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Saturday Mar 26, 2022
Saturday Mar 26, 2022
TRISAGION HYMN (FEATURING TITUS CHAPMAN)
[About twenty years ago, a group of students and former students and friends got together at the invitation of Dustin Shell to produce a few of my songs. I am blessed by this collaboration and support. I have better friends than I deserve.]
This is one of the most ancient extant hymns, with a powerful prayer that is part of the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and is the text sung and prayed in Orthodox churches at the beginning of every gathering. We used it in our family worship times with children and grandchildren for a few years. This recording is cut off near the end, but the raw emotional expression of my dear friend Titus Chapman makes it worth the inconvenience. Trisagion is Greek for "Three Times Holy."
Holy God
Holy Mighty
Holy Immortal One
Have mercy on us
Have mercy on us
Have mercy on us
Have mercy.
"O our God, Holy of Holies, O only holy one, who rest among the saints, in whom is that glory which cannot be surpassed or equalled by any other. Holy are You who made everything merely with Your word. Holy are You whom the four-formed living beings worship with unceasing voice. Holy are You who are adored and praised by the angels and archangels who hover before Your invisible presence. Holy are you who never sleep to behold and hear the never-silent praise of the many-eyes cherubim. Holy are you who are borne aloft on the six-winged seraphim as they hover about singing the victory hymn. Holy are You whom the principalities and powers and dominions adore in heaven while we praise You and serve You on earth. In Your love for us, accept from our sinful mouths this thrice-holy hymn and grant us Your abundant rich mercy and compassion. For the sake of all your saints who have pleased You from the beginning. For You are holy, O our God.
Sunday Mar 27, 2022
Sunday Mar 27, 2022
LONGEST DAY-ANBD-A-HALF
that last twany-four hours had been the longest a my life to that point. But the next therety-six hours was even longer. By twelve hours. But what I mean is, time seemed to stand still from Friday nite all the way to Sonrise on Sunday.
from Thursday to Friday evenin, there was a turn a plot n a new activity ever few minutes, it seemed. But after Jesus was laid in the tomb, almost nothin happent. Nothin, except inside our confused heads.
soon as Jesus was laid in the tomb, the last of us boys was long gone. Run away n hide, was our bold strategy. The Marys stayed around to be shore Jesus was taken care of, n them rich men laid him in the tomb. I had to be polite n wait for Mother Mary. But otherwise, all of us had taken off, scared a some roundup by the Romans or something.
meantime, the Phar’sees go to Pilate n urge him to guard the tomb, so’s the eleven of us scaredy-cats wont steal the body. That’s about the most humorous thing that happent during that weekend, considerin how brave n bold we was long about then. We didnt even stick around to see him buried, we’s so scared n outa sorts.
so, there’s a squad a sixteen highly-trained Jew-killin Roman soldiers standin guard over the grave of a Man who never hurt a flea in His lifetime, to keep his body from bein stole by eleven men who’re hidin for their own skins. That’d be funny if it weren’t so pathetic.
you know, all them Sabbaths when Jesus was workin, in the eyes of some folks. I guess He more’n made up for all them on this partic’lar Sabbath. He was definitely takin His well-deserved rest at last.
all day long on Saturday, none of us talked to one anuther. Still in shock, we didn’t know whether we was at a memorial service to talk about the past, or a planning session to work on the future. So each of us just sat, starin into nothin, with our own set a thoughts.
here’s some of that conversation we wuzn’t havin:
me: I can’t believe He’s gone.
Pete: it’s all my fault.
Boomer Jim: if I could get my hands on Judas, i’d kill ‘im myself!
Andy: I think . . . Hey, look! a chicken!
me: I miss Him so much.
Pete: I was so sure of myself.
Boomer Jim: except’n Judas alreddy done that to himself.
Andy: I ought to . . . Sumthin smells like waffles . . ..
me: His words. His healin. His gentle ways.
Pete: three times I denied that I even knew Him!
Boomer Jim: serves him right, the traitor.
me: so, do I become John Fulagrace? or does she become Mother Boomer Mary?
Pete: I ain’t never gonna use the name Pete again.
Zealous Sy: it’s them Romans that done this. Bloodthirsty barbarians.
Thomas: we’re all gonna die.
Pete: I don’t deserve to be called Pete. I is only Sy Johnson, a lousy fisherman.
