4 Lent Readings
Here is one of my favorite reflections on the Man Born Blind - the gospel for this week found in John 9.
It is from Stories of Faith by John Shea.
Another time
Jesus smeared God like mud
on the eyes of a man born blind
and pushed him toward the pool of Siloam.
The blind man splashed his eyes
and stared into the rippling reflection
of the face he had only felt.
First he did a handstand, then a cartwheel,
and rounded off his joy
with a series of summersaults.
He ran to his neighbors,
singing the news.
They said,
"You look like the blind beggar
but we cannot be sure."
The problem was never
that he was blind
and could not look out
but that they could see
and did not look in.
"I am the one, the seeing blind!"
They seized him in mid cartwheel
and dragged him to the authorities.
"What do you think of the man who made the mud?"
But the man born blind
was staring at a green vase.
His mouth was open slightly
as if he was being fed by its color.
"He is a sinner," said the priest.
who knew what pleased God's eyes.
"Can one who lights candles in the eyes of night not have the fire of God in his hands?" said the man fondling the green vase.
The priests murmurred
and sent for his parents
who looked their son
straight in his new eyes
and said,
"Looks like our son.
But he is old enough
to speak for himself."
Off the hook they hurried home.
"All I know," said the man
with the green vase tucked under his robe,
"is that I was blind
and now I see."
But with his new eyes
came a turbulence in his soul
as if the man who had calmed one sea
turned another to storm.
So before those who locked knowledge in a small room
and kept the key on a string around their neck
he launched into a theology of sin and salvation.
It was then
that the full horror of the miracle
visited the priests.
"You, steeped in sin, lecture us!"
They tore him from the podium
and threw him into the street
where a man was rubbing mud from his hands.
"How did it go?"
"I talked back."
The man with new eyes
took in every laughing line
on the face of the Son
who was as happy as a free man
dancing on the far side of the Red Sea.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
I am not preaching this week but thought I would share this version of Psalm 23 from Nathan Nettleton of Laughing Bird
You, LORD, are my guide in the wilderness;
there is nothing more I could need.
You set up camp in places of beauty and shelter;
you lead the way on secluded tracks
beside creeks of cool clean water.
I feel my spirit breathing freely again;
your reputation puts me at ease;
I leave the navigating to you, and follow.
Even if we hike through a perilous valley,
where crows keep a menacing watch,
fear will still not get the better of me.
As long as I stick with you
I know I’ll make the distance;
with a knife and a bit of rope
you seem able to tackle any challenge.
You cook up a feast for me,
as those who wanted to feed on me watch, frustrated.
You pamper me like an honoured guest
and constantly top up my glass.
My life feels charmed, each and every day.
Love, mercy and all good things
keep falling into my lap.
I’m with you for life, LORD,
where you go, I’ll go;
where you live, I’ll live.
You, LORD, are my guide in the wilderness;
there is nothing more I could need.
You set up camp in places of beauty and shelter;
you lead the way on secluded tracks
beside creeks of cool clean water.
I feel my spirit breathing freely again;
your reputation puts me at ease;
I leave the navigating to you, and follow.
Even if we hike through a perilous valley,
where crows keep a menacing watch,
fear will still not get the better of me.
As long as I stick with you
I know I’ll make the distance;
with a knife and a bit of rope
you seem able to tackle any challenge.
You cook up a feast for me,
as those who wanted to feed on me watch, frustrated.
You pamper me like an honoured guest
and constantly top up my glass.
My life feels charmed, each and every day.
Love, mercy and all good things
keep falling into my lap.
I’m with you for life, LORD,
where you go, I’ll go;
where you live, I’ll live.
Saturday, February 26, 2005
3 LENT Readings
This "really" is one of my favorite readings! I know I often say this, but it is because so many stories in the Bible evoke a response in me. This is the Gospel that I picked for my ordination to the priesthood. It speaks of the call to all of us, regardless of our lives to date, to proclaim the boundary breaking news of Jesus. In this story Jesus breaks the boundaries of gender, sex, religion, social class, ethnicity, and many others. Slowly leading the woman to see herself in a new way - a way that makes it possible to go back to her town square and tell what she has heard. To get an idea of how breathtaking this is - check out Jerome Neyrey's Study of John 4. Another commentary on the Woman at the Well is at Out of Nowhere by Lane Denson. He writes of how:
"In a rapid succession of shocks, a stranger, a Jew, a man speaks to her, a woman, a Samaritan. He speaks not only across religious and ethnic and sexual boundaries, but with an alarming candor and penetrating insight. Then he brings her back to earth and does a "guy thing." He asks for a drink of water. But then he speaks to her of a living water that does away with thirst forever. Step by step, he lays bare her past and her present and sees right through her into her future. In one stroke, the rigid sanctions of the kind of worship and religion and custom that she and her people have embraced for centuries are abolished. Jesus proposes a revolutionary new liturgy based not on the usual male-dominated, retrogressive system of exclusion and judgment, but a worship grounded unpretentiously and candidly in spirit and in truth."
Currently the Episcopal/Anglican Church is passing through a time of deciding who is in and who is out. This reading might be worth meditating on. Contrary to CNN and AP the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada have not been "kicked out." The Primates (leaders of each independent Anglican church or province) met in Ireland and sent out a message.
One of the better responses is by The Rt. Rev. Michael Ingham of New Westminster in Canada. New Westminster was the first to authorize same sex blessings which, with the Consecration of The Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson in New Hampshire in the US, have the church in a swivet. To me the Woman at the Well shows what Jesus thinks of our artificial boundaries on who can proclaim the Good News.
Your link desc
This "really" is one of my favorite readings! I know I often say this, but it is because so many stories in the Bible evoke a response in me. This is the Gospel that I picked for my ordination to the priesthood. It speaks of the call to all of us, regardless of our lives to date, to proclaim the boundary breaking news of Jesus. In this story Jesus breaks the boundaries of gender, sex, religion, social class, ethnicity, and many others. Slowly leading the woman to see herself in a new way - a way that makes it possible to go back to her town square and tell what she has heard. To get an idea of how breathtaking this is - check out Jerome Neyrey's Study of John 4. Another commentary on the Woman at the Well is at Out of Nowhere by Lane Denson. He writes of how:
"In a rapid succession of shocks, a stranger, a Jew, a man speaks to her, a woman, a Samaritan. He speaks not only across religious and ethnic and sexual boundaries, but with an alarming candor and penetrating insight. Then he brings her back to earth and does a "guy thing." He asks for a drink of water. But then he speaks to her of a living water that does away with thirst forever. Step by step, he lays bare her past and her present and sees right through her into her future. In one stroke, the rigid sanctions of the kind of worship and religion and custom that she and her people have embraced for centuries are abolished. Jesus proposes a revolutionary new liturgy based not on the usual male-dominated, retrogressive system of exclusion and judgment, but a worship grounded unpretentiously and candidly in spirit and in truth."
Currently the Episcopal/Anglican Church is passing through a time of deciding who is in and who is out. This reading might be worth meditating on. Contrary to CNN and AP the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada have not been "kicked out." The Primates (leaders of each independent Anglican church or province) met in Ireland and sent out a message.
One of the better responses is by The Rt. Rev. Michael Ingham of New Westminster in Canada. New Westminster was the first to authorize same sex blessings which, with the Consecration of The Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson in New Hampshire in the US, have the church in a swivet. To me the Woman at the Well shows what Jesus thinks of our artificial boundaries on who can proclaim the Good News.
