Momentum in Acts

Over these last months, we’ve experienced two great examples of the power of momentum. One was in professional football. The New York Giants surprised everyone by winning road game after road game as definite underdogs before finally upsetting the mighty Patriots in the Super Bowl. They began developing momentum through a series of road wins in the regular season and then as unlikely as it sounds, by way of an end of regular season defeat against the Patriots … a game, however, that gave them confidence since they played the Patriots nose to nose. This momentum carried them into the playoffs where it only picked up steam as they won at Tampa Bay, then at Dallas, and then at my beloved Lambeau Field. With momentum, the arguably less talented Giants were able to overcome the Patriot juggernaut.

We’ve also seen the power of momentum in politics as Barak Obama is now running slightly ahead of Hilary Clinton in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. No matter your political views, it is remarkable how Obama has taken the political momentum away from Senator Clinton, who was the clear Democratic favorite only a few months ago. A couple of surprising primary victories, lots of successful fundraising, some high profile endorsements, and a number of powerful speeches has created a kind of “energy” that has propelled Obama to the lead in elected delegates. We’ll see whether that momentum will carry him on to the nomination.

Over these last couple weeks, I’ve been reading from the book of Acts in the 5X5X5 Bible reading guide. It is essentially a chapter a day, but one day while recuperating from the flu, I reread the first half of the book and what struck me was how the Holy Spirit ignited and maintained spiritual momentum for the early church … which was so small and fragile in its roots. The momentum began with a big “win” at Pentecost as the Holy Spirit empowered the first believers, the Good News of Jesus was proclaimed, and 3000 people came to faith. Then came the inevitable opposition from the religious establishment; but the momentum only grew as the apostles continued to preach with boldness and give evidence of God’s presence through miraculous healings.

Even an integrity breakdown which could have slowed momentum only strengthened the “awe factor” in the church. The tale of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 seems so harsh in that both died for lying about their financial gift for the church. The story seems so out of character for the New Testament with its emphasis on God’s mercy and forgiving love. But I would suggest that while Ananias and Sapphira “paid a price” [although if they were in fact, believers in Jesus, we have no reason to think they didn’t join Jesus in heaven a little early!], God was acting in mercy for his entire church that it would not be undermined by deceit and lukewarm commitment. Human frailty could not at this point be allowed to slow the momentum of the infant Christianity community.

Then came further persecution with the apostles jailed. And instead of a momentum breaker, God provided a miraculous deliverance which only deepened the “awe factor” and thus the confidence factor for those Christians. These were Jews who had to be troubled that their own leaders were opposing them. But so be it since God was so clearly on their side. As Jewish leader Gamaliel himself recognized, if God was fighting for them, nothing could stop them [Acts 5:8].

I could go on with other examples as the history unfolded … in Acts 6, the early church did a necessary restructuring because lack of adequate care for those in need would have been a momentum buster. Then in Acts 9, God turns Christianity’s most passionate opponent, Saul/Paul, into its most passionate evangelist. You talk about taking the momentum to a whole another level!

All of this raises interesting questions as to how we maintain spiritual momentum as individual Christians and as a church. At one level, we could certainly conclude that such momentum is a “God-thing” that is out of our control. But if we truly believe that, then it would seem to me that our prayer life would be greatly energized. If momentum in spiritual transformation and influence is God dependent, then we should be on our knees asking God to do his thing in and through lives and in and through our church. More on the subject of momentum in the next post.

Creating Space for God

Creating Space
Mark 1:35

My hunch on this weekend after Super Tuesday that many of you are tired of hearing political sound bites from the presidential candidates. But here is a speech excerpt that I’m sure you haven’t heard: “My fellow Americans, I promise you that if elected we as a nation will become healthier and happier … neither of which depend on government action. Rather, I will inspire you consume less and serve more, possess less stuff and enjoy more simple pleasures, be less focused on money and more on goodness, be less interested in entertainment and more on making a contribution. As a nation, I believe the path to more is less.”

The last time we had a President say anything resembling this philosophy was Jimmy Carter and he didn’t last more than one term in office. I can’t imagine any candidate running for office on a platform of personal down-sizing … for there are few ideas that could be more countercultural for us in America than one emphasizing “less.” We have drummed into us the message that if we just made more money, bought more stuff, could do more traveling, had more leisure time, had more choices, then life would certainly be better. But what we have seen in American society is that increasing affluence and the choices it provides don’t necessarily result in happier citizens. All that happens is that our level of expectations and perceived needs escalate and we’re even less satisfied than people were decades ago when they had far less.

Thus the challenge I have today in addressing the notion of the spiritual practices of abstinence … I am fully aware that this is very counter-cultural and that at least some of you will leave here thinking, “What was up with that “less is more” stuff? Why on earth would I want to shut off my computer or cell phone? Not eat or watch TV for a day? You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Well, all I ask is that you hang in there with me and see if you might get a divine nudge or two.

Review of Christian Spirituality

Let’s first review last week and be clear as to what Christians means by “spiritual.” Dr. Robert Webber in this book, The Divine Embrace, defines Christian spirituality as “Our mystical union with God accomplished by Jesus Christ through the Spirit … God passionately embraces us; we passionately embrace God. God makes us spiritual; we live a spiritual life.” The Christian sense of being “spiritual” is that God draws into his amazing story of life and liberation through Jesus. Jesus’ death is the death of our sinful self and his resurrection is ours as we receive the gift of eternal life. [Galatians 2:20 (NIV)]

Through Jesus, God initiates a relationship and we respond with trust and spiritual practice. We engage in spiritual practice not to earn a relationship with God but to experience more of his good gifts that are already ours in Jesus. We engage in spiritual practice not because we “have to” but because we “want to” … we want to be revitalized on our journey through life, we want to be transformed to be more like Jesus, and because we know what the result will be far more fruitful lives … we want to embody more of God’s love, joy, peace, patience, etc.

Room for God?

The Christian spiritual path is pursued through regular spiritual training. And like physical training, this calls for an intentional investment of time and energy … with spiritual training centering on Word and prayer. But here we discover an immediate issue … many of us are already up to our necks with responsibilities, commitments, and activities and frankly we don’t have room in our lives for more things to do. Our lives are already “full up.”

So it was for Jesus and his disciples as they sought to minister to people. There were always more people needing help and healing. We read of Jesus’ response in Mark 6: “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.” [Mark 6:30-32 (NIV)]

Those of you who are “doers” might well shake your heads at this … “How could Jesus have turned away from all those people in need?” Wasn’t the immediate task at hand more important than time away “spiritual navel-gazing?” Obviously, Jesus had a different, long term view. His disciples couldn’t stay healthy physically or spiritually if they didn’t take time for rest and for time away with God. It was a pattern in Jesus’ ministry … full ministry engagement followed by a time of rest, time with people and time with the Heavenly Father. If he and his followers didn’t say “No” for a time to the demands of others, they would not have been able to say “Yes” to being filled with God’s sustaining power.

