Lent 2010 #18

Romans 2:12-16 (NRSV)


All who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in God's sight, but the doers of the law who will be justified. When Gentiles, who do not possess the law, do instinctively what the law requires, these, though not having the law, are a law to themselves. They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, to which their own conscience also bears witness; and their conflicting thoughts will accuse or perhaps excuse them on the day when, according to my gospel, God, through Jesus Christ, will judge the secret thoughts of all.

THOUGHTS:

God's judgement is pervasive, reaching both those who are "apart from the law" (the Gentiles), and those who are "under the law" (the Jews). Death and judgement will come their way, no matter who they are. This is a terribly humbling thought, especially for those of us who grew up watching Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society climb on desk tops, let out barbaric yalps, and dramatically implore his students to carpe diem, to seize the day. Seize the day and let out barbaric yalps all you like, Paul might say, but God's judgement remains.

Notice that in this text Paul speaks of judgment in a future context - all who have sinned will also perish ... will be judged ... will be justified ... on the day when Jesus Christ will judge. The Christian tradition has understood the Day of Judgment as that day when Jesus returns "to judge the living and the dead," (the Nicene Creed) and to fully inaugurate his reign, a kingdom that will have no end.

Judgment, then, is the final reordering of all creation to conform to and to truly become his holy Kingdom. Judgment is the eve of eternity for a renewed creation, for the Kingdom of God.

In baptism we receive the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life, for Jesus - whose life, death, and resurrection is the first flowering of the New Creation (1 Corinthians 15:20) - grafts us to him and takes us into his own self. We are his, and nothing is going to shake that (Romans 8:38-39). Do we sin? Do we merit judgment? Yes, and yes. But on that Day of Judgment we are promised that Christ will hold us close to him (1 John 2:1-2), perfect us in love (Colossians 1:22, 28), and make us new creations in him (2 Corinthians 5:17). Is this an escape of judgment? A cop-out? No. Instead it is the renewal that takes place as part of God's judgment, slaying our sin (Romans 6:1-11) and birthing in us new hearts (Psalm 51:10) for a new kingdom.

PRAYER:

Gracious God, you judge the world with justice and mercy. Forgive us our sins, and grant us in this world the strength to live according to your love. Hold us in your embrace, so that on the last day we might be remade to stand with Christ at the dawning of a glorious and holy kingdom. Through your Son Jesus Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we pray.

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Thoughts by the Rev. Chris T. K. Duckworth, Associate Pastor, Resurrection Evangelical Lutheran Church, Arlington, VA

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These devotions for young adults are provided by:

Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University
http://www.gmu.edu/org/lutheran

Lutheran Student Association at the University of Maryland
http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~lutheran/lsa/

DC Young Adults
http://www.dcyoungadults.org/

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Lent 2010 #17

Romans 2:1-11 (NRSV)
Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. You say,* 'We know that God's judgement on those who do such things is in accordance with truth.' Do you imagine, whoever you are, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will
escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God's righteous
judgment will be revealed. For he will repay according to each one's deeds: to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life; while for those who are self-seeking and who obey not the truth but wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be anguish and distress for everyone who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honour and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.


THOUGHTS:
You might have seen the article in last week's Washington Post about the juror who failed to show up for his second day of jury duty. (Check it out at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/05/AR2010030504193.html?sub=AR) Apparently the man was summoned for jury duty, seated on a jury and then participated in the first day of the trial. On the second day of the trial, however, he failed to show up. By day three the roles had been reversed. The juror suddenly found himself in the courtroom standing before the judge as a defendant who was charged with contempt of court. The one who had been called to judge was now being judged himself.

In many ways, this was kind of role reversal is what the apostle Paul was writing about to the Romans in our text for today. Paul makes clear that "God shows no partiality". Everyone, including the Gentiles, was subject not only to God's judgment, but also to God's "glory and honor and peace". This was quite a reversal in roles. The Jews were experiencing things from the eyes of the Gentiles and the Gentiles from the eyes of the Jews.

Paul suggests that God sees both groups equally. Ancestry alone was not going to give anyone a place of honor before God. All people would be judged accordingly. All people would be in equal need of God's grace and, through Christ's death and resurrection on the cross, all people would receive that gift. Thanks be to God for God's gift of grace to all!

