Pentecost 16A, August 31, 2008
From the Lutheran lectionary calendar, the psalm for this week is Psalm 26. After reading it in the King James Version, the Contemporary English Version, the New International Reader's Version, The Revised Standard & New Revised Standard Versions, I picked the Message and the NIRV - because the language & images in these translations spoke to me.
Psalm 26
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
A David Psalm
1 Clear my name, God; I've kept an honest shop. I've thrown in my lot with you, God, and I'm not budging. 2 Examine me, God, from head to foot, order your battery of tests. Make sure I'm fit inside and out 3 So I never lose sight of your love, But keep in step with you, never missing a beat. 4-5 I don't hang out with tricksters, I don't pal around with thugs; I hate that pack of gangsters, I don't deal with double-dealers. 6-7 I scrub my hands with purest soap, then join hands with the others in the great circle, dancing around your altar, God, Singing God-songs at the top of my lungs, telling God-stories. 8-10 God, I love living with you; your house glows with your glory. When it's time for spring cleaning, don't sweep me out with the quacks and crooks, Men with bags of dirty tricks, women with purses stuffed with bribe-money. 11-12 You know I've been aboveboard with you; now be aboveboard with me. I'm on the level with you, God; I bless you every chance I get.
Psalm 26
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
Copyright © 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society
A psalm of David. 1 Lord, when you hand down your sentence, let it be in my favor. I have lived without blame. I have trusted in the Lord. I have never doubted him. 2 Lord, test me. Try me out. Look deep down into my heart and mind. 3 Your love is always with me. I have always lived by your truth. 4 I don't spend time with people who tell lies. I don't keep company with pretenders. 5 I hate to be with a group of sinful people. I refuse to spend time with those who are evil. 6 I wash my hands to show that I'm not guilty. Lord, I come near your altar. 7 I shout my praise to you. I tell about all the wonderful things you have done. 8 Lord, I love the house where you live. I love the place where your glory is. 9 Don't destroy me together with sinners. Don't take my life away along with murderers. 10 Their hands are always planning to do evil. Their right hands are full of money that bought them off. 11 But I live without blame. Set me free and show me your favor. 12 My feet stand on level ground. In the whole community I will praise the Lord.
According to Matthew Henry's commentary, David wrote this when he was being persecuted by Saul, who represented David as a very bad man, falsely accusing him of all kinds of crimes. So, David appeals to God, to judge him correctly. Rather than arguing & battling with Saul, rather than venting with someone on his "side", rather than fanning the flames or triangulating someone not involved, rather than taking out an ad to attack & falsely accuse Saul (after all, turn about is fair play) David turns to God. He goes to God with his hurt, with his frustration and with his fear that God might believe Saul instead of him.
David reminds God that he is innocent of the lies others have told about him. He does love the Lord. He does seek his truth. He does live in a way that is pleasing to GOD.
David asks for God's judgement because he knows that God alone knows his
heart. God alone knows that David has loved the Lord and tried to live accordingly. God alone can give David the peace in the midst of the chaos.
We live in a different age than Saul & David, but the Kingdom of Me, is still alive and well. We believe that it is really and ultimately, all about me.
David's Psalm is a reminder that it is indeed, all about God. I might have someone falsely accuse me, try to take advantage of me, misunderstand me, incorrectly judge me - but ultimately, it's not about them or me. It's about God.
I trust that God will judge me correctly, that God will give me strength and wisdom, that God will guide me and keep me safe.
Thank you God, for keeping my feet on level ground. Amen.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
headed home
Today is our last day on the beach. It is such a different visual experience being on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean versus being in the mountains of West Virginia. There is no "lifting up my eyes unto the hills" here.
As I began preparing for this Sunday's homily, however, a verse from the Romans text jumped out at me “How deep is the wealth of God’s wisdom and knowledge? How unfathomable are the divine purposes and ways of working!"
The deep mystery of the sea as it greets me in the morning is as humbling as it is empowering, for it reminds me of the depth & power of God. The empowering part, is that the greatest asset I have is God's Love for me. It's not about me - it's about God.
On Wednesday evening, after a day of steady pounding rain, the sky cleared & we headed out onto the beach. The waves were double their size as we had known them this week. Of course, the boys loved it but it scared them a little as well. Nathaniel held onto Benjamin in his fear that Benjamin might get washed out to sea. They were giddy, battered & sand filled when we left. Michael's comment was "Those waves pick you up & slam you down!"
