Now it's time to check out some commentaries. I have two to consult: the Anchor Bible commentary on Luke, by Joseph Fitzmyer, and the Eerdmans New International Commentary on the New Testament — the volume on Luke is written by Joel Green.
Fitzmyer lifts up the same apocalyptic tone I had noticed in my own study of the text. Referring to the second part of the lection, he writes, "There is no hint in this passage about a delay; rather 'the season that is here' is precisely the time for repentance and conversion." This passage indicates that now is the moment of crisis, the apocalyptic turning point, and there is no time to lose. Jesus speaks to the crowds: "As weatherwise Palestinian farmers, they have learned to read the face of nature, with its clouds and winds. They should, then, be able to assess the critical moment in which they exist. [Jesus] thus contrasts the people's 'meteorological sensitiveness' with their 'religious sensitiveness'."
Regarding the first part of the lection, Fitzmyer draws out the tension and contrast in Luke regarding the purpose of Jesus' ministry. The same Jesus who was hailed at the beginning of the gospel as bringing "peace on earth" (Luke 2:14) now says that his ministry brings discord. "Though peace is an important effect of the Christ-event in the Lucan view, the evangelist has here retained from 'Q' an interpretation of Jesus' ministry in terms of its opposite. Yet even that effect of his ministry has been foreshadowed in the infancy narrative: Jesus was a child set 'for the fall and rise of many in Israel' (2:34). . . Even in his own family the Lucan Jesus' career brought a 'sword' to pierce his mother's 'own soul' (2:35)."
Green similarly lifts up the apocalyptic character of the text, showing that it is part of the "overarching theme of vigilance in the face of eschatological crisis." Prior to this section of Luke, Jesus has made numerous references to making ready - "Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes" (12:37); "You also must be ready, for the Son of man is coming at an unexpected hour" (12:40); "Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives" (12:43). Green writes, "From those images of future judgment, Jesus now turns to the reality of judgment already at work in his ministry. The division accompanying his mission is itself both integral to his purpose for coming (vv 49-53) and a portent of eschatological judgment (vv 54-59)."
Regarding the prediction of division within households, Green stresses the importance of family groups in 1st century culture. For Jesus to predict the breaking down of family ties, as an integral part of his ministry, would have been quite shocking. However, "the dissolution of family bonds (which, in the Lukan narrative, has as its consequence the formation of a new kinship group around Jesus) should be taken as confirmation that he is God's agent and that he is bringing to fruition the purpose of God."
Green comments on Jesus' use of the term "hypocrites" in reference to the crowd. For Luke, "hypocrite" does not mean someone who says one thing and does another. Rather, Jesus "regards the crowds not as deceivers or phonies but as people who 'do not know.' His question, then, is not why they say one thing and do another, but why they have joined the Pharisees in living lives that are not determined by God."
I'm trying to decide on what focus I want to take for this sermon. I find apocalyptic themes difficult to preach on. The issues are so complex, and the thinking among Christians so diverse, that it seems quite daunting. However, I don't think I can ignore or gloss over the apocalyptic aspects of this text. It would not be fair to the text or to the congregation to whom I'll be preaching. On the other hand, it would appear that the plain sense of the text - that the final judgment was imminent - is simply incorrect. On top of that, I personally think it very dangerous to encourage apocalyptic thinking - every generation has believed it was the last. An unexamined belief in the imminent destruction of the world works against faithful stewardship, ecology, and efforts at peace and mutual understanding (all of which I happen to favor). So how does one preach on an apocalyptic text without preaching apocalypticism?
Time to find out, I suppose.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
August 15 Sermon - Part Two
In preparing for my upcoming sermon, I translated the Gospel text. Here is my (very rough) version:
Luke 12:49-56
"I have come to throw fire at the earth, and how I wish that it now were lit up! But I have a baptism to be baptized, and how I am surrounded until [it] may be finished. Do you think that I came to bring peace in the earth? No, I say to you all, but division. For from now on five in one house will be divided, three against two and two against three, they will be divided father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against bride and bride against mother-in-law."
He was saying to the crowd, "You all may see the cloud rising over the west; immediately you say that a rainstorm is coming, and thus it happens; and when a south wind [is] blowing, you all say that there will be heat, and it happens. Hypocrites! The face of the earth and of the heaven, you all know [how] to test the time, but this [time] you do not know [how] to test."
There is not a whole lot of difference between this and the NRSV version. They do take some liberties with verse 50, saying "what stress I am under" where I found "how I am surrounded" (or maybe even "how I surround myself," since it could be middle instead of passive voice). In the literary context, verses 49 through 53 seem to be addressed only to the disciples, while 54 through 56 are addressed to the crowd. If Jesus is describing himself to his disciples as "being surrounded," he might be referring to the crowds that are all around. Or if he is "surrounding himself," he might be referring to the disciples, whom he gathered around himself. Neither interpretation seems quite the same as "what stress I am under."
