Ordinary Time: 5th Sunday After Epiphany, February 8, 2015

Collect for the Day

Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. 

Reflections: According to the collect, what binds us is sin. In a way, we already know that. On the other hand, it’s easy to blame circumstances rather than to look into ourselves. Sometimes it is the situation that binds us, and that’s often because of systemic sin—sin that is embedded in the way our society and institutions work.

Just as often, however, it is our own sin that binds us—remembering that the definition of sin is some sort of break in our relationship with God. Anger, regret, or fear, for example, can be so absorbing that our hearts around ourselves. They may prove an impediment to our own liberation, or an impediment to changing our circumstances.

First Lesson: Isaiah 40:21-31

Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning?
     Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in;
who brings princes to naught, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.
Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
     scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows upon them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these?
He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name;
because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing.
Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"?

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength,
     they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Reflections: The Bible—as Christian tradition—maintains a tension between a “transcendent,” distant God, and a radically present, “immanent” God. We tend to place God in one basket or the other. We may picture the “transcendent” God as a judge who glowers at us from heaven. On the other hand, we might see God in the gentle image of a Jesus with soulful eyes, with a lamb slung over his shoulders. So which is it? Is God the transcendent ruler, or the Emmanuel who breathes into us his peace?

     The wonderful passage assigned for the day from the Prophet Isaiah addresses precisely this expectation that God is either/or. To imagine God as majestic and distant leaves us blind to the immediacy of the divine. “How,” one might ask, can a God who “sits above the circle of the earth,” and to whom “its inhabitants are like grasshoppers” take an interest in human life—let alone my life?

     One of the best kept secrets among Christians is that the God of the Hebrew bible is the God who is near. As Jesus knew, we didn’t have to wait for him to find that out. It’s all over the scriptures—Deuteronomy 30:14, I Kings 19:12, Psalm 139, and the Isaiah passage above, to cite some of the most obvious examples.

     This God of the wild universe, whose face we see in Jesus, is with us—and in us—through the mysterious presence of the Spirit. The perennial human error is to think that God is like us, bound by the laws and desires to which we are subject. For this reason, we continually make God in our own image; the irony is that it is God who seeks to remake us in the image of the Divine.

Psalm 147:1-12, 21c  Laudate Dominum

Hallelujah!
How good it is to sing praises to our God! * how pleasant it is to honor him with praise!
The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem; * he gathers the exiles of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted * and binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars * and calls them all by their names.
Great is our LORD and mighty in power; * there is no limit to his wisdom.
The LORD lifts up the lowly, * but casts the wicked to the ground.
Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; * make music to our God upon the harp.
He covers the heavens with clouds * and prepares rain for the earth;
He makes grass to grow upon the mountains * and green plants to serve mankind.
He provides food for flocks and herds * and for the young ravens when they cry.
He is not impressed by the might of a horse; * he has no pleasure in the strength of a man;
But the LORD has pleasure in those who fear him, * in those who await his gracious favor.
Hallelujah!

Reflection: The theme of majestic transcendence and radical intimacy also echoes in this psalm. Though on a first-name basis with the stars, God grieves at the suffering of the weak.

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 9:16-23

If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel.
          For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

Reflections: St. Paul tells us that his purpose in life is to make the Gospel freely available. His goal is not to save for retirement, to bequeath property to his children, or to build a reputation. The reward of sharing the gospel is sharing the gospel.

          Most of us are afraid of giving ourselves completely—to another person, a talent, an interest, a mission. And rightly so. It is costly, and the price is our lives. If St. Paul had had a wife and children, I wonder if he would have been called to live out his service in a different way.

Gospel: Mark 1:29-39

Jesus left the synagogue at Capernaum, and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
          That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
          In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." He answered, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Reflections: Now, any feminist would be likely to point out that the poor woman had to be on her deathbed in order to get out of doing the housework. As soon as she felt a little better, she was expected to wait on everybody. I wonder if that would be a realistic depiction of the times. Regardless of the answer, I also wonder whether that questions is not just plain irrelevant.

