What a Wonderful World - Oct 10

So, What comes after the plague?

When COVID has receded in concern to the level of the common cold, what are things do you look forward to the most?

probably been yearning for this way to much. have you?

when i ask that question - many selfish things come to mind

be able to eat out, etc.

be able to leisurely shop once again

travelling

eating in a restaurant

seeing friends w/o worries

giving hugs! getting hugs!

Pat Huhta hug - especially...

when i ask that question - much work comes to mind...

What work comes to your mind that we will need to do?

children will need extra attention

our economy will need focused work to recover

within our community of faith … some healing will need to take place

those who feel like we’re moving too fast

others who feel like we’re moving to slow

i’m going to need a sabbatical (!)

What lessons from the bible in general, or from the story of Exodus specifically, can we draw from in the days ahead?

when i ask that question - i wonder what the bible might have to teach us...

and almost immediately - my thoughts turn to the book of Exodus

on Wednesday nights in the future - we’ll be looking at Exodus

based loosely on the Pastors led bible study - that i’ve been conducting for several months now

We began in Genesis … and we’re just now getting to the beginning of Exodus

It has been a huge blessing to study the word of God this way - and i would encourage you all to join myself… and a handful of others in the study of God’s word… right now we’re meeting on Tuesdays, in the afternoon .. but we’re flexible...

So - right now we happen to be studying the plagues and the escape from bondage in Egypt...

which not-surprisingly sounds quite a bit like our day and age...

right down to our modern-day plague...

only at least once difference - is that instead of the first born being struck down

in our day and age - it is our elders...

and may we stop and pray for the family and friends of the two people who died from COVID in our community within the last couple days

i can only imagine what grief we might feel - if every family was touched…as the egyptians were

well - in the pastor led bible study...

we’re about to get to the section in the bible that contains today’s first lesson

and along the way....

one of the themes we’ve seen multiple times

is the getting of free stuff - specifically from the Egyptians

Abraham did it… through his cunning

the pharoah gave him

much livestock and other goodies..

Joseph & his brothers - recieved many valuables from the Egyptians...

and the nation of Israel did it again as they left Egypt

only this time it was gold and silver...

right before they were to leave ...

the Egyptians just GAVE them stuff; …

but undoubtedly it was this stuff that they later melted down into a golden calf...

otherwise - where would these recently released Egyptian slaves have gotten the gold and silver...

One of the observations we have made in our bible study ...is that these stories about getting stuff from Egypt must have been fun reading for Israel

Egyptians frequently came north and stole their stuff...

Israel - was on the highway - where they got it from both ends

i was recently talking with someone in the financial industry who said that personal savings in their institution was at an all-time high

i don’t know where each of you are.... in your finances...

and you certainly may not feel you are participating in the overall increase that this banker described…

surely many, many, many people aren’t

but for those who are feeling your bank balance has grown during this time...

let’s make sure that we prepare well…

so that - in the time after the epidemic -

we don’t squander what has been given to us …

like the people of God did -

who used what they had recieved to cast an idol of a bull...

in our Wednesday nights - exploring - what comes after the plague...

you may also recall that after the plague - the death of the firstborn children - that ...

the people were released from their bondage

lately i’ve been thinking about how this plague has released us from a bondage to the past

there are things we may - in our newfound freedom - want to explore

one example - MIGHT BE … Monday night worship services

lately i have heard of - more than a small handful of churches

moving to having worship services on Monday night

it may be a way of spreading out the gatherings of worshippers...

i still haven’t figured out why that would be a good thing...

and i’m not announcing we’re going to be doing that

but enough churches have started this that i have to wonder...

so - to use my example - perhaps we have been in bondage to thinking that

gathering together as christians HAS to happen on Sunday morning… maybe it doesn’t

Maybe that tradition has been a false god

this is one of the things… that life after the plague may show us

i have a feeling that there are going to be many, many other things we’ll be freed from along the way

Another key truth we can take from scripture is....

God calls us to a banquet - not a drive through

the image of the wedding feast in todays gospel conveys the joyous arrival of the messianic age that Jesus is to bring

It draws on many, many images from the Old Testament; that convey the image of a final salvation using the image of a banquet (isa 25:6)

“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.” (Isaiah 25:6, NRSV)

in the story...

the king’s son is the the messiah

those sent with invitations are the prophets & apostles

those who are invited but ignore the invitation or are provoked to violence are the elite

those called in from streets are sinners and gentiles

the burning of the city is an allusion to the destruction of Jerusalem which happened in 70ad

in v11 - the scene changes to the Last Judgement

the wedding garment corresponds to faith in Jesus...

it’s easy to get caught up in focusing on the one who is thrown out; which can become a distraction from the central truth of the parable...

but it’s a necessary distraction that speaks of the truth that some who are gathered into the community of faith - are really in rebellion to what God is trying to do....

