Verb Tense

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Marshall, Texas on Sunday January 30, 2011, the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Micah 6:1-8

Psalm 15

1Corinthians 1:18-31

Matthew 5:1-12

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.  Amen

The President of Louisville Seminary once said that he couldn’t wait to get to seminary himself.  He knew that when he was finally able to examine scripture in its original languages, all of the ambiguity, all of the questions would be gone and the light would shine.  That ended when he took his first classes in language and scriptural translation and interpretation.  He thought that the original languages would give him insight into the text, and it did.  It just gave him so much insight that as it gave him answers, it also gave him more and different questions. 

I have found this while looking at the Beatitudes, this week’s gospel reading.  There is something going on with the language, and the way that the language is structured, that tells us more than we know.  So I beg, forgive me this walk through the history of the languages of the Bible.  I know that this may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is important to our reading today.

The first thing that is important to learn is that there are several ways that the verb “to be” is rendered in scripture.  In the Greek, it’s a verb phrase that’s slightly familiar because the first word in the phrase has become our word “ego.”  In the strictest sense, when we talk about the ego, it is used to talk about “the I” and who I am.  Psychology teaches us about healthy egos, and over developed egos.  It teaches us about strong egos and weak egos.  In the end, it is all about who I am.  But there is another way that the verb “to be” is rendered.

Many places in the original Greek and Hebrew scriptures, the verb “to be” is rendered without the verb.  In English, this comes across like “Me Tarzan, you Jane.”  We understand the sentence should more correctly be rendered “I am Tarzan, you are Jane” but it’s not and still we understand it without the verb.  In the Greek and Hebrew, this verbless phrase is not only correct, but is used often.  It’s just one of the quirks of the language.  Maybe the best answer to why sometimes you use a verbal phrase and other times a phrase without a verb is that the more formal the situation, the more likely it would be to use the verb.

In Hebrew and Greek there is one other time when the verb phrase “to be” is used and that’s when talking about God.  In the Hebrew, we would always say “people do, only God is.”  This is how the Hebrew Scriptures prevent any misuse of “The Great I AM,” they never used the verb “to be” for any other purpose than for the holy name of God.

The other thing that is important in this scripture is that often when this passage is read, there is an emphasis on reading the words “blessed are.”  Often it is read in an imperative voice.  Often it is read in a very bold voice saying “they are blessed, blessed are poor in spirit…” and so on.  There may even be a lesser emphasis on the specific blessing, “blessed are poor in spirit… for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.”  Well, today, based on these two language gems, I want to share with you a new way to read this gospel message.

You see, the language of the Beatitudes is not built around an imperative verb voice.  There is no extra boldness written into the original text.  In fact, these blessings are verbless clauses.  In the Greek, it is written, “Blessed the ones who mourn because they will be comforted.”  The “are” is there, but in the original languages, it’s not written.

I ask this question often, but today it is more apt than ever, “So what, Paul, what’s at stake with this.”

Most simply stated, these blessings are statements, statements of fact.  The way the Beatitudes are worded, they indicate who is blessed and why.  They aren’t aimed most directly at any community that will be, they are aimed at the community of the moment.  Jesus is telling his disciples that the poor and disassociated, the weak and the lame, the widows and the orphans, those who live on the fringes of society are blessed.  Not that they will be blessed but they are blessed.

Yes, many, not all, but many of these blessings are rendered in the future, but the fact that these people are blessed is in the present tense.  Maybe for the blessings rendered in the future tense it’s kind of like a bank CD.  Yes, it’s coming, and it can’t be cashed in until sometime in the future, but the blessing is still yours.

Here’s what’s important.  This isn’t so much an advertisement by the Lord asking people to become hungry and thirsty for righteousness.  It is a declaration that those who are hungry and those who are thirsty for righteousness are already blessed.  Yes, the Lord wants us to be merciful, but the point is that those who are pure of heart are now and will forevermore be blessed.

The Beatitudes are not so much a “how to” of God’s blessings, they are a “who are.”  This isn’t a guide for the future, it is a note of the present.

Do any of these Beatitudes sound familiar?  Micah tells us that the Lord requires us to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God.  Using these glorious words that became the theme of the 218^th General Assembly of the PC(USA) in 2008, the Lord has shown us what is important even in the ancient days of the prophet.

What’s a pity is that this falls at the end of a piece that begins like this, “Hear, O mountains, the Lord’s accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.  For the Lord has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel.”  The prophet doesn’t speak these words because he is ready to give the people of God a lollypop.  He is sharing with the world what is required of a good disciple, and it wouldn’t be necessary to share this instruction if everything were going according to plan.

The Rev. Dr. David Johnson posted this tidbit on his facebook status yesterday:

Modern heresies contradicted: You can put too much meat on a sandwich. You can pay too much for a bottle of wine. You can be too careful. It can feel right and still be wrong. You can be too thin. You can be too rich (and most of us probably are, given the state of much of the world.)

I believe his point to be that the words of Micah are not always present in the world the Rev. Dr. Johnson knows, and since where he resides in that world is in Austin, what he says he intends to be too close for comfort. He says we live in a world where we take our blessings now in earthly wealth, not in the blessings of the Gospel.

But if this seems silly, or at least heretical to the modern world, just remember this, if we are wise by human standards, then we don’t leave a lot of room for Godly wisdom.  Paul’s letter to the Corinthians makes this very clear.  God chooses the foolish in the world to shame the wise.  God chooses what is weak to shame the strong. God uses the low and despised to nullify the high of this world so that no one might boast in the presence of God.

In all of these things, blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who are meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers, for they are blessed not for their own benefit, but to the glory of the Lord.

