Sermon for March 11th, 2018 - Revision history

Iraneal at 05:09, 10 March 2018

2018-03-10T05:09:24Z

Iraneal at 04:26, 10 March 2018

2018-03-10T04:26:32Z

Iraneal at 03:26, 10 March 2018

2018-03-10T03:26:44Z

Iraneal at 03:17, 10 March 2018

2018-03-10T03:17:05Z

Iraneal at 03:09, 10 March 2018

2018-03-10T03:09:13Z

Iraneal at 02:41, 10 March 2018

2018-03-10T02:41:38Z

Iraneal at 02:08, 10 March 2018

2018-03-10T02:08:35Z

Iraneal at 01:57, 10 March 2018

2018-03-10T01:57:23Z

Iraneal at 01:23, 10 March 2018

2018-03-10T01:23:02Z

Iraneal at 00:39, 10 March 2018

2018-03-10T00:39:44Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:09, 10 March 2018
Line 80:		Line 80:
	This is echoed in the words of Jesus, who says in Matthew 20 that the rulers of this world lord it over them, but not so among you. Whoever wants to be first among you should be last, and whoever wishes to be great must be a servant to all, just as the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve others and give his life as a ransom for many.		This is echoed in the words of Jesus, who says in Matthew 20 that the rulers of this world lord it over them, but not so among you. Whoever wants to be first among you should be last, and whoever wishes to be great must be a servant to all, just as the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve others and give his life as a ransom for many.

−	Whether you take as your example God, or Jesus, or Job, know this (what Job knew, what Jesus taught, and what God ordained: That there is great value, and meaning, and fulfillment, and solace and wisdom in ~~giving~~ one's time and energy	+	Whether you take as your example God, or Jesus, or Job, know this (what Job knew, what Jesus taught, and what God ordained: That there is great value, and meaning, and fulfillment, and solace and wisdom in devoting one's time and energy to the service of others.
		+
		+	In our times of joy and in our times of sorrow; in our weakness and in our strength; in our wealth and in our poverty, may we do likewise.

@@ Line 72: / Line 72: @@
 What does any of this have to do with Job, or with God's words to Job in today's scripture passage?
-Well, in last week's scripture passage, Job reminded God of all the things he had done for others--
+Well, in previous scripture passages, Job has reminded God of all the things he had done for others--Did I not weep for those whose day was hard? Was not my soul grieved for the poor? I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy, and I championed the cause of the stranger.
-(insert job's quote here). Basically, Job is saying, "look at all the things I did for other people."  In today's passage, God returns the favor, essentially saying, "Look, *everything* I have done is for you and for everyone."
+Then in today's passage, God says, "Yes, you have done many things to serve others.  But *everything* I have ever done, everything I have ever created, everything I have and everything I am, is all to serve you and all of my children in this world I created for you.

@@ Line 64: / Line 64: @@
 Nowhere in this divine vision are the answers or justice Job is looking for...and yet, through it all is solace and wisdom.  The kind of wisdom that can only come experiencing the good as well as the bad, strength as well as weakness, joy as well as pain, beauty and simplicity, life and death, order and chaos, and how all of these things interact and weave together to form this amazing world we inhabit for a short while.
-Our commitment to SERVICE
+And today, near the entrances and exits of the sanctuary, you'll find our "service" commitment card.  It details all of the different opportunities you'll find here to serve each other and our community, and it asks members (non-members are welcome to fill one out too!) to make a commitment to one or more of these things in the year to come.  This is a practice that goes all the way back to the 1960s and the ministry of Rev. Bill Burroughs, who wrote the eloquent words inside the commitment card entitled "Our Need to Serve."
-Last week, Job reminded God of all the things he had done for others--(insert job's quote here). Basically, Job is saying, "look at all the things I did for other people."  In today's passage, God returns the favor, essentially saying, "Look, *everything* I have done is for you and for everyone."
+What does any of this have to do with Job, or with God's words to Job in today's scripture passage?

