Sermon: Faith and Faithfulness

Abraham's Journey to Canaan - 1614

Lectionary: Proper 5A

Texts: Genesis 12:1-9; Romans 4:13-25; Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

Introduction

For what would you give up all your comforts and stability of life? Is there anything for which you would pull up all roots, cut all relational ties, and embark on a nomadic life, not knowing whether you would ever settle down again?

Given our modern context with its technology and communications, it’s difficult to imagine the Bronze Age world in which leaving one’s place of belonging – the land on which one was born and would inherit and all the family, clan, and tribal ties – meant risking one’s own very life and survival.

Yet Abraham (or technically, at the time, Abram) did just that. Why?

This turns out to be yet another instance where the story is quite familiar, and because it has been heard so many times, we assume a lot about it that just isn’t there in the actual text. But there are also other details that aren’t in the immediate text of the narrative but can help fill in the broader context. Some of these can be found by looking at other texts in the Bible, and others from historical and cultural studies of the times and places in question.

Gods of Abram’s Household

The text reads that Yahweh spoke to Abram and told him to “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” (Gen 12:1[1]) Because God commands, Abram obeys. It’s as simple as that. Or is it?

Most of us read these patriarchal narratives with the assumption of monotheism, where the one true God is already known and worshiped. But that is not at all the case. When archaeology is examined, monotheism among the Israelites does not take hold until the Jews return from their Babylonian Exile. Up until their captivity into exile, most Israelites assumed the existence of, and often worshiped, multiple gods.[2]

Abram and his father’s household was no different. There is evidence that their primary deity was Sin, or the moon god of Sumeria. Many of the names found in the family may have references to the worship of the moon god.[3] The city of Haran is known to have had a temple to Sin.[4]

Abram does descend from the line of Shem, so it shouldn’t be surprising to find Yahweh among the household gods. But it is quite possible and (in my opinion) likely Yahweh had been relegated to one of the minor household deities.[5] We aren’t told how Yahweh speaks to Abram. It could be through divination, it could be through omens, it could be through a dream.[6]

The One Thing that Matters to Abram

However it happens, Abram hears from Yahweh. But why heed the words of one god among so many? As for Abram, there is nothing special about Yahweh. Except one thing. Yahweh promises Abram that he will have descendants. Back in Genesis 11:30, it was noted that Abram was married to Sarai, who was barren. We read that when Abram hears from Yahweh, he is about seventy-five years old. It would seem nearly impossible to have a child under these circumstances. Yet that is Yahweh’s promise. And it is the one thing for which Abram would and does leave his father’s family and ancestral lands. It is the one and only thing that is of value to him.

It was no simple or easy matter to leave one’s household behind.

A man was identified in the ancient world as a member of his father’s household. When the head of the household died, his heir assumed that title and its responsibilities. It is also identified with ancestral lands and property. By leaving his father’s household, Abram was thus giving up his inheritance and his right to family property.

Land, family and inheritance were among the most significant elements in ancient society. For farmers and herdsmen land was their livelihood. For city dwellers land represented their political identity. Descendants represented the future. Children provided for their parents in old age and enabled the family line to extend another generation. They gave proper burial to their parents and honored the names of their ancestors. In some of the ancient Near Eastern cultures these were considered essential to maintaining a comfortable existence in the afterlife. When Abram gave up his place in his father’s household, he forfeited his security.[7]

Abram was not only forfeiting his own security, but he was also turning his back on caring for his ancestors and the rest of the household. I strongly suspect that there was tremendous pushback and appeals to change his mind. Yet the one thing – having descendants of his own – was stronger. And one of the gods, Yahweh, promised that one thing to him. 

Abram’s Self-Interest

Lest we assume that Abram is just that devoted and willing to follow words he hears from a god, we only need to go a few verses into the next narrative to discover that Abram is self-serving and conniving. At least at this point in life, Abram’s primary interest is making sure he prospers.

¹⁰ Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to reside there as an alien, for the famine was severe in the land. ¹¹ When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know well that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, ¹² and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; then they will kill me, but they will let you live. ¹³ Say you are my sister, so that it may go well with me because of you and that my life may be spared on your account.” (Genesis 12:10-13)

When Abram hears from Yahweh the promise of descendants and a great nation to boot, I’m sure he notices there are no conditions other than leaving his ancestral ties. There are no ongoing requirements. There is nothing required to be given to Yahweh once the promise is fulfilled. It’s all win for Abram. Subsequent promises and covenants Yahweh makes with Abram do not contain conditions either. This Yahweh seems to be all about giving and not requiring nor expecting anything in return. This is about as unconditional a promise as one can be.[8]

Although Abram left behind security of land, belonging to a household, and the comforts of living in a city, he did take along sufficient wealth that could be carried or walk on their own – livestock, portable wealth, his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and slaves. Abram gave up much, but according to the text, certainly not everything.

