Incarnation

Language is complex. We speak everyday, sending all sorts of signals to those around us. We take language for granted not giving it much thought or attention. The words we use and how we use them carry with them not just the information we are trying to convey but also our feelings, attitudes and stories. All of these come through in our everyday, even if we do not realize it.

Because language is complex translation is difficult. Many times I find myself trying to find the appropriate word when translating. In the end translation is always interpretation. The choice of words and phrases have as much to do with the feelings and attitudes as they have to do with the actual word or phrase itself. Many times there is no translation/interpretation that can communicate what the other person is trying to say.

The director of the movie Babel, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, spoke of this difficulty in communication. In a recent interview on National Public Radio he spoke of the real difficulties with language. Inarritu said:"the points of view of life, what means something for you, there is no translation for that." This is the real challenge in human communication.

The incarnation was God's solution to the problem of communication. God sent the word (logos) in human form so that we could finally understand God's love. This was the only way that humanity could know that we mean something to God. At the core of God's identity is creation, so as a creator God wanted to initiate a renewed relationship with us.

The story of divine-human relationship found in the scriptures is a story of misunderstanding. Humanity was constantly fooled into thinking that God did not care, that God did not know. In the incarnation God showed the extremes that God was willing to go in order to reach each one of us.

The Christmas season is the celebration of God's incarnation in the person of Jesus Christ. We celebrate that God broke the barriers of communication and became one of us in order to redeem us. We are made new because God made God-self new. We are able to understand because God went beyond translation and instead transformed God-self into human form. In this gracious act God made clear God's "points of view" and "what meant something" to God.

During this season of Christmas may you accept God's gift. Acceptance means surrendering to a new identity in Christ Jesus. This identity is universal: God's children no matter the language, nationality, or race. All one for "the word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14 NRSV)

Look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Peace, Juan

Fullfilled Promises

As a child I remember hearing that promises must be kept. A promise is much more than something one says. It is an agreement, a guarantee. In the bible we call these promises "covenants." God is the initial covenant maker. When God made us God promised to love us and provide for us. When we failed God's love "remained steadfast" (UMH, 9), meaning that even though we failed and broke the covenant God kept God's end of the deal. This tells me that God is one to be trusted. So when God promises to one day bring about final justice, love, and renewal to the world I believe.

Jesus Christ is the main sign that God did not forget God's promise. In Jeremiah 33:14-16 the prophet reminds us of God's promise "[t]he days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah." So the day has come and the day will come. In Jesus we were able to experience what God's kingdom could mean: healing, wholeness, new beginnings. God keeping promises.

This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent. We wait for the fullfillment of God's promise. God will keep it. In the person of Jesus we saw a glimpse of God's kingdom. As the church we were given the task to proclaim this glimpse, this kingdom to all the world. Are we doing that? Are we taking this task seriously?

This Advent season I invite you to reflect on your spiritual life. Jesus came because God keeps promises. Jesus in turn promised to be with us always. So Christ is with us, waiting for us to allow his work in our lives. Christ wants to make us new and wants to deepen our relationship with God and with each other. Are you ready for that challenge? What is holding you back from keeping your promise, I Believe?

May this season be a season of new beginnings for you. And most of all may the incarnate Christ come to live in you in these days. Christ is coming again in body to make all things new. I join the choir of angels in saying "Maranatha," come Lord Jesus and pour out your spirit on all flesh.

Peace, Juan

Look! He is Coming

Preparing for guests takes time. We want to put our best foot forward, to make a good impression and want guests to have a good time so that they will come again. At times we are anxious because it has been awhile since we have seen that special person, we have butterflies in our stomach as we anticipate the arrival. Hurrying through our last few details we hear the car in the driveway or the doorbell ringing, they are here! Imagine how many households went through this yesterday as people gathered for thanksgiving.

This Sunday is Christ the King/Reign of Christ Sunday. It is the last Sunday of the Christian year. We have told the story of Jesus in our worship and now as we close we look forward to the future. By looking forward we are able to prepare and be ever vigilant in our sharing of the gospel message. If Christ is King of all, yet unlike any King we know, then we are to be different people. The world itself needs Christians to live this reality if we are to be agents of God in the world.

