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November 26th, 2009
01:19 pm - home Advent verses for 2009
So here it is the entire Advent liturgy in one place this year. This is the beginning of year C and the RCL has changed from three years ago. If you still have a copy of the 2006 liturgy you will notice the difference. Enjoy!
Bring a little of Christian tradition into your holiday this year. Get the family together on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and make an Advent wreath for your home. The materials are fairly basic, four candles and something to mount them on; a plate works well and generally plates do not burn. The candles may be white, blue or purple depending on what you can find. Greens of any sort make the wreath; yes any sort of greens, even lettuce or broccoli. Light a candle and drip a little wax onto the plate then fix the candle in the hardening wax, one down and three to go. Put a nice fat white candle in the middle of the plate, this is the Christ Candle for Christmas Day. Now arrange the greenery. If it wilts just take it off and put new greens in. Set your wreath on the table ready for use beginning Sunday 29 November.
What time of day the family gathers at the table will determine when the candles are lit. Breakfast may be unusual but if that is when everyone is together go for it.
The first week only one candle is lit, a second is added the next week, then a third on Advent 3 and a fourth on Advent 4. One of the adults lights the candles and every one can say the responses. Print out the readings large enough for the little readers of the family to handle. The first day of Advent is November 29th this year.
The liturgy (little ceremony) for the wreath is below with daily verses.
Advent 1
All gathered together by the wreath the candle is lit the leader says:
Our King and Savior is coming nearer
All others respond:
O, come let us adore him
A candle is lit as the leader says:
The first candle reminds us of the prophet Jeremiah who spoke words of hope to a weary nation.
The verse for the day is read with the following response:
We await His second coming in our hearts and in our lives.
Allow the candles to burn during the meal. Depending on age the children may help to snuff the candle or blow it out as on a cake
Sun Nov 29 Advent 1
Jeremiah 33:15
In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
Mon Nov 30 Jeremiah 29:11-12
For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you.
Tue Dec 1 Jeremiah 23:23
Am I a God near by, says the LORD, and not a God far off?
Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them? says the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the LORD.
Wed Dec 2 Jeremiah 10:6-7
There is none like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might. Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? For that is your due; among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is no one like you.
Thu Dec 3 Jeremiah 31:7
For 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.”
Fri Dec 4 Jeremiah 16:19
O LORD, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in the day of trouble, to you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth
Jeremiah 31:13 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
Sat Dec 5 Jeremiah 30:21-22
Their prince shall be one of their own, their ruler shall come from their midst; I will bring him near, and he shall approach me, for who would otherwise dare to approach me? says the LORD. And you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Advent 2
All gathered together by the wreath the candle is lit the leader says:
Our King and Savior is coming nearer
All others respond:
O, come let us adore him
The first and second candles are lit as the leader says:
The first candle reminds us of the prophet Jeremiah who spoke words of hope to a weary nation.
The second candle is for the scribe Baruch and the prophet Malachi who reminded people of the enduring love of God.
The verse for the day is read with the following response:
We await His second coming in our hearts and in our lives.
Sun Dec 6 Baruch 5:5
Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height;
look toward the east,
and see your children gathered from west and east
at the word of the Holy One,
Mon Dec 7 Malachi 3:1b
The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight-- indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
Tue Dec 8 . Luke 1: 77-78
In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace
Wed Dec 9 Luke 1:68
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
Thu Dec 10 Baruch 3:14
Learn where there is wisdom, where there is strength, where there is understanding, so that you may at the same time discern where there is length of days, and life, where there is light for the eyes, and peace.
Fri Dec 11 Baruch 4:36
Look toward the east, O Jerusalem, and see the joy that is coming to you from God.
Sat Dec 12 Malachi 4:2
But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.
Advent 3
All gathered together by the wreath the candle is lit the leader says:
Our King and Savior is coming nearer
All others respond:
O, come let us adore him
Three candles are lit as the leader says:
The first candle reminds us of the prophet Jeremiah who spoke words of hope to a weary nation.
The second candle is for the scribe Baruch and the prophet Malachi who reminded people of the enduring love of God.
The third candle is for the prophet Zephaniah who told us what kind of joy Gad takes in people.
Sun Dec 13 Zeph. 2:3
Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his commands; seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the LORD’s wrath.
Mon Dec 14 Zeph. 3:12
For I will leave in the midst of you a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD
Tue Dec 15 Zeph. 3:17
The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing
Wed Dec 16 Isa. 12:2
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the LORD GOD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.
Thu Dec 17 Isaiah 42:1, 3
Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
A bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
Fri Dec 18 Isaiah 40:9
Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good tidings;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,
lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah,
"Here is your God!"
Sat Dec 19 Isaiah 61: 11
For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before all the nations.
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Advent 4
All gathered together by the wreath the candle is lit the leader says:
Our King and Savior is coming nearer
All others respond:
O, come let us adore him
All four candles are lit as the leader says:
The first candle reminds us of the prophet Jeremiah who spoke words of hope to a weary nation.
The second candle is for the scribe Baruch and the prophet Malachi who reminded people of the enduring love of God.
The third candle is for the prophet Zephaniah who told us what kind of joy Gad takes in people.
The fourth candle is for the prophet Micah who recognized that it is not always from the greatest that the best shall come.
The verse for the day is read with the following response:
We await His second coming in our hearts and in our lives.
Mon Dec 21 many nations shall come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. Micah 4:2
Tue Dec 22 He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8
Wed Dec 23 Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me. Micah 7:8
Thu Dec 24 . Micah 7:18
Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of your possession? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in showing clemency.
On Christmas Day light that nice fat white candle in the center of the others. This is the Christ Candle. It should be on the table at dinner for all twelve days of the Christmas season. Tell small children it is the birthday candle for Jesus and he is so special that we celebrate for twelve days. As other holiday decorations are put away remove the Advent candles, and greens, but keep the Christ Candle until January 6th.
