THE TEST OF FAITHFULNESS

THE OTHER COMMANDMENTS

Yesterday I focused attention on the "mandatum" Jesus gave on the night of his betrayal and arrest, the "new commandment" that Jesus bequeathed to his disciples and to all future generations of disciples as well. That commandment comes from the Gospel according to Saint John.

But that is not the only commandment Jesus gave on that night when he gathered with his followers for a final meal. According to the other three gospels, Jesus commanded his followers to continue sharing the meal he instituted with them that night. While the exact form of his command varies in all three accounts, there is no doubt that Jesus intended for the meal to be an ongoing observance among his disciples, as an ongoing memorial of his death.

"Take, eat . . ." "Drink this all of you . . ." "Do this for the remembrance of me," these are three forms of the command Jesus gave, and while the wording does vary from one gospel to another, it is clear that in each instance Jesus was not merely "suggesting" that they observe this meal-- he was commanding his followers to continue it.

Scholars can debate whether the reference to the meal as a "Passover Meal" is accurate, but we who follow Jesus have come to realize existentially that by sharing this meal we are able to experience again and again his presence among us and the forgiveness of our sins that he promised. We come to the table with the awareness that we do not "deserve" the invitation but grateful that he put us on that list on the day when we were baptized, and we leave the table comforted by his love and empowered by his Spirit.

Sadly, there are too many Christians who treat Jesus' command as if it were optional rather than a commandment from our Lord. Maybe that's the reason Jesus gave the command in the first place, as a clear message that we belong at his table and that we really need to be there. As long as we see the sacrament as optional, then the gospel itself is emptied of its meaning, at least for us. On the other hand, when we see it as a life-giving command given by the One who loved us to the very end, then we make every effort to be there whenever it is offered. He calls us to his supper, and we are wise to run to the table with joyful hearts.

Holy Week takes on a different meaning for all of us when we see it as a chance to return to the place where we most need to be, at the foot of Jesus' cross. That's where we find true joy and hope for the future.

"MAUNDY" THURSDAY OR "HOLY" THURSDAY?

One of the most common questions I get as a pastor around Holy Week is, "Why do we call Thursday in Holy Week 'Maundy Thursday'?"


I'm glad when people ask such a question because it shows that they are thinking about the meaning of Holy Week and are not just treating it like another week as the secular world always does. It is quite the opposite kind of question from "Who's playing against the Oxford United soccer team this Friday night?"-- a question that came up in my mind after reading today's email newsletter from abroad.


Why "Maundy?" Why not "Holy" Thursday as other Christians have come to refer to the day recently? What difference does it make, anyway? What's in a name?


For non-Christians it makes no difference at all what you call the day. This year, because it falls on April 17th, Maundy Thursday also shares the honors with

Bat Appreciation Day! 

Blah, Blah, Blah Day! 

Ellis Island Family History Day!

Ford Mustang Day! 

Get to Know Your customer Day!

National Ask An Atheist Day! and 

National Cheeseball Day!

Of course it must be remembered that those "special days" are on the annual calendar rather than the calendar of the Church Year, and the list actually DID include Maundy Thursday, (although it was sixth on the list).

Getting back to the issue at hand, when we call the day "Maundy" Thursday we are focusing on what took place at that meal that Jesus had on the night of his betrayal and arrest. Jesus, knowing that less than 24 hours later he would be dead, wanted to make sure his disciples knew what was the most important thing for them to remember in the days and centuries to come.  At that meal h

e gave them his "mandatum." "A new commandment I give you, that you love one another as I have loved you."

Because of that new commandment, we call the day "Maundy." Of course that command is a "holy" commandment, but when we use a different word to name the day, aren't we deliberately shifting the emphasis away from its true meaning and toward something else?

Jesus gave that commandment to his disciples for many reasons, but it is at least clear that he gave it because he really wanted them to obey it. We may forget many of the things  the Scriptures say Jesus taught, but this goes to the very foundation of who and what we are as the Body of Christ. People who love one another have a vision of what God intends for His world, a world where He reigns over all people in love and where people truly love one another as Jesus "loved" them-- by laying down his life on the cross.

Such a vision calls into question all our illusions about what it means to be a faithful church member. It forces us to ask ourselves the question, "How can I be more loving toward my brothers and sisters in Christ, and how can that love be translated into love for the whole world?"

