I preached a series of sermons at my church during Advent 2008 entitled "God's Future in the Present." The focus of the series was on the church's mission to embody God's future reign made visible in Christ right here and now. My friend and college, Rev. Steve Price, wrote an inspired poem that he shared with his church, Harvest United Methodist Church, on Sunday December 21. I thought this poem captured the heart of what I was trying to say during those 4 weeks of sermons. He gave me permission to share it here.
“Springing Up”
by Steven M. PriceAdvent 2008
Beneath life’s crushing load, he sits
by the side of the road.
No one notices
but let me tell you who this is.
Man broken, to whom words are rarely spoken.
Had the house, the car, the kids, the wife.
All the pieces of what they call
the good life, but then. . .downsized.
No longer in the game.
Credit sinking in his name.
He couldn’t stand the shame.
Couldn’t stand. . .could not stand.
So he drank himself into this state.
No friends, no family left to participate
in his life, his story.
Does anyone care about his fate?
She had no chance.
Some are quick to criticize.
Say that she should realize
she can’t afford to feed those three.
But they don’t know. Can’t see
the way she had to go.
Daddy’s a dealer, dead when she was two.
Momma sold herself just to make it through.
Uneducated, she longs to be liberated,
but how? Up at daybreak, her heart aches
as she walks out the door, knowing
for an hour more her babies will be alone.
School bus comes long after she’s gone
to work--seven to three, then five to eleven,
just to be able to put food on the table
and pay the rent on a place
where nights are dangerously spent.
Some days she wonders if they’d be better
off with someone else. But memory runs deep.
And this one promise she WILL keep.
She will not abandon, will not let them go.
So they will know. . .so they will know
what she never knew. They are loved.
Images flood the screen.
Pictures we’ve all seen.
Children starving, mosquitoes swarming,
bellies distended. . .some are offended
that we have to look at this in the middle of our tv bliss.
But. . .there is no ER where they live,
and they have no Law and Order in their land.
And no one, it seems, will come to give
them an Extreme Home Makeover.
Quick. Change the channel. Find another show.
‘Cause I don’t want to know, don’t want to see
how much they hurt, ‘cause if it touches me. . .
I’d have to change.
People oppressed, lives distressed.
They struggle, they grope—they see no hope.
O dark night, where is the LIGHT
that will come. Come for them. Come for us.
Yahweh cries out, “ENOUGH!”
I am coming. I am coming. I am coming.
I. . .see your shame.
I. . .feel your hurt.
I. . .touch your sadness.
I. . .know your pain.
And I WILL heal. WILL feed. WILL free. WILL clothe.
WILL comfort. WILL serve. WILL save. WILL love.
You.
And Jesus comes. Emmanuel.
God with us. God with skin.
How can this be? He is our kin.
Joy of heaven come down to earth,
clothed in flesh he validates our worth.
Your worth. My worth. Their worth.
He rescues them. He restores them.
He raises them. He renews them.
And they know. They are loved.
Before he goes he turns to us and says, “Don’t forget. . .”
He knows that we are weak and yet
he says, “You.”
Open up your ears and listen.
May it be on earth as it is in heaven.
As it is. Not maybe. Not will be. Not could be.
Not someday. Not possibly. Not later. Not tomorrow.
Now. Now is the time to end the sorrow.
So you. Yes, you.
Now you must care. Now you must go.
You must show the love they need to know.
Bind up the broken hearted, he says. Continue the work I started.
This is the greatest story—your life revealing God’s glory.
No more wandering. No more waiting.
No time for pondering. No hesitating.
NOW.
This is the day. Mercy pouring.
This is the day. Justice soaring.
This is the day. Righteousness springing.
This is the day. Angels singing.
Because You. I. We.
Have seen. Have heard. Have known. Have learned.
And we will follow.
Come. Let us walk in life.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Good News or Bad News?
"Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God, saying, "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation." Luke 2:28-30
"When King Herod heard this [about Jesus' birth], he was frightened, and all Jersualem with him." Matthew 2:3
Have you ever noticed that “good news” is relative? Birth announcements are like that. It was such good news when my sister and her husband announced to us that they were expecting a baby boy who was born on December 1. But there was mixed emotion when my friend in high school announced that she was pregnant. She and her boyfriend had gone too far.
The "good news" of Jesus' birth was relative too.
For Simeon, the news of Jesus’ birth was the fulfillment of a lifetime of longing. The news of Jesus’ birth was so good for Simeon that he basically says, “Now I can die a happy man!” The one thing he had been waiting for most in life had occurred in the birth of Jesus.
On the other hand we have King Herod, perhaps one of those that Simeon had in mind when he said, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed.” Matthew says that when Herod heard that the “king of the Jews” had been born “he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him.”
What makes the “good news” of Jesus so joyful for some and so terrifying for others?
One reason is power.
Those with power, who like the world the way it is, can find Jesus threatening. Those with no power, whose lives are marked by a longing for justice, often find Jesus the source of all they hope for.
In spite of the way preachers today sometimes spin Jesus, he did not come to earth in order to help make people’s lives better. Sure, many lives have been made whole by Jesus. What I mean is that Jesus did not come to earth in order to help people achieve their personal dreams. Jesus isn't our personal genie. Jesus did not come to earth in order to help people realize their best life now. Jesus came in order to bring God’s Kingdom and set the world in alignment with the rule of God in the world. Jesus work might better be described as rescuing people from the destruction which comes as we persue our own dreams rather than God's dreams.
As a result, those who enjoy life pretty well right now because of their place of power or privilege might struggle to understand Jesus as “good news.” Herod is a case in point, but so am I and a lot of my friends who have grown up in a place of privilege and power.
I am aware of the fact that I live a life where I have often had the privilege and power to call the shots. People pay attention to me. People listen to me. People will often assume I’m in charge instead of others. I have never wondered where my next meal would come from. As a kid I never wondered IF I could be employed when I grew up. It was only a matter of whatever I made my mind up to do. I never wondered IF I could go to college or graduate school or even be the president of the United States.
What is disturbing to me is that people like me in the Bible are the ones who are more threatened by Jesus than joyful [see Herod, the Pharisees and the Rich Young Ruler]. It is strange but true. By virtue of my place in life it is more difficult for me to pay attention to Jesus; listen to Jesus; trust that Jesus is in charge; depend on Jesus for bread; look to Jesus for employment; and seek Jesus’ direction about education and vocation. I just have so many other attractive options than Jesus.
What we find in Simeon is an invitation to remember where true power and privilege lay. Power lies in a manger. Power is revealed in all it's glory on a cross. And the power to transform people like me and Herod is found ultimately in the resurrection of Jesus.
That is not just good news for Simeon. That's good news for everybody.
"When King Herod heard this [about Jesus' birth], he was frightened, and all Jersualem with him." Matthew 2:3
Have you ever noticed that “good news” is relative? Birth announcements are like that. It was such good news when my sister and her husband announced to us that they were expecting a baby boy who was born on December 1. But there was mixed emotion when my friend in high school announced that she was pregnant. She and her boyfriend had gone too far.
The "good news" of Jesus' birth was relative too.
For Simeon, the news of Jesus’ birth was the fulfillment of a lifetime of longing. The news of Jesus’ birth was so good for Simeon that he basically says, “Now I can die a happy man!” The one thing he had been waiting for most in life had occurred in the birth of Jesus.
On the other hand we have King Herod, perhaps one of those that Simeon had in mind when he said, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed.” Matthew says that when Herod heard that the “king of the Jews” had been born “he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him.”
What makes the “good news” of Jesus so joyful for some and so terrifying for others?
One reason is power.
Those with power, who like the world the way it is, can find Jesus threatening. Those with no power, whose lives are marked by a longing for justice, often find Jesus the source of all they hope for.
