Belonging

John 18:8-9

Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken, “I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave me.”

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You belong to me
Can it be, honey, that you're not sure

"You Belong to Me" written by Carly Simon and Michael McDonald recorded by The Doobie Brothers on "Livin' on the Fault Line" and a year later by Carly Simon on "Boys in the Trees." This version recorded by Michael McDonald.

Belonging is a wonderful thing unless it becomes terrifying, and the line between the two can be very, very narrow. There are many songs that eerily straddle this line. Sarah McLachlan's "Possession" was written about a fan who stalked her. She used some of the words from his own letters that takes creepy to a whole new level. The Police's "Every Breath You Take" creepy and the number of people who use it to describe their own relationships have either failed to look hard at the lyric or are themselves frightening stalkers.

"You Belong to Me" belongs in this group. Like the other songs, the melody is wonderful and lilting with just a bit of menace. It also has that one little lyric that when stretched becomes evidence at the trial. What this song is about is a singer who has been dumped by their lover. The other has found someone new in their life and is on their way to the "happily ever after." This isn't good for the singer. The singer wants their lover back. Shoot, you can't be someone else's lover, you belong to me.

You belong to me, can it be that you're not sure?

What's different about Jesus is that first of all, we do belong to him. We belong to God. The difference is that God is not a possessive lover. In Jesus, God emptied himself. He did not use his holy status to lord over us. He used it to save us. He gave himself so that not one of us was lost.

Yes, we belong to God, but it is God who gave himself for us. It isn't that God hoards us, God gives himself to us and everything to our life.

More Wisdom and Foolishness

1 Corinthians 1:27-31 (NRSV)

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

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But what a fool believes he sees
No wise man has the power to reason away
What seems to be
Is always better than nothing
There's nothing at all
But what a fool believes he sees

"What a Fool Believes" written by Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins and recorded by The Doobie Brothers from "Minute by Minute"

What a fool believes no wise man has the power to reason away. The wisdom of this world is rooted in what we see. "I'll believe it when I see it" has become the cry of a new generation. So much is this so that many won't believe the most obvious of truth without seeing it through the wisdom of their own eyes.

If the mysteries of our own world, like if the light goes off when you close the fridge, if these are questioned constantly, the mysteries of the eternal are well beyond our understanding. Yet, we seek to understand, we seek to see it with our own eyes.

Paul writes, "Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles." There is no human sense to be made, no earthly wisdom to come from the wisdom of Christ crucified. Yet, "God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe."

"What a Fool Believes" is that love is real if only in the mind of the fool. The sentimental fool don't see, tryin' hard to recreate, what had yet to be created. Yes, maybe the man is delusional, but what if he is not? What if this is a love that may be real one day?

Casey, mighty Casey at the bat struck out. But he swung at the pitch. He went down swinging.

The fool for Christ has hope, not optimism. Optimism is based on what is possible for people. True hope is based on what God does with people. The hope of transformation, the hope of redemption. This is the foolishness of Christ crucified. Frankly, it's better than all the wisdom found on earth.

Much Obliged Indeed

Exodus 2:15b-22

But Moses fled from Pharaoh. He settled in the land of Midian, and sat down by a well. The priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. But some shepherds came and drove them away. Moses got up and came to their defense and watered their flock. When they returned to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come back so soon today?” They said, “An Egyptian helped us against the shepherds; he even drew water for us and watered the flock.” He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why did you leave the man? Invite him to break bread.” Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage. She bore a son, and he named him Gershom; for he said, “I have been an alien residing in a foreign land.”

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Yes, and when I'm feelin' down and blue
Then all I do is think of you
And all my foolish problems seem to fade away

South city midnight lady
I'm much obliged indeed
You sure have saved this man whose soul was in need
I thought there was no reason
For all these things I do
But the smile that I sent out returned with you

"South City Midnight Lady" by Patrick Simmons recorded by The Doobie Brothers on "The Captain and Me"

Moses has just been run not just out of town but all the way out of Egypt. His very own brother, or a sort, is after him and wants him dead. The Egyptians don't know what to make of him because he killed a soldier. The Israelites don't know what to make of him not just because he saved an Israelite, but because they still know he can have them killed at a whim. Moses is not just a man without a country, he's a man without two countries.

He ends up in Midian, sitting by a well during the hottest part of the day. There he defends the seven daughters of Midian, also called Reuel, against a gang of shepherds who want the water they have drawn for their flocks, and perhaps even more. Leaving Moses at the well, Midian insists he be brought to his tent to break bread. Moses saved his daughters, hospitality only begins to repay the debt in the mind of Midian. He offers his first daughter, Zipporah as a wife. Their first son is Gershom meaning "I have been an alien residing in a foreign land."

Moses was like the man in this Doobie Brothers track, much obliged indeed. He was a man without a country. He had no land to call his own. No people to call his own. He didn't seem to have a plan, but he had a way. Sometimes a way is better than a plan. Moses was alone. He was wanted. His Lord had him, but he did not know his Lord, not yet at least. Then suddenly there was this lady...

Some will speak against an arranged marriage. Some will say he spent a lot of time away from home on this "mission" for "the Lord" who wasn't even his wife's God. Yet, I can imagine a family. Husband and wife and two sons. I can imagine even Moses thinking there was not reason for the things he does. Between the Egyptians and the Israelites he had more than his share of headaches. But in relationship... with his wife... Moses and Zipporah... He even names his first born noting that he was, but is no longer, an alien living in a foreign land.

I thought there was no reason for all these things I do, but the smile that I sent out returned with you. Now there's an image that keeps a man warm on a cold, cold night.

Where Would You Be Now?

