News of Loss

March 29th 2009 Fifth Sunday in Lent

Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller

“News of Loss” John 12:20-33

If you look closely at this story from John, and what came before it in the scripture, you might think we have gotten things out of order. Next week is Palm Sunday and despite that, this passage comes, chronologically after Palm Sunday. So the natural question is, or at least ought to be, why are we faced with this passage now, instead of the week after Palm Sunday? Well, the most logical answer is that the week after Palm Sunday is Easter and we have more important things on which to focus. However, there is way more to it than that.

The hour, as Jesus says, has come, it is the climax of the gospel. But what has brought it to this point? Two things have come together which make this the ‘hour.’ Only a short while before, Jesus has raised Lazarus from the dead. When this news makes its way across the desk of the religious leadership, they began devising a plan to kill Jesus. Their plans become more complicated because he has a great deal of popular support. The religious leadership is fearful of the people who have found a hope that a new day is dawning. The scheming of the religious leaders is the first part of why Jesus’ ‘hour’ has come.

On the day when Jesus enters Jerusalem there is some confusion, at least with those who celebrate his entry. The shouts of “hosanna” make it clear that many of the people are ready to anoint a new king. Given the tone of their excitement there is no doubt that many they expect him to overthrow the Roman occupation. This is a reasonable claim given the fact that on the same week Jesus is hailed as new king, the crowd also calls for his life when he does not fulfill their expectations. In our scripture this morning, Jesus makes it very clear that he will not fulfill these desires. Despite this, those who have hailed him king do not seem to grasp what he is saying. So the stage is set. When the authorities are seeking to kill him and the people are trying to make him king the outcome nearly inevitable. This is even truer because Jesus will not succumb to the wishes of either group.

In the midst of the political intrigue and the calls for populist uprisings, something amazing happens. A group of Greeks come to Andrew and ask to see Jesus. We have no previous knowledge or information about this group. We do not know their names or even if they actually get to have an audience with Jesus. But they are there celebrating Passover and want to see Jesus. No reason is given only the request. So Jesus takes their request and seeks to set the record straight. Jesus talks about losing one’s life to save it. When he does this it is more about reaffirming his identity than anything else.

By refusing to satisfy both the religious leadership and the people who want to make him an earthly king, Jesus gives insight into his identity. Jesus refuses to fit into any mold other than the one which God had designed. When the Greeks come and ask to see Jesus, he responds with a lesson in gardening. I believe what is happening here is that Jesus is saying: “If you really want to see me, then you must come face to face with a new reality.”

In other words, to see Jesus, we have to have new vision. It means that followers of Jesus, individuals and institutions, are called to live out a new reality. It is a reality, which says; “No,” to a way of life built upon self-interest or the use of power for domination. The news of our faith is that we have been called to a way of life which is about serving others. Beginning with the incarnation, God’s self revealing love is for others. And, at the very height of his popularity Jesus turns from the trappings of power and stays focused on his mission. This stance cost him his life.

The life death and resurrection of Jesus invites those who would want to follow, or to “see” him that it might indeed cost us our lives, or at least our expectation of how we will live our lives. The good news we know and are offered is about setting us free from the ways of self-interest which permeate our world. When I was in seminary a student shared their frustration over institutional policy. The concern was about how a Christian Institution could act in such a way. A professor challenged the student by saying; “Why do you assume an institution could be Christian?” The point of her challenge had to do with the reality of institutional life. The unstated goal of all institutions, churches included, is self preservation. However, Jesus calls us to be faithful even at risk of survival and too often institutions cannot and will not take this risk. As a result it is not often that institutions act in Christian ways.

It is odd news. So odd, in fact, that we must continually be reminded of its oddity and challenge. If we, like the Greek’s, really want to see Jesus, then we must be willing to let go and risk our very lives, personally and institutionally, in the service of this new way. This is what the real life of faith is all about. Amen.

