Reflexion, A Spiritual Community

I get the feeling that when we read the book of Revelation,We tend to watch each scene unfold from a safe distance- I don’t think it was meant to read this way,• we’re supposed to feel a threatening closeness• we’re drawn into the dream – it’s our collective nightmare- John was certainly more than a spectator• characters approach him, converse with, and engage him◦ in this chapter he’ll be told to take and eat what he has been shown• we do not merely read the Revelation, we encounter it◦ we go on an adventure through this fantastical other-world

When my children were small, I’d read to them every nightFirst from a book of fairytales, then from a Bible storybook- we would pray, say goodnight, and turn off the lights• we were careful about the last thing that entered their minds before bed• I doubt we can prevent our kids from having nightmares◦ but we can do things to help them sleep well◦ and we can comfort them after a nightmare- I certainly would have never read from Revelation the last thing before bed!• this makes me wonder why God gives us this nightmare stuff• anyway, we know that God can make good use of anything

They came on the first day of week, first thing in morningThey knew what spices and ointments to bring,- and knew what they were doing – they had done this before• what they did not know, was that overnight their world had changed• so what they found at the tomb was not what they expected- I love the lines:Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen• they had come to the wrong place, looking for wrong thing◦ they came to a cemetery looking for a dead body◦ but Jesus wasn’t there – and he wasn’t a corpse• they were wrong that morning – but not they were not the only ones who were wrong◦ the apostles were wrong to not believe them◦ the two on the road to Emmaus were wrong when they said, "We had hoped" – using the past tense(Jesus still was "the one to redeem Israel"; v. 21)◦ the disciples were wrong when Jesus appeared to them and they mistook him for a ghostBut they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit (Lk. 24:37)

How did Palm Sunday become recognized as a holy day?I don’t mean, how did it get put on the Church calendar,- but why do we celebrate it?• Palm Sunday is not like Christmas, Good Friday, or Easter◦ these were the major events in Jesus’ life and ministry• but Palm Sunday is not noteworthy in the same way◦ in fact, if you’ll excuse the expression, it sort of fizzled out◦ by the end of the week, Jesus had been crucified- I’ll share with you why I celebrate Palm Sunday• because this was only time that Jesus permitted public recognition◦ until now, he told his disciples to keep his identity a secret• but on this day he allows people to celebrate who he is◦ he wants this moment in the spotlight – he planned it◦ it’s because Jesus wanted to be recognized that I remind myself to see and worship him for who he is

Revelation is not a normal book – in fact, it’s a conundrumWe enter a mystical world of symbols without a map or compass- as I understand it, the Revelation is meant to open our eyes to a reality beyond our knowing or experiencing• there is no way for us to go straight into it with our rational minds- I’ll share something with you that helps me understand this• consider a person blinded by cataracts since birth◦ when, as an adult, the cataracts are removed, they do not immediately see clearly◦ the world appears to them as a confusion of shapes and colors◦ they cannot recognize or understand anything they see unless they also touch an object or hear a familiar voice

You may not have noticed, but something is missingThe action that began prior to this chapter involved a magic scroll secured with seven seals- six of those seals have been opened (chapter 6)• but now in chapter 7, there’s no mention of the seventh seal• instead, we have come to an interlude before returning to the seventh seal- this will happen again (after six trumpets sound, then there's a delay before the seventh)• while I’m at it, “After this” is not chronological◦ it does not refer to the next thing that happened as in a sequence, but the next thing John saw• he’s not marking days on calendar, he’s "changing channels"◦ John says, “Let’s see what’s happening over here”- then he takes us two places:• in verses 1-8 we see what is happening on the earth • in verses 9-17 we see what is happening in heaven

A long time ago, I became interested in Douglas Coupland’s works of fictionOne novel he wrote as if it were the journal of a young man traumatized as a child- his character had lived on a military base that came under a nuclear threat, and everyone was rushed into a shelter• this had left a lasting and foreboding impression on him• an entire chapter consists of brief scenarios he imagined of his life interrupted by an atomic explosion◦ he gives graphic and creative expression to the experience of a flash like lightning, except for it being everywhere, and powerful blast, and the world dissolving into dust◦ his journal entries in that chapter begin with lines, like:“I was by the fridge in the kitchen when it happened”“I was having my hair done when it happened”“I was at the mall when it happened”- the feeling he evokes in his powerful images probably has the effect on us as John's vision in chapter 6 had on its first readers

