Scriptural Basis
Matthew 21:12-16
Blog Reflection
I think everyone in the United States is just infuriated by the inability of our Congress and President as the probability of a Government shut down draws near.
Over the past few months I have been called a "feminist with a beard" by many on the pro-choice side of American politics. And indeed, I have done a major change from where I used to be.
As Jesus looked around him, he saw a sight that disturbed him. Jesus saw the sight of the house of God being used for people's own financial purpose. As he carried out his actions, he called for the Temple to be a house of prayer, not a den of thieves.
The battle in the Church and society wages on. Who should be the more important? The corporations or the people? The US Military or those who cannot get a decent meal before going to bed? Everyone having basic human rights? Or only Caucasian, wealthy, healthy, heterosexual men?
The problem with law makers and even many church denominational or local leaders, is that the decisions that they make do not directly affect them. The people that their decisions do affect are not close enough to them to really affect their lives. As a result the real losers are not the politicians or the church bureaucrats. The real losers in these debates are the women, the LGBT, the poor, the oppressed and neglected. Those are the people who have every thing to lose, while the decision makers have everything to gain.
Today, we commemorate William Augustus Muhlenberg and Anne Ayers. Two people who made use of the gifts and the abilities they had to do good for the poor and sick of their time. They started the Church of the Holy Communion in New York City. Their companionship in ministry led to the founding of St. Luke's Hospital in the City of New York.
The House of God, is not only a church building with gothic-style furnishings and appointments. The Church is also not only those who preach, celebrate and administrate. The United States of America is not the U.S. Congress or the President. The Church, the House of God are those who worship whether they are in a church building on Sundays or not. The United States of America is those who carry the wish for freedom and democracy within their hearts.
My interpretation of today's Gospel is really not fair in many ways. I regret that I do not know as much about the Jewish Faith as I would like to understand what a move like the one Jesus made in this Gospel, would mean to those who practice and know the history of the Jewish religion. As we draw closer to Holy Week and Easter, I want to state that I do not condone any level of anti-semitism that would suggest that the Jews are responsible for the death of Jesus. I also do not support the idea that Jewish people, or Muslims must convert to Christianity in order to find salvation.
What I do wish to convey in this blog is not intended to be a statement about Jews or any other religious tradition outside of Christianity.
Christians over the centuries have our history of assuming that the coming of Jesus means that all other religious and political persuasions that do not fit our ideals, must somehow be destroyed. When in fact, the Christian faith and the arrival and ministry of Jesus was about no such thing.
Whether the story of Jesus driving out the money changers is completely accurate in it's details or not, I do believe that Jesus would want us to consider the change of heart that he is calling for. It is not enough for us to be cozy in our houses of worship, with attitudes aimed at the destruction of individuals and ideals that are not quite like our own, and call ourselves holy people. I think that is the message of what this Gospel story, true or made up is meant to tell us.
We are called to embrace other people and work for justice, equality and inclusion with the intent of being together in a home of prayer, by which we honor our God with all that is diverse about each of us.
My voice for women in this debate is not only about the issue of abortion as I see it, but how our society and the Church values women. It is not just, nor is it respectful to place upon a woman the requirement to give birth to a child that she cannot take care of. It is also not appropriate to require a woman to carry to term a baby that she cannot take care of, because she has been denied health care, education for a better job, working conditions that do not pay her adequate wages so she can work and take care of a child, and a legal system that places the bulk of the care responsibility on the mother.
Many so called "crisis pregnancy" centers, are not at all about helping the mother, as much as they have become about scaring a mother about having an abortion.
Planned Parenthood does not only do abortions, they also provide cancer screenings, contraception counseling, HIV screenings, and many other health care options for women, who would not be able to get them any where else.
If law makers are really going to shut down the government because funding for this agency which supplies so much care for women is being opposed by so called pro-"life" Christians, then this is one of the biggest acts of injustice of this whole year.
I pray that Jesus will come and cleanse the Christian Church of the violence, hatred, malice and actions towards women, LGBT, the sick and poor, the immigrants and others in our time. Such behaviors do not represent the person of Christ, nor the heart of what being a Christ follower is about.
Prayers
Matthew 21:12-16
Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, "It is written,
The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became angry and said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" Jesus said to them, "
- `My house shall be called a house of prayer';
- but you are making it a den of robbers."
Yes; have you never read,
`Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself'?"
