A Fateful Ride

Today is Palm Sunday so we will look at the story of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem at the beginning of one of the most revered times in the Christian year.  Luke describes the disciples fetching the colt and the entry.  But what kind of entry is it really and what does Luke want us to know about Jesus as he sets the stage for the trial, crucifixion and resurrection?

Luke 19:28-31 After saying these things, Jesus headed straight up to Jerusalem. When he got near Bethphage and Bethany at the mountain called Olives, he sent off two of the disciples with instructions: “Go to the village across from you. As soon as you enter, you’ll find a colt tethered, one that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says anything, asks, ‘What are you doing?’ say, ‘His Master needs him.’”
32-33 The two left and found it just as he said. As they were untying the colt, its owners said, “What are you doing untying the colt?” 34 They said, “His Master needs him.”
35-36 They brought the colt to Jesus. Then, throwing their coats on its back, they helped Jesus get on. As he rode, the people gave him a grand welcome, throwing their coats on the street.
37-38 Right at the crest, where Mount Olives begins its descent, the whole crowd of disciples burst into enthusiastic praise over all the mighty works they had witnessed:
Blessed is he who comes, the king in God’s name!
All’s well in heaven! Glory in the high places!
39 Some Pharisees from the crowd told him, “Teacher, get your disciples under control!” 40 But he said, “If they kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise.”

 · What was Luke trying to impart about Jesus to his readers/hearers in this story, how were they to see and understand who he was? 

Notes on the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem
o The Mount of Olives carried special meaning for first century Jews. In Zechariah (14:4), when the Day of the Lord comes, the Lord would approach Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives--"On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives."

o As Jesus rode into town on a colt, he brought to mind the image in Zechariah 9:9 of the promised king humbly riding on a colt. It presents Jesus as the king who comes in the name of the Lord, and the rejoicing of those who would witness it:

“Shout and cheer, Daughter Zion!
    Raise the roof, Daughter Jerusalem!
Your king is coming!
    a good king who makes all things right,
    a humble king riding a donkey,
    a mere colt of a donkey.

o This particular donkey, like any animal suited for sacred use, has never been ridden.

o The spreading of cloaks is yet another sign of royal acclamation. In 2 Kings 9:13, the spreading of cloaks was a sign of greeting for the king: "Then hurriedly they all took their cloaks and spread them for him...and they blew the trumpet, and proclaimed, ‘Jehu is king.’"

o Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan have written a The Last Week, and they begin their account of Jesus' last seven days with a colorful description of this procession by the King of Peace into one end of Jerusalem at the same time that the Roman Empire's representative, Pontius Pilate, full of brute power, enters at the other end. Pilate has arrived to "keep the peace" in the city during the turbulent time of Passover, when the crowds always get a little unruly. He travels with troops and flags and weapons, all the signs of empire, on a magnificent warhorse, in case the flags and weapons and troops aren't a sufficiently intimidating display of power. 

· Does the imagery of Jesus as a kingly messiah connect with you in any way? How would you describe the Jesus who is the source of your salvation. What would be part of a contemporary account of this kind of Jesus' arrival and would it have been in Jerusalem or some other place?

 

· What do you make of the telling of the acquisition of the colt? What questions does it raise for you and is there anything interesting for you as you read it?

 

· Who was loudly praising God and why were they doing it? How many of them do you visualize were participating? Were any of those in the crowd chanting for his crucifixion later that week necessarily in this group?

· What kind of salvation and blessing by God do you think “the multitude of disciples” was proclaiming? What motivated them to do this?  

· How do you take the Pharisees words, were they intended as a command or a word to the wise? Down through the ages the Jews have been attributed as being central to Jesus’ crucifixion. Who sentenced Jesus to death and carried out the scourging and crucifixion? What were the Roman authorities trying to make clear in executing Jesus? What kind of a threat was he to them? If this event took place today would there be those who saw it as a threat?

· What do you think is going through Jesus’ mind as this is taking place? What is the mood of the disciples? Have there been times when you have been especially enthused about your faith life? How did you express this enthusiasm?

Less than a week later: 

Luke 22:60-62 Peter said, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about." At that very moment, the last word hardly off his lips, a rooster crowed. Just then, the Master turned and looked at Peter. Peter remembered what the Master had said to him: "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." He went out and cried and cried and cried.

