1st Sunday in Lent

Mark 1:12-15

The old has passed
With a final test and purging
That has set the stage
--in this plane
for eternity to break in
to a world
--still the same
--and yet new
(repent)
a world that has seen
--its future dashed
------again
-----------and again
------by the mindless strivings
of humanity
--trying so very hard
(for the kingdom)
---------to make it alone
standing in its toddler steps
and facing
----life
(of God)
in the hopes and dreams
---of making it
--------with an eye toward the God who was and is
on their own
but the air smells different now
(is at hand)
with a newness
--------and a freshness
that seems to come from beyond time
(Life)
and there is an excitement
(has come to a fullness)
in the air
(that has not been known
on this earth
since God looked at what had been made
and said
It is good)

backyards

Sunday March 1st, Genesis 9: 8 Again, God said to Noah and his sons: 9 I am going to make a solemn promise to you and to everyone who will live after you. 10 This includes the birds and the animals that came out of the boat. 11 I promise every living creature that the earth and those living on it will never again be destroyed by a flood. Those who would profess the theology of the “Left Behind” series would see this as one of God’s trick statements, sort of a “I won’t use water next time, I’ll use fire ha ha ha!!!” statement. They are wrong, and a bit sadistic. God made a promise to all of life on the planet earth that God will love them and keep them in a loving relationship. And the unspoken part of that is the God will keep on our case until we “get it” and start to respond to God, creation, and one another in a similar, loving, caring manner. In other words, there will be love, grace and Jesus. What do we make of this? God is concerned about and loves all of creation. Global warming is a concern, The Sudan is a concern, the Middle East is a concern, Warfare is a concern and you and I are a concern. Our job is to get our concern in line with God’s concerns and care for all the world, not just our own back yard. If we think and pray globally and act locally, our backyard, as well as our neighbors backyard will both benefit.

fewer yachts, more boats, better water

Monday March 2nd, Genesis 9: 12-13 The rainbow that I have put in the sky will be my sign to you and to every living creature on earth. It will remind you that I will keep this promise forever. We can explain the science behind a rainbow but not the beauty or how it mak, es us feel when we see one. It is God’s signature, a sign to us, the earth, our fellow citizens and every living creature on this planet. Just maybe there is an explicit warning there also. To not connect with God’s vision for the world will not bode well for us. Our mistreatment of others and of creation is just an expanded version of pissing in the corners of our kitchen and living room and not taking out the garbage, it time our own lives begin to stink. For the last 30 years we have lived by the motto that a rising tide lifts all boats, and then sold the illusion that the way to make the tide rise was to build bigger yachts for a few. Now we find the water is down, the yachts are listing, the people are starving and Newt comes along and tells us the problem is that the yachts are not big enough. God calls us to make boats for everyone instead and while we are at it to care and nurture and keep clean the water in which they float. That rainbow signifies a two way contract. God is doing God’s part, now it is up to us to do our part. This planet, and the people in it are not there simply for our use and taking. We are called as co-creators to nurture and care for one another and the creation from which we came. That is the meaning of the rainbow.

Encompassing rainbow

Tuesday March 3rd, Genesis 9: 16 When I see the rainbow in the sky, I will always remember the promise that I have made to every living creature. 17 The rainbow will be the sign of that solemn promise. When we see a rainbow, it is not a solo experience. We are not the only ones to see it. It is caused by the rain and sunshine which falls on good and bad, friend and foe alike. The curved encompassing shape is a reminder that we live in community on this planet and are called live like we understand that. The old ways of tribalism, racism, sexism and nationalism are not part of God’s intent. We are called instead as stewards of this world and brothers and sisters with one another in it. What does that mean in your life today? What are you doing to help save the planet, to save relationships, to save an economy that will lift all the boats, to bring justice as God views justice to the world?

it's relationship

Wednesday March 4th, Mark 1: 9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. So the question is, why did Jesus have to be baptized by John? The question stems in part from our own view of baptism. If it is seen as fire insurance to take away sins, then the question indeed is valid. If however it is seen as an ushering into a relationship with God and with one another, then Jesus’ baptism becomes the symbol of his ministry. Through the love and teachings of Christ, we are all called to view ourselves and one another as brothers and sisters in this world. Christ came to bring salvation to all, being baptized by John ushers him into our world. It’s not magic, it’s not rules, it’s not ritual, it's relationship.

