Acts 8.26-40 is the story of the "Ethiopian Eunuch" -
Let's address the Ethiopian portion of this: when Jeremiah and portions of the nation of Israel fled to Egypt in about 600 BC, an Israelite community developed on the coast of Africa and many remained. There continues to be a Jewish presence in both Egypt and Ethiopia. (how much I'm not sure; google it if you're interested). Although lots of nations are mentioned at the Pentecost gathering (Acts2.9-11) no Ethiopians are named; so as an Ethiopian he represents those who are geographically and ethnically far away.
This 'man' had been to Jerusalem to worship and was on his way home. He was reading the prophet Isaiah and was unsure whether the prophet was speaking of himself "like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, like a lamb silent before its shearer" or if Isaiah spoke of someone else. Philip had the honor of introducing this man to Jesus, and once again witnessed to him about the gift of Jesus the Son of God. The Ethiopian wanted to be baptized immediately, and so it was accomplished.
Why the big deal about this man being a eunuch? Couldn't the whole story be told without mentioning this detail? And what is a eunuch anyway? (Frankly, if you want the details, google it.)
A eunuch was a man who in his youth was rendered impotent in order to eliminate any possibility that he would 'stray' into forbidden territory. You can see why the male who was in charge of the harem would be a eunuch and often court officials with access to money were as well. Being a eunuch pretty much eliminated other career possibilities for the man. It set him aside socially as well. The eunuch was always 'the odd man out.' Religiously, eunuchs were excluded from participation in Temple rituals and from full admittance, as proselytes, into Israel's community.
So the one that was rejected by the social order (although made that way in order to serve society's purposes) is the one who receives a special, personal word of enlightenment, a witness to Jesus and the acceptance of baptism. The one who was seeking a higher meaning for his life was given the ultimate gift of being included.
Lots to think about here ......
Monday, April 30, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
By what power or by what name?
Or as my mother would have said it, "By whose authority?"
I like the reply attributed to Peter, "Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed...."
Notice how quickly the 'authorities' jumped over the wondrous healing of this man, a crippled beggar who can now walk (see 3.1-10). Little time is given to thinking through this miraculous occurrence. Little time is given in prayer to listen for God's guidance in view of this miraculous healing. Instead, Peter is taken prisoner so he can account for his actions! You would have thought he was a thief, a murderer, even a blasphemer. But not a healer, or why would the authorities be so hostile?
No, they jumped right to an examination of credentials.....and the tone is clearly hostile. Peter acknowledges that when he poses his question.
Now this is NOT the primary reason this text has been chosen for Sunday, April 29th. The text has been chosen because of Peter's subsequent testimony to the power of the risen Jesus Christ. Peter never points to himself, but points to Jesus and through Jesus to God, the source of all healing. We too are called to this kind of witnessing. But that is for another day.
Today I want us to pause and think about the last time we leapt over the miraculous and amazing in order to pick apart the details. It is so easy to do since the miraculous upsets the world as we know it; it upsets the given order which includes my place in the order. It frightens me because it may leave me in a *lower *worse *unstable *unknown position compared to where I am now. So I ask, "Who are you?' and "Where does your power and authority come from?" and "Why should I listen to you?"
And we do all of this without first listening for God, wondering with God what the message here could be and what new pathway God might be opening for us, our neighbor, the world.
As limited as we are in the task of witnessing, we are even more limited in the work of listening. Perhaps if we listened more, we would find witnessing a greater source of joy, and easier as well.
I like the reply attributed to Peter, "Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed...."
Notice how quickly the 'authorities' jumped over the wondrous healing of this man, a crippled beggar who can now walk (see 3.1-10). Little time is given to thinking through this miraculous occurrence. Little time is given in prayer to listen for God's guidance in view of this miraculous healing. Instead, Peter is taken prisoner so he can account for his actions! You would have thought he was a thief, a murderer, even a blasphemer. But not a healer, or why would the authorities be so hostile?
