A TABLE IN THE WILDERNESS

 

            I sat in the living room early on a quiet morning, with a cup of tea, and looked out upon a tranquil neighborhood bathed in bright sunshine and thought, “it appears that all is well.” But looks can be deceptive. I had also just picked up the morning paper. It told a different story – a story of over ½ million deaths from Covid 19, of thousands who have lost their jobs, a murderer was killed by the police in a standoff, a governor who is accused of sexual assault and a cover-up of Covid 19 deaths. There are threats of domestic terrorism, political deadlock, a pending ecological disaster and protestors being gassed. You get the idea. It’s a jungle, a wild wilderness out there and we must travel through it.

             It’s enough to make us question God. Israel certainly did. They were in the wilderness of Sinai, weary, frightened, hungry and thirsty. In their desperation, says Psalm 78:19, “They spoke against God, saying, ‘Can God spread a table in the wilderness?’” They were asking, can God give us the nourishment we need to survive in this environment? Can God really produce a sense of hope and promise in the midst of such a depressing, mind-boggling situation?

             Yes, said the psalmist, he can and he did. Psalm 78 reviews their history in the wilderness and asserts: “He commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven; and he rained down upon them manna to eat, and gave them the grain of heaven. They ate the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance” (Ps, 78:23-25),

             Can God spread a table in our wilderness? John’s story in chapter six says he can. A few days after feeding the 5,000 in a “secluded” and “desolate” place (Mk. 6:32,35), Jesus was found again, as John tells us, by a large crowd (Jn 6:25). When some, seeking more bread, spoke of Israel being given manna in the wilderness they quoted Ps 78:24 which says, “He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.” Jesus responded, “It is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which … gives life to the world.” When the people said, “Lord, evermore give us this bread,” Jesus replied: I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst” (Jn 6:31-35).

             The Lord’s Supper reminds us that God can spread a table for us in the wilderness. Jesus is our Table in the Wilderness. He is our bread of life. As he said, “this bread is my body, given for you.” And this cup is my blood shed for you.” He is our table in the wilderness.

             A communion hymn invites us to that table with these words:

                             All who hunger, gather gladly; Holy Manna is our bread.

                            Come from wilderness and wandering. Here in truth we will be fed.

                            You that yearn for days of fullness, all around us is our food.

                            Taste and see the grace eternal. Taste and see that God is good.

                                                                                (Sylvia Dunstan, 1990; Chalice Hymnal, 419)

UNPRECEDENTED!

 

                Ordinarily the editors of the Oxford English Dictionary elect one word to characterize the previous year, but in the case of 2020, they had trouble doing that. In an article titled, “Words of an Unprecedented Year,” they said that they couldn’t settle on one word but instead chose several, with words related to the Pandemic in the lead. Words like, locked down, shelter in place, covid-19, bubble, and others. As they said, it was an unprecedented year and perhaps the best choice for a single word to describe the year is simply “unprecedented.” 

                The disciples of Jesus could say that they had an unprecedented experience also. It happened when they were in a lockdown. They were “sheltering in place.” There was a deadly enemy out there and they were afraid to venture out. They had seen Jesus crucified. There was nothing unprecedented about that; there were lots of crucifixions. What happened next, however, was unprecedented. Here is how John describes it in chapter 20:

 “When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit”).

                 Knowing how shocked and troubled they were, Jesus said, twice, “Peace be with you.” Then he showed them his hands and his side, as if to say, “look, I am the one they crucified, but I’m alive.” Then they realized that he had defeated death and they rejoiced. His living presence gave them hope and joy.

                 Then he said to them, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” His words gave them purpose. They were not a bunch of individuals, devastated and at loose ends. They had a reason for existence, a mission to accomplish.

                 Next he breathed upon them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Not only were they given a purpose, they were also given the power to carry it out, the Holy Spirit, the very presence of God in their lives.

               It was indeed an unprecedented experience. They went from a devastated, frightened people, destined to be scattered and forgotten to a joyful, powerful group that would change the world. All because the living Christ was in their midst, giving them peace, joy, purpose and power. 

                We are fortunate to share in this unprecedented experience as we meet with our Lord in communion this morning, and because of his presence, we too can experience peace, joy, purpose and power. 

  

 

                 

A TRANSFORMING RESOLUTION FOR 2021

 

          The year is about to end, and we all say, good riddance to a bad year. Of course, we know that our current problems will not go away just by turning a page on the calendar. But as we turn the page, we can hope for a much better year in 2021. However, for that hope to be more than just wishful thinking there are things we need to do beyond the usual precautions of wearing a mask, washing our hands, and so on. We can do something that is equally or even more important.

 

            We can make a New Year’s Resolution that will help us navigate whatever dangerous waters lay ahead. We can resolve to live the words of Philippians 4:4-8. We can take these inspired words from Paul, who seemed to always be in trouble, and do like the ancient Israelites did with the divine words God gave them. They were told to bind them between their eyes and on their wrists, and to write them on their doorposts where they would see them every day. God’s words were meant to permeate their lives.

