St. Andrew the Apostle and World AIDS Day

Today's Scripture Readings

Deuteronomy 30:11-14 (NRSV)

Moses said to the people of Israel: Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. It is not in heaven, that you should say, "Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?" Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?" No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.

Psalm 19 (BCP., p.606)


Romans 10:8b-18 (NRSV)

"The word is near you, 

on your lips and in your heart"

(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" But not all have obeyed the good news; for Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.

But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have; for 

"Their voice has gone out to all the earth,

and their words to the ends of the world."

Matthew 4:`8-11 (NRSV)

As Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea-- for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

Blog Reflection

Forward Day by Day has an excellent reflection for us today.

Have you ever stepped into the unknown? It can be scary. There may be much that’s unknown when you make a new beginning. The fishermen took a giant step into the unknown when they got out of their boats to follow Jesus. Where would he take them? What would they do? What would happen? There was no way for them to know. But they knew enough to trust Jesus and to accept his invitation.

It was costly discipleship for the fishermen to follow Jesus. They let go of important things. But they were ready for the new life that Jesus offered them. They were ready for a new beginning, even if they didn’t know all it would mean or everything that would happen.

We make a new beginning this Advent. Jesus calls us to step into a new life and an unknown future. We can trust and not hold back. He will find us there.

The other Gospel Reading for St. Andrew is taken from the Daily Office at Vespers.  In John 1:35-42 we read that Andrew went and found his brother Simon and said, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated "Anointed").  He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter)." 

In Matthew's Gospel, Andrew is among the newly called who have to step forward in "a new beginning."  In John, Andrew is the one who goes and brings Peter to Jesus.  They seem to contradict each other do they not? 

This is why I think that the Feast of St. Andrew and World AIDS Day being on the same day could not be more profound.  Jesus called those first Apostles among them Andrew while they were doing their usual daily work.  They left behind what they had in hand and followed Him, even though they were full of uncertainty.  Jesus does not call us when it is convenient or even comfortable.  He speaks to the depths of our souls and makes us downright uncomfortable.  God does not want us to become complacent in our own little world while pretending that there aren't other things to take care of. 

The very first word in The Rule of St. Benedict is "Listen."  Cyprian Smith, O.S.B. in his book, The Path of Life: Benedictine Spirituality for Monks and Lay People wrote, "The whole spiritual life of the Christian....is a process of listening to God, "inclining the ears of the heart,"   Lonni Collins Pratt and Fr. Danieal Homan, OSB in their book, Benedict's Way: An Ancient Monk's Insights for A Balanced Life talk about the need to listen to God through all of life's events.   

It is amazing that even in 2014, well after thirty years since we first heard the word AIDS or HIV that so many in the Church, society and even the LGBT communities pretend that the issue no longer exists or effects us.  We have drugs that help people with HIV/AIDS live longer and healthier lives.  Yet, the negative stereotypes regarding HIV/AIDS and those who live with the threat of and/or the disease itself continue with all the toxicity of stigmatization.  Many Christians still live in ignorance stating that HIV/AIDS was and still is "God's punishment for homosexuality."   Yet, if we listen to God through life as St. Benedict tells us, we are all being called as St. Andrew was to see the face of Christ in our sisters and brothers who live with HIV/AIDS.  Ignoring them is to be tone deaf to the Gospel message of what the Season of Advent is all about.   We were told in the Gospel Reading for the First Sunday of Advent to "Keep awake."   The more we ignore and pretend HIV/AIDS is not a real issue in our time, the more it appears as if we are asleep while the real world passes us by.

May we like St. Andrew respond to the call of Christ to follow Him, and bring those closest to us to love and know Him in faith.   Let us see HIV/AIDS and those who live with the effects of it as the presence of God among us, calling us to compassion and concern through prayer and work on their behalf.   May we embrace individuals with HIV/AIDS with sincere love and open minds; letting go of the stereotypes so that the Kingdom of God already here, but not yet; may bring about healing and reconciliation for all.

Amen.


Prayers

Almighty God, who gave such grace to your apostle Andrew
that he readily obeyed the call of your Son Jesus Christ, and
brought his brother with him: Give us, who are called by
your holy Word, grace to follow him without delay, and to
bring those near to us into his gracious presence; who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
for ever. Amen.  (Collect for St. Andrew.  The Book of Common Prayer, p. 237).

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of
darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of
this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit
us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come
again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the
dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
for ever. Amen.  (Collect for the First Sunday of Advent.  The Book of Common Prayer, p. 211).

The Fifth Sunday in Lent: The Resurrection and Life

Today's Scripture Readings

Ezekiel 37:1-14 (NRSV)

The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know." Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord."


So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.


Then he said to me, "Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, `Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act," says the Lord.

Psalm 130 (BCP., p.784).


Romans 8:6-11 (NRSV)
 

To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law-- indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you. 

John 11:1-45 (NRSV)
  

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God's glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.


Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them." After saying this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him." The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right." Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."


When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world."


When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"


Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. 

Blog Reflection

There are few conversations that most human beings do not like to have.  One conversation no one likes to talk about is death and/or dying.  Many people in their early years try to get educated, begin a career, start a family thinking that the sky is the limit in life.   Many like to believe that if they only earn enough money, get the best car, eat all the right foods their life will be prolonged.   The reality of life is, that nothing in life is really a guarantee, except for one thing.  Some day, each of us will die. 