No, they jumped right to an examination of credentials.....and the tone is clearly hostile. Peter acknowledges that when he poses his question.
Now this is NOT the primary reason this text has been chosen for Sunday, April 29th. The text has been chosen because of Peter's subsequent testimony to the power of the risen Jesus Christ. Peter never points to himself, but points to Jesus and through Jesus to God, the source of all healing. We too are called to this kind of witnessing. But that is for another day.
Today I want us to pause and think about the last time we leapt over the miraculous and amazing in order to pick apart the details. It is so easy to do since the miraculous upsets the world as we know it; it upsets the given order which includes my place in the order. It frightens me because it may leave me in a *lower *worse *unstable *unknown position compared to where I am now. So I ask, "Who are you?' and "Where does your power and authority come from?" and "Why should I listen to you?"
And we do all of this without first listening for God, wondering with God what the message here could be and what new pathway God might be opening for us, our neighbor, the world.
As limited as we are in the task of witnessing, we are even more limited in the work of listening. Perhaps if we listened more, we would find witnessing a greater source of joy, and easier as well.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Outisde the temple gate
Everyday his friends would carry him to the Gate of the Temple called "Beautiful" so he could beg. He had been lame from birth.
This is the setting for this Sunday's story of healing from Acts 3. When the beggar accosted Peter and John, he was looking for silver or gold. What he received was the Word of God in Jesus Christ, and a healing to boot.
It all took place outside the temple. Out there, in the streets, where common folk live and work, give birth and die. Not in the temple, the house of God, where God was understood to dwell. No, out there among the beggars, the lame, the blind, the poor, the diseased.
Healing a beggar wasn't on Peter's agenda that day. Even 'evangelism' wasn't on Peter's agenda. It seems that the experience of encountering a lame man who was looking for .....something valuable....was all that it took for Peter to share what was the most valuable thing he had: the message of God in Jesus.
And the man was healed. Out there; in the streets; the name of Jesus was able to heal.
Are we carrying the Good News of Jesus with us wherever we go?
Is it the most valuable thing we have to share with others?
Do we really expect God to work out there in the streets?
Some good questions for us to ponder I think.
Peace
This is the setting for this Sunday's story of healing from Acts 3. When the beggar accosted Peter and John, he was looking for silver or gold. What he received was the Word of God in Jesus Christ, and a healing to boot.
It all took place outside the temple. Out there, in the streets, where common folk live and work, give birth and die. Not in the temple, the house of God, where God was understood to dwell. No, out there among the beggars, the lame, the blind, the poor, the diseased.
Healing a beggar wasn't on Peter's agenda that day. Even 'evangelism' wasn't on Peter's agenda. It seems that the experience of encountering a lame man who was looking for .....something valuable....was all that it took for Peter to share what was the most valuable thing he had: the message of God in Jesus.
And the man was healed. Out there; in the streets; the name of Jesus was able to heal.
Are we carrying the Good News of Jesus with us wherever we go?
Is it the most valuable thing we have to share with others?
Do we really expect God to work out there in the streets?
Some good questions for us to ponder I think.
Peace
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
He is Risen!
Can't believe I left you all hanging during Holy Week!
In case you haven't heard, He is Risen!
So I will quote from my own sermon from 4/15
Here is the question that we are a quisen
What do we do now that Jesus is risen?
As proud as I am of my "Suessian" rhyme, it really is a critical question for each of us and for the church at large. In an era when congregational life has taken a serious right turn into lower attendance, even malaise in some areas, it is important that we (each person of faith) are clear about what we are called to be and do.
For too long, the 'Jesus and Me' movement has had the star role. You know, Jesus loves me, I love Jesus. I am saved. I get to go to heaven (although I'm in no big hurry). Thanks be to God. Amen. This perspective not only guards our faith as personal, it insists that it is private as well.
As we read the lessons from the Acts of the Apostles during the season of Easter, we will discover again that the Good News of the Risen Jesus is anything but private. The disciples are everywhere telling the story again and again. It is a story everyone needs to hear, and will want to hear.
