PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

“It was on Iona years ago that I first became aware of the need to reclaim some of the features of ancient Christianity in the Celtic world as lost treasure for today. Part of that treasure is the much-cherished image of John the Evangelist, also known as John the Beloved, leaning against Jesus at the Last Supper. Celtic tradition holds that by doing this he heard the heartbeat of God. He became a symbol of the practice of listening—listening deep within ourselves, within one another, and within the body of the earth for the beat of the Sacred Presence.”
―John Philip Newell, The Rebirthing of God: Christianity’s Struggle for New Beginnings

Luke 14:1, 7-14

 Jesus Heals the Man with Dropsy

14 On one occasion when Jesus^[a] was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely.

Humility and Hospitality

⁷ When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. ⁸ “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; ⁹ and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place.¹⁰ But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. ¹¹ For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

¹² He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. ¹³ But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. ¹⁴ And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Footnotes:

1. Luke 14:1 Gk he
2. Luke 14:4 Gk he
3. Luke 14:5 Other ancient authorities read a donkey

What does it mean to be invited?  Doesn’t it feel good to be included?

Usually, we get invited to events because of relationships of some sort.  Family members, friends, folks that we’ve been around.  Sometimes we get invited to other events because of our affiliations or because of something we’ve done.  Weddings are a great example.

Now, I love officiating weddings. 

Wedding invitations are sent, the only expectation, show up and celebrate…except of course for me when I’m officiating, I have some work to do! 

In Jesus’ time, folks were invited to banquets, or dinners, even weddings, often for favors.  

There was a strict social norm for invitation.  If you were invited to a meal or a dinner, you were expected to some time return the favor in this honor and shame culture. It was about patronage and earning that persons honor.  If one did not return a favor, then they were shamed.  Therefore, a person of means, of wealth, would not invite a poor person because they would shame the poor person because they would not be able to return the favor.

Jesus was invited to this particular meal because he was a prominent teacher at the time.  Probably folks in the religious leadership were curious as well, or maybe they had heard about Jesus’ words or his miracles and were intrigued.  Jesus certainly had the ear and imagination of the people that the religious leaders did not.

At the beginning of this meal, Jesus does perform a miracle.  A man with dropsy, or an edema, a swelling of tissue that could be caused by something like congestive heart failure, came to Jesus for a cure.  Jesus asked the religious experts, those who knew procedure, rules, and the law of temple worship if it was OK to heal on the sabbath, to deliver this man.  The religious folk were silent, even as they were confronted by this man’s humanity.  But, their silence betrayed them…their inaction gave witness to hearts formed by the status quo rather than the dynamic love of God.  

So, Jesus, out of love, healed the man and, the scripture says, released him.  He was released from his crippling physical issue, as well as the rules and the social structure that kept him in a crippled state as a person.  

Jesus doesn’t have animosity for the religious leaders, he simply wants them to break free into the expansive grace of God’s presence, God’s flow of love into their lives.  To move from a transactional worldview to a transformational worldview or imagination.  

Jesus also wants to let them know that the Sabbath is not simply a time to stop, but it is a time to step back, look at our lives, be transformed and healed.  To think about the things that are close to God’s heart.  It is not meant to simply be a time of doing nothing, but on the contrary, a dynamic time of seeking God, seeking inner healing.  

Jesus is, in effect, turning upside down their worldview, one of keeping things in a static state…which will lead to a slow death.  Instead, pondering on God’s active and dynamic presence can lead to change and growth.  But, You know, I can’t blame the religious leaders, they’d been raised in this culture, it’s what they knew.  They were probably decent folk who had emotional attachments to a system that seemed to be working and it seemed good for them, or so they thought.  

Jesus has gained their attention through his miracle and comments on God’s desire for the sabbath…now he’s inviting folks to think with a worldview that God intended.  One that isn’t “either/or” but “both/and”.  A Greek/Roman honor and shame worldview was dualistic, black and white, hierarchal.  Jesus is saying that God’s worldview is non-dualistic, based on the oneness of God’s being and presence that encompasses us and calls us to be in in equitable and honoring relationships with everyone…we don’t earn honor, nor do we expect others to earn our honor, we give it freely to all, even to those who may not deserve it.  

That’s hard to do, that’s not what we think is fair, yet that’s what Jesus teaches us all of the time…that’s why we often struggle with stories like this or with parables about folks getting paid the same wage whether they worked all day or an hour.  God doesn’t show favoritism and wants us to let go of interacting with others in a way that really is countercultural, even now.  Give folks honor, give them respect, even if they don’t always earn it.  We are often so quick to criticize, to complain, and even live in our own shame, maybe even shame others.  But, God’s way is a way of encouragement, including, and loving…that doesn’t necessarily lead to a transactional relationship, but it does lead to transformation and real growth.  

In our story, Jesus says to serve others, to not look for the places of honor, but to allow the master of the banquet to lift us up…not because we’ve earned it, but because we are loved.  Jesus also understands that it takes inviting others in to our homes, churches, and even our very lives, folks that can’t necessarily give us what we think we need.  It’s easy to invite our friends or ones who we know will return favors, people of means, but Jesus says to go out get the lame, the poor, the immigrant, the crippled…that when we do, we will be blessed, not with earthly blessings…folks may not repay us, but we will be blessed in another way.  We will experience resurrection.  By doing the right thing, being righteous in our relationships, we are resurrected in our own lives.  

