Lent 3A - Additional Thoughts: Nicodemus v. The Samaritan Woman

Over at The Voice - Christian Resource Institute, Jirair Tashjian outlines some ways in which the encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well shares similarities with the nighttime encounter with Nicodemus. He then states:

In many ways, however, the story of the Samaritan woman stands in stark contrast to the Nicodemus narrative in the previous chapter. Note the following differences:

Loosely summarized, the contrasts he points out are as follows:
1) Gender - Male v. Female
2) Social Status - Jew v. Samaritan
3) Morality - Pharisee v. Adulteress
4) Time of Day - Nighttime v. Daytime
5) Initiator - Nicodemus v. Jesus
6) Outcome - Uncertainty v. Transformation

Of those distinctions, I find it very interesting that the fourth distinction seems to have provided the same outcome in each occurrence--an uninterrupted private encounter in which the Gospel can be presented through theological discourse. I would also contend that while the specific Nicodemus narrative ends with uncertainty, the Gospel account of Nicodemus ends with an investment of 75 pounds of spices for the proper burial of Jesus.

I would add another distinction to the list, in that Nicodemus likely was a learned scholar, while the Samaritan woman was probably fairly uneducated. At the same time, Jesus engages in a dialogue with each of them, carefully outlining the Gospel message in terms that they would understand.

Let us remember that Christ came for all people: the Jew and the Gentile, the male and the female, the morally upright and the sinner, the social elite and the outcast, the Ph.D. and the GED.

It's this message presented in the Gospel according to John which seems to be echoed in Paul's letter to the Galatians:

^3:26You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, ²⁷for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Grace and Peace,

PastorJon

Lent 3A - Broken Cisterns or Living Water?

While I was working yesterday, I commented on the image of the En Gedi oasis as presented by Ray Vander Laan in the That The World May Know video curriculum. As I was trying to remember the image, I stumbled upon his website: www.followtherabbi.com.

While working with the concept of "Living Water," he is drawn to Jeremiah 2:13, which contrasts Living Water with stagnant water from cisterns.

“My people have committed two sins. They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jeremiah 2.13)

The children of Israel were drinking from dirty water of their own making.

They had forsaken the poor, the stranger, and the alien. They had mistaken religious ceremony for religious practice (Jeremiah. 7). They had carved out of the rock a worldview that drank solely from the culture and not from the spring of revelation. Their own cisterns had left them thirsty once again.

W. Ray Beaver (Sunday Blogging) points out that the word "quarrel" used in the Exodus lesson is a legal term, and that the Israelites are:

...in essence bringing a legal charge against Moses, for having brought them out into the wilderness where there is no water, but it is also a charge against the Lord, for having brought this about.

If we are to see this text as a charge, not only against Moses, but also against God, is there a sense in which we see the second half of Psalm 95 as an answer to the charge? Could we also consider Jeremiah 2 to be a response to these charges. In Jeremiah 2, God brings charges against the people, reminding them that they once followed Him through the desert and through the wilderness, but have now left Him for other gods who aren't gods at all. It is these false gods that are the "broken cisterns" mentioned in Jeremiah 2.

Have we exchanged "Springs of Living Water" for broken cisterns of dirty, foul-smelling water? Have we exchanged life for death?

When the woman at the well is offered living water, she leaves her water jar behind as she rushes to tell others. Why would we do anything less?

Grace and Peace,

PastorJon

Lent 3A - First Thoughts

Lent 3A

Exodus 17:1-7
Psalm 95
Romans 5:1-11
John 4:5-42

My goal each week is to provide use this first entry to provide my first thoughts before reading other commentaries, blogs, or resources. These raw thoughts are simply presented as a picture of my reflections the first time I read the text.

Exodus 17:1-7
The Old Testament lesson is the account of Moses striking the rock (the first time) in order to provide water for the Israelites. This lesson demonstrates the importance of fresh, bubbling water as the source of life. In That the World May Know (Ray VanderLaan), I was challenged to consider my image of this encounter. Is Moses striking a 10-foot tall boulder and a trickle bursts forth? Or, is he striking the side of a cliff, creating an En Gedi like waterfall?

