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Joseph and the Dreamcoat

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Joseph and his brothers by French artist Leslie Xuereb

As Resurrection Lutheran strides through God’s Great Story in Sunday worship, this week we stop to observe Joseph the dreamer. Joseph’s story covers the final third of Genesis, chapters 37 to 50. A character study, we watch Joseph mature and embrace his unique calling from God.  Like many, his story will be a bumpy one.

At first Joseph strikes the reader as an arrogant, self-absorbed, spoiled teenager of 17. He brags to them of his special dreams in which his brothers and even his father bow down to him (Genesis 37:6). Joseph has not learned to acknowledge God as the source of his gift. He has not learned to be humble in his use of it.  His dream will come true when he rises up to become second-in-command in Egypt. However, before Joseph can rise up, he will be beaten down several times.

His jealous brothers will attack him and sell him into slavery in Egypt. He will rise up as a favored administrator in a local household, only to be tossed in jail when he is unjustly accused of adultery. He will languish in prison because others have forgotten his talent with dreams. Joseph is on an emotional rollercoaster. Through all the dips and turns one refrain remains constant: “The Lord was with Joseph.” (Genesis 39:2, 23) God did not prevent Joseph from suffering unfairly, but gave him the strength and courage to walk through it.

When Joseph finally has his chance to help the Pharaoh with his dreams, Joseph gives God full credit.

And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not I; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” Genesis 41:15-16

Humility can be a difficult lesson to learn. For years, Joseph sat in jail due to a false accusation.  Early in my ministry I faced an unfair accusation from a visitor to my church.  I wanted to yell and shout, but all I could do was keep silent and let the accusation fade away with time and the help of others.  Until it did I was constantly praying, “why Lord, why?”  No direct answer came, only the promise of God’s presence.  Like Joseph, I had to learn the valuable lesson that God was in charge.

When have you learned a difficult lesson through a humbling experience?

Lord Jesus, humble me that I might trust you completely.

No Place Like Home

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My siblings are preparing to sell Mom’s home. My mom has lived in a memory care unit in Woodbury for nearly a year. She lived in her home in Bremerton WA for more than 40 years, but I doubt she will ever return. I lived there for only six years before leaving for college and then seminary, yet I have a deep attachment to the place. A big part of the attachment was the magnificent view from the back deck, so my brother sent me a last picture from that favorite spot.

The steel-blue waters of the Puget Sound were a steady source of comfort and peace. The ferry from Seattle emerged from Bainbridge Island every few hours as well as the occasional sailboat. Once a huge the huge aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise, steamed by, heading for the naval shipyard. In my first couple of summers there I had a small row-boat in which I explored neighboring bays. It was crushed in a winter storm. Ships and boats on the Sound would come and go, but the constant slap of the waves never left me.

I always struggle with the final vision of Revelation 21:

Then I saw a new heaven and new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. Rev. 21:1

I understand that for the Jews the sea was a symbol of chaos and destruction. Just read the story of Noah or Jonah in the Old Testament. The Jews were not sailing people, so the promise of no sea was good news for them. I however would miss it.

Bremerton Ferry and Mount Rainier

I am guessing that mom’s house will sell quickly, especially if someone stops by on a very clear day (okay, Washington state does not have a surplus of those). But what you cannot see in my brother’s  picture is Mount Rainier on the horizon. On a bright clear day it stands like a giant snow ball for all to see. It was a constant reminder of me that God loomed over all, even when the clouds block my sight. I hope the new owner discovers the same inspiration I have experienced.

Is there a place that inspires and comforts you?

Lord Jesus, thank you for your promise to be always with us, no matter where we are.

Seeking Sarah’s Tomb

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The Narrative Lectionary that Resurrection Lutheran Church is using this year skips through the Old Testament at a fast pace. This coming Sunday we will be studying Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. But before I shift our focus to Joseph and Egypt, I want to examine one final story of Abraham. In Genesis 23, Abraham’s beloved wife Sarah dies and he must find her a tomb.

When God first called Abraham, God promised him land and descendants. When Abraham arrived in Canaan, the Lord said to him, “To your offspring I will give this land” (Genesis 12:7). His descendants will be as many as the stars of sky.  Yet as Abraham nears death, he has only one son and no land. Is God’s promise ever to be reality? Have you, like Abraham, ever wondered if God’s promises would become reality for you?

