Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday.

Today's Scripture Readings

Luke 19:28-40 (NRSV)

After telling a parable to the crowd at Jericho, Jesus went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, "Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' just say this, 'The Lord needs it.'" So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" They said, "The Lord needs it." Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,

"Blessed is the king

who comes in the name of the Lord!

Peace in heaven,

and glory in the highest heaven!"

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, order your disciples to stop." He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out."

 
Psalm 118 (BCP., p.760)

Liturgy of the Word

Isaiah 50: 4-9a (NRSV)

The Lord GOD has given me

the tongue of a teacher,

that I may know how to sustain

the weary with a word.

Morning by morning he wakens--

wakens my ear

to listen as those who are taught.

The Lord GOD has opened my ear,

and I was not rebellious,

I did not turn backward.

I gave my back to those who struck me,

and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;

I did not hide my face

from insult and spitting.

The Lord GOD helps me;

therefore I have not been disgraced;

therefore I have set my face like flint,

and I know that I shall not be put to shame;

he who vindicates me is near.

Who will contend with me?

Let us stand up together.

Who are my adversaries?

Let them confront me.

It is the Lord GOD who helps me;

who will declare me guilty?

Psalm 31 (BCP., p.623)

Philippians 2: 5-11 (NRSV)

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be exploited,

but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death--

even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him

and gave him the name

that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Luke 22:14-23:56

Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!" The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews."

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun's light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." Having said this, he breathed his last. When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, "Certainly this man was innocent." And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph, who, though a member of the council, had not agreed to their plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. 

Blog Reflection

Every year that I write a blog post about Palm Sunday, I begin with the words: "Oh! The fickleness of the human heart."

The joyful reception of Jesus on this day.  The Hosanna's that ring out from them and us during the grand hymn: "All Glory, Laud and Honor."   The celebration of Christ as a King.  Hmm.   Where have we thought of that before?

Here we have another comparison between the Last Sunday after Pentecost, the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, and now the Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday.  A moment of triumph, before we go into a period of horror, death and mourning.  The difference here is, the triumphant mood lasts only up to we enter the Liturgy of the Word.  Then begins the Narrative of the Passion of Christ.  In it's own way, is this not very much like the two faced attitudes of most of us? 

The stories that will be heard this Holy Week leading up to Easter Day, are the stories of all humankind.  In one way, or another.

All of us know what it is to be received warmly by our friends, family and acquaintances.  When we begin a new job, the boss welcomes us.  The receptionist welcomes us. The office manager welcomes us. Our co-workers welcome us. Once the lunch break is over on the second day, suddenly we are everyone's new pest. There is nothing we can do right.  Most if not all who welcomed us are complaining behind our backs. Passing judgement on what kind of a person and/or worker we are. Based on their limited information.

In many ways, are the events of Passion, Palm Sunday not like a young man or woman growing up in a typical American home?  Their parents encourage them.  They push them to become the best they can be at whatever they do. They encourage them in all of their friendships and relationships. Teachers, Pastors, community leaders watch for the perfect person who gets all the best grades in school. Becomes the latest champion on the minor league baseball team. Wins the local spelling bee. Let that young man or woman break the news to those closest to him/her that he/she is attracted to members of the same-sex or thinks he/she may be a transgender person, all the fame and goodness in that guy/girl disappears in a moment.

Let a young girl announce to her father who attends "pro-life" rallies on Good Friday that she is pregnant and her boyfriend took off.  Suddenly, the father who opposes abortion, rather than helping his little girl through the fear and trauma of her situation, kicks her out.  With federal funding being taken from clinics that can help her, job training programs, day care centers, health care programs, not to mention the shame of family and friends, what choices will she have?   What if she was raped and has no recourse over her rapist?

People in our civilized society speak every day of "accepting people as they are."  Yet, there is always something about another person's race, religion, employment situation, health, etc that becomes a reason to push them to aside or treat them differently.  The person that loves others in a very different way, is the person that no one in town wants to know any further.

Holy Week, including today, is about our human relationships.  Much more importantly, about our relationship with God.  Not so much as our relationship with God just in our prayers, fasting and penances which we have engaged in this Lent.  It is our relationship with God as we encounter the Holy One in the person who is different from ourselves.  It is so easy to love God in the silence of our own personal prayers.  It is so difficult to love Jesus in another person.  It takes us so much effort to see others as Christ, Himself.

In The Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 71: Mutual Obedience, he writes:

Obedience is a blessing to be shown by all, not only to the abbot but also to one another as brothers [and sisters], since we know that it is by this way of obedience that we go to God. (RB 1980, p.293).

In A Life-Giving Way: A Commentary on the Rule of St. Benedict Esther de Waal writes:

The importance of obedience to God, to authority, and to our brothers and sisters is something that has concerned Benedict throughout the Rule.  Obedience depends on listening so totally and openly to the other that through them we discern the face, the voice of Christ himself.   This is the root of what obedience that we show to one another. (p.229).

