Baptism of Jesus 2008-02-18

Matthew 3:13-17
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15 But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."


Can U imagine a meeting between Martin Luther King Jr. & Malcom X?

Or, a similar meeting between & Pope & the Dali Lama?

Perhaps between Tutu & Mendella? Mother Theresa & Billy Graham?

Some of these actually happened. Some haven’t. In any case, it would be interesting to imagine the dialogue, the mutual goals, ideas, support, encouragement.

I was curious if Malcolm & Martin had ever met, so I did a google search. Apparently, they never met. However, in 1987, there was a fictional play that speculated what such a meeting might have been like.


''The Meeting'' takes place in 1965 in Malcolm X's room at the Hotel Theresa in Harlem. Dr. King's visit, at Malcolm X's invitation, displeases Malcolm X's Black Muslim bodyguards & other followers.

In the play…..each of the men makes a strong case for his vision of freedom for their people and the best means of getting there. Malcolm X, who sees integration as ''the white man's solution for control,'' mocking the civil rights movement for ''sitting 'round a camp fire singing 'We Shall Overcome' while a cross is burning.''
Dr. King responds with a passionate defense of incremental victories, like the Voter Registration Act of 1965.
What do you think they would have said to each other?

Our text for today shares an encounter between two spiritual giants. Jesus & John the Baptist.

All four of the Gospels have Jesus being baptized by John, but Matthew is the only one that shares the encounter in such detail.

In this passage we get a glimpse of the dialogue…at least reconstructed my Matthew.

What we see is: a Connection, a Confirmation, a Clarity of Purpose.

And, what we see is a useful path for us as we try to discern truth & wisdom for our lives.

First, Jesus sought out John. He heard where he was conducting his ministry and went to find him.

But what do you think prompted him to do this? What was the catalyst or reason for wanting to do this? Usually we understand baptism as “a new beginning” a “washing of sin” or some other marker as the start of a new path.

That why the term “christened” is used for baptism as well as the commencement of something like a new ship.

So, why now for Jesus? Think he got fed up with his life? Why would the “sinless” one need baptism?

Don’t know the answer to that. Let you speculate & ponder. But something drove him out into the wilderness to seek John & be baptized.

Maybe he heard about what John was doing and just had to see. Maybe he sought the counsel of one who was already at it. Maybe he did it to fulfill scripture.


Maybe He found in John a connection. A common purpose and drive.

Their goal: to Usher in the Kingdom. To bring change to both the religious establishment as well as society.

Go back to Martin Luther King for a second….

Have you seen old black and white video footage of the civil rights marches in the sixties?

Martin Luther King often at the front received his share of stinging high-pressured water hoses. Rev. King once remarked that he and the other marchers had a common strength. He put it this way, as:

"We went before the fire hoses; we had known water. If we were a Baptist or some other denomination, we had been immersed. If we were Methodist, and some others, we had been sprinkled, but we knew water."King goes on…. “You and I know water. All of God's children know the water. We share by our faith this common symbol, this initiation, this rite, this power of God over the deep and often raging chaos of life. We know water! All over the world Baptism unites us.”

We know water!! , Even unto today!

When we need to make a decision,..we too often seek counsel, connection.

There’s something helpful about sharing our burden and talking through the issues. Having a mentor, sponsor, wise elder helps in our process.

We also seek connection with the divine. Through prayer & discernment, we seek Holy Communion….we seek Confirmation., we seek new life.

This is where the actual baptism comes in. There is something powerful and cleansing about it. There is something unique and powerful that goes beyond words.

We call it a sacrament for that reason. God is present in a powerful way to confirm our path.

I’ve been reminded recently of a movie I love that portrays this in a broad way. Some prisoners in New Jersey got free recently…though they were caught. However, the news said the did it like in the movie.

You remember it?

The Shawshank Redemption. An innocent man, Andy Dufresne played by Tim Robbins, is sent to prison for the murder of his wife. Even after evidence emerges that would clear him, the corrupt warden of the prison keeps Andy incarcerated for his own purposes.

