Gospel text for Sunday 18 December 2022

 Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”

which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Reflection        Of what are you afraid? Being censured for living in accord with your conscience? Being convicted for challenging the status quo? Being condemned for speaking the unspeakable? loving the unlovable?

The angel said to Joseph, “Do not be afraid…”  Do not be afraid to do what is right even though it puts you crosswise with social, cultural and religious laws and order. Do not be afraid to protect and cherish a pregnant teenager and raise her son as a Holy gift of God. “Do not be afraid.” The angel’s counsel rings through the years to awaken our ears.

Of what are you afraid? Being censured for living in accord with your conscience? Being convicted for challenging the status quo? Being condemned for speaking the unspeakable? loving the unlovable?

Fear is formidable. When bound by trembling, trepidation or timidity  there is no possibility for light, life and love to enter and take root in us. But, when we choose to live without fear we are the fertile ground in which the seed of Holiness is planted, gestates, is born and raised. This I believe is the heart of the story of the ill conceived birth of Jesus to Mary and Joseph. 

What will it take for us to awaken from the dream that by refusing risk or responsibility we can escape the rough and tumble stumbles of life? What will it take for us to consent to Holiness born in and of, with and through us? The answer is simple. Living without fear.

Living without fear; new light penetrates even our darkest darkness, love replaces faint heartedness and Holiness is born of us. And yes, the birth of Holiness costs our whole lives.

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Gospel text for Sunday 11 December 2022

 Matthew 11:2-11        When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”

As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,

‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’

“Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

Reflection        What are we hoping against hope will arise in the wilderness of our lives today? What are we looking for ? An apocalyptic fix by an autocratic messiah king wielding power from an imperious precipice, bursting onto the scene with grandstanding performances? Or a humble servant silently birthing the Spirit of the living God in our unguarded hearts, one person at a time?

According to the Jewish scholar, rabbi and physician Maimonides, who is to Judaism what St. Thomas Aquinas is to Christianity, belief in the eventual coming of a messiah is a fundamental part of Judaism. Maimonides describes the messiah, the “one who is to come,” this way. “A king shall arise from among the House of David, studying Torah and occupied with commandments like his father David… and he will impel all of Israel to follow it and to strengthen breaches in its observance, and will fight God’s wars, this one is to be treated as if he were the anointed one. If he succeeded and built the Holy Temple in its proper place and gathered the dispersed ones of Israel together, this is indeed the anointed one for certain, and he will mend the entire world to worship the Lord together…”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messia

Rumors must have been rampant about Jesus’ mind-bending mountaintop sermon proclaiming the poor and the hungry are blessed, the meek who understand their place in God’s kingdom are happy and those who are just and sincere are satisfied. (Matt 5.1–11) Waiting in prison and hearing about “all the things” that Jesus was doing; giving sight to the blind, restoring the lame to walk, cleansing the lepers, healing the deaf and raising the dead, John the Baptist had to be scratching his beard in bewilderment. How does Jesus conform to a messiah’s job description?

To make matters even more muddled, some of the things Jesus says are flatly offensive. “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees (that would be the religious Jews) you will never enter” God’s kingdom. (Matt 5.20) What? Are not the religious people guaranteed a fast pass to the kingdom? After all, they are the people with temple privileges, the ones who enforce and piously follow the letter of the law. No wonder John is perplexed and sends his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come?” (see below)

Here is the thing. Jesus does not come to fulfill the letter of the law. He comes to fulfill the Spirit of the law. “You have heard it said, you shall not murder…but I say to you if you are angry with a brother or sister you will be liable to judgement…” (Matt5.21–22) “You have heard it said, an eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth, but I say… give to anyone who begs from you…” (Matt 5. 38,42) “You have heard it said that you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy, but I say to you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Matt 5.43–44) Give your charitable gifts anonymously. Uphold your position of power with mercy and integrity. Speak truth and treat all people with dignity. Be humble rather than make a display of what a righteous religious person you are. (Matt 6.1–11)

From the point of view of John and the religious Jews of his time, Jesus does not fit the messiah’s job description.This remains true today. Although many Jews understand Jesus to be an exemplary prophet, he fails to gather the “dispersed ones of Israel together,” therefore Jesus cannot be the anointed one. To date Jesus fails “to mend the entire world to worship the Lord together.”

