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All of us are on a journey of faith in our lives. At Faith Lutheran in Okemos, Michigan we bring people one a journey of faith each week and share that journey with the world.
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Now displaying: June, 2020
Jun 28, 2020

There has been a great deal of talk in our country lately about personal rights and individual freedom.  And, I do believe this intent focus on personal rights, personal independence, and personal freedom over and against what is important for the greater common good is causing considerable harm in our culture. We are seeing this played out in multiple ways.  Just one example is the mask wearing controversy as some people choose not to wear a mask, citing their personal understanding of freedom and liberty, thereby making individual freedom more important than the common good and care and love of neighbor. Rooted in hard-core, toxic, malignant individualism, this concept and perspective of personal independence and perceived personal freedom has become an idol.  In fact, one could say the great idol of our present age is personal independence.  However, the truth of the matter is that any time we worship an idol, any idol, we are enslaved to that idol and we are not free.  We are anything but free!  So, I find it fascinating that on this day we hear the words of St. Paul in his letter to the Romans, words that are both offensive and necessary. 

It is true that, when Paul uses the word “slavery,” his understanding of this word was considerably different than ours.  He lived in an age when the relationship between slave and master needed no explanation.  The Greco-Roman world assumed a slave economy in which most people served those placed above them.  While that does not make it right, slavery at that time was understood and accepted by all.  In our day, the word “slavery” recalls hundreds of years of a despicable social evil, and the continued inequality and oppression the African American people still face because of this sin.  We hear the word “slavery” and we are reminded of a sinful practice that has not only adversely shaped our nation but created a rupture so great it continues to shape us as we face the many aspects of the sins of systemic racism, bigotry and white supremacy, all of which we find present in contemporary culture.  So, as we look at Paul’s message on this day, we first need to get beyond our understanding of the word “slavery” to understand Paul is talking about the idea of ultimate allegiance, loyalty, obedience, and service.   

When Paul uses the metaphor of slavery, it is important to understand he is talking about what it means to surrender your life to the control of another.  And, understanding slavery in this way, we find that we are all slaves of one sort or another.  While we are a people who are heavily invested in the illusion that we think for ourselves, choose for ourselves, and do for ourselves, the reality is there are so many things that control our lives.  Money, personal wealth, Wall Street, success, fashion, sports, physical fitness, family, keeping up with the Jones’ (whomever they may be), politics, the way we spend our leisure time, addictions of all kinds, even our sense of freedom and patriotism – the list goes on and on and on.  All we need do is pay attention to what occupies our thoughts and how we spend our time and money and we will discover that which truly enslaves us.  Not only are we enslaved to many of these things and aspects of life, we have built large cathedrals and shrines where we can worship these idols – note our big sports facilities and the shopping malls one can find in virtually any community.  We are all serving something or someone, and today’s words from St. Paul invite us to ask the question, “Whom or what do you serve? Whom or what do I serve?”

The apostle Paul sees only two possible answers, two possible masters:  righteousness or everything else.  Paul says the only two possible masters are God or sin.  Quite honestly, Paul sees nothing wrong in having a master because he knows everyone has one, but who or what is that master?  It is whom you serve that makes all the difference.  And, that difference comes when we place our ultimate allegiance, loyalty, obedience, and service in and to God.  Quite frankly, our loyalties to anything other than God enslave us in sin.  And, it is only by turning around, repenting, letting go of the many idols in life, and placing our loyalty in God alone that we begin to understand what true freedom really is all about.  Only then are we liberated to truly live. 

We are all under sin's domination.  But for those baptized into Christ's life, death and resurrection, the power of sin has been destroyed. We have been freed from sin's power.  And the greater power that has broken sin's shackles from our lives is God's grace.  Through God's unmitigated, unmerited, and unrelenting grace, we have been set free from the power of sin. This is not a grace that simply enables us to feel better about ourselves.  This is not a grace that simply enables us to live a life after death.  No!  This is a grace that follows us like a hound dog and pursues us with God's love. This is a grace that invades our lives and showers us with God's mercy. This is a grace that changes us and transforms us and declares us righteous before God. This is a grace that opens for us the way that leads to a new way of being – the way of God's life, the way of eternal life, the way of life that truly matters right here and right now.

