Clothe with greater honor, treat with greater respect

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.

13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many.

15 If the foot would say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body.

16 And if the ear would say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body.

17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?

18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.

19 If all were a single member, where would the body be?

20 As it is, there are many members, yet one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."

22 On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,

23 and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect;

24 whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member,

25 that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another.

26 If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues.

29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?

30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?

31 But strive for the greater gifts.

This is one of those many segments of Scripture that go SO much deeper than what you would get on a first read.  So read it again!...

done?

I've heard this passage a million times.  I know it precedes the infamous "love" chapter in 1 Corinthians 13.  I know the context of the letter is to churches and early believers who are not getting along and arguing on who has a greater hold on the truth.  I've heard this passage in Bible studies before talking about "spiritual gifts." We ask each other all the time "what are your spiritual gifts?".  We talk about how Christians disagree and need to "get along" better.

Like it has many times this year, BSM Bible study turned this scripture on it's head.  I led the Bible study and encountered the usual variety of homeless guests (around 10-15).  We talked about the nature of the body of Christ and the need to get along and work together.  We talked about the notion of all being equal in the Spirit.  This led into verse 23: "those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect;" I asked everyone what they thought of this and a few of them spoke up to say "the golden rule!" "treat others as you would want to be treated!" If this happened anywhere else, I may have just moved on, noting that they understand.

However, something caught me.  These people are struggling with homelessness and addiction.  They get by with what little change they can find and oftentimes don't get even a smile from people walking by.  This is the world they've become accustomed to.  By saying this passage meant following the golden rule, they were acknowledging their place in this world and not expecting much more than what they've received and are able to do to others.  I thought of my standards of "the golden rule" and realized they are probably much higher based on what I have been blessed with in my life.

This 1 Corinthians passage is MUCH deeper than the golden rule.  This is not telling us to "get along".  This is telling us to RADICALLY SHIFT how we relate to people.

22 On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,

26 If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

We can talk about getting along "in" our church and "with" other churches all we want.  We can talk about how the singers and the accountants are valuable elements to our congregation...but if we fail to acknowledge the WEAKER members of our society - those who go by NOT expecting to receive more than the lot they've been given in life....

we suffer.  we are not the body.

What does this mean for how we treat the poor in our nation and other nations?  Do they deserve fair living situations?  Do they deserve good school systems?  Do they deserve effective and cheap public transportation?  Do they deserve healthcare?

They deserve SO much more than these things.  We should clothe them with honor and respect!  Imagine the world we would face if we took this seriously!

The gifts of the spirit here are mentioned because we FAIL to acknowledge the gifts in ALL people.  This is a great disservice to the body of Christ.  This is not who we are called to be.

After all, we were ALL made to drink of the same Spirit.

a bigger God

I've been in a bit of a posting drought once again, but I'm finally getting around to it again!  There's a lot to reflect on from the past year and into this one.  For now, here's a post I'll be putting on www.thechurchisalive.com site soon:

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"College is a time when many young adults begin to think bigger about who God is and who the people of God are."

Cynthia Rigby spoke these words to 860 College students gathered for the Montreat College Conference.  She shared stories of her college experience, where she struggled with many notions of God she had known growing up and assumed as absolute truth.  Can't we all relate to struggling with scripture and understandings of God?  These moments can be frightening, as they can shake the very fiber of our being as who we know God to be.

Cynthia spoke of Kierkegaard's book "Fear and Trembling," based on the scripture passage that says "work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12-13)." This is a reminder that there are no guarantees apart from the relationship we have with God.  This is where our struggles with God reside, in a relationship that is based on who we know God to be.

Cynthia spoke of two ways of looking at our relationship with God.  The first is the one she struggled with once coming to college, a transactional "checklist" model.  In this model, every moment of our faith journey is spent trying to appease God and others, as if you are paying money and receiving blessings in response.  The other model is submission to what God is doing in the world.  This model does not reduce God to a transaction where we keep track of the "good" things we do for God and for others.  This model is a recognition of God's sovereignty and LOVE for God's people.  This LOVE is what we base our relationship with God in and understand God to work through.  This LOVE is represented in the life and work of Jesus Christ.

When we look to interpret what God is doing in the world, we often turn to scripture.  We must remember that the essence of scripture is the person of Jesus Christ.  God's loving relationship with us is our assurance of faith.  We need to remember that we don't have God figured out.  God is greater than we can conceive God to be.  God is greater than words in the Bible.  God is a loving relationship that is understood to us through Christ reflected in scripture.

Some people tend to forget that they actually do NOT have God figured out.  They do NOT have a direct line to God.

