Gifts to Give and Receive (1 Corinthians 12)

 🌍On this World Communion Sunday, I want to tell you a little bit about the work of Global Ministries.

Global Ministries is the common witness of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (our denomination) and the United Church of Christ. Our two denominations have a formal partnership, working together with a common staff, budget, programs/projects, and governance in our presence and witness with international partners throughout the global community.

Global Ministries currently works with about 250 partners in nearly 90 countries. We join hands with international partners and walk together in mutual love and respect with our siblings around the world.

Just by being part of First Christian Church, you are part of the work of Global Ministries. By being in covenant with other Disciples of Christ congregations, this is a part of our ministry.

In addition to the work of the Global Ministries office, some of our regional churches have their own Global Ministries committee. In 2018, in southern California, I was invited to be the chair of the regional Global Ministries committee in the Pacific Southwest Region.

I accepted, but there was just one problem: I knew very little about what that global ministries committee did.

Fortunately, most of the members of that committee had lots of experience. They had the knowledge. They just needed someone to keep them organized.

So I sent our reminders of our meeting dates, I made the agenda for each meeting and sent those out, I kept us focused on the agenda, and I followed up each meeting by sending out the minutes. These things, I could do.

And, little by little, I learned about the ministry that the committee did.

Over the years, the committee had developed partnerships with ministries in several different parts of the world. One of those places was Puerto Rico. 

🌍And a few months after I became chair of that committee, I found myself on an airplane bound for San Juan, with other members of our committee. Our purpose was to help communities in Puerto Rico in their recovery from Hurricane Maria, which had hit the island 18 months earlier, killing 3,000 people, and destroying the infrastructure of the island.

Mission work in the 21st century flows two ways. We were there to give and receive. We offered our labor and our presence, and we received from the people we worked with their gifts of faith, determination, and knowledge.

Once upon a time, mission work was seen as something that went only one-way. White Americans or Europeans believed that they had all the answers, and that “primitive” people in less developed countries were in need of guidance and direction. We went there, and we told them what they needed and what they needed to do. It was condescending and colonialistic.

But gradually, the church learned—and is still learning—to accept the gifts and the leadership of our partners in other countries, and to let them guide us.

The Disciples of Christ have a long history in Puerto Rico. 

Well over 100 years ago, we sent missionaries to Puerto Rico. I’m not sure whether those missionaries followed old patterns of missionary work, or were starting to embrace new ones, but they worked to establish the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Puerto Rico: a wholly separate denomination from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada; but obviously, the two denominations have strong ties and historical roots.

And we have a lot to learn from one another.

While in Puerto Rico, we attended Sunday worship in one of their congregations. The preacher that day was a pastor who I had heard preach before in California; the only difference was that, in California, he preached in English. Here, in Puerto Rico, it was in Spanish.

I didn’t understand much. The sermon seemed to be about the paralyzed man who was lying on his mat next to the pool, hoping to be healed by Jesus. I heard the preacher say “Quieres ser sano,” and I understood that phrase:  “Do you want to be healed.”

Later in the sermon, another phrase caught my attention: “No es fácil, pero es posible.” 

It’s not easy, but it is possible.

To be honest, I wasn’t exactly sure what the preacher was talking about. Was he talking about the paralyzed man starting a new life after being healed by Jesus? Was he talking about the road ahead for Puerto Rico, as they continue recovering from the hurricane? Was he talking about something else?

I wasn’t sure.

But then I thought of how those of us from California were struggling to understand everything that was being said, not only during that worship service, but throughout our time in Puerto Rico. And I thought of how we are called to work together, for our mutual healing, and for the healing of this world, especially with people who are so very different from us. People who worship in other places, in other languages. 

No es fácil, pero es posible.

And I thought of the difficult task facing the church in so many places today, when so many are turning away from religion, while so many others are embracing a religion of judgment and condemnation and greed that is so far removed from the way of living Jesus taught. It’s become so hard for churches—churches like ours—just to exist, just to sustain their ministries, year after year.

It’s often so discouraging.

And yet: no es fácil, pero es posible.

The amazing thing is that it’s now been over seven years since I went on that trip… and, as you can see, I’m still influenced by it. I’m still reflecting on it, and the lessons I learned.

