An Elder Pilgrim's Reflections

"The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them." (from Luke 2:1-20 ) The shepherds' incredible commission goes from the field to the city to the world. It begins with them gathered in a pasture tending to their flock when the night sky suddenly bursts forth with the glory of the Lord. To the terrified shepherds, the angel of the Lord brings them peace telling them their Savior was born in Bethlehem. Amazingly, the shepherds are chosen by the Lord to receive a message of Good News for all people, given a sign, and commissioned to find the child in a manger. Searching for something extraordinary in an ordinary event will be a sign from God which they might not recognize right away.  Seeking in unlikely places and finally finding the manger just they had been told. With that discovery, and their mission complete, the shepherds, returned to their fields, praising God for what they had seen and heard. Wait. What? ...

Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God with us." (From Matthew 1:18-25 ) As Elaine and I move closer to Christmas, we feel a deep need to know that God is with us. One deeply loved relative suddenly succumbed to alcoholism and another was called home to the Lord. I am sure we're not the only ones experiencing deep losses that surface painfully at this time of year. That's what make this passage so meaningful. Matthew isn't stating facts, he is confessing his faith in God keeping promises. God's promises to Israel and the whole world begin with the Creation story which includes the Spirit blowing across the waters and the birth of Adam. In this passage, the Spirit is active again creating in Mary what Matthew understands as "new Adam". The primary promise God makes to David is creating descendants forever, not just to Israel but all of us. That is why Jesus is named Emmanuel, "God with us...

And John to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “ Go and tell John what you hear and see." (from    Mt.11:2-11 ) What are you expecting? Ed was a lover of jazz who had an informal jazz band. For his 80th birthday, his sons gave him tickets to hear the Preservation Hall Jazz band in New Orleans. In his mind was some form of a concert hall with a stage and seats. Instead, he found a small building squeezed between other small buildings in the French Quarter. Instead, he sat on a bench. The remaining 100 people either sat on benches, floor cushions, or stood. It wasn't his expectation, but he saw and heard Preservation Hall's fantastic jazz. John the Baptist ended up in a prison cell because he was expecting Emmanuel. From his prison cell, John heard about Jesus' ministry so he sent his disciples to ask, “Are you Emmanuel, the Messiah, to lead us from captivity?”  Jesus answered, “Go and tell John what you see and hea...

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. (From Mt.3:1-12 ) Willie Nelson's early life was an incredibly rough road. I enjoy "On the Road Again" sung by this gravel-voiced, pig-tailed singer wearing a red bandana.   However, his idealistic song about being on the road with friends making music like a band of gypsies, is far from his real life. Abandoned by his mother and his father, Willie was raised by his grandparents.   Growing up in the Depression, Willie, at age 13, decided it was time to build his road for the future.  From the wilderness of this inequity, he worked through high school by singing and playing his guitar in dance halls, taverns, and honkytonks.  John the Baptist cried out in the wilderness calling people to repair their spiritual roads for the coming of the Lord. John sa...

Then the criminal said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (from Luke 23:33-43 ) Who deserves mercy? On September 30, 2015, the state of Georgia executed Kelly Gissendaner, who in 1997 murdered her husband, Douglas. While in prison Kelly converted to Christianity and demonstrated that hers was a genuine conversion.  She earned a theology certificate from Emory University, ministered to other inmates with a message of God’s love giving them hope when they desperately needed it.  As her execution date approached, a group of former inmates transformed by Kelly’s prison ministry joined many others who pleaded the state for clemency. The group included correctional officers, Pope Francis, and supporters using hashtag #kellyonmymind, and even Kelly’s adult children who had lost their father because of Kelly’s actions.  All appeals that Kelly’s sentence be commuted to life in prison were...

Therefore you also must be ready,  for the Son of Man is coming  at an unexpected hour. (from Matthew 24:36-44 ) Are you ready? Are you ready for the spiritual journey that's coming? Jesus says, "Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left." I was standing in my yard listening to the septic technician explain how the malfunctioning pump system in the turkey mound works.  It never occurred to me that one of us may be taken and the other left behind. That's how it was in the days of Noah.  People went about life as usual, right up to the moment when the floods came: two in a field, two grinding meal. Are you ready to be on the ark with someone you hoped would be adrift on a raft? There the person stands, so now what? Jesus says that's how it's going to be when the Son of Man comes. Keep in mind, though, that in Jesus day it was better to be left behind than taken prisoner by the torturing Romans. It's only by Grace that our spiritua...

