Sermon For Class on Romans 12:9-16- Genuine Love is the Foundation of Genuine Relationships

A feather fluidly descends upon an Alabama bus stop, resting beside the well-worn Nike tennis shoe of a slender, flat-topped man.  As he awaits his bus with a box of half-eaten chocolates across his lap, he introduces himself to his neighbor and begins to tell his story.  He has met Elvis, overcome a crippling disability, played football for Bear Bryant, met the president, gained and lost the best friend of his life in Vietnam, survived a hurricane, ran across America numerous times, lost his momma, and of course he tells us about Jenny.  We find ourselves like Mr. Gump’s neighbors captivated by his stories, by his life.  This is a fascination that goes beyond Forrest and speaks to each of us; we are all lovers of story.  Billions of dollars are spent each year in the consumption of various forms of stories, be it movies, television, or books.  Take for instance the millions of young people, who despite their Attention Deficit Disorder, spend numerous, consecutive hours thumbing through 800 pages of a vampire love-story.  The desire for story begins in us early as we climb into our parent’s lap and with acute determination and cunning innocence ask, “Daddy, will you tell me a story?”  This fascination grips us early and really never lets us go.  I love holidays at Grandma’s in Arkansas.  No matter where you go, stories are in the air, stories of fishing, cars, childhood mischief, and of family members no longer with us.  We gather around our memories and in the retelling, we relive them.  From birth to death, something inside of us longs for a good story.  But why?  What is it about stories that intrigue us so?

            We could define story like the textbooks do, defining the component parts such as narrative hook, conflict, climax, and resolution.  However, I believe something else is going on below the surface, something that gets at our love-affair with story, that is they deal the extremes of life, such as joy and pain, hope and despair, winning and losing, fall and redemption.  And it is in these extremes that that life truly happens.  We long for stories because they give definition to our own stories, our own lives.  One of my favorite movies is Walk the Line, the masterfully-told story of the life of Johnny and June Carter Cash.  It shows a deeply talented yet deeply troubled young man.  Johnny, like so many in his field, watches from the sidelines as substance-abuse takes over his life at the loss of everything he loves.  But at the height of his fall June sticks with him, protects him, nurses him, loves him.  Johnny can’t believe her love in the face of his sin, he knows and professes that he’s hurt everybody, he’s nothing.  But June fights back, “You’re not nothing, you’re not nothing.  You’re a good man, and God has given you a second chance to make things right, John.  This is your second chance honey.” Johnny emerges a new man and in some way, as we watch, we do as well.  Stories like that resonate because we all know the depths to which we can fall and we wander if someone will ever love us the way June loved Johnny, we wonder if God will give us a second chance. Stories help to remind us what it means to truly live, that life is more than our jobs, our school, our routines, but that life trips us up but also picks us up.  Life and I mean real, abundant life is seen, perhaps exclusively, in those extremities of pain and joy, hunger and fulfillment, life and even death.

            A couple of years ago I formed a relationship with an 8-year old boy named Chris.  Chris came from a tough family, his dad, his hero, was in jail for murder and his mom was rather poor.  Despite this, Chris was full of life and probably taught me more than I taught him.  A few months after we became friends, I received a phone-call informing me that Chris’s dad had killed himself in jail.  I cannot remember a time in my life when I have ever hurt so badly.  Why did this kid, so alive, have to deal with death so tragic?  I’m not sure I, or any of us, will ever understand why.  But I do know that in those tears, in the pain of questioning God, I was at least in part experiencing what it meant to truly be alive. 

            But there is something else foundational to a good story, something that gives force to these emotions and events, something, in fact the very thing, that makes story so personal for us: relationships.  This is the common thread of all of our stories; June and Johnny, Chris and his Dad, us and God.  Even stories of solitude deal with the absence of relationship.  Because relationship is so foundational to story we find it foundational to life as well.  We were created for the very purpose of relationship.  But the relationships that make good stories are not just average run-of-the-mill relationships, if there is such a thing, but significant ones.  These are genuine relationships, real, fully alive people struggling through life together, learning how to relate to one another and to God. 