          What does it mean to be healed? Does it mean a return to normal, a re-establishment of the status quo? Not when Jesus does the healing. I suspect that to be healed by Christ is to be healed from whatever binds us and prevents us from becoming who God intends us to be. And the first expression of that “who” is the open heart, symbolized by hospitality.
          May we be healed—again and again, more and more deeply.

Ordinary Time: 4th Sunday After Epiphany, February 1, 2015

Collect for the Day

Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Lesson: Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Moses said, The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet. This is what you requested of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said: "If I hear the voice of the LORD my God any more, or ever again see this great fire, I will die." Then the LORD replied to me: "They are right in what they have said. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable. But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak-- that prophet shall die."

Reflection: The reading reveals two things about us; first, we shy away from direct encounter with God. The other is to assume that God agrees with us—or worse, caring more for our will than for God’s.

          We shy away from god’s voice; it is not for the faint of heart! Nevertheless, God does not punish us, but meets us through mediators. God had obliged the Israelites by providing a prophet. But as we know from reading the Hebrew Bible, when the excitement abates, so does the people’s determination to follow the path laid out for them.

It’s easy to understand. When we find ourselves in the Emergency Room, we make passionate promises to change our diet and get more exercise. But when the health crisis has passed, our determination fades; our energy dissipates; inertia sets in. However sincerely we may have intended to reform our lives, change is difficult to maintain.

          The Deuteronomy passage isn’t only about the difficulty of followup, though. The other half is of the story is the struggle of those whom God has called to lead. As if discernment of God’s will in our own lives weren’t difficult enough; with all the competing voices and interests, discernment on behalf of a community is even more challenging.

In a wonderful celebration on Monday February 3^rd, we installed Mother Karen as rector of St. Luke’s in the Meadow Episcopal Church. Let us continue to support her ministry through communication, involvement, and prayer.

Psalm 111 Confitebor tibi

Hallelujah! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, * in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the deeds of the Lord! * they are studied by all who delight in them.
His work is full of majesty and splendor, * and his righteousness endures for ever.
He makes his marvelous works to be remembered; * the Lord is gracious and full of compassion.
He gives food to those who fear him; * he is ever mindful of his covenant.
He has shown his people the power of his works * in giving them the lands of the nations.
The works of his hands are faithfulness and justice; * all his commandments are sure.
They stand fast for ever and ever, * because they are done in truth and equity.
He sent redemption to his people; he commanded his covenant for ever; * holy and awesome is his Name.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; *those who act accordingly have a good understanding; his praise endures for ever.

Reflection: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom is not a function of how I feel or what God has done for me lately. It comes through staying centered in God.

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; but anyone who loves God is known by him.

Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that "no idol in the world really exists," and that "there is no God but one." Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth-- as in fact there are many gods and many lords-- yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

It is not everyone, however, who has this knowledge. Since some have become so accustomed to idols until now, they still think of the food they eat as food offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. "Food will not bring us close to God."

We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if others see you, who possess knowledge, eating in the temple of an idol, might they not, since their conscience is weak, be encouraged to the point of eating food sacrificed to idols? So by your knowledge those weak believers for whom Christ died are destroyed. But when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall.

Reflections: The passage from St. Paul’s letter opens with a rather convoluted distinction between knowledge and love. Knowledge is necessary, and we all have knowledge. But more important for us than knowledge is love. In fact, it is love that gives rise to knowledge—the truest knowledge of all, that is, God’s knowledge of us. And it is this knowledge that matters most.

          We all know that, deep inside (where we don’t let anybody in), we are vulnerable. We attempt to assuage our insecurity by amassing money, love, status, knowledge, or whatever coin appeals to our personality. But beneath the protective veneer, part of us still cowers in the dark. That is, until we are fully known and fully loved by the only one who can know us and love us totally: God.

          It is God’s knowledge of us that makes the difference, not the knowledge (or money, or houses, or . . .) we build up. Being fully known by God frees us from the need to show others that we are successful or beautiful or admired or powerful or intelligent . . . . Being fully embraced by God allows us to care more about others than about ourselves, about their needs more than about our rights.

