MANNA: 10/30/12

Hurricane Sandy has just blown through with greater than 75mph winds and more then 10 inches of rain.  There is widespread flooding and power outages.  As I type this, I am reminded of how thankful I am to have power.  The news channels are reporting relief efforts that have begun in my area, and there is a  forecast of huge amounts of snow in WV as the storm moves west.  

How vulnerable and small we are.   

Psalm 46:1-3
God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.


God is our refuge and strength.
                    Breathe....inhale, exhale....
                                       God is our refuge...
                                                       and strength.

One of my favorite authors/preachers is Rob Bell.  A few years ago, he and his media team put out a video series called Nooma.  The first in the series was titled RAIN, and with it Rob Bell captured the essence of what it means to trust and believe that "God is our refuge and strength".  

Watch the video, see for yourself.

Prayer:  God, you are my refuge and strength.  you hold me tight through the storms.  You whisper your Word of hope into my soul.  You know the way home.  Lead me, guide me, deliver me, carry me.  I'm yours.  Amen




For more about Rob Bell, here's a few links.

Rob Bell Wikipedia

The Work of Rob Bell

Rob Bell's Church

Sermon: 10/28/12

Read Psalm 34:1-8,19-22

Many of us love to be scared.  Check your local theaters...the only thing you'll find this weekend are horror films.  

Exactly 40 years ago, the year 1972 earned an odd distinction: 189 horror movies were released that year, the most in any single year. Since then, the horrors have continued.  Let's see how you do with a little horror film trivia:

• Which movie remains the No.1 horror movie ever, grossing over $470 million?*
• Whose frightening novels have been turned into 37 feature films?*  
• Who became known as "The Scream Queen" by starring in six horror movies between the 70s and 80s?*  
• What is the only horror film ever to win an Oscar for best picture?*

And of course the Twilight movies and True Blood television series have made vampires more popular than ever. This fits a longstanding obsession with Count Dracula, the most-often portrayed character in horror, appearing in 162 films.

The writer of Psalm 34 says, “I sought the LORD, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears”.  In times of trouble, we want to be delivered, and yet — at the very same time — we seem to like to be scared. We even have a holiday for it.

Halloween is just days away, the day on which normally well-behaved boys and girls become something they aren’t and enjoy dipping their toes in the water of fear.  And it is not just a children’s holiday anymore: Adults currently spend an average of $70 per person on their Halloween costumes. The holiday has expanded to include a month of lawn decorations, plus weekend parties for adults and children. The National Retail Federation estimated that 70 percent of Americans celebrated Halloween last year, spending $7 billion. That’s a lot of money. And spending has doubled since 2005.

Clearly we like to be scared by horror movies, and we also enjoy dressing up on Halloween and letting out our inner witch, vampire or zombie. What’s going on with this? Should Christians be concerned that a pagan holiday has become big business in the United States, involving 70 percent of the population? 

I don't think so.  In fact. I propose we take back Halloween.  

Halloween actually has Christian origins — it means “All Hallows’ Eve,” the night before All Hallows’ Day, more commonly called All Saints’ Day. But even though it has a Christian origin, Halloween has pagan roots that go deep into the Celtic festival called Samhain, which means “summer’s end.”  Samhain was a time of transition, in which farmers prepared for the cold winter months that were coming; it was also a time when the physical and supernatural worlds were believed to be very close to one another. Magical things could happen, according to the Celts.

Once Christianity became the dominant religion of Europe, these ancient beliefs took on a Christian flavor. The souls of the dead were believed to wander the earth until All Saints’ Day, and Halloween was the last chance for angry ghosts to gain vengeance on their enemies. So what did Christians do? Put on masks and costumes to disguise themselves. The tradition continues when we dress up as witches, vampires and zombies.

Halloween clearly contains some problems for Christians today, rooted in its traditions of magical occurrences and wandering ghosts. Not that any of us builds bonfires to ward off evil spirits, as the Celts did, or dresses up in costumes to hide from angry ghosts, as European Christians did. But still, problems can arise for Christians.  But, this is only if you believe that this night before All Saints day is a kind of time that breaks down a barrier between the physical and the supernatural worlds.  In truth, Christianity does not teach that there is a separation, such as this, between a physical and a supernatural world.  We believe and teach, as it says in Genesis, that God made all things and called them "good".  There is not a "bad world", or a distinction between the physical and spiritual whereby the physical is bad and the spiritual is good.  This kind of dualism contradicts the character of a good and merciful God who is clearly described in the scriptures.  What we do teach, on this matter, is that there is sin and it destroys and corrupts all things. Sin has corrupted all things, including people, decisions, systems.  All creation is broken and corrupt.  This is not merely a matter of morality; this is much bigger, and more insidious. 