            Relationship is core to story and thus core to life.  In his epistle to the Roman church, our dear friend Paul guides us into the abundant life through the context of relationships.  In fact the entire book can be seen through the lens of relationships.  The first 11 chapters deal with the theology of reconciliation, detailing how Jesus had mended the broken relationship between God and man.  In the final five chapters, Paul explains what our lives should look like in response to these mercies of reconciliation; although we are many we become one in God, each gifted for the benefit of others, we must love even our enemies and be subject to authority, that the entire law is summed in love for our neighbors, that we must sacrifice our rights for the welfare of the weaker brother.  Paul ends the letter fittingly: “I’m sending so and so to you, tell so and so I miss them, I can’t wait to see you.”  In his appeal for us to welcome one another, Paul goes to great lengths to welcome all he knows in Rome, he is indeed practicing what he preaches.  But I believe Paul is saying something very specific about our stories, about our relationships in verses 9-16 of chapter 12: 

9 Let love be genuine.Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

           Paul begins this section by merely saying “Genuine Love.”  In our English translations we have added the “let” and the “be” in order to make sense of it.  But perhaps Paul is simply titling the following imperatives illustrating what genuine love looks like.  He deals with hope and charity, blessing even those who persecute us, and instructs us to weep with ones weeping and rejoice with the ones rejoicing.  We are to participate in life with one another, in the extremes of persecution and hope, weeping and mourning.  For when we cry together, we live and when we laugh together, we live.  Core to a good story are good relationships, which begs the haunting question: “How much of our lives is worth telling?”

            Genuine love is the foundation of genuine relationships.  Yet hypocrisy, pride, and ignorance choke out our love, our relationships, our stories.  So we spend $15 every Friday night to escape for two hours, because instead of risking it all and truly living, we’d rather play it safe and watch someone else live.  O that our lives were even horror stories, but they are simply boring and not really stories at all.  They are not good because our love and thus our relationships are not good, are not genuine.  My story is lacking because I love what is evil, I outdo others in pursuit of honor, because I am not daring in the spirit, I grow impatient in difficult times, and only extend hospitality to the familiar.  I curse those who bless me, mock those who rejoice and ignore those who weep.  I can not live harmoniously because I am the wisest person I know.  My story is not good.  How is yours?

Advent Reflections - Part 3

Each week of the Advent season a different aspect of our anticipation of the coming Lord is emphasized. This week's focus is upon Joy. While many of us would be quick to list joy as a major Christian attribute, less of us understand it or even worse have ever truly experienced it. For some of us, we even wonder if there is anything to be joyous about at all. So what is this whole joy thing about anyway?

When I think of how joy and waiting mingle, especially during this season, I think of Christmas Eve when I was a little kid. I could NEVER go to sleep. As hard as I tried, sleep seemed to always allude me those nights, but it really didn't matter; I was just so anxious about what the dawn (and Santa) would bring. While presents were high on my list, the whole experience excited me. The glow of the tree in the low light of early morning, everyone in their underwear and jammies, hair all a mess, a delicious breakfast of biscuits and gravy made by my favorite chef (mom!), the huge pile of waste accumulated by the end of the unwrapping session, rummaging through what seemed like a bottomless stocking, seeing the rest of my family open the gifts I had picked out, and the afternoon trip to Grandma's for even more fun. It was the highlight of my year and sleep simply could not compare. I knew that just around the corner was a day unlike any other, a day of peace, excitement, and joy.

Yet, I grew up. I have lost much of that sense of wonder from my youth. I now know better about jolly old Saint Nick and mom is a thousand miles away. I will probably sleep quite soundly on December 24th. Often my only real hope for the holiday season is that I might actually enjoy it. Is this what we call maturity? Dear Lord, I hope not. I believe we could all learn quite a bit from our younger selves. They would tell us to play some more, to imagine, and to laugh. They would tell us to let go of our pride and shame and run into our daddy's arms when things hurt. Oh to have the faith of a child, Lord have mercy on me.

We need these lessons from of former selves because our present selves have incurred the burden of what we call "the real world." There are bills to pay, things to clean, papers to be written, calls to make, and we alone are responsible. We have awoken to the reality that life is hard. And in this midst of what used to a joyous season, we've heaped more burdens upon our shoulders: debt, stress, plans, worries, and strife. We fill the mall parking lots hoping to fill our hearts, only to find we've been lied to. We strive and strive looking for "something," waiting for "someday" that will set us free, that will awaken that sleepless child from Christmas eve. Yet the more stuff we amass and the more things we do, we still can not find it. A wise man once said "I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun."

