bluegrass gospel

this year, immanuel has decided to return to their old practice of "fifth sundays."  since every month doesn't have five sundays, on the fifth sunday of a month worship will be somehow different or unique compared to other sundays.

this sunday was "bluegrass gospel sunday."  we had a bluegrass band playing music from "i love to tell the story" to "precious lord take my hand."  i also got to read the last page of the bulletin to find out where bluegrass music comes from, not to mention a sermon that included the camp grace infamous for bringing rain: the johnny appleseed grace.

while having a blue grass gospel service every sunday is not sustainable for the congregation (despite the huge number of musicians of all kinds that consider immanuel home), it's extremely refreshing and fun to occasionally worship with a different style of music.  as most of you probably know, i have no internal sense of rhythm (it's my hope that weekly zumba will help me out in that department).  this usually means that i don't clap when songs involve clapping to the beat, which tends to seem like i'm not involved.

well, i move to the music instead of clapping and the music today was ideal for that!  two services of wonderful music that made my body move.  we're emphasizing whole life stewardship for the next few weeks at immanuel, and today was whole body worship for me.  dancing and moving up the aisle toward the narthex to "i'll fly away," letting the music infuse my soul.  "what a fellowship, what a joy divine," indeed!

as we journey through the year, i'm excited to continue experiencing with this congregation new and various ways of worshipping god together!

god gives me strengths

over the last few weeks, we've been working on discovering our strengths and spiritual gifts as a congregation.  in church council last week, we had a retreat during which we talked about all of our strengths (having taken the strengths finder test and read the book living your strengths).

my top five strengths themes are: connectedness, input, intellection, activator, and context.  that's four that are very connected to thinking and one that's ready to get things going.  a pretty good combination if i do say so myself :)  recognizing my input and connectedness themes at work, i tried to collect and sort information about everybody's strengths and figure out how they worked together.  i started doing that, but haven't quite figured it all out yet (not surprising there either).

i have been trying to figure out how i (and others) work for quite a while (as long as i can remember if i'm completely honest).  i really enjoy taking personality tests and figuring out more about who i am and how i work.  i have recently been also trying to figure out my enneagram number.  i write all this not because i've figured it all out (if so, then i wouldn't have to take more tests), but because i've been realizing some things about this culture in which i live.

a lot of what i have been taught/grown up with is that it's really important to improve or fix my weaknesses.  in seminary the buzz word seems to be "growing edges."  the book i read, living your strengths, had really good insights into that.  i am really good at a variety of things (making connections, collecting information, starting things, thinking through plans, etc.).  i am not so great at other things (remembering names, seeing things through to the end without a deadline).

i know this about myself.  now, what makes more sense: to continue to live into what i'm good at and seek out people in my life (especially in work) who have complimentary rather than similar gifts, or trying to make myself really good at remembering names, while neglecting things i'm actually good at?

god has gifted me with certain gifts, talents, and abilities and to not use them and instead try to make more use of gifts, talents, and abilities i don't have doesn't make sense.  it's not valuing myself and it's not valuing the uniqueness of god's creation.  so, i've decided to work really hard at doing what i'm good at and what i enjoy (and admittedly, there are always going to be some things that i just need to do, and i accept that) and find people in my life whose gifts, talents, and abilities compliment mine so that we can work together.

living out of my strengths just makes more sense.  it living out of god's abundance rather than out of god's scarcity.  trusting that god has gifted all people and that there are enough of us that we can work together to support each other through our strengths and weaknesses.

b

this week i was blessed with a pastoral care visit with my supervisor to b, the oldest member of immanuel at age 101 (although, she told us she's already 107, she must be aging without the rest of us!).  as we entered b's room at the nursing home, we were showered with gratitude.  over and over while we were there, b repeated how grateful she was that we had come, how grateful she was for each day she's had, how grateful she was for prayer.  gratitude seemed to ooze out her pores.

she was also able to articulate her desire and readiness to be in heaven.  over this past summer, b has been declining in health and she is ready for jesus to come and get her.  she knows that death is coming and she is not afraid, but instead seems to be totally at peace with it.  as we were leaving, i agreed with my supervisor that if i ever need a pick-me-up, a visit to b is the perfect prescription.  i think that as long as she's alive, i will be spending my fridays with b, sitting with her, praying with her, and looking at the beautiful photo albums she has of memories from her life.  what a gift she is.

jesus was a jerk - mark 7:24-37

my sermon manuscript from this past sunday's sermon, on mark 7:24-37

²⁴From there [jesus] set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, ²⁵but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. ²⁶Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. ²⁷He said to her,

“Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”

²⁸But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” ²⁹Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” ³⁰So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

³¹Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. ³²They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. ³³He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. ³⁴Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” ³⁵And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. ³⁶Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. ³⁷They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."

