There is something to be said for enthusiasm but zeal sometimes has its issues. Some time ago I was at a Presbytery meeting in which there was a discussion about changing worship styles and providing support for churches which were seeking to learn and grow in their worship experiences. An elder came stomping forward, took the microphone and unleashed a tirade. He said, “You all are not Presbyterian, you’re not EVEN CHRISTIAN!!” He continued to yell of our lack of spiritual depth, ending with expletives that I have not generally heard in Presbytery gatherings. The moderator eventually brought the hostile barrage to an end and the elder was ushered outside to cool down. Shortly afterwards another member of the Elder’s church stepped forward and said: “I have to apologize on his behalf; he is just so zealous for the Lord.” Another, older elder came to the microphone and said, “I disagree. I’ve seen zeal. He was a self-centered jerk.”

Many of us have experienced this phenomenon of the person who is so passionate about what he or she believes that she or he is willing to be obnoxious, hostile, and uncaring about other people’s feelings. It’s a pretty common experience. Unfortunately far too many people have seen this type of hostility and turned away from Christianity or fellowship of the Church. Behaving as an obnoxious and angry idiot is the opposite of showing Christian maturity. But some then ask, “Then what’s up with Jesus thrashing the money changers?”

It becomes a challenge for many of us to see Jesus’ behavior at the temple and not be confused. For some, the idea of Jesus being forceful and direct in this manner contradicts the “nice guy” Jesus they have in mind. Part of the problem is we don’t understand why the money changers were there in the first place.

The Money Changers were there because the Roman coins bore the image of Caesar and an inscription identifying Caesar as “god almighty.” This would be considered a graven image and could not be brought into the temple. The solution became to provide “Temple Coins” that could be exchanged for Roman coins. And in the process, why not make a few dollars for the Temple? But unlike bake sales, this meant that those who were poor were going to have a harder time buying what they needed in order to be right with God. The exchange was repeated again when one bought an animal for sacrifice, and again when one offered gratitude offerings. The money changers became a means by which relationship with God was exchanged for profitability.

It’s the danger that comes with zeal. Passion and zeal tend to flow from our egos and not from our relationship with Christ. The money changers fulfilled a role of maintaining law and providing funds for what appeared to be good things. But in the process they were insensitive to the destruction and pain they were causing.

The solution was to sensitize them. More specifically it was to show that nothing that separated people from God would be tolerated. So what’s the difference between that and someone forcing their point of view? Well, this is Jesus which has to count for something. And in this case the cause merited the force. In Jesus’ mind, nothing could be tolerated as a barrier between the people and God. Jesus accepted the consequences of this action; and Jesus stood with those who were on the outside, seeking to be acceptable to God. Jesus was willing to die on behalf of these people. To be safe in terms of relationship with Jesus, it’s a good idea not to get in the way of people being right with God.

The fact that Jesus was passionate and zealous for what is right is not the same for our desire to “fight for what is right.” Jesus was deeply concerned for those unable to experience God’s grace – not about his own feelings or personal opinions. Jesus was motivated by love and compassion for those who were on the outside, not offended by not getting his way. In some ways the differences are subtle, but important. They mark the difference between caring deeply and acting; and lashing out selfishly. But that difference is very important. We need to be people who act out of deep feelings of caring and sense of compassion. We need to live as faithful Christians who are willing to put their hearts into the relationship with Christ. In that way we can be people of real faithfulness.

Peace,
Pastor Jack

How much do we have to do in order to be OK with God? How much commitment is required to convince others that we are good people – we don’t want to knock ourselves out and we don’t want to look like we’re not serious about our faith; but honestly, what’s the minimum we can get away with? It’s not that we don’t care. We do. There’s just a tendency to substitute superficial obedience for love (at least when we’re not having as much fun as we think we should be having). As a result, instead of commitment flowing from our hearts, we struggle with giving out of obligation. This is potentially toxic because acting out of obligation has a danger of creating resentment, bitterness, and hostility. Acting out of obligation has the potential of choking all of the joy or celebration out of what we do.

