H.Res. 59

The Right Reverend Mariann Budde

On January 21, 2025, at the National Day of Prayer at the National Cathedral, the Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde, in her church, in her pulpit, preached a sermon that set off a firestorm and resulted in House Resolution 59 being written and prepared. I would encourage you to google H. Res. 59 to see the whole resolution and I am not sure what the status of it is now.

I will share here just the end of the resolution:

Resolved, That -

(1) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the sermon given at the National Day of Prayer Service on January 21st, 2025 at the National Cathedral was a display of political activism; and

(2) the House of Representatives condemns the Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde’s distorted message.

Earlier in the resolution Bishop Budde is taken to task for not advocating the full counsel of biblical teaching.

Well, what could she have possibly said that set off such condemnation?

Perhaps you have seen the clips of the President and Vice-President sitting there and Bishop Budde asking the leadership of this country to show mercy and grace to those who were now fearful, some for their lives.

First, I spent some time trying to remember my high school government and civics class and did some research into what a resolution is. A resolution is different from a bill. It will not be presented to the President to be signed or carry any real action. Basically, it is these members of the House of Representatives saying – this preacher was out of line and mean to you, Mr. President, echoing statements the President made after the service.

Second, some thoughts on the National Day of Prayer.

(1) Yes, the National Day of Prayer does include praying for elected leaders, but it is also a prayer for the soul of the country that we might all truly do our very best to be the shining light we so often proclaim. The service happens every year, not just after an inauguration.

(2) It is an interfaith service and at least seven different faith traditions were present and heard a plea for unity.

(3) I would suggest she preached some of the most important parts of the gospel. I’m not sure what the ‘full counsel of the Bible’ means. Maybe the sponsors have never read the First Testament and don’t know about the numerous times the people of God are reminded to care for the widow, orphan and alien in their land.

So why is this important to preachers and churches?

Why should it make some of us nervous?

Here are some members of the House of Representatives critiquing what a preacher said at an interfaith National Day of Prayer in her church, from her pulpit. I am sure, as one who preaches, that Bishop Budde did not say those words lightly. What gets really concerning is when the government feels it has the authority to publicly take a preacher to task for a sermon. A group of representatives decided her message was distorted because it didn’t fit their political view. They accused the bishop of being political.

One could say they brought their politics to the gospel.

It is our ministry to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. It sounds like someone was made uncomfortable. It is our mission and - mandate – to care for the least of these. Read Matthew 25 if you wonder what that looks like.

We can agree or disagree about the state of the nation. We can even be on different sides of the political aisle on various issues. But what happens when the government tries to silence voices? What happens when government officials decide they disagree with certain churches and certain preachers? When that door opens, every church – every church, whether you are conservative, liberal, progressive, evangelical – whatever name you claim needs to be concerned. Open that door and suddenly the long-held foundation of the separation of church and state is shaken.

The work of the prophet is to speak truth to power.

The full counsel of biblical teaching is filled with prophets sent by God to speak truth to power. Bishop Budde looked and saw the powerful in the front pews and spoke a biblical truth, have mercy, practice justice, walk humbly with your God … and then was accused of the sin of empathy.

Thank you, Bishop Budde. I stand with you!

Peace,

Dave

Topography

Do you have a favorite biblical character? Besides Jesus, we all love Jesus. My favorite character is John the Baptist. During Advent John steps out on the stage and calls the people to prepare, to get ready for the Christ. John calls the people to repentance and the forgiveness of sins quoting Isaiah. He says in Luke 3:4-5: 

The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low,

 and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth;

and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

  Back in the day, before seminary and ministry, I worked in construction in the Pittsburgh area. If you have ever driven out the parkway to the airport and noticed the big blue and yellow IKEA store up on the hill, I worked on that site. Before and during the building of that store, all the hills in the area were moved into the surrounding valleys and the whole site was made level. 

An enormous amount of dirt was moved. In fact, so much dirt was moved that the IKEA store is built on solid rock. We had to use dynamite to put the catch basins and storm sewer lines in the parking lot.

Leaving behind the environmental impact, the site was prepared, and a nice level area was created for all the stores that are now clustered around that IKEA store. It made access to all the stores easier and created level parking areas.  

Isaiah used these words to welcome the people in exile home to Jerusalem. All the stumbling blocks were removed as they returned home. John the Baptist pulls these verses from Isaiah to make the point that we need to prepare for the coming of Jesus, now during Advent, and at the end of time.

