Who is our 'unknown god'?

     While we heard last week Jesus remind his disciples that he is the way, the truth, and the life, this week we will focus on Paul's speech to the Greeks in Athens from Acts 17.22-31.  Paul is standing in the middle of the Areopagus, the location where the Athenian court convened.  He gives a brilliant speech (sermon) testifying to the God "who made the world and everything in it," which is the god the Greeks have been worshiping as the 'unknown god'. Paul understands the thinking, the mainstream culture, and the attitudes of these Greeks and so appeals to their intellect in proclaiming the gospel, never once mentioning the name of Jesus Christ, but only making reference to him as "a man whom [God] has appointed".
     What is most profound about this sermon in Acts is that it shows that the gospel, the good news about Jesus Christ, is meaningless if it doesn't speak to the culture.  Each week millions of Christians confess our faith with the words of the Creeds, first written around 325 CE.  However it is not the words themselves that are good news, it is the message about God's salvation through Jesus Christ and the life that enables followers of Christ to live.
     The mysteries in this week's text are rather profound, I think.  I am left wondering, where is our present day Areopagus?  What or who is our unknown god?  Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, how do we proclaim the message of the gospel in a way that makes sense and connects with people in our world?  I often think of sports as a god.  People buy special clothes, devote hours to practice and games, spend hundreds on tickets and admission fees, and very often sports are a higher priority than other things.  I think of family as a god.  Family events and needs are often a higher priority than other things in life, and we worship children, siblings, spouses, or parents to the point that it is more important to please them than to please God.  I think of consumerism as a god.  We tend to our belongings, unfortunately as a society living on 125% of our income, and our possessions become our god.  There are others, too.  Hobbies, work, exercise, anything can become our god.
     My sense is, however, that we simply use these things (sports, family, possessions, etc) to try to satisfy in us our deepest needs of belonging, being loved, accepted, and having purpose.  Except in the end, where are sports, family, and possessions?  Your team will go on playing whether you're there to watch/participate.  Your family, though sad, will continue living after you're gone.  I've never seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul, and your possessions will be sold, thrown, or given away.
     Just as the Athenians worshiped the 'unknown god' we also worship our gods, but in the end, these gods fail us.  Thankfully Paul reminds us that the unknown god is in actuality the God who made the world and everything in it, who gives to all mortals life and breath and all things, who commands all people everywhere to repent, because the world will be judged in righteousness by Jesus Christ, whom God has raised from the dead.  It is this last part, this 'being raised from the dead' that is the most scandalous to the Greeks, who viewed the body as something to be overcome, and death was the only way in which to ultimately overcome the body.  Jesus' death and resurrection is also scandalous in our own culture, though for different reasons.
     In a world that thinks we are completely self-sufficient, having to rely on someone who lived 2000 years ago seems preposterous.  We are the ones who provide for our own families.  We are the ones who accomplish all that we do in our lives.  We are the ones who, if we are just good enough, will knock on the gates of heaven and enter, pointing to our good deeds on earth.  Except these are all false gods, too.  It is God who provides for us.  It is God who gives us the gifts, talents, and capability to accomplish what we do.  It is God, in Christ Jesus, who makes us good enough, not anything we do. 
     With all of these unknown gods, I am left pondering the mystery this week: who is my unknown god?

Greater works than his?!?

     Our gospel lesson for Sunday includes the well known verse, "[Jesus said] I am the way, the truth, and the life."  John 14.1-14 is about so much more than just the uniqueness of Jesus as our way for salvation.  This text is rich with images like Jesus preparing a place for us in God's house, or like Jesus as the one who reveals God the father to us.  The part that amazes me is when Jesus says, "Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father."  (Now we have to remember that in John's gospel this conversation takes place on Jesus' last night with his disciples.  He has not yet been crucified or resurrected, which is why he said, "I am going to the Father.")   

Greater works than these?!?

     Jesus has done some amazing works up to this point.  He changed vast amounts of water into fine wine, told complete strangers their life story, raised dead people to life, healed the blind and sick, fed multitudes with a meager amount of food, shared the good news that he has come to save the world, and many other works.  And yet, Jesus says, we will do even greater works than these if we believe in him.
     It used to be that I didn't believe that statement.  Reality more often tells us the opposite, but then I got to thinking.  We heal people, too.  If it weren't for modern medicine, I probably would have died in my youth from severe asthma.  Walking into the Mayo clinic, is like walking into a building of miracles as chemotherapy, surgeries, and other treatments make people physically well every day.  We feed, clothe, educate, and advocate for people - as a congregation part of our money goes to the synod, and from the synod we are blessed to be able to give $1.5 million to our national church organization which funds many ministries (click here to read stories about our faith in action).  Locally at St. John, we do amazing works each and every day.  All of you in your daily lives live out your faith, sharing the good news about Jesus with others, and as a result we have experienced some amazing growth in the last few months.  We are able to teach our children about Jesus and his love for us, we are able to be in the community serving and showing compassion to others.
     Yes, I am convinced that Jesus empowers us to do greater works than these, with the help of the Holy Spirit, of course.  And yet, even though I have seen it time and time again, it still remains a mystery.  Jesus loves us and trusts us enough to carry on his mission?  We really can do greater works than his?!?

Whose voice do you hear?

     No, I'm not suggesting we're all hearing voices in our head.  The question is a real one: whose voice(s) do you hear and listen to?  Whose opinions matter most?  To whom do you go for advice or counsel?  If you really stop to think about it, there are lots of voices out there, each trying to be louder than the other, and the messages those voices tell us aren't always the most helpful.
     Think of the last commercial you saw.  What is that voice telling you?  Most likely the voice is telling you that your life won't be complete until you buy whatever product they're trying to sell you.  Whether it's a car that will make you look good and will make your children behave, or whether it's a pair of shorts, or even the kind of trash bag you use, the voice is telling you that you're not quite good enough until you have their item.  Or perhaps the voice you hear is the voice from the corporate world telling you that if you only work a little harder and spend less time with your family you will advance in your career and it will all be worth it when you get that pay raise. 
     In this week's gospel lesson, John 10.1-10, we hear Jesus tell his disciples that sheep will follow the voice of their shepherd because they recognize him when the shepherd calls them by name and leads them.  I've always assumed that Jesus is talking about himself - that Jesus is the shepherd and he calls us by name.  But the images are mixed because the disciples don't understand (and they're in good company, since I think these verses can be a bit confusing) and in the next breath Jesus is the gate.  However, even with these mixed images, I have been thinking about the shepherd and the sheep.  I often listen to many voices, the voices in books I read, the voices of colleagues, friends, and family, and sad as it is, even sometimes the voices of the advertisements.  Those are often the first and loudest voices that I hear, but unfortunately they are not always the most helpful or healthy voices to listen to.
     In this season of Easter as we remember that we are joined to Jesus' death and resurrection through our baptism, we also remember that Jesus' voice is important above all others.  In the waters of baptism Jesus names and claims us, and speaks to us promises of resurrection and eternal life.  These are promises that we are already good enough without the newest or latest fashions and gadgets.  These are the promises that we are valuable no matter how many hours we work, or how productive that work is.  These are the promises that no matter how many times we make mistakes or fail to do what is right, we are still God's children, called by name and loved regardless.
     As you go about this week, I want you to take time to listen.  Whose voice do you year?