Today is Easter Sunday. What does it mean? Easter eggs, chocolate bunnies and more chocolate?

Flipping on the news this morning, I heard two things:
1. The lottery numbers from last night, by the way, I did not win.
2. The Pope’s message of hope.

Hope has always been the focal point and banner of Easter. Ah, someone noticed- I did mention the lottery, which for many epitomizes the message of hope, the hope of a better life. Please do not ruin the analogy by quoting studies that have shown that lottery winners squander their winnings. Whether it is true or not the popular idea or dream is that the lottery will bring about a better life.

Now, the hope of Easter is the very same dream of a better life wither in the immediate present (Jesus now living in and thru me) or in the future (me with Jesus in heaven). And of course the majority of Christians spend their time banking on the latter- buying a ticket to heaven through acceptance of and submission to Jesus.

Do not misunderstand me; I am not mocking this, only using the analogy of the lottery.

Now, here I am sure-many Christians will object arguing “But Jesus Christ rose from the dead and in doing so, guaranteed us believers a future resurrection to glory. There is no comparison to the lottery. The lottery is a game of chance.”
As with all analogies especially dealing with the infinite and the finite, there are no perfect analogies. But allow me to continue, for I wonder if sometimes (if not a majority of the time) we Christians treat the gospel message- the Easter message like a lottery- a future promise of hope in heaven with streets of gold and plenty of food (the glorious banquet) to the expense of the here and now?

What about the here and now? The present moment of bringing to someone in need- the hope of the present.

If Jesus is living in us, as we claim as Christians, then many of us are squandering the wealth we already possess by not even thinking of the present moment needs of other human beings- by not reaching out with our hope hands and giving to others what they are hoping for.

Something to think about this morning- on Easter Hope Sunday in the year 2013.
Ed

I was reflecting this past week on the 60’s – when I was a kid of a mature age of 16 –I had a band- didn’t everyone? This kind of reflection came up after someone reminded me of the cliché “if you can remember the 60’s you were not there!” Well, I do not know about that. I am sure many of our perceptions of the 60’s were just that – our perceptions which are rather colored by the time and situation. Another reason I believe this reflection came up was because- I realize I am getting older. Old men, I hear- tend to reflect more on their youth- their mistakes etc. Another reason this reflection popped up was because this week it came to my knowledge that my favorite bass player from the 60’s died. His name was Lee Dorman and he played for Iron Butterfly. Iron Butterfly was my favorite group and one of the highlights of my life was jamming with them back in 68. Lee died in Dec 2012. How could anyone forget their long version of In-a gadda da vida…. which by the way was the closest I got back then- to a religious theme- it stands for In the garden of Eden. By the way – if you want to hear a great concert by Iron Butterfly- amazon.com has a DVD or download of the 1997 European tour which I believe is an excellent concert – a good introduction to their music style.
http://www.amazon.com/Concert-Documentary-Europe-Iron-Butterfly/dp/B001GQXSA6/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1364578269&sr=1-1&keywords=iron+butterfly+concert

Iron Butterfly 1968

Now back to my reflection… Personally, I do not remember drugs and sex being as prevalent as is depicted in the media or people’s memories. I lived in Pittsburgh during my “rock” obsession. I do not believe I lived a sheltered life. Oh, drugs were out there but I was too obsessed with playing organ and perfecting my rock voice. I do not remember any one in our band using drugs- like I said- we were too focused on music. There were indications of problems especially with Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison- and maybe that’s what kept me from even experimenting in the available drug at the time- MJ.
Today- I still lament the death of these two musicians- Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison who I still consider to be legendary in their creative music genius.
Yet, Iron Butterfly for me, back then in the 60’s and even today- their music I still consider worthy of heaven. Matter of fact, I have argued- that some of their songs are so thought provoking as to be worthy of being performed in Church. (Oh, some would say- now he has gone too far!) Perish the thought.
Here I am thinking of the songs- “in the time of our lives, My Mirage, Unconscious power and of course soul experience.” I must add- when I was down in my basement playing my records- and practicing my singing- singing along with Doug Ingle- I felt like I was in a church. I remember something that Jim Morrison once said about his concerts- “that they were a kind of worship service.” I know that sounds bizarre but I am reflecting on that kind of thought this week. Back then- it was a kind of worship- – a worship of music- the words, the sounds and the experience. Today, when I listen to a concert- and hear the sounds- the words –I do not relive the experience but there is a good feeling- a kind of nostalgia that draws me back to the youthful endeavor of making that great rock sound.
Just some thoughts on Rock Music, Iron Butterfly and Lee Dorman. I believe the world is a better place because of their music.
.

I would like to write today about a radio program I overheard this past week while driving in the car. I was driving to Omaha- about 55 miles from Red Oak and I was skimming through the AM channels when I came across a program on KLNG- which is 1560 on the AM dial out of Council Bluffs, Iowa. The name of the program was Southwest Radio ministries and it was an interview with a Dr Paul Williams. Dr Williams claims to be an author, a journalist and a former FBI consultant. The interview was over his new book entitled “Crescent Moon Rising- the Islamic Transformation of America…” Well, I started listening and to tell you the truth- the more I listened- the angrier I became with this Dr Paul Williams. Why was I getting angry? Because what I heard was lie after lie, myth after myth- about Muslims. The bottom line of this program was- if you do not curtail the immigration of Muslims in this county- if we do not control the birth of Muslims in this country- if we do not start denying citizenship rights and first amendment rights to the Muslims- then by 2050- Muslims will be the dominant religion in this country- hence the title of the book- “…the Islamic Transformation of America.”
But what really tripped my trigger- was when Dr Williams stated that Muslims do not have any history in America prior to 1960….Wow- now when I heard that statement I knew he was – …I will nice….- I knew he was speaking out of ignorance! I immediately thought of all the black slaves who built the agricultural-economic base of the South…..surely some of them were Muslims. And yes, studies have shown that of the 20 million African slaves in the south- 6-8 million were Muslims.
I would like to recommend a book written by Dr Gerald Dirks (by the way he is from Kansas) and his book is entitled “Muslims in American History: a Forgotten Legacy.” Dr Dirk’s book will open your eyes to heritage that Muslims have in American history. For example:

