Third Sunday After Pentecost: Proper 5: When Two Parades Cross Each Other

Today's Scripture Readings

1 Kings 17:17-24 (NRSV)

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

Psalm 30  (BCP., p.621)


Galatians 1:11-24 (NRSV)

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

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

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

Luke 7:11-17 (NRSV)

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

Blog Reflection

Everyone loves a good parade.  They can be festive or sorrowful.  June is the official month for pride celebrations.  There will be festivals, parades, concerts, parties of all kinds to celebrate our diversity as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning people.  Those celebrations will no doubt have their share of Christian fundamentalists out there quoting Scriptures and/or passing out Bibles. 

Jesus in today's Gospel Narrative, is being followed by those who saw and/or heard about Him healing the Centurion's slave.  This is only one parade that is taking place.  When Jesus healed the Centurion's slave, He stepped outside of the traditions of His time.  The Romans were considered Gentiles.  What is more, the Centurion was a guard for the empire that was bringing so much oppression to the People of Israel at the time.  So, Jesus healed the slave of a man who is the enemy.  Yet, here He is being followed by people who are just amazed at what Jesus can do.

There is another parade happening at the same time.  A woman who's only son has died.  The disgrace that would fall upon his mother as not only a widow, but now a motherless child would be cruel beyond description.

What happened when the two parades crossed each others path?   Jesus resuscitated the son and freed his mother from the fate that awaited her.  Just as Jesus had done with the Centurion's slave, He does for the widow and her son.  He saw beyond labels and cultural norms to see the dignity of each person and set them free to be who they are to the fullest of possibilities.  What was most important to Jesus was the person and including them into the community of God's people with healing and reconciliation.

We are seeing many parades colliding these days.  The presidential candidates of all parties are competing for the hearts and minds of Americans as to who can better lead the country forward.  One of them is popular by way of his wealth, fame and words that hurt and divide.  One is a woman dedicated to her country and those who are seeking opportunities to strive for a better way of life.  Another is a man who has throughout his political career stood on the side of workers, health care, seeking to address economic inequality and climate change.

In the debate about what gender can use what bathroom is the commonly accepted stereotypes such genders are to represent.  One's genitals, not one's need to relieve themselves of human waste are at the center of a debate of how things have always been (whether a good thing or not), and how things can change for the better.

Christians continue to lead parades that collide with each other over doctrine, how to interpret the Bible, women's issues, human sexuality, political affiliation the actual separation of church and state and more.

In the middle of all of these is the dignity of every human person that is at stake.  Will wealth and power determine who gets more than their share vs. "those" who are barely able to afford a studio apartment to live in?  Will the issues that continue to promote inequality over race, and out of control gun violence be addressed so that all can live in peace?  What does it take for people to rise up and be active in making efforts towards a better church and society for all people?

Jesus' actions and words in our Gospel today, provide us with some things to think about.  If we are going to see a difference in the world around us; we must begin by seeing clearly what is inside each of us that keeps us from loving God, our neighbor and ourselves with sincerity of heart.  We must ask the Holy Spirit to help us see Jesus in the marginalized and oppressed, so that we will meet Him and help Him to find healing and reconciliation in a world torn by violence, hate and cultural status.  We may even have to allow the Spirit to show us what is beyond our own beliefs, practices and traditions so that we may be led forward with a new appreciation for the presence of Jesus in those who are different from ourselves.

What might God be calling you to do when you see two parades cross each others paths?

Amen.


Prayers

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

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.  (The Book of Common Prayer, p.815).

Sixth Sunday of Easter: The Love and Peace of The Risen Christ

Today's Scripture Readings

Acts 16: 9-15 (NRSV)

During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she prevailed upon us.

Psalm 67 (BCP, p.675)


Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5 (NRSV)

In the spirit the angel carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.

I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day-- and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

John 14:23-29 (NRSV)

Jesus said to Judas (not Iscariot), "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

"I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, `I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe."

Blog Reflection

I think all of us can pray Psalm 67 with some sincere pleading.  We need God to bless us with saving health for all nations.  The election campaigns, the anti-transgender bathroom bills, the racism, the experiences of those who rely on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid hearing politicians and business executives wanting to privatize them; tell us a lot about what is a priority these days.

