Where is the Church: Jesus, Christians, and COVID-19? Blog #3: The Least of These

       The third blog, entitled, The Least of These uses words from Matthew 25:40. “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” Before these words are spoken, Jesus tells two parables, one about Ten Virgins, whose message is about preparation. The second parable tells the story of the Ten Talents. This second parable’s message is about investment, stewardship of “the master’s resources.” Immediately before the quote regarding the least of these is the story, sometimes called “The Final Judgement.” In the Final Judgement, those who cared for the hungry, naked, and imprisoned will be judged as having fed, clothed, and visited Jesus. The one who ministered to Jesus are called righteous and have eternal life as their reward.

            I believe Jesus would categorize the least of these, which typically includes the homeless, children, and the elderly has grown to include those with compromised immune systems. Economic challenges that are a consequence of shelter-in orders add to this list, the furloughed, and those working in so-called essential industries. This list, I am sure, is much more extensive than this.  As mentioned in my first blog, within these identified groups of people to whom we minister are sub-groups who are systemically oppressed. This adds additional layers to their suffering.

“A pandemic such as this exposes and exacerbates the social disparities that have plagued and continue to plague our society--pun intended!”[1] New sources have identified multiples ways that there have been unequal and inequitable responses to the pandemic. An earlier blog has also identified the ways the pandemic has been used to justify increased oppression. This statement is exemplified in the events that have occurred since stay-at-home orders have been issued.

I am not to saying that there aren’t and haven’t been efforts to feed, clothe, and welcome. I am arguing that while it is easier to tend to physical needs, what is often forgotten is the attention to systemic injustices that causes the needs in the first place. If our country had been considering its preparedness for a pandemic like the Ten Virgins, we would not be making heart-breaking decisions about who is provided with a ventilator and who isn’t. If we had been better stewards of our knowledge and resources, perhaps those working essential jobs would have the items that would keep them safe from infection. When Jesus said in Mark 14, “the poor you will always have with you,” he was referring to this tendency. He was identifying that the poor will always be present because of the institutional reasons for their poverty will always be present.

The parables that proceeded the story of the final judgment are apropos. They tell stories about preparedness and about stewardship. These two items are vital if we are to care about and for the “least of these.” The pandemic has shed a spotlight on who the least of these might be. It is up to God’s people, the body of the Church to step up and to minister. By minister, I mean to go beyond the material. I call for the Body of Christ to be active in working so that the new normal will be one in which justice reigns and we don’t need to feed, to free, or to clothe because everyone has enough to eat and clean water to drink. The poor won’t be with us because the poor do not exist; all resources are distributed equitably.  

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[1] Demian Wheeler, email Message to Yolanda Y. Williams, April 22, 2020.

Where is the Church: Jesus, Christians, and COVID-19? Blog #2: Freedom

            In the previous blog, I spoke about the Church's response to the othering that has been a result of COVID-19 orders and recommendations. In this blog, I want to respond to the use of the term, freedom as an argument to disavow orders and recommendations put in place to flatten the curve on virus infections. Reports from news sources have documented protests in Wisconsin, Colorado, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, Utah, Western New York state and Washington, and Pennsylvania

The New York Times reports, "…at least 316 million people in at least 42 states, three counties, ten cities, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are being urged to stay home."[1] 

For some, the issue is concern personal freedoms and the government's intrusion into those rights. 

If I get sick, then I am going to bear the consequences of my getting sick. If anybody else gets sick, they bear the consequences of their free choice without government coercion to do so. That's what this is about.[2]

           Interestingly, we, at least most of us, do not argue against the government's intrusions that make illegal murder. By limiting one person's freedom to murder, you save a potential victim or victims. The same would be true for other crimes. The argument I am presenting here is that our government restricts the personal freedoms of others all of the time for the sake of all members of society. The intriguing questions asked by Damato are, "What kinds of communicable diseases function to void one's right of free movement? How deadly does the disease have to be? How contagious?"[3] These questions are not about whether or not freedoms should be impinged upon, but concern who, what, why, and when should determine personal freedom should be restricted.