Definitions of Terms Matter

Although the Genesis 12 text does not explicitly state that Abram believed Yahweh, farther into the Abraham cycle of stories, in chapter 15 we read that Abram believed Yahweh. I think it is appropriate to read Abram’s believing back into chapter 12.

But what does it mean to believe? What is faith? In the reading from Romans, we heard the two terms faith and believe multiple times in Paul’s use of the story of God’s promise made to Abraham. The first verse that we heard from Romans reads:

¹³ For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. (Romans 4:13)

Righteousness is yet another term that pops up in frequent association with faith and belief. Many of Paul’s references to Abraham in this section of Romans comes from Genesis 15, including one that is the key to Paul’s argument, “And he [Abram] believed the LORD, and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)

Frameworks for Defining Theological Terms

Those of us who were raised in the modern Western world traditionally approach the concepts of faith, belief, and righteousness from a perspective of science and law. We tend to emphasize knowable facts and attributes of God. Faith and belief then, becomes accepting and believing those data points about God. Righteousness is a term weighed with judicial and moral overtones. So, a righteous person is one who is morally good and does their best to always keep the law.

Maybe it comes as a surprise that this kind of thinking is exactly what Paul is writing against in Romans chapter 4. Or maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise at all. The Roman Empire was fastidious in its laws and observances. There were detailed and specific rituals to be performed to maintain one’s good standing with the gods. It is to those who were raised in this environment, immersed in this way of thinking about the law, to whom Paul writes. And it should be noted that we in the West are inheritors of this way of thinking, both in secular politics and in religion.

Paul, even though he is a Roman citizen, is thoroughly Jewish and Hebrew in the way he approaches the concepts of faith, belief, and righteousness. Instead of a legal framework for these terms, Paul understands and utilizes them within a relational framework.[9] The starting point of faith for Paul is not accepting facts about God, but rather, trust in the reliability of a relationship. Belief is not about an intellectual assent about God’s attributes, but rather, the confidence that God will deliver on God’s promises. And righteousness is primarily not about being in good moral or legal standing with God, but in a trusting relationship with God.

That is why Paul writes about Abraham, “No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore ‘it was reckoned to him as righteousness.’” (Romans 4:20-22)

Stated another way, faith is trust in God’s absolute faithfulness. And that is the only human response necessary and appropriate to God’s invitation to be in right relationship with God; aka, righteousness. Unlike with other deities and nearly all human relationships, there are no conditions, no rituals, and no imposed penalties. The offer from God is unconditional.[10] This is grace.

Examples of Faith (Trust)

This is the framework in which we can read the gospel text for today. Yes, it begins with the call of Matthew into Jesus’ group and Matthew seems to get up and follow Jesus, leaving behind his prior life, much like Abraham. But in the broader textual context, the call appears to be just a minor detail. It seems mostly a narrative hook to bring us to the series of other vignettes that follow.

The thematic thread that I see going through the vignettes of our gospel reading is the question, “What kinds of people place their trust in God (or more precisely here, in Jesus)?”

First, there is Matthew and then all his family, friends, and acquaintances. They were generally thought to be socially unacceptable at best, and treasonous at worst. Jesus invites Matthew to trust in him, and Matthew does and brings many others to get a chance to meet Jesus. Those who thought they could never be fully accepted by God are now being invited into a relationship with God.

But then, a leader of the people (Mark identifies this person as a synagogue leader) comes to ask Jesus for help. Jesus does not turn aside the request from someone with higher social standing.

And then a woman with a flow of blood for twelve years quietly approaches Jesus, not wanting to make a scene nor to be known. Here is a person who is ritually impure, to be avoided. When she does get her wish to touch Jesus’ cloak and is healed, Jesus notices and commends her for her faith (or shall we say, trust?). With her healing, she can return to normal society and restore relationships that had been ruptured due to her condition.

And finally, Jesus touches a dead girl (although he does say that she “is not dead but sleeping”). Touching a corpse rendered a person ritually unclean. Yet that fact does not stop Jesus. Instead of being contaminated, Jesus restores life to the girl and restores relationships that moments ago were, metaphorically speaking, dead.

Faith Begins and Ends with God

Each of these is a vignette of someone placing their trust in God and God’s promises, and God holding to the promise. A broad range of social standing, gender, and age are included as an example of God’s encompassing acceptance and faithfulness.

God’s faithfulness does not depend on human response. It is God’s to unilaterally and unconditionally offer. I think that is the most important point that is being made across the three readings. Human faith in God is fallible. Abraham’s trust in God faltered many times. The churches to whom Paul wrote often had serious issues. Jesus’ had to often rebuke his disciples for lack of faith. Yet God remained and remains faithful to any and all who dare take a chance on God’s promises and begin the walk of trust in God’s reliability. That is faith and faithfulness.

In the name of God who provides and sustains,

In the name of God who walked the path of faith,

In the name of God who stirs us to walk in faith…

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[1] Bible texts from the NRSV Updated Edition, unless otherwise noted.

