Gospel text for Sunday 13 March 2022

 

Luke 6:17-26      Jesus came down with the twelve apostles and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

Then he looked up at his disciples and said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,

for yours is the kingdom of God.

“Blessed are you who are hungry now, 

for you will be filled.

“Blessed are you who weep now, 

for you will laugh.

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

"But woe to you who are rich,

for you have received your consolation.

"Woe to you who are full now,

for you will be hungry.

"Woe to you who are laughing now,

for you will mourn and weep.

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

Reflection  After choosing his twelve apostles Jesus looks at them and says, “Blessed are you when you are poor, or hungry or weep or people hate and exclude you.” Can you imagine? 

What does he mean, to be blessed? To be blessed is to be made holy. To be holy is to be sanctified or set apart, purified, redeemed and made happy. Like the apostles, for those of us who commit to love Jesus more dearly and follow Jesus more nearly (and be sent out to continue his work) the promise is, even while in the  midst of suffering the holy abides with us, thus we are blessed, no matter what.

Then Jesus reverses course and declares, woe to you who are rich, full, laughing and when people speak well of you. Woe is an interjection of grief, “Oh no…!” When we are on top of our game and the world seems to be in our pocket, we cannot cling to things of this world therefore, woe will inevitably befall us. Oh no, inevitably our good fortune will fade. So, Jesus, is it blessing or is it woe?

I believe Jesus is directing the apostles and us to break out of our dualistic categories of right and wrong, good and bad, woe and blessing.  When seemingly bad things happen we have reason to hope and be holy. When seemingly good things happen we have reason to grieve.  Could this be Jesus foreshadowing St. Ignatius of Loyola’s insight that in the midst of desolation is hidden the seed of consolation, the promise that all will be redeemed and restored to holiness when we choose “with God life?” Likewise, tucked away in the heart of good fortune (consolation) is the seed of desolation because we cannot cling to fortune, inevitably it will pass?

The beatitudes poetically acknowledge our ever changing human condition. No matter who we are, we endure suffering, injustice and loss as well as fulfillment, joy and gain. Although we prefer to gloss over it, we are all subject to adversity as well as advantage, we all are vulnerable to change. What makes the difference in how we navigate the good times and the bad;   whether or not we set our hearts to love Jesus more dearly and our feet to follow Jesus more nearly regardless of the ever shifting sands of circumstance. Navigating the vicissitudes of life with Jesus, we are blessed no matter what. 

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Gospel text for Sunday 6 February 2022

 Luke 5:1-11       Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. 

And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

Reflection       Can you feel Simon’s weary shoulders sagging after a fruitless night of fishing? Can you see his fingers fumbling with the empty fishing nets? Can you feel dread grabbing his gut as he notices Jesus walking toward his boat?  Can you hear his heart murmur, “Oh no, Jesus, why are you stepping into my boat? I have tried every fishing trick I know and still my nets are empty. I have nothing to offer you. I just want to go home?”  But Jesus asks Simon to put out a little way from the shore so that he can teach the crowds of people who have heard rumors about exorcisms and healings.

Adrift on Lake Gennesaret, I imagine Jesus’ words soothe Simon’s weary soul. “Ahhh, I could rest here forever sitting near the teacher,” until Jesus asks Simon to move into the deep water and cast out his nets. Simon resists,  “James, John and I have been fishing all night. We have studied the stars and  plumbed the best fishing spots still our nets are empty. What is the use?”  

But Jesus is sure and sanguine so Simon rows to the deep waters and lets down his nets. Then, wonder of wonders, so many fish find his net that Simon has to call on friends James and John to help him haul the catch to shore. Amazed by the eye opening bounty Simon recognizes Jesus as his superior or benefactor and falls to his knees. 

I believe we are like Simon, James, John and the crowd standing on the shore at the edge of the lake, content to remain on the sidelines of faith and listen to Jesus preach. But, preaching to the intractable choir is not enough for Jesus. Jesus wants us to get our feet wet walking into deeper water, a metaphor for growing into more intimate relationship with our selves, one another and God. 

Walking through Luke’s parable we watch as Simon gradually moves into deeper relationship with Jesus; first seeing Jesus in the distance, then watching as he draws near, sitting next to Jesus in his boat, absorbing his presence and words, pushing back and doubting Jesus before submitting to his invitation to venture into deep water. 

