Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost: Proper 16: You Have The Words of Everlasting Life

Today's Scripture Readings

1 Kings 22-30, 41-43 (NRSV)

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands to heaven. He said, “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and steadfast love for your servants who walk before you with all their heart, the covenant that you kept for your servant my father David as you declared to him; you promised with your mouth and have this day fulfilled with your hand. Therefore, O LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant my father David that which you promised him, saying, `There shall never fail you a successor before me to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children look to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.' Therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you promised to your servant my father David.

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, much less this house that I have built! Regard your servant's prayer and his plea, O LORD my God, heeding the cry and the prayer that your servant prays to you today; that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you said, `My name shall be there,' that you may heed the prayer that your servant prays toward this place. Hear the plea of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place; O hear in heaven your dwelling place; heed and forgive.

“Likewise when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a distant land because of your name -- for they shall hear of your great name, your mighty hand, and your outstretched arm-- when a foreigner comes and prays toward this house, then hear in heaven your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and so that they may know that your name has been invoked on this house that I have built.”

Psalm 84 (BCP, p.707)


Ephesians 6:10-20 (NRSV)

Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

John 6:56-69 (NRSV)

Jesus said, “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever." He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?" But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, "Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father."

Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

Blog Reflection

There are few relationships in the Gospel texts that are as fascinating as Jesus and Peter; no?   This particular reading from St. John's Gospel which concludes the discourse in which Jesus tells us that He is the Bread of Life; shows Peter the be the most faithful and trusting.  It is an odd, but wonderful display of the journey Peter has been on.  

Let us take a closer look at a few examples of the journey of Peter with Jesus in the Gospels.

We know from the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke that Peter was among the first disciples called. (See Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:16-20, Luke 5:1-11).  We also read about the calling of the first disciples in John 1:35-42.   Peter is the one who has trouble with his faith during the storm in Matthew 14:22-33.  Yet, it is Peter's mother Jesus heals back in Matthew 8:14-17.  It is Peter's faith through which he says that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of the living God in Matthew 16:13-20, and not long after that in verse 22, Jesus rebukes the devil in Peter.  We can point to Peter's ups and downs in today's Gospel texts, and of course Peter's denial of Jesus in the Passion Gospels.  We also see Jesus's reinstatement of Peter in John 21:15-19.  Lastly, Peter is the Apostle in the Church after Pentecost, leading the other Apostles to evangelize and eventually send Saul; now called Paul to preach to the gentiles.  We also know that Peter was crucified upside down, claiming that he was not worthy to die right side up as Jesus had done.

Peter represents the reality in all of us.  We each have our moments of being called, being weak in faith, needing to be rebuked and corrected, having moments of very strong faith; even denying Jesus and needing Jesus' redeeming love to be restored in our relationship with God.  We each have our moments of courage and cowardice. 

In this passage from today's Gospel, Peter shines like a new penny in the midst of a trying time for Jesus.  Jesus has been teaching that He is the Bread of Life.  Those who would receive Jesus as the Living Bread that came from heaven, would have every lasting life.  Many of those who were following Him up to this point just could not take this teaching they were hearing from Jesus.  So, they turned and walked away.  When Jesus gives the rest the option to leave or stay, it is Peter who said those wonderful and famous words.  "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of everlasting life."

As I meditate on this Gospel text, I am lead to invite us to ask ourselves some important questions.

Who among us believes that Jesus is the Bread of Life?

Who among us is not so sure that Jesus is the Bread of Life?

How is Jesus the Bread of Life for us?

Who among us sees that people have a hard time believing in this Bread of Life that Jesus proclaims Himself to be?

Who among us is ready to help Jesus as Peter did, and proclaim him as our Bread of Life, and that He has the words of everlasting life?

What are the words of everlasting life that we hear in our everyday lives?

Jesus is having some hard times among us these days.  Jesus so wants to give of Himself again as the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation; not only through His Church, but from those who claim to believe in Him as the Bread of Life, and claim to follow Him. 

Jesus wants to work in and through the gifts and lives of Christians to relieve the lot of the poor, the sick, the disadvantaged, the underprivileged and those who are marginalized, surrounded by injustice and oppression.  

Jesus wants to be the Bread of Life that stops the violence used towards Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and other religious faiths often used by well meaning Christians, who just are not getting it.  The Christian Faith does not mean that all the others are to be reduced into Christianity to be viable faith communities.

Jesus is not the Bread of Life to be refused to or proselytized to those who believe differently than we do. 

Jesus is not the Cup of Salvation to be denied to LGBT people who are getting married, adopting children and seeking equality in the work place, financial institutions and public assistance.  

Jesus wants to be the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation, to share His words of everlasting life, through real freedom and equality, without "protection of religious liberty" legislation being passed because of the paranoia of ultra-conservative Christians to continue their crusade against the rights of women to protect their reproductive health care, and marriage equality for LGBT people, and other religious traditions.   

Jesus seeks those who seek union with Him as the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation, as having the words of everlasting life, through the ministry of hospitality, healing and reconciliation. 

