Fleeing from the Tomb

Mark 16:8-  “So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”

Each of the Gospels describes the story of the disciples reaction to the resurrected Jesus differently.  Matthew has the disciples receiving his message relatively calmly and  has them respond by going out on mission through Galilee and into all the world.  Luke and John have different accounts, but the core theme in both is that the disciples either don’t recognize Jesus or express doubt at his resurrection.  My favorite post-resurrection account by far is Mark’s in which he has the disciples respond to seeing the risen Christ by fleeing in fear and essentially hiding under a rock.

Doesn’t that seem like the mostly likely, and logical, reaction?  Your messiah, your rabbi, has just been brutally slain.  At any moment, you think you might be next.  Suddenly, that person that you know died seems to appear before you.  I can tell you, if my long deceased grandfather were to suddenly appear before me, I might hightail it out of the room myself.  At the very least, I’m making an appointment at the nearest psychiatrist's office.

Though Mark’s Gospel ends on a cliff hanger, we know that this wasn’t the last word.  After all, if they had remained under a rock, there would never have been an early church.  Eventually, they must have managed to dust themselves off, shed their fears and begin to engage in ministry.  They began to tell their stories, love one another, and the movement took off like a wildfire.

Now that the spectacular miracle of Easter has occurred, do we find ourselves energized and engaged in ministry, or hiding under a rock waiting for the air to clear?  When God comes calling, there is certainly a part of me that always wants to stay hidden.  What if Jesus wants something hard?  What if the Holy Spirit directs me out of my comfort zone?  These fears are real and, in large part, justified.  We too have to go through a process in which some aspects of our life may have to die so that we may be resurrected today as transformed individuals.  We can take comfort and should celebrate the face that Jesus loves us and will take care of us for all of eternity.  But we can’t rest in that.  When the living Christ appears, we must eventually dust ourselves off, emerge from the shadows, and step out into the world.

The Doubter vs. The Rock

1 Peter 1:3-9
John 20:19-31

Sermon

One of my favorite characters in all of scripture has been Thomas-  Doubting Thomas as he is often named.  Here’s a poor fool who just can’t accept good news when it comes to him.  His 10 closest friends, the other disciples, testify that they have seen and interacted with the living Lord, and yet, that isn’t enough for him.  He declares “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

This week’s lectionary seems to set up a clear contrast for Thomas.  As opposed to the doubt expressed in the Gospel reading, the letter attributed to Peter seems to testify to the rock solid nature of Peter’s faith.  After all-  is he not the one whom Jesus referred to as the rock by whom I’ll build my church?  He’s even given the nickname-  Cephus, which means rock.  His testimony is far more pious than Thomas-  he declares that Christ has “given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you”

So, clearly, this must be an object lesson for us.  Be like Peter- firm in our faith, and not like that dastardly Thomas, right?  That fits well with a message we hear at times in regards to faith.  If your faith is shaken, people are told that they need to go to church and “get right” with God.  If a grieving widow shakes her fist at God, she might be told that its wrong to blame God, that its wrong to say such horrible things, and instead she needs to remain strong.  

How are other kinds of doubts received?  If someone is unsure of an aspect of scripture, if they struggle with one part or another, can their faith be affirmed?  And what about theology?  Do we have room to question that?  Is our journey of faith set with Peter- the rock- on one side and Thomas-the doubter-on the other?  This being faith, the other betrayal, and we need to stick as close to this side as possible?  How do we know if we have crossed the line?

Let’s look at Thomas and Peter to see if we can make any kind of determination.  We’ll look at Thomas first-  this should be easy, we’ll just look for the point at which Jesus rebukes him-

“Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

Hmmm, Jesus does say “Do not doubt but believe,” but only after allowing Thomas the evidence he was looking for.  Rather than being rebuked, Thomas was given a chance by Jesus to explore his doubts.  It was through that exploration, and through coming in contact with the living Lord Jesus Christ, that Thomas is able to confess “My Lord and my God.”  Now lets imagine for a second that Thomas had simply taken his fellow disciples word for it-  he would never have needed Christ’s presence at all to declare his faith.  Jesus would never have needed to allow Thomas to explore his wounds.  No, it is only through doubt, and by admitting his doubts and exploring it, that Thomas experiences Christ.  

