Jesus heals a woman in the Gospel reading this week (Luke 13:10-17). He was teaching in the synagogue on a Sabbath. That’s what good religious leaders do, right? Then this crippled woman “appears” while he was talking.

Stop and evaluate the situation. Be honest. If you were in the middle of your sermon during a well-planned worship service, knowing that people are expecting to get out on time to get their kids and make it home by game time, and a person in need interrupted the service, what would you do?

Jesus stopped. He noticed her. He set her free from the spirit that had bound her up for eighteen years.

“That’s wonderful!” you might think.

The leader of the synagogue didn’t think so. He was indignant and said to her, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, not on the Sabbath.”

Wow!

I am continually amazed at how good we are at turning God’s Good News upside down. Religious leaders, like me, like to run a tight ship, keep things in proper order, and maintain a sense of control over their world.

Jesus loves messing with our tidy little worlds, doesn’t he?

The text that most impacted me this week is the second option of the first reading: Isaiah 58:9b-14. It is helpful to go back a few verses, beginning in verse 6, to get the full impact. Isaiah is critiquing the upside-downness of the religious leaders of his day. They were trying to win God’s favor and deliverance (or control God) through temple rituals, but they were completely missing the point.

Notice what Gods wants for the people and from the religious leaders:

• to loose the bonds of injustice,
• to let the oppressed go free,
• to share bread with the hungry,
• to bring the homeless poor into your house,
• to clothe the naked,
• to not ignore anyone
• to STOP pointing the finger and speaking evil of others.

This is our checklist.

Oh, that we may be a people, a nation, religious leaders who care more about healing on the Sabbath than “keeping the Sabbath.”

What is the portrait of Jesus that you carry with you? If you have a moment, stop right now and either draw a quick image, or jot down a few words that would describe what Jesus is like for you in your imagination.

I wonder if it matches the guy who spoke the words from the Gospel reading this week in Luke 12:49-56, “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled…do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!”

Whoa! What just happened?

Isn’t this the same Gospel in which the angels appeared to the shepherds and said, “Peace on earth?”

I did a search through the Gospel of Luke for the word peace. It appears 13 times and is evenly spread through the story. It first appears in Zechariah’s song (Luke 1:79) as he draws inspiration from the prophets and says of Jesus, “to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Then the declaration of the angels to the shepherds, “and on earth peace among those whom he favors (Luke 2:14).” He tells those he heals to “go in peace (Luke 7:50; 8:48).” He sends his disciples out to the villages to find a person who returns the peace to them and to stay with them (Luke 10:5-6).

Up to this point, it seems that Jesus’ ministry is about peace.

Then today happens. Luke 12:51.

We must remember that the texts we have been reading for the last few weeks occur while Jesus is making his way to Jerusalem. Each step he takes brings him closer to the stark reality that he will be executed as a rebel. He is offering peace to Jerusalem if they would only abandon their hatred and fear of the Romans and walk in the way of peace. Yet, he knows they will not. He knows that some will listen to him and some will reject him. Families will be divided over how they interpret his teaching.

Peace seems ever elusive.

Then, at the end of his journey to Jerusalem, in Luke 19:42, Jesus stops and weeps for Jerusalem, saying, “if you had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.” And he goes on to describe the horrible destruction of Jerusalem that would be the consequence of their hatred and violence.

So, yes, Jesus is the “Prince of Peace,” and his message and method will never be one of violence. The irony of today’s text is that Jesus’ message of non-violence will incite division amongst families. Not everyone is ready for peace. Some people feel that the only response to injustice is to fight back with violence.

Our hope lies in the last declaration of peace in Luke 24:36. The resurrected Jesus says to his disciples, “Peace be with you.”

Oh God, give us the wisdom to follow the way of Jesus in our world today. May we be people who seek justice, righteousness, and peace in a world that seems fixated on violence.

Faith is the theme that runs through the texts today. What does faith mean to you?