In the stories that we will read this Holy Week and the Liturgies we will participate in, we will again be brought face to face with the reality of our humanity.  We will again meet Jesus experiencing human suffering, resentment, bias, injustice, yet accepting God's will through it all, so that by the way of His death on the Cross, there might be the Resurrection. "By his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5 CEB). We will be given the opportunity to again realize what our Baptismal Covenant (see Book of Common Prayer, p.292-294) calls us to with regards to our relationship with God, our neighbor and ourselves.  We will also be confronted with the opportunity to decide if we too are open to obedience to God's will, no matter what it requires of us in the end, or are we just too good to deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow Jesus? (See Mark 8:34).  Are we willing to wash the feet of Jesus in the person we despise the most?  If we find ourselves on either side of Christ on the Cross, will we mock Him with the thief on one side, or on the other, asking to be received into His kingdom, recognizing that we are sinners and that without the mercy of God in Christ Jesus we have no hope?

Will we as Christians be drowned in antisemitism as Christians read and hear Gospel stories of the Passion that suggest that the Jews are responsible for the death of Christ?  Or will we admit that it was the sins of all of us, including our sins against other religions, including, but not limited to Jews, Muslims and many others by which God loved us so much, that God did not spare God's own Son? (See Romans 8:32 NRSV).

This Holy Week, let us all agree that even though we disagree, that we can look for Jesus not only in our worship and prayers, but also in our relationships with each other.   May we realize that Jesus is working in and through our lives through communities as well as within our individual selves.  May we respond to Him with "not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42). 

Prayers

Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the
human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to
take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross,
giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant
that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share
in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen. (Collect for Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday, Book of Common Prayer, p. 219).


Assist us mercifully with your help, O Lord God of our
salvation, that we may enter with joy upon the contemplation
of those mighty acts, whereby you have given us life and
immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (From the Service of Palm Sunday, Book of Common Prayer, p.270).


Almighty God, whose most 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 than the way of life and
peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Collect for Fridays, Book of Common Prayer, p.99).


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.101).

First After Pentecost: Trinity Sunday. The Mystery of God Revealed Through Us

Today's Scripture Readings

Isaiah 6:1-6 (NRSV)

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory."

The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"

Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: "Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out." Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I; send me!"

Psalm 29 (BCP., p.620)


Romans 8:12-17 (NRSV)

So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ-- if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

John 3:1-17 (NRSV)

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

"Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."

Blog Reflection

So many things have been written and said about the Trinity.  It has many meanings for various people.  It is something believed in or rejected as an impossibility.  Christians have debated this central mystery and enshrined its possibilities in the Nicene and Apostles Creed.

God still patiently waits for the mystery of the Trinity to become a living reality that goes beyond debate or creed.  God calls Christians to discern and reveal the Trinity in our relationships within communities of people who are real and desiring what cannot be seen.  The Trinity is revealed as diverse people receive one another as Christ, as we listen to what the Holy Spirit tells us through them.

As same-gender couples continue to work and hope for more than just the right to marry the person they love; but to be able to live into who they are beyond labels and prejudice.  There the fullness of God is revealed with beauty and holiness, just as it is in the marriage of straight women and men.  When we wake up and realize we all have a responsibility to be good stewards of creation, by preserving and sharing the worlds resources; the Trinity is integrated and living among us.  We must respond to God's call to eradicate the attitudes that feed racism, gun violence, and income inequality; because where ever love is, God's presence is there.

As we meditate today on what the Trinity means for each of us, may we also recommit ourselves to that love of Jesus for all the world that heals divisions and oppression.  May we ask God to help us to respond to the Presence of the Holy Trinity that makes us the Icon into the greatness of God in the world.

Amen.


Prayers

Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us
your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to
acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the
power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep
us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to
see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with
the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.  (Collect for Trinity Sunday.  The Book of Common Prayer, p.226)

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ: Truly, Christ Taught Us to Love One Another

Today's Scripture Readings

Isaiah 9:2-7 (NRSV)

The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light;

those who lived in a land of deep darkness--

on them light has shined.

You have multiplied the nation,

you have increased its joy;

they rejoice before you

as with joy at the harvest,

as people exult when dividing plunder.

For the yoke of their burden,

and the bar across their shoulders,

the rod of their oppressor,

you have broken as on the day of Midian.

For all the boots of the tramping warriors

and all the garments rolled in blood

shall be burned as fuel for the fire.

For a child has been born for us,

a son given to us;

authority rests upon his shoulders;

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

His authority shall grow continually,

and there shall be endless peace

for the throne of David and his kingdom.

He will establish and uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time onward and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Psalm 96 (BCP., p.725)


Titus 2:11-14 (NRSV)

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

Luke 2: 1-20 (NRSV)

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see-- I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

John 1:1-14 (NRSV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.