Snake Pole

Westminster Presbyterian Church - Mark Bradshaw-Miller

Fourth Sunday in Lent

"Snake Pole" Number 21:4-9; John 3:14-21

When I looked over the lectionary passages in preparation for Lent, I came across this passage from the book of Numbers thought: “I just have to preach on that! I have no idea what I am going to do, but I have to preach on that!” Along came this week and I began to rethink the wisdom of such a decision. Coming face to face with this strange story, where looking at snakes on poles can save a life, does not appear to contain much contemporary relevance. After a few days of wrestling with the passage I decided to focus on snakes in the biblical witness.

In the biblical story our first encounter with a serpent is in the Garden of Eden. The result is that the offspring of Eve and the offspring of the serpent are destined forever to be enemies. However, forever does not seem to last all that long. The passage from Numbers turns this relationship with snakes on its’ head.

It all begins when the people begin to grumble against Moses and God and are rewarded with an onslaught of poisonous snakes. Following God’s directions, Moses fashions a snake on a pole. God says that healing will come by looking at the snake pole. Taking this story alone could lead us to say something like, “don’t grumble against God or the pastor or the snakes will come raining down.” That is not only irresponsible but simply ridiculous. There is something more going on which is worth our attention.

The fascinating truth of this passage has little to do the snakes or even the grumbling. At the heart of this passage is the way in which the source of death, the snakes, become the instrument of healing, the snake on a pole. God takes what symbolized death in the serpent or snake and uses it as the source of healing. It is a reminder of how often the witness of our faith shows that those things which cause us pain or bring us face to face with our mortality can actually become instruments of healing. While this is not always true in every case, the possibility is present.

In order to grasp the importance of the snake pole we must move beyond the bounds of this passage. The snake pole fashioned by Moses lives on for many years in the community of faith. This strange item served as an important religious icon. Over time this symbol of healing began to take on a life of its own. Instead of reminding people of God’s ability to take the places of death in our lives into the places of new life, the community began to worship and sacrifice to the snake pole. What began as something which pointed us towards God becomes the object of our worship.

In the book of second Kings, our passage comes full circle. King Hezekiah destroys this icon and ends an age old tradition in the life of the community of faith. He realized that it no longer served the community and had become an impediment to faithfulness. It is in learning the conclusion of the snake pole which helps this ‘ancient’ story become contemporary. In fact, it becomes a warning for all generations about the risks of worshiping that which points us to the healing of God instead of God. It is a warning about idolatry.

Idolatry is not something for which most of us seek. Instead, like the faithful of ancient Israel, it sort of sneaks up on us. When we take that which is good an object, or practice, or tradition and turn it into something which is beyond faithful and critical examination it takes the form of an idol. This is not news to anyone. If we are honest we can name all sorts of thing which have become more important in our lives, and our community of faith, than faithfulness to God. I think an example of this can be shown in our second scripture passage.

Possibly one of the most famous verses of scripture is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” This passage, which shares the simple truth of God’s love, has taken on a life of its own. And I believe this life dances dangerously close to edge of becoming an Idol. Before I am smashed like the snake pole, let me elaborate.

It may not be an idol it is important to at least consider the possibility. At the heart of this short but well known passage is the confession about God’s amazing love for the world. It begins with “For God so loved the world…” So anything which does not hinge on that has lost its moorings. However, the focus of this passage, in many circles, is on the issue of belief. In other words, this passage is quoted so as to check the orthodoxy or beliefs of others. It becomes our way of sorting out who is and who is not included in God’s love. The main way of interpreting this passage then becomes our beliefs instead of the love of God. We know the passage begins: “For God so loved the world.” However, in practice the verse becomes: “Belief is your get out of hell free card!” Quoting this passage then is a way of check to verify who is saved and who is damned. No longer is the foundation of this passage that God loves us but about our understanding of that love. See the problem? And when this happens, this passage of scripture becomes an idol, or at least our interpretation has become the idol. Either way it is time for it to be smashed.