Friends, that’s what God is calling us towards in our own lives, and in this church.  WE are called to invite others in to a great banquet of a church that is to be a foretaste of the the Kingdom of God…now, folks may not repay us with much, they may not be able to earn our honor or repay us with a good tithe or what we may think we’d want, but God says that as we invite folks, open up our church to others, and as we honor them and as we humble ourselves before each other, maybe not getting exactly what we thing we want, we will be blessed and we will receive God’s honoring us with resurrection in this life which will be with us into eternity.  We can grow this church, and grow ourselves…it may not look the way we think it should right now, but God has a vision for us to be a place of right relationship in a world that’s desperately searching for some kind of authentic love.  

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

“When he awakened from sleep, he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it…. This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:16–17). In the Celtic world that gateway is present everywhere. In every place is the immediacy of heaven. In every moment we can glimpse the Light that was in the beginning and from which all things have come. As Oliver says, “The threshold is always near.” We can step over this threshold and back again in the fleeting span of a second. In a single step we can find ourselves momentarily in that other world, the world of eternal Light, which is woven inseparably through this world—the world of matter that is forever unfolding like a river in flow.”

―John Philip Newell, The Rebirthing of God: Christianity’s Struggle for New Beginnings

Old Testament Readings

Psalm 50:1-18; 22-23

The Acceptable Sacrifice

A Psalm of Asaph.

1 

The mighty one, God the Lord,
    speaks and summons the earth
    from the rising of the sun to its setting.

2 

Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
    God shines forth.

3 

Our God comes and does not keep silent;
    before him is a devouring fire
    and a mighty tempest all around him.

4 

He calls to the heavens above
    and to the earth, that he may judge his people:

5 

“Gather to me my faithful ones,
    who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!”

6 

The heavens declare his righteousness,
    for God himself is judge. Selah

7 

“Hear, O my people, and I will speak,
    O Israel, I will testify against you.
    I am God, your God.

8 

Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;
    your burnt offerings are continually before me.

22 

“Mark this, then, you who forget God,

    or I will tear you apart, and there will be no one to deliver.

23 

Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honor me;

    to those who go the right way[a]

    I will show the salvation of God.”

Footnotes:

a Psalm 50:23 Heb who set a way

Let those who are wise give heed to these things,
    and consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

New Testament Reading

Luke 12:32-40

32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

35 “Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; 36 be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

39 “But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he[a] would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

Footnotes:

a Luke 12:39 Other ancient authorities add would have watched and

As we’ve discussed, the gospels say a lot about the Kingdom of God, or God’s Presence and even the word “Kin-dom”.  It is in our midst, its embodiment is deep and abiding relationship with one another and with God.  In so many ways, we cannot see or hear the Kingdom if we are not striving for authentic relationship with each other, ourselves, and God.  It’s all one thread that weaves throughout life.

This morning, our text says that God is giving us God’s Presence, this is our treasure if you will.

Now, when I see that word treasure, I think of looking for treasure chests, or material possessions of some sort.  

As a kid, I would have things that were of value to me, things like baseball cards, toy soldiers, a favorite souvenir, or something.  I’d put them in a special place where they’d be safe just in case someone broke into our home.

Later, as an adult, I’d have a safety deposit box, which I still do as many of us do.  In that box, we store things that we value or that we simply want to keep safe as they may be hard to replace.  

Yet, God’s Kingdom, our treasure, can’t be locked away, it’s in our midst, all around us, pulling us towards each other and God…finding the gift of the joy of being connected with each other and God’s purposes in our lives together and with God.  

And, on the contrary, God’s Kingdom, our treasure, is about putting material possessions in their proper place, which is a place of not holding on too tightly.  

As we talked about last week, we can’t take our material possessions with us, and that’s not God’s economy or measurement of wealth.  God values relationship, that’s what gives the energy for creating, saving, sustaining…that’s the treasure.

So many times, we hold on to material treasure, but Jesus is saying that we are called to share it, to be give it away.  To bless the poor and one another.  Why?  Well, certainly to meet needs, but also to empty ourselves of possessions that keep us separated from one another.  It’s also meant to say that if we bless others, take care of them as best we can, we can then have the joy of entering into relationship with them.

God’s kingdom treasure is about taking away barriers that may keep us from embracing others, ourselves, and God.  God’s Kingdom treasure has much more to do with our becoming fully human as we were created to be in the first place.

When we are able to love and share freely with others, to move from transactional relationships to truly transformational relationships, we experience joy and purpose.  When we invest in others, that is a deposit or even a dividend of that deeper treasure that cannot be destroyed.  However, as our scripture in John 10 says, we can let thieves in that steal away that joy…we listen to voices that are divisive, mean spirited, anxious, and lead us towards a sense of deep selfishness and even a loss of self.  

Jesus tells us this morning to take stock on where our treasure lies…if it is with things that pull us apart, then we will be fragmented and produce nothing good and cause us to be in states of deep separation from one another, but if it’s on the Kingdom, or Presence, of God, then it will bring unity, peace, and bear good fruit that blesses others.

We must be on watch for the Kingdom of God in our midst.  God’s desire is to give us Godself, it brings God pleasure to be with us.  We are given purses that don’t wear out… God’s presence is with us, holding us in tension and in beautiful ways.

