Finding God in Film and Literature
In June, we begin a new series, Finding God in Film and Literature. We want to know where you have seen God in the world lately? Especially what movie have you seen or book you have read where you felt a God connection. Post your reviews here and we'll be on our way to collecting a great summer viewing and reading list!
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name
40 Days with the Lord's Prayer
February 28-March 1, 2009
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Luke 11:1-13
In the year 1535, Peter Beskendorf, a barber and friend of Martin Luther asked Luther for his advice concerning prayer. Luther responded by writing a long letter called "How One Should Pray, for Master Peter the Barber."
The first thing Luther does in prayer is to prepare his own heart. ("It is of great importance that the heart be made ready and eager for prayer.") To do so, he might read the 10 commandments and their explanations from the catechism, or he might read from the psalms, or from the words of Jesus, or from one of Paul's letters, or a command from God in scripture that we should pray and that God will answer.
Then, when his heart has been warmed and is intent upon the matter, he confesses to God that he is an unworthy sinner. "But because thou hast commanded us all to pray and hast promised to hear us and through thy dear Son Jesus Christ has taught us both how and what to pray, I come to thee in obedience to thy word, trusting in thy gracious promise." ("Here I come, dear Father, and pray not of my own accord nor because of my own unworthiness, but at your commandment and promise, which cannot fail or deceive me." LC, 21)
Then he prays the Lord's Prayer through, word for word. And then he returns to focus on one part of the prayer and expand upon it. Luther advises Peter to let his heart be guided and stirred by the thoughts which are derived from this way of meditating on the Lord's Prayer. "It may happen occasionally that I may get lost among so many ideas in one petition that I forego the other six. If such an abundance of good thoughts comes to us we ought to disregard the other petitions, make room for such thoughts, listen in silence, and under no circumstances obstruct them. The Holy Spirit himself preaches here, and one word of his sermon is far better than a thousand of our prayers. Many times I have learned more from one prayer than I might have learned from much reading and speculation."
According to Luther, you can pray the Lord's Prayer thousands of times and not even taste it. The best way to pray it is to listen to all the thoughts it brings into your mind and heart. Let it become an experience of listening to God, listening to what God wants, listening to what God would teach you. That's what prayer can become. That must be what the disciples of Jesus observed when they witnessed the impact of prayer in Jesus' life.
Through the praying of Jesus, the disciples began to see that prayer was more than a religious duty; it could be the vital connection between God and themselves. "From the beginning to the end of Jesus' ministry, his disciples had a front-row seat to watch the greatest pray-er who ever prayed. And as they watched, they saw him filled with peace, wisdom, spiritual power, and grace. When Jesus prayed, they saw things happen." (Ortberg, Praying With Power, 12)
In our gospel reading, (Luke 11:1-4) the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray in that way. Jesus gives his followers a prayer form, (what we call the Lord's Prayer, but which might better be called a Model Prayer or the Disciple's Prayer).
This prayer form wasn't intended to become a ritualized prayer, that is recited from memory without thought. As we hear from Luther, and as the disciples saw in Jesus, it's benefit would be found more from the listening side than from the speaking side.
That's where we can also grow in prayer. The Lord's Prayer has become so familiar to Christians that we can recite it without even thinking about what we are saying (even in under 10 seconds). That is why we are spending 40 days with the Lord's Prayer this Lenten season, taking the prayer one petition at a time, so we may to pause to think about what we are praying (when we pray this prayer), so that we may pray this prayer with understanding and so that it may become for us a rich resource for meditation and communication with God.
Today we begin with the opening lines of this prayer:
Our Father…..in heaven…..hallowed be your name.
Together these opening words of the Lord's Prayer form a kind of paradox. God, the creator of all is "a transcendent God, a God to stand in awe of, a God clothed in mystery. God cannot be contained in any ideology or even theology." (French, Lenten Journey: 40 Days with the Lord's Prayer, 27) And yet God is our loving parent, desiring that we know him intimately.
