Good Deeds Punished

Friday, March 30, 2007 -- Week of 5 Lent

"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. 956)
Psalms 95* & 22 (morning) 141, 143:1-11(12) (evening)
* for the Invitatory
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-13
Romans 11:13-24
John 11:1-27, or 12:1-10
(I chose to read John 11:1-27)

There is an old saying, "no good deed goes unpunished."

From Jerusalem, the prophet Jeremiah writes an encouraging letter to the exiles in Babylon. He tells them to "seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile" and to build home and families. He promises them that God has good plans for their future. Jeremiah's lyrical words have comforted centuries of seekers: "When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart." I can remember being taught that verse as a child and letting its promise energize my heart filled prayer and quest for God.

But Jeremiah's counsel is received with mixed results. There are other prophets in Babylon and Jerusalem who take issue with him. They are encouraging the people to keep up the fight. They want no settlement in Babylon; they want nothing good for those who have attacked them. They want to continue the resistance and the battle. Jeremiah finds himself in a contest between prophets.

In John's Gospel we begin the story of Lazarus' death and of Jesus' raising him from the dead. Mary and Martha call for Jesus while Lazarus is gravely ill. Jesus postpones the two-mile trip for a couple of days. Lazarus dies. Jesus declares that this death is for the glory of God and of the glory that Jesus shares as the Son.

I have always been touched by the pathos of the scene when Martha rushes out to greet Jesus upon his arrival. We know that she had put her trust in Jesus when she called him at Lazarus' illness. She believed that if Jesus would come, Jesus would heal her brother. He did not come. What sort of conflicted emotions must have surged within her? Her friend Jesus had not lived up to her expectations. He did not come when she called. Now her brother is dead. She expresses her anguished grief.

"Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." What an amazing expression of trust.

Tomorrow we will read the rest of the story. Jesus will raise Lazarus from the tomb. Ironically, in John's account, it is this act that will set in motion the intentions of the religious and political authorities to execute Jesus.

Lowell


To Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the "Morning Reflections" email list,
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, AR

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

See our Web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life:
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Trials and Conflicts

Thursday, March 29, 2007 -- Week of 5 Lent
(John Keble)

"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. 956)
Psalms 131, 132, [133] (morning) 140, 142 (evening)
Jeremiah 26:1-16
Romans 11:1-12
John 10:19-42

There are a lot of ways good people get into trouble. It seems when we read scripture that it is inevitable that faithful people will find themselves in conflict.

The trial of Jeremiah is fascinating. The date is sometime around 609 BCE when Jehoiakim began his reign. During this period the leading groups within Judah were split, some urging loyalty toward Egypt, some supporting alliance with Babylon. Jeremiah and his followers were strongly pro-Babylonian. (It is anachronistic, but not entirely unlike the party splits between Democrats and Republicans.) Today's reading references the Temple Sermon of Jeremiah which we read beginning in chapter 7, prophesying within the Temple that God would destroy the holy city of Jerusalem and the Temple. Jeremiah is charged with a capital offense of treason and blasphemy. Jeremiah pleads in his defense that he has spoken truth in obedience to God's call.

Although it is not included in our lectionary readings, the rest of the chapter tells of the trial. Those who favor Jeremiah argue that there is a precedence. The eighth century prophet Micah prophesied that Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed, and King Hezekiah listened to the prophet. God changed his mind and did not bring about that disaster.

We learn that Ahikam rescues Jeremiah from death, though we do not learn how. The rest of this second "book" of Jeremiah will blame King Jehoiakim for the coming disaster because he did not heed the prophetic word. (We also read of Jehoiakim's execution of another prophet who spoke similar words to Jeremiah's.) Jeremiah is in the middle political conflict and and intrigue.

Jesus also finds himself in a continuing conflict with the religious authorities. (In John's Gospel, he generally uses the reference "the Jews" to mean the religious authorities. "The Jews" does not refer to all the Jewish people.) Jesus says something daring: "The Father and I are one." The authorities take up stones to execute Jesus on a charge of blasphemy, claiming equality with God.

In a scene that is something like an oral trial, Jesus quote scripture in his defense. Throughout John's Gospel the authorities have rejected Jesus and misinterpreted his mission while quoting scripture to defend their judgments. Jesus reverses the tables and throws the Book at them. He quotes from Psalm 82:6 which reads as an oracle from God's voice: "Now I say to you, 'You are gods, and all of you children of the Most High...'" If God has spoken to all people saying that they are gods, how much more appropriate is is for Jesus, the one sent by God to do God's work, to be called "God's Son"? This is his scriptural defense.

Then Jesus challenges them one step further. Even if they don't believe Jesus is God's Son, look at the works and evaluate them. Is he doing good works in the Spirit of God? If they take issue with him, for what good work do they challenge him?

It is an argument that can be offered today in defense of some people who are charged with being outside the family of God's salvation. Some Christians allege that all non-Christians are under condemnation. Yet the word from Psalm 82 "You are gods" is a universal word. It is spoken to all people, or at the very least to all Jews. And we see people from other religious traditions who do good works, works in the Spirit of God. For what good works might a Christian condemn Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, or Abraham Heschel?

The religious authorities who brought Jesus to trial and condemned him to death believed that they were following the will of God and obeying Scripture. Everyone involved in the trial of Jeremiah claimed that God was on their side. It seems inevitable that religious people will find themselves in conflicts.

