Blessings and Woes

Luke 6:17-26

He went down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power went forth from him and healed all of them.

Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.

“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.”

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This litany of “blessings and woes” reminded me of the conversation I had with the High School youth a couple of weeks ago when we tied ties together as part of our series of Sunday school classes I call, “Stuff I Never Learned in High School.” Other than almost learning how to tie neck-ties (some of us learned it better than others), we also talked about wealth and poverty and income inequality, a bit – all connected to The Rich Man and Lazarus, another story Jesus teaches about later in Luke’s Gospel.

The theme of that story is a common one for Jesus – all of this stuff about wealth, poverty, equity and justice, I mean – whether it comes in the form of the Beatitudes in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, as they’re called in Matthew’s Gospel… these “blessings and woes” from his “Sermon on the Plain,” as it’s called in Luke’s version of the story, or in parables like the Rich Man, dressed in purple and fine linens, and his poor neighbor, Lazarus.

Well, my conversation with the youth was sparked by a tweet I’d seen earlier that week by Nina Strohminger – a professor at the prestigious Wharton School of Business, at the University of Pennsylvania. Her tweet caused quite a stir in certain circles, back in January. This is what Professor Strohminger posted on Twitter:

“I asked Wharton students what they thought the average American worker makes per year and 25% of them thought it was over six figures. One of them thought it was $800k. Really not sure what to make of this.”

(She added that the real figure was something like $45,000/year. Others have disagreed, saying it’s more like $53,000/year.)

Whatever the case, WOW. And WOE – as in “woe to you Wharton School of Business” – as Jesus might have tweeted in reply.

It’s shocking … obscene perhaps … maybe even sinful, by some standards … that so many students at an Ivy League university, studying business, would be so misinformed; so out of touch; so sheltered as to think the average bear in their own country makes anywhere from two to sixteen times more than is actually the case.

(It may be telling that a single year’s undergraduate tuition at Wharton is nearly $55,000 which is about $1,500 more than what the actual average American worker makes in a year, depending upon whose math you believe.)

Again, WOW. And woe, indeed.

And I don’t mean to make more of this than is fair or necessary. These were undergrads, I think … maybe even Freshman … I likely would have answered wrongly in one direction or the other when I was 18, too.

But it’s meaningful and faithful to wonder about this when you also consider that the likes of Warren Buffet, Elon Musk, Donald Trump and two of his kids, along with governors, CEOs and powerful people of all kinds, at the highest levels of society, have connections to places like Wharton and the University of Pennsylvania. These are the kinds of leaders who have and who do and who will influence public policy at every level. These are leaders we should hope and pray have their hearts and minds and life’s work in-tune – not just with the rich and the full and the laughing, as Jesus might put it – but also that they would be in touch with the poor, the hungry, the weeping, and the hurting among us, too.

And so should we, as followers of Jesus.

Which is why all of this makes Jesus, and his sermon full of blessings and woes, speak to us, too, about recognizing our place and privilege in the world; and about how all of this is an invitation to be aware of and compassionate about the social, cultural, political, and economic location of all God’s children in the world around us.

“Blessed are you who are poor … But woe to you who are rich…”

“Blessed are you who are hungry now … Woe to you who are full…”

“Blessed are you who weep now … Woe to you who are laughing…”

“Blessed are you when people hate, exclude, revile, and defame you … “Woe to you when all speak well of you...”

See, I’m under the impression that Jesus promises blessings for those who are poor, or hungry, weeping, and persecuted, because that’s what Jesus and the grace of God do: they offer hope for those who need it most. And because God’s grace promises to redeem the poor, the hungry, the weeping and the persecuted in the end and at all costs.

And I’m under the impression that all of those “woes” are meant to do more than simply shame or scare whoever finds themselves rich or full, smiling or living their best life. I think Jesus wants those people to remember that they have been – or recognize that they could be – on the other side of things at any given moment, “but for the grace of God,” as they say.

And, of course, this is all so relative, right? You and I don’t have to have attended an ivy league school or make six figures in a year – or more – to live in an ivory tower by someone’s estimation. So, Jesus wants all of us to live differently in light of this Truth. And, because he’s Jesus, he shows us how to do that, however subtly, when, as Luke’s gospel tells us ‘he went down with them [that day], and stood on a level place.”

This little bit of stage direction from the writer of Luke’s Gospel may or may not have been intended for much, but when you know the rest of the story it can mean a whole heck of a lot. “He went down with them, and stood on a level place.”

Jesus’ whole life, ministry and existence was about coming down … lowering himself … becoming less than … not out of pity, but with compassion. Not feeling sorry for, but standing in solidarity with. Not because so many are helpless, but because he could be so help-ful. Jesus was never far off and far away, but always drawing near and coming close to see who needed what most, when, and how. And he calls us to do the same.

