Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Psalm for the Ideal Ruler

Wednesday, May 31, 2006 -- Week of 7 Easter -- The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

"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. 965)
Wednesday, Week of 7 Easter
Psalms 101, 109:1-4(5-19) 20-30 (morning) // 119:121-144 (afternoon)
Isaiah 4:2-6
Ephesians 4:1-16
Matthew 8:28-34

OR readings for The Feast of the Visitation (p. 997)
Morning Prayer: Psalm 72; 1 Samuel 1:1-20; Hebrews 3:1-6
Evening Prayer: Psalms 146, 147; Zechariah 2:10-13; John 3:25-30

(note: I used the readings for the Visitation)

The morning psalm appointed for the feast of the Visitation is the royal psalm 72. It is a song and prayer for the ideal ruler. Good choice for the day when we remember the story of Mary's visit to her older cousin Elizabeth to share the good news that she is expecting a child. In Luke's account, Mary sings a song of praise that prophesies God's great work of reversal -- to scatter the proud and lift up the lowly, to fill the hungry and send the rich away empty.

Psalm 72 asks for justice and righteousness from the ruler. "He shall defend the needy among the people; he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor." The biblical dream for the ideal leader repeatedly calls for a government that will care for and protect the poor and needy. Historically it seems that the interests of the wealthy and powerful usually get taken care of first by the authorities and the needs of the poor are often a reluctant priority.

As I was reading the psalm, my imagination wondered what our nation might be like if our government fulfilled the dream of the psalmist. At first the psalm reads like this ideal ruler would be a "kick butt and take names" leader when dealing with foreign enemies -- "His foes shall bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust." The psalm expects tribute and gifts from foreign rulers. "All kings shall bow down before him, and all the nations do him service." And here is where the psalm jumped out at me. All of these foreigners shall offer their respects to this ideal king, "For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress, and the oppressed who has no helper. He shall have pity on the lowly and poor; he shall preserve the lives of the needy. He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence, and dear shall their blood be in his sight. Long may he live! and may there be given to him gold from Arabia; may prayer be made for him always; and may they bless him all the day long."

That's a different kind of ruler. They honor this ruler because of his generosity and justice, not just his military prowess. These foreign lands are praying for him and blessing him, and even Arabia is generously cooperating with his agenda. Why? Because of his goodness and his commitment to the poor.

I wonder. What if our leaders had responded to the evil of 9/11 with generosity and justice? Yes, moving decisively in a police action against the actual perpetrators of the crime. (And willing to let the blood of others who suffer helplessly in genocidal conflicts be blood that is dear in our sight as well. Using military force to stop genocide and the oppression of bullies toward the helpless.) What if our leaders had responded primarily with compassion and generosity directed toward the suffering and injustice that creates the conditions which breed terrorists? What if we had used our power to broker a just peace between Israel and Palestine? What if we had created quality schools in Pakistan and Malaysia teaching math and science and humanities instead of the militant Islamic schools who are the only ones serving these isolated children? What if our compassion and care and justice were so present and obvious that would-be terrorists would no longer get traction with their hate? What if we had loved Tarshish and Arabia and Saba so much that they blessed us instead of cursed us?

That's the kind of ruler who would be remembered with honor by all nations. "May his Name remain for ever and be established as long as the sun endures; may all the nations bless themselves in him and call him blessed." The psalmist prays longingly for such a leader. So do I.

Lowell
_________________________


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

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Unconventional Peace

Tuesday, May 30, 2006 -- Week of 7 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


Today's Readings for the Daily Office
(p. 965)
Psalms 97, 99 [100] (morning) // 94, 95 (afternoon)
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Ephesians 3:14-21
Matthew 8:18-27

This has happened before. I finished my reflection, blocked, and hit "delete" instead of "copy." My journal program is an old one. There's no rescue option. It's gone.

I remember my basic idea, though. It starts with the unconventionality of Jesus demands in our Matthew reading. Family does not come first. There is no "place to lay your head" (a phrase that can be read as a physical or mental geography). All of these insecurities come in the context of Jesus' orders to go across "to the other side." He is always stretching boundaries, this tie taking his mission to the Gentile cities, to the unclean unbelievers. Excuses of taking care of our own first and of mental or physical security won't cut it. He drags his disciples to the other side.

No wonder there is a storm on the way across. These kinds of violations of convention are bound to stir up storms. Following Jesus can be more like traveling in a rocking boat in a storm than like standing firmly in a secure location. But his presence is our peace, the presence that stills the winds.

1 Samuel picks up on this theme of the unconventional, with the anointing of David -- the youngest/smallest, a humble eighth son. The tall, handsome first son Eliab was the natural choice.

The prayer of Ephesians 3:14f is an exquisite blessing for those who take the unconventional journey of following God. Our true place is to be "rooted and grounded in love." It is the geography of the heart, where Christ dwells through faith, so that our inner being may be filled with power that comes through the Spirit. To know the love of Christ surpasses knowledge. To know the love of Christ is to be filled with all the fullness of God.

That's the presence that stills the storms in the unconventional world of following the demands of love.

Lowell
_________________________


Anyone may subscribe to receive "Morning Reflections" by email.
Send a regular email to the following address: lowell-request@arkansasusa.com
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas

Friday, May 26, 2006

Congruence Between Word and Act

Friday, May 26, 2006 -- Week of 6 Easter -- Augustine of Canterbury
"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. 963)
Psalms 85, 86 (morning) // 91, 92 (afternoon)
1 Samuel 2:1-10
Ephesians 2:1-10
Matthew 7:22-27

Today we read the conclusion of Matthew's collection of Jesus' sayings which we traditionally call the Sermon on the Mount. It closes with an admonition to live consistently within the spirit of these words and thus build a strong foundation. Hear and act.

The whole collection invites us to live gracious lives: to be responsible in relationships, generous and humble, faithful to the way of Christ. Much of the sermon on the mount feels very similar to the Jewish Wisdom literature traditions. The final warnings against hypocrisy emphasize the repeated theme that our appearance, motivation and acts should be consistent.

