Victory Over Gluttony

If you've come to the conclusion that you wrestle with the deadly sin of gluttony, now what? How do you achieve victory over gluttony?

We saw that Jesus was initially tempted with gluttony. Those first temptations were very powerful, much like the ones we face on a regular basis. Somehow Jesus continually found ways to be victorious over gluttony. How? Through  fasting.

WHAT IS FASTING? Abstaining from food and/or drink for a period of time as a way of worship, a humbling of oneself, a form of contemplative prayer, a preparation for service to others.

Not only was fasting a key reason for why Jesus was able to be victorious over the temptations to gluttony in the desert, it was a regular part of his ministry. He would often withdraw to the mountains to pray. It's hard to believe that Jesus would pack a papersack of bread and dried fish as he trekked through the hills in order to get away to pray. 

If you struggle with gluttony, you ought to become familiar with the themes of Isaiah 58 - it reveals the heart of God and what he wants to accomplish in the world through his people. If Isaiah 58 gave direction to the life of Jesus, it ought to be instructional for us. It reveals what is true fasting, what God expects from us, as well as what God wants to do in the world through us.

Here's how I would summarize Isaiah 58 (from the Message):

Hey, You’re a Glutton!
1-3 "Shout! A full-throated shout! Hold nothing back—a trumpet-blast shout!
Tell my people what's wrong with their lives,
face my family Jacob with their sins!
They're busy, busy, busy at worship,
and love studying all about me.
To all appearances they're a nation of right-living people—
law-abiding, God-honoring.
They ask me, 'What's the right thing to do?'
and love having me on their side.
But they also complain,
'Why do we fast and you don't look our way?
Why do we humble ourselves and you don't even notice?'


Your Gluttony Plugs Up God’s Ears
3-5"Well, here's why:
"The bottom line on your 'fast days' is profit.
You drive your employees much too hard.
You fast, but at the same time you bicker and fight.
You fast, but you swing a mean fist.
The kind of fasting you do
won't get your prayers off the ground.
Do you think this is the kind of fast day I'm after:
a day to show off humility?
To put on a pious long face
and parade around solemnly in black?
Do you call that fasting,
a fast day that I, God, would like?


Fasting That Feeds Your Neighbor
6-9"This is the kind of fast day I'm after:
to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed, cancel debts.
What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
The God of glory will secure your passage.
THEN WHEN YOU PRAY, GOD WILL ANSWER.
YOU'LL CALL OUT FOR HELP AND I'LL SAY, 'HERE I AM.'

Generosity On An Empty Stomach
9-12"If you get rid of unfair practices,
quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other people's sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places— firm muscles, strong bones.
You'll be like a well-watered garden,
a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You'll be known as those who can fix anything,
restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
make the community livable again.


Jesus Triumphs On An Empty Stomach
13-14"If you watch your step on the Sabbath
and don't use my holy day for personal advantage,
If you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy,
God's holy day as a celebration,
If you honor it by refusing 'business as usual,'
making money, running here and there—
Then you'll be free to enjoy God!
Oh, I'll make you ride high and soar above it all.
I'll make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob."
Yes! God says so!

A Summary: Turn Away From Gluttony To Fasting That Feeds Others

Turning away from gluttony will be a continuous process. The temptations will grow in intensity to the degree that you learn to resist them. The ongoing response to the temptations of gluttony will be to turn towards serving and blessing others with generosity and food and justice. Think about it: the temptation of gluttony can be your reminder and prompt to lifting up your neighbors out of poverty and hardships!

WHAT IS FASTING? Abstaining from food and/or drink for a period of time as a way of worship, a humbling of oneself, a form of contemplative prayer, a preparation for service to others.

Your fasting is not about impressing God or seeing how long you can go without food. We traditionally think of fasting as a spiritual discipline that is to benefit ourselves. But clearly from Isaiah 58, while fasting does have obvious personal benefits, it is at its best when it blesses others. Our fasting is worship and prayer, but God wants it to alleviate the suffering others.


