Another view of the Passion of Christ from the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.

Holy Week - The Passion

LENT 4
For readings click HERE

From Paul's second letter to the Corinthians: "If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."

The ministry of reconciliation and its difficulties is the theme that runs through our lessons this week. From the moment of celebrating the passover in the new land to today it is a difficult ministry to reconcile ourselves to one another and to God. The various obstacles can be seen in the story of the Prodigal Son. The younger son has to hit bottom before he can let go of his pride and selfishness to return to his father's house. The older son will have to let go of his pride and self righteousness to return to the father's house. The father is not like any father of the era of Jesus - obviously he represents the One who is willing to let go of all prestige and pride of place to run after his two sons and love them back into relationship. Jesus seems to be saying that God will not give up on us and desires our relationship so much that God will break down all the preconceived ideas of the nature of God. Jesus represents God as one who will come down from whatever throne on which we place God to fly flapping sandaled, hair flying after us, to cry on our necks, to run first to the broken and next to the unbreakable egos we try to maintain.

What does that say to us who are called to the ministry of reconciliation - called to that ministry by our baptism and participation in the Body of Christ? A friend of mine was torn between going to a funeral of a man who had died angry at her church community and staying home for fear of being rejected once again by the family. She decided to go. The family greeted her warmly and openly. They too must have had their fears about whether any of their old friends would come. Each person in the story had to move out of their fears to begin reconciliation. Each had to step into a situation of the unknown.

God is constantly calling us back into relationship and is willing to let go of godself to make that happen. God gives up all power to enter into human life as Jesus - allows all the human joy and sorrow to be a part of God. I find it hard to even make a small move towards reconciliation with some. This is not a call to endanger oneself in a situation of abuse, but to see the other as also a child of God. Prayer seems to be the first step. The next step is unknown to me but I pray will become clear as I move into it.

The Collect for the Day says:
Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Pray that in receiving the bread of reconciliation - we will be strengthened to become bread for others.

AMEN.

A LUTA CONTINUA....

This week on Theology Pub we are watching the video of the concert and talk by Bernice Johnson Reagon; a historian, activist and founder of Sweet Honey in the Rock; at Trinity Institute. The theme of this year's presentations is God's Unfinished Future. All of the sermons and presentations that I have heard so far have been challenging and refreshing. James Carroll preached at the Opening Eucharist using the Ginsberg poem HOWL in his examples of how God in Christ shows us that God is with us in suffering and joy. Barbara Rossing's presentation is a re-visioning of the Book of Revelation as a story of the healing of the nations and the earth. Jurgen Moltmann discusses how our view of "end times" shapes our living in the present and the choices we make.

The presentation in the concert by Bernice Johnson Reagon speaks to me of how to stay in the struggle for justice for the long haul. She talks of her involvement with the campaign for civil rights for all in the U.S. In song and story she brings us into a sense of how to keep on keeping on in the face of set backs and slow progress. Some quotes from her, "Victory is in taking the stand," not always in the result in the moment, "if your coalition is too comfortable and you are too comfortable in your coalition, your coalition is not broad enough," "walk wide awake in the world." One of her premises is that our memories shape our choices and she quotes Elie Weisel, "you may not have a personal memory of the camps of the holocaust, but you can live as though you have that memory." Not only our personal memories but memories of others if we choose to remember them can shape our decisions about how to live now. Listen HERE for the whole concert.

She quotes the story of Henry T. Moore,in Freedom Never Dies. Moore said, "Freedom never descends upon a people. It is always bought with a price." His family was killed in a bomb blast in their home because of his work in Florida in the cause of freedom. Langston Hughes wrote this about Henry Moore:

"Ballad of Harry Moore"
(Killed at Mims, Florida, on Christmas night, 1951)

Florida means land of flowers.
It was on Christmas night
In the state named for the flowers
Men came bearing dynamite.

Men came stealing through the orange groves
Bearing hate instead of love,
While the Star of Bethlehem
Was in the sky above.

Oh, memories of a Christmas evening
When Wise Men traveled from afar
Seeking out a lowly manger
Guided by a Holy Star!

Oh, memories of a Christmas evenin
When to Bethlehem there came
"Peace on earth, good will to men"--
Jesus was His name.

But they must've forgotten Jesus
Down in Florida that night
Stealing through the orange groves
Bearing hate and dynamite.

It was a little cottage,
A family, name of Moore.
In the windows wreaths of holly,
And a pine wreath on the door.

Christmas, 1951,
The family prayers were said
When father, mother, daughter,
And grandmother went to bed.

