Did You Bring Enough Oil?

The Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew the 25^th Chapter

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise,

‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

The other day I was at the doctor’s office and picked up a magazine.  It was a 2000 year old issue of Jewish Bridal Magazine.  They have some very old magazines there.  But it was a good thing, because I learned that back then, THE way to do a wedding was for the groom to go over to the bride’s house, get the bride and bring her back to his family’s house.  Along the way, they would gather up ALL the people in the WHOLE community to come to the wedding ceremony AND the party that followed.  Leaving anyone out was a huge wedding DON’T!  In the back of this issue of Jewish Bridal Magazine were more wedding DON’Ts.  Back then, there was nothing that could ruin a wedding faster than a patrolling Roman soldier and if you were out at night without a lamp you were assumed to be up to no good.  To keep the wedding party out of jail and to help everyone find the party, the bridesmaids were in charge of lighting the way.

That magazine helped a little with this parable, but this one is hard!  The usual take home message that most people preach is that we are supposed to be “wise” and not “foolish” in our waiting for Christ’s return and if we live life like the “wise” bridesmaids we’ll be allowed into heaven but if we are “foolish” and don’t bring enough oil, faith, goodness, morality etc. to sustain us while we wait, we’ll be stuck outside in the dark and locked out of the party.

Long about Friday, I decided I just couldn’t buy it.  It just doesn’t match with who Jesus is or what the Bible says it means to be faithful.  How is NOT sharing the oil you have with those who are in need, the “faithful” thing to do?  The “wise” Bridesmaids didn’t share their oil because, out of fear, they thought THEY would need it.  But true faithfulness is giving to those in need sacrificially, without fear!  Jesus didn’t just give us the “extra” part of his life, after all...  Jesus gave his WHOLE life!  Giving... faithful giving anyway... Biblical giving... THAT kind of giving... is recognizing that all we have is a gift from God and so we give not off the bottom after we’ve used what we needed, but off the top, BEFORE any other bills are paid.  It’s “first fruits” not “leftovers”.  So the “wise” bridesmaids were less than faithful givers; they were selfish and fearful and yet Jesus called them “wise.”  I just can’t believe he thought they were “wise” because of their selfish, fearful, hoarding of their oil.  So, there MUST be something else in this story that makes them “wise” to Jesus.

Then there’s the “foolish” Bridesmaids.  The tradition says that they were foolish because they didn’t pack enough extra oil.  I just can’t believe that is what makes them foolish!  It isn’t what WE do that gets us in the door at the party or keeps us out!  It is what God has done in Christ’s life, death and resurrection that gets me and you and all of creation into the party!  So, if it isn’t our failure to do the hard work, thoughtful planning, being morally “good” or remembering to pack enough lamp oil for the duration that keeps us out of the party, then what is it that made Jesus call this bunch of bridesmaids “foolish”?

If this parable isn’t what we always thought it was, then what is it that makes the “wise” so wise and the “foolish” so foolish?  Whenever I went to take a test in school, my dad would remind me to RTFQ.  I believe that meant, “Read The Foolish Question”.  He told me to do that because it wasn’t a good idea to ASSUME I knew what the rest of the question was just from how it started.  He told me that “ASSUMING” made... well it made a terrible mess.  Dad’s advise might not be worded in the most “churchy” way but it’s not wrong.  We THINK we know these parables because we’ve heard them so many times, but we really shouldn’t ASSUME.  Jesus doesn’t say they are locked out because they ran out of oil, or didn’t plan well or failed to do enough to find a 24 hour lamp oil store or even because they fell asleep for a while as they were waiting.  They are locked out because, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.”