Still, there is a blessing for the people of the Rev. Dr. Johnson’s modern heresies, those who are persecuted for their witness in the Lord, their reward is also in heaven.  Just as Isaiah was persecuted, just as Jeremiah was persecuted, just as Micah was persecuted, so are we who bring the name of the Lord to the world.

So let us not revile those who the world says are weak, for they are strong in God’s blessings.  Let us not put ourselves above anyone because of who the world tells us we are because our wisdom is God’s folly.  In the end too, we will all be blessed in the way of the prophets.  We are all blessed, welcomed in the waters of our baptism as the people of God.

Don Berry's Fishin' Radio Show

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Marshall, Texas on Sunday January 23, 2011, the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Isaiah 9:1-4

Psalm 27:1, 4-9

1 Corinthians 1:10-18

Matthew 4:12-23

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen

When I was but a wee lad, there was a TV show Saturday evenings after the 6:00 Eyewitness News on KCMO TV5[1] called “The Sportman’s Friend.” It starred Harold Ensley, a 1994 inductee into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. I can still remember the theme song, “Gone fishin’, instead, of just, a wishin’.” I even remember once seeing his station wagon leaving a parking lot with the show logo on the side of the front door. It may not seem like much now, but in the day there were a lot more station wagons and very few with company logos on the door panel.

This week I dropped a note on facebook to a friend named Brian Hochevar. When I worked at the college in Lamar, Colorado he was the baseball and basketball coach. We came to know each other well and we would trade stories. He once told a story about fishing with the family. He asked his eldest son Luke if he needed fresh bait because the minnow on the end of his line was dead. Luke said “No, no problem; I’ll just jig this minnow for a while.” Sure enough he jigged it well enough that he actually got a bite.

Since Brian doesn’t have a facebook account I asked his wife Carmen if she would ask her husband, whom we affectionately call “Hoch,” for permission to use this story. She replied, “I [asked] Hoch and he said go for it. Haha, the better fishing story is when Hoch went fishing with his buddy Tom Pilkington. When Hoch cast his line the lure got stuck in the back of Tom’s head. Oh well, another sermon for that.” The first thought that came while I was still chuckling was, “No, that’ll work in this sermon too.”

About twenty years ago while channel surfing I lit upon the Jimmy Houston fishing show on TV and he was answering viewer mail. Someone wrote in and asked, “I’ve been fishin’ for a long time and I love your show but there’s one thing I can’t figure out and it bugs me, how do you boys bring in so many fish in thirty minutes?” Jimmy then spent about thirty seconds explaining the editing process and how the waiting time is greatly reduced by it for entertainment purposes.[2]

Here in the lake area of East Texas, there are fishing shows on the radio. Friday morning I caught the tail end of the fishing report on “The East Texas Sports Report with Jamie Horton.” Jamie was reporting that the fish were biting on the area lakes on the banks and in the sticks on a variety of jigs, spooners, spinners, live baits and yes, hot dogs.”

One of my favorites is “Don Berry’s Fishin’ Radio Show” which is produced in Springfield, Missouri within easy range of Table Rock Lake, Lake Tanneycomo, Truman Lake and of course the Lake of the Ozarks. Springfield is also the home of Bass Pro Shop store number one and their corporate offices. Ranger Boats also has a big presence in town at Bass Pro and right at lake side. Don Berry is a regular media mogul when it comes to all things outdoors in Springfield.

“Don Berry’s Fishin’ Radio Show” brings information about equipment and where it works best. He talks about all the best of tournament action along with recent controversies in tournament fishing. Yes, people cheat at fishing. Big prize money will make people do all sorts of things. He will talk to callers about what’s biting where and on what. Don Berry even once did a show on changing fishing laws in Louisiana with the differences between riparian and alluvial rights to water and water access.

By the way, if you know what I mean by that you’re either a lawyer, real estate agent, or the holder of a Louisiana fishing license.

Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been arrested and went from Nazareth to Capernaum. After all of the fuss John had been making, it was probably for the best. It’s only about a ten mile journey, but it’s the difference between living on the windward side of the mountains and the lakeshore. For a Nazarene carpenter, the fishing village would have definitely been a change of pace.

Jesus came from the west side of the mountains by the Sea of Galilee. He wasn’t a sailor, he wasn’t a fisherman. He was a carpenter; some historians even believe he was more like what we would call a contractor than a laborer. So when he decided to leave his home and go east, he went to a place that was foreign; it wasn’t like home. We need to remember too that Jesus would have looked different. A carpenter dresses differently than a fisherman. They use different expressions, different slang. They both would have been muscular, but their builds would have been different and their hands would have been callused differently.

Sure, he would know as much about fishing as any other carpenter, but what’s that worth to a fisherman? They were all working men, but with different trades they would have been as different as water and wood. And everyone at the sea would have known it. Still, if Jesus had meant to talk only to the folks he knew, scripture would tell of him being at the mill. We would have stories about Jesus and the sawyers, not the fishermen.

Jesus came to the sea to put some distance between him and the arrest of John, but his arrival meant so much more.

Scripture tells us that Peter and Andrew were throwing small circular nets into the sea; nets that could be cast from the side of the boat and pulled back by a single man. Why? Because they were fishermen, that’s what they do. So Jesus says to them, come and I will make you (literally) fishermen of men. Honestly though, you gotta love the way most English translations say “fishers of men.” There’s a poetry that honestly is missing from my ear in the original manuscripts.

Still there must have been something in the word that caught Peter and Andrew’s then James and John’s attention. Something that made them leave everything they had behind and go with him. Jesus must have had some charisma; then again, charisma is just the Greek word for gift. The gift of the Holy Spirit must have still been mightily upon him because these men responded leaving everything, including family, behind them.

Matthew’s gospel also makes it clear; this is the moment that Jesus actively enters into ministry. It is this moment that Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” There is no more important proclamation than the Word spoken by the Word. This is what Jesus began to preach.

