Musings for September 5

Sunday, September 5, 2010
Lectionary 23
Proper 18
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Midweek Musings
Reflection by Karen Grover

INTRODUCTION
Called to contemplate the cost of discipleship today, we might be helped by translating Paul’s request to Philemon into our prayer of the day: Refresh my heart in Christ. Strengthened by the company and forgiveness of the Christ in the blessed sacrament and recalling God’s grace in remembrance of baptism, we can be strengthened in this hour to "choose life"—to choose life in God as our own.

Prayer of the Day (ELW)
Direct us, O Lord God, in all our doings with your continual help, that in all our works, begun, continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy name; and finally, by your mercy, bring us to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

First Reading Deuteronomy 30:15–20
Moses speaks to the Israelites, who are about to enter the land promised to their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In this passage, he lays out the stark choice before them: choose life by loving and obeying the Lord; or choose death by following other gods.

15See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. 16If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the LORD your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. 17But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, 18I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, 20loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the LORD swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

Psalm (ELW) Psalm 1
They are like trees planted by streams of water. (Ps. 1:3)
1Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel | of the wicked,
nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats | of the scornful!
2Their delight is in the law | of the LORD,
and they meditate on God's teaching | day and night.
3They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that | do not wither;
everything they | do shall prosper.
4It is not so | with the wicked;
they are like chaff which the wind | blows away.
5Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when | judgment comes,
nor the sinner in the council | of the righteous.
6For the LORD knows the way | of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked shall | be destroyed.

Second Reading Philemon 1:1–21
While Paul was in prison, he was aided by a runaway slave named Onesimus. The slave's master, Philemon, was a Christian friend of Paul. Paul told Onesimus to return to his master and encouraged Philemon to receive Onesimus back as a Christian brother.

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, 2to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:
3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God 5because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. 6I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. 7I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.
8For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, 9yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love — and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. 10I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. 11Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me. 12I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. 13I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; 14but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. 15Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, 16no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother — especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
17So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. 20Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. 21Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

Gospel Luke 14:25–33
Jesus speaks frankly about the fearsome costs of discipleship. Those who follow him should know from the outset that completing the course of discipleship will finally mean renouncing all other allegiances.

25Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 26"Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' 31Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. 33So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

REFLECTION
I remember an essay written by Paul Hammer in the D&C awhile back. He wrote on "absolute biblical truth." Briefly he noted (and I hope I am remembering correctly) that John 14:6 says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." In these words Jesus is the exclusive way to God. Rev. Hammer feels that John's Gospel cares little about our way to God, but it cares about God's way of love to us. Thus Jesus is not an exclusive way to God but a way to God's inclusive way of love to the whole world. John 14:6 is what my faith is all about, but we are all his children and He loves us all very deeply.

I would like very much to rearrange, in a similar manner, Luke 14:26--"Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple." This verse just hits like a ton of bricks. Hate my father and mother, Don, Kimberly and Erika? I don't think so. But in this verse, that appears to be the absolute biblical truth. I always have been in awe of the disciples' decision to leave their families and walk with Jesus. I am so sure I couldn't do that. Does that mean I can't be a disciple? Maybe, just maybe, if I could give up my possessions I could be (Luke 14:33.) I did give up many "possessions" that I would have loved to keep when recently cleaning out my parents' cottage. Even surprised myself, but not enough. Jesus doesn't leave much wiggle room in 14:26 & 33. In fact he makes it impossible (at least for me) to be His disciple. But He died for me. I should be able to give up more for Him, but I just don't. I pray for His forgiveness. And every Sunday I take solace in His grace when I confess that I have not been the person He would like me to be, and every Sunday I receive His forgiveness at His table. And at the end of the service I am directed to go out into the community to serve the poor as a disciple.

LET US PRAY
that we find ways to be God's disciples where needed
for the many who are sleeping on the streets tonight
for the people of Iraq and the military who are helping them
for peace in the Middle East
for peaceful solutions on our streets