God A Slave?

Sunday I once again heard the reading, from Philippians, that tells of of God’s humbling himself -- becoming a slave -- to live the reality of Himself in the skin of Jesus.

It was the third reading assigned for Passion Sunday. 

A reading that got lost, as it often does, in the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem for the Passover feast.

In the Passion story, from Matthew 26, we heard about the crowds who were celebrating a man.  A simple man riding on a donkey, who for some unknown reason, the people seemed extremely excited about having him in their midst.

Now there probably have been sermons on the third reading for Palm Sunday; but I have never heard of one.   And, by the way, I never even considered preaching one.

As is so often the case, the truth of who the simple man really was had gotten lost in the politics and customs of the day.

So, today I invite you to focus on Philippians 2 that tell of of a not so simple man — God himself wrapped in human skin.

God Almighty, who leaves all of his power, authority, divine glory and all control over his creation and — emptied himself, —  becoming a fully human man.  

⁶ who, though he was in the form of God,

   did not regard equality with God

   as something to be exploited, 

⁷ but emptied himself,

   taking the form of a slave,

   being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form, 

⁸   he humbled himself

   and became obedient to the point of death—

   even death on a cross.

The way the Paul writes about this, extraordinarily amazing, event makes it sound so uncomplicated and not at all problematic.

Just everyday kind of stuff.

Now I just want to say it is anything but uncomplicated. And very problematic.

God Almighty, the Creator of all that is — ⁸ humbled himself.

The Divine Power and Glory became “a slave.”

Now please,  

               Come on,

                            that is anything but simple,

                                                                       it is HUGE.

What brought this all to my mind yesterday was something I read in Cynthia Bourgeault’s book ‘Wisdom Jesus’; in her discussion on incarnation (p.93):

“I remember years ago being struck by an insight from the contemporary mystic Bernadette Roberts that crucifixion wasn’t the hard thing for Jesus, the hard thing was incarnation.  Crucifixion and what followed….were simply the pathway along which infinite consciousness could return to its natural state.  What was really hard for infinite consciousness was to come into the  finite world in the first place.  With nothing to gain from the human adventure — nothing to prove, nothing to achieve , and a dangerously unboundaried heart that left him defenseless against the hard edges of the world — Jesus came anyway:  that, claims Bernadette Roberts, was the real crucifixion.”

As we move through Holy Week, in the strangeness of this year.  Lets all take this opportunity to consider the, all to familiar, Passion and Easter stories in a new — more enlightened — way.

Maybe we could start again from the very beginning of Jesus’ life when God came into the world in a baby born in a manger.

When the angels announce the coming to peace on earth.

My Early Morning Thoughts

I woke just before the sun rose above the earth this morning.  I opened my eye to see, what I thought was going to be, one of those gray dreary days; and my mind immediately went toward the negative.  As my mind often does these long day without my usual routine.

I put my head back down on my pillow, closed my eyes, and thought: what more do I really need?

What more do I really need?  

And the conversation began.

I was warm and comfortable in my freshly washed fennel sheet, with my head feeling the comfort of my pillow. My dog sleeping at my feet.  I felt peaceful and softly quiet.

What more do I really need?

I have ample food to eat.  Fresh coffee to drink for my morning needs. And tasty wine in the evening to enjoy.

What more do I really need?

My legs are strong enough to walk outside where I can enjoy the breeze, feel the sun in my face and refresh my soul.  And maybe greet a neighbor I don’t know yet.

What else do I really need?

My mind is mildly cognitive, with hearing aids I hear, my eyes work just fine, my lungs support my need to breathe, my bodily functions work normally — what ever that means — and over all my health is excellent for a chronology advantaged woman of 78.

What else do I really need?

I have wonderful friends and family who love me; and whom I love.  And even though we can’t be altogether like we normally could.  We can talk, or text, or skype or just talk, the old fashion on a much smarter phone, than in the “old days.”

What else do I really need?  

I am fortunate to be living in the safety of my own tiny home.   With family as close as next door.   And a car to drive where ever I need to go.

What more do I really need?

So I began to put all of this into realistic focus:  

I am not lying in, an over populated, hospital with a body that is failing me. 

Or looking out a window confined in a care facility. While my loved ones come to let me know they love me, and want to see that I am okay, by smiling and waving through a locked window. 

What more do I really need?

Or, unable to see my loved one, because they would infect me if I did, who may die today.  

What more do I really need?

I am retired, on an ample income, and can pay my bills on time.  And buy what I need — and only what I need.

What more do I really need?

                                          Really, what more do I truly need?

With those thought correcting my first impression of the day.  I am planning to live the hell out of all there is to do today.

And what I want to do, or who I’d love to visit, or where I wish I could go. 

                  

Will just have to wait.

Could You Choose Death By Fire?

They disobeyed the king’s command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.(Dan. 3)

It has been a very long time since I have read the story of Shamrock, Meshach and Abednego.

However this morning I was taken by the story in an entirely new way.  Those men trusted God so much that they were willing to be thrown into a fiery furnace.

Now, you need to know, the one of the things that I have always been afraid of is burning to death.  Alway! 

But before I go any further, about what is moving about in my brain, I want to say that I do not think that anyone would chose to be thrown in a fiery furnace.

Or at least I would never chose to.

But it still it is a wonder to me to trust, so much in God, that even fire surrounding  us in a contained place can be done safely.

From the time I can remember I would contrive all sorts of plans to avoid being caught in a fire.  

We spent our summers in a cabin, my dad and uncle built, in the High Sierras.  The cabin was on Lake George 9500 feet above sea level.

The only way to get the the cabin was by boat; or on foot walking around the lake.  It was a beautiful place.

Our cabin was a good walk up the mountain from the lake.  And I would lay in my bunk, late at night, devising a plan on how I could get from the cabin to the lake in case of fire.

I had decided that the fire couldn’t hurt me if I were in the water.

So to read about three men being willing to be thrown in a contained furnace, of blazing fire, is to me is an unbelievable trust in God.

Think about that.  

They were willing to prove that the God they believed in was the only God — the only thing — they could counted on for their safety, their well-being.

Today the entire world is being faced with coronavirus 19.  No one is immune from catching it.  And I dare say the world is filled with an honest fear of catching it.

It makes me wonder how many people are lying in their bed, late at night so scared that they are, devising a plan for avoiding the cursed disease.

Planning, like our nation did in the fifties, to building safe bunkers.  Bunkers supplied with all the food, and other essentials needed, to survive for many week in this small often underground, vault of refuge.

And then there are others who must feel invincible; making unadvised decisions that endanger themselves and others.

Both kinds of planning leave God out of the reality equation.

Both groups have chosen self-sufficient ways of dealing with the situation. Not even thinking of God’s promise of provision and guidance. 

Then there are those who are accepting the challenge of trusting -- putting their lives in the God hands.  Trying to follow the best ways to safe guard themselves and others.  

Now I can’t even imagine all of the things going on in other people minds.

What I do know is that we have been faces with a situation that we have no control over.  And no matter how scared we are, or how prepared we think we are, God presence is the one thing we are all promise.

You see, God has never promised us perfect peace; or perfect safety.  But He does promise to always walk with us through whatever comes.

And to me that is the best new for any day.