PRAYER:
Loving God, we give you thanks that we all come before you equally as your children. We are in need of your grace and ask that you would freely bestow it upon us. Amen.

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Thoughts by Rev. Meredith Keseley, pastor of the Lutheran Church of the Abiding Presence.

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These devotions for young adults are provided by:

Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University http://www.gmu.edu/org/lutheran

Lutheran Student Association at the University of Maryland http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~lutheran/lsa/

DC Young Adults http://www.dcyoungadults.org/

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Lent 2010 #12

Numbers 14:10b-24 (NRSV)

Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites.

And the Lord said to Moses, "How long will this people despise me? And how long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? I will strike them with pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they." 

But Moses said to the Lord, "Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for in your might you brought up this people from among them, and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O Lord, are in the midst of this people; for you, O Lord, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go in front of them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if you kill this people all at one time, then the nations who have heard about you will say, 'It is because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land he swore to give them that he has slaughtered them in the wilderness.' And now, therefore, let the power of the Lord be great in the way that you promised when you spoke, saying, 

'The Lord is slow to anger, 

and abounding in steadfast love, 

forgiving iniquity and transgression, 

but by no means clearing the guilty, 

visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children 

to the third and the fourth generation.'

Forgive the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have pardoned this people, from Egypt even until now."

Then the Lord said, "I do forgive, just as you have asked; nevertheless—as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of theLord— none of the people who have seen my glory and the signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tested me these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their ancestors; none of those who despised me shall see it. But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me wholeheartedly, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.

THOUGHTS: 

I run into a lot of people who think that the so-called "Old Testament God" is an angry God more  interested in smiting people than in giving them the benefit of the doubt. At first glance today's text appears to fit right into that assumption. In verse 12 we read that the people have tried God's patience long enough. God is ready to strike the people with pestilence and disinherit them. It look like God is mad; get out of the way.

It's for this reason that Moses' response is so surprising, or at first glance stupid.  We might expect Moses to cut his losses and try to get out of Dodge (or at least the wilderness).  Instead, Moses takes God on; he argues with God. Moses ostensibly "mouths off" to God, using God's own words to make an argument.

If this were a scene in a play, I would imagine the cast running for wings while the audience gasped in fear for lone Moses standing there in the spotlight before God on an otherwise pitch black stage. And then, afraid to exhale, the audience would watch Moses neither run for stage right nor cower in fear, but fervently gesture towards the Most High as he reminded God of promises God already made: "The Lord is slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression but by no means clearing the guilty" (v. 18). And Lo and behold: God listens.

What I love about this is Moses' audacity to quote God back to God. And Moses can do this because he starts with an important assumption: God is just. Now Moses doesn't sugarcoat what this means. He knows that the actions of the people will not be without consequence; he knows that God will judge them as we read at the end of verse 18. But Moses presumes that God is just; that God always is who God is. Moses pressures that even in the worst situations, God does not change from love to hate but remains love even in the midst of human faithlessness. So Moses argues with God because he trusts that he is dealing with a just God who really wants love, forgiveness, and deliverance for his people.

I run into a lot of people who believe that God is angry; that God wants to smite them or damn them or punish them. But Moses reminds us of something different. God is just no matter how unjust or unfaithful we have been. God is faithful to the promises God made to us, even when we don't deserve them.

Now we're invited to trust God's justice enough that we hold God to it, too!


PRAYER: 

God, so often we carry our sins with us and try to hide them from you. Lord, teach us not to fear but to trust you and your justice…for ourselves, our loved ones and our world.  Amen.

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Thoughts by Rev. Amy Sevimli, Assistant to the Bishop, Metro D.C. Synod of the ELCA, www.dcyoungadults.org

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These devotions for young adults are provided by:

Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University http://www.gmu.edu/org/lutheran

Lutheran Student Association at the University of Maryland http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~lutheran/lsa/

DC Young Adults http://www.dcyoungadults.org/

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Lent 2010 #6

2 Peter 2:4-21 (The Inclusive Bible):


When the angels sinned, God did not spare them, but condemned them to the dungeons of the underworld to await the final judgment. Nor did the Most High spare the ancient world. God spared Noah, the paragon of justice, along with seven others, but flooded the ungodly world; God rescued the just Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of wicked people that he both witnessed and heard about as he lived among them; he suffered daily torment to his soul because of their lawlessness. But God knows how to rescue the godly from torment, and to incarcerate the unjust until the day of judgment. 

