Sermon for Wednesday of Week 2: Change

Psalm 105:1-11, 37-45
Jeremiah 30:12-22
John 12:35-43

Today’s texts speak of changing times and conflict. Psalm 105 reminds us to praise God for all of God’s many deeds and recalls that God’s promises are reliable. God saw the pain of God’s people. God brought them out of slavery before so there is no reason to doubt that God can and will do it again. From Jeremiah we hear of a people who have forgotten to walk with God and are in the midst of the punishing Babylonian exile. Yet God’s intent is for the people to rebuild their holy city and their relationship with God.

Jesus calls us to believe in the light, saying he is the Light of the World, while we have it. It will be easier to believe now than it might be later. Yet even though the people have witnessed the acts of his ministry: little things, like the raising of Lazarus from the dead, not to mention sight restored to the blind, water changed into wine, the healing of a cripple, and a few other minor things, they still find it difficult to believe. There is no getting around it, changing the way we think and live is hard.

We look back to the 1600’s when Galileo published that the earth was not the center of the universe, and we laugh at the Church’s unwillingness to accept it. After all, we now believe that the sun is the center of our solar system, and that it is only one of many solar systems, right? Yet, we continue to talk of the four corners of the earth. Many of us still read our horoscopes. We talk about the sun rising and the moon setting. These are all statements and beliefs that are determined by a flat earth at the center of the universe. Change is difficult and challenging.

We find ourselves in the midst of changing times today, and we are tempted to withdraw and disconnect from this rapidly changing world. There is no other time in history that has changed so fast. This, however, is the time we live in, and these changing times challenge us in our lives, ethically and faithfully.

To live in constant change is frustrating. One never knows from day to day what is reliable. It used to be that cable TV was nice, but if your budget was tight, you used the antenna and put up with a little snow and maybe even ghost images. Even that has gotten more difficult. Today we live with satellite dishes, hi-def, and high-speed internet. We stream, we tweet, and we Google everything. Everything is in flux. Because of all of this change, many psychologists claim that there is a stronger natural desire for nostalgic reminiscence than in previous generations. And though it is a natural desire, unless we want to intentionally separate ourselves from our culture and our world, we need to fight to stay abreast of the change.

An article from a year or so ago said that if we want to speak to our children, we have to learn the ways of their changing world. And this was the hard part for me.

Children don’t know any other way, and so they accept the world as it is with all of the possibilities that technology offers. People who are 18 to 35 develop and learn the new technologies. Thirty-five to fifty-five year olds pick and choose areas of change they want to keep up with. Fifty-six year olds and older depend on what they have learned to live into the future, learning only what they have to in order to get by.

This article concerns me because the largest percentage of people worshipping in main line churches (some statistics show greater than 70%) today are over the age of fifty. Yet greater than 40% of the American population is under the age of thirty. These statistics leave little room for that 31 to 49 years age group. If you happen to live there, thank you for being here because your age group is the barometer for how much change is likely to take place in any given group.

With this in mind, I sometimes wonder, can the church continue to proclaim the gospel to those who come after us in a world that continues to advance at such a rapid rate? Or, are we fading into the darkness? Can we proclaim God’s living word without fully participating in this technologically changing world? Or is technology not part of Christ’s way of light? How can and should we involve ourselves in this technology faithfully? What do these questions mean for us and the way we do worship and honor the sacred in our lives?

There was a time when community beliefs were unchallenged within the community itself, but with so much information instantly at our fingertips, will the center hold?

Shortly after 9/11, Stanley Hauerwas was asked, how he thought we would live now that the world was forever changed by the destruction of the trade towers? His response continues to give me hope. He said, “First we have to understand that the world was forever changed 2000 years ago on Easter Sunday. Our task today is to consider how that change effects our reaction to these events.”

If we can remember to keep the life changing event of the cross and empty tomb before us, then our continued challenge to walk together, learning from one another those things that will proclaim the good news of God’s living word among us will be made easier. If that event that changed the world can continually be the center of how we react to the changes around us, then considering how to use this technology for the glory of God instead of personal frustration shifts our reasons for learning and development. Then our walk together in faith will be in the light with a clear vision of where we are going and not stumblings in the darkness. Can you tweet that?

Day 13: Wednesday, Week 2—Crash

Jeremiah 30:12-22; Psalm 105:1-11, 37-45; John 12:36-43

Working on a sermon about Jacob and Esau, I thought I had a great sermon illustration. It depended on an old routine of the Smothers Brothers. What I was trying to reclaim from the story was, “Mom always liked you best. She gave you a dog, and all I got was a chicken.” But I needed to rehear the whole thing. I didn’t have the sound track, but I could get it from a nearby library.

After picking up the disk, as I drove, I was listening and laughing and maybe was not paying as much attention as I should have. As I turned into an intersection, I saw this truck that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. I started to brake, then realized that braking meant certain impact. I stepped on the gas and almost avoided the collision. Suddenly I was spinning around in the intersection, glass breaking, tires squealing. When I stopped, I was looking at a very crumpled Dodge Dakota.

My wife and I were okay. I got out to check on those in the other vehicle. The driver was fine, but very irate. The impact equipment in our cars had done what it was deigned to do. Yet, my Pontiac Vibe didn’t look so good. In the end, our car was taken to the body shop where they were able, after several weeks, to restore my car to its almost original condition.

Today, we read in Jeremiah that the faults of the people are great. The hurt is incurable, there is no medicine for the wound. The people are not able to repair the relationship with God. Yet, God chooses to do the work of reparation. God chooses to forgive and restore God’s relationship with the people. The relationship will not go without remembering the past, but it will be restored in a way that will allow God’s people to continue to walk with God. It will almost be like new. Once again, Israel will be God’s people and God will be with them.

I was relieved that no one was injured because of the accident and overjoyed with the help of insurance to drive my Vibe home after the trip to the body shop.

