Author: lakewooducc

Historical photos show soldiers returning from World War 2 to a ticker tape parade down the canyoned streets of New York City with thousands lining the sidewalks in celebration of the courageous, victorious heros who have vanquished the enemy. Different eras and different cultures have rituals which accomplish the same societal function.

In Jesus’ day such occasions featured a military leader astride a steed with festooned soldiers in tow parading down the main drag of Jerusalem to great acclaim. Jesus has come to Jerusalem for the High Holy Days, the celebration of Passover. He knows his enemies are plotting to entrap him. He knows they have been waiting and wondering if he will appear for Passover or if he will lay low to avoid trouble. There is much speculation and suspicion. Who will make what move and when? Jesus is bold and direct. He makes his moves out in the open, without fear, grounded in faithfulness.

In the gospels we are told of a procession through the streets of Jerusalem lined with the faithful who have come to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. The population has swelled for the festival. Jesus comes riding into town on a donkey; not a heroic horse, but a beast of burden. For Jesus comes not as a symbol of war, but he comes in peace. His ride on the palm lined street symbolizes the antithesis of the victory march of a military leader. Jesus comes in humility, as one who serves the least and the lost. He comes as one who represents the opposite of Empire, domination, subjugation, and power maintained through intimidation and violence. He is not afraid. He is not intimidated even though he knows there are those waiting to kill him. He does not come to dominate or subjugate but to truly liberate. All people. For all time.

Palm Sunday and the ensuing week invite us to think about what kind of savior this Jesus really is and we receive him.

Prayer: We come to our holy week, our festival, our celebration of liberation this week. The story is familiar. But in the days ahead, may we find new meaning in the words and images that convey the greatest expression of Divine Love yet revealed in human history. May we be open to receiving that love into our lives and sharing it with the world whatever the cost. Amen.

Can you imagine trying to live without the use of your limbs? No hands or feet. No legs or arms. But your mind and torso are basically fine? There was a recent story on Story Corps about a young man, Collin Smith, who lost the use of his limbs in a car accident when he was a sophomore in high school. When the time came for him to go to college, he would need full-time continuous help each and every day. A man from his church who did not know him heard about the situation. He determined that it would cost the family something like $50,000 to hire that kind of help. The family did not have those resources, so Ernest Greene decided he would help Collin.

Greene, 50 years older than Smith, headed to college. They were together each and every day. Greene helped not only with academics, but with personal care and with Smith’s social life.

At the end of the four years, Greene pushed Smith, the proud graduate, forward to receive his diploma. After the the diploma had been delivered, the college president stopped Greene. There was something for him, too. An honorary degree.

“I don’t think I’ve been any more shocked in my life,” Greene said. “I didn’t think I had done anything more than any other person ought to do.” [http://www.npr.org/2014/04/11/301574558/one-man-becomes-anothers-hands-feet-and-family]
Greene was so humble about the whole thing. The young man needed help and he could do it so he did. That was it. No grand heroics. Just simple human kindness and service.

Our faith tradition teaches us that God has grand hopes and dreams for the world. Yet what about God’s hands and feet? God needs help to accomplish God’s goals. And as the old prayer reminds us, “He has no hands but ours.” Like that steady, faithful church member, Earnest Greene, who was the hands and feet of God serving Collin Smith, so we are all called to be the hands and feet of God. To serve. To see the needs around us and give of ourselves, with no expectation of reward or acclaim.

This Lenten season is a time to consider what our hands and feet are doing. Are they serving God? Are they meeting the needs of those around us? Are they idle? Are they otherwise occupied?

Prayer: We are grateful for faithful souls like Earnest Greene who remind us of our calling as human beings and as people of faith. We pray for ears and eyes open to the needs of those around us, the needs of the world. We are thankful for all that we can do and we pray that we are able to give our lives in service to others without fanfare or fame. May we be simple, humble servants in the spirit of our savior Christ Jesus. Amen.

Our son’s first grade teacher had a saying: “You’re only bored if you’re boring.” When the students complained that something was boring, that is the response they would get. As parents, we really liked that message and we have adopted that phrase and still use it even though our “children” are 29, 26, and 18!

