Send in the Clowns

Pastor Jack or Bozo the Clown?

Five years ago, I attended an ordination service for a friend from seminary. The interim senior pastor of the church, The Rev. Dr. William N. Jackson, offered the sermon for the occasion. The sermon was based on Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians: “We are fools for the sake of Christ” (1 Corinthians 4:10a). In that letter, Paul is offering a “fatherly admonition” to the Corinthians, contrasting the life of an apostle with the lives of those of the church in Corinth. They had become too proud of their faith and maybe a bit judgmental of others. Paul attempts to knock them off their pedestal!

Paul’s words are a healthy reminder to all of us. We become content with our faith. We are comfortable with where we are in our walk with God. Often, the Christian thing-to-do is not always the most popular and Paul challenges us to move beyond our comfort zone. For this reason, we are called to be “fools for the sake of Christ.” Dr. Jackson offered his take on this Scripture and suggested that the word fool could also be interpreted as clown. The analogy of the clown is fantastic! While “fool” carries a very negative connotation, the “clown” encompasses a richer understanding. Using “clown” he speaks of what is entailed in being a “fool” for Christ:

1. The clown/fool for Christ’s sake does the unexpected; the extraordinary, the unusual.

2. The clown/fool for Christ’s sake does things for the good of others.

3. The clown/fool for Christ’s sake does what he or she does in loving vulnerability.

4. The clown/fool for Christ’s sake does what he or she does celebrating life

Do these sound like the characteristics of your life? It’s contrary to our natural tendencies, where we seek to serve ourselves and operate out of comfort. God’s Word, however, continually challenges us to move out of our comfort zones and do the unexpected, love our neighbors, humble ourselves, and celebrate the Life that has graciously given to us! God’s Word challenges us to be clowns for Christ’s sake, with everything that entails.

Dr. Jackson ended his sermon with a tale regarding a conference when he was speaking on this very passage from 1 Corinthians 4. Before he offered the closing prayer, a young woman began to play on her guitar the tune of that Broadway song, “Send in the Clowns." Spontaneously, and through God’s Spirit, she sang this:

“All through the world, all throughout life, people seek answers to sin, freedom, and strife. Send in the clowns. We are the clowns. Send in the clowns.”

We are the clowns. Send in the clowns. Amen!

Lead On...

St. Patrick

This week is quite a contrast from the events of Holy Week!  I am not scheduled to preach and, in fact, getting ready to travel to Nashville for The Outreach Foundation board meeting.  Apart from being part of what is, no doubt, going to be enriching conversations, I am also looking forward to seeing some old friends.  Margaret and I lived in Nashville and the first Presbyterian Church of Nashville was my first ordained call.

 It is truly amazing how God leads us through life.  Right out of seminary, we were called to Nashville, then we were called back to Texas, and now we are answering His calling to Washington.  Going back to Nashville this week reminds me that it is not my plans, but God’s plans that we are to follow.

In the spirit of reverence, devotion, and righteousness, I wanted to share something with you. The words are at attributed to an ancient Irish poem written by Dallan Forgaill dating back to the 8th century and translated from ancient Irish to English by Mary E. Byrnel in 1905. Unlike the version that exists in our current Presbyterian hymnal, this version includes all of the original verses. It is my favorite hymn and I hope it points you to the wonderful way of Jesus Christ!

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;

Nought be all else to me, save that Thou art

Thou my best thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

 

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

 

Be Thou my battle shield, sword for the fight;

Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight;

Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower:

Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

 

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,

Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,

High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

 

High King of Heaven, my victory won,

May I reach Heaven's joys, O bright Heaven's Sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Final Thought... Reflections on Egypt Part 4

One final thought about Egypt and then I’d like to move on to another topic. The city of Luxor is incredible. 25% of the world’s antiquities are found there. This was my first trip there, even though it was my second trip to Egypt (We went to Sinai instead on our last trip!). It doesn’t take much to imagine what the ancient Egyptian civilization looked like. The Temple of Carnac is immense. The Luxor Temple, although not nearly as large, is equally impressive. The Valley of the Kings, located on the west side of the Nile, is incredible. Because of the dry desert climate, much has remained as it was over 3,000-4,000 years ago, at least to a certain extent.