To make matters even worse, Jesus offends the keepers of the law, the religious people, calling them hypocrites, “For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside (you) are full of greed and self-indulgence.” (Matt 23. 25) “You are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and all kinds of filth. So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matt 23.28) Jesus is exposing the superficial way overtly pious religious folk adhere to the letter of the law but miss the mark by failing to follow the spirit of the law. (Sound familiar?)

The one whom John baptized in the river Jordan, the one whose sandals John is not worthy to tie, the one upon whom the Spirit of God descends, the “one who is to come” and bring the “kingdom of heaven near” appears to be the unorthodox healer, preacher, dissident, Jesus who comes to reform, not replace the Jewish tradition. But John’s expectations about what the messiah’s success should look like prevent him from recognizing Jesus’ status quo shattering presence and consciousness bending invitation to change.

Which begs the question; What expectations, beliefs or preconceived notions make us deaf and blind and unreceptive to the”one who is to come?” What are we hoping against hope will arise in the wilderness of our lives today? What are we looking for this Advent season? An apocalyptic fix by an autocratic king wielding power from an imperious precipice, bursting onto the scene with grandstanding performances? Or a humble servant silently birthing the Spirit of the living God in our unguarded hearts, one person at a time?

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Gospel text for Sunday 4 December 2022

Matthew 3.1-12        In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,

                     "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”

Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Reflection        Finding his place in the mystery of the wilderness rather than in Roman baths or columned temple halls, grizzly John the Baptist is an anomalous character. Even though John's scraggly beard is crusty with legs of locust glued to globs of honey and he looks more like a hippie than a holy man, crowds listen to him. What is he saying?  “I am nothing. What I have to offer you is merely a bath in water that is nothing compared to the baptism by fire that the one who follows me will bring to you.” 

John consistently directs attention away from himself toward Jesus. “He who is coming after me is more powerful than me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals.” (Matt 3.11) Yet, even as John is a paragon of humility, he is an intrepid prophet fearlessly speaking truth to power. He not only calls for the people’s radical change, “repent and be baptized,” daring to criticize King Herod for marrying his brother’s wife, John also demands social justice. This does not end well for John who ultimately loses his head for it. But I am leaping ahead.

Even though he is a descendant of the priesthood of Aaron, as a comment against common corruption John renounces his rights to a position in the Temple. As a critic of injustice and exploitation the humble prophet John chooses to stand outside of Roman culture and condemn the status quo.  But, in keeping with his culture, John expects a Messiah to come and in a singular sweeping apocalyptic act set the world right. He declares, “(the Messiah) will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

John expects an all powerful Messiah King will bring an end to the corrupt status quo and institute a happily ever after life. This is where he and Jesus part ways.

Somewhere I read the contemporary Christian Testament scholar John Dominic Crossan’s description of a fundamental difference between John the Baptist and Jesus. According to Crossan both of them are interested in how the world will be transformed into the Kingdom of God. John believes the solution to the insoluble social situation depends on a deus ex machina, Divine apocalyptic intervention.  This means the kingdom of God is contingent on a God engineered catastrophic event that happens to the people and instantaneously results in peace and righteousness. 

By contrast, Jesus teaches that the Kingdom of God depends on actions through the people, socially conscious action taken to transform the misuse of power, position and privilege in the world. Rather than waiting for a distant god to provoke an apocalyptic event and instantaneously revolutionize the world, Crossan argues that Jesus assigns the responsibility for restoring peace and righteousness and remodeling the world to the slow work of the people. This represents an enormous advance in the development of human consciousness; from apocalyptic magical thinking to taking personal responsibility for the quality of life and care of all humanity.

What does this mean for us today? I believe it means taking a stand with Jesus and exercising the right use of position, power and privilege in response to human suffering; mass shootings, seditious conspiracy, hunger, obfuscation of truth, homelessness, hopelessness and every form of oppression and inhumanity. 

What does this mean for us today?  It means we, the people, must take responsibility to care for the roughly ten percent of the eight billion people in the world who are suffering from extreme poverty; beginning in our own country where nearly thirteen percent endure impoverishment. 