The results of sin are truly terrifying.  We might be playful this time of year with things like ghosts and vampires, and horror films, but the pain and suffering of sin are no joke to any of us.  Sit in the hospital with a mother and father when their child is having life-threatening surgery...that's true terror.  Talk with a soldier about post traumatic stress, and you'll hear about true horror.  Listen in to the stories told at an AA meeting, and you'll hear about men and women facing true demons.  

But, it's Martin Luther who once wrote, "The best way to drive away the devil, is to laugh at him and flout him, for he cannot bear to be mocked."  We have been given the gift of the promise of life in our faith in Jesus Christ.  This faith overcomes our fears.  The writer of today's Psalm identifies with all of us who endure through the challenges of sin in this world.  He says, "I sought the Lord and He delivered me from all my fears."   Our faith allows us to hold on tight to Christ's promise of deliverance through all that threatens us.  We are too small and vulnerable to face alone the very real threats of and curses of sin and sin's destructive forces.  But, we are not alone!  We have faith.  Faith in the promise of Christ, and faith in the friendship of the church.  When one of us is weak, the rest of us can be strong.  We give the efforts from this a fancy word.  It's called ministry, when the church becomes the strength to help others hold on tight to the promises that carry us through the terrors of life.  With the church, and with our faith, we can mock the devil and his empty promises.

This is why I propose we take back Halloween.  It gives us the precise opportunity to mock the forces of evil and the devil. We can dress up in images of fear and horror, and then laugh at it with fun.  It gives us an opportunity to teach our children that no matter what happens, we need not be afraid, because God is always with us.  

So, what are some ways the church can take back Halloween:

Some churches, like ours, bring Halloween into the church because they believe that it is safer for children to dress up and get treats in church than to teach them to run around the neighborhood in the dark and do so. Others celebrate the holiday as Reformation Day, which shares the same date — these churches throw Harvest Festivals or Reformation Festivals, and invite people to wear masks and costumes just to literally take them off as a sign of the freedom from fear that grace and truth offers us.  

Another approach is to acknowledge that the ancient Celts were right to focus on “summer’s end.” Halloween is about the transition from summer to winter, from life to death. Even young children are beginning to wonder about mortality, so what is the harm in having them dress up as ghosts or skeletons? We might think of it as a teaching moment about the promise of life, in the ability to take off the "clothing that scares".

“I sought the LORD, and he answered me,” says Psalm 34, “and delivered me from all my fears.”. When children become frightened of witches, ghosts, zombies and vampires, these are teaching moments for us to share with them the good news that God is with them and has the power to deliver them.  A child is never too young to learn that.   

We can take back Halloween by remembering that Halloween points us to All Saints’ Day. It is, after all, All Hallows’ Eve. Halloween reminds us that “we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses”, a heavenly congregation of faithful servants of God who have gone before us.  On Halloween, we should remember that the barrier between the physical and spiritual really is quite thin — thin in the sense that we can easily see the examples of the graceful and loving relatives, friends, colleagues, and fellow church members who have entered everlasting life with God.

On All Hallows’ Eve, let’s not focus so much on the living dead — zombies that pop up on movie screens.  Instead, let’s remember the dead who are still living as saints of God, and as inspirations to us.

Amen

 

* Jaws, Stephen King, Jamie Lee Curtis, The Silence of the Lambs

Fall Newsletter: 2012

Who should I vote for?

A friend forwarded this story to me about a church’s reasoning for collectively agreeing to not vote in a particular election. It seems the members actually came to agree as a whole that it was against God’s will to vote. Not that they determined voting, or democracy are evil, but that the political process has become so corrupt that it is now an abomination and lacks the potential to produce the fruit of God’s will. So, as a congregation they all agreed to not vote.

This ought to sound extreme, because it is. But I think most of us can relate to the concerns of these church members, even if we cannot agree with their resolution. After all, isn’t politics known more for its corruption, divisiveness and deceit than anything else? As Christians, are we not called to reject all that defies the will of God? My father is a perfect example. He hasn’t voted in decades. When I challenge him on this his answer is always the same, “Why vote? We can’t trust any of them to do what they promise.” Personally, I think answers like this are a cop out. But, as a Christian we are called to defend our actions with a bit more than just knee jerk reactions, even when it seems we are overwhelmingly correct. These days, I think Christians need to grapple with the question about why it is God’s will that we vote.