Here’s what I think is really going on here:  The groom in the story is Jesus and the wedding party is “THE” wedding party, the Kingdom of God, the Feast of food rich with marrow and well aged wines strained clear, Heaven or whatever else you want to call it.  Like ANY good, ancient Jewish wedding party, the Groom (Jesus) has invited EVERYONE... all of creation... to the party in his life, death and resurrection.  The Groom has asked you and me and all the Christians in the world to help light the way for the rest of creation to come to the party.  We have been asked to be the Bridesmaids BUT here’s the KEY... Jesus asks us to be Bridesmaids, to shine a light into the darkness of this world, not because we’ll do it perfectly or flawlessly but simply and ONLY because he LOVES US!  Think about it!  No one asks someone to be in their wedding for how well they’ll do the job!  We ask people to be in our wedding because they are the people we KNOW best... the ones we LOVE and that’s exactly what Jesus has done.  He’s asked us to be in his wedding party!  He didn’t ask the perfect.  He asked us!  Of all people, Jesus knows who we are... Sometimes we plan well and sometimes we don’t... Sometimes we react out of fear and become selfish and at other times we’re the most generous people in the world.  The Groom loves us and that is the ONLY reason he wants us to be in the wedding party regardless of the amount of oil we bring to the party!

We are loved when our lamps are shining brightly AND we are equally loved when our light goes out and we find ourselves in the most fearful, darkest moments of our lives.  What made the “foolish” bridesmaids truly “foolish” is that they did not believe that to be the truth.  They somehow, falsely came to believe that the Groom would love them ONLY if their lamps were full of oil and burning brightly.  They FOOLISHLY ran off to try to DO SOMETHING to get the Groom to start loving them again.  They were “foolish” and we are “foolish” only when we stop believing that God’s love for us is absolutely unconditional.  When we stop trusting that there is nothing we can do to get God to START loving us AND nothing we can do to get God to STOP loving us... THAT is when we stop being the people the Groom KNOWS we were created to be.

So, fellow Bridesmaids... Be Wise!  Stand firm and confident in God’s unconditional love for you.  Shine your light into the dark places of this world while you have oil.  Fearlessly share your oil with those who have run out confident that when your oil runs out (and everyone runs out of oil in this life) and your life feels like it is at the bottom of the darkest pit, stay right where you are... right there in the darkness and know that you are always and still wrapped in God’s unconditional love trusting that the light of Christ will shine in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it.   Amen.

Science, Faith and Ebola

I’m a pastor now, but in my first career I was a scientist.  My bachelor's degree is in biochemistry and my master's is in food science. Back in my biochemistry days, the HIV virus was just beginning to be researched as tens of thousands of people were beginning to die from the disease that is caused by the HIV virus which came to be known as AIDS. At that time, I took a number of classes, attended a bunch of seminars and participated in a number of workshops to learn about deadly viruses including both HIV and Ebola. With that background, added to my background now as a pastor who cares deeply for my community, I felt the need to write about Ebola for the people of my congregation and was encouraged to pass it on further.  Rational, calm, fact-based information and leadership seems to be in short supply here in Maine in light of the irrational decision of the Strong school board to suspend a teacher who had simply visited the city of Dallas at a time Thomas Eric Duncan was in the hospital there.  Added to that is the growing hysteria surrounding the return of Kaci Hickox, the courageous, asymptomatic nurse who volunteered to treat people in West Africa, to her home in Fort Kent, Maine.

The science on Ebola, how it is transmitted and how it works is well researched and VERY clear. It has been well researched and dealt with for almost 40 years. ONLY a person showing symptoms can

transmit the virus and the virus can ONLY be transmitted through bodily fluids. The very first symptom that shows up in an infected person is a fever. Since a fever is obviously not a bodily fluid, you can't get Ebola from someone who is only showing that first symptom. To get Ebola you must get a symptomatic (that is, a person with a fever) person's bodily fluids (blood, semen, vomit or diarrhea) to come into direct contact with your bodily fluids. Health professionals, like this courageous nurse who is NOT showing a fever and the doctor in New York who did begin to show a fever, who have been treating Ebola patients in West Africa know to monitor their temperature several times a day and call for help and get isolated as soon as they should happen to show a fever but BEFORE they begin producing infectious bodily fluids.

We unfortunately live in a world where some news organizations seek ratings and some politicians seek political points through the use of fear. For those irresponsible people, science is often vilified or viewed as opinion rather than fact. The science around Ebola, I assure you, is based in fact and this particular science is again, VERY well known. I want to share my education and experience with you on this so that you will not worry unnecessarily or inadvertently fuel the unwarranted, growing hysteria. I would be happy to have this courageous nurse worship with us, give her a hug, sit down with her to eat and buy her lunch to thank her for her work caring for our brothers and sisters in West Africa in their moment of critical need. I would not worry about the chance of infection even for the tiniest fraction of a second, simply because there is no chance for infection!

