Unadorned hospitality ...

Meditate on God’s word with me:

Then they [Jesus and the apostles] arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs.

Jesus enters a city with his people, but they do not even have the opportunity to enter into a house of hospitality before he is greeted by a unlikely host. This outcast citizen is overrun with demons dwelling in him. He himself no longer able to dwell in a house, but must live naked in this unholy place: the cemetery.

When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me" — for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.)

When people are inhabited by many demons, to whom are we speaking when we talk with them? In this outlandish conversation, we might hear the voice of the man, the voice of an individual demon, and the voice of this community of demons. In this unholy place, the holy man Jesus stops his holy little tribe for a conversation with this dangerous and unholy person. This might seem foolishly dangerous to any observer, because even this man’s own people had chosen to chain him up, and to set guards to protect themselves from him. To have that talk, Jesus must create a safe space for that exchange, and make an opening for the voice of the man to speak, free of the oppression of this unholy community of demons. The true bondage of this man does not come from a chained body, but from a mind bound by the thoughts and control of others. To make that safe place, Jesus must set boundaries to godly hospitality; demons are not welcome among the holy.

Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?"

He said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.

Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

We often wonder why Jesus sent the demons into the pigs, the livelihood and food of this community, only to watch them tumble over a cliff to destruction. But is that the right question?

Jesus hospitably allows the demons to enter the pigs because it frees the man. This keeps the freed demons from finding homes in other human beings. Luke, though, does not tell us that Jesus went so far as to send the pigs to their death. The demons inhabited the pigs, and now the unholy community of demons with its unholy leader, Satan, was in charge of them.

I do not want to encourage you to think like Satan, but can we not see that he would delight in turning an entire community of people against Jesus? Would not the fastest way to block the work of Jesus among this people be to deprive them of their wealth, of their source of income or food? If Satan can make them fear the truth of the holy power of Jesus instead of celebrating the hope that it brings, perhaps he will not lose them. So, Satan could direct the herd into the lake, knowing full well that it will prompt a farewell instead of a welcome for Jesus from this community. After all, it should not surprise us that Satan would swiftly and mercilessly sacrifice a whole tribe of his own servants to prevent Jesus from enacting his mission of God’s hospitality to a single community.

When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.

The people find the strangest thing: this dangerous outcast, clothed and coherent, sitting in a place of hospitality with Jesus. Now that Jesus has passed through the moment of spiritual, physical, and social vulnerability to create this safe place for his people and this man, an open conversation is possible without the sacrifice of anyone’s holiness. It is still true that this man has been a demon-possessed outcast, but now there is a believable hope of restoration to relationship with his community and his God.

And they were afraid. Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.

Satan cannot make humans fear. Satan cannot force humans to prefer wealth over other humans, and especially the outcast. He only has the power to highlight the choice. Human beings choose to fear. Every day, humans choose their own fiscal security over the health and physical safety of others. We’ve become so good at it that we can even feel pious when we do it.

“Those people chose that lifestyle . . . .”

“Those people should expect consequences . . . .”

“Those people . . . .”

But when we choose cash over community, power over people, we send Jesus for a hike. Away from us.

The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.

Even when we send Jesus away, he does not give up on us. He makes use of his remnant, his outcast, to continue to offer hope, even where hope and healing have been rejected. This man becomes a sign of the hospitality of God, and a living enactment of that same hospitality.

May God choose to do the same with us.

Grace, and peace,

Ron

My heart instructs me ...

Hear the word of the Lord:

Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you."

As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble,
in whom is all my delight.

Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names upon my lips.

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
I have a goodly heritage.

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
I keep the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
my body also rests secure.
For you do not give me up to Sheol,
or let your faithful one see the Pit.

You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16 – NRSV

Grace and peace,

Ron

Learning his vocabulary

“I dedicated one whole year to learning how to live with a perpetual openness to Jesus as my present Teacher. I determined to learn his vocabulary: is he addressing me through those singing birds or that sad face? I sought to allow him to move through every action: my fingers while writing, my voice while speaking. My desire was to punctuate each minute with inward whisperings of adoration, praise, and thanksgiving. Often I failed for hours, even days at a time. But each time I came back and tried again. That year did many things for me, but it especially heightened my sense of expectancy in public worship. After all, he had graciously spoken to me in dozens of little ways throughout the week; he will certainly speak to me here as well. In addition, I found it increasingly easier to distinguish his voice from the blare of everyday life.

