ONCE and for ALL

Scripture:

Hebrews 9:24-26

24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; 26 for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Observation:

The book of Hebrews casts Jesus as the culmination and perfection of all the high priests of Israel, those descendants of Aaron charged with the holy (meaning = to be set aside for special purpose) work of being intermediaries between God and the people of God. One of their main duties was to oversee the various sacrificial activity required by the law in order to keep the power of Sin in check and cover over the sins of the people.

While the priests of Israel worked continually to keep up the relationship between God and the people of God according to an annual calendar with appointed festivals and sacrifices, God chose to work in and through Jesus Christ once and for all.

ONCE and for all: In this we hear the eternal echo of Jesus' cry from the cross, "It is finished!"

once and FOR ALL: Here too we are assured of God's surprising and challenging grace. 
The actions of the one Most High Priest have achieved what all the faithful and flawed efforts of all his predeccesors could not - the establishment of right relations between God and all creatures great and small. 
This is good news, not in theory, but good news that is, "for you."

Application:

God has reached out across space and time to embrace ... you ... me ... us. 

This must always be celebrated and confessed.

All else in the walk of faith is response to that life-thriving Divine action. 
Does your response matter to God?
Why, of course, dear one! For you matter to God. 
So, respond freely in many and various ways. Do acts of mercy. Paint. Sing. Fast. Study. Worship. Pray. Give. Dance. Laugh. Cry.  Succeed and Fail.

Know that wherever you stray in this great freedom, you are never far from the heart of God. We are never outside the reaching embrace of Christ Jesus.

Prayer: 

Thank you God, for hugging me and holding tight,  
bless me as I struggle less and cease to fight.  
Increase in me the mercies of your grace,
and cheer me on towards a goodly completion of the race. Amen.

Put Your Hands Up In The Air! ... Seriously, You Might Even Like It...

Scripture:

Psalm 111:1-3

1 Praise the Lord!

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,

in the company of the upright, in the congregation.

2 Great are the works of the Lord,

studied by all who delight in them.

3 Full of honor and majesty is his work,

and his righteousness endures forever.

Observation:

I feel convicted when I read this. What does it mean to give thanks to the Lord with my "whole" heart? When was the last time I really reared back and praised God with all I have? Because of my experience in a fairly staid corner of Christ's church, I am a bit suspicious of placing the value of worship upon outward postures or how much I'm "feeling it".  

What if it is not God who is missing out though? 
What if God receives our worship no matter how it is offered, 
but grants us a variety of forms of worship for our own growth and edification?

Perhaps I can't worship the Lord with my "whole heart" unless I do so "in the company of the upright, in the congregation." 

That would be so like God: 

to save me from the one-dimensional existence of the un-holy trinity (me-myself-I) by attaching me to Others (God and neighbour) in right relationship.

Application:

This scripture feels like an invitation to press into the richness of our faith's expressions of worship: 
from quiet, contemplative, to the transcendently rocking. 
I hear God inviting me to lose myself in the experience of a 3 dimensional faith. 

Sound like fun? 

I sure this'll be a "the-more-the-merrier type deal."

Prayer:

Artist God, You delight in rich variety. Thank You for pouring Yourself into the work of Creating, Sustaining and Thriving Your creatures. Help me to find my place in the great chorus of Your song. Amen.

Who's a High Priest?

Scripture:

Hebrews 6:19 -20

19 We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Observation:

Who is this Melchizedek? To find out more, let's have a look at the other passages that mention him.

Hebrews 7:1-2 refers to Genesis 14 and is not just a quick summary. It actually recaps all that we know about this obscure biblical character ... "This “King Melchizedek of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham as he was returning from defeating the kings and blessed him”; and to him Abraham apportioned “one-tenth of everything.” His name, in the first place, means “king of righteousness”; next he is also king of Salem, that is, “king of peace.”

Psalm 110:4

The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind,

“You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

A note in my NRSV study bible says "...according to the order of Melchizedek" might also be translated "... a rightful king by my edict.”

The author of Hebrews is drawing upon the Jewish tradition of a priestly order "according to the order of Melchizedek" to prove that the claims being made about Jesus Christ do not constitute a departure from faith in the LORD God of the patriarchs. The argument is that Jesus fulfills the promises of God as opposed to cancelling or replacing them.

Application:

Sometimes when I come across an obscure reference like this in the Bible, I am tempted to get overly focussed on getting to the bottom of the mystery. It is fun to imagine that I might uncover some secret knowledge that will give me special insight into the God of Angel Armies ... maybe even special access to God Almighty.

The teaching here will allow no such pride. The author of Hebrews refers to Melchizedek only to prove the point that in Jesus we have a new and perfect High Priest.  

While other High Priests held a special knowledge of God and accessed God through prayer or sacrifice on behalf of the common people who were (supposedly) not worthy of such closeness to the One True God, Jesus comes to us as both Emmanuel (God with us) and High Priest.  

