Where You Go, I’ll Go- September 6th, 2022

At the Wesley Foundation we are currently in a sermon series titled “Where You Go, I’ll Go” focusing on the book of Ruth. As we conclude this series we are examining Ruth chapter 4. Leading up to chapter 4 here is a quick recap of what has happened in this story...

“Naomi, Elilemech, and their two sons were forced to move from their hometown because of a famine. Elilemech died. The two sons got married and then they died. Naomi moved back to her hometown and brought along her daughter in law Ruth. Ruth went to work and met a relative of Elilemech’s named Boaz. Boaz gave her a job and Naomi encouraged Ruth to pursue Boaz.

Ruth 4:13-17 says...

13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse. 17 The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David.

When we first met Ruth times were hard but now there is new life for her. She lives in a different country, married to a different man, and we learn that after her marriage she gives birth to a son. Where there was famine, now there is harvest. Where there was barrenness, now there is birth. And yet as much as this is Ruth’s story many people argue that this biblical book has the wrong title. Many say, this isn't Ruth’s story as much as it is Namoi’s story. Some believe it should have been titled, the book of Naomi, and I have to agree. Ruth is the co star but the main character in my opinion is Namoi. The story begins and ends with her.

I asked my wife Margaret, ‘what do you think about Ruth chapter 4, theres a new baby, new life, happily ever after, right?’ Margaret said, “I don't think happily ever after necessarily.” And to paraphrase Margaret went on to say, “Yes there is new life and thats powerful and important but that doesn't erase the past hardships and magically make everything ok. That wouldn't be faithful to this story or to real life, Margaret said. But the fact that they move on, they keep moving forward in spite of the great difficulties, they persist, thats the message. It doesn't mean that everything is magically ok, Hallmark or Disney didn't make this movie. It doesn't mean that everything is magically ok but it does mean that there is new life, there is redemption, there is forgiveness and grace, there is new joy whenever we keep putting one foot in front of the other and strive to be faithful even in the midst of difficulty. Ruth said to Naomi, “where you go, I’ll go.” There is a new day ahead.

As I have read the book of Ruth there is a movie that I think about, Steel Magnolias. In that story Julia Roberts character Shelby wants to have a baby but its a huge health risk for her because she is a type 1 diabetic. Her Mother, M’Lynn, played by Sally Field, is firmly against the idea. The other women in the town are friends to M’Lynn and Shelby through all of this. Shelby decides to get pregnant anyway and she gives birth to a son. After only a few short years of motherhood Shelby does pass away. At the funeral after all the other mourners have left, M’Lynn is there alone only with the other women who have been by her side the whole time. M’Lynn breaks down telling her friends that in Shelby’s last moments her husband and son in law weren't able to stay in the room, but she remained by her daughters side. In the scene she says this, “It struck me as amusing. Men are supposed to be made of steel or something. But I could not leave.” In her grief she is angry, distraught, but the other steel magnolias are there with her through all of this. Later on M’Lynn begins to accept what has happened. The final scene takes place on Easter, its spring time and Shelby’s son is hunting easter eggs. Its a new season and there is new life. For me there are some sticking similarities to the book of Ruth and Steel Magnolias. Ruth and Naomi, they are the original steel magnolias.

The Rock- August 23rd, 2022

Matthew 14:28-31 says...

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith, “he said, “why did you doubt?”

The Apostle Peter is one of the most interesting and important figures of all the Christian faith. He’s a fisherman who is called by Jesus to be one of his 12 disciples. He had no idea that his life would lead where it ultimately did but Peter was willing to drop everything when the call of God came upon his life. Not only was Peter a disciple but he was one of the leaders among the disciples being one of the few who witnessed many of Jesus miracles, one of the few to hear some of Jesus particular teachings, and one of the few to witness the transfiguration. He is a part of Jesus inner circle and spends time with Jesus on boats, on roads, on mountains, and in a garden. And while Peter is privileged and certainly set apart in so many ways by Jesus, Peter is also deeply flawed. Time and again Peter shows us his humanness and perhaps has made some wonder why he was so favored by Christ. I’m sure there were people then and maybe even today who wonder, why Jesus didn’t choose someone else. Why Jesus didn’t choose the best and the brightest. Why did he choose Peter? For instance there was the time when Jesus told his disciples that he would be killed and after 3 days would rise again. We are told that after Jesus makes this statement that Peter “took hold of Jesus and, scolding him, began to correct him” to which Jesus says to Peter “Get behind me, Satan.” There was the time when Peter told Jesus “Lord, I’m ready to go with you, both to prison and to death.” And then by the end of the day Peter denies Jesus 3 different times. There was the time Peter didn’t want Jesus to wash his feet, the time he was referred to by the council in Acts 4 as inexperienced and uneducated, and there is our scripture today from Matthew 14 in which we are told that Peter doubts Jesus. It’s enough to make us all pause and reflect on the fact that Jesus chooses Peter despite all of his flaws. This text in which Peter loses faith while walking on the water is unique to Matthews gospel and there are several other texts about Peter that are unique to this gospel. There’s the text in which Peter pays the Temple tax, the passage in which Peter asks about forgiveness, and the blessing of Peter. All of these stories only appear in Matthew’s gospel. This blessing of Peter is an amazing thing, Jesus says “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Think about this, the guy who doubts, who denies, who scolds Jesus is made to be the very foundation, the leader of the church. Jesus chooses Peter despite all of his flaws. Matthews’s gospel may even be a testimony to the witness of this flawed disciple. I mean why is there so much in this gospel about Peter that we don’t see in the other gospels? Why doesn’t the other gospels tell us about Peter walking on the water? It’s believed that Matthew was written in Antioch and this was a church that we know from the book of Galatians is where Peter lived. It’s also presumed that Peter likely started this church. A faith community started by Peter that produces for us a gospel of the life of Jesus Christ. Jesus chooses Peter despite all of his flaws. So yea there may be people who point to all the things Peter did wrong and may ask, why was he chosen to be the rock upon which the church was founded? Perhaps the answer to this question lies in the fact that we serve a God who is always turning what we believe up on its head and continues to surprise us time and again. The last shall be first and the first shall be last, blessed are the poor, blessed are the meek, God uses us despite our flaws. God has always been in this business. Throughout the Hebrew Bible, throughout all of the New Testament, throughout church history and most certainly today God uses the most surprised and surprising people in ways only God can envision. I’ve met plenty of people who say things like “one day I’ll get into church, one day I’ll come but I’ve just got a lot of things I need to work on first.” “One day I’ll serve God with my life, but there’s first some things I need to change about myself.” Yea, I think Peter is the perfect person to be the rock for the church because Peter teaches all of us that God uses us. God uses us despite ourselves, despite our flaws, despite all of our fears and doubts. God meets us in those places and calls us to pick ourselves up and to follow him with our lives.

That’s grace, that’s forgiveness, that’s what church and the message of the gospel is all about. Making God a part of your life, deciding to follow Jesus doesn’t mean you will be perfect, but what it means is that you embrace the Spirit of God that has been calling you all along. And so maybe that’s the question for us to ponder, are there places in our lives where we have been saying to ourselves and to God that we’ll do that later. Are there things that we just finally need to give over to God and trust God despite ourselves? I wonder what that is for you today. I wonder what it is that has been stirring in your heart for a long time now and you have been saying, not right now. The Apostle Peter stands before us today as a testimony that God is ready to use us in ways we cannot even imagine. I’m sure when Peter was a fisherman he could not have imagined that God would use him to be the rock upon which the church was founded. Acts 4:13 says “13 The council was caught by surprise by the confidence with which Peter and John spoke. After all, they understood that these apostles were uneducated and inexperienced. They also recognized that they had been followers of Jesus.” It doesn’t matter who we are, doesn’t matter what we’ve done, it doesn’t matter if we have doubted and sunk and made mistake after mistake, God is there ready and eager to use us despite ourselves. I pray that we all like Peter recognize this truth and cry out to God in our weakness and trust God with all our lives. Amen.

The Homework- August 9th, 2022

Matthew 22:34-38 says…34 When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had left the Sadducees speechless, they met together. 35 One of them, a legal expert, tested him. 36 “Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the Law?”37 He replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being,[a] and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.

