Our understanding of salvation is that it is a completely free gift from God, holy initiative on God's part. And the proper response is not performance but living a whole new way of life, the Christ Life. Through Christ's resurrection, we are called to be resurrection people, promoting God's Reign in this world, living the promised eternal life now and forever. That is called radical discipleship, a crazy new way of being, a tospy-turvy existence in which we love others as much as we do ourselves, and pray for them -- especially our enemies. Who does that? It means making our stewardship over our own resources and assets first to serve God's work before any other purpose.. Who does that? I say adherents are few and far between, yet these qualities are the imitation of the Christ we are called to bring into reality in our own day, in our daily lives. If we live this life to which we are called, we have no time to obsess on prospects in the afterlife and nothing to worry about. God can be trusted forever.
Sunday, July 22, 2018
Salvation
Much of contemporary Christianity seems to be hooked on transactional salvation. By that, I mean to say that one must perform certain steps. First, convince oneself that Jesus is Lord, however that is understood. Second, make a public proclamation or sign a nifty "faith statement." At that a person is deemed "saved," which essentially means saved from eternal torture by an angry deity in the afterlife.
Pentecost IX: Life Beyond Literalism
A bishop once told me that the best definition of our Episcopal experience was "the Catholic Church where you don't check your brain at the door." There is no area in which that is more true than the interpretation of Scripture. I grew up in a tradition which taught that God sent the biblical authors into a trance and dictated the contents of the bible word-for-word in Hebrew and Greek. Seriously. And Scripture had to be interpreted factually and literally, even though it contains contradictions, factual and scientific errors, and terrible theology in places. That kind of hermeneutic simply cannot stand up to intelligent inquiry and has led to the proliferation of thirty thousand individual protestant denominations. More seriously it has led to droves of intelligent young people bailing out on the Faith. Thank God, they can find, as I found, the Episcopal Church and its rational engagement of Scripture.
We understand the holy books to be inspired by God yet the work of a cadre of fallible human beings trying to express their communities' experiences in search of God. Thus we read with every possible analytical tool available and with focus on the context/story of each author. Several readings today would lend themselves to serious analysis. For example, our reading from Jewish Scripture (II Sam. 7) might leave us wondering how the God who, Saint Paul says, does not dwell in human temples is today demanding a house to live in after dwelling in a tent. We could look at our New Testament selection (Mark 6: 30-34, 53-56) and query how Jesus' cloak could have curative powers. Instead, I want to take about our Ephesians reading (2: 11-22).
We know that the literary conventions of the Graeco-Roman world included a pass for plagiarism. Signing an author's name to a work was considered honorific, even if the content would not have passed muster with that writer. In that regard, we now know that Saint Paul did not write six of the books attributed to him. They are identifiable by unfamiliar vocabulary, theological strangeness, as well as reference to things that happened after Paul died. One of those six is Ephesians which is generally a beautifully-written inspiring book but we see today a major flaw literalists would miss. The writer says Jesus annulled the Jewish Law. Utter nonsense! God does not lie or go back on his promises. In today's psalm (89) God says to the Jewish People, "I will not take away my love or let my faithfulness prove false. I will not break my covenant." Saint Paul assured us that the Christian Movement was grafted onto the vine of Israel; it did not uproot it. Saint Peter, in the book of Acts, states that in every nation the person who loves God and does what is right is acceptable. So, no, God has not abandoned his first love. Therefore, our Communion and the Roman Communion, Methodists, United Church of Christ, Unitarians and others do not attempt to convert Jews. That does not mean that a Jew is denied entry to the Christian Covenant, which is open to all people. But this preacher is convinced that if God had really replaced the Jewish religion with Christianity (i.e. supersession) for faithlessness to God's will, then surely by now God would have replaced us with a third covenant.