The Gospel narrative of the death and raising of Lazarus, brings us with Jesus, to look at death in the face.  Depending on where the reader understands the reading, it seems that when Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick and dying, He was not very concerned.  Why would this man who has healed many people from every disease imaginable, drove the money changers out of the temple and raised Jarius' child from death; not rush to the side of Lazarus before he died?  Don't Mary and Martha have a point when they tell Jesus upon arrival after Lazarus died; that if Jesus had been there their brother would not have died?

Jesus, being true to His purpose of being on earth, has other intentions.  In so doing, Jesus shows us all that just when we think we know how things ought to be, God has other plans.   When our lives are turned upside down, that's when God is closest to us.  Even when we do not see or feel anything happening.

At the point that Jesus prays for those around Him, and raises Lazarus, He has told us all how much God loves each of us.  God loves us so very much, that in Jesus Christ: God's perfect revelation of Self, our death is not the last word.  Rev. David Sellery in Speaking to the Soul wrote:

Before Jesus came among us, Death was the grim reaper, the all-powerful terminator come to extinguish us all. Jesus changes all of that. Death is not the dreaded conclusion to a meaningless existence. Our fate is not extinction. Death is a beginning, not an end. It is our passage to a life that will never end. Death came into the world through sin. It was conquered by the Sinless.

In two weeks from today, we will celebrate Easter Day.   Here at the raising of Lazarus, Jesus puts a face and a name on those who have died.  This means that whatever we might be facing in our health, our relationships or in life in general, as long as we put our faith in Jesus Christ and trust in God's mercy, everything and anything is only a passing guest.  It may hurt us to the core, but it does not have the final say over us.  Each day, moment and event that happens to us in daily life is a moment to encounter the saving grace of God.   God's work of salvation in our lives is always at work in and through us. 

Grace and salvation are not just something that are a matter of Baptism or the sinner's prayer.  They are not only about praying, reading or worshiping God.   Grace and salvation are also about seeking the common good of each other, whether it is convenient or not.   The grace of God reaches out through us to the poor, the oppressed and the marginalized.   If Jesus did not even marginalize the dead such as Lazarus, then we have no business marginalizing anyone for any reason.  Jesus shows us that not even the tomb is strong enough to keep God from saving the lost of this world.   So, not even the Supreme Court's horrible decision regarding campaign financing this week, the Archbishop of Canterbury's outrageous statement about LGBT people and Africa or any other reason should keep us from believing what God can do through us out of gratitude for our redemption.

As we walk through this Fifth Week in Lent, let us all take some time to reflect on what the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ means in our lives.   How do we live in our relationships with each other, and those who are different from us in ways that reflect our belief in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior?

Whatever darkness or tomb we may be in today.  Whatever it is that pinches our hearts and shakes our minds.  Whatever is going on between us and those we love, making us feel like all hope is lost, Jesus has one question for us. "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Amen.


Prayers

Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly
wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to
love what you command and desire what you promise; that,
among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts
may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p.219).

Eternal Lord God, you hold all souls in life: Give to your
whole Church in paradise and on earth your light and your
peace; and grant that we, following the good examples of
those who have served you here and are now at rest, may at
the last enter with them into your unending joy; through
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the
unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p.253). 

Almighty God, we entrust all who are dear to us to thy
never-failing care and love, for this life and the life to come,
knowing that thou art doing for them better things than we
can desire or pray for; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  (Book of Common Prayer, p.831).

 

Third Sunday after Pentecost: Jesus is the Compassionate And Life-Giving Savior

Today's Scripture Readings

1 Kings 17:17-24 (NRSV)

The son of the woman, the mistress of the house at Zarephath, became ill; his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. She then said to Elijah, "What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son!" But he said to her, "Give me your son." He took him from her bosom, carried him up into the upper chamber where he was lodging, and laid him on his own bed. He cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?" Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this child's life come into him again." The LORD listened to the voice of Elijah; the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and gave him to his mother; then Elijah said, "See, your son is alive." So the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth."

Psalm 30 (BCP., p.621)


Galatians 1:11-24 (NRSV)

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus.

Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days; but I did not see any other apostle except James the Lord's brother. In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie! Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, and I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; they only heard it said, "The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy." And they glorified God because of me.

Luke 7:11-17 (NRSV)

Soon after healing the centurion's slave, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother's only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, "Do not weep." Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, rise!" The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen among us!" and "God has looked favorably on his people!" This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.

Blog Reflection

This is one of those times when the reading from Hebrew Scriptures and the Gospel are in sync with each other.  This Sunday's readings remind us of what we celebrated only eleven weeks ago.  Indeed, what Christians celebrate every Sunday.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.   Jesus is the compassionate and life-giving Savior.  The events in the Bible are full of symbolism.   Symbols that help us to meditate on what a great God we are so privileged to know.  Symbols that help us see past what we pray in the Creeds, to experience the transforming grace of God as living and working in our daily lives.

The significance of both narratives is that of the widows and their deceased sons.   In the society of the times in which these events took place, men were considered the powerhouse of family life.   Men owned women as property.   Marriage was not understood then (nor is it now) about procreation as some think.  It was about a contract, ownership and the ongoing life of the tribal communities.   When a woman lost her husband through death, she was pretty much financially destitute.   If she was fortunate enough to have a son, he could take on the farming and help the widow survive the economic hardship.   If she did not have a son, she was left to fend for herself.

