Holiness & the Washington Post

Arguably the greatest Reformed theologian of the 20th century, Karl Barth, once wrote:

"A preacher lives with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other."

This Sunday's sermon will very obviously be a product of my taking Barth's advice: Luke 5:27-32 in one hand and this story (originally in the Huffington Post, reframed for The Washington Post.)

I wonder if you can draw the connection for yourselves in advance of Sunday?

Sunday Spoiler Alert

This Sunday, our text is: Luke 5:27-32

²⁷ After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,”^(B) Jesus said to him, ²⁸ and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.^(C)29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors^(D) and others were eating with them. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect^(E) complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”^(F)31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Heading into this Sunday's sermon, here's a few questions for your reflection:

* What is "holiness"?  How would you define it?
*  T/F Jesus was the holiest person who ever lived.
     (follow up question) If you answered "false," we may have bigger problems than a 20 minute sermon can fix.
     (follow up question) If you answered "true," how does Jesus' behavior in this scene challenge or confirm your working definition of holiness?

Thoughts from Symposium

For those who don't follow the twitters, here's a synopsis of what I learned or thoughts that were churned up via my time at CICW Worship Symposium. Each of these ideas is stated as simply as possible (140 characters certainly helps synthesize thoughts) and is open for further dialogue, nuance.  Let me know if any of them pique your curiosity.  I would be well served by further conversation.

(a "translation" note: # is used to search for various twitter users who are commenting on the same issue or event.  if a # is popular, we say it is "trending."  The # can also be used with a twinkle in our eye to make a joke or put the comment we've just made in context ... anywho ...)

They just announced my flight to "GrAAAnd RAAApids." #LordHaveMercy #wsymp13

Wonder how many fellow fliers are --> #wsymp13 If flight attendant begins instructions w/ "The LORD be with you" I bet we'd find out quick.

A meditative service of Scripture & song grounded in the Beatitudes at #wsymp13 next up, the incomprable Marva Dawn.

Meekness is more than our attempts at "nicety-nice-ness" - Marva Dawn #wsymp13

Heart d/n mean "mushy gushy." Heart = will. Feelings are the caboose ... & some trains don't even have those. - Marva Dawn #wsymp13

#wsymp13 Psalm 8 God pays radical personal attention to the world. We are to pay the same to God and to the world in God's name - M. Labberton

Christianity is fundamentally a communication event (therefore communication theory = theology) - Shane Hipps #wsymp13 #mindblown

#wsymp13 Our thinking patterns begin to mirror the thing we use to think with (icons, books, media ...)

God is an image-maker and therefore so are we. -David Taylor #wsymp13

You know what I never realized? How easy it is to navigate the traffic on 28th St. #DCperspective

Impromptu reggae in the CFAC. Where am I? #wsymp13 Well played, Luke Powery.  Well played.

Worry is the result of theological amnesia until worry becomes our bested friend forever. #wsymp13

#wsymp13 Kenneth Bailey is on a quest to rescue I Corinthians 13 from the wedding industrial complex.  Who's with him?!?

#wsymp13 Kenneth Bailey providing a stunning defense of women "praying and prophesying in he church"

You want to fall in love with the depth of the Scripture text? Listen to Kenneth Baily or pick up one of his books #wsymp13 #mindblown

Stuck in memory isn't an "old ppl" problem. Young ppl are just as (more?) likely to get stuck --> judgmental - C. Randall Bradley #wsymp13

Everything "old" in worship was new, with no memory attached. Everything "new" in worship requires the leadership of imagination. #wsymp13

Am captivated by the idea that IMAGINATION is a key attribute to leadership ... #wsymp13

Attending "Encouraging Creativity in Your Church." DC CRC, you've been warned. #wsymp13

Bad Reason for Creativity: we believe that, without our creative efforts, God might not show up. #ouch #wsymp13

"Every child is an artist. The trick is staying an artist when we grow up." - Picasso #wsymp13

"One benediction is hardly concluded before another prelude has begun." - Constance Cherry. Can I get a witness. #wsymp13

Give your worship team a compass not a GPS, check your control-freak tendency at the door & allow 90 degrees of latitude #wsymp13

At a seminar "Baptism in Art, Ritual and Symbol" in preparation for DC CRC's Lenten series: Fount of Every Blessing. #wsymp13

#wsymp13 Carolyn Gordon just brough a homiletical reference to hair extensions #firsttimeforeverything

