Pentecost

           Sunday in the liturgical calendar of the church year is Pentecost Sunday. The feast of Pentecost is a holy day in the church that commemorates and celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit onto the apostles of the church after Jesus’ ascension. The church is to be decorated in festive reds, oranges and yellows to symbolize the tongues of fire that were over the apostles’ heads during the Pentecost experience. During this experience, which can be found in Acts, the apostles started speaking in different tongues.

            Some of the tongues that were spoken were from regions such as the Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs. I bring this to your attention to point out the diversity of faith, which goes beyond just the Jewish community of the day. The grace of God was extended to everyone in attendance and beyond.

            All the way in Boone I have heard stories of the Klu Klux Klan meeting that will occur in Northern Iredell County tomorrow (Saturday). I would encourage each of you to be in prayer for members of this organization, that God might be at work in their lives, changing, restoring and transforming the broken nature of racism that we see.

            I have been an advocate throughout my column’s articles on an inclusion of love and an exclusion of hate, but it seems that some residents of the great county of Iredell feel that hate is more important than love. How do we respond? How do we fight the evil powers of this world?

            We stand, together. Beyond the lines of denominationalism, nationality, race, gender, and clan, we give a resounding yes to the world’s no. Where the world says we can’t, we say we can with the power of the Holy Spirit that was present those many millennia ago.

            Tomorrow (Saturday) I will be praying for the people who will participate in the cross-burning, I will pray that the same grace that transformed us to transform them, so that one day the transformation in all our lives will be complete. I look to a wonderful man by the name of Martin Luther King Jr.  who said so eloquently, “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” People of faith that is what Pentecost is about.

            Pentecost is about the life-changing act of the individual becoming the communal; it is about grapes and wheat becoming the bread and wine that grace our table. Pentecost is the resounding grace that conquers the bonds and chains of racism. Pentecost is the speaking in tongues that changed the course of those apostles’ lives, and ever more presently changes our lives as well. In that we can say, “Thanks be to God”

The Nature of God

             I recently saw the blockbuster hit, The Avengers. It was an incredible take on the superhero cohort of greats such as Captain America, Iron Man, and the Incredible Hulk. In the movie, Captain America is having a conversation about the demi-god Thor, and he exclaims, “there’s only one God, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t dress like that.” It got me thinking, what in the world might God wear?

            The idea of what might God wear on the surface may seem like a simplistic question that isn’t theological in anyway, but deep down below the surface the question asks what we believe is the nature of God. Who do we believe God is? What do we think the Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer of the world might look like? The idea of God is seen in people, places and things we have experienced. The very existence of God is proven to us through those situations we live out.

            But let me warn you, it is dangerous for us to picture God exactly like us, believing everything we believe and subscribing to everything we feel is the right way. The God who calls us to live for God is also the God who challenges us to live according to the Gospel. This Gospel we are called to live out is one that challenges us as well. For instance it would be wrong for us to picture God a certain nationality, race or even gender. God is bigger than all of that and we are called to live out a life that is full of that God.

            The God of all grace who establishes us and strengthens us is far more concerned with the love that abides through Christ, than God is about making God like us. If we’re more concerned with what God might wear, then we definitely are not part of what God is calling us to be. If we’re more concerned with what God might look like, then we’ve forgot the mission of the church.

            I’ve always found it fascinating to see the pictures of Jesus in churches I preach at. Jesus is simply and directly a white man, who looks American, and is clean cut even with his long hair. Jesus certainly doesn’t fit into the stereotypes we would want him to fit in, because Jesus was never part of the status quo.

            So this week, consider the nature of God, but always remember that God doesn’t fit into our box. God is amazingly better than any box we have. It is in that hope that we can say, “Thanks be to God.”

Love Will Conquer Amendment 1

                 In the circles in which I associate myself with, there is a lot of talk about love, what it means to love, and who is called to love each other. All of this seems to be in light of the recent passing of Amendment 1. Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets have been used in a way to communicate happiness or frustration over the passage of the amendment.

            While I have elected not to weigh in on the amendment itself, it does call into question the reality of our calling to be a people of faith amidst a politically charged world. More importantly, what does it mean to love in a world bent on hatred of the other political party or ideology.

            The important thing to remember as a person of faith who is involved in a political world is to never legislate our faith-charged beliefs upon others. Just because our train of thought might be the majority or the minority, we should never try to create rules and regulations that create an air of hatred, intolerance or an unwillingness to work side by side with each other.

