Facing the Man in the Mirror or Off with His Head - Mark 6:14-29

This is a message I gave at Spirit Garage on July 12, 2009. The scripture is the story of the Beheading of John the Baptist. I address Responsible Power - Speaking the Truth to Ourselves. Songs sung that morning included: "What I've Done" by Linkin Park and "Come On Up to the House" by Tom Waits. Gotta admit my old Evangelical United Brethren roots are showing. :)

Herod was a haunted man. When Jesus’ fame began to spread throughout the land, people compared him to all the great prophets. But for Herod, Jesus was the mistake that haunted him and some say, cursed him, the rest of his life. He thought Jesus was John the Baptist return from the dead.

Now it’s important to understand the deep dysfunction of Herod’s family, to understand the paradox of a man like him caring enough to be haunted by one man’s death at all. Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great who was a very cruel, insecure ruler. Herod the Great is the one who ordered the death of all the children under the age of 2 years in Bethlehem when Jesus was born. It was a popular saying in his time, “It was better to be Herod’s pigs than his sons.” As a Jew, Herod would not eat his pigs, but he did kill most of his sons if they threatened his rule in any way. The few who were left, including Philip and Herod Antipas, were all conniving, sniveling, people-pleasing, weak rulers who were bent on not only robbing the scraps from Rome but from each other.

Herod Antipas was married to an Arabian princess. When he went to visit his half-brother, Philip, in Rome he seduced Philip’s wife Herodias. Herodias was the niece of Philip and Herod Antipas. Her father was their half-brother, whom Herod the Great had assassinated. Herodias agreed to leave her husband, take her daughter Salome, and move in with Herod Antipas. Herod Antipas made the plan to divorce his wife when he returned. His wife found out and told him she was going on a holiday, which was really an escape back to her father’s kingdom where she told daddy what her husband had done. This made the Arabian king very mad and so he saw this as an opportunity to resolve some of the border issues he’d been having with Herod anyway. Eventually a war occurred between the two territories and Herod lost badly. This is where the curse of John the Baptist comes into play. It was popular folklore that the defeat of Herod was retribution for the meaningless beheading of John the Baptist.

So why did Herod imprison John the Baptist in the first place? By shaming the king with the truth about his affair with Herodias, who was both his sister-in-law and niece, John inadvertently aligned himself with Herod’s enemy, the Arabian king. Imprisoning John was a political move to shut him up before he riled up the masses. On the other hand, Herodias took things more personally. She felt the best way to shut up a prophet is to cut off his head but she couldn’t because Herod liked John and protected him. Maybe he did this because John’s honest truth-telling was a virtue Herod never knew and lacked the character to possess. It perplexed him.

If this story isn’t twisted enough, in dances the young step-daughter who gives a “pleasing” performance on Herod’s birthday. Historical records say the girls’ name is Salome and she was probably14years old or younger at this time, so it is hard to say how provocative this dance really was. Nonetheless for a princess to perform a public dance was quite unheard of. When Herod promises her anything she wants, even half his kingdom he is blowing his ego up a bit. Herod didn’t really have that kind of power to give because he was a symbolic puppet ruler for Rome. To give half your kingdom was a figurative saying that was used another time in the Bible. The biblical book of Esther tells of another royal banquet, a drunken king making a vow to a beautiful young woman, promising her up to half his kingdom. Beautiful Esther uses this opportunity to save her people and stop the acting out of a decree to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews. On the other hand, Salome runs to her mother who uses the opportunity to harm John the Baptist and please her appetite for revenge, a dish best served cold and on a platter. I imagine a little girl in awe of this royal banquet, with vulgar sweetness, skipping with excitement and her own embellishments to pronounce “I want the head of John the Baptist, on a platter.” I wonder how she responded when she was handed the head on a platter. Did this image haunt her like it haunted her step-father?

The topic for this morning is responsible power. Power is the ability to effect change or exert control over either things or people, subjects or objects. Herod is haunted by his exertion of power to destroy John. John is a prophet which means truth-teller. He told the truth to power and lost his head. What do we lose or gain when we speak the truth? Next week, Pastor Rob will address responsible power in relationship to society and justice. But I feel one cannot speak the truth to power socially until one has faced their internal power. I’m talking about facing the man in the mirror.