We are called to be aware of God’s presence around us, to keep our lamps lit in the darkness in order to recognize when God, the master of the banquet laid out before us arrives.  This master is hosting an amazing gathering for us, wanting us to have glimpses of love and grace…wanting us to be awake, green with growth, and alive to the wonderful work of becoming more human in the way of Jesus.  

Jesus also warns us to be on the watch for the leaven of the Pharisees, the substance that they want to give us, the substance of control and scarcity, leads us to a misunderstanding of God’s purpose.  God does not simply desire piety from us, God desires live, abundant life.  The leaven that God offers fills us, nourishes us, makes us come alive.  There is a thief that comes to steal from us the fullness of God’s presence in our lives, God’s joy and revelry in who we are in our humanity, yet Jesus comes to make us aware and to live in the present moment with God and others.

Here are three things this parable says to be aware of:

1. 1.The master provides for this who have eyes to see, who have been faithful, or trustful, with keeping their lamps lit…those who want to see.
2. 2.Jesus calls us to be vigilant.
3. 3.Jesus wants to reveal to us the nature of what it means to be truly human as God intended.

Friends, let us remember God’s actions on our behalf through Jesus, let us remember that God’s leaven is Jesus…and Jesus’ body, Jesus’ life nourishes us…let us also remember that Jesus poured life into us, giving us the courage to live as the truest humans we can be…it takes time and practice, but this action reminds us of Jesus’ coming to us to call us into being the people we were created to be, the people we’ve always wanted to be. 

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

Holy One beyond all names

Eternal Wellspring

May love rise again in us today

With food for every table Shelter for every family And reverence for every life.

Forgive us our failings in love And free us from all falseness

That the light of our souls may shine And the strength of our spirits endure

For Earth and all its people

This day, tonight, and forever.

Amen

– JP Newell, A Celtic Version of The Lord’s Prayer

Luke 12:13-21

The Parable of the Rich Fool

¹³ Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” ¹⁴ But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵ And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” ¹⁶ Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. ¹⁷ And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’¹⁸ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ ²¹ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

What does it mean to have something in abundance?  Examples?

A good friend of mine, Andy Matheson, used to be the international director for Oasis.

He’s an amazing friend.  Really believes in folks, builds great relationships.  He’s also written a couple of books on God’s measurement of prosperity.  In God’s economy, one’s wealth is not measured by what you have in material possessions, but God measures wealth by relationship, by friendship.  And, it’s not just the quantity of those relationships, but the quality of those relationships.

As we come to this morning’s text, it’s good to keep in mind how God measures wealth.  The passages before this are about faithfulness to God’s message of how we honor others, is how we honor God.

Jesus talks in the previous verses about the yeast of God and the yeast of the Pharisees.  The yeast of the Pharisees is pretty selfish and it not only infects and kills the Pharisees joy in life, it also works its ways through the followers of the Pharisees.  However, God’s yeast moves and grows within us towards a sense of love and respect for another.  Do we hold malice in our hearts for others, or do we look to others with love?  In our national and local dialogues and friendships, we have to recognize that God is not wanting us to be divisive or always looking for ways we can build walls around ourselves, but how can be a blessing and plant good yeast, God’s yeast, into the lives of others and the culture around us.

So, there’s good yeast and bad yeast.  Good yeast in people makes them “person of peace”.  In these past few years, I’ve made an effort in seeking out persons of peace in my life.  Which, btw, I think helped lead me to WFPC.  Persons of peace are usually fairly positive, open to relationship, and have meaningful impact on those they meet.  The opposite are persons of discord, persons who can’t seem to be experience joy, have fear of losing control, and are more focused on holding on to something rather than trusting God’s work in their lives and the lives of others.  Now, at times, one can be both…this isn’t about labelling someone a certain way.  And, that can be a paradox, how one can be divisive at times and also unifying.  Yet, there’s a deeper Presence in a person, a good yeast, that needs to work it’s way through us.  

After this discussion about the yeast of the Pharisees, a person approaches Jesus from the crowd and wants Jesus to tell his brother to divide his inheritance.  Jesus responds to him with a question, as he often does, who made me the judge of your material possessions?  As if to say, have you been listening?  Have you not heard that our God is about something more than material possessions?

Jesus doesn’t condemn him, even calls him friend.  He goes on to share a parable.  Again, as we’ve said, parables aren’t merely morality stories, they are meant to be simple stories that we listen to, chew on, and let them be like seeds planted in our lives to grow as God intends. Or, yeast that works its way through the dough and causing something good to rise up.

The story is about a rich man who has more grain than he can handle.  His response is not one of gratitude or how can I bless others or contribute my excess to the benefit of my neighbors, but it is to tear down his silos and build larger ones…then to sit back and consume what he can never really consume, be safe…relax, eat, drink, be merry.  

But God calls him a fool.  Now, that’s a harsh word as I understand it growing up.  My parents would never let me use that word.  But, in this context, it means to try and go against the very person of God, to go against God’s principles of relationship.  As we’ve said before, God’s nature is one of relationship…the trinity is a relationship, we are created in God’s image and therefore called to treat one another in loving, wholesome relationships…we are not to tear each down, we are not to be critical or full of complaints out of a sense of disrespect or contempt, but to build each other up, to live in loving accountability that frees us to be creative, redemptive, and sustaining….just as the father, son and holy spirit live and interact.  To not do so leads to division and, as Hildegard says, a “drying up”, and that is foolish.  