-----

do you ever have one of those days where everyone seems to want or need something from you and you are just tired and need a break?  maybe you even take off for the week or a weekend, but still people seem to seek you out wanting who knows what?  and finally you get to the point where you just             snap.  one too many people have asked you for help, and so you tell this latest supplicant: no, you little dog, i have been giving, giving, giving, and i don’t have anything left for you.  what gives you the right to ask for anything??  and you turn your head, hoping she will recognize the dismissal and how tired you are and just leave you alone.

and then she does something amazing.  she stays.  she takes a deep breath and she says, “yes, ma’am or sir, I have no right, but even little dogs get scraps.”

your breath catches.  you just called somebody a “little dog”!  could you have been any more degrading?  probably, but it would have been hard!  and now, what do you do?  someone just called you out and did it respectfully.  you have two options:

1-dig your heals in, for better or worse you said what you said and you’ve got to stand by it; changing your mind or your words would just make you look weak. 

2-she is right, what she said called you out and maybe you do have just a bit more energy, and maybe, just maybe, god’s plan is bigger than even you could have imagined it would be.

jesus’ knee-jerk reaction is to dismiss the syrophoenician woman with derogatory name-calling. 

now, i know some of you probably don’t like hearing about jesus acting like a jerk, but it’s important to know that a key characteristic of mark is that jesus is truly human.  mark, more than any other gospel, really portrays jesus’ humanity, which helps us as the readers and hearers to be able to relate better to jesus because he feels more like us.   he feels human.

so, when jesus acts like a jerk to the syrophoenician woman, it could have been the end of the story; the woman could have just gone away to wait for some other miracle-worker or for death to free her daughter, but instead she chooses to confront jesus.  

hisako kinukawa points out that jesus’ hurtful comments were not necessarily born from a desire to harm the woman, but more likely, they were born from a tired jewish man raised in a culture that pinned the affluent gentiles from the city of tyre over and against the jewish peasants living around the sea of galilee.  everything about how he was raised taught him to resist and perhaps resent the people of tyre who used their money to exploit his people, his family, his neighbors. 

the problem is that he doesn’t really know this woman.  he may know that she’s greek, or gentile, and syrophoenician, but in his tired dismissal, he doesn’t take into account that she was probably one of those who, like his own people, lived in a small village, dependent on the whims of those who lived in the city of tyre.  her situation was not all that different from jesus’ people, though they lived in distinct places.

but jesus doesn’t know that by just looking at her.  it isn’t until the woman remains, answering jesus’ dismissal, with her own lived experience, that jesus begins to understand in a new way.  yes, the gentiles in the city of tyre may be dogs for the way they have exploited the israelites, but she is struggling just as those children of israel struggle every day; she, too, needs sustenance.  her daughter needs a miracle; just one, one little crumb.  she is not asking for a huge feast to be spread, she is asking for the crumbs, the dregs, the stuff that nobody else would want anyway. 

it is in this hope for nothing more than crumbs, that jesus is shaken awake.  by not only taking on his derogatory term, but also expecting at most crumbs, she awakens jesus to a new perspective.  she helps him to see a human being rather than a dog; a person with needs and pain and struggle.  

she helps him to understand his own context better as well.  jesus belongs to just one of many groups who are struggling against oppression, who are struggling for dignity in an oppressive economic situation. 

and perhaps the most important of all: through jesus’ encounter with the syrophoenician woman, jesus realizes that the Table is big enough.  the Table is big enough that no one needs to beg for crumbs, big enough that all are welcome to the feast.  but how does this even happen?  i know if somebody confronted me with the hard truth that i had just called them a “little dog,” i would be so taken aback i would probably just get away as fast as i could…which is one—of many—reasons why it’s really good that i am not jesus.