Blog Reflection

As I am typing this blog post, I am listening to a beautiful recording of Cantique de Noel (O Holy Night) written by Adolphe Adam and John Rutter.  Some how, the words "Truly He taught us to love one another" seem so appropriate for us on this Christmas Eve/Day.

All of the readings in the Christmas Lectionary have something to say to us.  We are a people walking through a time of intense darkness.  There are way too many people living in poverty.  People have lost jobs and income at a staggering rate.  The violence on our streets, the execution of African American young people by police, the out of control gun violence all disturb us; and rightly so.  Just like the people in the time of the Prophet Isaiah, there is a light that shines in our darkness.  A cry for peace and justice in the midst of oppression and destructiveness.  As Christians, the Light comes not by a mighty warrior with weapons drawn and an army of tanks.  It does not come in a moral code designed to determine who is in and who is out.  God's answer for the Christian was born as a tiny baby in a Manger.  A baby born in humility surrounded by humanities' refuse.  Jesus Christ is born in our vulnerable human hearts in the Word made Flesh.

The vulnerable Word of God in Jesus the Christ was not born among noble castles with the best of food to eat, a paid wet nurse, or kept warm by wealth and power.  God was born in a stable (or cave) that was cold and drafty.  Christ needed a bed to sleep in, but he got a wooden Manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes.  He was greeted by shepherds, and surrounded by sheep, goats, donkeys and ox.   

Did you notice what happened and what did not?

Jesus was born in the midst of poverty, helplessness and indifference.  Did Jesus end them all?  No.  Jesus was born into all of it so that God could show us how to live among it in a holy and life-giving "way."  Christ comes to walk with us and share our experience with us.  Jesus is born to "teach us how to love one another" in all that is different about each of us.  Jesus was born so that all of us can be reborn in our Baptism "not of the flesh, nor of the will of human beings, but of God."  We are reborn in Christ so that all who "receive Him have the power to live as children of God."  It matters not whether we are black, red, brown or white.  It matters not that we are women, men or another gender.  We are all children of God because of Jesus Christ who is born on this Christmas Day.  Regardless of our sexual orientation and/or gender expression/identity; we are adopted as God's own by reason in the Word made Flesh, who is Jesus the Christ.

We gather in our churches, with our families, friends and communities to celebrate this holy day.  This holy day was made for us to celebrate our God who came among us in Christ.  Yet, in our very neighborhood some where, someone is lonely, cold, without family or friends.

In our own families there is someone who is afraid to reveal the truth that is deep within him/herself, because of how he/she may be received and/or rejected.  She/he may hear someone in the family quoting the Bible while trashing the President, a particular political party, and/or jokes making jokes about legally married same-gender couples and/or bullying LGBTQ people/youth.

Somewhere there is a member of the family with a drinking problem.  Somewhere, a friend or family member is terrified of someone in their gathering who is drunk, and cannot stop themselves.

Perhaps a college student has come home with his/her girl/boy friend who is an illegal immigrant; while someone at the Christmas dinner table talks about the President's executive action on immigration reform.

In a home in our neighborhood, a family is grieving the loss of a family member through gun violence, cancer or dementia.

Why do I bring this up on this holy eve/day?

Because Jesus Christ was born into our uncertainty.  Christ is among us, weeping in the cold and bitterness of our prejudices; to call us to see, know and love Christ present in one another.   He came to teach us "how to love one another."  Jesus was born to call us to the ministry of healing and reconciliation with one another. 

Finally, Christ is born as God's perfect revelation of God's Self among us to show "us how to love one another" in a continuous and self giving relationship.   In this relationship, God pours out God's perfect love for all of us in the Son of God who is Jesus the Christ.

For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).

As we celebrate this Christmas Eve/Day/Night in joy and wonder, may we be open to the relationship of God with us in Christ as He teaches us "to love one another."

A Merry and Holy Christmas Day and Season to you all.


Amen.


Prayers

O God, you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth
of your only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that we, who joyfully
receive him as our Redeemer, may with sure confidence
behold him when he comes to be our Judge; who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
for ever. Amen.
 
O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the
brightness of the true Light: Grant that we, who have known
the mystery of that Light on earth, may also enjoy him
perfectly in heaven; where with you and the Holy Spirit he
lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

 Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to
take our nature upon him, and to be born [this day] of a pure
virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made
your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed
by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom
with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and
for ever. Amen.  (Collects for Christmas.  The Book of Common Prayer., pages 212-213).

Twenty Third Sunday after Pentecost: Be Creative Workers for God's Reign

Today's Scripture Readings

Zephaniah 7:1:7, 12-18 (NRSV)

Be silent before the Lord GOD!

For the day of the LORD is at hand;

the LORD has prepared a sacrifice,

he has consecrated his guests.