What does this mean for us today? It means we, the people, must speak truth to power, calling for responsibility, accountability and factuality. It means, with all humility we must use our hands and feet and voices to end hate, harm and hopelessness by living, acting and voting to insure dignity and care for all people, beginning where we stand.

No singular apocalyptic event, no messianic savior king or president, will bring to light the Kingdom of God on earth. But a million, a billion, countless trillion decisions made by each of us every single day will. We are meant to be humble prophets, standing shoulder to shoulder with John and Jesus, willing to renounce positions of power and privilege in the interest of claiming our shared responsibility for calling out corruption and being the kingdom of peace and righteousness on earth.

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Gospel text for Sunday 20 November 2022

 Luke 23:33-43        When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots to divide his clothing. The people stood by, watching Jesus on the cross; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!" The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews.”

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same  sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Reflection        Practicing what we preach can be a rather agonizing experience. When, my six year old daughter Leela planted her tiny hands on her hips, looked me square in the eye and said, “Why do I have to eat healthy food if you smoke those cigarettes,” a steel saber could not more surely have pierced me to my core. And there it was, the test of my integrity. Was I going to practice what I preached about making healthy choices and give up smoking? What was I willing to give up to live in integrity? 

Two thousand years earlier Jesus' integrity was also questioned. Throughout his ministry Jesus preached, “But I say to you that listen, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” (Luke 6.27-28) And then we meet Jesus at the place called The Skull, nailed to a tree between two criminals. One of the criminals, who no doubt would have planted his hands on his hips to chastise Jesus were they not nailed to a cross, questions Jesus’ integrity. “If you really are who you say you are, get yourself and us out of this mess.” 

Jesus does the unthinkable. He does not climb off the cross. He does not implore God to save him. Instead, he forgives the criminals between whom he hangs as well as the perpetrators of his crucifixion saying, “Father, forgive them…” At the end of the day, when push comes to shove, Jesus practices what he preaches. He forgives the people who hate, curse and abuse him. In fact, he gives up his life rather than giving up his integrity. 

This raises a question for all of us, “For what are we willing to die?” The only way I know to begin to respond to that question is by asking yet another question, “For what are we willing to live?” Jesus lived his life practicing what he preached. “Love God, love your neighbors,  love your enemies, and forgive them.” Jesus was willing to die for that which he was willing to live. There is no better way for us to live our lives than to live for that which we are willing to die. And yes, I did quit smoking the day Leela confronted me. 

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Gospel text for Sunday 13 November 2022

Luke 21:5-19     When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, Jesus said, "As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down."

They asked him, "Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?" And he said, "Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, `I am he!' and, `The time is near!' Do not go after them.

"When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately." Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.

"But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.”

Reflection        The illuminating words of the theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli describe “a colorful and amazing world where universes explode, space collapses into bottomless holes, time sags and slows near a planet and the unbounded extensions of interstellar space ripple and sway like the surface of the sea….all of this..is not a tale told by an idiot in a fit of lunacy or a hallucination… (Rovelli asserts) it is a glimpse of reality.” (Seven Brief Lessons in Physics, p11)  In Jesus' words, " The days will come when not one stone (of the temple) will be left upon another; all will be thrown down." All created things change, change, even dramatically.

When we take Rovelli’s description and apply it to the planet on which we plant our feet, we step smack into Jesus’ apocalyptic assertions; “there will be wars and insurrections,  earthquakes, famines and plagues… you will be arrested and persecuted and betrayed even by your relatives and friends." Yes, all created things change and change dramatically.  But do not worry or look for a fortuneteller.  "Do not bother preparing a defense in advance," counsels Jesus,  “I will give you your words and your wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to contradict. “  

Please consider this apocalyptic moment during which I felt as if I was being brought to trial before a king and his governors. The 24 governors were actually 23 white collared Episcopal priests, one lay person (the only other female present) and the singular stand in for a king, a purple shirted Episcopal bishop. This illustrious body was the Commission on Ministry, fondly referred to as the COM. The meeting with the COM followed a year of discernment with members of my parish before they recommended to the rector (chief priest of my parish) that I be an aspirant for Holy Orders. After the rector interviewed me he sent me to the bishop for an initial screening and to declare my intent. Discernment continued with the parish as I was nominated and applied for postulancy, which hinged not only on the results of continued discernment, completing mountains of forms and composing countless essays but also on an executive medical evaluation, financial review, criminal background check and the most extensive psychiatric evaluation known to humankind. Having navigated this sea of shifting hoops I finally landed in an upstairs conference room to be interviewed by the bishop and 24 COM members.

