What I have, I give you

What Peter has, is what Richard Rohr in this morning's devotion would call "Purity of Heart." This purity of heart didn't come when Jesus called Peter, then Simon, and his brother Andrew, to leave their nets and follow him. Peter often made the wrong call, but he was an act first and think later type of guy. He got out of the boat and after a few steps, he started to sink, for which some commentators said this was Jesus' gentle teasing by calling him the 'rock'. Peter rebuked Jesus when Jesus told the disciples that he would die. Jesus called him Satan and said his mind was on earthly things and not on God's kingdom. Peter denied Jesus three times, fearing for his life. Peter lived his faith, his heart, and his fears out on his sleeve. Those around him didn't have to wonder what he was thinking and feeling, for he was an open book. In the Gospel of John, Jesus pulls Peter aside and asks him three times if Peter loves him. Peter responds yes, of course, without a doubt. Jesus replies Peter should care for and love his sheep, the children of God.

What Peter has, is a community that practices and prays together following the Way, the path of Christ. Peter has taken early leadership in this community which began with just a few dozen for many fell away when Jesus was crucified. It is now building as the proclamation that Jesus is risen and the Spirit is upon them.

What Peter has, is a relationship with God, with Jesus, and with the Spirit. All the pieces are now in place. All things are working together so that this early church, this body of Christ, can witness, can love, and go out into the world to share the gospel and story of God's amazing love.

In today's story, we start with Peter and John looking intently at this beggar. This beggar, who is infirm, but not totally destitute for he also has a community that carries him to the gate so that he might receive alms. This beggar, who must have a good attitude, for the people do not tire of carrying him, every day, so that he might receive enough alms to feed himself and maybe help out his family. This beggar, who has been lame from birth, is looking for his daily bread but really needs something more. Peter, and John, look upon this man, maybe nudged by the Spirit, maybe filled with compassion, maybe seeing something that others don't, they look upon this man and Peter realizes he has something to give.

Peter calls upon this man to look at him and John. "We don't have money, but we have something to give!" Peter calls upon the Spirit to strengthen his ankles and feet and in that instance, it is done. Jumping up! Jumping up the man begins to walk and then leaping and praising God. People begin to notice and also praise the living God. In the verses that follow, Peter calls out to the crowd and shares the Christ story.

The Gospel, the story of Christ and the early church, the story of God who has been with us from the beginning, creating us in God's own image, is a story of love, healing, and liberation. It is not just a story focused on the healing of individuals, however, it does include them. It is not just a story that is focused on going to heaven, though we are promised that we will always be with God, in this life and the next. The Gospel story is one of intertwining of the sacred and the ordinary, the spiritual and the material, the heavenly kingdom into everyday life.

We have no guaranteed formula to promise that all who are prayed for will be healed. Maybe this is why Peter and John stared at the man for a while, to ask the Spirit what they should do. We can make no promise that all healing will involve a cure that will move us to leap about and praise God. Though this church has had its highs and lows, its glory and its shame, this is a new journey we are embarking on, trusting that God, Jesus, and the Spirit will be with us and guide us. May we work to enter into a purity of heart that connects us to all, that loves all, and is with all. Amen.

A Tale of Two Females

In a book called, "The Year of Living Biblically" by A.J. Jacobs, he tried to follow all 435 commands found in the Torah or Pentateuch. One of those commands was that you couldn't touch a woman while she was having her period so he wouldn't hug, kiss, or hold the hand of his wife during her cycle. She learned that he couldn't sit where she sat, so when she became frustrated with him she would sit on every piece of furniture in the house so he would have to stand or sit on the floor the whole day. We don't know what kind of hemorrhaging this woman in the crowd was suffering, but for her to be so afraid of Jesus and the crowd that she didn't ask for healing, but just touched his cloak and had faith that she would be made well, we have to assume that she has spent twelve long years not being able to hug, kiss, or hold hands with her family and friends. This physical and social isolation seems to be more damaging as she persisted with this illness for twelve ...

Do not be Afraid!

There is a plan for the future of this country that is posed to be a '2nd American Revolution.' It is called, "Project 2025." The authors of this 91 page plan are mostly former staffers of the last President and the Heritage Foundation. It is so bad that as the word is getting out about it the actions that are set to be taken, even the current Republican Presidential candidate is trying to put some distance from it, because he knows he can't sell it. The highlights are taking away abortions and contraceptives for all our nation, getting rid of marriage equality, allowing the President to fire any government employee and put in their place someone whose only qualification is loyalty to the President, and getting rid of the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency. Basically to turn our Democracy into an authoritarian regime ruled by the oligarchy. We, as a church, are not supposed to be dipping our toes into politics for the most part. We ...

Selling Out

Last Fall, I read a book called, "A History of Burning." It is a multi-generational story about a family that migrates from India to Uganda for hopes for a better future to help the British build a railroad, whose children through education secures a government job, but then Uganda throws off their colonial oppressors and gains independence and turns against the Indians who live there, and they have to migrate again and start all over in Toronto, Canada. It is a sad story of colonial power of the British Empire bringing in foreign cheap labor to build their infrastructure that leaves out the local population. And once Uganda gets independence, the corporations still control much of the economy and fosters division between the Ugandans and Indian to keep the country unstable. It is a triumphant story of human determination in the face of adversity, but only a few make it. One of the first paragraphs in a Wikipedia search about Africa told me that Africa is politically unstab...

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