Gospel text for Sunday 27 January 2013

Luke 4:14-21          Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

Reflection        What does it mean to be filled with the power of the Spirit? Some translations of Luke’s text read, “Jesus was in the power of the Spirit.” I believe that may be more helpful because it is not that we are barren bowls waiting for the power of the Spirit to appear from elsewhere and occupy our emptiness. The Spirit already dwells in us but does not move to overtake us. The Spirit waits for our consent to lean into it’s fragrant breath, to yield again and again to It’s power to lead us.

Much like the sail of a boat that leans into the wind, when we  consent  to the Spirit we are held in and moved by the tension of Spirit’s breath. When we consent to lean into or depend upon the power of the Spirit we allow our lives to be led in and of the Spirit. 

Yes, there are charismatic Christians who speak of being slain by the Spirit, of having a singular overwhelming emotional experience that marks some kind of initiation. I do not believe it is of this the writer of Luke’s gospel is speaking. I believe Jesus is in the power, the strength, the ability of God’s Spirit. Jesus has surrendered his will in the Will of God (that’s what was happening when Jesus responded to the devil's temptations in the wilderness) and as a consequence of leaning into or depending upon the Spirit Jesus’ teaching and healing are empowered and efficacious. No wonder reports “about him spread throughout the country... and he was praised by everyone.”

To be filled with the Spirit, to be in the Spirit, means to allow the indwelling Spirit to direct our thoughts and words and actions. It means we too become the empowered agents of the Spirit’s ministry. 

You may well ask, how will I know if I really have submitted to the Spirit? I believe the apostle Paul has the answer. The evidence of a life in and of the Spirit is the fruit of the Spirit.... “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, generosity and self control (Galatians 5.22-23). It is by our experience of the fruit that we know we are living in the Spirit.

Gospel text for Sunday 20 January 2013

John 2:1-11          On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now." Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Reflection       There were between 120 and 180 gallons of fine wine, which translates into somewhere between 1,920 and 2,880 eight ounce glasses of wine. That’s how much wine replaced the emptiness at the wedding in Cana.  Why in the world did Jesus offer such an incredibly extravagant response to the need for more wine at the wedding? Why didn’t he offer just enough to satisfy the guests? And why did he provide better wine than that to which the wedding guests were accustomed? 

I beleive the insufficiency of wine at the wedding feast makes a fundamental statement about our human condition. We are lacking. We are lacking in communion with the Divine. We are lacking in the joy symbolized by a wedding feast. Jesus’ mother recognizes this lack and prevails upon the divine nature of her son to respond to human need. Jesus, being Jesus, responds according to his own will. That’s the reason for his rather rude reply to his mother, “Woman what concern is that to you and me?” But when the deep human compassion of Mary is joined (in communion) with the divine creating power and presence of Jesus the abundance of wine, joy and blessing is beyond imagining, hence 2,000 plus glasses of fine wine!

This is the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, the beginning of the revelation of the Logos, the Word God, replacing human lack with divine abundance. Throughout John’s gospel Jesus provides “signs” that reveal ‘his glory.” Jesus’ glory is the revelation of divinity abundantly present on earth. The wedding feast, the joining of the human and the Divine, is right here, right now. The communion of humanity and Divinity is not deferred to a later date or some distant heavenly abode. In sign after sign in John’s gospel Jesus overwhelmingly responds to human need or lack; healing the sick, the blind, the lame, feeding the hungry masses. Abundance is the fruit of relationship between humanity and divinity.

The wedding in Cana represents the marriage of humanity and divinity and the abundance of communion (wine or joy) born of that union. In this sacred union human need or emptiness is abundantly satisfied. And more than that, the extravagant fruit of this communion is better than us humans could ever expect. It is much better wine than we are accustomed to sipping.

Luke 3:15-17,21-22          As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

Reflection           While he was praying (after being baptized) Jesus experienced an altered state of consciousness. In other words, Jesus experienced a state of mind or awareness that is not usual in ordinary wakefulness. Jesus experienced God or Divinity breaking directly into his ordinary state of awareness; “The heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form...” Not only did Jesus have a visual experience of the Spirit of God in “bodily form” but he also heard “a voice from heaven.” 

