Alternatives to Tribalism

Thursday, July 27, 2006 -- Week of Proper 11 (William Reed Huntington)

"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


Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 977)
Psalm 50 (morning) // [59, 60] or 66, 67 (evening)
Joshua 9:3-21
Romans 15:1-13
Matthew 26:69-75

There is much that is troubling with the Deuteronomic history of the Hebrew scriptures. The clear teaching from Joshua is that God commands the complete annihilation of the resident tribes during Joshua's conquest of the land which God has given Israel -- genocide and (dare we say) holocaust. When Hivites from Gibeon cleverly trick Joshua into pledging a treaty with them, the escape destruction but are relegated to a servile role as "hewers of wood and drawers of water." Today we live with animosities and violence that are largely fueled by rival claims of this same land and by hot memories of killings and destructions.

Paul's words from Romans 15 come as such a contrast. Paul strings together a series of quotes from the Hebrew scriptures. He collects the songs of rejoicing and hope that declare that the promises given to the Jewish patriarchs would redound into blessings for the Gentiles. Paul is reaching out actively to unite Jew and Gentile in a loving fellowship that accepts and honors differences of belief and practice. "Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor."

In Matthew we have a new teaching about the consequences of sin, failure and betrayal. Peter denies Jesus three times. It is a public failure. This is the kind of falsehood that we could imagine would incur an absolute punishment from another religious tradition. A few chapters ago in the Deuteronomic history we read of Achen and his family being utterly destroyed for keeping some of the booty from Jericho. We know the rest of Peter's story. He will not be stoned or burned for his betrayal. He will be forgiven, reconciled, and empowered for leadership.

Today is the feast day of one of our Episcopal Church leaders William Reed Huntington. He was the church's most outstanding priest serving the House of Deputies during the General Conventions from 1871 until 1907. It was a time of great conflict, not unlike today. Huntington helped preserve unity following the painful schism when Assistant Bishop George David Cummins of Kentucky led a break which resulted in the creation of the Reformed Episcopal Church. Huntington helped articulate some essentials for Christian unity, the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral (p. 876-8 of the Prayer Book). He also spurred the revival of the order of deaconess, restoring women to the clerical orders.

How much we need new ways of finding paths to honor differences of belief and practice while upholding essentials. We need leaders who can forge both creativity and reconciliation. Tribal warfare is a tragic and unacceptable alternative.

Lowell
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, AR