John’s message is to prepare the topography of our hearts. Fill in the valleys of hatred, with hills of love. Make the crooked rough paths of anger straight with the smoothness of love. Then all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Here in early December all the world is in a rush to Christmas, but John reminds us that there is work to do: valleys to be filled, hills made low, crooked paths made straight, and rough ways smoothed. It is time to prepare the topography of our hearts and our communities for the coming of the Christ. It is time to make it easier for everyone to see the salvation of God.

Peace,

Dave

Imagine Together…

Imagine Together is the theme for our stewardship this year as we plan for 2025. We are doing some “imagination” work about who Trinity is, was, and might be in the future as we seek to be faithful disciples of Jesus.

           I spent some time reflecting on what I imagined, for the church, and for Trinity. Some of the things were straightforward: I imagine that we will continue to grow in our mission work, that we will continue to be a place where everyone is welcomed and accepted. But I felt like I was struggling with what I would call “real imaginative” thinking. Then, I stumbled across a “click the screen for the next slide” article and the title: 14 Toxic Cultures That Should Be Done Away With, intrigued me.  So, I clicked. (I apologize that I can’t cite the writer or source – I couldn’t find a name.)

           Here’s their list: Legalism over Grace, Celebrity Pastors (turns into idolatry), Prosperity Gospel, Exclusivity and Cliques, Condemnation of Doubt, Spiritual Abuse (manipulation by leaders), Gossip and Slander, Judgment over Compassion, Fear-Based Teaching, Materialism, Lack of Accountability (for leaders), Over-Emphasis on Numbers, Focus on Appearance over Authenticity, Ignoring Mental Health.

           Remember, those are Toxic Cultures that need to disappear. That list rumbled around in my spirit for a couple of days, it really made me think deeply about what I imagine for the church, and for Trinity. Overall, I think we are doing pretty well. Could we do better? Of course we could. Another toxic culture that we might add - #15 -  is assuming that we are finished growing!

           As I lived with this list it became more powerful to me. So, a couple examples of my thought process. I thought about some of our philosophies at Trinity. For instance, we love our building and our history, but we don’t idolize the building. We adapt and change. We take care of the building, but we use the building. We don’t teach fear, materialism, or prosperity. We certainly never condemn anyone’s doubt, and we don’t worry about numbers in worship.

           We are doing the very best we can to grow in our discipleship and in our welcome. We want to be a church that reaches out to our community, without expectation of return.  We try to be a community that is authentic, a place where you can bring your deepest grief and your greatest joy. We want to be a place of healing, love, grace, and spiritual growth. We want to be a place where you can learn that you are loved by God, and by the community of disciples gathered.

           A place that truly lives the idea that no matter who you are or where you are on your journey, you are welcome here! This is the church I imagine.  What do you imagine?

Peace,

Dave

Go and Read - The Letter of James

Every Sunday we read three or four scriptures. There is a Psalm. A reading from the First Testament. A Gospel reading and a reading from one of the Epistles or Letters. Very often the readings from the Letters will have great insights into the life of the church. After all that is who the original audience was. The early church community struggling to find a path and learn to be the church.

            During each Sunday in September, we will be reading a portion of The Letter of James. It is a letter written to be shared among early Jewish Christian communities struggling to figure out how to follow Jesus. It is a fascinating letter with an interesting history. The great reformer Martin Luther referred to James as “an epistle of straw” because it seemingly went against the apostle Paul’s emphasis on justification by faith alone.

            While I’m not a theologian on the level of Martin Luther, I would argue that he is maybe missing the point in this harsh criticism of James. I think James assumes the faith of his audience and is trying to help them grow to the next step. What do we do with this faith?

            Maybe you have heard, or have seen on social media, the reaction to some catastrophe – “Thoughts and Prayers.”  James wants to change the metaphor, the image to something like “Prayers and Actions.” James encourages us to be doers of the word, not merely hearers (James 1:22). James warns against judging others and even goes on to call that judgment a sin (James 2:2-7).  And then he asks what good is it if you say you have faith, but do not have works?  And the real kicker is in James 2:15-17:

“If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,’ and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So, faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.”

            For James, faith is revealed in the work that proceeds from it!  Today in the life of the church we call that mission. A church that only looks inward will soon starve itself. Our mission grows from our faith.

            James is a short little ethical handbook filled with instructions for how a community is meant to live together. It is filled with strong, fun, pointed metaphors and images that reflect what following Jesus can look like for a community. It is an instruction manual for living in community.

            So, in the spirit of James – Go and Read! The Letter of James and I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Peace

Dave

“Who is my Enemy?”

