St. Mark’s Lutheran

A couple of thoughts: 1) I think I’m getting too long in these posts. The meduim and the original intention was a quick hit. I’m going to try and shorten them. 2) I’m also going to tighten up the focus on one of the readings for the day. What that means is the other readings will now be listed last.

Reading Acts 28:17-31

Over the weekend our reading of Acts came to its conclusion. Instead of jumping to the new reading, I’m pulling this one from Saturday.

The story of Acts is the spread of the Gospel from Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. The story of Acts is also the story of Jesus through the Holy Spirit’s guidance and leadership of His church. Luke brings both of those threads, not to a conclusion, but a fulfillment. Paul is now in Rome. The old phrase all roads lead to Rome is the operative one. The ends of the earth have been reached at least metaphorically. Even though the ends had been reached the message was still proclaimed and the nascent church still under the guidance of Jesus. Paul lived in Rome two years (under house arrest) and preached to all who came to him. And he did this preaching openly and unhindered. The Spirit and Jesus had opened a door to the gentiles and the Roman world. And They brought people to Paul - He welcomed all who came to him.

I said a fulfillment instead of an end. Luke ends the story with a picture of what the church looks like. In chains, but free to preach. Always welcoming, always drawing those whom Jesus and the Spirit call. One day there will be an end to preaching and teaching. One day the time of grace will be over, but until then the message continues to go out to the ends of the world. The last picture Luke leaves us with is a fulfillment of the promise at the start the Jesus would be with us always. The purpose of that presense is to save the lost. There are always doors being held open. One day they will close, but until that judgment it is a time of grace. We welcome all in the name of the Lord, teaching them everything He told us.

May the Lord grant you eyes to see those open doors.

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The big good news is that Jesus is alive and you are no longer in your sins. The gospel should never go unsaid.

The smaller, more localized good news is I just finished Saturday/Sunday worship attendance. We had 70 people come and worship with us this weekend. That is about 20 more than our average over the last 6 weeks. On an ordinary 3rd Sunday of the month. God be praised. It was good to see the crowd. Hope to see everyone back soon.

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This sermon had one core idea. We are made in the image of God, hence rendering unto God the things that are his includes all that we are. Very simple and very radical idea. We have an easier time getting lost in politics or sports or just the stuff of life. God isn’t there emailing you directly every day. What he send are preachers and books and friends and blessings, and they are easy enought to dodge or leave on the shelf or mistake for our work.

In that sense the sermon was like an image. You can look at it from different angles. You can ponder the image, but everything you need to know is captured very quickly. Any effect is in personal examination.

This particular sermon had very strong roots in a couple of discussions with the church community. Rita F., celebrating her 80th birthday, and in Bible study brought up a very deep question. What exactly is God? What we have been revealed as God is Jesus. Jesus said if you have seen me you have seen the Father. Trying to get go outside of that revelation gets us into the position like Job being questioned or like Paul’s pot of clay asking the potter. What we have been revealed is the image of God, the icon, Jesus. And as Christians, his is the imgage to which we are being conformed.

Caesar deserves his due as a type and shadow of that ultimate reality. Caesar points us the ultimate rule of all by God.

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I’m changing my titles to reflect a little more of the content. I believe search engines actually pull more from the headings than anywhere else. So, while I’ll keep the day, I’m adding more info about the post.

Readings
Hosea 13:4-8
Acts 27:27-44
Luke 9:18-27

Meditation
If you’ve been reading the story of Paul and the voyage to Rome today’s reading strikes calm amidst the storm. Paul, the prisoner, has essentially taken over as captain of the boat. The boat had been drifting with bad winds and the waves. The cargo has gone overboard and the crew has no idea where the are exactly. Paul promises they will all survive. They’ve been in this drift for 14 days, and the finely tuned ears of the sailors hear the wash of waves against land. Afraid of running onto sharp shoals (undersea rock cliffs) the crew throws out anchors to slow or stop the boat. If they can only hold until daylight, then they might have a chance. But some of the experienced crew decide the time is right to make a break. Paul stops them. He tells the centurion, unless they stay, we’re all hosed. The soldiers force the sailors back. They cut the dinghy loose. Everyone is in the same boat.

