Ordinary Holiness Friday, 18 June 2021 On Being

 

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Acts of the Apostles and Psalm texts for 3 May 2020

Acts 2:42-47        Those who had been baptized devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; *

I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures *

and leads me beside still waters.

He revives my soul *

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I shall fear no evil; *

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; *

you have anointed my head with oil,

and my cup is running over.

Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Reflection        Could it be that in this time of stillness, silence and social distance our shepherd, our God is leading us to recognize the beauty that surrounds us? lying down in the green pastures of our homes? being still by the waters of our pools and fountain features? resting in the thick nest of silence?

Could it be that in this time of stillness, silence and social distance our shepherd, our God is showing us a new way of being (not doing) in the world? joining our neighbors sitting six feet apart in the crook of our cul de sacs, raising our cups and crackers in thanksgiving for a community we did not know was there? thanksgiving for the simple pleasure of being present, being alive?

Could it be that in this time of stillness, silence and social distance our shepherd, our God is teaching us the way of holy waiting? offering messages of encouragement by card or call or written in chalk on our driveways? bidding blessings to strangers hand painted on rocks tucked beside cactus and street posts? pausing and being embraced by an unknown person’s care?

Could it be that in this time of stillness, silence and social distance our shepherd, our God is inviting us to look into the mirror and examine the ways in which our personal programs for security, safety, esteem, power and control enslave us? admitting our addictions and confessing our hidden agendas? seeking help and praying for the grace to be healed?  being the source of healing?

Could it be that in this time of stillness, silence and social distance our shepherd, our God sees us as sheep conformed to the status quo? damned by the deception of civil, religious and political officials? confused by contention? provoked by propaganda? bound by our fear of the unknown?

Could it be that in this time of stillness, silence and social distance our shepherd, our God calls us by name?  guiding us along the right pathways? reviving our souls as we pass through the valley of the shadow of Covid-19 deaths? anointing our heads with the hands of Divine blessing?

Could it be that we will emerge from this time of stillness, silence and social distance a new and transformed people? recognizing how quickly the earth heals when we are still, silent and let God be God?  the air is purified, the water is clarified and we are restored to immaculate innocence. 

Could it be that this time of stillness, silence and social distance is God’s way of transforming our hearts, our minds, our lives and our planet? leading us on the pathways of righteousness? anointing our heads with the oil of gladness? Could it be?

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Gospel text for Sunday 26 April 2015

John 10:11-18        Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away-- and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

Reflection     “I am the good shepherd.” This is one of seven “I am” statements attributed to Jesus in John’s gospel. The other six are “I am the Bread of Life” (6:35), I am the Light of the world (8:12), I am the Gate (10:9), I am the Resurrection and Life (11:25), I am the Way, the Truth and the Life (14:6), and I am the True Vine (15:1).

Each one of Jesus’ ‘I am” statements affirms that the Spirit of Jesus, the Christ, is not only with us in our need but also provides for our need.  Jesus, being “the bread of life,” feeds our deepest , spiritual hunger. Jesus, being “the light of the world,” penetrates and transfigures the darkest moments of our lives. Being a “gate,” Jesus is an opening, a portal or a means of access to freedom from whatever restrains or weighs us down. Jesus “the resurrection and the life” replaces our discouragement, despair and doubt with hope in the promise that life does not end with death but is changed.  Jesus, “the way, the truth and the life,” exemplifies the way of being in intimate, loving, dependent relationship with God. Jesus, “the true vine,” reminds us that all of our productivity or fruitfulness arises from our relationship with God so there is no need for anxiety and striving for success. Jesus, the “good shepherd” acknowledges our vulnerability and stops at nothing to care for us. 

This begs the question, how are we to respond to such magnanimity? I believe one way is to live in imitation of Christ, to claim the “I am” statements for ourselves. What would it be like if each of us declared, “I am the bread of life” and then  lived our lives making sure no one around us was lacking?  How might the world be different if each of us proclaimed, “I am the light of the world,” then used our lives to shine hope and spiritual wisdom into the darkest corners of our world?  Can you imagine a world in which every one of us asserted, “I am the gate,” and then did everything we could to assure all people had access to food, shelter, education and healthcare? What if we announced, “I am the resurrection and the life,” and revealed the many deaths and humiliations  we’ve endured that led to new and transformed life for us? Might the world be different if we dared to say, “I am the way, the truth and the life,” then live our lives refusing gossip and destructive behavior in favor of loving and dignifying all people? What if we laid claim to being “the true vine,” intended to pass on all our God given gifts for the greater good? Would the world be different if we found our essence with Jesus, “the good shepherd” and assumed responsibility for the care and protection of widows and orphans, the disabled and disaffected, the hungry, the prisoner, the illegals, even at our own expense?

Do we dare to declare, I am?

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