Easter. A Joyous and Beautiful Gift!

​At this, Mary Magdalene turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.  He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?  Who is it you are looking for?”  Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”  She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).  Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.  Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (John 20:14-17)

Good morning and Happy Easter!  What does Easter mean?  What does it mean to you?

My first Easter memory was as a five year old.  I will never forget it because I will never forget the Easter outfits my mom got for my brother and me.  My outfit consisted of little green shorts and a striped green shirt.  My brother had on the same new outfit only his was blue.  We looked like a couple of live Easter eggs.  My mom must have gotten them at a two for one sale.  Anyway, we looked ridiculous.  Everyone said we looked so cute, and many wondered if we were twins.  I, on the other hand, could not wait to get back home to take off this funny embarrassing outfit.  Besides, I wanted to eat all the chocolate bunnies in my Easter basket.  Overall it seemed like a good holiday.  I wondered, “is this what Easter is all about?  Is it about new things, new clothes, new candy?”  “Well as long as I got chocolate,” I thought.

Fast Forward to Easter Sunday my Junior year in college.  I was working part-time as a youth minister at an urban church in Columbus Ohio.  Our priest had a crack of dawn service at a local park.  Six or seven of us showed up in this park right before sun-up.  When the Sun came up we had a nice little sunrise Easter service.  Then we each received a kite and were invited to fly our kites through the park, shouting out Alleluia, if we felt so moved.  Overall it was a good Easter holiday.  I wondered, “is this what Easter is all about?  Is Easter about night turning into day, winter turning into spring, rebirth, or new life?”  “Where is the chocolate?!” I thought.

Fast forward to Easter of my last year in seminary.  I was finishing up my masters degree.  I was armed with all of this theological information.  I knew we were going back to Ohio to start a new life.  My first child was on the way.  I went to the National Cathedral that morning.  The place was packed and full of pretty flowers.  The music was spectacular.  The sermon was not so good, at least not to my new higher standards (please note the sarcasm).  Overall it was a good Easter holiday.  I wondered, “is this what Easter is all about?  Is Easter about new knowledge, new beginnings, new life?”  “Where is that darn chocolate?!” I thought.

What does Easter mean? What does it mean to you? 

Let us rewind about 2000 years ago, shall we?  In John chapter 20 we read about the most emotional encounter anybody ever had!  Mary Magdalene is totally despondent. She thinks that somebody has stolen the body of her Lord and friend from the grave.  She can not even properly mourn her loss.  Her only connection has been robbed from her.  She feels an unbearable pain of complete and forever separation from Jesus.  Tragedy has been punctuated by utter catastrophe.  She is so upset she probably doesn’t even realize that two angels just spoke with her.  She is so distraught she doesn't even recognize Jesus through her tears.  Jesus asks her, “why are you weeping?”  “Sir, if you have taken him away, then tell me where you have laid him,” she replies.  Jesus calls her by name, “Mary.”  She shrieks with pure joy,”Rabboni!”  Which means my beloved teacher.  Jesus then tells her not to hold onto him because all is not complete.

It is impossible to comprehend the Resurrection or resurrected life.  It is not just being raised from the dead and given earthly life back again.   Although there are multiple stories in the Bible about people being raised from the dead, they eventually die again.  Resurrected life is new eternal life with God.  The Resurrection appearances give us a slightly fuller picture.  Those encounters witness Jesus in a similar but new spiritual and physical body.  He can be experienced in a new way, but never contained. Nor should He be.  God always teaches us how to be in right and loving relationship, not how to understand everything.  So the Resurrection is beyond our intellectual grasp.  However, it is a truth we can experience and engage.  This encounter between Jesus and Mary teaches us much.

First, the Resurrection is about eternal joy.  It is about healed and renewed relationships.  The Resurrection is the joy of love triumphing over death.  Resurrected life means loving beginning after sad end.  Jesus says, “Why are you weeping?”  Resurrected life is not about sadness.  It is about everlasting joy and peace.  This does not mean that we will not experience sadness in this life. We will, and we should.  Sadness helps us grow in this life.  It reminds us of what truly matters, and it reminds us that we are not in control.  However, sadness is not a part of eternal life. Things do not end with sadness and the grave.  God’s resurrected life always wins. God calls out each of our names inviting us into this eternal joy and peace!  Will we recognize the great shepherd’s voice?

