Isaiah foretold the coming of the son, the son Emmanuel…

But just who is this. IF we read Isaiah 7:10-14 to mean the coming of Jesus, which is what we await this advent season, then King Ahaz had to wait almost 750 years before the siege ended on his city and the prophecy came true. Did Isaiah really mean that Jerusalem would be under siege for that long? I do not think so. And also in Chapter 9 of Isaiah, we see a prophecy of a coming ruler, whose name will be Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Is this a foretelling of the coming of Jesus. Well in the light of the time, no. It can not be a prophecy of the coming if Jesus. These names are merely names given by the parents of the new king. This king will be a ruler beyond the reaches of any ruler before him. He will be the ideal Davidic King and will fulfill the promise that God has made to David, seen in 2 Samuel 7 and 23 and Psalm 89. David will have an ancestor sit on his throne who will be the son of God. We also see this in Psalm 22:7. But does this mean this is Jesus. No. This passage from Isaiah 9 was used as a rite of accession to the throne for each new King of Judah. It was said because the Judean’s lived in a hope. A hope that God would be faithful to his promise and fulfill the ancestorage of David with a great king. No king ever held up to this, but this passage was used to inaugurate each new ruler with the hope that this was the one. The names given to him where like the names given to Pharaoh’s of the Middle kingdom of Egypt. These Pharaohs were each given 5 great names as they ascended to their thrones. The king in Isaiah 9 is not divine or identified as God by being called mighty God, but is given this as one of the great names, and is better translated as godlike hero. These are merely names given to an ascending king, as the Judean’s hope this is the fulfillment of God’s promise to David.

However we as Christians can still take some hope from this passage. In this time of Advent as we await the coming of Jesus, the fulfillment of our Hope, Faith, and Love, we can read this passage from Isaiah and see in it the prophecy of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. You see no other king from the Lineage of David fulfilled this prophecy. Only Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, the Chosen one of God, the “King of the Jews” fulfilled this prophecy. We can have the hope that the Judean’s did, and know that our king is coming, our wonderful counselor, our mighty God, our everlasting Father, and our Prince of Peace, is not only with us, but is coming, in Paul’s already but not yet kingdom of God. We have the hope of his first coming, and the faith he gave us by being faithful to a death, yes even a death on the cross, and the love only he could have given us, through his sacrifice. Yet we still live in the hope of his coming to the completion of the kingdom, when the fulfillment of God’s kingdom is seen.

Live in the promise and hope of the season, and know that while the Old Testament Prophecies of the Messiah had a different meaning then, they still point to the one we hope in, Jesus our Savior and redeemer.

I admit I was shopping on Friday morning, or Black Friday as it has come to be known. I enjoyed this time of frenzied shopping, but I think the commercializm of Christmas has gone way to far, and the shopping season is becoming the engulfing notion for the end of November.

My family and I were in Cincinnati, OH for the Holiday to be with family. My wife and I went shopping Friday morning as I said at about 10 til 5:00 am we left my in-laws house, and went to the stores. I dropped my wife off at BestBuy and went to another store. Well I heard that some of those standing in line to get into BestBuy, which did not open until 6:00 am had been there since 9:00pm the night before. Now there was a good sale, but nothing that good. And is there not a need to be thankful for a day of rest, meaning there is nothing open, nothing to stand in lone for. Also on Black Friday morning, the police were called into disturbances in a couple stores in the area we were in. Neither of us (meaning me or my wife) were present at either of these locations, but heard from others who were. Welcome the holiday season, by fighting with some one over the last Barbie doll. Is this really what Christmas is about, or Thanksgiving?

Also I commented to my wife as we were driving to be with family on Thursday, Thanksgiving day, about all the stores and resturants and what not that were open on the way, how 20 years ago when we were young, stores and resturants were not open, and she came back with that that was true, and even gas stations would not have been opened. Now my wive’s grandmother had to work on Christmas at Wal-Mart, and K-Mart was open, and many buffet dining places had a Thanksgiving spread. Now I understand in our moble society that many could be away from family, unable to travel to be with them, and some do not have family’s. But 20 years ago, there were those without families, and those who could not travel to be with their family, but these were probably welcomed by others to join in their celebration…

I just wonder has the progression we have made a good one. We do not stop to give thanks, thanks for a family, a life, a country where we are free to drag the name of our political opponent through the mud, and worship whoever or whatever we want. But we can not take the time to be thankful for any of this, we have to shop til we drop and not let retail workers have the day off because we have to have it and now. We fight over special buys, and should be thankful for everything we have. Even the poorest in our country are the world’s richest people. We need to be thankful for the roof over our heads, the food we have to eat, the family we have, and fact that we are alive is reason to celebrate.