Two decades go by. During this time Andy, chips away at the rock in his cell with a tiny pick. The pick was so small that it was never confiscated.

Over those twenty years of continuous picking with this tiny instrument, Andy fashions an escape tunnel. The tunnel leads to the main sewage pipe of the prison complex.

On the night of his escape, aided by a loud thunderstorm that masks his movements, Andy crawls through raw sewage. The sewage pipe is 500 yards long. Can you imagine? Approximately one-half mile of sewage.

When Andy finally emerges, he is standing in an open cesspool. But it is still raining from the thunderstorm.

For a moment Andy stands there in that blessed driving rain falling from heaven while the water washes away the sludge and the stench and the fatigue from both his body and his soul.

Andy is free! For the first time in twenty years he is free! Who can help but see in that driving rain a representation of Christian baptism?

Jesus’ Baptism Confirmed it was time to start his ministry.

At times we need a confirmation of our call. We need someone to say…yes, you are on the right path. You need to hear affirmation…..confirmation.

But, before that….you need to get to a place of saying….I need to do something differently. I need to make changes in my life. I need help. I need meaning and hope in my life.

And when you make that decision, the Lord of Life will confirm your call.

And when that happens….usually you get some clarity.

Unfortunately, the clarity is just in broad terms.

It’s like an “aha” moment. It confirms things, but doesn’t necessarily lay out a future that is clear and easy.

In fact, it probably won’t be easy, for carrying your cross is never easy.

But in the Christian path there is joy. There is peace. There is an inner knowing that you aren’t alone. There is an inner knowing that you are loved.

So, whether or not you remember your baptism, stand on the promise that you are loved, incorporated, included. You are confirmed as beloved of God. Amen. (more...)

Gospel of John Material & Lent Preparation 2008-02-18

Gospel of John:

Probably about the 90’s

Traces of John in Ignatious

John Epistles: might be earlier

The Jewish mix in John is curious….Jesus attends lots of Jewish festivals, more so then in other gospels

John…an intra-Jewish dialogue, not pure: anti-Jewish

When it talks about the “Jews”, means Judeans

Talmud…comes from stream of Judaism that emerged from Babylon & Diaspora

Lent:
All have to change, gets it, sees the light,
These stories have a character that gets the: Light & Life, Love & Glory
Temptation Story

Nicodemus (“Deep Throat” of the Judeans)
Samaritan Woman
Healing of the Blind Man
Lazarus

Palm Sun & Easter

Post Easter:
Thomas
Speeches:

Worship is the place where we practice our spiritual senses, so we know where to look when we go out into the world.

Worship….What are we doing? Why are we doing it? How are we doing it?

Are we creating moments of mystical union, or are we teaching people how to experience God in their own lives.

When they had a God-Incident, it is important to share. Or, a God-Moment.

Create space for recollection and anticipation. …to see God in all of life.

Too many people are “shut down”. We are in the business of getting people to “open”.
Is worship the creating of a “thin place”, or a place where we talk & share & commiserate, seeing grace in the wider plane of life. (more...)

