Thursday March 8, 2012
If you are following my Read the Bible in a Year plan we have just finished the Gospels, and are beginning this week the Historical Books of the Old Testament. In these books we read the story of the conquest and settlement of the land promised to Abraham and his descendents. Joshua and Judges are particularly bloody. The God of War is prominent. The God of Justice is hard to find.
On Sundays in Lent this year Pastor Bob and I are preaching the Passion Narrative from Mark's Gospel. We have set aside the Common Lectionary readings in favor of this continuous narrative, and if all goes well we will continue this practice, selecting themes or texts to work with during the liturgical seasons. After Easter perhaps we will focus on the post resurrection appearances of Jesus, and then maybe the Book of Acts during Pentecost.
To date I am enjoying the discipline of going more in depth with the story. I look forward to feedback from folks in the pew.
This coming Sunday, the 11th of March, I will be officially installed as Associate Pastor for Prairie Rivers Parish. The rite sounds a bit like something one does to a piece of software, and perhaps there is something to be learned from that analogy. Time will tell.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Lent 2012
I am excited that we - Pastor Bob and I - are trying something a little different on Sunday mornings. Rather than using the four reading prescribed by the Revised Common Lectionary we will be reading and preaching on the Pasion Narrative from Mark's Gospel. It divides nicely into four parts so after an introductory piece tomorrow, the First Sunday of Lent, we will read the arrest in Gethsemane on March 4, the trial before Jewish authorities on March 18, the trial before Pontius Pilate on March 25, ending with the death and burial scence on Passion/Palm Sunday, which is ironically on April 1 this year.
On March 11 the whole parish will gather in Wyndmere for my service of installation with Bishop Rindy presiding and Pastor Bob preaching. I am excited that, weather permitting, my kids and grandkids will be in Wyndmere for the occasion. I miss my visits to Grand Forks, and going to Church with my little buddies.
If you are following the Read the Bible in a Year schedule, we are finishing up the Gospel of John during the week of February 26, and then starting with some Old Testament history the week of March 4. The books of Joshua and Judges tell of the time in the history of the Israelites between the Exodus from Egypt under Moses and the beginning of the settement in the Promised Land. First and Second Samuel are focused on King David and the final conquest of the land centered in Jerusalem. First and Second Kings form a long narrative which details the decline of the Monarchy in the northern and southern kingdoms, and the destruction of the Temple and the Exile of the people during the time of King Nebuchadnezzar in the early 6th century BCE. God's providence is an overarching them throughout these history books.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
February 8, 2012
The gospel reading, Mark 1.40-45, tells of Jesus touching and healing a man with leprosy. It is important that the social stigma of the leprosy was a great burden to thsoe infected with the disease. In the Book of Leviticus, chapters 13-15, we read that those infected were banished from the community. They were not able to earn a living and condemned to a hard life. They were seen to be ritually impure as well as physically diseased. Hence they were cut off from the community and from the religious life of the people. Those infected often wore a bell around the neck as a warning sign.
The disease is contagious, and the isolation of those affected was practical. As with many diseases, however, the myths surrounding it were often exaggerated. In the modern world, leprosy still exists, particularly in parts of Africa and Asia. It is spread by repeated close contact with those infected. Leprosy is on the decline worldwide.
In reaching out and touching the leprous man Jesus is breaking the religious law of his time. He is making himself "religiously impure." This would be very offensive to many, especially to the religious leaders. He will break many of the religious laws of his day, especially in his association with those who were outcasts - tax collectors, prostitutes, women, Samaritans, and the poor.
It is interesting that the man with leprosy says to Jesus, "If you want to, you can heal me." I think the gospel writer wants to emphasize the intentional nature of Jesus' ministry. He replies, "I do want to." The healing of the leper, like the casting out of the demon from the man in the synagosue earlier in the chapter, are signs of the nearness of the kingdom of God. The barriers to God's love and forgiveness will be torn down. Jesus will offer a correction to the attitude of many of the religious leaders of his time. Jewish society in his time had become a closed society with strict rules about who might associate with whom. This way of thinking - a fear of the "other" - began after the Jews returned from their Babylonian exile in the mid 6th century BCE. The covenant made at the time of Abraham included a provision that the people of God were to be a blessing to others, especially those who are in need.