Even though they have stood up well, they are ruins. The civilization is gone, only preserved in museums all over the world. The ancient gods of the pharaohs are no longer worshiped, but studied by historians and archaeologists.

I discovered that there is a reason the pyramids and tombs of ancient Egypt are on the west side of the Nile. It is because that is the side on which the sun sets. The god “Ra” is depicted as the sun, so when it sets, it signifies death. Interesting, right? The ancient Egyptians were very much concerned with the afterlife. In fact, once the pharaoh assumed position, he set the workers to task, building his pyramid or tomb, and all of his treasure to take with him into the afterlife.

Anyway, I couldn’t help but think of our own church building. What do you think people will say about it 1,000, 2,000, or even 4,000 years from now? Will there even be a church building or a world for that matter?

I said last time that the church is not the building, but rather the church is the followers of Jesus. Don’t get me wrong, many wonderful and life transforming events take place in the church, particularly in the sanctuary. But I think the question of whether or not there will be a church building is a moot point.

We don’t worship buildings or idols, no matter how sentimental we may be toward them. We worship a living God who is active and present in our everyday lives and is very concerned that we live, not just for the afterlife, but that we are agents of His kingdom here on earth! That means that we live out our faith in our everyday lives.

As the ancient Egyptians worked to build their own access into the afterlife, we, as believers in Jesus, celebrate that access has been provided for us. Let me leave this topic by offering you the words of truth that come to us in the Gospel John: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (3:16).

Kasr El Dobara Evangelical Church... Reflections on Egypt Part 3

One of the great experiences we have when visiting Egypt is to take time and speak to the folks at the Kasr El Dobara Church, the largest protestant church in all of the Middle East. The people of the church treat us with great kindness and hospitality. There is no telling how many people grace the doors of the church on any given week. One thing is clear, however, and that is the church is steeped in a rich history and service. One way to describe the church would be faithful people are being blessed by a faithful God! I couldn't help but think of these words. If you've read Tent to Tower, you know their origin. These are words from Dr. Mark Koehler at our own church's 75th anniversary back in 1960.

The Delta Presbytery of the Synod of the Nile planted the Kasr El Dobara Church back in 1940. The Rev. Ibrahim Said was elected as the church's first pastor. He was called the "golden mouthed preacher," which referred to his eloquence and his mastery over words. (No one, to date, has called me a "golden mouthed preacher," nor do I expect they ever will!) The church was given a permit by the king of Egypt in 1944, and they built a beautiful building and sanctuary (pictured above). Ask them to talk about the history of the church, however, and they won't tell you about the building or even the sanctuary, but rather, they want to share about the real church, the faithful men and women of the congregation, who seek to follow God and His direction.

The folks at Kasr El Dobara are doing innovative things. They are considered "progressive" when compared to the rest of the denomination, in terms of their ministries. Are they about the latest church ministry programs? No. In their words, they are simply trying to obey God and be faithful to their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

I couldn't help but think of our own church and wonder what the future entails. We are a church rooted in a great history. The sanctuary is magnificent. Everyone in Yakima knows the tower. However, a church (as our brothers and sisters in Egypt remind us) is not the building, it is the people who strive to follow Jesus, not just on Sunday mornings, but each and every day. We are a church committed to deepening our relationship with Jesus, so that we can love God and love our neighbors.

The second picture is one of a stained glass window behind the pulpit at the Kasr El Dobara Church. Clearly, it is an image of Jesus on the cross. What a beautiful reminder of who it is we follow!

During that 75th anniversary celebration of First Presbyterian Church of Yakima, Dr. Koehler went on to say, "This is our challenge for all future events and programs, that we are faithful to the glorious gospel and to the church of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!" My hope and prayer is that, as we look to the future of FPC, we would have the courage and faithfulness to follow Him, wherever He might lead!