Second Sunday of Lent: Discretion, Hospitality and Mission

Today's Scripture Readings

Genesis 15: 1-12, 17-18 (NRSV)

The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, "Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great." But Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" And Abram said, "You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir." But the word of the LORD came to him, "This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir." He brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your descendants be." And he believed the LORD; and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Then he said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess." But he said, "O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?" He said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him.

When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates."

Psalm 27 (BCP., p.617)


Philippians 3:17-4:1 (NRSV)

Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

Luke 13: 31-35 (NRSV)

Some Pharisees came and said to Jesus, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." He said to them, "Go and tell that fox for me, 'Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.' Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

Blog Reflection

I found the readings for today to be very challenging.   My preparation for this blog post required more research time than usual.  There is a lot to be considered in the Liturgy of the Word for this weekend.  It is full of valuable information and some things that are worth some real thought.

The reading from Genesis requires some careful attention.  There is always the danger of walking on the side of antisemitism when we do not pay attention to what is going on.   This is why I like to shy away from the idea that the Hebrew Scriptures (still referred to as the Old Testament) suggests salvation by works and the Christian Testament (the New Testament) is salvation by faith.   This reading from Genesis very much challenges those notions.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul writes: "For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.  For what does the scripture say?  Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness" (Romans 4:2-3).  Later on in verse 13 Paul wrote: "For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendents through the law but through the righteousness of faith."   Abraham and all the people of Israel were chosen by God from the foundations of the world.  It was out of God's love and holiness that God delivered them and kept them close to the side of Yahweh at all times.

Abram's gift to God and God's response to him, was because of his faith in God.  God shows Abram that he is to receive an enormous gift that shall come by way of the generations yet to come.  The example made by the animals, was for Abram to receive confirmation from God of the promises made to him.  His faith is being given a sense of direction so as to lead him forward in what God has in mind for him and his descendants.   The works that Abram did through out the remainder of his life, was in response to the faith he was given in God who would do many things that brought a great blessing to Abraham and those who would come after him.

Do we receive good things from God with thanksgiving and faith?

A story from the Conferences by St. John Cassian will help us understand a little bit of what is going on in the Gospel for today.

Blessed Antony and  the Desert Fathers were hermits.   They lived in the deserts of Egypt.  They fasted.  They prayed vigils very religiously.  They gave themselves to very austere practices.  Blessed Antony said that the most important grace that a monk should ask for is discretion.   The discretion that can discern the difference between doing too  much or not enough.   He illustrated the importance of discretion when he told a story of two monks who went on a long journey.   They fasted for three days of their journey.   They wandered into a territory where the Mazices were very well populated.  The Mazices were known for cruelty that was labeled beyond barbaric.  Many of the desert monks feared them immensely.   However, when the two monks on the long journey wandered into the territory of the Mazices, two of them greeted the fasting and weary monks warmly, and offered them food.  One of the monks realized that though he was in the territory of the Mazices for which he should be very afraid for his life, the one who was offering him food, was doing him a very good deed.  So, after using the grace of discretion, he took, ate the food and lived.   The other monk did not and died not too long after, of starvation and total exhaustion.

The scene in the Gospel for today shows us Jesus being warned by a few Pharisees to get out of the area, because Herod is looking to kill him.   Here we  have some Pharisees who are normally thought of as being quite nasty to Jesus, doing him a very good service.  What we see here is Jesus welcoming individuals who are normally perceived as enemies of his.  Jesus welcomes them and receives their warning.

We have to be very careful about supposing that the Pharisees themselves are enemies of Jesus.  This kind of thinking has been a great source of antisemitism.   The Pharisees were part of the power structure within the Jewish Religion as well as the Civil Government, but they were also heavily controlled as to how much power they had because of the Roman Empire.  Their concern about what Jesus says and does is heavily influenced by their commitment to the traditions as they understood them.  They feel a sense of entitlement because of their influence and it leads them to many issues with Jesus.  But, their motives and reasons were quite legitimate.