God is called by many names in the Old Testament: Strong One, Rock, Refuge, King of Kings, and Most High. When God reveals himself to Moses, he uses the term Yahweh: which may be translated as: I am who I am, or I will be what I will be, or simply: I am (Ex 3:13-15) God is other. "In ancient Israel, the name of God was considered so holy that it was not to be spoken or written." (French, 32)
In the Old Testament, God is described and describes himself as a Father to his people, Israel. But in the New Testament, there is something quite new with the word Jesus uses to refer to God - "abba." It is one of the words children use for their parents (abba and imma, like our mommy and daddy). "Abba" was an everyday word, a family word. "No Jew would have dared to address God in this (intimate) manner. Jesus did it always, in all his prayers which are handed down to us." (Jeremias, The Prayers of Jesus, p. 97)
When Jesus invites us to speak to God as "our Father," even our "daddy," we can be assured of several things:
- First, that God the Father wants to meet us in prayer. That God is accessible, waiting to listen to us, and to talk with us, like a mother to her child.
It means that we that we can approach God with a simple childlike confidence and trust.
- Jesus goes on to describe God as the ideal parent who provides us with what we need. Jesus says that human parents have their obvious weaknesses, but in general they give their children the things they need. If human parents provide their children with the things they need, then how much more will the perfect parent, our Creator, give us what we need –the Holy Spirit.
- By calling God our Father, we do not mean to say that God is masculine
or of the male gender. God does not possess our human traits. God is also portrayed in the Bible as having qualities attributed to females: like nurturer, life-giver, comforter. But God is neither male nor female. "The words father and mother both make the point Jesus was making when he taught his followers to pray 'Our Father.' We are dependent upon God as a child to a parent. We are to obey God as a child obeys a parent, trusting that whatever God asks of us will be good for us. We are to respect and love God as a child respects and loves a parent,
when the parental relationship is grounded in love and care for the child." (French, 25)
German pastor Helmut Thielicke puts it this way: Even more important that presenting our prayer petitions is our entering into communion, into a personal relationship with God the Father. The greatest blessing of prayer "does not consist of our receiving the specific things we have prayed for…We learn that the happy gift of prayer consists in receiving the fellowship of the Father, that he gives us his whole heart—that we can accept everything from his hand." (Thielicke, The Lord's Prayer, 37, 39) That's what it means to pray to God as Father.
After way pray "our Father," we then pray "Hallowed be your name." Which means, may your name be held holy. Of all the things Jesus teaches that we need to pray about, honoring God's name is first on the list. Why is that?
When we pray "hallowed be your name," we begin the prayer with praise and worship of God. Praising the Lord sets the tone for the entire prayer. Adoration of God puts us in the right frame of mind: we are reminded whom we are addressing, whose presence we have entered. We give God the honor and reverence due God.
(We are reminded that God is God and we are not. God doesn't need reminding that God's name should be holy—we need to be reminded of it.)
A Japanese solider approached a wise teacher. "I have mastered all of the martial arts," he said calmly. "I have risen to the highest rank possible for a man of my training. I now wish to learn about the spiritual life. Can you help me?" The teacher smiled and invited the man to sit at the table. "Let us have a cup of tea," before we talk further." After the soldier sat down, the teacher began to pour the tea into the man's cup. He filled the cup and kept on pouring until the tea was running over the table onto the floor. The soldier watched dumbfounded until he could no longer be silent. "Stop! It is full! The cup will not hold more tea!" Placing the teapot on the table, the teacher addressed the soldier, "You are so full of yourself that there is no room for God. It is not possible for you to learn, until you empty yourself." (White, Stories for the Journey, p. 63)
When we pray, hallowed be your name, we are led to ask ourselves: Whose name am I seeking to honor? God's name? Or my own? Here is Martin Luther's summary for this petition: "O dear Father, may your name he hallowed in us; that is, I confess and am sorry that I have dishonored your name so often and that in my arrogance I still defile your name by honoring my own. Therefore, help me by your grace so that I and my name become nothing, so that only you and your name and honor may live in me. (Exposition, 35-36)
Luther teaches us that we hallow God's name, we honor God's name, when we are
"gentle, merciful, chaste, just, truthful, guileless, friendly, peaceful, and kindly disposed toward all, even toward our enemies." Because the one in whose name we were baptized works these works in us.