In response to an article about why people are leaving church, John Longhurst commented: “Evangelicals are leaving the church because they are angry. Roman Catholics are leaving because they feel betrayed. And mainline Christians? They’re leaving because they’re bored.” [The Christian Century, April 16, 2014, p. 9] While LUCC is quite liberal and progressive both in terms of social issues and theology, we are still what would be considered “mainline.” So, we would fit under the category of church that is boring.

Boring. That is one of the last words I would ever choose to describe Lakewood United Church of Christ. I think that part of why LUCC is not boring is because the congregation really is the church. It’s the people. And the people shape the worship, programs, activities, relationships, and character of the church and its ministries. The church reflects the interests, passions, and personalities of the people. The identity of the church is not shaped by a hierarchy beyond the church. The identity of the church is not dictated by a book or by tradition. The identity of the church is not molded by a pastor or a few leaders.

LUCC is an expression of its many members. This happens because each and every member is important and valued. The church tries to be egalitarian. Involvement and participation are valued. Suggestions, ideas, and opinions are readily shared. The church also tries to be open to new ways of doing things and new initiatives. This also involves a willingness to let things go and experiment with change. With a mix of personalities, perspectives, backgrounds, beliefs, experiences, gifts, and graces how can the church be boring? When everyone is the church it can’t be boring.

Maybe a “spectator” church could be boring. A church in which people come, watch, listen, and leave. A church limited by a book and a hierarchy might get boring. But a church open to the Spirit in its diverse, surprising manifestations? A church that values and expects the involvement of everyone? It’s hard to imagine that being boring.

If you think that church is boring, or not relevant, maybe the thing to think about is what you can do to liven things up. Are you making church boring by not getting involved and getting to know people? Are you investing yourself in the life of the church in ways that contribute to the vitality of the church? Are you helping to make church life-giving and engaging?

Prayer: Life in the Spirit is anything but boring if we are paying attention. In this Lenten season may we be attuned to the vibrancy of faith around us. May we devote ourselves to breathing life into the church, the body of Christ, so that the love of God may infuse the world. Amen.

Surprising. God. These two words were in a sentence I read recently. Not next to each other, but just in the same sentence. They jumped out at me. Surprising God.

Our tradition teaches us about a God that is full of surprises. Creation itself with all of its diversity and majesty and mystery is a surprise. The flood shows a surprising God. Abraham and Sarah being called to head to a new land and have a family late in life is surprising. The Hebrews being rescued from slavery in Egypt is a surprise. A Messiah born in humble circumstances is a surprise. Jesus gathering followers from among those who are poor, lame, outcast, and sinners – that is a surprise. The Messiah being put to death as a traitor by the Roman Empire is a surprise. Jesus’ followers gladly facing death for their beliefs is a surprise. Again and again, the Bible shows us a God full of surprises.

The God of the Bible is not portrayed as we might expect or predict. The God of our tradition is experienced as a God that is free. Completely free. Not bound by human demands or expectations. But also, in that freedom, seemingly responsive to human desires and needs. We see a God that chooses to favor humanity with forgiveness, mercy, and compassion. But over and over again, we see a God of surprises.

Surprising God. But if we hear that phrase another way, it can be interpreted with humanity as the subject. We may be surprising God. We may be the ones that deliver the surprise. Maybe our foolishness is surprising. Maybe our generosity is surprising. Maybe how we are despoiling the earth is surprising. Maybe our development and application of our intellect is surprising. Maybe our love of violence is surprising. Maybe our compassion is surprising. Maybe our creativity is surprising. How might we be surprising God? Are we different than God expects us to be? Would God predict that we are as we are?

Surprising. God. Unexpected. Astonishing. Shocking even. And it works both ways.

Prayer: Again and again a surprising God breaks into our lives and our world in unexpected ways. May we learn from God to be surprising. To shock with our forgiveness and compassion. To astonish with our patience and generosity. To exceed expectations with our commitment to justice and peace. We are, after all, created in the image of a surprising God! In the spirit of our beloved Savior Jesus we pray. Amen.