The father's name was Harry Moore.
The N.A.A.C.P.
Told him to carry out its work
That Negroes might be free.

So it was that Harry Moore
(So deeply did he care)
Sought the right for men to live
With their heads up everywhere.

Because of that, white killers,
Who like Negroes "in their place,"
Came stealing through the orange groves
On that night of dark disgrace.

It could not be in Jesus' name,
Beneath the bedroom floor,
On Christmas night the killers
Hid the bomb for Harry Moore.

It could not be in Jesus' name
The killers took his life,
Blew his home to pieces
And killed his faithful wife.

It could not be for the sake of love
They did this awful thing--
For when the bomb exploded
No hearts were heard to sing.

And certainly no angels cried,
"Peace on earth, good will to men"--
But around the world an echo hurled
A question: When?...When?....When?

When will men for sake of peace
And for democracy
Learn no bombs a man can make
Keep men from being free?

It seems that I hear Harry Moore.
From the earth his voice cries,
No bomb can kill the dreams I hold--
For freedom never dies!

I will not stop! I will not stop--
For freedom never dies!
I will not stop! I will not stop!
Freedom never dies!

So should you see our Harry Moore
Walking on a Christmas night,
Don't run and hide, you killers,
He has no dynamite.

In his heart is only love
For all the human race,
And all he wants is for every man
To have his rightful place.

And this he says, our Harry Moore,
As from the grave he cries:
No bomb can kill the dreams I hold
For freedom never dies!

Freedom never dies, I say!
Freedom never dies!

The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes, editor Arlond Rampersad and associate editor David Roessel. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1995, pages 588-590.

Another author Reagon cites is Y.M. Barnwell who speaks of how people get the strength to carry on:

We Are...
from "lessons" by Ysaye M. Barnwell (c)1993)

For each child that's born
a morning star rises
and sings to the universe
who we are.

We are our grandmothers' prayers.
We are our grandfathers' dreamings.
We are the breath of our ancestors.
We are the spirit of God.

We are
Mothers of courage
Fathers of time
Daughters of dust
Sons of great vision.
We are
Sisters of mercy
Brothers of love
Lovers of life and
the builders of nations.
We are
Seekers of truth
Keepers of faith
Makers of peace and
the wisdom of ages.

We are our grandmothers' prayers.
We are our grandfathers' dreamings.
We are the breath of our ancestors.
We are the spirit of God.

For each child that's born
a morning star rises
and sings to the universe
who we are.

WE ARE ONE.

This presentation encouraged me to stay on in the church - working for full inclusion of gay, lesbian, transgender persons, to stay on the Anti-Racism committee of our Diocese and with our work breaking down the systemic barriers of racism, and to continue with my Green Lent project to do my little part of saving the earth -so there will be a place for us to live together. The Wombat has it right. click here

Susan Russell in her blog An Inch at a Time uses St. Patrick and his choice to go back to the place where he had been a slave in chains. His choice to return and preach the message of freedom where he had no freedom. Check it out HERE. A quote:

"Our witness of God's inclusive love is not just a witness to the presence of the holy in our lives and our relationships and our vocations but a witness to the power of God's love to transcend ANYTHING that holds us captive or enslaves us. So let's remember on this St. Patrick's Day that the same God who inspired a former captive named Patrick to return to his captors and evangelize them in the 4th century is working in us as we work to call this church and this communion to wholeness in the 21st."

AMEN

LENT 3
Click here for readings.

The Collect for today is:
Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Collect is a a prayer that gathers (collects) our thoughts about God and God's activities in our lives. It begins with some property of God, then a request for ourselves growing out of that property, and an affirmation of the nature of God.

Today I am not preaching but am reflecting on my week and the Collect spoke to this week for me.

During the week an idea that grew from many people and many places came together as Rainbow Presence. Two of us agreed to put our names to it so it would not just be anonymous or just an issue. We put up a blog and sent out a Press Release (see it at the blog). Our idea was to help put a face on the "issue" of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and transexual members fo the Episcopal Church and for their allies/supportes to show a sign of "you are not alone." It was one of those ideas that emerged spontaneously after the meeting of Primates in Tanzania and their Communique. Easter became the date for a Rainbow Presence. It seemed so low key to us - a small rainbow pin, rainbow stole, or just a card in the offering plate. Just something to say "I am a member of this church not an ISSUE" or "You are not alone."

