March 31, 2019 Fourth Sunday in Lent

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32  (The Message)

15 1-3 By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, “He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends.” Their grumbling triggered this story.
11-12 Then he said, “There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, ‘Father, I want right now what’s coming to me.’
12-16 “So the father divided the property between them. It wasn’t long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any.
17-20 “That brought him to his senses. He said, ‘All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I’m going back to my father. I’ll say to him, Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.’ He got right up and went home to his father.
20-21 “When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: ‘Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son ever again.’
22-24 “But the father wasn’t listening. He was calling to the servants, ‘Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We’re going to feast! We’re going to have a wonderful time! My son is here—given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!’ And they began to have a wonderful time.
25-27 “All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day’s work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. He told him, ‘Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast—barbecued beef!—because he has him home safe and sound.’
28-30 “The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t listen. The son said, ‘Look how many years I’ve stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!’
31-32 “His father said, ‘Son, you don’t understand. You’re with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours—but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he’s alive! He was lost, and he’s found!’”


This is the best of Jesus stories.
It is all we need to know about God and grace; this God who “will not let us go, will not let us down, will not let us off.”

It’s a story about a love and grace which is willing to die in order to give life.
It’s about death and resurrection and the grace which comes to those who are dead and know it (the Younger Son, the sinner), as well as those who are dead and don’t know it. (The Elder Son, the self righteous)

And what is it’s message?

Nobody will be refused because they are not good enough.
Nobody will enter because they are good enough.
Nobody will be an disowned by God.  Rejected.  Cast out.
God doesn’t close his heart to anyone - ever!

It is by grace that we are saved - all of us- the righteous and the unrighteous.
Nothing can stand in God’s way of being a God of grace, and of celebrating that grace!






“So let us all - seek consolation
in that love which never dies
and find peace in the dazzling
grace that always is.”
William Sloane Coffin











Prayer thought for the week:  “Lord, thank you for grace - amazing, dazzling grace! Without it I would have no joy beyond the moment and no peace which passes understanding.  There would be little to celebrate.”

March 24, 2019 Third Sunday in Lent

Luke 13: 6-9  (The Message)
6-7 Then he told them a story: “A man had an apple tree planted in his front yard. He came to it expecting to find apples, but there weren’t any. He said to his gardener, ‘What’s going on here? For three years now I’ve come to this tree expecting apples and not one apple have I found. Chop it down! Why waste good ground with it any longer?’
8-9 “The gardener said, ‘Let’s give it another year. I’ll dig around it and fertilize, and maybe it will produce next year; if it doesn’t, then chop it down.’”

Whatever else this parable is about, it is about grace - God’s grace.

We have only once place to stand in this parable - we are the barren fig tree.  And the meaning is that no matter what, God is first, last and always a God of grace; “whose love will over rule his anger and whose mercy is stronger then her logic.”

"Praise God!  Everything doesn't happen for a reason.  Shout hallelujah!  What goes around doesn't come around.  The holy gardener looks on the unfruitfulness of the church and the unfruitfulness of the world and says,
it's not a lost case yet.  Let's give it another chance.”  E. Susan Bond

Amen!  And again I say, AMEN!






“God never lets us go;
God never lets us down;
God never lets us off.”
        John A. Redhead'










Prayer thought for the week:  “Lord, thanks for giving me another chance,
and another, and another, until by your grace I do get it right.”

March. 17, 2019 Second Sunday in Lent

Luke 13:34 (The Message)

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killer of prophets, abuser of the messengers of God!  How often I’ve longed to gather your children, gather your children like a hen,  Her brood safe under her wings—
but you refused and turned away!”

Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they would not let him love them as God would love them.  Jesus weeps today for all of us who don’t want to be loved that much.

God wants to love us more then we want to be loved.
God wants his love to be a living power and passion in our lives, sustaining us when we are down, challenging us when we are off course, directing us when we are confused and loving us into joyful obedience and hopeful servant hood, no matter what.

