Morning Psalm 56
1 Be gracious to me, O God, for people trample on me;
all day long foes oppress me;
2 my enemies trample on me all day long, Continue Reading »
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Black Clouds, Celebration, Depression, Emotions, Euphoria, Feelings, Joe BFSTPLK, Letting go, manic/depressive, Psalm 56, Psalms, Trust in God | Leave a Comment »
Gospel Reading Luke 9:28-36
Today’s Scripture from Luke is the story of the Transfiguration of Christ. There’s a similar experience recorded in Exodus 34. Moses had gone up the mountain to speak with God, and when he returned his face was said to be ‘glorified’—it was full of the presence of God—the later commentaries by the rabbis used the word, “Shekinah”. But those who saw him were terrified! Why was that frightening?
Actually, the whole experience was frightening. The night before Moses went up the first time the people gathered and there was thunder and fire and smoke, and the people said to Moses, “You’re on your own, ‘Bubba’! You go Talk to God! Just leave us out of this!”
So Moses went up on the mountain and the people grew impatient, and put pressure on Aaron to produce a God they could see and who wasn’t so frightening. Finally, he gave in and made a golden calf, and when Moses comes back down the mountain there was no Shekinah: this time we see The Wrath Of God! Terrifying!
So Moses went back up asecond time; and while he was up there, according to the rabbis, the Shekinah passed before Moses. And when Moses came down from the mountain, his face has changed. Well, the people still weren’t over their last experience; and they were terrified!
And so Moses put a veil over his face to shield and protect the Israelites from the full presence of God. It’s kind of like putting on sun screen before you go out on a summer day. That understanding was later transferred to the Temple—where the presence of God was said to dwell—and there was a veil between the people and the Holy of Holies.
But on a different mountain, on a different day, Jesus’ appearance was changed, and Luke uses words similar to those that described Moses when he came down from Mt. Sinai the second time. And the disciples saw it, and were not afraid. In fact, they wanted to just stay there forever.
In Moses’ day, no man could see God and live. On the Mount of Transfiguration there was a transition. Christ is the means by which mankind may look at God and live. In Christ, the veil is lifted. In Christ the veil of the Temple is ripped from top to bottom!
If the veil were dropped from your face, so that others could see the Glory of God in your life—or its absence—what would it be like? What would be the response…
…of your friends?
…of your family?
They see you every day—warts and all. What about your business associates—people you work with every day.
A community leader well-known for his dedication to his church—was asked one day in a public meeting to lead prayer. The local minister who’d been invited to to pray, didn’t show up, and since everyone knew of this man’s strong commitment to his church they assumed… And so they asked him to pray.
There was a look of panic on his face; a stunned, awkward moment; and then, he cleared his throat, and in a faltering voice, began: “Now I lay me down to sleep…”
There’s a lot of talk these days—from sports to business, and even on the periphery of the church: “live outside the box;” “beyond your ‘comfort zone’.” It’s just easier to keep the veil down.
And then along comes Tim Tebow. Now I never could understand all the hooey about him. He’s not the first athlete to kneel or point to heaven after a good play. How many athletes begin a TV interview with, “First I want to give all the glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?”
But there’s Tim Tebow. Maybe the time is just right. The veil is lifted. And he’s not all talk. He goes all over the world doing ministry; he’s starting a foundation to grant wishes to terminally ill children; he’s building hospitals and orphanages in the Philippines, Ethiopia, Malawi, Bangladesh and Haiti… And some of those who are most frightened—or embarrassed—are other Christians. It’s just more comfortable to stay behind the veil—if only everybody would just stay behind the veil…
But faith is about lifting the veil; taking a risk; laying it on the line; living “as if” we really believe what we say we believe.
And so Paul concludes in II Corinthians 3:18: “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord…”
Together in the Walk,
Jim
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Glory of God, Golden Calf, Luke 9:28-36, Moses, mountaintop experience, Shekinah, The Veil of the Temple, Tim Tebow, Transfiguration | 1 Comment »
First Reading Ezekiel 1:1-14, 24-28(b)
In Charles Dickens’ “Christmas Carol,” Ebenezer Scrooge is awakened by the ghost of his late business partner, Jacob Marley. Face to face with the apparition, Scrooge is terrified, and tries to rationalize the experience: “You’re nothing but a spot of mustard; a bit of undigested ham!”
If you read the passage listed above, you might wonder, did Ezekiel eat too much pizza before going to bed? What could possibly trigger such an experience? Ezekiel, no doubt, would be sure it was a vision from God—and I, for one, will not question him about that.
Many have tried to understand Ezekiel’s vision. In context of his historical era and culture, such experiences were not altogether uncommon. They were common enough that they had a name: apocalyptic visions or apocalypses.
Generally speaking, apocalypse is a specific tool of language by which one attempts to describe that which cannot be described. Some have tried using the graphic arts to reproduce Ezekiel’s verbal description: four faces, feet like the hooves of a calf, etc. In so doing they weaken the intent and impact of the vision.
Sometimes we have difficulty letting God be God. We want God to be more like us—or at least like we want God to be. [“Why can’t God be more like I would be God if I were God?”]
And sometimes we have great difficulty allowing the scripture to just be the scripture—to embrace and appreciate the mystery and the transcendent reality of God. We have to pin down every word—to subdue it and to bring under the subjection of our puny capacity to comprehend. In so doing we render impotent the Scriptures and the reality toward which the Scriptures point.
Not so with Ezekiel. He had an experience, and he waded into it with pen and ink, to the best of his awareness and memory. He let the words and the metaphors and the images fly—poured them on and embellished them and then paused, out of breath, to celebrate them.
Read it again. It simply radiates majesty and glory; but does so in a way that is comprehended and assimilated more experientially than cognitively. It describes something that cannot be reduced to any human understanding—limited, as we are, by the clay of which we are made.
That reality cannot be explained, described, or even understood. It can only be acknowledged in awe and in worship.
Together in the Walk,
Jim
Posted in Apocalypse, apocalyptic imagery, Ezekiel, Ezekiel's Visions, Lectionary, Uncategorized, visions | Tagged Apocalypse, apocalyptic imagery, apocalyptic visions, Charles Dickens, charles dickens christmas carol, daily lectionary, Describing the undescribable, dickens christmas carol, Ezekiel, Lectionary, religion, Scritpure, spirituality, theology, Transcendence of God | Leave a Comment »
Morning Psalm 147:1-11
1 Praise the Lord!
How good it is to sing praises to our God;
for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted,
and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars;
he gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
his understanding is beyond measure.
6 The Lord lifts up the downtrodden;
he casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
make melody to our God on the lyre.
8 He covers the heavens with clouds,
prepares rain for the earth,
makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives to the animals their food,
and to the young ravens when they cry.
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;
11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.
What a great way to start a Tuesday morning! Earlier today it certainly put this old morning grouch in a better frame of mind!
Note the contrasting qualities attributed to the Lord: abundant in power, and yet with understanding beyond measure; lifting up the downtrodden, and yet casting the wicked to the ground. The Lord is creator, and yet the Lord does not take pleasure in the results of creation, as an artist might take pleasure in a newly completed painting or sculpture. Instead, the Lord is more interested in the way that creation responds and relates to the creator. The desired responses mentioned in this Psalm are awe and hope.
It’s comforting to read that the Lord heals the brokenhearted and lifts up the downtrodden. Something we need to note with caution, however, is the temptation to assume that we are the brokenhearted and the downtrodden. Sometimes that’s true; but, if we’re brokenhearted and/or downtrodden all the time it suggests that God does not, indeed, heal the brokenhearted and lift up the downtrodden! So, assuming that God does, indeed, heal and lift up, what does this Psalm offer to us in the moments and hours and days when we are not brokenhearted or downtrodden? It is those times that our response of awe and hope become the pleasure of the Lord.
How good it is to sing praises to our God;
for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
Together in the Walk,
Jim
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged healling the brokenhearted, Hope, Hope in the Lord, lifting the downtrodden, Psalm 147, Psalms, Standing in Awe before God | Leave a Comment »
Saturday I began my fourth week as Transitional Minister at First Christian Church in Las Vegas, Nevada. Everything the church does emerges out of its worship life; so, it’s appropriate that my ministry here began in worship.
We have three worship services, each with a different, unique style and mood. At one level that’s as it should be, given the widely diverse nature of our culture.
At another level, the presence of three different worship services (especially when the combined attendance of all three would not overflow the existing sanctuary) causes a yellow light to flash on my dashboard!
