How do we know? What does the lyrics invite us to sing? Do the words enable us to love God?
If they do then if we are complaining about songs in the parking lot, after worship, then the roots of the false worship must be us. If worship is about loving God, and the songs we sing, whether we like them or not, invite us to show our love of God, and we still complain, then arent we what's stopping the worship from being holistic? True? Powerful? How can we proclaim a love for God if we let a song or two deter us from showing God, showering God with that love? Would a song stop us from loving our spouse, our children, our parents? Then why do we allow it to stop us from loving God?
It seems we have made music an idol in worship, and like Jesus turning over the tables, its time for us to get our worship right. Worship is about loving God and loving neighbor. It is NOT about gossiping about the choices people make, the music styles, or Scripture focuses. When we complain about things as arbitrary and yet holy as elements of worship, we are really saying i am too good to offer my love for God in all circumstances, and when that happens we inch closer to becoming the money changers who abused the poor, the lame, and the Gentiles who could never make into the temple, but these ostracized persons had to stay in the outer courts to worship. The money changers, though they were selling elements necessary for worship, did not do it for love of God but for personal gain.
And Jesus tossed their tables and whooped them out of the temple area. When we make worship about what we want, about what we like, or about making our own personal statements, we are the money changers, and we need Jesus to come into our temple and toss some tables. Let's hope and pray He leaves the whip at home.
When we love someone, nothing stops us from showering them with our love, nothing. We do not make excuses. We do not find other things to do. And we do not allow others to interfere with our desires to demonstrate our love. We do all these things for spouses, parents, children, friends, and family, right? So why can't we approach our love of God the same way? What would worship be like if God's children, all of us, simply came to love on God? Would we sing as loud as possible? Would we need to sleep in? Would we complain about this or that? Or would we simply come, offer our voices, our gifts, and our time, doing all we can, all that we have in us to do, to shower God with love?
Jesus said, "It is written that my house should be called a house of prayer for all nations..." Meaning, to come to worship is about honoring God, not hearing ourselves. So lets try loving God holistically, what do we have to lose? Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Compassion Buckeye Style (Matthew 20: 29-34)
Dear Family,
I question much about my life and where i end up after my journey on earth is done. I cannot, with one hundred percent certainty, claim that i know i am going to heaven. I am not God. I don't know if there will be a final exam where all the good i did not do is measured against what little good i do, or where the sins of my life are measured to the acts of grace, truth, and obedience. Will i pass that test? I just dont know. I can't say.
I realize that there are many who suggest and implore church folks to 'be saved' as if one bold, and in the way of Jesus is always bold, faith statement answers all questions and exams for eternity. I just dont know. And in the same way when i intentionally argue with Kendra or some other member of the Kingdom, or i dont pay enough attention to my children or wife or any other sister or brother in the Church does that add marks, like in grade school, to a name chalked up illustrating how far i can fall? If there are enough marks do i lose? Fail? Face a dark, twisted eternal fate, like watching "High School Musical" for the whole of my existence?
I just dont know. When my faith fails to be what it is supposed to be: patient, kind, endearing, loving, understanding, accepting, obedient, disciplined, etc, how can i know if i am still in the salvation club? Is there any way, shape, or form for any of us to judge whether we are still following the difficult and trying way of Jesus? Is there some gauge that we can look at and find the answers to our perplexing reality?
In a word--YES!
How can we know? What do we feel when we see injustice winning and justice being denied to a people? Do we hurt? Do we feel this deep ache in our being that says, that just aint right? If we do, that's Jesus. (A caveat--in order for us to claim it truly is Jesus, we need to understand what mattered most to Jesus, and i am not going to give that answer here... read the Gospels and discover who Jesus loved more than any other...)
How can we know? Do we cry, sometimes bawl, when we see something beautiful, like unconditional love, like the grace the Amish lived after the horrific shooting a few years ago? That crying, wailing, that beautiful weep, which seems to be unstoppable, yeah its Jesus.
I could go on and on. When someone hurts, truly hurts, do we feel a deep sense of sorrow for them? Jesus. Do we feel joy when someone seems so happy, so full of life, we just want to dance with them? Jesus. And when someone gets the bad news of cancer or some other debilitating disease, do we go to their side and just sit, quietly, not saying a word? Yep, that too is Jesus.