Second, the Resurrection is about trusting and moving forward into a beautiful unknown.  Jesus tells Mary, “Do not hold onto me, for I have not ascended to my Father.”  Mary wants to hold on to this joyful moment.  She would prefer to embrace Jesus there next to the tomb forever.  Who wouldn’t?  However, Jesus knows that the process is not complete.  He will have multiple resurrection appearances to many.  Then, he will finally ascend to complete the salvation process.  Jesus moves into the beautiful unknown, and invites us to follow. His resurrection points to a new reality beyond this earthly life.  One that has us let go of the sad wisdom of this world.  We are called to let go of pride, greed, and fear.  Instead, we are invited by the Risen Christ to an unknown scary yet safer place.  We are invited to remember that the kingdom of God is like a forgiving father. It is like searching for treasure in a field.  It is like a shepherd who leaves everything behind to seek us out when we are lost.  We are all invited to an eternal place of mystery, wonder, faith, joy, peace, hope, and love.  A place we can not possibly fathom, but intuitively trust.  Let us follow the Resurrected Christ into a beautiful unknown.  I pray we might!  Alleluia!  Christ is Risen!!

"Pass the chocolate!!"

What is so good about Good Friday?

Jesus says three things form the Cross in John’s gospel.  First he joins his mother and the beloved disciple.  “Woman, behold your son, behold your mother.”  Next He says “I am thirsty.”  Finally he says, “It is Finished.”  So what is Jesus telling us at this most critical time?  What are we to make of his words from the cross?

“Woman, behold your son…behold your mother.”  Even on the cross Jesus is taking care of the ones He loves.  With these words he is binding together His mother and the beloved disciple.  The beloved disciple is now not just a disciple, but an intimate part of Jesus' family, God’s family.  Of course we know the beloved disciple to be the disciple John.  Throughout the gospel attributed to John, the writer never says John.  It is always the beloved disciple.  It is a possible literary technique to draw the reader into the story.  In many ways it is saying that you can be like the beloved disciple.  You too can have such experiences with our Lord.  In a way, Jesus is drawing all “beloved disciples” into his family.  Jesus is always deepening our relationship with God.

“It is finished.”  Why do we call it Good Friday?  I often feel weird on Good Friday.  I am sad that Jesus has died, but it is by the grace of the cross that we are saved.  On the cross Jesus experiences death and thus is fully able to bridge the divine and human experiences together.  “It is finished.”  His hour is finished.  All is complete!  This of course is what makes it Good Friday.  Only Jesus on the cross (fully human/ fully God) can bring all things together.  Praise God that He did!

Maundy Thursday. The real presents/ presence in Holy Communion is the sacrificial love of Christ.

“Take, eat, this is my body…  Drink this all of you, this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for you and for many.”  

Every Sunday many churches offer Holy Communion, also known as the Lord’s Supper.  We receive it, but do we really reflect on what it truly means?

Today is Maundy Thursday.  The word “Maundy” comes from the latin Mandatum Novum.  Jesus says, “I give you a new commandment that you love one another as I loved you.”  (John 13:34)  Jesus says this at his Last (perhaps first true) Supper with his disciples.  They celebrate it right before Jesus is to go to the Garden of Gethsemane.  There he will be arrested to be crucified.  Maundy Thursday therefore begs two enormous questions we each must answer.

First, do we really understand what it means to receive Holy Communion?  Of course to answer this question we need to remember the context of what really took place.  Jesus is celebrating the Passover feast with His disciples.  That is, he is celebrating the remembrance of the exodus from Egypt when God passed over the first born Hebrew children so they lived.  However, God winds up not sparing God's own Son from experiencing brutal torture and death.  In the process, Jesus becomes the new Paschal lamb.  He redefines the Passover meal to eternally benefit all who will receive it.  Thus, to receive Holy Communion is to ingest Christ's sacrificial love.  Jesus is always truly and mysteriously present in Holy Communion.  Over the centuries Christians have argued about what becomes what and when while celebrating Holy Communion.  This is a futile argument, and it can actually wrongly shift the focus away from how Christ is actually present.  Receiving Holy Communion is not about mental gymnastics, but about rejoicing in true life-giving grace.  Further, the truth of Christ's presence is experienced in the heart of the believer.  “Take, eat, this is my body…  Drink this all of you, this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for you and for many.”  My heart always feels lovingly blessed every Sunday afternoon after I have received Holy Communion.  It is more than just having a small piece of bread and a sip of wine in my stomach.  Holy Communion is, “food for the heart and soul." It can only be this because of the real eternal presence of Christ's sacrificial love.