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…”

           In the gospel of Luke 10:25-29, Jesus is asked by a lawyer what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus asks, what is written in the law? The lawyer responds, to love God and neighbor. It is the correct answer, and Jesus praises him, but the lawyer can’t let it go. He asks: Who is my neighbor? Jesus goes on to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan, where the neighbor turns out to be who the audience would have thought of as an enemy. It is a Samaritan who is shockingly the hero of a story being told to Jews. (They didn’t like each other.)  

            Now, Psalm 23 is perhaps one of the most beloved pieces of scripture in the entire Bible. I have preached, taught and used that scripture many times. I have read it at countless funerals and grave sides. It is comforting to hear that even as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we are not alone, God is with us. The entire psalm is filled with comforting thoughts and images of what the Good Shepherd will provide. Seemingly every need will be met even to dwelling in the house of the Lord forever. 

            As much as I have preached and taught this psalm, I’ve never really been clear on how to approach verse 5a: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…” And with no real understanding of how to approach it, I ignored it. Why would the Good Shepherd prepare a table in the presence of my enemies, put the sheep at the table with the wolves?  

            One possible answer is that God, the Good Shepherd will protect the sheep even as they are in the presence, at the table, with the wolves. The ultimate protection. Even when things are most dire, God’s protection is there. 

                   I have come to a different conclusion influenced by the events of the past weeks and the ever-present rhetoric that seeks to divide us from our neighbors and call them our enemies. I’m sure you have heard it as well. The immigrant is our enemy, the LGBTGIA person is our enemy, the Democrats are our enemy, the Republicans are our enemy. The list goes on and on. It feels like we can only define who we are against someone else with whom we might disagree.  

                   So, here is my new interpretation of this phrase. Through the lens of what is happening in the world, and the lens of the Good Samaritan … We aren’t enemies! We are neighbors!  Now I am hearing in this phrase the Good Shepherd saying you aren’t really enemies. Come sit at the table, listen to one another. You might learn something, and you might teach something. But, just screaming enemy at one another isn’t helpful. Identifying everyone who is “other” as enemy isn’t helpful. 

            Maybe the Good Shepherd is saying they aren’t your enemy. Come to the table, sit together, eat together. You aren’t enemies – you are neighbors, beloved children of God.

Peace

Dave

Trinity

Every year, on the Sunday after Pentecost, (this year May 26th) the church celebrates the uniquely Christian doctrine of the Trinity. The Trinity is a doctrine of the church that is not really spelled out in the Bible. Biblically speaking, we have to take scriptures from various places and use them to interpret one another.

           For centuries the church has tried to explain the mystical union of Three in One, One in Three, in an effort to understand the trinitarian unity of God. How will we explain or understand this mystical union?

           Traditionally, the explanation has fallen into one of two camps.

1.    By Function. In this model we stress what each part of the Godhead does. God creates, Jesus redeems, the Spirit empowers. Some action is associated with each.

2.    By Relation: In this model we may say Father (or Parent) for God, Son for Jesus and Holy Spirit. I’m sure you have heard: In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are related to one another.

In seminary we were asked to write an essay on our understanding of the Trinity. Thinking I was being very creative, I wrote from the perspective of being one person, yet functioning in different roles in different relationships. (See what I did there?) I explained I was a husband, father, and son and in each of those relationships I had a different function. The truth is there were many other relationships in which I functioned differently as well: student, brother, friend, etc.  It made sense to me that I was always one person, even in all these different relationships where I was expected to live out different functions. It was my attempt to understand the mystery of Three in One, One in Three.

A classmate came up with a more poetic, creative explanation. I wish it were mine, but alas it is not. He imagined God has a Harley Davidson motorcycle, Jesus as the rider, and the distinctive roar of the engine as the Holy Spirit, all of it working together driving life forward, together as one. The necessity of all three with their roles to play. If you don’t know, I ride a Harley Davidson, so it struck chord with me.

But it also raised a better question. Should we worry about understanding the Trinity? Or would we better serve to experience the Trinity? The beauty of the mystical union is that it can probably never be explained …but it can be experienced. 

Peace!

Dave

Sin - Separation - Reconciliation

Acts 3:19: “Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out” (NRSV) 

In a confluence of discussions recently, the topic of sin came up. First, we were talking about it in our confirmation class. And then in an informal discussion following worship. And then in an email response to our electronic Bible study.  This verse from Acts is part of the scripture for the Third Sunday of Easter. It seemed like a good jumping off point for this discussion. 

           In our tradition, we broadly define sin as separation. Sins are those actions which separate us from God, from neighbor, and from our own best selves. The severity we assign certain acts may result in human punishments and should. But they also can be sorted into a separation from God, neighbor, our best selves. Even the most heinous acts create separations between individuals and communities. 

