The Heart of the Matter
And the Pharisees and the scribes asked [Jesus], “Why do your disciples not live
according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with their hands defiled?”
And [Jesus] said to [the Pharisees and scribes who were conspiring to destroy him
with their hardness of heart] (Mark 3:5-6)… “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites,
as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine the precepts of men.’” [Isaiah. 29:13] … And again Jesus called the people to him, and said to them, ‘Hear me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him.’” (Mark 7:6-8, 14-15; RSV. Emphasis added)
Let us pray:
O God, we’re scrubbing our hands like crazy, and we still can’t get all the dirt off! And look, look at this mess … we’ve scrubbed so hard our hands are starting to bleed! … What a hopeless effort … And where is all this blood coming from? … Yes, we must admit, if we look deep- down and are honest with ourselves and you: we need some open heart surgery. No, not just a by-pass. We’ve tried that one and found ourselves to all be dishonest like the scribes and Pharisees, and even the disciples, like Judas. And no, not just an angioplasty. We’ve tried that one too, and found the balloons of even our best, puffed-up efforts to quickly go flat. And no, it’s not just a matter of exercise and diet. Been there, done that too – the cholesterol of sin is just too thick for any earthly medicine – whether it’s eating more Cheerios or even popping a Crestor tab each day.
And so it is, O God … and so it is … that we come to you again this day with our old hardened hearts, in prayer and thanksgiving at your communion table, leaning into your promise of an ever present love of enfolding forgiveness and hope – signed and sealed by Christ’s cross. Yes, in the spirit of your Psalmist: ‘Create in us a clean heart, O God and renew in us a right spirit’ (Psalm 51:10) – making us to be your cardiac kids … whose hearts beat for the sake of your kingdom come, in the needs of our neighbor, and throughout your creation.” AMEN
May God bless your labor and your Sabbath rest, this Labor Day Weekend.
I’ll see you at the table.
John Christopherson
Senior Pastor
Filled By God - Alex Clark, Guest Preacher
Alex Clark gives us some insight for weekend worship. Alex is a recent graduate of the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago and returns to First Lutheran, his home congregation, this weekend to preach in our services Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. He will also be ordained on Sunday at 2 pm in the First Lutheran sanctuary. All are invited to attend! Guests are encouraged to wear red.
Just As He Was (Mark 4:36b)
“On that day, when evening had come, [Jesus] said to [his disciples], ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd, they took [Jesus] with them in the boat, just as he was. … And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But [Jesus] was in the stern, asleep on a cushion; and they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care if we perish?’” (Mark 4:35-38; RSV)
Being several hundred feet below sea-level and surrounded by large wind-swept mountains, Lake Galilee (13 mi. long x 8 mi. across) is still today notorious for severe squalls – which without warming, hit small fishing vessels with tremendous power. (Note Rembrandt’s depiction of this event in his famous painting entitled, Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee.) But this storm must have been – as my dad would call it – a real “rip-snorter” … Cuz even these swarthy, shiver-me-timbers, rough-n-tumble fishermen were needing a change of underwear!
No! No! No! They hadn’t signed-up for this? … This was no “three hour cruise.” Why was it, that so often, when Jesus bid them to come follow, he’d call them right into the midst of a storm (cf. Mark 4:5; 5:21; 6:45; 8:13)?!… No. Really. Why? … Look at them again, in Rembrandt’s painting. One, two, three, four ... of them scrambling on the lines and mast, praying, pushing on the tiller with all their might. But it wasn’t good enough … They’re scared to death … I mean, if they’d been baseball players they probably wouldn’t have even been able to spit!
They’re trying everything, but nothin’ works. And worse, Jesus is doing nothing! (Seemingly) “I mean, who got us into this big mess in the first place?” Look how they’re staring at Jesus in dis-belief. And it’s here, at this moment, that things become awash. You see, as in times of great trial and fear in our own lives, we too find our words in those of the disciples: “Teacher, don’t you care if we perish?” (Mark 4:38; RSV)
So, where-in-the-world is God in this biblical story? And even more so, what-in-the-world is God doing?! Come join us for worship this weekend, as we look deeper in St. Mark’s and Rembrandt’s paintings together.
Pr. John Christopherson