Manoah's Child: A Meditation on Judges 13-16

Part I—Arrogance of Vision

SAMSON’S EYES

I know what I want, and I want what I see:
A consumer world of Timnah for me;
Towers of Babel, confusion and scree;
A life of great pleasure; a life that is free
Of Philistine extortion; and great dignity.
I’ll bet sixty garments on the strength of a bee;
Shake the bones of the lion to justify me;
And then, with my honey, I’ll live and let be.
When the voting was done, and the riddle deciphered
Through guile and deceit, mounting bass prejudice
(A foundational disregard) and conscienceless malice,
The rights of the people were compromised, pilfered—
Truth became meaningless, alternative, filtered.
Yet, God’s Word strengthens all, when with ears they have heard.

Part II—Consequence and Exile Among the Philistines

HELL

Of course, we want you to share in our liberty,

But you are not quite like us—you sully our purity,
Raising questions in us of social security.
Yet, needing your service and abject class poverty,
Let us make space for you, call it space-parity—
A separate, chain-linked, palace vulgarity
Reminding all of our magnanimous, cruel charity
And our place in the world marked with great clarity.
Then, from prison tombs, sentenced-dead reply,
“Whatever became of the scales of blind justice,
Verdicts without rancor or prejudice?
We beg you, in the balance of Samson’s blind eyes,
Life’s about living, not learning to die,
And resurrection hope that crosses Death’s lie.”

Part III—Self-Worth and Dependence

THE DAMNED

Like bladeless knife without a handle,

Dust of the street and broken thonged sandal,
Journey in darkness without match or candle,
Absent comforting knee on which we would dandle,
We, on the margin of unruly quires
Listing the dead thrown onto pyres,
The dregs and dross casually cast into fires,
The broken, chipped vessels tossed in the mire,
We know our unworthiness, yet cry out with daring,
“Give us an edge to sever chains of injustice
And a handle to wield it in work of Your service.
Then, in Your strength, with Samson’s eyes staring,
We’ll break the pillars of shameful uncaring,
Walking in faith, our resurrection cross bearing.”

Part IV—Self-Awareness and Individuation

LET’S TURN THIS WORLD UPSIDE-DOWN
Now defeated, disgraced, with eyes put out—
Shamed, de-spirited, windless, walking ‘round about—
Reduced to grinding granules of terrifying doubt—
“What then will our circumstances be for all,
When, in wrestling with both foes and God, we fall
And eat the mealy meal of torture, ridiculing jeering shout,
To become the entertainment of the world, an abject stumbling clown,
Laughed at, scorned—in valley, hill, and town—
Ragged-walking, back bent, and head bowed down?”
Humbled in God, with sightless-seeing tears flow down,
Pray begin to know and hear the pain-filled sound
Of those who suffer loss of name, of Rachael’s children never found.
Then, stand firm in faith, between temple pillars strain for holy ground—
False Dagon’s power break. Let God’s reconciling love abound.

by Peter T. Heide, 2018

SEE YOU ON THE FLIPSIDE

THE SON TIMES
The Gateway Gospel of Destiny

SEE YOU ON THE FLIPSIDE

by Marc Yul Angelou

Dateline: Galilee Sea, June 23, 2018, 4:35:41--For those who still live in the world of vinyl (you know who you are), Jesse Benjo, after speaking ON THE A SIDE to thousands on the borders of the sea, commanded his disciples to cross over to the other side. This, of course, meant that their world was turned upside down. It also meant that they encountered adverse winds and some turbulent waves when crossing over.

One of Benjo’s disciples, Andrew Barjona, said, “It was all quite weird you know. Jesse who always speaks with the most polite and cultured British accent suddenly sounded like a brawling Australian and then he just took a lie down.”

It appears that Benjo, who has been dabbling in the world of alternative realities, exhausted after leading his people into a new consciousness, simply fell asleep leaving his followers to deal with the vicissitudes of the siren calls of change.

John Thunder said, “We physically shook him until he woke. Our boat was sinking, and it seemed like he just didn’t care.”

James Thunder, brother of John, said, “We knocked him up because a big windy had risen up and the water was washing through from the other side (that would be side A). It was like a total track bleed-through and all of our lay-downs were going to be lost. When he came to, Jesse got up and said, ‘Easy mate’, and then he shouted to the whole production crew, ‘Shut up!’. After that everything went quiet, and we were able to pass through quite nicely. I mean, Jesse shouted, things got quiet, and then we had all crossed over. It was a fright, I can tell you, but it was awesome.”

Benjo’s followers were quite amazed at his calm throughout the whole ordeal. “But then,” Barjona reflected, “He was asleep on the only life-vest in the boat.”

I come before you John 12:20-33

I come before you to stand behind you, to tell a story I know nothing about. Last night, in the middle of the day, two dead boys came out to play. Back to back, they faced each other, drew their swords and shot each other. A deaf policeman heard the noise. He came and shot those two dead boys. If you don’t believe me, go ask the blind man down the street. He saw it all.

I learned this story when I was in seventh or eighth grade. I think that its contradictions are perfect for understanding the text that we have just heard.

Today, our text follows a number of really important events in the Gospel of John. We don’t get to hear those other events, but they are important for understanding what is going on. In chapter 11, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, and people are worshipping Jesus because of it. Some are even worshipping Lazarus because he has broken through the bonds of death.