One time I was volunteering at an elementary school as the students were arriving to school. One of the children got out of his mother’s car and as he was walking in his mother called out his name and said “Be sure when you get home today you do your homework.” The boy kind of rolled his eyes and said “I will Mom.” This has to be a reality that is setting in for a lot of students who are starting back to school this month. There is a lot of excitement as the school year begins, everything is so new and then usually within a couple of days the reality of the school year sets in as students bring home those first homework assignments. Homework is just a part of the reality of what it is to be a student, it is all a part of the learning process. Although students may not always like doing their homework, putting in the work and applying what has been taught is the primary way we really learn. It’s not always easy and sometimes it can be very difficult. But it is only in putting in those hours of practice and application that we really learn the lessons that have been taught. All students are on a journey, all students are taking part in a process in which they are learning the skills that is molding them into who they are going to be. This is an exciting month as students in schools all around us are beginning the journey of another school year. The word disciple when translated in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic mean’s “student” and is related to the word “learning.” I’m sorry for those of us who thought maybe our homework days were behind us, but we are called to be students, we are called to be disciples. 

This is the first and the greatest commandment. You know, Jesus didn’t leave us much room for debate with his response to this question that is posed by a legal expert. Often times Jesus will answer a question by asking another question, often times he will tell a parable or a story, but in this case he flat out answers the question. “You must love the Lord with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind.” In other words we are called to love God with everything we have. We are called to completely and fully love and devote ourselves to God. One part of this calling to love God with all that we have is to love God with all our mind. 

There is a famous quote by Charles Wesley which states “Unite the pair so long disjoined, knowledge and vital piety. Learning and holiness combined and truth and love, let all men see.” Wesley was explaining that not only are we called to be holy and to be devout, but we are called to grow in our knowledge of God. We are called to learn and to study the meanings of the Christian life and theology. The book of Romans also confirms our calling to knowledge and study. Romans 12:2 states “Don’t be confronted to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God’s will is- what is good and pleasing and mature.” So what does it look like exactly for us to love God with all our mind? What does it look like for us to do our homework? I like the way the Rev. Mark Schaefer put it when he said “What we study, is how to be like Jesus. We model our behavior after Jesus.” Jesus is the teacher and we are the students. Unfortunately Jesus is not literally here leading our Bible studies and preaching sermons to us. There’s nothing I would love more than to hear a sermon from Christ. We may not be able to literally sit at Jesus feet and hear him preach his sermons, but we have an account of the Sermon on the Mount. We may not be able to ask Jesus questions but we can see all throughout scripture his response to a lot of different questions. It’s interesting, as far as we know, Jesus didn’t really physically write anything. 

Jesus taught the first disciples, the first students, and they recorded Jesus teachings. Our homework is to study what the early Church recorded for us, our homework is of course to study the Bible. And when we study the Bible there is something that is very clear about those early Christians, they were busy doing homework. Acts chapter 2 tells us about the beginnings of the church and those first followers of Jesus. “The believers devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to the prayers. These early Christians were doing their homework, they were devoting themselves to the apostle’s teachings. But that was not where their studying ended. They were studying and learning what it is to be in community. Knowing what it is to be in community with one another, leaning how to build community is a really big part of what church is all about. These early Christians were learning what it is to share meals together, to pray.  They studied what it is to live with justice, they studied how to meet each other’s spiritual needs and each other’s physical needs. They ended up doing all of these things. Now it didn’t just happen overnight. I would imagine that this radical new life these people took on took some time. They had to do probably some difficult work to make these things happen. They were taught a lot of different lessons. They were taught by Jesus, they were taught by the Apostles. The early Christians were given some pretty serious homework. 

We have been given some homework. Loving God with our minds also means applying what we have learned. This homework will completely alter people’s lives, this homework will change the world, and this homework will make God’s kingdom a present and a future reality. Loving God with all our minds requires study, and it requires application. It is not just enough to know the material, it is not just enough to know the Bible, we have to continue to make the Bible come alive in our world.  

Casting Our Line- March 23rd, 2022

 Matthew 28:16-20 says… Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. Jesus came near and spoke to them, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. ,Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”

Sit back its time for a fishing tale… Let me tell you about the best bait ever— burnt hot dog. When I was little, my Dad took me on a camping trip along with my uncles and cousins on the French Broad river. Dad had recently given me my very own Zebco 202 fishing pole. Boy was I proud of that pole! The first night of the camp out my cousins and I feasted on the best toasted marshmallows, s’mores, and roasted hot dogs by the campfire. As we were preparing to fish the next morning, Dad and I spied burnt hot dog that had fallen off the stick from the night before. With a wink and a smile Dad said, “lets put that burnt hot dog on your fishing pole and see what happens.” This wasn’t the bait we normally used, but it was worth a shot so on the hook it went. We cast it out into the water, placed the pole on a stick and left it there for half the day. Later when I went to check my pole, I realized my brand new Zebco 202 was hung up. Of course this wasn’t at all uncommon for me, as a kid I stayed hung up about 90 percent of the time (proud to say it’s now only about 75 percent of the time). When Dad came to fix my pole this time he and I were in for a big surprise! That burnt hot dog had lured the biggest fish I’ve ever caught in the river. Of course Dad baited the hook, he cast the line, and he reeled in the fish, but I have always taken credit that we caught a 12 pound, 8 ounce carp on that burnt hot dog. It was my brand new Zebco 202! Dad and I still laugh about that carp that was caught by a burnt hot dog!

I find it so profound that Jesus used the idea of fishing to relate to evangelism. It’s one of the most famous passages in all of the Bible, Mark 1:17 says, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” One wonders why Jesus used fishing as a metaphor here. Perhaps it’s because he is talking to fishermen, but perhaps it’s also because Jesus is saying that offering the Christian faith is going to take effort on our part. It may take time finding the right bait. God goes before us in all instances, but God has set this up in order that we all play a key part in taking care of one another. In order for people to follow Jesus, in order for disciples to be made, and for the church to respond to the needs of the world, we have to go fishing. “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” 

Sharing our faith, inviting people to church, offering Christ, evangelism— these are things that may seem daunting or too big a task. Evangelism may be a big scary word but this is a spiritual practice just as important as reading the Bible and prayer. The church desperately needs to reclaim the biblical notion of evangelism and embrace this practice that is so very life giving and life changing. It can be defined and articulated in a lot of different ways, but I really appreciate William Abraham’s definition, “Evangelism rightly understood is the holistic initiation of people into the reign of God as revealed in Jesus Christ.” Put another way evangelism is a welcome to experience following Christ.  Evangelism is the good news of God’s healing and saving love in Jesus Christ. There is good news of great joy for all people and the root of evangelism begins with an invitation.

So often I have been the one shaking my head laughing at the burnt hot dog on the fishing pole. I can be cynical when it comes to evangelism. Sometimes it feels like we are just spinning our wheels, but cynicism has no place in the kingdom. Even though we may cast our line a hundred times and never even get a bite there are those moments when the kingdom breaks in and lives are changed. It all begins with simply casting our line. Why not just throw it out there and see what happens?

Life Giving Water- March 9th, 2022

Exodus 17:1-7 says…

The whole Israelite community broke camp and set out from the Sin desert to continue their journey, as the Lord commanded. They set up their camp at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people argued with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why are you arguing with me? Why are you testing the Lord?” But the people were very thirsty for water there, and they complained to Moses, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with this people? They are getting ready to stone me.” The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of Israel’s elders with you. Take in your hand the shepherd’s rod that you used to strike the Nile River, and go. I’ll be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Hit the rock. Water will come out of it, and the people will be able to drink.” Moses did so while Israel’s elders watched. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites argued with and tested the Lord, asking, “Is the Lord really with us or not?”

Ash Wednesday marked the beginning of the season of Lent— forty days (plus Sundays) of preparation before Easter. At Lent we remember Jesus’s 40 day fast in the wilderness. During this season, we fast and add things to our lives as a part of our own wilderness experience. We know and the Bible reinforces through many stories that the wilderness is a space of depravity where people’s most basic needs are lacking. So when we make our Lenten fasts from meat, chocolate, or social media we are experiencing only a small fraction of what true wilderness is really about. Think back to the story in Exodus of Moses and the Israelites, their wilderness depravation was far more serious than missing chocolate or social media. They were deprived of one of the most essential sources to sustain life. They were deprived of water. 

The book of Exodus tells us “there was no water for the people to drink.” So when the people begin to complain, can we really blame them? It’s an entirely reasonable complaint that they make to Moses. They need water to survive. They cry, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst. Give us water to drink.” The whole situation seems beyond our imagination of depravation. And Moses response is startling as well. He turns to God and says, “What should I do with this people? They are getting ready to stone me.” 