Which is why I think Jesus entered Jerusalem as king on a growling belly. Victory over gluttony comes from fasting that results in generosity to those who hunger and are oppressed. Apparently it takes a lot of work to overcome gluttony. And it also takes a lot of work to alleviate suffering in the world. And God makes a connection between the two with his idea of fasting. Jesus the starving king who saves the world.


If you are considering a lifestyle of fasting, you must consult your doctor. If you have any ongoing medical conditions or on any medication, you need to discuss with your doctor how you can make fasting a regular part of your diet without harming your self. Everybody can fast, and fasting can take many forms.

Victory over Gluttony. Where there is a will, there is a way.  
And where there is unwillingness, there is an excuse.

Gluttons Crave

How well do you do in resisting the temptation to eat too soon or too much? The deadly sin of gluttony has it's grip on you. And me. And it almost had it's grip on Jesus. How did Jesus resist the temptations of gluttony in the wilderness? What we learn from him might - it might just be helpful to us.

Here's the story:

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry.

The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."
And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'" (Deut. 8v3)

And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, "To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours."

And Jesus answered him, "It is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.'"(Deut 6v13)

And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the Temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,

 "'He will command his angels concerning you,
 to guard you,' and

 "'On their hands they will bear you up,
 lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" (Psalm 91v11-12)

And Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" (Deut. 6v16)

And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
-Luke 4v1-15 (ESV)

There were three temptations - all variations of the deadly sin of gluttony. Gluttony is about craving food. But food is about life, and so gluttony quickly becomes about more than just one too many french fries. Gluttony is about craving too much, too soon, too eagerly - recognition and affirmation, attention and affection, sustenance and gifts.

What are the ways that gluttony is at work in your life? Your belly reveals your gluttony towards food and drink. Your impatience and anger reveal your gluttony towards accomplishment and accolades. Your insecurity and worry reveals your gluttony towards attention and affection. You can't hide your gluttony. You can misname it, deny it, or you can accept it and repent.

Jesus was human like you and me. The devil tempted him with real temptations. Forty days in the wilderness - would you and I resist the turning stones to bread? See, Jesus was re-enacting the story of Israel in the wilderness - that's part of the reason why he quotes from Deuteronomy 8. He's letting God test him. Israel failed their test in the wilderness, Jesus must pass his test in the wilderness.

Jesus was announced at his birth as a King. Just as Israel was promised a land flowing with milk and honey, so Jesus was promised all authority and glory. If the devil offered a short-cut, a more convenient way that bypassed crucifixion - would Jesus take it? A powerful temptation it was for Jesus. When he quotes from Deuteronomy 6, he is remembering the promises God made to Israel and to him...there is no easy road to greatness and goodness.

Jesus - his name means "God saves." He was called Immanuel at his birth - "God with us." In the midst of his hunger, his lonliness, his contemplation of the hard road ahead - will YHWH save Jesus? Is the LORD with Jesus? To be atop the Temple, the dwelling place of God - to test God there - it reveals great mistrust in Him. The devil quotes Psalm 91 - twisting the poem on trust to become a tool of testing. Jesus responds by referring to the story in Deuteronomy 6 again - unlike the Israelites who quarreled with God and doubted his ability to care for them, Jesus would stay loyal and full of faith.

Gluttony for bread, glory, affirmation. It's our story.
It's Jesus' story.

The deadly sin of gluttony was the starting point for the devil’s tempting of Jesus. And so it often is with us. To fail to resist this sin is to leave us too vulnerable with all the others.

The devil offered Jesus a short-cut, convenience, immediate results. The devil used lies, vanity, and fear; he sought to blind, to distort, to sow seeds of mistrust.

What are signs that you’re succumbing to the deadly sin of gluttony?
Do you crave short-cuts, to convenience, to immediate results?
Are you letting yourself get lied to? Do you let others appeal to your vanity? Are you often afraid? Is it easy for you to mistrust?

What To Do About the Deadly Sin of Gluttony?
It’s okay to stay hungry. God will provide - at just the right time, in just the right way.

There is only one way to greatness, goodness, and satisfaction. God is trustworthy.

Trust God to answer you when you call on him… and accept the form of help he gives you. God is with you.

Are You A Glutton?

Have you ever been a glutton?

Yes! Of course I have. Maybe you have too.

