Devotion - Tuesday, April 23

In Colossians 1, Paul speaks of the "hope of the gospel."  It says it is "what you heard."  He says it "has been preached to every creature under heaven."

There are at least two ways to think of this "hope of the gospel" which we have heard.  We may fixate on the "gospel," as the content of the message and the instructions about Jesus/God.  Or, we might hear Paul offering us "hope," the hope which is the good news that Jesus came to make known.

Somewhere in the late 1800's there began to be a divide in the family of God.  Some wanted to shield themselves against the new sciences and recent discoveries.  In order to do so, they began to insist on adherence to content and form.  The "good news" became more of an incredible story, too good to be believe, difficult to accept, but which must be embraced if one is to be considered a child of God.  

Here, in the opening years of the 21st century, we are beginning to see the dark side of such an approach.  The community which bears the name of Jesus lacks his basic attitude of "all are welcome."  We have ceased to speak of the great lengths to which God will go in order to affirm that we are loved and cared for.  More and more are reclaiming the "hope" which Jesus has for us and the "hope" which calls us forth into a harmonious way of life.  

The good news is this hope, made manifest among us and entrusted to those who have the faith to proclaim this hope - even against all the false voices which seek to take our hope away.

Devotion - Monday, April 22

In Luke 6, Jesus has a confrontation with the Pharisees.  They are upset that he and his disciples do not respect the rules regarding work on the Sabbath.  What they get upset about seems silly to most modern-day believers.

As they walk through a grain field  they pluck grains of wheat, rub them in their hands (essentially doing manually what a mill would do in bulk), and eating the grain.  It was not lawful to "work" on the Sabbath;  the disciples were not abiding by this commandment.

Let us try to side-step the particulars of the offense these particular actions caused and look at the general issue of how differently persons interpret what it is that God requires.  Some issues may have been addressed in the Jesus stories, but most are not.  And among God's people there continue to be arguments and disagreements as to what compliance means.

The things we consider essential will seem "logical" and "universally accepted."  While the expectations of another may seem "petty".  A whole different set of obligations may emerge from those who do not consider themselves Christians, but observe and discern from afar what Christianity is all about.  

In the Luke 6 story, Jesus is wanting to teach the Pharisees something about the Sabbath.  So, he clarifies the ways in which their understanding of what is expected could be adjusted.  In other places, he would say to those giving offense that while there is nothing inherently "wrong" with our actions, we need to change for the sake of those who may be adversely influenced by our actions.  Sometimes it doesn't matter if we are "right;" what matters is that we are giving offense and thus creating harm in the life of another.

Read Luke 6 and consider for yourself the actions of your day.  Are they done both with an eye to God; and an eye to how they are affecting those who see God in us?

Sermon - Easter 4 - Year C

4th Sunday of Easter - Year C                                                                                                   

John 10:22-30                                                    

Learing to Listen for the Shepherd

 

 



      I am not a shepherd, and I have never tended sheep.  So I really don’t know how, over time, a shepherd feels toward the sheep.  I don’t know how Jesus feels about the sheep (or potential sheep) with whom he interacts in today’s Gospel lesson.

I do know that sheep are not the smartest of domesticated animals.  They have hardly any ability to look out for themselves.  Unless they are led to green pastures, they will starve.  Unless they are shown still waters, they will perish.  When they get lost, they lie down and wait for the shepherd to come find them.  I wonder whether, over time, a shepherd grows to be exasperated by this.  I wonder if it is possible, over the long haul, to remain understanding and patient with a flock whose needs are so great. 

I think we uniquely positioned to understand both sides of the relationship between sheep and shepherds.  It is a bit like our experience, here in Clemson, at University Lutheran.  They don’t baa or need to have their fleece trimmed each season, but the University students are sort of like sheep.  They are perpetually young; doing the things that young adults do; this flock making the same mistakes as the flocks which came before.  Our church property suffers from the leftovers of weekends gone wild; and yet the congregation understands and realizes how essential it is for us to remain in the heart of town.  It is tempting, to loose patience.  But, so far we haven’t, and let us pray that we never do.  For, while the wanderings of 20 year olds seem endless, they remind the rest of us that unless there is a shepherd’s voice we all have the potential to become lost. 

