Today's Scripture Reading
Mark 1:40-45 (NRSV)
Blog Reflection
Many years ago while I was on retreat at St. Mary's Monastery in Petersham, Massachusetts, where I eventually became an Oblate, then Superior Fr. Anselm, OSB (now Abbot of Pluscarden Abbey in Scotland) gave a homily on this text. He focused on Jesus' command to the healed man to keep quiet. It was the first time I ever heard someone talk about this Gospel that way. I usually tended to think about the tremendous healing the guy experienced. A fresh look at the narrative on the request to keep quiet, but go and offer thanks to God as was the custom of the day, gives us another important point of view. Especially in light of so much of what is going on around us.
When I was a young Christian in the evangelical movement, I went through the phase that I was just so happy to know the Lord in my heart and mind. I believed that I had just been saved by the sinner's prayers. I was all hitched on the whole "tell the world about Jesus, so that no one goes to hell" bit. I was the pain in the neck that I now experience whenever some zealous blabbermouth comes along and begins the kill joy session, complete with Bible quotations, chapter and verse numbers.
The LGBT communities had a terrific week. Prop. 8 was overturned in a Federal Court of Appeals in the ninth circuit. The Washington State Legislature passed marriage equality and the Governor is expected to sign it into law this upcoming week. In addition, Ellen DeGeneres and JCPenny spoke out defense of equality for all Americans by answering those who want to use their religion and money to promote discrimination. All of these are fantastic examples of the Reign of God becoming more visible through the transformation of church communities and other sectors of society embracing and including all of God's people.
However, as soon as many of us begin to celebrate, out comes the Bible beaters. Many of them preaching that the end of the world is coming, and America is surely going to hell now. Many of them warning of God's wrath in the form of natural disasters and who knows what else. All because "The Bible says so." The Gospel for today, becomes a vehicle to condemn those of us considered "unclean" by anti-LGBT religious groups.
This past week we read and heard about the obnoxious efforts to keep women and men from contraception. We also heard from Republicans about the whole "threat to religious freedom" because the President wants everyone to have access to contraception through their health care plans.
I am still a Christian who believes that God is doing awesome things in and through my own life. I admit, I can be a loud mouth too. I guess this blog is just such an example. However, my reason for writing this blog is to show that the Christianist views that checks their brains and Christian Charity at the door, are not the only one's with a claim to the saving message of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is both saving of individuals as well as one that can transform the Church and society away from hatred and violence, if we will just do our part to give Jesus Christ a good Name. By our actions. Not so much by our words.
Our Christian Faith speaks volumes when we live it. When we give ourselves to the work of helping the marginalized by recognizing and defending the dignity of every human person, the Gospel is being proclaimed through our lives. We also live up to our Baptismal Covenant. That is so wonderful. It is life-giving and not fearful or hateful.
When Christians and other people of good will, including those who do not believe what Christians believe or practice, put the needs of others ahead of their own to serve the poor, the sick, the lost and lonely, the Gospel story is being told. Not through being a blabbermouth. The Gospel story of the prodigal child is heard when a father receives his gay son back into his family, accepting him for who he is and encourages him to find healthy relationships. The Gospel parable of the Good Samaritan is told through the work of PFLAG. The story of Good Friday and Easter Day becomes real and living in a community where school students have taken their own lives due to bullying, work to change the school districts policy. The family councils look on, mocking Jesus on the cross saying: "If you are truly a child of God, take the bullying and change so that you can prove that traditional family values stay alive". While groups that seek to have policies made that discourages bullying and calls for ways of understanding their peers who are LGBT or questioning show the resurrection in trying to rebuild stronger communities, where new life is sprouting up.
The lepor came with a request. "If you chose, you can make me clean." Jesus responds "I do chose. Be made clean!" Jesus asked the leper to be quiet in his words, but to show his gratitude to God by going and offering his thanks to God. Not would it have been noticed by God, but others would have seen that the guy had an obvious change. The one who was far removed from the community through no fault of his own, has now been restored to God's people of Faith. No longer does God separate him, he is now a part of the family of God. The healed mans choice to become a blabbermouth put Jesus in a bad spot. It meant he couldn't be alone anymore. He had to go into the country. Still, the crowds came to find him.
Sometimes we Christians in our joy of knowing that God has changed our lives, make the mistake of becoming too much of a blabbermouth with no actions to back up our claims. Our words show us praising God and being faithful. Our actions show us being anything but thankful. Just a bunch of empty words. We become the biggest pain in the neck. No one is paying attention.
There are moments when we as a worshiping community must pray, sing and proclaim together. At the end of our Liturgy we hear the words: "Go forth to love and serve the Lord." Our response, "Thanks be to God."
There is no threat to religious freedom because of marriage equality, abortion or contraception. There is a threat to being authentic followers of the Jesus we claim has changed us, the more Christians target LGBT, women, the sick, the Muslims and others for the purpose of violence, bullying and political gain. As progressive Christians we have every business speaking up and being part of a culture of radical change through hospitality and the ministry of reconciliation.
We need time to be quiet and pray. We must also get down to work.
Prayers
Mark 1:40-45 (NRSV)
A leper came to Jesus begging him, and kneeling he said to him, "If you choose, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I do choose. Be made clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, saying to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.