            There are more than 100 verses in the Bible talking about freedom. The call of God's representative is to proclaim freedom.[4] One of the purposes of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection was to offer freedom.[5]  The writers of the Psalms and the Epistles identify freedom as one of the gifts and characteristics of the faithful.[6] This makes it clear that freedom is not just an American value. It is a value of the Triune God. 

            Freedom for most is experienced in mobility, and the ability to live life on one's own terms. The Bible appears to differ with this definition. The letter to the Galatians reads, "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."[7]  Jesus used his personal freedom as ways to confront and to right injustices. In this way, freedom is not to serve the individual; freedom is to serve the community. Our freedom is to be exercised to provide grace. Our exercises of personal freedom are always to be focused on delivering the invitation and welcome discussed in the previous blog. 

I exercise my personal freedom to cover my face with a mask, to eat and socialize at home, not because I might be sick or they might be sick, but because this distance offers grace to both of us. I chose to follow the rules of personal distancing because it is in this exercise of my personal freedom that I reflect the love of God, self, and neighbor. As a Methodist, my practice of personal freedom is informed by three simple rules, Do No Harm. Do Good. Stay in love with God.[8]

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[1] Vanessa Swales, Patricia Mazzei, and Baker Baker, “See Which States and Cities Have Told Residents to Stay at Home,” The New York Times (New York, April 20, 2020), https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-stay-at-home-order.html.

[2] CNN, “Protests Erupt Again over Coronavirus Shelter-in-Place Orders. Here’s Why Some Governors Aren’t Budging,” Newsdesk@CBS58.Com (Milwaukee, April 20, 2020).

[3] David S. Damato, “Civil Liberties Under Attack During COVID-19.”

[4] Isaiah 61

[5] John 8:32

[6] Isaiah, 61. Gal. 2, 4, 5, and 8, 2 Cor. 3: 17, Rom. 8, 1 Peter 2:16, Ephesians 2:8

[7] Galatians 5:13 ESV

[8] Rueben P. Job, Three Simple Rules (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2010).

Where is the Church: Jesus, Christians, and COVID-19?

Jesus and Social Distancing

            This blog partially fulfills the required coursework for TR5001 Public Theology. The course taught by Dr. Demian Wheeler is offered at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in St. Paul, MN. The blog having multiple parts will share my thoughts and provide theological support on exploring the question, "Where is the Church in COVID-19."

           Social distancing is an unfortunate term. Though it makes a great sound bite, it is too reminiscent of our histories of "othering" and the tragedies perpetrated in the name of social distancing. I suppose physical distancing as a motto was just not sexy enough. It does not roll off the tongue as easily as social distancing. While recent commercials and public service announcements have attempted to clarify social distancing as the recommended six-feet distance between people, the term has already caught on. Fueling the sense that we are distancing ourselves socially, is the fact that restaurants are bars are closed to eat-in and drink-in traffic. The truth is that something else is also occurring socially, and by socially, I mean societally and culturally.

Social distancing, while well-meaning, has had adverse effects. One would expect covering one's face to have an equalizing impact on the population. This has not been true in the United States. This is because everything, and I mean everything in the United States, is filtered through its system of otherism.[1] Otherism relegates a human being to a non-person status.

People, already treated as others and hypervisible because of skin tone and facial features, have been made even more visible by orders to "shelter in." Othered people with so-called Asian features have become targets for violence. Othered Black and Brown people, more visible because they work in essential industries, are targeted both for wearing masks and for refusing to wear a mask. All are more susceptible to becoming infected because they work in industries not currently set up to allow for six-foot distances between workers and because they also live in neighborhoods not always provided with adequate access to health services.

