The story of Gamaliel should be known by every Christian. He is noted as the teacher of Paul. We cannot know the aspects of Paul’s emerging theology which have their roots in what he learned from this teacher.
The other appearance of Gamaliel is in Acts 5, when the apostles are brought before the Council. There are many on the Council who wish to put them to death. Gamaliel delivers a speech in which he says, “Keep away from these men and let them alone; for if (their message) is of God, you will not be able to overthrown them.”
Two thoughts arise from his words which I would like to explore this morning. First, there is no way to stop that which is of God. In the Lord’s Prayer we pray, “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” We acknowledge that God’s will will be done; we pray that it might also be done through us. At so many points in our life we have the opportunity to either do that which is in keeping with the will and hope of God or to turn away. God’s will will be done; let us pray and act in such a way as to see it is done through us.
Second is Gamaliel’s sense of time. Accepting that he might have delivered this speech somewhere around 40 a.d., it is another 150 years before one could say with confidence that this new way is unstoppable. Gamaliel, and all those who heard his words, were long dead by then. We all too often lack the ability to see beyond the number of our own days. We do not share Gamaliel’s patience. God’s will will be done, even if it isn’t done in our lifetime. Like Gamaliel, we set a tone of patience, allowing the will of God the opportunity to continue to work its way into actualization.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Devotion - Monday, August 23
We continue our reading in Acts. We are currently in the 5th chapter. Peter and the apostles continue to proclaim the Good News, they teach, and they perform signs and wonders.
As had been true when Jesus was among them, they seem to spend part of their in the temple and synagogues, and the rest of the time in the streets. It motivates me, when I read from my Bible, of their lives in both places.
There is a need to gather with one another, to be in our halls of worship. What a glorious celebration we shared yesterday at University Lutheran. Together, we sang our praises, heard God’s Word, and received God’s means of grace. Our week will no doubt move forward with such a foundation.
But we did move out of that place, and into the streets. We return to our residence halls, we gather in classrooms, and we will encounter many on our walk to class this morning.
In our lives, there is a balance of time spent in church and time spent in the world. What will be written about these two parts of our lives?
Being together as God’s people is wonderful and joyful. When we gather, we gather in order to be sustained in our live and in our faith. The results of such gatherings are seen in our confidence and our devotion. The results might also been revealed in the way we interact with others, in those residence halls, in the classrooms, and on the street.
Sometimes the sharing can be bold – we proclaim the word of salvation and invite others to join us. Other times it is more subtle – a gentle reminder that God is present and willing to extend care to us. It isn’t only those who stand on the street corner and shout who preach the good news – it is also the one who acknowledges that life has meaning beyond what the person down the hall is saying about us.
Our Sabbath is over. It is time to get back to work. Getting back to that other part of our lives in Christ, the part where we take what was given us (yesterday) and share it with the world.
As had been true when Jesus was among them, they seem to spend part of their in the temple and synagogues, and the rest of the time in the streets. It motivates me, when I read from my Bible, of their lives in both places.
There is a need to gather with one another, to be in our halls of worship. What a glorious celebration we shared yesterday at University Lutheran. Together, we sang our praises, heard God’s Word, and received God’s means of grace. Our week will no doubt move forward with such a foundation.
But we did move out of that place, and into the streets. We return to our residence halls, we gather in classrooms, and we will encounter many on our walk to class this morning.
In our lives, there is a balance of time spent in church and time spent in the world. What will be written about these two parts of our lives?
Being together as God’s people is wonderful and joyful. When we gather, we gather in order to be sustained in our live and in our faith. The results of such gatherings are seen in our confidence and our devotion. The results might also been revealed in the way we interact with others, in those residence halls, in the classrooms, and on the street.
Sometimes the sharing can be bold – we proclaim the word of salvation and invite others to join us. Other times it is more subtle – a gentle reminder that God is present and willing to extend care to us. It isn’t only those who stand on the street corner and shout who preach the good news – it is also the one who acknowledges that life has meaning beyond what the person down the hall is saying about us.