In the scriptures for this Sunday we face an interesting Jesus. He is both the dying king and the one who is promised to come. John 18:33-37 tells us of the encounter between Jesus and Pilate. "Are you the king?" Pilate asks, Jesus answers "my kingdom is not of this world." In Revelation, John begins his letter to the "seven churches" with a statement of greeting, blessing, and warning, "Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen." (1:7 NRSV).

I wonder if people will get it this time. When Christ first came there were many announcements and yet people still did not believe. Then Jesus promised to be with us always and many still did not believe. Here Jesus promises to make himself seen again in body and bring about the completion of his message and I wonder if people are going to believe.

This is no "second coming." This is merely a continuation of what God has intended from the very beginning. To re-establish relationship with the created order. You and I are the bearers of Jesus to the world. There is no need to look at the clouds expecting. Christ is in us. If we live this reality in our everyday lives we will be bearers of God's imminent return. Do you understand the implications of this reality in our lives?

We are baptized people. The spirit of God has graced us with God's abiding presence. We have been sealed and sent to be Christ in the world. We are the bearers of God's kingdom right now. Just like we are the ones who prepare the feast and wait hospitably so are we the ones who prepare the "feast of the lamb" and say "Look, He is Coming."

Peace, Juan

Striving First

On most days it is hard to leave the office. It seems like every time I stand and attempt to go home something pulls me back. A phone call, e-mail, or someone stopping by give me reasons not to leave. There is also "unfinished" business, you know those items that you really need to get done. In the end the day only has 24 hours and there is little you can do. At some point, no matter what's completed or not, you have to go home.

Before I leave I like to make a prioritized "to do" list. Here I try to think of what's most important and make sure that I take care of it first thing in the morning. Making the list is an exercise in letting go. It makes me feel better to know that once I go home I can concentrate on what's there and not on what I left behind. The list is on my desk, tomorrow I'll know where to begin.

Priorities take intentionality. Whether it is family, work, or play it does not happen automatically. We have to make sure that we balance our lives. If we do not we end up spending too much time on things that we should not and too little on things that we should.

Jesus was trying to help us prioritize. In Matthew 6:25-33 he was trying to remind us that many of us spend too much time on things that do not matter. We need to trust and know that God will take care of it. Whatever the "it" is. We need to concentrate on God's kingdom, on the things of God. Once we have place this as our top priority all other things seem to fall into place. Like an important piece of a puzzle it makes everything else clearer. This is like the "to do" list before I leave my office. It helps me remember that none of those things are more important than my relationships. Striving first for the things of God helps us let go and acknowledge our frailty, especially in our time management.

This coming week is thanksgiving. We gather with family and friends to give thanks. My prayer is that you do not let anything get you distracted: turkey, football, the parade. These are good things but more important is acknowledging the giver of all the blessings of life.

I look forward to seeing you Sunday. Make church attendance and Sunday School a part of your life this holiday season. May this be a new beginning for you and those you love.

Peace, Juan

Restorer of Life

I like home improvement shows. Seeing an old house been brought back to life is amazing. The craftsmanship and time spent is a testimony to the dedication of workers and owners alike. When something is restored it is "brought back" to its old glory. Restoration is a difficult process for it seeks to preserve the core, the heart, of something while taking away layers of "junk." It takes careful attention to detail and it takes time.

In the scripture for this Sunday (Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17), God is called the "restorer of life." (v. 4:15) God takes Naomi's situation, dire situation, and makes into something wonderful into a great work of grace. Through her wisdom both she and Ruth are restored to fullness. If it wasn't for a willing stranger we would not have this story. God takes the "junk" of life and makes us, restores us, back to God's intention. This is good news!

Restoration is not an easy process. Along the way there will be chaos and a bigger mess. We will wonder whether the process will be worth it. Then, little by little, the pieces are put back and we begin to see a hint of what's to come. Setbacks will come, deadlines will be extended. Budgets will be altered. In the middle of it all God will be there guiding us, holding our hand, and helping us through. What's to come will take our breath away.

This Sunday we will gather and reflect on God's goodness to us. Although the focus might seem about money is really not about money at all. It's really about life. Are we going to let God "restore us" or not. If we say yes then we have to let God do the work. We have to let go of everything. Stewardship is about letting go and about letting God restore our priorities for all of life.

I look forward to seeing you Sunday. Till then . . .