Who would have believed the outcry from those who oppose full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender Christians in the church. I won't print their words here but if you have on your asbestos wear and protective glasses on you can read it HERE and HERE. I was shocked by the vitriol, the threats of refusal to serve communion (excommunication) to rainbow wearers, and even violence from alleged Christians. I pity the poor unsuspecting Cursillista (another rainbow wearing group) who shows up on Easter with his or her rainbow.

On the other side a few who would be supportive questioned our choice of Easter and asked if we were politicizing a Holy Day. This was not a part of the earlier discussions when many could have objected or did not know we were talking about Rainbow Presence. Easter emerged as the day after there was some angry discussion about a Day Without Gay, a boycott by all who support full inclusion and a ban on all music, art, and liturgy by artists and writers who are gay. This transformed into a positive witness rather than a negative one. Easter just seemed to be a good day to witness to the power of the Resurrection in all our lives. Easter is the day when we celebrate that death is conquered and we are freed from its power.

Personally, I have discovered that although I knew the kind of threats that daily life brings to sisters and brothers who are gay, lesbian, transgender, I did not KNOW (duh - dope slap here) it in my person. It brings new meaning to the angels' words "Fear Not." Bishop Gene Robinson was on NH Public Radio this week and spoke to this among other things. Click HERE to listen.

I have learned a lot from the school of life this week. Being a believer in the Incarnation - God with us - as demonstrated by Jesus birth, life, death and resurrection, I think this is the school in which God teaches. The UCC Church says "God is still speaking,' (from John 16:12-13) and this week, for me, it is true.

Lent 2 Meditation



Ana Hernandez sings Covenant Song. Also availble a meditation on Lent 1 Open My Heart

LENT 2
Click Here for the Readings.
Random thoughts towards a sermon:
In my long history with the church, baptized as an infant until today as a priest, it has been a sort of love/hate relationship. Some days I find my greatest joy in the sacraments and the community. Other days it is the last place I want to be. It is a roller coaster of highs and lows. When the community is welcoming and loving, doing the work of God in the world, I am proud to be a part of it. I can't wait to share the story of "church" with others. When it is exclusive and fighting, and focused on itself and its survival, I become discouraged and am embarrassed by our struggles.
Abram in today's reading from the Old Testament is at the beginning of a journey with God. He has not yet entered fully into the relationship - as we see by his name. Later he will become Abraham, named by God and following God into the new land. While the writers of Genesis see this story in concrete terms, for us it is more symbolic and metaphorical. It was probably written down in the time of the Davidic kingdom when the descendants country did cover from the Nile (Egypt) in the South to the Euphrates (Iraq) in the East bounded on the West by the Mediterranean Sea and extending to the North into what we now call Lebanon. This story tells of how one man caught at vision and sealed that vision with a ceremony. It sounds like an odd ceremony to us - cutting animals in half, the dream of the torch and the smoking fire pot passing between the animal carcases. But it shows the solemn covenant that was being made between Abram and the One he experienced as YHWH. We use the water of Baptism to make manifest our covenant when we commit ourselves and our children to follow as God leads. At the begnning it is all joy and hope, a time of feeling close to God and close to one another. We join the ceremony and add our prayers to those of the newly baptized, we relive our commitment to the promises that are made.
The Old Testament covers the journey of a people as they discover through good times and bad, kingdom and exile, what it really means to be God's people on this earth.
In the letter to the Philippians, Paul talks about the difficulties of living in the world and remaining true to the vision that Jesus has given us in his life, death and resurrection. Jesus is struggling in today's Gospel with the knowledge that his life is soon to be ended and his message of love and inclusion that heals communities and restores people to life, his message of God's love is not being heard by the very people he felt sent to tell. Often we cast the Pharisees as the "bad guys" in the Gospels, but in this passage they are trying to help Jesus stay safe. Jesus laments that the world (Jerusalem symbolic of the center of the world) kills and stones the very ones who are trying to show them what it is that God wants. Rather than being gathered under the wings of our mother hen - we scatter like so many frightened chicks, pecking at one another in our race to have the most, or to find a false safety, running or excluding those whom we see as not of our flock. Jesus speaks of himsefl as a mother hen spreads her wings wide to encompass all - as we pray in the service of Compline - spreads his arms on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come into his saving (wholeness making) embrace.
It is in times of this sort of frustration with the lack of progress towards this vision of Jesus, this dream of God for all to know that we are the beloved daughter, beloved son; frustration with spending our energies on who is in and who is out instead of the our call to bring heaven to earth that I find comfort in the psalms. The psalms address the joys and sorrows, pleasure and anger, hatreds and loves of life. There is a psalm for whatever the state of your being. From those that talk of smashing out one's enemies teeth and turning them into the slime of snails to the ecstasy of oneness with God.
Today's psalm is addresses fear, especially the fear of following what one believes is right. It is a song of trust in God to be the shelter even when the winds of other people's opinions are lashing and the rains of disappointments are beating down. This psalm sings of the place where Jesus stood throughout his life - inviting us into the big tent of God's embrace.