The Israelites’ experience of wilderness even led them to ask, “Is the Lord really with us?” I think we could all agree that the Israelites’ response is a typical human reaction when faced with the experience of extreme need. And what happens in our story today? The Lord tells Moses “take your rod, Hit the rock. Water will come out of it, and the people will be able to drink.” God graciously provides the water the Israelites need to satisfy their most basic needs. God just seems to keep showing up in ways for the Israelites often in surprising ways and dare we forget, like the Israelites appear to, that this is not the first time God has shown up to provide for their needs. Just in the chapter before in Exodus 16 when God miraculously provides food in the wilderness in the form of a jar of manna. They also seem to forget God’s powerful intervention for them at the sea, saving the people from the charging Egyptian army in Exodus 14 and 15. God just keeps showing up. 

What I find interesting in this passage is an important detail that can be easily missed. At the beginning of verse 6, Exodus records God’s promise, “I’ll be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb.” Did you catch that? Do you see? God is literally standing there when Moses strikes the rock to provide the life giving water for the Israelites. Even though the Israelites were in the wilderness going through various struggles, even though there were times of doubt, times they weren’t sure of God, times of worry and fear, despite all of the difficulties of the wilderness, God was present again and again. God is literally present for the Israelites. God is also present for us today. 

In our lives, we will journey through the wilderness. We will be confronted by times of great want, times of depravation, times when we have great fears and great doubts, but despite all of these things God is present with us. God is there, often in surprising ways, providing life giving water for all of us. 

Walk A Mile in His Shoes- February, 23rd, 2022

I love that old saying, “you can never fully understand a person until you have walked in their shoes.” I understand that the expression is a proverb that dates back to a Cherokee tribe of Native Americans that said “Don’t judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes.” Apparently the expression really took off in popularity when Nelle Harper Lee put her own spin on the proverb in the novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird.” In it she says “you never really know a man until you understand things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” Two things occur to me. One is just how important it is for us to try and understand each other, to try and be empathetic to others, the way they feel and their circumstances. The other is just how hard it is to do this. In fact we may be able to get kind of close to understanding another person, but we will never fully get there. Have you ever watched maybe read a biography or watched a movie about a person’s life and said to yourself “I had no idea!” “I had no idea!” 

The gospel reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for Transfiguration Sunday, February 27th, Luke 9:28-36 says…

About eight days after Jesus said these things, he took Peter, John, and James, and went up on a mountain to pray.  As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes flashed white like lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, were talking with him. They were clothed with heavenly splendor and spoke about Jesus’ departure, which he would achieve in Jerusalem. Peter and those with him were almost overcome by sleep, but they managed to stay awake and saw his glory as well as the two men with him. As the two men were about to leave Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it’s good that we’re here. We should construct three shrines: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—but he didn’t know what he was saying. Peter was still speaking when a cloud overshadowed them. As they entered the cloud, they were overcome with awe. Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my chosen one. Listen to him!” Even as the voice spoke, Jesus was found alone. They were speechless and at the time told no one what they had seen.

This is literally a mountaintop experience for Jesus. Moses and Elijah are helping him think about the future and reflect on his calling. If we try to put ourselves in Jesus shoes I suspect this was a powerful experience for him. And what does Jesus do after this experience? We are told that Jesus comes down from the mountain with Peter, James, and John and that the crowd comes after him and A man from the crowd shouted, “Teacher, I beg you to take a look at my son, my only child. 39 Look, a spirit seizes him and, without any warning, he screams. It shakes him and causes him to foam at the mouth. It tortures him and rarely leaves him alone. 40 I begged your disciples to throw it out, but they couldn’t.” 41 Jesus answered, “You faithless and crooked generation, how long will I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” Jesus spoke harshly to the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father. 

It’s hard for us to know what Jesus is thinking and how he’s feeling but he seems pretty frustrated here. Jesus says “You faithless and crooked generation, how long will I be with you and put up with you? If we were watching a documentary at this point In the story I would probably say, “I had no idea.” Jesus had his hard times but he walks down from the mountain back into the challenges and messiness of ministering to the world. Responding to God’s call in our lives is so often messy and complicated and yes frustrating. And so God gives us the mountain. God gives us those moments that are life changing, that help us have new eyes to see, when we respond God is faithful and walks with us down the mountain to answer God’s call on our lives. When we try and put ourselves in one another’s shoes we know there are mountain top moments and messy and difficult times. God meets all of us us in both places. My old friend, Harry Parrish used to sing a song that says, “Life is easy, when you’re up on the mountain, And you’ve got peace of mind, like you’ve never known, But things change, when you’re down in the valley, Don’t lose faith, for your never alone, For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley, when things go wrong, he’ll make them right, and the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times, the God of the day, is still God in the night.” Amen. 

'Blessed are you who are Poor'- February 9th, 2022

The gospel reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the Sixth Sunday after Epiphany, February 13th, Luke 6:17-26 says…

He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them. 

Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.  “Blessed are you who are hungry now,  for you will be filled. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. “But woe to you who are rich,  for you have received your consolation. “Woe to you who are full now,  for you will be hungry. “Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

Perhaps these words are familiar to you. Maybe they sound like something you’ve heard many times, but something… you can’t quite put your finger on it… is just a bit off. Our lectionary passage today is taken from Luke’s account of the Sermon on the Plain. The Sermon on the Plain isn't something that we are as accustomed to hearing as we are another of Jesus’s sermons— the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon of the Mount found in Matthew’s gospel is indeed quite famous and expansive. It’s three chapters long and it extends for 109 verses of the Bible. By contrast, the Sermon on the Plain in Luke’s gospel is only in one chapter and the actual sermon itself only consists of 30 verses. Even though Luke’s version is much shorter, most Biblical scholars believe both of these are accounts of the same sermon preached by Jesus. And yet the authors of each gospel gives us their accounts and there’s one really big difference. Matthew says Jesus preached this sermon on a “mount” and Luke says Jesus preached it on a “plain” or on “a level place.” 

So what? Why does the location of Jesus’s sermon even matter? There’s a lot of different theories about why the location of each sermon is different. Some think that maybe Jesus preached the same sermon at different places at different times. Others have said when you get to the top of a mountain, it’s flat so therefore maybe they are both talking about the same place. Perhaps Matthew and Luke are communicating more than the location of the sermon in their description. Maybe for Matthew listening to Jesus preach is a mountain top moment and teaching for life. And maybe Luke is saying that this is the stuff that should make up our everyday lives.

The differences in the Sermon on the Plain and the Sermon on the Mount are not limited to mere location of the sermon. Read closely and you will see that each passage contains subtle differences that change the meaning of the text. In our gospel passage from Luke today, Jesus says, “Blessed are you who are poor, blessed are you who are hungry.” But in Matthew’s gospel Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in Spirit, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.”  Clearly Luke and Matthew heard these words differently. Matthew heard these blessings as something spiritual. Jesus is blessing all of us who are hungering for righteousness, for something within yourself. Whereas Luke affirms what we see so often in the Old Testament, God’s presence, advocacy, and redemptive work will be seen among the poor. Both are equally important. God is with those who are poor in spirit. God is with those who are literally financially poor. God is always most present with those who are suffering, “woe to those who who are rich, full, and laughing now,” and when we follow God we are called to be in communion with those who are struggling. When we follow God we are called to be present and helpful with those who are poor, both in spirit and in the basic necessities of life. Matthew and Luke do us a great service by clarifying that both of these are important. The gospels give us different accounts to make clear our calling as Christians. Following Jesus requires us to bless and be present with all. 

It’s interesting to compare the gospels and to do the work of interpreting how it all came about and then what that means for us today. As you engage with the scripture in the next week, I invite you to the holy work of reading God’s words with faithful curiosity and loving spirits. 

There are Many Ways- January 26th, 2022

“Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.”

Do you recognize this quote? If you are a fan of The Office, you’ll instantly remember these are the words of the most unforgettable boss, Michael Scott. Years ago for my birthday, my sister Delilah gave me a birthday card picturing Michael Scott that when opened would play an audio clip of this quote. I loved this card. It stayed in my room for years. Every time I opened it, I laughed. Delilah knew when she gave it to me that it would bring me joy.

It’s hard to believe it, but Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. This holiday that emphasizes love is a good time to share a greeting of love with the people in our lives. It’s a nice thing in the middle of winter to set aside a time for paper hearts, boxes of chocolates, and short silly poems that bring a smile. And especially this year as the whole world continues to journey together through the pandemic, it’s important to reach out to people and say…

“I see you, I love you.”

Saying “I love you” can sometimes be an awkward thing. While the sentiment is there and is very true, it doesn’t always feel right to say. Also, the words can mean very little if not backed up with real action. Mr. Fred Rogers provides some help in this area. Mr. Rogers sings a song that says…

There are many ways to say, 'I love you'

There are many ways to say, 'I care about you'

Many ways, many ways

Many ways to say, 'I love you'

Cleaning up a room can say, 'I love you'

Hanging up a coat before you're asked to do it

Drawing special pictures for the holidays

And making plays

You'll find many ways to say, 'I love you'

You'll find many ways to understand what love is

Many ways, many ways

Many ways to say, 'I love you'

I wonder how God might be leading you to do this? How is God calling you to say “I love you” to someone perhaps without actually saying the words?

