Month: November 2024

Categories
Religious

Brokenness at Christmas

“Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this happen since I haven’t had sexual relations with a man?’”

Luke 1:34 (Common English Bible)

While I was in college, I studied for a semester in Coventry, England. My dormitory room was in Kennedy House located on the campus of Coventry Cathedral. The clergy of the Cathedral were my faculty. Each Friday, at noon, I was required to participate in a brief service of worship in the ruins of the original Cathedral destroyed during the Second World War. Imagine that experience of worship with me. I gathered with a small number of people in the chancel area of the Cathedral, charred walls of the Cathedral embraced our worship. Brokenness was magnified by the destruction from a world at war. Yet, amid the visible brokenness, a pastor would take bread, give thanks to God, break the bread, and share that this bread was the bread of life for us. It was a remarkable contrast—visible brokenness to the eyes with a spoken promise of life.

Something like that is how the Christmas story began. There is an unanticipated pregnancy—“I haven’t had sexual relations with a man.” Then, as now, such a pregnancy shattered the respectability for the woman. Mary is poor but struggling to live by the rules of a respectable society. Then, the unexpected. An angel appears to Mary, and the message from the angel alarms her. There is a pregnancy, and now nothing makes sense. “How will this happen?” asked Mary. Life is already difficult for Mary. But now, due to no fault of Mary, everything has become worse. In that day, a woman found pregnant outside of marriage could be stoned to death. Loss of respectability is one thing. But the prospect of stoning now multiplied the brokenness except for one thing. Within the brokenness, there is the promise of life—not simply the life of an unborn child, but a child that would bring life to all people.

At this time of the year, people often ask the wrong questions of the Bible. The predominant question at Christmas is the implausibility of a pregnancy without a sexual relationship. Naturally, this is a scientific difficulty. Pregnancy always follows predictable rules. And right here in this teaching from Luke’s Gospel, the predictable rules are not at play. Yet, there really is nothing in this story that asks us to reduce it to scientific inquiry. That is the wrong question. According to this teaching, the right question is not a scientific one but, rather, a personal one. Mary is surprised. Surprised by an unexpected visit from an angel. Surprised to learn that she was about to receive something she was not anticipating. It is this element of surprise that is essential to reading this Christmas story correctly. God has intruded on Mary’s life.

No one welcomes brokenness. Life is disrupted, often with considerable woundedness. We may go to church to seek escape, to receive a word of inspiration, or to find a community that will embrace and love us. Yet, like that worship in the old Coventry Cathedral, brokenness remains, surrounding us on every side. We wring our hands about the conditions that have fallen on us. Perhaps we even ask, as Mary, why this has happened. We didn’t plan on any of this. But, if we are honest, neither did we plan on the serendipitous surprises of life that delighted us or the friendships that have nurtured and strengthened us. The Christmas message of Mary’s visit from the angel is that God is present amid the brokenness. We need only to pay attention. What we thought would be our ruin may be a new beginning filled with new life and the possibilities that life presents.

Joy,

Categories
Religious

Thanksgiving for the Ordinary

“After taking the bread and giving thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’”

Luke 22:19 (Common English Bible)

Notice here, in this teaching from Luke’s Gospel, Jesus’ habit of thanksgiving. What is significant is Jesus giving thanks over a piece of ordinary bread, “After taking the bread and giving thanks.” This habit of giving thanks over the ordinary strikes some as unusual. Many of us are more accustomed to giving thanks for the extraordinary: a surprised gift of appreciation or an unusual demonstration of kindness. We were taught as children that such occasions merited giving an expression of gratitude. But here, Jesus takes in hand an ordinary piece of bread and, before serving the disciples dinner, gives thanks. Praise abounds in the narratives of Jesus. Any perusal of the four Gospels impresses upon the consciousness that praise is inseparable from the Jesus stories. But thanksgiving? And thanksgiving for the ordinary? That is also present. But noticing Jesus’ habit of thanksgiving requires a more careful reading.

