Scourged

John 19:1-3 (NRSV)

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking him on the face.

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Sometimes I feel
Sometimes I feel ... like I've been tied to the whippin’ post
Tied to the whippin’ post
Tied to the whippin' post
Good Lord I feel like I'm dyin'

"Whippin' Post," written by Greg Allman, recorded by The Allman Brothers Band on their self-titled debut album.

Some days, many days, it's impossible to make sense of current events. Maybe it's because compared to even fifty years ago there are so many more current events with so much more coverage of each of them.

Recently there have been shootings, war and talk of war, terror and those who bring terror from the ends of the world to your town. Drug problem? I'm not advocating drug use, but accounting for prescription drug use and abuse who says there isn't a drug problem. The election cycle? You'd think the world has gone off its rails. The world is gone fully mad.

In the ancient world, it was the time of the Passover, Rome was in charge, the religious leaders were in fear for their status in the temple and synagogues, and politicians were doing what politicians do. Everyone was trying to corner their little part of the power market, and here comes the one who is power.

Then comes the Lord, He who is, He who is the I AM. He was abused for no other reason than being who he was and being himself in the world. Mocked, scorned, ridiculed. Our Lord was scourged, flogged, and whipped. In the end, all I can say is that when I have been run down, lied to, feeling like a fool, I worship a God who has been on the whippin' post too.

Still, even after being tied to the whipping post our Lord stayed by our side, even when humanity did not stand by his. He was generous, even when he was mocked. He turned even when beaten. He was King of the Jews even when he was mocked being called the King of the Jews.

If there is one thing we must say about Jesus, even as we say life is difficult and life is uncertain, it is that he has been there too. Jesus experienced these very same things. He was wrongly accused and then tried and hung up to dry. He was left to rot in the noonday sun on a garbage heap. He has seen our troubles. He still offers his grace. We know our troubles, but have we accepted his grace?

The War at Home, The War in the Streets

Luke 12:52-53

From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided:

father against son
and son against father,
mother against daughter
and daughter against mother,
mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

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The worst things in the world
Are justified by belief

"Raised by Wolves" by Adam Clayton, David Evans, Larry Mullen, Paul Hewson, recorded by U2 on "Songs of Innocence"

The words of Jesus are doing something interesting here. Conventional wisdom says his coming will cause people to pick sides and Holy War will follow. I want you to consider something else...

Consider Jesus is just telling a simple truth here. Nothing wild and wooly. Nothing broad and theological. Nothing deep and intellectual. This isn't PhD stuff. Jesus is just telling a simple truth. When you pick him, not everyone's going to like it. Some will really hate it.

In fact let me add this little gem, if your people follow one way and you decide to follow another, you'll become the enemy. Islam plays this out with the Shiite and the Sunni. The Irish played this out with Catholics and Protestants. This song is based on four bombings in Dublin and Monaghan, Ireland on May 17, 1974. Three bombs exploded in Dublin during rush hour and a fourth exploded in Monaghan almost ninety minutes later killing 33 adults, one unborn child, and injuring over 300. A friend of Bono's named Guggi was there. The experience never left him. It led him into a life of pain and addiction.

Killing over God? No. Killing over the trappings of what we put forth in front of God. The things that pit father against son and son against father and so on.

Why is it when we read this it seems so stupid? It seems so logical that we need to stop doing this? Maybe that's just the next level of our Lord's warning. Sin is stronger than we are, but grace is more abundant than sin. Grace is greater than sin. Guggi is better. He's an artist now in Dublin. He's married and has five children. Praise God...and beware the wolves. Look for the truth in Christ, the simple truth is some of the best.

What Smells?

Ephesians 5:1-2

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

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Ooooh that smell
Can't you smell that smell
Ooooh that smell
The smell of death surrounds you

"That Smell" written by Allen Collins and Ronnie Van Zandt recorded by Lynyrd Skynyrd on "Street Survivors"

This song was written about Gary Rossington, the guitar player holding a cigarette in this video, after he wrapped his car around the aforementioned oak tree. When his car was approached, all anyone could ask is "What's that smell?" The best answer was probably "rock and roll excess."

The smell of cigarettes and whiskey, the smell of cocaine and gasoline, the smell of oak and rubber, it must have been something to behold. That's before allowing any other sense to help us perceive the situation. Smells, the smell that surrounds an event can be as powerful as any other way we can sense what's happening.

