Monday XIV Week of Ordinary Time
(Genesis 28)
Lutheran congregations are often named “Bethel.” In the reading from Genesis today we hear why. Bethel means the “abode (or house) of God.” Certainly God resides in the people who come together in His name and, by extension, God is found in the building where they meet.
At Bethel the Lord promises Jacob that in his “descendents all the nations of the earth shall find blessing.” We see this prophecy doubly fulfilled. First, the Jewish people have brought blessing to the whole earth for the Scriptures that they have handed down through the centuries, for their wisdom in the arts and the sciences (which is really quite remarkable), and most of all for bringing to fruition the promise of Jesus Christ. As the Gospel of John says, “Salvation is from the Jews.”
We see a second blessing that surpasses the first in the spiritual descendants of Jacob. We Christians have been largely grafted into Judaism to become the greater and more efficacious branch of God’s people. It is mainly through us that the world knows Christ, its creator and redeemer. This claim sounds pretentious because we know many Christians who hardly live up to the name. Nevertheless, it is our calling as well as our faith. Because we are Christian, we are called to make Christ’s love known to the world.
Homilette for Friday, July 6, 2007
Friday, XIII Week of Ordinary Time
(Matthew 9)
The famous psychiatrist-writer Scott Peck once began a presentation by speaking about one of the most important events of the twentieth century occurring in Akron, Ohio, during the 1930s. The audience wondered if they heard the man correctly. They thought, “What famous event ever took place in Akron, Ohio?” Soon Peck explained. He was referring to the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous, an organization that has enabled millions of people to overcome a killing disease.
People attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings have a distinct advantage over most of the population. They know that they are sick; therefore, they seek the help they need to overcome their debility. Unfortunately most people are in denial about sickness. Of course, not everyone is an alcoholic, but each of us has some sickness, some inclination toward sin. Jesus tells the Pharisees in the gospel today that unless we can acknowledge ourselves as sinners, we cannot share in the Kingdom of God that he is bringing about.
Being alcoholic threatens one’s physical as well as spiritual life. Sometimes we downplay its seriousness by speaking of work-a-holism and even chocla-holism as comparable weaknesses. However, alcoholics have the blessing of a recognizable illness that they might treat by, as they say, “giving themselves over to a higher power.” We do well if everyday we give ourselves to God by similarly living disciplined, prayerful lives that seek the support of others.
(Matthew 9)
The famous psychiatrist-writer Scott Peck once began a presentation by speaking about one of the most important events of the twentieth century occurring in Akron, Ohio, during the 1930s. The audience wondered if they heard the man correctly. They thought, “What famous event ever took place in Akron, Ohio?” Soon Peck explained. He was referring to the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous, an organization that has enabled millions of people to overcome a killing disease.
People attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings have a distinct advantage over most of the population. They know that they are sick; therefore, they seek the help they need to overcome their debility. Unfortunately most people are in denial about sickness. Of course, not everyone is an alcoholic, but each of us has some sickness, some inclination toward sin. Jesus tells the Pharisees in the gospel today that unless we can acknowledge ourselves as sinners, we cannot share in the Kingdom of God that he is bringing about.
Being alcoholic threatens one’s physical as well as spiritual life. Sometimes we downplay its seriousness by speaking of work-a-holism and even chocla-holism as comparable weaknesses. However, alcoholics have the blessing of a recognizable illness that they might treat by, as they say, “giving themselves over to a higher power.” We do well if everyday we give ourselves to God by similarly living disciplined, prayerful lives that seek the support of others.
Homilette for Thursday, July 5, 2007
Thursday, XIII Ordinary Time
(Genesis 22)
We may be so outraged by the idea of child sacrifice that we would rather ignore the first reading today. However, after our indignation has passed, we do well to examine this text as a critical lesson of faith. At the start we should note that God never intends that Abraham sacrifice his son Isaac. God only wants to test Abraham’s faith. Although we still have to accept the story as picturing God as deceptive and perhaps not as perspicacious as we know Him, we need not question His goodness.
This story is meant to assure us that God sees on our behalf. Moriah is derived from a pun on the Hebrew word meaning “to see.” There God both sees or knows the steely faith of Abraham and sees to or provides a worthy offering in the ram. Of course, God does not need to administer such tests to know who believes. Nor are such provisions such as a ram in the pinch required for us to know of His mercy.
We often think of faith as a body of beliefs tendered for our acceptance. In a secondary yet essential way faith is our embracing doctrines that tell us who God is, what God demands, and what He has planned for us. But first and foremost faith is trust – that God loves us and will provide for our salvation. In a world where humans vaunt their accomplishments, we easily become discouraged when our lives are not as fruitful as we like. We may forget then that God sees what we need even more clearly than we do and that He will provide for us. Our responsibility is only to retain our trust in Him by not abandoning His ways and asking His assistance.
(Genesis 22)
We may be so outraged by the idea of child sacrifice that we would rather ignore the first reading today. However, after our indignation has passed, we do well to examine this text as a critical lesson of faith. At the start we should note that God never intends that Abraham sacrifice his son Isaac. God only wants to test Abraham’s faith. Although we still have to accept the story as picturing God as deceptive and perhaps not as perspicacious as we know Him, we need not question His goodness.