Prayer
Lord, we do not always put you first in our lives, we break your statutes damaging our relationship with you and our neighbors. Thank you for your gift of compassion and forgiveness. Without it we would be wrecks. Amen

Day 12: Tuesday, Week 2—By Faith

Genesis 22:1-19; Psalm 105:1-11, 37-45; Hebrews 11:1-19

Most of us reading these thoughts have ancestors who came to this country by faith. Grandpa Heide came from Denmark to Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 1898 at the invitation of his older brother, Martinus. He came, not knowing English, not prepared for the job he felt called to do. What he came with was faith, in God and in himself.

Grandpa arrived in this country with $13.00 in his pocket and a job on a farm that paid $1.00 a year plus room, board, and English lessons. Later he went to work for the Simmons Company in Kenosha where he became a machinist.

Martinus, who worked for Mr. Jeffrey in Racine at a bicycle shop, asked my grandfather if he would like to help them work on a new automobile? For two years, Grandpa worked eleven hours a day at Simmons. Then he got on his bicycle and rode to South Racine. They built an automobile in 1902 called it the Rambler.

Grandpa once told me that when you know what God has called you to do, you have to do everything you can to make that happen. Otherwise, you devalue yourself and you deny God.

He knew that what he was called to do couldn’t happen in Denmark. He came to the opportunities and possibilities of this country because of his faith in God and confidence in himself. I am sure that many of you have similar stories in your history.

No matter how we have gotten here today, it is because of the faith of others. Without their witness, we would not know the story that has changed our lives in Baptism. Therefore, we journey together at this time to again bear witness to the death of Christ on the cross on Good Friday and the miracle of the empty tomb on Easter Sunday, proclaiming God’s work in history and in our lives. For Abraham’s calling is important to witness, but it is no less than God’s calling of us today. “Listen, listen, God is calling, to the world inviting,” us to ways as yet unknown.

Prayer
In the stillness of the night, in the busyness of our days, you continue to call and lead us, O Lord. In the hectic clatter of our lives may we take time to listen. Amen

Day 11: Monday, Week 2—Nothing Left to Lose

Genesis 21:1-7; Hebrews 1:8-12

The first truck I owned was a hunk of junk. Many parts had been replaced. The speedometer didn’t work; even the radio was out of commission. There were holes in the floorboards you could fall through. There was more Bondo than steel on the body; and I used piano wire to hold the sides of the bed together enough to get the tail gate to latch. The mirror frames were so rusted that strapping tape held the mirrors in place. I called it Bobby McGee, because “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose;” or so I thought.

I knew the day had come to replace the truck the day. I rolled over a rough railroad crossing. While sitting at the next stop light, I noticed a man running up alongside of the cars that were stopped. He was waving and holding something in his hand.

As he came alongside of me, he slapped the side of my truck to get my attention. In his other hand, he had a foot square piece of metal.

“If you’re going to drive a piece of junk like this,’ he said, ‘at least have the decency to go back and pick up the pieces you leave behind. This thing is a menace to any one driving behind you.”

He handed me the piece of my truck that had fallen off when I bumped over the railroad crossing and went back to his car. That night I started looking in the classifieds for another truck.

Hebrews reminds us that earthly things are corruptible; trucks may come and trucks may go, but God’s authoritative word and promise is forever.

Prayer

Lord, we give you thanks for your constancy and your eternal caring. In your righteousness we are perfected and in your kingdom we live in your own time forever. Amen

SignPost Monday to Wednesday, Week 2—Price of Freedom

Psalm 105:1-11, 37-45

When I was young, we had a 1951 Nash Ambassador. In my memory, this is still one of the most amazing cars. The front seat backs folded down flat creating, with the back seat, a queen-sized bed. A platform hooked onto the back of the front seat creating a playpen in the back. Screens tied onto the front windows for insect free ventilation. A small light plugged into the cigar lighter for bedtime stories. Part of the mystique of the car was that it was the last car my dad, who had died in 1953, had driven. It was just my sister, my mom, and me; and we fit quite nicely in that car. Okay, I’ll say it. “They don’t make cars like that anymore.”

Eventually I grew too big for it. We moved into a station wagon in 1960. Eventually we bought a small Apache camper that pulled behind the car.

The day after school was out, mom packed us into the car. We headed out in our mobile classroom for campgrounds and historical sites, national parks and geography. There were Revolutionary and Civil War battlegrounds. Each year there were days of relaxed swimming and hiking to help us understand the magnificence of this great nation we call the United States.

One year we visited Valley Forge and the home of Paul Revere. We heard about battles and all of the people who died in the Revolutionary War. We learned how the war was almost lost several times because the soldiers were under-equipped: the soldiers suffered from frostbite necessitating amputation of feet because they had no shoes, they ran out of shot and gunpowder, and their teeth fell out from malnutrition. It’s no wonder those farmer-soldiers wanted to go back to their farms in the spring to plant the fields and forget the horror of war. Here too, spirits of the past traveled with us in present time.

It is easy to gloss over the hard times of life when we don’t actually have to participate in it. Fourth of July fire works are beautiful, but each explosion should remind us of the armaments used in battle that make the spectacle possible. With the remembrance of the armaments, we should remember the lives that were lost because of their use. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t celebrate, but maybe more prayer is needed.

In this reading of Psalm 105, we praise God for God’s constancy. Maybe we should recall the history verses in the middle. Let’s also remember the price of faithful living. There will be times of sacrifice, death, physical slavery and enslavement to sin, and times of uncertainty. God walks with us then too. Remember, Easter is coming, but Good Friday comes first. There is no resurrection without death.

Prayer

Lord, we are quick to celebrate our victories without always remembering the costs. Help us to remember the faithful people who have stood firm in the faith, even to giving their lives so that we might know your way for us today. Chiefly, we  give thanks that you chose to walk among us. May we have courage to walk with you to the cross for the sake of the world. Amen

Second Sunday of Lent—Are We Running Out of Gas?

As you look at the dashboard, there are a couple of gauges that always draw my attention. They are above one another in our current car. One of these gauges is the temperature gauge and the other is the fuel gauge. It is interesting to me that these two gauges are so close because they are related to one another.

