Romans 16:1-16 Greet One Another With A Holy Kiss

Romans 16:1-16 NIV
Paul commends both men and women to the church at Rome; to work with and assist Phoebe in her ministry and to greet other servants of the Lord.

Greet one another with a holy kiss, he tells them. I am a hugger and a kisser. I have gotten pretty good at refraining from hugging people without their permission. I have to admit, though, that on rare occasions I sometimes slip and someone gets hugged who probably prefers that I not invade their space.

I remember when the "sharing of the peace" first became popular during Worship Services years ago. Many people were really put off by this "touching." We have come a long way since that time. Sometimes, I wonder if we've gone overboard. My congregation is filled with very welcoming and loving brothers and sisters in Christ. At Zion, the sharing of God's peace among those worshipping can sometimes take up to five minutes even though we are not a large congregation by any means. There are many holy kisses shared. I wonder, at times, if I should put a stop to it. Not! In these words; "God's peace" or "God's peace be with you" we are asking to have peace continue or in some cases to be restored between us. We are essentially asking for or granting absolution for any sins we may have committed against each other. We are asking that any walls that we may have built, knowingly or unknowingly, between us and others in the community, by our words or actions, be torn down and that we be reconciled to one another in Christ Jesus. The physical action that comes in shaking hands or sharing a holy kiss (or hug) can be likened to tearing down the wall between us even as the void between us is breached. By the time the sharing of the peace is accomplished, I am usually standing at the altar waiting; but, I refrain from stopping this display of Christian love and reconciliation. I remind myself that only God knows who in the congregation may need to be reconciled to one another with the peace of God before they receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion. I trust that He is doing that while I wait trying not to hurry His work along.

God's peace be with you all.
Pr. J.

Luke 22:47-53 Betrayed By A Friend

Luke 22:47-53 NIV
Jesus was betrayed when a disciple, a friend, kissed him. It is sad to think about; but, how often do friends betray friends? Under the cover of darkness, a friend is betrayed. Under the cover of darkness, darkness reigns.  It is difficult to know who will betray you. It is difficult when you are betrayed by someone who has at least pretended to be your friend or maybe they are even a member of your own family. It is most difficult when you realize that the relationship has not been about concern for you or your relationship with them; but, about concern to protect or prosper themselves. Whatever the reason; it is difficult when one finds out that the love and concern you perceived has been a lie all along.

Jesus knew all along that Judas would betray him. Yet, he did nothing about it. He knew that his betrayal had a good purpose in the end. The good purpose was worked through a trial, suffering and death. But, in the end, we can see that the betrayal played a huge part in God's blessing of all people.

When betrayed or persecuted, be not afraid. God is with you. He can turn the worst circumstances into a blessing for you and for others.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Mark 14:32-52 Pacing and Praying

Mark 14:32-52
Completely oblivious to the inner torment that Jesus was experiencing; rather than pray with or for Him, the disciples fall asleep.

How many times have we paced the floors in the middle of the night or fell on our faces praying throughout the night, asking God to deliver us or someone else while everyone else was fast asleep oblivious to the trouble around them or about to come upon them? We pace, we pray, until peace comes upon us, the resolution is at nigh. We are prepared to face whatever must come.

The resolution for Jesus is to be betrayed with a kiss by a friend, a follower. What comes for Jesus is death and ultimately resurrection. Sometimes, (OK - often) the resolution that comes is not an immediate reprieve, but a journey through even darker times; a place where even our friends will desert us. What comes is a journey through the valley of the shadow of death so that ultimately, not our; but, God's will is done.

In order to get to the place where we can know peace no matter what God's will is for us, we pray. We find solace in His presence.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Solomon's Song of Songs 1 - God Is Sweeter Than Wine, More Fragrant Than Perfume

Song of Songs is a poem about love. It is a lot about the passion and love between a man and a woman. It's verses cycle from courtship through wedding to consummation. When I first read it so many years ago, it came across to me as a little racy. I wondered why it would even be included in the Holy Scriptures. The explanation I received was that it is an allegory of the love between God and His people, Christ and the Church, the Bride and the Bridegroom. It's been awhile since I've read it, so I will see what understanding I get from this reading.