If ever you begin to think too much of yourself, all you have to do is visit the shore. It's like going outside on a clear night in the mountains of West Virginia & trying to count the stars.
Such is the power of God's Love - we don't have anything to do with it but to acknowledge it & humbly accept it in our lives.
As I began preparing for this Sunday's homily, however, a verse from the Romans text jumped out at me “How deep is the wealth of God’s wisdom and knowledge? How unfathomable are the divine purposes and ways of working!"
The deep mystery of the sea as it greets me in the morning is as humbling as it is empowering, for it reminds me of the depth & power of God. The empowering part, is that the greatest asset I have is God's Love for me. It's not about me - it's about God.
On Wednesday evening, after a day of steady pounding rain, the sky cleared & we headed out onto the beach. The waves were double their size as we had known them this week. Of course, the boys loved it but it scared them a little as well. Nathaniel held onto Benjamin in his fear that Benjamin might get washed out to sea. They were giddy, battered & sand filled when we left. Michael's comment was "Those waves pick you up & slam you down!"
If ever you begin to think too much of yourself, all you have to do is visit the shore. It's like going outside on a clear night in the mountains of West Virginia & trying to count the stars.
Such is the power of God's Love - we don't have anything to do with it but to acknowledge it & humbly accept it in our lives.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Remember Your Baptism
Why are particular shells washed up on the beach in abundance one day & the next day can’t be found? Are there shell-specific gardens on the bottom of the sea that produce a wealth of olives or augers or conches or scallops that then get disturbed by an underwater storm & washed to shore? During my walk yesterday, I found the most beautiful black scalloped shells – I picked up at least 50 of them – from the size of my pinkie fingernail to the size of my palm. I’ve always loved the delicacy & simple elegance of the scallop. An effortless down-to-earth beauty like the beloved daisy. Unpretentious & uncomplicated perfection. As I stooped to gather more of God’s amazing handiwork, I thought of my baptism and the baptism of my faith tradition.
Ancient catacombs and ruins associated with early Christians contain artwork of John the Baptist pouring water over Jesus in baptism. In other artwork, John is depicted baptizing Christ with water poured from a scallop shell. So, the shell has come to represent the visible act of God’s love, found in baptism. In our baptism, God freely offers his grace & lovingly establishes a new community. It is in Baptism that people become members of Christ’s Body on earth, the Church.
Later that evening at an unlikely place, I was reminded of this precious gift that my children have been given. While playing mini-golf at Mt. Atlanticus, an elaborately crafted mini-golf extravaganza, my son Zachary excitedly called me over while we waited our turn. The sign said: Fountain of Youth – dip in your fingers & touch your forehead. Then a look of concern crossed his countenance. “What is it?” I asked. “Isn’t that kinda like mocking God?” he wondered. He was referring to the practice of dipping your fingers into the baptismal font & tracing the sign of the cross on your forehead as you remember that you are God’s child, baptized into Christ’s Body on earth, the Church.
We had a such a good day – thank you God for your precious gift of faith.
Ancient catacombs and ruins associated with early Christians contain artwork of John the Baptist pouring water over Jesus in baptism. In other artwork, John is depicted baptizing Christ with water poured from a scallop shell. So, the shell has come to represent the visible act of God’s love, found in baptism. In our baptism, God freely offers his grace & lovingly establishes a new community. It is in Baptism that people become members of Christ’s Body on earth, the Church.
Later that evening at an unlikely place, I was reminded of this precious gift that my children have been given. While playing mini-golf at Mt. Atlanticus, an elaborately crafted mini-golf extravaganza, my son Zachary excitedly called me over while we waited our turn. The sign said: Fountain of Youth – dip in your fingers & touch your forehead. Then a look of concern crossed his countenance. “What is it?” I asked. “Isn’t that kinda like mocking God?” he wondered. He was referring to the practice of dipping your fingers into the baptismal font & tracing the sign of the cross on your forehead as you remember that you are God’s child, baptized into Christ’s Body on earth, the Church.
We had a such a good day – thank you God for your precious gift of faith.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
thoughts on the beach
Sunday at Surfside Beach, we got up and checked the 3 inch thick telephone book for churches. After a couple of calls to get directions & times, we settled on King of Glory Lutheran Church. Unfortunately, David & I failed to communicate the fact that King of Glory was in North Myrtle Beach – so to make a long story short, we ended up instead at St. Phillips Lutheran at 11 am instead of King of Glory Lutheran at 10 am.