If your engine is cold, your fuel economy is poor. If your engine gets too hot, it will also lose its fuel economy. What is important to know is the proper running temperature for your vehicle. The other thing to know is how many gallons your tank holds. Keeping track of these two gauges will help you keep your car on the road and guard against engine troubles that may or may not show up on what we familiarly call the idiot lights. They also tell us when we need to visit the gas or service station for work that we might need. There are other things that we can do to help maintain our cars so that they perform at the top of their efficiency levels making sure that our fuel supply lasts as long as possible and that our air remains clean.

I think that it might be helpful to have these kinds of gauges for our faith lives. Are we running cold and inefficient? Or, are we running on empty? Do we need to exercise our faith more in order to warm up the faith engine of our lives? Do we need to get filled up so that we have the energy to do the work that needs to be done?

The temperature word in Scripture is passion. Sometimes compound elements are added. For instance, we see that Jesus had com-passion for people. We also see that his temperature gauge gets very hot when he throws the money-changers and merchants out of the temple. We see his passion in his teachings and his actions and we, with the people of his time, marvel at what he can do.

We celebrate with those who are healed by Jesus’ touch of com-passion. We receive wholeness from him from his passion of the Cross when we hear those words, that make us justified with God, “Father, forgive then for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23: 34 NRSV) And, ironically, as Jesus is filled with the Holy Spirit after baptism when the heavens are opened, so we are filled with the joy of the resurrection when we witness the emptiness of the tomb on Easter morning.

We come to the building of the church to meet with others in Bible study and other meetings in order to check our communal and personal running temperature. We come to hear and study God’s word for us and discern Christ’s passion-ate and com-passionate leading so that our temperature gauges register active and efficient distribution of our spiritual fuel, that is, the means of grace and com-passion. In doing this, we recognize that the spiritual fuel energy is not our own but something that needs to be used with spiritual passion for adequate power and efficiency.

We also come to the building of the church for times of worship when we are filled with the vision for the journey and the road ahead, understanding that what we have been given must be given away. For grace, unlike gasoline, increases as it is used.

So it is that the words of forgiveness continue to satisfy us and the meal of Christ’s presence continues to feed us with an abundance that has leftovers for the world in their elements and the service of our lives.

Like so many things in life, it is important to know where the service stations are, both for getting work done and filling the tank. It is also important to properly identify the correct gauge. It does no good to mix up your gauges.

As I pulled out of the driveway one morning, I noticed that I was almost out of gas. Two miles later, I was comforted by noticing that the indicator read half full. It was not until I got to the gas station that I remembered that I had filled the tank the day before, and I had been reading the temperature not the fuel gauge.

So we need to remember that action in ministry helps to keep our passion temperature up while there are times when we in worship come to be filled and informed about the journey ahead of us. Reading the gauge of our spiritual engines is important because we need to get moving and get warmed up, and we need to know when to get filled up. We, therefore, have opportunities for learning from our teacher in Bible study and times for worshipping our God. We need both for proper operation in the kingdom of God.

Prayer of the Day

O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life. Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

AT CROSS PURPOSES

THE SON TIMES
The Gateway Gospel of Destiny

AT CROSS PURPOSES

by Marc Yul Angelou

Dateline: Caesarea Philippi, February 25, 2018, 08:31:09:01--Since John Dunker’s arrest and subsequent demise, Jesse Benjo has intensified his itinerant teaching and advocacy. These actions have brought challenges from temple and government offices alike.

Failing any indication that Benjo has ever had any medical training, some allege Benjo is practicing medicine without a license. To date, many have claimed that Benjo has healed them of psychic trauma, leprosy, deafness, and blindness. One of those cured was a paralytic man who thought some friends had kidnapped him. Then they lowered him through a roof where Benjo spoke words over him, and he was healed. Although it was against his will, no specific charges have been brought.

Officials have also charged Benjo with fomenting large crowds to action at covert political dinner parties that served, conservatively speaking, some nine thousand people, where, after some healing razzle-dazzle, he spoke about equal rights for all people. He espouses that every person is to be valued as an equal without considering the station or education of the other.

Benjo has gone so far as to say that God does not favor one race above another, that Jewish people are to be an example to the world not superior to the world. Even the emperor has no special status beyond his office of caring for the people of the empire. Some even claim that Benjo is able to control the weather.

His teachings have predictably increased Benjo’s popularity among the people, but they have, in turn, caused critical pushback from religious and government leaders. Our nation’s leadership is concerned about maintaining social order if Benjo continues to be allowed to rampantly run over traditional values.

After a recent closed meeting, Judas Iscariot, a disciple, leaked that Benjo believes the authorities are out to get him. Benjo alerted his disciples that most likely a contract has been taken out on him. Iscariot quoted him as saying, “Life sucks. The movement is really getting organized, and now I am on some most wanted list. It looks like my time is short. Now is the time to rise to the occasion. We cannot let the banner fall. It is clear that some have died for the cause, and others have died because of the systemic rule of terror and associated violence and discontent in our society.”

Unfortunately, conflict in the Benjo camp arose this past week as the political pressure intensifies. Peter, another disciple, who may be particularly hard-headed, is concerned about future Benjo activities. He is encouraging Benjo to give up his service of feeding, of teaching equality to the people, and even of healing anybody who shows up because “it is time to take a more conservative line that supports some of the more influential policy peddlers. In this way, we will gain the support of the status quo and get off the most wanted list.”

In a moment of ire, Benjo responded to Peter, “You are thinking like that Network of Roman Aggression! The NRA expects to find peace through aggression. Aggression is not peace; it is terror and fear. It only serves to depress and oppress the people. What you are suggesting is that I be part of the process of escalating violence and death. I am trying to stop the cycle of violence.

“While we debate what my role should be, people are dying in the streets. If you want to follow me, then get behind me. How do you think that you can be a follower when you continue to work at controlling the agenda? We are at cross purposes.