            Jesus also lived in a time in which otherism was systemic. Otherism was practiced as a part of religious purity and socially. Strict rules existed regarding with whom to socialize and who to touch and not to touch. The stories of Jesus' ministry recorded in the Gospels tell us that Jesus broke the rules of social distancing, whether enacted to provide religious purity or enacted as a part of societal distancing. Many of the charges leveled against Jesus included his habit of being in the presence of sinful people. The writers of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke record the Pharisees questioning Jesus' practice of socially interacting with tax collectors and sinners.[2] Jesus' habit was to confront otherism by offering others' seats at his table, by inviting them into to be in close contact with him, by using them as examples of Godly living, and by physically touching them.[3]

Jesus does not break these rules of societal distancing because he is an anarchist. Jesus believes in following rules (Mk. 12:17), but Jesus makes it clear that there are religious and systemic practices that are wrong. The ruler used to determine that practices are wrong is when a practice is used to deny others access to the community, to grace, and God. Additionally, Jesus' actions argue that the effect criminalizing an individual, a group, or a practice or of using the label sinner denies a person access to the same living conditions, economic benefits, healthcare, and mobility enjoyed by the so-called holy. I submit by breaking specific laws of purity, Jesus was arguing that when religious laws create hierarchies and power structures that deny access to grace, those laws are neither holy nor do they provide a path to purity. I further submit that when our holy practices are used to deny access to grace, those who practice purity become less holy than those who they have identified as sinners.

           There was a point being made by Jesus' choices to break purity laws that advocated social distancing. The point being made is not about washing hands, maintaining a distance of 6-feet between you and non-household members, or not participating in groups of more than ten. Jesus is advocating the evaluation and re-evaluation of systemic societal distancing that separate our society into haves and have nots, insiders and outsiders, the holy and the holy, the touchable, and the untouchable.

This evaluation and re-evaluation of our systemic ways of social distancing are essential for those of us in religious settings. As religious leaders, our talk is often peppered with wide-eyed statements using the terms radical welcome and invitation. What is often missed in the living out of our sound bite commitments is an intense conversation about systemic social distancing that prevents radical welcome or invitation. Perhaps we should begin with the revelation to the Apostle Peter in the book of Acts, chapter 10. Through visions and face-to-face experiences, Peter discovered that followers of Christ should not call anything that God has created, unclean. I would extend this interpretation to include not just anything but anyone God has created.

The Church, in my opinion, has been mostly silent on justice in ministering in this season of COVID-19. Most congregations have been preoccupied with how to stream their worship services and how to recover lost income due to the lack of face-to-face contact with financial supporters. Yet, it is the Church that is uniquely called to live out the ministry of Jesus. Loving God with all of our hearts, souls, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves[4]  is antithetical to criminalizing and denying others access to the good things our country has to offer.

I will admit efforts to make and distribute masks is a wonderful endeavor, but there is much, much more that needs to be done. Letters and phone calls need to be made to our leaders in government and our police department superintendents. The retailers and those in power in transportation need to be called out for practicing otherism. This is precisely the time when the Church needs to use its voice and ability to call for justice. We have the time. We have the means. What's left now is the courage to use our influence to right the wrongs of society. The Church needs to stop complaining and worrying about its survival and start prioritizing the survival of God's creation, humans, included, just like Jesus did.

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[1] Joel Snell, “Otherism,” Education 138, no. 3 (2018): 271.

[2] Matthew 9:10-17, Mark 2:15-22, Luke 5:29-39 NIV

[3] Some examples are found in Mt. 8, 12, 14, 21, Luke 4, 5, 6, 9, Mark 3, 6

[4] Deuteronomy 6:4-7, Matthew 22:37-40,Mark 12:30-31,Luke 10:27

Sleep One

Opening Prayer:  Lord, we are all tired. Like David, we are filled with anguish and at points throughout the day overcome by distress and sorrow. Shower your love and peace on us. Refresh us. Cause us to sit by still waters that we may find rest. Amen.

Scripture: Psalm 116: 1-7 New International Version(NIV)

I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord:

“Lord, save me!” The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the unwary; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.