Journey together

Thursday March 5th, Mark 1: 10 As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." The voice of God is also heard on the mountain when Jesus is transfigured and in the heavens when Jesus is born. It marks the transitions in the life of Jesus from birth, to ministry to the movement down the mountain as Jesus moves toward Jerusalem and the cross. In our lives, we may not hear the voice of God speak “you are my child” but we hear the community of God say those words. In our congregation, when someone is baptized, they are brought into the midst of the congregation and with the laying on of hands, are blessed and welcomed by the congregation. It is the collective voice of God. You are my child, whom I love; with you we are well pleased, and with you we will journey through life together, brothers and sisters in Christ.

Baptismal promise

Friday March 6th, Mark 1: 12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, 13 and he was in the desert forty days, news!" being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him. No time for rest. In Mark's gospel everything happens fast and with power. Being a child of God is no special protection for Jesus or for us. Being a child of God is to take on the awesome responsibility of being there for one another. As we enter the Lenten season, it is our calling also. These brothers and sisters of mine in the kingdom, God wasn't just kidding when God asked us to reach out and care for one another, and God wasn't kidding when the most care was given to those who hurt the most. Watch out for one another in this wilderness called life. In our baptismal blessing, it is what we have promised to do.

The Kingdom is near

Saturday March 7th, Mark 1: 14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news. And the good news is??? The good news is that the kingdom of God is near. To each and every one of us, the kingdom is near. Even when we face what John was facing in prison, yes even there, the Kingdom is near. What we do in life, who we are in life, even our thoughts in life ripple through the kingdom. The good news is that Jesus is never far from you and that the kingdom of God (salvation) is a gift from God. Our calling is to walk through this live, knowing, deep in our hearts, deep in our very being, that the kingdom is near, God is near, God is with us and with those we meet, and if they don’t know it, it is or job to let them know in word and deed. The time has come, the kingdom is near.

Ash Wednesday

Matthew 6:1-16

Is my hair straight?
How about this tie
---- does it match
the rest of the image
---- (help me)
I wish to present?
------------ an image
I sometimes make a show
for the world
--------------- so busy making shows
yet
-------- I long for something more
-------- (Lord)
-------- I long to uncork
------------- that stream
-------- of passion
------------- within me
that passion
----- that draws me toward the light
----------- and illumines
---------------- my innermost
---------------------- Yes I dare let go
----------------------------- self
------ (to place)
protected now
by the walls of expectation
built on the unfulfilled dreamings
of what should be.

But there are those times
when
------- for some reason
------------- beyond me
I live in a world filled with people
-------- alone
----- (my trust)
and in those brief glorious moments
I become
----- whole
----- (in)
and cry
----- for no reason
----- seeing no eyes upon me
----- and I Thank You
----- (You)
--------- Lord

The Transfiguration of our Lord

Mark 9:2-9

In the Joy filled intensity of our excitement
We look up
And catch a glimpse of
-----something unseen
--(This)
beyond the realm of all we know
--and feel
----and hear
beyond the encounter of those special moments in life
when every part of our existence
------is focused
on the here and now
and for a brief moment
----all is just right
beyond even the pureness of joy
that comes in the perfection of religious expression
--amid the rising voices
----and the spine tingling timelessness
--(is)
came this almost moment in time
rising from the mist
--of exhausted ecstasy
----on a high mountain top
--(My)
apart
--from the world
----seething in hunger and pain
--longing to see that to which they have turned
----a blind eye
here
--in this almost place and time
comes the light
--(Son)
that can burn through even the blindness
----of not looking
--or looking too hard
with our eyes focused on that unseen moment
that we almost notice
here at this time
the Son of God leads us down
------into
-----------the world around us
to see the glory of God
in the poor and lost around us
to see the pureness of unbounded timelessness
in the moment of love expressed
to one who knows not love
to see
--by not trying to see that faint glimmer
--------------------------------------------off high
--------------------------------------in the distant mist
--(Listen to Him!)
Christ
--in those around us

