e-vo for week of March 26

Dearest e-votees-

I am out of the office for a few days and I wanted to send this before I left town.

Have a blessed Easter season celebration. "Christ is risen!"

Peace,
Karl

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Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you." As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight. Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips. The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage. I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I keep the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure. For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit. You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16, NRSV

This is the appointed psalm for this coming Sunday. It is also the source material for Peter's quote in Acts 2:25b-28 when he is talking about Jesus.

The people had put many hopes on King David and his lineage. Peter makes reference to the fact that his tomb is well known to the audience. David wasn't able to do much for the people anymore. But someone in David's line would. Someone David wrote about himself in Psalm 16. Someone who did not end up stuck in Sheol or in the Pit.

David's tomb is full--Jesus' tomb is empty.

David lived a life of faith that was stained with sin--Jesus lived a faithful life and stained a wooden cross with his innocent blood for our sin.

David wrote beautiful words about the Messiah--Jesus is the Word, the Messiah, through whom all things came to be.

David offered hope--Jesus is our hope.

God, we thank you for the life and witness of David. We praise you for the life and death and restored life of Jesus. Help us witness to that hope. Amen.

e-vo for week of March 19

Dearest e-votees-

I hope and trust and pray that your Holy Week has been blessed. May God be with you and us all as we gather around the Last Supper, the basin and the towel, the garden and the trial, the cross and the empty tomb.

There are lots of permutations for the lessons for this Sunday in the lectionary. For this e-vo we’ll hone in on the option from Colossians.

Peace,
Karl

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So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

Colossians 3:1-4, NRSV

The first thing to note is the construction "have been raised with Christ." The verb is in a construction called aorist which is an event that has been brought definitively to completion in the past. The verb is also passive meaning that it is something done to us rather than our own accomplishment. In other words it is a done deal and we didn’t do it.

We were connected with Jesus’ death and resurrection most particularly in our baptisms. God is the one at work in our baptisms not us. In other words it is a done deal and we didn’t do it.

The construction "So if you have been raised with Christ" isn’t calling into question our having been raised with Christ. It has the sense of "If you have been raised with Christ-- which you have--..." It is more of the flavor "Since you have been raised with Christ..." (see NIV as an example).

All this is to say that God has definitively connected us to Jesus’ death and resurrection in our baptisms. This should continue to be active and at work in our lives as the rest of the Colossians text suggests. Because God has acted definitively in our lives in baptism we are freed to respond through the leading of the Holy Spirit.

When faced with choosing between things above and things of this earth (not everything falls into such clean binary categories) we are encouraged to choose those things of above. When we are unsure the Holy Spirit can help us discern. When we choose poorly the Holy Spirit can redirect our paths.

Our life is hidden (from others and even from us as times) with Christ in God. There is a mysterious piece to this new life with Christ in God. It hasn’t all been revealed yet.

When Jesus comes (now in part and once and for all at the end of time) our glory will be revealed too. (future, passive--it will happen and we won’t be the prime actors).


God, help us trust that you have raised us with Christ and that you have hidden our lives in you through Jesus. Give us patience and faith to trust your promises especially when they are hard to see. Reveal yourself to us and to the world and bring your glory. Amen.

e-vo for week of March 12

Dearest e-votees-

We are bearing down on Holy Week. My hope and prayer is that we would find many opportunities to linger around worship during the days ahead. It is worth walking through the days and abiding in the week as it unfolds.

Rather than try to digest the entire week (the Passion narrative from Matthew) or considering the Christ hymn in Philippians 2:5-11 we will take a look at the Isaiah text that is appointed for Sunday.

Blessings on your day.

Peace,
Karl

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The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens—wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. It is the Lord God who helps me; who will declare me guilty?

Isaiah 50:4-9a, NRSV

This text sets the stage well for Jesus’ final week of his mortal existence.