I believe that we as those who claim to be disciples of Christ, not the demonination, but those who are Christian, be that Baptist, Lutheran, Catholic, Methodist, insert demonination/non demonination here, need to reclaim this time of Thanksgiving, as it is through Jesus Christ’s giving his life we can be thankful, it is through his giving his love, grace and mercy we can be thankful. It is through this giving we can give. So in everything we have and everything we give, we need to be thankful, and have a day of rest. And time of reflection with family and firends on what Thanksgiving means, we need to get an “Attitude of Graditude” as my supervisor said in his Thanksgiving service proclaimation.

Remember why we can be thankful, and remember who has given us all things…

and now that we are in Advent, remember the promise that was made to us all, and the hope we have in the coming birth and return of Jesus Christ our king, our savior, our brother.

Luke 23:33-43

33. And when they came on the place the one being called the skull, there they affixed him and the criminals to crosses, one on his right and one on his left 34. [And Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them, for they had not known what they are doing.] And they divided his clothing by casting lots 35. And the people stood by watching, but the leaders also turned their noses up at him saying, “Others he saved, let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, the one who was chosen.” 36. And the soldiers also mocked him coming to him bringing to him wine vinegar 37. And saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, You save yourself! 38. And an inscription was also over him, “The King of the Jews this is.” 39. And one of the criminals who had been hung on the cross blasphemed him saying, “Are you not the Christ? You save yourself and us! 40. But answering the other rebuked him saying, “Do you not fear God, that in the same verdict you are? 41. And we justly, for who has done receives an equivalent, but this one is out of place, this one has done nothing.” 42. And he said, “Jesus, remember me whenever you come into your kingdom.” 43. And he said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in the paradise.”

Punctuation. Not really the first thing most of you probably thought about after reading these texts. But I am struck by what we talked about in Gospels class at seminary on this passage. Where does the comma go? Because the original Greek text did not have any punctuation, so did Jesus say to the thief, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Or did Jesus say to the thief, “Truly, I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise.” These are the same words, but the placement of the comma makes a huge difference in the meaning of what Jesus said. However with the other readings shedding light on our text for today, and how Luke uses the word today in other places, there is more to this passage then the placement of the comma.

Today we celebrate our New Year’s Eve in the church. Our liturgical year begins anew with the start of Advent, so this is the last Sunday of this year. Today we celebrate Christ the King, the day when we look at Christ as king. In Year A the emphasis on this Sunday is on Jesus’ identification of himself with the oppressed and the helpless found in Matthew 25:31-46. In Year B, it is on Pilate’s question, “Are you the King of the Judeans.” Found in John 18:33-37. In Year C, today we are looking at a passage of Jesus on the cross, not suffering, or at least Luke never says anything about that. We see the people standing by watching what is happening, and the leaders turn up their noses at Jesus, they mock him. We see the Roman Soldiers mock him, brought him wine to drink and told him to save himself, if he was the King of the Jews. We see one of the thieves on the cross blaspheme him, telling Jesus to save himself and him and the other thief with him. No where in this passage does it say Jesus suffered. We see Jesus for who and what he was, is and is always being King.

