St. Mark's Lutheran » Culture

The Powers That Be

Parson Brown — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:13:02 +0000

Biblical Text of Sermon: Mark 1:21-28
Full Text of Sermon

So, if you are not from a pentecostal denomination, when was the last time you heard a sermon about powers and principalities or demonology? There is probably a good reason. Denominational pastors are by and large an educated lot (often over-educated) and talking about spiritual forces just seems “icky” and doing so feels like sacrificing any respectability. The educated world is thoroughly materialist in philosophy and to preach on the “powers” means a thorough-going super-naturalist stance depending solely upon revelation (unless the preacher has had a mystical experience and then its still revelation for the hearers and no longer biblical but personal). Add in the fact that popular understanding of the powers is summed up in Halloween and The Exorcist part 18, and you just kinda pick a different text. Or worse you preach on the exorcism text and explain it away through various “they just weren’t that bright” mechanisms.

But the gospel according to Mark just doesn’t allow that. If you are going to preach on Mark, you have to come to terms with the powers that be, because that is who Jesus is to Mark. Jesus is the one who breaks the backs of the powers. Jesus is the one sent to put away that greatest power – death.

And right there I think is the intersection with the modern world. Even though we are materialist in philosophy allowing smaller spiritual forces to hide, death doesn’t hide. We try to hide from him. We do our best to move him out of our sight. And the materialist will try even at funerals to say something like, “death is part of life”. But most people react in horror at that banality. We all have an intuitive reaction that this isn’t right, this isn’t how it was supposed to be. We have nothing to support that – other than revelation.

Jesus came with authority to break the back of the powers – including death. From the very start of his ministry Jesus commanded the spirits. His death and resurrection has disarmed them. In Christ as part of His body the church, we are already part of a resurrection body – something that even death has no power over.

Kindergarten Wisdom

Parson Brown — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:40:13 +0000

I’m not exactly sure how we got on the subject. I think we were trying to get the idea of working across to the Kindergarten son in the vain hope of picking up his room.

6 yr old – “Where does the money come from?”
Mom – “Right now Daddy works”
6 yr old – “How do you get money?”
Mom – “Well, I take care of you, and I beg Daddy for some money.” (Said with a grin.)
6 yr old – “We don’t beg, we just take it from him.”

1 step forward, 5 steps back, sigh…

Paragraph to Ponder

Parson Brown — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:07:28 +0000

Pointed out by Prof. Tyler Cowen…

The U.S. median wage for 2010 was $26,363.
The average health care insurance premium today is over $15,000 and by 2021 it may be headed to $32,000 or so (admittedly that estimate is based on extrapolation).

That is the tip of the spear of American social problems. And I’d say at its core I’d say it is a spiritual problem. Can you have a materialist philosophy and an egalitarian social structure?

John Adams, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

A Supreme Court Decision – I guess a victory of sorts

Parson Brown — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:04:27 +0000

Here is the Supreme Court Ruling (unanimous, 3 differing opinions) in favor of Hosanna-Tabor LCMS vs. EEOC representing a teacher. Seeing that the LCMS general counsel represented Hosanna-Tabor, I’m guess they would largely agree with this that this represents a great victory. And I don’t disagree that religious liberty is an important thing. But let me quote the Court Ruling facts:

After respondent Cheryl Perich completed the required training, Hosanna-Tabor asked her to become a called teacher. Perich accepted the call and was designated a commissioned minister…
Perich developed narcolepsy and began the 2004–2005 school year on disability leave. In January 2005, she notified the school principal that she would be able to report to work in February. The principal responded that the school had already contracted with a lay teacher to fill Perich’s position for the remainder of the school year. The principal also expressed concern that Perich was not yet ready to return to the classroom. The congregation subsequently offered to paya portion of Perich’s health insurance premiums in exchange for her resignation as a called teacher. Perich refused to resign. In February, Perich presented herself at the school and refused to leave until she received written documentation that she had reported to work. The principal later called Perich and told her that she would likely be fired. Perich responded that she had spoken with an attorney and intended to assert her legal rights. In a subsequent letter, the chairman of the school board advised Perich that the congregation would consider whether to rescind her call at its next meeting. As grounds for termination, the letter cited Perich’s “insubordination and disruptive behavior,” as well as the damage she had done to her “working relationship” with the school by “threatening to take legal action.” The congregation voted to rescind Perich’s call, and Hosanna-Tabor sent her a letter of termination.