In this chapter, Jesus has previously eaten supper with Martha and Mary along with Lazarus. Here we find that the people are so excited about Lazarus being raised up from the dead that many people are believing in Jesus. Jesus’ popularity has created so many believers that the priests and the elders have now decided to not only kill Jesus, but they have added Lazarus to the list of undesirables as well. Then, before any of that can happen, Jesus enters into Jerusalem in order to celebrate the Passover, and people spread palm branches on the road before him celebrating Jesus’ entry as a conquering king.

After all of this has taken place, some Greeks come wanting to see Jesus. But wait a minute, Palm Sunday isn’t until next Sunday! You see? I come before you to tell you a story that happens after the events of next Sunday, and yet these events have all already taken place for your sake and for the sake of the world. Are you confused yet?

As we come to the end of Lent, we are challenged to question: Who is this Jesus we follow? Do we follow because of the miracles he performs? Is it because he has changed the water into wine? The teaching of Nicodemus? Because he traded banter with the woman at the well, cured the cripple at the baths, fed the 5,000, healed the blind man, forgave the woman caught in adultery, or raised Lazarus from the dead?

Or, do we believe in Jesus himself? Is Jesus, by himself, enough to believe, or do we need something more concrete? As we come to the Passover festival, do we, like the Greeks of this text, need to physically see Jesus? What will that personal introduction mean for us?

So, Philip goes to Andrew to ask, “What to do? What to do?” Andrew apparently doesn’t have the right answer and only volunteers to accompany Philip when approaching Jesus with the request. And then, Jesus doesn’t say, “Show them in.”

Instead Jesus starts talking about seeds, dying and rising, and something about glorification, driving out the ruler of this world, and being raised up. Our time seems out of joint. And yet, it is this very sense of time being out of joint that prepares us for this final week of preparation before Holy Week when we will again witness the events that lead to the cross and death of Jesus, to those events that turn our world upside down.

As we come to see Jesus entering into Jerusalem, eating his last supper with his disciples before his death, as we witness the trial and crucifixion, and then enter into that time of rest at the end of the world, in that moment of not knowing the power of God’s ability to conquer death and the joy of the new creation resurrection start of the world, in that time, we will see all that the Greeks wanted to see. We will see in Jesus, the power to put death to death. We will see the ruler, that is Satan, be driven out of the world, and we will see all people, that is, the nations of the world, being gathered, drawn, to this one, this Jesus, our Messiah, the Christ God’s word revealed to us, enfleshed, who lived and lives among us.

We are not yet able to shout those words of joyful resurrection, but in Jesus’ words today, we are prepared for saying, “Hosanna, Lord, save us!” and rest in the assurance of God’s promise of salvation wholeness that comes to us through Christ himself.

Okay, I might have fibbed a little at the beginning. I have come to tell you a story I really do know something about. There is one who was dead who comes out to play. That one who comes out to play has got our back. While his words may, like a sword, cut us to the quick, the core of our lives, they also have the power to heal, to give the wholeness that brings hearing to the deaf and vision to the blind.

In the midst of all of the contradictions we hear in our world today, there is one thing that is constant and true: Christ has come into the world so that that the world might be saved, not just the people of the world but the world itself and all who dwell there. Christ has died. Christ is risen! Christ will come again. In the relationship we have with the risen one is the truth that gathers us to himself and sets us free to be in relationship with one another.

BENJO DISAPPOINTS FANS AS FAME RISES

THE SON TIMES
The Gateway Gospel of Destiny

BENJO DISAPPOINTS FANS AS FAME RISES

by Jack D. Sypal

Dateline: Jerusalem, March 18, 2018, 12:20:33--Pundits now believe that Jesse Benjo has greater name recognition than the emperor and more popularity than Herod. Benjo’s popularity will affect the great Passover festival celebrations this week as thousands gather in Jerusalem. Several fraternity activity chairs and their sorority sweethearts came to Philip, one of Jesse’s disciples, asking for backstage passes. It is not known at this time whether passes will be given now or in the future to Greeks or any groups.

It certainly appears, however, that there is no subject Jesse Benjo is unwilling to address. Changing water into wine was his first venture into the speaking circuit. Since then he has tackled how to feed those unexpected supper guests, curing illnesses, how to worship, and the value of lighting in dark places.

Today, although not a farmer himself, Benjo spoke publicly about what it means to be a farmer. He extolled the value of self-sacrificial calendar-keeping. Citing the importance of knowing when it is time to plant wheat and getting it in the ground so that there can be a bountiful harvest, Benjo stated that the hour had come for the work to be completed so that the glory of those fields of future fortune could be harvested.

And Benjo spoke of the importance of harvesting at the right time for maximum productivity. “If you think that you are the most important person during harvest time, you are mistaken. For the greatest harvest, IT IS ALL ABOUT THE WHEAT. You can’t be overly concerned about your sleep. When the wheat is ready, it’s ready; and you need to get on it right away.”

Benjo also extoled his confidence in these times. With the rising market and the projected futures, he claimed, “The abundance of the harvest will bring people from around the world to receive the benefits of our work today. It is, as they say, time to make hay while the sun shines. That time is now, and we’re burning daylight. If rain and storms come soaking the wheat or blowing it down, your harvest is lost. So, we must put the shoulder to the wheel, strike while the iron is hot, labor under the beautiful spacious skies amid the golden waves of grain. We need to put up for a rainy day not be put down by it.”