The meaning of the final verse seems important, the "testing" (or, NRSV, "interpreting") of times. I'm going to look more closely into that verse and the meaning of the Greek. This pericope seems to be divided pretty clearly in two - the first half being a prediction or pronouncement to the disciples, the second half being an address to the crowds. They're linked (as is much of this section of Luke) by an apocalyptic outlook. There may be a connection between the division among families and the signs of the times, but I don't want to force that if it's not original to the text. The two sections may have originally existed separate from one another, and it's only the lectionary that connects them. Hopefully the commentaries can help me figure that out.
I'll post again after I look at some commentaries and do a closer study on verse 56. As always, comments are welcome.
Luke 12:49-56
"I have come to throw fire at the earth, and how I wish that it now were lit up! But I have a baptism to be baptized, and how I am surrounded until [it] may be finished. Do you think that I came to bring peace in the earth? No, I say to you all, but division. For from now on five in one house will be divided, three against two and two against three, they will be divided father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against bride and bride against mother-in-law."
He was saying to the crowd, "You all may see the cloud rising over the west; immediately you say that a rainstorm is coming, and thus it happens; and when a south wind [is] blowing, you all say that there will be heat, and it happens. Hypocrites! The face of the earth and of the heaven, you all know [how] to test the time, but this [time] you do not know [how] to test."
There is not a whole lot of difference between this and the NRSV version. They do take some liberties with verse 50, saying "what stress I am under" where I found "how I am surrounded" (or maybe even "how I surround myself," since it could be middle instead of passive voice). In the literary context, verses 49 through 53 seem to be addressed only to the disciples, while 54 through 56 are addressed to the crowd. If Jesus is describing himself to his disciples as "being surrounded," he might be referring to the crowds that are all around. Or if he is "surrounding himself," he might be referring to the disciples, whom he gathered around himself. Neither interpretation seems quite the same as "what stress I am under."
The meaning of the final verse seems important, the "testing" (or, NRSV, "interpreting") of times. I'm going to look more closely into that verse and the meaning of the Greek. This pericope seems to be divided pretty clearly in two - the first half being a prediction or pronouncement to the disciples, the second half being an address to the crowds. They're linked (as is much of this section of Luke) by an apocalyptic outlook. There may be a connection between the division among families and the signs of the times, but I don't want to force that if it's not original to the text. The two sections may have originally existed separate from one another, and it's only the lectionary that connects them. Hopefully the commentaries can help me figure that out.
I'll post again after I look at some commentaries and do a closer study on verse 56. As always, comments are welcome.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
August 15 Sermon - Part One
Whoa, starting a sermon for August 15?!? Crazy, right? I'm getting way ahead of the game.
August 15 is my first Sunday preaching here at King of Kings. My personal goal while I'm on internship is to have a sort of sermon garden going, so that I'm doing exegesis and text study well in advance of the weeks when I'm preaching. (We'll see how that works out - stay tuned.) So, now seems like a good time to start working on the lectionary texts for August 15.
Without further ado, here are the lectionary texts. (August 15 is also "Mother of our Lord" Sunday, but this congregation is not celebrating that festival, so I'm going to be using the standard nth Sunday after Pentecost texts.)
First Reading: Jeremiah 23:23-29
Psalm 82
Second Reading: Hebrews 11:29-12:2
Gospel: Luke 12:49-56
You can see all the readings here. I'm going to preach on the Gospel text, since it's one of those that you can't just ignore - it needs to be addressed. I'll reprint it below so you can see why:
You know, Luke (if that is your real name), it's texts like these that make me wish it could be Year A again already. I can tell you right now that this is not going to be an easy sermon to write.
In all seriousness, though, it's a challenging text, and it's going to need some exposition. I can hear some clear apocalyptic notes coming through - the language of "interpreting the present time," not to mention the predictions of conflict and the image of bringing fire to the earth. I'm intrigued by verse 50, where Jesus mentions his upcoming baptism (I'm taking that as a reference to the crucifixion). I wonder how that anticipated event fits in to the apocalyptic notions here.
I'm going to do my own translation of the text and check out some commentaries this week, and start writing the sermon next week. As always, thoughts and comments are welcome!
August 15 is my first Sunday preaching here at King of Kings. My personal goal while I'm on internship is to have a sort of sermon garden going, so that I'm doing exegesis and text study well in advance of the weeks when I'm preaching. (We'll see how that works out - stay tuned.) So, now seems like a good time to start working on the lectionary texts for August 15.
Without further ado, here are the lectionary texts. (August 15 is also "Mother of our Lord" Sunday, but this congregation is not celebrating that festival, so I'm going to be using the standard nth Sunday after Pentecost texts.)
First Reading: Jeremiah 23:23-29
Psalm 82
Second Reading: Hebrews 11:29-12:2
Gospel: Luke 12:49-56
You can see all the readings here. I'm going to preach on the Gospel text, since it's one of those that you can't just ignore - it needs to be addressed. I'll reprint it below so you can see why:
Luke 12:49-56
12:49 "I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!
12:50 I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed!
12:51 Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!
12:52 From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three;
12:53 they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
12:54 He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, 'It is going to rain'; and so it happens.
12:55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be scorching heat'; and it happens.
12:56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
You know, Luke (if that is your real name), it's texts like these that make me wish it could be Year A again already. I can tell you right now that this is not going to be an easy sermon to write.