And so I prayed. “OK God, remember, this is your idea and you promised to give me words and wisdom because I have none. If I am really called to the priesthood, which is probably a very bad idea, then give me the words because I am terrified and I cannot do this.” 

Following the briefest of introductions and no small talk, the river of questions flowed. I listened to each COM question, paused, closed my eyes, waited for a response, then spoke. It seemed to be going alright until Rev. Daniel, who was sitting three seats to my right, leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms and said, “Debra, tell us, what is your vision for the Church?” I think my gulp was audible as I choked out, “Church. Do you mean capital C Church?” “Yes.” 

Again I paused, closed my eyes, and there was nothing. Not a single thought or word. I wondered how long I could sit there with my eyes closed before someone asked me to leave. And when I figured my time expired and my heart like a volcano threatened  to erupt, I opened my eyes and words came pouring from my mouth. There were boatloads of words. I can recall none. When the words stopped, the room was so silent I was afraid to breath. I had no idea what was happening. Thankfully the bishop broke the pall saying, “Thank you Debra, you may leave.” As quickly as possible I exited.  Before I got to the stairs to descend into what I assumed was my grand failure the bishop called to me from behind. “Debra, wait.  You knocked the ball out of the park. Congratulations.” I was stunned and speechless. 

“I will give you your words and your wisdom … for nothing will be impossible with God.” 

All that to say, when challenge and change, even seemingly apocalyptic change is upon us, do not panic. When unwelcome events are exacerbated by wars and rumors of war, insurrections and betrayals, do not panic. Because, when we choose to put our faith in the one and only thing that is unchanging; the unborn, undying, eternally all that is that we call God , “Not a hair on (our) heads will perish. By (our) endurance we will gain (our) souls.”

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Gospel text for Sunday 6 November 2022

 

                 

                                                       

Luke 20:27-38       Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and asked him a question, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her."

Jesus said to them, "Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive."

Reflection        Could it be that two thousand years ago Jesus was saying to the Sadduces and whoever else was listening that there would come a time when women would not be considered property to be transferred between the hands of brothers? Could it be that Jesus was looking square into the face of the patriarchy and saying, “Your question about the sexual rights of brothers with regard to their widow wed sister-in-law misses the mark? You are blind to the ways of God of the living because God of the living does not rely on humanly contrived institutions to protect humanity. God of the living gives life eternally to all people; women, men, Jews, nonJews, married, unmarried.” Could it be that Jesus was declaring, “God gives life that does not depend on human understanding or human institutions?”

The Sadduces conspired to entrap Jesus. Their motive was the same when they asked Jesus the question about paying taxes to Rome. But Jesus rises to a ten thousand foot above the ground persective. Jesus claims dignity for all people and righteousness in all relationships... right here, right now, on earth among the living. He  makes the point that this really is a matter of choosing life or death.

Jesus exposes the Sadduces‘ debauched protestations (alleging to protect widows) for what they really were, heartless attempts to rule and exert power over others., including Jesus. But Jesus would have none of it.   He cuts to the heart of the matter. Women are people, not chattel and  “God is God not of the dead but of the living.” All people are meant to be in righteous relationship with each other and with God, “for all of them are alive in God.” The way with God is the way of life,  but the way of the rule mongering Sadduces (and most present politicians) depends on death. The question is, which do you choose, the way of life or the way of death?

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Gospel text for the Feast of All Saints 30 October 2022

Luke 6:20-31

Jesus looked up at his disciples and said:

"Blessed are you who are poor,

for yours is the kingdom of God.

"Blessed are you who are hungry now,

for you will be filled.

"Blessed are you who weep now,

for you will laugh.

"Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.

"But woe to you who are rich,

for you have received your consolation.

"Woe to you who are full now,

for you will be hungry.