This man, and really all of us, have been given much in life.  Really, as one of my seminary professors, Joel B. Green says in one of his commentaries, all that we have is on loan to us from God.  How we share it with others leads us towards making the world a better place for others, and along the way, we find ourselves growing in ways that we never thought possible.

Jesus goes on to say that this very night, this rich man’s life would be demanded of him.  I wonder what others would say about him at that point?  He didn’t share, he didn’t open the doors of his life in hospitality towards others, his grain, as much as he had, didn’t do any good for others and it simply rotted in the new grain silos he built.

I’d also say that this man was probably pretty poor in God’s economy.  His life came and went and folks didn’t really notice.

Now, friends, there is much to glean if you will from this parable.  But, I’d simply ask you how wealthy you’d like to be in God’s economy?  How can we let go of what we hold on to so tightly in order to bless others and see others blessed?  

My friend, Troy Bronsink, sings a song from time to time, he didn’t write the song, but he shares it with passion…hear this line from this song.  

Hold on to these things. But don’t hold them so tightly. ‘Cause what you hold so tightly you no longer hold for me, but for you. 

Yes, make a living.  But, along the way, don’t hold on to things too tightly.  If what we practice in life isn’t hospitable towards others, then we are dividing ourselves from others, God, and even our very selves…which can cause us to live in places of fear and an unhealthy comfort or status quo, which is more dangerous to our souls than living in places of risk, love, and even some discomfort.  

May we respond to the good news of being one and by blessing one another and the world around us as we move towards being persons of peace and not division…and in so doing, grow in our relational wealth in God’s kin-dom economy.

Luke 10:38-42

Jesus Visits Martha and Mary

³⁸ Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. ³⁹ She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” ⁴¹ But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; ⁴² there is need of only one thing.^[a] Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Footnotes:

1. Luke 10:42 Other ancient authorities read few things are necessary, or only one

What does it mean to “sit with something”?  Examples?

Our gospel passage this morning from the lectionary continues this concept of Jesus going along somewhere, of a journey.  It paints a picture of a stop on that journey, the home of Mary and Martha, after entering a certain village.  

The author is concerned about folks genuinely hearing a message, a word, an understanding of God’s Kingdom, or, as we’ve said, God’s Presence and radical inclusion, which, when we recognize it and live into it, allows us to be present to be aware, and to love the folks that we meet, especially those on the margins.

In the past couple of weeks we’ve talked about the Lawyer asking Jesus about the greatest commandment, and we’ve heard the parable of the Good Samaritan, how everyone is our neighbor and having eyes to see and ears to hear.

We’ve also seen Jesus’ compassion for humanity, for Jesus’ desire to love well and to see folks grow into their true selves, the persons they were created to be in God’s image.  We’ve also seen Jesus’ frustration when folks are prevented by cultural norms, or unjust systems, that prevent them from fully being in community with others or having the chance to reach their God-given potential.  We’ve seen Jesus reach out with compassion, not just with words, but with action.

So, Jesus arrives at Mary and Martha’s house, these are close friends.  Jesus has been involved in their lives, even raising their brother Lazarus from the dead at some point as depicted in the book of John.

While at their house, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet while he shared…while Martha was busy with certain household tasks.  After a while, Martha gets frustrated because she’s doing all of the work and Mary is seemingly just sitting there, so Martha makes this statement to Jesus about Mary leaving her to all of the work.

Well, before we go into what we read on the surface, it would be good to understand some of the underlying messages.  In Jesus’ day, women were expected to do certain tasks, to work on the household maintenance, sitting at the feet of a Rabbi or a teacher and learning about the word of God, was not expected of a woman.  This is another example of Jesus making a statement about equality and inclusion, that women were to be included in everything, including education.  Today, it is hoped, that we take that for granted, but it hasn’t always been so, and it’s important that we not only confront racism, classism, and most ‘ism’s” but, we still have to be vigilant in addressing sexism, toxic masculinity, and patriarchy. 

Jesus is friends with both Mary and Martha, he loves them both.  I’m sure that Martha’s work was very important, needed to get done.  Yet, she also allowed her pride, anxiety, and the many things on her mind to take over, to cloud her vision of her love for her sister.  She also may have wanted to exert some sense of control over her sister, and even Jesus.  Calling him out with a passive aggressive statement about her sister.  

Or, perhaps as other commentators have noted, maybe Martha had figured out a way to get stuff done AND listen to Jesus and be present with him.  

Either way, Jesus has a very loving response, he doesn’t jump on the anxiety train, he doesn’t put Martha down, he doesn’t talk about her behind her back, he simply calls out her anxiety and takes the heat off of Mary.  And, I believe that the way that Jesus says this, its not only direct, but it seems to me to be written by the author in a tone that says it’s ok.  Jesus keeps the bridge open relationally with Martha.

The need for one thing in this story is Presence.  Mary is not only learning about the word of God, she is literally sitting in God’s presence.  That’s something that we all have access to…we may not always recognize it, but it’s something that won’t be taken away from us, ever.  Jesus states that it won’t be taken away from Mary, and the same is true for us.  

