For the first time this week I have realized just how neatly the collect for Proper 23 Year B ties the readings (at least OT and Gospel) together. I've written this week about choices, choosing to seek the LORD and live, choosing to follow Jesus, and all the while I missed that the collect too is about choices.
Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
If we earnestly pray this prayer we will be left in the position of making good choices. For if the grace of God truly precedes and follows us we have no right alternative but to do good works. It is out of God's grace that good works flow. Out of our gratefulness for the free gift of grace that we are motivated to act. Just as out of God's overwhelming love and communion within the Trinity led God to create, so too God's overwhelming love and communion outside, toward us,
leads us to do work, good works.
Having begun this week with the ugggggh of some rather rocky texts I must admit I'm excited now to be preaching on these passages. The grace of God which precedes and follows our every move motivates us to good works for the glory of God. I see my sermon percolating...
Friday, October 06, 2006
Thursday, October 05, 2006
a strange reaction
The interaction between Jesus and his disciples always makes me laugh. For the most part, these 12 guys just don't get it. They don't get what Jesus is doing, yet they continue to follow along. In Mark's telling of the rich young man we see, yet again, an odd response from the 12.
Jesus has just watched an eager young man walk away from him saddened because the demands Jesus made were too much. Dismayed himself, Jesus responds, I'd like to think minus the exclamation points, "how hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God" and again "how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."
Now stop and think what some reactions might be. "Why is it so hard for the rich?" "This guy just liked his stuff too much, he's not indicative of all rich people." You know, something specific to the situation at hand. But no, not the disciples, "Then who can be saved?" they ask greatly astounded. "Holy crap! If the rich aren't gettin' in, ain't nobody gettin' in."
What is it about these guys that allows for non sequiters every time they speak? I don't know about you, but it makes me feel pretty good. The 12 who followed Jesus as disciples. Those who were very closest to him (replacing even his own family) continually miss the point. They just can't get it right. And what does Jesus do? He loves them. He continues to try and teach them. He gives them authority to heal and cast out demons. He keeps at them.
2000 years later it looks like Jesus' hard work with those guys really paid off. Yet the tradition of missing the point and asking the wrong question is one that continues throughout history. I wonder if that's why God decided to give us the gift of the Holy Spirit? Maybe in his relationships while on earth, God realized just how clueless we are and decided we needed some help - someone to love us, to teach us, to give us authority.
Either way, I'm grateful for this tenacious God who continuously seeks me out no matter how often I miss the point.
Jesus has just watched an eager young man walk away from him saddened because the demands Jesus made were too much. Dismayed himself, Jesus responds, I'd like to think minus the exclamation points, "how hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God" and again "how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."
Now stop and think what some reactions might be. "Why is it so hard for the rich?" "This guy just liked his stuff too much, he's not indicative of all rich people." You know, something specific to the situation at hand. But no, not the disciples, "Then who can be saved?" they ask greatly astounded. "Holy crap! If the rich aren't gettin' in, ain't nobody gettin' in."
What is it about these guys that allows for non sequiters every time they speak? I don't know about you, but it makes me feel pretty good. The 12 who followed Jesus as disciples. Those who were very closest to him (replacing even his own family) continually miss the point. They just can't get it right. And what does Jesus do? He loves them. He continues to try and teach them. He gives them authority to heal and cast out demons. He keeps at them.
2000 years later it looks like Jesus' hard work with those guys really paid off. Yet the tradition of missing the point and asking the wrong question is one that continues throughout history. I wonder if that's why God decided to give us the gift of the Holy Spirit? Maybe in his relationships while on earth, God realized just how clueless we are and decided we needed some help - someone to love us, to teach us, to give us authority.
Either way, I'm grateful for this tenacious God who continuously seeks me out no matter how often I miss the point.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Seek the LORD and live
Sounds easy enough to me. The prophet Amos speaking to the people of Israel before the exile knows all the terrible things going on in this corrupt and unjust nation. Yet these people can still turn it around with one, seemingly simple action, seek the LORD.
The Hebrew Bible Prof over at Wesley told us last week that in the Psalms the technical term for worship of YHWH is to seek God's face. While she gave me no reason to believe her, it helps with my case here so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.
