October 28 - Ordinary Time

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Book of Common Prayer Psalm 63, 98, 103 Esther 3:1-15 1 Corinthians 10:15-25 Matthew 18:15-20

Today’s Question: What guidance does the Bible give about our affiliation with others?

Today’s Reflection: There were so many clever ways to begin today’s reflection that I felt stymied by a bit of writer’s block. I wanted to relate tales of Baptist pot-luck dinners. But then Arab proverbs came to mind. The passages, filled with food events and relationships bring to mind many of the conflicts in the Bible. Each of the passages considers relationships that are beneficial to some and harmful to others – most of which are celebrated around the table. He who lies down with dogs wakes up with fleas. The Arab proverb won out because the Baptist pot-luck food was always just too good. Just as the Bible provides guidance in our relationship with God, it provides guidance to the relationships we have in daily life. Who we affiliate with, and how we affiliate with them matters. Affiliations professionally, religiously, and socially shape how we are seen by others. King Ahasuerus, generally portrayed as a good leader, finds himself in an awkward position through his friendship, and trust of Haman, his chief advisor. His trust in Haman allowed him to give him full authority across the nation. That friendship, demonstrated through meals and drinking together, hid from him the vain motives behind Haman’s actions. Fortunately, he became aware of the motives in time to counteract them, but not before he was connected to the actions; after all, his signet ring sealed the original decree. Food offered to God in the Temple, after the ritual, could be eaten by the priests according to the law. All offerings followed kosher guidelines and were known to be ritualistic and symbolic. The foods offered to gods in Corinthians did not follow the same guidelines. Daniel, in Bel and the Dragon, an Apocryphal book, caught the priests of Baal stealing the food left out for an idol in an attempt to show the idol was alive and actually ate the food left for it – meaning the food was anything but symbolic. The same idea comes out in Corinthians. Though, under the New Covenant, the food was acceptable to eat, it was tainted by the sin through the intention behind its preparation. Paul seeks to make that distinction for us: just because the food would cause us no harm, does not mean the action of partaking in it would not. Do not mistake the passage to mean we cannot reach out to sinners – Jesus commanded us to. What Paul means for us is to not become immersed in the activities of those who live un-Christian lives. Jesus regularly engaged those who were outcasts of faith to demonstrate the power of salvation, but he never engaged in the tax fraud, prostitution, or other behaviors that defined the people his ministry touched. The same is true for us: we are called to share the path of salvation, but we do not have to walk the same path to get there. Just as the Corinthians passage discusses our affiliation with the “unchurched,” the Matthew passage discusses division within the church. Following Biblical laws of testimony, it provides step-by-step guidelines for resolving conflicts within the church family. Conflicts with those we care about create much more pain and strife than those with people to whom we do not have an emotional attachment. Our hearts operate that way. Conflicts in the church can either destroy our faith or make it stronger. The guidelines Matthew provides help us make our faith stronger and our relationships within the church stronger. We are judged by the company we keep both inside and outside religious circles, but God sets the standards to protect our secular and holy reputations. It is not nearly as difficult as we sometime pretend it is with our feelings on our sleeves, but keeping a good reputation can be maintained by all.

Today’s Prayer: Let us consider those around us and the example we set for them by following the example you have set for us.

 

October 21 - Ordinary Time

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Book of Common Prayer Psalm 148, 149, 114, 115 Song of Solomon 2:8-17 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 Matthew 16:13-20

Today’s Question: What does a good relationship with God look like?

Today’s Reflection: I often sound like a broken record as I say over and over again that God wants to be in relationship with us. Each passage today records a time of close connection between God and humankind. From the time of the Israelites wandering the desert to the disciples sitting with Christ, understanding his connection to us. God took care of them and continues to provide for us. As Paul points out in the Corinthian passage, no test exceeds what we can stand. That is the heart of the relationship. Our lives will not be all frolicking in the fields as in the Song of Solomon, but if we maintain our relationship with God, snakes bites and other afflictions will not kill us in the wilderness. We want the Song of Solomon experience without the work. Even Adam and Eve, in the garden, had work. God assigned them the task of stewardship over all creation. We too, face the challenge of work to keep the right relationship with God. Like the Israelites, provision and protection come to us when we follow God’s will for us. Provision and protection do not come with a promise of ease; lots of walking is involved. When we think about our relationship with God, the prophets and their descriptions of doom do not have to dominate. The Song of Solomon shows a sanguine springtime connection. It is not all gloom and doom; we have examples of happiness in our connection with God. As we work through the daily tasks God calls us to do we come into the healthy relationship. For my personal theology, based on the relationship between God and humanity, the passage from Song of Solomon paints the picture of the relationship between God and humankind when it works. God’s provision for us dominates the landscape.