[2] Many of the references to monotheism in the Old Testament may be seen as aspirational or idealistic; it can be seen as exilic and post-exilic editors attempting to explain the reason for being conquered and exiled, and a polemic against their prior history of religious unfaithfulness.

[3] New International Commentary, Old Testament, Genesis 1-17. Commentary on Genesis 11:27.

“Yet the possible connection of Terah (Heb. teraḥ) with the word yārēaḥ, “moon,” and yeraḥ, “lunar month,” if substantiated, would suggest that Abram’s family and ancestors were worshipers of the moon. One suggestion is that Terah means “Têr is (the divine) brother (or protector, Heb. ʾaḥ),” têr being a dialectal variant of šhr, a South Arabic term for the moon. Sarai (Sarah) is the equivalent of šarratu, “queen,” an Akkadian translation of a Sumerian name for Ningal, the female partner of the moon-god Sin. Milcah is the same name as the goddess Malkatu, the daughter of Sin. Laban (Heb. lāḇān) means “white,” and leḇāná, “the white one,” is a poetic term for the full moon. In addition, both Ur and Haran were thriving centers of moon worship; thus it is probable that the theological milieu in which Abram lived for a good bit of his life was one in which the cult focused its adoration on moon worship.”

[4] IVP Bible Background Commentary, Old Testament. Commentary on Genesis 11:31.

[5] Wondrium, Understanding the Old Testament: Lecture 5; Abraham, the Father of Three Faiths.

               “There is no suggestion in the text that Abraham has met God or knows anything about him. Later Jewish tradition filled in all sorts of stories from Abraham’s earlier life, but those are not in the text here.

               According to verse 1, Abraham is being asked to relinquish “his land and his family.” He is being asked to leave Mesopotamia—that is, ancient Iraq. Essentially, Abraham is asked to relinquish rich mercantile cities for a life of nomadism, leaving behind gold and jade.

               There is no indication that Abraham has any established credentials for this deity that has made this command.”

[6] It should be noted that there are many behaviors and actions that are taken by the patriarchs that would later be proscribed in Israel. Divination is one. Marriage and sexual relations with siblings or half-siblings is another.

[7] IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. Commentary on Genesis 12:1.

[8] Wondrium, Understanding the Old Testament: Lecture 5; Abraham, the Father of Three Faiths.

               “In chapter 15, God reiterates an earlier promise that Abraham will have abundant descendants. God provides him a visual image of how many descendants he will have, but that supplies no basis at all to shore up any confidence. Still, Abraham accepted God as reliable…

               God is making promises to Abraham that are unconditional. There’s nothing Abraham has to do in order for God to keep his side of the bargain. Symbolically, God binds himself in this treaty ceremony without asking Abraham to do the same.”

[9] Richards, E. Randolph and James, Richard. Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes. “Grace and faith are the language of relationship.” (108)

[10] Richards. “God, however, is not like the typical patron. God generously gives patronage to all, including undeserving and treacherous clients, because he can and wants to.” (108)

Sermon: “Ghost!” to “Son of God”

Lectionary: Year B, Proper 14

Text: Matthew 14:22-33, (34-36) (Extended the supplied reading to include the epilogue.)

I’m sure most of us have been told at some point that public speaking is most people’s top, or close to the top, fear. There is an actual survey done by Chapman University[1], and in their fifth survey done in 2018, public speaking was not even in the top 50. It ranked number 59. Fear of one’s own death only made it to number 54.

The fears at the top of the list are things that are concerned with government, politics, the environment, the economy, and those things that we tend to encounter more readily and frequently. As a point of interest, pandemic was number 32 down the list two years ago. (I’m curious where that item would land today.)

And, in case you were wondering, the disciples’ fear of ghosts is only number 88 in the 21^st century. This fear might have placed a higher in the first [century]. 

These are turbulent times, indeed, in nearly every aspect of life. There are plenty of potential sources vying for our fears, and it might be easy to let fears overwhelm us. Some might say we shouldn’t fear at all, but fear is an important emotion that alerts us to genuine harm and danger, and we can respond to such fears by taking appropriate actions and precautions. 

Perhaps one of the problems is that when we are bombarded by almost innumerable negative stimuli and stressors, it becomes difficult to sort out and distinguish those things that we ought to respond to appropriately vs. those things that we should not pay attention to. One response might be overreaction in which we try to respond to everything. Another response might be to becomes so anesthetized that we ignore everything, even genuinely harmful ones. 

Jesus had just recently heard the devastating report about the gruesome murder of his cousin, John the Baptist. When Jesus tried to get some time to himself, he was bombarded with a huge crowd that took all of his efforts for the entire day. At the end of the day his disciples presented him with another problem which Jesus had to again take the initiative to provide a solution. 

We have to remind ourselves that Jesus is fully a human being here. He is not operating from his divine essence. Jesus gets tired, he experiences stress, he has enough of being around other people, he has griefs, he feels frustration and anger, and he feels fear. I think that sometimes Christians portray Jesus’ perfection in such a way that these very human emotions get erased. It is good to be reminded that Jesus experienced and struggled with the same emotions that every human being does. 