We are not just citizens of the United States. We are Christian citizens.

We are living in a time like no other in America’s history when it comes to matters of faith and religion. According to a survey conducted this year by the PEW Research Group, the number of those who claim no religious affiliation has climbed to 16% of Americans. That’s the highest it has ever been, and it is trending upward. This number has doubled just since the time when the people surveyed today were children. Meaning, the primary reason for the rise in this number is due to people being raised by people claiming to be Christian, but now their children are not following in their parent’s faith. Among Americans between the ages 18-29, the number of those who claim no religious affiliation is 25%. That is a staggering statistic, when considering the Christian roots of our particular democracy in this country. Meanwhile, the number of those who claim Christianity as their religion continues to decline, with mainline Protestants, like us, slipping to 18%, an all time low. Clearly the “mainline” in American Christianity has become more of the “sideline” today.

This is precisely why it is important for us to not merely vote as citizens, but to vote as Christian citizens. Our particular voice needs to become relevant again. There is no other time when it is easier for our voice to be made relevant than when we are given the opportunity to vote for a president.

What does it mean to vote as a Christian citizen?

It means we take seriously a few things that an increasing number of others do not. First, that God is sovereign to our politics. No matter what others may say, God is still in charge. We are still able to claim to be one nation, but only so long as we are able to claim in the same breath the source of that unity. We are one nation under God. All authority belongs to God. This means we are never truly independent. We are always dependent upon God for guidance, support and mercy. The candidate who recognizes this will demonstrate it by “walking humbly” as the prophet Micah explains. We should expect an element of elitism, and entitlement in candidates who are running for the highest office in our nation. It would be foolish to think that a person could rise to such a station in life without being surrounded by such an element. With forgiveness, then, we should look deeper into the character of the candidates. We should look for humility. When faced with opposition or set back, which candidate is humble enough to admit their flaws and mistakes. Or, which candidate draws upon child-like patterns of behavior that are more arrogant, such as blaming others, finger-pointing, back-pedaling, and denial. As Christians, we believe in God who does not expect us to be perfect. We are only expected to do our best, and walk humbly with God. We ought look for humility like this in the candidate we choose.

Second, it means we take seriously that Christian values contribute positively to society as a whole. Jesus gave us the mandate to love others as he has loved us. The value of service to others, generosity, and personal sacrifice are values that we should look for in a candidate, and in that candidate’s decision making practices. Jesus’ love is also one that places the value of righteousness over that of success, justice over that of fairness. Doing what is right is not necessarily always going to be what is considered successful. We recognize when a candidate chooses the pursuit of success because it is often at expense of doing what is right. For instance, making choices that conserve and promote renewable sources of energy, reducing our dependence on foreign nations is fundamentally right. However, this is not likely to be popular or very successful, at first, due to the dramatic changes required in the industry and infrastructure, as well as the risk of trial and error inherent in testing new ideas and technology. 

Likewise, making decisions that promote justice may not always be considered fair. Making choices that aim at justice in matters of health care, education, and immigration are not going to be decisions that all people believe are fair. Some will be asked to give so that others may receive. As Lutheran Christians, we teach that the blessings we receive are the result of God's grace. In the economy of God's kingdom, the grace He gives to us promotes justice and peace, but it is certainly not fair. If God's will was to promote fairness, then all of we sinners would receive the punishment we very fairly deserve. Thankfully, God isn't interested in being fair, His will is to produce justice through us by His grace.  And, from a Christian perspective, the work of justice in this world is never going to be understood as fair to all people involved. With the economy playing such a significant role in this election, Christians ought to look for the candidate whose choices demonstrate a willingness to take the risks that promote justice.  

And my final point here is really the simplest. We need to take seriously what St. Paul says in Romans chapter 13, where he exhorts the church to obey government leaders because all authority comes from God. Here’s the catch for us here in America. We are the leaders! We need to remember that. This means we have a responsibility to be good stewards of our nation, our laws, resources and government. What is our task as Christian citizens? To see that it is run in a way that gives honor to God, and to raise up leaders from among us who will judge and decide what is right for our nation according to God’s will. We need to raise up people who make Godly choices in politics, and pray for, encourage and applaud those who do so. We publicly demonstrate our faith in God by exercising our rights and privileges in an honorable way as citizens. That means, among many other things, voting. God has granted us authority here in this nation to be good stewards of the gifts we have been given.

So, then, who does the Christian citizen vote for?