That’s one of the benefits of modern missionary work.

We have so much to learn, all of us. So many gifts to receive, and so many gifts to share. 

🌍World Communion Sunday reminds us of the gifts of Christians all over the world, who gather in unity around the Lord’s Table. It reminds us that there really is just one table around which we gather. In some places, it is smooth and polished, while in other places, it is rough and worn. But it is one table, and we are all united around it.

As we receive the gifts of Christ’s body and blood, we remember that we are just one part of the body of Christ, as our Disciples of Christ identity statement says; and we share with one another the unique gifts that each of us has to offer. 

 To help churches celebrate World Communion Sunday, the Global Ministries office offered up some reflections, including one by Michael Kalito, who is the executive director of Theological Education by Extension in Zambia.

His reflections focused on 1 Corinthians 12, our scripture for today; and I want to share, briefly, some of his reflections.

Michael Kalito notes that, in 1 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul does several things. First, Paul celebrates unity in diversity.  

Paul states that just as the human body is one, though it has many parts, so is the body of Christ. He further points out that through baptism in one Spirit, all believers — Jew or Greek, slave or free — are made one. Thus, the mentioned diversity is not a threat but a gift for the unity of the church.

Secondly, Paul mentions the necessity of every member.

From Paul's perspective, no part of the body can claim it doesn’t belong (“Because I am not an eye, I do not belong…” No!). Inferiority complexes and exclusion have no place; every member is essential. 

Thirdly, Paul talks about interdependence and mutual care. The stronger cannot despise the weaker (“I don’t need you”). On the contrary, weaker or less "honorable" members receive greater honor and care, just as hidden but vital body parts are protected. Amazingly, in Paul’s language, when one member suffers, the whole body suffers; when one rejoices, all rejoice.

What an important lesson that is for us today, as we debate who deserves to have their rights protected and who doesn’t; who has the right to health care, who has the right to due process, who has the right to food or shelter, who has the right to even be part of the ongoing conversation taking place in our country…

Then Paul highlights Christ as the source of unity.

In this regard, the church is not just like a body; it is the body of Christ. Paul brings forth the reality that believers are individually members, yet collectively part of Christ’s living presence in the world.

One thing that American Christianity is lacking is a wider perspective; the type of perspective that one gains when exposed to ideas coming from contexts other than our own. It is so beneficial to be in relationship with Christians from other cultures and nations, to work with them, and to learn from them.

🌍Here in our sanctuary and in the centrum, there are flags from many nations. They were put in place last Sunday after worship, which means they were already in place when the youth met last Sunday evening…

And I asked the youth if any of them knew what countries the flags were from.

Boy did they surprise me! They were able to name almost all of them. They knew more than I did. 

Turns out we have some big soccer fans among our youth, and they recognize the flags from the uniforms the soccer teams wear.

We also have, here in our sanctuary, bread, representing the different types of bread that Christians all over the world eat. Bread made from wheat, corn, rice, and other grains. Bread in many shapes and sizes, with various textures and flavors.

And it’s all so beautiful, don’t you think? Just look at the arrangement of bread. It’s pleasant just to look at! It’s pleasing to the eye. It’s like a bouquet of flowers, with different, complementary colors, that just strikes us as beautiful.

Imagine how much more pleasant it is to God, to look upon humanity, with all our colors, shapes, textures, and all the different ways we dress, and the different languages we speak. What delight God takes in human diversity… and even more so, when we gather around a common table in peace and unity.

There are so many calls to build walls and fences that divide; but here, on this day, we are reminded that the way of Jesus isn’t about building walls and fences; the way of Jesus is about building a table… a table where everyone is welcome… a table of love and fellowship and unity… a table of peace and friendship… 

…a table where Christ shares with us gifts of love and life, and where we share with one another, giving and receiving the gifts each of us has to offer.

Terms and Conditions (Jeremiah 32: 1-15)

 💢Last Sunday, one week ago today, I was in Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia. 

The way that the central part of the city is laid out is around a bend in the Lubljanica River; on both sides of the river are several blocks of car-free streets, filled with stores and museums and ice cream shops and outdoor cafes.

