Centering . . .
Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love theLord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead,and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. [Deut 6:4-9, NRSV]
Another Autumn Poem
The leaves are crisp
The air is fresh
The smell of chimney smoke is in the air
It ain’t too hot nor too cold
Perhaps a swell time to worship the unseen
[Greg Kelley, DayBook for New Voices, Maren C Tirabassi and Maria Tirabassi. (The Pilgrim Press, 2004).]
God’s things . . .
Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s. ”When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away. (Matt 22:15-22, NRSV)
What are God’s things?
“. . . it does raise the provocative and still relevant question: What belongs to God, and what belongs to Caesar? And what if Caesar is Hitler, or apartheid, or communism, or global capitalism? What is to be the attitude of Christians toward domination systems, whether ancient or modern?”
a response to Ps 25 as a prayer,
Teach me how to live,
Lord, show me the way.
Steer me toward your Truth,
you my saving God.
God’s ways are faithful love
for those who keep the covenant.
God confides in you
to show what covenant means.
[Thankful Praise, CBP, 1987]
Be well and be centered.
Yesterday, I was honored to represent my brand of Christian witness, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Oklahoma, at the installation of one of the Church’s ministers at a new place of ministry. My peer and friend, Rev. Shannon, has been the Minister for Faith Formation at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Norman, OK for a few months now. Yesterday, was the formal recognition of this ministry through a bit of liturgy and prayer. I was privileged with the trust of the pulpit as well by the Sr. Minister, Rev. David, to say a few words. We call it preaching. Here is a snippet from my words about Romans 12:1-8.
Biblical scholars agree that we are reading the last genuine letter that Paul ever wrote or dictated. We receive it and read it through a 21st century lens that recognizes old stereotypes, and we hear the call to ethical living based in our beliefs about God and Jesus the Christ. The New Testament scholar Marcus Borg calls this portion of Romans the “so what” section as Paul moves from theology about God and Christ to what that theology means when put into practice in our living. It is counsel about relationships and community and discipleship and being Christian that begins with reasonable service and “don’t be conformed by this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds.”
Paul know something about transformation and renewal. “The good that I would do, I do not. That which I do not want to do, I often do.” (Romans 7:19) Honest self reflection. That is honest self reflection. You know, reading through the authentic letters of Paul it is easy to determine that he had a big ego, but I imagine that Paul would be embarrassed and corrective if he knew that many followers of Jesus set him, Paul, as equal to or above the one he proclaimed as Christ. For to long, Christianity has placed more emphasis on Paul’s words, Paul’s understanding of faith, and Paul’s understanding of being a follower of Jesus for deciding: who is or is not worthy of leadership in the congregational life; for deciding who is or is not worthy of being ordained into Christian ministry; and for the ordering of the Church rather than listening to the teachings of Jesus. I get why. You know why. About some things and about some issues Jesus said nothing, specific.
You know Jesus, that pesky peasant teacher from Nazareth who taught in parable and offered radical hospitality to the outcast of his time. Jesus, who when asked about the greatest commandment answered, “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus, who comforted the afflicted and afflicted the comfortable in his time and today. I think that is what Paul is trying to emulate or replicate or be for those who where first “followers of the way” and then labeled “Christian” in his historical context and ours. The universal Church has thought of Paul’s words, and the writings of the ancient organizers or theologians of Christianity, as “gospel truth” rather than commentary. The scholars Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan provide a different glimpse into the Apostle in their book, The First Paul: Reclaiming the Radical Visionary Behind the Church’s Conservative Icon. That would be a good book for a Sunday school class or a conversation over coffee once a week. It will give you another perspective about our letter writing friend Paul.