Your link desc
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
2 LENT Readings
This weeks lessons revolve around journeying. In the case of Abraham it is an external journey and for Nicodemus it is an inward journey. Both are seeking blessing. I define the word blessing as a state of being where we feel at one (atone) with the holy. In our last week's lesson Jesus went into the wilderness to test himself (his being) against the temptations that we all experience. Now he can speak from experience to the issues of humankind. Abraham leaves home to seek this blessing in a strange and unknown land. Nicodemus is challenged by Jesus to be born "from above" - the word Jesus uses has multiply meanings - born again, born anew, born from above - all indicating an awakening into another way of looking at oneself and one's life. Jesus speaks of a wind that blows where it chooses, and we do not know where it comes from nor where it is going. The life of the Spirit calls us to that sort of awareness of the moment - a relationship with God who may call to us from all sorts of places and send us on unlikely journeys.
From my last post you can see that I am thinking about this theme. Partly from thinking about my own ancestors and their search for a "promised land," partly because Jim and I are on a trip to the Oregon coast and other points west, and partly because I have been thinking about my own life journey. Mostly I have questions and not too many answers. But I see parallels in all traveling - spiritual, physical, emotional. We depend upon angels and strangers as well as family and friends. WH Auden wrote a poem (it is a hymn in Hymnal 1982 also) that speaks to me of this type of journeying.
He is the Way.
Follow Him through the Land of Unlikeness;
You will see rare beasts, and have unique adventures.
He is the Truth.
Seek Him in the Kingdom of Anxiety;
You will come to a great city that has expected your return for years.
He is the Life.
Love Him in the World of the Flesh;
And at your marriage all its occasions shall dance for joy.
This weeks lessons revolve around journeying. In the case of Abraham it is an external journey and for Nicodemus it is an inward journey. Both are seeking blessing. I define the word blessing as a state of being where we feel at one (atone) with the holy. In our last week's lesson Jesus went into the wilderness to test himself (his being) against the temptations that we all experience. Now he can speak from experience to the issues of humankind. Abraham leaves home to seek this blessing in a strange and unknown land. Nicodemus is challenged by Jesus to be born "from above" - the word Jesus uses has multiply meanings - born again, born anew, born from above - all indicating an awakening into another way of looking at oneself and one's life. Jesus speaks of a wind that blows where it chooses, and we do not know where it comes from nor where it is going. The life of the Spirit calls us to that sort of awareness of the moment - a relationship with God who may call to us from all sorts of places and send us on unlikely journeys.
From my last post you can see that I am thinking about this theme. Partly from thinking about my own ancestors and their search for a "promised land," partly because Jim and I are on a trip to the Oregon coast and other points west, and partly because I have been thinking about my own life journey. Mostly I have questions and not too many answers. But I see parallels in all traveling - spiritual, physical, emotional. We depend upon angels and strangers as well as family and friends. WH Auden wrote a poem (it is a hymn in Hymnal 1982 also) that speaks to me of this type of journeying.
He is the Way.
Follow Him through the Land of Unlikeness;
You will see rare beasts, and have unique adventures.
He is the Truth.
Seek Him in the Kingdom of Anxiety;
You will come to a great city that has expected your return for years.
He is the Life.
Love Him in the World of the Flesh;
And at your marriage all its occasions shall dance for joy.
Saturday, February 12, 2005
1 LENT
I have not done much with the readings for 1 Lent as we are away from Wyoming and its old cold crusty snow and at Cannon Beach, Oregon with its soft warm springlike rain. It was below zero as we crossed South Pass in the Rocky Mountains. I always think of my great grandmother who crossed that pass in a covered wagon. She was a young girl at the time. Most all of my ancestors were recent immigrants. My mother's mother came from Scotland in her early teens. My mother's father's people were the covered wagon folks. My father was born in Norway. So thinking about them makes me wonder about the forces that made them pull up their roots, leave family (which they did not think they would see again) and country to plant themselves in Oregon. I don't know if they found it quite the wilderness that Jesus found following his baptism or who the angels were who ministered to them. I am sure there were many temptations and some followed those with all good intentions. I think that is the thing about the "devil" - what is offered is so attractive and normal. Why not try to feed everyone by using a little magic? Why not become the ruler of the world to make it a better place? Why not do something spectacular to get some attention? I don't really have any answers but it is my meditation for this first part of Lent. Click here for more on 1 Lent.
I have not done much with the readings for 1 Lent as we are away from Wyoming and its old cold crusty snow and at Cannon Beach, Oregon with its soft warm springlike rain. It was below zero as we crossed South Pass in the Rocky Mountains. I always think of my great grandmother who crossed that pass in a covered wagon. She was a young girl at the time. Most all of my ancestors were recent immigrants. My mother's mother came from Scotland in her early teens. My mother's father's people were the covered wagon folks. My father was born in Norway. So thinking about them makes me wonder about the forces that made them pull up their roots, leave family (which they did not think they would see again) and country to plant themselves in Oregon. I don't know if they found it quite the wilderness that Jesus found following his baptism or who the angels were who ministered to them. I am sure there were many temptations and some followed those with all good intentions. I think that is the thing about the "devil" - what is offered is so attractive and normal. Why not try to feed everyone by using a little magic? Why not become the ruler of the world to make it a better place? Why not do something spectacular to get some attention? I don't really have any answers but it is my meditation for this first part of Lent. Click here for more on 1 Lent.
Sunday, February 06, 2005
Ash Wednesday
ASH WEDNESDAY
These are notes for a sermon I preached on Ash Wednesday after 9/11
As I was looking at resources for Ash Wednesday I came upon the United Methodist Church
website and saw in bold letters:
WARNING - ashes and water do not mix - will cause burning!!
And so it does. It makes a mixture that will burn skin. But the image captured my imagination and I thought it is even truer than the physical effects of mixing ash and water. Water and ashes are two of our most powerful symbols.
Water, used for Baptism where we are first marked with the sign of the cross representing birth, new life, renewal, and liberation from slavery.
Today is Ash Wednesday, when we are once again marked with the sign of the cross, now representing our mortality, death, endings, and enslavement.
Burning, to me symbolizes the power of the Spirit coming alive in our lives, the awareness of our finite time on this earth and the power of the resurrection combine to light the fire of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Ashes bring home the reality of death -- we are mortal, we will die. This year we are even more aware of the meaning of ashes as we saw the terror of September 11. As we say in the imposition of ashes - "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return." But that is not the end of the story. Easter tells us that there is not just death and endings. Easter comes to tell us that we are also to “remember that we are love and to love we will return.”
Let us consider Lent as journey from today - Ash Wednesday. Recognizing our finite time here on earth, journeying to Easter and coming back to the awareness of the fullness of life as granted in our creation in the image of God.
I have always thought the Ash Wednesay Gospel was odd for the imposition of Ashes. We hear that we should not practice our piety in public but perhaps we take this so seriously we become afraid of practicing any piety before others and yet...
The prophet, Joel, calls to us -- “Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the aged, gather the children, even infants at the breast and why -- so people will not ask “where is their God?” Let us show forth the holiness of our creator, so people will know that we are a holy people - commited to God and followers of Jesus Christ.
How might we do this? I suggest we move beyond chocolate to declare our own fast ---
Fast from judgment, Feast on compassion
Fast from greed, Feast on sharing
Fast from scarcity, Feast on abundance
Fast from fear, Feast on peace
Fast from lies, Feast on truth
Fast from gossip, Feast on praise
Fast from anxiety, Feast on patience
Fast from evil, Feast on kindness
Fast from apathy, Feast on engagement
Fast from discontent, Feast on gratitude
Fast from noise, Feast on silence
Fast from discouragement, Feast on hope
Fast from hatred, Feast on love
What will be your fast? What will be your feast?
(Litany: h/t to PB Arthur Lichtenberger - expanded)
These are notes for a sermon I preached on Ash Wednesday after 9/11
As I was looking at resources for Ash Wednesday I came upon the United Methodist Church
website and saw in bold letters:
WARNING - ashes and water do not mix - will cause burning!!
