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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Hebrew Testament text for Trinity Sunday 30 May 2021

 Isaiah 6:1-8      In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; 

the whole earth is full of his glory.”

The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”

Reflection        There is something about Trinity Sunday that confounds our intellect. One God, Three Persons, undivided and distinct, trinity and unity. What are we to think?

Where intellect fails experience prevails. As we rise to witness the broad sweep of the history of God’s people, we are dazzled with a multiplicity of visions, visions of Divine and human encounters punctuate our story.  One of those visions appears in the Hebrew Testament account of the prophet First Isaiah’s experience.Trinity 

Isaiah avers, “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings…” Great drama. Then with the earth shaking and the Temple filled with smoke Isaiah hears, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” Quite an experience.

The religious life of the ancient Jewish nation is centered in the Temple in Jerusalem. When the future of his country looks especially bleak, it is the Temple to which Isaiah turns seeking wisdom to guide him.  Isaiah was born during the immoral reign of King Uzziah. Even though Isaiah has a keen knowledge of political affairs and mastery of poetic language, he turns to God in his time of trouble. Putting his faith in God rather than himself, Isaiah has a vision, a vision that assures him that despite his nation’s dismal state, God remains present and active in history.

Face to face with the vision of God’s glory, Isaiah is quite shaken.  His stomach must have leapt to his throat and he protests, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips…” Whereupon a seraph, a Spirit of God,”holds a live coal that had been taken from the altar” to Isaiah’s lips, a ritual act to illustrate the inner cleansing of Isaiah’s protesting heart and mind. 

Isaiah realizes that in spite of being less than holy and living in a nation erupting with corruption, he is redeemed so when he hears God’s invitation, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” he responds, “Here am I; send me!” As it is said, the rest is history. The course of Isaiah’s life is set as he dares to preach and counsel three kings before dying a martyr.

I believe Jesus’ story parallels that of Isaiah. At his baptism the vision of the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling upon him sets the course of his life and ministry, compels him to preach, teach and heal the lives of many, putting himself crosswise with religious and political officials before dying a martyr.

Isaiah and Jesus put their faith in the experience of Divine Presence that invites their incarnate response, “Here am I.” “Not my will, your will be done.”  Benevolent Father calls to faithful Son through the effectual action of the Spirit.  The fullness of God is made known in the interdependent relationship of the transcendent, incarnate and demonstrative. One God in Trinity. 

With clouds of smoke and quaking ground, not to mention a global pandemic, Transcendent God confirms the interconnected interdependence of all creation.

With care for the least, the lost and the lonely, Immanent God reveals Divine Presence and Action in flesh and bones every day.

With blooming breath the Spirit of God breathes life and liberty through all of humanity. Everyone and everything is included in Trinity.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Creator, Redeemer, Source of All Being.

One, Holy and Living God. 

As it was for Isaiah and Jesus, so too is the state of our nation, shamefully corrupt. The elite are built up and protected while the poor are oppressed and rejected.  If we keep doing the same thing, nothing is going to change. And so it is time for us to pray that God’s seraphs touch our lips with the live coal from the altar, redeeming our lives and  compelling us to claim our place with the Trinity praying, “Here am I. Send me” to care for all your people and creation. 

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Gospel Text for Annunciation 24 March 2019

Luke 1:26-38        In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God." Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her."

Reflection   I wonder how many angels God sent to whisper in people’s ears; sent to prophets and widows, soothsayers and slaves, Kings, rabbis and peasants?  I wonder how many prospects were just not listening and how many others rather preferred to keep God in God’s distant place, after all, if God shows up right here right now, we might have to step out of our shadows and recast our selves? 

And God kept sending angels whispering, “Greetings favored one. Do not be afraid. It is the deepest desire of my heart to be born of your flesh.  I long to skip and spin, strut and sing, to be holy human. Be assured,  never will I force myself upon you. Never shall I transgress your will. Give me leave to be with you and we will be whole and holy.” No one can count the number of times God whispered this plaintive plea until at last a guileless girl named Mary consented,"Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." 

