|
 |  |  |  |  |  |
OUR MISSION
|
News & Happenings2012 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
|
Pastor Eric Fjeldal's February 2011 Sunday Sermons
Pastor Eric's sermons are presented here in reverse chronological order...in other words, the most recent sermons are at the top of the list, working backwards through time.
Feb. 27. "Whom Do You Serve?"
Matthew 6:24-34
Today’s scripture passage speaks a truth we know and one with which we struggle, because try as we may, we cannot serve two masters. Initially this scripture references choosing between God and wealth, but the truth is most of us struggle with a lot more than just two masters. We have competing masters and we know how the resulting anxiety and frustration block us from fully experiencing God’s reign in our lives.
Our Wednesday study groups have been reading Bishop Kenneth Carder’s book, Living Our Beliefs. In this book he writes:
We are shaped by our gods. Whatever is ultimate to us is our god. Whatever we
count on to give our lives meaning, purpose, value and destiny is our god. Multiple
gods compete for our loyalty. Polytheism (belief in many gods) and idolatry are as
prevalent among modern church members as they were among the ancient Canaanites.
We feel torn by conflicting values. It is difficult to act with singleness of motive and
commitment. Maintaining belief in the God who is concerned about, present with,
and working for the healing of creation is not easy. (pgs. 27-29)
Bishop Carder then goes on to list what some of our gods are. The first is success which Marcus Borg defines as worshipping the trinity of achievement, appearance and affluence. The second is consumerism; the belief that everything is a commodity to be marketed and consumed. In this thinking one’s worth depends on the exchange value in the market and its contribution to the economy. In other words when we make consumerism a god, we begin to see segments of our population as expendable, “throwaways” or “collateral damage”. Hedonism is a third god. This belief states that pleasure or happiness is the sole or chief good in life; everything is defined by how much happiness it brings me.
Other popular gods which “get in the way” of our serving the one true God include: nationalism, the worshipping of our nation; individualism, which extols the individual to the detriment of the community; rationalism, which exalts reason to the extreme of disallowing revelation and mystery. Racism and sexism, which assigns worth according to race and gender and uses power to maintain one’s privileged position. Violence, which considers that might makes right and encourages reliance upon violence for security and self-esteem. Institutional religion, which confines God’s presence and activity to religious institutions and gives religious rituals and doctrines priority over justice, mercy and compassion. (pgs. 38-40) Each of these things has their own subtle and not so subtle way of impacting our lives in an unhealthy, destructive way, robbing us of that which truly matters, a healthy relationship with God.
It is said that ‘do not worry” or “fear not” is the most oft repeated command in the Bible. It is also the least obeyed because to follow it we must let go of our need to be in control so we can learn to put our faith in God. The problem is we cannot put our faith in God until we become aware of how little we really do trust in God and how much our lack of trust hurts us. Barbara Essex reminds us.
Jesus taps into human nature – the desire for control and comfort. We want to believe
that we are in control of our lives and that we make choices and decisions from a place
of objectivity and rationality. When things get out of control, we feel overwhelmed and frustrated. These feelings lead to behaviors that are unhealthy and destructive –
manipulation, self-medication, greed, possessiveness, and depression, among them.
(Barbara J. Essex, Feasting on the Word, Year A, Vol. 1, pg. 406)
Jesus offers us an alternative which he plainly states. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God”, because seeking the kingdom helps us put everything into perspective. It reminds us that (L)ife is more than an anxious project of survival. It can be appreciated as a gift from God. (John Shea, On Earth as it is in Heaven, pg. 89) In order to embrace this gift we need to be mindful of our competing gods and the way they can grab hold of us and prevent us from seeking the kingdom.
I believe our experience of “this anxious project of survival” is most evident when it comes to the god of wealth in large part because our pursuit of wealth gives birth to so many other competing gods. It is not wealth itself, but the worship of wealth and the belief that we can earn our salvation that is save ourselves, through economic security that is the issue. Commenting on this Matthew Boulton writes:
(W)hat Jesus has in mind is not great sums of money or even mere money at all, but
rather a money centered approach to life’s basic needs: a strict material, commoditized, marketplace-drive outlook and practical path. Indeed, an astonishing proportion of
our lives and work come down to precisely this sort of mammon-centered striving (after commodities), so much so that a naďve observer might be forgiven for concluding that
many of us –‘ rich’ as well as ‘poor’- are caught up in a sort of indentured servitude.