At this point in my blog post, I would like to reflect for a moment on how our church and society looks after those who are alone and in economic hardship.

There are many punishments in this world.  Many that are unwarranted and unjust.  There are very few that can be as gruesome as isolation and loneliness.   Being cut off from some sense of community is by far the worst of unintended social diseases.   Having to go through life alone.  Whether sick or healthy, being alone, with no one to help or take interest can crush a human spirit.  It is estimated that there are more suicides during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons by people who have no one to share the holidays with.   The happiness of the seasons with all the magic and celebrations, are just too much while they live in situations that they neither brought on themselves, nor wanted.   Many of them are so because of a death or illness.   Others are a result of their orneriness that they just can't control because of their life situation.  Irregardless, no one, is so horrible, that they should live or be left to live in total isolation from community.   Our individualized society, built by instant gratification and technological advances can help many.  But, when someone is cut off from any kind of community, the pain is quite excruciating.

In our Gospel today, Jesus "had compassion for her" as the procession with her dead sons body made it's way to the cemetery.   The compassion that Jesus experienced is the compassion of God in human form.  Jesus is God's perfect revelation of Self.   He comes to help us know that God walks with us through life's ups and downs.  We are never completely alone.  Henri J.M. Nouwen, Donald P. McNeill and Douglas A. Morrison in their book entitled Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life wrote the following.

As soon as we call God, "God-with-us," we enter into a new relationship of intimacy.  By calling God Immanuel, we recognize God's commitment to live in solidarity with us, to share our joys and pains, to defend and protect us, and to suffer all of life with us.  the God-with-us is a close God, a God whome we call our refute, our stronghold, our wisdom and even, more intimately, our healper, oru shepherd, our love.  We will never really know God as a compassionate God if we do not understand with our heart and mind that 'the Word became flesh and lived among us" (Jn 1:14 NRSV).

Often we say to each other in a bitter tone: "You do not know what you are talking about because you did not march in protest, participate in the strike, or experience the hatred of the bystanders, because you were never hungry, never knew cold, or never felt real isolation."  When we say such things, we express the deep conviction that we are willing to listen to consoling words only when they are born out of solidarity with the condition that was or is ours.  God wants to know our condition fully and does not want to take away any pain which God has not fully tasted.  God's compassion is anchored in the most intimate solidarity, a solidarity that allows us to say with the psalmist, "This is our God, and we are the people he pastures, the flock he guides" (Ps. 95:7) (p. 13).

They go on to point out that the Greek for the phrase "to be moved with compassion" is splangchnizomai.   The splangchna are the entrails of the body, as in the guts (p.14).  In Jesus, God is experiencing human compassion in his Divinity, right in the gut.   It is from there, that Jesus sees the human emotion of the grieving widow, who is already financially ruined, now facing the worst of the worst in her son's death.   When Jesus resuscitates her son and restores his life, He not only shows that he is the Savior who brings about resurrection, but out of God's compassion restores the widows confidence in God as well.   Jesus doesn't leave the widow to the worst of the worst.  He gives her hope and an important means for her survival.   He does this, because He knows that a life full of faith and trust in God, is also connected in our temporal life and taking care of the here and now.

Who are the abandoned and suffering of our times?  Who are we leaving to fend for themselves, with no public or private support?   Where is the compassion in the Church and society to reach out and witness to our life-giving Savior?

The sequester is responsible for the loss of jobs, education opportunities and many other important public services.   Middle class and low income people all across our country are suffering needlessly, because those we elected to office are too busy heaping scandals on each other, and trying to win the next election.   What are we doing to call them to accountability?  What are we doing to be held accountable to ourselves and others around us?

Our Christian faith calls each of us to prefer Christ present in all persons.   Okay, the words "prefer Christ" come from the Rule of St. Benedict.  You didn't think I would forget that now, did you?   The words from the Rule, are also the call of the Gospel to each of us.  Whether we are part of a Christian and/or Religious Community or not.  As Christians, we are all consecrated by our Baptismal Vows to "seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself."   Our Vows don't stop there.  We also Vow to "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being."  We respond to these: "We will, with God's help."   We recognize that that which we Vow is not possible without God's help.  We need God's compassion in Christ to move to our guts so that we are moved to help one another.

God's compassion must also move us to stop using the Bible erroneously to condemn people, who were created as they are by God and loved to the point of redemption in Christ.  Immigrants, Native Americans, African Americans, Women, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning people, the physically/emotionally and mentally challenged, the unemployed, etc.  Every person is created by the design of God's creative and redemptive design.   Each of us are given the great commission to share the Gospel that God's salvation is available to all people, and that no one is to be excluded or addressed as unlovable.   The compassion of God for those experiencing oppression and violence is felt in the guts of Christ, as He intercedes before His Father.   The Holy Spirit is moving upon the Church to open our doors and hearts to all God's people, with compassion, respect and life-giving transformation by way of God's grace.

Are we ready to respond in loving obedience to God's call in our lives and those of others?

Amen.


Prayers

O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your
inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by
your merciful guiding may do them; through Jesus Christ our
Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 5, Book of Common Prayer, p.229).