Among Jeremiah’s prophecies, we find one that is different from the rest.The difference is that this one brings a positive message regarding Israel’s future- after receiving the prophecy, Jeremiah says,At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me (Jer. 31:26)• when I wake up from a pleasant dream, I want to go back to sleep and continue it• that's because some issue was resolved, finally “worked,” or I just got a lucky break◦ dreams help our brains work through stresses, upsets, some puzzle is solved- explaining the unconscious, some psychologists use an iceberg illustration• our waking conscious is the small tip of the iceberg that is visible above water◦ the great mountain of the iceberg is submerged beneath the surface• there’s this huge repository of stored memories in our unconscious ◦ things that we never think about, yet they shape our perception of self and others, and of our behavior◦ our brains access these hidden files and bring them into our dreams, usually by way of symbols

One day, a few years ago, I was visiting my oldest daughterHer oldest daughter, came to me and said, “I dreamed you last night”- she had told my daughter, “I dreamed grandpa”• Jennifer asked her, “Which grandpa?” she said, “The bald one.”• fortunately I have another dream story- in 1992, my life had been shattered by divorce• that summer a nine year old boy in the church sent me a letter◦ he had colored a picture that looked like a church, with clouds in the sky◦ a from one giant cloud a text bubble emerged with the message, "Hi Chuck"◦ a little stick figure on the ground was saying, "Hi God!"• with the picture I also received the following letter:

Chapters 2 and 3 may be the most well known section of RevelationAt least two of our favorite quotations are found here- what’s the theme of these chapters? Answer: “Church Repairs”• in chapter 1 Jesus appears in a form not found in the Gospels• in his right hand he held seven stars–which represented the angels of the seven churches◦ in scripture, the hand represents power, control, and ownership- so in these two chapters, Jesus acts as General Contractor has the seven churches in his hand• he will tell each church what repairs need to be madeIf you notice, reading the letters we are still on earth- we aren’t taken to heaven until chapter 4• but these letters build a stage on which the drama is played out• this is a threshold we must cross to get to the heart of Revelation- it begins with a self-examination – that's the prerequisite for going forward

Revelation gives us a unique picture of the inner life of our Christian experienceIt is much different from Paul’s carefully structured teaching- with his separation of the new self from the old self• and his contrast of having the mind of the Spirit versus the mind of the “flesh”• Revelation reaches into our inner lives through symbols and bizarre eventsTherefore, I feel comforted when reading the first few words of verse 4- they have a familiar ring–like finding a street you know when you’re lost• we recognize this same type of greeting from many of Paul’s lettersi.e., “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus . . . . To the saints who are in Ephesus . . . . Grace to you and peace from God our Father” (Ep. 1:1-2)• but already we see a difference: this introductory letter was written to seven churches!◦ and then John takes a sharper turn, not identifying God specifically,◦ but according to a timeless attribute – who is and who was and who is to come- then it gets even weirder – John adds another source of grace and peace“and from the seven spirits who are before his throne”• this has caused a lot of discussion among commentators◦ many of whom opt for the sevenfold Spirit of God• I’m going to suggest something else

You may wonder, Why the book of Revelation?I admit, it is the most confusing and frustrating book in the Bible- it’s not an easy read – some images are very strange• they seem fairytale or mythical, except but even weirder ◦ for instance, we find, not just a beast with ten horns,◦ but it has seven heads (?) and ten crowns on its horns• there’s not another book in Bible exactly like this- but it is also one of the most fascinating books in the Bible• Revelation can work in us in ways like no other book• if it disturbs us, it also calms us; if it frightens also reassures; if it is structured, it is also free;and if its meaning is hidden, its overall effect is Revelation