Reading this closing and remembering the scope of this section of Matthew's gospel reminds me of those repeated resolutions to live in a way that is more congruent with what I say I believe. That takes some grit and discipline as well as some trust and humility. It brings to mind the motto of the Daughters of the King: For His Sake . . . I am but one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do. What I ought to do, by the grace of God I will do. Lord, what will you have me do?

Lowell
_________________________


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Send a regular email to the following address: lowell-request@arkansasusa.com
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Seeing Things Two Ways

Thursday, May 25, 2006 -- Week of 6 Easter -- Ascension Day

"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. 963)
Psalms 8, 47 (morning) // 24, 96 (afternoon)
Daniel 7:9-14
Hebrews 2:5-18
Matthew 28:16-20

A consistent part of the biblical message is the appeal for us to see things from a divine perspective. Daniel's visions seek to inspire Israel during the oppression of Antiochus IV. Antiochus is only a "little horn... and a mouth speaking arrogantly." The heavenly vision sees another mortal, a son of Adam, who will be presented to the Ancient One. To him will be given "dominion and glory and kingship... everlasting." Therefore, don't despair. God is righting wrong. Underneath the earthly misery is the movement of divine glory.

What are mere human beings that God would be mindful of them?, asks Hebrews. We are remarkable, comes the answer. Made lower than the angels for a little while, God has actually "crowned them with glory and honor, subjecting all things under their feet." It doesn't look like that yet, but the resurrection of Jesus is our foretaste. In him all glory is ours. In him suffering and death change.

Hebrews opens proclaiming the "the Son" whom angels worship, whose throne is forever, whose years will never end. Then today's reading tells us that he "had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest" on our behalf. He has assumed our mortality, tasted suffering and death for everyone. He has raised mortal life into heaven. Everything is changed.

We are invited into an altered state of consciousness. Earthly life is real and filled with the glory of God. Life is hard, suffering is painful, death is inevitable. But underneath the surface, everything is vibrating with the glory of God. All is being taken up into the divine life, including the oppression of tyrants like Antiochus and the torture of the innocent like Jesus. We can see the bitterness and take courage against it with confidence.

That kind of human empowerment moves from the specific to the universal in the Ascension of Jesus. In his earthly life he shows us how to live, motivated by fearless, vulnerable loving compassion. While he was with his disciples in the flesh, his presence mediated that divine spirit, but did so in a limited way. He was here, not there. When he was in Galilee, he was not in Jerusalem.

Now, our collect tells us, he has "ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things: ...he abides with his Church on earth." That dominion and glory and everlasting kingship is universally present, with us "always, to the end of the age."

So we can look at everything with new eyes. All is transfigured. Everything is as it appears -- material, created, full of ambiguity and suffering. Everything is more than what appears -- filled with glory, destined to be taken up into the divine life.

Most of us are able to see that in a baby's smile or a sunset. If our eyes are open, we can even see it in a hazelnut (Julian of Norwich) or in our kitchen pots and pans (Brother Lawrence).

Lowell
_________________________


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

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Responsibility and Consequences

Wednesday, May 24, 2006 -- Week of 6 Easter (Jackson Kemper)

"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. 963)
Psalms 119:97-120 (morning)
Leviticus 26:27-42
Ephesians 1:1-10
Matthew 22:41-46

for Evening Prayer (the Eve of the Ascension)
Psalm 68:1-20
2 Kings 2:1-15
Revelation 5:1-14

There are terrible consequences when we fail to live faithfully within the demands of justice and responsibility toward our neighbor and toward the earth. Today in Leviticus we hear some of the warnings.

There is one set of warnings that seem to relate to the consequences of not dealing justly with other human beings. The Torah sets out a system of laws governing relationships. These laws limit levels of physical or economic violence. They address abuses of power and greed. They provide means for honoring God and experiencing forgiveness. To follow these laws is to build a strong community that is able to care for all its inhabitants equally, preventing some from gaining exaggerated economic power over others. To follow these laws is to live peacefully and securely with other nations. To break these laws is to create systems of inequality and injustice that weaken the community and make it vulnerable to disaster from within and without.

There is another set of warnings that seem to relate to the consequences of not being good stewards of the earth. These laws provide for the land's sabbath rest and for the return of lands to the equal distribution of the ancient days every fifty years. To follow these laws will assure abundance. If these laws are ignored, the land will have its rest through the desolation of the nation.

Underneath all of this is the joined proposition that the people and the land belong to God and are to be treated with reverence. We do not posses the land. People are the beloved of God, not means toward economic ends. The people and land are not to be abused because of greed or misuse of power. The people are holy; the land is holy. Today's warnings speak of the desolating consequences that follow such unfaithfulness.

These warnings have historic reference in Israel's life. This bad stuff happens. It sounds like a wake-up call for us as well. In so many ways we are polluting our planet and abusing the earth at an unprecedented level. So many people are being left behind economically as others increase wealth and power dramatically. It is not hard to see the contemporary circumstances that the Scriptures warn us away from.

God asks for a humble response and for our making amends. What would humility look like in our day? What amends would heal the earth and repair inequalities? This passage ends with God's promise to remember the divine covenant with God's people and to "remember the land." But we've got to do our part. Otherwise, God "will continue hostile to you."


Lowell
_________________________


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

Monday, May 22, 2006

Redemption

Monday, May 22, 2006 -- Week of 6 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


Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 963)
Psalms 80 (morning) // 77, [79] (afternoon)
Leviticus 25:35-55
Colossians 1:9-14
Matthew 13:1-16

The brief reading from Colossians makes a beautiful prayer. Imagine this message being written to you from the apostle:

We have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.
May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Such a prayer blessing is a good way to begin the week.
_______________________________________________

The word "redemption" is an important one in Christian theology. We speak of Christ's work on our behalf as our redemption. Today we get an earlier picture of the meaning of redemption. To redeem something is to purchase its release or freedom.

At the base of the idea of redemption is the concept of original possession. The people of Israel are God's people, they belong to God. The land also is owned ultimately by God. Anything that humans may own, we have as stewards, as temporary possessions. Therefore, we should avoid excessive economic exploitation of the land or of people.