Of course the topic here is paying taxes, and there are probably some among us who are less than joyful and celebrative about paying taxes. We are definitely firmly in obligation territory here. And that is unfortunate because we lose perspective as to what benefits we receive because of participating in our community together. I’m not pushing some socialist agenda but the bulk of us do benefit from what we share in as community assets. We may discuss what appropriate uses of public funds should include. But when we allow obligation to spill over into hostility there is a tendency to move from reasonable discussion to ugly name calling and personal attacks. In our case it’s not only “should we pay them” but it’s also, “how should we relate to them.”

The push to reduce taxes has taken on an edge in which some individuals and groups have become harsh, hostile, and clearly disrespectful. What makes this particularly difficult is that underlying these more juvenile outbursts there are some significant and crucial discussions that are going to need to be made. The aging of our society is going to change the dynamics of healthcare delivery and how it is going to be funded. There are issues with funding pensions; and particularly what to do among individuals whose assets will not cover their expenses in the coming years. We will need to be thoughtful as to education, and the impact upon communities depending on the level of education, as well as how education is delivered. We also have some serious infrastructure issues as well as the choices in terms of how large of priority to make defense, research, and protection of consumers. In each of these discussions there are impacts regarding taxes.

A great many have responded by becoming angry and resentful at the government. Some of this anger spills out between family members, among friends, and in various other groups. For some, the tendency has become to focus on one particular issue or set of issues; so that it becomes a test – “Either you agree with me or you are a bad person.” Sadly this not only ruins relationships but doesn’t tend to generate any effective strategies for solving problems either.

So what is Caesar’s portion here? What makes this even more challenging is realizing that the Roman tax did not fund roads or schools among the Jewish people. The main purpose of the tax was to enable Roman citizens to live more privileged lives, far away from where the taxes were being assessed. In the region where Jesus did much of his preaching the people were bled white by the taxes, and when they could not pay, horrible persecutions and atrocities took place to force compliance. A very good argument could be made for cheating Caesar out of his portion. But Jesus said pay what is owed; and to give to God what is God’s.

What is God is all of who we are. God created us and gives us life; there is nothing that we can claim that we have not received from God’s steadfast love. What we owe God is everything. What we need to pay God is joy and appreciation for all of the good gifts that fill our lives, including roads, community, and (brace yourself) taxes. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t work towards changing the government, the priorities of our community, or our ultimate burden of how much we are going to have to pay. But we need to keep in mind that relationships are more valuable than money.

This means we do not treat people with alternative points of view with hostility or disrespect. This means we do not buy into the fear and anger based rhetoric. This means that we do not allow ourselves to become part of the rancor and divisiveness. What we owe to God is see the humanity in all people and always “Speak the truth with love.” We owe to God to be more concerned about finding ways to bring healing and wholeness rather than just winning.

It’s a long time until the elections are going to be over this year. And if the last few years are any indication, we’ll probably see the campaigning for the next election kick off as soon as the next set are over. If we are going to be healthy, wise, Christians, it’s going to be by making sure we are very conscious about the portion we pay to God.

Peace,

Pastor Jack

Why is it that we find ourselves so afraid some times? How is it that some things send us into a tight spiral of fears and anxieties? And we become so frustrated with ourselves as we brood and obsess on the issues that cause such fears.

Recently a cancer survivor was describing the anxiety that comes each year when she has to go back for her annual “check back.” She is very proud that she is doing so much better – the sleepless nights and the other physical symptoms of anxiety now only start two or three weeks in advance. The last couple days before the appointment it’s pretty much all that she can think of. Then, dragging herself into the doctor’s office she is overwhelmed with fear and dread. When the appointment is over and she has learned it’s “clear” she is exhausted. She’s not alone. I know many who have described this exact same sense of being overwhelmed and afraid. I see angst filled posts on Facebook that say things like: “I’m so alone and afraid.” People instantly respond with hopeful and encouraging remarks; lifting his spirits for a little while. But within a week he’s feeling hopeless again. He’s not alone; just expressing what many experience and feel.

