* * * *
But we aren’t quite there yet.
We are still watching and waiting.
We are still hoping.
Just as the Israelites in the time of the prophets, we are looking for our salvation.
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Welcoming God into the World
This past Sunday many of us heard Mary's subversive song of joy. Here is my reflection on Luke 1:29-55 preached at Bright Star UMC.
* * * *
Today we celebrate the fourth and final Sunday of Advent. Our time of preparation and expectation is drawing to a close as we prepare to welcome the Christ into the world. Over the last few Sundays, we have heard from the prophets and from the Gospels about the coming of Christ into the world.
But we aren’t quite there yet.
We are still watching and waiting.
We are still hoping.
Just as the Israelites in the time of the prophets, we are looking for our salvation.
* * * *
But we aren’t quite there yet.
We are still watching and waiting.
We are still hoping.
Just as the Israelites in the time of the prophets, we are looking for our salvation.
Who is my neighbor? (Wakandan edition)
The theme scripture for our Annual Conference early this summer was Luke 10: 25-37. Commonly called the Parable of the Good Samaritan, this passage shows Jesus being questioned by a young lawyer about what must be done to inherit eternal life. Jesus turns the question around on him to ask what the scriptures say. The young lawyer responds, “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" (Luke 10:27), which Jesus says is the correct answer.
For Jesus, then, the totality of the Hebrew Scriptures (which we Christians commonly call the Old Testament) are summed up in these two phrases. But of course, as a lawyer, the young man wanted to push further to question the limits of this rule - "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus responded with a story about a man attacked by bandits and left for dead and three people that encountered him afterwards. Of the three, only one helped the man. To complicate matters, that one was a foreigner from an area the Jews considered inferior. But that is the one that was neighbor to the man, because he showed compassion.
I have been wrestling with this passage for months. How am I showing compassion to my neighbor, most especially those that I would consider if not quite an enemy, definitely not a friend? As well, I have struggled with how to deal with those who claim to be Christian and yet display so little compassion towards those that are different from them.
Last weekend we watched Black Panther again. It is such a well made and enjoyable film anyway, but this time I was struck by the way certain themes in the movie parallel this passage from Luke. I started to imagine a Wakandan retelling of the story in their own context.
For Jesus, then, the totality of the Hebrew Scriptures (which we Christians commonly call the Old Testament) are summed up in these two phrases. But of course, as a lawyer, the young man wanted to push further to question the limits of this rule - "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus responded with a story about a man attacked by bandits and left for dead and three people that encountered him afterwards. Of the three, only one helped the man. To complicate matters, that one was a foreigner from an area the Jews considered inferior. But that is the one that was neighbor to the man, because he showed compassion.
I have been wrestling with this passage for months. How am I showing compassion to my neighbor, most especially those that I would consider if not quite an enemy, definitely not a friend? As well, I have struggled with how to deal with those who claim to be Christian and yet display so little compassion towards those that are different from them.
Last weekend we watched Black Panther again. It is such a well made and enjoyable film anyway, but this time I was struck by the way certain themes in the movie parallel this passage from Luke. I started to imagine a Wakandan retelling of the story in their own context.
Thoughts on Trinity Sunday (or a Multi-gendered God)
This post is based on a sermon preached two years ago in the midst of General Conference at the United Church of Rogers Park, my home church in Chicago. I originally posted the text below to Facebook following that sermon. In light of the recent decision by the Judicial Council in relation to the upcoming special session of General Conference, it seemed à propos.
* * *
In the liturgical calendar followed by many churches, today is celebrated as Trinity Sunday. This is the day we celebrate the fullness of God as found in the Trinity. Now if you are like me, you grew up with the traditional language for the Trinity - God is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (or Spirit). The imagery for the three persons of God was also pretty similar.
God the Father is an old white guy with a long white beard. Jesus is a younger white guy with a brown (or blond) beard. And, if you were lucky, the Holy Spirit is a dove. Of course, with the language of Holy Ghost that was common in my church growing up, I sometimes had the image of something out of Scooby Doo in mind. And, like that show, once you pull off the mask you frequently find another old white guy.