Today’s Prayer: Let us work together with God to keep our relationship vibrant, lively, and strong.

 

October 14 - Ordinary Time

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Book of Common Prayer Psalm 146, 147, 111,112,113 Micah 6:1-8 1 Corinthians 4:9-16 Matthew 15:21-28

Today’s Question: How do we understand the breadth of God’s love in troubling situations?

Today’s Reflection: Despite trying to be an open, outgoing, upbeat, and positive person, on some days I am downright crabby. Projects are not going right. Interruptions mar my train of thought. I am just not myself. People who know me well understand that something is really wrong when I am having one of those days. The Bible, though, even gives examples of people struggling with being the person God wants them to be. It does not excuse me for snapping at a co-worker or friend when they do not deserve it, but it does offer hope that I can overcome that bad day because, hopefully, my character is judged by my life, not one ill conceived response.   The Biblical passage that most troubles me is the passage in Matthew we read today. Jesus is outright crabby with the woman and insults all Gentiles. Over the years, I have heard numerous sermons and essays written on the passage, but none have made me comfortable with Jesus’s response to the woman – though he eventually grants her request when she calls him on his insult. He even contradicts his own ministry by saying he only came for the Jews. I usually just skip the passage or read on to the next in which the “Jesus I like” returns.   The devil on my shoulder sometimes prompts me to enjoy Jesus’s sharp remarks: he was snappy too! But why was this comment directed at a woman who believed in him and recognized his Lordship? The Sadducees and Pharisees deserved this kind of response, and while Jesus regularly called their hypocrisy and lack of understanding, he never dealt them direct insults. Yet here his response to the woman sounded like something they would say. This is not the Jesus I like.   The key to this passage comes in the crumbs. Even the crumbs, the remnants, of God’s love are sufficient for us, for with even that, the woman’s daughter was healed. Passages in the Psalms and the prophets proclaim the breadth of God’s presence in all creation. This passage transfers that breadth to God’s love for all people. Even the crumbs are enough to meet even overwhelming needs. I am still troubled by the process by which Jesus makes the point, but I do take comfort from knowing that even the crumbs of God’s love covers us all.

Today’s Prayer: Let us be satisfied by the power of the crumbs.

 

October 7 - Ordinary Time

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Book of Common Prayer Psalm 118, 145 Hosea 13:4-14 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 Matthew 14:1-12

Today’s Question: How do we overcome the vanity that affects our relationship with God?

Today’s Reflection: Yesterday I watched an amazing video on YouTube. A group of tourists, animal watching in Africa, were watching and filming a herd of gazelles crossing the road ahead of them. Suddenly, a previously unseen leopard leapt up and grabbed a gazelle in mid-bound. Neither the herd of gazelles nor the vehicle filled with tourists expected such a sudden attack. The leopard lay completely camouflaged in the grass beside the road. The gazelles seemed to think the presence of humans had removed natural threats – and I am betting the tourists thought the same thing: fearsome creatures flee before our presence. The vanity that derives from human nature so often drives our decisions and behaviors. Today’s scriptures dramatically illustrate what happens when human vanity comes between humankind and God. That vanity comes in a variety of forms and from a variety of sources. As God points out in Hosea, when he took care of Israel’s needs, the people became too comfortable and forgot about him. The Corinthian battle comes between fully-human and fully-God, and in Matthew it happens when a public declaration backfires. In our imperfection, too many openings allow for personal vanity, however it manifests, to interfere with our relationship with God. When it interferes, the outcome never works out in our favor. I relate with many of the people in the passages today, but the Israelites in the time of Hosea sound so much like the people of today. When things go well and we are comfortable, we like to reward ourselves with congratulatory “job well-done” statements. We like to brag about the things we have accomplished, to show-off the things we have done. When our things, our works, take precedence to our relationship with God, the relationship suffers. History shows those things going well, crumble when we rely solely on our own wisdom. Maintaining humility proves challenging to even the most sincere, but as always, God gives us the tool to make it possible: the Holy Spirit, or the “mind of Christ,” as Paul writes to the Corinthians. Christ’s experience as fully human and fully God bridges that gap between our human nature and godly purpose. We have available something the early Jews and Herod did not have, THE Spirit that guides us to understand our purpose from the perspective of God. No matter how much I want to be me, he wants me to be much more. To borrow a phrase from politics: I didn’t build it (me). Just as the gazelles and tourists never anticipated the ambush about to take place in their midst, we rarely anticipate the challenges that can overwhelm our well made plans. Our vanity disintegrates when dashed with reality life brings our way. Relief comes when we mend the relationship we have with God, yet we keep repeating the cycle.

