Second Day of Christmas: St. Stephen, Deacon and Marytr

Today's Scripture Readings

Jeremiah 26:1-9,12-15

At the beginning of the reign of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah, this word came from the LORD: Thus says the LORD: Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the LORD; speak to them all the words that I command you; do not hold back a word. It may be that they will listen, all of them, and will turn from their evil way, that I may change my mind about the disaster that I intend to bring on them because of their evil doings. You shall say to them: Thus says the LORD: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, and to heed the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently-- though you have not heeded-- then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.

The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD. And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, "You shall die! Why have you prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, `This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant'?" And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, "It is the LORD who sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God, and the LORD will change his mind about the disaster that he has pronounced against you. But as for me, here I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will be bringing innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the LORD sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears."

Psalm 31 (BCP., p.622)


Acts 6:8-7:2a,51c-60

Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated some men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. They set up false witnesses who said, "This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us." And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
Then the high priest asked him, "Are these things so?"

And Stephen replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. You are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers. You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it."

When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he died.

Matthew 23:34-39

Jesus said, "Therefore I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation.

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you, desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, `Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

Blog Reflection

This Holy Day dedicated to the commemoration of St. Stephen, that follows the Nativity seems so out of place.  We just celebrated the arrival of the Christ Child yesterday.  It was a joyous and festive occasion.  It seems so gruesome today to remember with a special feast, the first Deacon who was stoned to death.
This past Christmas Eve, the Rt. Rev. Brian Prior, IX Bishop of The Episcopal Church in Minnesota, said something quite profound in his sermon.  He quoted a moment in which a young person had stumped the Bishop with the question: "Why did Jesus have to be born in a manger, surrounded by shepherds?"  Bishop Prior answered that question on Christmas Eve by saying that Jesus was born in that stable to show us that the Word can come to us in the most ordinary and unusual places.   God with Us in Christ, can come among us in our messiest moments, our moments of being rejected, or disappointments, and even at our death.  Even on this day after Christmas, when returning to work can feel like a penance in and of itself.

Stephen had been chosen by those twelve Apostles to carry out the service of ministering to others on behalf of the Church.  He was also a preacher, who spoke of the Word and taught it to others.   The Christians of the early Church were shaking things up in their communities.  They were telling the story of the Jesus who had come, lived, was crucified, rose from the dead, ascended to the right hand of God, and has now sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.   They were engaged in the work of ministry.    Stephen was an important part of that ministry.

Two things come to mind for me as I think about St. Stephen today.

1.  It is very important to take from this story a certain caution.  That caution is with the age old idea that Christianity is a religion that supercedes all others.   The idea that Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Pagans and many others must come to Christianity for salvation, is a very unfortunate interpretation of Acts.  The twelve Apostles received the Holy Spirit, but they were all still fallible men.  As were those who handed these stories down to us.  The Christian Faith for those who have chosen it is a beautiful and awesome experience.  Those in the time of the Apostles who were converted, were indeed blessed with a zeal for Christ and His ministry.   That ministry is one that we should pass on and invite others to share in, and that is everyone.   However, each person can and will find their path to God through whatever religious tradition they chose or may have had chosen for them.  If we Christians want to be part of changing the world for the better, let us begin with an authentic appreciation and acceptance of other religious traditions without the negative stereotyping.

2.  What actually got Stephen stoned?   That answer, I believe is in the first point I just made.  Religious diversity intolerance.   The religious and political authorities of the time had created an intolerance for other points of view.  As this new guy named Jesus came on the scene and called them to repentance for their sins, and to a new way of living, they chose to kill the messenger rather than listen to the message.   Here in the stoning of Stephen, they did it again.  

How do we respond to those messengers of our time?

How do we respond as the Church, to those who are calling us to a renewed understanding of our faith, without prejudice towards women, LGBT, people of different races, immigration statuses, health status, economic status, religion, etc?

Are we listening to the Holy Spirit who is calling us to change?  Or, are we blocking them out with our own prejudices and stubbornness?   

Why do we have this feast in honor of St. Stephen the day after Christmas?

The Christ Child came to heal our broken relationships.  He came as one so vulnerable, yet, he welcomed shepherds and the poor to attend and serve Him.  He changed the world around Him, as one would normally have been ignored or forgotten.  Jesus reminds us today, to serve others in His Name, but to respect each other in our diversity and responsibility to who we ourselves are. 

How interesting that on St. Stephen's Commemoration, we hear him ask the Lord to forgive those stoning him.   Jesus was born to ask God to forgive us our sins, and of course, that is what God did.

Amen.


Prayers

We give you thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of the
first martyr Stephen, who looked up to heaven and prayed
for his persecutors to your Son Jesus Christ, who stands at
your right hand; where he lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.  (Book of Common Prayer, p. 237).

Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to
take our nature upon him, and to be born [this day] of a pure
virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made
your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed
by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom
with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and
for ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p. 213).

The Fifth Sunday after The Epiphany: We Are Seasoning and Light for Creating Change

To those of you who have been missing my blog writing this week, I have been attending Creating Change 2011 with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.  Together at this conference with people of all faith backgrounds, including atheists, political and cultural activists for change we have been working on a theme of Practice Spirit, Do Justice.  We have been talking a great deal about how we frame our messaging to create movements for change.  It has been an exciting and refreshing journey for me to be on.

