We are in the midst of weather crises here in Oklahoma: damaging windstorms, widespread flooding and crumbling neglected infrastructure. With so many people displaced, evacuated, injured,or even dead, it is easy to focus on the negative. That's why we have today's collect reminding us that God wants to give us good things that surpass our understanding and exceed what we can desire. What could that mean?
Let's take a look at a couple of post-resurrection tales. In one, the dejected and defeated disciples return to fishing, only to have Jesus show up for breakfast! The men on the road to Emmaus are hurting because their hopes were dashed by Jesus' execution, but then Jesus shows up! These stories remind us that our human lives vacillate between happiness and sorrow, joy and disappointment. Part and parcel of our existence. What we must avoid is the tendency to focus on the negative, not to see the big picture, not to trust that God wants to help us through the crisis and on to a better day. The earliest Christians found Resurrection Life in the faith community despite persecution, torture, even death. And so God will get us through all that we have to face in this life.
In our Acts reading, as Saint Paul begins his european tour, things have not gone well. He even runs into a not-so-friendly ghost and gets thrown into jail. But then he takes a break, goes down to the waterfront, and strikes paydirt. He meets Lydia and her family, converts her, and baptises the whole lot. Now Lydia is apparently one of those God-worshipping gentiles who attends synagogue; and furthermore she is a seller of purple, for royalty who attire themselves in that colour. So she is a merchant to one-percenters, wealthy and well-connected, a great leader for the nascent Jesus group. Paul gets past his crisis and finds the blessing.
We have the Holy Spirit to guide us through dark times. Jesus promised his Catholic Church that God's Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth. That's a gift for all time. But what does "Catholic" mean to us? We speak of the faith coming down from the apostles, reflected in the Scriptures, summed up in the Creeds, and clarified by the seven true ecumenical councils. That solid faith persists, however imperfectly, within the Roman, Orthodox, and our Anglican Communion. Our Communion is a confederation of thirty-nine churches round the world, 85 million people, the largest religious affiliation in the English- speaking world. In apostolic succession, we are firmly planted in sacred history, with hearts and minds open to the Spirit, as we move confidently through dark times and on to the fullness of God's promise.
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Sunday, May 19, 2019
Easter 5: Inclusivity -- Then and Now
In chapter 10 of Acts, we read about a family of "God-fearers", or God-worshippers". Thus may we translate the Greek term theophoboumenoi. The expression refers to non-Jews who became affiliated with synagogues and were active, contributing members of the community, though without actually going through conversion and being bound to requirements like circumcision and the dietary laws. It was inevitable that the Jesus movement within Judaism would be in contact with these God-fearers, who could become full members of a Christian synagogue without strict adherence to Jewish law.
This family were headed by Cornelius, who was a Roman centurion, a soldier in charge of a hundred troops. In what is depicted as a double vision scenario, Cornelius is moved to send for Saint Peter. Peter, in turn has a vision, which he interprets as meaning that to God no person or thing is ritually unclean, and he is sent to find Cornelius. He explains his unusual experience to these gentiles and then preaches to them. Afterwards they catch on ("receive the Holy Spirit") and their whole lot are baptised by Peter.
That brings us up to today's reading. Peter soon takes a trip to headquarters in Jerusalem, where he is accosted for his new insight about inclusion. It would seem that the rancour develops, not because Paul has preached, or even baptised, but because he has maintained table fellowship. To be at table implies a certain equality, mutual-respect, and relationship. This does not sit well with mainstream Jews, who are afraid of assimilation into the greater culture and, thus, must maintain separation. Peter cannot resort to Scripture or to Jewish teaching but must make his defence grounded in direct revelation from the Spirit.
In the Anglican Tradition we speak of the "three-legged stool," meaning that revelation comes to us through Scripture, Tradition, and Reason. The last means that we believe that God's revelation is ongoing, unbound by time -- that from age to age the Spirit tells us that God is doing a new thing and spurs us in a different, perhaps uncomfortable, direction. We have had to answer the calls to accept modern science, to abolish slavery, to fight for racial equality and justice, to ordain women, and to embrace gay people. Like Peter, in none of those cases could we resort to biblical proof-texts or any established religious doctrines or laws. We too had to appeal to direct revelation. One might ask if there is some litmus test of legitimacy for such discernment. I would answer that wherever fear and ignorance, hatred and bigotry, are being vanquished, God is at work. Wherever barriers to human development are torn down and loving relationships established, the Spirit is on the move.
