Ramblings

City Council Prayer – 3/21/2013

Below is a copy of a prayer that I did as the invocation for the City of San Antonio Council meeting on March 21, 2013 as the guest of City Councilmember Leticia Ozuna of District 3. It was a great experience and I thoroughly appreciated the invitation.

 

Dear Just and Wise God,

We come to you, with praise and confession. Thank you for the goodness that we can see, and empower us, to be thankful for that which we cannot see. Thank you for life itself, for the measure of health we need to fulfill our callings, for nourishment and for friendship. Thank you for the ability to be involved in useful labor and for the honor of bearing appropriate responsibilities.

Therefore, we especially thank you for those bearing the responsibility of managing our civil society. We pray for our mayor, for the various levels of city officials and, in particular, for this assembled city council.

We pray that they be granted wisdom to govern amid the conflicting interests and issues of our times. We pray for a sense of the welfare and true needs of our people and a keen thirst for justice and charity. We pray for confidence in what is good and fitting and the ability to work together in harmony even when there is honest disagreement. We pray for the agenda set before them today.

Give us all an assurance of what would please you and what would benefit those who live and work in and around our beloved city of San Antonio. We pray for personal peace in all our lives, in the lives of those we love and joy in all our vocations, in service to you we pray. Amen.

“Leave her Alone” – 3/17/2013

Sermon based on John 12: 1-8. As you may remember, the Gospel of John begins with a story of divine extravagance the first miracle of Jesus --- the equivalent of 600 bottles of the best wine created out of water at the wedding in Cana. This was the "first sign" that Jesus did, said John.

This week the Gospel of John book ends his gospel with another story of extravagance --- Mary anoints Jesus with perfume that's worth a year's wages. This anointing of Jesus at Bethany is the last event in John's gospel before Jesus's "triumphal entry" and the ensuing death and resurrection of Jesus.

If our gospel today seems suspiciously familiar, that may be because the anointing of Jesus by a woman is one of the rare stories told in all four gospels. And how's this for unintended irony --- Matthew and Mark never name this person; they simply call her "a woman." Luke describes her as "a sinful woman" leading a few to speculate that an additional Mary was behind this event. John alone tells us that it was Mary of Bethany, the sibling of Martha and Lazarus. John even introduces us to Mary in Chapter 11 "as "the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair."

So although familiar, let us put this episode in context. During the last week of his life, Jesus stayed in Bethany, about two miles from Jerusalem. And as you may remember, before this event, Jesus had just raised Mary and Martha's brother Lazarus after he had died. From that earlier event we also know that Mary is loved by Jesus and believes in him.

Now after the raising of Lazarus, we are at a dinner to honor Jesus where we are told Mary poured an expensive pint of pure nard imported from India on his feet. Then she wiped his feet with her hair at which the aroma filled the house. Her outpouring of this elaborate gift is undoubtedly an act of extravagant thanksgiving for the gift of life.

This act during the meal however, was not well received. Mark and Matthew's gospel says the disciples were indignant; John's gospel suggests it is Judas who says: "Why this waste? We could have sold this perfume and given the money to the poor."

Although we learn in John why Judas said these words, it is an understandable point and criticism of Mary, for after three years with Jesus, all of them had learned that care for the poor characterizes the people of God.

But believe it or not, and although there's never an excuse to ignore them, there's something more important than care for the poor. For Jesus responds with "Leave her alone, she's done a beautiful thing."

So what can we learn from this? The Gospel of John's language indicates that this event is much more than a discussion on poverty or a reminder of what Judas will later do. There is as some have pointed out … the sexual tension. A woman lies down beside Jesus, lets down her hair, and caresses his feet with outrageously expensive oil.

Although sex is perhaps an interesting line of thought, it is not helpful for us to learn about our lives as disciples.