How can the Apostle Paul say with such confidence that he is a conqueror? Didn’t he have moments of worry? Did he not fear what was going to happen to him or to ones he loved? Yes, but he learned the power of trusting in Christ. More importantly, he learned how to trust in Christ.

This trust isn’t an intellectual exercise; it’s a process of learning to see the world differently. Paul took a great deal of time to retrain his mind from focusing on anxieties, grudges, and hostilities to filling his heart and mind with confidence that God’s love would extend through him to everyone he met. It is interesting reading Paul’s writings in order of their chronology, and seeing him move from hostile outbursts (Galatians) to increasingly focusing on setting his own ego aside in order to see Christ glorified (Philippians). He still had slip ups and its clear there are times when he did not understand why things were happening to him. But over many years and much practice he did manage some amazing strength in the midst of trials and fears. He went from being someone that made demands of others around him, to becoming someone who was supportive and gave strength to others. He went from being someone in the center of creating conflicts to someone who created peace, even among those people who had not previously learned to relate well with others.

Paul’s practice clearly included spending time working on disciplining his mind and heart. This is what prayer involves for us, a realigning of our attitude and manner of thinking with what will be glorifying to God. Through choosing what we are going to take in (try fasting from dwelling in the midst of negativity some time) and focusing on hearing Christ’s voice, Paul was able to grow in his relationship with Christ, confidence and peace.

This spiritual discipline and growth is a great gift for those who are interested in following in the path. There are a range of ways of deepening our relationship with Christ and becoming more centered on God’s guidance. It isn’t something that can be programmed but requires taking time to grow in relationship. But the results bear wonderful fruit.

Peace,

Pastor Jack

In the Apostle Paul’s letters to Titus and to Timothy (Titus 3:4-14, and 2 Timothy 2:22-26) he was addressing conflicts in the church. They were not to be dealt with by arbitrating which side was correct but addressed as conflict oriented people. Paul points out to Timothy, 3:16-17 “16All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” “Winning arguments” is not in the list. The purpose of scripture is to instruct and build relationships with God, with the church, and in mission to those who are in need of Christ’s love. When it is used in order to create an authority by which one proves their point of view, it becomes the source for dissensions and divisions.

More importantly, Jesus commissioned us to “Go make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18-20). The emphasis is on transforming people, on reaching out to others. Whenever Christians have focused on power, and pushing a political agenda things have tended to go horribly wrong. In terms of PR, we’ve never entirely recovered from The Crusades or the Inquisition. To the best of my knowledge; the love of Christ and knowledge of God have never benefited from legislation of any kind.

Our present challenge is that the credibility of Christians has steadily diminished, partly as a result of political posturing in Jesus’ name. One recent example is from Newsweek “Forget the Church, Follow Jesus” (Andrew Sullivan; The Forgotten Jesus) April 9, 2012 pp. 26-31 which points out that while Jesus has great credibility in people’s minds, Churches and religious leaders have become seen as egocentric and repressive. The result has been for religious organizations to become polarized at the cost of actual ministry. The many Christians and Christian organizations that are focused on actually seeking to minister out of faithful servant-hood are drowned out by the well publicized rancor of a few seeking to win people over to their point of view. The result is neither healthy nor useful.

So what do we do? Honestly, I wish I knew. I do know that we will find ourselves frequently noting that no political organization or group is without sin; and that those who wish to point out the sins of others are inviting that their own faults be more closely examined (I suppose present company included). We also need to realize that confession is more powerful than accusation; and that forgiveness is received as it is given. In other words those who are Christian in conduct should be acknowledged above political rhetoric (or in other words it’s not about talking the talk, but do they walk the walk?). How we speak should affirm the individual with whom we disagree, and not be driven by personal attack.

