Author: lakewooducc

Devotion Forty Three
Wednesday April 13, 2022

This is a week to remember the last days of Jesus’ life as well as his whole life and ministry. One of the key figures in the stories of the end of Jesus’ life is Judas. His legacy is significant. The kiss of death. Thirty pieces of silver. He is considered the traitor. The guilty party. Even the one responsible for Jesus’ death because in the gospel story he contacted the religious authorities who wanted Jesus killed. And betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver with a kiss.

Thirty pieces of silver. I was curious about just how much money that was. In the story before the betrayal to the authorities, a woman anoints Jesus with oil that was very costly. Maybe a year’s wages. The disciples think this money should have been given to help the poor. So, this thirty pieces of silver. Is it a lot? Is Judas going to use it to help the poor? Apparently, it is a paltry sum. Even a ridiculously small amount. Maybe like the wages that would be paid to a shepherd, at the bottom of the income (and social) scale. The amount is supposed to be a stark contrast to the value of the oil used to anoint Jesus.

So how is it that this character, Judas, is so remembered? So infamous? The 30 pieces of silver and the kiss of death iconic cultural references seen again and again in literature, the media, and the arts, as well as in sermons and speeches? Why is this so remembered when it was such a meager sum of money? And did Judas’ betrayal really lead to Jesus’ death? Probably not. Jesus was not hiding. The authorities would have found him one way or another. He was a public figure. So why is Judas so prominent? I don’t think it is because of his effect on the plot of the story.

I think it has to do with his character. The whole matter of his being one of the twelve and betraying Jesus has significance. One of the inner circle. One of those closest to Jesus. And he turns Jesus in. You really never know who you can trust. Including yourself.

And in the story, Judas does this for those thirty pieces of silver. It didn’t take much. To satisfy his greed? To make him feel worthy and valued? Like he was important? To express his opposition? How sad is that?

After all that time with Jesus. And he still didn’t get the good news of the gospel. He still didn’t see the reality of God. He still couldn’t accept the unconditional love.

And Jesus chose to give up his life – for Judas. And for us. The wildness of mercy!

Prayer
May we be aware of the ways we betray the gospel, ourselves, and others. And may we be ever conscious of the power we give to money. The gospel offers us life, meaning, value, purpose, beyond anything that can be represented by silver or gold. May we say ‘yes’ to the wildness of mercy offered to us by Jesus. Amen.

The wonderful festival of Easter is just a few days away!  Please note there will be a change in the service schedule. There will be two identical intergenerational services at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. The congregation is invited to meet and visit out on the lawn between services. Both services will be streamed on Facebook Live. Please make plans to be a part of this glorious celebration! Remember – come at 9 or 11.

The service will be in the sanctuary with the doors and windows open. Masks required.  

Date: April 10, 2022 Palm Sunday
Scripture Lessons: Luke 19:28-40 and Philippians 2:5-11
Sermon: Laying Down Our Cloaks
Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells

People in Jesus’ day knew about symbolic prophetic action. They knew the story of Jeremiah buying the field and putting the deed in an earthenware jar and burying it. They knew of Ezekiel eating the scroll. So in the Palm Sunday story, here was this prophet coming down the road on a donkey, a beast of burden. And a young donkey, not even trained for work or transportation. There was no domination or threat in this parade. It was a parade of peace.

In their book, The Last Week: A Day-by-Day Account of Jesus’s Final Week in Jerusalem, Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan tell of another parade. The Palm Sunday story takes place at the beginning of Passover week. At Passover thousands and thousands of Jews would come to Jerusalem for the celebration. So the Roman authorities made sure to have a large, public presence in Jerusalem as a sign of power and intimidation to keep the crowds in line. Crossan and Borg offer this description of what that parade may have been like: “Imagine the imperial processions’ arrival in the city. A visual panoply of imperial power: cavalry on horses, foot soldiers, leather armor, helmets, weapons, banners, golden eagles mounted on poles, sun glinting on metal and gold. Sounds: the marching of feet, the creaking of leather, the clinking of bridles, the beating of drums. The swirling of dust. The eyes of the silent onlookers, some curious, some awed, some resentful.” [p. 3]

And in another part of town, a parade with a peasant class religious figure mounted on a donkey being ridden for the first time.