Not Just a Job, But a Calling! 2008-02-18

Comedian Garry Shandling once commented on the phenomenon of wake-up calls in hotels. He says:
“Here’s a little tip from me to you as an experienced traveler: Wake-up calls--one of the worst ways to wake up.
The phone rings; it’s loud; you can’t turn it down.”
Then with impeccable timing Shandling adds,: “I leave the number of the room next to me, and then it just rings kind of quiet, and you hear a guy yell, ‘What are you calling me for?’
Then you get up and take a shower. It’s great.”
Then there’s this story.
A man had fallen away from his church.
A friend of his decided to give him a call about a tennis match they were scheduling later that week.
The friend called from the phone at: “Christ the Lord Lutheran Church” where the friend was attending a meeting.
His friend looked at his Caller I.D. and it said, “Christ the Lord.”
He thought Christ was calling for him. This turned out to be a wake-up call for him.
From time to time, we get wake up calls in our lives. They can be dramatic or subtle….
But help us in one way or another to go a different route, to try something else, to follow Christ more closely…
In our passage for today….we see
Four men, fishermen by trade, WHO GOT A WAKE UP CALL!!
They were toiling at the nets beside the Sea of Galilee when their whole world was turned upside down.
Some might think it would be great to earn our living doing nothing but fishing.
Except, if we had to do it to earn a living, we would probably find it was like a lot of other jobs--repetitive, demanding, often boring…maybe dangerous . Ever see those shows on TV of fishing in Alaska? Very hard life….
Still, it was a way for many in ancient times…even unto the present..,,,,to earn a living.
I wonder how many of us define ourselves by the work we do.
Often the first question we ask in casual conversation… “What do you do?”
But, Could it be that work was never meant to be at the center of our lives? Could it be there is something more? Are we as wise as these four disciples who figured this out?
How did it happen that these four men made such a radical change in their vocations--from being fishermen to being disciples, and then apostles? And what can we learn from them?
First of all, of course, they had an encounter with Jesus.
They didn’t attend a seminar on how to find a better job. They didn’t read a book. They didn’t even have a forced exit…like being fired or laid off…..,
No, they encountered Jesus, and it changed their lives and even changed their vocations.
I pray that our church can be a place where people encounter Jesus.
I don’t want to be just another social organization, a club, a fraternity.
These all have their place in society, but the church ought to be something different. This ought to be a place where people meet God.
Secondly…., they responded to Christ’s call. They did so immediately. They didn’t procrastinate. They didn’t make excuses.
Christ said, “Follow me,” and they did just that. Very few people actually make that kind of commitment.
Supposedly….one who had a “wake up” call and followed immediately…was rock singer Bono. (lead singer of U2)
Here is what Bono had to say:
“A number of years ago,” said Bono, “I met a wise man who changed my life. In countless ways, large and small, I was always seeking the Lord’s blessing. I was saying, you know, I have a new song, look after it . . . I have a family, please look after them . . . I have this crazy idea . . .
“And this wise man said: stop. He said, stop asking God to bless what you’re doing.
Get involved in what God is doing--because it’s already blessed.”
Get involved in what God is doing.
What a radical idea. Don’t spend so much time asking God to bless what you are doing. Rather, ask God to show you what God is doing, and join in.
Bono believes God is calling him to be an advocate for the poor and is quoted as saying…
“Well, God, is with the poor. That, I believe, is what God is doing. And that is what He’s calling us to do.”
There was an immediacy to the decision of the fisherman that day.
They dropped their nets and followed. Might we decide as well?
Finally…. in answering Christ’s call these disciples chose not just a job, but a calling.
Not just work, but mission. Not just vocation, but passion.
As Winston Churchill said:…… "We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give."
Life & Faith are not just about a job, but a calling…
There’s a story that Andrew Young tells…
He is a former congressman, former ambassador to the United Nations and former mayor of Atlanta, Georgia.
He is also an ordained minister.
One day Andrew Young’s daughter came home from college. She said to him, “Daddy, I heard a missionary talking about ministry in Uganda, and I’ve done a lot of praying about this, and I think God wants me to take a year and go to Uganda as a missionary.”
“Well, honey,” her father replied, “You know that’s all well and good, but there’s a lot of poor people right here in Atlanta that need you.”
She said, “Daddy, I know that, but I really believe that God is calling me to Uganda.”
“Honey, it’s dangerous over there in Uganda,” Andrew Young pleaded, “you could get hurt.”
“I know that Daddy,” she said, “but I could also get hurt right here.”
He said, “But honey you could be killed there.”
“Daddy, I could be killed at any time, anywhere. I really believe that God is calling me to go to Uganda,” she said.
Andrew Young thought and prayed about it, and finally he gave her his blessing. “When my daughter walked onto that airplane,” he said later, “I realized that in baptizing her and raising her, what I said I wanted most for her was that she would become a Christian. But I wasn’t prepared for her to become a real one!”
His daughter found a calling. Not just a job, but a calling. Not just a vocation, but a passion.
Not just work, but a life. She too, had a wake up call. Just like Bono. Just like the Disciples.
Do you hear yours today?
Do you hear Jesus say…. “Come follow me”?
Stop, listen, pray. Yield yourself into Divine arms and you will be led.
Yield yourself into Divine arms and you will discover not just a living….but a life! Amen.! (more...)