Next question: in what ways are you living as a glutton these days?

Well, I ate a whole bag of Cheetos on the way home from Toledo yesterday afternoon to help me stay awake. But I was shoving them in my mouth so fast, the only reason they kept me awake was the resulting pain in my stomach. Ingesting junk results in gastric suffering - which also helps me avoid drowsiness.

I could go on. You?

Who wants to admit they are a glutton? Sure, maybe you need to eat a little more healthier. And who doesn't eat a little more than they really need. Doesn't everybody eat fast-food at least once or twice a week?

Face it. You are a glutton. You are guilty of the deadly sin of gluttony.

Once you are able to admit it, you can do something about it. Staying in denial only prolongs the inability to resist the temptations. Jesus was accused of being a glutton. His first temptations in the wilderness were all variations of gluttony. The Spirit of God led him into the Judean desert for forty days, and while there got really, really, really hungry. And then the tempations started.

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. Luke 4v1-2 (ESV)

Jesus knows what its like to have to resist the temptation of gluttony. As a follower of Jesus, we can learn from his way of resistance and let it shape our life. During Lent, we are to reflect on our own life, our sins, and our need for mercy, our will to follow Jesus. This prompts a reflection of the story of Jesus in the Wilderness. It also prompts a reflection of Israel's wandering in the wilderness.



We probably relate more to Israel, though we strive to follow the way of Jesus. Israel complained and whined when the hardships came. The were caught mistrusting God, pining for security and stability of Egypt (despite the cost of their slavery there). They couldn't see the end goal of the Promised Land. They wanted to head to the Guaranteed Land. They failed their testing, they succumbed to the temptations of gluttony.

Jesus re-enacted the story of Israel, and he played the part well. When he got hungry, instead of quarreling with God, he wrestled to obey. Instead of whining and complaining about his hunger, he formulated the Lord's Prayer. Instead of taking matters into his own hands, he persevered to the end. Gluttony tempted him to satisfy his hunger now, on his own terms. Trusting God required him to wait for God's timing on fulfillment. There is always much at stake in these tests and temptations of hunger.

It's interesting that in the original language of the story, it's the same word for test and temptation. One way to differentiate: a test from God to see where your heart is at; a temptation comes from within or from the evil one to mistrust God and pull away from Him. God tests, he doesn't tempt; God provides a way out of the temptation, and he never tests you beyond your ability. The powerful urges of gluttony you feel - the Spirit of God could still prevail in your life...

What is the deadly sin of gluttony? Here's how St. Gregory the Great put it all those years ago:
Too Soon
Too Much
Too Avidly
Too Richly
Too Daintily.

Here's the question again: in what ways are you living as a glutton these days?
Do you ever eat too soon? Do you ever snack? Do you ever eat when you are not hungry? Do you ever eat alone when you could eat with others? Do you ever eat too much? Do you ever eat until you are stuffed? Do you ever eat a whole bag of Cheetos?

Do you ever eat too eagerly? Do you ever value your meal at the expense of others? Do you ever eat too expensively? Do you ever eat too cheaply? Do you place more value on the cost of the food than the nutrition or source of the food? Do you ever value the taste of the food over the health of the food?

Do you ever eat too carefully? Do you ever obsesses about your food? Do you pay too much attention to your meals?

Go ahead - admit that you are a glutton at times. Just say it: I. Am. A. Glutton.

Now, what can you do about it?
Here's what Jesus did: He fasted. He prayed. He meditated on Scripture. He fueled rebellion towards the Evil One. He sustained his stubbornness towards the temptation of gluttony. He became uncomfortably honest with himself about his desires.

To fast is to intentionally go without a certain type of food, or to miss a meal. By withholding nutrition from your body, you become acutely aware of how hungry you can get. And then you begin to get a sense of what you are up against in attaining self-control over your appetite. You'll need God's help, won't you?!

To pray is to listen to the Spirit's promptings about what to do next with your desires for food. Listen for hints of reality, of wisdom, of truth about yourself and why you eat the way you do.

To meditate on Scripture is to let God speak to you in the way he has spoken to others who would listen in the past. Let God shape your understanding of you, your hunger, and what is more valuable.

