Archive for May, 2012
Ezekiel 37:1-14 “D’em Bones” JUMC 20120527.0900
37:1 The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3 He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5 Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD.” 7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” 10 I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. 11 Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14 I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act,” says the LORD. [NRSV]
This is a remarkable vision of the prophet Ezekiel for the people of God to hear, understand, and take to heart themselves.
On one hand it is difficult to take one person’s experience and try to make it your own. Usually we get lost trying to be like someone rather than learning from the lessons they have shared.
One of my professors in seminary, Jonathon Jackson, was a student of teacher, preacher and spiritual mystic, Howard Thurman. For years Jonathon took every class Dr Thurman offered, read all his books, sought his counsel in his office as often as he could. As hard as he tried he did not find the same joy and power Dr Thurman expressed and witnessed. He confronted his hero and said, I have tried with all my strength to live and act just as you have done and it has not worked for me. Dr Thurman replied, ‘The Good Lord has already made a Howard Thurman, what [he] wants is a Jonathon Jackson.’
We take the message of others and applied the lessons to fit our own spiritual skin.
Ezekiel is taken by a divine messenger to witness the miracle of resurrection. The Good News we celebrated just 50 days ago at Easter, continues as true then as now. He lives!
Pentecost asks: So what are you doing about that fact?
Ezekiel is taken to the valley of the shadow of death and see’s the evidence of futile fighting our physical battle.. The bones of a great nation that has lived and died and what do they have to show for their lives?
The Great Work is a step-by-step reconstruction of the impossible.
This is the message of the resurrection! What seems impossible, God can do and desires to do through us.
In the field, bones rattle and come together end-to-end
Sinews form, muscles spring out and attach
Skin forms and the lifeless signs of death are no more.
Now there is a great nation of living, breathing, people of God’s making.
For some the image of imperial storm trooper drones are pictured, but this is not just a show, this is new creation shown to be “a people, a nation.”
Without getting into politics, God is forming a nation of God-made faithful folk right before Ezekiel’s eyes.
It is actually the same as a people who have heard the Good News of Easter, but just 50 days later is sounds like old news we’ve heard before and we want something more and wonder why we are frustrated, dying and afraid.
Hear the Good News
We are people of God’s remolding and forming. The steps are being taken to make a people who will not be just noisy rattles,
But a people who will put the pieces together and live the life most fully, the God connect, God breathed, God empowered life.
Take a deep spiritual breathe, be made new
Get up out of this field and go into the world,
God’s resurrected.
He lives, and he lives in you and me.
Luke Brantley preaches at JUMC 9AM 20120520:0900
Posted by myoikos in Uncategorized on May 21, 2012
As a kid I was very proud of the fact that I had memorized all those things that the grownups would always say together in church. To me it sounded more like a chant and I focused more on the sound of the congregation than the actual words and the overall meaning of the event taking place. Thankfully I have matured at least some since then and I have been able to try to understand Jesus’ message in Luke chapter 11 where he presents the disciples with an example of prayer and its function.
1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them,
These direct examples that Jesus gives us for how to live life reveal so many basic truths of our religion and relationships with God. Just as with Jesus’ prayer in this verse, prayer is to be considered holy and set aside for a certain place and certain time. That is the real message of this prayer.
Does anyone have their own certain place that they pray at?
The importance of this regularity in time and place or the regularity in the words that Jesus prescribes for this prayer are to make a long term effect on Christians’ prayer lives. The disciples wanted to know HOW they should pray Jesus responds with what we know as the Lords prayer but continues on,
5 Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’ 7 “Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
Therefor, Jesus answers the disciples’ request saying that to pray correctly as Jesus did you must pray with persistent and shameless audacity. As in many cases this is probably not what the disciples were expecting. They wanted to be prayer WARRIORS and the BEST PRAYERS in the land, but Jesus preaches to them humility and lets them know that they are to make prayer a daily routine as we make the Lord’s prayer a routine in our worship rather than as an occasional fanciful prayer.
With this knowledge I have been able to see prayer in a different light, and I no longer view the repetition of words beginning with Our Father as merely a traditional repetition of words, but as the way we all should pray as Jesus j=himself told us.
I also have looked carefully at Jesus’ example to see what themes are important to include in prayer including, praise, forgiveness, and the closeness of God. I have attempted to figure out what the Lord’s Prayer means to me in my terms, and in my life.
Starting out Our Father or hey daddy this prayer is not only an example of how we should communicate with God but also reflects our entire relationship with our eternal Daddy.
Who art in heaven conveys the mystery and indescribable greatness of god who has to mow a lawn that is galaxies and galaxies lawn, has to take care of billions of children on Earth, but has still so personally helped me in times of trouble and awarded me when I lived by his example.
Hallowed be thy name, I love you and I’m going to praise you so everyone else will know of your greatness. This should definitely include retiring your number at the braves stadium and hanging a baseball with your name on it in left field at turner field.
They kingdom come thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Help me to act more like you and the examples you have given me through the life of your son and the bible which you have presented me.