This Gospel shows Jesus exercising two very important aspects of his ministry.   Discretion so as to receive those who are talking with him, from the level of their sincerity.   He is also receiving them with the greatest of hospitality.   His schedule and life have been interrupted for a bit, but Jesus has made room for them and responds to their concerns.   Jesus sets for us an example of how we need to receive others with a sense of openness.  Even those who tend to come from groups of people that appear to be working against our interests.  Yet, Jesus speaks of who the real problem is.  When Jesus refers to Herod Antipas as a "fox" he is suggesting that Herod is among the slyest, the most destructive, and yet the most worthless and insignificant of animals of his time.   Whatever Herod's issues are, Jesus cannot set aside his mission of heading to Jerusalem to eventually give his life on the cross.  

As we struggle with the very important issues of our time.  Racism.  Economic inequality.  The prejudice towards LGBT people, women and individuals of different political positions and the like, the Gospel has something to say to us.  Especially during this holy season of Lent.  We will make headway towards justice, equality and inclusion, if we will exercise discretion, hospitality and hold to our sense of mission.  As difficult as it is, if we are going to make progress towards equality and inclusion for LGBT people, we need to recognize that not all religious conservatives are our enemies.  There are many who sit on the more conservative side of the Christian faith, who may have opinions and ideas that we do not exactly agree with, but they are still children of God just as much as we are.   While we are not obligated to agree with them, we are instructed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ to receive them with the same discretion, hospitality and compassion with which He has received all of us.

In addition, it is crucial that we hold onto our sense of mission to bring the Gospel message of justice, equality and inclusion of all persons as we receive and work with those who do not share our opinions, values or means of accomplishing our goals.   The Commandments to love God, neighbor and ourselves is our Gospel basis for how we receive each person who presents themselves to offer us help.   We all need each other to do the work of the Kingdom of God.  We also need each other to help us to stretch ourselves and each other beyond our current comfort zones, so we may receive each other with the hospitality and purpose of reconciliation, with which God receives each of us.

As we practice our Lenten works of fasting, prayer and alms giving, we are creating more space for God in our lives.  We are also creating space to welcome Christ as He comes to us through others.   Those others include those who are like us, and those who are different from us.   It is a challenge that I need this Lent.  It is a challenge that all of the Christian Community needs.

Not everyone who comes to worship with us, understands what is so important about admitting women to be ordained Deacons, Priests and/or Bishops. We need to give them the opportunity to struggle with their faith in these matters as we were given.  There are people who have interpretations of the Bible that are in and of themselves incorrect with regards to homosexuality.  However, if we tell them that they cannot worship or receive the Holy Communion with us, just because their ideas or opinions are not shared by us, we are no better than those who will not admit LGBT people to Holy Communion and/or the ministries in the Church.  We will not be an inclusive community, if we do not include those whom we would describe as "not quite getting it."

As we journey through Lent,we should pray that we will stay true to our mission.  But, we should also keep in mind to ask for the grace of discretion and hospitality, so that we may be part of the healing and reconciliation of the Church and society that we have been called to be.

Amen.


Prayers

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious
to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them
again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and
hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ
your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for the Second Sunday in Lent, Book of Common Prayer, p. 218).

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.  (Collect for Ash Wednesday, Book of Common Prayer, p. 217).

Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on
the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within
the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit
that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those
who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for
the honor of your Name. Amen. (Prayer for Mission, Book of Common Prayer, p. 100).

First Sunday of Lent: Materialism, Power, Individualism without Community

Today's Scripture Readings

Deuteronomy 26: 1-11(NRSV)

When you have come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, "Today I declare to the LORD your God that I have come into the land that the LORD swore to our ancestors to give us." When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the LORD your God, you shall make this response before the LORD your God: "A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the LORD, the God of our ancestors; the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O LORD, have given me." You shall set it down before the LORD your God and bow down before the LORD your God. Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house.

Psalm 91 (BCP., p.719)


Romans 10:8b-13 (NRSV)

"The word is near you,

on your lips and in your heart"

(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Luke 4:1-13 (NRSV)

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread." Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'"

Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, "To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." Jesus answered him, "It is written,

'Worship the Lord your God,

and serve only him.'"

Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,

'He will command his angels concerning you,

to protect you,'

and

'On their hands they will bear you up,

so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"

Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Blog Reflection

If we are to understand the point to be made in the temptation of Jesus on this First Sunday in Lent, we must begin with understanding it's connection with the history of the People of Israel.   The faith of Christ is the tradition of the Jewish Religion.  It is not independent of the history of the Religion.  It gains it's power and meaning as it connects us to salvation history.

The book of Deuteronomy contains the continuing story of the People of Israel wandering in the desert for 40 years before entering the promised land.  The generations that would have left Egypt with Moses in Exodus by the time of Deuteronomy would have died.  The generations now preparing to enter into the land God promised to their ancestors, are receiving the same Law, though updated and explained for them to take with  them as they obtain God's promise.   In this reading from the Hebrew Scriptures, God is instructing the people through Moses honor the God who delivered their ancestors from the slavery in Egypt by offering to him their first fruits.  The God who is their Savior is not to be put on the back burner.  God wants to receive the first, the best, the most important and the most precious.  God is to be central to the worship of the Israelites. 

How are we putting God first during this Season of Lent?

Are we giving God the first and best of ourselves, or are we giving God what is left over and broken only?

Can we know God as our Savior and Deliverer, so as to honor God with what comes first to us?

The reading from Paul and the Gospel are quite well connected.  So, I will get right to it.

Lent is a time of great grace.  It is a period of time by which we have the opportunity through prayer, fasting and alms giving to make more room for God.   If we are to do that faithfully, we must be in touch with what it is that keeps us from giving God more room in our hearts and lives.  What is it that I do, or do not do that not only injures my relationship with God, but also hurts the human community?

The first temptation of Jesus is that of materialism and consumerism.   The idea that if I can have control over every thing in terms of what I eat, wear, and what I am able to do with the environment I live in.  It's the attitude that I can have it all.  Even at the expense of the poor, marginalized and those less fortunate than ourselves.   In this kind of temptation Jesus is tempted as are we all, with the idea that if we can only have more, the biggest, the latest and the most exquisite, then we are really making it in life.

Jesus has been fasting for forty days.  His hunger is legitimate.  His need for nourishment and relief from bodily hunger is overwhelming.  More important to Jesus, however, is his need to honor God first and foremost with what has been given to him.  When Jesus responds with "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God," he is simply putting the bread he seeks and the devil tempting him to control everything around him, in it's place.   In do doing, Jesus puts materials and the need to consume them in their proper context. 

We do not have to have the best and greatest, right here, right now.  What we need more than all of those things, is God.  We need to seek God in our hunger for things.   In our aching desire for what is basic, God is more basic than even those things.  Everything that has been given to us to use, even our own lives, are a gift from God.   We have a duty to be good stewards of what has been given to us.   We have as much of an opportunity and a privilege to be able to take what God gives us for the nourishment of our bodies, as well as our general welfare.  However, we also have the same opportunity and privilege to share them with others around us.  

In Psalm 8: 3-9 in the Common English Bible, we pray with the Psalmist:

When I look up at your skies, at what your fingers made--the moon and the stars that you set firmly in place--what are human beings that you think about them; what are human beings that you pay attention to them?  You've made them only slightly less than divine, crowning them with glory and granduer.  You've let them rule over your handiwork, putting everything under their feet--all sheep and all cattle, the wild animals too, the birds in the sky, the fish of the ocean, everything that travels the pathways of the sea.  LORD, our Lord; how majestic is yoru name through out the earth!.

As God has honored us with the responsibility of caring for the world, so we have the responsibility to respect it and share it with others.  Each time we pollute the air, destroy the rainforests, and work to dominate something from another tribe of people, we are abusing the goods that God has given us. 

The issue of everything that is at stake in the first temptation, has everything to do with the second.  The temptation to have all power at his disposal to do as he pleases.  Satan tempts him with "I will give you all the kingdoms of the world if you will worship me."   The opportunity to have everything work to his benefit.   Jesus resists this temptation by saying that He is to worship God alone. 