Zealous Sy: maybe I was right all along to rise up again em all.
Thomas: they’ll be comin for us any time now.
Pete: how’d they figger out I was from Gal’lee County, anyhoo?
Zealous Sy: the militia’d prob’ly take me back.
Thomas: when they take me, I ain’t gonna beg for mercy.
Zealous Sy: we’ll start by takin out Pilate. Wonder if Barabbas’ll be up for it?
Thomas: this is the end of it all.
Andy: if only we had . . . I wonder what time it is?
Nate: how is this gonna affect poor Phil?
Phil: Jesus was a nice man.
Nate: should I carry on His work?
Phil: Jesus shore was nice.
Nate: what exactly was His work, I wonder?
Phil: I liked Jesus.
Nate: if I do His work, should I let myself be killed like that?
Phil: Jesus was my friend.
Little Jimmy: I’m gonna go right up to them guards at the tomb n punch one right in the kneecap.
Little Jimmy: no, I ain’t.
Andy: what we could do is . . . Somebody’s playin a harp over yonder. Or is it over that way? lemme check . . ..
Monday Mar 28, 2022
Monday Mar 28, 2022
nobody ate. Nobody slept. Nobody talked. Nobody left. We all just layed low on the Sabbath, listenin for the sound a soldiers’ footsteps, thinking a ways to sneak outa town, whatever.
on that Sabbath day, Martyr come up with an idea, n she talks to the other women: somebody orta honor the body a Jesus, n give Him a proper send-off. Things had been so hasty n sloppy on Friday. She don’t want to say it out loud, but you know, it was men what done that preparation, n you know no man ever done a job like that proper. So her and the three Marys make a plan to take about 75 pounds a spices to do the job right. First thing Sunday mornin, before the sun comes up, they head for the tomb with their heavy loads.
they was expectin nothin, a course. They’d alreddy lost it all. But on the way, they’s talking about some practical matters: who’s gonna move that huge stone? who’s gonna break the seal? how would them four squads a soldiers react to em? would they hep, or would they block em? don’t rightly know, but this seems like the right thing to do. Overlookin whate’er fear’s in em, they keep goin.
sudden-like, there’s a violent earthquake! knocks em all down. They spill some a the spices. Get a few bruises. But they’s okay. All right, they’s now on Plan B. Petrified, but determined. Keep goin to the tomb, n see what kinda damage mighta been done.
in the early mornin light, as they arrive at the tomb, the ladies are shocked to see that all them guards—sixteen mighty men—look like they all been killt. Layin down, scattered about. What could of done this? the earthquake? marauders? grave robbers? musta been a big army of em, if so. Now the women are on Plan C. No soldiers to hep or harm.
what’s that? the tomb ain’t even sealed no more! the stone’s rolled away! Plan D. They rush in, just as the sun’s comin up, n see that the body’s missin. No body. But not nobody: there’s two men there, shiny n wearing white robes. Strong men. Strong enuf to overpower all them guards? the women are beyond petrified now.
“don’t be afraid.” says the angel. “you are seeking a livin person where dead people are kept. Jesus ain’t here. He is risen. ‘member how He told you all about how He’d be killt an on the third day He’d live again? well, it happent. Hurry and tell His disciples that He is alive!”
Plan E. No need for spices. Or to worry about the stone. Or the guards. New plan! joyous plan! confusin plan! good news, at last! the women all take off. All but one.
Mary, the Phitin Philistine, hangs back while the others run ahead. She ain’t processin all this too good yet. Somebody’s got the body of that Man she had come to love so much. Then she sees somebody there. She figgers he’s the groundskeeper or gard’ner. Maybe he’s the one that stole the body, but she’s gonna give im the benefit of a doubt in the way she asks him, “sir, if you know where He is, please tell me.”
her eyes is all clouded over, n she’s so much not expectin to see Jesus, that she don’t recognize Him right in front a her face. Jesus looks at her. Then He says her name, with a tone a voice only Jesus could have: “Mary.” the way He says it, suddenly she knows, it’s the Lord. Nobody else ever said her name like that. She runs to Him n throws her arms around His feet. Thinking she ain’t never gonna let Him go again. He had cast seven demons outa her way back, n she had followed Him ever since. Now at last He’s back, alive forever.