While most translations use the words “to preach,” I prefer the New Revised Standard Version’s use of the words “to proclaim” instead. According to scholars, it is more accurate, more proper, more correct to use “proclaim” over “preach.”[3] Of course outside of academic circles that and a quarter will get you thrown out of a diner if you try to get a cup of coffee.

But something did get lost in the translation; there is a nuance to the word that gets lost. In the ancient manuscripts, when the verb we translate “to preach” or “to proclaim” is used, we often look at the one who makes the proclamation, the preacher if you will. We tend to consider the one who brings the message.

Instead it is better for us to think of proclamation the way it was handled in the Old Testament. The Old Testament emphasized the importance of the proclamation and the act of making the proclamation, more than the one who makes it.[4] Though there was an emphasis on the Law that takes a different role in the light of the grace of Christ. Something else that is important according to scholars is the concept that the Word, the proclamation comes from a deity and not the person making the proclamation.[5]

So when we look at Jesus beginning to preach, we have once again entered the arena where Jesus is Lord and Jesus is the Word. He is God and the Word of God. So in the most humanly mixed up bit of rhetoric ever spoken, in the case of the words Jesus proclaimed, in this one instance the proclamation is exactly as important as the one making it because they are one and the same.

Kind of confusing, isn’t it, let me try this again: In ordinary life, the proclamation is more important than the one who makes it, especially when the proclamation comes from God, but when the Word of God is brought from God who is the Word, they’re identical.

Still the people who make the proclamation, especially those who proclaim the word of God, are not insignificant. On top of that, those who receive the Word of God are not insignificant either. It has been said, “The message imparted from God is God’s Word and should not only be delivered with its authority, but it must be received as authoritative. The authority of the Word comes from its source, not within a logical context desired by the Greeks or a legal structure desired by the Jews.”[6]

The point of the matter is this, when Jesus says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” he comes as the truth speaking the truth. And when he says the kingdom has come near, he tells everyone in a way that shows that what he says today will ring like a bell far, far into the future. When we share that same word with one another, we must also know that what the Lord says today will touch lives tomorrow and forevermore.

We are called today by Jesus. We still hear the clarion call, “Come, follow me.” It is up to us to do as Jesus did and make the word apply to the lives of those who receive it. Jesus intentionally used a fishing metaphor to call fishermen to the good news. If he had gone to shepherds of young goats, he probably would have called them to come with the vocational call of the Youth Minister and be “shepherds of kids.”

Sorry, it’s a pretty bad joke and it probably wouldn’t have translated well from Greek or Aramaic, but it does get to the point, when we share the gospel and with others, we must speak to people with what they know. You won’t be an expert in someone else’s arena, but we can still be like carpenters talking to fishermen. So let’s look at the fishing metaphor and see how it is still useful even for us even today.

When sharing the gospel, we gotta know where the fish are biting. We gotta go where the people are. You can’t share the gospel sitting at home. As much as my internet ministry is blossoming, most of my vocation doesn’t happen at the keyboard. Who needs to hear the gospel? Is it a client? Is it a customer? Is it a supplier? Is it a coworker? Can you start the conversation over lunch? Are you where people are? To use the illustrations from the beginning of this sermon, it’s important when sharing the gospel to know where the fish are biting.

You gotta know what kind of bait you’re hanging off the line because some baits work better than others in different waters. You don’t use a minnow when hunting game fish in the gulf. You don’t use a worm when trolling for trout on the lake. You don’t use hotdog fly fishing on the great mountain streams.

Still, sometimes you end up like the guy in the movie “A River Runs through It” who brings a can of worms to a fly fishing stream. Sometimes you end up snagging your lure in your buddy’s head. Sometimes you sit in the boat for hours and there’s nothing to edit out because there’s nothing but waiting. Sometimes the fishing is hard, but the work is always good. Even on the days when the fishing is bad there’s something the fisher of men can learn.

Yes, no matter how much I like Don Berry’s Fishin’ Radio Show when fishing the lakes of the ArkLaTex[7] it’s best to listen to the East Texas Sports report because even between freshwater lakes and streams, the fishing is different in different waters. The same with the gospel, some stories—some metaphors work better in some places than others.

Finally, know your equipment. Know the boat, know the rod and reel. Know scripture, know the Christ. Know your flies and your lures and your spinners and spooners and even your hotdogs.

And remember, it’s always best to fish with a friend. Jesus sent out the disciples in twos and there is no reason we shouldn’t go out the same way. As we confessed this morning, if we claim to possess the light but hide it under a bushel, of what use it such wisdom to the world? So go, because even if we are not the Word Incarnate, we carry the word. We have the best bait in the world, but it doesn’t mean much when we keep the tackle box in the garage.

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[1] Now KCTV 5

[2] Seriously, this happened. Now I don’t know if the writer was serious or just pulling everyone’s leg, but the show responded to the letter and explained why they edit.

[3] Kittel, Gerhard. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Vol. 3. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1965, 704

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.698, 699

[6] Ibid. 712. The quote comes from an unpublished paper called “Preaching and the Confessions” for the Rev. Dr. Ellen Babinsky’s “Theology of the Reformed Confessions” course at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

[7] ArkLaTex is a portmanteau for Arkansas-Louisiana-Texas

This Day and the Next

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Marshall, Texas on January 16, 2011, the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Isaiah 49:1-7

Psalm 40:1-11

1Corinthians 1:1-9

John 1:29-42

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen

Introductions are how we present ourselves to others. Sometimes we introduce ourselves by what we do or where we live. Sometimes we introduce ourselves by who our parents are or where we were born. This piece from John’s gospel begins with many and different kinds of introductions.