And so it does. It makes a mixture that will burn skin. But the image captured my imagination and I thought it is even truer than the physical effects of mixing ash and water. Water and ashes are two of our most powerful symbols.
Water, used for Baptism where we are first marked with the sign of the cross representing birth, new life, renewal, and liberation from slavery.
Today is Ash Wednesday, when we are once again marked with the sign of the cross, now representing our mortality, death, endings, and enslavement.
Burning, to me symbolizes the power of the Spirit coming alive in our lives, the awareness of our finite time on this earth and the power of the resurrection combine to light the fire of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Ashes bring home the reality of death -- we are mortal, we will die. This year we are even more aware of the meaning of ashes as we saw the terror of September 11. As we say in the imposition of ashes - "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return." But that is not the end of the story. Easter tells us that there is not just death and endings. Easter comes to tell us that we are also to “remember that we are love and to love we will return.”
Let us consider Lent as journey from today - Ash Wednesday. Recognizing our finite time here on earth, journeying to Easter and coming back to the awareness of the fullness of life as granted in our creation in the image of God.
I have always thought the Ash Wednesay Gospel was odd for the imposition of Ashes. We hear that we should not practice our piety in public but perhaps we take this so seriously we become afraid of practicing any piety before others and yet...
The prophet, Joel, calls to us -- “Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the aged, gather the children, even infants at the breast and why -- so people will not ask “where is their God?” Let us show forth the holiness of our creator, so people will know that we are a holy people - commited to God and followers of Jesus Christ.
How might we do this? I suggest we move beyond chocolate to declare our own fast ---
Fast from judgment, Feast on compassion
Fast from greed, Feast on sharing
Fast from scarcity, Feast on abundance
Fast from fear, Feast on peace
Fast from lies, Feast on truth
Fast from gossip, Feast on praise
Fast from anxiety, Feast on patience
Fast from evil, Feast on kindness
Fast from apathy, Feast on engagement
Fast from discontent, Feast on gratitude
Fast from noise, Feast on silence
Fast from discouragement, Feast on hope
Fast from hatred, Feast on love
What will be your fast? What will be your feast?
(Litany: h/t to PB Arthur Lichtenberger - expanded)
Thursday, February 03, 2005
TRANSFIGURATION Readings
The subject of the readings this week are an encounter with the holiness of God and how it changes everything for those who see it. Twice per year we have this lesson in the church cycle of readings. It is hard for the preacher to think of anything new to say about it. I move around from church to church because I am an Interim Priest (being the priest for a church while they are searching for a Rector) or doing supply (Sunday services only). It means that most people have not heard what I have said before or the stories that go along with those sermons. But nevertheless I try to find some new life for myself if nothing else. I am interested in what Joan Chittister has to say on this text. Jesus leads Peter, James, and John to the mountaintop where they have a mystical experience and then struggle with whether to stay and build shrines or descend into the valleys of hard work and daily life. But God says This is my Beloved . . . Listen to him. Jesus leads them down the mountain into the work of healing the world. telling them not to discuss what they have seen. He does not want shrines or religious piety - he wants us to take the sense of mystery we have experienced and use it as fuel to energize our ministries.
Our online EFM group uses pictures and paintings to reflect on scripture. Often the artist evokes some deeper meaning than the words can convey. La Transfiguration is the one for this week. In this painting Elijah and Moses are holding Jesus in embraces. Usually I think of an image where Jesus is standing in the middle and Elijah and Moses are standing on either side representing the Prophets and the Law - all that has come before standing side by side with Jesus. But here they are so intertwined it is hard to separate the figures. Peter, James, and John stand off to one side - staring. To me it reflects that there is no separation in God. There is not an "old" testament (as in over and done with) and a "new" testament (the fresh and different). They are intertwined and speak the same mesage of justice and compassion.
Here is a transfiguration story from BBC. Young reporter keeps an online diary of his dying of cancer to keep the terror from overwhelming him. He died last week. His story tells of his personal transfiguration and how he lived his life to the full.
The subject of the readings this week are an encounter with the holiness of God and how it changes everything for those who see it. Twice per year we have this lesson in the church cycle of readings. It is hard for the preacher to think of anything new to say about it. I move around from church to church because I am an Interim Priest (being the priest for a church while they are searching for a Rector) or doing supply (Sunday services only). It means that most people have not heard what I have said before or the stories that go along with those sermons. But nevertheless I try to find some new life for myself if nothing else. I am interested in what Joan Chittister has to say on this text. Jesus leads Peter, James, and John to the mountaintop where they have a mystical experience and then struggle with whether to stay and build shrines or descend into the valleys of hard work and daily life. But God says This is my Beloved . . . Listen to him. Jesus leads them down the mountain into the work of healing the world. telling them not to discuss what they have seen. He does not want shrines or religious piety - he wants us to take the sense of mystery we have experienced and use it as fuel to energize our ministries.
Our online EFM group uses pictures and paintings to reflect on scripture. Often the artist evokes some deeper meaning than the words can convey. La Transfiguration is the one for this week. In this painting Elijah and Moses are holding Jesus in embraces. Usually I think of an image where Jesus is standing in the middle and Elijah and Moses are standing on either side representing the Prophets and the Law - all that has come before standing side by side with Jesus. But here they are so intertwined it is hard to separate the figures. Peter, James, and John stand off to one side - staring. To me it reflects that there is no separation in God. There is not an "old" testament (as in over and done with) and a "new" testament (the fresh and different). They are intertwined and speak the same mesage of justice and compassion.
Here is a transfiguration story from BBC. Young reporter keeps an online diary of his dying of cancer to keep the terror from overwhelming him. He died last week. His story tells of his personal transfiguration and how he lived his life to the full.
Sunday, January 23, 2005
3 Epiphany thoughts Bible Readings
I am not preaching today so this is a collection of random ideas to go with the readings and other bits that washed up on my shore this week.
The psalm is a song to the delight that the creator takes in human creatures and how far from our ability to understand are the ways of creation. Reading Harvard Magazine I happened upon an article on nanotechnology. It seems that the more we discover the deeper the mysteries.
Paul's letter to the Corinthians comments on the divisions in the church. Seems like the church has never been free from controversy and division. I think we need to learn how to live with difference since this is a permanent state. The Rt. Rev. Michael Curry of North Carolina preached to this topic in his annual address to the Diocese of NC. A bishop from Africa said he did not want to visit the House of Bishops after the election of Gene Robinson in New Hampshire but the demand of the Gospel that makes Christians brothers and sisters called him to move beyond his enmity to come to listen. He still does not agree with the US church but he understands more and hopes that he is more understood. The call to sit in one another's presence, listen to one another and walk the journey together is a difficult call but essential to our ministry in the world.
The Gospel is from Matthew and tells of Jesus following the arrest of John. Jesus has just come out from the wilderness after being baptized. He thinks he has a clarity about what he is supposed to be doing but John's arrest seems to shake him to the core. He withdraws to take up residence in Capernaum. Is this an interlude that refers to his abandoning the mission and making a home far from the action of Jerusalem? Does he think he can just settle down like all his friends? It is only one paragraph but it tantalizes the imagination. But the text moves briskly from that moment - he calls disciples from their fishing to follow him and learn how to catch bigger fish - people. I always wonder what did their father think - when they dropped their nets and left him with the family business to run? Did he have other sons who could help? How do we balance the need to support and care for our personal families and the need to follow a call?