Today’s story is challenging and difficult to understandIt turns everything we think we know about Jesus on its head- it involves a foreigner in a different region of the map• the setting for the life of Jesus is mostly in Israel◦ he passes through Samaria, and briefly sets foot in Gadara◦ but in this story he goes north – the one and only time• it is most likely that Jesus wanted to get away from the crowds◦ to be someplace where he and his crew could restHe “went away from there and withdrew”In Mark's telling of this story, we read, “And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know” (7:24)◦ the last think Jesus needed during this break was one of the locals coming to him with a consuming need- And behold – ta da! – the "behold" indicates a shift in the point of view

The stories we hear today will serve as an illustrationThey illuminate a line from the prayer Jesus taught us- you know it and you’ve prayed it–maybe many times• it is one-third of a petition“hallowed [revered] be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt. 6:9-10)• it is that last line I hear in these two stories◦ one teaches us what happens when we resist God’s will and the other when we surrender to his will- I don’t expect you to remember the names of the characters, so I’ll give their brief biographies• the three key figures are Jeremiah the prophet and the two kings Jehoiachin and Zedekiah

I decided to continue in Jeremiah for another weekThere are two stories we will consider that I’ve always enjoyed- one reason they appeal to me is because they’re interesting• another reason is that they are meaningful• although the main character in each story is connected to Jeremiah,◦ they have nothing else in common- both stories have two parts, found in two different places• so we will begin with the first part of each story, and then move to the second part• I hope you enjoy them as much as I do,◦ and that we get something worthwhile from them

The two chapters of Haggai are about putting God firstIsrael had been driven from the land of Judah for seventy years- on returning to their homeland, one of their priorities was to rebuild the temple,• but there was a lot of work to be done, few workers, and limited resources◦ they also had to construct homes for themselves• after awhile, a few setbacks, and discouragement,◦ they began to slack off and, instead, they were making improvements to their own homes◦ the danger of not having the temple was the possibility of losing the nation’s spiritual center- two times in both chapters of Haggai, God challenged them to “consider”

Even in infancy, people discerned that Jesus was extraordinarySimeon, a righteous and devout man, was led by God’s Spirit into temple- there he encountered Mary and Joseph and their baby• taking Jesus into his arms, he prophesied over him- then the elderly widow, Anna–who was herself a prophet,• she also encountered the holy family in the templeAnd coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of [Jesus] to all who were waiting for the redemption of Israel (Lk. 2:38)

Morning Talk: Jim CalhounLuke 2:8-19, King James VersionThis is how I first heard the Christmas story.King James original from Linus van Pelt (from the Peanuts comic strip).I can’t say it makes me sad.It was a fine way to be introduced to Christmas.Later, when I was 11 or 12, I found our family Bible, my grandmother’s Bible and read it for myself. King James again. I loved this story but I didn’t much understand it yet. That was still a few years away. Then I found myself, my life in this story.I want to go through it today and point to some of the parts that still hold my attention, my affection. Things that continue to make this story so compelling to me.

The Christmas story is compressed into a few pages in New TestamentFor instance, no sooner do the birth announcements arrive than the babies are born- first John and then Jesus• in Luke chapter 2 Jesus is born, and by end of the chapter he’s already twelve years old◦ though the magi are often pictured alongside the shepherds at the stable,◦ when they actually arrived in Bethlehem, Jesus was already two years old• through all the personal and political movement going on during this time,◦ a variety of human emotions surface- shame was a factor and fear was frequently present or assuaged• more than once, someone was troubled, and Herod was furious◦ but there is also joy and rejoicing, and people are blessed• but in all these alternating feelings and emotions, there is no mention of LOVE!- the main characters in the story are husbands and wives, facing challenges together• they were two couples, blessed with miraculous pregnancies and births• and still, there is no mention of LOVE

A few months ago, my grandson Calum began telling me what he wanted for ChristmasDo you remember when it took forever for Christmas to get here?- now it’s like, “Is it that time again already?”• I used to be amused by people who left Christmas lights up all year• now I get it – they’re not lazy, they’re just old- we’re about to complete another lap around the sun• we pull out the old boxes, look at our bank statement to see what we can afford, and I take us back to the familiar story◦ of angels and shepherds, mother and child, magic and miraclesThis week I began reading through Luke’s Gospel again