· What mood has descended upon the disciples in less than a week? What has happened to cause Peter to lose his Palm Sunday enthusiasm? What do you think he might be crying about?

· What kind of events, if any, has caused you to despair about your faith life? What causes high hopes and faith based enthusiasm to diminish? How might Easter Sunday be instructive to us about the rough places in our faith journey?

 

Closing Litany
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation. 

The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.

 This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvellous in our eyes. 

This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

Amen

 

From Psalm 118

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Doing the Hard Things

For 3/17/2013

Lent is a time of introspection and prayer when we seek God's guidance for our lives. Many things can come from that guidance and wisdom which will enrich our lives. One word we can use to describe this is discernment - to perceive, detect, to recognize or comprehend mentally. Today we will look at scriptures from James which speak to discernment:

James 1:5-8 If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.                                                                                          
· How many times this past month have you felt like "you didn't know what you are doing"? What did you feel like when this happened? How did you handle it? Were you happy with the outcome?

· What is the writer of James' advice to us? When is the most likely time we will turn to prayer for guidance in dealing with a situation? What are some reasons that we might forget this advice?

· Has your reliance on this advice changed as you have matured in your faith life? What are some things that reinforced your instinct to turn to prayer?

· What are we told about God? Are there people you know who seem to love to help? What about them makes them helpful? How do you feel about them? Do you ever feel a sense of God's "hands on" in a situation?  

· How does this assertion square with your experience with prayer? What do you ask for when you are facing a dilemma? What do you typically receive when you pray in these situations? What have you learned about God and the ways God’s gives us help?

· How are we to pray? What might be included in or left out of the kind of prayer the writer wants us to avoid? But what is we are not sure what to pray for - is that OK? Paul has some thoughts in Romans 8:
...God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves...
· Do you think that Paul is right? Is this a sign of a God "who loves to help"?

· Do you think that your faith community has taken James' advice as it makes decisions and sets priorities? Looking back what would you cite as examples of prayerful discernment? Do you think that it has missed any opportunities for seeking the one "who loves to help"?

· Isaiah 43 is a Lectionary scripture for today and it seems to speak to what might need to happen to allow God's Spirit to act in our personal or congregational life. What needs to happen before something new can happen? How hard is it to let go of things that in our minds were priorities, things that go unquestioned, voices that were relevant to conditions in the past:

Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

                                                                                 Isaiah 43:18-19

The writer now speaks to the counterintuitive idea that challenges are a good thing:

James 1:2-4 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.         
                                                                          
· How do you feel about the sentiments in the first sentence? Have "tests and challenges" ever been something that was in fact a gift for you? When do tests and challenges go from being a gift to something very different?

· The second sentence speaks to our faith-life in the face of a challenge. Do you relate to this statement? How might strengths or deficiencies in our faith live become apparent in times of testing? 

· How might these thoughts hold true for the collective faith life of a congregation? Can times of testing be a good thing for a congregation? What happens if we live a life based on avoiding tests and challenges?

· Have you grown by taking on difficulties that you could have avoided or put off ? How important is taking them on to the growth of our spiritual lives?

Closing Prayer

 

Be blessed, God;

train me in your ways of wise living.

I’ll transfer to my lips

all the counsel that comes from your mouth...

I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you,

I attentively watch how you’ve done it.

I relish everything you’ve told me of life,

I won’t forget a word of it.

Amen

Psalm 119:12-16

Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures: Luke 19:28-40; Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Isaiah 50:4-9; Psalm 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 22:14-23:56

What did the Prodigal Son Learn that We need to Know?

For 3/10/2013
Lent is traditionally a season of reflection and prayer with a good dose of that classic Christian imperative - repentance. But what is repentance all about? Really with all of my other stuff, why repentance? We will explore that today and begin with the Prodigal Son, a story about lots of things but with a big dose of repentance. We will not deal with the whole story but instead focus on the son's return:

Luke 15: 12-16 “So the father divided the property between them. It wasn’t long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any.
17-20 “That brought him to his senses. He said, ‘All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I’m going back to my father. I’ll say to him, Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.’ He got right up and went home to his father.
20-21 “When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: ‘Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son ever again.’
22-24 “But the father wasn’t listening. He was calling to the servants, ‘Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We’re going to feast! We’re going to have a wonderful time! My son is here—given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!’ And they began to have a wonderful time.                                                           The Message Version

· What is your picture of the son, his age (he is the second son), appearance, reliability, and intelligence?