It is grace alone that breaks the chains of sin and then safely holds us in the shackles of God's righteousness. Freed from the bonds of sin, we are now bound irrevocably to God. Paul exclaims, "Thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart...having been set free from sin, [you] have become slaves of righteousness."  And, bound to God, we are called to be engaged in the mission of God in the world.  Having been freed from sin we are freed for living into God's mission which begins now!  God's mission is here!  And, God's mission is all about the healing of the world, bringing wholeness to humanity, living in ways that show care and love of neighbor, and living into the renewal of creation. Having been set free, we all get to join that mission, because we have been drafted and enrolled by God's grace.

Friends and followers of Jesus, we have been captured by grace and bound or shackled to God's righteousness!  Paul tells us we are now living under grace and not under the law.  This grace is what makes us truly free.  And, when we live into God’s grace, we find our deepest freedom rests not in our own personal freedom to do what we want to do, but rather in our freedom to become who God wills us to be.  We can make choices and decisions to intentionally live God’s grace because we have been freed from the entanglements of the world, the entanglements of our very selves, the entanglements of culture, the entanglements of anything that would hold us captive.  However, the freedom from all these idols, from the prison of our own illusions, from all the that would hold us captive only leads to flourishing life if it is linked with freedom for a higher, heartfelt commitment – one that is always about love of God and love of neighbor.  Living into the freedom we have been given means living a cross-shaped life.  It means living our lives knowing we are bathed in the love of God that holds us, but also always, always, always living our lives in such a way that we embody that love by caring for and loving our neighbor!  And, as today’s gospel reading tells us, when we do this, we welcome God’s very self, the Risen Christ’s presence among us.  Friends, we have been freed to serve, to love and care for our neighbor, not because we must, but because we can, because love flows into love and grace begets grace. 

Having been baptized into Christ our ultimate allegiance, loyalty, obedience, and service are all now found in God who has made us truly freeThat is the freedom we are joyfully called to celebrate every day.   That is the freedom we are called to live into as we engage in God’s mission in this world.

Jun 22, 2020

During the last few months at home we’ve exhausted our collection of recipes, of both favorite home-cooked meals and quick and easy dinners.  We have certainly missed the luxury of eating out, not only for the uniqueness of the food but also for the break from the work in the kitchen.  When we finally decided to get carry-out from one of our favorite local restaurants, we excitedly looked over the menu with so many of our favorite items and chose carefully from the long list.  Whereas before we would just pick whatever struck us in the mood of the minute, we now went over and over the choices, no longer taking the choice for granted.  With carryout boxes open on our kitchen table we enjoyed the indulgence of these much missed treats, savoring every bite.  We relished in the savory foods until, a couple of hours later, they sat sour on our stomachs.  Cooking at home for weeks and weeks, our bodies weren’t accustomed to digesting these rich foods and they labored to process them as we felt tired, a little sick and disappointed.  The good news of the gospel today sits on my stomach like too-rich food that I’m not accustomed to digesting and I struggle to process it.  I’m tempted, because of my discomfort, if -- like the carryout food -- I can just avoid it. 

Today Jesus continues his instructions to the twelve disciples that we began last week as he prepares them to go out into the world, bringing healing and wholeness.  They have been instructed to take nothing but themselves and are to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit.  Today Jesus speaks directly to the growing unease in the pits of the disciples stomachs, as he acknowledges the reality of the risk, danger and discomfort of discipleship.  The Pharisees have accused Jesus of healing in the name of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, and yet the disciples are to proclaim Jesus’ message from the housetops!  Jesus’ message will put the disciples' very lives at risk and he simply offers God’s favor and overflowing love as comfort for the journey.  Finally Jesus predicts unrest through broken relationships within communities, families and households.  We are left with the unsettling words “Whoever finds his life will lose it and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Mt 10:39)  Today’s gospel message strips away illusions of comfort and sits sour in my stomach while I continue to digest it.  It is speaking to us, as Christians, about the reality of living as Christian disciples, a reality that we might prefer to avoid. 