Hebrews 11:1 says, “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” The first reading reminds us that Abraham’s faith was “reckoned to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6).” Jesus warns his disciples to watch and be ready because “the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour (Luke 12:40).” He urges them to not put their faith in money and power, but to give to the poor and make purses of an “unfailing treasure in heaven…for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Luke 12:33-34).”

The word faith in these texts is translating the Greek word pistis. It is sometimes translated believe, or trust.

My word for this year is TRUST. To trust something is to have more than an intellectual agreement with something’s truthfulness. TRUST is a whole-bodied activity.

I know this is an ongoing conversation, especially within Lutheran circles. Is it our faith in Christ that saves us, or is it Christ’s faith that saves us?

I’ll let you sort that out (I think it is …YES!) read more here.

I often use the story of Charles Blondin, the tightrope walker, as a way to understand trust. He was able to walk a wheel barrel on a tight rope across the Niagara falls. When he asked the crowd if they believed he could do it, they all raised their hands to say, “Yes.” When he asked for a volunteer to get in the wheel barrel and ride with him, all hands were down.

To trust something is to put your whole self into it and know they will get you to the other side. In what do we trust?

Quite honestly, I don’t trust the government. I don’t trust the uber wealthy plutocracy that controls our world. I don’t trust the mob mentality that swarms the streets and floods social media. I don’t trust the inflammatory rhetoric that screams from both sides of the aisle.

Most days, I don’t trust myself because I know my weaknesses.

This year, I pray that God will help me TRUST in the deep, mysterious, infinite love of God made known to us through Jesus the Christ, made possible to flow through us in the power of the Holy Spirit so that it might overflow from us for the sake of ALL FLESH.

No one is excluded from this love.

Oh Lord, help me…help us…trust, to have faith. Enjoy this video where I draw Trust.

Do you ever look around and think, what is the point of all this? It seems like rich, greedy, power-hungry people keep winning while the poor, marginalized people continue to suffer. Well-meaning people keep yelling at each other and the world becomes more deeply divided.

What’s the point?!?

You are not alone.

This is the refrain of the texts in the Revised Common Lectionary this week. It is centered on Jesus’ parable of the rich fool. A rich man allowed his wealth to inflate his ego to the point that he tore down his storehouses and built bigger ones. Instead of thinking, “You know, I have plenty, I should share my resources with those who are struggling,” he thought, “I deserve this wealth. It’s ALL MINE! Too bad losers!”

Then he died the next day.

The writer of Ecclesiastes has a word for this, hebel. It is a Hebrew word that means vapor, breath, vanity. The wise, and seemingly cynical, “teacher” of Ecclesiastes observes the inequities of life, the strivings after success, money, power, pleasure, and concludes that everything done “under the sun” is hebel. The selected Psalms echo these feelings.

The problem we face in the 21st century Western culture is that our modern, scientific mindset has told us that the only thing that actually exists is “under the sun” or the material world. There is no such thing as the spiritual, the ultimate, or the transcendent. Ultimately there is no meaning other than the meaning we make up for ourselves.

People want the spiritual (without the religion), but we struggle to find a framework in which to experience it. This can lead many to despair. “What’s the point?!?”

The teachings of Jesus offer us an alternative model. The RCL texts will allow the preacher the chance to speak of the Kin-dom of God that Jesus calls us to cherish. It is a not an other-worldly, escape-hatch spirituality that discards this material world. It is a life that sees the beauty and value of all things and seeks to treat everything with God’s Love.

For this week, the texts offer us a contrast of priorities. On the one hand, there is the self-centered pursuit of money and power, which will always lead to violence and death. On the other hand there is the beautiful portrait of new life in Christ that is painted in Colossians 3. I would suggest extending the reading to verse 17, so that we can contrast the destructive patterns of the world with the life-giving patterns of Jesus in which we are called to “above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony (Colossians 3:14).”

An Invitation to Communion

We are gathering each Wednesday at 11:00am in the Chapel of the Incarnation for a Super Simple Summer Service of Sacrament! 🙂 It is a lovely time of reading scripture, prayer, and gathering around the table. Then, you are invited to bring your bag lunch and eat together, either on the patio or in the dining room, depending on the weather.

