God Remembers

Isaiah 49:8-16a “God Remembers”

"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child of her womb? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands..."

In his letter to the Ephesians (1:15-16) the Apostle Paul writes: “I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers”

One of the ways we remember someone is to pray for them. Do you do this?

This is Memorial Day weekend in America. It is a time of remembrance.

The word “remember” that Paul uses is rich in meaning. To “re-member” means to put something back together. It is the opposite of “dis-member.” When we remember our loved ones it somehow happens in a mysterious way that they are still with us. As Paul remembers his friends in prayer, no doubt their faces appear before his closed eyes and their voices sound in the corridor of his memory.

In Holy Communion we hear the words of Christ, “Do this in remembrance of me.” This means that at the table of Communion the living Christ is with us, and so are all true believers from past, present, and future. As we break the consecrated bread together all the saints are alive in our midst, even as Jesus Christ is alive. This is what we in the Church refer to as the “Communion of the Saints.”

Henri Nouwen wrote, “Through memory, love transcends the limits of time and offers hope at any moment of our lives…One of the mysteries of life is that memory can often bring us closer to each other than can physical presence.”

Frederick Buechner says, “When you remember me, it means that you have carried something of who I am with you, that I have left some mark of who I am on who you are. It means that you can summon me back to your mind, even though countless years and miles may stand between us. It means that if we meet again, you will know me. It means that even after I die, you can still see my face and hear my words and speak to me in your heart.”

To remember does not mean to live in the past. On the contrary, it means to bring your thoughts of your loved one into the present, out of the past, across the distance, into this place with you here and now.

The Hebrew word for remember is zachar, from which we derive the name Zachary. It is a strong verb and includes action, not just something that occurs in the mind. In the Hebrew language you could never say for example that you remembered to take out the garbage and then didn’t do it. Remember means to bring thought and action together.

Our reading today refers to a time when the whole nation of Israel felt they had been forgotten by God. Have you ever felt that God has forgotten you?

Many centuries before, God had called out a new nation to be His own people. Israel was to be a community of faith, dedicated to God, bearing witness in the world to God’s love and mercy and justice. They were to be a special people, consecrated and holy, on mission in the world to call people to faith in God. They were to purify themselves and abstain from the seductive idolatries of the surrounding culture. They were to put God first in everything in their life together; they were to take care of the poor, welcome the stranger, and bring God’s light to the nations. They were to love God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength and to love their neighbor as themselves.

But the temptations and seductions of the pagan secular culture proved to be their downfall. Instead of becoming a special people of God they wanted to be like the other nations. Instead of worshiping God and God alone they wanted to worship God alongside the various idols of the pagan culture. Instead of being obedient they wanted to be independent. In spite of all the warnings from the prophets they went their own way instead of God’s way.

The result was, as you know, their land was overrun by their enemies, their temple was destroyed, and they were taken captive into a foreign land where they languished for some seventy years thinking God had forgotten them.

Have you ever felt forgotten by God? Sometimes it is not that God has forgotten us but we ourselves have forgotten God. In any case we feel alone. Someone in Israel must have cried out, when will God remember us? Saying this meant not that they wanted God to remember simply in God’s mind, but that God would remember and act.

The prophet Isaiah is honored to bring a word from the Lord to a rebellious and chastened nation: Thus says the Lord, “In the time of my favor I have answered you, in a day of salvation I have helped you (perfect tense, as though it had already happened); I have kept you and given you as a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reapportion the desolate heritages.”

Like a shepherd God will lead them: “They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill. They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert sun beat upon them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.”

It is a word of grace. It is a word of restoration. It is a word of salvation. It is a word of hope for every person who, for whatever reason, feels themselves to be forgotten and forsaken of God.

“Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains!
For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.” God calls, through the prophet, for the whole of creation to join in exultant praise for the God who hears, the God who remembers, the God who saves. Nature itself rejoices in God’s work of redemption.

But in verse 14 Israel replies, “But the Lord has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me.”