In spite of the way preachers today sometimes spin Jesus, he did not come to earth in order to help make people’s lives better. Sure, many lives have been made whole by Jesus. What I mean is that Jesus did not come to earth in order to help people achieve their personal dreams. Jesus isn't our personal genie. Jesus did not come to earth in order to help people realize their best life now. Jesus came in order to bring God’s Kingdom and set the world in alignment with the rule of God in the world. Jesus work might better be described as rescuing people from the destruction which comes as we persue our own dreams rather than God's dreams.
As a result, those who enjoy life pretty well right now because of their place of power or privilege might struggle to understand Jesus as “good news.” Herod is a case in point, but so am I and a lot of my friends who have grown up in a place of privilege and power.
I am aware of the fact that I live a life where I have often had the privilege and power to call the shots. People pay attention to me. People listen to me. People will often assume I’m in charge instead of others. I have never wondered where my next meal would come from. As a kid I never wondered IF I could be employed when I grew up. It was only a matter of whatever I made my mind up to do. I never wondered IF I could go to college or graduate school or even be the president of the United States.
What is disturbing to me is that people like me in the Bible are the ones who are more threatened by Jesus than joyful [see Herod, the Pharisees and the Rich Young Ruler]. It is strange but true. By virtue of my place in life it is more difficult for me to pay attention to Jesus; listen to Jesus; trust that Jesus is in charge; depend on Jesus for bread; look to Jesus for employment; and seek Jesus’ direction about education and vocation. I just have so many other attractive options than Jesus.
What we find in Simeon is an invitation to remember where true power and privilege lay. Power lies in a manger. Power is revealed in all it's glory on a cross. And the power to transform people like me and Herod is found ultimately in the resurrection of Jesus.
That is not just good news for Simeon. That's good news for everybody.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
The Gift of God's Presence in an Irish Pub
I attended a conference on preaching recently. The conference was full of listening and learning about preaching that connects with people in our community. We were given a lot to think about and do. And at the end of a long day we had a free evening to do whatever we wanted. I wanted to catch up with Roy, a good friend at the conference who I only get to see about three times a year. We looked for a nearby restaurant to go hang out and get a bite to eat. The only place we found was a nearby Irish Pub.
Of the two of us, Roy looks much more like a regular at pubs. He is the most tattooed United Methodist pastor that I know and sports long hair with a goatee . In spite of being at the preaching conference I wasn’t interested in “connecting with my community” or being a “detective for divinity” in the pub that night. I just wanted to relax and enjoy some time catching up with my friend. I guess I can blame this on my tattooed, long-haired, goateed, Duke University-Tshirt-wearing friend, but somehow we attracted the attention of three lawyers at the pub. It was then that God surprised us with a gift.
The conversation started out innocently enough. One lawyer asked, “What year did you graduate from Duke? Do you remember when Duke played Carolina in basketball that year?” And then another asked, “What did you study?” We said, “We went to the Divinity School. We’re United Methodist Pastors.” I thought that would be the end of our conversation, but it only seemed to intrigue them more.
The edited version of their next question was, “Why in the world do you do what you do?” The question was genuine, and before I knew it Roy and I were sitting in an Irish Pub sharing with three lawyers about how God had moved us to order our lives around Jesus Christ and his will.
One of the guys, Bob, seemed particularly intrigued with our stories and reflected on his own life saying, “Faith is not a part of my life at all right now. I’d like it to be, but I’m not even sure how to do that or even what that would mean.” Among other things Bob shared about how he had lost faith in the church with all its rules and hypocrisy, but still had a longing to live in a way that made this world a better place.
As our conversation continued I kept thinking, “Wow! I didn’t see this coming.” God was present in that Irish pub – a holy moment in such an unsuspecting place. Feels like the first Christmas!
There were no Christmas songs playing. Some guy was strumming a guitar over in the corner. There were no angel choirs, shepherds, or animals, and I'm not sure there was a wise man in the place. But it felt like Christmas because the gift of God was present. God was present in our openness with one another, the soul stirring questions that were asked and the vulnerability with which each one shared about his experience of pain and hope.