Author Henri Nouwen speaks of his soul restlessness because he wasn’t making room for God … a restlessness that eventually led him to spend 7 months in a monastery. He writes, “While teaching, lecturing, and writing about the importance of solitude, inner freedom, and peace of mind, I kept stumbling over my own compulsions and illusions. What was driving me from one book to another, one place to another, one project to another? … What was turning my vocation to be a witness to God’s love into a tiring job? These questions kept intruding themselves into my few unfilled moments and challenging me to face my restless self. Maybe I spoke more about God than with him. Maybe my writing about prayer kept me from a prayerful life. Maybe I was more concerned about the praise of men and women than the love of God. Maybe I was slowly becoming a prisoner of people’s expectations instead of a man liberated by divine promises. Maybe …”

In his being driven to make a contribution for God, Nouwen had not left enough space for God. Let me illustrate it in this way. For any number of you, this container is your life. On most days, it is filled to the brim with activities, tasks, and relationship. There are even days when things overflow and there simply aren’t enough minutes in the day to attend to everything and everyone. Now in this situation, you simply can’t get anything more in … and the idea of doing anything more spiritually seems impossible and even burdensome. People tell me that they are too busy for once a week worship no less daily Bible reading.

If we are going to get anything else into this container, we need to empty some stuff out. Perhaps we pour out a little TV time, time and energy spent on the phone or text messaging, we cut down the work hours from 50+ to 40+, we engage in that favorite recreational activity only twice a week instead of four times … and what we’re doing is creating some margin in our lives … margin to spend time with God and to meet people’s needs as crises arise.

Thus the value of what Dallas Willard calls practices of abstinence. We say “no” or “less” to some things so that we can more fully say “yes” to God and create physical, emotional, and spiritual “space” to receive from him. [hold up half full container] There is room now for God to fill us up with his grace and truth, his guidance and strength. Let’s consider three practices that Christ-followers have used over the centuries to create space to experience God more fully in their lives.

The Practice of Solitude

Solitude is the practice of temporarily withdrawing from people and enjoying private engagement with God. As mentioned earlier, solitude was a regular part of the pattern of Jesus’ life. One example: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” [Mark 1:35 (NIV)] To practice solitude is to create space away from people and noise to hear from God. Solitude provides an opportunity to engage in other spiritual practices including reflection on the Word, prayer, journaling, private worship, and so on.

Now I suspect that those of you who are introverts and like being away from people don’t need to be convinced about the value of solitude. You know that even on an emotional level, you need time away from people. But those of you who are extroverts, who are energized by being around others, might find the intentional pursuit of solitude to be rather puzzling.

Why solitude? First and foremost, because we want to hear from God. We want to be separated from the demands of others and the noise of the media to reflect on God’s Word and to seek his guidance. You might remember the story of the prophet Elijah in the Old Testament. Elijah went into solitude not necessarily to seek God but out of fear that he would killed. Out in the wilderness, God gently confronted Elijah asking him, “What are you doing here?” He despairingly responded, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." [1 Kings 19:10 (NIV)] Then God revealed himself to Elijah. We read: “Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” [1 Kings 19:11-12 (NIV)]

“A gentle whisper” … or as in the King James translation, “A still small voice.” So I believe God continues to direct our thoughts, to speak to our lives, not in a booming thunder but quietly as we consider his Word. If we’re listening … which is an increasingly difficult thing in a world filled with noise from human conversation, TV’s, CD’s, MP3’s, etc. All good, all informational and entertaining, but all of which can make hearing God’s gentle whisper difficult.

Which is why we carve out time for solitude. For me that involves often driving in the car without the radio on [something my own kids can’t understand why I would want to do … they’re addicted to noise!]. When I run or do other exercise, sometimes I’ll listen to an IPod Nano, sometimes I won’t. Sometimes I just want to think and pray. If you have small children at home, an hour or so of solitude will likely come either before the kids are awake or after bedtime. You may also want to consider a one day yearly retreat to do a personal “annual report” … in solitude evaluating the direction of your life and seeking God’s guidance for the coming year. Most of us living busy American lives will have to carve out quiet time from busy schedules and guard it jealousy.

A second related reason for solitude is to regain perspective. There is something about getting away from the rat race of daily life which clears the mind of its clutter, refreshes the spirit, and sharpens our focus. I liken it to these photos. At the speed of life, things can get rather blurry. Solitude can help us refocus.

When Billy Graham was beginning his evangelistic ministry, he had a number of conversations with another budding young preacher named Chuck Templeton. Templeton was on a path, however, away from trust in the Bible as God’s Word. Templeton told Graham that by continuing to believe the Bible he was committing intellectual suicide.

Graham knew he needed divine perspective and so while speaking at a conference in the San Bernardino Mountains, he went off into the forest to seek God. “Lord, what shall I do? What shall be the direction of my life?” As he walked alone, Graham realized that intellect alone couldn’t resolve the questions of the Bible’s inspiration and authority. Ultimately this is was an issue of faith. He tells of going to get his Bible, putting his Bible on a stump, and kneeling down. He said, “Oh, God; I cannot prove certain things. I cannot answer some of the questions Chuck is raising and some of the other people are raising, but I accept this Book by faith as the Word of God.” A basic and foundational faith perspective was clarified, solidified in solitude … shaping and motivating Graham’s ministry for the next half century.

The Practice of Fasting

Much more briefly, two other examples of abstinence. Fasting is the practice of abstaining from food for spiritual purposes. We aren’t talking dieting here … although if you fast long enough you’ll certainly lose weight. The typical practice is to eat no food and consume only water for a day so as to focus on prayer and spiritual matters. You can also do a partial fast such as not drinking alcohol for Lent or eating only vegetables as Daniel and his friends did for 10 days in the Old Testament.

Throughout the history of Israel and the early Church, there is an intimate connection between fasting and praying. People went without food so that they could seek God’s guidance and blessing. [Acts 14:23 (NIV)] We see this in the New Testament church when they were commissioning new leaders or launching new mission efforts. They fasted and prayed.

I think to modern minds, the idea of fasting seems almost ludicrous … why would we deny the body’s normal and healthy desire for food? In short, because fasting helps create space in time and body to experience a need and hunger for God. One practical value of fasting is that it frees up time to seek God. Particularly in ancient times before the advent of microwave dinners, food gathering, preparation, and eating took up a considerable chunk of each day. Periods of fasting gave people a lot more time for prayer. Even in our day when you can just pop something into the oven, you will be surprised how much extra time you will have in a day if you’re not eating. Use that time to get into the Word and to engage God in prayer.

More importantly, since we are embodied people, there is a close connection between body and spirit. And to have physical hunger is to point us to a deeper spiritual hunger. When we feel a need for food, it reminds us how much we need God. An empty stomach that needs to be filled helps us understand our equal need for God to fill our empty spirits. So fasting tied to prayer is a way of humbling ourselves before God and acknowledging our dependence upon him.

The Practice of Simplicity

Example three is the practice of simplicity -- having and doing less that we might slow our lives for the things of God. The reality of life for the American consumer is that the more we want to purchase and experience, the more research we have to do to make sure that we are purchasing and experiencing the best value [just went through that in making a car purchase – it takes time!]. Further, many items we purchase will require maintenance, so the more stuff we have, the more we have to think about and maintain, even if we are hiring someone else to do it. Inevitably we find our lives increasingly dominated by stuff.

Jesus teaches a different path of storing up heavenly rather than earthly treasures: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” [ Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)]

The practice of simplicity with regard to earthly treasures is one way to pursue a life that is focused on heavenly priorities. Simplicity is the path of deliberately choosing “less” and so creating space in time and attitude to attend to God. We are not so busy with the things of this life that we don’t have to time for Word and prayer. Further, we want to spend time with God because our heart is directed to eternal things rather than giving our ultimate allegiance to temporary things.

I hope I’ve made a case that less than be more. That less noise, less activity, less conversation, less stuff, and yes, even less food, can create space for the “more” which will make all the difference our lives: the more of God’s presence, wisdom, guidance, love, and joy. We don’t practice disciplines of abstinence with the end of depriving ourselves or making our lives miserable … neither of which are God-pleasing themselves. We say “No” or “Less” so that we can say “Yes” to divine riches.