Idealizing Christian community so that we c/n be grateful for the real (flawed) ppl around us is "spiritual pornography." - C Pohl #wsymp13

Making words visual requires particularity rather than generalization. Replace general statements with specific embodiments. #wsymp13

Turns out we low-church Protestants have a wonderful theology of embodiment. We just feel weird about bodies. - Labberton #truth #wsymp13

"I am a white, middle-class guy. Turns out, that's not a neutral lens. Others show me to see the world as they see it." - Labberton #wsymp13

The goal of the Christian artist is faithful, rather than "realistic" depictions of God's world. - David Taylor #selah #wsymp13

If we paint a nicey-nice God in Sunday School, we don't give kids the language to survive life. They need the Psalms. - L Keeley #wsymp13

"My religion could not be fiction but it had to transcend fact." - Bono #wsymp13

"Don't worry about suggesting how we could do this better. We have kids, so we are used to being told we are wrong." - B Keeley #wsymp13

#wsymp13 I'm out. #dropsthemike

So I guess I learned a few things ...

Checking In

Dear ones,

I am headed to Calvin Institute for Christian Worship's Worship Symposium for the next three days.  I am looking forward to the cultural, Biblical scholarship of Kenneth Bailey, workshops on many different aspects of worship and the preaching of Luke Powery and Marva Dawn.  If you are interested in "tagging along," I invite you to follow my twitter feed ...

Go to www.twitter.com, where you can create a profile (this can be completely anonymous and doesn't require anything of you.  Then search for RevGirlKazoo.  You should see my smiling face!  Click that you would like to "follow" me and you will have the (ahem) privilege of hearing every little thing I'm thinking as I'm soaking in copious amounts of wisdome from others.

Pray As You Go

Two weeks into the New Year, I thought I might share a part of my plan/practice for spiritual growth.  This is by no means a resolution for 2013 because I think I've been using this particular website on and off since 2011.

I thought that today would be the perfect chance to share this resource because the devotional set for today is from Mark's account of healing the leper that we will be sharing together from Luke's version on Sunday morning.

Anyway, Pray-As-You-Go is a great resource to use on your computer or to regularly download to a smart phone or tablet device.  It is a 10-15 minute long guided meditation, which is a particular blessing to me. I just show up and someone else helps me along in prayer and Scripture reading.  You can listen during your commute, first thing in the morning, last thing at night.  Whenever it's convenient.

Take a listen and enjoy!

Bible Study

This morning at Bible Study* We took this week's text: Luke 5:12-16 and compared it to the same accounts in Mark 1:40-45 and Matthew 8:1-4.  From these ingredients, we attempted to make a reduction of the essential ingredients of the story.  In other words, what is the same in each telling?  From this we can create a think, flavorful story.  It might also help to wonder about what is different in each telling -- which vapors burn off in order to get down to the essential flavors?

We spent considerable time on a phrase in Mark that neither Luke or Matthew picks up: "Jesus was indignant" or, in another translation of the text, "Jesus had compassion."  What could this mean?  What is the intersection of indignation and compassion? Why would Jesus feel this way in this story?

So, although you may not have been able to attend Bible Study, please join us in wondering as we all prepare our hearts for worship and for God's Word on Sunday morning.

*We host Bible Study every Wednesday morning at 11am. Together we work with the text for the coming Sunday's sermon.  It's called "crowd sourcing." Anyone is welcome to join us.

Monday Morning Preacher-ing

So, yesterday was fun!  I'm excited about working with our newly installed elders & deacons for a critical season of prayerful imagination and stepping out in faith on Council. To share the call to discipleship with the Elders & Deacons and then to watch them sharing it with every member of our congregation -- that blessed me deeply.  Thank you all who participated in the service!

You may have noticed that yesterday's sermon was a bit different from any I've preached recently.  I'm back to preaching off a manuscript. And funnily enough, when I got home from church yesterday, a friend (NOT in our congregation) had tweeted:

Preachers who are frustrated writers make for poor orators.  Don't read a manuscript at us; speak a word to us.

 Which, of course, got me a little defensive. And a little thoughtful.  I tweeted back:

The issue isn't manuscript/non-manuscript. It's learning to use language appropriate for the ear not the peer (reviewer.)

Regardless of delivery form, most of my sermons follow a simple Trouble/Grace; Text/World outline that I can share with y'all another time.  Once you know it, I'm certain you will hear it in *nearly* every sermon.