At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,

and I will punish the people

who rest complacently on their dregs,

those who say in their hearts,

"The LORD will not do good,

nor will he do harm."

Their wealth shall be plundered,

and their houses laid waste.

Though they build houses,

they shall not inhabit them;

though they plant vineyards,

they shall not drink wine from them.

The great day of the LORD is near,

near and hastening fast;

the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter,

the warrior cries aloud there.

That day will be a day of wrath,

a day of distress and anguish,

a day of ruin and devastation,

a day of darkness and gloom,

a day of clouds and thick darkness,

a day of trumpet blast and battle cry

against the fortified cities

and against the lofty battlements.

I will bring such distress upon people

that they shall walk like the blind;

because they have sinned against the LORD,

their blood shall be poured out like dust,

and their flesh like dung.

Neither their silver nor their gold

will be able to save them

on the day of the LORD's wrath;

in the fire of his passion

the whole earth shall be consumed;

for a full, a terrible end

he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

Psalm 90 (BCP., p.717)


1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 (NRSV)

Concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing .

Matthew 25:14-30 (NRSV)

Jesus said, "For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, `Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.' His master said to him, `Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, `Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.' His master said to him, `Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, `Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' But his master replied, `You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' "

Blog Reflection

The reading from Zephaniah is talking to me about entering into the presence of God to be thankful for all God has done for us.  It is Eucharistic to its core.  Yet, it also speaks to me of not settling down too much.  God is about to do something that will require us to be ready to let go of all our security; and accept what seems so contradictory to who we think God is.  

Sadly, this reading from Hebrew Scripture is full of that "God is about to bring calamity upon you," that was so commonly believed in the times their authors wrote these down.  Rather than see in them God bringing about destruction; I think it is more beneficial for us to meditate on God bringing about a new beginning.  God often brings change to our lives by asking us to let go of how we think things should be.  God does not want us to find our ultimate sense of immovability in a world that is passing away into something far more everlasting.  If we are to see the full glory of the Reign of God; we need to seek only union with God as the single necessity of life.  We seek that union with God through a deepening of our relationship with God and one another.

The Parable of the Talents that we read from Matthew's Gospel is about recognizing our role within our relationship with God and others. 

One of the traps that we can fall so easily into, is to become inattentive to the reason we fulfill our Baptismal Vows.  In particular, the vow to work to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.  If we see our work of justice, with justice as an end in and/of itself than our social justice work is nothing more than a dead end.  As with any work we begin to do, it will only lead to the finishing of a project if we do not consecrate ourselves and our work as gifts placed into our stewardship by the God who gives us all things. 

A few months ago, I created a prayer card that I keep on the desktop of my computer.  Every time I begin to read, or pray an Office, or make a phone call; I make every effort to be sure I pray the words on the prayer card.

On the subject of this Parable, Thomas Merton wrote about it in his book The Life of the Vows: Initiation Into the Monastic Tradition 6.

We must take an active and creative share in the life of the cosmos, not only in the sense that we obediently follow a set of hard and fast rules laid down for us, but also in the sense that we assume responsibility for a certain creative contribution of our own. (This is clear from the parable of the talents: the man with the one talent who hid it away in a napkin did not think he was doing God the Creator of the world an injustice, but he was.  For God expected him to use is own initiative and bring greater good out of the good he had received.)  God has created [humankind] man and placed him in the world as an administrator and builder and a creator, not only to keep what is there and take care of it, but also to develop what has been given to his charge.  This applies to our life as members of society, as workers, as citizens, etc.  Man will be held responsible for his misuse of creative opportunities in every field--politics, work, art, religion, etc.  It is very important to see all this implied by a true Christian concept of justice..... (p. 57,58).  

In thanksgiving and reverence to and for God; it is our entrusted responsibility to make use of what God gives us to expand the horizons of God's Reign while we have the time and opportunity.  Among those opportunities that we are blessed with is the chance to make a difference in the world.   We are called upon by God, through the gifts God gives us; to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and bring justice to the oppressed.  In our Baptismal Vows, we have promised in the presence of God and other Christians to invoke God's help that we will be able to make a good return on the investment that God has made in each one of us.  In the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has already conquered and ended all human suffering and enslavement to the sin of injustice and prejudice.  If we do not act on the belief of God's victory and bring about transparent and authentic change; then why should anyone else be evangelized to believe in it?   How can we ask people to believe in the wonderful things God has done for us; if we do not with the joy of the strength of God's unconditional and all-inclusive love put our talents so that others can walk by faith and not by sight along side us?  