Where are the glad tidings of joy? What will set us free from this body of decay? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

A new favorite song of mine is called "Embracing Accusations" by Shane and Shane (take a few minutes to listen to it then come back; just click the play button at the top of the right column). In this song, the singer is being attacked by the accusations of the devil : that we are cursed and that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. The singer then realizes that "the father of lies is telling the truth, that he is singing the song of the redeemed" We are indeed cursed and nothing can save us form this body of death. Yet the singer reminds us that the devil is so eloquent at singing the first verse of the song, but he has forgotten the refrain: Jesus Saves!

I, like my younger self am often in sleepless state but for altogether different reasons. I find rest hard to come by in a world like the one I know. So I wait. Not idly, but actively. I hope, not fleetingly but confidently. Just as Jesus came at just the right time, He shall come again. Lord knows that there is a day, right around the corner, that will change everything, a day of peace, a day of excitement, a day of Joy indeed! The following Scripture from Romans 8 fully embodies this Advent idea of joy in waiting.

"This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him.

That's why I don't think there's any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what's coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens." (Romans 8:15-21 MSG)

The Apostle Paul knew what was right around the corner and he knew that in the waiting was joy. That deep down inside each of us (and even all of creation) there is an intense longing for "someday." In Christ, we can know that that "someday" is coming, that He is coming. And we can join all creation in singing the joyous victory song, "Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty we are free at last!"

Advent Reflections-part 2

Through this Advent season I have experienced renewed wonder in my Lord, increased anticipation for His Kingdom, and a resolve to be about His mission. While my soul has been nurtured this season, I have also been deeply troubled. As I write this, temperatures in the Denver Metro area are dipping below zero and numerous sons and daughters of God have nowhere to lay there heads, much like their Savior who was regulated to a feeding trough for His 'grand' arrival. These people need desperately to feel the warmth of a bed, the hand of a friend, and the embrace of their Father. As compassion stirs my heart and I am reminded of THE greatest commandment "love your neighbor as yourself," I am convinced that there must be something I can do. But reason rebuts my heart and asks "what can I really do? I hardly make enough to live as it is, my wife and I share a pair of gloves, and Lord knows I'm just one person, in the face of hundreds. The challenge is just so overwhelming. " Aw, but as Pascal said, "the heart has its reasons of which reason knows not."

But there is a problem: I am selfish. I like having a computer, new books, and other luxuries that I've convinced myself are necessities. And I know better, but I keep doing what I hate and not doing what I desire. I feel the depth of Paul's exclamation in Romans 7, "Oh, wretched man that I am!"

I'm haunted by a scene near the end of Schindler's List, the story of Oskar Schindler, a man who saved the lives of over 1,100 Polish Jews by employing them in his factory during the Holocaust. After the war ends, Schindler looks at his lapel pin and realizes that it could have afforded him one more life. He is grief stricken at his selfishness dropping to his knees, weeping, muttering 'one more, one more..." This from the very man who literally risked his life for years in the effort to protect his fellow man. Could I ever be that compassionate, that sacrificial, that humble? Could I look into the least of these my brothers and sisters and see the face of Christ? Lord, I hope so; have mercy on me!

Yet, Paul reminds us that our wretchedness is not the end of the story. We must press on in the grace of our Savior, knowing He is guiding and if that be so we may rejoice indeed! So, with grace in hand and Christ in the lead how do we address the objections of our reason, the questioning of whether or not we can truly make a difference?

Henri Nouwen has said, "Though we want to make all our time, time for God, we will never succeed if we do not reserve a minute, an hour, a morning, a day, a week, a month, or whatever period of time for God and Him alone." I believe this applies to our resources as well. So may we start down the path of truly loving our neighbor one step at a time.

