This is a special musical presentation of Freedom is Coming by the Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan with percussionist Ian Levine.
As we approach yet another election day, issues of truth-telling and freedom are in the forefront of our minds. So, I find it interesting that, on this day, Jesus is speaking to us about truth and freedom. However, Jesus’ words to us regarding truth and freedom could not be more different from the way these concepts are discussed in the news and in present culture.
Today’s passage from John takes place within the context of a dialogue between Jesus and his opponents. Jesus’ opponents are trapped in their sin, trapped in a dead-end life, and they do not believe in him. They do not believe he is the new revelation of God, the truth. The focus of the dialogue is all about Jesus’ identity, it is all about who Jesus is. It is a dialogue of faith that centers around two words – truth and freedom. Jesus says, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” The truth Jesus is talking about is himself. This truth is not just some concept; it is not an abstract idea and it is not the opposite of falsehood. This truth is a real, living person – the person of Jesus, himself, the person who reveals to us the truth of what God is like, the truth that God is a God of love. And, to connect to Jesus and live in his truth is to be set free, set free from unfaith, from a life of living without faith.
Today, we are celebrating the Reformation, a change that took place within the church when Martin Luther discovered something about the truth of Jesus 500 plus years ago. Throughout his struggles and throughout his life, Martin Luther participated in a dialogue of faith. Luther was a man who knew intense inner struggle. Luther was tormented because of his own sinfulness. He was a man who knew the depths of depression. Then, one day as he was studying the passage we heard today in our second reading from Romans, he made a discovery that transformed not only his life, but also the life of the church and, ultimately, our understanding of the gospel. Luther heard the following words as if for the first time and they transformed his entire being. Listen again to these words. ““For there is NO distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift!” Did you hear those words? Justified by his grace AS GIFT! And, who receives that gift? The writer of Romans says, “There is NO distinction – ALL have sinned, and ALL ARE JUSTIFIED BY HIS GRACE AS GIFT!” The Gospel is quite clear. ALL receive the gift! When Martin Luther read those words and truly heard what they were saying, he was so transformed that his new understanding brought change to the world.
It was when Luther made this great discovery about justification by God’s grace as gift that he finally began to understand the truth of Jesus’ identity. He understood that Jesus is the truth, and Jesus reveals to us the truth about God, the truth that God is love. Luther knew his own captivity to sin, and he was very aware of the church’s captivity to sin. Luther also knew he was not able to free himself from bondage to sin. His freedom could only come through Christ.
Becoming truly free is never easy. Luther found out that grace and truth are not cheap. Knowing the truth of Jesus and living in that truth always means facing the cross. And, the cross always means death, death to self, death to systems, death to ideologies, and even death to religious practices when they are not faithful to the Word.
When we face the truth, we ultimately must look at ourselves. We cannot become free from the chains that bind us unless we can honestly face all that holds us in bondage and unless we die to self.
There are all sorts of ways we live in bondage. Not one of us is totally free. We live in bondage to addictions, to competition, to work, to consumerism, to ideologies, to fear, to anxiety, to narcissistic behavior, to any number of things in life. And, quite often the things that hold us captive become a way of running from the pain of life.
Friends, the One truth that will set us free from the chains that bind, including the fear of the living of these days and the fear of dying, has eluded most people. The absolute truth, which liberated Luther, and which liberates all who believe it, is the truth of Jesus as he tells us God loves us and bathes us in grace and mercy and accepts us as we are. We do not have to become something else before God loves us!
Now, I have to say that this ultimate and awesome reality doesn't keep us from the fires and trials of our life journey; but, it strengthens and carries us safely through and beyond them. That is what Luther experienced and that is what we experience. The good news for you and for me is that we stand in the presence of God and we are embraced by the gracious loving arms of Jesus and, when we truly understand this, we become able to face the cross. And, when we continue in the Word and become faithful disciples, only then are we able to live into the freedom of the Son.