‘ Nation will rise against nation,  and kingdom against kingdom;  there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues;  and there will be dreadful portents  and great signs from heaven.' (from Luke 21:5-19 ) I for one, rejoiced on November 9 when the mailings, posters, social media posts, and TV ads ended.  I am finished with the distortions, accusations, and dehumanizing of political candidates. As a Christian with a core theology of peace, I am deeply disturbed by the violent acts and threats against candidates, poll workers, and volunteers who are simply trying to perform civic duty. It's in Jesus' Sermon on the Plain that I find hope.  Jesus is talking to people who are trying to make sense of the destruction of the temple by the Romans in year 70, which was the equivalent of 9/11. In short, the Jews' world of 70 was a broken world like ours is post-election.  So, I read this scripture as a reflection on what happened, not a ...

“But I say to you that listen,  Love your enemies,  do good to those who hate you,  bless those who curse you,  pray for those who abuse you. (from Luke 6:20-31 ) For 30 years I stood before a congregation on Sunday leading worship. I saw all types of people: the poor, the grieving, the comfortable, the wealthy.  When the text for the Sunday included the Beatitudes, I felt a little odd trying to reconcile a blessing in being poor, hungry, hated, crying, or outcast. Since the word blessed comes from the Greek word  makarios,  meaning  “ unburdened ” or “satisfied” I feel those words make more sense: unburdened are the poor, satisfied are the hungry. In the same way the word "woe" comes from the Greek  ouai,  meaning something like "heads up!" "Heads up you rich people!!! It's as though Jesus is saying, "heads up to you living comfortably, things are about to change." Heads up and consider what happens if the things you assume are adv...

Kerak Castle, al Kerak, Jordan "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake  in the heart of the sea." (from psalm 46 ) I am writing this reflection the day after the violent attack on Paul Pelosi which, although is shocking to me, is not surprising. It feels as though the foundation of the sane society I grew up with is changing and shaking as it becomes more violent, racist, and divided. Kerak Castle is a mighty fortress atop a firm foundation in al Kerak, Jordan Built in 1149 CE by Crusaders, captured by Muslims in 1189, it changed hands over the centuries and used in World War I. It's location, dominating the surrounding area and protected by deep ravines, made it an ideal defense. Damaged by a recent earthquake, the ravines, part of its strength, could now cause its destruction.  The mighty fortress with the firm foundation, could now collapse. As I reflect on t...

"He also told this parable  to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous  and regarded others with contempt:  ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray,  one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector."   (from Luke 18 9-14  ) This very familiar parable is not about the good guy and the bad guy.  It's based on the center of Jesus' teachings, The Great Commandment: "You shall love the Lord you  God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself." (Lk. 10:27)  To understand this, let's be clear about Pharisees.  They were a Jewish resistance movement emphasizing obedience to the law of Moses in order to make God’s benefits visible and accessible for all who were Jewish.  Pharisees lived meagerly and shunned excess and so were not legalistic, rigid, and elitist. Instead, they paid attention to the oral tradition interpreting the spirit of the Torah, so they played an essential role in ensur...

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”  The Lord replied, “If you had faith  the size of a mustard seed,  you could say to this mulberry tree,  ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you' (from Luke 17:5-10 ) I can empathize with the apostles who asked Jesus, "Increase our faith!" as people suffering from Hurricane Ian. As I watched people wading through floods, surveying damage, and enduring without power, they probably wondered how much faith was needed to make it through their experience. The apostles had seen the works that Jesus had done and the determination he had to live as the Holy one of God. As apostles, they knew their mission was to carry on Jesus' work and that they needed more faith to build God's kingdom as he was. And so, they asked for more faith. So, Jesus uses the images of a mustard seed and a mulberry tree to help them understand they are asking for the wrong thing. Jesus understands it's not about having 25...

In the parable of the Ten Lepers, Jesus said to one who returned praising him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:11-19) As I visualize this story, I see Jesus going through a place similar to the southern border towns of Texas. There are two boarders here. The first is physical: the Rio Grande which separates a safe place from unsafe places.   The other is a vague area of cultural and social life differing from the physical. The people in this area are the outsiders representing unsafe places. These people, like the lepers, are crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” because they are suffering mental isolation and poverty.   Jesus, who is more interested in healing than physical and cultural borders, tells them: “Go and show yourselves to the priests.”   They are healed, one returns praising Jesus who says, “Your faith has made you well. What I see here is that Jesus has changed the meaning of a border.  He chan...

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;     let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;     let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Psalm 96:11-12 Charlotte Rhodes Memorial Butterfly Park is one of the "must stop" places on our annual Acadia NP retreat. The quiet and the butterflies remind me that God constantly renews our souls.  Yes, it's a long nine-hour drive to Acadia via interstates and state highways to Southwest Harbor and the beginning of our spiritual renewal. Christian tradition views the butterfly as a symbol of resurrection. A butterfly represents an insect who "dies" as a caterpillar, is buried in the cocoon, and emerges in a new life.  Butterfly Park allows you to meander through the flowers, watch the butterflies, sit on one of the park's benches and absorb an inlet's beauty. From a bench, one may catch glimpses of butterflies flitting from one bloom to bloom. As Cleland Bo...

