Contemplative Prayer

Sermon manuscript for Green Lake Church

For Sabbath, February 1, 2014

Scripture Readings for the service:  

1 Kings 19:9b – 13.

Revelation 1:4-6.

Visual:  On the stage I will have my prayer stool and the large black plastic flower pot I use as a table. On the “table” are my thermos and cup and a bowl with two cookies. 

Sermon

Thursday morning at six o'clock the sky was thick with fog. I sat on my stool out behind our house, poured myself a cup of mint tea, then settled back to spend some special time with God.

Except for the weather, it's pretty much the same every morning. I sit with God for awhile, savoring his presence and favor. I am not begging. I am not asking for anything. I simply sit and direct my mind toward God.

To help focus my mind I recite a couple of words that featured prominently in our scripture reading,

“Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and ruler of the kings of the earth. Revelation 1:4.

Grace and peace. Grace to you and peace. From God.

Some years ago as I was reading through the book of Revelation, these words at the beginning of the book triggered my memory. Where else had I read those words? I checked and discovered that the Apostle Paul uses these words as a prayer of blessing at the beginning of every one of his epistles. The prayer also appears at the beginning of both epistles of Peter and in the second epistle of John.

It is a quintessential Christian prayer. An expression of confidence and desire.

The central conviction of the Christian Church is that when God looks our direction, he regards us with favor and affection. He is working for our well-being. The deepest desire of the Christian Church is that every person would taste the sweetness of this truth. The conviction that God is kindly and competent forms the foundation of Christian teaching about prayer. We pray because God cares about our situation, and he is eager to act on our behalf.

One way to understand prayer is to imagine it as the natural asking of kids in a healthy family. This is the picture Jesus used when he gave his disciples a model prayer.

Our Father which art in heaven.

Daddy, I'm thirsty. I'm hungry. I'm tired. In a healthy, happy domestic setting, this kind of requesting is the most natural thing imaginable. Kids ask. Dads respond. Of course. Dad, can I borrow the car? Dad can you help me out with tuition this next quarter?

This natural asking by kids extends to aunts and uncles and teachers. When I was a kid, if I was at my cousin's house and I needed something, it would have never occurred to me to be reticent about asking. I knew instinctively that my aunts cared for me. I did not spend time pondering what my aunts thought of me. I simply knew that when I was with them I was in good hands. I would be taken care of. And if I needed something, I asked.

This is the picture Jesus painted for us in his teaching about prayer here in Matthew.

The entire prayer as Jesus gave it:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13 KJV).

It's a list of simple, straightforward requests. Elsewhere in the chapter, Jesus adds details to the picture of “Father” he uses to begin the prayer. “Our Father.” What kind of father is this? It's a good father. A competent father. A responsive father.

According to Jesus:

There is no need to make a show of your prayers because your Father is always paying attention. He observes your most secret prayers and will respond.

Your heavenly Father knows what you need before you ask and he will respond compassionately to your need.

It doesn't make sense to fret about clothes or food. Why? Well, just look at how your Father in heaven provides for the birds and flowers. If he takes good care of the birds and flowers, certainly he will take care of you, because you matter MORE to him than they do.

In all of these passages, Jesus invites his listeners to imagine themselves as beloved children. When you're a kid, if you have a good father, you have confidence in the ability and willingness of your father to provide. So pray with confidence. God is a good father.

But what if your father was not perfect? What if your father or mother or aunt or uncle was abusive? How then are we to imagine God? Or what if your parents are/were good people but you never felt you quite measured up, you never knew quite where you stood?

What then? What image can talk to your heart about the grace of God? How are you to imagine God's favor, God's affection, God's happiness in responding to you?

In the next chapter of Matthew (chapter 7), Jesus comes back to the topic of prayer and switches metaphors. All through chapter 6, Jesus has his listeners imagining themselves as children. Jesus invites them as dearly loved children to have confidence in God, their heavenly Father.

Here in chapter 7, Jesus has his listeners look at themselves as parents.

Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you. Everyone who asks receives. The person who seeks finds. And to him who knocks the door will be opened. Consider: who in this whole crowd, if his son asked his for bread would give him a stone? If that is how it is with you sinful people, if even you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him (Matthew 7:11 NLT).

No matter how complicated your relationship with your parents is, when it comes to what you feel for your own kids, it becomes powerfully simple: You would do anything for them. You love them. When they are sick. When they make horrible mistakes. When they ignore you. When they disappoint you. Still, there are yours. And, in a way they can never fully know, you are theirs. They own a piece of your heart they cannot give back even if they tried to.

Jesus invited his listeners to contemplate their own instincts and commitments as parents. “Look into your own hearts as parents. What do you expect of yourself? Now, let me ask you a question, 'Do you really think you are more generous than God? Are you more merciful, more gracious than God?”

Asking this question invites into the practice of contemplative prayer.

Contemplative prayer is prayer that deliberately nourishes our awareness of the generosity and goodness of God.

When I sit on my stool in the morning and recite the prayer, “grace and peace,” I am basking in the sunshine of God's presence and favor. (In preparing this sermon I read these words in a comment by Debbonnaire Kovaks.) I am savoring God's goodness. I am not asking for God's grace in the sense of a thirsty person asking for a drink. I am not asking for grace in the sense that a person in pain asks for medicine. I recite these words as an affirmation of the favor I have already received.

I live in God's grace. I live in God's peace. In the morning when I sit on my stool in God's presence, I am enjoying God's smile. God is pleased with me.

I don't imagine that I have accomplished something and “earned” God's favor. I don't tell myself, “God is lucky to have a kid like me.” Rather, I simply enjoy the fact: God is pleased with me.

After I've spent ten to twenty minutes God's grace and peace, I then begin to think of others. And I welcome God's grace and peace into their lives as well. In this part of prayer, there is more asking, longing, hunger.

I pray for my family, bringing each one to mind, and asking God to touch their lives with his grace and peace.

