Today's Scripture Reading
Mark 1: 1-13 (NRSV)
Blog Reflection
Henry J. M. Nouwen in his book, The Wounded Healer writes: "The great illusion of leadership is to think that a man can be led out of the desert by someone who has never been there" (p. 72).
During this Season of Lent we are being led into our time in the desert, by One who knows all too well what it means to be out there. Unlike, the scene a couple weeks ago of a group of men testifying before a Congressional House Panel about the dangers of contraception for women, when they have no understanding of the experiences of women; Jesus has actually been in the desert and witnessed the dangers and knows exactly what we are getting into. He knows what it is to be a Baptized believer set loose in a world of spiritual, physical and psychological challenges.
We can infer from the reading from St. Mark's Gospel, that Jesus' experience of the desert follows the experience of John the Baptist. Therefore, is it possible that Jesus looked to the experience of his baptizer as his model for going into the desert with complete trust in God? How else could Jesus have known that it was the Spirit who led him out there, and that there would be angels waiting on him as he faced the wild beasts?
In today's commemoration of the Priest and Preacher George Herbert, the Episcopal Church gives us the Gospel reading of the Beatitudes from Matthew 5: 1-10. This Gospel reading follows Matthew's account of Jesus' temptation. How else might Jesus have known that it was the poor in Spirit who would inherit God's reign if he had not faced his own Spiritual poverty and need for God, as he hungered for food, was tempted by the illusion of world domination, and putting God to the test?
Jesus' experience of his temptation in the wilderness is our model during this Lenten Season. Jesus knows of what we face, and by God's Holy Spirit, Jesus attends to our needs by the assistance of angels just as they attended to him.
As lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer Christians, we are led by the Spirit into the wilderness of a Church and a world where the wild beasts of those afflicted by attitudes and behaviors of prejudice and violence are waiting. They wait with their erroneous interpretations of Scripture, the untested version of Church Tradition, and a blind understanding of Reason to attempt to harm us. They would rather stay in their own cocoons where they are protected from a more educated and critical understanding of the Bible, the history of the Church, and the actual experiences of others, through which Reason is applied to a renewed understanding of human sexuality and gender identity/expression.
At the same time, if we as LGBT Christians do not leave the illusionary world of "by the bars and internet alone will we find love," or of unhealthy and uncontrolled sexual appetites, to allow the Gospel to heal our hurts and forgive ourselves and others; we become only an extreme version of those who hate us, on the our own side of the social and political isle. We are challenged by the Gospel and the Cross, do to a lot better than that.
The Holy Spirit may be challenging a number of us LGBT Christians to recognize the goodness that exists in our hearts and our desire to share our love with another person physically and romantically. To do that, we must go with the Spirit into the wilderness where we will face the wild beasts of oppression and prejudice and resist the temptation to respond to them with the same attitudes and biases that feed separation and segregation. We can go there with Jesus who knew what it was like to be around people in his own country who did not accept him, but loved them any way. We can look for others who are marginalized and oppressed and become part of the missionary work of showing that God does not hate or reject anyone. But, welcomes everyone and gives them the opportunity for healing and reconciliation.
This Lent, we are challenged to go in to the desert with Jesus and trust in the Holy Spirit to help us face the wild beasts, and experience being waited on by the angels. So that we may come to the celebration of Easter as God's risen people, ready and able to do the Apostolic work of new life in Christ in our world.
Prayers
Mark 1: 1-13 (NRSV)
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight” ’,
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’
And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
Blog Reflection
Henry J. M. Nouwen in his book, The Wounded Healer writes: "The great illusion of leadership is to think that a man can be led out of the desert by someone who has never been there" (p. 72).
During this Season of Lent we are being led into our time in the desert, by One who knows all too well what it means to be out there. Unlike, the scene a couple weeks ago of a group of men testifying before a Congressional House Panel about the dangers of contraception for women, when they have no understanding of the experiences of women; Jesus has actually been in the desert and witnessed the dangers and knows exactly what we are getting into. He knows what it is to be a Baptized believer set loose in a world of spiritual, physical and psychological challenges.
We can infer from the reading from St. Mark's Gospel, that Jesus' experience of the desert follows the experience of John the Baptist. Therefore, is it possible that Jesus looked to the experience of his baptizer as his model for going into the desert with complete trust in God? How else could Jesus have known that it was the Spirit who led him out there, and that there would be angels waiting on him as he faced the wild beasts?
In today's commemoration of the Priest and Preacher George Herbert, the Episcopal Church gives us the Gospel reading of the Beatitudes from Matthew 5: 1-10. This Gospel reading follows Matthew's account of Jesus' temptation. How else might Jesus have known that it was the poor in Spirit who would inherit God's reign if he had not faced his own Spiritual poverty and need for God, as he hungered for food, was tempted by the illusion of world domination, and putting God to the test?
Jesus' experience of his temptation in the wilderness is our model during this Lenten Season. Jesus knows of what we face, and by God's Holy Spirit, Jesus attends to our needs by the assistance of angels just as they attended to him.
As lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer Christians, we are led by the Spirit into the wilderness of a Church and a world where the wild beasts of those afflicted by attitudes and behaviors of prejudice and violence are waiting. They wait with their erroneous interpretations of Scripture, the untested version of Church Tradition, and a blind understanding of Reason to attempt to harm us. They would rather stay in their own cocoons where they are protected from a more educated and critical understanding of the Bible, the history of the Church, and the actual experiences of others, through which Reason is applied to a renewed understanding of human sexuality and gender identity/expression.
At the same time, if we as LGBT Christians do not leave the illusionary world of "by the bars and internet alone will we find love," or of unhealthy and uncontrolled sexual appetites, to allow the Gospel to heal our hurts and forgive ourselves and others; we become only an extreme version of those who hate us, on the our own side of the social and political isle. We are challenged by the Gospel and the Cross, do to a lot better than that.
The Holy Spirit may be challenging a number of us LGBT Christians to recognize the goodness that exists in our hearts and our desire to share our love with another person physically and romantically. To do that, we must go with the Spirit into the wilderness where we will face the wild beasts of oppression and prejudice and resist the temptation to respond to them with the same attitudes and biases that feed separation and segregation. We can go there with Jesus who knew what it was like to be around people in his own country who did not accept him, but loved them any way. We can look for others who are marginalized and oppressed and become part of the missionary work of showing that God does not hate or reject anyone. But, welcomes everyone and gives them the opportunity for healing and reconciliation.
This Lent, we are challenged to go in to the desert with Jesus and trust in the Holy Spirit to help us face the wild beasts, and experience being waited on by the angels. So that we may come to the celebration of Easter as God's risen people, ready and able to do the Apostolic work of new life in Christ in our world.
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. (First 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. (Ash Wednesday, Book of Common Prayer, p. 217).
Our God and King, you called your servant George Herbert from the pursuit of worldly honors to be a pastor of souls, a poet, and a priest in your temple: Give us grace, we pray, joyfully to perform the tasks you give us to do knowing that nothing is menial or common that is done for your sake; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (George Herbert, Holy Women, Holy Men, Celebrating the Saints, p. 247).
O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love
our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth:
deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in
your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for our Enemies, Book of Common Prayer, p. 816).
No comments:
Post a Comment