Preaching Tips - Feb 28, 2010

Blog#2 - Lectionary Preaching for Feb 28,2010

1. Specifically on a couple texts for next Sunday.

There is an interesting connection between two scriptures this week – Psalm 27 and Luke 13:31-35. A title might be “Facing the Principalities and Powers”. Psalm 27 has the familiar “The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear?” – but it is not ‘sweetness and light’. The psalmist is facing his own darkness, just as Jesus, who is warned, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you”. The psalmist seems to be facing “evildoers who assail”(v2); “an army encamped against me” (v3); “false witnesses - breathing out violence against me”(v12). One commentator expands this, “Whether this person is surviving cancer, navigating a 12-step recovery program and still tempted by old adversaries and unsure of his long term fortitude, or is a soldier reintegrating into civilian life but still dueling her post traumatic stress disorder demons, Psalm 27 maintains gritty honesty as it dances back and forth between fear and trust.” (Journal for Preachers, Lent 2010, pg 5).

Despite all of this, the psalmist believes “I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living—therefore - Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage. I re-iterate, wait for the Lord!”(v 13-14)

Two illustrations popped up for me. One of them came to mind during a conversation with Chris Blackford. Long ago King George VI gave a New Year’s address to England during WWII. He quoted a famous line, “I asked the man at the turn of the year, give me light that I might walk safely into the unknown. He said to me, put your hand into the hand of God. That will be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”

The other quote is from Luther, in his tracing the movement towards full-bodied trust. He uses Latin words: ‘notitia’ – to note something that might be true; ‘assentia’ – to give assent to something that might be true; and ‘fiducia’ – to rest on something you know to be true. Psalm 27 demonstrates the latter kind – a gutsy trust that faces enemies and faces them down and finds courage in God, plus the patience to wait for such deliverance.

This mood and faith is exactly what is on display in Luke 13:31f. Jesus is warned to flee Jerusalem. They report that He might be killed. Jesus gives a measured response, that he will not be rushed. He will do first this and then that before he will be ‘on his way’. We might interpret this, “Tell that fox Herod to like it or lump it, I will not be rushed or pushed around”. My Bible calls this section “The Lament over Jerusalem”, but it is not to be confused with Jesus’ later Palm Sunday ride into Jerusalem when he weeps over the city (Luke 19:41). Jesus’ attitude in Sunday’s passage seems to be confrontational and confident. “With unhurrying chase and unperturbed pace” (a phrase from the poet, Francis Thompson) the ‘Hound of Heaven’ reacts to Herod the Fox.

The way Jesus responds to those who want him to get out of town, reminds me of the way Bishop Tutu faced the police and the Secret Service who lined the walls of St. George Cathedral in the earlier ‘apartheid’ days. They were taking notes and building their accusations prior to closing in. Tutu, with his cherubic smile looked around at them and said, “You are powerful. Very powerful! But I serve a higher power, greater than your political authority. I serve a God who cannot be mocked. Since you’ve already lost, I invite you to join the winning side!”
When he said this, the Cathedral’s worshippers erupted in joy. They rose to their feet, started singing and dancing in the aisle and then they snake-danced out into the courtyard and past the police. The police were so stunned that they didn’t know what to make of it. It is Bishop Tutu who coined the phrase, “We are prisoners of Hope”. (Jim Wallis tells this story more fully in his book, God’s Politics, pg. 347f).

2. General Thoughts
· Christ’s power in face of the principalities is also illustrated in the story of Mandela that was portrayed in the recent film, Invictus.
· One question that might be raised in the Luke 13 passage concerns the attitude of the Pharisees who warn Jesus to flee. Were they being helpful or sinister? If helpful, this might be an opportunity to say a good word for some Jewish leaders in the Gospel (like Joseph of Arimathea or Nicodemus) who respected Jesus. This would help balance the anti-Semitism that some draw from the Gospel of John. (Note John Buchanan’s essay in Christian Century, 2/23/2010, pg 3)
· If you choose some emphasis on Psalm 27 this Sunday, why not try an echo reading of the psalm? It is already set up by Tracey Marx and ready to go. The text and rehearsal ideas can be accessed from her web address: tracey@poemprayer.com. As an idea for later, a church might organize a verse choir and use the same techniques? Churches have children’s choirs, bell choirs, drama teams, etc. Why not an echo choir specializing in scripture reading?

A. Specific - "Through the wilderness" might be a theme for this Lent. It begins with the 'temptation' and ends in Gethsemane. Several lectionary passages Old and New Testament deal with the Exodus. The Holy Spirit is leading throughout. It is not escape into a holy realm, but protection enroute to the Promised Land through turmoil. The 'devil' is never more active than in this journey - entering right from the start, leaving 'for a season'.

Consistent with this is Luke's treatment of the Mount of Transfiguration (Lk 9:28-36). See especially v 31, where Moses and Elijah speak with Jesus about "his departure" which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. The Greek for 'departure' is 'exodon'or Exodus. The Lenten journey is a new 'Exodus'.

Preachers can deal this week with temptation in general (i.e, the enigma of evil as part of the human situation. Not even our Savior can escape this. Or, the specific temptations might be faced, with an attempt to find modern parallels. In each case, something that might be good is not the total good.

Providing food is what Christians do. Yet,if we find 'Bread for the World', we can still be full fed and hunger. Linking our view of a Christian society with political power, can deceive both the Christian Right and the Liberal Left. Both can be replete with political shenanigans and bias. There are miracles that dazzle, as Oral Roberts produced and miracles that happen outside the tent enroute to the cross. We preachers often yearn for proof that what we have, or do, or produce has the right stuff. In our better moments, we realize our only right stuff is a relationship with God that takes up the cross 'daily' (9:23) and follows Jesus.

B. Some General Thoughts

T. S.Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral reveals the subtlety of temptation - doing the wrong thing for quite plausible reasons. Read it for 'grist' in you preaching mill.

Here is a sneaky treatment of temptation: A Prayer
"I want to thank you Lord for being with me this day. With your help, I haven't been impatient or lost my temper; been grumpy, judgmental or envious of anyone. But I will be getting out of bed in a minute, and I think I will really need your help then. AMEN"

More generally - The 7 week of Lent will call for repentance repeatedly. Some recent movies that touch on this theme: "As Good As It Gets"; "Amazing Grace"; "Enchanted April"; "Working Girl"; "A Man Named Harvey".