I was watching a news show this week that interviewed a psychologist with a theory about Michael Jackson’s numerous plastic surgeries. A photo of Michael Jackson when he was younger was aged and the result was the spitting image of his father, who had been quite abusive and pushed his career. The psychologist posed that when MJ looked in the mirror he saw his father and hated the image in the mirror so much, he wanted to change what he saw literally. When you look in the mirror, what truth about yourself, what weakness, what hidden fault do you want to erase from sight?

Who wants to face their own ugliness? Who wants to admit the messes they’ve made? We have the power of choice and like Esther or Salome; we can choose that which helps or that which harms ourselves and others. It is overwhelming to admit we are a mess and it can feel that no one, let alone God, will want us if they knew the truth. We set impossibly frustrating expectations to get our acts cleaned up and to stop feeling like “damaged goods” before receiving the love intended for us. When we’re good “God material” then we’ll get spiritual. This usually leads to quiet hopelessness and practices to drown out the nagging feeling we’re missing something with alcohol or work or responsibilities. On top of that we can manipulate the truth into unrecognizable creations, like Michael Jackson’s face, but in the end it’s still you and until you accept yourself and your mistakes as forgivable, let alone lovable, you will live as a victim of self-imposed crucifixion. Get down off that cross and use that wood for some good. There is no shame and humiliation greater than the cross of Jesus. It’s all been done for you. You don’t need to crucify yourself or become your own personal savior. Stop waiting to get pretty for God. Jesus is attracted to the unattractive.

Here’s more good news, we are forgiven then we can repent. Repentance literally means “turn around,” or “walk a new path.” In the Roman Empire, when an emperor died and a new one took his place, the word went out to all the Roman legions “Repent and believe in the new emperor!” The Gospel writers utilized this popular saying to mean “turn from the path you are on and align yourself with God!” (Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 7-5-2009) Repentance is a transformative choice about where you will invest your energy and focus in life.

Forgiveness enabling repentance is one of the great paradoxes of our faith. The honesty of facing the truth about yourself leaves you vulnerable, needy and exposed. You are loved and embraced in that moment. You are forgivable. You don’t have to wait to clean up the damage before you come to God because God’s here already and knows full well what you’ve done. You have the power wallow in what you’ve done or make a change. So, come on up to the house and join the holy truth-tellers party. We’re a raucous bunch and can sometimes lose our heads, but everyone’s welcome.

Give Her Something To Eat

Sermon based on Lamentations 3:22, Psalm 30, & Mark 5:21-43.

Today's readings speak to the presence of God in our experiences of change and crises. Lamentations assures us that God has unbreakable devotion. Lamentations 3:22 says "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end." The word for "mercy" is based on the Hebrew word for "womb." The poet is conferring an image of God's love and mercy being so devout and connected to us it is like the unique love shared by a woman and her child int he womb. In deepest despair, crises, and confusion, God is fully present. God is eager to lead us toward wholeness and renewed hope in the midst of our grief. There is an assurance to keep the faith despite the drear of reality.

But our message goes beyond divine assurance. Psalm 30 also says God is present in our joy and in our trouble. Then, it leads us a step further from God's assurance to our response of gratitude. Theologian Walter Bruggemann proposes a cycle of orientation, disorientation, and new orientation in the psalm (The Message of the Psalms: A Theological Commentary, Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1984, p127).
Psalm 30 illustrates an orientation of having confidence in human achievement that is trashed by troubles and crises causing disorientation, followed by a new orientation of gratitude for being delivered from that state of unrest. Listen for this cycle in verse 6, 7, 11, and 12.

6While I felt secure, I said, "I shall never be disturbed. You LORD, with your favor, made me as strong as the mountains." 7Then you hid your face, and I was filled with fear...11You have turned my wailing into dancing; you have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with you. 12Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

Divine assurance and the cycle of orientation, disorientation, and new orientation are the formula that makes the backdrop for today's Gospel story in Mark 5:21-43. Here we meet characters of desperation reaching out for their last chance, named Jesus. Jairus had to be desperate. He was a leader in the synagogue, a well-respected man, whose peers most likely considered Jesus to be at least, an irritant, at most, an enemy. Why did he go to ask for Jesus' help in person, at risk of missing his precious daughter's last moments? Was it because his friends wouldn't help him in this crazy plot? It was common for children to die yound during ancient times, therefore parents tried not to form a great emotional attachment to their children. What sort of man was Jairus that he would risk political suicide to save his child, who was of all things a daughter during a time when sons were valued more? Can you imagine the anguish, the fear, the swallowing of pride he must have experienced to take this leap of faith and trust a strange healer named Jesus? Yet he did take that leap of faith and Jesus followed him to his home with a huge crowd of paprazzi swallowing in on him.