This pertains especially to those who succumb to the desires of the flesh, and to those who rebel against all authority. These bold and willful people are not afraid to revile the glorious angels - even though the angels, with all their superior strength and power, don't speak a word of judgment against them in the presence of our God. These people - who blaspheme anything they don't understand - are irrational animals, bred to be captured and killed, destroying themselves with their own destructive instincts. They will reap evil in reward for the evil they do. They revel in the daylight just for the fun of it. They are nothing but stains and blemishes. And they make amusement at your expense, even when you sit as a guest at their table. With their adulterous eyes they seduce the unstable because of their infinite capacity for sin. Their profession is greed - an accursed breed! They have abandoned the straight and narrow, straying onto the way of Balaam ben-Beor, who lusted for the wages of injustice. But he was admonished by a mute animal, a donkey speaking with a human voice, which put an end to the prophet's madness. These people are waterless wells and storm-driven mists. Utter darkness is reserved for them. With their hollow, arrogant talk about the pleasures of the flesh, they will seduce people who have only just escaped from those who live in error. They promise freedom, while they themselves are slaves to sin - for whatever dominates you makes you a slave.

If you've survived the enticements of the world through knowing our Sovereign and Savior Jesus Christ, you'll be ultimately worse off than at the start if you slip and are overcome a second time. Better not to have known the way of holiness, than to have known it and later reject the holy commandment.




THOUGHTS:

The first thing that strikes me about this passage is it's harsh language. "Irrational animals?" The traditional translations are even worse, using phrases like "brute beasts" in the NIV. What brings on these words? These are people who "blaspheme anything they don't understand." They are accused of "greed," and "make amusement" at others' expense. 

In today's world, multitudes are exploited daily in the name of greed and selfishness. Millions of people are daily treated like animals - or worse. The Bible tells us that people who do this are essentially behaving like animals themselves. "For with what judgment ye judge, so shall ye be judged..." If we treat others as less than human, if we do not give basic respect, we also disrespect ourselves, for we are human too.

A few questions to contemplate:

These days, many different cultures and types of people interact in unprecedented ways. How do we react to people who are different from us? 

How can we be more patient when others act in ways we find offensive? (This can range from big things like racism to relatively small things like being cut off when parking.) 

How can we be more self-aware and diffuse a situation if we find we have offended others (whether intentionally out of anger or accidentally)? 

How much greed do we act with? Are we often jealous of what others have? Do we take for granted the blessings that we are given? Do we waste not only money, but time, resources, or even friendships? (For example, by not taking opportunities to be a friend in the first place, or by treating a friend as worthless. )

Balaam needed something as crazy as a talking donkey to bring back his sanity so that he could do the work of God. May we need far less motivating to love as God has called us.

PRAYER:

God, help us learn to walk in love and patience as Jesus did, creating peace between ourselves and others.
May we learn to not take for granted the gifts you have given and the people you have placed around us. Amen

--
Thoughts by Victoria Meixell, student at George Mason University

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These devotions for young adults are provided by:
Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University http://www.gmu.edu/org/lutheran
Lutheran Student Association at the University of Maryland http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~lutheran/lsa/
DC Young Adults http://www.dcyoungadults.org/
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Lent Day #37

John 12:31-33 (NRSV)
³¹"Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. ³²And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." ³³He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

THOUGHTS:
These words were spoken by Jesus in the days before his crucifixion. John tells us that he said them to indicate the nature of his death -- lifted up from the earth upon a cross.

Think about it. Jesus says that the world was judged crucifixion. He says that when he is lifted up upon a cross, he will draw all people to himself. A few days later on the cross, in Luke 23:34 (ESV):

34 And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments.

The judgement of Jesus is one of grace and forgiveness. The judgement of Jesus is mercy for all people. This is certainly good news!