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November 25th, 2009
09:13 am - Sunday 29 November 2009
The Lessons Appointed for Use on the
First Sunday of Advent
Year C
RCL
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Psalm 25:1-9
1
Thessalonians 3:9-13
Luke 21:25-36
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
This Sunday (29 November 2009) is Advent 1. It is the first day of the Church year. So Happy New Year! At this time of year our culture urges us into frantic activity but the church urges us to slow down. We are invited to listen to what prophets had to say about a time to come. This week we hear from Jeremiah. He is speaking for God tying old prophecy to new. (Jeremiah 33:14-16)
The promise is to Israel and to Judah. Unless you know the history well pause for a moment to consider this. Israel and Judah were not synonyms to Jeremiah. Israel was composed of the more northern tribes and Judah the more southern ones. David was proclaimed king in Judah and later the northern tribes also took him as their king. His son ruled both kingdoms jointly but after that the kings, and the people, were separate. The people of Israel were conquered and deported well before the people of Judah. Jeremiah reminded the folks of his time that they were related and served the same God. The promise of a time to come was made to both kingdoms and attached to a name they both honored, David.
David the historical king took on mythic qualities. As the prophet spoke a new scion, a new branch, of the line of David was brought to light. In his reign justice would prevail. There would be right action toward God and toward other people. Although not specifically stated it was assumed that the change would be political; a top down sort of thing.
Jeremiah lived in a time that saw Jerusalem besieged twice. The first time a political struggle in their home country recalled the attacking army before Jerusalem really felt the stranglehold. The second siege led to the fall of Jerusalem and deportation of all but the lowest class of people. Jeremiah, living in the city, told people that this second attack would lead to the fall of the city. The authorities were not happy with his words and tried to gag him. It didn’t work out as they had planned. When the invading army took the city Jeremiah was treated with respect; he was allowed to remain in the area rather than trek to Babylon. The deportees took the written words of Jeremiah with them to Babylon and repeated the promises made to them by a prophet who spoke for God.
Centuries later we think we know the end of the story. We sometimes forget that we are still living it out one chapter at a time. We nod complacently at the notion that the “king” would be political and talk about the love of Jesus. Some how we manage to forget that instead of being "top down", Jesus pointed toward a “bottom up” change. During Advent we are called to remember that we, as individuals, are called to take the prophet’s words into our own lives. Something is coming. Something from God. It is meant for me, my name is on the gift tag. Something is coming for you too, your name is on that tag.
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November 18th, 2009
10:17 am - Sunday 22 November 2009
The Lessons Appointed for Use on the
Last Sunday after Pentecost
Christ the King
Proper 29
Year B
RCL
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
Psalm 93
Revelation 1:4b-8
John 18:33-37
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After a full year of activity; waiting for the Christ Child and then traveling through Lent to Holy Week with its darkness and sudden light we work our way past Jesus’ life. In Pentecost we look for examples to follow, but always we remember the final dinner and the crucifixion. This week is different. The crucifixion becomes the arrival of Christ the King. The one who exited the tomb on Easter wears royal robes this Sunday. The exclamation, “Jesus is Lord”, takes on a different shade. Jesus is King.
Have you seen a Christus Rex? Jesus stands with arms up and out from his sides in front of a cross with a Burger King crown wearing a neatly pleated robe edged in gold. This one time Jesus appears with the trappings of an earthly king. It is all a bit confusing especially for folks who have never lived under any sort of king. We elect a new head ruler every four years in a generally peaceful revolution. We do have the wealthy elite as a sort of social aristocracy and movie people, but no king.
To understand Jesus as king we have to go back to the lessons for this Sunday. Daniel tells about the vision he had of the throne room in the kingdom of the Ancient One. He used all the imagery of the court of oriental kings to talk about what we tend to call heaven. Then one like a human shows up in this heavenly, and somewhat unreal, vision. We miss the shock of this as our world view is different than that of Daniel. Daniel expected that events on earth mirrored events in heaven. Strife on earth meant that there was some sort of war in heaven. Plagues, good and bad weather, and kings on earth all were an outworking of what happened in heaven. Humans simply did not inhabit heaven. It was the exclusive realm of supernatural beings. Here, Daniel proclaims something entirely new; a human in heaven!
Centuries later John opens his vision with the greeting of a letter “Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” He is repeating the facts as Daniel stated them. First there is the Ancient One; the was, is, will be. Then there are supernatural attendants of high rank; the seven spirits. Lastly we are introduced to, “Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth” Jesus is the human seen by Daniel. He is the one given authority in heaven to effect events on earth. Jesus is the High King, the ruler above all others, and he was incarnate, a human.
And so this one Sunday of the year we listen to the confusion of Pilate. Here is one that others proclaim king. He himself says that king is not quite the correct title. We look at the artist’s rendering of Christ as King, a sort of icon. It would seem that this revelation warrants a party and it does. We all get together and feast and call the day Thanksgiving. This year remember as well that it is also a feast for the end of the year. A sort of New Year’s Eve party. Jesus, The Christ, is King.
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November 12th, 2009
07:40 am - Sunday 15 November 2009
The Lessons Appointed for Use on the
Sunday closest to November 16
Proper 28
Year B
RCL
Daniel 12:1-3
Psalm 16
Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25
Mark 13:1-8
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The collect for this Sunday certainly assumes a lot. Scripture may indeed have been written for our learning but are we paying any attention? For many Christians to learn from scripture means taking a very literal, and therefore somewhat limited, view. Take the gospel for instance. What sort of learning comes from knowing that the temple of the time of Jesus was going to be destroyed? We today have no really clear picture of what the disciples were looking at. All that remains is a section of the retaining wall below the temple. What large stones they are! Imagination fills in the temple built upon the stabilized mountain. But I can't seem to generate the awe the disciples felt. I don't see the enduring religious structure. What I do hear and see in the gospel is the chaos of war, rumor, natural disaster, and life in general.
Jesus says all this is birth pangs. My Revised English and Jerusalem bible translations add birth pangs of the new age. All that chaos is what comes before something new. That thought sends me back to Genesis. All was chaos until God brooded over it and made all that I know of creation. It was proclaimed good. How did good come out of chaos? How can any good come of the chaos, war, natural disaster of the world today or in Jesus' time.