Nooooooooooo! not change

Sunday February 22nd, 2 Kings 2: Elisha replied, "I swear by the living LORD and by your own life that I will stay with you no matter what!" And he went with Elijah to Bethel. 3 A group of prophets who lived there asked Elisha, "Do you know that today the LORD is going to take away your master?" "Yes, I do," Elisha answered. "But don't remind me of it." Change comes hard. Sometimes we just want to bury our head in the sand and pretend it isn’t going to happen. Sometimes even when God wants to bring about change in our lives, we want to bury our head in the sand and pretend that it won’t happen. It just seems easier. But we never sing the old songs anymore, confirmation was not like that when I grew up, why do we now allow children to take communion, they are all statements about keeping the church for me and not opening it up to them, they are all about staying on the mountain top. What God wants to bring into our lives is what we were destined for from the time of our birth, a relationship with God the creator, a relationship with one another, and a relationship with the creation from which we were formed. Change doesn’t come easy, but if God is leading, it will bring you down the mountain and back to the home you have desired all along.

Change you can believe in

Monday February 23rd, 2 Kings 2: 11 Elijah and Elisha were walking along and talking, when suddenly there appeared between them a flaming chariot pulled by fiery horses. Right away, a strong wind took Elijah up into heaven. 12 Elisha saw this and shouted, "Israel's cavalry and chariots have taken my master away!" After Elijah had gone, Elisha tore his clothes in sorrow. Change can and often does bring about sorry as well as fear. Elisha would miss his old friend Elijah. Elisha would have been content to follow and never really become the Elisha God had in mind. Elisha’s journey and calling would now begin and God would open before him vista’s and ministries beyond his imagination. Sometimes it is when we are cut loose, even from good things, that we begin to get our footing on what God has called us to do. Sometimes loss can also be gain and a ministry ended is just the beginning of a new ministry begun.

cool threads

Tuesday February 24th, 2 Corinthians 4: 3 If our Message is obscure to anyone, it's not because we're holding back in any way. No, it's because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and refuse to give it serious attention. 4 All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of darkness. O that old god of darkness, what a snappy dresser. Sure wish I had cloths like that, car like that, moves like that, influence and power like that. Sure wish……………..Wait a minute, what am I saying? It is so easy to get mesmerized by all that styling. Billions are spent each year just to get us to pay attention to it and want it. Right now someone is working real hard to make something no one wants so they can make enough money to buy something no one needs. God offers something different. Instead of just a change of clothes, God offers a change of heart. Instead of a home makeover, God offers a heart makeover, calling each and every one of us to be the child of God we were created to be.

it's everywhere

Wednesday February 25th, 2 Corinthians 4: 5 Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we're proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. 6 It started when God said, "Light up the darkness!" and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful. That’s it! All those stories about how humanity interfaced with God, even if they didn’t do a very good job some of the time. All those stories from the Hebrew scripture were trying to tell us something besides just the cool sounding miracles and battles and stuff. They were trying to tell us that God is a God of love, and we are called to love God and to love one another. When the light first came to earth, we were created for just that, love. When I see the light in the face of Christ, I began to understand. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and love you neighbor as yourself is why we were created. It’s all in Jesus’ face. Can you see it? Can you see the face of God? Can you see the face of your brothers and sisters? Can you see the face of your enemy? If not, look again, if you still can’t, you might want to spend some time in the dark and quiet, letting your eyes, ears and heart recover from all the noise and tune in once again to the love of God and then look. Ahhhhhhhh! The shining face of God is everywhere!!!

the Kingdom is near

Thursday February 26th, Mark 9: 2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Jesus crossed the reality of this world into the reality of the next. Something new was taking place. Something new was breaking into the world. Something new that was already here and the people just didn’t see it. We don’t see it today either most of the time. That feeling that things are going to be OK in the midst of tragedy, that tingle at the sign of the true beauty of creation, that feeling of closeness and love from another human being, they all let us know in one way or another that the newness of God’s love has touched our souls. What we have to understand is that newness is only newness because we so seldom open ourselves up to that kind of love. In reality it has been around since the creation of the world. Here the chasm between God and humanity is crossed and after the flurry of the moment, here Jesus brings that down the mountain to our world. The Kingdom of Heaven is near.

where is your focus

Friday February 27th, Mark 9: 5 Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." 6(He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) Peter just didn’t see the big picture. One could say he had an edifice complex. In his fear all he could fathom was a Kodak moment, to stay there and capture the essence of this event. In our fear, we too just want to stay put, we want the church to be what it was when we grew up and we want it just us and God, in that order. Fundamentalism feeds on that fear. We can’t really blame Peter, any of us, given the choice between sitting in the glory and working in the dirt, would want to grab our hammer and saw and start building booths. What God wanted was for Peter, James and John to take this essence down into the world and there bring about transformed lives. God asks the same of us, instead of focusing on self and adoring God, focus on others and find God.