Jesus is telling us to not let our hearts be troubled.  He also tells us to love Him and keep His word so that God can make a home in us.  Jesus promises the Holy Spirit who will remind us of what Jesus told us, and He offers us peace to be left with us.  So many tidbits, but a lot to meditate on.

Philip Heinze in Living the Lectionary wrote,

the peace that precedes the “do not let…” is not put on a happy face and the whole world smiles with you because the sun will come up tomorrow bet your bottom dollar solution to real life strife. In the same way, “believe in me” does not mean just get over it. Nor does it minimize trouble because it could be worse even if it clearly could be. That would be worldly peace. The peace of the world is temporary and illusionary as it denies sorrow, medicates pain with costly pleasure, or seeks solace by seeing to it that other hearts are equally troubled. The peace that Jesus gives embraces suffering and dies to destroy the power of death. Called to cling to the cross by which Jesus overcomes the world, and all the trouble in it, the people of Jesus’ peace believe that trouble is temporary while peace is eternal. 

It is difficult not to notice that at the very top of the Medal of Saint Benedict is the word Pax.  In case I have readers who have never read or heard that word, it is Latin for peace.  At the entrances of many Benedictine Monasteries in Europe are the words "Pax intrantibus", meaning "Peace be with all who enter here."  It is the same peace that Jesus offers.  A peace that embraces us in any and all situations of our lives, and draws us closer to God and each other.  It is that "peace which is beyond all understanding" that we can only lose if we give it over to something or someone willingly that brings us temporary pleasure in our false-sense of self; but deprives us of the Holy Spirit who longs to united us with our true selves.

Keeping the word of Jesus is not limited to Jesus alone.  It is the love of God that is not limited to human labels, our brokenness we inflict on each other and ourselves.  It is a love and a peace that invite us to listen to what Jesus is saying to us as we receive Him in the guest, and allow the Holy Spirit to bring us healing and reconciliation with those who are different from ourselves.    

I am having a very difficult year with many losses.  More than I can write about in greater detail.  I am experiencing emotions that are all over the place.  My Asperger's and many of my other personal challenges can make things pretty intense.  In the middle of all this, God has placed in my life two amazing individuals who understand me, and are helping me to just feel everything with no judgments or expectations.  They are loving me as I am, and making room for me be very kind and gentle with myself and provide a safe place for me in my grief.  They are determined to help me love God as others love me with that same love, and to search for peace at a time when it can be very difficult to feel let alone find.

I believe that what I have just described above is a great example of the love and peace the Risen Christ gives us through our Advocate, the Holy Spirit.  It is the love and peace we share with each other when life is cruel and harsh on ourselves and others beyond us.  Our Baptismal Vows call us to strive for this peace with justice and to uphold the dignity of every human person; regardless of who they are or what condition their lives are in.  In so doing God makes a home with us, and our home is made with God in this life and in the life to come.

Amen.


Prayers

O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good
things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such
love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above
all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we
can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.  (The Book of Common Prayer, p. 225).

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

  

 

Fifth Sunday After Pentecost: Proper 8: The Church Amidst Dying and Rising

Wisdom 1:13-15, 2:23-24 (NRSV)

God did not make death,

And he does not delight in the death of the living.

For he created all things so that they might exist;

the generative forces of the world are wholesome,

and there is no destructive poison in them,

and the dominion of Hades is not on earth.

For righteousness is immortal.

 

God created us for incorruption,

and made us in the image of his own eternity,

but through the devil’s envy death entered the world,

and those who belong to his company experience it.

Psalm 30 (BCP., p.621)


2 Corinthians 8:7-15 (NRSV)

As you excel in everything-- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you-- so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.

I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. 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. And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something-- now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has-- not according to what one does not have. I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. As it is written,

"The one who had much did not have too much,

and the one who had little did not have too little."

Mark 5:21-43 (NRSV)

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live." He went with him.

And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, "If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well." Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my clothes?" And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, `Who touched me?'" He looked all around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."

While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader's house to say, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?" But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, "Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha cum," which means, "Little girl, get up!" And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Blog Reflection

I am so overjoyed to be writing this blog reflection today.  I never thought I would see the day when the freedom to marry for LGBT people is the law of America.  The announcement that the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that marriage for same-gender couples is to be protected under the 14th Amendment was overwhelmingly amazing.  I am so happy beyond words that we all witnessed such a miracle.  Exciting things are happening as we move towards equality for LGBTQ people; even as matters of racism continue to be very difficult for all of us.

