Have you ever gone to see someone who was really different from you, perhaps from another land or culture? A few years ago a delegation from this parish travelled to hear an address by Mikhail Gorbachev, who had been the leader of the Soviet Union -- second most powerful nation on earth.. While attempting to reform an inefficient system, he was ambushed by forces within and without the country and forced to watch the collapse of the nation and theft of her resources by persons in former positions of public trust. We thought an encounter with one who was leader during such a heart-breaking period would be interesting, and indeed it was.
The apostle Philip, having serving as a missionary to Samaria, received a call to head back south, where he had a meeting with a very exotic figure we usually call the "Ethiopian Eunuch." He was exotic for several reasons. First, he was Ethiopian, and the Graeco-Roman culture envisioned anything from south of Egypt as mysterious and exotic. Also, they were not used to see black people who were not enslaved. Second, he was a eunuch -- a castrated male. Likely he never had a chance to develop male characteristics and, so, would have stood out as effeminate.
Additionally our character is in charge of the royal treasury, so a very high-ranking person. Often eunuchs (who were castrated and, hence, no threat around the harem) rose to positions of prominence in foreign courts. This eunuch was also obviously very rich. Just note that he had the influence and resources to take leave of office and make a journey that would have required at least three months just to get to Jerusalem and back home. We also see that he has his own carriage and driver, a strong sign of status. (Remember, the Holy Family made pilgrimage to Jerusalem on foot.)
It is interesting that he went to Jerusalem to "worship." The Ethiopians were polytheists with their own panoply of gods; there's no evidence of Judaism there. Likely our man was what we now call a religious seeker. The Roman road system allowed for a lot of importation and exportation, and that included religious movements that spread to new areas. Finally, the eunuch was very clearly well- educated. He is reading aloud (normal practice) from a bible manuscript (an expensive item.) We know of no biblical texts at that time in Ge'ze, the language of Ethiopia, so he must have been fluent in Hebrew and would have needed to know Greek to get by on his journey. Impressive, indeed.
Well, how did Philip evangelize this amazing person? He would have used the traditional three-fold method of interpretation: peshet, the literal, daresh, the applied, and sod, the mystical. I suspect Philip would have unpacked the "Suffering Servant" portion of Isaiah in the following way: At the first level, he would explain that the text refers to King Josiah who suffered for attempting to reform nation and cult. At the next level, he would have taught that the passage is interpreted to refer to the Jewish People as a whole. Finally, he would share that the nascent Church had now applied the text to the Jesus story. So Philip had the perfect opening to share about theChrist experience, of how he lived in full compliance with God's will and died to show us God's love.
From this enchanting story, I raise two comments. Our ministry must include sharing our faith story with others, being sensitive to God's reaching out to all sorts and conditions of people. Also, let us ask ourselves whether we are ready to head the Spirit's call when something radically new is afoot.
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Easter IV: Shepherds and Herders
This month's Smithsonian magazine has a wonderful article on the Lake District of Scotland, which includes reference to the shepherding profession there, which has been passed down through many generations. With true dedication these shepherds have continued to pursue their pastoral vocation despite economic challenges. They have pride and care for the renowned Herdwick sheep. Today's gospel [John 10: 11-17] has Jesus call himself the Good (or Model) Shepherd while contrasting that role with the role of a hireling herder.
There is a dramatic difference. A hireling has no skin in the game; a good shepherd is invested in those animals in his care. A hireling is only doing a job and collecting a paycheck; a good shepherd exercises a vocation that issues in relationship with those for whom he cares. That is manifest in his unconditional service A hireling will try to coerce his sheep; a good shepherd motivates them to do his will. (I cannot help remembering photo images of Nazi soldiers as they herded Jews, gays, and others into cattle cars bounds for death camps. Contrast that with images of Pope Francis cleaning the sores of lepers, lovingly washing the feet of poor people, non-Christians and "sinners," indeed in so many ways demonstrating God's universal love through self-sacrificial pastoral care.