The cool connection element was – our boys recognized one of their acquaintances from Camp Luther, WV. We connected with the family after church, only to learn that they were from St. Paul’s Lutheran in Huntington, WV. Of course, we all enjoyed that! St. Phillips' new pastor said he had just come from another St. Luke Lutheran Church – so we appreciated that small connection to our St. Luke Lutheran in Beckley. Yes, the proverbial “it’s a small world” spiced up our morning.
We spent the rest of the day on the beach. I enjoyed my walk – until my feet began to blister.
As my oldest son Nathaniel put it – there were a kabillion people there. Miles & miles of wall to wall people. Row after row after row after row of blue, yellow, orange, & green umbrellas. For all the comfort we find in the concrete, cars & commercialization of our lives, we are drawn not to the synthetic but to the organic of creation. The perfectly formed conch shell that Michael found elicited an awe & joyfulness unlike anything he could have bought at the store. The simple pleasures of running into the waves, riding the surf, dragging your chair to sit in the edge of the sea itself, digging your toes into the sand, and watching the sea gulls bring a sense of delight & wonder beyond definition.
The beach is such an equalizer of people. The waves don’t answer to anyone but God. The sun beats down on the rich & the poor, the old & the young, the Christian & the Muslim, the sick & the well, the black & the red & the white. The wind blows sand into the faces of the beautiful & the popular as quickly as the unattractive & the socially isolated. Whether you’ve slept in a penthouse, a condo or a camper, you may equally savor the sun & the sand of the shore.
There is a timelessness & carefreeness that occurs at the ocean. Children, young people & adults alike build sandcastles & holes & sculptures & moats knowing that in several hours, all their work at play will be washed to sea. The professional businesswoman uninhibitedly piles wet sand on her legs, as she sits in a puddle of water. The businessman in his flowered swimsuit knocked down by an unexpectedly large wave can’t be differentiated from the sanitation worker throwing a beachball to his toddler. Beachtowels are haphazardly placed with no zoning laws to segregate in any way whatsoever. And for all intents & purposes, nobody cares. We are here to play, to imagine, to pray, to relax & to bask in the gift of God’s creation. I wonder if this is anything close to the wonder of heaven.
The cool connection element was – our boys recognized one of their acquaintances from Camp Luther, WV. We connected with the family after church, only to learn that they were from St. Paul’s Lutheran in Huntington, WV. Of course, we all enjoyed that! St. Phillips' new pastor said he had just come from another St. Luke Lutheran Church – so we appreciated that small connection to our St. Luke Lutheran in Beckley. Yes, the proverbial “it’s a small world” spiced up our morning.
We spent the rest of the day on the beach. I enjoyed my walk – until my feet began to blister.
As my oldest son Nathaniel put it – there were a kabillion people there. Miles & miles of wall to wall people. Row after row after row after row of blue, yellow, orange, & green umbrellas. For all the comfort we find in the concrete, cars & commercialization of our lives, we are drawn not to the synthetic but to the organic of creation. The perfectly formed conch shell that Michael found elicited an awe & joyfulness unlike anything he could have bought at the store. The simple pleasures of running into the waves, riding the surf, dragging your chair to sit in the edge of the sea itself, digging your toes into the sand, and watching the sea gulls bring a sense of delight & wonder beyond definition.
The beach is such an equalizer of people. The waves don’t answer to anyone but God. The sun beats down on the rich & the poor, the old & the young, the Christian & the Muslim, the sick & the well, the black & the red & the white. The wind blows sand into the faces of the beautiful & the popular as quickly as the unattractive & the socially isolated. Whether you’ve slept in a penthouse, a condo or a camper, you may equally savor the sun & the sand of the shore.
There is a timelessness & carefreeness that occurs at the ocean. Children, young people & adults alike build sandcastles & holes & sculptures & moats knowing that in several hours, all their work at play will be washed to sea. The professional businesswoman uninhibitedly piles wet sand on her legs, as she sits in a puddle of water. The businessman in his flowered swimsuit knocked down by an unexpectedly large wave can’t be differentiated from the sanitation worker throwing a beachball to his toddler. Beachtowels are haphazardly placed with no zoning laws to segregate in any way whatsoever. And for all intents & purposes, nobody cares. We are here to play, to imagine, to pray, to relax & to bask in the gift of God’s creation. I wonder if this is anything close to the wonder of heaven.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
rested, relaxed, inspired, connected, excited & scared...