During the coming days and weeks you will be noticing some changes to this blog that will reflect much of what I have been learning this week.  I hope that as these changes happen the message to work for the full inclusion of LGBT people in the Church and society will become even more focused on working for justice and framed in such a way that others will be inspired to join the movement for this work.   Thank you all for coming back to read.  I hope we can continue to pray, work and journey together.

We all know what it is like to be making a recipe for something good to eat and suddenly finding out that it is without flavor.  It is bland, uninspiring and not really worth eating without something to draw our senses to it.  Salt is added to bring out the flavor of what we are eating even more.  So that we can not only eat to nourish our bodies, but also give pleasure to the experience.   We we give pleasure to ourselves and others around us when we are able to enjoy what we are consuming.  When we see our next friend or co-worker or some one we enjoy talking with after we have enjoyed a good meal that is well seasoned, we enjoy talking about it with others that they may share in our joy.

Seasoning and light are so important in our personal as well as our spiritual lives.  Seasoning (salt) and light (illumination) also enables us to work even harder on something we feel passionate about.   I want to now present the Scriptural basis of this blog entry for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany and talk about how seasoning and illumination is so important to our quest for justice and equality for all who are marginalized, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer people.

Scriptural Basis

Matthew 5:13-20 (NRSV)

Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Blog Reflection on Seasoning and Light for Creating Change

If I told you that there was no other kind of salt except iodized table salt what would you do?  It might be easier to answer that question if we have not been advancing the seasonings that are available to us.  What if you are someone who because of how your particular nutritional and digestive needs are could not use iodized salt and there was no sea salt?  You would be someone who doesn't use salt and you would find another seasoning that you can enjoy.  Is that okay?  Of course it is.  We all have tastes and nutritional differences that make us who the special unique person that we are, even if others do not share our tastes.   We don't tell someone "there is only one kind of salt (seasoning) and if you are not using it then you are not a good and loving, well fed person."  Why then is it proper for Christians who are against justice and equality for LGBTQ people to say we must be heterosexual or single gender minded or we are somehow useless people to God and the Church? 

A very kind and wonderful lesbian Pastor, who is so passionately committed to the Gospel was asked this weekend "what kind of Pastor are you?"  She answered: "I am a lesbian Pastor of the United Church of Christ."  What was the questioner's response?  "You can only be one or the other.  You cannot be both."   In other words, unless this pastor was a straight female with the same biases against LGBT people as the inquiring individual, she was considered a failure at being a faithful shepherd of God's people. 

The fact of the matter is that in this Gospel lesson of Jesus saying that "You are the salt of the earth" and "light of the world," is that Jesus did was not using the word "you" as a singular, but as a plural.  The "you" is any follower of Jesus Christ regardless of what color their skin is.  Jesus said: "You are the salt of the earth" in what ever capacity God has created and redeemed you in Jesus Christ to be for this often "bland" world of injustice and inequality.   In a Church that claims to be the "Voice and representative of Christ on earth" there must be voices of every kind of flavor and every shade of light if the Gospel is to be proclaimed and lived by all of the diverse followers of the God who is unconditional and all inclusive love.   There is no "Light of privilege" for some in God's spice cabinet, while others are considered stale and useless.   All individuals with their unique "spice" in their race, color, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religion, economic status, language, immigration status, and so on, are God's loved and delicious flavor in the Church and the world.   Every individual has the most beautiful shade of color to add a light of welcome and affection for all people who still live in the darkness of prejudice, oppression and exclusion.  Every person that God has made no matter who they are, how they love, who they love, adds some new dimension to this world that no one else can offer.

 All of us can glorify God in the good work that we do by being the salt of the earth and the light of the world.  LGBTQ people seeking to create change are not only concerned with achieving our equal rights.  As LGBTQ people of faith and good will we are also seeking to collaborate with other marginalized people so that we can all work together to bring racial justice and equality, immigration reform so that all can have the opportunity to work towards equality, for women, the challenged and the number one problem facing America today: poverty.   We too are the salt of the earth and the light of the world that together with all religions, races, cultures, genders and so forth can create opportunities for everyone to be relieved of political and social oppression.  That is why we support the work of today's greatest revolution of our time.  The Egyptian movement for liberation.   When one part of humanity is oppressed, all humanity is oppressed.  When we all take an interest in helping to liberate those living with oppression, all of us will find freedom from being oppressed. 

As the salt of the earth and light of the world, we are agents for creating change.  We are the Epiphany for those wanting to know how those marginalized by society and the Church today can look to a new tomorrow of hope and opportunity.  We can be the new flavor and shade of illumination that will wake up those who insist on not noticing what they have been missing,and inspire them to love doing things that help others see a new light at the end of their tunnel of bitterness and darkness.

May we learn from today's Gospel to appreciate all of the different seasonings and lights that God is calling to service in God's Name. May we all participate with each other in the work of justice, equality and inclusion for all.  Amen.

Prayers 

Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, Book of Common Prayer, page 216).

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. (Prayer Attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, Book of Common Prayer, page 833).