Prayer, Foundations, and Spirit

Friday, October 23, 2009 -- Week of Proper 24, Year One
Saint James of Jerusalem, Brother of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Martyr, c. 62

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer)
EITHER, the readings for Friday of Proper 24, p. 988
Psalms 31 (morning) 35 (evening)
Ezra 3:1-13
1 Corinthians 16:10-24
Matthew 12:22-32

OR, the readings for James of Jerusalem, p. 999
Morning Prayer: Psalms 119:145-168; Jeremiah 11:18-23; Matthew 10:16-22
Evening Prayer: Psalms 122, 125; Isaiah 65:17-25; Hebrews 12:12-24

I chose the readings for Friday of Proper 24

Chapters 3-6 of Ezra focus on the rebuilding of the Temple as the "house of God." It was simpler and more easily accomplished to build the building than it was to build the community as the "house of God." The latter took several generations. It is hard to date this material, but it probably is much earlier than 458 BCE when Ezra arrived.

Note the order of their work. They begin with worship. They set up the altar in the open, without foundations or walls, and they keep the ancient festival of booths, Sukkot, a fall harvest festival that remembers the days of Israel's sojourn in the wilderness. In some sense, the fragile community of returned exiles is like that earlier group, journeying to their home from the wilderness of exile. It is of first importance to them to establish a regular form of worship according to their traditions.

Some time later (around 519) they laid the foundations for the rebuilt Temple. There is an emotional response as they sing in a liturgy of praise. Sixty-eight years had passed since the former Temple had been destroyed. Yet there were some present who remembered that house, and the text says that "they wept with a loud voice when they saw this house." Commentators imply that their weeping was because this new Temple was smaller in size and less in grandeur than the Temple of Solomon. But the weeping over what was lost was drowned out by those who "shouted aloud for joy."

I know that whenever I move, one of the first things I try to establish is my regular discipline of prayer in the new place. When a new church community is founded, it typically begins with prayer and worship, and only later starts to build its building. When a child is born into a Christian family, we typically baptize the child, incorporating the infant into the Body of Christ and our prayers, and then the family and church work together to raise that child up in the Christian faith and life, into a holy temple. We begin with prayer as the foundation of the building of God's house.

In our reading from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, he is closing his epistle with some final greetings. Yesterday he reminded them of his important mission of stewardship, the outreach collection for the struggling congregation in Jerusalem. He expects them to contribute to that work every week so that the collection will be finished by the time he returns. He commends Timothy and Apollos, the household of Stephanas along with other colleagues Fortunatus and Achaicus.

We also have a woman's name in the list, Prisca (Priscilla) and her husband Aquila, who lead a house church as they travel with Paul in Ephesus. It appears that they helped Paul found the congregation in Corinth and continued to travel with him. Acts 18 mentions that when Apollos came to Ephesus teaching boldly of Christ, though he knew only the baptism of John, the couple took him aside and "explained the Way of God more accurately." Prisca and Aquila are among the earliest theologians of the church. At the end of Paul's letter to the Romans, he again sends them greetings, and in those acknowledgments includes thanks to another woman, Junia, his companion and fellow apostle.

The evidence is strong that women in Paul's churches taught, led prayers, hosted congregations, and held high authority in the community. A couple of generations later, the writers of the letters attributed to Timothy and Titus expressed discomfort with this egalitarian tradition (which also seems characteristic of Jesus' company). The church lost one of its early graces, and diminished the ministry of women. It has taken centuries to reclaim that heritage, and even now, the Roman Catholic Church has announced it will welcome Anglicans who are more like Timothy and Titus than like Paul and Jesus.

At the end of the reading from Matthew today there is a passage that has troubled many and lacks definitive interpretation. The gospel speaks of the terrible consequences of blasphemy against the Spirit. I don't know what that means either, but in the context, it seems to mean something like failing to recognize God's power in the work of the Spirit. At an early time in our history we failed to recognize God's Spirit at work in the leadership and ministry of Christian women, and the church has suffered terrible consequences indeed. The Spirit is unpredictable and blows where she will. When we fail to recognize her, we lose some things that cannot be completely recovered.

A fun morning. From grounding prayers to laying foundations to foundational leaders and the eternal creative work of the Spirit. May this day follow such a pattern: prayer, foundations, servant leadership and always, God's Spirit to empower us.

Lowell

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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