Scene from Grand Caverns in Virginia

May 22, 2011
Fifth Sunday of Easter
1 Peter 2:2-10

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You are living stones. What a strange image: living stones. When I think of a stone, I first imagine a boulder, like those large landscape rocks people put in their front yard for decoration. Maybe they found it while they were digging the foundation and just kept it. This large stone has been around for a very long time, much longer than anyone I know. And it will remain there, so long as no one moves it. It will be that large, unchanging, constant presence for as long as any of us can imagine. So, what makes a living stone? How are we living stones?

Life moves, life grows, life consumes, life changes, life matures, and life ends. All the while, life needs nourished. We are living stones. How do these two go together – living stones?

Here in Virginia, we have some quite literal examples of living stones. We have a number of active (that is, growing) caverns right here in the Shenandoah Valley: Luray, Endless, Grand, Shenandoah, just to name a few. If you’ve ever been in one of the local caverns you realize very quickly that the place is alive – by all the drops of water you catch on your head. Those little tiny drops of water carry dissolved minerals in them and as the water percolates down through the ground to the cave below, it leaves the minerals behind, decorating the cavern. It’s a slow process, growing only a cubic inch in 120 years. It’s slow, but you can see the growth – stalactites from above just barely reaching stalagmites from below, wavy curtains of rock indicating that the source of water has slowly moved over the years, and “baby” soda straws – those relatively young, hallow stalactites which are only a few inches long. A cavern is very much like a living stone. Rock building upon rock, self sustaining. A slow but steady growth nourished by the waters above. We are living stones.

The church through the ages is a living stone. The church gains members in two ways: birth and adoption. Children might be born into the church, raised and nourished in the faith by their parents and faith community. Or people are brought into the family of God – adoption. When new members enter the church, it is not an individual experience. New Christians are added to the spiritual house which has been built upon the cornerstone of Christ for two thousand years. Just as in the cavern, where rock is built upon rock, we are built upon each other, built upon Christ. Just as in the cavern, the new deposits of rock become the structure itself; We are built upon the Christians who came before us in this spiritual house. Their hopes, desires, their faith is passed on to us through the ages, and they never die – they are living stones who shape our faith today, and we in turn shape the faith of those who will be born and adopted into our spiritual house of living stones which we call the church. We, as modern Christians, become part of this spiritual house – building one another up, being built up by Christ; decorating the life of the church with each of our unique gifts; nourishing one another, being nourished by Christ.

At times, because we only have but a glimpse of our whole Christian story, growth my be imperceptible, but growth is there. At times, in each of our lives, it may not feel as though we are growing much spiritually. Growth begins with a desire; a desire for the slow and steady nourishment of living stones.

Just as the living stones of the caverns need constant nourishment – the mineral water from from above; we – the living stones of the spiritual house need constant nourishment from the cornerstone of our Lord. We need to be nourished.

We may understand nourishment in a figurative sense – we are nourished by the reading of his word, by prayer, by worship, by song, by good deeds, by offering, yes by all these things we are nourished.

This is one of the reasons why we celebrate Holy Communion so frequently this Easter season: It is nourishment. In a figurative sense: Its an opportunity to recall Christ’s saving work for us, to confess our sins, to reconcile with our neighbor, to give thanksgiving, and many other spiritual goods. But it is literal nourishment as well. This is real bread, and real drink; real food. When you receive, you really eat Holy Communion; your body consumes and uses it. Just as rock is built upon rock, Christ feds us, Christ becomes part of us, Christ nourishes us.

The apostle Peter writes to the entire church “crave pure spiritual milk” just like newborn babies. By it you will grow up in your salvation. You have tasted that the Lord is good.

Newborns seem to have an insatiable craving for milk, when babies are very young they eat every two hours day and night! Could you imagine eating every two hours? Or even having an indescribable, intense desire for some need so frequently? Could you imagine only eating once every couple of months? Could you imagine a Christian with a lack of desire for spiritual nourishment from our Lord, the cornerstone?

Babies don’t understand what is going on, all they know is that they are in need. I am amazed at how much a baby can grow on just simple milk. And Christ gave us a simple meal – bread and wine, spiritual and literal nourishment. He didn’t say “take and understand;” “take and argue about;” “take and explain;” he commands us “take and eat,” because he wants first of all to feed us – body and soul. Christ nourishes us at his table, and we just might be surprised at how much Christians can grow, being fed on a diet of bread and wine.

Christ is our rock, our cornerstone, our nourishment. Come and be fed at his table

May 15, 2011
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 2:42-47

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We strive to be the ideal Christian community.