Wow! I imagine if that happened to me it would go straight to my head and I would sizzle,  “Aren’t I special!” Perhaps that’s why the prophet John spoke of baptism by the Spirit and fire. Maybe the fire has to do with tempering the Spirit by seperating the wheat from the chaff, breaking the shell and getting rid of the hard edges of our human minds and personalities. You know, that of our human condition which is tempted to think of our selves as special, as god?

It makes sense that immediately following his baptism while “full of the Holy Spirit” (4.1) Jesus was “led into the wilderness and tempted by the devil.” (4.2) Three times Jesus was tempted to identify with or test God. Three times Jesus chose to be in humble dependent relationship with God. Jesus did not misappropriate his altered state experience. He did not count himself as equal to God.  No wonder the voice from heaven was “well pleased” with him. The question for all of us (who by our baptism received the Holy Spirit) is, what dregs of our human condition, what presumptions, pretensions or pride need to be tempered in the refiner’s fire so that we too may embody our true identity as the beloved daughters and sons of God?

Gospel text for Sunday 6 January 2013

Matthew 2:1-12     In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

 `And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Reflection    I read this story of a frightened king, his kow-towing officials, astrologers who go out of their way to follow a dream, and a peasant girl who consents to let her world be turned upside down based on her encounter with an angel, and ask myself, what is the wisdom here? What possible meaning is here for me? Oddly enough, the aphorism that leaps to mind is AWTTW - A Word To The Wise. 

According to Ben Franklin, "A word to the wise is enough, and many words won't fill a bushel." Clearly, the wisdom of Franklin’s aphorism predeeded his time as is evident in the story of the “men from the East... in the time of King Herod” who searched for and found “the child who has been born king of the Jews.” With little information to go on (one sentence uttered by an ancient prophet and an ah-hah moment) the men from the East hit their mark and were rewarded with joy.  Apparently the astrologers were also familiar with another bit of wisdom, “Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut.” They evaded the duplicitious Herod, “and left for their country by another road.”

I like to think the astrologers saw the handwriting on the wall, as well as in the stars, when Herod secretly called them, questioned them and sent them to Bethlehem in pursuit of information. Surely they sensed that Herod was unsettled. Surely they read between the lines that something was going on with significant social and political implications. So they kept their mouths shut, continued on their way, found the new life they were looking for, and did not spill the beans. 

So what is the wisdom in this story for me? When I have a spark of illumination, an ah-hah moment, a golden glimmer of the peace and love and joy that assures me God is with me and for me, don’t get distracted. Remember it is a treasure, a gift comparable to gold, frankincense or myrrh. Don’t let social and political forces (read, people and their agendas) disturb my peace, colllide with my love or meddle with my joy, steal my gift. Just keep my mouth shut and keep on going. Be wise. Read between the lines. A Word To The Wise Is Sufficient. The wise don’t need lengthy explanations. 

(If you click on Wisdom (Proverbs 8) above and to the right, you will see the full image of Proverbs 8)

Gospel text for Sunday 30 December 2012

John 1:1-18 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.

Reflection     This is the first Sunday in Christmas. Just a few days ago we received (yet again) the Word that enlightens all people. With the creating power of the Word born again in our hearts we cry Abba, Father, because we understand that we really are children of God and as children of God we embody God’s presence right here, right now, on earth. 

We are not waiting for deferred salvation. Salvation is in the sanctuary of our transformed hearts and minds. And as we are changed, so is our world.  Through us God is, right here, right now. As we allow our hearts and minds to be transformed we are compelled to action because we cannot contain God. Just as it is a property of light to shine and illumine the surfaces around it, so too is it a property of the Word God to be expressed and enlighten all people. 

The Word God enters the world through us as we sing, give thanks and worship God. But the Word God does not stop there.  The Word speaks through us to illume the value and dignity of all human beings because it is the Word that enlightens all people. Still, the Word God does not stop there. God’s joy and delight in all of creation is declared through us as we call for the care of creation, of all that God calls good. 

As the Word God is born in us it transforms us and the world in three ways. The Word God inspires us to give praise and thanks to God. The Word God energizes us to dignify all of humanity.  And finally the Word God compels us to care for our environment. With every choice we make we have the opportunity to embody the creating power of the Word that is God with us.  With every decision that we make we can allow the Word that is God with us to call for the transformation of the world we live in. 