A niggle in my brain reminds me to take a look at Daniel. Well, what do you know; Daniel too saw the chaos of his day and heard a promise. Chaos will lead to something better. And suddenly as I try to understand how what I think of as evil can possibly lead to good, to something new and better God pokes me personally. I am such a creature of habit and inertia. It takes a lot of chaos and its attendant pain to move me along to the next place in life. So maybe that is what the chaos is all about. Maybe there are others who need to be forcibly moved. Take Jonah for example. He had to be thrown overboard and leviathan returned him to land before he did what God had said to do in the first place.
But maybe that isn't it at all. Maybe it is just a reminder that while I like to get all my different bits of cloth organized before I start a quilt God creates, brings order from chaos. God, the one who redeems messy bits of creation, is somehow so outside our chaos as to be able to use it in a positive way. What have I learned? What will I digest from all this? And what do you learn al well?
Daniel 12:1-3
The Lord spoke to Daniel in a vision and said, "At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever."
Mark 13:1-8
As Jesus came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!" Then Jesus asked him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down."
When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?" Then Jesus began to say to them, "Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, `I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birthpangs."
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November 5th, 2009
09:34 am
Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17
Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you. Now here is our kinsman Boaz, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Now wash and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do." She said to her, "All that you tell me I will do."
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the LORD made her conceive, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him." Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse. The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born to Naomi." They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David.
This section, less well known than the emotional "your people will be my people" part, is all about the practical side of living out that promise. While I can't be sure the Hebrew scholars are translating this correctly I will pass on what I have learned. That word "feet" does not necessarily mean the appendage with toes on the distal end of legs. It is sometimes a euphemism for genitals. In the context of the first paragraph such an understanding makes the whole scene shift and come into focus. Instead of Ruth bunching herself up like a brick foot warmer a much more adult and realistic Ruth offering Boaz sexual pleasure emerges. (In case I have not mentioned this before, the bible is not a book for little children. What isn't violent is probably sexual.) This X-rated version certainly explains Boaz's move to take Ruth as a wife. So, I think to myself, this is a story about real people doing real things. It isn't just something made up by those opposed to the reforms and exclusion of Ezra. The literary style may be from that period but the actions of the people are real, not fairy tale.
Which leads to another practical note. Naomi is said to have taken Obed and nursed him. In Sunday school I was exposed to flannel board pictures of a grandmother wearing a long dress and head scarf holding a chubby child of about two. The similarity to later Madonnas escaped my notice even though Naomi was wearing blue. My entire Sunday school class was given to understand that to nurse Obed was the same as to babysit. Most of us had younger siblings we looked out for. Many of us had doting grandmothers. It made sense, of a sort, especially as our culture was pushing bottles and formula. I had to be a mother and nursing a baby before I found out that once a woman has breast fed, a fussing baby in the grocery store can bring about that tingling of breast which signals milk production. So let's be real about this too. "A son has been born to Naomi." Naomi, a Jew, took Obed and breast-fed him as her own child. If your mother (Naomi) is a Jew, you are a Jew. Obed had instant acceptance into the tribe. He would marry a nice Jewish girl and have a son, Jesse. Ruth, the girl from Moab, is and is not part of the lineage of David. It is all rather mundane and practical. Also astounding, so much so that we today often over look Boaz, Obed, David and the dead husbands back in Moab to concentrate instead on Ruth a woman who defied culture and tradition.
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October 24th, 2009
10:05 am - collect 25 October 2009
Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Paul had quite a bit to say to the Corinthians, a lot of it was saved, incorporated into out biblical cannon and so passed on through time for us to read today. One of the better known pieces contains Paul's remarks on gifts. He ends that section with the oft quoted, "faith hope and love. Of the greatest of these is love" Generally when I hear it I think of trying to be more loving. But the collect for this Sunday puts things into another perspective for me. Love is as much a gift from God as anything else. I cannot manufacture love/charity. I can only open up the gift God has given to me. Faith and hope are also gifts, well now! that changes things considerably. Jesus said it only takes faith to move a mountain. I have trouble moving dirt from the lower to the upper flower bed. I spent most of the summer putting in terracing walls to keep my section of mountain steady. And here all that is needed is faith. Faith I cannot manufacture, hope I cannot create come from God.
So I join the church at large and pray for an increase of gifts; faith hope and charity. Then I must open those gifts. It is sort of like opening a well wrapped birthday gift. Some people use a lot of tape. It takes work to get in. For opening these gifts from God I look for a pair of spiritual scissors. There seems to be a lot of well placed tape. But only until I settle down quietly. Then I can hear - go back to 1 Corinthians, read the passage, consider what is around it, things will clear up. and just like the sudden action of a jack-in-the-box these gifts will open up. Generally when I least expect.
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October 10th, 2009
11:00 am - collect 12 Oct 09
Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
My first impression of this collect is, "Oh, yes, please!" The grace of God is a mighty thing, emotion, protection, fact. With that grace going before me and after me I am cosseted better than a dancers toes in lamb's wool. Then reality sets in. With grace before and after me I am surrounded by it. I exist in grace. That sounds wonderful until I realize that the only thing that keeps me from this bliss-filled state is me. I am every bit as notional as Jonah. Grace went to Nineveh, Jonah went to sea. While grace moves with wafting gentleness toward good works I growl at the cold of my bedroom and pull the covers over my head. It takes the cat demanding food and my husband turning on the central heat to get me to even start. Grace has been up for hours by the time I begin the day.
The collect is a sharp reminder that in this world we pray for God's aid with real physical actions. And I am one of the actors. I have a decision to make and once that decision is made it is I who will follow through.
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October 6th, 2009
08:19 am - Sunday 4 October 2009
Sometimes culture trumps every rubric in religion, Last Sunday it was popular religious culture that held the trump card. If you take the time to check you will find that October 4th is indeed the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. What could be better, a favorite saint on a day when Christians gather any way? It looks so great until one checks out the lectionary sites on line. What is this one might ask?
io. com shows the calendar for the entire month of October. There on the 31st is the Vigil of All Saints, Halloween to most of us. William Tyndale is on the 6th. Now there is a very important man, he translated the bible into English at a time when such a deed cost him his life. But St. Francis is nowhere to be found.
satucket is just a little more helpful . If one scrolls down to get the calendar for October a note at the bottom of the page states that Francis of Assisi is omitted this year along with Philip the deacon and Henry Martyn, I don't know about your parish but we had the blessing of the animals (dogs, birds, and reptiles showed up) and the lessons for St. Francis were read. Why did the very modern electronic calendars ignore him?