On this day, John begins by introducing Jesus to those around him. When Jesus walks past on this day, the Baptist says, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” How’s that for an introduction, you’re walking down the levee and suddenly your cousin, the guy in camel hair, introduces you to everyone within shouting distance, using the words from Exodus. “Here comes the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

Using this image, John invokes the purpose of the Paschal lamb, the lamb slaughtered and eaten at the Passover. The lamb whose blood was placed around the doors of the sons and daughters of Israel so the specter of death would pass over their homes. John’s disciples along with the Sadducees, Pharisees, scribes, lawyers and pretty much everyone else at the river would have known exactly what John meant.

Then John tells the assembly “This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’” This seems mysterious as introductions go, but no more so than the introduction to the gospel itself, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”[1]

Separately, these introductions are mystifying, together they explain one another. Since Jesus was in the beginning with God, of course he came before John. And born about six months after the Baptist, Jesus has been since before the beginning. Again, in words the assembly would understand, John introduces Jesus the Messiah to the world.

Then John says something we don’t expect after last week’s reading. “I myself did not know him.” If you are thinking that just last week I said John knew exactly who Jesus was from a Messianic perspective; I did. We read that John did not want to baptize Jesus saying Jesus should baptize him, which implies at least to me that the Baptist knew Jesus is the Messiah.

Maybe you’re remembering that according to Matthew’s gospel John leapt in his mother’s womb at the Messiah’s presence while Jesus was still in utero, well you’re right about that too. So this leads to the question, why does John’s gospel report John saying, “I myself did not know him until the Spirit came and descended on him?” and you’re right, that’s a darn good question.

The quickest answer I have is that’s just one of the differences between Matthew’s and John’s gospels. Sorry, it’s not much but it’s the best answer I have in fewer than fifteen words.

But Matthew’s gospel aside; this is odd because John and Jesus are cousins for crying out loud. Of course they knew each other. But there’s knowing; and there’s knowing. It would make sense that John knew who Jesus was, but as it says in John’s gospel it was only when the Baptist saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove and remain on him, only then did he truly know.

By these sayings; Jesus ranking ahead of John, Jesus coming before John, and John not knowing Jesus, we come to know who the Baptist is. John introduces himself to us. We know that he is not the Messiah, but rather the one who comes before him. John is not God; rather he comes as a witness to testify to the presence of the Son of God. He can do this because he knows first who he is. Not only does John see, he testifies. Not only does John discover, he shares. Not only is John called, he responds. This is how John the Baptist introduces himself on this day.

This introduction is heard as a personal invitation by two of John’s own disciples. When they were introduced, they leave their Rabbi and follow Jesus. And follow they did. They physically got up and pursued Jesus as he made his way from the Jordan.

Next, Jesus turns around seeing two men following him and asks, “What are you looking for?” That’s a loaded question, isn’t it? Does he ask it like he feels uncomfortable with them following? “What are you looking for?” Or maybe he asks them like he all ready knows? “What are you looking for?”

They ask “Teacher, Rabbi, where are you staying?” Then it’s like Jesus looks them in the eye and crooks his finger as he invites them to come and see. No mention is made about what happened that night. What we can imagine is that on this night, this special night when the first two disciples stay with Jesus, they are introduced to a way of life they will share together until their last supper.

But before the three left together, Andrew went to find his brother Simon. Andrew introduces his brother the to revelation that the Messiah has come.

The next day, Andrew brought Simon to Jesus for a proper introduction, but Jesus takes the initiative and makes the introduction instead. “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas.” Cephas is the Aramaic word for Peter. If you will though, the literal way to translate this name is Rock. In a stunning reversal, Andrew doesn’t introduce Simon to Jesus; Jesus introduces Simon to himself. Jesus knows Peter will be the rock, so the Messiah introduces Simon to Peter, the man he is and the new man in Christ he will become.

John the Baptist introduces himself as the one who testifies about Jesus. John introduces Jesus to the world and to his disciples. John introduces Jesus as the Lamb and who precedes all others. Then Jesus and two of John’s disciples are introduced to each other. The stakes are raised as Jesus introduces them to a taste of what it will be like to be his disciples. But first, Andrew introduces his brother Simon to the fact that the Messiah has come. Finally, marvelously, Jesus introduces himself to Simon and then in an amazing turn Jesus introduces Simon to Peter.

John points the way for everyone to know Jesus. Andrew responds to John’s prompting and tells his brother about the Lamb who will take away the sin of the world. We are fortunate, we have heard these stories. We know the Lamb who is the Christ. We know Simon who became the Rock upon whom the church was built.

Our reading this morning invites us back to a time before we knew, a time when we were like John and Andrew and Simon, not knowing who Jesus really is or what that means for our lives, but aching to know more.

The Reverend Rodger Nishioka tells this story about a member of his church’s youth group and her time of coming to know who Jesus is and who she is too:

Several years ago, when the “What Would Jesus Do?” campaign was at its peak of popularity among young people, I had a conversation with a young high schooler. She had been given a WWJD bracelet; while she was wearing it, she was also troubled by it. After youth group one night, she shared that she was struggling with the concept of the bracelet. I tried to explain that the bracelet is supposed to be a tangible reminder that we are followers of Jesus and that we are to be guided by his actions in every facet of our lives. She assured me that she understood all that. Her problem was that she did not see how it was possible for us even to know what Jesus would actually do in any situation, let alone to do it faithfully. When I tried to explain that we have the Bible and the wider community of believers to help us, she explained in an exasperated tone, “Yeah, but don’t you see? I am not Jesus! I am fully human,[2] but I am not fully divine. I just don’t think it’s fair to even assume that I could imagine what Jesus would do because I am not God.” She had a point.[3]

Reverend Nishioka contends the point is that we are not called to take upon ourselves some kind of Messianic identity for the world. As much as we are to act as Christ’s body in the world, we are not Christ. That job’s taken.