Jesus reaches down n stands her to her feet. “dont keep clingin to Me, Mary. I’m alive again, but I still ain’t gonna be here forever. Here’s what I wantcha to do: run n tell Pete n the others that I’m alive, n I’ll go ahead of em to Gal’lee.”
obediently, she turns to run. Jesus catches her arm, n with a catch in His voice, He says, “be sure you find Pete, will ya?” n off she runs. Finds Pete n me holed up in a dark room, hidin from the authorities.
outa breath, she says, “i seen Jesus! He’s alive! n Pete, He wanted to tell you special.”
no more words needed. Pete n me take off to the tomb. Now, I ain’t sure how to say this, but I’m younger’n Pete, so let’s just say I can run faster’n he kin. That ain’t boastin, just fact. But it’s a little detail. Boomer John outrun Pete. That’s all I’m saying. What I’m saying is, I run to the tomb n get there by myself. Stop at the door n look inside. N I believe it’s all true. He’s alive!
fin’lly, Pete come huffin n puffin to the tomb. I says, “what d’ya think, Pete?” he runs right past me into the chamber. He sees the graveclothes, still there where they had bin. Then he scritches his neck, shakes his punkin head, n walks back out. He got no idea what to think.
he emerges from the empty tomb, brushes past me, n says in a voice drippin with doubt n sadness, “i ain’t Pete.”
in the meantime, all them guards has gone to the Phar’sees to tell em what happent. The Phar’sees tell em to report to Pilate that they all fell asleep, n Jesus’ disciples come n stole the body durin the night.
the guards say they’ll be automatically killt if they fell asleep on watch. But the Phar’sees say they’ll take care of it.
all the rest of us, the disciples, both men n women, get together in a secret room, to talk this through n figger out what just happent.
dont know what happens from here. But this . . . This changes everthing.
Monday Mar 28, 2022
Monday Mar 28, 2022
PETE’S ORDINATION
by now it prob’ly ain’t no surprise that the first pope weren’t elected by a congress a Card’nals, with pomp n circomefrence, announced to the cheers of thousands in St. Peter’s Square. Fact, he shore had no idea at the time that he was “Saint Peter” himself. He was back to bein Sy Johnson, local fisherman, fallen failure of a follower a Jesus.
Jesus had showed Himself twice—both times on Sundays—n toad us to head on back to Gal’lee n wait for Him there.
now, Gal’lee ain’t a big place, unless’n you’s lookin for a Man what only shows up about once a week. where would He be? Capernaum? on the hillside near Bethsaida where Jesus gave that famous sermon a His’n? maybe the hill where the 5000 was fed? Naz’reth? Mount Tabor, where He was transfiggered? near the shore, where we first got callt to be fishers a men?
since Pete had the boat, we all went where he did. N he went back home to Capernaum. After a couple a long, awkward days, Pete up n says, “I’m goin back to fishin.” like a line a little ducklings, we all say, “we’ll go, too.” n we all waddle down to the water n pack in the boat early in the mornin, then head out into the fog.
Pete ain’t been talking much ever since the whole denial incident, n none of us knows how to snap him outa his funk. But out here, in this familiar place, the quiet of the early morning fog in his boat on Lake Gal’lee, the words begin to come out.
i ask him, “whatcha thinking, Pete?”
“dont call me Pete no more, Boomer John. Jesus callt me that when He trusted me to be a Rock. I ain’t no rock. I denied Him. Call me Sy.”
i let that have some soak time, then quiet-like, I say, “whatcha thinking, Sy?”
“I’m thinking how much this is like the day He first called me. Remember how we’d been fishin all night? nothin.”
(let me add here that it ain’t a proud moment to admit you been outsmarted by a fish. Specially when your livin depends on me bein able to outsmart something with a brain no bigger’n you’re thumbnail.)
Pete—Sy—slowly unfolds the story. How Jesus borrowed the boat to preach. How when he was done, he told Sy to push out to the deep n let down the nets. How Sy (always quick to speak up) started to argue with Him. Clearly, Jesus don’t know nothin about fish. Fish ain’t close enuff to the surface to catch em out there in mid-day.