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:17, 10 March 2018
Line 60:		Line 60:
	God shows Job the wonders of creation, "when the morning stars sang together, and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy," of the clouds that bring forth nourishing water as well as terrifying, destructive lightning, of the powerful lion when it provides food for its young, as well as the mournful raven, when it cannot provide food for its young. There is a balance to this creation, one that celebrates joy and beauty and splendor, but also one that does not deny or shy away from violence, tragedy, and suffering.		God shows Job the wonders of creation, "when the morning stars sang together, and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy," of the clouds that bring forth nourishing water as well as terrifying, destructive lightning, of the powerful lion when it provides food for its young, as well as the mournful raven, when it cannot provide food for its young. There is a balance to this creation, one that celebrates joy and beauty and splendor, but also one that does not deny or shy away from violence, tragedy, and suffering.

−	Nowhere in this divine vision are the answers or justice Job is looking for...and yet, through it all is wisdom. The kind of wisdom that can only come experiencing the good as well as the bad, strength as well as weakness, joy as well as pain, beauty and simplicity, life and death, order and chaos, and how all of these things interact and weave together to form this amazing world we inhabit for a short while.	+	I wonder, if somewhere in the midst of all that, Job got a glimpse of his beloved, departed children, also with God from before the foundation of the earth--like all of us, their days fleeting and numbered, but eternal in the arms of their creator.
		+
		+	Nowhere in this divine vision are the answers or justice Job is looking for...and yet, through it all is solace and wisdom. The kind of wisdom that can only come experiencing the good as well as the bad, strength as well as weakness, joy as well as pain, beauty and simplicity, life and death, order and chaos, and how all of these things interact and weave together to form this amazing world we inhabit for a short while.

−	~~I wonder, if somewhere in the midst of all that, Job got a glimpse of his beloved, departed children, also with God from before the foundation of the earth.~~

@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
     Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens,
 when the dust runs into a mass
-    and the clods cling together?
+    and the clouds cling together?
 ‘Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
@@ Line 56: / Line 56: @@
 "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?  You were with me, already, all the way back then, because I chose you and knew you and called you by name all those aeons ago.  You may have forgotten, but I haven't.  Let me show you..."
-And then, I believe, God takes Job on an amazying mystical journey--kind of like in Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol, when the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future take Ebeneezer Scrooge on a journey outside of himself to see things that his limited sight would not otherwise allow him to see and understand.
+And then, I believe, God takes Job on an amazying mystical journey--kind of like in Charles Dickens' novel, A Christmas Carol, when the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future take Ebeneezer Scrooge on a wild journey outside of himself to see things that his limited sight would not otherwise allow him to see and understand.
 Our commitment to SERVICE
 Last week, Job reminded God of all the things he had done for others--(insert job's quote here). Basically, Job is saying, "look at all the things I did for other people."  In today's passage, God returns the favor, essentially saying, "Look, *everything* I have done is for you and for everyone."

@@ Line 44: / Line 44: @@
 I find this interpretation a bit harsh, especially given what we, as readers know from reading the first two chapters:  That all of Job's suffering, the loss of his children, his property, his health, were all instigated, approved, and carried out under God's supervision and authority, in order to settle a cosmic bet with Satan about whether or not Job would "curse God" if he lost these things.
-Incidentally, for what it's worth, God lost the bet along time ago, probably somewhere around chapter 7, and several times thereafter.
+Incidentally, and for what it's worth, God lost that bet a long time ago, probably somewhere around chapter 7, and several times thereafter, when Job's famous patience ran out.  But I don't think God was ever really that interested in winning the bet. No, I think that from the beginning, God's interest was simply in Job, for better or for worse, in his wealth or in his poverty, in his happiness or his despair.
-Job's loss and his pain are real, and his words to and about God flow from that experience.  God knows this.  God knows Job. God loves Job.  If God is putting Job in his place, it is not done in anger, but gently.
+Given all of these things, I think it's possible to read God's words in a different light, with a different tone.  God may be putting Job in his place, but if so I think he does it gently, not in anger, condecension or judgment.
 When I read this text, I see God calling Job's attention to some pretty beautiful things, cosmic things, and simple things, gently drawing him out of his inward focus and back into the larger world that we are all connected to as God's children, as part of God's creation.  Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?  I don't think it's a sarcastic question.  It's a question with an implied answer:  You were with me, Job.  You were there.  You were part of me, though you didn't know it yet.  Your children were, are, and always will be part of me, too.  Let me show them to you.  When God speaks of the morning stars singing together, and all the heavenly beings shouting for joy--I imagine he is showing Job more than just a word-picture.

