Today's Scripture Readings
Esther (Apocrypha) 14: 1-6, 12-14 (NRSV)
Matthew 7: 7-12 (NRSV)
Blog Reflection
There is nothing so horrible than to find yourself at rock bottom, with no one there to listen to you, receive you, or hold you in your most desperate hour. That feeling of total helplessness, by which there is no way out. Whether the reason be an addiction, grief from the loss of a relationship or job that went bad, the death of someone very close, or just reaching such a place of such depression that there seems to be no way out. Finding yourself at that place is a horrible feeling. Human words are often unable to express the total feeling of rejection and isolation of the heart at such a moment.
To be at such a point, one is almost tempted (and sadly, many are not only tempted, they do) reach the point where they have lost faith in God. Faith in humankind. Faith in themselves and their friends. It is at this point, that one has to make the decision to face things as they are and reach out for some kind of help to get up and live again. Or, to stay there and let all of life lose all meaning, hope for the future and even the reason for living.
How very sad that so many school students who have been questioning their sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression, or who knew and had accepted themselves, or just been suspected of, found themselves there. The only option they felt they had, was to take their lives.
In our reading from the Apocrypha today, Esther seems to be in one of those places. That spot where the only hope she has is God. So,from her despair and for the good of not only she, but her people, she cries out to God. Esther prays from the depths of her nothingness, and recognizes the goodness of God so that she can empty herself with some kind of trust in God. She recognizes that she is before the lion who looks to devour her, her people and the hope of all who are looking for some kind of help.
Jesus tells us to ask, to seek, and be prepared to receive. But what is it we are to ask? Who and what is it we are to seek? What should we be prepared to receive?
The problem with how prayer is often portrayed is a kind of "I ask you, you give me" thing. Just like putting coins in a vending machine and getting what you have selected. This illustration of prayer, is not quite accurate.
The other extreme is to think that Jesus might be telling us to ask, seek and be prepared for nothing. After all, why pray for something we might very well not receive? This also, is not what is going on here.
Here, Jesus is giving us a wonderful description of a Parent who loves their children to the point, that they absolutely would not respond to their requests for help in such a way, as to totally disregard their love for them. Even if a parent is not able to give exactly what the child has asked, they are still going to take the time to listen and give what they can. How can God who is the perfection of love, do anything less?
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer people, and other marginalized persons in the Church and society, know what it is to ask and appear to be getting no where. We say that we want our equal rights now, but, we make only a small amount of progress. Some times we gain some. Some times we lose some. We open our hearts to the renewed understandings of how the Bible does not teach against loving and committed same-sex relationships, or an alternative gender identity/expression, yet, we are faced by the oppression and violence of Christianists and other hate groups. We may be tempted to give up on God and all religion. It can seem as if God is not paying attention, or giving unfair wins to the other side.
Regardless of what side of politics we are on, what our understandings of God and others are, God's relationship to all of us is one of love, mercy and seeking to help us grow. Each of us grows at our own pace and as God prompts us by the Holy Spirit. God comes to us and helps us grow from where we are. God does not have high expectations of us. God just asks us to be faithful. God meets us more times than not, at the point of our need, not our want.
When we are persistent in prayer, what God is looking for from us, is the willingness to receive the grace of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit who helps us accept God's will and not our own. Even if we are in a place that we have arrived, by no act of God's will, nor ours, God still meets us there and wants us to experience God's grace and providence. God wills to see us to where God wants us. God is on our side. God is not telling us to join some godless ex-gay group, or that our opponents are right. God is empowering us by God's grace to accept ourselves as we are, where we are, and invites us to ask and seek God's will to respond to God's grace in this present moment God's grace in what is to come will be there, as we learn to accept God's grace in the here and now.
Lent is an opportunity to make room for God within the silence of our hearts, as well as through the noise of the situations of life at which we find ourselves. If we will make ourselves available to God's grace right here, right at this moment, God will reveal God's will and grace for all that is to come. And, God will provide the strength and help to accept and bear what is given to us.
Prayers
Esther (Apocrypha) 14: 1-6, 12-14 (NRSV)
Then Queen Esther, seized with deadly anxiety, fled to the Lord. She took off her splendid apparel and put on the garments of distress and mourning, and instead of costly perfumes she covered her head with ashes and dung, and she utterly humbled her body; every part that she loved to adorn she covered with her tangled hair. She prayed to the Lord God of Israel, and said: “O my Lord, you only are our king; help me, who am alone and have no helper but you, for my danger is in my hand. Ever since I was born I have heard in the tribe of my family that you, O Lord, took Israel out of all the nations, and our ancestors from among all their forebears, for an everlasting inheritance, and that you did for them all that you promised. And now we have sinned before you, and you have handed us over to our enemies.