Jesus sends the disciples away on their boat and he dismisses the crowds. He goes up the mountain to have some time for himself — to spend time in prayer and recharge and restore himself through God. He spends the entire night in prayer. 

An important point for us as we live in our time is to find time to recharge and restore ourselves. Prayer doesn’t look the same for every person. For some it may be literally sitting in prayer. For others it might be meditation outdoors, bathing in the wonders of God’s creation. Others might find things like journaling and writing helpful. How did God wire you to connect back to God? 

Early in the morning, Jesus senses that his disciples are in trouble and goes out to meet them. In the midst of storm and turbulence, with wind blowing and waves crashing, Jesus walks out to them on the water, to approach the disciples in their boat. Metaphorically, Jesus might represent those who have such unequivocal trust in God that they are a picture of solid calm whatever might be outside. They are able to find solid footing, even on what to everyone else is tempestuous water. The ideal picture for which we strive. 

What appears calm and certain, Jesus on the water, is anything but, to the disciples. When they see Jesus, the only explanation they come up with is that it is a ghost. We shouldn’t be too hard on them, since I doubt any of us would have responded too differently if we saw a figure approaching us in the middle of the sea. 

We expect Jesus in certain places and to show up at certain times. A lesson here could be that we might overlook Jesus or misidentify God’s presence in the world because it doesn’t look like what we expect, or they are in places where we don’t expect God’s presence to be found.

Jesus immediately announces his identity to his disciples and assures them that there is no reason for fear. It should be noted that Jesus’ identification of himself, “It is I”, is the “I AM” that Yahweh used to identify himself in Hebrew history. The image of a being walking on water is associated with God and the divine in the Hebrew Scriptures. Perhaps the disciples’ exclamation that what they saw was a ghost was preferable, at least to them, than the alternative, that it was God approaching them. Which could also explain why Jesus was so quick to identify himself and to calm their fears. This was Jesus whom they had been in the company of for quite some time now — someone they should know. Yet very different. 

What I see as one of the key themes in today’s reading is the disciples making a dramatic change in the identification of Jesus: from “It’s a ghost” to “Truly, you are the Son of God.” It should be noted that even though walking on water was dramatic and miraculous, that in itself was not what convinced them. After all, walking on the water made them initially think that Jesus was a ghost. 

What was it then, that caused such a marked shift? 

I believe the answer is found in Peter’s response to this “problem of Jesus.” The problem is that Jesus is familiar to the disciples, yet his present appearance is quite foreign. What are they to make of it? Are the two really the same?

Peter takes the initiative to verify that the being out on the water is really Jesus. Peter’s faith is not in his next act of stepping out of the boat, but in the very asking that he be invited to step out of the boat. Peter trusts that if Jesus commands it, Peter will be able to accomplish it. Jesus commands, and Peter steps out. At least for a short time, Peter’s trust in Jesus overcomes all doubt and fear. 

But as is often the case, initial success is met with strong winds and frightening waves. Yes, Jesus called Peter out of the boat, but is Jesus enough to keep Peter above the water? Notice that the wind and waves do not calm when Peters steps out of the boat and onto the water. Faith falters, doubt creeps in and Peter suddenly starts to sink. 

Peter calls out again, “Lord!” But this time it is not to step out in faith, but to be saved from certain drowning. 

Immediately (that’s a word repeated in this short section describing Jesus’ actions) Jesus appears next to Peter and lifts him up and holds him steady. Together they walk back to and into the boat. The winds cease when they enter the boat. 

It is at this moment that the disciples together identify Jesus as “Son of God.” Throughout Hebrew history, Yahweh has acted to save his people, the Israelites. The center of today’s gospel reading is the saving of Peter. The name Jesus is the Greek rendering of Joshua, meaning Yahweh is salvation. In the saving of Peter, Jesus is acting literally according to his name. Peter asks for salvation, and Jesus responds. 

If it were wonders and miracles that could convince the disciples that Jesus was the Son of God, it surely could have happened before this. If mastery over nature was a sign of divinity, Jesus had already calmed the seas once before [Matthew 8]. 

Up to this point, only Satan and demons had identified Jesus as “Son of God.” But now the disciples have finally seem to have understood, although they still don’t know what that really means. 

This story and the Feeding of the Five Thousand story from last week form a pair. The pair of stories begins with a crowd and healing, and the pair ends with an epilogue that is about a different crowd and some more healing. 

Perhaps I might be reading too much into some of the words used here, but I find it interesting that this latter crowd is said to “recognize” Jesus. The first crowd merely heard that Jesus had gone to a different place and followed. But the crowd at Gennesaret “recognize” Jesus. The healing of the first crowd is just a curing (Gk., related to our word ‘therapy’) of their illnesses. But when the crowd in Gennesaret are healed, the Greek word used here signifies restoration and salvation [sozos]. Where the first crowd merely experienced some physical cures, the crowd at Gennesaret experiences a restoration to wholeness. Perhaps these choices of words are Matthew’s way of showing how much more Jesus is able to offer when we see him as Son of God. 