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 Mission of the Church, Book of Common Prayer, p.818).

Almighty God, whose Son had nowhere to lay his head:
Grant that those who live alone may not be lonely in their
solitude, but that, following in his steps, they may find
fulfillment in loving you and their neighbors; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for Those Who Live Alone, Book of Common Prayer, p.829).

Ascension Day: Celebration, Displacement and Hope

Today's Scripture Readings

Acts 1:1-11 (NRSV)

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

Psalm 47 (BCP. p.650)


Ephesians 1:15-23 (NRSV)

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Luke 24:44-53 (NRSV)

Jesus said to his disciples, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you-- that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

Blog Reflection

The Ascension for me has always been one of bitter sweet.   The bitterness of Jesus leaving us forty days after His Resurrection.  Why couldn't you have stayed with us, Lord Jesus, as we prayed for you to stay?   The sweetness is found in the answer Jesus gave us in John 16: 7-13a.

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 judgement: 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 judgement, 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. 

Jesus also goes to the right hand of God the Father, taking our wounded humanity in His crucifixion, perfected in His resurrected body, before the throne of God to intercede for us.  All of our brokenness is before God through the timeless intercession of Jesus Christ our only "mediator and advocate" (1 Timothy 2:5).

The Ascension is a day of celebration, displacement and hope.

We celebrate Christ taking up His throne in heaven. Jesus Christ has completed his mission in the work of salvation. Now He goes to God to send us the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.  Jesus Christ reigns on high with Angels, Cherubim and Seraphim serving Him in worship and adoration in the Holy Trinity.

The disciples however, experienced a great displacement.  A displacement from having Jesus alive and with them.  A displacement that leaves them wondering what comes next. They have heard Jesus' words in John's Gospel, but as we have seen before, they are quick to hear, but slow to understand.  The sense of displacement leaves them confused, lonely and wondering what to do.  The angel in Acts is almost no help.  They stand there gazing in to heaven, because their best friend just left them for a better place.  They want the heavens to open up and Jesus returns right that moment. Who wouldn't want it that way?   However, it is in displacement, that God does God's best work in and through us. That is what is about to happen on Pentecost.  But, for the time being they have to settle for being displaced.

Displacement is a good place for Christians to be.  It is from a place of displacement that we as a Christian Community can learn trust in God, as well as be open to what God does next.

I have been thinking a lot about displacement since I read a terrific chapter on the subject in the book entitled Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life by Henri J.M. Nouwen, Donald P. McNeil and Douglas A. Morrison. 

Many Christians have the disillusion that Community is about a cozy, warm and non-confrontational existence.   No change is necessary.   As long as we have our favorite pew, sing our favorite hymns and we use the most modern forms of worship to make us comfortable, we are creating a Christian Community.   However, the Christian Community of the Church cannot exist in an atmosphere of static, stoic and being abstract.  It must become a living, breathing and ever changing entity.

As the Church continues to move towards equality, inclusion and acceptance of all people, the resistance we are experiencing is due to the displacement many are experiencing with the changes.   If we have been taught to take the Bible literally in terms of homosexuality, then the moves by church groups and States across the Country to legalize the freedom to marry for LGBT people is a major displacement.  It means becoming unsettled for them, and learning to adapt is no easy task.   We must remember our own displacement when we came out, and had to re-establish our own lives around a new understanding of ourselves.  We were displaced.  Just as those who embrace the anti side are experiencing displacement.  The displacement in and of itself is a wonderful thing.  However, moving Christians to acceptance of displacement and seeing it as an opportunity for growth, takes a great deal of doing.  The resistance to displacement is no reason to discontinue educating people about why ending heterosexism, racism, religious based discrimination, violence and oppression is so very important. 

In his Prayer to Christ, St. Anselm of Canterbury prayed: "Most merciful Lord, turn my lukewarmness into a fervent love for you...."  Displacement is one of the ways by which God answers that prayer.  By displacing us from ideas and beliefs we previously had, and allowing God to remake us into more mature followers of Christ.  When we think of ourselves as settled Christians, we become lukewarm by not allowing the Holy Spirit to move us towards conversion and renewal.   Displacement put into the hands of God in prayer, gives God that opportunity to transform displacement into a fervent love of Christ in all people.

In the Ascension we have hope on the other side of displacement.  In Christ is our hope that the Holy Spirit will come and lead us into all truth.  One of the dangers that Christians must avoid and end, is believing that we have God all figured out. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. The moment we become complacent in our spiritual and communal life, we are no longer a growing organism.  We become a withered and useless weed.  The Holy Spirit wants to continually refresh us with the living water that is Jesus Christ, to help us reach out to one another in charity and love. To see in each other the presence of Christ, so as to practice radical hospitality, to foster healing and reconciliation.   The hope we find in Jesus Christ, becomes the hope of all humankind as we become His living Body, the Church.

St. Teresa of Avila wrote in her famous prayer:
Christ has no body now, but yours.
No hands, no feet on earth, but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which He looks
with compassion on this world.
Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good.
Yours are the hands, with which He blesses all the world.
You are His Body.

May the Ascension bring us all celebration, while we embrace displacement and look to Christ as our hope.

Come, Holy Spirit, come.

Amen.