I think of specific individuals in this congregation. Whoever God brings to my mind.

I pray for clergy who have prominent positions in the denomination.

I pray for media figures, especially the angry ones, inviting God's grace and peace into their lives.

I pray for politicians, wrapping them in the beautiful light of heaven's peace.

My prayers are not usually very specific. Most of the time I don't ask God to do exactly that or this. Rather, most of the time, I simply invite God's grace and peace into their lives.

After doing this for years, I think differently about people. I don't get angry as readily. Of course, I am aware that people misbehave. People make mistakes. People do bad things and harm others. But when these people come to mind in prayer, I find myself sitting with God grieving over the brokenness of his children – my brothers and sisters. Both the wounded ones and those who are doing the wounding are precious to him. And to me.

When I consider people who live with severe limitations, I try to enter the Mother-heart of God, and know God's special affection for the vulnerable and disabled.

And when I consider people with great minds, and ambition and drive, I dream with God of what they could do make the world a more beautiful place. I ask God to befriend them and make them instruments of his peace.

In the youth class, Andreas and Troy and Brian are leading a study of the kingdom of God as described in the Gospel of Mark. What would the world look like if God had his way without interference? What if grace and peace moved beyond the words of our prayer and became a description of our world? How fantastic would that be? What can we do to cooperate with God in pursuit of that vision? How can we serve as agents of grace and peace?

As we move through this year, I invite you to consider again the practice of prayer. Not all of us can sit on stools in the backyard. The demands of children and the care of parents can make quiet time nearly impossible to find. Paying the rent and earning money for groceries can take more than all of our time. Even the needs of our bodies and or the limitations of our minds may interfere with the regular practice of prayer.

Still I invite you to consider prayer, especially prayer rooted in the contemplation of the grace of God. My dream for us as a congregation is that we will be ever fuller of God's grace. And that God's grace would overflow and touch those around us with peace.

All Creatures of Our God and King

Sermon manuscript for Green Lake Church

Sabbath, January 4, 2014

We will share the Lord's Supper following the sermon.

Bible Readings for the day:

Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights!

Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts!

Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light!

Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created.

He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away.

Praise the LORD from the earth, You great sea creatures and all the depths;

Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;

Mountains and all hills; Fruitful trees and all cedars;

Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying fowl;

Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth;

Both young men and maidens; Old men and children.

Let them praise the name of the LORD, For His name alone is exalted; His glory [is] above the earth and heaven. . . .

Praise the LORD!

Psalm 148. NKJV

What is the price of two sparrows--one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31. NLT

Morning Hymn

All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!
Refrain
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice!
Refrain
Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for thy Lord to hear,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
That givest man both warmth and light.
Refrain
Dear mother earth, who day by day
Unfoldest blessings on our way,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
The flowers and fruits that in thee grow,
Let them His glory also show.
Refrain
And all ye men of tender heart,
Forgiving others, take your part,
O sing ye! Alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
Praise God and on Him cast your care!
And thou most kind and gentle Death,
Waiting to hush our latest breath,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou leadest home the child of God,
And Christ our Lord the way hath trod.
Refrain
Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!
Refrain

Sermon

All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Last Sunday Karin and I and kids and kids-in-law went to Paradise (not the afterlife, but the site on the south side of Mt. Rainier). It was a glorious day—blue sky, sunshine, no wind. Our six-month-old granddaughter was along. We snow shoed up to a high point with grand views to the south and west and shared lunch and hot chocolate together.

It was perfect.

Sometimes during pauses in our conversation we could hear sounds floating upward from the parking area and sledding hill. Laughter, squeals, the voices of kids and parents melding together across the distance. I walked away from our lunch site for a few minutes so I could fully enjoy the hymn—human creatures creating a bubbling, cheery sound track for the beauty of the place.

When we're surrounded by glorious scenery, it's easy to get caught up in the elation. It's not too hard to imagine all creation singing.

 The hymn writer, Francis of Assisi, captures this natural joy. He imagines himself singing, and his community singing, and the whole world singing. I can almost see him glancing around, looking for more voices to add to the choir. You and you, and you, too, lift up your voice and sing. We are having too much fun to keep it to ourselves. Sing alleluia with us!

At the heart of our faith is the conviction that the universe is suffused with joy. We come together in worship to taste together this truth. It lies at the heart of our singing.

The words of Francis' hymn echo the language of the Psalms. They find their ultimate expression in the visions of Revelation 4 and 5. There John pictures Paradise as a place of endless ecstasy. Joy enraptures every creature. The entire creation participates in a thunderous hallelujah chorus.

Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty--the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come."

I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered--to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing."

And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:

“Blessing and honor and glory and power
belong to the one sitting on the throne
and to the Lamb forever and ever.” Revelation 4:8; 5:11-13.

When we sing together we are rehearsing for Paradise. We are tasting already the essence of God's vision for the future and his preference for now—endless joy.

All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Come sing with us. Taste the joy that is found in singing Alleluia.

Today we will share together the Lord's Supper. We will eat little bits of bread and taste tiny cups of grape juice. As we eat and drink together, we remember Jesus. And we are glad.

We are glad that Jesus valued serving his friends more than life itself. We are the descendants of those friends and carry the same value for Jesus the first disciples did. Our life and hope and confidence is rooted in the story of Jesus who deliberately chose death that others could live—that we could live.
One of the inescapable implications of Jesus' death is that Jesus regarded his followers—and that includes us—as valuable as himself. We can take this a step further as Christians. God regards you as valuable as Jesus. Or to put it the other way around: Jesus is not more valuable than you. Not to God, anyway.

That's worth singing about. You are precious. Remember that when you place the ceremonial piece of bread in your mouth. Remember that when you sip from the ceremonial cup. If God allowed Jesus to die for you, then the necessary implication is that God regards that as a fair trade—Jesus for you. You are worth as much as Jesus—in the eyes of God.