While Benjo was speaking, a thunder clap brought his speech to an abrupt end. He did take time for a very short Q&A, but then Benjo quickly got off the stage. Many huddled in groups discussing the speech. Others kept looking at the sky before hurrying home to their farms.

NICKEY'S NOTES -- Holy Host

My dear friends,

We sometimes have difficulty dealing with change, so I thought that I should warn you about the newest worship ware. If you notice a change in your communion wafer, don’t be alarmed.

Worship attendance is down in traditional churches across the country. Some businesses associated with worship have experienced critical short-falls this past year. One of these companies is Holy Host, maker of fine communion wafers and table wines for sacramental use.

When interviewed, C. H. Allis, president and CEO of Holy Host said, “With the increased popularity of non-denominational churches and their lack of emphasis of the Eucharist, sales of sacramental wafers and wines has been soggy in the last three quarters, but we expect sales will rise soon as we introduce our new products. Research and Development has been market-testing a new niche market. We think that we have a product that is ready to meet the needs of the 21^st century church.”

Holy Host intends to introduce wafers made in liturgical colors and flavored to get away from the old tasteless wafers to which we have become accustomed. These new wafers will be available April 1^st.

Advent blue are blueberry-flavored. Alternatively, for those denominations still adhering to purple and pink, the concord grape wafers have a fine fruity taste; the pink wafers are peppermint (a sacramental Chablis is recommended for this Sunday).

Christmas and Easter white maintain the tradition of the ages for those who are adverse to change.

Ash Wednesday black has a bold licorice flavor. Lenten purple reprises the concord grape.

Pentecost red, is a fine full-flavored pomegranate.

For Sundays in ordinary time, primarily the Sundays after Pentecost, two greens will be offered. Lime is perfect for the early part of the season which includes those hot days in June, July and August. A salty green olive is recommended for the latter part of the season as harvest and fall colors approach. This one would help communicants remember that they are to be salt of the earth.

These wafers offer great flexibility for use—chips for church casino nights; embossed with bingo numbers in sets of seventy-five to prevent game tampering; special red editions for Lutherans embossed with numbers and a thesis on each wafer in packs of ninety-five; and special pricing for wafers blessed by the Pope.

With a little salt, the lime wafers could make a tasty picnic snack with an alternate beverage. The olive green ones could be threaded on a pick to be added to another beverage as well.

There has even been some thought given to embossing congregational identification numbers on one side with the name of the church on the other. As you travel and visit other churches, you could collect or trade holy moments with friends you meet along the way. Collector booklets could also be published.

C. H. Allis noted, “Some of these items are still in development, but I think that they really have possibilities for the future of Holy Host. Our goal is to give greater meaning to the ritual practices of church people and make a statement of faith. Let there be no doubt, “In God we trust; we believe in spreading that trust throughout the world; and we believe in Holy Host.”

Dealing from the bottom,

Your Joker,
Casino Nick de Mouse

Because the Stone Is Rolled Away CORRECTED

Because the Stone Is Rolled Away 

corrected 3/18

Peter Heide

In wilderness contention, from Jabbok water baptisms, 
Wrest us to your restoration highway, to resurrection gardens of possibility—
For we walk, limp, grope, and crawl
In your likeness, in your imago dei, in your gifts of touch and action.
With loving grace, help us reveal your saving works and goodness,
The joy of justification healing,
And your active incarnate presence
As we claim your living body and find our distinctive wholeness in the midst of this broken world.
So, as Braille is known by the touch of the blind,
Let our lives be known to you, O Lord.
As action speaks meaning to the lives of the deaf,
Let our actions bear witness to your Word, O Christ.
As wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and crutches support us in our lives,
Let our lives support others in your Spirit.

Sermon for Easter Sunday—Running on Empty

The Resurrection of Our Lord

He is risen! He is risen, indeed, Alleluia!

I am always struck by the sense of duty that draws these women to the tomb on the first day of the week. Not having been able to anoint properly the body of Jesus before the Sabbath, the two Marys and Salome come to care for Jesus’ body while the temperature is still cool, before more decomposition can occur. They come out of duty, knowing what needs to be done, yet wondering how they will do it.

This is women’s work after all, but usually the stone of the tomb is not rolled and sealed until after the body has been cared for. Today they come wondering how they will manage rolling that large stone away. Will there be somebody who will do the heavy work of rolling the stone for them?

They do not question if they should be the ones doing the job; they are only considering how it will be done. To their amazement, the stone is already rolled away. What does this mean?

They run into the tomb, discovering a young man sitting where the body of Christ is supposed to be, but where is Jesus?

The young man begins to tell them the good news and the bad. “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised. He is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him.”

In the world of GPS, this might be the time that one might check one’s co-ordinates. What do you mean that he is not here? We followed the instructions dictated by our locator. We turned on the prescribed road; we went to the cemetery; we turned on the right path; this is the place. He was dead! We have the spices for washing and anointing the body! Where could he go?

These women must have had that awful feeling we have when walking out into the parking lot at the mall, knowing exactly where the car was parked, only to discover that you walked out the wrong door and your car is nowhere to be found. “I know I parked it right there. Where did it go?”