God apportioned the land to the tribes of Israel, every family receiving a family allotment in perpetuity. So as some Israelites become wealthy, gaining possession of more land and power, and as some Israelites become poor, losing possession of their land and power, God intends this inequality to be only a temporary matter. God provides a process of redemption for the relatives of the poorer families to buy back their land or their freedom. And if the families are unable to redeem, God provides a jubilee year. Every 50 years the land reverts to the original allocation and debts are canceled. Equality is then restored.

Leviticus 25 addresses increasingly serious situations that are the results of market activity. Justice and compassion are at the root of these laws. The statutes moderate the amount of control that a successful business person can exercise when another person may become dependent or is hired as a laborer. All economic advantages last only to the year of jubilee when all debts are canceled, bonded persons are freed, and land reverts to the tribes.

This vision is very different from our own market system where land is sold fee simple, the original owner losing all rights. I would be interested to know if the idea of jubilee was behind some of the bankruptcy laws that we have which deal with situations when debt has become overwhelming.

The Leviticus laws have a double standard, however. Although many compassionate Biblical laws apply equally to the resident alien as well as to the fellow Israelite, Leviticus 25 allows for the perpetual enslavement of aliens. I do know that this passage was used by American slaveowners to justify the economic institution of slavery prior to the Civil War. The basic bent of the scripture is toward liberation for all. But there are specific passages like this one which may justify some forms of oppression. In our history, slaves, foreigners, and women have all needed to overcome specific Biblical traditions by referencing the larger principles of freedom and equality. In our generation, gay and lesbian people are doing the same thing. Redemption is an on-going work.

Lowell
_________________________


Anyone may subscribe to receive "Morning Reflections" by email.
Send a regular email to the following address: lowell-request@arkansasusa.com
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I also send the upcoming Sunday scripture readings to this same list.

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

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Striving for the Kingdom of God

Thursday, May 19, 2006 -- Week of 5 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


Today's Readings for the Daily Office
(p. 963)
Psalms [70], 71 (morning) // 74 (afternoon)
Leviticus 19:26-37
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
Matthew 6:25-34

This is one of those days when I miss the King James Version. There are some beloved verses from that literary masterpiece that stay in my memory with the power of great poetry. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God..." My NRSV renders it "Strive first for the kingdom of God..." Both phrases work. The first (KJ) is more poetic. But the second helps correct the notion that looking for the kingdom of God is like seeking for a lost object -- "button, button, who's got the button." In many places Jesus says that we must strive -- work for, work with -- to cooperate with the inbreaking kingdom. We have a part to contribute to God's reign.

That's particularly important when we read the comforting passages inviting us not to worry or be anxious about "what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear... But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

It is manifestly true that many people do in fact worry about what they will eat or drink because they live in such extreme poverty that these things are. This year more than eight million people will die because they are too poor to stay alive. Eight million! This year. And last year. And next year. To say "don't worry about what you will eat or what you will drink" is an offensive platitude.

It is an offensive platitude unless we include the bottom line of this passage -- "strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." If we were all striving for the kingdom of God as our first and governing priority, then we would be striving to eliminate the kind of grinding poverty that results in the worry of looming starvation.

Our generation has a practical, workable blueprint to respond to the Sermon on the Mount. We can eliminate grinding poverty in our lifetime. We have the means, resources, and the technology to do that. We even have the authorizing legislation -- the "Millennium Development Goals" -- which the United States has agreed to along with most of the rest of the world. I'm going to be teaching about the Millennium Development Goals in my next few week's Sunday School class.

If our generation were to strive first for the kingdom of God we could cooperate with God to fulfill the dream of the Sermon on the Mount that no one would have to worry about starvation or death from preventable diseases. God has given our planet abundant resources to allow all of our children to thrive. God needs our help in the distribution of these resources. If we will cooperate by helping our global neighbors get on the first rung of the economic ladder, they'll be able to climb and to create prosperity and more security for themselves and their children. But we've got to seek that vision. We've got to strive for the kingdom of God. God needs our help to do what is right.

Lowell
_________________________

Anyone may subscribe to receive "Morning Reflections" as an email by sending a regular email to the following address: lowell-request@arkansasusa.com
Then, type the following command in the main body of the email:
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I also send the upcoming Sunday scripture readings to this same list.

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

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Holiness Codes

Wednesday, May 17, 2006 -- Week of 5 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. 963)
Psalms 72 (morning) // 119:73-96 (afternoon)
Leviticus 19:1-18
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
Matthew 6:19-24

This is one of those mornings when I'd like to write three reflections because there is so much in the readings. I'll stick with the first reading though.

The opening of the 19th chapter of Leviticus sings the theme of much of the book. "You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy." Leviticus visions two kinds of related holiness. There is the holiness that is the separation of the sacred from the profane, the whole from the divided, the complete from the partial. And there is the moral and ethical holiness as a way to live, a set of actions and behaviors.

Holiness as separation begins with God who is holy, separate and distinct from humanity. Circles of holiness radiate from the sanctuary in the middle of the Temple, the holiest place on earth because of its proximity to God. The priest who serve the sanctuary are separate from other people. Israel as God's holy people is separate from the other nations. Leviticus articulates sets of purity boundaries between clean and unclean -- animals, foods, various human situations. There are also prohibitions for the mixing of things that God has separated in creation -- no sowing of two kinds of seeds in a field or wearing a blend of fabrics. For many kinds of defilements, Leviticus provides for a ritual means of restoration to cleanliness or holiness.

Many other holiness commandments have an ethical or moral dimension. A farmer is not to reap to the very edges of a field or to pick up the fruit that may fall accidentally during the harvesting. The boundaries and gleanings (droppings) are to be left for the poor and the alien. (It is interesting how these codes are so separatist on one hand, yet so hospitable toward aliens on the other. I wish Christians who so strongly value their particular identity and calling to be a holy people would also embrace the traditions of hospitality toward the stranger and alien at this time when our political community talks about the challenges of immigration.)

Scholars believe that most of the holiness code was developed when Israel's existence as a people was threatened during the exile and post-exilic period. These practices helped define Israel as a people separate and distinct from the others during a time when their identity was threatened.

Many of these laws seem odd to us. But their study can prove fruitful. I've used the image of the field and harvest (unsuccessfully) as a metaphor for my work and time. If I will not completely schedule my time or fill my entire day with tasks, if I will keep some of my borders unharvested, I will be free to respond to the needs that may present themselves without appointment. I will have something left over to give away. Too often I begin a day with more scheduled commitments than I can reasonably accomplish. It's like my field has already been clear cut. There are no borders, no gleanings for the poor or needy.