Now give us this day our daily bread. The word companion comes from the Latin one who shares bread. It is interesting then to see that Jesus puts God in such a personal reference again as he is our companion, and along with this our provider for the most basic and physical and spiritual attributes that keep us alive.
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. God you know I mess up and you know others around me mess up to and I know I need to apologize. I need to apologize because Jesus, the only non imperfect human had to be tortured and killed for those little white lies or hurtful comments that I make while I am graciously and repeatedly forgiven by merely desiring forgiveness. I ask also for the forgiveness of those around me as I strive to n=be Christ-like as he forgave those around him even on his dying day.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil
Even as I strive to be Christ-like I know I will mess up and be tempted. As we sometimes say before communion, the Prayer of pardon and confession
These are all thing s we all do however we ask God to give us strength and clarity to rebel against the evil that we have known ourselves to commit before.
For thine is the power the kingdom and the glory for ever
Now I marvel at your greatness and power and see that everything around me is yours including me, and everything good in me is really you, and I with all of the rest of the Christian family are pieces in your kingdom giving you power that grows in the addition of your kingdom, and for this I am grateful to be a part of the family of God.
Luke Brantley’s Sermon on Senior’s Sunday JUMC 20120520:0900
Posted by myoikos in Uncategorized on May 20, 2012
As a kid I was very proud of the fact that I had memorized all those things that the grownups would always say together in church. To me it sounded more like a chant and I focused more on the sound of the congregation than the actual words and the overall meaning of the event taking place. Thankfully I have matured at least some since then and I have been able to try to understand Jesus’ message in Luke chapter 11 where he presents the disciples with an example of prayer and its function.
1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them,
These direct examples that Jesus gives us for how to live life reveal so many basic truths of our religion and relationships with God. Just as with Jesus’ prayer in this verse, prayer is to be considered holy and set aside for a certain place and certain time. That is the real message of this prayer.
Does anyone have their own certain place that they pray at?
The importance of this regularity in time and place or the regularity in the words that Jesus prescribes for this prayer are to make a long term effect on Christians’ prayer lives. The disciples wanted to know HOW they should pray Jesus responds with what we know as the Lords prayer but continues on,
5 Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’ 7 “Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
Therefor, Jesus answers the disciples’ request saying that to pray correctly as Jesus did you must pray with persistent and shameless audacity. As in many cases this is probably not what the disciples were expecting. They wanted to be prayer WARRIORS and the BEST PRAYERS in the land, but Jesus preaches to them humility and lets them know that they are to make prayer a daily routine as we make the Lord’s prayer a routine in our worship rather than as an occasional fanciful prayer.
With this knowledge I have been able to see prayer in a different light, and I no longer view the repetition of words beginning with Our Father as merely a traditional repetition of words, but as the way we all should pray as Jesus j=himself told us.
I also have looked carefully at Jesus’ example to see what themes are important to include in prayer including, praise, forgiveness, and the closeness of God. I have attempted to figure out what the Lord’s Prayer means to me in my terms, and in my life.
Starting out Our Father or hey daddy this prayer is not only an example of how we should communicate with God but also reflects our entire relationship with our eternal Daddy.
Who art in heaven conveys the mystery and indescribable greatness of god who has to mow a lawn that is galaxies and galaxies lawn, has to take care of billions of children on Earth, but has still so personally helped me in times of trouble and awarded me when I lived by his example.
Hallowed be thy name, I love you and I’m going to praise you so everyone else will know of your greatness. This should definitely include retiring your number at the braves stadium and hanging a baseball with your name on it in left field at turner field.
They kingdom come thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Help me to act more like you and the examples you have given me through the life of your son and the bible which you have presented me.
Now give us this day our daily bread. The word companion comes from the Latin one who shares bread. It is interesting then to see that Jesus puts God in such a personal reference again as he is our companion, and along with this our provider for the most basic and physical and spiritual attributes that keep us alive.
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. God you know I mess up and you know others around me mess up to and I know I need to apologize. I need to apologize because Jesus, the only non imperfect human had to be tortured and killed for those little white lies or hurtful comments that I make while I am graciously and repeatedly forgiven by merely desiring forgiveness. I ask also for the forgiveness of those around me as I strive to n=be Christ-like as he forgave those around him even on his dying day.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil
Even as I strive to be Christ-like I know I will mess up and be tempted. As we sometimes say before communion, the Prayer of pardon and confession
These are all thing s we all do however we ask God to give us strength and clarity to rebel against the evil that we have known ourselves to commit before.
For thine is the power the kingdom and the glory for ever
Now I marvel at your greatness and power and see that everything around me is yours including me, and everything good in me is really you, and I with all of the rest of the Christian family are pieces in your kingdom giving you power that grows in the addition of your kingdom, and for this I am grateful to be a part of the family of God.
