Who is Your God?

Who is Your God?

Grace, mercy and peace be unto you from God who is Creator, Christ and Comforter.  Amen

In your bulletin today there is a chart of the 10 Commandments from three different major religions in the world.  For those of you who went through confirmation in the Lutheran world, you will recognize the one labeled “Catholic” as the one you learned.  It is also the Decalogue (10 Commandments) for the Eastern Orthodox faiths.  Why show this to you?  Two reasons that I can think of…#1 –in Judeo/Christian understanding of the world, we all agree that Moses and God had a discussion and that the10 Commandments were essential for humans and God to have this new covenantal relationship.  And #2 – even with this understanding, there is some room for disagreement and change of emphasis. 

When the nation of Hebrews left Egypt, they left a polytheistic culture where the Pharaoh was a god.  There were people who in their journey could not give up the need for an image to pray to (there is the story of the golden calf, right).  In keeping with this history it becomes apparent that the need to remember as the first commandment that this God who called Moses from a burning bush to save them is ONE God, not many gods.  The Shema prayer, Hear O' Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One, starts many services in Jewish religious life today. 

When you look at the Catholic, Orthodox, and Lutheran church histories, we have had many artists and artisans who have created for our worship, statues, icons, paintings, mosaics, graphics of all kinds, to help us in our faith journey – especially as we moved into and out of the Dark Ages where most people were illiterate.  To have as a command “You shall not make for yourself a graven image” would be detrimental to most churches in our faith traditions.  This was an issue for Martin Luther as some of his followers started destroying the interior of churches and he put a swift stop to it – but not without great loss of artwork and some lives as people were trying to stop this destruction. 

When other Protestant traditions grew, the world was out of the Dark Ages, people were reading more for themselves, and life had a different focus – piety and devotion – devoid of statuary, paintings, icons, etc.  and the emphasis on individual salvation and sanctification was preached from pulpits.  Churches became plain and focused on the pulpit, table and cross.  Word, Meal, Jesus.  Today, more modern Protestant congregations don’t even have these foci.  Big screens, bands and singers, and a sage on the stage are what worship looks like. 

Is it not reasonable that the 10 Commandments would be altered to fit the context as the Christian community grew and changed?

There are some things that remain very clear, though the numbering is different. 

You shall have no other gods is the first consistent command in all three graphs. 

Why is that so important? 

What makes this such a big deal?

Why?  Because humans are humans.  We haven’t changed since the first story was written about us in the Garden of Eden.  We ALWAYS want to make something else a god besides God the Creator.  For Eve and Adam, it was making themselves equal to God.  For those Hebrews in the wilderness, it was a golden calf, or Moses himself as he came down from the mountain.  For some of the Jews of Jesus’ day, it was the Law that was god.

What is it for us today?  The temptations are all the same – money, power, prestige – or family, friends, relationships – or cars, clothes, shoes – or influence, longevity, youthful beauty – or stuff, electronic gadgets, technology – or … you name it.

I’ve never forgotten a stewardship specialist coming to our congregation in Albuquerque and saying, “if you want to know what is a person’s priorities, check the day planner and the checkbook.”  (OK, it’s dated – who has a day planner or a checkbook these days? Can we say handheld device’s calendar and bank info to make it more up-to-date)?   In other words, what do you spend your money, and your most important commodity, your time, on? 

We are celebrating our graduates today – high school and college – and the call for you as you move into the next phase of your life is to keep God first.  You know God.  God is the one who formed you in your mother’s womb, who celebrated your entry into the body of Christ at your baptism, who has walked with you as you were confirmed, who continues to walk with you as you move from graduation into this next part of your life – whether that be more schooling or first jobs.  God is always, always, always with you – part of your DNA – and will stay with you every day until your life’s end. 

Putting God first doesn’t mean you have to become one of those Christians who talks about God in every breath.  It does mean that you recognize that God is with you in every breath and every twist and turn of your life’s path.  God never promises that your life will not be without complications, or pain, or hard times – God promises to be WITH YOU in the complications, pain and hard times as well as those times when life is smooth, pain free and easy! 

You shall have no other gods – means that NOTHING can take the place of God first…not your family, or your girlfriend/boyfriend, or your job…because when it all comes down to it – God who created all things has given you your family, and your friends, and your talents and abilities.  It all is God’s – we simply get to use it for a time.

Not super-pious, but super-aware…that every breath, every gift, every growth we have been given is from God –who knows the exact number of hairs on your head, who created every cell of your body - loves you more than you will ever know, and thinks you are the most fabulous you ever! 

Your journey takes a new turn in this graduation season.  The rest of us get to burst with pride at your accomplishments and to celebrate you! 

All of this applies to the rest of us as well – You shall have no other gods – God is God and we are not! 

God goes with us in every breath, in every action and reaction, in every relationship and in every choice. 

God loves us – deeply, passionately, intimately – forever!  And every day we have to answer the question, “who/what will your god be today?” 

I pray for all of us the answer will always be – the Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  

Amen

 Posted by Mirtika in Bible, Christianity, Uncategorized

 

Relationships

Relationships

Grace, mercy and peace be unto you from God who is Creator, Christ and Comforter.  Amen

Relationships.  It’s all about relationships.  ALL of the 10 commandments deal with relationships.  The first three are about our all-important relationship with God, and the last ones are all about our relationships with each other. 

I don’t know if you’ve ever been bored enough in church to notice that the Small Catechism is in the back of our Book of Worship, starting on page 1160[i].  If you would like to participate in today’s sermon, please turn there – unless of course, you come from the era where you had to memorize the catechism, then pull open that drawer in your memory files! 