“We always knew that crossing the Roman authority meant the possibility of death. If I have to die trying to stop the violence, then I will die; and I will depend on all of you to forgive the people who make it happen, even the government and the penal system that brings it about. It is time to take those symbols of death, like the cross, and repurpose them for bringing life.

“In doing this, we will be able to raise up those whom the government despises and bring honor even to the blind. This will mean putting the needs of others before yourselves, but if we are to have a better life, then it will be that kind of concern that will make the difference. I tell you today, if we can learn to stop the violence and care for others, then there are some of you here today that will witness a new life in peace that does not depend on fear and military might.”

Day 10: Saturday, Week 2—Like a Truck

Genesis 16:7-15; Mark 8:27-30

As a pastor, at the end of catechesis, I have my students create a faith statement. Two young men had sat together every class. Because they often challenged my patience, I was interested in seeing what they had created. Each handed me a very short statement. One said, “I believe that Chevys are better than Fords.” The other said, “I believe that Fords are better than Chevys.”

I told them that they might both be right. I also reminded them that this statement was to be about their relationship with God, not their trucks and suggested they try again. With grins, they each handed me another statement each had prepared.

Today, we see Peter making a statement about who Jesus is. His statement is not only a claiming of Jesus’ identity, but it is a statement that claims his relationship with Jesus as well.

If I may paraphrase the second statements of the two young men, “The relationship I have with God is a relationship of trust that God will be with me in the good times and pull me out of the times when I’m stuck. God will be with me at school, when I’m dating, and when I’m working on the farm, sort of like my ____ truck.”

They had more to say than that, and, unfortunately, I don’t actually remember the really good stuff, but seriously, have you ever thought of your vehicle in that way? Who do you say that this Jesus is, and how does that claim your relationship with Christ?

Prayer

Lord, you indeed are the Messiah, the Christ, the redeemer of the world. May we know your presence always and reflect your love in all that we say and do. Amen

Day 9: Friday, Week 2—Uncle Clint

Genesis 16:1-6; Romans 4:1-12

Shortly after our marriage, it was time to take the “family tour” to visit my wife’s family members who hadn’t been able to come for our wedding. We headed out for Missouri in our 1967 Rambler American to make the great “meet and greet”.

Our first stop was at Uncle Clint’s and Aunt Mary’s. Uncle Clint had lost his eyesight a number of years earlier; I had recently gotten my sight back. Upon arriving, Uncle Clint took us on a tour of the house. Later we had a lovely supper. Uncle Clint and I talked long after Aunt Mary and my new bride went to bed.

As we told stories, we laughed. We laughed so hard that we woke Aunt Mary who came out to check on us. “Clint, don’t you think you’ve told enough stories? I think you need to let Peter get some sleep before tomorrow. You forget that because you can’t see that the sun will be up soon.” Uncle Clint looked out the west window and said, “Oh yeah, I think I see it coming.”

I really felt welcomed there. There were almost 60 years between us, but Mary and Clint were great hosts. Were we welcomed before we got there or afterwards? They didn’t -even know me yet, but the welcome mat was out; supper was ready; the bed was already waiting. After our visit, they invited us to come again. Was it the common understanding of living blind that had made our stay so much fun, or were they just open, welcoming people?

Like Abraham’s righteousness it was a both before and after event. And so we come to worship: in states of grace and in states of sinfulness; saint and sinner—welcomed before repentance and blessed with forgiveness. Each time, we are invited to return. Oh yeah, supper is ready.

Prayer

Lord we give you thanks for your open arms of welcome and caring. Dressed in your righteousness, may we walk with you, welcoming others as we have been welcomed. Amen

Day 8: Thursday, Week 2—Tom

Genesis 15:1-6, 12-18; Psalm 22:23-26; Romans 3:21-31

Tom was one of my best friends. We grew up together. When I announced that I was going to seminary, he said, “It’s about time.” We talked about many things, but often, especially just before he died, was faith. He claimed he had none, and he wanted it. He would often call me and say, “Each day I pray for faith, but I don’t get any.”

I tried to tell him that the prayer by itself was an act of faith, but that didn’t help. One day, in exasperation, I started to point out the kind of faith he had. I told him that every time he got in the car he had faith—trusting that drivers would stay in the lane they were supposed to, that they would stop when they saw red lights on the traffic signals; etc. He trusted that we could be in relationship with one another, at one, in acknowledging certain rights and privileges of those around us for the sake of peaceful and orderly living. And, when those rights and privileges were violated we had a set of punishments and compensations that might be mandated in order to restore orderly, if not amicable relationships. This trust is the basis of faith.

The first few times we leave home in the car and make it home safely, we feel great accomplishment. We might even flash our driver license unnecessarily, but, after awhile, driving is just part of who we are. Faith is a little like that.

For centuries, our relationship with God was based on law. There were rules, and everyone who lived under the covenant tried to obey the rules to prove their relationship with God. But no one was able to. Being in a right relationship with God and all of God’s people was too much. At some point, we always put ourselves first at the expense of someone else, violating our relationships with others.

No matter how hard humanity tried and tries, we keep getting it wrong, so, God chose to reveal God’s self in the person of Jesus Christ, who chose to live in our world of rules, teaching a better way: a way of forgiveness that leads to concern for the other. Ultimately, this model of living became so dangerous that humanity decided that Jesus had to go. Yet, even on the cross, Jesus showed us what forgiveness could do and, on Easter morning, rose from the dead opening a world of relationship that focused on a world that was not based on winning, but a trust in God’s willingness and ability to love and receive us in spite of ourselves.

That love did not mean that the law could be set-aside, only that it was not the determining factor for being received and loved. After all, we still need to be able to drive with some degree of confidence that the other idiots are going to do what they are supposed to do. Still, greater than the law is God’s intention for us to be saved. That message from God is revealed in God’s word made flesh for us and continued through the work of the Holy Spirit.

The question is not whether or not you can claim worthiness; it depends on God claiming you as worthy. If it’s about our worthiness, we’re sunk. Fortunately, it’s about Christ’s worthiness and his willingness to embrace us. That’s a done deal.