Sy says, “but there was sumthin authoritative in Jesus’ eyes. I stopped in mid-complaint, and says, ‘but if you say so.’ seems so long ago, when I last done what He said.”
he sorta faded out for a spell, reflectin on that day, how in the most unlikely of places, we all had the biggest catch of our lives. I know what he’s thinking, though. While Boomer Jim n me is heppin Andy with the fish, Sy stops his work to fall at Jesus’ feet and says, “depart from me, Lord, for I is a sinful man.” (guilt n shame ain’t never been far below the surface in ol Pete’s life.)
Sy picks up the story again: “He told me not to fear. Told me i’ll larn to catch men. Changed my name right then n there to Pete. Like i’d be somebody solid. Yeah.”
“I’m Rocky, al’right. My walk is rocky, at best. Inconsistent. Impulsive. Poor leader. Worse foll’wer.”
wellsir, the whole while Pete’s talking, the boys is silently castin nets, gatherin nets, castin n gatherin, castin n gath’rin, real quiet. N never once do they catch a thing. Sumthin’s beginning to feel familiar about this.
the fog’s beginning to clear, n we see a man on the shore, with a little fire built nearby. We’re a ways out, so it’s hard to make out much, but over the expanse a water, the Man calls out, “got any fish, boys?”
we-all take stock of one annuther. All thinking the same thing: everybody’s a comedian. Pete uses his polite, sarcastic voice: “no, we ain’t ‘got any fish!’
then the tiny Man in the distance shouts a suggestion: “try the right side of the boat. You’ll find you sum!” that’s just crazy. Nobody from that far away can see no fish to . . . Hold on. Sumthin about His confidence. Could it be . . . ?
we drop the nets off the stern side, n instant-lack our nets is full of one of the biggest catches, since . . .
i says, “it’s the Lord!” I was always quicker to see stuff than Pete was. But Pete was always better at bein impetuous. He throws on his cloak n before I can say, “Pete, you can’t swim worth a lick!” he jumps outa the boat. N sinks like a rock. Then he sputters to the surface, n somehow manages to swim—yep, I said Pete done swum—all the way to the shore, which was about 200 cubits away. Outa sheer willpow’r n stubbornness, or miraculous healin, i’ll never know. The rest of us stay n struggle with the net.
shore nough, it’s Jesus. Already cooked some fish for us all. He don’t even know how to fish! He don’t NEED to know—the fish come to Him.
Pete heps us drag the net ashore, n then he comes back to Jesus. I can tell he wants to say it all again: “depart from me, Lord, for I’m a sinful man.” stead, he sits down to eat in awkward silence.
now, we’re all thinking how important this moment is for Pete. What’s Jesus gonna say to the man who denied Him three times? what will Jesus do to the friend who so confidently had boasted, “even if all the others desert you, I never will.” (Pete always was the competitive one. Not me. That’s why Jesus likes me best.)
Pete sits n nibbles, and waits for the hammer to drop on his sorry head.
at last, the Lord breaks the silence. Jesus says, “Simon Johnson? (d’ya want Me to call you by your ol fisherman name, Pete? hey, how’s that goin for you on your own, by the way?)
“I have a simple question for ya, Sy: D’ya still think that’cha love me more’n all of these others? more’n John? more’n all them that fled into the night? more’n you’re nets, n family, n boat, n job? would you lay down you’re life for Me? you got that kinda love for Me?”
the man formerly known as Pete pauses. What can he answer honestly? he can’t say an unqualified yes to any a them questions. He swallers hard. “yes, Lord. You know that You’re my friend. I love You like a brother.”
Jesus replies simply. “if I’m you’re friend, then take care of my lambs.”
we-all hear this conversation, n know it’s the most important thing bein said in Jesus’ whole time. Pete’s hanging in the balance here. A reflective silence hangs over all of us’n.
after a time, Jesus come back with a even more basic question: “Simon Johnson, d’ya love Me sacrificially?”
more quickly, Pete replies this time: “yep, Lord. You know I’m of You’re friend.”
“shepherd my sheep.”
in the long silence, Pete’s tryin to solve this puzzle. Jesus calling him by his old fisherman name. Yit he just showed him that Simon weren’t even good at doingthat job. Not compared to the Lord of the universe. Jesus can control nature, n Jesus had offered to teach him how to fish after men.