These must be among the most poignant words in all of scripture. Even when they hear the good news they can hardly accept it because they feel so deeply and completely forsaken and forgotten by God. They are in such a sad and dark place that they are not able to hear the words of comfort and salvation. When you think of it these must be some of the saddest words ever uttered.
“The Lord has forsaken me. My Lord has forgotten me.”

But God’s reply is this: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you!”

This is Hebrew idiom at its best. It is hard to imagine that a human mother would forget her own child. But even if she does, says the Lord, I will never forsake or forget you. For you are my child even more so and always.

Then God says, “I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” I think of this as “God’s tattoo.” I know we all have at some time taken a ballpoint pen and written something on the palm of our hands that we wanted to remember: a phone number, your PIN for your debit card, the answers to a test. God has written your name on the palm of his hand and will never, ever forget you.

Have you ever forgotten something you were meaning to remember? Some important date perhaps, a deadline for a paper, locked your keys in the car, forgotten a promise you made to take the kids somewhere, or a birthday or anniversary? I once was filling out some papers and needed Linda’s birthday, so I called her and said is your birthday day August 1st or the 5th? She said it is the 2nd. I said, yes that’s what I thought. Heh heh…

What an odd lot we human beings are, and what limited memories we have! The promise of God is the bond is so strong that your very name is tattooed on God’s hand, permanently and forever. Until the day you die and God calls you home your heavenly Father will not forget you. Let’s just make sure that we ourselves do not forget God.

Whenever you find yourself in that place where you feel forsaken and that God has forgotten you, remember God’s tattoo and be glad.

Chickens Before They Are Hatched

Then Jacob made a vow saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house; and of all that you give me I will surely give one tenth to you.” --Genesis 29:20-22

Jacob has cheated his brother, broken his father’s heart, destroyed his family, and fled for his life. Later in his life Jacob would be dramatically changed so that God could use him. Without the change he would be of no use to God. This change would be so complete that even his name would be changed: he would no longer be known as Jacob but as Israel. But God reached out to Jacob before he was changed. Here is yet another example of what we in the Wesleyan tradition refer to as prevenient grace.

On his journey of flight from the wrath of his brother, Jacob stops “at a certain place” to rest for the night. At this place formerly called Luz, a profound spiritual transaction takes place in Jacob’s life. As a result of this transaction, even the place gets a new name. Now the city will be called Bethel, meaning house of God.

Here at Bethel Jacob has begun to be more aware. He is now aware of the reality and presence of God (“surely the Lord is in this place – and I did not know it!”). He also has become aware that everything he has comes from God (“if you will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear”) and that he is dependent upon God for his health and safety (“If God will keep me in this way that I go”). He also has become aware of the importance of the place of worship (“this shall be God’s house”) and of the tithe (“a tenth of all I shall give to you”).

This month our government will begin issuing tax rebates of some three hundred dollars per individual, in hopes of stimulating our sagging economy. These checks have not even been printed yet and already there are merchants and others trying to lay claim to them. Kroger advertises that if you will sign your rebate check over to them they will give you a gift card with a bonus. Sears promises the same thing.

Recently someone asked me what I will do with my rebate check. I said, after I tithe on it I will try to use it for some good for my family or others. Funny thing isn’t it: Sears and Kroger want all of your rebate check. All the Lord wants is 10%. Not a bad deal.

Blessings,
Rev

Goodbye Old Boots

I had been making a list and checking it twice. Hat: check. Clothes: check. Daypack: check. Hunting knife: check. Rain gear: check. Compass: check. Flashlight: check. Boots: check. Wait a minute: there are supposed to be two pair of boots, one insulated and the other not. Here are the insulated ones. Where is the other pair of boots?

Linda smiled patiently as she watched me move from the garage to our bedroom and back again. It was my annual spring ritual, getting ready for my post-Easter Canadian bear hunt. The preparation begins right after Easter Sunday with the fletching of new arrows and the waxing of bowstrings. By the time Pentecost approaches, I am dragging out my hunting and camping gear, laying it out on our bed, scattering it throughout the house, and taking inventory. It had been a long eight months since my “busy season” started last September. A week in the boreal forest of the Canadian wilderness refreshes my soul.