There is more to be said on this. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst more for righteousness - for the right thing to prevail in their life and those around them. Knock, seek, ask, and you will find...

Rebel against your gluttony.

God Our Saviour Desires All People To Be Saved

1Timothy 1-3

Paul is writing to Timothy, one who he considers as a son, one who has grown up under his ministry. Timothy is currently a pastor in the Turkish port city of Ephesus, a major distribution center for the area's rich agricultural and quarry industry. It was a wealthy town with powerful men directing the affairs of the region; this was Rome's economic heart - from this region they financed their Empire. And here is Timothy, in over his head, overwhelmed by the pressures, desperate for Paul to come in and take over; and he gets the first of two stirring letters.

First, Paul is charging Timothty to lead, to be the authority needed to quell quarrels, to halt hypocrisy and heresy, and to set the standard for ministry: truth in teaching, holiness in character, love in all things. Maybe Timothy was feeling that it was impossibe for his church to thrive in its location, maybe he felt like his church was unable to really live out God's will, to save people.

Paul's second point in this letter is that God desires all people to be saved; Timothy can rest assured that no matter where he was leading a church, it would be amongst people whom God desired to be saved. Timothy may have countered: but you don't know how bad these people are, how opposed or ignorant they are of God. And Paul patiently reminds Timothy: I was the chief of sinners, of all the sinners surrounding your sanctuary, they are not as bad as I was - if God can save me, he can save anyone.

Paul actually describes the kind of people who might be frightening Timothy:
the lawless and the disobedient
the ungodly and sinners
the unholy and profane
those who strike their fathers and mothers
murders
the sexually immoral and men who practice homosexuality,
slavetraders and slaveowners
liars and perjurers

And then Paul writes:
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, fo whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe him for eternal life.

Know any sinners in your life? A characteristic of a sinner is a denial of the character of their actions, most sinners don't admit that their deeds are sinful. Or sinners are in denial that they are sinning, or they know they are sinning and choose to do it anyway out of rebellion or helpless addiction. What about the sins in your life, think they could keep you from Christ?

Paul goes on to write:
God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and people, the person Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for all.

God is always at work in the world, working to rescue sinners from their deadly ways. All have been ransomed, set free from the ownership of the Devil, and thus are now free to be adopted by God - if they desire it. So our task is to seek God's Kingdom first, his righteousness, His Way, and as we go that route, he will bring us across people - we as his instruments of grace and faith and love - whom he is at work in, people that are ready to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. For some this happens early in life, others very late; for some it is a quick conversion, for others it takes a lifetime. But if God is patient with the world, so should we; and if God is lavishing mercy on the world, so should we; and if God is speaking truth into the world, then so should we; and if God is working to love the world and rescue it, then so should we.

Sinners are not to be hated, despised, scorned, mocked, sneered, ignored, forgotten, or despaired of. Sinners are to be loved in truth and grace, in mercy and patience, with salt and light; for that is how you need others to handle you, and it is how God handles you. God saved you from his wrath, and God wants to save everyone else in your life from his wrath; so stay open to his promptings so that you can be his instrument of salvation and truth.

Have You Not Brought This On Yourselves?

Jeremiah 1-6 begins a sad string of stories, lyrical poems, potent laments, prophetic lambasts. Jeremiah is called to be a prophet while yet a young man, and he served till he was an old man. During his ministry Israel was overrun by Babylon and the citizens of Israel were hauled off into exile. Jeremiah was told up front that he would be ignored, would constantly need to be rescued, would be wounded deeply in his soul.

It seems clear that God is deeply wounded by Israel's rejection of him: "Has a (pagan) nation ever changed its gods - which aren't really gods - But my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols."

God's covenant with the people of Abraham was made very clear - repeatedly - by Moses and then by Joshua: if you love God and keep his commandments, you will be blessed, you will become a blessing, and through you all the nations will be blessed; but if you do not love God and worship worthless idols, and if you do not keep his Torah, you will be cursed, and you will be punished, and experience the same fate as those were driven from Canaan when the Israelites made their home in the promised land.