Wednesday Mar 30, 2022
Wednesday Mar 30, 2022
WAITING FOR POWER
The book of Acts is an historical account, as are the Gospels. But Acts sort of picks up where the Gospels end, with the Commission and the Ascension of Jesus. It then continues the history of the early church for the next several years, mostly following the ministry of Peter, and then of Paul. Notice that it begins with mention of “the first book” and of Theophilus. If that sounds familiar to you, it is because the book is a continuation of the gospel of Luke, and he opens his Gospel account writing to the same audience.
Luke actually appears in the book in a subtle way, when he sometimes refers to “we” instead of “they” or “he.” So he is still the historian, doing a careful account of the work of God, but this time he is one of the eyewitnesses himself. And though he does not identify himself by name, scholars are confident that he is the author of both books.
So, you may ask, why are Luke’s two books not placed back-to-back? Why is John placed between Luke and Acts in the order of the Bible books? The short answer is that Luke is one of the synoptics, and John was written later and is a different approach to the story of Jesus. So Luke is included with Matthew and Mark, and John is placed after the synoptics. Then chronologically comes Acts. There you go.
The next question you might be asking is why it is called Acts. That word is not really in the book. And these are not written as in acts of a play or something. You might say that the one-syllable title is a short way of saying that the book contains the “Actions of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles.” you might say it. But you don’t need to. Because I just said it myself. And there it is.
Today in chapter one we find Jesus saying that the twelve (and other witnesses) were not to leave Jerusalem, “but to wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. . . . You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” A few verses later, He says “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses . . ..” And then Jesus leaves. And the disciples stay. And they meet. And they wait. They don’t witness. They wait. They don’t preach. They wait for power. What would that power look like? How would they know if it had come? Would it be gradual or sudden? Jesus didn’t say. He just said to wait. Wait until.
And so, they waited. This is amazing to me, but they all waited for ten long days. Imagine. Ten days! After a few hours, I’d be thinking, is that a tingling sensation in the back of my head? Is this the power? After a day or two, I’d be getting antsy, certainly wondering how I would know. But ten days! That’s a long time to be patient and wait for something you can’t predict. Especially for 120 people to all remain and wait together.
So, what did they do while they waited? Play some video games? Watch some TV? Play some card games? Luke doesn’t mention any of those actions. But he does say that they were devoting themselves to prayer, with one accord. (And notice that Jesus’ brothers are back. Now they are believers, too!)
After some days (days!) of praying, Peter called a business meeting. Because, you know, it was church, after all. He had been reflecting on Scripture and remembered the phrase “let another take his office.” Remember, the Holy Spirit had not yet descended on Peter and the others. So we don’t yet have the assurance that this was a Spirit-directed idea of Peter’s. Maybe God intended for the Scriptures to be fulfilled later, by Paul. We’ll never know. But Peter’s proposal led to two men being brought forward who met the criteria. And then, of course, everyone voted for their favorite and the one with the most votes was counted as one of the twelve. No? They didn’t vote? No. They prayed and cast lots. Threw dice. Drew straws. Played rock paper scissors. It doesn’t say what kind they used, but they gave God two options: A or B. No third option of “neither one! Wait for Paul!” Again I say we’ll never know. But this drawing lots was a common practice, and Proverbs tells us that every decision, even of lots, is controlled by the Lord. So Matthias was added to the twelve.
Then they went back to waiting. And waiting. And praying. Would their prayers bring about the Spirit sooner? Could they hasten the Lord’s timing? If not, then why pray at all? That’s what is mysterious and essential about prayer. Sometimes prayer makes God do things in response. And sometimes prayer is how we get our hearts ready for what God is about to do.
As it turns out, it was the latter. Chapter two opens with “when the day of pentecost had arrived.” Other translations say when it had fully come. God wasn’t going to send the Spirit two days before Pentecost, or even just a few hours ahead of time. Wait until the fullness of time. And then . . .
As my Mom said to me about being ready to marry, “You’ll know when you know.” Yeah. She was right. There was no doubting if the moment had arrived! The power that Jesus promised came!
But that’s in chapter two.
Friday Apr 01, 2022
Friday Apr 01, 2022
WHAT HAPPENS IN BAPTISM (WHY BE BAPTIZED?)
When asked what his listeners should do, Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, for the forgiveness of your sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The word for baptize means to plunge, to dip or to immerse in water. So Peter is telling the people to be plunged under the water and then brought back up again, symbolically joining Christ in his death and also his resurrection.