We understand the holy books to be inspired by God yet the work of a cadre of fallible human beings trying to express their communities' experiences in search of God. Thus we read with every possible analytical tool available and with focus on the context/story of each author. Several readings today would lend themselves to serious analysis. For example, our reading from Jewish Scripture (II Sam. 7) might leave us wondering how the God who, Saint Paul says, does not dwell in human temples is today demanding a house to live in after dwelling in a tent. We could look at our New Testament selection (Mark 6: 30-34, 53-56) and query how Jesus' cloak could have curative powers. Instead, I want to take about our Ephesians reading (2: 11-22).
We know that the literary conventions of the Graeco-Roman world included a pass for plagiarism. Signing an author's name to a work was considered honorific, even if the content would not have passed muster with that writer. In that regard, we now know that Saint Paul did not write six of the books attributed to him. They are identifiable by unfamiliar vocabulary, theological strangeness, as well as reference to things that happened after Paul died. One of those six is Ephesians which is generally a beautifully-written inspiring book but we see today a major flaw literalists would miss. The writer says Jesus annulled the Jewish Law. Utter nonsense! God does not lie or go back on his promises. In today's psalm (89) God says to the Jewish People, "I will not take away my love or let my faithfulness prove false. I will not break my covenant." Saint Paul assured us that the Christian Movement was grafted onto the vine of Israel; it did not uproot it. Saint Peter, in the book of Acts, states that in every nation the person who loves God and does what is right is acceptable. So, no, God has not abandoned his first love. Therefore, our Communion and the Roman Communion, Methodists, United Church of Christ, Unitarians and others do not attempt to convert Jews. That does not mean that a Jew is denied entry to the Christian Covenant, which is open to all people. But this preacher is convinced that if God had really replaced the Jewish religion with Christianity (i.e. supersession) for faithlessness to God's will, then surely by now God would have replaced us with a third covenant.
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Pentecost VIII: Royal Families
I was deeply moved by a Facebook post by a member of our extended family which read "I have family who are not blood. I have blood who are not family." The statement beautifully reflects his situation, in which my family and I are family to him , but not blood relatives . Family can have a range of meanings.
Our readings today speak of two ancient royal families. The first relates to King David (II Sam. 6). Let's go back to the beginning thread of the narrative where we find the Philistine giant Goliath. He figures in two major stories -- one in which he is killed by David; in the other, by someone else. We are positioned in the David narrative. Here King Saul declares that whoever kills Goliath will have a reward in the form of his eldest daughter. David (whom Saul apparently dislikes) kills Goliath and Saul reneges and gives first daughter to another man. David protests and Saul replies that, if David brings him the foreskins of 100 Philistines, David may have Saul's second daughter Michal. (That is good because the text tells us the Michal really loves David!) The request is, of course, literally ridiculous. It means killing a hundred men. David goes out and kills 200 Philistines (remember that genocide against Philistines is a Jewish pastime back then.)
So David gets to have Michal. However, Saul sends troops out to kill David. Michal lowers him out a window and she takes an idol, dresses it in David's clothes, puts a wig on it, and covers it up in David's bed. When the troops arrive they are in for a surprise. David is on the lam. During this time, Saul gives Michal to another man. David consoles himself in the meantime by taking two other women as wives. When David has become king, he takes Michal away from her husband and takes her as a wife. When David comes into Jerusalem in triumph, he dances lustily before the Ark of the Covenant. Michal sees it and hates him. Maybe the hatred goes back to being abducted from her previous husband, maybe not. In the event, David throws a big victory party. When he comes home Michal lays into him for his unkingly dance, making a fool of himself. He tells her that now he will turn from her and start partying with servant girls!
David was a great king but his personal life was messed up. He specialized in stealing other men's wives, although he said what he got from his boy friend Jonathan was better than what he even got from a woman! Anyway, this was a troubled royal family.
In our New Testament reading [Mk 6: 14-29] we see another royal family, that of Herod and wife Herodias. Herod is a Roman puppet king, half-Jewish in order to placate Jewish subjects. When he marries Herodias, she is still married to his brother-in-law, an egregious violation of Jewish Law. John the Baptiser points that out and it costs him his head, but signals the launch of Jesus' public ministry. Another messed-up royal family.