          How many times have we heard a highly placed person say “I didn’t do anything illegal”? Far from exonerating the speaker, this claim of innocence virtually admits that the person did something morally questionable, at best. Legality is a poor substitute for kindness, good will, compassion—or whatever synonym for love you choose.

Gospel: Mark 1:21-28

Jesus and his disciples went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, "What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Reflections: Jesus’ authority clearly springs from a root different from that which grounds the professional religious leaders of his day. Jesus does not hide behind a facade; his actions and motives are transparent because his whole being is open to the Father. It is in this sort of purity and authenticity that true power lies—even over of evil.

Ordinary Time: 3rd Sunday After Epiphany, January 25, 2015

Collect for the Day

 

Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Reflections: A theme running through these readings is calling/vocation. Most Episcopalians are not asked to knock on doors or preach on street corners (a fact that gives me endless relief). No, we are called to the much more difficult task of communicating the gospel by living it out. I am reminded of St. Francis’ profound exhortation to his brothers: “Preach always; use words if necessary.”

First Lesson: Jonah 3:1-5, 10

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

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

Reflection: This selection from the story of Jonah only hints at the prophet’s struggle against what God had asked him to do. That the word of the Lord came the second time reminds us how hard Jonah worked to avoid the call to warn the Ninevites of God’s impending wrath. Nineveh was the equivalent of an international bully, having caused extensive death and suffering, and Jonah wanted it to reap the fullness of God’s wrath. And Jonah knew that if the people of Nineveh repented, God would forgive them.

As you remember, Jonah took a ship to escape, but of course God was there, too. When the crew realized that they had been in trouble from the time Jonah joined the voyage, they threw him overboard. But even drowning was no refuge; Jonah was swallowed by a huge sea creature, spending three days reflecting on the meaning of his life in the dark, smelly belly of the beast. And then the fish vomited him up on the shore, where he at last made his way to the city he hated, finally exercising a ridiculously effective ministry. As we read above, the wicked repent, God does indeed forgive them, and (as the story continues), Jonah ends up more resentful than ever.

Jonah’s struggle arises because he rejects his calling. He resents God’s mercy because it violates his judgment. After all, nobody wants a bully to get off scot-free; he needs to pay for his crimes; he should be punished. So naturally, Jonah is outraged that God would forgive a people who had caused so much pain. Jonah has a right to anger and resentment, and he clings to it. The problem is that Jonah is called to be larger than he is. And like many of us (me, at least) he grows kicking and screaming.

Mother Karen asked, “What is Nineveh for each of us?” What do we avoid, that God places before us?

 

Psalm 62:6-14 Nonne Deo?

For God alone my soul in silence waits; * truly, my hope is in him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation, * my stronghold, so that I shall not be shaken.
In God is my safety and my honor; * God is my strong rock and my refuge.
Put your trust in him always, O people, * pour out your hearts before him, for God is our refuge.
Those of high degree are but a fleeting breath, * even those of low estate cannot be trusted.
On the scales they are lighter than a breath, * all of them together.
Put no trust in extortion; in robbery take no empty pride; * though wealth increase, set not your heart upon it.
God has spoken once, twice have I heard it, * that power belongs to God.
Steadfast love is yours, O Lord, * for you repay everyone according to his deeds.

Reflection: And what or who do we trust in? How can God help us pry our fingers loose?

 

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31

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

Reflections: To be fair, St. Paul expected the world to end any moment, a stance that  would seem to reduce the importance of everyday activities. While nowadays few of us expect the Second Coming (however we might conceive it) just any moment now, it is still be helpful to remember that we live in the context of eternity.

Sometimes our troubles overwhelm us, dominate us as though they were the last word on who we are, what life means. Under the tyranny of the everyday, we can treat others (and ourselves) like objects, like means to an end. Our goals can consume us and make us restless, ever focused on the future, but impatient with what is going on right now. At their worst, our problems can isolate us and bring us to the brink of despair.

St. Paul invites us to take a step back, to take ourselves a little less seriously, to remember that the true meaning our lives, our very selves, is found in God.