Prayers

Almighty God, whos blessed Son our Savior Jesus Christ
ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things:
Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to his
promise, he abides with his Church on earth, even to the end
of the ages; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory
everlasting. Amen. (Collect for Ascension Day, 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).

Second Sunday of Easter: From Doubt to Healing in Faith, Hospitality and Reconciliation

Today's Scripture Readings

Acts 5:27-32 (NRSV)

When the temple police had brought the apostles, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man's blood on us." But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."

Psalm 118 (BCP., p. 761)


Revelation 1:4-8 (NRSV)

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen. "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

John 20:19-31 (NRSV)

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Blog Reflection

The Apostles in Acts find themselves being questioned by the council about their activities.  They had apparently not accepted the authorities request that they stop speaking in the Name of the Risen Christ.  Their words have brought happiness to those who have received the message of salvation joyfully.   As for those who were not so impressed, they are becoming a nuisance. The work of the Apostles is to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.  St. Luke as the author of Acts, quotes from Deuteronomy 21: 22 in which Jesus was "hung on a tree."  Peter appropriately states that he and the other Apostles are witnesses to Jesus' death and resurrection as is the Holy Spirit who has given them God's work to accomplish.   

I think among the things we can take from the reading from Acts is that the work of the Gospel is the occupation of all who believe in the Name of Jesus Christ, and Him crucified and risen from the dead.   Though society and even the Church may become disillusioned about how the Gospel is proclaimed, it is the work of those of us who have witnessed the power of the Paschal Mystery in our Baptism, Holy Communion and our every day lives.  The Easter Mystery that we have been celebrating these past eight days, and for the next forty-two becomes visible as we become the Risen Christ for others.   The power of the Resurrection gains even more ground when we take the time and opportunity to recognize the Risen Christ in each other.  Especially, but not limited to, those who are different from ourselves. 

Among the many reasons why the Christian Faith suffers so badly, is because of how Christians have limited the Gospel to our circles of privileged persons.  As Christianity spread and became part of the European culture, and eventually the culture of the America's, many other religions, cultures and races became subjected to oppression and violence. Violence in the Name of Christ, is zeal that has been directed by error, not truth or conviction. When conviction becomes an excuse for a lack of basic Christian Charity, the message behind the conviction becomes a weapon of mass destruction.  Not a ministry of evangelization and conversion.  As a result, the Easter event of the Resurrection becomes a fairy tale to those who are not privileged.  Not the message of salvation for the whole world.

As we turn from Acts to the reading from St. John's Gospel, we see that Jesus had a tremendous amount of compassion.  Especially for those who ran while He was crucified on Good Friday.  The Resurrected Jesus appears to the Apostles, those cowardly men and said "Peace be with you."  Jesus' message sounds very much like the Father receiving the Prodigal Son from the parable in Luke 15: 11b-32.  Jesus, who is God's perfect Revelation of Self, comes and greets those men with peace and the breath of the Holy Spirit, so that they can do the work of forgiveness and reconciliation on His behalf.  

I am ever so glad that over the years there has been a progression away from seeing St. Thomas' disbelief as making him weak.  The "doubting Thomas" idea has been adopted by many who feel that unless they see it in its physical reality, they just cannot believe.  To totally condemn this idea, is to flip the bird in total ignorance to what Jesus does with Thomas' situation.  Thomas' doubt opens the door for faith, that becomes the greatest of proclamations.  "My Lord, My God" says Thomas.  Thomas' faith is strengthened not by the fact that he originally doubted, but that Jesus met his doubt, and Thomas grew in faith and trust in God's work of redemption in Jesus Christ.  Jesus then completes his work by saying in the words of the Common English Bible: "No more doubting. Believe!"  Jesus tells Thomas and us to learn from this example and to put our trust in Him to lead us to a closer relationship with God and one another.  Jesus accomplishes this by God's ministry of hospitality and reconciliation with those who are afraid, weak, and becoming their every reason to find their strength in the joy of the Lord.

Every one of us finds our faith in the Risen Christ shaken from time to time.  We see Christians continuing to use the religion as a means for power, domination and the spreading of hate, wealth and prestige.  In today's Gospel, Jesus turns the weakness of faith in the Apostles into a moment of spreading peace, joy and hope.  The Church needs to continue that work in today's world.  We must not cling to doctrine only at the expense of lively faith, Charity, service and mission.  We ought to be inspired to be open to being servants to everyone, without exception out of thanksgiving to God for all God has accomplished on our behalf.  We must bring hope to women who continue to be marginalized and victimized by a male privileged society. We must end the religious based bigotry towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer people.  There is a whole mission field that we can all participate in by calling for the end of injustices such as: President Obama's chained CPI cuts to Social Security, the sequester that is reeking havoc on the lives of cancer patients nation wide, and the abuses of the oil industry.  

St. Anselm of Canterbury once wrote: “For I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this also I believe-that unless I believe I shall not understand.”

If we are to demonstrate belief in the Resurrection, so that we and others may understand what Easter means, then we need to be willing to live as Easter Christians.   Thomas like so many of us, need the community of others around us to point us to the Risen Christ in the world.  The community of society and the Church needs all of us who believe, to do the same.   

May the song of Easter with Alleluia's ringing out like there is no tomorrow, be our trumpet call to live the Resurrection story in our lives.

Amen.

