An Empty Box, a Call and a Can

 

Our church hosts the community food bank.  This week, the bins were empty because so many people have needed food these past few weeks.

We hear a story in the Bible of God responding to great human need by sending Moses.  As we consider the suffering of those around us, are we also called into action?

When Moses hears the call, he protests, thinking that he is not enough.  Like Moses, we may feel that the problem is too big and too complicated for us to address. Yet God has called us, with others, to give what we can; which, in this case might literally be a can a can of food. 

Pastor Rob offers us that the "Holy Ground" is the place where we recognize our "empty", where we experience God's fullness as something greater than our sin, and where this resolves itself in a "I can."

What Matters: Humility and Mercy

 

When in your life have you experienced mercy?

Today we heard a story of two people who came to the temple (Luke 18:9-14).   One boasted of his own righteousness; the other prayed for mercy.  Jesus says the one who is humble is the one who received mercy.

As we continue in our What Matter series, we reflect on how Mercy matters.  This is always fitting for us as Christians, especially Lutheran Christians, but certainly on Reformation Day.  For the heart of the reformation is God's mercy, poured out in Jesus Christ.

The particular story from Luke's Gospel reveals not only the importance of mercy in righteousness, but the connection between mercy and humility.

The art is by Wayne Pascall.

What Matters: Prayer, Jacob and Wrestling

We all have a "River Jabbok" in our lives, a place where the past, present and future collide with a whirlpool of anxiety and anticipation.  Today we heard the story of Jacob coming to the river Jabbok, where he must comes to terms with the demons of his past, navigate the present and look forward to the future (Genesis 32:22-31)

Here Jacob wrestles with someone else, but it is not clear who it is.  Often in life, when we are wrestling at the banks of the River Jabbok, we struggle even to figure out against whom we are wrestling, but we definitely know we are wrestling. 

Ultimately, it is revealed that Jacob was wrestling with God.  A reflection on what prayer looks like in the midst of this kind of wrestling.

The artwork comes from artist Chris Cook. who tells the story of his art.

What Matters: Mustard Seeds, Mulberry Bushes and Faith

"Increase our faith" the disciples cry out (Luke 17:1-7)

When we read the news, when we struggle with health diagnoses, when we worry about the next generation growing up, we feel overwhelmed and pray, like the disciples, "Increase our faith."

In our series on What Matters, we reflect on the power of faith and our culture's need for faith to confront the challenges it faces.

Unfortunately (fortunately, really) we cannot gain faith from Jesus.  Rather, we recognize that it is not about what we have or don't have, but that all Jesus has and has given to us is sufficient.  And so, we get to work, invited by Jesus, to use what little faith we have to move mulberry bushes!

The artwork is "The Mulberry Tree" by Vincent Van Gogh, currently on display at the Norton Simon Museum.

What Matters: Lazarus, Abraham and Jesus

In the middle of the Gospel of Luke (16:19-31), Jesus tells a haunting parable about a rich man, a poor man (Lazarus) and a heavenly messenger (Abraham). 

It would be easier if the parable simply spoke about ultra rich, but the more we ponder it, the more we realize it is about us, our money and the people in need around us.  The parable makes abundantly clear, that in God's eyes, Lazarus and others in need are in help and in need of care.  Which makes us wonder -- do we do enough for the Lazarus's of our lives?  Are we like Abraham (or even Jesus), who show unending compassion for those in need?

The more we ponder the parable, the more we realize that we too are in need of help, help that only Jesus can give.

The artwork is by James Tissot and is housed at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

When you come to a fork in the road: Confess!

Love your neighbor.  Turn the other cheek.  Go the extra mile.  and ... when you are gonna lose your job, cheat your boss by making side deals with his clients so you can get a future job.  

What???

Jesus today tells a bizarre parable (Luke 16:1-13) that highlights the reality that this world isn't one that is full of mercy and honesty.  How do we as Christians navigate this, where we know we are supposed to live as Christians in a world that isn't very Christian?

It can be tempting to compartmentalize -- but Pastor Rob offers another way.  When we live in our daily life we inevitably have to make hard decisions.  We cannot escape real life and its problems.  Nor can we decide we don't have to be Christians with this decision.  Instead, we decide, confess the sin inevitably embedded in the decision and then trust that the Lord can make good out it.

The Lost Sheep

 

Pastor Rob acknowledges living in two worlds: "Real Life" and "Screen World," with an increasing effort to block out "Screen World."  Yet certain events from "Screen World", that is the national news cycle, enter into our "Real Life" in touching ways.  This week brought some of those events.

Into that swirling storm, we hear the beloved and familiar story of the good shepherd seeking the lost sheep (Luke 15:1-10).  Pastor Rob reflects on how we can become like sheep, eating a diet of fear, anger and affirmation of prejudices until we have wandered from the teachings of Christ.  Our society has become lost in the bramble, focusing on demonizing the other rather than seeking the lost. 

The way forward is repentance, repentance that requires humility and hope, precisely the kind of repentance made possible by God.

The image is from Artist Miki de Goodaboom.  She has an online art gallery that includes Biblical images.