wisdom

Wise Guys

Posted on by Betsy

Early in my ministry I did prison ministry for about five years. It was eye-opening, important, and terrifying at the same time. I visited a state prison with a death row one time and had to pass through metal detectors, metal doors, and intense security. Guards ushered me into a large open waiting area that spoked off into many different wings. Wide-eyed, I waited for hours to be called. Suddenly I spotted a SWAT team member go through an entryway that hadn’t opened before. Behind the door I could see a large chair with foot rests. Did I just see the electric chair? Why would it be in such a visible place? I couldn’t breathe. In a few minutes he returned in his newly polished boots. The “electric chair” was a shoe-shine perch. Foolish me!

The horror I felt at the very idea of the electric chair is exactly the idea that the Greeks and Jews had of the cross. Public executions by hanging a man on the cross were horrific. The cross became a symbol of deep shame, humiliation, and indecency. 

Paul understood that when he wrote these words to his church in Corinth. Corinth was one of the largest cities of the ancient world and was known for its wealth, prosperity, and growing business sector. It was also known for its debauchery, drunkenness, and loose sexual morals. Paul’s letter in 1 Corinthians is a response to reports he had received regarding some of the behavior in the church. 

In a series of contrasts, Paul draws out an argument to settle their disputes. God chose the foolish over the wise. God chose the weak over the strong. God chose the low class nothings over the affluent somethings. God chose life over death. So preaching Christ crucified is an act of foolishness that has to overcome people’s aversion to the cross. 

1 Corinthians 1 (Common English Bible)

18 The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are being destroyed. But it is the power of God for those of us who are being saved. 19 It is written in scripture: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will reject the intelligence of the intelligent. 20 Where are the wise? Where are the legal experts? Where are today’s debaters? Hasn’t God made the wisdom of the world foolish? 21 In God’s wisdom, he determined that the world wouldn’t come to know him through its wisdom. Instead, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of preaching. 22 Jews ask for signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, which is a scandal to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.24 But to those who are called—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom. 25 This is because the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

26 Look at your situation when you were called, brothers and sisters! By ordinary human standards not many were wise, not many were powerful, not many were from the upper class. 27 But God chose what the world considers foolish to shame the wise. God chose what the world considers weak to shame the strong.28 And God chose what the world considers low-class and low-life—what is considered to be nothing—to reduce what is considered to be something to nothing. 29 So no human being can brag in God’s presence. 30 It is because of God that you are in Christ Jesus. He became wisdom from God for us. This means that he made us righteous and holy, and he delivered us. 31 This is consistent with what was written: The one who brags should brag in the Lord!

Paul once thought the cross was foolish. Nobody hated the cross more than Saul, until that glorious moment when God struck him down and struck him blind on the road to Damascus in Acts 9. Three days later he could see the glory of the cross and began preaching “foolishness” from that day. No wise scribe or debater could do what Jesus did on the cross. Paul preached that salvation is not the achievement of human cleverness or wisdom but is the eternal embrace of God’s great love and incomprehensible action at Calvary.

Are you foolish or wise? Are you willing to preach Christ crucified to a generation that wants signs and wisdom? Be a wise guy; people are dying to hear the good news.

Its a Sign

Stuff Stuff

Posted on by Betsy

Yesterday I preached a sermon based on James 3-4. The primary focus was James ‘blunt and almost abrasive call to practice a humble life and stop living in “animal cunning and devilish schemes”. James contends that we are spoiled children, wanting things was can’t have and operating out of our selfish desires to have more and more in our lives that we don’t need. In thinking about that, I did a lot of research about accumulating “stuff.” I learned that in 1960, the first ever self-storage facility was built in Texas. Today there are over 53,000 self-storage facilities, making it a $44.3 billion dollar industry. You read that right, friends. We spend $44.3 billion dollars per year to store all of our extra stuff. As I wade through my own closets full of stuff I don’t need or use, that really hit me hard.

