"Words that Bless - Not Stress" - Mark 10:13-16 (10-4-09)

Today we hear in the Genesis 2 lesson that Adam did the naming of the animals. I could imagine him saying, “Well you look like a horse and you look like a cow, no offense”. Well the naming of animals is a very important thing. Cows with names are happy and blessed, while anonymous cattle tend to be stressed. A study out of England, reported in USA Today, reveals that affectionate treatment of cattle can increase the amount of milk they give. The average cow produces about 2,000 gallons of milk a year, but if you know her by name, she’ll give you an extra 68 gallons. Researcher Catherine Douglas of Newcastle University says farmers have always believed that naming cows has a positive effect. Her study shows that if a cow isn’t given individual attention, then it’s likely to be uncomfortable around humans and become stressed. A stressed cow releases hormone called cortisol, which inhibits milk production. Cow-friendly farmers name their cows and make contact with them from an early age. “They chat to them in passing,” Douglas observes. “They walk among the cows and speak with them.” One organic dairy farmer in Oregon knows each of his 165 cows by a name. He’s convinced that naming a cow, combined with really understanding the animals and their behavior, is going to increase milk production. So cows that are known by name will be blessed while anonymous cattle will be stressed.[1]
Well I might be milking this story but there is something about using someone’s name that connects with the person. In the letter to the Hebrews, it says “Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son”. God is speaking to us, calling out names. God sent Jesus to walk among us and speak to us, to show us God’s will and God’s way by being in relationship with us. God is not distant, but with us and speaks to us and calls us by name.

Well the people were bringing the little calves or children to see Jesus that he might place his hands upon them, speak a kind word to them and bless them. These children were paidoin – just like the young one’s from Star Wars. But the disciples rebuked these people who were doing this. Who were bringing the kids to Jesus? A man and father would know better than to bring these children to see a Rabbi. The fathers better!

The children were considered to have no power, as were their mothers! Not only did Jesus welcome the children to hear the good news but their mothers as well. “Don’t bother the rabbi”. The disciples’ words would stress while the words of Jesus would bless. Then Jesus rebuked the disciples, one of a few times. Jesus was addressing three main things with the disciples and the culture.

First of all, Jesus was addressing the attitude toward children of the day. We still have it when we think that children should be seen and not heard. Yet we have a child friendly worship space where children make noise. It’s usually the mom’s who the most uncomfortable because they believe their children are embarrassing them. So we use words that stress our children or each other. We remember the saying, sticks and stones may break my bones but words would never hurt me? Words are detrimental because words create stress and they can bless. Stress creates strain and can lead to distress. God did not promise us that we would be exempt from the things that cause stress and anxiety.[2] God doesn’t want us to add to the stress! Evil one uses stress to divide community and families relationships with parent/spouse/child.

The second thing Jesus was addressing was the attitude of children. Many times we think children are innocent. I was telling the parents and Baptism 101 that your goal is to help teach their children that they are not the center of the world. They are born and are so cute and adorable. Yet they scream and you are to reorientate your world to their needs, true. But they think they are the center of the world and your goal is to move their over an eighteen year period toward the place where they see that God has created them and has blessed them to bless others.

The attitude of children that Jesus is lifting up is one of complete dependence

A child needs the parent’s acceptance even when children will do crazy things! We teach them with love and bless them with words of life and not stress them. At the First Communion class yesterday I asked the kids and parents if they make mistakes. We all do and we come together at this table to be fed that we might be sent to bless.

I was picking up Nathan from school on Thursday with Maggie. It was rainy that day and there were puddles in various places. I had an umbrella and Nathan was walking with me to the van when I overheard a mom talking to her son. She was obviously feeling a little stressed by the action of her first grader, probably jumping in a puddle or something terrible. Then she said, “Is that the way someone who has Jesus in his heart should behave?” Wow! A Christian Guilt trip! We all do this as parents to motivate our children but we are all blessed today by Christ’s words of love.

Finally, the third thing Jesus is teaching about children and discipleship is that we should have the attitude of receiving when it comes to God’s reign[3] in our life. Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like these children cannot enter. The children have open hands and hopeful hearts. When I asked the kids at the First Communion class about how many Christmas presents they deserve this year, I told them they deserve none. Christmas is about receiving with open hands this gift, they way we come forward with open hands.

Because finally, Jesus as the rabbi may have been seated when these children were being brought forward like most rabbis were in the synagogue. I could imagine that the came running up to him with his open arms and embraced them and blessed them with words the way we bless our children before they go to bed each night. We say “always remember that Jesus loves you and so do we.” We gather to run into those arms – to be spoken words that bless! We gather to receive God’s reign as one dependent! This human touch of Jesus is a gift to us!

Let us pray: Gracious God, you have called us by name and we gather to hear your word that blesses us in the midst of life’s stresses. You speak a word of hope as we gather to receive your embrace and eat at this table before we are called out to bless others. We pray in Jesus name, Amen.