PRAYER:
Holy God, we thank for you your grace and forgiveness, which we know we could never earn. Help us to accept the knowledge that we are so dearly beloved. Help us to share this good news with all people through our lives. Allow us the privilege of serving you. AMEN.

Lent Day #35

Mark 11:12-14,20-25 (ESV)

12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 And he said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard it.

20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered." 22 And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

THOUGHTS:
It feels to me like when Jesus encounters the fig tree, we see a different side of Jesus. Hungry, he approaches a tree in the hopes of eating figs. Since it isn't fig season he finds none. Therefore, he curses the tree so that no one will ever eat from it again.

What emotions were running through Jesus that day?

Does it seem silly to you? Imagine a farmer who owned an orchard of apple trees in Maryland going out today, finding no apples, and therefore cutting down all the apple trees. What does this mean?

I expect Jesus to recognize that it isn't fig season and he's ruining a perfectly good fig tree. I expect him to think about all the hungry people the tree might be able to feed when fig season rolls around. He apparently doesn't.

Is the whole thing just an illustration of the power of faith for the disciples? Maybe, but couldn't that have been accomplished just as effectively by saying "Next time I see you, I want a few dozen figs." The next morning as they walk by, the disciples would be equally shocked. The teaching about the power of faith would pack the same power.

That brings me right back to wondering what emotions Jesus was dealing with the day he encountered the fig tree. Scripture records this event as happening within a couple of days after Palm Sunday. Is Jesus so focused on the end of his life that he lashes out in anger and bitterness at the world around him?

I consulted some resources that seem to chalk it up to "parabolic action" -- a lived out parable. My Bible commentary fumbles around a little bit, suggesting that maybe the fig tree represents the Jewish people -- that the unfruitful tree represets an unfaithful people symbolizing that this was not the proper time for the Jewish leaders to bear fruit by accepting Jesus.

Think about it. Pray about it. What do you think?

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, we admit that we sometimes struggle to understand. We ask that you guide us to understand those things you want us to know, and to help us to accept on faith those things that are beyond us. For Jesus sake, AMEN.

Fourth Sunday in Lent

It is Sunday and we once again celebrate the resurrection of the Christ. Sundays aren't part of Lent -- they are days when we recognize that the tomb is empty and we shout for joy! For more info on this, track back through past Sundays at http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com/
Some thoughts for the journey:

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To put away judgmentalism is to practice grace. It's the recognition that if you experienced your neighbor's situation as they experience it, that you, too, might sin as they sin. In terms of your religious practice, grace doesn't change the terms of sin. It does change, however, your response to sin. And isn't that what love is supposed to be about?
-- From http://treereach.blogspot.com/2008/02/judgmental.html

"Too often I looked at being relevant, popular, and powerful as ingredients of an effective ministry. The truth, however, is that these are not vocations but temptations. Jesus asks, "Do you love me?" Jesus sends us out to be shephers, and Jesus promises a life in which we increasingly have to stretch out our hands and be led to places where we would rather not go. He asks us to move from a concern for relevance to a life of prayer, from worries about popularity to communal and mutual ministry, and from a leadership built on power to a leadership in which we critically discern where God is leading us and our people."
-- Henri Nouwen "In the Name of Jesus", From http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2008/01/too-often-i-looked-at.html

A quote from the film "A Time for Burning":
"the gospel is not about an air-conditioned building and stained-glass, it is a place where men reach for justice, love, and understanding." - bill youngdahl, the white pastor who lost his job over this simple request.
-- From http://kathyescobar.com/2008/02/26/a-time-for-burning/


"To live, we must daily break the bread and shed the blood of creation. ... When we do this knowingly, lovingly, skillfully, reverently, it is a sacrament. When we do it ignorantly, greedily, clumsily, destructively, it is a desecration. ... In such desecration, we condemn ourselves to spiritual and moral loneliness and others to want." How can your life be a living sacrament to the wonders of creation?
-- Wendell Berry, "The Gift of Good Land", From the ELCA's "Living Earth: A 40-Day Reflection on
Our Relationship With God's Creation"