And then comes Wisdom. With all of the traditional male imagery for the Trinity, what do we do with this text from Proverbs on Trinity Sunday?
Proverbs 8:1–4, 22–31
Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries out: “To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live. The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth— when he had not yet made earth and fields, or the world’s first bits of soil. When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race.
Here we see Wisdom alongside God when the world is created. And Wisdom here is female. In Greek translations, Wisdom becomes Sophia. Sophia, Holy Wisdom, was celebrated in the early church. So if Sophia was with God at the time of creation, where is Sophia in the Trinity?
Now in the Western church, if Wisdom is brought up, she is most often attributed to the Holy Spirit. But in certain Eastern Orthodox traditions, Sophia is the second person of the Trinity that becomes incarnate in Christ. If we compare the first few verses of John to the text from Proverbs, it is easy to see why.
John 1:1-4
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
Very similar language is used to describe both Wisdom and the Word, Sophia and Logos. Wisdom. She. Christ. He.
Some of you may know that the General Conference of The United Methodist Church has been taking place over the last couple of weeks. The General Conference meets every four years to make decisions about the running of the entire denomination. The General Conference makes decisions about the operating budget, decisions on resolutions related to the stance of the church on various issues, and reaffirms or changes the church's official doctrines on various issues.
This year (and for much of the last 40 years), the topic of human sexuality was particularly contentious. Specifically, we as a denomination struggle with the question of homosexuality (and other non-hetero expressions of sexuality). Should we continue to officially exclude and perhaps become more punitive in our treatment of LGBTQI clergy and candidates? Or should we do away with our condemnations and harmful language? We are not the only denomination that is or has been struggling with these questions, but it is one we are still struggling with as a denomination.
But what happens to this conversation if we consider the place of Wisdom? In particular, what do we do with the Orthodox traditions that equate Wisdom with Christ, and how might this reframe the conversation? Wisdom. She. Christ. He.
Perhaps this is a route to get beyond our concern over gender not only in God, but also in our churches and those that lead them. For if the incarnate Christ, both fully human and fully divine, is the incarnation of that aspect of God also known as Wisdom, then Christ is both male and female. What does that do to our convictions and beliefs in regards to LGBTQI issues?
Perhaps this provides us a way forward. If Christ exists outside of the gender binary that we consider normative, why can't the church do the same? After all, in Christ "[t]here is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all...are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). This text tells us that the divisions we have created no longer matter once we are joined to Christ.
As Christians, then, we are called to embody this message to the rest of the world. If Christ is Sophia, both male and female, and if we once joined to Christ are no longer male and female, then why do we keep insisting on these divisions that we ourselves have made.
By reclaiming the feminine in God, we not only name the feminine as equally divine alongside the masculine. In reclaiming the female aspect of God, we blend female and male in one being, erasing the need for distinct genders in the church.
Wisdom. She. Christ. He.
May we be Christ's Wisdom to the world.
* * *
In the liturgical calendar followed by many churches, today is celebrated as Trinity Sunday. This is the day we celebrate the fullness of God as found in the Trinity. Now if you are like me, you grew up with the traditional language for the Trinity - God is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (or Spirit). The imagery for the three persons of God was also pretty similar.
God the Father is an old white guy with a long white beard. Jesus is a younger white guy with a brown (or blond) beard. And, if you were lucky, the Holy Spirit is a dove. Of course, with the language of Holy Ghost that was common in my church growing up, I sometimes had the image of something out of Scooby Doo in mind. And, like that show, once you pull off the mask you frequently find another old white guy.
And then comes Wisdom. With all of the traditional male imagery for the Trinity, what do we do with this text from Proverbs on Trinity Sunday?
Proverbs 8:1–4, 22–31
Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries out: “To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live. The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth— when he had not yet made earth and fields, or the world’s first bits of soil. When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race.
Here we see Wisdom alongside God when the world is created. And Wisdom here is female. In Greek translations, Wisdom becomes Sophia. Sophia, Holy Wisdom, was celebrated in the early church. So if Sophia was with God at the time of creation, where is Sophia in the Trinity?