As Christians, we are not a people of fear. We are a people of courage, hope, service and compassion. We are a people who value all of God's gifts including the wisdom and experience of scientists and health professionals who dedicate their lives to bringing health and healing to our world. May we all embrace the facts in this situation, reject irresponsible fear mongering, pray for those who are genuinely suffering, those courageously treating the suffering and give thanks to God for those willing to share their gifts with the world.

Saint Brain NOT Snake Brain!

The Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew, the 5th Chapter

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

When God created lizards, snakes, T. Rexes and all the other reptiles that have come and gone, grown and evolved over the course of the last 300-ish million years, God grew in their little reptile noggins, little reptile brains.  Their brains aren’t that big and besides doing the background brain work of things like keeping the heart going and the lungs breathing, that little brain’s main function was, and still is, to make one... and only one... important decision about everything that reptile brain’s owner runs into as they walk or slither around in their life.  That decision is, “Should I try to eat this, or should I run from this.” 

When humans showed up, only about 200,000 years ago, God didn’t throw out the reptilian brain idea completely and stick a whole new model inside the human skull.  Instead, God first put in the reptilian brain on the bottom and then heaped on top of that reptilian brain a serious, major addition.  The reptilian brain still functions in here with that one question all the time...  “Should I try to eat this, or should I run from this” and when I’m walking down a path in the woods and a snake slithers out, that reptilian brain can get me to jump about 50 feet without any thought whatsoever.  So, for times when I come across poisonous snakes, it’s good that God put that little, reptilian brain in there.  However, God did not give us this bigger part of our brains just to hold a hat!  This larger part is what makes us human, WHEN we choose to engage it!  This larger part can override the reptilian part and God gave us this bigger part so that we could USE IT to change the world! 

Today is All Saints Day and I think one way to think about what makes a person a saint, is that a saint is a person who chooses to be a good steward of the WHOLE of the brain God gave them.  Saints use that WHOLE brain, even and perhaps especially, in the face of frightening situations where all the world is tempting us to forsake the human part and just let the old reptilian brain decide to “eat it or run from it.”  Saints are people who keep in mind that we are “saints” not because of what we do, but because we have all been created in God’s image and because of that we have been created gloriously and on purpose TO BE SAINTS!  We have been blessed with a sense of honor, with power, might and WISDOM... AND we’ve been blessed in that way for a purpose far greater than just slithering over to our next potential meal.  We’ve been created this way and blessed this way so that we might bring God’s love more deeply into this world... to, as the Beatitudes say, work and strive for righteousness, to be merciful and to be peacemakers... making the kind of peace that comes when everyone has enough... enough food, shelter, security, purpose, respect, dignity and self worth.

The threat of Ebola and the hysteria that has erupted this past week in Maine provides a good example of how God has given us the choice to either live as good stewards of our brains and the wisdom God has given us... to live as the saints God created us to be OR choose instead to ignore the part of our brains that make us human and instead react only with that reptilian piece of our brains in ignorance and fear.  Ebola is a serious virus and the illness that results from an infection is not to be taken lightly, but the science, wisdom and experience that has been gained about this disease is very clear.  Ebola has been known and well researched for almost 40 years.  As a biochemist in my former career I will tell you the same thing all the health professionals have been saying over and over again... ONLY a person showing symptoms can transmit the virus and the virus can ONLY be transmitted through bodily fluids.  The very first symptom that shows up in any patient is a fever and those who have worked, caring for Ebola patients, like the nurse Kaci Hickox up in Fort Kent, know to check their temperature and if they do happen to get a fever they know to get into isolation before they begin producing infectious bodily fluids.  The saintly response to a serious disease like this is to not ignore the dangers or to be careless, but rather to use all of the known experience and wisdom gained from the work of saints in the past decades to take proper precautions and then GO and CARE and be a saint to those in need...  just like she did, using all of God’s gifts to make a positive difference in this world.

