2 I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. 3 And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows— 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. 5 On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. 6 But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, 7 even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep[a] me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated.[b] 8 Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, 9 but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power[c] is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.
(2 Corinthians 12:2-10)
Something weird about me
and certainly a few other people in this world is that I enjoy paradox. Those things that may seem logical but lead
to an impossible conclusion – or situations that combine things that contradict
each other and themselves – they make my brain hurt, and it feels so good when
it does – and even that is a paradox!!!
Have you heard the one about the impossibility of motion? That to get somewhere you must always go halfway, and then halfway again and again and again – therefore never actually reaching your destination?
Or the question – if a person says “I always lie” is that statement true or false? Heh yeah, just think about that one for a moment! Doesn’t it hurt so good?
But my very favorite paradox is right in this passage from 2 Corinthians...We usually remember Paul’s conversion story as told by the author of Luke-Acts – riding the horse, bright light, voice of Jesus, blindness – but here in Second Corinthians is Paul telling us his version. He was caught up – and he tells us two times that he doesn’t know if he was in the body or out of the body as a vision – into the third heaven, into paradise.
And there he heard wordless words – some translations say “inexpressible” or “unspeakable,” but the Greek has “word” in both – wordless words – now THAT’s a paradox to make my heart go pitter pat, but it gets even better!! The next thing he says is that these wordless words are not permitted for people to speak – and then he spends the rest of his life trying to communicate them. Epic paradox, even if we don’t go on to power found in weakness and the rest of this incredible passage.
I think the reason that I love this particular paradox so much is because I think that it encapsulates all of what ministry is – trying to communicate these wordless words that can’t be spoken – because they hold a message of life and joy and salvation. These wordless words tell us about God, about us, about the mysteries of life and death – and I would say that there is no way to adequately communicate these ideas. So instead, pastors take snapshots. Try to communicate a tiny piece – in a sermon, a prayer, a hospital visit, in communion, in an encouraging word. We hold this incredible infinite jewel and try to communicate one tiny facet at a time that points to the whole. It’s impossible. It’s a paradox, trying to communicate something infinite and unspeakable in finite moments and in words.
Paul was comfortable with paradox. Wordless words, communicating the unspeakable, power in weakness – and I think Paul’s paradoxes were beyond the human mind but solvable not because of who he was but whose he was.
The thing about pastors, ministry, and churches, is that the “who” changes an awful lot. But what never changes is the “whose.” We are in a state of constant transition with infinite stability. And that stability is provided not by us or anything we do, but by God. The church is not defined by who is in it but by whose they are.
But even in that there is an incredible, glorious paradox – you see, the church may not be defined by you and me and our pastors or our neighbors in the pews – but what we do is incredibly important. It is desperately important for us and for the world that we are here. It means something.
Yes, in a hundred years, there is almost a 100% guarantee that none of us in this room will still be living this life – but the church will still be, and what WE do makes a difference. What we do today in this church makes a difference in how the love of God is communicated to future generations. What we do makes a difference in how the church is perceived and received in the world.
What we do as people of God matters. Sometimes in small ways as we encourage people, but sometimes in huge ways that we don’t even realize make an impact.
One of the things that I do at Christ Lutheran is lead what I call “Reconciliation Groups” – they are basically small discussion groups for CLC host members and members of our community who are gay or transgender who have been hurt by the church at large. They have stories to tell, we have a willingness to ask for forgiveness on behalf of the Christian church. It’s powerful, it’s healing.
One of the things that has been most difficult for me in leading these groups is hearing stories of abuse to young people that are attached to “I’m doing this because God loves you and doesn’t want you to go to hell.” This abuse ranges from psychological and isolation to beatings to systematic sexual abuse to show people that “they aren’t gay.” I have to be honest, I was naïve. I had no idea when I started this ministry what would come up. That stuff, if I even conceived it, was “out there” somewhere, and not in my community. Not sitting with me and my church family trying to figure out how God’s love is present in all of this awfulness.
But I told you all of that to tell you THIS. Every one of the abuse and trauma survivors say that they are on a journey to becoming healthy and whole people because someone intervened along the way. And the ways of intervention can be seemingly microscopic. Someone who asked if they were having a bad day, whether or not they answered honestly. Someone who told them, even in a small way, that they had worth, that they deserved love, or that they were loved. Someone who believed them when they tried to tell them what was happening, even if that person was powerless to stop it.
Every single one of these individuals has a story of a small way in which their story was re-written by another person. They say that those small moments are what prevented them from staying in the pattern and becoming abusers themselves. The people who gave them those moments usually have no idea. But the ripples of healing and are incredible. Not only for these people but in those they interact with, their families, and the pathway into breaking the cycle of abuse.
Whose we are and how we behave, what we do because of that has an eternal impact. It is another paradox. The church may not be defined by the individuals within it but when those individuals act upon their identity as followers in Jesus Christ they then define what the church will be for future generations.
Whose we are matters. Whose we are means that we can bring love to individuals and to our community. Whose we are means that at all times we are part of a bigger picture, an epic story, and an eternal plan. Whose we are never changes though all around us might.