 

Gospel: Mark 1:14-20

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

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

Reflections: It seems to me that John’s imprisonment on the very day the “Kingdom has come near” is an odd start. You and I already know that Jesus’ first sermon about releasing the captives was already “fulfilled in [the] hearing” of those gathered in the synagogue that day. Instead of receiving a reward, God’s prophet will soon be murdered in prison, and we know what happens to Jesus within three short years. The oppressors appear to be winning; the heroes don’t seem to be doing too well. At least, as far as my expectations might lead me to believe.

Historically in Israel, the Day of the Lord was understood to bring prosperity and peace. The poor and downtrodden were promised relief. Ironically, the well-off Hebrews who took advantage of the weak also saw it as a promise, largely ignoring the prophets who warned that That Day would bring judgment. But then, it’s difficult to face criticism, especially for those who thought they were the ones basking God’s blessing. Their expectations were out of line with God.

          When John and Jesus appeared, a host of expectations made it difficult to receive their message, as well. The fear John inspired in Herodias deafened her to his message. And as for Jesus, well, some expected the messiah to be a revolutionary who would lead the Hebrew people to victory over Rome, and felt betrayed when that wasn’t the kind of revolutionary he turned out to be.
          Knowing the full story, I have to admit that I’m surprised when I really pay attention to these lines in Mark’s gospel; my expectations too are overthrown. To speak truth to power remains as dangerous at the time of John and Jesus’ ministry as before it. So just what is this Kingdom that has drawn near? And what does it have to do with me?
          What if the Kingdom has nothing to do with reward and punishment? What if it has everything to do with compassion for weakness and the courage to speak truth to power? Could it be that John and Jesus both show us that our vocation is so great that it exceeds even the worst that can be done to us in retaliation? Could it be that the Kingdom itself exceeds all our expectations?

2nd Sunday After Epiphany, Ordinary Time 1-18-15

Formerly called the Season of Epiphany, along with liturgical denominations that share the Revised Common Lectionary, we are entering the Season After Epiphany, that is, Ordinary Time.

Collect for the Day

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

Reflections: The collect introduces the themes of illumination and calling that are woven through the readings appointed for this Sunday. Christ, whom we know in the Word and the Sacraments is the Word and Sacraments. He is also the light who seeks to illuminate our hearts and shine forth through us into the world. He is our vocation.

First Lesson: 1 Samuel 3:1-10(11-20)

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.
          At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!" and ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down. The LORD called again, "Samuel!" Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. The LORD called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, `Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
          [Then the LORD said to Samuel, "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever."
          Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." He said, "Here I am." Eli said, "What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you." So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, "It is the LORD; let him do what seems good to him."
          As Samuel grew up, the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the LORD.]

Reflections: The story takes place in a time of disorder, when the people did not feel close to God, or felt that God was not paying attention. Sound familiar? We are told that the word of the Lord had become “rare.” Israel’s heart was not listening; it lacked vision. To a large extent, Eli was responsible. His lack of control over his sons almost serves as a metaphor for his effectiveness in the whole community.

           When we come to his reading, we tend to focus a lot on the call of the young prophet Samuel. But here I’d like to look at Eli. He is a man who has spent his life attempting to serve God, but life happens, and we can’t control everything. In his later years seems to have lost his sense of mission and given in to defeat. Nevertheless, the lamp of God in the temple where Eli bedded down has “not yet gone out.”
          True, Eli is at first slow to understand what is happening to Samuel, but he figures it out. The old priest shows that the grace of God is still at work in him when, instead of being overcome with jealousy that God chose to speak to a child, Eli counsels Samuel how to respond.
          More telling, perhaps, is the fact that Eli does not try to protect himself from what he must guess will be a painful truth. He does not retreat into denial, but insists that Samuel reveal everything to him.
          So when Samuel does tells Eli what God had said, the old man does not defend rail against God, protest the unfairness, or cast blame. Rather, he sees and accepts that God’s judgment is just. Here is a “failure,” a man who can claim no pride over his service, and at the same time shows us how to be a mature, listening soul. Though the world is collapsing around him, the light has not been quenched.