Why Spiritual Practice?

Living into the Union: A Life of Spiritual Training
Colossians 1:27; 1 Timothy 4:7-8; 1 Cor. 9:25

Imagine for a moment that it is Opening Day baseball at Wrigley, Miller Park, or the Metrodome. Baseball fans have waited during the long off season for their favorite team to take the field, their favorite pitcher to toe the pitching rubber, their favorite slugger to enter the batter’s box. But you quickly notice that things aren’t quite right. The first runner on base tries to steal second but pulls a quad muscle. Most batters are having tough time with any breaking pitches. The pitchers only last a couple innings at most before their arms get tired. Several infielders boot routine ground balls. It is as if they hadn’t played any baseball for months. You feel like you’ve been ripped off … that these players aren’t ready for the Major League regular season.

So it would be if there was no Spring Training … if the players hadn’t done any baseball conditioning, if they hadn’t taken batting practice, if they hadn’t gradually worked their arms and thrown practice innings, if they hadn’t spent hours in fielding ground balls. No one would expect that even veteran baseball players would be able to play anywhere close to their potential without spring training and regular practice through the season. We all know that athletes can’t succeed on the basis of willpower and passion alone. Everything from timing in the batter’s box to executing a double play requires lots and lots of practice.

So also for the Christ-follower. Without regular spiritual training, we would not expect that the individual would be able to follow Jesus in obedience and love. We would not anticipate that the person would develop and display godly habits, that their attitude toward others would overflow with compassion, that they would instinctively serve when they see a need, and that they would rely on divine presence and power in the middle of crisis. All of these traits and many more of the Christian “player” arise out of “practice,” as we participate in those practices, experiences, and relationships through which Jesus changes us to live like him.

We are launching today what I consider to one of the most important message series here at Peace for quite some time. This series on spiritual practices will describe the path toward spiritual maturity, how you can “feed” yourself as a Christ-follower, practices through which the Holy Spirit will work to bring life-transformation. The message today will provide an overview, a map of where we’re headed. Now some might think that looking at a map of something isn’t nearly as interesting as actually being there to see the sights and enjoy the scenery. So it is that the messages that follow will provide the exciting specifics of opening our lives to God. But bear with me today, because there is value in seeing the big picture … in getting the lay of the spiritual landscape.

What Do Christians Mean by “Spiritual”?

We begin by considering what we mean by “spiritual” … a word used by every religious movement to describe an experience of mystery, a life lived by sacred principles, and the embrace of particular disciplines. What then differentiates Christian spirituality from say New Age spirituality? A completely different story! In the New Age story, everything is “God” including each person … and the essential problem of humanity is that we don’t realize it. So people are urged to search deep within themselves, discover the truth of their divinity, and thus gain happiness and fulfillment.

Christian spirituality is based on a story in which human beings are the creative masterpiece of a holy and good God. We were made to live in relationship with God but chose a different path … separating ourselves from God and going our own sinful, rebellious way. In order for there to be reconciliation with God, God himself would have to take the initiative. He entered into union with humankind by becoming one of us in the person of Jesus. Jesus fulfilled God’s purpose for humanity by submitting to the heavenly Father and gave his life on the cross to defeat the power of sin and death. Then he rose from the dead and sent the Holy Spirit so that we could share in his life as we trust in him as our Savior … living in union with him.

Christian spirituality flows out of this extraordinary story … It focuses on God’s extraordinary work and not our own self-discovery. It is celebrates and explores the relationship which God makes possible with himself. As defined by Dr. Robert Webber in The Divine Embrace: Christian spirituality is “Our mystical union with God accomplished by Jesus Christ through the Spirit … God passionately embraces us; we passionately embrace God … God makes us spiritual; we live a spiritual life.”

Language such as “union” with God and living in God’s “embrace” might sound a bit strange to Lutheran Christians who have tended to emphasize God’s saving work in Jesus but not his ongoing relationship with us. So let’s make sure that this understanding of spirituality is on a solid Scriptural foundation:

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. [Col. 3:1-3 (NIV)]

To be baptized is to come into union with Jesus’ death and resurrection. Our sinful self was nailed to the cross with Jesus; it has died. And our self of faith and love comes to life in his resurrection. Christ’s life has embraced our life even if we don’t see it clearly yet … even if we won’t experience it fully until heaven. Spiritual life is a life surrounded and filled by the life of Christ.

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. [Colossians 1:27 (NIV)] Christ is for us as he gives his life for us on the cross. Christ is with us as he is our ultimate companion on life’s journey. He is also in us. Martin Luther penned in a Christmas hymn: “Ah dearest Jesus holy child Make thee a bed soft, undefiled Within my heart that it may be A quiet chamber kept for thee.”

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. [Galatians 2:20 (NIV)] Echoing the words of Colossians 3, our sinful selves were crucified along with Jesus. The old self is dead and Christ has taken up residence within us.

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. [2 Peter 1:4 (NIV)] The Orthodox Church fathers spoke of a growing relationship with God using the word theosis which means to participate in God. In Christian spirituality, God is not primarily the Observer Judge, keeping score. He is the Companion Life-Giver, who empowers us to resist the evil desires of this world and to see the fulfillment of his great and precious promises in our lives.

Why Bother with the Spiritual Life?

That’s the vision of a life in union with Jesus. Why bother? Let me use this analogy. One of Robert Webber’s former students contacted him a few years ago looking for some advice. He had been married for a number of months but things weren’t going that well. As the conversation continued, he slowly revealed that after the wedding, he and his bride simply went back to their premarital lives … living in separate apartments [why on earth they decided to do that, Dr. Webber doesn’t say]. At first this couple saw each other regularly, but as the weeks went by, they begin to drift apart only calling each other on the phone. Then in the immediate month before, they had stopped talking altogether. The young man wanted to know whether he should file for divorce, initiate contact, etc.

Dr. Webber’s answer was simple: “You are married. You need to live together. Move out of your separate apartments, lock, stock, and barrel. Stop living separate lives. Dwell together as husband and wife. Share the same vision for life. That is what marriage is all about.” The young man took his professor’s advice and the marriage began to thrive.

The ancient church fathers likened baptism into Christ as a marriage. “Marriage includes a renunciation, a turning away from the single life, a ritual of union, a united vision, a transformation of life as two lives are made one.” So also for the Christian who has been connected to Christ in baptism. Who would want a marriage without the joys of companionship and doing life together? Who would want a relationship with Jesus without the joys of companionship and doing life together? Who would want to miss out on the range of benefits and experiences that arise out of full participation in life with God? The why of the spiritual life is that we don’t miss out!

The benefits and experiences of the Christian life include:

Revitalized spirit
Life is difficult, draining and we need the Christ to refresh us with living water. [John 7:37-38 (NIV)] Life beats us down and we need to know that we are loved and that we are never alone in this world. Life is filled with the material and mundane and we need to know that there is something more than paying the bills and shoveling the snow. We need to know a God who brings us hope, purpose, and perspective.

A story is told of a three-year-old girl who was the first born in her family. Her parents had a second child and shortly after arriving home from the hospital, the little girl made a strange request. She asked her parents if she could have some time alone with her baby brother. The parents didn’t know quite what to think but with an intercom in the room, they left her alone with her brother, listening in. They heard their daughter’s footsteps as she crossed the room to the baby’s crib and then listened as she spoke these words: “Tell me about God – I’ve almost forgotten.”