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[1] Der Bedrosian, Jeanette. “Naming cows isn’t udder nonsense” USA Today, February 5, 2009, 6D.

[2] Living Stress Free In Today's World... Ken Birks, Pastor/Teacher

[3] See Interpretation Commentary on Mark by Lamar Williamson, Jr. (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1983), page 179

John 3:16-21 - "God Is Light" (6-7-09)

Samuel Miller had a chance to watch Karl Valletin in Munich Germany, the last metaphysical clowns. As the curtain lifted, the stage was completely dark. In the darkness was a solitary circle of light in the middle of the stage. Vallentin appeared in his clown costume and began to intently look around the circle of light. A policeman appeared on the scene and inquired if he lost something. The clown replied, “Yes the key to my house. The policeman joined him in the search for a long time and finally asked, “Are you sure you lost it here?” The clown answered, “No, I lost it over there”, pointing to a dark corner of the stage. “Why”, asked the exasperated policeman, “Are you looking for it here? To which the clowned shrugged his shoulders, “Because there is no light over there!”
Today is Trinity Sunday and it may seem foolish to try to talk about the trinity. The book The Shack attempts to personalize this theological principle of the Christian faith. But often God is not center stage. By shining light on such a topic, we discover the floodlight of God’s love for living which is often not very center stage in our lives. Recently I read regarding the trinity, “You will lose our soul if you don’t believe it and you will lose your mind if you try to explain it.” So today let us get lost in the light of the glory and grace of God as we think about God as light. We read in 1 John 1:5, “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”
God is light and the Greek word for light is “phoes” which we get the word photo, photon and photosynthesis? This is the process by which sunlight is turned into energy that is converted into other, different, forms of energy by biological systems. It's an amazing process. Our vegetation needs the light of the sun. We need sunlight otherwise we get SAD, Seasonal Affect Disorder. Light is very important.
So how does God as light relate to our growing in this light in relationship to the Trinity? Christian Schwarz wrote a book called the Threefold Art of Experiencing God. The book shines light upon the various ways we view and experience God in the trinity. God the creator enlightens our minds. Light is the natural symbol and expression of truth. No good work can be done without light. Genesis 1 said that in the beginning God said, “Let there be light.” God created light first in the explosion and bang of creation. The first reflection of uncreated light came first from God and it come first for us and to us. When Isaiah is exposed in the temple before God, he admits he is a man of unclean lips for he has been blinded by this majestic light of God’s presence. In Christ, we remember that John the Baptist came to bear witness to the light and that light shines in the darkness and the darkness shall never overcome the light of Christ. In the Holy Spirit, we remember the fire of Pentecost and the fire that led Israel through the wilderness. God’s light shines in these three forms of the creator and nothing defeats this light.
I’d like you to think of the opposite of light. What is the opposite of up? Down! The opposite of west is east. The opposite of Cubs is Sox. What is the opposite of light? Darkness!? No! There is no equal force or power than light! Darkness is just the absence of light. They are not equal or opposite forces. Even just the smallest amount of light cannot be overcome by darkness. Darkness is just the absence of light; it does not even exist on its own.
Now we might be afraid of the dark or we forget that God is with us even in the valley of the shadow of death. But we don’t need to be afraid to walk into the light of God’s love and grace. John 3:16 says God So Loved the world - You and Me - that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” God didn’t do this to condemn us but that we might have life. Yet even though the light is available and salvation is at hand, there will still be times when we stay in darkness and the shadows. We may carry the darkness of the past. There may be shadowy pain that we have never spoken of before that once exposed to the light will cause us to see that it is no our identity.
This light is a love that shines upon us and everything. God is inviting us into the light, and the darkness can’t overcome it. Darkness in our lives occurs when something is covered over or covered up. We have an easier time recognizing the darkness in others or we can see what is covered up in them, their lack of love or kindness or patience. We often have greater trouble acknowledging the shadows in our own lives.
We sometimes cover for one another because we don’t want to be exposed to the light. But John 3:19-21 remind us that “the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.” We are those people do not want to be exposed.
God is inviting us into the light of his love! There will be times when you do not want your whole life to be flooded with light. Some things--secrets, sins, and relationships--we do not want to let go. They shape our identity! There are things that we would rather not deal with; would rather not have God shine any light upon. When we see such darkness, we usually hide in the shadows. But the light of Christ shines in the darkness and the darkness shall never overcome it. Living in the light calls us to surrender to the light of God, capturing our hearts and fears and allow God’s light to heal and restore.
There was once a battleship heading straight towards a light in the distance that was coming up in its path and seemed to be awfully close. The captain of this battleship had the signalman send a message out to this on-coming vessel, telling them to veer ten degrees to the starboard. A reply came back from the source of light, saying, "You veer ten degrees to the starboard." Well, the captain of the battleship didn't rise up in the ranks for no good reason -- he was incensed at this challenge to his authority. So he sent a message back saying, "I am a captain. You veer ten degrees to the starboard." The reply came back, “I have no rank. You veer ten degrees to the starboard." And all of this was escalating. The captain pulled out his big one, he said, "I'm in a battleship. You veer ten degrees towards starboard." The reply came back, "I'm in a lighthouse."
God is light and is guiding us through the storms of life safely into through the rough seas of life. God’s light continues to enlighten us and heal and restore us today.
Let us pray: Gracious God, you are the light of the world so guide us through the shadows of life. As you were with Jesus when darkness covered the whole earth on the day of his death, shine upon us today that we may walk in the light of your love, we pray in Jesus name, Amen.