Remember that John's gospel was written on and after the turn of the first century, C.E. I do suspect that the gospeller was thinking back to the bloody Jewish Revolt in the year 70, when the Pharisees fled Jerusalem and went to Jamnia on the seacoast to reinvent Judaism into a rabbinic form. When the dangers came, these false shepherds did not stay with the sheep. A good shepherd, by contrast, faces the threat and when necessary will lay down his life to save his flock.
Our epistolary reading is from First John, also a very late writing. First John is written to a parish wherein bad shepherds have led much of the membership out of the church. It would appear that their departure was related to teaching -- doctrines, opinions, interpretations. These know-it-alls, who imagined that they had it all "right," fractured the congregation. These false shepherds had made themselves "anti-Christs" by breaking the unity for which Christ fervently prayed in today's gospel.
What counsel do you think the author of First John offers to this faith community already under fire from a hostile Roman culture and now rocked by division? Well, he has two things to say to them. First, he reminds them of their identity as the Children of God. Then he praises their knowledge. That consists, not of knowing doctrinal or creedal formulae, not of having right theological notions, but rather by knowing God's life, love and will for the world made manifest in Jesus. They know to emulate his life and to follow his teachings in order to heal the world, in order to bring the cosmos to its completion, restored to God's vision. Those are our marching orders as well.
There is a dramatic difference. A hireling has no skin in the game; a good shepherd is invested in those animals in his care. A hireling is only doing a job and collecting a paycheck; a good shepherd exercises a vocation that issues in relationship with those for whom he cares. That is manifest in his unconditional service A hireling will try to coerce his sheep; a good shepherd motivates them to do his will. (I cannot help remembering photo images of Nazi soldiers as they herded Jews, gays, and others into cattle cars bounds for death camps. Contrast that with images of Pope Francis cleaning the sores of lepers, lovingly washing the feet of poor people, non-Christians and "sinners," indeed in so many ways demonstrating God's universal love through self-sacrificial pastoral care.
Remember that John's gospel was written on and after the turn of the first century, C.E. I do suspect that the gospeller was thinking back to the bloody Jewish Revolt in the year 70, when the Pharisees fled Jerusalem and went to Jamnia on the seacoast to reinvent Judaism into a rabbinic form. When the dangers came, these false shepherds did not stay with the sheep. A good shepherd, by contrast, faces the threat and when necessary will lay down his life to save his flock.
Our epistolary reading is from First John, also a very late writing. First John is written to a parish wherein bad shepherds have led much of the membership out of the church. It would appear that their departure was related to teaching -- doctrines, opinions, interpretations. These know-it-alls, who imagined that they had it all "right," fractured the congregation. These false shepherds had made themselves "anti-Christs" by breaking the unity for which Christ fervently prayed in today's gospel.
What counsel do you think the author of First John offers to this faith community already under fire from a hostile Roman culture and now rocked by division? Well, he has two things to say to them. First, he reminds them of their identity as the Children of God. Then he praises their knowledge. That consists, not of knowing doctrinal or creedal formulae, not of having right theological notions, but rather by knowing God's life, love and will for the world made manifest in Jesus. They know to emulate his life and to follow his teachings in order to heal the world, in order to bring the cosmos to its completion, restored to God's vision. Those are our marching orders as well.
Sunday, April 15, 2018
Easter III: He Ain't No Ghost
This year's Gospel readings follow Mark. However, the resurrection is not narrated in Mark, so the Church today pulls her core readings from one of the two latesr gospels, Luke [24: 36-48] and from Acts [3:12-19]. Luke was a Gentile, probably converted by Saint Paul, and a physician by trade. A great writer in Greek, although not very knowledgeable about Judaism. Luke has a few anchoring themes which play out in today's texts.