I spent this past weekend with about 250 Junior High school kids at the junior high Ramada, where we focused on Celebration of Life. Bishop Pile came and preached on Sunday morning, his sermon was about celebrating life. The interesting part of this sermon was a story he told about his visit with his son Nathan. You may or may not know there was a fire at the seminary in Gettysburg, and Frank Harpster and his family, along with Nathan Pile and Brian Evens were left without a home and much of what they called their stuff. No person was hurt, the Harpster’s dog died, and a big majority of their stuff was destroyed. Nathan’s apartment was damaged by the fire, but not completely destroyed. Bishop Pile told us about how he, his wife, and Nathan sifted through the charred items in Nathan’s apartment to try to see what they could save from the fire. They took garbage bags full of clothes to a local laundry mat in Gettysburg, and took it over. The filled all the washers, and while they were filling these washers a family came in to get a load of clothes from a dryer. The man recognized the smell and asked if the Piles where from the fire on the seminary. Nathan said he was, and the man introduced himself and told Nathan he understood what he was going through, because their home had burned about a year ago. The man asked Nathan if there was anything his family could do for him, and he replied that he was doing fine. The man gave Nathan his name and phone number and said that if needed anything to give him a call, they got their laundry and left. The Piles continued to work on the clothes they had brought in, and moved them to the dryers, when the man returned. He handed Nathan a $35 gift card for Wal-Mart. Bishop Pile commented that he was over joyed by this gift. Not because Nathan got the $35, but the celebration of life continued, through the love this man was showing Nathan. A brother he did not know, yet was willing to help in any way he could. Christ Love was alive in the midst of the ashes of the fire. Families that lost everything, saw the love of Christ in people they had never met before.

As I listened to Bishop Pile’s sermon, I was struck by the centrality of the cross in our loves. How the text for this week puts Christ at the center. In the middle of the thieves, and in the center of our lives as the one who did save us, and himself. This story helped me get perspective on this Sundays texts. Jeremiah says “The Lord is our righteousness” The lord is the one who makes us right. And Colossians says he rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom… And we like the thief on the cross ask Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus says to the thief and to us, Amen truly I tell you today you will be with me in paradise. We focus on the future by saying please remember me when you come into your kingdom, Jesus see our faith and proclaims the salvation has already happened, Today you will be with me. We are not saved from suffering, we are not saved from pain, we are not saved from enduring fires, from losing pets, from having to pay money we are not sure where it is coming from to fix our house, or our car, we are saved with a right relationship with the one who was before all things, the beginning the first born from the dead. Christ is king, from the throne of the cross. Our king does not come on a white horse; he gives up his life, so that we might have life.

So today as we celebrate Christ our King, and look at him on the cross, we can forget about where the comma goes, we can know that Luke makes it clear that today we are with him. Today is the time of salvation, we see this in Luke 2:11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. We see this in the story of Jesus reading from the scroll of Isaiah and saying Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing, in Luke 4:21. Today is the time of our salvation, and Jesus is central, and his love to give up his life so that we may have life allows us to see him as king on the cross.

I was reading a blog by a member of my home congregation Well of Hope in Pineville, NC. You can find the blog in question here http://the-well.org/blogs/index.php?blog=7 it is the first post you come to. I have been thinking about Halloween and what it means in the life of the church today. The secretary at my internship site does not like Halloween and did not let her children go trick or treating. This may seem a little on the restrictive side, but what does this holiday stand for, what does it represent? This is an interesting collection of thoughts on what the Church is. The church is the body of Christ. We are the church- the old kids thingy goes heres the church heres the steeple open the doors and there’s all the people, well that just isn’t it… The people are the church. We are the church together, I am the church, you are the church, we are all the church together. In Isaiah 2:2-5 it says:

2:2 In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.2:3 Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.2:4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.2:5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!

Here the prophet says there will be many nations that will flow into Jerusalem like a stream. The prophet does not say national lines will dissappear, that we will become one nation, there will be differences here, we will not be clones of each other, which is good, because we all are here to serve a purpose, a unique purpose, a unique part of the body. To read more on this from Paul, go to Romans 12 or 1 Corinthians 12. We will be from different nations, yet unites under God. As KC and Julie said in the great song, Lord make us undivided, help us to beat our swords into shovels, and our spears into hoes. Let us walk in the light of the Lord, the one who claims us all as his children.

So what does this have to do with Halloween, or All Hallows Eve? I wonder if we should as a church celebrate this US holiday. Is it soemthing that is counter to what we are called to be as disciples of Christ? Are we allowing our children to be a part of something evil and perverse by dressing them in costumes and sending them out to beg for candy? I am not saying I believe this. I just wonder if this is something to think about. Here at my internship site, we have a Harvest Party on October 31, with Christian appropriate costumes. I asked my supervisors if the devil costume I borrowed from them would be appropriate for the party. I wonder if my costume is going to be appropriate for my standing as intern, or for the party. You see a fellow intern classmate of mine and me are dressing up as Mary and Jesus, she is going to be Mary and I am going to be Jesus, with my daughters as an angel and the devil. It is a theme, which is interesting, but how does that sit with the night being the all holy holiday for all that is evil, with us dressing up as characters from the bible, one being the author and perfector of our faith according to Hebrews 12:2….