If one is to envision a massive waterfall breaking forth out of a cliff, we get a picture of abundant living water, not just for the Israelites, but perhaps the source of an oasis that would provide life in the wilderness for centuries to come. There is an abundance of living water for all people, not just those who are part of the Chosen People of God.

Psalm 95
Psalm 95 was very likely chosen for this Sunday because it reminds us of the Israelites at Meribah. Though they had seen God's hand at work in mighty ways in Egypt and in the wilderness, they still hardened their hearts and failed to enter the Promised Land.

While the first half of the Psalm makes for a great call to worship, the second half cautions us that worship is not just about singing praises to God, but also about hearing His voice. We have not just done our duty if we have sung our songs and given our gifts. We must also soften our hearts, hear His voice, and allow Him to transform us.

Worship is transformational. When it is not, we fall into the danger of being like the Israelites, who saw great signs and wonders, but failed to allow the experience to transform their hearts. They drank of the physical waters from the rock, but did not absorb the Spiritual Living Water which was presented.

Romans 5:1-11
The Romans text provides a great Lenten reminder for the role of suffering in the life of the Christian. The last two Sundays, we have sung Graham Kendrick's song Knowing You, which is based on Philippians 3:7-11. Through suffering, we have a way to better know Christ's suffering. By being made like Him through suffering, we may also be made like Him in His resurrection. (This is not to say that we ought to engage in self-abusive practices, but that we are to deny ourselves and take up our cross.)

At the same time, it's important to note that this passage does not teach that we must suffer in order to have salvation. Christ died for the unrighteous, in order that they might be reconciled to God. This passage is a clear presentation of the Gospel teaching of the Early Church--we are reconciled to God through the death of Christ, saved by His life.

John 4:5-42
Within the context of the water-from-the-rock narrative in Exodus, we are reminded that Christ provides living-water-from-the-Solid-Rock. The call is to leave the old and come to the new.

Jesus breaks all sorts of barriers here, by speaking to a Samaritan woman who is apparently an outcast from even her own people (since she comes to the well at the heat of the day.) Like the dialogue with Nicodemus, this is a personal encounter with Jesus, without the distractions of crowds of people looking for miracles (although, those pesky disciples do show up before the encounter is complete!). In the case of Nicodemus, it appears as though he sought out Jesus during a private time, in this narrative it is Jesus who seems to do the seeking.

In both this and the Nicodemus narratives, we have a theological discourse. While Nicodemus was a learned man used to theological dialogues, it is unlikely that the Samaritan woman was quite so prepared. However, Jesus brings the conversation to her, showing us that all people are capable of learning about God, regardless of gender, race, upbringing, social status, or even education.

As I weave these lessons together, I will likely look closely at the theme of Abundant Living Water for all people. At the same time, our challenge is to not simply drink the water, but to allow it to transform us. We must be like the Samaritan woman, changed by our drink at the Springs of Living Water, as opposed to the Israelites who continued as they were before the waters of Meribah.

Grace and Peace,

PastorJon

Lent 2A - Last Minute Thoughts inspired by Sarah Dylan Breuer

Be sure to check out
Dylan's Lectionary Blog for a treatment of circumcision as it related to non-Jewish converts to Judaism.

Interestingly enough, there were cultures other than Jewish ones that practiced circumcision in the ancient world, and when a man from one of these other cultures (and hence who was already circumcised) converted to Judaism, the rule was that a cut would have to be made specifically so that blood was shed. Circumcision in these cases functions a little like the making of "blood brothers" among children; by the shedding of blood in the way that Abraham shed his own blood when he was circumcised, a man who was not literally a blood descendent of Abraham becomes nevertheless a son of Abraham, a child of God, part of the people of Israel. Now THAT's mobility – becoming part of God's chosen people.