First, there is peace. "Peace" was a standard greeting amongst Jews. In Jesus' case it is especially significant because, for Christians, he and not Caesar is Prince of Peace. Jesus' peace surpasses human understanding, is true peace compared to Roman peace-through-military-strength, and gives the challenged Lucan community assurance of Christ's presence. As the old song says "you never walk alone." Lucan Christians can step out in faith and confidence to spread and defend the Gospel.
Second, there is continuity between covenants. For Luke it is very important to establish that the Jewish Scriptures can now be re-interpreted to refer to Jesus, the newly re-defined Messiah. That is especially true of his suffering, death, and rising, elements so different from the military-political glory traditionally expected of the Awaited One.
Third, there is hostility towards mainstream Judaism. Luke is the first gospel to be written after mainstream synagogues and Jesus congregations became completely separated. Christian anger, centred on the failure of the mainstream to convert, is reflected in the role reversal we see in the reading from Acts today. Now, the respective roles of Judaism and the Roman government in the death of Jesus are flipped. Now the righteous, reluctant Romans are pushed by the perfidious Jews into crucifying Jesus for religious heresy. Such nonsense has contributed to anti-Semitism's role in the murder of Jews over the centuries.
Fourth, Jesus is Son of God in a proprietary sense that would not have been understood during his lifetime. Indeed Jesus refers to teachings he made "when I was still with you." We might wonder why there is so much zombie-imaging in this mystical story. For Jesus has his followers touch his hands and feet, and eats fish with them. Is this physicality essential to faith in resurrection? No. Earlier gospels speak of Jesus appearing in various forms and times; and, even before the gospels, Saint Paul speaks of a "glorified body." As a matter of fact, Luke himself as well as Paul and the protomartyr Stephen have experiences of a non-physical Risen Christ. So what gives here? In the Graeco-Roman world, ghosts were considered commonplace; the standard tests for a ghost were having no real appendages with bone, nor having feet touching the ground nor the ability to show teeth or to eat. (Ghosts, like the angels, can't eat.) The symbolic message, then, is that the Christ is no ghost of an ordinary man named Jesus but rather a continuing manifestation of the Logos, the Word, fully and uniquely manifested in the Saviour's life.
How do we "see" the Risen Christ today? First, in those we are called to serve -- the least, the last, and the lost. Second, in our baptised brothers and sisters whose backs we have, who never walk alone. And third, in Christ's Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. It is in our sacramental food we receive the spiritual nourishment to encounter and serve Christ in one another and others. It is also in recognizing Christ in others that we come to experience Christ sacramentally. As one great bishop once remarked: If you don't find Christ in the beggar in the street, don't look for him in the Sacrament.
We are all witnesses to Christ changing people, including us, to change and redeem the world.
First, there is peace. "Peace" was a standard greeting amongst Jews. In Jesus' case it is especially significant because, for Christians, he and not Caesar is Prince of Peace. Jesus' peace surpasses human understanding, is true peace compared to Roman peace-through-military-strength, and gives the challenged Lucan community assurance of Christ's presence. As the old song says "you never walk alone." Lucan Christians can step out in faith and confidence to spread and defend the Gospel.
Second, there is continuity between covenants. For Luke it is very important to establish that the Jewish Scriptures can now be re-interpreted to refer to Jesus, the newly re-defined Messiah. That is especially true of his suffering, death, and rising, elements so different from the military-political glory traditionally expected of the Awaited One.
Third, there is hostility towards mainstream Judaism. Luke is the first gospel to be written after mainstream synagogues and Jesus congregations became completely separated. Christian anger, centred on the failure of the mainstream to convert, is reflected in the role reversal we see in the reading from Acts today. Now, the respective roles of Judaism and the Roman government in the death of Jesus are flipped. Now the righteous, reluctant Romans are pushed by the perfidious Jews into crucifying Jesus for religious heresy. Such nonsense has contributed to anti-Semitism's role in the murder of Jews over the centuries.