There is a story about a pastor who went to the leadership board of his church to hand in his resignation. He told them he had all sorts of doubts, and felt that he had lost his faith, and thus was convinced he should tender his resignation.

Now the congregation loved and revered their pastor.  So the board prayed about it, returned and announced that they refused to accept his resignation. "If what you are experiencing is doubt, then come and preach your doubts," they told him. 

The pastor stayed, and spoke about the doubts, issues, concerns and struggles that he was wrestling with.

After two years passed, he once again stood before the church's leadership council, this time to thank them for the opportunity they had given them. He had gone through the tunnel and had come out the other side, finding faith again in the process.

It was through exploring his doubts that the pastor could once again “find faith.”  I put “finding faith” in quotes because I am convinced that he was following his faith all along.  Something tugged at his soul.  Perhaps he had questions he needed to answer.  Perhaps he had some understandings about God that he needed to let go of.  Exploring those doubts was a way of affirming, rather than negating, faith.

So what about Peter than?  Even if we remove the stigma from Thomas, we still know that it is Peter- the rock- whom we should try to emulate.  I mean, if we have doubts we should explore them, but better to never have them in the first place, right?  Better to have a faith that is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.”

Peter must have been so revered by his fellow Christians.  I mean, a man of such strength and honor.  Let’s see what Paul had to say about this sterling of a man-

“But when Cephas (ooo, wow, he’s even using his nick name- the Rock, here comes the praise) came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood self-condemned... he used to eat with the Gentiles. But after they came, he drew back and kept himself separate for fear of the circumcision faction. And the other Jews joined him in this hypocrisy” - Galatians 2:11-13

Huh....not exactly what I was expecting.  Paul condemns Peter as a hypocrite.  He says that while Paul followed Jesus’ teachings about eating with the gentiles for a while, he eventually went back to the practice of only eating with fellow Jews.  And Peter preached to the church in Galacia that they should do the same-  they need to keep kosher and only associate with others who keep kosher.

Now isn’t this the very Peter who had a vision from God about it being ok to eat anything?  What is going on here?  Jesus had a table that was open for all, why is Peter closing it?  What is going on with this rock of faith?

Perhaps Peter earned the nickname for other reasons.  Perhaps the reason Peter was called Rock was that he was so stubborn that even a vision from God could only move him for a bit, before he resettled in his place.  Peter just seemed to be so sure about his ways, about his belief that being holy meant, in part, being circumcised and keeping kosher.  And, he certainly had a lot of evidence to support him-  remember- Jesus was a faithful Jew.  He was circumcised and most likely followed the the dietary law.  None of his critics accuse him of it.  So, why should Peter be swayed?  Yes, God gave him a vision, but apparently Peter’s faith was too strong to be swayed.  Even God could not induce lasting doubt in Peter.

So, what is faith then?  Is it keeping to the courage of our convictions, being the rock in a storm?  Or is it in expressing and exploring our doubts?  Rather than seeing doubt as something to fear, perhaps it can also “be celebrated as a vital part of our faith.”  Perhaps it is only in that environment that we can be open to the movement of the Holy spirit and can make a real decision.

Let’s take an example of two couples getting married.  One comes and says, “we are sooo looking forward to getting married.  We just know we are perfect for each other.  We will be married our entire lives and it will be blissful.”

Well, what do you say married couples?  Clearly, they are delusional!  Marriage is hard.  But, if you believe that all will be perfect, of course you will get married without doubting.  If a marriage only means bliss until death, is there a real decision here?

The other couple come and say-  “Well, we’ve decided to finally make the leap and get married.  Look, we know it is going to be hard.  And we certainly aren’t perfect.  Looking around in the world, we know there is a pretty decent chance this marriage may not stand the test of time.  But we love each other, and we want to give it a shot.”

Now here is a couple with their feet firmly planted on the ground.  They enter into marriage knowing full well the difficulties they might face.  “This is the very point when a real decision needs to be made....To decide for marriage knowing that all manner of things may conspire against the union is to make a truly daring and authentic decision.”  It’s to get married with one’s eyes wide open.

