A New Heart

This week’s Lectionary texts include Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Psalm 51:1-12, both of which speak of the people (Israel) receiving a new heart. This “heart translplant” would mean that knowledge of God would be built into us in a fundamental way. “No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord.”

These are glorious passages, but also depressing ones. The Jeremiah text is, frankly, an admission by God that we’re incapable of being obedient on our own. To makes us the people he would have us be, he has to “fix” us by replacing our hardened human heart with a new one. After generations of trying to do it the old fashioned way, God seems to be going for the quick fix. Rather, for example, than the hard work of exercise and diet, he’s going for the liposuction.

Should we desire such an intervention? Are we ready to throw in the towel?

Sunday Morning Musings…

Sunday morning before worship is one of my favorite times. Everything is full of promise and potential. There’s an electricity in the air; it’s great. This morning I’m thinking about simplicity, about how we (i.e. how I) make things more complicated than they need to be. I’ve been reading First Corinthians 1:18-25 and the Introduction to Ed Cyzewski’s Coffehouse Theology. Both are writing about stripping down to the essentials. The Jews demand signs and the Greeks desire wisdom. Feh! Neither is necessary to know Jesus. As Paul writes, “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” How often to we make it more complicated than that?

Pastor Michael to be Commissioned!

I recently went before the Board of Ordained Ministry. After a grueling day of examinations by the Board, they decided to recommend to the Clergy Session of the Annual Conference that I be commissioned as a Provisional Elder in June. This is the next step on the long road to ordination as an Elder in the United Methodist Church. I thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.