Happy Summer, Luther Community!

A Reflection on the Lectionary

The Gospel reading this week takes us to Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer in Luke 11:1-13. I call it “the other Lord’s Prayer” because the one that is recited in worship services is from Matthew’s Gospel. If you are interested in comparing the two prayers, check out The Art Pastor’s Guide to the Lord’s Prayer.

Luke’s version of how Jesus teaches his disciples to pray has some significant differences from Matthew’s and, in combination with the other readings in the lectionary this week, are important for us today.

First, Luke places this story during the travel narrative when Jesus is heading to Jerusalem to die. He is teaching his disciples that they must also take up their crosses if they want to follow him. The Way of Jesus is treacherous. The 1st readings tell the story of war and violence and how the prophets of God had to speak truth to currupt power systems and ask for God’s mercy.

Second, Luke attaches a parable to the prayer to emphasize how willing God is to give gifts to God’s children. God is not a distant tyrant, waiting to be appeased. God is a loving parent, wanting what is best for God’s children. Ask, seek, knock, God is there for you.

Third, the gift God wants to give is the Holy Spirit. This is an important point. The Lord’s Prayer is not a magic token in the Divine vending machine to get whatever you want out of life. God gives us what we need, and what we need is to be filled with God’s Spirit so that we can endure and discern what truth, love, peace, and justice look like in our context.

An Invitation to Communion

We are gathering each Wednesday at 11:00am in the Chapel of the Incarnation for a Super Simple Summer Service of Sacrament! 🙂 It is a lovely time of reading scripture, prayer, and gathering around the table. Then, you are invited to bring your bag lunch and eat together, either on the patio or in the dining room, depending on the weather.

Have a great week everyone!

Martha, Mary, and a World of Distractions

We live in a world full of distractions. They ping us on our smart phones and lure us to doom scroll through the overwhelming news of all that is going wrong in the world. And then, when we feel overwhelmed, we medicate with cat videos or the eye candy of your choice.

I’m as guilty as anyone of falling prey to these distractions, I must confess.

The Gospel reading this week takes us to the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42. Luke places this story as part of Jesus’ journey from the mount of Transfiguration to his climactic week in Jerusalem. Each scene in these travel narratives is part of Luke’s presentation of what it means to participate in the Kin-dom of God that Jesus proclaimed.

God’s voice said from the cloud on the mount of Transfiguration, “This is my beloved, listen to him!” Martha was too distracted by her household responsibilities to sit. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and focused.

What distracts you today? What steps might you take to slow down, sit down, and listen to the voice of God?

Peace on your journey, friend.

A Midweek Focus

For those on campus this week…Join us for a simple summer service of Holy Communion on Wednesday at 11:00am. We will simply read scripture, pray, and gather around the the table.

Then…bring your bag lunch and we can eat together!

This could be a great opportunity to come together as a community, push aside the distractions, and focus on our relationships with God and each other.

Hope to see you there!

Greetings Beloved Luther Seminary Community!

I have been traveling for the past two weeks and have not been able to post anything on this blog. Now I am back and ready to settle into a summer rhythm for July and August. For those of you in summer classes, many blessings on your study. For those who are able to take a summer vacation, may you find the restoration you need for your mind, spirit, body, and relationships.

A Simple Wednesday Service of Holy Communion

Each Wednesday at 11:00am I plan to host a very simple gathering for Holy Communion in the Chapel of the Incarnation. There is no Chapel staff this summer, so the service will not have music, preaching, or livestream services. It will simply be scripture reading, prayer, and Holy Communion. Short and sweet for the summer season.

So, if you are on campus on Wednesdays in July and August, I hope to see you there.

Migrant God Book Read

I strongly encourage you to participate in the ABIDE Summer book read. This is a great way to build community.

This week we transition from RFS 1 to RFS 2 (Residential Focus Session).

