Your Faith Journey - Finding God Through Words, Song and Praise

This is a special musical performance of The Cross by the Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

German Lutheran pastor and theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, wrote in his book, The Cost of Discipleship, “When Christ calls (someone) He bids (them) come and die.”  These words cut right down into the nitty gritty of what discipleship, what following Jesus is all about.  You see, the central question, the big defining question of Christianity, is “Who is willing to follow Jesus Christ?”  And, Jesus places that question before us today with a real sense of urgency. 

Today, Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”  In response, impetuous, impulsive Peter gets all excited and professes that Jesus is indeed the long-promised Messiah.  Jesus then begins to explain things to his disciples saying, “It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the elders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and after three days rise up alive.”  As soon as Peter hears this, he immediately backs away and rebukes Jesus.  Jesus’ words shatter the glamor of following this long-expected Messiah.  This is certainly not the kind of life Peter wants to undertake.  While Jesus seems to be the Messiah, the Jewish people had never expected a leader who must suffer and die.  That was simply ludicrous and irrational.  Who in their right mind chooses to “proceed to an ordeal of suffering” as Jesus says he is doing?  And, who in their right mind wants to follow a leader who is on his way to die? 

Well, Jesus continues to teach his disciples about what following him is really going to mean.  He says, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead.  You’re not in the driver’s seat, I am.  Don’t run from suffering, embrace it.  If any of you want to follow me, you must deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. Follow me and I’ll show you how.  Self-help is no help at all.  Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self.  What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you?  What could you ever trade your soul for?” 

Well, Jesus’ words did not go over well with Peter and quite honestly, they don’t go over well with us.  Most of us choose religion and come to believe important things deeply because we feel they are good for us.  And, we like a religion that makes us feel good.  We like a faith that fits our comfortable, recreational life styles.  We tend to like a faith in which we can participate when we choose to participate.  We want a faith that does not demand too much from us.  Furthermore, we want to follow a strong God who “heals our illnesses, provides ample prosperity, guarantees security, urges our sports teams onto victory, and generally keeps us happy, healthy and wise.” (David Lose)  So, when we hear what Jesus is saying, we too respond by thinking suffering is not appealing.  If anyone of us are offered a life of suffering versus a life free from suffering, you can be your bottom dollar we are going to go for the one that is pain free!  Yet, this is where we must get very honest about the Christian life.  First of all, nobody’s life is ever going to be pain free or free from suffering.  And, Christianity is not about living an easier life, living a life free from pain, or believing in a God we can turn to as our personal Santa Claus to help solve life’s problems and give us all we want. 

The point at which Jesus shares this teaching with his disciples is a pivot point in Mark’s telling of the Jesus story.  From this point on in Mark’s gospel, Jesus begins to show us how to die.  We have been given life and Jesus now demonstrates how we are to give it up and give it away.  I think for most of us, this is an idea that runs counter to all that we want to believe.  It really does seem irrational.  Yet, Jesus makes it absolutely clear that God does not care about giving us all of the things that make for creature comforts.  What God does care about are matters of the heart.  Jesus makes it clear that if you want to have a deeply meaningful life that truly matters, you are going to have to hand over your petty obsessions and mistaken priorities.  Quite frankly, following Jesus means living a very counter-cultural life and letting go of self, letting go of the intense narcissistic focus on self, a self-interest and focus that runs rampant in our culture.  You are going to have to think more about loving than being loved, more about working to understand than being understood, and more about forgiving than being forgiven.  I love the way Lutheran pastor, Peter Marty, describes our dilemma when asked to follow Jesus.  He writes:

Near as I can tell, we can try to safe-deposit-box our lives all we want and be very, very cautious about whom we even let into our lives.  But this is not commendable living.  In fact, according to Jesus, it’s downright dangerous living.  We’ll lose our soul if we’re not careful.  Living a life that really matters in the name of Jesus will not allow room for clutching or hoarding or playing it safe.  It asks instead for a less possessive way – a way that treats life more like a precious gift to be shared than a commodity to be stored up.