I'd better finish. I'm already running behind schedule.

Lowell
_________________________

Anyone may subscribe to receive "Morning Reflections" by email.
Send a regular email to the following address: lowell-request@arkansasusa.com
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Looking at the Lord's Prayer

Tuesday, May 16, 2006 -- Week of 5 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


Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 963)
Psalms 61, 62 (morning) // 68:1-20(21-23)24-36 (afternoon)
Leviticus 16:20-34
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Matthew 6:7-15

Today we read the Lord's Prayer from Matthew's gospel. He situates the prayer right in the center of the Sermon on the Mount. The Lord's Prayer starts like so many Jewish prayers, with an ascription of praise and blessing to God -- "hallowed be your name." Jesus' prays for God's kingdom to come. What would it be like if God were governing rather than, in this case, Caesar? His proclamation of this alternative political rule is part of what got Jesus in trouble with the authorities. Jesus' preaching, action, and even his prayers had political ramifications. What do we think the reign of God would look like in 2006? If God were in charge instead of our current President, Congress and courts, how different might things be? If there are differences, the church should be in the Jesus-business of proclaiming the reign of God. What is it for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven?

The rest of the prayer asks God for some of the content of the Kingdom of God. It is a prayer that includes the provision of the daily subsistence needs for all people, their daily bread. The word "daily" means "for tomorrow." It is a prayer of concern for basic human needs and also an expression of hope for the eschatological banquet that Jesus anticipates.

Today more than 20,000 people will die because of extreme poverty. That won't be the headline on CNN. But that's the case. Give us today our daily tsunami. Actually, for the first time in human history, our generation has the means to actualize the Lord's Prayer. We have the resources and technology to eliminate extreme poverty in the world and to allow everyone their daily bread within our lifetime. A concrete and achievable blueprint for doing that is contained in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). All it takes is our willingness.

At the center of Jesus' prayer is a petition for debt relief. First century peasants would have known what Jesus was praying about. In the first half of the first century, a remarkable amount of the property that had formerly belonged to peasant subsistence farmers was systematically grabbed through legal manipulation of the economic system by the wealthy elites. Property increasingly transferred to the wealthy through debt foreclosure. An increasing percentage of the wealth flowed toward those who were already wealthy. Then they used their power to dictate working arrangements that were more favorable to them. Much of their manipulation was made possible through debts. Today in some developing or under-developed countries, enormous portions of their economy goes to debt service. Part of the MDG addresses debt relief as a way to develop global partnerships for development.

Here again, there is a double meaning in Jesus' phrase. In Jewish tradition, debts can also be a metaphor for sin. So the mutual forgiveness of debt is also Jesus' encouragement for our mutual forgiveness of sins. He makes that case more explicitly in verses 14 and 15.

His final phrase feels like an anticipation of the passion. "And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one." There are those situations that can break human beings. It is good to pray about such things. May we be delivered from these situations. If we, like Jesus, must face them, may God's power rescue us. Turning our face daily toward that which we would rather not look at helps us prepare for the day when we may face such terrors. May we do so with an active trust in God's deliverance.

It is a powerful prayer. Many of us pray it daily. It is a prayer with both personal and international scope, it is both intimate and political. In Paul's letter today he encourages his readers to stay awake. May we pray this prayer with awakened intention and consciousness, this day and each day.

Our Father, who art in heaven...

Lowell
_________________________


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

Monday, May 15, 2006

Rituals and Rapture

Monday, May 15, 2006 -- Week of 5 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


Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 963)
Psalms 56, 57, [58] (morning) // 64, 65 (afternoon)
Leviticus 16:1-19
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Some people are deeply moved by elaborate ritual. Others prefer the simple quiet intimacy of being with God. Both are provided for us by scripture and tradition.

Today in Leviticus we read Moses instructions about the liturgy of the atonement, a complicated rite of purification involving diverse sacrifices, incense, blood, vestments, curtains, altar, drama and ritual. (Yesterday's reading was about the elaborate ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests.)

In Matthew we hear the admonition that our prayer must be consistent with our actions. We are invited to practice our prayer, almsgiving and fasting quietly and humbly before God rather than other people. Tomorrow we'll read the simple prayer that Jesus teaches to his followers. Forgiveness has no ritual, but instead is connected with our forgiving relationship with others.

From my view, this is not a later teaching trumping an earlier one. The church's tradition has retained for us both kinds of prayer -- elaborate public ritual and quiet intimate prayer. I know that I have found both to be sources of presence.
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One little note. The notion of the "rapture" (a word not found in the Bible) comes from this passage in Thessalonians that we read today. An important context: this is among Paul's earliest letters. He is writing in an atmosphere when the congregation expected the immanent return of Jesus to earth. There is anxiety over the delay. -- We have been waiting expectantly for so long. What is the delay. Some of our disciples have died before the Lord's return. What about them? -- Paul is encourages the Thessalonians not to grieve so hopelessly about those who have already died. They too will share in the resurrection of Jesus.

Paul imagines the scene of Jesus' return, coming in the immanent future, maybe today, or if not today, more likely this week. He sees those who have died in a procession with Jesus. The archangel's trumpet blast raises the dead to Christ. Jesus leads the procession back to earth, with all the faithful dead returning with him. Those who are alive are then "caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air." The living join Jesus and the dead in the great procession which returns to the earth to usher in the awaited Kingdom of God. Jesus' return inaugurates the great healing of the earth when all creation will live in harmony.

It is a tragic misreading of this expectation to see this return of Jesus as an escape from the earth. Maybe you remember the evangelical Secretary of the Interior a few years ago who expressed some rather casual disregard for an environmental issue because he expected Jesus to return soon. His expectation was not the restoration of the earth, but its complete destruction. Why take care of earth if it is simply to be discarded? That's a bad misreading of scripture and a distortion of the teaching of Jesus whose stories showed such attentive regard for seeds, birds, fish, water and seasons.

Lowell
_________________________


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I also send the upcoming Sunday scripture readings to this same list.