The obvious point in that in this episode, we know now and Jesus confirmed that Mary did more than perhaps she knew. Anointing Jesus was more than a gesture of personal devotion; it was also a prophetic act for Jesus tells us that "When she poured this perfume on my body, she prepared me for my burial." Jesus was not just a wandering sage or renegade rabbi; he's the Anointed One, anointed by Mary at his feet, yes, but especially by God. In Hebrew, he's "the Messiah." "She did what she could," said Jesus. Shortly after this point, Jesus prepares for his ride into Jerusalem, washes the disciple's feet, has a meal around the table, dies on the cross and is buried.

But there is more to ask and ponder than the passion that is to follow because here we actually see what Jesus does for Mary and through her for the disciples and for us. It begins with a command to all in the room. It begins with: Leave her alone, Jesus says.

I like that sentence --- "Leave her alone" --- so I studied it a bit. In Greek the verb is an elastic one, with many uses and meanings. For example, in some contexts Jesus' words could mean "Divorce her." In other contexts these words can mean "Send her away." But in this episode Jesus is not saying either.

Martin Luther interpreted it in German as "Leave her in peace." When translated into French, the phrase includes the word tranquille, as in "Leave her in tranquility." But in English, the words "leave her alone" seems to imply that those around the table, by picking on her as they did, had caused her to be caught, at least in the imaginations of those present. You could say they had targeted Mary, she was being accused, and Jesus was standing up for her "Hold your fire."

Regardless of how you translate the Biblical Greek, we see at least three ways that this phrase, "this beautiful thing" may be teaching us something for our lives as disciples.

First in verse 7 we can read "Leave her alone … so that she may keep the perfume for the day of my burial." This relates to how Mary and the disciples will be in grief. Although Jesus is telling her to keep the perfume handy, she had already opened and used it. Remember, Mary is thrilled with Jesus as the resurrection and the life. Jesus had just raised her brother from the dead. She is feeling this. She is showing this lavishly. But the time will come for Mary; it will come for all of them, when his death will lead to intense grief and abandonment. How do we react in grief?

I shall never forget a visit years ago. Someone came in with a story to tell, something sad and heartfelt. I ushered him in, and after a few moments, I thought I should be steering our conversation to its purpose. "Was there something you wanted to talk about?" And with that, I heard something about "doctor…" "my partner…" "someone…" "a man" "sorry…" A few words here and there, almost inaudible, disconnected, because what was really happening was weeping, deep, gut wrenching, crying. I had the good sense to do two things. One was to keep my mouth shut and listen and leave him alone. The other was to have a fresh box of Kleenex on the table in front of him, which I pushed toward him.

This went on for about fifteen minutes. Him weeping, me sitting and watching, and frankly feeling kind of misty myself at the sadness he was feeling. Eventually, he kind of got himself together, took several deep breaths, apologized for falling apart on me like this, and shook my hand as he left.

About three days later I received a note from him. "I shall never forget what you did." But that was the point; I did little other than to take him seriously, and leave his alone and to gather up his tears in the wadded up Kleenex. Today's gospel, Jesus is reminding all of us that there are times when all we can do is let the emotions happen ….let them flow as powerful as perfume.

The second relates to Judas' and the disciples in their priorities. In verse 8a we see … "leave her alone, because the poor you always have with you." When Judas refers to the poor, it was a cover. Unlike Mary's intention, Judas's secret motivations are made known to the reader. His concern for the poor is merely a ruse to cover his own greed.

Today's gospel prepares us for that fact that Jesus is handed over not by an enemy or stranger but by one of his intimate associates. John's gospel is a reminder for us that loyalty and honesty are not prerequisites for discipleship.

Rather, being a disciple of Jesus is not based on loyalty primarily, but on following Christ… sometimes those are not the same. For example, the Quakers sometimes allow a symbol to be displayed in their barren meeting-halls. It is the picture of an ox between an altar and a plow. And underneath are the words: "Prepared for either. Sacrifice or service." King David thought of himself as a servant of God, and no more; Mary the mother of Jesus thought of herself as a servant of God, and no more; the Apostle Paul thought of himself as a servant of Christ, and no more. What was in it for them --- betrayals, abuse, suffering, death - and the joy of serving the Lord. Loyalty alone will not help us carry through our lives as disciples.