Let us engage in faith with our eyes wide open.  Let's not force them shut and cling tight, let our eyes be open to the way the spirit is moving among us.  Only a genuine faith can embrace doubt, can explore it, and be open to transformation.  Because it is when we are open, when we are honest, and when we express our concern, that Jesus Christ can appear to us, and say Peace.

Easter Sunday Message- Jesus Vs. the Zombies

Colossians 3:1-11

Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon

         

         I have spent much of the last two weeks getting ready for my first Holy Week as pastor.  The journey from Palm Sunday, to Maundy Thursday, to Good Friday, and finally to Easter is the high point of the Christian year.  When we engage fully in it, we participate in Christ’s entire journey through life, death and resurrection.

Sometimes, in the rush from Palm Sunday to Easter, I think we can pay short shrift to the importance of Jesus’ last meal with his disciples, the agonizing prayers Jesus offers up in Gethsemane, and his torture and death on the cross on Good Friday.  As such, David, Bert, Sue, Andy and I put in an extraordinary amount of time crafting services that would take you through the fullness of the Holy Week journey.  In culminated in the transformation you saw at the beginning of the service.

Sometime, maybe about Thursday or so, it occurred to me that I better figure out what I’m going to preach about on Sunday.  I had been so busy getting ready for Holy Week that I just simply hadn’t had time to really contemplate my Easter message until last this week.  And boy, then the pressure starts.  Since its my first Easter Sunday as a fully fledged pastor, I began to ponder just the right way to share with you the message of Christ’s resurrection.  After all, many of you have heard dozens of Easter messages, is there really anything meaningful that I can offer?

I was walking through a parking lot on Good Friday when it finally hit me.  God had put a message on my heart, and I began to get excited about the prospects of delivering it.  Why hadn’t this ever occurred to me before? It’s just a perfect and relevant metaphor for how we can, and cannot, understand Jesus’ resurrection from the tomb.  What was it that suddenly struck me, that one word that God provided to inspire this message?

Zombies.

Yes, the undead.  The title of today’s Easter sermon is Jesus vs. the Zombies.

There is no doubt that Zombies are all the rage in popular culture.  When AMC’s The Walking Dead debuted this last fall, over six million people tuned in to learn how a small group of survivors would fare in a world overrun with the undead.   In 2009, Jane Austin’s famous book was re-released as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies-  mashing up the full text to the revered book with a zombie epidemic set in 19th century England.  As reported by the Plain Dealer, this zombie epidemic even infected Case Western this past year as over 150 students participated over a 10-day period in a Humans Vs. Zombies game, replete with nerf guns, and official website, and a school sanctioned rule book.  Sorry Twilight fans, Vampires are out; Zombies are in.

So why on earth would I bring up Zombies today, on Easter morning of all things?

Well, it occurred to me there are some parallels between the undead and the Bible’s account of Jesus’ resurrection that are worth exploring.  

To become a Zombie, you must die, often a gruesome death.  Jesus died on the cross.  Check.

To become one of the undead, you must rise bodily from the grave.  Jesus’s tomb was indeed empty.  Check.

Through the touch of a Zombie, a human’s life is then fated to end, and they will be reanimated into a new and changed life.  When Jesus comes into our lives, we are called to die to our former life.  Though Jesus’ touch, our lives will indeed be transformed.  Check.

Zombies are mindless, destructive, murdering creatures that.....ok, so here the analogy begins to break down.  But that’s ok, I think you get my point.  For all its silliness or gore, there appears to be something tremendously attractive to our culture about the idea that death does not have the final say over our lives.  After all, isn’t that the technical understanding of the term un-dead?  Un- implies a reversal.  So therefore, to become un-dead is to reverse death and to overcome it.  