For if Jesus isn't healing all of creation, if Jesus isn't a part of God's plan to create a new heaven and earth, if Jesus is only the secret password for me to get to heaven, then all this hoopla over the resurrection is surely wasted. Jesus was/is/will always be an integral part of God's plan for the redeeming of the world - the whole world - all of it. Since we have joined our lives to the life of Jesus, this becomes our role as well.
God has a mission - to save the world - and now we are a part of it. We are called to be witnesses - not just to some story we've heard in church for years, but to the transformation that has happened within us, within our lives, within our families.
Hold that thought.....more later.
In case you haven't heard, He is Risen!
So I will quote from my own sermon from 4/15
Here is the question that we are a quisen
What do we do now that Jesus is risen?
As proud as I am of my "Suessian" rhyme, it really is a critical question for each of us and for the church at large. In an era when congregational life has taken a serious right turn into lower attendance, even malaise in some areas, it is important that we (each person of faith) are clear about what we are called to be and do.
For too long, the 'Jesus and Me' movement has had the star role. You know, Jesus loves me, I love Jesus. I am saved. I get to go to heaven (although I'm in no big hurry). Thanks be to God. Amen. This perspective not only guards our faith as personal, it insists that it is private as well.
As we read the lessons from the Acts of the Apostles during the season of Easter, we will discover again that the Good News of the Risen Jesus is anything but private. The disciples are everywhere telling the story again and again. It is a story everyone needs to hear, and will want to hear.
For if Jesus isn't healing all of creation, if Jesus isn't a part of God's plan to create a new heaven and earth, if Jesus is only the secret password for me to get to heaven, then all this hoopla over the resurrection is surely wasted. Jesus was/is/will always be an integral part of God's plan for the redeeming of the world - the whole world - all of it. Since we have joined our lives to the life of Jesus, this becomes our role as well.
God has a mission - to save the world - and now we are a part of it. We are called to be witnesses - not just to some story we've heard in church for years, but to the transformation that has happened within us, within our lives, within our families.
Hold that thought.....more later.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
"....by our Lord's command"
"...by our Lord's command." We Americans have very little experience doing anything that is commanded of us. (This clearly excludes the military who inhabit a world apart that we civilians don't truly understand.)
We like to think of ourselves as consensus people, people of compromise, people who take a vote and allow the majority to rule. We aren't people who take commands.
And yet, at the heart of the communion liturgy, in bringing back to mind Jesus' words at the Last Supper, we receive the simplest of commands: Do this in remembrance of me.
Clearly there are two parts to this command.
Do this. Don't neglect it.
Do this. Don't do something else instead. Don't make up your own ritual.
In remembrance of me. Biblical remembering is deeper and thicker than simply calling details to mind. It is amnanesis in the Greek: a time where the remembering joins the remember-er into the original activity. So a young boy goes hunting with his father, gets his first buck, and the father is transported back to the moment when that happened for him, and his father and back into time as fathers teach sons how to hunt. (and regardless of your feelings about deer hunting, hunting is as primal an activity as humankind knows).
So we remember in the same way. The story is not just a story, it is the here and now, and we are as much the actors as the original disciples. The words of institution remind us that Jesus took the bread, broke it and gave it to his disciples and so it is today, only now we are the disciples.
In the same way, we welcome to the table unseen, all those who will be eating of this same meal with Jesus far away - both geographically and in time. Those who are yet to be born will be participants in this meal because this meal transcends the moment and connects us on a different plane.
We tell the story each time we gather around the table so we remember the gift of bread and wine and so that God remembers the promises made to us...."for the forgiveness of sin".
And we do all this at our Lord's command. That is what it means to say that Jesus is Lord. It means he gets to command, we are allowed to be obedient. The grace is that God in Jesus always commands out of love for the sake of the whole world.
Come to the table this Thursday and eat.
We like to think of ourselves as consensus people, people of compromise, people who take a vote and allow the majority to rule. We aren't people who take commands.