In church, some folk talk about "smells and bells." Some lament that they can overwhelm worship, others lament that they're missing from the church. It's a pity when the smells leave worship because they were so important to the beginnings of worship. The smell of the sacrifice, the smell of the incense, the smell of the oils; all of these helped us remember who we are and whose we are.

Let's remember, frankincense and myrrh were two of the gifts of the Magi to the Christ child. Aroma was that valuable and that important. Smell is an important trigger of memory, so when we lose the smell of worship we lose something that could help us remember the Lord all week long.

Christ himself was a sacrifice, the ultimate sacrifice, the last sacrifice. He is the Lamb of God whose blood took away the sin of the world. He gave himself up for us and for the world as a fragrant offering to God. Of all of our smells, the smells of worship should remind us of his life and our new life in Christ. Incense helps us recall those memories.

Lynyrd Skynyrd sings of the smell of death surrounding us. Christ offers the smell of life. Yes, put down the whiskey bottle and take your foot off the gas, and relish the smell of life that we are called to wrap around ourselves.

Seeing the Other Side

Thanks to my friend, the late Colin Gage for the suggestion.


Acts 7:55-60

But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.

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Life is like a mountain railway
With an engineer that's brave
You must make a run successful
From the cradle to the grave

Watch the curves, the hills and tunnels
Never falter, never fail
Just keep your hand upon the throttle
And your eyes upon the rail

Blessed Savior Thou will guide us
Till we reach that blissful shore
Where the angels wait to join us
In Thy praise forevermore

"Life's Railway to Heaven" by Charles Davis Tillman and recorded by The Amazing Rhythm Aces on "Stacked Deck"

Stephen had some real guts. He was brought before the council to speak to his beliefs and his actions. So he told them.

The council loved most of what he had to say. And why not? He was recounting the faith, their faith. He was recounting Moses, the father of the faith. He was telling them what he knew and what he knew too. I imagine the council was a little smug at this point, thinking this Stephen, this "disciple of Jesus of Nazareth" was denying this rebel rabbi and coming back to the faith, back to the fold.

That'll show those rebels!

That is until he came to the end. Stephen ended his speech saying, “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers. You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it.”

This is when their question and dismay turned to blind anger. This is when the stoning began.

"Life's Railway to Heaven" gives us the wonderful vision of the successful run of this life, a look at the path that runs to the other side. A run that from cradle to grave; through curves, hills, and tunnels; never falters nor fails. It's a life that moves straight ahead, the only direction a train can travel on a track to make any progress.

Saint Stephen knew where his path would take him. He knew where his trip on the mountain railway would lead. He was a brave engineer on the steam engine that was burning with the fire of the Holy Spirit. He knew the track would take him to his death. And he was confident that in Jesus death in this world was just a station to pass through before being with his Lord forever.

He left this world with the angels in their praise of God forevermore. And more, his prayer was that God would not hold the sin of the men who stoned him against them. Stephen had faith in repentance. Stephen had faith in the one who calls us all to repentance. By his faith he was able to see to the other side. That's the great thing about life's railway to heaven, God is willing to accept all who tie their tracks onto his and is ready to fuel their engine by the eternal Spirit of God.

Four years ago when I first wrote this entry, I was asking friends and readers to suggest songs or scripture for the "Rock and Roll Devotional" treatment. One who provided several suggestions was my friend from Kansas City, Colin Gage. Cancer took Colin about a year ago. Colin loved life and loved music. He was a beautiful man. Love and blessings to his wonderful widow Laura.

Martyrs and Other Targets

Acts 6:8-15

Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated some men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. They set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us.” And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

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Uptown - downtown
No one's fussy I'm a target
Black, white - day, night
No one's fussy I'm a target

"Target" written by and recorded by Joe Jackson from "Night and Day"

The Word of God was spreading. The gospel of Jesus Christ was spreading. The Way of eternal life was spreading. It was spreading like wildfire and would not be contained. One of the surest signs of this was the name of this first martyr of the church, Stephen. Stephen is not a Hebrew name. Stephen is a Greek name. He either was a Jew or he knew Judaism well, but his name is Greek. The Temple elite knew if this wasn't nipped in the bud and nipped right now they and their way of life was in jeopardy.