Prayer

O God, most holy One, you came into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved. Your love extends beyond the few to your whole creation. May we know your presence and the assurance of your love forever. Amen

SignPost Thursday to Sunday, Week 2—Everything is Beautiful

Psalm 22:23-31

I lost my eyesight for the first time when I was nine years old. I was able to see for the second time when I was eighteen. After getting my sight back, I discovered that psychologically seeing was much more difficult than not seeing.

One of the things I discovered when I got my sight back is that beauty is learned. It doesn’t take long to learn the difference between what is beautiful and what is not (i.e. what is ugly), but still beauty and ugliness are sighted inventions.

Having said that, there a few things that I have seen that have given me a sense of awe and amazement. I have experienced a visceral reaction of wonder and peace, with the wish that I could preserve what I saw for the future.

One day, driving on Freedom Road, I came over a rise and started to turn. As I turned, I happened to look over the edge of the hill. There I saw this picturesque valley. There was a haze rising like a fragile cloud. The sun was shining through, illuminating a variegated green valley. A tractor was pulling a wagon on the farm road, and trees framed a farmhouse and barn. What an amazing picture of abundance for the world.

I parked the truck and stopped to look for almost fifteen minutes. Not another vehicle passed. When I realized that I had parked in the middle of the road, I decided that I should move along. I got back into the truck and drove to my next appointment, thanking God for the beauty of our earthly easel. Truly God has done it all!

Prayer

Lord, by your word you speak abundance and peace. Help us tell the story of abundance for all people. Amen

Sermon for the second Wednesday in Week 1: Got Up and Went

Proverbs 30:1-9; Psalm 77:9, 12-14; Matthew 4:1-11These texts are real to us. All of us have gotten to that place of “I can’t do another thing.” Or, as my mom used to say, “My get up and go has got up and went.” Too tired and exhausted to care whether the task ever gets done, we just stop. The task will have to wait until later; after rest and food. We revert to that childish needful place where we need to be cared for, there’s just nothing left.

I struggle with altitude sickness when I am in the mountains, so the first few days of back packing in the Big Horns is always a struggle. After a day or two, though, I perk up and really enjoy the scenery, the wildlife, and the sense of accomplishment that comes from living a more simplified lifestyle. There is something good about getting back to basics. Food, shelter, physical exertion, and the rest that comes from carrying everything you need on your back.

Still there are those moments when one wonders, “What the heck was I thinking?” One of those times was a cold and rainy day. We had started the day walking in snow. By ten o’clock the snow had become drizzle. At noon the sun had peaked out but the temperatures were still in the fifties. We had soup for lunch just to get some heat in us. About two o’clock, we could see where we were going to camp, but the incline just seemed to be endless. Finally, we got there.

By this time the rain had started again and we figured that it would be snow by morning. I sat down on a rock, dropped my pack and huddled inside my poncho. I was done in.

The friend I was backpacking with went out to find wood. He set up the tent and somewhere outside that cocoon I called self, the fragrance of food drifted to me.

I began to hope for better days again. Almost too tired to eat, Daryl served me a plate of mashed potatoes, sausage and cheese sauce; cups of hot coffee and hush puppies with syrup. It is still one of the best meals I have eaten.

Daryl did the dishes that night, and as I climbed into my sleeping bag, warmed from the inside out by the food and from the outside in by the campfire, I gave thanks for good friends. Tomorrow was a long way off, but it was welcomed.

Today we hear those words of weary exhaustion. From the psalmist we hear, “I meditate and my spirit fades. … Will the Lord spurn forever and never again be favorable?” From Proverbs we hear, “Thus says the man: I am weary, O God, I am weary, O God. How can I prevail?” From Matthew we hear that at a time of being famished, he is tempted to think of himself and make his ministry about himself and not about creation.

In all of these instances we are reminded that  remember who and whose we are can bring us hope, even in those times of exhausted despair; when our get up and go has got up and went. The Psalmist, in grief, recalls the deeds of the Lord who leads the people out of the misery of Egypt by the hand of Moses and Aaron. From Proverbs we hear

Every word of God proves true;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”

Jesus reminds us that we need to remember to love God and serve God alone. That turns our weariness of self-preservation and isolation into hopeful care for the world.

It is in this time of outward looking that makes it possible to receive the ministry of angels. If we look only to ourselves we wither away, but outside of ourselves there is this gift that God has given us; the gift of community and caring for one another.

It is this outward direction of Jesus’ ministry ironically that thwarts Satan’s plans. For in serving God alone, Jesus will not find food for himself, but food for five thousand one time and four thousand another. We will not see him on the pinnacle of the temple, but we will see him raised up on the cross. And as far as the people of the world worshipping him? We gather with thousands, maybe millions tonight to hear these words.

When our get up and go has got up and went, when everything in the world seems like it’s about us, we are reminded to remember the words from Proverbs 30:4.

Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
  Who has gathered the wind in the hollow of the hand? 

Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? 

Who has established all the ends of the earth?

What is the person’s name? 

And what is the name of the person’s child?

Surely you know! 

Day 7: Wednesday, Week 1—NASCAR

Proverbs 30:1-9; Matthew 4:1-11

A few years ago, I heard an interview that intrigued me. “Why do you think that NASCAR racing has become so popular?”

The interviewee (I wish I could give him credit) said something like, “Well, in part, because cars are safer than they have ever been. Everyone who has a driver license feels like they can participate in this sport. With in-car cameras, viewers, in some way, identify with the drivers, and they see themselves behind the wheel. NASCAR is becoming the national sport because we all drive.”

I first heard the Rev. Dr. Dan Olson (Wartburg Theological Seminary) speak about the primal fears of humankind—starvation, a fear of falling, and insignificance as being the framework of Jesus’ temptations. The temptations are not just metaphors of temptations in general; these temptations for Christ are real.