Transfiguration of the Heart 2008-02-18

A brilliant magician was performing on an ocean liner. But every time he did a trick, the Captain's parrot would yell, "It's a trick. He's a phony.That's not magic."
Then one evening during a storm, the ship sank while the magician was performing. The parrot and the magician ended up in the same lifeboat.
For several days they just glared at each other, neither saying a word to the other. Finally the parrot said,
"OK, I give up. What did you do with the ship?"The parrot couldn't explain that last trick! It was too much to comprehend, even for a smart parrot.
In todays Gospel passage….Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters-one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
Peter, perhaps like the Parrot, was frightened and confused. He said the first thing that poppedto into his head. He simply could not comprehend what was happening.
Awe does that to you. Mystery does that to you.
In today’s mountain stories, we explore the encounters of God & Humans. These include: Moses and Joshua in Exodus 24,
And Jesus with Peter, James and John in Matthew 17.
In Exodus 24:12-18, the story at Mount Sinai, Moses and Joshua find themselves in a cloud for six days before Moses is called by an unidentified voice (verse 14), the Voice of God. He then goes to the Summit by himself..
The mountain is covered by a cloud or “the glory of the Lord”. From afar, we are told the encounter appeared as a consuming fire — a fiery engagement on the mountain top.
We are not told what happens hidden in the cloud, leading us to ask: What is the nature of this human-divine, encounter?
Down below, in the valley….the people have fallen, the golden calf was created & worshipped.
Later, we discover that Moses was give the tablets… …the Law
In Matthew 17:1-9, we hear this profound tale of : Peter, James and John seeing Jesus with a glowing face and dazzling clothes. Jesus then encounters Moses and Elijah, and is instructed by these ancestors.
This then is the Epiphany!
The Light has come!
From 3 who came and affirmed the revelation of Christ at his Birth…(the Wise Ones)
To the Three who had Glory revealed to them at the Transfiguration… Peter, James & John
The Glory is Revealed.
The next big Revelation will be the three women at his Crucifixion & Resurrection…
But for today…we focus on the Mountain. On the one who transfigures the giving of the Law in Tablets, to the Law of Love.
For today, we focus on the Power & Mystery of the Summit & how we access the Power & Presence of the Divine in our midst today.
So, we must ask ourselves….
Where & How is God Revealed today? Where and how is God revealed to you? Where do you find revelation?
What mountain must we climb?
And, if we encounter such mystery…do we too try to grasp it, stake it down, try to hold on to it before it vanishes?
Unfortunately, mystery is illusive. It comes and goes before we are prepared.
An Episcopalian Priest named: Mary Foulke says…
“Mystery is not a club for the initiated but a challenge to those who think they know everything, know God."
Mystery invites us into the Silence, Into Awe.
This day, in the silence, in the Divine/Human encounter we call Communion, I invite us to embrace mystery, awe.
But, for me, this passage is also about something else…..
Randall C. Bailey says this…
“While these passages parallel Moses and Jesus, they get stuck on the law giver and not the liberator. Can we resist and transfigure these notions?”
In other words….
The Transfiguration is really about transforming the “rigidness of the Law” to the “righteousness of Love”
About ……
The Transfiguration of the;
“Tablets of Stone”, to the “Testimony of the Heart”
In other words…..Moses & Elijah are affirming & blessing this new way….
So that its no longer about following every jot & title of the law….but
Serving the God of Liberation & Love.
And the Good News is, we need not travel to the heights of a mountain top….we need only Be Still & Receive.
We need only say yes to the Love that has already Loved & Embraced us. (more...)

