A Big Church Fight

Thursday, July 23, 2009 -- Week of Proper 11, Year One

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 976)
Psalms 50 (morning) [59, 60] or 66, 67 (evening)
1 Samuel 28:3-20
Acts 15:1-11
Mark 5:1-20

Sometimes reading the scripture is like reading the newspaper headlines or reading about what you are facing in your life today.

Acts 15 is a crisis and turning point in the history of the early church. Originally the Jesus sect was a Jewish Messianic movement. The original followers of Jesus were all Jewish (as was he, of course). They proclaimed Jesus the risen Lord as the fulfillment of the Hebrew prophecies. Not unlike the earlier movement of John the Baptist, they saw their proclamation as a renewal of Judaism. On the day of Pentecost they spoke to Jews who had gathered from the dispersion for that Jewish feast, saying, "Let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made (Jesus) both Lord and Messiah..." The Pentecost story concludes, "Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts..." In other words, the earliest Christians were Messianic Jews who added a Eucharistic observance to their traditional Jewish piety.

In the Roman world, there were some Gentiles who were attracted to the Jewish synagogue. They were drawn by Judaism's monotheism and by its high ethic, but they were not converted Jews. They were not circumcised and they did not observe the kosher laws and other ritual traditions, but they were familiar with Judaism and may have attended synagogue, seated apart from the Jewish congregation. The Jews called these Gentiles "Godfearers."

In Acts 10-11 we have the story of Peter and one of these Gentile Godfearers, the Roman Centurion Cornelius. Peter had a vision of clean and unclean foods, and a voice saying, "Get up, Peter; kill and eat." Peter objected. He had never eaten any unclean or non-kosher food. He had followed the Holiness code of scripture which named those unclean foods, like pork and shellfish. When the vision is repeated, Peter hears the voice say, "What God has made clean, you must not call profane." When Peter is suddenly called to the home of Cornelius and he sees the presence of the Holy Spirit in their response to the Gospel, Peter says, "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" Peter was criticized for his act and had to defend himself to the other apostles in Jerusalem.

Now fast forward a few years and a few chapters to Acts 15 which we read today. Paul has been traveling through the Empire, and he has been welcoming Gentiles into the Christian fellowship in large numbers. He has baptized them, and he has laid hands on them for ministry. What Paul is doing is contrary to the practice among the apostles in Jerusalem and in Israel. It is contrary to the practice of many of the Christian leaders throughout the Empire, who continued to follow Jesus as a movement from within Judaism.

Acts 15 opens with some of these authorities, "certain individuals... from Judea." They seek to correct what Paul is doing. They tell the Gentile converts to Christianity, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." They have a strong argument. Jesus and all of the original disciples were circumcised, observant Jews. The Bible is clear. Circumcision and adherence to the law is necessary for salvation. The tradition is clear. This is what God's chosen people, the Jews, have been doing since Moses.

This is a church fight of major proportions. "And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to discuss this question with the apostles and the elders." The question is posed. Can a Gentile become Christian without being circumcised and following the law of Moses, without becoming a Jew, like Jesus and the original disciples?" It is a critical question. In tomorrow's Daily Office we will read the decision that the council reached.

The Episcopal Church today finds itself in a similar position as Paul and Barnabas. We have recognized the presence of the Holy Spirit in the loving, committed relationships of people of same-sex orientation. We have seen the faithful and holy lives of GLBT Christians who serve God and follow Jesus with the same fervor and zeal as any of the rest of us. The Episcopal Church has dared to baptize, bless and lay hands on them. We are being accused by some authorities who seek to correct what we are doing. "Unless they become straight or celibate according to the custom of heterosexuals, they cannot be saved." Like the "certain individuals... from Judea," they have a strong argument from scripture and tradition. This is a church fight of major proportions.

The Episcopal Church is testifying to the Anglican Communion just like Paul testified to the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem. Will Lambeth and Windsor follow the example of James and the Jerusalem apostles?

Lowell

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Audio podcast: Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week. Click the following link: Morning Reflection Podcasts

About Morning Reflections
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


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.

Lowell Grisham, Rector

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas