e-vo for Holy Week

Dearest e-votees-

My hope and prayer is that your Holy Week is full of worship, family, God and the glorious news of the empty tomb (and all the preceding events that make that news so glorious).

I have been pondering death quite a bit this year during Lent and Holy Week. It is, after all, the precursor to resurrection.

Peace,
Karl

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Ash Wednesday is how we start Lent with a focus on our broken lives, our sinful ways and our own mortality. We draw near to the garden realizing that the rebellion of Adam and Eve isn’t so far away but rather stares back at us whenever we look in a mirror. We are reminded of the curse of the garden: “You are dust and to dust you shall return.” In our own ways in this world we will end up nowhere but the grave.

Palm Sunday is when the people have hope that Jesus will put to death (literally or metaphorically) the oppressive Romans. They welcome Jesus in a makeshift conqueror’s parade. Jesus has come to be a king but one unlike those of the world. Ever since Saul God thought the idea of God’s people having a king was misguided. Now Jesus comes to put to death the expectation of a mighy military conquering king. The crowd has little tolerance for having their vision shifted and turns to cries of “Crucify, crucify!” all too quickly.

Maundy Thursday is when Jesus calls his disciples to love others by humbling themselves and washing feet. Pride and jockeying are to be drowned in the waters of the servant’s wash basin. Whoever wants to be great must be the servant of all. Jesus gives of his body and his blood to all present (betrayers, deniers, scatterers all). Jesus calls his followers to die to themselves and to take up the mantle of service as well.

Good Friday is when Jesus shows the full extent of his love by facing a grisly and unjust death for those who put him there. He prays for forgiveness and makes arrangements for his mother to stay with the disciple whom Jesus loved. He promises paradise to a condemned criminal. Jesus’ life is poured out for those who loved him and those who hated him. He enters fully into death that we might enter fully into life.

Easter is when the final deathblow is dealt – the death of death. With Jesus’ resurrection (not rescuscitation like Lazarus or Jairus’ daughter) death no longer has its grips on Jesus. And we are brought into that glorious good news as well. Jesus is alive. We too shall live. Alleluia! May your Easter celebration with worship, family, God and the glorious news of the empty tomb be blessed.


God, draw us through whatever deaths you must so that we may fully experience resurrection life. Amen and Alleluia!

e-vo for week of April 9

Dearest e-votees-

For the Wednesdays of Lent at Christ the Good Shepherd this year we have been using the epistle texts from the preceding Sunday in our midweek worship.

Blessings on your experience of the tail end of Lent this year and your experience of Holy Week.

This week's lesson comes from Paul's letter to the church at Rome, the 8th chapter.

Peace,
Karl

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6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

Romans 8:6-11, NRSV

There is a set of cross currents the flow throughout scripture:

God blows life and power into the dust.

Those who are blessed and equipped go their own way leading to death, disempowerment and returning to the dust.

In the garden God forms the first humans from dirt and blows the breath of God into them. Soon after the first couple chooses to go their own way, to seek the knowledge of good and evil, to seek to become like God. And in so doing they unleash mortality and a journey back towards the dust.

God chooses a people and makes promises to them. They are blessed with laws and prophets to guide them and to bring life and power into their community. But the people choose their own ways. They fashion idols out of their jewelry and demand a king like all of the surrounding communities. They find themselves literally and metaphorically dying. They return to piles of dusty bones.

So God take Ezekiel out into the desert and shows him a sampling of such bones. God sends breath into the refleshed bones and life returns. God promises that graves will be opened and that the people will be brought out. Yet the message doesn't seem to take so well. The people continue to choose dusty paths and deadly paths.

Jesus comes into the world breathing life and hope into the people. He teaches as one with authority and bears the Holy Spirit (God's breath) in a new and compelling way. Life and power are unleashed on a dusty people. Yet some cannot tolerate the gracious and life-giving ways of Jesus. And they kill him on a stake and seal him in a tomb. Now all is left to do is to wait for him to return to dust.

The disciples know they are done for and lurk behind locked doors awaiting their similar fate. Jesus comes into the dusty room through the walls and breathes into them the Holy Spirit. Sinful, dusty, dead and broken people tried their best to drag Jesus down with them but he would not stay dead. Jesus is alive and well and loose in the world. The Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us and all believers. God has sent the deciding gust in Pentecost. Our flesh, our Old Adam and Old Eve, may yet be of dust and heading towards the grave but our renewed flesh, our New Adam and New Eve, are surely part of the resurrection promise hinted at for all these years and decisively delivered in the life, ministry, death and resurrection of our Lord. Thanks be to God.