In all seriousness, though, it's a challenging text, and it's going to need some exposition. I can hear some clear apocalyptic notes coming through - the language of "interpreting the present time," not to mention the predictions of conflict and the image of bringing fire to the earth. I'm intrigued by verse 50, where Jesus mentions his upcoming baptism (I'm taking that as a reference to the crucifixion). I wonder how that anticipated event fits in to the apocalyptic notions here.
I'm going to do my own translation of the text and check out some commentaries this week, and start writing the sermon next week. As always, thoughts and comments are welcome!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
VBS Skits
I'm in my first week of internship at King of Kings Lutheran Church. The congregation is doing VBS this week, so I definitely hit the ground running. My job has been writing the skits for each morning's opening session. I thought I'd share them here. Each day has a theme, which I've included before the skit itself. Enjoy!
Tuesday
Theme: The Ten Commandments
Props: None
Note: In the VBS program, whenever the kids hear the line "It's in the book!" they all respond with a big yell: "HUH!" You'll see that in the skit below for that reason.
[As the song finishes, Mike, Beth, and Jennie go up on stage.]
Mike: So, you all are learning about the Ten Commandments today, huh? The Ten Commandments are pretty important for all of us. [pause] Say, Vicar Jennie, what did you learn about the Ten Commandments in seminary?
Jennie: Well, I learned that the Ten Commandments are in the Bible...
Beth: [interrupting] Don’t you mean... They’re in the book! [HUH!]
Jennie: Yes, exactly! The Ten Commandments are in the book. [HUH!] Pastor Mike, what do you know about the Ten Commandments?
Mike: Well, the Ten Commandments teach us how we should act in our relationships — our relationship with God, our relationship with our family, and our relationships with everyone we meet.
Beth: Oh, right, like how the Ten Commandments tell us we should worship and love God.
Jennie: And don’t forget about honoring your parents!
Mike: And that we shouldn’t steal from other people or hurt them. The Ten Commandments teach us how we should act.
Beth: Hey Pastor Mike, these Ten Commandments, they’re like rules, right? So what happens if we break these rules?
Mike: Well, we should always try to follow the Ten Commandments, because that’s what God expects of us. But if we break them, we can trust that God will forgive us, because God loves us.
Jennie: You know, I learned in seminary about how the Ten Commandments remind us of God’s love for us.
Beth: What do you mean?
Jennie: Well, it’s because God loves us that God wants to have a relationship with us. And God gave us blessings like family and friends. And the Ten Commandments tell us how we should act in our relationship with God and our families. So whenever I think of the Ten Commandments, I always remember that God really loves us!
Mike: So when we learn about the Ten Commandments, we should remember to do what God expects us to do, but also remember that God loves us and forgives us.
Beth: The Ten Commandments are really great! I hope you’re all excited to learn more about the Ten Commandments today!
Wednesday
Theme: The Cross
Props: A washtub with a sign that says "Insta-Clean". Two clean t-shirts hidden in the tub. Two dirty t-shirts. One t-shirt that says "SIN" in big letters.
Note: The little "magic trick" involved here went over great. The kids totally bought it... when the first clean shirt came out, they were completely amazed.
Beth: Check it out, everyone! Here in this tub, I have my magic cleaner — Insta-clean! It can get out any stain or mess, guaranteed!
Jennie: Hey Beth, that’s pretty cool. [Holding up stained shirt] Do you think it could get all these dirt and grass stains out of my shirt?
Beth: Sure! Insta-clean can get out any stain! Just give me that shirt... [Puts the dirty shirt in the tub, and pulls out a clean shirt] Look at that! Good as new!
Jennie: Wow! That’s amazing, Beth!
Mike: Wow. Do you think you could get these mustard stains out of my shirt? I made a mess of myself the last time I was eating a hot dog.
Beth: No problem! Just give it to me and I’ll put it in the Insta-clean solution... [Puts the dirty shirt in the tub, and pulls out a clean shirt] Your stain is all gone!
Mike: Thanks, Beth!
Jennie: That Insta-clean works really well. Say... [Lifts up “SIN” shirt] Beth, what about this stain?
Beth: What does that say? S-I-N... Sin.
Jennie: Yeah, I’ve had it for as long as I can remember.
Mike: Oh, yes. Every one of us has the stain of sin, no matter who we are. I have it, too, and so does Beth.
Jennie: [To Beth] So do you think Insta-clean can get it out?
Beth: Well, I can give it a try... [Puts the shirt in, and pulls it out again] Huh. The stain is still there. Maybe it needs a little more time in the solution [Puts the shirt in and scrubs it for a few seconds, then pulls it out again] No, that stain is still there.
Jennie: Oh, darn! I was really hoping I could get rid of this sin.
Mike: You can’t get out sin with cleaners, no matter how powerful they are.
Beth: Well, how can you get rid of it?
Mike: Jesus washes us clean of sin. You see, because God loves us, Jesus came down to earth and died on the cross for our sins. Because of the cross, our sins are forgiven.
Jennie: Oh yeah! [Points to the cross] That’s why we have this cross here in our church, right? To remind us of Jesus’ death for our sins.