We don’t want that!
It is scary to be loved by God that much, for it “demands our life our soul our all.”  It means I can no longer play at being religious; I have to mean it.

“How often I’ve longed to gather
your children, gather your
children like a hen,  Her
brood safe under her wings.”
Jesus








Prayer thought for the week:  “Lord, let your love move me beyond just being religious, to being a loving servant in how I live.   Amen”

March 3, 2019 Transfiguration Sunday

Luke 9:29-36  (The Message)

28-31 About eight days after saying this, he climbed the mountain to pray, taking Peter, John, and James along. While he was in prayer, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became blinding white. At once two men were there talking with him. They turned out to be Moses and Elijah—and what a glorious appearance they made! They talked over his exodus, the one Jesus was about to complete in Jerusalem.
32-33 Meanwhile, Peter and those with him were slumped over in sleep. When they came to, rubbing their eyes, they saw Jesus in his glory and the two men standing with him. When Moses and Elijah had left, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, this is a great moment! Let’s build three memorials: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He blurted this out without thinking.
34-35 While he was babbling on like this, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them. As they found themselves buried in the cloud, they became deeply aware of God. Then there was a voice out of the cloud: “This is my Son, the Chosen! Listen to him.”
36 When the sound of the voice died away, they saw Jesus there alone. They were speechless. And they continued speechless, said not one thing to anyone during those days of what they had seen.

It was a mystical, spiritual, psychic, weird, crazy, spooky experience; too big, too powerful, too unreal for them to talk about.  It couldn’t be communicated with words.  Words could not contain it, describe it, pass it on.  So they said nothing.

Such moments- holy moments -  are not so much to be talked about as lived out.  And we all have them if we will only stop and see them.

They also are not to be lived in; we can’t stop the world and just stay in the holy moment.  This would make an idol of that experience.  Rather they are to be windows through which we see more clearly the road we are to travel and the presence of a loving God for our journey.

"After enlightenment,
the laundry.”
                  A Zen proverb










Prayer thought:  “Thank you Lord, for those moments of enlightenment
which show the way I am to go.  And be with me after they are over and I am back to the mundane.”
















A moment which cannot be captured with words can only be lived out with deeds.  I’m glad they couldn’t talk about it.  To talk about it would cheapen the experience and make it less real.   Something this sacred you don’t cheapen with words.

To do so is to end up worshiping the experience rather than the God who created it.
It is to have pride in our great experience with God; and even gloat over it, rather than be humbled by God’s grace.

What counts is genuine human beings whose lives reflect that something great has happened to them.  They may not be able to talk about it; but their lives reflect it.  It is felt more then heard.  This is what really counts with God.  What we do outwardly, because of what has happened to us, often in secret.


p.s.



29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, 31 appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.)
    34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him." 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen.

Epiphany 7 February 24, 2019

Luke 6:27-36 (The Message)

27-30 “To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, gift wrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.
31-34 “Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.
35-36 “I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.

(Or as other versions have v. 36: “Be compassionate, even as your Father is compassionate.”)

We may not want to hear what Jesus is saying.  We may not want to be caught and convicted, challenged and changed by this Word.  We would rather hear a word which comforts, soothes, reassures us that we can have it our way and still be doing it God’s way.  We don’t like to be disturbed by our religion; we like to be appeased.

Jesus words are a simple and profound reversal of the values we live by and a challenge to dramatically change how we look at life and how we act as those who seek, as Luther said, “to live in his kingdom and serve him with prayer, praise and thanksgiving.”

It all hinges on the word merciful..compassionate.

To be compassionate is to be the best we can be.  It means a willingness to suffer with, to undergo with, to share solidarity with...those who are without, ungrateful, and even our enemies.  It means we are to live so that love not judgement is at the center of our lives, directing our words and actions.

Even when we act in judgment we must do it as those who are struggling to be compassionate.  Judgment must never be the last word nor is it ever the best word!
It is a sign we have failed; we have given up.  Compassion does not give up!





