1 Corinthians 12:12-27 The Body of Christ

 

Observation: Paul is writing to a community of Christians in Corinth, and they have had a lot of division and turmoil. Paul needs to remind them that even though they have different spiritual gifts, they are all equally valuable to God, and in fact they are connected. He uses the image of a body--Christ's body--to remind his readers that they need each other. 

Application: Believe it or not, I had already planned to do a sermon series later this summer on the Body of Christ. This isn't the only place in the New Testament, or even in Paul's writings, where this image is brought up. There's a lot to talk about with Paul's inspired metaphor. Today, the thing that stands out for me is verse 26, "if one member suffers, all suffer together with it". The body of Christ is interconnected, and it is not truly healthy while any part if it is hurting. This means my own spiritual and emotional health is important not just to me, but to the whole body of Christ. 

There's a way of looking at families, churches, and other close groups called 'systems theory.' the basic idea is that sickness and health are not just individual, but communal. One family member may be the 'identified patient,' the one suffering from cancer, depression, an addiction, or another ailment. But their condition affects the whole family's behavior, and even when the 'identified patient' becomes healthy again, there will be much work to do for the family to adapt and also become well. It's not enough to treat one part of the system. You have to look at the whole system.

I guess the takeaway today is that being part of a body means our own health--especially spiritual health--is not just our own individual concern. Tending to our own lives, in body, mind and spirit, is a blessing to our families and our churches, too. It's not selfish to take the time and effort to get well in whatever way we need. The body needs us. 

Prayer: God, help me be well. Help me to take my wellness seriously. Heal me when I hurt, and help me to heal the hurts of others as your Spirit gives me ability. In Jesus' name, Amen.    

Titus 1:1-9 Blameless Leaders

 

Observation: Paul writes to Titus about finding leaders in every town who can manage the work of the church. He speaks of elders and of bishops (a word which means "overseer"), and lists many personal moral qualifications. Blameless, married only once, children are believers, not accused of debauchery or licentiousness, not addicted to alcohol or greedy for gain, not arrogant, with a firm grasp of the word and Christian teaching, the list goes on and on...in short, the church needs leaders of the highest quality, because their job is difficult, and the world is watching. 

Application: In the ELCA, this is a season of Synod Assemblies, which is where the leadership of bishops is on full display. I am pleased to say, despite the many challenges of meeting online for the very first time, and recovering from eye surgery, our bishop and his team led admirably. There was a tremendous amount of work to do as a church, but Bishop Satterlee rose to the task, and his report reminded us not just of what we do, but why: for the sake of spreading the Good News of Jesus to a world in need. 

Synod Assembly season is also a season of bishop elections, and our denomination had a rare moment of being in the national news for electing our first openly transgender bishop: The Rev. Dr. Megan Rohrer, bishop elect of the Sierra-Pacific Synod. I will link to a couple of news stories about their election and their ministry up to this point, but suffice it to say, of the many stringent expectations Paul places upon Titus in finding bishops and leaders of the Church, Pastor Rohrer appears to meet them all. But that does not mean they will not need our prayers...indeed, even under normal circumstances, the life of a Christian leader is a difficult one, to say nothing of the public vitriol which is surely already coming Pastor Rohrer's way. So today, I pray for them, as well as for our synodical bishop, Craig Satterlee, and our presiding bishop, Elizabeth Eaton. 

I honestly can't say what a "blameless" life and ministry looks like. There are things on Paul's list which I would have questions about, and things I might add. To me, knowing how stressful leading a church can be, I know it's dangerous to aspire to perfection. I'll never get there. But I can be perfectly imperfect. Perfectly ready to be the right person for this time and place, and to trust a perfect God to work with my imperfections. That's what I aspire to in my ministry, and that's how I will pray for our bishops today. 

Prayer: Holy Spirit, stir up in all Christian leaders the ability to dwell in you, to be formed by you for all the challenges of this day, and at the last, to turn them over to you, who do not slumber nor sleep. Ignite the spirits of our bishops, Elizabeth and Craig, and the spirit of Megan, newly elected to lead your people in the Sierra Pacific synod. Given them the strength they will need for today. Forgive them when they fall short, and give them the capacity to forgive others. Defend them from every evil. May they be blameless in their conduct, but even more in their trust that you can use our imperfections for the sake of your mission in this world. I pray this through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 

For Further Reading: 

Lutherans Elect First Openly Transgender Bishop Megan Rohrer 

Megan Rohrer elected bishop of ELCA Sierra Pacific Synod

Office of the Presiding Bishop, ELCA

What is a Synod?

1 Timothy 6:13-16 Without Spot or Blame

 

Observation: The words that catch my attention in this pastoral letter are "without spot or blame." Paul, or a representative writing in his name, encourages Timothy, a young pastor, to keep the commandment without spot or blame: flawlessly. Perfectly. He reminds Timothy that Jesus himself did this by freely confessing who he is in front of Pontius Pilate, knowing the consequence would be death. The words "without spot or blemish" are often used in the Hebrew Bible for a temple sacrifice: a goat or a lamb. 

Application: I'm a lot of things, but I am not "without spot or blame." I don't always know what to make of letters like this, that demand perfection. What I do know is that Jesus is without spot or blame, and he has willingly sacrificed himself for me. That doesn't let me off the hook, of course. In gratefulness for his sacrifice, I still try to get up and follow him as best I can each day, dwelling on his teachings, imitating his sacrificial love for the people he puts before me. But I know I can't reach perfection. The spots and blemishes will remain, but Jesus has taken care of them. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Jesus, Lamb of God, thank you for your sacrifice for me. Thank your for your grace and mercy. Help me to move forward into this day, giving yesterday's spots and blemishes over to you, keeping your greatest commandment of love. In your name I pray. Amen. 