The alternative response to Ebola is, unfortunately, something we’ve also seen at work this week here in Maine.  Far too many media outlets seeking ratings and politicians seeking cheap political points have resorted to irrational fear to tempt the public to throw out God’s good gift of our human frontal lobes and respond, not like the saints God created us to be, but instead like a bunch of crocodiles, snakes and lizards!  Vilifying science, dismissing the wisdom God has given the healthcare experts and scientists, presenting facts as opinions up for debate and insisting that our only option is to run for our lives in a reptilian hysteria is anything but saintly behavior! 

Living to fully become the saints God created us to be, means embracing, not scorning God’s good and gracious gifts.  It means rejecting groundless fear and embracing the perfect love that casts out fear.  Living into our sainthood means seeing people in danger, taking the logical and scientifically appropriate precautions necessary and then GOING and SERVING anyway!  It’s not that living as a saint means that we will never be afraid.  Instead, living as saints means we will be honest about our fears but refuse to allow them to be a more powerful force in our lives than God’s infinite, transformational love.  We are called to be saints not snakes!  The saints who raised us, taught us, loved us and  went before us, now stand behind us stretching back through time and space, reminding us that we have been created out of their collective love and out of God’s infinite love.  Those saints stand behind us and challenge us to live into the saints we too have been created to be!  To take that love we have first been given and use it to cast out every fear.

The saints we have remembered today stand behind each of us and challenge us to not forsake God’s gift of a thinking, reasoning and dreaming human brain filled with the knowledge, wisdom and experience of all the saints who have come before us.  The saints we remembered today, and in fact all the saints from every time and every place, stand behind us and challenge us to NOT ONLY stand up to our fears but to also walk with all those who are having trouble even standing today for any reason... to care for them, carry them, walk with them to the place where they will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the place where the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat;  the place and the time and the place beyond time where the Lamb will be our shepherd and guide all of creation to the springs of the water of life, where God will wipe away every tear from every eye.  It is time for each of us to shout out against the ignorance and the fear being sold to us by snakes and really BE the saints God created us to be!  Amen. 

Get Your Motor Running!

A Reading from Romans, the 3rd Chapter

Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For “no human being will be justified in his sight” by deeds prescribed by the law,

for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.

Listen now to Reformation Day parable.  Once there was a parent.  A wonderful parent, but like any parent, this parent’s kids were sometimes wonderful and sometimes... well, more of a challenge.  When it was time for the kids to drive, this caring, compassionate parent sat on the front porch and wondered what would be the best way to go about this thing.  The first idea was to sit down and write out an agreement with the kids.  They do their part... drive responsibly, no speeding, no drinking and driving, maybe put a little gas in it and this would EARN them the right to drive and this parent would do their part by letting them use the car and pay the insurance.  

Both parent and kids agreed to this plan but like most good-parent-plans it didn’t last for long.  The insurance premiums were paid, but some of the kids burnt the rubber off the tires in the Wal-mart parking lot, others left the tank on empty and there were even some reports of some seriously dangerous driving too.  This parent was pretty upset…  some about the tires and the empty tank, but mostly at the scary, dangerous stuff; this parent REALLY loved their kids.  It got so bad the kids were grounded and the keys taken away until it was decided what to do about all this.

The parent considered all the usual parental solutions; an infinite grounding, military boarding school, beatings with various sized branches and sticks and even death.  But in the end, the conclusion was that there was no really good solution that would both make the kids understand AND keep their relationship in tact.  At some point, this parent knew that punishment would have to escalate to the point where it would alienate the kids and this parent was obsessed with the idea of maintaining a relationship with the kids no matter what.  Love seemed to be this parent’s biggest weakness.  In the end, it was determined that there was no deal or bargain that could be made with these kids that they would be able to live up to perfectly and this parent was wise and knew that if the hammer kept being brought down on the kids every time they messed up, then sooner or later the kids would be run away and for this parent, that was simply unacceptable.  