             Here is what Philippians 4:4-8 says: Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is near; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, . . . whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

             These are words to live by in 2021. Let me summarize:

             First, rejoice in the Lord always. This is not a suggestion; it is a command; we can choose to rejoice.

            Second, be reasonable with everyone, especially those who disagree with you.

            Third, replace anxiety with prayer – in everything and with thanksgiving.

            Finally, focus on what is true, honorable, and just; on what is pure, lovely, and commendable Do your best to counter the stories of ugliness and violence by focusing on what is good and praiseworthy.

             Paul wanted to imitate Christ and I am sure that these words reflect what he saw in Christ. Today, as we view Christ through the lens of the Lord’s Supper, let us resolve to live by these words and thereby imitate Christ.

 Confession of Faith

 Prayer: O Lord, hear us and rescue us. Give us in the new year, we pray, renewed health in body, mind, and spirit. Help us to live by the example of your Son, Jesus the Savior, in whose name we pray.

 

PEACE BE WITH YOU

 

             If you look in any hymnal you will find several Advent hymns that focus on the great themes of this season. A familiar one, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” speaks of peace in the fourth stanza as it says: “O come Desire of nations, bind all peoples in one heart and mind. Bid envy, strife and quarrels cease; fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.”

            When Isaiah spoke of the coming child (9:6-7) he called him “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,” and added, “of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.”

            The child, who became the man Jesus, met with his apostles for the last time in the upper room. There, according to John’s Gospel, he spoke at length, preparing them for his departure. Several times he spoke about peace. For instance, he said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives” (14:27). Near the end of his teaching he said, “I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace” (16:33).

             He wants them to have the gift of his peace. He said, “I do not give to you as the world gives.” He, and they, knew all too well how the world gives peace. Their world was a Roman world. How did that world give peace? At the point of a sword and by crucifying anyone who was a threat to their rule of peace. The Pax Romana, the “Peace of Rome,” was in force and they meant to keep it that way. Jesus saw firsthand how the world gives peace. As a boy he lived in the small village of Nazareth, close to the major city of Sephoris. A rebellion in Sephoris about the time when Jesus was born ended quickly with the death of some 30,000 citizens, including 2,000 who were crucified. Jesus would have learned that the cross was the symbol of how the world gives peace.

             Jesus said he wanted to give them his peace. Amazingly, the cross became his symbol of peace.  In Romans 5 Paul points out that it was through death on the cross that Christ reconciled us to God, thus making peace. And as for the hostilities and divisions we experience in the world, Paul explains in Ephesians 2 that he put these to death through the cross as well. The symbolism of the cross was transformed when Jesus was crucified.

             There is a beautiful verse in Ps 85 which, I think, summarizes the symbolism of the cross for us: “Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” As we take communion today may the cross be both righteousness and peace for us.

IT'S NOT OVER

 

I was reading Psalm 31 recently and one line in it made me think of Jesus on the cross. In verse 5 the psalmist says, “Into your hand I commit my spirit.” In Luke’s Gospel (23:46) these were his last words, uttered shortly before he died. When I picture Jesus on the cross and hear these words they sound like the last gasp of a dying man. He is facing reality – death is inevitable and imminent. Later, when Stephen in Acts 7, when Stephen is being crushed by huge stones thrown down on him, he said the same thing. It’s clear that he also knows that death is inevitable and imminent. It’s as if both Jesus and Stephen are saying, it’s over, the end has come. 

 

But when I read these words in the context of Psalm 31 that is not what I see. To be sure, the psalmist clearly is in trouble. He prays in verse 1, “rescue me speedily,” and in verse 4, “take me out of the net that is hidden for me.” Later in the psalm he cries out to God in distress, “my strength fails, my bones waste away” (10). And he speaks of enemies who scheme against him, and plot to take his life (13).  

 

In other verses, however, he thanks God for rescuing him. In fact, the entirety of verse 5 says, “Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.” These are not the words of a man who thinks that life is over. Instead, he goes on to say, “I will exult and rejoice in your steadfast love because you have seen my affliction” (7). He may not be out of danger yet, but he has hope. In verses 14-15 he repeats and summarizes it for us: “I trust in you, O Lord. I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand.” A cliché in the sports world says, “It’s not over till its over,” and for the psalmist it is not over yet. The end has not come 

 

As I meditated on this psalm I remembered that Jesus undoubtedly knew the entire psalm and understood exactly what the psalmist was saying. The fact that Jesus turned to it as he faced death means that these were not just his final words, they were his motto for life. “Into your hand I commit my spirit … my times are in your hand,” – these words described how he lived as well as how he died. With such deep trust in God, Jesus knew that his life was not over and so he spoke the words of a psalm that faces the reality of pain and suffering and death with faith and hope and courage. In doing so he gave us a model for living that declares it’s never over when God is in it with us. Therefore, the psalm ends with an exhortation for all of us: “Love the Lord, all you his saints. The Lord preserves the faithful … Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord” (24-25).  