Second, do we realize our hunger for what Jesus truly offers?  A few years ago I was fortunate to volunteer with a youth group at a community food bank to pass out food on a Saturday morning.  There was a huge long line that kept going and going and going.  I passed out more potato bags than I can count.  It was a gift to participate in serving others.  There are many hungry people in the world, and we all need to be physically fed.  However, there are even more people who are spiritually hungry.  Everyone has a deep hunger for God.  Of course there are many ways to try and understand God in our world.  Moses transmits God's law.  Muhammad teaches submision to God.  Confucius offers wisdom.  The Buddha points to Nirvana.  These are not bad paths to take.  However, Jesus invites everyone into a deeper intimate relationship of love with God.  This invitation is received by being caught up in Christ's way, truth, and life through the gift and grace of His sacrificial love.  At his last earthly supper with his disciples, Jesus called them friends.  He said, “I give you a new commandment that you love one another as I loved you.”  He exclaimed that, "no one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."  Are we really hungry for the depth of this kind of love?  Do we really receive this invitation from a God who sacrifices all?  I pray we might!  Amen.

The eternal questions of Palm Sunday

What are your expectations for God?  What do you want God to do for you?  Does God satisfy your every want, need and desire?

I had a priest friend who came to a new congregation.  They had not had a full-time priest in a few years.  They told him, “We have been waiting for you like Jesus on Palm Sunday!”  My friend responded, “You know what they did to him five short days later, right?”

I have heard many people refer to Palm Sunday as the false Easter.  Jesus comes in triumphantly, gloriously.  Many think he is the Messiah.  They shout, "Hosanna in the highest!"  Many must have thought, "At last the messiah has come, our savior.  He will set everything right!"   I wonder how many of them shouted out, “Crucify him” just five days later?

Why the change?  Did their expectations change?  Or did Jesus disappoint?  Was he not the great King like David they longed for?  Was he not the great prophet like Moses they desperately craved?  Maybe God had a different plan in mind?  Perhaps God desired a different kind of kingdom?  Perhaps God longed for an everlasting kingdom ruled by peace and forgiveness?  Perhaps God desired a deeper relationship?  Perhaps God desperately craved an eternal relationship with everyone grounded in sacrificial love?  Perhaps God knew the only way to establish a kingdom like that?  Perhaps God knew what was best for us?  Perhaps God still knows what is best?  Perhaps??

What are your expectations for God?  What do you want God to do for you?  Does God satisfy your every want, need, and desire?  What kind of Kingdom do you want?  

May you have a blessed Holy Week with the eternal  questions of Palm Sunday in your heart and mind.

Jesus is tempted because He loves us! Luke 4:1-13

What tempts you?  How are you tempted?  What makes something a temptation?  Now for me that would be easy.  I can easily be tempted by chocolate.  If you want me to do anything, then give me chocolate.  Giving up chocolate would be almost impossible for me to do.  I would suffer some pain until I could eat chocolate again.  Moreover, I would think about it over and over and over again.  I just got to have chocolate!!  Give me chocolate!!!  Now I could easily give up pop or coffee.  That would be easy.  I rarely ever drink pop, and I never drink coffee.  For others that would be really hard.  In fact I think there would be some serious societal consequences if lots of people were denied their coffee.  What is a big temptation for some people is easy for others.

This is the first Sunday in Lent.  Lent of course is a penitential season before the joy of Easter.  It calls us to examine where we are with God.  Every first Sunday in Lent we hear of the temptation of Jesus.  This year we hear Luke’s version in his 4th chapter.  Jesus spends forty days in the wilderness led by the Spirit.  At the end of this time the devil tempts him.  Jesus is tempted to turn a stone into bread, to rule over all the kingdoms in the world, and to throw himself down from the temple to see if angels will lift him up.  Jesus answers each time by quoting scripture.  The devil even tries to tempt him using scripture, but Jesus discerns this and answers back with another scripture passage.  From this encounter there is much to learn, but two things stand out to me in particular.

First, being in a right relationship with God is most important.  If you look at the temptations they are not bad things in and of themselves.  It would not be a bad thing for Jesus to turn a stone into bread to eat.  He is hungry after all.  Further, it would not be a terrible thing if Jesus ruled over all kingdoms.  Finally, it would not be horrible if Jesus was lifted up by the angels.  So, the temptations are not bad in and of themselves.  What is wrong is that if Jesus did what the devil suggests it would disrupt his relationship with God.  The temptations are bad because it is the devil who is trying to take power over Jesus.  Jesus recognizes this and knows that the most important thing is his relationship with God the Father.  I was reminded this week of an amazing film.  It is called “Of Gods and Men.”  It is the story about some Trappist Monks who lived near an Algerian town.  They are very connected to the townspeople and help them in many ways.  They help with medical attention, there is a common garden they share, and other deep connections to the people.  In the film, based on a true story, some militant, in this case Islamic, group takes over the town.  The monks have to discern whether to stay or leave.  They decide to stay because they feel called by their relationship with God and their relationship with the townspeople.  In the end they sacrificed their lives, but they did so out of a deep love and a desire to be in relationship.  It made me wonder, Do I value my relationship with God as much as they did?  Would I have made the same decision?

