Is Paul An Overthinker?

             I know an overthinker when I read one, because that is my own tendency.  Do you know the joke that, being a pastor, why use a word when ten will do?  There is an uncomfortable amount of truth that underlies the humor.  In our passage, Paul could be accused of doing exactly that.

             Heard of a "to do" list?  How about the "Done for us" list":

·       Blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing…

·      Chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world…

·      Destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ…

·      Freely bestowed (his glorious grace) on us in the Beloved…

·      We have redemption through his blood…

o   Forgiveness of our trespasses…

·      This according to the riches of his grace lavished upon us…

·      Made known to us the mystery of his will,

o   According to his good pleasure set forth in Christ…

§  To gather all things in him for the fullness of time, in heaven and on earth…

·      Obtained an inheritance (in Christ)…

·      Destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all…

·      So we might live for the praise of his glory, the first to set our hope on Christ…

·      In him, when you heard the word of truth,..

o   The gospel of your salvation…

§  And believed in him, were marked by the seal of the Promised Holy Spirit.

·       This is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

We have our Story (Capital S).  I have a literary theory that poetry results when all the excess words are removed.  So, a poem…(maybe?)

Jesus was born unto us,

       Jesus lived with us,

          Jesus died for us,

              Jesus rose for us,

                  Jesus reigns over us,

                      Jesus prayers for us.

      That’s our story and I am sticking with it.  Dig into Paul and be amazed at what God has accomplished in this story.

Peace,
Pastor Peter

Artemis Versus Jesus...or Economics Versus Religion?

Our Summer Sermon Series is drawn from Paul’s letter to the Church in Ephesus.  To give a little background to this letter, there are details in Acts 19 and 20.

Paul caused a riot.  Ephesus was the home to a Temple of Artemis and with Paul showing up with his cronies, they were making a dent in the religious trade.  Because that is what the riot was about.  It was not about the truth of Jesus versus the truth of Artemis.

No, it was about religious tourism.  There was a silversmith guild in Ephesus that apparently made its money off of religious icons of the goddess Artemis.  Along comes Paul and company and people are beginning to listen to this new guy.  In fact, it reflected the efficacy of Paul’s entire operation in Asia.

Now, that might sound deceiving in today's consideration, because Asia is really, really huge-now, a whole continent.  In the time of the Roman Empire, it was a province that occupied the western part of what is now the nation of Turkey, a region of Greek speaking cities (again, a different time from the present).

But the kicker is Ephesus is NOT so different from us today.  Why did Demetrius, the ringleader from the silversmiths, kick up a fuss?  Well, after complaining about how Paul was finding success all over Asia (the province), he said, “And there is danger not only that this trade of ours (silver trinkets of Artemis) may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be scorned, and she will be deprived of her majesty that brought all Asia and the world to worship her… (and buy the silver trinkets of the silversmiths)”.

Wrap up economics in religious terms and start a riot. 

I was curious as to what these trinkets looked like, so here is one possibility, with free advertising to the folks providing the link.  I have no connection or link to them other than a convenient pic.

https://images.app.goo.gl/d5427PTzhfTbts1c6 

How Much Can One Man Take?

           A man comes to Jesus in the last throes of desperation.  There is no other chance for his daughter.  Only the Lord knows what he has tried thus far to save his little girl.  Jesus is his only remaining option.  "Come, lay hands on her and heal her."

            Jesus agrees and they start off.  They are headed from the synagogue to his home.  There is a crowd, things are moving in slow motion because that is how crowds move.  How close is the father to exploding for everyone to get of the way, to move things along.  Until Jesus stops, looks around and asks the most inane question imaginable, “Who touched me?” 

            His disciples speak the words that I can feel in the heart of the little girl’s father.  “Are you nuts?  You are Jesus, the Messiah, the popular one.  This is a crowd.  Maybe the question is better asked ‘who did not touch me’ instead of who did?

            Just when it seems like the question is nothing but a “blow off” of precious time, a woman comes out of the crowd to take ownership.  After Jesus spends who knows how much time with her, after Jesus has gotten all tender and wonderful, so that screaming in frustration is not a viable option, the crowd begins to move once again.