It has been wonderful to have students of RFS 1 on campus all weekend. Students gathered on Saturday. We woke up to the horrific news of the shooting of John and Yvette Hoffman and the murder of Melissa and Mark Hortman. It was a tender and sacred moment to be able hold space in community in Chapel that morning. Our prayers flow for the Hortman family as we all grieve their deaths, and for the speedy recovery of John and Yvette Hoffman as we give thanks for their survival.

God of mercy, grant us peace, justice, and healing in our hurting world.

Chapel this Week

All chapel services begin at 11:00am.

Wednesday – Service of Holy Communion

We are very excited and honored to welcome Will Willimon to preach in chapel during our service of Holy Communion. All are welcome. The service will be livestreamed.

Thursday | No Chapel

In honor of Juneteenth, school is closed and there is no chapel service.

Friday – Lunch Church

All are welcome to gather in the Dining Room for a community meal and spiritual practice.

Saturday – Simple Service of Sending

We conclude RFS 2 by gathering in the Chapel of the Incarnation for a time of singing, Word, prayer, and sending.

Two big things are happening this week.

First, we welcome our students to campus for the Summer Residential Focus Session (RFS). Prayers for safe travel on Friday and a fruitful time of learning in community on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. We will have a simple chapel service of prayer and welcome on Saturday. Students are encouraged to attend local congregations for worship on Sunday morning. Then we will conclude with a service of Holy Communion on Monday.

Second, it is Holy Trinity Sunday!

This is one of the most challenging Sundays for preachers. It is further complicated by the fact that it is Father’s Day in the USA.

There are three temptations this week:

1. Offer modalistic metaphors like an apple, a clover leaf, or water. Note: modalism presents God as shifting from one “mode” of being to another, but not actually being one-in-three simultaneously.
2. Reduce God to masculine terms, especially on Father’s Day. Note: God is neither male nor female. The first creation story says that God created humanity in the image of God, male AND female, therefore, both and neither are God’s image.
3. Avoid the topic altogether and focus on the lectionary readings, ignoring the Trinitarian implications.

What is the preacher to do?

I love talking about the Trinity so much that I devoted my PhD Dissertation to it, as it relates to Spiritual Formation. I’ve put together The Art Pastor’s Guide to the Trinity that is chock full of images, animation, PowerPoints, and an extensive bibliography. Perhaps something in there might be helpful to you this week. CLICK HERE to explore the resource. Reach out with questions.

The semester is finished. We have celebrated and dispersed another class of graduates. Special thanks to all the amazing staff and volunteers that made our Baccalaureate and Commencement services a beautiful celebration of calling, hard work, the grace of God, and the ongoing life of God’s love for the world.

This week we settle for a moment. The Faculty will be on a combined retreat with the faculty of Wartburg Seminary in honor of the 500th anniversary of the writing of the Augsburg Confession. Pray that this will be a time of refreshment and renewal for both faculties.

And…for our working preachers and worship leaders…it is PENTECOST!

Some reflections on Pentecost and the disruptive nature of the Spirit

Pentecost is a Jewish holiday that happens 50 days after Passover. It came to represent the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai. Jews would make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem from all parts of the world to celebrate this holy day.

Something amazing happened when the disciples of Jesus gathered in Jerusalem on the first Pentecost after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension.

The Holy Spirit came upon them in a new and fresh way. The Spirit shook the house like a mighty wind and descended upon them like tongues of fire.

The disciples were filled with power, courage, and the ability to speak (or be heard) in languages they did not know.

The story is found in Acts 2:1-13.

That’s what happened 2,000 years ago. But, what does it mean? How does it relate to us today?

Two thousand years later the church finds itself in need of another Spirit disruption. We, like the Jewish people of Jesus’ day, are divided into factions. Much of our Christianity has been reduced to ritualism, church membership, or individualistic piety.

This Pentecost, I encourage you to reflect on one simple thing. The same Spirit that filled Jesus’ disciples with courage and the power to be witnesses of the Good News is the Spirit that fills you.

What is the Spirit wanting to disrupt and recharge in your life this year?