The Lords' Supper invites us into another mystery—God with us.

Just as the bread and grape juice enter us, become us, and are translated into our actions, so Jesus, the Divine Son of God is in us. His life becomes our life. His life is translated into our actions.

Finally, sharing together this ceremonial meal reminds us of the preciousness of communion with the Risen Jesus. As Jesus enjoyed sharing table fellowship with his disciples, so God enjoys communion with humans today.This is the ultimate secret of our faith.

It is certainly true that Jesus calls us to a radical ethical vision. He calls us to cooperate with God in tending the world, in mending the world. We need to feed the hungry, share our extra shirts, heal the sick, bring relief and new hope to the oppressed. These are glorious duties, exalted responsibilities, difficult callings. They deserve our energy and wisdom. Yes!

Jesus also modeled and taught communion with God.

Jesus knew he was not carrying the weight of his ministry alone. He was working with God. When Jesus spent hours in prayer, he came away from his praying with a renewed sense of partnership with God. When Jesus spoke, he did so with a keen sense that he was speaking out of an intimate, personal connection with God. Jesus ethical challenges, his healing ministry, bold response to the "powers" of his day were suffused with the sense that we acting in concert with God.

This kind of intimate, personal connection is the deepest secret at the heart of our faith. Not all of us have experienced it. But some among us have. Some of the saints of Green Lake Church have heard the voice of God. Their lives have changed direction because of what they have heard. They live with a vital, lively awareness that they, like Jesus of long ago, are partners with God. They are companions with God. Their prayers are not words flung at the ceiling. Rather praying is communing with the divine.


When we share the Lord's Supper together, we come because we are family, not because of the quality of our individual communication with God, not because of the quality of our faith or the quality of our character. We come because the Master of the family has invited us all to be present.

When my six-month-old granddaughter settled in for lunch high on the side of Mt. Rainier last Sunday, obviously she was there by virtue of her membership in the family. She certainly did not climb there! But she was no less welcome because of her inability to walk.

When we share the Lord's Supper here today we owe a special debt of gratitude to those whose spiritual life is rich and sweet and confident. They are our seniors, our guides, our spark plugs. Jesus is pleased with the special gifts you bring to the table and pour into the life of God's family. And to you who struggle because God seems distant or unreal, we owe you a special debt, because your presence here helps to connect this holy family to the real world of humanity.

Wherever you are on the spectrum of spiritual experience, thank you for joining us this morning to sing alleluia. And welcome to the table of our Lord, to the feast that celebrates the value of people and the love of God.

The Next Episode

The Next Episode.

Sermon manuscript (preliminary) for Green Lake Church of Seventh-day Adventists

For Sabbath, December 28, 2013.

Being intentional about the direction of our lives, and especially our characters.

Texts:

OT: Micah 4:1-4

In the last days, the mountain of the LORD's house will be the highest of all--the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.

People from many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of Jacob's God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths."

For the LORD's teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. The LORD will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore. Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear. The LORD of Heaven's Armies has made this promise!

NT: Luke 3:3; 10-16

Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. . . .

The crowds asked, "What should we do?"

John replied, "If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry."

Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, "Teacher, what should we do?"

He replied, "Collect no more taxes than the government requires."

"What should we do?" asked some soldiers.

John replied, "Don't extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay."

Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. John answered their questions by saying, "I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am--so much greater that I'm not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Summary:

The Baby is born. Now what? What plans are we making to participate in the vision of God the Child incarnated? How can we honor the great gifts we have received?

Now what?

We've done Christmas. It's is over.

Now what?

In the Gospels, the Christmas story is the opening episode of a series. When you read through either Matthew or Luke, when you come to the end of the Christmas story, you feel yourself being immediately pulled into the next episode. What's going to happen next.

Angels sang to shepherds on a dark night. Wise Men traveled 900 miles following a mysterious star. An ancient priest in the temple pronounced a grand prophecy over the baby. And at every stage, we are eager to turn the page. We want to know, now what?

In the Gospel of Luke when the author moves past the childhood stories, he begins by reporting on the preaching ministry of Jesus' cousin, John. John was a riveting, commanding speaker. He stirred the entire Jewish nation. He drew crowds of thousands. As they got caught up in his visions of a new age, the messianic age, they asked, “Now what?”

John replied, "If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry."

Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, "Teacher, what should we do?"

He replied, "Collect no more taxes than the government requires."

Soldiers asked, "What should we do?"

John replied, "Don't extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay."

Here is the sequel to the Christmas story. The story God began writing in Jesus Christ, he continues writing in the lives of ordinary people who commit themselves to an exalted ideal.

Notice John the Baptist's words:

If you have two shirts, pass one along. If you have plenty to eat, share.

The idea summarized in these words is so central to the meaning of Christianity Luke does not even report these as the words of Jesus. Christians—followers of Jesus Christ—immediately recognize them as part of “our convictions.” These words articulate the essence of our most fundamental ideals.

These words are especially potent here in our culture in the weeks following Christmas. Most of us have participated in an orgy of giving and receiving. We have more than two or three shirts. We have more than a single pair of shoes. Many of us have several months income saved as a rainy day fund. We upgrade our cell phones every two years, voluntarily extending our bondage to Verizon. We are rich. The very first answer to the question, Now what? For those of us who are so rich is to practice generosity.

We have received. What are our plans for giving?

Christmas is over. What next? How can we pass on the gift?

The very first place to go when we ask what does it mean to be a Christian is to check our generosity. We are to use our prosperity as a measure for evaluating the condition of those around us. Do we have more? Then what can be done so they can join us in our blessing?

In this vision there is no place for gated communities. No place for tinted windows. No place for the notion that I earned mine. Let them earn theirs.

The next couple of questions and answers explore the very foundations of a healthy civil society.

The tax collectors asked, “What should do?” The soldiers asked, “What should we do?”