The great popularity of racing tempts us to think about at least two of these temptations. Falling, as in the risk of an accident, and fame associated with racing tempt us, psychologically, to imagine ourselves as challengers of those primal fears whenever we get behind the wheel. We may think that modern safety equipment will save us no matter what so we recklessly test those systems. Fans often gather at sports bars, over-consume, and then get behind the wheel of their cars depending on God’s intervention alone to get them home safely.

Jesus’ words to Satan are cautionary for us today. When we are tempted to depend on mechanical technology for our safety, we need to hear these words for us. Jesus said, “…It is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test, [and] worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”

Prayer

Lord, temptation challenges us each and everyday. Strengthen us for your service, for our own safety and the welfare of others. Amen

Day 6: Tuesday, Week 1—There’s No Place like Home

Job 5:8-27; 1 Peter 3:8-18a

With all the travel I have done, there is something wonderful about coming home to Wisconsin. There were places along the way that were nice to visit but coming home to Wisconsin was the best.

Here we have four seasons, not too hot in the summer, not too cold in the winter; enough snow for sports and recreation, but not so much that we need to build a second story entrance. We have plenty of water, hills enough with the Baraboo range, glaciated plains, and the great driftless woodlands. In fall, the leaves have great color; spring is brilliant with wild flowers and gardens. And trees grow on their own! If you’re not from Wisconsin, I’m sure you have good reasons for calling where you live home too, but Wisconsin is where I belong.

At the end of the camping season, we would pack everything into the empty side of the garage. Our tent was safe; life was good; and, when we counted up, our blessings were overflowing.

We may complain about the weather and other aspects of home as if they are the plagues of Job; but, if you don’t like the weather, the sun will come out tomorrow (or maybe the next day). And for the other complaints, I just need to reread paragraph two above.

In our faith lives, we oftentimes take trips to other places, but it is good to know that at the end of the day we can rest at home, secure in God’s arms. In the world of migration, it is good to know that your tent is safe and so are you.

Just a note: The writer of Job must have been a proto-Lutheran. For, “See, we have searched this out; it is [most certainly] true.”

Prayer

Lord, we look for you in so many places, only to discover that you have been here all of the time. May we always know your presence in the abundance of your love. Amen

Day 5: Monday, Week 1—Mount Rushmore

Job 4:1-21; Ephesians 2:1-10

On a family trip out West in our 1965 Ambassador station wagon, we stopped at Mount Rushmore. We were road weary. The temperatures had been in the 90s, and we didn’t have AC. It was well past noon and we were hungry. We needed time to stretch and eat. But wait, we wanted to see the park, visit the tourist center, and see the monument.

We grabbed a cooler with food and started the trek. There was time to eat before the next showing of the documentary describing Gutzon Borglum’s dream and achievement. After hearing the documentary. we walked out onto the viewing deck, and, with so many others, we put coins in the telescope to view the monument itself.

What amazed me in the telling of the story was both the work it took to make the sculpture in the first place and the work it takes to maintain the sculpture after it was completed. It had been only a rock face at one time, and now the faces of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt were revealed for all the world to see. Something incredibly common became something marvelously remarkable because of the vision of one man.

In Ephesians, we find that God’s vision for us also takes the common and makes us marvelously remarkable. This revelation is not something that God creates and then leaves. God continues to repair and shape us through the gift of grace. Surely this is not our own work but a gift—we are what God has made us in Jesus Christ—monuments of wonder for the world.

Prayer

Lord, you have made us a little lower than the angels; and you continue to walk with us, caring for us, forgiving us, and leading us. Thank you for your constant care. Amen

SignPost Monday to Wednesday, Week 1—Thanksgiving

Psalm 77

It was Thanksgiving break at seminary. I could go home to Madison, ninety miles, as soon as I handed in a paper. I had stayed up most of the previous night finishing the paper. Now I needed to proof read and print the darn thing.

Although there was a snowstorm coming from the west, as I handed the paper in and went back to my apartment to shower and pack a few things, the sun was still shining. I wasn’t overly concerned about the storm. When I got into the car and started for home, I felt good. My work was done for the weekend. I had even taken a few extra minutes to do some cleaning before I left.

As I left, I looked out to the west and thought that maybe I should have left sooner. The roads were still dry, however, and, although the clouds looked ominous, I would be driving away from the storm. Along the way, I stopped for a burger and some much-needed coffee. The first flakes of snow started to fall before I was halfway home. In the next few minutes, the weather couldn’t decide what it was going to do. There was thunder and lightning with freezing rain, then there was sleet that changed back to rain. The road was still good, but it was getting slushy. Ten more miles and it decided to start snowing for serious.

It was very wet snow that sticks to the wipers and headlights. Slowly the road started to disappear. I slowed down. The road was getting slippery. I couldn’t see the difference between the road and the ditch. I noticed that not only were the wipers clogging, but also the windshield was fogging up. I turned up the heat and the fan on the defroster. Then I noticed that the car was getting colder.

At an overpass, I stopped to check the radiator and discovered that the thermostat had died. I cleared the wipers and the windshield and wiped off the lights. Again, the windshield started fogging. I found a bunch of napkins left from lunch and started wiping the inside of the windshield. I had been down shifting; finally, I was in first gear, traveling about 5 mph with my flashers on. I kept thinking that I was going to go into the ditch then I would see another reflector pole and then another mile marker. I kept thinking, “God, I hope you know where I am because I haven’t a clue.

I planned on stopping at the next town. “Thank God,” I thought when I finally saw lights on the horizon. As the lights got brighter, I noticed that the snow was letting up. Suddenly I could see the road and, with great amazement, I saw that I was in the middle of my lane. Soon the snow had stopped, and I drove safely into Madison for Thanksgiving.

“Next time,” I thought, “I’m going to wait longer or start earlier.” In the meantime, I was glad to be alive. I felt delivered from truly distressful circumstances.

