The Bible shows a progression of religious understanding over time.  In my mind there is no doubt of this.  However, many would argue that the Bible is totally consistent and did not change over time.  Those who take this view generally tend to form some kind of rationalization to explain away the discrepancies.  When we deny that Scripture shows progression, we deny the ability of people of faith to grow and develop.  If humanity has made progress in every other area of life, such as architecture, language, technology, and so many other ways why would we want to deny our ability to grow spiritually?

The book of Leviticus shows a very intricate and detailed description of sacrifices, feasts, fasts, and holy days that were expected to be followed by devout Hebrews of the time. However, Isaiah claims that God hates the sacrifices and religious festivals of his day, and calls for justice, mercy and equality instead.  Today, Jewish people do not follow the Levitical rules of sacrifice.  Instead spirituality has grown to a new dimension where there are more important and weightier matters that need attention.

Our lesson from Genesis for the seventh Sunday after Pentecost is a great example of how primitive religion was at the time of Abraham, the patriarch of our faith.  Although Isaac is the child of promise and God calls for him to be the forefather of a great nation, Abraham is willing to kill the young man as a sacrifice to God.  Christians often believe that the reason for this test of Abraham’s faith was to prefigure Christ.  It is a hint from the Old Testament that God’s own child will be given as a sacrifice for the salvation of the world.  Some Christian and Jewish scholars believe that the story is designed to show a test of Abraham’s willingness to obey God.  Other Jewish rabbis insist that neither is true. 

Human sacrifice was very much a part of the religions in the region at the time of Abraham.  As a matter of fact Abraham’s descendents slipped back into the practice hundreds of years later, so human sacrifice was not uncommon for generations to come.  Often, the sacrifice of infants was more common, but an adult first-born child or heir could have been at risk simply because of birth order. 

Ritual murder was done for many reasons.  Sometimes it was because a member of the family or clan thought he had commit a great sin and needed to be forgiven.  Often human sacrifices were made in order to ask for the favor of a god when going off to war.  Humans could be killed and their blood spread on fields in order to ask for a greater harvest.  Human sacrifice could have been made to ward off just about any kind of natural disaster imaginable.  Perhaps the anniversary of an earthquake could result in ritual murder on the anniversary of the earthquake to prevent another from happening.

It is amazing the pervasiveness of this horrible primitive practice.  Archeologists have found evidence of ritual murder and human sacrifice on every continent.  Not only did the practice take place around the globe, but it has happened over such a long period of time.  Ritual murder still takes place in some cultures today.  These murders could be for the same reasons already mentioned, or sometimes it is simply because a baby is born a girl rather than a boy.  Some believe that this could be one of the explanations for the disproportionate ratio of males over females in India.  NPR reported this week that often ultrasound is used to determine the sex of a child and females will be aborted.  Other evidence indicates that female babies are either not nourished and waste away or their umbilical chords are allowed to become infected leading to death.

For much of the religious world, Abraham’s failure to kill Isaac can be seen as a major turning point in the development of spirituality and religion.  The story of the near-sacrifice of Isaac shows that God is not pleased with human sacrifices.  In this story a ram was provided to be sacrificed instead.   At the time of Moses animal sacrifice was developed as a part of the norm for Jewish life through most of the Old Testament.

Our Gospel lesson today indicates that Jesus taught a more progressive view of children and human life.  A special reward is promised for anyone who will even make the simple gesture of giving a cup of cool water to a child.  This is in dramatic contrast to the idea of spilling a child’s blood to please God.  Jesus explained elsewhere that it is better for a person to be drowned than to harm a little child. 

Spiritual values develop and grow over time.  If it were not so, our religious practices would be more like that of Abraham before his temptation to sacrifice Isaac.  Does that mean that God stopped communicating in the second or third century?  Is there no room for new growth and application of old principles?  The Bible has been used as an excuse for everything from slavery, war and murder to the oppression of people because they are different.  Just because something is mentioned as a primitive practice of faith years ago, does not mean that we can justify that same practice in our lives.