Most importantly we need to use the whole of the scriptures to critique our own point of view. When one looks at issues seriously one should encounter contradictions and paradoxes; because real truth is seldom one dimensional. Jesus affirmed the authority of the Pharisees while criticizing their conduct (Matthew 23:1-7) … and if Jesus’ opinion can be complex, surely those who seek to speak as Jesus’ body on earth will find themselves needing to acknowledge what is valid in their opponents aims or points of view.

Back to the beginning point, we need to recognize that if we think Jesus agrees with us on our causes and points of view, we probably haven’t been spending enough time listening to Christ’s words for us. While he acknowledges our desire to work for what is good, we are constantly in need of recognizing that none of us can speak on Jesus’ behalf nor should we believe that Jesus endorses any political group. Instead, let’s seek to live in peace with one another as pray for discernment in how to handle many complex issues. Or at least that’s what I’m thinking we should do.

Peace,

Pastor Jack

Every Easter I seem to encounter folks suffering the same difficulty: They love Easter but cannot believe the resurrection. The experience of hope, the beauty, and promise of life that fills Easter is such a gift. But to intellectually affirm that God raised Jesus from the dead is too challenging intellectually. More than that, when you go back to the original sources and writers the resurrection is not experienced the same way by all of the disciples. The understanding of the resurrection goes through a great deal of interpretation by the Apostle Paul and later writers. So we increasingly have become a people of whom more believe in UFO’s and miracle diets than in the resurrection and Jesus performing miracles. Go figure.

Part of the problem is God’s PR department – “The Church.” What kind of deity would leave promotions to such a flawed organization?! Just look at some of the biggest campaigns for spreading the word: The Inquisition, The Crusades, and now we have a major problem with hypocrisy – religious organizations making pronouncements regarding other people’s personal issues without honestly dealing with their own. By all accounts the institutions of the church are not entirely reliable sources for faith. But then I’ve never known anyone whose faith came from an institution.

Faith is not taught, it’s shared. It does not find itself imparted through instruction, it is nurtured through discipleship. It only happens in healthy relationship and mutual respect. Thomas was not prepared to receive the resurrection from “The Disciples.” The Disciples made up a well meaning and caring organization but let’s face it, Peter was known to flip-flop on important issues and James and John were just worried about their own power and influence. Thomas needed to encounter the resurrection as it was shared, not as it was instructed.

It’s funny that Thomas thought he needed to physically touch, and have tangible proof before he could believe. But in John’s gospel, the moment Thomas hears Jesus’ voice, he believes. This seems to be the case quite frequently, we think we need proof, but what we are really seeking is not intellectual at all. Besides, we’ve been tricked before and led to believe things that aren’t true by convincing proofs. It is the knowledge of God through someone who shares with us the experience of the resurrection that real meaning and understanding flows.

At its most basic, the resurrection says that God is not dormant, unconcerned, or unable to get involved in humanity. The resurrection is God’s intervention, placing grace over law, and mercy above justice. The resurrection is an affirmation that God really gives a [#$%#] and is working to heal the wounds of the world. Without the resurrection, Jesus’ death is a noble sacrifice, but with the resurrection Jesus life and death is a partnership with God’s plans – Humans and God working together.

The Church is not to be equated with this – it is an expression of what many people think God wants us to do. Sadly, the vast majority of works and workers in the church are seeking to express their love of Christ in actions that will bring about healing and peace. For every idiot spewing hatred in the name of God there a thousand casseroles showing up at the homes of people experiencing loss and hardship in Jesus’ name. For every hypocrite speaking from the wrong orifice there are thousands of people quietly seeking to serve and care through their actions. I’m not minimizing the pain caused by the stupid. I’m just saying Church is worth keeping. The only problem is that though we go to church to celebrate the resurrection, we actually learn about the resurrection through experiences that come from the Holy Spirit, most of which involve encountering loving and wise Christians. Knowledge of the resurrection cannot be programmed, it has to be encountered.

We are in the season of Easter. During this time, pray to know the resurrection more fully. If the resurrection is as we understand it to be, then God is pretty darn eager to share it with you – God went to a lot of trouble to make it happen. And we pray that with knowledge of the resurrection we can join with the many Christians who are seeking to live out the love of God in the things they do and say.