In the midst of the crowd is another character of desperation, the woman who had hemorrhaged for 12 years, the entire lifetime of Jairus' dying daughter. In Jewish tradition blood represents life. To touch the bleeding or the dead was to make one's self unclean. Therefore, this woman had lived a life of isolation and taboo. She was an outsider who broke good order by entering the crowd and touching Jesus' clothes. She disoriented the way things are supposed to be and interrupted the mission. In a sense, we are not unlike this woman. Many of us feel like the life is bleeding out of us due to being overcommitted, having our priorities in chaos, and living off fumes of energy because we haven't the time to refuel. She was losing her life every day. She tried everything she could think of to cure herself but nothing worked. It was in her state of total disorientation and desperation that she reached out and received healing. Yet Jesus did not let this transformation go unnoticed. He stopped. He gave her recognition and acknowledgement. He gave her new life. What would happen if we stopped and surrendered the things that are draining our lives? What new orientation toward life might be possible with Christ?

But maybe your life isn't oozing out of you. Maybe you are desperate because the one's you love are making life choices that are killing their spirits. Maybe you are more like Jairus, the desperate father. Can you imagine how frieghtened and impatient he must feel at this moment? Who is this Jesus? How dare he stop for an outcast woman when I need him now? Talk about a terrible political move. I doubt Jairus felt much favor for Jesus, especially when he hears his daughter is dead. His friends try to talk him out of this crazy idea telling him it's too late. But Jesus disregards this news. In fact his reaction to the news is like a line from the gospel tune, "God may not come when you call him, but he'll be there right on time!" Jesus disregards all common sense and does the non-sensical. He tells the mourners that the child is sleeping and kicks everybody out but the parents and three disciples. Such actions would earn me an "F" in pastoral care.

I am amazed by how God won't fit into our boxes of who God is and how God should behave. Jesus is a religious leader, prohibited from touching the dead, yet he taks the girl's hand and tells her to get up. Then she does just that. She arises to a new life. Think about it, no matter how dead you may feel to your life, to your faith, to your community, God is willing to reach out and touch you, with no regard to how untouchable, unworthy, or unloved you may feel. In fact if I were to create a bumper sticker for the book of Mark it would read, "I love you, whether you like it or not. - God"

With all the joy of new life and healing you would think this is the end of the story, but it is the last verse which encapsulated the third point of today's lesson in the experience of God during times of change and crises. After Jesus makes everyone swear not to talk about what has happened, probably because it was not time yet, he requests food for the girl. "Give her something to eat."

For some reason, that statement felt a bit odd. Some commentators say it was made to prove she really was alive and not a spirit because spirits can't eat. Others say eating with the family marked the girl's re-incorporation into her family and the community. But I have my own theory. Being fed is what comes next in the experience of healing and renewed life. We need to be nourished as we live in the assurance of God's steadfast love and live out the cycles of change. Our nourishment can come through connecting with community, prayer, worship, and service to others. To be fed is to live out the life of one who is loved and marked as a child of God.

So here is your bumper sticker for the day: God loves you, whether you like it or not, so now act like it.

Living a Weed Life

Here is a message I wrote for supply preaching I'm providing. Never thought much about weeds.

Over the years I have heard the stories of Jesus' parables, like Mark 4:30-32, and thought nothing of them. However, I am aware that a parable is a teaching tool that presents a dilemma to grapple with. They are supposed to make us squirm and have shock value. So I am perplexed as to what is disturbing about the kingdom of God being like planting a tiny mustard seed that grows into a great bush, which shelters the birds of the air. That's not shocking. Obviously this text lacks relevance to a postmodern world. Or does it?

