The Secret Wireless

(Photograph from bigfoto.com) Matthew 14:22-33 Why didn't Jesus just get into the boat?  That would have been easier, safer, quicker, less messy. When the weary disciples wondered who (or what) this was walking upon the Sea of Galilee, Jesus could have simply hopped into the boat and said, "Ta-da!  It's me!"  But He didn't. Instead Jesus announced His presence from the middle of the lake as He stood upon the waves.  And to prove Himself as the real deal He called Peter to join Him out there upon the sea. To show His power, to prove His identity, Jesus calls Peter from the comfort and relative safety of the boat into the chaos and danger of the wind and waves.  When they were all back in the boat there was no more debate: "Truly you are the Son of God." These past two Sundays the Gospel readings have come from Matthew 10 where Jesus sends His disciples out as sheep a midst the wolves.  He warns them of the dangers they shall face, the rage ...

To make a final conquest of all me, Love did compose so sweet an Enemy, In whom both Beauties to my death agree, Joyning themselves in fatal Harmony; That while she with her Eyes my Heart does bind, She with her Voice might captivate my Mind. I could have fled from One but singly fair: My dis-intangled Soul it self might save, Breaking the curled trammels of her hair. But how should I avoid to be her Slave, Whose subtle Art invisible can wreath My fetters of the very Air I breath? It had been easie fighting in some plain, Where Victory might hang in equal choice, But all resistance against her is vain, Who has th'advantage both of Eyes and Voice, And all my Forces needs must be undone, She having gained both the Wind and Sun.         --Andrew Marvell

What is hidden will be revealed.   What is said in the dark will be spoken in the light.   What is whispered…shall be proclaimed from the rooftops!                 In the Gospel lesson Jesus is sending his 12 disciples out as missionaries, as apostles, ambassadors, to carry his message throughout all the towns of Israel.   After warning them about the viscous opposition that they will face, Jesus goes on to comfort them, to embolden their witness, with His promises.                     Praise and thanks be to God that He did, for if He had not, we would not be here.   We would be tree-worshipping pagans, slaves to lawlessness, impurity, sin, and death.   Without the sending of the Apostles, there is no Christian Church, there is no salvation, there is no hope.     ...

It was a perfect day for imperfect nuptials. The sky was clear and bright.  The Sun was warm, but not oppressive.  A gentle breeze cooled the wedding party as the army of photographers snapped away, cautiously respectful of the worship atmosphere.  The families were warm and kind to each other. The groom stood tall and straight, exuding a leader's nobility, as he eagerly awaited the procession of his bride.  The bride was exquisite in white, a true beauty gracefully walking down the aisle on her loving father's arm. Even if you had not counseled them for several months before the day of their union, you could easily tell from their excitement, from the look of sheer delight in their eyes, that they were, in the best sense, in love. It was a perfect day. But it is just one day.  It will not last. The bridegroom will not always have the strength of nobility.  The bride will not always be an untarnished beauty.  Storms will darken the sky. ...

Wilt thou forgive that sinne where I begunne,      Which is my sin, though it were done before? Wilt thou forgive those sinnes through which I runne,      And doe them still: though still I doe deplore?           When thou hast done, thou hast not done,                          For, I have more. Wilt thou forgive that sinne by which I wonne      Others to sinne? and made my sinne their doore? Wilt thou forgive that sinne which I did shunne      A yeare, or two: but wallowed in, a score?           When thou hast done, thous hast not done.                          For, I hav...

“When [the eleven disciples] saw [Jesus] they worshiped Him, but some doubted.” (Matthew 28:17)   The word translated there as “doubt” can also have the meaning of “hesitate”.   I think this make sense.   It is not that they were doubting the resurrection.   They could see Jesus.   At this point He had already appeared to them several times and even Thomas had seen and believed.                 Rather, the disciples of Jesus, at least some of them, hesitate.   “When they saw Him they worshiped Him, but some hesitated .”   Why would they hesitate to worship Jesus?                    They would hesitate for the same reason that you and I might hesitate to worship another human being: there is only one God, and Him ALONE shall you worship!   For as much love and respect and awe t...

"I never saved anything for the swim back." Vincent challenges his brother Anton to a swimming contest.  They will swim through the ocean waves until one of them relents, until one stops and turns back. Anton is genetically superior to his brother.  Vincent was conceived "the old fashioned way," one man and one woman united in one flesh.  Anton was conceived in a test tube to be stronger, to live longer.  Vincent, it is predicted, will not live much past the age of 30. Yet it is Vincent who pulls ahead.  Against all odds he swims farther than his physically enhanced sibling, while Anton's heart fills with fear and his lungs with salt water.  Not only does Vincent defeat his brother in the swim, he also saves his life, dragging him back to shore. When Anton demands to know how Vincent is doing this, how he is living and thriving when he is supposed to be dead, Vincent responds, "I never saved anything for the swim back." Vincent had been told ...

It is well past Mother's Day, but tomorrow is Father's Day.  Maybe this post can count for both. The two most valuable spiritual lessons concerning church attendance that I have learned in my life have come from my parents, one lesson from each. My father tells the story of attending Confirmation classes with Pastor Jording.  The class was talking about going to church, and so the good reverend asked, "How many of you have to go to church?"  Every child in the room raised their hand.  Then Pastor Jording replied, "No, you don't have to go to church.  You want to go to church." Attending worship, receiving God's gifts, these things are a privilege.  They are a blessing, not a curse.  My father taught me that. One summer Sunday, as our family of four drove to the early 8:00am worship service, I asked my mother, "Since we don't have to go to school in the summer, when can we stop going to church?" Without missing a beat she repl...

"Hate is impatient and cruel, hate is envious and boastful, it is arrogant and rude.  It insists on its own way.  It is both irritable and resentful; it rejoices in wrongdoing, and scoffs at the truth.  Hate gives up easily, believes nothing, hopes nothing, endures through nothing. "Hate ends everything." In life there are these two: hate and love.  You either love God or hate God.  You love your neighbor, spouse, child, parent, employee, boss, and friends or you despise them.  You cannot be neutral. There is not middle ground. There is no fence to ride. Hate is not something that bigots do.  It is not something that fascists do.  Hate is something that husbands do, something that fathers, wives, mothers, sons, daughters, friends, and relatives do.  It is something that I do. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind.  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  Anythi...

 " Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that  God has made him  both Lord and Christ, this Jesus  whom you crucified."  (Acts 2:36) With these words Peter brings to conclusion the first Christian sermon.   And he drops a bomb: "You killed God." But the thing is, the people Peter is preaching to probably did not kill Jesus, at least not literally.  Jesus had died nearly two months earlier.  Perhaps there were some of the priests hanging around and listening to Peter.  We are told, however, that there are 3000 baptized that day.  Most of those people had nothing to do with the death of Jesus.   Except that they did.  The crowds gathered to hear Peter preach in their own native tongues were the cause of Jesus' death, not because they drove in the nails, but because they were enemies of God. They were sinners.  It was their fault. You see, we cannot have one without the other.  We cannot rece...

Moses was sick to death of the children of Israel.   That is almost literally true.   They had complained, and moaned, and groaned.   Nothing was ever enough for them.                    God gave them freedom from slavery.   They wanted food and water.   God gave them manna and water from a rock.   They wanted meat and vegetables.   And when they wanted more, where did they go?   To Moses.                 “Why can’t we have more meat?   Why don’t we have any vegetables?   How much farther is it?   Are we there yet?”                 And Moses can’t take it.   So where does Moses go when he needs to complain?   He goes to God.   “God, I am done.   These people are too...