Our Failure and God's Faithfulness

Monday, July 2, 2007 -- -- Week of Proper 8

"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

NEW-- 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. 972)
Psalms 106:1-18 (morning) 106:19-48 (evening)
1 Samuel 10:17-27
Acts 7:44 - 8:1a
Luke 22:52-62


The readings today are full of human failure and God's faithfulness.

Psalm 106 recites the story of the Exodus and God's mighty deliverance of his people out of slavery. "But they soon forgot his deeds and did not wait for his counsel. A craving seized them in the wilderness, and they put God to the test in the desert. He gave them what they asked, but sent leanness into their soul." How often is that last phrase true in our lives. We want something; think we need it; believe it will make us happy. We get what we want, but we feel leanness in our souls.

The calling of Saul to become king has a mixed history. Two ancient accounts are conflated in our Bible. One version sees the desire for a king to be a rejection of God's rule over the people. Even when we read the portion of our scripture that interprets God as calling a king and choosing Saul, we know the rest of the sad story. Saul will be a tragic figure, succumbing to jealousy and fear. Yet God is faithful, and calls David to succeed Paul.

In the story of the Acts of the Apostles, Stephen finishes his witness by reciting a narrative timeline of Israel's history, pointing out how consistently Israel has opposed the work of God and rejected God's Holy Spirit. After decrying the Temple, he speaks straight to them, "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit as your ancestors used to do." When he sees a vision of Jesus standing at the right hand of God, the crowd stones him for blasphemy. Saul (later to be named Paul) as one of their leaders collects their cloaks as they kill Stephen. This death propels the Jesus followers to scatter, and thus expand their proclamation of their good news.

Finally, Peter. Following the crowd after the arrest of Jesus, he is accused of being complicit with Jesus. Three times he denies any connection. Then, that terrible moment when the cock crowed. "The Lord turned and looked at Peter." Imagine that look. Peter leaves and weeps tears of bitter remorse.

Toward the end of John's Gospel, there is a story of the risen Jesus appearing to Peter by the shore of the lake. He asks Peter three times, "Peter, do you love me?" Three times Peter answers, "Yes." Three times Jesus commissions him to care for his flock. Peter is healed from his failure and empowered for ministry.

The church has always taught that God is active to forgive, heal and reunite in the face of our rebellion, failure and brokenness. The story of the Bible tells the history of our failure and God's faithfulness. Our happiness is grounded in our embrace of God's faithfulness despite our failure. Our peace and our security is grounded in what God has done -- not what we have done; not what we might do. "Peter, do you love me?" is the question Jesus asks each of us. "Yes," we reply. And out of that place of rest, renewal and acceptance, we are commissioned to care for God's children.

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.

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