On the day I was there, the sun was shining, and the streets were filled with crowds of people all enjoying the beautiful warm weather in that magical city. 

And in the very center of it all, on top of a very high hill, sits Ljubljana Castle.

My friend Edgar and I made our way up a paved trail, which featured many steps, to the castle. After we got up there, we saw, on the other side of the hill, a funicular railway that one could ride up to the castle, but hiking was the main reason for our trip, and we’d already hiked or walked over 60 miles that week, so we would have chosen to hike up that steep hill anyway.

And that, by the way, is why Ginger didn’t go on this trip with me. She knew that this was going to be the type of trip where we chose to hike up to the top of a steep, high hill, rather than ride up there in comfort. 

Looking back…Maybe I should have taken the funicular… After spending that warm day in Ljubljana, I went straight to the airport for my trip home, a trip that involved a 2 hour flight, followed by a 6 hour layover, followed by a 10 hour flight, followed by a 2 hour train ride…

With no chance to shower…no chance to wash off the sweat and the sunscreen from that day in Ljubljana.

But hey, it’s all part of the adventure, right?

Now, Ljubljana Castle is 900 years old, probably the second-oldest building I’ve ever been in, and it would have been the oldest building I’ve ever been in except that, earlier in the week, we had visited Bled Castle which is over one thousand years old.

💢But here, at the Ljubljana Castle, one particular feature caught my attention. In the courtyard of the castle, there is a stone-lined pit that I’d guess was 12, maybe 15 feet deep. 

An informational sign described it (in Slovene and English) as an “open air prison.” I’d never heard of an “open air prison," but doesn't it sound nice? It sounds almost like they were inviting guests to stay there for a night, kinda like an ancient air-bnb.

But it wasn’t quite like that. As I said, the bottom and walls were all stone; and the sign informed me that prisoners kept there would have to be lowered into the prison, for there was no other way to get down there. 

And once the prisoner was placed there, iron bars were fastened across the top of the prison, to make escape impossible.

And I wondered, looking down into that open air prison, there in the courtyard of Ljubljana castle, if the prison where the prophet Jeremiah was kept was something like that.

Jeremiah had been kept in a dungeon by King Zedekiah, but later, he was moved and held prisoner in the courtyard. 

And until I saw that open-air prison in Ljubljana, I wasn’t sure how one could be held prisoner in a courtyard, since courtyards are rather open and public, with people coming and going. 

But now I get it. 

If Jeremiah’s courtyard prison was anything like the one I saw at the castle in Ljubljana, Jeremiah wasn’t going anywhere.

💢 The reason Jeremiah was in that prison was because King Zedekiah had grown tired of Jeremiah’s depressing, repeated predictions of doom. It was all so negative!

The Babylonian army had come to Jerusalem and had been attacking Jerusalem, but then, they left; 

And everyone in Jerusalem breathed a sigh of relief.

Except Jeremiah.

Jeremiah said: “They’ll be back. Just you wait and see. They’ll be back, and they’ll finish their occupation of the city, and they’ll take many of us into captivity.”

Then Jeremiah added that God was the one behind all this, that God was using the Babylonian army to punish Jerusalem, because the city’s leaders—starting with the king—had failed to uphold the justice God demands. 

This did not make the king happy. And the king threw a fit.

What Jeremiah said was the truth, but kings tend to feel threatened by the truth when the truth challenges their claim to power, and when the truth challenges the false narrative that they have created;

and unjust kings feel especially threatened and get especially upset when their lack of justice and their lack of mercy are pointed out to them. 

And unjust and unmerciful kings will do everything they can to silence and censor those who speak the truth to them.

—-----------

So. Jeremiah’s in prison. The people are being denied justice and mercy. By the time of our story, the army from Babylon had returned, and was resuming its attack on Jerusalem, and many of the people were being carried away into exile.

Then Jeremiah does something really unexpected. While he is in prison and while all this is going on, Jeremiah decides to purchase some land.

And the business transaction that takes place is described in great detail. It is the longest description of a business transaction in the entire Bible. And we didn’t even hear the whole thing.

