Reflections on Experience

Thursday, June 21, 2007 -- Week of Proper 6

"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

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Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 970)
Psalms [83] or 34 (morning) 85, 86 (evening)
1 Samuel 2:27-36
Acts 2:22-36
Luke 20:41 - 21:4


We get a peek at some of the early church's mythology and preaching. Both the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel according to Luke were written by the same person. Our lectionary cycle this week has us reading sequentially from both of these narratives simultaneously. Today in Acts we have Peter's sermon at Pentecost, where he interprets the events of that day, supporting his argument with quotations from Psalms 16 and 110. In Luke's Gospel we find Jesus in a dispute with the Sadducees, also quoting from Psalm 110.

Peter is preaching that the demonstration of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit which overcame the divisions of language to allow people from many tongues to understand one another and speak together as one is a fulfillment of prophecy and comes from the resurrected and exalted Jesus.

First Peter quotes Joel's famous oracle that God will pour out the divine Spirit upon all flesh, not just a few prophets. Then Peter tells the story of Jesus -- his deeds of power, his crucifixion, and his resurrection. "God raised him up, having freed him from the pains of death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power."

Peter quotes from Psalm 16. "For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One experience corruption." Tradition and piety in the first century held King David to be the author of all of the Psalms. So Peter argues, "our ancestor David ...died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day." In other words, his body has experienced corruption, and presumably, his soul departed to Hades. Peter says that David's words were prophetic about a future descendent. That descendent is Jesus, who "was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption," because God raised him from death and exalted him to God's right hand.

To those who might object, saying, these words are about David, not about Jesus, Peter replies quoting from Psalm 110:1. "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.'" Peter is saying, listen to the words of David. From David's mouth we hear, "The Lord [God] said to my Lord [David's Lord], 'Sit at my right hand...'" Peter asks, who is David's Lord? It is Jesus whom God made both Lord and Messiah.

The image Peter leaves with his listeners is of the resurrected and exalted Jesus sitting at the right hand of God the Father. Jesus has received the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus now pours out that Spirit upon all, as those present at Pentecost have witnessed. This imagery from Acts 2:33 is a key passage for subsequent theological development of the Doctrine of the Trinity.

In a delightful coincidence (maybe planned), we also read from Luke today in his Gospel using the Psalm 110:1 verse in a similar manner. Jesus is in debate with the Sadducees who reject the notion of resurrection or life after death. The Sadducees represented the more conservative or traditional wing of Jewish Biblical interpretation. Jesus challenges their view that the Messiah is David's son or descendent. Patriarchal respect requires a son to acknowledge respectfully the lordship and authority of the father. Yet David calls the Messiah "my Lord" does he not? From the perspective of the Sadducees, this would be something like a koan. It is illogical and unresolvable from their theology. In effect, Jesus has turned their ridicule back on them. (Yesterday we read their ridiculing question to him about the woman married seven times; which husband does she belong to in the resurrection.)

Experience, reflection, interpretation. It is an ancient religious pattern. Luke's Gospel and Acts show both Jesus and Peter following the same illuminating path. It is also the way the church does theological reflection today. We experience the presence of God. We reflect upon that experience, connecting it to the revelation of scripture and the traditions of our ancestors. Then we interpret what we have experienced, offering what we have learned and known to the wider community. Like Peter, we ask the Holy Spirit to inspire us and guide us into all truth. That is part of the promise of Pentecost.

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
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