And I don’t mean to rain on our Super Bowl Sunday parade – I plan to be watching and eating and drinking my way through it all with the rest of you. But I’m not sure there’s a more timely example of our culture’s priorities and excess than everything we’ll be up to collectively this afternoon and evening.

So, let’s notice who’s in the stands in the stadium tonight and wonder about who’s on the sidewalk out front, too.

Let’s acknowledge that those amazing commercials cost an average of $6.5 million per 30 seconds – over $12 million a minute – while politicians and corporate America pretend to feel sorry, scared and helpless about the boogey-man of inflation.

And let’s not forget about the racial drama behind the scenes of it all, either … about who’s on the field, who’s coaching (or not) from the sidelines, and who’s sitting up high in the suite seats, behind the glass.

Blessings and woes… blessings and woes… blessings and woes…

The life of Jesus – and all of his preaching, teaching and healing – are about his stepping into the swirl of blessings and woes that make up this life as we know it. So, let’s be convicted by what he has to say this morning. Let’s wonder about how full we are, ourselves. Let’s be aware, too, of how little others have in this world, about how much more we could share, and about how we would, could, should come down more often to help level the playing field for those who need it.

Because whether we’re in Wharton’s School of Business or in Sunday School at Cross of Grace… whether you’re a millionaire or making minimum wage in middle America… Jesus calls us all to be mindful of the poor, the hungry, the weeping, and those in need, among us. And he invites us to trust God’s promise – and give thanks for the good news – that we will be blessed when all are blessed by the blessings that come – to us and through us – for the sake of the world, when we follow his lead.

Amen

Fishing for Partners in Mission

Luke 5:1-11

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, son of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” When they brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

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I usually read this story – or the other versions of it we find in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, the ones about “fishing for people” – as being about evangelism, outreach, and growing the church. I like that image of Jesus sitting in a boat on the Sea of Galilee and teaching the crowds. I’m inspired by the “nets full of fish” and the promise from Jesus that “from now on, you’ll be catching people.” The whole image of fishing as one for bringing others into the Church is well-known to most of us.

And the state of the Church these days – in these pandemic days, I mean – make this Gospel story as timely as ever, it would seem. Consider some statistics about the last couple of years for a minute:

• Only 52% of church-goers want primarily in-person services again (Barna)

• 71% of Boomers want primarily in-person services (Barna)

• But less than 50% of Gen X (47%), Millennials (42%) and Gen Z (41%) want in-person services

• In 2021, only 29% of Americans reported attending church in the last seven days, when asked – which was down from 48% in 2009. (Barna)

• I’ve seen reports that churches are back to anywhere from 36% - 80% of what they were on average, before the pandemic started. Any way you slice it, that’s a pretty sharp decline.

So what in the world are we doing here? And how can we do it better? How can we make it more meaningful than it’s been in the past? Because the truth is, the decline in Church attendance and participation was happening long before any of us ever heard of COVID-19. The pandemic just accelerated what was already happening in a lot of churches, in a lot of ways.

But rather than wring our hands or cry in our fair-trade coffee… Rather than point our fingers or continue to fish in the same old waters, in the same old ways, I think we’re being invited to ask some different, bigger, more faithful questions about it all. And I think we can start finding answers and inspiration when we see what Jesus is up to – or not – in this morning’s Gospel.

See, when Jesus hijacks that boat and pushes off into the water that day, he just teaches. And then he tells Simon, who had been fishing all night long with no success, to cast his nets into deeper water. In spite of his reasonable doubts and serious insecurities, then, Simon Peter catches so many fish that his nets can barely hold them all and they start to tear. He catches so many fish that he has to call for backup and as they bring all of those fish into their boats, the weight of the catch is so great the boats actually begin to sink.

And what’s great about this story, and where I find the lesson for me and for all of us in the Church today – at Cross of Grace and otherwise – is that

Jesus didn’t actually do very much of anything. He did some teaching: maybe it was a sermon, maybe a study of Scripture, maybe he told another parable, we don’t know for sure. He offered some advice and direction: “get out into the deep water.” He gave the command: “let your nets down there.” And he made a promise: “from now on you will be catching people.” But what stands out to me in this first encounter with the first of his disciples, Jesus let them do all the work.

But unfortunately, while Jesus got things off to a great start, it’s not the way the Church has continued, in too many places.