But this time a mild, curious concern had set in. The one pair of non-insulated boots had gone missing. I rooted around through all the tents, sleeping bags, and other camping gear that was stowed in our garage. I checked our vehicles. I scratched my head (one of my favorite things to do when I am perplexed). Those old boots were not to be found.

Now this particular pair of boots had a history. They had been my muddy companions for seven or eight years now. Just a year ago they had both split and cracked just above the instep and I had repaired them the classic Arkansas way: with silicone and duct tape. Now each boot sported a stylish matching band of duct tape just above the ankle. In my mind these boots were unique. These boots had made tracks in Texas, Montana, New Brunswick, Manitoba, and Ontario, not to mention a number of places here in Arkansas. Surely they would be good for one more trip.

But alas, no boots were to be found. I went outside to sit and think. Eventually it came to me that I had probably left the boots at the archery range about a month ago. It began to appear that my good old boots were long gone.

I went inside to share this with Linda, who had noticed me going out and coming in with more than the usual frequency. She remembered the boots, having rolled her eyes a few months ago upon seeing my duct-tape fashion statement. “Maybe it’s a sign,” she hinted, “that it might be time for a new pair of boots.”

I am always the last one to admit when I need new clothes, even when it’s hunting boots. But next week when I get paid, it’s off to the farm store for a new pair, and I plan to break them in with a trip to the North woods, making new tracks and new memories.

Blessings,
Rev

Maundy Thursday

It is the night before the crucifixion. Jesus is in the upper room with his disciples, in intimate conversation. In preparation for Passover, Jerusalem is thronged with people. Jesus has gone to Bethany to raise his friend Lazarus from the dead, an act which will precipitate the plot for his own death. The chief priests put word out on the street to look for him so they can arrest him, not knowing that Jesus would ride into town in a Palm Sunday parade. No one takes his life; he lays it down for all.

This Passover, Jesus and the Twelve withdraw to the upper room, away from the crowds and commotion on the street. Jesus will preside over the seder meal as head of the table. At the beginning of the meal he lifts the matzah bread to heaven and pronounces the traditional Hebrew blessing: "Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth." But then he does something new. As he breaks the bread and begins to give it to his disciples, he says, "This is my body, which is given for you. Eat this in remembrance of me."

Lifted up, blessed, broken, and given for all.

Later in the meal when the third cup of wine, the Cup of Redemption, is filled, he lifts it up and likewise gives thanks in the traditional manner: "Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth the fruit of the vine." And once again he does something new: "This cup is the New Covenant in my blood. Drink from it, all of you. Do this in remembrance of me."

Salvation. Deliverance. Community. Sacrifice. New and everlasting life.

We celebrate Holy Communion often and regularly at our church, but the celebration on this night in Holy Week is perhaps the most special. A few years ago something happend that shed a whole new light on it for me.

It was a Sunday night afer I had taught my Sunday night class. It was late and everyone had gone home. It had been a long Sunday but a very good day. I walked through the building as I usually do at the end of a day, turning down thermostats, turning out lights and making sure all the doors were locked. As I walked in the sanctuary I noticed that the little glass cups from the morning's Communion were still there, standing up along the chancel rail as if in formation. Our people had been a little sloppy that morning, and some of the juice had been spattered about. There were little drops along the wooden rail like blood on the doorposts of the Hebrews. In the bottom of each little cup was a crimson spot where the last dregs of the precious liquid lay. Since I didn't want that grape juice to stay in the cups overnight, I decided to take them into the kitchen and wash them.

I didn't mind. I felt I would enjoy the quiet time in the kitchen: No phone ringing, no TV blaring.

As I spread out the cups to wash them I thought of putting them in the dishasher but decided against it. It seemed to me the best way to wash them was one by one, picking up each one individually and washing it, then turning it over to dry.

