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Weekly Focus
Tenth Sunday After Pentecost
Complaining at the Table
Complaining has a long and distinguished tradition among God's people. Again and again, the people of Israel complained against Moses in the wilderness, and Moses, in turn, did his complaining to God. Again and again, the people of Israel in Jeremiah's day complained against Jeremiah, who in turn made his complaints known to God. Job complained against God as well, and so did the psalmist, "day and night."
And these complaints were not little things, phrased as polite requests or concerns. There's no "excuse me, please, but . . ." in the telling of these stories. No, these are in-your-face demands: "Why did you drag us out here in the wilderness to die? At least in Egypt we had food to eat!" (from the wilderness travellers); "Why did you burden me with your people, who complain against me instead of you?" (from Moses); and "It would have been better if my mother had been perpetually pregnant and I had never been born." (from Job).
So it's no surprise that Jesus had to confront complainers, and the biggest ones were his own people. "We already know all about God. We've already got God on our side."
Fortunately, Jesus did not ignore the complainers, but reached out to them again and again and again. "Yes, you are God's people. Yes, God protected your ancestors in the wilderness. Yes, all that's true–so why don't you live like it makes a difference?"
All too often, that could be us that John is writing about. Modern-day people of God can be just as stubborn and just as set in their ways as the people of old. That's where Paul's words to the Ephesians are so helpful. Paul calls on them–and us!–to live in the love they received from Christ; a love that puts away falsehood, that practices forgiveness and reconciliation, that builds up the community and does not tear it down. Christ's love for the world came first; our reactions to that love follow.
So come to the table, brothers and sisters. Bring your complaints, by all means, but know that by the end of the meal, the host will have taken them away in love.
Ezekial 2:1-7
Psalm 34:1-8
Ephesians 4:30-5:2
John 6:37-51
The Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ
Dazzling
The day started out like many others for the disciples. Jesus goes up the mountain to pray . . . that sounds pretty familiar, according to the gospel writers.
But then everything changed.
Jesus' appearance changed, Moses and Elijah appeared, and the three of them began talking. Just as Peter, James, and John were starting to get oriented again, then came that voice: "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him."
Jesus' clothes weren't the only things that were dazzled up on that mountain. According to Luke, the disciples kept silent in those days about all these things.
That makes sense. If you don't understand what's going on, it's probably best not to put yourself forward as an expert to explain what you don't understand.
Fortunately for the disciples, and for us, God's love does not depend on our understanding of what God does and how God does it. We don't have to explain how God created the world in order to be allowed to exist. We simply accept the fact that we and everything around us owe our existence to God, and leave the explanations to the One who knows.
Similarly, we don't have to explain how the Transfiguration happened, or exactly what happened up on that mountain, in order to see God's love at work.
It's a part of a larger story: the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It's the story of God's love taking on human flesh. It's tied to those old stories of God's love, stories of Moses and Elijah. Most of all, it's tied to the new stories of God's love, stories of us and our world today.
You better be ready to be dazzled, because God's not done loving the world.
More Weekly Focus:
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
Monthly Focus Archive
2006:
Easter Focus: New Covenant
Lenten Focus: A Covenantal Response to Poverty
February Focus: Moving Forward
2005:
December Focus: Longing
November Focus: The Gift of Years
October Focus: Stewardship
September Focus: Foundations
Summer Focus: The Book of Acts
Easter Focus: Tapestry
Lenten Focus: Rule of Life
January Focus: The Next Wave
2004:
December Focus: Surprising Grace
November Focus: Free Indeed
October Focus: Money Madness
September Focus: The Outrageous Promise
Summer Focus: Into the Fullness
June Focus: Thick Faith
Easter Focus: All Things New
Lent Focus: A Hungry World
February Focus: Commitment
January Focus: Unity
2003:
December Focus: Hope
November Focus: Worship
October Focus: Stewardship
September Focus: Seasons of Faith
Summer Focus: The Gospel of John
May Focus: Faith
April Focus: Resurrection
March Focus: Truth
February Focus: Covenant Groups
January Focus: Sabbath
2002:
December Focus: Shut Up and Sing
November Focus: Spiritual Gifts
October Focus: Stewardship
September Focus: Intentional Faith
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