July 30 Abundance of Loaves and Fishes

Dearest e-votees-

This Sunday's appointed text is Matthew's account of the feeding of the 5,000 with 

May God's abundance and provision sustain you and others through you.

Peace,

Karl

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As you probably know we have four gospels that made it into the canonical scriptures:  Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  Three of these gospels are very similar and obviously information passed between them (and perhaps a lost document referred to as "Q" as well).  These three gospels are Matthew, Mark and Luke and are referred to as the synoptic gospels since they all have a very similar perspective.  John has a very different set of details, perspective and theological slant than the synoptics.

There is only one miracle that Jesus performed that ended up in all four gospels.  It is the account of the feeding of the 5,000.  You can read about it in: 

Some things to note:

• It seems that 5,000 was the tally of men. Adding in women and children greatly enhances to total fed.
• the loaves and fishes were a little boy's lunch. That said, there is no way that they started out with the volume to fill 12 basketfuls.
• There are 12 disciples out fetching the scraps and 12 baskets. Clearly not a coincidence.

Some applications for us:

• We might look at our own resources and say "There is too great a need. Look at all these people. I only have a little boy's lunch." What might Jesus say back to us?
• What might have happened this day if the little boy's lunch didn't come into play?
• Are we mindful when walking around filling up a basket of how much has come to be? Are we grateful for God's provision or grumbly about having to serve in the role of a busperson?
• Was this a story just for the time of Jesus or does this sort of thing still happen?
• The whole event began by Jesus being stirred with compassion (literally a stirring of the bowels in Greek). Are we open to being stirred with compassion for those in need around us?

Dear God, there is a world in need in us and around us. You have compassion and grace for us. In the words of Tiny Tim "God bless us, everyone!" We pray you stir us and use us as agents of your blessing. Help us render service and tend to the needs (physical, emotional, spiritual) of others all to your glory. Amen.

July 10 Pay it Forward, Backward, Sideways and Every Which Way

Dearest e-votees,

This Sunday's text includes Matthew's account of the parable of the sower and the interpretation (both relayed by Jesus).  Sunday's readings also includes Isaiah 55:10-11 which speaks of God's word going out like the rain and the snow and not returning (you know the water cycle--SCIENCE!!!) without accomplishing the purpose for which it is sent.

As recipients of God's good news and saving grace we get to go out as well and scatter seeds.  It is part of the calling we receive and are empowered to do in our baptisms.

Peace,

Karl

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Isaiah 55:10-11 (NRSV) says:

10  For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty but shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

 

You may remember the 2000 movie "Pay It Forward" which you can find out about on IMDB (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0223897) which revolved around the idea of randomly doing three big favors for people you don't know exponentially releasing blessings and goodness into the world.

You may remember the movement based around the quotation "Practice random acts of kindness and senseless beauty" by Anne Herbert that was launched when she first wrote the quote on a placemat in Sausalito, CA (you can read more on this at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_act_of_kindness).

You may remember (or may not since it did not garner nearly the attention it should) the 2015 movie "Batkid Begins:  The Wish Heard Around the World" (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3884528) which documents the remarkable story of San Francisco turning into Gotham City for the day for the sake of granting the wish a young leukemia patient.  The contagious kindness and incredible outpouring of love are staggering.  Check it out.

What all of these things--Jesus' parable and interpretation, Isaiah's text, fictional movie, counter-cultural scrawling and incredible true documentary--have in common is that we don't know where things will take root, nor to what extent they will grow and multiply, nor to what the final impact will be.  What we have are calls and examples for us to go out and to share generously of the blessings we have received.

The story of the so called "Prodigal Son" is the story of one who wastefully squanders his inheritance (www.m-w.com defines "prodigal" as "characterized by profuse or wasteful expenditure").  Truth be told it is the father (cipher for God) who is the prodigal one (both when the son is departing and even more gloriously when the son returns) who is prodigal.  The sower of Jesus' parable is also prodigal in the scattering of seed.  We who have reaped so generously of God's prodigal blessings are in turn to go and be prodigal.

