Seeing and Not Seeing
Monday, April 24, 2006 -- Week of 2 Easter
"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.
Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this link -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html
Discussion Blog
To comment on today's reflection or readings, go to http://lowellsblog.blogspot.com, find today's reading, click "comment" at the bottom of the reading, and post your thoughts.
Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 959)
Psalms 1, 2, 3 (morning) // 4, 7 (afternoon)
Exodus 14:21-31
1 Peter 1:1-12
John 14:(1-7) 8-17
"Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
This song from 1 Peter rings in my ears as I recall the sermons from yesterday. I listened to Chuck talk about the kind of faith that is "itching and scratching like ants in your pants." The kind of faith like Thomas', that can turn on a dime when necessary. And I read Suzanne's sermon where she talked about the incredible embracing of that first Christian community, making room for disciples who were sure that they had seen the risen Lord as well as for the heartbroken Thomas whose experience was so different. They remained together through the differences and the itching and scratching, in "that one small room [that] was somehow large enough to contain those opposing, life wrenching emotions of joy and grief, doubt and assurance," as Suzanne described it.
One of the privileges of being a priest is to hear the many different ways that faithful Christians have experienced "joy and grief, doubt and assurance." There are some who find faith and belief easy, natural. But there are more who find themselves "itching and scratching", wondering and not-knowing, yet drawn and fascinated by the wonder of that which they may only vaguely intuit. It is important to value and honor the gray and misty path.
We inherit so many stories that are the result of generations of appreciation that seems to add a certain concreteness to the witness. But had we been there at the time, we may have had little more to go with empirically than we do today.
I remember the seminary class when my professor explained how the Exodus "probably happened." A small band of Hebrew slaves escaping through the Sea of Reeds. It is a fairly shallow body of water, but probably too much for wading. Occasionally, however, a desert sirocco will blow back the waters so forcefully that it will create a muddy, shallow expanse that is accessible by foot. But a chariot will bog down. A heavily uniformed warrior will not be able to get through the muck.
Luck or God. You interpret. Divine timing for sure. The story got elaborated with time into the Cecil DeMille tunnel of waters that may be inside our mind's eye. That image is definitely miraculous. Or magic. But I'll bet the original event was more ambiguous.
Before Jesus' ascension there is a resurrection scene when he is with his disciples and the gospel says they worshiped him, "but some doubted." What did they not see about a crucified man who was alive with them? Whatever happened, there were different ways to interpret it. What would I have seen?
Sunday at the 8:45 service I had one of those moments when I looked around and was so happy and so thankful to be part of all of this. It seemed the room tingled with joy. I felt love for everyone in that place. It seemed such a mysterious privilege to be there. It was self-authenticating. In a way, it was like seeing Jesus. There was a rejoicing with an indescribable and glorious joy. I'm sure everyone didn't experience it that way. Most of the time, I don't. When when I do, it is SO real.
posted by Lowell @ 3:39 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
I too felt joy during the 8:45 service last Sunday, and it was especially welcome. I am a person who struggles with faith. My spiritual life has gone through many mood swings over the years and lately the mood is low. I am discouraged by the dominant face of Christianity in America, the narrow-mindedness and anti-intellectualism that seem so prevalent. For a person like me, hanging in there can hinge on small reminders of what is really important and what is not so important to know with certainty or to understand. I am receptive to the numinous but I see that as an inner experience (which is still real), and I have a hard time with miracles. Like Thomas, I don't easily suspend disbelief. Most of the time this isn't a problem because I think the real story of Christianity works just as well without the miracles—until you get to the Resurrection. This is the one miracle we can't do without, in some form or other, and the hardest one of all. I get terribly bogged down trying to work it out. What form of resurrection event can I accept? Resuscitated corpse? Perfected body? Spiritual awakening? How can I explain it? What did they see? Which version merits suspension of disbelief? But then along comes Hymn 206, which literally throws me a life line, every time we sing it: "Not faithless, but believing be." Somehow, when I sing that line, the problem goes away. I don't solve it; it just goes away. It becomes a mystery that I accept without a satisfactory answer—the real definition of faith. And I can abide in this wondrous strange religion once again.
Deborah,
One of the fascinating things about the resurrection appearances as we have them in the gospels (and in Paul) is how varied they are. The word "appearance" is the greatest commonality, which speaks to me of some form of vision or deep presence.
While the stories of the pre-Easter Jesus show many similarities with many stories showing up in more than one Gospel, none of the resurrection accounts appears in more than one Gospel. Leads me to believe that the various communities created their own way of communicating the experience of the Risen Christ. I find that encouraging, because that is the way we do it today. Talk to 20 different people and you'll get 20 different descriptions about how Christ is alive for them.
Lowell
Post a Comment
<< Home