 “Which one of you,  having a hundred sheep  and losing one of them,  does not leave the ninety-nine  in the wilderness and go after  the one that is lost until he finds it?" (from Lk. 15:1-10 ) In the days of my youth, I was a counselor in a boy's camp located on the beautiful shores of Lake Seymour, Vermont. The campers bedding included flannel sheets and two woolen blankets due to the cool evening weather. It was a hot summer night and the campers were sleeping.  During bed-check, two campers seemed tucked under wool blankets. The other counselor and I pulled off the blankets to find no campers. We began anxiously searching wondering what trouble they managed to get themselves into. We found the them skinny dipping at the camp's overnight campsite totally unaware of the dangers of swimming in the dark.  The lost were found. Jesus, however, is telling this parable with a much deeper meaning. Jesus is talking about the depth of God’s love.  ...

This week Elaine and I are in Acadia National Park. It's here that for years we come to renew our spirits from the every-day life we lead. I hope these images and words from Psalm 8 will give you some renewal also. Psalm 8  O  Lord , our Sovereign,    how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.      Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,      to silence the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,    the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them,    mortals  that you care for them? Yet you have made them a little lower than God,    and crowned them with glory and honor. You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;    you have put all things under their feet, all shee...

  “Whoever comes to me  and does not hate father and mother,  wife and children, brothers and sisters,  yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. (from Luke 14:24-33 ) I wonder why Jesus is making such a harsh statement when his ministry was about love of God and neighbor? Consider this: Imagine yourself at a Billy Graham Crusade. There is lots of singing, and a challenging message that concludes with an invitation to come forward and make a commitment to Jesus. You respond to the invitation, go forward, and are met with one to the team who then explains the next steps you have to take. It's a first century setting like this in which Jesus makes statements about the sacrifice of being a disciple. He's using the word "hate" as a hyperbole to stress the importance of discipleship. We sacrifice according to our priorities.  Jesus says the Kingdom of God he proclaims and the kingdom life of which he is an example should be a priority even with its difficult ...

Chocolate is Missing For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (from Luke 14:1,7-14 ) Leave it to Jesus to turn things upside down.  In this story, Jesus is encouraging low-status believers who are trying to negotiate their way through the complicated, oppressive Roman society. There was a place for everyone, but everyone had to know their place. Jesus, to help people understand what living in God's kingdom was like, often used the image of feasting.  In God's kingdom, all are welcome no matter what your social or economic status is in society. Jesus teaches how important humility is because practicing it points to God's mighty grace.  It works like this. One of the first places you can find me after worship is the refreshment table spread with all sorts of goodies. First, I scan the table for Chocolate. You may not call this table a feast, but I assure you there are all sorts of items on it.  We've had French Toa...

When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said,  “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.”  When he laid his hands on her,  immediately she stood up straight  and began praising God. (from Luke 13:10-17 ) Currently there are a lot of news reports about the law describing various actions, opinions, and projections about what will be the next event.  Each report about the law seems to be based on a right/wrong principle without any middle ground for discussion. This scripture from Luke got my attention with the phrase "free from your ailment". It got my attention because I see the tensions in the news reports as an ailment from which our society needs to be freed. Consider the woman for a moment.  For eighteen years, she has viewed the world from waist level, she hasn’t been able to look anyone in the eye for a long time. Probably, she is a faithful, law-abiding member of this synagogue since she’s there worshipping on Saturday, even with the effort it to...

Looking to Jesus "Let us run with perseverance  the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus  the pioneer and perfecter of our faith" (From Heb. 11:29-12-2   ) Helen H. Lemmel wrote this song while experiencing trying times in her life, one being blindness. "Turn your eyes upon Jesus", one of my favorite gospel hymns, begins like this: "O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There’s light for a look at the Savior, And life more abundant and free! Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim." At 55, Helen heard an impressive statement: "So then, turn your eyes upon Him, look full into His face and you will see that the things of earth will acquire a strange new dimness." One biographer wrote that she said “I stood still and singing in my soul and spirit was the chorus, with not one conscious moment of putting word to word to make rhyme, or note to no...

