Harmony

Friday, July 27, 2007 -- Week of Proper 11
(William Reed Huntington)

"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

Audio Podcasts of today's "Morning Reflection" and those from the past week are available from http://www.stpaulsfay.org/id244.html (go to St. Paul's Home Page stpaulsfay.org and click "Morning Reflection podcast")

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 976)
Psalms 40, 54 (morning) 51 (evening)
1 Samuel 31:1-13
Acts 15:12-21
Mark 5:21-43

Whenever numbers appear in the scriptures, pay attention. Numbers always have a symbolic meaning and communicate something important. Twelve is a mystical number. It is the product of three times four. Three represents heaven, divinity or the spiritual order. Four represents the earth or the created order (four winds, four directions, four seasons...). Twelve represents the fullness or perfection of the human order within the divine will. There are twelve tribes of Israel and twelve apostles. Twelve is a number of harmony.

Jesus heals a woman who has been hemorrhaging for twelve years. Jesus brings the divine touch and healing so that she can be whole. It is likely that her bleeding was vaginal or uterine bleeding. It left her ritually unclean and physically unable to bear children. Jesus restores her in her twelfth year to fecundity and fellowship. Harmony.

Jesus raises the child of Jarius. She is twelve years old, at the age of accountability and maturity. She is at the age when her menses will start and now she will be able to marry and bear children. She is restored physically to be able to carry out the divine intention for her life. Harmony.

What represents wholeness for each of us? How does our life in its creaturely dimension fulfill the divine intention for us? That is our harmony. When we are living within the intention and will of God, we are living in harmony with the divine. What would that look like today? How can God's creativity and human fellowship be expressed through us today?

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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We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.