Our Sabbath is over. It is time to get back to work. Getting back to that other part of our lives in Christ, the part where we take what was given us (yesterday) and share it with the world.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Sermon - August 22, 2010
Pentecost 13 – Year C
Luke 13:10-29
What does it mean to be a Christian?
Sometimes it is the basic questions which go unanswered. I was reminded of this, over the summer, as our LCM Faith Formation Team worked to arrive at a theme for our fall retreat. Several ideas were kicked around, before finally deciding upon the question, “What does it mean to be a Christian?”
“What does it mean to be a Christian?” Doesn’t everyone know? Isn’t it clear; spelled out somewhere, in one of the Church’s manuals or hymnals? What does it mean? A basic question, but one that often goes unanswered.
There are attempts at finding an answer. And there are plenty of folks prepared to give us their answer. Today’s Gospel reading can be taken as one attempt at an answer – though its suggestion will leave some with a sour taste in their mouths.
The conflict in this reading is over the question of what it means to follow the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It exposes a difference of opinion as to what it means to be a faithful servant. The leader of the synagogue insists that following the books of Moses reveals ones devotion to God. Jesus seems to come down on the side of showing mercy and doing good as the prime indicators of what it means to be a child of God. We could take these verses as a final answer to the question of what it means to be a follower, but one encounter would certainly respond to the question with too simple of an answer.
I thought of four categories of answers to the question, “What does it mean to be a Christian.” There is 1 – Believe; 2 – Have faith; 3 – Do good; and 4 – Be pious.
I am sometimes guilty of belittling the importance of believing. I confess this to you; I apologize for it. My motivation is to encourage an understanding of “believing” as something more than accepting a thought, or proposition. I will continue to push for that, even as I acknowledge that the scriptures are full of instructions that we are to “believe.”
The bonus verses of Mark’s 16th chapter contain the clearest words from Jesus that being a Christian means believing. He says, “the one who believes and is baptized will be saved.”
John 11, Jesus says, “Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live.”
Believing is important.
Similar, but different enough that it bears mentioning, is answering the question “What does it mean to be a Christian?” with the reply, “To have faith.” But faith is never something we possess or obtain on our own. It is a gift from God. This is why I prefer the reference of “being a person of faith.” Being a person of faith differs from being a person accepts or believes a piece of information. “Faith” implies trust. The best example is from an ancient confirmation ministry booklet that retold the story of the tight-rope walker who traversed Niagara Falls. The crowd went wild. He asked if they believed he could cross the falls with another person riding on his shoulders. “Yes!” they screamed in reply. “I need a volunteer,” he answered. Having faith differs than believing. Having faith means placing one’s fate in the hands of that which we say we believe.
Again, the scriptures are full of references to faith. When the disciples become fearful, Jesus repeatedly asks them, “Where is your faith?” He reminds them that “faith the size of a mustard seed” would allow them to uproot the tree and be replanted in the sea.
Being a person of faith, having faith, surely this figures somewhere into what it means to be Christian.
One of the Clemson professors I recommend to students is Dr. Laura Olsen. She teaches in the Political Science Department. Her area is Church and state issues. She often invites me as a guest lecturer for one of her courses. She and I have an ongoing discussion as to the role of the Church. She has said, “The task of the Church is to instill a morale code.” The third answer given to what it means to be a Christian is to behave in a particular way, to do good.
This is the argument used by Jesus in today’s Gospel lesson. He insists it is okay for him to heal this woman. “Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water?”
Doing good is important. Our LCM Bible Study last year covered the book of Hebrews. Hebrews 13:16, part of the summary verses, the instructions could not be more simple: Do not neglect to do good. The Book of Acts bears witness to the rapid growth of the early Church, in no small part due to the impression their behavior had on those around them.