Another discovery that is rewarded to the careful reader of the Gospels is that Jesus is noticed by the disciples, not in moments of praise, but in moments of thanksgiving. After a rather difficult week in Jerusalem that included an arrest of Jesus, the crucifixion of Jesus, and Jesus’ resurrection, two disciples were traveling to Emmaus. Jesus suddenly shows up with them. But the two disciples don’t recognize him. That may draw a question from the reader. The disciples were with Jesus for three years and now fail to recognize him? Our own experience answers that quandy. If we see a familiar face in a context we don’t expect, there may be a moment of recognition, but we brush it aside. That person can’t possibily be traveling in Europe at the same moment that we are! There may be a moment of recognition by the disciples, but it can’t be Jesus. He was crucified. But the moment Jesus takes bread and gives thanks—presto! It’s Jesus.

Perhaps there is wisdom for each of us to pay more attention to Jesus’ use of thanksgiving. Particularly because, in the hands of Jesus, the ordinary becomes extraordinary. When I officiate over a baptism, I stir the water in the baptismal font—ordinary water placed there minutes earlier from an ordinary tap. It is then I pray, “With an unseen hand, touch these waters and separate them from their ordinary use and make them extraordinary. May they become cleansing waters, removing guilt from the one who will be baptized.” When I stand before the Lord’s Table, I pray, “Separate this bread and this cup from their ordinary purpose so that they may become a symbol of your power and love in our lives, reconciling us once again to Jesus.” In thanksgiving, the common becomes radiant with the holiness of God, which, in turn, makes for a transfigured world. It is then a world that has become rather dull is made vivid with wonder.

Life is made up of very ordinary things. Thanksgiving for them opens the channels to see God where God has been previously unnoticed. Common places of life become extraordinary, even holy. Bryant Park in New York City is a holy place for me. Where many visitors and residents find a respite, I experience God as a very near presence. Every opportunity I am in that city I take the time to be in Bryant Park for prayer. I pray for my ministry, the congregation I serve, for my family, and for the City of New York. I pray for the welfare of the city. I pray that God will work redemptive wholeness where there is brokenness. When I can’t be in New York, I sit in a Bryant Park chair I have in my office. Seated there, I continue my prayers for the city. Consequently, my soul is filled with the fullness of God. I see God in the city where others may only see commerce, indulgence, and brokenness. Thanksgiving becomes a beautifier that transforms that city for me. There is great wisdom in following the example of our Lord for giving thanks for the ordinary.

Joy,

Categories
Religious

The Christian Way of Life

“Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (Common English Bible)

CliffsNotes is a series of study guides in pamphlet form. Great works of literature and other works are redacted—or condensed—to present a larger work in a more accessible form for a quick perusal of the material. Some use CliffsNotes to determine if a large work is something they want to invest the time in savoring the entire volume. Others, usually students preparing for an exam, simply want the facts. In these three brief verses from Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, Paul provides the CliffsNotes to the Christian way of life. In three rapid movements, God’s will for us is presented: we are to be a people who rejoice always, who pray continually, and who give thanks in every situation. Paul met with this young congregation only a few times before writing this letter, yet he has developed a deep affection for them—“like a nursing mother caring for her own children” (1 Thessalonians 2:7b)—and longs that they grow strong in these three common shared experiences.

What does it mean to “rejoice always?” When my son, Nathanael, turned five years old, his mother and I threw him a birthday party. Half a dozen of his friends were invited and, as traditional birthdays go, birthday presents were presented and opened before cutting the birthday cake. Opening one gift, Nathanael’s eyes grew wide with joy, and, looking intently at the toy, exclaimed with delight, “It’s what I have always wanted! What is it?” Knowing what the gift is or the function of the gift was not important. Something greater was going on. Nathanael was surrounded by people who loved him, who cared to show up for his birthday, and even now were celebrating him. There was a party going on, and Nathanael was at the center of it all! Paul’s entire ministry is an announcement that God has shown up for us and is active in all things. Though there will be much in life we don’t understand, God stands with us in all life’s circumstances. That is an occasion for rejoicing always!