Jesus Christ can be and is the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation through independent thinking and a diversity of theology, philosophy and understanding of the Bible and Creeds.

Jesus is the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation, with the words of everlasting life; who is with us in our moments of illness, loneliness, addiction, loss, and difficulty. 

The summer is winding down.  Soon children will be going back to school.  College and Universities are already beginning orientation programs.  Sports teams are practicing to make that Superbowl touchdown, and win the Stanley Cup.  The violence and prejudice in the world is not going to slow down or stop, without Christians who know that Jesus has the words of everlasting life, living as faithful members of the Body of Christ. 

Let us all take our place in our work places, families, communities, activities and wherever we are, and do our part to help Jesus in these trying times.  May we live as believers in Jesus as the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation, with His words of everlasting life to guide us and encourage others to stay around and pay attention.

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, 233).

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).

Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost: Proper 15

Today's Scripture Readings

Proverbs 9:1-6 (NRSV)

Wisdom has built her house,

she has hewn her seven pillars.

She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine,

she has also set her table.

She has sent out her servant girls, she calls

from the highest places in the town,

"You that are simple, turn in here!"

To those without sense she says,

"Come, eat of my bread

and drink of the wine I have mixed.

Lay aside immaturity, and live,

and walk in the way of insight."

Psalm 34:9-14 (BCP., p.628)


Ephesians 5:15-20 (NRSV)

Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 6:51-58 (NRSV)

Jesus said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever." 

Blog Reflection

As I read these Scripture readings in preparation for this blog post, I got three points to focus on.  The first is the Wisdom of God.  The second is Jesus as the Bread of Life.  The third is the life we have through Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist and the world around us.

Wisdom is often referred to in the Hebrew Scriptures in the feminine gender.  It is very much likened to a mother feeding her children with the very best she has to give.  In this reading from Proverbs, she is most concerned with taking care of her immediate children.  She sends for her servants to deliver the basics of life; bread to feed the body and wine to lift up the heart. 

Bread is the most basic kind of food.  It is made from wheat that grows in the ground from a seed with the help of the sun, water, soil and great care.  The ingredients in bread give the body substance enough to support its health.  

Wine comes from the grape known as the fruit of the vine.  Jesus' reference to the vine and branches in John 15 can also mean a grape patch.  The vine gives life to the branches which breeds and nourishes the grapes.  Once again due to soil, water, air, sun and a farmers attention; the grapes are harvested.  To make wine the grapes are picked, crushed and fermented into wine.  The wine ages and then it is put in a bottle.  Wine has the ability to heal a sick stomach.  Its agents can cheer a soul who is down. 

All of this leads us to those wonderful words in Psalm 34:10.  "Those who seek the Lord lack nothing that is good."  I believe this is what Jesus is talking about in our Gospel Reading from John 6 today.  If Christians are to be the presence of God in our world, we must know the fullness of Jesus Christ from within ourselves and our many relationships.  When we celebrate the Holy Eucharist, we give thanks for all that God has done and recall the gracious gift God gave us in the death and resurrection of Christ.   Jesus did more that die for and with our sins.  He also gave Himself in total and complete sacrifice so that we might know the fullness of God's love for us and for the world.

Jesus tells us that He is the bread that came to be with us, so that the Presence of God may be real in us and through us.  If we want to know a fuller presence of God and grow in grace, the flesh and blood of Christ is where we will find such an experience.  If as Christians we live into that fullness of the life of Jesus, then we must consume Him and share Him with others.

We live in a world full of violence, oppression, prejudice and injustice.  The wealthy dominate the poor.   The privileged benefit at the expense of the underprivileged.  Those who seek justice for the oppressed are mocked and scorned by the oppressors.  The oppressed are kicked in the gut by those who live in gluttony of the power and prestige they cannot enough of or let go.

Jesus Christ offers to us and to all of the marginalized the unconditional and all inclusive love of God.  Love such as this begins with faith to become tangible and real in this present moment.  Jesus is the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation who feeds us with the grace to believe that even when we fail, God forgives us and empowers us with the Holy Spirit.  God empowers us with gifts to worship, pray, work and serve others in the Name of Christ.   Jesus feeds us with His presence so that we may be His presence in one another and through each other.

Amen.


Prayers

Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a
sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us
grace to receive thankfully the fruits of this redeeming work,
and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  (Proper 15.  The Book of Common Prayer., p. 232).

God our Father, whose Son our Lord Jesus Christ in a
wonderful Sacrament has left us a memorial of his passion:
Grant us so to venerate the sacred mysteries of his Body and
Blood, that we may ever perceive within ourselves the fruit
of his redemption; who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Prayer Of The Eucharist.  The Book of Common Prayer, p. 252).

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).

Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost: Proper 14: God's Table Without Barriers

Today's Scripture Readings

1 Kings 19:4-8 (NRSV)

 Elijah went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: "It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors." Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, "Get up and eat." He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. The angel of the LORD came a second time, touched him, and said, "Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you." He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.

Psalm 34:1-8 (NRSV)



Ephesians 4:25-5:9 (NRSV)

Putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

John 6:35, 41-51 (NRSV)

Jesus said to the people, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." They were saying, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, `I have come down from heaven'?" Jesus answered them, "Do not complain among yourselves. No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, `And they shall all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."