Remember, O Lord; make yourself known in this time of our affliction, and give me courage, O King of the gods and Master of all dominion! Put eloquent speech in my mouth before the lion, and turn his heart to hate the man who is fighting against us, so that there may be an end of him and those who agree with him. But save us by your hand, and help me, who am alone and have no helper but you, O Lord.
Matthew 7: 7-12 (NRSV)
‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
‘In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.
Blog Reflection
There is nothing so horrible than to find yourself at rock bottom, with no one there to listen to you, receive you, or hold you in your most desperate hour. That feeling of total helplessness, by which there is no way out. Whether the reason be an addiction, grief from the loss of a relationship or job that went bad, the death of someone very close, or just reaching such a place of such depression that there seems to be no way out. Finding yourself at that place is a horrible feeling. Human words are often unable to express the total feeling of rejection and isolation of the heart at such a moment.
To be at such a point, one is almost tempted (and sadly, many are not only tempted, they do) reach the point where they have lost faith in God. Faith in humankind. Faith in themselves and their friends. It is at this point, that one has to make the decision to face things as they are and reach out for some kind of help to get up and live again. Or, to stay there and let all of life lose all meaning, hope for the future and even the reason for living.
How very sad that so many school students who have been questioning their sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression, or who knew and had accepted themselves, or just been suspected of, found themselves there. The only option they felt they had, was to take their lives.
In our reading from the Apocrypha today, Esther seems to be in one of those places. That spot where the only hope she has is God. So,from her despair and for the good of not only she, but her people, she cries out to God. Esther prays from the depths of her nothingness, and recognizes the goodness of God so that she can empty herself with some kind of trust in God. She recognizes that she is before the lion who looks to devour her, her people and the hope of all who are looking for some kind of help.
Jesus tells us to ask, to seek, and be prepared to receive. But what is it we are to ask? Who and what is it we are to seek? What should we be prepared to receive?
The problem with how prayer is often portrayed is a kind of "I ask you, you give me" thing. Just like putting coins in a vending machine and getting what you have selected. This illustration of prayer, is not quite accurate.
The other extreme is to think that Jesus might be telling us to ask, seek and be prepared for nothing. After all, why pray for something we might very well not receive? This also, is not what is going on here.
Here, Jesus is giving us a wonderful description of a Parent who loves their children to the point, that they absolutely would not respond to their requests for help in such a way, as to totally disregard their love for them. Even if a parent is not able to give exactly what the child has asked, they are still going to take the time to listen and give what they can. How can God who is the perfection of love, do anything less?
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer people, and other marginalized persons in the Church and society, know what it is to ask and appear to be getting no where. We say that we want our equal rights now, but, we make only a small amount of progress. Some times we gain some. Some times we lose some. We open our hearts to the renewed understandings of how the Bible does not teach against loving and committed same-sex relationships, or an alternative gender identity/expression, yet, we are faced by the oppression and violence of Christianists and other hate groups. We may be tempted to give up on God and all religion. It can seem as if God is not paying attention, or giving unfair wins to the other side.
Regardless of what side of politics we are on, what our understandings of God and others are, God's relationship to all of us is one of love, mercy and seeking to help us grow. Each of us grows at our own pace and as God prompts us by the Holy Spirit. God comes to us and helps us grow from where we are. God does not have high expectations of us. God just asks us to be faithful. God meets us more times than not, at the point of our need, not our want.
When we are persistent in prayer, what God is looking for from us, is the willingness to receive the grace of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit who helps us accept God's will and not our own. Even if we are in a place that we have arrived, by no act of God's will, nor ours, God still meets us there and wants us to experience God's grace and providence. God wills to see us to where God wants us. God is on our side. God is not telling us to join some godless ex-gay group, or that our opponents are right. God is empowering us by God's grace to accept ourselves as we are, where we are, and invites us to ask and seek God's will to respond to God's grace in this present moment God's grace in what is to come will be there, as we learn to accept God's grace in the here and now.
Lent is an opportunity to make room for God within the silence of our hearts, as well as through the noise of the situations of life at which we find ourselves. If we will make ourselves available to God's grace right here, right at this moment, God will reveal God's will and grace for all that is to come. And, God will provide the strength and help to accept and bear what is given to us.
Prayers
Strengthen us, O Lord, by your grace, that in your might we may overcome all spiritual enemies, and with pure hearts serve you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Thursday in the First Week in Lent, Holy Women, Holy Men, Celebrating the Saints, p. 39).
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).
O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and
rest we shall be saved, in quietness and confidence shall be
our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee,
to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou
art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for Quiet Confidence, Book of Common Prayer, p. 832).
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