Then, stunned by the unbelievable bounty of fish Simon awakens to awe and humility, “Go away from me Jesus…. this is too big, I am not worthy of all this,” until, fortified by Jesus’ pronouncement,"Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people,” Simon is emboldened to leave his old way of standing on the sidelines of faith and wholeheartedly saying “Yes,” stepping away from his old way of life and following Jesus. 

It is time for us to set aside our well reasoned positions on the sidelines of our faith, time for us to follow Jesus and cast our nets into unknown territory, risking everything for the incomprehensible bounty of deep and meaningful relationships with our selves, one another and God. “Do not be afraid….”

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Hebrew Testament text for Sunday 30 January 2021

Jeremiah 1.4-10     The Message Version

The word of the Lord came to  Jeremiah saying,

“Before I shaped you in the womb,

    I knew all about you.

Before you saw the light of day,

    I had holy plans for you:

A prophet to the nations—

    that’s what I had in mind for you.”

But I said, “Hold it, Master God! Look at me.

    I don’t know anything. I’m only a boy!”

God told me, “Don’t say, ‘I’m only a boy.’

    I’ll tell you where to go and you’ll go there.

I’ll tell you what to say and you’ll say it.

    Don’t be afraid of a soul.

I’ll be right there, looking after you.”

  

God reached out, touched my mouth, and said,

    “Look! I’ve just put my words in your mouth—hand-delivered!

See what I’ve done? I’ve given you a job to do

    among nations and governments—a red-letter day!

Your job is to pull up and tear down,

    take apart and demolish,

And then start over,

    building and planting.”

Reflection        We have been given a job to do on this red letter day. A terrifying job description born on the lips of Jeremiah. Who can possibly do this tearing down and building up of nations and governments?

Six hundred years after Jeremiah repeatedly chastises God’s people for turning away from God, in their pride and corruption, complacency, injustice and grossly unfair behavior, the itinerant Jesus enters the scene. Swapping hats as healer, exorcist, rabbi, friend, dinner party host, and thorn in the side of religious and political officials, Jesus generates a movement affirming the goodness and worthiness of all people. 

We who claim to be people of God are meant to continue leading the movement, affirming the goodness and worthiness of all people. This is our God given job, the job of transforming all nations and governments on this red letter day. 

Here is the thing, the work of radical reformation does not involve throwing our weight around with hair raising rallies, fiery tweets or flashy weapons. The fingers we would point to the blameworthy must make a  U-turn toward our own faces asking;

How have I turned away from God?

How have I neglected to treat my neighbors as I wish to be treated?

How have I used my words to stir anger, fear, mistrust and division?

How have I contributed to uncivil unrest and the undermining of democracy?

How have I capitalized on resources without regard for the consequences to the community, country or planet?

How have I fulfilled my God given job?

I believe our first step is to remember God as the source and the sustenance of all that we are and all that we do, second,  examine our selves and determine how we have or have not fulfilled our job description, and third, act decisively to do better.

Have I turned away from God?    Yes  

Have I neglected to treat my neighbors as I wish to be treated?   Yes

Have I used my words to perpetuate anger, fear, mistrust and division?   Yes

Have I contributed to uncivil unrest and the undermining of democracy?   Yes

Have I capitalized on resources without regard for the consequences to the community, country or planet?   Yes

Relying on my own wit and will I miss the mark, I fall short affirming the goodness and worthiness of all people.  But thanks be to God there is hope because God promises, “ I’ll tell you where to go and you’ll go there. I’ll tell you what to say and you’ll say it. Don’t be afraid of a soul. I’ll be right there, looking after you.” All we have to do is make a U- turn toward God. 

Turning toward God our heads settle soundly in our hearts, boosting our wit and building our will to affirm the goodness and worthiness of all people. With God right there, looking after us we find our selves delivering blessing to every stranger, foreigner and reprobate we encounter every single red letter day. 

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Christian Testament Text for Sunday 23rd January 2022

 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a        Just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But strive for the greater gifts.

Reflection      What part of your body would you chop off declaring it is inferior, unattractive or not as valuable as other parts? Your crooked first toe? Your cauliflower ears? Your bulbous nose? Your achy knees? Your dim eyes? Your bent back? My guess is you would protest, “I will not chop off any part!” 

Were I to boldly pen the words I imagine God speaking on the subject of chopping off parts I imagine they would be, “No one and nothing can be chopped off, cut out or left behind.” Indeed! Although we are an assembly of many parts, we are one body, one body individually and one body in community. As Paul writes, “there are many members, yet one body.”