Peace, Juan

ALL SAINTS

The church has its own time. Through its calendar we are reminded of what we believe. It provides us with a rhythm that helps us center our lives. At the heart of this calendar is Easter. The resurrection of Jesus makes it possible for our relationship with God to be restored. Then there is Pentecost, Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, and Lent. These are "seasons" that mark moments and movements in the life our Jesus. In the midst of these seasons there are special days that speak of other theological understandings. All Saints is such a day.

All Saints is a celebration of life. We do remember those that have died in the last year but is not their death that we celebrate. What we celebrate on All Saints is that those that have gone before us are still with us and have reached their final destination. Those that have died join the heavenly host in praising God and interceding on our behalf. Those still living join the "community of saints" by following their example and most of all by joining the community on the Lord's Day. When we partake of the holy meal (the Eucharist) we pray "with the people on earth and all the company of heaven."

The community of saints is a gift. They have laid the groundwork and now we continue what they have started. God gifts us with all we need to continue the work of the kingdom of God in the world. We are not afraid. We are not alone. God is with us and the saints, all around us, cheer us on as we go about God's work in the world. What an awesome task. Thanks be to God!

Look forward to seeing you in SS and worship.

Peace, Juan

The Blind leading the Blind

You have heard the saying many times. It is a negative statement, after all how can a the blind lead? In Mark 10:46-52 we have a good example. Bartimaeus could not see Jesus but knew that Jesus could help him. The crowd that had passed him so many times, that had ignored him and made fun of him now wanted him quiet. They did not want to be bothered for they were ready to be entertained by Jesus latest sign or wonder. Jesus helps them "see" the real need around them. Instead of satisfying their voyeuristic desires Jesus makes them aware of one who is in real need. The people that once ignored now go and help. "He is calling you" they say. The one who was once a reject is now embraced as part of the community and "follows Jesus on the way."

We can get so busy with our own agendas, with what we perceive as important, that we are blinded to the real needs around us. We think that we have Jesus "figured out" that somehow he is there to satisfy our needs. But if we let Jesus lead us our eyes can also be open. Open to our real need and to the needs of others. What a wonderful gift.

I look forward to seeing all of you this Sunday!

Peace, Juan

Divine Response

What happens when God answers? This is the question that is answered in Job 38:1-41. Job has been asking for God to hear him and Job's friends have been asking Job to repent of sin that he has not committed. In the midst of this exchange of much miscommunication God speaks. God's words are important to us especially as we face the struggles of life.

God's response is full of questions. We expect God to be clear to answer the questions that Job and his friends have been asking. Instead God asks questions of Job and his friends: "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?" (Job 38:4) "Who has put wisdom in the inward parts, or given understanding to the mind?" (Job 38:36) We know the answer to these questions, God. They are important reminders as to who is in control and in whom we should put are trust.

Although heard frequently the message of Job is to depend on God. This does not mean that we use divine language as a token or as an excuse. But it does mean that we can count on God, that we can question God, but also that if we question we need to be prepared to hear God's response.

In Mark 10: 35-45, James and John wanted Jesus to guarantee them a special place in God's kingdom. I do not blame them. They had been faithful to Jesus. The response makes the priorities clear. It is not about being great but about being a servant. Those who serve are the greatest in God's eyes. Those who struggle and those who suffer are given priority in God's kingdom. Here the divine response is unexpected and clear just like it was in Job.

We live in a time where we hear God's name used openly. In American society it is easy to forget that the God that we proclaim is the God who created all that is. The name of God is not to be used for anything other than as a gracious response, desperate call, and act of praise to the Almighty.

I look forward to see you on Sunday!

Peace, Juan

Where is God?

When things are going well it is easy to feel God’s presence. It seems that everywhere we turn God is there guiding us and providing us with comfort and strength. What about when things are not going well? The reading from Job 23:1-9; 16-17 struggles with this question. Because of all that Job is going through his friends doubt his faithfulness. For them all the suffering that Job is experiencing has to be the result of unrighteousness. They ask Job to come clean; to confess. Job refuses. He knows that he has been faithful; we know that he has been faithful. In the midst of his frustration he cries out to God. He wants to know why God has left him.