            Only for messengers to come from the man’s house to let him know it is too late.  His daughter has died.  “Do not bother the teacher (Jesus) anymore.”  Jesus overhears this conversation (according to the NRSV).  Jesus says, “Do not fear, only believe.”  The people are going to laugh at Jesus when they get to his house.  He claims some nonsense about ‘sleep’, not death. 

Mark 5: 21 to the end of the chapter, I invite you to read the story.

 

Peace,
Pastor Peter

How Do I Use The Bible to Think About God? Subtitled: Is nitpicking a useful tool?

     Theology, as previously explained, falls at the crossroads of thought expression and the love of neighbor.  It is thinking about God in relation to our neighbor.  Thoughtful expression and the love of God is contemplation (for ease of reference).

    So how do I?  Read the Bible.  Yah, that's one of those easy bits of bumper sticker wisdom that rapidly breaks down on serious consideration.  But why the Bible is a wonderful, confusing, humanly constructed, divinely inspired document is something for a different set of posts.

    In reengaging with social media, I have fallen into a number of discussions surrounding theology.  This has inspired me to update my Facebook profile picture to someone poking a bear with a stick.  

    When I was in Seminary, one of the things we were taught in regards to the Law of Moses is that there are 613 "mizvot".  These are specific 'do's and don't's' drawn and interpreted from the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament.  Our "New Testament" point of view is that Jesus fulfills what came before, including the law.  So it is easy to get a little arrogant and disparage the 'nit-picking' of the Mizvot.  It is unfair and inappropriate, but it was a thing.

    And yet, how many pieces of Christian thought and 'command' have been hung on individual bits of the New Testament and defended as though the whole gospel rested upon a certain interpretation?  If not the whole gospel, at least the vehemence of my arguments are in inverse proportion to amount of Bible I am using in my argument.

     How do we avoid that?  Hanging far too much weight off of far too little Scripture?  A good place to start is with the law as given by Jesus.  There are two commandments, to love God and to love Neighbor.  This does not replace the 613 Mizvot.  Rather, it provides a foundation against which to hold them up.  On these two given by Jesus hangs the whole law and the prophets (and the gospel and the epistles).  

    So in our Bible reading, we come across something that strikes a chord (for good or for ill).  Or, more likely, we come across the words of someone else who makes a theological claim based on a certain verse in a certain light.  Start with Jesus' own guide.  Is there love here for God or neighbor?  Is there not?  Is there more than just love?  

    So, to answer my own subtitle, nitpicking is not a useful tool.  Love must be the first proof we seek in a text.  When our 'proof texting' turns into nitpicking, it no longer becomes useful for building up the body of Christ (another Jesus thing).  Jesus demonstrated love by His death on the cross for us.  God demonstrated love in Jesus' resurrection and the promise of our salvation.  The Holy Spirit is given to indwell us, to be our loving guide while Jesus is in heaven.  

Peace,

Pastor Peter

When Jesus Hid Things From the Masses

     One of the great cons in the anti-Christ movement is the 'secret teaching'.  This is when there are people who stand up in the name of the Lord and claim that there is 'more than meets the eye' in what our faith teaches us.  I remember numerological analyses of the Bible that revealed 'new' and 'profound' information.  That was apparently debunked when others did numerological analyses of "Moby Dick" and found similar 'new' and 'profound' information.  I say apparently, but I am relying on a memory and do not have the time or interest to chase down that rabbit hole.

    HOWEVER, the use of the 'secret teaching' can be drawn from Jesus.  Mark 4: 33-34, part of Sunday's preaching basis, is clear,  ³³With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; ³⁴he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

    "Them" is the general populace who have come to listen.  He needed to explain the parables to the disciples.  If you have ever seen "Jesus Christ Superstar", the need for Jesus to explain things to his disciples assumes that they are, collectively,  rather dim as lights for Christ.  I do not accept that.  The key bit is Jesus explained 'in private'.

    When we read the parables today, about the harvest and the mustard seed growing into the greatest of shrubs, I think we can get at the meaning Jesus intended.  What Jesus was doing has planet changing implications.  For us, that is our faith-dream come true.  

    But consider where Jesus was teaching and preaching.  It was an occupied nation that has already seen rebellion and insurrection against its overlords, the Romans.  Within a generation, it is going to be the spot of one of the worst internal rebellions ever in Imperial history.  And Jesus is talking about something that will take over the world.  Something that the Romans are very sensitive to as imperial, conquering overlords.  