Hello in there

Saturday February 28th, Mark 9: 7 Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" True wisdom starts with listening. We can’t do that when we are talking. We can’t do that when we are being entertained. We can only do that when we enter into the presence of the living God and tune out everything else. We can’t stay in that place, just as Peter, James and John could not stay on the mountain top. But we must return to that place in our lives where we can connect with the transcendent and loving Christ in order to bring wholeness to our lives and the lives around us. If it doesn’t include the dusty streets, your still not listening.

click on the link above for John Prine singing "Hello in there"

www.nakedpastor.com

Yup, this chicken was swimming along just fine until he was informed of his identity! Which reminds me of all the identities that others have given me. At some point the decision has to be made to just go for it, regardless of what others say. There was Moses: “Aren’t you just a murderer?” There was Deborah: “Aren’t you just a woman?” There was David: “Aren’t you just a shepherd boy?” There was Amos: “Aren’t you just a gardener?” There was Jesus: “Aren’t you just from Nazareth?” There were the disciples: “Aren’t you unlearned men?” There was Paul: “Aren’t you just a Christian-killer?” There was Peter: “Aren’t you just a man who denied Jesus?” I could go on. If I accepted and submitted to all the identities and labels that others have tried to stick me with, I would surrender and sink just like this chicken. But I intend to get along swimmingly, whether I cluck or quack.

So, cross the boundary and buy him a beer!!!!
If you liked this post, or would like to use it, please buy me a beer!

6th Sunday after Epiphany

Mark 1:40-45

Standing alone
--in the far off corner of the world
----stood
-------the messiah
The Chosen one
Who
Would lead the people on to
--a newness
beyond
their ability to see
and yet standing there
--with the hurting ones
----(if it be your will)
--who saw
if even for a brief moment
a wonder
----in this one called Jesus
----(you)
who in the powerlessness of humanity
--Shattered
----(can make)
the chains of those who could see them
the chains visible
--in the sores and blood
----the rejection and death
--------(me clean)
of all
but seen only by the many
who hurt enough to care
--or cared enough to hurt
--------and be made whole again
by the grace of God
--among us
and the void that was filled
in the lives
----made empty
spread
--------(it is my will)
to all the land
--and people
----and time
with the message
------------(be clean)
that the Christ was here

No!!! Me do it!!!! My way!!!!

Sunday February 15th 2 Kings 5: 11 But Naaman stormed off, grumbling, "Why couldn't he come out and talk to me? I thought for sure he would stand in front of me and pray to the LORD his God, then wave his hand over my skin and cure me. 12 What about the Abana River or the Pharpar River? Those rivers in Damascus are just as good as any river in Israel. I could have washed in them and been cured." I want to be healed, but on my terms, my place and my timing. The trouble with things like arrogance, pride, and self-righteousness is that they are very good gate keepers. They don’t keep us safely within their confines however, what they do is keep others safely away from us and in the process, life changing grace safely out of our lives. Elisha no doubt could have used the Abana or the Pharpar rivers. It wasn’t about the magic of any particular river; it was about the willingness of ones faith to break down our fences in life we hide behind thinking we are safe. Our economy has taken many hits, from a long, protracted and unnecessary war, but mainly from what the war allowed and covered at the same time, a major and unregulated shift of wealth to the top of society at the expense of those at the bottom and middle. Now those at the top are trying to hang on while the middle and bottom are trying to survive, and all are erecting their safety fences which only exacerbate the problem. God calls us into loving and trusting relationships. When we feel insecure or out of control, we erect fences thinking we are safe. But in the end we find that with every fence we erect, Jesus, Grace, are on the other side. What hang-ups do you have that keep that grace at bay?