Jesus has indeed the tongue of a teacher. He inspires the crowd with his parables and his confounding of those trying to entrap him. He has spoken to Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman in the past few weeks. And he has spoken to us as well as we have been listening in.

He wakens not only our ears but the dead as well. As Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb Jesus calls to the dead places in us. Life comes where stench and despair were found before. We are brought into the resurrection hope as Jesus calls for us to come forth.

In spite of his teaching and his healing ministry—perhaps even because of them—humanity turns on Jesus. In spite of Jesus’ teaching and healing ministry in our own lives—perhaps even because of them—we turn on Jesus. We insult him and spit on him and pull on his beard. We are the ones nailing Jesus to the cross (Mel Gibson did his best work in The Passion by acting as the one nailing Jesus to the cross). We contend with God. We are God’s adversaries.

In spite of our rebellion—perhaps even because of it—Jesus turns towards humanity with a compassionate and forgiving heart. Jesus prays for us and for all “Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” Jesus offers forgiveness to the thief on the cross (traditionally named Dismas) and to us.

We can say with Isaiah: “It is the Lord God who helps me; who will declare me guilty?” Thanks be to God.


Jesus we praise you for this week you underwent on our behalf. Bless our times of worship as we remember how you didn’t forget us. Give us hearts and thoughts and actions that are pleasing to you. Amen.

e-vo for week of March 5

Dearest e-votees-

This week the appointed gospel is the familiar text of Jesus bringing Lazarus back from the dead—a powerful account that speaks to people deeply particularly at funerals and other times of profound mourning. That account will no doubt be the focus of many a sermon this Sunday.

We will explore the appointed text from Romans as the focus of our devotions this week. It has much to say to us as well.

Peace,
Karl

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To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 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, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 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. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 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

We are made in the image of God. We are also creatures made of flesh. Being made of flesh is not a problem. Jesus was God and also a fully fleshed out human being. Jesus was able to faithfully live out his days fully submitting to God’s laws. Jesus was flesh and spirit and lived in a way that pleased God.

Paul, in this text, raises the issue of what is the focus of our mind. If the mind is set upon tending to the flesh then it is death. If the mind is set on the spirit of God there is life and peace. Where we put our mind matters.

One way to think of God is the one to which we give our utmost attention or the final say. If our decisions are ultimately based on the needs and desires of our flesh then our own fleshly instincts have usurped God’s rightful place and become a surrogate god. If our decisions are ultimately based on the promptings and teachings of the Holy Spirit then God remains on the throne.

God does not desire suffering for suffering’s sake. God doesn’t disregard our needs and our desires as fleshly beings. God made the beings out of flesh and regarded them as good in the book of Genesis. But the desires and the needs of the Holy Spirit must trump the desires and needs of the flesh when in tension. There are times when we must forgo the fleshly impulses for the Holy Spirit’s sake.

The Holy Spirit at work in us gives life that the gratifications of the flesh never can. The world dangles sensory fulfillment of the flesh. God calls us to a deeper fulfillment by the Holy Spirit. The world beckons us toward the “good life” but really calls us towards death like the mythological sirens. The Holy Spirit stirs us towards “the Way, the Truth and the Life” which sometimes looks like a cross—an instrument of death. Through that cross, however, the truest life there is can be found.

Jesus, help us to set our minds on your Holy Spirit. We thank you for that Spirit poured into our lives in the baptismal font. Help our flesh give way to the things that will ultimately bring about your kingdom in us and in this world. Amen.

e-vo for week of February 27

Dearest e-votees-

I hope and pray Lent is going well for you. For this week we will focus on the appointed Old Testament lesson of David being selected as king. Our powerful (and lengthy) gospel story about the man born blind needs a fair amount of time to develop. In many churches it will get the lion's share of the attention in worship.

Here is some attention for our no less powerful Old Testament lesson.