This story is especially true for me…I know in my personality enneagram, that I’m a “3”, which is an achiever, I like to move things forward.  So, it’s important for me to unwind, unplug, take in Jesus’ words of encouragement, and practice sabbath rest.  I value my time on Friday mornings to do just that.  I may or may not have my phone, but I almost always take a nap, do some reading, journal, and run.  And, remember a bit of who I am and reflect upon my week.  

My personality, my M.O. if you will, is to move forward, to be a practitioner.  I can often be driven towards some measurement for success and can easily become a workaholic, burning myself out and others.  

There is good in getting things done, I value that, and I value competency and efficiency.  But, i’ve also learned through years of practicing sabbath, of taking time off, going to the Monastery or other retreat centers, stopping and simply sitting for a while, that I can learn and grow and be attentive to God’s flow in my life and in the work God’s doing around me.  

I think it’s also an important ethos for us a church…both in a local context and global context.  Again, it’s important to get things done, to do something.  Yet, we also have to live in the tension as a church of simply being and letting go…that requires a lot of trust and faith that God’s faith in us is sufficient, and that God, the creator, sustainer, redeemer is speaking to us, giving us imagination and moving us in beautiful directions.  

I’ve said this before, one of the things why I believe God led me to Westwood First Presbyterian and Westwood First Presbyterian me was this sense of deep trust and possibility.  I wanted to be in a church that is community engaged, a church willing to take risks on opening its doors to the community, and even walking out those doors into the community around us.  A church willing to sit with God and with others to listen to God’s word, not only in Scripture, Nature, and from our Christian mystics, but listen to our hearts, God’s heart, and to have ears to hear it even if it comes from all sorts of places and voices inside and outside the church.

I love being at Westwood First Presbyterian at this crossroads in church history.  As a church universal, we are learning to listen as Mary listened, we are sitting at the feet of Jesus in people’s homes, in community gathering spots, and we see God’s love flow into us and through us.  This isn’t a new program, this isn’t a scalable new initiative that has false promises of some type of measurable metrics, this is simply listening, being loved, and then loving others and moving towards some sense of action that blesses others, and, in so doing, seeing community happen, loving our neighbors well with new transformational imagination as opposed to something transactional, and seeing ourselves grow internally and externally in ways we’ve really always wanted to grow.

I’ve loved the work of our Westside Abbey…, especially last week’s session on listening…at the Abbey, as we sit with each other, engage in conversation, and as we experiment, and as we continue to invite others in the congregation into this process, we are seeing and hearing God’s gentle nudge.

As we sit, may we hear God’s voice leading us towards God and towards folks that need to be loved and included…which, really, is everyone in our neighborhoods!

Homework:  find a space to sit, and to intentionally listen with both your ears and eyes to what God may be doing in your life, and in the lives of those around you.  Some you may know their stories, others you may wonder.  But, practice active listening to your heart and where your heart connects with others.  

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

In the gift of this new day,
in the gift of the present moment,
in the gift of time and eternity intertwined,
let us be grateful,
let us be attentive,
let us be open to what has never happened before,
in the gift of this new day,
in the gift of the present moment,
in the gift of time and eternity intertwined.

–       JP Newell, “Sounds of the Eternal:  A Celtic Psalter”

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

The Mission of the Seventy

10 After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. ² He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. ³ Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. ⁴ Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. ⁵ Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’⁶ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. ⁸ Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; ⁹ cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ ¹⁰ But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’

¹⁶ “Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

The Return of the Seventy

¹⁷ The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” ¹⁸ He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. ¹⁹ See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. ²⁰ Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Last week we discussed being on a journey and the importance of our journey partners.  Our passage in Luke was about Jesus setting his eyes towards Jerusalem and being set on the mission of proclaiming the Kingdom of God, of living out the peace and presence of God on all of humanity.

This week, we find Jesus sending out 70, or in some manuscripts, 72, messengers to towns and places to proclaim the message that God’s Kingdom, God’s presence is now…that the time for release of prisoners, of welcoming of immigrants, of freedom for those being oppressed or persecuted has come…that community, true community…community marked by honest conversation, checking our egos at the door, being confident in who we are in Christ, our humanity, and what God has created within us, radical inclusion of everyone, of opening up the doors of our lives and our communities to all of those around us in some way while trusting that God’s love will flow in and through us is here!  

Jesus goes on to say that this is a message that is ripe and ready for harvest.  I get that.  When I’m out in this neighborhood I hear folks all of the time saying bits and pieces in their conversations for a yearning to belong to a larger purpose, to a community that will not judge them or hem them in, but will allow them to ask questions, to live in wisdom, compassion, and in friendship.  

Jesus is not saying that he came to make a kingdom marked by unhealthy boundaries and power, but a kingdom, or Presence, marked by authentic friendship that leads to freedom and growth.  Friendship, Kingdom friendship, happens when folks believe in each other, love one another, don’t hold grudges, are willing to ask questions out of love for one another and not out of winning arguments or out of some sort of personal agenda.  In that Kingdom, transformation is a mark of friendship, a mark of relationship, not transactions or “if I do this, you’ll do this”.  

It’s important to note that the gospel author is simply trying to say that this is a message that needs to be spread…and that even 72 folks isn’t enough…the harvest is huge, all of humanity really.  But, have hope, you have all you need…you have yourself and a friend.   And, again, trust.  Trust beyond circumstance.  Donated trust.  Going out like lambs in the midst of wolves, but still trusting something deeper.  And, as we trust, to also trust that others also are looking for that kind of faith…a faith that is present and connects us to all that is good in ourselves, one another, and creation.  