What might some thing like this have to say to us in a society where money is power, and power to control and manipulate is in the hands of those who have the most money?   The corruption of our government since the dreaded Citizens United ruling of the Supreme Court cannot be over stated.   The power of those who have millions to spend, and those who have next to nothing with everything to lose because of the wealthy, is beyond description.   Corporate money now has our government at a stand still.  Even with the overwhelming victory of the Democrats in November 2012.  The influence of money as power to control the potential future for education, health care, care for the unemployed, the poor, the disabled and the retired is out of control.  Politicians eager to hang on to their wealth and power, along with their influence is another way of worshiping power at the expense of God.

Racism, sexism, heterosexism, the prejudice towards Jewish people, Muslims, women and many more to number is another example of power being worshiped and God being put lower on the priority list.  Many of these issues being promoted  and manipulated at the hands and mouths of people using erroneous interpretations of the Bible and the misuse of the Christian Religion places power ahead of God.   It is more important to use the greatness of the Christian Faith to scare, control and stigmatize than to bring the justice, equality and hope Jesus brought when He showed us the very face of God.  

When Jesus answered Satan, he referred all of the powers at his disposal into the hands of God.  It is God we worship, and it is God who directs us.   It is for God we make use of what we do or do not do with the graces God gives us.

The final temptation to write about is individualism at the expense of community.  If only I can do something amazing, something potentially destructive to myself, I might gain everything that no one else has.  This kind of thinking has a sort of self-absorption to it.  What is lacking is the freedom to be who oneself is, and the opportunity to allow others to be who they are.  To accept one's limits, and to know one's boundaries so as to respect one self and others.   In resisting this temptation there is a deep sense of humility of recognizing that God is God and I am not.   Even though Jesus was God in the flesh, He knew that the worst thing he could do is seek all of God's power only for himself.   Here, Jesus is completely unselfish and totally non-narcissistic.   His ultimate concern is for the good of God and others.

As we have seen the effects of the misuse of public funds by Wall Street to crash the economy on bad mortgages and financial transactions, we have to ask ourselves, who really is our priority?   Do we try to live in solidarity with others, or are we completely absorbed by ourselves to the point where no one else really matters?

Sometimes as a gay man this one really strikes me at the core of who I am.  We  have been given this incredible gift by God to love other men physically and romantically.  Yet, when I use this gift for only my own self-gratification to the point of exploiting others for my own personal use, I am not being faithful to God or others.   Is the gift of my sexuality to love and share with my partner really about love, tenderness and seeking to honor God in him?  Or am I only interested in what he can do for me?

These questions are not just for me.  These and other questions I could ask are directed to any person, gay, straight, bisexual, etc who seeks to use another person's body and/or emotions for our own use.   We do ourselves, others and the human community a terrible disservice when we fail to honor another individual person as someone to be loved, cherished and cared for.  When people are reduced to mere objects of desire only, they are nothing more than a human sex doll.  God creates people with bodies, hearts and minds so that God can be loved in them, and they love God through them.

I am sure all of my readers have noticed that I have all of these in their wrong order with regards to the actual reading from Luke.   When Luke finishes with his version of the temptation of Christ, he notes that this is not the last time, but one of many times that He will face Satan in His public ministry.   Therefore, regardless of what order each fits in to, the important thing here is to understand that as long as we are on this earth, temptation will be part of our lives too.  As God was with Christ through all that he was tempted with, so God is with us.  The Holy Spirit that guided Jesus, also guides us as we face those things that can take us further away from God.

The final piece of good news on this First Sunday of Lent, is that whether we are successful in resisting temptations or not, God will forever love us and seek us out.   God is always on the look out for  us, and is walking with us in Christ, to redeem us and help us.   If we are over come by our temptations, we have the grace of the Cross that we have been forgiven and renewed in the Holy Spirit to get up and try again.   We all have the opportunity to reach out for God and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us as we struggle with those things that are so difficult for us.

How are we reaching out to God during this Lent?

What are the temptations God is challenging us to deal with his Lent?

What ever our issues or answers are, God in Christ is with us and will be there with us on Easter Day to receive us as God's Beloved with whom God is well-pleased.  

Amen.


Prayers

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be
tempted by Satan; Come quickly to help us who are assaulted
by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of
each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through
Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for the First Sunday of Lent, Book of Common Prayer, p. 218).