The Office depicts a community of people and their everyday work lives together in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It’s hilarious watching Michael Scott try to lead. He so often makes huge mistakes, but its apparent throughout the series that he has a lot of love for the people he works with. Over time Michael falls in love with Holly and wants to propose to her. In sitcom-land of course nothing is ever simple and Michael is faced with a dilemma. Holly has recently learned that her aging parents need her attention in Colorado. Michael proposes to Holly in front of the entire office staff and then announces they will be moving to Colorado. The expressions of love abound— Holly’s love for her parents and decision to care for them, Michaels love for Holly and his willingness to move. What’s really inspiring however is how Michael says goodbye to the people in the office. He writes each of their names on a piece of paper and then proceeds to try to do something really nice for each of them. For Dwight, he plans a paintball game. For Andy, he gives him his client list. For Erin, he offers some advice. I don’t remember him ever saying to anyone in the episode “I love you,” but he certainly communicated it in very thoughtful ways.

As we approach Valentines Day, I invite you to make a list of people in your life and then do something that says to those people “I love you.”

God is love. Its all throughout the Bible. Love is the theme, the main narrative of the scriptures. Love compels Moses to lead the Israelites out of bondage. Love sustains Job in the midst of insufferable crisis. Love is what undergirds the 10 commandments. In love, a virgin girl welcomes her baby. Love calls fisherman to leave and follow. And yes love is present on a hill called Golgotha. We are called to love. Whenever we question how we can best do this, there is no better place to turn than this weeks lectionary passage. I leave it here with you and invite you to reflect and pray on this most important chapter of scripture.

The second reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany, January 30th, 1 Corinthians 13 says…

If I speak in tongues of human beings and of angels but I don’t have love, I’m a clanging gong or a clashing cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and I know all the mysteries and everything else, and if I have such complete faith that I can move mountains but I don’t have love, I’m nothing. If I give away everything that I have and hand over my own body to feel good about what I’ve done but I don’t have love, I receive no benefit whatsoever. Love is patient, love is kind, it isn’t jealous, it doesn’t brag, it isn’t arrogant, it isn’t rude, it doesn’t seek its own advantage, it isn’t irritable, it doesn’t keep a record of complaints, it isn’t happy with injustice, but it is happy with the truth. Love puts up with all things, trusts in all things, hopes for all things, endures all things. Love never fails. As for prophecies, they will be brought to an end. As for tongues, they will stop. As for knowledge, it will be brought to an end. We know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, what is partial will be brought to an end. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, reason like a child, think like a child. But now that I have become a man, I’ve put an end to childish things. Now we see a reflection in a mirror; then we will see face-to-face. Now I know partially, but then I will know completely in the same way that I have been completely known. Now faith, hope, and love remain—these three things—and the greatest of these is love.

Water into Wine- January 12th, 2022

“Jesus turned the water into wine!”

Have you ever heard that said before? It’s a very commonly known fact about the life of Jesus and seems to come up frequently in conversation. It’s so well known that we often tend to dismiss this story giving it little attention or thought. However, look closer with me and I think you will agree that this is indeed a very rich story that deserves more reflection and questioning. Why did Jesus turn water into wine? What does it mean for this to be his first recorded miracle in John’s gospel? How did it all come about and what take are we to take away from this story?

The New Testament reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the Second Sunday after Epiphany, January 16th, John 2:1-11 says…

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

It’s striking that this miracle isn’t about life and death. Nobody here receives healing, nobody’s life is dramatically changed, rather a wedding banquet is transformed. It seems like a rather unimportant beginning in the grand scheme of things, but if you’ve ever been a part of planning a wedding you can imagine what a disaster running out of food or drink before all the guests were filled would pose.

Did you notice it’s Jesus’s mother who is the first to notice there is a problem? She prompts Jesus to perform this miracle. When he dismisses her concern, she goes around him to speak to the servants asking them to follow his commands knowing somehow he will do something. Perhaps there is a lesson just in this one small moment for us about listening to the mothering women in our lives. Jesus does listen to his mother and sets about making right this situation in which there is not enough. He takes the 6 jars waiting there, each which hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus instructs them to be filled to the brim with water. Somehow without special words or special action that is recorded by John, Jesus transforms this water into wine which produces somewhere between 120-180 gallons. Later when the chief steward tastes the wine without knowing it is Jesus who has provided it he asks why is the quality wine finally being served. This wedding reception suddenly is about the best and abundance. Why this miracle?

Did you know that one of the most common illustrations of heaven in the New Testament is that of a wedding banquet? At the wedding banquet, there is this great gathering of people, an extravagant party, feasting, and the best wine. Jesus transforms this wedding in Cana of Galilee and he says to us “here is abundance, here is the best.” This is what God offers to all.

This miracle is all about transformation. Our lives are not meant to be like stagnant water, never changing, stale and dull. Rather, God intends for us to be transformed into something new. Wherever we are in our lives God is inviting us to the wedding reception, the party, the truth that the water of our lives can be turned into something really incredible. What does that look like for you?

Maybe you don’t know. Perhaps you are too busy to really give it any thought or attention. Jesus was quick to dismiss his mother when she pointed out the need for more wine. It’s easy to be dismissive sometimes. Jesus, however, thought better if it. He responded to the need and transformation happened.

God invites us to respond. God invites us to listen. Often, it’s those around us who can see in us what we can’t see about ourselves, especially those mothers in our lives. When we listen and respond we experience and bring about God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. And God always invites us to the best party, one that turns the water of our lives into the best wine that won’t run out.

A New Start- December 29th, 2021

It's time!

Are you ready?

Cue up the theme song from Rocky!

Of course I am talking about…NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS.

As I’m writing this, two feelings strike me. First, I’m amused. I’m amused remembering all those resolutions I have made in the past and gave up all too quickly. Years ago I heard one of my heroes in the ministry, Rev. Joe Green, preach a sermon near the end of January. To paraphrase, I remember Joe said, ‘this year my New Year’s resolution is to lose 70 pounds, now I only have 82 pounds to go.’ I laugh every-time I think about that because I can relate. It sure can be hard to make changes.

Having said that, there is another feeling that strikes me… excitement. Honestly, the idea of a new start is invigorating. Even though we have all had times when we didn’t live into our goals, there are those other times when we have and perhaps this is our year! Think of how great it feels to set our mind to something and actually complete that which we set out to do. That excitement might be motivation enough to get us halfway to our goals this year!

What if this is our year to really do something new and experience more of what God desires for us…wholeness and abundance and joy and purpose and the life that really is life. Its one of my favorite verses that I frequently use in campus ministry is 1 Timothy 6:18-19 which says…

They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.

Perhaps our New Year’s resolutions are really about laying a good foundation. Visioning and making a plan and working to take small steps is absolutely vital to any kind of lasting change. This is how we lay a good foundation for the future. So here is the really big question… what is your vision for your life? What is God’s vision for your life? What are a couple of goals you have and how can you make a plan to begin laying a foundation for this to occur? Small steps can lead us to very new places.

I remember one time visiting a church with a friend and we were in awe of the things we witnessed that church doing. They had some dynamic ministries happening, had made great improvements to their facilities, and were serving their community in some really impressive ways. My friend said, ‘how in the world did they do all this?’ Somebody there with some knowledge of the situation said, ‘Much of this has been about a 10 year process. It came from a lot of visioning and conversations and planning and setbacks and persistence.’ It occurred to me then how important it is to set goals and to try to plow through and make them a reality. We never get everything we want, but we might be amazed at what happens when we take just some small steps.

My wife Margaret and I a few years ago were made aware at New Year’s that there are 260 weekdays in a year and that there are 260 chapters in the New Testament. So when we learned this we put together some reading plans and encouraged the church we were serving at the time to check off each chapter as they read. Reading one chapter of scripture a day is pretty easy, usually takes less than 5 minutes. One of the neat things for me was around New Year’s the next year I received a text message from a young guy who told me he had received one of those reading plans. And that he had kept it on his desk at work and everyday he read his one chapter. He told me he had always struggled reading the Bible, but that this really worked for him and that he had now read the entire New Testament. A small amount of time everyday had made a big difference in his life. Perhaps this is a resolution for us to consider this year, 260 chapters, 260 weekdays.