Peace,

Pastor Jack

Before we can fully appreciate the resurrection, we need to first know the cross. Without the cross Easter quickly becomes about bunnies and chocolate. And while I am all in favor of bunnies and especially chocolate, there is something about Easter that is not sponsored by Hallmark, and is very much worth knowing. The problem is to get there, you have to go through the cross.

While we have symbolized the cross and made it a metaphor, it had a very different meaning for the people to whom Jesus was speaking. It was not only an instrument of torture but it was a symbol of oppressive power crushing the human spirit. The cross was the means that the Roman Governor, Pilate used to keep his region under control. Pilate punished the region where Jesus was preaching by randomly selecting two hundred esteemed members of the community and having them crucified on the same day. When Jesus told people that they would have to take up their own cross, this was a promise of certain suffering and death. As sales pitches go, this didn’t have wide appeal and the crowds rather rapidly diminished. Jesus was drawing a straight line from being fed and taught in the wilderness to dying in Jerusalem – those who knew him as Messiah would follow that line regardless of the cost. Those who wanted him to have some other agenda would prefer to have others occupy the cross.

In the “Talk Back” group last Sunday, we talked about the crowds and the various “Political” versus “Spiritual” versions of who they thought Jesus was. One of the points made then was that you can’t really split the spiritual from the political. Part of the cost of following Jesus was to become in opposition to all forms of misused power. The powerful are not necessarily known for their tolerance to opposition. The cost of following Jesus was that by your nature and manner of life, you were going to make some people angry. If you know Jesus, and have a relationship with God, you are going to be oriented by a set of priorities that are at times going to be “counter cultural.”

The cross serves as a warning and sets a very different tone for us. Being a follower of Jesus ceases to be a “self-help” program and becomes a lifestyle choice of serving God. It does not cleanly align with any institutions or groups because each of us has to take up our own cross. The joy that we share is found in the knowledge of God, the manner in which this transforms us and every relationship in which we are a part. It becomes the source of our life and hope.

For those seeking to know Christ fully, this becomes a special week. Jesus went to Jerusalem knowing that he was going to face death. He was going to face many forms of oppression, injustice, and unhealthy religiosity. He was going to teach, proclaim, and share the knowledge of God with the many hungry souls that would be gathering that week. He went to worship God, knowing that worship would require him to be faithful, and that faithfulness has a cost. This is the week to walk with Jesus, to open ourselves to discovering anew his love and faithfulness that brings us hope and salvation.

Peace,

Pastor Jack

Weakness is not about power, it is about how we use our capabilities.  We have the ability to be very foolish in our use of power.  Power without wisdom tends to end in disaster.  The comedian Tim Allen has made a great deal comedy out of the foolishness that occurs when “More power!” is the answer to complex questions.  Generally things blow up and you look funny.  In real life, what happens is things blow up and you end up hurt, or worse.  So basically, weakness is not cured by power.  Weakness needs wisdom in order to be balanced.

There is an old saying: “Experience is something you receive only moments after you could have really used it.”  Basically we “discover” weakness, often as a difficult surprise.  Frequently people experience the realization that they are in a situation in which they are weak, lacking strength, or skills, or knowledge, to deal with the challenges they face.  This happens to everyone at one time or another.  If we believe that we are not alone (and that is a big “if” for many of us); and if we believe that God actually does notice us, and cares about what is happening in our lives; then weakness is an opportunity to learn and to grow.  The “if’s” here are really the challenging part of weakness.  With confidence in Jesus’ promise that “All things work together for good for those who are in Christ’s Jesus” (Romans 8:28-30), we can see our weaknesses as a part of our relationship with God, with other Christians, and with those whom Christ is seeking to reach out to in love. It isn’t that weakness is a “part of God’s plan;” that somehow our weaknesses are a part of some sort of convoluted “trick shot” that God uses to bring about some future events.  It is that our weaknesses are a necessary part of relationships.  If we do not have needs, if we are not in a position for others to assist us, there is no healthy relationship.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says:  “¹³No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.” Some take that to say, “No one will be given more than they can handle.” The only part that is wrong is that the “you” in that sentence is not singular.  Paul was talking to the whole church.  In other words, you will never be challenged with more than you (and the people God has given to walk with you through your trials) can handle.  We are all weak. But in fellowship with God and with one another, we will be able to grow through the challenges we all face together.

