Being Foolish

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Proverbs 9: 1-6 & Ephesians 5: 15-20

Roger Lynn

July 26, 2020

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Don’t be foolish! Mothers and fathers all over the planet can be heard telling their children this bit of advice. Teachers speak it sternly to their students who are goofing off in the back of the classroom. We even say it to ourselves as we try very hard to make a good first impression on people we hope will like us. It seems like a solid piece of wisdom to heed. But what exactly it means to be foolish, and whether or not it is ever a good thing to be that way, are questions which are very much open for debate.

In the book of Proverbs we find the wonderful image of Wisdom throwing a party. She has cleaned the house, gotten out the best linens, the fancy china, and grandma’s silverware. The servants have been cooking for days, preparing a mouthwatering assortment of wonderful food. She has plumbed the depths of the wine cellar for the very best vintage. And the embossed invitations are being hand delivered. There is only one pre-requisite for making it onto the guest list for this party. You must be a fool – simple – without sense. At first glance it appears as if it is Wisdom who has lost her senses. But upon further examination it seems quite noble and charming. It is an enlightenment party. Help the lost to find their way. Tutor the ignorant. Re-direct those who have somehow gone astray. It is a party to help people who just “don’t get it.” 

The problem, of course, is that when we are in that position, when it is us who just doesn’t get it, we don’t know that we don’t get it. That is part of what it means to not get it. Part of what’s embarrassing about watching someone who is being foolish is that they don’t realize they are being foolish. So the idea of a throwing a party is actually a pretty good plan. Entice us to come with the promise of having a really good time. And once we get there, and start having that really good time, perhaps we will be more receptive to being more like the hostess of the party – Wisdom. Maybe we will begin to realize that the only really foolish people are those who ignore the invitation to the party.

A Balanced Diet For A Balanced Life

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John 6: 35

Roger Lynn

July 19, 2020

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You are walking down the street, minding your own business, thinking whatever thoughts happen to be passing through your head in that moment. When suddenly you are dragged back to your senses by the smell of fresh baked bread, compelling you to locate the source. In that moment your understanding of the world is clearly in focus. You are very much aware that you are alive, and life is good.

And Jesus says, “I am the Bread of Life.” We know about bread. It nourishes. It satisfies. It entices. Even just the smell is enough to make our mouths water with desire. It draws us on until we find the source. In the letter to the Ephesians we find this interesting phrase. “Live in love, as Christ loved us...a fragrant offering...” (Ephesians 5:2) Imagine that the fragrant offering is the smell of fresh baked bread – enticing us and drawing us on to find the source of life, which is God. We are nourished when we connect our lives with the Sacred Source to which Jesus’ points us.

What I find particularly attractive about this image is the way in which it offers us the possibility of relating to God based on enticement rather than enforcement. The idea that faithful living can be a “want to” rather than a “have to.” “I am the Bread of Life that makes your mouth water and long for more.” “I am the smell of bread baking that draws you from the path you’re on and leads you to ultimate nourishment.” “I am the food that fills not just your stomach but your deepest longings.” Viewing God this way changes everything. It transforms the shape of faithful living from one of obligations to be endured into one of possibilities to be explored.

Love As Gift

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Ephesians 4: 1-6

Roger Lynn

July 12, 2020

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The words we just heard from the Letter to the Ephesians sound so nice – so attractive – so spiritual. Why wouldn’t we want to live our lives this way? Listen to the way the Contemporary English Version translates part of our text for this morning. “Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. Try your best to let God’s Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace.” It is how life should be.

The problem, of course, is that it is not the way life is, at least most of the time. Every time I read this text I find myself thinking, “Yeah, but how do I do that? How do I live that way?” It’s not much of a challenge with people I like and people who generally agree with me. Living at peace with the people of this congregation, for example, is usually pretty easy. Not every congregation can even say that much, so I am more than a little bit grateful. But the fact of the matter is, the writer of the Letter to the Ephesians was offering a bigger challenge than simply being nice to the people you are already being nice to. All of us (and I really am using that phrase in the most expansive and inclusive way possible – ALL of us) are part of the same body – the same tribe – the same community. As followers of Christ we are in this together with everyone else who claims to be a follower of Christ. So, not only are we called to be united in love and peace and humble gentleness with the person at the other end of the pew, but also with the person across town in that other congregation where they do such strange things and believe such outlandish things. We are even called to do our best to be in community with those folks who have written us off and condemned us to hell because we don’t share their understanding of the Gospel. But it doesn’t even stop there. Ultimately we are called to recognize that we are united as one people with everyone everywhere – Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Atheists, Americans, Europeans, Africans, Asians, Black, Brown, White, Gay, Straight, Fluid, Everyone. As I said, it all sounds so nice, but how in the world are we suppose to actually do it?

Deeds of Power

Mark 6: 1-6

Roger Lynn

July 5, 2020

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Jesus shows up in his hometown and people take offense. He tries to share his understanding of God and people turn away. In the end, because of the people’s refusal to listen or understand, he is unable to do any “deeds of power,” except for healing a few sick people. This story is packed full of insights about Jesus and his mission, and yet it is easy to miss the importance of what is being said.

First of all, even Jesus doesn’t work alone. He is in partnership with the people he seeks to serve. The gift can be offered, but unless it is also received it remains ineffectual. Unless the people participate in the process, the Good News of God’s love remains merely theoretical. In the words of Frederick Buechner, “God will not . . . ravish. God will only court.” (from Wishful Thinking) And then, immediately following the incident in Nazareth, Jesus sends his disciples out on a mission and instructs them to expect a similar reception. “If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet...” (Mark 6:11) Not everyone is going to be receptive. Don’t let it get to you. Spend your energy where it will make a difference.

But there is something else hidden in this story from Mark’s Gospel. We see it in the phrase “deeds of power”, which shows up twice in this brief passage. The people are looking for something flashy. They want to be wowed. And it is precisely this kind of thinking which causes them to miss what Jesus has to offer. They are looking for him to do something to them, while he is trying to do something with them. The real “miracles” that Jesus seeks to accomplish have to do with breaking down the walls which separate people and prevent true community. At the end of Jesus’ experience in Nazareth, Mark tells us that “he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them.” (Mark 6:5) Interestingly, the implication is that healing people is not primarily how we should understand “deeds of power.” Instead, we can look to the theme of transformation which undergirds much of Jesus’ life and message. Over and over again we find Jesus promoting, encouraging, and enabling a radical transformation of the ways in which life is experienced. Yes, this involves healing of physical disease and disability which detracts from life. But more significantly and more fundamentally, it involves healing of personal, societal, and cultural brokenness which prevents us from experiencing the fullness of life which God intends. The Gospels are full of examples of Jesus reaching out to the last, the lost, and the least. He speaks out against those in positions of power when they abuse that power to disenfranchise others. Jesus’ real “deeds of power” are about seeking to transform life in ways which make a real, lasting, far-reaching difference.