Third Sunday After The Epiphany: Jesus Calls and Loves Us Where We Are

Today's Scripture Readings

Jonah 3:1-5, 10 (NRSV)

The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time, saying, "Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you." So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days' walk across. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's walk. And he cried out, "Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth.

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do.

Psalm 62 (BCP., p.669)


1 Corinthians 7:29-31 (NRSV)

I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

Mark 1:14-20 (NRSV)

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."

As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea-- for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people." And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

Blog Reflection

I often wonder what score those first disciples would have gotten on their General Ordination Exams (GOE).  Who would their facilitators been?  Even more so, who would have been on their discernment committees?   Who would their Formation Masters have been?  If a church body were able to determine their suitability for ministry, what kind of criteria would be used?  What might the Church look like today if a Vocation's Director decided that Peter or John were not qualified to be Apostles?

The readings for today are all about God calling us.  God called Jonah to go to the people of Nineveh.  Paul tells us to go on our way as if we have nothing.  Jesus calls those first disciples from where they are.  In Mark's Gospel, this narrative does not go one with the endless names.  It just gives a few names and says they left what they had in hand and followed Jesus.  It sounds to me like Mark doesn't want to waste any time.

God calls us where we are, because God loves us where we are in Jesus.  Jesus was God's prefect revelation in the human person.  All of our human limitations, potential and promise came to us infused by the Divine Presence in God's Anointed One.  "All the fullness of God's Divinity was pleased to dwell" (see Colossians 1:19) in our humanity in Jesus who came to love us where we are, and call us to do God's work in obedience to God's will in the here and now.  The obstacles we face in our lives including the labels others place upon us, along with whatever our history may say about us; prevent God from bringing us where God wants us, only if we put ourselves in God's way.

Though I am a Monk in training, there are so many ways in which I fail to be obedient, or agree to conversion of my manners, and evade God through instability.  God does not ask me (or anyone) to always succeed.  All God asks of us is to be faithful in responding to Jesus who loves us and calls us from where we are.  The way to holiness of heart and life is through allowing God to love us in the midst of our pain, disobedience and confusion and bring about God's healing and reconciliation in our lives and those around us.  In The Rule of St. Benedict at the end of Chapter 4 On the Tools of Good Works, he writes: "never despair of God's mercy." 

God calls us without discriminating against our gender, race, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, health condition, disability, language or for any other reason.  It is we who discriminate against ourselves and/or one another.  Each of us are called and loved by Jesus to do in this moment, in this vocation and doing this work what the Holy Spirit empowers us to do.  Whether that vocation is ordained ministry, parents, spouses, manual labor, religious life, lay people, teaching, social justice work and/or administration.  This list is hardly comprehensive.  I have left out a vocation that someone is being called to right now.

Are we listening for God to call us right here and now?

What are we ready to set aside to follow the God who loves us and calls us "by name"?  (See Isaiah 43:1b).

What do we hear God calling us to in the depths of our hearts?

Jesus is calling each of us to let Him love us here where we are.   The sky is the limit with the possibilities that are before us if we accept the love and call of Jesus.  

What will your answer be?

O Jesus, joy of loving hearts,
the fount of life and our true light,
we seek the peace your love imparts,
and stand rejoicing in your sight.
(Hymnal 1980 #649).

Prayers

Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our
Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News
of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive
the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.  (Collect for the Third Sunday After the Epiphany.  The Book of Common Prayer, p. 215).

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole
body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified:
Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before
you for all members of your holy Church, that in their
vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you;
through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.  (Prayer for Mission, The Book of Common Prayer, p.100).

Almighty Father, whose blessed Son before his passion prayed
for his disciples that they might be one, as you and he are one:
Grant that your Church, being bound together in love and
obedience to you, may be united in one body by the one Spirit,
that the world may believe in him whom you have sent, your
Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in
the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  (Prayer for the Unity of the Church, The Book of Common Prayer, p.255).

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost: The True Faith and Ministry of the Church

Today's Scripture Readings

Isaiah 51:1-6 (NRSV)

Thus says the Lord:

"Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness,

you that seek the LORD.

Look to the rock from which you were hewn,

and to the quarry from which you were dug.

Look to Abraham your father

and to Sarah who bore you;

for he was but one when I called him,

but I blessed him and made him many.

For the LORD will comfort Zion;

he will comfort all her waste places,

and will make her wilderness like Eden,

her desert like the garden of the LORD;

joy and gladness will be found in her,

thanksgiving and the voice of song.