We should not dismiss the positives that the world has gained from seeing Jesus as a great teacher, a moral and ethical example, a great prophet, and perhaps someone who worked wonders and miracles. But a restoration to wholeness can only come when Jesus goes beyond all that and is recognized as the Son of God, the savior of all humankind and the world. 

To know that Jesus is our savior is the antidote to fears that this life throws at us. Jesus beckons and calls us into the storm, the turbulence, and the crashing waves. That is where ministry happens – in the storms of life. That’s where Jesus is. He knows that our faith will falter and we will begin to sink. But he also promises that he will save us. 

It was just one disciple, Peter, whose faith allowed him to ask Jesus to command him to walk out into the storm. It was Peter’s actions and subsequent saving by Jesus that gave the remaining disciples insight into Jesus and their correct identification of who Jesus was. 

Was Jesus’ words to Peter, “You of little faith; why did you doubt?”, a reprimand as it frequently is interpreted? Or was it an encouragement? “You had enough faith to step out of the boat. Why did you doubt that you could continue? The faith you had to step out was enough to take you through.” 

All it takes is one person with a mustard seed sized faith to step out of the safety of the boat and into the wild uncertainties and storms of life. This one person and one act can inspire others to follow. 

When we are following Jesus to the places where he is asking us to work, we need have no fear of failure, because even if our faith falters, he will be faithful to lift and steady us, bring us back to where we can regroup and recover, and then follow him out again into the storms of this world.

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[1] https://www.chapman.edu/wilkinson/research-centers/babbie-center/_files/fear-2018/americas-top-fears-2018-ranked.pdf

Sermon: Together in Faith

Together in Faith

Ephesians 6:10-20

Lectionary Year B, Proper 16

Introduction

The lone hero, standing his ground against unending waves of foes coming at him, successfully battling every one of them: this is one of the most common archetypal motifs found in the history of humankind. These epics go back as far as the earliest civilizations and many ancient epics are retold in many ways in many stories today.

From action blockbusters of today, the successful science fiction movies, TV series, and books, to even the old television Westerns, the legends and mythologies of the lone hero make for great storytelling and for many authors and studios, money.

When we read and hear the passage about the armor of God from Ephesians chapter 6, our imaginations might naturally turn toward the staples of literature and movies with which we are familiar – the lone hero, facing impossible odds but successfully deflecting the many threats against her or him. We might imagine a superhero with their supernatural skills defending the world against cataclysmic threats.

It is easy to read the Ephesians text as an imperative being given to an individual Christian. The analogy certain uses the image of a single Roman soldier, putting on his armor and taking up a sword as he prepares to go into battle.

This text has been used to admonish individual Christians on the importance of individually putting on the armor of God as described, and that only through it can they stand up individually to the schemes of the devil and resist temptation and keep from sinning.

But, as you probably suspect where I’m heading with this, is the individual Christian and the battles he or she faces that primary concern of this passage?

Broad Message of Ephesians

Ephesians is written to a community of believers. Yes, a community is made up of individuals, but the concerns being addressed are those that face the community itself. One of the primary concerns has to do with the divide between Jews and Gentile believers who are now comprise this singular community. The part of the gospel that concerns this letter and its author is how Christ removed the boundaries of culture, ethnicity, and race so that peace might exist between groups that once were enemies. This mystery, or the secret, of the gospel and God’s plan for humankind is of foremost concern. It is in bringing together this diversity of individuals that the singular community becomes strong. A further elaboration of this secret of the gospel is that Christian journey and faith cannot be accomplished without this diversity that is brought to a community. Community is an inherent and necessary part of the Christian walk. There can be no Lone Ranger Christian going it alone. The mystery of the gospel is that each individual must depend on other members of the community.

Ephesians 1:9-12 reads:

9 God revealed his hidden design to us, which is according to his goodwill and the plan that he intended to accomplish through his Son. 10 This is what God planned for the climax of all times: to bring all things together in Christ, the things in heaven along with the things on earth. 11 We have also received an inheritance in Christ. We were destined by the plan of God, who accomplishes everything according to his design. 12 We are called to be an honor to God’s glory because we were the first to hope in Christ.

And 2:14-16 and 20-22 read:

14 Christ is our peace. He made both Jews and Gentiles into one group. With his body, he broke down the barrier of hatred that divided us. 15 He canceled the detailed rules of the Law so that he could create one new person out of the two groups, making peace. 16 He reconciled them both as one body to God by the cross, which ended the hostility to God…

20 As God’s household, you are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 The whole building is joined together in him, and it grows up into a temple that is dedicated to the Lord. 22 Christ is building you into a place where God lives through the Spirit.