Message: Facebook has been abuzz with scholarship about the ways sleep patterns have been affected by COVID-19. For some dreams have been vivid and for others, insomnia has increased. Scholars have also identified daytime sleepiness due to the amount of screen time most of us have had to endure. It brings me a little comfort knowing that sleep disturbances are nothing new and that they will not be permanent. If you are experiencing this, I offer practices seen in this portion of David’s song documented in Psalm 116. I pray that it will refresh your spirit and allow you to rest, even if you cannot sleep well.

Sing out!  David cries to God in the ways most healing to him, using music.

Remember.  I used to listen to bible preaching on my AM radio. I can’t remember who it was now, but there was a female preacher who used to use the term “build the forms.” She related a Christian acting regardless of the evidence to construction workers who build a form before pouring in concrete. I often think that this is what I do. I try to ignore my built-in tendencies to worry, to be fearful, and to place more trust in what can be known through human evidence over what I know to be true about God and the way God cares for me. Not easy, I know. I am hoping “practice makes perfect,” or at least consistent.

The singer-songwriter, David trusts that God has heard him because he remembers the times when God did hear him. If you cannot hear God now or if you think God is not hearing you now, can you think of a time when this was not true? When was it that you were sure that God heard you? Take that memory like a gemstone and ponder it. Turn it over reliving the moment when you were sure you were heard by God, and you heard God.

Acknowledge how you are feeling. Does it feel like there are cords or death entangling your heart or that dark anguish of the grave is hanging over you like a suffocating cloud? Are you, like David stressed out?

Call on the name of the Lord. In this case, David is referring to the name YHWH. The great I Am. Let’s take a moment to unpack this. You might remember that God identified himself as YHWH to Moses in Exodus. The name I Am is powerful. It is a name that has no beginning or end. It is existence itself. YHWH is self-sufficient and self-sustaining. For me, I Am has the quality of being both a noun and a verb. The name is active, and it is a classification of uniqueness. When I think of the act of God providing a name it also means intimacy. Our modern, civilized, industrial world does not value a name in the same ways traditional cultures do. In providing a name, God is giving us insight into God’s character and essence. Knowing this is the character, the essence of the God I serve allows me to have confidence in God’s ability to hear and to respond. This brings me comfort, even when I am unsure that anything is happening, or when what is happening contradicts my faith.

Turn your mind, heart, and spirit toward faith. You’ve built the form. You’ve poured in your faith even though it might be dim and weakened. Now reinforce the drying period with what you know to be true about God. “The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the unwary; when I was brought low, he saved me.”

Rest, even if you cannot sleep. “Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord, has been good to you.”

Closing Prayer: Lord I ask your blessings, your grace, and your mercies to rest on all who are unable to sleep and unable to rest. Knowing that your mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23) I can have confidence that this prayer is being answered and is answered every day. Amen.

You Are Witnesses

Opening Prayer: Good morning Lord. The Easter Lilies have been offered. Our rejoicings of “Alleluia” and “He is Risen. He is Risen Indeed” have now echoed out and have become dim by the silence and the monotony of “sheltering in.” Help me to remain physically distant but with a revived, resurrected spirit, reach out into the world of fear, loneliness, and mistrust bringing the light of the Resurrected Christ.

Reading: Luke24:35-48 New International Version (NIV)

Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

Message: The early Post-Resurrection stories of Jesus have common elements. Jesus appears and greets them with peace. Afraid, the disciples believe he is a ghost. Jesus proves he is incarnate. The disciples believe. Jesus teaches them from the scriptures. There are a few items that I want to highlight in this reading. The first is the inability of the disciples to trust, and the last is our responsibility as witnesses.

           After all that Jesus had been to the disciples, why were they unable to trust his words? According to Dr. Jeffrey A. Simpson, "Trust involves the juxtaposition of people's loftiest hopes and aspirations with their deepest worries and fears." This description makes it clear why so many people have trouble trusting. The possibility of pain and betrayal overshadows the benefits of intimacy sought through the offer of trust.

