Sunday, March 1, 2009 – First Sunday in Lent – 1 Peter 3:18-22

1 Peter 3:18-22 – “For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you–not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him”.

 

1. Vs 18 of this section St, Peter writes “Christ suffered for sins, “once for all…..”.  This concept  suggests that Christ atoned for the sins of all people once for everyone, everywhere, in every time and age.  The sweep of Christ’s “net” of sin is vast and universal.  Does this mean that Christ has covered your sins – past, present and future?  If so, how is this mind boggling to you? What does it say about God’s unfathomable love?

 

2. Vs 19 says that Christ “went in death to the ‘spirits in prison’”.  While St. Peter doesn’t specify, the church, generally throughout her history has understood this passage to mean that everyone who died before Christ and lived in “Hodes” – the abode of the dead – was given the opportunity to have their sins forgiven.  What is your reaction to hearing this?  Again, what does this act say about the amazing grace and love of God?

 

3. Vs 20-21 talks about Noah.  Noah had 8 folks on the ark; himself, Mrs. Noah and his 3 sons and their wives.  How does the story of the ark relate to the concept of baptism?  How has your baptism freed you?

 

4.  Jesus sits on God’s right hand.  In the Bible’s language this means that he is God’s “chief of staff”, the most powerful being in the universe.  The verse refers to angels – heavenly beings and authorities and powers.  He is “over them”; they are subject to him.  One of the powers that is always loose in the world is the Spirit of revenge – our war in Iraq is at least in part a war of revenge against the 911 attacks and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait that was never resolved.  How does Jesus “trump” revenge?

Sunday, February 15, 2009 – 6th Sunday after Epiphany – 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 – Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.

St. Paul is talking in this section of 1 Corinthians about the necessity of being disciplined in our spiritual life. Our “spirit”, like our “body” needs care. Just as we feed, cleanse and exercise our body, we need to feed it by regularly and gladly hearing God’s word. We need to cleanse – we need to do a spiritual housecleaning from time to time to see if we are being honest in our dealings with others and if we are being loving and forgiving of our enemies. Also, we need to exercise our spirits. We need to see beautiful things, hear beautiful music, watch enlightening and ennobling plays and films, read poetry and in our Christian case – worship God regularly and do acts of charity and love to serve the “least of these”.

1. Paul says “Run in such a way that we may win it. (“It” meaning the prize of being in a strong relationship, a life-giving relationship with Jesus). How are you running? Do you need some coaching? Where do you go for coaching in your spiritual life?

2. I always admire the folks who go the 12 step/recovery programs that are based on the spiritual principles of Alcoholics Anonymous. They practice rigorous honesty. They focus on atoning for their wrongdoing, that is, make reparations to people they have hurt or wronged in some way. Also, they throw themselves onto God and God’s mercy and pray for faith and direction from God for life’s journey. What can we learn from them?

3. Paul says in verse 27, “but I punish my body and enslave it”. What he means is that he disciplines himself. He puts himself to the test. Although it has fallen out of favor, the Christian discipline of fasting, oddly enough, actually helps people to grow spiritually. It teaches us that we can live without luxuries much more than we think we can. Lent is approaching. What can we do to “enslave” or “master” ourselves? We traditionally “give up stuff”, like chocolate or desserts. Can we perhaps better add to our schedule? Maybe visit someone who is sick or shut in once a week? How can we be pro-active about growing in our faith while always bearing in mind that our salvation is secured in our baptism to Christ’s death and resurrection?

Sunday, February 8, 2009 – 5th Sunday after Epiphany – Isaiah 40:21-31

Isaiah 40:21-31 – Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in; who brings princes to naught, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows upon them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name; because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

These words where preached to a dispirited people.  Historically, we believe, they were spoken in Babylon where the Israelites were in captivity.  They had been taken by the Babylonians from Jerusalem and Israel by force after Judah’s defeat.  Their big question: “Is our God the real God or is Babylon’s God the real God, or is there no God at all simply a world of human beings who act out power plays?  These of course, are always contemporary questions.  The purpose of our preaching is to proclaim with assurance and conviction that yes there is a God, one God alone, and that this God cares for all of us human beings as without distinction.

 

1. Notice how in verse 22 we human beings are compared to grasshoppers in the face of God’s awesome power and might.  Does this image comfort you? If so, how?

 

2.  Verses 25-26 ask us to look at creation and see the God standing behind it.  What moves you to awe of God?

 

3.  The last verses 27-31 are powerfully comforting.  You often see them on key chains found in Christian book stores.  What do the words “wait for the Lord” mean to you?  How have you waited for the Lord in your life? How has the Lord proven himself involved with you and caring for you, even when he seemed distant and far away?

Sunday, February 1, 2009 – 4th Sunday after Epiphany – 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

1 Corinthians 8:1-13 – Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; but anyone who loves God is known by him. Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “no idol in the world really exists,” and that “there is no God but one.” Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth–as in fact there are many gods and many lords–yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. It is not everyone, however, who has this knowledge. Since some have become so accustomed to idols until now, they still think of the food they eat as food offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. “Food will not bring us close to God.” We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if others see you, who possess knowledge, eating in the temple of an idol, might they not, since their conscience is weak, be encouraged to the point of eating food sacrificed to idols? So by your knowledge those weak believers for whom Christ died are destroyed. But when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall.

 

We continue in our readings from 1 Corinthians.  St. Paul talks in this section about food that has been offered to idols.  Can it be eaten or not?  In Corinth, sacrifices were almost made daily to the various gods and goddesses.  If you wanted a favor from Venus, God of Love, you would take a sheep or a goat to her temple and the priest would sacrifice it for you.  The meat could be sold to the public after a portion was offered as a “burnt offering”.  The sacred and the profane were very mixed in the ancient Roman Mediterranean

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New converts questions were simple: “It is convenient for me to get this meat.  The temple is near my house.  Am I sinning if I eat it because it has been used in the worship of a false god?

 

Paul’s response is a pastoral response.  He says, basically, “Well that depends. “Meat is just meat.  These other gods do not exist.  There is only one God”.  However, if someone who is “weak” in faith sees you buying meat from a temple, you might cause them real concern. Be sensitive to what your brother or sister might feel about your actions.

 

1.  What would modern day “meat” be? At Halloween time, there are Christian groups who protest this holiday pointing to its pagan roots in pre-Christian Europe. (Halloween night was a time to put on scary masks to frighten dead souls back into their graves). Should we not participate, or not allow our children to celebrate Halloween because of it pagan origin? What are the risks, either way?

 

2. Some people do not tell their children about Santa Claus because they are afraid that it will set them up to have doubts about God, Christ, or the resurrection.  In truth, Santa has become a tool of the market more than symbolizing the spirit of grace and charity that the 4^th century Bishop of Myra, Saint Nicholas was. What would you advise a new mother to do about Santa?

 

3.  This texts gets into the issue: Can anything created be bad, if God is the only God and God said in Genesis: It is good. It is good, It is good. (referring to all of the created order).  What limits are we to put on our celebration of God’s good creation, if any?