And in 3:9-10:

9 God sent me to reveal the secret plan that had been hidden since the beginning of time by God, who created everything. 10 God’s purpose is now to show the rulers and powers in the heavens the many different varieties of his wisdom through the church.

The author of Ephesians writes about the former life of members of this community where they were driven by corruption, greed, and satisfying one’s own desires. This is the life that they have been delivered from. Instead, the new persons they are becoming is to practice selfless love, care, and compassion for one another. Those in Christ will not take advantage of another person. Those in Christ will understand that they cannot progress on their journey toward God without working to bring others on the same path.

The Armor of God

It is in this broad context that the armor of God metaphor is introduced as the conclusion to this letter. Thus, when this last part of the letter talks about “tricks of the devil” and “the gospel” we should understand these to refer to something in the earlier part of the letter and not something that might be correct in a broad sense, but not part of the letter specifically.

The concern is that some in the church at Ephesus might be tempted to revert to their old ways – self-seeking; divisions along racial, cultural, ethnic, and religious practice; to try to exclude some and go it alone or with a partial community.

The gospel is the good news of peace – the reconciliation and unity that Christ brought, and which God had planned for humanity since the beginning.

These are things that the world doesn’t understand and is often openly hostile to. It doesn’t require any searching to observe hate and division between races, cultures, ethnicities, and religions. Just opening a web browser to a news site quickly shows numerous instances of self-seeking and self-serving interests. Taking advantage of the vulnerable and weak is often seen as just good business practice in maximizing profits. To be a self-made person, who can handle everything alone is portrayed as an ideal. Conversely, to require others’ assistance is seen as a weakness.

This is the battle for which the armor of God equips us to fight. The Ephesians text mentions specific pieces of armor, but the specifics aren’t what is important. It’s what they represent together. The armor is truth and justice. It also includes the confidence of the completed work of Christ’s salvation for us. The purpose of the armor is to keep one’s spiritual condition safe while the gospel of peace is preached in this world. The weapon is God’s message of reconciliation and community.

The Shield of Faith

I left the shield of faith to the end because this is what triggered in my mind the thought that this armor metaphor isn’t about an individual Christian standing alone, but about the whole church working together. The shield mentioned here is a large body shield, crafted from two layers of wood and leather on the outside. The leather is soaked in water until it can extinguish flaming arrows that hit it. This shield would be too large and heavy to wield successfully in single combat. It was used by entire battalions to protect against the hundreds and thousands of flaming arrows shot toward them by an opposing army. The forward rank would set their shields on the ground, overlapping so that there would be no gap. The ranks behind them would raise their shields above them to create an impenetrable ceiling. Then they would advance slowly together toward the opposing army.

This is the picture that would have remained with the recipients of the letter to the Ephesians as its reading ended. The picture is one of standing their ground, but also of advancing together. The temptation of expediency and convenience must be resisted.

In Conclusion

Today’s text isn’t about a lone Christian standing their ground. It is about the necessity of a community of faith, standing together in faith that allows them to advance the gospel of peace. Working together, we can close the vulnerabilities and weaknesses that each individual possesses, and bound by the strength of God, present an impenetrable shield to extinguish the flaming arrows of the devil that are launched against us.

We would rather that these flaming arrows be obvious evils such as mocking, criticisms, and perhaps even persecution. But I think that they are more along the lines of complacency, desire for comfort, risk aversion, influence seeking, expediency, favoritism, and other such quiet and insidious, but quite acceptable evils.

As a community we must stand and advance together in faith. We must hold one another accountable to the highest ideals of truth and justice. We must let the gospel of peace and reconciliation in Jesus Christ be our guide and goal.

Christian faith is not a solo pursuit. It is a community effort. Let us come together and walk together in faith.

Review: Out of Sorts–Making Peace with an Evolving Faith

Out of Sorts: Making Peace with an Evolving Faith by Sarah Bessey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Those whose first memories of their lives include sitting in church may find this book quite helpful as they too, find that reality isn't quite so neatly organized into distinct categories as they might have heard. Religious education, whether it was through Sunday School, VBS, children's sermons, or whatever it may have been, was well-meaning and quite a bit of it was good. But there is often an overemphasis on certainty, on either-or thinking, of an us-vs-them categorization of the world, and an emphasis on "ministry work" over "regular jobs."

Many people are fine with this type of worldview. But many others are not, and as they mature and emerge into a world that doesn't revolve around church life, questions arise. What are they to do with such questions, creeping doubts, and ambiguity?

This book is Sarah Bessey's autobiographical look at how she sorted through her life that turned into "Out of Sorts" when she too, faced a world that was not quite what growing up in church had led her to believe it would be. Her desire is for her readers to be able to use her experiences as inspiration to work through sorting through their own religious artifacts and baggage -- figure out what is still worth keeping, and learn to let go of the things that are no longer helpful, things that are useless, and things that may even be harmful. Are there new practices and traditions that might help a person continue in discipleship and spiritual growth?

