Some Sundays, the readings are a delight to explore, research, and wonder about. On others, the puzzle seems too hard, especially when the Gospel includes a parable, like today. The parable of the shrewd manager left me perplexed the first few times I read it, and there is little commentary in the many bible versions I use to research. So I will circle back to it in a bit, but for now, let’s enjoy the simplicity of Paul’s message to Timothy.

“First of all I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.”

Take a deep breath because today’s readings are far from quiet and peaceable. In fact, Jeremiah’s experience is anguish over the exile and suffering of his people: “My joy is gone, grief is upon me, my heart is sick.” His words resonated deeply with me as I read them again and again this week. With all the unrest and suffering in the world around us, my heart aches, and I am longing for a quiet and peaceable life. I want to close my doors and shut out the world and all its turmoil. And yet my awareness of this turmoil and my relationship with God means I cannot.

I could easily relate to Jeremiah, who was separated from his people and yet identified with their pain. He knows they have provoked God’s anger, and yet he weeps for them. Jeremiah lived with a deep awareness of God’s love and grieved for those who did not, regardless of their actions.

Jeremiah’s grief is a prophetic activity; his tears are the prelude to an openness to new possibilities.

A quiet, peaceable life is not the experience of our psalmist either, as angry complaints pour out

“Look at what they have done.

Pour out your wrath upon the heathen!

But, God remember not our past sins;

let your compassion be swift to meet us.”

The psalmist has a different outlook than Jeremiah. Heathens are heathens, the faithful are the faithful, and the differences between them are outlined clearly. Those who know God deserve God’s mercy, and those who do not know him deserve his wrath.

How did we come to this in a world where a loving God created everyone?

In our children’s Godly Play program this week, we told the second story of creation found in chapter 2 of Genesis. I wasn’t supposed to be the storyteller. Still, in my absent-minded calendar-keeping, a serendipitous moment occurred because the beauty of this creation story made today’s scriptures clearer to me.

God created everything in love, and it was good.

He placed the first person in the garden, who was Adam, which means “everyone.” Eve was with Adam and part of Adam; they were together like one person, Adam-Eve. Adam-Eve was together with the garden and with God.

There were two mysterious trees in the garden. One was the tree of knowledge. If you ate the fruit from this tree, you would begin to notice differences like the difference between good and evil and up and down. The other was the tree of life. If you ate the fruit from the tree of life, you would live forever.

God told Adam-Eve not to eat from the tree of knowledge.

Of all the creatures in the garden, the serpent was the cleverest. The serpent convinced Adam-Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge and they did.

And everything fell apart. Adam-Eve became Adam and Eve.

And they began to notice the differences like the differences between close and far, Adam and Eve, high and low, people and God, good and evil, near and far.

God looked for them, and they hid.

They no longer knew how to be close to God or each other as they had been before.

They longed to return to the way things were, but they could not; they could only move forward. God placed a flaming sword and a fierce angel at the edge of the garden so they could not go back and eat from the tree of forever.

They came from dust and would return to dust. But God gave them a gift when things fell apart. They could now take the differences they saw and put them together in new ways. They could not make something from nothing like God, but they could sometimes make something good from what they now knew and what they remembered from the love in God’s garden. God was with them always, and he is always with us.

It is not likely that it was Adam-Eve’s intention to separate from each other and cause creation to fall apart when they chose this course of action.

But here we are in a world clearly full of differences, wondering how to move forward and how to create something new from what we see.

Can we return to a quiet, peaceful life that includes everyone?

As I revisit our parable in Luke. I return to trying to puzzle it out.

What is it trying to tell us? Is it good to be shrewd?

When the manager was let go from his position due to his behavior, he chose, in self-preservation, to cut a deal.

Mosaic law prohibits collecting interest from fellow Jews. It is speculated that the manager had originally been overcharging as a means of circumventing this law. And commentators suggest that to win the favor of those indebted to the master, he simply removed the interest.

This clever move ingratiated him with those in debt and also with his master, as he created a reputation of generosity for the master.

The shrewd manager took a financial mess and made something new.

Inadvertently, he made things better for everyone. Now, we cannot really commend him on this because it appears to be purely motivated by selfishness. But we cannot really make him the villain either.

The manager may have helped others for entirely selfish reasons, but he helped them nonetheless.

We cannot villainize the serpent for being in the garden, because God created the garden and everything in it, including the clever serpent.

We cannot decide that Adam and Eve are villains either, even though they made a decision that caused division and all of creation to fall apart.

We cannot villainize the master or the manager because of their role in life, any more than we can villainize Jesus’ friend Judas.