Regardless of what New Year’s resolutions, if any, you choose to make, I pray for you who are reading this now. I pray that in 2022 you may experience God’s love and live into the truth that you are a beautiful precious child of God. Amen.

Making Room- December 15th, 2021

The gospel reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for Christmas Eve is Luke 2:1-14, verse 7 says…

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

When I moved to Washington, DC, to attend seminary, I was assigned a shared dorm room with a guy named Andy. I began seminary in January so Andy had already lived there for a whole semester... without a roommate. He had settled into this dorm room with two beds, two desks, two closets all to himself. Then I arrived on campus with my bags in hand. I opened the door to my room and discovered Andy’s stuff was scattered everywhere. His papers and books and clutter were on my desk, his dirty clothes were on my bed, his stuff was in my closet. Andy had failed to make room for me. After we pushed all of his stuff over to his side of the room, something occurred to me. I got the sneaking suspicion that Andy wasn't thrilled to have me there. Andy kind of liked having that room all to himself. 

A funny thing happened though, we shared that small space together long enough that we started to become friends. Eventually, Andy wanted me to come to this worship service called “Crossroads.” Crossroads was a new worship service and a big part of this new service was to try and make room for people. Crossroads was very intentional about welcoming people with disabilities. I remember a man with a learning disability who would always sit on the front row named Neddy. Every week a volunteer from the church would go get him, take him home, and sit with him during the service. Crossroads was Andy’s internship and he kept asking me to come. However, I had my own internship. I was at my internship every Sunday morning and even though Crossroads met Sunday evenings and I was free, I was never able to make room for that service in my life… until I found out there was a girl named Margaret (my future wife) who attended Crossroads, and suddenly I felt inspired to make room for the service. Finally I went to Crossroads and after the worship service I’m talking to Margaret and trying to look really cool… you can imagine how well that was going! There was a small crowd of people standing there and somebody said, “we need one more person to go on grate patrol tonight, if we don’t have another volunteer we wont be able to go.” Nobody there raised their hand, but I was trying to impress Margaret so I stuck out my chest and said, “yea, I’ll go!” The next thing I know I’m in a van with a bunch of strangers riding around the city and I have no idea where we’re going or what we’re doing. I look at the guy next to me and I said, “what is this?” Around that time the driver of the van started laying down on the horn, honking the horn repeatedly. He then came to an abrupt stop on a street corner and they flung open the doors of the van. They said, “Caleb, you hand out the trash bags!” They gave me this handful of big black trash bags. There was nobody there to hand them to but suddenly all of these people emerged from the shadows. In the back of the van, the group was handing out brown bag dinners, hot chocolate, and coffee and then people would come to the side of the van and ask me for a trash bag. We did this stop after stop and eventually I ran out of trash bags to give away. The city’s homeless would line up to receive a meal. After some time I said, “why do these people want trash bags?” The grate patrol regulars told me they cover themselves with the trash bags to keep the wind off them at night. It wasn't easy to look at people and tell them we were out of trash bags. For these people on the streets somewhere, someone, somehow humanity had failed to make room for them. 

God knows something about that. God knows something about no room because humanity had no room when God was to be born on earth. Mary and Joseph were forced to travel even though Mary was 9 months pregnant. They weren't home for Christmas because of the systems they found themselves in. Home for Joseph and Mary was Nazareth and of course they are in this more unfamiliar town called Bethlehem. They had to go, they were forced to go and be enrolled, to be counted for the taxes. It wasn't the most convenient time for them to go, the characters of the Christmas story didn't sing “I’ll be Home for Christmas” in a perfect Hallmark Christmas movie finale scene when Jesus was born. And Mary and Joseph receive word from three wise men that continues to keep them away from home because Herod wanted to kill all the first born children. Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt where most scholars believe they lived until Jesus was 2 or 3 years old. So there was no room for God to be born and then God arrives and he and his family have to flee and stay away from home because of violence. There was no room for God. 

Years ago I went on a trip to Plains Georgia to hear former President Jimmy Carter teach Sunday school at his church. The sanctuary seated around 500 people, and there was an overflow room with a tv for those people who arrived later and there was no room for them. I remember sitting in that sanctuary and when President Carter started his lesson he said, “if you wouldn't mind being generous and scooting in your pews that would make room so that some of the people in the overflow room could come into the sanctuary. We all did, we scooted in. We weren't as comfortable as we were before, but suddenly there were all these extra seats and many more people were able to come and be a part of that lesson. Making room is vital to who we are as followers of Christ. 

As we all live into these days, we might just know somebody who would appreciate an invitation to our various Christmas activities. And likewise if someone extends an invitation to us, we can be open to trying something new. It can perhaps be a little less comfortable when we have to be generous and scoot in on our pews, but when we do we make room for more people to experience the wonder that is Christmas.

Feeling Stuck- December 1st, 2021

Have you ever felt stuck? Who hasn’t? It’s awful to feel like there’s no change in sight or you’ve reached a dead end. If perhaps you are feeling this way, let me introduce you to John the Baptist.

The New Testament reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the Second Sunday of Advent, December 5th, Luke 3:1-6 says…

In the fifteenth year of the rule of the emperor Tiberius—when Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea and Herod was ruler over Galilee, his brother Philip was ruler over Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was ruler over Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas—God’s word came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. John went throughout the region of the Jordan River, calling for people to be baptized to show that they were changing their hearts and lives and wanted God to forgive their sins. This is just as it was written in the scroll of the words of Isaiah the prophet, A voice crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight. Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be leveled. The crooked will be made straight and the rough places made smooth. All humanity will see God’s salvation.”

John the Baptist is given the job of preparing the way for Jesus. Preparing is all about doing things to get ready, making space to welcome. We get things ready so that we are able to experience something new. The season of Advent is all about transformation, about preparing and anticipating a new thing. The world was kind of stuck where it was and God decided there needed to be some change. God decided to join us in the human experience. In this text, John the Baptist is in the wilderness, a place used in the Bible where many have felt “stuck” while dealing with adversity. Here John the Baptist welcomes God. He then receives his mission of going out and preparing the world to welcome Christ. John’s life is transformed and he knows the world is about to be turned upside down. There is something happening, somethings going to change! We are no longer stuck where we are! 

This is as true for us today as it was for John the Baptist and the prophet Isaiah. “Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight. Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be leveled. The crooked will be made straight and the rough places made smooth. All humanity will see God’s salvation.” Isaiah’s is a call to transformation and it’s for all humanity, it's for every single one of us. God is always present with us urging us to grow, but we often don’t welcome God in. When we prepare the way we allow transformation to happen in our lives. God never wants us to remain stagnant in who we are, but rather we are to mature into who God desires us to be. This process is always on going. This is why every year we can await the coming of Christ again at Christmas with expectation because God wants to continue to shape us. God’s desire is for all of us to experience wholeness and for the world to look like God’s kingdom. 

So how do we do this? How do we prepare the way for God to enter our lives? It's amazing how small steps can lead to very new places. Here are some small steps that we could take to prepare the way of the Lord right now…

• Turn off your phone for part of the day and slow down.

• Love and value yourself. Remember you are precious to God.

• Love and value everyone else. Remember they are precious to God.

• Take your next step in helping the church. Give generously or volunteer.

• Find a way to reach out to someone who needs some extra grace.

• Pray.

• Read one chapter of the New Testament every day.

• Be kind.

If you're feeling stuck, I invite you to try and take some small steps. Perhaps you will find that the way has been prepared for you to transform. 

What Kind of a King is Jesus?- November 17th, 2021

The gospel reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for Christ the King Sunday, November 21st, John 18:33-37 says…

Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.

The Christian year comes to an end with Christ the King Sunday. November 28th is the first Sunday of the season of Advent and begins a new Christian year as we anticipate the coming of Christ at Christmas. We begin the year awaiting the coming of Christ and we end the year with Christ reigning as king. Christ the King Sunday was established officially as a feast day in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. In 1925, dictatorships were rising in Europe and Pope Pius felt people were being taken in by the power and charisma of these dictators. Allegiance to these earthly rulers, Pius feared, made them doubt Christ’s authority and the Church’s power to maintain the authority of Christ. Pope Pius hoped the feast of Christ the King would result in people acknowledging Christ’s true kingship and would establish Christ’s reign in people’s bodies, minds, and hearts.