Blog Reflection
I think everyone in the United States is just infuriated by the inability of our Congress and President as the probability of a Government shut down draws near.
Over the past few months I have been called a "feminist with a beard" by many on the pro-choice side of American politics. And indeed, I have done a major change from where I used to be.
As Jesus looked around him, he saw a sight that disturbed him. Jesus saw the sight of the house of God being used for people's own financial purpose. As he carried out his actions, he called for the Temple to be a house of prayer, not a den of thieves.
The battle in the Church and society wages on. Who should be the more important? The corporations or the people? The US Military or those who cannot get a decent meal before going to bed? Everyone having basic human rights? Or only Caucasian, wealthy, healthy, heterosexual men?
The problem with law makers and even many church denominational or local leaders, is that the decisions that they make do not directly affect them. The people that their decisions do affect are not close enough to them to really affect their lives. As a result the real losers are not the politicians or the church bureaucrats. The real losers in these debates are the women, the LGBT, the poor, the oppressed and neglected. Those are the people who have every thing to lose, while the decision makers have everything to gain.
Today, we commemorate William Augustus Muhlenberg and Anne Ayers. Two people who made use of the gifts and the abilities they had to do good for the poor and sick of their time. They started the Church of the Holy Communion in New York City. Their companionship in ministry led to the founding of St. Luke's Hospital in the City of New York.
The House of God, is not only a church building with gothic-style furnishings and appointments. The Church is also not only those who preach, celebrate and administrate. The United States of America is not the U.S. Congress or the President. The Church, the House of God are those who worship whether they are in a church building on Sundays or not. The United States of America is those who carry the wish for freedom and democracy within their hearts.
My interpretation of today's Gospel is really not fair in many ways. I regret that I do not know as much about the Jewish Faith as I would like to understand what a move like the one Jesus made in this Gospel, would mean to those who practice and know the history of the Jewish religion. As we draw closer to Holy Week and Easter, I want to state that I do not condone any level of anti-semitism that would suggest that the Jews are responsible for the death of Jesus. I also do not support the idea that Jewish people, or Muslims must convert to Christianity in order to find salvation.
What I do wish to convey in this blog is not intended to be a statement about Jews or any other religious tradition outside of Christianity.
Christians over the centuries have our history of assuming that the coming of Jesus means that all other religious and political persuasions that do not fit our ideals, must somehow be destroyed. When in fact, the Christian faith and the arrival and ministry of Jesus was about no such thing.
Whether the story of Jesus driving out the money changers is completely accurate in it's details or not, I do believe that Jesus would want us to consider the change of heart that he is calling for. It is not enough for us to be cozy in our houses of worship, with attitudes aimed at the destruction of individuals and ideals that are not quite like our own, and call ourselves holy people. I think that is the message of what this Gospel story, true or made up is meant to tell us.
We are called to embrace other people and work for justice, equality and inclusion with the intent of being together in a home of prayer, by which we honor our God with all that is diverse about each of us.
My voice for women in this debate is not only about the issue of abortion as I see it, but how our society and the Church values women. It is not just, nor is it respectful to place upon a woman the requirement to give birth to a child that she cannot take care of. It is also not appropriate to require a woman to carry to term a baby that she cannot take care of, because she has been denied health care, education for a better job, working conditions that do not pay her adequate wages so she can work and take care of a child, and a legal system that places the bulk of the care responsibility on the mother.
Many so called "crisis pregnancy" centers, are not at all about helping the mother, as much as they have become about scaring a mother about having an abortion.
Planned Parenthood does not only do abortions, they also provide cancer screenings, contraception counseling, HIV screenings, and many other health care options for women, who would not be able to get them any where else.
If law makers are really going to shut down the government because funding for this agency which supplies so much care for women is being opposed by so called pro-"life" Christians, then this is one of the biggest acts of injustice of this whole year.
I pray that Jesus will come and cleanse the Christian Church of the violence, hatred, malice and actions towards women, LGBT, the sick and poor, the immigrants and others in our time. Such behaviors do not represent the person of Christ, nor the heart of what being a Christ follower is about.
Prayers
God of justice and truth, do not let your Church close its eyes to the plight of the poor and neglected, the homeless and destitute, the old and the sick, the lonely and those who have none to care for them. Give us that vision and compassion with which you so richly endowed William Augustus Muhlenberg and Anne Ayers, that we may labor tirelessly to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow in to joy; through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Holy Women, Holy Men, Celebrating the Saints, page 315)
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