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

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

See our Web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life:
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

The Mission of Jesus

Wednesday, March 28, 2007 -- Week of 3 Lent

"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. 956)
Psalms 119:145-176 (morning) 128, 129, 130 (evening)
Jeremiah 25:30-38
Romans 10:14-21
John 10:1-18

"I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd."

Several years ago our Vestry went on a weekend working-retreat. Our intention was to write a Mission Statement for St. Paul's. Here's what we came up with: The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love. I like that statement. We tried to make sure that everything we do at St. Paul's is consistent with and contributes to our mission.

Some people have said that John 10:10b is Jesus' Mission Statement: I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. Everything that Jesus does is consistent with and contributes to that mission. The image of the good shepherd puts a picture with that mission.

The focus of Jesus' mission is abundant life for all people here and now. The voice of the shepherd is a voice of encouragement, a voice of grace, acceptance, and love. The spirit of the shepherd is a spirit of compassion. The work of the shepherd is the work of healing and reconciliation. This is the Good News of abundant life for all people here and now.

In today's reading, Paul quotes the prophet Nahum, announcing "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" It is a beautiful calling to bring the good news of abundant life -- Jesus' invitation to celebrate and explore God's infinite grace, acceptance and love.

I often hear from people who have not experienced the message of Jesus as good news. They come from places of fear and judgment, where life has been more suspect than abundant. Any abundant life for them was to be deferred until a later time, after death -- a heavenly reward for living a circumscribed, restricted life. Instead of reconciliation, they experienced separation.

The flock that Jesus' leads is a joyful flock that is led to abundant pastures and deep waters. It is an unbounded flock, for Jesus reminds us that he has "other sheep that do not belong to this fold." Anyone who hears and responds to this voice of compassionate love, in any language or tradition, is a sheep of Jesus' flock from another fold.

Seize the abundant life that is your heritage. Seize it today. Right now. That is the invitation of the Good Shepherd. That is the voice of the Good Shepherd.

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

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

See our Web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life:
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Seeing and Blindness

Tuesday, March 27, 2007 -- Week of 3 Lent
(Charles Henry Brent)

"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. 956)
Psalms [120], 121, 122, 123 (morning) 124, 125, 126, [127] (evening)
Jeremiah 25:8-17
Romans 10:1-13
John 9:18-41

[I discovered this morning that I read and commented on today's Epistle from Romans yesterday. Looked at the wrong line in the Prayer Book.]

John's story of the healing of a man born blind plays out like great opera theater. The man born blind gradually begins to see, deeper and deeper, and ultimately recognizes who Jesus is. The religious authorities began as questioners and gradually become more and more antagonistic. It sets up a telling conflict.

Underneath the story are several items of contention. There is the conventional belief that an adversity like blindness is caused by someone's sin -- i.e. handicaps are a punishment for sin or failure. This was a common and prevalent view. it is consistent with much of the theology of the Hebrew Scriptures, such as Deuteronomy and Proverbs. We see the disciples of Jesus asking him, "Who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?" Jesus rejects this line of conventional thought. We will feel the effect of this powerful theology of consequences in the interrogation that follows. The religious authorities will continue to regard the blind man, now healed, as one "born entirely in sins."

Another bone of contention between Jesus and the religious leaders was that Jesus did not fit their messianic expectations. These are people who have studied their Bibles faithfully. They have collected all of the references that might point to the expected Messiah. They know where he is to come from. They know much of what he is to accomplish. Part of that expectation is that he will restore the political throne of King David and overcome the Roman occupation of Israel. That wasn't Jesus' agenda. He did not fulfill those expectations of biblical prophecy. He didn't fit the conventional vision of the Messiah.

So we have a blind man, presumably born in sin, who is being questioned about his healing. What does he think? What does he think about Jesus? He begins on the level of simple fact and observation -- "the man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and washed and receive my sight." He starts by referring to "the man called Jesus." The authorities are skeptical. They continue to challenge the blind man. "What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened?" "He is a prophet." The conflict escalates, and the man and his family are exiled from their community. To lose your standing in your community was like a sentence of certain death. They have no place to belong. Jesus hears of it and seeks him out. We have the dramatic scene when Jesus tells him that Jesus is the Son of Man. The blind man responds, "'Lord, I believe.' And he worshiped him." The blind man truly sees.

But the conflict with the religious authorities escalates downhill. First they begin simply as questioners, not opponents. They become more defensive when we learn that it is the Sabbath. Jesus' act of making mud and healing on the Sabbath is a violation of the Ten Commandments. The authorities take offense. They know what they know. They know Moses and the know the Bible. They know blind people are sinners. They know those who violate the Sabbath are sinners. They know where the Messiah will come from and what he will do. They do not know where Jesus comes from and he is not doing what they expect from the Messiah. Their expectations -- all formed by their Biblical faith -- blind them from seeing the good that is before their eyes.

It raises the question. When does our belief and our religious frame of reference blind us to the good that is before our eyes. I have an email correspondent who takes exception with me over my complementary references to the Dalai Lama, a Buddhist. I know Christians who reject outright any wisdom or insight that may come from Islam (or science) unless it fits within their settled faith, based entirely on the Bible.