Danger, border crossing ahead

Monday February 16th 2 Kings 5: 13 His servants went over to him and said, "Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it. So why don't you do what he said? Go wash and be cured." 14 Naaman walked down to the Jordan; he waded out into the water and stooped down in it seven times, just as Elisha had told him. Right away, he was cured, and his skin became as smooth as a child's. I am sure that if Naaman was upset that Elisha didn’t come out to meet him, and that Naaman was upset that he was asked to wash in what he considered the wrong rivers, he surely was not happy when his servants pointed out the error of his ways. Naaman was a proud man. That was his downfall. Sometimes when we cross the boundary of our pride we find remarkable results. In our current economic difficulties, is perhaps the boundary of pride also keeping us from a solution? Throughout the scriptures we are called to create and live in a just society, where no one has too much, no one has too little and everyone has enough. It is almost impossible for those with too much to either recognize or admit they have too much, or do anything about it. It is often up to those in society with too little to make the noise and bring about the change needed, the change that will benefit those with too much as well as those with too little. We too need to hear the voices of those around us, especially those who find themselves outside of our self defined boundaries, for the healing of us all. Naaman had to cross national boundaries to get to where Elisha was, but the more difficult was crossing the boundaries imposed by his own arrogance. The same is true for us.

Only this lousy T-shirt

Tuesday February 17th 1 Corinthians 9: 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. The prize is not the gift of eternal life, that one is up to God and is a matter of grace. In trying for the prize that is already ours as a gift, eternal life, the prize most of us miss is the joy of the journey. We are all invited to enter the joy of the journey right here and right now. Live surrounded by the knowledge that salvation is yours. Live surrounded by the saints from races, colors, creeds, faiths, and orientations that God has placed before us. We are all invited to live our lives surrounded by the knowledge of the grace of God. We are all invited to live our lives immersed in God’s presence. We can always choose to skip life until the end and hope we can still hop on board. You might get a T-shirt, but you have missed the joy of running together with that great cloud of witnesses.

let's go run

Wednesday February 18th 1 Corinthians 9: 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last for ever. Being a Christian is more than just hanging out. Being a Christian is more than just some crown at the end. Being a Christian is wearing and sharing the crown of God’s Grace each and every day of your life. At Christ Our Savior Lutheran we state that we are inspired by God’s love to Gather to Grow through God’s Grace. That growing takes place in community. Solo Christianity is simply watching from the sidelines. That growing in God’s Grace is the result of some input and effort on your part as well as input and interaction with others. Which Bible study or small group are you a part of today? Which one is God calling you to start and lead? Who are those watching from the sidelines that are just waiting to be invited for a good run? If you are watching from the sidelines, what fearful fence is keeping your there?

Open the door

Thursday February 19th Mark 1: 40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus, don’t touch that man, Jesus, he is unclean. If you touch him, you will become unclean. It is not only wrong, it is illegal. Remember Leviticus 13:45-46, The person who has the leprous disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head be disheveled; and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, "Unclean, unclean." he shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. OK then, so much for all the laws and all those rules, and rubrics and fences and boundaries, and borders we put in place to keep others at bay. Neither Jesus nor the leper listened to the conventional wisdom of the day. They both cross boundaries that were not to be crossed. Sometimes crossing those boundaries from unfaith to faith, from unlove to love, from fear to hope; from self-reliance to relationship, etc… sometimes crossing those boundaries is what is needed in order to see the love of God that surrounds us. What boundaries do you have in place, who is out there and what are they trying to tell you? Every boundary has Jesus on the other side. Open the door let those out who want to keep their border fences out, to hopefully find their path again to return to the family of God, and let in those kept out by those fences so meticulously maintained by our satanically inspired prejudice.

Safe welcome signs

Friday February 20th Mark 1: 43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 "See that you don't tell this to anyone. There were expectations for what the Messiah would be like and do. Jesus did not want the newly whole leper to go and tell so the word would not get around that the Messiah was in town. Jesus wanted him to go back to the church that had rejected him and show them the expanse of God’s Grace. Jesus did not want to be excluded from the worship communities because of their prejudice against what they considered clean and unclean. Jesus does not want to be excluded from our worship communities by what we consider clean and unclean. Everyone, then and now would come and see only what they expected to see, nothing less, nothing more. It would just be another roadblock keeping the boundaries of expectation in place. Jesus did come to tear down every and any boundary, mental, physical, social, and religious we put in place to try to feel safe in an unsafe world. The world will however never be safe until we dispense with the boundaries and replace them with welcome signs.

boxed in?