"Woe to you who are laughing now,

for you will mourn and weep.

"Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets

"But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Reflection        We are all saints, or at least we can be because saints are ordinary people who refuse to experience the world divided in two buckets; visible - invisible, divine - human, sacred - secular, physical - spiritual, blessing - woe. Saints are ordinary people who seek unity rather than duality. 

Here is the thing. Our lives depend on both; visible and invisible, divine and human, sacred and secular, physical and spiritual, blessing and woe. We begin our lives seeing only black and white. Two months pass before newborns can distinguish red and green and a few more weeks before they can tell apart blues and yellows. It takes time for the cells of the eye to mature and the brain to make sense of subtle signals, like the countless shades of grey. Much as mature vision proceeds through developmental steps so too does our capacity to experience life in shades of grey rather than in competing buckets of black or white, blessing or woe. But unlike our eyes which for most of us mature by autopilot, it is through choice and deliberate practice that we mature to experience the unifying consciousness of ‘this and that’ rather than dualistic consciousness of ‘this or that.’  

Which begs the question, what constitutes deliberate practice that fosters the development of unifying consciousness?  I believe it is as simple as seven words and as ungraspable as mercury. The deliberate practice intended to develop unifying consciousness is simply following Jesus’ example and praying, “Not my will, your will be done.” Seven simple words!

In his essay, “The Meaning of Holiness” the French philosopher Louis Lavelle insists that we all have the potential to be saints, which is to say, to experience the presence and action of God with us, to live in the tension of the seen and unseen, the material and the spiritual. Saints are ordinary people who live extraordinary lives because of their disciplined intention to live praying, “Not my will, your will be done.”  When we live in accord with the will of God ours are lives of holiness and we thrive in right relationship with all people and creation. 

Much like accomplished baseball pitchers, pianists, professors, construction workers, teachers or firefighters who persist in disciplined study and practice in their respective fields, if we aspire to holiness of life we must exercise our spiritual muscles through disciplined prayer, worship, study and the diligent practice of living, “Not my will, your will be done.”

And, when the insufferable nay sayer that hides behind our heart stages a protest insisting, “How can I know the will of God?’  Jesus  answers.  "But I say to you that listen, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again.”  And if that is not clear, how about Jesus’ summary? “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Do to others as you would have them do to you. Others. All others. Jesus offers no exceptions. It sounds like that means when someone cuts us off while driving on Interstate 10, we bless rather than curse them. When someone is wrestling with their candy wrapper during a heart stopping scene at the theatre or shuffling pages during contemplative prayer, we choose to hear their sounds as divine music rather than personal affronts. When someone is citing their social, political or religious position quite contrary to ours, rather than attacking, defending or beating a quick retreat, we open our hearts and minds to listen with respect. When face to face with the one person who always rubs us the wrong way, we make ourselves smile and see them as holy because we are ordinary saints and so are they. 

We are ordinary saints because we choose to exercise our spiritual muscles through disciplined prayer, worship, study and diligent practice of living in accord with seven simple words. “Not my will, your will be done.” Are we perfect? No. And that is what makes ordinary saints both divine and human. 

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 Lavelle Louis. The Meaning of Holiness, London, Burns & Oates, 1953.

Gospel text for Sunday 23 October 2022

 Luke 18:9-14       Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, `God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, `God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Reflection        Have you ever overheard someone spewing a list of laments about a person or group of “those unworthy people” while assuming a morally superior stance insisting “I am not like that? I would never do such things?” And while we are excavating, shall we be painfully honest? Have you ever heard yourself rehearsing your exceptional credentials, thanking God that you are not like “those disreputable people?” 

Being a respected religious man who goes to the synagogue for all of the appointed prayers, steers clear of contact with undesirable folk and exceeds the biblical obligation to give ten percent of his income to the temple, the Pharisee in Luke’s text assumes he is in God’s favor.. But Jesus does not concur. When Jesus commends the sinful tax collector for humbly petitioning God for mercy, Jesus turns the Pharisee’s self-righteous assumptions upside down. The upstanding Pharisee is shocked.  