And finally, in verse 8b … leave her alone, because you do not always have me with you. The presence of Jesus in the body --- to see and hear and touch and eat with --- we know will only be for a short time longer. Mary perhaps sensing something or feels the preciousness of Jesus' presence and what it has meant for her and Martha and Lazarus leads to a wordless but powerful response.

This stands in contrast to the idea of many of us that what matters most is belief in Jesus --- and by belief I mean conscious, verbal understanding of Jesus. Mary's faithful action is different. The Gospel of John does not tell us what she believes; only that she has faith, that he is the resurrection and life. It seems beyond human comprehension that she could understand all that will happen to Jesus, and all that her actions evoke. Regardless, we see her enact a wordless faithful response that resonates deeply with what we know of Jesus' kingship and his death.

Mary transgressed cultural norms in this act of love, trembling in thanksgiving, knowing that the King must be anointed. In one faithful, wordless act, she broke open the mystery of the moment. Her nard spread and its aroma filled that room. It was a momentary act, and I am sure she herself was surprised by Jesus' words that her act would be remembered, that she would leave a lasting legacy.

What about us? If Jesus had not died, we would not be here. Because he did we are. Jesus has spoken to us about the way of life and the way of death. Mary of Bethany in a wordless, faithful and yes--- sensual--- action proclaimed her love. Mary of Bethany is a model of faith to whom Jesus championed with the command to "Leave her alone." Let us open our hearts because when the hour comes let us not be as concerned about others as our own response to our love for the anointed one. Amen.

The Incomplete Parable – 3-10-2013

Sermon based on the Luke 15: 11-32. The earliest example I could find in a quick search on the internet was from an 18^th century book of sayings and proverbs published in Tennessee: A farmer was plowing a field to be planted when he came across two snakes. One attempted to bite him, but only got his boot. Angry, the man ran for his shovel and chopped off the head of the snake. He turned and walked away leaving the dead snake besides its alive mate. The farmer felt he deserved a break for the day, so he decided to go get a drink in town. When the farmer came home he decided to go to bed early. But, when the farmer turned back the covers to the bed, he found the snake's mate he had failed to kill when he was out in the field. The snake struck at him but only bit into his belt. He instantly went for his gun, killed the snake and went back to the field to finish plowing because he learned to …. never leave a job undone.

Never leave a job undone… something I have always been taught but today I wonder … what do you think… did Jesus leave the parable of the prodigal son as it is known … undone? Is the parable unfinished? Is there work yet to do? The reason I ask is because the parable of the lost son, the prodigal son has two halves.

In the first longer half of the parable, we hear of the younger son who asks for his share of the inheritance. We hear of how he leaves home, leaving father and brother behind. We hear of his wild living, his remorse, his return, and of course how his father welcomes him home. But now we have the second part … the elder son. What about him?

The elder son whom we have not heard from him since he accepted the division of the estate, what is he doing in the meantime? He is out working --- diligently working.

Then we hear in this parable that at the end of the day, he returns. He may have even walked the same road that his younger brother walked earlier that day. But his father is not watching for him, for he returns every day. He goes out to work; he returns. But today, he comes near to the house, and what does he hear? He hears that a loud, joyous party is going on.

He must have wondered, "What is going on? Why don't I know about this?" We might even wonder the same? Perhaps the father knew that if he notified the elder that he would try to stop the celebration. Or perhaps there was no time.

Back to our parable; we know the elder son hears the commotion because he is suspicious and asks a servant, "What is going on here?" But, he does not just ask one question, but rather, he kept asking. The biblical Greek and what we hear implies a series of questions. He wants details. The servant reports, "Your brother is back. Your brother is back safe and sound. Your father has put on a feast." But is he back, wealthy or poor? Healthy or sick? And from the servant he must hear the sad outcome of the younger's brothers' adventure. He had lost everything. One third of the estate! The elder brother must have stopped because he will not go in.