Today’s Prayer: Let us keep our hearts open to the Spirit that keeps our vanity weak and our relationship with God strong.

 

Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 7, 2012 - Year B - Roman Catholic

 

September 30 - Ordinary Time

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Book of Common Prayer Psalm 66, 67, 19, 46 Hosea 2:2-14 James 3:1-13 Matthew 13:44-52

Today’s Question: What kind of relationship does God desire with me?

Today’s Reflection: For many years the analogies proved to be one of the most challenging parts on the SAT. Understanding the relationships between things that do not seem to be naturally connected led to much anxiety.  Proficiency with the analogies required a deep understanding of word origins, literal and implied meaning, along with types of relationships that exist. The passages today may create similar anxiety among the readers of today. Symbolism fills the language of the prophet, the teacher, and the Messiah.   Each one focuses on relationships between people and God with the relationship presented in various symbolic ways. Hosea presents the relationship between God and his people as a marriage. James discourse on the tongue includes the image of a teacher presenting truth, while the Gospel passage gives the picture of business people making drastic moves for a thing of value. Each of the encounters gives us assurance of God’s consistency across the ages.   Hosea’s adulterous wife was the people of Israel, straying from the laws of God that led them through the desert and gave them the promised land. The descriptions he provides as he pleads with the people were ones they would recognize associated with pagan worship in the region. The passage ends with him planning to take the people back to the desert where their relationship with God was strongest with a chance to heal the relationship. That is why God sent prophets – to bring the people back into a healthy relationship.   The same thing happens with teachers who are given the weighty responsibility to teach all correctly. In the Christian era, they hold responsibility for passing Christ’s truth to all people so that they may not stray from the teaching of Christ. The teacher’s charge kept the people in the right relationship with God, as did (attempted) the prophets prior to Christ. All the talk about sins of the tongue in this passage comes down to the way we worship God. We cannot praise God and curse people and remain in the right relationship with God. Our character appears in the speech we use.   Jesus uses the imagery of business as he instructs on the values of Heaven (having the right relationship with God). He gives examples of people making sacrifices to acquire items of great value. They do whatever is necessary to get the item. New Christians had to be prepared for the sacrifices they would need to make. We, too, are called to sacrifice for the kingdom of God.   God gives us the directions we need to stay in relationship with him and those directions are consistent across the generations. Keeping the commands and remaining true to the covenant God makes with us keeps us in the right relationship with the Lord. Daily challenges come our way, from the tongue to more obvious pitfalls; however, we are equipped with teaching from the Holy Spirit to act in the way that keeps us in the right relationship with God and mankind. Each of the relationships is personal and that is exactly the way God wants it with us.   Over and over we see that our relationships with God and with humankind ultimately determine our own quality of life (and eternity). God gives us the directions; we just have to read them.

Today’s Prayer: Let us continue to focus on the directions we are given to maintain the relationship God desires with us.

 

September 23 - Ordinary Time

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Book of Common Prayer Psalm 93, 96, 34 Esther 3:1 – 4:3 James 1:19-27 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Today’s Question: How do we control our human nature to live as God desires?

