I have a job in the real world.  What I mean by that is my online work is purely voluntary and I have a job with a mental health agency that provides me with income.  This week I learned that the position I have held for the past eight years is being eliminated due to budget cuts and reorganization.  Fortunately, another department offered me an equal position immediately, so I am able to keep a job with a lateral move to a new position.

I have had the joy and challenge of being in leadership roles for much of my life.  While my role may have been relatively small compared with many leaders, I have had the responsibility of managing staff in churches, schools, and the mental health arena.  I’ve also had the responsibility of being a spiritual leader in pastoral roles for much of my life. 

In difficult economic times, many people are let go from positions through no fault of their own.  This kind of no-fault cut back is painful for everyone involved.  Some people may still blame the messenger, but the reality is that larger forces are at work and all we can do is take the next steps toward moving on with life and trust that God will see us through even the most difficult of challenges.

Our Gospel lesson for this twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost includes some ideas from Jesus about leadership. Jesus said, “The greatest among you will be your servant.”  Servant leadership has become a bit of a catch phrase in both spiritual as well as business arenas.  The business community has become familiar with the idea from the works of such people as, Robert Greenleaf, Steven Covey, Ken Blanchard and others.   Timothy Warneka has adopted the concepts of servant leadership for the Roman Catholic community.  Many denominational seminary programs have developed entire curricula devoted to the concept.

In his book, In the Name of Jesus, Henri Nouwen wrote, "The leadership about which Jesus speaks is of a radically different kind from the leadership offered by the world. It is a servant leadership…in which the leader is a vulnerable servant who needs the people as much as they need him or her. . . a leadership which is not modeled on the power games of the world, but on the servant-leader, Jesus, who came to give his life for the salvation of many."

Servant leadership is a piece of wisdom that has been around for centuries. Ancient writings from both China and India support the idea that leaders are not to promote themselves, but to promote the success of those they lead.  Larry Spears identified ten characteristics, which describe the essence of a servant leader. The characteristics are listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of others, and building community.

Jesus warned that those who lead as Christians are not to work toward their own selfish interests, but toward the interests of others.  This appears to be in direct conflict with many in the church today who choose to lead by condemning others or demanding that their way is the only way.  It appears that much of what passes for Christian religion today has more in common with the kind of leadership Jesus warned against rather than the humble servant leader described in our Gospel.

In this week’s epistle, Paul indicated that he could have come to the believers at Thessalonica and exerted authority over them as an Apostle.  He could have taken advantage of them and insisted they pay him a salary.   Instead, he worked, most likely as a tent-maker, and earned his money in order to not be a burden on the church.  Some of the world’s best preachers and missionaries have been those who are not paid to share the gospel, but freely share the message God has given them.

Whether we know it or not, all of us have some level of leadership.  Everyone has the ability to influence others.  We can choose to act humbly and serve the needs of those around us, or we can choose to exert our influence in a way that gives us personal gain.  Jesus challenges us to make the first choice.  Our task is to make sure we encourage and build up those around us without the expectation that we will receive gain as a result. 

The great dichotomy of God is that when we give to others we receive.  The acts of kindness and generosity we make will be reciprocated.   Kindness brings about kindness, generosity brings generosity.  God is our judge, and God will reward true humility infinitely more than we can possibly ask or imagine. 

Joshua 3:7-17
1 Thessalonians 2:9-13
Matthew 23:1-12

Years ago I attended a Pentecostal Church in Chicago called Keystone Avenue Church of God.  The pastor used a very unique phrase when he invited people to worship.  He would ask folks to come and “make love to Jesus”.  Pentecostal worship is quite emotive.  During these times, folks were encouraged to lift their hands in surrender to God and speak words of praise and thanks to God out loud.  This was usually accompanied by music and often reached a loud crescendo as people spoke to God, sang and danced.

Matthew provides us with the summary of the law of God in this week’s Gospel lesson for the twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost.  At first glance it seems quite simple; we are to actively love God, ourselves and our neighbor.  The problem is that we tend to make things far more complicated than they need to be.  Whether it is the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, or the traditions of the modern church, we have added a great deal to what it means to follow God.

Love means many different things to different people.  Some people really do love chocolate, but let’s hope that love is not the same as the way they love God and other people.  Others might say they love a certain song, performer, or style of music.  I don’t think that’s the same as loving God and humanity.  People love money, power and property.  Is it possible to love those things and love God at the same time?