So the punishment being preached by Jeremiah is not a surprise, is not reactionary, is not a violent act of passionate rage; it is the long-delayed result of constant betrayal, abuse of the poor, oppression of the foreigner, dishonoring of the elderly, apathy towards the weak, and disdain for God and his Torah-way. God sent prophet after prophet to turn his people away from their wickedness, but the prophets were put down. And so the brutal battle with Babylon will begin their exile: "Your own conduct and actions have brought this on you. This is your punishment. How bitter it is! How it pierces to the heart!"

The punishment is both a natural consequence of a nation's wickedness and the divine intervention due to a long-held, and now long-violated covenant. At any point Israel could have returned to their God, but they wouldn't. God would have forgiven them and restored them and blessed them, had they repented of their sins, admitted their guilt, and walked according to the Torah. But for all the reasons that we find today amongst people caught up in patterns of behavior that infect and wreck lives, on their own they couldn't change their deadly momentum: "My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good."

God has Jeremiah proclaim this plea to the people: "Return, faithless Israel, and I will frown on you no longer, for I am faithful, I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt - you have rebelled against the LORD your God, you have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every spreading tree, and have not obeyed me."

What seems so hard for me and so many others: to admit that I am guilty of wrongdoing...against God or others. It was a mistake, a misunderstanding; it wasn't my fault, I didn't have a choice, it's not that big of deal, etc. But oh the devilish power of pride which cripples our ability to be honest with ourselves and God.

Yet the proclamation of God continues to fall on listening ears and penitent hearts. And so we continue to proclaim through our life and lips the faithful forgiveness of God which cures us and restores us.

Resurrection Sunday Sermon Notes - 4.08.07

What does the Cross and Empty Tomb Mean for Me and My Deadly Sins?

It's a personal question that I'm pondering as I prepare for Sunday's message. Having spent the past seven weeks reviewing the Deadly Sins, I'm humbled and hopefully wiser. I'm humbled at how prevalant the sins can be in my life, but having examined them, I'm more aware of what they look like in my life and how to overcome- a little more often - their bad effects in my life.

With Lust, I work harder at not looking longer; instead I'll cherish.

With Gluttony, I work harder at not consuming wastefully; instead I'll create.

With Greed, I work harder at not taking wrongfully; instead I'll choose generosity.

With Anger, I work harder at not bristling quickly; instead I'll be patient.

With Sloth, I work harder...

With Envy, I work harder at not despising intensely; instead I'll choose contentment.

With Pride, I work harder at not brooding narcissistically; instead I'll delight in God.

In examining the bad effects of these sins in my life - upon me, upon others, upon God - and how to counter them, I tried to keep the Cross and Empty Tomb in mind. Our sins make up a core reason for why Jesus' story even includes the Cross and the Empty Tomb.

The Cross, for me, reminds me of how deadly my sins are - to me, to others, to God, to Creation. The Cross also reminds me that even while I am yet a deadly sinner, Jesus will extend a promise to me. It is my existential awareness of how deadly my sins are that raise up the meaning of the Cross for me. The Cross reminds me: I want to leave my sins behind.

The Empty Tomb, though, reminds me of Another Way that has opened up before me - contingnent on my trust in Jesus and taking hold of His promise to me on the Cross. I walk (in community with many others...) with Jesus now, resurrected by a real power that has emancipated me from the vice-grip of sin, has brought a restoration to my wounded soul, a reconciliation between all those I have wronged and continue to wrong in one way or another. And now, instead of a preoccupation with how to sin less, now I can walk a way that surges forward in being a blessing to others, to God, to Creation.

This line of thinking makes me think of these words by Jesus - for those of us who want to be free from the vice-grip of the deadly sins...
Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)

Are you tired?
Worn out?
Burned out on religion?
Come to me.
Get away with me and you'll recover your life.
I'll show you how to take a real rest.
Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.
Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.

Sunday Sermon Notes - 3.25.07

Pride & the Seven Deadly Sins

This has been the most personal of the deadly sins. Preparation for it has been unnerving. Pride has tenacious tentacles in my will and eyes. So much so that I went to a counseling appointment this Monday with Dan Boen (see link in sidebar - CCCOI). We talked about my irritation with people who bug me. We ended up talking about my pride. Ouch.