Ours is a consumer society, conditioned by a marketing industry whose mantra, “the customer is always right!” has infected the church. It’s simply too easy to allow that perspective to replace Christ’s teaching, “Seek first the kingdom of God…” (Matthew 6:33).
When “the customer” is the focus of worship (or of any other ministry of the church), the results will always be counterproductive to the gospel. A significant example is the so-called “Worship Wars” that characterized the recent transition among many congregations as a growing number of worshippers began to express preference for—or actually to demand—contemporary praise music over traditional hymns; guitars and drums over organs.
I suspect God is pleased with any form of music that is offered from a sincere, contrite heart. Contrite hearts do to issue ultimatums (e.g., “If this church doesn’t start using more contemporary praise music in worship I’m going to another church!” OR, on the other side of the coin, “If this church ever starts using contemporary praise music, I’m leaving!”)
I have my preferences. I was dragged, kicking and screaming into the contemporary praise worship culture. I found all kinds of fault with it. I still have serious musical issues with it, and sometimes even cringe at some of the theology presented by that genre [yes, I understand that music—as well as other art forms—is not always about theology].
But I kept having to eat my own words, because that Matthew 6:33 verse has become one of the foundations of my faith and of my ministry. If I am truly seeking God’s kingdom first, then my preference for music style will be secondary, if not outright irrelevant.
Over the years I’ve come to really appreciate, and even to enjoy, much of the contemporary worship music. And, while in contemporary worship I sometimes feel I’m in the presence of something staged by Barnum and Bailey, on most occasions in contemporary worship I want to take off my shoes; because I’m standing on Holy Ground!
And, while I still prefer a pipe organ and a forty-voice choir singing Bach or Vivaldi, at the infamous “bottom line,” worship is not about what pleases the worshipper or makes him/her “feel good.” Worship is an expression of one’s inmost adoration for God, and worshippers should have access to those elements and styles of worship that most effectively express that inmost adoration.
So I affirm the practice of offering a variety of worship settings; but the longer I live the more consistently my experience demonstrates that what I “get out of worship”—no matter what format—is directly proportional to what I put into it!
We just need to pay attention to that yellow light flashing on the dashboard, and to make sure our worship experience is about “seeking first the kingdom of God.”
Together in the Walk,
Jim
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged contemporary worship music, drums in worship, guitars in worship, organ, Praise, Praise Music, praise worship, ultimatums in the church, worship preferences, worship wars | 5 Comments »
Let my readers be aware—all three of you (yeah, I know; I picked up another one the other day!)—that there is at least one church alive and ministering in Las Vegas, Nevada! Today I begin my fourth week as Intentional Interim Pastor of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The cobwebs and rust that are the accumulation of almost three years in mothballs are slowing being swept away, and I am discovering that the machinery still functions!
Until relatively recently Las Vegas enjoyed the distinction of having more churches (buildings, at least), per capita, than any other city in the US of A. Even then, however, the city was reputed, and its persona defined, by “The Strip.” That’s still the reality.
When I visited here in March to wrap up negotiations with First Christian Church, I was frequently asked whether I had been to Las Vegas before. At first, my answer was, “Yes; a few times.” By the time I left, four days later, my answer had become, “Not really. I’ve been on The Strip a few times; but never have visited Las Vegas.”
Jo Lynn and I are discovering a people who are most welcoming and pleasant–until they get behind the wheel of a car! Never, in any other city, have I encountered more aggressive drivers! The manic starts at each intersection, as the traffic light turns green, reminds me of the rolling starts at a major NASCAR event! On the freeways, only one thing counts: being in the lead (or ducking and dodging those who are thus obsessed)!
Just a few blocks away from Las Vegas Avenue (“The Strip”), in any directions, Las Vegas takes on the characteristics of any city of two million people—at least any such city that’s located in the desert! Yes, the presence of The Strip means that the church receives a number (probably larger than average big city churches) of benevolence requests related to dreams unfulfilled, promises broken and fortunes lost.
But First Christian Church, while enduring the financial woes of most congregations in today’s economic environment, and in the aftermath of some recent internal disruption, continues to sustain a consistent outreach into the community.
Six other congregations, five of which are composed of ethnic minorities, are nested in the facility provided by FCCLV. Additionally, a number of 12-Step recovery groups meet here, along with several other service-oriented entities.
“God’s Groceries”, administered in conjunction with the mid-sized UCC congregation nested in our facility, serves those in the community who are in need of food.