· So let's get to the obvious, what is your assessment of the son's behavior after he got his inheritance. Know anyone like him, ever acted like him in a small or big way? Ever gotten something (like a tax return) and spent it on something frivolous? Ever made a bet on an investment, too good to be true and it was too good to be true?

· Look at his repentance; what brought it about, what were the elements of repentance (just words?), was he sincere, do you think he was really changed?

· Have you ever vowed to make a change in your life (be honest)? What contributed to a successful change? What contributed to an unsuccessful effort? Did your spiritual life influence your desire to change and what role did it play in helping you successfully change?

· Any backsliding? What then? Again what role did your spiritual life play as you struggled? Paul writes in Romans 7 the following:

21-23 It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.   The Message Version

What is Paul saying to us about the reality of the human condition and what does it say about our need to repent? 

· Look at the father and the son; who were the son's words of repentance important to? Did the father care about them? Why was it important for the son to verbalize his repentance; what was gained? What was really important to the father? Does it say anything to you about the impact of our repentance on others, what about our spiritual relationship with God?

 Look at Psalm 32 below for more thoughts on repentance.

 Psalm 32
Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be—
you get a fresh start, your slate’s wiped clean.
2 Count yourself lucky—
God holds nothing against you and you’re holding nothing back from him.
3 When I kept it all inside,
my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans.
4 The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up.
5 Then I let it all out; I said, “I’ll make a clean breast of my failures to God.”
Suddenly the pressure was gone— my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared.
6 These things add up. Every one of us needs to pray;
when all hell breaks loose and the dam bursts we’ll be on high ground, untouched.
7 God’s my island hideaway,
keeps danger far from the shore, throws garlands of hosannas around my neck.
8 Let me give you some good advice;
I’m looking you in the eye and giving it to you straight:
9 “Don’t be ornery like a horse or mule that needs bit and bridle to stay on track.”
10 God-defiers are always in trouble;
God-affirmers find themselves loved every time they turn around.
11 Celebrate God.
Sing together—everyone! All you honest hearts, raise the roof!

The Message Version

 

· What words of wisdom do you see in verses 1&2? What is the key to a real relationship with God? Do we kid ourselves when we think that we can hide things from God?  

· Verse 2 speaks of not holding things back. What words does he use to describe our condition when we are suffering because of shortcomings and disappointments in our lives? Have you ever experienced or seen this happen in someone's life? What happens to those around us when we behave in this way? What destructive behaviors can flow from these pressures and regrets?

· What words of wisdom do we get in verse 5, what did the writer go through? When have you experienced true forgiveness and what made it memorable?

· Can we experience some of the same emotions when we are in the position of needing to forgive others? What does this say about the father's behavior toward the prodigal son - was it an important act of forgiveness?

· What do verses 6&7 speak to; what is at the core of these words of wisdom? In this life of ups and downs how important is a vibrant prayer life and sense of God's presence in our lives?

· Verses 8-10 speaks among other things to the benefits of repentance - what words strike you about being real with God? Repentance can be associated with sackcloth and ashes, sorrow and depression, what do these two scriptures give us as both alternative pictures and encouragement? Do you feel better about including repentance in your faith life? Lent is a good time to work on it.

 Loving God, we are still bound, old habits the we cannot throw off, old customs that are so much a part of our lives that we are helpless to live the new life that You call us to live. Give us strength to break the bonds and the faith to believe that with Your help we cannot fail. Amen. From a prayer from Taiwan – The Oxford Book of Prayer


Next Week's Lectionary Scriptures: Isaiah 43:16-21, Psalm 126 or Psalm 119:9-16, Philippians 3:4b-14,  John 12:1-8

Disasters and Repentance

For 3/3/2013

Major disasters, mass killings, and other seemingly inexplicable events raise so many heartfelt questions; how can this be explained, how could God let this happen, were those who died being punished by God? Think about your reactions and let us hear the question everyday people brought to Jesus after a mass killing:

Luke 13:1-5 About that time some people came up and told him about the Galileans Pilate had killed while they were at worship, mixing their blood with the blood of the sacrifices on the altar. Jesus responded, “Do you think those murdered Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans? Not at all. Unless you turn to God, you, too, will die. And those eighteen in Jerusalem the other day, the ones crushed and killed when the Tower of Siloam collapsed and fell on them, do you think they were worse citizens than all other Jerusalemites? Not at all. Unless you turn to God, you, too, will die.”                             The Message Version             

· What is Jesus answer to people who are asking both why do bad things happen to good people and from the predominant theology of the time - were these people being punished by God? What does Jesus say about the victims?

