A Few Thoughts
Monday, September 13, 2010 -- Week of Proper 19, Year Two
John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople, 407
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. 985)
Psalms 56, 57, [58] (morning) 64, 65 (evening)
Job 40:1-24
Acts 15:36 - 16:5
John 11:55 - 12:8
Several things caught my attention this morning, but I don't think they weave together into a coherent theme.
We begin God's second discourse in Job today. Job has impugned God's justice, so God responds. In the ancient Near East, justice didn't refer to a judicial process for a fair and impartial hearing, a passive process of listening to both sides. Justice was concerned with the activity of upholding the righteous and putting down the wicked. Job accuses God of allowing the wicked to prosper and punishing an innocent one like himself.
God's response is, in short, "It's not about you." God creates and oversees a universe that includes a vast domain, the monsters Behemoth and Leviathan are God's creation, symbols of the power and chaos of the vast desert and sea. These powers are beyond Job's understanding and control, yet they have their place in God's reign. They do not exist for humankind; they are powerful and cannot be tamed. God gives them life under God's control despite their potential for evil and destruction. The world belongs to God and serves God's purposes, not Job's.
My scientist friends who shout to a mostly deaf humanity say the same about earth. The earth and its processes has its own rules and life. If its temperature rises above a critical point, the untamed powers of sea and desert, wind and weather will create chaos and evil for humankind without regard for our needs. The earth has its own processes which do not necessarily serve humanity's interests.
___
In the reading from Acts, we see a familiar story. We see a church fight. Paul proposes a journey to Barnabas to return to the churches they have founded. Barnabas wants to take John Mark with them. But Paul is still angry because of an earlier disagreement when John Mark had left them on the previous journey. "The disagreement became so sharp that they parted company." Barnabas and Mark went one way; Paul and Silas went another.
How many times has the church been divided because of arguments and disagreements? There will be division, for we are human beings and we come to different opinions and conclusions; we fail and disappoint one another. My hope is that we can disagree, and yet meet at the altar where we all participate in the unity of Christ, given as the sacrament of his body and blood. When people cannot be in communion despite their differences, we lose something precious, and we often create schism. Schism always happens in the name of great principles.
Yet, look how Paul compromises one of his great principles at the beginning of Acts 16. In various places in Paul's epistles, he uses his most passionate language over the issue of circumcision. He fiercely opposes any who would require a Greek convert to Christianity to be circumcised. "Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you... I wish those who unsettle you would castrate themselves!" he cries out in Galatians 5.
However, as Paul accepts a young apprentice named Timothy for his traveling mission, Paul circumcises Timothy so that the young man will be able to join Paul as he speaks in the Jewish synagogues and as he works with Jewish Christians. Fascinating. He breaks one of his most central principles for a very pragmatic purpose.
____
One last note. Jesus blesses a very unpragmatic act in today reading from John. He allows Mary's extravagant expression of devotion as she anoints him with costly perfume. Voicing pragmatic concerns, Judas Iscariot asks why didn't she sell this expensive luxury worth a year's wages and give the money to the poor, where it would have immediate, practical effect. Jesus blesses her extravagance as an act of loving devotion.
We could worship in a hotel room, but there is something inspiring about the devotion that expresses itself in beautiful spaces set aside for prayer. We could sing to recorded music, but there is something uplifting about the offering of a pipe organ and choir that raises the spirits. We have an obligation to respond to the poor, as Jesus has commanded us. But Jesus also blesses those acts of extravagant devotion which help us praise God and find the meaning and purpose which motivates our best actions.
John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople, 407
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. 985)
Psalms 56, 57, [58] (morning) 64, 65 (evening)
Job 40:1-24
Acts 15:36 - 16:5
John 11:55 - 12:8
Several things caught my attention this morning, but I don't think they weave together into a coherent theme.
We begin God's second discourse in Job today. Job has impugned God's justice, so God responds. In the ancient Near East, justice didn't refer to a judicial process for a fair and impartial hearing, a passive process of listening to both sides. Justice was concerned with the activity of upholding the righteous and putting down the wicked. Job accuses God of allowing the wicked to prosper and punishing an innocent one like himself.
God's response is, in short, "It's not about you." God creates and oversees a universe that includes a vast domain, the monsters Behemoth and Leviathan are God's creation, symbols of the power and chaos of the vast desert and sea. These powers are beyond Job's understanding and control, yet they have their place in God's reign. They do not exist for humankind; they are powerful and cannot be tamed. God gives them life under God's control despite their potential for evil and destruction. The world belongs to God and serves God's purposes, not Job's.
My scientist friends who shout to a mostly deaf humanity say the same about earth. The earth and its processes has its own rules and life. If its temperature rises above a critical point, the untamed powers of sea and desert, wind and weather will create chaos and evil for humankind without regard for our needs. The earth has its own processes which do not necessarily serve humanity's interests.
___
In the reading from Acts, we see a familiar story. We see a church fight. Paul proposes a journey to Barnabas to return to the churches they have founded. Barnabas wants to take John Mark with them. But Paul is still angry because of an earlier disagreement when John Mark had left them on the previous journey. "The disagreement became so sharp that they parted company." Barnabas and Mark went one way; Paul and Silas went another.
How many times has the church been divided because of arguments and disagreements? There will be division, for we are human beings and we come to different opinions and conclusions; we fail and disappoint one another. My hope is that we can disagree, and yet meet at the altar where we all participate in the unity of Christ, given as the sacrament of his body and blood. When people cannot be in communion despite their differences, we lose something precious, and we often create schism. Schism always happens in the name of great principles.
Yet, look how Paul compromises one of his great principles at the beginning of Acts 16. In various places in Paul's epistles, he uses his most passionate language over the issue of circumcision. He fiercely opposes any who would require a Greek convert to Christianity to be circumcised. "Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you... I wish those who unsettle you would castrate themselves!" he cries out in Galatians 5.
However, as Paul accepts a young apprentice named Timothy for his traveling mission, Paul circumcises Timothy so that the young man will be able to join Paul as he speaks in the Jewish synagogues and as he works with Jewish Christians. Fascinating. He breaks one of his most central principles for a very pragmatic purpose.
____
One last note. Jesus blesses a very unpragmatic act in today reading from John. He allows Mary's extravagant expression of devotion as she anoints him with costly perfume. Voicing pragmatic concerns, Judas Iscariot asks why didn't she sell this expensive luxury worth a year's wages and give the money to the poor, where it would have immediate, practical effect. Jesus blesses her extravagance as an act of loving devotion.
We could worship in a hotel room, but there is something inspiring about the devotion that expresses itself in beautiful spaces set aside for prayer. We could sing to recorded music, but there is something uplifting about the offering of a pipe organ and choir that raises the spirits. We have an obligation to respond to the poor, as Jesus has commanded us. But Jesus also blesses those acts of extravagant devotion which help us praise God and find the meaning and purpose which motivates our best actions.
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 @ 8:39 AM
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