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

Friday, May 12, 2006

Wrestling with the Bible

Friday, May 12, 2006 -- Week of 4 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


Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 961)
Psalms 40, 54 (morning) // 51 (afternoon)
Exodus 34:18-35
1 Thessalonians 3:1-13
Matthew 5:27-37

This is one of those days when we've got contentious readings. There is plenty of content for disagreement and even consternation.

Our Exodus reading pops up occasionally in civic debate whenever it is proposed that the ten commandments be publicly displayed. Some sharp eyed skeptic will ask, "Which 10 Commandments? There are three versions." In fact, the rather unfamiliar list today is the only place where the identifier "ten commandments" or "ten words" actually shows up.

The list of the ten in Exodus 34 divides differently according to how you read them. But it can be made into ten fairly neatly. The passage that seems to draw the most magnetism is "You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk."

So what does that enigmatic commandment mean? I'm not sure, but there are a few lines of thought. One is that the prohibition is kin to other statutes in the Torah that prohibit slaughtering a calf and it's mother on the same day or the killing of a bird and its eggs simultaneously. It is a deep affront to life to do so. Another possibility is that it is an injunction against idolatry. There is evidence of Canaanite rituals that included the boiling of a kid in its mother's milk. Many see this passage as a source for the kosher law the prohibits eating meat and dairy products together.

For me, to ponder a bit about this version of "the" ten commandments is a reminder to be a bit more modest about what I think I know. If I didn't read the Daily Office, I probably would not have come across this passage. It's not chiseled in stone and placed behind pulpits and judges' benches. I'm reminded not to hold on too tightly, even to things that I cherish. There is much that I do not know.

And that leads me into the Matthew reading for today. I can raise my hand as one who has been troubled and convicted by the words "I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart." I remember an earnest moment in my youth when I carried some obsessive guilt around because of this passage. I've also chosen at times to dismiss it as one of those crazy things in the Bible that I can't deal with. And I can appreciate it as a teaching about the serious significance of inner motivation -- thoughts matter.

And the tearing out of an offending eye or the cutting off of right hands? It's one of those days when it's nice not to be a literalist! But these are pointed images about the seriousness of our obligations to live well.

I like having to read this stuff. It often hits me right between the eyes, even though I have both of them despite many eye offenses. It is not helpful just to dismiss the disagreeable or exaggerated passages of scripture. Centuries of veneration have shown there is something there in every phrase.

Lowell
_________________________


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

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Changing Laws

Thursday, May 11, 2005 -- Week of 4 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


Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 961)
Psalms 50 (morning) // [59, 60] or 114, 115 (afternoon)
Exodus 34:1-17
1 Thessalonians 2:13-20
Matthew 5:21-26

Changing Laws

In our Exodus reading Moses prepares to take the two tablets of stone up the mountain again. Earlier in anger at Israel's apostasy, Moses had broken these stones with the ten words of commandment on them.

Early in the morning Moses goes up Mount Sinai with the stones and he has an experience of God. "The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name, 'The LORD.'" God then describes the divine character as being "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, ...for giving iniquity and transgression and sin." But then God speaks that he is God who judges the guilty, "visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation." This vow to punish up to four generations for the sins of their ancestors also appears in the first set of commandments from Exodus 20.

Such placement of a fundamental law of God appears pretty foundational. As God is delivering the commandments that create the conditions of fellowship, God reasserts the intention to hold multiple generations responsible for sin. (We sure see that happen, as any son of the Confederacy can witness. My ancestor's injustice to our black brothers and sisters redowns as cursing racism for generations. But that's a reflection for another morning.)

This law about the nature of God subsequently changed. Several centuries later both the prophet Jeremiah (chapter 31) and the prophet Ezekiel (ch. 18) pronounced to God's people in God's name that it would no longer be true that God punishes the children for the ancestor's sin. The person who sins would be held accountable. It is like an amendment to the commandment.

In that same prophetic tradition, Jesus interprets the law in our reading from Matthew today. He opened this section with the words "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets," then he reinterprets the law in a more radical way. He changes their focus from outward behaviors to inward motivations. It is not enough just to refrain from murder, but harboring anger in your heart is a form of murdering. Not only is bearing false witness prohibited, but to insult another human being is a form of false witness that is forbidden.

I remember as a child being haunted by that passage "if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire." I was very afraid of that message. I tried to use other epithets when I was angry. I wondered, is "You idiot" okay to say? But one day, it slipped out. I was having a disagreement with a playmate and I called him a fool. He knew his Bible. "Oh!" he said. "You'll go to hell for that." At that moment, I felt like a goner.

Some lessons for me include these. Following all the rules isn't the bottom line. Sometimes the rules need to change. Sometimes they need to be loosened. Sometimes they need to find more depth. The motivation of the heart is key? The place of struggle is in the heart. What motivates me? What are the thoughts of my heart? From that place will come the acts of good and evil. Jesus' summary helps: Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.

Lowell
_________________________


Anyone may subscribe to receive "Morning Reflections" by email.
Send a regular email to the following address: lowell-request@arkansasusa.com
Then, type the following command in the main body of the email:
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I also send the upcoming Sunday scripture readings to this same list.

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

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Praying with Moses

Wednesday, May 10, 2006 -- Week of 4 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


Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 961)
Psalms 119:49-72 (morning) // 49, [53] (afternoon)
Exodus 33:1-23
1 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Matthew 5:17-20

It wouldn't be too far fetched to read the account of Moses going to the tent of meeting to be with the Lord as an image for the Church's practice of daily prayer. In our tradition, the Daily Office is our grounding practice of recollection before the presence of God. It is interesting how important a liturgical form is to Moses and the congregation. All rise and stand before their tents as Moses processes; all bow in recognition of God's presence in the pillar of cloud (incense?). Then Moses speaks intimately with God.

In the prayer that Moses speaks to God, he presents his problems with earnest frankness. "You've called me to this work. I need some help." Then he goes to an even deeper place of need. "Show me your ways, so that I may know you." Elsewhere in scripture there is a provocative phrase that has been meaningful to me as speaking the desire of my heart -- "I want to know you."

From somewhere deep within Moses' prayer, he senses a response. "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." I can imagine the deep sense of gladness and joy Moses must experience to feel God's answer to that deep prayer. Yet, even within this experience of divine assurance, Moses wonders. He begs, "If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here."