So far in our celebration of the Easter season we have considered various meanings of Holy Communion. We began with celebration on Easter Sunday, the next Sunday we considered it’s role in reconciliation, last Sunday we discerned Christ in the feast and how we are in communion with him as we approach the table. This week we will consider how Holy Communion is communion with each other, the Christian community.

We focus on the first reading today from Acts. The full name of that book is the Acts of the Apostles. It is part two; the sequel to the Gospel, the story of Christ. This sequel tells the story of the early church through it’s apostles, deacons, martyrs, converts, church councils and acts of the Holy Spirit.

It was written by Luke, who wrote the Gospel which bears his name. In many ancient manuscripts The Gospel according to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles are on one and the same scroll. If you have not had the opportunity to read in its entirety, I certainly encourage you to do so – it is really quite interesting.

Our reading comes from Acts after Jesus’ ascension into heaven, after Judas is replaced by Mathias as an apostle, and following Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descends upon the people of the church, and Peter preaches a sermon which brings in 3000 new believers who are welcomed into the church. We read today about the church in it’s infancy.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to breaking of bread, and to prayer. They were filled with awe. There were signs and wonders.

They held all things in common – they were a family. They went so far as to sell property whenever any of them was in need of anything. They met in each other’s homes; they had meals together, they broke bread together.

They were a contagious community, people looked in and wanted to be part of that, and God added to their number daily.

Well, that sounds like a pretty good church, doesn’t it? Where is this church? Sign me up! I’ve been part of several churches in my life, they each had their different strengths. They each did community a bit differently. They all reached out in the community in different ways. But none of the churches I have been part of met the expectations of the idea we read from Acts.

Why is this ideal so hard to reach? Especially for the church? A deep and committed community sounds like it has much to offer, and it is a quite attractive idea to be part of. The love, the connection, the sharing, the responsibility.

Yes, it seems that a close knit community also has quite a few risks and challenges as well. Others who affect your life every day, others who know you deeply – worts and all; more people to be concerned about. That is a lot to ask in our modern, individualistic society we live in today. Yes a community like the one described in Acts is both compelling and scary all at the same time. Perhaps this is why couples spend such a long time discerning whether they wish to spend their lives together – do I really want to eat with this person every day of my life, share my all my hard earned stuff with this person forever?

Are we asked this same level of commitment when it comes to the community of God, which is his church? How does being a member of County Line church change our daily life? How often do we consider the fellowship of this community outside of Sunday morning?

It is a difficult ideal to reach.

Not long after this ideal description of the church, Ananias and Sapphira ask to enter the community. In Acts chapter 5. They sold a piece of property, but held back some for themselves. They basically lied about the gift. Peter confronts him and Ananias falls down and dies. His wife also lies about the gift and she drops dead too! Later, a fight breaks out over whether Gentiles can be Christians too.

The community fought over the issue at the first council of the church. Paul argued with Barnabas over whether or not to include a third evangelist on the trip. It got so heated that they parted ways.

It would seem that the ideal community did not maintain for very long. And yet, the church remains a viable community today. It may have always been written as an ideal to look up to; and it is certainly a good ideal to strive for.

Hope Presbyterian Church in Memphis, TN. As the flood waters reach record levels in Memphis, the interfaith community is providing assistance for its neighbors. Hope Presbyterian Church is serving as the largest shelter for residents displaced by the floods. But this shelter is not run by the Red Cross.

The church stepped up to the plate. The pastor of the church said “We just want to take responsibility for the citizens of Memphis, and we’re willing to fund it…We believe that’s what the faith-based community should be about.” He says “I think the church realized that they had abdicated part of their responsibility in society and they wanted it back.

The church gave as there was need, they showed love in community. In this tangible way Hope Presbyterian was striving to live up to the idea of the Acts 2 church.

And there are small ways we as the people of St. Luke’s County Line Church strive for the ideal community of God. By a member’s initiative, we have designated the last Sunday of every month a special collection of food for the local pantry; we have begun again this year to collect Christmas boxes for children in need;

and as new needs arise we bring them up as a community and strive to meet them. Today we are going to eat together; not for a special occasion – but because we strive for the ideal of eating “together with glad and sincere hearts.” We must strive for this ideal, in ways which may make us uncomfortable because that is part of the hard work of building community. Others may hear of this community and say: Have you heard about County Line Church?

Those people who are devoted to the apostles teaching and to each other, those people who break bread together (every Sunday in Easter!), now that is what I call community! Let’s strive to make community contagious, that’s strive for that ideal.

And today we again celebrate Holy Communion. Here, we declare that we are striving to hold these things in common, we are striving to be the church. We know that we will imperfectly embody this example from the early church, but in this feast we make that ideal more of a reality. We break bread together. In this feast, where we take our place at the table, we share a family meal. When I say “this is the body of Christ” I am talking about us as well. We partake of Holy Communion and thus declare we are in communion, we are devoted to the teachings of the apostles, to each other through fellowship, to this meal, and to prayer.