Jesus is in Jerusalem, he is in the temple, when some of those who teeter on the edge of being lost ask him why he won’t tell them plainly whether he is Messiah.  Jesus’ response seems, at first, to express frustration.  His reply is that he has already told them, but that they won’t believe.   He seems to scold them for their inability to hear.  But the tone changes very quickly and his words become an invitation to leave behind the helplessness which dominates the lives of all sheep.  He reminds them they don’t have to be able to do all things; they only need to be able to do one thing.  They don’t have to know it all; they only need to know the sound of the shepherd’s voice. 

“My sheep hear my voice.  I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.” 

This may not be the best advice, as you approach your final week of classes and begin final exams.  Nevertheless, it is the advice I will give you this morning – forget everything else and concentrate on learning to recognize and follow that voice. 

I realized, in preparing for this morning, how confusing it is that “sheep” is the same whether one speaks in the singular or plural.  That is confusing, but it helps to make one of the points toward which I am driving.  A sheep, an individual sheep, becomes one with the rest of the flock of sheep.  It is only when the sheep is in trouble (like being lost) that it is off on its own.  The rest of the time, it is one sheep among all the other sheep. 

This is a concept which runs afoul of most of what our culture values.  We celebrate the rugged individual; we are congratulated for standing out from the rest; we go to the Career Center in order to learn how to distinguish ourselves from others.  No wonder the Sunday morning message attracts so few.  We stay in bed not because of a desire for more sleep, but out of the deep seated realization that everything we have worked toward during the week is being challenged every time we join in the collective chorus which proclaims:  “Our Father.” 

But, it is in the flock, among the other sheep, that one learns to recognize the voice of the shepherd.  It is in the flock, among the other sheep, that one develops trust and the ability to follow the shepherd’s instructions.  I used to say that it is really hard to do this on your own.  Of late, I have started saying that it is practically impossible. 

We have started an LCM Alumni Fan Page.  I won’t say that it has expanded our outreach to alums, but it has provided a forum for interaction with those who not so long ago were sitting here among us on Sunday mornings.  All too often they share how difficult it has been for them to find a congregational home when they depart.  While every congregation says it seeks to include young adults, few have small group events for such folks - particularly those who are not in a life-long relationship or having babies.  Falling away from regular attendance at Sunday worship is an easy thing to have happen.  It may only be later, when one finds oneself a bit lost, that they realize what falling away has really cost them.  On their own, it is tough to feel the care and compassion of the shepherd’s voice. 

This illustration is applicable whether you are 20-something or 50-something.  A lone sheep is a lost sheep.   

In the flock, the sheep who have learned the shepherd’s voice, are not always aware of the impact their ability to recognize and follow has on the newer members.  I don’t think the Mama sheep tell their offspring, “Hear that voice?  That is the one you want to follow.”   The youngens pick up on this, as they observe the mother following.  It is in following that one generation passes on to the next the ability to believe and to trust.  So, it isn’t what you say or even what you teach which matters most – it is what you do. 

What we do – what we need to do – is be very intentional in listening to that voice, and we need to be more forthcoming in allowing others to see how that voice directs our lives.

It is another wonderful coincidence of the lectionary that Easter 4 falls so close to the end of our academic year.  While they may have the outward appearance of confidence and bravado, the young adults among us realize they are still a ways away from being all grown up.  At last weekend’s Leadership Retreat, the number one answer to “What is the purpose of LCM,” and “What do you value most about LCM” was “A church home away from home.”  What young adults need - what many young adults are willing to acknowledge they need - is the continued presence and support of those who have gone before.  We have said it before but it bears repeating:  the advantage is to a parish-based campus ministry is the opportunity for college students to participate in a community where there are eighty year olds, as well as eighteen year olds.  The stages of faith formation are greatly aided by seeing and interacting with those who have had decades to learn to listen to the shepherd’s voice.   