After Sarah’s death, Abraham goes to the Hittites who own the surrounding land and says, “I am a stranger and an alien residing among you; give me property among you for a burying-place, so that I may bury my dead.” (Genesis 23:4). The Hittites recognize Abraham as a great man and are willing to give him a burial site for his wife. But Abraham does not want a “gift” or “honorary guest” burial site; he wants to own the burial site with proper title. He wants something permanent and legal that can be passed on to future generation.

Abraham is willing to pay top dollar for it. (A stewardship sermon is buried in that verse!)  After skillful negotiation, he purchases the small field of Ephron in Machpelah where he buries his wife in a cave in the field (Genesis 23:15-19). Years later Abraham is buried there as well.

At first, a burial plot may seem like a useless, pathetic fulfillment of God’s great promise to Abraham and Sarah. Is this all the land God can give?  Yet it is the first step in God’s patient, enduring plan of salvation. It becomes a sign of hope and possibility.

After all, as Christians, we remember that God’s plan of restoration culminated in the empty burial tomb of Jesus on Easter Sunday. Jesus’ empty tomb is the first step, the first fruits, of a new heaven and a new earth.

 Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died (I Corinthians 15:20).

In what ways does God give you hope in difficult times?

Lord Jesus, you are my rock and shield, give me the hope I need this day.

Commanding Sacrifice

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The Old Testament disturbs many readers with its many violent and destructive stories, at times commanded by God. One story in Abraham’s life has challenged many readers. God commands Abraham to take his son, his only son Isaac, to a mountain and to offer him as a burnt offering to God (Genesis 22:2). Abraham faithfully follows the instructions and takes Isaac, a knife and wood for the offering. In a very poignant scene, as Abraham and Isaac climb the mountain, Isaac carrying the wood, he calls out,

“Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together. (Genesis 22:7-9)

I wonder what Abraham was thinking as they walked together. Isaac was his only son, the long-awaited promise from God. Clearly Abraham loved and cherished his son. Yet he faithfully followed God’s command. Perhaps he had half-expected it since many of the surrounding gods in ancient Palestine required such a sacrifice of the first-born child. Still I think Abraham’s steps were as heavy as his heart as together they walked up the hill. And then, when he actually bound Isaac, laid him on the wood, and raised the knife to kill him, I simply go numb.

Before we become too critical of the violence in this ancient story, let us not forget the violence in our own culture. In the last century, humanity has turned death into an industrial machine, killing people by the millions. Last week a family home in Oakdale erupted in murder and suicide. Violence is not simply an ancient problem.

And we read this story, knowing it is a test from God (Genesis 22:1). God had to see if Abraham would be faithful in trusting God. As Abraham raised the knife, God again spoke,

“Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”  And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. (Genesis 22:12-13)

Trusting God can be very difficult at times. Yet God proves to be faithful to Abraham, Isaac and to all humanity.

One last thought: Christians often think the mountain where Abraham “sacrificed” Isaac was the same mountain where 1600 years later Jesus, God’s son, died for us.

Lord Jesus, thank you for absorbing our human violence and sin on the cross.

 

Teach Your Children Well

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I am amazed that God’s first act of his Creation Recovery Plan is the birth of a child. (Genesis 12:1-3). God will rescue humanity through humanity. There is something humorous, laughable even, to think that a child could save the world. It was a good thing that Isaac name was linked to laughter (Genesis 18:12-15). Yet the birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sarah will eventually lead to the birth of Jesus to Mary and Joseph.

Children continue to be a prime focus of God’s plan of redeeming the world. Resurrection Lutheran Church has made the faith formation of children a central component of our mission. We will continue that in the years and decades to come. Each generation needs to inspire and educate the next.

Centuries after Abraham and Isaac’s death, Moses was instructed by God to teach God’s word to the Abraham’s descendants.

You shall put these words of mine in your heart and soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and fix them as an emblem on your forehead. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your ancestors to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth. Deuteronomy 11:18-21

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young sing a song about teaching our children,

Teach your children well, their father’s hell did slowly go by,
And feed them on your dreams,
the one they picked, the one you’re known by.
Don’t you ever ask them why, if they told you you would cry,
So just look at them and sigh and know they love you.