Well it goes like this...20 or 30 years ago there was quite a push by scholars and not so scholars to get back to something more nearly resembling the church of early Christians. One thing stood out in those available early documents. Every Sunday was a feast day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the tomb. Sunday as a remembrance of resurrection is more important than anything else. Sunday is not counted in the 40 days of lent, only Monday thru Saturday make up the count. Any saint so unlucky as to have a feast day fall on Sunday is generally pushed aside to either Saturday or Monday. Once in a while the saint has to wait until Tuesday as some else is already using those days. But where is St. Francis? Actually this is a "beats me" sort of thing. The 5th is open. My best guess comes from the "Omitted this year" list. Those omitted fall on a Sunday. Somewhere there must have been an agreement to just omit the Sunday saints unless they were very early. Thus St. Luke was moved from the 18th to the 19th pushing Henry Martyn off the calendar.
All that having been said, I ask what happened in your town? Did the parish of St. Francis ignore the feast or were they blessing animals? What about your own parish? The scholars are probably correct. Early Christian folks didn't have a calendar full of saints. The gospel was all they had and it meant everything. They remembered the resurrection of Jesus as the promise of resurrection for all. That one fact ruled their lives. As time passed the gospel ruled the lives of many others. The church calls us to remember their example and we pause each year to consider Luther, Calvin, Cranmer, Latimer, Ridley, Thresa of Avila, everyone of them a re-former of the church of their day. Sunday many of us choose popular cultural religion over by the book. We paused in the schedule to remember one more re-former of the church, St. Francis of Assisi.
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July 6th, 2009
08:50 am - Sunday 12 July 2009
The Lessons Appointed for Use on the
Sunday closest to July 13
Year B
Proper 10
RCL
2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19
Psalm 24
or
Amos 7:7-15
Psalm 85:8-13
Ephesians 1:3-14
Mark 6:14-29
Mark is certainly giving us a harsh view of the life of a prophet. Last week the people of his hometown rejected Jesus. When he sent out his followers he told them to shake off the dust of the towns that would not accept them or their message. It would seem that prophets are not particularly popular. Horoscopes and hazy future telling are embraced by some today, but we still tend to reject one who speaks the will of God. If we turn a deaf ear to true prophets it was somewhat worse in the time of Jesus. Take the example of John the Baptist.
Through today’s reading we get a glimpse into the expectations of the culture in which Jesus lived. Folks saw what Jesus was doing. They accepted that he had abilities from God. It is how they thought about the transfer of ability from God to Jesus that is intriguing. It is as if God could use only one person at a time. The power has to have passed from some one else to Jesus. The question seems to be who was the last vessel. Was it Elijah? Perhaps John? Maybe it was one of the other prophets.
Herod refused to reach into the past for an answer. He sent for and listened to the message while John was imprisoned. Jesus’ message was very similar. In fact so similar that Paul would later encounter believers who followed John and were mistaken for followers of Jesus. There was a lot of variety in the earliest church.
But ack to the fate of a prophet. By the example of Jesus at home; Mark says that a prophet can be ignored to the point of inhibiting his work. His advice to a budding prophet seems to be - leave home. Jesus, as an example, sent his followers away from homeand they healed many. Their response to rejection was to be to shake it off and go elsewhere. That message seems to be don’t let rejection keep you down. Shake it off and move on. So much for the life of a prophet. Their final fate is much more stark. Although Herod listened and pondered what John had to say in the end he murdered him. More to silence his wife than to silence John but she probably had more political pull. In the end political authorities tried to silence Jesus by putting him to death. We know more of the story. We have been told of resurrection and our lives write new lines every day. Still, we must realize that there will come a time when we too must consider our fate. Are you willing to be a voice for God? Are you a prophet?
Mark 6:14-29
King Herod heard of the demons cast out and the many who were anointed and cured, for Jesus' name had become known. Some were saying, "John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him." But others said, "It is Elijah." And others said, "It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old." But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised."
For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because Herod had married her. For John had been telling Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it." And he solemnly swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom." She went out and said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" She replied, "The head of John the baptizer." Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.
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June 30th, 2009
09:59 am - Sunday 5 July 2009
The Lessons Appointed for Use on the
Sunday closest to July 6
Proper 9
Year B
RCL
As always these lessons can be read on line at http://www.io.com/~kellywp/
2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10
Psalm 48
or
Ezekiel 2:1-5
Psalm 123
2 Corinthians 12:2-10
Mark 6:1-13
There is so much here that I wonder where to begin. Well how about a little list.
1 The people of his home town were astounded at the teaching of Jesus. He grew up in their town and apparently he didn’t show any sign of this ability as a child. To them he was just the average Joshua. Mark’s treatment of this sort of calls all those tales of miracles Jesus did as a child into question. But then Mark sees the beginning of the good news as the preaching and baptizing of John.
2 Next comes that throw away line - Jesus couldn’t do any real work among them because of their unbelief. All he could manage was a few healings. Today a few healings would be a media event. To Mark healing seems commonplace. Apparently our attitudes have changed over the centuries. But it does remind us that we limit God with our limited expectations and understanding. In order to see God at work we have to look. If I don’t look I will never see healing, if I don’t listen I will never hear. God does not cease to work but I cease to know. So the lesson is probably – Pay Attention!
3 The prophet thing – Jesus told his disciples that a prophet is generally without acceptance in his home. At home a prophet looks just like everyone else; eats, sleeps, works, gets dirty and takes a bath or not. Then he gave a few instructions to his followers on how to act as prophets and sent them off to proclaim and heal.