Mike: That’s right. The cross is a sign of God’s forgiveness. When we baptize someone, we also make the sign of the cross on their foreheads to remind us of God’s forgiveness. In fact, we can make the sign of the cross on our foreheads any time we want to remember that God loves and forgives us.
Jennie: Hey, That’s a great idea! Let’s do that right now! Everyone, with your thumb, draw a cross on your forehead. That’s a reminder of God’s love and forgiveness!
Beth: And we’re all going to learn more about the cross today. I hope you’re excited!
Thursday
Theme: Saved by Grace through Faith
Props: Martin Luther costume
Mike: [dressed as Martin Luther] “Here I stand! I can do no other! My conscience is captive--”
Jennie: [interrupting] Um, Pastor Mike... what are you doing?
Mike: Well, I'm pretending to be Martin Luther.
Jennie: So that's why you're wearing the robe, I take it? And quoting things Martin Luther said?
Mike: Yes. “My conscience is captive to the will of God!”
Jennie: Okay, but... why are you acting like Martin Luther, exactly?
Mike: Because our theme today is “Saved by Grace Through Faith.”
Beth: What does that have to do with Martin Luther?
Mike: Knowing that we are saved by grace through faith was one of the most important parts of faith for Martin Luther!
Jennie: Oh right... we learned in seminary about that. Martin Luther read the Bible and discovered that God loved us so much that God sent Jesus to earth to die on the cross. Because of Jesus, we are saved by grace through faith!
Beth: So you could say that “Saved by grace through faith” is in the book! [HUH!]
Mike: That's right!
Beth: But what does “Saved by grace through faith” mean, anyway?
Mike: Well, what it means is that we don't have to worry about being good enough for God.
Jennie: Right, like how we were learning about the Ten Commandments on Tuesday. No matter how hard we try to follow the Ten Commandments and do what God wants us to do, it seems like we always mess up and break the rules. We just can't get rid of that stain of sin.
Mike: But we aren't saved by being good enough. We're saved by grace, which is a free gift from God.
Beth: A gift from God? Wow! That sounds great!
Mike: It is great! God saves us because God loves us, not because we are good enough.
Jennie: And because we know God loves us and that we are saved by grace through faith, we don't have to be scared or worry when we mess up. We can be happy and joyful!
Mike: That's how Martin Luther felt, too. Before he learned about being saved by grace through faith, he was scared and worried all the time. But after he learned about being saved by grace through faith, he felt safe, knowing that God loved him.
Beth: And each of us is saved by grace through faith, too! We're going to learn more about that today.
Friday
Theme: Share the Good News
Props: Santa Hat
Beth: [wearing Santa hat] Guys! Guys! Pastor Mike, Vicar Jennie!
Mike: Beth, what's going on?
Beth: I just found out the best news. You're not going to believe it!
Jennie: Well, what is it?
Beth: I just found out that they're going to start having Christmas twice a year. Once in the winter, and once in the summer. Two Christmases! That means twice as many presents!
Jennie: Oh my gosh! That's amazing! I love Christmas!
Beth: Yeah, as soon as I found out the good news, I had to tell you guys!
Mike: Beth, is that really true? Where did you hear this, anyway?
Beth: I read it online! So it must be true, right?
Jennie: Uh oh...
Mike: Beth, you can't believe everything you read on the internet.
Beth: [dejected, pulling the hat off her head] Oh, darn... I was so excited.
Jennie: But you know, Beth, you just reminded me of today's theme: Sharing the good news!
Mike: Oh, that's right. Today, we're going to talk about sharing the good news.
Beth: What good news?
Jennie: The good news about Jesus!
Mike: That's right. The good news that God loves us and forgives us, and that Jesus died for us. The good news that we're saved by grace. It's the best news there is!
Beth: Wow, yeah! That's even better than having two Christmases!
Jennie: And when you know such good news, you can't just keep it to yourself! You have to share it!
Beth: Share it with who, Vicar Jennie?
Jennie: With everyone – your friends, your family, your classmates. This good news is so big, everybody should hear about it!
Mike: That's right. And the more we talk about the good news of God's love for us, the more we learn about it, and the more we appreciate it!
Jennie: In fact, that's what we do in church every week. We talk to one another about the good news that God loves us.
Beth: And that's what we've been doing here at Backstage with the Bible all week!
Mike: That's true! We've been learning about the good news and sharing it with one another. And after we leave here today, we can go out and share the good news with other people we meet, too!
Beth: That's really exciting! I feel like I want to share the good news that God loves us right now.
Jennie: We could do that, Beth. Hey, everybody - I want you to turn to someone sitting next to you and tell them, “God loves you!” And they can share the good news with you, too!
[Beth, Mike, and Jennie share the good news with each other]
Tuesday
Theme: The Ten Commandments
Props: None
Note: In the VBS program, whenever the kids hear the line "It's in the book!" they all respond with a big yell: "HUH!" You'll see that in the skit below for that reason.
[As the song finishes, Mike, Beth, and Jennie go up on stage.]
Mike: So, you all are learning about the Ten Commandments today, huh? The Ten Commandments are pretty important for all of us. [pause] Say, Vicar Jennie, what did you learn about the Ten Commandments in seminary?