In my own experience, my parent’s “dream” was to follow Jesus. They brought me to church, taught me to pray and to trust in Jesus. And for this I love them.  And my wife and I are called to do the same. Children deeply matter to God.

How are you passing the faith to the next generation?

Lord Jesus, help me to teach our children well.

Blessed or Blessing?

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Abraham and Sarah celebrate Isaac's birth

What an incredibly simple start.  After the mess of Genesis 3-11, God finds the best solution: an elderly childless couple! Abraham and Sarah become the start of God’s rescue plan for creation. They are blessed in order to be a blessing to others.

God said, “I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” Genesis 12:2

God promised a son to Abraham and Sarah. They wait, and wait, and wait, and wait. They try their own shortcut and fail. But eventually their son Isaac is born. Eventually after centuries of waiting his offspring will be Jesus, the truest blessing for all.

We so often seek blessing only for ourselves. But God showers us with generous blessings, so that we can be blessings to others.

How have you been a blessing to others?

Lord Jesus, make me into a blessing for others today.

The Rebellion

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When I read the first few chapters of the Bible, I am always struck as to how quickly everything slides from being GOOD to being BAD.  Declaring all creation to be “very  good” in chapter one and creating beautiful garden of paradise for Man and Woman in chapter two, the Bible provides us a glimpse into creation as God intended it to be: beautiful, balanced, and harmonious.

But the creation (and especially the human creatures) do not remain in harmony.  Man and Woman, Adam and Eve, choose to disobey God. The story in Genesis 3 is often called “The Fall”, because humanity “fell” out of God’s favor, but I prefer to call it “The Rebellion” because they rebelled against God’s order and design.  The Fall sounds accidental or unintended.  Their rebellion is not an isolated historical oddity.  It is a deliberate act., a rebellion in which we all participate.

We have all decided to go our own way and leave God’s chosen path.  We each do it in unique ways, but at the root of it all, we rebel against God being God.

For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

Our rebellion is our sinful desire to be little gods.  Genesis 3-11 show how the human rebellion grow as Cain kills Abel (Genesis 4) and wickedness permeates all humankind (Genesis 6:5).

Yet there is good news in these chapters as God always provided for God’s children even during the rebellion.  God provided animal skins to clothe Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21).  God provided protection for Cain (Genesis 4:15) and an ark for Noah (Genesis 6:13-14).  Ultimately God chose Abraham to be the pioneer in God’s restoration (Genesis 12:3).  Through Abraham, a savior would come to save us from our Rebellion.

How do you rebel against God?  How has God continued to reach out to you?

Lord Jesus, forgive me of my sin and restore me to the Vibrant Life of faith in you.

On the seventh day they had a picnic

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Yesterday was the kick-off to the fall season for Resurrection Lutheran. Under bright beautiful sky we had our church picnic after worship. The tempting smell of grilled brats, the energetic conversation of friends and neighbors and the loud squeal of dunk-tank participants permeated our church grounds. In the morning worship I joked that for one afternoon we would be Resurrection “Baptist” Church as people were fully submerged in the dunk tank. When my turn came, I was thankful for the cool water on a very warm afternoon.

Two thoughts popped in and out of my head as we celebrated our Vibrant Life in Christ. They both arose from our worship text in the morning: Genesis 1 where God creates the heavens and the earth. Throughout the chapter there is the constant refrain: “And God saw that it was good.” The goodness of God’s creation was being experienced by picnic participants; the joy and wonder on their faces reflected that goodness.

A second thought followed the first. The thought came from part of the Genesis story that I had skipped over in my morning sermon.

So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it because on it God rested from all the work he had done in creation. Genesis 2:3.

God’s rest on the seventh day is a powerful reminder that as God’s creatures we need rest as well. The third commandment flows from this: Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. I sensed that many of us were “resting” at our church picnic, even as we scurried around. Much of my normal week is spent sitting indoors/the opportunity to be outdoors, enjoying a beautiful fall afternoon was restful. And when I engage in meaning conversation with other saints it is holy. The morning worship and the afternoon picnic provided me with a healthy dose of rest and remembrance.

Pastor John becomes John the Baptized

And, to top it off, I had the opportunity to remember my baptism as I went into the tank!

How do you find ways to remember the day of rest?

Lord Jesus, help me to remember the gift of the Sabbath each week.