We should not confuse “tax collectors” with the IRS. A far better comparison would be to compare the “tax collectors” in this passage to organizations who have the power to use the system of government to increase their profit. When those who have the power to influence Congress use that power to enrich themselves, they are acting the part of the corrupt tax collectors of that ancient era.

Can you imagine the impact it would have on our society if we were to severely limit the power of corporations and other special interests to shape tax policy?

What impact would it have on economies in other parts of the globe if the elite quit using their access to government to enrich themselves?

John's response to the tax collectors acknowledged the legitimacy and value of a a taxation system. He does not tell them to quit collecting taxes. He simply challenges them to act within limits. And especially to limit their own self-interest.

John's answer to the soldiers is along the same line. Do extort. Don't use you power to enrich yourself. Don't use dishonesty. Can you imagine the sweetness of a world where these values, these principles become normative?

Finally, imagine John's final challenge: Be content with your pay. What CEO in the United States would allow his pay to be set by other people over whom he had no power? What if CEOs pay were based on their effectiveness in increasing the spread of company wealth among its employees? What if machinists' pay was based on the value they added to the company?

Christmas is over. We have celebrated God's engagement with humanity. We have celebrated a story that shows us a baby sleeping in a feed box in a barn and announces this baby, this peasant child is the very person of God. Christmas brings God to earth. It links religion and spirituality with the well-being of children and disadvantaged people.

The Christmas story begs us to ask, “Now what?” What are we going to write in our part of the story? Are we going to carry forward the vision of people as the bearers of the presence and dignity of God?

This vision of the triumph of justice and generosity, of equity and morality runs all through the Bible. And it is important to note that it is not merely a vision of individual morality—as important as that is!

2500 years ago the Prophet Micah wrote,

In the last days, the mountain of the LORD's house will be the highest of all--the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.

People from many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of Jacob's God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths."

For the LORD's teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. The LORD will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore. Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear. The LORD of Heaven's Armies has made this promise! Micah 4:1-4

Obviously, we are not there yet. Still this is God's dream for his world. The birth of Jesus was envisioned by the prophets as a giant leap forward toward precisely this goal. When we line up our lives with the ideals and values of Jesus, we are cooperating with God in his mission to accomplish peace and harmony, prosperity and freedom.

Let's not scold ourselves overmuch for not having already fixed everything. God has been working on it for at least 2500 hundred years, so it's no surprise that we haven't gotten everything put just so. But neither let us become complacent. Let's not accept things as they are, shrugging our shoulders, saying what can be done?

Christmas is over. What now? A year devoted to sharing. To the cultivation of appreciation for what we have, honesty, the use of our power for the good of all. In doing so we will find the deepest communion with God. We will taste Christmas joy all year.

Finding Jesus, Finding God

Finding Jesus, Finding God

Preliminary manuscript for the sermon at Green Lake Church of Seventh-day Adventists

For Sabbath, December 21, 2013

Isaiah 58:6-11

Matthew 2:1-11

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him." Matthew 2:1-2

This fall when I headed out in the mornings before dawn, I saw something strange. The constellation Gemini had an extra star. I have spent decades star gazing, matching points of light in the sky with diagrams in star charts. By now the major constellations are like old friends in the sky. Sometimes all I need to see are a couple of stars and I instinctively know the rest of the pattern. So when I looked east and saw an “extra” star in the constellation of Gemini, I knew something was up. I figured it was a planet which had “wandered” into this part of the sky for awhile.

When I checked the star chart on my tablet sure enough, the “new star” was Jupiter.

I imagine it was something like this for the Wise Men. They had spent a life time watching the sky. And in their world there was no light pollution and few clouds. The whole would have been familiar territory. So when a new star appeared, they were immediately transfixed.

Was it “the Star?” The star of Balaam's prophecy?

There shall a star rise out of Jacob

And a scepter shall rise out of Israel.

Numbers 24:17

Tradition says there were three wise men. Rich old men, Persians living in the neighborhood of Babylon. Philosophers/theologians/astrologers/mathematicians. Men who had spent a life time studying ancient prophecies and talking with one another about what those prophecies meant. They had spent decades praying, meditating, worshiping. Their entire lives they had been on a quest, a quest for God. They had cultivated a restless dream of the triumph of righteousness. They dreamed of a world filled with peace and justice, happiness and health.

The Jewish religion had a well-developed vision of a Messiah. Other religions of that time and place also had dreams of a Great King who would set things right. It's likely these pagan philosopher/theologian/mathematician/astrologers happily combined ideas from all of the available religions in support of their vision of the triumph of goodness.

These men stubbornly believed that some day, somehow God would show up, goodness would triumph. The ancient prophecies they paid attention to were the words that fueled this bright dream.

Then they saw the star. There was no mistaking its newness. The sky in their world was black at night. The stars brilliant. They knew the patterns of stars. This was new. And given their life time of dreaming, praying, studying, speculating, contemplation, they immediately identified this star as a summons.

It's 900 miles more or less from Babylon to Jerusalem, no afternoon lark. It would be a major expedition. It would cost a fortune. But what is money for if not chasing dreams?

How long did it take to put together the expedition? How many people were in the caravan? How many camels? How many camel drivers? How many cooks? How many attendants?

The most likely route for the caravan was up the Euphrates River, then eventually south, down through Damascus, then to Tyre out on the coast, then south into Judea and Jerusalem.

In Jerusalem, they asked, “Where is the new king that has been born?”

The arrival of these personages from the East asking about a new king set the city buzzing. A new king? How could that be? But there must be something to it. These guys have traveled 900 miles to ask that question. You don't travel 900 miles for nothing. The Wise Men spoke of the Star which would have been meaningful in that culture. They talked of ancient prophecies—again, highly credible

King Herod was especially concerned. His claim to the throne was never completely secure.