Abraham's descendants believed that to become part of the family of God, (in other words, part of the blessing referenced in our OT lesson that would come through Abraham) blood would need to be shed. For the uncircumcised, circumcision would be appropriate, but for the already-circumcised, blood would still need to be shed in order for the adoption to be complete.

The Christological implications of this are profound. As we understand this point, we understand that the whole world may be adopted into the Chosen People through the blood of Christ. Blood was spilt on the cross so that we might be washed clean, our hearts might be circumcised, and we might be adopted into the family of God.

Ultimately, salvation is not about what we do, but about what Christ has done. Our new birth is not something that we do, but something that originates "from above." We are considered righteous, not because we "worked" and received salvation as an obligation, but because we "trusted God."

In other words, Nicodemus comes to Jesus wondering what he must do. Jesus points out that salvation is a gift of God, a new birth which comes from above. We often think of our salvation in terms of what we do: do we act like a "Good Christian?" Instead, salvation comes because we trust Him who justifies the wicked, and we place our faith in what He has done.

Grace and Peace,

PastorJon

Lent 2A - Additional Thoughts (Narrative Preaching)

As we look at the Gospel narrative this week, it's important to note that Nicodemus appears two more times in the Gospel of John. He stands up to the rest of the Pharisees in John 7, reminding them that their laws consider a man innocent until proven guilty. This reminder came in response to statements that Jesus was deceiving people and teaching a false message, even though they Pharisees had not spoken with him directly.

The second time Nicodemus appears in John, it is at the burial of Christ. We find him (in chapter 19) alongside Joseph of Arimathea as they prepare Jesus for burial and lay him in Joseph's tomb. Nicodemus brought 75 pounds of spices for the embalming process, "in accordance with Jewish burial customs."

While one could simply preach a message based upon the nighttime encounter, it may do a disservice to the overarching story of Nicodemus' life. At minimum, references to these other appearances should appear in order to tell "the rest of the story." I think that the narratives surrounding Nicodemus lend themselves to a narrative message, perhaps delivered through the first person perspective.

Through the eyes and ears of Nicodemus, we can present the journey of a seeker who begins by asking questions about the Kingdom, and concludes his journey by seeing the Kingdom intersect with this world in the cross.

Our theme for Lent is "encounters with Jesus as we journey toward the cross," and this sort of a narrative message fits very nicely within that theme. Obviously, some speculation will be utilized, and the challenge will be to identify the difference between speculation and fact when speaking in the first-person. However, identifying with the character of Nicodemus in this way helps us to understand our own journey toward the cross.

The themes explored will focus around a "do vs. done" motif often taught in evangelism training seminars. Nicodemus is looking for what he must do in order to be saved, while Jesus speaks about what must be done (from above) in order for him to be saved. My character of Nicodemus will explore the reasons for a nighttime visit (secrecy? or for undivided attention?), and will also explain the play on words found in the original langauge (born again? or born from above?). The narrative will conclude with Nicodemus at the tomb, not quite sure what tomorrow will bring.

Grace and Peace,

PastorJon

Furniture Retailers decide to close on Sundays

I realize that I have not set out to write a news blog, but this particular article in our local paper caught my attention and I thought it was worthy of including here. If I ever start a news blog, I'll move this post over!

Portland Press Herald reports that "more furniture stores taking Sundays off."

Here's a permanent copy of the article stored at Furl.net.

It's hard to read an article like this and not say, "We told you so!" I remember when blue laws were repealed in Maine. I was only 13 at the time, but I remember discussions in church and the encouragement to vote against the repeal of the laws. I'm sure that all sorts of doomsday predictions were made about what would happen if we failed to legislate Sabbath-keeping. Probably most of those predictions have yet to come true, but this article outlines some of the negative effects of the 1990 legislation.

When that law changed, retailing changed," said Jonathan Young, the president of Young's Furniture in South Portland. "It generally has been the kiss of death to the family."

I have often taught that Sabbath is less of a legalistic requirement, and more of a gift for us. Woven into the creation of the world was a cycle of work and rest, and when we fail to keep that cycle there are consequences--for our bodies, our minds, our families, and our spiritual life. The gift of Sabbath enables us to experience renewal on a regular basis, reconnecting with God, our church family, and our household family.

