Leaders Take Break from Crisis Meeting

Attempt to recreate Da Vinci's famous The Last Supper:

My Two Sons

This week's scripture (Matthew 21:23-32) has a pretty clear meaning, or so it seems. Jesus is challenged by the elders, and he responds by telling them a parable that paints them in a pretty bad light. Basically, Jesus says they are children of God who SAY they will do his will, but don't actually get around to doing it. Others, less desirable to society and to the elders, may have rebuffed God's instruction intially, but have since done what was asked of them.



Pretty clear, right?



Well, the problem I have is a personal one. I'm a father with two sons myself, and I can't help but think of them when I read the parable. My thoughts/memories go something like this:

Need to get the boys out the door, and quick. Boys need shoes and socks on. "Put on your shoes and socks," says I. Boys don't move.

"Get them on!" Still nothing.

"Shoe and socks, boys!" Boys become intensely interested in piece of paper.

"Put that down, get in your room, and put on your %^$&#*^$ shoes and socks!" Boys wander aimlessly around house.

"[beep], [beep], [beepity-beep]!" Suddenly, it hits them - Dad wants us to get our shoes and socks! They scatter. and socks do start to make awkward contact with feet.

Now, somewhere along the way, one of the boys may say something like "OK, Dad, no problem." But if he doesn't move toward the footwear, then his words mean nothing, right?

That's the way I read this scripture. And the message is the same: Words don't matter, Actions do.

What You Need

No, not the song from the late eighties (or was it the early nineties?) by the Aussie Pop Group INXS.

What I'm talking about is What You Need from God.

Let me back up. This week's scripture (Matthew 20:1-16) is another of Jesus's parables. This one is the story of the owner of a vineyard who needs laborers in his field. He goes and finds willing workers, agrees on a daily wage, and puts them to work in his fields. Three times more he goes and finds laborers, the last group coming in to work at 5:00 pm, when the working day was almost done.

Paytime comes, and the last ones in are the first to get paid. When they are paid a full day's wage, the others expect even bigger payments. But larger payments are not to be had, everyone who worked at all gets the same pay. And, surprise, surprise - some of the workers were understandably upset.

It does seem unfair, doesn't it? If I work 8 hours, and you work 1 hour, shouldn't I get a much bigger paycheck?

And just like that, we are back in an us versus them, I'm worthy and your not, I earned it, you didn't, world. And its just that sort of world that we as presbyterians are supposed to struggle against. Or, at least we are supposed to struggle against that position when it comes to our salvation.

None of us have earned anything. And what we have, God gave to us. Period.

Just like the late workers, who still needed a day's wage to get by, you get What You Need.

New Math

Great to see everyone this past sunday. Long summer off, and its reassuring and reaffirming to see everyone come back again for another year on the eMMAUS road.

Last week's in-class discussion was about caring, specifically about caring enough to risk conflict. Many in the class agreed with my proposition that we care more about harmony and peace than we care for standing up for what is right.

Good stuff, and in need of further thought.

But this week, as a balance perhaps, the lectionary (and Matthew's gospel) moves us quickly on to a discussion on forgiveness. In the gospel story for this week (Matthew 18:21-35), Peter comes to Jesus and offers his own proposition: we should forgive a brother not once, not twice, not three times. but SEVEN times if he continues to offend.

Jesus has a quick answer to this seemingly magnanimous number of seven. Jesus says no, it should be seventy time seven.

Now, I'm no mathematician, but that comes out to 490, right? So Jesus sets the standard for us, and we all need to start keeping score. Some of you guys, by the way, could be getting close to that 490 number with each other (I'm looking at you, Tammy and Dan'l) so you had better straighten up.

490 is an awfully cumbersome number. Anyone else think you might lose count after about 150, maybe sooner?

And that is probably just the point. 490 is not an infinite number, but it is an awkwardly large one. Chances are, you will lose count along the way, so whats the point of counting at all?

And there is what Jesus is driving at, I think.

Stop counting. Its pointless. It does you no good. Live instead as someone who doesn't count, who doesn't keep score.

How does that add up to you?

UPDATE: And while we are talking about counting, keeping score, and memory, let's get our President's view on the issue:

Rally Day 08!

So summer is over, or so says the calendar. Time for me to put socks on under my loafers, drive the kids back to another school year, and start stressing over college football. For those of us here at PPC, its also time for Rally Day.



What is Rally Day? Well, its not on the official PCUSA calendar. Its not a postal holiday, and Hallmark doesn't make Rally greeting cards. But its still important to us, because it begins our christian education year. We meet as a church this Sunday to learn about the educational opportunities for Sunday school in the coming year. As each class is identified, described, and celebrated, members can select the group that interests them the most and choose to participate in that class.



So this week, we will starting another year together, and will be inviting more people to join us on the eMMAUS road.



Strangely, (Providentially?) this week's scripture, Matthew 18:15-20, talks about the importance of Christians gathering together. It first details a method of dispute resolution in the church, but it then goes on to promote the virtues of "two or three gathered" and how a group of believers together are more than the sum of their parts.



My own father made a similar point just this week. And if you know my dad, a quiet and solitary man, then you know how surprised I was by his words. Karen, my mother, and I were discussing a nearby megachurch (we'll call it the "Repentagon") and how you could attend this church regularly and no one would even know who you were, when my usually silent father interrupted. "What's the point of that?" he asked "That's not really church, then."

Indeed Pop. Indeed.

I think Pop is on to something here, and it fits with the sentiments of Matthew 18, and the welcoming spirit of Rally Day '08. Summer's over, Let's get back together again!