Author and preacher Barbra Brown Taylor recently shared a story of a time, early in her ordained ministry, when she received an invitation to speak at a church. Taylor asked the pastor on what he would like her to speak, he said: “Tell me what is saving your life right now.” It was a blunt question which moves us from concerns over litmus tests to the heart of our faith. By asking this question regularity we will find that our faith has the power to save us in surprising ways. This salvation will not be that which keeps us “out of hell,” but that which has sustained and will continue to sustain us though the places of hell on earth. It is this faith that will “save our (lives) right now.”
I love this story because it gets to the heart of the passage. God has the power to transform the broken places of our lives, even the places of death. But like the Israelites we are always at risk of turning that transformation into the object of our worship. So let us pray for healing in the broken places of our lives but always be on guard not to worship the broken places. Amen.

Foolish Anger

Westminster Presbyterian Church- Mark Bradshaw-Miller

March 15th - Third Sunday in Lent

"Foolish Anger" I Corinthians 1:18-25; John 2:13-22

What were the lessons you learned about anger as a child? What I remember was that anger was something to fear. The lesson I remember, whether it was intentional or not, that anger was something that we should do our best to hide or to cover up. However, the real truth is that covered or hidden anger never really stays that way. It shows up in passive-aggressive actions or sarcasm or even through rage. We now know that denying anger can lead to heath concerns and it can show up in the most unexpected places and times. One thing that is clear is that anger denied will rear its head. In fact, as a testimony to the power of anger it is now believed that anger denied can be manifested as depression.

Because of its power and a genuine misunderstanding on how to deal with this powerful emotion we ought not to deal with such things with a cavalier attitude. However, I believe being able to share and express anger in constructive ways is at the heart of the gospel lesson. The first lesson is that anger is a clear sign that we care deeply about something or someone. We do not share our anger with perfect strangers, unless it is during rush hour traffic. When Jesus turns over the tables in the temple, sharing his anger for all to see, it is because he cares so deeply about the temple and the people who seek God within it. In the sharing of his anger, Jesus gives his followers a lesson in one way to share anger.

Back in the fall I heard an interview on the Diane Rehm show with Maya Angelou. It was an hour full of wisdom for living. But what I remember about the interview was a phoned in question from a father who was in his forties. This father shared his frustration and anger about the way in which our nation’s leaders had acted in a various ways ranging from the Iraq War, to the secret prisons, and a general disregard of the rule of law. After letting the father speak Ms. Angelou said to the father that his anger was not wrong but not what he should be passing on to his children. She even named that his anger was rooted in his deep love for his child. It was, she said, from the place of love that he should act in seeking to make the world a better place. It was not that Ms. Angelou said she never got angry herself. Instead, she made it clear that when she gets angry, she gets to work. Letting anger fester unaddressed is unhealthy. But channeling the anger to make a difference in the world can be the start of a revolution based on love.

The structure of the temple was built upon the foundation of sacrifice. In the life of the faithful, sacrifice was the way of faithfulness. By the time of Jesus comes on the scene, this system had become rife with corruption. In order to fulfill ritual requirements religious pilgrims were at the mercy of the market which was anything but free. Instead, extreme prices were taken from those least able to afford it. Instead of the temple running the marketplace, the marketplace was controlling the temple. When the bottom line became the focus of the faithful, Jesus could no longer remain silent. Jesus’ attack was not directed toward people but to the practice. The whip is not used upon people but the system. Jesus did not name names but did not back down when attacked by the religious leadership. Out of this encounter the disciples remember that this encounter was not simply Jesus having a bad day but because of Jesus zeal for God’s mission. Jesus acts not in anger alone but out of love for God’s people.

There is a lot to be angry about these days. The rising tide of populism has certainly gotten the attention of people in powerful places. You can tell there is a bit of fear over this because of the incessant use of the world populist as a negative word in a number of news sources. The anger has been fueled by the unapologetic self-indulgent use of government money by corporations. All the while people are losing their jobs, their livelihoods, and their homes. The response to this crisis continues to be that the market cannot bear the weight of helping people, only banks and corporations. Like the bumper sticker says: “If you are not angry, you are not paying attention.”