God, blow into us and through us. Amen.

e-vo for week of April 2

Dearest e-votees-

For the Wednesdays of Lent at Christ the Good Shepherd this year we are using the epistle texts from the preceding Sunday in our midweek worship.

For e-vos we will be doing the same thing. Blessings on your experience of Lent this year.

This week's lesson comes from Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus, the 5th chapter.

Peace,
Karl

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8 For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light— 9 for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. 10 Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; 13 but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
Ephesians 5:8-14, NRSV

This text draws us into a world of opposites:

darkness vs. light

absence of light vs. presence of light

what is hidden vs. what is revealed

what is false vs. what is true

what is unrighteous vs. what is righteous

broken rebellion vs. restored relationship
Jesus, the light of the world, comes into our dark world to reveal, to make known, to expose, to call out, to summon forth, to evidence, etc., etc.

Our old Adams and old Eves scurry for the edges and the crannies and the crevices like the spiritual cockroaches they are.

Jesus shines light into us, onto us and through us. We are to be like the moon reflecting the sun; we are to be reflecting the Son.

When the light catches the eye of another the hope and prayer is that, like Matthew 5:16, they might see the light and give glory to God in heaven.

Jesus, who is God, has come to reveal God. We, who are Jesus', are sent to reveal God. May it be so in our lives.


God, shine, shine, shine. Amen.

e-vo for week of March 26

Dearest e-votees-

For the Wednesdays of Lent at Christ the Good Shepherd this year we are using the epistle texts from the preceding Sunday in our midweek worship.

For e-vos we will be doing the same thing. Blessings on your experience of Lent this year.

This week's lesson comes from Paul's letter to the church at Rome, the 5th chapter.

Peace,
Karl

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1 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. 8 But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. 9 Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11 But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Romans 5:1-11, NRSV
The good news for us and for all is that Christ (the anointed one, the Messiah) died for the ungodly. God took on mortality and bore a mortal wounding for those far from God. All of us know how noble it is to sacrifice one's life for a buddy, a family member or an innocent. So many movies scenes have made cinematic hay over noble sacrifices for worthy recipients. But Jesus brings a whole new take to the picture. Jesus offers himself for Peter--the denier. Jesus offers himself for Judas--the betrayer. Jesus offers himself for Saul--the persecutor of the church--who becomes Paul the author of Romans. Jesus offers himself for the thieves on the crosses on either side of him. Jesus offers himself for those who crucified him--and prays for them with his dying breaths. Jesus offers himself for all who are estranged from and hostile towards and at war with God. Jesus offers himself for us. Through Jesus' death we have been reconciled to God by God.

Since we have been reconciled through his death we are graciously grafted into the life offered through his resurrection. Jesus did not stay dead. Our old Adams and old Eves are terminally ill but Jesus brings new life making us new Adams and new Eves. Through the faith that the Holy Spirit blows into our lives we are justified and at peace with God. We now have the power and the indwelling presence to boast of sufferings--knowing that they produce endurance. We now have the power and the indwelling presence to embrace endurance--knowing that God is forming our character through the things that come our way. We now have the power and the indwelling presence to be hopeful--which the enduring character God is working in us bears. We are secure and reconciled in God's love which Jesus bore on the cross and the Holy Spirit pours into our hearts.

Jesus has granted us access to the grace of God. We are able to stand in God's presence and kneel in service to others just as Jesus' showed us to do. Thanks be to God.


God, bring your power and your indwelling presence to bear in our lives. Amen.

e-vo for week of March 19

Dearest e-votees-

For the Wednesdays of Lent at Christ the Good Shepherd this year we are using the epistle texts from the preceding Sunday in our midweek worship.

For e-vos we will be doing the same thing. Blessings on your experience of Lent this year.

This week's lesson comes from Paul's letter to the church at Rome distinguishing justification by works from justification by faith.

Peace,
Karl

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1 What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. 5 But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness.

13 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.

16 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

Romans 4:1-5, 13-17, NRSV
In the economy of this world we work for things (paychecks, respect, people's attention, positions on sports teams, degrees and certificates, etc., etc.) When we think we have completed what is required we believe we are entitled to our due. We are aware that such things can be lost if we perform poorly, get caught in bad situation or just lose our edge. If we embrace this world view too tightly we become competitive, possessive and willing to tear others down that we might appear to shine a little brighter.

When this world view slips into the realms of faith and justification we start looking like a Pharisee who went into the Temple one day:

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’...