Our epistle [Eph 1: 3-14] speaks of yet another royal family, the Church in which we are all adopted brothers and sisters called to healthy relationship, to doing ministry for and with one another, in the parish and out in the world. Indeed, Saint Paul speaks of our faith family as our primary allegiance. We are children of the King, serving the world in his name. That is what we are all about as healthy family members who have each other's back, who strive to walk in love and service. I have family who are not blood, and so do you! The family of God.
Our readings today speak of two ancient royal families. The first relates to King David (II Sam. 6). Let's go back to the beginning thread of the narrative where we find the Philistine giant Goliath. He figures in two major stories -- one in which he is killed by David; in the other, by someone else. We are positioned in the David narrative. Here King Saul declares that whoever kills Goliath will have a reward in the form of his eldest daughter. David (whom Saul apparently dislikes) kills Goliath and Saul reneges and gives first daughter to another man. David protests and Saul replies that, if David brings him the foreskins of 100 Philistines, David may have Saul's second daughter Michal. (That is good because the text tells us the Michal really loves David!) The request is, of course, literally ridiculous. It means killing a hundred men. David goes out and kills 200 Philistines (remember that genocide against Philistines is a Jewish pastime back then.)
So David gets to have Michal. However, Saul sends troops out to kill David. Michal lowers him out a window and she takes an idol, dresses it in David's clothes, puts a wig on it, and covers it up in David's bed. When the troops arrive they are in for a surprise. David is on the lam. During this time, Saul gives Michal to another man. David consoles himself in the meantime by taking two other women as wives. When David has become king, he takes Michal away from her husband and takes her as a wife. When David comes into Jerusalem in triumph, he dances lustily before the Ark of the Covenant. Michal sees it and hates him. Maybe the hatred goes back to being abducted from her previous husband, maybe not. In the event, David throws a big victory party. When he comes home Michal lays into him for his unkingly dance, making a fool of himself. He tells her that now he will turn from her and start partying with servant girls!
David was a great king but his personal life was messed up. He specialized in stealing other men's wives, although he said what he got from his boy friend Jonathan was better than what he even got from a woman! Anyway, this was a troubled royal family.
In our New Testament reading [Mk 6: 14-29] we see another royal family, that of Herod and wife Herodias. Herod is a Roman puppet king, half-Jewish in order to placate Jewish subjects. When he marries Herodias, she is still married to his brother-in-law, an egregious violation of Jewish Law. John the Baptiser points that out and it costs him his head, but signals the launch of Jesus' public ministry. Another messed-up royal family.
Our epistle [Eph 1: 3-14] speaks of yet another royal family, the Church in which we are all adopted brothers and sisters called to healthy relationship, to doing ministry for and with one another, in the parish and out in the world. Indeed, Saint Paul speaks of our faith family as our primary allegiance. We are children of the King, serving the world in his name. That is what we are all about as healthy family members who have each other's back, who strive to walk in love and service. I have family who are not blood, and so do you! The family of God.
Sunday, July 8, 2018
Pentecost VII: Marching Orders
Today Jesus goes home. At first he dazzles the crowds in Nazareth, but then reality sets in. Isn't this a local guy? We remember him growing up! His Mom and her step-kids still live here! How does this upstart think that he is all that? Jesus finds that he can do little with a community that will not take him or his message seriously. He retreats to the suburbs.
Now what? He decides to send his immediate successors, the twelve apostles, on a mission. They will go out, offering the same ministries that he does, just as we do today. The marching orders he gives are meant for us as well. Let's take a look.
First, they are to travel light. Jesus has elsewhere assured them that accumulating and loving wealth is the greatest danger to spiritual health. The poor are most beloved of God precisely because they don't have stuff in the way. (Remember, for example, how Saint Francis of Assisi gave away his wealth before beginning his remarkable ministry.) The apostles must not take actions that will show dependence on material things if they are to focus on the spiritual.
Second, they are to be long on method. Jesus does not meticulously dictate what to do, so much as how to do it. This reminds us that we evangelize primarily by our actions, not what we say. We are the hands, feet, heart and voice of Christ today. There are different ministries for different persons. The sacramental work of Christ is continued by ordained bishops and priests, but we are all part of his service ministry. Everthing we do is to be done in a Christian way. We want our life and work to cause others to want a piece of this new, different, and abundant kind of life.