We vote for the one who best exemplifies our faith and values. In this election this is a little harder to get at. In a recent Gallup poll, only 34% of Americans correctly answered that President Obama is a Christian, and 11% incorrectly answered that he was a Muslim. Why are we so confused about our President’s religion? It could be because his actions have adequately left Americans guessing. In 2008 we heard from his infamous UCC pastor, who offended many people with his rantings about race. Obama, possibly trying to distance himself, has attended many different religious institutions for worship since entering the White House. Four years later and his personal religious affiliation seems generic at best. On the other hand, Mitt Romney, who once held the high ranking office of Bishop, has brought Mormonism to the foreground more than ever before.

So, who do we vote for when one’s Christianity is generic, and the other is a Mormon?

Well, I don’t propose by this writing to be offering a foolproof plan to choosing a president. That would be ludicrous. I am proposing, however, that we at least lift up and consider a few things to do with the faith we share prior to making our decision. Choosing a president is a purely secular event, even for Christians, but that does not mean it should be uninformed by our personal faith. In short, Christian voters act appropriately when they evaluate candidates for public office based on anything that is relevant to how Christian values are used to inform the candidate’s ability to perform the duties of the office. This means we can vote for a president based upon our best guess of how the candidate’s values and abilities line up with our Christian values, regardless of whether or not the candidate is actually faithful or religious at all.

Good citizenship sets an example for generations to come. But, responsible Christian citizenship passes down blessings upon blessings to those who come after us. It seems frighteningly clear that secularism and humanism are going to continue to erode the values that we Christians hold dear. Yet, when we have an opportunity to vote, how many of us do so with our Christian values at the foreground of our decision making process? Too many of us make the choice of a candidate based solely upon what we hear our favorite news channel supporting. Christian values, as well as our nation's integrity, become like sheep led to the slaughter when we do this. Remember, we are the leaders of this great nation. We need to turn off the auto-pilot, which is CNN and FOX, and take the wheel again. I believe that as we trust in God with prayer and obedience in each of our elections, and act as good stewards of our nation's politics, laws, and government we begin to pave the way for generations of blessing.

May God bless the USA with the fruits of our election this November.

MANNA: 10/16/12

"I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind  and the same judgment."

1 Corinthians 1:10

Paul emphasizes the main point of his letter to the church in Corinth.  "agree...no divisions...united...same mind...same judgment."   Unity depends on faithfulness to Christ, not chasing one's own agendas or ideas.

With politics winding their way toward the general election in a few weeks, the topic of national unity is in the air once again.  Each candidate offering their own spin on why their opponent would not be the best choice to unite our nation.  How ironic!  As the two of them point the finger of judgment at each other they model the same division they promise to correct.

One thing politics reminds us about unity is that it is much easier spoken of than accomplished.   Maybe our search for unity should look beyond the president of our nation.

Unity may be a difficult goal to accomplish, but Paul's message to the church in Corinth helps us to focus our efforts on a way that leads us in the right direction.  The road to unity goes through selfless compromise and forgiveness.

Are you trying to keep your family, friends, etc. together, or are you trying to force your will upon them?
Is unity your true goal, or is it actually to get things to go your way?

When our road to unity is going through our own agendas and ideas then we would be wise to let go of our power struggles, confess our selfishness, and look for ways to work toward a compromise.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, forgive me for trying to force my own agendas or ideas on the people around me.  Help me to trust in your way of forgiveness and compromise.  Let me see more clearly the gift of your saving grace in Jesus Christ to free me from the self-destructiveness of my own selfish ways.  Thank you, Lord, for the gift of today to correct the mistakes of yesterday.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

MANNA: 10/11/12

Verse For The Day: 1 Chronicles 16:34

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

David has rescued the ark of the covenant from Israel's enemies, and re-established worship for the people.  This line, in 1st Chronicles, actually comes from the first verse of Psalm 106.  The scribes to King David decided to quote from this Psalm, and two others, to express Israel's joy and thanks.  

How best to express our emotions to God than to use the ancient words of the Bible?  Personally, I find it so inspiring to come across quotes like this.  It's as if the Bible itself can't come up with any better words than that which the Bible has already said in another place of the scriptures.  

Sometimes God leaves us speechless!

In times like these, God's Word speaks for us.

God knows our thoughts and feelings before we can come up with the words to express them.  

I like to say that one thing the Bible gives us is a language for our soul.  It's a language that unites our thoughts and feelings with that of generations of believers who have turned to those same words through the centuries.  The more time we spend with the Bible the more our "soul's language" improves it's vocabulary.  