Jennie: Well, I learned that the Ten Commandments are in the Bible...
Beth: [interrupting] Don’t you mean... They’re in the book! [HUH!]
Jennie: Yes, exactly! The Ten Commandments are in the book. [HUH!] Pastor Mike, what do you know about the Ten Commandments?
Mike: Well, the Ten Commandments teach us how we should act in our relationships — our relationship with God, our relationship with our family, and our relationships with everyone we meet.
Beth: Oh, right, like how the Ten Commandments tell us we should worship and love God.
Jennie: And don’t forget about honoring your parents!
Mike: And that we shouldn’t steal from other people or hurt them. The Ten Commandments teach us how we should act.
Beth: Hey Pastor Mike, these Ten Commandments, they’re like rules, right? So what happens if we break these rules?
Mike: Well, we should always try to follow the Ten Commandments, because that’s what God expects of us. But if we break them, we can trust that God will forgive us, because God loves us.
Jennie: You know, I learned in seminary about how the Ten Commandments remind us of God’s love for us.
Beth: What do you mean?
Jennie: Well, it’s because God loves us that God wants to have a relationship with us. And God gave us blessings like family and friends. And the Ten Commandments tell us how we should act in our relationship with God and our families. So whenever I think of the Ten Commandments, I always remember that God really loves us!
Mike: So when we learn about the Ten Commandments, we should remember to do what God expects us to do, but also remember that God loves us and forgives us.
Beth: The Ten Commandments are really great! I hope you’re all excited to learn more about the Ten Commandments today!
Wednesday
Theme: The Cross
Props: A washtub with a sign that says "Insta-Clean". Two clean t-shirts hidden in the tub. Two dirty t-shirts. One t-shirt that says "SIN" in big letters.
Note: The little "magic trick" involved here went over great. The kids totally bought it... when the first clean shirt came out, they were completely amazed.
Beth: Check it out, everyone! Here in this tub, I have my magic cleaner — Insta-clean! It can get out any stain or mess, guaranteed!
Jennie: Hey Beth, that’s pretty cool. [Holding up stained shirt] Do you think it could get all these dirt and grass stains out of my shirt?
Beth: Sure! Insta-clean can get out any stain! Just give me that shirt... [Puts the dirty shirt in the tub, and pulls out a clean shirt] Look at that! Good as new!
Jennie: Wow! That’s amazing, Beth!
Mike: Wow. Do you think you could get these mustard stains out of my shirt? I made a mess of myself the last time I was eating a hot dog.
Beth: No problem! Just give it to me and I’ll put it in the Insta-clean solution... [Puts the dirty shirt in the tub, and pulls out a clean shirt] Your stain is all gone!
Mike: Thanks, Beth!
Jennie: That Insta-clean works really well. Say... [Lifts up “SIN” shirt] Beth, what about this stain?
Beth: What does that say? S-I-N... Sin.
Jennie: Yeah, I’ve had it for as long as I can remember.
Mike: Oh, yes. Every one of us has the stain of sin, no matter who we are. I have it, too, and so does Beth.
Jennie: [To Beth] So do you think Insta-clean can get it out?
Beth: Well, I can give it a try... [Puts the shirt in, and pulls it out again] Huh. The stain is still there. Maybe it needs a little more time in the solution [Puts the shirt in and scrubs it for a few seconds, then pulls it out again] No, that stain is still there.
Jennie: Oh, darn! I was really hoping I could get rid of this sin.
Mike: You can’t get out sin with cleaners, no matter how powerful they are.
Beth: Well, how can you get rid of it?
Mike: Jesus washes us clean of sin. You see, because God loves us, Jesus came down to earth and died on the cross for our sins. Because of the cross, our sins are forgiven.
Jennie: Oh yeah! [Points to the cross] That’s why we have this cross here in our church, right? To remind us of Jesus’ death for our sins.
Mike: That’s right. The cross is a sign of God’s forgiveness. When we baptize someone, we also make the sign of the cross on their foreheads to remind us of God’s forgiveness. In fact, we can make the sign of the cross on our foreheads any time we want to remember that God loves and forgives us.
Jennie: Hey, That’s a great idea! Let’s do that right now! Everyone, with your thumb, draw a cross on your forehead. That’s a reminder of God’s love and forgiveness!
Beth: And we’re all going to learn more about the cross today. I hope you’re excited!
Thursday
Theme: Saved by Grace through Faith
Props: Martin Luther costume
Mike: [dressed as Martin Luther] “Here I stand! I can do no other! My conscience is captive--”
Jennie: [interrupting] Um, Pastor Mike... what are you doing?
Mike: Well, I'm pretending to be Martin Luther.
Jennie: So that's why you're wearing the robe, I take it? And quoting things Martin Luther said?
Mike: Yes. “My conscience is captive to the will of God!”
Jennie: Okay, but... why are you acting like Martin Luther, exactly?
Mike: Because our theme today is “Saved by Grace Through Faith.”
Beth: What does that have to do with Martin Luther?
Mike: Knowing that we are saved by grace through faith was one of the most important parts of faith for Martin Luther!
