Today's Scripture Readings
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 (NRSV)
Psalm 1 (BCP., p.585).
1 John 5:9-13 (NRSV)
John 17:6-19 (NRSV)
Blog Reflection
Jesus' famous prayer for the Apostle's to be one. A prayer that has been the source used for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on one hand and then used by many Roman Catholic Bishops to suggest that any church community or denomination not united to the See of Peter are not part of the "one Church" on the other. This same Gospel gets used to accuse other church communities who have accepted lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people as ordained Bishops, Priests and Deacons, and/or began blessing same-sex relationships, of having "broken off from the one true Gospel." This passionate plea by Jesus for his followers to be one is used time and again, to give Jesus a very bad Name.
This past Thursday, we commemorated the Ascension of Jesus to the right hand of God. What that means and how it happened is different for everyone. Just as each person has a unique understanding of what the resurrection means. No two people discussing the Holy Trinity will understand it in the same way. But, is their belief in God any less real because of their disagreements?
When the Anglican Church was being formed, among the ways that the founders sought to make that distinguished us from Rome, is that although we pray in common, we do not have to believe in common. As Episcopalians who are part of the Anglican Communion, we cherish independent thinking and the ability for each person to arrive at their own belief's, but still pray with us all the things Christians believe. Yet, one thing we do understand is that our Baptismal Covenant incorporates us into the Body of Christ, and Holy Communion continues to united us one to another through the Body and Blood of Christ. We believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, but we do not define how that presence is real (ie. transubstantiation or consubstantiation). We leave that up to God and the individual to work out, while at the same time feeling free to dialogue with each other about our differences. Can differences of opinion about doctrines, dogmas, sacraments, the interpretation of Scripture and so forth, still mean a oneness among the followers of Jesus? As Episcopalians and Anglicans, we answer yes. Because one matter that we do understand is the commandment of Jesus to love God, our neighbors and ourselves inclusively, is something we are all called to do. That is something we can all agree on.
Christians have become so settled with disagreeing about doctrines and the like so long, that we do risk forgetting that the commandment of Jesus to be one in the loving of God, others and ourselves is really what Christians are all about. No two people have to agree on anything. However, seeking the common good of another individual who is different from ourselves, is what Jesus' prayer to be one entails. It is not just a prayer about our creeds, sacraments, leaders or worship languages, etc. It is a prayer to be one in what God through Jesus Christ did in his earthly ministry, and now continues to pray for all of us to do as he prays for us from his throne in glory. We can use the Bible literally and even the meaning of the sacraments to exclude LGBT people from participating in Communion and be spot on if we want to be like that. Except that by doing so, we have failed to love God, our neighbor and ourselves, making our actions null and void. Read 1 Corinthians 13 for a better explanation of that one. Because the oneness of God's people to see God's presence in LGBT people, women who have had abortions, individuals of different races, religions, languages, behaviors etc, and seek to exclude them from the Church and the sacraments, is the Body of Christ, that is the Church, fractured.
Being one and being inclusive of diversity are inseparable from each other. They compliment each other. They complete one another. When Church leadership uses the Gospel to instruct and guide Christians away from being inclusive of diversity, they render the answer of Jesus' prayer as unanswerable. When Christians fail to hold Church leadership accountable for not being inclusive of diversity, we too grieve the heart of God, by not participating in the answer to the prayer of Jesus coming to pass. When we work for justice and equality for all people, serving the needs of the poor, the hurting, those affected by political, religious and social oppression, we are making progress so that Jesus prayer for us to be one, is a step closer to becoming a living reality.
How are we playing our role of answering the prayer of Jesus?
What are some things we might do in the weeks and months ahead to help the Church answer Jesus' prayer for his followers to be one?
How might we be an example of someone who wants to be an answer to Jesus' prayer?
I think we could be a better example if we will think a little bit more about the ending to the Prayer after Communion on page 365 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Send us now into the world in peace,
and grant us strength and courage
to love and serve you
with gladness and singleness of heart;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayers
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 (NRSV)
In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, "Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus-- for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry. So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us-- one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection." So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed and said, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place." And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.
Psalm 1 (BCP., p.585).