So, it was decided to do something radical, crazy, unconventional and even a little different.  The kids, apparently, weren’t able to EARN the right to drive the car.  They would never be able to drive well enough, so instead of continuing to raise the punishments to the point the kids ran away from home, this parent went and gave each kid their own, brand, new car!  Every single one, no matter how responsible or irresponsible... no matter what grades they got, how well they did in driver’s ed, no matter EVEN if they paid attention in confirmation or not.  Cars were given in a way that would make even Oprah, green with envy... You get a car!  You get a car!  You get a car!  Every single one of this crazy, backwards, parent’s kids got a brand new car!  Now, there was obviously a cost to this decision.  You don’t just buy a new car for every single kid without a price.  But to this particular parent, the price (which cost the parent everything by the way) was worth it because THAT is how much this parent loved their kids... with EVERYTHING they had... and punishing them and risking loosing them was just never an option. 

The kids reacted to this seemingly insane gift in very different ways.  Some simply thought it was too good to be true... it must be a test or a trap... they didn’t trust the Word that this was a free gift and wouldn’t even get in.  Instead, they continued to try to follow all the rules and wait for the day they would finally EARN the car on their own merits.  They had the keys.  The scorecard that had kept track of violations before had been torn up but that didn’t seem to matter.  They continued to try to EARN the right to drive the car and so they never got in their car... they never really drove it.  This loving parent just shook their head at this choice and wondered why those kids chose to live such a grumpy life and not just get out on the road and drive.

Some kids, on the other hand, thought their parent had temporarily lost it and drove off like maniacs worried their parent would come back to their senses any minute.  They drove in crazy and reckless ways that hurt themselves and others around them.  Their loving parent, of course, hated that this was the way they chose to drive simply because, as a loving parent, they didn’t ever want to see their kids hurt or anyone hurt for that matter.  But no matter how they chose to drive, the car remained theirs, and each kid always remained an unconditionally loved child, no matter how they chose to drive.

Some of the kids, though, were very thankful for this wonderful gift.  They understood what a sacrifice this had been and tried to drive responsibly; buckling up, not blowing through yellow lights and the like.  They did occasionally speed a little; a few even wrapped their car around a tree in one of life’s unavoidable accidents.  They weren’t perfect drivers, but they did try.  Their loving parent knew that they wouldn’t ever be perfect drivers but rejoiced when they did their best and lived their lives out on the road, driving the gifts they had been given.  After all, DRIVING was the reason they were given cars to begin with!  

You and I individually and you and I collectively as the Body of Christ are God’s kids you know.  Our loving and generous parent has given us a bright, shiny, brand new life in the waters of Baptism.  There are no payment books, no catches, no agreements to sign, no limits to where or how we can drive it.  The only question is, what are we going to DO with this incredible, grace filled gift?

A new, and somewhat interesting stretch of road has just opened up to us as a congregation.  It’s got some twists and turns we haven’t driven before.  Those new twists promise to make driving both more exciting but also a bit more nerve wracking all at the same time.  The question for us is will we choose to turn off our well traveled road and take this new St. Mark’s highway?  Well, I can’t speak for you all, but for me... I’d like to get in and put the top down, (yes life is a convertible) turn off the well worn route we’ve taken this far and open ‘er up (yes does come with a V-8) and see where this new road takes us!  I feel confident in doing that because I trust God’s Word... that this life has been given to us to not just live, but to live ABUNDANTLY!  I trust that no matter how this trip goes... whether perfectly or even wrapped around a tree, God’s love for us will never waver.  So, with a new car given as a free gift, a challenging new road laid in front of us and a parent that loves us unconditionally, I say... Let’s go for a DRIVE!   Amen.  

Global Warming, Ebola and ISIS, Oh My!

The Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew the 22^nd Chapter

Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap Jesus 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.

It’s harvest time and the world is producing a bumper crop of things to worry about this fall!  Do you worry about the big stuff like ISIS, Ebola and Climate Change... that sort of thing... or are you a more close-to-home worrier... worrying about heating oil, a rough ferry trip, who is going to be the next pastor or maybe a friend’s illness?  You can worry about the big stuff or you can worry about the close to home stuff OR you can be like me and worry about EVERYTHING!  I worry about the big global things like ISIS and Ebola but I also go above and beyond and worry about less known international problems like reduced freedoms in Indonesia, protests in Hong Kong and growing global income inequality, just to name a few... and believe me there are more than just a few!  BUT I also worry about things closer to home: rent, college tuition, if there is enough tread on my tires to pass inspection this month and how will the world be for little Lilly, who we baptized today, in 20 years.  