I am willing to wager that when most of us hear this teaching tale comparing the Pharisee and the tax collector, we identify with the pious Pharisee. We go to church, say the appointed prayers, we read books and blogs about scripture, we steer clear of contact with undesirable people and fulfill our biblical obligation to give ten percent of our income to the Church (well, maybe not so much). We trust in ourselves and believe we deserve God’s grace. So, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Pharisee our eyes glaze over when Jesus commends our law breaking neighbors and condemns us to humility.

I believe this troublesome teaching tale requires we take out the windex, wipe the dust off our mirrors to look through a new perspective. “Yes, there I am.  No, I am not a thief, a scoundrel, or two-faced deceiver. I worked for everything I have and I give sensibly to my church.  Just look at me Lord. I am not like those reprehensible people.  I am pious and practice the way of perfection. I am law abiding and above reproach.”  But our flourishes hold no sway with Jesus who roundly rejects our litany of “look at me” statements.  In a sleight of hand that we do not foresee Jesus brings us to our knees. 

From our corrected perspective we listen to  Jesus’ confounding comment just a few sentences following this text. While blessing the little children Jesus admonishes us,  “Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” (Luke 18.17) 

Again we join the Pharisee protesting. “How can this be? We are meant to read, mark, study, digest and keep God’s law. Children cannot even read! They do not know the law and furthermore, they have nothing to offer God.” Can you see Jesus scratching his head, screwing up his eyes and muttering, “Precisely! Children never presume they have anything to give to God or anyone else. Guileless and unguarded children simply turn to the One from whom their blessings flow. Children and admitted sinners stand naked before God. Being empty, open and receptive they are available to receive God’s favor.”

Mirroring cloudless contrast between those who put their trust in themselves and those who put their trust in God, Jesus is crystal clear.  There is only one way to be in right relationship with God. Humbly. Those who exalt themselves will be deflated, disgraced and degraded. Those who humble themselves will be filled, favored and pure.

Oh, Jesus, this is hard. Too hard. From the time we are tiny children we are told to prove ourselves, master the world, and accumulate the social, political and religious badges of success. I do not know about you but I cannot count the times my child self heard, “What have you got to show for yourself young lady? What have you done to deserve being here? God helps those who help themselves?” Not until I was well on my way to old did I receive the counsel “To receive the wisdom of the wise you must be empty, open and receptive.” Even then this sage advice did not come from the Christian tradition. It came to me through Taoist wisdom tales.

Assuming the unaffected sincerity of children we find a new perspective. Now cheek to jowl with the tax collector in today’s gospel text, we  are “standing far off… not even look(ing) up to heaven, but beating our breast and saying, `God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'. Just in case your eyebrows scowl and your alarms howl when you hear the word, ’sinner,’ relax. This is not an invitation to self loathing and flagellation. This is a summons to a new perspective.

If sin means we miss the mark and the mark is right relationship with God, then being a sinner means we are turned away from God. A sure and certain way for us to know we are turned away from God is when we hear ourselves announcing our virtues instead of humbling ourselves and proclaiming the goodness and mercy of God. This is why Jesus insists we stop singing our holier than thou sonnets and turn to the One from whom we receive all blessings, blessings we only receive when we are open, empty and receptive as unspoiled children.

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Hebrew Scripture for Sunday 16 October 2022

 Jeremiah 31:27-34        The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of humans and the seed of animals. And just as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring evil, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the Lord. In those days they shall no longer say:

"The parents have eaten sour grapes,
and the children's teeth are set on edge."

But all shall die for their own sins; the teeth of everyone who eats sour grapes shall be set on edge.

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt-- a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, "Know the Lord," for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

Reflection       The prophet Jeremiah gives voice to one of my favorite scriptures. “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”  What more could a woman (or man) possibly want? This all inclusive, unconditional promise is everything we humans need ; God’s law, God’s wisdom written on our hearts. What more could we possibly want?

Of course we have to ask ourselves,  if God’s law is written on our hearts, “Why do we keep tripping all over our selves and one another, aligning our will with everything but God? Why do we have so much difficulty mercifully navigating life?”