In this back and forth of prayer and response, God grants Moses request. "I will do the very thing that you have asked." But Moses goes even deeper within the desires of his heart and is bold to say, "Show me your glory, I pray." What a place of trust and need Moses has accessed. To see God's glory would be his end. To see God would be to be consumed.

God grants him his desire, in part. "I will make my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim before you the name, "I AM WHO I AM." God is utterly free and will not be controlled by anything, including our prayers. So God covers Moses and turns away the divine face to let His glory pass by.

Each time we pray, something more (or usually less) than this is happening. Liturgy helps. The intentional procession, bows, incense and other evocations. Pouring out our heart's deepest desire with expectant faith helps. Listening deeply helps. Sometimes God speaks. We hear something; feel some intuition or stirring. We take that and respond, more deeply and intimately if possible. Sometimes God seems incredibly present. Sometimes there is only silence or emptiness. We often get less than we desire, but even God's backside can be wonderful.

Yesterday I watched an old monk across from me pray the responses for the Prayers of the People. "Christe eleison," we all said. But there was an earnestness and deep devotion in his face as he mouthed this common response. He was within the cloud. He was taking with God face to face. His prayer came from the heart.

It only takes a little attention and presence and energy to be so with God. It can happen in an instant. Liturgy helps. Practice and discipline develop competencies and skills. Listening deeply helps. It is what we are invited into daily. A time of daily prayer within the "tent of meeting" can ground us in the presence of the free God whose presence will go with us and who alone can give us rest. Whenever any one of us offers our daily prayer or Office, we dwell in that tent with Moses, with countless others who join us in this common practice, with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven, and most especially with God, who welcomes our needs, and wants to answer the deepest desire of our heart.

"I want to know you."

Lowell
_________________________


Anyone may subscribe to receive "Morning Reflections" by email.
Send a regular email to the following address: lowell-request@arkansasusa.com
Then, type the following command in the main body of the email:
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Good News & Bad News

Tuesday, May 9, 2006 -- Week of 4 Easter -- Gregory of Nazianzus

"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. 961)
Psalms 45 (morning) // 47, 48 (afternoon)
Exodus 32:21-34
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Matthew 5:11-16

Good News and Bad News

I've got a friend who's had a pretty good life, for the most part. Whenever someone offers him a complement -- nice church, nice family, etc. -- his customary response is, "I've been blessed." On the other hand, I remember visiting with a young man who referred to nearly every misfortune, even the small things, with a resigned, "Maybe the Lord is punishing me through this."

In our Exodus reading today there is some fierce punishment as Moses calls the sons of Levi to his side. They take swords and kill their relatives, 3,000 of them, for their betrayal, for worshipping the golden calf. Later we'll read of Moses' intercession for the people and the promise of God's presence leading them into a new land.

In today's gospel from Matthew's Beatitudes, we hear "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account;" and we also hear "You are the light of the world. ...Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."

First Thessalonians begins with warm words of encouragement to the church in Thessaloniki, remembering their "work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope" even "in spite of persecution." They have become an example for others.

Good news and bad news; luck and misfortune; blessings and curses. It's all part of the mix. How hard it is to assign causality. Is this good thing happening because God is blessing me, or do people speak well of me because I am good? Is this bad thing happening because God is punishing me, or do people treat me badly because I am good?

James Finley is a favorite writer. In his early adulthood he joined the Trappist monks in the Gethsemene Abbey in Kentucky where one of his novice masters was Brother Louis, better known outside the monastery as Thomas Merton.

He remembers his regular visits with Merton. Jim says he would walk into Merton's study to hear the greeting, "How are you, Jim?" "Well, not good at all. I'm very distressed about several things..." but Merton interrupted, "Don't worry about it Jim. It'll get better."

On another occasion he might enter Merton's study healing, "How are you, Jim?" "Just great! Things have been coming together marvelously..." but Merton would quickly chime in, "Don't take it too seriously, Jim. Things will get worse."

There is a peace that comes with a simple acceptance of the presence circumstances as the only reality through which God can be present to us, for God is present in whatever is. When we let go of our tendency to judge the past, we are better able to engage the present. Who knows whether it is for good or ill? Surrender to the moment. Then we can ask ourselves: Given the circumstances of the moment, and God's presence in it, what is God calling us to do or to enjoy or to suffer?

Lowell
_________________________


Anyone may subscribe to "Morning Reflections" by email.
Send a regular email to the following address: lowell-request@arkansasusa.com
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas

Friday, May 05, 2006

Is this what God feels like?

Friday, May 5, 2006 -- Week of 3 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

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 961)
Psalms 105:1-22 (morning) // 105:23-45 (afternoon)
Exodus 24:1-18
Colossians 2:8-23
Matthew 4:12-17

Today I was struck by something that I don't remember ever having read before. In the Exodus passage it tells about Moses taking the his closest associates Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders up the mountain, "and they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there was something like a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. God did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; also they beheld God, and they ate and drank." Afterwards, Moses went into the cloud up on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

I'm sure I've read this passage before, but I don't remember it. It surprised me because my recollection was that it was Moses, and Moses alone, who saw God during the wilderness sojourn. But here we have a story of a large group of God's people sharing a vision of God and the communion of a holy meal.

When I talk with people about God, sometimes I like to ask them about any peculiar moments when they've sensed themselves to be in the presence of "something More." When they've known awe or a deep peace. When they've sensed time stand still as they were seized by a wonder which grasped them deeply. Given a bit of time to think about it, nearly everyone can come up with such a memory. Sometimes it is the memory of something deeply forming. For others, it is an oddity or curiosity that they've wondered about but never fully explored.

I'm convinced that every human being has these numinous experiences. There is a Friday, May 5, 2006 -- Week of 3 Easterlot of language for them, none of it entirely satisfying, but I'm comfortable calling these experiences of God.

Something that says richly in my consciousness happened many years ago when I was on retreat at a Roman Catholic monastery. Part of my prayer that day had to do with my need for a sense of God's presence and leading for a young priest. I was praying conversationally with a passage from Isaiah. From deep inside a greater desire floated up. "I want to experience you, God. I want to know how 'God' feels."