           In our tradition, our worship always includes a corporate prayer of confession, with a moment of silence for people to have their private conversations with the Creator. We know that we sin, we separate ourselves from God, neighbor, and our best selves, individually and in our communal actions. 

           The separations we experience can be very painful. We hurt one another, God and our communities, with sins of commission and omission. That is to say that sometimes we do things we know are wrong, that separate us from one another, and sometimes the separation comes from things we don’t do.  

           For example: We may say out loud that someone is not welcome. And we may just not invite all of God’s children to come and experience God’s love and grace. One is an act, and one is a failure to act. Both cause separation. Separation from who God calls us to be, from our neighbors, and our best selves. 

           Peter’s sermon in this wider Acts passage points out how people’s ignorance, (failure to act) and their actions led to Jesus’ crucifixion. Peter goes on to call the people to repent and turn to God to so that their sins may be wiped out.  Repentance, turning to God and admitting our sin, is the bridge to reconciliation, the bridge across the separation. We find that bridge in Jesus. 

           As humans we can get caught up in judging the severity of the separation. God seems more interested in bridging the separation, bringing us closer to God, our neighbors, and our best selves. 

           As we live in this Easter season, still singing Christ is Risen, may we look to bridge the separations in our lives. When we repent and turn to God, we are forgiven! In our tradition, we never pray our prayer of confession without being reminded that we are forgiven.  

           May you find and own the forgiveness offered and bridge the separations in your life - and be reconciled to God, neighbor, and to your best self. 

Peace,

David

A Description; Not a Prescription

Based on Exodus 20:1-17

 I think I was about forty-five and I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with high cholesterol. The doctor said that I would need a prescription for a daily pill to control my high cholesterol. I didn’t want to take a pill. So, I asked if there were other options. A nurse came in to meet with me and described how my lifestyle would need to change. The changes included:  losing some weight, adjusting my diet, less salt, and changing my stress level. I ended up with a pill. Fast forward about eight years, a job change, and a significant change in my activity level, along with about a twenty-pound weight loss and I don’t need to take the pill anymore. At my last physical, my cholesterol level is still good.

Very often in life, we want a prescription, a magic pill to make some malady better and to be clear for some things that is the best option. There are other times that a description of better choices can lead to a good result as well. It may be more difficult and yet more rewarding. I know I feel better twenty pounds lighter!

When we look at the Ten Commandments, very often we see them as some kind of magic pill, a prescription that will make everything better. We toss them around and spout them aloud, as they fit our narrative at the moment. We find them posted in lots of places, as a reminder to take our pills.

What if we were to look at the commandments as a description of a healthier lifestyle. The commandments can provide a better understanding of our relationship with the Creator, and a healthier relationship with our neighbors. It takes some work. You have to get up every day and eat better, exercise and engage in other healthy lifestyle choices. Obedience to the prescription: Well, I didn’t take the Lord’s name in vain today – yeah me. I didn’t covet my neighbor’s stuff today – yeah me. It isn’t enough.

Beloved, if we want to have a healthier life, a more wholesome life together, if we are truly seeking wholeness as the children of God, the Ten Commandments are wonderful description of what is possible.

The Ten Commandments may not be a magical cure-all, but they still do have power for us today. It is the power to build up the people of God and remind them to love God and their neighbor.

Now imagine that you have your annual physical and God describes what a healthier life looks like. It’s up to you, to get up each day, to live in each moment, and help build up the community of God’s people.

Just wandering in the word,

Dave

Tingling Ears

The reading from the First Testament this week is from I Samuel 3:1-20.  This is the story of the call of Samuel. Samuel is just a boy and serving in the temple under Eli, and things aren’t going that well. We learn that the word of the Lord was rare in those days and visions were not widespread. Eli has let the work of the Lord slip, and his sons are in the words of a commentator “profligate carousers.”  (I looked it up. It means they were out of control.)

Then begins the running. As Samuel is sleeping in the temple, he hears a voice calling his name and he responds, “Here I am,” – and he runs to Eli. But it wasn’t Eli. He goes back to sleep, and it happens again. Same story. It happens a third time. This time Eli figures out that it is God calling Samuel and he tells Samuel what to do.

Samuel hears the voice again calling out, “Samuel, Samuel!” But now Samuel knows to answer, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” God goes on to lay out what is going to happen next. God is going to do something new. In fact, it is so new that both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.

The boy Samuel is entrusted with the message that the house of Eli is coming to an end and he, Samuel, will now be the prophet. Poor Samuel must share that news with Eli, and to his credit Eli takes it well. Eli responds, “It is the Lord; let God do what seems good to him.”