1 John 5:9-13 (NRSV)
If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son. Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
John 17:6-19 (NRSV)
Looking up to heaven, Jesus prayed, "I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth."
Blog Reflection
Jesus' famous prayer for the Apostle's to be one. A prayer that has been the source used for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on one hand and then used by many Roman Catholic Bishops to suggest that any church community or denomination not united to the See of Peter are not part of the "one Church" on the other. This same Gospel gets used to accuse other church communities who have accepted lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people as ordained Bishops, Priests and Deacons, and/or began blessing same-sex relationships, of having "broken off from the one true Gospel." This passionate plea by Jesus for his followers to be one is used time and again, to give Jesus a very bad Name.
This past Thursday, we commemorated the Ascension of Jesus to the right hand of God. What that means and how it happened is different for everyone. Just as each person has a unique understanding of what the resurrection means. No two people discussing the Holy Trinity will understand it in the same way. But, is their belief in God any less real because of their disagreements?
When the Anglican Church was being formed, among the ways that the founders sought to make that distinguished us from Rome, is that although we pray in common, we do not have to believe in common. As Episcopalians who are part of the Anglican Communion, we cherish independent thinking and the ability for each person to arrive at their own belief's, but still pray with us all the things Christians believe. Yet, one thing we do understand is that our Baptismal Covenant incorporates us into the Body of Christ, and Holy Communion continues to united us one to another through the Body and Blood of Christ. We believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, but we do not define how that presence is real (ie. transubstantiation or consubstantiation). We leave that up to God and the individual to work out, while at the same time feeling free to dialogue with each other about our differences. Can differences of opinion about doctrines, dogmas, sacraments, the interpretation of Scripture and so forth, still mean a oneness among the followers of Jesus? As Episcopalians and Anglicans, we answer yes. Because one matter that we do understand is the commandment of Jesus to love God, our neighbors and ourselves inclusively, is something we are all called to do. That is something we can all agree on.
Christians have become so settled with disagreeing about doctrines and the like so long, that we do risk forgetting that the commandment of Jesus to be one in the loving of God, others and ourselves is really what Christians are all about. No two people have to agree on anything. However, seeking the common good of another individual who is different from ourselves, is what Jesus' prayer to be one entails. It is not just a prayer about our creeds, sacraments, leaders or worship languages, etc. It is a prayer to be one in what God through Jesus Christ did in his earthly ministry, and now continues to pray for all of us to do as he prays for us from his throne in glory. We can use the Bible literally and even the meaning of the sacraments to exclude LGBT people from participating in Communion and be spot on if we want to be like that. Except that by doing so, we have failed to love God, our neighbor and ourselves, making our actions null and void. Read 1 Corinthians 13 for a better explanation of that one. Because the oneness of God's people to see God's presence in LGBT people, women who have had abortions, individuals of different races, religions, languages, behaviors etc, and seek to exclude them from the Church and the sacraments, is the Body of Christ, that is the Church, fractured.
Being one and being inclusive of diversity are inseparable from each other. They compliment each other. They complete one another. When Church leadership uses the Gospel to instruct and guide Christians away from being inclusive of diversity, they render the answer of Jesus' prayer as unanswerable. When Christians fail to hold Church leadership accountable for not being inclusive of diversity, we too grieve the heart of God, by not participating in the answer to the prayer of Jesus coming to pass. When we work for justice and equality for all people, serving the needs of the poor, the hurting, those affected by political, religious and social oppression, we are making progress so that Jesus prayer for us to be one, is a step closer to becoming a living reality.
How are we playing our role of answering the prayer of Jesus?
What are some things we might do in the weeks and months ahead to help the Church answer Jesus' prayer for his followers to be one?
How might we be an example of someone who wants to be an answer to Jesus' prayer?
I think we could be a better example if we will think a little bit more about the ending to the Prayer after Communion on page 365 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Send us now into the world in peace,
and grant us strength and courage
to love and serve you
with gladness and singleness of heart;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayers
O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son
Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to
strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior
Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. (Collect for the Seventh Sunday of Easter, Book of Common Prayer, p. 226).
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. 823).
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