Rev. John Strother, my former DS, posted this caution about gathering up too much stuff on his Facebook page last month. First, we will read Jesus’ parable in Luke 12 in the New International Version: 

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Now let’s read it again from the Cotton Patch Bible. The Cotton Patch Bible is a modern translation written in a southern U.S. dialect:

Luke 12 The Cotton Patch Bible 

Then God said to him, “You NITWIT! On this very night all these things are possessing your soul. You don’t own them. They own YOU! And all this stuff you have piled up, whose is it really?…..So the poor rich farmer was struck with the realization that he would continue for the rest of his life in bondage to the things that had enslaved him all along….. “And that’s the way it is”, said Jesus, “with a man who sets his heart on money….and not on God.”

How much stuff do you really need? Like it said in the Cotton Patch Gospel, don’t be a nitwit! Maybe it’s time to let go of the stuff that has a hold over you.

Maybe we can start by clearing out our self-storage units and closets and giving all that stuff away. I bet there is a thrift store in your area that would be able to turn your unused stuff into money they can use for their ministry. In the Outer Banks, we have a young men’s addiction recovery program called Dare Challenge. They operate a thrift store that supports their important work, and they just opened a new women’s center. Think of what a difference your unused stuff could make to places like this!

Then we could take the money we spent on self-storage rental and donate it to good causes in our community like your local food pantries or homeless shelters. Luke’s parable reminds us that it is okay to settle for less.

May we covenant to seek God’s wisdom so that we might live well, live wisely, and live a humble life together. 

Humble Life by Kathy Schumacher

Where is Wisdom

Posted on by Betsy

What do you do when you feel very frustrated with the plethora of misinformation that has flooded our world? I have tried to turn a blind eye to the ridiculous, harmful, and devastating stream of lies, innuendo, and manipulation that is coming from institutions and media outlets that were designed to protect and serve the people. Truth is hard to find. “Both sides” are guilty of pushing agendas that serve only themselves. I don’t know about you, but I have had enough. Staying off social media and not turning on the news helps a little, but it is not enough.

My greatest fear in all of this hate-talk is that we have become so used to it, we don’t question things anymore. We accept lies as truth in our numbness and have reached a level of tolerance when we see our nation’s leaders attack and demean one another without any sanctions or reprisals. The 24-hour news cycle must be fed, and so we quickly shift our focus onto the next scandal. I read yesterday that our ability to focus has gone from two-and-a-half minutes to 52 seconds. Try having a real conversation with anyone holding a phone and you will experience this. We’ve become addicted to click-bait, where very little real information is presented.

Where is the truth? Where is humility? Where is respect?

Where is wisdom?

Our lectionary this week addresses the subject of wisdom. As we pursue this topic, we are treated to a short passage from Proverbs on the subject. It is a somewhat fanciful account of “Lady Wisdom” inviting those who are struggling with “impoverished confusion” to come into her home for a special banquet meal:

Proverbs 9 (The Message)

1-6 Lady Wisdom has built and furnished her home;
    it’s supported by seven hewn timbers.
The banquet meal is ready to be served: lamb roasted,
    wine poured out, table set with silver and flowers.
Having dismissed her serving maids,
    Lady Wisdom goes to town, stands in a prominent place,
    and invites everyone within sound of her voice:
“Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on?
    Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me!
I’ve prepared a wonderful spread—fresh-baked bread,
    roast lamb, carefully selected wines.
Leave your impoverished confusion and live!
    Walk up the street to a life with meaning.”

I have to say that this brought me up short today. I want nothing to do with the “impoverished confused” at this point. But that is wrong, and not the way God calls us to deal with people. When people are impoverished, they need to be fed the Bread of Life. When people are confused, they need to be taught the Word. This is our job as followers of Jesus.

Scripture always points to the loving inclusion of the Kingdom of God. Lady Wisdom was wise enough to realize that the way to combat those who lack knowledge is to welcome them in, serve them the finest things, and invite them to walk out to a life with meaning….in other words, be patient. Be kind. Be less judgmental and more open to conversation.

This is a hard lesson today. May God grant us grace in our frustrations, wisdom in how to deal with things, and may he bring the Truth to bear down on all of us equally.

Help us, Lord.

Clarity by Michelle Robertson