Prayer

Lord, how small our accomplishments seem when compared to the forces of your world. Yet, you have chosen to save us, even from our own foolishness so we give you thanks for your handiwork and compassion. Amen

First Sunday of Lent—Spare Tire

Driving down the road one day, I thought, “We need to get the tire pressure on the spare tire checked.” We’d owned the car for almost seven years. I thought I probably had not checked the pressure in four years. It seemed important that day, because the tires we were driving were, if not bald, inadequate for any kind of heavy driving. Lincoln’s head not only was seen clearly when you put the penny in the tread, there was room for his stove pipe hat.

Remembering that day, I started wondering if we practice and think about faith like the spare tires in our cars. They are both something reassuring to have in the background or trunk, but often neither is regularly thought of or even cared for.

We tend to use our faith as part of a routine, something that we do without thinking. It is operating in the background, something we might miss if it were gone, but not a regularly thought of activity. (Did I brush this morning, or didn’t I?) Do we give our faith and spare tires the kind of care they deserve and need, or do we wait until crisis time has arrived and then wonder if there is any air in the spare?

In the old days, the spare would get put into the standard tire rotation pattern. It was checked at least a couple times a year. With the introduction of radials, that all changed. Now it is shown to us when we buy the car, but do we really pay any attention to it after that?

In many ways, I think that our faith in Lent is like that spare tire. We think about our faith and the lives of the community of believers when it is time to baptize our children, sometimes when we gather at weddings and funerals of loved ones. We are reminded of it especially at Christmas, and maybe even Easter, but we wrap our faith within so much family celebration that the faith part fades into the background like the spare tire we are shown at the time of the car sale. The debris of our lives can cover Lent just as the blankets, car supplies, and sports equipment in the back of the car hide the spare.

There was a time when Lent was a more functional part of our faith lives. It was rotated into the regular pattern of our faith living. It gave us extra opportunities for learning about our faith practices and gave us time for examining our lives. It was a time for faith communities to think about where they had been and where they needed to go. Lent gave us space and time to check the air in the spare because we were aware that you never knew when the road would get rough and a nasty thorn, a spike, or three, might spear through the side wall of your tire causing a crisis along the road. Then, without a spare, what happens?

We all know that even with modern tires that the spare will always be necessary. It just isn’t overly used for normal driving. Lent, however, continues to invite us into a time of learning and faithful self and communal reflection. Lent continues to ponder Christ’s time of temptation, teachings, and willingness to go to the cross for us. Lent continues to be a time for knowing Christ’s leading through the Spirit, God’s pneuma breath. It is our time in faith to check the air in the spare—to be prepared for the crisis of the tomb and know the reassurance of the resurrection.

Prayer of the Day

Holy God, heavenly Father, in the waters of the flood you saved the chosen, and in the wilderness of temptation you protected your Son from sin. Renew us in the gift of baptism. May your holy angels be with us, that the wicked foe may have no power over us, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Day 4: Saturday, Week 1—Follow Me

Matthew 9:2-13

Driving through northern Illinois one beautiful spring afternoon, I was busy noticing tractors in the fields, flocks of birds flying north, the green of spring grass along the road. I was not paying attention to the signs warning of road construction ahead. Suddenly I realized that the line of cones in the road meant that I was not going to get on the bypass around Rockford. Getting off at the exit, I decided that I could find my way through Rockford.

Minutes later, I was hopelessly lost amid one way streets all going the wrong direction. The quality of housing deteriorated as I came to one business park after another. Finally I happened upon a shipping yard of a company that looked still active.

At the office, I asked for directions back to the Interstate. “Where are you headed?” the manager asked me.

When I responded, “East of Elgin,” he said, “There’s been a big accident up there. Let me think about how you should go.”

A truck driver picking up papers said, “He’ll never find his way out of here if he doesn’t know the roads.” Looking at me, he said, “Follow me. I’m going to Elgin. You know your way from there, right?” As I pulled in behind him and followed through the maze of one-way streets onto Highway 20, I was truly grateful for his guiding.

Today we find Matthew lost in the predicament of being a tax collector; subject to government officials for particular sums, needing to make a living, and despised by the people from whom he collected the taxes. Clearly, all of his roads were one-way going the wrong direction. Into this mess, Jesus says, “Follow me.”

Prayer

Lord, we are tempted to find our own ways, and then we get lost. Thank you for showing us the way to your kingdom. Amen

SignPost Saturday 1—I’m Late

Psalm 32

It was one of those days. I was running late for a doctor’s appointment forty-five miles away.

We had just gotten new tires on the car. Clearly this was the time to discover how well they performed. As we came through some sweeping turns at a slightly elevated speed, we were impressed by the gripping action of the new tires.

Then I noticed blue flashing lights behind us. As the squad car pulled in behind us, I pulled out my wallet and reached into the glove box for our registration. I thought, “I hope this doesn’t take too long. Maybe I can still make the appointment, a little late.”

When I looked up, the officer at my window asked, “Do you know how fast you were going?”

“Not really,” I responded.

She informed me, “I clocked you at 85 around that last 50 mile per hour turn. Are you trying to get to a doctor’s appointment or something?” she asked.

“Yes,” I responded, “I’m running late.” She asked for the doctor’s name and number. She called to confirm that I did indeed have an appointment and informed them that I might be a little late because of an incident on the highway.

Following the call, she said, “I’m giving you an early Christmas present. This is just a warning. The next time I see you on this road, you had better be driving at or below the speed limit. Merry Christmas. I hope your appointment goes well.”

Prayer

Lord, we get so wrapped up in our own lives and then act rashly without concern for safety. We forget your loving hand of care and restraint. Help us be mindful of those around us and to take time in your loving arms. Amen

Day 3: Friday, Week 1—The Ticket

Daniel 9:15-25a; 2 Timothy 4:1-5

We were late so I was trimming time with the accelerator in our 1984 Encore. As I accelerated from the first stop sign, I heard a grinding noise. Was it serious? Did I need to stop immediately or could we go on?

I speeded up; I speeded up more and then decelerated. No noise. Then I heard it again. I pulled into the next driveway to take a look. As I did so, I noticed flashing lights in my rear view mirror.