“When more than one or two come into public worship with a holy expectancy, it can change the atmosphere of a room. People who enter harried and distracted are drawn quickly into a sense of the silent Presence. Hearts and minds are lifted upward. The air becomes charged with expectancy.”
Richard Foster

I don’t think that any of us know what to expect when it comes to worship. Sometimes we walk into a worship service and we are already frustrated at the happenings of the day, and then we start getting distracted. You are worried about a relationship, you are upset that the song leader is singing too many songs you don’t know, you are tired, you may fall asleep, you have a problem with the sermon, or the minister, and the list keeps going on. When we focused on worship early on in this spiritual formation process I quoted the above thoughts from Richard Foster. What if we did enter into a worship service with this attitude? What if we entered into every day with this attitude? Can you imagine what would happen?

During one of our devotional experiences we lit candles and prayed and sang songs for close to 45 minutes. I thought that it was an amazing time of drawing nearer to God. So many of you felt the same way as I did and we walked away with such an uplifted spirit.

Psalm 63
O God, you are my God;
I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
where there is no water.

I have personally been thirsting for God ever since that moment. It was a longing, but it was something that even when I had those times of worship, it just left me wanting more. Did you feel that way? It was pure. It was holy. Do we desire more of that? I think we can all say a resounding yes. How can we try and make sure that it happens? We need to start by expecting God to work in the lives of those we work with, those we work for, and those we come in contact with every day. Spend some time in worship today. Take a few minutes and just sing, or put on some Christian music and just sing at the top of your voice. Pray constantly and deeply for those you love. Worship begins right where you are. You do not have to be in a pew on a Sunday morning to experience it. I am expecting things to change in the lives of those who are reading this right now. God, please bless each heart and help them to seek you and praise you with wholehearted devotion. The more we stay in the presence of God, the easier it becomes to see those worship moments every day of our lives.

Start expecting God to move and look around for the change.

Your fellow worshiper,

Jason

Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh ...

Hear the word of God:

Moshe said to God, “Look, when I appear before the people of Isra’el and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you’; and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?”

God said to Moshe, “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh [I am/will be what I am/will be],” and added, “Here is what to say to the people of Isra’el: ‘Ehyeh [I Am or I Will Be] has sent me to you.’” God said further to Moshe, “Say this to the people of Isra’el: ‘Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh [Adonai], the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya‘akov, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered generation after generation.

Go, gather the leaders of Isra’el together, and say to them, ‘Adonai, the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov, has appeared to me and said, “I have been paying close attention to you and have seen what is being done to you in Egypt; and I have said that I will lead you up out of the misery of Egypt to the land of the Kena‘ani, Hitti, Emori, P’rizi, Hivi and Y’vusi, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ They will heed what you say. Then you will come, you and the leaders of Isra’el, before the king of Egypt; and you will tell him, ‘Adonai, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now, please, let us go three days’ journey into the desert; so that we can sacrifice to Adonai our God.’ I know that the king of Egypt will not let you leave unless he is forced to do so. But I will reach out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will do there. After that, he will let you go. Moreover, I will make the Egyptians so well-disposed toward this people that when you go, you won’t go empty-handed. Rather, all the women will ask their neighbors and house guests for silver and gold jewelry and clothing, with which you will dress your own sons and daughters. In this way you will plunder the Egyptians.”
Ex 3:13-22 - CJB

People worshiped many gods in the time of Moses. Was Moses (Moshe) really confused about which god he was speaking to, or was he just imagining the struggle of telling other people that he has been conversing with God? I think the latter. So God gives his name, YHWH, or I am/will be. He then connects his identity with the ancestors of the Israelites who have worshiped him: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

At this time, many people believed that to have the name of a person was to potentially have power over that person. God did not fear this. But such was the respect of the people of God for the holiness and otherness of their God that when they encountered these four characters that they would not pronounce them, but instead would say, “Adonai,” which is Hebrew for Lord.