Think about churches where you’ve been a member before. Were they congregations where the Pastor preached all of the sermons? Were they places where the Pastor visited all of the sick? Where the Pastor was expected to meet the needs of the people; to make the members happy; to do ministry but to not make waves? Were they places where 20% of the people did 80% of the work? Were they places where you – and most others – were expected to just show up on Sunday morning for worship and for special occasions like weddings, funerals and the annual Church picnic? (Unfortunately, I think this is the way things have forced so many churches to operate in the face of this pandemic.)

And all of this is the stuff of congregations who have members that want to be taken care of, who want to be served rather than to serve, who come to church looking for what it has to offer them, rather than helping to discern what they might have to offer the world. And this is the stuff of over-worked lay leaders, burned-out clergy, and dying congregations. And all of that is the stuff that leads to conflict, struggle, stagnation and demise. This is not who we have ever been or who I hope we will ever become at Cross of Grace.

It’s why we’ve always been deliberate about calling ourselves “Partners in Mission” here, instead of just “members.” As I said in a recent letter about our Building Fund, “The Church is not a country club. Cross of Grace is not a homeowners’ association. Discipleship is not like membership at the gym.” And I believe that mentality is what has sustained us until now – and what will keep us alive and well and thriving in the days to come.

So, I’m not interested in – nor do I think Churches should give two rips about – making, collecting, or catching “members.” I think our call at Cross of Grace these days is to consider – more meaningfully, again – what it means to be “Partners in Mission,” instead, and to wonder what the implications of that have had and could continue to have for us in the days to come.

I’m not saying we’ve got it all figure out or that Cross of Grace has perfected the art of discipleship by any stretch. But our history and experience tell a different story from a lot of churches like ours, too.

I’d bet today’s offering that our team of musicians – and Stephen Jordan – are as faithful and as talented as any you’ll find in a congregation anywhere. And as volunteers, they are Partners in Mission in every sense of those words.

We’re Partners in Mission, too, who still mow our own lawn, clean our own toilets, and shovel our own snow around here.

We are Partners in Mission who prioritize financial stewardship, too – who encourage each other to give joyfully and generously to the ministry we share – because practicing generosity is as good for us as it is for the Church. I hope our nearly-eliminated mortgage is a sign and invitation to more of that.

Our up-and-coming Stephen Ministry is an exercise in Mission Partnership, as well. It’s a team of faithful disciples who will share real, meaningful, lasting care with others in a way that too many people believe only the Pastor can or should be allowed to do.

And none of this – the worship, the music, the Bible studies and the building – none of this is supposed to end with us, anyway. It’s all meant to inspire and to send us out to love and care for and serve the world. Because this Mission Partnership thing isn’t about fish at all. It’s about people – catching, serving, loving, and getting to work for and with people.

And the statistics that matter more than all of that church membership stuff, for me, right now, are these:

• That nearly 2,000 people are homeless in Indianapolis in weather like this.

• That almost 30 million people in our country had no health insurance in 2020, the year the pandemic hit.

• Teen suicide attempts are up during these pandemic days: 51% for girls, 4% for boys

• That Black people make up 38% of our country’s prison population, but only 12% of the population as a whole.

• Oh, and that one more Black man was killed while sleeping in an apartment in Minneapolis on Wednesday.

These statistics matter more to me, because I believe this is the kind of thing Jesus called us to do something about when he invited us to catch people – to gather up and tend to those who need food, shelter, love and justice.

Which is hard, heavy, overwhelming, uncomfortable work for which I feel ill-equipped and out of my league to carry out most days, to be honest. But it’s why I wondered a new thing about this whole fishing for people analogy this time around.

What if the fish in those nets today aren’t the analogy or the metaphor we’re supposed to focus on at all – at least when it comes to growing the church or gathering followers for Jesus? What if by “catching people,” we’re supposed to focus more on Simon’s fishing buddies – the partners in the other boats, like James, John, and whoever else showed up to help that day? What if we’re meant to realize there are plenty of hearts and hands on deck, waiting to join us in work that matters and that it’s our job to put them to work? It was the people who got caught up in and changed by following Jesus, after all. All of those fish in all of those nets, just became dinner, in the end.

See, I believe all of this is about showing the world and reminding each other that we’re in this together; that we’ve got good news to share, every one of us; that we have plenty of love to give, you and I; that we all have something to offer for the sake of God’s kingdom, because we have been offered, already, the joy of grace, good news, and new life in Jesus Christ.

And this Mission Partnership thing can only be done when we start to see ourselves and our neighbors like Peter finally did that day on the shores of Galilee – as curious souls, however sinful and broken, but called and capable, nonetheless. And I’m convinced that others will join us when we step out into deep waters, ourselves, when we cast wide nets, ourselves – and maybe even leave a thing or two behind, ourselves – and when we invite anyone who’s willing to help us … to get their hands dirty … and to follow Jesus’ lead in a new way, for a change.

Amen