Let us approach this table, and be a Christian community.

May 8, 2011
Third Sunday of Easter
Luke 24:13-35

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Did any of you miss Easter? How about the Sunday after Easter? We if so, today, this Sunday is for you. When I asked if you missed Easter, I imagine many of you thought in terms of church, asking yourself “Was I at County Line on Easter Sunday?” In that case you may have answered “yes, I did miss Easter” if you were visiting family out of town, or maybe if you were sick. Of course, if you were physically present for worship during our Easter season so far you may have been inclined to answer “No, of course I didn’t miss Easter – I was right here in church.” …Did you miss Easter? Isn’t it interesting how closely we have connected the event of Easter with our Sunday worship. We gather together and hear the word proclaimed and discover that he is risen (he is risen indeed), and so were there, we were there for Easter we didn’t miss a thing. But if we contemplate upon it in a historical sense: “Did you miss Easter?” well that might change our answer. No we weren’t there to examine the empty tomb, no we weren’t there to hear the Good News proclaimed from the angel, nor the women, nor the disciples. No we weren’t there when Jesus appeared before his disciples with the marks in his hands and feet, nor where we there a week later when Christ appeared again to Thomas…we we remembered in our Gospel reading last Sunday. Historically, literally, we weren’t there. We missed Easter. We missed Easter even more than Thomas, we are the ones who are called to be blessed to believe without seeing.

We read about two disciples in our Gospel this morning. Two disciples who missed Easter. For whatever reason were leaving Jerusalem, that Easter evening, after Jesus had been raised from the dead. These two disciples seemed to have at least heard the rumor that Christ was risen – they speak of hearing the report from the women. But they did not believe, they missed Easter so they decided to move on to Emmaus. A stranger asks to join them along the way; it is safer to travel in groups when you have to walk. These two disciples continued to be so caught up in their grief that they could not even recognize that Christ had joined them along the way. Along the way Jesus begins to talk with these two disciples, he pleads with them to tell the story about what happened, he pauses to read scripture with them, he takes time to interpret scripture – finding Christ through the word of God; and then he broke bread at table with them. …Sound familiar?

It sounds to me an awful lot like a worship service to me. They tell their faith (Creed), they read scripture beginning with Moses and the prophets (We read scripture), Jesus interpreted scripture (I hope to share with you God’s word, and what it might mean for us in our day…we interpret scripture), and finally Jesus broke bread (and we will break bread at this table). For these two disciples who missed Easter, Christ showed them how to worship as a way to tell the gospel story. You see, the purpose of worship is for us to tell and tell again the good news of our salvation. Our worship is modeled from this scripture because, I believe that we encounter Christ when we tell the good news; we encounter Christ in church! Worship is a telling and living of the gospel.

We begin with the Apostles creed.

The disciples knew what had happened, and they did not want to talk about it because the pain it caused them. Do you hear how they are trying to avoid the subject? Jesus even asks, just about as straight forwardly as you could “What are you talking about?” And the disciples deflect: “You must be the only stranger who doesn’t know.” But seriously can you blame them? Someone once said “If you want to make people feel uncomfortable – talk about Jesus.” Have any of you had someone come up to you and ask “What do you believe about Jesus?” Wow…what would you tell them? Even I might be caught off guard by such a question (by the way, I don’t think this happens to pastors any more than it happens to you’all). But I think I might start with the creed. That is what it is there for – an aid to help us explain the faith. Did you hear the disciples’ response when Jesus pushed them to speak? Verse 19b “The things which happened to Jesus, a prophet…” Not too bad for disciples who missed Easter.

Christ did not leave them without the Good News. He read scripture to them “beginning with Moses and the prophets;” he interpreted to them about what referred to the Christ. And so we continue in that tradition. We are a New Testament, Gospel church but we don’t abandon the old testament because it is the word of God and includes the history of our salvation. We also read from Moses and the Prophets. Christ interprets scripture for them but still they cannot quite see. It is not until the breaking of the bread that their eyes are opened. He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

And so we celebrate holy communion. Though we are Christians who missed Easter, we do not miss Christ at this table, because worship is the living of the gospel message, a journey on the road to Christ. He gave us this gift that we may recall his ultimate sacrifice on the night he was betrayed when he took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them. Christians have celebrated this feast throughout the centuries because in it we most fully see Christ in our midst.