The young man continues, “Go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”

I don’t know about you, but I am not surprised to discover that the women run, that terror and amazement seizes them. Nor am I surprised that they might even want to keep it quiet. I mean, seriously, when the laws of nature change, when you drop something and discover that it floats instead of falls, when up is down, when women and not men are chosen to be the witnesses of God’s activity to the world, when tombs for the dead become wombs of new life, would you just calmly walk out and tweet your friends?

Or, might you try to find another answer? Maybe I walked out the wrong door? My car might be on the other side; in a different place. Maybe I should call the police? Did someone steal my car?

Of all the accounts of the resurrection, this is my favorite. It addresses the limits of the human condition. When confronting something that is seemingly impossible, our first response is to deny it!

Later, when all of the facts are in, when we have time to embrace the reality of the new, then we can talk about the forces of change in our lives, then we can cope with our altered realities.

One of the vehicles I owned had a broken gas gauge. When I first discovered the problem, I panicked. Would I make it to the station in time? But when I got to the gas station, it only took five gallons of gas.

I tried to put more gasoline into the tank, but it only ran down the side of the car. I got back into the car and turned on the ignition, but the gauge still read empty. So, of course, I took it to the service station to be repaired only to discover that I couldn’t afford the repairs.

A friend said, “Well, if you’re running around town, stop and put a couple gallons in. You know your approximate mileage, so just keep track of the odometer and don’t let the tank get too low.” For years I drove with a gauge that always said empty.

Every once in a while, someone else would drive the car. They’d tell me that the tank was empty; I’d have to explain. When someone borrowed the car, I’d tell them not to bring the car back with an empty tank and laugh as they looked at the gauge.

The irony is that it is the only car that I never ran out of gas with. Because I was always running on empty, I made sure that I stopped to fill more regularly.

Today, we are confronted with some seemingly conflicted information. Like my old car, we come to the tomb to discover that it is empty, but it is that emptiness that fills our lives.

With the women, we come seeking Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified only to discover that he is not here! He is going ahead of us, into the world of ministry, into Galilee, to those places where we have seen him before—into the world of the lepers, the lame and the maimed, the blind and the deaf, the widowed and the orphaned, and the poor—to the dead of the world, to raise them up into new ways of living, into an altared place. There you will find him.

In knowing the proclamation of emptiness and the reality of that new way of living, we come again and again to be reminded of the emptiness of the tomb that fills our lives. We do not turn away from the amazement and the fear of what that emptiness means. Rather, we join with the women, the two Marys and Salome, with the disciples and Peter, with the angels and archangels, with the church on Earth, with the great cloud of witnesses; and we proclaim the great resurrection message of our new life in Christ. We tell the world that we are recognizing our altered and altared being in Christ, right here and now, when we say, “Τhe beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” We are running on empty, and we are filled.

Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

SignPost Easter Day—Topel’s

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

Years ago, when we really had American car makers, more than Ford and GM, when new models all came out at the same time, great secrecy was kept concerning what the new cars might look like. Dealership showrooms had a few of the older models, but with sale price signs on them. We were putting the past behind and looking to the future.

One by one, cars showed up covered with white tarps until the showroom and adjacent lot were filled with shrouded vehicles. Signboards displayed the date of the great unveiling. As the day approached, we would drive past Topel’s dealership anticipating the first view of the new cars. What would they look like?

Finally the day would come. It was really a big deal. Arc lights cut the skies, pennant flags were strung up from the corners of the lots to the tops of the signs. Some dealers offered free hot dogs, popcorn, and soda. Newspapers sent journalists to cover the event.

People dressed up, men put on suits; women put on heels and makeup. Families drove from all over town to their favored dealership to see the wonders of the new cars. They would make a night of looking at engines, marveling at the latest innovations, take test drives, and go home dreaming of owning one of those fine machines.

I particularly remember the year of the 1959 Nash Rambler, the special release year of the Marlin in 1965, and 1968 with the AMX and the Javelin, “Hey Javelin!” It was a time of innovation and re-creation. There was not much talk about fuel economy in those days. It was about power, speed, and maneuverability. Fuel economy was still in the future.

Today, we celebrate our re-creation. We commit ourselves to the new way of living that Christ makes possible for us—a life freed from the fear of death, freed to live in full relationship with God and one another—knowing that there will be mistakes along the way (let’s not forget the Marlin), but that, through the grace of God, we can make corrections in our lives in the world of forgiveness in Christ’s loving presence. There is power for change; there is flexibility for addressing the world of service opened to us; and this transformation happens, as St. Paul says, in the twinkling of an eye. The days of fuel economy are coming as we settle down for ministry in the long haul, but today we can celebrate in the time of the great un-shrouding.

He is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

Prayer

Lord, in your power we are re-created and sent out new into your ever-changing world equipped with all the gifts we need to do your work. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Amen

Holy Saturday—The Garage

Psalm 31:1-4, 15-16

Let’s face it. We have significant investments in our vehicles. The expense of a car is a major part of the budget. The estimated cost for every mile we drive is about $.54. This, of course, includes insurance, tires, brakes, and all of the many fluids that are regularly needed to keep our personal means of conveyance handy and efficient as well as the cost of the vehicle itself. Many of us are still making payments on something that, unless it is now a collectable, loses value every day. So we need to protect our investments.

We build garages, attached and unattached. They protect our vehicles from the elements. We come home from wherever we have been, open the garage door and park, then close the door securing our possession.