I want to close the sermon by reading from the Psalms. Feel free to read along with me or to close your eyes and listen and meditate on what it means to hallow God's name. Here the psalmist gives us some excellent examples of honoring God's name. Psalm 95:1-7; 96:1-3; 97:1-6; 99:1-3; 100.
The psalmist invites to into praise and thanksgiving, as we honor God's name.
Transfiguration
Transfiguration, B
February 21-22, 2009
Mark 9:2-9
The transfiguration event on the mountaintop is a strange event; it not only puzzled Peter and the other 2 disciples, it has also continued to puzzle biblical scholars. (The first three sermons I preached while in college were all Transfiguration Sunday sermons. At the time, I thought it was because the day was usually near Valentines Day, and the pastor wanted to take that time off. But later I considered he might have taken that day off because it puzzled him as well.)
To begin to understand what is going on in this transfiguration event, we need to review what has happened in the gospel up to this point. We need to do a quick study of the highlights of the first half of Mark's gospel. We the readers know who Jesus is from the very first words of the gospel. "The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." (Mark 1:1) We know that Jesus is the Christ, that is, the Messiah, and the Son of God. However, those whom Jesus calls to follow don't know that much at the outset; they think of Jesus as a rabbi. (The identity of Jesus is going to be the primary question on their midterm exam.) Only as they follow Jesus in his ministry, do they begin to learn who Jesus is, and learn what Jesus wants to teach them. What do they learn? Let's begin in chapter 1 and walk with them.
In 1:14-15, Jesus announces the arrival of the kingdom of God. (The kingdom of God is somehow present in the person of Jesus.)
In 1:27, the disciples see that Jesus has authority over the evil spirits.
In 1:34, they see that Jesus has power over diseases.
In 2:9-12, they see that not only does Jesus have the power to cure diseases,
but that he also has the authority to forgive sins (and only God has that authority).
In 4:41, Jesus demonstrates an authority over the natural world (he controls the wind and sea).
In 5:41-43, Jesus demonstrates power over death.
Like God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Moses, in 6:41-44, Jesus provides the people with bread in the wilderness. (Just like the manna in the wilderness. And he does the same thing again for a gentile crowd in 8:6-9.)
The evidence is mounting. Surely the disciples now know who Jesus is, right?
In 8:14-21, they are in the boat with Jesus, and they realize that they forgot to bring bread. They have just participated in two miraculous feedings of large crowds.
They are sitting in the boat with the Bread of Life. And they're concerned about not having brought along enough bread. (8:17-18) They have eyes to see but cannot see. They have ears to hear, but do not hear. They don't understand. (It looks like they may fail the midterm.)
[Do you think that there might be some symbolism going on in the story about Jesus needing two tries to heal the blind man so that he can see clearly? 8:22-26]
Then we come to the heart of the gospel, the turning point. It's time for the midterm exam. What have the disciples learned? In 8:27-30, Jesus asks the disciples who people say he is. (Some think he's Elijah come back, or John the Baptist come back to life, or one of the other prophets.) But who do you say that I am? And Peter speaks up for them all: You are the Messiah. Thanks to Peter, the disciples get an A. But, as we'll see in a moment, it's a good thing it was multiple choice and not an essay question.
With that confession, (with the midterm exam completed), it is now time for the second half of the course. It is time for Jesus to tell his disciples more plainly what it means to follow him. What it means to live in the kingdom of God. And why they are heading to Jerusalem.