Now, the church has not always communicated this good news to the best of our ability. In his book, Between Noon and Three, Episcopal priest, Robert Capon, talks about this freedom we have been given and he discusses the way the church has responded to this freedom when he writes:
If we are ever to enter fully into the glorious liberty of the [children] of God, we are going to have to spend more time thinking about freedom than we do. The church, by and large, has had a poor record of encouraging freedom. She has spent so much time inculcating in us the fear of making mistakes that she has made us like ill-taught piano students; we play our songs, but we never really hear them, because our main concern is not to make music, but to avoid some flub that will get us in dutch. She has been so afraid we will lose sight of the laws of our nature, that she made us care more about how we look than about who we are; made us act more like the subjects of a police state than fellow citizens of the saints. [p. 148]
Friends, we have been made free! So, the questions before us really are this: “Now, what do we do with that freedom? How have we been changed and how will we now live life since we are truly free?”
On this Reformation Sunday, the good news that is before us is a word that is all about a truth and freedom that are of ultimate concern, a truth and freedom that will change your life. Jesus is saying to each of us, “[Come, let go of your issues and get to know me. Live in my love and live in my Word.] If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you….[because] if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through.” (The Message)
You are free, my friends. Knowing that, what do you plan to do?
This is a special musical performance of Better is One Day by the Joyful Noise Childrens' Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.
This is a special musical performance of Heart of Nations by the Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.
Who Is My Neighbor in a Climate Threatened World?
Pastor Ellen: Today, we think about creation and ask the question, “Who is my neighbor in a climate threatened world?” The concept of environmental stewardship originates with the first of the creation stories, in which God gives humans dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the animals of the land (Gen 1:1–2:4). Traditionally, Christians have distorted the mandate of “exercising dominion” to mean that creation was made for human beings and that we have a right to dominate and exploit creation for our own wants and needs. This has led to incalculable abuses of nature. But, what we now know is that the Hebrew word for dominion does not mean “to dominate” or “to exploit.” Rather, it means “to take responsibility for,” as a ruler would be responsible to assure the well-being of those in the realm.
Natalie Dingledine: In the first creation story in Genesis, human beings were created last, not as the so-called “crown of creation,” but in order to exercise responsibility for the well-being of the garden Earth. According to Genesis 1, exercising responsibility as part of God’s creation is the main reason humans were created. Therefore, being stewards of creation is foundational to what it means to be human. Caring for creation is not an add-on, not a sideline, not related just to part of our calling. It represents our proper human relationship to Earth. This portrayal puts human beings squarely in a caretaker position in regard to environmental stewardship.
The all-embracing vision of God for creation is violated, when there is injustice by humans against humans. The biblical authors know the close relationship between the ways people exploit Earth and the ways people exploit the poor. In the Bible, when people are oppressed, the rest of creation suffers too – the land languishes and the grains fail (Jer 2:7; Isa 24:4-7; Joel 2:2-20). We are called to steward resources not only in ways that generate sustainability for Earth’s resources but also in ways that sustain life for the poor and vulnerable. In biblical terms, we are to act out of God’s compassion for “orphans, widows and the resident aliens among us.” We are called to care for the least and the lost – human and non-human alike – just as Jesus “came to seek out and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). And, therefore, in light of our calling to be good stewards of creation, on this day we ask, “Who is my neighbor in a world threatened by a changing climate?”
Jack Dingledine: Climate change is wreaking havoc on our world, and on our nation. In the past eighteen months alone, we have witnessed devastating hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, Puerto Rico, and the Atlantic coastline. There have been incredible droughts and record-breaking wildfires in the West, destroying lands and forests and polluting the air: for a few days this year the pollution level in Seattle from these fires was even greater than that in Beijing. In 2017, the cost to the US economy from climate related disasters exceeded 300 billion dollars for the first time, and we may exceed that amount in 2018. Just imagine the good that could be accomplished for our nation with 300 billion dollars.