Did you know that the mustard bush was considered an out-of-control, pungent weed one would never intentionally plant? In fact, according to ancient Greek and Jewish gardening manuals, mustard was to be kept separate from other plants because it took over the garden. It was a common plant that could grow to a height of six feet or more. Mustard is an aggressive, undesirable weed. It takes over where it is not wanted, gets out of control, and attracts birds into areas being cultivated for particular crops farmers didn't want the birds eating up. So Jesus is saying that God's rule is like an idiot planting a weed that is invasive, impossible to remove, prolific beyond measure, taking over where it is not wanted and providing a home for pesky birds. In other words, the Kingdom of God is like a lawn of dandelions and crab grass. So, now are you feeling some parabolic shock?

Someone once said a weed is just a flower that is a victim of prejudice. Well yes, weeds are plants, and usually a plant that is growing eagerly with great ease in a place it is not supposed to be in. It is out of good order. I remember an example of this from walking the bean fields when I was a kid, hoeing weeds. I remember pulling corn stalks that were the previous year's crop in the current bean field. It always struck me as funny that one year's crop was next year's weed. Maybe weeds are just a matter of perspective.

From what I've come to know about God's ways, being asked to live a weed's life makes perfect sense. God is an extravagant giver of grace and love to those who don't earn it or deserve it. God repeatedly chooses the youngest, the weakest, and the lowest to become the greatest of leaders and prophets. There are stories upon stories in the Bible of God thinking outside the expected God box. Again and again, as we expect God to be remote, dignified, rational and predictable, we get the wild, extravagant, uncontrollable experience of a personal creator, radical savior, and irrational spirit.

God won't fit in our box of judgments and predictabilities and that is an unsettling thought. Deep down there is an innate fear of letting go of the control we suppose ourselves to have. The truth, we try to plan and plant a perfect garden life, but we can't control the frost or drought or rabbits from invading and disrupting our perfect plans. Nor do we win the battle against those invasive weeds with plans of their own. Could it be that living life in God's rule means we don't have control over how perfect our life is going to look to the rest of the world? It may mean looking like a weed, a cornstalk in a field of beans.

Another aspect of this parable's challenge for us and our control is the common interpretation that it is about smallness, in little steps and small hopes progressing on a path that leads to greatness. This parable is a testimony to the power of our focus and faith. Just as this is a testimony to the power of God's rule in our lives it can be a testimony to that which we would be more apt to call weeds, the things that choke us and suffocate our ability to love and live life abundantly. What small, insignificant thing are you focusing on and putting your faith in?

When we worry and fill our minds and hearts with anxiety, frustration, and fear of failure, we open ourselves to be changed in ways that hold us back and keep us from experiencing the abundant grace God offers. Now imagine making one very tiny attempt to pray about your fear, to plant a seed of hope even though all looks absolutely hopeless and you're not really sure you believe anything good could possibly come of your bad. It's just a tiny seed of a weed covered by cemented perfectionism, estrangement from God, loneliness, addiction, grief, or worry. Then let it be and see that hopeful weed find its way to grow through the tiniest of cracks. It is uncontrolled growth, passion beyond common sense, invasive love and grace for you and for me. It's a personal Creator who sees the pain of her creation and pays the debt himself. Imagine a tiny seed of faith leaving a pile of broken cement at the foot of a cross.

I know it is shocking to think of God's rule being like a weed. The traditional thought is found in our text from Ezekiel this morning. The Kingdom of God is like a mighty cedar tree. Isn't that more what we expect? We want a strong, tall, mighty God life to depend on. But here's a thought. How do you get rid of a cedar tree? You cut it down. The cedar is easy to fall and they never re-grow from the stump. Now how do you get rid of a weed? Yes, a shot of Weed-be-Gone works for a year, but what about the next year? There's always another weed. They just keep coming back.

You know that actually gives me comfort. Jesus may not be offering a l ife of mighty power and greatness like the cedar, but he is offering a life that lasts and keeps coming back no matter what we do to keep God out. Always there is a God of forgiveness, love, shelter and shade when we tire of our weary lives. So when you feel willing to surrender and take a rest from being in control, consider these words of assurance, "Come all ye who are weary and I shall give you rest. Oh and by the way, I'm not going away."