Stephen Crockett, who owns Crockett Interiors - formerly known as Lake Region Furniture - with his brother Scott, started closing on Sundays two years ago. The stores had been open on those days since 1990, when voters repealed a ban on large stores being open Sundays.

Crockett said he made the change after he surveyed employees, who told him that having Sundays off ranked higher in importance than more pay or longer vacations.

It's truly interesting that the employees recognize this need. In our busy 24/7 culture, we move quickly toward burnout. Our life begins to resemble a ratrace where we work all we can in order to have the most toys. The problem, of course, is that few people ever have a chance to play with those toys, because they are too busy working. Sabbath-rest reminds us of priorities, allowing us to organize our life about those principles which are most important to God and to us.

And, this last quote caught my eye as well. You would think that stores who decided to close on Sunday would suffer. I remember Christian small-business owners being upset in 1990 because they felt that they would have to open their stores simply in order to keep up in a competitive market. While this may be true in some market segments, it doesn't seem to bear out in the furniture market:

Pierce said he was willing to take a hit on sales in order to close on Sundays, but added that revenues have not dropped in the last five months.

"I don't think it's affected me at all," he said, "except I have a lot happier life."

Good for Pierce! I commend him for his decision, as well as the other stores who have made the same decision. Whether or not you keep Sabbath for religious purposes, there is a recognition that regular weekly rest is important to individuals and to our culture.

I am reminded that God is not a harsh task-master creating rules in order to oppress His creation. Instead, He is a loving Father, who creates rules for our benefit, in order that we might lead a healthy, balanced life. May we seek to follow His guidelines for life!

Grace and Peace,

PastorJon

Lent 2A - First Thoughts

Lent 2A

Genesis 12:1-4a
Psalm 121
Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
John 3:1-17

The Old Testament lesson details the promise to Abraham that the entire world would be blessed through him (and, as Romans suggests, his faithfulness). I wonder what those words meant to Abraham when he heard them. Did he suppose that the salvation of the world would come through his descendants? Or, did he imagine that there would be a financial or physical blessing which came through his children?

This week's Psalm is one that I memorized when going through a Counselor Training program when I was a teen. It was particularly meaningful since the camp was set just outside the White Mountain National Forest. The Psalm is a promise of God's faithfulness, a reminder that He keeps His promises to us.

Our Romans lesson takes a look at Abraham, speaking of his faith which was credited to him as righteousness. Abraham believed the promise of God, even though it was challenged when he was asked to offer Isaac upon the altar. This passage gives a clear picture of justification by faith. Abraham didn't do anything to deserve the blessings of God, he simply received them by faith. This theme will be more evident in our Gospel lesson.

The well known passage of Nicodemus approaching Jesus at night gives us one of the most well-known scripture verses, John 3:16. Nicodemus is quite perplexed by the concept of being born again. We're not sure what he is expecting Jesus to teach him, but given that he is a Pharisee we might expect that he is looking for something to do in order to get into the Kingdom of God. But Jesus' teaching is easy (His yoke is easy), and entrance into the Kingdom is not so much about what we do as it is about what God does in us. We must be born from above.

Grace and Peace,

PastorJon

Lent 1A - Some last-minute thoughts!

Connections between "the Fall" and "the Temptation of Christ" continue to abound. Let's take a look at what we have found:

Adam and Eve

• In a lush garden
• All their needs supplied for them
• Temptation: "To be like God"
• Succumb to Temptation
• Are driven from the Garden by an angel

Jesus

• In a barren wilderness/desert
• Just completed a fast--no basic needs are being met
• Temptation: "If you are the Son of God"
• Overcomes Temptation
• The tempter flees, and the angels minister to Jesus

As I've thought about Jesus' temptation to assert who he was, I was reminded of having grown up having two parents who were teachers. While I'm not sure I ever did this intentionally, I imagine there were times when it would have been easy to accept or assume a position of privilege, ceasing to be a "normal kid" and adopting the role of "teacher's kid." The temptation would be to use that condition for personal gain or to sidestep the rules. Jesus' temptation here was to use His supernatural powers to prove His identity and for personal gain. But, in order to satisfy the condition of the Incarnation, He had to first "empty Himself."