In our passage of scripture today, we find Jesus encountering someone who was a ruler over people. Pontius Pilate ruled over Judea as the servant and representative of Caesar. The Gospel of John tells us that Jesus was forcibly taken to Pilate and accused by the people of being a criminal. Confused by the accusations Pilate takes the opportunity to question Jesus. Pilate asks Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?”. It is interesting for us to note here that Jesus doesn’t say to this question, “Yea, I’m the king.” Jesus never went around lording over people royal privilege or exclaiming that he was a king. In fact, Jesus in no way embodied the common characteristics of what we would imagine a king to be— no crown with jewels, no palace with many rooms, no chariot. In this exchange it appears that Jesus is intentionally evasive and strives not to say he is a king. Pilate asks Jesus, “what have you done?” Jesus answers “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” So then, what kind of a king is Jesus? What is this kingdom that Jesus is always going on about?

We see time and again throughout scripture Jesus using the language of kingdom. In Luke’s gospel, we are told “the kingdom of God is within you” or “the kingdom of God is among you” (17:21). In Luke chapter 22, Jesus states, “I confer on you a kingdom…so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom” (22:29-30). The Gospel of Matthew states “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (16:19). Again, Luke’s gospel states, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (6:20). These scriptures provide us with many different models of the kingdom of God. 

Many of the Jewish people were waiting for a super king who would establish King David’s dynasty forever. Jesus Christ came into the world in the most humble way, born in a manger. Jesus was not a king in the way that many of the Jewish people were expecting. Jesus was indeed the Messiah they had been waiting on, but Jesus offered no earthly kingdom based on power. Jesus came speaking about a different kind of life. Jesus brought with him a spiritual kingdom that was based on loving God and loving people. Jesus is a king who represents and offers us a kingdom of humility, service, and love. Jesus offers us a kingdom of grace, mercy, and peace. Jesus offers us a kingdom that is breaking into the present and is still yet to come. Jesus didn’t come to bring about an earthly kingdom that would establish governance for the people; rather he came to offer something way more important than that. Christ brought a kingdom that changes the human heart. This is a kingdom that brings about justice and joy for all people. This is a kingdom that stands in contrast to many of the kingdoms of the world and offers us a different and better way to live. This is a kingdom that is made up of love, service, and humility— a kingdom that is concerned with relationships rather than acquiring wealth. 

We join together this Sunday with the universal church at the end of the liturgical year to celebrate Christ our King. And so as we reflect on this past year in our personal lives and in the life of our churches, we have to ask ourselves: is Christ the king of our hearts? Is Christ the king of your heart? Is Christ the king of the heart of our church? How can we journey together and draw closer to perfection and come to a greater understanding of the kingdom of God? Next Sunday will be the beginning of Advent. A new Christian year will start next week and we will begin a journey awaiting the coming of Christ. What would it look like for us to move into the next Christian year asking, both individually and as a church, how can Christ be more the king of our heart? How can we honor this king who didn’t wear a crown of jewels or live in a palace, but rather was born in a manger? How can we honor this king who spent his time with lepers, tax collectors, sinners, and people who others wanted to stone and kill; this king who displayed humility by washing others feet; this king who embodied perfect love and carried a cross and wore a crown of thorns; this king who didn’t expect others to serve him, but rather served others? We do this by recognizing that Jesus Christ the king has arrived, and will come again. Let us all strive to live in his kingdom. 

For All the Saints...Let it Be- November 3rd, 2021

All Saints Day, the first Sunday in November, is my favorite Sunday of the Christian year. The same resurrection message we hear at Easter as we watch flowers bloom and spring return finds us here at the beginning of the dark days of winter when death seems even more real. Yet, death does not have the last word. There is new life for all people— for us still living and for those people in our lives who have died and are now with God. It’s in that all inclusive vision of new life that I find the reason I like All Saints Day best. All Saints Day affirms our belief in the communion of saints, a union of saints and believers across every time and place.

The Old Testament reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for All Saints Day, November 7th, Isaiah 25:6-9 says…

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death forever. Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

While All Saints Day actually occurs on November 1st, most churches celebrate the day on the first Sunday of the month of November. Often, churches celebrate the day by reading the names of anyone in the congregation who has passed away in that year, lighting a candle, and ringing a bell in their memory. Typically Holy Communion is received as a part of this High Holy Day. There are many things happening when we receive communion. One part that is especially important to remember on All Saints Day is that we not only commune with God and with Christ, but we commune with all of those people in our lives who are now feasting at that heavenly banquet. God has wiped all the tears from their eyes and they now know his love in all its completion. They are with God and they are with us always. 

James Corden is the host of the “Late Late Show” on CBS. One of his most popular segments is called “Carpool Karaoke.” In “”Carpool Karaoke,” Corden invites famous musical guests to sing along to their songs with him while he is driving on a planned route. He has welcomed a lot of different famous musicians including Stevie Wonder, Elton John, and Carrie Underwood. A few years ago “Carpool Karaoke” featured its most famous guest, Paul McCartney. This particular segment has been viewed on YouTube over 62 million times and if you haven't seen it, go now and look it up. It's a lot of so much fun! James Corden and Paul McCartney ride around the Beatles hometown of Liverpool, England singing Beatles’s songs and Paul McCartney’s songs. They go by Penny Lane and McCartney signs his name on a street corner sign there. They pass a church and McCartney explains that he was in the choir there when he was boy. They start walking down the streets and fans start coming up to them, one fan says “your music was played at my Dad’s funeral.” They visit his old childhood home, McCartney even plays a surprise concert in a pub to a group of unsuspecting locals. 

All along the way Paul McCartney and James Corden are in and out of their car singing songs. At one point James Corden says to McCartney, “your music is so full of positivity, and joy, and a message of love and togetherness, I feel like it’s more relevant now today than maybe it’s ever been.” And McCartney talks about how the music has remained relevant and then he says, “I had a dream in the 60s, where my Mom who died, came to me in the dream and was reassuring me saying, it's going to be ok, just let it be.” And McCartney said it made him feel so great and he said, “she gave me the positive word so I woke up and wrote the song “Let It Be.” And then they start singing “Let It Be” in the car. Soon James Corden begins to cry and he says, “I didn't see that coming, that made me emotional.” He shares, “I can remember my granddad who was a musician, and my dad, sitting me down and saying ‘we’re going to play you the best song you’ve ever heard’ and they played me that song, “Let It Be.” And Corden says, “if my granddad were here right now he would get an absolute kick out of this.” And then theres a pause and Paul McCartney says, “He is.”

On a dark Sunday morning at the beginning of November, we gather in our churches to reflect and remember, but we are not alone. May your All Saints Day be blessed!

Drop the Rock!- October 20th, 2021

Do you ever have a hard time accepting forgiveness? My guess is you have because who hasn’t. It can often be difficult to let go of those things that weigh us down. Once at a church event I along with the rest of the congregation was given a small rock. We were instructed to each carry this rock with us through a number of different prayer stations. Each station provided some scripture and an activity to communicate God’s grace and to help us discern God’s call on our lives. The last station was a prayer labyrinth. At the center of the labyrinth we were instructed to drop the rock we had been carrying. The scripture provided and the call of that last station was to let go of anything that had been weighing us down. It was both a powerful and helpful experience and I walked away from it actually feeling lighter in my spirit. Psalm 32:1-5 says…

The one whose wrongdoing is forgiven, whose sin is covered over, is truly happy! The one the Lord doesn’t consider guilty—in whose spirit there is no dishonesty— that one is truly happy. When I kept quiet, my bones wore out; I was groaning all day long—every day, every night!—because your hand was heavy upon me. My energy was sapped as if in a summer drought. So I admitted my sin to you; I didn’t conceal my guilt. “I’ll confess my sins to the Lord,” is what I said. Then you removed the guilt of my sin.

It’s a wonderful feeling to let go of those heavy burdens we bear. And yet we can have a hard time actually receiving forgiveness, receiving the free gift of grace. Paul Tillic once said that “faith and grace is all about accepting God’s acceptance of you.” Each and every one of us are precious to God. All of us are God’s children and God desires for all of us to live lives of wholeness, abundance, purpose, and joy. One of the key ways we do this is by receiving what God freely gives— forgiveness. 

There is an element of discipline in accepting a free gift. Many of us are “doers” and we like to earn what we get. While there is truth in the old adage that “we reap what we sow,” God operates in ways that are different from the world’s standards. God loves us so much God became a human being and then died so that we are atoned, forgiven for the ways in which we miss the mark in life. God has done everything necessary to forgive us and he offers this grace that came at a great price. All we have to do is accept that grace and forgiveness. 

