as God’s choice

Therefore, as God’s choice, holy and loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Be tolerant with each other and, if someone has a complaint against anyone, forgive each other. As the Lord forgave you, so also forgive each other. And over all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. The peace of Christ must control your hearts—a peace into which you were called in one body. And be thankful people. The word of Christ must live in you richly. Teach and warn each other with all wisdom by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:12-17, CEB)

as God’s choice…

We are to be compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient as God’s choice.

We need to forgive as God forgave us as God’s choice.

Live in peace, with thankful hearts, and do everything in the name of the Lord as God’s choice.

You see, it is not your choice to be with God. God chose you. It was and always will be God’s choice.

God chose you and chooses you still today.

No matter what anyone else tells you or the world might say.

God chooses you. So live like it.

Loving People. Loving God.

Don’t

So put to death the parts of your life that belong to the earth, such as sexual immorality, moral corruption, lust, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). The wrath of God is coming upon disobedient people because of these things. You used to live this way, when you were alive to these things. But now set aside these things, such as anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene language. Don’t lie to each other. Take off the old human nature with its practices and put on the new nature, which is renewed in knowledge by conforming to the image of the one who created it. In this image there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all things and in all people. (Colossians 3:5-11, CEB)

I read this passage and something jumped off the screen at me.

I thought about how the world around me is so fixated on sex. Several states are in a battle to stop transgender children from getting the care they need to make them healthy because they believe it is sexually immoral to do this. We are so caught up on what others do behind closed doors.

The author of Colossians says to put to death sexual immorality, moral corruption, lust, evil desire, and greed. We are also told to set aside anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene language. We get stuck here I think. We want to stop people from doing things in their own privacy that we think is bad/wrong/immoral we don’t continue reading or hearing. We let our anger or rage take over because what they are doing is wrong. We miss the next sentence.

Don’t lie to each other.

Don’t lie to each other.

Say why you want to stop the things you want to stop. Most people hide behind their faith, their religion. God calls us to love and lift up, not degrade and hold down.

Don’t lie. Love!

Loving People. Loving God.

Easter!!!

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb. Look, there was a great earthquake, for an angel from the Lord came down from heaven. Coming to the stone, he rolled it away and sat on it. Now his face was like lightning and his clothes as white as snow. The guards were so terrified of him that they shook with fear and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He isn’t here, because he’s been raised from the dead, just as he said. Come, see the place where they laid him. Now hurry, go and tell his disciples, ‘He’s been raised from the dead. He’s going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.’ I’ve given the message to you.” With great fear and excitement, they hurried away from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples. But Jesus met them and greeted them. They came and grabbed his feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go and tell my brothers that I am going into Galilee. They will see me there.” (Matthew 28:1-10, CEB)

He is not here!

He’s been raised from the dead!

Go and tell his brothers he is going to meet them in Galilee!

All of this to the women, Mary, and the other Mary. Every gospel has women as the first ones to see the empty tomb and to share the gospel.

Without women, we would never have known the Easter story!

Do not be afraid, Jesus is not dead, he is alive.

God loves you and wants you to share the love and know that everyone has a place, not just those you chose, but everyone.

Women, who still aren’t included as leaders everywhere, or even as full people everywhere were the first proclaimers of the good news.

God wants everyone to be a part. God needs everyone to be a part.

Love everyone.

Loving People. Loving God.

Holy Saturday

After this Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate if he could take away the body of Jesus. Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one because he feared the Jewish authorities. Pilate gave him permission, so he came and took the body away. Nicodemus, the one who at first had come to Jesus at night, was there too. He brought a mixture of myrrh and aloe, nearly seventy-five pounds in all. Following Jewish burial customs, they took Jesus’ body and wrapped it, with the spices, in linen cloths. There was a garden in the place where Jesus was crucified, and in the garden was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish Preparation Day and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus in it. (John 19:38-42, CEB)

Here we see Joseph a secret disciple of Jesus and Nicodemus.

Nicodemus is the person in the Gospel of John that shows us the path of discipleship. He first comes to Jesus under the cover of darkness with questions, he then stands up for Jesus in a meeting of the High Council and here finally in public professing his devotion to Jesus.

Let us learn from Nicodemus and profess our faith in public through our actions.

Loving People. Loving God.

Good Friday

Look, my servant will succeed.
    He will be exalted and lifted very high.
Just as many were appalled by you,
    he too appeared disfigured, inhuman,
    his appearance unlike that of mortals.
But he will astonish many nations.
    Kings will be silenced because of him,
    because they will see what they haven’t seen before;
    what they haven’t heard before, they will ponder.

Who can believe what we have heard,
    and for whose sake has the Lord’s arm been revealed?
He grew up like a young plant before us,
    like a root from dry ground.
He possessed no splendid form for us to see,
    no desirable appearance.
He was despised and avoided by others;
    a man who suffered, who knew sickness well.
Like someone from whom people hid their faces,
    he was despised, and we didn’t think about him.