To pray continually is not every moment but constantly, repeatedly, as an acknowledgment that God is standing right with us. Richard Rohr tells us that St. Francis used to spend whole nights praying the same prayer: “Who are you, O God, and who am I?” Rohr asks that we notice that St. Francis is not stating anything, is not sure of anything, but is just asking open-ended questions.[1] This is the prayer that Paul speaks of when he instructs us to pray continually. The continual notice that God is God, whatever that may mean, and that we are not, is humbling. Such prayer—a constant awareness of a God of infinite mystery—diminishes any notion that we are large enough or strong enough to face life on our own. There is tremendous freedom in that! We are not alone in this journey we call life. Whatever may come in our future is not solely dependent upon us. The great object of prayer is to get home to God even when we fail to receive from God compliance for what we ask.

Paul concludes his summary of the Christian life asking that we give thanks in every situation. The careful eye will distinguish between “give thanks in every situation” and “give thanks for every situation.” Even the smallest child has experienced enough to realize that life throws some things at us that one cannot reasonably be thankful for. What Paul is asking us is that a life that has mastered rejoicing always and praying continually is a life that knows there is more to come—that any hardship, any loss, or any suffering fails to have the last word. God is present in each moment of our life and continually seeks our good. God has determined in the resurrection of Jesus Christ to have the last word for us. It is a word of life abundant with God for eternity. William James writes, “The greatest discovery of my generation is that people can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.”[2] Paul asks that we alter our lives simply by relinquishing control over our outcomes in life and approach all situations with a grateful heart that God moves us forward—even through the darkest shadows. Here, writes Paul, is the sum of the Christian life.

Joy,

[1] Rohr, Richard. Yes, And . . . Daily Meditations. Cincinnati: Franciscan Media, 1997, 102.

[2] Nightingale, Earl. Successful Living in a Changing World, Shippensberg: Sound Wisdom, 2021, 174.

Categories
Religious

Be Strong, Love Deeply

“Don’t fear, because I am with you; don’t be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will surely help you; I will hold you with my righteous strong hand.”

Isaiah 41:10 (Common English Bible)

We live our lives with a sense of the gravity of our times. The Bible speaks of war, and the rumor of war, and there is an unsettling awareness that these words are timeless, words that are as true today as they were when they were written. Politicians rise to power, as they have since the days of scripture, and, on occasion, some generate hatred and fear rather than a leadership of wisdom and courage for meeting the challenges of the day. Health can be fleeting. Just last week, a sixty-four-year-old man—a professional trainer in peek physical shape—fell down a flight of stairs; his head impacted a marble floor and slipped away. His wife speaks to the hospital chaplain about her anticipated retirement without a husband and now questions what is ahead for her. Uncertainty and fear are never very far from any one of us. Though both are part of the human experience and cannot be avoided, we can be paralyzed. Taken from us is the capacity to manage and master fear. The result is that we are wrecked by it.

These words from Isaiah shape a holy discourse from God to a people who are fearful. Paralysis has seized them. Such fear has overshadowed life with the result that all hope vanishes. It is a fear that robs the people of memory—a memory that they belong to a God that has been faithful in the past and remains faithful now. This discourse, this address to Israel follows a full and reassuring reminder of a past that included God. God established a peculiar relation with Israel that is governed, writes Walter Brueggemann, by the positive “chosen” and the negative “not cast off.” “The entire memory of Israel is mobilized in this moment in order to assure the exiles that this guaranteed relationship still operates and is decisive for the present and for the future.”[i] This address provides the basis for a movement beyond fear to trust. God asserts, “I am with you, I am your God, I will strengthen you, I will surely help you, I will hold you.” Israel is not alone in a world that rumors of war, evil politicians, and fleeting health.

These decisive words of God are a clarion call for the church to speak; to speak in a climate of fear and a sense of abandonment. If the church fails to speak at such a time of crisis, the church is an empty and hollow thing. The words suggested by God’s purposeful, strong verbs are “Be Strong, Love Deeply!” They capture the strength of God’s massive intervention in our lives that dissolves fear and replaces it with love. As we experience the unseen arms of God’s strength, we are then able to love others who are fearful, to give release to God’s love as it flows through us to others. Strength upon strength is released into the world as the subject of our fears dissolve and become as nothing. Brueggemann shares, “History is everywhere filled with examples of powers that evaporate when they run amuck of Yahweh’s (God) intention for well-being in the world.”[ii] Many crave to live in a world of certainty, free of fear. That is not the world we have been given, nor would such a world require a God. Ours is a world that asks that we rely upon God alone.