Blog Reflection

These Scriptures that we are presented with present some problems in between the good stuff.  Not the least of them is the "Jesus only" suggested that brings about a sour odor of antisemitism.   The common thread of the idea that Christianity supercedes all other religious traditions continues to this day from the earliest writings of the Christian religion.

As Christians, we also have one very important truth with regards to our own faith.  That which we believe and profess originates with the Jewish faith.  Rather than suggest that we are the "correct" religion, a better way to interpret Jesus in this Gospel reading from John is to know that He is from the beginning, is now, and every shall be.  We pray these words in the Gloria Patri all the time and they tell us that what we proclaim as Christians is true form our history and leads us on into the next great revelation about God.  The Holy Spirit continues to guide us into all truth (see John 16:13).   That truth within the context of an interfaith attitude is that Jesus for Christians is a beginning point from which we can trust in God that every religious tradition is expressed by people who are honestly devoted to make the world a better place to live by loving others.

In this Gospel reading today, Jesus invites us to something deeper than a quick fix ideology.  He wants those who wish to draw closer to God through Him to ponder how much deeper and closer we are willing to let God get to us.  As Christians, we tend to do a lot of good talking and arguing about theological points of view.  As Jesus unwraps this mystery of the Eucharist in John 6, He is telling us that a relationship with God through Jesus becomes the substance of life that feeds us and the world around us.

Father David Sellery in Speaking to the Soul wrote,
  

In this week’s gospel, Christ invites us to consume his love, to make it the bone and fiber of our being, to keep coming back for more, to purge the toxins of sin and fill ourselves with joy. No wonder his listeners are stunned. Jesus is telling us that our relationship with God has been completely transformed… from one of distant, awe-filled reverence to one of intimate, unconditional love. In our sins, in our doubts, Jesus invites us to taste and see the goodness of the Lord. Now God has a human face. He is approachable. His love is consumable… ours for the taking.

From the loaves and fishes right through this ongoing discourse on the Bread of Life, the Sixth Chapter of John has a common theme: Trust in God. He loves you and will provide for you… not with the bread you want… not those tempting confections of self-indulgence… but with the Bread you need… the saving grace of our redemption. Come to the table of plenty.

Among the challenges for us, is to be careful of making (or masking) our table of plenty into a table for privileged gluttony with barriers all over it.  The Holy Communion in which the Presence of God dwells to feed and nourish any and all who come; is not the appropriate occasion to hold exclusive private meals.  The Sacrament has been used by other branches of our Christian faith to be part of political protests on any number of issues including but not limited to women's reproductive health rights and marriage equality for LGBT people.  I for one, take issue with the whole "all baptized Christians may receive the Holy Communion with us."  Will there come a time when even The Episcopal Church will have its own discussion about "baptismal papers please" to receive the Holy Eucharist?

The latest issue around the authentic worship of God, comes by way of the insane religious liberty argument.  Fr. Andrew Gerns shared an article in The Episcopal Cafe about religious liberty.  It is worth clicking on the link to read.  

Jesus invites all of us today to do the work of ministry for a table of plenty without barriers.  A table where there are no barriers set up to keep those who would like to get closer to Jesus though the ministry of the Church, in a communal way the feeds them with God's abundant grace.  They want to know that God is with them in their moments of difficulty and tragedy.  They also want to know for themselves if God is really interested in drawing closer to them.  The Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood is a beautiful and holy way for God to come close to us, as we draw closer to God.  Through The Holy Communion we can also receive the grace and strength to draw closer to each other, and others beyond our doors so that the Reign of God is welcomed among the oppressed and afflicted.  

May each of us play our part to make the table of plenty a living reality of faith without barriers to bring healing and reconciliation to a hurting world.

Amen.


Prayer

Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always
those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without
you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.  (Proper 14.  The Book of Common Prayer, p. 232).

God our Father, whose Son our Lord Jesus Christ in a
wonderful Sacrament has left us a memorial of his passion:
Grant us so to venerate the sacred mysteries of his Body and
Blood, that we may ever perceive within ourselves the fruit
of his redemption; who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.  (Collect on the Holy Eucharist.  The Book of Common Prayer, p. 252).

Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you
all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us
to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick,
and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those
who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow
into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for
our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Poor and Neglected.  The Book of Common Prayer, p. 826).

Tenth Sunday After Pentecost: Proper 13: Jesus, the Bread of Life

Today's Scriptures

Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15 (NRSV)

The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."

Then the LORD said to Moses, "I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not."

Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, `Draw near to the LORD, for he has heard your complaining.'" And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. The LORD spoke to Moses and said, "I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, `At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'"

In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat."

Psalm 78:23-29 (BCP., p.696)


Ephesians 4:1-16 (NRSV)

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it is said,

"When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive;

he gave gifts to his people."

(When it says, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.