Not Justus...Acts 1:15-17; 21-26

This week was reality TV competitions’ season finales. I was a fan of American Idol and enjoyed Tuesday’s singing dual between Adam Lambert the glam rocker and Chris Allen the acoustic rocker. America voted and Adam is NOT the next American Idol.

In the scripture today we hear a story about the disciple’s reality competition for who would be the next 12th disciple. Prior to this moment Judas, of the original 12, had betrayed Jesus and was now dead. Jesus had risen and had stayed with all the disciples, men and women not just the 12, for forty days to help them understand “by many convincing proofs” that he was alive, real, and death could not hold him. At the end of the 40 days Luke tells us of his Ascension, that he is lifted up to the heavens. At that time, Jesus provides his followers with reassurance: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses…to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Ten days later the Spirit descends from the heavens on Pentecost and anoints the disciples.

Sandwiched between these two mountain top experiences is a little church administrative business that needed taking care of. As a church administrative worker I get an extra kick out of this. You see there really is value in having good order and preparation for the future. Or at least Peter thought so. Peter steps up to remind all those gathered that they had to fill a gap and add an apostle to bring them back to the number 12, which was reflective of the 12 tribes of Israel. The candidates were required to not only be followers of Jesus, but to have been with him from the beginning of his public ministry, starting from John’s baptism right up to the recent Ascension. Amid the 120 gathered, two candidates were chosen. Verse 23 sets us up a bit to expect the election of Joseph called Barsabbas, called Justus and not Matthias because he seems to be the one better known and certainly chummier with folks. He had a nickname, like many of the 11 disciples did. Nonetheless, both were qualified, impassioned, and knew God’s purpose in their lives – to share the story of Jesus and the difference it made in their lives and the lives of others. So with prayers for God’s will to be done, for the great heart-knower to select the one who would replace Judas, Justus’ and Matthias’ names were carved in stone, placed in a container and shaken until one stone fell out. “And the lot fell on Matthias.” (Acts 1:26)

Somehow that sounds more ominous than being crowned the next American Idol. Not much is known about Matthias. There are speculations that he was a missionary to the Ethiopians, others that he stayed in Jerusalem witnessing to the power of the resurrected Christ in obviously quiet ways for we never hear another word about him again.

Nor do we ever hear about Justus again. No not JUSTICE, but JUSTUS. Here is an individual who had been there from the beginning. With all those nicknames he was probably a likeable fellow. Did he long to be part of the inner circle after all those years and trials? Of course he did. Anyone with his passion and devotion would have. But the lot was cast against him. That’s rough. It’s one thing to come in second when America votes, imagine being the one God didn’t choose. Have you ever done the work but not gotten what you thought you deserved. Or just had the odds against you? Your company lays off five people and you’re one of the five. You interview for a job and make it to the top two and are not chosen. After all the work, preparation, high hopes, the disappointment is mind-boggling. Justus may have had any of our very human responses to disappointment because Justus was “just us,” all of us who have thought they were on the right path only to have everything change and wondered “what’s up with that?”. He could have felt hurt, become critical, or let his pride hold him back from living out his passion to witness and minister. Because we never hear another word about Justus, and Luke was known to report the flaws of Christ’s followers, I’m guessing he didn’t behave badly. Maybe he just bounced back, giving Matthias a big hug and saying “I’ll support you in every way, brother.” Whether Justus had a new title and became part of the elite 12 or not, he still knew who he was and what God had placed in his heart to do. With or without a title, Justus would be a disciple of Jesus Christ and a witness to a life-changing story. He was a servant of God.

I thought about that idea of knowing your heart’s desire and making the decision to act upon it when I was watching American Idol. At the beginning of the season you encounter plenty of contestants who are, shall we say misdirected. As the season comes to a close you can discern that whether a finalist won Idol or not, they each knew they were musicians and entertainers and would keep being that with or without a title. Yet discerning our path in life is not always so clear. We use the best decision-making process we know when discerning our purpose in life and why we are here. Often times it is much later before we see the hand of God at work in matters. In Acts 1:24 the disciples pray “You Lord, who know the hearts of all…” Cardiognostis is the Greek word to be exact. It means “heart-knower.” They set an example for us when seeking to understand the desires of our hearts, the direction or next steps for our lives. They prayed to the great “heart-knower.” Yet, God just doesn’t whisper in your ear, not even for the 11 disciples of Christ and they were pretty tight with the Father. We don’t always know at that moment whether God is in what we’re doing or what we decide. As I read about this story in Acts I discovered an ongoing argument about whether the disciple’s made the right choice in their decision-making process for seeking a 12th disciple. Some say the disciples chose Matthias, but God chose Paul, the last guy in the world to be considered for the position. Maybe that’s why we never hear another word about Matthias. He was no Paul. The disciples did the best they could in discerning God’s will, just as we do. We choose, we decide, and we act and we do so in confidence.