A recent report by an intergovernmental panel on climate change describes the dire consequences of a warming planet on its inhabitants. From 2008 to 2015, more than 100 million people were displaced by floods, 60 million by storms, and nearly 1 million by extreme temperatures. Over the past four decades, the rate of such dislocations has increased by 60 percent. The number of likely “environmental migrants” or “environmental refugees” from climate changes is projected to be 50 million to 200 million. Again, in light of our calling to be good stewards of creation, on this day we ask, “Who is my neighbor in a climate threatened world?”
TULA Nagasala: In many parts of the world, water is scarce, often due to the impact of climate change and severe droughts, and what is available is increasingly hazardous to drink due to the toxic nature of nuclear energy, fossil fuel production, and the impact of extractive industries like mining and logging on sources of water. In many developing countries (including Tanzania where I grew up), poor wastewater, animal waste and sewage management are the main sources of contamination in domestic water sources. The effect of climate change has a deeper negative impact to many communities due to lack of resources, funding to help with development and appropriate management. Unpredictable rainfall patterns, too much rainfall in a short time and extended dry seasons create water scarcity problems and food scarcity especially because of high dependence of rainfed agriculture. Lack of water availability always leads to poor water quality which has serious health impacts on families especially women and children. Water-borne diseases are a major cause of maternal and infant mortality in the world. These challenges affect women physically and even socially because in many cultures of the developing world, women are responsible for water collection, along with other chores that are related to taking care of their families.
Water sustains the environment and supports livelihoods, but when it is scarce or polluted, food production is disrupted, and people migrate. Migration, in turn, generates conflict and violence, as in much of the Middle East and South Asia, and sometimes war, as in the case of both Syria and South Sudan. Again, in light of our calling to be good stewards of creation, on this day we ask, “Who is my neighbor in a climate threatened world?”
As we look at the impact of a changing climate, we need to face ourselves and recognize that we have been ruthless and unjust stewards of Earth. We too often place profits above people; we put security for ourselves above security for all; and we act as if the world is there for our use alone. As climate change takes place, it is already impacting the most vulnerable in this world. And, as climate change continues to progress, many who are the most vulnerable will no longer be able to live in parts of the world that will come increasingly dry and arid, in places where land becomes submerged in sea water, and in places where heat will rise to unlivable temperatures. Ecological disasters have the greatest impact on the most vulnerable people – third world countries, the poor, people of color, the sick, and the elderly. These also happen to be the ones with the least resources to respond.
This church, Faith Lutheran, is a great example of a body of Christ that is always there to help our neighbors. Because of the big support from this Faith family, today, Naitolia village in Tanzania has a reliable source of water that has been constructed properly and it is capable to sustain climate change by storing water all year round. The impact that this church has made in that community in Tanzania is huge. I speak as someone who grew up with water scarcity issues and who understands the frustration. We have a responsibility to discern our immoral and destructive ways, confess them as sin, and turn to a new way of living. Again, as Christians, called to be stewards of all creation, on this day we ask, “Who is my neighbor in a climate threatened world?
Pastor Ellen: Making wise choices as God’s Earth-keepers may involve sacrifice on our part as we seek to live a simpler lifestyle and walk lightly on Earth. In our Christian life, the key to making our world sustainable is viewing our change of behavior and our sacrifices as acts of love and kindness toward all creation – toward other people; toward other creatures; and toward the well-being of land, sea, and air. By doing these things as part of our spiritual discipline, we exercise our vocation as stewards of creation not out of fear, guilt, shame, outrage, or despair. Rather, what makes this journey sacred is that we act with a gratitude nourished by the fountain of God’s grace, an inexhaustible source of “living water” that will sustain us for a lifetime of loving creation, and that will enable us to be good stewards of creation with hope and joy!
So, as we continue to ponder our call to care for creation as a sacred trust on behalf of the entire Earth-community, we must be willing to go beyond our own wants and desires in order to see creation through the compassionate eyes of the God who empowers the weak and is always walking with the most vulnerable. Again, we need to continually ask, “Who is my neighbor in a climate threatened world?”