John 6:24-35 (NRSV)

The next day, when the people who remained after the feeding of the five thousand saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal." Then they said to him, "What must we do to perform the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." So they said to him, "What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, `He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" Then Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

Blog Reflection

Our meditations on Jesus as the Bread of Life continue.  Last Sunday, we looked at Jesus feeding the five thousand, and the hunger we all experience.  This Sunday, we begin to hear Jesus proclaim Himself as the Bread of Life.  Jesus tells us that He is the One whom if we come to, we will not be hungry or thirsty.

I think we have to confront our problem with this Scripture.  So many of us Christians believe in Jesus as the Bread of Life in one way or another.  Whether it is Sacramental in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, or symbolically through out the various signs of life.  Christians can see in Jesus, One who feeds and fulfills.  Yet, we all remain hungry and thirsty.  Each of us experiences loneliness.  We all experience rejection through which we hunger for companionship.  We long for that special friend who will lead us into a sense of self value to be among others.  Aside from this, there are Christians all over the world who physically hunger and thirst for an experience of God that is beyond a mere emotional lift.  They long to be part of Christ through His Body the Church.  Instead they find division and value judgments on those different from ourselves.

Jesus Christ comes to all of us in this Gospel, and in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.  He comes to us regardless of who we are, and where we come from.  Jesus comes to all that is broken and hurting.  Jesus approaches us in Word and Sacrament to mend, feed, nourish and offer solace.  Though each of us will disagree with each other about something, Jesus offers Himself to us in the form of Bread and Wine to invite His Real Presence to become real in those of us who receive Him.  Jesus does not come to us and ask who is for or against abortion, same-gender marriage, a democrat or a republican.   He comes to unite us one to another, in all our differences to experience God's unconditional and all-inclusive love.

We are often suspicious to believe in this experience of Jesus as the Bread of Life because of all the injustice and oppression in the world.  Jesus comes among us as the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation to empower us to be the change we want to see in the world.  Where individuals become scapegoats for political and social campaigns, Jesus gives us the grace of God to embrace one another as part of that One Body.  We are given the grace to recognize in each other a Eucharistic vessel worth handling with great care, and wanting to preserve in the spaces within our hearts.

Jesus comes to us in the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation, and asks us to discern how God the Holy Spirit may be calling each of us.  We are invited to commit ourselves again to Christ in prayer, so that the Spirit can call us to feed the hungry among us and to become the wine that turns sadness into joy.  As Christ is known to us in the breaking of the bread, so we are called to bread bread with one another.  As we break and share the bread, we listen to each others stories and enter into the life of Christ with each other.  We enter into the greatest gift of hospitality as we meet Jesus in them through that Bread that gives life and that Cup salvation. 

Perhaps Reginald Herber said it best in Hymn # 301 in The Hymnal 1982.

Bread of the world, in mercy broken.
Wine of the soul, in mercy shed,
by whom the words of life were spoken,
and in whose death our sins are dead:
look on the heart by sorrow broken,
look on the tears of sinners shed;
and be thy feast to us the token
that by thy grace our souls are fed.

Amen.


Prayers

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your
Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without
your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.  (Proper 13, 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).

 

Ninth Sunday After Pentecost: Proper 12: Let The Hungry Be Fed

Today's Readings

2 Kings 4:42-44 (NRSV)

A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing food from the first fruits to the man of God: twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. Elisha said, "Give it to the people and let them eat." But his servant said, "How can I set this before a hundred people?" So he repeated, "Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the LORD, `They shall eat and have some left.'" He set it before them, they ate, and had some left, according to the word of the LORD.

Psalm 145:10-19 (BCP., p.802)


Ephesians 3:14-21 (NRSV)

I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

John 6:1-21 (NRSV)
 

Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?" He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "Six months' wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?" Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost." So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world."

When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.

Blog Reflection 

We all know the feeling.  Did we do enough with what little we had?  I wish I could have given and/or done more.

This Sunday, we begin our months long reading of John 6.  This chapter from John's Gospel focuses on Jesus as the bread of life.  Jesus came to feed us with the Goodness of God; in the Holy Eucharist and through our participation in Jesus' life in feeding others in His Name.  John 6 is a basis for The Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, and the Incarnation of Christ present through His flesh and blood.

In this first installment of John 6, Jesus wants to feed all of the people with only what they have.   He is not interest in what they do not have because of wages or material goods.  Jesus only wants to take care of those who are hungering for the Goodness of God through Christ.  Of all the stories that are found in the three synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, the feeding of the five thousand is also found in John.  The common story is told as symbolic of how much God cares about those who hunger; physically, socially and spiritually.

Hunger is a major problem in our world.  Here in America, in Europe and all over the world, the poor who are hungry and go without every day is unimaginable.  The numbers of how many people including children who live in poverty rises every year.  Yet, those in power here in the U.S. continue to decrease spending for food stamp programs and school lunch programs that serves so many people.

If it is not physical hunger, there are those who continue to suffer under the "hunger" of prejudice, oppression and injustice.  A few weeks ago on the 4th of July Weekend, Fr. Ed Bacon who is the Rector at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California spoke regarding the current debate over the removal of confederate flags form public buildings.  Fr. Bacon said it well, when he said the problem is not the confederate flag itself, it is our "confederate consciousness".  The racism that is so out of control over these past years, is the result of two approaches to hunger.  One is a hunger that is interested in power to control minorities, including immigrants.  The other is the hunger of those who are looking for peace from being violently profiled because of their race and/or nation of origin.