On the surface of today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is simply sneaking out of a trap again.  Two political groups who normally can’t agree on anything have found the one thing they CAN agree on... that Jesus has got to go!  The Herodians were the rich and powerful who had gotten that way by sucking up to the occupying enemy... the Romans and supporting their puppet king Herod.  The Pharisees were the group that thought that by following a much more strict, fundamentalist understanding of the Law, God would bless Israel and the BIGGEST of those blessings would be that God would get rid of the Romans and the Herodians!  So, you can see how they wouldn’t normally get along.  The trap they set, put Jesus (they thought) in a no-win situation.  If Jesus said, “don’t pay taxes” the Herodians would get the Romans to literally crucify him for trying to start a revolution and if Jesus said, “pay your taxes” the Pharisees could get him killed as a heretic because, on that coin was not just the picture of Tiberius Caesar but also his self-claimed title of “Son of the Divine” both of which made that coin a big, giant idol!  

So, once again the Herodians and the Pharisees came to another battle of wits with Jesus.... again, they came totally unarmed... and of course they lost.  BUT!  There’s WAY more going on in this little scene than just Jesus making a bunch of politicians look like idiots.  (Although you really can’t ever get too much of anyone making a politician look like an idiot, can you?)  BUT, the REALLY important thing happening here is a powerful reminder of who is really in control of what.  

Look past the zinger Jesus gave the politicians and think about what he said: “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”  On the surface is a question about who is in charge of what parts of life.  But underneath that, Jesus is reminding us that God is the One who is in control of EVERYTHING!  On the surface, the question was whose face is on that coin, but underneath that question, Jesus is asking them who do you think gave the emperor his face to begin with!?  Now, I don’t want to forget about Jesus making fun of politicians... because, let’s face it, that’s just fun... BUT the REAL take home lesson is WAY bigger than that.  The real lesson is that this whole creation, including all the things and people and political situations and diseases and wars and every little, beautiful baby and my rent and heating oil and pastoral searches and how Christianity will become known to a new generation on Vinalhaven and EVERYTHING we could ever worry about belongs to God.  God really does have the whole world in His hands!  It’s not just a Sunday school song after all!    

Over the years though, lots and lots of people have read this lesson, and taught this lesson, the same way the Pharisees and the Herodians heard it, rather than the way Jesus told it. Jesus knew both groups believed there were places and situations in the world that were either beyond God’s reach or outside of God’s concern and many others have read this the same way... They say that over here, there are political, business, and worldly things that “belong to Caesar” apart from God and then there are the religious, church, and spiritual stuff over here that “belong to God” and the two simply aren’t supposed to mix.  God’s ways and Jesus’s teachings are fine and good for Sundays and on Christmas inside churches, inside our hearts, minds and souls; but outside the church walls during the week... God’s teachings through the law and the prophets and especially Jesus’s teachings should just not mix into how we run governments, businesses, handle violence, do politics or do justice.   But with this lesson, I think Jesus wanted us to clearly understand that God not only has something to SAY about every single aspect of every single moment of our lives, but that God has every single aspect of every single moment of our lives and every atom of creation wrapped up in God’s infinite, unconditional, loving and redeeming embrace!  

All the faith stuff, spiritual stuff and church stuff isn’t at all separate from the work stuff, political stuff and business stuff.  Because ALL STUFF is in God’s control and God really does mean for all of those upside down ideas like generosity, total forgiveness, unconditional love, justice and real lasting peace to be the way the whole world works... not just how Sunday morning works.  God really does mean for us to change the world so that there is no more poverty, no more hunger, no more homelessness, no more war, no more inequality, racism, or hate.  

Now, that doesn’t mean we need a “Christian” nation the way that idea is usually sold, where everyone believes the same way, but it does mean that as Christians, you and I are called to come out from the trenches we’ve dug to protect our personal and cultural preferences over the years and begin to work with new people in new ways to move our neighborhoods, our towns, our country and our world a little more toward working in that particularly “Jesus” sort of way. 