Other bits of my week were spent thinking about Judas. I played that part in a "tableau" of the Passion (judgment, crucifixion and death of Jesus). I wonder if he was chosen or volunteerd for this role rather than being the epitome of an evil person? I discovered I am not the only person to think abou this and found an article The Mystery of Judas where the author discusses other interpretations of Judas' actions. Finally, thinking about Judas - here is my favorite poem about him by Robert Buchanan. The Ballad of Judas Iscariot.
'Twas the body of Judas Iscariot
Lay in the Field of Blood;
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot
Beside the body stood.
Black was the earth by night,
And black was the sky;
Black, black were the broken clouds,
Tho' the red Moon went by.
'Twas the body of Judas Iscariot
Strangled and dead lay there;
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot
Look'd on it in despair.
The breath of the World came and went
Like a sick man's in rest;
Drop by drop on the World's eyes
The dews fell cool and blest.
Then the soul of Judas Iscariot
Did make a gentle moan --
'I will bury underneath the ground
My flesh and blood and bone.
'I will bury deep beneath the soil,
Lest mortals look thereon,
And when the wolf and raven come
The body will be gone!
'The stones of the field are sharp as steel,
And hard and cold, God wot;
And I must bear my body hence
Until I find a spot!'
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot,
So grim, and gaunt, and gray,
Raised the body of Judas Iscariot,
And carried it away.
And as he bare it from the field
Its touch was cold as ice,
And the ivory teeth within the jaw
Rattled aloud, like dice.
As the soul of Judas Iscariot
Carried its load with pain,
The Eye of Heaven, like a lanthorn's eye,
Open'd and shut again.
Half he walk'd, and half he seemed
Lifted on the cold wind;
He did not turn, for chilly hands
Were pushing from behind.
The first place that he came unto
It was the open wold,
And underneath were prickly whins,
And a wind that blew so cold.
The next place that he came unto
It was a stagnant pool,
And when he threw the body in
It floated light as wool.
He drew the body on his back,
And it was dripping chill,
And the next place be came unto
Was a Cross upon a hill.
A Cross upon the windy hill,
And a Cross on either side,
Three skeletons that swing thereon,
Who had been crucified.
And on the middle cross-bar sat
A white Dove slumbering;
Dim it sat in the dim light,
With its head beneath its wing.
And underneath the middle Cross
A grave yawn'd wide and vast,
But the soul of Judas Iscariot
Shiver'd, and glided past.
The fourth place that he came unto
It was the Brig of Dread,
And the great torrents rushing down
Were deep, and swift, and red.
He dared not fling the body in
For fear of faces dim
And arms were waved in the wild water
To thrust it back to him.
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot
Turned from the Brig of Dread,
And the dreadful foam of the wild water
Had splashed the body red.
For days and nights he wandered on
Upon an open plain,
And the days went by like blinding mist,
And the nights like rushing rain.
For days and nights he wandered on,
All thro' the Wood of Woe;
And the nights went by like moaning wind,
And the days like drifting snow.
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot
Came with a weary face --
Alone, alone, and all alone,
Alone in a lonely place!
He wandered east, he wandered west,
And heard no human sound;
For months and years, in grief and tears,
He wandered round and round,
For months and years, in grief and tears,
He walked the silent night;
Then the soul of Judas Iscariot
Perceived a far-off light.
A far-off light across the waste,
As dim as dim might be,
That came and went like the lighthouse gleam
On a black night at sea.
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot
Crawl'd to the distant gleam;
And the rain came down, and the rain was blown
Against him with a scream.
For days and nights he wandered on,
Push'd on by hands behind;
And the days went by like black, black rain,
And the nights like rushing wind.
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot,
Strange, and sad, and tall,
Stood all alone at dead of night
Before a lighted hall.
And the wold was white with snow,
And his foot-marks black and damp,
And the ghost of the silvern Moon arose,
Holding her yellow lamp.
And the icicles were on the eaves,
And the walls were deep with white,
And the shadows of the guests within
Pass'd on the window light.
The shadows of the wedding guests
Did strangely come and go,
And the body of Judas Iscariot
Lay stretch'd along the snow.
The body of Judas Iscariot
Lay stretched along the snow;
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot
Ran swiftly to and fro.
To and fro, and up and down,
He ran so swiftly there,
As round and round the frozen Pole
Glideth the lean white bear.
'Twas the Bridegroom sat at the table-head,
And the lights burnt bright and clear --
'Oh, who is that,' the Bridegroom said,
'Whose weary feet I hear?'
'Twas one look'd from the lighted hall,
And answered soft and slow,
'It is a wolf runs up and down
With a black track in the snow.'
The Bridegroom in his robe of white
Sat at the table-head --
'Oh, who is that who moans without?'
The blessed Bridegroom said.
'Twas one looked from the lighted hall,
And answered fierce and low,
''Tis the soul of Judas Iscariot
Gliding to and fro.'
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot
Did hush itself and stand,
And saw the Bridegroom at the door
With a light in his hand.
The Bridegroom stood in the open door,
And he was clad in white,
And far within the Lord's Supper
Was spread so broad and bright.
The Bridegroom shaded his eyes and look'd,
And his face was bright to see --
'What dost thou here at the Lord's Supper
With thy body's sins?' said he.
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot
Stood black, and sad, and bare --
'I have wandered many nights and days;
There is no light elsewhere.'
'Twas the wedding guests cried out within,
And their eyes were fierce and bright --
'Scourge the soul of Judas Iscariot
Away into the night!'
The Bridegroom stood in the open door,
And he waved hands still and slow,
And the third time that he waved his hands
The air was thick with snow.
And of every flake of falling snow,
Before it touched the ground,
There came a dove, and a thousand doves
Made sweet sound.
'Twas the body of Judas Iscariot
Floated away full fleet,
And the wings of the doves that bare it off
Were like its winding-sheet.
'Twas the Bridegroom stood at the open door,
And beckon'd, smiling sweet;
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot
Stole in, and fell at his feet.
'The Holy Supper is spread within,
And the many candles shine,
And I have waited long for thee
Before I poured the wine!'
The supper wine is poured at last,
The lights burn bright and fair,
Iscariot washes the Bridegroom's feet,
And dries them with his hair.
I am not preaching today so this is a collection of random ideas to go with the readings and other bits that washed up on my shore this week.
The psalm is a song to the delight that the creator takes in human creatures and how far from our ability to understand are the ways of creation. Reading Harvard Magazine I happened upon an article on nanotechnology. It seems that the more we discover the deeper the mysteries.
Paul's letter to the Corinthians comments on the divisions in the church. Seems like the church has never been free from controversy and division. I think we need to learn how to live with difference since this is a permanent state. The Rt. Rev. Michael Curry of North Carolina preached to this topic in his annual address to the Diocese of NC. A bishop from Africa said he did not want to visit the House of Bishops after the election of Gene Robinson in New Hampshire but the demand of the Gospel that makes Christians brothers and sisters called him to move beyond his enmity to come to listen. He still does not agree with the US church but he understands more and hopes that he is more understood. The call to sit in one another's presence, listen to one another and walk the journey together is a difficult call but essential to our ministry in the world.
The Gospel is from Matthew and tells of Jesus following the arrest of John. Jesus has just come out from the wilderness after being baptized. He thinks he has a clarity about what he is supposed to be doing but John's arrest seems to shake him to the core. He withdraws to take up residence in Capernaum. Is this an interlude that refers to his abandoning the mission and making a home far from the action of Jerusalem? Does he think he can just settle down like all his friends? It is only one paragraph but it tantalizes the imagination. But the text moves briskly from that moment - he calls disciples from their fishing to follow him and learn how to catch bigger fish - people. I always wonder what did their father think - when they dropped their nets and left him with the family business to run? Did he have other sons who could help? How do we balance the need to support and care for our personal families and the need to follow a call?
