Epistle reading for Sunday 3 May 2015

I John 4.7-21        Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. Those who say, "I love God," and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

Reflection        Last Thursday a group of folks gathered  at Barnes & Noble and engaged this text from John’s letter. One person wondered, “What if I made this my one and only spiritual practice, to let God’s love flow through me to all people?” After a few remarks like, “Let us know how that works out for you,” we were quiet then someone changed the subject. The question echoed in me all afternoon. “What if I loved the person who parked too close to my car in the Barnes & Noble parking lot  and blessed her with another dent? What if I loved the person I overheard speaking unkind words in the market? What if I loved the person who falsely accused me? or the one who repeatedly misunderstands me?  or tries to undermine me? As I progressed through the litany of “what ifs” suddenly the light bulb came on. What if it isn’t all about me?

What if I actually let God’s love flow through me without censoring it according to my needs, preferences or prerogatives? What if I lived as did Jesus responding to false accusations without defense? to trickery with calm and wisdom? to betrayal and cruelty with understanding and forgiveness? Because, if I loved these people I would not fear them. I would not be afraid of threats or false accusations. I would not be suspicious, anxious or apprehensive about being hurt or having something taken away from me because, “There is no fear in love. Perfect love casts out fear.”

There is a beautiful treatise titled, “On Loving God,” written in the early twelfth century by St. Bernard of Clairveaux. Bernard makes two relevant points. The reason for loving God is God’s own self and the measure of loving God is loving without measure. http://people.bu.edu/dklepper/RN413/bernard_loving.html) This is the entirety of our spiritual life; allowing the love of God to flow unhindered through us in response to God’s gratuitous love of us. Perhaps it is time for us  to add a couple of words to our old “No Fear” tee shirts and mugs….“No Fear in Love,” so that we can get on with the business of being love perfected in the world.

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Gospel text for Sunday 26 April 2015

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

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

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

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

Do we dare to declare, I am?

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Luke 24:36b-48        Jesus himself stood among the disciples and their companions and said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.

Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you-- that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things."

Reflection         There is a lot of confusion about Pre-Easter Jesus and Post-Easter Christ. Pre-Easter Jesus walked with the disciples and entered rooms through open doors. Post-Easter Christ appears among his disciples, even though the doors of the room are shut or locked. Pre-Easter Jesus is known by the physical senses and readily recognized. Post-Easter Christ is known by spiritual realization, the mysterious opening of our eyes and our minds to recognize Christ present in strangers and our selves.

In other words, Post-Easter Christ arises from within when the disciples are gathered, thinking about Pre-Easter Jesus, talking about him, remembering him. Post-Easter Christ emerges as peace, peace that arises from the depths of our being, peace that surpasses our understanding and supplants everything else. 

This is the peace Pre-Easter Jesus left for all of us when he said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, “I am going away, and I am coming to you.”(John 14.27-28)

Although Pre-Easter Jesus must go away (after all he is mortal), he leaves his peace with us, the unspeakable peace which is the calling card of Post-Easter Christ. This is how Post-Easter Christ makes himself known to us, by the peace that arises within and among us when things are frightening, chaotic or as bad as they can be. 

Pre-Easter Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you…”  Post-Easter Christ fulfills the blessing, being the peace that unseats all else. 

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Gospel text for The Great Vigil of Easter, 4 April 2015

Mark 16:1-8        When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Jesus. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you." So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Reflection        There are actually three endings to Mark’s gospel, the original one you just read and two others that were added later. No doubt the others were added because the original ending seems incomplete and unsatisfying. I believe the original abrupt ending of Mark’s gospel is intentional. It leaves us standing at the empty tomb with Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome, the empty tomb that is actually not empty. In the new light on the first day of the week we and the three women meet a young man in the tomb who instructs us to go, tell and see. Go into the world. Tell the good news of Jesus the Son of God. See how the risen Christ will be there with and for us in the world. 

The very fact that the story of the not really empty tomb appears in the gospel suggests that Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome must have told someone (otherwise how would we know)  and in their telling, the story of Jesus begins again. There really is no abrupt ending. In fact, there is no ending at all.

It is up to each one of us to continue this story; to step into the dark and empty places, walk through our fears and tell the story of our faith out loud. If we want the world to know and experience the all-inclusive love of God as revealed through Jesus, it is up to us to live it. If we want food for the hungry, freedom for the oppressed and dignity for all people, it is up to us to find our voices and demand it. If we want peace and reconciliation in our lives and our world, it is up to us to embody the story of our faith so that the presence of God in the would is seen by the peaceful way we live our lives.

At the Great Vigil we light the new fire, a fire that each one of us carries into the darkness of the sanctuary that was stripped of all life on Good Friday night when we consumed the last morsels of the reserved sacrament. If not us, then who will be the light of Christ? 

Alleluia! Christ is risen! Risen as each one of us go, tell, see. 

