Wednesday, October 4, 2006 -- Week of Proper 21 (St. Francis)

"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


Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 987)
Psalm 101, 109:1-4(5-19)20-30 (morning) // 119:121-144(evening)
Hosea 4:11-19
Acts 21:15-26
Luke 5:27-39

How do old and new traditions dance with one another?

In our Acts narrative, Paul finally arrives in Jerusalem. The church there welcomes him warmly. He goes to visit with James, the brother of Jesus. James is the leader of the Jerusalem church and has a position of unique authority in the early Jesus movement. Paul reports his success (and his conflicts) in establishing congregations in Asia Minor and Greece. Many of those who have responded to Paul's gospel were Gentiles. Paul has represented the gospel of Christ as a gospel of freedom and grace. By grace (sheer gift) you are saved, through faith. He has contrasted this new religious path with the old way of the law. Jesus offers freedom from the law, Paul preaches. Many have responded.

James knows all of 0this will cause controversy in the Jerusalem Church. Presumably all of the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem are faithful, practicing Jews, "all zealous for the law." They will recognize that Paul's gospel subverts the practice of the Jewish observance of Torah, sacred to the Christians in the Jerusalem church. The conflicts between Paul and the various synagogues in the places he has worked are public knowledge. This man who has been attacking Jewish religious traditions is now in Jerusalem itself. His presence will cause scandal to all Jews, including those who belong to the Church and are "zealous for the law."

A bit of public relations is in order. James instructs Paul to underwrite the completion of the nazarite vows of four men, presumably members of the congregation. Devout Jews taking a nazarite vow would refrain from all sin, from cutting their hair, and from all wine or grape products during the period of their devotion. When the time was ended, they would present themselves to the priests to offer sacrifices -- a lamb, a ewe, a ram, bread and the now long hair which would be shaved from their heads. James tells Paul to join these men in their week-long ritual and to pay for their offerings. Maybe this will show people Paul's respect for the law, "that you yourself observe and guard the law."

But the truth is, Paul really has challenged the traditions of the Jewish law. It is the centerpiece of his message. We are saved not by following the law, he says, but our salvation is a pure gift from God to be accepted simply and gladly. We'll read tomorrow -- James' idea of appeasement doesn't work.

We have a similar conflict in today's gospel reading. Jesus invites a tax collector into his intimate circle of apostles. There is a banquet. Jesus is sitting at table with "a large crowd of tax collectors." This is scandalous behavior. The people who teach and observe the religious tradition challenge him. These tax-collectors are the kind of people I came for, says Jesus.

And then we have a couple of attached sayings. First, Jesus defends his followers' who ignore the piety of the fast and who drink and dine with gusto. Then the section closes with an apt illustration of the difficulty when new ideas try to merge with ancient traditions -- You don't tear a piece of cloth from new clothes and patch the old clothes with it; The new is torn and it doesn't match the old. Put new wine in fresh, elastic wineskins. The old have no stretch to them. The new wine with it's effervescence will simply burst old skins trying to hold it in, and both will be ruined.

Reading these passages is like reading the history of religion, including our own. New inspiration comes and the old tradition cannot handle it. Accommodation to the old is rarely accepted. The pull and strain can tear the fabric of the fellowship; the tradition doesn't have enough stretch to accommodate to the new energy.

Anglican priest John Wesley's 18th century movement of enthusiasm and method-prayer-practice was more than a staid Church of England could handle in his day. Methodism became a new denomination instead of a renewal movement within Anglicanism. Several churches in current Anglicanism, including are own, are asking our brothers and sisters to stretch to accommodate the new grace and energy we have experienced. Tradition says, it's a hard stretch. Will the skins be able to hold the new wine?

A bit of hope. Today is the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. His movement with its energy and devotion challenged the church of his day. The church stretched and the Franciscan spirituality has contributed mightily to the catholic tradition. Francis' followers could have been suppressed or kicked out, but the old tradition was able to be renewed not torn by the new. Maybe we can too.

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