The milestones we have achieved towards equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the Church and society is about addressing a hunger.  The hunger to love and be loved by someone so special that our gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression of individuals who wish for their dignity to be upheld is being addressed.  None of them are the least bit interested in violating anyone's religious freedom.  In fact, all LGBT people want is to be able to exercise their own civil and religious freedom without the fear harassment or being proselytized.

The shootings in Charleston, South Carolina, Chattanooga, Tennessee and as of yesterday, Louisiana is a hunger to stop the out of control gun violence without politics or billion dollar lobbying firms more concerned about their positions being our main obstacle.  We are not interested in interfering with anyone's 2nd amendment rights.  We just want the opportunity to let our children go to school, people go to movie theaters and walk in public places without the fear that someone will kill them or someone they love just because the shooter has a point to prove.

Jesus Christ comes to us as He did the hungry people in our Gospel story.  He comes to feed us and nurture us towards a greater love for God, our neighbor and ourselves.  All Jesus wants from us, is to offer our gifts however great or small to play a part to relieve the hunger that permeates all of us in one way or another.

Are we ready to offer what we have?  If there is any doubt in our minds, let us remember the words from St. Paul in our reading from Ephesians.

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayers

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom
nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon
us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so
pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.  (Proper 12.  The Book of Common Prayer, p. 231).

 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).

 Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you
all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us
to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick,
and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those
who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow
into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for
our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  (Prayer for the Poor and Neglected.  The Book of Common Prayer, p. 826).

 

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost: Proper 7: Save Us, O God from the Storms of Prejudice and Violence

Today's Scripture Readings

1 Samuel 17:57-18:5, 10-16 (NRSV)

On David's return from killing Goliath, the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with the head of the Philistine in his hand. Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, young man?" And David answered, "I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite."

When David had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father's house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that he was wearing, and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him; as a result, Saul set him over the army. And all the people, even the servants of Saul, approved.

The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand; and Saul threw the spear, for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David eluded him twice.

Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul. So Saul removed him from his presence, and made him a commander of a thousand; and David marched out and came in, leading the army. David had success in all his undertakings; for the LORD was with him. When Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in awe of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David; for it was he who marched out and came in leading them.

Psalm 133 (BCP., p.787)


2 Corinthians :1-13 (NRSV)

As we work together with Christ, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says,

"At an acceptable time I have listened to you,

and on a day of salvation I have helped you."

See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! We are putting no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see-- we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours. In return-- I speak as to children-- open wide your hearts also.

Mark 4:25-41 (NRSV)

When evening had come, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

Blog Reflection 

This afternoon I was present for and witnessed the ordination of 33 individuals to the transitional and vocational Diaconate and the Priesthood.  The Rt. Rev. Brian Prior, Bishop of Minnesota  and a large group of worshiping people became participants as these 33 women and men from various backgrounds, ages, races, sexual orientations, health statuses, languages and more received the prayers and blessings to serve Christ's Church in ordained ministry.  It was exciting and uplifting.

Bishop Prior shared with us in his sermon that what the 33 people did was living out their calling as Baptized members of the Church.  He also said that all of us, lay or ordained as Bishops, Priests and Deacons are given the mission of living into our Baptismal Vows.  All of us as Christians, need to hear that message today.

Our Scripture readings this Sunday tell us of God's deepest desire for each of us to know that we are loved, we are sought after, and looked after. 

God's great gift of sexual orientation and desire leads us to know of God's amazing love through the tender love of another person.  The gender of those persons is not at issue with God.  The relationship of David and Jonathon was obviously a lot more than friendship or just good buddies.  David and Jonathan made a covenant to declare their mutual love with each other.  As we read in the account from First Samuel both of them "loved each other more than themselves."  They were bound in soul and body.  Their relationship was a life of self-sacrifice of one for the other.  A love that is so dedicated one to the other, that it is quite likely that Saul was jealous of their bond.  

As we await the decision of the Supreme Court to decide the issue of marriage equality on a civil level, we also await to see what will happen as The Episcopal Church gathers for General Convention to debate the matter of changing the Canons in The Book of Common Prayer, so that same-gender couples who are blessed in TEC, are married and/or in matrimony.  These are two big challenges before society and the Church.  These are difficult times for the Church and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons.   Yet, we are united with what our Baptismal Covenant as Episcopalians is about.  Loving God, our neighbor and ourselves, and respecting and upholding the dignity of every human person.  We are called upon as God's people in the here and now which is the day of salvation, to proclaim and live into who we are.   As God does not discriminate against two individuals of the same-gender in loving and committed covenants with each other, to live in self-sacrifice; then neither should we. 