And that is when the calm happens. Paul tells them all to eat - to share a meal. They haven’t eaten for two weeks. Yes its dark, yes there is no life raft, yes we are going aground. Eat, the outcome is in God’s hands, but he works through people. Fed people are more prepared to swim (remember Phelp’s 5000 calorie diet?) Paul took bread, gave thanks to God before everyone and began to eat. Luke tells us the number, 276 people.

They make it to daylight and try and beach the ship. They do hit those shoals and the boat is being broken apart by the waves. Once again people want to do something stupid - kill all the prisoners. But the other leader steps forward. The centurion stops them, and gives the orders. Swimmers overboard first. Non-swimmers, grab a plank of the breaking up ship. In the middle of disasster, calm and order emerge. This time from a secondary source.

Where does that calm and order come from? It comes from the faithful Paul. God said not one would be lost - and Paul believed it. He so believed it that the crew followed his orders. His influence was such that at the tensest moment, with the sound of danger right over the side, everyone stopped worrying to eat. And the calm passes from one leader to the next. The centurion, needing Paul’s orders to stop the sailors from leaving, now takes his own action in abandoning the ship orderly. The calm comes from the promises of God.

That is also true in our lives. 401K’s crash. Houses sit unsold. Sons and daughters wander away. Parents and spouses pass away. The waves are all around. We have a sure Word. God is making all things new. He has a mission - to save sinners. We are one of those saved sinners. Occasionally we have to swim for it. Our sin leads us into dangerous shoals, but God is at work through it all. If the tension is a little high - take time for a meal - take eat this is my body given for you…

May the Lord keep you safe and calm through the shipwrecks we pilot ourselves into.

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Getting back into your rut (if you are not time focused)/schedule(if you are extemely time focused) can feel good while at the same time you hope you learned something by being outside of it. My parents made the trip to West Henrietta and we had a great time including carving some pumpkins with the kids. Then the day they leave, the ministers of Rochester East and West circuits had their semi-monthly get together. This one was attended by the Current President of the Eastern District (Brunner) who recently announced that he will not be standing for re-election. There is nothing more sad than a politician who has stopped campaigning. The negatives go up and the attention to detail (like names) goes down.

I’m going to pick back up the Story of Acts. Paul has been before Festus and Herod Agrippa. Festus concludes that Paul is a good scholar, but that he’s gone mad. Probably the equivalent of how most Americans think of most college profs - good enough guys but spending too much time around books can be dangerous for one’s health. Agrippa is bemused at Paul - “You think in so short a time you can make be a Christian?” The two of them find nothing that would hinder Paul’s release, except that he’s appealed to Caesar - so pass the buck, get him out of the region. Acts traces Paul’s route by ship until today’s reading - Acts 27:9-26

The ship has sailed late, and the winds have turned against it. Even Paul can see this as he warns the centurion not to set out, but the captain of the ship wants to risk it - time is money and the harbor is not big enough. Let’s make a run for Crete and a chance to make some money. Paul turns out to be correct. The winds and the winter storms bear down on the ship and cover the stars. The cargo goes overboard and the crew have given up all hope of being saved.

And God acts. Paul, unable to resist, gives an “I told you so”, but promises that no life will be lost. That is quite a promise for ancient sailing. The effects of the earlier foolhardiness are not canceled. God does not mystically put the ship and cargo in a bubble and move it to port. The ship will wreck, but the God will preserve the people. His purpose in this is to get Paul to Rome. God has granted [Paul] all those who sail with [him].

How many times have you seen before hand what was going to happen, but are powerless to stop or greatly alter the course? You advise, and talk and wrangle, but the group or institution has other motives and driving forces. At least for me, those moments before were always the worst. I’m usually tempted to give in to despair. A viscious gallows humor comes over me. The correct response is prayer. Turn it over to the only one who does have power. All things work together for His purposes. Those things working might be tradgedy or consequences, but through prayer find your purpose in His purpose and you will be saved.

May the Lord prosper your prayers.

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I’m a little late in posting this sermon. My parents came into town and the days were just too nice to waste. I was also a little conflicted about this sermon.