Very shortly thereafter, I sensed a tingling presence in the room with me -- behind, above, and to my right. It began to move across the room behind me. I am without words to describe the sense of energy, potential, joy, and fullness there. It was incredibly alive and wonderfully benevolent. As this was happening, an incomplete question formed in my thoughts, "Is this what God feels like?"

Before the thought could complete itself, I experienced something so overwhelming and wonderful that the only words I've been able to use to approach is to say that it was like a divine, cosmic laugh. It was like the whole universe was filled with a joyful laughter that made the stars dance. Out of the laugh, an unspoken word emerged -- "YES!" It was like the universe filled with God was laughing "Yes -- this is what God feels like." Even the memory of the moment long ago fills me with joy and makes me smile again.

Lowell
_________________________


Anyone may subscribe to to receive "Morning Reflections" by email.
Send a regular email to the following address: lowell-request@arkansasusa.com
Then, type the following command in the main body of the email:
JOIN lowell your-email-address (example: JOIN lowell JaneDoe@aol.com)

I also send the upcoming Sunday scripture readings to this same list.

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

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Commandments & Temptations

Thursday, May 4 -- Week of 3 Easter (St. Monnica)

"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 the bottom of the reading, and post your thoughts.

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 961)
Psalms 37:1-18 (morning) // 37:19-42 (afternoon)
Exodus 20:1-21
Colossians 1:24 - 2:7
Matthew 4:1-11

Commandments and Tempations

The late Wayne Teasdale was a leader in interreligious dialogue. He remarked on how similar are the ethical teachings of the various enduring religions. Every faith has ethical principles that are basically similar to the ten commandments that are in our Exodus reading today.

It's hard to read them right now without some mental reference to the recent political conflicts over the posting of the ten commandments in public buildings and courtrooms. When we read them as a component of our religious heritage, they seem to sound one way. The work within all of the great Biblical and religious conversations of centuries of Jews and Christians.

Reading them as public law feels more troubling to me. There is the presumed acceptance of slavery as part of the economic landscape. Slaves are included in the Sabbath and are regarded a property that should not be subject to envy. And the Sabbath laws. In a 24/7 economy, where is the energy among proponents of the commandments to shut down all work in America for at least one day of seven? As a student of the religious traditions, I know that subsequent prophets modified the belief that God punishes the children "for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation." But what does that mean in a courtroom? And in a pluralistic state that promotes freedom of religion in its Constitutional Bill of Rights, what does it mean to have the God who rescued the Hebrews from Egypt be the exclusive God, "you shall have no other gods before me."

All of this is part of our treasured religious heritage and finds its place within the tapestry of that rich tradition. But taken out of context and chiseled into secular legal places, it begs some interpretation. For that matter, the Beatitudes would work better.
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Just a quick note about the account of Jesus' temptations. Thomas Keating famously preached the three temptations as Matthew composes them as the story of Jesus overcoming the primary negative energy centers of our False Self. From childhood we experience a need for security, affection/esteem, and power/control. When we feel a deprivation of any of these instinctual needs, we act decisively to meet them. Eventually, we develop an exaggerated need for security, esteem and power, and become attached to the symbols of their possession. A large part of the spiritual journey is to consciously dismantle our attachment to our exaggerated needs for security, affection and control.

Jesus faced the same temptations. He is our model for health in overcoming.

Security: "He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished... Command these stones to become loaves of bread... One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."
Affection/Esteem: A dramatic public display, sure to amaze all and engender admiring followers -- "Throw yourself down [from the pinnacle of the temple]... "Do not put the Lord your God to the test."
Power/Control: He "showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor, ...all these I will give you... Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him."

Jesus succeeds by trusting God as the source of perfect security, perfect affection, and perfect power. We don't have to do anything to receive these necessary needs. They are ours from God. We get in trouble when we insist on gaining them on our own, to satisfy our exaggerated needs. That's the False Self that separates us from our True Self and from God.

Lowell
_________________________


Anyone may subscribe to receive "Morning Reflections" by email.
Send a regular email to the following address: lowell-request@arkansasusa.com
Then, type the following command in the main body of the email:
JOIN lowell your-email-address (example: JOIN lowell JaneDoe@aol.com)

I also send the upcoming Sunday scripture readings to this same list.

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

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

The Experience of the Holy

Wednesday, May 3, 2006 -- Week of 3 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

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 961)
Psalms 38 (morning) // 119:25-48 (afternoon)
Exodus 19:16-25
Colossians 1:15-23
Matthew 3:13-17

The Experience of the Holy

In Exodus we read of Moses and the people at the base of Mount Sinai when God came down upon the top of the mountain in smoke and thunder. Their sense of awe is palpable. To get too close would be to die. In Colossians we read of the growing sense of wonder that the early Church experiences reflecting on the experience of God as mediated through Jesus Christ. What they have experienced in his incarnation is one with God's creative presence at all times. And the Gospel recalls the baptism of Jesus when the heavens open and God declares him beloved.

From time to time I think each of us experiences the holy. I think every human being has sensed the presence of The More. The experience is so different from our ordinary consciousness, I'm not sure we are always able to appreciate such moments and treasure them. It's too easy to let them fade or to rationalize them as something so odd that we don't have reality categories to fit this into. Without categories, we can dismiss something penultimate as merely unreal.

There are times when contemplative prayer goes especially deep. In those experiences, "I" disappear. Any sense of my self as separate from the all evaporates. There is no experience of time. There is only everything. The only sense of having experienced anything comes as "I" emerge out of the state of "no-I." What is left is a deep sense of peace and connection with all that is. A calm gladness that feels completely rested, at ease, present, content with what is. It is like the echo of a fine vibration that continues in the background. There is an exhilarated "yes" underneath whatever may have happened.

If that is what it is to experience God, then it is exquisite. If that is what it is like not to exist, then it is fine with me. The experience is so self-authenticating, that it feels so much more real than ordinary life or ordinary consciousness. It seems like a peek at the reality that is below appearances. I can believe or hope that in the deepest reality, in God, all opposites resolve, everything is truly reconciled, and a joyful peace that passes all understanding heals and unites everything, even the horrors of this world.