Blog Reflection
Many years ago while I was on retreat at St. Mary's Monastery in Petersham, Massachusetts, where I eventually became an Oblate, then Superior Fr. Anselm, OSB (now Abbot of Pluscarden Abbey in Scotland) gave a homily on this text. He focused on Jesus' command to the healed man to keep quiet. It was the first time I ever heard someone talk about this Gospel that way. I usually tended to think about the tremendous healing the guy experienced. A fresh look at the narrative on the request to keep quiet, but go and offer thanks to God as was the custom of the day, gives us another important point of view. Especially in light of so much of what is going on around us.
When I was a young Christian in the evangelical movement, I went through the phase that I was just so happy to know the Lord in my heart and mind. I believed that I had just been saved by the sinner's prayers. I was all hitched on the whole "tell the world about Jesus, so that no one goes to hell" bit. I was the pain in the neck that I now experience whenever some zealous blabbermouth comes along and begins the kill joy session, complete with Bible quotations, chapter and verse numbers.
The LGBT communities had a terrific week. Prop. 8 was overturned in a Federal Court of Appeals in the ninth circuit. The Washington State Legislature passed marriage equality and the Governor is expected to sign it into law this upcoming week. In addition, Ellen DeGeneres and JCPenny spoke out defense of equality for all Americans by answering those who want to use their religion and money to promote discrimination. All of these are fantastic examples of the Reign of God becoming more visible through the transformation of church communities and other sectors of society embracing and including all of God's people.
However, as soon as many of us begin to celebrate, out comes the Bible beaters. Many of them preaching that the end of the world is coming, and America is surely going to hell now. Many of them warning of God's wrath in the form of natural disasters and who knows what else. All because "The Bible says so." The Gospel for today, becomes a vehicle to condemn those of us considered "unclean" by anti-LGBT religious groups.
This past week we read and heard about the obnoxious efforts to keep women and men from contraception. We also heard from Republicans about the whole "threat to religious freedom" because the President wants everyone to have access to contraception through their health care plans.
I am still a Christian who believes that God is doing awesome things in and through my own life. I admit, I can be a loud mouth too. I guess this blog is just such an example. However, my reason for writing this blog is to show that the Christianist views that checks their brains and Christian Charity at the door, are not the only one's with a claim to the saving message of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is both saving of individuals as well as one that can transform the Church and society away from hatred and violence, if we will just do our part to give Jesus Christ a good Name. By our actions. Not so much by our words.
Our Christian Faith speaks volumes when we live it. When we give ourselves to the work of helping the marginalized by recognizing and defending the dignity of every human person, the Gospel is being proclaimed through our lives. We also live up to our Baptismal Covenant. That is so wonderful. It is life-giving and not fearful or hateful.
When Christians and other people of good will, including those who do not believe what Christians believe or practice, put the needs of others ahead of their own to serve the poor, the sick, the lost and lonely, the Gospel story is being told. Not through being a blabbermouth. The Gospel story of the prodigal child is heard when a father receives his gay son back into his family, accepting him for who he is and encourages him to find healthy relationships. The Gospel parable of the Good Samaritan is told through the work of PFLAG. The story of Good Friday and Easter Day becomes real and living in a community where school students have taken their own lives due to bullying, work to change the school districts policy. The family councils look on, mocking Jesus on the cross saying: "If you are truly a child of God, take the bullying and change so that you can prove that traditional family values stay alive". While groups that seek to have policies made that discourages bullying and calls for ways of understanding their peers who are LGBT or questioning show the resurrection in trying to rebuild stronger communities, where new life is sprouting up.
The lepor came with a request. "If you chose, you can make me clean." Jesus responds "I do chose. Be made clean!" Jesus asked the leper to be quiet in his words, but to show his gratitude to God by going and offering his thanks to God. Not would it have been noticed by God, but others would have seen that the guy had an obvious change. The one who was far removed from the community through no fault of his own, has now been restored to God's people of Faith. No longer does God separate him, he is now a part of the family of God. The healed mans choice to become a blabbermouth put Jesus in a bad spot. It meant he couldn't be alone anymore. He had to go into the country. Still, the crowds came to find him.
Sometimes we Christians in our joy of knowing that God has changed our lives, make the mistake of becoming too much of a blabbermouth with no actions to back up our claims. Our words show us praising God and being faithful. Our actions show us being anything but thankful. Just a bunch of empty words. We become the biggest pain in the neck. No one is paying attention.
There are moments when we as a worshiping community must pray, sing and proclaim together. At the end of our Liturgy we hear the words: "Go forth to love and serve the Lord." Our response, "Thanks be to God."
There is no threat to religious freedom because of marriage equality, abortion or contraception. There is a threat to being authentic followers of the Jesus we claim has changed us, the more Christians target LGBT, women, the sick, the Muslims and others for the purpose of violence, bullying and political gain. As progressive Christians we have every business speaking up and being part of a culture of radical change through hospitality and the ministry of reconciliation.
We need time to be quiet and pray. We must also get down to work.
Prayers
O God, the strength of all who put their trust in you:
Mercifully accept our prayers; and because in our weakness
we can do nothing good without you, give us the help of your
grace, that in keeping your commandments we may please
you both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever. Amen. (Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, Book of Common Prayer, p. 216).
Gracious Father, we pray for they holy Catholic Church. Fill it
with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt,
purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is
amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in
want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake
of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior. Amen. (Prayer for the Church, Book of Common Prayer, p. 816).
We pray, Lord, that everything we do may be prompted by your
inspiration, so that every prayer and work of ours may begin from you
and be brought by you to completion; through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.
(St. Benedict's Prayer Book for Beginners, p. 113).
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