He questioned the Wise Men about the star and their studies of prophecies. Then sent them off to continue their quest with instructions to report back to Herod when they found the child.

The star reappeared and led the Wise Men to a house in Bethlehem. There they found Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus. The Wise Men paid homage. They gave their gifts—gifts worthy of a king. Then satisfied, they headed for home. Happy. Satisfied.

In a sense Christmas is an annual reappearance of an extraordinary star, a planet that wanders across the familiar background of our lives, asking us to check our dreams, inviting us to return again to our quest for God. Christmas reinvigorates our best ambitions. Christmas insists God is here.

God has not forgotten us. God has not forgotten the children of the Central African Republic or the women of Saudi Arabia and India. God has not forgotten the people trying to pay their rent and feed their kids on the money they earn working at McDonalds and Walmart. God has not forgotten the old men wrestling with questions of faith. God has not forgotten the mothers caring for special needs kids or the people coping with their spouse's mental illness.

Imagine we had lived next door to Mary and Joseph and Jesus in Bethlehem. We were there when the Wise Men showed up. Wouldn't we have been surprised? We knew who lived next door. They were regular people. A cute kid. Yes. But a king? No way. God????????? Are you kidding?

Christmas says that child next door in Bethlehem was God.

Then Christmas challenges us to see again the people around us. The woman who shares your bank account and bedroom? Christmas invites us to see the divine in her. Can you do it?

The man you live with: Can you see the divine in him?

The children in your house or across the street? The kids you see on the bus or read about in the newspaper. Not the beautiful kids, not the bright ones, not the responsible ones, not the kids who keep their rooms clean and do their homework without prompting—the other kids: can you see the divine in them?

Christmas invites us to go on a quest to find God, to encounter God. Then Christmas adds this bit of wisdom: You will find him wrapped in a baby blanket, sleeping in a makeshift crib.

This week I received an email from an old friend. It detailed his life-long quest for God. It's a story I've heard before, a story marked with perplexity and pain. I think of him as one of the Wise Men, constantly probing for clearer understanding, refusing conventional ideas of God that violate his deep sense of who a Good God must be. Constantly scanning the skies for a brighter vision.

I cannot answer all my friend's questions. I cannot even answer all my own questions. But this journey of the Wise Men gives one clear point of light.

When we go questing for God, the first place to look is at the ordinary people next door, or the people working at McDonalds or Walmart, or the people washing dishes at the restaurant that serves you your next meal.

God sometimes grants people a vision that transcends this world. They see a star and know that it is a direct message from heaven. But for most of us, finding God will mean learning to see people with the eyes of God.

Christmas can help us do that.

In our worship these last weeks we have ceremonially lighted the Advent Candles. They call us to renew our dreams of peace and the triumph of God's love. They invite us to light our world, joining our efforts to the intentions of God. They invite us to fill our eyes with the light of heaven so that our lives will be radiant.

Good Words

Preliminary manuscript for sermon at Green Lake Church for Sabbath, December 7, 2013. Comments and criticism welcome.

Bible Readings

OT. Genesis 1:1-5

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day" and the darkness "night." And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day. Genesis 1:1-5 NLT

NT: John 1:1-5.

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:1-5. NLT

Sermon text:

A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you." Matthew 12:35-37

Words have magic power.

Nicely done.

Good job.

Perfect.

No worries.

That was helpful, thanks.

It's so good to see you.

My day is better when you're part of it.

You look nice, today.

Finally, one of the sweetest things I've heard in a long time. A young woman said about her fiance: 

“When I'm with him, I can be completely myself.”

Do you feel the power of these words? Writing them puts a smile on my face. Reading them probably puts a smile on your face. They make life sweeter, better. Dark days are a little brighter when we hear words like these.

I have favorite words from the Bible.

Fear not little flock. It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12

Grace and peace to you. (passim, The Epistles and Revelation)

Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more. John 8

The people sitting in darkness have seen a great light.

On those dwelling in shadowy regions, a light has dawned. Matthew 1

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5

Christmas time is a season of good words.

Handel's Messiah sets the best words of the Bible to music.

“There shall a Star rise out of Jacob . . .”

And I imagine the blaze of Venus on the eastern horizon on an icy cold, cloudless morning.

Unto us a child born

To us a son is given

And the government with be on his shoulders.

His name will be called Wonderful,

Counselor,

the Mighty God,

the Everlasting Father.

His government and its peace
will never end. Isaiah 9:6-7

I come back to these words over and over—when I read about the Central African Republic and the horrific chaos and violence that seems to eternally haunt the place. I come back to these words to fuel my hope when I read about another poor man who has spent years or even decades on death row for a crime he did not do. When I am confronted again with apparently insoluble conflict in a marriage.

He shall lead his flock, like a shepherd.

Hearing these words or rehearsing them in my mind, I pray, “Hurry up and do it.” And sometimes I pray, “Teach he how I can partner with you in serving your flock.”

Then there are the grand, triumphant words of the hallelujah chorus.

Hallelujah!

For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.

Hallelujah!

The kingdom of this world

Is become the kingdom of our Lord,

And of His Christ,

And He shall reign for ever and ever,

King of kings, and Lord of lords,

And He shall reign forever and ever,

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Goodness will triumph. Evil will be displaced. Justice will reign from pole to pole and sea to sea. Hallelujah!

When we allow these words to permeate our minds, darkness will have less influence. Our confidence in God will deepen. Our commitments to goodness and righteousness are invigorated. We become allies with God in working toward the triumph of goodness.

This is the beautiful power of words. However, as with anything power, words can be misused. They can cut and twist. You know the old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!” Kids say it as a defense against the jagged, ugly words hurled by others. While it is true that most of the time it is preferable to be hit with words than with rocks or ax handles, the saying is, of course, false. Words can hurt.