As I got out of the car to check, the officer told me to get back in and wait. The officer came up and explained to me that he was pulling me over because of erratic driving. “Please step out of the car for a sobriety test.” I explained; he informed; etc., etc..

At traffic court six weeks later, I pleaded my case. “If he was going to stop me for erratic driving and speeding, why didn’t he stop me right away? And, considering extenuating circumstances (I produced the receipt for the torn CV boot repair), could the court show some leniency?” My fine was reduced; fewer points were assessed; but, in the end, I had to plead guilty in order to receive the reduced sentence.

Today, Daniel’s prayer pleads for leniency while recognizing the people’s sin. God responds with restoration to full relationship following a time of accountability. We are all guilty of something, some time. We, however, do need to hold ourselves accountable for what we have done. Then we can ask for leniency and pardon for those things we have done. Aren’t we glad that God is willing to forgive?

Prayer

Lord, there are times when we become so focused on ourselves that we forget about our relationships with you and one another, and so we come seeking mercy. We have sinned against you in thought, word and deed; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. Have mercy on us. Amen

WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR?

THE SON TIMES
The Gateway Gospel of Destiny

What Matters in Your Life an occasional column by Marc Yul Angelou

WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR?

Dateline: Capernaum, February 11, 2018, 09:02:10--Following the great Son and Fun beach party of the year and the exhibition of the new man-thong swim suit, Jesse Benjo seemed to disappear. Last seen leaving the parking lot of the festivities chased by a flock of pigeons reminiscent of Hitchcock’s movie, The Birds, Benjo went underground. Now after almost six weeks of seclusion, Benjo is back and talking about his future.

In an exclusive interview, this reporter reveals what Benjo describes as a life-changing event and a new direction for this exotically popular fashion model.

Following a tip on Benjo’s whereabouts, I caught up with him at a local Cosmic Crossroads Coffee bar across the street from the courthouse where friend and promoter John Dunker was arraigned on charges of regis-slander and character assassination. After a preliminary hearing, Dunker has been bound over for trial without bail.

Sitting together with Double-Down Divine Cosmic cappuccinos, I asked Benjo to tell me where he had been and to tell me a little more about his relationship with Dunker. I was also curious about the charges brought against Dunker and what that might mean for Benjo’s future.

With that mega-watt smile that has been his modelling signature, Benjo said, “Call me Jesse.” And that was the beginning of an afternoon that will be long remembered. The following is a record of the highlights of our time together.

“Where should I begin? Well, you know that John has always been there for me since the beginning. We got together because our parents had some old ties from the neighborhood they grew up in, so we always knew of one another, but later in life our parents moved because of jobs and life in general. Still, they got together with friends and family during the holidays. At those times John and I hung out together because we were about the same age.

“A few years ago, John started doing this promotion thing, and I got a catalog offer for modelling. John seemed to understand what my career could be, and so he got in touch with me asking to represent me. I thought, ‘Why not?’ The rest, you pretty much know.

“John has always been interested in politics, and we talk about it a lot, but nobody paid us much attention until recently.

“John thinks that the moral fiber of our society is rotting away. He thinks that the leadership of our nation is debased, and that power and greed are all that concern our government. He is nostalgic about the days of the republic before the empire. He thinks, and I agree, that the ideals of the republic to serve the public, not just the titled wealthy, is something to reconsider. And now, lately, John has been getting more vocal about his thoughts and presentiments.

“Just before the big beach party, John was interviewed and asked what he thought about the morals of our society. He said something like, ‘The moral fabric of our society is following the national leadership. How can you expect the people to live moral and upright lives when our governmental leaders have no ethics? Just look at Herod’s behavior. He seduces his brother’s wife, cuckolds him, causes a divorce, and then brings her into his household while making eyes at her daughter, her daughter, for crying out loud. Something ugly is going to come out of that situation. Bet on it.’

“That started any number of trumped up charges that John was not allowed to refute, and so now he is in jail, and I have no idea what is going to come of it.

“That night when I was standing out in the water trying to figure out how to get past the cameras with some dignity left me, with nothing to cover me after the thong floated away on the current, John came out with his jacket. He’s always been such a good friend.

“Then suddenly there was that roaring in the sky, and the flock of pigeons falling. I just stood there and thought, ‘What the heck am I doing here?’ It was like the insanity of life just appeared before me, and I had a good look at what I was doing. I mean, I was concerned about coming out of the water with nothing on, as naked as the day I was born, when I had been walking around all day styling the man-thong thing which was not more than a cod piece, and I was worried about nudity?

“There comes a time when one has to really take an accounting of what you want to be remembered for. I decided it was not going to be swim suits. And then this inner voice seemed to call out to me, and I got this great inner peace.

“For the past several weeks I have been wandering around in a vacuum, tempted to go in different directions but each of them seemed as meaningless as swim suit model. I have needed to face my own beast and demons, but there have also been some good angels on my shoulder who have served me well as I began to consider where I am going in the future.

"Today, I think I have found something that is meaningful. I have found peace in myself, and there is some good news in that by itself, but I think I also have some good news to share with my fan base. I think that I am not going to follow in John’s steps, so much as I am going to raise the bar and talk to the best that people can be rather than wallow in the depravity of our world. God knows, there are more than enough demons that we as a society need to exorcise, and none of them are leaving unless someone calls them out.

“There is also the inequality of the world we live in; that is something that needs to be addressed. I hope to speak to the dreamers of the world who are presently living in fear to encourage them to stand in the light, to be counted, and to demand the justice they deserve. We need to find wholeness and healing in order to repair the rent in our social fabric.

“Understand, I am new at this advocacy thing, but I think I can make a difference. Only time will tell what that difference might be.”

After too many cups of Double-Down Divine Cosmics, I thanked Jesse for his time and came away wondering whether Jesse Benjo, who has experienced this new life-changing transformation, can really make the difference for the world he envisions. Stay connected to The Son Times for the latest developments in "What Matters in Your Life".