A New Cycle of Readings

Monday, January 8, 2007 -- Week of 1 Epiphany, Year 1

"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. 942)
Psalms 1, 2, 3 (morning) // 4, 7 (evening)
Isaiah 40:12-23
Ephesians 1:1-14
Mark 1:1-13

Today we begin reading a new sequence of scriptures -- Second Isaiah, Ephesians, Mark, and a new cycle of reading the psalms.

Second Isaiah (chapters 40-55) contains some of the most lyrical and inspiring passages in all of the Bible and is honored as among the greatest of ancient literary creations. It articulates a renewal of hope for the Israelites of the exile in Babylon as well as those remaining in Jerusalem. Its historical setting is during the rise of the Persian ruler Cyrus during the decade prior to the Persian and Medes final overthrow of Babylon in 538 BCE. (The original Isaiah prophesied during the period 740-732 BCE.) This remarkable collection of poetry speaks a message of comfort by assuring its readers that God is the creator of all and the Lord of history. It helps our appreciation of this material to realize that it is written during a time of deep Jewish cynicism, to an audience that was both in different to the reality of God or too despairing to care. Our reading today invites us to imagine the greatness of God the Creator. It is a lyrical invitation to awe.

The letter to the Ephesians praises the awesome love of God which has united Jew and Gentile into one body. That body is Christ who is now raised to the cosmic heights. this is God's predetermined plan -- that God would raise Christ from the dead, place him over all things, seal the church with the Holy Spirit, and unite the church into Christ the Head of the Body. It is written in the style and spirit of Paul by an unknown disciple about a generation after Paul's ministry.

Mark invented the literary genre of the Gospel -- the good news which preaches the story of Jesus. Mark it emphasizes Jesus's victory through suffering. It invites the community of Christ to see its own suffering within the context of Christ's obedience and victory.

Reading these scriptures together will invite us into a cosmic vision of hope which is concretely connected to the very real circumstances of our earthly need and suffering. Think of the communities that these were written for -- the demoralized and dispersed Jewish people of the sixth century BCE, a young and vulnerable church that expected Jesus's return to have been accomplished decades ago, and a congregation undergoing suffering because of their faith. These words are addressed to people living with doubt, threat, and cynicism. They have spoken to people in similar circumstances for centuries.

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