Grace and Peace,

PastorJon

PS- take a minute and visit "whittyvillezoo." Stephen is undergoing a Kidney transplant next week, and the Community of Faith is surrounding the family with love and prayers. I was able to visit Stephen today, and he is in very good spirits, although very bored with his bland hospital room.

Lent 1A - Additional Thoughts - Similarities, differences, and paradoxes abound

This morning I am stranded at home by another Maine snow storm! We haven't yet been plowed, so it's a marvelous opportunity to sit at home, drink tea, and study.

Special thanks today to W. Ray Beaver, who highlights an interesting point about the Gospel Lesson at Sunday Blogging - Wednesday thoughts toward Lent 1A.

“The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, . .’ Could there have been anything more tempting? I believe the temptation was not the idea of commanding stones to become bread, or of commanding angels to keep him from harm, or even of submitting to the devil. Rather, the temptation was one of trying to prove that he was the Son of God

We've already seen how the Temptation in the Wilderness is the Christological response to the Fall in the Garden. It seems that even the fundamental temptation is the same. Adam and Eve were tempted to eat from the tree by the serpent who said, "You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." On the other hand, the temptation offered to Jesus was to prove that He was God. The fundamental temptation then is to grasp at equality with God.

Philippians 2:5-11 may help inform our understanding of this:

⁵Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: ⁶Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, ⁷but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross! ⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The great irony, of course, is that Jesus already was God. Unlike Adam, who was tempted to become what he wasn't, Jesus' temptation was to prove who He was. What could be so wrong in that?

As I ponder this, I am reminded that the fundamental nature of God is extravagant extroverted love--always working for the other. Throughout the Gospel accounts, Jesus never uses His supernatural power for Himself, only for others. Miracles are performed, not primarily to win converts, but to meet needs (granted, convert-winning certainly occurs--but it does not seem to be the primary focus.)

Jesus doesn't need to convert the tempter...he knows exactly who Jesus is. He doesn't need to convert Himself (Unless the real temptation is one of self-doubt, driven by that nagging little two letter word: 'if.'). Jesus doesn't need the food, wealth, or power offered by the tempter.

No. Jesus needs to remain obedient to the Father. He needed to empty Himself and become nothing--a servant. He needs to do this to provide the antidote to the choices made by the first Adam. That Adam chose disobedience and death. Jesus, the Second Adam, chose obedience and life (paradoxically, through death).

Deuteronomy 30:19-20:

¹⁹ This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live ²⁰ and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.

Grace and Peace,

PastorJon

Lent 1A - First Thoughts

Lent 1A

Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
Psalm 32
Romans 5:12-19
Matthew 4:1-11

Our Old Testament lesson is a marvelous lesson to begin the season of Lent. On Wednesday night we were confronted with our own sinfulness, the blackness of our hearts without the light of Christ. By receiving ashes, we were confessing our own sinful behavior, recognizing that without Christ's righteousness we are but a pile of filthy rags. Before we begin the journey toward redemption, we must first understand our condition without Christ. The narrative of the fall shows us the selfish and disobedient condition of the human heart. Humanity is in need of a Savior because we continually misunderstand the Creator-creation relationship. Since the beginning of time, humanity has sought to become like God in inappropriate ways.

At the same time, Psalm 32 reminds of the remedy for sin--confession.

32:5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.

Unlike Adam and Eve who attempted to hide their nakedness, the Psalmist acknowledges his sinful condition. Instead of hiding his sin, he confesses it. Instead of wasting away because of his guilt, he is forgiven. The Psalmist uses his own experience of sin-confession-forgiveness to encourage the reader to acknowledge their own sinfulness and receive that same forgiveness.