(Mark 8:31)
"Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again." Whoa, wait a minute. Peter corrects Jesus in protest. This is not the kind of Messiah he wants. Nor is it the kind of life he wants for himself. Jesus hears Peter's protests as one more ploy of Satan to lead him away from the path to the cross, and he confronts Peter. " Satan, get lost! Peter, get out of my way! You have no idea how God works." (Message)
Calling the crowd to join his disciples, Jesus says, " If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me and for the good news, you will save it. What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What could you give to get back your soul? (CEV)
Our gospel reading (9:2-9) picks up right there. Jesus leads Peter, James, and John up a high mountain. His appearance changes, right before their eyes. His clothes shimmer, glistening white, whiter than any bleach could make them. Then Elijah and Moses come into view, and they are in deep conversation with Jesus. Peter thinks this is a great moment and suggests they build three booths for Moses, Elijah and Jesus. A cloud moves overhead, and from deep in the cloud, a voice: "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." The next minute the disciples see only Jesus. Coming down the mountain, Jesus swears them to secrecy. "Don't tell anyone what you saw until after the Son of Man rises from the dead." They are puzzled also over that, wondering what on earth "rising from the dead" could mean. (Message)
What is going on here? The transfiguration event is for the three disciples. The disciples need to hear God's declaration about Jesus. The voice is for their benefit. Jesus is God's beloved Son. They are to listen to him (Verb tense means they are to continue to listen to him.) Jesus speaks the truth (what God wants). Yes, Jesus is the Messiah. Even though he doesn't look like what they might have expected, even though his teachings about his coming death in Jerusalem are the direct opposite of what they would have expected in a Messiah, Jesus is the son of God, Jesus is the Messiah, and they are to listen to him; they are to follow him.
Why do they need this mystical experience, this affirming word from God the Father? Jesus has just spoken to them about the reason they are heading for Jerusalem (his death), and what it means to follow him (deny self, take up cross and follow). They do not understand nor do they want to understand. (Having eyes they cannot see; having ears they cannot hear.)
The road now leads to Jerusalem. Up until this moment, it has been rather easy to follow Jesus. From here forward, it's going to be harder and harder. It's going to be a difficult second half of the term. (And the disciples are going to need some remedial work to understand this message about following to the cross and denying themselves. Jesus reviews it with them 2 more times (Mark 9:31-32 and Mark 10:32-34.)
It's going to be a difficult second half of the term. The road to the cross is a difficult journey. Many will not make the sacrifice. (10:17-31 - If he who has everything will have difficulty, then who can be saved?)
In Mark 13 we hear that following Jesus will involve suffering and rejection for his followers.
It's going to be a difficult second half of the term. The final exam is about the cross. In the Garden of Gethsemane, we see the agony of Jesus as he prepares to give his life on the cross for the world. For the Gospel of Mark, the cross is where we see the identity of Jesus revealed. On the cross, Jesus reveals the compassion of God, a suffering love for the world, the forgiveness of sin, the reconciling of the world to himself.
How strange. How difficult to comprehend. God, who is all-powerful, hides himself in weakness. God, who is all wise, hides himself in foolishness. God, who is life, hides himself in death. (1 Corinthians 1:18-25)
The transfiguration event is a vision to help the disciples follow Jesus all the way to the cross. To go with Jesus even when it looks like he is giving in to evil. To listen to Jesus when it sounds like he does not understand the role of a Messiah.
To follow Jesus into the places of power where he will certainly be crushed. To learn that the way of Jesus is the way of death and resurrection. To learn from Jesus how to deny oneself and take up one's cross. To learn from Jesus that the cross is where we see God, and suffering is where we know God's strength. (2 Corinthians 12) To learn from Jesus that the call to follow Jesus is at once our death and our life, a new identity, a new life in Jesus Christ. (The transfiguration event is what the disciples need to keep them following Jesus to the cross and to the resurrection.)
How did the disciples do on the final exam? Most did not make it to the cross, and they got an "incomplete" for the course. Mark mentions some women who watched the crucifixion from afar. And Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Jewish council, obtained permission to bury the body. And on Easter morning, some of the women, upon finding the tomb empty are given the message that the crucified Jesus is risen, and will meet the disciples in Galilee. Even though they got an "ioncomplete," their teacher will not give up on them.
Some biblical scholars think the story about the transfiguration is a misplaced story, that it belongs after the resurrection, instead of the middle of the gospel. I think not. The transfiguration event is a vision that draws the disciples forward, encourages them, and gives them hope for the difficult journey to Jerusalem and the events of Jesus' passion and death.
But it is also a sign. It is a sign that there will be a resurrection. Following the rejection and suffering and death, there will be a resurrection. The vision of Jesus shining so brightly is a message to the disciples. You won't understand this now, but remember this. Keep this picture in your heart. Remember this…this is how you will see Jesus on that day.
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