When I read our Gospel Reading from Mark, I thought that it speaks eloquently to what we are all experiencing since the tragic shooting in Charleston, South Carolina this week.  The storm clouds and winds of racism and out of control gun violence have once again pierced our hearts and terrified us.  Our boats of personal security are being tossed by the waves of media storms full of speculation and commentary designed to inflame our suspicions and sensations.  Yet, there are a few things that we are not hearing.

First, both the gunner and those who were shot are individuals of sacred worth.  Whether black or white skinned, they like all of us are God's children.  They have been created and redeemed to fulfill God's purpose in their lives.  It is so very sad that the gunner did not have enough respect and regard for his own life, and therefore could not see the dignity of those he shot without their race being part of the equation. 

Second, the issue of race and gun violence remain out of control.  I know we have a 2nd Amendment to our Constitution.  I know there are those convinced that the Government is coming after their guns and their right to defend themselves from an "oppressive" Government.   However, we apparently live in a time in which those who have high magazine guns do not know or see the difference between weapons that help us defend ourselves, and weapons used to get someone they do not agree with out of the way.  

Third, we have a serious problem when African American teens/youth are gunned down just for walking the side walk, with their Caucasian killers who cannot be fairly prosecuted.  Meanwhile we have a situation in which a young white male entered a church in Charleston, South Carolina and opened fire killing and wounding people worshiping there.  Then we hear of Christians claiming to speak on behalf of all Christians, suggesting that the shooting was an attack against Christians and not racially motivated.

Fourth, we continue to have a poorly made assertion that all gun violence is somehow linked to mental illness or individuals with a mental illness.  Such a stereotype is egregious.  The issue of gun violence needs to be addressed, as does a better health care system for those who live with mental illness.  I continue to hold the opinion that addressing the issue of gun violence without doing more to help people with mental illness gain better services so they are better cared for, could not be more morally wrong.  Negatively stereotyping individuals with mental illness as violent or doing violence and therefore must be further marginalized is also morally wrong.  Such attitudes are additional examples of how far we have to go in terms of living into our Baptismal Covenant.

Finally, as Jesus was there in the boat with those disciples who were scared and their faith weakened by the storm, so Jesus is here with all of us during our tempests.  We are not left to struggle with these issues alone and isolated.  We are nourished by the Presence of Christ in The Holy Eucharist to be the Body of Christ in our hurting world.  Jesus gets up with us, walks with us and strengthens our faith to pray and work together.  Jesus empowers us by the Holy Spirit with gifts to be used so that God's Reign of peace and justice for all God's people may be a living reality. 

May each of us answer God's call on our lives and walk in love together as Christ's Body.

Amen.


Prayers

O Lord, make us have perpetual love and reverence for your
holy Name, for you never fail to help and govern those whom
you have set upon the sure foundation of your loving-kindness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 7.  The Book of Common Prayer, p.230).

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).

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).

Third Sunday of Easter: The Risen Christ and the Breaking of the Bread

 

Today's Scripture Readings

Acts 2:14a, 36-41 (NRSV)

 

Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed the multitude, "Let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified."

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him." And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.

Psalm 118 (BCP., p.759)


1 Peter 1:17-23 (NRSV)

If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.

Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.

Luke 24:13-35 (NRSV)

On the first day of the week, two of Jesus' followers were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?" He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him." Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?" That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Blog Reflection

When I was in college, I took two classes in cultural anthropology.   At one point in the course, the professor told us a story.  He went on a journey to the rainforests. While he was there, he got to know one of the members of the tribe. My professor spent quite a few days following him, eating with him, seeing his family, seeing how he worked.  The man was dressed in a loin cloth, with paint markings all over his body, and a bone through his nose.  My professor followed the man one day,  to help him carry some logs from the forest back to his home.  My professor was amazed because while my professor could barely pick up a single log to carry it; the man who was part of the tribe hurled three full sized logs and carried them on his shoulder.  Not only that, but the man knew every elected official in America and what they stood for.  The man in the rainforest knew more about America and what goes on here, than my professor could even discuss.   It was at that point, that my professor was forced to confront his own ethnocentricity.  The white, American, Christian culture was no superior in any way than the man he was learning about.  

Those first Disciples walking the road to Emmaus must have felt somewhat like that when this man came along, asked them about why they were so sad. They did not know it was Jesus.  After Jesus asked them, and they responded, suddenly the man who was a stranger to them knew more about what had happened than they did.  It was not until they Jesus entered the place where they were staying and broke bread with them, that their eyes were opened and they knew it was Jesus.

Sometimes, it takes a stranger to point out to us just how good we have things.  Other times, it takes someone who does not know us, to show us a better way to go.  Yet, there is one way we know for sure that we are united in welcoming and spending time with each other.  It is when we break the Bread that is the Body of Christ, and share the Cup that is the Blood of Christ that strangers become friends.  Those who are estranged suddenly find a sense of community, a place of belonging with the Risen Christ and the Church.

Whatever we are facing in our lives, the Risen Christ shares the road we walk on.  Whether that be working through an addiction, a relationship that is separating, injustice, oppression, grieving the loss of someone we love; Jesus Christ Crucified and Risen from the dead walks, talks and breaks the Bread of His Body with us.  We are never alone.   No label that an unjust society or the Church may place on us, separates us from our relationship with God through Jesus Christ and one another.   St. Paul writes:

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38, 39 NRSV).   