One of those instructions is worth noting because it follows in the line of the previous prophets of Israel. Where they are not received they are to shake off the dust of the town as they leave. It is a sign to the town and to themselves that they are on a mission from the LORD of Israel. It also is a reminder that what a prophet does, as well as says, has significance. That reminder makes me a little uneasy. I am not a prophet of the stature of Jesus or Peter or Paul but I am a follower and what I do as well as say will speak to others about God.
What a lot to consider in this gospel! It’s a good thing I have a week to mull it over.
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June 15th, 2009
08:05 pm - Sunday 21 June 2009
Mark 4:35-41
When evening had come, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
The disciples were out on the lake at night when a wind came up. A wind that lashed the water until they thought the boat would sink. You might want to remember that some of these disciples were fishermen who had seen the lake in all sort of weather. I assume they knew trouble when they met it. I also assume that they knew all there is to know about how to deal with winds on that particular lake.
In all their awareness of the wind and the water the disciples saw calamity up close and personal. It must have been something of an affront that Jesus was asleep and ignoring the peril. When we are in danger we want everyone to know it. The news is full of reminders of our modern dangers. We want to be warned even when there is nothing we can do. And here was Jesus ignoring and possibly snoring as danger leapt wetly into the boat. The disciples did what we all do to those who will sleep when we are anxious; they roused Jesus. Not only did they rouse him they threw guilt in his direction. Guilt, that wonderful punishment for those we love. I can’t help it I wonder if Jesus was really awake when he was first roused. I wonder if the noise of the wind and water obscured the voices. Certainly my reaction would be to stop the noise so that I could make sense of the fright body language conveyed. And the comes the question, “Why are you afraid?” Why indeed now that the threat is past?
But in some way the calm was even more awe inspiring. The disciples were in the presence of one who had power to control the forces of nature. There are those who claim that Mark never reveals the divinity of Jesus. What do they make of this story I wonder? To the people of the time of Jesus there was one sure attribute of the deity; the ability to direct nature. The seas were dangerous because nature was considered a tool of the gods. Jesus half asleep brought calm with a few words. Surely he is God to speak calm into the storm.
There is another point to this story. It is a small thing but something I need to remember. When things get totally out of control, when I do not know what to do, go to the expert, even if I have to wake him up. Ask for help. I do not need to fuss long hours over a clogged sewer line. It is far better to call the plumber. They have a huge power driven snake that grinds tree roots. While I As I wait for the plumber, thank God for the repair work that will be done properly and pray that the plumber finds my house without difficulty. Jesus is still present and he likes to be asked.
The Lessons Appointed for Use on the
Sunday closest to June 22
Proper 7
Year B
RCL
As always these lessons can be read on line at http://www.io.com/~kellywp/
1 Samuel 17: (1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49
Psalm 9:9-20
or
1 Samuel 17:57-18:5, 10-16
Psalm 133
or
Job 38:1-11
Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32
2 Corinthians 6:1-13
Mark 4:35-41
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June 8th, 2009
06:23 am - Sunday 14 June 2009
The Lessons Appointed for Use on the
Sunday closest to June 15
Proper 6
Year B
RCL
1 Samuel 15:34-16:13
Psalm 20
or
Ezekiel 17:22-24
Psalm 92:1-4, 11-14
2 Corinthians 5:6-10, (11-13), 14-17
Mark 4:26-34
the collect
Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
My older brother referred to this time of year as the cucumber, that long green season. The color green in the church hangings indicates that this is a time of growth. As most of us live in cities and our vegetables come out of the freezer section we need every reminder we can get of the basic pastoral annual cycle. There is a cycle to life as well. The church knows this and brings us back each year to a time of growth. We have had the celebration of birth and incarnation, the reality of self examination for lent and then the super celebration of Easter. Now we return to the slow steady time of growth. Although it is a cycle we do not come to exactly the same place each time. It is more like a strung out Slinky, every trip around leads to a slightly different position. I keep hoping that I am traveling up the Slinky. I want to be growing toward light and become a bigger better plant. I want to cultivate better attitudes and actions, but some times. Sometimes our attitude toward events will stunt growth as in this case of Samuel and Saul.
Samuel was raised by the old priest Eli and experienced direct contact with the LORD. Then the war went badly. ll in one day the ark of the covenant was taken by the enemy, Eli died, and young Samuel became the guiding voice for the confederated tribes of Israel. He saw himself as the voice of direction. We have no record of him taking a hand in training another to take his place. What he did do was give in to the demand of the tribes for a war leader, they called this person the king. At a meeting of the tribes Saul was chosen by lot to take on the position of king-warlord. After several battles Saul had the loyalty of the troops fairly well in hand. But not entirely. He still needed to ask direction and blessing of the LORD, through the person of Samuel, before any skirmish. Samuel came late to a calling of the troops and Saul needed to get his army on the move now. The ensuing clash led to today’s lesson. Samuel returned to his home in high dungeon and Saul went to war mad at him.
Saul remained the leader of the army and Samuel had just enough sense to realize he was in a very exposed position. I can almost hear him moaning to God about his position and berating Saul as a thankless upstart. What they needed was a mediator. What they got was Samuel acting something of a loose cannon as he anointed David king while Saul still led the combined troops. Any good healthy growth was stunted. We should consider this not only a history (with a lot of theology thrown in) but also a cautionary tale for our own instruction.
Right this moment I see that replacement of a failed relationship with a new one is not always the answer. First the problem with the old relationship has to be worked out. Looking at Saul and Samuel I see that Samuel considered himself to be in charge of everything. He expected Saul to wait on his decision at all times. Saul was the warlord; he expected to be allowed to make the military decisions and do what was necessary to keep the troops loyal and busy. That ought to have been worked out when Saul signed on. In so many of my relationships it is the same sort of thing. One person expects to be in charge of everything. The other expects some autonomy. That has to be worked out. The terms have to be identified. Responsibility has to match authority. And I must always remember that relationship is not static. The terms will need to renegotiated frequently. Perhaps that is part of my growth. I need to learn to renegotiate. I need to honestly look at my present position and talk to others about theirs. Together we have to redefine expectations. That is a lot to do. I hope I have a long season in which to learn the new skills required.
