My Brother's Keeper

"Drunk for a Penny, dead drunk for two!"

2010-09-30T10:45:00.004-05:00

During John Wesley's days at Oxford, it was not uncommon to see such advertisements in the tavern windows as, "Drunk for a penny, dead drunk for two." Not much has changed in three hundred years. Oh, the price has gone up a bit, but the appeal to slake our thirst for meaning by consuming meaningless things remains the same. Our Western culture of consumption is driven by an economic philosophy built on supplying temporal goods for limited satisfaction. This is good for business because it guarantees repeat customers. The downside is that such dependency on novelty products results in excessive waste and eventual poverty for the consumer.

Turning poverty upside down requires a radical transformation of culture. I am reminded of the Apostle Paul who claimed to be satisfied regardless of his financial situation (see Philippians 4:12). Is this really possible? Yes, I believe that true satisfaction is not based on your social status or personal wealth. It comes from having your heart right with God and your neighbor. The next time you are tempted by ads promising you the world, look inward instead. Ask yourself the question, how is it with my soul?

"'Tis Finished! The Messiah Dies"

2010-03-31T11:15:00.004-05:00

During these forty days of Lent I have been meditating on the origins of early Hebrew worship, particularly during the time of Moses and the Exodus. God's design of the Tabernacle is brilliant! Careful study reveals that it is an architectural representation of the human condition. There are outer courts for those who do not know God, inner courts for those who seek to know God. There are places for purification and sacrifice. And there are places for meeting God face to face. Of course, the heart of the structure is the Holy of Holies. It is there, in a sealed cubic room that the Ark of the Covenant stands. Inside were the tablets of the Law of Moses, the Ten Commandments. Above it, on the lid, two angels face an empty place called the Mercy Seat. It is reserved as the abode of the Divine Presence. Since no one could keep all of the Law, sacrifices were needed to keep peace with God. Nothing could be placed on the Mercy Seat except for the sprinkled blood of an innocent lamb. Other than the Divine Presence, it was to remain vacant.
It is that empty place of the Mercy Seat that most resembles our heart. Perhaps this influenced the philosopher Blaise Pascal to say that there is a "God-shaped vacuum" in our hearts. In the days of the Tabernacle the only person who could enter the Holy of Holies was the High Priest, and that after strict purification rituals. This meant that the entire community of faith was dependant on the faithfullness of the High Priest and worthiness of the sacrificed lamb. When he entered past the veil into the Holy of Holies to apply the blood of the lamb to the Mercy Seat, everyone was on pins and needles waiting for God's response. Failure would mean disaster for the people. But returning with God's favor was good news for all. Everyone would have reason to rejoice because their sins were forgiven and God's blessing rested upon them.

My Friend, that is what Easter is all about. It is about Jesus Christ as our great High Priest entering the Holy of Holies, not with the blood of an ordinary lamb. He applied his own blood as the peace offering to God on our behalf. Returning from the dead demonstrated that his sacrifice was accepted for all who receive salvation by faith. Jesus fills our empty hearts with the Divine Presence. There is no more need for sacrifice. We now have shalom - peace with God through Jesus Christ. All our struggles to please God are over, they are finished!

"'Tis Finished! All my guilt and pain, I want no sacrifice beside; for me, for me the Lamb is slain; 'tis finished! I am justified." Charles Wesley

On the Glorious Prelude to Easter

2010-03-01T20:29:00.005-06:00

I don't know why we stop singing Alleluias during Lent. If I followed the liturgical calendar, the scriptures would be filled with erry, foreboding shadows. The perennial Spring procession of fuzzy stuffed rabbits, chocolate eggs and bunnies -- and even yellow-marshmallow ducks -- are brighter than all that. Actually, Sundays don't count as Lent days. My good English friend, the late Revd. Dennis C. Hearle used to tell me that all Sundays are feast days and we should treat them as such. He was a retired British Methodist minister, once in service as Chaplain to Her Majesty the Queen. Even as an octogenarian, he was a dashing and distinguished sight, his sparkling blue eyes shone brightly against his wavy white hair. With his six foot plus athletic frame, I think he rather looked like Gandalf from Lord of the Rings. After morning worship, he invited Thelma and me to join him for a Sunday meal. Since he was a widower, rare were the moments when he could share a proper meal. He had a great townhouse in the gentrified section of Clifton. It was in a prime location, only a short walk from the famous Bristol suspension bridge transversing the Avon Gorge. Despite the popularity of the area, Dennis dined alone almost every weekend. This time would be different. After all, Sunday was a time for feasting. Shortly after we arrived, he escorted us to his kitchen cupboard. With a single motion he spun around, swinging the cupboard doors open wide and flashing his winsome flawless smile. What we saw was astonishing. From top to bottom were row upon row of steak and kidney pie tins, quite uniformly stacked. Dennis boasted paying only about 50p ($1 USD) for each tin. "This [steak and kidney pie] actually comes from Argentina...I suppose we are in fact having South American cuisine." I did not see a reason to argue the point. He shoved three tins into a toaster oven and, when the smoke cleared, slipped them onto individual plates. We sat down to feast - each with our personal tin of heated steak and kidney pie. There were jammie dodgers and coffee for desert, of course. He played a VHS of the old Rank movie production of "John Wesley." When the film advanced to the iconic scene of the Epworth fire, Dennis wept like a babe to see young John in the flames. He was this quintessential English gentleman with rivers of tears streaming down his alabaster cheeks. I thought to myself, "This is what Lent and Gethsemane are really about." It is about sharing hospitality, love, and memories with a dear friend. Without a doubt, this revelation of the best of the human spirit makes the most humble meal a feast.