My friends John McKnight, who recently passed, and Peter Block, who’s working with us in Westwood that many of you have met, have given us the concept of asset based community development.  The idea is that you don’t go into a situation asking what the need is, you go in looking for your assets…you gather your assets, then apply them in a community and development and growth will hopefully follow.

And, I’ve seen this concept work in so many ways over the years…and it’s working in different ways in our church and in Westwood.  That’s what we’ve been doing with the “Common Good Alliance” that has been meeting periodically.   Really, it’s how we are operating as a church.  When folks start talking about what we don’t have, that’s maybe a sign of a lack of trust in one’s self…or a lack of imagination to see the assets, the possibilities, and the relationships.  It frustrates me to no end when folks say things like something or someone can never change.  That’s simply not the gospel narrative, is it?

Jesus tells his messengers to model presence, even in the midst of resistors.  He tells them to go to homes and if they are welcomed there, to remain there, to bless the house, to give them peace and to have a deeper agency.  For those who do not welcome God’s message, Jesus says to go into the streets, to shake the dust off their feet in protest…but, notice, he doesn’t tell them to leave.  They remain and still proclaim and live out their message.  What I understand in this passage is that the early Jewish listener to this story would understand that the dust represents rejection or criticism.  Shake it off Jesus is saying, don’t let it stick to you.  And remain being the person that you’ve been called to be.  

Remain is a good word for us today.   I have found that being in one place for a while helps to build up love and trust and beauty in that place…when someone makes a commitment to the growth of an area and remaining…and if that place is welcoming and open to the message, good things usually follow…again, it’s trust and any organization or relationship will grow at the speed of trust.  

It’s also a good reminder to remain in Christ, our true home in Christ is welcoming and allows us to grow to a place of self awareness, others awareness, and God awareness.   That awareness while remaining moves us towards growth.  

God’s flow can’t be stopped, it will continue to flow over those who welcome it, and those who reject it.  Those who welcome it will grow, and those who can’t seem to welcome it, who can’t let go of the demons in their lives that are oppressing them, will continue to live in the hell that they’ve created for themselves, and often for others.  

Friends, Jesus reminds us that there is a thief that comes to steal and destroy, but as we live in the awareness of living in Christ, we experience abundant life…life filled with wonderful assets of relationship, possibility, imagination, purpose, and new life that we see emerge as we remain and become our true, authentic Selves.  We are called to be the body of Christ together…and to experience the abundant life of Christ poured into us.

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

That truth has been inscribed into our heart and into the heart of every human being, there to be read and reverenced, thanks be to you, O God.

That there are ways of seeing and sensitivities of knowing hidden deep in the palace of the soul, waiting to be discovered, ready to be set free, thanks be to you.

Open our senses to wisdom’s inner promptings that we may give voice to what we hear in our soul and be changed for the healing of the world, that we may listen for truth in every living soul and be changed for the well-being of the world.

–       JP Newell, “Sounds of the Eternal:  A Celtic Psalter”

Luke 9:51-62

A Samaritan Village Refuses to Receive Jesus

51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; 53 but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem.54 When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them. 56 Then they went on to another village.

Would-Be Followers of Jesus

57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”61 Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Our gospel lesson in Luke this week finds Jesus at a turning point, he is setting his eyes

towards the journey to Jerusalem. As we’ve discussed in the past, Jerusalem is the

center of Jewish religious life, it has the rebuilt temple, it is the focal point of Jewish life,

it is where God dwells on earth symbolically. Jesus has been teaching, preaching, and

loving folks from all different walks of life. He has been healing and restoring to

community those on the margins of society. He has also challenged the religious-political

structures of that time to be model better the type of community that God intended:

inclusive, loving, restorative, and built upon the notion of God’s dwelling being made

with all of humanity. Jesus modeled this by being a rabbi, someone on the “in” of Jewish

culture, going out to those on the outside, building genuine, authentic friendships with no

strings attached, but loving them towards restoration and bringing folks back “in” to

community with others.

In the Luke narrative, the late theologian Gordon Fee says that Jesus is “the coming of

salvation in all of its fullness to all people.” No one is left out, humanity, as the Jesuit

theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin says is the body of Christ that Jesus came to restore

in the 2nd “big bang” of history…and in that 2nd big bang, we have a deepening of awareness that we cannot continue to scapegoat our issues on to others, but to have agency and to let God emerge within and around us.  That starts with intention and “setting the course” towards a growth.  

So, Jesus is now “set” to move towards the center of Jewish thought at Jerusalem, putting

into another phase of God’s purposes of planting the seed that changes everything. This

is the Christ Project, working all of humanity towards wholistic restoration of

relationships with ourselves, others, and God.

And, Jesus is determined to get to Jerusalem. He sets out in a direct route that takes him

towards Jerusalem. In takes him through Samaria. This is an area that is populated by

folks who have have a mix of Jewish and Gentile (non-Jewish) lineage both religiously

and literally as they have intermarried. Because they are considered impure to devout

Jews that considered Jerusalem their center, and because Samaritans had a different view

of where God dwelt, they had built temples on the borders of Samaria suggesting that God dwelt throughout the land, they were looked down upon by devout Jews and Samaritans didn’t want to have to do with Jerusalem,

because of their being rejected.

