Luke 4:14-21
This past week, as I've been living with the texts for this Sunday, I've been rolling them around in my head, watching the newspapers and TV news reports, going to meetings and a funeral, and just generally taking in the world through the lens that this Sunday's texts offer. Now, this is nothing new. I do this every week. It helps me to listen to the "old" words and, as Nehemiah's sages did, to interpret them in words that sound more modern for our ears.
Late this week, Franklin Ishida of the ELCA's Division for Global Mission sent an email message to our pastors' meeting that I think helps us to focus on the meaning of this Sunday's gospel text. As we journey through the Epiphany season we are to be looking for signs that God is with us. Frank's message forwards for our consideration a letter he received from a woman missionary in Thailand.
Lori Endress writes from Bangkok:
- In Luke 4: 14-21, the gospel reading for January 21, the third Sunday in Epiphany, we
hear Jesus begin his Galilean ministry. Significantly, his chosen starting point is
Nazareth, the setting of the Incarnation, where the Word became Flesh. In the synagogue, he
reads from the prophet Isaiah, proclaiming, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he
has anointed me to bring good news...." Then he rolls up the scroll and sits down. Jesus
knows when to speak and when to be silent, to give God space for things to take hold. The
stunned silence invites interpretation. Simply and profoundly, Jesus explains, "Today this
scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing".
Bringing the good news, mission, is God's work. But we are invited to participate, to be both the medium and the message of the liberating Word of God -- that God is a loving God, that God's love is unconditional and all-embracing, and that, no matter what, God is with each and every one of us.
Here at home and in church-supported programs overseas, God is calling us to share our lives, to engage in servanthood. What is servanthood? It is doing the job (I teach English), and loving as God first loved us. It means risking real encounter, not just being polite.
God always reaches beyond boundaries. It is a little over a year ago that my colleague, Luther Symons, and I took up our long-term assignments at the College of Religious Studies in Bangkok, Thailand. We did not bring God. God is already here.
The vision of the College of Religious Studies is liberal and delicate in a Buddhist country. Undergraduates and graduate students, many of them Buddhist monks, learn not just about Buddhism -- but about all the great world religions -- and they are taught by people of those faiths. Unique to southeast Asia, the program aims to broaden religious understanding, eradicate prejudice and intolerance bred by ignorance, and strengthen personal faith. Many graduates will become religious studies teachers in high schools and temple schools. Some will be (and already are) prominent religious leaders of Thailand, and will have significant roles in the inter-faith community, nationally and inter-nationally. Others will become political leaders of this country.
In our work here, we are mutual receivers and givers. Our students are keen, enquiring, lively, and often, very funny. They ask probing and often profound questions about Christianity, and they observe US to know how Christians live out their faith. We try to answer their questions and witness by what we are.
They, too, are willing to risk real engagement and share their lives with us. This means real listening, respecting, openness, honesty -- and vulnerability. It means, occasionally, mistakes, "little misunderstandings", as the Thais call them. Trust is crucial, yet so very fragile. But because God is with each person, all strive in love earnestly and with patience, and often with some hilarity, to set things right again. Servanthood is a gracious process of gentleness, and reverence -- and humor!
At the heart of Buddhist belief and practice are two ideals: compassion and lovingkindness. Qualities of God that Jesus points us to. As I witness God's love and share my life here, one way I experience God is through the compassion and lovingkindness of my students as they live out their faith.
Here are some "snapshots":
God comes to me in the on-going hospitality, gratitude, and affection I experience. Each day, students joyfully and respectfully welcome me (this is humbling!). At the end of a class, they express gratitude, sometimes chanting (if the class is monks) or in (usually) cheery, unified voice. When I help a student, I hear, "Thank you, Ajahn (teacher), for your kindness." ...One day, Boonchit, one of the graduate students and a senior monk, knocked on Luther's office door, popped his head in, and called out, "Thank you, Ajahn!" Laughing, Luther asked, "For what?" "For everything, Ajahn, for everything!"
God comes to me in kindness and caring. When I was down with bronchitis some weeks ago, students telephoned. A fourth-year monk, Wichai, called every day. No small gesture in a city where traffic jams are a way of life, a delegation of second-year monks took the time to come and visit. Boonchit called to check on me several times, ending his conversations with, "God bless you".