The life that has been packaged and continues to be packaged and sold to us in this culture is not real life and we need to die to those illusions if we want to live into the abundant life God wants for us.  Furthermore, the life of which Jesus speaks is not something we can buy or earn.  Like love and grace, it is all gift and can only be given away.  And, the deep truth Jesus is trying to tell us, a truth Bonhoeffer knew so well, is that only when you give your life away for the sake of others, only through serving, loving and caring for others, do you really discover life, life that truly matters.  When we are able to finally let go of the ego, the cult of self which is really the false self, that part of ourselves which believes we are in charge, or self-sufficient, then we finally begin to live life that truly matters. This dying to self is painful, but it allows us to be open to whole new vistas of abundant life.  When we are finally able to let go of self, to let go of our worry, to let go of our anxiety, to let go of our need to control, to let go of all that holds us captive and then really die to self, we discover that God is already in that place, walking with us and holding us in love.  It is then that we discover what the cross really means.  It is the cross that gives us life, life that truly matters.  And we discover the cross means loving and serving others as we are loved.

 As Jesus begins his relentless march to the cross, he challenges each one of us to follow.  Today, Jesus demands a decision from each one of us as he asks us, “Will you follow me where I am going?”   Will we follow this man to the place where he is going?  What will your decision be?

German Lutheran pastor and theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, wrote in his book, The Cost of Discipleship, “When Christ calls (someone) He bids (them) come and die.”  These words cut right down into the nitty gritty of what discipleship, what following Jesus is all about.  You see, the central question, the big defining question of Christianity, is “Who is willing to follow Jesus Christ?”  And, Jesus places that question before us today with a real sense of urgency. 

Today, Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”  In response, impetuous, impulsive Peter gets all excited and professes that Jesus is indeed the long-promised Messiah.  Jesus then begins to explain things to his disciples saying, “It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the elders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and after three days rise up alive.”  As soon as Peter hears this, he immediately backs away and rebukes Jesus.  Jesus’ words shatter the glamor of following this long-expected Messiah.  This is certainly not the kind of life Peter wants to undertake.  While Jesus seems to be the Messiah, the Jewish people had never expected a leader who must suffer and die.  That was simply ludicrous and irrational.  Who in their right mind chooses to “proceed to an ordeal of suffering” as Jesus says he is doing?  And, who in their right mind wants to follow a leader who is on his way to die? 

Well, Jesus continues to teach his disciples about what following him is really going to mean.  He says, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead.  You’re not in the driver’s seat, I am.  Don’t run from suffering, embrace it.  If any of you want to follow me, you must deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. Follow me and I’ll show you how.  Self-help is no help at all.  Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self.  What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you?  What could you ever trade your soul for?” 

Well, Jesus’ words did not go over well with Peter and quite honestly, they don’t go over well with us.  Most of us choose religion and come to believe important things deeply because we feel they are good for us.  And, we like a religion that makes us feel good.  We like a faith that fits our comfortable, recreational life styles.  We tend to like a faith in which we can participate when we choose to participate.  We want a faith that does not demand too much from us.  Furthermore, we want to follow a strong God who “heals our illnesses, provides ample prosperity, guarantees security, urges our sports teams onto victory, and generally keeps us happy, healthy and wise.” (David Lose)  So, when we hear what Jesus is saying, we too respond by thinking suffering is not appealing.  If anyone of us are offered a life of suffering versus a life free from suffering, you can be your bottom dollar we are going to go for the one that is pain free!  Yet, this is where we must get very honest about the Christian life.  First of all, nobody’s life is ever going to be pain free or free from suffering.  And, Christianity is not about living an easier life, living a life free from pain, or believing in a God we can turn to as our personal Santa Claus to help solve life’s problems and give us all we want. 

The point at which Jesus shares this teaching with his disciples is a pivot point in Mark’s telling of the Jesus story.  From this point on in Mark’s gospel, Jesus begins to show us how to die.  We have been given life and Jesus now demonstrates how we are to give it up and give it away.  I think for most of us, this is an idea that runs counter to all that we want to believe.  It really does seem irrational.  Yet, Jesus makes it absolutely clear that God does not care about giving us all of the things that make for creature comforts.  What God does care about are matters of the heart.  Jesus makes it clear that if you want to have a deeply meaningful life that truly matters, you are going to have to hand over your petty obsessions and mistaken priorities.  Quite frankly, following Jesus means living a very counter-cultural life and letting go of self, letting go of the intense narcissistic focus on self, a self-interest and focus that runs rampant in our culture.  You are going to have to think more about loving than being loved, more about working to understand than being understood, and more about forgiving than being forgiven.  I love the way Lutheran pastor, Peter Marty, describes our dilemma when asked to follow Jesus.  He writes:

Near as I can tell, we can try to safe-deposit-box our lives all we want and be very, very cautious about whom we even let into our lives.  But this is not commendable living.  In fact, according to Jesus, it’s downright dangerous living.  We’ll lose our soul if we’re not careful.  Living a life that really matters in the name of Jesus will not allow room for clutching or hoarding or playing it safe.  It asks instead for a less possessive way – a way that treats life more like a precious gift to be shared than a commodity to be stored up.

The life that has been packaged and continues to be packaged and sold to us in this culture is not real life and we need to die to those illusions if we want to live into the abundant life God wants for us.  Furthermore, the life of which Jesus speaks is not something we can buy or earn.  Like love and grace, it is all gift and can only be given away.  And, the deep truth Jesus is trying to tell us, a truth Bonhoeffer knew so well, is that only when you give your life away for the sake of others, only through serving, loving and caring for others, do you really discover life, life that truly matters.  When we are able to finally let go of the ego, the cult of self which is really the false self, that part of ourselves which believes we are in charge, or self-sufficient, then we finally begin to live life that truly matters. This dying to self is painful, but it allows us to be open to whole new vistas of abundant life.  When we are finally able to let go of self, to let go of our worry, to let go of our anxiety, to let go of our need to control, to let go of all that holds us captive and then really die to self, we discover that God is already in that place, walking with us and holding us in love.  It is then that we discover what the cross really means.  It is the cross that gives us life, life that truly matters.  And we discover the cross means loving and serving others as we are loved.

 As Jesus begins his relentless march to the cross, he challenges each one of us to follow.  Today, Jesus demands a decision from each one of us as he asks us, “Will you follow me where I am going?”   Will we follow this man to the place where he is going?  What will your decision be?

This is a special musical performance of Sing Out to God by the Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church of Okemos, Michigan.

This is a special musical performance of Sing Out to God by the Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church of Okemos, Michigan.

As many of you know, I have done considerable work with system thinking, specifically looking at family systems and the way in which they deeply shape our lives.  Each person is born into multiple systems – a family system, a social system, a cultural system, a system of customs, etc. The way we live together in community, our social class, the language we speak, and even our religion are all shaped by these systems.   These multiple systems also shape us as we grow, mature and live our daily lives.  The characteristics of these systems affect how one learns to think and behave at home, school, work, and in various social settings.  The manner in which we have been shaped affects how we interact and communicate and with people at any level.  And, quite honestly, it is hard to break free of the way we react to circumstances and situations, simply because of the way we have been shaped by these systems.  In fact, my coach once explained it to me this way.  She said, “When you are born into a system, it is as though you are born into a fast-moving current and you cannot change or break free from some of the systemic function unless you intentionally work to break away from that current.”  This is part of what it means to grow and change and become mature in life.  This is a very human aspect of living.  So, I find today’s gospel reading fascinating because the gospel writer tells us about a very human Jesus, a Jesus who moves beyond the dictates of custom, a system that had shaped him. 

For most of us, our image of Jesus was shaped by stories we learned in childhood and the pictures we have seen, pictures that were often used in children’s Bibles.  And, quite frankly, most of those pictures depict a calm, happy, inviting, yes even white Jesus – a Jesus who is never reactive and really does not display honest human emotions. However, if we take a realistic look at the gospels, we can begin to see a very different picture of Jesus.  In all four Gospels, we find stories where Jesus displays deeply human, even unlikable, characteristics.  There are times when he really seems annoyed with the stupidity of the disciples, and other times when he seems truly overwhelmed by the burden he is bearing.  There are stories where Jesus is reclusive, grumpy and even sarcastic.  And, today, we get one of those stories as we are given a glimpse of a very human Jesus.