Did you know?
1. Of the three ships that sailed with Columbus (1492) – two captains and one navigator were Muslims.
2. 40 years before Jamestown colony was settled- the Spanish Muslims established a colony in Santa Elena, South Carolina in 1566 (These Muslims were seeking freedom from the great Catholic Inquisition) What a history lesson! They were overrun by the British in 1587 and they fled, lived and thrived in the mountains of North Carolina.
3. Muslims fought in the Revolutionary War
4. Muslims fought in the War of 1812
5. Muslims fought in the Civil War….one story of Muhammad Ali ibn Said who became a teacher in Michigan and during the Civil War served in the 55th Regiment Colored Volunteers and worked his way up from Private to Sergeant…Later in 1865, the Atlantic Monthly published an autobiography of him …

These are just a few things to keep in mind when people start trying to erase the Muslim identity-heritage out of our American history.

Luke 13:1-9

At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”

Well, when I first read this passage which is the text for tomorrow’s sermon…I immediately thought- I should by pass this text and the more I thought about it- the more I desired to focus on our faulty perceptions. One of those faulty perceptions which I held to as a fundamentalist preacher was that disasters were a sign of God’s judgment….and I urged my congregation to do just what Jesus said: “unless you repent, you will all perish as they did..
Yet the closer one pays to the context and the cultural situation- you will discover your perception is erroneous.

First the situation….contextually, Jesus had been talking about the signs of the coming of the kingdom and the importance of living of decision for right living focused on God and others. He was talking about interpreting the signs of times…And there were a few in crowd who started talking about some local DIASTERS…I am sure you have heard the type whenever someone mentions the “signs of the times” or the “signs of the great tribulation” or the signs of the coming of the end” and they inevitably mentions certain disasters- as a sure time of the coming apocalypse. (The hurricane that hit the east coast or the latest snow storm…)
Well, these Jews mentioned the latest catastrophe that had hit home- – a government plot…Pilate the Roman procurator- that is the governor and magistrate of this particular region- – all important matters came before their judgment seat and he had the power of life and death…And in this case the latest news from Jerusalem was not good…apparently he had had some Galileans killed while they were offering sacrifices at the Temple….There is a second disaster that the people are talking about and it is found in verse 4 – the 18 people who died when a tower fell on them…
Now the perception (the pop wisdom…the pop culture of most of the Jews who were listening to Jesus was that disasters are caused by the wrath of God – a punishment for sin. I am sure many of you are familiar with the story of Job found in the Old Testament…this faulty idea of God causing disasters in order to punish man for his sin is clearly quite popular. And I would point out that Job is believed to be one of the oldest stories in the Bible…So this faulty view — which is still be preached today is quite old. The old faulty message…well let me read it to you: from the Hebrew text: Job 4:7-9

“Think now…Job what innocent man ever perished? Where have the upright been destroyed? As I have seen, those who plow evil and sow mischief reap them. They perish by a blast of God, are gone at the breath of his nostrils…”
In the story they are Job’s friends who are telling Job that he cannot be without sin…he must have sinned somewhere- otherwise the physical ailments he had would not have come down upon him…

The old faulty message that good people prosper and the evil people suffer ….was running rampant at the time of Jesus and the sad thing is today- many preacher- Christian prosperity preachers still preach the faulty message of Job’s friends.
(Beware the faulty perceptions and faulty accusations of American Fundamentalist preachers who for example blame the 9/11 disaster on gays and abortion providers)
By the way, this faulty perception- this faulty view of God- is known as the doctrine of distributive justice – God rewards the righteous and punishes the unrighteous….

Jesus had earlier in his Sermon on the Mount addressed this kind of thinking when declared- “FOR God makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous…”

And Jesus had to correct the faulty perceptions of his own disciples when they asked him “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind…”
So what is going on in this account…
Well, first Jesus is correcting faulty thinking….

Correction #1 – Do you think…(oh , I love that phrase! God help me to think reasonably) “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?”
1. People do not suffer bad things because they are sinners.
2. People who are not suffering are not morally better off than people who are suffering.

Good fortune and disaster are no indication of a person’s spiritual state.

Correction #2 UNLESS YOU REPENT, YOU WILL ALL PERISH AS THEY DID. This is not a warning of judgment but a statement of fact- death is coming and death may be unexpected…as in the case of these Galileans who died at the hands of Pilate and those who died when the tower fell.
The fact of the matter- death is always unexpected, …THINK ABOUT THAT…
The Parable that follows sets the context clearly establishing the idea that there is a need to be ready- to live a fruitful life.
Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'”

So- this is a good Lenten passage- – it cause me to reflect on my life right at the moment. Am I living a fruitful spiritual life? Spiritual in the sense of being God-centered rather than self-centered? Other-centered rather than ego-centered? Am I living a life of LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GENEROSITY, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENES, AND SELF-CONTROL.