    It is secret knowledge to protect those who are hearing it.  It is secret knowledge that becomes rather obvious to people 'in the know', as the disciples become and, as I hope, we are.  

    Where 'secret knowledge' becomes dangerous is when it adds to the voice of Scripture.  What Jesus 'really meant' is to be revealed when a certain level of trust or inculcation or support is achieved.  "I know something you don't know" is a dangerous invitation to a religious experience.  

    The truth of Scripture is plain spoken.  The love of Jesus is obvious, even in the 'secrets' of the parables.  That is the measure by which we should interpret the words of anyone, even this pastor, who claim to speak in Jesus' name.  Is it a parable or is it a delusion?

Peace,
Pastor Peter

Contemplation for the Non-Mystic Book of Orderly Presbyterian...

     At the intersection of our thought processes and our love of God is 'contemplation'.  This is not 'theology', thinking about our faith and our God relative to our neighbor.  Contemplation is thinking about our God.  But in thought, word, and deed, there is more rolled into our thoughts than a simple intellectual enterprise.

    "Thoughts" are what we do not say and what we do not do.  Thoughts are the motivations for those things.  Thoughts are not just the 'logical' expressions and considerations of our brains.  Thoughts encompass feelings and imagination and reaction and sensory perception and transcendence.  "Thinking" and "hearting" and "muscle memory" and our well of being in our very souls find their expression in 'thought'.  

    I had to work at this one because it was the weakest, in my considertion of the Easter Six.  But the Lord has a way of opening eyes and hearts if we are willing to pay attention.  Because of Stewardship, of all things.  

    It was a matter of picture what we are willing to pay for in a church.  Picture multigenerational, picture needing more hymnals and pew bibles to supply the balcony, picture two services, picture the results of God's love flowing in this community.  This picture, this vision, this imagined potential, this reflection on the goodness and capacities of our God, is contemplation.  

    To God be the glory, Great Things He hath done.  Greater Things He is Going to Do.  Here.  With us.

Peace,

Pastor Peter

The Church Wants You...For Your Soul or For Your Money...??

   So Jesus is credited with saying, "You cannot serve God and Money" and "Money is the root of all evil."*  These are cultural sayings that have done much to disassociate Christianity with Currency.  One big divider of people from 'organized religion' is the observation that churches are only obsessed with money.  In the era before every church could stream, how many 'big TV preachers' were lampooned for pushing on the fundraising even more than the soul-saving?

    There is this Christian technical term called 'tithing' that is at the basis of fund-raising, usually defined in a literal sense as 10%.  An amusing 'clarification' sought for this literal sense is 'pre' or 'post' tax?  It seems to be an adaptation of another saying credited to Jesus, "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's".  

   In my experience with the PCUSA, the more common technical term is 'stewardship'.  This one links back to the creation story in my understanding, where humans were made stewards of the whole creation (and an evaluation of our effectiveness would require a whole other set of posts).  We have worked out multiple 'campaigns' to achieve success in this thing called Stewardship.

    As if that is not enough, there is an entire way of thinking about Jesus that surrounds the idea of prosperity, that Jesus will give us more stuff if we are more faithful.  Is there a thread (cord) of greed in that way of thinking?  Is Jesus trying to buy our votes, our faith?  Does that mean if I don't have money, I am not a good and faithful believer?  It's messy, so very messy.

    As South Presbyterian Church, we begin in our self-identification 'as followers of the risen Lord..."  In our Seasons of Mission, we are in the time of Scholarships.  We have been SO blessed that we can give to support the academic dreams of kids at our area high schools and in our own congregation.  It is empowering and humbling that we can do this as a congregation.

    It is as though these scholarships were made for this church, something that allows us an 'in' to participate in the communities around us, it makes a difference in people's lives, and it is a demonstration of caring without regard to where a person comes from.  It is a joyful thing that we can participate in (a lot of work but a powerful witness).  

    There is the picture I want to capture for Stewardship.  That as followers of the Risen Lord, we have worked to create a place within the community, one that makes a positive difference, one that shows caring, one that we can take pride in, one that we can be excited about.  Can you picture the church, this piece of God's Kingdom, where it is our joy to give?  

    Would you share what that church looks like?

Peace,

Pastor Peter

* I am not going to verify or affirm the accuracy or inaccuracy of these quotes, we have bibles for that.