Psalm 139: 1-5,  12-17  Domine, probasti

LORD, you have searched me out and known me; *

you know my sitting down and my rising up; you discern my thoughts from afar.

You trace my journeys and my resting-places * and are acquainted with all my ways.
Indeed, there is not a word on my lips, * but you, O LORD, know it altogether.
You press upon me behind and before * and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; * it is so high that I cannot attain to it. . . .
For you yourself created my inmost parts; * you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I will thank you because I am marvelously made; * your works are wonderful, and I know it well.
My body was not hidden from you, * while I was being made in secret
and woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes beheld my limbs, yet unfinished in the womb; all of them were written in your book; *

they were fashioned day by day, when as yet there was none of them.

How deep I find your thoughts, O God! * how great is the sum of them!
If I were to count them, they would be more in number than the sand; *
to count them all, my life span would need to be like yours.

Reflection: The ways of God are beyond our comprehension, but we are not a mystery to God. We are known—and have always been fully known—by God more intimately than we know ourselves.

          For me, at least, it is only because God already knows me and loves me that I can bring dare to look at myself without illusion. Not that it is really possible quite yet to see myself as I am (I probably couldn’t bear it except in small increments—like the slow unpeeling of an onion—tear by tear). And that itself is possible only because I trust God and know that God loves me, more than I do.

 Epistle: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

"All things are lawful for me," but not all things are beneficial. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be dominated by anything. "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food," and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is meant not for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that whoever is united to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For it is said, "The two shall be one flesh." But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.

Reflections: St. Paul’s injunction against the exchange of sex for money, may not seem relevant to the majority of us. Bizzare as it sounds to us today, prostitution was not something indulged in by “those” people, but by people like “us,” average members of the Christian community. In his time, prostitution was common, legal, and often presided over by local religious leaders and institutions (except in Judaism or Christianity).

          There is so much to say about why prostitution is a sin, but what I want to look at is that it is just another way to package and commodify intimate human sharing. Not merely prostitution alone, but the casual treatment of sex today suggests that sex has become no more than a transaction. When we commodify it, we commodify people—including ourselves.
          It’s not merely prostitution—although Paul devotes his text to this alone—but the many ways that we intentionally or unintentionally treat others like objects that is at issue. The more attention we pay to “those” people, the less likely we are to notice and repent of our own sin.

 Gospel: John 1:43-51

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

Reflections: What does Jesus mean when he says that Nathanael has no deceit? Nathanael is prejudiced against things associated with Nazareth. But there is also something that captured Jesus’ attention. Something about him speaks of an open heart. Could it be the fact that despite the attitude Nathanael professes, he nevertheless accepts the invitation to “come and see”?

          It takes little to impress him deeply. But even that experience, Jesus promises, is only a hint of what awaits. Awaits Nathanael. And awaits us.

First Sunday After Epiphany, January 11, 2015

          Traditionally, the church associates Epiphany with two events in the life of Christ: the arrival of the wise men, and the baptism of Jesus. Both of these events are “epiphanies,” or revelations of God in the world. The gospel assigned for the feast of Epiphany (or for Christmas II) is the story of the magi in Matthew 2. The star, of course, is a pentangle, with 5-points (whereas the 6-pointed star, or Mogan David, symbolizes Judaism). The star shines out in the larger world, drawing even gentiles to God.

          The Baptism of Christ, on the other hand, is celebrated on the First Sunday after Epiphany (and on Epiphany in the Eastern Orthodox Church). For each liturgical year (A, B, and C), we read a different accounts of the baptism in the synoptic gospels. This year the reading is from Mark. The baptism of Christ reveals that Jesus is the Son of the Father; the words from heaven will be echoed in another theophany, the Transfiguration.

Collect for the Day

Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting.

Reflections: This prayer makes the link between the life of Christ and our own lives. We celebrate not only the revelation of Jesus’ identity vis a vis the Father, but also our incorporation into Christ through baptism. It is easy to view baptism as membership ritual. But it more than a rite of passage. More, it is a sacrament. The waters of baptism birth us as a new being that takes a lifetime to grow into.