Other bits of my week were spent thinking about Judas. I played that part in a "tableau" of the Passion (judgment, crucifixion and death of Jesus). I wonder if he was chosen or volunteerd for this role rather than being the epitome of an evil person? I discovered I am not the only person to think abou this and found an article The Mystery of Judas where the author discusses other interpretations of Judas' actions. Finally, thinking about Judas - here is my favorite poem about him by Robert Buchanan. The Ballad of Judas Iscariot.
'Twas the body of Judas Iscariot
Lay in the Field of Blood;
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot
Beside the body stood.
Black was the earth by night,
And black was the sky;
Black, black were the broken clouds,
Tho' the red Moon went by.
'Twas the body of Judas Iscariot
Strangled and dead lay there;
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot
Look'd on it in despair.
The breath of the World came and went
Like a sick man's in rest;
Drop by drop on the World's eyes
The dews fell cool and blest.
Then the soul of Judas Iscariot
Did make a gentle moan --
'I will bury underneath the ground
My flesh and blood and bone.
'I will bury deep beneath the soil,
Lest mortals look thereon,
And when the wolf and raven come
The body will be gone!
'The stones of the field are sharp as steel,
And hard and cold, God wot;
And I must bear my body hence
Until I find a spot!'
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot,
So grim, and gaunt, and gray,
Raised the body of Judas Iscariot,
And carried it away.
And as he bare it from the field
Its touch was cold as ice,
And the ivory teeth within the jaw
Rattled aloud, like dice.
As the soul of Judas Iscariot
Carried its load with pain,
The Eye of Heaven, like a lanthorn's eye,
Open'd and shut again.
Half he walk'd, and half he seemed
Lifted on the cold wind;
He did not turn, for chilly hands
Were pushing from behind.
The first place that he came unto
It was the open wold,
And underneath were prickly whins,
And a wind that blew so cold.
The next place that he came unto
It was a stagnant pool,
And when he threw the body in
It floated light as wool.
He drew the body on his back,
And it was dripping chill,
And the next place be came unto
Was a Cross upon a hill.
A Cross upon the windy hill,
And a Cross on either side,
Three skeletons that swing thereon,
Who had been crucified.
And on the middle cross-bar sat
A white Dove slumbering;
Dim it sat in the dim light,
With its head beneath its wing.
And underneath the middle Cross
A grave yawn'd wide and vast,
But the soul of Judas Iscariot
Shiver'd, and glided past.
The fourth place that he came unto
It was the Brig of Dread,
And the great torrents rushing down
Were deep, and swift, and red.
He dared not fling the body in
For fear of faces dim
And arms were waved in the wild water
To thrust it back to him.
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot
Turned from the Brig of Dread,
And the dreadful foam of the wild water
Had splashed the body red.
For days and nights he wandered on
Upon an open plain,
And the days went by like blinding mist,
And the nights like rushing rain.
For days and nights he wandered on,
All thro' the Wood of Woe;
And the nights went by like moaning wind,
And the days like drifting snow.
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot
Came with a weary face --
Alone, alone, and all alone,
Alone in a lonely place!
He wandered east, he wandered west,
And heard no human sound;
For months and years, in grief and tears,
He wandered round and round,
For months and years, in grief and tears,
He walked the silent night;
Then the soul of Judas Iscariot
Perceived a far-off light.
A far-off light across the waste,
As dim as dim might be,
That came and went like the lighthouse gleam
On a black night at sea.
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot
Crawl'd to the distant gleam;
And the rain came down, and the rain was blown
Against him with a scream.
For days and nights he wandered on,
Push'd on by hands behind;
And the days went by like black, black rain,
And the nights like rushing wind.
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot,
Strange, and sad, and tall,
Stood all alone at dead of night
Before a lighted hall.
And the wold was white with snow,
And his foot-marks black and damp,
And the ghost of the silvern Moon arose,
Holding her yellow lamp.
And the icicles were on the eaves,
And the walls were deep with white,
And the shadows of the guests within
Pass'd on the window light.
The shadows of the wedding guests
Did strangely come and go,
And the body of Judas Iscariot
Lay stretch'd along the snow.
The body of Judas Iscariot
Lay stretched along the snow;
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot
Ran swiftly to and fro.
To and fro, and up and down,
He ran so swiftly there,
As round and round the frozen Pole
Glideth the lean white bear.
'Twas the Bridegroom sat at the table-head,
And the lights burnt bright and clear --
'Oh, who is that,' the Bridegroom said,
'Whose weary feet I hear?'
'Twas one look'd from the lighted hall,
And answered soft and slow,
'It is a wolf runs up and down
With a black track in the snow.'
The Bridegroom in his robe of white
Sat at the table-head --
'Oh, who is that who moans without?'
The blessed Bridegroom said.
'Twas one looked from the lighted hall,
And answered fierce and low,
''Tis the soul of Judas Iscariot
Gliding to and fro.'
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot
Did hush itself and stand,
And saw the Bridegroom at the door
With a light in his hand.
The Bridegroom stood in the open door,
And he was clad in white,
And far within the Lord's Supper
Was spread so broad and bright.
The Bridegroom shaded his eyes and look'd,
And his face was bright to see --
'What dost thou here at the Lord's Supper
With thy body's sins?' said he.
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot
Stood black, and sad, and bare --
'I have wandered many nights and days;
There is no light elsewhere.'
'Twas the wedding guests cried out within,
And their eyes were fierce and bright --
'Scourge the soul of Judas Iscariot
Away into the night!'
The Bridegroom stood in the open door,
And he waved hands still and slow,
And the third time that he waved his hands
The air was thick with snow.
And of every flake of falling snow,
Before it touched the ground,
There came a dove, and a thousand doves
Made sweet sound.
'Twas the body of Judas Iscariot
Floated away full fleet,
And the wings of the doves that bare it off
Were like its winding-sheet.
'Twas the Bridegroom stood at the open door,
And beckon'd, smiling sweet;
'Twas the soul of Judas Iscariot
Stole in, and fell at his feet.
'The Holy Supper is spread within,
And the many candles shine,
And I have waited long for thee
Before I poured the wine!'
The supper wine is poured at last,
The lights burn bright and fair,
Iscariot washes the Bridegroom's feet,
And dries them with his hair.
Saturday, January 15, 2005
2 EpiphanyReadings
Imagine yourself on the beach beside the sea - you are longing for something in your life - something you cannot even name - a hunger that cannot be fed with food or drink or drugs, by work, by other people, a hunger of the heart. You have come to hear what John has to say about repentance but still you are restless for more. All at once you see John suddenly jump up and start towards a man walking your way. Behold! John cries out - behold, weakly translated into “Look”or “Here is” in our text today. Behold is a much more meaningful and loaded word in the Greek. It is a comprehension of something not previously recognized - a “taking in” into one’s heart as well as mind and soul.
"Julian of Norwich understands the importance the word 'behold.' “For her the word 'behold' is profoundly theological. It describes a reciprocal holding in being. God the creator of all, God who is beyond being, in humility allows us mere creatures, through Christ indwelling to hold God in being in time and spce, even as god is holding us in being in eternity.
Behold! he is coming with clouds and everyone shall see him. Behold! The Lamb of God. . . Behold! thou shalt conceive: it is in the beholding itself that Mary conceives and we also; it is in this self -forgetful beholding - this eternity of love gazing on Love, of love holding Love in being - that all salvation history occurs. The words that come after 'behold' in these texts are irrelevant for those who (truly) do behold, and explanation for those who do not, for those still chained by the noise of time and syntax. The Word yearns towards them with the promises of God, if only they will turn and behold, and in that beholding, be healed."*1
Healed - this is the root meaning of salvation - like in the word salve - same root. It is not about someplace after life, although there is where we find perfect healing. It is about now and here - being healed and whole in this life. Pie on the table not pie in sky.