The lesson from Romans reminds us that we no longer live by a list of rules. Just as we are no longer under the ancient rules of law, but have learned to recognize the grace of God, we are to grow in our understanding of God, ourselves, and those who share the planet with us.  Abraham learned not to sacrifice Isaac. Isaiah learned that justice and mercy are more important than religious sacrifice.  Jesus taught us to cherish children and the life and future they bring.  Paul learned that grace is more important than legalism.  Our task is to learn to accept ourselves the way God made us.  When we truly accept ourselves for who we are, we will have an easier time appreciating others for who they are.

Genesis 22:1-14

Romans 6:12-23
Matthew 10:40-42

Families can be hard work. Human relationships are complex and difficult to manage.

One rather unusual family has become a cultural phenomenon.  “The Brady Bunch” started on television in 1969 and ran through 1974.  The program was about two people who were divorced, remarried, and each had three children.  The mixture of these two families and how they blended together was a rich source of scenarios for situation comedy.  The program was never in the top 25 programs in ratings, it never won any awards, but reruns of the program continue to run to this day.  Since 1975 The Brady Bunch has been broadcast every single day of the year somewhere in the world.  There is something about the program that resonates with a large audience.

The thing I found amazing about The Brady Bunch was that they were able to solve significant life conflicts in only 30 minutes, every week.  The program presented an unrealistic view of family life, and particularly life for blended families.  The family seemed to live in perfect harmony with one another.  There is an older story about a blended family that presents a different picture altogether.  The story of Cinderella, who lived in a blended family presents exactly the opposite, Cinderella was used and abused by her step-mother and step-sisters.

Our Old Testament lesson for the sixth Sunday after Pentecost provides an even older story of a blended family, but with some twists.  In contrast to those who claim that the Bible only supports nuclear families, we find a rather strange family type in the life of the Patriarch Abraham.  You may recall that Abraham was unable to have a child with his wife, Sarah.  Therefore, Abraham had sexual relations with his wife’s slave, Hagar, and they had a son named Ishmael.  Later, as a result of the promise of God, Sarah was able to conceive and she and Abraham had a son they named Isaac. 

Some years later, Sarah became jealous when she saw Ishmael and Isaac playing together and told Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away.  This was devastating.  They were traveling nomads in the desert.  They lived in tents and survived because they stayed together, provided for one another and protected one another.  The encampment included not only Abraham’s biological family, but also servants and animals as well as all the tools and equipment needed for survival.

Abraham believed he was following God’s direction to cast out Hagar and his first born son.  Alone in the desert, they ran out of food and water. Hagar became depressed and desperate.  As Ishmael became weak and she believed he was about to die, she placed him under a bush so she did not have to watch him die.  Ishmael tearfully called out to God, and God heard his prayers, and revealed a well to Hagar so they had water.  Ishmael learned to hunt with a bow and they survived.  The descendants of Ishmael have grown into great nations.

How could any loving father do such a thing? The forces of culture and religion are strong.  The idea that human beings are the property of another, whether slave-owner or parents, cannot be justified in a humane society.  Yet, Abraham believed he was following God’s direction.  Religion has been used as an excuse for multiple despicable acts of abandonment. Having made mistakes in interpreting the will of God myself, I have at least a measure of compassion when people make bad choices because they have been indoctrinated to do so by religious leaders.

This story reminds us that God still works through fallible and imperfect human beings.  The heroes of faith and saints of old are not morally superior to anyone else.  After all, Abraham put his son’s life and future in jeopardy.  However, God heard the voice of the boy.  God listens to those who are cast out by others.  Those who have been condemned by human beings and religious institutions still have a friend in God. 

Those of us who have been abandoned by the church, families, and friends, still have access to God.  Grace is not the exclusive right of one group or community.  God’s grace extends to everyone, everywhere.  God is present with those thought to be godforsaken by others.  The loving God does not give up on people or groups, but God created each and every person as a part of the great mural of human history.  No one part has any more significance than another part.