I speak of a particular person who shall remain nameless (to avoid giving him more recognition - he's mentioned halfway through this clip).

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
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This person spoke horrific words about the recent tragedy in Haiti.  He spoke from a position that expressed he knew God's motives, motives that were in violation of God's loving relationship with us.  Perhaps he should examine what it means to work out his salvation with fear and trembling?  Perhaps he should realize that God is MUCH bigger than who he sees God to be.

I'm grateful to see some wonderful responses to his comments:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/01/the_devil_writes_pat_robertson.html?ft=1&f=103943429/r:t

http://donmilleris.com/2010/01/13/1513/

As Donald Miller implies, we should have sympathy and reach out in love even to people with such comments.  This is not a chance to attack his position, but rather, a chance to make a more truthful position LOUDER.

Let us continue our prayers and support for the tragedy in Haiti.  God's love extends especially to the poor and downtrodden.  Let us continue to ask and wonder why this happens, yet never forget that God pulls us into relationship and calls us to reflect this love from our very being.

Scripture as Dialogue follow-up

In reference to my earlier post on scripture as dialogue, I once again invite you to read the BSM blog, "scribblings in the sand."

We used the Message translation of Isaiah 35 interspersed with prayers from our community.  It's a beautiful method that I invite you to try with your prayer life.  I also invite you to continue to read our BSM blog as often as possible.  Let it be a reminder of the voices God speaks through that are not often heard.

up in the air

Up in the air....

our futures, our present, how we interpret our past, our relationships, our jobs, our life callings...

I just came back from seeing this fantastic new movie and want to take a moment to reflect on it.

This movie follows the life of Ryan Bingham, a guy who is paid to fly all over the nation in order to fire people and provide severance packages in place of the boss.  From the very beginning, you see how this role plays out, as disgruntled employees react to the camera after hearing that they have been laid off.  Ryan remains stoic through this because he has seen it all.  He also asserts how this travel has become his home.  He has become accustomed to the grueling hours spent waiting for planes and going through security.  He takes great pleasure in the people he meets along the way, all the while remaining free from attachments to anyone of significance, even family.  Along his travels, he also speaks at conferences about "baggage" we carry around.  Among this baggage, he mentions, is family and friends.  He says that while some species are created to live symbiotically, humans are not.  Ryan has become accustomed to being the loner who flies around to tell them their jobs have been terminated.

Pretty soon, his business picks up a new young female employee who is hired to advance the company into the technology world through video conferencing.  However, she is given the role to travel along with Ryan in order to get a sense for how these conferences with soon to be fired employees plays itself out.  She is very naive to this world he lives in. She soon begins to see him as a mentor in dealing with these conversations.  Before too long, she discovers Ryan's disdain for human connection and becomes disgusted.

Meanwhile, Ryan meets a new woman with a very similar lifestyle who he begins to fall for.  They acknowledge a fleeting relationship built on keeping each other company on the road.  However, as Ryan's sister's wedding approaches, he feels the need to invite her along.  At this wedding, he begins to see how his distance from family and friends has hurt him.  He begins to long for intimacy.

Without spoiling the climactic ending, I will just say that he soon learns that the world he has created is one that he cannot escape.  However, he begins to see this in a new light.  He begins to see that humans are indeed symbiotic creatures, that need to live and love with one another and for one another.  He gains a new perspective on his role on the road and as one who delivers bad news.

The movie ends with moving testimonials of people who have been "laid off."  Once again, speaking to the camera, these people give moving affirmations of the need for family and friends to love and support through such life transitions.

These situations and messages are very timely to us here and now.  I think of my life here at BSM - constantly in conversation with people who have been laid-off, or without jobs for a long period of time. I have no doubt that all would affirm the need for friends and family to live with them during their struggles.  This is what has drawn many into the fold of BSM - the need for community, for love and support.

This is also why I find myself writing on this blog - knowing that YOU out there reading are family and friends who are supporting me.  So, thanks!

We all need places we call "home" that truly are so.  Of course you may consider your current location home.  You may consider hanging out with friends home.  You may consider the town you grew up in as home...

However, is your home a place that you are willing to carry on your back, knowing that it is also carrying you at the same time?

Scripture as Dialogue

Isaiah 35
1The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus 2it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of theLord, the majesty of our God. 3Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.”
5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; 7the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. 8A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. 9No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there.10And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Scripture is meant for dialogue. When we engage a text, we should have a conversation with it, letting it seep over us, within us, and speak through us.