Even though she writes accessibly and in a conversational tone, the subjects she tackles are not light. She deals with questions of theodicy, biblical inerrancy and hermeneutics, ecclesiology (the church), the nature and work of the Spirit, vocation and calling, social justice - to name a few.

Sorting through the past and present of faith is an ongoing process. It will probably continue for the rest of each person's life. The key is to "making peace with an evolving faith" (subtitle).

(Based on ARC.)

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Sermon: Walking Together In the Storm

Thesis: Christ’s authority guarantees that he will provide the strength to bring to completion all that he commands his disciples.

Lectionary: Year A, Proper 14
Gospel Text: Matthew 14:22-33 (ESV)
Sermon Audio: 30 minutes

The original plan was for Pastor Bob to be away on his annual summer solo kayak trip today. I had agreed some time ago to preach for him at the Presbyterian Church today.

But due to rain and winds, the better part of prudence cut his trip short and brought him back into town last night. However, a kayak trip and a few hours afterwards aren’t necessarily best preparation for a sermon so he was grateful to be able to sit with his wife in the pew this morning during the sermon while I spoke.

The overall worship preceding the sermon contained much thematic material about boats, sea, and storms and it was a perfect introduction to what I had selected for today.

As far as the sermon, it focused on how this passage can be seen as a metaphor of the Kingdom of Heaven – it is here already, but not yet in its fullness.

A brief synopsis

The gospel tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven has come, at least in part. But when we take a look at the world, the news headlines, our personal lives, our churches, the state of Christianity, we wonder where that kingdom is. Religion seems so often to be a divider. Is there any value to religion? It is sometimes tempting to abandon it and find something else. What does today’s story have to offer as we struggle with the “already” but “not yet”?

While in the present, partial kingdom disciples receive commands from Christ. In this story they receive the command to take the boat to the other shore. They are physically separated from him, and “demons” may try to take advantage of that to hinder and prevent the disciples from carrying out Christ’s commands. But Christ does not leave his people alone to fight the battles by themselves. He comes, sometimes in rather unexpected ways, to renew courage and strength. Some may ask for and receive commands to “walk on the water” in ways that others don’t, and the sight of “demons” may raise fear. But the cry for salvation is always answered. Together, hand in hand with Jesus, disciples are able to walk in the storm. When Christ and his people are finally united, the kingdom arrives in its fullness, the demonic winds are ceased forevermore and “the other shore” is reached. What Christ has commanded, he has provided all that is needed to fulfill. Not only that but he has demonstrated his complete authority over forces that arise to oppose the fulfillment of his commands.

Christians today need to remember that Jesus walked with Peter in the storm. The storm didn’t calm immediately. But the presence of Jesus was enough to renew courage and faith in Peter. Part of the Christian commission, a command, from Jesus to his disciples is in turn to make more disciples (c.f., Matthew 28:18-20) in the same way Jesus did. A way for Christians to do that is to use the example given by Jesus in today’s story: go to where the storms of lives are and offer helping hands, strength, courage, and faith; and walk with those who are struggling in their trials.

Review: Evolving in Monkey Town

Evolving in Monkey Town: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask the Questions by Rachel Held Evans
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hold on to convictions loosely

With humor and wit, Rachel Held Evans writes of her Christian journey from rigid belief to flexible faith. She speaks of herself as beginning the journey as a fundamentalist, defining this as "salvation means having the right opinions about God... [and] my security and self-worth and sense of purpose in life were all wrapped up in getting God right -- in believing the right things about him, saying the right things about him, and convincing others to embrace the right things about him too."

Rachel tells how the fundamentalist outlook failed to match real-world experience. When exposed to experiences outside her insular evangelical world, she discovered that she didn't have all the answers, the answers she was taught applied badly, and people weren't asking the questions for which she had answers.

Rachel's journey from certainty, to doubt, and to a reborn faith that values questions and uncertainty is one that many Christians have undertaken, myself included. Even as details of the journey differ, I recognized myself, the world that I inhabited, and the journey that I've taken, in her story.

I sensed the concept around "false fundamentals" to be one of the central themes in Rachel's writing. The phrase appears early in the book and the last few pages closes with a discussion around this idea. False fundamentals are those teachings and beliefs that people and groups hold to be unchangeable, but are in reality, not so essential to Christian faith and life. My summary of the book in one sentence would be: Questioning things and embracing uncertainties are what Christians need to do more in order to protect against succumbing to false fundamentals. A phrase that I've used to describe this idea is, "Hold on to convictions loosely."

The greatest value of this book is probably to be found by those who are uncomfortable with fundamentalism, in whatever manifestation they find themselves. It gives permission to embark on the journey to questions and doubt, and back to a stronger faith. Those who are currently on this journey should also find this book helpful, to know that there are many who have traveled the path before them, and many who are with them now. Finally it is helpful to those who have undergone this path because they might be able to see ways in which to compassionately guide those who follow.