It would be easy for us to condemn Job. Doesn’t he know that God is with him? Easy for us to say, most of us are extremely blessed. When you are in the midst of difficulty even the obvious is difficult to see. It is reassuring that even Jesus struggled here. At the cross he cries out “why have you forsaken me (Matthew 27:46) a direct quote from Psalm 22 our psalm for this week. We feel forsaken and that’s ok. What is important is to have a source of hope in the midst of despair.

In Mark 10:17-31 Jesus reminds us of the plight of the poor. Here are human beings, created in God’s image, living in circumstances that are continually bleak. There seems to never be hope. Many lack basic necessities. Others in spite of hard work never seem to get ahead. Most of us pass them by and do not even realize. Other times we try to avoid the poor and neglected. We refuse to drive through “their neighborhood” we call many poor “lazy” and “a burden to society.” And yet Jesus loves them and asks us, all of us who have been blessed by God, to provide not just with spiritual food but primarily for physical needs. The poor are the incarnation of one who became human, became poor, for us.

In God’s eyes we are all “naked and laid bare.” (Hebrews 4:12-17) We are all the same: rich and poor, male and female, White and Black, Asian and Latino. All of us are part of God’s created order, made in God’s image, in need to recognize God’s presence in the midst of despair. I remember going into a small church in Matanzas, Cuba. They did not have much. They worked with the needy in their neighborhood and operated a small school. On that day they laid out a great feast for us strangers; the best meat, rice, and vegetables. Many of them could not eat like this on most days. Others have never eaten like this. But they opened their doors and received us joy to share. They wanted to share God’s blessings on them with us. I will never forget.

Where is God in the midst of despair? God is everywhere but most of all in the faces of those who have little, those who are weak, and those who are rejected by society. In those faces we see the face of Christ. Maybe desperation finally brings in humanity a realization of God’s presence, maybe . . .

Peace, Juan

Theodicy

Theodicy, from the greek God-Justice (theos/dike), refers to the struggle of humanity in dealing with the suffering of the world in light of an all powerful God. Theodicy is the question of the ages one that we cannot ignore but neither can we dwell on. The book of Job forces us to deal with such a question. In the next four weeks we will be hearing from the book of Job in worship and in Sunday school. Come ready to struggle as a community of faith.

Look forward to seeing you this Sunday!

Peace, Juan

On Behalf of the Community

The texts for this week speak about community. We are communal people. This idea seems to be unpopular today. We rather think of individuals, mostly of ourselves. Choices we make, as long as they only affect us, are the right choices. Most messages from our society speak about taking care of number 1 (meaning me!). American individualism is one of the marks of what makes us who we are as a people. If all of this is true, then what do we do with these passages. How do we interpret them, struggle with them, have them speak to us?

The book of Esther contains one of the great stories in the bible. Esther was a young jewish girl who ends up as Queen of the Persian empire. The jews are in diaspora (dispersed) and many are living in the persian empire. They have become part of persian society and many of them held important positions. Esther was an orphan who was cared for by her cousin Mordecai. The king of Persia Ahasuerus (Emperor Xerxes) marries Esther not knowing that she is a jewish peasant. After Mordecai finds out about Haman's plan to kill the jews (Haman was the King's right hand man) Mordecai asks Esther to speak on behalf of her people. In our text for today we have the conversation between Esther and the King, Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22.

James 5:13-20 calls for the community to pray and care for one another. One of the stricking parts of the passage is the call to healing that is both physical/emotional and spiritual. The elders of the church are called and bring a "healing touch" through annointing with oil. Once healing takes place in ourselves we are able to provide communal healing through forgiveness and reconciliation. Here is the perfect example of how we as individuals live out communally.

The gospel is a difficult one. Mark 9:38-50 is a perfect example of why scripture is always interpreted through community. Has your hand, foot, eye caused you to sin? I am sure it has. Have you cut it off? I sure hope not. The message here is about stumbling blocks. We place them all around us. We are the main stumbling blocks to our life and the lives of others. Especially when someone is not like us or with us we automatically see them as the enemy. Jesus is calling all of us to something different. He is calling us to holy hospitality. In holy hospitality we accept the other by removing all that comes in the way. Even if it means removing ourselves. In removing ourselves we allow room for God to work through us and only then can we be "salt of the earth," the spice that flavors and preserves.

Communal living is difficult. God calls us to it "for such a time as this." In a world full of individualism we should carry the banner of the gift of communal life. We, like Esther, go to the king and sound out the alarm. God's providence allows us to make a difference in the world. Are we going to take the challenge?