Jesus reminds us in Matthew not to worry about what other people think.  Oh, how I wish I could take that to heart more often.  There is nothing secret that will not be revealed.  We can be transparent and open.  Some churches may cast out people but God does not cast anyone out.  Even when our friends, families, or even society as a whole decides to ostracize a certain group, God does not.  God’s dream for our lives is that we be ourselves and appreciate the diversity around us.

In reality life is not perfect like the Brady Bunch.  But it is also not totally cruel like the story of Cinderella.  Life is filled with both those who are accepting and loving toward others as well as those who wish to condemn and abuse others.  Yet, God heard the cry of young Ishmael.  God knows every struggle and tear of modern outcasts as well.  God does not give up on anyone, but loves and accepts us all.  God sees the tears of the outcast and will somehow work everything out so that the voice and life of the outcast is not lost.

Genesis 21:8-21

Romans 6:1b-11
Matthew 10:24-39

Although some religions believe that God has appeared multiple times on earth in tangible form, most Christians generally think that God only appeared once in history, in the person of Jesus.  However, the story found in Genesis chapter 18 found in the lectionary reading for the fifth Sunday after Pentecost, tells us that God appeared to Abraham thousands of years before Jesus in the form of three human beings. 

The message of Pentecost is a message of God’s wonderful gift of the Spirit and God’s continued presence in creation.  Certainly deity can be revealed in many ways at many times and we can celebrate and honor both the diversity and unity of God.  Abraham responded to this visit in a notable way.

Abraham immediately asked God not to pass by his encampment, but asked the visitors to stay and receive some hospitality.  He offered wine and bread to the travelers.  Hospitality was a very important thing in the days before shopping malls were created with dozens of exciting restaurants from which one can choose to eat, and the opportunity to purchase anything we could possibly need on our travels.  The importance of hospitality is not lost on us today however.  Not everyone who comes our way can afford to eat at the choice restaurants, stay at a hotel, and shop at the mall. 

In the many years after leaving home and returning to visit my mother, I would never have imagined staying at a hotel.  She would have been deeply hurt.  So long as she was able visitors would stay at her house, and she would cook three country meals a day whether you wanted all that heavy food or not.  It took her years to get comfortable with the idea that her family can come and visit and we all go out to a restaurant.  In her mind, it was her job to be hospitable to others.

The Bible records that God made Abraham a promise that day.  He was promised a child with his wife Sarah.  Now, Abraham was well up in years, apparently 100 years old when Isaac was born.  Sarah, however, had always been unable to have children.  This was more of a promise to Sarah than it was to Abraham.  She would bear a child with her husband and that would bring her great joy.  Abraham had another son, and would have more children with a new wife, Keturah, after Sarah’s death.  Apparently he was quite the prolific fellow.

The importance of this promise was that the greatest way to build a new idea about God at the time was to have children and train them to believe this new idea about God.  In this, Sarah and Abraham succeeded.  They brought their children up to know that God is one, and that the oneness of the Creator would bring great blessing into their lives.   Three generations later 12 children were born to Jacob and they became the twelve tribes of Israel.  In addition Abraham’s other children grew into multiple nations. Ishmael is thought to be the progenitor of the Arab nations. Abraham’s grandson Esau brought about the Edomites.  The nations of the Middle East grew to believe in God’s oneness and greatness.  This belief has spread around the globe.

Religion has always emphasized including children in the rituals and customs in order to train them in the faith.  Most have religious education classes and some kind of coming-of-age ritual, like Bar-Mitzvah, Confirmation, or Baptism.  Unfortunately, not only do the good ideas about God get passed from one generation to the next, but often negative stereotypes and prejudice can be passed from generation to generation as well.  It is amazing the number of people who consider themselves to be recovering from abusive religious extremes taught to them in childhood.