Because Jesus is intimately connected to the Father 

AND 

intimately connected to us, 

we all enjoy the privilege of direct access to God.

I like the story in the image above because it makes a similar point in a playful way.

What do you think: Does this image of Jesus bending the rules square with your experience of how God works in the world and in your life?

Prayer:

Jesus, Thank you for sharing the privileged relationship You enjoy with the Father so freely. As we follow you day-by-day, teach us to share our blessings and gifts - material and spiritual - just as freely. Amen.

Get On With It! (enough grovelling already...)

Scripture:

Hebrews 6:1-3 [The Message]

So come on, let’s leave the preschool fingerpainting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on “salvation by self-help” and turning in trust toward God; baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment. God helping us, we’ll stay true to all that. But there’s so much more. Let’s get on with it!

Observation:

I love the playfulness of Eugene Peterson's translation above. It highlights one of the paradoxical challenges of a living faith: Yes, God's saving grace is the pure and free gift of God to us. There is nothing we can do to earn or to lose this grace, but the truth of God's grace is that it is fertile. Those who truly receive it, cannot help but respond to it through practiced love of God and neighbour. Squint too hard at this reality and it can become a crazy-making invitation to wonder whether or not this person or that person is "truly" saved by grace depending upon what they are doing today.

This is the power of Peterson's rendering - it invites us to play and then starts the game before we can get the rules memorized. There is no time given for unproductive navel-gazing or finger wagging.

Application:

I have been so blessed to grow up in a corner of Christ's church that excels in teaching the "basic foundational truths" of the faith. Lutherans are exceedingly clear that the saving power of God is born to each believer from outside of herself/himself. But, this strength comes with a shadow weakness. Sometimes we focus on salvation (by grace alone through faith alone) to the point of excluding any teaching about sanctification (growing in holiness). Sometimes we linger at the fingerpainting station and ignore the fact that we are intended to "get on with the grand work of art". It is good to acknowledge this, but the way forward cannot be paved with shame, guilt, or judgement. Trying to create a rubric against which to measure my progress in sanctification against yours (or agains the norm) can only devolve into works righteousness (undue attention to what you are I do in the place of what God has done and is doing).

Today I give thanks for Eugene Peterson and Viola Spolin and others who have taught me the value of saying, "Because it is more fun this way!" when I am tempted to say, "Why can't you get your act together and grow up?!" One way keeps me stuck beating myself up, the other sets me free to invite others to play.

Which way are you most experienced in?  

How's that going for you?

Prayer:

Dear God, You are at once Creator and Creativity. Thanks for sharing Yourself with me. You have taught me to paint, to dance, to sing, to play! Grant me good courage to honour you by honing these abilities through continual practise that keeps You at the centre. Amen.

Belonging, Behaving (Becoming), Believing.

Scripture:

Psalm 105:42-45

42 For he remembered his holy promise,

and Abraham, his servant.

43 So he brought his people out with joy,

his chosen ones with singing.

44 He gave them the lands of the nations,

and they took possession of the wealth of the peoples,

45 that they might keep his statutes

and observe his laws.

Praise the Lord!

Observation:

Psalm 105 has been tracing the sweeping stories of Genesis and Exodus, celebrating God at work through salvation-history to bring about the re-creation and redemption of the world. Too often we understand this divine mission as primarily concerned with our beliefs and behaviour. This error is born out of our sinful bent towards attempting to manufacture our own identities out of the building blocks of our actions and beliefs.

This Psalm (indeed the whole epic of salvation history) reminds us of a better way. This way prioritizes identity (belonging) over deeds or creeds. We are to remember that before Moses received the 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai came the rescue of the people of God from slavery; and, before that exodus rescued Israel, God first created that people through a promise to Abraham.

Identity comes first. When who we are is clear, our thoughts and actions have a way of flowing naturally out of that essential centre.

Application:

I believe that we are all precious in the sight and vision of the Father. In the first case, we are beloved of our Creator and sustainer - labours of love. In the second case, we are precious because God has a vision for how we are to use our gifts to participate in the blessing and redeeming of all of creation. That is to say, God's plan is for each of us to fulfill the role of minister in service to God and neighbour. If we ignore or shirk this holy calling, then the divine kingdom will be poorer for it.

Today, I am reminded that no matter what I do (or fail to do); no matter what I believe (or lack in faith), my identity is secure. I have been adopted into God's family. As a child of God and an heir with Christ Jesus to the Kingdom of Heaven, I am never alone. I am part of an eternal community of loving justice and just love. Out of this is born a bold, brand of freedom.

Prayer:

Holy Three-in-One, thank you for your gracious, redemptive love. Thank you for your Gospel, which soothes the soul and resurrects us where the Law can only limit and kill us. Help me to be humble when that is what is needed to serve you. Teach me to be bold and confident in the real gifts, and calling you have invested in me when that is what is needed to serve you. Amen.

I've Got You Covered!