But we still heard about the seventeen shekels of silver, and the witnesses, and the signatures, and the terms and conditions…

Did the scripture really mention “terms and conditions?” Yes. Yes, it did.

Now, be honest: have you ever read all the way through any set of terms and conditions? 

Every app that I use, once a year or so they send a message that says, “we’ve updated our terms and conditions…” and back when I was young and naive, I would start reading it, trying to see what exactly it was that I was agreeing to… 

But… not anymore. No one’s got time for that. I just click away, knowing that I’ve probably just donated my left kidney to the company whose product I’m using, but even that would be less of a burden to me than actually reading through every word of every set of terms and conditions that I’m expected to approve.

Jeremiah didn’t even detail every single term and condition of the business transaction, and thank God for that. This scripture is long enough and tedious enough as it is. 

So, why was Jeremiah purchasing a field, buying property, anyway? Knowing what he knew, about how much worse things were going to get…, one would think this would be a seller’s market. People would be seeking to get rid of their property.

But that’s not what Jeremiah does. Jeremiah goes out and buys some property—well, I guess he doesn’t exactly go out, since he’s in prison—but he makes arrangements to buy some property; 

and then he describes in great detail the transaction that takes place, just so there would be no question in anyone’s mind that he actually does buy the property, despite how bleak and dismal the situation is for him and for all the rest of Jerusalem.

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Buying property is an investment. When you buy property, you're putting down roots. It’s an act of confidence in the future. It’s a commitment.

It’s saying: “I am committed to this place. I am committed to the future of this community, and I have high hopes for the future of this place.”

It’s something people usually do when they believe the future is promising and bright.

Yet Jeremiah knows the future isn’t bright. Even before the Babylonian army returns, Jeremiah knows that things are going to get much worse. They will take over and occupy the land. They will deport many into exile or captivity. The future is most certainly not bright.

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Jeremiah had faith in God. And Jeremiah’s vision was not limited to the coming occupation and deportation of his people. Jeremiah could see even beyond that, to a future when God would again restore the fortunes of his city and his nation.

And so, as an act of great faith, Jeremiah purchased that land. Jeremiah put down roots in his city. 

Jeremiah knew that things would get worse—much worse—before they got better. Jeremiah knew that there would be dark days ahead, days of sorrow, days of suffering.

Yet Jeremiah knew that the days of darkness would not be the end of the story.

Jeremiah knew that light would one day return, that destruction would give way to reconstruction, that death would give way to life.

It might take a long time, but Jeremiah was committed to seeing it through to the end.

And Jeremiah would not abandon his home, his people, or his God. Jeremiah would stay faithful, because Jeremiah knew that God. is. faithful.

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God is faithful. In every generation, humanity has proven itself to be a mess. We have not figured out how to make peace. Establish justice. Care for one another and the earth. 

And there are stories in the Bible of God wanting to start over, to wipe the slate clean.

But God never quite does that. There is always a remnant, and always a path to restoration.

💢 We see this in Jesus.

Jesus is God “putting down roots” among us. Jesus is the sign that God hasn’t given up on us, but is with us and will not leave us. Just as Jeremiah didn’t give up on his people or his nation, God hasn’t given up on us, or on our nation. Just as Jeremiah was committed to the future of his people, so is God committed to our future. 

Jesus is the evidence of this. 

I want to put my roots down with Jesus in the kingdom of heaven. Not just the after-you-die kingdom, but the right-now, kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. I want to put my roots down in the kingdom of shalom, justice, peace, 

truth, joy.

Because I know that, as dark as things may be, that the kingdom of God will not fall. God’s shalom, justice, peace, truth, and joy, will ultimately prevail.

And when we put down roots in the kingdom of God, and commit ourselves to God’s kingdom just as Jeremiah committed himself to Jerusalem and just as God has committed himself to us, we are demonstrating to the world that God’s shalom, justice, peace, truth, and joy will endure.

These things are forever.  

It may seem like injustice, & violence, & lies, & despair are in control. Such things, though real & destructive, are only temporary. For Christ's great kingdom of shalom, justice, peace, truth & joy shall come on earth— it is the kingdom of the God who was, & who is, & who is to come. The kingdom of the God who dwells among us, bringing us all to restoration.