Comprehensive Spiritual Reform in Joel 2

2009-04-28T15:34:00.005-05:00

The state of the world can be a frightening thing when we consider the economic downturn, war, and the swine flu pandemic. I am concerned that the energies of the church these days are being turned inward. Many congregations are in survival mode rather than reaching outward with the proclamation of the good news. This is not a new phenomenon. The prophet Joel addressed God's people when they were in dire straits. He spoke boldly of God's promise of new grain, wine, and oil. Sounds pretty good, especially when folks are in a tight spot. I like to think of "grain" as a promise of abundance, "wine" as a promise of joy, and "oil" as a promise of empowerment. There is a powerful aspect of real substance here - as real as the problems we are facing today. This message fosters real hope for people of all backgrounds, social strata, gender, and race. Allowing God to work through us as channels of abundance, joy and empowerment is a worthy aspiration for the Spirit-empowered Believer. This is true comprehensive spiritual reform in the spirit of Pentecost.

Passion of the Barrio: ¿A quién buscas?

2009-02-21T14:25:00.003-06:00

¿A quién buscas?
Hey! I don’t speak the lingo. What did you say?
Who are you looking for, Hommes?
Was it John Wayne or Wang Chung?
The Matrix Neo or Little Nemo?
Don’t you know your Messiah?
Man, you got to understand.
We got everything you ever want.
Big screens with plasma scenes.
We got gold, and silver and diamonds, too.
Sports cars, fast drugs, and J-Lo.
So, tell me, who are you looking for?
You can’t find it in the store?
Go to school,
Don’t be a fool.
Eat your veggies,
Crush your cans.
You’ll get ahead.
Earn your degree,
Make lots of green.
And the man in the mirror . . . what color is he?
Is that who you’re looking for?
No, stop, its not like that.
I got a girl, P H A T – phat!
Got married, got a house.
Change the diapers.
Buy mija some cookies and milk for mijo.
Ah, yes, there’s nothing like it!
Home sweet home.
Mi casa es mi casa.
Who are you looking for, Hommes?
The Holy Familia?
Hail Mary, El Papa, and ... Jesús en la cruz.
What did you think would happen?
Man, that do-gooder got caught.
What’s up with that?
Flesh torn and hot sangre in the dirt.
Red, white, and brown.
Ojale que no se sufre mucho … pero si sufrió.
Who are you looking for?
Your Messiah?
A mangled corpse in a cold stone crypt?
Pero no está aqui.
¿A quién buscas?

©Copyright 2009 Daniel F. Flores

Hymns for Lent

2009-02-17T20:13:00.001-06:00

IGLESIA DE CRISTO

Iglesia de Cristo, reanima tu amor
Y espera, velando, a tu amado Señor.
Jesús, el esposo, vestido de honor,
Viniendo se anuncia, con fuerte clamor.

Si falta en algunos el santo fervor,
De todos la fe sea el despertador.
Velad, compañeros, velad sin temor,
Que está con nosotros el Consolador.

Quien sigue la senda del vil pecador,
Se entrega en los brazos de un sueño traidor;
Mas para los siervos del buen Salvador,
Velar, esperando, es su anhelo mejor.

Lyrics: Mateo Cosidó, 1874, alt.
Music: John Michael Hayden; arr. William Gardiner, 1815.
LYONS 11 11.11 11

BELOVED OF CHRIST

Beloved of Christ, renew your first love
And hope ever watching, his return from above.
Jesu, our soul’s Lover, robed in raiment of grace,
Announce His arrival ’midst shouts of strong praise.

If anyone's lacking of God’s pure holy flame,
Pray now that your faith may be kindled again.
Keep watch, fellow pilgrims, keep watch without fear,
God’s Holy Spirit our Comforter 's here.

Whoever dares tread paths tempered by sin,
In arms of the Foe by delusion drawn in.
Ev'n more vigil must the Church of Christ burn,
Watch ever hoping, our Savior's return.

Original English adaptation: Daniel F. Flores
Music: John Michael Hayden; arr. William Gardiner, 1815.
LYONS 11 11.11 11
© 2009 Daniel F. Flores, all rights reserved.

Barack to the Future!

2009-02-03T22:03:00.001-06:00

Tears swell, eyes gleaming
Our nation is proud again,
Our land is beaming.

Barack to the future, they said.
He will lead the way.
Barack to the White House,
Today is the day.

Bellies are still empty,
The lines are growing long,
Will Barack deliver?
Will we sing his song?

Barack to the future,
When old men dream dreams,
And young folks see visions,
America, the beautiful.

Copyright 2009 Daniel F. Flores