Jennie: Oh right... we learned in seminary about that. Martin Luther read the Bible and discovered that God loved us so much that God sent Jesus to earth to die on the cross. Because of Jesus, we are saved by grace through faith!
Beth: So you could say that “Saved by grace through faith” is in the book! [HUH!]
Mike: That's right!
Beth: But what does “Saved by grace through faith” mean, anyway?
Mike: Well, what it means is that we don't have to worry about being good enough for God.
Jennie: Right, like how we were learning about the Ten Commandments on Tuesday. No matter how hard we try to follow the Ten Commandments and do what God wants us to do, it seems like we always mess up and break the rules. We just can't get rid of that stain of sin.
Mike: But we aren't saved by being good enough. We're saved by grace, which is a free gift from God.
Beth: A gift from God? Wow! That sounds great!
Mike: It is great! God saves us because God loves us, not because we are good enough.
Jennie: And because we know God loves us and that we are saved by grace through faith, we don't have to be scared or worry when we mess up. We can be happy and joyful!
Mike: That's how Martin Luther felt, too. Before he learned about being saved by grace through faith, he was scared and worried all the time. But after he learned about being saved by grace through faith, he felt safe, knowing that God loved him.
Beth: And each of us is saved by grace through faith, too! We're going to learn more about that today.
Friday
Theme: Share the Good News
Props: Santa Hat
Beth: [wearing Santa hat] Guys! Guys! Pastor Mike, Vicar Jennie!
Mike: Beth, what's going on?
Beth: I just found out the best news. You're not going to believe it!
Jennie: Well, what is it?
Beth: I just found out that they're going to start having Christmas twice a year. Once in the winter, and once in the summer. Two Christmases! That means twice as many presents!
Jennie: Oh my gosh! That's amazing! I love Christmas!
Beth: Yeah, as soon as I found out the good news, I had to tell you guys!
Mike: Beth, is that really true? Where did you hear this, anyway?
Beth: I read it online! So it must be true, right?
Jennie: Uh oh...
Mike: Beth, you can't believe everything you read on the internet.
Beth: [dejected, pulling the hat off her head] Oh, darn... I was so excited.
Jennie: But you know, Beth, you just reminded me of today's theme: Sharing the good news!
Mike: Oh, that's right. Today, we're going to talk about sharing the good news.
Beth: What good news?
Jennie: The good news about Jesus!
Mike: That's right. The good news that God loves us and forgives us, and that Jesus died for us. The good news that we're saved by grace. It's the best news there is!
Beth: Wow, yeah! That's even better than having two Christmases!
Jennie: And when you know such good news, you can't just keep it to yourself! You have to share it!
Beth: Share it with who, Vicar Jennie?
Jennie: With everyone – your friends, your family, your classmates. This good news is so big, everybody should hear about it!
Mike: That's right. And the more we talk about the good news of God's love for us, the more we learn about it, and the more we appreciate it!
Jennie: In fact, that's what we do in church every week. We talk to one another about the good news that God loves us.
Beth: And that's what we've been doing here at Backstage with the Bible all week!
Mike: That's true! We've been learning about the good news and sharing it with one another. And after we leave here today, we can go out and share the good news with other people we meet, too!
Beth: That's really exciting! I feel like I want to share the good news that God loves us right now.
Jennie: We could do that, Beth. Hey, everybody - I want you to turn to someone sitting next to you and tell them, “God loves you!” And they can share the good news with you, too!
[Beth, Mike, and Jennie share the good news with each other]
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
July 11 Sermon - Part One
This past Sunday was my last week supply preaching. On Thursday, I'm flying home to New Mexico for a long weekend. I'll be preaching at my home congregation, Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church. So it's time to start preparing for that sermon.
The gospel text is the parable of the good Samaritan. Here is the reading:
It's a well-known story, obviously. We have a Samaritan, a member of the fringe-like group in Judea who accepted only the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) and had their own version of the canon, known as the Samaritan Pentateuch. The Samaritans consider themselves to be the survivors of the destruction of the northern kingdom, who remained in the land continuously. Their practices were different from that of other Jews — particularly when it came to Jerusalem, the center of Jewish worship. Samaritans centered their religion on Mount Gerizim instead. All of this meant that other Jews looked down on the Samaritans, claiming they were not truly part of the people of Israel.
Here, however, the Samaritan is the protagonist. When the best of the best, a priest and a Levite, pass by the man in need, the Samaritan stops, cares for him, and even pays for his lodging. The point of the parable, on the basic level, is that the concept of "neighbor" does not depend on group loyalties or titles, but on loving action.
When I read this parable again today, another aspect of the story struck me. According to Luke, the lawyer is seeking to "justify himself" when he asks, "Who is my neighbor?" The lawyer knows the law; he knows that he is supposed to love his neighbor. When he asks this self-justifying question, he is clearly focused on himself. In other words, the lawyer seems to be thinking to himself, "I love my neighbor. Clearly, I am fulfilling the law and will inherit eternal life." However, Jesus frames the story differently. The man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho is the character with whom the lawyer is supposed to identify; the question "Who is my neighbor?" has been turned into "Who is this man's neighbor?"