In true catechetical style, Martin Luther wrote the 10 commandment section in the question/answer format.  The Teacher – (in the case of the Small Catechism, the teacher was to be the parent) – states the commandment and asks the question: What is this?/What does this mean? The student answers, and in the case of the 10 Commandments, each answer starts with, We are to fear and love God…

How fitting that the first commandment we deal with on this Father’s Day is the 4^th one,  “Honor your father and your mother.”  Let’s read together the answer…We are to fear and love God, so that we neither despise nor anger our parents and others in authority, but instead honor, serve, obey, love and respect them. 

What has Luther done here?  He has moved the idea of parenthood beyond the biological into the greater world.  We are to honor our parents, and we are to honor those in authority. 

In my pastoral life I cannot tell you how often I have heard comments like this from people in regard to the fifth commandment, “Well, I’ve never killed anyone!”  I’m pretty sure most of us sitting here can say that we have never physically taken another person’s life. 

Though on this Quilts of Valor Day, there are those of you who have served in the armed forces who may have a different reality.  War is a totally different story…a story that needs to be told….In Article XVI of the Augsburg Confession, Martin Luther states: Earthly peace depends upon political power, and, therefore, in the service of peace government may "punish evildoers with the sword" and "engage in just wars." 

What to do with “You shall not murder” in the day where mass shootings happen in our country on a weekly basis?  And when people are convoluting our nation’s Second Amendment to include bearing arms that go far beyond our founding father’s wildest dreams?  The right to bear arms in the 2^nd Amendment is for the creation of militias!  We now have well-armed military branches that work for our common good…and I am so grateful that we have them!  That said, I believe that people who want guns should have them.  Simultaneously, I also believe those guns should be licensed, regulated, and issued under the strictest of laws with teeth enough to severely punish those who break those laws – just like we do with cars.  You may differ with me, and that’s okay, another reason why it’s so awesome to live in the United States!  Let’s read Luther’s explanation, We are to fear and love God, so that we neither endanger nor harm the lives of our neighbors, but instead help and support them in all of life’s needs. 

In response to those who say, “I never killed anyone,” I always ask, “Have you gossiped? Have you talked behind someone’s back?  Have you ever dissed someone? All of these things are a form of murder, too.” 

The 6^th commandment is an interesting one to teach in confirmation!  Middle School students are too young to have spouses.  Adultery has the word adult in it, right?  Right.  So, here’s what I’ve done – I had the students stand in a circle and hand them each a Hershey’s Kiss.  Holding it in their left hand, they look at it, smell it, unwrap it, and place it on their tongue.  Then, take it out, and wrap it back up.  Unwrap, take a tiny bite, wrap it back up.  Repeat.  Then, take it out, place it on the tongue and let it melt a bit, now wrap it back up.  Then, hand it to the person on their left by saying, “Here, darling, here is a special gift I’ve been saving just for you.” 

Everyone is grossed out!  And not one person want’s the person on the right’s “special gift.”  That’s adultery, I say.  Every time you play with the gift of sex, you are messing with that ultimate gift of your whole self, that you someday may give to your spouse. 

Stealing.  The 7^th commandment seems so easy.  If it’s not yours, don’t take it!  Let’s read the explanation: We are to fear and love God, so that we neither take our neighbor’s money or property nor acquire them by using shoddy merchandise or crooked deals, but instead help them to improve and protect their property and income.

Luther complicates this whole commandment by helping us realize that even though we may not take what’s not ours, we may be complicit in stealing anyway.  Ugh!

Bearing false witness.  Don’t lie.  Simple enough, right?  What does Luther say? Let’s read: We are to fear and love God, so that we do not tell lies about our neighbors, betray or slander them, or destroy their reputations.  Instead, we are to come to their defense, speak well of them, and interpret everything they do in the best possible light. 

[pause]

Anyone feeling particularly good this morning after reading all of this?  I know I’m not!  Every time I read the 10 Commandments and their explanations, I realize that I cannot live a day without breaking at least one of them. 

Today’s Gospel lesson comes from the beginning of the story of the Good Samaritan.  I think Jesus is trying to tell that young man, and us as we sit here this morning, that we are to do our very best every day for everyone we encounter – regardless of race, religion, culture or creed.  

We will be woefully inadequate to meet the needs of today’s world individually – and collectively we will still be inadequate for the needs are so real, so tangible, so in our face that we could lose hope. 

Then, I think of the legend of the starfish…

A vacationing businessman was walking along a beach when he saw a young boy.  
Along the shore were many starfish that had been washed up by the tide and were sure to die before the tide returned.  The boy walked slowly along the shore and occasionally reached down and tossed the beached starfish back into the ocean.

The businessman, hoping to teach the boy a little lesson in common sense, walked up to the boy and said, "I have been watching what you are doing, son.
You have a good heart, and I know you mean well, but do you realize how many beaches there are around here and how many starfish are dying on every beach every day.

Surely such an industrious and kind hearted boy such as yourself could find something better to do with your time.  Do you really think that what you are doing is going to make a difference?"

The boy looked up at the man, and then he looked down at a starfish by his feet. He picked up the starfish, and as he gently tossed it back into the ocean, he said, "It makes a difference to that one.”

Pray with me.  Jesus, beloved boy on the beach, thank you for making a difference in our lives, today.  You pick us up and toss us back into the ocean of your love, as we confess our inadequacy of living your way of love and grace, of peace and compassion in our world.  Wash us again and again and make us more like you, seeing YOU in our neighbor.  Renew us, revive us, restore us and our relationships…so that we can be the kind of neighbor you would have us be for the sake of the world.  Amen.

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[i] Small Catechism. Evangelical Lutheran Worship, pew edition. Augsburg Fortress, 2006.