My Preaching Bible “Do not be afraid, little flock,  for it is your Father’s good pleasure  to give you the kingdom." "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (from Luke 12:32-40 ) Don't be afraid? Looking around I see plenty to fear as violence erupts in our everyday lives, society, and the world.  I see fear on the faces of children running from a school shooting and someone with a military rifle shooting into a crowded concert. I've encountered the violence of racism, dealt with domestic and sexual abuse both physically and psychologically. This hardly looks to me like the kingdom of peace God desires or promises.  I know, Jesus' followers feared plenty from persecution by Roman authorities: destroying property, inciting hatred, imprisonment, to name a few. I know, Jesus tells his "little flock" not to fear because God will be delighted in giving them the kingdom. Sell your stuff, Jesus says, pack your bags, light your lamp, s...

"Hear this, all you peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together. My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart  shall be understanding." (from Psalm 94:1-12 ) One the many blessings of my Vermont ministry was a burial in Hope Cemetery, created around 1895, one of the most beautiful rural cemeteries in the world. The 1918–1919 Spanish flu, along with Gray Lung, a form of Silicosis, increased the death rate and need for tombstones. Realizing death could be right around the corner, many sculptors created a monument to display their skills.  In other nearby cemeteries, I would gather with the family around a grave with only a temporary marker or a small stone with a family name and date. The contrast was significant.  Whether beautiful monument or simple stone, the "low and high, rich and poor together" were gathered in grief and mourning. And so, God calls all  people to give ear, to listen to wisdom and understa...

"He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name.    Your kingdom come.    Give us each day our daily bread.    And forgive us our sins,      for we ourselves forgive  everyone indebted to us.    And do not bring us to the time of trial.’." (from Luke 11:1-13  or  Matthew 6:9-13   ) Who taught you how to pray? For me, probably my mother taught me this prayer:  Now I lay me down to sleep , I pray the Lord my soul to keep. Angels watch me through the night, and wake me with the morning light. Amen. This bedtime prayer didn't mean much to me because my image of angels related to Christmas Trees. It was fine with me if they were flying around guarding my presents under the tree. For us and the disciples it is Jesus. When a disciple asked Jesus to teach them about prayer, it was more likely something other than a technique, or position, or pattern.  As Jews, they already knew these thing...

"All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his  covenant and his decrees." (from Psalm 25 ) First Pray. During worship when people ask for prayers, the most common types call upon God for relief from some personal suffering.  prayers calling upon God for relief from some personal sufferings are the most common in the psalms On the other hand, people share deep seated prayer concerns needing long-term resolutions only God can resolve. Deep seated prayers include ending cancer, the Ukraine War, hungry, homeless, and other social injustices. And so, we pray. Then wait. And then we wait.  Waiting for answers may feel like Noah adrift 40 days as we faithfully wait continually praying for resolutions to the deep-seated pains of humanity.  It seems to me there are two ways to wait. The first is passive by asking, "How Long O Lord?  This strikes me as being impatient because God hasn't acted in the time frame I desired. It's ...

"You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (from Psalm 16 ) When I am looking to draw closer to God's presence, places I choose are mountains or hills with panoramic overviews.  Another place I go when I am looking for a greater sense of God's presence is by water. Sometimes it's the "still waters" of a lake or gentle stream. Other times it's by the vastness of the sea.  By sitting quietly and absorbing the awesome beauty, I sense God's presence. I sense a peace that passes understanding. Perhaps, though, you may not have mountains, hills, rivers, lakes or the sea nearby. I believe reading the Psalms is another way to draw closer to God. They describe human thoughts and feelings with a desire to create an intimacy with God. For a moment, imagine yourself as someone who feels a need for God’s protection and refuge. You open your Bible to Psalm 16 and begin reading. You a...

There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (From Galatians 3:23-29 ) Stanley stood before the font.  As one of the underprivileged worshippers in my middle-class, small-town church, this was a major event.   He was 65 and had led a hard life, of which town folk were aware. Now, he and his wife were in charge of a teenage granddaughter whose parents were in jail.  At the font, I asked him the traditional questions, he leaned over, I poured a small amount of water over his head and called on the Holy Spirit to enter his life. He was now clothed in Christ beginning a new relationship before God. For Stanley, this was a very significant event. He couldn't read and memorized the entire service so he would know what to say when. For me, clothing him in Christ felt as though I was washing away the dirt of his soul giving him a new beginning. For the church, Stanley was beginning a...

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength,  and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” ( from Luke 10:25-37 ) I wasn't expecting it, but I wasn't surprised when it happened. In the sharing of joys and concerns during worship someone said, "I thank God for the Supreme Court's decision." You could feel the tension as some people braced for what might come next. The pastor handled the situation gracefully reminding people we are a congregation where love for one another comes before politics. Several thoughts struck me about the incident. First is the idea of God and the Supreme Court being connected. In my quick search of the Scriptures I could not find the words "Supreme Court".   Second, my understanding of a core belief of the Christian faith lies in the answer given to Jesus when asked about the most important law. Above all else, love God and your neighbor.  Third are my thou...