Sexual minorities know this reality all too well.  Gays, lesbians and transgender individuals know what is like growing up afraid to be who we are.  It is not only fundamentalist churches that have adopted prejudice against gays and lesbians, but more progressive churches have often kept this bias as part of their doctrine as well.  Just the perception of being a sexual minority can cause a person to be called horrific names, excluded from many of the important rites of passage of adolescence, beaten, or even killed.  Gays and lesbians often grow up with a double minded hatred due to the amount of guilt and damnation that has been expressed on them by others.  There may be a self-hatred for not being like everyone else, as well as the hatred of the church for its condemnation and lack of hospitality toward sexual minorities.

Not wanting to be different, most sexual minorities go through a period of trying to be like everyone else.  A gay boy may try to be attracted to girls.  A lesbian young lady may date some boys to try to fit in.  Sometimes this self denial lasts for a relatively short period of time before one attains the ego-strength to admit our true nature, often it takes years of struggle depending on the amount of biased indoctrination a person has received. 

By the time of Christ, as indicated by our Gospel reading today where Jesus sends out the disciples to preach the good news of the Dominion of God, humanity had corrupted the true faith with thousands of rules and practices in order to be accepted by God.  God has been given a bad reputation.  Deity is not waiting to strike down folks for being different, or if they make a mistake.  Instead God celebrates the diversity of creation, and allows us to participate in creation by being creative ourselves.  We cannot possibly earn God’s acceptance, God accepts us already.  One of the greatest and most difficult tasks we face to accept that we are accepted.

The epistle reading for today reminds us that we have peace with God through Jesus Christ.  The whole world is saved.  God does not condemn homosexuals to hell, and those who curse sexual minorities with this claim are not living up to the expectation of hospitality and love we find in Scripture.  We have peace with God; sometimes we need to work on being at peace with ourselves, our families, and our culture.  For those who have been indoctrinated with the evil idea that God does not accept all of God’s creation, it is often a life-long struggle to continually stay at peace with the church that has been a source of cruelty and pain rather than peace.

Genesis 18:1-15, (21:1-7)
Romans 5:1-8
Matthew 9:35-10:8, (9-23)

Our Gospel reading for the fourth Sunday after Pentecost includes a rather interesting story that has been discussed in various ways for centuries.  On his way to heal the leader of the synagogues daughter who had died, Jesus was physically touched by a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years.  When she touched the fringe of Christ’s cloak, she was healed of the disorder.  I can only imagine the suffering this poor woman faced due to her condition.  She had to suffer from constant malnourishment and must have been considerably weak.  It probably took great effort to get through the crowd in order to touch Christ and be healed.

Not only would this woman have suffered physically, she would have been socially and religiously ostracized as well.  Women who were in menstruation were considered unclean and their activities and travels were very limited.  This poor woman was in a constant state of feeling unclean and inferior for twelve years. Others must have looked down upon her.  She would not have been welcome to socialize in the same way as other women.  No doubt she is an example of how human beings often have the tendency to blame those who are sick for their own illnesses.  He friends may have frequently encouraged her to repent of some unknown sin because they assumed her illness was a punishment from God for some poor behavior of attitude.

Jesus set her free from life as a second-class citizen by healing her of her hemorrhage. Christ made her well in spite of the fact that even the act of touching Jesus was unlawful for her to do.  She was breaking the religious rules of the day.  That’s why, in Mark’s Gospel which provides more detail, she was scared when Christ asked who had touched him.  Rather than rebuke her for not following the religious custom and law of the day, Jesus brought her redemption from her illness that would lead to acceptance by those around her.  Her life was dramatically changed because she had the faith to reach out and touch the garment of the Savior.

There are similar stories in the New Testament of people being healed when they touched the garment of a disciple.  At one point pieces of cloth were prayed over and sent to the sick so that they would be healed.  I can recall similar instances in modern churches where small “prayer cloths” were prayed for and given to the sick.  One church I visited prayed over Teddy Bears and sent them to the sick and troubled.  There is a movement today where prayer shawls are being knit and blessed to be provided to those who suffer from illness.