Walter Bruggeman has translated it like this:

YOU ARE MY LIGHT and my help
Whom should I fear?
You are the fortress of my life
Whom should I dread?
When the narrow ones gather their strength to
devour me
It is they who stumble and fall
Even if a royal army were camped outside my gate
My heart would not fear
And when they struck out with terrible weapons
against me
Even then I'd trust

One thing I ask for, one thing I hope
To live in your house
All the days of my life
To behold your loveliness
Every morning in the light of your temple
dawn

Till on a doomful day
You secure me in your precincts
Conceal me within the folds of your covering tent
Place me high and safe upon a rock
My head lifted above the engulfing waves

With the joy of my heart
I will sacrifice
Within that billowing shelter
Singing and playing my abandonment to you

Hear my voice when I raise it up
Be gracious—answer me--
Speaking with your voice my heart sang,
Seek my presence

I will

Do not hide your glowing face from me
Do not reject me in anger because of my shortcomings
You have always been for me
Don't cast me off now, don't walk away
My helper, my friend

My mother and father forsake me
But you take me up
Show me the way!
Guide my steps on the clear path
Against the ever-present cliffs and thickets
Protect me from the noise of desire and hatefulness
From false words and shouted accusations

If I did not have faith in your rightness
That it would bloom in this living land—
It is unthinkable

I wait only for you
With strength and good courage--

I wait only for you

FEAR NOT, God is blooming even in the wasteland. Seek only God and rest secure in God's love. Be not afraid.

Monday of Lent 1. I was only 10 minutes late for church in Rock Springs yesterday. I was jarred awake at 6 a.m. by my alarm on my cell phone. Usually I wake up before the alarm but I was deep down in dreamland. I have been trying to overcome the tail end of my coughing crud. By 7:30 I was in my Subaru driving out of Lander for my journey over South Pass. web cam here Yesterday was warm and sunny and no wind - very unusual for the top of the Continental Divide this time of year. Just past the top my left rear tire blew out. I pulled over and got out that tiny thing that passes for a jack and started to work. My father would not let me learn to drive when I was 15 unless I showed him I could change a tire. So there I am by the side of the road in clericals and a wool skirt. No traffic, no cell service. As I was beginning to raise the tire off the ground, an angel in the wilderness named Dan (who grew up on a ranch and currently manages an oil rig) and his wife stopped to help - I must have looked pathetic - in my skirt with y grey hair! Soon I was on my way - with time to spare. I discovered the only place to get a tire changed on Sunday is Wal Mart - so with the help of a parishioner I took my car in to get in line (6 hour wait at that point). Scurrying into church at 10:40 I had chaos of the mind as we processed. People said they did not feel the chaos so I must not have been projecting it outwardly. Dan found his way into my sermon (see LENT 1) and so it goes.
Interestingly after church, those who followed the episco-drama (and there aren't very many who even know what you mean when you say Anglican Communion), said to me - "Please don't make us go back (before inclusion of gays and lesbians, and Bp Robinson's consecration). We studied, we prayed, we decided - some left - but we are here and we want to keep our church open and loving. There are plenty of other churches for those who don't want to be this way - for us there is only the Episcopal Church."
This is not some radical, revissssssionist group - just a normal Wyoming Church in the midst of a population boom due to our insatiable need for gasoline.
My day ended after lunch with a friend, gathering my car from the Wal Mart and driving home - arrived about 6 p.m. and then led our EfM Online group with an occasional peep at the Oscars.