          Both the reading from Romans and the Gospel turn us toward knowing our self, our true identity, knowing who we really are.  Paul writes to the Romans about the gift of baptism and the assurance that “We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin.” (Rom 6:6)  Our baptism is symbolic of our alignment with Christ, our participation in God’s work, our choice to continually turn toward God.  Our baptism reminds us that God chooses us, God shares God’s power with us, to participate in bringing justice, peace and wholeness into the world.  Our baptism gives us the persistence we need, not to avoid our discomfort, but to do the work to process Jesus’ message.  So what is this old self that Paul mentions?  I think our old self is the part of our self that resists Christ’s presence, turning us away from God and God’s call to us.  For me, my old self is the part of me that persists in doubting that I can stand before you today and share my thoughts on this gospel.  My old self tells me that I’m too small and can’t possibly make a difference on big issues like racial justice, equality and LGBTQ inclusion.  My old self tells me that keeping the illusion of peace, avoiding the discomfort of change, and sacrificing my true self to not upset others, are top priorities.  Remembering my baptism reminds me that this old self, along with all of its toxic messages, “was crucified”, Christ has destroyed my old self and set my true self free to live and love abundantly in Christ.  My baptism is my inauguration into discipleship.

Today in Matthew’s gospel Jesus continues to encourage us to let go of the toxic messages of our old self and live as Christian disciples.  He says don’t be afraid, I’m with you, let’s do this together!  Honestly, when Jesus tells us to have no fear I always cringe a bit because I know it’s going to be a rough ride.  I know he usually tells me to not be afraid when he asks me to do something scary.  Today’s lesson is like a white water rafting tour just after the spring thaw with swollen rapids and icy cold water that pierces through our fog of complacency.  But, we can do this, let’s hold on tight, join together in solidarity, and let the icy water awaken us to Christ’s call.

First Jesus warns us that in doing the work of discipleship we are likely to be accused of aligning with demons, Beelzebul.  We should expect people in power to go to great lengths to maintain systems that deny the power of our baptism and perpetuate toxic messages that keep us complacent.  This complacency lives into the continuing oppression for the poor, marginalized and sick in society, the very people Jesus calls into wholeness.  The United States is not above oppressive systems of power as we have seen recently in the news of COVID-19 spread, racial injustice and LGBTQ rights.  We are called to wake up and act as a disciple of Christ against oppressive systems, a potentially dangerous task and surely one that is outside our comfort zone.  And yet, Jesus says have no fear, all will be revealed.  Jesus encourages us to wear our baptism on our sleeve, don’t whisper and stay quiet about it, proclaim it on the housetops!  Even those in power who can bring bodily harm we should not fear because we have been claimed by God.  Jesus’ difficult message continues as he declares that he isn’t here to bring peace, but a sword, and discipleship may turn family members against each other.  I wish that Jesus had refined his message a bit, smoothed out the rough edges and steep drops, and assured us that surely he doesn’t intend for us to put our lives on the line along our journey of discipleship.  I wish that Jesus placated our desire for polite kindness in our relationships in his call to us, more like a calm kayak through warm, still waters.  But he didn’t, he gave us the turbulent, breath-catching, sometimes dangerous, freezing rapids.  And that’s hard to face. 

Looking back in history at people I would consider disciples, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King Jr, and Malcolm X, I see that discipleship is jagged, icy, rough, and costs everything.  In the book study I’m leading now on Dear Church by disciple Lenny Duncan, he states “The gospel is always a call for liberation.  It infects the hearts of those it has been presented to like wildfire that scorches away hatred.  When did we become so damn afraid of it?  Dear Church, we are cowards.” (p.5)  Are we cowards?  Can I respond to this challenging call that Jesus describes today and live into my baptism as a Christian disciple?  I don’t know, but I think that the problem is my old self.  The problem takes me back to Paul’s letter to the Romans.  The problem is the “I can’t” messages that my old self perpetuates.  The problem is the politeness that our culture and society value over real change, true justice, and actual wholeness.  The problem is that I don’t always live like my old self has been crucified and buried, it keeps coming back to me.  The problem is that this old self takes my courage, renews my fear, and leaves me passive, complacent and waiting.  I need Jesus’ white water rapids, icy cold rafting trip to pierce through my fog.  And really, I need you, this community of faith, to hold on tight and go with me where I’m scared to go, to remind me of my baptism, when I don’t remember it myself. 

