Today's Scripture Readings
Acts 2: 1-21 (NRSV)
Psalm 104 (BCP. p.736)
Romans 8:22-27 (NRSV)
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 (NRSV)
Blog Reflection
These past two weeks since President Obama announced that he supports marriage equality for LGBT people have been amazing. We have witnessed the movement of the Holy Spirit in wonderful and new ways. We have also seen how quickly prejudice and violence rises from those who continue to use the Bible and the Christian religion as a means for hate and cruelty.
This past week we have been reading and hearing about the Pastor in North Carolina who has called for all "queers to be executed." Many in America both religious and non-religious have responded with outrage and horror. Yet, the Pastor's own church members supported what he said. It is amazing and unbelievable how hate in the Name of Jesus Christ can be so popular.
Is it any wonder that so many upon hearing about things such as this turn away from the Christian religion? Why would anyone want to participate in a religion with messengers who preach hate and violence, and encourage others to do the same?
Because those who preach and teach that Christianity and the Bible are the means for discrimination, cruelty and oppression are telling only one side of the story. It is not the Christ side. Their story of Jesus that suggests fear and destruction does not reflect the accurate picture of Jesus or the Christian religion. We could easily say that they are taking the Lord's Name in vein and they do not even know it.
As we celebrate today the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Day, we see how the Advocate changed the Apostles instantly. Their moods, their activities and so forth were transformed so quickly, it looked like they were drunk at 9am. Peter rose and told the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and how this fulfills what the prophets had foretold. The Church was born and given their sense of mission. But, the story does not end there. Just like the truth about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Church and the Bible do not end with the book of Revelation. Nor are they perfectly understood or described by one preachers words, or any particular church council.
Jesus said: "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come."
The first time I heard this Gospel passage preached on in a way that is open to diversity, was by now retired Bishop Christopher Senyonjo of Uganda. He preached about how all of the truth about homosexuality or any part of the Gospel is not finished, but is a continually evolving. Jesus recognized that the work of the Holy Spirit revealing God's truth to humankind would not end with the Apostles, but would continue to be unraveled throughout human history. Through the words of Jesus from John's Gospel today, we know that truth is something that is not static, nor is it abstract. It does not end with one declaration, nor is it "common sense" when their are so many different cultures, races, sexual orientations, genders, gender identities/expressions, languages and religious that understand truth to mean different things. Yet, we know that the Holy Spirit, the feminine nature of God, continues to speak whatever she hears, and declares what is to come from the heart of God.
It is no accident that I might remember this Scripture being preached on by Bishop Christopher. He preached and continues to preach on this matter, because of Uganda's continued efforts to pass a bill that would mean that LGBT individuals who are open, suspected or outed could be put in prison or executed by hanging. The bill would mean that Pastors, counselors, teachers and/or parents who do not report homosexuals to the authorities could themselves face prison time. The bill has been supported and encouraged by American evangelical missionaries of hate.
Yet, here we are on Pentecost Sunday, a week after the message of Pastor Worley calling for the execution of LGBT people. Particularly after North Carolina voters passed a constitutional amendment to ban marriage equality earlier this month. This just goes to show that Christianists are not happy with just passing marriage amendments. They literally want LGBT people eliminated. Once discrimination becomes a matter of being passed by voters, where does it stop?
Our Mother, the Holy Spirit desires to lead us into all truth. Including the truth that the Church has got many things wrong. The Holy Spirit can certainly reveal that the way the Bible has been interpreted and Church tradition has framed the discussion of homosexuality all through the years, as being totally wrong.
The question for us is, are we open to the Holy Spirit leading us into all truth? Are we so arrogant that we refuse to be open to the Holy Spirit leading us to be more inclusive and loving, and less biased and violent? Are we open that our Mother, the Holy Spirit may help us to know that the power of salvation and redemption by way of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, gives us every reason to love the unlovable? To reach out to those marginalized and oppressed by the Church and society to minister to them by the way of radical hospitality and reconciliation?
God the Holy Spirit comes to us so that we may know God's comfort and consolation in the midst of the pains, trials and sufferings of life. She comes to share her grace and truth that it is okay to let her open up the Pandora's Boxes that we put God, our neighbors and ourselves into, to keep us from accepting and loving those who are different from ourselves. Including allowing ourselves to let go of any criteria we have developed for how we judge others, and realizing that all of us, regardless of who we are, are in need of forgiveness, redemption and the hope of being loved unconditionally and inclusively. To call on Church leadership to stop using our religion as an excuse to hate and exclude. Instead, the Holy Spirit comes to help us to exercise the ministry of welcome and healing of those broken relationships that Jesus Christ came to heal.
As we conclude the Easter Season today, we go forth having been renewed in faith, hope and love. Knowing that God has forgiven us, and reconciled us to God's Self by way of the Cross and Resurrection. That our Mother, the Holy Spirit comes to help us by her grace and tender teachings to know that she groans in intercession before God on our behalf, so that we may be God's witnesses of all that Jesus Christ taught and did, being open to being lead into all truth. The truth that does not end on Pentecost. It only begins as we are open to what God's Spirit will do in and through us, if we are open to learning more truth as she hears it from the heart of Almighty God.
Prayers
Acts 2: 1-21 (NRSV)
When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs-- in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine."
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
- `In the last days it will be, God declares,
- that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
- and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
- and your young men shall see visions,
- and your old men shall dream dreams.
- Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
- in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
- and they shall prophesy.
- And I will show portents in the heaven above
- and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
- The sun shall be turned to darkness
- and the moon to blood,
- before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day.
- Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' "
Psalm 104 (BCP. p.736)
Romans 8:22-27 (NRSV)
We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 (NRSV)
Jesus said to his disciples, "When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.
"I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But, now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, `Where are you going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you."
Blog Reflection
These past two weeks since President Obama announced that he supports marriage equality for LGBT people have been amazing. We have witnessed the movement of the Holy Spirit in wonderful and new ways. We have also seen how quickly prejudice and violence rises from those who continue to use the Bible and the Christian religion as a means for hate and cruelty.
This past week we have been reading and hearing about the Pastor in North Carolina who has called for all "queers to be executed." Many in America both religious and non-religious have responded with outrage and horror. Yet, the Pastor's own church members supported what he said. It is amazing and unbelievable how hate in the Name of Jesus Christ can be so popular.
Is it any wonder that so many upon hearing about things such as this turn away from the Christian religion? Why would anyone want to participate in a religion with messengers who preach hate and violence, and encourage others to do the same?
Because those who preach and teach that Christianity and the Bible are the means for discrimination, cruelty and oppression are telling only one side of the story. It is not the Christ side. Their story of Jesus that suggests fear and destruction does not reflect the accurate picture of Jesus or the Christian religion. We could easily say that they are taking the Lord's Name in vein and they do not even know it.
As we celebrate today the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Day, we see how the Advocate changed the Apostles instantly. Their moods, their activities and so forth were transformed so quickly, it looked like they were drunk at 9am. Peter rose and told the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and how this fulfills what the prophets had foretold. The Church was born and given their sense of mission. But, the story does not end there. Just like the truth about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Church and the Bible do not end with the book of Revelation. Nor are they perfectly understood or described by one preachers words, or any particular church council.
Jesus said: "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come."
The first time I heard this Gospel passage preached on in a way that is open to diversity, was by now retired Bishop Christopher Senyonjo of Uganda. He preached about how all of the truth about homosexuality or any part of the Gospel is not finished, but is a continually evolving. Jesus recognized that the work of the Holy Spirit revealing God's truth to humankind would not end with the Apostles, but would continue to be unraveled throughout human history. Through the words of Jesus from John's Gospel today, we know that truth is something that is not static, nor is it abstract. It does not end with one declaration, nor is it "common sense" when their are so many different cultures, races, sexual orientations, genders, gender identities/expressions, languages and religious that understand truth to mean different things. Yet, we know that the Holy Spirit, the feminine nature of God, continues to speak whatever she hears, and declares what is to come from the heart of God.
It is no accident that I might remember this Scripture being preached on by Bishop Christopher. He preached and continues to preach on this matter, because of Uganda's continued efforts to pass a bill that would mean that LGBT individuals who are open, suspected or outed could be put in prison or executed by hanging. The bill would mean that Pastors, counselors, teachers and/or parents who do not report homosexuals to the authorities could themselves face prison time. The bill has been supported and encouraged by American evangelical missionaries of hate.
Yet, here we are on Pentecost Sunday, a week after the message of Pastor Worley calling for the execution of LGBT people. Particularly after North Carolina voters passed a constitutional amendment to ban marriage equality earlier this month. This just goes to show that Christianists are not happy with just passing marriage amendments. They literally want LGBT people eliminated. Once discrimination becomes a matter of being passed by voters, where does it stop?
Our Mother, the Holy Spirit desires to lead us into all truth. Including the truth that the Church has got many things wrong. The Holy Spirit can certainly reveal that the way the Bible has been interpreted and Church tradition has framed the discussion of homosexuality all through the years, as being totally wrong.
The question for us is, are we open to the Holy Spirit leading us into all truth? Are we so arrogant that we refuse to be open to the Holy Spirit leading us to be more inclusive and loving, and less biased and violent? Are we open that our Mother, the Holy Spirit may help us to know that the power of salvation and redemption by way of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, gives us every reason to love the unlovable? To reach out to those marginalized and oppressed by the Church and society to minister to them by the way of radical hospitality and reconciliation?
God the Holy Spirit comes to us so that we may know God's comfort and consolation in the midst of the pains, trials and sufferings of life. She comes to share her grace and truth that it is okay to let her open up the Pandora's Boxes that we put God, our neighbors and ourselves into, to keep us from accepting and loving those who are different from ourselves. Including allowing ourselves to let go of any criteria we have developed for how we judge others, and realizing that all of us, regardless of who we are, are in need of forgiveness, redemption and the hope of being loved unconditionally and inclusively. To call on Church leadership to stop using our religion as an excuse to hate and exclude. Instead, the Holy Spirit comes to help us to exercise the ministry of welcome and healing of those broken relationships that Jesus Christ came to heal.
As we conclude the Easter Season today, we go forth having been renewed in faith, hope and love. Knowing that God has forgiven us, and reconciled us to God's Self by way of the Cross and Resurrection. That our Mother, the Holy Spirit comes to help us by her grace and tender teachings to know that she groans in intercession before God on our behalf, so that we may be God's witnesses of all that Jesus Christ taught and did, being open to being lead into all truth. The truth that does not end on Pentecost. It only begins as we are open to what God's Spirit will do in and through us, if we are open to learning more truth as she hears it from the heart of Almighty God.
Prayers
O God, who on this day taught the hearts of your faithful
people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit:
Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all
things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through
Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and
ever. Amen. (Collect for Pentecost, Book of Common Prayer, p. 227)
O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior,
the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the
great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away
all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us
from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body
and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith,
one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all
of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth
and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and
one mouth glorify thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen. (Prayer for the Unity of the Church, Book of Common Prayer, p. 818).
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. 824).
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