On the Road to Find Out
Commentary
Road trip. Books, movies, and songs often center on a story about a journey in which someone finds out who they really are, what they really want, how to become what they were meant to be. The journey may be literal — discovering about ourselves through travel — or symbolic — an inward journey or experience that crystalizes self-discovery. In these passages, Jeremiah’s journey is an inward dialogue with God, in which, despite his protestations, it becomes apparent he is to be God’s prophet in the worst of times. Paul’s journey with the Corinthians has been intellectual (knowledge), confrontational (prophecy), and emotional (speaking in tongues). But he wants the Corinthians to embark on a journey of love — which involves activity, action, and movement. Love from a Hebraic viewpoint is action.
Jesus has been on a journey, beginning with John’s baptism, and continuing with travels from place to place demonstrating God’s love by doing — healing, comforting, liberating. In his homecoming to his hometown (sort of) of Nazareth, Jesus demonstrates knowledge of the scriptures, reading a passage from Isaiah that demonstrates God’s love through the activity of the jubilee year, liberating captives, releasing prisoners of debt, healing and returning with hope for those feeling exiled from God. But because of his challenge to the people, drawn from the story of Elijah the prophet, the people send him on his way, unable to harm him but also unable to hear him, and to be healed.
Where are we at? Are we ready to take whole of the life that is real life, accepting God’s role for us? Can we live love with each other, overcoming our differences through shared action in Christ? Are we ready to proclaim God’s good news, instead of our own interpretation of what it means to be blessed, or are we going to reject God’s good news for something of our own creation?
Jeremiah 1:4-10
The old Dunkers, one of the groups associated with the Pennsylvania Dutch (which is really the Pennsylvania Deutsch, because they were all German) had a saying they would solemnly intone at funerals: “He filled his place.” By this they meant that the dear departed had fulfilled their own best destiny by being exactly who they were, using their gifts “for the glory of God and our neighbor’s good,” (another one of their pet phrases).
Jeremiah’s best destiny, the place he is meant to fill, is that of prophet. Despite his protests, God insists that Jeremiah was prepared for this position, and is now anointed to fill this role.
Finding our own place in the church is not always easy. If you play piano, then you’re a church musician. But what if your real passion is finances? Some people are great in the ministry of presence, but others insist they need to speak aloud. I suspect that finding our best destiny is a combination of prayer, discernment not only by ourselves, but by those we trust within the congregation, and the weight of experience. Moreover, the place we are meant to fill in our younger years may not be the same as that which we best fill when we are older.
Does your church have a practice of calling -- of inviting people to pray together, followed by reflection and listening to the Holy Spirit? Are the positions in your church structure slots to be filled regardless of what a person’s best destiny might be? How do you feel about your place within the congregation?
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
In the passage from Jeremiah we hear God’s insistent call to Jeremiah to fill the role of prophet. Paul has been speaking prophetically to the Corinthians — challenging them, calling them out, inviting them to look in the mirror. He has been speaking in tongues, ecstatically, incomprehensibly dripping with emotion and joy. He has been sharing knowledge, biblical knowledge, knowledge of human nature, and even knowledge of human biology with his allegory of the body as analogy to the church as the Body of Christ.
But the true filter, the real lens, through which to look at Jesus, history, and each other is love. Knowledge, tongues, and prophecies will fade away. They will have no place in our perfect state. That imperfect mirror will no longer be needed when we see each other with God’s eyes of love. When we see each other and ourselves with God’s eyes of love we shall be one body, one heart, one in spirit and love. Paul concluded the previous chapter saying, “I will show you the better way.” This is the best way.
The Corinthian community, and therefore the Corinthian church, is diverse ethnically, economically, and religiously. Paul expects them to be different, warns them against making everyone an eye or a limb or a mouth. He wants the Corinthians to embark on a journey of love — which involves activity, action, and movement. Love from a Hebraic viewpoint is action. Love is doing, not simply a well-intentioned emotion. It’s more than a feeling. It is living the good news of Jesus for everyone’s benefit.
Luke 4:21-30
Jesus has been on a journey, beginning with John’s baptism, and continuing with travels from place to place demonstrating God’s love by doing — healing, comforting, liberating. In his homecoming to his hometown (sort of) of Nazareth, Jesus demonstrates knowledge of the scriptures, reading a passage from Isaiah that demonstrates God’s love through the activity of the jubilee year, liberating captives, releasing prisoners of debt, healing and returning with hope for those feeling exiled from God. But because of his challenge to the people, drawn from the story of Elijah the prophet, the people send him on his way, unable to harm him but also unable to hear him, and to be healed.
Jesus speaks prophetically. Jesus speaks with knowledge of the scripture. The people are intent on keeping him in a box (Is this not the carpenter’s son?). Don’t congregations do the same thing when someone young goes off to college and returns with their eyes open to a whole new world? Don’t we do this with fellow church members who have gone to a retreat, a conference, an educational event, and are finally excited about living their faith? Don’t congregations react the same way as the folks from Nazareth, driving the one speaking prophetically in our midst from our midst so we don’t have to change?