The Bible tells us that at the first Christmas God made himself vulnerable and became present among us in a child named Jesus. None of the religious people of the day had seen this coming. But there was God right there in the animal feeding trough outside Bethlehem – a holy moment in such an unsuspecting place. It was Christmas.
It is the surprising gift of God in Jesus that we remember at Christmas. The Advent theme at my church this year is “God’s Future in the Present.” That reminds us that God’s future is present now through the gift of Jesus. We don’t need to wait until we die to experience God’s presence. Apparently God is interested in meeting people in odd places like Irish Pubs, smelly stables and wherever you happen to be right now.
Jesus is a gift we are invited to receive right now. As we receive the gift of Christ we begin to participate in God’s future right now – the restoration of all creation. Indeed, this world can be a better place and God’s purpose in Christ is to make it so. Through the gift of Christ we can imagine and live into God’s promised future of love, joy and peace.
My prayer for you this Advent and Christmas is that you receive this gift.
Of the two of us, Roy looks much more like a regular at pubs. He is the most tattooed United Methodist pastor that I know and sports long hair with a goatee . In spite of being at the preaching conference I wasn’t interested in “connecting with my community” or being a “detective for divinity” in the pub that night. I just wanted to relax and enjoy some time catching up with my friend. I guess I can blame this on my tattooed, long-haired, goateed, Duke University-Tshirt-wearing friend, but somehow we attracted the attention of three lawyers at the pub. It was then that God surprised us with a gift.
The conversation started out innocently enough. One lawyer asked, “What year did you graduate from Duke? Do you remember when Duke played Carolina in basketball that year?” And then another asked, “What did you study?” We said, “We went to the Divinity School. We’re United Methodist Pastors.” I thought that would be the end of our conversation, but it only seemed to intrigue them more.
The edited version of their next question was, “Why in the world do you do what you do?” The question was genuine, and before I knew it Roy and I were sitting in an Irish Pub sharing with three lawyers about how God had moved us to order our lives around Jesus Christ and his will.
One of the guys, Bob, seemed particularly intrigued with our stories and reflected on his own life saying, “Faith is not a part of my life at all right now. I’d like it to be, but I’m not even sure how to do that or even what that would mean.” Among other things Bob shared about how he had lost faith in the church with all its rules and hypocrisy, but still had a longing to live in a way that made this world a better place.
As our conversation continued I kept thinking, “Wow! I didn’t see this coming.” God was present in that Irish pub – a holy moment in such an unsuspecting place. Feels like the first Christmas!
There were no Christmas songs playing. Some guy was strumming a guitar over in the corner. There were no angel choirs, shepherds, or animals, and I'm not sure there was a wise man in the place. But it felt like Christmas because the gift of God was present. God was present in our openness with one another, the soul stirring questions that were asked and the vulnerability with which each one shared about his experience of pain and hope.
The Bible tells us that at the first Christmas God made himself vulnerable and became present among us in a child named Jesus. None of the religious people of the day had seen this coming. But there was God right there in the animal feeding trough outside Bethlehem – a holy moment in such an unsuspecting place. It was Christmas.
It is the surprising gift of God in Jesus that we remember at Christmas. The Advent theme at my church this year is “God’s Future in the Present.” That reminds us that God’s future is present now through the gift of Jesus. We don’t need to wait until we die to experience God’s presence. Apparently God is interested in meeting people in odd places like Irish Pubs, smelly stables and wherever you happen to be right now.
Jesus is a gift we are invited to receive right now. As we receive the gift of Christ we begin to participate in God’s future right now – the restoration of all creation. Indeed, this world can be a better place and God’s purpose in Christ is to make it so. Through the gift of Christ we can imagine and live into God’s promised future of love, joy and peace.
My prayer for you this Advent and Christmas is that you receive this gift.
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