It was certainly our sickness that he carried,
    and our sufferings that he bore,
    but we thought him afflicted,
    struck down by God and tormented.
He was pierced because of our rebellions
    and crushed because of our crimes.
    He bore the punishment that made us whole;
    by his wounds we are healed.
Like sheep we had all wandered away,
    each going its own way,
    but the Lord let fall on him all our crimes.

He was oppressed and tormented,
    but didn’t open his mouth.
Like a lamb being brought to slaughter,
    like a ewe silent before her shearers,
    he didn’t open his mouth.

Due to an unjust ruling he was taken away,
    and his fate—who will think about it?
He was eliminated from the land of the living,
    struck dead because of my people’s rebellion.
His grave was among the wicked,
    his tomb with evildoers,
    though he had done no violence,
    and had spoken nothing false.

But the Lord wanted to crush him
    and to make him suffer.
If his life is offered as restitution,
    he will see his offspring; he will enjoy long life.
    The Lord’s plans will come to fruition through him.
After his deep anguish he will see light, and he will be satisfied.
Through his knowledge, the righteous one, my servant,
    will make many righteous,
    and will bear their guilt.
Therefore, I will give him a share with the great,
    and he will divide the spoil with the strong,
    in return for exposing his life to death
    and being numbered with rebels,
    though he carried the sin of many
    and pleaded on behalf of those who rebelled.
(Isaiah 52:13-53:12, CEB)

The servant song. A litany to the Christ.

He carried our sickness,
He bore our sufferings,
We thought him afflicted, struck down by God and tormented.
He was pierced because of our rebellions
He was crushed because of our crimes.
He bore the punishment that made us whole;
by his wounds we are healed.

By his wounds we are healed.

Christ loves you to endure pain and sorrow and suffering.

God loves you. To allow Christ to be wrongfully convicted and pay a price that he never deserved to pay.

Know this day and every day you are loved.

Loving People. Loving God.

Maundy Thursday

Before the Festival of Passover, Jesus knew that his time had come to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them fully. Jesus and his disciples were sharing the evening meal. The devil had already provoked Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew the Father had given everything into his hands and that he had come from God and was returning to God. So he got up from the table and took off his robes. Picking up a linen towel, he tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he was wearing. When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You don’t understand what I’m doing now, but you will understand later.” “No!” Peter said. “You will never wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t have a place with me.” Simon Peter said, “Lord, not only my feet but also my hands and my head!” Jesus responded, “Those who have bathed need only to have their feet washed, because they are completely clean. You disciples are clean, but not every one of you.” He knew who would betray him. That’s why he said, “Not every one of you is clean.” After he washed the disciples’ feet, he put on his robes and returned to his place at the table. He said to them, “Do you know what I’ve done for you? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you speak correctly, because I am. If I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you too must wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example: Just as I have done, you also must do. I assure you, servants aren’t greater than their master, nor are those who are sent greater than the one who sent them. Since you know these things, you will be happy if you do them. When Judas was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Human One has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify the Human One in himself and will glorify him immediately. Little children, I’m with you for a little while longer. You will look for me—but, just as I told the Jewish leaders, I also tell you now—‘Where I’m going, you can’t come.’ “I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other.” (John 13:1-17, 31b-35, CEB)

I always get asked why is this day called Monday Thursday. Or Maundy Thursday.

Maundy comes from maundatum which is Latin for command. Jesus gives us a new command this night. Not a new one, but a provisioning of what God has been doing up to this point. We need to love one another as God loves us. On this night in the gospel of John, there is no last supper, there is a meal where Jesus removes his outer robe and puts a towel around his waist, and washes the feet of the disciples (those gathered here with him). Jesus washes their feet, the role of a servant, yet he is the master, the teacher and he takes on the role of the servant to show love. He washed Judas’ feet. The one who was going to hand him over in a little bit.

When you can sit at the table and wash the feet of the one who hands you over, you know how to love as God loved. It is a lesson for all of us to learn.

Loving People. Loving God.

Holy Wednesday

After he said these things, Jesus was deeply disturbed and testified, “I assure you, one of you will betray me.” His disciples looked at each other, confused about which of them he was talking about. One of the disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was at Jesus’ side. Simon Peter nodded at him to get him to ask Jesus who he was talking about. Leaning back toward Jesus, this disciple asked, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It’s the one to whom I will give this piece of bread once I have dipped into the bowl.”Then he dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son. After Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” No one sitting at the table understood why Jesus said this to him. Some thought that, since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus told him, “Go, buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. So when Judas took the bread, he left immediately. And it was night. When Judas was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Human One has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify the Human One in himself and will glorify him immediately. (John 13:21-32, CEB)

Every time I read this text I think of the clip below from Robin Williams.

We always want to know the details of things, that is human nature. However there are some things we do not need to know, or when we find out we wish we didn’t know.

Judas handed Jesus over. He did what he was asked to do. Is Judas condemned for this?

Loving People. Loving God.

