Gospel for Feast of the Transfiguration 5 August 2012

Luke 9:28-36
About eight days after Jesus had foretold his death and resurrection, Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Reflection

Wouldn’t you just love to know God with your whole being? To know God the way you know the sound of a good friend’s footsteps? or the taste of chocolate? or the unspeakable beauty of a spectacular sunset. Wouldn’t you just love to know God the way you know tenderness when watching a young child sleep, the way you know wonder when listening to great music or inspiring words? Wouldn’t you love to know the grandeur of God the way you know the majesty of jagged mountains piercing cobalt skies while waves of wind and dust churn across the desert? Wouldn’t you just love to know God with your whole being?

I believe this is the way Jesus knew God – with his whole being. I believe Jesus desired to know and be in relationship with God with all of his heart, with all of his soul with all of his strength and with all of his mind.  I believe it was Jesus’ desire for God that compelled him to go out of his way, to climb the mountain and reach out to God in prayer with his whole being.  And Jesus was transfigured.

Jesus brought his whole being into relationship with God and his whole being was affected, so much so that even his clothes, that is to say, even the way he was perceived in the world, radiated his intimate knowledge of God.  Jesus was fully, lucidly, beyond any doubt in relationship with God.

I believe this is where all of us are going. We are all going to be transfigured. We are all moving toward the full and intimate knowledge of God that will transform us all the way in and all the way out. We will be changed and it will be noticeable – like dazzling white clothes. And if you happen to be wondering, “How?” A lawyer who was testing Jesus actually hasd the answer, “You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind”….And Jesus said to him, “You have given the right answer, do this and you will live.””(Luke 10.27-28)

Gospel text for Sunday 29 July 2012

John 6.1-20
Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?" He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "Six months' wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?" Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost." So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world."

 When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.

 Reflection

Two paragraphs, two miracles. Oh my. The Jesus we meet in this text is extraordinary. His very presence transforms reality in unimaginable ways. I believe that is the point of these miracle tales; to make it crystal clear that being in the presence of Jesus changes everything. Being in relationship with Jesus gives us access to dimensions of reality that are truly beyond reason – in other words - miraculous. For who can reasonably explain satisfying five thousand people’s hunger with a mere five loaves and two fishes? And even a four year old knows that people do not walk on water.  So what is going on here?

 I believe these miracle stories are examples of God working through created nature to reveal a dimension of non-ordinary experience that is aligned with God’s own true and unlimited nature.  And I believe that every human person has access to this non-ordinary experience of reality in relationship with God.  And yes, it is astonishing.

 The thing is when it comes to being in relationship with God we are talking about a kind of experience that surpasses human understanding. We are talking about a kind of experience that is not bound by the laws of general relativity and quantum mechanics, not constrained by the fundamental properties of matter and motion, not explained by the principles of reason and logic. We are talking about astonishing, radical, life changing, consciousness expanding experiences.

 Regardless of whether you read the miracle stories as literally true, as signs, as prophetic revelations or as allegories, the bottom line is this; reason is not sufficient to describe the experience of being in relationship with God.  That said, it is not surprising that the great religious traditions of Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism all use miracle stories to describe non-ordinary experiences aligned with DIvinity. All of these religious traditions use miracle stories to describe that which reason cannot grasp because at the root of all of these great traditions there is the experience of knowing that which cannot be known.

 ++ The image from the Hubbell Telescope is described:  “Colliding galaxies make love not war.”

Gospel text for Sunday 22 July 2012

Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.

 Reflection:

I was right there with the disciples sighing relief when Jesus said, “Come away to a deserted place…and rest awhile.”  Like the disciples I too worked hard last week, showed up for lots of people and I was ready to get away from it all, ready for my Sabbath rest. But things did not turn out that way. Even before we could steal a moment of silence and solitude people were gathering, people with needs. I want to say to Jesus and the people, “Look here, I have worked hard and I deserve my Sabbath time.”  I want to put up neon signs that say, “Do not disturb.”

 But Jesus would hear none of that. Instead he “had compassion.” In the New Testament the word compassion is translated from the Greek  word splagchnizomai  and it means  to be ‘moved in the bowel,’ to be with the experience of another human being in the most elemental way, in our very bowels. No days off. No do not disturb signs. Being with and for other human beings is fundamental to being real human beings. And there is no warrant for time off from being real human beings.