God comes to me in great gentleness. One morning, just outside our classroom, Wichai asked with smiling lovingkindness, "Teacher, can I take your burden?" I was only carrying my folder and some copies. What was happening stopped me in my tracks. It was obvious I really didn't need help. The gesture was profoundly gentle and beautiful. This gentle, dignified monk, in a carefully wound saffron robe, extended toward me his books that I might give him mine (women may not touch monks directly). He had his folder and the book he was reading for Luther's class -- "Jesus of Nazareth". The whole image and the action overwhelmed me. I knew that I had encountered Jesus that day.
When we do God's work, living out the good news of God's unconditional, all-embracing love, life is abundant. Engaging ourselves in servanthood -- at home or abroad -- we find ourselves reaching with God beyond boundaries of all sorts. Through the ever-present love of God, we accept and are accepted. We mutually receive and give. We transform and are transformed. May God make us truly mindful of the richness of this journey, that we might not say at the end of the day, "We had the experience, but missed the message." (T.S. Eliot). May God bless each and every one of us as we share and receive God's love in various and unexpected ways.
Lori's letter reminds me of what we in the Stafford area are doing this Sunday. Actually, we're not alone as we exchange representatives from area churches bringing to a close this year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. With this small gesture, we do as Lori is doing in Thailand. We "broaden religious understanding, eradicate prejudice and intolerance bred by ignorance, and strengthen personal faith." We acknowledge Jesus as Lord and risk real engagement with one another.
We all know that in the past, and still in many places today, religious traditions of "those other people" are often held suspect. Traditionally Christians have "defended" the world against Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Within Christianity we know we have not always loved our neighbor as ourselves. Lori wrote about the way we can overcome our human tendencies. She asks us to consider "real listening, respecting, openness, honesty -- and vulnerability."
"Trust is crucial, yet so very fragile," Lori wrote. "But because God is with each person, we are all to strive in love earnestly and with patience, and often with some hilarity, to set things right again....We find ourselves reaching with God beyond boundaries of all sorts. Through the ever-present love of God, we accept and are accepted. We mutually receive and give. We transform and are transformed."
Jesus read the scroll of Isaiah about God's Spirit being upon him. He indicated God had sent HIM to proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free and to proclaim God's grace and freedom for all. You and I have received God's Spirit, too. At our baptism we were called into ministry, into servanthood.
Jesus reached beyond boundaries of place and gender and cleanliness, and through his touch others learned of the Creator's gentle lovingkindness.
Jesus reaches beyond boundaries of time when WE continue his ministry wherever we go. We are strengthened to love others through the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives. We find peace in hardship and grief because God continues to reach through time to give us hope. We have a gift to share with the world, but let's not forget to watch and listen to how the world shares God's gifts with us.
As Paul wrote, one gift is not better than another, except for love. One person has no superior part in the mission than another. Each of us has been blessed by the Holy Spirit, strengthened for ministry and offered hope in the eternal love of our Creator. As we walk together into the future, let us share that love of God abundantly and without boundaries. "For the joy of the Lord is (y)our strength." (Neh 8:10) Amen.
Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, for all people according to their needs.
Strong and joyful God, you call us together from many places and send us out to live as you have taught us. As you were present with the Chosen People, uniting them to rebuild their nation, we ask your presence with us in America as we work together to provide justice and mercy for all your children. Uphold faith-filled leaders in all nations and bring unjust rulers to find merciful solutions to their nations' problems. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. (Nehemiah 8:1-10)
Lord God, our rock and our redeemer, we come to you asking for strength to resist temptation. Your ordinances offer us guidance and great reward. Keep us mindful of our shortcomings so that we might deal graciously with those who also struggle with temptation. Help us to rebuild broken relationships and to move forward in your love. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. (Psalm 19)
Marvelous Creator, though we are divided among many churches we are already one body in your sight. Yet we continue to divide ourselves along lines of tradition, pride and purpose. We ask your forgiveness and we beg for strength to witness together in love so that the world may know of your salvation, accomplished through your son, Jesus the Christ. Bring us together in witness through serving others in your name. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. (1 Cor 12:12-31a)
Healing and releasing God, in your son you embodied hope for all. You offered good news of release, recovery and an end to oppression. Some of your children still struggle in these conditions. Today we pray for:
Are there others we should include in our prayers?
Our eyes are fixed on you, Lord, to fulfill your promise of wholeness. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. (Luke 4:14-21)
Into your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through your son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
(Comments to Linda at Linda_Kraft@Ecunet.org.)
Linda Kraft, Pastor at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Stafford Springs, CT
Secretary, Slovak Zion Synod, ELCA
Board Member: ELCA Division for Higher Education and Schools