It’s kind of like going to Grandma’s house. My grandmother, on every visit I can remember without fail would also bake cupcakes for us. They were vanilla, with a cream icing. Half had red-dusted sprinkles, and the other half green-dusted sprinkles. I’m told they started as a Christmas tradition, and they were so well liked that she just made them that way all the time. My dad was a pre-planner and we always knew at least a few days ahead of time that we were heading to grandmas house, and it it was a solid 30 minute drive. As a kid I knew I was heading there, and I knew where we were going during the whole trip, but it was not until I walked through that door to smell the fresh baking and to sit down and taste that creamy cupcake that I knew I had truly made it to grandmas.

Christians continue to celebrate Holy Communion, and we continue to celebrate in the season of Easter that Christ is alive and in our midst. We are disciples on a journey, and we journey today to the table of our lord to come, to taste, and to see.

May 1, 2011
Second Sunday of Easter
John 20:19-31

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Sharing the Peace is reconciliation.

What causes conflict and war? There are certainly plenty of examples to consider even in our present day. What causes war? Greed, power, injustice, hatred, retaliation, even religion. But what causes peace?

We are celebrating Holy Communion in this Easter season and this gives us an opportunity to contemplate the meanings of the sacrament which Jesus instituted on the night he was betrayed, and told us to “do this.”

You may have noticed that on communion Sundays the prayer time after announcements is slightly different. On a non-communion Sunday we offer prayers for our joys and our concerns and the Lord’s prayer. But on communion Sundays we add a prayer of confession, and the passing of the peace. We say to each other “peace be with you” in the same way the risen Lord offered peace to his disciples in the gospel we read this morning. But why add these two, and why add them on a communion Sunday? First we are called to consider our sins. This is done privately – between each of us individually and God and we receive pardon. Then we pray in the Lord’s Prayer “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” of course knowing that debts refer to sins as well. And then we do it in the passing of the peace – actually forgiving one another, actually reconciling.

I understand that many of you are unfamiliar with this liturgical practice. It is inspired from the sermon on the Mount where Jesus taught the multitudes a greater understanding of God’s law. He says “You have heard it said…you shall not murder…But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgement…Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to that person; then come and offer your gift.”

Anger or conflict within the body of Christ is no good! It is such a problem that Jesus says stop what you are doing and be reconciled.

A fellow pastor told me about an incident at her church when two people had an ongoing argument, a rather old one. It was to the point that neither one remembers why they were mad in the first place, now they just know they are mad. They tried to avoid each other as much as possible – they didn’t serve on any of the same committees, made sure to show up at dinners at different times, they certainly didn’t sit together at church. At this church people go up in groups to the altar rail and receive as a small group. These two folks could normally avoid being in the same group, but there was this one low-attendance Sunday which made the pattern unpredictable. The two men found themselves in the same communion group, even knelling beside each other at the rail. One of them realized this, thought the other was too close in his personal space and shoved him over – right there at the altar! I bet these two men did not offer a sign of peace that morning.

When we observe the passing of the peace, we are taking Jesus call to reconciliation seriously. Passing peace is not a friendly hello or good-morning, it’s not a time for chit-chat, to talk about the weather, to comment on someone’s new outfit, nor to remind someone about an upcoming meeting. It is an opportunity and a call to make peace with one another.

We are a church family…and families who love, will be families who fight. That’s fine, and expected – but peace must come. When the peace time comes, consider if there is anyone within this church family you are angry with, or who may be angry with you, go to them and offer peace. Even better, make peace before Sunday morning. Say “peace be with you” and respond “and also with you.”

We have the sign of peace just before communion because we are about to eat a meal together, and in this holy meal we declare our unity as the body of Christ. If we approach the altar without being reconciled, without being one we are making liars out of ourselves. Besides, it is just really hard to share a meal with someone you are angry with (expand?).

On Easter evening the disciples were huddled together, locked up in a house because they were afraid. They heard about what happened to Jesus; they heard what happened – not saw. Because none of them picked up their cross and followed Jesus to death, they all abandoned him. One denied him three times, another disciple we remember betrayed him, three of his closest disciples could not even stay awake with Jesus to pray on the night he was betrayed. They were afraid. They were ashamed. They heard the good news from Mary Magdalene that the Lord is risen, but they locked themselves up in a house.

[aside on "doubting" Thomas- wanted what everyone else had, and not kicked out even though he did not believe]

It was here in this locked up room that Jesus made is first resurrection appearance to his disciples. “Peace be with you.” Jesus offered reconciliation to his disciples. He could have (maybe even should of) been angry with them, cast them off, not even of shown up – but Christ, when he offered his disciples peace, he forgave them. They were speechless. They knew they had wronged their Lord, and yet he offered peace!

And so as we approach Holy Communion today, let us been one; let us be reconciled. We offer each other peace because Christ first offered us peace.