Some people confuse love and lust.  There is a big difference between making love and having sex.  The biological responses may be the same, but the emotional and spiritual quality of love making is an entirely different thing than mere sexual release.  Almost any mature person can have sex, but making love is an entirely different matter.

Most people today think of love as a strong emotion or feeling of affection for another.  It can be an intense personal attraction, more like lust; or it can be a deeply rooted commitment that reflects true devotion to another.  Love is a creative force that has been the source of inspiration for great literature, music, paintings, sculptures and even architectural works.  Without love the world would be a truly destitute place.

Love is a primary psychological need that motivates human beings to do great acts of both heroism as well as wicked atrocities.  It is a part of our human make-up to desire to be in a primary loving relationship with another, as well as feel that we are loved.  Children who grow up not feeling loved are often the most troubled and disturbed people as adults, if they even survive puberty.  Prisons are filled with people who do not feel they were loved as children and often find it difficult to accept love from others.  Love gives us the ability to feel connected or disconnected with society

Jesus refers to love as something that we do.  It isn’t merely a passive feeling, it is active and engaging.  What does it really mean to love another?  I think that loving someone else requires that we know, at least, something about them.  I happened to catch the end of a Christian television program years ago that concluded with the statement, “God loves you, and we do to.”  My first thought was you don’t love me, you don’t even know me.  A commercial for a company in Chicago called “Nelson Brothers” used to include a catchy jingle that said, “Nelson Brothers loves you.”  I often thought they really loved people to come in and buy furniture.

In order to love someone we have to know them enough to recognize that they have need.  The need can be anything from food and clothing to emotional and spiritual support or help.  It really doesn’t matter what the need is.  To love another means to see the need of another and do everything reasonable to meet that need in a legitimate way.  That is how we “do” love.  We can feel all kinds of things, but truly loving another means taking some kind of action that is purely for their benefit.  Of course, in order to meet another’s need, we have to first take care of ourselves.  That’s why when the oxygen mask drops out of the ceiling of an airplane we are instructed to put our own mask on first before trying to help someone else get their mask on.  To do otherwise, could mean two people passing out from lack of oxygen.

To truly make love to another sexually, is to see the sexual need within them and do everything we can to meet their need.  The best love-making in the world happens when people are focused on doing all they can to satisfy the other, rather than simply looking for self-gratification.  That’s the difference between love and lust.  I doubt many people make love the first time they have sexual intercourse.  They really don’t know what the other person needs are yet.  It takes getting to know someone to know how to fulfill another’s needs.

Some like to ask, who is our neighbor?  Jesus answered that question with the parable of the Good Samaritan in the other Gospels to show that our neighbor is anyone we come in contact with.  If we have knowledge of another person’s need, we love them by meeting that need to the best of our ability.  It doesn’t matter whether the person is someone we like or dislike.  It doesn’t matter what gender, race, color, or religion.  It doesn’t matter whether they practice our religion and have the same or similar beliefs.  It makes no difference is one is gay, heterosexual, or anything else.  The way we love God, is by getting to know others enough to see their needs, and then do everything we can to meet those needs, while taking care of ourselves at the same time.  I think you’ll find this is the most gratifying way to have sex, and the greatest possible way to live life.

Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Matthew 22:34-46

This is a challenging political season in the United States.  There is a huge demand for change.  The country is involved in at least a three-fold war, one in Afghanistan, another in Iraq, and a third called “The War Against Terror”.  Economic times are hard.  People are losing their homes. People are losing their jobs.  People are watching their retirement savings and financial security for the future disappear in a matter of days. Some of the nation’s largest banks and financial institutions have failed.  Billions of dollars have been allocated to rescue the faltering economy.

This is a highly emotional political season.  No matter which candidate for President one supports it is possible to be accused of sexism, ageism, or racism.  There is plenty of prejudice and fear to go around.  It is a close election, so name calling and negative campaigning are on the rise.  Misrepresentations and falsehoods abound.  On top of all of this there is an undercurrent of crude bigoted populism that has entered the race.

Today’s Gospel lesson, for the twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost, provides us with a familiar phrase.  In response to a trick question about taxes, Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s”.  The Gospel appears to make a clear distinction between civil responsibilities and duties and religious responsibilities and duties.  Thomas Jefferson called this a “wall of separation between church and state.”  That doesn’t mean that we don’t have obligations to the government and the church, it simply means that those two commitments are different.