Wide eyed and innocent, unjaded as a virgin, whoever would have predicted that of all the folks on earth this pubescent girl would be the one to hear the whisper of God tugging at her heart and access the audacity to affirm, “God is with me.”

What will it take for us to rescue God from imperial isolation, to eat the flesh, drink the blood and be holy human? What will it take for us to consent and affirm, God is with me? I know this is not the way the teaching tale is told in the Gospel according to Luke. What if instead of worrying about sex outside of wedlock, old women and virgin’s getting pregnant, the potency of the Holy Spirit, the whole question of extraordinary events that cannot be explained by natural or scientific laws, what if we were to consent to divine presence and agency impregnating every cell and every space of our own being? What if we were to consent to being holy human?

Yes, we would have to be bold and humble as Mary… and very very careful because claiming our identity as holy human God bearers is risky business. But that is the story we are preparing for this Lent, the story of Jesus, fully human and fully divine, who pays the ultimate price for claiming his identity. But, for today it is enough to respond to God’s whisper, “Greetings favored one. The Lord IS with you,” by ever so humbly and audaciously consenting to recast ourselves as holy human.

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Gospel Text for Sunday 9 September 2018

Matthew 25.35

Mark 7:24-37        Jesus set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

Reflection        It is in the nature of the human condition to protect ourselves from what or who ever is unknown or unfamiliar because we are not sure that we are safe. It is in the nature of the human condition to hold onto what we have because we fear if we give some away we may not have enough. So, like Jesus, our knee-jerk reaction is to malign the person begging for our assistance and bark, “No, I cannot help you.” This is the first consolation I find in Mark’s text; our self-protective gut reactions are just like Jesus.

The second consolation is this, we need not be bound by our involuntary impulses.  There is no way of knowing what went on inside Jesus between his callous rejection of the mother’s first request that Jesus heal her daughter and her second pitch pleading for favor, but Jesus’ impulsive “no” became an accomplished “yes.” Jesus broke through the limiting ideas of who or how or what he was supposed to be and extended his mercy to a stranger. 

I was a Transitional Deacon serving at St. Mark’s in Berkeley. The rector of seventeen years tenure had retired and an interim had not yet been found. It was the first day I was the only clergy person present for the Wednesday morning Eucharist, the first day I was responsible for this big, beautiful church campus and I felt the full weight of the keys in my cassock.  

A new woman joined the Wednesday regulars for worship. Following the service I welcomed her then showed her the convoluted way through the sanctuary to the enclosed side courtyard leading to the underground parking garage. As we stood chatting I noticed a youngish black man, disheveled dreadlocks, white tee shirt, thick metal chain looped from his hip standing across the courtyard. I nodded to acknowledge him, continued my conversation with the new woman all the while wondering how this man got into the courtyard. 

Being an urban setting with a handful of homeless folk living in the church garage, the entryways to the courtyard were locked, as were all of the church doors.  After unlocking the gate to allow the woman to descend to the parking garage, I turned to face the man in the courtyard. As we approached each other I was wretchedly aware that not another soul breathed on the campus. When face to face I smiled, introduced myself and asked the stranger, “What may I do for you?” He answered, “I want to pray.” I replied, “Shall we sit on this bench?” “No, I want to pray in the church.” 

I would be lying if I did not admit that I was alarmed. “This is the first day I am responsible for the church. What if he destroys it?  won’t leave? attacks me?” At the same time I frantically implored, “God, this is your church and he must be one of your people.” So I led the stranger into the sanctuary, up the steps to the chancel. He sat and closed his eyes. I did likewise. Eight or ten minutes passed in silence, notwithstanding my racing mind,  “Debra, why are you anxious about this man yet did not have a second thought about the new woman - both are strangers? Why are you partial? What is wrong with you?” Eventually I asked again, “What may I do for you?” The man opened his eyes, looked at me and quietly said, “I just want to pray.” 

I began to relax, be still and present. I have no idea how much time passed before I heard him stir, and opened my eyes. He stood up, looked me straight in the eyes and said “Thank you.” I stood up, looked back and asked, “What is your name?” “Jesus.” My tears erupted. He said no more as I walked with him to the door. I have no idea how he exited the locked courtyard. 