And yet, at the heart of the communion liturgy, in bringing back to mind Jesus' words at the Last Supper, we receive the simplest of commands: Do this in remembrance of me.
Clearly there are two parts to this command.
Do this. Don't neglect it.
Do this. Don't do something else instead. Don't make up your own ritual.
In remembrance of me. Biblical remembering is deeper and thicker than simply calling details to mind. It is amnanesis in the Greek: a time where the remembering joins the remember-er into the original activity. So a young boy goes hunting with his father, gets his first buck, and the father is transported back to the moment when that happened for him, and his father and back into time as fathers teach sons how to hunt. (and regardless of your feelings about deer hunting, hunting is as primal an activity as humankind knows).
So we remember in the same way. The story is not just a story, it is the here and now, and we are as much the actors as the original disciples. The words of institution remind us that Jesus took the bread, broke it and gave it to his disciples and so it is today, only now we are the disciples.
In the same way, we welcome to the table unseen, all those who will be eating of this same meal with Jesus far away - both geographically and in time. Those who are yet to be born will be participants in this meal because this meal transcends the moment and connects us on a different plane.
We tell the story each time we gather around the table so we remember the gift of bread and wine and so that God remembers the promises made to us...."for the forgiveness of sin".
And we do all this at our Lord's command. That is what it means to say that Jesus is Lord. It means he gets to command, we are allowed to be obedient. The grace is that God in Jesus always commands out of love for the sake of the whole world.
Come to the table this Thursday and eat.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
by our Lord's command
"....by our Lord's command"
Even as I write that phrase, I realize how foreign it is, how rarely we Americans do anything by anyone's command. (Our military, of course, would have a different experience and would be a good conversation partner in this reflection. However, our military live in a very different world than most other Americans).
The Thursday of Holy Week is called Maundy Thursday. The word 'maundy' comes from the Latin word for 'command.' This is a command performance, a command gathering, an act of obedience.
And what is it we do? We gather around the most simple of food to become a part of a meal -- a story-- which began before time, includes us, and invites in the future as well. Bread and wine, by our Lord's command.
It is also the day when absolution for sins is offered individually as a part of the gathered worship. Here too our Lord commands for the presiding clergy says, "In accordance with our Lord's command, I forgive you all your sins."
Both parts of that statement always bring me up short. I wonder if, in fact, I understand myself to be under our Lord's command each day of my life, in each of my actions, in my planning for the future. And I wonder about the sins that are left with me as each person receives God's gracious forgiveness. Does each person experience a lightening of their burden? Does each person remember where and who takes on the brokenness of the other? Does each person, even in the midst of this outrageous, violent week, experience a new beginning for their lives?
I believe it is a good thing for us to get back in touch with "our Lord's command."
Lord, have mercy +
Even as I write that phrase, I realize how foreign it is, how rarely we Americans do anything by anyone's command. (Our military, of course, would have a different experience and would be a good conversation partner in this reflection. However, our military live in a very different world than most other Americans).
The Thursday of Holy Week is called Maundy Thursday. The word 'maundy' comes from the Latin word for 'command.' This is a command performance, a command gathering, an act of obedience.
And what is it we do? We gather around the most simple of food to become a part of a meal -- a story-- which began before time, includes us, and invites in the future as well. Bread and wine, by our Lord's command.
It is also the day when absolution for sins is offered individually as a part of the gathered worship. Here too our Lord commands for the presiding clergy says, "In accordance with our Lord's command, I forgive you all your sins."
Both parts of that statement always bring me up short. I wonder if, in fact, I understand myself to be under our Lord's command each day of my life, in each of my actions, in my planning for the future. And I wonder about the sins that are left with me as each person receives God's gracious forgiveness. Does each person experience a lightening of their burden? Does each person remember where and who takes on the brokenness of the other? Does each person, even in the midst of this outrageous, violent week, experience a new beginning for their lives?
I believe it is a good thing for us to get back in touch with "our Lord's command."
Lord, have mercy +
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