In preparation for this sermon I read C.S. Lewis' famous chapter on Pride in his potent book: Mere Christianity. I probably underlined half the chapter - he has great insight into this deadly sin, and it resonated with me...he was speaking about me. Ouch.

Here's some of his stuff on this stuffy sin:
"There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty themselves.
There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconcious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others."

"Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison; it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind."

"Now what you want to get clear is that Pride is essentially competitive - is competetitive by its very nature - while the other vices are competetive only, so to speak, by accident. Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better-looking than others. It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest."

"If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realize that one is proud. And a biggish step too. At least, nothing whatever can be done before it. If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed."

Here is one of my favorite paragraphs - it describes the opposite of pride in a man:
"Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do not dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all."

If you think you are conceited, come on Sunday and join a bunch of other conceited followers of Jesus. Maybe together we'll learn to be humble, like Jesus.

Sunday Sermon Notes - 3.18.07

Envy & the 7 Deadly Sins

James 3:13-18 is a classic text on envy. The brother of Jesus invites us to not deny the truth about the envy we harbor in our heart.

I wonder how autobiographical was that tidbit of instruction. In that same sentence he also addresses selfish ambition, a evil practice about which one should not boast. Growing up as the kid brother of the Christ must have been hard on the ego.

James is the Greek translation of the Hebrew name Jacob. Jacob was the younger brother of Esau, and Esau possessed the birthright as the eldest brother, and also the accompanying blessing. They were two objects worth envying over. Envy is bad for the soul and for relationships, as the story of Jacob and James recount. Fortunately both men were able to be reconciled to their brothers later on in life, though they both had to travel hard roads to get there. Envy is not purged easily.

Solomon Schimmel, a brilliant Jewish psychotherapist and professor of pscychology writes this about envy:

"Envy is the pain we feel when we perceive another individual some object, quality, or status we do not possess."

"Envy is particularly malicious when the envious person seeks to deprive the envied person of what he has, even though if he succeeds in doing so the desired object, quality, or status won't thereby be transferred to the envier."

Envy is nasty stuff, and it infects almost everybody.

Here is how it can often affect me, for I often get envious - it is usually a mild case, but annoying enough.

I am often envious of other preachers who I feel are better at their craft then I am. I hear them preach, I see the results of their ministry (through my limited and tainted eyes) and I then compare my results. I overexaggerate the strengths and achievements of the preacher I envy, and I downplay my achievements and then bemoan my utter failure as a pastor all together. Pathetic, I know...but all too common.

Come Sunday for more ugly insights on envy. And some antidotes to this vice.

Sunday Sermon Notes 3.11.07

Anger

Our fourth deadly sin is one of the most common, and it goes by many names: ire/irate, wrath, fury, rage, temper, and hot (any other synonyms?).

I don't like to think of myself as an angry person - though I know of some people who do... - but when I'm honest with myself, I get angry more easily then I realize or am willing to admit.

Anger is a funny emotion - it is so natural...it just happens before we realize it. And it often feels good - there is something satisfying about being angry. But after too long (or not too long) I don't like how I feel, I don't like what it does to me. I start out angry at somebody "out there", in the car that passed me, on the customer service phoneline, etc. But then, if I nurse that anger a little too long, I get snappy with the people real close to me, and they get a dose of ire that they don't deserve. I don't like that.

This week's message takes a look at the life of Cain, the first son of the earth. There is this interesting progression of anger in his life - that in this case leads to a killing, anger is a deadly sin. Cain offered some of his harvest to the LORD, Abel followed the example of this older brother - but he offered up the fattest sheep in his flock. The LORD was pleased with young Abel's offering, and displeased with calculating Cain. And this made Cain angry. The LORD really likes Cain, he shows up later and talks with him: if you do what is good, I'll be pleased with you, beware of your anger, it is like a hidden dragon, a crouching tiger ready to destroy you - be the master of your evil desire.

Jesus, in his famous teaching on anger in his Sermon on the Mount, I think references the story of Cain. Jesus instructs us on the progression of anger - first is anger, then is contempt, then is cursing.