And....What is God trying to do?

Gather us all together

and the host of this feast will go to great lengths,

extraordinary lengths...

and the host of the feast will look in improbable places, to extend invitations to others

regardless of status (either materially or spiritually)

It’s important to keep in mind that this parable was spoken to a very hierarchical world

a world - economically based on extortion

today still, many are concerned about government overreach…and they hearken back to these days ...

that left to it’s own, without checks - any governing entity can become a bully

and this parable points out that “the haves” - those who have farms or businesses … the economic elite

can easily become distracted by their affairs

but the host of the feast is interested in creating a place where everyone is called to join in… to meet one another - on equal terms;

as one family

the host of the feast is not establishing a spiritual drive through

where everyone is in their own car...

where everyone get their own meal...at their own time

it’s true - we’re in drive-through times now....literally...

but may these times prepare us to more fully enter into future times...

where participation is not on our terms…hermetically and spiritually sealed away from everyone

may this time prepare us - to fully participate in God’s invitation to a meal that is marked by radical inclusion

our bondage in the past is wanting to be fed in worship on our terms

and to be far less willing to feed others at the soup kitchen or hand out bags of groceries

we have wanted world hunger to end,

but we have hesitated to participate by giving up a meal or making a contribution

back to that poor fellow who gets thrown out… perhaps what is going on there - is the simple act of substitution - for someone who will fully participate...

on Thursday night I had the fun of watching the girls soccer game - it was hard fought to the end; this game was a reminder to me that when a coach thinks a player has lost focus… or a desire to fully participate ....to put their whole selves in the game.... game isn’t called off / forfeited.. but substitutions are made

- there is the bringing in fresh attitude and drive

if we think back to the days before COVID...

would you agree with me that we have been in a period of a loss of interest in our land - in the christian mission

some have wondered if Christianity’s demise is around the corner

fact is - the church is thriving...

just not so here...

what we have been lacking these days is a zeal and passion for joining in this kingdom work of gathering together

Coca-Cola has fulfilled their own version of the Great Commission

many times over.

They have virtually put a bottle of Coke

in everyone’s hand.

If they can do it with a soft drink,

we can certainly do it with the gospel.

know this...

the Lord will take whomever shows up… at the banquet

no questions asked...

It’s a beautiful vision…& a beautiful work that God calls us to...

What is the most beautiful thing to you about the work of Christians?

and in these times that feel so ugly

- in so many ways

what can get us back in the game -

can be a re-capturing … of a vision of the TRULY wonderful and BEAUTIFUL WORK that God calls us to...

This is the good news of the gospel;

Jesus Christ came to save sinners.

Paul says, “While we were still sinning,

Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:8, my trans.).

This is the gospel of Jesus Christ,

“The wages of sin is death,

but the free gift of God is eternal life” (Rom. 6:23).

This is the message that has captivated the world;

“For God so loved the world …

that whoever believes in him

shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NIV).

that is our party platform....

that is our rally cry

that is our call to dinner...

and when we do -

like wedding banquet tables of old

remember them?

before the plague

they were beautiful...

and we can make the world a beautiful place to

a place in which the only sufficient credential

like those little place cards - in wedding banquests

is a transformed life

transformed by the light of Christ...

Canon Farar - an episopalian priest said it well when he said:

Each human soul is like a cavern full of gems. The

casual observer glances into it

through some cranny,

and all looks dark and sullen and useless.

But let light enter into it and lo!

It will flash with crystals and amethysts

and quiver under the touch of brightness.

If souls do not shine before you

it is because you bring them no light

to make them shine.

Throw away your miserable,

smoldering,

fuming torch of conceit and hatred,

lift up to them the light of love, and lo!

They will arise and shine;

yea, flame and burn with an undreamt of glory” (Canon Farrar)

into the darkness of those around us these days...

let us cast the light of christ

and just see if the results aren’t brilliant

and beautiful

as beautiful as bride and groom

and banquet

in light

amen.