What do all of these acts, whether joy or sorrow, laughter or tears, anger or elation, have in common? Compassion. We feel for others. We share in their good times, and we lament with them during their seasons of doubt, desert, and pain. Compassion, i feel, is THE ultimate marker of someone who follows Jesus. Do we have compassion for people, even the most vile human being? Do we regret their death? Do we wish them well? Do we hope that they find meaning and truth and freedom from what causes them to be so ugly? That deep desire, which goes beyond demanding they pay for their sins, is Jesus flowing from our inner being, illuminating something so deep, so amazing, and so real that the world just can not understand how we can be so other worldly. Compassion, in the way of Jesus, stretches us to love and pray for friend, family, and foe.
No more than that, Christ like compassion forces us to focus our prayers, our love, and our concerns more on foe than family or friend. That is the way of compassion. That is the way of salvation. And that, brothers and sisters, is the way of Jesus. No other way counts. No other way works. And no other ways brings abundant life.
I question much about my journey, but when the tears of compassion swell up, seemingly beyond understanding, it is Jesus affirming, to me, that all is well. For that, i am grateful. Amen.
Shalom
Salam
Peace.... Until the Prince of Peace shows us what being Peacemakers truly means...
Jerry
I question much about my life and where i end up after my journey on earth is done. I cannot, with one hundred percent certainty, claim that i know i am going to heaven. I am not God. I don't know if there will be a final exam where all the good i did not do is measured against what little good i do, or where the sins of my life are measured to the acts of grace, truth, and obedience. Will i pass that test? I just dont know. I can't say.
I realize that there are many who suggest and implore church folks to 'be saved' as if one bold, and in the way of Jesus is always bold, faith statement answers all questions and exams for eternity. I just dont know. And in the same way when i intentionally argue with Kendra or some other member of the Kingdom, or i dont pay enough attention to my children or wife or any other sister or brother in the Church does that add marks, like in grade school, to a name chalked up illustrating how far i can fall? If there are enough marks do i lose? Fail? Face a dark, twisted eternal fate, like watching "High School Musical" for the whole of my existence?
I just dont know. When my faith fails to be what it is supposed to be: patient, kind, endearing, loving, understanding, accepting, obedient, disciplined, etc, how can i know if i am still in the salvation club? Is there any way, shape, or form for any of us to judge whether we are still following the difficult and trying way of Jesus? Is there some gauge that we can look at and find the answers to our perplexing reality?
In a word--YES!
How can we know? What do we feel when we see injustice winning and justice being denied to a people? Do we hurt? Do we feel this deep ache in our being that says, that just aint right? If we do, that's Jesus. (A caveat--in order for us to claim it truly is Jesus, we need to understand what mattered most to Jesus, and i am not going to give that answer here... read the Gospels and discover who Jesus loved more than any other...)
How can we know? Do we cry, sometimes bawl, when we see something beautiful, like unconditional love, like the grace the Amish lived after the horrific shooting a few years ago? That crying, wailing, that beautiful weep, which seems to be unstoppable, yeah its Jesus.
I could go on and on. When someone hurts, truly hurts, do we feel a deep sense of sorrow for them? Jesus. Do we feel joy when someone seems so happy, so full of life, we just want to dance with them? Jesus. And when someone gets the bad news of cancer or some other debilitating disease, do we go to their side and just sit, quietly, not saying a word? Yep, that too is Jesus.
What do all of these acts, whether joy or sorrow, laughter or tears, anger or elation, have in common? Compassion. We feel for others. We share in their good times, and we lament with them during their seasons of doubt, desert, and pain. Compassion, i feel, is THE ultimate marker of someone who follows Jesus. Do we have compassion for people, even the most vile human being? Do we regret their death? Do we wish them well? Do we hope that they find meaning and truth and freedom from what causes them to be so ugly? That deep desire, which goes beyond demanding they pay for their sins, is Jesus flowing from our inner being, illuminating something so deep, so amazing, and so real that the world just can not understand how we can be so other worldly. Compassion, in the way of Jesus, stretches us to love and pray for friend, family, and foe.
No more than that, Christ like compassion forces us to focus our prayers, our love, and our concerns more on foe than family or friend. That is the way of compassion. That is the way of salvation. And that, brothers and sisters, is the way of Jesus. No other way counts. No other way works. And no other ways brings abundant life.
I question much about my journey, but when the tears of compassion swell up, seemingly beyond understanding, it is Jesus affirming, to me, that all is well. For that, i am grateful. Amen.
Shalom
Salam
Peace.... Until the Prince of Peace shows us what being Peacemakers truly means...
Jerry
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