 

As we take communion today may this be our prayer also: “Father, into your hand I commit my spirit; my times are in your hands.” 

 

"COME, LORD JESUS."

 

                At the height of the Viet Nam war in 1969 there were protests throughout the U.S., not unlike what we see today. One morning that summer, as I walked across the U.O. campus, I saw a message of judgment from the book of Revelation spray-painted in big black letters across one of the buildings: “Fallen is Babylon.” The message was from a book that is filled with images that depict judgment. We see all kinds of scary creatures along with scenes of persecution, death, plagues, and impossible amounts of blood.

If we are not careful that is all we see, but there is more, much more. There is singing – a lot of it. Fifteen passages are commonly considered to be hymns. And the singing is a joyful, excited, enthusiastic praise of God upon the throne and of the Lamb who was slain, but lives as king of kings. Handle captures the spirit of the music in his masterpiece, The Messiah. Who hasn’t been moved by his rendition of the hymn in chapter 5: Worthy is the Lamb who has been slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing? And who has not stood to join with the choir and sing with full voice the powerful Hallelujah Chorus?

Near the end of his story, in chapter 19, John sees a great multitude at the marriage of the Lamb and his bride singing a victory song: Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reigns. Some of the churches John wrote to were in danger of not being able to sing the Alleluia victory song. One was the church at Laodicea, seen in chapter 3, which was so self-sufficient and self-satisfied, that they felt no need for the Lord. So they shut the door and John shows Jesus standing by the closed door and saying, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me. They probably called their meal with the bread and wine the Lord’s Supper, but the Lord was not there.

                 In contrast, at the end of the story, in chapter 22 an invitation is extended to the Lord Jesus. Keep in mind that John is writing to Christians, not to the world in general. He knows that the assembled Christians will conclude their worship with the Lord’s Supper. In this context, at the conclusion of his letter, corresponding to the conclusion of his church’s worship, the invitation is given for Christ to come to the table. “The Spirit and the bride say come,” the Spirit who inspires John, and  “The Bride,” the church universal say, Come!. And, “Let everyone who hears,“ all who are within sound of the reader’s voice, say, Come! Then the invitation is extended to all of the congregation: Let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes, take the water of life as a gift (22:17).  The book ends with one last request, Come, Lord Jesus. Is it a request for the Second Coming? Yes, but more than that, it is a request for the Lord to be with them in the bread and the wine.

                 Now it is our turn. We who are about to partake of the Lord’s Supper also say, “Come, Lord Jesus,” be with us now as we partake.

WHY?

WHY?

                “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” These words, from Psalm 34:8 have been used in the church’s communion service since the earliest days. In her extended meditation on this text Bonnie Thurston, Biblical scholar, professor and spiritual leader, tells of a grandmother who said that her three-year-old grandson was interested in crucifixes and depictions of Jesus’s death in art. He had so many questions about Jesus’s death that his grandmother wondered if it were normal. Bonnie Thurston said she thought it was unusual but not abnormal. Children who have been loved and nurtured can respond with great sensitivity to the sufferings of others (Thurston, Bonnie. O Taste and See. P. 51).

                This isn’t just a three-year old’s question. You and I can relate to the little boy’s concern. “Why,” the quintessential two-and-three-year-old question, is also our question. Why did Jesus have to suffer and die? How did the crucifixion erase sin? What kind of God is this? Its outrageous to assert that God died on a Roman cross, an instrument of death saved for non-Roman citizens, insurrectionists and the most horrible of criminals.

                Paul recognized this when he said in 1 Cor 1:23 that the idea of the Messiah being crucified was a “stumbling-block” to Jews and “foolishness” to Gentiles. “Stumbling-block” translates A Greek word which is the source of our English word “scandal.” It is scandalous to think the Messiah, the Savior, was crucified. Why the cross?

                Great theological treatises have been written to answer that question but there is a simple answer that comes out of human experience and human relationships. As Bonnie Thurston put it: “In a broken relationship, only the wronged party can restore the relationship because only the wronged party can forgive” (p. 52).

                David recognized this fact. Although he had done irreparable harm to Bathsheba and Uriah he confessed to God in Ps 41, “against you and you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.” We may wrong others and need their forgiveness, but ultimately it is God we have wronged, and only God can forgive. Our sins destroy our relationship with God, and we are helpless to repair it. But God is love, and love seeks reconciliation.

                As Paul said in Romans 5:8, 10, “God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. … While we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his son.”

                This is the good news that we receive and remember each time we come to this table. “O taste and see that the Lord is good.”