@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
 ==Where Were You?==
-For thirty-five out of forty-two chapters in the book of Job, God is either the subject of conversation or its target.  During those thirty-five chapters, God listens silently while Job questions, complains, and attacks God, trying to make sense of his suffering. Finally, in today's text, God responds. Compared to the words of Job, God's response is mercifully short.  And so, in my sermon today, I intend to follow God's example.  Mercifully short.
+For thirty-five out of forty-two chapters in the book of Job, God is either the subject of conversation or its target.  During those thirty-five chapters, God listens silently while Job questions, complains, and attacks God, trying to make sense of his suffering. Finally, in today's text, God responds. Compared to the words of Job (24 of those 35 chapters), God's response is mercifully short (just 2 chapters).  And so, in my sermon today, I am going to attempt to follow God's example.  Mercifully short.
 Let's begin with the work of God in the final chapters of the Book of Job.  Many people interpret this as God putting Job in his place:  "Who are you to question me? Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?  Sit down and shut up, you puny mortal!" I find this interpretation a bit harsh.  Job's loss and his pain are real, and his words to and about God flow from that experience.  God knows this.  God knows Job. God loves Job.  If God is putting Job in his place, it is not done in anger, but gently.  When I read this text, I see God calling Job's attention to some pretty beautiful things, cosmic things, and simple things, gently drawing him out of his inward focus and back into the larger world that we are all connected to as God's children, as part of God's creation.  Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?  I don't think it's a sarcastic question.  It's a question with an implied answer:  You were with me, Job.  You were there.  You were part of me, though you didn't know it yet.  Your children were, are, and always will be part of me, too.  Let me show them to you.  When God speaks of the morning stars singing together, and all the heavenly beings shouting for joy--I imagine he is showing Job more than just a word-picture.

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:23, 10 March 2018
Line 39:		Line 39:

	Let's begin with the work of God in the final chapters of the Book of Job. Many people interpret this as God putting Job in his place: "Who are you to question me? Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Sit down and shut up, you puny mortal!" I find this interpretation a bit harsh. Job's loss and his pain are real, and his words to and about God flow from that experience. God knows this. God knows Job. God loves Job. If God is putting Job in his place, it is not done in anger, but gently. When I read this text, I see God calling Job's attention to some pretty beautiful things, cosmic things, and simple things, gently drawing him out of his inward focus and back into the larger world that we are all connected to as God's children, as part of God's creation. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? I don't think it's a sarcastic question. It's a question with an implied answer: You were with me, Job. You were there. You were part of me, though you didn't know it yet. Your children were, are, and always will be part of me, too. Let me show them to you. When God speaks of the morning stars singing together, and all the heavenly beings shouting for joy--I imagine he is showing Job more than just a word-picture.		Let's begin with the work of God in the final chapters of the Book of Job. Many people interpret this as God putting Job in his place: "Who are you to question me? Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Sit down and shut up, you puny mortal!" I find this interpretation a bit harsh. Job's loss and his pain are real, and his words to and about God flow from that experience. God knows this. God knows Job. God loves Job. If God is putting Job in his place, it is not done in anger, but gently. When I read this text, I see God calling Job's attention to some pretty beautiful things, cosmic things, and simple things, gently drawing him out of his inward focus and back into the larger world that we are all connected to as God's children, as part of God's creation. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? I don't think it's a sarcastic question. It's a question with an implied answer: You were with me, Job. You were there. You were part of me, though you didn't know it yet. Your children were, are, and always will be part of me, too. Let me show them to you. When God speaks of the morning stars singing together, and all the heavenly beings shouting for joy--I imagine he is showing Job more than just a word-picture.
		+
		+	Our commitment to SERVICE
		+
		+	Last week, Job reminded God of all the things he had done for others--(insert job's quote here). Basically, Job is saying, "look at all the things I did for other people." In today's passage, God returns the favor, essentially saying, "Look, everything I have done is for you and for everyone."