Like Jesus with the Gentile mother, my involuntary impulse was to malign the stranger as  a scavenger or enemy harboring ill intentions.  Like Jesus I wanted to withhold God’s blessing. Much as the persistent mother refused to be turned away, the man on the St. Mark’s courtyard prevailed, turning my fear into humble supplication and transforming my heart from stone to tears. 

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Gospel text for Sunday 13 November 2016

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        Surely we are in no less a time of apocalyptic expectation than were the people listening to Jesus predict the decimation of the temple. Some of us are calling for a radical end of the way things have been. Others fear seismic doom and gloom borne of change. Within families, communities, cities , the Church, relationships are strained if not fatally fractured.

As people of God we are intended to be in loving relationship with God and one another. Most of us have been distracted and like our ancient Jewish ancestors forgotten our covenant with God. We are worried about “when (these terrible things) will be, and what will be the sign that it is about to take place.” Then and now we are asking the wrong questions.

The question is not “How shall we prepare ourselves for disaster;  ‘famine, plague and dreadful portents and great signs from heaven?’” The question is “How shall we live to fulfill our covenant agreement with God? How shall we repent, turn away from our selfishness, entitlement, pride and isolation to follow the way of Jesus by dignifying, caring for and giving ourselves away for the good of all people?” 

If we did live to fulfill our covenant with God there would indeed be an apocalyptic transformation of the world as we know it. And, if we choose to do this, like Jesus and his disciples, we can expect to be misunderstood and suffer along the way.

The good news is, God is with us and we do not have to prepare. We can have confidence because Jesus counseled, we need not be “terrified.” This moment in which we find ourselves is an opportunity to live and reveal the good news that God is with and for all people. “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.” We may be hated and betrayed by many folk but we are assured of God’s presence with us… always. 

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Christian Testament Text for Sunday 10 April 2016

Acts 9:1-20

Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" He asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." He answered, "Here I am, Lord." The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight." But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God.”

Reflection         I have no idea if Pope Francis ever had a road to Damascus experience. But I believe on Friday morning the Roman Catholic Church was knocked off its proverbial horse when the Vatican released Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation — “Amoris Laetitia,” or “The Joy of Love” in which he “urges church leaders to serve as nurturing pastors, not as rigid enforcers of doctrine.” In a game changing proclamation the bishop of Rome called for the Roman Church “to be more welcoming and less judgmental, and he seemingly signaled a pastoral path for divorced and remarried Catholics to receive holy communion.” Francis does not stop there. He “calls for priests to welcome single parents, gay people and unmarried straight couples who are living together.” Even though he maintained the singularity of heterosexual marriage, the bishop of Rome writes, “A pastor cannot feel that it is enough to simply apply moral laws to those living in ‘irregular’ situations, as if they were stones to throw at people’s lives.” He continues, “I understand those who prefer a more rigorous pastoral care which leaves no room for confusion.” (Read - there are those who want the black and white certainly of unbending rules and regulations) “But, I sincerely believe that Jesus wants a Church attentive to the goodness which the Holy Spirit sows in the midst of human weakness… We have been called to form consciences, not to replace them..”*

Which brings us to an earlier world changing moment. “Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” For the rigorist Saul there is no room for confusion. If you dare to break or even question the religious or political status quo, you are to be apprehended and exported.  That is, until something inexplicable happens. The lights go on and Saul hears the Lord ask him, “Why do you persecute me?” Could this have been the birth of Saul’s inner voice of conscience? Could it have been the seed of goodness “which the Holy Spirit sows in the midst of human weakness?” 

Saul and Pope Francis are both affiliates of religions traditionally bound by principles and rules laid down by authorities as incontrovertibly true. And it appears both Saul and Pope Francis have personal experience that disputes the legalistic boundaries of their religions. Both Saul and Pope Francis’ actions indicate, we are not people of the dogma. We are not people of the doctrine. We are people of The Way. The Way  is the way of encountering God deeply, truly and personally. 