Today's verse might be used as a prayer all by itself.  You might pray it over and over.  As you do so, listen to the way the words take on different meanings that are fitting for your soul's necessities today.  

Prayer: Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.  Amen!

Manna: 10/10/12

Verse of the Day:Therefore you are great, O Lord God.  For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.    2 Samuel 7:22

In chapter seven of 2 Samuel, God makes a covenant with David.  David is humbled by God's mercy.  He realizes all the many things that God has done for him and for Israel.  More importantly, he acknowledges that he doesn't deserve any of the blessings that God has done for him.  All of it is due solely to God's mercy and grace.  

Pause for a moment today and, like David, acknowledge the many blessings in your life.  No matter how high or how low this day might be, we have a covenant with God that goes with us through it all.  When our day is as sorrowful as we can think, our God is there encouraging us through it.  When our day is as joyful as can be, our God is there keeping us grounded in our morals and ethics.  

Prayer:  Lord God, thank you.....truly, I can't thank you enough for the many blessings you give.  Your blessings keep me going when things get tough, and they keep humble when things are going well.  So, today, Lord, let me just say...Thank You!  Amen

Sermon: 10/7/12

Genesis 2:18-25
Mark 10:2-16

Attending a wedding for the first time, a little girl whispered to her mother, "Why is the bride dressed in white?" "Because white is the color of happiness, and today is the happiest day of her life." The child thought about this for a moment, then said, "So why is the groom wearing black?" 


A man left work one Friday afternoon. But instead of going home, he stayed out the entire weekend fishing with the boys and spending his entire paycheck. When he finally appeared at home Sunday night, he was confronted by his very angry wife and was barraged for nearly 2 hours with a tirade of his actions. Finally his wife stopped the nagging and simply said to him "How would you like it if you didn’t see me for 2 or 3 days?" To which he replied, "That would be fine with me!"  And, after 2-3 days the swelling in his eyes came down just enough for him to be able to see his wife again.  


A bride was very nervous. It was right before the wedding and she wasn’t sure she could even walk down aisle. So her father gave her some words of wisdom. He said to her. “There’s only three things you need to focus on. If you focus on these three things, you’ll be fine. The first is walking down the aisle. Just focus on walking down the aisle of the church. I know it’s rather long, but just concentrate on that. Don’t get caught up with those on either side of the aisle. Just focus on getting to the end of the aisle. Next, focus on the altar. It is your destination today. Make your way down the aisle to the altar. There you will stand before God with the man you love and will make vows to God and him. Focus on the altar –for the altar represents the love God has for you in Jesus Christ. Lastly, focus on the hymn. In poetry and song, the hymn will remind you of God’s blessing for your marriage. So, to help you not be so nervous, just focus on those three things.
Walking down the AISLE,
Standing before the ALTAR and
Listening to the HYMN.
The bride was very thankful to her Dad for his words of advice, and with a look of calm here friends and family watched her walk down the aisle. But as she passed them, they began to chuckle quietly. For along with the look of calm, she was mumbling three words over and over again. 
“Aisle, Altar, Hymn… Aisle, Altar, Hymn… Aisle, Altar, Hymn.”


Today’s bible readings have much to say about marriage. 
Marriage is a topic that is so common to all of us that we are tempted to rely too heavily upon assumptions of the Bible rather than actual study of the text.  We're all aware of what can happen when we make assumptions.  So, let's take a look at a couple of the more popular ones and allow the text the freedom to actually speak to them.

One of the big assumptions that I hear often enough is that God created people for the purpose of marriage. You hear this in the pie in the sky notion that somewhere out there “over the rainbow” there is a perfect match waiting for each of us..a match made in heaven. This presumes that marriage is the precursor to the creation of man and woman.Let's look at our text from Genesis.

We begin just on the heels of the text in Genesis declaring that God has created all things and claimed them "GOOD".  Now, we read the very first time in which God looks upon his creation and finds something that dissatisfies him..something that is NOT GOOD.  God is dissatisfied that Adam is lonely.  Now, there's something interesting about this little snippet of text.  The gender is not masculine, it's neutral.  The word Adam, despite all of its traditional baggage, in Hebrew literally means something more like "mankind" than a masculine engendered "man".  If the Hebrew wanted to specify the gender specific word "man" there is a different word for that, ish.  Isha is the feminine form, or woman.    So, we have a gender neutral expression for man as the object of the very first point of God's dissatisfaction stated in the Bible, and the cause for this dissatisfaction is loneliness.  God doesn't want people to be lonely.  