Judas, like Adam and Eve, teaches us about differences. The difference between leaning into love and pulling away from it.

We often think of the good as being first because in our story of the garden, it is.

But we don’t live in the garden, and what if shrewdness, self-serving, and survival came first and was all that was known to us until now?

What if this is the first time we can see the differences from the other side, and now we can choose something new?

The life we are born into and the life we live both affect our ability to see the beauty of holiness and feel the touch of love.

Our psalmist doesn’t sound like he is feeling the loving touch of God. He wants justice. He is pleading with God while still holding onto the differences. He is not ready for the healing that can come from creating something new.

Jeremiah, with his heart broken wide open, holds truth, without blame, grieves a societal disaster, and pleads for healing.

He would weep all day long, a fountain of tears, for those who have fallen apart.

I am still quite puzzled by the parable told today. The message will take some more sorting out for me. But that is the nature and beauty of the parable of Jesus.

And, I don’t need to understand it all at once.

I believe that though we may not be able to return to the quiet, peaceable life of innocence, we can move forward in godliness and dignity as we remember to pray.

Like Jeremiah, we can remember that God does not abandon us because of our mistakes, and we can choose not to abandon others because of theirs. We can let our hearts be torn open for all who are suffering and pray.

We can learn from the psalmist to give our anger over to God, and let go of our desire to hold onto differences and pray.

Pray for our leaders both in our country and the world.

Pray for our neighbors and friends who are exiled from their homes and separated from a quiet and peaceable life.

And when opportunity arises to ease the burden of others, we can be both shrewd and a child of the light.

May we find within us a quiet and peaceable life as we seek to bring peace to others in the midst of our differences.

And may we remember…

There is one God;

There is also one mediator between God and humankind,

Christ Jesus, himself human,

who gave himself a ransom for all.

Amen.

Peace be with you

I have never been one to focus on or talk much about politics. Lately, however, whenever I am gathered with like minded friends, the conversation seems to lean in that direction. Worry, concern, and even fear are at the very center of whatever topic has erupted out of the daily news.

Have you heard this? Did you read about that? Do you understand what is happening in our county, the country, the world? What could all this be leading to? What are we to do?

Much like these gatherings with my friends, the apostles have gathered together, close friends with enough worry and concern, to retreat behind locked doors to a place where they could openly and honestly discuss what was on their minds.

Their whole world has been shattered, and they are trying to sort out the events of the past weeks and prepare for what may be coming in the days ahead. Filled with fear, the room must have been highly charged with anxious energy.

I want you to imagine the moment before Jesus walked in. The energy in the space as words of worry and fear are exchanged. Think about the things that worry you, keep you awake at night, and rob you of your peace.

And then, “Peace be with you.” In an instant, Jesus is present.

In a breath, the air in the room changes, and the heartbeat of each person there slows because when the Prince of Peace enters a space, peace in its very essence enters each person there.

Peace be with you, in a word, Shalom, an everyday Middle Eastern greeting, much like our common greeting: “Hi, how are you?” The meaning behind this greeting runs deeper than it sounds. “Hi, How are you?” really means I see you, and you matter.

William Barclay says the greeting offered by Jesus also means much more.

More than “May you be saved from trouble.” It means: “May God give you every good thing.”

In my bible study group, when the room is charged with worry and concern, and it seems there is nothing we can do to improve the situation we are discussing, someone in the room will break through the tension and say, “We should pray.” The minute the words “let us pray” are spoken, the air shifts, and our hearts are quieted.

Because we trust that when two or three gather to pray, Jesus is present.

Peace enters– even before we recognize Jesus’ presence.

At that moment, something happens in our brains – we are calmed, and our prayers are clear and direct.

This is a place where faith and science are woven together. When fear and worry are present, the amygdala is activated. The amygdala is the part of the brain that triggers a fight-or-flight response.

In contrast, the prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain responsible for rational thinking and decision-making. Activity in the prefrontal cortex becomes impaired during a fight or flight response. Depending on the intensity of the fear – rational thought, emotional regulation, and self-control can go out the window.

Studies have shown that during prayer, the amygdala calms, heart rate and blood pressure decrease, and rational thinking returns.

“Peace be with you.” “May God give you every good thing.” Clears the path, empowers, and opens the space for imagining what previously seemed unimaginable.

Before this moment, the disciples had no idea what they should be doing. Their beloved friend and mentor has been unjustifiably executed, and they fear they may be next.

Jesus’ words “may God give you every good thing” would include may God give you a calm spirit and a clear mind. This shift in brain activity was desperately needed so the disciples could hear and understand the following commissioning.