As I got started I began to think about the medieval monk named Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was a very godly man, a person who had given it all to go and live in a monastery and serve God fulltime all his days. He took his vows, made his commitment, got his training and when he finally was assigned a monastery he landed in the kitchen. Now the kitchen was the last place Brother Lawrence wanted to be. He must have said, "Oh I could be so much more useful for God than in this kitchen, peeling potatoes and washing dishes and cutting cabbage and boiling onions! Why me? Why here?"

We all want to be great for God and sometimes we think we ought to choose our place of service. But we forget that even Jesus showed his greatness not in conquest but on a cross; not by ruling but by serving; not by commanding armies but by washing the disciples' feet; not by lording over others but by giving his life for others. Brother Lawrence learned to practice the presence of God wherever God put him, and he found God in the kitchen. Years later St. Teresa would tell us that she, too, found God "among the pots and pans." Likewise, that night I found God unexpectedly among the dozens of tiny shot glasses stained with grape juice.

What happened was this: as I picked them up and began to wash them one by one, I counted them. There were about 110. I thought there ought to be more, and I was a little disappointed in the number. But as I continued to wash them and place them on the towel to dry, the total number became less and less important. Gradually the cups began to look different to me, and as I handled them individually I began to look closely at each little cup. It dawned on me that each and every cup represented a life, a person, a human being, someone I know, someone for whom Christ died. Suddenly the total number didn't seem to matter that much. What mattered the most at that moment was each individual little cup.

We've all heard it said that sometimes we can't see the forest for the trees. But the reverse is also true: sometimes we can't see the trees for the forest! We see the numbers and the whole but we overlook the precious individuals that it contains.

I'm glad now that we have the little cups, and that we serve Holy Communion individually, one by one. Christ died not just for the world or for the Church but for each life, each soul, saying to each one, "This is my body, given for YOU!" There is a cup of salvation with your name on it. Thanks be to God!

Blessings,
Rev

What Would Jesus Drive?

Recently here in Conway a number of automobile enthusiasts got together and formed something called the Christian Car Club, Conway Chapter. There is already a very active Christian Motorcyclists Association, and now there are a number of local clubs made up of members who love Jesus and love their cars. We get together for fun and sharing, and also to conduct very interesting car shows and bear witness to our faith in the process.

Some of our members have some very beautiful, impeccably restored antique autos. It is amazing the amount of time, effort, and tender loving care that goes into restoring a vintage automobile. Not long ago at one of our shows a member was speaking to a group of at-risk youth and using this as a metaphor to illustrate the experience of spiritual rebirth.

Showing a picture of a typical unrestored antique, it is evident that this car has a lot of miles on it, needs an extraordinary amount of work, and that nobody would want it unless they could see beyond all the rust and dents and visualize its potential and intrinsic value. But the dedicated restorer goes to work and the result is nothing short of breathtaking. This is how God works in us, our member said, and for us to cooperate in the endeavor it is helpful to have a service manual (The Bible).

Our club members have baseball hats emblazoned with the logo: WWJD? What Would Jesus Drive? In Holy Week He entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey. I wonder what He would choose today? Something to think about.
Wishing everyone a blessed Holy Week and Easter,
Rev

Bowmaking 101

Many years ago I became infatuated with the bowyer's art. Archery and sailing have to be among the most ancient of primitive technologies, and they will never cease to fascinate me.

My first bow was a long, graceful recurve built by a local craftsman down in Mississippi. From one of the old bowyers, whose breed we once thought was dying out, he had learned how to laminate layers of wood, creating a perfect pre-bend in the limbs, and to time them perfectly by patient shaving of the limbs in all the right places. There is more than technology at stake here: there is a practiced "feel" and a trained eye that work together to produce a beautiful, functional piece of archery equipment.

I learned bowmaking from some of the masters, both by reading them and by talking with them and observing their art. It is a fascinating process: at some point the material in the bowyer's hand ceases to be a blank piece of wood and starts to be a bow. It is hard to pinpoint just where in the process this occurs. We just know that it does. And what a joy when the limbs, having been shaped with watchfulness and care, spring to life and leap forward in perfect unison, propelling an arrow through the air.