The people, the commoners, the everyday folk, who had heard of the prophet Jesus, were ready for a spectacle. They would see the irony in the donkey parade in contrast to the yearly Roman spectacle. No, they did not have late night TV or social media, but they got the drift. They understood the contrast. Threat, intimidation, force, domination, violence, subjugation in one parade. And peace, justice, prosperity, and security with no threat of violence or empire in the other.

And at the Jesus parade, the people take their symbolic action. They lay down their cloaks. And they wave palm branches. They take on their part of this drama of peace. They are willing participants. As is Jesus.

In the reading from Philippians that we heard today, we are told that the Messiah, Jesus, is of God. Of the heavenly realm. And found in human form, Jesus choses humility. Not the pomp and majesty displayed by a royal ruler claiming divinity. No. Jesus chooses humility. The way of humus. Of earth. He is down to earth. Among the people. And he chooses to lay down his life. It is not taken from him. He gives it. Knowing his life was under threat, Jesus parades down the street on the back of a beast of burden making a dramatic entry. He is not cowering in the corner, hiding. No, he chooses to lay down his life. To give it away. For love.

And the people who cheer him on, who shout praises, lay down their cloaks, their garments. In this, too, we see a symbolic action. Laying down that which defines them in the eyes of society. Laying down their attachment to comfort and status, if they had any. Laying down the illusion of independence. Laying down their role in the community that may define them. Giving it all up. Laying it all down. And claiming as their only attachment, their attachment to God, to Divine Love, to God’s dream for humanity.

And as we process in the sanctuary this morning and offer our praises, we ask ourselves, will we lay down our cloaks and leave them there at the altar? Will we, like Jesus, choose humility? Choose to lay down the status and privilege that separates us from others? Choose to offer up the trappings that create the illusion of superiority over others? Will we lay down all that separates and divides? Will we lay down our attachment to comfort and status? Will we lay down the illusion of self-sufficiency?

Will we lay down our lives? And accept the life given to us, as one more human being, of inestimable value to God, beloved, even without a cloak, especially without a cloak?

Later in the week, we are told of Jesus being given a borrowed cloak, to impersonate a king, an illusion, for which he is mocked. But the cloak will be taken off. And the naked body will hang on the cross. No illusions. No delusions. Humble. Laying down his life. With dignity expressed through self determination. They can take nothing from Jesus because he gives it. In peace. He is free. Jesus shows us the fullest and highest expression of our humanity. We give it away so that there is no need for hiding or protection or pretense or violence.

You know, the military asks people to lay down their lives each and every day. At the other parade. And people line up and sign up.

The gospel invites us to lay down our lives. To choose the way of self emptying, of humility, of servitude. This path is life-giving when it is chosen not when it is forced or imposed. To be part of the new life, the hope, the healing, and the community that Jesus embodies, we must choose to lay down our lives. To embrace life, meaning, purpose, and joy in solidarity, we must lay down our other lives. Like the donkey, we have been chosen by Jesus to be part of the parade of peace.

Will we lay down our cloaks as a symbolic action of our humility and the laying down, giving up, of our lives; the lives we construct according to the dictates of the society around us, and instead accept our place, our identity, our citizenship, in the reality of God? In the beloved community? In the realm of peace with justice and security for all? Will we accept true freedom?

This is our question for this Palm Sunday. This is our question for Holy Week. And this is the challenge for our lives. To lay down our cloaks. And make way for Jesus. Amen.

A reasonable effort has been made to appropriately cite materials referenced in this sermon. For additional information, please contact Lakewood United Church of Christ.

Devotion Forty Two
Tuesday 4.12.22

This past Sunday was the observance of Palm Sunday. The story for the day tells of people gathering along the streets of Jerusalem and waving palm branches and spreading their cloaks as Jesus rides by on a donkey. We are told of crowds shouting:

Hosanna to the Heir to the House of David!
Blessed is the One who comes
in the name of the Most High!
Hosanna in the highest!