How might fear be managed and mastered? Three possibilities are suggested by this speech from God. First, acknowledge that many of our fears may be traced directly to self-interest. Fear is putting ourselves first. Discomfort is unpleasant, and we seek a remedy, an antidote, or a solution that drives the cause of fear away. We are much too wrapped up in ourselves. But God never promised many of the things we seek, such as our own comfort and material security. What is promised is that God accompanies us in life. We are not alone. Jesus taught that we are to deny ourselves first. It is only then that we can follow where God wants to take us. God first, others second, ourselves last. Second, spread out your fears before God in prayer. This example was provided by Jesus on the night he was betrayed. Following that prayer, Jesus was strengthened. Third, school ourselves that we are in God’s hands, “I will hold you with my righteous strong hand.” Anxiety will then diminish, and our life will become a comfort and strength to others who are fearful.

[i] Walter Brueggemann, Westminster Bible Companion: Isaiah 40-66 (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998) 33.

[ii] IBID, 34.

Categories
Religious

To Those Defeated

“After his deep anguish he will see light, and he will be satisfied.”

Isaiah 53:11 (Common English Bible)

These words are spoken by God. They are spoken of someone who has hit a brick wall. Someone who is defeated. Like many of us, there exists a pervasive sense that if they failed once, they most certainly would fail again. They are not alone. It is likely many of us have experienced defeat following a failure—a defeat that whispers in our ear that we are not enough, that the failure is an assessment of our worthiness. Fear takes up residence inside of us and results in a lack of willingness to try something again. Such a position of the heart, a will to surrender when things get hard and avoid at all costs further failure results in a defeated life. Right here in Isaiah, God promises that the deep anguish of failure may seem like the end, but it is not. When life appears to have reached its end, we are not abandoned. God’s will for each of us is that we prosper. “He will see light, and he will be satisfied.”

Robert T. Kiyosaki writes, “Failure is part of the process of success. People who avoid failure also avoid success.”[i] This is one of the great lessons of history. In science, we think of Thomas Edison, who, following failure after failure, did succeed in inventing the light bulb. In politics, we think of Abraham Lincoln, who met multiple failures, and lost election upon election, before being elected to the United States Presidency. Professional sports are replete with stories of athletes who refused to give up, and because of their refusal to be defined by failure, embraced victory. Each one was driven by failure to continually improve, to do better the next time, until success was theirs. They are unconcerned with impressing anyone, do not worry about being perceived as a failure by other people. One person matters, and only one. That is themselves. Failure is not the end but the beginning. The journey may be long, but they refuse to accept anything but success.

Naturally, refusal to accept defeat demands personal responsibility. Deliberate attention to the particulars of any failure provides guidance on what to change, a recalibration of approach, an expansion of methods, and further development of skill. We may not initially understand the reason for our defeats, but we are responsible for the way we carry our defeats. God promises here in Isaiah that we will be satisfied. But we must be a participant; we must play our part. God holds us responsible for cooperating with God’s work in our lives. Membership in a gym and securing a personal trainer have no power to transform us physically without our participation. Nor is God a genie that grants our wishes apart from our engagement, our struggle, and our consent to join in God’s activity in our lives. Nothing tests us more than our response to failure. The way we take failure is a test of life. It is nothing to fail. It is tragic to surrender to it.

Defeated by Life (1922)
by Leopoldo de Almeida (1898-1974)

Finally, the promise of satisfaction is much richer than grasping victory, of realizing success in our endeavor. The biblical story of God’s engagement with God’s people bears witness to the truth that defeat increases the value of life. Moses’ forty years in the wilderness was not easy. Moses experiences defeat in his leadership with God’s people. Recall the people who chose to worship a golden calf during the long absence of Moses. The people of Israel experienced defeat. Remember the loss of hope in God’s future for them and a desire to return to Egypt. Every struggle, every disappointment, every defeat was matched by a fresh encounter of God’s grace, God’s patience, and God’s power. Each developed in Moses and the people a stronger relationship with God. In defeat, values were deepened, a nation was made braver, and a relationship with God was taken to a new level. As Israel entered the promised land, satisfaction was theirs.

Joy,

[i] Amy Morin, 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do. (New York, NY, William Morrow: An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2017)180.