Stephen was found. He was full of grace and power and did great wonders and signs among the people. He was perfect for persecution. As far as the temple rulers were concerned he wasn't "one of us" he was "one of them." He was the perfect target.

The elite weren't very fussy, they were looking for a target and there was Stephen. He didn't look like them. He didn't worship like them. His name wasn't like one of theirs. He was the perfect target.

Joe Jackson was in his at the beginning of his Latin music phase when he recorded "Night and Day." This is no more evident than on "Target." Sue Hadjopoulos percussion work is the highlight of this piece. It doesn't sound like anything Joe recorded before and set a new direction. Kind of sounds like what Stephen was doing in a way. Something new was happening, and as Stephen was in the faith, Joe was a British Punk/New Waver fording the streams of Latin music.

This album was the apex of Joe's career. This was the beginning of the end of Stephen's life. People who do new things tend to face challenges regular people never see. That's why I love Joe's music. That's why Stephen is considered a saint of the church.

Leap? Might as Well Jump!

Happy Leap Day


1Chronicles 15:29

As the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing; and she despised him in her heart.

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Go ahead and jump,
Might as well jump.

"Jump" by Van Halen

There are days when the people you love the most, the people you rely upon the most just don't understand what you are doing and they hate you for it.

David looked pretty unkingly dancing around in what we would call an apron and that was all. Leaping and dancing around like it's February 29! David is having a time of it and his best friend's sister just isn't having it.

There's an old saying, dance like nobody else is watching. I say worship like nobody is watching, even though that's never really true. We get to remember that God is not only the recipient of our worship, it means God's watching. Sometimes, that's an unfortunate thing to remember.

I'm a Presbyterian. Key words to our entire way of being is "decent and in order." The Presbyterian Church (USA) Blogroll used to sell coffee cups that say we blog decently and in order. It's who we are, for better or for worse it's who we are. We may not be the original "frozen chosen," but we'll give 'em a run for their money.

Sometimes it's good to remember that more often than not, David worshiped God in ways were decent and in order for the day and time. And there were some very special days that he worshipped in ways that good, normal, religious people thought was a scandal, and that was just fine with the Lord! It's Leap Day, is there a better day to worship the Lord like King David? So go ahead, leap and dance and don't care who despises you, God loves all worship. Even a Presbyterian can do that once every four years. Maybe only once every four years, but at least that often.

Bargains

Genesis 29:20-30

So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.

Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” So Laban gathered together all the people of the place, and made a feast. But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid.) When morning came, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” Laban said, “This is not done in our country--giving the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” Jacob did so, and completed her week; then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife. (Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her maid.) So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He served Laban for another seven years.

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When ordinary lovers
Don't feel what you feel
And real-life situations lose their thrill
Imagination's unreal
Imaginary lover, imaginary lover
You're mine anytime.

"Imaginary Lover" by the Atlanta Rhythm Section from "Champagne Jam" written by Buddy Buie, Dean Daughtry and Robert Nix

Sometimes the world of Genesis seems completely foreign to us. Unless of course you are a fan of daytime drama. This episode has all of the makings of a soap opera. Telenovelas look for this sort of plot.

There is love. There is servitude. There is history. There is tradition. There is deception. There is even euphemism, it is said that Leah had "weak eyes." The New Revised Standard Version notes say that the meaning of that phrase in the Hebrew is "uncertain." Other translations say she is plain. Did she have a hard time with her eyes or was she hard on the eyes? This little question is implied and left to the reader to do with as we please. Since Rachel knocked Jacob over with her beauty, this means we can add jealousy to the list of story elements that make this great drama.

That or an episode of Jerry Springer. But that's a different sort of daytime drama.

Satisfaction guaranteed.

But it is by this model of dysfunction, by this Springer episode thousands of years in the making that the Nation of Israel is born. Jacob became known as Israel, one who perseveres with God. Jacob becomes the father of the twelve tribes. From the tribes will come the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. From the tribe of Judah, from the line of King David come the King of Kings. Out of this display of utter fallen humanity comes the Lord of Lords.

All for the cost of 14 years of servitude... and others will pay so much more. Jacob's getting his part for a bargain price. It is amazing what can come from what can only be imagined. This is our hope, where there is only despair there is still in the background a grain of hope.