Matthew 21:9

Apparently there is so much shouting and carrying on that in Lukan version of the story, the Pharisees tell Jesus to quiet his disciples. And Jesus responds, “I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the very stones would cry out!” [Luke 19:40] There is no curbing the enthusiasm.

So we are told of a loud, we might even say, rowdy, response to Jesus as the rides into Jerusalem. There is affirmation for him as a longed for leader.

It’s a good thing that Jesus is not one to get taken in with appearances because as the story goes on, later in the week, there is a crowd that shouts, “Crucify Him!” with just as much enthusiasm as the Palm Sunday throng. Could these have been some of the same people? That is very possible.

So we can imagine the people shouting ‘Blessed is the One who comes in the name of Our God!’ one day and then a few days later shouting ‘Crucify him!’ Now psychologists and sociologists can probably give us greater insight into this dynamic. But we all know that people are fickle. We are fickle. We change our minds all the time. We say one thing and do another. We do one thing and say another. While you can look for consistency in the behavior of, say, a dog, don’t expect it from humans. We are each a bundle of inconsistencies. And the composition of our inconsistencies changes from day to day if not minute to minute. But one thing I am wondering about in the gospel stories of the end of Jesus’ life is the role of the leaders, especially the religious leaders who want Jesus killed but do not have the authority to carry out capital punishment. I think people can be very easily swayed by capable, powerful leaders. So I suspect that the people who shout ‘Hosanna!’ and later shout ‘Crucify!’ have in some way been influenced by their leaders. Maybe we could even say manipulated by their leaders.

When I look around today, it seems to me that this is still going on and that the scope of the influence of such manipulative leaders is amplified by social mediaI. I think people in countries around the world INCLUDING OUR OWN are being exploited by leaders who are using fear and lies to stir up support out of self interest and to gain personal power. These leaders can be masterful and very effective. This gives me some sympathy for the crowds, for myself, for my neighbors, and for my enemies.

This situation also gives me greater appreciation for Jesus who was not swayed or influenced or manipulated by the leaders or the crowds. His loyalty to Divine Love was unswerving. His connection to God was not lost or broken even with his death at hand. The manipulative leaders and the fickle crowds bring the unshakeable faith of Jesus into greater focus.

And we are told that Jesus forgives all from the cross. Talk about the wildness of mercy!

Prayer
This is the week to remember that whatever crowd we are in, we are loved and forgiven. May we extend the same love and forgiveness to others especially those who may be in different crowds than we are. May our desire be to remain steady in our devotion to the God of pure, unadulterated Love. Amen.

Devotion 41
Monday 4.11.22

We are drawing near to the end of the Lenten season. It has been a season of reflection and exploring. It has been a time to repent, that is re-turn our lives to God. I am thinking back to the the last Sunday of the Epiphany season before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. Each year the scripture reading for that Sunday is the story of the Transfiguration. Jesus goes up on the mountaintop to pray and brings with him three of the stalwart disciples, Peter, James, and John. (We’ll hear more about them later this week. This is the trio that goes with Jesus to Gethsemane.) While on the mountain there is the appearance of Moses and Elijah. And Jesus appears aglow in bright light. And a voice is heard from the clouds. This voice has been heard before at Jesus’ baptism saying, “You are my Own, my Beloved. On you my favor rests.” [Luke 3:22b.] That was at the river. In
the story on the mountaintop, the voice announces, “This is my Own, my Chosen One. Listen to him!”

During the Lenten season we have been trying to listen to Jesus. Trying to listen to his wisdom and teaching for our lives and our world. We have been doing this through the lens of the wildness of mercy hoping to let Jesus lead us more deeply into the reality of God.

The next few days we will be remembering the most difficult days in the ministry of Jesus. Let us keep listening. Let us stay open to what we can see and hear and learn from the stories of the last days of Jesus’ life. What are we shown? How can the ending of Jesus’ earthly life be life-giving for us?

Even as we remember the terrible events of those last days, the trial, the desertion, the betrayal, the agony, the irony, and all the rest, the wildness of mercy will make this story a love story. And we are the ones who receive the love. So let’s “Listen to him!”

Prayer
We know that Jesus’ suffering and death are ahead. The last days, the last hours. The point of no return. An ultimate expression of love. May we listen to the story and hear the love. Amen.