We were made in the image of God.  The best image of God is a Trinitarian one.  It's one in which three parts share in mutual companionship, and submission.  God is love, the apostle John declared.  As we study the image of our Trinitarian God, we meet a God who is in constant companionship.  Human beings, made in the image of God, we were made for companionship. 

When God notices that Adam is lonely he recognizes that this just isn't right.  So, God immediately goes to work to fix this problem.  He creates another who will be made "from the same flesh" of man...woman.  Had God created woman as a separate creation, there is no guarantee that the two would long for each other as companions.  The point here is overcoming loneliness, creating a companion, not merely creating two individual entities, which was certainly within the realm of God's power.  But since the goal here is companionship, God creates isha out of ish.  Because God created first the gender neutral "adam"...the end result of the project is less about creating gender specifications, less about sexuality, and more about companionship to overcome loneliness.  

Companionship is not the institution of marriage.  We were created for companionship, but not necessarily marriage.   Now, if this notion doesn't sit well, just ask this question, "If God created people for the purpose of marriage, then why don’t we hear any mention of marriage in creation texts?"   The notion that people were created for marriage presumes that marriage was an existing institution prior to the creation of people. That just isn’t the case. However, companionship was within the nature and image of God, pre-existing before people.  So, I’m sorry to break it to you, but marriages aren’t made in heaven…their made on earth. Companionship, love, fidelity, intimacy…these are made in heaven. 

This brings us to the next assumption
The bible is clear about marriage.  Therefore biblical marriage is the standard for Christians, and this tradition should remain unaltered.  
According to our Gospel text, the Pharisees came to Jesus with a question about divorce in order to test Jesus.  The fact that the Pharisees came questioning Jesus informs us that changes in the traditions of marriage were afoot in Jesus’ day.  As a matter fact, the traditions of marriage have been changing and evolving for as long as marriage has been an institution at all.  

So, as followers of Christ, our question then should turn on how our Lord responds to this test in his day.  Does he endorse the traditions of His day?  Or, does he suggest that the traditions should be open to change?    Jesus, first asks them what do the traditions say?  The Pharisees respond with a quote of the Law.  They are the defenders of the Law and therefore the traditions of their day.  They come at Jesus to trap him, and he responds with a question that essentially traps them.  He takes their answer and then declares that the traditions they are recognizing were only put into place because of their hardness of heart.  In other words, not because it is God's intentions, but in order to offset man's intentions.  Jesus then calls them to the same Genesis text we just talked about as an example of God's good intentions.   Jesus looks beyond the traditional institution of marriage and points the Pharisees back to the Genesis text about companionship and commitment. He does not endorse the letter of the laws of traditional marriage in his day.  Instead he points them toward God’s role in fixing the problem of loneliness.  

In Jesus' day the grace of divorce had been turned into a law that was misused and flouted, causing great loneliness among women.  Men were permitted to divorce as they wish, but women were not.  Men were leaving broken, lonely women behind, and all they needed to do was offer a written statement as to why.  The reasons were often cultural misunderstandings of science, such as claiming that the woman wasn't able to bear children.  Or, they were frivolous claims of infidelity from the husband.  In those days a man need only make this claim public, and he was dismissed from his marriage.  It is fair to say that men took advantage of this and more often than not simply lied.  They would then go off and marry again, and possibly do the same thing.   The reasons a man would leave his wife lonely and disgraced were not to do with the reasons why God had brought them together in the first place, companionship.  

Today, one of the more painful things that people endure is when a wife or husband find themselves living each day with someone, but they have no deeper relationship with that person than as that of a room mate.  They are married, but the promises made have been broken long ago and now they live separate lonely lives under the same roof.  

Just as God went to work to overcome loneliness in Genesis, Jesus goes to work to overcome the loneliness of his day.  He defies traditions of his age and suggests that those who misuse the gift of marriage or the grace of divorce be labelled as adulterers.  In Jesus' day that would be the equivalent to what our local Amish would consider shunning.  In other words, Jesus is suggesting that those who exploit the grace given in the divorce Law for selfish gain should have to face the same measure of loneliness that the woman faces in divorce.  By holding the men of his day accountable, not to the Law, but to an even higher standard of morality, Jesus draws the people back to the purpose for marriage---companionship.    