Now in the Western church, if Wisdom is brought up, she is most often attributed to the Holy Spirit. But in certain Eastern Orthodox traditions, Sophia is the second person of the Trinity that becomes incarnate in Christ. If we compare the first few verses of John to the text from Proverbs, it is easy to see why.
John 1:1-4
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
Very similar language is used to describe both Wisdom and the Word, Sophia and Logos. Wisdom. She. Christ. He.
Some of you may know that the General Conference of The United Methodist Church has been taking place over the last couple of weeks. The General Conference meets every four years to make decisions about the running of the entire denomination. The General Conference makes decisions about the operating budget, decisions on resolutions related to the stance of the church on various issues, and reaffirms or changes the church's official doctrines on various issues.
This year (and for much of the last 40 years), the topic of human sexuality was particularly contentious. Specifically, we as a denomination struggle with the question of homosexuality (and other non-hetero expressions of sexuality). Should we continue to officially exclude and perhaps become more punitive in our treatment of LGBTQI clergy and candidates? Or should we do away with our condemnations and harmful language? We are not the only denomination that is or has been struggling with these questions, but it is one we are still struggling with as a denomination.
But what happens to this conversation if we consider the place of Wisdom? In particular, what do we do with the Orthodox traditions that equate Wisdom with Christ, and how might this reframe the conversation? Wisdom. She. Christ. He.
Perhaps this is a route to get beyond our concern over gender not only in God, but also in our churches and those that lead them. For if the incarnate Christ, both fully human and fully divine, is the incarnation of that aspect of God also known as Wisdom, then Christ is both male and female. What does that do to our convictions and beliefs in regards to LGBTQI issues?
Perhaps this provides us a way forward. If Christ exists outside of the gender binary that we consider normative, why can't the church do the same? After all, in Christ "[t]here is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all...are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). This text tells us that the divisions we have created no longer matter once we are joined to Christ.
As Christians, then, we are called to embody this message to the rest of the world. If Christ is Sophia, both male and female, and if we once joined to Christ are no longer male and female, then why do we keep insisting on these divisions that we ourselves have made.
By reclaiming the feminine in God, we not only name the feminine as equally divine alongside the masculine. In reclaiming the female aspect of God, we blend female and male in one being, erasing the need for distinct genders in the church.
Wisdom. She. Christ. He.
May we be Christ's Wisdom to the world.
It's Dangerous to Go Alone! Take This.
A few weeks ago while searching for books on worship and spirituality on Amazon, I decided to check out the related titles at the bottom of the page. The first few were in a similar vein, but then came not one, but two, players guides to the Legend of Zelda games. Now, I think the Zelda games were loads of fun (well except maybe Zelda 2 on the NES) and I have enjoyed playing them well into adulthood. But unless I missed something significant, they had nothing to do with worship or spirituality.
When I said something about this on Facebook, a friend noted that "It's dangerous to go alone! Take this." is probably a good summation of the book of Acts. At which point I realized three things. One, she was right. Two, it is especially fitting for Pentecost. And three, I was scheduled to preach on Pentecost.
So I offered my reflections on Jesus recognizing the danger of the disciples trying to go it alone and offering them something to help them on the way.
When I said something about this on Facebook, a friend noted that "It's dangerous to go alone! Take this." is probably a good summation of the book of Acts. At which point I realized three things. One, she was right. Two, it is especially fitting for Pentecost. And three, I was scheduled to preach on Pentecost.
So I offered my reflections on Jesus recognizing the danger of the disciples trying to go it alone and offering them something to help them on the way.
Wormtail or Snape? A Different Take on Judas
We hear a lot about certain disciples. Simon Peter is the rock given the task of feeding Jesus' followers. There are the sons of Zebedee who want to sit at Jesus' right and left hand in the coming kingdom. Paul, late to the party but afforded a full serving of grace. And, of course, Mary Magdalene, one of the most widely attested and most historically ignored by the Church of those closest to Jesus.
Another frequently if narrowly discussed disciple is Judas. Judas the betrayer. The keeper of the purse who turned Jesus over to the temple leaders. The one who betrayed Jesus with a kiss.