Ironically, one of the major themes of the Bible is that God surprises us by acting through the unexpected person. John's Gospel gives us a model for openness -- the blind man who sees. He remains open and curious, willing to follow wherever his experience and observation takes him into deeper truth. His curiosity and willing courage cost him dearly. He is cast out of the religious community. But he lands right in the lap of Jesus.

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

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

See our Web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life:
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Three Items

Monday, March 26, 2007 -- Week of 3 Lent
(The Annunciation of Our Lord, tr)

"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. 956)
Psalms 31 (morning) 35 (evening)
Jeremiah 24:1-10
Romans 9:19-33
John 9:1-17

The blind man sees. The religious leaders are blind.
Salvation (wholeness) is a gift. The ones trying to earn their religious status can rest.
The defeated exiles are with God. God goes with them into their captivity.

One of John's favorite metaphors is light. Jesus is the light of the world. The light overcomes the darkness. If you wish to see, come to the light.

Today he tells the story of Jesus' healing the blind by, bringing light to him. Jesus, the light of the world, is manifest.

But there is a technicality. It is the Sabbath. The 10 Commandments expressly forbid working on the Sabbath. It has long been a traditional interpretation of the commandments that to make mud, place it on another's eyes, and accomplish a healing is work. Save it for the other six days. Look it up. It's in your Bible. The religious authorities take offense. "This man is not from God, for he does not observe the Sabbath." (In John's Gospel, the Biblical literalists are always blind to the surprising way grace is present in Jesus.)

Conventional belief also held that there was an ethical reason behind blindness. If someone were blind, it was the punishment for some sin, either that person's or another's. Jesus rejects this traditional interpretation, and heals the blind man for the glory of God. Now it is the blind man who truly sees the light. "He is a prophet," he says of Jesus. The blind man sees. The religious leaders are blind.

Paul insists that salvation is a gift. It is a gift that is within us -- "the word is near you, on your lips and in your heart." You do not have to perform up to a certain standard to earn your status before God. It is a gift for everyone, "for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek." It is as easy as trust. Salvation (wholeness) is a gift. The ones trying to earn their religious status can rest.

Once again today Jeremiah takes sides. He also says something which will be crucial for the survival of Jewish faith and identity during the exile.

Jeremiah has unsuccessfully urged Jerusalem's leaders to forego alliance with Egypt and to align themselves with Babylon. Now Babylon has invaded and defeated the holy city. The King and all of the elites as well as anyone with skills or trade is carried off to live in a foreign land under exile. The peasants are left behind with a puppet king.

Jeremiah offers encouragement for these defeated exiles. God will regard them as good. "I will set my eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; ...I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord; and they shall be my people and I will be their God."

Some people believed that the Divine was territorial. The gods in one land do not have powers and authorities in other lands. Jeremiah is clear. God will be with these defeated exiles in their foreign land. Even though they will be far away from the Temple, the center of their worship, the center of their universe. God will still be with them for good. The defeated exiles are with God. God goes with them into their captivity.

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

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

See our Web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life:
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Conflicts

[Note: I leave tomorrow to go with our Youth group on a ski trip to Colorado; I'm not sure whether I'll be able to send Morning Reflections next week.]

Friday, March 16, 2007 -- Week of 3 Lent

"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. 954)
Psalms 88 (morning) // 91, 92 (evening)
Jeremiah 11:1-8, 14-20
Romans 6:1-11
John 8:33-47

Conflicts are escalating in all of our readings today. Jeremiah preaches a sermon which announces a curse upon "anyone who does not heed the words of this covenant" which God gave to the people of Israel. Their unfaithfulness has gone beyond recall. God tells Jeremiah, "Do not pray for this people, or lift up they cry or prayer on their behalf, for I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their trouble."

As for Jeremiah, he speaks deeply and personally in the first of the five confessions of Jeremiah. "But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter." He expresses his deep feelings that seemed to connect with the whole matrix of suffering -- God's suffering because of the peoples unfaithfulness, Israel's suffering from the coming invasion, Jeremiah's suffering as the lonely, unappreciated prophetic voice.

Paul gives voice to the charges from his critics. He has argued far such a high view of God's grace that some charge him with antinomianism. If God's power is manifested in such amazing universal forgiveness, then why not send more and more so that the greatness of God's forgiveness can abound more and more? Absurd, says Paul. In Christ we died to sin. We have shifted from law to grace. When we have been given so great a gift, how can we do anything other than live in grateful response by acting morally upright.

Finally, we hear the conflict between Jesus and the authorities escalating in the unique language of John's Gospel. These religious authorities are not living up to the tradition of Abraham. They are following another source. "You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father's desires."

Sometimes churches are very conflict averse. We seem to think that being Christian equals being nice. Not so, say Jeremiah, Paul, and Jesus.

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

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

See our Web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life:
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

God's Total Victory

[Note: Next week I'll be with our Youth group on a ski trip to Colorado;
I'm not sure whether I'll be able to send Morning Reflections]

Thursday, March 15, 2007 -- Week of 3 Lent

"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. 954)
Psalms [83] or 42, 43 (morning) // 85, 86 (evening)
Jeremiah 10:11-24
Romans 5:12-21
John 8:21-32

Paul exercises a technique of rabbinical teaching and debate today, arguing from the lesser to the greater. The sequence of logic poses a crecendo of significance. If the lesser is true, how much more true and greater will the latter be.