The car in the garage has also become a kind of symbol for the rest of our lives. When the car is in the garage our lives go dormant. We eat a meal and “park” ourselves in front of the TV. We are done for the day. We may do a few chores around the house, but when the car is in the garage, life slows down. Soon, we too will sleep.

It is when the garage is empty that things are happening in our lives. We are out and about, engaged in the activity of life so we plan for days of empty garages.

Today as we remember Christ in the tomb, we look forward to the opening of the door and the world of engaged living.  This is not a life of depreciation. On the contrary, it is a life of continued appreciation. We do not possess Christ, we are possessed by Christ. When the tomb opens, it never closes again. We are forever called to that place of ministry in the world outside the garage to embrace God’s people in God’s creation.

Prayer

Lord, on this day as we remember that you died in order to conquer death, we ponder our closed doors and look forward to the possibilities of your open door resurrection world. Amen

Sermon for Maundy Thursday—Keys to the Kingdom

We have been given the keys to the kingdom. In each of the Gospels, Jesus gives the keys of the kingdom to his disciples. In each of the instances, the purpose of the keys is the opportunity for forgiveness. Yet, if we don’t use the keys, or if we use the wrong keys, this office is either inappropriately demonstrated or the office completely fails to address the needs of the world around us.

As a pastor, I am sometimes asked to officiate at funerals of non-members. On one such occasion I was running a little late. My wife had taken the car; therefore, I was using my old truck. It was sometimes touchy and not always the most reliable means of transportation, but earlier in the day I had gone out and made sure that everything was running.

So when I put the key into the ignition when it was time to leave, I was surprised that the key wouldn’t even turn. This had happened several times before, so I didn’t immediately panic, but after I did everything I knew to solve the problem and still nothing happened, I started to worry. How was I going to get to the funeral home in time for the funeral?

After several more vain efforts, I finally started to get out of the truck. I was going to have to admit defeat. Maybe I could call a cab.

As I pulled the keys out and started to put them in my pocket, I noticed something strange. The orange fob on the key ring was blue. With a gasp of recognition, I realized that I had been trying to put the car keys in the truck. When I actually put the truck keys in the truck ignition, the engine roared to life, and I made it to the funeral home in plenty of time.

Sometimes we have to remember to use the keys that we have been given, not just any key that happens to come to hand. The keys to the kingdom open the way to a life of forgiveness or they block the way. The disciples ask how many times must we forgive, seven times?

Jesus’ response is somewhat challenging for us today, because we live in a more literalistic time, but Jesus’ response is more like forever. He says seventy times seven, or seventy and seven, or even seventy-seven times. It is important for us to remember that in Jesus’ time, they had no zero so numbers are more metaphorical in literature like this. The number of times Jesus mentions then is more like as many times as you are asked.

Still the keys come with the admonition: “If you forgive the sins of others they will be forgiven, but if you do not forgive, the sins of the person will be held against them forever.” There are times when I do not want to forgive, but really, if they come to you for forgiveness, can you really deny them?

In my first congregation there had been some difficulties. I was hurt, even angry. On Ash Wednesday at the time for the imposition of ashes, it felt good to tell the people that they were going to return to dust. Then this little girl came forward. She had not been part of the conflict. So when she came forward to receive the sign of the cross in ashes, and she looked up at me with those little-girl-trusting-eyes, I almost came unglued.

And then on Maundy Thursday, when we had the opportunity for individual absolution, she came forward with her mother. Again she looked at me with those trusting eyes, and I thought. “You have nothing to repent of. Certainly God forgives you for anything that you have done.” Her mother stood right behind her, and then I had to give her absolution too. It was in that moment that I realized that the forgiveness I was giving was not mine to withhold. As a pastor, I was giving the forgiveness that I had first received and in whose name I served. Who was I to withhold God’s word of forgiveness and hope for reconciliation?

If Christ could forgive from the cross, then how could I withhold God’s grace and mercy? It changed my feelings toward the whole congregation, and it changed my attitude in ministry.

It has not changed the number of times I have been upset with people in the congregation, nor has it changed the number of times that my feelings have been hurt. I still want to ask with the disciples. “Really? I have to forgive that person too? How many times?”

The answer remains the same. And the keys to the kingdom continue to hang heavy on my belt until I remember that I am passing on what I have already been given.

What a privilege it is then to say those incredible words at the end of corporate confession: “As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ and by Christ’s authority, I declare to you the entire forgiveness of all of your sins, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” Yes, those are the keys that open the gates renewing and revitalizing our reconciled lives in Christ.

Day 39: Good Friday— Mapping the Cross Roads

Psalm 22; John 18:1—19:42

On a trip to Egypt and the Holy Lands, our group stopped at a souvenir/gift shop. Amid the tables of pottery and wood carvings, I found a beautifully lacquered olivewood Jerusalem cross.

Now for those of you who don’t know what this looks like, connected to the one cross are four smaller crosses, one in each quadrant. It is a reminder of not only the death and resurrection of Christ but also the martyred witness of those who followed. At another level it reminds me of the many crossroads of our travels. We know where we are; we know our destination; but there are many different routes that we might take to get there.

In the safety and comfort of our cars we are constantly being reminded of God’s redeeming activity in our lives. Every time we come to an intersection, we have the opportunity to take a moment for gratitude.