These practices are quite common in some Christian communions.  Others think of these practices in more negative terms, comparing prayer cloths to magic or even idolatry.  Some communions have taken these kinds of acts one step further and venerated relics, such as the remains of a saint who has passed away, something worn by a saint, or even something touched by a saint.   At various times, these religious practices have gone to extremes and become abusive.  One form of abuse could be the charging of money for the ability to be in the presence of a relic.  Another extreme would be blaming sick people for not having enough faith to be made well.  In either case, religion has become destructive and dangerous at that point.

Many people have claimed to be healed after receiving a prayer cloth or being in the presence of a relic.  Does that mean that the cloth or relic healed them?  Was it the fringe of Christ’s garment that healed the woman with the hemorrhage?  Not at all.  The Scripture is very clear that it was not the cloth that healed; it was the faith of the woman who touched Christ.  Similarly it is the faith of those give or receive prayer cloths and shawls today that makes the difference.  A relic cannot heal a person, they may only be the bones of a person long since dead, but faith can do absolutely fantastic things in our lives.

The greatest thing a person can have when facing adversity or trouble is faith.  Our Old Testament lesson and Epistle reading today confirm that faith is an extremely powerful force.  God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations at a time when Abraham’s wife was barren and unable to conceive children.  It was not that Abraham was a particularly good guy, or that he had some special saintliness that caused God to bless him, it was the fact that Abraham believed God.  Today millions of people trace their heritage to Abraham.  Multiple nations have been formed by the descendents of Abraham and Sarah because of faith.

Not only has Abraham’s faith resulted in millions of people in one generation after another, but Abraham’s faith has resulted in a spiritual awakening that changed history.  It was because of Abraham’s faith that the concept of one God rather than multiple God’s came into the world.  It was because of his faith that Jesus was born to preach the good news to the entire world.  Abraham’s faith started a chain reaction that has resulted in the entire world being reconciled to God. 

Healthy religion can help us develop and build faith.  Our lives are not changed because we take certain sacred actions or participate in religious practices, our lives are changed because we have faith in God and that faith allows us to bring the good news that the world is redeemed, renewed, and restored to others.  There are those who like to practice an unhealthy religion that limits God’s blessing to only a chosen few.  Religion becomes dangerous when it is used to exclude people and separate people from one another.  The faith of Christ is that everyone has been restored to God.

The woman who touched Jesus’ robe in today’s Gospel lesson could have followed her religion and stayed away from Jesus.  Her religion would have excluded her and kept her in bondage to her sickness.  Thankfully, her faith was stronger than her religion.  She reached out to Jesus, and was not disappointed. 

There are many religious voices and practices that try to exclude people from the Good News these days.  It somehow makes people feel important if they can believe they have something that someone else doesn’t have.  Let’s allow our faith to be stronger than the limiting religious voices around us.  Faith has no limits and we do not have to deny ourselves because someone else thinks we aren’t religious enough.  Everyone is welcome to reach out and touch Christ.  When we do, our faith makes us whole.

Genesis 12:1-9
Psalm 33:1-12
Romans 4:13-25
Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

In celebration of our tenth anniversary together, my partner and I decided to go to Canada for a civil marriage.  We had a Christian ceremony here in the United States years ago, but it isn’t recognized legally yet. When we returned our church gave us a Christian blessing.  As a result of our marriage, and my partner’s connection with my children and grandchildren, he decided to change his last name to match mine.  Needless to say, the name change has been a bit of work, and has raised some questions.

He works for the government, so he had to have his email and electronic information changed in their systems.  When the IT technician called to discuss resetting his email to his new name, the reason for the name change came up in casual conversation.  My partner explained the reason for the name change, and the technician appeared to take this information well and didn’t express any shock and awe. 

We discussed the issue and decided that the more people we tell about our marriage, the more likely they will be to see that we are indeed not a threat to anyone. The fact that we are married doesn’t mean we are contagious, it doesn’t cause other marriages to fall apart, and we are basically regular folks with the same needs and ambitions as anyone else for the most part.  Sadly, we also had to discuss the very real possibility that we could place ourselves in danger as well.  We have had multiple experiences of harassment and threatened danger over the years, but fortunately no actual physical harm has come to us.  We decided it was worth the risk to be ourselves.

