Holy Week is upon us! A week to reflect. A week to remember. A week to give thanks. In my old denomination, we did not celebrate Holy Week. It was not that important. The only thing that was important was to evangelize the town I lived in to make sure we saved as many souls as we could. What a joke! As if we do the saving!!!
Now, I stand in awe of this sacred seven days that run the gamut of emotions. A parade to begin, an empty tomb to end, and victory for humanity! But today is Maundy Thursday. A day when Jesus washes feet, eats supper with his closest friends, and then is betrayed into the reigning government's hands.
On this day, Jesus gave humanity a new calling, a new path, a new way to be God's people in the world. The new mandate Jesus instills in his followers is to love. Not a phony love that says we can love the sinner but hate the sin. That is just a conservative way of keeping the age old boundaries in place! A true love is one of active engagement with and for the beloved. This kind of love beckons us to wash the feet of those people who we think are not worthy of the service. This kind of love asks us to work for peace in places of the world that does not know peace regardless of the political implications. This kind of love compels us to the boarder of countries to give aid to those who have been discarded as undesirable. This kind of love changes the world so that God will desire to live right here with us, through us, and in us.
That is what Jesus showed us, and that is what Jesus calls us to do. The way that we love others is the way that we love God.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
Budget Delimma
I am beginning to wonder about the leaders this country sends to Washington D.C. For the longest time, I have thought that the process is busted, broke, bankrupt, but the last few days proved to me that a demon lives in D.C.
Wait a second, a demon? Well, not the kind of demon Hollywood gives us in one of those phony horror flicks, but the kind of demon that causes chaos and leads people away from the path of the carpenter.
The process is busted because a person can have the highest ideals, the greatest morals, be on the side of the angels when he or she is elected to office, but as soon as he or she gets to the hallowed halls of congress, the system corrupts them. For far too long, money, power, and multinational corporations have swayed decisions in the direction of the holders of the money, the keepers of power, and the corporations themselves that the normal, everyday person is left out in the cold.
It is happening again today. If a compromise on the federal budget is not met by 12 am this day, a government shut down will occur. The problem is not really about money either. It is about political ideology. Republicans want to cut money from social programs the extreme political right disagrees with so they can get re-elected! It is more important to get re-elected? I'd think it is more important to keep the government running! Here is the kicker--if we returned to the tax rates of 1961, the government would increase its revenue by $716 billion dollars per year! But that would mean those making over a million dollars a year and the biggest corporations in the country would have to pay their fair share because they haven't. In fact, some of the biggest corporations pay less tax than I do!! That would mean less money in their pockets. Makes one wonder what they worship? God or mammon?
Granted there is waste in Washington. Granted we could trim the fat on a lot of programs. Granted there are people who abuse the system, but does that mean that we have to close the entire program down? No, it means we need to fix it so that it works smoother.
A great question adapted from an old book--What Would Jesus Cut?
Wait a second, a demon? Well, not the kind of demon Hollywood gives us in one of those phony horror flicks, but the kind of demon that causes chaos and leads people away from the path of the carpenter.
The process is busted because a person can have the highest ideals, the greatest morals, be on the side of the angels when he or she is elected to office, but as soon as he or she gets to the hallowed halls of congress, the system corrupts them. For far too long, money, power, and multinational corporations have swayed decisions in the direction of the holders of the money, the keepers of power, and the corporations themselves that the normal, everyday person is left out in the cold.
It is happening again today. If a compromise on the federal budget is not met by 12 am this day, a government shut down will occur. The problem is not really about money either. It is about political ideology. Republicans want to cut money from social programs the extreme political right disagrees with so they can get re-elected! It is more important to get re-elected? I'd think it is more important to keep the government running! Here is the kicker--if we returned to the tax rates of 1961, the government would increase its revenue by $716 billion dollars per year! But that would mean those making over a million dollars a year and the biggest corporations in the country would have to pay their fair share because they haven't. In fact, some of the biggest corporations pay less tax than I do!! That would mean less money in their pockets. Makes one wonder what they worship? God or mammon?