I have already pointed out that this is the argument between Jesus and the leader of the synagogue. For the leader, doing good means following the accepted practices of the community; for Jesus it meant looking with mercy upon the woman stricken and bound. There will forever remain a disagreement with situational ethics, but this reading exposes how difficult it can be to know what is the best “good” one can do.
Wrapped into the leader’s agreement with Jesus are also questions of piety, the fourth of my suggested answers. Being a Christian certainly means expressing devotion to God. For the synagogue, this means Sabbath Day restrictions; it meant showing devotion by following the instructions in the Book.
Remember, when Jesus disappears as a young child, the response he gives is that he is in his Father’s house. “Where else would you expect me to be?” He asks.
Of course, being pious involves more than sitting in a pew on Sunday morning. Being pious also refers to one’s personal life of prayer. Talking to God – listening to God – is surely an important part of what it means to be a Christian. In giving the prayer referred to as the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus says “When you pray.” Not, “If you pray.” How can one be considered “Christian” if there isn’t attention given to one’s personal prayer habits.
So, how would you answer the question? What does it mean to be a “Christian”? The more basic the question, the more difficult it is to come up with a simple answer. And, depending upon the situation, we might emphasize one part of the answer over another. Jesus gets into trouble with the leaders of the synagogue because he minimized the importance of following the letter of the law. Some would rephrase that to say that he would only abide by the laws of God, and not the laws of human creation. But how are we to gain universal agreement on an irrefutable list laws which are directly from God?
In the end, I think being a Christian means living as best we can the kind of life that Christ lived. After all, being a Christian means following Jesus, right? Surely the final answer to the question involves a combination of each of the above, and maybe a few more thrown in for good measure. Above all, the answer must be a lived answer, and not one that we work out in our heads. It may be that we can never arrive at an answer, but we can make the answer obvious.
Amen.
Luke 13:10-29
What does it mean to be a Christian?
Sometimes it is the basic questions which go unanswered. I was reminded of this, over the summer, as our LCM Faith Formation Team worked to arrive at a theme for our fall retreat. Several ideas were kicked around, before finally deciding upon the question, “What does it mean to be a Christian?”
“What does it mean to be a Christian?” Doesn’t everyone know? Isn’t it clear; spelled out somewhere, in one of the Church’s manuals or hymnals? What does it mean? A basic question, but one that often goes unanswered.
There are attempts at finding an answer. And there are plenty of folks prepared to give us their answer. Today’s Gospel reading can be taken as one attempt at an answer – though its suggestion will leave some with a sour taste in their mouths.
The conflict in this reading is over the question of what it means to follow the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It exposes a difference of opinion as to what it means to be a faithful servant. The leader of the synagogue insists that following the books of Moses reveals ones devotion to God. Jesus seems to come down on the side of showing mercy and doing good as the prime indicators of what it means to be a child of God. We could take these verses as a final answer to the question of what it means to be a follower, but one encounter would certainly respond to the question with too simple of an answer.
I thought of four categories of answers to the question, “What does it mean to be a Christian.” There is 1 – Believe; 2 – Have faith; 3 – Do good; and 4 – Be pious.
I am sometimes guilty of belittling the importance of believing. I confess this to you; I apologize for it. My motivation is to encourage an understanding of “believing” as something more than accepting a thought, or proposition. I will continue to push for that, even as I acknowledge that the scriptures are full of instructions that we are to “believe.”
The bonus verses of Mark’s 16th chapter contain the clearest words from Jesus that being a Christian means believing. He says, “the one who believes and is baptized will be saved.”
John 11, Jesus says, “Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live.”
Believing is important.
Similar, but different enough that it bears mentioning, is answering the question “What does it mean to be a Christian?” with the reply, “To have faith.” But faith is never something we possess or obtain on our own. It is a gift from God. This is why I prefer the reference of “being a person of faith.” Being a person of faith differs from being a person accepts or believes a piece of information. “Faith” implies trust. The best example is from an ancient confirmation ministry booklet that retold the story of the tight-rope walker who traversed Niagara Falls. The crowd went wild. He asked if they believed he could cross the falls with another person riding on his shoulders. “Yes!” they screamed in reply. “I need a volunteer,” he answered. Having faith differs than believing. Having faith means placing one’s fate in the hands of that which we say we believe.