Fourth, Jesus is Son of God in a proprietary sense that would not have been understood during his lifetime. Indeed Jesus refers to teachings he made "when I was still with you." We might wonder why there is so much zombie-imaging in this mystical story. For Jesus has his followers touch his hands and feet, and eats fish with them. Is this physicality essential to faith in resurrection? No. Earlier gospels speak of Jesus appearing in various forms and times; and, even before the gospels, Saint Paul speaks of a "glorified body." As a matter of fact, Luke himself as well as Paul and the protomartyr Stephen have experiences of a non-physical Risen Christ. So what gives here? In the Graeco-Roman world, ghosts were considered commonplace; the standard tests for a ghost were having no real appendages with bone, nor having feet touching the ground nor the ability to show teeth or to eat. (Ghosts, like the angels, can't eat.) The symbolic message, then, is that the Christ is no ghost of an ordinary man named Jesus but rather a continuing manifestation of the Logos, the Word, fully and uniquely manifested in the Saviour's life.
How do we "see" the Risen Christ today? First, in those we are called to serve -- the least, the last, and the lost. Second, in our baptised brothers and sisters whose backs we have, who never walk alone. And third, in Christ's Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. It is in our sacramental food we receive the spiritual nourishment to encounter and serve Christ in one another and others. It is also in recognizing Christ in others that we come to experience Christ sacramentally. As one great bishop once remarked: If you don't find Christ in the beggar in the street, don't look for him in the Sacrament.
We are all witnesses to Christ changing people, including us, to change and redeem the world.
Sunday, April 8, 2018
Low Sunday: Jesus and the Wealth Gap
Almost all Sundays of the church year have a gospel reading that rotates amongst the three annual cycles of lections. But Low Sunday does not. Every year we read John 20: 19-31. That passage contains two segments that are suitable for homily and discussion. The first is the story of the Risen Christ imparting his Spirit to the Church and, specifically, empowering the Church to forgive the sins of penitents. The second vignette is a tale in which we see John's early Christian community ridiculing the theology of Thomas's community but making Thomas look like an idiot. For many years we have focused on these same two options. Today I am going to address the reading from Acts, 4: 32-35.
You may recall that earlier Jesus has told the disciples that they will do what he has done, and even greater things than that, because he is going to the Father. That principle is seen in action today in our passage. We have a snapshot of the early Christian community in Jerusalem. We read that the members are of "one heart and soul, " and flowing from that "everything they owned was held in common." Sharing was a natural, spontaneous result of the Spirit at work in the community. In fact, "there was not a needy person among them," as the parish received value from each according to his ability, and provided for "each as any had need." It is clear that first-century one-percenters were liquidating real estate and other assets to assure that economic justice happened in their community.
Clearly, primitive communism was being practised, a development flowing from Jesus' teachings against the accumulation of wealth and the oppression of poor, needy, and vulnerable people. The reaction of Christians to this passage over the centuries have fallen primarily into two camps.
The first camp -- the bible literalists -- took the snapshot as a command, and they attempted to form viable communistic communities. Walden Pond, Koinonia, New Harmony, and many others come to mind. I am especially sensitive to that reality being present in the Shaker communities, as one of my direct paternal ancestors was a Shaker. The complication is that Shakers were also celibate. Thank God, my ancestor couldn't handle that and left. 😁 But Shaker economic policy was communistic. In doing genealogical research, I discovered there were amazing cases of greed and corruption, theft and misappropriation. In other words, human sin marred the moral landscape in those intentionally egalitarian communities.
The second camp -- the conservatives -- simply ignore the passage as if it weren't there. They see the utopian ideal as fanciful and assume they have nothing to learn from considering the passage. Often we find selective reading and selective literalism at work in fundamentalist circles. The Bible then is a tool to be manipulated, not a resource from which to learn.
I pose this question: In fidelity to the teachings of Jesus on wealth accumulation and inequality, is there a position to which faithful Christians are called -- a position lying between the extremes of egalitarian communism and ignoring the passage? If so, what might that look like for us as individual people of faith and as a modern community? I leave that for your prayer consideration this week.