Does that sound like what you want to be in court defending religious liberty over? Yeah, we are the church. We get to fire sick people. Yeah! If you continue, they were able to do that because she was a “minister”. A non-minister employee would have government protection. What does it say that this minister trusted Caesar more than her own church?

Of course none of this address the internal issue that a call is supposed to be a divine call. Something like “in sickness and in health”. The practical reasons cited are all true. And a minister should know enough that they couldn’t continue to work in such an atmosphere. They should place the good of the Kingdom over their own good. But none of those reasons are the traditional reasons for rescinding a call.

Luke 12:58 – As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison.

Matt 5:40 – And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

1 Cor 6:1-8 – When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud–even your own brothers!

I call Jesus and Paul to the stand. Why not rather be defrauded? Even if you win before the court unanimously, you lose. Can anyone tell me how I can read this as a glorious victory?

Google Serendipity

Parson Brown — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:04:52 +0000

This was the Google Icon this morning. It is sometimes interesting who they pick, but today’s was fascinating. Here is the Wikipedia entry for Nicolas Steno. Here is the Catholic Encyclopedia Entry. What a fascinating life. Lutheran, World Class Scientist, Convert, Priest, Bishop, Pious Ascetic, Missionary, Tragic Death.

This quote found in the Wikipedia entry betrays the lost foundations.

Fair is what we see, Fairer what we have perceived, Fairest what is still in veil.

He never gave up the hunger for truth. And from that quote what you can see is what he believed the foundation of all truth was. The world made sense – was fair, beautiful and true – because God made it make sense. Though parts might be veiled now, there is an order we can perceive.

Sainted by John Paul the Second, feast day Dec 5th.

Martin Luther Sightings

Parson Brown — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:26 +0000

In David Brook’s column an interesting wrap-up.

Liberalism has not expanded because it has not had a Martin Luther, a leader committed to stripping away the corruptions, complexities and indulgences that have grown up over the years.

If you’ll forgive some outside advice, President Obama might consider running for re-election as Luther. It’s not enough to pick a series of small squabbles and then win as the least ugly man in the room. He might run as someone who believes in government but sees how much it needs to be cleansed and purified.

Just two thoughts. First, politically (which you should care about my opinion as much as the crank on the street), he’s probably right, and it would take someone with a D after their name to do it. Just like it took a former extremely pious monk. Second, and this is the deeper problem, arguing for greater purity of anything this side of heaven is a losing battle. That doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done. The first use of the law is as a curb – the civil use of the law. In this case the corruptions, complexities and indulgences need to be curbed. But the law does not save. The more you focus on the law the more it exposes the depth of our degradation. We would create new ways of selling indulgences (cross reference K Street Project, Fannie Mae, TARP – friends of Angelo were just plain refreshing old school corruption). The good news is that there is a Lord who knows our plight. He was crucified under Pontius Pilate. And the increase of his government and his peace will never end. (Isa 9:7)

Thoughts on last night’s game

Parson Brown — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:24:44 +0000

My family is in mourning today. The Steelers lost. In a Steelers household that just means you remove the gold. (Which was already gone from buying all the black and gold crap…)

Now for a little confession. You can’t help but love the way Tebow plays the game. Man, you’d love to have his physical skills, but really, he just loves being on the field competing. I told my wife that I was rooting for the Steelers, but I wanted Denver to have a good game. Midway through the 2nd quarter I was saying, “OK, that’s good enough.”

For some reason down the back half of the season we got a bunch of Denver games and David (the 6 year old) would join and watch. He’d hear his dad getting excited. David calls them the Denver Tebows. I’ve tried a bunch of times to say – “No, its the Broncos, Tim Tebow is just the QB.” First question when the game comes on – “is that the Tebows Pittsburgh is playing?”

The Steelers have nothing to be embarrassed about. Quoting Grantland here which breaks down that game – “The Broncos quarterback had a playoff performance for the ages, by any definition”. That was a great game. Neither team gave in. Pittsburgh challenged Denver to beat them with the deep ball, and Denver did. No shame in that in OT on the road. The other team executed.

One last thing a coincidence notice. It was news when Tebow left the SEC that the NFL and the NCAA were making the eyeblack messages out of bounds. No more John 3:16 under Tim Tebow’s eyes. They didn’t call it the Tebow rule, but they should have. Take a look at his stats for last night. How many yards passing? 316…That’s enough to make the kabbalists or the numerologists go bonkers. I guess I’ll go back to trying to decipher the date of the end of the world. (Just kidding, Matt 25:13)

Getting Caught Up – A Very Real Event

Parson Brown — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:08:53 +0000

Sermon Text: Luke 2:21 and Church Calendar festival The Circumcision and Naming of Jesus
Full Text of Sermon

There were a bunch of things that were not functioning fully this past week. This post is for completeness.

If there is one thing that I wish as a preacher I could ensure that people get is that the life of Jesus is not some pious and sentimental myth. Its not just a well told story. If that is what you think, you either haven’t read it or them, or you just don’t want to, or you are satisfied with something much less than what is on offer. The foundation that the apostles proclaimed was this was truth. The core of that being that Jesus is Lord.

Deserts, knowledge and Truth

Parson Brown — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:14:08 +0000

This year the Gospel of Mark forms the core of the lectionary. That gospel is one that comes out of the desert. A voice is heard in the desert. A baptist appears there. All the countryside goes out there. And Jesus is driven there by the Spirit no less. All within the first 13 verses. The wilderness or the desert is an important place.

I’m pondering that in regard to how we accept the truth of Jesus. If I look at American Christianity historically there have been a couple of ways. Raw and bloody experience directly to the heart. Slaves and abolitionists and revivalists and circuit riders and Quaker quiet meetings. The heart becomes convicted and convinced of Jesus and his truth is marching on. That march has ended up in some strange places and some u-turns. But you can’t question the vitality of the Spirit, even if the message was scrambled in action. This is knowing the truth heart to head. There has been a second way that was often a hallmark of Protestants. You were instructed by people who you know, love and trust. Those people taught you that Jesus was true…and you listened, at least until you knew it yourself. That is knowing the truth head to heart. That doesn’t seem to be much in vogue these days. That group of {baptists, pietists, revivalists, charismatics, enthusiasts}, call them what you know them as, were all being led to a deeper understanding of what their hearts burned with. That group of {frozen chosen, legalists, confessionals, clericalists, dogmatists}, call them what you know them as, were all being led to a real understanding of what they knew in their heads.

At some point we are all placed in that desert. Is it a desert of the heart where if God doesn’t come and fill it up you know it will break? Is it a desert of the mind, where if God doesn’t illumine your thoughts everything just reduces to a deconstructed sentence with no real and true meaning? People lose their way in the desert. Heart and head don’t always connect. Deserts were long thought to be the home of demons or the djinn or whatever malevolent force there ever was. Satan tested Jesus in the desert. There is danger there. Your provisions don’t last long. But it is the desert where God provides the manna. We all enter the desert at some point. Do we come out? In what shape?

One piece that we seem to have lost is that there used to be guides in the desert. Moses shephered Israel for 40 years. The Angels ministered to Jesus (Mark 1:13). Who is your desert guide? Who do you want there? Are you willing to be in the desert with others? What do we give up when we aren’t willing to be led? What do we take upon ourselves?

Deserts, knowledge and truth. It is the harsh environments that reveal.

Interesting Political Factoid

Parson Brown — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:52:03 +0000

I’m always hesitant to post something outright political, but this is fascinating. Daily Beast has compiled every candidate’s (including Obama) top 5 contributors and the amount.

For the most part they are corporations. And while I’m sure quid pro quo could be lurking under some of it, my guess is more that a candidate’s voting history and “stands on the issues” attract the support. In other words I doubt there is a whole lot of I’ll give you a big contribution if you change your stance, but think its more this guy supports what I like so I’ll support him. Or even just I know this gal personally (i.e. Rick Santorum and Michelle Bachmann).

But here is the real fascinating part…what does it say that the top 3 contributors to Ron Paul are not corporations but US Army personnel, US Air Force personnel and then US Navy personnel? If his foreign policy ideas are “insane” or “going to wreck the country”, would these people be his biggest financial support? This is one of those cases where who you are attracting to yourself is revealing of character. Both of the nation and of the candidate.