April 24, 2011
Easter Sunday
Matthew 28:1-10

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If you’re looking for Jesus, don’t look in a tomb!

He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!

Have you heard that good news? Christ our Lord who was crucified under Pontius Pilate on Good Friday, has raised from the dead! He is Risen! He is risen indeed!

Well, I didn’t see it with my own eyes, but I did hear all about it from a friend who heard it from a friend who…well they say they heard it from Jesus’ disciples who heard it from two women who heard it from an angel; plus they even say that they saw Jesus himself while they were on their way to announce the good news!

Isn’t it interesting that this particular act of Jesus was not witnessed by anyone? The Bible certainly tells us that Jesus has been raised from the dead, but it didn’t happen in front of anyone. No one was there to see life re-enter the body, to see Christ take a new first breath, to see Jesus stand up and remove the binding of his grave clothes, to see Jesus stand up and walk out of the tomb. No one was blessed to behold that miraculous sight.

Many of his other acts were public – his miracles and healings, his baptism, transfiguration, last supper, crucifixion, and ascension into heaven – all took place in front of other people. But this, the reason we assemble for worship today; the foundation of our faith, the reason for the hope we have in our own resurrection into glory….this particular act of Christ; he did while no one watched…. The resurrection isn’t something to watch, it is something to discover – that if you are looking for Jesus, don’t look in a tomb! The resurrection isn’t something to watch, it is something to proclaim: He is risen! (He is risen indeed!)

The faithful women, who lingered by the cross when Jesus died, were also the first to visit the tomb. They went out, very early on a Sunday morning, just as the day was still dawning. They took the required Sabbath rest – though, really how restful could it have been?- Knowing that your dear friend, your spiritual leader, your savior is dead; and there is nothing you can do about it; not even so much as to visit the grave, not being able to anoint the body, to say the final good-byes. Holy Saturday was a dark day for these women indeed. So, they got up as soon as there was enough light for them to make the journey, and they headed to Jesus’ tomb. They did not expect to see a miracle, they did not even expect to see Jesus’ body. The Gospel tells us that they went to look at the tomb. They were there to continue mourning.

Then suddenly, as they were near the tomb, a violent earthquake shook the place – it was from the massive stone being rolled away from the tomb. An angel of the Lord rolled that stone away right in front of them. The stone was not rolled way so that Jesus could walk out; it was rolled away to reveal that he had already been raised. It had been rolled away to show us that if you are looking for Jesus, don’t look in a tomb!

What a fearful sight! An angel from God! (And we aren’t talking about cutesy winged baby angels on hallmark cards) This was an angel that looked like lightning, clothed in dazzling white, so fearful it caused hardened soldiers to faint, an angel so strong he rolled the stone away on his own. An angel whose first words out of his mouth had to be “do not be afraid.” This terrifying angel rolled that stone away to reveal….nothing. They saw nothing but an empty tomb. And he announced to the women, thanks for coming but Jesus isn’t here. He is risen! (He is risen indeed!) Go, tell his disciples – that if you are looking for Jesus, don’t look in a tomb!

What else was there for the women to do but to run off and do as the angel told them?: to be the first preachers of the Easter Good News that he is risen! They were afraid, yet they were filled with joy. Already they believed in this good news, because of the power of the message itself, and the testimony of that empty tomb.

And, as they were on their way to share this good news with the disciples, they have an encounter with the Lord. Their hope was confirmed, they saw him now alive right in front of them. Jesus appears with the simplest of greetings: “Hello” he says. In that simple greeting the women saw their Lord and the good news that Jesus was no longer in the tomb, but right here in front of them. They had no words now, they had no other action but to fall down and worship Christ the Lord.

Jesus shares with these women the same message the angel shared with them in the first place: “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” Again, the good news of the resurrection is proclaimed to the women, and again they are charged to preach it to the disciples and pass along the message. It was so important that it was told a second time.

Now, Jesus did not accompany the women to Galilee to offer the good news to his disciples himself, he asks them to to do it for him; he goes on ahead trusting that the women will make this proclamation, just as they were asked. He doesn’t seem to spend much time with these women at all to comfort their fears, nor to share in the joy of discovering Christ alive. He leaves them alone with the news.

And, we might have expected this to be the great and powerful ending of the story; all of Christ’s followers gathered before the risen Lord to worship him for the rest of eternity; but he leaves them so soon to go on ahead of them; challenging us not to dwell at the tomb, because Christ is no longer there. He commands those followers to go on and to proclaim that good news. If you are looking for Christ, don’t look in the tomb.