  

Revelation 7:13-17 A Life of Worship

 

Observation: John is shown a vision of martyrs. Even by the first century, Christians have already been through a "great ordeal," like the text says. They have suffered a lot of pain, heartbreak, and many have given up their lives for their faith. The angel says that these people will no longer hunger or thirst, and their tears will be wiped away. But what catches my eye most is that they "worship him day and night in his temple." 

Application: Based on Revelation, I've heard it said before that Heaven is "like being in a worship service all the time." If you were to ask me when I was young, and probably my kids now, if a never-ending worship service sounds like heaven, the answer would likely be "not exactly."

No matter what your congregation's worship looks like, whether it's a tried-and-true liturgy that serves as an anchor in chaotic times, or a free, lively emotional release, whether your pastor preaches with stories, engaging Bible lessons, visual illustrations, or anything else, let's be honest:  it's hard to imagine a heaven where you are stuck in that mode for all eternity. So what should we make of the idea that the saints "worship him day and night", all the time? 

What I get from this is that in the life to come, the line between daily life and worship will disappear, just as the line between heaven and earth dissolves in the presence of Jesus, the Lamb of God. Even now, we worship with the hope that it will inspire our daily activities, even the boring ones, to be acts of worship. When the veil has been lifted, this will come naturally. We will always be at worship, because we will always be aware of the endless love and mercy that surrounds us and all creation, even now. Worship as we know it isn't a break from reality. It's a time to reground ourselves in God's reality, which is different from the world of illusion in which we labor now. In the life to come, we will be living in the real world, all the time, for the first time. I can't wait...but then, in a manner of speaking, we don't have to. 

Prayer: God, let my life be an act of worship. Let our times of worship center our lives. Amen.  

Observation: Two things jump out at me about this reading. The first is the acknowledgement in v 13 "Other lords have beside you have ruled over us, but we acknowledge your name alone." The second is the stark reality of our mortality and death in v 14: "The dead do not live; shades do not rise..."

Application: As I read the books of the Bible, and study the history of the people God inspired to write them, a few strange conclusions come to mind. One is that there was a whole lot of evolution in thought as to what happens to you after you die. Much of the Old Testament seems to say what Isaiah says here: nothing. Later books in the Hebrew Bible, and certainly once you reach the New Testament, have more to say on the matter. But one thing that hasn't changed is the guarantee: God is faithful, and worthy of our worship and praise. No matter who claims to be in charge, our faith and hope remain in God. 

I used to be very confident, almost doctrinaire, about exactly what happens after we die, based on the witness of the New Testament. (And by the way, the picture it paints is QUITE different from what most Christians picture, but that's neither here nor there.) I feel I've been humbled over the years. My best answer now is, "I don't know. But God does. And God is trustworthy, and good, and loves us more than we can imagine." I think that's good enough for now. 

Prayer: God, help us to trust in you through this life and beyond. May your kingdom come among us, both in our lives and communities, and, on your timing, in its fullness in this world. In Jesus' name, amen.  

 

Daniel 6:1-28 Faith From the Lion's Den

 

Observation: Darius the Persian King is amazed by Daniel's faithfulness, and by God's goodness. Even though Darius was tricked into passing a law that made it illegal to pray to anyone but himself--a law which Daniel, a faithful Jew, broke by praying to God three times a day--God has shut the mouths of the lions in the cave where Daniel was forced to spend the night. Because of Daniel's faith, the whole world hears from Darius about God. 

Application: I needed to hear this passage today, because it reminds me that our faith shines through the strongest when life is the hardest. We may not always feel very brave in our Christian witness, or confident that God is with us through thick and thin, but the fact is, God can show the world a whole lot through our lives, when we just take it one day at a time, and do the next right thing. Faith in God got Daniel into the lion's den, but it also got him out. 

Prayer: God, help me be faithful like Daniel, one day at a time. In Jesus' name, Amen. 

1 Corinthians 15:50-58 Behold, I Tell you a Mystery

 

Observation: Near the end of his letter to the Corinthians, Paul is kind of doing a "Q&A session," and he devotes an entire chapter to sharing his understanding of Jesus' resurrection and its importance for us. He begins by recounting the many witnesses to the Risen Christ (including at least one story not included in the Gospels!), then  goes on to share how vitally important these accounts are to the faith of Christians. Finally, in this paragraph, Paul shares his belief about what kind of life awaits believers in Christ. It will not be exactly the same as earthly life, but it is real, and eternal, and a deep mystery. At the end of time, "we will not all die, but we will all be changed." Our mortal bodies will put on immortality. 

Application: Sometimes I'm just without words as I approach such an awesome and mysterious concept as the resurrection of the dead. I need to sit with them, and let them sink into my mind and heart, and let them become a part of my consciousness, before I try to break them down into ideas or concepts to digest. What happens to us after we die continues to be a great mystery. We can certainly slice and dice various pieces of scripture and try to fit them into a collage that may give us some picture of what it will look like. But I don't think we need to. Even Paul, who saw the Risen Jesus himself, and devoted his life to making sense of him, in the end just found himself singing an old familiar hymn: "Death where is your sting?" 

What we know is that Jesus is alive, and that he has promised to bring us into new life too. For now, that's enough. 

Prayer: Jesus, thank your for the deep mystery of your resurrection. May it change us, even as we live, so that we may share your hope. Amen.