e-vo for week of September 15

Dearest e-votees-

I hope and pray that this finds you well. This week’s gospel text is the unusual story of the dishonest or the shrewd manager (Luke 16:1-13). The manager who is being let go makes very questionable deals to ensure his future security—and Jesus lifts this up as some sort of example of what we are to do. Certainly your preacher this weekend will make this abundantly clear and edifying this weekend.

For our time I thought we would spend some time with the epistle reading from 1 Timothy.

Peace,
Karl

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1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, 6 who gave himself a ransom for all —this was attested at the right time. 7 For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

1 Timothy 2:1-7, NRSV

We live in a time and a culture where we view our leaders (“kings and all who are in high positions”) with a skeptical eye. We wonder if they have the best interest of “we the people” or if they are—truth be told—more like the dishonest/shrewd manager. These musings don’t come without some provocation and some justification. But I think we too quickly skip over the first verse of our appointed epistle lesson.

We are called to be people of prayer. We are called to lift up supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings for everyone. Those who are in Washington, D.C. or the synod office or City Hall or who lead the neighborhood association or work pulpits during worship or who sit on the school board or the behind the big desk in the corner office at work are all certainly part of “everyone”. If we look at the balance in our prayer lives what do we see? How often do we pray for those in leadership? Particularly how often do we faithfully lift up those in prayer those who have perhaps done wrong by us or by others? Can we pray fervently for those who seem to be akin to the dishonest/shrewd manager? Will we?

There is a hope that we might lead quiet and peaceable lives. There is hope that godliness and dignity might win the day. If this is to happen for us it starts with our hearts and our attitudes. We are saved through Jesus’ mediation—through the cross. As we bear our crosses we can be transformed into ones where dignity and godliness are being cultivated. Peace and quiet can come more and more to bear on our days in a world that is often anything but dignified or godly or peaceful or quiet.

To be sure there are times when we are called to engage the broken and misguided powers. Jesus drove the moneychangers out. Jesus called out the hypocrisy of some and engaged others to the point of causing scandal. As we grow up into Jesus we might find ourselves in these places too. We are called to be so much more than soft-spoken dupes who let the world trample us. There is still a place for advocacy and prophecy and rebuke. But those things come much better from hearts that are quiet and peaceful and godly and dignified.


God, shape our hearts and our prayers to be in forms that are pleasing to you. Help us live more fully into you. Help us engage the world well as we pray for and love all that we encounter. Stir us to be more like you—sacrificially loving and bringing healing and salvation into the world. Amen.