The gospel reading, Mark 1.40-45, tells of Jesus touching and healing a man with leprosy. It is important that the social stigma of the leprosy was a great burden to thsoe infected with the disease. In the Book of Leviticus, chapters 13-15, we read that those infected were banished from the community. They were not able to earn a living and condemned to a hard life. They were seen to be ritually impure as well as physically diseased. Hence they were cut off from the community and from the religious life of the people. Those infected often wore a bell around the neck as a warning sign.
The disease is contagious, and the isolation of those affected was practical. As with many diseases, however, the myths surrounding it were often exaggerated. In the modern world, leprosy still exists, particularly in parts of Africa and Asia. It is spread by repeated close contact with those infected. Leprosy is on the decline worldwide.
In reaching out and touching the leprous man Jesus is breaking the religious law of his time. He is making himself "religiously impure." This would be very offensive to many, especially to the religious leaders. He will break many of the religious laws of his day, especially in his association with those who were outcasts - tax collectors, prostitutes, women, Samaritans, and the poor.
It is interesting that the man with leprosy says to Jesus, "If you want to, you can heal me." I think the gospel writer wants to emphasize the intentional nature of Jesus' ministry. He replies, "I do want to." The healing of the leper, like the casting out of the demon from the man in the synagosue earlier in the chapter, are signs of the nearness of the kingdom of God. The barriers to God's love and forgiveness will be torn down. Jesus will offer a correction to the attitude of many of the religious leaders of his time. Jewish society in his time had become a closed society with strict rules about who might associate with whom. This way of thinking - a fear of the "other" - began after the Jews returned from their Babylonian exile in the mid 6th century BCE. The covenant made at the time of Abraham included a provision that the people of God were to be a blessing to others, especially those who are in need.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Monday February 6
The readings for Sunday February 12 are 2 Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, and Mark 1:40-45. The gospel reading is from the end of chapter 1, what we have been reading for the past several weeks. Once again the emphasis is upon what Jesus does and not the specific content of his teaching. The gospel writer's concern is to show Jesus in action. The opening line of Mark reads something like, 'The beginning of the good news (gospel, "euangellion") of Jesus Christ, Son of God. The reader, or hearer, knows from the beginning who Jesus is. The title Son of God likely has to do with his relationship with God the Father, a relationship of obedience. Likewise in the baptism, we read/hear of his relationship again when God the Father/Creator declares Jesus to be his Son.
The first ministry story is that of the casting out of the demons from the man in the synagogue. Mark makes a point of telling us that the demons know who Jesus is - the Holy One of God. This theme of the disciples and others not knowing the true identity of Jesus is common in Mark's gospel.
Then there is the healing of Peter's mother in law, and healings and exorcisms of many in the town, and finally in this week's reading, the healing of the man with leprosy. This time the healing is hands on. Jesus touches the man and he is healed. The intro to the account is interesting. The man says to Jesus, 'If you want to you can heal me.' This is perhaps an indication of the connection between faith and healing in the gospel.
The teaching in chapter 1 is this; "The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news (gospel).' And then the acts of healing and exorcism which follow are signs of the kingdom. The kingdom of God in the gospels is not a place, but a way of life. You will notice that the parables of the kingdom are action oriented.
I am not sure where the preaching will lead me this week. The theme of healing ministry seems over worked in the past few weeks. And the Old Testament story is the healing of Naaman, which provides no change of theme. Tiem to read and ruminate!
The readings for Sunday February 12 are 2 Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, and Mark 1:40-45. The gospel reading is from the end of chapter 1, what we have been reading for the past several weeks. Once again the emphasis is upon what Jesus does and not the specific content of his teaching. The gospel writer's concern is to show Jesus in action. The opening line of Mark reads something like, 'The beginning of the good news (gospel, "euangellion") of Jesus Christ, Son of God. The reader, or hearer, knows from the beginning who Jesus is. The title Son of God likely has to do with his relationship with God the Father, a relationship of obedience. Likewise in the baptism, we read/hear of his relationship again when God the Father/Creator declares Jesus to be his Son.
The first ministry story is that of the casting out of the demons from the man in the synagogue. Mark makes a point of telling us that the demons know who Jesus is - the Holy One of God. This theme of the disciples and others not knowing the true identity of Jesus is common in Mark's gospel.