Like a great growing Jerusalem cross, our journeys mark the places we have been and where we are going. The cross is not the terminus of our journey; it is the pause of orientation. It is the reminder of our ministry callings to care for one another and our map for going to Galilee. It is not a place to avoid but a necessary part of the journey. We need to witness the pain and suffering, remembering that there cannot be a resurrection without a death. At the same time, witnessing the event of the cross does not mean that we are the ones dying, Christ has done that once for all, but that our lives need to be about dying to ourselves and being in relationship with God and one another.

As we look upon the cross today, let us think about where Christ has been for us and where Christ is calling us to go.

Prayer

Lord, you died so that we might pass through death to eternal life, but your suffering showed us your full knowledge of the human condition. At the intersections of our lives, may we know your way and follow. Amen

Good Friday—Bobby McGee

Psalm 22

My piano business had gotten to the point of needing a truck. At home, there was a landscape project that was going to entail hauling sand, stone, and brick. I had rented trucks in the past, but that could get expensive. The classifieds were out of my price range. At the store, the clerk was talking about the $50.00 car she was driving. I asked if she knew of a truck like that. She thought her dad might. I gave her my phone number.

Two days later, I was looking at one of the poorest excuses for a truck ever. The grill was missing, only rusted edges remained. It had only one headlight. The engine came from an old Catalina; the transmission was a 3-speed, floor shifter from a Camaro. The wood floor bed was rotted.  The Naugahyde seat was split; an old rug salvaged from the garbage covered it. There were holes in the floorboards, and the extension on the shift lever unscrewed if you weren’t careful shifting into second gear. Neither the radio nor the speedometer worked. The odometer read 188000, but that was the engine that came with the truck, not the one from the Catalina. Aside from that, all the gauges worked; fuel, temperature, oil pressure, and alternator.

The owner guaranteed that if you headed for California tomorrow, it would make the trip. He thought it might even get you back again. How much was I willing to pay?

“$150.00,” I said with as much force as I could muster.

I hoped he would say no. Instead, he said, “I was hoping for $100.00 more, but I’ll tell you what. Are you a betting man?”

“I might be,” I responded. “What are we wagering?”

“Well, I’ll tell you. If we dicker around for awhile, you’re going to pay more than you want and I’m still going to get less. I was thinking that we would flip for it. If I win, I get $250.00. If you win, you pay $150.00. Does that sound fair?”

I really didn’t want to pay $250.00, but there was a chance. “Sure, let’s flip for it. I’ve got a quarter, I’ll let you flip.”

The coin spun in the air, he caught it and turned it over. “You’re a happy man today,” he said as he put my quarter in his pocket. I wrote the check on the hood of my first truck. I wouldn’t know for several days just how happy I was. Twenty-eight years later, the truck is gone, but that engine still runs.

Prayer

Lord, from the cross we must look as disreputable as my old truck. Yet in your care there is life. May we continue by your grace to walk with you in peace. Amen

Day 38: Holy Thursday—Not Dad's Oldsmobile

Exodus 12:1-4 [5-10] 11-14; Psalm 116:1-19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-17, 31b-35

A few years back Oldsmobile sales were down; GM planned to drop the line. Oldsmobile lovers went and bought; collectors bought. Before you knew it, Oldsmobile was back in business. The new ad campaign was, “This isn’t your father’s Oldsmobile.”

Many congregations include a Seder meal in Lent trying to reclaim in some way the ancient meal of liberation. But, let us not be confused, this meal, with all of its importance for our first covenant brothers and sisters, is not our meal. I thought Mom’s 1987 Oldsmobile nine- passenger wagon (we called it the land yacht), was a great car, but at 14 mpg I don’t want to drive it. The Seder meal is the Oldsmobile our fathers (and mothers) drove.

The Passover bread of affliction is not our bread. The bitterness of the cross and the bitterness served at the cross is not our bitterness. That affliction and bitterness was taken on by Christ for us and for our sake so that we might be justified with God and freed to live.

Our meal is not to be rushed. In the Eucharist, we are not asked to stand or recline when eating; neither does it require unleavened bread; Paul says to use a loaf of bread. In Corinthians we are even told to wait for late comers.

We are not God’s first covenant people. Born in baptism, fed at the Lord’s table, we are second covenant people. We have something new, with more power, more agility, higher octane, and a lot more miles in it. Our meal is nothing less than the body of Christ “given for us” here and now. It is not a meal of remembrance, eaten once a year. This meal is to be done as often as we eat and drink it (Luther says weekly). It is a meal of incorporation. As we are made members of the body of Christ, so now the body is nourished for the work ahead. This meal is not for the release of the few; it is for the forgiveness of sins for all people.

Comparisons showing the relationship between the two meals are reasonable, but let’s be clear: “This is not our father’s Oldsmobile.” In the mystery of our Eucharist meal, we receive Christ’s presence and we are changed. We are made high-quality bio-fuel for the work of the gospel. We are new gas tanks containing new, higher octane fuel with more frequent fills available; and the mileage is great.

Prayer

Lord, we thank you for freeing us from the slavery to sin and for the gift of new life that leads us in new ways. Amen

SignPost Holy Thursday—Food Pantry

Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19

Sometime during our middler (first) year in seminary, one of my classmates realized that most of the families on campus were living below the poverty line. Many of the families with small children qualified for the WIC program. Some of the families had little or no food in their cupboards. Stan went to the campus council and proposed that we start a food pantry in partnership with Second Harvest on campus for the sake of student families and for other needful families in our neighborhood.

