March 31 2013 Easter Sunday

Luke 24:1-12

  1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " 8 Then they remembered his words.
    9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

“Not Among The Dead”

The women going to the tomb were thinking only of death.  “for them the death of Jesus was real, final defeat, the ultimate tragedy...they go to the tomb to tend to the dead.”
Proc. 3, C, p.10

Then something strange and bewildering happened -”awesome in splendor”, too wonderful to understand.  He was gone.  Risen!
Then they remembered - and believed.

We too need to remember so we can believe.
Remember that Jesus lives - death is not the final word, nothing can separate us from God’s love, there is a dazzling grace which never lets us go.

We also need to be reminded that life is full of opportunity for resurrection - that “the most difficult thing we will ever do is not die, but live” - live as those who believe in the resurrection and therefore as those who hope against hope and confront a living Lord in all sorts of places and people which cross our path.
Death is not the final word; and we are to live as those who know this, believe this, dare trust this above all things.

 “Anything Can Happen Now!”

We live in a world where almost anything can happen.  We travel to the moon and beyond.  We transplant kidneys and hearts.  We travel so fast we can arrive before we left.  We control rivers and remove mountains.  We can do most anything, sometimes to our good, sometimes to our detriment  Almost anything can happen.  Little seems to be impossible anymore.

We also live in a world where the impossible has happened. A world where the most incredible, unbelievable, fantastic, breath taking event has taken place which still causes us to gasp with amazement and say, “I don’t believe it.”  For it is in this our world that God chose to dwell and it is in this world that a resurrection happened!

Anything CAN happen now.  The tomb is empty, the future is open!
In this there is hope for our living and our dying.

Because Jesus lives life is an open door, never to close.
Because Jesus lives we are free to drink deeply of life today, as well as trust in life eternal.
Because Jesus lives we are free to forgive over and over again; forgive even ourselves!
Because Jesus lives we are free to try and fail and try again.  To learn, change and grow.
Because Jesus lives we are even free to die - in peace.
Indeed, anything can happen now!

He is Risen!  Alleluia!

 “Working Wonders”

God is in the business of working wonders.

Easter is the greatest wonder God ever pulled off...the wonder of the resurrection.
It stands as a mark of excellence and a place where something too wonderful to believe happened.

As we walk into the 21st century we need to come to grips with the truth that the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the only Son of God is such an exclusive event that it excludes no one!

It is so powerful a truth that even those who do not believe it happened benefit from it.

As the Catholic Dutch theologian Hans Kung has said:

God “not only demands but gives.
does not suppress but raises up
  does not punish but liberates,
(and) makes grace instead of law rule unconditionally.”
p. 115, Eternal Life

“For God so loved the world that he worked the wonder of a resurrection into it, so that all might know that at the heart and center of the universe, love is reigning...and it is for all!

March 24, 2013 Palm/Passion Sunday

Luke 23: 1- 49

1 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”
   3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
   “You have said so,” Jesus replied.
   4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
   5 But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”
   6 On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. 7 When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
   8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. 9 He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. 12 That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.
   13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.” [17] [a]
   18 But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
   20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
   22 For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”
   23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

    26 As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then
   “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” 
   and to the hills, “Cover us!”’[b]
   31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
   32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”[c] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
   35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
   36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
   38 There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
   39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
   40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
   42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[d]”
   43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The Death of Jesus
    44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”[e] When he had said this, he breathed his last.
   47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” 48 When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. 49 But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

The road to Easter goes through Good Friday.
The joy of celebration has its roots deep  within the agony of defeat.
There is no resurrection without a cross.

This is the beginning of the most horrible and the most glorious week in human history.
We hear the words “Crucify him, crucify him!” before we hear “Alleluia, He lives!”

“When the crucified Jesus is called ‘the image of the invisible God’, the meaning is that this is God, and God is like this.  God is not greater than he is in this humiliation.  God is not more glorious than he is in this self-surrender.  God is not more powerful than he is in this helplessness.  God is not more divine that he is in this humanity.”      
“God And Human Suffering”, p 112   Douglas John Hall

This is the way of redeeming love -” love so amazing so divine I demands my life, my soul, my all.”