Cain was angry with Abel, his pride was wounded. By nursing that anger/wound, he begins to feel contempt for his younger brother - who does he think he is?!?. Cain spits at Abel...when the kid is not looking. But the contempt grows worse, Cain begins to hate Abel, for getting what he didn't deserve, for taking away what was rightfully Cains...and so Abel begins to curse him in his mind/heart - that stupid, frickin jerk.... You get the idea.

Jesus' antidote to anger is empathy...acts of reconciliation instead of angry contempt; letting your anger go cuts you off from God and makes a mess of your life. You can't stop yourself from getting angry, but you can kill the hidden dragon, you can kill the crouching tiger before it leaps to infect you with contempt and cursing - kill it with love for your enemy/annoying neighbor.

Sunday Sermon Notes - 3.4.07

Week three in our series about the Seven Deadly Sins - Greed.

Our OT story (Joshua 7) is Achan whose coveting of a forbidden Babylonian robe which was a violation of God's command got him killed. Greed kills...it is a deadly sin.


It is clear how coveting killed Achan, but how does greed gouge out our life in this age? Achan was given a clear command, and he knew it - he fessed up when confronted. He saw the items, he coveted them, and took them into his own possession, a robe, silver coins and a bar of gold. In this case, Achan coveted forbidden items, and that transgression resulted in his stoning.

We covet, but not necessarily forbidden items. Our greed doesn't normally get us killed as quickly as Achan...but our greed is still deadly, if only in degrees rather then kind when compared to Achan. His story is so tragic because he comes across as just a regular guy...we could be him...what is sad is that out of the tens of thousands of soldiers, he is the only one that gave in to his greed. Nowadays it seems the opposite percentage, now it seems like there is only one in tens of thousands who does not give in to greed.

Jesus (Luke 12) instructs us about greed, rooted in a real life situation, dealt with in a vivid parable, followed up with a revolutionary way of living.

Two men, brothers, are arguing about inheritance, and one of them implores Jesus to convince the other one to split it evenly. Jesus avoids getting snaked into this thorny issue, and thus reprimands the brothers for their blatant greed. He implores them:
"Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."

He says, guard against all kinds of greed...what are those? The ancients and the moderns understand greed through words like: avarice, covetousness, theft, cupidity, hunger, anxiety, dread, fraud, sleeplessness, thriftiness, miserliness, cheating, treasuring...these are a few "kinds". One ancient writer caricutured the "kinds" with these words: "the brood of their mother Greed's black milk" - (Tickle, pg26-28).

You can be greedy and not know it! One of the first steps in breaking away from the deadly vice-grip of sin is to Name It.

How do you know if you consider life to consist of abundance of possessions? How do you know if you are greedy? And if you are greedy, what can you do about it?

Do you have more then you need? Do you have a two car garage, with two cars, and one has to be parked on the driveway? Do you rent out a storage unit? Do you worry about theft? Do you worry about your retirement plan? Do you love shopping for "stuff"? Do you resent others' purchases? Do you buy compulsively? Do you have trouble sharing? Do you pity the poor?

If you are a Protestant Christian (meaning you are not Catholic or Orthodox), then you are part of a tradition that gave birth to Capitalism. If you are a Protestant Christian residing in a Capitalistic Economy (like North America...), you are part of a system where greed is necessary to our understanding of a healthy national GDP. Greed is actually considered good in our capitialistic society, for it is what fuels our business production, greed compels us to purchase and thus keep our neighbor hired. We are so enmeshed in greed, it seems almost impossible to not act out of greed in any part of our purchasing life.

It is almost too hard to watch pro sports where players can sign 100 million dollar contracts; to hear about oil executives dole out about a billion dollars in profits to themselves, too painful to watch so many Hummers and BMWs pass by on the other side.

Our American Dream is partially a contributer to our complicity in greed: the dream is that each generation would be better off then their folks, we'd own more, have better, more convience, better luxuries, more wealth, better health...how does that not foster greed?

To be ungreedy is almost to be unAmerican. What to do?

Any suggestions?

Sunday Sermon Notes - 2.25.07

The second deadly sin of the series that we are dealing with is Gluttony. In Latin the word is "gula", which can also be translated as "excess". Traditionally we think of a glutton as someone who eats and drinks too much. But gluttony can be more then just a sin of the flesh, it can be a way of life: excessive consumption can be deadly no matter what the object.