God calls us away from ugly words, harsh words, biting words. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to a radical, counter-cultural language. Talk radio specializes in ugly words. People on the left and right entertain us by feeding our sense of outrage. These personalities earn their keep by being more sarcastic, more biting, more angry. Listening to these kinds of words frequently will warp our own souls. They will lead us to be angry about what we cannot fix and complacent about the things that we can fix. I have never yet heard anyone describe some positive action they have taken as a result of listening to talk radio or Bill O'Reilly or Jon Stewart. Good words bear good fruit. They nourish life and hope. They spur us to effective, hopeful action.

We can apply the same rule to the preaching we listen to. If a preacher specializes in condemning sin, the most likely effect of listening to that preacher is increased outrage against the sins of others! So, ask yourself what is the effect of the words I am hearing—whether here at Green Lake Church or on TV or over the internet.

Deliberately seek out good words. Deliberately avoid ugly words, jagged words, cutting words.

Now let me really go to meddling. Tell me about the words in your house. Are your children eager to hear your voice? Are they drawn to you by your good words or are you withering their souls with sharp words, disapproving words?

Kids, especially teenagers, if your parents recorded your words would you be okay with them sharing the recording with us hear at church?

Employers, what kind of words do you use with your employees? When you have to correct them are your words more cutting than necessary?

Within a Christian context the force of these questions is highlighted by the words of Jesus:

A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you." Matthew 12:35-37

Words matter.

In this season of happy words, hopeful words, confident words about the purpose and power of God, let's cultivate the habit of saying good words, beautiful words, words that heal and inspire. As we do this, we will be partnering with God and we will increase our own capacity to fully trust God's good words to us.

Family of God

Manuscript for sermon at Green Lake Church of Seventh-day Adventist Church

Sabbath, November 30, 2013

Luke 13 and 19

The story begins with a heart-breaking portrait of affliction. A woman has a horrible deformity of the spine. A kids' version of the story goes like this:

There once was a woman who had very much trouble.

So much trouble, in fact, she was bent over double.

All day long as she went about town

all she could see was down on the ground.

She recognized people not by their faces

but by the color and shape of their laces.

She could not see the sky or birds flying by.

She could not pick the figs in the tree by her house

Or fetch down the pot from the shelf up top.

One Sabbath this woman who had very much trouble and was bent over double, went to the synagoge as usual. And who should show up that day, but Jesus. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then Jesus touched her and she was immediately healed. Her back straightened. Now she would be able to look up at the sky. She could go home and pick her figs. She would be able to see the top of her teenage son's head.

Naturally, she was ecstatic and praised God.

The synagogue ruler, however, was quite annoyed. “Look,” he said, “there are six days for this kind of stuff. Come on those days and be healed. But today—why, this is the Sabbath! It is a day for worship, not for healing.

Jesus pushed back.

“You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water?

The answer was a foregone conclusion. Judaism had a well-developed ethic of the priority of life over ritual, even the life of an animal was worth more than a sacred ritual. So, yes, the most religious Jew, the most devout rabbi would not hesitate to untie his donkey and lead it out to water.

So, Jesus says, if you have that much regard for a donkey or an ox what about this woman?

This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years! Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?” Luke 13:15-16

“Daughter of Abraham.” This woman was not just any human being, some riffraff drifted in from the street. She was Jewish nobility. She was an insider, a family member with a pedigree that went back to the greatest of great names. Daughter of Abraham.

When the synagogue ruler looked at the woman, he saw a deformed, misshapen, grotesque figure. He saw how different she was from the ideal of womanhood. In his eyes the magnitude of that difference was a measure of her unworthiness. To this professional, the extent of her deformity was a measure of how far she was from having any legitimate claim on the favor of God or the service of the community. “Get fixed.” he was saying. “Then come and worship.”

Or worship, if you must, then go get fixed. But either way, know you are not one of us.

Jesus cut through all this status game with a simple declaration: This woman is a daughter of Abraham. She belongs. She is in the family. And because she is in the family, the extent of her deformity is a measure of her claim on the resources of heaven, a measure of our obligation to her.

We just witnessed three baptisms. In an official, public rite we welcomed three young women with noble characters, bright minds, musical gifts, and admirable faith. Any family would be proud to claim these young woman as “part of the family.” We certainly are.

How does the story of the woman bent over double, the Daughter of Abraham, connect with the lives of these young women?

First this story is a promise: On behalf of God, we are saying to Sophie, Irina and Charlotte, “Your place here is not created by your beauty, your character, your intelligence, your moral achievements. We take delights in all those virtues. Yes. And if they all were gone tomorrow, you would still be part of the family. If something happens and you end up bent over double for 18 years, we will still claim you as our own, as God's own.”

Second this story is a challenge, a call: You are called to speak on God's behalf. God calls you to say to one another and to your classmates and neighbors: you, too, are welcome among us. You, too, are children of the Heavenly King. You are called to see with the eyes of God. To see yourself as God sees you—dearly beloved. And to see others as God sees them—deary beloved.

Baptism welcomes all of us into a community committed to healing. Among us brokenness is acknowledged. We don't pretend that being bent over double is normal. We reject the idea that being bent over double is just as good as standing upright. But rather than condemning the person who is bent over double, we join them in longing for healing. We do everything we can to provide for healing.

When the woman who was bent over double was healed, naturally she was ecstatic. And she was not the only one who got excited. When Jesus pushed back against the synagogue ruler's protest, and insisted that healing the woman was the exactly right thing to do, the rest of the congregation joined the women in happy celebration.

This shamed his enemies, but all the people rejoiced at the wonderful things he did. Luke 13:17

Baptism brings us all into a family where we celebrate healing. Our response to human brokenness is a hunger for healing, a hunger that over time displaces our “natural” hunger for vengeance and even our hunger for propriety.