In the chapters preceding today’s story, Jesus has been performing miracles.  He has fed the 5,000 and walked on water.  He has been healing the sick and demon-possessed, and there is no doubt he is seeking some much-needed rest.  So today, as he seeks respite, we find him heading into the region of Tyre and Sidon, land that is Gentile, pagan territory.  While there, he is noticed and approached by a Phoenician woman with connections to Syria.  And, her daughter is possessed by an unclean spirit.  She begs him to cure her daughter.  And, Jesus replies, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”

Whoa!!  Jesus rebuffs this woman and dismisses her with a blatant, ethnic slur.  You see, during Biblical times, the word “dog” was commonly used as a derogatory insult.  And, the Gentiles were so despised and considered so unclean, the Jewish people referred to them as “dogs.”   Anyway, Jesus’ response to this foreign woman does not stop there.  He also makes it clear that his own people, the Jews, should be fed first.  He is saying, it isn’t right to take food that is meant for the Jews and give it to dogs, the Gentiles. 

I have to say, this is probably not the image of Jesus we usually conjure up in our minds.  As theologian, David Lose, suggests:

We want to think of Jesus as full-bodied, perfect, and immutable from birth, kind of like Athena springing full-grown from the head of Zeus.  But if we are to take Mark’s narrative seriously, never mind the incarnational and creedal affirmation that Jesus is fully human as well as fully divine, then perhaps we should not be surprised to see a development in Jesus’ own recognition of God’s vision for the world.  After all, the profoundly expansive notion of a kingdom that included everyone – no exceptions! – was completely and totally novel.  And, truthfully, it still is!

  Well, what is so amazing about this story is that this woman does not back down.  She does not become defensive and, instead of being offended or discouraged, she presses on.  She has a sick daughter and she wants healing for her daughter.  So, this culturally unconventional woman who is breaking all kinds of rules by coming to Jesus in the first place, uses Jesus’ own words against him and bests him in this argument saying, “Fine, you can call me a dog, but even dogs get crumbs that fall from the table.”  This Gentile woman is the only person in scripture who wins an argument with Jesus!   I want to say to her “You go girl!” and cheer her on.

The truth of the matter is, this Gentile woman teaches Jesus, a Jewish man who had been totally immersed in and shaped by the systemic dictates of Jewish custom.  Driven by something more powerful than protocol, this courageous, prophetic, Syrophoenician woman confronts Jesus, and he has a “conversion” experience.  This woman of great faith changes Jesus, and he responds by intentionally leaving the strong current of custom dictated by Jewish socialization.  This woman’s action helps to open Jesus up for ministry to the Gentiles.  Impressed by the woman’s courage and faith, Jesus responds saying, “You’re right!  On your way. Your daughter is no longer disturbed.  The demonic affliction is gone.” (The Message)

This Gentile woman’s action does something else which is remarkable.  She crosses the Jewish/Gentile boundary, a barrier established by human beings, a boundary created to separate and discriminate.  The barrier that had been created to divide people into categories of “us” and “them” has been called into question.  This foreign woman draws for Jesus a bigger picture of who God is!   And, the good news that is embodied in Jesus now becomes good news that has the world as its focus.  Jesus actually receives strength from this woman whose faith changes him as he is forced to live into a broader understanding of his mission and ministry. 

The broadening of the heart and mind to include the “others” in life is one of the most difficult psychological maneuvers there is.  I find this to be a challenge we face each and every day.  Far too often, we want to build walls to keep the “others” out.  We work to exclude the “others” in our lives, whether it is within our family structures, our communities, or even within our nation.  And, we tend to project what we don’t like in ourselves on to the “other.”  We tend to see the “other” as less than us, not as fully human, sometimes not even as loved by God.  In today’s reading, it is a woman who is considered and labeled “other” who helps Jesus grasp that in God the barriers are broken down.  In God things are turned inside out and upside down.  In God, no human beings are labeled as “dogs,” only children.  All are considered God’s children.

Scripture really does paint a very different picture of Jesus than the one we so often conjure up in our minds.  Today, we see Jesus in his full humanity, a person who, like us, has been shaped by systems into which even he was born.  But, we also get a glimpse of a Jesus who is vulnerable and open to being changed.  And, it is in his full humanity that we discover what divinity is all about.  It is in Jesus’ full humanity that we discover the God who loves and welcomes all!

