Grace Is More!

 

NT Professor Richard Ascough from Queen’s University in Kingston, ON writes:

It is not clear whether Paul means that Christ’s death placates God’s wrath or whether his death removes the cause of the wrath from humanity. Here I would argue another option, but that is not where I am going in this sermon ...  Either way, Richard continues, Christ’s death is effective, but how the metaphor works remains a mystery, although clearly for Paul it is a gift – “grace” (verse 24)- that restores this relationship.

 

God’s grace is our focus this Reformation Sunday. For Lutherans, our heritage is an emphasis on grace. Since the 1500s we have heard and read Paul’s letters, particularly Romans, and interpreted the scripture and theologically reflected from a lens of the theology of the cross saturated in grace. Do we really get it?

God loved creation and humankind so much that God chose to die to show us to what length God will go to love us. There is nothing we do that earns this love – it is a free gift.

Do we really understand grace?

Think of a time when you felt most loved. Grace is more than that love.

Think of a person you care for deeply. Grace is more than this care.

Think of an intimate moment you have experienced. Grace is more than this.

Think of a time when you were welcomed, accepted, and belonged. Grace is more than this.

Think of a time when you were forgiven or when you forgave someone. Grace is more than this forgiveness.

Think of a time when you were filled with gratitude. That feeling you had, Grace is more.

Think of a time when you were awed by creation, a sunrise or a night sky. Grace is more.

Think of a time when you were astounded by the intricacy of nature or confounded by a mystery. Grace is more.

Think of a time when a relationship was reconciled or restored. Grace is more than this.

Think of a time when you were satisfied and full. Grace is more than this abundance.

Think of a time when you were healed, protected, comforted, at peace. Grace is more than these.

Think of a time when you were overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of others. Grace is more than this.

Grace is more than ALL of the love, intimacy, forgiveness, welcome, acceptance, belonging, forgiveness, gratitude, awe, mystery, reconciliation, restoration, satiation, fullness, abundance, healing, protection, comfort, peace, generosity, kindness – put together.  Grace is more!

 

Many years ago, I visited Wittenberg, Germany – the centre of the Reformation, with Luther’s home, the university, the church that received Luther’s 95 Thesis on its door… but of all places in that town with special significance, one that has always stood out for me was the working water fountain in the courtyard of Phillip Melancthon’s house. Phillip Melancthon was a compatriot of Luther, a theologian, an intellectual leader of the Reformation, and an influential designer of educational systems.

The earth-toned fountain in his courtyard is not super fancy. One can sit on the edge and easily reach the spigot to fill a bucket or water bottle. The face of the backwall has a spigot from which water flows into the trough below. What is fascinating is that this fountain has continually worked since the time of Melancthon.

The fountain – or water outlet- is part of the Old Maiden Water Piping System that was constructed in Wittenberg by a group of distinguished local residents in 1556. Other than the mayor and the apothecary, the distinguished cast were printers, publishers, bookbinders, and an artist – all contributing to the spread of the Reformation. Using hollowed tree trunks as pipes and connected with iron joints, water was transported from a spring 5km outside of town into eight courtyard fountains in the town, one being that of Phillip Melancthon. Three years later the system grew to 22 outlets suppling water to 60 houses. The system is still in operation today with 30 outlets providing spring water to the town’s citizens.

So, what does this have to do with grace?

I started with a quote, part of which read: Christ’s death is effective, but how the metaphor works remains a mystery, although clearly for Paul it is a gift – “grace” (verse 24)- that restores this relationship.

In the 1500s clean water was effective but the how remained a mystery. For the citizens of Wittenberg their fresh water source reduced mortality from waterborne diseases like cholera, typhoid, dysentery; clean water boosted immune systems, improved food production in town gardens, aided sanitation and hygiene. The benefits of fresh water were abundant even though the water looked like any other water. The water piping system provided water sources in courtyards where they were accessible by the community, every citizen. The source of the water, the spring, continually pumped water of its own accord, a free gift to the town. What else I love about the water system is that it was the vision of seven men, who had the means and the will, to build a gift to benefit the whole town. This water system works in my mind like God’s grace.