“As the father has sent me, so I send you.” If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.

With the breath of God, he fills them with the Holy Spirit. From this moment on, everything has changed.

And in the first 5 chapters of Acts, we see the change in action. Clear-headed and empowered by the authority given by Jesus. Peter begins preaching. The first converts were baptized, and there were about 3000 of them. A community is formed, continues to grow, and many are healed.

“Day by day they spent much time together in the temple. They broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the good will of all the people. And day by day, the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” Acts 2:46-47

Ronald Rolheiser’s book “Holy Longing” talks about the apostolic community. In this community we are, in his words “to stand shoulder to shoulder and hand in hand precisely with people who are very different from ourselves and with them hear a common word, say a common creed, share a common bread, and offer a mutual forgiveness so as in that way to bridge our differences and become a common heart. Church is not about a few like-minded persons getting together for mutual support. It is about millions and millions of different kinds of persons transcending their differences so as to become a community beyond temperament, race, ideology, gender, language, and background.”

Prior to receiving the Holy Spirit, we see a community of people filled with fear, without direction, and without the genuine connections of community. With the filling of the Holy Spirit, the apostolic community is formed and can no longer be contained within the walls of the upper room.

The work of One has now become the work of many. This community, standing shoulder to shoulder and hand in hand, bursts into the world and creates a glorious ruckus.

They continued to increase in numbers and it was when people started bringing the sick from nearby towns to be healed that the high priest, in their jealousy, took action.

The apostles were seized and taken before the council, who, in addition to their jealousy, felt like they were being blamed for Jesus’ death.

Even under the scrutiny of the council of high priests, Peter and John do not waver. The fear and anxiety that had once paralyzed them no longer has power over them, and they stand firm in their faith and convictions. Filled with inner peace, they are ready for whatever the future may hold.

We are part of this apostolic community. We break bread together, and we pray together. Jesus is present in the bread and the wine. Jesus is present in the body of believers who come together to pray in his name. Jesus is present when we go into the world and share the good news that all is forgiven of those who turn to him.

Jesus is present, and where he is, there is peace.

May we, too, be at peace and ready for whatever the future holds. May we remain faithful to the teachings of Jesus. May we stand shoulder to shoulder and hand in hand as we go out into the world, creating a glorious ruckus.

“Let us pray for peace: peace in the world and in each of our hearts.” Pope Francis (Dec 17, 1936 – April 21, 2025)

A moment of Complaining

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, and his mercy endures forever. Psalm 107:1

From Mount Hor the Israelites set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.” Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live. Numbers 21:4-9

You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ– by grace you have been saved– and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God– not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. Ephesians 2:1-10

Jesus said, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.” John 3:14-21

There are times when it is difficult to see God’s mercy in our lives and the world. Life can be relentless in its struggles. March 28th will mark a whole year since Montana’s stay home directive was put in place. As the year unfolded and the guidelines shifted and lifted, we have struggled to make sense of many things. The past 12 months have genuinely been–a wilderness time. This is the 4th Sunday in Lent, and today’s OT reading offers us an opportunity to reflect on the perspective of God’s people in the wilderness as well as our perspectives in this wilderness of our time.

There is an authenticity to the readings in the Old Testament. They are raw and honest about the messiness of humanity. We witness in today’s reading people who are frustrated, hungry, and unhappy. And I can’t help but recall reading in Exodus Chapters 15,16, and 17, another time when the Israelites were complaining about the water, the food, and Moses’s leadership. In Exodus, Moses spoke to God on behalf of his people, and they received water, food, and a place to rest.

Now, here again in today’s scripture, they are complaining. However, this time the Israelites are not only complaining about Moses; they complain about God and his provision for them. They are shortsighted as they focus on the wilderness’s difficulties and fail to recall how bad the situation was in Egypt that God delivered them from.

The ability to see God’s mercy, as he responds to the complaining by sending a poisonous serpent, is challenging. But as we read on, we see God’s desire was for his people to recognize their poor behavior and ask appropriately for help. Moses prays for his people, and God, in His mercy, offers a way out.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, and his mercy endures forever.