A garage under the mission house was provided by the seminary. Drywall was installed and painted for cleanliness. The floor was scrubbed. Electrical work was done to provide adequate lighting and electricity for a refrigerator and freezer. Now we needed to find the appliances for food goods that had to be chilled and frozen.

The word went out through the network of spouses that worked off campus, and soon we had a refrigerator, but the freezer seemed to elude us. One night we heard that there was a freezer available on a farm, thirty miles east of school. We just needed some way to move and transport it.

I volunteered my truck. How hard could this be? Five of us got together and drove out. When we got there, we found an old freezer. Did I mention that it was old? It might have been one of the first International Harvester (IH) freezers ever made. Most of us didn’t know that IH even made freezers. It had steel sides, and it weighed a ton. With all five of us lifting, we barely got it up into the truck. It almost filled the bed. We didn’t bother to tie it down, because there was no way that it was going anywhere.

We were assured that it worked, so back to seminary we went.

Fortunately, the space for the food pantry had been a garage. We backed the truck in and off loaded the thing. Two days later, with a new coat of paint and some vigorous scrubbing with bleach, we plugged it in. Hallelujah! It worked.

I have no idea how many families benefitted from that pantry, but it addressed many of the immediate challenges to families on campus and reached into the community around the seminary for several years.

This day we remember the meal Jesus shared with his disciples and consider the abundance of food we have and our failure to share that abundance with all of God’s children.

Prayer

Lord, you teach us through your ministry to care for the poor, the widow, orphan and stranger; to lift up the lowly and feed the hungry. Help us live your servant ways. Amen

One Flew over The Transom, Yes!

THE SON TIMES
The Gateway Gospel of Destiny

One Flew over The Transom, Yes!

by Jack D. Sypal

Dateline: Jerusalem, March 11, 2018, 03:11:21--Almost a year ago, when I was working for a different paper, leaked information led to evidence of collusion between Nicky DiMaosi, known as Nicky D., and Jesse Benjo, aka Joshua Kristy, aka the Jam-Man.

Today I received additional information, over the transom as-it-were, about their relationship. It fleshes out much more of their continuing conversation and may shed greater understanding for the behavior and movements of Nicky D. and a number of other subversive Pharisee Party (PP) adherents this past year.

Some of this has an upstairs-downstairs feel to it, but, if you don’t get winded from the flights of fancy, there is something of a step-by-step logic to Benjo’s statement and a rational explanation for the actions of many PP adherents based on the outcome of events of this last year. This longer statement sheds greater light on what continues to be a controversial issue.

What follows is, as we received it, Benjo’s reply last year to DiMaosi who is still both a PP leader and Sanhedran judge.

“My purpose in life is to make the world a better place. I still believe that the world, even in the midst of crisis, can be saved, for there is something at the core of the world that is worth loving.

“What we need is a symbol to rally around, something to give us hope. In ancient times, the Israelites put the serpent on the staff. Later, when that symbol lost its rallying power, it was destroyed; and the symbol of the temple was raised up.

“Today we need people to be willing to put themselves on the line for others, not to be symbols as much as rallying points, and that is what I intend to organize and do. It has its dangers of course, but the violence of this world is only going to spiral out of control unless somebody does something to stop it.

“Stopping it will demand new ways of living and building relationships with people in ways we have not done before. I know that people would rather continue with the devil they know rather than anything that means change, but the time has come to ‘Get out of the road if you can’t lend a hand, for the times, they are a changing.’

“We live in a world that demands innovation and adaptation. That is where the world is going. If you can’t be part of that change, then you are condemned to be one of those who has lost the ability to participate in the events of the world.

“Life is not about trying to recapture something that was. Life is all about living into the possibilities of tomorrow. Everlasting life always begins tomorrow. Death and sorrow are the products of yesterday. Life is about looking at things cross-wise and then stepping into and claiming what you can be. Life is about hoping for what is coming rather than longing for what has past.

“Stop watering down the spirits. Life is not about going down to the crossroads to sell what is not yours to sell. It is not about getting ahead at the expense of others. Learn to live lives of mutual support. After all, we all need somebody to lean on from time-to-time.

“You can’t stopper time in a bottle. Every Kodak moment is a little experience of death and tempts you to live in the past, but life is ‘a long and winding road’ that goes into the future.

“Somebody has to lead the way into the future because you can’t turn back time. I think I am the one who can be that leader. I am certainly not the Easter Bunny. ‘I am the eggman’—I hold the promise of new life and the eternal tomorrow.”

What came in over the transom stops here. We have not had the opportunity to verify everything in this statement, but to the best of our ability, with the resources available, what we have been able to verify is compatible with what we know about Benjo’s teachings and speeches this past year. If you have more to share, send it to THE SON TIMES, c/o Over the Transom for Jack, or dial OVR HeavensDoor, that’s 687‑432-8367 x3667.

Wednesday of Holy Week –Homeward Bound

Coming back to Wisconsin from out East as kids one year, my sister and I learned that by making a fist and pulling it down a couple of times, we could get truckers to blow their horns when you were along side. On the Indiana Toll Road, we tagged up with a truck that passed us, and then, shortly afterwards, we passed him. It was a prolonged game of leap frog. Each time we passed the truck, my sister would pump her hand, and the trucker would oblige with a friendly honk.