But in his resurrection, Christ shows us a way that is far superior than just celebrating not being dead.  Rather then being ghoulish, the resurrected Christ is fully alive.  He bursts forth out of the grave and wipes the tears of his followers.  Rather then being afraid, Mary and Mary Magadaline throw themselves at his feet and worship.  This is a man, our God, who radiates with life.  He tells the women, do not simple be content with the fact I have escaped death’s clutches.  I have a mission for you, and for all of my disciples.  Go to Galilee and you will see me.  Go to Galilee and join me in the work of bringing all of the world into the fullness of life.

And so, the disciples come, and Jesus gives them what we now call the great commission-  “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.”  You see, Jesus wasn’t content in having them celebrate that he who was dead is now undead.  No, this reversal of death’s power had a purpose-  it was to transform and save the entire world.

We as his followers can celebrate that we will also join with Christ’s victory over death.  But the question remains, are we going to simply be content with being un-dead, or are we going to be fully alive in our faith?

A faith that is simply un-dead stays put in its environment.  It might stagger to church weekly, but it doesn’t grow and learn.  An un-dead faith shuts off the mind, is content in its rigid way of looking at the world, and cannot wonder at the mysteries of our faith and the bigness of God’s grace in the world.  An un-dead faith cares little for the plight of the down trodden, the poor and starving in this world, no, it cares only for its own ability to continue on and escape the suffering of others.  As Paul puts it in his letter to the Colossians, an un-dead faith still engages and draws energy from the powers of death in this world- anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language.

No, as followers of Jesus Christ, as children of the resurrection, we are called to respond to the empty tomb by being fully alive in our faith.  Let’s not revel in our own ability to escape death, let’s actively go forth and try to fight against and wipe out the powers of death in this world.  Let us put to death our own prejudices, bitterness, desire to be mighty and right, and instead by transformed into resurrected people who love one another with body mind and soul.  Let us not merely sit in these pews, but go forth to combat hunger, and disease, war and violence.  Let us in all places and times push back the forces of death so that we can join with God in the creation of new and renewed life in this world.  Let us be so transformed by the resurrected Christ that our faith can be contagious, causing others to turn away from violence and self-centeredness and toward a Savior who is full of compassion and new life.

There are some in this world who worry that the church, maybe even our church, has become like a zombie.  That while we have our buildings, but we’ve lost our soul.  That our bodies are still present, but we seem to stagger about with little purpose or energy.  That the form of religion is present, but our vital faith is no more.  That we are more concerned with dogma rather than disease, politics over and above people.

Brothers and Sisters, on this Easter Sunday at Independence United Methodist Church, we are faced with a challenge.  Are we simply trying to survive, or are we looking to be transformed?  We will be happy that we are not dead, or will our Easter faith compel us to go forth and make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world?  Are we content to sit here in comfort, or are we ready to charge forth into Independence, or Seven Hills, or Parma, or maybe even Cleveland.  Are we willing to make Easter not just a story or a set of doctrines, but a way of living, a way that encompasses who we are and what we do every day of the week, every week of the year.

In sum, my friends, in this Easter season, are we seeking a faith that is merely undead, or yearning for one that is fully alive?

Choir Director Job Search

We are beginning a search for a new choir director at Independence UMC.  Below please find a copy of the job description.  If you are interested in the position, or would like a copy of the job description, please send us an email at iumc6615@sbcglobal.net.

INDEPENDENCE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Choir Director Job Description

Mission of the Position: The choir director is responsible for providing the leadership in the area of choral music. He/she is to use this position to develop an adult choir who is able to perform a wide variety of musical styles, both traditional and contemporary.

Supervision: The choir director is under the supervision of the Pastor and the Staff-Parish Relations Committee.

