Sunday, February 2, 2025

A Week of Sundays: Week 10

Sunday 10: The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

What does it mean to be a church on a mission?

Mission isn’t always about going.

Sometimes it’s about being.

We all have spiritual gifts, but we don’t always have opportunity to use them. The most gifted speaker does not preach at all times. A prophet does not exclusively live in his visions; he spends his time in the ordinariness of life. Even a missionary, who has dedicated his life to a particular type of living on mission, does not do his work without stop.

However, at all times, we have the opportunity to love.

"Suppose I speak in the languages of human beings or of angels. If I don’t have love, I am only a loud gong or a noisy cymbal. Suppose I have the gift of prophecy. Suppose I can understand all the secret things of God and know everything about him. And suppose I have enough faith to move mountains. If I don’t have love, I am nothing at all. Suppose I give everything I have to poor people. And suppose I give myself over to a difficult life so I can brag. If I don’t have love, I get nothing at all... Love never fails. But prophecy will pass away. Speaking in languages that had not been known before will end. And knowledge will pass away. What we know now is not complete. What we prophesy now is not perfect. But when what is complete comes, the things that are not complete will pass away." (1 Corinthians 13:1-9, NIrV)

A day will come when spiritual gifts as we know them will no longer be necessary. There is no need to preach in heaven because all will already know the full goodness of God. There will be no prophecy because we will see and understand in a new way. But love will remain because God is love.

And today, also, we can always love.

Sunday, January 19, 2025

A Week of Sundays: Week 8

Sunday 8: The Second Sunday after Epiphany

Epiphany is a season of going. Magi went to the manger (Read Matthew 2:1-12). Jesus went to the water to be baptized (Read Matthew 3:15-22). The disciples went with Jesus (Read Luke 5:1-11) . And if I may take some liberty, Jesus’ mother went to Him at a wedding (Read John 2:1-11).

But what is the point of all this going?

A phrase caught my attention as I listened to Scripture today:

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7, NRSV)

Common good.

The common good is hard to define. It is conceptually understood, even desired, without the full ability to articulate it. The struggle to define the common good is not limited to Christian thought, or even philosophy.
  In fact, just this very week I sat amongst a group of graduate students at the University of Southern California and tried to give definition to this idea. Each small group landed on a good - but perhaps incomplete – definition.  One common thread was the idea of benefit to others; whether that was articulated as a “majority” or “all people” or “society,” it was understood that the common in common good was a challenging modifier.

So it is, too, in the Corinthians passage above. Later in the chapter, the author compares the common good to parts of a body working together, each with a unique part that serves the collective body. The ear may enjoy music from time to time, but primarily it does not hear for its own benefit, but rather to learn or warn the body. The feet may enjoy the pleasure of a pedicure from time to time, but mostly it carries and moves the body. It is the same with eyes and elbows, hips and hearts, armpits and even the appendix.

Using our gifts for the common good is not always easy, but it is important.

If I am a leg, let me stand.
If I am an arm, let me carry the hand.
If I am knee, let me bend.
If I am hand, let me extend.
If I am an eye, let me see.
If I am a bladder, let me pee.
If I am heart, let me beat.
If I am a butt, let me take a seat.
If I am a stomach, let me digest.
If I am a brain, let me know what is best.

Sunday, January 12, 2025

A Year of Sundays: Week 7

 Sunday 7: The Baptism of Our Lord

As I write this today, on the fifth night of fire watch, there are so many things I am feeling. Helpless. Restless. Sad. Angry. Confused. Impatient. But my goal with my Sunday posts is not to focus on my feelings, but to focus on the bigger picture.

It’s not hard for me to admit that I have a pretty dark sense of humor. Because our church follows the liturgical calendar, elements of our service are decided well before a Sunday morning. The Scripture passages that are read are not selected by us, nor are they determined by the events surrounding us. Our organist selects our hymns based on the Scripture we read. Today was a moment of (dark) comic relief to my unsettled heart.

On the first Sunday after Epiphany, known as the Baptism of Our Lord, we read:

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

you will not be burned;

the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior... (Isaiah 43:1-3, NIV)


We sang a song after song about the fire of God and the wind of His Spirit moving. Had I not known how these selections were made it might have felt like we were being a little too on the nose. Instead, I understand that fire, wind, and even water are all things that God uses to teach us about him.

Fire destroys, yes, but it also warns.

Wind knocks over, but it also clears.

Water drowns, but it also cleanses.

On a Sunday when destruction and death seem to be raging through our county, we focus on the baptism of my Lord. I choose to die to self and live in God (see Romans 6:1-11). I don’t mean this in a flippant or careless way. Instead, I choose, even today, in a very difficult situation to affirm this truth. God is with me in the fire.

Sunday, January 5, 2025

A Year of Sundays: Week 6

Sunday 6: The Second Sunday of Christmas

Enter any major mall in the month of December and you will find a Santa Claus photo op. At my local mall, I was shocked to see the line of customers wind and stretch through the corner of the mall where Santa was located. Parents deal with crying, tired children for the fun moment when Santa looks down at the child and asks "What would you like for Christmas?" Parents lean in to hear the child's request, hoping it is something that they can provide.

In this context there seems to be a sort of familiarity to today's Old Testament reading. God approaches King Solomon in a dream and tells him “Ask for whatever you want me to give you” (1 Kings 3:5, NIV).

If we are being honest, we probably love the idea of God offering us the equivalent of a blank check. The season is inundated with it! We pull the wish bone and breaks in our favor - fate has fallen in our favor. We feel like we have the right to ask Santa for something because we have been good boys and girls. We make resolutions and promise to ourselves that we will make our goals come true because we are strong enough to take care of ourselves.  Lord, help us.

Solomon knew himself well enough to know what he really needed, so he told God:

Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” (1 Kings 3:7-9, NIV)

Solomon's request was incredibly humble.  He had enough discernment to know a major task laid before him, yet he asked for [more] wisdom.

God was pleased with Solomon's request. He did not ask for something that benefitted him or that crippled his enemy. He asked for that which would benefit God's people, and was rewarded with personal benefit as well.

As I consider the things I ask God for, I must ask myself what my motivation is.  Do I ask for things which benefit others, or do I ask for things that appear to benefit others while really hoping God will give me what I want for myself instead? 

I pray for discernment as I consider these things.