Our lesson from Romans solidifies this point, particularly in regards to the Christological solution. Death came through Adam's disobedience, life came through Christ's obedience to the Father. While all became sinners through Adam's disobedience, Scripture only uses the word many to describe those who receive the free gift. The sins must be confessed and the gift (of Christ) received in order to receive new life.

It is the Gospel lesson which will be the focus of our time together this week. The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness provides the backdrop for the Lenten season. Christ's forty-day fast sets the example for our own self-denial. But the question we must struggle with this week is this: What role does the temptation play in the formula of redemption? In other words, is Christ's temptation important to the salvation of humanity?

In the Gospel account, we see the antithesis to the narrative of the fall. Instead of the first Adam, this temptation narrative is about the second Adam. Our setting is not the lush Garden of Eden, but the desert wilderness. Instead of an abundance of food and life, we read of a forty-day fast in a barren wasteland.

The Good News is that the Second Adam (Christ) did not succumb to temptation. Otherwise, He would be unable to provide the needed response to the sinful condition created at the fall. It is his obedience to the Father which provides the antidote to man's disobedience. It is His selflessness which absolves us of our selfishness. His humility redeems our pride. His faithfulness to God's word provides life--whereas Adam's choice to ignore God's word provided death.

It is ironic that the gift of life had to be provided through Christ's death. It was only because of His death that he could conquer the grave. Only through temptation that He could conquer sin. The Good News is that because Christ conquered sin and death, we have hope of holiness and new life.

Grace and Peace,

PastorJon

Yes, the blog went on vacation...

...and so did the lectionary!

Since Advent 3A, I took a little vacation from lectionary preaching. This was due in part to our church calendar around Christmas, my vacation plans, a visit from our District Superintendant, and a stewardship series during January. We're ready to get back to work for the season of Lent, complete with thoughts for Ash Wednesday all the way through Holy Week.

Just for the record, here's what happened during the Season of Christmas, and the Season after Epiphany:

Advent 4A, December 19, 2004
We had a combined Sunday School and Morning Worship service beginning at 10:00. The children did a Nativity Play, based on the narratives from Luke 2 and Matthew 1-2. Our Cantata Choir had been rehearsing a Cantata entitled "Celebrate the Gift." The morning message served to connect the play, the scriptures, and the musical with the idea that we must receive the Gift in our hearts in order for Christmas to really be Christmas. It's not enough for the birth of the Christ in a manger to be a historical reality. He must also be born within our hearts.

Christmas Proper I, December 22, 2004
We held our annual Christmas Candlelight service on the Wednesday prior to Christmas. Generally, we've held this service on the Sunday prior to Christmas, but where Christmas fell on a Saturday we moved it forward to Wednesday. (Next year we plan to have this service on Friday night). The service gave a narrative of the birth of Christ using the lesser-sung carols of Christmas, interspersed with Scripture. The sermon drew us from the Luke narrative about the shepherds toward the ending of the narrative with the Christ upon a cross. As we moved toward Holy Communion, we sang about the "Holly and the Ivy," learning that the Holly was superior because it reminds us of the Christ event and the impact that has on our own lives. The service concluded with a candlelight carol sing on the front lawn.

Christmas 1A, December 26, 2004
I was on vacation this Sunday, and we had our annual Service of Lessons and Carols. This service allows us to sing our favorite Christmas carols, hear the Christmas story, and give testimony to Christ's love within our hearts. Thanks to John M. for leading this service in my absence.

Epiphany, January 2, 2005
We departed from the standard calendar in order to have a Service of Epiphany. Typically we have used the first Sunday of the New Year to have a Wesley Covenant Service, but this year we would weave the Wesley Covenant Service through our Stewardship series. For Epiphany, we celebrated the coming of the Christ to the gentiles. I deviated from a standard message in order to share a "Children's Story for Adults" as I have done in previous years. This year I read Paul Flucke's The Secret of the Gifts: A Story for Old & Youngas a call to come to the manger and confess our sins, for the Savior already knows them.