Today’s Reflection: At work, almost everyone can cite at least one instance in which they saw my passion burst forth – energetically, emphatically. I know what I believe in my profession. When I see something different, I do not hesitate to speak up – energetically, emphatically. As Christians we are called to be doers of the word which requires that we follow the teaching of Christ guided by the Holy Spirit to do what God has demanded and equipped us to do.   The New Testament passages in James and Matthew give us specific directions for being doers of the word. That actual statement, “doers of the word,” comes from the James passage. Some define religion as the set of beliefs one holds based on the pew in which one sits on Sunday morning. The way I read the James passage, religion is what happens between noon on Sunday and 9:30 the next Sunday morning. Those who store away the volumes of teaching that comes from the pulpit or Bible study room– leaving it potential energy instead of converting it to kinetic energy – are no more followers of Christ than those who reject him entirely. That teaching, that belief, is worthless. Belief, without behaviors shaped by that belief, is not belief. Jesus said the same thing in Matthew when describing the behavior of the religious leaders. Their behavior glorified themselves in the eyes of man. It did not glorify God or even themselves in the eyes of God.   Both passages give us a reminder that our relationship with God is a private matter, not a public one. We have a 1:1 relationship with God. Every relationship is different. We honor that relationship by living it actively every day. Humbly. Quietly. When we draw attention to our work, we dishonor it; however, the doing of that work will draw attention without us trumpeting it on Twitter or Facebook. James 1:27 describes such a belief/lifestyle: one unstained by the world. That stands out because it is so different. We do not have to make it noticed.   The first verse in today’s James passage connects the testaments. Giving solid practical advice “be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger…” reminds us to get the complete story and to then respond as God would have us. The Esther passage from the Old Testament today sets up the story of the planned genocide of Jews because they remained true to the worship of God rather than following the king’s decree to worship him and his highest ranking official. The official, Haman, was so angry about one person’s, Mordecai, refusal to bow, that he successfully lobbied the king to set forth a decree that all Jews be killed on the selected day and their property raided. The connection to James 1 is striking. A leader, in anger, exercises his authority satisfy his desire for revenge that the decisions ultimately led to his own destruction. James follows the “quick to listen” statement with a reminder that our “anger does not produce God’s righteousness.”   The people Jesus calls hypocrites in Matthew mirror Haman’s behavior. His actions demonstrated his personal (wounded) pride and vanity in his elevated position. The hypocrites actions demonstrated their own personal pride and vanity through the good actions (tithing, praying, etc.) done badly.   The passages also reflect our humanity. We all appreciate that pat on the back when we do something good. Though we may not admit it, we dream a little secret revenge when we feel we have been wronged: our brains are wired that way. James and Matthew provide directions for keeping those things under control. Following the guidance of Jesus as told in Matthew and then James practical direction in even broader aspects of life, we have the satisfaction that we did the right thing; internal peace of mind is better than a pat on the back. That pat is soon forgotten. Not enacting revenge does even more for our peace of mind. The pats we then receive for gaining peace of mind and being “doers” are eternal.

Today’s Prayer: Let us overcome our vanity, pride, and desire for praise (revenge) in order to daily live the lives that truly change the world and grow God’s kingdom on earth.

 

September 16 - Ordinary Time

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Book of Common Prayer Psalm 24, 29, 8, 84 Job 38:1, 18-41 Revelation 18:1-8 Matthew 5:21-26

Today’s Question: How do we respond to those who disagree with us and our beliefs?

Today’s Reflection: The attacks on United States embassies in Africa and the Middle East this week came about from factors both current and historic. One often cited reason behind the conflict between the Christian and Muslim world is intolerance. Both sides recite a litany of attacks on their belief by the other as justification for anger, frustration, and fear. The passages today allow us to focus on things we have in common.   God’s position in creation provides the centerpiece for many of the passages today. The Psalms praise God in his place in the heavens and identify connections between those who praise him. Psalm 24 and 84 concern the people who worship God and follow his directives. Psalm 29 makes reference to heavenly beings praising God, while Psalm 8 reminds us of our place in relationship to God. The Psalms encourage us to worship and follow God’s commands while reminding us of our special standing in creation.   In Job, God begins his response (defense) to the charges Job’s friends have made in their speeches to him. God’s response consists of questions that cover all of creation and God’s active involvement in it. The brief collection of questions in today’s selection gives an idea of the type of questions that methodically proceed through all parts of creation. Such questions as a teaching method come from the north African/Arabian tradition and are a common motif in literature from the region. It forces the listener (remember this comes out of an oral tradition) to reflect on what one has learned about God in creation. Connected to Psalm 8, the questions help us remember our place in creation when compared to the Creator.   The passage from Revelation foretells the (relatively soon) fall of Rome. Babylon served as the generic reference for power. The verses condemn all the leaders for their participation in evil deeds. When the author talks about leaders committing fornication, he includes the religious leaders’ infidelity to the Jewish tradition as a way to buy peace from the conquerors. Instead, he calls on the people of faith to leave the nation rather than join in the larger sin. The author describes a fall that will be twice what the nation did to other countries as it raided them. God offers the people an escape from the plagues that will come in the judgment removing themselves from the sin of the nation.   For a second week Jesus’s teaching from Matthew strikes at the heart of the law. For most of us, the command, “You shall not murder.” is easy to follow. Jesus redefines it as, “You shall not live in anger or insult.” He turns the law from a rare extreme to a common occurrence. Our conduct does not have to be extreme to violate the intent of the law – love your neighbor. We owe each other justice in every situation. We cannot be right with God if we are wrong with one another.   Today’s passages give us no place for intolerance and any such rhetoric or behavior runs contrary to the Bible. There is no verse that allows for vilification of those who believe differently than we do: as Christians, God commands us to share with them. We cannot control the world around us, but we can control us and become the difference that changes the world around us. Directing angry rhetoric toward those who believe differently than we do never succeeds in creating dialogue. Until there is dialogue, no change will take place. The Bible guides us to a united faith in God – not a war of words.