In this passage Adam is the lesser and Jesus Christ is the greater. If Adam..., how much more Jesus Christ....

If Adam's sin brought universal death, how much more will Jesus Christ bring universal life. "Therefore just as one man's trespass (Adam) led to condemnation for all, so one man's act of righteousness (Jesus) leads to justification and life for all."

In another passage, the word "the many" means everyone, i.e. everyone was made sinners. "For just as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous... (W)here sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, just as sin exercised dominion in death, so grace might also exercise dominion through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Paul is saying that the victory of Christ will be complete. If Adam's sin has the effect of bringing physical death to every human being, how much more will Christ's faithfulness bring eternal life to every human being. When Paul considers the wonder and power of God working through Christ, he can see it only in universal terms. God will be completely triumphant. Nothing and no one will be lost. This is the great gift of God. Justification by grace.

For Paul the main question is whether we will live out of this generous spirit of grace or remain in bondage to our own pride. Salvation is a sheer gift and is a gift for all. There is a tension in Paul's thought between the universality of the gift of God and Paul's awareness that not every one comes to faith. The gift has to be accepted before it has any effect. For him, disobedience is the refusal to accept justification by grace through faith; it is continuing to live as if the gift of life is something to be worked for.

Despite that tension, Paul seems to believe that God will find a way to achieve complete victory. Later, in Chapter 11, he will address the dilemma that God's chosen people Israel have, for the most part, refused to accept justification by grace through faith. But he reasons that Israel's stumbling only "means riches for Gentiles," the extension of the Gospel beyond Judaism. Again his high optimism triumphs, as he imagines a future for the Jews -- if their failure meant such blessing for Gentiles, "how much more will their full inclusion mean!"

God will triumph universally. How God will manage that, Paul is not sure. But that God will manage it is manifestly apparent. If Adam...; how much more Christ...

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

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

See our Web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life:
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

God's unusual love

Wednesday, March 14, 2007 -- Week of 3 Lent

"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. 954)
Psalms 119:97-120 (morning) // 81, 82 (evening)
Jeremiah 8:18 - 9:6
Romans 5:1-11
John 8:12-20

[I misread the lectionary and mistakenly read today's reading from Jeremiah yesterday.]

Two footnotes in my study Bible caught my attention today and helped flesh out the meaning of a portion of Paul's argument in this section of his letter to the church in Rome. Here is the footnote that seems to help the understanding of verses seven and eight. "It is hard enough to die for a generous, good-hearted person, even harder to die for a hard-hearted righteous person. Christ's death for sinners who are neither good nor righteous shows God's unusual love. (John 3:16; 1 John 4:10)"

Throughout this opening section of Romans, Paul has focused on the problem with religious people who are confident of their own rightness and condescending toward people of no faith or other faiths. (Paul's conversation is about Jews and Gentiles, but it has a wider application.) Paul takes pains to say that a nonbeliever who lives an upright life is more acceptable to God than a religious person who fails to live up to their promises. The hard-hearted righteous person is harder to die for than a generous, good-hearted person, even if the latter is a nonbeliever.

Paul's conclusion, of course, is that our relationship with God is a gift from God, "we are justified by faith." To experience salvation as gift, not reward, is to stand in God's grace. That gift is freely offered to all, religious and non-religious, hard-hearted righteous and immoral sinner alike.

The irony that underlies Paul's conversation is that the non-religious Gentiles are happily embracing this gift of justification and salvation, but many religious Jews are rejecting that gift, relying instead on their traditional belief that observance of the Biblical law gives us standing before God. So Paul has been challenging their religious perspective and commending those non-religious sinners who readily accept the gift.

God's love is so remarkable, so universal. God shows this love through the gift of Christ's willing death for those who are neither good nor righteous. It's all gift, freely offered.

Paul has found "peace with God" by abandoning the project of trying to earn standing with God by his own moral efforts, a project that only brought him anxiety. Paul has found "peace with God" simply by accepting the gift of grace -- accepting the fact that we are accepted. On that gift he can stand. On that gift is his hope. It is a deep hope -- "our hope of sharing the glory of God."

His performance anxiety (am I doing okay God?) is replaced by a profoundly courageous hope that confidently faces suffering, "knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us."

Paul's gospel is an invitation for release from anxiety and judgment for us. We can live with that same hopeful peace when we deeply know ourselves to be accepted by God. We do not have to measure up to some external standard, we simply stand in the gift of God's grace. And we can resist our temptation to judge others -- both the hard-hearted righteous and the more notorious sinners -- because God's love is so wonderful that God is willing to die in Christ for everyone. Accepting that love allows us the freedom to love, even as God loves.

Lowell
______________________

To Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the "Morning Reflections" email list,
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, AR

The Suffering of God

Tuesday, March 13, 2007 -- Week of 3 Lent

"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. 954)
Psalms 78:1-39 (morning) // 78:40-72 (evening)
Jeremiah 8:18 - 9:6
Romans 4:13-25
John 7:37-52

Part of the power of Jeremiah's writing is his portrayal of God's suffering and anguish on behalf of God's people, even as God permits the events which will bring the suffering. God is in anguish -- "My joy is gone, grief is upon me, my heart is sick." First God is grieved by the immorality, dishonesty, and unfaithfulness of the people. Second, God is in agony over the consequences of their behavior -- the destruction that is coming to the nation through the instrument of the Babylonian army.