I believe the answer is simple and demanding. Instead of putting our heads in our hearts,  listening to and acting on God’s will and wisdom, we are captivated by whirlwinds of words and destructive distractions shrewdly scheming for our attention. Every day we are assaulted by our country’s ceaseless litigation over matters of law, alarming news cycles, inflammatory humor and profane politics all crafted by humans in alignment with their partisan will and ploys for power. In the midst of our dis-ordered distractions the question we keep forgetting to ask is,“What is the will or the wisdom of God?” 

According to the Hebrew Scriptures our first human attempt to record the will or wisdom of God is scratched in stone as the Decalogue, the Ten Laws given through Moses to our ancestors. (Exodus 20.2-17) But as the prophet Jeremiah reminds us, our ancestors broke the laws (which of course none of us have) and so, speaking on behalf of God Jeremiah makes a new covenant with the people of God. “I will put my law within (the people), and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

This marks an incredibly important moment in which the source of authority is reimagined. Whereas Divine Law was once understood as being external or outside of humanity, the purview of a distant transcendent  God, now we recognize it as being sourced inside our selves. Jeremiah explains, “No longer shall (the people) teach one another, or say to each other, "Know the Lord," for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest…”  We are all meant to know God from the inside out because the will and the wisdom of God is written on each of our hearts.

New Covenant

As early as the third century Christian hermits living in the desert understood the heart to be an organ of perceptivity, the site of engagement with Divine Wisdom. The well respected theologian, Episcopal priest and teacher of non-dual consciousness, Cynthia Bourgeault writes, “According to the great Christian, Jewish and Islamic wisdom traditions, the heart is first and foremost an organ of spiritual perception.” (The Heart of Centering Prayer, p54) 

When we turn our minds to read the law written on our hearts we penetrate the surface of things to access Divine wisdom and every single one of us has direct access to it.

Human access to Divine Wisdom is always available. But, driven my profit and power motives, religious and political institutions have appropriated and buried Divine Wisdom beneath doctrine and partisan politics. Still, Divine Wisdom is accessible to all us all of the time. Borrowing language from early Eastern Orthodox spiritual writings  Bourgeault counsels, “Put the mind in the heart…. Put the mind in the heart…. Stand before the Lord with the mind in the heart.”(p53) 

When we consciously and conscientiously endeavor to “put the mind (or head) in the heart” to actually direct our attention to experience our hearts beating, we begin to break through the constructed boundaries and barriers that prevent us from accessing wisdom. When we regularly take time to pause and plant our heads in our hearts we make ourselves available to experience Divine Wisdom. In Jeremiah’s words, “To know the Lord.” 

Every day we wake up to a world bombarding us with breaking news and boundless disaster. Our affections are disordered, our wills weakened and our patience worn thin. Rather than looking for the latest shout out telling us what we ‘need to know’ about the stock market, coronavirus, midterm elections, atrocities of war, conspiracy theories, rumors of disaster, whatever sound byte pokes our emotional buttons and puts cash in the pockets of a few, it is time to break through the noise that bars us from directly experiencing the promise Jeremiah made to humanity twenty six hundred years ago. It is time to commit to putting our heads in our hearts.

 “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, (in other words, no longer will we give priority to laws contrived by humans and our institutions…) for (we) shall all know (God), from the least of (us) to the greatest…”  We will all know God in the wisdom written on our hearts.

This all inclusive, unconditional promise is everything we humans need to live and thrive in peace.  God’s law is written on our hearts. Which is why we must turn away from media and marketing meant to deceive, distract and divide us. Here is a secret the media and our institutions do not want you to know. Whenever you experience yourself swept into a maelstorm of thoughts infused with fear, anger and judgment you can be sure your head is not in your heart and you are not accessing the will and the wisdom of God.

In the run up to midterm elections, emotions are high, tempers are hot and the need for us to resist the wily ways of pundits and politicians could not be greater.  If ever we needed to keep our heads in our hearts, now is the time because God’s will is written on each one of our hearts. The way we know that our will is aligned in the will of God is by the quality of our thoughts, words and actions. When our thoughts, words and actions are brimming with mercy and breathing in peace, we can be assured, our heads are in our hearts and our will is aligned in the will of God. 

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Luke 17:11-19        On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”

Reflection There is an uncharted strangeness to borderlands. They hide and hold the fractious edge between native and other. When contrasting customs, language and beliefs collide, folks on both sides feel vulnerable and strive for protection by building walls both real and in our hearts. The problem is, no matter how ominous our walls, we still feel vulnerable. 