9/11 and Genesis 1

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9 11 Tribute in Lights

As we approach Sunday and the tenth anniversary of 9/11, I have a mixture of emotions. Like many Americans I have strong memories of that tragic day, first hearing the initial reports on my car radio and then watching the TV news feeds through the day. That evening I led an impromptu worship as people gathered to pray and to grieve. The prayer service had a raw anguished energy as people grappled with their fear and anger that came with the impact of the planes.

The following Sunday churches were packed as people continued to wrestle with the meaning and purpose of such a man-made disaster. Yet that spiritual fervor quickly passed as daily life for most Americans did not change. Many local churches marked the one-year anniversary, but I have not seen or heard of a local church memorial service since 2002.

This Sunday I have chosen not to center our worship around 9/11 but rather on the beginning of the school year and our sermon series, The Narrative Lectionary: The Story of the Bible. If Resurrection Lutheran was in New York City or Washington DC we would respond differently. I understand the national news media’s focus upon 9/11, but I wonder if so much attention only serves the terrorist’s cause, continue to give al-Qaeda the notoriety that it had been seeking.

The day after 9/11 I wrote some of my running buddies about my decision not to run on 9/11 or the day after so as to honor those who died in the Pentagon and World Trade Towers and the many first responders who made huge sacrifices to help others. But the following Saturday I choose to run with my running group as a statement to myself and to others that the terrorists did not win that day. They had not destroyed our culture or community. I would remember but not relinquish.

As I prepare to preach on Genesis 1, I am struck by the contrast of that text and 9/11. In the text we read that God declared that the creation is GOOD. Both Genesis 1 and 2 shows us the beauty and wonder of God’s creation and the special place humanity has.

Yet we know evil has worked itself into our world.  Genesis 3 introduces us to the concept of sin and evil, when Eve and Adam eat from the forbidden tree. Genesis 4-11 reveals how widespread sin and evil are: Cain murders Able (Genesis 4:8), the wickedness of humanity (Genesis 6:5) and the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). 9/11 only reinforces that theme of human sin. But human sin does not negate or destroy the underlying goodness of God’s creation. On Sunday, we will remember the tragedy of 9/11, but we will also go much, much deeper and remember the goodness of God’s creation and his power to restore us.

What do you think is an appropriate way to remember 9/11?

Lord Jesus, help me to trust, live and serve you even on the darkest days.

The Story of the Bible

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Pop Bible Quiz: Place these five famous Biblical characters in their correct chronological/ Biblical order: (answer at the bottom of the blog.)

  • Moses
  • Ruth
  • John the Baptist
  • Elijah
  • Abraham

The reason I popped this quiz is to prep for our upcoming sermon series this fall, winter and spring. This year at Resurrection Lutheran we will be using a series of Bible Readings that covers the WHOLE Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.

The series is called the Narrative Lectionary. Narrative means story and Lectionary means series of Bible readings, so our series of Scripture readings will tell the large story of the Bible. We will be racing through the Old and New Testament, touching on the highlights of the God’s interactions with humanity. We will not be reading every chapter or book, but we will be seeking the BIG PICTURE of God’s consistent search to pull humanity back into God’s loving care.

This fall we will be moving through the Old Testament. We will read how humanity rebelled against God and how God chose a special people, the children of Abraham, to be his agents of restoration. This will be a quick survey of major stories and events and will lead us to the birth of Jesus at Christmas.

The Wonder of God's Creation

We will begin this week with the first chapter of the first book, Genesis 1. Many of us know the opening words, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” As one reads the chapter, a constant refrain keeps popping up, “And God saw that it was good.” (v. 4, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31). The goodness of creation is especially emphasized with the creation of human being. Humanity is the crowning glory, the best of the very best, in God’s magnificent creation. Humanity is not some fluke of chemistry, but the planned desire of God.

Which means you are not a random act, but a beautiful creation of God, made in God’s image. You are beautifully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139). You have purpose and meaning, given to you by the Creator. Part of that purpose and meaning is to discover your role or place in God’s story. So join us as we discover the unending story of God’s love for God’s people, and specifically for you.

Answers to the Pop Quiz: Abraham, Moses, Ruth, Elijah, John the Baptist

Lord Jesus, thank you for the wonder of your creation.  Help me to discover my place in your ongoing story.