Jesus lived during the reign of kings and emperors.  The Bible was written from a perspective that does not include democracy or elected representative government.  The perspective of Scripture at first glance seems to be that we are to obey the king and pay our taxes, period.  Yet, there is much more to be said about believer’s relationship to civil authority in Scripture. 

We are to be world-changers.  We are called to bring hope to the world and serve as the body of Christ, the means by which God brings about change on earth.  When God wants something done, God does it through human beings.  Things like mercy, justice, righteousness, and peace are not things that miraculously fall out of the sky.  They are principles to be sought and defended.

Those of us who are fortunate enough to live in a republic like the United States have a unique opportunity to influence the world around us.  Actually, it is both an opportunity and a responsibility.  We have the ability to vote for our leaders.  We are allowed to select the type of person we want to lead our nation, and the kind of representatives we want making our laws.  This isn’t an easy task, and it is not to be taken lightly.  It is particularly difficult in an election cycle like the one we are experiencing.  

Yet God has given us the gift of voting.  While the Bible wasn’t written from the perspective democracy, we can find some helpful concepts to guide our choices when we get to the polling place.  These concepts can provide us with help as we look at the record, plans and character of those who have been nominated for office.  It isn’t a perfect system, but it is the best we have.  Therefore, we can do the best we can.

One important task is to be mindful and prayerful about our choices.  We can seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to see through the hatred, mistruths, and bigotry that has been evident in this campaign.  I’m always amazed at how politicians can keep smiling while at the same time tearing their opponent down.  That doesn’t mean we don’t use our intellect, we must think through difficult issues, but we should also be open to the voice of the Spirit to guide us to make change.

The Scripture is full of references about violence.  God hates violence.  There are at least eleven Scriptures that warn leaders that violence must not be prevalent.  Yet, we have spent 691 billion dollars, an unfathomable amount of money, on the War on Terror.  In addition funding for the military at its base is another 481.4 billion dollars.  Do we have leaders who are seeking peace, or leaders who want to make war?  Of course we have to be kept as safe as possible, but the amount of resources given to violence in this nation is staggering.  When making our election choices, we must decide who would give us the best shot at peace and not allow violence to prevail.

Violence doesn’t only take place in the rest of the world.  People are mistreated by criminals in our society every day.  Murder and violent crimes must be fought.  People should not be afraid to walk down the street just because they love someone of the same gender.  Children who are gay or lesbian should not be allowed to be bullied and beaten up in school.  When we make our election choices, we must choose one who will defend all minorities, including sexual minorities by passing a law like the Matthew Sheppard Act that will help protect minorities from hate crimes.

The Scriptures are filled with reminders to take care of the poor.  How can a nation that spends hundreds of billions of dollars making war, have people who are homeless, hungry and without proper clothing?  How do we fight poverty?  One way is by providing jobs.  The idea that if we give rich people more money they will make more jobs for the poor has proven not to be completely true.  Economics is not quite that simple.   The people near the bottom of the economic ladder need far more than a trickle down approach to survival.  According to the Bible, when we make our election choices, we must consider who will take care of the poor rather than the rich.

Deuteronomy, all the way back in the Torah, reminds us that leaders must take care of the aliens who live among us.  We must be careful that those who are not citizens are treated fairly and equitably.  We must share our resources and care for immigrants.  The Bible doesn’t say anything about whether they are legal or illegal immigrants.   They are to be given opportunities to earn a just wage and have a safe place to live.  When we make our election choices, the Bible says we must choose the one who will treat immigrants fairly, not one who will build up walls to keep them out.

On or before November fourth citizens of the United States have a chance to follow Christ’s instruction to “give to Caesar and at the same time give to God.  We have the chance to cast our vote for those who will follow principles of mercy, justice, righteousness and peace.  We have a chance to perhaps have fewer people die in wars, fewer beat up and murdered on our streets, fewer taken advantage of financially, and fewer mistreated because they are not citizens.  We have a chance to make a difference as the body of Christ and bring our society closer to God’s vision of what it means to live together fully human.

Exodus 33:12-23

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Matthew 22:15-22

This week the Supreme Court of the State of Connecticut ruled that it is unconstitutional for the state to deny marriage to same sex couples.  This makes Connecticut the third state in the United States to allow equality in marriage, following Massachusetts and California.  Canada is far ahead of the United States in allowing for marriage quality as is South Africa, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Norway.   Marriage equality is the latest battle for civil rights in the United States and I believe every Christian who believes in standing for justice and equality will recognize that civil marriage must be provided to everyone and not limited to heterosexual couples.