The second thing I learned from this gospel lesson is that Jesus is always there for us.  Sometimes people will ask me questions like, “Why did Jesus have to be tempted?”  “If he was God why didn’t he just make everything fine?”  My answer is always that Jesus had to experience all that we experience in order to heal the brokenness between the human and divine experience.  God wanted to intimately know what it is like to be one of us.  All of us have known someone who knows it all.  Everyone knew a kid that seemed to know everything and have done everything by the time they were eleven.  You would say that you did this, that, or the other thing, and the kid would say, “I’ve done that too, I know all about that.”  This of course drives most of us crazy.  The reason why is because the kid was always lying.  The kid did not know what it was like to have your experiences.  In pastoral care I was taught never to say, “I know what you are feeling.”  The reason being that we cannot know exactly how another feels, but we can be present with them.  We can walk with the person down those roads to give support.  This is often the best thing to do.  We can never do this perfectly, but Jesus can.  Jesus knows what we are going through.  He has experienced it.  He will walk with us hand in hand.  That is why Jesus was tempted.  He was tempted to truly know how we feel.  He was tempted because God desires to love us so much.  In fact the Spirit led him to be tempted in the Wilderness. 

I pray that this lent you may come to know more about the love and grace of a God who desires to be with each of us.

Into the Deep Waters with Jesus. Luke 5:1-11

Into the deep waters with Jesus. All ministry takes risk

What kind of risks do you take in life?  Are you a thrill seeker or a risk taker?  Have you ever gone mountain climbing or jumped of a cliff into a lake?  Or do you think that is crazy?  Do you like to ride the biggest, fastest roller coasters?  Or do you stick to the bumper cars?  Have you ever taken your Dad's camaro over 100 miles an hour on the open roads of Wyoming?  I've never done that.  Or do you stick to the speed limit?

There are other kinds of risks in life that don't involve physical daring.  There are risks we need to take in life sometimes, that are scarier than just thrill seeking.  Risks where we have to put ourselves out there in really scary ways.  Have you ever moved to a new city where you did not know anybody?  Have you ever taken a new job and weren't sure if you had the skills and ability to do it?  Have you ever taken the risk to tell someone how you feel, not knowing how they would respond?  Life takes risk, sometimes, and it is never easy.

I think about all of this because of the gospel lesson from Luke chapter 5 verses 1 to 11.  In the gospel, Jesus is being followed by the crowds.  They are pressing in on him wanting some wisdom that will change their life, or desiring his healing touch that will mend their lives.  These are people who are hungry for Jesus.  So, Jesus gets into a boat and pulls a little away from the shores so they can all see and hear him.  He teaches them.  Who knows whose lives he may have transformed that day?  When he is done teaching, he asks Simon Peter to take the boat out into the deep waters.  He then tells Simon Peter to let down the nets for a catch.  Simon Peter tells him that they have caught nothing, but he goes ahead and listens to Jesus.  Then something amazing happens.  They catch so many fish, that their nets begin to break.  They signal for help, and wind up catching so many fish that their boats begin to sink.  Simon Peter in awe and fear tells Jesus to, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!"  This gospel passage has so much deep symbolic meaning and can teach us much.