“Tell me about God – I’ve almost forgotten.” Those words are touching because they speak of what it is like to live in this world with so many forces that would distance us from our Creator and Savior. To pursue the spiritual life is to open our lives again to a God who is already embracing us and would fill us again with an experience of his presence and a passion for living.

Transformed mind and heart
As God revitalizes, he transforms us. The Greek root word is “morph” which means “to form.” As Jesus embraces our life with his, we find our lives “metamorphed” – transformed. Paul writes, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” [Romans 12:2 (NIV)]

Fruitful Living
The end result of a transformed life is fruitful living. It’s certainly my hope that there isn’t a single person who doesn’t want more “… love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…” in his or her life. [Galatians 5:22-25 (NIV)] These are the character and action fruits of a person participating in their union with God.

How Do We Train Spiritually?

Which then brings us to the focus of this series. How do we participate in our union with God? How do we embrace the one who is embracing us? For centuries, committed Christians have done so by engaging in spiritual disciplines or practices … most taught in the Bible itself, others arising out of the experiences of godly people.

The Apostle Paul speaks of this using an athletic metaphor of “training.” He tells Timothy: “… train yourself to be godly.” [1 Tim. 4:7-8 (NIV)] The Greek word for training will look familiar: Gymnasia -- what takes place in the “gym” -- and God’s plan is that we would prioritize spiritual training. This training includes the “hard work” of on-going Scripture study, prayer, service, and other spiritual practices. These are not done so much as ends in themselves and certainly not as a way to earn God’s favor, but that God might work to help us mature as followers of Jesus.

Spiritual training involves engaging in those practices, experiences, and relationships which so connect us with God that he changes us from the inside out. Through a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ, the power of his life changes our thinking, character, and behavior to reflect more of his goodness. Over time this means that we don't have to try to think along the lines of God's values, we just do think differently because the Holy Spirit has transformed our minds. We don't have to try so hard to resist certain temptations, because those particular sins aren't so tempting anymore -- the Holy Spirit has changed our desires. We don't have to try to exhibit the fruits of the Spirit, because more of those fruits flow from our lives -- the Holy Spirit has changed our behavior and attitudes.

Through the upcoming Lenten season, we will focus on a series of core of spiritual practices which include the following:

· Practices of Contemplation: we contemplate … we learn of, study, and reflect on the mystery of God and his saving work in Jesus. Centered on God’s Word and worship, we find ourselves taken up into God’s story and learn to make it our own.

· Practices of Participation: we come to embody God’s story and his love through our relationships, work, and lives of service. Christian spirituality is not a retreat from the real world, but a seeking to incarnate the goodness of God through our lives.

· Practices of Abstinence: in order to create space in our lives for contemplation and participation, we “abstain” for a time from media, people, work, etc. Practices such as Sabbath-keeping, solitude, and silence give us time for God and clear our minds to receive his guidance.

Well, that’s big picture, the map of the Christian spiritual life. The “what” is a union with God through Jesus Christ. The “why” is that we don’t miss out on what this union can provide. The “how” is spiritual training. It is the “how” that we will explore in detail over these next weeks. But we don’t want to forget that it’s all about exploring an awesome mystery … that our lives are embraced by Jesus… that our true life is hidden with Christ in God.

It's very interesting in Acts 1 that the disciples post-resurrection still really didn't get it. They still were thinking that since Jesus proved himself to be the Messiah in his resurrection, that now would be the time to overthrow the Romans and "restore the kingdom to Israel." But the kingdom wasn't about political power [recognizing that Christian faith would in the next three centuries "take over" the Roman Empire]. It was about power to restore people into a vital relationship with God which would change their lives. It was the power of the Spirit that would be unleashed at Pentecost and would end up turning the world "upside down." [Acts 17:6]

"You will receive power" Jesus said [Acts 1:8]. No doubt, some would argue that the apostles received a unique brand of power as they went on to preach powerful sermons, perform miracles, and lead the infant churches. But Christians of all time receive the same gift of the Holy Spirit as did those first followers. And the Spirit has not become any less powerful, any less life-changing in his work. The very fact that any of us can actually trust in Jesus is a demonstration of the Spirit's power to break through the stranglehold of sin and doubt. The fact that the Church has continued to grow world-wide despite the powers of darkness fighting back is evidence of the power of the Spirit at work to bring light into the darkness.

I'm not sure that we always believe that the power of the Spirit is available to us. If we did, we'd be praying more to receive that power. If we did, we'd witness to others about Jesus more often. If we did, we'd be less likely to think "Impossible" and more likely to take "kingdom risks" of witness and service.

How do you need the Spirit to empower you in this season of your life?

Hi All --

After some problems switching an older "Blogger" account over to Google, I am finally back in to my Blog and I hope that this year of reflection will be worthwhile for you. My goal is to have a minimum of one and preferably two posts each week, using material from my own journaling which will center on the 5X5X5 readings. I'll play a bit of "catch-up" in the first 12 days of readings with some observations:

First, it is more than a bit interesting as to why Mark doesn't begin his Gospel with the birth of Jesus but rather with the start of Jesus' ministry and his meeting with John the Baptist. Scholars suspect that it's not Mark didn't know the story of Jesus' birth, but that it didn't fit his purpose to write an ancient biography that shows Jesus' bringing the kingdom of God into this world. To quote one commentator:

For Mark the “gospel” clearly depicts Jesus as inaugurating God’s sovereign rule, the Kingdom, through his words and deeds. The evangelist makes this point evident at the outset in both the heading of the introduction, “the gospel concerning Jesus Messiah, Son of God” (1:1), and the programmatic summary of Jesus’ preaching “the gospel of God” about the Kingdom and the fulfillment of time at the end of the introduction (1:14–15). At the same time, for Mark the “gospel concerning Jesus Messiah, Son of God,” has a future component when the Kingdom of God will appear “in power” (9:1) at the coming of the Son of man to bring God’s salvation to its consummation (13:26–27).

Robert A. Guelich, vol. 34A, Word Biblical Commentary : Mark 1-8:26, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002), xli.

This is one major theme then that we can keep an eye on as we read through Mark's Gospel. Jesus brings in the kingdom as he teaches, heals, drives out demons, and calls and commissions disciples. And even as we recognize the uniqueness of Jesus' ministry in that time and place, as we can reflect on how God's kingdom continues to break into a sinful world in our day. More later today.

Sermon Romans 16

Good News of Life Change:

Love Lived

Romans 12:9-21

How do you measure a day well lived? In the movie, Groundhog Day, a cynical weatherman, Phil Connors, is forced to continuously re-live one day of his life over and over again until he learns that a day well lived is about love for others, about service.

-- Groundhog Day video

How do you measure a year? The Broadway musical and movie Rent in its signature song would point us in the same direction:

525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear.

525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee.

In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife. In 525,600 minutes - how do you
measure a year in the life? How about love? How about love? How about love? Measure in love. Seasons of love.

Repeatedly the New Testament from the teachings of Jesus to the instruction of Paul in Romans gives us the same measure of a life well lived. The measure is love – love not as Americans so often use the word to describe romance or sentimental feeling (as nice as those things are). But rather the Bible speaks of what could be called a “warrior love,” what one hymn writer has called God’s strong love.” It is a love that overcomes our innate selfishness by putting others first; a love that does the hard work of sacrificial service; a love that breaks through barriers of conflict, race, and class to give people not merely what they deserve, but what they truly need.