What we are called to be is like the others in this reading. We need to be like the others and marvel in the wonder and mystery of the new thing the Messiah does.

We need to be like John, know the prophecy and see Jesus when he appears. We need to be like the Baptist, and know who Jesus is when we see the Spirit light upon him and stay. We need to be like John and proclaim the name of Jesus to a weary yet hungry world.

We need to be like Andrew; once he is shown the Son of God he follows like a lamb follows its mother. The ewe leads her lamb and provides what it needs to live. We need to be like Andrew, and hear the voice of the one follow and eat the good food of the Lamb of God.

We need to be like Andrew and the unnamed disciple and follow Jesus into a new life of discipleship, even when we have no idea what that may be like. Even in times like in this passage when scripture doesn’t even tell us what their first discipleship experience was like.

We need to be like Andrew, and introduce the Lord to our brothers and sisters. We need to remember that evangelism begins at home. In the light of danger and insecurity, we need to speak the name of the Lord and announce he is the Messiah, the Anointed, the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, the Son of God.

We need to be like Simon, and become Peter. We need to know who we are and when the Anointed makes us something new, we are to leave the old behind and embrace the new creation in God. And yes, we are bound to be like Peter who never made it easy on himself or his Lord. Yet through his rocky discipleship, he becomes the rock.

We need not only to be available; we need to make ourselves available to those in this world who need to hear the name of the Lord. We need to cry his name from the river and from the rocks. We need to cry the name of the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world to the modern-day Sadducees and Pharisees, the scribes and the experts in the Law. We need to cry his name in our homes with our families. We need to tell the world that may never have heard the name of the Lord who he is and that he makes all things new. Jesus has introduced himself; we need to continue to make the introduction to the world.

The important first step to making the introduction is to listen first as the Lord introduces himself to us in scripture. Then when like Simon Peter, as the Son of God introduces us to ourselves, we are to respond to the new life in Jesus Christ.

Just last week this part of the Body of Christ responded to new life in Christ by ordaining and installing new Elders to the Session. In the Presbyterian Church it is usual that in baptism, confirmation, ordination, and installation; the children of God are referred to by their first names alone. The reason for this is wonderful and glorious. The reason for this introduction is that in the church we share the same last name. We are the children of God and by this miracle of grace the family names we carry are an earthly convention. The Lord does not need them to know whose children we are. We are the Lord’s children, the children of God.

So today, on this day, let us be introduced to Jesus again, sharing the newness and the wonder of the Lord. And on this day and the next, let us listen. Let us follow. And let us share. And in the grace and forgiveness of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us share signs of God’s peace and wondrous love with one another.

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[1] John 1:1-2, NRSV

[2] Actually, it is my contention that being without sin, Jesus is more human than we are. So as Christ is fully human, because of sin we are not. As important as I believe this point is, today it’s a footnote. For the purposes of this sermon, the point of discipleship this girl makes is more important that the point of theology I am making.

[3] Nishioka, Rodger Y. “Feasting on the Word, Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary.” David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, Editors. Year A, Volume 1. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010, page 262.

Living Wet

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Marshall, Texas on Sunday January 9, 2011, the First Sunday in Ordinary Time also known as "Baptism of the Lord" Sunday.

Isaiah 42:1-9
Psalm 29
Acts 10:34-43
Matthew 3:13-17

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen

If you have not seen the Walden Media movie “Narnia, Voyage of the Dawn Treader” in the theater or if you have never read the C. S. Lewis Book, then consider yourself warned: This is a “spoiler alert.” I am going to share an important plot point. Not the most important, but still very important. Now, on with the sermon.

Last week, Marie and I saw “Voyage of the Dawn Treader” at the theater. It was the first time we had seen a movie in the city where we lived in years, and it was great. We sat there with our 3-D glasses, a far cry better from the last two generations of 3-D entertainment I’ve seen, along with a dad, his teen daughter, and her BFF; and we all enjoyed this wonderful movie. My short review: good story, nice effects, good use of the 3-D, but do read the book.

It was a good movie, but it is a far better book.

This book introduces a new character to the Narnia universe, a cousin of the Pevensie children, Eustace Clarence Scrubb. For me, the easiest way to describe this young boy in the first half of the book is to say that Eustace rhymes with useless. While Lewis is more subtle about this in his writing, the screen writers take a ham handed approach as Edmund rhymes, “There once was a boy called Eustace/who read books from the facts that were useless.”[1]

On the voyage, Eustace becomes a dragon on account of his selfishness, his self pity, and his greed. In the movie, the great lion Aslan shatters the dragon skin from Eustace by the power of his mighty voice. The power of his roar, a lion’s words if we want to think about words as acts like we have over the past couple of weeks, separates Eustace from the physical curse of being a dragon.

But that’s not the way that it happens in the book. As for me, the movie’s speech wasn’t terribly memorable. Eustace did describe the power of Aslan, but the images from the book are burned on my psyche, and especially on this Sunday the words from C. S. Lewis’ work are far more important.

Eustace describes his encounter with the great Lion to Edmond. [2] Aslan convinces Eustace to follow him from the valley into the mountains; follow him to the top of the mountain; follow him to a wonderful garden. The garden was unlike any Eustace had never seen before. It was green and lush. It’s trees were full of fruit and flowers. And in the middle of the garden was a well.

Eustace was in considerable pain because a piece of jewelry, a bracelet, was biting into his arm. When he was a boy the bracelet was very loose on his arm, but on his thicker dragon upper arm it was terribly small and very painful. He sensed, he knew that if he could soak his swollen arm in the well it would be healed. But Aslan told him that first he would have to undress, he would have to shed the dragon’s skin. So Eustace began by scratching. His scales began to come off like a fish being cleaned. And as he scratched, he noticed that he was able to take off his entire skin, like peeling a banana.