All that we experience is in and of, with and through God. Every moment we breathe in relationship with God. Everything we think and feel, say and do is in relationship with God, the goodness “which the Holy Spirit sows in the midst of human weakness.” The thing is, as with Saul, we cannot wrap our minds around it. Our encounter with the Divine is too much to apprehend. We cannot see it until those who have gone before us help us open our eyes and remember how God is acting in our lives. Which is what I believe Pope Francis is doing in the world today. Like Ananias, Pope Francis is answering God’s call to lay his healing hands upon the peoples of this world, to open our eyes and remember our baptism as sisters and brothers of One, Holy Family of God.

 *http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/04/08/world/europe/pope-francis-statement-on-family.html accessed April 8, 2016.                      

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Gospel text for Sunday, 7 February 2016

Luke 9:28-36       About eight days after Peter had acknowledged Jesus as the Christ of God, Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Reflection      Isn’t this what we all want… to peek behind the ‘veil,’ have a mountaintop experience, catch a glimpse of the unseen? When Moses descended from his forty day mountaintop experience Aaron and the Israelites saw “the skin of Moses face was shining… because he had been talking to God…” (Exodus 34.30,29) They saw beyond the ‘veil’ that separates humanity and divinity. Likewise, when Jesus took his companions “up the mountain to pray,” Peter, John and James, were awake and witnessed that “…while (Jesus) was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white…” The ‘veil’ separating humanity and divinity was lifted and the three disciples heard a voice from a cloud that left them speechless,  a fitting response to encountering the divine.

When we hear the story of Jesus’ transfiguration generally our attention is glued to the supernatural spectacle of neon Jesus glowing on a mountaintop.  If we reorient our attention to the disciples, our eyes are opened to see beyond the extraordinary to the presence of God with the ordinary. When, like the disciples, we wait with Jesus in prayer, our hearts and minds are open to see beyond the ‘veil’ and experience the transforming glory of God with us, with all of us, right here on earth.

As long as we allow our attention to be captured by the supernatural details of Jesus’ transfiguration story (arguing pro and con, did this really happen? is this hyperbole?) we hold the radically transforming power of the story safely at arms length. But when we choose to turn away from the noise and distractions of neon signs and debates, follow Jesus up the mountain and give our attention to God in prayer, there is every chance our hearts and minds will be opened to experience the radically transforming presence of God with us. I wonder if this is what Paul is thinking when he writes to the Corinthians, “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit?” (2 Cor 3.18) The veil between humanity and divinity is torn. Nothing is hidden when we stay awake and follow Jesus.

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Gospel text for Sunday 16th of March, 2014

John 3:1-17        There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

"Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Reflection     I feel a kind of kinship with Nicodemus as Jesus responded to him in much the same way a Zen teacher did with me some thirty years ago. I had been instructed that the protocol for approaching a Zen teacher was to sit in their presence until they acknowledge you. There being no other instructions, after waiting for what seemed like an eternity I decided surely I was supposed to say something. So when it appeared the teacher noticed me I said, “I want to know the truth.” He replied, “Have a cup of tea.” Then he stood up and left the room. I felt utterly stupid, completely confused, embarrassed and departed. 

A couple of years later I read a Zen story.  “A master who lived as a hermit on a mountain was asked by a monk,  "What is the Way?” "What a fine mountain this is," the master said in reply. The monk continued, ”I am not asking you about the mountain, but about the Way.” "So long as you cannot go beyond the mountain, my son, you cannot reach the Way," replied the master.”

Today it occurs to me, the Zen teacher could just as well have said to the monk, “As long as you are born only of the flesh you cannot see the kingdom of God.” Like wise, I can imagine Jesus saying to Nicodemus, “If you cannot go beyond the mountain, you cannot reach the Way.” 

The thing about wisdom is, it seems like utter nonsense to the casual listener. In the tradition of Zen the purpose of koans (basically nonsense statements such as the master’s response to my declaration that I wanted to know the truth….”have a cup of tea,” or Jesus’ strange response to Nicodemus, “You must be born from above,”  the purpose of koans and illogical commentaries is to dumbfound the reasonable mind; to stun it, bewilder it and move beyond it.

