Pastor Erika Spaet from Story Dwelling in Bend, Oregon gave today's sermon. Story Dwelling financially is a collaborative effort between the Lutherans (ELCA) and the Methodists (UMC) financially. Yet organizationally it is less about being Lutheran and Methodist, and more about community, belonging and meaning-making that transforms.
Story Dwelling values community organizing and an expansive theology that emphasizes relationship, inclusion, and tradition. They proudly maintain this is a church where no one has to check their intellect, politics, body, identity and story at the door.
Pastor Erika's sermon was on the Gospel of Luke 18:1-8 and it was instantly clear she was dwelling in the text that introduces and closes this reading, together with this parable itself. She offered a different perspective than the standard one around this Gospel which appears to chiefly comment on persistence in prayer with could be summarized with the almost formulaic admonishment "If at first you don't succeed try, try again".
She started by identifing verse 1 as what she called a "conversation closer". To her ear the summary of "Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart" was not an invitation into the parable but seemed to make a close reading this parable unnecessary. She observed that when scripture is quoted in the Christian tradition it can be used to close dialog about it. A sort of "The Bible (God) said it, I believe it and that settles it."
One need look no further than the recent headlines about mega-pastor John MacArthur's remarks towards Living Proof Ministries founder Beth Moore to see how this kind of reading works. In support of his opinion that women shouldn't be preachers he said, “There’s no case that can be made biblically for a woman preacher. Period, paragraph, end of discussion.”
Quoting scripture can be more of a conversation opener in the Jewish tradition, where there is frequently the invitation to examine the scripture more deeply.
Pastor Erika brought a different flavor by bringing in other translations and connotations of the original words. For instance, providing the connotations of vengeance which exist around the word translated here as justice. This opens the parable up in a different way. An examination of the relationship between justice and vengeance seems to be warranted and can be fruitful.
Today's First Reading was the Genesis 32:22-31 story of Jacob wrestling with God. As a result of this wrestling God blesses Jacob with a new name. And with this reading the wrestling with God becomes evident. This became a Sunday for those of us who do not exactly match the picture of submissive sainthood on the holy cards. This was more a Sunday for the demanding believer. The readings provide refreshing corrections to the mistaken idea that faith is the same as passive acceptance. Here faith is defined as the stubborn refusal to let God off the hook. And our comfortable vision of a loving God is challenged with Jacob's all-night fight.
From our perspective the "judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people" invites the question who can make this judgement on another man or God and does anyone have the standing to determine if God is granting justice or meting out vengeance at any given moment.
During his "Christian phase" Bob Dylan wrote a song When He Returns. It starts with these words:
The iron hand it ain’t no match for the iron rod
The strongest wall will crumble and fall to a mighty God
For all those who have eyes and all those who have ears
It is only He who can reduce me to tears
Don’t you cry and don’t you die and don’t you burn
For like a thief in the night, He’ll replace wrong with right
When He returns
And ends with these words:
Surrender your crown on this blood-stained ground, take off your mask
He sees your deeds, He knows your needs even before you ask
How long can you falsify and deny what is real?
How long can you hate yourself for the weakness you conceal?
Of every earthly plan that be known to man, He is unconcerned
He’s got plans of His own to set up His throne
When He returns
Understanding of God's love may lead to man not fearing God as the more tribal god was feared in the Old Testament. Some might see this as a more complacent understanding of God's judgement. This parable may serve as a reminder that, like the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard, God's justice is not easy to extrapolate or understand by how humankind measures justice.
God is compared to a thief in Matthew, Thessalonians and Revelation. This is often reduced to the concept that no one expects the time when a thief comes. This also could assert that God may appear to be on the other side of what humankind might be typically consider justice. This exposes a shadow side of our human lives we don't like revealed. Jesus is crucified with thieves and, we find, crucified in solidarity with the powerless people and communities in our world who are too easily labeled in any society as the law-breakers
By example, examine the last verse of today's Gospel, "I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" Where does Jesus find and identify faith on earth. There may be others but I think of these straight away:
- The centurion who believes Jesus will heal his slave, even from a distance
- The sinful woman who anoints Jesus’ feet and loves much
- Friends of the paralytic who are willing to dig through a roof
- The bleeding, unclean woman who touches Jesus’ clothes in the crowd and is healed
- The Samaritan leper, whose gratitude turns him back to Jesus where he falls at his feet in thanksgiving
- The blind beggar later in this chapter who sees Jesus for who he is and calls to him
The choir, led by Jon and Matt sang the Medley: Sing the Greatness of Our God. This was their first offering of the year and there were strong songs of faith included. This also made me think of faith as it applies to social and individual justice. The struggles become deeper and more challenging. Our individual faiths challenge one another.
It may be said that God rewards those who won’t let go but, for me, "try, try again" is not a viable way to not let go. For me, wrestling will likely be involved. Wrestling with an expansive theology, an incomplete understanding of God, and a true way to live. I don't know if I always pray this but I do fight not to lose heart.
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