In Luke 19, we read another story about inclusion in the family of God. Zacchaeus was a prominent tax collector in the city of Jericho. Tax collectors were opportunistic business men, widely regarded as morally deficient. Zacchaeus heard Jesus was coming to town. He wanted to see Jesus, but because he was short and because his life could be at risk in a dense crowd, he climbed a tree along the route Jesus would take into town. (In that culture, tax collectors were seen as collaborators with the enemy because they were acting on behalf of the Roman occupation army. Nationalists would happily kill a collaborator if they could do so without getting caught. A short man squeezed in the middle of a dense, milling crowd would have been a tempting assassination opportunity.)

Jesus stopped under the tree, looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down. I'm going to eat lunch at your house this afternoon.”

Zacchaeus tumbled out of the tree and led Jesus and his entourage to his house.

This time the sentiments of the crowd were aligned with the judgment of the Pharisees. They were mad at Jesus. He was contradicting their own prejudices. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled. Luke 19:7

At his estate, Zacchaeus put on a feast. At some point in the dinner, Zacchaeus made a little speech.

“I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” Luke 19:8

Jesus, hearing this speech, responds,

Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. Luke 19:9

By going to dinner at Zacchaeus' house, Jesus had demonstrated that he saw Zacchaeus as “inside” the family. When Zacchaeus responded by renouncing deceptive practices and pledging himself to restitution and to generosity, Jesus said in effect, “This proves his place in the family. These are our family values. This kind of behavior is our family tradition.”

The Bible imagines the church as a family—an idealized family.

When someone in the family gets sick, has an accident, loses a job, experiences grief, a healthy family rallies. The family pulls together to see what can be done to support the person.

When the Bible describes baptism as a death and resurrection it is highlighting the radical nature of our identity in Christ. We bury our old identity and are raised with a new identity. We come up out of the water as the newly born children of God, people who have been born into a new family.

In this new family, we have high ideals. We aim to be holy. To love people the way God loves. To forgive as we have been forgiven. To be self-controlled and wise. To be compassionate and generous. To be disciplines and courageous.

When we observe in ourselves or in others a gap between performance and these ideals, we understand that gap as room for growth, as an invitation to orient our lives again toward these noble goals. The gap between performance and the ideal is an occasion for grace—God's pardon, our pardon.

In the family of God, there is no condemnation. Instead we live in hope.

I have listened to mothers of disabled children talk of their dreams and longings for their children. Of course, these mothers want more for their children. But that longing has nothing to do with condemnation. It has everything to do with loving dreams. God dreams of our success, our achievement of holiness and righteousness. God's awareness of the obvious gap between our aspirations and our performance does not lead God to reject us, condemn us. Rather God uses that gap as a call to invite us to try again, to aim higher, to receive forgiveness and to pass it on.

Baptism links us together in a community of hope.

Here at our church we have a couple of young men who are unable to shake our hands or respond in kind when we say good morning. That doesn't stop us from saying good morning. When I see Alex or Quinn, I call them by name and greet them. I would be thrilled if they reached out and shook my hand. I would be ecstatic if Alex responded with a big smile. It hasn't happened. But that doesn't stop me. It leaves me hoping. Someday. Maybe.

The stories of the woman and Zacchaeus turn out right. The woman bent over double stands erect. She can see the sky and pick her figs. The corrupt business man becomes generous and conscientious. We cheer the wonderful turn arounds in these stories. But the spiritual heart of the two stories is not the way they turn out. The spiritual heart of the stories is the radical vision of family announced by Jesus:

This woman is a daughter of Abraham. This man is a son of Abraham. Those who looked like they did not belong, had the status of insiders and old timers.

Baptism declares us, even us, to be insiders and old timers. We belong here. This is our family. Further, baptism declares that we, even we, have been given the full responsibilities of insiders and old timers. That is, we are called to reach out. To bring help and hope and healing to all. We are call to participate fully in the mission of God.

Advocates of Goodness

Sermon manuscript for Green Lake Church of Seventh-day Adventists

For Sabbath, November 16, 2013

You have heard it said, “Love your neighbor. Hate your enemy.”

But I say, “Love your enemies. Bless the people who curse you. Do good to the people who hate you. Pray for the people who treat you with contempt.

When you do this you are acting as true children of your Father in Heaven. Because he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good. God sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

If you love the people who love you, what's special about that? Even pedophiles do that. If you show respect to people in your own group, that's hardly noteworthy. Even drug dealers do that.

I'm calling you to be a perfect reflection of your Heavenly Father. I'm calling you to act like God.

Matthew 5:43-48

One question I like to ask people is: What good is church?

In the 1700s Quaker Christians advocated for the mentally ill. At that time, the mentally ill were treated like criminals. They were thrown into prisons where the horrific conditions were likely to exacerbate their illness. Quakers awakened the conscience of society and led eventually to more humane treatment of the mentally ill.

It was the Clapham Christians and William Wilberforce who led the decades long march toward the abolition of the slave trade in Great Britain—a humanitarian advance that eventually crossed the Atlantic to “freedom-loving” America.

Of course, many Christians opposed liberating the slaves. They were blinded by thousands of years of tradition. They were seduced by the arguments of those who warned of dire economic consequences if moral considerations were allowed to interfere with the “natural” working of the business machine.

In spite of this confusion among Christians, it was the daring moral vision of radical Christians that awakened the conscience of England and led first to the abolition of the slave trade then to the outlawing of slavery itself.

Christians changed the world by awakening the conscious of their society.

What is the purpose of the church? To be an advocate for goodness. To speak up. To speak out for goodness. For fairness and equity. To challenge entrenched privileges that damage people and weaken society.

A few weeks ago, on Youth Sabbath our young preachers, Lissi, Emily and Andrew challenged us to take seriously Jesus' daunting moral challenge.

It is not enough for us to be nice people—to practice conventional manners. We have a higher calling. Recent events here in our area highlight the need for us as a church to renew our commitment to the radical moral vision highlighted by Jesus' words: Love your enemies. Mimic your Father in Heaven who sends his sun and rain on every kind of person. Learn from God to see every human as worthy. The Christian vision rejects the notion that CEOs are more valuable as persons than line workers. The workers who make airplanes deserve protection in their old age every bit as much as the CEO.