The women went out just to see the tomb where the dead body of Jesus lay. Instead they discovered the risen Lord. They were told, not once, but twice to go and tell the disciples that Jesus Christ is risen today; that Easter proclamation which has made its way down the generations, the modern disciples would not dwell by the tomb but continue to proclaim that he is risen, he is risen indeed!

April 10, 2011
Fifth Sunday in Lent
John 11:1-45

Lazarus’ death and resurrection is a preview of Christ’s death and resurrection.

As we approach Christ’s Passion we read of this last miraculous sign performed by our Lord: Christ brings Lazarus back to from the dead.

We learn early on that Jesus had a relationship with this family. It was this Mary, Lazarus’ sister (not Mary Magdalene), who would later anoint Jesus’ feet with the expensive perfume. The Gospel tells us that Jesus loved Lazarus. But this is not just another healing story, in fact it may not be about the family to be healed at all, nor that act itself.

Isn’t it interesting that after hearing of Lazarus sickness, Jesus waits two days to even go there? Jesus healed the centurion’s servant just by saying the word, he didn’t even need to go to his house; at yet here with a friend – one he loved. He did nothing for two whole days! But it is in this incident that we see how Jesus has the power to overcome the finality of death. This is not just a simple healing story.

Verse 4 tells us that “it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” This story glorifies God’s Son in at least two ways: 1) It is because of this resurrection incident that the chief priest plots to kill him, thus bringing about Christ’s passion. If you continue on through the end of the eleventh chapter you would read about the plot to kill Jesus and with the remainder of John’s gospel telling about Christ’s journey to the cross.

Also 2) The story of Lazarus itself foretells the death and resurrection of Jesus. There are a number of elements that will be mirrored directly in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Did you hear any of them? One of the disciples saying “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (verse 16). Lazarus in the tomb for days. We are right there in Jerusalem. The tomb had a stone laid across the entrance (verse 38). His hands and feet wrapped in grave clothes. The similarities are remarkable. If you missed the beginning that this is a story about Lazarus, you could easily think this was Jesus’ own resurrection story.

So here, Jesus is standing face to face with his own destiny and he knows it. Could you imagine watching something like this unfold right in front of you? It would be kind of like taser day at police academy. You know that police officers have to get taserd as part of their training.

Imagine standing there in the room and watching all your buddies get shocked right there in front of you; and you know it hurts; and you know that your next. Sometimes the anticipation is the worst part because you are left to sit there and contemplate what it will be like in your mind.

Or maybe it would be a bit like knowing you have an upcoming surgery in a few days and then you happen upon that same surgery on one of those surgery tv shows. Now the thoughts race through your mind – they are going to do that to me? Imagine the anxiety, maybe the anger, the uncertainty, the fear. Jesus had all those same emotions too as he approached his death. The death and resurrection of Lazarus really helps us to see Jesus’ humanity.

Jesus met with Martha first and they exchange a few words;

Martha first beginning with blame “If you had been here, he would not have died.” Jesus offered comfort.

Martha heard the words as future hope; much like the polite religious platitudes we offer each other when faced with death “We’ll miss them until we met up again in heaven; He’s gone to a better place; God must have needed another angel.” But to these empty words Jesus offers “I am the resurrection; I am the life.” What we are about to see is the message for us all – the hope of our salvation that though we die, because Christ has died for us we have the hope too of his resurrection.

After Jesus shared these words with Martha, Mary also came out to meet him and again was looking for someone to blame “If you were here – he would not have died.” The crowd too approached him and they took him to Lazarus’ tomb saying “Come and see.”

All through John’s Gospel this phrase would be used to encourage others to come and see the Lord. Now the phrase is reversed and spoken to Christ. Come and see, Jesus – this is what you are about to put yourself through. Verses 34 & 35: “Come and see, Lord”…Jesus wept.

Fukushima 50. We have all heard the news of the nuclear power troubles going on in Japan at this time: the threat of meltdown and the reports of spreading radiation. In the face of this impending doom a small group of workers has elected to stay behind at one of the nuclear power plants in an attempt to resolve the crisis. They have been named the Fukushima 50. One of the 50 is a father, and a company man of 40 years; he had planned on retiring this September. The government more than doubled the legal limit of radiation they could be exposed to - a move that basically said “yes, you are going to be exposed to a lot of radiation.” They know the risks, and they voluntarily chose to stay behind for the good of all.

Perhaps the most amazing aspect of our Gospel story is that while Lazarus became sick and died (as did the others Jesus healed); It was something that happened to them. Christ is the one who subjects himself to his own death; Jesus laid down his own life for his crucifixion.

We recall Christ’s passion every year, we know it is coming. In some ways, because it comes every year, we may lack certain appreciation for his ultimate sacrifice. Let us contemplate on the sign of Lazarus, and Passion Sunday next week and remember that Christ approached his cross with all the fear, and anxiety as any human would; and he did so willingly.