Almighty and everlasting God, you made the universe with
all its marvelous order, its atoms, worlds, and galaxies, and
the infinite complexity of living creatures: Grant that, as we
probe the mysteries of your creation, we may come to know
you more truly, and more surely fulfill our role in your
eternal purpose; in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen  (Prayer for Knowledge of God's Creation, Book of Common Prayer, p. 827).

O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and
light riseth up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all
our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what thou
wouldest have us to do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save
us from all false choices, and that in thy light we may see
light, and in thy straight path may not stumble; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for Guidance, Book of Common Prayer, p.832).

Ash Wednesday: Lent 2013: Personal and Communal Time with Christ in the Desert

Today's Scripture Readings

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 (NRSV)

Blow the trumpet in Zion;
sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
for the day of the LORD is coming, it is near--
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness!
Like blackness spread upon the mountains
a great and powerful army comes;
their like has never been from of old,
nor will be again after them
in ages to come.
Yet even now, says the LORD,
return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
rend your hearts and not your clothing.
Return to the LORD, your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,
and relents from punishing.
Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
for the LORD, your God?
Blow the trumpet in Zion;
sanctify a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
gather the people.
Sanctify the congregation;
assemble the aged;
gather the children,
even infants at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
and the bride her canopy.
Between the vestibule and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep.
Let them say, "Spare your people, O LORD,
and do not make your heritage a mockery,
a byword among the nations.
Why should it be said among the peoples,
`Where is their God?'"

Psalm 103 (BCP., p.733)




2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 (NRSV)

We entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says,

"At an acceptable time I have listened to you,
and on a day of salvation I have helped you."

See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! We are putting no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see-- we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21(NRSV)

Jesus said, "Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

"So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

"And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

"And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Blog Reflection

When Lent begins every year I often feel like expressing the sentiments that Rizzo does at the beginning of the movie Grease.  "Well, here we are again."   If most of us are honest with ourselves and God, we won't be able to say with Marty: "But, this year we are Seniors."    That is exactly why the Church brings us through this time with Jesus, we call Lent.   None of us have learned it all.   In fact, the reason we are here is because of God's mercy and love to help us to learn and grow in our journey as Christian people.

Lent is that period in the Church year that gives us the time to take a look at where our journey with Christ has been going.   In what ways are we growing closer to God?  Are there ways in which we can make more space for God?   Is there some place of growth that we have been putting off?  How serious are we about this life of being a Baptized Christian?

In the reading from Hebrew Scriptures, the Prophet Joel is talking to the people not as individuals, but as a whole community.   Joel knows of the ritual worship of the community he is speaking to.  However, it is not the ritual he is most concerned with.   He is deeply concerned about what is within their hearts.  Even as they participate in the ritual of covering themselves with ashes, are they really aware of how their attitudes towards others affects their relationship with God?    They may tear their garments to shreds over having offended God, but do they rend their hearts so as to experience real contrition?

In our times, do we care more about doing rituals than using them to unite our hearts and minds to God?  Do we receive the ashes on our foreheads with a sense of penance and reverence for the reality that we are on this earth a short time, and accept our Baptismal Vow to love God, neighbor and ourselves with everything we have during our lifetime?  

Paul tells us that now is the day of salvation.  When I read these words, I am reminded of the new version of Psalm 95:7 in the Common English Bible.  "If only you would listen to his voice right now!"  God is calling us to salvation here and now.  There is a sense of urgency in Paul and the words of the Psalmist.   The time to be paying attention to what God is calling us to, is now.    What ever our situation might be.  If we are facing our best or worst moments.   If we are celebrating a new relationship or grieving the loss of one.   If we are being energized in a good way by what is going on around  us, or totally losing it.  The point is God is communicating with us.   Through our emotions.  Our process of thinking of what it is we want to do.  God is calling us like a mother, to keep on trying and working.  Do not give up.  There is much more that God wants us to do.   Are we paying attention right now?