Again, the scriptures are full of references to faith. When the disciples become fearful, Jesus repeatedly asks them, “Where is your faith?” He reminds them that “faith the size of a mustard seed” would allow them to uproot the tree and be replanted in the sea.
Being a person of faith, having faith, surely this figures somewhere into what it means to be Christian.
One of the Clemson professors I recommend to students is Dr. Laura Olsen. She teaches in the Political Science Department. Her area is Church and state issues. She often invites me as a guest lecturer for one of her courses. She and I have an ongoing discussion as to the role of the Church. She has said, “The task of the Church is to instill a morale code.” The third answer given to what it means to be a Christian is to behave in a particular way, to do good.
This is the argument used by Jesus in today’s Gospel lesson. He insists it is okay for him to heal this woman. “Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water?”
Doing good is important. Our LCM Bible Study last year covered the book of Hebrews. Hebrews 13:16, part of the summary verses, the instructions could not be more simple: Do not neglect to do good. The Book of Acts bears witness to the rapid growth of the early Church, in no small part due to the impression their behavior had on those around them.
I have already pointed out that this is the argument between Jesus and the leader of the synagogue. For the leader, doing good means following the accepted practices of the community; for Jesus it meant looking with mercy upon the woman stricken and bound. There will forever remain a disagreement with situational ethics, but this reading exposes how difficult it can be to know what is the best “good” one can do.
Wrapped into the leader’s agreement with Jesus are also questions of piety, the fourth of my suggested answers. Being a Christian certainly means expressing devotion to God. For the synagogue, this means Sabbath Day restrictions; it meant showing devotion by following the instructions in the Book.
Remember, when Jesus disappears as a young child, the response he gives is that he is in his Father’s house. “Where else would you expect me to be?” He asks.
Of course, being pious involves more than sitting in a pew on Sunday morning. Being pious also refers to one’s personal life of prayer. Talking to God – listening to God – is surely an important part of what it means to be a Christian. In giving the prayer referred to as the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus says “When you pray.” Not, “If you pray.” How can one be considered “Christian” if there isn’t attention given to one’s personal prayer habits.
So, how would you answer the question? What does it mean to be a “Christian”? The more basic the question, the more difficult it is to come up with a simple answer. And, depending upon the situation, we might emphasize one part of the answer over another. Jesus gets into trouble with the leaders of the synagogue because he minimized the importance of following the letter of the law. Some would rephrase that to say that he would only abide by the laws of God, and not the laws of human creation. But how are we to gain universal agreement on an irrefutable list laws which are directly from God?
In the end, I think being a Christian means living as best we can the kind of life that Christ lived. After all, being a Christian means following Jesus, right? Surely the final answer to the question involves a combination of each of the above, and maybe a few more thrown in for good measure. Above all, the answer must be a lived answer, and not one that we work out in our heads. It may be that we can never arrive at an answer, but we can make the answer obvious.
Amen.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Devotion - Thursday, August 19
Those of us, who were fortunate enough to attend the National Gathering last week, heard Bishop Hanson address today’s appointed Gospel test. It is taken from the first chapter of John.
Philip is the first to encounter Jesus. Jesus says to him, “Follow me.” That is all he says. Jesus doesn’t instruct him on the particulars of what it means to be a believer, he doesn’t inquire as to Philip’s background or behavior. He merely, and simply, asks him to follow.
This is the invitation given to each of us. We are invited to follow. We don’t know where we will be lead and we don’t have to make any decisions before we begin. We merely, and simply, follow.