I understand that when the King James Version was being written, the church was practicing infant baptism, in which a baby was sprinkled with water, not immersed in it. So when they came to this verse, they knew it would be awkward to say “repent and be immersed,” if that was not their practice. Instead, they transliterated the Greek word baptizo and thus invented a new word that had no inherent meaning: baptize.
Peter’s Jewish audience that day were well familiar with the practice of dunking in water. There were multiple baptistries in Jerusalem, in which people would dunk themselves in water as a means of purifying themselves before they would enter the Temple grounds. Some of those in-ground tiny pools are still there, having been uncovered in recent years. Baptism for them was a ceremonial washing to purify the worshiper, and it was done by baptizing yourself, you might say.
John the Baptist had taken baptism to another level when he offered a baptism of repentance. And this is subtle: baptism was presented in passive voice: Be baptized. You don’t immerse yourself. You allow someone else to do that. It was also not a big step to modify the meaning of baptism from a purifying of the body and soul, to a baptism of repentance. But John said, “I indeed baptize you in water, but one is coming after me who will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.” So John predicted that Jesus would come and provide the ultimate meaning for the practice of baptism: a baptism that is more than physical. It is a spiritual immersion. So this is what Peter means when he tells his listeners to repent and be baptized . . . And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Peter and the other apostles, as well as the 120 who were together, knew well the experience of a spiritual new birth through being baptized in the spirit. It had just happened to them. In fact, the reason the crowd had gathered in the first place was because there had been a sound of a mighty rushing wind, and they had come running to see what it was. (The word for “spirit” is the same as the word for wind.) What they saw when they got there was all of these believers in Jesus speaking in their own language, and all were speaking of the great things of God. Likely the miracle of these Galileans (with a reputation for being backwards and uneducated) speaking in their own language was intriguing at the very least. For those who had ears to hear, it was the first of many signs and wonders from the Lord to confirm the message of the story of Jesus.
We, too, are told to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sin. This is the familiar baptism of John. You might say that John was the last of the Old Testament prophets, for the resurrection of Jesus had not yet happened, and the new spiritual layer of meaning for your individual baptism had not been fulfilled. Until this day. And now, there it was. And they who were baptized received the Holy Spirit. As Peter said, “This promise is for you and for your children, as well as those who are far away, as many as the Lord calls.” And so here I am, a Gentile half a world away, almost 21 centuries later, receiving that same promise at my baptism as they had. The Holy Spirit.
It would be wise to clarify the role of baptism in salvation. We are told that we are saved by grace through faith, or by faith through grace. Our faith and God’s grace combine to offer forgiveness. But to enter into this new relationship with God requires a bigger commitment to life change than Israel had known. This was more than a washing. More than a statement about repentance. It was the moment of the gift of the Holy Spirit. When we die, are buried with Christ in baptism, we are then raised to walk in the newness of life. It is a gift which had been unknown to this point in history.
Let me clarify: Baptism might be the moment of salvation and forgiveness, as we join him on he cross. It may be the MOMENT of salvation, but it is not the MEANS of salvation. We declare in baptism that the burial of Jesus is also the burial of my own sinful self. So it seems that faith comes first, which we solidify when we confess it. Then comes repentance, which is usually accompanied by the outward expression of baptism. Two attitudes: believe and repent. Two actions: confess and be baptized.
May you know the experience of rebirth and renewal in the Holy Spirit, this day and always. Amen.
Saturday Apr 02, 2022
Saturday Apr 02, 2022
WHAT I HAVE I GIVE
Peter and John were on their way to the temple, because it was about 3:00 in the afternoon—the hour of prayer. There were three hours of prayer each day—sunrise, mid-afternoon and sunset. The prayers mostly consisted of a series of memorized prayers, each of which opened and closed with blessing God for one of his actions or attributes.
One of those prayers said this: “Heal us, Adonai, and we shall be healed. Save us and we shall be saved. For You are our praise. Bring complete healing for all of our ailments because God, King, a faithful and compassionate healer are you. Blessed are you, Lord who heals the sick of his people Israel.”