Repentance begins with an acknowledgement and awareness of the fact that we have stepped off the path. Repentance is an acknowledgement and it is feeling the weight of sin and desiring to no longer bear that burden. Once we repent we must confess to God and ask for God’s mercy. Our passage today tells us “So I admitted my sin to you; I didn’t conceal my guilt. “I’ll confess my sins to the Lord, ” is what I said. Then you removed the guilt of my sin.” Whenever we do this, whenever we confess our sins to God it is like we are dropping the rock we have been carrying. When we accept God’s forgiveness and we take God at his word, suddenly we feel the burden lifted. When the weight is lifted, we learn the joy of what it is to know God’s grace. Sometimes it is hard for us to believe that God is so good, but that’s why this gospel is called good news, that’s why the gospel is the greatest thing that has ever happened to humanity. That’s why the Psalmist says “happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” God offers his love for all of us and it doesn’t matter what we have done because God’s forgiveness is already present in our lives. All we have to do is drop the rock and accept that God loves us.

Ted Lasso is a Modern Parable- October 6th, 2021

This passage sounds like a contradiction. So much of the Christian faith is about growth and transformation. We are encouraged to seek more depth in what we believe. We are encouraged to not stay in the shallow end with the children. As always with Jesus however, the world is turned upside down. Just when we think we have the answer, that we’ve figured it out and we have a handle on who we are and who were called to be, God’s grace surprises us. The last is first. The greatest is the servant. And we are told to be like children. The gospel reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, October 3rd was Mark 10:2-16. Verses 13-16 says…

People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

Our daughter Ruby is 7 years old and our son Everett is 3 years old. This week as I reflected on the verse, “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it,” I was intentional to sit back and watch our children receive things. Children receive things with excitement. They get so excited they can’t contain themselves. They get so excited they literally have to run around and jump up and down just to burn off all the energy that life gives them. And children are curious, very curious about the world and things happening around them. They ask a lot of questions and they're not so judgmental when they receive a response. They're inquisitive. They want to know why and they want you to tell them what you think. They listen. They don’t look down at their phones and they're not thinking of the next thing they're going to say. They are very present. Children have so much wonder, which they experience and receive generously. Children are hopeful and optimistic. Their hope and joy radiates from their very being and it has a way of spilling over and affecting everyone in the room. 

Some people push back on this text. They say it's used to teach people to have a simple child like faith that its sentimental and doesn’t lend itself to questioning and growth. But it was an ordained minister, Mister Fred Rogers who said, “deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex.” God calls us to live and be in the world in a different kind of way. A way that is loving, and gracious, and not judgmental, but kind. A way that sees people and welcomes them in, not with an eyebrow raised sizing them up with suspicion, but rather with openness and genuine curiosity about who they are and what their story is. Life is far more sacred and has much more depth than we can possibly imagine. When we embrace the grace of God, we tap into life giving water that gives us a joy that is unbearable. It’s unbearable, it has to spill out into other people’s lives and into the world. It takes a lot of effort and intentionality to grow into receiving the kingdom like a child. We live through transitions and we journey along hopefully slowly becoming the kind of person and the kind of community that spills over with God’s love. 

Recently the show Ted Lasso has been getting a lot of attention. Have you seen it yet? The show just won seven Emmy awards after receiving 20 nominations, more than any comedy has ever received in its first season! There have been a lot of columns written about how Ted Lasso is unlike any TV character we’ve met. Ted Lasso is an American college football coach who is hired to coach an English soccer team, even though he knows practically nothing about soccer. If you haven’t seen the show, SPOILER ALERT: Ted is hired intentionally by the team's owner so that the team will do so poorly it will die a miserable death and spite her ex-husband. When Ted Lasso arrives to town,  he’s surrounded by cynics. The other characters constantly backstab and lie to one other to get ahead. It’s all kind of nasty and a really toxic environment. Ted Lasso is thrown into the middle of all this and throughout it all he is just really kind to everyone around him. And he’s really optimistic and encouraging. Ted Lasso brings the boss, the one who hired him hoping he would fail, a shortbread pastry every morning. She loves this pastry so much she sends her assistant out to all the bakeries in town to figure out where Ted is buying these for her. They never figure it out. At the end of that particular episode, we learn that Ted is actually baking them every night himself. Everybody around Ted initially thinks he’s this naive, foolish oddball, but through the series Ted’s optimism starts spilling over into the other character's lives and they start changing. They become more idealistic and optimistic and kind to one another. Ted Lasso’s witness changed the hearts and lives of the people around him. The really neat thing is now as the show is half way through its second season, it’s way less about this oddball character Ted Lasso and it's now more about a community of people who are really kind and supportive of one another. And somehow in the middle of all the on demand TV available, Ted Lasso is a modern parable of what it means to be the church.

Anointed with Oil- September 22nd, 2021

The second reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, September 26th, James 5:13-20 says…

If any of you are suffering, they should pray. If any of you are happy, they should sing. If any of you are sick, they should call for the elders of the church, and the elders should pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. Prayer that comes from faith will heal the sick, for the Lord will restore them to health. And if they have sinned, they will be forgiven. For this reason, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous person is powerful in what it can achieve. Elijah was a person just like us. When he earnestly prayed that it wouldn’t rain, no rain fell for three and a half years. He prayed again, God sent rain, and the earth produced its fruit. My brothers and sisters, if any of you wander from the truth and someone turns back the wanderer, recognize that whoever brings a sinner back from the wrong path will save them from death and will bring about the forgiveness of many sins.

Every single one of us needs healing. We all hurt in some way and yet we latch onto this fantasy that we should somehow be perfect and ok all the time. “I’m fine!” is the common response to the question, “how are you doing?” Sometimes we need to admit, “no, I’m not fine, I need a little help.” The church has a responsibility to step into those places of hurt and pain and offer reconciliation, peace, and healing. Jesus seeks to bring health and wholeness to every part of life.

I remember the first time I was invited to a healing service I said, “I didn't know we did healings, I thought we were Methodists.” I attended the service and it was a really powerful experience. We shared in Holy Communion, the pastor preached a sermon and then he asked the question from the book of James, “Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.” Then anyone who wanted to was invited to come forward to be anointed with oil and to take a moment at the altar for prayer. I watched as person after person did just that. They lined up down the center aisle and were prayed for and anointed. This was a service I started attending regularly and most weeks I too went up and was anointed. Some other weeks I just stayed seated and listened to the piano and spent some time in prayer during it all, but every week I found the service to be something that was really helpful and healing.

There are certainly a lot of preconceived notions and skepticism about what healing is and what it is not. Healing is not magic. There is a difference, an important difference, in healing and curing. The healing I’m sharing about and the healing mentioned in the book of James is spiritual. The United Methodist Book of Worship explains the root of the word healing in the New Testament Greek is sozo, which is the same root word for salvation and wholeness. Spiritual healing is God’s work of offering balance, harmony, and wholeness of body, mind, spirit, and relationships through confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Through this kind of healing, God works to bring about reconciliation between God and humanity, among individuals and communities, within each person, and between humanity and the rest of creation. Healing is not magic, but underlying it is the great mystery of God’s love. There is a difference in healing and curing. God does not promise that we will be cured of all illnesses. God does not promise that we will be spared suffering, but God does promise to be with us in our suffering. Trusting that promise, we are enabled to recognize God’s sustaining presence in pain, sickness, injury, and estrangement. And the greatest healing of all is the reunion or reconciliation of a person with God. When this happens physical healing sometimes occurs; mental and emotional balance is often restored; spiritual health is enhanced; and relationships are healed. 

I believe the church, the global church, needs to embrace more our responsibility to be about healing. Yes we are called to teach people about the life that really is life, but that conversation should always start with an embrace of love and forgiveness and grace for all people. It is a very spiritual and powerful thing to be prayed for and anointed with oil. 

At the Wesley Foundation before the pandemic, we had a healing service and I anointed the students with oil the week before their final exams. This ritual was a welcomed time of peace in the midst of a lot of stress and anxiety. Finding opportunities to offer healing can be transformative and brings us all closer to the heart of God. 

Our Words Matter- September 8th, 2021

The second reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, September 12th, James 3:1-12 says…

My brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers, because we know that we teachers will be judged more strictly. We all make mistakes often, but those who don’t make mistakes with their words have reached full maturity. Like a bridled horse, they can control themselves entirely. When we bridle horses and put bits in their mouths to lead them wherever we want, we can control their whole bodies. Consider ships: They are so large that strong winds are needed to drive them. But pilots direct their ships wherever they want with a little rudder. In the same way, even though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts wildly. Think about this: A small flame can set a whole forest on fire. The tongue is a small flame of fire, a world of evil at work in us. It contaminates our entire lives. Because of it, the circle of life is set on fire. The tongue itself is set on fire by the flames of hell. People can tame and already have tamed every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish. No one can tame the tongue, though. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we both bless the Lord and Father and curse human beings made in God’s likeness. Blessing and cursing come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, it just shouldn’t be this way! Both fresh water and salt water don’t come from the same spring, do they? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree produce olives? Can a grapevine produce figs? Of course not, and fresh water doesn’t flow from a saltwater spring either.