The lectionary readings for the third Sunday of Pentecost, June 1, 2008, include the story of Noah’s flood.  God was not pleased with what human beings were doing on earth and how they were treating one another.  Therefore, God became so overcome that the decision was made to destroy humanity from creation.  What could have been so horrible, that a loving God would regret having made human beings? 

God found one family that brought hope.  God saw that Noah and his family had faith and were worthy of being saved from the great flood.  Therefore, wanting to preserve life, God told Noah to build a large enough boat for himself, his family, as well as the creatures that walked on earth.  This boat became an ark of safety to protect them from the waters of the flood.  There are folks who want to argue about whether this story should be taken literally.  Noah’s flood was part of an oral tradition that was passed from generation to generation until it was written down.  The question of whether it is literally true misses the point.  The response one should have to the account of Noah’s flood is to ask what the story means.  How can we apply the lessons of Noah’s flood to our lives?

Something that I have rarely heard discussed concerning this story is what it was that caused God to want to destroy humanity.  Why would a God who created the world and all its wonder and splendor suddenly decide that humanity was no longer worthy to live on the planet?  Some have thought that the flood is an indication of an angry God.  Recently I have come to think of the flood as an indication of a hurt, sad, and mournful God.  Many preachers have speculated that various sins cased God to flood the earth, but the Bible specifically tells us God’s reason.  Interestingly, it is often skipped over in many sermons.  Genesis 6:12 explains what caused God so much pain.  It was that the earth was filled with violence.  Obviously, God has strong feelings about violence.

The thing that causes God pain and makes him mournful is that people are violent to one another.  More than anything God wants us to live at peace.  When I think about God’s attitude toward violence, it makes me question how God might view the world today.  Obviously there is a great deal of violence.  We live behind locked doors for fear of theft and violence.  The news media continually tells us the stories of those who have been attacked, assaulted, and killed.  Nations, even those who claim to be taking high moral positions, go to war against other nations.

The World Health Organization considers violence to be a leading world-wide public health problem.  They estimate 1.6 million people lose their lives to violence every year. When we add to that the number of physical, sexual and verbal assaults the number is staggering.  The rates of deaths due to violence per hundred thousand are highest in Africa and South and Central America, but North America and Europe are not far behind.

Since the 2003 Supreme Court ruling on Lawrence vs. Texas that overturned the state’s anti-sodomy law, violence against gays and lesbians has increased dramatically.  Most have interpreted the ruling to mean that the government no longer can impose its will regarding who consenting adults love, yet there are still instances of individuals being arrested for so-called, crimes against nature in spite of the Supreme Court’s action. While last year had a slight decrease in overall violence, the rate of murders of sexual minorities went up 22%, according to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs.  This may indicate that the violence is becoming far more dangerous than in the past. 

According to Amnesty International local police departments in the United States continue to harass and physically and sexually abuse people who are perceived to be gay or lesbian.  One would think public schools would be a safe place, but according to University of Houston professor, Darlene Hunter’s meta-analysis, 39% of students are physically harassed due to sexual orientation and 57% have property stolen or damaged.  The U.S. Department of Justice Reports that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students are highly more likely to be victimized by crime. 

How has the church responded to violence in modern times?  A few have attempted to address the issue, usually around a particular problem, such as the death penalty or opposition to war.  However, the most vocal are those who appear to promote violence and berate and demonize sexual minorities to the point that others are incited to act violently.  With the increased rhetoric of televangelists and social conservative politicians, there is a direct increase in violence. 

The message we can take from the story of Noah’s flood is that violence causes God a great deal of pain.  There can be little doubt God is experiencing that pain today as the world is filled with multiple kinds of violence. I’m not sure how God expresses sadness, but if God were human I know God would by weeping for the people of the earth a great deal these days.  God’s people must take up the challenge to be an ark of safety and work toward decreasing violence in order to perhaps dry some of the tears from God’s eye.

Genesis 6: 9-22; 7:24; 8:14-19
Romans 1: 16-17; 3:22b-28, (29-31)
Matthew 7: 21-29