At this point there may be something you and I may be missing in this response because the custom back then required the elder brother's presence at the event. As the eldest, he has a responsibility. The elder brother is supposed to be the maître de, at the door welcoming guests. Instead, hearing the news of his brother's return, and of the celebration in his honor, he refuses to go in. He will not welcome guests. He will not serve his younger brother; he will not honor his father.

Well, word of the elder son's refusal to enter spreads throughout the house. And then the father hears. We can just imagine the elder son, standing outside in the darkness, not wanting to enter into father's house resounding with joy and celebration at the return of his younger brother.

What does the elder brother say, when his father pleads with him? "Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet, you never gave me even a young goat (much smaller than a fattened yearling calf) so that I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!"

And how does the father respond? "'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"

So what happens to next….the parable ends. Or does it?

Well, you see there are many unresolved issues in the elder brother. There are at least five that I see: First there is the anger to work through. The elder son is without joy. Now remember, everything left in the house is legally his. He has received the full right of inheritance. The younger son gets nothing of what's left. The elder gets it all. Although the father still maintains authority, the elder has possession, but not full control. The recently butchered calf is his. Who is he truly angry with, the younger brother or the father?

Second, the elder son is struggling with the consequences for this brother. "The family has been dishonored! And now we are going to celebrate?! "He spent your living. He wasted what you gave him. He is a rebellious son." And now a party? Are we awarding bad behavior? Where is the younger brother's sign of repentance?

Third, the elder son is working through what love means. Notice what the elder brother says… or what he doesn't say. Jesus in the parable tells us that his younger sibling practiced over and over, saying: "Father…Father. Father I have sinned. Father." But this elder son does not speak to "Father." He speaks with anger and disdain. "I've been slaving for you, Father." This was the spirit in which he was working. He was slaving. There was no thankfulness. There was no joy. No love.

Fourth, the elder son is struggling with fairness. The elder brother accuses his father of favoritism. "You obviously love this fellow, more than you love me." We see that in his attitude: "I have worked. Where is mine?"

Fifth, the elder son is struggling with family. This can be seen in his circle of fellowship. The elder's friends do not include his brother or his father or the family guests. The elder wants to celebrate with his friends. Not the return of a lost brother. For him there is no joy in that. There is no joy in celebrating with father. There is no fulfillment in rejoicing with the family. Give him a goat, and apart from his family, he will rejoice.

As I said this parable has two halves and it seems to me that the second half is incomplete, because as you and I know, there are many like the elder brother, who remains at home. Many do not go off to the distant land. Many do not go wild. Many who do not despise their inheritance. But who, though they are at home, have lives characterized by anger, the inequality in this world, issues with family, judgment and condemnation, anger and resentment, bitterness and jealousy.

We have a tendency to think of "lostness" as those whose acts are quite visible. The younger son lived in such a way that all could see and identify easily. He misused his money, his time, his family. What he did wrong, not only his friends and family knew, he knew it himself. He rebelled against restraint, against morality, against common sense. He was swept away by greed and lust. Having seen how all this led to real misery, he came to his senses, a u-turn and returned to his father. A classic human failure. A straight forward resolution. A gracious father.

The elder however, is more difficult because did all the right things. He was obedient, dutiful, law-abiding, faithful, hardworking, and respectable. Faultless, as far as that goes. But when confronted with something --- that changes the dynamics --- suddenly this is not an obedient faithful son, but a resentful, proud, unkind, selfish, bitter one; a son who lived his life in service to his father, not because of love, but because of duty.

The real reason the parable is a work in progress is because of the answered question; did the elder son finally go into the banquet? The question is left open because the question is for us. We are to see ourselves in both the elder and the younger brothers. The mirror is held up for us to see ourselves. Not only can we be like the prodigal who goes away and lives in lust and passion. We can be like the elder who meticulously keeps the commandments and yet has no love and joy within the household of the father. We can refuse to welcome. We can refuse to enter into the banquet hall because we see others sitting there who we may consider unacceptable.