Often those who oppose same sex marriage do so out of fear of violating tradition.  However, marriage has never been a consistent institution in Western culture, let alone among the cultures of the world.  The Bible shows many examples of men having multiple wives, King Solomon marrying hundreds in order to form treaties with other nations, and both men and women being forced into marriage against their will.  The Roman Empire recognized marriage between two men until the fourth century when Christian Emperor Constantius passed a law against the unions. 

Marriage of same sex couples was something that was accepted to some degree up until the end of the middle ages.  There were same sex unions among the peasants, the aristocracy, kings, and bishops.  It wasn’t until after the crusades against Islam that the church officially declared homosexuality sin, and persecution of homosexuality became commonplace.  Minorities are easy to demonize and anathematize in order to keep control over the majority population.  For some reason, human nature tends to cause people to unite when they believe they are threatened by a common enemy, even if the threat has no merit what so ever.

Marriage feasts were important at the time of Christ.  This week’s Gospel lesson from Matthew 22 is the parable of a king who invited guests to come to the wedding banquet of his son.  However, when called to come to the feast, the invited guests made excuses and did not attend the banquet.  Therefore, the king  invited everyone into the feast, regardless of their social status.

In order to place this feast in context it is helpful to read the account of this parable in Luke, and perhaps the Gospel of Thomas, which is not included in our Bibles, as well as today’s reading.  Jesus had been invited as a guest at the home of a religious and community leader.  There he took notice of how banquets were used as a means of establishing social status.  In general, people invited guests to come to a feast who could in turn invite them back to their home for a feast at another time.  Therefore, people were invited, not in order to be hospitable, but in order to do social networking and build one’s status.

Jesus challenged this idea and said that people should be invited regardless of whether they would be able to reciprocate. The blind and physically challenged should be invited to the feast along with the poor, who could not possibly repay the host by providing a similar feast in the future.  It was in this context that Jesus told the parable of the King’s great wedding banquet.  Christ took an egalitarian view of society and challenged the leaders to be inclusive of everyone.

That is the way it is at God’s table.  The realm of God is filled with people who are cast out by society.  The wealthy are not to be valued more than the poor, the sighted any more than the blind, the physically fit any more than the physically challenged, nor the heterosexual any more than the homosexual.  Everyone sits at the same table and shares in the same spiritual blessings of the realm of God.  There is room at God’s bosom to nurture every single one of us; particularly those who are the mistreated and outcasts of society. 

Matthew adds some commentary at the end of this parable in verses 11 through 13.  He talks about the king being offended by someone in the wedding banquet not wearing a wedding robe.  Interestingly, this isn’t in the other versions of this parable and was probably Matthew’s own addition into the story.  It is awkward and doesn’t seem to fit with the theme of the complete acceptance of everyone.  However, Matthew is trying to add a theological point into the text.

Christianity was often thought of after the resurrection as taking off the clothes of an old way of life and putting on the clothes of new life in Christ.  The idea is promoted several places in the Pauline school of thought and is shown in Paul’s epistles.  A glimpse of this may be seen in today’s epistle reading as we take off our clothes or old way of thinking and put on the new clothes of thinking like a Christian.  “Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”  This idea is also shown in that we take off the works of the flesh, or selfishness, and we put on the fruit of the spirit, which are peace, love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, and self control. 

Marriage today is the union of two soul mates, who make enduring commitments of love and loyalty to one another.  One couples’ marriage does not threaten the marriage of another.   Each marriage is unique to the couple.  While society has certain expectations of what that marriage should look like, and there is a great deal of continuity, when it comes down to the relationship of the two people in the marriage every relationship is special, unique, and private.  What works for one couple may not work for another.  Marriage no longer means that one person is dominant and the other passive.  Marriage no longer means that one has ownership of the other.  

It is through broadening stereotypes that same sex marriages will enhance the concept of marriage in our society and make all marriages stronger.

Just as everyone is welcome to the wedding feast in God’s domain, so also is everyone welcome to be married in God’s domain.  Regardless of whether the church or the state recognizes the unions, God indeed recognizes every union that is formed of love. God celebrates the diversity of creation by enhancing our unions with the presence of the Holy Spirit to make our love stronger and giving us the freedom to be unique. 