            Even more imperative for us is to remember that we are all called to be a people of love. 1 John gives the perfect example of this, “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. Those who say, ‘I love God’, and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.”

            This week as you hear arguments for/against the amendment, as to why it was the best or worse thing that happened to North Carolina, remember that God calls us to love. We are to love beyond measure, with a grace-filled love. Next time you need encouragement because the politics of the day didn’t go the way you wanted to, turn to 1 John 4 and remember that we are called to love, love and then love some more. We are called to love beyond politics, and in that we can say, “Thanks be to God.”

            

You Are Standing on Holy Ground #GGC12

            I recently bought a pair of sandals, I am reminded of a story in Exodus, “Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing; yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’ When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ He said further, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.”

            Have you ever stood on holy ground? I am currently in Tampa with the General Conference of the United Methodist Church, the top legislative body for my church. I walked into the main hall of the Tampa Convention Center and walked up to the table on which 988 delegates will celebrate the Eucharist. This round table upheld by a tree-stump looking base will hold the body and blood of Christ as we come together from different parts of the world for a common goal. I wanted to bend down and take my shoes off, I wanted to cry actually as I realized that this was holy ground. The palpable presence of God was there, the spirit of God was hovering and life was good.

            The presence of God is an incredible experience, look for it this next week. Whether it be in the warmer weather or the experience of a church service. The idea that God is present reminds me of that wonderful hymn, “God of love and God of power, thou has called us for this hour” This time of year it is imperative that we as a people of faith realize our callings and live into them. While it is easy for us to sit on the sidelines of this life and commentate, it’s much more imperative that we join together and come before the table. It’s imperative we find the grace of God present in our lives and in the life of our world.

            Friends I am praying for what God is doing, so come to the table, you who have been here before and you who this is your first time. You are standing on holy ground; you have found your maker. May we all take our shoes off and say, thanks be to God.

The Theology of Rock Climbing

              I have a friend who is an avid rock climber. While I’ve never been rock-climbing, she’s been hounding me to try it for some time now. I noticed the other day that her hands were callused and I asked what was that from. She described that with rock climbing, you have to give everything to it, forgoing the pain and keeping yourself up on the rock-face. I looked at my hands, they were soft and without blemish, I spend most of my time content not to be climbing a rock.

            Friends this time of year as spring has sprung it is often time that we turn towards the resurrection. It is still very much the season of Easter. Though the stores have put away their Easter goods, we as counter-cultural people of faith continue to keep the faith that Christ is risen and God is here! My family has this set of figurines that describe the resurrected Jesus, everything from roman soldiers to a tomb to Jesus on the cross. When my little brother, Scott was little he commented that though we had Jesus on the cross, we didn’t have a ‘walking around Jesus’ So in an act of theological childhood wonder he went on a quest for a Jesus that was resurrected and walking around.

            As we continue the journey of this life, it is our job to get dirty, it’s our job to get down in the dirt and help someone back up to life. I love that God doesn’t make bad people good, but dead people alive again. It’s our job to have callused hands of faith as we do the work of God in this world, it’s our job to say, “he isn’t here, he is risen, Christ is risen indeed”

            So this week, make sure your hands of love are callused, make sure your hands of grace are tired. People will believe that Jesus is in fact walking around. The beauty of a walking around Jesus is that he is no longer confined to distant millennia ago in Palestine. Christ comes to us, today, and asks of us to fight the good fight and finish the race. When the reality of our lives are left to history will we see a life of dirty, messy grace or will we see a life that was spent on a clean pedestal?

            People of faith these moments happen in a second but can change everything. These moments of messy theology change lives. Fred Rogers put it this way, “In the external scheme of things, shining moments are as brief as the twinkling of an eye, yet such twinklings are what eternity is made of -- moments when we human beings can say "I love you," "I'm proud of you," "I forgive you," "I'm grateful for you." That's what eternity is made of: invisible imperishable good stuff.”

            This week as you are encountering the walking around Jesus and getting your hands dirty, find that Christ comes to us in the shining twinklings and the dark abysses of this existence. He comes with abundant love and outstretched arms. It is in that hope that we can say, thanks be to God. 


           

            

Breakfast with Jesus

                  One of my favorite lines of Scripture in the entire New Testament comes from the Gospel of John, when the resurrected Jesus is standing by the seashore with a ‘charcoal fire’ lit and says, “Come and have breakfast” (John 21) Breakfast with Jesus, what a wonderful idea.