I am writing this blog post with the exciting news coming out of the 78th General Convention of The Episcopal Church, that the Rt. Rev. Michael Curry, Bishop of North Carolina has been elected and confirmed as the 27th Presiding Bishop.  Bishop Curry will also make history as the first African American Presiding Bishop in The Episcopal Church.

These historical events are changing both the Church and society.  They tell the continuing story of the movement of the Holy Spirit who continues to "renew the face of the earth"(Psalm 104:31) with a more inclusive Church.  As we listen more closely to the stories of individuals who were and are marginalized and are now finding acceptance; they may be feeling like those who approached Jesus in our Gospel today.  They sought Jesus out to find healing and reconciliation in their lives.  They may have felt like there was no hope, and if only they could have one chance to touch the hem of Christ's garment, they would discover that their faith is stronger than they thought.

Our reading from Wisdom tells us that it is not God's desire for us to live in darkness and death.  God created and calls us where we are to a life of devotion and service in Christ's Name.  As Christians who believe in the resurrection of Christ, we too are being empowered by the Spirit to that living faith through which God raises up the lowly, feeds the hungry and has mercy on all who seek God.

Our society continues to struggle to recognize those who are economically disenfranchised, sick and lonely in a way that is life-giving.  Many feel as if they have no hope.  They can be likened to those who came to tell Jairus that his daughter was already dead, "don't bother."  Jesus is the fullness of God's compassion and justice.  He raises the girl up, and returns her to her mother and father to be fed.  So Jesus challenges us to see beyond what we see or think we know.  Jesus calls on us to bring new life and purpose that gives new life to all who come.

As much as we rejoice in stories such as this, there are those who read them and wonder where God was when their child was sick.  My mind went to a similar place yesterday when the marriage ruling from SCOTUS was announced.  It is a grand day for many who have waited long for this day.  However, there are many LGBT couples for whom this announcement came much too late.  Individuals who saw their partners pass away due to complications of HIV/AIDS, cancer or some other illness.   How many mothers and fathers of lesbian and gay children saw their loved ones suffer through the death of their spouse, and could do so very little to help them.  Or spouses who took their child to a doctor and were refused because of policies regarding parenting of LGBT couples.   These are individuals who have experienced deep wounds.  What does our Gospel have to say to them?

I believe the message sounds something like this.  Darkness, discrimination and death are real and painful, but they are not an end in and of themselves.  Jesus Christ shows us "the way" to a life of healing and reconciliation, in which despair gives away to new hope.  Jesus Christ is about a new song in our hearts that lifts us up from the ashes, and makes us that "new creation" that St. Paul writes about in 2 Corinthians 5:17-18.

As we go forward as Christ's Body, may we pray with and for one another as some rejoice and others respond with grief and confusion.   May we all be a source of healing inspiration with and for one another as we walk with Jesus through dying and rising again.

Amen.


Prayers

Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself
being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together
in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made a
holy temple acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 8, The Book of Common Prayer, p.230).

Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so
move every human heart [and especially the hearts of the
people of this land], that barriers which divide us may
crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our
divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for Social Justice, the Book of Common Prayer, p.823).

     

Day of Pentecost: Whitsunday. The Languages of The Spirit Guiding Us

Today's Scripture Readings

Acts 2:1-21 (NRSV)

When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs-- in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine."

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

`In the last days it will be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

and your old men shall dream dreams.

Even upon my slaves, both men and women,

in those days I will pour out my Spirit;

and they shall prophesy.

And I will show portents in the heaven above

and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist.

The sun shall be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood,

before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day.

Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' 

Psalm 104:25-35, 37 (BCP., p.736)


Romans 8:22-27 (NRSV)

We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

John 15: 26-27, 16:4b-15 (NRSV)

Jesus said to his disciples, "When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.

"I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But, now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, `Where are you going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you."