"The Shack" - book reflections (6-5-09)

The Shack - By William Paul Young

Trinitarian Images: Father, Son and Holy Spirit

1. I can't help but think of the book by Christian Schwarz, The Threefold Art of Experiencing God, when I think about the trinity and the various aspects of God as Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer
2. Elouisa; “EL” is God, like El-Shadai, El-Ohiem, Dani-EL; etc.
3. Holy Spirit – wind, as in the “ruah” (Hebrew) of God that moved over the waters in creation.The Holy Spirit is wind, fire and breath; when someone dies, we say they gave up their spirit in their last breath. When you lose you breath we say you got the wind knocked out of you

Book Reflections

1. The shack is where his daughter was killed. When he is called to return their a few years later, he is brought into a higher place of dwelling with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This seems to connect with Paul’s vision of being caught up into “paradise” and his thorn from 2 Corinthians 12:1-10. This dwelling is the eternal Dwelling Place of God. The shack becomes the temple of the Lord; Jesus “dwelt” (abode) with us in John 1:14 & John 15:4-7.The 23rd Psalm says, “Surely, His goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Garden of Eden – dwelling place with God.Heaven is a future redeemed dwelling place with God.
2. In the middle of this reading, I woke one night singing these words: "Let us go into the house of the Lord. Let us worship, praise and adore; singing this is the day that the Lord has made. Let us go into the house of the Lord." Dwelling in this relationship brings peace and joy. Singing is a fruit of that joyful abiding.
   
3. Praying the Lord’s Prayer, it says “Our Father” and the word in Hebrew and Aramaic is “abba” and “papa” is another way of refereeing to this endearing and intimate quality of a father or dad. Perhaps this book will rekindle in people the call to pray and develop a relationship with God.
   
4. The weekend away seemed very much like the three days Jesus was in the tomb
5. Image of surrender –page 139
6. Sophia – Greek word for wisdom (Proverbs 2:1-7 encourages seeking out understanding)
7. There were aspects of religious pluralism that was either supportive of or denouncing it on page 184.
8. The purpose for the "LAW" is just to point us to grace it seems from the page 204 writing. We also remember that the "law" is given first of all for good order, to address the human desire to "trespass" boundaries in relationship with God and others. The law also convict us of our sin, like a mirror, pointing us to our need for grace.
   
9. The Holy Communion image from page 238 was too privatized.
   
10. The focus of the ministry of reconciliation that the book seems to come to a conclusion with is rooted in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 24 where repentance and forgiveness is to be proclaimed by the disciples.
    

Bible Passage Related in the story

1. Page 103 – suffering compared to the future glory from Romans 8:18-19 where it says, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God…”
2. Page 103 – God is love from 1 John 4:7-12, as when we read verse 8, “Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
3. Page 129 – Redemption of our bodies from Romans 8:22-23 where it says, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.”
4. Page 135 – Tree of knowledge from Genesis 2:17
5. Page 138 & 175 – God is light from John 3:18-21
6. Page 168 – Chasm or Veil from Luke 16:26 – “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.” Or from 1 Corinthian 13:12 where it says, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.”
7. Page 179 – New city is Jerusalem from Revelation 22 with trees and river
8. Page 180 – “Church” is in Matthew 16:16 – “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” The word church here is ekklesia (ecclesiology) in Greek and it’s the only time used in Gospels. It means a community or group of followers.
9. Page 183 – Holy Spirit guides as in John 15:26 – “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.”
10. Page 184 – People are beloved as in 1 John 4:7; Romans 1:7 & Jesus at his Baptism and Transfiguation
11. Page 184 – We are all children of God, as in John 1:12 and Romans 8:14 and Galations 3:26
12. Page 195 – Mack is called an idiot; Luke 23:34 where Jesus said, “Father forgive them, they don’t know (idios in Greek) what they are doing.”
13. Page 205 – “All things are lawful” from 1 Corinthians 10:23 - “All things are lawful, but not all things are beneficial. All things are lawful, but not all things build up.” This passage relates to the freedom of the Christian.
14. Page 224 – God’s Purpose from Romans 8:28 where it says, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”
15. Page 227 – Ministry of reconciliation from 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 where it says: “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.”
16. Page 245 – Time-warp displacement” – God’s time from Psalm 90:4 – “For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.”
    

Reflections by: Rev. Dr. Michael E. Thomas
pmethomas@comcast.net
June 5, 2009