Friday, September 30, 2011

Border Territory

Friday, September 30, 2011 -- Week of Proper 21, Year One
Jerome, Priest and Monk of Bethlehem, 420

Today's Readings for the Daily Office
(Book of Common Prayer, p. 984)
Psalms 102 (morning)      107:1-32 (evening)
2 Kings 19:1-20
1 Corinthians 9:16-27
Matthew 8:1-17

Today we have two of Matthew's stories about Jesus operating around and across the borders of Jewish society. 

In the first story, Jesus encounters a man with leprosy.  It is not unusual for a leper to ask healing from one who had a reputation for healing.  The leper observes convention by approaching at a distance, kneeling before Jesus.  But then, two surprising things happen. 

First, Jesus chose to heal him.  Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.  Jesus answers, I do choose.  That was not the conventional choice.  The dominant conviction was that diseases like leprosy were probably sent by God as a punishment, either for something the person had done, or possibly some sin or debt inherited from ancestors.  To heal such a one would be to interfere with the judgment of God.  Jesus chose to heal without regard for the worthiness or unworthiness of the sufferer.  (Says something about the way we tend to offer our charity.  Some are reluctant to give to those who may have some complicity in their own plight.  Generosity toward those made homeless by a hurricane is easier to market than generosity toward those whose life choices have left them homeless.)

The second unusual detail is the phrase He stretched out his hand and touched him.  That would have stunned all.  There were health and religious reasons preventing Jesus from touching the man.  Leprosy was a generic word referring to various kinds of skin diseases, but most were contagious.  Many were spread by touch.  To touch a leper would be to expose oneself to the disease.  Moreover, a person with leprosy was also ritually unclean.  To touch a leper would be to defile oneself religiously.  One would be disqualified from entering worship without going through the prescribed rituals of purification.  Nevertheless, Jesus touches the man, and he is made clean.

Then Jesus does something very conventional.  He tells the man to go present himself to the priest with the appropriate gift for sacrifice.  He tells him to follow the Biblical ritual laws by which a person once ill and unclean with leprosy may be certified to be well and clean, and thus reenter the worshiping community. 

Today's second story is another encounter with the borders -- this time with a Gentile Roman officer.  The Centurion is a man of power, commander of up to 100 soldiers.  Yet the Centurion offers his powerlessness to Jesus, requesting the healing of his servant.  When Jesus moves as if to approach the man's house, the Centurion stops Jesus.  The officer knows -- to enter the house of a Gentile would defile Jesus in Jewish eyes.  Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed.  It is a beautiful phrase of humble trust which has found its way into the prayer and piety of the church.  Many Christians use that prayer just prior to their receiving communion.  Jesus honors the faith of the officer and heals his servant.  (In Matthew's gospel, Jesus never enters a Gentile's home. Mark and Luke have scenes at tables in the homes of non-Jews.)

These stories have reminded me of another story.  When the AIDS epidemic was at its height, there was a church in Dallas that was particularly welcoming to gay men, including many who were HIV positive.  It was not a large church.  As I recall, the congregation lost over eighty of its members who died during the epidemic.  The Rector noticed that some members who had traditionally sipped from the common cup began to practice intinction.  He was bothered.  It seemed to him to be an expression of fear and a compromise of their communion as one body.  His wife also noticed.  She then adopted the practice of waiting to receive her communion last, from the cup.  Then, the priest performed the ablutions, not in the sacristy, but at the altar, publicly consuming the rest of the wine from the communion.  It was their quiet testimony of faith and communal identity.

Where are our borders?  Who are the unclean in our world?  Where are our fears of communion?  Who is hard to touch?  Whose home would it be a scandal to enter?  What would Jesus do?

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

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, September 28, 2011

How Do You Know?

Wednesday, September 28, 2011 -- Week of Proper 21, Year One
Richard Rolle, Walter Hilton, and Margery Kempe, Mystics, 1349, 1396, c. 1440

Today's Readings for the Daily Office
(Book of Common Prayer, p. 984)
Psalms 101, 109:1-4(5-19)20-30 (morning)      119:121-144 (evening)
2 Kings 18:9-25
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Matthew 7:13-21

Last Sunday's gospel opened with Jesus asking a question of challenge to the chief priests and elders.  "Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?

I opened my sermon with that question posed in a more generalized way:  "How do we know what is from God -- what originates in divine energy -- and what is from us -- coming out of our energy and our too self-centered human motivation?"

In our three Daily Office readings today, we see conflicting and contrasting paths.  How do we know what is the will of God?  How can we give priority to God's will rather than to our self-centered motivation?

In 1st Kings we see a nation relying on its military power -- the Assyrian Rabshakeh brags to the besieged city of Jerusalem that he could give them 2000 horses if they had that many cavalry to ride them, knowing they don't.  We also hear him claim that his seige of the land is directed by the God of the Hebrews as God's punishment to them.  Jerusalem and King Hezekiah can rely only on God in the face of overwhelming threat.  The alliance with Egypt will bring no deliverance.  Israel's military power is no match for the superior Assyrians. 