Tempted & Forgiven 2008-02-18

"How are we tempted today?"
A young salesman answers:
"Temptation is when your boss calls you in, as mine did yesterday, and says, 'I'm going to give you a real opportunity. I'm going to give you a bigger sales territory. We believe that you are going places, young man.'"But I don't want a bigger sales territory," the young salesman told his boss. "I'm already away from home four nights a week. It wouldn't be fair to my wife and daughter." "Look," his boss replied, "we're asking you to do this for your wife and daughter. Don't you want to be a good father? It takes money to support a family these days. Sure, your little girl doesn't take much money now, but think of the future. Think of her future. I'm only asking you to do this for them," the boss said. The young man told the class, "Now, that's temptation."
In this passage from Matthew: As Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, we are each tempted in a myriad of ways.
Understanding temptation as a force that pulls us away from nurturing and healthy behaviors, and resolving to seek discipline of mind, body and spirit is part of the Lenten journey we are embarking upon this week.
I wonder what Jesus would have been tempted by in the 21st century?
Power? Materials? Security?
Probably…yes, yes & yes.
What was he actually tempted by?
Power? Materials? Security?
In a sense, nothing has changed.
We didn’t read it, but temptation goes back as far as the very beginning. In Gen, Eve, then Adam are tempted in the Garden.
In both stories, “The Devil” does the tempting or testing.
But, let’s look at what happened with Jesus & how this might impact our Lent & Spiritual reality.
Then perhaps we can do better then,,,, Oscar Wilde
Who says…. “I can resist everything except temptation.”
Or to quote an anonymous source…
“Opportunity may knock only once, but temptation leans on the doorbell.”
So, how goes the story of Jesus in the wilderness?
According to Matthew, Jesus is in the Wilderness for 40 days. This echoes 40 in lots of other places in the Old Testament.
40 days Moses was on the Mount, 40 years of wandering of the Jews. 40 days & nights of the flood.
They all connote a period of testing, incubation, trials, endurance.
Think that has anything to with 40 weeks of being pregnant?
In the end, something new is born.
Will your Lenten Journey of 40 days birth something new in you this year?
Now back to the test….Jesus is tempted with…..
- Turning stones into bread =
material temptation
Throw self off cliff = security temptation
Have dominion = power temptation
Why these are so tempting, is because they are so intrinsic to life.
We all need to eat. We all get hungry.
We all want to know well be taken care of, that our 401K will give us long-term security
We all like to be liked, to have our way & power over people.
Temptation wouldn’t be temptation if it was so alluring and appeals to our basest instincts.
So, we all know about temptation…but what about the answer? The solution?
It is in times of testing or trial we are called upon to prove our true identity and character,
We need to remember…who we are and whose we are.
When tempted, maybe we need to remind ourselves of our divine heritage & that we too…., can defeat the Evil One.
But in the end, when we fail or falter,
We remember whose we are
Beloved, Redeemed, Forgiven by the Lord of Life who has already gone to the cross for our sake.






Psalm 32 – paraphrased by Jim Taylor1 A great load of guilt hangs around my necklike a millstone strung on fine steel wire.If someone would free me from my burden, I would be so happy.2 That would be almost as good as never having slipped, as good as not having failed in the first place.3 Can you imagine what it's like never being able to stand up straight?I have become a wasted cripple, my body bowed by tensions.4 My bones are brittle as twigs scorched by the summer sun; When I try to sleep, a gigantic pillow suffocates me.5 But you gave me a second chance. I confessed; I didn't try to hide anything. I poured out my soul to you, and you forgave me. You cut the string and freed me.6 Without my millstone of guilt, I feel light as a feather. I can float; I can rise above a torrent of troubles.7 God, I can trust you completely, because you trusted me. Wrapped in your arms, I feel safe as a baby, murmuring to its mother.8 And God replies: "I will teach you my ways.I will share my wisdom with you.I will watch over you, and keep you safe.9 I do not expect you to obey blindly, without understanding. You are intelligent creatures, not sheep. You do not need reins to guide you;you can learn the right road."10 The millstones of sin still burden many,but those who trust God have been set free.11 They shout with relief for they have been saved;Their hearts have been scrubbed clean;they can stand straight again. (more...)