As traffic started to slow down near Chicago, we had moved out into a faster lane only to discover that our exit for going around Chicago was coming up and there was no way to get back over. We were alongside a truck and couldn’t see traffic on the other side. This could be a long way home. Then, my sister noticed with surprise that our trucker friend was in the cab of the neighboring truck. Before we knew it, he had put on his flashers and started slowing down. Finally, he was almost stopped. In front of him was a huge gap in traffic.

With great thankfulness, Mom pulled into the space our trucker friend had created for us, and honking our horn, we took our exit for home. He had apparently noticed our license plates and knew, better than we, where we needed to go.

Prayer

Lord, in our haste we often forge ahead without knowing where we are going, but, in your care and leading, you forgive our headstrong ways and lead us home.  For making space for us, we give you thanks. Amen

Day 37: Wednesday of Holy Week — Above and Beyond

Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 70; Hebrews 12:1-3; John 13:21-32

Flying into Milwaukee from Chicago one night after a conference, I looked down on the highways. They looked like continuous strings of flowing marquee lights that joined the one city to the other. It was as if the way we were going was illumined by the work of many drivers pointing the way.

Partway there, I noticed lights bunching together. There was an intersection that caused the lights to stop for a time. Then I could see them going off in different directions, lighting other ways home.

Isolated in the sky, I felt alone, but, there below, were the many people negotiating life’s problems pointing the ways to home. It reminded me of the great cloud of saints that surrounds us at every juncture of our lives. We do not make this journey of life and faith isolated from one another. We are surrounded by other drivers on the highway and the many saints of our lives.

On our faith highways, we are surrounded, not only by those we live with, but, in the resurrection world given to us through the death and resurrection of Christ, we are also surrounded by the faith and confidence of those who have gone before.

We gather with all of those who have gone before us and with the confidence of those alongside us who bear witness to our destination and home. When we gather in Eucharist, we bunch up for awhile and then move on to our individual roads of mission, passing through our many cross roads to the great community in Christ.

Prayer

Lord, by your direction and in the company of those who have followed in your way, may we clearly know the way of your calling and home. Amen

Day 36: Tuesday of Holy Week—Headlights

Psalm 71:1-14; John 12:20-36

Early in my seminary learning, a professor pointed out that the Bible uses repetition as a way to illustrate the importance of the story point. Importance is also shown by the amount of space it takes up. The story may not always be told in the exact words, but the story itself is important.

He pointed out that the call of Samuel is not a one-time thing; it happens three times. The story of creation is not told once, but twice in Genesis and summarized in several psalms. God’s activity in history is everywhere throughout the Bible.

This recognition of importance by duplication and space says something to us as we consider our cars and driving needs. The sheer number of vehicles, highways, parking lots, etc., shouts out the importance of the car to our lives. The number of speed limit signs, cautionary signs, and stoplight/signs says something about our concern for the safety of others and ourselves.

Yet all of this mobility would be challenged if it weren’t for our ability to light the darkness. Streetlights, headlights, taillights, directional signals, all make driving possible during the day and at night.

John 12:36 is referenced three times this Lent. That we are called to be the children of Light is important.

As we drive in the darkness, turning on our lights on the highways for our safety, so we are called to shine Christ’s light of hope into the darkness of despair, abuse, oppression, hopelessness. We may not always solve the problems, but as we engage them, time and time again, we will tell the world how important these issues are to us and God’s concern for peace and justice in the world.

Prayer

Lord, as our headlights illumine our way in the darkness of night, let your light shine in our lives that we might know your presence and leading in the darkness of our lives. Amen

SignPost Tuesday of Holy Week—Blessings and Curses

Psalm 71:1-14

We’re Americans; we drive. It is hard to believe, but America has been motoring for just over a hundred years. Over this time, the reliability of the car as a means of personal transportation has increased. Driving has become an assumed right. Our vehicles have become an extension of American culture and our individual personalities. Much of the world looks to us and our cars as the paradigm for their own success.

The model we drive can make a political statement about our place in the world and our personal world views. Our vehicles tax our environment when we do not appreciate the impact of our need to drive with availability of natural resources. Because of the car, people live farther and farther away from the places where they work, go to school, shop, and attend worship. Our parking lots get larger and larger. A family with four drivers may drive all four vehicles to attend worship.

The car is the symbol of our independence. If one doesn’t drive, it is because of disability or dysfunction. One of the most difficult things the disabled and aging confront is the loss of their driver license. That can be a sentence of isolation that is tantamount to imprisonment. The simple act of going to the grocery store can become a major undertaking.

This amazing piece of machinery which makes our lives so convenient is just one thing that allows us to lose touch with our need for community. We are busy people with schedules to keep. We know how long it takes to get from where we are to where we’re going, and stopping along the way to pick up others is not in our schedules. Thousands of people lose touch simply because we cannot be bothered to car pool.

It is important to remember that in the midst of our independence is our deep need for community. This not only means that we need to think about how we use this gift, but it also demands that we consider our personal etiquette regarding other drivers on the road. When we forget this, our car and, by extension, our very selves can become sources of oppression.

It is always important to remember who and whose we are. Luther reminds us that we are in the world but not of it.

Prayer

Lord, by our very lifestyles we proclaim our relationship with you and our earthly family. Help us always to remember that we do not live in isolation from the rest of the world. We need and depend on their presence in our lives and gifts of creation. Amen.