Through the meaning of our Gospel Reading today, God has made an investment of God's Self in the Person of Jesus Christ in and through us.  Jesus Christ is God's Incarnate Word through Whom our human nature has been redeemed for God's mission of inclusive justice.  God entrusts us to put that investment to the good use of growing closer to God in a bonded relationship with reverence and respect of God's presence in all of our sisters and brothers.  Including, but not limited to the Muslims who gathered for prayer in the Washington National Cathedral this past Friday.  This includes the work to end racial injustice in Ferguson, Missouri.   We are admonished in this Gospel to call for an end to the violence that many LGBTQ people experience when they are beaten and/or tortured to death; just because of who they are and who they love; or what gender expression/identity they are. 

We are empowered by our Baptismal Vows and the words of Jesus, to multiply God's investment by our cooperation as creative workers for the establishment of God's eternal kingdom.

I think it is time to get to work.  Don't you?

Amen.


Prayers

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for
our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn,
and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever
hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have
given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.  (Proper 28. The Book of Common Prayer, p.236).

Almighty God, who created us in your image: Grant us
grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace
with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom,
help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our
communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy
Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Prayer for Social Justice.  The Book of Common Prayer, p.260).

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in
harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.  (Prayer for the Human Family.  The Book of Common Prayer, p.815).

First Sunday after Pentecost: Trinity Sunday: God's Relationship Shared with Humankind

Today's Scripture Readings

Genesis 1:1-2:4a (NRSV)

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

And God said, "Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

And God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it." And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

And God said, "Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth." And it was so. God made the two great lights-- the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night-- and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

And God said, "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky." So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind." And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."

So God created humankind in his image,

in the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them.

God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." God said, "See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation. These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.

Psalm 8 (BCP., p.592)


2 Corinthians 13:11-13 (NRSV)

Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. 

Matthew 28:16-20 (NRSV)

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Blog Reflection

Undoubtedly, my blog readers see an interesting diversity within the theology of what I write.   I can be all over the map.   That is the beauty of the Anglican/Episcopal Tradition.   We are the via media.   We are Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, Unitarian/Universalist and any number of traditions.  At the same time, we are none of the above exclusively.   There are many unique individuals and influences within the Anglican Tradition and others that are distinctly and solidly Christian.  The one common thread that binds Episcopalians together is The Book of Common Prayer.   It is our prayer and what we pray and do within our prayer that unifies us amidst our differences.

There is one of many parts of our Tradition as Episcopalians/Anglicans that I remain very Anglo-Catholic about.   That is this Sunday's Feast of The Holy Trinity.  

Trinity Sunday is steeped in the Christian Tradition.  It is greatly controversial, and not without reason.  It is a mystery that is beyond human comprehension.   The Trinity defies human logic.   Even though we use the word "the-o-log-(ic)-y" in the many ways we attempt to explain and/or describe it academically or even to the least educated of people, there is no logic of any kind that adequately comes close to a definition.  Even with St. Patrick's attempt to explain it with a three leaf clover, his breastplate hymn, and the countless Saints through out the centuries, the complete understanding of the Trinity evades the human intellect.

For many, the easy way out is to say that the Trinity cannot be explained, because Jesus "never claimed himself to be a Divine Being."   This is a very common belief among Unitarians.   This belief though it is valid from their point of view, is not something I agree with.   I have tremendous respect and affection for Unitarians/Universalists and their "Standing on the Side of Love" campaign on behalf of LGBT, Women, Immigrants and more.   There are many Trinity believing Christians who cannot come up with a slogan as brilliant as what the Unitarians have.

Another way out for many Trinity believing and/or questioning Christians is to say it is without logic, so why discuss it?   A valid point.  If it tends to bring about endless controversies that disrupt the coffee hour after Mass, then perhaps it is better left out of the discussions.   Or is it?

I have just begun reading a new book as part of my formation as a Novice for Vowed Life with the Companions of St. Luke/Order of St. Benedict.   The book is entitled: Toward God: The Ancient Wisdom of Western Prayer written by Michael Casey.   Casey is a Cistercian Monk and Prior at Tarrawarra Abbey in Victoria, Australia.  I think what I have started reading so far has something to say about the Trinity.   See my quote below

Prayer is our means of taking a sighting, of re-orienting ourselves-- by re-establishing contact with our goal.  In the presence of God many components of our life fall into perspective and our journey makes more sense.  We look toward God, conscious that seeking what is unseen corresponds to a very deep stratum of our being.  It is not just a bright idea or fad; it grows from the soil of the heart.  Prayer is inseparable from living (page 5).

I think what the above quote from Casey's book about prayer are telling us, is that prayer and the mystery of the Triune God are about a deepening of a relationship between God and us.  When we limit the Scriptures to mere interpretation for the sake of defending a prejudice, or prayer as something we do only when we are wanting something; the mystery of the Trinity remains incomplete and without concrete conversion.   When we contemplate upon the awesome relationship of the One God who is Father/Mother/Creator,  Son/Daughter/Redeemer/Servant, and Holy Spirit/Advocate/Sanctifier/Life-Giver/Mother Spirit, etc. as being about God's relationship with God's Self to humankind, lived in the lives of those Baptized into the Body of Christ that is the Church;  the Trinitarian mystery breathes, works and loves others around us and through us.   What we pray the Nicene or Apostles Creed what cannot be seen becomes a living and breathing reality.   It can actually be touched by our human senses in ways that we cannot put into words.  It is just too awesome.   It baths the soul in spiritual ecstacy that raises us beyond any explanation. 