Therein lies the conundrum. For as long as we look through jaundiced eyes and hardened hearts we will be contemptuous of ‘those people,’ the in crowd, the out crowd, brown, black or white, for as long as we hold to us and them distinction we will feel vulnerable because we are fracturing what is meant to be one, whole and holy humanity. 

When Jesus arrives at “a (borderland) village, and, keeping the prescribed distance, ten lepers approach him, asking for mercy,”  he does not ask for their passports, “Are you a Jew or a Gentile?” He does not try to figure out who has leprosy and who has a minor skin rash. Jesus looks at them (and here I believe “look” means more than seeing the condition of their skin or physical appearance), Jesus really looks at them and sees their humanity.  Jesus sees people of God who have been separated from their communities and God. (It is helpful to remember that, unlike today, two thousand years ago people did not have a personal, private relationship with God. God was present with people in community which means, if you are cast out of your community you are separated from God.) Therefore healing means being restored to your place in the community with God. 

“God is with and for all people, regardless of which side of the border they live,” because people are not defined by geography, ethnicity, religion or disease. People find their identity in relationship with God therefore, all people are one and all deserve mercy.

Walking in the borderlands, the in between places, Jesus affirms the humanity of outcasts. As a devout Jew Jesus  knows the Hebrew scripture and acts precisely as  prescribed in the fourth book of the Torah, Leviticus. “ When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling or an eruption or a spot, and it turns into a leprous disease on the skin of his body, he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. The priest shall examine the disease on the skin of his body…” (Lev 13.2-3) and determine whether or not the person may be received back in the community, worthy of being in the presence of God.  

Following accepted religious practice Jesus sends the ten lepers to the priests who will examine them to determine who is in and who is out. But, something more is going on in this parable. As soon as the ten lepers accept Jesus’ instruction to “Go and show (themselves) to the priests,” they are “made clean,” fit to return to their community.  I believe what we are meant to understand here is, as soon as the ten lepers turn toward God and ask for mercy, as soon as they acknowledge their dependence on something more than themselves, they are restored to relationship with their community and God. Nine of the ten lepers run off to the temple to receive the priest’s stamp of approval and return to life as they know it.

Turns out, one of the lepers is a Samaritan. A bit of background. Samaritans are half-Jew and half-Gentile. You have heard of the twelve tribes of Israel? When the northern kingdom of Israel was captured by Assyria in 721BCE the Assyrians dispersed the ten Northern tribes. A fragment of the ten tribes that remained in the Northern kingdom became the Samaritans, people who lived among and intermarried with the Assyrians, producing the Samaritans, half-Jew, half-Gentile. 

Two of the twelve tribes of Israel never left the southern kingdom. These were the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. They remained pure Jews and wanted  nothing to do with the mixed breed Samaritans. Another case of us and them. 

There is no point in the Samaritan leper going to the priests of the Southern kingdom because with or without leprosy no priest will stamp his proverbial documents and he will not be welcomed into the temple community. Overwhelmed with gratitude the healed Samaritan leper turns around “praising God with a loud voice.”  He has been transformed by the grace of Jesus’ mercy. There we have it. From the depths of his transformed heart the Samaritan claims his true identity, identity found in relationship with God, in the unity of all humanity, the relationship that transcends all borders, inside and out. This is his healing.

Here is the thing. Nine of the lepers know the rules and know their place. They keep their distance when Jesus arrives, they follow the prescribed order to return to the priests and look forward to leaping back into life as they have known it. But the tenth leper who was an outsider even before contracting the ostracizing skin disease is transformed by the grace of Jesus’ mercy. 

On the way to Jerusalem we are confronted by important questions. ”Like the nine lepers, is it sufficient for us to follow the rules, know our place, stick with our tribe, get our passports stamped and continue life as we know it? Or, is it time for us to see the people we treat as lepers, foreigners, strangers, ‘those people,’ through Jesus’ merciful eyes? Is it time for us to stop fracturing the community of God and restore the one, whole and holy body of humanity by seeing with the merciful eyes of Jesus?  

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