The primary Lutheran dynamic is Law and Gospel. What that means is short is that the law convicts the person of their sin, and the Gospel proclaims what God has done about that problem through Jesus. It is held that the good news of the gospel must predominate, but that it should always come after the conviction of the law. The central topic of the sermon was the judgement. That topic seems to me to be simultaneously law and gospel. If you are ready, the judgment is the longed for revelation and pure gospel. If you are not, the very thought of judgment strikes fear or denial. I could practice the sermon and think - this is all law - not good. I could then practice it again and say - no, correct message from the text. Ultimately, the preacher does not control how the Word is heard. Things we intend as law, may be gospel. Things that we take as pure gospel, may put the fear of God into people. Some people are just hard ground and nothing is heard as far as we can tell. How the Word is heard, how it is used/applied is the Holy Spirit.

The second reason I was hesitant is that the interpretation of the three parables together was probably complicated and maybe too cute for comfort. As I spent the last three week immursed in the three parables, the more convinced I became that the order and presentation had meaning as a unit. As much as I like stages of the christian life presented, I’m not sure that my abilities or time were enough to really address in an authentic and meaningful way.

Many are called, but few are chosen. I’m not sure that there is a more frightening phrase in the entire Bible. The Judgment is so central to Matthew’s gospel, but also just so beyond the mental props that we normally use. As the collect of the day expressed, Lord, judge us not by our fruits, but out of your mercy.

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Reading
Acts 24:1-24 (from Thursday)
Acts 25:1-12
Hosea 9:10-17

Meditation
The passing the buck continues. Felix the governer, whom Luke pays a slight compliment in that he had knowledge of “the way”, hears all the charges and says - “Let’s wait for that low down tribune who sent you here in the first place.” Then he puts Paul under house arrest. It is interesting that the High Priest felt it important enough to a) attend this trial himslef and b) to hire a personal lobbyist - Tertullus. Everyone would have spoken Greek. It was an official trial, so maybe Latin was required - Tertullus is a Latin name. The more likely reason though is the hiring by the High Priest of a friend of Felix to plead the case. Just like companies high ex-congress-critters to talk to current congress-critters.

Felix talks with Paul on and off for two years. Luke’s compliment earlier combined with these talks and his alarm and quick sending away of Paul combine to a partrait of a man who intellectually knew and heard the truth in Paul’s testimony, but he would not change his life. It is a sad picture. Ultimately, Felix was waiting for a bribe. Surely if the High Priest came down and hired a lobbyist, Paul had some friends and money that would come forward. He waited in vain as Paul preached to him.

Eventually the passing the buck continued. Felix gives way to Festus who re-hears the trial. Festus gives the prisoner Paul the choice - “Paul, do you want to go to Jerusalem?” Knowing full well what was going to happen their, but it would be Paul’s choice. Paul, says no thanks, Festus, do your job, I appeal to Caesar. That appeal is not the call to go to Rome, but for Festus as Caesar’s rep to do his job, rule on the case. Festus passes the monkey up the ladder. To Caesar you shall go - and the will of God is accomplished through corrupt and reluctant rulers. Paul will preach in Rome.

In the middle of examples of corrupt and reluctant rulers in our own day, How is God’s purpose being furthered? Is the church ready like Paul to be God’s instument in the opportunites God is creating?

May the Lord grant you eyes to see and legs to take those opportunities.

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This is a link to a Wall Street Journal Article about one “type” of church consultant - emailed link works for 7 days, permalink but requires subscription.

The article is interesting because it really highlights what one school says is “table stakes” for being an attractive church - and they aren’t what you would think. We would like to think people choose a church based on theological or doctrinal reasons. This article repesents those people in a later paragraph decrying the highlighted “Church Consultant” - but that is not the main point of the article. The main point is driven by the final paragraph with a quote from a pastor.

Others say that church shopping has become necessary for churches seeking to compete in an increasingly mobile and consumer-oriented society. “My competition is Cracker Barrel restaurant down the street,” says Pete Wilson, pastor of CrossPoint Church in Nashville, Tenn., who regularly enlists a secret shopper to evaluate his 2,000-person congregation. “If they go in there and are treated more like family than when they come to CrossPoint Church, then it’s lights out for me.”

The table stakes in this game end up looking much more like McDonald’s franchisee rules - cleanliness, freindliness, promptness, consistency, understandable (even speaking different languages).