Let us pray: Gracious and loving God, give us your heart for creation. Give us your heart for the diverse people of this world. Give us your heart for the most vulnerable people in this world. And, give us your heart for the nations of this world. Amen.
This is a special musical performance of On Eagles Wings from the Faith Bells at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.
This is a special musical performance of Do Lord from the Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.
Today is Stewardship Sunday and so it is fitting that we are given a gospel reading that speaks about wealth, money and all the “stuff” we think we must possess. Now, I realize money isn’t going away anytime soon. However, Jesus offers us the possibility to see past it, especially when it comes to the things that matter most in life. As we meet up with Jesus today, we find him telling a young land owner there is freedom in leaving possessions and “stuff” behind.
Today, a rich young man kneels before Jesus and asks, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” This man’s mindset is totally in contradiction to Jesus’ teaching. He is a man of privilege and his mindset is one of entitlement. Rather than receiving the kingdom in complete dependence as a little child, something Jesus just shared with us last week, this rich man wants to know what he can do to inherit eternal life. The words “do” and “inherit” are of prime importance in this reading. Just think about it – one can rarely do anything to receive an inheritance because, by definition, an inheritance is something a person can only be given. Anyway, a certain tension starts to arise in this conversation.
That tension rises higher as the man asserts he has done as scripture commands and has kept all of the commandments since his youth. When he says this, it is interesting that Jesus actually gives him more to do. We are told Jesus loves this rich man, and he does not view the man as intentionally evil. Rather than condemning the “sin” of the rich man, Jesus confronts the man with his weakness, his captivity to possessions that prevents him from living into the full life of the kingdom of God. Jesus says to him, “Sell what you own, and give the money to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come follow me.” As Jesus says this, he names the “power” that holds the man captive and invites the man to step into freedom. Well, the man is shocked and goes away grieving.
It is interesting that, in Mark’s gospel, we are never really told definitively what the kingdom of God is. But, at this point, Mark does make clear to us what the kingdom of God is not as Jesus offers a lyrical but terrifying triplet of wisdom. And, his point is sharpened by the razor’s edge of absurdist humor. Jesus says to his disciples:
How difficult it will be for those with riches to enter the kingdom of God!
…Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God! (10:23-25)
Well, from this we can gather that whatever else the kingdom of God may be, it is plainly where the rich are not. And, yes, Jesus’ words are harsh as a razor’s edge for us. Today we North American Christians, who can only be defined as rich, relative to the global distribution of wealth and power, would do well to reflect at length on this terrifying triplet. For it remains as dissonant to our ears today as it was to the disciples in the story, and it provokes the same kind of astonishment. In fact, throughout the ages, the church has tried to explain away what Jesus is talking about. And, Christians have been so anxious that Jesus might be leveling a critique of the rich here that we have missed the fact that this triplet is not in fact a statement about the rich, but about the nature of the Kingdom. These reiterations – all in the indicative mood – insist that the kingdom of God is simply that time and place in which there are no rich and poor. By definition, then, the rich cannot enter – not, that is, with their affluenza intact.
To understand this story better, let‘s dive more deeply into this whole episode. The rich man asks about inheriting eternal life. When he says this, he is referencing the fact that landowners often became wealthy by exploiting the nearby poor landowners. When the poor couldn’t pay back loans to the wealthy, the rich could take the poor person’s property. It was a way to “inherit” without being a next of kin. This process was the reason for the vast socio-economic inequality that characterized the time of Jesus. It is almost certainly the way this man ended up with “many properties.” Mark has given us a succinct portrait of the ideology of entitlement. So, as this rich man comes to Jesus he comes from this entitlement perspective and, he doesn’t just want to earn his way into eternal life, he wants to buy his way in. How is Jesus supposed to respond to a question that is so off key?