In our lives, there are times when our resources seem exhausted in the face of threats we cannot overcome?  Sometimes we think we have earned the misfortune -- maybe this is God's punishment, as the Rabshakeh says.  How do we know?

The prophet Isaiah will offer spiritual direction to Hezekiah, saying, God is in charge.  Trust God.  It is God's will to deliver you.  How does Hezekiah know whether God intends to deliver or to punish Israel?

Paul speaks of our total freedom under Christ, and then urges us toward self-discipline if there is someone whose scruples or weakness or ignorance might be troubled by our liberties. 

I ask myself, when have I willingly compromised my rights so as not to bother someone who just wouldn't understand?  When have a flaunted some liberty, and caused pain to another's conscience?

And the Gospel reminds us to take the narrow gate, for the wide road and gate is one that leads to destruction.  Sometimes I'm not sure which is the narrow gate and which is the wide road.  Sometimes it seems that you can only tell which way is right way at the end of the road -- "you will know them by their fruits." (v. 20)  How can I know the right road?

How can we know what is from God and what is from us?

There is a place of moral orientation that seems like a "gold standard" to me -- a place I can trust more than my sense of  power, my sense of freedom or my sense of direction.  In Galatians Paul speaks of the fruit of the Spirit.  The fruit of the Spirit is the result from walking the right road, the narrow road:  "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  There is no law against such things."  (Gal. 5:22)  Whenever I can act out of these motivations, I believe it is more likely that I am following God's will.  A commitment to action that is more likely to produce these fruits will be a truer direction than power, libertarianism, or popularity.

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

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, September 27, 2011

The Golden Rule

Tuesday, September 27, 2011 -- Week of Proper 21, Year One
Vincent de Paul, Religious, and Prophetic Witness, 1660
Thomas Traherne, Priest, 1674


Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 984)
Psalms 97, 99, [100] (morning)      94, [95] (evening)
2 Chronicles 29:1-3; 30:1(2-3)10-27
1 Corinthians 7:32-40
Matthew 7:1-12

We hear the teaching of Jesus through the scholarship of Matthew today speaking within the great tradition of Jewish Rabbinical teaching.  He tells us:  Do not judge others.  Take care for your own failings first.  Do not force the teaching on unwilling ears.  God is benevolent and wishes to give good gifts -- ask, seek, knock. 

Verse twelve is Jesus' version of the Golden Rule:  "In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets."  This ethic of reciprocity is found in virtually all religions.

In 1893 the first Parliament of the World's Religions gathered to create an international dialogue on faiths.  The President Charles Bonney said the Parliament hoped "to unite all religion against all irreligion and to make the Golden Rule the basis of that union."  The centennial celebration of the Parliament in 1993 published a "Declaration Toward a Global Ethic" which is worthy of study as a starting point for claiming a universal ethic.  (The Introduction to the text is the first two pages of the full text found here.)

The great Rabbi Hillel who died during Jesus' childhood offered the same principle of reciprocity in the negative:  "What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow.  That is the Law and the Prophets; the rest is commentary, go and learn." 

There are many parallels between the teaching of Jesus and the teaching of Hillel.  Jesus attached himself to the village of Capernaum whose synagogue was influenced by Hillel.  Hillel was a moderate interpreter of the Jewish Law.  His teaching was challenged by the stricter interpretations of Rabbi Shammai, who lived during Jesus' life.  Until 70 CE, the House of Shammai tended to predominate among Jewish synagogues; after 70 the influence of the House of Hillel prevailed, and became the tradition from which modern reform Judaism traces its roots. 

It appears to me that many of the conflicts we read of between Jesus and the Pharisees, colored by the early church's conflicts with the synagogues, are better interpreted as conflicts with the teachings and disciples of Shammai.  Jesus' own teaching has many consistencies with the teaching of Hillel.  One famous conflict that we have in our gospels regards the sabbath.  Shammai taught that "humanity was made for the Sabbath," but Jesus and Hillel both taught that the "Sabbath was made for humanity," a more moderate view that allowed provision for response to certain human needs in spite of the Sabbath observance.  For Hillel and for Jesus, love of one's neighbor was the central ethic for all people.

How ironic and tragic that Christianity and Judaism fell into such dark historic conflict.  The heart of our origins is so similar.  How many injustices and how much violence might have been avoided had Christians been faithful to our Rabbi and his teaching:  "Do not judge...  How can you say to your neighbor, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' while the log is in your own eye?  ...In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets."