Worrying, it turns out, doesn’t help.  But simply “giving it to God” and not actively doing something about it isn’t the faithful alternative to worry either.  Jesus lived his life sacrificially, actively confronting the powers of the world and actively doing things to change the world for the better with ALL of his being, right to the bitter end and beyond!  Our call is to work as Jesus did, to sacrifice our pride, preferences and comforts just as Jesus did to actively make real changes where we can in our world.  AND, as we do that, we’re also called to keep in mind, just as Jesus did, that ALL of creation... the wonderful, beautiful, kind, life giving and loving parts… AS WELL AS the frightening, worrisome, horrific, death filled and evil parts... the WHOLE world... THE WHOLE WORLD… without exception, really and truly is in God’s loving and gracious hands!   Amen.

It's God's Party, Weep and Gnash if You Want To

The Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew, the 22^nd Chapter

Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, “Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.” But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business,

while the rest seized his slaves, maltreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, “The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.” Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. 

‘But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, “Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?” And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, “Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” For many are called, but few are chosen.’ 

“On this mountain, the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines; of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.”  

Isaiah wasn’t describing a literal feast.  He was asking the people of Israel to take a powerful memory from their past... something they COULD wrap their minds around... and use that to help them imagine their future... something that was much harder to wrap their minds around.  Isaiah knew that if he just told the people of Israel to imagine the future God had in mind for them, they would just stare at him with glazed over eyes and their mouths hanging open.  BUT by helping them to remember a particular, powerful memory from their past (and let’s face it, food invokes powerful memories) he could help them IMAGINE and live into the future God had for them that wasn’t just OK, but was a FILLED with ABUNDANT LIFE.

   

One of the good things about being an interim is that I’m “pre-fired” so I can ask you to do crazy things and you won’t fire me because it’s just easier to humor me for a couple more months... So, I want us to try what Isaiah did.  So, close your eyes... come on, humor me... Now, think back to a time when you sat at a table and ate the MOST AMAZING food of your entire life!  A time when each bite was a symphony.  A time when you were full and you let out that fully satisfied sigh... and then gleefully ate some more because the flavors were SO amazing!  What was on the menu?  How did it smell?  How did it feel in your mouth?  What were you drinking?  How did the food and the drink work together to be more amazing than the sum of their parts?  Think back to that meal... remember the details... remember the tiny things that made that meal SO incredible... so wonderful and so abundant that you slowly reached under the table and loosened your belt a notch or maybe two notches so you could eat just a little more and then, when every little morsel was finally gone, when you had dragged your finger across the plate to get one last taste, you leaned back in your chair, looked up to the heavens with your eyes closed and your whole being... body, mind and soul... BEAMED with delight!  

Do you have that meal pictured in your mind?  OK, now, turn to the person next to you and share it with them.  Whoever’s birthday is closer to today goes first.  You’ve each got one minute!  GO!  What was the meal?  How was it cooked?  How did it taste and smell?  NOW, share the way it made you FEEL.  OK, now, SWITCH.  What was it?  How was it cooked?  How did it taste and smell?  NOW, share the way that meal made you FEEL. 

Now, let the details of the food itself go out of focus, and bring into sharp focus the FEELING that meal gave you... hold onto those FEELINGS... how it felt in your being to simply BEAM with delight!  Got it?  NOW, turn back to your partner and tell them about an event, a time, a memory, a worship or anything else that happened here at Union Church that gave you THAT SAME KIND OF FEELING... a time, a memory, an event, a ministry, a worship... whatever... here at Union Church that made your body, mind and soul BEAM!  Go!  First thing that comes to your mind!  You’ve got a minute!  GO!  OK, now SWITCH!  What thing here at Union Church made your soul BEAM, like the best meal you ever ate?  

Alright, one last thing and I’ll leave you alone... for now.  This is the hardest part.  I need you to really, really remember what your partner just told you.  I need you to remember it all the way downstairs to lunch time today so that when we sit down to eat together we can go around the table and tell it to the whole group.  Got it?  Good!

(For those of you reading at home and not part of Union Church, we'll be taking the memories of those specific times of abundant life from the past, and trying to see if we can see any common patterns that emerge.  Those common joys from the past can be used to discern new joys they may want to work toward in the future.  Those will become steps toward a mission plan for the coming year or two.)