April 3, 2011
Fourth Sunday in Lent
John 9:1-41

 God's work changes lives [16:32m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (69)

In today’s Gospel reading we hear about how Jesus ruined the life of a blind man. Let me explain…

Jesus continues his journey (again on the run because he made some religious folks angry with statements he made about himself) He happens upon a man born blind; he was just passing by.

I want to give the disciples a break here; I don’t think they were being rude, nor trying to test Jesus. I think they just still had some important questions of their own; in particular one of the most difficult questions people of faith have been struggling with for a very long time: “If God is all good and if he is all powerful, why do bad things happen?” In Jesus day (and for many generations before) it was a popular belief that misfortune, pain, and suffering was punishment for sin (well, I suppose that belief is found even today). And now, in reply to this most difficult question; Jesus answers…”Wrong question.”

This man did not sin. His parents did not sin. He was born blind so that God’s works might be displayed in him.

The answer here, I do not believe is an answer to the “why bad things happen” question. Jesus leaves us to struggle with that question. Certainly, God does not cause misfortune to fall on people just to show how great God is – that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. But in this particular case, with this particular blind man; God’s glory is about to be revealed.

Jesus heals the blind man. He spits on the ground and made mud and put it on his eyes (Yes, that was a gross back then as it would be for us today). And how strange that the way Christ heals the man would make any one of us that much more blind. Have you ever got mud in your eye? The healing is not quite complete; Jesus sends the blind man to wash in a nearby pool and it was there that he regained his site. Listening to the instruction of our Lord (though he could not even see him); the man was blind; but now he could see!

When the blind man returns home, we get the first image of how drastically his life had changed – ruined some might say. We learn in verse 8 that the man made his living by begging. In those days, there was no well-fare system, public assistance, low-income housing, or food stamps. People who had a rough set of circumstances (people who couldn’t walk, windows, orphans, the blind) were dependent on the offerings of others. Most often these folks would sit outside of the temple and meet worshipers as they went in and out. The faithful would provide tithes and offerings directly to those who needed it. I learned in Williamsburg, that even just a few hundred years ago, in our country’s infancy the church did such a good job of caring for the poor that a tax was collected and given over to the church to administer to the poor and needy. So the blind man made his living by almsgiving; well he used to make his living by almsgiving. How many worshippers would continue to give their hard-earned offering to a man who could now see. Now he could see, but he was born blind; there is no indication that he had any other work experience other than begging. Could you imagine the difficulty he would have trying to enter the work force as a grown man with no education and no experience? The man could see, but he lost his only source of livelihood.

This healing became the buzz of the town; it was the major newstory of the day and it came to the attention of the Pharisees who opened a formal investigation. Verse 14, now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath – and as you may know healing is not to take place on a Sabbath. They questioned him about the circumstances surrounding this healing. The didn’t question Jesus, who broke the Sabbath rules; they put the man born blind through this trial.

We learn that the man born blind had parents who cared for him (verse 18). But now with the controversy of being healed on the Sabbath, the parents had to start distancing themselves from their son who went so far as to call Jesus a prophet. Oh no! Ask him, we kinda don’t want anything to do with it. They were so afraid of getting wrapped up in the controversy and being thrown out of the synagogue. The man could see, but lost the support of his parents.

The trial continues, the conversation gets heated, the Pharisees get angry. And finally the verdict comes down – he was thrown out of the synagogue; excommunicated. This was the most severe form of punishment available by the church in that day. He would no longer be able to participate in the life of the synagogue, nor in the community. The man could see, but he was cast of the church.

Jesus finds the man born blind, who could no longer beg, who lost the support of his parents, who was thrown out of the synagogue. And offers him even greater sight. Do you believe in the Son of Man? Tell me! I want to believe. You see him, right here in front of you. The man believed and he fell down right there to worship him. This is God’s glory revealed in the man born blind.

The story leaves the blind man there and we are left to wonder what happened to him and what he did with his new transformed life. But we do know that the man could see; and the man saw Jesus as the Son of Man, The Lord, worthy of worship; the redeemer and savior of the world.

Mar 27, 2011
Third Sunday in Lent
John 4:5-42

 Christ knew the woman well [17:22m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (119)

Has your life ever been changed by a stranger?