So I encourage you to enjoy times of transition. Enjoy your stability in all the changes. Enjoy the paradox! For the rest, my friends, rejoice, be restored, be encouraged, have purpose together and be at peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Amen.
Have you heard the one about the impossibility of motion? That to get somewhere you must always go halfway, and then halfway again and again and again – therefore never actually reaching your destination?
Or the question – if a person says “I always lie” is that statement true or false? Heh yeah, just think about that one for a moment! Doesn’t it hurt so good?
But my very favorite paradox is right in this passage from 2 Corinthians...We usually remember Paul’s conversion story as told by the author of Luke-Acts – riding the horse, bright light, voice of Jesus, blindness – but here in Second Corinthians is Paul telling us his version. He was caught up – and he tells us two times that he doesn’t know if he was in the body or out of the body as a vision – into the third heaven, into paradise.
And there he heard wordless words – some translations say “inexpressible” or “unspeakable,” but the Greek has “word” in both – wordless words – now THAT’s a paradox to make my heart go pitter pat, but it gets even better!! The next thing he says is that these wordless words are not permitted for people to speak – and then he spends the rest of his life trying to communicate them. Epic paradox, even if we don’t go on to power found in weakness and the rest of this incredible passage.
I think the reason that I love this particular paradox so much is because I think that it encapsulates all of what ministry is – trying to communicate these wordless words that can’t be spoken – because they hold a message of life and joy and salvation. These wordless words tell us about God, about us, about the mysteries of life and death – and I would say that there is no way to adequately communicate these ideas. So instead, pastors take snapshots. Try to communicate a tiny piece – in a sermon, a prayer, a hospital visit, in communion, in an encouraging word. We hold this incredible infinite jewel and try to communicate one tiny facet at a time that points to the whole. It’s impossible. It’s a paradox, trying to communicate something infinite and unspeakable in finite moments and in words.
Paul was comfortable with paradox. Wordless words, communicating the unspeakable, power in weakness – and I think Paul’s paradoxes were beyond the human mind but solvable not because of who he was but whose he was.
The thing about pastors, ministry, and churches, is that the “who” changes an awful lot. But what never changes is the “whose.” We are in a state of constant transition with infinite stability. And that stability is provided not by us or anything we do, but by God. The church is not defined by who is in it but by whose they are.
But even in that there is an incredible, glorious paradox – you see, the church may not be defined by you and me and our pastors or our neighbors in the pews – but what we do is incredibly important. It is desperately important for us and for the world that we are here. It means something.
Yes, in a hundred years, there is almost a 100% guarantee that none of us in this room will still be living this life – but the church will still be, and what WE do makes a difference. What we do today in this church makes a difference in how the love of God is communicated to future generations. What we do makes a difference in how the church is perceived and received in the world.
What we do as people of God matters. Sometimes in small ways as we encourage people, but sometimes in huge ways that we don’t even realize make an impact.
One of the things that I do at Christ Lutheran is lead what I call “Reconciliation Groups” – they are basically small discussion groups for CLC host members and members of our community who are gay or transgender who have been hurt by the church at large. They have stories to tell, we have a willingness to ask for forgiveness on behalf of the Christian church. It’s powerful, it’s healing.
One of the things that has been most difficult for me in leading these groups is hearing stories of abuse to young people that are attached to “I’m doing this because God loves you and doesn’t want you to go to hell.” This abuse ranges from psychological and isolation to beatings to systematic sexual abuse to show people that “they aren’t gay.” I have to be honest, I was naïve. I had no idea when I started this ministry what would come up. That stuff, if I even conceived it, was “out there” somewhere, and not in my community. Not sitting with me and my church family trying to figure out how God’s love is present in all of this awfulness.
But I told you all of that to tell you THIS. Every one of the abuse and trauma survivors say that they are on a journey to becoming healthy and whole people because someone intervened along the way. And the ways of intervention can be seemingly microscopic. Someone who asked if they were having a bad day, whether or not they answered honestly. Someone who told them, even in a small way, that they had worth, that they deserved love, or that they were loved. Someone who believed them when they tried to tell them what was happening, even if that person was powerless to stop it.
Every single one of these individuals has a story of a small way in which their story was re-written by another person. They say that those small moments are what prevented them from staying in the pattern and becoming abusers themselves. The people who gave them those moments usually have no idea. But the ripples of healing and are incredible. Not only for these people but in those they interact with, their families, and the pathway into breaking the cycle of abuse.
Whose we are and how we behave, what we do because of that has an eternal impact. It is another paradox. The church may not be defined by the individuals within it but when those individuals act upon their identity as followers in Jesus Christ they then define what the church will be for future generations.
Whose we are matters. Whose we are means that we can bring love to individuals and to our community. Whose we are means that at all times we are part of a bigger picture, an epic story, and an eternal plan. Whose we are never changes though all around us might.
So I encourage you to enjoy times of transition. Enjoy your stability in all the changes. Enjoy the paradox! For the rest, my friends, rejoice, be restored, be encouraged, have purpose together and be at peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Amen.
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