          Jesus leaves us today with instructions to take up our cross, lose our life and find freedom in Christ.  Man it’s hard!  Sometimes I wish to avoid taking up my cross like that heavy carry-out food, and sometimes I do.  And the crazy, confusing, wonderful thing is that I’ve found incredible joy in taking up my cross too.  A couple of weeks ago many of us stood together on our front lawn here in solidarity for racial justice.  Many of us, when thinking about participating, wrestled with our old self and eventually committed to come for an hour or two.  Many of us stayed much, much longer because we found joy in the connection we made with one another and with the community.  We were encouraged by the overwhelming show of support from neighbors, drivers, walkers, bikers, and many others who passed by.  Our enthusiasm was fueled by the support of two community members who unexpectedly came and stood with us, joining us in sharing this message for justice.  We were touched by the generous hearts of others who shared cold drinks, balloons and many thanks.  We experienced so much joy in discipleship!  And, still some people weren’t happy about us bringing the message of racial justice out into our front yard and proclaiming it from the housetops.  Some people were set against us as we witnessed disproving hand gestures and received a disgruntled voicemail.  As a community we strengthen one another and will not allow this adversity to renew our old self or dissuade us from living into our call to discipleship.  We won’t let it. 

          As we continue to navigate our path as disciples, we sit with an uncomfortable and heavy, yet unavoidable message from Jesus today.  Our fog of complacency is pierced by the ice cold waters of our baptism.  We are reminded that our old self, along with its toxic messages, has been crucified.  We live together, in Christ, and have been called to break down systems of injustice and promote healing and wholeness for the oppressed.  This call to discipleship is challenging and overwhelming and that is why we have one another, to walk together, encourage each other, and remember the significance of our baptism.  Do not be afraid, you are infinitely valuable to God. 

Amen.

Jun 14, 2020

In one of his speeches, a year to the day before he was assassinated in Memphis, Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.”  These words are not only applicable to the systemic racism that must be faced and addressed in our present culture, they also deeply connect to what we read in Matthew’s gospel on this day. 

Today, as we meet up with Jesus, we hear of his emerging ministry and we hear his announcement that the kingdom of heaven has come near. The phrase “kingdom of heaven,” which we find frequently in Matthew’s Gospel, does not refer to a place called “heaven,” where God’s people will go after death.  It refers to the rule of heaven, that is, of God, being brought to bear in this present world.  Jesus’ contemporaries knew and trusted that the creator God intended to bring justice, peace, healing, and liberation to this present world.  The question simply was, how, when and through whom?  And, as Jesus began his ministry, the disciples began to realize he was the promised one through whom this would take place.

So, what does this announcement about the kingdom of heaven mean as we meet up with Jesus in today’s gospel reading?  One of the first things we discover is that it has something to do with compassion.  The Greek word translated as compassion (esplagchnistheÌ) is the word used to describe the main motivation for Jesus’ ministry of healing and teaching. In today’s reading, we hear the first of five times the writer of Matthew’s gospel uses the Greek word we find translated as compassion. And, the meaning of the Greek word is not what we might understand as empathy or sympathy.  No, the Greek word has a meaning that is essentially connected to what one feels inwardly in the lower part of the body, particularly in one’s “bowels” or “guts.”  So, when we find this word used in in today’s reading, Jesus’ compassion is deeply felt and embodied, rising out of his very “bowels” or “guts.” 