In this Sunday's case, though, another dictum of seminary preaching class loomed large: "Show, don't tell."  So the sermon became a narrative re-telling of the Scripture text. Attempting to be faithful to exegetical insights, I didn't necessarily stop and say, "This is an exegetical insight now, y'all. Listen up."  Some folks prefer that approach. It's more didactic and you then know what you are listening for. It may require more of the receiver to listen to narrative preaching. It's not filling in the blanks in  an alliterative outline (as some of us have been conditioned to expect: God is: Great, Good and Gracious) In the case of narrative preaching, well, it really is what it sounds like -- listening as a story unfolds.  It taps into imagination more than information receptors. It is going to appeal to right brain more than left brain. It appeals to artistic rather than scientific/mathematical impulses.

This isn't a matter of right/wrong approaches but, rather, about evaluating what works in any given context.  Therefore, in coming months, I hope to have some robust discussions with Elders about the preaching ministry at DC CRC.  Since arriving, I have preached off manuscripts.  I've preached with substantial memorization. I have preached from notes.  I'm still exploring what works best for me.

But, ultimately, preaching is a communication event, which means that "what works best for me" necessarily equals "what is well and deeply received."  The comment section isn't a great place for that conversation but if you have thoughts on this, please shoot me an e-mail, facebook message, phone call, etc.

Okay, enough self-reflection.  I'm going running now.

What You WON'T Hear on Sunday Morning

Sermon's done come together this afternoon (and a special shout-out goes to the Holy Spirit for showing up.) Sermon preparation is a strange beast, although I suppose any writer would say the same about his/her craft.  Just because you've done it before doesn't mean you know what to expect when you sit down to do it again. It's different nearly every time.

But I got to the end of my writing process and realized that there is a really fun exegetical insight in the text (Luke 5:1-11) that I won't be using in tomorrow's sermon. When you are committed to "preaching about God and preaching about 20 minutes," you can't say it all.  And attempting to say it all may mean that you end up coherently saying nothing at all. 

Throwing this idea into the sermon would gum up the works.
The thought of throwing it on the cutting room floor makes me sad.  And so I am thankful for this blog.  Because I can throw it HERE.

If you read this before Sunday morning, it can color some of your interaction with the text and the sermon.  If you read it later, you can mull it over in the coming week.  

Jesus calls the disciples.  Fisherman.  And you all, likely, know the punchline of the story: "Come and follow me.  I will make you fishers of men (ahem) all people."  That is the way Matthew and Mark tell the story.  They are a bunch of joke-y punsters, those two.  But Luke does something different in the original text.  Something that we don't see on this side of the NIV's translation work, which phrases the end of verse 10 this way:

"Do not be afraid; from now on you will fish for people."

Having read Matthew and Mark previously, you're probably like "haha, good one Luke."  Except that Luke doesn't use the standard Greek verb "to fish" here.  He has used different iterations of that word throughout the text.  But in this verse he says,

"ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν ἀνθρώπους ἔσῃ ζωγρῶν."

In other words, "from now on I will make you catchers/live-trappers of men (ahem) all people."  The word here (English transliteration: zogrein) has it's root in the Greek word: zoe; meaning life.  Okay, well then, so what? (Lon SolomonTM)

I've only been fishing a couple of times.  Not really my thing -- hooks and blood.  Then you keep the poor things in a tiny bucket of water until such time as your grandfather breaks their necks or hits them over the head with a hammer.   Poor scaly things flopping around on a pier with desperation in their soon-to-be lifeless eyes. That's the visual image I have of fishing.

So, when Jesus tells me to go do THAT to people, I feel justified in my squeamishness.  But now, thanks to Luke, I have a new visual image.  One of live-trapping.  An image reminiscent of time spent in Yellowstone National Park, where animals like wolves and bears are often caught, in order to be tagged, released and watched over.  This image allows me to ruminate on the work of liberation, redemption, setting free that is attendant to the work of ministry.  No more clonking suckers over the head with the Bible.  Instead, we set them free into life -- new life make no mistake -- but life not death all the same!

It's a shame I won't be making that homiletical turn on Sunday.  But now you can reflect with me on a new image and, since I tend to preach lectionary, I'll get another crack at this text in three years.  Talk about working ahead!  #overachiever

Some Initial Thoughts on Luke

Going through the textual work, Luke is a very precise story-teller.  None of Paul's long run-on sentences.  None of John's nuanced grammatical choices.  Just a straight-forward telling of the story, for the most part.