To worship YHWH, to seek the LORD, is to strive for justice, for righteousness, for truth. And yet its even easier than that. To worship YHWH, to seek the LORD, is to help the poor, to refuse bribes, to seek good; in fact to LOVE good and HATE evil. To not do these things, to not worship YHWH, to not seek the Lord is to face total destruction. In the case of Israel it was to face the extinction of a culture and a people by way of the exile. For us today to not do these things is to choose hell, the ultimate and final place where we can be free from this loving God who judges. But beyond that, throughout all time to not choose these things is to tarnish the face of God - for it was YHWH who was looked down upon when His chosen people were destroyed and it is God who is looked down upon when disciples of Jesus Christ live as hypocrites in the world.
For God's sake (literally) and not for ours is why we should listen to Amos and "hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate" for it may be that YHWH; God the most gracious and merciful; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit "will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph."
The Hebrew Bible Prof over at Wesley told us last week that in the Psalms the technical term for worship of YHWH is to seek God's face. While she gave me no reason to believe her, it helps with my case here so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.
To worship YHWH, to seek the LORD, is to strive for justice, for righteousness, for truth. And yet its even easier than that. To worship YHWH, to seek the LORD, is to help the poor, to refuse bribes, to seek good; in fact to LOVE good and HATE evil. To not do these things, to not worship YHWH, to not seek the Lord is to face total destruction. In the case of Israel it was to face the extinction of a culture and a people by way of the exile. For us today to not do these things is to choose hell, the ultimate and final place where we can be free from this loving God who judges. But beyond that, throughout all time to not choose these things is to tarnish the face of God - for it was YHWH who was looked down upon when His chosen people were destroyed and it is God who is looked down upon when disciples of Jesus Christ live as hypocrites in the world.
For God's sake (literally) and not for ours is why we should listen to Amos and "hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate" for it may be that YHWH; God the most gracious and merciful; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit "will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph."
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
let the seminarian preach
The readings for Proper 23 remind me of the way George Sherrill began his first sermon at his field ed site, "you know that if I'm standing in the pulpit Dan didn't want to preach these texts, so he thought to himself, 'we'll let the seminarian preach that Sunday.'"
Uggggh. What a weighty set of texts. Doom and gloom from Amos (with a dash of hope). Jesus and the young rich man in Mark (with a dash of Peter and persecutions). Rambling about Moses and Jesus in Hebrews (with a dash of confidence and pride). Uggggh. Maybe I'll preach on the Collect.
As I re-read the passages though I'm left with a question. How hard is it for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God? Easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle!?! What does that mean? [a side note - these musings are intended to be done before exegesis - so you'll have to excuse me for missing the point of the passage on occasion] Life is all about choices. We make choices everyday. Should I snooze one more time? What shirt should I wear? Where should I invest my money? Etc. It seems that here Jesus is giving us a choice. I must choose to use money in a way that is glorifying to God. I must choose to use the gifts God has given me for the kingdom of God. To choose anything is else to choose not to enter into the kingdom of God here on earth. To choose not to enter here is to choose to walk apart from God. For me it really isn't a choice at all. As a Christian it is a part of my character to do these things - to choose to walk with God. But if it is a choice. If I am left to my own devices - how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
Still though, I know why I'm preaching for Proper 23 - "ick, nasty passages - let the seminarian preach" ;-)
Uggggh. What a weighty set of texts. Doom and gloom from Amos (with a dash of hope). Jesus and the young rich man in Mark (with a dash of Peter and persecutions). Rambling about Moses and Jesus in Hebrews (with a dash of confidence and pride). Uggggh. Maybe I'll preach on the Collect.
As I re-read the passages though I'm left with a question. How hard is it for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God? Easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle!?! What does that mean? [a side note - these musings are intended to be done before exegesis - so you'll have to excuse me for missing the point of the passage on occasion] Life is all about choices. We make choices everyday. Should I snooze one more time? What shirt should I wear? Where should I invest my money? Etc. It seems that here Jesus is giving us a choice. I must choose to use money in a way that is glorifying to God. I must choose to use the gifts God has given me for the kingdom of God. To choose anything is else to choose not to enter into the kingdom of God here on earth. To choose not to enter here is to choose to walk apart from God. For me it really isn't a choice at all. As a Christian it is a part of my character to do these things - to choose to walk with God. But if it is a choice. If I am left to my own devices - how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
Still though, I know why I'm preaching for Proper 23 - "ick, nasty passages - let the seminarian preach" ;-)
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