Third, they are not to waste time where there is no receptivity. Let me tell you a true story about that. Before the American Revolution, the town of Bath, North Carolina was the Las Vegas of the British colonies. Blackbeard, the most honourable of all pirates, whose real name was Arthur Thatch, retired to Bath towards the end of his career. He became the Royal Governor's best friend. At about the same time, my seventh great-grandfather, Francis Shackelford, left Virginia and retired in Bath. And soon thereafter the town of Bath received a most distinguished guest.
The visitor was George Whitefield, an Anglican priest who moved from England to America He met the Wesley brothers, became part of the Methodist movement in Georgia, founded an orphanage, and supported the successful introduction of slavery into Georgia, where it had been illegal. Although a Methodist, Whitefield had adopted Calvinist doctrine (at his request he is buried under the pulpit of a Presbyterian church in Massachusetts) along the lines of Jonathan Edward's assault on "sinners in the hands of an angry God." During his preaching tour in the Colonies, he made a special stop at Bath. But "sin city" had no interest in his rigid Calvinism. His message fell on deaf ears. As a result, he went to the edge of town, shook the dust off his shoes, cursed Bath, never to return. He followed Jesus' admonition to the apostles as a literal command and obeyed it. We too may be reminded by this episode to conserve our energy and resources, and not to lose heart when our efforts fail.
Well, there you have it. Our marching orders for today and all our days to come.
Now what? He decides to send his immediate successors, the twelve apostles, on a mission. They will go out, offering the same ministries that he does, just as we do today. The marching orders he gives are meant for us as well. Let's take a look.
First, they are to travel light. Jesus has elsewhere assured them that accumulating and loving wealth is the greatest danger to spiritual health. The poor are most beloved of God precisely because they don't have stuff in the way. (Remember, for example, how Saint Francis of Assisi gave away his wealth before beginning his remarkable ministry.) The apostles must not take actions that will show dependence on material things if they are to focus on the spiritual.
Second, they are to be long on method. Jesus does not meticulously dictate what to do, so much as how to do it. This reminds us that we evangelize primarily by our actions, not what we say. We are the hands, feet, heart and voice of Christ today. There are different ministries for different persons. The sacramental work of Christ is continued by ordained bishops and priests, but we are all part of his service ministry. Everthing we do is to be done in a Christian way. We want our life and work to cause others to want a piece of this new, different, and abundant kind of life.
Third, they are not to waste time where there is no receptivity. Let me tell you a true story about that. Before the American Revolution, the town of Bath, North Carolina was the Las Vegas of the British colonies. Blackbeard, the most honourable of all pirates, whose real name was Arthur Thatch, retired to Bath towards the end of his career. He became the Royal Governor's best friend. At about the same time, my seventh great-grandfather, Francis Shackelford, left Virginia and retired in Bath. And soon thereafter the town of Bath received a most distinguished guest.
The visitor was George Whitefield, an Anglican priest who moved from England to America He met the Wesley brothers, became part of the Methodist movement in Georgia, founded an orphanage, and supported the successful introduction of slavery into Georgia, where it had been illegal. Although a Methodist, Whitefield had adopted Calvinist doctrine (at his request he is buried under the pulpit of a Presbyterian church in Massachusetts) along the lines of Jonathan Edward's assault on "sinners in the hands of an angry God." During his preaching tour in the Colonies, he made a special stop at Bath. But "sin city" had no interest in his rigid Calvinism. His message fell on deaf ears. As a result, he went to the edge of town, shook the dust off his shoes, cursed Bath, never to return. He followed Jesus' admonition to the apostles as a literal command and obeyed it. We too may be reminded by this episode to conserve our energy and resources, and not to lose heart when our efforts fail.
Well, there you have it. Our marching orders for today and all our days to come.
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Independence Day
We gather to celebrate the wonderful freedom and opportunity that we enjoy here in the United States, but also to take opportunity to consider how that freedom calls for moral responsibility in various ways. Let me share a few things that are on my heart.