Jesus in our Gospel is instructing us to do what we do for the sake of our relationship with God.  Not for our stature within our communities.   Not for public respect or prestige.   The point is to seek God with what is in our hearts and let that relationship speak for itself.    Being a follower of Jesus Christ is not a matter of winning a popularity contest.   It is about making space for God so that God can work in and through us.  Our prayers, penances and alms giving, whatever practices we do this Lent, are to draw us closer to God and through that closeness with God in others. 

Lent is all about addressing our comfort zones.  Those spaces in our hearts where there is fear of someone we know very little about, that keep us locked up inside.  Such crowded spaces do not allow us to grow.  They do not allow us to mature in grace.  The Psalmist said in Psalm 118:5 Common English Bible wrote: "In tight circumstances, I cried to the LORD.  The LORD answered me with wide-open spaces.  The LORD is for me--I won't be afraid.  What can anyone do to me?"   Do we trust God enough to let God answer our prayers with "wide-open spaces?"   That is what Lent is about.

Those "wide-open spaces" include accepting others who are different than ourselves.   Such as passing marriage equality for LGBT people.  Ending racism, sexism and the constant attacks on low income individuals, those who are sick, retired and disabled.  Learning to accept people of different religions, cultures and philosophical persuasions, and be open to learning from them.  

As we journey with Jesus through the desert we call Lent, we have time to spend looking at those spaces in our lives.   How can we open more of them for God?   How can we trust in God to answer our prayers to open them?    I think some of the answers may be in the Collect for Ash Wednesday, as well as many of the other activities we do and do not do during Lent.

Amen.


Prayers

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.  (Collect for Ash Wednesday, Book of Common Prayer, p.217).


Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you
all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us
to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick,
and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those
who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow
into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for
our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Poor and Neglected, Book of Common Prayer, p.826).

Last Sunday after the Epiphany: Are We Awake to See God's Glory?

Today's Scripture Readings

Exodus 34:29-35 (NRSV)

Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them. Afterward all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; but whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Psalm 99 (BCP., p.728)


2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 (NRSV)

Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness, not like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of the glory that was being set aside. But their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when they hear the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside. Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

Therefore, since it is by God's mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God's word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God.

Luke 9:28-36 (NRSV)

About eight days after Peter had acknowledged Jesus as the Christ of God, Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Blog Reflection

The ending of the Seasons after the Epiphany and Pentecost have a couple things in common.   They both end with a glorious image of Jesus.  

The last Sunday after Pentecost is Christ the King.   We recall Jesus as the King who would come and establish the Reign of God and reign Himself in glorious majesty.   The celebration takes place as we prepare to journey into Advent when we recall that Christ who came once in history, will come again in glory, as we prepare to remember his first coming at Christmas.

Today, on this last Sunday after the Epiphany we have an image of Jesus glorious in the Transfiguration.  In the Transfiguration, Jesus reveals the glory of God as He prepares to go from that mountain to Jerusalem where He will be crucified on another mountain.   When we leave this mountain with Jesus today, we will go with him into the desert we call Lent.  As we walk with Jesus through Lent, we will be taking a good hard look at ourselves to make more space for God as we prepare to celebrate Holy Week and Easter.  

Before Jesus can go on to Jerusalem, he goes up to the mountain to seek approval from God with what He is about to do.  In that experience, Jesus receives the confirmation about the connection of what He is about to do, with the history of His own faith tradition.  He is about to go forward and face the reality of His own death, before He can rise from the dead.  Those who are with Jesus are terrified of what they are witnessing.  But, though they are tired from their journey and work, they dare not fall asleep.   This is such a contradiction to what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before the crucifixion.

One of the reasons why many Benedictine and Trappist Monasteries still celebrate Matins, is so that not only their bodies, but their hearts will also be awake to greet the coming of Christ.   It is one thing to be awake physically.   It is quite something altogether different to be awake in both body and mind.   To be awake with all of one's senses, to greet God with the words of Psalm 3:5.  "I lie down and go to sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me."   It is God who allows us to wake up for another night and day, to recall the mighty acts of God who will "surely, strike all my enemies across the face, you will break the teeth of the wicked. Deliverance belongs to the Lord, your blessing be upon your people" (Psalm 3:7 & 8).