The words were prayed every day, and devout Jews truly meant the words. Peter and John were on their way to say that very prayer. And yet, there was this man just outside the gate, begging for alms from those who prayed for his healing. But he had been paralyzed from birth, and nothing had ever changed. Not even Jesus the Nazarene stopped to heal him. The man, no doubt, had wondered over and over, had he sinned, or had his parents, to make him paralyzed from birth. But there was no answer, no healing, no hint that God saw and knew and cared and had the power to heal him. He likely had become a skeptic after so many years of being ignored. Bitter toward the God who mocked the man’s suffering through His silence.
It was worse when he met a joyous man about a year before. The man said that he had been born blind, and the disciples had asked Jesus whether he had sinned, or his parents had sinned, in order to make him blind from birth. But Jesus had said it was neither. Said that he was blind for the glory of God. And then Jesus healed him, right then and there.
Why him and not me? Why is God ignoring my cries for help? But God was not ignoring this man. And the man was about to discover just how much the God of Abraham was aware of his condition.
He caught Peter’s eye and then turned his gaze downward, according to custom, as he stuck out his palm and he asked for an alm. And this is what Peter did say:
“Look at us!”
Before Peter said his famous line, he declared this command. He was saying, Don’t miss this! Don’t think that you have reached the end. Pay careful attention to what I’m about to say, because the very way that you think about God, and your relationship to him, is about to explode. Are you watching? Here it comes:
“Silver and gold have I none.”
So far, that sounds like an excuse for ignoring the man’s request. But it was true. He had no money. But Peter did hold something far greater than what money could buy.
“But such as I have give I thee.”
What a challenge for we who follow Christ today. I have no money, but I will give you what I have. I would expect something like, “God bless you” or “Have this stick of gum from my pocket” or “Here’s a pamphlet explaining how Jesus wants you to change your wicked ways” or “Come and drag yourself to the hour of prayer and we’ll tell you how to be truly happy.” But Peter has something far more valuable to offer. He is saying, I am not being selfish or greedy. I genuinely have no money. But I can tell that your needs go far beyond what a small coin or two will cure. So, I will give you what I DO have:
“In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I say to you, get up and walk.”
Then Peter reaches out his arm and extends his strong right hand to help the man to his feet. And, just like that, the man’s world is turned upside down.
He is healed instantly, and sees that God really DOES care for Him. So the man is walking and leaping and praising God, and he continues to cling to Peter and John as they make their way to the temple as planned. But this trip to the temple does not draw attention away from the prayers! No, it actually helps to guide the pray-ers themselves, creating a physical and intellectual answer to their prayers.
Soon, we are going to see how the believers were all together and shared everything in common. We are going to see how the world responded to them, saying behold how they love one another. We will see them sell property and give that money to the group, to be distributed to those in need. We will see them share food together from house to house, with glad and sincere hearts, and distribute the food daily to those who are in need. And the Lord adding daily to their numbers those who were being saved.
Perhaps our church is not growing like the early church, with the corps of believers being of one heart and mind, because we are not being as radically committed to one another.
Generosity. Hospitality. That’s what marked the early church. May it mark the church again today. Amen.
Monday Apr 04, 2022
Monday Apr 04, 2022
HOW TO PRAY FOR OUR ENEMIES
There is a special category for some of the psalms, called imprecatory psalms. Psalms that are vindictive in their tone. They do not take vengeance, for vengeance is mine I will repay says the lord. However, they do ask God to take his righteous vengeance on enemies. They are honest, candid psalms, and i appreciate their sentiment. Because when we are wronged and hurt by someone, we want to express our anger, even in our prayers. For example:
Psalm 3:7 “Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.”
Psalm 69:22-28 Let their own table before them become a snare; and when they are at peace, let it become a trap. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually. Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning anger overtake them. . . . Add to them punishment upon punishment; may they have no acquittal from you. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous.
However, at least when being persecuted for the cause of Christ, this chapter shows a very different response. Peter and John had been arrested and taken before the high counsel, then threatened and warned before being released. Then Peter and John gathered with the church, which was still in its infancy, and they prayed in response to the situation. But here is what they prayed:
Acts 4:29-31 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
Rather than asking God to take vengeance on their enemies, they pray for boldness, that they will be able to keep proclaiming the truth in spite of the opposition. Where’s the beef?