The twist in the parable is this: the man's neighbor is not the one for whom he cares. The man's neighbor is the one who cares for him. It's not about what great things the man (and, by extension, the lawyer) is doing. It's about the care he receives when he is in need. Jesus is not only subverting the expectations about Samaritans and priests and Levites. Jesus is also subverting the expectations about what it means to be a neighbor. At the beginning of the reading, "neighbor" is understood as the one I love. By the end, "neighbor" is understood as "the one who showed [me] mercy." It's no longer about the I, but about the other.
The gospel text is the parable of the good Samaritan. Here is the reading:
Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
It's a well-known story, obviously. We have a Samaritan, a member of the fringe-like group in Judea who accepted only the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) and had their own version of the canon, known as the Samaritan Pentateuch. The Samaritans consider themselves to be the survivors of the destruction of the northern kingdom, who remained in the land continuously. Their practices were different from that of other Jews — particularly when it came to Jerusalem, the center of Jewish worship. Samaritans centered their religion on Mount Gerizim instead. All of this meant that other Jews looked down on the Samaritans, claiming they were not truly part of the people of Israel.
Here, however, the Samaritan is the protagonist. When the best of the best, a priest and a Levite, pass by the man in need, the Samaritan stops, cares for him, and even pays for his lodging. The point of the parable, on the basic level, is that the concept of "neighbor" does not depend on group loyalties or titles, but on loving action.
When I read this parable again today, another aspect of the story struck me. According to Luke, the lawyer is seeking to "justify himself" when he asks, "Who is my neighbor?" The lawyer knows the law; he knows that he is supposed to love his neighbor. When he asks this self-justifying question, he is clearly focused on himself. In other words, the lawyer seems to be thinking to himself, "I love my neighbor. Clearly, I am fulfilling the law and will inherit eternal life." However, Jesus frames the story differently. The man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho is the character with whom the lawyer is supposed to identify; the question "Who is my neighbor?" has been turned into "Who is this man's neighbor?"
The twist in the parable is this: the man's neighbor is not the one for whom he cares. The man's neighbor is the one who cares for him. It's not about what great things the man (and, by extension, the lawyer) is doing. It's about the care he receives when he is in need. Jesus is not only subverting the expectations about Samaritans and priests and Levites. Jesus is also subverting the expectations about what it means to be a neighbor. At the beginning of the reading, "neighbor" is understood as the one I love. By the end, "neighbor" is understood as "the one who showed [me] mercy." It's no longer about the I, but about the other.
Friday, July 2, 2010
July 4 Sermon - Part Two
Well, I found the box with commentaries, so I've been taking a look at Fitzmyer's commentary on Luke again. I also checked out the commentary over at Working Preacher (www.workingpreacher.org).
Regarding the commission Jesus gives the seventy, Fitzmyer writes, "They are not being sent to carry out out ordinary social obligations and amenities, for what they are to preach and do will set them apart. There will be no time for ordinary greetings, scruples over what sort of food one eats, or searching for better quarters. . . Their concern for God's kingdom must be that of reapers confronted with a harvest that is to be gathered in before it spoils." He also notes that in Luke, the commission of the disciples and that of these seventy others form a doublet — in other words, Luke has doubled up a particular narrative, which is presented only once in the other synoptic gospels (Mark and Matthew). Luke is emphasizing that many will carry on the ministry of Jesus, not just the twelve disciples; this perspective becomes even more clear in Acts.
As for the report of the seventy in the second part of the reading, Fitzmyer emphasizes the final part of Jesus' response: "Jesus' last remark (v. 20) puts the mission of the disciples in its proper heavenly perspective. It is not just that Satanic evil has been eclipsed — this is not the reason for their joy — rather, the real reason for it is that God himself has inscribed the names of these representatives of Jesus in the book of life."
Over at Working Preacher, Dr. Salmon focused on what the experience of the seventy must have been like. She lifts up the importance of table-fellowship and hospitality in the gospel of Luke, noticing how this is played out in Jesus' instructions: "Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide." She writes, "This model of hospitality transgresses common customs of hospitality as I know and understand them. Where is the notion of reciprocity? If I invite you to dinner, I will notice if I do not receive an invitation to dine at your home. And what about overstaying one's welcome? We have unflattering names for people who 'take advantage of' our generous hospitality. The name 'free-loader' comes to mind. . . When I heard his story, I pondered an underlying assumption that those who have more extend hospitality to those who have less." What Jesus is instructing is a different notion of hospitality than that with which we are familiar. If we put ourselves in the position of the seventy, as those carrying out Jesus' ministry, then we have to examine our assumptions about hospitality. Maybe this also speaks to the faulty notion of ministry as 'helping people' (in the sense of constantly giving, trying to fix, and assuming we are the 'haves' and others are the 'have-nots'). To be ministers in Jesus' work, we have to accept hospitality, stay in the home where we are welcomed, and eat what is set before us.