There is a school of thought that holds that God is impassive and immutable. It is a theology that comes out of the notion that change and emotions are qualities of imperfection. Such ideas come out of logical arguments. If God is perfect and whole and complete, God would neither change nor suffer.

But this is not the God we see in scripture. The God of the prophets and the God of Jesus cares deeply for humanity and for all creation. God loves. And love is an open, vulnerable heart. Christians point to Jesus as the one who reveals the heart of God. Jesus lives in a spirit of compassionate love that is completely vulnerable, even unto death.

The unchangeable nature of God is God's complete commitment to faithful love and compassion. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow -- God loves consistently. At the center of the divine heart is a quality of compassion that is perfect, whole and complete. Therefore God pours out divine life into creation through God's active love.

Since love, if it is authentic, must be free and uncoerced. Therefore God leaves humanity with the freedom to respond to divine love with love, which also means we have the freedom not to love. The consequences of of failures to love, our unfaithfulness, are always tragic. Our suffering is always a by-product of our failure to love. Because God loves us, our suffering is God's suffering.

Jeremiah, the Psalms, and Jesus reveal the suffering heart of God with exquisite pathos. They show God to be near. God is with us, especially in our misery.

"For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt, I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me... O that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that I might weep day and night for the slain of my poor people."

God grieves our unfaithfulness; God anguishes with us through the suffering our unfaithfulness provokes; God also loves us into new life and resurrection.

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

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

See our Web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life:
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Challenging Presumptions

Monday, March 12, 2007 -- Week of 3 Lent
(Gregory the Great)

"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. 954)
Psalms 80 (morning) // 77, [79] (evening)
Jeremiah 7:1-15
Romans 4:1-12
John 7:14-36

Today in Jeremiah we hear the beginning of the Temple sermon. Jeremiah is attacking one of the core foundational beliefs of Israel. His words would have been shocking and infuriating. The Temple was the central symbol of the people of Israel. Since the time of the prophet Isaiah everyone believed the promises to David were an unconditional assurance of Jerusalem's safety and the Temple's permanence. The Temple was the manifestation of God's presence, the meeting place between God and his people.

Jeremiah challenges the confidence and presumption of the people. They have put their trust in the wrong thing. Their trust must be in God alone -- not buildings, liturgies, or scriptural words written by human beings.

Jeremiah tells them that their faith will be manifested by their faithfulness. "If you truly act justly with one another, if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, and the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own hurt, then I will dwell with you in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your ancestors for ever and ever."

I read an article Saturday by a Christian minister who was speaking of the privileged position our nation enjoys. We have been particularly blessed by God, he argued. Then he proceeded to lambaste socialist healthcare and those other inferior nations. His confidence and pride in our nation was abounding. And yet, there are many studies that show our nation's level of healthcare lags far behind many of the other developed nations. I've seen similar studies that measure the levels of poverty and unhappiness. Again, we lag behind many other nations.

In some circles those studies are blasphemy. They go against the common current and challenge the conventional world view of America First. They are as welcome in our generation as Jeremiah's Temple sermon was in his. As Jeremiah discovered, sometimes it is even dangerous to tell a proud and satisfied hierarchy that they are riddled with injustice.

Paul continues his critique on privilege. His target is the presumed religious privilege of the Jewish people. He invites a more universal perspective. When did Abraham receive God's blessing? It was when he trusted God (a universally accessible experience) not when he was circumcised (a particularly Jewish experience). Abraham is the father of all people of faith, not just the particular people of the circumcision.

We see similar strains of identity among the people of Christ. Like Paul, I see Christ's presence universally. Others see Christ's presence only among those who are demonstrably Christian.

Jesus is engaged in a similar conflict. The authorities challenge him based on their traditional interpretation of the words of Scripture. Jesus has violated the Sabbath commandment by healing on the day of rest. Therefore he cannot be a righteous person, they argue from Scripture. The Bible says we will not know where the Messiah comes from, they say. But we know where this man Jesus comes from. The authorities throw The Book at him.

The stories that form us as a scriptural people warn us of presumption and pride. God is free and mysterious. God will never be contained in a particular people, a Temple or a church, a particular worship, a sacred book, a doctrine, or a set of laws. Every time we have put our faith in those holy yet man-made things, God surprises us, opening our perspectives beyond our comfortable, secure boundaries.

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

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

See our Web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life:
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Warnings to the Religious

Friday, March 9, 2007 -- Week of 2 Lent
(Gregory of Nyssa)

"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. 952)
Psalms 69:1-23(24-30)31-38 (morning) // 73 (evening)
Jeremiah 5:1-9
Romans 2:25 - 3:18
John 5:30-47

Paul's argument in the early chapters of Romans has been to assert that there is no moral advantage for the religious over the non-religious. (He speaks of the Jew and the Gentile; the analogy seems to read better in our culture if we read it the Christian and the non-Christian.) If a religious person acts unjustly or unethically, that person has no privilege before God just because that person is a believer. If a non-religious person acts justly and ethically, that person is acceptable before God despite having no religious conviction or a different religious belief. Paul's purpose is to challenge those who believe their religious belief and practice gives them privileged standing. He challenges them especially when they fail to live up to their highest religious values.