Why does this matter? Because the least the lost and lonely among us are as valuable to the one body as the most adored,  beheld and beloved. Every part matters, in fact, in God’s economy “the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this.” 

In God’s upside down economy, even though the first is last and the last is first the first and the last are equally essential because nothing and no one is left out. So put away the axe. Nothing needs to be chopped off, cut out or left behind. And at the same time bury your pride and pleasure in your accomplishments. Every part is just that, a mere morsel of the One that is incomplete without it. The rich need the poor as much as the poor need the rich. 

And there we have it. We the people of God are both infinitely important and as insignificant as as a grain of sand in the Saharan desert. Everything counts when in relationship with all that is. Nothing counts apart from the integral community of all that is. At the end of assembling a jigsaw puzzle, how does it feel to discover you are missing a piece?

Have a 9 minute listen to Richard Rohr's reflection on the paradox of living One and Many by clicking on image above to the right. 

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Christian Testament Text for Sunday 16 January 2022

1 Corinthians 12:1-11          Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Let Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

Reflection        Just a few paragraphs after the text from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians we discover even more gifts; ^“And God has apostles, prophets, teachers; deeds of power, gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. (1 cor 12.28)  And if you have not yet seen your gift mentioned, not to worry. Paul has several more lists. In his letter to the Romans we find gifts of ministering, teaching, exhortation, generosity, leading, compassion and cheerfulness. (12.6-8)  to which he adds in his letter to the Ephesians, apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastors. (Eph 4.11-12)

Turns out just about anything that anyone does for the good of others ranks among the gifts given to humanity. And here is the thing, rather than being grateful recipients of these unearned gifts and generously dispersing them for the good of others, too often we identify with our gifts, presume to be the source of the gifts and exploit them to enhance our personal power, privilege or pleasure. Or we fall into a different trap, denying our gifts, hiding them under the proverbial basket, allowing them to dissipate and disappear. 

Translated from the Greek charisma, gifts are favors received without earning them, without merit. Charisma is also translated as grace which refers to God’s impelling goodness in relationship with humankind. Therefore we can think about our gifts as the outward and visible expression of God’s inward activation grace. 

Think of it this way. God’s grace is like a seed planted at the center of our hearts. When we bring our heads into our hearts the river of  consciousness opens the way for the seed of grace to flow, scratching the surface of our awareness. When grace rises to conscious awareness we are illumined. With our minds are illumined by grace we are ignited, on fire, compelled to allow that grace to flow through us in the form of our gifts.

This is what Paul means when he writes, “Now there are a variety of gifts, but the same Spirit… the same God activates all of the gifts in everyone.”

God activates the gifts that are already in us. All that is required is that we turn our attention around, bring our heads into our hearts, and open the way for grace to flow, delivering our particular gifts to consciousness and fruition.

So the question is how do we bring our heads into our hearts and open the way for grace to flow through us?

I believe we begin by consciously affirming our desire to be the vessels through which God’s grace flows. Then we turn our attention to our hearts. By directing our attention to the center of our chests, the core of our being, we take the intention of our head and bring it to our heart affirming, “It is my intention to be the vessel through which God’s grace flows.” Bringing our heads into our hearts we align our will in the will of God and when we are at one in the will of God, grace flows like a river to illumine our minds and deliver our gifts for the good of others. 

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Gospel text for Feast of the Epiphany 9 January 2022

 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        On fire with passion Michael Curry, the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, preached for the Feast of Epiphany in Washington D.C. on Thursday morning, January 6th. Here are a few of Curry’s words I have paraphrased. “ It never occurred to me… that it would be necessary to stand up before the people of God and insist we must reclaim epiphany.  What we saw a year ago on January 6th at the United States Capitol was not about light. This day, Epiphany, is about light, the light shining in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it. …. because we are better than that.  We who claim to be followers of Jesus must reclaim Epiphany and bear witness to the light.” 

Twenty five hundred years ago the prophets wrote in the present tense. “Arise, shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”        “Your light has come….”  The light, life and love of God lives at the core of our being and this light, life and  love of God is meant to flow out of us,  to be given away extravagantly for the benefit of others. We are meant to be epiphanies.

Epiphany is about allowing the light, life and love of God already present in the heart of each of us to shine into the world.  As people of God we are imbued with these precious gifts. But we are not meant to hoard or hold onto them. We are meant to be epiphanies shining these gifts into world. I believe this is how we respond to Curry’s call to reclaim epiphany; emulate the wise men by consciously choosing to go out of our way (even when it means encountering strangers) to offer the gifts of God’s light, life and love to the world.