Peace,
Karl

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The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.' Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you." Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?" He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord." But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one." Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one." Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these." Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here." He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one." Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

1 Samuel 16:1-13, NRSV

Samuel was instrumental in Saul becoming the first king of Israel. 1 Samuel 10 has Samuel anointing Saul much like he does to David in the text above. Saul didn't end up working out too well. God decides to have Saul replaced. Samuel had all sorts of reasons to be grieving: for the country, for Saul personally, for his own part in helping Saul to become king, etc., etc.

God tells Samuel to stop grieving and to go and anoint a new king. Samuel is afraid of Saul. God says go. Samuel goes.

God tells Samuel to go without knowing exactly how the circumstance will play out. Samuel might be hesitant to step into the unknown. Nevertheless God says go. Samuel goes.

God tells Samuel to go and follow God's lead. Samuel's instincts tell him that one of the seven brothers before him is surely the next Saul. God reminds Samuel that God's eyes don't see like ours. God says that Samuel should anoint that one who is out tending the sheep-David. Samuel does.

Throughout this account of the anointing of David there are three threads:

• God gives Samuel instruction
• Samuel has insights or feelings that could interfere with God's plan
• Samuel follows God's call
  

How much are we like Samuel?

God has all sorts of instructions and intentions for us. Sometimes they are the rules and expectations from a loving parent. Sometimes they are dreams and hopes from one who calls us friend. Sometimes they are warnings from a creator who set up the universe and can read the trends. God has plans for us, plans to give us a hope and a future (see Jeremiah 29:11).

We have feelings and insights that can run counter to God's plans. Sometimes they are the tantrums of a disobedient child. Sometimes they are the dreams and hopes of ones who have lost perspective. Sometimes they are choices from a part of creation who can't see the long term results of our immediate gratifications. Our inclinations too often run counter to God.

We can choose with Samuel to do God's will. We can pray for clarity and direction to make the choices that God would have us make. We can do this because God has already chosen us. Our fates our sealed in the sure and relentless love of God best evidenced in Jesus. As we allow God's will to redirect our wandering ways and poorly chosen goals we can experience God's plan more clearly in our lives and in the world.

When we look in the mirror we may wish we saw people more like Eliab and Abinadab and Shammah and all the rest. We may even wish we saw someone ruddy like David. Before we despair at our own reflections we ought to remember that God sees us (really sees us, more than we ever can) and God loves us. God made us and God will never forsake us.

God, we were anointed with your Holy Spirit in baptism to serve. Help us usher in your kingdom this day all to your glory. Thank you for your persistent saving love. Amen.

e-vo for week of February 20

Dearest e-votees-

Last week I unintentionally jumped the gun and looked at this week's epistle lesson with our e-vo.

So this week rather than revisit the same texts I wanted to step off the regularly beaten path just a little further. Next week we will be back on the lectionary.

Sometimes it is good for us to get out of our ruts and see where God might meet us.

Peace,
Karl

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Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 3:23-29, NRSV

For our Lenten Wednesday services this year we are having the pastor types assume the characters of some of Jesus’ disciples. We are speaking through costume and words in the first person about encountering Jesus. It is an interesting way to enter into the story. It is a little playful and creative as for some of the disciples we don’t know nearly as much about them as we would like. As we prayerfully engage the texts and the task we trust that God will meet us. If you are able to come join us for this endeavor, please do. Your presence would be a blessing.

As I was thinking about this task of taking on the character of another it dawned on me that what we really need to be putting on is the character of Christ--not just in the safe confines of church but every day as we sojourn through this world. The text above from Galatians came to mind—particularly the verse about being clothed in Christ in baptism.

What is particularly striking is the passive voice of the verb. The clothing comes from without. We certainly know that to be the case when little children are dressed. It is true in many parts of the faith that Christ comes to us from without. Jesus is a gracious intrusion that we are called to receive with thanksgiving.

