Thursday, March 31, 2011

Total Victory

Thursday, March 31, 2011 -- Week of 3 Lent, Year One
John Donne, Priest, 1631
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. 954)
Psalms [83], or 42, 43 (morning)        85, 86 (evening)
Jeremiah 10:11-24
Romans 5:12-21
John 8:21-32

When Paul thinks about the wonder of Christ's cross and resurrection, he cannot help but declare total victory on behalf of Christ.  He thinks of the consequences of Adam's disobedience -- judgment and condemnation for all.  All die.  Then he thinks of the consequences of Jesus' obedience -- justification and life for all.  All live.  If Adam's disobedience brought death, how much more will Christ's obedience bring life. 

In one sense, Paul says, they can't be compared.  Christ's victory is so much greater, so much more total and universal than Adam's failure.  They are not to be compared, says Paul.  Whatever was lost by Adam is more than restored by Christ.  "If, because of the one man's trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

"Therefore just as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man's act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all."  The victory is total, says Paul.  If because of Adam's sin every human being was consigned to mortal death, much more surely will every human being receive the free gift of eternal life through the victory of Jesus Christ.  In 1 Corinthians, Paul put it even more succinctly:  "for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ."  (1 Cor. 15:22)

Paul also argues that later, with Moses, came the law, and the law increased the level of condemnation because the law gave people more consciousness of their sin.  Yet grace abounds even more profoundly than law ever could.  "But law came in," Paul writes, "with the result that the trespass multiplied; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that just as sin exercised dominion in death, so grace might also exercise dominion through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Here in Romans when Paul contemplates the glory of Christ's gift, he can't imagine anything but total victory, universal salvation.  There are other places in his writing when he seems to think there are some who can resist this gift of life, but here as he thinks of the consequences of Jesus' work, the implication is complete and total victory.  Christ has established an ontological change in the order of things.  In Christ, all that was separated is reunited, all that was lost is redeemed. 

We still see a struggle going on in our own mortal lives, Paul says.  We don't always live by the light and life we have been given.  Some even resist the free gift of loving acceptance.  For now, humanity struggles to live into the fullness of the grace we have been given.  But Paul has absolute confidence in Christ, and in the final completeness of Christ's victory.  We will see Paul work with the implications of this confidence later in this letter to the Romans as he discusses the circumstances of those who have rejected Christ and his cross, particularly his own kinfolk the Jews. 

Every time Paul looks at something that seems to be partial failure, he can only imagine even greater future victory.  The failure of the Jews to accept Jesus as their Messiah opened the door for the inclusion of all others into God's promises.  No failure can threaten Christ's greater victory.  Therefore be confident.  Be fearless.  We are free to love all, because Christ's grace extends to all.

Today is the feast of John Donne.  In one of his poems, he picks up the tradition that the cross of Calvary happened at the place of Adam's sin or at the location of Adam's grave.  Donne personalizes Christ's envelopment of Adam's sin into the triumph that Paul also celebrates.  Donne asks that in himself may this wonderful victory of Christ be repeated in Donne's on person.  That which is cast down is raised up.

We thinke that Paradise and Calvarie,
Christs Crosse, and Adams tree, stood in one place;
As the first Adams sweat surrounds my face
May the last Adams blood my soule embrace.

So, in his purple wrapp'd receive mee Lord,
By these thornes give me his other Crowne;
And as to others soules I preach'd thy word,
Be this my Text, my Sermon to my owne,
Therefore that he may raise the Lord throws down.

"Therefore just as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man's act of righteousness leads to justification for all."

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

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Endurance to Love

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 -- Week of 3 Lent, Year One
Innocent of Alaska, Bishop, 1879
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. 954)
Psalms 119:97-120 (morning)        81, 82 (evening)
Jeremiah 8:18 - 9:6
Romans 5:1-11
John 8:12-20

"...we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us."

When you know yourself to be securely grounded in God, there is an essential sense of safety that can liberate us from the fear and anxiety that accompanies so many troubles.  It is a state much to be desired.  It is a gift that takes faith to receive.

Paul is an icon of that security.  We know from his letters that he lived with so many disappointments and conflicts.  His emotions and agony erupt through so many of his words.  And yet, below everything is a grounded security that settles the spirit and inspires a peaceful, confident perseverance.

Elsewhere he lists some of his sufferings.  They make my quiet life look pretty tame.  He lists beatings, imprisonments, shipwrecks, and threats.  Through it all he has laid his trust upon God in Christ.  Now, in his last surviving letter, he writes about what his sufferings have taught him.

As each loss, grief, disappointment, conflict and hurt has happened, he has persevered in Christ.  He has endured.  A major part of his character has been formed by his endurance.  He knows he can endure.  He knows his strength through weakness.  He is a fundamentally hopeful person.  His hope is not about particular things, for particular things sometimes go bad.  His hope is in God.  His hope is in the ultimate outcome that all will be well for God makes it so.  God takes crosses and creates resurrection. 

Below everything is love, because God is love.  God's love is not something abstract, but the very life of the divine "poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us."

All of this might just seem like preaching -- nice, pious words -- except we know the rest of the story.  We know a little of how much Paul has suffered.  We know he has had to put his life on the line, and these words represent real endurance, character, and hope, grounded in a love that is eternal.