Do we recognize God’s mercy in our lives, or are we complaining about the circumstances in which we find ourselves?
The truth is, life is hard, and there are many justifiable reasons to complain.
I have been known to complain. When I complain to God, it sounds like this…” Really, God, this is what today is going to look like? Really, This is too hard; I can’t.”
I think these scriptures may be telling us there is a right and a wrong way to complain.
Venting our frustrations and blaming is the wrong approach. It is a toxic approach and harms us as well as those around us.
It promotes complaint competition that can send a whole conversation spiraling.
Complaining changes our perception of the world, shifting our focus to disappointments and causing us to miss the blessings.
Complaining helps rewire the brain into negativity- bias where negative thoughts will come more quickly and easily than positive ones.
This bias promotes pessimism, and pessimism is known to be unhealthy both physically and mentally. Complaining also kills creativity and creates a victim mentality. When we see others as the reason for our troubles, we fail to look at our own actions and behaviors. It becomes more challenging to seek possible solutions.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, and his mercy endures forever.

It may not seem merciful that God sent the serpent, but it did get the Israelites attention. They shifted their focus and could see more clearly.

So what is the proper way to complain?

We must be sure we are not the problem. The Israelites were so focused on being angry they did not see what they needed to change.
Be specific about your need, not your disappointment. God delivered his people from Egypt. Of course, he will care for them in the wilderness. Though it may not look the way they thought it should.
Be realistic. There is a big difference between need and want. What we desire is not always what we require.
Be sure to ask the right person for help. Complaining to each other rarely does good. Moses knew the correct approach and, in love, would speak to God on their behalf.
Speak your feelings. Feelings are real, but they are not the truth. Adding, “I feel” validates where you are without telling your brain things won’t or can’t change.

Life is hard. But when we shift our focus away from the things that are causing discomfort to the God whose mercy endures forever, our perception of everything changes. Instead of seeing only our difficulties, we see the way through them.

What we don’t want to miss is the message we hear in Chapter 2 of Ephesians,
“—By grace, you have been saved—.” “God, who is rich in mercy…made us alive together with Christ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

Our faith in Jesus Christ brings us out of the darkness into the light. In the light of Christ, we can see clearly. Jesus also spent time in the wilderness. It is during this time of Lent that we reflect on his time of suffering. He, too, must have found it arduous to make sense of the situation he was in. “He was in anguish, and his sweat was like great drops of blood.” He prayed for God to take this responsibility from him, and yet in obedience to God’s will and for our sake, he did not waver.

We don’t want to miss John’s message to us in the Gospel.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life.” Eternal life- what does this mean? Endless life, indestructible life, imperishable life, immutable life, undying life, everlasting life, boundless life, perpetual life, lasting or existing forever, without end or beginning. This is the life our God wants for us. Nothing that comes our way can change this gift that is offered. God has given us a way out of our suffering in the gift of Jesus Christ. His desire is that we trust and believe.
We may not have the ability to make sense of what has happened and is happening in our lives and our world. We do have a God who is rich in mercy is showing us the way through it.

So perhaps I should add to my conversation of “Really God?” this prayer.
“You, God, are eternal, and this moment is not. I will go where you lead me, but please, do lead me.”

It is for the gift of Jesus Christ, who leads the way that we should.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, and his mercy endures forever.

a moment to take a knee

“that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:25-27 (NRSV)

The first time I saw my son, take a knee on the soccer field for an injured teammate, I was moved. My little boy was becoming a gentleman. In soccer, players take a knee to show respect and concern for another who is injured. At that moment, noise and movement on the field will stop, and the attention will turn to the player and those attending to them. It is a moment of support.

In the military, taking a knee is also a show of respect. A soldier in this posture at the gravesite of a fallen friend honors the lost. It is a moment of sorrow.

In prayer, being on your knees is a show of humility. It is an acknowledgment that there is a Divine being who cares for all creation. It is a moment of supplication.

At this time, our broken country reflected in our broken hearts needs a moment of solidarity. As the publicity grows on this subject, the shifting of our focus has also turned. What we turn toward is significant. As a native Louisiana girl, though not a sports enthusiast, I cannot help but be a Saints fan. Watching Drew Brees these last few days first turn toward the flag, showing his love for his country and then after criticism, with humility, turn toward his teammates and show his love for them I am touched. His character, though challenged, is unwavering. “I live by two very simple Christian fundamentals, and that is love the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself, The first one is very self-explanatory. The second one, love your neighbor as yourself, what does that mean to me? It means love all, respect all, and accept all.”

I appreciate Drew Brees; in his faith and posture of humility, his pride in his country, and his love for humanity. I admire how his character demonstrates them woven together with love.

We have lost many lives these past months with Covid-19. We have lost many lives over many years to violence as a result of racial prejudice. We have lost faith in each other. Our country is gravely injured. Our flag represents us all. When one member suffers, all suffer together. Let us with sincerity come together as “One Nation, under God, indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all.”

Take a knee.