Gospel Text for Sunday 11 September 2022

 

 Matthew 6.9-13 

(Jesus said) Pray then in this way: 

Our Parent and Provider in heaven,

holy is your Name. 

May your majestic rule come.  

May your will be done,

on earth as in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread. 

And forgive us our debts, 

as we also forgive our debtors. 

And do not bring us to the time of trial, 

but rescue us from that which is evil.

 

Reflection       Seated in a wheelchair at a pleasant assisted-living dining room table, Veronica’s gnarled fingers fumbled with wilted playing cards. With mulish determination she labored, counting to seven then starting over, again and again and again. Remembering that Veronica had been an avid bridge player, not to mention black jack and craps aficionado, I queried, “Playing bridge Veronica?” For the first time since I sat down next to her Veronica turned toward me and from a place deep behind her empty eyes she threatened to smile then promptly resumed dealing cards. 

Various care-givers came by, initiating small talk or sharing their comments about Veronica’s declining condition. She remained nonplussed. When twenty five minutes had passed I leaned my head in front of Veronica’s and said, “Let’s pray. Our Father, who …” and with that her hazy grey eyes met mine and through a veil of tears she joined me praying the words aloud with precise lucidity. In the background I heard two care-givers adding their voices to our imprecation.  “Amen.”  A moment or a lifetime elapsed until with unfettered sincerity, the full force of her voice and unblinking eye contact Veronica announced, “I have never been so lost.” Swallowing tears I replied, “And now you are found by Our Father.” 

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. (John 1.1) From the beginning words matter. They can harm us or heal us. Ravage us or rescue us because words matter.

The very first word of the prayer found in two of the synoptic gospels, Matthew and Luke, is “Our.” We use the word ‘our’ when we want to communicate belonging to us and one or more other persons. The implication is that we share something in common, and if we share something in common we cannot possibly be alone. 

So, when we are praying we are never praying alone. We are praying in communion with all that belongs to the interconnected web of being, which means, we are praying in communion with all that is. Our father. Our mother. Our parent and protector. Our truth. Our light. Our holiness. Our God.

Whatever name we ascribe to the all encompassing holiness that refuses a singular name, when we pray we are in deliberate communication with the holiness that permeates everyone and every thing.  Our father. Our mother. Our parent and provider. Our truth. Our light. Our holiness. Our God, manifest in all of creation guarantees the infinite variety of holiness.

I believe this is why there are multiple versions of the Our Father prayer.  Because words matter. They can point us toward holiness, or away. Words can open doors and extend invitations or seal passages and set out stumbling blocks. 

Even though we are all included in ‘our,’ not all of us have the same experience of the next word ‘father.’ For some the word father evinces protection and benevolence. For others injury or abandonment. Likewise, for some the word mother conjures care or comfort while for others coldness or antagonism loom. The words ‘parent and provider’ may evoke grace and gratitude or fear and emptiness. Still, we all belong in ‘our’ and thankfully there are many versions of the prayer that Jesus teaches the disciples and us, versions that hopefully provide open doors and invitations so that all feel welcome to participate in the holiness to which we belong.

We use the word ‘our’ to communicate belonging. The implication is this. If God is holiness and God is all and we are part of all, then we are holy and we can never really be lost.

As we face the twenty-first anniversary of the 9/11 carnage, it would be remiss if we failed to note that even though we are all holy we cannot escape evil. 

Not children in classrooms or trafficked for sex.

Not elders preyed on by mail and phone predators.

Not workers exploited by swinish bosses.

Not people caught in the combat of twenty seven ongoing wars and conflicts that vandalize the globe.  

Not housekeepers, clerks, diners or traders in the New York City 

Twin Towers.

All of these holy people cannot escape evil nor can any one of us stop it. So we pray. Our father. Our mother. Our parent and provider. Our truth. Our light. Our holiness. Our God. We pray because in our prayer we all belong and in our prayer we are restored to common holiness.

If you find this post to be meaningful please share by clicking on icons below. Thank you. 

Gospel text for Sunday 31 July 2022

Mark 6:14-29     Now King Herod heard of [the teaching of Jesus], for Jesus’s name had become known and some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead and that is why the powers work through him.” Yet others said, “It is Elijah” while others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets [of old].” But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”

         For Herod himself had sent men who seized John and bound him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, for Herod had married her. For John had told Herod, “It is not right for you to have your brother’s wife.” Now Herodias had a grudge against him and she wanted to kill him. But she could not. This was because Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous man and a holy man and he protected him and listened to him, though greatly perplexed; yet it pleased him to listen to him. 

