The Struggle

Monday, November 6, 2006 -- Week of Proper 26 (William Temple)

"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. 991)

Psalm 56, 57, [58] (morning) // 64, 65 (evening)

Ecclesiasticus 38:24-34 (found in the Apocrypha; also called Sirach)

Revelation 14:1-13

Luke 12:49-59

Deep within the religious desire is the wish that God would come to right what is wrong in the world, and come quickly. The good, the innocent and the vulnerable too often suffer oppression at the hands of powerful oppressors. The foolish rather than the wise prosper. Those who ignore or abuse the values of God thrive. Oh, that God would reverse the circumstances and bring justice to our world.

Jesus speaks of this fulfillment as an immanent one. Inevitably it will be divisive and conflictive -- fire and division. John imagines a spiritual allegory when those who are spiritually pure (virginal) and who do not lie are the first fruits of God's victory. The forehead is a symbol for the human spirit and worship. On their foreheads they have God's name. They give the whole of their being to God's purposes. They oppose those who give their spirit and loyalty to the symbols of human wealth, power and oppression, those whose foreheads have the mark of that beast.

There is something that these great religious utterances know. A reckoning is coming. We receive the fruits of our living, the consequences of our choices. God is working, and will prevail. God will raise up those who choose God's values and God will confound those who succumb to the greed and oppression of power.

"Hear my voice, O God, when I complain," says the psalmist. "Protect my life from the enemy. Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the mob of evildoers. ...God will loose an arrow at them, and suddenly they will be wounded. He will make them trip over their tongues, and all who see them will shake their heads. ...The righteous will rejoice in the Lord and put their trust in him, and all who are true of heart will glory." (Ps. 64) "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication..." (Rev. 14:8) God will right wrong. Come quickly, Lord.

Jesus chastises those who can read the weather but can't interpret the deeper issues of "the present time." Persevere. Be brave in goodness. Live with your forehead turned toward God's purposes. The way of willfulness and greed is doomed; the way of willingness and compassion is triumphant.

Lowell

__________________________

To Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the "Morning Reflections" email list,
go to our Subscriptions page -- http://www.stpaulsfay.org/id137.html

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