January 9, 2005
We were joined this morning by our District Superintendent who preached primarily from Matthew 6, pointing out that Jesus' basic assumption is that we are giving, praying, and fasting. Note that the scripture doesn't say "If you give...," "If you pray...," or "If you fast...." No, Jesus talks about "when" we give, pray, and fast.

January 16, 2005
I began what I hoped would be a four-week series on stewardship, looking at time, talent, treasure, and touch (relationships). This message, on stewardship of time, looked at the television show "The West Wing" as an example of being enslaved to time, instead of using time as a tool to bring glory to God. Our primary scripture text for the entire stewardship series was Romans 12:1-8, both from the NIV and from Eugene Peterson's The Message. This message concluded with a time of individual prayer and contemplation as we heard the Chris Rice song "Life Means So Much."

January 23, 2005
Originally, this Sunday was to take a look at stewardship of our talents. However, 12-14 inches of snow caused us to join the hundred other churches in the greater Portland area which cancelled their Sunday services and activities.

January 30, 2005
In order to finish the stewardship series before Lent, it was important to either skip one of the topics or attempt to combine them together. I eventually decided to combine talent and touch into one message. We continued working with Romans 12:1-8, as well as a definition of biblical stewardship provided here. While it was a single message, it certainly had a bit of a disjointed feel as it moved from stewardship of talent to stewardship of touch. The service concluded with individual prayer and contemplation as we heard the song "Go Light Your World" by Chris Rice.

February 6, 2005
The final message of the stewardship series focused on our management of God's financial resources. The message followed Wesley's basic outline of "earn all you can, invest all you can, give all you can." Paul's admonition work or not eat was heard in conjuction with the creation/fall narrative about working the earth. The parable of the talents was retold as evidence to take risks with God's money in order to accomplish His purposes. The story of the alabaster jar of perfume was told to remind us of the wasteful generosity which is commended by Jesus. We concluded the service with a song about Whole-Life Stewardship, Chris Rice's "Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus)."

Ash Wednesday, February 9, 2005
The standard Ash Wednesday texts were read by lay readers, and informed our time together. However, none of the texts served as the primary text for the evening. This being the first time that we've had an imposition of ashes in this community of faith, I felt it important to offer some teaching and answer potential objections. Of particular interest to me was wrestling with Jesus' words in Matthew 6 about the privateness of our actions. How does that teaching relate to a practice of wearing ashes on our forehead?

I was reminded of Jesus words about the Pharisees in Matthew 23. He condemns them for "making their phylacteries wide." It seems as though the Pharisees were using their foreheads as a means of advertising their ability to keep the law (not unlike the fellow who rented his forehead for $37,000.00 to an anti-snoring company for advertising). Jesus condemns the Pharisees and their self-righteousness. Ashes, however, are a symbol of our sinfulness and mortality. When we received ashes (while Michael W. Smith's "Lord, Have Mercy" played), we advertised, not our righteousness, but our need for a Savior. This fits in with Joel's call to a sacred fast, and Paul's reminder that He without sin became sin for us, that we might become righteousness. Ultimately, our obedience to the call to confession and repentance results in forgiveness and the reward mentioned in Matthew 6--a seat at the banqueting table. We concluded our service with a time around the Table of Holy Communion, enjoying the forgiveness which is offered to us.

Reflections
As I reflect upon the last few weeks, I am certainly ready to return to the lectionary. I have a much harder time with topical preaching, and prefer to simply work a single text to hear the message. It is incumbent upon topical preachers to ensure that we teach out of the text, instead of in to the text. By that I mean that I was constantly aware of the temptation to prooftext a thesis, instead of allowing the text to instruct the thesis.

The time away from the lectionary was necessary, and our stewardship series was important. I believe our services were meaningful, and the use of pre-recorded music served to give time for individual contemplation and prayer. It is my prayer that we would be inspired to give of ourselves completely in service to the Master.

As we move forward into the Lenten season, we will return to the lectionary, following the Gospel narratives each week, drawing upon the other texts as appropriate.

Grace and Peace,

PastorJon