         Now an opportune time came on Herod’s birthday when he gave a banquet for his courtiers and commanders and for the leaders of Galilee. And Herod’s daughter Herodias came in a danced, pleasing Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish and I will give it to you.” And he swore to her repeatedly, “Whatever you ask me, I will give to you, even half of my kingdom.” And she went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.” Immediately she returned to the king with haste and asked, saying “I want immediately for you to give me on a platter the head of John the Baptizer.” The king was deeply sorry, yet because of his oaths and the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier under orders to bring John’s head. And he went and beheaded him in the prison. And he brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl and the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb. 

 

Reflection           Worried about evil? Here is how it works.

Slave to his fear of people’s judgment King Herod does not have the courage to live his convictions. Although he knew John the Baptizer to be a “righteous and holy man,” when his pride and power are on the line, Herod orders John’s head be given on a platter to his daughter. Fearing his guest’s judgement were he not to satisfy his daughter’s egregious demand, Herod is subject to the work of evil through him.

By contrast, John the Baptizer, a wilderness wandering preacher,  dares to speak truth to power by calling out Herod for marrying his brother’s wife Herodias. Being a man who lives by faith not fear, John is confident in his convictions and  veritably glows in contrast to the cold footed King Herod.

Fearful people capitulate to social pressure to conform. Believing their source of strength is in themselves or with other people they bow to political squeeze  and aim to execute whoever threatens their sense of security, safety, esteem, power or control. Consequently the fearful become vehicles for the work of evil. It is not that the people are evil, rather, they are vulnerable to evil working through them when they live in fear.

On the other hand, when we choose to live in faith we find confidence and conviction in something greater than themselves. Finding faith with God (or Yahweh, Allah, The Light, the One, the Mystery...)  gives us the freedom to remain calm  in the face of threats to our security, safety, esteem, power or control. Being faithful we are free rather than slaves to the working of evil through us. 

Eight years ago we witnessed a show of faith in Charleston, South Carolina when the Emmanuel American Methodist Episcopal Church responded to the murder of their senior pastor and eight other church members who were gunned down during a Bible study. Rather than eat the bait of evil and set off riots and a race war, the leaders and people of the AME church chose to respond with calm confidence, which they were free to do because they live in faith, not fear.  

Four days after the tragic shooting during the Sunday morning service at the AME church, the Rev. Goff pierced the hearts of the people in his church and across the nation when he preached, “Some wanted to divide the races - black and white and brown - but no weapon formed against us shall prosper.” Outside the doors of the church hung a banner that read, “Holy City… let us be the example of love that conquers evil.” Choosing faith leaves no room for the work of evil’s hateful hand.

This is what the families in Lancaster, Pennsylvania did seventeen years ago following the hateful shooting of their ten young daughters in an Amish school house. This heart breaking incident shocked the nation, with strangers contributing more than  four million dollars to support the Amish families. For many of us, even more stupefying than the massacre of ten girls between the ages of six and thirteen years was the Amish community’s response to their tragedy.  

Almost immediately following the shooting the grandfather of one of the girls who was killed expressed forgiveness to the killer while other Amish folk visited and comforted the killer’s family. In the midst of unspeakable loss and grief, the Amish community refused to react with fear, anger, blame or seek retaliation. Instead they chose to respond with compassion which they were free to do because they choose to live in faith, not fear, which leaves no room for the work of evil’s hateful hand. 

In Luke’s gospel we see Jesus nailed to a cross, hanging between two criminals. We are stunned by his shocking words, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23.34) I believe Jesus’ remarkable words are intended not only for the criminals flanking him but also for the disciples who abandon him and all who participate by their action or inaction in his brutal suffering and death. Jesus chooses to live by faith leaving no room for evil’s hateful hand to work through him.

We live in a world at war with our selves and one another. We have tuned our ears to hear insult and offense. We have set our minds to mine for misdemeanor. We screw up our eyes to find someone to blame for our wounded feelings. We harden our hearts to the suffering that abounds around us. We engage litigious means to execute retribution. We fail to follow the way of faith driven conviction commanded by God and embodied by the folks in Charleston, Lancaster, and Jerusalem. 

I believe we are at a crossroads in our community, our country and our world. Evil seduces us in the marketing of excess and tolerance of abuse. Evil thrives when we shade our eyes to lies and bow to corruption. Evil succeeds when we choose fear rather than faith as the standard for our lives. 

The only way I know to overcome fear is to choose faith, faith in something greater than ourselves that some call God, Yahweh, Allah, Mystery, Light, Divine Presence. Here is the thing. Choosing faith is not a once and done endeavor. It is a day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute commitment to choose faith in the face of whatever shows up on this wild journey we call life, because when we choose faith there is no room for evil to work its hateful way through us.

If you find this post to be meaningful please share by clicking on icons below. Thank you.