This place, our congregation, Good Shepherd is for celebrating the homecoming each week of the prodigals: all of us. Resentment leads to alienation, going off into a far country of our own making. Weekly worship and communion on the other hand is a reminder that as the father welcomed the son, so God by grace in Christ welcomes us. That has implications for the younger brother, for the elder and for us. Perhaps we are like the younger brother, those of us who lost our way, and struggling to come back. Perhaps we are like the elder brother with unresolved issues, at the edge of the party. Perhaps we are like the elder brother, where we once felt at home, until the dynamics have changed. Or possibly we are struggling with as Paul put it so well with the notion of what it means to, "Welcome one another… just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." Wherever we are: hear the word of God: "'My children,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'" Why these final words, because God does not leave a job undone. Amen!

Waiting – 3/3/2013

Last summer, the Mars rover named "Curiosity" landed on the surface of the distinctly colored red planet. It took just seven minutes for the rover to enter the atmosphere and touch down successfully --- less time than a walk through the crowded Alamo to see the letter from Travis. And, while many of us took notice of this amazing landing, how many of us overlooked the fact that it was a long time coming --- a very long time in fact. NASA spent roughly 8½ months simply waiting.

NASA had no choice. In between the lift off and the plunge toward the surface of Mars, NASA had to wait for Curiosity to travel the millions of miles between this planet and Mars. There was certainly monitoring to be done and planning for the landing. However, the primary task of every person involved in the project was simply this: to wait and hope that every dollar spent building it and the dreams of epic discoveries hinging on it would not be lost.

I don't know about you but we could all be wondering if waiting is a lost art in today's world. Why is that? Well we are all part and party to an impatient "now" world with a microwave as our main cooking instrument. We are a people who increasingly expect --- and downright demand --- a world without waiting, which can make for those who have not noticed being a follower of Jesus Christ incredibly frustrating.

The longer we are a part of God's family, the more we begin to realize that God is not beholden to our obsession with efficiency or competition with others or our prompt desire for justice to improve turnaround. Our God who art in heaven, whose name we hallow, and to whom we belong and by whom we are beloved through Jesus Christ, is not troubled with things taking time.

This is especially true, and most vividly illustrated, in how God chooses to deal with people. You know --- the sister-in-law who we wish would get her act together today, the son who we wish respected us now or the government officials who we wish would simply vote as they should. We have been praying for them, working on them, being patient with them, and we just wish something would change with them. Truth-be-told, I think many of us become unhappy that God has not finally "landed the rover" with them.

That is one reason why today's gospel is a good reminder. Jesus is in the middle of a discussion on repentance and in doing so he relays a parable about an unfruitful fig tree, a tree that in the estimation of its owner has been given more than enough time. Yet, rather than cut it down, Jesus tells us of a gracious gardener who intercedes for the tree saying, "Let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it."

It may seem insignificant but this one sentence from Jesus is an essential reminder to how God does God's most important. When examining these words, most people immediately jump to the verbs, to the action. The vinedresser --- the gardener --- who we can assume is Jesus who wants to dig and fertilize. Certainly that is true, God brings about change, God tills the soil of our hearts and minds with truth --- ripping out the weeds if you will, of lies and the old roots and making way for good things to be planted. The gardener then adds in the fertilizer, or in real terms love, the truth of the gospel and the promise of God's unrelenting compassion, which serves to enrich our soil, begins to take root and spurs on new growth. Life change takes truth and love.

But let us not neglect or forget what is said first. "Let it alone for one more year." There is a third component to life change. It does not only take truth. It does not only take love. It takes time. Truth, love, and time. A lot of time. Think about it; tilling soil around a single tree does not take forever. Adding fertilizer could be done in a day. Yet the gardener asks for an entire year for new growth to occur. Clearly this is an essential, irreplaceable part of the process.

This is a helpful reminder that as members of God's family, we must not only learn how to wield truth and comfort, but we must be among the few who practice and perfect the art of waiting. In other words we could say we are to wait so that the trees --- the people we love for example --- do not get cut down too soon or abandoned early.