March 17, 2013 Fifth Sunday in Lent

John 12:1-8

1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
    4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
    7 "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. " It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."


Extravagant Love

The prayer of the Day gives us a clear hint what this text is all about: “Open our hearts to be transformed by the new thing you are doing, that our lives may proclaim the extravagance of your love given to all through your Son...”

There are times and places for extravagance - even when there are plenty of poor who also need our attention, and our help.

Jesus words - “you always have the poor with you” were not spoken as a “prescription not to care.  He meant it as a description about a reality that we should address even if we don’t get any results.”  Timothy Shapiro

But not at the expense of extravagance in celebrating the love we feel, both human and divine.

We can do both!  Be extravagant in our celebration of life and be equally extravagant in our care of the poor!

Do not eliminate celebration - to be able to compassionate towards those who have little to celebrate.  It is both/and not either/or.

March 10, 2013 Fourth Sunday in Lent

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

   1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

   3 Then Jesus told them this parable:  “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

   13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

   17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.

   “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

   21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

   22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

   25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

   28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

   31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

 “A Man Had Two Sons”

Luke 15 is one of the greatest chapters in the Bible.  It contains three parables which tell us all we need to know about God’s awesome love.  The parable of the Prodigal Son - or better titled, the Waiting Father is the most well known and profound.

The setting is the Pharisee’s and teachers of the Law - the prominent religious citizens of the day.  They have been unhappy with Jesus for not being as ‘religiously correct’ as they are, for “he receives sinners and eats with them.”

The rebellion of the youngest son is reason for the Father to disown him.  Cast him out!  Forget that he ever existed!  This the Father cannot do.
There is no way God will disown any of his children!  That just isn’t in the books!  Not since Jesus!   God doesn’t close his heart to anyone - ever!

Upon his return, hoping to be a hired hand in his fathers house the younger son discovers the second great truth about God hidden in this story - he can’t be a hired son;  he can only be a son!  Love demands it!  Grace fulfills it!  He is a son again for love will have it no other way!    Indeed, ‘love so amazing, so divine, demands our life, our soul, our all.”

The elder son stayed home. As Bailey says in “The Cross And The Prodigal”,
 “His heart is full of envy, pride, bitterness, sarcasm, anger, resentment, self-centeredness, hate, stinginess, self-satisfaction and self-deception.  And he probably sees his own actions as a righteous search for honor.”

It was his job to serve as ‘head waiter at the banquet.  This he could not do.  So the Father must go out a second time to try show his elder son that he is loved too - just as much as the younger.  This time it ends up with his love being rejected.

Whenever we, like the elder son, get arrogant about how it should be with God, and think we know how, who and when God should love we will be lost in our own arrogance and way off base in our lack of compassion.

Whenever we find ourselves begrudging God’s generosity - God’s grace at work in the lives of sinners - we part company with God and dwell in our own religiosity.

How great indeed is our God and how great is God’s love for all - ALL - God’s children.

 “Welcome Home”

This is the best of Jesus stories.
It is all we need to know about God and grace; this God who “will not let us go, will not let us down, will not let us off.”

It is a story about a love and grace which is willing to die in order to give life.
It’s about death and resurrection and the grace which comes to those who are dead and know it. As well as those who are dead and don’t know it. (The self righteous)
And this requires celebration!

“There can be no compassion without celebration and there can be no authentic celebration that does not result in increased compassionate energies.  A person or persons who cannot celebrate will never be a compassionate people.  And a person or a people who do not practice compassion can never truly be celebrating.  Such people only wallow in superficial feelings of pious and pitiful energies.”
Matthew Fox, A Spirituality Named Compassion, p.4

Nobody will be kicked out for having a rotten life;
Nobody will be refused because they are not good enough’
Nobody will enter because they are good enough.
It is by grace that we are saved - all of us- and nothing will stand in God’s way of being a God of grace, and of celebrating that grace!