LENT 1
Readings are here
The readings today revolve around the theme of what does it mean to be saved (made whole) and how are we tempted away from wholeness.
Deuteronomy speaks of worship and how worship is a recognition that all things come from God. As the people are freed from slavery in Egypt and come into a land that will be their own, initially they are grateful for this gift. As they work the land, raise crops and earn their living to support their families - it is easy to begin to think it is their own doing. It is ours, we did it becomes the voice they hear rather than recognizing that much of what they have is from their place of privilege. Unless one is healthy and able it is hard to work the fields, if one has lost one's family he or she is condemned to the margins - forced to beg. The writer of Deuteronomy writes to remind the people that life is a gift and to give thanks to God for it, not become greedy and selfish and self satisfied.
The Psalmist speaks of trusting God and God alone. This is the psalm that Luke says the devil uses to try to get Jesus to jump off the pinnacle of the temple. It is a song of trust that we are always in the hands of God no matter what our circumstances not a test for God to do things as we think. Once again the readings speak of knowing who we are in relationship to God -we are creature not creator.
Paul's letter to the Romans tells us that shame comes from being separated from God. Paul's world was intensely focussed on honor and shame - worrying constantly about loss of face and maintaining honor. It was and is sometimes for us so crippling that we cannot risk doing things unless we have assessed all the factors. We become paralyzed by what others will think, social loss, and sometimes the fear of death. Paul assures us that God will be with us through these times and give us the courage to do the thing that brings healing to ourselves and our world.
The Gospel gives us the stories of how temptation comes to us and how Jesus shows us how to resist. Jesus has just been baptized by John in the Jordan and heard the glorious words of "beloved son." In this Gospel he is led into the wilderness, in others he is driven into the wilderness. Either way, it is often the case that after we experience new insight or a spiritual high we have to go away and think about it for awhile. When we are new to things we are somewhat shaky on what it all means for us.
This gospel reminds me of the Let's Make a Deal TV show. The devil says choose door number 1 or door number 2 or door number 2 (thanks to Harvey Mozolak for the imagery) Number 1 is the ability to turn stones into bread. Why would Jesus refuse this ability to feed the world? Wouldn't everyone come to faith in God if they received bread in this miraculous way? The truth is we don't need to have this done for us. We can feed the world with now if we let go of hoarding and greed. The hunger that cannot be fed is the hunger in our hearts for relationships to God and to one another. This starvation prevents us from seeing beyond ourselves to the other.
So the devil moves on to door number 2. Suddenly Jesus sees all the kingdoms of the world if only he separates from God - he is promised authority everyone. This would be good wouldn't it? Make everyone do the right thing? But that is not God's way - God's way is freedom. Freedom to choose right and wrong. God does not want automatons - God wants people coming to wholeness by choice not force. Separating from God leaves one in chains, lost and living in a world that says more is bettter and whover dies with the most toys wins. Jesus tells of the first being last and the last being first - that it is the servant who takes first place.
Finally the devil tries door number 3 - do the spectacular - jump off the roof of the temple - people will follow you if they see that. He even uses quotes from scripture to prove his idea. But Jesus turns from this to show that even the Bible can be used to support evil ends.
It turns out that Jesus does not play Let's Make a Deal - instead we learn as he lives into the fullness of his life, death and resurrection - he does not choose a door but becomes THE Door - the way to eternal life. Following Jesus reveals LIFE in capital letters, a life of abundance, of love, of service.
Today we celebrate the campaign to end extreme poverty and hunger in our lifetime, to educate all children, to empower women to live into their full humanity, to reduce child mortality, to improve the health of mothers, to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, to ensure that the earth is developed in a sustainable way, and to create global partnerships.
These things can be done - not by thinking WE are the answer but by participating with God in caring for all people and the creation, by remembering where all our gifts come from and resisting the temptations that separate us from ourselves, our neighbors and God. AMEN

ASH WEDNESDAY AND LENT
February 21 is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. As I mentioned before I have decided that instead of giving up chocolate or some other favorite food, I am going to concentrate on the impact I make on the environment. In my other blog, Green Lent I have gathered lots of resources and information for individuals, congregations and communiites. I have decided that for me I will start with connecting with other groups through my blog, becoming more serious about recycling, and most of all cutting down on using my car. For individuals, driving is the most polluting thing we do. Each gallon of gasoline I burn creates around 20 pounds of CO2 or, in terms of volume, about 170 cubic feet according to the US Government Fuel Economysite. This is probably the area where I can make the most impact.
Other areas that help the planet are using shade grown, organic, fair trade coffee, tea and chocolate, and helping with sustainable economic growth around the world. I do this through Episcopal Relief and Development, Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation, and the Episcopal Ecological Network.




AP photo, Zanzibar, of The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church.

A fun quiz in the midst of the Episco-drama du jour.

You Are: 70% Dog, 30% Cat

You and dogs definitely have a lot in common. You're both goofy, happy, and content with the small things in life. However, you're definitely not as needy as the average dog. You need your down time occasionally.

Are You More Cat or Dog?

Not much posted here this week as I have been busy at my other blog Green Lent. It is my plan for Lent to lessen my impact on the earth. I have been gathering resources for personal, congregational and community efforts. My favorite is this video featuring a Wombat.