Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Sunday, August 12, 2018
Sermon: More Than What We Know
John 6:35, 41-51
More Than What We
Know
August 12, 2018 James
Sledge
The bread of life; the bread that
came down from heaven; the living bread that came down from heaven. If
you’ve been around the church for much of your life, these sayings may not
register as particularly problematic. But think about what odd statements they
are. Jesus says he is bread, living bread at that, and bread that came down
from heaven. It’s hardly surprising that “the Jews” complain about this.
(Jews, by the way, is a term used in
John’s gospel to designate Jesus’ opponents and not all those who follow the traditions
of Moses. Jesus and his disciples are Jews after all.)
I would think that many Jews who
heard Jesus talk about bread that came down from heaven – and I include Jesus’
own followers here – would immediately have thought about the manna that the
Israelites ate in the wilderness when Moses led them out of Egypt. That was
truly bread that came down from heaven. And Jesus clearly wasn’t manna.
Then there is the whole “came down
from heaven” thing. Unlike manna, Jesus wasn’t found out of the ground early in
the morning. He showed up just like any of us did, born as a helpless little
baby. Some listening to Jesus knew his family. They knew without a doubt that
he had not come down from heaven.
Many of Jesus’ opponents were
religious leaders, and they “knew” lots of things about scripture and God and
how to be a good member of God’s chosen people. And along with obvious things
such as knowing Jesus’ mom and dad, there were religious problems with what
Jesus said. For Jews, and for early Christians, heaven was God’s home. People,
living or dead, didn’t go there. To be from heaven was to be divine, and
scripture clearly said that God was one. Jesus couldn’t be from heaven.
Sunday, August 5, 2018
Sermon: Fauxpologies and Acknowledging the Truth
2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a
Fauxpologies and
Acknowledging the Truth
James Sledge August
5, 2018
They have become so ubiquitous
that they have their own article on Wikipedia. I’m talking about the non-apology apology, sometimes called
the nonpology or fauxpology. Most of us have probably employed them at times. But
what makes them infamous is their use by politicians and celebrities in
attempts to quell some sort of PR nightmare.
The #MeToo movement has led to
some terrible examples. Take this one from Charlie Rose. "It is essential
that these women know I hear them and that I deeply apologize for my
inappropriate behavior. I am greatly embarrassed. I have behaved insensitively
at times, and I accept responsibility for that, though I do not believe that
all of these allegations are accurate. I always felt that I was pursuing shared
feelings, even though I now realize I was mistaken."
Why do such horrible non-apologies
occur so often, especially from, media savvy politicians and celebrities who
have PR people? Why do people try so hard, in such ridiculous and laughable
fashion, to avoid responsibility? What is it about us humans that so hates to
admit that we failed, that we hurt someone, that we were self-centered,
thoughtless, and cruel? Why do we try so hard to avoid blame, even when it
makes matters worse?
Martin
Luther, the great Protestant reformer, said that when you find yourself before
the judgment seat of God, plead your faults not your merits. Jesus once told a
parable that made much the same point. Two
men go to the Temple to pray. One says he isn’t as bad as other folk, tries
hard to follow the commandments, and gives lots of money to the church. But the
other man is a tax collector, literally a criminal enterprise in Jesus’ day. He
stood off in a corner, beating his breast and said, “God, be merciful to me, a
sinner!” And Jesus says it is the tax collector who goes home right in God’s
eyes. (Luke 18:9-14)
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