At Bible Study tonight, we read our week's worth of prayer cards aloud as usual. However, we interspersed the readings this week with segments of this scripture from Isaiah 35. The result was a dialogue that embodied the hopes and fears of the BSM community. Many of those present this evening were themselves homeless, in a wilderness. They were easily able to place themselves within this text as the prayers were read. They noticed the struggles AND the hope within this text.

Scripture should speak to us in every time and place. We can never relegate a text to being out of touch, out of date, or irrelevant. Isaiah was speaking to the Israelites in exile to give them promise and hope for better. Within this is the call to be attentive to prophecy, to seek the glory of the Lord and the good for all people. Thus, this text speaks to us with similar messages of hope and promise. It reminds us that God carries us through the times of difficulty, when we find ourselves in the wilderness, and sets us back on our feet. We should be joyful as we seek this out and help others seek this out.

As one of our friends said tonight:

There's a way back.

making space in advent

My good seminary friend Mark visited me in Philly a couple of Sundays ago.  He came to worship at BSM Sunday evening.  When I told him that we are now setting up dinner tables in the sanctuary immediately following worship, he responded with a look of realization "Of COURSE you do!  Of course you eat in the same place that you worship." 

Mark helped me realize that I had been taking these amazing moments for granted.  Over the past few weeks, we've been able to move all our meals upstairs to the sanctuary (thanks to removing of pews and re-finishing of a gorgeous floor).  The mood of the meals and the hospitality of the place has been AMAZING.  Beyond this is the deep theological significance my friend Mark helped me realize.  Table fellowship with people who are hungry and tired from being seen as less than human is a powerful experience.  Sharing food and conversation with people in need of both is truly a worshipful moment, and rightfully belongs in a SPACE such as a sanctuary.

Space is a funny thing.  We often dismiss its importance, placing emphasis on people instead.  Whereas the latter should always have priority, perhaps we should not always be so dismissive of the importance of space.  The environment we create gives a message.  What is our message?

We've been using our newly designed space a LOT over the past week.  Here's a recap:

TUESDAY, we hosted World AIDS Day at BSM.  The space was used for a meal, performances, and speakers, all recognizing the travesty of AIDS in our communities and the importance in taking action to promote awareness and support.  

WEDNESDAY, we worked all morning to set up an interactive timeline throughout the sanctuary for the Congregational Action Partnership meeting.  We took groups of supporting church members through our timeline, giving a full vision of where BSM has been and where it hopes to go.  

WEDNESDAY EVENING, we rushed to clear out the displays in order to set up our usual Wednesday evening meal.

THURSDAY, we took away the displays in order to prepare the space for our weekly Breaking Bread lunch and service provisions.

THURSDAY EVENING, we set up the space for a very moving memorial service for the son of a wonderful couple at one of our church communities.  

(Are you wondering why I didn't get around to posting last week?  Whew!)

So what is the message we draw from this space this week?  I've never experienced one place serve so many purposes over such a short period of time.  They were all very unique, yet seemed to still say the same thing: When we gather as community, we worship.  The week began in a solemn reminder of the plagues of this world, along with a great feeling of solidarity and comfort for the afflicted.  We moved into a celebration of God's movement through our time.  The meals we have together remind us of the physical nature of being in relationship, and the ability to provide for those in need.  At the end of the day, however, we are once again reminded of our own mortality, and the need for solidarity and comfort for the afflicted.  

Finding the message out of a hectic week can be difficult, yet it is what the advent season calls us to do: seek out the message of hope in the midst of despair and clutter.  

Because at the end of a hectic week, we can always remember (as Tony Campolo likes to remind us...): Sssssssunday's coming!  At the end of such a wild week, we always know that we will soon gather in worship to lead us on through another week.

Recognize the space you are in and find the message it is telling you!

Advent waiting

So this post is from a week ago...

Just a brief update:  I went to Augusta and NC for thanksgiving week, got to see some good friends and family.  Up to that point and into this week, we've been working hard on preparing the many advent offerings at BSM and Arch St. Presbyterian.  These offerings include: a Sunday morning lectionary Bible study at Arch St (first one in 30 something years!), a mid-week advent service, particularly aimed at the business community in the vicinity during the afternoon, and a Bible study experience at BSM with a project that carries over into the worship service.  Needless to say, this has given us seminary interns plenty to busy ourselves with amidst the usual craziness!

It is in the midst of this craziness that we must ALL take time to put ourselves in advent mode.  This means an active waiting and participation in God's ability to bring peace and comfort. We must continuously be aware of how God can move and surprise us in every situation.  Advent must be spent in eager anticipation of new life and opportunities.

It's easy to lose this in the midst of all that happens in our lives and the madness of this time of year.

Happy Advent everyone!