In today's reading from 1 Peter 1:23 we read:

You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.

It remains a deep sadness to the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ that the Eucharist is so often used as a weapon to control another persons belief and/or behaviors according to a particular interpretation of Scripture.   In this reading from Luke today, it is clear that the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ is not an excuse to stigmatize or divide people.  It is the reason for love and understanding, healing and reconciliation.  The Paschal Mystery has the power to end divisions and destroy prejudice and cruelty.  It is Christians who have badly interpreted Scripture who continue to make the Eucharist into nothing more than another family dinner, with all the relatives arguing and leaving angry with each other.  No wonder people look at Christians and turn away.   Is it any wonder why people do not believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead?

I am a Christian who does believe in the Resurrection and how good Jesus Christ is to every person.  I do not believe that God sent God's Son to judge people to hell because of their race, sexual orientation, political party, gender, gender identity/expression, language, immigration status, wealth, health or any other reason. I do not believe that the Bible is God's sexual penal code.  I believe that the Scriptures are very clear that God's love is unconditional and all-inclusive.  I believe that in the heart of God, there are no rejects, losers or those who are hopeless.  The Paschal Mystery including the Eucharist is the source of my belief.  Among my many reasons for writing this blog week after week, year after year is I want readers to know, that God discriminates against no one.  Our Baptismal Covenant as Episcopalians tells us to respect the dignity of every human person.  Without exception.

May Christians and many others who are still wondering how real Jesus Christ is, find anew that living hope of God's love and tender mercy.  May we all know that God is closer to us than we have any real understanding about.  Let there be hospitality, healing and reconciliation because as the hymn words by A.H. Acklel read:

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives? 
He lives within my heart.

Prayers

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his
disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith,
that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives
and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and for ever. Amen.  (Book of Common Prayer, p.224).

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).

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. (Book of Common Prayer, p.818). 

Wednesday in Holy Week: What Do We Make of Judas?

Today's Scripture Readings

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 70 (BCP., p.682)


Hebrews 12:1-3 (NRSV)

Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.

John 13:21-32 (NRSV)

At supper with his friends, Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, "Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me." The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. One of his disciples-- the one whom Jesus loved-- was reclining next to him; Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, "Lord, who is it?" Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, "Do quickly what you are going to do." Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, "Buy what we need for the festival"; or, that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once."

Blog Reflection

Earlier this week, my husband Jason and I had a conversation together about Judas.  In this discussion, Jason and I asked the following question.   "Should we really assume that God condemned Judas?"

I have several problems with the idea that Judas might be condemned.  One of which, if it was Jesus' purpose to give His life on the Cross to redeem us all from our sins, then didn't Judas do God's will when he handed Him over for the 30 pieces of silver?   The very idea that Judas would betray Jesus fulfills a prophesy in Isaiah.  Secondly, given that we believe that God forgives all our sins through the Paschal Mystery in the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, why wouldn't the soul of Judas also be saved?   The last problem with this whole thing with Judas that I have, is that I am not a believer in the Calvinist theology of predestination.   I do not personally believe that Judas was predestined to betray Jesus and his soul go to hell for it.

Among the problems we have with the traditional understanding of Judas, is that for centuries people equated mental illness and suicide with some kind of spiritual crisis.  Therefore, if Judas did in fact betray Jesus, Judas would have been condemned because he did betray Jesus and he committed suicide rather than asked forgiveness as Peter did after Peter denied Jesus three times.  

We now think and believe that mental illness does not mean that one is demon possessed.  We also now believe that someone who commits suicide, while very tragic, that their soul is most likely in the hands of our very merciful God.   Another thing we know beyond a shadow of a doubt is that when Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, Jesus most certainly still loved him.

I think we have to be very careful about making an individual like Judas into a scapegoat, while we ignore the very presence of bias and hypocrisy in our own hearts.   All of us at some point of time do something that betrays Jesus in some way, shape or form.  Yet, God forgives us through God's mercy in Christ. 

At the same time, Judas is a reminder of some very deep realities. 

All of us, including Jesus understands the tragedy of being betrayed by our best friend.  Every time I pray Psalm 41, I think that the words of verse 9 are something Jesus identified with.   "Even my best friend, whom I trusted, who broke bread with me, has lifted up his heel and turned against me."

Also, in any of the plans we make, if we are not careful we can easily be betraying our best friend, rather than helping her/him.

Before we eat at the Lord's Table tomorrow night on Maundy Thursday, we might want to reflect on how we perceive those who are different from ourselves.  Whom are we looking at, and thinking they must not belong there with us?   What responsibility are we taking for what we do, and how it affects others beyond ourselves?   What kinds of deals are we making that betray Jesus in our neighbors?

We need to reflect on the fact that the Holy Eucharist is about whom we include, not whom we justify ourselves for excluding.  It is not about us indulging in our stereotypes of others.   The Holy Eucharist is the Presence of Christ in the Bread and Wine, which represents His presence in one another.

Amen.