In the Transfiguration we may not know or understand everything that happened there.  But, we do know that any encounter with Christ that gives us a revelation of God can only lead to good things.  However, they will not happen without our willing to lose a little bit of ourselves to obtain it.  It will require us to seek the goodness of God in ways and people that will disturb our comfort zones and shake our arrogance.   We will need to be awake to see God's glory.

It is not uncommon that God is revealing God's Self in ways around us, but our minds and souls are still asleep.   There may also be moments and opportunities to encounter the revelation of God, but, are we really aware of what is there?

God is revealing God's justice in the movements towards marriage equality.   As more States and countries like Great Britain pass marriage equality, opportunities for releasing those held captive by prejudice are taking place right in front of us.  Yet, those who are still stuck in age of LGBT people being condemned by God (which is untrue), would rather we not only fall asleep in ignorance, but become violently active to stop it. 

As God becomes manifested in seeking to provide health care opportunities for women, the outrageous efforts of Christianists to threaten those who provide such care to the most poor and violated of women, is hardly a  holy way to do things.   There is nothing holy or even pro-life in closing clinics that provide much needed services to women who are low income and in the places where there is no help for them.   Those who justify their actions by which they threaten abortion doctors and clinic workers, are not embracing the mission of God in our world.  They are bowing down to a masked god of violence and oppression, dressed up as religious zeal.  

As the news has been coming to the forefront of how dangerous the drone missile attacks are on targeted Americans, we have yet to acknowledge that the United States is murdering innocent families of women, men and children in Pakistan.  Why should we only be concerned about Americans be targeted without sufficient cause, but those in Pakistan are fair game?  

God is calling us all to wake up and see God's glory being revealed in what is taking place all around us.  God does not promise to end all violence, oppression and poverty.  God promises to be with us as God calls upon us to work to end these evils in our world.  We must stop frightening the world about God being destructive, when God is the One who loves us all.  God who is forever moving and changing in our midst, also calls us to move and change the world around us.

As Jesus needed to seek God's will before moving forward, so must we.  If we are to experience all that Lent can provide for us, we need first to spend some time in silence seeking God's will.  In our penances, prayers and readings through Lent, we must be open to seeking the presence of Christ in all people, places and opportunities.  They are moments by which God can reveal God's glory in us, if only we will go with Jesus to the cross over and over again.

"All who want to save their lives will lose them.  But all who lose their lives because of me will find them"  (Mt. 16:25 Common English Bible).

Amen.


Prayers

O God, who before the passion of your only-begotten Son
revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that
we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be
strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his
likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, Book of Common Prayer, p.217)


O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know
you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend
us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that
we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of
any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.  (Collect for Peace, Book of Common Prayer, p. 99).

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany: Are We Pesky Prophets for Our Time?

Today's Scripture Readings

Jeremiah 1: 4-10 (NRSV)

The word of the LORD came to me saying,

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

and before you were born I consecrated you;

I appointed you a prophet to the nations."

Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy." But the LORD said to me,

"Do not say, 'I am only a boy';

for you shall go to all to whom I send you,

and you shall speak whatever I command you,

Do not be afraid of them,

for I am with you to deliver you,

says the LORD."

Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me,

"Now I have put my words in your mouth.

See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,

to pluck up and to pull down,

to destroy and to overthrow,

to build and to plant."

Psalm 71 (BCP., p.683)


1 Corinthians 13: 1-13 (NRSV)

If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Luke 4:21-30 (NRSV)

In the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus read from the book of the prophet Isaiah, and began to say, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" He said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Doctor, cure yourself!' And you will say, 'Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.'" And he said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian." When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

Blog Reflection

At the Sunday Eucharist at Trinity Wall Street Episcopal Church in New York City, Dr. Renita Weems preached on January 20th of this year.   During her sermon she said that not all of us will be called to be prophets, but all of us will be placed in moments when we have the opportunity to be a prophetic witness.  We will all be given an opportunity to say or do something that will give just a little bit of clarity to those who are in darkness.  We will undoubtedly find ourselves in a moment when we are confronted by something going on, or a word someone said.  At that moment, we will have the chance to decide if we are to go with the flow, even though we know otherwise, or challenge the status quo.