I've quoted this before, but it bears repeating.  The late Gerald May offers a similar reflection to Paul's thoughts today:  "Searching beneath anxiety, one will find fear.  And beneath fear hurt will be discovered.  Beneath the hurt will be guilt.  Beneath the guilt lie rage and hatred.  But do not stop with this, for beneath the rage lies frustrated desire.  Finally beneath and beyond desire, is love.  In every feeling, look deeply.  Explore without ceasing.  At bottom, love is."

It all comes from God.  Including all crosses.

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

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Simple

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 -- Week of 3 Lent, Year One
John Keble, Priest, 1866
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. 954)
Psalms 78:1-39 (morning)        78:40-72 (evening)
Jeremiah 7:21-34
Romans 4:13-25
John 7:37-52

Jeremiah declares that God has rejected the worship of the people.  He condemns them for two things.  First, he condemns them for their lack of justice.  They are dishonest.  They are violent.  They abuse power and fail to uphold the welfare of the vulnerable -- the poor, the widow and orphan, the alien and foreigner.  Second, Jeremiah tells them that they have added things to their worship that God did not demand, including most horribly, the sacrifice of children.  By now, it seems that Jeremiah has lost hope that Israel can be restored.  There will be a terrible price to pay for these failures.

Paul picks up a similar theme.  He too says that the worship of God's people has been rejected.  Paul focuses on the story of Abraham as an illustration of the centrality of trust.  Abraham trusted God, therefore God declared him righteous.  God made him the father of many nations.  Paul sees Abraham as the father of all people who trust the divine, "for he is the father of all of us," he writes to a gentile audience.  Unwavering trust is the fundamental characteristic of Abraham.  Therefore anyone who trusts God is a descendent of Abraham and an inheritor of the Abrahamic blessing. 

Paul declares that the problem has come when this action of simple trust in God became complicated by the observance of religious laws which made it seem like our relationship with God was determined by our religious performance.  Paul says such legalistic religion leaves us anxious ("am I doing okay?") and self-centered ("am I doing okay?").  Simple trust is enough.  And simple trust is something that is accessible to all people, every human being, regardless of nation or religious upbringing.  For Paul, the central message of Jesus is the revelation that God loves and accepts us.  Active trust, or faith, is simple acceptance of the gift of God's loving regard.  God loves you.  God is trustworthy.  Trust God, who is love.  It's that simple.  Love God, and love your neighbor as yourself.  Don't complicate it with a lot of rules and laws.  Simply trust God, and love one another.

In our story today from John's gospel, Jesus speaks out of a similar tradition.  He invites all who are thirsty to come and drink, and they will receive the Spirit like living water from the heart.  Earlier Jesus has given this living water to the most marginalized of people, a Samaritan woman.  She then shared the gift with her community, a community that formerly were regarded as enemies and heretics.  Jesus offers God's Spirit as a gift to all.  Simply accept the gift.  Trust.  You will be given the living water of the Spirit.  It's that simple. 

But the arguments begin.  They are arguments about the interpretation of scripture.  Jesus is from Galilee.  Jesus cannot be either a prophet or the Messiah.  He comes from the wrong place.  Look it up.  You'll see.  They throw the book at him. 

But listen to him, urge the police.  "Never has anyone spoken like this!"  The loving content does not move the religious people.  They have their notions, grounded in scripture.  They will not be moved by love or Spirit, by grace or good news.  If it does not fit the theological straitjacket they have constructed out of their complicated study of the Bible, they will not accept the simple message of God's loving compassion.

How many artificial boundaries and barriers do we place in the way of God's work and revelation by our complicating prejudices, laws, and theology?  How do we fail to recognize love and to act with compassion?  How do we promote injustice, sometimes in the name of our religion?

At the heart of our tradition is an invitation to trust God in a simple, universalistic way.  Whenever we see another who lives a life of trust, evidenced by the presence of love, justice and active compassion, we are seeing another descendant of Abraham, another person who is drinking the living water of the Spirit.  That person does not have to have the right pedigree, but might even come from Galilee or Tibet or Mecca.  For the God of Abrahamic trust "is the father of us all."  The God of prophetic justice is the God of all who uphold justice.  And the God of Jesus Christ offers living water to all who are thirsty.  May those who are thirsty for justice and righteousness be bearers of that water to one another.

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

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Readings for Friday and Monday

I've got to travel.  Won't be writing or sending Morning Reflections for this Friday or Monday.

Here are the readings.

Friday, March 25 -- The Annunciation of Our Lord
EITHER the readings for Friday of 2 Lent (p. 952)
Psalms 95* & 69:1-23(24-30)31-38 (morning)        73 (evening)
Jeremiah 5:1-9
Romans 2:25 - 3:18
John 5:30-47

OR
the readings for the Annunciation (p. 997)
Morning Prayer:  Psalms 85, 87/Isaiah 52:7-12/Hebrews 2:5-10
Evening Prayer:  Psalms 110:1-5(6-7), 132/Wisdom9:1-12/John 1:9-14
___________________________________________________

Monday, March 28
Psalms 80 (morning)        77, [79] (evening)
Jeremiah 7:1-15
Romans 4:1-12
John 7:14-36