Then there is the healing of Peter's mother in law, and healings and exorcisms of many in the town, and finally in this week's reading, the healing of the man with leprosy. This time the healing is hands on. Jesus touches the man and he is healed. The intro to the account is interesting. The man says to Jesus, 'If you want to you can heal me.' This is perhaps an indication of the connection between faith and healing in the gospel.
The teaching in chapter 1 is this; "The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news (gospel).' And then the acts of healing and exorcism which follow are signs of the kingdom. The kingdom of God in the gospels is not a place, but a way of life. You will notice that the parables of the kingdom are action oriented.
I am not sure where the preaching will lead me this week. The theme of healing ministry seems over worked in the past few weeks. And the Old Testament story is the healing of Naaman, which provides no change of theme. Tiem to read and ruminate!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Sunday January 22, 2012
January 17, 2012
The lectionary readings for Sunday January 22, the Third Sunday after Epiphany are Jonah 3:1-5, 10, Psalm 62:5-12, 1 Corinthians 7:29-31, and Mark 1:14-20.
I plan to focus on the gospel reading, Mark 1.14-20.
14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.
19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
The opening line from the mouth of Jesus, "The kingdom of God has come (is at hand), repent, and believe the good news (the gospel)," is the gospel in miniature. The Jews to whom Jesus speaks have been yearning for this change for generations. They long to be free from the yoke of their foreign oppressors - first the Babylonians (587 BC), and then the Persians, and then the Greeks, and, in the time of Jesus, the Romans. They live in the "promised land" but they live as tenants and not as owners.
There is debate as to the timing of the coming. Hence, the difference in translations. Does it mean the kingdom of God has already come in the person of Jesus, perhaps with his baptism in Mark's scenario? Does it mean it is about to come, or it has begun? A long time ago, I think when I was in seminary, I read C H Dodd's little book on the Kingdom of God, and I have always liked what I think is his rendering - "already, but not yet." In oher words, the kingdom of God has been inagurated in the person and work of Jesus, but it is not yet completed. So we pray, "... your kingdom come on earth, as it is in heaven."
And what it is - the kingdom of God - is not yet clear. That becomes the subject of the rest of the gospel - at least up to the Passion narrative in chapter 14. The sayings and parable of Jesus paint the kingdom of God as a way of life, rather than as a place. And it is a way of life which is contrary to the mainstream of life in the time of Jesus. Hence the need for repentance - for a change of worldview, for a change of heart, a re-orientation of the way we live in the world.
The two short stories which follow the proclamation serve to illustrate the point. The calling of the two pairs of brothers, Andrew and Simon Peter, and James and John make the point. Stop what you are doing right now, and follow me. Andrew and Simon Peter leave "at once," and the Zebedee brothers abandon their father "without delay," leaving him in the boat with the hired hands, a great insult in their culture.
There is no training program for these first disciples. They journey with Jesus, and witness him in action, casting out demons, healing many people, and preaching as one with "authority."
HGH
The lectionary readings for Sunday January 22, the Third Sunday after Epiphany are Jonah 3:1-5, 10, Psalm 62:5-12, 1 Corinthians 7:29-31, and Mark 1:14-20.
I plan to focus on the gospel reading, Mark 1.14-20.
14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.
19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
The opening line from the mouth of Jesus, "The kingdom of God has come (is at hand), repent, and believe the good news (the gospel)," is the gospel in miniature. The Jews to whom Jesus speaks have been yearning for this change for generations. They long to be free from the yoke of their foreign oppressors - first the Babylonians (587 BC), and then the Persians, and then the Greeks, and, in the time of Jesus, the Romans. They live in the "promised land" but they live as tenants and not as owners.
There is debate as to the timing of the coming. Hence, the difference in translations. Does it mean the kingdom of God has already come in the person of Jesus, perhaps with his baptism in Mark's scenario? Does it mean it is about to come, or it has begun? A long time ago, I think when I was in seminary, I read C H Dodd's little book on the Kingdom of God, and I have always liked what I think is his rendering - "already, but not yet." In oher words, the kingdom of God has been inagurated in the person and work of Jesus, but it is not yet completed. So we pray, "... your kingdom come on earth, as it is in heaven."
