Prayer and Action
Friday, November 19, 2010 -- Week of Proper 28, Year Two
Elizabeth, Princess of Hungary, 1231
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 993)
Psalms 102 (morning) 117:1-32 (evening)
Malachi 3:1-12
James 5:7-12
Luke 18:1-8
Malachi strongly insists that there is a profound connection between prayer and action, between worship and social justice. He upbraids the priests for their insincere worship -- for taking short-cuts in their liturgies and cheating in their sacrifices. He condemns all who are unfaithful in worship and in their family relationships. He charges employers who do not pay a full wage to their workers. He holds up the community's obligation to support the widow, the orphan and the alien, stranger, or immigrant among us.
Malachi tells them that if they are not paying the full tithe to the Temple required by Israelite law, they are robbing God. He challenges the people. It seems to be a time of economic suffering, maybe even famine. He tells them to trust God -- bring in the full tithe -- and see if God "will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. I will rebuke the locust for you so that it will not destroy the produce of your soil; and your vine in the field shall not be barren, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will count you happy, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts."
Malachi calls for reform. Reform of heart and prayer. Reform of action and justice. Be sincere and honest in your prayer and worship. Be generous and just in your social and economic systems. Our prayer and our action are intimately connected, and in both we are responsible to God.
The other readings remind us that change is slow. We may pray faithfully for God's presence and blessing, but it may feel like God is absent or slow to respond. We may work hard for the things that are right, but reform and justice are painfully slow and may seem distant if not impossible. Persevere. God is powerful and just. God will act decisively.
Psalm 102 is an eloquent lament. The writer feels that everything is passing away like smoke. His life is fading away; the nation struggles. But God "will look with favor upon the prayer of the homeless" and "hear the groan of the captive."
"My days pass away like a shadow, and I wither like the grass. But you, O Lord, endure forever, and your Name from age to age." The heavens and the foundations of the earth "shall perish, but you will endure; they shall all wear out like a garment; ..but you are always the same and your years will never end."
James picks up some similar themes, encouraging us to be patient like a farmer. Just as a farmer waits for the slow arrival of the crop, so we are to strengthen our hearts for God's coming.
Luke urges us to embrace active waiting -- prayer and advocacy. He tells of a certain widow who forces justice from an unjust judge by her perseverance. She simply will not quit. She will not take "no" for an answer. She keeps on demanding what is right and just. Though she is powerless, she wears down the power structure. The punch line: "And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night?"
I was with a small and powerless group yesterday. They were raising their voices against wage theft. A study last fall surveyed 4,000 low-wage workers in three locations and found that 70 percent of them had experienced at least one pay-related violation in their previous work week. That's shocking. The wheels of justice seem to turn slowly when a worker charges that their earned pay has been stolen. In our system, that's not as serious as a bounced check.
While there I talked with a young man who is in college. He grew up here -- moving to Springdale when he was three. But his parents never were successful in getting his application for citizenship through our slow immigration system. It takes from seven to twenty years for people without certain prized skills to immigrate legally. This young man keeps up with his college work and also works almost full time to promote a legal path for students to earn their citizenship through the DREAM Act.
I can hear Malachi and the psalmist, James and Jesus telling him -- persevere. Pray and work. Keep raising voices for justice. It seems slow. It is heartbreaking and frustrating work. The arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice. God's day will come. Pray. Persevere.
Elizabeth, Princess of Hungary, 1231
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 993)
Psalms 102 (morning) 117:1-32 (evening)
Malachi 3:1-12
James 5:7-12
Luke 18:1-8
Malachi strongly insists that there is a profound connection between prayer and action, between worship and social justice. He upbraids the priests for their insincere worship -- for taking short-cuts in their liturgies and cheating in their sacrifices. He condemns all who are unfaithful in worship and in their family relationships. He charges employers who do not pay a full wage to their workers. He holds up the community's obligation to support the widow, the orphan and the alien, stranger, or immigrant among us.
Malachi tells them that if they are not paying the full tithe to the Temple required by Israelite law, they are robbing God. He challenges the people. It seems to be a time of economic suffering, maybe even famine. He tells them to trust God -- bring in the full tithe -- and see if God "will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. I will rebuke the locust for you so that it will not destroy the produce of your soil; and your vine in the field shall not be barren, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will count you happy, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts."
Malachi calls for reform. Reform of heart and prayer. Reform of action and justice. Be sincere and honest in your prayer and worship. Be generous and just in your social and economic systems. Our prayer and our action are intimately connected, and in both we are responsible to God.
The other readings remind us that change is slow. We may pray faithfully for God's presence and blessing, but it may feel like God is absent or slow to respond. We may work hard for the things that are right, but reform and justice are painfully slow and may seem distant if not impossible. Persevere. God is powerful and just. God will act decisively.
Psalm 102 is an eloquent lament. The writer feels that everything is passing away like smoke. His life is fading away; the nation struggles. But God "will look with favor upon the prayer of the homeless" and "hear the groan of the captive."
"My days pass away like a shadow, and I wither like the grass. But you, O Lord, endure forever, and your Name from age to age." The heavens and the foundations of the earth "shall perish, but you will endure; they shall all wear out like a garment; ..but you are always the same and your years will never end."
James picks up some similar themes, encouraging us to be patient like a farmer. Just as a farmer waits for the slow arrival of the crop, so we are to strengthen our hearts for God's coming.
Luke urges us to embrace active waiting -- prayer and advocacy. He tells of a certain widow who forces justice from an unjust judge by her perseverance. She simply will not quit. She will not take "no" for an answer. She keeps on demanding what is right and just. Though she is powerless, she wears down the power structure. The punch line: "And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night?"
I was with a small and powerless group yesterday. They were raising their voices against wage theft. A study last fall surveyed 4,000 low-wage workers in three locations and found that 70 percent of them had experienced at least one pay-related violation in their previous work week. That's shocking. The wheels of justice seem to turn slowly when a worker charges that their earned pay has been stolen. In our system, that's not as serious as a bounced check.
While there I talked with a young man who is in college. He grew up here -- moving to Springdale when he was three. But his parents never were successful in getting his application for citizenship through our slow immigration system. It takes from seven to twenty years for people without certain prized skills to immigrate legally. This young man keeps up with his college work and also works almost full time to promote a legal path for students to earn their citizenship through the DREAM Act.
I can hear Malachi and the psalmist, James and Jesus telling him -- persevere. Pray and work. Keep raising voices for justice. It seems slow. It is heartbreaking and frustrating work. The arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice. God's day will come. Pray. Persevere.
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 missionstclare.com -- Click for online Daily Office 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 -- Click for Divine Hours Discussion Blog: To comment on today's reflection or readings, go to http://lowellsblog.blogspot.com, or click here for Lowell's blog find today's reading, click "comment" at the bottom of the reading, and post your thoughts. |
| The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love. See 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 |
posted by Lowell @ 8:02 AM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Refiner's Fire
purify me as Thy will
as I bear witness
again and yet again
like the widow taught
Open the windows of heaven
Bestow a blessing.
Peace, Janet
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