Just some thoughts, not sure if they will get us any where, but ramblings and wonderings of the mind of asacredrebel

It seems like every time I turn around…. There I go again saying something that sounds a lot worse than I meant it to be. I just seem to live with my foot in my mouth, too bad it has not stopped me from eating!

Like tonight for instance, I was trying to find one of my daughters’ cups, and was not having any luck, and said under my breath “if this place wasn’t so frickin messy.” To which my wife replied, “WHAT?” Which I passed off. Now she is all pissed at me because she is probably thinking, I say probably because she is not talking to me, that I think she does not do enough all day around the house, and that it is her fault that the house is always a mess.

Well it is not her fault, if it is anyone’s fault it is mine. I’m the one who doesn’t do anything around the house all day. All I seem to do is get in the way when things are being done. What I meant by that statement was more I wish I was there to help. Or helped while I was there. I have really been thinking a lot lately about where I am in my life and where I am suppose to be in my life. I really do not know if they are the same. It seems things are happening that are really good, but the dark clouds are looming in the distance, the storm is a brewing and it does not look good. I really feel like something is wrong and I do not know what to do about it. I really wish I was more thoughtful and helpful, that I did not seem to always be putting my wife down. She is the love of my life, the woman I fell in love with the moment I first saw her, even in that split second, chance non meeting. She fills my soul with laughter, and makes me bubble over with joy when I’m in the same room with her. I always want her with me, and she is trying so hard to make this internship work, and to be a part of this congregation, and it seems I can not stop screwing things up. She is so wonderful and kind and generous with everything she does, and is truly the better half of me, and I can not seem to not make her feel like the lowest thing on the face of the earth. I wish she knew how much I love her; I wish I had the words to express what my life would be like if she was not in it. I truly do not know where I would be without her in my life. I can almost assuredly say it would not be here, where I am today. Sometimes I wish I was somewhere else, in some other time, or some other place, and then I realize I would not be able to see her, or hold her, or smell her… I need her in my life, and I love her so much. Why do we hurt the ones we love, why is it we trample those who treat us the best, and seem to just take take take, and never give in return. I hate myself for the way I treat her, I only hope she can forgive me for being who I am and still love me. It is not her fault; it is my fault that I’m an ass. Please love the one you love and do not let yourself get in the way. My darling Little Angel, I love you, and know you are doing the work of a thousand people by raising our children to be darling little angels. Please forgive me for the stupid things I say and do, know that I love you more than you will ever know, and cherish the time we have together, even though it does not always seem like it. I am trying to be a better husband, father, friend… Do not give up on me. I need you. You truly do complete me, and make me a better person. I love you. I’m sorry. Your Big Teddy Bear

Call me what you want to, just do not call me late to dinner! This is something I have heard all my life. A cute little pithy phrase… But what an impact it has in our faith tradition. As I was sending an email today it hit me that we are all called so many things, father, mother, wife, husband, son, daughter, coworker, boss, flunky, junky, beautiful, ugly, special, stupid, blessed…

As I think about the song Beloved by Todd Zielinski I think how we are all blessed, by the faith we have been given through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. We have been named and claimed by God in our baptism. Named Beloved son or daughter of God. We are loved and claimed as an heir to the kingdom, part of the family, not the neglected step child, or the hated outcast. We are the loved child, the center of the parental attention. And we have been given a reserved seat at the table for all time, our place is secured, and we will not be called late to dinner.

So the world can call me what it will, and I can still hold my head high because of the inheritance I am secure in receiving, and I know I will not be called late to the feast to end all feasts!

Lord increase my faith! Lord add to my faith!