I left Chautauqua on Thursday - just after the morning lecture by Eboo Patel, which was a definite high in the week's series of lectures on Faith in Public Life. I can't leave Chautauqua without mentioning his inspiration. Patel, founder & director of the Interfaith Youth Core, an organization that promotes mutual respect and pluralism among people of differing religious traditions by empowering them to work together to serve others. (http://www.ifyc.org/)
He started his speech with these observations - We live in the most devout developed country in the world, in a country with the most diverse religious traditions in the world, in a time of global religious wars and conflicts. We are an America of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists - people of all faiths and no faiths. We are a country of equal dignity & mutual loyalty. Not just in the present - but in our history. In 1739, Benjamin Franklin erected a meeting hall in Philadelphia and the pulpit was first given to a muslim clergyman. We are a country of diversity & pluralism -upon this we were founded. This is our crowning jewel - we must never lose this - it is the beauty & power of America - the gift of freedom that is an essential component in any faith.
Patel says, because of the increased intensity & interaction with others who differ from us, it is essential that we learn and teach the skills of interfaith cooperation. If we don't teach interfaith cooperation, some other curriculum of hate from religious extremists will be taught.
We are the torchbearers of building this spirit of equal dignity & mutual loyalty - we must do this or leave a vacuum for religious extremists teaching hate. Religious pluralism is more than mere tolerance. In today's world, it means we must respect the other's religious identities, build positive relationships and work with one another to make this world a better place.
How can we do that in southern West Virginia? We have diversity in southern wv. We have a mosque in Princeton, WV, a synogogue in Beckley, WV, a UU meetinghouse in Beckley & many varieties of Christians. We have the potential to build positive relationships with each other, find places to work together & make a difference from and in our corner of the world. I'm excited & a little scared.
And so I ended my time at Chautauqua. I took guitar lessons, I listened to good preaching, I heard all kinds of music and met all kinds of people. On Wednesday of my first week, in the Hall of Philosophy, I met Pastor Tom Kidd of St. Luke's Lutheran Church, Bellevue, Washington. He was also an inspiration (check out the ministries & new building at St. Luke's, www.slukes.org) but mostly he was someone fun with whom to laugh & learn. What a great connection!
Rested, relaxed, inspired, connected, excited and scared. That's what a sabbatical is all about! Thank you St. Luke of Beckley, for being a forward thinking, compassionate & caring congregation to share this gift with their pastor.
He started his speech with these observations - We live in the most devout developed country in the world, in a country with the most diverse religious traditions in the world, in a time of global religious wars and conflicts. We are an America of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists - people of all faiths and no faiths. We are a country of equal dignity & mutual loyalty. Not just in the present - but in our history. In 1739, Benjamin Franklin erected a meeting hall in Philadelphia and the pulpit was first given to a muslim clergyman. We are a country of diversity & pluralism -upon this we were founded. This is our crowning jewel - we must never lose this - it is the beauty & power of America - the gift of freedom that is an essential component in any faith.
Patel says, because of the increased intensity & interaction with others who differ from us, it is essential that we learn and teach the skills of interfaith cooperation. If we don't teach interfaith cooperation, some other curriculum of hate from religious extremists will be taught.
We are the torchbearers of building this spirit of equal dignity & mutual loyalty - we must do this or leave a vacuum for religious extremists teaching hate. Religious pluralism is more than mere tolerance. In today's world, it means we must respect the other's religious identities, build positive relationships and work with one another to make this world a better place.
How can we do that in southern West Virginia? We have diversity in southern wv. We have a mosque in Princeton, WV, a synogogue in Beckley, WV, a UU meetinghouse in Beckley & many varieties of Christians. We have the potential to build positive relationships with each other, find places to work together & make a difference from and in our corner of the world. I'm excited & a little scared.
And so I ended my time at Chautauqua. I took guitar lessons, I listened to good preaching, I heard all kinds of music and met all kinds of people. On Wednesday of my first week, in the Hall of Philosophy, I met Pastor Tom Kidd of St. Luke's Lutheran Church, Bellevue, Washington. He was also an inspiration (check out the ministries & new building at St. Luke's, www.slukes.org) but mostly he was someone fun with whom to laugh & learn. What a great connection!