Philip finds Nathanael and informs Nathanael “we have found him.” Nathanael is skeptical. He expresses his doubts. Philip doesn’t try to convince Nathanael to believe what it is that he has already come to believe. Philip simply invites Nathanael to “come and see.”
Aware of the precious gift given to us as we live among God’s people, we invite others to come and see how good it is. We do not need to argue our position or prove the validity of our convictions. We merely and simply invite others to come and see.
Being a Christian is not a snap decision, nor is it a PhD in Christian thought. Being a Christian means a willingness to follow Jesus; it means being open to seeing.
Philip is the first to encounter Jesus. Jesus says to him, “Follow me.” That is all he says. Jesus doesn’t instruct him on the particulars of what it means to be a believer, he doesn’t inquire as to Philip’s background or behavior. He merely, and simply, asks him to follow.
This is the invitation given to each of us. We are invited to follow. We don’t know where we will be lead and we don’t have to make any decisions before we begin. We merely, and simply, follow.
Philip finds Nathanael and informs Nathanael “we have found him.” Nathanael is skeptical. He expresses his doubts. Philip doesn’t try to convince Nathanael to believe what it is that he has already come to believe. Philip simply invites Nathanael to “come and see.”
Aware of the precious gift given to us as we live among God’s people, we invite others to come and see how good it is. We do not need to argue our position or prove the validity of our convictions. We merely and simply invite others to come and see.
Being a Christian is not a snap decision, nor is it a PhD in Christian thought. Being a Christian means a willingness to follow Jesus; it means being open to seeing.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Devotion - Wednesday, August 18
The healing of the man lame from birth causes a stir among the people. Peter addresses their concerns, “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this.” He goes on to speak how it came to be that this man would be healed. He talks about faith.
We always need to be careful, when examining sentence structure of an English translation of ancient Greek text. But the verses in 3:12ff speak of faith as something more than a mental attitude. Peter speaks of “faith in his (the Holy and Righteous One, i.e. Jesus) name.” This is “the faith which is through Jesus.”
Peter seems to be saying that it isn’t simply a matter of what we believe about Jesus, it has to do with confidence and dependence. Faith seems to flow through Jesus and into us; as if it were some sort of spiritual ooze.
Prepositions are often lacking in the New Testament. Thus, it is impossible for us to know whether Paul writes about “faith in Jesus”, or the “faith of Jesus.” One might suggest developing an attitude with regard to the events and teachings associated with first century events. The other invites us to possess something, the perfection of which is found in the One whose trust enables him to endure the cross.
The man who receives much more than he could have ever hoped for receives it as an expression of faith. The faith of Peter and John enables them to pronounce the healing power of faith. It is this same faith which is to be active in our lives, enabling us not merely to believe certain things but to live our lives a particular way.
We always need to be careful, when examining sentence structure of an English translation of ancient Greek text. But the verses in 3:12ff speak of faith as something more than a mental attitude. Peter speaks of “faith in his (the Holy and Righteous One, i.e. Jesus) name.” This is “the faith which is through Jesus.”
Peter seems to be saying that it isn’t simply a matter of what we believe about Jesus, it has to do with confidence and dependence. Faith seems to flow through Jesus and into us; as if it were some sort of spiritual ooze.
Prepositions are often lacking in the New Testament. Thus, it is impossible for us to know whether Paul writes about “faith in Jesus”, or the “faith of Jesus.” One might suggest developing an attitude with regard to the events and teachings associated with first century events. The other invites us to possess something, the perfection of which is found in the One whose trust enables him to endure the cross.
The man who receives much more than he could have ever hoped for receives it as an expression of faith. The faith of Peter and John enables them to pronounce the healing power of faith. It is this same faith which is to be active in our lives, enabling us not merely to believe certain things but to live our lives a particular way.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Devotion - Tuesday, August 17
In Acts 3 you will find a healing story. Peter and John are going up to the temple, where they encounter a man lame from birth. As has been the practice, this man’s friends and family carry him, daily, to the gate of the temple where he can beg for alms.