Saturday February 21st Mark 1: “45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. The cat was out of the bag and the Messiahship of Jesus was being defined by exactly what everyone expected. Jesus continued to heal and minister to all who came out, outside the border fences, to him. Sometimes we find ourselves boxed in, surrounded only by expectations, laws, rules and outside grace. When you find yourself in this situation, reach out and heal also, tear down the fences, confront the evil, change the expectation and welcome Jesus to the process. Sometimes it is just that reaching out that is in and of itself, the boundary crossing, and those on the outside who are precisely what is needed to extend ministry, grace and forgiveness on the inside.

Lutheran, Anglican Bishops Denied Entry to Gaza

February 5, 2009

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Munib A. Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), and the Rt. Rev. Suheil Dawani, Anglican bishop of Jerusalem, were denied entry to Gaza Feb. 4, according to a news release from the ELCJHL.

The bishops were traveling with the heads of churches of Jerusalem to visit Christians in Gaza. Younan and Dawani were the only Palestinians in the group and the only ones denied entry, the release said.

Younan hosted 44 bishops from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, who visited the region Jan. 6-13.

Phoning his Jerusalem office from near the Israel-Gaza border, Younan said he could see F-16s flying toward the beleaguered strip. Younan called the scene "worrying," fearing the planes meant more loss of life in Gaza.

"We are protesting because this is against our right to move and against our freedom of religion," Younan said. The group planned to visit churches and humanitarian projects of the Middle East Council of Churches, and the Al Ahli Hospital, as well as to "encourage Christians at this very difficult time," he said.

"Isn't it our right as heads of churches to have free movement and to enter Gaza for pastoral visits where ever we want?"

After returning to Jerusalem, Younan said the heads of churches planned the visit and applied for permits to visit Gaza 10 days ago, according to the release. He said they had been assured by the Department of Christian Communities that they had the proper permits to enter Gaza. But Younan and Dawani were turned back at Erez Crossing between Israel and Gaza, the release said. Younan said phone calls to the authorities were fruitless.

"Although we are denied entry, whatever the reasons of the Israeli security, this will never change our policy. We will continue to work for justice, peace and reconciliation between the two nations and dialogue among the three religions," Younan said. "We still believe that violence from any side will not bring justice and peace. It will bring more hatred and extremism and bitterness between the two peoples. Only nonviolent ways will assure security for Israelis and freedom for Palestinians."
---
Information about the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land is at http://www.elcjhl.org/ on the Web.

5th Sunday after Epiphany

Mark 1:29-39

Into this world came the Christ
----Immanuel
casting out evil
--which had for so long dominated the very life
----of all who lived and breathed
in this perfect creation
--now soiled
----for too long
------for anyone to remember
He came
--casting out and making whole
--------again
--(help)
the people struggling to see
the other side
--of this existence
the other side
--into a world of what is
----from the beginning of time
Jesus came and healed
--(our eyes)
those who suffer
--what they need not suffer
that they may become
--that which they are
----and are called to be
As the hopeless encircled this power
------Christ
in hope
and felt the Power
--of God
----in
------that place
--------(see)
in their lives
--to far removed from the perfection of the universe
----to know
--(the glory)
------that it is once more
----------here
in this place
in this timeless moment
------within the limits of our lives
Here
With the sick and the poor and the despised and the lovely
Here
In a new way for all time
Changing the changeless lives
--(that is)
now
--(Christ)

think cosmically, act locally

Sunday February 8th Isaiah 40: 26 Lift up your eyes and see. Who has made these stars? It is the One Who leads them out by number. He calls them all by name. Because of the greatness of His strength, and because He is strong in power, not one of them is missing. It is the Lord God who is the master hand behind all of creation. It is the Lord God who calls us all to come before the Lord and worship. We don’t all worship in the same way. We don’t all use the same name when we worship. Sometimes we are even silly enough to think that our way of understanding God and our way of worshiping God is right and everyone else, or at some of them, are wrong. That is like one of your children telling you that you are not allowed to love some of your other children. God must just smile and wonder when we will all grow up and understand that God loves all the children of God. When we look at creation through our eyes, we see only that which surrounds our small limited view, and sometimes not even all of that. When we look at creation through God’s eye view, it is quite a different picture. It is a picture of all of creation that God created and called good. Our calling is to think globally, or perhaps even cosmically, and act locally.