Prayer

Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be
whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept
joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the
glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ your Son our
Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p.220).

Maundy Thursday: Be Ready to Wash Before You Eat

Today's Scripture Readings

Exodus 12: 1-14 (NRSV)

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. [Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn.] This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the LORD. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.

Psalm 116: 1, 10-17 (BCP, p. 759)

1 Corinthians 11: 23-26 (NRSV)

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

John 13: 1-17, 31b-35 (NRSV)

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you." For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, "Not all of you are clean."

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord--and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, `Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Blog Reflection


The only Gospel of the four with the narrative about the Last Supper that does not contain the institution of Holy Communion, is John.  In it's place is the story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples.   The oral tradition that was passed on since, is that most likely Jesus washed the feet of the disciples before he instituted the Eucharist.

We don't do the washing of feet before every celebration of the Eucharist.  The once a year ritual on Maundy Thursday happens as a reminder to live out the meaning of the Eucharist in our every day lives.   When what we do at the Eucharist ends as we walk out the doors of our places of worship, so the Gospel story of the compassionate and loving Jesus, remains just another legend that happened in our imaginations.  It hasn't actually happened, because the story cannot be read from our daily lives.   This is why I really do think that when a church community limits the ritual of the washing of feet to certain chosen people, specifically those that limit it to twelve men, they do the larger Parish community a terrible disservice.

The ministry of Jesus is not limited to those in Holy Orders.  According to the Catechism or Outline of the Faith in The Book of Common Prayer on page 855, the Laity are an order of ministry, who's responsibility begins with the same calling as anyone in Holy Orders.  "To represent Christ and his Church..."   We represent Christ and the Church whenever we give of ourselves selflessly for the benefit of another.  If we are not willing to stoop down and wash the feet of those we worship with, how will we help those in need beyond the walls of our churches?

The reality of human life is, that all of us, regardless of who we are will need someone to help us at some point in time.  We all find ourselves in a tough spot.  We just cannot do it without someone's help.  Whether it is a need to pay a bill, find a job, go grocery shopping, make dinner or plan a meeting.  We all need to reach out and ask for help.  For some, asking for help is the most difficult thing to do.   For others, accepting the help of another person is even more challenging.

In the discourse of St. John's Gospel's account of all that Jesus says, is the new commandment to "love one another as he has loved us. No one has a greater love than to lay down one's life, for one's friend" (John 15: 12-13). We are all called at one point or another, to lay down our lives for someone else.  Whether that be by way of doing for another, or allowing another to do for us.

The Sacrament of Holy Communion which is at the heart of our worship as Episcopalians, is how God poured out God's Self in the Person of Jesus, as he gives of himself as our Savior, and as our Spiritual nourishment.  By the giving of himself in the bread and wine, to become the Body and Blood of Christ, God becomes for us the means of new and unending life, through the outpouring of God's grace and mercy.   We become partakers in God's work of redemption and salvation as recipients and participants.

We also become disciples who are called upon to take up our own cross and follow Jesus in deed and example. We seek out those who experience prejudice, violence and oppression and work for justice, equality and open up possibilities for hospitality and reconciliation.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer people along with many others who are marginalized in the Church and society are among those whom God challenges the followers of Jesus, to go to and bring healing, holiness and wholeness.  Even to the point of washing their feet and allowing others to wash ours.  We are to look beyond a person's clothing, behavior, race, culture, sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression, gender, language, immigration status, employment or economic status, health, challenge etc., and see the face of Christ who has loved us, and gave us the new commandment to love one another as we have been loved.

In conclusion, in The Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 53 On the Reception of Guests, he writes about receiving all guests as Christ.  After being received with the kiss of peace, guests in Benedict's monastery got their feet washed by the Abbot and the whole community.  After washing the feet of their guests all recited the verse: "God, we have received your mercy in the midst of your temple" (Psalm 48:10).

Where might Benedict have learned the idea of seeing a guest as Christ?

In the Dialogues of St. Gregory, the only record we have of the life of St. Benedict outside The Rule, Gregory tells the story of Benedict's time in Subiaco.  Benedict fled his liberal arts education to find solitude in a narrow cave in Subiaco.  One Easter Sunday, Romanus, a monk in a near by Abbey was getting ready to eat his Easter Dinner when it dawned on him that Benedict was still in the cave praying, fasting and seeking God.  He wrapped up some food and ran to the opening of the cave.  Upon finding Benedict, they said a prayer of thanksgiving, then ate their meal together.  Romanus said to Benedict: "Today is the great Feast of Easter."  Benedict replied: "It must indeed be Easter since I have the joy of seeing you."  Esther de Waal in her book: A Life-Giving Way: A Commentary on the Rule of St. Benedict writes: "In the face of the first person he sees, Benedict finds the first fruits of the resurrection and of the new world to which he is called" (p. 172).

Can all of us as we celebrate this Easter Triduum make a priority to see the face of the Crucified and Risen Christ in those whom we meet, and wash their feet?


Prayers

Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he
suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood:
Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in
remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy
mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.  (Collect for Maundy Thursday, Book of Common Prayer, p. 221).