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
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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

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worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
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