Listen to me, my people,

and give heed to me, my nation;

for a teaching will go out from me,

and my justice for a light to the peoples.

I will bring near my deliverance swiftly,

my salvation has gone out

and my arms will rule the peoples;

the coastlands wait for me,

and for my arm they hope.

Lift up your eyes to the heavens,

and look at the earth beneath;

for the heavens will vanish like smoke,

the earth will wear out like a garment,

and those who live on it will die like gnats;

but my salvation will be forever,

and my deliverance will never be ended."

Psalm 138 (BCP., p.793)


Romans 12: 1-8 (NRSV)

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God-- what is good and acceptable and perfect.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Matthew 16:13-20 (NRSV)

When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Blog Reflection

This Sunday's Gospel text is one of those that I wish we could skip.  It is a text that has been used to say many different things.  

In the Roman Catholic Tradition this is the text attributed to the Papacy.  Evangelical Christians have interpreted these words from Matthew's Gospel to say that it is only by confessing Jesus Christ as the Messiah and Son of God can one be saved.  More progressive theologians would say that this Gospel reflects that Christians confessed Jesus as the Son of God, but Jesus Himself did not.   This Gospel is also used every year on January 18 the Confession of St. Peter the Apostle in The Episcopal Churches' calendar.  It is a Holy Day with it's own collect in The Book of Common Prayer on page 238.

I recently began reading my next book in my formation.  The book is entitled Western Monasticism: A History of the Monastic Movement in the Latin Church written by Peter King.   I was reading through the first chapter about the beginnings of the Monastic Movement in Egypt.  I was quite struck by the following paragraphs.  

The first flowering of christian monasticism occurred at a critical time in the history of the Church.  In 313 the so-called Edict of Milan ended the persecution of Christians once and for all.  The Emperor Constantine soon began to look upon the Church as an important support of his monarchy and to grant it various privileges.  Christianity soon became the new state religion.  Bishops were now looked upon as the emperor's advisers and held important positions at court.  From having been persecuted, they became persecutors of those holding deviant opinions.

The consequent worldliness and lowering of standards did not go unnoticed.  Saint Jerome remarked that as the Church acquired princely might it became 'greater in power as measured by its wealth, but less in virtue'.  'Not all bishops are true bishops', he wrote, 'You notice Peter; but mark Judas as well....Ecclesiastical rank does not make a man a Christian'.  As for christian priests, There are other men...who only seek the office of presbyter and deacon that they may be able to visit freely.... When you seen these gentry, thing of them rather as potential bridegrooms than as clergymen'. (Pages 27,28).

I wanted to quote these words to you, my readers, as part of my own interpretation and application of this Gospel text.  It may or may not work among Scriptural and/or theological scholars, but, no one said it absolutely has to.

St. Paul in his letter to the Romans calls upon Christians to "not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God-- what is good and acceptable and perfect. "   It would seem to me that the ministry of Jesus was about seeking the lost and lonely, bringing justice to the oppressed, and helped people find their way to God through love of God, neighbor and self.  The basis of such a ministry was the God came to us, as one like ourselves to show us the way to a relationship with the Divine, through a life of self sacrifice and devotion to the reparation of the human community.  It was more than a doctrine.  It was about more than what was decided by a Church council, or political party.  It was because God created all of us with the dignity as God's beloved.  In Christ Jesus, our relationship as God's beloved is redeemed, and with us God is well pleased.  If the Church only ministers to and for the wealthy, the powerful and the most privileged, the Church "conforms to this world."   When the Church works for the poor, marginalized and the lonely, it is being transformed by a renewed mind.

The confession of St. Peter and the words of Jesus to him in Matthew's Gospel are about the faith and ministry of the Church, by the grace of God.   They are not a statement of political and/or universal authority for the purpose of control.  The ministry of the so called Apostolic Succession is not only about twelve men, who declared by Sacred Scripture everything from the ordination of women, to justification for discrimination against LGBT people, Muslims, the Jewish people, African Americans and so forth.  It is precisely because of the faith and ministry of the words between Peter and Jesus that the Church should be more inclusive and abundant with diversity.