It reminds me of the song by the Killers, Mr. Brightside (well, at least parts of the song):
It started out with a kiss
How did it end up like this
It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss
April Fool's
After the events of the last few days, Sunday morning must have really caught Jesus' friends off guard. First they came into town greeted by shouts of joy. People were waving at Jesus and calling on God in praise. But then it all started to go down hill.
Jesus went to the temple and started to drive out the money lenders and merchants who were profiting off others in the courtyard. Judas started acting a bit cagey. Jesus' stories and teachings got even more long winded, like he was in a rush for some reason. Then Jesus gets taken by a mob that Judas led to them in the garden. Peter followed them for a time, but he ran off when he got worried they would take him too. Jesus was taken first to the chief priests and then handed over to the governor and accused of sedition. Beaten, he was bound to a tree to die.
And then he did.
Jesus went to the temple and started to drive out the money lenders and merchants who were profiting off others in the courtyard. Judas started acting a bit cagey. Jesus' stories and teachings got even more long winded, like he was in a rush for some reason. Then Jesus gets taken by a mob that Judas led to them in the garden. Peter followed them for a time, but he ran off when he got worried they would take him too. Jesus was taken first to the chief priests and then handed over to the governor and accused of sedition. Beaten, he was bound to a tree to die.
And then he did.
From Celebration to Devastation
As I read the scripture passages for this week, my first thought was that I really wanted to do something with the naked man. This is my favorite text of the arrest of Jesus in the garden because of his appearance. I really wanted to do something about us being laid bare before God or maybe even something about the beginnings of the return to Eden.
But then I thought maybe I should do something about being an ass for Jesus. I really got caught up on the donkey that Jesus rides into town on Palm Sunday in certain Gospel stories. What does it mean to take a lowly place in the story to glorify God? On the other hand, why do so many of those who claim to serve God act like an ass?
But as I worked on an idea for the service this week, I was struck yet again by the flow of this particular Sunday. In many churches, this is not just Palm Sunday but Palm/Passion Sunday. We go from the triumphant entry into Jerusalem straight through Gethsemane and into the arrest, the trial, and the Crucifixion. There is a lot packed into this service.
But then I thought maybe I should do something about being an ass for Jesus. I really got caught up on the donkey that Jesus rides into town on Palm Sunday in certain Gospel stories. What does it mean to take a lowly place in the story to glorify God? On the other hand, why do so many of those who claim to serve God act like an ass?
But as I worked on an idea for the service this week, I was struck yet again by the flow of this particular Sunday. In many churches, this is not just Palm Sunday but Palm/Passion Sunday. We go from the triumphant entry into Jerusalem straight through Gethsemane and into the arrest, the trial, and the Crucifixion. There is a lot packed into this service.
Disruptive Discords: On Leave Taking and Transitions
It has been a while since I have posted here. A sudden move across the country and an extended period of liminality have left me somewhat bereft of words. As this initial year of transition draws to a close, I finally find myself with things to say.
I moved to Evanston, IL, in September 2001 to attend Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. I had never visited campus, never even been to the Chicago-area. But for most of the past 16+ years, Garrett-Evangelical has been my home. It was the first place I truly considered home after moving out of the home I grew up in.
I entered seminary knowing I was called by God to, well, something other than what I had been doing. But I was also fairly certain I could never be like the "preachers" I was familiar with from growing up in the church in the South. As I began my classes and began to reflect on what it meant to be called, two things happened. I began to recognize the echoes of that call in my own life going back at least into high school and to understand the ways in which the stories and rhythms of Jesus' life were woven into my own. And I began to see different models for ministry beyond those I was familiar with.
I moved to Evanston, IL, in September 2001 to attend Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. I had never visited campus, never even been to the Chicago-area. But for most of the past 16+ years, Garrett-Evangelical has been my home. It was the first place I truly considered home after moving out of the home I grew up in.
I entered seminary knowing I was called by God to, well, something other than what I had been doing. But I was also fairly certain I could never be like the "preachers" I was familiar with from growing up in the church in the South. As I began my classes and began to reflect on what it meant to be called, two things happened. I began to recognize the echoes of that call in my own life going back at least into high school and to understand the ways in which the stories and rhythms of Jesus' life were woven into my own. And I began to see different models for ministry beyond those I was familiar with.