We are to “live obsessed with
passion for compassion”.
Ellie Wiesel










Prayer thought for the week:  “Lord, help me to be the best I can be…compassionate!”

Epiphany 6 February 17, 2019

Luke 6:17-21 (The Message)

Coming down off the mountain with them, he stood on a plain surrounded by disciples, and was soon joined by a huge congregation from all over Judea and Jerusalem, even from the seaside towns of Tyre and Sidon. They had come both to hear him and to be cured of their ailments. Those disturbed by evil spirits were healed. Everyone was trying to touch him—so much energy surging from him, so many people healed! Then he spoke:
You’re blessed when you’ve lost it all.
God’s kingdom is there for the finding.
You’re blessed when you’re ravenously hungry.
Then you’re ready for the Messianic meal.
You’re blessed when the tears flow freely.
Joy comes with the morning.

“The Great Reversal”

Jesus reverses how it is with us - we think we can find life by taking it.  Jesus says we find life by loosing it.  It is out of the depths of life that we discover life.  It is when we are poor that we learn to trust; hungry that we learn to appreciate and be thankful; weep that we discover the joy which cannot be taken away.

Life is not found in being rich; it is found in being needy and then having someone fill that need for us.  Then we discover what friendship and love really are all about.




Life is not found in being full;
it is found in being hungry
for the deeper things of life,
even hungry for God’s love.









Prayer thought for the week:  “Lord help me to be hungry for the deeper things of life.  Be with me in the depths so I can know the joy which comes in the morning.”

February 10, 2019 Firth Sunday After Epiphany

Luke 5:1-11 (The Message)

1-3 Once when he was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, the crowd was pushing in on him to better hear the Word of God. He noticed two boats tied up. The fishermen had just left them and were out scrubbing their nets. He climbed into the boat that was Simon’s and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Sitting there, using the boat for a pulpit, he taught the crowd.
4 When he finished teaching, he said to Simon, “Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch.”
5-7 Simon said, “Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets.” It was no sooner said than done—a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch.
8-10 Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell to his knees before Jesus. “Master, leave. I’m a sinner and can’t handle this holiness. Leave me to myself.” When they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him. It was the same with James and John, Zebedee’s sons, coworkers with Simon.
10-11 Jesus said to Simon, “There is nothing to fear. From now on you’ll be fishing for men and women.” They pulled their boats up on the beach, left them, nets and all, and followed him.

The Danish theologian, Soren Kierkegaard, related a homely parable about a flock of geese that milled around in a filthy barnyard imprisoned by a high fence.  One day a preaching goose came into their midst.  He stood on an old crate and admonished the geese for being content with this confined, earthbound existence.  He recounted the exploits of their forefathers who spread their wings and flew the trackless wastes of the sky.  He spoke of the goodness of the Creator who had given geese the urge to migrate and the wings to fly.  This pleased the geese.  They nodded their heads and marveled at these things and applauded the eloquence of the preaching goose.  All this they did.  But one thing they never did.  They didn’t fly.  They went back to their waiting dinner, for the corn was good and the barnyard secure.

It is not easy to risk; to risk rejection in order to discover friendship; failure in order to discover success; security in order to discover something new; faith in order to discover God.

The call to follow Jesus is a call to risk.

To risk is to come alive; it is to find life by loosing it; it is to discover what otherwise remains hidden.  As Albert Schweitzer said, as an” ineffable mystery” out of the risk of following Jesus “we shall learn who He is”,  and who we are!

“The disciple is dragged out of his relative
security into a life of absolute insecurity,
from a life which is observable and calculable
into a life where everything is unobservable
and fortuitous, out of the realm of finite and
into the realm of infinite possibilities.”

Bonhoeffer,  The Cost Of Discipleship




Prayer thought for the week: “Lord, help me to risk being your discipleship even if the risk is great.  Help me to come alive too who you are and who I am called to be - your disciple!”   Amen