When we truly Behold Jesus - we see a person who embodies that perfection of salvation - the truly whole person. A person we want to be with so we too may receive that healing and wholeness in our lives.
On the beach that day - Andrew and his friend follow after Jesus - drawn by his very presence - Jesus turns and says “What are you looking for?”
And they ask “Teacher, where are you staying?” On one level they want to know where he is staying so they can spend more time with him, but on another level they want to live in the place where Jesus lives - not real estate but a state of being. Not a house or inn but a place of centeredness in life. Andrew and his friend have the yearnings of all people. Yearnings - to belong, to love and be loved, to make a difference, for meaning, to endure, to continue beyond our lifetime.*2
Once we have begun to Behold the satisfaction of these yearnings in following Christ and working with him to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth (as we pray each week in the Lord’s prayer - thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven), we want to share this Good News.
That is our call from God - as we heard today from Isaiah, “I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” We participate in this salvation, healing when we give to assist our sisters and brothers suffering from the tsunami, when we send goats to people who are trying to support their families. when we buy mosquito netting for people in Africa to prevent the spread of malaria. We participate by our many ministries right here in Rock Springs - making the community a better place for all peoples. Where are you called to do - visit those who are shut-in? Help in a shelter for abused spouses? Help teach people how to read? There are so many places - one cannot do it all but as the Daughters of the King motto says - “I am but one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something.”
A person who beheld God and experienced being held by God is a man whose day we celebrate this week - Martin Luther King, Jr. From his autobiography at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project at Stanford Univerisity:
“One night toward the end of January I settled into bed late, after a strenuous day. Coretta had already fallen asleep and just as I was about to doze off the telephone rang. An angry voice said, "Listen, nigger, we've taken all we want from you; before next week you'll be sorry you ever came to Montgomery." I hung up, but I couldn't sleep. It seemed that all of my fears had come down on me at once. I had reached the saturation point.
I got out of bed and began to walk the floor. I had heard these things before, but for some reason that night it got to me. I turned over and I tried to go to sleep, but I couldn't sleep. I was frustrated, bewildered, and then I got up. Finally I went to the kitchen and heated a pot of coffee. I was ready to give up. With my cup of coffee sitting untouched before me I tried to think of a way to move out of the picture without appearing a coward. I sat there and thought about a beautiful little daughter who had just been born. I'd come in night after night and see that little gentle smile. I started thinking about a dedicated and loyal wife, who was over there asleep. And she could be taken from me, or I could be taken from her. And I got to the point that I couldn't take it any longer. I was weak. Something said to me, "You can't call on Daddy now, you can't even call on Mama. You've got to call on that something in that person that your Daddy used to tell you about, that power that can make a way out of no way." With my head in my hands, I bowed over the kitchen table and prayed aloud. The words I spoke to God that midnight are still vivid in my memory: "Lord, I'm down here trying to do what's right. I think I'm right. I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But Lord, I must confess that I'm weak now, I'm faltering. I'm losing my courage. Now, I am afraid. And I can't let the people see me like this because if they see me weak and losing my courage, they will begin to get weak. The people are looking to me for leadership, and if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too will falter. I am at the end of my powers. I have nothing left. I've come to the point where I can't face it alone."
It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying: "Martin Luther, stand up for righteousness. Stand up for justice. Stand up for truth. And lo, I will be with you. Even until the end of the world."
I tell you I've seen the lightning flash. I've heard the thunder roar. I've felt sin breakers dashing trying to conquer my soul. But I heard the voice of Jesus saying still to fight on. He promised never to leave me alone. At that moment I experienced the presence of the Divine as I had never experienced Him before. Almost at once my fears began to go. My uncertainty disappeared. I was ready to face anything.”*3
Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians that we heard today says, “you are not lacking in any spiritual gifts” and “He will also strengthen you to the end” - he writes this to the community at Corinth - but he could be writng this to Holy Communion, Rock Springs. It is our call as a church to believe that if God has called us to be a church in this time and this place - God will provide all we need - leaders, musicians, teachers, pastoral care givers - all we need to become a witness to God in this place. It is not dependent on a priest - it is God at work in your midst.
The psalmist says -
Great things are they that you have done, O LORD my God!
Howgreat are your wonders and plans for us!
Oh, that I could make them known and tell them!
We can do this - we can tell of all the wonders of God, of how God in Christ offers a place for each of us to satisfy our yearnings. A place of belonging, a place to make a difference, a place where we are known and loved, a place to find meaning for our lives and the life of our community and world. Behold! Come and see!
*1 - Sister Martha Reeves in O Ye Frost and Cold
*2 - The Rev. Richard (Rick) Brewer, EFM
*3 - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Imagine yourself on the beach beside the sea - you are longing for something in your life - something you cannot even name - a hunger that cannot be fed with food or drink or drugs, by work, by other people, a hunger of the heart. You have come to hear what John has to say about repentance but still you are restless for more. All at once you see John suddenly jump up and start towards a man walking your way. Behold! John cries out - behold, weakly translated into “Look”or “Here is” in our text today. Behold is a much more meaningful and loaded word in the Greek. It is a comprehension of something not previously recognized - a “taking in” into one’s heart as well as mind and soul.
"Julian of Norwich understands the importance the word 'behold.' “For her the word 'behold' is profoundly theological. It describes a reciprocal holding in being. God the creator of all, God who is beyond being, in humility allows us mere creatures, through Christ indwelling to hold God in being in time and spce, even as god is holding us in being in eternity.
Behold! he is coming with clouds and everyone shall see him. Behold! The Lamb of God. . . Behold! thou shalt conceive: it is in the beholding itself that Mary conceives and we also; it is in this self -forgetful beholding - this eternity of love gazing on Love, of love holding Love in being - that all salvation history occurs. The words that come after 'behold' in these texts are irrelevant for those who (truly) do behold, and explanation for those who do not, for those still chained by the noise of time and syntax. The Word yearns towards them with the promises of God, if only they will turn and behold, and in that beholding, be healed."*1
Healed - this is the root meaning of salvation - like in the word salve - same root. It is not about someplace after life, although there is where we find perfect healing. It is about now and here - being healed and whole in this life. Pie on the table not pie in sky.
When we truly Behold Jesus - we see a person who embodies that perfection of salvation - the truly whole person. A person we want to be with so we too may receive that healing and wholeness in our lives.
On the beach that day - Andrew and his friend follow after Jesus - drawn by his very presence - Jesus turns and says “What are you looking for?”
And they ask “Teacher, where are you staying?” On one level they want to know where he is staying so they can spend more time with him, but on another level they want to live in the place where Jesus lives - not real estate but a state of being. Not a house or inn but a place of centeredness in life. Andrew and his friend have the yearnings of all people. Yearnings - to belong, to love and be loved, to make a difference, for meaning, to endure, to continue beyond our lifetime.*2
Once we have begun to Behold the satisfaction of these yearnings in following Christ and working with him to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth (as we pray each week in the Lord’s prayer - thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven), we want to share this Good News.
That is our call from God - as we heard today from Isaiah, “I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” We participate in this salvation, healing when we give to assist our sisters and brothers suffering from the tsunami, when we send goats to people who are trying to support their families. when we buy mosquito netting for people in Africa to prevent the spread of malaria. We participate by our many ministries right here in Rock Springs - making the community a better place for all peoples. Where are you called to do - visit those who are shut-in? Help in a shelter for abused spouses? Help teach people how to read? There are so many places - one cannot do it all but as the Daughters of the King motto says - “I am but one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something.”