As we struggle with additional mass shootings at public schools and other places; wrestle with the horrific violence to LGBT people in countries like Russia, Uganda, Nigeria and right in our own nation; the Trinity longs to become an empowering transformation through us "more than we can ever ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20).

As we ask ourselves in the depths of our soul, how to respond to church theologians who still suggest that marriage equality is at all equivalent to Nazi Germany and the invasion of Iraq, it is the living relationship of the Holy Trinity with us, that will give us guidance and the words of the Holy Spirit.

As Christians of good will discern how to prayerfully respond with justice, healing and reconciliation for the oppressed, the disenfranchised, those who are sick, without companionship, struggling with addictions and more; it is the relationship of the Trinity to humankind that longs for us to be the answer to our prayers.

The relationship of the Trinity with God's Self is a relationship of obedience out of love for God and all humankind.  A love that seeks to end the discrimination towards individuals of differing religious beliefs and practices.  A love that wants to see women treated with equal dignity and respect, regarding the work place and their reproductive health care.   A love that does not condone violence in the Name of Christ of any kind, but thirsts to see the inclusive ministry of radical hospitality to bring about healing and reconciliation through the lives of those who believe in the majestic Name of the Holy Trinity.

The Psalmist rightly asks that if God who is so great that everything was created by God, then why are humans so wonderfully created and given such graces from the mind of the Holy One?  

It is because God wants us to do more than soak up the blessings for ourselves.  Our kind and gracious God has given us the fullness of a Father's love in Christ through the Holy Spirit so that Christians may be the living and breathing life of God that makes visible that which cannot be seen by the human eye.   Love and compassion that is inclusive makes each of us an icon of the Beatific Vision of the Holy Trinity.   Because we live in relationship to God the Holy Trinity, with all of God's holy people.

The Question I ask in conclusion is; how seriously are Christians about that relationship that goes beyond the pews and walls of our churches?

Amen.


Prayers

Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us
your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to
acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the
power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep
us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to
see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with
the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.  (Book of Common Prayer, p. 228).

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in
harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.  (Book of Common Prayer, p. 815).

Almighty God, who created us in your image: Grant us
grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace
with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom,
help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our
communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy
Name; 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. 260).

Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany: Authentic and Transparent Love of Neighbor

Today's Scripture Readings

Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 15:15-20 (NRSV)

If you choose, you can keep the commandments,
and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice.
He has placed before you fire and water;
stretch out your hand for whichever you choose.
Before each person are life and death,
and whichever one chooses will be given.
For great is the wisdom of the Lord;
he is mighty in power and sees everything;
his eyes are on those who fear him,
and he knows every human action.
He has not commanded anyone to be wicked,
and he has not given anyone permission to sin. 

Psalm 119:1-8 (BCP., p.763).


1 Corinthians 3:1-9 (NRSV)

Brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? For when one says, "I belong to Paul," and another, "I belong to Apollos," are you not merely human?

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God's servants, working together; you are God's field, God's building.

Matthew 5:21-37 (NRSV)

Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, `You shall not murder'; and `whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, `You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

"You have heard that it was said, `You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.

"It was also said, `Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

"Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, `You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.' But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be `Yes, Yes' or `No, No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one.

Blog Reflection

How do we know something is authentic and transparent?   We know, because it is more than what is on the surface, and what is under the surface gives new life beyond itself.  

Last Sunday Jesus told us that He is the fulfillment of the Law.  Jesus also told us to be salt that seasons, light that shines and gives glory to God.  

This Sunday, Jesus is telling us that love of neighbor as oneself is more than just doing what the Law requires on the surface.  It is seeing beyond cultural norms, common prejudices and suspicions.   Love of neighbor means living from what is under the surface of the act.  It means we see Christ in our neighbor and would not even entertain the notion that doing that which fails to show reverence and respect for the presence of God in one another.  Because showing reverence for the consciousness of God, means that to injure that relationship is much too important to us to just ignore our gratitude for God's unconditional love. 

The fact of the matter is, if Christians really did have a higher degree of reverence and respect for God's presence in our neighbor, many of the things we entertain concerning women, LGBT people, people of other races, cultures and religions would be the furthest thing from our mind.

