To Set Our Hope on Christ
Wednesday, November 24, 2010 -- Week of Proper 29, Year Two
Juan de la Cruz (John of the Cross), Mystic, 1591
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 995)
Psalms 119:145-176 (morning) 128, 129, 130 (evening)
Zechariah 12:1-10
Ephesians 1:3-14
Luke 19:1-10
Two phrases jumped out at me from the epistle reading today -- "to set our hope on Christ," and "might live for the praise of his glory."
I have set my hope on Christ. I want to set my hope on Christ. It is something accomplished, but it is also a continuing and renewing process.
As I look at Christ, I see a reflection of the heart of God and of the potential within humanity.
God is Christ-like love, poured out into our humble, modest lives.
Jesus' life is characterized by compassion. Jesus brought healing and coherence to all whom he met. He gave special attention to the poor and marginalized, but, as we see today in the story of Zacchaeus, he was also generous toward the wealthy, inspiring their own generosity. The only ones he got testy with were those who were so sure of their rightness that they cast others in the shadow of the light they thought they monopolized.
Jesus did not add violence to violence, but soaked up evil, suffering and death, returning nothing but love. He showed us that persevering love conquers all, and does so non-violently. God overcame Jesus' death through the resurrection, showing us that what God does is to bring new life out of death. He showed us the way to live authentic lives -- love God, and love your neighbor as yourself.
This is where I set my hope. This is where I want to set my hope. I want to follow the God that Jesus points us to. I want to be like (and become like) the person Jesus shows us in his full humanity.
To live as Jesus showed us is to follow the Way he has showed us. (The Way was the first name for the followers of Jesus.) To live that way is to live for the praise of his glory. When we make his priorities ours, we praise him; we give him glory. "To set our hope on Christ" then means that we do "live for the prasie of his glory." I like that Way. That's the Way I want to be. That's the Way I want to become.
________
P.S. I recently preached on today's gospel reading, Luke 19:1-10. Click the link for my sermon "The Lion in the Marble"
Juan de la Cruz (John of the Cross), Mystic, 1591
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 995)
Psalms 119:145-176 (morning) 128, 129, 130 (evening)
Zechariah 12:1-10
Ephesians 1:3-14
Luke 19:1-10
Two phrases jumped out at me from the epistle reading today -- "to set our hope on Christ," and "might live for the praise of his glory."
I have set my hope on Christ. I want to set my hope on Christ. It is something accomplished, but it is also a continuing and renewing process.
As I look at Christ, I see a reflection of the heart of God and of the potential within humanity.
God is Christ-like love, poured out into our humble, modest lives.
Jesus' life is characterized by compassion. Jesus brought healing and coherence to all whom he met. He gave special attention to the poor and marginalized, but, as we see today in the story of Zacchaeus, he was also generous toward the wealthy, inspiring their own generosity. The only ones he got testy with were those who were so sure of their rightness that they cast others in the shadow of the light they thought they monopolized.
Jesus did not add violence to violence, but soaked up evil, suffering and death, returning nothing but love. He showed us that persevering love conquers all, and does so non-violently. God overcame Jesus' death through the resurrection, showing us that what God does is to bring new life out of death. He showed us the way to live authentic lives -- love God, and love your neighbor as yourself.
This is where I set my hope. This is where I want to set my hope. I want to follow the God that Jesus points us to. I want to be like (and become like) the person Jesus shows us in his full humanity.
To live as Jesus showed us is to follow the Way he has showed us. (The Way was the first name for the followers of Jesus.) To live that way is to live for the praise of his glory. When we make his priorities ours, we praise him; we give him glory. "To set our hope on Christ" then means that we do "live for the prasie of his glory." I like that Way. That's the Way I want to be. That's the Way I want to become.
________
P.S. I recently preached on today's gospel reading, Luke 19:1-10. Click the link for my sermon "The Lion in the Marble"
__________________
| 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 @ 7:35 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
The words, "live for the praise of his glory" sound so churchy. I still don't quite know what that means in my everyday terms.
Dear peacenik,
You are right. "Live for the praise of his glory" does sound very churchy. I think in everyday terms it means to live not for myself -- my own priorities and self-centered perspectives -- but rather to live in the spirit of Jesus -- grounded in loving compassion, especially for the poor and marginalized. To live as he as shown us is to honor or praise his way. (and the word "glory" in John's gospel is always associated with the cross -- so some notion of our living sacrificially is included in all of this).
I hope that helps.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Lowell
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