Ultimately all need God's compassion. That's where Paul is headed. And God's compassionate love and acceptance -- God's grace -- is a gift freely given, not an accomplishment to be earned through religious practice or through moral exercise. "There is no one who is righteous, not even one." It is important to recognize that Paul's primary target for this charge was the religious person. It was those who conscientiously observed the moral religious laws who believed themselves to have standing before God. No, says Paul. No standing. You have failed. But happy failure! Your failure has opened up the door of fellowship with God's people to the Gentile non-believers. Look what good God can accomplish through our failure.

Jeremiah strikes a similar theme. He runs through the streets of Jerusalem and cannot find a single person "who acts justly and seeks truth." They are religious people -- they say, "As the Lord lives..." But rich and poor alike have proved unfaithful. His indictment of the rich is particularly vivid: "When I fed them to the full, they committed adultery and trooped to the houses of prostitutes. They were well-fed lusty stallions, each neighing for his neighbor's wife." Such a culture cannot stand. Their nation's destruction, seen by Jeremiah as punishment from God, is inevitable.

In John's gospel we find Jesus engaged in a similar dispute. He is speaking to religious people "who search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life." Yet these are exactly the people who are challenging and rejecting him. The poor and the non-observant accept Jesus and his gentle ministry of healing, compassion and forgiveness. But those who have studied the scriptures do not accept him.

It is easy to understand why the Biblically literate did not accept him. Jesus did not fulfill many of the Messianic expectations. He did not come with power to restore Israel by violence and force. That's what the Bible-people expected. They still do. Jesus did fulfill the scriptures, but only those that were oriented toward healing, compassion, reconciliation and forgiveness. That wasn't good enough for the religious. Jesus tells them that the source of their hope will accuse them. Moses and the scriptures will accuse them for missing God's visitation in the unexpected one.

Strong Lenten cautions for all of us who call ourselves religious. We have no privilege because of our religion. We are not better because of our belief. There is goodness and godliness present in the non-religious and other-faithed person. God comes to us in the unexpected one. Our theological presumptions, even when founded on the scripture, can be wrong or shortsighted. We all need God's compassionate mercy. We're all in the same boat, believer and non-believer alike. So, we can be modest and gracious, especially toward the ethical person whose belief is different from ours. We can be open an expectant that God will continue to surprise us by bringing blessing from the unexpected ones.

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

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Visit our Web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life:
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Various Musings

Thursday, March 8, 2007 -- Week of 2 Lent

"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. 952)
Psalms [70], 71 (morning) // 74 (evening)
Jeremiah 4:9-10, 19-28
Romans 2:12-24
John 5:19-29

"Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens; you have done great things; who is like you, O God?" (Psalm 71:19)

There is so much in these readings; I will have to be brief.

Jeremiah describes the destruction of Judah by Babylon as being like a reversal of the story of creation from Genesis 1. Judah is left waste and void, the heavens are dark, the mountains quake, the birds have fled, the vegetation is desert. And God's heart is in anguish. "My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the walls of my heart! My heart is beating wildly..."

Jeremiah says that it is God's will for Babylon to invade. Jeremiah says that this tragic destruction is the predictable consequence of Judah's behavior. God does not shield us from the consequences of our bad choices. But God does suffer with us. God's heart aches for us. Finally, there is a hint of promise. "For thus says the Lord: The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end." (My thoughts go toward the predictable consequences of humanity's contribution to climate change.)

Paul continues his critique of religious people who fail to live up to their responsibilities. And he continues his insistence that nonreligious or pagan people are acceptable before God when they "do instinctively what the law requires." I wish more Christians would heed Paul's words. I heard an interview on "Fresh Air" a while back. Terri Gross was visiting with one of the authors of that awful "Left Behind" series. He had crossed paths with the Dalai Lama, in an airport I believe. He asked the Dalai Lama if he would accept Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior. Terri Gross followed up with questions, and he clarified his belief that the Dalai Lama would go to hell unless he accepted Jesus, as will everyone else who does not become a Christian. The Dalai Lama is a person of obvious compassion and spiritual maturity. He is among those who "show that what the law requires is written on their hearts." (2:15) The God of Christianity is more than a tribal deity.

And the passage from John lyrically expresses the union and love between the Father and the Son. The work that Jesus is doing is the same work that the Father is doing. The love and the life that the Father gives is the same love and life that Jesus is giving. When we see Jesus we are looking at the human face of God. Elsewhere John will say that we are taken into that very same work and life and love in an organic union within the dance of the Father and the Son. We are made one with the Son who is one with the Father. Infinite love opens to us, and that is the life we are invited to breathe.

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

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

See our Web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life:
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Responsible Callings

Wednesday, March 7, 2007 -- Week of 2 Lent
(Perpetua and her Companions -- Martyrs at Carthage, 202)

"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. 952)
Psalms 72 (morning) // 119:73-96 (evening)
Jeremiah 3:6-18
Romans 1:28 - 2:11
John 5:1-18

Paul says today that there is a single ethic. He criticizes the religious who presume to occupy a place of privilege because of their faith and then do the very things they condemn in others.