Blog Reflection

This past January a professor from Luther Seminary in St. Paul by the name of Eric D. Barreto gave a very informative lecture.  It was part of a series on racism and our response to it as Christians.  Professor Barreto spoke about those languages that the first Apostles were speaking on Pentecost.  As we read the account in Acts, The Holy Spirit impacted the Church so that the message of the Gospel was heard in the languages of everyone within hearing distance.  Professor Barreto then asked his audience this question.  Is the Church of today speaking the various languages of those who are listening to what Christians have to say?

As Christians who are Caucasian, well educated, wealthy, living without much persecution, straight and male dominated; we have become so comfortable with thinking we know it all.  Many of the English settlers who came to the shores of the United States felt that they had the answers to improve the lives of the Native Americans who were already settled.  Long before that, there was the assumption that those who lived in Africa just couldn't make anything of their lives because of the color of their skin, their living conditions and their religious practices.  What contribution did white Christian men make to improve such societies?   Slavery, the demolition of those cultures and documents such as the Doctrine of Discovery.   Others included offering "inspiring" Christian worship that left many illiterate and without the means of communication and/or interpreting in a language they understood.  Much of this came about, because Christians assumed they had the whole truth about Christ and the Church based on what they understood to be truth.

On this Pentecost Sunday, Jesus invites us to the experience of those first Apostles to open ourselves to being led into a fuller understanding of truth.  A truth that is never complete and always evolving and open to being led into all truth by the Holy Spirit.  Jesus knew that those first Disciples were limited by their culture and surrounding environment that they could not possibly understand the fullness of truth.  He knows how limited we are now as we learn to confront the racism, sexism, heterosexism and the neglect of the poor and immigrants we are facing today.  Jesus does not leave us in our present state of mind to just "take it as it is" and leave it.  Jesus sends the Holy Spirit here and now to lead us into a deeper truth of God and one another, so that the Church may grow and evolve.  The Church needs to let go of the dark and horrible images of God that continue to tell our children to be afraid for their lives.  If they were to wake up one day and realize that they are questioning their sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression, or political position on climate change or health care; Lord only knows what their parents or grandparents might say. 

The Holy Spirit prays for the Church now more than ever.  We face a time in which the Church continues to be divided by the languages of prejudice, elitism, and legislating things like "religious freedom" to allow discrimination on the sole basis of religion.  Not just any religion, but only the conservative branch of Christianity that breeds fear, hate and misunderstanding in the Name of Christ.  The kind that labels marriage equality as a threat to the family; even as thousands of LGBT families and couples nurture homes for adopted children that are happy and healthy.  The type of Christianity that calls immigration reform "amnesty" as if everyone who is Latino or Eurpean, etc. only seeks a better life for crime.  The same Christianity that blames women for being raped yet opposes abortion, health care, and job training for all women.

The Holy Spirit prays that the Church will be guided into the truth that Jesus is about compassion, love, inclusion, justice and hope for all people.  The Holy Spirit longs for a Church that is about all of us being Baptized into a covenant relationship with God and one another that seeks peace and justice for all persons, and works to respect the dignity of every human person.  If Christians will only listen for the Holy Spirit's call within their hearts individually and collectively, the Church will truly be a house of prayer for all people.

Amen.


Prayers

Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life
to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy
Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the
preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the
earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.  (Collect for Pentecost.  The Book of Common Prayer, p. 227).

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).  

First Sunday in Lent: A Journey Into Our Best and Our Worst

Today's Scripture Readings

Genesis 29:8-17 (NRSV)

God said to Noah and to his sons with him, "As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth."

Psalm 25:1-9 (BCP., p.614)


1 Peter 3:18-22 (NRSV)

Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you-- not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

Mark 1:9-15 (NRSV)

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

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

Blog Reflection

In my preparations for this blog post, I have been doing a word comparison study on the words, "And the Spirit immediately drove him into the wilderness."  

Mark's Gospel account of the temptation of Jesus is the shortest version of the story. There is no detailed information about how Jesus was tempted, and what the conversation between Jesus, the Scriptures and the devil was about.  Mark's description begins with "the Spirit drove Jesus."  In Matthew 4:1 and Luke 4:1, they read that The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted.  There is quite the different meaning in those two words led and drove.  When I researched other translations of this text, I found some interesting variations on the word drove.  The word used in The Common English Bible is forced, while the word used in The Message Bible is pushed.  The New American Standard Version uses the word impelled.   The only version that suggests that the Holy Spirit was more gentle with Jesus is the New International Version which reads that the Spirit sent Jesus into the wilderness.