As Peter and John approach, he asks them for their spare change.
I couldn’t help but be struck with the gift he receives. He asks for alms; by way of the Word of Christ, his legs are healed.
How often we are like this man. Lame from birth, we set our hopes and expectations low. We have the courage to ask, but only to ask for that which will get us through the day. Our eyes are cast down, seeing only that which comes into our field of vision.
Dare we ask for that which is too good to ever imagine?
God’s goodness and God’s grace overflow. God’s desire to give is greater than our willingness or our ability to ask. What will we ask God for? How courageous will we be in approaching the One who gave us life and now stands ready to give us a full life?
In the Acts 3 story, the man receives, even though he asks for something much less. Our receiving is not always dependent upon our asking. Learning to ask, learning to expect develops within us an ability to hope – to hope for that which is life changing and life altering.
Aware of God’s desire to give, may we lift up our eyes and seek that which is above and beyond anything we could ever obtain on our own.
As Peter and John approach, he asks them for their spare change.
I couldn’t help but be struck with the gift he receives. He asks for alms; by way of the Word of Christ, his legs are healed.
How often we are like this man. Lame from birth, we set our hopes and expectations low. We have the courage to ask, but only to ask for that which will get us through the day. Our eyes are cast down, seeing only that which comes into our field of vision.
Dare we ask for that which is too good to ever imagine?
God’s goodness and God’s grace overflow. God’s desire to give is greater than our willingness or our ability to ask. What will we ask God for? How courageous will we be in approaching the One who gave us life and now stands ready to give us a full life?
In the Acts 3 story, the man receives, even though he asks for something much less. Our receiving is not always dependent upon our asking. Learning to ask, learning to expect develops within us an ability to hope – to hope for that which is life changing and life altering.
Aware of God’s desire to give, may we lift up our eyes and seek that which is above and beyond anything we could ever obtain on our own.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Devotion - Monday, August 16
In the second chapter of Acts, Luke reports “and there were added that day about 3,000 souls.” 3,000? In one day? And it doesn’t end there. In the verses which follow, he goes on to note “and the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
Our Evangelism Team begins their outreach efforts today. They will make cookies and take them to as many of the incoming students as they can locate. We have some 48 on our list. This is a wonderful group, but it is a lot less than 3,000. And, we have no way of knowing how many of those 48 will be at a place in their spiritual journey where the humble offerings of this ministry would prove helpful.
As I was praying over the Acts passage, I was reminded that the story is not about outcomes, it is about efforts. It is the same message preached yesterday afternoon at the Service of Ordination for Zach Parris. In that sermon, Pastor Eric Murray reminded the candidate that only one thing is needful – telling and retelling the story. “Tell the story, and let God do the rest.”
This is what happens in Acts. The disciples retell the story. And those who are hungering and thirsting hear the story and turn to the source of living water and life-giving food.
It is not about adding numbers; it is about faithfully telling the story. Those who hear the story are given the opportunity to find the places where the story takes root in their own lives.
Our Evangelism Team begins their outreach efforts today. They will make cookies and take them to as many of the incoming students as they can locate. We have some 48 on our list. This is a wonderful group, but it is a lot less than 3,000. And, we have no way of knowing how many of those 48 will be at a place in their spiritual journey where the humble offerings of this ministry would prove helpful.
As I was praying over the Acts passage, I was reminded that the story is not about outcomes, it is about efforts. It is the same message preached yesterday afternoon at the Service of Ordination for Zach Parris. In that sermon, Pastor Eric Murray reminded the candidate that only one thing is needful – telling and retelling the story. “Tell the story, and let God do the rest.”
This is what happens in Acts. The disciples retell the story. And those who are hungering and thirsting hear the story and turn to the source of living water and life-giving food.
It is not about adding numbers; it is about faithfully telling the story. Those who hear the story are given the opportunity to find the places where the story takes root in their own lives.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