One thing to remember is this is part of taking up our cross and following after Jesus.  We deny ourselves in order to bless others.  Being generous and kind can have bad returns.  Look at Jesus on the cross.  Look at Haley Joel Osment's character who (SPOILER ALERT:) ends up dead and in a near cruciform position (hints of Pieta by Michelangelo as well when Helen Hunt enters the scene).  There are no guarantees that doing the right thing will keep us safe.  In fact, sometimes just the opposite.  But we do them nonetheless.  It is the way of Jesus. 

God thank you for all of your blessings.  Send us as agents of your blessing as well.  Thank you that you bring the growth and accomplish the purpose according to your ways and plans.  Amen.

July 7 Unapologetic Apology

Dearest e-votees,

Today's e-vo is an example of unapologetic apology.

Here's what's help to note from the outset:

There are two senses to the word apology.  The more current one is for one to express regret or remorse for doing something.  i.e., "I'm sorry I forgot your birthday.  I'll try to do better going forward."

The older sense of the word is to make a defense of something.  It comes from Greek with "apo-" meaning "off" or "away from" and "logos" meaning "speech" or "word"  (thank you http://www.etymnoline.com).   In the Book of Concord there is the Augsburg Confession (1530) and then the Apology of the Augsburg Confession (September 1531).  This was not an apology by the reformers "for" the Augsburg Confession but rather an apology "of" the Augsburg Confession.  It was arguments defending the contents of the Augsburg Confession.

Peace,

Karl

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1 Peter 3:13-16 (NRSV) says:

Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good?  But even if you suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed.  Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord.  Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence.  Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for yoru good conduct in Christ may be put to shame.

 

In other words you should not apologize for your faith ("do not be intimidated") but rather be prepared to make apology of your faith ("be ready to make your defense...for the hope that is in you").  We called to be people to share hope to a world that can be in desperate need of said hope.

That doesn't mean we don't apologize for missteps, transgressions and sins against God and one another.  We most certainly should do so.  There is a reason that we start services often with confession and absolution.  Repentance, the beginning and the deepening of faith, is about apologizing to God and to those made in God's image.  Those who refuse to apologize betray a shallowness of character and faith.

And as we make apology of our faith we can proclaim God's forgiveness, mercy and grace for all who seek those things from God through repentant hearts.  As we make apology of our faith we can proclaim God's forgiveness, mercy and grace at work for those who haven't even yet come to repentance.  God leads and we respond.  God saves and we can help engage the world with that saving hope.  God accepts our apologies (those spoken and those yet to be spoken) and equips us to make apology.

God use us this day to be unapologetic apologists for the hope we have in you.  Amen.

July 4 e-vo

Dearest e-votees,

Today is our day set aside to celebrate freedom and independence here in the United States.  Our predecessors freed themselves from England.  They became a self-determining country.  But in order to bring this country into existence there was great harm exerted on the pre-existing residents as well as the enslaved people that were forced to build it.  We have a checkered past to be sure and this is a complicated day to celebrate.

What do we as Christians do with the freedoms that have been won for us by Christ for the sake of ourselves and others that are not fully freed?

Peace,

Karl

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Martin Luther said (in On Christian Liberty) 

• A Christian is a perfectly free Lord of all, subject to none.  
• A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.

Let's step around the sexist language.  The point is that we are freed in Christ and are not subject to anyone.  We are "freed from..."

But we are called to use that freedom for the sake of others.  We are freed from having to earn our own salvations (which we could never do) so that we can use that freedom to be a blessing and a joy to others.  We are "freed for..."

None of us are wholly free.  We are in bondage to sin.  We don't have complete liberty to control ourselves, our circumstances and our destinies.  But many of us do have a large measure of freedom.  Perhaps we could spend some time today and in the days ahead reflecting on how that freedom could be used to bless and help liberate others who are not so free.

Blessings on your observances of July 4th.  Be safe, be grateful and be generous.