To the extent that we ultimately rely on our own resources, and not on God’s graceful
care, we will be plagued by worry; and Jesus will call us too ‘you of little faith’ (v.30).
To the extent that we ultimately rely on God for our basic well-being, we may therefore
be free for a life of ‘faith.’ This message pertains to rich and poor, privileged and
disinherited alike, for the amount of mammon involved is not at issue. Rather, at issue
is the orientation of our ultimate trust, and therefore the goal and character of our striving.
(Matthew Myer Boulton, Feasting on the Word, Cycle A, Vol. 1 pg. 407)
This begs the question, “What are you striving for?” Is it a security that is driven by what the world says matters? Or, is it a security that allows us to embrace our role in God’s reign, God’s realm, God’s kingdom? What also matters is the reason why we seek such security. What we hope to achieve matters because what Jesus is talking about is more than just a better self-image or personal growth or peace of mind. What Jesus is talking about is a deeper connection that transcends personal wants or needs. Jason Byassee says it this way.
The goal, (however), is not psychological improvement. It is not lessening anxiety for
its own sake. It is recognition of who governs the cosmos. It is awareness that the one
chattering on about lilies and birds and grass actually created those with his own hand
that would one day be pierced to renew them. It is an alignment of oneself with the community
of those working to hasten the day when all creation rightly sings its Creator’s praise.
(Jason Byassee, Feasting on the Word, pg.408)
When we are found among those who rightly sing our Creator’s praise it is then that we are able to affirm that Jesus is right; we cannot serve two masters. That is we cannot at the same time (1) trust ultimately in our economic striving as the bedrock foundation for our basic well-being and (2) trust ultimately in God as that bedrock foundation. There can be only one ultimate foundation, only one ultimate trust. (Matthew Myer Boulton, pg.407)
So we must choose. We must make our priorities clear, not because we have an unrealistic, romantic view of the world. Rather, it is because we desire a faith based view of the world; one which affirms that God’s realm is the only true realm, because of what God’s realm offers. In God’s realm it is not about how many toys people have, but where their hearts are. (Barbara Essex, pg.406) When our hearts are with God, we begin to discover just how much we are robbing ourselves, and preventing ourselves from discovering that which truly matters; a health relationship with God who creates, redeems and sustains us and all people, not just some of the time, but all the time whether we recognize it or not.
Feb. 20. "Like It or Not, Jesus Said It."
Matthew 5: 38-48
I spent a fair amount of time this week thinking about and struggling with this morning’s passage. It is a real challenge to embrace what Jesus is saying. One could argue it doesn’t make any sense, certainly not in this world in which we live and folks have tried a variety of explanations to make it palatable. They have also gone to great lengths to develop elaborate strategies of avoiding these commands, impossible and offensive as they may be. (Jason Byassee, Feasting on the Word, Year A, Vol. 1 pg.380) Not many of us are comfortable with Jesus challenging the disciples and us to do the opposite of what seems normal and reasonable.
This passage is such a struggle because it highlights two competing worldviews. There is the one our world proclaims which says:
It is easier to be mean, hold grudges, ignore those in need. If I give to everyone who begs,
I will have nothing left for myself. If I turn the other cheek, I will get slapped again.
If I get sued, I am hiring the best lawyer I can afford to find every loophole in my favor.
If I love my enemies, I will be more persecuted or even killed. If I am too nice, I will be
seen as weak, a pushover, a doormat.
(Barbara J. Essex, Feasting on the Word, Year A, Vol. 1, pg. 380)
Then there is the worldview that Jesus proclaimed; one that is built upon an understanding of how God loves. It says:
Turn the cheek, give the cloak, go another mile, lend, love the enemy – because that is
how God loves. If you want to follow this God, fleshed in Jesus, you will be adopted
into a life in which you find yourself loving this way before you know what you are doing.
