Process & Faith: 6-Easter 05/20/2001

Lectionary Commentary

Acts 16:9–15
Psalm 67
Revelation 21:10, 22–22:5
John 14:23–29

Acts 16:9-15
Once again the lectionary plunges us into the mystical. To the dismay of the rationalist, Paul not only receives a vision; he also acts upon it. The rationalist feels comfortable with the comedienne Lily Tomlin's quip, "When you speak to God, they call it prayer; but when God speaks to you, they call you crazy." The Bible abounds in paranormal experiences: angelic visitations, revelatory dreams, theophanies, and visions. While the one-dimensional rationalist denies such phenomena, contemporary physicists as well as mystics speak of non-local causation and the butterfly effect. Medical studies reveal the impact of intercessory prayer on mice, fungi, and persons. Near death experiences reveal beings of light, welcoming committees, and distant perception. While we must subject these experiences to analysis and discernment in light of both science and scripture, an authentic empiricism compels us to admit the reality of non-rational, intuitive, and mystical experiences.

While the preacher might invite his congregation to explore their own experiences of synchronicity or holy mystery, he or she might also remind them that God may also be speaking to them in the midst of their ordinary lives. Annie Dillard speaks about encountering the holy in a "tree with lights." We may encounter a "burning bush" as we look at our child as if for the first time; unexpectedly meet a new friend; or experience a deep yearning that calls us to a life of adventure. As Celtic spirituality affirms, the world is full of countless "thin places." We are always at the center of divine love and, ,from time to time, this center breaks through into our mundane lives. A theologian once said that "when I pray, coincidences happen." As Christians, we are called to open ourselves to God's presence. God is still speaking to humankind in dreams, intuitions, chance (but synchronous) meetings, and mystical experiences. The divine lure speaks within each moment of experience. God may be inviting us to respond to someone's need. In the spirit of today's reading, a still, small voice may be crying to us, "come, help us." Through openness to the possibility of divine activity as well as the traditional disciplines of meditation, healing imagery, dream work, we can awaken to the magical reality that God has in store for us and the surprising adventure being God's channel of blessing to those around us.

Psalm 67
Readers of this Psalm will be reminded of Louis Armstrong's "It's a Wonderful World." There are moments when our hearts burst with joy at the wonder of life and the blessings we have received. God has surely blessed us, we affirm. Yet, faith must involve all the seasons of life, times of desolation as well as times of exaltation, the dark night as well as the beatific vision. Today's Psalm is not a superficial "praise the lord" cliché. If we read between the lines of Psalm 67, we can catch a glimpse of hard times as well as good times. When there was no way, God made a way. God's constancy was also present in times of depression and oppression. As Psalm 139 proclaims, God is present in darkness as well as light.

One of my spiritual mentors, homiletics professor Ronald Osborn stated that regardless of the theme of the sermon, the preacher must remember that someone in the congregation has just buried a spouse or child, is struggling with their marriage, or experiencing depression. The power of Psalm 67, and the Psalms as a whole, is their recognition that God is blessing us even in the most difficult of times. While the religiosity of "Footprints" may seem superficial and clichéd to some, there is a deep truth that God is carrying us even in those moments when we feel most God-forsaken. A spirituality for all seasons enables us to find God in the darkness as well as light. In my own journey of faith over the past few years, I have dealt with a parent's disability, a child's life-threatening illness, the loss of a job, and a false accusation of pastoral misconduct. In the midst of my own depression and fear, I discovered the "real presence" of God. I learned that "nothing can separate me from the love of God." I discovered courage, strength, and love as I experienced God in the love of friends and the quiet sense that God would be with me regardless of the outcome.

Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5
Today's reading describes a vision of personal and global completion. God is in the midst of the holy city. All things will find their ultimate wholeness and peace in the light of God. The question posed by the scripture is whether or not this divine theophany is relevant to our world. Is God in the midst of our lives? Can we ascertain the light of Christ in the midst of our own "shadowlands?" In my work as a spiritual director, I often support the spiritual journeys of persons with cancer. I invite them to envisage the healing light of Christ enter their bodies as they receive their chemotherapy infusions. During the week, I counsel them to practice a healing light imagery, in which they focus on God's light entering, permeating, and surrounding their body with each breath. While this prayer involves the activation of creative imagination, I believe that it reflects the reality of God's aim at wholeness incarnate each moment's experience. Could it be that we are constantly receiving glimpses of divine beauty every moment of our lives? We live by the hope of divine wholeness. But, for this hope to be realized, we must find images of hope in the present moment. Our hope is in the God who brings light from darkness, healing from woundedness, and love from alienation.

John 5:1-9
"Do you want to be healed?" Jesus' question to the man at the pool is addressed to each one of us. As we look into the pool, we see our own reflection. We discover those places in our lives where we are content with mediocrity, pain, and disease. This healing encounter has four movements: 1)Jesus' question, "do you want to be healed?", 2) the man's response, "no one is here to help me," 3) Jesus' challenge, "stand up," and 4) the man's courageous obedience. While this man's predicament may have been related to his passivity and hopelessness, he finally takes the one step he needs to become well - he stands on his own two feet. Yet, his resolve is short lived. When the religious leaders ask him why he is carrying a pallet on the Sabbath, he does not claim his healing and personal responsibility. He blames Jesus for the infraction. "He told me to do it!" While there is no reason to deny or minimize the cure that has taken place at the pool, it is clear that the man has not been fully healed. He is still bound by passivity. He fails to claim his own power as a decision-maker. In order to truly be healed, this man must claim his healing one day at a time. In this healing narrative, grace does not nullify his freedom to choose, but challenges him to even greater freedom and creativity. The preacher's task in reflecting on the Gospel story is to invite the members of the congregation to explore their own resistance to healing and their own unwillingness to take responsibility for transforming their lives. This is a social as well as personal issue. The preacher could phrase Jesus' question in a variety of ways: 1) do you really want to be happy?, 2) do you really want to be successful?, 3) do you really want to eradicate poverty, 4) do you really want to address the needs of the inner city? As Bonhoeffer noted, grace is free, but it is never cheap. We have to ask ourselves if we really want to transform ourselves and the world, and what are we willing to do about it. From now on, the man at the pool must claim his freedom and power one day at a time. While he may backslide, he must commit himself each day to standing on his own two feet. This is our challenge, too, as we face our own areas of brokenness, passivity, or hopelessness. (For those who are interested in a more extended interpretation of this healing, I recommend my book, God's Touch: Faith, Wholeness, and the Healing Miracles of Jesus (Westminster/John Knox, 2001)

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