unlike me, when the syrophoenician woman speaks, jesus does the amazing thing of actually listening to what she has to say.  instead of digging in his heals or taking off, he stops and listens to what she has to say, to her story.  and so he begins to realize that his cultural context, how and where he was raised, really affects how he understands what god is up to.  from there, he is able to take the time to correct himself.  he said something offensive and instead of pretending like nothing had happened or trying to justify himself, he recognizes the need for a new perspective.  he changes his behavior and finds a new way to interact with the syrophoenician woman.

and so, as jesus leaves tyre and heads out toward the sea of galilee, jesus encounters a man who is deaf and has a speech impediment.  jesus’ reaction to this man reflects the change he has experienced because of the syrophoenician woman.  jesus still brings the man out of the view of the crowd, finding a more private place, and then he opens his ears and releases his tongue.  

because of the syrophoenician woman, jesus is beginning to open up to the idea of a god whose table is big enough for everyone.  he’s still not quite to the level of confidence that he’s willing to show anyone and everyone what he’s up to, so instead he tells those who are witness to the miracle not to tell anyone!  So, naturally, they tell everyone they can!  that seems to be when jesus really, really gets it. 

from there jesus will depart with everyone proclaiming what he has done.  jesus then goes with a great crowd in gentile territory and, recognizing god’s work of welcome, jesus feeds those gathered in gentile land—all those gathered—with bread and fish to sustain them.

in this short time, jesus transforms from a tired human being who calls a woman a dog without even thinking about sharing so much as a crumb, to one who shares not only the crumbs, but the whole feast with all people.

jesus realizes that this mission he’s on, this good news is for everyone.  the syrophoenician woman gives jesus room to grow and room to be changed by his encounter.  in listening to her words, jesus is changed.  he realizes that he was being a jerk and because he stops and listens to her words and her story, his understanding of god’s grace expands.  he realizes that the Table is big enough for all people and he gives us the room and the power to recognize the same thing. 

there are many times in my own life when i say the wrong thing, when i offend someone by talking without thinking, and even when i don’t speak for fear of saying the wrong thing or offending.  jesus is our light, our leader, setting the example.  he acts like a jerk, but then is able to stop and listen and change.  he allows the syrophoenician woman, her words, her story, her life to change him.  he lets his encounter with her, however badly it started out, be transformative for them both.

and jesus’ transformation provides the light so that we as his followers can let our lights shine, not in doing everything perfectly, but in our ability to also be transformed.  we are able to stop and listen, hearing someone else’s story, someone else’s perspective on life, and we are able to change; to recognize with jesus that god’s table feeds everyone, even the ones we call little dogs.

jesus chooses us: easter 6b

i'm catching up a bit...this is a sermon i preached back in may with acts 10 and john 15 as the main texts.

acts 10:44-48

⁴⁴while peter was still speaking, the holy spirit fell upon all who heard the word. ⁴⁵the circumcised believers who had come with peter were astounded that the gift of the holy spirit had been poured out even on the gentiles, ⁴⁶for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling god. then peter said, ⁴⁷“can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the holy spirit just as we have?” ⁴⁸so he ordered them to be baptized in the name of jesus christ. then they invited him to stay for several days.

john 15:9-17

⁹as the father has loved me, so i have loved you; abide in my love. ¹⁰if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as i have kept my father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹i have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. ¹²“this is my commandment, that you love one another as i have loved you. ¹³no one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴you are my friends if you do what i command you. ¹⁵i do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but i have called you friends, because i have made known to you everything that I have heard from my father. ¹⁶you did not choose me but i chose you. and i appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. ¹⁷i am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

 -----

today we find peter with cornelius, a gentile centurion.  god has just shown peter that no thing god has made is unclean or wrong.  so, peter came, at cornelius’ invitation, to caesarea and he’s speaking to the gathered crowd about god.  this god is one who shows no partiality; who picks no sides, who declares all things clean.  a god who is neither democrat nor republican.  and while peter was still speaking, the holy spirit fell upon all who heard the word.

the truly astounding thing for the jews present, who were still trying to figure out what “no partiality” really meant was that the gift of the holy spirit had been poured out even on the gentiles.              

the gentiles!              

now, the gentiles were basically anybody who wasn’t jewish.  as the church was beginning to take shape, there was debate about the requirements for being part of the church.  since the church grew out of a jewish movement, the questions were things like: was circumcision necessary or unnecessary?  what was the place of the law?  did everyone have to follow the law?  what food could they eat?  what food was not allowed?  did they have to be jewish first in order to be christian?

