Unrequited Love

We’ve heard the story before, its the plot of every ’80’s teen movie I ever watched - the outsider boy falls for the popular girl; pines for her from afar; creates a scheme to get her to notice and fall in love with him; against all odds, it works; outside pressures drive them apart; only to have the two seemingly star-crossed lovers end up together before the credits role.

This is God’s story. It all started with Adam and Eve. And then God, the outsider, still pining for our love makes a promise with us through Abraham and Sarah.

Taking Abraham outside God says, “Look at the sky and see if you can count the stars. That’s how many descendants you will have.” (Genesis 15:5, Contemporary English Version)

 Only the credits haven’t rolled just yet, and humanity continues to play hard to get. God continues to dream up ways for us to fall in love with God, even coming as Jesus Christ, "God with us." The story of God’s unrequited love for humanity continues.

As I hear God speak these words to me, “Look at the stars.” I hear Coldplay’s song Yellow playing in the background.

Look at the stars 
Look how they shine for you 
And everything you do 
Yeah, they were all yellow 

I came along 
I wrote a song for you 
And all the things you do 
And it was called 'Yellow' 

So then I took my time 
Oh what a thing to've done 
And it was all yellow 

Your skin, oh yeah, your skin and bones 
Turn into something beautiful 
D'you know? You know I love you so 
You know I love you so 

I swam across 
I jumped across for you 
Oh what a thing to do 
'Cause you were all yellow 

I drew a line 
I drew a line for you 
Oh what a thing to do 
And it was all yellow 

Your skin, oh yeah, your skin and bones 
Turn into something beautiful 
D'you know? For you I bleed myself dry 
For you I bleed myself dry 

It's true Look how they shine for you 
Look how they shine for you 
Look how they shine for 
Look how they shine for you 
Look how they shine for you 
Look how they shine 

Look at the stars 
Look how they shine for you 
And all the things that you do 

So, look out your window. God is holding a boombox, Say Anything style, playing a love song for you now, waiting for you to respond... 

A Common Witness

“Ashes to Go.”

Maybe you’ve heard of it. Maybe you have an “Ashes to Go” happening in your area, as they have spread throughout the country. If you do, you've come to know the ecumenical ministry of Jay Edwards and the South St. Louis Ministers Text Study, of which I am lucky to be a member. Jay had the idea and we joined him for the first “Ashes to Go”  on Ash Wednesday seven years ago.

You can check out this report from FOX 2 St. Louis's news program. Our part starts at 1:06



I am proud of this ecumenical ministry. We see a key piece of "Ashes To Go" being our common witness. I am proud to be a part of it as we bring the message of God’s love and forgiveness out into the community and let those who have been hurt by the Church know that God’s love is for them. We take this ministry outside to reach the outsiders, just as Jesus did.

But I am most proud of the work we do together as congregations from different Christian traditions. We are Baptist, Episcopal, Disciples of Christ, Mennonite, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ.

Ten plus years ago, the pastors of these area congregations began to gather to study scripture, and to discuss our preaching and liturgy. It has grown to be much more. The congregations now worship together at various times throughout the year. We share in ministries that feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and build community, and we continue to look for new ways to more fully share the love of God shown to us in Jesus Christ.

It all started with studying the Bible together. A good place to start.

People of the Eighth Day

"Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up the mount to pray." (Luke 9:28, NRSV)

So begins the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus. A strange keeping of time, "about eight days after." Why eight days? Luke is trying to get our attention, to let us know that something important is happening. The Transfiguration - Jesus' appearing in glory is a foreshadowing of the Resurrection - Christ's eternal glory.

The "Eighth Day" is the day of the new creation. God created the world in six days and on the seventh God rests, on the eighth day God resurrects Jesus from the grave, on the eighth day Christ's glory is revealed. Followers of Christ are people of the eighth day, people of the new creation in Christ, people of the Resurrection.

That is why in many churches the baptismal font is eight sided. Through the waters of our baptism we join Christ in his death and resurrection, becoming Eighth Day people.

Following in the Wake of Jesus

 

In the gospel of Luke (4:14-30), Jesus returns home to Nazareth after preaching and healing in the countryside. While there, he goes to celebrate the Sabbath at his childhood synagogue. He reads from the prophet Isaiah and preaches one of the shortest sermons of all time, “Today, this has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

There is an excitement in the air. The people were amazed by his words or just happy that he kept it short.  And then everything changes with one question, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” These people who watched him grow up and are still neighbors with his family can’t begin to see past what they ‘know’ about Jesus, to the reality of who Jesus is - God’s son, the fulfillment of God’s promise, the Messiah.

Jesus doesn’t back down, doesn’t cower in the face of their doubts. He begins to tell these old friends that God can and will work with whomever God wants, including foreigners. That God’s good news is for all people.

The townspeople become enraged and push Jesus to the edge of town, literally. They plan on throwing him off the cliff the town is built upon. But Jesus walks through the midst of them and goes on his way.

I love that image. It reminds me of Moses leading Israel through the Red Sea to freedom. The waters part, they give way and the people walk through the midst of them. And Moses leads them to the Promised Land.

Jesus walks through the midst of the people and invites us to follow him on the way.
Jesus’ way does not lead to the safety of home, 
Jesus leaves home behind.
Jesus’ way leads us into the mess of ministry.

 to preach good news to the poor,

 to proclaim release to the prisoners

 and recovery of sight to the blind,

 to liberate the oppressed,

 and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

(Common English Bible)

That’s a mission statement worth getting behind.   Are we getting so comfortable in our church homes that we start pushing back at the Spirit of God instead of following in the wake to where we are being led?