The list of sins that Paul describes in this passage manly describes behaviors that destroys meaningful relationships in families and in society: "wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice,... envy, murder, strife, deceit, craftiness," gossip, slander, God-hating, insolence, haughtiness, boasting, inventing evil, rebellion toward parents, foolishness, faithlessness, being heartless and ruthless. Rough list. Paul says he sees evidence of such behavior among the religious as well as the non-religious and pagan.

Jeremiah is also occupied with a critique of the religious. He uses the metaphor of adultery. He is writing at the turn of the sixth century BCE. Two hundred years ago the faithless wife Israel betrayed her husband God and was cast off, invaded, defeated and sent into exile by Assyria. Jeremiah tells the surviving southern kingdom of Judah that she has learned nothing from Israel's failure, and is behaving in a similar, adulterous manner. Jeremiah speaks a word of hope and reconciliation toward the first wife Israel. He is prophesying judgment for the second wife Judah.

The failures that the prophets like Jeremiah and the apostle Paul articulate have two dimensions. There is the dimension of personal faithfulness and holiness-of-life which is the goal of each believer. There is also the dimension of social justice and compassion which is the goal of corporate life. In both dimensions they commend special attention and care on behalf of the poor and vulnerable. The Biblical writers note with approval of acts of justice and compassion by those who are outside the circle of faith.

We are called to personal holiness and corporate justice. That calling is a single ethic, for believer and non-believer alike. We don't get a pass just because we are Christians. God offers "glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality." (Later Paul will distinguish between ethical calling and salvation, which is a gift freely given, not dependent upon ethical works. In Paul's theology, the gift of salvation motivates spontaneous acts of goodness.)
____________

A brief word about the healing at the pool of Bethzatha. The man whom Jesus heals might be seen as a metaphor for living in a dependent style. Jesus asks straightforwardly, "Do you want to be made well?" He doesn't say "Yes!" Instead he offers excuses. These sound like tired, well-rehearsed excuses. "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool..." It's someone else's fault. If they would just take care of me. He's been stuck in this state of dependency for thirty-eight years. Sounds like he's used to it by now.

Jesus tells him to "Stand up, take your mat and walk." He walks. Now he will have to take responsibility for himself. Tomorrow he will need to go out and look for a job. Nobody is going to take care of him now that he can walk. I wonder if he lived fully into his new health and responsibility or if he found a way to become dependent again. We don't get to hear that part of the story.

At any rate, the fault-finding literalists overlook Jesus' act of liberation and compassion. All that interests them is that he has violated the Sixth Commandment by doing an act of work -- healing on the sabbath. This religious squabble eventually will turn violent. The religious authorities will charge him as a blasphemer.

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

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Our Rule of Life:
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

From Unfaithfulness to Trust

Tuesday, March 6, 2007 -- Week of 2 Lent

"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. 952)
Psalms 61, 62 (morning) // 68:1-20 (21-23) 24-34 (evening)
Jeremiah 2:1-13
Romans 1:16-25
John 4:43-54

There seems to be a progression in today's readings.

We begin with Jeremiah speaking in God's name accusing Israel of forsaking God. He remembers the early "devotion of your youth, your love as a bride." But now, although God has faithfully brought Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness into a plentiful land, the people do not remain faithful. They do not say, "Where is the Lord?" It seems incredulous to Jeremiah. No other nation has changed its gods, even though their gods do not exist. And Israel, who has been adopted as God's own, is worshiping their own handiwork rather than God. This unfaithfulness will lead to destruction.

Paul is describing some of the behaviors and consequences of following the pagan religions. He paints it with a particularly vivid and critical brush. "They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles... and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever!" He goes on (in verses beyond today's reading) to describe the sexual prostitution that was part of some pagan rites and an exhaustive list of vices that destroy meaningful relationships.

The irony of this passage is that it is addressed to Gentile Christians who now are incorporated into the community of the church. Paul sees his mission to be primarily directed to these Gentiles. Later, he will offer a generous and inclusive picture of Gentiles, especially those who do good, as being on an equal footing with Jews in the graciousness of God. From Jeremiah to Paul the directions have reversed. The people, even Gentiles who have lived sordid lives, are returning to God in faith.

Finally in John we see Jesus again performing a sign in Cana. A royal official approaches him. This official would be someone who served Herod Antipas, the ruler who arrested, imprisoned, and beheaded John the Baptist. This unnamed royal official asks Jesus to heal his son and trusts Jesus word. His trust is the example the Gospel of John wishes to raise up. The child is healed, and the whole household believes and trusts in Jesus.

I am reminded of the word from St. Augustine -- "Love God, and do what you will." (Or "Love God, and what you will, do.") In the context of these stories, to love God is to trust God, and to trust God is to follow in his way. It begins with relationship, and relationship manifests behavior.

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

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Our Rule of Life:
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Hope despite all

Monday, March 5, 2007 -- Week of 2 Lent

"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. 952)
Psalms 56, 57, [58] (morning) // 64, 65 (evening)
Jeremiah 1:11-19
Romans 1:1-15
John 4:27-42

Hope occurs in complicated situations.

We are beginning to read from the book of the prophet Jeremiah today and will stay with this book through Lent. The book of Jeremiah was written for people in the throes of suffering. It seeks to help the communities survive the tragedy of invasion, destruction, and exile.