A person who beheld God and experienced being held by God is a man whose day we celebrate this week - Martin Luther King, Jr. From his autobiography at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project at Stanford Univerisity:
“One night toward the end of January I settled into bed late, after a strenuous day. Coretta had already fallen asleep and just as I was about to doze off the telephone rang. An angry voice said, "Listen, nigger, we've taken all we want from you; before next week you'll be sorry you ever came to Montgomery." I hung up, but I couldn't sleep. It seemed that all of my fears had come down on me at once. I had reached the saturation point.
I got out of bed and began to walk the floor. I had heard these things before, but for some reason that night it got to me. I turned over and I tried to go to sleep, but I couldn't sleep. I was frustrated, bewildered, and then I got up. Finally I went to the kitchen and heated a pot of coffee. I was ready to give up. With my cup of coffee sitting untouched before me I tried to think of a way to move out of the picture without appearing a coward. I sat there and thought about a beautiful little daughter who had just been born. I'd come in night after night and see that little gentle smile. I started thinking about a dedicated and loyal wife, who was over there asleep. And she could be taken from me, or I could be taken from her. And I got to the point that I couldn't take it any longer. I was weak. Something said to me, "You can't call on Daddy now, you can't even call on Mama. You've got to call on that something in that person that your Daddy used to tell you about, that power that can make a way out of no way." With my head in my hands, I bowed over the kitchen table and prayed aloud. The words I spoke to God that midnight are still vivid in my memory: "Lord, I'm down here trying to do what's right. I think I'm right. I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But Lord, I must confess that I'm weak now, I'm faltering. I'm losing my courage. Now, I am afraid. And I can't let the people see me like this because if they see me weak and losing my courage, they will begin to get weak. The people are looking to me for leadership, and if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too will falter. I am at the end of my powers. I have nothing left. I've come to the point where I can't face it alone."
It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying: "Martin Luther, stand up for righteousness. Stand up for justice. Stand up for truth. And lo, I will be with you. Even until the end of the world."
I tell you I've seen the lightning flash. I've heard the thunder roar. I've felt sin breakers dashing trying to conquer my soul. But I heard the voice of Jesus saying still to fight on. He promised never to leave me alone. At that moment I experienced the presence of the Divine as I had never experienced Him before. Almost at once my fears began to go. My uncertainty disappeared. I was ready to face anything.”*3
Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians that we heard today says, “you are not lacking in any spiritual gifts” and “He will also strengthen you to the end” - he writes this to the community at Corinth - but he could be writng this to Holy Communion, Rock Springs. It is our call as a church to believe that if God has called us to be a church in this time and this place - God will provide all we need - leaders, musicians, teachers, pastoral care givers - all we need to become a witness to God in this place. It is not dependent on a priest - it is God at work in your midst.
The psalmist says -
Great things are they that you have done, O LORD my God!
Howgreat are your wonders and plans for us!
Oh, that I could make them known and tell them!
We can do this - we can tell of all the wonders of God, of how God in Christ offers a place for each of us to satisfy our yearnings. A place of belonging, a place to make a difference, a place where we are known and loved, a place to find meaning for our lives and the life of our community and world. Behold! Come and see!
*1 - Sister Martha Reeves in O Ye Frost and Cold
*2 - The Rev. Richard (Rick) Brewer, EFM
*3 - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Earthquakes, Tsunami, and God
God IS in the tsunami - the power that created the universe made tsunamis. The tectonic plates move so that the land masses can float above the earth's core. The earth will not tear itself apart, which it would do if it had a rigid cover over the molten magma. The resulting earthquakes and tsunamis are inevitable. They are not punishment for sin. They are not intended by the creator for anything other than the balance and well being of the earth.
Building on the beach, cutting down banyan trees to build shrimp farms, forgetting the teaching of those who have been through this before, lack of sharing of resources from the rich to the poor. This is where the sin lies. The tsunami is not a punishment - but there are consequences of not paying attention to the creation. Natural disasters are in the eye of the beholder and the sufferer. The suffering and loss are great and terrible and a part of living on this fragile earth, our island home (BCP p. 370).
I grew up on the Oregon coast by the Pacific Ocean. I know this fearsome side of the creation. The creator God is not tame. God does not intervene in the natural order of the universe. That really would cause chaos. But, like the Israelites in the wilderness, we prefer a golden calf to this wild God.
God is also in the suffering and in the assistance. We know the divine in Jesus is the one who comes among us and lives and dies with us, God who enters into life and shows us how to live here on the earth. We are the hands and arms and bodies of this manifestation of God.
God is in and through all, where we live and move and have our being as it says in the Book of Acts. The Hindu Rig-Veda envisions this as Indra’s Net. The net stretches between heaven and earth and all things are held in it. Each being is a jewel in the net. When one feels joy - all feel joy. When one suffers - all suffer. Christians know this connection as the Spirit which is present in the spaces between us - the web that connects us all as one. We have the job of tending the net - the web of creation.
Is there any lesson in this disaster? I believe the lesson of the tsunami and all natural disasters is we are a part of creation, we are NOT special. We can make a big mess of creation, even destroy it, but I don’t think that is the answer.
God IS in the tsunami - the power that created the universe made tsunamis. The tectonic plates move so that the land masses can float above the earth's core. The earth will not tear itself apart, which it would do if it had a rigid cover over the molten magma. The resulting earthquakes and tsunamis are inevitable. They are not punishment for sin. They are not intended by the creator for anything other than the balance and well being of the earth.
Building on the beach, cutting down banyan trees to build shrimp farms, forgetting the teaching of those who have been through this before, lack of sharing of resources from the rich to the poor. This is where the sin lies. The tsunami is not a punishment - but there are consequences of not paying attention to the creation. Natural disasters are in the eye of the beholder and the sufferer. The suffering and loss are great and terrible and a part of living on this fragile earth, our island home (BCP p. 370).
I grew up on the Oregon coast by the Pacific Ocean. I know this fearsome side of the creation. The creator God is not tame. God does not intervene in the natural order of the universe. That really would cause chaos. But, like the Israelites in the wilderness, we prefer a golden calf to this wild God.
God is also in the suffering and in the assistance. We know the divine in Jesus is the one who comes among us and lives and dies with us, God who enters into life and shows us how to live here on the earth. We are the hands and arms and bodies of this manifestation of God.
God is in and through all, where we live and move and have our being as it says in the Book of Acts. The Hindu Rig-Veda envisions this as Indra’s Net. The net stretches between heaven and earth and all things are held in it. Each being is a jewel in the net. When one feels joy - all feel joy. When one suffers - all suffer. Christians know this connection as the Spirit which is present in the spaces between us - the web that connects us all as one. We have the job of tending the net - the web of creation.
Is there any lesson in this disaster? I believe the lesson of the tsunami and all natural disasters is we are a part of creation, we are NOT special. We can make a big mess of creation, even destroy it, but I don’t think that is the answer.
Friday, January 07, 2005
Walking to the Post Office on a Winter Afternoon
I think I should have put on my long underwear
as the cold air surrounds my Levi-ed legs
but I am already around the corner of the road
and warming in my down parka with its fake fur trim.
I reach the city (if you can call a town of 6500 a city) limits
where a crazy checkerboard
of sidewalks wait in frozen invitation,
with and without parking strips
some shoveled clear of snow
some trampled by other walkers
one who stamped UGG with every step
My shadow stretches out ahead
as the sun warms my back
maybe it is good that I do not have another layer
The post office is jammed with others who have
letters to mail or P.O. boxes to check before
they hop back in one of the idling pickups
in the parking lot and head home for dinner.
Now I turn towards home having mailed my
excuse for a walk letter
I retrace my waffle steps as my shadow
lingers further and further behind
Deer prints criss cross my path
and a few prints of cross country ski boots.
