Today's Scripture Readings
Jeremiah 1: 4-10 (NRSV)
Psalm 71 (BCP., p.683)
1 Corinthians 13: 1-13 (NRSV)
Luke 4:21-30 (NRSV)
Blog Reflection
At the Sunday Eucharist at Trinity Wall Street Episcopal Church in New York City, Dr. Renita Weems preached on January 20th of this year. During her sermon she said that not all of us will be called to be prophets, but all of us will be placed in moments when we have the opportunity to be a prophetic witness. We will all be given an opportunity to say or do something that will give just a little bit of clarity to those who are in darkness. We will undoubtedly find ourselves in a moment when we are confronted by something going on, or a word someone said. At that moment, we will have the chance to decide if we are to go with the flow, even though we know otherwise, or challenge the status quo.
When we find ourselves in a moment by which we can make a difference, we may be faced with our own limitations. We just can't say the right words. Our personal fears get in our way. We might feel like Jeremiah or Moses. The point is, God created and redeemed us for this moment in which we find ourselves. God planned for each of us to be here from before the foundations of the earth, to accomplish great things. If God is calling us to do awesome things, it is because, God is equipping us to proclaim the Gospel in our time.
The hard work of prophesying will be that we won't be well received. Prophets often bring with them news that is good for some, but not for most who like things the way they are. All of us like to be much too comfortable and complacent in our lives. The last thing we want is for someone to come along and tell us that the way we have been doing things was all wrong. When they do, we like to resort to our "old time religion."
As things in the world and the Church change to be more inclusive of LGBT people, immigrants, individuals of different races, religions, etc., those who want the old comfortable religion that is only for straight, white, male Christians to settle them. However, God never wants us to be complacent or settled. God is always challenging us to open our hearts even more. To receive those who have been labeled by negative stereotypes or kept in the back of the bus into our company. So God sends individuals like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr or Bishop Gene Robinson to open our hearts. We have elected and re-elected at outstanding man such as President Barack Obama in the midst of the most vicious of racial hatred and homophobic rhetoric. The work of being prophetic witnesses in our time, could never be more important.
The reading from 1 Corinthians 13 has been stripped of much of it's meaning by being over used at weddings. Michael T. Hiller in Break Open the Word tells us that the love Paul writes about is not a romantic love. It is the love of God by which there is no mystery that can explain it. God's love is so awesome and is given so freely for the benefit of all human beings, that no one of us has any business thinking that we are so deserving of such love, that we can treat those different than ourselves as less lovable. God's love has given us our dignity and integrity by redeeming us by the blood of Jesus Christ. So that we can be the people of God who share that love with all who are marginalized and hurting. We can be a source of strength for those who are week. We can serve the poor and the sick, and be there for those who are dying. Why? Because of all of the greatest gifts that God gave us, the most awesome and wonderful is love.
In our Gospel today, Jesus has just proclaimed that the awesome prophesy he read from Isaiah 61 is fulfilled in their hearing. Those hearing him were amazed, as in there was some acceptance of what they heard. But, with every wonderful piece of news comes the usual questions. Where is he from? Who are his parents? What did he do for a living? Suddenly the wonderful news of God coming to liberate the oppressed is clouded up by negative stereotypes. What do they do in response? They want to silence the messenger.
As people in our time are coming to the awareness that now is the time to do some thing about the out of control violence by guns, those who want things the way they have been are rebelling. The desire to help those who suffer from mental illness, gets stifled by those who want to protect billion dollar profits for gun manufactures and health care companies. Protecting the wealthy and powerful, becomes more important than assisting the innocent and weak.
As opportunities for reproductive health care for women increase because of science, Christianists are determined to shut down clinics that provide health care for women. They invoke violence of the worst kind, and encourage even more. Christian charity goes out the window, but misguided zeal becomes the basis for violence and destruction.
The message of the Gospel, and our Baptismal Covenant call us to work towards peace and justice for all people and to respect the dignity of every human person. We have the awesome responsibility and opportunity to witness to the prophetic message of the love of God and neighbor. By our daily prayers on behalf of those who are disadvantaged, and our generosity of treasure and talents we can be part of the transformation of the Church and society. Even in the face of opposition by those who don't want to be disturbed.
As we embark on the last full week before Lent begins, we can spend time in the silence of our hearts and ask God how we can be prophetic. We can also pray for the courage that the opposition to our prophetic witness, will not deter our faithfulness to what God empowers us to do.
Amen.
Prayers
Jeremiah 1: 4-10 (NRSV)
- The word of the LORD came to me saying,
- "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
- and before you were born I consecrated you;
- I appointed you a prophet to the nations."
- Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy." But the LORD said to me,
- "Do not say, 'I am only a boy';
- for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
- and you shall speak whatever I command you,
- Do not be afraid of them,
- for I am with you to deliver you,
- says the LORD."
- Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me,
- "Now I have put my words in your mouth.
- See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
- to pluck up and to pull down,
- to destroy and to overthrow,
- to build and to plant."
Psalm 71 (BCP., p.683)
1 Corinthians 13: 1-13 (NRSV)
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
In the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus read from the book of the prophet Isaiah, and began to say, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" He said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Doctor, cure yourself!' And you will say, 'Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.'" And he said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian." When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
Blog Reflection
At the Sunday Eucharist at Trinity Wall Street Episcopal Church in New York City, Dr. Renita Weems preached on January 20th of this year. During her sermon she said that not all of us will be called to be prophets, but all of us will be placed in moments when we have the opportunity to be a prophetic witness. We will all be given an opportunity to say or do something that will give just a little bit of clarity to those who are in darkness. We will undoubtedly find ourselves in a moment when we are confronted by something going on, or a word someone said. At that moment, we will have the chance to decide if we are to go with the flow, even though we know otherwise, or challenge the status quo.
When we find ourselves in a moment by which we can make a difference, we may be faced with our own limitations. We just can't say the right words. Our personal fears get in our way. We might feel like Jeremiah or Moses. The point is, God created and redeemed us for this moment in which we find ourselves. God planned for each of us to be here from before the foundations of the earth, to accomplish great things. If God is calling us to do awesome things, it is because, God is equipping us to proclaim the Gospel in our time.
The hard work of prophesying will be that we won't be well received. Prophets often bring with them news that is good for some, but not for most who like things the way they are. All of us like to be much too comfortable and complacent in our lives. The last thing we want is for someone to come along and tell us that the way we have been doing things was all wrong. When they do, we like to resort to our "old time religion."
As things in the world and the Church change to be more inclusive of LGBT people, immigrants, individuals of different races, religions, etc., those who want the old comfortable religion that is only for straight, white, male Christians to settle them. However, God never wants us to be complacent or settled. God is always challenging us to open our hearts even more. To receive those who have been labeled by negative stereotypes or kept in the back of the bus into our company. So God sends individuals like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr or Bishop Gene Robinson to open our hearts. We have elected and re-elected at outstanding man such as President Barack Obama in the midst of the most vicious of racial hatred and homophobic rhetoric. The work of being prophetic witnesses in our time, could never be more important.
The reading from 1 Corinthians 13 has been stripped of much of it's meaning by being over used at weddings. Michael T. Hiller in Break Open the Word tells us that the love Paul writes about is not a romantic love. It is the love of God by which there is no mystery that can explain it. God's love is so awesome and is given so freely for the benefit of all human beings, that no one of us has any business thinking that we are so deserving of such love, that we can treat those different than ourselves as less lovable. God's love has given us our dignity and integrity by redeeming us by the blood of Jesus Christ. So that we can be the people of God who share that love with all who are marginalized and hurting. We can be a source of strength for those who are week. We can serve the poor and the sick, and be there for those who are dying. Why? Because of all of the greatest gifts that God gave us, the most awesome and wonderful is love.
In our Gospel today, Jesus has just proclaimed that the awesome prophesy he read from Isaiah 61 is fulfilled in their hearing. Those hearing him were amazed, as in there was some acceptance of what they heard. But, with every wonderful piece of news comes the usual questions. Where is he from? Who are his parents? What did he do for a living? Suddenly the wonderful news of God coming to liberate the oppressed is clouded up by negative stereotypes. What do they do in response? They want to silence the messenger.
As people in our time are coming to the awareness that now is the time to do some thing about the out of control violence by guns, those who want things the way they have been are rebelling. The desire to help those who suffer from mental illness, gets stifled by those who want to protect billion dollar profits for gun manufactures and health care companies. Protecting the wealthy and powerful, becomes more important than assisting the innocent and weak.
As opportunities for reproductive health care for women increase because of science, Christianists are determined to shut down clinics that provide health care for women. They invoke violence of the worst kind, and encourage even more. Christian charity goes out the window, but misguided zeal becomes the basis for violence and destruction.
The message of the Gospel, and our Baptismal Covenant call us to work towards peace and justice for all people and to respect the dignity of every human person. We have the awesome responsibility and opportunity to witness to the prophetic message of the love of God and neighbor. By our daily prayers on behalf of those who are disadvantaged, and our generosity of treasure and talents we can be part of the transformation of the Church and society. Even in the face of opposition by those who don't want to be disturbed.
As we embark on the last full week before Lent begins, we can spend time in the silence of our hearts and ask God how we can be prophetic. We can also pray for the courage that the opposition to our prophetic witness, will not deter our faithfulness to what God empowers us to do.
Amen.
Prayers
Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in
heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of
your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, Book of Common Prayer, p. 215)
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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