We open today with two visions -- an almond tree and a pot boiling over from the north. The first vision is a play on words. "Almond" is shaqued; shoqued means "watching." The vision of the almond tree tells Jeremiah that God is watching, and what God says through Jeremiah will happen. The second vision images destruction overflowing and burning from the north. In chapter 20 the foe from the north will be identified as Babylon. The prophet himself is a symbol of hope, for God tells Jeremiah that God has "made you today a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall, against the whole land. ... They will fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you."

Jeremiah is a messenger and symbol of hope, but it is a hope expressed in the midst of tragedy and divine judgment.

Paul speaks of hope arising out of of the Jewish rejection of Jesus. On the one hand, Israel's rejection of the One Paul follows as Messiah is tragic. He takes it personally as "an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin." But he knows the stories. Israel has done this before, and has remained God's chosen people. Paul sees great hope because the rejection by Israel has opened the mission of Christ's good news to the Gentiles. Paul is writing to Gentiles who are the beneficiaries of the Jewish failure. If God can do something this wonderful with failure, imagine what God will accomplish when Israel is fully included into God's salvation, he muses.

Finally we see Jesus telling the disciples that the decisive time is now. As a symbol of hope he shows them his conversation with a woman -- scandalous activity in his time -- and her testimony along with Jesus's visit to the Samaritans creates a new community of belief among those who were believed to be unclean heretics.

All of these readings express hope. But the hope happens in the midst of complex tragedy and division. There is hope in the midst of a nation's destruction, in the presence of tragic rejection, and in the tribal, racial and religious divisions that separate peoples. Hope despite all.

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

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Our Rule of Life:
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Summary & Fulfillment

Friday, March 2, 2007 -- Week of 1 Lent (Chad of Lichfield)

"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. 952)
Psalms 40, 54 (morning) // 51 (evening)
Deuteronomy 10:12-22
Hebrews 4:11-16
John 3:22-36

In Deuteronomy today we hear a summary of the Jewish faith. "So now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you?"

The Lord requires that we be reverent and obedient toward God, to love God, "to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and keep the commandments..." The writer goes on to describe a circle of mutual love that begins with God. God "set his heart in love on your ancestors." Therefore "circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and do not be stubborn any longer... You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt." God loved us first. Therefore, love God and be loving, especially to the stranger. That is the summary of the Jewish faith.

Our readings in the Christian New Testament describe Jesus in similar terms as one who has fulfilled the expectations of the Hebrew faith. In Hebrews Jesus is described as our high priest "who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin." Jesus has been reverent and obedient toward God, and has kept God's commandments successfully. Because he knows our condition, he can be of divine help to us.

John likes to describe Jesus as "the one who comes from above." John describes Jesus's relationship with God as a circle of mutual love. "The Father loves the Son." The Son "whom God has sent speaks the words of God." And the Spirit is given without measure. The way the passage is translated, I can't tell whether the Spirit comes from the Father or from the Son or from their relationship. But out of this divine dance of love comes eternal life, says John.

One last observation. Although we don't see it in today's reading, we know from the rest of the Gospel that Jesus fulfilled the ancient commandment to love the stranger. His practice of radical table fellowship, and his miracles of healing and feeding extended generously beyond his circle of disciples and beyond the people of Israel. In his life we see the fulfillment of God's hope for every human life.

The spirit of this great tradition is nicely gathered in the summary of the law: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Lowell
______________________

To Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the "Morning Reflections" email list,
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, AR

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Our Rule of Life:
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Day of Decision

Thursday, March 1, 2007 -- Week of 1 Lent (David)

"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. 952)
Psalms 50 (morning) // [59, 60] or 19, 46 (evening)
Deuteronomy 9:23 - 10:5
Hebrews 4:1-10
John 3:16-21

"But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God."

All of today's readings speak of critical moments of decision. Significant gain and significant loss can happen depending upon our decisions at critical moments.

Moses reminds the Israelites in the wilderness that they disobeyed God because of their fear and when God told them to do so, did not enter the land they were given. He reminds them also of their fearful disobedience when he first went up on the mountain for 40 days, and the first stone commandments were destroyed and the people nearly destroyed. They got a second chance, however, and a new set of commandments. After 40 years in the wilderness, they will have a new opportunity to enter the land. It would have been better had they made the right decision the first time.

Hebrews is also commenting on Israel's failure and rebellion. The author quotes Psalm 95 to describe the consequences: "They shall not enter my rest." Hebrews reminds readers that Israel's failure to be faithful on the day of obedience meant that they did not enter God's rest. "Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest is still open, let us take care that none of you should seem to have failed to reach it," he exhorts.

And John sees the person of Jesus as the presentation of God's choice between light and darkness. To believe in Jesus, John says, is light and salvation. Not to believe in Jesus is darkness and condemnation, he exhorts.

There are crucial moments of decision which seem like historic fulcrums. A window of decision opens. Choosing rightly brings happy consequences. Choosing wrongly can set negative consequences in motion for generations.

It seems to me that the most crucial decision facing our generation is our decision about the protection and conservation of the earth. Scientists have done the best they can to show us the data and trends. There is scientific consensus that human beings are contributing to global warming and climate change. The consequences are enormous. Some data indicates that there is a tipping point beyond which we will have no control to reverse cataclysmic climate change. They tell us the time to act is now. As Hebrews argues, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." It is hard for me to see a more crucial or compelling decision for our lifetime.

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

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Our Rule of Life:
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.