The water outlet in Phillip’s garden can be passed today with little notice unless you are paying attention.  Grace is like this too, an abundance that is visible right before our eyes, yet so often we do not see it, or attune ourselves to it.

 

In the world of trauma therapy, counsellors work with clients to identify triggers. Triggers are a result of trauma experienced. After trauma the nervous system can become hyper-focused, constantly scanning for potential threats and danger; this is the brains way to keep one safe. Identifying triggers can help people work with controlling and changing actions and reactions. Recently, press has been given to the idea of glitter, dubbed the opposite of triggers. A glitter is defined as small moments that sparks joy or peace, which can help cue the nervous system to feel safe or calm. The idea is that being attentive and focusing on glitter moments will aid in the healing of the whole body. It’s a matter of attention. Grace moments – grace- is a matter of attention and intention. In world full of trauma, that personally experienced, secondary or tertiary trauma, from supporting those with trauma or trauma gathered from news or media, or crisis in the present--- it takes consistent practice to attune our hyper-focused nervous systems from triggers to glitter. Trauma to grace.

 

Returning to our earlier reflection on the small glitters of grace we experience- where grace is more, much more than all of these put together; let us focus on these moments of grace and finding strength in them, living from them, such that we bring God’s life-giving water to a thirsty world.

It Is Indeed Right, Our Duty, and Our Joy to Pay Taxes

 

It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise through paying taxes.

Likewise…

It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God.

 

Taxes. The gospels are full of stories about taxes, both temple and government tax, along with stories of tax collectors. Matthew, also known as Levi, was a tax collector when Jesus’ called him to be a disciple. There is the story of Zaccheus the tax collector who changes how he lives when he encounters Jesus. In Matthew 17 we hear that Jesus pays the temple tax. Many of the stories depict tax collectors as a group whom fellow Jews despise, demonizing them as traitors and being in-bed with Rome. And we have today’s story where Jesus is cornered and asked, Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?

 

I began with a phrase that we pray in the communion liturgy. It is indeed right, our duty and our joy that we should…  The prayer follows our giving of tithes and offerings and the offering prayer that blesses God for blessing us with these gifts: ourselves, our time, and our possessions. The prayers continue, asking that our hearts turn toward those who hunger in any way, that we might be for the world signs of God’s gracious presence, and that we might feed the world with God’s love. The repetition of offering prayers helps us remember why we are about the work and mission of the church. We are reminded that we are in relationship with God and that giving to the mission and to others is an action of being faithful. Over time we invest in God’s mission by giving of ourselves, our time, and our possessions – praying, praising, gathering, working. Some of our investment we see in returns, some waits collecting interest, and some is withdrawn and seemingly disappears. The offerings we give to God are in God’s hands.

 

It is indeed right, our duty and our joy that we should… It is right and our duty to pay taxes. I suspect that some of you may argue with ‘and our joy.’ Do you pay taxes? Or give taxes? Do you do so not solely from duty but with joy? Joy, in that one has the means to have something to be taxed. Joy, that taxes paid will benefit the common good.

Whether reflecting on prayer, taxes, taking a daily walk or what-have-you, humans often have difficulty connecting the benefits of such to the source of the benefits, and the benefits themselves. In taxes there is an abundance of mercy – mercy in the form of water, sewer, roads, schools, libraries, emergency services, health care, parks and trails – mercy and manna for everyone.

American historian Albert Bushnell Hart reflected that: Taxation is the price which civilized communities pay for the opportunity of remaining civilized. There is joy to be had in the giving of tax to the emperor.

 

With this in mind, we return to the Gospel to reflect on three things to be learned from Jesus’ interaction with the Pharisees and Herodians. Surprisingly -or not so surprising because this is a Jesus’ story, the take-aways are not just about taxes, but a way of life and being; what it means to be in relationship and covenant with God, and how that gets played out in relationships with others and creation.

Lesson 1. With a common goal enemies can work together.

There is no love loss between the Pharisees and the Herodians. The Pharisees are critical of Rome while the Herodians align themselves with the Roman Empire. Both, however, share a common purpose to squash this Jesus’ movement before it gets out of hand, because the Jesus’ movement has the potential to ruin their plans and seats of power.

 

Lesson 2. The answer is not yes or no.