To better understand what is happening in Mark's Gospel, it is best to go back to the beginning where we reread about what took place at the Baptism of Jesus.  As Jesus was coming up out of the waters of His Baptism, and the heavens are torn apart and the Holy Spirit descends on Him and a voice says: "You are my Son the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."   The Holy Spirit represents the Essence of God.  A good synonym for Essence is "the Intrinsic Nature" of God.  The word 'intrinsic" is best understood as "in and of itself (herself, himself)."  So why would the Essence of God drive, push or impel God's Beloved into the wilderness to be tempted among the wild beasts?   If God is so "pleased" with Jesus, why send (or drive) Him to face such personal danger?

To contemplate this mystery it is a good idea to look at the lives of Desert Mothers and Fathers.  They went into the desert not to escape the world as some suggest; although that was certainly an important part of the reason.  In the desert, one loses all attachments to how things used to be.  All of the illusions of ourselves are gone.  It is in the desert (or in solitude) with God, that we see as clearly as possible, the best and worst of ourselves.  We are confronted with the reality of just how wounded our bodies and souls are by our false-sense of self.  The false self that thinks that we are "someone" or "something" other than who or what we really are.  We see how we define ourselves by the damaging labels others place upon us.  We see how much we really rely on wealth, personal pleasure, possessions, power, fashion and knowledge to make up who and what we are.  If we are to receive some kind of healing with the help of God's Essence; then the Holy Spirit must be united with our own spirit, our own essence.  When we remove all the deceptions in our bodies and souls and seek a holy union with the Intrinsic Nature of God within our own essence, we are living from our Eternal Truth.   Then there can be true healing and we can live from our true selves.

So, why did the Spirit drive Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted?

Because Jesus is the Word of God, united with the Essence of God.   In Jesus Christ, the Perfect Revelation of God in the human Person, our humanity finds its fulfillment and healing when we face the best and worst of ourselves in the Light and Grace of God's Intrinsic Nature.  If God's Beloved in Christ can face the best and worst of our human nature in the wilderness, and rely on The Essence of God within Him: He will be more than able to face the reality of all human suffering in His Passion and Death on the Cross.  Humankind continues to fail under the reality of our communal, personal and spiritual immaturity.  We are all tempted.  At times, we all give in and live by our false-sense of self.  We all suffer because of things that have happened to us, including addictions, abuse, violence, prejudice and more. The reality of our human nature does not disappear because of God's grace.  On the contrary, we must, by faith in God, accept our false-selves and let go so that we can live into and from our true selves, united with God's Holy Essence.   

If we are to see a change in the Church and society with regards to the marginalized, destitute, sick and oppressed; we must begin by facing the best and worst of ourselves, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, find victory and strength in Jesus the Christ.  We must experience and live from our essence and the Essence of God, and seek healing and reconciliation within ourselves and the world around us.  In this great mystery, is that "truth" that "sets us free" (See John 8:32).

As we continue in our journey of Lent, may we be willing to walk with Jesus to face the best and worst of ourselves; so that, we can also seek and find the rejuvenation of God the Holy Spirit to live into our true selves to respect and uphold the dignity of every human person.

Amen.


Prayers

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be
tempted by Satan; Come quickly to help us who are assaulted
by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of
each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through
Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  (Collect for the First Sunday in Lent, The Book of Common Prayer, p.218).

O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the
earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those
who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people
everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the
nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh;
and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.  (The Book of Common Prayer, p.100).

Day of Pentecost: Holy Spirit, What Language Do You Wish to Speak Through Us?

Today's Scripture Readings

Acts 2:1-21 (NRSV)

When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs-- in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine."

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

`In the last days it will be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

and your old men shall dream dreams.

Even upon my slaves, both men and women,

in those days I will pour out my Spirit;

and they shall prophesy.

And I will show portents in the heaven above

and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist.

The sun shall be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood,

before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day.

Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' "

Psalm 104 (BCP., p.735-737)


1  Corinthians 12:3b-13 (NRSV)

No one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-- and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

John 20:19-23 (NRSV)

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

Blog Reflection

In The Liturgy of the Hours: Volume II, Lenten Season and Easter Season, the Office of Readings for Pentecost, Saint Irenaeus wrote the following.

The Lord promised to send the Advocate: he was to prepare us as an offering to God.  Like dry flour, which cannot become one lump of dough, one loaf of bread, without moisture, we who are many could not become one in Christ Jesus without the water that comes down from heaven.  And like parched ground, which yields no harvest unless it receives moisture, we who were once like a waterless tree could never have lived and borne fruit without this abundant rainfall from above.  Through the baptism that liberates us from change and decay we have become one body; through the Spirit we have become one in soul.

The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of God came down upon the Lord, and the Lord in turn gave this Spirit to his Church, sending the Advocate from heaven into all the world into which, according to his own words, the devil too had been cast down like lightening.  (Pages 1025-1026).

I love this excerpt by St. Irenaeus with one exception.  I do not agree that Baptism has liberated us "from change".  If the Sacrament of Baptism does not change us to live into our Vows with greater love of God, neighbor and self, then Baptism is no different from our morning shower.   We may cleanse the body, but the soul is without an important element for salvation.  Conversion. 

When the Holy Spirit came upon the early Church on that Day of Pentecost, suddenly they could be heard telling the story of God's salvation through Jesus Christ in their own native language.  The story of God that had been kept within, was able to reach out to the ends of the earth.   Those first women and men, who were Apostles were given the gift of faith by which they were empowered to share God's grace through the word and the Sacraments.  Jesus Christ, the Word made Flesh who was crucified, raised from the dead and now ascended into Heaven, had sent the Holy Spirit in abundance.  The fragrance became a pleasant scent that pierced even the most congested life, full of death, hopelessness and despair.  The hope of God continuing to bless all humankind in Christ, now had a new element to humankind, yet ever present in the Triune relationship of God with God's Self.  The Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit represents the feminine nature of God.   She is the Advocate.  The Comforter.  She continues to lead the Church "into all truth" (John 16:13).  She also continues to call and speak through those Baptized into the Name of the Holy Trinity, to be examples of Jesus' compassion and hope for the poor, the sick, the oppressed and those stigmatized by the Church and society. 

In the Noonday Office, we pray:

Heavenly Father, send your Holy Spirit into our hearts, to
direct and rule us according to your will, to comfort us in all
our afflictions, to defend us from all error, and to lead us into
all truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (The Book of Common Prayer, p.107).

I think a really good prayer for us to pray on this Day of Pentecost is: Holy Spirit, what language do you wish to speak through us?    

Those Apostles though they were imperfect and had many doubts, were filled with the Holy Spirit, and given the ability to speak Her language in their native dialects.   With in every language is a unique culture and receptivity for hearing the Gospel message of love.   In every understanding of Jesus and His work on behalf of the marginalized and destitute, is the movement of the Holy Spirit calling the whole Church to a deeper sense of unconditional love amidst diversity and expressions of the Christian Faith.  The Holy Spirit calls each of us to not become too comfortable in our current situation, but allow God to displace us to speak of God's acceptance and liberation of people who are different from ourselves; based on the reason of our unique experience of God in our own lives.  To let go of our prejudices, and to see the face of Jesus with reverence and respect for the dignity of every human person.

As the Church and society struggles with everything from immigration reform, better gun control laws, funding for the unemployed, to those who need food stamps, education, protection from the laws that discriminate on the basis of gender expression/identity, sexual orientation, race, culture, religion and so forth; God the Holy Spirit is empowering us to emulate that all human persons be respected and cherished as God's holy people.   God's holy ones endowed by God's image and likeness and redeemed for the hope of prosperity, wholeness of life and the liberty of God's adopted daughters and sons in Christ Jesus (see Ephesians 1:5).

On this Pentecost Day, may the Church be open to the work of the Spirit in our time, community and homes to speak Her language with clarity of speech, and hope for all who long for the grace of God to liberate all of us from division, to oneness of heart and soul.

Amen.


Prayers

Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life
to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy
Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the
preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the
earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p.227).

O God, who on this day taught the hearts of your faithful
people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit:
Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all
things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through
Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and
ever. Amen.  (Book of Common Prayer, p.227)

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).