Yes, bold decision-making is a funny thing about being a follower of God. You see, we can pray and pray for God’s specific will to be known, and sometimes have our prayers answered, and sometimes not know with any certainty what path to take. But as Martin Luther advised, we will have to choose boldly our path, knowing that God’s forgiving love will sustain us in the midst of our messy lives and our many decisions. Our bad decisions do not separate us from God.

It’s hard to know the will of God, to be certain we are on the right path, to understand the desires of our hearts being unfulfilled and the work we do going unrewarded. Take action anyway, make decisions anyway for the great heart-knower is listening. Every act made in faith to love God and your neighbor, every decision made in rest, reflection, and prayer is cast in the framework of God’s will with the promise of Christ’s compassion.

No Word for Goodbye

Thursday, January 29
I began today with a small group determined to finish our projects at the worksite. I am quite sore from laying flooring, but satisfied with the results. Our guest for lunch was Pinky Clifford, a store owner who has followed her passion and hope in providing native housing through Partnership for Housing. http://friendsofpineridgereservation.org/organizations/OST-Partnership-for-Housing-Inc.shtml
Her energy and hope was inspiring.

A couple classmates and I walked to a Native owned gas station for ice cream and then to Higher Ground for some good coffee. Somehow the afternoon passed by and it was time for Children's hour. It was sad to realize we wouldn't see these kids again. They grew on us, what can I say.

The evening included dinner with Asa and Tresita Wilson and a closing communion service. Asa shared that there is no word for "goodbye" in Lakota. The closest word means "until we meet again or I will see you again." I have an idea this is not an end of my visits to Pine Ridge, but rather a beginning of future meeting again.

Tomorrow we leave at 6:00am for our homes. Pray for safe journeys.

Theology of the Cross at Pine Ridge

I woke up this morning with a sore throat. Since colds have been taking people down one by one, I was not thrilled. We met as a group to open conversation and process some of what we have experienced these two weeks. Then we were off to SuAnne Big Crow Boys and Girls Club.

SuAnne was a true leader. An athlete who averaged 39 points per basketball game, one of the top four scorers in SD history. SuAnne was killed in a car accident when she was 17 years old. Her family decided to carry on her legacy of promoting drug and alcohol free lifestyle, athletic fitness, and academic excellence by creating a safe place for kids. Check out the website. It's really an amazing story. I'm surprised there isn't a Disney movie yet.

Following lunch at HappyTown at SuAnne Big Crow Boys and Girls Club, there was time for a nap to take care of myself before Children's Hour. Today we had Children's Hour, worship, and supper. We took the kids to go feed the buffalo at a neighbor's ranch. Two white buffalo calves were born to this rancher and we heard the story of the White Buffalo Calf Woman.
Some folks fed the buffalo by hand and some dared to stick the buffalo food cube in their mouths and feed them by mouth. Um, I bypassed the Buffalo Kiss option. But I have some fun pictures.

Quickly after the kids returned home, we traveled to the Boys and Girls dorms at Pine Ridge school to celebrate winter birthdays. The evening concluded with a talking circle. Whew, that is a full day.

There are so many layers and facets to the socio-political-economic-s

piritual issues and topics here. Where does one begin? I've witnessed hope rise out of tragedy in the story of SuAnne Big Crow. I've heard vision and hope in the story of White Buffalo Calf Woman bringing the prayer pipe, 7 religious rites, and the medicine wheel. I've tried to find Christ in culture and seen a Lakota Jesus in the Stations of the Cross. Now, since I am a Lutheran, it's time to talk about Theology of the Cross.

According to an article by Gerhard Forde, Theology of the Cross "is a particular perception of the world and our destiny, what Luther came to call looking at all things through suffering and the cross. It has to do with what he referred to often as the question of usus, the way the cross is put to use in our lives."