Few people seem to be aware that our Episcopal Church failed, by one vote of Congress, to become The Church of the United States. Being the state church in this country would have been a great honour, also a great burden. In their wisdom, the Founders instead decided that we should have a system of government in which there is freedom of religion but also freedom from religion. Every tradition and school of thought was to be respected, but there would be no coercion. Just imagine how you would feel as a hard-working taxpaying American citizen who is also a Muslim, a Jew, or Buddhist, or even secular, when you learn that your child's public school teacher is proselytizing for her Christian denomination. It happens. I have a Jewish friend whose son received a public school essay back marked with an "A" and also a notation asking "Are you saved?" We must reaffirm our commitment to the basic constitutional separation of the church and the state. We must do so in a spirit of mutual respect.
Another concern is that we seem to have slipped into the habit of making our religious values secondary to militarism. Today anyone who enters the Service and participates in combat becomes a "wounded warrior hero." That is reminiscent of the worship bestowed on Roman gladiators. We are perilously close to military worship. Don't get me wrong: I am a military veteran and I do appreciate all that veterans have done, but let us keep perspective. There is no sense anymore that an individual ought to exercise moral judgement as to participation in violence sponsored by our government. Our collect says that our nation "lit the torch of freedom for nations then unborn." But how many times has our federal government supported murderous dictators who were allied to our national economic interests? How many times do we prop up a dictator one moment and depose him the next? How many democratically-elected leaders have we assassinated? Let us not be hypocrites!
Some people are so devoted to a particular political philosophy that they have managed to convince themselves that it is ok to bend Christianity to align with their pet tenets. Our bottom line in all these things must be that the Gospel stands above every other consideration and must be the lens through which we view and judge everything else in life. Otherwise, we are just playing at Christianity.
Have a wonderful Fourth, but stand strong in a faith that is confident enough to respect those who differ, that balances rights with responsibilities, freedom with obligation to the Gospel. That is our best gift to the Republic.
.
Few people seem to be aware that our Episcopal Church failed, by one vote of Congress, to become The Church of the United States. Being the state church in this country would have been a great honour, also a great burden. In their wisdom, the Founders instead decided that we should have a system of government in which there is freedom of religion but also freedom from religion. Every tradition and school of thought was to be respected, but there would be no coercion. Just imagine how you would feel as a hard-working taxpaying American citizen who is also a Muslim, a Jew, or Buddhist, or even secular, when you learn that your child's public school teacher is proselytizing for her Christian denomination. It happens. I have a Jewish friend whose son received a public school essay back marked with an "A" and also a notation asking "Are you saved?" We must reaffirm our commitment to the basic constitutional separation of the church and the state. We must do so in a spirit of mutual respect.
Another concern is that we seem to have slipped into the habit of making our religious values secondary to militarism. Today anyone who enters the Service and participates in combat becomes a "wounded warrior hero." That is reminiscent of the worship bestowed on Roman gladiators. We are perilously close to military worship. Don't get me wrong: I am a military veteran and I do appreciate all that veterans have done, but let us keep perspective. There is no sense anymore that an individual ought to exercise moral judgement as to participation in violence sponsored by our government. Our collect says that our nation "lit the torch of freedom for nations then unborn." But how many times has our federal government supported murderous dictators who were allied to our national economic interests? How many times do we prop up a dictator one moment and depose him the next? How many democratically-elected leaders have we assassinated? Let us not be hypocrites!
Some people are so devoted to a particular political philosophy that they have managed to convince themselves that it is ok to bend Christianity to align with their pet tenets. Our bottom line in all these things must be that the Gospel stands above every other consideration and must be the lens through which we view and judge everything else in life. Otherwise, we are just playing at Christianity.
Have a wonderful Fourth, but stand strong in a faith that is confident enough to respect those who differ, that balances rights with responsibilities, freedom with obligation to the Gospel. That is our best gift to the Republic.
.