           Simpson's conclusion applies well to this situation. The lofty aspirations of the disciples included the overthrow of the Roman Empire. There may have been hopes for individual fame and economic benefits as well. Perhaps for the disciples, the events of Palm Sunday confirmed the possibility that their hopes and dreams would be realized. The arrest, trial, torture, and crucifixion of Jesus would have all but deflated those hopes and aspirations. The ensuing fear that they would be next to be tried and sentenced to death further eroded any hope that Jesus' promises were worthy of trust. The disciples are situated between their hopes and aspirations and their deepest worries and fears.

The disciples left their families, homes, and means of income to follow Jesus. They learned to love Jesus and what Jesus stood for. The disciples witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus. Admittedly, this experience would have added weight to the possibility that Jesus could be resurrected. Jesus was consistent, believable. Whatever Jesus said he would do, he did. There is no conflict between Jesus' words and Jesus' actions. Jesus is trustworthy. And yet, when it came time to trust Jesus and His words, the disciples found it almost impossible.

Jesus is patient and kind. He gives them the physical, sensory-filled evidence they need. Jesus adds to that the spiritual food they need. 

It is important to note that Jesus tells the disciples that this comfort, this faith-building is not to be just for their benefit. "This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things." No, God comforts us, binds our wounds, and feeds us so that the health and strength we acquire through his care can be used to heal and strengthen others. We are to be witnesses to the things of God. In this time, as always, it is essential that we care for ourselves and our loved ones, then to look beyond the closed doors of our safe spaces to the world that is also in need.

Closing Prayer: Lord you know me. Knowing me, you also know how many times I have trusted only to have that trust betrayed. Offering trust, belief in trust is difficult. Help me to know that there is one place where I will never be betrayed. When I place my trust in you, I can be confident that you hear me and that your nature is to always offer me grace. Help my life, in all the ways I live it to bear witness to your resurrection power. Amen!

“Just the Facts, Ma’am” ~Joe Friday

Opening Prayer: Open our eyes Lord, I want to see Jesus to reach out and touch you and say that “I love you.” Amen. ~Bob Cull

Reading: Luke 24:13-35 (NIV)

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.” He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So, he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

Message: The men were walking along the Emmaus road, focused on the events of the prior week. They perceive the events of Jesus’ last week from only the context of human understanding. "Just the facts, Ma’am" as the character Joe Friday from the movie Dragnet was fond of saying. Throughout Jesus' resurrection appearances, he urges his disciples to perceive and to interpret by faith, not by sight. This situation is no different. The first response from Jesus to the facts and interpretation given by the two disciples is “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” (verses 25-26) It is clear that Jesus wants the disciples to put two and two together. It is also clear, in this case, that the answer of four is to be enhanced by all of the scriptures “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets."

It is easy to draw a straight line using only what can be experienced with human sight, intellect, and reason. The problem is the straight line you may be drawing may be missing some key elements. If you are not an architect or a sketch artist, you may miss the myriad of hues they see when they draw a straight line. The sum of four that is acquired by adding two and two together may not include any of the nuance and the beauty that mathematicians see when they do math. Our understanding of what God has done through Jesus’ life and resurrection cannot be understood outside of the context of God’s abiding and covenanted love. We cannot walk by sight alone [1], and we cannot live on bread alone [2] because when we walk and live in these ways, we lose the depth and breadth of what is ours through Christ Jesus. Close your eyes for a moment and believe.

Closing Prayer: “Draw me nearer, nearer precious Lord to the cross where thou hast died. Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord to thy precious bleeding side.” ~Doane and Crosby

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[1] 2 Corinthians 5:7

[2] Matthew 4:4

The Humble Victor

Opening Prayer:  Lord be with me as I continue to live this life of being sheltered in. Remind me to keep in my prayers, those for whom sheltering in is not an option. Help me to do my part with courage and with joy. Amen.

Reading: Colossians 3:12-17 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Message:  My experience as an athlete in high school and college taught me that winning was good. There were undoubtedly many ways my teammates lorded their victory over those who lost. I found this interesting because we all knew after the very next game or match, we could very easily be the ones suffering abuse. Knowing this did not stop us from taunting the opposing team. We were at that moment, the victors. Nothing and no one else mattered.

