Finding Faith in a Netflix Binge

What does Buster Bluth have to do with faith?

Tony Hale is a successful comic actor, producer, and writer. You may know Tony from his laugh-out-loud characters Buster Bluth in "Arrested Development" and Gary in "Veep". He is also delightfully forthright about his faith in Jesus Christ. During a routinely secular interview on television, podcasts, or radio he will cheerfully share about how he depends on God.  

In one interview, I heard Tony refer to the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ from Galatians 5:22-23; “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” To his skeptical interviewer, the actor simply and gently said, “Well, I am working on one or two of those things every day. His ways are higher than my ways and that is why I need Him in my life.”

Tony says one of his favorite moments in church comes in the five minutes before the service begins. After he sits in a pew with his family, as he enjoys the quiet, he slowly scans the congregation. Sitting in the midst of a community of faith, he says, gives him an incredible feeling of support. Tony, like all of us, needs to know he is not alone as a student and follower of Jesus. One gift his fellow worshippers give him is the sure knowledge that he is not alone.

How many of us think about what we give to our neighbor when we worship and not just what it means to us? Gathering on the sabbath is a way to support each other as we seek the nurturing grace, trust, and courage we need to follow the Way of Love. When we pass the peace, when we welcome each other, when we seek out new hands to shake and names to learn, we are building the flesh and muscle of the body of Christ through relationship and through support for our neighbors.  

Blessings,
The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel
Rector

All things come from Thee, O Lord

The word "Debts" is typed in black onto a sheet of white paper.
A pencil is eraser, above right has been erasing the word, leaving it visible,
but fading.

“All things come from Thee, O Lord, and of thine own have we given Thee.”

These are the traditional words said by the priest when receiving and giving thanks for the Sunday offering. We do not use them at St. Martin's, but they echo in my head every time the gifts of the assembly come forward.

At worship.together, the children pass small wicker bread baskets for the collection. The stuffed baskets come up to our little altar and every Sunday I experiment with what to say. Inevitably, what I say is a version of “All things come from Thee, O Lord….” because it is the most essential truth, and that is what we share with children and adults.

For me, it is very simple. What do I owe to God? I owe everything to God. There is no me without God. There are no gifts in life without God. There is no opportunity to serve and to offer and join in life-saving, life-giving mission without God. So I owe God everything.

In abundant divine mercy and generosity, God only asks for a tenth of all I have. Imagine being presented with a bill for 100% of your net worth and then having the debt collector scratch out 90% of what you owe, indicating that 10% will cover the whole debt. Imagine the relief and gratitude and joy. Our generous and generative God gives us all we are and all we have and only asks for a tribute of 10% to further God’s work in return.

As much as we might strain to make an alternative algorithm for our response to God’s abundance, the math only works in one way. I might assert that, I deserve, I am owed, I am entitled, I have earned, I have achieved, but when all is gift and all is God’s we stop calculating and start giving back with gratitude and freedom secured by God’s promises.

Now, many who are addressed by God’s grace and love discern a calling to give even more back to God. Some give their whole life. They are the saints, martyrs, missionaries, monks and nuns, and lay-religious who express their dedication to God in total devotion of life to God’s purposes. We need to keep them in mind. Do we imagine our life as one of growth in commitment and dedication in response to God’s generosity?

Stewardship is a moment for self-examination. To whom is our life oriented? Have we grown in grace this past year? Have we de-centered our life-focus from ego to love for God and neighbor? Are we growing in the love that values the good of all others on the same level as our own good and that of our families?

I wish you a rich and rewarding and happy self-examination. May it be inspired by God’s generosity and return to God that same abundance.

Blessings,

The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel

Rector

The Church of the Undomesticated Jesus Christ

Who will lead the sacrifice?

Which organized body of people have something to teach the world about sacrifice?

What community of people is spiritually equipped and resourced to lead lives of sacrificial, redeeming love?

What does the world desperately need in an age of global climate catastrophe but to learn how to sacrifice for the health and future of the whole?

The Church of the undomesticated Jesus Christ is what the world needs now.

Why do I say, ‘undomesticated’? Because much of American Christianity is the domesticated sort; warped by our individualist, competitive consumer culture to sanctify the desires and behaviors cultivated by mass culture. Domesticated Christianity teaches us to conform to the dominant narrative and to feel justified in our wealth, greed, overweening pride, and grasping, defensive self-interest.

The undomesticated Jesus Christ shared the Beatitudes with his followers (Luke 6:20-31): “Blessed are the poor...blessed are you when people hate you, exclude you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man...woe to the rich…woe to the full, etc.” Jesus is turning the culturally compromised religion of his time on its head. He is challenging the assumption that a faithful life results in prosperity. He is directly challenging the notion that conventional goodness is rewarded by God with material blessing.

Blessed are those who make sacrifices for the sake of discipleship. Blessed are we who respond to the security and favor bestowed on us freely by God with lives that demonstrate who and what we really trust.

Slowing, and possibly reversing, the global climate crisis will require sacrifice. My wife and I are having a serious and unhappy conversation about major changes to our future travel plans. Airplanes are huge contributors to global warming and I feel called to radically restrict my airline travel as a sacrifice for planetary health. I love to travel and I especially love to travel with my wife. In retirement we had planned to see the world together. When we sacrifice we give up something we love for a greater good. In faith, we know God will provide consolation.

“Even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord.” - 1 Peter 3:14-15

So I will be poor in air travel. God will bless me and others in that poverty. This is the type of life the undomesticated Jesus Christ invites and supports. I know that I struggle against persistent feelings of entitlement, as in, “I deserve just as much tourism as anyone else,” or, “I have worked hard my whole life, so I get the reward of travel now.” The deeper sacrifice is letting go of entitlement - living life in the spirit of what is owed to us, what we demand from life - and the air travel, that is merely a symptom.

Blessings,
The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel
Rector

Luke 6:20-31
Jesus looked up at his disciples and said:


“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
“Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
“Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
“Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets."
"But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
"Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
"Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
"Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

"But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Scripture text from the Revised Common Lectionary readings for All Saints' Day, November 1 available at https://www.lectionarypage.net. The Bible translation used is The New Revised Standard Version.