The story is told of a pastor who installed a suggestion box in order to track congregational sentiment and improve is product. He often shared some of the content from the pulpit. One week a note was left that read simply, "Fool." The next Sunday he recounted how he had received a few notes and letters which the writer forgot to sign, but this was the first time the writer had signed but forgot to in- clude the letter!
The story reminds me that not everyone will ever be completely on the side of a pastor but we must all be on on our God's side, as today's reading from the Hebrew Bible [Joshua 24: 1-3a, 14-25] tells us. The tale speaks of a Covenant Renewal Ceremony. Those occurred several times in Jewish history. You see, the People had finally settled in the land. (Joshua depicts a united Israel sent into Canaan to commit genocide against the natives, whereas Judges has individual tribes settle in next to the natives -- a more plausible view.) Before the call of Abraham, his ancestors worshipped the gods of "the land beyond the Euphrates," the Canaanite Pantheon of deities. In Egypt, they came to know the Egyptian gods. It seems each nation had its own. Now Joshua calls for an exclusive covenant with YHVH. "As for me and my household," Joshua says, "we will serve the Lord." The people vote yes to the true God and a stone monument is set up in the sanctuary as a reminder. Then Joshua enjoins the people to witness to their decision by destroying every token and symbol of the foreign deities. And he warns them they better not revert.
We continually face the same choice, to serve God or to revert to the worship of lesser gods, in our case, gods like wealth, influence, power, security, please. We demonstrate our priorities through our time, talent, and treasure. What would a "shadower" report about how our behaviour demonstrates either a clear preference for God or for those lesser gods? In Genesis 17, God is made to say to Abraham, "Walk in my ways and be blameless." The Hebrew suggests that God is telling Abraham to go about his business but to be aware that He is watching to see that Abraham does what is right. The writer at that time would be envisioning the capricious, angry, jealous tribal deity version of YHVH. I tend to think of God as our loving parent watching us, inspiring us to be the very best, most just and most complete human beings we can be.
We too participate in Covenant Renewal. In a very real way, every Mass accomplishes that as we receive the One whose blood sealed the New Covenant. But also when we pledge to God's work (parish being an important component of that) and make ourselves available for service in worship and out in the community, we are showing our true priority and reaffirming our commitment to the Christian Covenant which calls us to work for the full realization of God's vision for his world.
Sunday, November 12, 2017
Sunday, November 5, 2017
All Saints Sunday: Go!
This weekend marked our statewide synod, the Oklahoma Diocesan Convention, and we were truly blessed by the presence of the Most Reverend Michael Curry, our Presiding Bishop. His buzz word was "Go." He reminded us of the many biblical and post-biblical scenarios in which someone was called out of the comfort zone, into a new, often scary future making a difference in the world or, as our bishop says it, changing the world from the nightmare it often is into the dream God has for it.
Bishop Curry spoke of the calls of Abraham and Moses, which reminded me of the later call of Saint Francis of Assisi who was young, handsome, very wealthy, and well connected politically. He had it made and yet, once called, denounced the family fortune, gave away all his possessions, and started afresh in ministry, as his response to God's call, "Francis, rebuild my Church." Nothing has changed in our day; we are still called from where we are to where we ought to be in the building of Kingdom which the bishop describes as "the Jesus Movement."
But how do we get there? We need a map, a spiritual GPS. The Beatitudes serve such a purpose. In today's gospel reading from Matthew, we hear the spiritual version of those injunctions (compared to the social justice version in Luke). In the Middle Ages, the Church considered them in light of the "counsels of perfection" meaning the beatitudes were binding on ordained clergy and on professed religious like monks and nuns, but not ordinary people. Martin Luther, in contrast, said they apply for everyone but are unattainable, so don't bother, just believe in salvation by faith alone.
I think both are wrong. I believe the rebel monk was so right in applying the Beatitudes to all of us Christians, but incorrect to finding them unrealistic and unattainable. They are doable and intended to be sorted out in community, serving God and nieghbour, and indeed that is the essence of Catholic Christianity. While the Church holds up the canonized Saints as models to emulate and as prayer- partners, we need to remember that all of us are 'saints,' called to true holiness of life.
I would commend every Christian to regular examination of Matthew's Beatitudes, but also Luke's Beatitudes and the accompanying Woes. Honest self-examination allows us to move forward. Serious engagement of self sets the stage for being conformed to the image of the Son of God, embracing the kind of Christianity that actually imitates the way of Jesus instead of reinventing him to conform to the values of our sick culture. If your Jesus likes war and violent resolution, jingoism, imperialism, and greed, looks down on the poor and oppressed, the marginalized and the outcasts, start over and look for the real Saviour.
Where is God calling you to'go'?
Bishop Curry spoke of the calls of Abraham and Moses, which reminded me of the later call of Saint Francis of Assisi who was young, handsome, very wealthy, and well connected politically. He had it made and yet, once called, denounced the family fortune, gave away all his possessions, and started afresh in ministry, as his response to God's call, "Francis, rebuild my Church." Nothing has changed in our day; we are still called from where we are to where we ought to be in the building of Kingdom which the bishop describes as "the Jesus Movement."
But how do we get there? We need a map, a spiritual GPS. The Beatitudes serve such a purpose. In today's gospel reading from Matthew, we hear the spiritual version of those injunctions (compared to the social justice version in Luke). In the Middle Ages, the Church considered them in light of the "counsels of perfection" meaning the beatitudes were binding on ordained clergy and on professed religious like monks and nuns, but not ordinary people. Martin Luther, in contrast, said they apply for everyone but are unattainable, so don't bother, just believe in salvation by faith alone.
I think both are wrong. I believe the rebel monk was so right in applying the Beatitudes to all of us Christians, but incorrect to finding them unrealistic and unattainable. They are doable and intended to be sorted out in community, serving God and nieghbour, and indeed that is the essence of Catholic Christianity. While the Church holds up the canonized Saints as models to emulate and as prayer- partners, we need to remember that all of us are 'saints,' called to true holiness of life.
I would commend every Christian to regular examination of Matthew's Beatitudes, but also Luke's Beatitudes and the accompanying Woes. Honest self-examination allows us to move forward. Serious engagement of self sets the stage for being conformed to the image of the Son of God, embracing the kind of Christianity that actually imitates the way of Jesus instead of reinventing him to conform to the values of our sick culture. If your Jesus likes war and violent resolution, jingoism, imperialism, and greed, looks down on the poor and oppressed, the marginalized and the outcasts, start over and look for the real Saviour.
Where is God calling you to'go'?
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