If you are not familiar with the satirist John Stewart you are missing out on the work of, as Bill Moyers has put it, a modern day Mark Twain. This past week Stewart tapped into the current rage and turned his gift for comedy and commentary upon CNBC’s financial man Jim Cramer. I will not recap the week long exchange. Instead, this encounter allowed, for lack of a better image, the court jester to point out that much of what passed for financial advice and news on the NBC networks was suspect at best, and criminal at worst. Will anything change? It is hard to say, but this comedian who is now being attacked and told to stick with comedy, was willing to use his gifts to make a difference. So what does this mean for those of us in the church?

I do not believe that we ought to piggy back upon the work of a comedian. Instead, we need to get in touch with anger, in our lives and in society. And when we stop hiding that anger or redirecting it in unhealthy ways we will find a flicker of love waiting to be identified. If there is nothing to get angry about then there really is no love. So when we find ourselves confronted of anger let us ask what part of love is feeding this anger. And when we get in touch with the depth of love, it is from that place we are called to act. Like a father working for a better world for his child, and like Jesus turning over anything which stands between those who hunger for God and God’s love, we are called into action out of love. When we do indeed connect our anger with the roots of its love, it is only then that we are acting from the same zeal which Jesus shared for the entire world. So let us not fear anger. Let us face it head on and use it to start a revolution based on the love of God in Jesus Christ. Amen? Amen.

Don't Hide the Cross

Westminster Presbyterian Church

March 8th 2009

Second Week of Lent

Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller

"Don't Hide the Cross"

Gen. 17:1-7,15-16; Mark 8:31-38

This passage from Mark’s gospel is a metaphor for the church’s ongoing struggle to be faithful in every age. Prior to this passage, Peter has just confessed that Jesus is the Messiah. It is a confession built upon the belief that Jesus had come back as a warrior king and that is why Jesus rebukes him and tells him to keep quiet. It is into this silence that Jesus speaks of his suffering. This makes no sense to anyone who expects a warrior savior, so on our behalf, Peter rebukes Jesus. The struggle for Peter is the same struggle facing the church. We know about the cross but do our best to ignore the reality of a crucified savior.

Jesus makes it clear that faith in him does not mean the end of suffering and struggle. To believe that faith means the end of suffering ignores the cross. In our modern time, to talk about picking up our cross, has been reduced to individual struggles or personal challenges. However, in Jesus time, there was no other meaning of the cross than political. Historian John Dominic Crossan makes this point well when he writes: “I want to emphasize that Roman crucifixion was state terrorism; that its function was to deter resistance or revolt, especially among the lower classes; and that the body was usually left on the cross to be consumed eventually by the wild beasts.” So, when Jesus uses the image of the cross his listeners would understand the realities and struggles of being faithful.

Despite it being clear then, we cannot simply transport it into our culture uncritically. In other words, the call to pick up the cross is not a call to voluntarily submit to capital punishment. There are clear implications for the follower of Jesus and capital punishment but that is not the full extent of the meaning of the cross. To understand the words of Jesus we need to see the encounter as getting at the crossroads of state power and the people of faith. New Testament scholar Ched Meyer writes: “The threat to punish by death is the bottom line of the power of the state; fear of this threat keeps the dominant order intact.” So when Jesus calls his follower to pick up their cross he is inviting all people to pick up that which holds fear over our lives. Jesus is inviting his followers to be released from this fear of death. What does this mean? It means that when we are set free from fear we are free to act in ways that humanize the world around us.

I am reminded of a story about a cemetery in Belfast Northern Ireland. You can learn much from the stories of cemeteries. Many years ago the cemetery had consecrated and non-consecrated burial plots. The unconsecrated, and unmarked, burial plots were left for the poor. Unknown in life and unacknowledged by the church in death, so goes the life of the poor. However, despite knowing this is the way the world works, one of the presiding bishop’s of Belfast humanized that situation at his death. Unable to change the policy in life, his will stipulated that he was to be buried in the middle of the unconsecrated ground. Not only did he place himself with the unknown and unacknowledged, there was another consequence. Church policy also dictated that the place a bishop was to be buried must be consecrated. And, as a result, the burial plots of all the poor became holy ground. I have come to believe that the actions of the bishop show that we can always something we have the power to do in order to humanize the world around us.