The story of Solomon is, in one sense, a story of excess. He asked God for wisdom instead of wealth and honor, so God gave him what he did ask for, and because Solomon didn't ask for the other two, God gave it to him. One would think that with all the wisdom he had, he could handle the wealth and honor. What is fascinating is that not only did Solomon receive the wealth and honor that God directed to him, he also reached out for and took more wealth. It is almost as if Solomon mistook God's promise of wealth and honor as permission to attain/consume as much wealth as possible.

In 1Kings1-11 we have the rise and fall of Solomon. The author elegantly informs us of the subtle consumption that in the end ruins Solomon. Chapter 6 tells us of Solomon building the Temple. Chapter 7 tells us of Solomon building his own Palace. The author writes: ...the temple was finished in all its details according to its specifications. He had spent seven years building it. It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of the palace." Notice that already Solomon's perspective is skewed, he has consumed almost twice as much as the LORD requested for the Temple.

Starting in Chapter 9, continuing through the demise of Solomon in Chapter 11, notice how many times gold is mentioned. God shows up to Solomon and outlines the deal, David did it once on the deathbed, this is God's second time - and this time God outlines the curses that will come for disobedience.

I think that there is a connection between the excessive consumption of gold, wives, "honor", and "stuff" and the downfall of Solomon.

James, in his invective against wealthy oppressors surely had Solomon in mind: 5v1,5 "Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery (think Solomon- who died a warped, frustrated old man) that is coming on you. You have lived on earth in luxury (lust) and self-indulgence (gluttony). You have fattened yourself as in a day of feasting when there was to be no feast.

We think we are a sex-obssessed, lust-full people. And we are. But more so, we are gluttonous, we have excess and yet crave more, our barns are stuffed to overflowing, we pity the poor - not because they have no food or shelter, but because they have used cars and only local channels on their televisions.

Lust and Gluttony are the Sins of the Flesh. And they both kill, the soul and the body.

Jesus' invitation to us: redirect your desires - seek first the kingdom of God and his rightness; redirect your cravings - hunger and thirst for righteousness.

This is more then sentimental, pious religion. This is the antidote to a bloated, unhappy, restless existence, devoid of God and the good life we can never purchase or possess.

Is Gluttony your sin?

Try "feeding" on God, he'll help you use your excess to bless people rather then deprive them. Wouldn't you like that?

Sunday Sermon Notes - 2.17.07

This week I start a seven week sermon series during the Lenten season about the seven deadly sins. I'm doing them in reverse order, starting with lust and ending with pride. As I've been preparing for the series, an observation about the sins that emerged is how closely related they are, how they almost overlap, and at some times seem to be synonymous with each other. At what point is lust, envy, greed that much different from each other?

In particular about lust, it is not necessarily about sexuality, so much as about desires and longings. Lust is misplaced longings, desires that result in ruin and taintedness, not beauty and joy. Lust leaves at least one person defiled, and if left unchecked, more than one person.

One of the underlying themes of this series is helping people know what to do to deal with the sin in their life. The biggest challenge may be convincing people they are sinners. Nobody likes to be called a sinner. People are very good at defending their life, coming up with good reasons for why they do what they do, and why it is somebody's elses fault. Or I made a mistake, or was confused, or misinformed, etc. Why is it so unfashionable to talk about sin?

Sin is a very religious word, and it is God's word for what is wrong in the world and what has corrupted us. Sin is an overarching word that encompasses alot of ideas. It is both a power at work in us, and something we do; it is something that we are guilty of, and something we are powerless to resist in our own will. It corrupts our desires, and we embrace its mastery over us.

Lust is a dirty word. Lust is a dirty deed. One can lust over a man or a woman, over money or a Mercedes, over power or prestige, over convenience or victory. And when you lust, you sin against God; and every time you sin against God, you've sinned against someone else. To lust after something or someone is to do make it an idol, an object of obsession, a fulfillment to longings that are at the expense of another. And lust is a deadly sin because if left unchecked or unrepentent, leads to death. (see James 1)

Lord have mercy on my lust-full soul.