 When Jesus invited the apostles to “come away to a deserted place… and rest a while,” he did not invite them to indulge their desire to get away from it all. By extension I presume Jesus is not inviting me to indulge my introverts desire to stake out my Sabbath day with no trespassing signs.  No, I believe Jesus is inviting all of us to “crossover” to another way of being, being with and for one another, most especially those in need; to have compassion.

At the same time I cannot for a moment think that Jesus of compassion is asking me, the disciples or any of us to get burned out. I believe this story from Mark’s gospel intends to remind us that where ever we go there will be people in need. The question is not, how can I get away for them and find my rest. Rather, the question is how may I stay rooted and peaceful in my relationship with God? How may I receive rest and divine nourishment while in the midst of people in need? And of course Jesus shows us the way, the way of compassion, the way of reaching into our bowels and realizing our need and their need are essentially the same. We are all tired and hungry and thirsty and we are all healed when touched by compassion.

Gospel for Sunday 15 July 2012

Mark 6:14-29
King Herod heard of the demons cast out and the many who were anointed and cured, for Jesus' name had become known. Some were saying,  John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him." But others said, "It is Elijah." And others said, "It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old." But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised."

For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because Herod had married her. For John had been telling Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it." And he solemnly swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom." She went out and said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" She replied, "The head of John the baptizer." Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

Reflection:

Every time I read this story my mind leaps to tick off Herod’s offenses. How could he do it? Herod knew that John the Baptizer “was a righteous and holy man.” He knew there was something about John, it “perplexed him, yet he (Herod) liked to listen to him.” So how in the world could he do it? How could he let himself be manipulated by his wife and swayed by public opinion? Well, just about the time I am ready to bring down the gavel and declare Herod guilty of murder in the first degree a mirror drops out of heaven, and there I am.

 How could you do it Debra? How could you ignore the little voice inside that was niggling at you, telling you to pay attention, get out of that situation before it was too late. You know the one, the one that blew up in your face with lots of collateral damage. Or how could you ignore the inner sense that you ought to call Margaret or Mr. Yang or that person down the street ? You knew it still you did nothing until it was too late. Or how could you chuckle at that joke and go along with the crowd as they scoffed and laughed up their sleeves at the expense of others? It grieved you. In your heart of hearts you knew it was wrong, still you went along with the crowd. How many times have I been Herod?

Over and over again, as I stand in the gap between the way of the world and the Way of God’s kingdom, I choose the way of the lowest common denominator. I don’t want to lose face. It is really hard to follow the perplexing whispers of the niggling little voice inside when the shouts of the crowd seduce me to come along.  Truly I dare not be too quick to lay my verdict upon Herod or I may find my own head lying with his on the chopping block.

Gospel text Sunday 8 July, 2012

Mark 6:1-13
Jesus left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, "Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. Then Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house." And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Then he went about among the villages teaching. He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them." So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them."

Reflection

Can you imagine being one of Jesus’ disciples? You’ve been following him all over creation, listening and watching him preach and teach and do astonishing deeds of power, you know, healing and casting out demons, raising a little girl from the dead.  Jesus has even given you some off line or private lessons, explaining stories to you that were not meant for the ears of those outside the inner circle of disciples. When I imagine being one of those disciples it makes me feel kind of special, but only until it gets to the part about Jesus sending me out to do what he has been doing. “Oh dear. Are you kidding me Jesus? You want me to do what you have been doing and I can’t even take any food or money?  It’s dangerous out there. Thieves lurk all along the roads. I will be incredibly vulnerable and utterly dependent on the good will of strangers.”

 
Can you imagine Jesus shaking his head and saying, “You got it. You are vulnerable. You are dependent. As you enter each town you are to present yourselves as people in need. Your survival depends on the good will of strangers. And in dong this you will provide the opportunity for the kingdom of God to flourish?” Now it’s time for me to shake my head. “Are you kidding me? We just left your hometown Jesus, and your own people wouldn’t give you the time of day. How can we depend on strangers?” And Jesus might reply, “The thing about strangers is they can’t presume to ‘know’ who you are. They can’t put you in a little box and say, “You can carve wood and hammer nails, but you sure can’t preach or teach or do deeds of great power.” When you show up with nothing, all they can presume is that you need their help. The strangers who choose to welcome you, to invite into their home and feed you, are embodying hospitality and compassion. Your very presence ignites a spark of the Good News in them. Together your need and their hospitality is the context within which God’s kingdom blossoms. Now as you sit at their table and begin to preach and teach, do healings and exercise “authority over unclean spirits” it is like a gentle breeze fanning a new flame. The spark of compassion already expressed by the stranger grows as they hear and receive the Good News of God’s kingdom present, already not yet, being shared by you.“