In Chapter 4: On the Tools for Good Works in The Rule of St. Benedict, verse 50, he instructs us to: "Dash against the feet of Christ your evil thoughts, as soon as they come into your heart...." (Preferring Christ, by Norvene Vest, p.59).   It is amazing how much power our thoughts can have over our heart and our actions if we do not keep Christ as the center of our lives.  Not just in our personal prayer, but also in terms of what we think and do to one another.  A Christ-centered life goes beyond what we pray, and becomes an authentic and transparent love of neighbor. 

Yet, what we witness in our world around us and sadly by the hands and wills of individuals claiming to be Christians, is violence, disregard for the poor and the sick, irresponsible stewardship of the earth, and prejudice of all kinds. 

A recent article written in Plain Simple Faith suggests that Christians immerse themselves in the Bible in a way that disregards the need for earth changing social justice in the name of sanctity.   The article sings a nice tune about no longer opposing inter-racial marriage, but it no where mentions no longer opposing the freedom to marry for same-gender couples.  There again, is that exception for LGBTQ people, that Christians can just continue to disregard their cruel rhetoric and speech with a religious based bias.  

We also received the really sad news that the President of Uganda is going to sign the bill that will further criminalize certain citizens in it's own country, because of who they are, and who they love.  This kind of thing is bad enough by itself.  But, the very reality that there are Christians who support laws like this, is the Christian faith lived only skin deep, with a really big and angry mouth.

On the other hand, this past week when the Kansas House passed a bill that would make discrimination against LGBTQ people legal on the basis of "religious liberty",  Two Episcopal Bishops in Kansas spoke out, and shared the Gospel of concern for God and neighbor.

We continue to have problems with laws passed that violate the dignity of women.  The right of minorities to exercise the right to vote.  The environment continues to be abused by corporate greed, resulting in the fracking of our drinking water, the land, our forests and our air.  

In our prayers it is important to open ourselves up to the movement of God's Holy Spirit.   The Spirit helps us in our prayers, where our own words and emotions alone cannot move the heart of God. (See Romans 8:26-27, NRSV).  Yet, the Spirit also pleads for us to make our relationship with God authentic and transparent.   So that the Christian Faith may be real and visible in the hearts and lives of those who profess belief in God by way of the Catholic Creeds, and the Sacraments become the means of grace that bring real life-giving evidence of God's revelation in Christ in our churches, communities and the world around us.

Amen.

Prayers
  

O God, the strength of all who put their trust in you:
Mercifully accept our prayers; and because in our weakness
we can do nothing good without you, give us the help of your
grace, that in keeping your commandments we may please
you both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever. Amen.  (Book of Common Prayer, p. 216).

Almighty God, who created us in your image: Grant us
grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace
with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom,
help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our
communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy
Name; 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. 260). 

Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this
land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as
their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to
eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those
who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law
and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of
us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Oppressed, Book of Common Prayer, p. 826). 

Second Sunday after the Epiphany: Revelation by Identity

Today's Scripture Readings

Isaiah 47:1-7 (NRSV)

Listen to me, O coastlands,
pay attention, you peoples from far away!
The LORD called me before I was born,
while I was in my mother's womb he named me.
He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me away.
And he said to me, "You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified."
But I said, "I have labored in vain,
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my cause is with the LORD,
and my reward with my God."
And now the LORD says,
who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
and that Israel might be gathered to him,
for I am honored in the sight of the LORD,
and my God has become my strength--
he says,
"It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to restore the survivors of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."
Thus says the LORD,
the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations,
the slave of rulers,
"Kings shall see and stand up,
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves,
because of the LORD, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."

Psalm 40 (BCP., p.640)


1 Corinthians 1:1-9 (NRSV)

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,


To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:


Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind-- just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you-- so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

John 1:29-42 (NRSV)

John saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, `After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel." And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, `He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God."


The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "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). 

Blog Reflection

This past week, my Lectio Divina was very challenging.   As Novices, we are reading and meditating on one verse or a few words per week, taken from The Rule of St. Benedict.   The verse I meditated on this past week, said: "Do not murmur or speak evil of others."   As I meditated on these words, I could not help be confronted by how much I complain, and am so careless with what I say about others.  In Lectio Divina, the goal is to not make it into an intellectual exercise, but to listen to what the Holy Spirit may be saying to our hearts through the words we have read.  How does the Lord change my life as the Spirit speaks to my heart through the words: "Do not murmur or speak evil of others"?

In my meditation, I was brought face to face with my own sense of self-acceptance and image in relationship to God and others around me.  The Holy Spirit spoke with me, about my need to accept myself, with all my human limitations and live in humility with the knowledge and conviction that God is God, and I am not.  That humility, helps me to accept that my human limitations are opportunities for growth, they are not obstacles for God's transforming grace.   When I accept that, I can also accept God's merciful love.  In Christ, I am forgiven and redeemed.   After I have accepted that, I can celebrate who I am.  In Christ, I am God's beloved, with whom God is well-pleased.   Then, I can also celebrate that others are just like I am.  In these words and meditations is a letting go, and receiving in faith that God has forgiven me.  My response is to accept myself, accept others as forgiven, and to forgive myself and others as God's mercy in Christ has redeemed me.