Genesis 1:1-5

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

Reflections: These majestic lines of Genesis take us deep down to the foundations of existence itself. Where there is only chaos, formlessness, God brings illumination. Darkness is not destroyed, but given shape and meaning.

          We’re usually so preoccupied with our everyday concerns that the larger story escapes us. But Genesis reminds us, as do natural disasters and climate change. God is concerned not only with the human story, but with the larger stories in which we are embedded.

Psalm 29 Afferte Domino

Ascribe to the LORD, you gods, * ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his Name; * worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders; * the LORD is upon the mighty waters.
The voice of the LORD is a powerful voice; * the voice of the LORD is a voice of splendor.
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedar trees; * the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, * and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.
The voice of the LORD splits the flames of fire; the voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; *
        the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the LORD makes the oak trees writhe * and strips the forests bare.
And in the temple of the LORD * all are crying, "Glory!"
The LORD sits enthroned above the flood; * the LORD sits enthroned as King for evermore.
The LORD shall give strength to his people; * the LORD shall give his people the blessing of peace.

Reflection: We look to God for strength and peace. But comfort and support do not define God—nor are they all human beings require to be spiritually alive. Our hearts are awakened to awe by the wild, undomesticated God who shakes the mountains.

Acts 19:1-7

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?" They replied, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." Then he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They answered, "Into John's baptism." Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied-- altogether there were about twelve of them.

Reflections: Apollos, we remember, is mentioned along with Cephas in St. Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinthians. It seems that there were divisions among community members based on the missionary who baptized them. As Paul points out, every member was baptized not into Apollos or Paul or Cephas, but into Christ. It is natural for humans to divide; it is Christ who unites.

          This passage in Acts records a time when Apollos was in Corinth and Paul was making his way through present day Turkey to Ephesus. And who does he come upon? Disciples! Disciples not of Jesus . . . but of John the Baptist. These disciples had started their journey, and Paul was able to guide them to their next step.
          Like those disciples, we took the steps of belief. We took the right turns, found our camping spot, even set up our tent. They didn’t know a whole new adventure still lay ahead of them. And we usually don’t, either.
         But it’s not over when we get where we think we’re going. It’s never over. Suddenly we find ourselves in an unexpected place, facing unanticipated difficulties, pushed rudely by circumstances we cannot control. We fear to move ahead into the unknown. Yet we journey with Christ as companion. In fact, the act of journeying itself is Christ. Let us embrace this Way, with all its turns and bumps . . . and its glorious destiny: Christ.

Mark 1:4-11

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
          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."

Reflections: The Gospel reading for the first Sunday in Epiphany tells us about the baptism of Jesus by John in the Jordan. Mark’s text reads as though this is the moment at which Jesus becomes fully aware of his identity and vocation. Indeed, the event issues in his immediate exile in the wilderness to wrestle with temptation.

          John’s preaching tells us that the doorway to the baptism in the Spirit is the baptism of repentance. It almost sounds like God won’t come until you’ve got yourself straightened out.
           But we know from the gospels that Jesus didn’t wait for people to repent before he called them. Matthew was a tax collector right up until the last minute. It was the presence of Jesus that changed Matthew’s life, making it possible for him to desire holiness in the first place. The desire for repentance in the first place arises from the presence of the Spirit already. In theological language, this is called prevenient grace.

          Here is a beautiful 18^th century Russian icon of the Baptism of Christ. Let’s take a look at it.

 

 

The figure on the left bank is St. John Forerunner (to use his name in Eastern Orthodoxy). Three angels stand on the right bank, their hands covered in reverence. Jesus, of course, stands in the midst of the waters.

          In the center at the top is the circle of Divine Light reaching down in the world. Oddly, this circle of Divine Light is painted in very dark colors; the light of God remains mysterious to our benighted eyes. The Divine ray bends into three; a dove descends upon Jesus (doves are depicted only in later, more Westernized, icons).
          The unspeakable Divine Mystery has entered the world, and is revealed in human form through baptism. The heavens open, and we glimpse the truth of Jesus’ identity. Repentant, we too surrender to God, who births us back into the world, cleansed through the waters of baptism—only once through the great sacrament of the church; but again and again in the depths of our hearts as we follow the one who calls.