Granted there is waste in Washington. Granted we could trim the fat on a lot of programs. Granted there are people who abuse the system, but does that mean that we have to close the entire program down? No, it means we need to fix it so that it works smoother.
A great question adapted from an old book--What Would Jesus Cut?
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Darkness
Well, we have done it again. By we, I mean me and the country I live in. WE have entered another armed conflict. We have bombed another country. We have sent missiles into Libya and now we have others who hate us.
Caesar will destroy this God loved world with bombs and armies and guns before the darkness is gone. We light people are too quiet. We stand by and let the darkness continue. We light people have for too long not spoken up when night people have bombed and killed and maimed. I refuse to this time.
Darkness will not win. Darkness will not survive. A new day is dawning. Will you join me?
Caesar will destroy this God loved world with bombs and armies and guns before the darkness is gone. We light people are too quiet. We stand by and let the darkness continue. We light people have for too long not spoken up when night people have bombed and killed and maimed. I refuse to this time.
Darkness will not win. Darkness will not survive. A new day is dawning. Will you join me?
Monday, January 24, 2011
Andy McKee - Guitar - Drifting - www.candyrat.com
Could this be a way to share the gospel? I think so even if it doesn't come right out and say JESUS!!! God bless
Thursday, December 23, 2010
The Day Before the Day Before Christmas
It is December 23rd and I am getting ready to go to a Tae Kwon Do Christmas Party. NO that is not an oxymoron! The school I am a part of is a traditional TKD school, but it is run by followers of the way. Don't get me wrong, we are not the fundamentalists type of people who think we have to change everything into a "Christian" thing, but we are all learners of the Master, so we are having a Christmas Party. I am looking forward to it.
But on this day before the day before Christmas, I am working on my sermon for Christmas Eve and Day. I don't expect too many on Christmas Day, but tomorrow I have two services at two different churches and they should be packed. I have been thinking about my homily for a week or so now and still don't know where I am going, or more appropriately, where the Holy Spirit is leading me.
I want to start out with the words for you. That is what all the stores tell us. You need a new car and now is the time to buy. YOU could get those year end tax rebates and YOU could be driving home in a new Chevy. YOU could have this one of a kind Ginsu knife set for only 5 payments of $39.99. It cuts, it chops, it even does the dishes! What a bargain. YOU could be the next contestant on the Price is Right! I know that the Gospel lesson for Christmas Eve says that TO YOU is born this day in the City of David, a Savior, but somehow that sounds too Fundy for me. The Fundamentalists always turn the good news into a personal salvation event and I DO NOT want to sound like one of them. There are already too many of them out there and they have almost cornered the market on what people think about Christians. Furthermore, the good news is for the world. For God so loved the WORLD . . and the like.
But sometimes we forget just who God became flesh for. YES it is for the world. YES it is for the cosmos. YES it is for every living thing that God's love came down, but it is also personal. God's love is big enough for the entire world, and yet God still loves me. God became flesh for me. Little old me? That is truly amazing, and I stand in awe of it.
Even more than that, the for me savior continues to live through me. God's love came down and took on flesh so many years ago so that I could take on flesh for others who need to see God today. The old country song is true, I might be the only Bible someone else gets to read. So through me, the world can either see God or see evil. Today, I choose to let God work through me so the word can become flesh again. Merry Christmas!!
But on this day before the day before Christmas, I am working on my sermon for Christmas Eve and Day. I don't expect too many on Christmas Day, but tomorrow I have two services at two different churches and they should be packed. I have been thinking about my homily for a week or so now and still don't know where I am going, or more appropriately, where the Holy Spirit is leading me.
I want to start out with the words for you. That is what all the stores tell us. You need a new car and now is the time to buy. YOU could get those year end tax rebates and YOU could be driving home in a new Chevy. YOU could have this one of a kind Ginsu knife set for only 5 payments of $39.99. It cuts, it chops, it even does the dishes! What a bargain. YOU could be the next contestant on the Price is Right! I know that the Gospel lesson for Christmas Eve says that TO YOU is born this day in the City of David, a Savior, but somehow that sounds too Fundy for me. The Fundamentalists always turn the good news into a personal salvation event and I DO NOT want to sound like one of them. There are already too many of them out there and they have almost cornered the market on what people think about Christians. Furthermore, the good news is for the world. For God so loved the WORLD . . and the like.