            My best friend Sara often likes to drag me into the outdoors, don’t get me wrong I absolutely love nature and the deep spiritual connection it brings to me, but I’ve never been one for laying in the grass or climbing trees. Sara is slowly but surely changing that. Recently we were out in the wilderness around Boone and the sun was setting. We knew that a fire should be lit to compliment the wonderful day we were having.

            Sara worked so hard at getting that fire lit, but the wood was wet and nothing would stay on fire for very long. I even tried my Eagle Scout hands at it thinking surely it would eventually light, but to no avail. We finally gave up and decided it was a lost cause. How many times has that happened to us? In our attempts to kindle a spiritual fire the wood we often have is wet, the things we claim are spiritual aren’t, faith doesn’t look the way we’d like it to.

            The next morning I went with Sara to breakfast to discuss the trials and triumphs of the night before. We discussed the fire, the stars, the sunset, and the beauty of nature. The Gospel writer in John gives us some depiction of the conversation Jesus had with Peter but I often wonder what else was said. One of my mom’s favorite hymns is a conception of that conversation by the a seashore, “Lord, you have come to the lakeshore looking neither for wealthy nor wise ones. You only asked me to follow humbly. O Lord, with your eyes you have searched me, kindly smiling, have spoken my name. Now my boat's left on the shoreline behind me; by your side I will seek other seas.”

            Friends as we journey through this year, let us never forget the holiness of kindling a fire, or the sacred aspects of breakfast in fellowship with the people you love. Holy friends let us remember that nature has the beauty of God instilled in it. This time of the year the dandelions are fresh in the field I can picture Jesus, standing there in resurrection glory telling his friends to tend his sheep and to love him fully.

That mandate is one that is still around today. So the next time you’re trying to light that spiritual fire, and for whatever reason it won’t light, why not try breakfast with Jesus. Go have coffee with Jesus, or enjoy your favorite meal in the faith that God is present with you, in the quiet contemplative silence you can see the face of God. For like Elijah we find God not in the thunder or the wind, but in the still small voice that comes to us while we enjoy breakfast or try to light a fire. Never forget that God is the love we feel when gathered around a breakfast table. Thanks be to God.

            

Good Friday 2012

            In the ancient liturgy it is said, “Today He who hung the earth upon the waters is hung upon the cross.” We come to Good Friday and ask the question of what wondrous love is this? I think the best way to approach this horrific day on which we recall the crucifixion of our Lord is through the lens of what is going on in our world.

            Right now, people are hurting. People are being crucified on the cross of racism, of hate, of despair, of depression. People are walking the way of suffering up to Golgotha because poverty is still running rampant, and diseases are ravaging the continent of Africa. You don’t have to drive too far from your comfortable chair in which you are reading this to see that the Gospel still needs to be brought about.

            What does it mean to bring the Gospel about? At Broad Street United Methodist Church where I grew up one of the time-honored traditions is to release butterflies come Easter. I can remember as a child watching the cocoons growing in the church office and how ugly they are and if you approached them they smelled awfully strange. But then come Easter amidst the fresh flowers and sunshine you had forgotten about that terrible smell. You just saw the butterflies and forgot the smell.

            Friends as we approach Easter we can never forget Good Friday. More importantly as we approach Easter we can never forget the cross of racism, of classism, sexism and hate. We must be the change that Christ has called us to be. So this Easter, as the pastor preaches their sermon, as the hymns are sung and the cross is lifted high, remember that people hurt. Remember that one day God will come and change everything for the better.

            But as for the present, we wait. We bury everything in that tomb in hopes that come Sunday the butterflies will be free. It’s almost easy for us to bury those things in the tomb because we’re on this side of the resurrection. I’m reminded of that famous Bob Dylan song, Like a Rolling Stone. Are we going to roll the stone away with Jesus or are we content to let it sit there for the rest of time… We all have our stones, we all have our tombs, but God is willing to roll away the stone and change the course of our histories.

            We who claim the name of Christian follow a 1^st century Jewish Rabbi who taught us to be servants, who taught us to offer a meal even to those who would betray us. He was a man who taught us to turn the other cheek and allow people to see the best in them. So this Easter, as the butterflies go free and the flowers are present. As you gather around a table for an Easter lunch, remember that Christ the Lord is risen today, alleluia, earth and heaven in chorus say, alleluia. Thanks be to God.