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Easter Sunday: On Resurrection
If you and I had camped out at the garden tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea on Easter eve, what might we have seen? The witnesses of Scripture vary a lot. Paul tells us that the Risen Christ that he encountered was a spiritual body, with no physical existence, yet perceptible. Today's gospel from John, where Mary Magdalene is ask to stop clinging to Jesus, we might imagine his revived corpse. Other biblical narratives have him walking through doors, certainly a paranormal existence. Another gospel witness suggests Jesus was a shape-shifter, appearing in various forms to people over time.
The Farsi language has a tense called relational past which no other language has. That tense means that something that happened long ago continues to exist for us right into the present. Resurrection is like that. Marcus Borg speaks of it as trans-historical, an event that cannot be contained or defined in the space-time continuum which is temporal, for God's reality is eternal. In any event, the bottom line -- the common witness -- is that Jesus was experienced as alive and leading the Church then, just as much as his Spirit continues to guide us today. That was possible because God won the battle waged between good and evil on Good Friday at Calvary. God would not allow the Dark Side the final word. God refused to give up on us. That is good news!
Virtually every Episcopal congregation at one time or another seems to have at least one former member of the Eastern Communion of the Church. In another congregation I served, long ago and far away, there was a parishioner called Helen who was Greek Orthodox by background and a truly Christ-like servant of others, making a difference every day in the community, church, and in her family. Every Easter she would run up to me, saying Khristos anesti! (Christ is risen, in Greek) and wait with a big grin for the right response, Alithos anesti! (He is risen indeed). Each time she approached to tell me that Christ is risen, I would think: well, of course, I am looking at him.
The takeaway from our experience of Holy Week and Easter is this: Jesus' death because of human sin (in which we all participate) doesn't mean anything unless it inspires us to see the fullness of God's love on the cross and to respond by turning away from sin, moving from being part of the human problem to being part of the solution. Likewise, Christ's resurrection is pointless unless we are raised to new life -- the abundant life he has promised to those who follow in his way, who live his life, who are his presence in the world now. That means doing our part to build the Kingdom of God, that world in which God's will will be done on earth as in heaven. Because Christ was raised, we are raised; because he lives, we live anew.
Allelluia, Christ is risen!
The Farsi language has a tense called relational past which no other language has. That tense means that something that happened long ago continues to exist for us right into the present. Resurrection is like that. Marcus Borg speaks of it as trans-historical, an event that cannot be contained or defined in the space-time continuum which is temporal, for God's reality is eternal. In any event, the bottom line -- the common witness -- is that Jesus was experienced as alive and leading the Church then, just as much as his Spirit continues to guide us today. That was possible because God won the battle waged between good and evil on Good Friday at Calvary. God would not allow the Dark Side the final word. God refused to give up on us. That is good news!
Virtually every Episcopal congregation at one time or another seems to have at least one former member of the Eastern Communion of the Church. In another congregation I served, long ago and far away, there was a parishioner called Helen who was Greek Orthodox by background and a truly Christ-like servant of others, making a difference every day in the community, church, and in her family. Every Easter she would run up to me, saying Khristos anesti! (Christ is risen, in Greek) and wait with a big grin for the right response, Alithos anesti! (He is risen indeed). Each time she approached to tell me that Christ is risen, I would think: well, of course, I am looking at him.
The takeaway from our experience of Holy Week and Easter is this: Jesus' death because of human sin (in which we all participate) doesn't mean anything unless it inspires us to see the fullness of God's love on the cross and to respond by turning away from sin, moving from being part of the human problem to being part of the solution. Likewise, Christ's resurrection is pointless unless we are raised to new life -- the abundant life he has promised to those who follow in his way, who live his life, who are his presence in the world now. That means doing our part to build the Kingdom of God, that world in which God's will will be done on earth as in heaven. Because Christ was raised, we are raised; because he lives, we live anew.
Allelluia, Christ is risen!
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