Being a follower of Jesus and being called by God to follow means that our life is going to be different. After all, at the heart of our faith is a story of a God who chooses two old people, foreigners, and immigrants in a strange land, to be the parents of great nations. God chooses the unexpected and powerless to change the world. Our God has always taken what was despised of the world and redeemed it for new life.

It is a hard thing to admit that our savior died by the most horrific capital punishment known in the ancient world. It was hard for Peter and it has been hard for the church. This year, we have brought out the oversized cross. It is not pretty or polished but it is here. During Lent we must give it a more central place so we do not forget that there is no need to hide from the pain and suffering in the world. Instead, it should be a sign of liberation, one that lets us know we can be agents of new life by humanizing, in the tradition of the human one Jesus, the most despised places of the world. We may not have the power to transform the world but each one of us has the power to turn some unconsecrated place in our lives into holy ground. Pray that God reveals to each one of us and to our community of faith, the places in which we are being called to act. Amen.

Rainbow Joy

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

March 1st 2008

Communion Meditation

First Sunday in Lent

Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller

“Rainbow Joy”

Gen 9:8-17, Mark 1:9-15

Since this is the first Sunday in Lent, a sermon title like; “Rainbow Joy” beyond sounding a little corny, seems out of place. After all, Lent is a time of repentance. It is a time to come face to face with the broken places of our lives and of humanity. And, in the midst of this time is the simple message that despite the brokenness in our lives, we are never beyond the love of God. It is for that reason that the idea of finding joy in a rainbow is not out of place at all as we begin our Lenten journey. (We can have a discussion about my choice of sermon titles on another day.)

The amazing truth that we learn but often forget is that God takes the simple things in our lives and gives them new meaning. When all the people and animals leave the ark, God makes a promise, a covenant with all living things. As a sign of this covenant is the well known symbol of the rainbow. However, if we are not careful we miss the important truth that God does not create the rainbow. The rainbow has already been around. God takes what we now know as light being refracted and turns it into a powerful symbol of peace.

In the ancient world the rainbow was not understood scientifically. The rainbow was actually a favorite weapon of the ancient pantheon of gods. So God reinterprets this ancient symbol of war, death and destruction and turns it into a sign of peace reconciliation and unity. No longer does anyone see a rainbow and think thoughts of war. Imagine an army going off to war under the banner of a rainbow. Indeed, God has removed that possibility. God takes the simple, already existing images of our lives and forever changes the meaning. If God can do that it should give us hope that indeed new life can always come out of the places of destruction.

When Jesus is baptized it is another time where the simple becomes the conveyer of so much more. In this action of washing and new life God tears open the heavens and let loose the Spirit. Because many of our baptisms are done with infants, and it is a celebration of joy, we can miss the world altering symbolism of baptism. The marking with water, whether of children or adults, is more than just a rite of passage but a symbol that we are marked for a purpose, claimed by the promise and love unconditionally.

Today was we gather at the table we do so around very simple things, bread and cup. These could not be simpler and the meal that we share here is not able to satiate our physical hunger. But in the gathering we proclaim something more powerful. Like the rainbow which is many but one, we become a new reality. As the bread is torn apart, we are reminded that the order of the world has been torn apart so that new life might find space to grow. The symbols are each powerful and have the ability to help us find joy in the most unlikely places. However, each of the symbols actually requires something of us.

In order for these symbols, the rainbow, water, bread and cup, to truly have the power to transform us individually and communally, we must be open to seeing the world with new eyes. These symbols require that we seek to see God at work in the refraction of light through water. We are called, through these symbols to look for God at work when the world gets shattered. We are called to look for God at work wherever food is shared and when diverse peoples not only come together but become friends.

Lent is about the reordering of our lives. It is about seeing the world in a new way. And for people set in our ways this is not always easy. We are too busy to ponder a rainbow. We are too distracted to appreciate the new reality made in baptism and we are too practiced in our rituals to expect anything at this table. Lent calls us to hope, to grasp for the possibility that the world is made new and to believe that joy can be found. So as you join me at the table, as we continue this Lenten journey, it is my prayer that the simple might become surprising and that the mundane might just become the place of new life. Amen.