Friends and Trust

Tuesday, August 29, 2006 -- Week of Proper 16

"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 location -- 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. 981)
Psalm 5,6 (morning) // 10, 11 (evening)
Job 6:1-4, 8-15, 21
Acts 9:32-43
John 6:60-71

Sometimes friends don't come through. Job complains that his "companions are treacherous like a torrent-bed, ...you see my calamity, and are afraid." His suffering and his condition is intimidating. And he is not one who rewards his visitors by being overly solicitous with them. He has even asked God to release him and let him die.

It is not easy to be with a friend in such distress. His friends are unable to be with him simply, to accept his suffering and his complaint. In various ways they try to "fix" him. They offer Job advice. They speak to defend God in the face of Job's complaint that his suffering is unjust. Job's isolation is magnified by the failure of his friends, who "see my calamity, and are afraid."

In the gospel we see Jesus in the midst of a dispute with his friends. They have been confused and offended by his graphic language -- "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you." Part of what Jesus is doing is absorbing human life in all its earthy reality, including pain, suffering and death. He unites himself to our life and takes it into eternal life. He invites his friends to let the earthy reality of their lives be assumed into the spiritual. Ultimately "it is the spirit that gives life." He tells them "the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life."

Some of his friends can't go with him. They turn away. Even some of the twelve seem involved in the dissent. Peter speaks a word to recommit them. "You have the words of eternal life."

Job's friends refuse to surrender to their confusion and fear. They keep trying to fix him. They continue to be part of Job's burden, and ultimately God will not confirm their ministries. Peter surrenders even though confused and fearful. He accepts his unknowing and places simple trust in Jesus.

Our instincts to control and fix often block us from the life giving "spirit and life" of simple acceptance in trust. Peter doesn't know what the future will be. If it did, he might have shuddered in his recommitment. But with simple acceptance and trust he will have what he needs when he needs it. He's not in control. That's okay.

We get a peek into his future in the stories from Acts. After the passion and death of Jesus. After the resurrection. Peter is healing a paralytic and resuscitating a woman from death. Now he has the words of eternal life. He's living in the spirit that gives life.