These lessons may be accessed for reading on line by searching for Sunday Lectionary.
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June 1st, 2009
10:16 am - Sunday 7 JUne 2009
The Lessons Appointed for Use on the
First Sunday after Pentecost:
Trinity Sunday
Year B
RCL
This week is Trinity Sunday the bane of every Christian theologian. Once a year we look at the God of Isaiah, the Spirit working among us, and Jesus a historical figure all related together as one. Yes it is a mystery. The great thing is that we do not have to understand it anymore than we do electricity in order to benefit. All we need to do is accept what is sometimes called Father-Son-Spirit and sometimes Creator-Redeemer-Sanctifier. The lessons each reveal another facet of this wondrous relationship. Isaiah came face to face with God and it changed him forever.
He described his experience in terms of earthly rulers and their courts. The difference between heavenly and earthly is enormous. Isaiah can only use the image of smoke to explain how his sight is over powered and blurred; yet he responds with, “here am I, send me” He has encountered God as King with all power of life and death. This is what we have learned to call Father.
Paul tried to tell his audience that the Spirit is from and part of the Father to whom Jesus related. Not only that but thru this same Spirit all the believers are also able to relate to this Father not in a formal throne room fashion of Isaiah but as children of the household loved and familiar to their Dad.
The section I think of as Nick by night from John gives yet another view of the Spirit as she comes to humans. We are born again, from above, from outside this physical realm. We are brought into the spiritual, a place not of our earth bound senses, where deity lives. Our current world-view does not allow us to define this spatially in the way Isaiah did. But we all know there is more to existence than the physical.
Thus once a year we take out that mystery of Trinity we use to explain our human experience of God and tell each other it is important. It is so important that there are creeds, statements worked out by others, repeated in our worship each week. Like Pentecost Trinity is a once a year event but we live with the reality every day.
Isaiah 6:1-8
Psalm 29 or Canticle 2 or 13
Romans 8:12-17
John 3:1-17
These lessons appear on line at:
http://www.io.com/~kellywp/
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May 25th, 2009
08:50 am - Sunday 31 May 2009 Feast of Pentecost or Whitsunday
Day of Pentecost
Whitsunday
Year B
RCL
With two collects offered for Pentecost this seems a good time to look at the structure of a collect. There is a format; actually it is sort of a letter. There is a greeting and a closing with what my teachers called the body in the middle.
The greeting directly addresses God and mentions a work or characteristic.
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:
O God, who on this day taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit:
Do you see the direct address to God? The characteristic or work in the first example is – you opened…. It is a reminder not to God but to us. We look to the past for assurance that on a specific day at a specific time an action (work) took place and from that action we know that the Holy Spirit is promised to everybody. There is no exclusionary clause. The second collect reminds us that there was another work that went on with the arrival of the Holy Spirit. People were taught in their hearts. All the events of resurrection were made different to the disciples in the light of the Holy Spirit. All the things Jesus said and did took on new meaning. This arrival of the Spirit went back in time for lessons that applied to present and future events. The implication is that these same events apply to us. We too, are given the light of the Holy Spirit to teach our hearts. We too, are promised the Holy Spirit. Now there is something we can use today.
The body of the collect contains still more for us. In the first collect we ask that the gift be spread out. The words suggest to me the broad sowing of seeds over a wide area without trying to put in rows. The collect is pretty specific that the preaching of the Gospel (the good news) is what is being spread. That makes me think about news in general and I notice that most of the news spread by our media is bad news. Good news gets much less mention. To counter that I have to act out as well as speak good news. For me that is hard to do. I seem to expect difficulty and bad news. I must make a conscious effort to share good news with others.
The second collect asks for right judgment. Now there is something I need in telling out the news I have. What is good news and what is best left unsaid? Yes I can use all the help from the Spirit that I can get. OK I want both prayers, don’t limit me to one or the other. Which ever gets said in services on Sunday I will pray the other one as well. That will take planning. Perhaps a 3x5 card with a prayer on each side. I could take that into the service with me.
Finally we come to the yours-truly section. In church language this called a doxology. The form is to mention the Trinity separately and as one. Then we really close up the letter by saying Amen; which means I agree with all the stuff in this letter. Or another way to think of it is, “me too, insert your name here”.
the collects
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.
or this
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.
Acts 2:1-21
or Ezekiel 37:1-14
Psalm 104: 25-35,37
Romans 8:22-27
or Acts 2:1-21
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
You can read these lessons on line at:
http://www.io.com/~kellywp/
s
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May 18th, 2009
08:40 am - Sunday 24 May 2009
The Lessons Appointed for Use on the
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Year B
RCL
the collect
O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
The collect ties together the many strands of the readings for this week and last. As John speaks the benediction over those graduating Acts reminds us of their actions. What Jesus prayed for them was that they might have the same relationship to the Father as he experienced. I am fairly sure the disciples were all for that. The problem lay in where they looked for that relationship. From Acts we know they held an election to fill what they perceived as a vacancy in the ranks. Relationship, an inner experience was tied in their thought to outward form. I tend to do the same thing. I remember where I was when God got my attention and when I need that experience again I return to the outward form. Sometimes it is a form of prayer, other times it may be a particular place or person. Relationship exists but I look for it in familiar physical outward forms. I cling to the familiar.
God on the other hand won’t hold still. What God has for me is new way to be related. God didn’t hold still for the disciples either. We know the story. We know what is going to happen next week. Our collect has let the secret out. The Holy Spirit is on the way ready to fire us up and blow us into new places. While we wait with the disciples we can consider the benediction of John. It is a call to unity with God and through God to others.
In a way this reaches back to the I-am-the-vine reading. We are related to others through our relationship to the vine. All of the post Easter experience is set before us to consider in the week ahead. Go back to review it. We will need all the experience and understanding we can get to make it thru Pentecost.
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
Psalm 1
1 John 5:9-13
John 17:6-19
These lessons are on line at:
http://www.io.com/~kellywp/
Three years ago these readings occurred on 27 May. Comments are in the archive.