the Lord lifts up

Monday February 9th Isaiah 40: 31 But they who wait upon the Lord will get new strength. They will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weak. The latest statistics available indicate that the percentage of wealth owned by the top 1% in the U.S. has risen from 38% 1993 to 54% in 2005. There are indications that that figure has risen at a faster rate from 2005 to 2008 although I was unable to find any definitive data. One report indicated that the wealthiest 100 families in the U.S. saw their net worth increase by $600 billion in the years 2000 -2008. Since 1950 the top tax rate in the U.S. has gone from a high of 91% to the current 35% (http://www.truthandpolitics.org/top-rates.php) At the same time we have been busy cutting programs that provide college loans and grants, medical coverage and other forms of assistance to those on the bottom. The world tends to beat the bottom down. The Lord lifts them up with wings like eagles. Where does the church stand?

Super Paul

Tuesday February 10th 1 Corinthians 9: I have become a servant of everyone so that I can bring them to Christ. The trouble with reading Paul is that you get the superhero version of what it means to be a Christian. The Lord does not call us to be a servant to everyone. The result would be that we wound end up doing nothing. You can relate to some people, but even Jesus only had 12 disciples. The more honest you are with yourself, the more you can relate to others. God is not after a superhero in the kingdom being a servant to all and saving the whole world. God is after an honest person who can be the messenger of God’s grace to others with whom you identify. View God’s grace globally, and act on God’s grace locally.

community wholeness

Wednesday February 11th 1 Corinthians 9: 22 When I am with those who are oppressed, I share their oppression so that I might bring them to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ. 23 I do all this to spread the Good News, and in doing so I enjoy its blessings. Someone who is really dealing with issues can spot a fake a mile away. Who do you have common ground with? With whom are you comfortable relating? These are the ones to whom you are called to minister. These are the ones God has placed before you for a reason, and there are more than enough for a lifetime. That doesn’t mean you do not concern yourself for the needs of others with whom you have little in common. As a matter of fact, your concern for those with whom you have little in common may be the very thing you share with those in which you do share commonality. The family of God is about community, relationships, honesty, healing and wholeness, and seeing one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.

restored

Thursday February 12th Mark 1: 30 Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. Jesus mission was to bring wholeness to those he came in contact with. Simon’s mother-in-laws place of honor as the senior woman in the household was to serve the guests who came into her home. That may not be the same thing we honor in our day and age, but for her, being able to serve her guests meant that her honor was restored. Her healing was complete and so was the community. Jesus helps us in our mission. We are all called to minister to others by restoring them in the community and in their relationships. Sometimes that restoration means serving and sometimes it means being ministered to. When we build bridges, we have to remember that the traffic goes both ways in a healthy community.

Mini Sabbatical

Friday February 13th Mark 1: 35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Even Jesus took some time off for quiet prayer. It is an important lesson for all of us. Take some time for yourself, time to just be alone with yourself and God, time to refresh, a mini sabbatical. Without it you are doing no one that much good. With it you are refreshed and all around you will benefit. Jesus took his mini sabbatical where he was at, and in preparation for moving forward. Sabbaticals are to help us move forward, not restore what was. Most churches fight over that issue after a pastoral sabbatical. Perhaps what is needed is a series of mini sabbatical’s in a congregation all focused on how to move forward into the land of the unchurched and unwelcomed.

Moving forward?

Saturday February 14th Mark 1: 38 Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. This is what happens after a sabbatical. Refreshed, Jesus travels to the surrounding villages and brings renewed faith, hope and wholeness. Pastors, take time to refresh yourself, not only for your sake, but also for the sake of all those around you. Congregations, take time to refresh yourself, not for your sake, but for the sake of those around you. How many of your hymns are less than 10 years old? How many greater than 50 years old? Now turn on any radio station in your area and what do you hear? Are you moving forward, or are you circling the wagons?