But sometimes we forget just who God became flesh for. YES it is for the world. YES it is for the cosmos. YES it is for every living thing that God's love came down, but it is also personal. God's love is big enough for the entire world, and yet God still loves me. God became flesh for me. Little old me? That is truly amazing, and I stand in awe of it.
Even more than that, the for me savior continues to live through me. God's love came down and took on flesh so many years ago so that I could take on flesh for others who need to see God today. The old country song is true, I might be the only Bible someone else gets to read. So through me, the world can either see God or see evil. Today, I choose to let God work through me so the word can become flesh again. Merry Christmas!!
Friday, December 3, 2010
I love Christmas
Well, it is Advent, and with this season, the liturgical Nazis come out. They tell me "you can't sing Christmas hymns during Advent!! It is not proper." HOGWASH! I would sing Joy to the World every Sunday if my parish would let me.
It is not that I am a rebel, well maybe it is, but I love this time of year. I love the sights of snow slowly falling on the ground, or for that matter a major snow storm blanketing the landscape. I love the sounds of bells ringing, of laughing children, of contentment being had, and good guitar music being played on my Ipod. I love the joy of expectation--the expectation of seeing grandma at her house on Christmas Eve, of celebrating the Holy Day with loved ones, and of coarse of opening presents. This time of year is awesome for me.
But, people tell me not to sing Christmas hymns during the worship service because it is Advent and we should sing Advent hymns. Now I understand the reason--We don't want to over do Christmas now do we? We don't want to people to start thinking it is Christmas in October like the stores do do we? We want to put the emphasis on the right thing in the church don't we? We need to sing Advent hymns, but have you ever tried to sing those Advent hymns? Some of them are the reason no one wants to come to church anymore! I love "O Come, O Come, Immanuel." That is one awesome Advent hymn, but some of the others . . .well let's just say NO!
But what would happen if we did celebrate Christmas every day of the year? What would the world be like if we lived out in our daily lives the Word incarnate in us every day? Would that be such a terrible thing? What if we sang Joy to the World every morning when we woke up? Would that change our out look on the day? What if we lived out "What Child Is This" as we drove to work every morning? I think the world needs a good dose of Christmas every day. I think the politicians need Christmas every day. I think the war mongers need a good dose of seeing the Word made Flesh in their enemies.
Christmas every day would be a world changing, heart breaking, love making event. I am all for it. Merry Christmas today, tomorrow, the next day, and the day after that, and . . .
It is not that I am a rebel, well maybe it is, but I love this time of year. I love the sights of snow slowly falling on the ground, or for that matter a major snow storm blanketing the landscape. I love the sounds of bells ringing, of laughing children, of contentment being had, and good guitar music being played on my Ipod. I love the joy of expectation--the expectation of seeing grandma at her house on Christmas Eve, of celebrating the Holy Day with loved ones, and of coarse of opening presents. This time of year is awesome for me.
But, people tell me not to sing Christmas hymns during the worship service because it is Advent and we should sing Advent hymns. Now I understand the reason--We don't want to over do Christmas now do we? We don't want to people to start thinking it is Christmas in October like the stores do do we? We want to put the emphasis on the right thing in the church don't we? We need to sing Advent hymns, but have you ever tried to sing those Advent hymns? Some of them are the reason no one wants to come to church anymore! I love "O Come, O Come, Immanuel." That is one awesome Advent hymn, but some of the others . . .well let's just say NO!
But what would happen if we did celebrate Christmas every day of the year? What would the world be like if we lived out in our daily lives the Word incarnate in us every day? Would that be such a terrible thing? What if we sang Joy to the World every morning when we woke up? Would that change our out look on the day? What if we lived out "What Child Is This" as we drove to work every morning? I think the world needs a good dose of Christmas every day. I think the politicians need Christmas every day. I think the war mongers need a good dose of seeing the Word made Flesh in their enemies.