Scripture:

Jeremiah 34:17-18

17 Therefore, thus says the Lord: You have not obeyed me by granting a release to your neighbors and friends; I am going to grant a release to you, says the Lord—a release to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine. I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.18 And those who transgressed my covenant and did not keep the terms of the covenant that they made before me, I will make like[a] the calf when they cut it in two and passed between its parts: ...

Observation:

Good luck figuring out what the above verse means unless you are either: a) an expert in covenanting rituals in the Ancient Near East, or, b) at least familiar with Genesis 15.

On the surface, it sounds like a mafia style threat against those who would betray or defy God. But such an interpretation misses the point of covenant, namely: two (or more) entities (individuals or nations) are joined in a manner that creates or births a new entity. So, the blood involved in the various ceremonies is not meant to signify death, but birth. To drive the point home, the slaughtered animals are cut in two and the covenanting parties pass through them in a manner that evokes the messy and holy birth process itself. Sure, death is present in the ritual, but it is being subjected as opposed to being elevated.

Being heirs of the covenant between God and the whole people of God, we stand under the powerful covering of divine protection and providence. Its a pretty sweet deal. Our part of the covenant is to offer our full allegiance and devotion. God does not break covenant. So, when we fail to live up to our part of the relationship, we are not punished or threatened by God. We through our own broken free will, foolishly step out from under God's covering and are subjected to the attacks of the enemies of God.

Application:

Today is a rainy, decidedly fall-ish day where I live.  

The passage has me picturing walking with God in the rain.  

My Father faithfully holds his umbrella over me: 

covering me, protecting me, even guiding me using the 

boundary between wet and dry created by his loving efforts.  

I am free to step away from this sanctuary, and I do more

often than I care to admit. When I do, I get wet.  

Each time I find myself soggy and fearful, 

I look to God and am beyond surprise that the invitation 

remains open to walk once more.

Prayer:

Lord, grant me the good sense to stay warm and dry by your side this day and always. I rather listen to your songs and stories than go puddling about anyway! Amen.

Refugee Crisis. Where to begin?

Scripture:

Jeremiah 33:10

Thus says the Lord: In this place of which you say, “It is a waste without human beings or animals,” in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without inhabitants, human or animal, there shall once more be heard the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, ...

Observation:

The predicted conquest is upon the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Jerusalem is under siege. Defeat is imminent. This will be no negotiated surrender with favourable terms (of course the King will survive as is often the case with Kings...).  

Utter ruin will follow shortly. Suffering and desolation will rule the day.

What does God speak into the midst of this scene?

There is no heavenly taunt, 

"I told you so! This is what happens when you betray or fail me."

There is no last minute wincing rescue, 

"Ok, now that you know I'm serious about the rules ... just one more chance."

There is only a promise. Silence will not persist. Destruction is not the end.  

Death will never have the last word.

I place my faith in the God who promises thusly and works tirelessly, at times visibly yet often in hidden ways, to fulfill them.

When the situation is dire and our faith fails, we can turn to God who is always faith-full to overflowing.

Application:

I have been pondering the plight of refugees during the past 36 hours along with many of you. I have been trying to understand how to respond. In conversation with others, the suggestion has come up to rally our congregations and sponsor a family of refugees through one of the organizations the ELCIC is partnered with. It is one thing to cry out in general for our governments to accept more refugees, it is another to ask ourselves honestly what we are personally willing to commit to.

I am embarrassed to say sponsorship seems to me an overwhelming task, 

to start a sponsorship group, to commit to raising about $20 000... 

It's not possible, is it?

Our congregation is struggling to meet our annual budget while at the same time participating in no few mission initiatives both locally and globally. I recognize that this feeling stems from a perspective of scarcity and that the kingdom of God is an economy of abundance, yet I am afraid of bringing such a bold (and quite frankly prophetic) challenge to the congregation I serve. I suspect I am not alone in these feelings.

The situation, as has been so powerfully encoded in the haunting photo of Alan Kurdi's 3 year old drowned corpse, is dire.

Our actions, to wage hope and justice and peace in this world with a special eye to the foreigner, the widow; the least and the lowly do matter. They are vital because they express, no matter how imperfectly, the love of God for all creatures and indeed all of creation. But, to begin with or focus too narrowly upon our actions is to set ourselves up for failure before we begin.

We must begin with the promise. It is as old as Jeremiah - far older in fact. The promise has been perfected in the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We do not own or possess the promise, in fact, we have been commanded to share it freely.

So, we must begin and persist in the promissory Word of God. 

This relationship, makes us bold and ready to act: 

full of hope, yet tethered by the humility of knowing what we are and are not capable of.

Prayer:

Visible and Hidden God, You make and keep your promises. Help us to see that, and as we do, we ask for transformed vision to see what you would have us do in Your service in the world. I long for the silencing of the drums of war around the globe. I ask for peace and rest for all those fleeing violence of many kinds. Even more, I long for the promised resumption of joy and mirth as Your promised reign breaks forth. Until then, grant me good courage and humility to act in ways becoming of Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.