e-vo for week of May 27

Dearest e-votees-

This Sunday is the 50th day after Easter (counting partial days like we do when saying Easter is the 3rd day after Good Friday). It is the Day of Pentecost. The word Pentecost is a greek word which means 50.

Pentecost is a feast the originates in Old Testament times and was counted out 50 days (7 weeks) from Passover. It is one of the three festivals for which people would make pilgrimage to Jerusalem. There is a nice article in the Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Baker Book House ©1988) about Pentecost/Feast of Weeks if you are so inclined. Please send me an e-mail if you would like to know more about this.

For Christians the feast took on a whole new meaning when it became the moment when the Holy Spirit became widely distributed among the gathered believers. This is simliar to how Passover took on a whole new meaning when Jesus took unleavened bread from the Passover meal (Seder) and a cup from among the four cups at the Seder and instituted Holy Communion.

May the Holy Spirit blow through us all during our days and empower and equip us for service.

Peace,
Karl

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“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.

I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15, NRSV

Jesus is talking to his disciples preparing them for his passion and departure. Chapter 18 and following is when the words turn from pure red (Jesus offering his extended discourse) to mostly black (more action and description) as Jesus is arrested, accused, abused, crucified, buried and resurrected.

Jesus is offering assurances to his disciples (and to us) that we will not be left on our own. As Jesus returns to the Father he will send the Advocate. The Holy Spirit comes to the early church on the day of Pentecost. People are gathered from all parts of the world speaking all manner of tongues. The Holy Spirit descends upon them and they are equipped and empowered to give testimony about God. When the festival is over people return to their usual places but they don't return the same. The Holy Spirit is moving and active in their lives guiding and reminding and correcting and proving and judging. The teachings of Jesus that are needed are brought to memory. Testimony abounds fueled by the Holy Spirit.

When we gather in our houses of worship we come from many different parts of the world and speaking a large variety of languages. The Holy Spirit blows among us as we confess and are absolved, as we sing and worship, as we encounter baptism and communion and as the word is rightly preached. When the worship is over we return to our usual places but don't return the same. The Holy Spirit is still moving and active in our lives doing all the same things it always has.

May we go out into the world with a testimony fueled by the Holy Spirit. We do not go out alone. We do not go out in our names seeking our glory and recognition. May the Advocate blow through us and bring glory to God the Father and our Lord Jesus.

God, gather us as your people. Take the old forms and the old rituals and blow into them new life and new inspiration. Have your way in us all to your glory. Amen.

e-vo for week of May 20

Dearest e-votees-

Easter was celebrated on April 12 this year. If you count out 40 days (including the partial days as we do counting Easter Sunday as the third day after Good Friday) then tomorrow (Thursday) would be 40 days after Easter--the day of Ascension.

This week we will look at one of the appointed texts for Ascension day.

Peace,
Karl

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Then [Jesus] said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

Luke 24:44-53, NRSV

Jesus says that everything written about him in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled. It is fairly common to see phrases like "the law and the prophets" in scripture. The inclusion of the psalms with this formulation is unique to this passage in Luke.

The law of Moses

God has expectations for God's people. There are ways they are to carry themselves in the world. There are things to be done and things to be left undone. The law provides protection and guidance in a world that can be very harsh and destructive. Jesus makes the claim that the expectations on him in the law as the messiah have been fulfilled.


The prophets

God has visions and dreams and corrective words for God's people. God does not leave us alone to fumble through the world but provides guides and teachers and sages and rabbis to utter as carried along by the Holy Spirit. The prophets provide breath and life and inspiration in a world that can be very dead and dry. Jesus makes the claim that the inspirations in the prophets leading up to him coming as messiah have been fulfilled.


the psalms

God has a deep relationship and intense feelings for God's people. When we struggle and when we rejoice we voice prayers and we sing prayers. Dietrich Bonhoeffer called the psalter (the book of psalms) the prayer book of the Bible. Jesus drew from psalms on the cross as he prayed and as he died. The psalms provide words and feelings in a world that can tell us all too often to suck it up and keep our pains and joys to ourselves. Jesus makes the claim that the exultations and lamentations found in the psalms that help shape him as messiah have been fulfilled.