The Word God enters the world through us to illumine a world full of broken hearts and crushed dreams. The Word God compells us to offer comfort, encouragement and support to a world full of disease and isolation, of fear, bitterness and marginalization. The Word God energizes us to speak into the darkness, to embody God’s delight in creation and to reveal the promise of new life to friends and neighbors and strangers who feel alienated from God.

The Word God is what makes Christianity unique. It is the promise that ordinary things like bread and wine and our little lives and this fragil earth  - and words - that all things can be holy. This is our work, to speak the Word that enightens all people and makes all things holy.

Gospel text for Sunday 23 December 2012

Luke 1:39-45      In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."

Reflection      What does it mean to be blessed? In this context it means to be favored by God, which is how the angel Gabriel greeted Mary before she left to visit her pregnant cousin Elizabeth, “Greetings favored one. The Lord is with you!” What a fantastic announcement. And it was not long thereafter that Mary received essentially the same message from Elizabeth, “Blessed are you...(favored are you),” and “blessed is the fruit of your womb,” (the Lord is with you). It’s no wonder Mary believed that she was blessed and with the Lord. Not only did she receive the message from an angelic messenger she also heard it from the lips of her kinswoman. 

Here is the thing about being blessed. Blessing is not fulfilled unless it is believed. When we believe something we accept that it is true, we have confidence in it. But it does not stop there. Mary “...believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord,” and acted on it. She believed the angel’s claim that her elderly cousin Elizabeth was six months pregnant and so went quickly to Judea to be with her. It seems Mary believed the divine declaration, “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Lk 1.37) and it set her in motion.

The angel Gabriel didn’t do something to Mary. The angel did not impose the will of God upon Mary. Mary did something. She chose to believe. And that is the essence of faith. Faith is not the particular doctrine or theological perspective that we adopt in an attempt to explain the inexplicable (pregnancies). Faith is not the explanations and justifications of our behavior. Faith is our intellectual consent to what we cannot understand or explain. Faith is our decision to believe the angel’s message that along with Mary and Elizabeth we are blessed and the Lord is with us. 

In the wake of the tragic shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, we desperately need to hear the angel’s good news. “Blessed are you. The Lord is with you.” And perhaps even more than that we need to choose to believe that even in the midst of the debacle at Sandy Hook school, we are blessed. God is with us and something good that we cannot begin to explain or even imagine will rise from the ashes of this tragedy because “nothing will be impossible with God.” May we, like Mary, act such that it be so.

Gospel text Sunday 16 December 2012

Luke 3:7-18          John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin 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."

And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you." Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages."

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

Reflection            “What then should we do?” I believe we need to join the disquieted crowds in Luke’s gospel and respond to the gnarly prophet John’s indictment that “every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” asking, “What should we do? How are we to bear good fruit?”

We are three weeks into the season of Advent. We are “filled with expectation” as we await the coming of new light and life in the birth of Jesus the Christ and the question in our hearts ought to be, “How are we to prepare our hearts and minds to receive the Chirst? Said another way, “How are we to prepare the Way of the Lord?”

The prophet John is unequivocal. Bear good fruit. Share your resources. Treat others with compassion and justice. Don’t be greedy. Be satisfied with what you have. In so doing you prepare yourselves to be revelations of the Light of Christ born again. It is simple and straighforward. The Way of the Lord is the Way of compassion and justice. And, the Way of the Lord is not all warm and fuzzy. The Way of the Lord is swaddled in danger and risk. There are trials and consequences along the Way.

What is not compassionate and just, what is not good fruit, will be thrown into the refiners fire because the innocent babe in the manger, the fragil light of new life, will grow up to be a radical, subversive, firey presence who initiates a movement that changes history. That tiny light becomes the refiner’s fire that settles for nothing less than transformed lives.  But even though the prophet’s words may sound harsh they are not about punishment. They are about transformation. You see the refiner’s fire is not out of control and destructive. The refiner’s fire is controlled fire. It extracts the gold from the ore, it plies metal into exquisite creations, it culls followers from among the crowds and produces good fruit. The refiner’s fire transforms our frightened, selfish, greedy creatureliness into the image of the Chirst born again in our hearts. It is for this that we await, filled with expectation.

May the refining fire of Advent give birth to a deeper and more refined experience of God’s Presence in your heart, in your mind and in all of your relations.