1Corinthians 13:8-13 (NRSV)

Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

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Without love, where would you be now?

Long Train Runnin' from "The Captian and Me" by The Doobie Brothers

This section of First Corinthians is often reserved for weddings, that's a shame. This passage isn't really about wedded bliss. Sure, faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love; these are great things to base a relationship upon. But this is not the love Paul is talking about.

This chapter is set between two chapters on the spiritual gifts. Chapter 12 deals with the gifts of God and their role and use in the church. Chapter 14 calls members of the church to strive for greater gifts. One deals with the existence of the gifts and the other with their use in the world.

But without love, all we can do is make noise, like a noisy gong or clanging cymbal. The Doobies ask the question well, without love, where woud you be now? We would be in a mess.

If people were able to chose the gifts of God for themselves, more often than not--the gifts of prophecy and healing and toungues would be chosen. People would pick something flashy. After all, who wants service and teaching when there is something flashier in the bag to pick from.

If you wonder if this is true, consider the number of people who want to be the football star and the cheerleader--or root for them--and the number of people who want to be a lunch lady--or root for them. An old comic once said that another way to think of this is if we all became what we "wanted to be when we grew up" from the second grade, there would be a lot of firemen and ballerinas.

So we need love because in the love of God all of the spiritual gifts are flashy. In love, regardless of the gifts we receive and exhibit, we do it for the benefit of the Lord and the Body of Christ. In love there is a blessing of selflessness that increases the gift far beyond what we could ever know or understand.

Using the spiritual gifts as God intends blesses not only the one with the gift, but the one who receives the work of the gifted, and all of creation--and all for the glory of God. That's much bigger than the simple flash of a miracle that looks more like a magic trick.

Being the star is fun, but without love, where would you be now?

Sing for Joy

Psalm 92:1-4

It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

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Don't you feel it growin',
Day by day
People
Gettin' ready for the news
Some are happy,
Some are sad
Wo, we got to let the music play
Wo, oh yeah
What the people need
Is a way to make 'em smile
It ain't so hard to do if you know how
Gotta get a message
Get it on through
Oh now mama's goin' to after awhile

Wo, oh, oh, listen to the music
Wo, oh, oh, listen to the music
Wo, oh, oh, listen to the music
All the time

"Listen to the Music" by Tom Johnston recorded by The Doobie Brothers

Song does things that few others can do. Have you ever tried to speak loudly in a room that echoes? The distortion will get you. On the other hand, singing allows the words to ring clearly and truly. I'm not about to rattle on about harmonics and the like, I'm just not qualified. But I do know this, singing works when nothing else will.

I joyfully believe that the first lullabys were sung by the first of our ancestors. I believe songs of mourning rang in times of pain and distress. Songs of joy, I imagine these were saved for the most special of occasions.

Again I say that song involves the entire self in prayer. These songs of joy should not be saved for only special occasions. The psalmist reminds us "It is good to give thanks to the LORD,to sing praises to your name, O Most High." The Doobie's remind us "Gotta get a message, get it on through"

We are to declare God's faithfulness, and God is faithful. Especially at times when all around us dissolves like a sand castle at high tide, God is faithful. When the people are happy it is easy to forget that we need God, so we need to sing songs of thanksgiving to the Lord. When the people are sad, well, then it's easy to sing songs of lament and longing to the Lord.

So rejoice, "For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy." What the people need is a way to make 'em smile. So share and love. Share when it is joyous, share when it is horrendous. Share, because God shared life with us first.

This is our message, this is what we are called to share, and "it ain't so hard to do if you know how." So let us declare the Lord's steadfast love in the morning, and God's faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. And let us listen to the music all the time.

Go and Make Disciples

Matthew 28:18-20 (NRSV)

Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

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You don't know me but I'm your brother
I was raised here in this living hell
You don't know my kind in your world
Fairly soon the time will tell
You, telling me the things you're gonna do for me
I ain't blind and I don't like what I think I see

Takin' it to the streets

"Takin' It to the Streets" by Michael McDonald from "Best of the Doobies" 1976

In grammar, there are actually verbs that act like nouns, they're called participles. The reason they exist is to describe action, not be the main actions themselves.

In Matthew's Great Commission, there are glorious participles--baptizing and teaching. These are things Christians are called to do. But these aren't the main verbs in the passage. The main verbs are go and make, specifically "go and make disciples." Why is this so important?

Often Christians get tied up in the baptizing and teaching where what we are supposed to get tied up doing is "to go and make." Baptizing and teaching are important elements of "to go and make," that's why they get the big mention as a part of the Great Commission. But the first thing we are to do go and then make.

The Great Commission is not a cry for everyone to go to Africa or Asia and be missionaries. But it is a cry for us to get off of our couches and take it to the streets. The world is filled with people who do not know the grace and peace of the Lord. Sure, people are always to talk about death and hell-the sort of heavenly fire insurance. But if that were all there was to being a Christian it would be a sorry wait for death.

No, we are called to take the faith out into the world. Michael McDonald wrote, "I was raised here in this living hell; You don't know my kind in your world." We were all born into a world that is damaged, a world that is in shock and pain. This world reacts like a wounded animal. We were born into this living hell, but by God's grace we are saved through faith. The world does not know the Lord, nor does it really know the Lord's children.

Take the faith. Take it to the streets. Take it to the people who are still living in hell. Take it to those who need justice. Show it to those who persecute the innocent. Feed the hungry. Shelter the impoverished. Seek justice. Love kindness.

Do this not because it will buy fire insurance, but because the Lord lives. Do it because the Lord is alive in your life. Do this as a response to the freely given gift of grace you have received.