the questions still exist today, but in different ways.  while we’ve figured out most of the early questions about stuff like circumcision, today we still ask who can be part of the church.  what language do you have to speak?  who do you have to love?  how do you have to love?  how much money do you have to make?  where do you have to live?  how do you have to live?  do you have to give money first in order to be christian?

we still ask with peter: what can prevent us from being god’s church?

nothing.

god still says:             nothing.

absolutely nothing can separate you from the love of god.

god stepped in with the early church, and god steps in with us as well.  

while peter was still speaking, the holy spirit tumbled down upon all those who heard.  

she didn’t wait until peter finished, or check if they were circumcised, if they followed the law, if they were jews.  the holy spirit came down on everyone,            even the gentiles! 

luckily peter already had his conversion to a god who shows no partiality and was able to ask the important question.  peter doesn’t always say the right thing, but this time he did.  he didn’t ask them to see if they were the right kind of people, if they did the right things, if it was the right holy spirit, instead he asked,

“can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the holy spirit just as we have?” 

can anyone withhold the water for baptizing?  the holy spirit has come upon them and can anyone even consider withholding water for baptism?

the answer, of course, is no.  baptism is a gift of grace, freely given from a god who shows no partiality, and so peter orders them to be baptized in the name of jesus christ.

this grace is apparent also in the reading from john as jesus points out to us, his followers, “you did not choose me but i chose you.”  (v. 16) 

grace is a crazy wonderful thing.  we don’t get to choose who gets god’s grace and who doesn’t,           which is probably good,                        because then,    we might not make the cut ourselves!  jesus chooses.  he chooses you and he chooses me and then we get to ask the question.  it’s not “who did jesus choose?” but instead it’s “what did jesus choose me for?”  jesus chooses us to bear good fruit.  to love one another as he loves us.

jesus loves us and commands us to love each other.  how simple and how freeing that is!!  christ loves us into loving each other! 

now, don’t get me wrong.  love is hard.  it took jesus to the cross for us, and especially on mother’s day we can easily recall the difficult love of raising a child, of caring for children, both ours and those of other folks. 

love is work and it means pushing ourselves, but at its heart, love is freedom.  we don’t have to depend on anyone else for it.  love comes from god in jesus and jesus chooses us.  he chooses us for love.  jesus chooses us      even when we wouldn’t choose each other or ourselves.  even when we struggle to get up in the morning or we look into the mirror and do not choose ourselves.  no matter how unstable life gets, jesus has chosen us for love. 

right now the world is uncertain.  the environment is in deep need of our care, we’re going to be electing new leaders this year for our city, our state, and our country.  anything around us can and probably will change: our life, our church, our work, our community, but no matter what, the truth remains: jesus has chosen us.  he has chosen us for love and we are free to love each other, even when it means something as simple as loving each person as they walk in the door!

just as the early church struggled with understanding what it meant to be church and who could and who couldn’t, we struggle to grasp jesus’ love and grace for us.  and so the holy spirit fell upon all those around peter and the question was

“can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the holy spirit just as we have?” 

today jesus tells us “you did not choose me but i                        chose                        you.” and he answers our question of “for what?” with “so that you may love one another.”

amen and thanks be to god.

week one: so much for easing into things

i arrived last friday and have been here for just over a week, so, i thought i'd look back at the last week or so of being here at immanuel lutheran church in kansas city, missouri (all of two or so blocks from kansas city, kansas).

the week started with a bang.

during early worship on sunday the power went out, not to come on again until our reception of new members at the beginning of late worship (quite the exciting start).

monday involved a press rally with congressman cleaver at the local grocery store and a visit from a fellow yagm and her family passing through to another fellow yagm's wedding.

tuesday was full of meetings: worship planning, staff, and then pastors' text study in the afternoon.

wednesday the newsletter folders came and while folding, i was jokingly informed that they "run this place" :) followed by a meeting with a group of women clergy and a hospital visit.

thursday consisted of supervision, lunch with a parishioner, and a meeting with clergy for communities creating opportunity planning an event (also known, in community organizing circles as an action, i believe).

and then friday the bulletin folders came (also known, on other days as newsletter folders) and in the afternoon i had time to get stuff done i needed to get done followed by a wedding rehearsal for the couple who became new members last sunday and then the wedding itself on saturday.

as you can probably tell, by thursday, i had to ask my supervisor when she has time to write her sermons!  life has been quite busy