When we find ourselves in a moment by which we can make a difference, we may be faced with our own limitations.  We just can't say the right words.  Our personal fears get in our way.  We might feel like Jeremiah or Moses.   The point is, God created and redeemed us for this moment in which we find ourselves.   God planned for each of us to be here from before the foundations of the earth, to accomplish great things.   If God is calling us to do awesome things, it is because, God is equipping us to proclaim the Gospel in our time.

The hard work of prophesying will be that we won't be well received.  Prophets often bring with them news that is good for some, but not for most who like things the way they are.   All of us like to be much too comfortable and complacent in our lives.  The last thing we want is for someone to come along and tell us that the way we have been doing things was all wrong.   When they do, we like to resort to our "old time religion." 

As things in the world and the Church change to be more inclusive of LGBT people, immigrants, individuals of different races, religions, etc., those who want the old comfortable religion that is only for straight, white, male Christians to settle them.  However, God never wants us to be complacent or settled.  God is always challenging us to open our hearts even more.  To receive those who have been labeled by negative stereotypes or kept in the back of the bus into our company.  So God sends individuals like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr or Bishop Gene Robinson to open our hearts.    We have elected and re-elected at outstanding man such as President Barack Obama in the midst of the most vicious of racial hatred and homophobic rhetoric.  The work of being prophetic witnesses in our time, could never be more important. 

The reading from 1 Corinthians 13 has been stripped of much of it's meaning by being over used at weddings.  Michael T. Hiller in Break Open the Word tells us that the love Paul writes about is not a romantic love.  It is the love of God by which there is no mystery that can explain it.  God's love is so awesome and is given so freely for the benefit of all human beings, that no one of us has any business thinking that we are so deserving of such love, that we can treat those different than ourselves as less lovable.  God's love has given us our dignity and integrity by redeeming us by the blood of Jesus Christ.  So that we can be the people of God who share that love with all who are marginalized and hurting.   We can be a source of strength for those who are week.  We can serve the poor and the sick, and be there for those who are dying.  Why?  Because of all of the greatest gifts that God gave us, the most awesome and wonderful is love.

In our Gospel today, Jesus has just proclaimed that the awesome prophesy he read from Isaiah 61 is fulfilled in their hearing.  Those hearing him were amazed, as in there was some acceptance of what they heard.  But, with every wonderful piece of news comes the usual questions.  Where is he from?   Who are his parents?   What did he do for a living?  Suddenly the wonderful news of God coming to liberate the oppressed is clouded up by negative stereotypes.  What do they do in response?  They want to silence the messenger.

As people in our time are coming to the awareness that now is the time to do some thing about the out of control violence by guns, those who want things the way they have been are rebelling.  The desire to help those who suffer from mental illness, gets stifled by those who want to protect billion dollar profits for gun manufactures and health care companies.  Protecting the wealthy and powerful, becomes more important than assisting the innocent and weak. 

As opportunities for reproductive health care for women increase because of science, Christianists are determined to shut down clinics that provide health care for women.  They invoke violence of the worst kind, and encourage even more.  Christian charity goes out the window, but misguided zeal becomes the basis for violence and destruction.

The message of the Gospel, and our Baptismal Covenant call us to work towards peace and justice for all people and to respect the dignity of every human person.  We have the awesome responsibility and opportunity to witness to the prophetic message of the love of God and neighbor.   By our daily prayers on behalf of those who are disadvantaged, and our generosity of treasure and talents we can be part of the transformation of the Church and society.   Even in the face of opposition by those who don't want to be disturbed.

As we embark on the last full week before Lent begins, we can spend time in the silence of our hearts and ask God how we can be prophetic.   We can also pray for the courage that the opposition to our prophetic witness, will not deter our faithfulness to what God empowers us to do.

Amen.


Prayers

Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in
heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of
your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.  (Collect for Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, Book of Common Prayer, p. 215)


Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so
move every human heart [and especially the hearts of the
people of this land], that barriers which divide us may
crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our
divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for Social Justice, Book of Common Prayer, p. 823)