Prayers

Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery
established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all
who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body
may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.  (Collect for the Second Sunday in Easter, Book of Common Prayer, p.224).

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 Mission 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).

Monday of Holy Week: Today Anointed. On Friday Crucified

Today's Scripture Readings

Isaiah 42: 1-9 (NRSV)

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,

my chosen, in whom my soul delights;

I have put my spirit upon him;

he will bring forth justice to the nations.

He will not cry or lift up his voice,

or make it heard in the street;

a bruised reed he will not break,

and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;

he will faithfully bring forth justice.

He will not grow faint or be crushed

until he has established justice in the earth;

and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

Thus says God, the LORD,

who created the heavens and stretched them out,

who spread out the earth and what comes from it,

who gives breath to the people upon it

and spirit to those who walk in it:

I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness,

I have taken you by the hand and kept you;

I have given you as a covenant to the people,

a light to the nations,

to open the eyes that are blind,

to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,

from the prison those who sit in darkness.

I am the LORD, that is my name;

my glory I give to no other,

nor my praise to idols.

See, the former things have come to pass,

and new things I now declare;

before they spring forth,

I tell you of them.

Psalm 36: 5-11 (BCP, P. 632)


Hebrews 9: 11-15 (NRSV)

When Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!

For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, because a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant.

John 12: 1-11 (NRSV)

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me." When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.

Blog Reflection

The Gospel for today is the one I wrote a reflection on for the Fifth Sunday in Lent just a week ago.   It is interesting to be at this Gospel again today, because at Vespers this past Saturday, the Gospel reading was the raising of Lazarus from the dead.

Today we are with Jesus as his feet are anointed by Mary and prepared to walk towards Jerusalem to be welcomed on Palm Sunday (yesterday).  We are reminded today that his journey took him to Calvary.  

In his work The Imitation of Christ St. Thomas A. Kempis in Book 2 Chapter 12: On the Royal Road to the Cross wrote: "In the cross is the height of virtue and the perfection of all sanctity" (p.92).   What begins as an act of kindness on the part of Mary, prepares Jesus for the agonizing journey that will take him to his death and ultimately his resurrection. 

In the cross is what it means to be obedient to God's will out of love for God and neighbor.  To surrender oneself so that God may transform, even if it is through pain and suffering.  Even if it means being famous for all the wrong reasons. Yet, through the cross we are brought face to face with God's unconditional and all-inclusive love.  A love that empowers us to love others.  For the cross is about being open to God through others. As Jesus stretched out his arms and his hands were nailed to the wood of the cross, so God's arms and heart are always open to receive all of us in the totality of the delight of God's love.

As all the news reports tell us that tomorrow the U.S. Supreme Court will hear the legal challenges to Proposition 8 in California, and DOMA in several state cases, both sides of the debate are raising money, organizing rallies, candle vigils and more.  It is all very exciting.  It also shakes the nerves of both sides of the discussion.  Through it all, comes some of the grossest rhetoric towards LGBT people and their relationships with each other. 

Holy Week is our opportunity to be reminded that we too might be found in the crowds to decide if Jesus should be crucified and Barabbas is to be set free.  As we prepare for what will take place tomorrow, as well as the events of this Holy Week, we would do well to pray with compassion for our opponents as well as ourselves.  Reminding ourselves that we have as much a responsibility to them as our brothers and sisters in Christ, as we do to each other.  Jesus set the example for us by crying out, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34).  This just after they finished driving the nails in to his hands and feet hanging him there to suffocate to death.

We too are anointed by the Holy Spirit to carry out the mission of Jesus in our baptism and confirmation.  We are also to remember that it is only through the Paschal Mystery that we will find the strength and fortitude to continually offer ourselves to the service of God and others.

Amen.


Prayer

Almighty God, whose dear Son went not up to joy but
first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he
was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way
of the cross, may find it none other that the way of life and
peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.  (Prayer for Monday in Holy Week, Book of Common Prayer, p. 220).

Fourth Sunday in Lent: The Younger Son/Daughter, the Elder Son/Daughter and the Father/Mother

Today's Scripture Readings

Joshua 5:9-12 (NRSV)

The LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt." And so that place is called Gilgal to this day.

While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. On the day after the passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.

Psalm 32 (BCP., p.624)


2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (NRSV)

From now on, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Luke 15: 1-3, 11b-32 (NRSV)

All the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."
So Jesus told them this parable:

"There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands."' So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out a robe--the best one--and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate.

"Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, 'Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!' Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'"

Blog Reflection

Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB wrote the following story.

Once upon a time, the story begins, some seekers from the city asked the local monastic a question.

"How does one seek union with God?"
And the Wise One said, "The harder you seek, the more distance you create between God and you."
"So what does one do about the distance?"  the seekers asked.
And the elder said simply, "Just understand that it isn't there."
"Does that mean that God and I are one?" the disciples said.
And the monastic said, "Not one. Not two."
"But how is that possible?" the seekers insisted.
And the monastic answered, "Just like the sun and its light, the ocean and the wave, the singer and the song. Not one.  But not two"  (p.195, Wisdom Distilled from the Daily: Living the Rule of St. Benedict Today).

This Lent, my life has been forever impacted by Henri J.M. Nouwen's book The Return of the Prodigal Son.   I read the book as my preparation for this particular blog post.  The book has inspired me to ask myself the question: "Am I the younger son, the elder son or the Father?"  