Waiting, however is not an easy aspect of our discipleship to live out in this day and age, yet the good news is that God's living Word is packed with insights and encouragement on how we can faithfully wait on God's work.

I can think of three. First, we are to wait with what is termed the "golden rule" in mind. In Matthew 7, Jesus tells us this: "Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." We are constantly to keep in mind not simply the level of patience God's requiring us to have with others as God does God's work, but we are to have the same level of patience God has had with us. We are each beneficiaries of God's incredible patience and are quick to ask for more as we slip and stumble in this world. When we are tempted to rail that God is taking too long to fix others, let us remember how long God has worked on us and aim to afford others the same luxury.

Second, we are to wait with God's goodness in mind. It is tempting to think that what we are waiting on for God to accomplish is the most pressing of issues. We cannot quite understand how a truly good God could fail to grant it or linger one minute. But for us to do so is to downplay what is described in this old Jewish proverb that suggests every believer should carry two pieces of paper at all times --- one in each pocket. The one in the left should say, "I am dust and ashes." And the one in the right should read, "For me the world was created." The goal of one is to keep us grounded, to remind us that the trouble we are facing --- although the center of our world --- may not be the same for others and that we might not be as important and deserving of God's action as we think we are.

The other note is to remind us that at the very same time, everyone one of us is loved, everyone one of us are valued, and we -- believe it or not – are not forgotten. "For you the world was created" or as Christians would write, "For me Christ died." We are dust, but we are already immensely, immeasurably blessed, no matter how long what we are waiting to come through.

Third, we are to wait with an end in mind. Now I say that, knowing full well that we live in the same city where dissecting the book of Revelation with bad theology to support such things like the state of Israel and the building of walls is preached, nevertheless, the gardener suggests a year --- did not demand forever. Jesus' point in the parable was that eventually time would run out, and God would prune --- judge them if you will --- accordingly.

In the time being, we must wait knowing that we will not sit with our noses to the screens waiting forever for the rover to land. Eventually something will happen. God will act, either in ways that make us cheer or in ways that make us wonder, but always in ways that are ultimately, according to God, good, just and wise.

Waiting is inevitable. Sure, we share our data faster. But Mars is still 350 million miles away, and God is still giving broken people bountiful amounts of truth, love and time; for everything that comes to pass right now there is something else that remains a "not yet."

Our existence on this planet includes many things including as followers of Christ, one of waiting, but it is not necessarily without hope. In Stephen Spielberg's 1989 film, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indiana Jones finds the treasure he has been seeking: the Holy Grail. Having located the ancient Temple, and having successfully navigated a string of deadly booby traps inside, he arrives at the treasure-room. Jones is amazed to discover an aged knight clad in rusted chain mail that has been faithfully guarding the grail for centuries. This crusader has stayed alive by drinking regularly from the grail.

Just at that moment, the Nazi's who have been chasing Jones burst in. Eager to drink from the grail because they have heard it bestows the gift of youth, they demand that the knight turn this precious treasure over to them. The knight unfazed indicates a glittering array of dozens of ancient cups and chalices, of all shapes and sizes. They must choose, he tells them.

The officer quickly reaches for a jeweled, golden chalice, one of the most beautiful, scoops up some water and drinks. Instantly he begins to age, crumbling eventually into dust. "He has chosen poorly," says the knight.

Now it's Jones' turn. Indiana Jones is far more deliberate, taking his time to make his decision. Finally, he picks up an insignificant clay cup, explaining that this is the sort of cup a Galilean peasant like Jesus would likely have used. He fills it with water and drinks. "You have chosen well," says the knight. Jones was wise enough to know he had to wait long enough for the grail itself to call out to him: an insight the knight well understood, after all those centuries of waiting.

This Lent let us be reminded once again that we are to be a people who afford others the same luxuries and patience we have received from God. May we trust that though we tap our toes impatiently, eventually a good and gracious end will come because God's cup of grace will appear for all who seek the living water. Amen.