First, this Gospel lesson reminds us of the importance to take risk.  After Jesus teaches the crowds he takes Simon Peter into the deep waters.  "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch."  Simon Peter doubts they will catch anything, but they catch so many fish their nets begin to break and their boats begin to sink.  I think this “going out into the deep and letting down our nets for a catch,” has great symbolic meaning for us.  Jesus knows that Simon Peter is ready for some really deep teaching and understanding of the Lord.  Jesus, wants to go deeper with Simon Peter.  And it seems to me that we are often called by God to go into the deeper waters.  We often have a choice.  We can either stay with the crowds taking in basic teachings that we want to hear to help us where we are, or we can get into the boat with Jesus to let him take us to places of such great depth that we can not possibly imagine all that we might see and learn.  You see what I am saying here?  There are people who seek God to fix their lives, on their terms, and there are people who dare to take the risk to see what God may have for each of us in the deep dark waters.  This invitation into the deep waters of faith is an individual invitation to all of us in our personal spiritual lives, and it is also a corporate invitation for whole communities and churches.  As we all know, the Church has been changing over the last several years and decades.  There are many churches who are struggling to live into their budgets.  There are many churches who struggle to connect with younger people.  There are many churches who struggle to keep their church fully staffed.  There are many churches who struggle to keep their buildings up to code and the lights on.  It is tough.  Tough decisions are required.  Risks need to be taken.  My friends in Christ, perhaps there is something deeper going on.  Perhaps there is a deeper invitation at work.  Perhaps God wants us to leave the shores of only seeking simple and easy answers to make things the way we want them.  Perhaps God wants us to get in the boat and set out for the deep waters, truly trusting our faith and that Jesus our Lord knows what to do.  Perhaps many churches are being called to truly evaluate their priorities.  Perhaps many churches are being called to focus more on Outreach than their building.  Perhaps many churches are being called to focus on offering Spiritual guidance, rather than having a full time staff take care of religious life.  Perhaps many churches are being called to put people and not programs as the priority.  In all the New Testament does Jesus, or Saint Paul, or any other writer discuss building plans or programmatic goals?  God has a great catch in mind for the church, and that may not mean that every church growS to 500 people a Sunday, or buildS a multimillion dollar building, or has the coolest church programs in town. However, I think God has more important things in mind.  I think God wants the church to celebrate and do the things  Christian communities are truly called to do, like Spiritual formation, praising God together, having meaningful fellowship, and reaching out to others.

Finally, know that you will be stretched.  Simon Peter says, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!  We all have a part of ourselves that wants to tell us that we are not worthy.  That we have done horrible things in the past.  That we still aren't the perfect  Christian that we can be.  We think to ourselves, “That we are not worthy,” for one reason or another.  God knows better though.  God knows that we are special, not because of what we do or don't do, but because of the Grace of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.  Jesus knows our true hearts and our true potential.  Jesus says to Simon Peter,"Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people."  I pray we might trust in the one who knows us best.  Amen.

Be a Link in the Body of Christ

Be a link in the Body of Christ…

Have you ever been really proud to be a part of a team or organization?  I remember the first team I was proud to be on.  It was my second grade soccer team.  I loved the coach.  I liked my fellow teammates.  I enjoyed playing the game and I had a role on the team as a goalie.  It was wonderful.  We won the league championship and I received my first trophy.  Come to think of it, it may be my last trophy as well.  There is something wonderful about being a part of a special team.  Usually there are some common characteristics about being on a special team or in a great organization.  First, good teams and organizations have great leadership.  Second, you are surrounded by good people.  Third, what you are doing is worthwhile.  Lastly, you have a clear and defined role in which to thrive.

I think about this topic today because of a prayer:  

Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

I was particularly drawn to the first sentence.  This was actually the first collect I ever prayed as an ordained priest.  It was my first Sunday at Saint Paul’s in Greenville, Ohio, June 30th of 2002.  I remember thinking that this collect was perfect for me to hear that Sunday.  It teaches all of us a few things.

First, it teaches that we stand on the shoulders of a great multitude of Christians who have gone before.  “Almighty God you have built your church on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets…”  There have been many wonderful Christians who have gone before you and me.  At best they inspire us to explore our relationship with God more.  People like Antony, Benedict, Ignatius, Julian of Norwich, and Bonhoeffer inspire us.  Like the earliest Apostles they spread the Gospel and teach that sacrificial love triumphs over death, and grace over evil.  We do not have to reinvent the message, just keep preaching and teaching it.

Second, this collect reminds me that it is God’s Church.  “…Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.”  It is not my church (a message every priest needs to hear often).  It is not your church.  It is not the lay leader's church.  It is not even the Bishop’s or the Pope's church.  It is God’s church.  We are simply called to be links in the body, to be good stewards.  The body of Christ is made up of human beings like you and me, but it is all grounded in the love of God found in Christ Jesus.

At the beginning I talked about being a part of great organizations.  The church has great leadership in Jesus Christ our Lord.  The church is filled with faithful and wonderful people.  The church has the most worthwhile calling to spread the good news and help others.  Finally, we can all be a part and share the God given gifts we have.  If you need help finding a spot, then just ask.  There are always plenty of things to do in a church.  The Church however differs in one respect from all other organizations.  All other teams and organizations have a starting point and an end.  The Church, the body of Christ, goes on forever.  Think about that, you can always be a part of God’s team.  You can always be a link in Christ’s Body.  AMEN.