When we truly understand that Jesus is found in the law and the prophets and the psalms we are blessed. We respond with worship. We respond with blessing God. We respond with service in the world seeing God's image in those we encounter. We go out as God's witnesses in the world. We go out empowered by the Holy Spirit.


God, thank you for bringing scripture to life in Jesus. Bring your words and your promises to life in us as well. Amen.

e-vo for week of May 13

Dearest e-votees-

Our gospel lesson for this week picks up right where last week's left off. Jesus is still speaking (and using some abides). But the word for the week has clearly shifted from abide to love.

Peace,
Karl

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“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.”

John 15:9-17, NRSV

Maundy Thursday comes from the command given by Jesus for the disciples to love one another in John 13:34. Our appointed text for this Sunday comes from the same discourse. Jesus offers some insight into what that loving one another might look like.

Jesus is drawing near to the cross and preparing his followers for what is to come. He is giving some of his final instructions and guidance. Jesus tells his disciples who are having this Last Supper with him that they are no longer servants but friends.

The bottom line is this Jesus tells his friends (and us too) to abide (to stay connected and to stay around) and to love (to offer ourselves sacrificially even to the point of death).

There isn't an expiration date on these words. They are still should be at work in our lives. Sometimes stresses come into our lives that fire up the reptilian/primitive brain in us. Our reaction to things that bear down upon us is instinctually to fight or flight. Jesus calls us to love and linger.

Had Jesus wanted to fight off those who came to crucify him he could have done so easily. Had Jesus wanted to flee so that those with the hammer and the spikes couldn't find him that would have been no trouble. Jesus chose differently.

Jesus chose to love and linger. Over the meal he instituted communion and washed the feet. In the garden he healed the ear that was hacked off hastily by one of the dinner guests who apparently missed some of the dinner conversation. On the cross he spoke words of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Jesus calls us to choose differently too. As things press into us and bring stress we can press into Jesus who can and will equip us to love and abide.

God, form us into the kinds of friends you want us to be for you. May love win the day. May we abide in you and your ways. Amen.

e-vo for week of May 6

Dearest e-votees-

Our gospel lesson for this Sunday is one about staying connected to Jesus.

May all of us abide in Jesus drawing life and hope and peace and love from him no matter what things come our way in the days and weeks ahead.

Peace,
Karl

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“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

John 15:1-8, NRSV

There is a word that shows up an awful lot in our eight verses above--“abide” . Feel free to count them if you wish:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

John 15:1-8, NRSV

If the interested reader were to pick up an NRSV and keeping reading there would be another 3 abides in the next two verses. This word in the Greek is meh-no and it is the linguistic ancestor for our word “remain” . The invitation and the exhortation from Jesus is for us to remain.

If we remain there is the expectation that pruning will occur in our lives. Vines work best when some parts are cut off and the healthier parts are nourished. Sometimes vines can look very bare and almost dead when the pruner is putting the shears back in the shed. It is through that pruning, however, that fruit grows best. Pruning is a sign of long-term investment and abiding care. What might God be pruning from our lives?

If we remain there is the expectation that our lives will be fruitful. If we want our lives to truly produce things of lasting importance we want to remain in Jesus. The fruits of the spirit look different than those of the world. If we take our harvest of spiritual fruits to the produce markets of this world we may well be disappointed at the offered price. What the world thinks of and how it values our fruits is immaterial. The fruits God works in our lives are meant to be given away rather than sold. For the best harvest of fruit in our lives we need to remain attached to the vine.

Jesus talks about remaining in him and his words remaining in us. He says that when these things happen the things that we ask will be granted. I believe much of what is being said here is that when we stay close to Jesus our hearts and prayers will be shaped into harmony with God's heart and desires. Surely not every prayer will be answered as we wish ( “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me...” ). But just as surely our hearts and wills can grow into those of God's ( “...yet not what I want but what you want.” ) [Matthew 26:39] Prayer is as much about changing us as it is changing the circumstances around us. [I commend to you Gordon Atkinson's piece "Why Don't You Write Something About Prayer/Something About Prayer" in the book RealLivePreacher.com]

God, help us this day to abide with and in you. We are so grateful that you abide with and in us. We invite you to prune our lives. We pray that you would help us to bear fruit. Draw our hearts and souls and minds and strengths into your ways. Amen.