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Gospel text for Sunday of the Passion 29 March 2015

Mark 14.1-15.47 

As this week’s gospel text is exceedingly long I invite you to click on the below link to read it in its entirety. 

http://www.lectionarypage.net/YearB_RCL/HolyWeek/BPalmSun_RCL.html#GOSPEL2

Reflection       What do you think about the notion that each one of our life stories is a variation on the theme of Jesus’ story? Some of us were planned from birth, others, not so much. Some were welcomed to the world with gifts, ( I don’t know about frankincense and myrrh, possibly a silver spoon) others driven into hiding. All of us are “tempted.”All of us encounter “other” people; the sick, wealthy, poor, wise, powerful, weak, fearful, bold. A few of us have friends who really know who we are but most people only think they do. We have families who love us and misjudge us; civil and religious officials who try to tell us who and how we ought to be. And, if we dare to pick up our cross and live our lives by faith rather than fear, by love rather than power and privilege, there is every chance we will be misunderstood, spit at, persecuted and possibly killed. 

Jesus is not a parable, a metaphor or an analogy. Jesus is a living, breathing, human person who experienced the full range of messiness and temptations with which life is fraught. This is essential because if Jesus was not a real human person than his story has little to do with us. But, like the rest of us humans, Jesus lived and breathed and found his being in relationship with God. 

Please hear Jesus’ words from the gospel according to John. "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.”  (John 5:19) "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of the One who sent Me.” (John 6.38)

Jesus’ relationship with God the Father is the hallmark of his identity and of his way of life. It is into this relationship of unspeakable intimacy with God that each and every one of us is invited. As faithful Christians we are intended to experience a qualitatively new reality in which moment by moment, day by day we submit our will to the will of the One, Holy and Living God. When we no longer live to satisfy our inordinate desires for safety, security, affection, esteem, power and control we are free to live our lives as an expression of God’s love. Likewise, we are free to lay down our lives into the hands of our Father God.  

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Gospel text for The Annunciation of Mary 22 March 2015

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 what would happen if God came to our front door? How would we feel? What would we do? Would we fall face to the ground as did the old prophet Ezekiel? More than once! (Ezel 1.28, 3.23, 43.4, 44.4) Might we be more like Daniel who describes his encounter with God this way,  “The men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them so they fled. No strength remained in me; for my vigor turned to frailty in me and I retained no strength. … While (God) was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling?” (Dan 10. 7-11) Perhaps we would be more like  Elizabeth’s husband the priest Zachariah, terrified, overwhelmed with fear and left speechless for ten months following his encounter with the angel of God. (Luke 1.13,22)

Or, might we be more like Mary? I wonder if we would accept God’s favor in coming to us and in so doing consent to our inherent goodness? “Greetings favored one, the Lord is with you.” I wonder if we would stay conscious as Mary and engage the Angel of God with questions? “How can this be?” I wonder if we would believe the counsel that “Nothing will be impossible for God?” I wonder if we would look at our lives, the problems we are facing, addictions, depression, our estranged child, our rocky relationship and remember, “Nothing will be impossible for God.” Can we see the relevance of this passage for our every day living? Can we accept its gift when we believe we are in an impossible situation?

Cancer, infertility, death of a loved one? An unplanned pregnancy, student loans, old hurts too deep to leave behind? The cost of child care? The cost of elder care? The millions of people throughout the world who are being displaced and persecuted? The thing is, when we focus on what is impossible for us rather than on what is possible with God, we throw up our hands and bury our heads in the sand. 

But, when we listen with Mary and choose to believe the words, “Nothing will be impossible with God,” we can boldly say, ”Here I am, the servant of the Lord. Let it be with me according to your word.”

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Gospel text for Sunday 15 March 2015

John 3:14-21        Jesus said to Nicodemus, "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. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”

Reflection Ignorance is bliss… or is it? I recall as a thirteen year old a civic’s lesson my father extolled in the midst of my attempt to weasel out of some misdemeanor. Debra, “But I did not know the rule.” Father, “Ignorance is no excuse, it would not stand up in court. Make it your business to know the rules.” No doubt I responded with one of those grand adolescent eye-rolls because I was one of the people Jesus was talking about in his conversation with Nicodemus who “love darkness rather than light because…(they do not want) their deeds to be exposed.” 

As a child of a strict German father I was thoroughly convinced that I could not measure up, so there was every reason for me to linger in the shadows. If the truth of me was exposed it would not be a pretty sight. Surely I would be one of those people who God’s serpent would bite and I would die. A couple of decades would pass before the egregious lie was exposed to the light and I realized it was up to me to make a choice.

Either I could choose to believe in a God of light and life and love or I could choose to believe in a God who sat in judgment waiting for my next infraction. Jesus’ story of the woman caught in adultery comes to mind. (John 8.1-11) When a group of religious officials approach Jesus with a woman caught in adultery averring that according to Moses’ law the woman should be stoned, Jesus paused, scribbled something in the dirt and basically said, “Whoever among you has never sinned be the first to cast a stone at this woman.” That singular sentence exposed the sin of everyone there present. No stone was cast. Neither did Jesus condemn the woman. He merely counseled her to choose to sin no more. 

Honest self examination, exposing the countless times we turn away from God and fail to love ourselves and our neighbors, is the sure and certain way of living in the light and life and love of Christ. Jesus did not come into the world to “condemn the world” but as an act of unspeakable love, love divine revealed in the person of Jesus for the blessing of all of humanity. 

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