The late Archbishop Michael Ramsey said it best when he wrote:

The succession of bishops is not an isolated channel of grace, since from the first Christ bestows grace through every sacramental act of His Body.  But certain actions in the work of grace are confined to the bishops; and thereby the truth is taught that every local group or church depends on the one life of the one body, and that the church of any generation shares in the one historic society which is not past and dead but alive in the present.  Thus the church's full and continuous life in grace does depend upon the succession of Bishops, whose work, however is not isolated but bound up with the whole Body (The Gospel and the Catholic Church, p. 82, 83).

The work of confessing Jesus Christ, and the binding and losing of the Reign of God is the work of all Christians in whatever capacity they are in.  It does not matter what our race, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, wealth, health, etc.   What matters is that we bring the faith and ministry of the Church into where we are, who we meet and what we do.  We bring that faith to our work for justice for Michael Brown, and peace for Ferguson, Missouri.   We live the confession of our faith in our prayer and work, and in respecting the dignity and integrity of every human person, loving our neighbor as ourselves with God's help, in our Baptismal Vows.

Today's Gospel reading from Matthew is a call of grace upon all Christians, and the true hope for those who have been hurt by the Church and society, so that they may find some kind of peace, healing and reconciliation with God.  Whether they believe what they profess in the Nicene Creed or not.

May our faith and ministry as the Body of Christ mean that the Church fulfills it's mission, because we are all faithful to what Christ has called us to.

Amen.


Prayers

Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered
together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your
power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 16: The Book of Common Prayer, p.232).

Gracious Father, we pray for thy 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, The Book of Common Prayer, p.816).

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, The Book of Common Prayer, p.818).

Second Sunday of Lent: Discretion, Hospitality and Mission

Today's Scripture Readings

Genesis 15: 1-12, 17-18 (NRSV)

The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, "Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great." But Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" And Abram said, "You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir." But the word of the LORD came to him, "This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir." He brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your descendants be." And he believed the LORD; and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Then he said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess." But he said, "O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?" He said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him.

When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates."

Psalm 27 (BCP., p.617)


Philippians 3:17-4:1 (NRSV)

Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

Luke 13: 31-35 (NRSV)

Some Pharisees came and said to Jesus, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." He said to them, "Go and tell that fox for me, 'Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.' 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. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

Blog Reflection

I found the readings for today to be very challenging.   My preparation for this blog post required more research time than usual.  There is a lot to be considered in the Liturgy of the Word for this weekend.  It is full of valuable information and some things that are worth some real thought.

The reading from Genesis requires some careful attention.  There is always the danger of walking on the side of antisemitism when we do not pay attention to what is going on.   This is why I like to shy away from the idea that the Hebrew Scriptures (still referred to as the Old Testament) suggests salvation by works and the Christian Testament (the New Testament) is salvation by faith.   This reading from Genesis very much challenges those notions.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul writes: "For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.  For what does the scripture say?  Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness" (Romans 4:2-3).  Later on in verse 13 Paul wrote: "For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendents through the law but through the righteousness of faith."   Abraham and all the people of Israel were chosen by God from the foundations of the world.  It was out of God's love and holiness that God delivered them and kept them close to the side of Yahweh at all times.

Abram's gift to God and God's response to him, was because of his faith in God.  God shows Abram that he is to receive an enormous gift that shall come by way of the generations yet to come.  The example made by the animals, was for Abram to receive confirmation from God of the promises made to him.  His faith is being given a sense of direction so as to lead him forward in what God has in mind for him and his descendants.   The works that Abram did through out the remainder of his life, was in response to the faith he was given in God who would do many things that brought a great blessing to Abraham and those who would come after him.

Do we receive good things from God with thanksgiving and faith?

A story from the Conferences by St. John Cassian will help us understand a little bit of what is going on in the Gospel for today.

Blessed Antony and  the Desert Fathers were hermits.   They lived in the deserts of Egypt.  They fasted.  They prayed vigils very religiously.  They gave themselves to very austere practices.  Blessed Antony said that the most important grace that a monk should ask for is discretion.   The discretion that can discern the difference between doing too  much or not enough.   He illustrated the importance of discretion when he told a story of two monks who went on a long journey.   They fasted for three days of their journey.   They wandered into a territory where the Mazices were very well populated.  The Mazices were known for cruelty that was labeled beyond barbaric.  Many of the desert monks feared them immensely.   However, when the two monks on the long journey wandered into the territory of the Mazices, two of them greeted the fasting and weary monks warmly, and offered them food.  One of the monks realized that though he was in the territory of the Mazices for which he should be very afraid for his life, the one who was offering him food, was doing him a very good deed.  So, after using the grace of discretion, he took, ate the food and lived.   The other monk did not and died not too long after, of starvation and total exhaustion.

