Thursday, November 29, 2012

Readings for Thursday and Friday

I have to be away for a meeting Thursday and Friday of this week.

Lowell

Here are the Scripture Readings for the Daily Office:

Thursday, November 29
Today's Readings for the Daily Office
     (Book of Common Prayer, p. 993)
Psalms 131, 132, [133] (morning)     //     134, 135 (evening)
Zechariah 13:1-9
Ephesians 1:15-23
Luke 19:11-27
___________

Friday, November 30
St. Andrew the Apostle

EITHER the readings for Friday of Proper 29 (p. 995)
Psalms 140, 142 (morning)     //     141, 143:1-11(12) (evening)
Zechariah 14:1-11
Romans 15:7-13
Luke 19:28-40

OR the readings for St. Andrew's Day (p. 996)
Morning Prayer:  Psalm 34; Isaiah 49:1-6; 1 Corinthians 4:1-16
Evening Prayer:  Psalms 96, 100, Isaiah 55:1-5; John 1:35-42  

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Ephesians' Opening Prayer

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 -- Week of Proper 29, Year 2
Kamehameha and Emma, King and Queen of Hawaii, 1864, 1885

[Go to http://www.missionstclare.com/english/index.html for an online version of the Daily Office including today's scripture readings.]

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

The prayer that opens Ephesians is so beautiful.  It opens with blessings offered toward God and acknowledgement of the blessings God has given us:

Bless the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  He has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing that comes from heaven.  (1:3, CEB)

It continues with an expression of thanksgiving that God has chosen us and loved us.  God has honored us as the "adopted children" of the divine -- "grace... given to us freely" through Jesus.  How fortunate we are!  It is good to remember and to be thankful.

But the gift and privilege of this love is not ours alone, it is not a monopoly of Christians like me.  The writer insists that the now-revealed mystery of the hidden design of God is "to bring all things together in Christ, the things in heaven along with the things on earth."  (1:10b)  Everything belongs.  All is one and all will be one. 

It is an honor, the writer says, to be "the first to hope in Christ."  It is good that we have heard and responded to the divine love.  But ultimately, it is not about us.  It is about Christ and Christ's glory.  The glory of Christ is that all things will be brought together under the divine glory of God, "who accomplishes everything according to his design." (1:11b) 

We have been given the Holy Spirit as a pledge and foretaste of that which will be given to all. 


What a glorious prayer to open this day!  Blessing and thanksgiving for the love and privilege we have been given.  Hope and optimism for the completion of God's work for the healing and union of everything and everyone.

What can I do today to cooperate with God's work?  How can I extend the love and blessing I have been given?


Lowell
_______________



Audio podcast:  Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week.  Go to: http://www.stpaulsfay.org/id244.html

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 http://www.missionstclare.com/english/index.html

Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location

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, November 27, 2012

God is With Us

Tuesday, November 27, 2012 -- Week of Proper 29, Year 1

[Go to http://www.missionstclare.com/english/index.html for an online version of the Daily Office including today's scripture readings.]

Today's Readings for the Daily Office
(Book of Common Prayer, p. 995)
Psalms [120], 121, 122, 123 (morning)     //     124, 125, 126, [127] (evening)
Zechariah 11:4-17
1 Corinthians 3:10-23
Luke 18:31-43

Chapter 11 of Zechariah comes from the hand of an unknown prophet during a time when Judah is being led by destructive leaders.  They are like a shepherd of a "flock doomed to slaughter.  Those who buy them and kill them and go unpunished; and those who sell them say, 'Blessed be the Lord, for I have become rich.'"  [My mind goes to the destructive financial practices that brought on our recent recession.]  The prophet stages a satirical enactment of their activities, thus exposing them.  He takes two shepherd staffs named Delight and Harmony, and he breaks them.  Through his prophetic act, he declares God's opinion upon the leaders who do "not care for the perishing, or seek the wandering, or heal the maimed, or nourish the healthy, but devour the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs."

So often we hear the prophets' complaints against those who abuse power.  The prophets declare the word of the Lord -- God sees and judges your abuse.  The prophets raise up God's values, which are always to protect and care for the poor and vulnerable.  The prophets declare God's judgment on those who use their power to expand their wealth rather than their generosity.  It is clear that in this prophet's time, like so many others ages, that God's people were suffering from the corruption and abuse of the wealthy and powerful. 

In 1 Corinthians, Paul is dealing with the mixed results of human leadership.  He declares that our foundation is Jesus Christ, the congregation is God's temple, and God's Spirit dwells in us.  Every person is a Temple of God's Spirit, Paul says.  But each works with different effect.  Some build with "gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw."  All of that work will be exposed by God, and the good will endure.  So strive to do good work.

In Luke Jesus speaks of his future at the hands of the leaders.  "He will be mocked and insulted and spat upon.  After they have flogged him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise again."  The disciples do not understand.  They are blind to the meaning of his words.  But on the road in Jericho, a blind man seems to understand.  He cries to the Son of David for help, for vision.  Jesus heals him and he can see.

Nations and individuals go through periods of blindness.  Leaders in all walks of life abuse their power and the strong oppress the weak.  God not only sees like a omniscient judge, God also takes into the divine life the abuse and oppression of humanity through the cross.  God's prophets speak God's words condemning the abuse of power; God's Spirit exposes all works and protects what is good; Jesus opens our blind eyes so that we can see reality.

God is always with us.  God suffers with us.  God exposes and overthrows the destructive, and opens blind eyes to see what we do not yet understand.  God is working in our time too.