May we practice a reverence for the name of God, and teach our children a respect for the name of God, that is commensurate with the holiness, the otherness, and the mystery of our mighty God. Language is powerful, and although the language we use about our God cannot change who he is, it can change the way that we understand or relate to that God. Let us be holy people before our holy God.

Grace and peace,

Ron

It's all about bread

In 1 Samuel 25, the biblical historian tells this fascinating story about David. Having lost favor with King Saul, David has become an outcast hiding in the desert, the mountains, the desolate places in Palestine. Over time David accumulates a small army of fellow outcasts who accept him as their unquestioned leader. David's little army hides out in the vicinity of the huge estates of a very wealthy man, Nabal. Whether it is land, or grain, or animals, or servants, Nabal has exceedingly more of it than any one family can need or use. The presence of David and his cohort protects Nabal's prosperity from the violence which is frequent here in the outlands. Even the wild animals have a hard time getting to Nabal's flocks because of the shielding presence of these soldiers. And, unlike most wandering bands of soldiers, they are scrupulous about not taking any of Nabal's livestock for their own consumption. Nabal is, after all, a fellow child of Israel.

There is peace until the time of the sheep shearing. Then Nabal has his wife Abigail supervise this feast that is literally fit for a king. Except there is no king, and there are none of the king's people. Just Nabal. Nabal has enough food to gorge for days, and enough wine to stay drunk through the entire feast. David sends his men to ask for some food as a sign of hospitality and as a gift of thanks for the protection that they offer. Perhaps Nabal thinks like many people who read this story today: David is only some Mafioso who wants protection money. David is some guerilla whom loyalty to the king demands that he not support him (but a person who is too dangerous to report). Nabal hastily rebuffs them. His wealth is his wealth. This answer makes David furious. Just before David wipes Nabal and his people from the face of the earth, Abigail brings 200 loaves of bread and five cooked sheep (and a lot of other food and delicacies) to feed David's people. In a pinch. In a hurry. She saves the day, even though she cannot save her husband from the wrath of God.

Why is David so angry? Is it because his will has been thwarted? Is he really just some thug whose gang has been dishonored? If this is all that it is, then why is God angry enough to respond in this way? Some readers of the text say that the historian is only trying to cover up for the David that later becomes the king. I don't think so.

Nabal violates two different basic principles of his culture and Torah: the principle of hospitality and a principle of social justice - those without food must be fed. First, when someone comes to visit us, it is only good manners to offer them food and drink; we will not let them go hungry but will offer them the best of whatever we have available. Second, how can we stuff ourselves to the point of nausea and let the excess rot when there are those who live only minutes away who are going hungry? How can Nabal do this? How can we do this?

At the same time, these principles are somehow connected with this celebration, this feast of Nabal. If this celebration had any religious content or background (we can't be sure, but if it didn't, it should have), then how can a person celebrate their thankfulness to God in such a lavish way and know that someone on their porch remains hungry? Surely such behavior would make God furious. These same principles explain why Jesus is so careful to see to the feeding of those who have come to hear him.

Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way." The disciples said to him, "Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?" Jesus asked them, "How many loaves have you?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish." Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all of them ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Those who had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children.
Mt 15:32-39 - NRSV

Somehow, when we come together on the first day of the week to share communion, that solemn feast, that bread and that wine are connected with how we deal with bread the rest of the week. If we are to rightly celebrate this feast in the presence of God, wisdom and compassion (and perhaps even self-protection) require that we think about the needs for bread in our community and in our world. The Lord's Supper is a part of our weekly living, after all. It is sacred, but not separate. It is holy, but it is not wholly removed from how we live life.

Give us grateful hearts, our Father,
for all thy mercies, and
make us mindful of the needs of others;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
- Common Book of Prayer

God willing, we will talk more about this tomorrow.

For you I pray blessings, and the wisdom to use them wisely -

Ron