After a couple of minutes, he was able to step completely out of his skin. He stood next to it, and he was sickened by its sight. He was glad to be rid of the skin and began to enter the spring. That was when he noticed that he was unable to shed the dragon’s skin. There was another layer of skin under the first. And there were more layers under that one. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how many times he peeled a layer of skin, he was not able to rid himself of the dragon’s skin.

After Eustace tries on his own several times, Aslan tells Eustace, “You will have to let me undress you.” Eustace was frightened. He was positive that having the dragon’s skin torn by the claws of the great lion would be excruciating. But his arm hurt so badly that he was willing to take the risk. Eustace laid back and the first cut from Aslan’s claw was so deep that Eustace thought it went to his very heart. The pulling of the dragon’s skin was more painful than anything he had ever felt. After a time, Eustace was able to see the dragon’s skin set aside. It was not like the layers of skin he had taken off. This skin was far thicker, and far greener than what Eustace had been able to remove himself.

His skin being removed, Eustace felt raw. Aslan came to him and lifted him (which was also pretty painful since he had just lost his skin) and tossed him into the well. It stung for a time, but quickly the pain was gone and he felt refreshed. His arm was healed. In fact, he had been restored. Eustace was no longer a dragon, he as a boy again. And while Eustace could not remember how, he had been dressed in new clothes by Aslan and was taken near the camp of the rest of the crew of the Dawn Treader.

When Eustace returned to the camp, there was great joy and celebration. They shared a wonderful breakfast and shared great stories about the island, and about Aslan. The way I like to look at this story, it is as if Eustace receives the baptism of Aslan. His old skin is shed and he is made anew in the waters of Aslan’s well. It is only when he lives wet, in relationship with the lion, that Eustace quits being, well, useless.

John says “I need to be baptized by you,” then he asks Jesus, “do you come to me?” John knows his role. Matthew 3:11 John clearly tells the Pharisees and the Sadducees, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” So John knows that he is not the one, he is the one who makes his path straight. John knows Jesus doesn’t need his baptism, he needs Jesus’.

But in a word, Jesus let John know he needed John’s baptism and everything was right in creation. John knew Jesus’ words were the answer to his question, the words that overcome all objection. “It is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” This is when John allowed the drama to unfold the way it had been ordained.

“It is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Righteousness, in a word, in a moment, John knew what this meant, so what does it mean to us?

Our reading from Isaiah reminds us that the Lord calls the prophet in righteousness. The Lord has given him to the people as a light to the nations so that he might open the eyes that are blind, bring out the prisoners from the dungeon and release from prison those who sit in darkness. The Lord gave Isaiah to the world to show us that the former things have come to pass, and the new things the Lord now declares will be shared with the prophet before he shares them with the rest of the world.

The Lord tells Isaiah the former things have come to pass, and Isaiah will be told of the new things now declared before they spring forth. These are not the sort of things that one would tell a causal acquaintance, someone on the street. There was a relationship, [3] a relationship between the Lord and the prophet, an intimacy I can scarcely imagine. I imagine John was experiencing this same intimacy with the Lord Jesus in the waters of the Jordan.

John knew that righteousness exists in relationship. John knew as the readers of this gospel knew in the first century that righteousness only exists in relationship. In the language of our gospel reading, in ancient Greek, righteousness can only exist in relationship.

And there is more to this righteousness.

The obvious question that comes from this reading from Matthew is why in the world Jesus would need a baptism for repentance of sin? He is without sin, so of course he didn’t. But in presenting himself for baptism, Jesus emphasizes doing what is right. The action which he fulfills in this moment and will continue to fulfill throughout his life on earth is what he was supposed to do, what he had to do.[4] While remaining fully divine, Jesus empties himself of all Godly status and privilege; accepting life on earth as a human being; human life to the point of facing life’s death, even death upon the cross.

He wasn’t forced to do these things. But being Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Man, integrity demanded he could do nothing else.

Jesus could have come to the river to establish righteousness, but that is not what he had come to do, not in this moment in time. When John consented to Jesus’ coming to the river, Jesus was immersed into the waters of the Jordan. When he arose from the waters, Jesus saw the heavens open. He saw the Spirit of God descending on him like a dove and lighting upon him. And then a voice was heard from heaven.

Hear the words of the psalmist who wrote:

The voice of the LORD is over the waters;

the God of glory thunders,

the LORD, is upon the mighty waters.

The voice of the LORD is a powerful voice;

the voice of the LORD is a voice of splendor.[5]

As our gospel reading comes to an end, the voice of the Lord is heard over the waters, a voice of power and full of splendor. The voice which thunders over the mighty waters tells all who are assembled,[6] “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

In due time, Jesus would give the world a new righteousness, a new relationship with the Lord open to all of us, not just the prophets of the Old Testament. But this was not the reason he came to the river. Jesus had come to the river to do the right thing. He came to accept the baptism of John, creating a with him relationship available to all who seek it.[7]. And in his obedience to righteousness he did what was pleasing to God, receiving the anointing of the Holy Spirit, hearing the glorious voice of the Lord.

This is as far as I got by Saturday afternoon. Then I checked facebook and when I did I found out about the shooting in Tucson. I read about a mad man who took more than a dozen shots into a crowd at a political event, killing six including Federal Judge John Roll and a nine year-old girl, wounding twelve including U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords.

It seems that in times like these, when chaos looks like it is going to swallow us all, that people come to church seeking answers, seeking a word from the Lord. Today I speak about righteousness that comes through relationship. I speak of a man who takes a baptism that is not his, but he takes it on behalf of all of us. He accepts the baptism of water to stand with us in the waters of the church. He has chosen to live wet in the waters of our baptism, a baptism he does not need, but chooses to accept.