Christmas every day would be a world changing, heart breaking, love making event. I am all for it. Merry Christmas today, tomorrow, the next day, and the day after that, and . . .
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Doing Things Differently
As a recovering alcoholic, one of the phrases I love best is "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result." That is what I tried to do to "tame" my addiction. I kept trying the same old things that people who are addicted try thinking I would be different. I got the same result as everyone else did. I needed to completely change my thinking, completely change my route, do something different or I would never be sober. Hence, the 12 steps.
The church is in the same position. The church has been doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Over the entire existence of the ELCA, some 26 years, leaders have been doing the same thing hoping against hope that a different result will happen. What is even worse, if we look at the churches that make up the ELCA, for 20 years before the ELCA was formed, they were doing the same thing.
Statistics show that for the last 46 years, attendance and giving has declined in the Lutheran church. We have been losing people and money for almost a half of a century. What does the church do? Does it look at what it is doing? Does it think critically about how it works and what it says and the behavior of the people? NO! We simply try the same old thing hoping for a different result. Another stewardship drive with a new tag line. Another confirmation curriculum with fancy slides and a power point ready slick design. Another committee with a new leader. None of these things have solved the problem in the past, why do we think it will all of the sudden solve the problem now?
Now some will say that this is what we get for not following the Bible. They say "the ELCA has thrown the Bible out the window, so they get what they deserve!" or "that is what you get for letting those homosexuals into the church!" What these people don't realize is that is has been going on longer than just a few years and that we in the ELCA have not thrown the Bible out. We take the Bible and the call of God very seriously.
What is the solution? Well, we have to be radical, just like those in 12 step programs do. We have to realize that our church has become too set in its ways, it has become tame when Jesus calls us to step outside out comfort zones in new directions every day. We have to realize that God stills speaks today and sometimes that voice of God leads us down a new path, a new interpretation, a new direction. God's radical, alien grace tries to get us outside of ourselves, outside of the norm, outside of our human-ness into God-ness.
I hope and pray that the church of God active in the world today will stop doing the same old thing and listen because God is calling! Listen, God is calling. Through the WORD inviting. Offering forgiveness, comfort, and Joy.
The church is in the same position. The church has been doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Over the entire existence of the ELCA, some 26 years, leaders have been doing the same thing hoping against hope that a different result will happen. What is even worse, if we look at the churches that make up the ELCA, for 20 years before the ELCA was formed, they were doing the same thing.
Statistics show that for the last 46 years, attendance and giving has declined in the Lutheran church. We have been losing people and money for almost a half of a century. What does the church do? Does it look at what it is doing? Does it think critically about how it works and what it says and the behavior of the people? NO! We simply try the same old thing hoping for a different result. Another stewardship drive with a new tag line. Another confirmation curriculum with fancy slides and a power point ready slick design. Another committee with a new leader. None of these things have solved the problem in the past, why do we think it will all of the sudden solve the problem now?
Now some will say that this is what we get for not following the Bible. They say "the ELCA has thrown the Bible out the window, so they get what they deserve!" or "that is what you get for letting those homosexuals into the church!" What these people don't realize is that is has been going on longer than just a few years and that we in the ELCA have not thrown the Bible out. We take the Bible and the call of God very seriously.
What is the solution? Well, we have to be radical, just like those in 12 step programs do. We have to realize that our church has become too set in its ways, it has become tame when Jesus calls us to step outside out comfort zones in new directions every day. We have to realize that God stills speaks today and sometimes that voice of God leads us down a new path, a new interpretation, a new direction. God's radical, alien grace tries to get us outside of ourselves, outside of the norm, outside of our human-ness into God-ness.
I hope and pray that the church of God active in the world today will stop doing the same old thing and listen because God is calling! Listen, God is calling. Through the WORD inviting. Offering forgiveness, comfort, and Joy.
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