This story is meant to assure us that God sees on our behalf. Moriah is derived from a pun on the Hebrew word meaning “to see.” There God both sees or knows the steely faith of Abraham and sees to or provides a worthy offering in the ram. Of course, God does not need to administer such tests to know who believes. Nor are such provisions such as a ram in the pinch required for us to know of His mercy.
We often think of faith as a body of beliefs tendered for our acceptance. In a secondary yet essential way faith is our embracing doctrines that tell us who God is, what God demands, and what He has planned for us. But first and foremost faith is trust – that God loves us and will provide for our salvation. In a world where humans vaunt their accomplishments, we easily become discouraged when our lives are not as fruitful as we like. We may forget then that God sees what we need even more clearly than we do and that He will provide for us. Our responsibility is only to retain our trust in Him by not abandoning His ways and asking His assistance.
Homilette for Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Fourth of July
(Genesis 21)
Above all the Fourth of July is time to celebrate. Some may want to listen to the music of marching bands. With no less civic pride we have chosen a more subdued celebration in the confines of church. Here we praise God for blessing our country with so much opportunity and no small amount of equality. Yes, we know that not all opportunity has been parceled out fairly. For this reason our celebration begins on a note of contrition.
The story of Hagar and Ishmael wandering in the desert mirrors an experience of contemporary America. Many immigrants are trying to enter this country via the southwestern desert. Frequently they, like the biblical desert wanderers, become lost and sometimes are found dying or dead. Their plight cries out for attention just as Ishmael weeps from thirst. Solutions, however, are not easily found as the report from Washington this past week shows. So we join our voices with the contemporary Ishmaels and Hagars in prayer to God for their well-being.
A sage law professor has observed that the United States is both a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. A nation so large and promising as we are needs both to continue to prosper. Not today but tomorrow we should ponder what changes in laws are workable to fulfill the hopes of immigrants. With them in our midst, with all abiding by the rule of law, and with the blessing of the Most High the future will see an even greater America.
(Genesis 21)
Above all the Fourth of July is time to celebrate. Some may want to listen to the music of marching bands. With no less civic pride we have chosen a more subdued celebration in the confines of church. Here we praise God for blessing our country with so much opportunity and no small amount of equality. Yes, we know that not all opportunity has been parceled out fairly. For this reason our celebration begins on a note of contrition.
The story of Hagar and Ishmael wandering in the desert mirrors an experience of contemporary America. Many immigrants are trying to enter this country via the southwestern desert. Frequently they, like the biblical desert wanderers, become lost and sometimes are found dying or dead. Their plight cries out for attention just as Ishmael weeps from thirst. Solutions, however, are not easily found as the report from Washington this past week shows. So we join our voices with the contemporary Ishmaels and Hagars in prayer to God for their well-being.
A sage law professor has observed that the United States is both a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. A nation so large and promising as we are needs both to continue to prosper. Not today but tomorrow we should ponder what changes in laws are workable to fulfill the hopes of immigrants. With them in our midst, with all abiding by the rule of law, and with the blessing of the Most High the future will see an even greater America.
Homilette for Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Feast of St. Thomas, the Apostle
(John 20)
Like Thomas sometimes we may prefer not to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. We may think that life would be neater if the end were the end. We would congratulate those who accomplished their goals – be they earning a million dollars, helping the poor, or raising a large family. We would not have to consider whether they (or ourselves for that matter) conform to Christ’s love and thereby merit eternal life.
But all that is wishful thinking. The gospel today asserts that Jesus has risen from the dead. He appears to a man who did not give credibility to the word of witnesses but insisted on touching the wounds of the crucified Christ. The doubter even turns into the person expressing the deepest faith in all the gospels. Thomas’ final words “my Lord and my God” mirror the statement of belief at the beginning of the gospel, “In the beginning was the Word...and the Word was God.”
Of course, we can deny the truth of Jesus’ appearance to Thomas. We can say that it is just a pious story fabricated to get simple people to believe. But such a stance denies our experience. It is not only that people of faith seem to live fuller, happier lives – that they face hardship with less turmoil and recover more easily from setback. It is also that when we call on Jesus in distress, “my Lord and my God,” we also experience the steadiness of his guiding hand.
(John 20)
Like Thomas sometimes we may prefer not to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. We may think that life would be neater if the end were the end. We would congratulate those who accomplished their goals – be they earning a million dollars, helping the poor, or raising a large family. We would not have to consider whether they (or ourselves for that matter) conform to Christ’s love and thereby merit eternal life.
But all that is wishful thinking. The gospel today asserts that Jesus has risen from the dead. He appears to a man who did not give credibility to the word of witnesses but insisted on touching the wounds of the crucified Christ. The doubter even turns into the person expressing the deepest faith in all the gospels. Thomas’ final words “my Lord and my God” mirror the statement of belief at the beginning of the gospel, “In the beginning was the Word...and the Word was God.”
Of course, we can deny the truth of Jesus’ appearance to Thomas. We can say that it is just a pious story fabricated to get simple people to believe. But such a stance denies our experience. It is not only that people of faith seem to live fuller, happier lives – that they face hardship with less turmoil and recover more easily from setback. It is also that when we call on Jesus in distress, “my Lord and my God,” we also experience the steadiness of his guiding hand.
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