The New Testament writers chose the Greek word agape to speak of this strong, warrior love. The Greeks certainly had other words for “love” including one word that shows up in Romans 12 – the word philadelphia – the love between friends, brotherly love. But the writers knew that there was something different about agape-love. It was and is God’s love for lost sinners. It was the love that took Jesus to the cross. It was and is the love the breaks down barriers of spiritual unbelief and rebellion to restore our relationship with God. It was and is a revolutionary love and that is the love God gives us and then empowers us to share with others.

In Romans 12, the Apostle Paul provides us a series of instructions that are not designed not be to be an organized essay on love, but rather provide some practical directions as to what it means to live out such love. First, he states that agape-love must be …

Real

[Romans 12:9-10 (NIV)] Love must be sincere… Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Agape-love is a genuine, heartfelt commitment to others, especially to members of your spiritual “family.” The word translated as “sincere” is literally “without hypocrisy.” Agape-love is not merely for “show” – it is not merely given out of “duty.” It is a genuine desire to seek another’s welfare. Within the Christian community, it is treating each other as family. Now I’m under no illusion that all 2000 of us in the Peace family are going to be able to love each other in any kind of real, practical way. But we can all love some people. We can build a network of relationships around us through small groups and one on one conversations and in those relationships, love can be real.

Relentless

Paul teaches love is relentless and passionate about doing good. It’s patient when things aren’t going so well and doesn’t quit when life gets difficult or relationships are disappointing. [Romans 12:9, 11-12 (NIV)] Let’s say to keep your job, you need to do a “B” level of serving customers or clients. Relentless agape-love moves you to provide “A” level service to the best of your ability. Let’s say you’ve got family that is at best “difficult.” Relentless agape-love means that you keep reaching out to them, you keep praying for them, and you keep looking for opportunities to serve them. Now let me qualify that by noting that when family members become emotionally, physically, or sexually abusive, love doesn’t require you to keep taking it. There are times when love and wisdom call you to leave and end the relationship to stop the wrong. Further, genuine love does not mean adopting some kind of co-dependent behavior in which you fail to confront others with their destructive behavior. Remember, love means pursuing good, not giving in to the bad. All that being said, we recognize that since all of us are imperfect, not always lovable people, part of relentless love is that we care for others sometimes despite the fact that they make it difficult.

Respectful

Paul states, “Honor one another above yourselves … Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” [Romans 12:10,16 (NIV)] The whole idea of “honoring” is that we see great value in others no matter their life situation and treat them accordingly. The problem comes in that it’s our nature to treat others in a utilitarian kind of way. The value we give to others is then based on how well they function and in particular, what they can contribute to us personally. Take marriage, for example. Marital love is a complex mix of elements but certainly one is what the Greeks called eros: we love our partners for what they can give us, for how they will meet our needs.

There is nothing wrong with that … but agape-love is different. It values others whether or not they can do anything for us, whether or not they share our beliefs, whether or not we even like them. It recognizes that each person has enormous worth as someone created in God’s image. Here we distinguish between behavior and person. For a person’s behavior may be relatively worthless, but they can still shown respect as person loved by God. We demonstrate honor by taking an interest in people, by asking questions and really listening, by offering to help, and by praying for their welfare.

The notion of respecting every person remains a revolutionary force in our world. It helped end slavery in the Western world. Today it is doing battle in India with the Hindu caste system and the treatment of Dalits – that class of people viewed as socially polluted. There are 250 million Dalits in India and they are regularly subjected to crimes of hate including murder, rape, and assault. “They are given jobs no one else wants: sweeping streets, cleaning latrines, and skinning cows ... According to Hindu tradition, they were not even allowed to touch those of other castes (hence the name “untouchables”).” Christians in India are seeking to end such oppression. An upper-caste Christian Joseph D’souza who serves as the head of the All India Christian Council, states, “Our love for the Dalit people is like the love of Christ for them—unconditional. We love people whether or not they choose to follow Jesus Christ.” Pray that warrior love will enable the Indian Church throw off the shackles of caste and perhaps transform an entire nation.

Responsive

Agape-love recognizes and responds to the feelings and needs of others. Paul tells us, “Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality … Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” [Romans 12:13,15 (NIV)] This isn’t rocket science. It’s a day in, day out concern for people around us, being there for them, meeting needs as we have ability and opportunity. I saw it last weekend at a funeral for a very close friend of Peace member Chuck Nelson. Several of Chuck’s friends and small group members were there at the funeral because it’s what Christ-followers do. We “mourn with those who mourn.”

It seems to me that one of the keys to responsive love is building enough margin into our lives so that we actually can attend to people in their time of need. If we allow ourselves to be so over-scheduled with work and recreational pursuits, then we begin to view people as burdens and interruptions rather than as individuals to be honored and served. And we find ourselves moving so fast from one responsibility or activity to the next, that we fail to even notice the concerns of those around us. I know what that’s like and it’s a particular challenge for those of us in helping professions. For there will always be more people and more needs than we can personally meet, but we still must have margin in our schedules so that we can be there for family and friends who need us most.

Restoring

Agape-love seeks to reconcile damaged relationships and redeem actions of evil by refraining from revenge and doing right in the face of wrong. Paul echoes the words of Jesus when he says, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” [Romans 12:14, 17-21 (NIV)] That is so counter-human nature for when we get hurt we want to hurt back. When we get crossed, we want to curse. When we suffer injustice, we want to inflict just revenge.

But Jesus taught a different way realizing that the revenge only helps to further the cycle of hatred and violence that we see in places like Israel and Rwanda. Instead, agape-love forgives. Instead, agape-love pursues reconciliation and right relationships. Obviously, if someone wants to stay your enemy, you have no control over that. There are times when we need to walk away from situations and relationships because reconciliation is humanly impossible. But as much as we can, we seek to resolve differences and promote peace.

Revolutionary

All of this so is revolutionary. Agape-love is revolutionary in its source, its nature, its reach, and its result. Its revolutionary source is God himself – a God who loves undeserving, sinful people like us to the extent that he would come and give his life for us. Its revolutionary nature is that it is sacrificial, giving rather than taking. Its revolutionary reach is that it includes all people as God loves the world and invites us to love people despite racial, cultural, political, and religious differences. Its revolutionary result is that it restores relationships. God’s love in Jesus makes it possible for us to have an eternal relationship with him. That same love as it flows through us can and will become a healing, transforming force in our world.

You and I will not be people of agape-love on our own. Remember its source is in God and not the selfish human heart. We need time with God on a daily basis if we are going to be part of his love revolution. If too often Christians seem like everyone else, it’s because we have neglected the practices of Scripture reading, reflection, prayer, and worship that allow us to get filled up with God’s brand of love. Only as God enables you will you be a part of his love revolution.

Revolutionary Reflection

Let me give you the opportunity to respond to the message in this way. On your outline, you will find five questions. I invite and encourage you to answer at least one in the next couple minutes and take the next step in being part of God’s love revolution. We reflect and respond to God as we listen to the Dave Crowder Band sing Revolutionary Love.

1) What kind of experiences of God’s love do you need to build into your life to increase your ability to love God and others? ________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

2) What specific way of giving love or service have you grown tired of but believe God wants you to begin again through his power:___________________

______________________________________________________________________________

3) Identify a person with whom you regularly interact and find difficult to love or have simply ignored. Name that person and one way you could serve that person. __________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

4) What is one need that you could meet (more frequently or on an on-going basis) among your circle of friends and family. ____________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

5) Who is one person that you need to forgive and with whom you could pursue reconciliation? _______________________________________________________

Sermon Romans 17

It's been a long time since I've posted anything. I'm going to work "backwards" and over the next week post message from a series on Romans.