Exodus 32:1-14

Philippians 4:1-9
Matthew 22:1-14

What does it take to be considered a part of the people of God?  How do we measure a Christian? Our society tends to want to use religion in a divisive way, to keep some people on the outside; or, perhaps, to keep some people under the control of other people.  Religion has been used in this way throughout the ages.  This is why religion can so easily become toxic and dangerous.  Religion is far too often more about politics and measuring one another up than truly finding the path of God and discovering the wonder of God’s Grace.

This week’s Gospel lesson, for the twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost, contains the parable of the wicked servants.  It is probably more of an analogy than a true parable.  Jesus told the story of how someone owned a vineyard that he rented out to others in exchange for a share of the fruit.  Those who rented the property did not give the owner what he was due. The owner sent one person after another to reason with the wicked servants and get them to give the owner his fair share, but they refused.  Finally, the owner sent his son to collect.  Rather than listen to the son, the servants decided to kill the son and take the vineyard for themselves.

As Jesus told this parable, he was fully aware that he was going to be killed by the religious and political authorities who opposed him.  This parable was a direct confrontation with religion.  While Christ came to bring the good news that God loves everyone, the message was not received by the religious and political people who were using their power to keep control over others.  They measured other people according to the law.  Jesus came with a different sense of the law, and talked about new ways to measure one’s relationship with God.

Christ concluded this analogy with the warning that, “the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruit of the kingdom.”  Jesus said that the way others will know one is a disciple is if they have love for one another.  Since love does not include a means to control others, religious leaders didn’t want this idea to be accepted by others.  Christian love is shown through the fruit of the Spirit.  The fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control. 

Our Old Testament lesson is the giving of the Ten Commandments through Moses.  You shall have no other God’s before me, You shall not make for yourself an idol, You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy, Honor your father and your mother, You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor, You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

These are all very nice rules, but are they the measure of a Christian?  Many people have reverted to these laws today and say that we are still required to keep them.  However, it was legalism that Jesus was trying to correct.  It isn’t rules and laws that guide our lives as believers; it is the fruit we bear.  That fruit is to show love to God, our neighbor and ourselves. 

In the Jewish rabbinic tradition there are those who teach that the Ten Commandments are not universal laws for everyone, but that they are only for the Jews.  Instead the six laws given to Noah are universal laws.  The Old Testament contains some 613 commandments.  Different groups of believers pick and choose which ones they want o follow and which ones they believe no longer apply.  The idea that there is some kind of uniform Judeo-Christian ethic is a myth.  Everyone accepts the rules they like and discards the ones they don’t. 

Jesus said that he came to fulfill the law.  Galatians tells us that the law of Christ is to “Love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…and to Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two things.” (6:2) technically then, the Ten Commandments and other laws are not applicable to Christians.

Our epistle lesson this week explains that if anyone could boast of keeping the rules and customs of the law, that would be Paul.  However, he wrote, “I consider them rubbish (speaking of the law) that I may gain Christ.”  According to this passage, relationship with Christ is far superior to any custom, rule, or law.  Relationship replaces religion. This often frightens religious leaders who want to maintain power and control.

Religion does not give up power easily.  Religion loves rules and laws.  It is through laws that some people can be kept outside, and those on the inside can maintain power.  Various minority groups throughout history have been harmed because religious rules have been used against them.  Today millions of people are marginalized and discriminated against because someone decides that a particular law applies to them, or can be construed as to apply to them.  Religion can easily become toxic and painful when people try to enforce some other set of laws other than the law of Christ, to love one another.

We still have people today who like think of themselves as the religious “elite.”  Like the Pharisees they want the love, adoration, and financial gain that comes from manipulating religious fears.  If someone can be convinced that they can help save a loved one from Hell, they will go to great lengths and give large contributions to make that happen.   This is the same attitude that led Jesus to the cross.  It is a toxic poisonous kind of religion that is a danger to all of humanity, not simply the group being marginalized.  The Pharisees wanted Jesus dead because they saw him as religious competition.

However, Jesus tells us that the reign of God will be taken away from the legalistic and toxic religious leadership and given to a people who will produce the fruit of discipleship.  The fruit of discipleship is love.  No one has the authority to condemn or judge someone else.  The only way to recognize the true followers of Christ is though love.  It doesn’t matter what type of rituals one follows, whether one’s “lifestyle” fits well with the majority population, or whether one obeys the 613 laws of the Old Testament.  How do we measure a Christian? The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20

Philippians 3:4b-14
Matthew 21:33-46