Rested, relaxed, inspired, connected, excited and scared. That's what a sabbatical is all about! Thank you St. Luke of Beckley, for being a forward thinking, compassionate & caring congregation to share this gift with their pastor.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
The Family of Abraham Gathers at the Well
I almost slept through the sacred song service held every Sunday evening at 8 pm. I arrived at 8:30, in fact and was blindsided by what may turn out to be my most powerful experience at Chautauqua. The service was an observance of the three faiths that stem from the family of Abraham. The moving and beautifully created service was accentuated by 3 young people, representing Judaism, Christianity and Judaism who led in the readings, storytelling and song service.
Symbols were in abundance, creating a visual treasure trove. Overhead were 5 incredibly beautiful light blue cut-paper panels, done in the style of retablo by Nancy Chinn (http://www.nancychinn.com/) depicting Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Ishmael and Hagar. On the stage were 3 huge candles sitting in a large well of water. Smaller candles were scattered all over the stage and large arrangements of grasses were in the background. These symbolized some of the commonalities in our faith traditions - the significance of water in a desert culture, the holiness and sacredness of light & the garden scenes found in each of the sacred scriptures.
The emotion came for me, when we were invited to participate in the blending of the water. As the young people cut pieces of the grasses, hundreds came forward to take the grass and dip it in the well which was holding the 3 candles. By the time I was back in my seat, the tears were beginning to form in my eyes and the huge lump in my throat preventing me from singing. I was so tremendously touched by the hope that was present in this amphitheater filled with maybe 1000 people that the tears finally began to flow down my face.
I can't put words to all the feelings. Perhaps, they were tears of hope. Perhaps, they were tears of shame. For sure, they were tears of wonder. All I can say, is they went deep and seemed to come out of nowhere. I can see as I write, my snippet of grass on the dresser, where it reminds me that while we are not a unified people, we are are able to work towards a family reunion.
A Water Prayer by Kok-Heong McNaughton
I am but a drop of water.
Alone, I would disappear,
Dried up by the scorching sun
Or sucked up by the dry, thirsty earth.
But together we can wear out stones,
Carve out the Grand Canyon,
Make streams and rivers,
And find our way to the sea.
The last surprise for me came before the benediction - A Gift of Prayer Shawls. 3 shawls, made by Women4Women Knitting4Peace were presented to the 3 Abrahamic Youth, who model our hope for a lived community of peace, justice, and tolerance. You can find patterns for these shawls through the link on my blog - just click on the picture of the blessing of the shawls.
Symbols were in abundance, creating a visual treasure trove. Overhead were 5 incredibly beautiful light blue cut-paper panels, done in the style of retablo by Nancy Chinn (http://www.nancychinn.com/) depicting Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Ishmael and Hagar. On the stage were 3 huge candles sitting in a large well of water. Smaller candles were scattered all over the stage and large arrangements of grasses were in the background. These symbolized some of the commonalities in our faith traditions - the significance of water in a desert culture, the holiness and sacredness of light & the garden scenes found in each of the sacred scriptures.
The emotion came for me, when we were invited to participate in the blending of the water. As the young people cut pieces of the grasses, hundreds came forward to take the grass and dip it in the well which was holding the 3 candles. By the time I was back in my seat, the tears were beginning to form in my eyes and the huge lump in my throat preventing me from singing. I was so tremendously touched by the hope that was present in this amphitheater filled with maybe 1000 people that the tears finally began to flow down my face.
I can't put words to all the feelings. Perhaps, they were tears of hope. Perhaps, they were tears of shame. For sure, they were tears of wonder. All I can say, is they went deep and seemed to come out of nowhere. I can see as I write, my snippet of grass on the dresser, where it reminds me that while we are not a unified people, we are are able to work towards a family reunion.
A Water Prayer by Kok-Heong McNaughton
I am but a drop of water.
Alone, I would disappear,
Dried up by the scorching sun
Or sucked up by the dry, thirsty earth.
But together we can wear out stones,
Carve out the Grand Canyon,
Make streams and rivers,
And find our way to the sea.
The last surprise for me came before the benediction - A Gift of Prayer Shawls. 3 shawls, made by Women4Women Knitting4Peace were presented to the 3 Abrahamic Youth, who model our hope for a lived community of peace, justice, and tolerance. You can find patterns for these shawls through the link on my blog - just click on the picture of the blessing of the shawls.
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