Good News of Life Change:

Submission to Authority

Romans 13:1-7

If our humor is an indication, it would seem that when it comes to government and politicians, our overall outlook is less than favorable. Events like the latest lobbyist scandal lead us to conclude cynically that the whole thing is about money, perks, and power rather than public service. Then we wonder whether the system is somehow broken. Jay Leno this week quipped, “"And here's your government at work. This week -- this week, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall for thousands of Christmas lights that they say may pose a risk of electric shock. They're recalling Christmas lights. Good timing. What is it, January now?"

Then, of course, you have standard humor about any large, bureaucratic organization. As found on one government humor site: You know you work for the government when …

§ You work for an acronym, on an acronym, and your job title is an acronym.

§ You send a subordinate to a meeting in Omaha. The same meeting at Lake Tahoe requires your personal attention.

The fact is that every government, every human system of authority is imperfect, and the people who fill positions within that system are even more imperfect. Think about your own family system and the personalities involved and then ask why you would expect the government system to be any better. Nevertheless, despite their problems, God gives us families for our benefit and so also, he gives us government for our good.

The presence of human authority: God’s plan

Paul affirms this as he begins Romans 13 with these words: “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. ” [Romans 13:1-4 (NIV)] Here we find the proper positioning for secular authority. On the one hand, government is not “God” as the Roman emperors wanted their subject to believe. Human authority is clearly under God – an idea could well have been as rather subversive in first century Rome. At the same time, human authority is not to be disregarded for it is there by divine design and has great value as it contributes to God’s work in the world.

Paul notes in subsequent verses that the government is instituted to fulfill God’s purposes by …

§ promoting good

§ curbing evil

So the State Department of Transportation promotes good by building and maintaining roads and providing adequate traffic controls and signage – the good, of course, is that people and goods safely reach their destinations. The County Sherriff’s department and State Police curb evil by ticketing people driving at dangerous speeds or breaking other traffic laws. The movie The Italian Job gives us a visual demonstration of what would happen without any such controls .

So we could go agency by agency, department by department at every level – local, state, and national – and detail the good that is done, the programs that are implemented, the laws that are enforced, and the evil that is thwarted. We can and should express our thanks to those who serve in government in both civilian and military positions.

And if you are still a doubter as to whether government is a good idea, just look at happens when authority falters. Take Yugoslavia after the end of Tito’s regime: with no strong central authority, there was a horrible outbreak of ethnic atrocities. We saw it in Iraq after the fall of Saddam – the Iraqi military and police “evaporated” and violence followed. We saw it in New Orleans as in the aftermath of Katrina, authority broke down and there was chaos in the streets.

It’s God’s plan that there be systems of authority to maintain order and security in society. In this letter to the Romans, Paul commends government as the Empire was currently experiencing it. It was essentially a totalitarian regime under the Emperor Nero. The letter was written early in Nero’s rule when the emperor was still a relatively young man and was listening to his advisors. Later things under Nero would deteriorate and Christians would be sent into the Coliseum and to the lions. But at this point, the Roman rule though absolute and brutal by our standards, was pretty much doing what government should normally do in God’s plan – promote good and curb evil.

Our “normal” response to God’s plan: submit

Paul then gives our “normal response” to such government – we are to submit to its authority. The notion of “submitting” is that we renounce or set aside our own will and instead follow the will of God and in this case, government and society. You may feel like going 90 miles an hour, but instead you drive at the speed limit or at least at the speed of the rest of the traffic. You may feel like you can handle your money better than the government, but you pay your taxes anyway. You submit.

As one theologian suggests, this following of government authority takes on a new form for Christians who in submitting to Jesus then submit to the authority that he has established. So as Luther speaks of it in the 4^th commandment:

“We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.”

But let’s be honest, the very idea of submitting to any authority other than self is contrary to human nature. We are submission resistant. And it’s worth noting that my generation, the Baby Boomers, have taken this resistance to another level. In the aftermath of Vietnam and the Watergate scandal, we have been especially skeptical of and resistant to those in authority. John Mellenkamp writes of this in an aptly labeled The Authority Song.

They like to get you in a compromising position
They like to get you there and smile in your face
They think, they’re so cute when they got you in that condition
Well I think, it’s a total disgrace

I fight authority, authority always wins
I fight authority, authority always wins
I been doing it, since I was a young kid
I’ve come out grinnin’
I fight authority, authority always wins

So I call up my preacher
I say: gimme strength for round 5
He said: you don’t need no strength, you need to grow up, son
I said: growing up leads to growing old and then to dying,
And dying to me don’t sound like all that much fun

I’m glad that John got in touch with his preacher and the advice wasn’t all that bad … but the “growing up” part is ultimately a spiritual issue that we can’t make happen on our own. For it seems crazy to us to die to self and submit to God. The autonomous self believes “I know better. Don’t tell me how to live my life. I am going to do what I want, when I want.” Only the Holy Spirit can break the bondage of our self-centered nature and bring us to real life in Jesus. The Spirit leads us to realize that we don’t know better -- that, in fact, our very thinking is distorted by sin, our motivations are rarely pure, our wisdom quite limited, and our decisions often just plain wrong. Only the Spirit can liberate us from the tyranny of self and empower us to submit to God’s good plan.

This is our gift through Jesus. He forgives our rebellious, selfish nature. He invites us into a relationship with him where we are enabled as Paul states it, “to put off our old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires … and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” [Ephesians 4:22-24] We don’t come to submit to any authority naturally, or easily … it is a fruit, a result of the Spirit making us more like Jesus.

Why submit? Paul states, “Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.” [Romans 13:5 (NIV)]

§ consequences: first we submit to authority because the consequences of punishment from fines to prison aren’t all that attractive. This is a reason everybody understands.

§ conscience: secondly, however, Paul says Christian also submit out of conscience. We submit to authority because we have come to see that government is a gift from God and that submission is God-pleasing. Moved by the presence of Jesus, we want to honor God in this way.

How do we submit to authority?

How do we then submit? The New Testament lists three primary ways: we obey, we pay, and we pray.

§ we obey the law
Paul states in Titus 3:1 (NIV): “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good …” By the way, we are to follow laws even if we are think they are stupid. For example, if I understand this correctly, you can get fined $175 in Eau Claire for starting your car on a winter morning and letting it warm up and de-ice. I am really glad that our law enforcement people are roaming the streets looking for loitering vehicles and arresting them. OK all mocking aside -- I suppose the City Council passed this ordinance for either safety or air pollution reasons. But whether I think a law inane or not, as a Christian I am called to obey.

§ pay taxes
This is Paul’s primary example in Romans 13 of how we submit to authority. He states simply: “If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue;” [Romans 13:7 (NIV)]. He was echoing the words of Jesus who said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar's…” [Mark 12:17] Paul may well have chosen this aspect of citizenship because taxes were a major issue in Rome at that time [you thought it was just an issue in Wisconsin – not so!]. In fact, a year or two after this letter was written, Roman historian Tacitus recorded that there was a tax rebellion that took place in Rome. The words translated here as “taxes” and “revenues” refer to what Romans called “direct” taxes and “indirect” taxes. Direct taxes included things like property taxes. Indirect taxes included what we would call sales taxes, duty charges on imported goods, and tolls. People especially despised the “indirect” taxes but Nero was told by his advisors not to eliminate them because then people would want “direct” taxes repealed as well.