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May 11th, 2009
04:44 pm - Sunday 16 May 2009
The Lessons Appointed for Use on the
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Year B
RCL
the Collect
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.
As we approach the end of the Easter season along comes this reading from John. Part of me says, “ How odd that we return to reading from Maundy Thursday; Jesus final instructions to the disciples before the crucifixion.” After consideration I see something I hadn’t before in that long speech. This is grad night. The many chapters of John contain all that we associate with High School graduation: the gathering together, the careful actions designed to capture this time in memory, the words addressed to those about to go out into a world they hope to change, to make better. There is prayer for them and advice and the action of foot washing to remind them that service is necessary. Mixed in is the rather surprising but necessary acknowledgment that the status of the graduate changes in this moment. The teenage student has just stepped across an invisible barrier to become the teenage peer of adults. It is a jolt on both sides when it happens. Not every high school graduate makes the transition without stumbling. Neither do their parents. In the case of Jesus and the disciples it would be Pentecost before they could reach out. Jesus said, “I call you friends.” The disciples have become co-workers with Jesus in the challenging task of bringing the kingdom into being here and now.
And what has all that to do with this season of Easter? Well everything actually. While this is still the season of resurrection, Easter we are almost to Pentecost. Graduation is just around the corner. Fight off the ennui of senioritis. This is what all that training was about. It is our turn to step out into the world as friends of Jesus and servants to others. We bring with us the power, the existence, of the kingdom. This is a grown up message which often exceeds my grasp. But I have a friend to whom I can refer others, he goes by the name of Jesus.
Acts 10:44-48
Psalm 98
1 John 5:1-6
John 15:9-17
You can read these lessons on line at:
http://www.io.com/~kellywp/
to look at the same lessons three years ago go to the archives at the left for 2006. The 6th Sunday of Easter was
May 21 2006. Commentary was posted on 15 May.
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May 4th, 2009
08:27 am - Sunday 9 May 2009
The Lessons Appointed for Use on the
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Year B RCL
the collect
Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; 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.
This collect is crammed with church words. Words that express a truth we all need to know; still they are not the words we hear everyday in our culture. That makes using the ideas behind the words difficult. So here is my modern translation – stay connected, network your spiritual base in doing so you will have life. The collect says eternal life but that is another of the church words that has many meanings. To go along with the collect are the lessons. Frequently they give concrete examples of the ideas expresses in the collect.
Acts, for instance, tells us about two people who connected with God and each other. Philip was walking along the road. The eunuch was riding in a chariot, reading while some one else drove. The eunuch was carrying on a conversation with his reading material. Philip overheard the conversation and joined in. Tradition in Ethopia says that This encounter resulted in their Christian Church. Now that was quite a networking feat. I don’t expect any of my encounters will lead to anything so permanent. But I listen to what is happening around me. I try to stay connected to God and network with people. Which leads to the gospel.
Jesus said, “I am the vine.” As a branch or more likely a leaf, I don’t always recognize other branches on the vine. It is quite an interesting vine. It crawls across time and geography. Philip, the eunuch, John (all of them), you and I all manage somehow to abide in it. In that abiding we have life. And so back to the collect.
Follow in the steps Jesus laid out, listen to what the community has to say about tradition regarding those steps. Abide, live day to day in what you understand of it all and good luck with your very own chariot experiences.
The lessons for this Sunday are:
Acts 8:26-40
Psalm 22:24-30
1 John 4:7-21
John 15:1-8
You can read these lessons on line at - http://www.io.com/~kellywp/
for any past commentary check the archives listed at the left
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April 27th, 2009
06:12 am - Sunday 3 May 2009
The Lessons Appointed for Use on the
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Year B
RCL
the collect
O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
In the lessons and collect for today mystery, metaphor and the physical swirl together like dots of color stirred into a base paint. Beginning with the collect we are offered the metaphor of shepherd and sheep. That metaphor places us firmly in the mystery of hearing the voice of Jesus while we pray for action on our part in this physical world. I find myself reminded once again that Christians follow a “mystery religion”.
The phrase comes from the time of Jesus and is translated as mysterion from Greek. What we mean today by using the word mystery is probably a bit different. As I understand mystery it means that we cannot prove the existence of God the way we prove or demonstrate a scientific formula. Some take this to mean that we take God on faith. Well not quite. Individual experience with God gives an assurance of the existence of that greater other so much so that I become certain God is. There is no way I can explain or demonstrate my certainty to another person; it is a mystery. I can only offer to help create an environment that allows God to be the shepherd. I am after all just a sheep moving slowly about the pasture as I nibble on vegetation. I and all the other sheep must wait to hear the voice of the shepherd.
Fortunately I am not the only sheep in the pasture. I don’t have to rely solely on my ability to hear. There are other sheep; they are my community. I can watch them, listen to them, wander around with them. We are all together in this listening this community. The church refers to it as the community of saints and does not confine it to those living now. All of the followers, all of the sheep, since the beginning of time are included. That adds up to a lot of experience hearing the voice of our shepherd.
The bible is a record of the voice as people perceived meaning from their lives over time. There are other records of the voice of the shepherd. Art reveals the response of some. Story telling also passes on encounters. Somewhat recently the stories of Narnia have been translated to movies. The voice of our shepherd is behind the writing of C. S. Lewis. Look about your environment. Use your senses. The voice of the shepherd is there to be “heard” in many ways.
Say to those around you, “Hello other sheep. May I join you nibbling on that bush? “
Acts 4:5-12
Psalm 23
1 John 3:16-24
John 10:11-18
These lessons may be read on line at:
http://www.io.com/~kellywp/
For past thoughts I have expressed check the archive for this blog.