(Jason Byassee, Feasting on the Word, pg. 382)
Jesus is very clear, God’s reign is about more than just being nice to those who are nice to you, or loving those who love you. Anybody can do that. The God who causes it to rain on the just and unjust calls us to show the same mercy, generosity and love to all people regardless of how they treat us. Why? Because this is what God does; and to know God and to be a part of God’s reign is to do as God does.
As Jason Byasses reminds us: (T)he Sermon here and elsewhere is a portrait of the very heart of God, one who loves the unlovable, comes among us in Christ, suffers our worst, and rises to forgive us. (Feasting on the Word, pg. 382)
God’s heart is not the world’s heart and we are left struggling with this because:
Wherever the gospel is preached, we must remember that its good news will make
you crazy. Jesus will put you at odds with the economic and political systems of
our world. This gospel will force you to act, interrupting the world even as it is
in ways that make even pious people indignant. (Emmanuel Katongole)
In an effort to ease our struggle we can be tempted to think and believe that Jesus’ words point to a some day dream that may be realized sometime in the future. We can also believe Jesus is setting forth a set of values to which his disciples (and us) should aspire. They are impossible but that’s the point. By striving toward them, we live better than we would otherwise. (Greg Cary, Feasting on the Word, pg. 381) That is not the message at all; for while God’s reign is a future hope, it is also a present reality, a way of life God calls us to live right now.
The question becomes, “In a world that does not operate this way, how do we?” God’s realm is not what we expect so what do we do? I am reminded of a book, Christ and Culture, by H. Richard Niebhur. In this book Niebuhr talks about Christ changing culture as people of faith living within the culture seek to transform the culture by offering a Christ like response to the situations and events they encounter. To do this, we need to ask ourselves:
What do I need to do differently?
How can I look at my life and actions and model different behavior?
What will this behavior look like?
How will it call me to live?
Matthew Myer Boulton calls this new way of living “nonadversial defiance.” (Feasting on the Word, Year A, Vol. 1 pg. 383) Nonadversial defiance is a way of looking at life and relationships that seeks an alternative response while at the same time affirming the dignity of self and neighbor. Make no mistake:
‘Do not resist an evildoer’ does not mean becoming a doormat to violent people. It does not encourage us to acquiesce in our humiliation and pain. Rather it discourages repaying evil
with evil. Higher righteousness does not contribute to the spiral of violence. So this is not
a passive stance. It is a proactive, highly-engaged alternative to retribution in kind.
(In this way) discipleship is more than just a bland refusal to participate in violence. It is
a new, creative, and courageous way of acting. It sees into the hidden dynamics of imposed
violence, exposes them, and opens up other possibilities.
(John Shea, On Earth As It is in Heaven, pg.83-84)
Matthew Myer Boulton describes it this way.
All this is summed up in verse 44: ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’
In the face of the most extreme opponents (enemies) and acts of oppression (persecution),
Jesus advises defiance – but not the defiance directed against the enemies themselves, since
this simple perpetuates and intensifies the relationship’s adversarial character, but rather a deeper defiance directed against the vicious, endless cycle of enemy making. Do not fight fire with fire, Jesus says; rather fight fire with water, and thereby refuse to take part in the incendiary, all too familiar work of injury and domination.
(Matthew Myer Boulton, Feasting on the Word, Year A. Vol. 1, pg. 385)
So there we have it: loving God means loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us. There is no way around it; no way of getting out of it. We have a decision to make; do we want to continue to perpetuate the way things are, or do we want to offer an alternative?
As I struggle with trying to offer an alternative I take some solace and comfort in these words from Morton T. Kelsey.
I find that it is better to love badly and faultily than not to try to love at all. God does
not have to have perfect instruments, and the Holy One can use our feeble and faltering
attempts at love and transform them. My task is to keep on trying to love, to be faithful
in my continuing attempt, not necessarily to be successful. The quality of my love may
well be the most important element of my spiritual guidance.
(Morton T. Kelsey from Companions on the Inner Way)
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Like it or not Jesus said this. Like it or not, Jesus and lived it; and those who are serious about following him are called it to live it too. Amen.