I have always been fascinated with the idea of tingling ears. It is so easy to get stuck in routines, just going along, doing what needs to be done.  Then something new is proposed and “ears start tingling” as new opportunities and possibilities are presented.

This is a vital image for the church. The CHURCH, not just Trinity. The Church can too often be fooled into thinking we have all the answers. We may not be “profligate carousers,” but we may not be listening as closely as we should. There are voices that will make our ears tingle and we need to listen more closely and work to discern if they are of God, so that we might answer like Samuel, “Speak for your servants are listening.” 

The world often tells us that we (the church) don’t matter, unless they need us to make up for some shortfall in public care, or they need us politically. It usually doesn’t work out well. We really need to listen to the voices that make our ears tingle, even if it makes us uncomfortable. So, what is making your ears tingle?

Peace,

Dave

Mary…

Scriptures: Luke 1:26-38; Luke 1:46b-55

 (I am influenced in these reflections by the work of Lynn Japinga, Professor of Religion at Hope College writing in Connections, A Lectionary Commentary for Preaching and Worship. Year B, Vol. 1.)

In the life of the church, it is always a little strange when Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday. Somehow need to complete the Advent wreath in the morning and then shift to the Christmas celebration at night. When these days coincide on the calendar the scriptures always seem difficult to fit into the story. So, we will be looking at the two main Mary stories: The Annunciation from Luke 1:26-38 and The Magnificat from Luke 1:46b-55.

 Luke 1:26-38

There are three aspects of Mary’s story that Professor Japinga points out. They are parts of Mary’s story that the church has wrestled with and sometimes been tripped up by through the centuries.

1.     Virgin Mother – twice Luke refers to Mary as a virgin and when the angel tells Mary what is to happen, even she wonders how that can be. We might have the same question. It is important to understand that what is happening defies biology and logic. Luke is not trying to solve a biological puzzle so much as assert that God is doing something “radically” new. There is a biblical tradition of infertile women like Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah and Elizabeth (Mary’s cousin and mother of John the Baptist) conceiving when God intervenes. If the son of Mary is to be greater – then, Mary’s conception must be more miraculous. The birth of Jesus will be different from any other birth. [Side Note: A virgin birth isn’t limited to Christianity, other faiths/ cultures have stories of virgin births.] In Genesis God creates from nothing and now God is creating a baby in Mary’s womb. God chooses to dwell in the body of a woman and God chooses to be human. Dave’s thought: The story of the virgin birth – however you understand it – is more of a theological story than a biological story. The power is in God becoming human.

2.     Saint or Human – very often the miraculous elements of the text immediately raise Mary to sainthood. She is more holy, pure and obedient than any ordinary woman. The depictions of Mary don’t show any of the reality of pregnancy. Mary is greeted by the words: “Greetings favored (or graced) one – and Mary ponders how she can be favored. To be favored does not mean to be privileged in terms of power or money. What does it mean to be favored or graced? Mary is human – like us – and voices tell us all the time that we aren’t enough. But, like Mary we are favored or graced by God too. We are enough – you are enough.

3.     Handmaid or Agent – Is Mary an obedient handmaiden who passively gives into God? (More than you wanted to know category: The literal translation of the Greek word doulos is slave, often softened to handmaiden.) Mary is often portrayed having no choice. How could she decline the honor of being God’s handmaiden? Mary is sometimes referred to as the new Eve or the woman who gets it right. Eve disobeys God, Mary accepts her role and births salvation. Too often Christian women have been taught to imitate a male understanding of Mary’s obedience and submission. The text tells a different story: Mary ponders, Mary questions, Mary wonders how this could be. In the end Mary says yes. Luise Schottroff notes: “Obedience to God’s will does not destroy one’s self-confidence but builds it up.” Mary becomes a model of discipleship. Like Mary we can follow Jesus and still ponder, question and wonder. If Mary is more like us, and not so high above us, how can we become more like her? She freely and joyfully says yes to participate in God’s work in the world.

 Luke 1:46-55

After a few verses of Mary going to visit Elizabeth, we get these famous words – The Magnificat. This is a song of a mother anticipating the life and ministry of her yet unborn child, singing the liberation he will bring. Mary knows that Jesus will do what the kings and leaders have failed to do in the past. This is a song – and it is similar to the songs of other mothers in scripture. Mary knows and celebrates that this child will upset the status quo, turning the world upside down.

So beloved – read these two stories together and treat yourself to some time to reflect on what is coming. How can we be like Mary? You are enough, we are enough.

Peace,

Dave

 If you would like to receive some biblical reflections on the weekly lectionary readings contact me at Dave.mears33@gmail.com.