"When strangers choose not to welcome you, don’t waste your time or treasure. If the spark of compassion is not ignited by your need, they have already chosen to harden their hearts to the kingdom of God. Don’t begrudge them their choice.  Just be on your way. They will never know that they missed an encounter with the kingdom of God.” Which makes me think about the admonition, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13.2)

Gospel text for Sunday, 1 July 2012

Mark 5:21-43

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live." He went with him.

And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, "If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well." Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my clothes?" And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, `Who touched me?'" He looked all around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."

While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader's house to say, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?" But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, "Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha cum," which means, "Little girl, get up!" And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Reflection

I love the story of the hemorrhaging woman. For me she is a paragon of bold faith expressed in action. Think about it. She had been bleeding for twelve years so physically she must have been extremely weak. Because she was bleeding she was considered unclean and the temple officials believed that anyone whom she touched would be defiled. Nonetheless, when the bleeding woman heard that Jesus had returned by boat she pulled herself together, joined the excited crowd that gathered around him, and in a gesture forbidden by all propriety, she touched Jesus’ garment. What a woman.  Her story is like the sweet white icing of a chocolate cookie sandwiched between the darker crusts of the two-step story about a Jewish religious official begging Jesus to save his young daughter’s life.

All I can say is, I wonder what Jairus (and the other religious officials who later heard the story) thought when the defiled Jesus touched Jairus’ daughter with his unclean hand? I wonder if that made the little girls’ resurrection invalid? Actually I believe it is no mistake these two stories appear knitted together. Jesus keeps sailing between opposites, between cookies and cream, Jewish and Gentile territories, between the ritually pure and the unclean, between rules and the breaking of rules. Jesus refuses to be hemmed in by dialectical categories. For Jesus life cannot be sorted into neat categories of black and white, good and ill, clean and unclean, not even dead and alive. For Jesus you just cannot seperate the chocolate cookies from the vanilla cream.

Jesus said to the unclean woman, “Your faith has made you well…” Just moments later he said to the Jairus, “Do not fear, only believe.” Here again Jesus defied conventional categories. The woman was the exemplar of faith in action,  but the religious official was afraid.

Would that we should all beware of the categories and groups into which we place ourselves and others and remember that even those incomprehensible categories of life and death dissolve in the hands of bold faith expressed in action. So let us boldly go forward and bite into the whole cookie!

Gospel text Sunday 24 June 2012

Mark 4:35-41

When evening had come, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

 Don’t rock the boat baby…

 
What does it mean to “go across to the other side?” When I read that phrase the first thing that comes to mind is dying… crossing over from life to death. But that’s my human mentality talking. Just like the disciples I am afraid to fully accept Jesus’ invitation to “go across to the other side “with him. I am afraid that along the way I will perish, that I will die.   

But Jesus is not talking about crossing over from physical life to physical death. Jesus is talking about crossing over from fear to faith. The journey with Jesus is a journey of faith. That’s why he asked the panicked disciples, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” Just like me the disciples want to make the journey with Jesus, but when things come along to rock our boats we imagine we have been abandoned and accuse God of not caring.  Oh we of little faith.

How is it that Jesus commands peace and stillness when he finds himself in the middle of a raging storm? After all, Jesus is a fully human person too. He’s as blown about by the wind and the waves  as the next guy (and we all know where his story goes). But even a raging storm doesn’t disturb him.  Jesus sleeps then stands in the midst of the storm and refuses to be upset or shaken. Now that is faith, faith big enough to make “even the wind and the sea obey him.”  Nothing can steal his peace.

Jesus’ peace is not contingent on external circumstance.  Perhaps that is why the passing of the Peace with the words, “The Peace of the Lord be always with you,” has been part of the Jesus movement from the very beginning.  God knows that we will face wind storms and dust storms and unexpected trauma on our journey from fear to faith. And Jesus shows us the way of faith, looking straight into the eye of our personal storms and commanding, “Peace, be still.”