Mile’s Goodwin, in his essay submission to NPR’s “This I Believe” talks about how a brief connection with a stranger 40 years ago has affected him to this day. Miles was returning home from his 1 year service tour in Vietnam. He recalls the animosity towards Vietnam veterans return home, so he hoped just to lay low and get back home to Texas safely. On the flight home he had a window seat, in uniform, with no one sitting beside him. He stared out the window, smoking several cigarettes – worried about what people would say as he walked through the airport. He didn’t make eye contact and just felt so isolated from the world. Then a 10 year girl walked up to him on the plane and offered Miles a magazine. It was a quite gesture of welcome.

Miles has no idea why she may have done it – perhaps her mother told her to, perhaps her own father was serving in Vietnam. He said it was not important why it happened, just that it did. It was that small gesture that reminded him that he was home. Miles has since tried to follow the young girl’s example in his own life, hoping that his small gestures have the same effects on others.

How much more of an encounter with a stranger did the woman at the well have with Christ! Christ was a thirsty stranger at the well and presented to her much more than words or gestures. He offered life giving water.

Our Lord was on his way from Judea to Galilee in order to escape some heat from the Phrasiees who were not very happy about the baptisms that were going on. Jesus and his disciples took the direct route back to Galilee. Judea, Galilee, and Samaria were all regions, and you might think of them like States. Some Jews would avoid Samaria entirely as they traveled because it was considered unclean. Kind of like when I go home to Maryland from Virginia, the quickest way is to pass through about 30 miles of West Virginia (though if I really wanted to avoid WV I could and only add about 10 miles to the trip). I’m not making any connections between Samaria and WV by the way :)

Remember they traveled by foot back then, and this was a 70 mile trip. What takes us just over an hour today would have taken Christ 2 and a half days, of walking. Jesus takes a rest stop in Sychar.

So, already we are set up for some controversy. Jesus, a Jew, in a sacramentally unclean land – with sacramentally unclean people…but he was tired. The disciples gathered some food and Christ takes a break by the well under the hot noon-day sun.

As he is resting, a woman approaches the well. And Jesus, as tired as he was asks for a favor of a drink of water from a Samaritan woman! She recognizes the oddity of the request. And I can’t quite think of a modern equivalent, but it may have been like segregation America the white and black drinking fountains, bathrooms, etc. And breaking those social rules. But the woman appears to play along and they get to talking of water and of living water.

The life giving water which makes you not be thirsty ever again. It sounded like a pretty good deal to the woman, but Christ still being a stranger, she laughs at him saying “I would love some of that water and then I wouldn’t have to come all the way out here again.”

Jesus, still the stranger, gets personal. Sure, it starts with an innocent enough question – “Why don’t you go and fetch your husband and we’ll talk about this living water business.” She seems to say, I hear it as matter-of-factly “I don’t have any husband.” And then Jesus drudges up some personal baggage of the woman, brining in the 5 husbands she has had. This stranger seems to know her!

A long standing interpretation of this text is that the woman is an adulterer or even a harlot and that Jesus has compassion on her, even forgiving her sins. But, scripture does not state this. It never says that she sins nor that Jesus forgives; and the circumstances of the five marriages remain unknown. Perhaps the five husbands have died – image the heartache of going through the death of a spouse five times. Perhaps the husbands all used her and divorced her; remember in those days men could write a letter of divorce and be done with their wives (maybe they did so because she could not have any children). Image the heartache of being dumped five times! So let’s give the woman at the well the benefit of the doubt. Sin or no sin, she was a woman who knew brokenness; and this stranger at the well knew that brokenness too!

It was in the effort Jesus took to know the woman’s story that she recognized the savior of the world. It was in being known that she was given a drink of that life giving water. It was because she was known that she sought to make him known.

What the contrast from last week’s gospel story of Nicodemus. He a man, she a woman. He was a pharisee, a spiritual leader of the Jewish people; she was a samaritan who was looked down upon by Jews because they didn’t even know the God they worshiped. He was prestigious; she was an outcast. He came under the cover of darkness; she came at the peak of day light. Nicodemus came to Jesus; Jesus approached the woman. Nicodemus went away confused; She went away convicted. He went away keeping the faith quiet; she went and proclaimed the Messiah to the whole village.

This scene takes place at Jacob’s well. Legend had it that when Jacob dug this well that water was so abundant that it bubbled up to the top and no one needed to drop a bucket to get the water. This is why the woman asks “Are you greater than our father Jacob” – are you so great that it will bubble up for you? She meant it as a joke, a rhetorical question, but yeah – Jesus is greater than our father Jacob. And, Christ did cause life giving water to overflow at that well. The outcast woman, coming alone to the well was given a life-giving faith that convicted her to re-enter society and share the good news (this life giving water) with others; because Christ knew her.

The well did overflow, and she became a well overflowing. All by a random encounter with the stranger Christ.

Jesus came to Samaria a stranger, but became known as the Messiah; the savior of the world, the life giving water.