Before I continue, I would just like all my blog readers to please bear with me as I am staying with the male pronouns that Nouwen uses.   I maintain my support for gender inclusive language.   This is one of those cases where I will ask my readers to see yourself in the gender pronouns, and please pardon me for a walk in the past.

In the past when I have read and/or heard the parable of the Prodigal Son, I have tended to side with the younger son and see the terrific compassion for him.  However, I have often looked past the elder son and just figured he was some conceited whatever, who got what he deserved.   As Nouwen wrote about the elder son in greater detail, I could not help but see myself in the elder son.   The elder son responds to his father's acceptance of the returned younger son, and throwing a big party with elder son allowing his resentment, jealousy and competitiveness to come to a boiling point.   The elder son is finding his obedience to his father to being burdensome.   He is doing everything he is suppose to be doing, and he does not feel like he is getting a return on all of his investment.   He just cannot understand why his brother who took his father's inheritance and has returned is being greeted with such welcome and compassion.  After all doesn't the father owe him everything?

What the elder son could not see, is that he already had everything.  That is why the father's response is so important.   The father welcomes both sons back to him.  In both instances, the father does not dwell on what either son has done.  All he does is welcome them home with great compassion, according to each of his son's personalities.   When the father addresses the elder son with "you are always with me, everything I have is yours"  he is telling the elder son, he is already close to his father's heart and nothing has ever changed that.  All the elder son has to do is put aside his resentment, his distrust, his competition and join his father and his younger brother in the banquet of all of the goodness the father had to offer them.

Nouwen also puts a great spotlight on the role of the Father.  The Father represents the compassionate God, who feels our human pain, suffering and torn selves, in the Person of Jesus Christ.  While the Father experiences the greatest anguish on our behalf, he is also calling us like a Mother to come on home, and experience the all embracing, extravagant love of the Father.   The Father does not ask them to give up their sexual orientation, or to pay back what they owe.  The Father does not shame women about having had abortions or used contraception.  The Father is not interested in their allegiance to a clerical superpower religion or the Republican Tea Party to prove their conversion.  All that the Father does is welcome them home with a warm embrace, gives them new clothes to wear and invites them to share in the heavenly banquet.

I think we have all at some point behaved like the elder son.   How many times have you heard someone say of another person(s) who is getting government assistance by way of cash, emergency assistance, food stamps or WIC, "Look I am working 50 hours a week, and I don't get to eat fresh baked bread at home.  Why should they begetting all this stuff they did not work for?"   Anyone who knows someone who is in need of such assistance, also knows the humiliation, the grief and the self consciousness such people experience.  It can feel degrading, dehumanizing and like there is this stone in the pit of your stomach.

I think for this Lent, this Gospel is asking us about our attitudes of compassion, hospitality and reconciliation with others around us.   Are we taking a page from the Rule of St. Benedict about receiving all guests as "Christ himself"?   Or, are we picking and choosing who we will welcome and be kind to?   Are we willing to reach out our arms to embrace those who are wandering without a spiritual home, ready to accept them regardless of their race, color, economic status, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, religion, cultural practices, etc?    Do we see reconciliation as our opportunity to make things right with God, on behalf of God and by God's grace working in and through us?

Lent still has another two weeks to go.  All of us will be brought face to face with the Cross once again.  We will be asked if we want to embrace the Cross so that we may have a victory over the powers of death, to new life in Christ.   We will be confronted by the decision to embrace the Cross totally and with complete abandonment of our will out of love in obedience to the will of God.  Or will we only pay lip service and leave ourselves at the tomb, like a dead Jesus who never rose again?

The parable of the Prodigal Son is our opportunity to go home to the Father, and to become a compassionate, welcoming and reconciling loving Father/Mother.   We are all welcomed to the banquet.  God is always with us.  Everything God has is ours.  But, let us celebrate with God concerning those who have come home.   We have all been found.  We have all come alive again.  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).

Amen.


Prayers

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down
from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world:
Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in
him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, now and for ever. Amen.  (Collect for the Fourth Sunday in Lent, Book of Common Prayer, p. 219).
 
Gracious Father, we pray for they holy Catholic Church. Fill it
with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt,
purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is
amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in
want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake
of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior. Amen.  (Prayer for the Church, Book of Common Prayer, p.816).


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, p. 833).

Third Sunday of Advent: Rejoice! The Lord is Near?

Today's Scripture Readings

Zephaniah  3: 14-20 (NRSV)

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;

shout, O Israel!

Rejoice and exult with all your heart,

O daughter Jerusalem!

The LORD has taken away the judgments against you,

he has turned away your enemies.

The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;

you shall fear disaster no more.

On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:

Do not fear, O Zion;

do not let your hands grow weak.

The LORD, your God, is in your midst,

a warrior who gives victory;

he will rejoice over you with gladness,

he will renew you in his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing

as on a day of festival.

I will remove disaster from you,

so that you will not bear reproach for it.

I will deal with all your oppressors

at that time.

And I will save the lame

and gather the outcast,

and I will change their shame into praise

and renown in all the earth.

At that time I will bring you home,

at the time when I gather you;

for I will make you renowned and praised

among all the peoples of the earth,

when I restore your fortunes

before your eyes, says the LORD.