Qualifications:

1. Be able to explain to the choir the meaning behind the music selected and where it fits in the Christian experience.
2. Strong preference will be given to those who hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Music and/or have experience leading adult choirs.
3. Knowledge of a wide variety of musical styles and the ability to teach these varying styles to the choir.   Preference will be given to those with experience leading contemporary worship services.
4. Willingness to work cooperatively with the Pastor and Organist.
5. Possess effective interpersonal communication skills.
6. Possess good organizational skills.
7. Possess a positive attitude.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Develop a choir who is capable of singing both traditional and contemporary Christian music.
2. Develop a choir who is able to sing weekly at the traditional worship services and any other scheduled services including but not limited to Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Easter, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (falling on a Sunday). 
3. When requested, consult with and advise those arranging for special events (i.e. weddings, funerals, etc.)
4. Direct the choir during weekly Sunday worship services and lead weekly scheduled rehearsals.
5. Provide leadership and facilitate unity among the musical groups.
6. Work collaboratively with the Pastor and the Organist in the selection of choral music that reflects a wide variety of musical styles ranging from traditional music to contemporary praise and worship songs.  This may require periodic staff meetings.
7. Provide information to the church office on choral selection for each week.
8. Purchase choral music staying within the annual budget.
9. Work with the pastor to ensure that the music selected matches the primary themes and ideas of the service it is presented in.
10. Plan at least two outreach events each year that takes the choir beyond the walls of the congregation (or is effective in bringing visitors in).
11. Create an environment that encourages musical and spiritual growth.

Please send resumes to the Attention of the Choir Director Search Committee at

 iumc6615@sbcglobal.net or 6615 Brecksville Rd.  Independence, OH 44131

The Coming of a King

Scripture Texts:

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

Matthew 21: 1-11

Palm Sunday Sermon

There had never been such a buzz about town.  For so long, the city had suffered under bone weary oppression.  Though the people had gotten their hopes up about various leaders over time, inevitably they saw their hopes come crashing to the ground.  Leaders would come and go, but the devastation always remained.  One day, however, the city got wind that a new kind of King was coming to town.  And rather than being some savior from a distant land, it was one of their own who was promising to finally end their seasons of sorrow.  When the King arrived, the city spontaneously burst forth in joy.  The King has come to claim his crown!  Celebrate the coming of the King.  Our cities long nightmare has finally come to an end!  No longer will we be crushed by all of the foreign invaders.  We will finally have a kingdom of our own.  But, the parade of welcome didn’t lead to a victory parade.  Yes, there were good times, but it wasn’t quite what the people had hoped for.  But, the people’s faith remained.  Surely this king and his followers would eventually emerge victorious. Finally, when the definitive battle was at hand, the people waited for the king to leash out with his definitive blow.  And yet, in the critical moment, the king faltered.  Rather than mount a vigorous offensive, he seemed to give up with barely a fight.  Rather than being the answer to the people’s dreams, he just seemed like one more false messiah. Bitter mobs emerged who would burn their former King in effigy. For all those who had gotten their hopes up, they were now crushed beyond belief.  Those cries of Hosanna soon turned into bitter cries of rage.  Whereas once the people cried with jubilation, now they jeered in rage.    Never had a city been so disappointed.  

And thus, did the king take his talents to South Beach.

Oh, wait, didn’t you know I was talking about Lebron?  Did you think I was talking about some other King?

No, on this day when we cry out “Hosanna, Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord,” a different king came to mine.  In reading the story about Jesus’ triumphant entry, and in knowing the sudden shift from Palm Sunday to the torture and execution of Jesus on Good Friday, I wondered how a crowd could turn so quickly and so bitterly against the one that they had once loved.  And so it was that Lebron James came to mind.  I remember right where I was when I found out the Cavs won the lottery.  I was on camping down in West Virginia, but my friend and I hopped in his truck and drove around until we could pick up the WTAM signal.  When David Stern announced that the Cavs had won the lottery, we celebrated.  Ok, I celebrated, my friend just kind of looked at me strangely.  But finally, I thought, finally the stars have aligned for my city and we might finally see a championship.  

And yet, fast forward 7 years, and there I am again siting with baited breath.  But this time, its in a recliner in my living room.  After sitting through all that bs, Lebron finally announces that “he’s taking his talents to South Beach.”  I immediately turned off the television.  I can recall feeling a palpable sense of rage.  Now, I didn’t go out into the streets and riot, that sooo last century, I turned to facebook and soothed my angry soul by watching all of my facebook friends spew vitriol about this supposed king who was supposed to be different.