Mark 3.20-35 “Your Child is an Honor Student at Beelzebul Elm.” JUMC Mother’s Day 20120514
Posted by myoikos in Mother's Day on May 13, 2012
3.20 and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21 When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” 22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” 23 And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan. 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered. 28 “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”– 30 for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.” 31 Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” 33 And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” [NRSV]
My Child is an Honor Student at Beelzebul Elementary School
Everyone wants their child to feel special and important. As crude and offensive as George Carlin, the irreverent comedian was, he was right in one of his routines when he said, “When everyone is special, then no one is special.” {paraphrased}
Mary, the mother of Jesus, hears about how people are ganging up on her son and she and her brood go out to protect Jesus from himself. The want to keep him from saying things that would draw attention, that would at best get the family name in the papers and at worse. Well a mother would not want to even think the worst.
Some of the members of academia, the scribes, were calling Jesus names. Now, no one likes to be called names, but if a teacher starts name-calling about your child, I doubt any mother would sit by. It’s time for parent teacher-conference if ‘they’ are going to start calling my ‘baby’ a child of the devil. “Not just a hellian, but they are calling my Jesus the “Lord of the devil flies”
Never having read William Golding’s, novel, Lord of the Flies, Mary and James come to rescue Jesus from those who were hunting reasons to reject her son. Mary, with Jesus’ siblings, are ready to take the stranding son-brother home. But Jesus rejects their aid.
Family Ties
The teachers and community leaders are not only calling names, they are charging that Jesus is dividing the faith community. General Conference in Tampa, FL just a week ago, gave witness to a variety of division among the faithful. Each side charging the other side of being exclusive, thoughtless and even god-less at times. With all the power of hurtful names and naming the deeply held faith experiences and perspectives that differ and divide, it seemed empty to have nice-nice word of encouragement to take home, to justify and counter-balance the battle of the prior days.
Mary and the family want to just go back to the way things were.
The Scribes and Faith leaders want to defeat the challenge and defend the status quo
The voice of Jesus is one that calls for a new understanding of family.
Family is more than genetic, it is a matter of blood.
When someone paves a new path that tramples traditions we can expect dis-agreement, hurt and some distractions. All make room for what is newly laid and freshly built.
Jesus defines the family of faith as those who will follow and accept Christ’s word, and sacrifice, (blood).
Think of the great bonds that can be family
Think of the mighty comfort that can be found in our faith traditions
Think of how unsettling it would be to have to give up family ties, and faith histories to see the new things that God is revealing.
Who is my Mother?
P.D. Eastman’s famous children book, “Are you my mother?” tells the frighting journey of separation and reunion with one’s mother. The one who know’s us best, because it is from that Mother that we were born.
God is that Mother. No limited by our family tree or our a traditions of comfort and understanding or experience.
So what do we make of this story of Jesus and his family?
Family is vital, but it is to be grounded in God, not just geneologies
Family is powerful, but not just for protection
Family is essential, and it based on our choosing to belong
Who’s family do you choose to follow? Who’s family do you trust? Who’s family leads you in the face of danger, rejection, identity and struggle?
The family of those who follow Christ. Else we are lost in the fear and threat of change, power, and fear.
Choose this day what family is yours!
Beelzebul or Jesus
Acts 8:26-40 “What is Stopping Us?” JUMC 20120506
Posted by myoikos in Baptism, Christian LIving, Disicpleship, Putting God First, Witness on May 6, 2012
8:26 Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.) 27 So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.” 30 So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. 32 Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” 34 The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?” 38 He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea. NRSV
Where is God calling us to go? witness? serve? disciple?
- Listen, a prayerful preparation
- Phillip is connected to the heart and spirit, that what prayer does
- Get Up, Don’t just sit there
- Phillip models our readiness to respond when called.
- Firefighter’s bell, alarm clock’s buzzer, etc.
- Go, Don’t just get our attention, move out of our plans into God’s
- Phillip is not just awake and connected, he is in action, for God
- Speak up, Teach, and Instruct
- Meeting the CFO of Ethiopia crosses cultural, racial and social lines.
- Being ready to teach and explain the faith we know in our heads to others who are searching, struggling and asking.
- Respond to the spiritual needs, baptism
- The request of the Ethiopian was not traditional or typical
- If all we need is water and willingness, why not stop here and now.
- Seize the moment to witness and share the grace of Jesus Christ.
- If not Baptism, in feeding, clothing, visiting, teaching, healing, comforting, etc.
- Stay as long as you are needed. Leaving… to continue with others.
- Share the Good News with others.
- Phillip’s willingness to pray and listen, get up and actually go, share and be hand-on-the-ground, has something to share.
So What?
WRITE your 50-100 words to practice what you will say when called. “What does it mean to put God first?”
If I don’t know God’s power and grace, give what I do know away.
Go to Honduras, to work, school, across town or where ever God calls
Get up and go to those who we know are hurting, searching and confused
And respond to the needs you find, which what is at hand…
and THEN you will have something to talk about with others.
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Vanderbilt Lectionary Weekly Texts- October 2, 2022: Proper 22 (27) (Year C)Lamentations 1:1-6 and Lamentations 3:19-26 or Psalm 137 * Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 and Psalm 37:1-9 * 2 Timothy 1:1-14 * Luke 17:5-10
- October 2, 2022: Proper 22 (27) (Year C)