Peace, Juan

True Greatness

The texts this week are complex. All are connected in some ways yet each of them have important gems that we need to take seriously. Our focus text Mark 9:30-37 will ground our reflections for this week.

Jesus had been teaching and healing. Now on a journey they still "do not get" Jesus' point. They did not want to hear about his death and suffering. This was not the picture of "Messiah" that they preferred. They wanted a Messiah that was powerful and would conquer the Romans once and for all. Instead sacrifice was being lifted up, taking up the cross was the sign of true discipleship. They did not hear any of it. They were still in fantasy land as they walked with Jesus. Aware of their argument on the road he tried once again to make a point. If you want to be the greater you have to be one of these, a child.

In Proverbs 31:10-31 the writer is lifting up the qualities of a faithful wife. This passage has been used at times to maintain unhelpful patterns of family life. Husbands love to quote it, if they know it, to point out the inadequacies of their spouse. All beware for this passage although speaking specifically about a "capable woman" contains important truths about faithful relationships.

James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a continues on the theme of wisdom and how it centers us in a life of faith. When we are off centered it is obvious our life are full of ourselves and there is no room for another. In contrast when our lives are centered on God's wisdom we are able to live in harmony with God and one another. In the end we have to "submit ourselves" to God.

Greatness in God's eyes is about humility, vulnerability, and self-giving. If we are like children we depend on another, trusting that all will be provided and confident that we will be taken care off. The call of wisdom is one that gives us confidence. In Christ we are able to live in ways otherwise impossible. Because of our continued transformation we can reach out. We can, like the virtuous wife, reach out to the needy, clothe ourselves in strength and dignity and share wisdom and kindness. These are the marks of true greatness but they take submission.

This week we all have to face our reality. Are we willing to let go? Can we submit to God's grace? Can we live in community and share our personal relationship with God with one another?

We'll see you on Sunday. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall with two or three other Sunday School classes to discuss the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church. Living these out are some of the ways that we work out a life of community with the church and with the world.

Peace, Juan

Wisdom & Jesus' Identity

This week's texts force us to look at Jesus and ourselves in a different light. In Mark 8:27-38, Jesus asks his disciples as to his identity. In Proverbs 1:20-33, lady Wisdom speaks words of warning as a parent would to a child. James 3:1-12 warns us against a "loose tongue" for it destroys community.

All of these texts have one thing in common. They speak to us about the nature of our own identity as Christians. Many times we understand our faith in terms of what we know, in terms of our "wisdom." The texts for this week remind us not to rely on our wisdom but to tap into God's wisdom.

The identity of Jesus is one of a suffering servant, not a military conqueror. When Peter denies this description and rebukes Jesus, Peter shows his reliance on his own understanding and wisdom and not on God's. Jesus in turn rebukes Peter and clarifies where our understanding needs to come from.

In our own time we misunderstand Jesus' identity. We sometimes believe that our faith is about knowing Jesus or knowing about him. Jesus came in order to show us the Father, to give us an example of what it meant to be agents of God's kingdom on earth and to empower us to live a life led by God's Spirit. This understanding has serious implications. Our lives cannot be lived in the same way in we take Jesus seriously. Here the wisdom of God cries out to us and tells us how we are to live. Living the Christian life means that we do not see anything in the same way. It means that we have a new set of eyes to see the world.

The Christian understanding of the world is communal. The whole created order is connected. Our faith is not individual and yet it is personal. We have an encounter with Jesus where he asks us, who do you say that I am? If we say that he is the Messiah, we are saying that we are no longer alone we are part of God's gracious community. What we believe is believed in community. How we act affects the community. Our faith cannot be lived outside of community. Wisdom cries out, trying to get our attention. It's not about you! God is the center of our life.

Here we have a difficult challenge. We will struggle with it in class, in sermon, and at the table. I look forward to seeing all of you Sunday.

Peace, Juan

Welcome

This is the new blog for our Sunday School class. Each week I will post reflections on the texts that we will be studying as well as questions for us to consider. Feel free to use this space to post questions, comments, ideas and suggestions. This will also be the place that we will use to announce our times of fellowship.

I am excited about this new beginning and pray for all of you daily.

Peace, Juan