Knowing this man isn’t ready to hear the truth right away, Jesus eases him in by talking through the commandments. Notice, Jesus never directly states that following the commandments is a prerequisite into eternal life. But the commandments are a way to get closer to God. By following God’s law, this rich man is closer to accepting the good news Jesus has to give. Yet, there is one more step! Clearly, this rich man is relying on his wealth and the power that wealth has given him instead of relying on God to get him through life. So, Jesus tells him to sell his possessions and give the money to those in need. That would enable this man to take his focus off himself and put it on another. This is not good news for the rich man, so he goes away grieving.
The reality is that, for this man, a power greater than himself holds him captive – the law of money. Likewise, we are held captive to our wealth and the law of money. Jacques Ellul, in his book Violence: Reflections from a Christian Perspective, has noted that the only way to live free from money is to give it away. He writes:
How do we overcome the spiritual “power” of money? Not by accumulating more money, not by using money for good purposes, not by being just and fair in our dealings. The law of money is the law of accumulation, of buying and selling. That is why the only way to overcome the spiritual “power” of money is to give our money away, thus desacralizing it and freeing ourselves from its control….To give away money is to win a victory over the spiritual power that oppresses us. (p. 166)
Out of love, Jesus speaks harsh words to the rich man and, out
of love, he speaks harsh words to us because he wants us to be free. Yet, the depth of our captivity makes freedom difficult, if not impossible. So where is the good news?
Jesus says, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”(v. 27) There is nothing that we can do to earn our way into heaven. Absolutely nothing. Eternal life is beyond our reach on our own. The good news is that God gifts us with eternal life. God, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, brings us into eternal life. No amount of money, brownie points, or prerequisites can get us there. Only God can get us there and it is something we have already been given. There is nothing we can do to earn it. It is all gift! So, what shall we do? We simply receive it, live into it, and cheerfully give thanks and give back for this amazing gift.
This is a special musical performance of Awake, Awake, To Love and Work by the Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.
Today’s gospel reading is difficult because it has often become an oppressive passage when taken out of context. I also find it difficult because I come to this scripture passage as a once divorced woman with an awareness of the depth of my own brokenness. Yet, I believe it is very important that we faithfully wrestle with hard, difficult passages in scripture and not avoid them.
Today, we hear Jesus teaching about relationships, marriage and divorce. However, in order for us to understand what this reading says about divorce, we must first understand what marriage meant in ancient culture. Biblical scholar, Bruce Melina, tells us:
Under normal circumstances in the world of Jesus, individuals really did not get married. Families did. One family offered a male, the other a female. Their wedding stood for the wedding of the larger extended families and symbolized the fusion of the honor of both families involved. It would be undertaken with a focus on political and/or economic concerns. Marriage was not a matter of “falling in love.” It was very much a matter of “honoring one’s parents.”….Divorce, then, would entail the dissolution of these extended family ties. It represented a challenge to the family of the former wife and would likely result in family feuding. (Malina & Rohrbaugh: Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, p. 240).
Ancient culture also operated under an honor/shame system. Great emphasis was placed on the honor or shame people’s actions placed upon others. So, when divorce took place entire families were dishonored and put to shame. In spite of this, divorce was common and it was a very simple process. Within the patriarchal culture of that time, women and children had virtually no rights and were considered property. A man could simply write on a piece of paper, “She is not my wife and I am not her husband.” He would then give her the paper and kick her out of the house. A man could divorce his wife on a whim, but a woman could not initiate a divorce.
In today’s reading we find Jesus facing a test. The writer of Mark tells us, “Some Pharisees came, and to test Jesus they asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?’” The Pharisees knew full-well what the law said about divorce and they did not need to ask Jesus. But, they wanted to trick him. So, Jesus responds by cleverly asking them, “What did Moses command you?” Then, the Pharisees tell Jesus what Moses allowed. You see, Moses never commanded, Moses allowed divorce. Jesus goes on to say divorce was allowed because of the hardness of human hearts, because of human sinfulness and brokenness. He then turns the conversation into another dynamic teaching moment, Jesus-style. He answers by discussing God’s ideal for marriage, God’s ideal for relationships as expressed in Genesis.