Holy Tuesday

Some Greeks were among those who had come up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and made a request: “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” Philip told Andrew, and Andrew and Philip told Jesus. Jesus replied, “The time has come for the Human One to be glorified. I assure you that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it can only be a single seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their lives will lose them, and those who hate their lives in this world will keep them forever. Whoever serves me must follow me. Wherever I am, there my servant will also be. My Father will honor whoever serves me. “Now I am deeply troubled. What should I say? ‘Father, save me from this time’? No, for this is the reason I have come to this time. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard and said, “It’s thunder.” Others said, “An angel spoke to him.” Jesus replied, “This voice wasn’t for my benefit but for yours. Now is the time for judgment of this world. Now this world’s ruler will be thrown out. When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to me.” (He said this to show how he was going to die.) The crowd responded, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Human One must be lifted up? Who is this Human One?” Jesus replied, “The light is with you for only a little while. Walk while you have the light so that darkness doesn’t overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness don’t know where they are going. As long as you have the light, believe in the light so that you might become people whose lives are determined by the light.” After Jesus said these things, he went away and hid from them. (John 12:20-36, CEB)

Jesus, there are some people over here that want to see you.

The time has come for the Human One to be glorified. I assure you that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it can only be a single seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their lives will lose them, and those who hate their lives in this world will keep them forever. Whoever serves me must follow me. Wherever I am, there my servant will also be. My Father will honor whoever serves me.

Ok, Jesus but what about the people who want to talk to you?

I love how the disciples go and tell Jesus that some people want to talk to him and he starts talking about how he will die soon, not that the disciples get that. I wonder sometimes if we really get what we read, and we “know” the story!

And according to this story did he ever speak with the Greeks?

He told the crowd he had to die so there could be much fruit, and that God honors those who serve him, and he is the light but will only be around for a little while longer, and then he went and hid…

Jesus is the light of the world but sometimes I wonder if we would see the light as flickering because we don’t understand him. Know though even when we don’t understand, the light is always on.

Jesus, the original Motel 6, he leaves the light on for us.

Loving People. Loving God.

Holy Monday

Six days before Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, home of Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Lazarus and his sisters hosted a dinner for him. Martha served and Lazarus was among those who joined him at the table. Then Mary took an extraordinary amount, almost three-quarters of a pound, of very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She anointed Jesus’ feet with it, then wiped his feet dry with her hair. The house was filled with the aroma of the perfume. Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), complained, “This perfume was worth a year’s wages! Why wasn’t it sold and the money given to the poor?” (He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He carried the money bag and would take what was in it.) Then Jesus said, “Leave her alone. This perfume was to be used in preparation for my burial, and this is how she has used it. You will always have the poor among you, but you won’t always have me.” Many Jews learned that he was there. They came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. The chief priests decided that they would kill Lazarus too. It was because of Lazarus that many of the Jews had deserted them and come to believe in Jesus. (John 12:1-11, CEB)

We will always have the poor among us, does that mean we do not do anything about people being poor?

I always thought Jesus’ argument hear sets up issues for us when it comes to social justice. But does it really?

Jesus doesn’t say here we are free from helping the poor, but that there will always be poor. To me, it is not a reason not to help but a statement that you will always have to help. In this moment, Mary is doing something for me, and that is good, and yet there will still always be work to do.

Know that our sharing of the love God has given us will never end. We will always be called to go into the world and love like God loves us.

Loving People. Loving God.

Palm Sunday

When they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus gave two disciples a task. He said to them, “Go into the village over there. As soon as you enter, you will find a donkey tied up and a colt with it. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that their master needs them.” He sent them off right away. Now this happened to fulfill what the prophet said, Say to Daughter Zion, “Look, your king is coming to you, humble and riding on a donkey, and on a colt the donkey’s offspring.” The disciples went and did just as Jesus had ordered them. They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their clothes on them. Then he sat on them. Now a large crowd spread their clothes on the road. Others cut palm branches off the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds in front of him and behind him shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!Hosanna in the highest!” And when Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up. “Who is this?” they asked. The crowds answered, “It’s the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.” (Matthew 21:1-11, CEB)

I will always look for the text for Palm Sunday over Passion Sunday. There is a lot to be said about us gathering as a community especially this week, for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter. When we move the Passion reading from Friday to Sunday we signal that Maundy Thursday and Good Friday gatherings maybe aren’t as important to the story, but without the death, there is no resurrection. Also Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are important days for us to gather together on. But I digress…

What do you need? Do you know that in all of the New Testament, it is only found in the Palm Sunday texts that Jesus ever says he needs something? And that need is to fulfill a prophecy. The only thing we have recorded that Jesus needs is a donkey, and here the colt of that donkey.

When you think about what you need, I am sure you are like me and all the things you want come to mind. We all know that a want is not a need. But what do we need?

I think something we all need is love. To know we are loved. That we are loved as we are.

God loves you as you are. Know that and claim that no matter what anyone else has told you.

As we enter this holy week, know you are loved, and go and love unconditionally.

Loving People. Loving God.