Elsewhere we hear Jesus suggesting revisions in traditions as well.  One example is where he is tested on the purpose for the Sabbath.  Jesus responds in the same manner there as he does here.  He draws them away from the exploitation of grace that exists within the law that created the tradition.  Then, points back to the intentions of God in the gift of Sabbath.  His words there are, "People were not made for the Sabbath.  Sabbath was made for people."  

Likewise we can say about marriage.

People were not made for marriage.

Marriage was made for people.

Marriage is an institution made for the benefit and blessing of people. People were not made for the benefit and blessing of marriage.

And, as times have changed over the centuries, so has the institution of marriage. For instance, in Luther's day marriages were taken to the local civil authorities first, not to the church.  Then, a couple would go to the church to ask the priest for God's blessing on their marriage.  Today, our theology of a marriage is the same, while the traditions have changed.  We Lutherans believe that a marriage is actually two parts that come together under God.   One part is that which the civil authorities uphold by defining marriage in our current day, and by assessing what secular benefits are attached marriage.  The other part of a marriage is when the married couple bring their companionship to the church for God's blessing.  As a pastor, I wear two hats when I do a wedding service.  One hat is that of the civil authorities, whereby the state of PA gives me permission to sign a marriage license and declare the two people married under the laws of our state.  The other hat is that of the church.  With this hat I offer the sacred blessing of God upon the couple.  

This notion that the tradition of marriage needs to be kept within the realm of what the bible declares a marriage to be assumes that the biblical form of marriage is something that is capable of remaining through the ages.  But, that simply isn't possible.  It is a tradition, that is informed by our faith, but in and of itself is not our faith.  It was changing during Jesus' time.  It was changing during Luther's time, and it will continue to change throughout all times.   Marriage is not created by God, but it is blessed by God for God's purposes of companionship, commitment and community. 

Today there is much to do over the institution of marriage in politics and culture. This is a topic that we should be passionate about. It’s important to the basic building blocks of our society. But, we should not blindly lean upon assumptions, especially those that are not scripturally sound.When Jesus was challenged by the topic of marriage, his actions reminded his listeners of the grace of God.  God does not intend for us to be alone, without help, or without a person to share the gift of love.  Scripturally, it is companionship that takes precedence to marriage. And it ought to us as well. 

I sometimes wonder what would Jesus thinks of us today.  I wonder if Jesus looks at how we tear his church apart over the tradition of marriage.  I wonder if he asks himself, "Did I die for this?" At the end of our life, we will not regret having failed this generation’s challenge of the institution of marriage. No matter how hard we fight, or sacrifice for one side or the other.  In the end, should we lose this fight to save what we think to be so dear about marriage we will not regret having lost this battle.  But we will regret the time not spent with the ones God gave us to love. 

We are all broken, and sinful people.  God has given us the gift of marriage because He loves us, knows our loneliness, and wants to fix it.  His blessing helps us to heal the brokenness in our marriages, persevere the difficulties, and overcome the loneliness.  With God's blessing, a marriage becomes a life-giving gift of God that bears the image of God to the world.   God first came to our aid when he recognized that it was not good for Adam to be lonely.  Today, God continues to help us overcome loneliness, by placing so many people in our lives in which we might share the love of Christ.  We have the gift of friends and family.  But, all of us have the church, a place where we get the privilege of sharing the intimacy of a common faith, prayer, and mutual concern.  All of these people, you are drawn toward all of these people because they are your people.  As Adam declares, they are flesh from your flesh.  We, male and female, were made for this grace.  Where there is loneliness, marriage may or may not be the answer.  But, the grace of companionship is.  

Marriage will always be debated, and it will always be evolving.  Fortunately, God did not create us for marriage.  He gave marriage to us as a gift and blessing for the benefit of those whom God calls to remain in companionship together.  

With God's grace we are not held captive to traditions, or to false assumptions of the Bible.  

With God's grace we are free to build companionship ministries and work to defend the relief of loneliness.  

  

Amen 

Sermon: 9/30/12

Read: Mark 9:38-50

There are some really elite clubs out there.
Is anyone here a member of Disney's Club 33?
NO?....I didn't think so.
This super-exclusive club at Disneyland costs $10,000 for an individual membership, and carries annual fees of a couple thousands dollars after that.  Club members get to ride the exclusive Lilly Belle train car, and they can eat in a semi-secret dining room in New Orleans Square--the only place in Disneyland that serves alcohol.  As of 2007, the club wait list was 14 years; and they have stopped taking inquiries.

Is anyone here a member of The Core Club?
NO?....I didn't think so.
If you have insane amounts of money, and only want to interact with others who do, this is the club for you.  The only membership requirement is that your annual earnings rank in the top 1% in the US.  In this club, business networking is encouraged, conceit is expected, and entitlement is given.