In this teaching moment, Jesus attempts to recover an understanding of God’s intention for marriage as revealed at the beginning of creation. Human beings were created to live in relationship. God’s intention from the beginning is for two people to be faithful, lifelong companions in an intimate, committed relationship that should not be severed. By saying this, Jesus changes the focus of the conversation from divorce to embracing the unity of partners as part of God’s creative design – a unity that is all gift.
Now, after all of this discussion about divorce, the gospel immediately moves to the scene where Jesus receives the little children. Little children, those perceived as a nuisance, as less than, as those not wanted, those perceived as the least of these – those who represented the most vulnerable in that culture – these are the ones the disciples want to send away. But, Jesus refused to send the little children away. Instead, Jesus received the children, he hugged them, and he blessed them. In doing so, Jesus shows that all, all are worthy of God’s love. And, indeed, I know that those suffering the pain and brokenness of divorce are precisely some of the “least of these” who receive the kingdom in their dependence on God’s love.
At the heart of this reading we also see something else. We again really see the social implications of God’s inbreaking reign. In today’s reading we again find the disruptive work of God in Jesus Christ. Today, Jesus’ teaching overturns patriarchal marital relationships and elevates those at the bottom of the social ladder, the women and the children. Far from simply affirming and domesticating traditional notions of marriage, Jesus’ words actually subvert his adversaries’ patriarchal assumptions about marriage. The Pharisees question Jesus about whether it is lawful for “a man to divorce his wife,” reflecting a patriarchal framework within which only the man could seek a divorce. In the course of his answer, Jesus notes that a man leaves his father and mother to become one flesh with his wife. And, by the end, in verse 12, Jesus also asserts the woman’s right to divorce her husband when he says, “and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” When Jesus says this, he gives women precisely the same rights and responsibilities as men. Similarly, children, who are the least valued and most vulnerable members of society, are welcomed by Jesus, blessed by him, and offered as models for receiving God’s kingdom. Jesus’ teachings and actions here are revolutionary, subverting both cultural and legal presuppositions about women and children!
Now, as a woman who has been divorced, I know this passage has been used to shame those who get divorced. This passage has been used to keep people in marriages that are so broken that harm is imposed upon the entire family system. But, the God in whom we believe does not desire continued brokenness for anyone. And, I have to say that sometimes, the most loving action one takes can mean ending a very broken relationship. I know because I have lived this. You see, human love is often broken love. We are broken people. But, in Jesus, we begin to discover that there are no limits to the love of God. I believe the most important aspect of this passage is this – God is different from us and God’s love has no limits. Our human understanding of love is so often different from God’s love for us. God’s love has no limits and Jesus continually demonstrates that the inbreaking reign of God is not only limitless, it shows a love that is disruptive and revolutionary to our social dimensions. God’s love is always going to be broadening our thinking, our understanding and the way we live in relationship to others.
Now, it is important to remember that here in Mark’s gospel, we are on our way to seeing just how far God in Christ will go for us – all the way to death on a cross. And, in this teaching moment as Jesus journeys to the cross, he once again has set the bar rather high. God’s desire for people is to live in loving relationship and not brokenness. God’s desire for people is that they have love, compassion, and mercy for the needs of the “little ones” whether they be children or the poor or the severely mentally disabled or the refugees seeking life or the sick and infirmed or the abused, or the divorced – any who are considered other and the least of these. In so many ways we fail to love because we are broken people. But, God loves us limited human beings in a limitless and divine way. When we fail, God forgives and forgives and forgives and loves us as we are.
Today’s word to us is truly good news. In spite of our failures and limits, God’s love for us is limitless and always faithful. And, as we come and live into the healing love of Jesus, we find a hope-filled future that always brings a new dawn and transforms our lives!