The scene in the Gospel for today shows us Jesus being warned by a few Pharisees to get out of the area, because Herod is looking to kill him.   Here we  have some Pharisees who are normally thought of as being quite nasty to Jesus, doing him a very good service.  What we see here is Jesus welcoming individuals who are normally perceived as enemies of his.  Jesus welcomes them and receives their warning.

We have to be very careful about supposing that the Pharisees themselves are enemies of Jesus.  This kind of thinking has been a great source of antisemitism.   The Pharisees were part of the power structure within the Jewish Religion as well as the Civil Government, but they were also heavily controlled as to how much power they had because of the Roman Empire.  Their concern about what Jesus says and does is heavily influenced by their commitment to the traditions as they understood them.  They feel a sense of entitlement because of their influence and it leads them to many issues with Jesus.  But, their motives and reasons were quite legitimate.

This Gospel shows Jesus exercising two very important aspects of his ministry.   Discretion so as to receive those who are talking with him, from the level of their sincerity.   He is also receiving them with the greatest of hospitality.   His schedule and life have been interrupted for a bit, but Jesus has made room for them and responds to their concerns.   Jesus sets for us an example of how we need to receive others with a sense of openness.  Even those who tend to come from groups of people that appear to be working against our interests.  Yet, Jesus speaks of who the real problem is.  When Jesus refers to Herod Antipas as a "fox" he is suggesting that Herod is among the slyest, the most destructive, and yet the most worthless and insignificant of animals of his time.   Whatever Herod's issues are, Jesus cannot set aside his mission of heading to Jerusalem to eventually give his life on the cross.  

As we struggle with the very important issues of our time.  Racism.  Economic inequality.  The prejudice towards LGBT people, women and individuals of different political positions and the like, the Gospel has something to say to us.  Especially during this holy season of Lent.  We will make headway towards justice, equality and inclusion, if we will exercise discretion, hospitality and hold to our sense of mission.  As difficult as it is, if we are going to make progress towards equality and inclusion for LGBT people, we need to recognize that not all religious conservatives are our enemies.  There are many who sit on the more conservative side of the Christian faith, who may have opinions and ideas that we do not exactly agree with, but they are still children of God just as much as we are.   While we are not obligated to agree with them, we are instructed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ to receive them with the same discretion, hospitality and compassion with which He has received all of us.

In addition, it is crucial that we hold onto our sense of mission to bring the Gospel message of justice, equality and inclusion of all persons as we receive and work with those who do not share our opinions, values or means of accomplishing our goals.   The Commandments to love God, neighbor and ourselves is our Gospel basis for how we receive each person who presents themselves to offer us help.   We all need each other to do the work of the Kingdom of God.  We also need each other to help us to stretch ourselves and each other beyond our current comfort zones, so we may receive each other with the hospitality and purpose of reconciliation, with which God receives each of us.

As we practice our Lenten works of fasting, prayer and alms giving, we are creating more space for God in our lives.  We are also creating space to welcome Christ as He comes to us through others.   Those others include those who are like us, and those who are different from us.   It is a challenge that I need this Lent.  It is a challenge that all of the Christian Community needs.

Not everyone who comes to worship with us, understands what is so important about admitting women to be ordained Deacons, Priests and/or Bishops. We need to give them the opportunity to struggle with their faith in these matters as we were given.  There are people who have interpretations of the Bible that are in and of themselves incorrect with regards to homosexuality.  However, if we tell them that they cannot worship or receive the Holy Communion with us, just because their ideas or opinions are not shared by us, we are no better than those who will not admit LGBT people to Holy Communion and/or the ministries in the Church.  We will not be an inclusive community, if we do not include those whom we would describe as "not quite getting it."

As we journey through Lent,we should pray that we will stay true to our mission.  But, we should also keep in mind to ask for the grace of discretion and hospitality, so that we may be part of the healing and reconciliation of the Church and society that we have been called to be.

Amen.


Prayers

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious
to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them
again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and
hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ
your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for the Second Sunday in Lent, Book of Common Prayer, p. 218).

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have
made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and
make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily
lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness,
may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission
and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.  (Collect for Ash Wednesday, Book of Common Prayer, p. 217).

Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on
the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within
the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit
that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those
who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for
the honor of your Name. Amen. (Prayer for Mission, Book of Common Prayer, p. 100).