Now, here's an elite club.
Does anyone here belong to the Ejection Tie Club?
NO?...Too bad.
There are only 5,607 members who have achieved the very ill-earned club membership standard for this club.  They have ejected from a plummeting military aircraft and survived to tell about it.  Each member receives a very swanky necktie for surviving their emergency ride.  This is the only club where you literally have to get thrown out in order to get in.

How about the Giga Society?  Anyone here belong to that club?
NO?...I didn't think so.
This may be the most elite organization in the world.  Membership is open only to those who can outscore 99.9999999 percent of the world's population on at least one intelligence test from the Society's accepted test list.  This means that, in theory, one in every billion people can qualify, putting the Society's membership at no more than about 7-8 in the world.

These are some of the most elite clubs in the world.
They seem a bit ridiculous, don't they?
Why do you think people would want to belong to such elite groups?

Well, remember back when you were a kid.  Were you the kid who had the tree-house with the sign on the front "DO NOT ENTER WITHOUT THE PASSWORD"?  Or, were you the kid who wasn't welcomed into someone else's tree-house?  Whatever the case, we find ourselves at very early ages longing to belong somewhere, to feel as though we are "insiders".  How many of you, when in college joined fraternities or sororities?  The secret rituals, hand-shakes, traditions all have one goal at heart, that is to make its members feel a sense of entitlement, a sense of belonging.

This brings us to the practices of the church?
As common as is the sign on the tree-house that reads "DO NOT ENTER WITHOUT A PASSWORD", so are the practices of elitism in our churches?   And, even though they seem innocent, and well intended enough, today's gospel reading calls us to re-evaluate the things we do that "create stumbling blocks for the little ones."  Here, we ought to read "little ones" as those who are the newbies in faith and church membership.

 John, the apparent spokesperson for the disciples comes to Jesus with a tattle-tale report that they saw someone casting out demons in Jesus' name, and that they told him to stop because he was not one of their group.  Now, we might remember that it wasn't long ago in Mark's gospel that those same disciples were unable to do this very thing because of their lack of faith.  Now, we have them, enviously, wanting to stop someone from casting out demons, and the only reason they offer for their behavior is that this person is not one of us.  He does not belong to their fraternity. Jesus tells them that anyone who is not against us is for us, and then proceeds with a teaching about stumbling blocks that, with all the hands, eyes and feet being lopped off, would surely have made his chastising point.  His point is still one for us to be mindful of today.

The church is not a country club.  It is not an elite organization.  More to the point, the church ought to be

the LEAST elite club in the world.

Ecumenical is a good word to learn here.

It refers to efforts that reach across boundaries of the Christian faith with the end goal always some sort of mutual ministry.  In the disciple's example; instead of putting a stop to the outsider's ministry an ecumenical effort would have opened the way for the disciples to join the outsider, possibly even learn a thing or two.  

Today, there are lots of great ecumenical ministries in our community.  Steeple to People is a great example. This ministry is, basically, a consortium of many local churches.  Presbyterians, Methodists, Catholics, Mennonites, Anglicans, Lutherans and others all pulling our resources together to meet the needs of the poor in our area.  Or, we might say, to cast out the demons of economic injustice.  

Where possible, though, Jesus calls us to be "ecumenical" inside our churches as well, not just between them.

We could start by questioning our assumptions and practices to ensure that they are founded on solid theology and not some sort of accidental elitism.

For instance...

What is our basis for defining church membership?  

What "hoops" do we ask people to jump through in order to be considered an active part of our church?

There are theological and philosophical answers to questions like these, but perhaps practices like these are creating accidental elitism.  We need to be very careful that people in our churches with different education, social standing, maturity, training, etc. aren't our own "little ones who believe" (v.42)

Jesus was concerned with something so much larger than just one person casting out demons.  He wanted to be sure that his future church would never fell like a country club.  Instead of being the most exclusive club in the world, he wanted it to be the most inclusive club in the world.  

This is why the nail scarred hands of Christ reach out to all people with the gift of grace, not just to the people who belong to the Christian club.  Christ died so that all people would be saved.  And, this is why our congregational mission statement includes the line that calls us to "Welcome all!"  

So, how do we turn our churches into the least elite places in the world?  Well, that is our challenge.  But, when we do, even as we do, we will be "bearing the name of Christ" (v.41), and neither insider nor outsider will need to feel that he or she is "not one of us."  

Amen