So, when Jesus sends messengers to prepare the way for his journey through Samaria, his

messengers are rejected and the Samaritans, folks who Jesus actually was trying to

befriend, reject Jesus because his “face was set for Jerusalem”…in other words, they

weren’t rejecting Jesus personally, but his intent to go to Jerusalem. Yet, the disciples

were upset, James and John especially, and asked if they could ask for “fire to come

down from Heaven” and destroy Samaria.

It seems as if James and John had not quite received the message that Jesus was sharing

yet, actually, they didn’t until after Jesus’ death and resurrection, it’s certainly safe to say

that they were working in an old paradigm of viewing Samaritans, looking down upon

them rather then opening up to them, and they also didn’t like rejection. They still had some small “e” ego.  There were drawn to the aspect of power and glory that Jesus presented, they liked the notoriety of the flash of Jesus’ message, the hearings, the miracles, but they were missing the power of rejection and of humility.

We all face rejection, but how we deal it is important. If we are set on something bigger

than our small “s” selves, then rejection can simply be a moment of growth for us, and for those doing the rejecting. If we take rejection in stride and move forward, we grow. If we reject others out of pride or contempt or a lack of self and others awareness, it can lead us towards bitterness, discontent, and we miss out on relationships and God’s blessings. God’s flow, God’s Spirit will always find a way to move towards growing something within us and in the communities that we find our being in our capital “s” Self. When we are faced with obstacles, instead of reacting to them with power plays or with pride, if we let love flow in and through us, we can see that rejection or barriers will simply add some narrative or contour to a greater story and will not stop us on our journey.

That’s what happens in this story about Jesus. Jesus rebukes the disciples, in some

ancient manuscripts, there is even an extra line in verse 56 that says this: “You do not

know what spirit you are of, 56 for the Son of Man has not come to destroy the lives of

human beings but to save them.” Jesus is for us, Jesus is for humanity, and Jesus is set on

his journey to Jerusalem to change the course of history towards a trajectory of love that

always wins out. And, Jesus wants us to live in his spirit and do the same.

It’s also important to note that even though the Samaritans didn’t get it, had pride and

couldn’t see beyond their contempt for the Jews, that there are stories in the bible that

show Jesus’ love and commitment towards the Samaritans, even befriended them. The

same thing with the disciples, they didn’t get it, even put up roadblocks and made Jesus’

life and message a bit difficult. Yet, Jesus chose them and they chose Jesus to be on the

journey together in ministry and literally towards Jerusalem.6

I have been reminded these past weeks at how important it is to be on a journey together

with folks…folks that sometimes are there for you, and sometimes not, yet the intent is to

be together and to be set towards a goal. A few years ago, I climbed Mt. Whitney with

some friends from seminary…friends from the UK, Latvia, Alaska, and even Indiana!

When we climbed Mt. Whitney, Andy was there for me in many ways…all of us would

encourage each other as we climbed. That bond continues on in many ways. I’ve had

other journey companions who’ve trained for marathons, friends who have conspired to

get some good things going in our neighborhoods and churches.  And, others who have co-created with me so many good things.

I can point to others who have been there for me…not perfect folks, actually, all of us a

mess at times….there have been difficult moments in those friendships… But, still, there

has been a flow, a bond, some would even say a covenant or a promise of friendship.

These journey companions have caused me to be set on certain goals that are all about

seeing God’s Presence within me and all around me as we have “set a course” together.  And, I’ve found that the best journey partner that I can have is the divine within me and all around me…or my True Self which allows me to see my other journey partners truly as friends.  

Jesus calls all of us into these types of relationships, as we journey together, we realize

that we are dependent on each other in this new community that Jesus is calling us

towards. It takes priority over all sorts of other tasks. We can’t be bogged down by how

we’ve always done things or even understood things, there are too many people in this

world that need the system changed in a way that Jesus lived out. Jesus says to follow

him and his way, to let the dead bury their own dead, to not make excuses of why we

can’t follow, to not delay, to not try to build up some idea of power or some sort of

kingdom that is not for the common good, but to not look back and to look forward towards building the new reality of God’s Presence that builds us up, builds bridges between us, and tears down walls that have been built up both literally and figuratively. May we live lives that set the course for the journey God’s called us on.

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

“We cannot live in a world interpreted for us by others. An interpreted world is not a hope. Part of the terror is to take back our listening, to use our own voice, to see our own light.”

“Glance at the sun. See the moon and the stars. Gaze at the beauty of the Earth’s greenings. Now, think.”

Illuminate our hearts and our minds and liberate our voices.  Amen.

― Taken from quotes by Hildegard von Bingen

Luke 8:26-39

Jesus restores a demon-possessed man

²⁶ They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. ²⁷ When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, ‘What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!’ ²⁹ For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

³⁰ Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’

‘Legion,’ he replied, because many demons had gone into him. ³¹ And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.

³² A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission.³³ When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

³⁴ When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, ³⁵ and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ³⁶ Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. ³⁷ Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.

³⁸ The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ ‘Return home and tell how much God has done for you.’ So the man went away and told all over the town how much Jesus had done for him.

When I was a cross country coach, I often tell runners that they have voices that they can listen to when they run.  