 

 

 

2nd Sunday of Christmas, January 4, 2015

Collect for the Day

O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Lesson: Jeremiah 31:7-14

Thus says the LORD:

Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,

     and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;

proclaim, give praise, and say,

     "Save, O LORD, your people, the remnant of Israel."

See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north,

     and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,

among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labor, together;

     a great company, they shall return here.

With weeping they shall come,

     and with consolations I will lead them back,

I will let them walk by brooks of water,

     in a straight path in which they shall not stumble;

for I have become a father to Israel,

     and Ephraim is my firstborn.

Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,

     and declare it in the coastlands far away;

say, "He who scattered Israel will gather him,

     and will keep him as a shepherd a flock."

For the LORD has ransomed Jacob,

     and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.

They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,

     and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD,

over the grain, the wine, and the oil,

     and over the young of the flock and the herd;

their life shall become like a watered garden,

     and they shall never languish again.

Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,

     and the young men and the old shall be merry.

I will turn their mourning into joy,

     I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.

I will give the priests their fill of fatness,

     and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty,

says the LORD.

Reflections: This passage provides the context for the reading on Rachel’s mourning appointed for the Feast of Holy Innocents, which we celebrated last Sunday. Several lines here may sound familiar because they were quoted in last week’s Reflections. It is therefore with great joy that God loves us home.

Psalm 84 Quam dilecta

How dear to me is your dwelling, O LORD of hosts! *
    My soul has a desire and longing for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.

The sparrow has found her a house and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young; *
    by the side of your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God.

Happy are they who dwell in your house! * they will always be praising you.

Happy are the people whose strength is in you! * whose hearts are set on the pilgrims' way.

Those who go through the desolate valley will find it a place of springs, *
    for the early rains have covered it with pools of water.

They will climb from height to height, * and the God of gods will reveal himself in Zion.

LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; * hearken, O God of Jacob.

Behold our defender, O God; * and look upon the face of your Anointed.

For one day in your courts is better than a thousand in my own room, *
    and to stand at the threshold of the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.

For the LORD God is both sun and shield; * he will give grace and glory;

No good thing will the LORD withhold * from those who walk with integrity.

O LORD of hosts, * happy are they who put their trust in you!

Reflection: This year, the world news is full of disease, downed transportation, military aggression, tragic accidents. And many in our own community find their Christmas season darkened by illness, injury, death.

Life was no less unpredictable and tragic in the time of the psalm above. Still, the psalmist was reassured by a visionary faith. We generally experience life as a succession of happy or painful, hopeful or hopeless events. But the psalmist proclaims: “Those who go through the desolate valley will find it a place of springs.” Springs rise for us, not only after we have crossed to the other side of the valley, but in the valley itself.

Epistle: Ephesians 1:3-6,15-19a

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe.

Reflections: This, to my mind, is one of the most beautiful epistles in the New Testament. The letter continues to unfold the themes touched on here, calling us into a deeper knowledge through transforming love. Far more than feeling or emotion, love is a power that transforms our minds and awakens our hearts; it is the faculty by which we reach out, we know, God and the other.

Gospel: Luke 2:41-52

Now the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem every year for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day's journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him.

After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety." He said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he said to them. Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.

Reflections:  The Gospel of Luke teaches us to pray in various ways. In these stories of the early life of Jesus, Luke twice give us a model for contemplation. In the passage above, we are told that when Mary heard Jesus’ answer, she “treasured all these things in her heart.” She responds the same way at the news of the shepherds in Luke 2:19: she “treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.”

There are many ways to pray. And the questions raised by life can be very troubling. It is difficult to live with uncertainty and ambiguity. So sometimes we pretend we don’t have questions, or we pounce on conclusions, or settle for answers prematurely. Mary invites us to sit with ambiguity and uncertainty, and to value it at least as much as we value resolution. Mary invites us to cultivate a listening heart.