There is a Jewish story about a rabbi who asked his disciples how one can tell when night is past and daytime has arrived. One said, when you can distinguish a sycamore tree from a fig tree. Another opined, when you can tell a goat from a sheep, Still another proffered, when you can determine that someone is male or female at a distance, by their motion. No, said the rabbi, until you can gaze upon any human being and there see the face of your brother or sister, then no matter what time it is, it's still night. Thank God that we have been called to be people of the light.
This family were headed by Cornelius, who was a Roman centurion, a soldier in charge of a hundred troops. In what is depicted as a double vision scenario, Cornelius is moved to send for Saint Peter. Peter, in turn has a vision, which he interprets as meaning that to God no person or thing is ritually unclean, and he is sent to find Cornelius. He explains his unusual experience to these gentiles and then preaches to them. Afterwards they catch on ("receive the Holy Spirit") and their whole lot are baptised by Peter.
That brings us up to today's reading. Peter soon takes a trip to headquarters in Jerusalem, where he is accosted for his new insight about inclusion. It would seem that the rancour develops, not because Paul has preached, or even baptised, but because he has maintained table fellowship. To be at table implies a certain equality, mutual-respect, and relationship. This does not sit well with mainstream Jews, who are afraid of assimilation into the greater culture and, thus, must maintain separation. Peter cannot resort to Scripture or to Jewish teaching but must make his defence grounded in direct revelation from the Spirit.
In the Anglican Tradition we speak of the "three-legged stool," meaning that revelation comes to us through Scripture, Tradition, and Reason. The last means that we believe that God's revelation is ongoing, unbound by time -- that from age to age the Spirit tells us that God is doing a new thing and spurs us in a different, perhaps uncomfortable, direction. We have had to answer the calls to accept modern science, to abolish slavery, to fight for racial equality and justice, to ordain women, and to embrace gay people. Like Peter, in none of those cases could we resort to biblical proof-texts or any established religious doctrines or laws. We too had to appeal to direct revelation. One might ask if there is some litmus test of legitimacy for such discernment. I would answer that wherever fear and ignorance, hatred and bigotry, are being vanquished, God is at work. Wherever barriers to human development are torn down and loving relationships established, the Spirit is on the move.
There is a Jewish story about a rabbi who asked his disciples how one can tell when night is past and daytime has arrived. One said, when you can distinguish a sycamore tree from a fig tree. Another opined, when you can tell a goat from a sheep, Still another proffered, when you can determine that someone is male or female at a distance, by their motion. No, said the rabbi, until you can gaze upon any human being and there see the face of your brother or sister, then no matter what time it is, it's still night. Thank God that we have been called to be people of the light.
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Saint Pachomius
In the gospel proper for today, Tuesday in the fourth week of Easter, Jesus counsels us to be spiritually prepared for the end of our lives. Wise words, for as those of who have lived long know, life hangs by a thread. How do you stay prepared to go out good? Perhaps Bible reading or Christian studies, and certainly prayer and reflection.
In the early Church many prepared by giving up marriage and living singly while performing tasks to make a living. Pachomius was once such person. He was drafted into the Roman Army from his home in northern Egypt, was discharged in 313 and became a Christian. (Remember that the Empire had modified the law to make all religions freely legal while not promoting any particular religion, just as our Constitution does today.) Pachomius could be openly, freely Christian and he chose to do it by a call to be a hermit.
Soon he began to ponder whether a group of me like-minded with him could form a community in which they would collectively devote time to religious activity, still performing the tasks needed to bring about a livelihood. With that insight, communal monasticism was born. Pachomius founded several monasteries, wrote a rule to govern the common life, installed an abbot over each community, and a dean over each "house." A house reflected a particular vocation: there would be a house of farmers. a house of tailors, a house of teachers, and so forth.
We owe much to Pachomius for envisioning and reifying communal monasticism in the Church. Monks and nuns continue to provide valuable sministry amongst us Anglicans, Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians, even some Lutherans in Europe. Thank you, Saint Pachomius!
In the early Church many prepared by giving up marriage and living singly while performing tasks to make a living. Pachomius was once such person. He was drafted into the Roman Army from his home in northern Egypt, was discharged in 313 and became a Christian. (Remember that the Empire had modified the law to make all religions freely legal while not promoting any particular religion, just as our Constitution does today.) Pachomius could be openly, freely Christian and he chose to do it by a call to be a hermit.
Soon he began to ponder whether a group of me like-minded with him could form a community in which they would collectively devote time to religious activity, still performing the tasks needed to bring about a livelihood. With that insight, communal monasticism was born. Pachomius founded several monasteries, wrote a rule to govern the common life, installed an abbot over each community, and a dean over each "house." A house reflected a particular vocation: there would be a house of farmers. a house of tailors, a house of teachers, and so forth.