Making bows, working with my hands, is therapeutic for me since my day-to-day work is in the realm of mind and spirit. I enjoy both the process and the finished product, and while making a bow I often think of God's work in us. I can see God as a master bowyer, working with some pretty rough material. Strong, seasoned hands work the material with great patience and skill. In his mind's eye he can see the desired result, and in the process many transformational changes will occur. In the end the bowyer will smile with satisfaction, and he will hold in his hand the result of his labors. What was once a rough piece of material has been transformed with care into a graceful, functional instrument that is useful for good work.

The Bible says we are God's craftsmanship. The Greek word here is poema, or masterpiece. Let's look with awe and wonder at the beautiful work of God in our lives. May we be willing to be shaped and formed by God's good hands.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem,
Rev Buck

The Lion and the Lamb

"March: it comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb." So they say, and so it goes. True to form, March is coming in windy and cold. Hopefully by Easter Sunday at the end of the month, our Arkansas weather will have more placid, warm, lamb-like qualities.

By the end of March the forty days of Lent will give way to the Great Fifty Days of Easter. In the process we join the journey of Jesus, who is known in Scripture as both Lion and Lamb.

In Christian tradition, Jesus is known as the Lion of Judah. Being from the tribe of Judah which had always been symbolized by the great lion, Jesus is shown in the book of Revelation as its representative chosen to break the seven seals and open the heavenly scrolls (Revelation 5.5).

Jesus is also known as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29)." In John's Gospel the first Good Friday is the Day of Preparation, and Jesus dies at the very hour that the Passover lamb is slain. The Lamb, for centuries the powerful symbol of liberation/salvation/deliverance for Israel, now becomes the offer of salvation not only for Israel but for the whole world.

Indeed, the Lion becomes the Lamb in the last days: "Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne...He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne...and they sang a new song: Worthy is the Lamb who was slain...(Rev. 5:6-11)!"

The Lion and the Lamb. Somehow they coexist in our souls, and someday they will lie down together in peace.

Blessings,
Rev

Waiting for Fair Winds

The month of March, soon to come, brings with it many promises: Easter, turkey season, and good sailing weather to name a few. Here is the missus (Linda) at the helm of our 22 foot vintage sailboat Anastasia. Built in 1979, Anastasia will soon be 30 years old and is in very good shape. We just acquired her at the end of last summer and have not yet had the chance to perfrom the traditional renaming/Christening ritual. Right now it is cold and rainy in Arkansas, but soon we will perform the ancient ritual complete with an invocation to the four winds and anointing with champagne. Then her new name, which means Resurrection in Greek, will be proudly displayed.

I have loved sailing ever since living in New Orleans for seminary and learning to sail on Lake Ponchartrain. Jesus was referring to the Spirit when He reminded Nicodemus, "The wind blows where it will (John 3:8)." He had been going about making things new: giving Simon a new name, changing water into wine, and promising new birth and new life to a religious elder. Such is the work of God, as we wait for the fair winds of spring.
Rev Buck

He Who Shoots the Stars

Hi and welcome to my blog. I would like to open my blog with a mental image which first came to my attention while reading Henri J.M. Nouwen's book, Can You Drink the Cup?:
"I am reminded of Philip Sears's powerful sculpture of Pumunangwet, the Native American at the Fruitlands Museums in Harvard, Massachusetts. He stands with his beautifully stretched naked body, girded with a loincloth, reaching to the heavens with his bow high above him in his left hand while his right hand still holds the memory of the arrow that just left for the stars. He is totally self-possessed, solidly rooted on the earth, and totally free to aim far beyond himself. He knows who he is. He is proud to be a lonesome warrior called to fulfill a sacred task. He truly holds his own."

You might want to Google "Pumunangwet" ("He Who Shoots the Stars") and take a look at that magnificent sculpture. What a beautiful archetype for the spiritual journey.
Blessings,
Rev Buck