We also find that each time the language of compassion appears in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is the one who experiences it after he has observed the state of those around him. He has compassion for people who suffer, both physically and socially. He is moved by what he sees, moved to take concrete action as a response to the needs of the people.  This compassionate response of Jesus is so critical because each time it leads to action as he makes concrete improvements to remedy people’s affliction.  Jesus acts.  Jesus has compassion for the people, proclaims the kingdom of heaven has come near, and he is moved to act.  He goes about curing every disease and sickness as he addresses the social structure of the day and brings healing and liberation to the people.  Yes, “True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.” 

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus is moved by those who live on the edges of society because of illness, disability, ostracism, and social convention, all of which render people "harassed and helpless." And, we find it is compassion working in him that is always propelling God’s mission of redemption for the world’s brokenness. In today’s reading we also discover there is an overwhelming amount of work to get done.  So, Jesus tells his disciples to pray and ask for help, to ask for additional laborers. Ironically, when Jesus tells the disciples to pray that the Lord will send out laborers into the harvest to help, the disciples themselves then become the answer to their own prayer. They are the ones they are praying for!  This should be a reminder for each one of us that we may be the answer to our very own prayers.  And, we should also recall what we pray for when we say the words, “Thy kingdom come, they will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  When we pray those words, we are called into Christ’s mission in this world!

Anyway, Jesus summons twelve of the disciples and gives them authority to do the work he calls them to do.  He recruits them and commissions them as apostles, a word that means “sent out.” Commissioned by the Compassionate One, they are sent out to do service in the world.  And, Jesus empowers them and equips them for mission, for the work that must be done. The authority these disciples are given is the authority of Jesus, himself.  Through them, Jesus is the one meeting the needs of the people. 

So, what is the overall mission?  It appears to be wrapped up in the message that the kingdom of heaven has come near, and that kingdom is made manifest through the work of curing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing lepers, and casting out demons.  Jesus calls the disciples to a risky mission because of his compassion on needy people.  You see, when the proclamation is made that the kingdom of heaven has come near, words alone are insufficient.  This mission must have visible signs because the message about the coming of God’s rule must be rendered believable through concrete demonstrations of God’s caring.  Yes, “True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.” 

Friends, the church is now celebrating the season of Pentecost.  This is a season of recognizing we have been empowered to see the world around us, particularly the people in the world often overlooked and ignored, and to act on their behalf in ways that address the circumstances that endanger their lives and communities.  Compassion and action are so needed in our country and our world today.  There is so much brokenness and pain.  Today’s reading reminds us that Jesus' compassion for people is always sparked by a single observation, which is that "others" are "harassed and helpless" and something must be done to address it. What authenticates Christian compassion is the action that accompanies the one feeling it, not the emotion alone.  Living in solidarity with the larger pain of the world is what it means to be a Christian, and that also means working to change systems and structures so healing and liberation take place. 

As Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.”  And, as we look at the present pain in our world, Christ’s mission calls us to name the sins of white supremacy and systemic racism, work to dismantle both, and work for restructuring of systems and structures.  Christ’s mission in this world also means that we must take an honest look at ourselves.  In response to the events taking place in our country, the ELCA Council of Bishops has issued this statement:

As the Conference of Bishops, we condemn the white supremacy that has led to the deaths of so many unarmed Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color in our country. We grieve with, pray for and stand in solidarity with the families and friends of all whose loved ones have been and continue to be victims of injustices run amok, racist violence and the insidious venom of white supremacy. 

 

The ELCA has also designated this coming Wednesday, June 17, as a day of commemoration as we remember the martyrdom of the Emanuel 9 – the nine people shot and killed on June 17, 2015, during a Bible Study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C.  As we remember the Emanuel 9 and live into Christ’s mission in this world, the

ELCA church body has made the following statement:

“As persons called to love one another as God has loved us, we therefore proclaim our commitment to speak with one voice against racism and white supremacy. We stand with those who are targets of racist ideologies and actions.” As church, together we must work to condemn white supremacy in all forms and recommit ourselves to confront and exorcize the sins of injustice, racism and white supremacy in church and society and within ourselves as individuals and households.

 

Yes, “True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.”  Friends, the kingdom of heaven has come near, and Christ’s compassion is on the move!  What is Christ’s compassion calling you to do?

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