Lawsuits and Trials
Friday, August 27, 2010 -- Week of Proper 16, Year Two
Thomas Gallaudet with Henry Winter Syle, 1902, 1890
To read about our daily commemorations, go to our Holy Women, Holy Men blog:
http://liturgyandmusic.wordpress.com/category/holy-women-holy-men/
Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 981)
Psalms 16, 17 (morning) 22 (evening)
Job 9:1-15, 32-35
Acts 10:34-48
John 7:37-52
Lawsuits, witnesses and trials are themes of our readings today.
Job responds to his friends' statements. They have extolled God's justice. Job asks, How can I know God's justice? A human being cannot take God to court to administer justice.
Job asserts his innocence, but he has no court where he could be acquitted or found guilty. God is too great; God does not respond to human subpoena. "Though I am innocent, I cannot answer him. ...For he is not a mortal, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should come to trial together. There is no umpire between us, who might lay his hand on us both. If he would take his rod away from me, and not let dread of him terrify me, then I would speak without fear of him..."
I remember a class my freshman year in college. A teacher asked a room full of Bible Belt students about God. "God is all powerful, isn't that right students? Omnipotent?" Yes, we nodded our heads. "And God is good, isn't that right students? Infinitely loving and good?" Yes, we nodded our heads. "Well then students, why is there evil in the world? Either God is all powerful and not good enough to do something to prevent evil, or God is infinitely good, but not powerful enough to prevent evil, especially when an innocent, like a defenseless child, suffers terribly." Like Job, she wanted to take God to court and make accusation on behalf of all of the innocent who suffer.
The real trial that day was the one that opened inside each of us as students. I became an agnostic that day. In some sense, I put God on trial too, until I could answer that terrifying question to my satisfaction.
We resume today with Peter's visit to the unclean Gentile Cornelius and his family. Peter tells a story of an innocent suffering. He tells of Jesus of Nazareth and how God anointed Jesus "with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. ...They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day..." Peter testifies to God's ultimate presence with us as innocent suffering. "God did not abolish the fact of evil. He transformed it. He did not stop the crucifixion. He rose from the dead." (Dorothy Sayers)
Suddenly, with that word, Peter recognizes that the Holy Spirit is fully manifested with and in Cornelius and his Gentile companions. Peter's verdict is instantaneous and decisive. "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" They are baptized into the Body of Christ. Immediate and complete acquittal. (One might wish for Peter to be a witness in the upcoming trial about gay marriage.)
One more trial. Jesus invites anyone who is thirsty to drink of the Spirit. Abundance freely offered to all. So many respond gratefully. There really is love and life, grace and abundance from God. But others stay in their ghetto of literalism. The Messiah is to be from David's family, from Bethlehem -- not Nazareth. Some want to arrest him. Nicodemus, one of the influential ones, asserts the right of legal process. "Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?" He's right, of course. But some minds are already made up. "Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee." Case closed.
My mind goes to all of the lawsuits and arguments and trials today. So many are choices between life and death, acceptance and rejection, inclusion and exclusion, love and meanness, abundance and scarcity, graciousness and bigotry. Our culture is full of conflicts and trials -- about Muslims, immigrants, gays, the poor, the environment, the uninsured. There is so much suffering, and so much meanness.
Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee. Muslims are our enemy; immigrants are criminals; gays are immoral; the poor are a blight; the environment is to exploit; the uninsured don't matter. Can anyone take these things to court and find justice?
God did not abolish the fact of evil. God transformed it. Some of us recognize the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in our neighbors who are Muslim, immigrants, gay, poor, and uninsured and we wish to honor God's presence in nature. Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?
Will we walk the way of life and light, or the way of Job's friends and Jesus' enemies? Judge for yourselves.
Thomas Gallaudet with Henry Winter Syle, 1902, 1890
To read about our daily commemorations, go to our Holy Women, Holy Men blog:
http://liturgyandmusic.wordpress.com/category/holy-women-holy-men/
Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 981)
Psalms 16, 17 (morning) 22 (evening)
Job 9:1-15, 32-35
Acts 10:34-48
John 7:37-52
Lawsuits, witnesses and trials are themes of our readings today.