Let's keep the "Maundy" in "Maundy Thursday" and in every day of our lives as well.

WHY HOLY WEEK? Day 1

I know that I have a lot to do this week as we journey through to Easter Sunday, but there’s so much that is really important about this week that I want to share what I can. Added to that, I am somewhat discouraged by the relative lack of interest in Lent and in worship in general shown by so many church members again this year, that even if I could put it all into sermons, chances are that the vast majority of “believers” would miss it completely anyway.

So I will write a few short posts and share them for those who are interested in “holy things” at least for my own sake, if not also for your sake.

At the center of Holy Week (actually the end of Holy Week) is the observance of the “Triduum,” aka the “three days” that precede the great Easter celebration: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. This is the heart of the Passion Story which we read in worship on Palm Sunday and also on Good Friday. Something important happened on those three days, and they shape our understanding of what it means to live as a follower of Jesus Christ. For us it begins on Maundy Thursday, (aka “Holy Thursday” to those who don’t want to get too deeply into the implications of the command of Jesus.)

I was intrigued, first of all, by a comment I read in the book, ”Feasting on the Word,” by Nora Gallagher. She said, “Holy Thursday is one of the biggest days of the Church year.”

I used to think that, but recently I wonder how many other normally faithful, practicing Christians believe that. Is Holy Thursday really “one of the biggest days of the Church year” for you? People used to think it was valuable to gather on Thursday night, the night in which Jesus was betrayed, to celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion which he instituted on that night with his disciples. Of all the days in the year, this one day has a powerful connection to every Sunday worship service we attend. I couldn’t imagine what worship would be like had Jesus not had the Last Supper we read about in the Gospels. Holy Communion is not only what we do; it is what we are.  It is the day when we start our life together as the people of God, and it links us not only with all Christians who have ever followed in the way of the cross, it also links us with all the faithful Jewish believers who were liberated by God in the time of the Exodus. It is a really big night compared to every other night.

Yet so many seem to just let it slip by without any attempt to celebrate it.

Could it be that the practice of celebrating Holy Communion every Sunday has made this festival day just another day? Would we take it more seriously, for instance, if we decided to offer the sacrament only ONCE a year on this day (noon as well as night for those who can’t drive at night)? Imagine having just one day a year to receive the sign of God’s promise of the forgiveness of your sins and the hope of eternal life. Would you stay home and say, “I’ve had a busy day today, so I’m staying home”?

I know there are probably many genuine reasons that some Christians miss out on celebrating this day, so I’m thankful that we proclaim the forgiveness of sins every week rather than on a single Christian “Day of Atonement.” But let me just say that this day gives us a chance to stand up and receive once more the blessing God wants us to have. In some sense, it is the day that the Church was “born,” (or at least conceived). God invites us all once more to share in worship and fellowship with Him. It’s not the whole thing, but it is a great beginning.

Rules for the Road Part 1

On Sunday, September 1, I preached a message based on Hebrews 13 called "Rules for the Road--on the Journey of Faith." I thought it might be good to share them here as well. Please think of them as guidelines from Scripture on how we can journey by faith and make a difference in the world as we know it. I will share one at a time here.

Rule 1: Love your brothers and sisters in Christ deeply--
Jesus said to his disciples, "By this this the world will know that you are my disciples: if you have love for one another." God has joined us to one another in the body of Christ so we could be a community of believers who carry out his mission in the world. The chief quality that witnesses to the world that we are a Christian community is our ability to love one another deeply.

Unfortunately, because of sin, we often turn inward on ourselves and isolate ourselves from the brothers and sisters God has given us in Christ's body. By the power of God's indwelling Spirit, we are set free from our bondage to sin and given the ability to reach out to one another in love.

When we come to the church for the first time, we are all strangers to one another. But because God has a different future in store for us, we must not remain strangers to one another for ever. To break out of our natural isolation, we need to make the effort to pay attention to one another and open our hearts to each other in the family of God.

Perhaps the most basic activity we can engage in is to simply introduce ourselves to each other when we gather for worship. How many times have we worshipped together without even finding out the names of those who sit near us every week? That's a small step we can all take. Admit that you don't know someone's name and offer your name to them: "I'm _______. What's your name?" It sounds a bit awkward, but it's a beginning of a journey that is very worth starting. Even just meeting one person each Sunday is a good way to start, and if you're really ambitious, meet two.