“For decades Boeing has given its line workers a decent retirement benefit. It pays out about $90 a month for every year worked at the company, so that someone with 30 years of service would get $2,700 a month when they’re done at age 65. Add Social Security to that and you’ve cobbled together a comfortable but hardly posh old age for sheet-metal workers, riveters and others who build the nation’s planes.”

But something rotten is going on.

Jim McNerny, the CEO of Boeing, is working to get rid of the corporation's pensions for workers.

I'm sure he would justify this action as necessary to ensure the profitability of the corporation. But here where clear moral vision is needed. McNerny, the man leading the charge to eliminate pensions for workers, has 6.3 million dollars in his own company-funded pension account. If he retired now, he would receive a pension of $265,575 per month. Yes, that's right. McNerny, the man who is working to eliminate pensions of $2700 for workers has in place a pension for himself from Boeing of $265,575. The pension of an ordinary worker at Boeing is a measly one percent of McNery's pension.

McNerny's blindness to moral values is demonstrated further in his vigorous advocacy of cutting the benefits workers would receive from Social Security. Maybe he could make a more credible argument for frugality in the social security system if he paid into like his workers do. But nearly all of his income is exempt from social security taxes. So he is advocating cutting benefits paid out from a program that costs him relatively speaking, nothing.

I use the word “blindness” very deliberately. McNerny is so far insulated from the reality of life for working people, he has no idea of the trauma his plans will inflict on ordinary people.

The church needs to be public in our rebuke of the idea that major players in our society should make decisions exclusively on the basis of share-holder value. Obviously, companies have to be profitable or they will cease to hire workers, cease to contribute to the economic well-being of the country. But the well-being of workers ought to considered right along side the well-being of share holders and directors.

If a company must reduce the benefits it pays to workers, it ought to reduce the salary and benefits of its upper management by at least the same percentage. CEO McNerny should be regarded as a failure if he must eliminate pensions for his workers in order to secure the profitability of his company.

Another item from current news—the battle over the minimum wage. I do not know if raising the minimum wage is the wisest way to provide meaningful opportunities for people at the bottom of the economic ladder. What I do know—with moral certainty—is that our wealthy society must find some way to broaden the distribution of the immense wealth that is ours.

When we can pay people $10 an hour to take care of our children so that we can go to the office and make $1000 an hour trading stock, something is wrong. Is trading stock really a hundred times more worthy than the nurture of children? When we pay our teachers $25 an hour to educate people who are going to make ten to a hundred times that much running our hospitals and our government and our corporations, something is wrong. The system is broken. Our moral vision has become warped.

The church cannot limit its ministry to offering consolation to the withering middle class and providing an occasional bit of emergency financial assistance here and there. Yes, offering consolation is a noble thing to do. And providing emergency assistance is essential to our calling. Yes. But that is not enough.

We are a moral community. We ought to be way in advance of society in cultivating a moral vision. We are not here to bless those with privilege and power. We are here to ask hard questions about how that privilege and power is used.

What has Jim McNerny done to increase the share of wealth the Boeing workers receive? What has he done to distribute the power and privilege that tends to concentrate in the upper echelons of corporations and societies?

What has McNerny done to increase the educational opportunities for the children of the people who work in Boeing cafeterias? What is McNerny doing to raise the lower standard of living that is characteristic of South Carolina? It is immoral for someone with his influence to set up a major plant and hire almost 7000 people and do nothing to improve the schools, do nothing to improve access to health care. Given the magnitude of the impact of corporations on their communities, they have a moral obligation to consider the impact of their work on the overall quality in that place.

It's easy to pick on a public figure like Jim McNerny. It's important that we move on from asking questions about him, about people “out there,” to asking what are we doing in our own world to advocate goodness.

If you are a student, what are you doing to catalyze goodness among your classmates? Does your presence prompt people to be more sensitive to people on the edge of groups? Do you inspire other students to take learning and mastering content more seriously? Are you and your friends talking about what you might do to mend the world, to bring about broader justice?

In your work place, what is your moral impact? Among your neighbors? Do you help others see the value in all people?

The church needs to reclaim the wisdom of Jesus—the radical humane vision that sees all people as worthy. God sends his rain on the just and unjust. On the smart and the mentally challenged. On the beautiful and the homely.

I am not arguing that Jesus gives us a business plan. I am arguing that our business plans need to be informed by more than numbers. Business is a human activity. To be fully human is to have a lively conscience. When we make decisions without reference to a sensitive moral vision are acting subhuman.

God calls us to something better.

God calls us to see clearly, to see people with the eyes of heaven.

Karin shared with me a story about the work of World Vision in the neighborhood of Cochabamba, Bolivia. The average annual income in the area is $450. The land produces very meager crops so many of the men leave seeking better opportunities. Sometimes they send money home. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes they return to their families. Sometimes they vanish without a trace, leaving a wife and kids to eke out a hardscrabble existence.

Cinda was one of those abandoned women. She had a plot of ground, but she could grow only one variety of potato and her harvests were meager for lack of water.

World Vision helped to being the community together to build an irrigation dam. Now Cinda grows several varieties. She has reliable, ample harvests. She has enough sell. With her profits she has been able to buy two llamas, some sheep and a pig. Her life has been transformed because a group of people inspired by the vision of heaven regarded poor peasants in Cochabamba, Bolivia as worthy of investment.

Whether we are looking at people in the mountains of Bolivia or the lowlands of Puget Sound, Jesus challenges us to look beyond the status conferred by economic advantage, religious rectitude, social prominence, beauty, intelligence or academic credentials. Jesus challenges us to rise higher than social convention. Jesus challenges us to see with the eyes of heaven and to partner with God in seeing that all people participate richly in the blessings that are ours.