The Apostles, the ones who are sent asked for their master to add to their faith, not to give them faith, or make them better, but add to our faith…

Jesus replies that if they had the faith the size of a mustard seed. Mustard a weed. A non kosher plant. Something that would not have been allowed in a Jewish garden, yet something they would have known about… The smallest of all seeds, Jesus says that if our faith was as big as the smallest of all seeds, we could tell a tree to uproot itself and move into the ocean. And just what happens to this tree? Does it die in the ocean? We do not know, however we can assume since Jesus told us we could do this that the tree would continue to live, in the ocean. How rediculus is that, a tree growing in the middle of the ocean. Something growing someplace that it should not be, and thriving with life. What a dream come true! If we could only have the faith the size of a mustard seed, oh the dreams we could dream and they would come true! But we do not, we seek for Jesus to add to our faith, but he says we when we have done all that was commended, we will say we are worthless slaves and have done only what we ought to have done. Which is all we need to do! We have done what we ought, and that is what is expected. Do not think you should have done more, or you could have done more. I remember a wise man once told me we should and could ourselves to death. We are doing enough, and are using the faith we have and need not worry about having or doing more. And because we think we have not done enough, or are good enough, we call ourselves worthless slaves, yet are we truly worthless? Look what God did for us, remember the cross if you ever think you are worthless. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the whole world, and if it would have only been me that was a sinner, he would of done the cross just the same. And if you were the only sinner, Jesus would have died on the cross for you! You are worht the blood of Jesus, the life of the son of God, none of us are worthless. A rich treasure was paid for each and everyone of us. Live in the faith you have, the faith that through grace has brought you into a living loving mercyfilled relationship with God, the faithfullness of Jesus to die on the tree, to allow his love to fall upon us, and shed his body and blood to give us a glorious reminder of his love and help us remember we are not worthless, and are doing our part.

Faith the size of a mustard seed in my mind is faith the size of Texas, yet the faith I have, if the faith I have received from Jesus, and it is sufficant for today, and his love has covered us all, and flows to us in our times of need. Love God, and remember what was done to allow you to be named and claimed by God, heir to the kingdom!

Well Internship is spinning right along and the fun just keeps on coming. It seems like more and more stuff is being added and the time is slipping through my fingers…

My wife went on a retreat to the beach this past weekend and I got to spend time with my two beautiful little girls who are growing up way too fast for me. Upon my wife’s return she ommented on how the littlest one, or the youngest I should say had many more words in her vocabulary than she had when my wife left for the beach. Vitamin, brush my teeth, please, thank you… All coming across much more clearly at least to us. As they continue to grow and say things and comeup with ideas that we sit back and think just where did that come from, I wonder how much I miss by being here at the computer, or here at the church, or here in the classroom, or here leading worship… One could ask is it worth being here?

Than I muse, I was called to this vocation, to this way of life. It is something that brings me great joy and connects me with where God is working. It allows me to have a piece in the kingdom of God, today, tomorrow, and forever. Is it worth missing time with me kids and family? Somedays yes, somedays no, but it is worth spending the time with God, and figuring everything else out in the meantime. I tell myself I need to look at the world, especially my world, the world I think I have all figured out through the eyes of my daughters, and see it as a child, the child that I am, the child of of God. God wants me to be with, work with, play with, love with, hang with, insert ______ with God all the time. God has called me to be with him, and walk with him, to help people see him and love him, as only he can love us.

Yesterday I spent some time at the Allegheny Synod office, and Bishop Pyle lead us in a study on 1 Corinthians 1:18-25… This is where Paul talks about the cross being a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to the Gentile. Well my pastor always said that stumbling blocks are interesting things, because they make you stop, or at least slow down and look over your shoulder, or turn around and see what you stumbled over. The cross is something we should trip over sometimes, becasue it is the one thing we should never loss sight of. It is foolishness to us, because why did God have to do this in this way? He could have just saved us all, but God went through, or on, the cross, the one focus, we need. by this thougth I am reminded of my internship sites mission statement: to proclaim Jesus Christ to each other and all the world. To do this we have to be focused on the cross, be cross eyed, as Hebrews 12:2 says…

Well in the madness of missing my children, I do get those moments that help me know this is where we are all suppose to be, like when my oldest daughter prays the Lord’s Prayer while her mother and I pray with the youngest at bed time, or the youngest says amen really loud after a prayer, or when they both try to say the apostles creed, or part of the liturgy…..

God’s plan may not line up with what we think our reality should be, but that is where the issue is…

In our reality, we should look at life like children, seeing everything with wonder filled anticipation, knowing that God is walking with us and guiding us along the way.