The Lectionary often pairs the reading of Luke 5:1-11 with these texts:

- Isaiah 6:1-8
- I Cor. 15:1-11 (Although I might alternately argue for II Cor. 12:1-10)

Anyone want to make an educated guess as to how these texts might work together?

And then there is the complicated business of a nearly identical story told in John 21:1-14. Some people argue that there were two distinct events tied together thematically.  Indeed, this would explain why Peter so exuberantly identifies the mysterious man on the beach in John 21 as The Christ. He had already experienced something nearly identical.  But, wonder with me, what would it mean if this was one event that John used at the conclusion of Jesus' ministry with the disciples and Luke used it to begin Jesus' ministry with the disciples?  What does holding these two stories in tension with one another do to our understanding of Peter's proclamation of guilt in Luke 5, for example? What is it about this story that so perfectly encapsulates the spirit of Jesus' call to discipleship?

Gearing Up for the Gospels

For the next couple months, we will be using the Gospel of Luke, particularly the early stories of Jesus' ministry to shape our learning together on Sunday mornings.

A Gospels Primer
Most scholars believe that Mark was the earliest Gospel written.  It gets straight to the point.  It is the shortest, as one might expect if someone was trying to get the main points out quick.
Scholars know that John was the latest Gospel written.  This isn't too difficult to see reflected in the writing style, as it tends to add interpretive detail.  Clearly John has had the most time to reflect & shapes his narrative accordingly.
Matthew and Luke are written in between Mark & John.
Matthew is concerned for continuity with Israel and the Kingdom of God.
Luke is concerned with the inclusivity of Jesus new teaching!

So, To Begin ...
This Sunday's text is: Luke 5:1-11.  I encourage you to read it in your Bibles & do two things:

1) Write out a timeline of events in Jesus' ministry leading up to the calling of the disciples.
2) Read the parallel passages in the other Gospels: Mt. 4:12-25, Mk 1:16-20, & John 1:35-51 What differences do you observe?  How might those differences reflect the overall, distinctive purposes of the Gospel writers?

Monday Morning Preacher-ing

As it goes with the whole Redskins nation, so it goes with me.  The day after we wonder: did we make the right calls?  Did we complete the plays?  Any penalty flags thrown to which we must pay attention?

I had a lot of fun in preparation for yesterday's sermon.  The texts unraveled themselves into some threads I'd never properly observed before.

At first I thought I would be preaching Isaiah 60 -- a classic poetic/prophetic text.  An emphasis here would have landed us solidly in verses 4-6 where Isaiah create a linguistic version of concentric circles:
We respond
- First, you look.
- Then you and all around you look.
- Then you and all around you and your children look.
With the result of radiance, joy, etc. being illuminated in the light which has come not simply for you but for MANY.
Aside from the imagery of light and stars, it is the inclusionary nature of this text that lends itself so properly to Epiphany Sunday and a pairing with Matthew 2.

But we'd been in Isaiah so much through Advent, I was ready for the Gospel text.

So Matthew 2:1-12 became the focus of my study.  And I discovered at least five valuable and intriguing sermon ideas. But I am, as yet, unwilling to try your patience by trying to preach a 5-in-1.

First, the one I preached -- an attempt to "get real" about the primary players in the text: Herod, Magi & Christ.  This direction won out for two reasons:
1) I think a lot of schmaltz has attached itself to the pictures we've made in our heads for various Biblical stories.  We've made Herod so terrible that we can't find ourselves in his sin.  And we send one another Christmas cards with the phrase: "Wise men still seek him."  Gender exclusivity aside, I don't think this phrase does justice to the thrust of the text.  I'd much rather print a bumper sticker that says, "God still tracks down outsiders," which leads me to reason ...
2) Aside from sentimentality (which I am willing to concede may be a personal irritant) I am deeply concerned when we read the Bible in such a fashion that anyone except for God gets to be the hero. It's humanism, really.  And we do it a lot. We get to be good enough and smart enough and, doggoneit, Jesus loves us! When the people of the Bible become our heroes, we are either not good enough or similarly capable of earning/deserving God's salvation/blessing in our lives.  That's a serious temptation, I think.  It is also exegetical malpractice and I will not stand for it! (So much more I want to say on this.  Say the word and I will try to work up another blog post along these lines.)
And it is only when we contend rightly with Herod and the Magi that we again see Christ as the Hero.  Christ as the one who came to seek and to save all who are lost.  Christ as the instigator of faith & salvation.