For those of us who are Cleveland sports fans, I think we were treated to a glimpse of the kind of emotional see-saw that we read about in scripture.  Jesus enters the city as the next great promise, only to see many in the crowds turn on him, betray him, deny him, and finally, crucify him.  But whereas it seemed to take 7 years for us to turn on Lebron, scripture seems to indicate it was only a matter of days for Jesus.  How could this be?  How can we go from screaming Hosanna to the Son of David to Crucify Him in just 6 short days?  What changed so fast?

We can make a few reasoned guesses.  First, perhaps we imagine too great a crowd when we picture Palm Sunday.  Though Jesus was certainly greeted by enthusiastic supporters, our best scholars says that he came in the back gate, out of the mountains, rather than in the main entrance into Jerusalem.  Its highly unlikely that the bulk of the city was there to great him, but probably some of the poorest of the poor who had heard rumors about a great leader who truly cared for their plight.  If we imagine the crowd to be a bit smaller than the whole city, perhaps we can understand how this small, deeply poor and powerless group, may not have been the crowd that was whipped up by the Pharisees to support their midnight trial and condemnation by Pontious Pilot.  Its entirely possible that many of Jesus’ supporters were simply shut out of the process, and once the sentence was passed, too afraid to publicly support him as he was led to the cross.

But, I don’t think that that can tell the entirety of the story.  I think many of the people also became gravely disappointed.  When Jesus entered the city, they were indeed expecting a great leader- perhaps even a Messiah.  They were seeking someone who would finally break the yoke of Roman oppression, would finally disturb the corrupt economic and spiritual practices of the temple elite, would finally establish a new, independent Jewish kingdom by retaking the throne of David and by empowering the poor and oppressed.

In fact, within the generational memory of that crowd, they had seen just that very thing occur.  You see, in 167 BCE, Israel was ruled by the corrupt and oppressive Seleucid empire.  While Jerusalem had long been controlled by foreigners, a new ruler- Antiochus IV had come to power in 175 BCE.  He unleashed a reign of terror, took on divine names, crushed a Jewish rebellion led by the high priest, outlawed the practice of Judaism, and desecrated the sacred temple by installing statues to Zeus and other Greek Gods.  And so, a family by the name of Maccabeus led a revolt, overthrew the Selucids, cleansed the temple, and established a new Jewish kingdom.  

They routed the Greeks and forced them out of Jerusalem and the Holy Land.  They cleansed the Temple, an occasion our Jewish friends still celebrate as Hanukkah.  When Simon Maccabee returned to Jerusalem, he was hailed as the great deliverer; and the people took palm branches and waved them in front of him as a sign of victory.  “You have freed us from the Greeks,” they cried.  “Hail to you”- 24 Hours that Changed the World

After signing a peace treaty with Rome in 161 BCE, the Jews had a kingdom of their own for over 100 years.  It was only in 37 BCE, when Herod the great was installed as King of Israel, that their dream of freedom and liberation came to an end.Yes, the very same Herod who was alive when Jesus was born.  And it was his son who ruled when Jesus entered triumphantly into Jerusalem. 

Can you see now maybe what the crowd expected.  It was only 60-70 years ago that Jerusalem had been the capital of an independent, Jewish state.  Its entirely possible that there was someone in the crowd who was old enough to remember it.  And it is certain that there were people there who grew up on their parents knee hearing stories about when Jerusalem was free.  And now, just like Simon Maccabeus not so long ago, a man rides into town talking about establishing a new kingdom on earth.

Hosanna.  Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna!

Jesus would overthrow the Romans and set the people free.

And yet, Jesus enters in and talks about loving the enemy.  He talks about rendering to Cesar what is Cesar’s.  Sure, he challenged the corruption at the temple, he even challenges the ultimate authority of the Romans, but he never puts together in army. In fact, when one of his followers begins to fight, Jesus reprimands him and cares for the wounds of the soldier there to arrest him.

I mean, what a disappointment.  Its just like Lebron-  we put all our hopes and dreams into someone, and they fail to follow through.

That is, when we put our hopes and dreams into the wrong thing. 

The people in the streets weren’t wrong to celebrate Christ’s coming into Jerusalem.  We too need to celebrate it.  Put we have to understand what, and who, we are welcoming.