Lowell
_______________



Audio podcast:  Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week.  Go to: http://www.stpaulsfay.org/id244.html

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 http://www.missionstclare.com/english/index.html

Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location

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, November 26, 2012

Simplifying

Monday, November 26, 2012  -- Week of Proper 29, Year 1

[Go to http://www.missionstclare.com/english/index.html for an online version of the Daily Office including today's scripture readings.]

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 995)
Psalm 106:1-18 (morning)     //     106:19-48 (evening)
Zechariah 10:1-12
Galatians 1:1-10
Luke 18:15-30

"How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" (Luke 18:24)

Like a political cartoonist, Jesus draws a picture of an overburdened camel, luggage piled high and hanging off both sides, heavily burdened with its prodigious load, unsuccessfully trying to squeeze through a narrow place because it is unable or unwilling to let go. 

It is saying the obvious to state that ours is a consumer society.  We are surrounded by messages conditioning us to buy more, get more and to satisfy the gods of our culture -- appearance, affluence, achievement.  Yet everything we own in some sense also owns us.  It must be cared for, washed, repaired, protected.  Those cultural voices speak lies to us -- "You are what you wear."  "You are what you earn."  "Your worth depends on your performance."  Heavy burdens.  Demanding gods.

There is another kind of wealth that is more subtly threatening.  It is the burden of possessing an excess of right thinking and right acting.  Religious people can be particularly greedy consumers of right thinking and right acting.  An overemphasis on right thinking produces fundamentalisms of all kinds.  And overemphasis on right acting produces burnout.  And when we extend that to try to make the world "believe as we believe" or "act as we act" without regard for the independent needs of others, we can become terribly oppressive.  Most of us get full of our own ideas and overextended with our own doings.  Most of us are in some way fundamentalist and burned out. 

Most deep truth, most right thinking, is pretty simple -- God is good.  Creation is a wonderful mystery.  Everything is connected.  Healing is possible.  Growth happens.  Greed brings suffering.  But even these truths need to be held gently in the face of the mystery that is Reality Itself.  Truth is more than my concept of truth.  "God is love" means more than my understanding of love.

And anyone who has entered into deep silence or fallen into profound love knows that being is greater than doing, and often not-doing is greater than doing. 

There are ways to let go and to travel lightly.  To live more simply, hold gently, float into life.  When you are not carrying so much, it is easier to go through narrow places.


Lowell
_______________



Audio podcast:  Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week.  Go to: http://www.stpaulsfay.org/id244.html

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 http://www.missionstclare.com/english/index.html

Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location

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

Friday, November 23, 2012

First Honor God

Friday, November 23, 2012  -- Week of Proper 28, Year 2
Clement, Bishop of Rome, c. 100

[Go to http://www.missionstclare.com/english/index.html for an online version of the Daily Office including today's scripture readings.]

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 993)
Psalms 102 (morning)    //    107:1-32 (evening)  
Malachi 3:1-12
James 5:7-12
Luke 18:1-8

Today Malachi picks up a theme that is present in Haggai and several other prophets.  Our worship of God comes first, they tell us.  Trust God and honor God appropriately as your primary obligation, and all other things will fit into place. 

Malachi concretizes his appeal in the people's obligation to to honor God through their tithes.  The Torah established a three year process of tithing.  During the first two years each family would bring 1/10th of their harvest and livestock to the feast of tabernacles.  If distance made such a gift impossible, it could be converted to money.  The gifts would be used especially for the festival.  The third year land tithe was more like a tax and went especially to support the Temple, its worship and functionaries.

Today's passage from Malachi is among the most quoted of the Biblical verses about tithing.  It sounds almost like a dare.  "Will anyone rob God?  Yet you are robbing me?  But you say, 'How are we robbing you?'  In your tithes and offerings!  You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me -- the whole nation of you!  Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing."

Malachi is picking up a theme from Haggai who probably prophesied a bit earlier, during the early days of Israel's return from exile, before the Temple had been rebuilt.  Haggai blamed a drought on the selfishness of the people who had looked to the rebuilding of their own family homes before caring for God's Temple.  Take care of God first, and you will be blessed, he said.

Some have said that Jesus' words, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you" (Mt. 6:33 KJV) picks up this same prophetic tradition.  Jesus speaks these words as the punch line to his sermon about worry and anxiety over material things.  These priorities are not unlike the Great Commandment that summarizes all of the law with the call of love.  The first and greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength; and the second is to love our neighbor as ourselves. 

Many Christians have taken the tradition if thithing into their own practice.  Many will take the first ten percent of their income and commit that portion as a gift to God, their "first fruits."  Others simply set aside a tenth as a thank offering without that necessarily being the first ten percent. 

It seems to me that it violates the spirit of Jesus to turn the tradition of the tithe into a law or a legalistic duty.  For me, the practice of tithing -- like that of daily prayer and Bible reading or weekly eucharist -- is a joyful and disciplined response to God's goodness.  Tithing is a measured and traditional way to thank God for whatever material blessings I enjoy. 

I don't believe God is going to punish me if I skip my prayer or reading or worship or giving, but I know I will in some way be impoverished. 

It takes practice, consciousness and surrender to place God first and to trust that other things will fall into place.  But that's what the prophets dare us to do.


Lowell
______________



Audio podcast:  Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week.  Go to: http://www.stpaulsfay.org/id244.html

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 http://www.missionstclare.com/english/index.html

Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location

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