As many of you know, I have done considerable work with system thinking, specifically looking at family systems and the way in which they deeply shape our lives.  Each person is born into multiple systems – a family system, a social system, a cultural system, a system of customs, etc. The way we live together in community, our social class, the language we speak, and even our religion are all shaped by these systems.   These multiple systems also shape us as we grow, mature and live our daily lives.  The characteristics of these systems affect how one learns to think and behave at home, school, work, and in various social settings.  The manner in which we have been shaped affects how we interact and communicate and with people at any level.  And, quite honestly, it is hard to break free of the way we react to circumstances and situations, simply because of the way we have been shaped by these systems.  In fact, my coach once explained it to me this way.  She said, “When you are born into a system, it is as though you are born into a fast-moving current and you cannot change or break free from some of the systemic function unless you intentionally work to break away from that current.”  This is part of what it means to grow and change and become mature in life.  This is a very human aspect of living.  So, I find today’s gospel reading fascinating because the gospel writer tells us about a very human Jesus, a Jesus who moves beyond the dictates of custom, a system that had shaped him. 

For most of us, our image of Jesus was shaped by stories we learned in childhood and the pictures we have seen, pictures that were often used in children’s Bibles.  And, quite frankly, most of those pictures depict a calm, happy, inviting, yes even white Jesus – a Jesus who is never reactive and really does not display honest human emotions. However, if we take a realistic look at the gospels, we can begin to see a very different picture of Jesus.  In all four Gospels, we find stories where Jesus displays deeply human, even unlikable, characteristics.  There are times when he really seems annoyed with the stupidity of the disciples, and other times when he seems truly overwhelmed by the burden he is bearing.  There are stories where Jesus is reclusive, grumpy and even sarcastic.  And, today, we get one of those stories as we are given a glimpse of a very human Jesus.

In the chapters preceding today’s story, Jesus has been performing miracles.  He has fed the 5,000 and walked on water.  He has been healing the sick and demon-possessed, and there is no doubt he is seeking some much-needed rest.  So today, as he seeks respite, we find him heading into the region of Tyre and Sidon, land that is Gentile, pagan territory.  While there, he is noticed and approached by a Phoenician woman with connections to Syria.  And, her daughter is possessed by an unclean spirit.  She begs him to cure her daughter.  And, Jesus replies, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”

Whoa!!  Jesus rebuffs this woman and dismisses her with a blatant, ethnic slur.  You see, during Biblical times, the word “dog” was commonly used as a derogatory insult.  And, the Gentiles were so despised and considered so unclean, the Jewish people referred to them as “dogs.”   Anyway, Jesus’ response to this foreign woman does not stop there.  He also makes it clear that his own people, the Jews, should be fed first.  He is saying, it isn’t right to take food that is meant for the Jews and give it to dogs, the Gentiles. 

I have to say, this is probably not the image of Jesus we usually conjure up in our minds.  As theologian, David Lose, suggests:

We want to think of Jesus as full-bodied, perfect, and immutable from birth, kind of like Athena springing full-grown from the head of Zeus.  But if we are to take Mark’s narrative seriously, never mind the incarnational and creedal affirmation that Jesus is fully human as well as fully divine, then perhaps we should not be surprised to see a development in Jesus’ own recognition of God’s vision for the world.  After all, the profoundly expansive notion of a kingdom that included everyone – no exceptions! – was completely and totally novel.  And, truthfully, it still is!

  Well, what is so amazing about this story is that this woman does not back down.  She does not become defensive and, instead of being offended or discouraged, she presses on.  She has a sick daughter and she wants healing for her daughter.  So, this culturally unconventional woman who is breaking all kinds of rules by coming to Jesus in the first place, uses Jesus’ own words against him and bests him in this argument saying, “Fine, you can call me a dog, but even dogs get crumbs that fall from the table.”  This Gentile woman is the only person in scripture who wins an argument with Jesus!   I want to say to her “You go girl!” and cheer her on.