Sunday, July 1, 2018
Pentecost VI: Woman, Rescued
Scripture tells us that humans see what is on the outside of a person, God sees through to heart. Today, Jesus the metaphor of God does exactly that, as he encounters a woman destined to die unremembered and alone. Scripture also assures us that the letter of the Law kills, but the spirit of the Law gives life. In today's encounter the woman's life is seriously diminished by the primitive provisions of the ancient religious heritage to which she is bound. Jesus will free her of that.
Today's text [Mk 5: 21-43] presents a woman who has suffered from haemorrhage for a full twelve years. Physically, that means that in a culture where aristocrats feast on meat and others want for effective levels of protein, the woman has been painfully anaemic, weak, no doubt depressed. Now adding to her plight, the old Jewish tradition declares her effluence renders her ritually unclean. Anyone who touches her, even accidentally, becomes unclean. In a state of uncleanness, worship at the Temple is forbidden. As she is perpetually unclean, she is not even welcome in the Court of Women. Under the theology of the time, it is presumed that she, or perhaps her parents or even grandparents, did something to anger a God who holds grudges for generations and, in retaliation, withdraws his protection from the sinner or a descendant. . Loss of that protection means demons invade and bad things ensue, in this case, haemorrhage. To get right with God under the Law, she must go and offer the prescribed sacrifices to God, but she can't because she is constantly ritually unclean and banned from the Temple. Catch 22!
The woman has taken the logical next step and turned to medicine-for-profit. As a result, she is skint, as millions of Americans are today, and her condition is growing worse. The woman has heard of our Lord's fame as exorcist and spiritual leader -- how the blind come to see, the deaf to hear and to understand, the lame to run and walk. So she tries Jesus' free clinic. Good move. She experiences healing, which Jesus attributes to her faith. Many will not experience such a magical remission but rather find healing in being reconciled to the reality and finding new strength to move on. Jesus heralded her physical improvement but more he wanted the woman to be healed in mind and soul as well, and fully restored to family and community. She can begin to live again because of the action of a God whose true nature is love and compassion, demonstrated in the the Saviour.
How many of us in time of crisis, like this woman, try just about every possible solution before turning to God? We can often be our own worst enemy. Jesus wants to give us peace, wholeness -- shalom. Abundant life awaits. What inside you needs healing?
Today's text [Mk 5: 21-43] presents a woman who has suffered from haemorrhage for a full twelve years. Physically, that means that in a culture where aristocrats feast on meat and others want for effective levels of protein, the woman has been painfully anaemic, weak, no doubt depressed. Now adding to her plight, the old Jewish tradition declares her effluence renders her ritually unclean. Anyone who touches her, even accidentally, becomes unclean. In a state of uncleanness, worship at the Temple is forbidden. As she is perpetually unclean, she is not even welcome in the Court of Women. Under the theology of the time, it is presumed that she, or perhaps her parents or even grandparents, did something to anger a God who holds grudges for generations and, in retaliation, withdraws his protection from the sinner or a descendant. . Loss of that protection means demons invade and bad things ensue, in this case, haemorrhage. To get right with God under the Law, she must go and offer the prescribed sacrifices to God, but she can't because she is constantly ritually unclean and banned from the Temple. Catch 22!
The woman has taken the logical next step and turned to medicine-for-profit. As a result, she is skint, as millions of Americans are today, and her condition is growing worse. The woman has heard of our Lord's fame as exorcist and spiritual leader -- how the blind come to see, the deaf to hear and to understand, the lame to run and walk. So she tries Jesus' free clinic. Good move. She experiences healing, which Jesus attributes to her faith. Many will not experience such a magical remission but rather find healing in being reconciled to the reality and finding new strength to move on. Jesus heralded her physical improvement but more he wanted the woman to be healed in mind and soul as well, and fully restored to family and community. She can begin to live again because of the action of a God whose true nature is love and compassion, demonstrated in the the Saviour.
How many of us in time of crisis, like this woman, try just about every possible solution before turning to God? We can often be our own worst enemy. Jesus wants to give us peace, wholeness -- shalom. Abundant life awaits. What inside you needs healing?
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