Perhaps the most exciting outreach ministry is the “Miracle League” baseball program. A wonderful baseball diamond occupies the eastern extreme of the church property. For six weeks in the Spring and again six weeks in the Fall, Saturdays are set aside to offer children (of all ages) with cognitive and/or physical challenges the opportunity to play baseball. It is a first class operation, with a play-by-play announcer, concession stand, Tee-Shirt stand and the “Funkie Chicken” between innings. Youth from the church and the community serve as “buddies” for each player, and some of these “buddies” have experienced life changes through their participation in “Miracle League”.
We have a contemporary praise worship service at 5:00 P.M. on Saturdays, a casual service at 8:15 A.M. on Sunday and a Traditional service at 10:45, with organ, a wonderful choir, and with the pastors “robed”. The music is outstanding! And so is the preaching!
In the next few weeks I’ll be branching out to meet other clergy in the community; but, as the “new kid on the block,” I’m thoroughly enjoying my re-orientation to ministry and my orientation to Las Vegas.
Together in the Walk,
Jim
Posted in Discoveries, happiness and contentment, Hope, Interim Ministry, Uncategorized | Tagged Hope, Ministry in "Vegas", Ministry in Metropolitan Setting, Nevada, New Starts | 3 Comments »
Lest We Forget…
May 7, 2013 by wavyvision
It is my intention in these blogs, for the most part, to share thoughts and impressions on the Scripture, using the Daily Lectionary published on the website of the Presbyterian Mission Agency – http://www.presbyterianmission.org/devotion/daily/2013/5/7/. I invite your feedback and your responses.
Deuteronomy 8:11-20 (TEV) “Make certain that you do not forget the Lord your God; do not fail to obey any of his laws that I am giving you today. 12When you have all you want to eat and have built good houses to live in 13and when your cattle and sheep, your silver and gold, and all your other possessions have increased, 14be sure that you do not become proud and forget the Lord your God who rescued you from Egypt, where you were slaves... 17So then, you must never think that you have made yourselves wealthy by your own power and strength. 18Remember that it is the Lord your God who gives you the power to become rich…
Darrell Royal, legendary coach of the Texas Longhorns from 1957 – 1976, didn’t believe in adopting new strategies from week to week. Even in bowl games, when asked if there would be any new wrinkles to his strategy, his famous response was, “We’ll dance with who brung us.”
Last night I watched “The Last Samurai”. While the Samurai culture was centered in the martial arts, and every Samurai was first and foremost a warrior, the word, Samurai, itself, means “service” or “servant.” Each warrior was committed to the service of his emperor, whom he considered to be a ‘living god.’ The greatest honor was to give one’s live in service of the emperor, and the greatest shame was to fail at that or any other duty.
There was integrity and honor and discipline in the Samurai effort to perfect everything he did. And there was a deep spirituality rooted in homage to one’s ancestors. In other words, Samurai spirituality, at least in part, was an humble acknowledgement of, and a connection with the source of all one had and all one had become.
I lived many years in eastern Oklahoma, in the land of the “Five Civilized Tribes” (a reference to the Osage, Delaware, Cherokee, Choctaw and Creek nations of Native Americans). I’ve always been fascinated by Native American culture; and in the years I lived in Oklahoma I became especially aware of their spirituality. Once known as “savages,” these people have a humility in their spirituality that, like that of the Samurai, is expressed in a connectivity to the source of all they have and all they are.
While Native Americans do not worship nature, in nature they see expressions of the mystery, “the Great Spirit” that is the source of all that is. Sitting Bull said, “Every seed is awakened and so is all animal life. It is through this mysterious power that we too have our being and we therefore yield to our animal neighbours the same right as ourselves, to inhabit this land.”
And today’s First Reading reaffirms and grounds, for us, what virtually every human culture has acknowledged and declared since such things have been documented.
We are created in the image of our creator, and that means we have amazing abilities within ourselves. To a degree we can live and prosper entirely upon the strength of those innate abilities. But we are NOT the creator! We are but a reflection in a mirror of that power. Thus, eventually, regardless of the scope of our gifts and abilities, we reach our limits. At that point we unite with all humanity throughout all of human history. And in that experience we do well to “remember the source of all we have and all we are.”
Together in the Walk,
Jim
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged biblical commentary, Deuteronomy 8:11-20, Native American Spirituality, Our Source, Samurai Spirituality | Leave a Comment »