Second, the text made me wrestle with issues of inclusion.  In a sense, I could feel Israel's frustration at God seemingly changing the rules.  Even if you contend the Magi were lovely, moral god-fearers of their day, if THEY are included in the covenant than maybe Herod is too.  And if Herod could be included in the grace of God, well, that's scandalous.  (This line of reasoning worked better before I realized that Herod was "a Jew" in some sense.) But there is the thread of common grace I had never seen before, that is ...

Third, I had never caught before that the star led the Magi to Jerusalem.  And it was in Jerusalem that Herod's court advisers read out the prophecy from Micah pointing the Wise Men to Bethlehem.  So they traveled to Bethlehem and the star met them over Mary & Joseph's place. Bad, mean, terrible Herod gave the Magi the last piece of the puzzle.  They would not have found the Christ-child (according to this narrative) without Herod's help. And, in this, you can find a worthwhile rabbit-trail into the relationship of General Revelation (the stars, science, etc.) and Special Revelation (the Word of God revealed.)

Fourth, not surprisingly, Stanley Hauerwas' commentary on Matthew demonstrated that this tiny baby born in out-of-the-way Bethlehem sent the political world into chaos.  It is simply not enough to coo and cluck over sweet Baby Jesus asleep on the hay if we are simultaneously unwilling to reckon with the political nature of his birth -- and the ensuing massacre of the innocents. Bruner also points out a clever trick in the text.  The first two times he is mentioned Herod retains the title "King."  But after the Magi leave to find & worship Christ, Herod is only ever just that.  Herod.  The appearance of the child-King demotes Herod.  Well played, Matthew.  Well played.

Fifth, several commentators make the link between this chapter at the beginning on Matthew's Gospel and the last few chapters of the same.  The Gentile Magi are the first to refer to Jesus as "The King of the Jews" and they worship him.  The next Gentiles to call him that also place a crown of thorns on his head and lashes across his back.  The Magi are sent back to their home country after they have visited the Christ-child.  And Matthew 28 ends with the Great Commission "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel."

But Ephesians 3 was also a lectionary text and I wanted to weave it through.In part, I chose the idea that I did because it got us to Ephesians 3 with the least amount of textual wrangling. As we looked to Christ in the end, Ephesians 3 reminded us that God's grace is bigger.  God's mercy runs deep.  God's grace is wide.  I still think it's a pretty big leap from this statement into some kind of universalism.  I'm just saying that we oughtn't be in the business of limiting and restricting when the weight of Scripture demonstrates a God who is pushing and reaching.

I'm never sure I've made the right calls on any given Sunday. And I'm happy to hear from you if you might like to spin out an alternate sermon along one of these other, justifiable, paths.  I'd be more than happy to hear that. Because it would mean that you are joining me in contending with the text.  Priesthood of all believers, baby!  

All I can say is that, unlike the Redskins, I'm grateful that, by the grace of God and God's people, there is no such thing as single-elimination preaching. I always get to suit up and hit the field next week.

2013 -- Back at It

Once every seven years it comes to pass that Epiphany (the celebration of the Magi's visit to the Christ-child) fall on a Sunday.  When that happens, the only thing left to do is ... celebrate big!

Reading Isaiah 60:1-9 yesterday, I was struck by how many allusions and parallels are embedded in this ancient piece of prophecy.  There are at least 9 references (according to my count.  I'm happy to find out from you that there are more) from Isaiah 60 that connect to the story of Jesus' birth.  Most of them have to do with the visit of the Magi.

Let's read and catalog them (in the comments section) together.

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
² See, darkness covers the earth
    and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
    and his glory appears over you.
³ Nations will come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

⁴ “Lift up your eyes and look about you:
    All assemble and come to you;
your sons come from afar,
    and your daughters are carried on the hip.
⁵ Then you will look and be radiant,
    your heart will throb and swell with joy;
the wealth on the seas will be brought to you,
    to you the riches of the nations will come.
⁶ Herds of camels will cover your land,
    young camels of Midian and Ephah.
And all from Sheba will come,
    bearing gold and incense
    and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.
⁷ All Kedar’s flocks will be gathered to you,
    the rams of Nebaioth will serve you;
they will be accepted as offerings on my altar,
    and I will adorn my glorious temple.

⁸ “Who are these that fly along like clouds,
    like doves to their nests?
⁹ Surely the islands look to me;
    in the lead are the ships of Tarshish,^[a]
bringing your children from afar,
    with their silver and gold,
to the honor of the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel,
    for he has endowed you with splendor.