I believe Jesus and the Zen masters are not looking for their students to understand, which is to say, to grasp the meaning of things with their minds. I believe what Jesus and the Zen masters are seeking is to break open the minds of their students (disciples), to free us from the limits of reason and intellect so that we can participate in the eternal, spiritual dimension of Being, right here, right now, on earth. Jesus and the masters teach for transformation, not information. 

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Gospel text for Sunday 2 March 2014

Matthew 17:1-9        Six days after Peter had acknowledged Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid." And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

Reflection        There is something about mountains. They have an uncanny allure. Throughout history humans have been drawn to mountains seeking wisdom and inspiration, hoping against hope to draw closer to God. That was the case for Moses and Elijah, both mountain men of the first order. 

Moses climbed Mount Sinai hoping to defend the people of Israel who had sinned against God by making a golden calf while waiting for the forty days that Moses was on top of the mountain receiving God’s commandments to govern the life of the Israelites whom he led out of slavery from Egypt. Unlike Moses,  after forty days of traveling through the wilderness, when he finally ascended Mount Horeb the prophet Elijah complained bitterly to God about the unfaithfulness of God’s people. At the top of the mountain both Moses and Elijah experienced the presence of God with them and were sent to continue God’s work in the world. 

Centuries later Jesus takes his three closest friends to have their mountaintop experience of God present with them. On the mountain they have the insight that humanity and divinity are revealed in the person of Jesus. Although it appears that Jesus is transfigured, it is the vision and the understanding of Peter, James and John that is illuminated and transformed. They “see” the unity of humanity and divinity in Jesus. They “hear” the transcendent voice of God instructing them "listen to" (and presumably be guided by) Jesus. I believe this is the key to understanding this enigmatic text. Listen to Jesus, the one who instructs his friends and us in incomprehensible ways; the one who told his friends he must suffer, die and be resurrected in Jerusalem. 

Like Peter,  when we have our mountaintop experiences we want to “build tents,” we want to cling to them or go back to them. But Jesus leads us down the mountain and heads straight for Jerusalem. If we listen to Jesus we take our experience of God with us into our world which is full of suffering and death. If we listen and follow Jesus, we touch the people who are afraid and suffering and say, “Get up. Do not be afraid.” Life does not end with death. God is with us, always. 

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** image is Mt. Lemmon, Arizona

Gospel for Feast of the Transfiguration 5 August 2012

Luke 9:28-36
About eight days after Jesus had foretold his death and resurrection, Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Reflection

Wouldn’t you just love to know God with your whole being? To know God the way you know the sound of a good friend’s footsteps? or the taste of chocolate? or the unspeakable beauty of a spectacular sunset. Wouldn’t you just love to know God the way you know tenderness when watching a young child sleep, the way you know wonder when listening to great music or inspiring words? Wouldn’t you love to know the grandeur of God the way you know the majesty of jagged mountains piercing cobalt skies while waves of wind and dust churn across the desert? Wouldn’t you just love to know God with your whole being?

I believe this is the way Jesus knew God – with his whole being. I believe Jesus desired to know and be in relationship with God with all of his heart, with all of his soul with all of his strength and with all of his mind.  I believe it was Jesus’ desire for God that compelled him to go out of his way, to climb the mountain and reach out to God in prayer with his whole being.  And Jesus was transfigured.

Jesus brought his whole being into relationship with God and his whole being was affected, so much so that even his clothes, that is to say, even the way he was perceived in the world, radiated his intimate knowledge of God.  Jesus was fully, lucidly, beyond any doubt in relationship with God.

I believe this is where all of us are going. We are all going to be transfigured. We are all moving toward the full and intimate knowledge of God that will transform us all the way in and all the way out. We will be changed and it will be noticeable – like dazzling white clothes. And if you happen to be wondering, “How?” A lawyer who was testing Jesus actually hasd the answer, “You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind”….And Jesus said to him, “You have given the right answer, do this and you will live.””(Luke 10.27-28)