The Two-week Punch List

Now that our Holy Week and Easter services are over, I am wondering what tasks I need to put on my two-week punch list. Last week our Sabbatical Team completed the mailing out of the brochures about the Exploring Shared Ministry workshops planned for the coming weeks, so that's something already done. Likewise with the "Sabbatical 2013" newsletter we are sending out to all our member households this week. I'm glad the work on those is already done.

This week I will be re-contacting the people who wanted to work out specific details about my itinerary "after Easter." That should be fun.

I need to work out the rest of the list as soon as possible so I don't get overly anxious about what will be going on.

The Natural Response

“As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you."So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”

       This is the earliest record we have in Scripture of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It sounds similar to their reports that we have in Matthew's Gospel as well as in Luke, but there are some major differences as well.

     The most obvious difference between this gospel story and the others is that we do not see our encounter the risen Lord Jesus himself. All we have is the message of the angel, the young man dressed in a white robe who is sitting inside the tomb.
      In fact, if Mark's Gospel was the only account we had of the resurrection of Jesus, we would have a real problem understanding what really happened. That's one of the reasons that this particular story is not used very often on Easter Sunday. Matthew, Luke, and John tell us much fuller stories about what took place on Easter Sunday, so we naturally favor them over Mark.
     Yet it is still a good thing for us to pay attention to what Mark has to say about the resurrection of our Lord, because he is the first one to actually write it down for us. And Mark tells us a lot about what happened on that day.
     Mark tells us that on the first day of the week after the sun had risen three women went to the tomb of Jesus to anoint him with some special spices that they were bringing with them. They were not asking philosophical or theological questions like why would God allow his son to be crucified? Or how could this have possibly happened to such a good kind and generous man?
     For them the big question with a very simple, practical one: "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?"
     Mark tells us that when they got to the tomb they realized that the question they were struggling with was not a question at all because the stone had already been rolled away.
     As they entered into the tomb, they discovered the answer to the question who rolled away the stone, for there was a messenger from God waiting for them to give them instructions and a message to bring back to the disciples.
     How would you have responded to this encounter with a messenger from God?
     Would you have run from the tomb, jumping and shouting for joy at the news that Jesus was raised from the dead? Would you have started singing the words of the Hallelujah Chorus? Is there any “natural” way of responding to the unlikely and unexpected news that God had raised Jesus from the dead?
     Well, there is a natural way of responding to such news. That's exactly what Mark tells us is the way the women responded to the news when they heard it. They went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
     Any other response to that strange and unexpected encounter would be absolutely unbelievable. They did exactly what any normal, sane, or intelligent person would do. They fled. Wouldn't you?
     They were afraid. Wouldn't you be afraid also? What was really going on here? What was going to happen to them in the future? What was God trying to accomplish anyway?
     Mark leaves us hanging, so to speak. We don't have any more information from Mark than what we have right here. Like those women, we are left wondering about what resurrection of Jesus is all about. But we do have something. We have the word from that messenger sent by God, "He is not here; he has been raised," and in the end, maybe that's all we really need to have.
     That's not all that the messenger from God told the women that day. He went on to give them instructions. "Go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you."
     In other words, although this is the place where Mark ends his gospel, this is not the place where God ends the Gospel. They may have been terrified by what they experienced at the tomb of Jesus that morning, but they did go on Galilee, and they did see him.
     How do we know that? Because we have the story, just as it is written right now. If the women had absolutely  refused to say anything to anyone, we would never have ever heard about them in the first place. There would be no Easter Gospel at all.
     Somewhere along the line, the women discovered the same thing that we discover when we hear the good news about Jesus' resurrection. In time, Jesus made his presence and power known to those women in a way that changed their lives forever, and that's exactly what Jesus wants to do with you and with me.
     Yes, that day they were seized by terror and amazement and said nothing anyone, but that's perfectly okay. I wonder what difference it would make for us, if when we heard the story of Jesus resurrection we could recognize that it is indeed an extraordinary tale, unlike any other story that has ever been told. Maybe then, we would be better able to recognize the presence and power of the risen Christ in our own everyday lives just as he made himself known to them.