Not a lot has changed has it … the two sure things in life have remained death and taxes. The Bible gives no teaching on tax policy and whether you should be in favor of higher or lower taxes (although you could make a strong Biblical argument in favor of balanced budgets). The point Paul is making that whether or not we agree with the taxing authority, we submit by paying what we owe. In our context as we do tax returns over these next weeks, it means correctly reporting income and taking only legal deductions. We follow the law because of consequences and conscience.

§ pray for those in authority
As I mentioned in last week’s message, one of the ways that we honor others is by praying for them. We honor and thus submit to those in authority as we hold them up in prayer. Paul tells Timothy, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” [1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NIV)}

Ultimately, our prayer is not that our elected leaders do what we want, but that God direct them to do what he desires – that elected and appointed leaders in every branch of government – executive, legislative, and judicial, at every level would pursue God’s goals of justice and goodness. We pray out of the recognition that finally even politics and government aren’t about me and my wants or about Democrats or Republicans, or even about the glory of the United States, they are about the glory of God. It all belongs to him, government and authority is by his design, and we should be praying that those who fill authority roles would fulfill them according to God’s purpose. In America, we seek a degree of separation between church and state, but never think that we can separate God and state … as if we could tell God what to do anyway.

Other Responses to Fallible Human Authority

Now if you only took Romans 13 in isolation to the rest of Scripture, you might come to the conclusion that God calls for a blind obedience to secular authority. But the New Testament as a whole is clear that this is not so. The writers were very aware that governments and leaders are very much impacted by sin and that human authority could go radically awry, becoming evil and opposing the purposes of God. When this happens, we are not to obey. As Peter and the other apostles told the leaders in Jerusalem: ”We must obey God rather than men!” [Acts 5:29]

Our situation in America is also different from that of ancient Rome where most people had no voice in public policy making and at best limited voting rights for the Senate and none for the Emperor. Here we have the freedom to oppose what we consider to be unjust, unhealthy government policies. We also in a sense share in government authority as we have the opportunity to elect new representatives and government leaders.

So as well as obeying, paying, and praying, we as citizens and Christ-followers can respond with …

§ political engagement: we can and should seek to influence others regarding issues whether by attending “town-hall” meetings or these days by way of Internet blogs. My perspective on that, however is: 1) don’t assume that there is only one “Christian” position on an issue; 2) don’t think that legislation passed in Madison or Washington is going to solve everything by changing human hearts – only God and the Gospel can do that.

§ lawful protest: if you are against legalized abortion, or the war in Iraq, or the ordinance prohibiting warming up your car – there is nothing wrong with legal protest to bring public attention to an issue. Only beware of demonizing others in the process and carefully consider first whether this is the wisest, most strategic way of bringing influence and change.

§ civil disobedience: we must obey God rather than human authority if that authority asks us to do something immoral or ungodly. First century Roman Christians had to disobey any imperial command to bow down to Caesar and worship him as Savior. In 1957, South African authorities announced the “Native Laws Amendment Bill” which as part of the policy of apartheid would have not allowed association of races in churches or schools. The Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, a gentle scholar named Geoffrey Clayton, gathered with his bishops and they agreed that they had to disobey. Right now in America, I don’t know of any law which would force Christians into civil disobedience … but in the end our ultimate authority is God and not government.

§ rebellion?: I put a question mark after this because I suspect Christians will disagree as to when and if civil rebellion is ever God-pleasing. Most of the time, it isn’t. But my take is that when human authority has become so evil that it does not fulfill its God-given purposes, then Christians can work for the overthrow of that government. But this is only a measure of last resort, of desperation. For example, I believe Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was right in working to remove Hitler from office, even if that required assassination. But that was only after Bonhoeffer was willing to risk arrest in first speaking out and working for change.

Our normal response to normal government is that we are to submit by obeying, paying, and praying. It is part of following Christ in which we have first by his power submitted to him.

Sermon -- Romans 1
It’s All About Good News
Romans 1:1-17

The Sweetness of the Word
One of the real good things about this summer was rather than having to listen to myself talk, I got a chance to listen to a number of excellent speakers. One, a pastor named Rob Bell, described how highly ancient Jewish society valued the education of their children – especially their spiritual education. Beginning at about age 6, children would start school and by age 10 they would have memorized the Torah – the first five books of the Old Testament. Our children memorize the dialogue from the movie, Napoleon Dynamite – they memorized God’s Word. You come to your own conclusions.

The first day of class, the rabbi would ask the children to take out their slates and he would then pour honey on them. Some of you out there have honey bottles. What I would like you to do unless you’re allergic to honey, is to place a drop on your finger and taste its sweetness. Then pass the bottle to the next person – if you’re a former waitress from the South you can say, “Here’s the honey, honey.” Please take some care because if you spill it I’m in big trouble with Cheryl Walker our facility person.

Now for us, honey in bear bottles doesn’t seem too exciting. But for the ancients honey was an item of luxury and a symbol of God’s overwhelming goodness and generosity. Thus for the Israelite spies to have called the Promised Land a “land of milk and honey” was to say that it was not just a place to meet basic needs but that there God would pour out his abundance. Having covered their slates with honey, the rabbi would then tell the students that God’s greatest gift was that he would share his Word with us … that he would reveal his mind and heart to such as us. As the psalm writer says, “The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.” [Psalm 19:9-10] Then the rabbi would ask the children to lick the honey off their slates so that they might be reminded that it is sheer luxury and privilege to be able to spend time with God. Is that the way you see it? Do you have a “sweet tooth” when it comes to God’s Word?

Today we are beginning a lengthy series of messages from Paul’s letter to the Romans – what I believe to be an outpouring of honey from God. Martin Luther once said, “This epistle is really the chief part of the New Testament, and is truly the purest gospel. It is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but also that he should occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread for the soul.” So we are going immerse ourselves in this letter over the next months. And it’s my hope along the way, that you will hear God speak to you through its pages, that you will wrestle with those things that you’re not sure you agree with, that you will memorize and pray over key verses, and even beyond all that … if you don’t already, that you will develop a real taste for … a hunger for the sweetness of God’s Word.

The Sweetness of the Gospel

[1:1-2] Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God-- the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures From the very first verse, we can see that the letter to the Romans is all about the Gospel – about good news. That’s what makes the Bible sweet – God’s got good news for us … that despite the mess human beings make of things that he is still here and that his love in Jesus will not let us go.

It was this good news to which Paul was devoting his life … it was his passion and privilege to communicate its message. And this work also brought him problems … like being misunderstood. There were those who criticized him for rejecting his Jewish heritage, for speaking against the Old Testament law, and for thus promoting a lawless, immoral lifestyle. It seems likely that this criticism had reached the Christians in Rome – the vast majority of whom were either Jews or Gentiles who had been attending synagogue –- and archaeologists are finding inscriptions indicating that synagogues in the Roman Empire often had many Gentile attenders. Yes, Paul’s readers in Rome had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah … but they were still leading traditional Jewish lives and therefore would have had reason to distrust Paul’s views.

So Paul begins this letter by connecting the new with the old. This Gospel he has been preaching was not his own recent concoction – God had been promising it, hinting at it, for centuries through the Old Testament prophets. Paul basically begins here then by saying “I’m not way out in left field, this stuff is here in God’s Word” … and he will go on to make the case that his message is faithful to the Scriptures and to the teachings and life of Jesus. The letter takes the nature of what the ancient Greeks called a diatribe … that word has negative connotations for us. But it can be likened to a legal brief. Paul wants to convince these Christians living in the most powerful city of the known world, who as Paul likely thought and history has proven would have more influence on the Christian movement than any other church – he wants to convince these Romans that the death and resurrection has changed everything – a new era for a new Israel – one including both Jews and Gentiles. He wanted them to say, “How sweet it is” to be free in Christ.