When the race or practice gets hard, or it’s snowing and cold, or hot and humid, they may hear voices in their head that say you can’t do this, you aren’t tough enough, you could quit, or go home, sit on the coach in air conditioning, or play video games.   Or, they can learn to listen to the voice that tell them that they can do this, that it is worth the work and even the pain at times, that it is producing character, that they can overcome.  We call this the “moment of truth”, when you listen to the good voice that will push you through and don’t give in to the voices that leave you in a state that keeps you in a place and not growing.  

Jesus encounters a man who’s been inflicted with thousands of voices that have actually taken control of his life. 

He had so many voices, or personal demons, that when Jesus asked him his name, he said that his name was “legion” meaning “many”, even thousands.  I’m not sure how one gets into this state, but it’s safe to say that this man was affected to the point of madness, so much so that his community shunned him and even chained him up.  

Yet, Jesus goes up to him, has compassion on him.  It’s also interesting to note that this man was not part of Jesus’ faith or lifestyle.  The region where Jesus found this man was a Gentile region and Gentiles were non-believers.  That’s actually what the word “gentile” means, non-believer…as opposed to being a Jew, which meant “believer”.  It was a foreign land, yet Jesus and his disciples felt compelled to travel there, outside of their comfort zone.  

When Jesus confronts the man, the man has lost his mind, his sense of identity so much, that he doesn’t personally answer, but the demons give voice to Jesus…they know that Jesus is the Son of God…when darkness is confronted, it knows it can’t hide from the light, and it knows that it cannot overcome light.  I believe that Jesus was so acutely aware of being human…as made in the image of God, so aware of himself as God’s son, as the representation of God to humanity and humanity to God, that the darkness was revealed in this possessed man so openly that it could not help but to retreat.

It’s also important to realize that this man wanted to be healed.  As conflicted as he was, as possessed as he was, he knew that he needed to change.  It seems like Jesus’ power was best on display when others found within themselves a sense of agency.  In other words, Jesus was a co-healer.  

The demons plead with Jesus to be sent into a herd of pigs.  Which, is another indicator that Jesus is in a foreign country as pigs were considered unclean by Jewish custom.  So, Jesus sends them into the pigs and the pigs go mad and drive themselves off of a cliff.

This man regains his sense of self, his dignity and senses, and is restored into community.  But, the townsfolk are afraid of Jesus, they don’t know how to respond to this amazing act of love and power over the darkness of the possessed man’s life.  Or, maybe they are afraid that this Jesus and his presence will cost them more economically, as the herd of pigs was an economic loss.  Faced with fear, economic instability, and the presence of a change agent like Jesus, they plead for Jesus to leave.  Which, Jesus does.  As he’s leaving, the formerly possessed man asks to go with Jesus, yet Jesus tells him to stay, to find his voice more clearly now that all of the other voices are gone, and to love his neighbors and proclaim to them what God has done.

We don’t know this man’s name, it’s not in this passage, and we don’t know what happens.  But, my bet is that this region saw and experienced this Jesus and continued to see evidence of this man’s growth and release from what enslaved him.  

The power of a changed life can change the world!

I know that’s true in my life, your life, and our lives together.  What voices are we listening to?  What fears do we have that prevent us from living in awareness of the presence of Christ in our lives or keeps us away from walking with our friend Jesus?  How often do we ask God to leave us alone when faced with change in our lives, even if we know we need it or we see others’ lives changed through their awareness of God, self, and others through Jesus?  

What would it take for us to let go of the voices that keep us enslaved to the way we’ve always done things or lived…voices that are keeping us from living the way that we’ve always wanted to live and growing in new ways as humans made in God’s image, infused with God’s dynamic spirit that moves us towards the kind of lives that bring adventure, meaning, purpose, and growth?

A few years ago, I met over coffee with my good friend Peter Block as I have often done over the years, but I remember this conversation.   

Peter is a voice that I love to listen to…he speaks into my life and allows me to speak into his.  We are in community together, we practice “church” if you will in many ways.  As we were talking, he began to encourage me, as he does so often.  One of the things that he spoke into my life over that coffee was reminding me that I have a powerful voice and finding that voice consistently is good work…it’s good work for all of us.  Not only finding our particular voice, but how it fits into community and being in a community that can find its collective voice.  That voice can shape mountains, experience and share love.  

Voice is powerful when there is no agenda other than seeing relationships and community restored or created.  

Think about this phrase, this powerful voice, throughout the two creation narratives in  Genesis 1 and 2:  “And God said…”

God’s voice, God’s word, brought forth creation.  

God’s voice or God’s word, became flesh and gave us Jesus.

God’s voice, God’s word, is carried to us through the flow of God’s spirit all around us, in us, through us, to us.  

Your homework this week, take inventory daily.  Listen to yourself, others, and the messages being sent to you through social media, news media, or whatever.  What voices are you hearing or listening to.  Write them down.  Then ask yourself, where are you hearing God’s voice.  

Are we willing to listen to God’s voice as it pushes through all of the other voices in our lives, leading us to freedom and reminding us that we have a powerful voice, that we are loved, that we are made for each other and to be a part of a community together proclaiming to each other God’s love?  Not petty issues or pride or insecurities that keep us away from each other, but living together listening to God’s voice emerge within us and through us together?  May it be so!