So what is that first step this Advent? For many of us it may be a long-overdue prayer to the lover of our souls. But as we move out from that, there are beautifully tangible ways to manifest the Kingdom; to be about Christ's business of lifting the oppressed, feeding the needy, and freeing the captive. Sites like adventconspiracy have great suggestions. A wonderful ministry helping those here in downtown Denver is the denver rescue mission. But my favorite Advent charitys are ones like worldvision and heifer international where you can buy goats or pigs or chickens helping families in need around the world become self-sustainable. I have been deeply moved by the following testimony of young Beatrice Biira from Uganda

"It was a Sunday when my mother told me we were going to get a goat which
would give us milk. We were already prepared for the goat. We
planted grass and built its house. We stood near the road singing, dancing
and clapping waiting for the goats. We saw a big lorry coming full of fat,
healthy, good looking goats. Then my mother was given one brown goat and we
took it home. We named her 'Mugisa' (means luck). We gave her grass
and clean water and mineral salt."

"About two months later our goat gave birth to two male kids. My
mother milked Mugisa and got four liters of milk a day. Time passed, our
kids grew, and mummy sold them and got a lot of money - $200! We had never
received so much money. We built a very good house roofed with iron
sheets. Before that we used to lie in a grass thatched house. There
was also money to send me to school.'

"I was happy to go to school. Mummy bought for me a new blue pinafore
and a yellow blouse as my uniform. She also bought books and
pencils. I polished my shoes and I cut my fingernails short. I was
so very happy that night. I was in my bed wide awake peeping through the
ventilators, waiting for morning to come. I was first to wake up. I bathed, brushed my teeth, combed my hair and put on my uniform. I took a cup of tea with milk from Mugisa."

"It was the best day in my life!"

"I wish to send a special thanks to you all, the donors who send farm animals
around the world to help needy and hungry ones - especially children like
me. This project has surely helped me and my family. Thank you very
much for this work you are doing. Finally, I wish you all God's blessings
to help more children in need."

Truly it is more blessed to give than to receive. May this Christmas truly embody these words of our Savior.

Ruminations on Reconciliation

Perhaps my favorite name for Christians is found in 2 Corinthians 5; ambassadors of reconciliation. This concept of being reconciled to God is not a prominent doctrine heard in our churches these days, but a reading of several of Paul's letters, particularly Romans, teaches us that reconciliation may be the "whole" story behind what Christ was doing on the cross.

Those first few chapters of Romans paint a bleak picture. We have done more than just ignore God, we have become His enemies. This is not just some far off deity growing displeased with his play toys, this is Papa we are talking about. In perhaps his proudest moment, from the depths of a bottomless imagination, He spoke His children into being. They were to be His prize, not just His friends but his very own family. Like the prodigal son we spat in His face and demanded our freedom, only to find ourselves snatching scraps from under the pig's trough and let's be honest, we hated Him for it.

When we think of "being saved" the thought is often of our debts being canceled and rightfully so. Yet God offers us more than just forgiveness, He offers us a repaired and renewed relationship; He offers reconciliation. This is no small matter, lest we forget that God was not just mad at us, we were His enemy. And yet this enmity lays the groundwork for one of my favorite passages: "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." This is more than some charity case or act of benevolance; this is crazy love. Reconcilation is what makes salvation so radical, its like Hitler and Churchill sharing tea, yet oh so much more. The judge has taken up our defense, paid our penalty and then opened his home for us, adopting us. We who warred against God, now find shelter in His camp.

You can forgive a person and not be reconciled with them. Yet what Jesus has done not only gave us a just status, it gave us a relationship. We were made for this, sitting on Papa's knee, His hand on our shoulder, teaching us to live. Yet Romans, and our lives, has shown us that this relationship still has some mending to be done. Paul encourages us that "For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, how much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life." Our reconciled condition is in a sort of "already but not-yet" condition. We are an enigma.

The other day I was walking along the Platte River here in Denver and I came to a garbage dump along the way. As I was looking at the dump, I was shocked at the amazing view I had of Mt. Evans and the sun setting behind it. I was floored by this picture of our present state. As I peered through trash, I saw glory. As we look at one another, may we see past the trash and see glory. May we see each other as what we are, a bunch of already-but-not yets. Jesus said that we must forgive to be forgiven, should we not reconcile so that we may be reconciled? So, let us take up our mantle and become ambassadors of reconciliation, bringing not just good news to the lost (and each other) but friendship as well.