I do not want to over-simplify what went wrong in the lives of those two young men who this week ended up in gun fights on the streets of Boston.  But there may be a marker in that the older brother seems to have had few solid relationships on this side of the ocean.  He had been married, but I haven’t heard anything about in-laws.  His uncles and sister seem to be doing all they can to distance themselves from him.  The father who is supportive did not return to the US with him.  Where are the shepherds in that young man’s life?  Somewhere along the way, it seems he started getting lost.  And perhaps his voice began to be misunderstood by his younger brother as the voice to be listened to and trusted. 

It very important that sheep demonstrate their attention to the voice of the shepherd and allow the younger sheep to learn by example why it is important to follow. 

We are like sheep.  Together, in the community of faith, we have been lead to the green pastures.  Together, our souls have been revived.  Together, it is possible for us to dwell in the house of the Lord, forever. 

Amen.

Devotion - Thursday, April 18

I am reading from the book of Daniel these days.  Most of us know of Daniel in the Lion's Den, but little else about the book.  It is the book to which many of the images of The Revelation to St. John are parallels.  It is also the timing in Daniel which gave rise to millenniumism (better known among us as Rapture theology).

Daniel is able to discern God's will and to speak God's word.  He does this for King Nebuchadnezzar; he also assists in helping Belshazzar reading the "handwriting on the wall".  (Did you know that phrase is from the bible?  Read Daniel 5.)

Belshazzar's sin was to bring all the holy vessels from the storerooms and use them for a drunken party.  He and his guests then praise the gods of gold and silver and bronze and wood - with the very chalices designed to give honor to God.

We read this story and we wonder "How can they be so stupid as to worship 'gods of gold and silver'?"  We know that there are no "gods of gold."  The learning from this section of scripture is not to find ways to heap insults on the graves of those who have gone before; rather it is to assist us in recognizing our own false gods.

I will pray each day for "useful knowledge;" but I will not pretend that information and knowledge is supreme.

I will seek meaningful relationships; but I will not place pleasing those around me with doing that which is pleasing to God.

I watch my retirement fund carefully; but I pray that I will never seek financial advantage over doing the tasks God has set before me.

The handwriting is on the wall for all those who place in the role of "god" that which is incapable of bearing the weight.  I am not trying to say that God will strike them down this very day (which was Belshazzar's fate - which may actually be better than what happened to Nebuchadnezzar).  But the lives of such persons becomes unbalanced and out of sync with God.  Living such a life may be pleasing in the moment, but it lacks the depth and hope of a life linked to God's grace and goodness.

Are there false gods in your life?  How might you reduce their influence? 

Devotion - Wednesday, April 17

In Luke 4, Jesus heals the mother of Simon Peter.  He causes quite a stir and all of the local folks begin to bring to him those who are sick or have a disease.  Luke tells us that Jesus doesn't stay.  He departs, saying, "I must preach the good  news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose."

If you were asked to reconstruct the content of what Jesus preached, what would you include?  Maybe you should think about that for a few minutes before you read on........

...... Most often, instructions about morality is what gets repeated in Jesus' name.  We envision Jesus saying, "Don't steal!" or "No drinking!" or "Ignore your sensuality."  Morality is too often the end all of what Jesus leaves with us.

In this passage, Jesus says he must preach the good news of the kingdom of God.  And we need to be asked whether he is sharing that good news that we can be a part of that kingdom if we behave appropriately (which is the message morality sermons would have us hear) or if he might be saying that the good news is God's establishment of a kingdom which welcomes us?  

The kingdom of God is the flesh and blood relationship which unites us with God and with the incarnation of God among us.  The kingdom of God is that invitation to live together in harmony and peace and justice.  The kingdom of God would prevent us from ever using violence against another, thinking that our actions will merit some other-worldly-reward.  The kingdom of God instructs us that injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.