And what it is - the kingdom of God - is not yet clear. That becomes the subject of the rest of the gospel - at least up to the Passion narrative in chapter 14. The sayings and parable of Jesus paint the kingdom of God as a way of life, rather than as a place. And it is a way of life which is contrary to the mainstream of life in the time of Jesus. Hence the need for repentance - for a change of worldview, for a change of heart, a re-orientation of the way we live in the world.
The two short stories which follow the proclamation serve to illustrate the point. The calling of the two pairs of brothers, Andrew and Simon Peter, and James and John make the point. Stop what you are doing right now, and follow me. Andrew and Simon Peter leave "at once," and the Zebedee brothers abandon their father "without delay," leaving him in the boat with the hired hands, a great insult in their culture.
There is no training program for these first disciples. They journey with Jesus, and witness him in action, casting out demons, healing many people, and preaching as one with "authority."
HGH
Thursday, January 12, 2012
The Ministry Begins
January 12, 2012
I began my ministry as an Associate Pastor in the Prairie Rivers Parish last Sunday, January 8, what is called The Baptism of Jesus in the liturgical year.
Prairie Rivers Parish (PRP) is a group of four congregations in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), Bergen Lutheran Church (Lidgerwood, ND), Calvary Lutheran Church (Hankinson, ND), Grace Lutheran Church (just north of Wyndmere, ND), and Wyndmere Lutheran Church. The "Lead Pastor" is my good friend, the Rev. Bob Caranicas, and he has been associated with Wyndmere and Grace for more than three years now.
It has been a few years since I have had regular preaching responsibilities, and I am looking forward to resuming this ministry. I took a break when my wife Marjorie was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer in April 2005, and, apart from occasional pulpit supply work, that break continued after her death in November 2009.
I continue to teach Ethics and Religious Studies at the ND State College of Science, although in the Fall of 2009 I cut back to teaching three days a week.
I have lived in Fargo since May 2009, so both of my jobs will involve a lot of "windshield time." I will try this for a year, and then re-evaluate my living situation. I enjoy being only an hour away from my children and grandchildren in Grand Forks.
I am not sure what this blog will ultimately look like, but at present my thinking is to use it to engage the people in the pew, and others, in the preaching process. On a weekly basis I will post the scripture readings for the coming Sunday, and make some comments on them. I hope that others will share their thoughts as well, or ask their questions. And, then in the days following the sermon, I hope that the hearers will comment. Right now my practice is to preach from an outline rather than from a complete text, so this will limit the follow up comments to those who have "experienced" the sermon.
Next week I will begin the cycle of posting the texts and comments about them.
Harvey Henderson
I began my ministry as an Associate Pastor in the Prairie Rivers Parish last Sunday, January 8, what is called The Baptism of Jesus in the liturgical year.
Prairie Rivers Parish (PRP) is a group of four congregations in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), Bergen Lutheran Church (Lidgerwood, ND), Calvary Lutheran Church (Hankinson, ND), Grace Lutheran Church (just north of Wyndmere, ND), and Wyndmere Lutheran Church. The "Lead Pastor" is my good friend, the Rev. Bob Caranicas, and he has been associated with Wyndmere and Grace for more than three years now.
It has been a few years since I have had regular preaching responsibilities, and I am looking forward to resuming this ministry. I took a break when my wife Marjorie was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer in April 2005, and, apart from occasional pulpit supply work, that break continued after her death in November 2009.
I continue to teach Ethics and Religious Studies at the ND State College of Science, although in the Fall of 2009 I cut back to teaching three days a week.
I have lived in Fargo since May 2009, so both of my jobs will involve a lot of "windshield time." I will try this for a year, and then re-evaluate my living situation. I enjoy being only an hour away from my children and grandchildren in Grand Forks.
I am not sure what this blog will ultimately look like, but at present my thinking is to use it to engage the people in the pew, and others, in the preaching process. On a weekly basis I will post the scripture readings for the coming Sunday, and make some comments on them. I hope that others will share their thoughts as well, or ask their questions. And, then in the days following the sermon, I hope that the hearers will comment. Right now my practice is to preach from an outline rather than from a complete text, so this will limit the follow up comments to those who have "experienced" the sermon.
Next week I will begin the cycle of posting the texts and comments about them.
Harvey Henderson
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