It’s funny how many of those images will return around Easter time. Then he will take what should be assigned to us again. Then he will accept a punishment that we deserve, not him. And he will do it on our behalf.

Today, we come to the font, accepting three new members into this community, a community established in the waters of his baptism and in ours. Today we will come to the font and ordain and install new leaders, Elders into this part of the Body of Christ. One of these Elders has served the congregation and the Session faithfully. The other has served the congregation faithfully and begins serving in a new ministry today.

Today we will come to the table to celebrate the Lord’s Supper sharing the Bread of Heaven, the Body of Christ broken for us and the Cup of Salvation, the Blood of Christ shed for us.

In our reading today, through the Baptism of the Lord, we are again called to remember our own baptism. Our baptism is a bath, a tomb, a womb. Our baptism is a gift which identifies us with the community Jesus calls into existence every day. A community he founded and a community he joined in the waters of his baptism, done through righteousness which is a gift freely offered which we freely desire.[8] In the waters of the baptism we share together, we live a wonderfully wet life.

As for yesterday’s shooting, I have no new word. I have no new insight. I have no new wisdom. What I have, the only thing I ever always have, is the promise of the Lord our God. The only thing I really have to say about this is that as we are called to live in righteousness, in relationship with Jesus Christ. And as in the life of Christ, sometimes we live wet in the waters of our baptism; and in other more horrific times it is in the blood of the cross.

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[1] “Narnia, Voyage of the Dawn Treader” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0980970/quotes, retrieved January 5, 2011.

[2] Lewis, C. S., Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The. Harper Trophy: New York, 1952, 1980, pages 113-117.

[3] Kittel, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, volume II, page 195.

[4] Ibid, page 198.

[5] This version of the Psalm is found in the Presbyterian Church Book of Worship.

[6] Not all scholars agree that the assembly heard the words of the Lord. But because Matthew’s gospel says, “This is my Son” instead of “You are my Son,” I am inclined to side with the scholars that say everyone heard the words. On the other side, I believe only Jesus saw the Spirit come based on the pronouns used in Matthew’s gospel, “…the heavens open to him and he saw the Spirit…”

[7] Kittel, ibid, page 198.

[8] ibid

Word of Life

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Marshall, Texas on Sunday January 2, 2011, the 2nd Sunday of Christmas.

Jeremiah 31:7-14

Psalm 147:12-20

Ephesians 1:3-14

John 1:10-18

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

In the mid-80’s the R&B group Cameo brought suburban kids everywhere the expression “word up.” The band teaches us that “it’s the code word, no matter where you say it, you know it will be heard.” The video for the song, typical of 80’s R&B, starred LeVar Burton as “The Detective” in such a melodramatic performance that is should lead us to believe the word of “word up” is “cheesy.”

Those of you who enjoy movie musicals will remember that in the late 70’s, Frankie Valli taught us that “Grease is the word.” He sings “it’s got groove, it’s got meaning.” I say movie musicals because Frankie’s movie theme song was never in the stage version. Grease must not have been the word on Broadway.

We can go back deeper in the 70’s and listen to Billy Joel lament, “If I only had the words to tell you, if you only had the time to understand.” This was also about the time that Elton John taught the world that “‘Sorry’ seems to be the hardest word.”

There is power in the word. The hymn reminds us there is power in the blood. As for me, I absolutely love that the PC (USA) Book of Order’s Directory for Worship tells the church “Song is a response which engages the whole self in prayer. Song unites the faithful in common prayer wherever they gather for worship whether in church, home, or other special place.”[1]

When we were little we were taught to say “sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” Honestly, don’t we all know that’s just a load? Consultant and Counselor John Bradshaw turns this on its ear. He writes “Words are extremely powerful. Kind words can create a whole day of happiness. Critical words can put us in a funk for a week.” He finishes this thought turning that old expression on its ear, “Sticks and stones will break your bones, but names will hurt you more.”[2]

In the Greek New Testament rendering of John’s gospel, the phrase “the word”[3] is used seventeen times. In English bibles, it is translated to mean “the saying” in chapter four’s “Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true.” In chapter six, it is translated as teaching instead of expression, but it’s still the same thing. John 10 is the first time we get the phrase “The Word of God.” There is my word and the word of the prophet Isaiah. There is the word spoken, the word written and the word of truth.

In a fit of Greek grammatical gymnastics in chapter seven this phrase is used in the verbal clause, “What did he mean when he said…” In all, the Greek version of “the word” appears in fifteen verses in John’s gospel.

But it is only in the prologue to John’s gospel, our reading from this morning, that the phrase “the word” is used completely unrelated to anything else. In every other place it is the word of something or the word in something or some sort of saying.[4] To my friends who are bible language geeks, this is very important. In John 1 the word has an identity of its own, distinct from everything else. Only in John 1 is the word (in lower case letters) The Word (in capital letters). Every other time “The Word” follows in John’s gospel, it must be interpreted through the identity John 1 establishes.

John’s gospel begins: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”

The hymn reminds us there is power in the blood; Bradshaw reminds us that there is power in the word. Our reading from John also reminds us that there is power in The Word. It is the distinctive teaching of the Fourth Gospel that this divine ‘Word’ took on human form in a historical person, that is, in Jesus.[5]

This concept was brand new to writers of the synoptic gospels. In these gospels and in the book of Acts, the word is the message about Jesus.[6] Jesus is guarded as the one who gives the word, but not until John did “The Word” (capital letters again) apply to Jesus’ whole fully human fully divine earthly manifestation as well as his speech. Mark’s gospel ended with Jesus speaking the word, John’s begins with the word itself Incarnate, the living and being Jesus of Nazareth.