Staunch fundamentalists may find this book upsetting, but if they are able to work through it, I hope that they will come to understand that those of us who question things, who interpret and believe things differently, are sincerely living out what we have come to understand as faithfully living the Christian life.

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To question God or not

In this piece I discuss two vastly different conclusions one reaches from the final chapter of the book of Job depending on whether s/he reads the Hebrew/Aramaic based translations or the Septuagint.

The last chapter of the book of Job in the Old Testament reads more or less as follows in most English translations.

Job 42 (ESV)
1 Then Job answered the Lord and said:
2 "I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? '
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 ' Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you make it known to me. '
5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
6 therefore I despise myself,
and repent in dust and ashes."

According to the above reading Job appears to be repenting (c.f., verse 6b) of his earlier questioning of God. In verses 3 and 4 Job appears to be quoting questions that God asked of him [Job] some chapters back (c.f., 38:2, 3). With this reading the conclusion the reader might come to is that it isn’t right to question God about things that we don’t understand, that God considers such questions meaningless and offensive.

But is this reading the only one?

Let’s take a look at the Septuagint (LXX) reading. History reveals that the LXX is the scripture text that Jesus, the Apostles, the Jews, and the early Christians had in front of them. The Old Testament text that we English readers have is a much later discovery. How would they have read this passage?

Iob 40^a (NETS)
1 Now Iob said in reply to the Lord: 2 "I know that you can do anything,
and nothing is impossible for you.
3 For who is it that hides counsel from you,
and being sparing with words thinks to hide them from you as well?
But who will tell me what I did not know,
great and marvelous things that I did not understand?
4 Now hear me, Lord, that I too may speak;
then I will question you, and you, teach me!
5 Whereas before I would hear an aural report of you,
now, however, my eye has seen you;
6 therefore I disparaged myself and wasted away,
and I regard myself as dust and ashes."

When comparing the LXX to our English, we may notice the following:

1. Verses 1 and 2 remain the same
2. Divergence begins with verse 3. Instead of a statement that Job has uttered words in ignorance (EN), it is a series of questions that Job poses to God (LXX): Who is able to hide knowledge from you? Who then, is best able to reveal them to me?
3. In verse 4, rather than a quote of God from earlier (EN), it is another question that Job poses to God (LXX): You’ve been speaking and asking of me for a while now. Let me now speak and ask you questions so that you can teach me and I can learn from you.
4. Verse 5 remains the same.
5. Verse 6 is profoundly different. Rather than the interpretation “repent in dust and ashes” (EN) the LXX interprets this phrase as “I regard myself as dust and ashes.” What Job appears to be expressing is the the surprise and astonishment that God has actually responded to his [Job’s] earlier demands that he be granted an audience with God. It is not a sense of remorse, that he has somehow done wrong or spoken out of place, but a sense of awe. I think it is best to interpret verses 5 and 6 together as using poetic parallelism:

a: Whereas before I would hear an aural report of you,
b: Now, however, my eye has seen you;

a’: Therefore I disparaged myself and wasted away,
b’: And I regard myself as dust and ashes.

What Job appears to be saying is that when all he had were second-hand reports about God, he [Job] thought he was just a pawn being tossed about in the winds of fate. But now that Job has seen (experienced in-person) God’s presence, Job no longer belittles himself, but he understands how little he knows and understands. Job sees himself in a position where he has much to learn from God.

The conclusion of this comparison is that the interpretation that we get from reading the translations from the Septuagint is vastly different from what we get from the Hebrew/Aramaic. One seems to imply that excessive questioning of God’s mysteries is wrong. The other implies we should and must.

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^a Chapter numbering differs between LXX and modern translations. NETS employs the phonetic translation of Job—Iob [ey-ob].

Matthew’s Genealogy of Jesus–What Does It Reveal About God?

Text: Matthew 1
Discussion Outline
Discussion Audio MP3 (61 minutes)

Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus, though based on history, is not about history. Its purpose is strictly theological. The genealogy is the entire first chapter, not just the first seventeen verses. The first seventeen verses provide the context and explanation to Jesus’ origins as described in the remainder of the chapter.

Jesus’ genealogy shows three things:

• The relationships between justice, mercy, and law. God’s justice is his mercy, not his wrath. Wrath is the catalyst for mercy. (I.e., there are two choices when faced with wrath: to give out what is deserved, or to respond in mercy. God chose the latter.) God’s mercy transcends the processes and demands of the law.
• Faithfulness is the undivided pursuit of justice (aka, mercy). The human individuals commended in the genealogy exhibit this kind of faithfulness. This foreshadows the life of Jesus and through it the portrait of God he paints for us. (Faith/Faithfulness is not belief in God.)
• There are two types of community: one is based upon blood lineage, the other is based on mercy and faithfulness. Jesus chose to be grafted, through law, into the human lineage. By doing so, he opened the way for all humankind to be grafted into the community of faith, through his (Jesus’) mercy and faithfulness.