The truth of the matter is, this Gentile woman teaches Jesus, a Jewish man who had been totally immersed in and shaped by the systemic dictates of Jewish custom.  Driven by something more powerful than protocol, this courageous, prophetic, Syrophoenician woman confronts Jesus, and he has a “conversion” experience.  This woman of great faith changes Jesus, and he responds by intentionally leaving the strong current of custom dictated by Jewish socialization.  This woman’s action helps to open Jesus up for ministry to the Gentiles.  Impressed by the woman’s courage and faith, Jesus responds saying, “You’re right!  On your way. Your daughter is no longer disturbed.  The demonic affliction is gone.” (The Message)

This Gentile woman’s action does something else which is remarkable.  She crosses the Jewish/Gentile boundary, a barrier established by human beings, a boundary created to separate and discriminate.  The barrier that had been created to divide people into categories of “us” and “them” has been called into question.  This foreign woman draws for Jesus a bigger picture of who God is!   And, the good news that is embodied in Jesus now becomes good news that has the world as its focus.  Jesus actually receives strength from this woman whose faith changes him as he is forced to live into a broader understanding of his mission and ministry. 

The broadening of the heart and mind to include the “others” in life is one of the most difficult psychological maneuvers there is.  I find this to be a challenge we face each and every day.  Far too often, we want to build walls to keep the “others” out.  We work to exclude the “others” in our lives, whether it is within our family structures, our communities, or even within our nation.  And, we tend to project what we don’t like in ourselves on to the “other.”  We tend to see the “other” as less than us, not as fully human, sometimes not even as loved by God.  In today’s reading, it is a woman who is considered and labeled “other” who helps Jesus grasp that in God the barriers are broken down.  In God things are turned inside out and upside down.  In God, no human beings are labeled as “dogs,” only children.  All are considered God’s children.

Scripture really does paint a very different picture of Jesus than the one we so often conjure up in our minds.  Today, we see Jesus in his full humanity, a person who, like us, has been shaped by systems into which even he was born.  But, we also get a glimpse of a Jesus who is vulnerable and open to being changed.  And, it is in his full humanity that we discover what divinity is all about.  It is in Jesus’ full humanity that we discover the God who loves and welcomes all!

This is a special musical performance of Every Time I Feel The Spirit by Emily Brown, Tammy Heilman and Deb Borton-McDonough at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

This is a special musical performance of Every Time I Feel The Spirit by Emily Brown, Tammy Heilman and Deb Borton-McDonough at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

As I think back to the years when my kids were growing up, I remember late afternoons and evenings when they would sit at the kitchen table doing their homework.   I would frequently sit with them as they worked, attempting to encourage them and help as necessary.  I clearly remember times when they would be working on something rather challenging, when they would not quite understand how to do something, when they just seemed not to be getting it.  At those times, they would often get frustrated and exclaim, “This is soooo hard!”   They just wanted to give up.  Well, today, we find something similar in our gospel reading.  The people are gathered together, listening to Jesus as he teaches in the synagogue.  And, when he is done, a bunch of his followers come to him and say, “Jesus, this teaching is soooo hard!” 

This is the last week of five in which we hear about Jesus as the bread of life.  Jesus has been telling the people this meal he offers them doesn’t come from the fields or the sea, but from his very own body.  Jesus says to them that those who eat his flesh and drink his blood will abide in him and he will abide in them, and that whoever does this will live forever.  The crowd, now referred to as disciples, say to themselves, “This teaching is so difficult; it is so hard.  Who can accept it?”  

Now, it is important to understand that the English translation giving us the word “difficult,” doesn’t quite get at what the Greek word really means.  In the Greek, the word means “hard”, as in solid and dense, something that would leave a bruise if it hit you in the arm.  So, what the crowd is saying is that this teaching is like banging your head against a brick wall.  It’s so hard.  You can’t quite break through it.  You can’t understand it.   They are saying, “This is craziness! This is insane.  This doesn’t make any sense.”  But does Jesus slow down? Make it softer? Does he explain any of it?  No.  Jesus ramps the sermon up a bit, saying, "Oh, I'm sorry, does this offend you?  Well, if this offends you, what if you see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?  It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. But among you, there are some who don’t believe.”  I have to ask – does anyone understand what Jesus is talking about?   These followers don’t.  And so, not surprisingly, they leave. 

Well, again, the followers who walk off on the spot are so like us. 

You see, when things start to lose their meaning, or you don’t really feel like you understand, it is pretty tempting to just leave, isn’t it?  And, as I think about the church in today’s culture, I think we church people often speak in a language people don’t understand.  For many people, church just doesn’t seem to make any difference.  In light of all the other things going in our culture and world that do impact people’s lives, many today wonder why they should continue to go to church.  So, they quit.