Regarding the commission Jesus gives the seventy, Fitzmyer writes, "They are not being sent to carry out out ordinary social obligations and amenities, for what they are to preach and do will set them apart. There will be no time for ordinary greetings, scruples over what sort of food one eats, or searching for better quarters. . . Their concern for God's kingdom must be that of reapers confronted with a harvest that is to be gathered in before it spoils." He also notes that in Luke, the commission of the disciples and that of these seventy others form a doublet — in other words, Luke has doubled up a particular narrative, which is presented only once in the other synoptic gospels (Mark and Matthew). Luke is emphasizing that many will carry on the ministry of Jesus, not just the twelve disciples; this perspective becomes even more clear in Acts.
As for the report of the seventy in the second part of the reading, Fitzmyer emphasizes the final part of Jesus' response: "Jesus' last remark (v. 20) puts the mission of the disciples in its proper heavenly perspective. It is not just that Satanic evil has been eclipsed — this is not the reason for their joy — rather, the real reason for it is that God himself has inscribed the names of these representatives of Jesus in the book of life."
Over at Working Preacher, Dr. Salmon focused on what the experience of the seventy must have been like. She lifts up the importance of table-fellowship and hospitality in the gospel of Luke, noticing how this is played out in Jesus' instructions: "Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide." She writes, "This model of hospitality transgresses common customs of hospitality as I know and understand them. Where is the notion of reciprocity? If I invite you to dinner, I will notice if I do not receive an invitation to dine at your home. And what about overstaying one's welcome? We have unflattering names for people who 'take advantage of' our generous hospitality. The name 'free-loader' comes to mind. . . When I heard his story, I pondered an underlying assumption that those who have more extend hospitality to those who have less." What Jesus is instructing is a different notion of hospitality than that with which we are familiar. If we put ourselves in the position of the seventy, as those carrying out Jesus' ministry, then we have to examine our assumptions about hospitality. Maybe this also speaks to the faulty notion of ministry as 'helping people' (in the sense of constantly giving, trying to fix, and assuming we are the 'haves' and others are the 'have-nots'). To be ministers in Jesus' work, we have to accept hospitality, stay in the home where we are welcomed, and eat what is set before us.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
July 4 Sermon - Part One (and a quick update)
Whew. It's been pretty busy since I last had a chance to post. I did preach this past Sunday (on the always-exciting "no one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God" text), but I didn't have a chance to put up a single blog post about it. Steve and I moved from Gettysburg to Virginia last Friday, which meant that all of last week was spent busily packing up our Gettysburg apartment, and most of this week has been spent unpacking and setting up the new apartment. We were incredibly blessed to have help with the move — quite a few members of my internship site, as well as some folks from Steve's site, showed up to help us move in and feel welcome. Not only did they stock our pantry with food and other supplies, but they hauled all our furniture up three flights of stairs, to our fourth-floor-with-no-elevator apartment. We definitely couldn't have done it without them. And I don't even start internship for two and a half more weeks!
So that's the update about my life. Now back to the sermon-preparing! The gospel text for this week is Luke 10:1-11,16-20. Here is the lectionary text:
It's always fascinating to see what the lectionary cuts out. In this case, here are the missing verses that should follow "Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near": "I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town. Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But at the judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades."
Yikes.
As it's been set out in the lectionary, the focus here seems to be on the commissioning of the seventy, and their power to heal and cast out demons. They are doing, at least in part, what Jesus has been doing in his ministry. Obviously, they are not identical to Jesus, but they are carrying his ministry out to a broader area. This might be a good image for what the ministry of Christians looks like today. It's similar to the ELCA slogan, "God's work. Our hands." The seventy are doing the ministry of Jesus with their own hands (and feet).
At the end of the reading, Jesus says, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." This sounds to me like the kind language that's used in the Dead Sea Scrolls. There is a clear dualism, a heavenly conflict, and the seventy have the authority to defy the enemy and be unharmed. However, the real source of rejoicing is not the power itself, but the identification of which side they are on — namely, the side of Jesus, of heaven.
Those are my initial thoughts. Once I figure out what box commentaries are packed in, I will check that out and put up another post.
So that's the update about my life. Now back to the sermon-preparing! The gospel text for this week is Luke 10:1-11,16-20. Here is the lectionary text:
After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’
“Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
It's always fascinating to see what the lectionary cuts out. In this case, here are the missing verses that should follow "Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near": "I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town. Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But at the judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades."
Yikes.
As it's been set out in the lectionary, the focus here seems to be on the commissioning of the seventy, and their power to heal and cast out demons. They are doing, at least in part, what Jesus has been doing in his ministry. Obviously, they are not identical to Jesus, but they are carrying his ministry out to a broader area. This might be a good image for what the ministry of Christians looks like today. It's similar to the ELCA slogan, "God's work. Our hands." The seventy are doing the ministry of Jesus with their own hands (and feet).
At the end of the reading, Jesus says, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." This sounds to me like the kind language that's used in the Dead Sea Scrolls. There is a clear dualism, a heavenly conflict, and the seventy have the authority to defy the enemy and be unharmed. However, the real source of rejoicing is not the power itself, but the identification of which side they are on — namely, the side of Jesus, of heaven.
Those are my initial thoughts. Once I figure out what box commentaries are packed in, I will check that out and put up another post.
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