Today’s Prayer: Let us seek what we have in common as we seek to live the command to love one another.

 

September 16, 2012; 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B - Roman Catholic Lectionary

September 9 - Ordinary Time

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Book of Common Prayer Psalm 63, 98, 103 Job 25:1-6, 27:1-6 Revelation 14:1-7, 13 Matthew 5:13-20

Today’s Question: In the busyness of daily life, how do I do everything God would have me do?

Today’s Reflection: My vocation keeps me busy year-round; however, there are a few times in the year when I think I would best be served if I could go a couple weeks without sleep and I wonder how to do everything I believe God wants me to do. The scriptures from today’s lectionary remind me that mostly God looks at how I do what I do rather than what I do.   The three Psalms of praise give some direction to how we should praise God. They remind us to be loud, jubilant, and constant in our praise for him. Though circumstances around us may challenge our faith in the instant, the scripture calls our attention to God’s eternal plan. Even when challenged, our praise in those times will carry rewards into eternity. In the context of today’s passages, I read Psalm 63:9 differently than before: though my opposition my kill me, they will suffer more. Last week the Job passage talked about the theme of reward and punishment. This week, I see that in a passage that is otherwise interpreted as a provision of safety.   Job continues to hear the challenges from his friends. Bildad offers the final rebuke, placing mankind in the most distant position from God – as the maggot which devours the dead. Surely mankind has no standing against God. Yet Job maintains his position of righteousness. No matter how unjust the events in Job’s life seems to be, he continues to be determined to hold onto his faith and seek justice from that same God. The clearness of Job’s conscience is something I can only hope to have.   So much of Revelation hides in symbolism. Some of it quiet unclear, and some of it much more clear. The symbols in the passage today have connections to other scriptures to help us understand them with more ease than some of the other passages. The numerology in the 144,000 – sometime called the elect – reflects the many who died for their faith (name written on their forehead) in the period up to the final judgment. Contrary to how some sects interpret the passage, the elect who make it to Heaven is not limited to that number. One hundred forty-four (12 X 12) is a complete number indicating multitudes (the thousands). It simply means many people will suffer persecution for following God before Christ returns. The reference to sexual purity connects to the ritual celibacy that comes as part of religious ceremony and war preparation, not an entire lifetime of abstinence.  The passage closes with the promise that affirms the importance of the lives we live before reaching Heaven. It states, without symbolism or interpretive language that the deeds we do go with us to Heaven.   Jesus calls us to join in his kingdom and share it by declaring that we are salt and light. Salt, joined to food, brings out its flavor. Too much and salt dominates; too little and the food tastes bland. We are to join in the world and by our actions shape the actions in the world around us by living the way God would have us. He commands us to share openly (as the light) in the world around us so that the entire world knows why we do as we do. Jesus further explains what the kind of living means. Following him does not excuse us from the law, but counts on us to live the law (as Jesus summarizes it – love God and love your neighbor). Jesus adamantly insists that the law exists for our good, but he comes and preaches the heart of the law rather than the letter of the law as so many in his time were preaching. Jesus could summarize the law into the two commandments because coming from the heart, it works for the good of all while the legalistic interpretation always pits persons against each other by virtue of interpretation.   Living our lives as salt and light, with a clear conscience, and building up deeds that will follow us to Heaven does not require that we go out and do something particularly challenging. We are called to live our lives, do our jobs, and interact from the perspective of loving God and our neighbor. We can minister by going to work. We can minister by shopping. We can minister by going to the gym. In all things, as we consider the good of others, we shine the light of God into our community.

Today’s Prayer: Let us remember your commandment to love God and love one another in every action we do.