A Word from Pastor Nathan

Dear Friends:

One of the blessings of following the Lectionary is choosing one of four scriptures to frame the worship service. Sometimes all four passages are incredible. The opposite is also true; all four are awful. This past Sunday presented a challenging choice: Stick with Hebrews or move back to Luke.

Last week’s lectionary had the following verses from the gospel: “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! 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.”

After reading these verses, I wanted to respond to Jesus, saying, “Bravo, Jesus! Mission accomplished!” To be honest, I think humanity has done a pretty good job of dividing itself without any divine help. Why would Jesus say such things? Are these words good news? Should we skip over them in favor of more comfortable passages?

The Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, Canon Theologian at the Washington National Cathedral, preached on this text on Sunday. In her sermon, she said that hubris, complacency, and abjection mark people for division in our day. Hubris refuses to admit wrongs; complacency shirks responsibility; and, abjection debases humanity into its lowest state of being. No imagination is required to see how these three factors divide us from God and neighbor. This division cannot be good news; it is not the gospel.

Humility, conviction, and aspiration, says the Rev. Dr. Douglas, are also divisions that separate us from one another, but these divisions have the justice of God in sight. Humility divides from the proud; conviction divides from cheap grace and easy answers; and, aspiration seeks a just and equal sharing of all that life and earth afford. Could these divisions be good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ for us?

Here’s an experiment: Let’s pray that humility, conviction, and aspiration be increasing characteristics of our lives and our church. What do you think will happen? Division from the culture of “status quo” is guaranteed. Such division will bring us closer to the heart of God. And that, beloved, is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it is very good news!

Experimenting with you,

Nathan