Hard Life
Wednesday, September 8, 2010 -- Week of Proper 18, Year Two
Nikolai Grundtvig, Bishop and Hymnwriter, 1872
Soren Kierkagaard, Teacher and Philosopher, 1855
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. 983)
Psalms 119:49-72 (morning) 49, [53] (evening)
Job 29:1, 30:1-2, 16-31
Acts 14:19-28
John 11:1-16
Dark, dark things abound in today's readings.
Sometimes I think my life is so easy. I've rarely been ill, never seriously. I've had ups and downs, but nothing catastrophic. I was born into privilege -- a home, a lovingly flawed family, a basic sense of security and potential. I've never faced what we read of Job, Paul, Lazarus and Jesus today.
Job's pathos is so deep. There is the miserable suffering -- "the night racks my bones, and the pain that gnaws me takes no rest... My skin turns black and falls from me, and my bones burn with heat." His physical misery is exhausting. But it is the spiritual agony that most afflicts him. He asks God, "Why?" "Surely one does not turn against the needy, when in disaster they cry for help."
He was a good man, compassionate and empathetic. Now he looks for compassion and empathy from God, and finds only silence and suffering.
Paul lives with such life-threatening enemies. He is pursued from town to town. In Lystra, where he has healed a man born crippled and had an encouraging encounter with the Gentiles of that city, he is pursued by enemies from nearby villages, and they provoke the community so thoroughly that they stone Paul and leave him for dead. But somehow he survives. He gets up, and continues his work, saying, "It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God."
Jesus and his companions face the death of their dear friend and intimate companion Lazarus. So many times they have been guests with him and his sisters Mary and Martha. They are like family. But they live in Judea, and Jesus has barely escaped death there recently. It is not safe to return. But Lazarus has died. Jesus determines to go back. The disciple Thomas sighs with resignation, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." Nothing good can come from this, he senses.
Life is hard. Even when you have a life that seems as charmed as mine has been, it is hard. But for so many, life is exquisitely hard. Physical suffering. Deep alienation. Spiritual emptiness. Poverty and injustice. Hopelessness. The very real threat, even certainty of violence.
Part of what all of us do is to be with people in these sufferings. It is important that these stories come to us through scripture. They are part of God's revelation to us. They speak of God's presence in the dark, dark times -- even when we have no sense of that presence. Sometimes God's presence comes through us. God calls us to visit the sick and uphold the suffering. God calls us to do those things that need to be done to confront injustice and poverty that need not be. A lot of that work God accomplishes through the church. We try to be present in dark times. We try to respond to the sick, the needy and suffering.
But underneath it all is God. The story of Jesus is the story of God's being in the midst of humanity's worse suffering, alienation, violence, injustice and death. Jesus embraces it all and gives us a spirit of resurrection that brings life from death.
But still, it is so hard.
Nikolai Grundtvig, Bishop and Hymnwriter, 1872
Soren Kierkagaard, Teacher and Philosopher, 1855
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. 983)
Psalms 119:49-72 (morning) 49, [53] (evening)
Job 29:1, 30:1-2, 16-31
Acts 14:19-28
John 11:1-16
Dark, dark things abound in today's readings.
Sometimes I think my life is so easy. I've rarely been ill, never seriously. I've had ups and downs, but nothing catastrophic. I was born into privilege -- a home, a lovingly flawed family, a basic sense of security and potential. I've never faced what we read of Job, Paul, Lazarus and Jesus today.
Job's pathos is so deep. There is the miserable suffering -- "the night racks my bones, and the pain that gnaws me takes no rest... My skin turns black and falls from me, and my bones burn with heat." His physical misery is exhausting. But it is the spiritual agony that most afflicts him. He asks God, "Why?" "Surely one does not turn against the needy, when in disaster they cry for help."
He was a good man, compassionate and empathetic. Now he looks for compassion and empathy from God, and finds only silence and suffering.
Paul lives with such life-threatening enemies. He is pursued from town to town. In Lystra, where he has healed a man born crippled and had an encouraging encounter with the Gentiles of that city, he is pursued by enemies from nearby villages, and they provoke the community so thoroughly that they stone Paul and leave him for dead. But somehow he survives. He gets up, and continues his work, saying, "It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God."
Jesus and his companions face the death of their dear friend and intimate companion Lazarus. So many times they have been guests with him and his sisters Mary and Martha. They are like family. But they live in Judea, and Jesus has barely escaped death there recently. It is not safe to return. But Lazarus has died. Jesus determines to go back. The disciple Thomas sighs with resignation, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." Nothing good can come from this, he senses.
Life is hard. Even when you have a life that seems as charmed as mine has been, it is hard. But for so many, life is exquisitely hard. Physical suffering. Deep alienation. Spiritual emptiness. Poverty and injustice. Hopelessness. The very real threat, even certainty of violence.
Part of what all of us do is to be with people in these sufferings. It is important that these stories come to us through scripture. They are part of God's revelation to us. They speak of God's presence in the dark, dark times -- even when we have no sense of that presence. Sometimes God's presence comes through us. God calls us to visit the sick and uphold the suffering. God calls us to do those things that need to be done to confront injustice and poverty that need not be. A lot of that work God accomplishes through the church. We try to be present in dark times. We try to respond to the sick, the needy and suffering.
But underneath it all is God. The story of Jesus is the story of God's being in the midst of humanity's worse suffering, alienation, violence, injustice and death. Jesus embraces it all and gives us a spirit of resurrection that brings life from death.
But still, it is so hard.
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 @ 7:44 AM
1 comments
1 Comments:
A spiritual haiku:
Tired pilgrim feet
Step oe'r stones thrown and
strewn on
Ancient paths of peace.
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