It begins: "Solomon’s Song of Songs." (vs 1) The Song of Songs is attributed to Solomon and continues with the female oration:

"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
for your love is more delightful than wine.
Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;
your name is like perfume poured out.
No wonder the young women love you!
Take me away with you—let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers." (Song of Songs 1:2-4 NIV)

Is this woman truly in love or is she merely desiring something or someone that other women love, just because he is desired by others. Is it merely a case of what others have, I want? I'm afraid, to me, this sounds more like a young woman or girl lusting rather than in love. Or, maybe that is what is just a part of the dance of love. Are desire and love the same thing? Maybe, it is that they are just so totally intertwined that you cannot have one without the other. It is up to the individual to be able to know the difference between pure lust and genuine love.

On the other hand if we look at it from the view that this is an allegory of Bride and the Bridegroom (Christ and the Church) would it not be wonderful if we could all be so excited about being loved by God? For me, this ends up being a very weak allegory. The love of God is way more pleasing than any wine or the fragrance of perfume!  It is difficult, for me, to equate the joy that comes with being in relationship with God to that of pursuing a man. Let us see, what the rest of the book has to say. Keep reading... See you tomorrow.

May the peace of the LORD be with you now and through all your tomorrows. Pr. J

Psalm 122 - Peace at the Gate of the LORD's House

"I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”" (Psalm 122:1 NIV)

Let us all go to the house of the LORD to praise His Holy Name. Let us be gathered together as one so that peace may dwell among us and in us.

Our feet are standing in the gates of the Kingdom of God.  It's almost like we have one foot in and one foot out, yet not quite.  There are two kingdom. We are of; we belong to the Kingdom of God that was ushered in at the crucifixion of our LORD. Yet, we live in this world. As heirs of the Kingdom of God, we praise His Holy Name. As sojourners in this world, we pay to Caesar what is Caesar's.

Caesar demands much. God gives. He gaves us His only Son that we might live. He gives love and He gives His peace. He gives us His peace through the Christ and in receiving that peace we are reconciled to Him and to one another.

I remember as a small child going to the house of the LORD to worship with my grandmother whenever I stayed with her. The services was in Finnish so I didn't understand much. What I did understand and what has stuck with me through all these years was, as everyone was leaving they shared the peace of the LORD with the pastor. "God's peace be with you." It did not appear to me to be a mere ritual. They all appeared to really mean it. It made a lasting impression. For those who have attended Worship at Zion Lutheran, Skanee, you've probably noticed that the sharing of the peace is just a little out of hand. Not only are hands extended in peace and reconciliation, there are many holy kisses of peace being shared as well.  There may be "issues" at times between parishioners, but when the peace of the LORD is shared, all walls are torn down and we are made whole. We are one. Following Worship, as was the custom of my childhood, I also share the peace with members as they leave. It's not just have a good day, or good to see you. Those words may be spoken, but as they depart the House of God, it is with these words. "God's peace be with you."

The House of the LORD, the church, is where we gather to worship Him, where we receive the Sacraments, hear His Word, and so many other things.  Maybe we should think of the House of the LORD as larger than a church building. The church is wherever God's people are gathered.

Remember, how, when according to Matthew, the temple curtain was torn in two at Christ's death giving us access to the Holy of Holies. Something else happened as well at the tearing of the curtain. The walls were broken down. The Kingdom of God was ushered in, the Spirit of God poured out into the world, raising even the dead. (Matt 27) The Kingdom of God is indeed at hand.

"Believe me, this world is not the Kingdom of God, but at the same time the Kingdom of God has come. "Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”" (Luke 17:20-21)

Our feet are standing at the gate, may the peace of the LORD be with you all.  Pr. J