Each one of us must decide how we will engage the darkness. Do we choose to adopt the mindset of the wise men, go out of our way and deliver our gifts of light, life and love to the world or do we defer to the dark ways of King Herod, living in fear and scheming to secure our wealth and power even when it means the killing of innocents?  What do you choose?

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Gospel text for Sunday 2 January 2022

 Matthew 2:13-15,19-23        After the wise men had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son.”

When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead." Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be called a Nazorean.”

Reflection        One of the great founding fathers of our nation and champion of the United States Constitution, Alexander Hamilton languished in obscurity until Lin-Manual Miranda’s award winning musical opened our eyes and pierced our hearts with lyrics set to tap and rap. Prior to the fevered success of the Broadway musical Hamilton, the figure on our ten dollar bill, was unrecognizable to many of us.

I believe what the world needs now is a Broadway musical meant to raise another founding father out of obscurity. Joseph. All that we know about Joseph is captured in a few sentences in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke  written 55 to 65 years after Jesus’ death. We learn that Joseph not only taught Jesus the skills of a carpenter but also the tenants of Jewish tradition and practice. 

Luke’s text paints Joseph as a faithful man and observant Jew who brings the infant Jesus to the Temple to be Dedicated and travels every year to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. Matthews’s text sings a different tune. "When (Jesus’) mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose Mary to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.” (Matthew 1.18-19) Even though Joseph has every right to publicly reject her,  he chooses to protect Mary,  to quietly  divorce her until he has the first in a series of dreams that radically change the course of his life and religious tradition.

“…an angel of the Lord appeared to (Joseph)  in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus…’” (Matt 1.20-21) Moved by his dream Joseph chooses compassion. Rather than quietly divorcing Mary Joseph takes her as his wife. 

Months pass until once again we find Joseph dreaming, listening to the angel of God that warns him to take the newborn and Mary and flee to Egypt to avoid King Herod’s edict that all male children under the age of two years be murdered. Again, moved with compassion to protect Mary and the child, Joseph  hurries them to Egypt under the cover of night. 

We know nothing about their life as refugees for the next six years until King Herod dies and Joseph has another dream. “An angel of the Lord suddenly appears instructing, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” (Matt 2.19-20) For a third time Joseph chooses to believe and follow the angel of God’s instruction. He immediately sets out for Israel until the news of Herod’s son taking the throne and a fourth dream warn Joseph to change plans in order to protect Mary and the child. Turning away from Israel, Joseph makes his home in Nazareth. 

Joseph was a dreamer. He found meaning in his dreams so much so that four times he altered his behavior in response to their direction.  I believe Joseph was obedient to his dreams’ counsel because they comported with his pre-existing belief in God’s benevolent compassion.  Full of faith Joseph chooses to align his will in the will of God.  

Embodying God’s compassion and benevolent good will Joseph distinguishes himself as the inscrutable founding father of what would become a reformed branch of the family tree rooted in King David, propagated through Joseph and announced in Jesus.

Although Joseph is nominally recognized as the legal father of Jesus, I believe we have failed to appreciate the significance of Joseph’s influence on young Jesus. Surely the fact that Jesus describes God as a loving father suggests the propitious effect Joseph had with him. 

Throughout this narrative Joseph chooses to step out of his limited personal perspective and step into the vulnerable worlds of Mary and the newborn Jesus. This is compassion. The moment we slip out of our own skin into the skin of others we transcend dualistic thinking that sorts everything into me or you, friend or enemy, good or bad, right or wrong, conservative or progressive. 

Dualistic thinking is the root of much of the suffering and divisiveness we are experiencing today in our families, communities and country because dualistic thinking emphasizes otherness and focusing on otherness fosters fear and division. 

Joseph was justified if he said, “Mary’s pregnancy is not my problem. Let her deal with the consequences.” Or,  “I don’t want to be a refugee in Egypt. I want to return to my home. Herod’s massacre of male infants has nothing to do with me. I am going home.” But Joseph had compassion, he reached beyond his self interest to feel with others. As a champion of compassion Joseph protected Mary and fathered Jesus which I believe deserves a Broadway style shout out. Joseph is a righteous man who puts his head in his heart, so let us remember him as an unsung founding father of the reformed Jewish tradition that we call Christianity.

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