For almost all of us baptism happens long before we can make a conscious choice. Even those of us who come to the font later in life are brought by the stirrings of the Holy Spirit. Christ comes to us from without as the waters dampen our dry and dusty spirits. As we are baptized we are clothed in Christ. Baptism is a gracious intrusion that we are to receive with thanksgiving.

Communion comes to us as a gift from outside as well. “This is the body of Christ given for you” and we say “Amen.” “This is the blood of Christ shed for you” and we say “Amen.” Christ comes to us from without through the hands of the altar guild and the bakers and the vintners and the presiding ministers and the distribution assistants and certainly through the command of Jesus himself. We receive from others the ability to “Do this in remembrance of me.” Communion is a gracious intrusion that we are to receive with thanksgiving.

Jesus promises that where two or three are gathered in his name he is there with them. When we gather with others we can experience Christ more profoundly than we can in isolation. As others join us they bring Christ to us from without. We do that to them as well. Together we pray and encourage and call to account and offer forgiveness and bring comfort in ways that we cannot muster on our own. Living in community and communion with the saints is also a gracious intrusion that we are called to receive with thanksgiving.

This putting on Christ is no easy thing. Sometimes we have to severely acknowledge where we have put on something much more sinister. Or, truth be told, we have to acknowledge that we are those much more sinister characters down to our core. Lent is partly about allowing those troubled and darker characters be brought into the light.

As we prayerfully engage the texts and the tasks we trust that God will meet us. God comes to us in the form of gracious intrusions that we are to receive with thanksgiving.

Jesus, help us to be dressed up in you. Give us grace and courage to receive you from others. Help others to receive you from us as well. Help us get out of our ruts and see where you might lead us this day. Amen.

e-vo for week of February 13

Dearest e-votees-

I hope and pray your time so far in Lent has been blessed.

Peace,
Karl


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Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 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. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 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. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. 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. 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

We talk about people—often soldiers—making the ultimate sacrifice. We talk about one giving up his or her very life on behalf of another. Putting one’s self in harm’s way that another might be spared. When fire fighters rush in to a burning building to rescue another there is no guarantee that they will come back out. When police officers intervene in a domestic dispute to try to ensure the safety of the family there is no guarantee they will get back home safely to their own family. When someone smothers a live grenade with their body so that others might be spared there it is unlikely they will themselves be spared. When we hear stories like this we rightly catch our breath and speak of heroes.

When the tributes are done those connected to the fallen hero still need to go on.

For some they take solace in the greatness of the ones who were saved. Somehow some think it more noble if life is given in defense of the president. Or if many are spared by the sacrifice of the few (you Trekkies might be thinking about Spock making the ultimate sacrifice and his dying words just now). Or some might be thinking United Airlines flight 93 (the plane in 9-11 that the passengers recaptured and forced into the ground). We try to make the heroes more heroic. We try to elevate the importance of the victims. We try to oversanitize the biography of the hero. Sometimes we work way too hard bringing sense to things that transcend sense.

But what if the one being saved wasn’t so wonderful? Perhaps the person who was spared from the meth lab fire he caused will continue plying his trade even after the fire fighter is buried. Maybe the one spared by the heroic act will never realize the sacrifice made on his or her behalf. What if the one being saved looks more like us? What if the one being saved looks like a thirsty woman at a well with a sketchy biography? What if the one looks like a headstrong, impulsive fisherman and his partners? Perhaps the ultimate sacrifice becomes even yet more ultimate when the one who is saved is peculiarly unsavory—the Apostle Paul seems to make that case. And the ultimate sacrifice becomes even yet more ultimate when the hero doing the saving is indeed the beloved Son of God.

When the tributes are done those connected to the fallen and risen hero still need to go on. The connection we have to Jesus’ death and resurrection in our baptisms stir us to go on this day.

God, give us eyes to see in every one we encounter—hero, victim, perpetrator, mirror image, everyone—the image of you that dwells so deeply in them. Stir us to live like Jesus did and to take up our crosses and follow. Help us to lay down our lives for your friends. Amen.