When Shakespeare’s Prince Hamlet is asked a question about what he’s reading, he responds, “Words, words, words” — implying that the words in front of him are meaningless. And we’ve all been told at one time or another that what’s important are deeds, not words.[7]

Genesis shares the truth that “God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.” God didn’t build a light-generating apparatus but instead spoke light into being. Then God did the same for the sky, the land, the seas, the plants, the animals and even humankind itself. On each day of creation, God spoke a truly creative word.

According to the prophet Isaiah, God insists that “my word… shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” For God, “deeds, not words” really doesn’t make sense. The Lord doesn’t have to make a distinction between deeds and words. For God, words are deeds. God uses words to do work.

John’s point, the importance of the person who is the word, is further made when this expression is not used again in the gospel to refer to Jesus. After John sets the table in the prologue there is no reason to put out more silverware.

The significance of God’s word reaches its peak in the New Testament, in which we learn that God’s “Word became flesh and lived among us” as Jesus of Nazareth. No longer simply to speech, God’s Word actually takes human form, becomes incarnate and begins to walk among us as a living and breathing expression of God’s grace and truth. Word, deed, flesh and spirit all come together in Jesus, to show us most clearly what God desires for us. “No one has ever seen God,” claims John in his gospel. “It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.”

The word shall not return to God empty but shall accomplish God’s goals.

The word became flesh and lived among us, full of grace and truth.

In 1985, Allen Carr wrote The Easy Way to Stop Smoking, and 25 million people kicked the habit. Two years later, author Randy Shilts wrote “And the Band Played On,” forcing the world to pay attention to AIDS.

In the early ’90s, Peter Kramer’s best seller “Listening to Prozac” got America popping pills in a whole new way. According to “mental_floss” magazine, Kramer noted that drugs such as Prozac seem to make many people—including those who aren’t depressed—more confident, less sensitive to rejection and more willing to try new things. The jury is still out, of course, on whether people who are not depressed should be popping Prozac.

In 2001, Barbara Ehrenreich went undercover as an unskilled laborer and attempted to survive on $5.15 per hour. Her book “Nickel and Dimed” was one of the forces that led to changes in minimum wage. And last summer, we watched in amazement as social-networking technologies spread news about the Iranian elections like wildfire. Nationwide protests erupted, fueled by Twitter, YouTube and cell-phone communication.

Words have the power to change lives. The Word, whether in capital or lower case letters, has the power to change lives.

Matthew’s gospel begins with a history lesson. Mark’s begins with John the Baptist. Luke splits the difference by giving us a history lesson about John the Baptist. Oh but John, John gives us this wonderful poetically theological introduction that connects the beginning of the gospel with the beginning of all that has ever begun. “In the beginning” he writes; “in the beginning.”

There is no Messianic secret in this gospel. There is no time for us to spend wondering just when Jesus will reveal himself to the world. The Word became flesh and lived among us, full of grace and truth.

Words have creative power and can actually change the world. These are the words that created life. These are the words that give new life.

The Gospel teaches us that there are people in the world who do not know God, but it is through God’s words, the words that God gives us that we are able to take the Gospel into the world.

To recapture power of the Word, we must again learn to speak the word of life so that those who will hear us will understand we have something to say. And what a thing we have to say. We believe that faith makes a difference in our lives.

As the apostles shared with the world on the day of Pentecost, we are called to share. Our stories tell others about who we are and whose we are. We all have stories, but we only share in the Pentecost when we share these stories. We are called to know our stories, the stories of our faith that shows others the difference a relationship with the triune God makes in our lives. And we must be able to communicate this story so that those with ears may hear. We, we who carry the cross of Christ into the world must learn to speak the Word so that the world may hear.

We can gain wisdom on this matter from ancient Celtic Christianity.[8] In 563 AD, about a century after the death of St. Patrick, Columba sought off to an island off of the western Scottish coast. This isle would be his base to reach the Picts of Scotland. Columba took a sizeable corps with him and they learned the culture of the Picts. They chose to pay the price to understand the Picts. Columba’s way of doing mission was the opposite of the model James Michener presented in his novel “Hawaii.” They learned about the people, their language, and their culture. They sent out teams from their island settlement—a little place called Iona—and in 100 years the Picts were significantly Christian.

The lessons we take from this is that there are people close to us who do not know the Word of God. We need to learn about how they speak and show them the Gospel in words they understand. Peter and the Apostles did this miraculously; Columba and the Iona community did this diligently. We need to learn how to share the story of faith so that those with ears may be able to hear the word of life.

So today, let us all regain the elemental presence of the Word. We come to the font of many blessings overflowing with living water and remember our baptism. We come to the table with the cup and the plate to partake in the food that feeds our bodies and our souls. We hear the Word proclaimed and even more so, we come to know the Word Incarnate, the Son of God.[9] Again, let us rejoice and as the Word was in the beginning with God, let us be with the Word now. As we are with the Word now, let us take the word of life out into the world.

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[1] Book of Order, Directory for Worship, 2009-2011 Edition, W-2.1003

[2] Bradshaw, John, “Homecoming, Reclaiming and Championing Your Inner Child.” New York: Bantam Books, 1990, page 93.

[3] In Greek o` lo,goj

[4] The Theological Dictinary of the New Testament. Volume IV. Gerhard Kittel, Ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1967, page 128.

[5] lo,goj, BDAG,

[6] Ibid, page 129.

[7] http://homileticsonline.com/subscriber/btl_display.asp?installment_id=93040502

[8] Hunter, George C. III, The Celtic Way of Evangelism. Nashville: Abingdon, 2000, page 36.

[9] http://timelovesahero.blogspot.com/2009/05/unforeseen-hope.html