If we are expecting a savior who will rule by might, we’re going to be disappointed.  

If we are expecting a savior who will tear down our enemies, we’re going to be disheartened.

If we are expecting a savior who blesses every power grab and the accumulation of wealth amongst the few, we’re going to be discouraged.

But, my brothers and sisters,

If you want a savior who has come for the meek and lowly, its time to celebrate.

If you want a savior who will turn this world upside down, its time to party.

If you want a savior who will sacrifice himself out of love for you, its time to throw a parade!

Living into the Connection

In the United Methodist Church, we talk quite a bit about our connection-  we testify about being part of a wider faith network that does considerable work in the world.  This is undoubtable true-  we can claim partial credit for relief work in Japan, for a growing church in the Congo, and for peace and justice efforts in the halls of Congress.  While the connection is strong in terms of financial and material support, it often breaks down at the personal level.  While we may know a few Methodists who go to other churches, we rarely form deep and lasting relationships with members of other churches or with other congregations.  Thus, when a church like Brooklyn Memorial or Broadway United Methodist closes, it can seem like a distant event that has nothing to do with us.  In reality, however, it weakens our entire connection and hampers our ability to effectively engage in ministry.  

Over the last couple months, I have been dreaming with a few other pastors and churches on the westside about how we can rekindle these relationships.  Each of our Methodist’s churches have unique gifts and abilities that could help to strengthen our individual congregations if we could just collaborate.  For instance, if we want to engage in transformative ministry on the near westside of Cleveland, we could draw from the skills and abilities of Pearl Rd. UMC in helping to guide our efforts.  If we want to build up our youth program, we could draw from Simpson UMC’s exciting efforts at building a vital program despite being a small member church. 

On Monday, May 2nd, we will have a unique opportunity to explore engaging in collaborative ministries.  At 7:00, Methodists from across the district will be gathering from 7:00-8:30 at Nehemiah mission to get to know each other and explore the unique gifts our churches can contribute to building up the work of Jesus on the Westside of Cleveland.  It is my sincere desire that many of you will join me in exploring just how we can engage in more vital ministry together with our Methodist brothers and sisters.  As part of this process, I ask all who are interested to stay for a brief meeting after church on May 1st as we identify our own gifts and dreams.  Together, we can live out Christ’s calling to transform our church and our world!

Journey to Jerusalem

Luke 9:51- When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.

Lent is a journey with a destination.  We enter into 40 days of confession and repentance not to punish ourselves, but to prepare ourselves for the journey.  When Jesus began his ministry, he knew that he was stirring up considerable controversy.  After all, you can’t challenge the political, economic, and religious leaders of the day without making a few enemies.  But, so long as Jesus stayed on the margins of society, it was likely that his trouble making would be ignored.  However, Jesus knew that it was one thing to preach in the fields, eventually, you have to take the message to the seat of power.

So, Jesus turned to Jerusalem and began the walk that would inevitable lead to his death.  Can you imagine the courage it took to begin that journey?  He had already found devoted followers.  He had already healed people and helped to transform lives.  Wouldn’t it have been easy for him to just keep doing what he was doing?  To never take a risk by embarking on a new phase of ministry?  What would we do if faced with that decision?  Would we be content to stay comfortable and work where no one will bother us, or would we have the courage to follow God’s will and take the greatest risk of all?

We are quickly approaching the destination of our own Lenten journey.  We are invited to join with Jesus as he enters Jerusalem, as he has a last meal with friends, as he is tried and crucified, and as he is resurrected on Easter morning.  Sometimes, however, I think we tend to want to skip straight from the joy of Palm Sunday to the joy of Easter Sunday.  In doing so, however, I think we miss a significant part of Jesus’ (and our own) journey.  Being a committed disciple does involve sacrifice at times, and it might even mean that parts of our life have to die so that we can be reborn as transformed people.  To facilitate experiencing the fullness of Jesus’ journey, we will be holding services on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.  I hope you can join us in the entirety of this Holy Week journey so that like Jesus, we may be reborn and empowered to change ourselves and our world.

May you have strength for the journey.