Our problem as human beings, is that our self-image and acceptance is so often rooted in labels, wealth, popularity, our scholastic achievements and so forth.   All of these, become a false source of how we see and accept ourselves and relate to others.  In the end, all they do is lead us to a sense of a loss of self-acceptance.  Our image is dependent on others.  When others fail us, we tend to think that we have failed ourselves and even God.  At that point, we don't need someone to abuse us, we are doing it all on our own.

In this Sunday's Gospel, we see Jesus claiming His own identity.  As St. John the Baptist sees Jesus, he says: "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."   The Baptist recalls the incidents following Jesus' baptism.  The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus, and a voice came and said: "This is my Beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."   Jesus, receives and lives out this identity, that He was destined for in His mother's womb.   His identity as God's Son, is from God and Jesus claims it, and through Him, God is revealed.

Jesus will indeed be popular, but not because he won a Golden Globe award or an Olympic gold medal.  He will not be known because He stayed on every person's good side.  His identity will reveal God who has come to give to all of us a new identity.  Earlier in the Prologue to St. John's Gospel we read:

But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12,13).

St. Paul later affirmed this in his letter to the Galatians.

There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28).

All forms of prejudice and violence on the basis of race, religion, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, language, culture, physical/psychological or mental challenge, employment status, economic class, etc are based on labels that humankind has created to determine who is a first class citizen vs. who is 2nd class.  Our identities get lost, in whether or not we can afford health care, control our own bodies, and where we live.  In our efforts to advocate for ourselves or others, our self-image and acceptance are by no means based on what we can achieve.  What we achieve in making the world is a noble and holy cause, but we don't do it for a better self-image.  We do it, because of who we are.   We are daughters and sons of God, in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Jesus told us all what we must do that can help us maintain our identity, our sense of self-image and acceptance.  In His discourse at the Last Supper before He died, He told His followers:

I am the vine, you are the branches.  Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5).

A really great hymn sums this up very well.

When Christ was lifted from the earth,
his arms stretched out above
though every culture, every birth,
to draw an answering love.

Still east and west his love extends
and  always, near or far,
he calls and claims us as his friends
and loves us as we are.

Where generation, class, or race
divide us to our shame,
he sees not labels but a face,
a person, and a name.

Thus freely loved, though fully known,
may I in Christ be free,
to welcome and accept his own
as Christ accepted me.  (Hymnal #603).

This weekend, we are celebrating the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  He was a man who knew how he and other people of color were viewed by many white Americans.  Segregation brought with it many atrocious laws and behaviors.  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and people like Rosa Parks, refused to remain in the background and allow their identity as African Americans to determine their citizenship class in civil society.   Dr. King spoke, acted and called others to organize and speak up about the injustices toward workers, African Americans and many others because of prejudice and oppression.  Dr. King knew his identity as a child of God, by the grace of Jesus Christ.  He was willing to put himself and even his life on the line, as a friend to many who were friendless.   His actions did cost him his life forty-six years ago.  Yet, his legacy, and his sacrifice continue to bear fruit in the face of racial prejudice in many places in the world.

Racism continues to be a serious problem in our time.  It's another one of those labels that injures our self-image and acceptance in relationship to God and others.  Anytime we decide that another person is to be addressed or treated as a second class citizen because of the color of their skin, their country of origin, their religion or any other reason that one group of people benefits at the expense of others, our identity, self-image and acceptance are in terrible jeopardy.   Racism, sexism, heterosexism and the many other social diseases of our time, determine the safety of all of us.   It means that we are all unhealthy, and in need of some serious medication from God to heal ourselves and one another.

This past year, we saw momentous gains for the freedom to marry for LGBT people, but we also saw the issue of racism and sexism receive serious injuries with voting rights and reproductive health care.  Christ's revelation of God in His identity as God's Beloved with whom God is well-pleased must echo the love and acceptance of ourselves and each other if there is to be healing and reconciliation on these and many other important issues facing the Church and society.

I think the words of another hymn are most important to our prayer as I conclude the reflection in this blog post.

Jesu, Jesu, fill us with your love,
show us how to serve
the neighbors we have from you.  (Hymnal 1982 #602).

Amen.

Prayers

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light
of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word
and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's
glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the
ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with
you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and
for ever. Amen.  (Book of Common Prayer, p. 215)

Almighty God, by the hand of Moses your servant you
led your people out of slavery, and mad them free at last:
Grant that your Church, following the example of your 
prophet Martin Luther King, may resist oppression in the
name of your love, and may secure for all your children the
blessed liberty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; who lives and 
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and 
forever.  Amen. (Holy Women, Holy Men; Celebrating the Saints, p.307).

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in
harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p.815).