Luke 18:9-12, NRSV
We feel that God owes us something for our good life. We feel God owes other something when we think they don't measure up. We see specks in the eyes of others but miss the logs in our own eyes. We make up rules and apply them to others and to God in order to be able to judge and dismiss others. We create a system that makes us and everyone else fit for hell. We seek out to know good and evil and end up bringing curse upon curse on all of us.

Jesus came into the world to bring forth a different economy. There are glimpses of this coming into being in the faith of Abram (aka Abraham). God makes promises (about new lands, about generations to come (numerous as grains of sand and stars of night), covenants and unquenchable loving regard). God calls into existence in Abraham's life things that do not exist. Forgiveness and new starts and right standing are given as gift.

When this world view slips into the realms of our broken and fallen world we start relating to a tax collector who went into the Temple one day:

...13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Luke 18:13-14, NRSV
We realize that we cannot save ourselves and are undeserving to stand in God's house let alone in the presence of God. We are saved by gift from God--pure grace. Because the giver is faithful we need not fear losing the gift. Because God chooses us we don't need to worry so much about how well we chose God. Because God's economy calls into being those things which weren't we have a sure and certain hope.

Because we have been washed into this promise through baptism we just might be able to shine a little brighter so others might see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. Thanks be to God.


God, help us lean hard into the gift that you purchased for us at so great a price. Amen.

e-vo for week of March 12

Dearest e-votees-

For the Wednesdays of Lent at Christ the Good Shepherd this year we are using the epistle texts from the preceding Sunday in our midweek worship.

For e-vos we will be doing the same thing. Blessings on your experience of Lent this year.

Peace,
Karl

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12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned— 13 sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. 14 Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come.

15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. 16 And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. 17 If, because of the one man’s trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

18 Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. 19 For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

Romans 5:12-19, NRSV
The plain reading of this text is that there is a difference between the transgression of one man (Adam) that had dire consequences for all and the salvation brought by another man (Jesus) that brought justification and life for all. We can read this passively as something that happened, not our doing, that caused disastrous problems and that something else happened, also not our doing, that undid those consequences. We're like spiritual drifters tossed to and fro by currents and movements much more powerful than us. We could plead inability to battle forces so much more powerful than us and thereby try to sidestep culpability.

Or we could enter into this text in a little more nuanced fashioned. The truth is that we in our unredeemed states--old Adam and old Eve--are just as likely as Adam and Eve were to strike out proudly on our own. We would seek to usurp God's rightful place. It wouldn't take long for us to transgress against any structures laid out for our care and our protection. Adam and Eve aren't distant relatives but kin as close as can be found. We would, and have, trespassed. We would, and have, merited condemnation. We would, and have, brought the full sentence of death to bear. We are the one.

Jesus comes into the world bearing the gift of salvation. All of us to a one have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Jesus stooped and was raised up to display the glory of God's mercy and forgiveness. Through one, me, death came into the world. Through one, you, death came into the world. Through one, Jesus, life came into the world--for all, me and you and everyone else. We are made righteous. This is as much about being restored in right relationship as it is in having our slates wiped clean. The transgressions that our old selves embrace bring separation from God. God's grace and mercy refuse to let that state be the final state of affairs. Thanks be to God. Perhaps the best picture of this is the father of the prodigal son refusing to give up on one who severed the relationship. Perhaps God says to the heavenly host "Rejoice and kill the fatted calf my son, my daughter who was lost has been found!"

That is the greatest gift we could ever receive.


God, help us lean hard into the gift that you purchased for us at so great a price. Amen.

e-vo for Ash Wednesday

Dearest e-votees-

Remember you are dust.

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and to dust you shall return.
Peace,
Karl

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8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion for his children,so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
14 For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust.

Psalm 103:8-14, NRSV
When we impose ashes on Ash Wednesday we remember the curse in the garden. The humans have broken relationship with God and are condemned to return to the dust from which they were formed. God's breath will leave them at some point and their bodies will return to their elemental constituents. On Ash Wednesday we remember our mortality, our separation, our broken ways and the deep sin that grieves us.

In the Psalm above we are reminded that God remembers our dusty ways too. God comes at us with grace and forgiveness when we deserve law and condemnation. Our sins are stripped away from us and moved from as far as one can see one way to the complete other side. God has compassion for us and for all--God's children. God remembers creating us from dust. God remembers where we are headed--particularly when left to our own devices--and leads us out of the dust. If we truly experience this love of God we cannot help but be changed. And if that is so we remember others that are in dusty places, too, and reach out to them as the Lord does to us.

God we are dust. We are your dust. You do good work with the dust. Make us new and draw us to you. Amen.