We owe much to Pachomius for envisioning and reifying communal monasticism in the Church. Monks and nuns continue to provide valuable sministry amongst us Anglicans, Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians, even some Lutherans in Europe. Thank you, Saint Pachomius!
Sunday, May 12, 2019
Easter IV: Kilchurn Castle
We had a wonderful holiday in northern Scotland and the Orkney Islands. We visited Saint Magnus Church where I said a prayer for Saint Matthew's and lit a candle. We saw Skara Brae, the oldest human habitation found on our planet at 5000 years old, and Maeshowe, a prehistoric rock funerary monument and religious site. Also we saw henges and eight castles.
One of the castles was Kilchurn on the shore of Loch Awe, a beautiful place. As we approached, I held back to take some photographs. When I went on to the castle, I was met by a large sheep who bounded round the corner. We seemed instant friends, as he nuzzled me and enjoyed being petted. I had a conversation with him, then went on to the castle entrance, where he and two of his buds tried unsuccessfully so sneak through the gate behind me. I have seen sheep at state fairs, and at a distance all over Scotland, but never until that day had I been up close and personal with one of these lovely, gentle creatures. It was a great experience and gave me a new appreciation for comments attributed to Jesus about shepherds and sheepfolds.
In today's gospel [John 10: 22-30] Jesus is described as ho poeimen ho kalos. Traditionally that is rendered the Good Shepherd, sometimes the Ideal Shepherd, but I recently read a suggestion by a Greek scholar that a better translation yet is Beautiful Shepherd. In the sense that we speak of a person's being beautiful not only outwardly but inwardly. That kind of beauty evokes love and an unconditional trust. We are safe knowing the Beautiful Shepherd is on watch.
Jesus warns against the wolf, who will fool and scatter the sheep in order to find a victim to kill and eat. There are many wolves today who like to prey on the Episcopal flock, trying to tell us that we can't be for women or for refugees, that we must not embrace racial and sexual minorities. These wolves counsel judgement where Jesus counsels love and acceptance. Yet we do not need to fear wolves, because the Beautiful Shepherd is on watch, protecting those who are faithful to his vision.
He also brings eternal life. That is not about getting your ticket punched for pie-in-the-sky when you die. It is a present gift of an abundant new life and love. Jesus contravened Jewish expectations of messiahship and Roman political and religious values. Today, in his name, we contravene much of what passes for religion-as-usual in America and the imperial values of our own day. We do so in faithful response to the Beautiful Shepherd who calls us to be a beautiful people, inside and out.
Who have been the most important shepherds in your life? I bet one of them would be your mom. Today we call forward the mothers in our congregation for the Mother's Day Blessing.
One of the castles was Kilchurn on the shore of Loch Awe, a beautiful place. As we approached, I held back to take some photographs. When I went on to the castle, I was met by a large sheep who bounded round the corner. We seemed instant friends, as he nuzzled me and enjoyed being petted. I had a conversation with him, then went on to the castle entrance, where he and two of his buds tried unsuccessfully so sneak through the gate behind me. I have seen sheep at state fairs, and at a distance all over Scotland, but never until that day had I been up close and personal with one of these lovely, gentle creatures. It was a great experience and gave me a new appreciation for comments attributed to Jesus about shepherds and sheepfolds.
In today's gospel [John 10: 22-30] Jesus is described as ho poeimen ho kalos. Traditionally that is rendered the Good Shepherd, sometimes the Ideal Shepherd, but I recently read a suggestion by a Greek scholar that a better translation yet is Beautiful Shepherd. In the sense that we speak of a person's being beautiful not only outwardly but inwardly. That kind of beauty evokes love and an unconditional trust. We are safe knowing the Beautiful Shepherd is on watch.
Jesus warns against the wolf, who will fool and scatter the sheep in order to find a victim to kill and eat. There are many wolves today who like to prey on the Episcopal flock, trying to tell us that we can't be for women or for refugees, that we must not embrace racial and sexual minorities. These wolves counsel judgement where Jesus counsels love and acceptance. Yet we do not need to fear wolves, because the Beautiful Shepherd is on watch, protecting those who are faithful to his vision.
He also brings eternal life. That is not about getting your ticket punched for pie-in-the-sky when you die. It is a present gift of an abundant new life and love. Jesus contravened Jewish expectations of messiahship and Roman political and religious values. Today, in his name, we contravene much of what passes for religion-as-usual in America and the imperial values of our own day. We do so in faithful response to the Beautiful Shepherd who calls us to be a beautiful people, inside and out.
Who have been the most important shepherds in your life? I bet one of them would be your mom. Today we call forward the mothers in our congregation for the Mother's Day Blessing.
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