Weakness is a part of who we are; who we are created to be.  In weakness we grow to learn how to rely upon each other, sharing our gifts, and sharing with each other our needs.  In that way we grow in wisdom and deepen our relationship with Christ and with one another.

Peace.

Pastor Jack

The thing about fear is that it is not a bad thing in and of itself.  It is healthy to have fear in some situations.  All in all, a fear of large scary carnivores with big teeth is not a bad idea.  Fear of things that have a great deal of power is a good plan as well.  There is that concern when we know that a driver is over-confident in his or her ability to control the power and force of an automobile.  In these types of situations fear can be quite helpful, when it is used wisely.

Among the types of fear of God being taught in the Old Testament was form that was to bring control among violent people.  The fear of God was intended to preserve the fragile “community” that God was forming.  Among violent people there are times when power becomes the language that sets limits and creates space for growth of wisdom.  There are not a huge number of places where you have to post rules such as “Thou Shalt Not Kill!” and “If someone pokes out your eye, you can’t do more to him than what he did to you” (An eye for an eye …).  Generally those are not places where people are living out of compassion or understanding.  Power becomes the means of God’s grace among such violent places.

But this type of fear is not where God wants us to live forever.  Knowledge and understanding enables us to learn a more meaningful fear.  This fear is connected to the knowledge of God’s laws and precepts.  It is the kind of “fearful” response we might have staring out into the vastness of space, or seeing other overwhelming and awe inspiring events that cause us to reconsider our place in the universe.  This is the fear of the wise, the fear that reminds us that we are not the center of the universe, and that we need to accommodate the ways in which the universe works.

This is the beginning of wisdom, the opening of a door to living in joyful fellowship with God, the universe and all its workings.  If we choose to enter into a connection based on humility and appreciation, then this fear causes us to interact with God as one who seeks to enter into a joyful and healthy relationship.  If instead we seek to be god ourselves, then we will live in anxiety, hostility, and jealousy.

It is a lack of humility that leads to trying to “be” God.  We see power as a means to our own ends.  In the Church it has been the cause of disastrous attempts to establish the Kingdom of God through control and domination.  Among families it has been substituting force for love.  In other relationships it means substituting ultimatums and threats for acceptance and openness.  This belief in our own understanding causes us to think we know “what is right” and creates anger when our will is not able to be forced on others.  What power we learn becomes an ability to hurt those who do not agree with us and force that we will exert when we do not get our way.  There is no wisdom in this kind of living.

Living in awe, appreciation, and wonder become a powerful form of wise fear.  It is the knowledge of the power of Almighty God and the wonder of all that God reveals to us.  It is the love that coexists with Abba “Father” and enables us to trust in God’s steadfast love for us. To know that God has such power, and is willing to limit that power creates a basis for growing in wisdom.

Some time ago I remember seeing a documentary of the silverback gorillas in which a nursing mother gorilla was being filmed in the wild.  The commentator noted that this was being filmed with a particularly long lens because of the great danger of going near this mother gorilla.  She was capable of killing a human with a single blow and yet in the video was clearly very gentle and tender with her young.  At least for me, it was a moment of describing power and love similar to how a healthy “fear of the Lord” is intended to inspire our wisdom and knowledge of God.

Joyfully, perfect love causes us to not fear judgment, to anticipate God’s grace for ourselves and for all who are open to the knowledge of God.  It frees us to grip less tightly onto the things we think of as providing us security, and to see God’s presence even in the hard times we might face.  It is a gift of being smart enough to know what that kind of power can accomplish.

Peace,

Pastor Jack