First Song of Isaiah: Isaiah 12: 2-6 (BCP., p.86)


Philippians 4:4-7 (NRSV)

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 
Luke 3: 7-18 (NRSV)

John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you." Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages."

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

Blog Reflection

Exactly what is there for us to rejoice on this Third Sunday of Advent?   Our nation is living a nightmare this weekend with the horrible shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.  Children between the ages of 5-7 shot to death with multiple gunshot wounds by a madman of a gunman. It hardly feels as if the Lord is anywhere near to that small town, with weeping parents, relatives and a whole community where faith has been shaken to the core.

Our human limitations cannot put this puzzle together.  Nothing makes sense.  Every attempt to try to reason this within our minds, just comes back with a terrible feeling of grief and despair.  How are we to rejoice and feel that the Lord is near?

The communities written about in our Scripture Readings this weekend were also facing unspeakable violence, oppression and questions of how the reality of what is around them become moments of faith i moving forward together.  

Zephaniah is confronting a corrupt king who has ignored the prescriptions of Deuteronomy to care for the poor and disenfranchised in his care.   The Prophet has been condemning the practices of the king, and is calling for a new order by which a remnant shall come and rebuild the city and nation to be one that takes seriously their God given call to seek justice and equality for all people.   The exalted ones who are ignoring their responsibility to the least among them will be replaced by one who shall put off the judgement of God by God coming among them as a warrior who gives victory to his people.  It will be a great day of rejoicing.
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We are all sharing in the unspeakable grief and horror of what has happened in the elementary school in Connecticut.  Out of the bitterness of our emotions is coming together a human community who is weeping with the parents and families, who have had their whole lives shattered by violence.   People are raising our voices in concern for how accessible automatic weapons of mass destruction are in the hands of those who should not have  them.  People are looking to be proactive with their anger and sorrow, rather than just passing it off as another mass murder.  This is something to rejoice in, and see that the Lord is indeed near.   In Psalm 147 we pray that "God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."   God weeps with all of us and especially those who are so grieving in ways that we cannot know.  But, we know that God shares in our sorrow and concern for those who are wounded and weeping.   Rejoice, the Lord is near.  And acting on our behalf.  In faith we have to believe that, even though our human sight and emotions are not feeling it at this moment.

No one knew sorrow than Paul.  Paul was the great Apostle to the Gentiles who went into areas, only to be rejected, sometimes put in prison, scourged and had his life threatened.  In this letter to the Church at Philippi, Paul is writing from prison.  Yet, he tells us to rejoice always, to worry about nothing, pray with thanksgiving and petition to God.  As we continue to ask all of our questions that lead to very few answers with the tragedy we saw yesterday, this Season of Advent reminds us of what it is we await.  We wait for the promise of God, a reign where there is peace, justice and mercy for all.   It came to us in the birth of Christ in Bethlehem on that Christmas Night, and through the Holy Spirit continues to teach us and call us to renew our faith and trust in God, and even though we live in a world full of violence, none of it has the last word.  God goes through our life experiences with us, and consoles us in our moments of sorrow and hopelessness. We can always rejoice that God does hear our prayers and is never so far away from us, that we have reason to believe that God is present and walking with us.  Only in faith and trust can we believe that.  If we ask God for such a grace, God will grant it.

John the Baptist continues to call upon the people of his day to prepare the way for the Lord, by working to establish a kingdom of justice, freedom from oppression and a desire to love others.  John the Baptist does not claim himself as the Messiah, but calls those who are listening to him to prepare for the One who is coming.  That preparation comes by way of our taking care of what is right in front of us.  We can rejoice because we all have time given to us in this moment to do something about things as they are.  At times all we can do is pray.   Prayer by itself is most often the greatest and best thing we can do.   In prayer we draw closer to the heart of God and find in God our Source of love, acceptance and compassion.   The one thing that amazes me about the experience of the shooting this weekend, is that it takes something like that to make us realize how important it is for us to pray for and embrace one another.  If we will only take some time to be quiet before God as our Source of love, acceptance and compassion, there just may be more peace and an ending to violence and oppression.  If we really want these to be possible, we will do these with the same urgency by which we do many other things that are far less important.

If we want to see a Church and society where we are effective in working for justice, peace and equality for LGBT people and all others, we must recognize our human limitations, but be open to what God can accomplish through us, if we will only make ourselves available to the Holy Spirit.   We have to do it in prayer and then allow what we pray to become transparent in our lives.   That which becomes transparent by way of God's grace can become instruments by which God transforms the human community in ways that only the Divine Love can know and bring about.

Amen

Prayers

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come
among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins,
let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver
us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and
the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for the Third Sunday of Advent, Book of Common Prayer, p. 212).


Most holy God, the source of all good desires, all right
judgements, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that
peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be
fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered
from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness;
through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen. (A Collect for Peace, Book of Common Prayer, p. 123).

O merciful Father, who hast taught us in thy holy Word that
thou dost not willingly afflict or grieve thy children:
Look with pity upon the sorrows of thy servants for whom
our prayers are offered. Remember them, O Lord, in mercy,
nourish their soul with patience, comfort them with a sense of
thy goodness, lift up thy countenance upon them, and give
them peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for Those in Trouble or Bereavment, Book of Common Prayer, p. 831).