Sunday, September 30, 2007 -- 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Peacemaking--Part 1

The first Sunday in October is celebrated as World Communion Sunday and Peacemaking Sunday. This week will be "jump start" for next week. Thus, Part 1.

To help prepare for Peacemaking Sunday, I will be looking at 1 Timothy 6:2b-19 and Amos 6:1a, 4-7. This is a slight variation of the lectionary readings for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Teach and urge these duties. ³Whoever teaches otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that is in accordance with godliness, ⁴is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words. From these come envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions, ⁵and wrangling among those who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

⁶Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; ⁷for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; ⁸but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. ⁹But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. ¹¹But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. ¹²Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

¹³In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you ¹⁴to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. ¹⁶It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. ¹⁷As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. ¹⁸They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, ¹⁹thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.

I have highlighted verses which at this time seem most provocative.

• What is the meaning of "contentment" in this passage and how does it fit into being godly?
• Further, what is "godliness?"
• The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil brings a familiar proverb to our attention. It is the "love" of money that is at issue -- not money per se.
• And, "all kinds of evil" is brought up -- what are the evils that arise from greed -- another way of expressing the "love of money."
• Verse 13 draws our attention to God as the Creator and later we see that Christ is the "King of kings and Lord of lords." This put everything in the heaves and the earth under the watchful eye of God. In visiting several Orthodox church I have seen the image of God portrayed as a solitary eye that keeps watch and rules.

Do you have some thoughts you would like to add?

If you would like to read the whole of 1 Timothy 6, click here.

Special Youth Service -- Hope in Our Midst

Sunday, September 23rd, our worship service will be lead by the six young people who went to the Presbyterian Youth Gathering this past summer. Many of the members of Chapel Hill helped send these young people to an event that has been "life changing." This worship service is a "thanks" for the congregation's support. The theme for the services will be the same theme as the Gathering, "Hope in Our Midst."

It is my hope that you will will come and be with us for this celebration of the gifts of God with our youth.

Yes! I get a Sunday off from preaching. Thank you, youth!

Luke 15:1-10

The shepherd and the widow were persons from the margins of the social mainstream. Maybe that not exactly true, for the majority of the people at the time of Jesus were on the away margins from the power systems of religion and governance. But, suffice it to say, that the main characters of the two parables were not power people in their community.

The shepherd provided a necessary service for the community -- even a very smelly and unpleasant service, and the widow was dependent upon her son's generosity (or the charity of her community) for her well-being. I guess that it would not have been too hard for the people hearing the parables (not the religious leaders) to identify with the shepherd and the widow. Or, would they?

The religious leaders hearing these parables would have been threatened or befuddled by the messages.

C. H. Dodd's definition of a parable

The most thought provoking definition of parable comes from C. H. Dodd, The Parables of the Kingdom, Rev. ed (London: James Nisbet & Co., 1961)

“At its simplest, the parable is a metaphor or simile drawn from nature or common life, arresting the hearer by its vividness or strangeness, and leaving the mind in sufficient doubt about its precise application to tease it into active thought.”

This definition allows a parable to be either a metaphor and/or a simile (sometimes a hangup issue among biblical scholars). But the key is the fascinating possibility that the parable creates a "sufficient doubt" thus provoking thought or "teasing" out thought/reflection. What a wonderful hope for keeping Scripture from being dead dogma, and being kept alive by the Holy Spirit. One might even carefully speculate that the Holy Spirit provokes doubt or, at least, is in the midst of it!

Sermon texts for Sunday, Sept. 16th -- Luke 15:1-10

Parables about the LOST -- The lost sheep and the lost coin.
Text This Week resources

15Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. ²And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” ³So he told them this parable: ⁴“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? ⁵When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. ⁶And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ ⁷Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
⁸“Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ ¹⁰Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Sermon Summary -- Philemon

There are three options open to Philemon when Onesimus shows up on Philemon's doorstep.

1. He could grant Paul's request and give Onesimus' freedom unconditionally and send him on his way; or
   
2. He could keep Onesiimus a slave but give him more "special treatment" as a fellow Christian; or
   
3. He could do nothing, keeping him as a slave -- even make his life more difficult as a run-a-way slave.

If Philemon did anyone of these options, he would have been well within the social norm of his day, exercising his right as a slave owner.

Paul offers a fourth option, which is the theological center of this short letter. Paul, in verses 15-16, offers a new vision of the new creation brought about in Christ's coming. Onesimus is recommended to Philemon to become a "beloved brother." Thus, the relationship of master/slave is broken in the coming of the Christ -- and Philemon can make a visible witness to the new creation in Christ by giving his slave his freedom and redefining their personal relationship.

The force of this short letter is to show in a specific way that Christ's coming inaugurates the new creation and Onesimus can make it "incarnate" in his redefining how he will travel this life with Onesimus -- as beloved brothers. For the modern Church, we need to look at those institutions (such as slavery or other forms of evil) that set up social boundaries that deny the reality of God new creation and set before them a new way to see the marginalied other.

Sermon -- September 9, 2007

First Thoughts

For some time the book of Philemon has had to take a backseat to the larger and "greater" letters of St. Paul. As with the seasons, attitudes within the church and scholarship change, for how else would we keep so many words spun out? The controversy around the book of Philemon is whether or not it has real "theological" value. In the recent past, some thought no. Present scholarships thinks that there are some very important thoughts within this letter, especially considering how Paul acted compassionately toward the slave Onesimus. Is this a model for how the contemporary church might relate to the marginalized in our own time?
I believe the key verse in this 25 verse letter is verse 6:

I pray that the sharing of your faith may become more effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ.

Paul clearly assumes that if Philemon will act justly toward his slave, Onesimus, then the witness to the love and grace of Christ will be apparent to the community in which Philemon resides. It is very important for Philemon to do this "going against the stream of manumission since it in his house (household) in which the church gathers and worships.

A touchy issue for the contemporary church regards Paul's benign acceptance of the institution of slavery. He advocates for the freedom of one man, yet says little of the evil of slavery in the rest of the letter. One reading of this thinking reflects Paul's eschatology -- that is, he believed that Christ's return was "at hand" and the slave/master relationship would be reconciled very shortly. Both the slave and the master would be redeemed from this very evil economic system as God's kingdom would bring. Thus, Philemon's manumission of Onesimus would be a witness to bring more into the community of faith.

Philemon -- the once and only

Image: ST. ONESIMUS, DISCIPLE OF ST. PAUL. FEAST DAY: FEBRUARY 16TH

In the three year Revised Common Lectionary there is only one time we have Philemon as a Sunday text. This is not surprising since it only 25 verse long (just a little over 300 words). In early commentaries, it was thought that there was little of importance in this, the shortest, letter written by St. Paul.
More recent writers have thought otherwise. Read it yourself!

Philemon 1-21

1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker,to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God 5 because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. 7 I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.

8 For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, 9 yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love--and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. 10 I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me. 12 I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. 13 I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. 15 Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother--especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

17 So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. 20 Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

There are a four more verses which are interesting because they make the letter more personal. You might look them up and see what they add to the book.