Job responds to his friends' statements. They have extolled God's justice. Job asks, How can I know God's justice? A human being cannot take God to court to administer justice.
Job asserts his innocence, but he has no court where he could be acquitted or found guilty. God is too great; God does not respond to human subpoena. "Though I am innocent, I cannot answer him. ...For he is not a mortal, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should come to trial together. There is no umpire between us, who might lay his hand on us both. If he would take his rod away from me, and not let dread of him terrify me, then I would speak without fear of him..."
I remember a class my freshman year in college. A teacher asked a room full of Bible Belt students about God. "God is all powerful, isn't that right students? Omnipotent?" Yes, we nodded our heads. "And God is good, isn't that right students? Infinitely loving and good?" Yes, we nodded our heads. "Well then students, why is there evil in the world? Either God is all powerful and not good enough to do something to prevent evil, or God is infinitely good, but not powerful enough to prevent evil, especially when an innocent, like a defenseless child, suffers terribly." Like Job, she wanted to take God to court and make accusation on behalf of all of the innocent who suffer.
The real trial that day was the one that opened inside each of us as students. I became an agnostic that day. In some sense, I put God on trial too, until I could answer that terrifying question to my satisfaction.
We resume today with Peter's visit to the unclean Gentile Cornelius and his family. Peter tells a story of an innocent suffering. He tells of Jesus of Nazareth and how God anointed Jesus "with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. ...They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day..." Peter testifies to God's ultimate presence with us as innocent suffering. "God did not abolish the fact of evil. He transformed it. He did not stop the crucifixion. He rose from the dead." (Dorothy Sayers)
Suddenly, with that word, Peter recognizes that the Holy Spirit is fully manifested with and in Cornelius and his Gentile companions. Peter's verdict is instantaneous and decisive. "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" They are baptized into the Body of Christ. Immediate and complete acquittal. (One might wish for Peter to be a witness in the upcoming trial about gay marriage.)
One more trial. Jesus invites anyone who is thirsty to drink of the Spirit. Abundance freely offered to all. So many respond gratefully. There really is love and life, grace and abundance from God. But others stay in their ghetto of literalism. The Messiah is to be from David's family, from Bethlehem -- not Nazareth. Some want to arrest him. Nicodemus, one of the influential ones, asserts the right of legal process. "Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?" He's right, of course. But some minds are already made up. "Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee." Case closed.
My mind goes to all of the lawsuits and arguments and trials today. So many are choices between life and death, acceptance and rejection, inclusion and exclusion, love and meanness, abundance and scarcity, graciousness and bigotry. Our culture is full of conflicts and trials -- about Muslims, immigrants, gays, the poor, the environment, the uninsured. There is so much suffering, and so much meanness.
Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee. Muslims are our enemy; immigrants are criminals; gays are immoral; the poor are a blight; the environment is to exploit; the uninsured don't matter. Can anyone take these things to court and find justice?
God did not abolish the fact of evil. God transformed it. Some of us recognize the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in our neighbors who are Muslim, immigrants, gay, poor, and uninsured and we wish to honor God's presence in nature. Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?
Will we walk the way of life and light, or the way of Job's friends and Jesus' enemies? Judge for yourselves.
Lowell
_____________________________________________
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
Lowell Grisham, Rector
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.
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.
Lowell Grisham, Rector
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
posted by Lowell @ 7:25 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
How easily we seem to be able to forget how the Muslim may also be the Sufi, the gay may also be the beloved, the poor are Jesus and Mother Teresa's special loves, the immigrant are us (once or twice removed, maybe legal, maybe not). How easily we forget to remember our human story of diversity, diversity, and more diversity. It is how the creation was made.
It astounds me how you can tie the readings all together so well some days.
Peace and Grace upon Grace, Janet
How easily we seem to be able to forget how the Muslim may also be the Sufi, the gay may also be the beloved, the poor are Jesus and Mother Teresa's special loves, the immigrant are us (once or twice removed, maybe legal, maybe not). How easily we forget to remember our human story of diversity, diversity, and more diversity. It is how the creation was made.
It astounds me how you can tie the readings all together so well some days.
Peace and Grace upon Grace, Janet
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