One of my favorite mental frameworks is to break down reasons into: Sociological, psychological, philosophical, and theological. The majority of this consultant’s table stakes are sociological with some reaching psychological. What that framework really says is that most decisions are based on place within the herd (the herd being the family or larger personal network). Some decisions become more personal and are made based on personal psychology. Fewer decisions are made based on fundamental philosophy - I believe this to be good, true and beautiful, hence I will act in this way regardless of family or personal reasons. And very rarely are decisions ever made based on theology - this is what God says, wants, desires, hence I will act in this way regardless of personal philosophy, family or psychology. In that framework, his table stakes make sense. But part of growing as a Christian is becoming aware of God in your life. Becoming more theological. That is the road to Emmaus experience (Luke 24:13-32).

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There is an intra -pastoral squabble about the “historic 1 yr lectionary” and the 3 yr lectionary. Our Chruch uses the 3 yr lectionary which focuses on a specific Gospel throughout the year. The 1 year leactionary covers more stories in one year, but doesn’t go as in depth into specific books. There are pros and cons. The problem is that the squabble typically degenerates into who is more pure than who. Yes, pastors are sinful people too. We just often pick more silly things to sin about.

This file 1yr-vs-3-yr-gospels contains the review putting the three year texts up against the 1 yr texts. From this comparison there are three passages in the 1 year lectionary that do not get read anywhere in the 3 year cycle: the feeding of the 4000 (not the 5000), Jesus testimory about himself from John and the Healing of the officials son. There are 12 spots that the 3 year lectionary covers the text from a parallel passage (i.e. same basic story but a different Gospel). The rest are all covered by the 3 year lectionary - some more than once. The three year lectionary also gives the congregation and the minister the opportunity to become deeply familiar with each gospel by covering much that the 1 yr does not touch.

To be fair the advocates of the 1yr will complain that the 3 yr cycle comes out of Rome, is only about 50 years old and is touched by Higher Criticism (boo-hiss). I do not think those criticism carry much weight, but they do have some validity.

Anyway, this post is more to make the file available for that community.

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Readings
Hosea 8:1-14
Acts 23:23-35
Luke 7:18-35

Meditation

A quick word about Hosea. Reading Hosea is always startling. You remember the early part with Gomer the prostitute and God telling Hosea to marry her - and forgive her. A clear type of GOD and Israel - of Christ and the Church. What is always striking are the prophesies that take up chapters 4 through 14. We get to thinking God moves in mysterious ways and wish that we’d get a straight answer, and then you read Hosea, and get the straight answer. It is a stinging indictment of apostasy to those who should know better. A call to repent and a promise of blessing. All in all a beautiful and awful short book.

Acts continues with Paul’s arrest and movement from Jerusalem to Rome. A great example of passing the monkey up the ladder. The Jews were going to kill Paul, a Roman citizen. The Roman tribune, head of the garrison, rescues Paul. They plot to kill him when he’s brought back out. Evidently the son of Paul’s sister (Paul’s nephew?) catches wind of this plot. (There is a whole bunch left unsaid there. Paul’s family is the great mystery about him. Elsewhere he complains about Peter being able to bring his wife…without mentioning his. Here his nephew is engaged in plotting to kill Paul?) Having second thoughts?…this boy tells Paul. Paul sends him to the Tribune. The Tribune sends Paul north to the coast to Ceaserea and Felix the governor. He attaches a classic in passing the buck. He’s charged with nothing deseving death, but when this plot was uncovered, I sent him to you. The accusers can follow him to you. No Paul and the rabble rousers are out of the Tribunes hands.

Felix of course takes kindly to this and starts thinking in the same way. What province are you from, i.e. where can I send you? I’ll hear you when your accusers arrive, i.e. lets wait and see if anyone really cares about you first. He commanded him to be guarded in Herod’s praetorium, i.e. this guy could be trouble, let’s move responsibility for a Roman citizen’s well being to the puppet ruler.

So why do we get this in scripture. It does tell of how Paul gets to Rome. My devotional view is that God even manages to use our dodging and weaving to His purposes. The Lord said back in 23:11 - You will bear witness also at Rome. And this is how he gets Paul there - through the slapstick fumblings of men just trying to survive (Felix, Tribune) or who think they are doing God’s will (Plotting Jews).

Even if you find yourself dodging and weaving, may the Lord grant you eyes to see what He is accomplishing through you.

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