In the world there is a pervasive mindset of all-or-nothing.  Dualism and polarities thrive. To hold a perspective of middle ground, or a fluidity between opposites, is uncomfortable for many. Jesus teaches the crowd that more than one truth can be true, Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.

 

Lesson 3. Continue to wrestle with the question.

 As New Testament Professor Yung Suk Kim writes, “Jesus’ answer is evasive but penetrating.”

The question is to penetrate our hearts, minds, and beings. We are left wondering, left with the question because it is to be wrestled with. Is it lawful (joyful) to pay taxes? To wrestle with the question means that we continue to be engaged in the world, with all its politics, authorities, and systems of society; it means we participate in a critical interpretation of the world around us; continually applying the Gospel, living God’s mission, and working for the kindom.

 

Consider for a moment these three learnings – with a common goal enemies can work together, the answer is not yes or no, and continue to wrestle with the question- it struck me that the practicing of these three learnings has the potential to change perspectives and the relationship of people with each other, and have a result of an improved commonwealth. Enemies work together, there is more than one answer, and that continued engagement, reflection, and critique are critical to civilized society.

 

Paul and Silas write to the Thessalonians that they remember them before God in prayer. Paul has heard of the Thessalonian’s ministry and the giving of themselves, their time, and their possessions. It is described as: work produced by faith, labour prompted by love, and endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. May our families, our friends, our neighbourhood hear and see that this community of Jesus’ followers – practice the teachings of this Gospel, joyfully contributing to the wider community, giving not paying taxes, and that our work is produced by faith, our labour prompted by love, and our endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. And that these gifts of joy, faith, love, and hope are only this when shared – given to all.

 

We Give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God, through our Saviour Jesus Christ, who on this day over came death and the grave, and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. And so, with all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and with joy give all that we have, all that we are, for the healing of the whole world.

The Gospel Response to Peer Pressure

 

On Friday morning CBC Radio One had a conversation with Mayor Mike Savage. The conversation was about solutions to housing across levels of government. The Mayor commented that he has worked as a politician for a long time; stating that his leadership has been one of partnership not bipartisanship; willing to work with all levels of government, all parties, to the benefit of the municipality, rather than casting blame, setting a scape goat, playing for votes.

 

Over this past week, letters from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land and the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, along with organizations like Canada Lutheran World Relief and the Lutheran World Federation who have partnerships in the region and work that has spanned decades --- all shared a desire for pause and for peace; not a taking of sides and an escalation of violence.

 

Leaders – around the world and of all sorts- are surrounded by fear-filled people. They themselves also harbour fear. Fear-filled people panic. They harbour anxiety that makes it hard to regulate emotions. The brain is prevented from functioning well; reading situations, identifying options, living from one’s values becomes increasingly difficult. Fear-filled people are reactive rather than thoughtful and creative. Fear-filled people make demands of their leaders, pushing them to immediately stand and fight that which threatens, and wanting quick solutions.

What is a leader to do?

 

In this week’s Working Preacher resource, Zina Jacque, Assistant to the Pastor at Historic Alfred St. Baptist Church, Alexandria, Virginia, suggests that readers of Exodus have been hard on Aaron, Moses’ brother, and that readers need to take another look at the scripture and apply the timely lessons found therein. She adamantly writes that the story is not a failure of leadership on Aaron’s part. Aaron is rather, a good and faithful leader, who succumbs to peer pressure.

 

Most of us at some point bow to peer pressure.  We find ourselves, as Zina Jacque says, “on the wrong side of right, absent the presence of mind to adhere to an ethical standard, and wordless in face of wickedness.”

 

Peer pressure – in this case the peer group is a very large group of people who have fled slavery in Egypt, to journey through a desert region to find a new place to settle. They have what they are carrying. They have little knowledge of the desert and have complained about the lack of food, the lack of water, the lack of direction. The people become impatient waiting in the desert – in limbo- for leader Moses to return; he has been gone a long time. Fear is insidious; it has been with the people from the moment they stepped into the desert, as they have had concern for their survival. Fear has been shared, grown, articulated in complaints, and now reactive, demanding, pushing, wanting quick solutions – they pressure Aaron --- do something!