The readings for this Tuesday after Easter focus primarily on victory. In addition to the passage from Colossians, readings from Psalm 118, A Song of Victory, and Moses’ song of victory from Exodus 15 are included. Psalm 118 and Exodus 15 ring with confidence and faith in God’s power is evident.

The lesson that can be learned from the addition of Colossians 3:12 is humility. It is easy to forget what it was like to be on the bottom. We are victors, and we in Romans 8 are reminded that we are more than conquerors. The way we wear our victory matters. It is when we face others with compassion, kindness, and humility that we can minister to others. It is when our victory is represented by how we forgive, speak with wisdom, and reflect our gratitude that we become the witnesses to the Christ the Victor.

 Closing Prayer:  Christ is Risen. Help me, Lord, to live the victorious life that you died and rose to give me. Help my life always to begin and end with gratitude. Amen.

Maundy Thursday: Sacrificed for All

Opening Prayer: Lord, I come. I come with my baggage that includes fears, worries, concerns, and sins. I thank you that you already know this and still welcome me. Your arms that are always open for me gather me in and make me rest. Help me to accept my place in your arms. Help me to be uplifted by the warmth of your ready smile. Amen.

Scripture(s): * Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14; John 13:1-17, 31b-35

The scriptures are long so I will ask you to read them on your own.

Message: There are two traditions commonly practiced by Christians on the Thursday of Holy Week. The two, what is now called the Eucharist, and washing feet are outlined in our reading from John. This devotion focuses on the Eucharist. Regardless of the number of people at the table, sharing a meal is an intimate and communal affair. It doesn’t matter if the meal was prepared from scratch and cooked for hours, or if it came out of the freezer, is thawed and then microwaved. There is some amount of human care that accompanies the preparation and serving of a meal. Whether you then sit down to plates, cups, and silverware, or eat out of the pot standing up at the kitchen island, there is an amount of care that accompanies placing food in your mouth, chewing or drinking, and swallowing. These well-practiced daily rituals, if you will, define us a human and part of the larger human family.

In order for something to be intimate, there must be some mutual agreement of sharing. It is because of this that I have never understood why many first dates take place over meals. You are, in my opinion really vulnerable at meals. For those suffering from eating disorders, this vulnerability of eating with others causes a great deal of fear and anxiety. They are concerned about how people will look at what they choose to eat, how much they choose to eat, and how they look eating.

Eating is intimate and communal. One must at some level choose to be vulnerable and to enter in a trust agreement that will create community. According to Gillian Crowther, Canadian anthropologist, sharing a meal is found to be a universal manifestation of sociality.[1] It provides a connection. At the same time, my Jewish friends were celebrating Passover last night we Christians were celebrating our Eucharist. Imagine that. The last meal Jesus ate before his resurrection united us! Christians to our Jewish family and all of us to our shared ancestry.

           

In Exodus, the first Passover celebration is outlined. The preparation for the meal and the celebration is outlined. People are to shelter in their homes. They are to obtain an unblemished lamb that was to be eaten in its entirety that evening. Interestingly, there is also a provision for creating a community beyond one household. Exodus 12:4 “If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one…” The lamb could be an actual lamb or it could be a goat. The poor and the rich could participate in this celebration. Traditions also cite that there were cases in which richer families provided lambs to poorer families. The practice of preparation is communal. Provisions are made so that community can be created through the preparation. The blood on the doorposts is a type of public profession. The household has faith in YHWH.

The cooking and the eating of the sacrifice is also prescribed. Exodus: 12:11 “This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the Lord.” The sacrifice is taken into the body. Our body as a symbol of what is happening in our hearts, minds, and spirits are to be girded, our feet are shod, our walking stick is in our hand, and we eat in haste. We are spiritually ready to do hard work and to travel where we are led. We have a staff to help us over the rough terrain. New scholars of the Hebrew bible have corrected our typical understanding of the word translated, “hurriedly” or “in haste.” They argue the real meaning is not that God as requiring people to choke down the food, but that the sacrifice must be eaten with a sense of urgency. This makes a lot of sense! Eating is also a preparation, preparation for the journey ahead.