Deaths of someone you know is a common occurrence here. Children from little on attend wakes. Sometimes there is a Christian burial, someones traditional, and sometimes both. The shadow of Wounded Knee weighs like a heavy blanket over all vision for the future. I see the cross, the place of death, the place of revelation and truth-telling here. I see true humanity revealed in those who live there lives to be role models and visionaries and those who are angry, bitter, and suffocating.

Robert Kolb writes in his article on theology of the cross "The cross reminds us that “ ‘we live on borrowed time’—time lent us by the Creator.Yet we also see in the death of Jesus on the cross our rebellion against that life, and we note that there is absolutely no way out now except one. God vindicated the crucified Jesus by raising him from the dead. So the question and the hope come to us.‘If we die with him, shall we not also live with him?’ In the cross we recognize not only the awful truth but also the wonderful truth about ourselves."

The truth is we are children of God capable of love, peace and joy, plagued by evil, injustice, and oppression. The truth is God reveals himself as a person of love and mercy in the midst of our tragedies. When we question human value and worth, the economics of God are irrational and radical for they come in the death of what we value most so that we can experience a revelation beyond our conception. The Lakota way is to know that all things happen for a reason. If one were to judge human life from the basis of God's presence in human life and God's love for creation, we might find all things happen for a reason to be a relevant cross-view.

Theology Lakota Style

Today we accomplished a lot of work laying flooring. A classmate and I went to Higher Ground Coffee House for some gourmet coffee. This is a Lakota run business and Christian ministry. We spent a few hours visiting with the owner. Now I can say I've heard a full circle of opinions concerning culture and religion this week for I have heard those who say Lakota spirituality and Christianity should be separate and those who strive for balance and integration.

After children's hour, we shared a meal of Indian Tacos with Pastor Asa & Tresita Wilson and Kelly & Suzie Looking Horse. Following the meal we made dream catchers. http://www.wldwind.com/lhorse.htm

Today I thought a lot about the words and concepts I've been hearing. Language is a great pathway for understanding a culture. This week I have prayed often in words I did not understand. I have heard cultural theology explained and wondered how to integrate Christ and culture. Yesterday when we visited Red Cloud School, we toured Holy Rosary chapel. The tour guide explained how their philosophy is to balance one's Catholicism/Christianity with one's Lakota identity. An example was the artwork for the Stations of the Cross. Three artists created paintings in which Jesus was Lakota and the soldiers were portrayed as Calvary or Crow, who were both historical enemies.

The words I've heard this week were Lakota of the L dialect. However, I grew up in Dakota territory, which is the D dialect. In Canada one would meet Nakota who speak the N dialect. Even dialects can create differences in culture and understandings of tradition.

So what about Lakota Theology? I found a website that listed a few terms or concepts in catechetical terms that I've heard this week that illustrate the complexities of belief. http://www.bluecloud.org/41.html

1. WAKAN -- Sacred, Holy

Wakantanka -- wicasa wakan -- sunka wakan
People are wakan -- and some places too
Other words: Unktomi, Witko denote kinds of spirits.

2. Creation -- starts in Black Hills

3. Sin -- Moon was unfaithful, so she must again and again cover her face.

4. Prayer -- Hambleciya -- Prayer stones

5. Penance -- Sweat Bath -- Sun Dance.

6. Community -- Oyate -- Tiyospaye.

7. Priesthood -- Wicasawakan -- had much Wasagiya

8. Worship -- Sacred Pipe

Flags at the Sacred Spot: (Four colors of the Medicine Wheel)

West --- Black -- Confrontation -- War
North -- Red ---- Control ----------- Law
East ---- White -- Renewal ---------- Spirit
South -- Yellow - Quiet ------------- Unity

9. After life -- No Hell -- Life -- Eating with the dead (Preparing and sharing a meal with all at a funeral)

Around the turn of the century Native American education was established to "kill the Indian, save the man." The culture was kept alive through an underground effort. Like an honorable warrior, this culture bears its scars with humility.
Personally, I am nobody. I am a sinner who falls down and gets back up. But, I do believe in a Christ who frees the oppressed, who liberates the bound, who befriends the outsider. So if Jesus is alive anywhere, why not here?