Gospel text for All Saints and All Souls 29 October 2017

Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

"Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Reflection       With his words of blessing Jesus is turning the world of the status quo upside down. It is not the people who are content, satisfied, cunning, fulfilled, ruthless, scheming or admired that are blessed.  These are the people who stay home, securing their power and privilege, uninterested in Jesus message. Socially and politically speaking they are the fortunate, prosperous, undefeated people. They seek nothing more because they believe they have it all.

Today Jesus is addressing  seekers.  Seekers are seeking something which by definition means they have a sense of something missing, something more they long for. It is this very longing for something more that is the seed of blessing. When people do not have the means to eat or care for their family, they long for food and shelter. They long for God’s blessing. When brokenhearted, people ache and cry in anguish for what is lost, they long for something more, they long for God’s blessing. When people have everything they need; power, privilege and esteem, yet still feel empty and unfulfilled, they too long for something more, they long for God’s blessing. 

Here is the thing. Blessing does not flow into fullness. Blessing flows into open empty receptivity. 

When we are poor in spirit, we are empty, we hunger for God. When we mourn, we are desolate, we weep for God.  When we are meek,  we are yielding, we submit to God. When we are righteous we are civil, we are obedient to God. When we are merciful we are humane, we allow God’s generosity to flow through us. When we are pure in heart, we are transparent, we act with integrity and reveal God’s goodness. When we are peacemakers we nurture relationships among people and with God . And when we do all of these things we are revealing the kingdom of heaven on earth. It is no wonder the forces of evil explode to persecute and annihilate us because the keepers of the status quo do not want the kingdom of heaven to prevail on earth. 

I believe this  is why Jesus concludes the first part of his famous mountaintop sermon proclaiming, “"Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad…” The people who revile and persecute the disciples and us are the protectors of the status quo, the ones who are full of themselves. The something more that we seek cannot be bought, weighed and measured. The something more we seek cannot be kept in storehouses, off shore accounts or behind thick walls. The something more we seek is the kingdom of heaven right here, right now on earth, available to all people without exception.

As goodness rises, evil escalates and the spiraling chaos and false accusations are reasons to “rejoice and be glad” because it means the kingdom of heaven is prevailing. The old ways of self-satisfaction and adulation, pride and pretension,  disrespect and disobedience, cruelty and greed, deceit and dishonor, agitation and corruption are tripping over one another in  the Danse Macabre, the Dance of their Death.  The protectors of the old ways are confronted by  their own fragility and the specious nature of their superficial lives. 

Blessed are the poor, the mourners and the meek, the hungry, the merciful, the pure of heart and the peacemakers because in their open, empty receptivity they receive and reveal the kingdom of heaven right here, right now in the midst of all kinds of evil. So, rejoice and be glad!

If you found this post to be meaningful please share by clicking on icons below. Thank you.

New Testament reading for Sunday 28 April 2013

Revelation 21:1-6           I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

"See, the home of God is among mortals.

He will dwell with them as their God;

they will be his peoples,

and God himself will be with them;

he will wipe every tear from their eyes.

Death will be no more;

mourning and crying and pain will be no more,

for the first things have passed away."

And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." Then he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life."

Reflection    Screaming from an enormous flat screen TV were images of a firefight and a paralyzed Watertown, Massachusetts. I passed by quickly as I was leaving a skilled nursing facility where I had just visited a dying woman. All this on the heals of the Marathon bombing. I could not get to the parking lot fast enough. I sat in my hot car and let the tears have their way. 

Tears are grief’s companion. They tug at the pit of emptiness. They seep into the places where words fail and sense is stunned. Tears and questions, that’s all I had. Where is God in all this darkness? When will the new heaven and new earth be realized? And what does that mean anyway? 

I believe the essence of the age to come, the new heaven and new earth, is this. Every person realizes that God is with her or him, no matter what. And, every person recognizes God’s caring and comforting presence in “the other.” There is no one with whom God is not. When we all truly realize this we will have no need to kill one another.

As I read the apostle John’s description of his vision I can almost hear Martin Luther King’s deep gravelly voice proclaiming,”The home of God is with you. Nothing... I say....nothing can seperate you from God. I can seeeeee the new Church. I can seeeee the new Church and it is you. You, the people of God. And I hear a loud voice from heaven saying, “Know me, know me the way the bride and the bridegroom know one another. Know that we are one. Know that no thing, no darkness, no bombings, no firefights, no evil, nothing can seperate you from me in all eternity. You are my people. In you I live and dwell, I Am. It is done.”

This is a mighty truth. The troubles of this time will pass away when we enter the bridal chamber, when we consent to our mystical union in God. God is our intimate companion, partner, beloved. And it is God, the bridegroom, who will wipe away our every tear. “These words are trustworthy and true.”

Matthew 4:1-11

After Jesus was baptized, he was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written,'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"

Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"

Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.