The sun is quickly disappearing over the mountain
so I stay on the high road instead
of taking the river walk with its ouzels and otters.
Quickly now I pass the golf course with its
single skier skating across the fairway
and turn towards our road.
The sun is gone to the other side of the world
and soon the stars and maybe comet Maccholz
will appear in the East
Our home greets me with a blast of warmth
that is not just the wood stove with its load
of Russian Olive and Cottonwood
I think I should have put on my long underwear
as the cold air surrounds my Levi-ed legs
but I am already around the corner of the road
and warming in my down parka with its fake fur trim.
I reach the city (if you can call a town of 6500 a city) limits
where a crazy checkerboard
of sidewalks wait in frozen invitation,
with and without parking strips
some shoveled clear of snow
some trampled by other walkers
one who stamped UGG with every step
My shadow stretches out ahead
as the sun warms my back
maybe it is good that I do not have another layer
The post office is jammed with others who have
letters to mail or P.O. boxes to check before
they hop back in one of the idling pickups
in the parking lot and head home for dinner.
Now I turn towards home having mailed my
excuse for a walk letter
I retrace my waffle steps as my shadow
lingers further and further behind
Deer prints criss cross my path
and a few prints of cross country ski boots.
The sun is quickly disappearing over the mountain
so I stay on the high road instead
of taking the river walk with its ouzels and otters.
Quickly now I pass the golf course with its
single skier skating across the fairway
and turn towards our road.
The sun is gone to the other side of the world
and soon the stars and maybe comet Maccholz
will appear in the East
Our home greets me with a blast of warmth
that is not just the wood stove with its load
of Russian Olive and Cottonwood
Thursday, January 06, 2005
1 EPIPHANY
“Then Peter began to speak to them: 'I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ-he is Lord of all.” Acts 10:34-36
The background for this speech is the early Christians are having a dispute. This one is about whether gentiles have to be circumcised before they can be baptized. To us this may not seem like it would be problem but for Jewish Christians it was as a horrible thing if males were not circumcised. They would literally feel sick to be associating with such people. The gentiles could not be insiders in the church because they were such outsiders in the early Christian's minds. Peter felt this way and Paul had been trying to convince him that it was not important. The story that comes before Peter’s speech is his journey to changing his mind.(Acts 10:1-36)
All who stand in awe of the mystery beyond our knowing and do what is right are acceptable in that mystery. And the odd thing about God, even those who don’t stand in awe and don’t do what is right are accepted. Peter had it right - God shows no partiality.
The church has been having disputes and debates and even wars over who is right about who is in and who is out and what God thinks. In the end of each fight what becomes clear is that wherever there is justice, mercy, and a willingness to walk in the path of Love we will find the Holy One. The current debate in the church is about whether our day’s outsiders, gay, lesbian and transgender persons will be accepted without having to conform to someone else’s ideas. Like the gentiles of the early church - will they be accepted as full members with all the rights and rites of everyone else? This story of Peter and the Centurion gives us the answer.
In an old poem by Edwin Markham, he puts it this way
He drew a circle that shut me out
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout
But Love and I had wit to win
We drew a circle that took him in.
God’s circle is Love, or as we call its embodiment, Jesus Christ. No one is out - all are in. We can relax into knowing that we are always loved - no matter what we have done or are doing, no matter where we are in our life journey, no matter what other's opinions are of us. We are free to share that love and witness it to others. We can stand up for how God wants the world to be - a place where all are cared for. We can share our resources with others. We can be a place where all are welcome. We can stand up for those who are on the margins, those who suffer from prejudice or injustice.We can be a place where those who are imprisoned by their life history or addictions or abuse can find freedom. We can let go of fear and step out in Love. We can reflect the way that God would have us live because we know that we are beloved of the one who created the universe and that we are supposed to be here in this time and this place.
This Sunday we celebrate the baptism of Jesus. Matthew tells us the story of how Jesus went down into Egypt and has now returned. Like Moses and the chosen people emerging from the waters of the Red Sea - Jesus emerges from the waters of baptism about to enter the wilderness. The voice from the heavens proclaims him Son, Beloved, in whom God is well pleased. God is delighted with him - he is the one who will lead the people into freedom - out of bondage from injustice, out of bondage to all things that keep people from becoming who God has created them to be. Jesus can lead us because he is the one who lives fully into who God created him to be - not any threat nor even death will cause him to change how he lives his life. He hangs out with all sorts of people, not just the “good” people but also tax collectors, prostitutes, the religious and the non-religious, rich and poor, whoever comes to him. He invites all to share with him in God's way of life. In fact, the early church was called that - the Way. He does not call us to worship him - he calls us to follow him and as the psalmist says “Your love, O LORD, for ever will I sing” Psalm 89:1a.
“Then Peter began to speak to them: 'I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ-he is Lord of all.” Acts 10:34-36
The background for this speech is the early Christians are having a dispute. This one is about whether gentiles have to be circumcised before they can be baptized. To us this may not seem like it would be problem but for Jewish Christians it was as a horrible thing if males were not circumcised. They would literally feel sick to be associating with such people. The gentiles could not be insiders in the church because they were such outsiders in the early Christian's minds. Peter felt this way and Paul had been trying to convince him that it was not important. The story that comes before Peter’s speech is his journey to changing his mind.(Acts 10:1-36)
All who stand in awe of the mystery beyond our knowing and do what is right are acceptable in that mystery. And the odd thing about God, even those who don’t stand in awe and don’t do what is right are accepted. Peter had it right - God shows no partiality.
The church has been having disputes and debates and even wars over who is right about who is in and who is out and what God thinks. In the end of each fight what becomes clear is that wherever there is justice, mercy, and a willingness to walk in the path of Love we will find the Holy One. The current debate in the church is about whether our day’s outsiders, gay, lesbian and transgender persons will be accepted without having to conform to someone else’s ideas. Like the gentiles of the early church - will they be accepted as full members with all the rights and rites of everyone else? This story of Peter and the Centurion gives us the answer.
In an old poem by Edwin Markham, he puts it this way
He drew a circle that shut me out
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout
But Love and I had wit to win
We drew a circle that took him in.
God’s circle is Love, or as we call its embodiment, Jesus Christ. No one is out - all are in. We can relax into knowing that we are always loved - no matter what we have done or are doing, no matter where we are in our life journey, no matter what other's opinions are of us. We are free to share that love and witness it to others. We can stand up for how God wants the world to be - a place where all are cared for. We can share our resources with others. We can be a place where all are welcome. We can stand up for those who are on the margins, those who suffer from prejudice or injustice.We can be a place where those who are imprisoned by their life history or addictions or abuse can find freedom. We can let go of fear and step out in Love. We can reflect the way that God would have us live because we know that we are beloved of the one who created the universe and that we are supposed to be here in this time and this place.
This Sunday we celebrate the baptism of Jesus. Matthew tells us the story of how Jesus went down into Egypt and has now returned. Like Moses and the chosen people emerging from the waters of the Red Sea - Jesus emerges from the waters of baptism about to enter the wilderness. The voice from the heavens proclaims him Son, Beloved, in whom God is well pleased. God is delighted with him - he is the one who will lead the people into freedom - out of bondage from injustice, out of bondage to all things that keep people from becoming who God has created them to be. Jesus can lead us because he is the one who lives fully into who God created him to be - not any threat nor even death will cause him to change how he lives his life. He hangs out with all sorts of people, not just the “good” people but also tax collectors, prostitutes, the religious and the non-religious, rich and poor, whoever comes to him. He invites all to share with him in God's way of life. In fact, the early church was called that - the Way. He does not call us to worship him - he calls us to follow him and as the psalmist says “Your love, O LORD, for ever will I sing” Psalm 89:1a.
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