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April 21st, 2009
05:59 am - Sunday 26 April 2009
The Lessons Appointed for Use on the
Third Sunday of Easter
Year B
RCL
Acts 3:12-19
Psalm 4
1 John 3:1-7
Luke 24:36b-48
the collect
O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Resurrection appearances of Jesus seem to depend upon who is telling the story. When we read the four different accounts of the women going to the tomb we get four different stories. All that is certain is that the women experienced resurrection, an event as improbable then as now. There is an interesting line in Luke 24:11. “The apostles thought that what the women said was nonsense, and did not believe them.” In verse 12 Peter goes to have a look for himself but he is not able to interpret the evidence. Then the two who left for Emmaus return with their story. Apparently there was still some discussion about just what these two had encountered. I infer a certain amount of doubt. While the text does not say so it sounds as if Jesus interrupted their excited discussion. The disciples were still so stunned that they could not believe and Jesus had to ask for food in order to pull them into this new reality. It took different appearances to different people for the truth to sink in. Perhaps because of his denial and the forgiveness offered Peter understood and accepted what Jesus risen could mean to the world At any rate it was he who stood up to preach to the crowd on the day of Pentecost. It is also Peter who extended the healing power of God to the lame man outside the temple gate.
Peter moved from resurrection appearance to resurrection reality. The wonder of Easter morning, the encounter of Easter evening drew Peter into the reality of the kingdom now. We too need to have time to wonder at what the empty tomb may mean. We too need to have a resurrection appearance of Jesus added into the mix so that we are able to step into living in a new reality of the kingdom. No I don’t mean that we all have to see some sort of apparition; but we do need to experience a presence. The lame man saw Peter not Jesus but in that moment he experienced the presence and power of God. The kingdom touched him and he was healed.
When I try to step into this story the lame man’s understanding is much more accessible than Peter’s. Still a little stunned by it all, according to Acts he took his experience straight into the temple (walking and leaping and praising God). It is the sort of un-thought-out incoherent thing I am apt to do. I am not alone. There are actually quite a few of us abroad in the world. We do settle down and try to make sense of it all from time to time but for the most part life just happens. And while it is happening I try to take notes. I will never be Peter, but I am surely me, encountering the resurrected Lord.
To read the lesson on line go to : http://www.io.com/~kellywp/
To read the 2006 comments on this lesson click on the archive at left . The date is April 25th.
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April 13th, 2009
05:48 am - Sunday 19 April 2009
The Lessons Appointed for Use on the
Second Sunday of Easter
Year B
RCL
The collect
Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
I am old enough to remember quite clearly what the hippie communes of the 1970’s looked like. In fact I lived very near to several. Like the community of Acts they all held much in common. Generally speaking people did not share toothbrushes. What they did share were expenses for food and shelter. They also shared caring. While the groups sharing drugs made the news my neighbors shared the experience of bailing protestors out of jail, putting food on plates, and travel to work and school. It falls short of what our brains conjure up when we read this passage from Acts but it reflected something of the same reality. In order for the apostles to have the freedom to teach and proclaim in Jerusalem others supported them. The culture of the time did not think in terms of salary and benefits, you want to help someone? Take them into your home. What was different about this movement was that the person in charge of the home did not thereby become the one in charge. The very ones who were accepting support became the leaders and decision makers.
Most of the communal living arrangements of the 1970’s came undone over time. Individuals went forward with their lives. Students graduated from college, artists developed a paying style or another livelihood, and I moved with my family from our low rent residence to buying a home. In short we joined the main stream of culture.
Time changed the community in Acts as well. Persecution forced the early church beyond Jerusalem. While there was sharing of resources people tended to have their own residences. (Peter for instance was staying at the home of a tanner for a bit) The snapshot we are given today is just that, a moment frozen in time. By the time Paul was taking the message abroad other arrangements were being made. That does not mean communal living isn’t good it just means that not everyone needs to live that way all the time. So don’t beat yourself up because you missed out on this wonderful time. Reach out to those in your present time and place. We are here now, it is time to discover what God is doing as we live out the more recent acts of those who follow the Christ.
Acts 4:32-35
Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
Acts 4:32-35
Psalm 133
1 John 1:1-2:2
John 20:19-31
As always these lessons can be read on line at http://www.io.com/~kellywp/
For past reflections on the lectionary check out the archives.
These lessons appear in 2006 on the Sunday after Easter.
I almost forgot. Here is the bit of Holy Week I wrote about. I must say I never expected to be the unbelieving skeptic on the scene.
“Is this the place?”, a child asked.
“How can we find the road”, someone asked looking at the destruction all about us.
I pointed to the upright poles planted in rows along a boulder strewn path.
“Why did they cut down the trees?”, another voice cried.
“Why indeed”, I thought, “They left the other ‘trees’. The trees of death.”
I moved slowly toward the spot that where our house had been. I turned to look back into the distance; yes this had been the front wall. I turned again to see scattered rubble. The army of Rome was thorough. Jerusalem had been destroyed and nothing of the town of Bethany remained. The young ones were talking about what to rebuild first but I am old. I should have stayed in that cave hidden in the hills. Well first things first, I looked for a likely place to build a little fire and then started toward the tiny spring that had been behind the house.
That night the full moon woke me. Its light seemed to promise calm. There was no sound; the noise reached me gradually. Tired feet shuffling in the dust of the road, voices murmuring, some one singing a psalm; the visitors were coming. They came every year, all year long people walked past our home on their way to the great temple. My father said it was not our real temple. He said this temple had been built on the blood of our people by the Edomite Herod. My grandfather spat whenever it was mentioned.
I had seen so many pass by day after day that now I saw them at night. Then I heard laughter and a few shouts. I stood very still; mother would send me into the house if she knew I was watching instead of working.
The impromptu parade came into view. First were the boys laughing and waving branches as though they were the flags carried by an army. Then came a small donkey with a man seated on it. His feet almost touched the ground. Around and behind him came other men and women as well in a disorganized march. They had gathered a crowd mocking and shouting, “Hail king! Hosannah!” It was a parody of the Roman army on the march. Father laughed loudly. He started to wave and took a step toward the road, suddenly he turned.
“Get into the house!”
We scurried in obedience and the door slammed shut. Mother’s hands reached out to each of us and drew us close. Her voice was rough. “The fools! The stupid fools! They do not see, they do not hear, their understanding is dull.” Suddenly I realized she was crying. And then I was standing again in the moonlight the stones of our home scattered around me in silence.
I am old. Ghosts of past life are nearer to me than the present. Mother was right; they were fools.
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