Where are we at? Are we ready to take whole of the life that is real life, accepting God’s role for us? Can we live love with each other, overcoming our differences through shared action in Christ? Are we ready to proclaim God’s good news, instead of our own interpretation of what it means to be blessed, or are we going to reject God’s good news for something of our own creation?
Jesus has been on a journey, beginning with John’s baptism, and continuing with travels from place to place demonstrating God’s love by doing — healing, comforting, liberating. In his homecoming to his hometown (sort of) of Nazareth, Jesus demonstrates knowledge of the scriptures, reading a passage from Isaiah that demonstrates God’s love through the activity of the jubilee year, liberating captives, releasing prisoners of debt, healing and returning with hope for those feeling exiled from God. But because of his challenge to the people, drawn from the story of Elijah the prophet, the people send him on his way, unable to harm him but also unable to hear him, and to be healed.
Where are we at? Are we ready to take whole of the life that is real life, accepting God’s role for us? Can we live love with each other, overcoming our differences through shared action in Christ? Are we ready to proclaim God’s good news, instead of our own interpretation of what it means to be blessed, or are we going to reject God’s good news for something of our own creation?
Jeremiah 1:4-10
The old Dunkers, one of the groups associated with the Pennsylvania Dutch (which is really the Pennsylvania Deutsch, because they were all German) had a saying they would solemnly intone at funerals: “He filled his place.” By this they meant that the dear departed had fulfilled their own best destiny by being exactly who they were, using their gifts “for the glory of God and our neighbor’s good,” (another one of their pet phrases).
Jeremiah’s best destiny, the place he is meant to fill, is that of prophet. Despite his protests, God insists that Jeremiah was prepared for this position, and is now anointed to fill this role.
Finding our own place in the church is not always easy. If you play piano, then you’re a church musician. But what if your real passion is finances? Some people are great in the ministry of presence, but others insist they need to speak aloud. I suspect that finding our best destiny is a combination of prayer, discernment not only by ourselves, but by those we trust within the congregation, and the weight of experience. Moreover, the place we are meant to fill in our younger years may not be the same as that which we best fill when we are older.
Does your church have a practice of calling -- of inviting people to pray together, followed by reflection and listening to the Holy Spirit? Are the positions in your church structure slots to be filled regardless of what a person’s best destiny might be? How do you feel about your place within the congregation?
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
In the passage from Jeremiah we hear God’s insistent call to Jeremiah to fill the role of prophet. Paul has been speaking prophetically to the Corinthians — challenging them, calling them out, inviting them to look in the mirror. He has been speaking in tongues, ecstatically, incomprehensibly dripping with emotion and joy. He has been sharing knowledge, biblical knowledge, knowledge of human nature, and even knowledge of human biology with his allegory of the body as analogy to the church as the Body of Christ.
But the true filter, the real lens, through which to look at Jesus, history, and each other is love. Knowledge, tongues, and prophecies will fade away. They will have no place in our perfect state. That imperfect mirror will no longer be needed when we see each other with God’s eyes of love. When we see each other and ourselves with God’s eyes of love we shall be one body, one heart, one in spirit and love. Paul concluded the previous chapter saying, “I will show you the better way.” This is the best way.
The Corinthian community, and therefore the Corinthian church, is diverse ethnically, economically, and religiously. Paul expects them to be different, warns them against making everyone an eye or a limb or a mouth. He wants the Corinthians to embark on a journey of love — which involves activity, action, and movement. Love from a Hebraic viewpoint is action. Love is doing, not simply a well-intentioned emotion. It’s more than a feeling. It is living the good news of Jesus for everyone’s benefit.
Luke 4:21-30
Jesus has been on a journey, beginning with John’s baptism, and continuing with travels from place to place demonstrating God’s love by doing — healing, comforting, liberating. In his homecoming to his hometown (sort of) of Nazareth, Jesus demonstrates knowledge of the scriptures, reading a passage from Isaiah that demonstrates God’s love through the activity of the jubilee year, liberating captives, releasing prisoners of debt, healing and returning with hope for those feeling exiled from God. But because of his challenge to the people, drawn from the story of Elijah the prophet, the people send him on his way, unable to harm him but also unable to hear him, and to be healed.
Jesus speaks prophetically. Jesus speaks with knowledge of the scripture. The people are intent on keeping him in a box (Is this not the carpenter’s son?). Don’t congregations do the same thing when someone young goes off to college and returns with their eyes open to a whole new world? Don’t we do this with fellow church members who have gone to a retreat, a conference, an educational event, and are finally excited about living their faith? Don’t congregations react the same way as the folks from Nazareth, driving the one speaking prophetically in our midst from our midst so we don’t have to change?
Where are we at? Are we ready to take whole of the life that is real life, accepting God’s role for us? Can we live love with each other, overcoming our differences through shared action in Christ? Are we ready to proclaim God’s good news, instead of our own interpretation of what it means to be blessed, or are we going to reject God’s good news for something of our own creation?