Feb. 6. "Tasty and Bright."
Matthew 5: 13-16
Fundamental to my faith is the premise that our relationship with God is a journey, a process; one in which I believe God desires to take us from where we are in our faith to where we could be. I don’t mean that God desires us to be selfish or self-absorbed. I don’t believe God desires to create narcissists, but rather God desires for us to be the vehicle through which God’s will for the world is revealed. God seeks to use us to offer “glimpses of the Kingdom”; glimpses of what could be, if only…
This desire of God’s can be heard in today’s scripture, “You are the salt of the earth.” You are the light of the world.” In these words we hear an affirmation of what God has created and of what can be if and when we recognize that God wants to work in and through us. This affirmation is not praise for a job well done. It is not some self-help jargon meant to stroke our egos. It is not the power of positive thinking or any other faint praise designed to improve our self esteem. Neither are these words designed to portray our relationship with God as one in which we are supported and affirmed regardless of the situation. They are not words designed to reinforce our lifestyles, attitudes and behaviors by telling us it is okay to keep doing what we are doing. Rather these words are an affirmation and also a confrontational call; for while we need to be comforted when we are afflicted, we also need to be afflicted when we become too comfortable.
Putting this in a pastoral perspective we are reminded.
Support and affirmation have their place, to be sure, but there are times when the most
pastoral response needs to be confrontational. Jesus could be affirming of the
individual person and challenging the person’s behavior.
We might say that the affirmation of the person upholds a person’s dignity, regardless of circumstances, while the challenge invites behavioral change for the better. The
challenge for change is the saltiness that keeps the moment alive in order to grow,
spiritually and personally.
(Charles James Cook, Feasting on the Word, Year A, Vol. 1 pg.334)
This kind of accountability is not necessarily popular in today’s world, but it is a part of our ever evolving relationship with God and one another. The better we know someone and the more we value another, the more honest and truthful we become. This is true in all of our relationships be they in our family, our church, our work environment. The more we care, the more honest we become.
Jesus message is clear; God calls us to use our saltiness for the benefit of the world. As John Shea writes:
Our salt identity is for the benefit of the earth. Our lives are a mission to bring zest
and meaning to the earth. What is wasteful is to lose this ultimate purpose and passion,
to forget this high calling and be reduced to a shriveled identity. This can happen.
Cynics would say it inevitably happens.
(John Shea On Earth As It Is In Heaven, pg.73)
This same dynamic of care for the world is present in the more familiar phrases; “You are the light of the world”, which is followed by the command, “let your light so shine”. Choosing to hide our light under a bushel is much like allowing our salt to lose its taste. Both result in our being poor stewards of what God entrusts to us; and because from time to time we can be poor stewards, we need to hear and own this so we can address why it is we are not as tasty and bright as God desires.
I believe fear is a major reason why we are not as tasty and bright as God desires. Fear of letting go and trusting in God as we face the unknown. Fear of the changes that will result if we trust God more fully. Fear of what will happen when God’s will is revealed. Fear of the power that proceeds from God; for as Richard Foster has written.
There is a power that destroys. There is also a power that creates. The power that
creates gives life and joy and peace. It is freedom and not bondage, life and not death, transformation and not coercion. The power that creates restores relationship and
gives the gift of wholeness to all. The power that creates is spiritual power that
proceeds from God. (Richard Foster, from Money, Sex and Power)
This power is what we rely on as it empowers us for our faithful response to the cynics. It is what empowers us to journey with God and seek to partner with God in revealing God’s reign. It is the power that allows us to overcome our fears and respond differently as God both affirms us and confronts us by reminding each of us:
You are a child of God; your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some of us;
it is in everyone and as we let our light shine (and our salt add taste) we unconsciously
give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear
our presence automatically liberates others. (Marianne Williamson)
So embrace the journey. Let God take you to where you could be in your faith that you may become the tasty salt and bright light you were created to be. For in so doing, you will discover the many ways God uses you, me, us to reveal God’s will to all those we encounter. Amen.