 

 Peer pressure – Aaron as a leader would know that a mob under the influence of fear and acting as a reactive unit of peer pressure, is a daunting prospect for a leader. When not under such stress, he would know, that peer pressure fueled by a fear-filled people will have people take sides; they will judge and demonize those whose views are differ; the people will solidify there stand and not change sides or cross the line they have drawn in the sand; and the longer fear percolates, the more who succumb to the peer pressure, the risk of mayhem and violence increases exponentially.

What is a leader like Aaron to do? What are readers of this story of Exodus to do?

 

Aaron had options – options that were veiled as he succumbed to peer pressure and came up with a quick solution to craft a golden calf to appease the peoples’ complaint.

 

Zina Jacque claims that Aaron had options, three good ones, three options that are the take- away for us. Three options to put into practice when facing a world that is ridden with peer pressure, peer pressure that has turned the peoples of the world into a pressure cooker.

Aaron -if he had taken a moment of pause- to let his heart and head catch his emotions and impulses- in the pause, Aaron could have grasped the remedy for fear-filled peer pressure, and stood firm as a good and faithful leader. The immediate options at hand were to:

 

Rehearse God’s word. Review God’s miracles. Remember God’s promises.      X2

 

Aaron was the leader who spoke to the people for Moses. Aaron spoke a lot of words that God told to Moses to tell the people. There were lots of words that Aaron could have repeated to the people. There were lots of miracles that Aaron could review with the people: making it safely across the sea, followed by a pillar of cloud by day/a pillar of fire by night, manna, quail, water that poured from rocks. Then Aaron had the option to remember with the people God’s promises: a relational covenant, a people who will number as the stars, a land, a fresh start.

 

The Gospel reading today could be interpreted as an extrapolation of leaders succumbing to fear-filled peer pressure. A big shot only invites some chosen people (those deemed worthy and proper) to a party; a reactive impulse when no one shows has the host invite those judged to be less than, to rub it into the face of those who didn’t come. But those who come can’t come as they are they are pressured into wearing a garment handed to them or get thrown out. The story is spoken to a group of religious elites subscribing to covenant, yet the story points to the way the group is not living covenant, how judging, pressuring, conforming, changing values has become the model – and ending up on the wrong side of right, absent the presence of mind to adhere to an ethical standard, and wordless in face of wickedness.

What are leaders – what is the banquet host to do?

Rehearse God’s word. Review God’s miracles. Remember God’s promises.

 

When it comes to pastoring, the things I do, I often do for myself and invite others to come along; I figure that if I am struggling, others might just be struggling with something similar.

I think and feel that we, as a community, through Sunday worship, practice rehearsing God’s word, reviewing God’s miracles, and remembering God’s promises. What I struggle with the most in a world ridden with peer pressure is the PAUSE. 

… the pause… wherein my heart and head can catch emotion and impulse.

To be a leader in a troubled world, to be church – a people of God- that is a leader in the world, we are called to practice the pause--- and invite others to enter the pause too.

 

On Tuesdays I have set aside 30mins to publicly pray, considering PRAYER to be my pause – our pause as a community and a place to invite others to practice the PAUSE. It is an invitation to be spread to our family, friends, and neighbours – shared on social media, written in letters, asked over the phone, mentioned in conversation – ‘what would you like prayer for?’ Would you like to pray with us? Either at the time or later on in comments, in the book in the hall, or tell you so that you can add other’s prayers to our prayers…

To our PAUSE

Where our heart and head catch emotion and impulse and draw them back, grounding ourselves in the source of our being, to Christ at the centre, strengthening us to withstand the peer pressure of the world, and boldly proclaim to the pressure-cooker of the world options for wholeness; options that start with a long PAUSE

A pause -a prayer- long enough to replace fear with humility, peace, and grace.

 

May this be so. Amen.

The Ten Lepers and the Tithe of Thanksgiving

 

Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. Vs15

… was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner? vs18

…Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well. Vs19

 

This morning I would like us to consider that the story of the 10 lepers is a story about TITHING. It is a story that Creator (God) wants us to hear and take to heart, so that we can live out this Gospel story in the world.

 

First let us remind ourselves what it is to tithe:

A tithe is: a one tenth portion of annual produce or earnings given as a contribution, generally to a religious organization and charity. To tithe is to give 10% of one’s income to God’s work.