· What does Jesus want us to learn about God as related to the tragedies? Did the events occur as a form of punishment? How do you think that the God you worship is present in such tragedies?

· Think of seemingly random bad things that occurred in your life, how was your relationship with God affected? Was it changed in any way? What spiritual insight did you receive?

· What point is Jesus making in telling of these two events,? What is he speaking of when he says that, “you, too, will die”? What must be done to avoid the type of death he is speaking of? John's Gospel has some thoughts on real life:

John 5:24 “It’s urgent that you listen carefully to this: Anyone here who believes what I am saying right now and aligns himself with the Father, who has in fact put me in charge, has at this very moment the real, lasting life and is no longer condemned to be an outsider. This person has taken a giant step from the world of the dead to the world of the living.                       The Message Version

· Jesus' point in the story is to tell us to "turn to God" or in many translations to repent, what does it mean to ‘repent’ and how do we go about it? What is changed about us when we repent?

· Do you associate repentance with Lent? What spiritual practices do we associate with Lent? Is reflection and seeking forgiveness part of your Lenten season?

There are a number of directions a discussion of this scripture could go - one of them is to look at the nature of God and the tragedies and disasters that are part of life. Job's story is famous for confronting us with this conundrum and here is another from Isaiah 55 as God speaks:

8-11 “I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work"... “For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think.             The Message Version

· What does the Psalmist give us as God's words about the mysterious nature of life? What is the essence of the scripture? How do you react to it?

· These words are open to a wide range of interpretation - God's hand is in everything, everywhere, all the time - God chooses when to get involved - God may just let things happen. Where do you stand, how does your God touch real life?

· In the end all we may be left with is that we cannot fully understand anything about God - how do you feel about that? Does it make sense to you? Go outside and stare into infinity some night - it may help your perspective - it did the writer of Psalm 8.

We might also think about repentance which is where Jesus goes after his observation observations on disasters from Luke's gospel above:

Luke 13:6 Then he told them a story: “A man had an apple tree planted in his front yard. He came to it expecting to find apples, but there weren’t any. He said to his gardener, ‘What’s going on here? For three years now I’ve come to this tree expecting apples and not one apple have I found. Chop it down! Why waste good ground with it any longer?’ 8-9 “The gardener said, ‘Let’s give it another year. I’ll dig around it and fertilize, and maybe it will produce next year; if it doesn’t, then chop it down.’”’                  The Message Version

· What is the owner's problem and what is his recommended solution? What is the recommendation of the gardener? What is the point of this parable? For Jesus this is about spiritual things so what might bearing fruit have to do with us? Jesus put it this way in John's Gospel:

John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.New English Version

· How do you feel about Jesus’ words in the Luke parable and in John’s gospel? Does it seem that making a difference based on the presence of the Spirit in our lives is optional? Does this seem threatening, a basic truth, or something else? Do you feel empowered by your faith?

· Repentance; setting a new direction, changing our focus seems to run through Jesus' teaching and here is an homily on repentance for your consideration -at do you think:

Repentance is not a fruit problem; it is a root problem. It is the root of who we are that is a problem in God's eyes. So repentance cannot be composed of "I can" statements. "I have sinned God. I am sorry God. I can do better." Repentance, rather, must be composed of "I can't" statements. "I have sinned, God. I am sorry. God, I've tried and tried and tried but I just don't produce good fruit. I can't seem to do better. I need your Vinedresser to work on the roots of my life. Give me a new life, God. Give me your life. I can't. You can."

                                                                   Richard Jensen Preaching Luke's Gospel

Closing Prayer

We pray that we’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength You give. Strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking You who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that You have for us.  Amen.      From Colossians 1:9-10 The Message Version

 

 

Next Week’s Scriptures: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Psalm 32, Joshua 5:9-12