The author of the book of James is not mincing words in this text. These are some strong statements about the damage that can be done with what we say. James says, “The tongue itself is set on fire by the flames of hell, it is a restless evil, it is full of poison, it contaminates our entire lives.” It sounds like James has had some experience with how problematic the tongue can be. Our words really do matter. We know this and yet it can be so easy to hurt one another with how we communicate. 

Do you remember playing the game telephone as a child? In this game children get in a line and then the first person in the line whispers a word or phrase to the person to their right. This continues on down the line each person whispering the same phrase to the person to their right until it reaches the last player in the line and then the game ends with that person telling the group what they heard. And you know what happens— 9 times out of 10 what that last person hears is very different from what was originally said! This game teaches us a lot about the nature of gossip and how sometimes when we hear things down the line it is not always very reliable. And perhaps more than that this game teaches us that our words can often get very mixed up and there can be a very real difference in what is said and what is heard. 

I’m reminded of a scene from the 2008 HBO miniseries John Adams. John Adams asks Benjamin Franklin, “Do you not believe in saying what you think?” Benjamin Franklin responds by saying, “No, I’m very much against it. Thinking aloud is a habit responsible for much of mankind’s misery.” 

As Saint Paul School of Theology Professor of Preaching Casey Thornburgh Simon writes in her commentary about this passage from James, “In between the head and the heart is a stumbling block lurking in the shadows: the tongue.” Our words do indeed carry a lot of weight. People can very quickly latch on to what we say. As we should with every area of our lives it’s important for us to be thoughtful in how we approach how we communicate. What might happen if we tried to listen more and talk less? What if we asked ourselves before we spoke up, “what would Jesus do?” or “what would Jesus say?”

Another New Testament letter, 1 Thessalonians, contains these important words, “therefore encourage one another and build one another up.” Our tongue and words should also be directed to this task. James reminds us that it’s easy to tear down, but to build up takes some work and intentionality. What if we communicated in ways that reflected more love and grace and less criticism and judgement? What if our words encouraged health and healing instead of fear and distrust? Wouldn’t the world be a better place and our lives more joyful?

Mamaw Yates- August 25th, 2021

My grandmother passed away a few days ago. Her name was Rosie Randolph Yates. She was a wife, a mother, a sister, aunt, neighbor, and friend. For me, my sister, and cousins, she was Mamaw Yates. 

The Old Testament reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost is Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9. Verse 9 couldn’t help but jump out at me this week…

But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children.

Moses is delivering a sermon in this text recounting the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness shortly before the Israelites arrive to the Promised Land. Moses himself will not enter this place. He led the children there, but he is a part of a different generation. In this final sermon, Moses is again telling the story of all those who have gone on before. He is telling the people, “don’t forget, tell the story!” It’s now up to a new generation to live out God’s love for the world. Anathea Portier-Young writes…

We share Moses’ hope that our children will have the blessing of life. We want them to cross into a place where we will no longer carry them, where they will enter and claim the inheritance God has prepared for them. Our children stand at a threshold. We — preachers, parents, catechists, neighbors, priests, deacons, elders — are their teachers. We are entrusted with our people’s memory and testimony. May our preaching and our life together show to our children the wisdom and justice of God’s teaching, so they may trust in God’s promise and receive abundant life.

We are entrusted with our people’s memory and testimony. 

We’re fortunate to live in Jonesborough— the Story Telling Capital of the World. We know how important stories are. There are reminders everywhere and if we dare forget the Storytelling Festival each year speaks like Moses, “do not forget what you have seen, do not let them slip from your mind.” We know it’s through stories that we pass on to the next generation who we are, where we have come from, how important people have been in our lives. 

We are entrusted with our people’s memory and testimony. 

My Mamaw Yates was absolutely incredible. She had so much energy and was so full of life. Rosie was an artist. She could create things out of nothing. Her yard and her house were her canvas. She was always taking something old and making it something new. She planted a tree in her front yard that was perfect for children to climb on. Next to the tree she and her sister Gail built a fish pond that was in the shape of a heart. So many summer evenings of my childhood were spent in that yard with my sister making s’mores with Mamaw and Papaw and catching lightening bugs. It was magical. She created that for us.

She used to make us shirts to wear to school. She made my sister Delilah a shirt with lights on it that really lit up and once she somehow took some of my baseball cards and put them on a sweatshirt for a custom look. In the hallways of Lamar Elementary, kids and teachers stopped Delilah and me to ask, “where did you get that shirt?” The answer was simple, Mamaw Yates.

Mamaw was naturally good at making people feel special and loved.  She gave of herself completely for her children and grandchildren. Caring for others, especially children, was a huge part of Mamaw’s life. And not only us but many other children who grew up in her community can attest to this fact. A relative once shared with me that when she was going through a difficult time she had some peace because she knew Mamaw was caring for her children. She was Mamaw to all she met.

It’s so hard to think of her being gone, but of course she is not gone. Jesus defeated death a long time ago. The cross is a reminder that we are made new and that God has prepared a place for us, a home with room to spare. Now we look through a glass dimly, then we will see face to face. 

Moses called the Israelites not to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children. This truth extends to us and our experience of God. We all experience God’s grace in many ways. We are called to tell that story, to tell of our experience.

We are entrusted with our people’s memory and testimony. 

What will I tell my children and my children’s children about their great grandmother Mamaw Yates? I’ll tell them that she loved Elvis and Days of our Lives. I’ll tell them that she made the props and the sets and costumes for our church Christmas plays. I’ll tell them she was at all of my baseball games and she made every Christmas and birthday special and unique. I experienced God’s grace through Mamaw Yates. She gave to me what God gives to us all, unconditional love. 

Dining at wisdom's table- August 11th, 2021

The Old Testament reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, August 15th, Proverbs 9:1-6 says.. Wisdom built her house; she has carved out her seven pillars. She slaughtered her animals, mixed her wine, and set her table. She sends out her female servants; she issues an invitation from the top of the city heights “Whoever is naive turn aside here,” she says to those who lack sense.“Come, eat my food, and drink the wine I have mixed. Abandon your simplistic ways and live; walk in the way of understanding.”

Casey Thornburgh Simon writes, “There is a gap between knowledge (knowing in my mind ideas about God) and wisdom (living and acting from the soul what I know about God in my mind). It is indeed one thing to know something but it is a whole other thing to live out that which we know. That is wisdom. The book of Proverbs, along with the book of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes are the 5 books in the Old Testament that are considered wisdom literature. These books address, often in very practical terms, how to live a wise and faithful life. In many ways, Proverbs is “the” book out of the 5. Proverbs doesn’t deal with a lot of gray areas, but rather offers straight forward counsel on how to live life. For instance, Proverbs tells us: 

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” 

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” 

“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.” 

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” 

“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” 

These are just some of the nuggets of wisdom that can be found in the book of Proverbs. Again this book doesn’t get bogged down with details, but rather offers a deep and simple approach. This most famous text has a way of putting things in ways that make them very clear for us to understand. Proverbs is such a gift to us because it reflects in a very profound way the human experience and the divine presence that can be seen and felt and known throughout that experience. It touches on every age group and all relationships. 

To be human now is the same as it was thousands of years ago. People were dealing with love and loss and triumph and tragedy, they saw God in nature in acts of mercy and healing, they had to deal with the presence of evil in the world and how to live life when we are all such a mixture of both original sin and grace. Proverbs is a testimony to these things. It is a testimony of how we should live our lives and what it means to follow God in all our ways. “Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” This is the overarching theme of Proverbs, that while there is a lot of useful and practical wisdom that is available to us by simply studying the world and paying attention to the human experience, the place to become truly wise is in a right and true appreciation of God, to quote Proverbs the one who “created me and all that exists.” 

In Proverbs 9, Wisdom is hosting a feast and the world is invited. An invitation is offered from the top of the city heights to feast at her table. This table is a metaphor for gaining wisdom and this wisdom isn’t about intellect or knowing facts and figures. Wisdom is all about how we live, how we really implement the nitty gritty of loving God and loving neighbor. 

I imagine there’s many ways in which we sit at Wisdom’s table and feast. So often it is in observing how others live out God’s love— seeking out those mentors and witnessing how they live what it means to follow the way of Jesus. As I once heard Rev. Jerry Everley say in Bible study, “I am a fruit inspector.” When we model the wisdom of those mentors in our lives who exemplify how to love, we feast at Wisdom’s table.