Understanding this has made me wonder what it would be like to participate in our Eucharist in the same way. What if instead of standing in a line, we spent time in our pews preparing? What if we spiritually put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:11) and we ate our sacrifice of body and blood with urgency?

Closing Prayer: Lord thank you for calling us to the Eucharist. You, the unblemished Paschal Lamb gave his life so that our sins may be forgiven and forgotten, not just passed over. What a gift! Remind me to prepare for this with at least as much care as when you prepared the way to your heavenly kingdom.

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[1] Bardon, Ester. “How Sharing a Meal Is About Sharing a Culture.” UT Blog, University of Tartu, 23 Dec. 2015, blog.ut.ee/how-sharing-a-meal-is-about-sharing-a-culture/.

Holy Wednesday: Jesus and Mary of Bethany

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

Opening Prayer: Lord, we continue our journey reflecting on the events of your last week. Help us to focus with thanksgiving on the many opportunities given to be transformed by your power, mercy, and love. Amen.

Reading:  Matthew 26:6–13 ESV

Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

Mark 14:3-6 New International Version (NIV)

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some, of those present, were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 

Message: Many traditions memorialize the Wednesday of Holy Week. Some recognize Judas’ meeting with the Sanhedrin. Others honor the Wednesday of Holy Week as the day Mary anointed Jesus. It is this tradition on which I choose to focus today. It is a fascinating story, especially in this time of a worldwide pandemic. Three points are of interest to us this Holy Wednesday. The first is Jesus’ lack of social distancing in the face of a contagion. The second point of interest is the use of Spikenard, and the third point is the practice of anointing.

Jesus and Social Distancing: Jesus is in the house of a leper. What! Weren’t lepers considered unclean? Yes, they were. Leprosy was considered highly contagious requiring constant contact with, like COVID-19, droplets from the nose and mouth of someone who is untreated. Jesus is at the home of a leper and not just standing at the door; he is having a meal. Jesus and the disciples are in the home of an infected man. While this practice along would be enough for a sermon, it is only one part of the story that I want to focus on, so we will move on. 

The use of Spikenard: The Book of John identifies the oil used by Mary as pure nard. Spikenard comes from plants found in Nepal, China, and India. Easily imported from Egypt, this oil was offered on the specialized incense altar in the first and second temples in Jerusalem. Simon’s household most likely had Spikenard because it was a popular treatment for leprosy. 

The practice of anointing:  The practice of anointing was very common as a ritual and as an act of hospitality. You may remember how Samuel anointed David King by pouring oil over his head (1Sam. 16). Priests and prophets were also anointed with oil. Anointing a guest at dinner was not uncommon. What was uncommon was the quality of the oil and the extravagance of its usage. Instead of a drop or two, she poured the bottle’s contents over Jesus’ head (Mt. and Mk.). John is the only Gospel in which, instead of his head, the anointing is of Jesus’ feet. 

The gathered household and guests are shocked not that Jesus is anointed, not at the fact that a woman is performing the anointing. They are shocked by Mary’s extravagance. A costly container broken and a costly, imported oil, all given to freely Jesus. Mary’s extravagance reminds me of the scripture that encourages us to outdo one another in doing good (Rom. 12:10). It is also reminiscent of the parable of the widow who gave all she had (Mark 12:41-44, Luke 21:1-4).

This Holy Wednesday, we might ask ourselves two things.

In what ways am I present to those considered untouchable?

What costly thing can I offer to honor Jesus as a guest in my household? 

Closing Prayer:  “All to Jesus, I surrender, All to Him I freely give. I will ever love and serve him in his presence daily live. I surrender all. I surrender all. All to thee my blessed Savoir, I surrender all. Amen.