1 Thessalonians 2:2b-12 (NRSV)
We had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.
You remember our labor and toil, brothers and sisters; we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was toward you believers. As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children, urging and encouraging you and pleading that you lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
Matthew 28:16-20 (NRSV)
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Blog Reflection
Whenever I see something with the word Irish in it, or hear a beautifully sung Irish folk song, my heart is warmed and my mind is filled with mystery. I think of a place of majestic and graceful beauty. A place where a Saint such as Patrick is remembered for his work there.
Patrick was born into a Christian family somewhere on the northwest coast of Britain in about 390. His grandfather had been a Christian priest and his father, Colpornius, a deacon. Calpornius was an important official in the late Roman imperial government of Britain. It was not unusual in this post-Constantinian period for such state officials to be in holy orders. When Patrick was about sixteen, he was captured by a band of Irish slave-raiders. He was carried off to Ireland and forced to serve as a shepherd. When he was about twenty-one, he escaped and returned to Britain, where he was educated as a Christian. He tells us that he took holy orders as both presbyter and bishop, although no particular see is known as his at this time. A vision then called him to return to Ireland. This he did about the year 431. (Holy Women, Holy Men, Celebrating the Saints, p. 272).
Rev. Susan Russell wrote an outstanding blog on St. Patrick's Day, which you can read here. But, the words I am copying and pasting below are too good to not include in my own blog reflection today.
On this particular St. Patrick's Day I believe asking gay and lesbian Episcopalians to hang in there and continue to take the vision of a Body of Christ that fully includes all the baptized BACK to the church that still questions their vocations and relationships is like unto asking Patrick to go evangelize the Irish who enslaved him.
And yet that's the vision we've been given – that's the call we have received.
Our witness of God's inclusive love is not just a witness to the presence of the holy in our lives and our relationships and our vocations -- but a witness to the power of God's love to transcend ANYTHING that holds us captive or enslaves us.
Many of us who are LGBT know how difficult it can be in our relationships with other Christians. Especially those who are so opposed to our being in the Church, receiving the Sacraments and so forth. Yet, it is important to remember that Jesus never told his disciples to not try to go to the places where they would not be welcomed. He told them to go and offer peace. If they were not heard, then they should leave. See Mark 6: 6b to 13.
In Patrick's case, he had no choice as to where his captor's brought him. Yet, after receiving Holy Orders, he returns to the land of his captivity, to spread the Good News of real freedom in Jesus Christ.
In the reading from Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, we see that he had courage to preach the Gospel in spite of great opposition. The Gospel that he preached was not one of trickery or began with some kind of bad motive. Some times when I think about how in just about every place we can think of, there is at least one loud mouth Christianist who has to interrupt the flow of anything going on, by being a really rude Bible beater. They will inject Bible verses into a conversation, whether or not it is warranted, just to see if they can get someone to listen. This kind of thing, is not the courage that preached the Gospel even with great opposition, that Paul writes of. The idea of placing oneself in a position to be a complete pest to others, totally disregarding all Christian Charity, does not quite fit the bill.
Over these past few weeks and months there have been a lot of conversations about the issue of religious freedom. Religious freedom in America is endangered because States and other places, pass marriage equality laws for same-sex couples. Religious freedom is injured by President Obama's policy on contraception with regard to religious institutions that find birth control to be against their principles. These are things that Christianists say. Such things are not means of liberating the people of America, by the way of the Gospel. They are means of attempting to place all Americans into what Christianity means according to one group of Christians.A Christianity where there is no diversity of opinions on issues such as marriage equality, a woman's right to choose and contraception.
As progressive Christians who are concerned about equality and justice for the oppressed and the afflicted, we preach the Gospel of inclusion. The Gospel that Patrick brought to Ireland. The Gospel of a loving and forgiving God, who through Jesus Christ offers to all of us salvation and hope. A salvation that is not found in dogmas or creeds, but in truths that are founded in what it means to be the Body of Christ. A truth that makes the Trinity more than just a composition of unreadable theological treatises, but becomes a living way of uniting the human community through love and compassion. Receiving the Holy Eucharist means that the Body and Blood of Christ is real to us, because of how we recognize our union with all Christians, even those we do not agree with.
As we seek to honor the ministry and life of St. Patrick, let us ask ourselves to what we are being made captive to? How is God calling us to share the Gospel in the capacity that we are in? How do we become liberators to those people and places that captivate us?
This Lent, may we remember that it is the Cross and Resurrection that are our hope, even in what appears to be a hopeless situation.
Prayers
Almighty God, in your providence you chose your servant Patrick to be the apostle of the Irish people, to bring those who were wandering in darkness and error to the true light and knowledge of you: Grant us so to walk in that light that we may come at last to the light of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Holy Women, Holy Men, Celebrating the Saints, p. 273).
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have
made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and
make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily
lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness,
may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission
and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p. 217).
Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this
land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as
their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to
eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those
who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law
and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of
us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Oppressed, Book of Common Prayer, p. 826).
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