Now that being said and no offense to any attorneys here today, you might think, “Legal brief, boring.” And it’s true that sometimes Romans gets a little heavy – like eating a bowl of oatmeal. But hang in there and ask the Holy Spirit to direct you to those passages that you need … and you will discover that a little honey or brown sugar to sweeten your soul.

Sweetness from God as an expression of his righteousness

Verse 1 states that this Gospel is “of God.” His idea, his work, his presence in Jesus … revealing what verse 17 calls God’s righteousness. “Righteousness” is a heavy word but it is sweet. It includes the realities of …

§ God’s faithful character to do right – his character is righteous – his ultimate aims are always good. [and in Romans 8 we look at this truth in light of disasters like Katrina.]

§ God’s work to make things right – while still giving human beings the freedom to choose evil, God comes in Jesus to create a revolution of goodness. So that …

§ Our becoming right with God --- an essential change in status as through Jesus’ liberating sacrifice we go from being slaves of sin to the forgiveness and freedom that is ours in Christ.

Let me use what I know is controversial political issue – that of illegal immigration – to illustrate. You’re living in poverty in Mexico and a family member tells you that he can get you a job in the United States. You cross illegally into this country and sure enough, there is work here … hard, manual labor – the kind that native-borns don’t like to do … but you’ll do. So you work hard, you’re contributing to society, and able to send some money back home … but you’re a still an “illegal,” under the condemnation of the law. You still don’t belong. But then you hear of the possibility of a change in status … the possibility of legislation that would, in effect, be a gift of grace to you. This would involve amnesty, allowing you to remain in America, free from the threat of deportation, with the opportunity for full citizenship. On the one hand, such a change in status would change little of your daily life – you’ll still have the same difficult job … and yet it changes everything … you would belong and have a future here.

That’s in effect what God’s righteousness does for us. We were created to live in relationship with God. But we thought we knew better and our rebellion alienated us from our Creator. It was a “not right” situation that God sought to “make right” through Jesus. As we put our trust in Christ, we receive a change of status from aliens to becoming full members of Christ’ family. So what? – you say. Well, on the one hand, that change of status seems to change little about your daily lives because we still have our same jobs, same relationships, same bills to pay, etc. Yet on the other hand, to become a member of Christ’s family is to change everything. We belong with God now and for eternity. We have a purpose – to follow and honor Christ. We have a source of power that can change our lives. How sweet is the righteousness of God.

Sweetness in the person and gift of Jesus

[3-4] regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Gospel is sweet because it is all about Jesus. It is about his willingness to enter into our world, to become a particular Jewish man [as Paul puts it – a descendant of David], to go to the cross for us, and yet to show is his divine power as he rose from the dead. Whatever else we will discuss during these weeks of messages, we dare never lose sight of the one who is the flavor of the book of Romans and the flavor of the Christian faith – Jesus is the honey, the sweetness, the energy that infuses all the heavy theology of Romans and our lives as his followers.

All of which then raises the question as to why in America, the term “Christian” is not necessarily a positive one – why Christ-followers are viewed as being narrow-minded, judgmental, angry, and hurtful people – not good or sweet or energy-giving? That reality was raised for me for the first time in a book by Brian McClaren in which one of his child’s friends wasn’t concerned whether Christianity was true but was trying to figure out if it was good. Now there are many factors influencing our society’s view of Christians not the least of which is that it is not cool to hold strong convictions regarding spiritual matters – like believing that Jesus is the way. Still, I wonder if there aren’t even bigger factors like Christians spending so little time with Jesus by way his Word and prayer that our lives don’t take on his sweetness. Or the fact that we seem to be so much more ready to talk about church or some moral issue than to tell others about Jesus’ life and ministry, his death and resurrection. Are we somehow ashamed to say that our hero lived 2000 years ago and yet that we believe he is still alive? Crucifixion was the ultimate in humiliating deaths but Paul said that he was not ashamed to tell others about a crucified and risen Savior.

Sweetness in grace

For in Jesus, Paul knew that could taste the sweetness of God’s grace. [5-7] Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace – God’s is God’s undeserved, unmerited favor. It is his limitless love for rebellious sinners. It is God’s riches at Christ’s expense. There is nothing more sweet than to look back at the darkest, most shameful events or seasons of our lives and know that God loves us anyway and that there is forgiveness anyway.

Not surprisingly then, the notion of grace is central to Paul’s teaching. We see it in the salutation to so many of Paul’s letters. The usual start for a letter was the Greek word charein [translated as “greetings” or “hi”] But Paul cleverly uses the word charis [“grace”] turning a greeting into a blessing. More than anything he wanted the sweetness of God’s grace to be poured down upon his readers.

Sweetness in delivered and changed lives

And Paul knew that it had been – that even though Paul himself had never been to Rome, that the Gospel had changed people’s lives there. He’d heard about it. Paul writes, “[8] First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.” Now Paul wanted to come to share in the sweetness of people who had been delivered from sin and had their lives changed by Jesus. And he is very careful here to say that he is coming not merely to give, but to also receive. [11-12] I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong--that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.

Ongoing mutual encouragement was crucial then and now – for then and now there are other forms of “good news” that would woo us to place our trust in them. For people of Rome, there was the “good news” of the Roman Empire [and the same word “Gospel” was used by the emperors] – its wealth and power, the relative peace it provided [pax Romana], and its engineering marvels. As victims of Katrina could attest to, don’t underestimate such things as running water as provided by systems of aqueducts, the public baths, and sewage systems. Many areas of the Empire were glad to be under Roman control because life got a whole lot better. And don’t underestimate simply the glory of sharing in the greatest civilization to that point in world history. Who needed the good news of Jesus when you had the good news of Rome?

So for us as Americans, while events like Katrina and the Iraqi insurgency in some ways humble us, still we live in arguably the most powerful nation in world history. Europe has enjoyed 60 years now of the pax Americana – relative peace after two horrible wars -- enforced largely by American might; and whatever critique we can make of American foreign policy, we have brought much good to many nations. Further while the economy has inevitable up and downs, the last 60 years have created enormous wealth and comfort for so many. Who needs of good news of Jesus when you have the good news of Washington and Wall Street?

Sweetness received by faith

Which then points to the crucial question for those ancient Roman Christians and for America Christians today. In who or what are you really putting your trust? To who or what are you really devoting your life? For the Apostle Paul that question was settled:

[16-17] I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

Douglas Moo gives us his view on faith: “To “believe” is to put full trust in the God who “justifies the ungodly” (4:5) by means of the cross and resurrection of Christ. Though intellectual assent cannot be excluded from faith, the Pauline emphasis is on surrender to God as an act of the will (see 4:18; 10:9). Pauline (and NT) faith is not (primarily) agreement with a set of doctrines but trust in a person.” Now I suspect some Lutherans would be uncomfortable with that phrase, “surrender to God as an act of the will,” as if faith is about our making a decision for God on our own. It’s not. The Holy Spirit empowers us to make any faith decisions. Faith is a gift of God … but I do believe that the word “surrender” describes it. We surrender our ideas of saving ourselves or being saved by any human government or economic system. We surrender our pride and our self-sufficiency and with open hands, receive in the good news of Jesus the sweetness of God’s love. We surrender our self-will and grow into the sweetness of a life directed by the plans of purpose of Christ. And to exercise faith is to daily surrender all over again. Let’s pray …