I grow weary of those who reduce the coming of Jesus into the world as another reinforcement of the message of the Pharisees.  Jesus came to preach the good news of the kingdom of God - not to try to prevent us from saying four-letter words.  When we live in that kingdom, we are transformed and we behave in a way that shows respect and honor and appreciation for all of God's creation.  Morality grows out of our involvement in the kingdom; it does not determine our admittance.

Devotion - Tuesday, April 16

I want to be very careful in what I say this morning - realizing that your habit of reading my offerings means this exchange may have become one of the "familiar" things to which I referred yesterday.  For that I am grateful; and thankful that God has allowed us to form such a relationship.

The bombings yesterday in Boston will continue to be the prime topic of conversation; the bomber's desired effect realized when we ratchet up the rhetoric of hate and revenge and destruction.  I pray that will not happen; at least that it will not happen in your life and in your conversations.

My trip to Washington, D.C. last week was to commend a friend into God's hands; it was to comfort his wife and children.  But she is the one who gave me all the gifts.  Shortly after arriving, she organized us all for an outing to see the cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin.  Among the blossoms is the Memorial I have been longing to see - the one dedicated to the Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.  I am thinking of King this morning.

Among King's writings is a book titled "The Strength to Love."  In it, he points out that it is easy to love those who love us.  It is a common thing to love those who speak well of us and honor us.  The challenge for God's children is to love those whose fear and prior injuries have left them bitter and angry.  The call, for those who follow Jesus, is to break the cycle of hatred and retaliation.

After the September 11 attacks, while so many were looking around and asking "Who did this?"  Jimmy Carter told his Sunday Church School class to seek an answer to the question, "Why did they do this?"  

We do not show our strength by being more destructive in our response; we show the strength of God by being loving enough to acknowledge the kernel of truth in the critique of our enemy.  It is not an admission of guilt.  It is a willingness to continue to love and care for the one who has become wounded and injured and driven by their weakness to a senseless act of hatred.

Amid all the clamor today, be a voice of calm and a speaker for God.  Remember that the most often repeated phrase of the Resurrected Jesus as "Do not be afraid."  Fear drives us to do all sorts of horrible things.  And the followers of Jesus put an end to horrible things, not continue their destructive path.

Devotion - Monday, April 15

The Leadership Retreat participants packed up early yesterday morning and joined the folks at Wittenberg Lutheran for the 8:30 am service.  This is the home congregation for one of our students; it was wonderful to see the reaction of the pastor and members to "Hannah's friends."  It reminded me how difficult it is for home congregations to image what church-life is like for all of you while you are in Clemson.  Joining home congregations also allows us to be reminded of what church-life is like for you, when you are away from us.

The Pastor's comments on John 21 were to speak of Peter's decision to "go fishing" as a return to that which was familiar.  Jesus had been taken from them; they had experienced the empty tomb; there were reports of some of their number having seen the resurrected Jesus.  So much going on;  what they needed was to return to something that made them feel comfortable and safe and at ease.

The Friday night discussions at the Leadership Retreat spoke of the same desire.  When we identified the purpose for LCM-Clemson, what came out on top was "having a church home."  What stood out was the desire to have a place and a group of people who would be for us that familiar, comfortable, and supportive experience.

Let us hope LCM will be that for all of us.

But something only becomes familiar by repeated association.  So our stated hope and purpose is impossible unless we are present enough for it to become "familiar."  A comforting blanket becomes that over time, as it becomes worn.

It is also more difficult for others to immediately feel at ease with that which is another's "comfort zone."  Like a favorite pair of shoes, it starts to fit us so well that it becomes unwelcoming to another's foot.

Being at home and at ease and comfortable is certainly a worthy end to seek.  And so long as we continually seek to make the sojourner comfortable, we reflect the best of what it means to be God's community.  We need such places in our lives; and we need to establish such places for the sake of those who are feeling lost and adrift.