How do you respond to that?  Does the church still have significance in your life?  Does the church speak a language you feel you can understand, or not so much?  I mean we use phrases to talk about Jesus like, “eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being of the Father.” We talk about resurrection from the dead and power through death, the Holy Spirit, forgiveness, loving your enemies, redemption and overwhelming grace.  Some days, it seems like the things we say within these four walls are probably as clear as mud to many people.

When we look again at today’s gospel reading, notice what Jesus does when the people leave.  Nothing.  He doesn’t do anything.   Why?  Why not just try to make it easier to understand?  Why doesn’t Jesus give the people what they want?  Isn’t that what most churches would do if put in a similar situation? If people are leaving a church in droves, many churches try to spice up the worship with a guitar and drum set.  Some try to make the sermons more interactive with a screen and cool videos.  But Jesus… he just lets them leave, without a word.  Now, I don’t know about you, but there is something about this that speaks volumes about love to me.  To be given the freedom to walk away.  To be given a choice.  To be told, “You can stay, or you can leave. It’s up to you.  I won’t force you either way.”  That response just seems to display a whole lot of love.

Well, when these followers leave, we then get one of the saddest lines in all of Scripture…Jesus looks at the twelve remaining disciples, and he says, “Do you wish to go away too?”  Anyone who has ever been abandoned by their friends or their colleagues, anyone who has suddenly found themselves isolated and alone, knows what Jesus might be feeling in the depth of his heart – a sense of grief and maybe even fear in this very moment.  “Do you wish to go away too?” he asks his friends.  Peter then responds with this beautiful line, a line that we sing every Sunday in our liturgy, just before we hear the gospel proclaimed.  Peter declares, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.”  Yes, Peter asks, “To whom can we go?”  And, the twelve disciples stay with Jesus.

Now, on the surface, this line from Peter sounds like a confident statement of faith.  But, there is part of me that hears in it exhaustion as well.  These disciples have left everything behind, their families and jobs and friends.  And now that the crowd has left…where else are they to go?  Might as well just keep following Jesus.

Now, I don’t know why you are here today. But I do know this whole faith thing isn’t always easy.  In fact, I must honestly say that, in our present culture, there are times when this life of faith seems increasingly hard.  It is a very counter-cultural way of living.  At times, it can seem exhausting.  At times, it can seem soooo hard.

But where else can we go?  Where else can we at least join together in the struggle and contemplate the mystery of this life and the mystery of faith?  And that’s just it. It is something we do together.  Notice that Peter didn’t say, “Lord, to whom can I go?”  No, he said, “Lord, to whom can we go.”  When Peter responds with these words, it is truly a significant point in the Gospel of John.   It is the first time that Jesus’ closest disciples are named “the twelve.”  Their decision not to turn away but to walk forward with Christ draws them together as a community of faith. It is not any particular creed, mission statement, style of worship, or service program that unites them as the body of Christ.  It is their professed willingness to walk together following Jesus Christ that renders them a community of faith.  You see, this life of faith is not something we do on our own.  We do it together and we go together!  It is something we share together as we live together in relationship.  And when it is shared, we – together - make up the body of Christ.

Jesus, the true Word of God stands here in our midst, in the midst of all the challenges of life and the challenges of the living of these days, pointing us to life and life abundant.  Quite honestly, running away from the challenges of life, running only to self, living for self, really leads to empty satisfaction.  On the other hand, I must truthfully say this life of faith is counter-intuitive.  It is counter-intuitive, because the words of eternal life which Jesus gives to us, tell us that we must die, and that is so hard.  But, we must die to self and live to Christ, because it is at the foot of the cross that we gather.  It is at the foot of the cross where God is faithful, where Christ is present with us, and where, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are one in Christ. 

So, in times of uncertainty and challenge, at times when we do not understand, at times when there is a temptation to leave because things seem soooo hard, may we look again to Christ and not ourselves.  Like the twelve disciples, we will find there what has always been – the good news of Jesus Christ, the Holy One of God.  We will find Jesus, the bread of life, the one with the words of eternal life.  To whom else can we go?