Isaiah used the memory of an amazing feast to help the people of Israel get a glimpse of how the future God wanted for them might feel when they returned from exile.  Jesus, in the parable we read today, also uses the image of an amazing feast to illustrate the future God wants, not just for the people of Israel, but for all of creation.  But Jesus’ parable also comes with some hard realities.  The King in the parable is God and the Wedding Banquet is an image of God’s Kingdom... it’s the way God intends the world to be.  By the end of the parable, EVERYONE has been invited to God’s party, but one of the hard truths is that not everyone will choose to come.  EVERYONE is indeed invited, from the rich and powerful people whom everyone knows, to the poorest person living forgotten in the shadows on the streets, but some will not believe that God’s feast is worth their time. 

The other hard truth this parable points out is that while indeed EVERYONE is invited, it is, in the end God’s party.  It’s not my party or your party... it’s God’s party and that leaves us with a choice...  to party God’s way or to spend the evening in the outer darkness, which seems to me to be a whole lot less fun.  You see, the man thrown out of the party was one of the gang that was rounded up off the streets.  These were folks who NEVER expected to go to the King’s Palace that day.  They were commuting to work, emptying dumpsters, unclogging toilets and heading home from school.  NONE of them had their wedding cloths with them.  Why would they?  SO if EVERYONE ELSE who came in with this guy right off the street DID have a wedding robe, where did they get them?  The parable doesn’t say, but my guess is that just like in our Baptisms we are “clothed with Christ” as a gift from God, I bet that these last minute, off the street wedding guests were also clothed as a gift from the King.  If my guess is right on that, it means that this ONE JOKER decided HIS clothes were worthy of the King’s party... that he was good enough on his own without the King’s good graces... and it turned out he was dead wrong!  The only ones worthy, were the ones the KING made worthy! 

This parable reminds us that God has a future in mind for all of us... a powerful, abundant, wonderful future, BEAMING with abundant life.  It’s a future that God wants for each one of us, but even more than that, it’s a future God wants for us together as the Body of Christ called Union Church.  God’s abundant future is right here for us to live into and enjoy... but, just like in the parable, God won’t force us into anything.  

This parable also reminds us that if we do indeed want to live into that future that God has created for us we will need to do it God’s way... the Jesus way... living first for the other, setting aside real time for study, worship and serving in the world before we worry about ourselves.  It means we’ll need to give up some things that are familiar and comfortable, just like the King’s guests did when they put on those new robes the King gave them at the wedding.  It means living so that “It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.”  God has invited you to an amazing feast!  I'm pretty sure you want to go… but I also know that the hard part will be letting go of what is familiar and comfortable and trusting that God really does know the best way to party!  Amen.

Padre Pollo's Costa Rican Arroz con Pollo

I say it is Costa Rican, but it's not exactly authentic.  It's basically the best I can do from my memory of our trips to Costa Rica with the resources I have here in Maine.  In spite of that, our family really enjoys it and it has become a regular dish for us.  Several folks have asked me to share the recipe so here it is!    

9 oz. Package of Vigo Saffron Yellow Spanish Rice or 
8 oz. Box of Goya Yellow Rice  
2 Cups cooked chicken shredded or chopped into bite sized pieces
Chicken broth
1 Medium Onion coarsely chopped
2 Bell Pepper coarsely chopped (red, yellow or orange)
1 Cup Carrot Shreds
1 Can Tender Young Peas
1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro coarsely chopped
Lawry's Salt to taste

Make the package of rice according to the package directions, substituting chicken stock for the water.  In a separate pan, sauté the onion, pepper and carrot until cooked but retains some firmness.  Add the chicken and peas to the sautéed vegetables and warm through.  Set aside and keep warm until the rice if done.  When the rice is done, add the coarsely chopped cilantro to the meat and vegetables and stir then mix in the rice.  Season with Lawry's Salt to taste. 

I usually use the meat from what's left on a store bought rotisserie chicken after we've used the breast meat for sandwiches or another meal.  I also make the chicken broth by simmering the carcass (after I've removed the meat) with some onion and carrot for about 30 minutes, but you can use canned chicken stock and any source of cooked chicken.  If you have access to Salsa Lizano that would add an essential authentic flavor to this dish but I don't have any now.  I'm hoping to get some as soon as we can travel back to Costa Rica!