Blessed? I doubt it!

 Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, 

  for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

A wonderful friend and colleague invited me to consider a couple articles from Christian Century - and they visit interestingly with one another, and with this text. 

“Faith, nice and easy” by Kenda Creasy Dean - 8/10/2010 and “Against Religion” under a heading “The case for faith” - 1/11/2011

Dean addresses the problem of youth being “taught a bland, banal version of Christianity.” I’m not exactly sure at her solutions to the problem of banal Christians - especially when I might well count myself one of ‘em...

Here’s a paragraph with a perhaps a too great confidence in generosity as a sign of  the presence of God - but hey - there’s some good lines here:

Catholic theologian Jean-Luc Marion says that “the ethic of giving” is the telltale sign that God’s image is under construction in us. The evidence that God’s image is being restored in individuals and in church is our giving - we give Christ, who established the church to bear his fruit in the world. We are flimsy boughs for such abundant fruit. Yet scripture repeatedly describes God’s preferential option for the unlikely. God calls people not for what they have but for what they lack. Empty hands receive, empty wombs are filled, empty tombs proclaim resurrection - and the unformed selves of adolescents make room for Christ in ways that are difficult for adults’ hardened formed egos. God does not ask us to give ourselves to others. God asks us to give Christ - who transforms us, dwells within us and fills us with his self-giving love. “It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me,” says Paul (Gal 2:20)

The “flimsy boughs” phrase is great, but I am really struck by the notion of “God’s preferential option for the unlikely.” Isn’t that an interesting thing to say? Aren’t these blessings about as unlikely as unlikely can be? Except - I guess - for the cross. 

Hall’s Christian Century piece is quite a read.

He starts by quoting from a vocal atheist who, in the aftermath of  9/11, suggests that religion is not the harmless nonsense he and others have thought that it is. Rather, in his analysis, it is quite dangerous. Well, yes.

Hall then offers his own critique of N. American religion.

“Such Christianity, though it regularly basks in an aura of true-believing Bible faith, seems oblivious to the critique of religion that runs throughout the pages of both...testaments”

I am struck by Hall’s point in seeking to hold up faith over religion. It is interesting to me that the folks I’ve heard who’ve most clearly spoken for faith over religion - were actually quite obnoxiously religions. [Kinda like the only time you hear Reggae on local radio is in adds for some lame store or some stupid product.]

Let me share a quote of this article within which is a quote of Barth - 

“The Christian religion...stands under the judgment that religion is unbelief, and is not acquitted by any inward worthiness.” Religion, Barth declares

"is a grasping. . . . Man tries to grasp at truth [by] himself. . . . But in that case he does not do what he has to do when truth comes to him. He does not believe. If he did, he would listen; but in religion he talks. If he did, he would accept a gift; but in religion he takes something for himself. If he did, he would let God Himself intercede for God; but in religion he ventures to grasp at God.”

Hall drives to this conclusion:

"Probably faith - by which I mean awe and trust in the presence of the holy - will never be found in easy separation from religion - some religion; but the thoughtfully faithful will nevertheless be able to distinguish between what comes of faith and what comes of religion. And the greatest distinction of all in this contrast will always lie in the readiness of faith, unlike religion, to confess its radical incompleteness and insufficiency - indeed, its brokenness. How could it not do so?”

Those last two lines is why I’m sharing all this - I think.

That and “God’s preferential option for the unlikely.” 

The Beatitudes - as well as the Gospel itself - seem to fit that line pretty well

Blessings to you.

What’s your favorite color?

John 1:29-42

John saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, `After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel." And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, `He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God."

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter). 

"Rabbi, where are you staying?"

That strikes me as quite an odd question.

Is that really what they asked?

Where are you staying?

Who cares?!?

What difference could that possibly make?

Not just an odd question. 

A stupid one

I think of the SNL comedian who would interview people “remember when you did that? That was awesome!” Then, whacking himself for asking such a stupid question.

Can’t you just see these two disciples busting on each other later?

“Duh,” “where are you staying?” 

“We’re real interested in whether it’s a duplex or an apartment. Or do you have one of those fancy new adobe jobs down by the Sea of Galilee?” 

“How could we be so ridiculous?”

Isn’t the real question: “Who are you?” or “Are you the Messiah?” 

Isn’t the question: “Is John right, are you really the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world?”

Isn’t THAT the question?

But since they asked this question, what might we do with it?

There’s a few things.

Where is Jesus staying?

. . . or, is Jesus staying anywhere?

Could it be, that Jesus is restlessly travelling the world, out there, amidst those who are lost and alone? 

What are you looking for? 

ME? The same as everyone else - I don’t really know how to answer that.

Interesting isn’t it, that these disciples of John - who dedicated their lives to looking for the Messiah, they, like most of us, were tongue tied when it came time to talk about their hopes and dreams, when it came time to give voice to their faith. 

Perhaps, as Lose suggests in his “Dear Working Preacher” piece this week, we could ask questions.

We had a great conversation at our Council meeting last night. The youngest member of the Council - still in his 20’s - spoke of conversing with some co-workers as they drove along. A conversation that lasted a couple hours. I don’t think it was overly eloquent, or deep theology, but he was able to give voice to why he went to worship, and what our Church was about. 

For him, the compelling thing for us is that we do not demand that everyone believe the same thing. To the one questioning him, that was remarkably different from his experience, and that sounded very good - truer than his own experience. 

Interesting. 

What are you looking for?

Where are you staying?

Doh!