But I don't know with full certainty that this is really real. It might be a trick of my imagination. Or just some odd brain chemistry. It might have no exterior reality beyond my brain. It would be easy to dismiss. There is nothing outside to authenticate, except the witness of religious mystic traditions. And they could all be as crazy and deluded as I am.

It is a choice for me to accept this experience as real, as an experience of the Holy. That choice changes my frameworks. It influences my interpretations. It grounds me in a faith in something more; something unifying and wonderful. Living out of that reality feels more alive than dismissing or forgetting that reality. If it is truly real, then life is more wonderful than I can imagine. If it's not, that's okay too. Just touching the possibility is fulfilling in and of itself.

Lowell
_________________________


Anyone may subscribe to receive "Morning Reflections" by email.
Send a regular email to the following address: lowell-request@arkansasusa.com

Then, type the following command in the main body of the email:
JOIN lowell your-email-address (example: JOIN lowell JaneDoe@aol.com)

I also send the upcoming Sunday scripture readings to this same list.

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

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Getting it Part Right

Tuesday, May 2, 2006 -- Athanasius of Alexander

"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. 961)
Psalms 26, 28 (morning) // 36, 39 (afternoon)
Exodus 19:1-16
Colossians 1:1-14
Matthew 3:7-12

Like most of us, John the Baptist got part of it and missed part of it.

Our gospels honor John as the forerunner of Jesus. He revived the role of the prophet to chastise mere ritual and legalistic religious observance and to recall God's people to the weightier matters of the law: social justice, economic relief for the poor, care for the suffering. Like so many of the prophets, he attacked the privileges and abuses of the powerful, and he mocked the professional religiosity of the pious. He called for the entire society of first century Judaism to a radical reformation. Without such a reform, he predicted catastrophe for their people.

The gospels say that John pointed to Jesus as the promised Messiah. And when Jesus began his public ministry, he picked up many of John's themes, preaching the same language of reform, calling the people to repent -- to turn back from their unjust directions. But Jesus predicted a different kind of catastrophe.

John imagined a Messiah of war and violence. Like many earlier voices of the Hebrew scriptures, he longed for the Anointed of God to come and kick butt and take names. He yearned for the kind of justice that is administered with strength and temporal power. He called for a new set of Exodus plagues upon the oppressors of God's people and for their liberation from the tyranny of Rome and Rome's collaborators.

Even though John identified Jesus as God's chosen One, he missed out on the methods that Jesus would use. There was no cutting down with axes and throwing into the fire. There was no winnowing fork that cleared the threshing floor, separating the good wheat from the evil chaff and destroying the chaff with unquenchable fire. That's not the kind of Messiah Jesus would be. John got that part of it wrong. John wasn't unfaithful. He knew his scriptures. That stuff is in the Bible too. It's just that Jesus is not that way. And we believe that Jesus reveals how God is.

Later, languishing in prison, John heard of Jesus' activities and sent to ask, "Are you the one?" Jesus wasn't living up to John's expectations. The return message was an ambiguous one. Tell John what you see. They described the healing and reconciling work that Jesus was accomplishing. It was Messianic work. But there was no ax and winnowing and no unquenchable fire of punishment for the chaff. Would John be able to give up that part of his desired expectation for God's victory?

The church gets presented the same question today. There are Christians today -- good, faithful, moral, courageous people -- who still long for the return of the kick-butt-take-names Messiah. They look to the same passages that John did, and add to them some enigmatic material from the later apocalypse of the Revelation. Some of them are quick to name the chaff and announce the particular judgment of unquenchable fire. Some of them have told me that's my fate.

But what if the Jesus who returns is the same Jesus who left? Seems pretty likely to me. From our various prisons, will we be able to give up our attachment to the entertaining violence of ax and winnowing and the unquenchable fire of punishment for the chaff? The fire that Jesus brings is still unquenchable. But the fire of Pentecost is the fire of the Spirit. It is the unquenchable fire of love. Love burns; it pierces and destroys; it winnows and gathers. But love does so in such a different way than John expected.

Lowell
_________________________

Anyone may subscribe to "Morning Reflections" by sending a regular email to the following address: lowell-request@arkansasusa.com
Then, type the following command in the main body of the email:
JOIN lowell your-email-address (example: JOIN lowell JaneDoe@aol.com)


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

Monday, May 01, 2006

Getting Unstuck

Monday, May 1, 2006 -- Feast of Sts. Philip & James

"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. 959)
Psalms 25 (morning) // 9, 15 (afternoon)
Exodus 18:13-27
1 Peter 5:1-14
Matthew (1:1-17); 3:1-6

It's easy to get in over your head. With the best of intentions, we overcommit. Sometimes it's simply a matter of wanting to do good, but not being able to do everything good you want to do in the limited time you have. You get stuck. Running in place; running faster, but not getting anywhere. Sometimes it takes somebody from the outside to see the situation with fresh eyes and make a suggestion.

Moses has been dragging the Hebrew people out of Egypt and into a structured community life by the force of his strong leadership and his intimacy with God. He's pretty unique. This was his vision. He was the one who mediated the laws. In so many ways, it's his baby. And he's a responsible type. He probably takes the whole endeavor more seriously than anyone else.

When someone else all of that responsibility, the rest of us are usually pretty glad to let them. It's a lot easier to defer the tough decisions to the authority. After all, whoever decides also gets the blame. It's easier to sit back and expect "them" to take care of the problems. Grumbling is fun. Especially when you don't have to take responsibility for solving things.

Moses has been over-functioning. But it happened so gradually that he hadn't even noticed. It was a natural progression from the business of leading the people out of their bondage. Then there was the business of setting up a workable system of life in the wilderness. And since he's been the one in charge all this time, he's the one who gets all the problems. You have a problem, take it to Moses. He started all this stuff. But the system has grown too big. He can't handle all of the problems that come up on a daily basis. But he sure is trying hard.

It takes someone like Jethro to come in from the outside and see the situation with new eyes. It's too much for one person, says Moses' father-in-law. Set up a system of oversight. They can take responsibility for solving nearly all of the problems. You can spend your time on the tough ones or the most important ones. Give away some power; give away some authority. It's like dividing perennials. The power and authority will multiply as you divide the responsibilities.