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

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

Monday, September 26, 2011

Two Phrases

Monday, Septemeber 26, 2011 -- Week of Proper 21, Year One
Lancelot Andrews, Bishop of Winchester, 1626
Wilson Carlile, Priest, 1942


Today's Readings for the Daily Office
(Book of Common Prayer, p. 984)
Psalms 89:1-18 (morning)      89:19-52 (evening)
2 Kings 17:24-41
1 Corinthians 7:25-31
Matthew 6:25-34

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life...  But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you as well."  Matthew 6:25a, 33

These two familiar phrases bracket today's popular passage from the sermon on the mount.  It strikes me that there are at least two ways to think about this passage.  A traditional and comforting way of reading this passage is as an exhortation to relax and trust.  That's a good message.  We all do our best work and live most fruitfully when we are relaxed, optimistic, and open.  Anxiety and worry only waste our energy.

But another way of thinking about this passage is to focus on the last verse first, connecting it with the Lord's Prayer we have been given earlier in this same chapter.  Indeed, if the economic admonitions of the Lord's Prayer and the other parts of this sermon were actually practiced, the needs that we worry about -- "what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body what you will wear" -- such needs would be eliminated.

The Sermon on the Mount begins with a series of Beatitudes that showers blessing and happiness especially upon the poor, weak and humble.  Such is the priority of the Kingdom of God that Jesus proclaims.  Jesus invites us to be salt and light; to treat others justly, especially those of our closest relationships; to "give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you;" to "love your enemies;" to give alms humbly; to pray; to store up treasures not on earth but in heaven.  Jesus is describing what the Kingdom of God looks like.

In the center of all that wisdom he teaches us to pray "Your kingdom come."  In such a kingdom, God's will would be done; our bread for tomorrow would be given; we would forgive our debtors and be forgiven our debts.  In a political and economic order like that -- a kingdom like that -- the basic needs of life would be protected.  If in our kingdom here in the United States we were striving first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all of these things would indeed be supplied to all. 

Two phrases:  "Do not worry...  Strive first for the kingdom of God." 

It is a good thing to let go of worry and anxiety.  It only wastes our spirit. 

It is also a good thing to practice the ethics and economics of the kingdom of God.  Were we to do so, no one would have a realistic reason to worry about what we will eat or what we will wear.  Such a kingdom (rule, government, authority, economic system, political practice, etc) would be our practice of God's reign.  It is the central desire of Jesus for us.  "Thy kingdom come."

How can I let go of worry and anxiety today? 

How can I promote the values of the kingdom of God -- personally, economically, and politically?

Lowell

Friday, September 23, 2011

Today's Scriptures

Friday, September 23, 2011 -- Week of Proper 20, Year One

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 984)
Psalms 88 (morning)      91, 92 (evening)
2 Kings 9:17-37
1 Corinthians 7:1-9
Matthew 6:7-15

Here are today's scripture readings.  I won't have time to write this morning.

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

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, September 22, 2011

The Reward

Thursday, September 22, 2011 -- Week of Proper 20, Year One
Philander Chase, Bishop of Ohio and Illinois, 1852

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 984)
Psalms [83], or 116, 117 (morning)      85, 86 (evening)
2 Kings 9:1-16
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

"Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them..."  

Today's reading from Matthew urges us to orient our alms giving, our prayer and our acts of fasting toward God, not toward other human beings, "in order to be seen by them."

Robert J. Wicks is a clinical psychologist who teaches pastoral counseling.  He writes this:
For years I would read the Scriptures and quietly pray that I could be more obedient to God, more single-hearted.  For years I would pray that I could be enthusiastic, rather than exhibitionistic, achievement-oriented rather than competitive.  For years, being an impetuous person, I would pray that I wood not be swayed by people's reactions -- positive or negative -- or be a victim of my insecurities and needs to be liked, but only be concerned with doing God's will.  And for years the sense I received in prayer was simply: "Just do my will; it is enough."  And to this I would always reply in a very down-to-earth way:  "It's easy for you to say!  I just can't do it.  It's not enough for me.  I need a reward.  If it's not people's good thoughts, if it's not the applause, if it's not my image, then I must have something.

Then once day, when I was praying for something else, I sensed a response not only to this request, but also finally to my original one as well.  The impression I had was this:  "You have asked that you not be concerned with your image or success but only with my will; your prayer will be answered now."  To this I became anxious and was even sorry I had prayed for help at all.  I was concerned that with the gift more would be asked of me  (My lack of faith and sinfulness continues to astound and almost overwhelm me.)  Yet, this insecurity did not dispel the sense I had of God's presence.  And the impression I had of the Lord's response continued clearly in the following manner:  "If you seek to do my will and focus only on it and not your success or the way people respond, you will find you won't have to worry about whether or not you are accepted and loved by others.  You shall have another reward that will make you secure -- in every lecture, in every therapy hour, in every encounter on the street, when you only concern yourself with doing my will and forget about the reactions or results, you will be in the Presence of the Spirit.  . . . Is that enough?"
(Living Simply in an Anxious World, Paulist, 1988, p. 54-55)

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

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