I once heard someone speak to the church before he was deployed with the Army to be in a dangerous place. He said, if you want to know how to pray for me, you can pray for my safety if you wish, but really what I want is for you to pray for the success of the mission.
That’s what the church was praying in this passage. Not for vengeance or justice. Not even for safety and health. But for the success of the mission. Pleading with God to work miracles, to fill them with boldness and to help them succeed in passing on the name of jesus.
And as reinforcement of the wisdom and spiritual discernment of this prayer, the Lord responded to their prayer in a powerful way: Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Lord, let your kingdom come. Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We pray for the success of your work on earth, rather than to pray for vengeance or even for safety.
Jesus said that if someone strikes you on the cheek, turn and offer him the other one as well. It’s not the way our flesh naturally responds to unjust persecution. But if our job is to prepare the way of the Lord, then persecution is nothing more than an extra layer of conviction for us.
Jesus taught us to pray, “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” And then he followed up on the topic after his model prayer by saying that if we don’t forgive others, we cannot ask God to forgive us. And he told us to bless those who curse us. To bless, and not to curse. And to pray for those who misuse us.
May the Lord grant you strength and love, grace and peace, forgiveness and joy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Monday Apr 04, 2022
Monday Apr 04, 2022
In Numbers 6, God tells Moses the words that Aaron and his sons can use to bless the people of Israel. A couple of years ago, I tried my hand at writing a tune that could work with both Hebrew and English texts and then recorded it. May these words be true for you.
May the Lord God Adonai
Bless you and keep you
May the Lord God Adonai
Make His face to shine on you and show you His grace
May the Lord God Adonai
Lift up His face toward you and give you peace.
Tuesday Apr 05, 2022
Tuesday Apr 05, 2022
WE MUST OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MEN
There are famous hypothetical dilemmas of ethics, in which the situation seems to make the participant question their guiding principles. You are in a life raft and three people are dying of hunger and thirst; who would you eat first? Your kidnapper forces you to shoot either a stranger or your wife; who would you shoot? You are in a prison camp and you must steal in order to eat. Would you commit suicide in order to protect your family?
The Jewish high council was trying to contain this new Jesus movement, to put a stop to the rapid growth of the message of a risen Christ. They had already arrested Peter and John and questioned them. Then they charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
But Peter and John answered, “You must judge whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God. For we cannot help but speak of what we have seen and heard.” In other words, they must obey God, rather than men. The Jewish leaders ought to know about such choices, don’t you think? They had to make them all the time with Rome. Indeed.
So, they further threatened them and let them go. And the church only became more bold and continued to grow in spite of their lockdown. It was only getting messier for the Jewish leaders.
Now the high priest and the Sadducees are filled with jealousy, so they arrest Peter and John (again) and put them in the public prison, ready to bring them to trial the next morning. During the night, the Lord released them and told them, “Go.” “Stand.” and “Tell.”) Go to the temple. Stand right there in the crowd. And Tell the Good News about Jesus. And so, Peter and John obey the Lord’s command to Go, and they Stand, and they Tell.
The council brings them back again. And for the second time in as many chapters, the council speaks a warning: “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” Acts 5:28
What would you do in that moment? What would I do? I know that as a people pleaser I would try to find some compromise, would apologize in some way for being so firm in my words, and would tell them that I will back off and stop offending them. It’s hard for me to imagine speaking any other way to an authority figure who is so confrontational.
But how did Peter respond to the moment? He answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”
The Jewish leaders certainly must understand this principle of obeying God rather than men. They have faced it before, many times. And yet, what they claim God is saying to them seems so backwards to them. They are used to thinking that they stand on God’s side in this and every matter.
Gamaliel calms them down and convinces them to let the men go, and see whether or not it is God who is providing these words. They agree to his test. But just to be sure, before they let Peter and John leave, they beat them one more time, with another warning.
Do you know yet what you would do? The ethical question seems easy enough to answer: Obey God, rather than men.
But isn’t it God who places all authorities in their positions? So, as Paul tells the Romans, “Submit to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” If this is true, then there should never be a true choice that you have to make between obeying God and obeying men. So do not be too hasty to make yourself into a martyr and continue to stir up trouble. Don’t stir up trouble, that is, unless God has told you otherwise. Then you must obey God, rather than men.
May you always obey God. May you obey earthly authorities as long as you are able. And may you have the wisdom to know the difference.