Tithing is an ancient practice recorded in Ancient Near East writings, in Hebrew Scripture, and continuing today as a principle in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism.

 

Often when wrestling with the principle of tithing the conversation is about money. An important conversation and a principle we should continually wrestle with – but this morning, let us draw our attention to the offertory prayer we have said so many times together as a community. Blessed are you, O God, maker of all things. Through your goodness you have blessed us with these gifts: our selves, our time, and our possessions. Use us, and what we have gathered in feeding the world with your love…

Tithing is not just about giving a portion of our incomes. Tithing is about giving of our selves, our time, and our possessions.

 

Returning to the story of the 10 lepers. We hear the Good News that Jesus had compassion on the lepers and the lepers were healed. One healed leper returns to the source of the healing -Jesus- to give thanks and praise. 1 of 10. It struck me that within the story there is a TITHE of thanksgiving, 10% of the group offers thanksgiving.

 

Hearing the story this way has me wonder: are we called to the be 10%? Is this how our lives can share the Good News? Is this what the celebration of thanksgiving is about?

Consider that the people of the world – all the people of the world- are represented by the group of 10 lepers. The people of the world, all of us, are leprous: sick, anxious, discombobulated; pot-marked by war, inflation, climate crisis; and at disease in body, mind, and spirit. Humanity – we- are worried, weary, and worn.

We may be feeling this way, and yet, we have come to gather with others to give thanks.

Maybe, just maybe, we (Christians gathered across the country) are 10% of the whole, a tithe of thanksgiving, offered to Creator God.

 

It is an interesting thought. What makes up a tithe in a world that is plagued with infirmity, instability, and injustice?

Tithes are often connected to charity work – sharing resources with those who are hungry, unclothed, and unhoused. Anybody can do this work. We have something else, and it is wrapped up in the tithing of our selves.

The answer to the question, “what makes up a tithe in a world that is plagued….in so many ways,” comes down to the essence of church and what makes Christian living different from simply being a good person. Our tithe grows from God, God’s grace, and faith community. It is rooted in a belief and experience that we receive and share a peace that the world can not give; in hope that sees resurrection in death; and a community where the weight of the world is a shared burden that is carried -let go of - in the weight being lifted to God in prayer.

 

Hearing the Gospel story of the 10 lepers with one who was the tithe of thanksgiving, excites me- not to get down on the nine who go about doing what Jesus told them to do, but getting excited that a tithe was enough, that it happened. I want to be that tithe – a tithe that keeps thanksgiving empowering healers like Jesus, resurrecting thanksgiving in what was infirm, and being Good News told generations down the road.

 

This story tells us of a sacred trust. For the health and healing of the world it takes a tithe of 10%. In this case a tithe of thanksgiving.

 

In the realm of kindom there is much to tithe. Grace. Compassion. Forgiveness. Love. Thanksgiving.

 

For those who like numbers – you have 24 hrs in a day, 2 ½ hrs would be a tithe of time and your self in that time; for a traditional work week of 40 hrs, 4 hrs would be a tithe of time and your self. In the period of a day, do you give a tithe of thanksgiving (grace, compassion, forgiveness); in a work week do you give a 4 hr tithe of thanksgiving, grace, compassion, forgiveness in the office, to your co-workers? In a week consider a thanksgiving tithe that could be part of your social media time.

 

Recent conversations I have had with parishioners have begun in commiserating about the state of the world, the troubled times in which we live, and difficult decisions about the future of the church. In the end conversations have come to conclusion in affirmations of the sacred trust that rests on us as a faith community. A sacred trust to be a tithe of thanksgiving! And from hearts filled with thanksgiving to boldly proclaim grace. To boldly proclaim hope. To boldly proclaim resurrection…to the glory of God.

 

Get up and go on your way, your faith has made you well.

Could it be that this sacred trust of tithing thanksgiving is faith enough to heal the world?

 

God – empower us to be a tithe – tithing thanksgiving, hope, resurrection, and grace:

To be about thanksgiving in a world where many walk in infirmity;

Hope in a world where many walk in insecurity;

 Resurrection in a world where many walk in injustice;

And grace, much grace, upon a world that is ill.   Amen.