tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28971592192403339472024-02-20T22:42:15.007-08:00Faith in ProgressElizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.comBlogger229125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-89959145597232744752021-01-17T05:01:00.001-08:002021-01-17T05:01:24.651-08:00A New Kind of New Year's Resolution<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">January 17, 2021 (Epiphany 2)</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c383947b-7fff-6e33-df5c-57cc496566c0"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1 Samuel 3:1-10, (11-20); John 1:43-51</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My daughter Maya was the New Year’s Eve party planner at my house. She brainstormed activities and wrote them on little pieces of paper to put inside a bunch of balloons. Every half hour, we were supposed to pop a balloon and do whatever it said inside. At about 7:00, we popped our first balloon. “Sing Christmas songs,” it directed us. And so a few of us gathered happily around the piano and sang our favorite carols. At 7:30 we popped the next balloon: “Make New Year’s Resolutions.” We all groaned -- no one wanted to do it. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Truth be told, I’ve never been a big New Year’s resolution fan. Every year I end up with pretty much the same ideas that I never stick with for long. But I think this time, it was more that I didn’t think I </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">needed</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to make resolutions. 2020 was a rotten year, but 2021 was going to be totally different.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Vaccinations would allow us to be with our loved ones. Our political mess would heal. Our kids would go back to school. This new year was going to be so full of light and joy that thinking about resolutions just seemed negative.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But 2021 has not yet lived up to my expectations. Covid rates are going up and vaccinations seem slow. More people are losing jobs and mourning lost friends and family. A mob recently took over the seat of our democracy, and there are threats of more violence in coming days. My daughter has been wrestling with health issues. And plans for going back to school are on an endless “pause.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This new year feels much darker than I had hoped.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But, strangely enough, maybe this is a place for opportunity. Because darkness is so often where we are able to see the light of God shining most brightly. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here we are. In the bleak mid-winter. The shepherds have left the manger. The angels have stopped singing their Glorias. The magic and mystery of Christmas seems to be ebbing away, and the world seems in danger of taking control. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here we are, in the season after Epiphany, after the light has made its way into the world at Christmas but before we can be sure what will happen next.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In literary terms, an epiphany is that moment in the story where a character achieves a new realization, after which everything is seen through the prism of this new light.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some people get Epiphanies with a big “E” that completely change their lives in obvious ways: like the burning bush that transformed Moses into a leader and liberator of his people; or like the angel messenger with big plans for Mary that turned her from a no-name teenager with a simple life to the Mother of God. Some people get obvious and indisputable Epiphanies; clear signs that would convince anyone.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But I think most of us probably don’t. Most of us are more likely to experience subtle, small “e” epiphanies that make sense only to us, and sometimes only in retrospect. But those are worthy epiphanies too -- and they can also be enough to give us a new prism to see things differently. Though they can also be awfully easy to miss. For most of us, it’s hard for God to catch our attention.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Like Samuel. Samuel was in a pre-sleep haze when a voice called his name. Three times, Samuel assumed it was his mentor Eli calling, the only person nearby. It didn’t occur to Samuel that God might be trying to communicate with him. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And like Nathanael. Nathanael was living his normal life and along came Philip raving about Jesus. But Nathanael was skeptical: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” How could someone from a place so ordinary matter? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And like me. Most of the time, I’m living my life without noticing much of what goes on around me. Moving on to the next thing on my to-do list without stopping to appreciate this moment </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">right here</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Not often particularly focused on looking or listening for God.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And maybe like you too.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, luckily for Samuel, God didn’t stop calling. God called and called until finally Eli recommended that Samuel respond to God that he was listening. And when Samuel gave it a try, he discovered that the voice that had previously been just a voice was actually God’s voice.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Luckily for Nathanael, Philip ignored the insult about Jesus’ hometown and suggested he come along and see for himself. And despite his skepticism, Nathanael put foot in front of dubious foot until he made his way to Jesus. And when he learned that Jesus had seen him under the fig tree, he recognized that the man who had previously been just a man was something so much more. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is a lot that is remarkable about these call stories, but it’s this fig tree bit that really intrigues me. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What was it about the fig tree that was so significant that it changed everything for Nathanael to have Jesus mention it? What was Nathanael doing or thinking under that tree?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But as much as my nosy curiosity would love to know, I think the very absurdity of the fig tree is the glory of this story. We have no idea what the fig tree meant to Nathanael, and neither did Philip or anyone else that might have been gathered around that day. To us it seems insignificant and silly. But Jesus knew. And in that knowing, Nathanael realized that Jesus had seen him in a real way -- that Jesus knew him to the core of his being. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve been working with a small “e” epiphany over the last few weeks. One that has made me feel known, too.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On January 5th, a seminary classmate offered “star words” to friends over Facebook. Each year she makes stars for parishioners, each with a different word on it. The idea is that, like the wise magi follow the star to Jesus, each star word might be a gift to help guide someone during the year -- to think about how God might be speaking through this word. When she has extra words, she offers them to Facebook friends. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last year, I received a great word from her -- “gentleness.” I took it as God’s invitation to be gentle with myself, to find more space for sabbath, to try to incorporate more gratitude into my daily life, and ideally, to be gentler with others too, especially those with whom I disagree. It was a lovely addition that I think helped prepare me for a less-than-lovely and certainly less-than-gentle year.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so I was quick to respond when I saw Allison’s invitation this year. I definitely could use some more gentleness in my life. But this year my word was </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">not</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> so easy and light. This year my word was “sacrifice.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Really, God?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That wasn’t the kind of word I was hoping for -- this year of all years. Haven’t we had enough of sacrifice? Not seeing loved ones, not going to school or church, scratchy masks and fogged up glasses, cancelled vacations, fear and sickness and death. We have all sacrificed plenty, thank you very much.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 22.5pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Ugh,” I wrote to Allison in response, hoping to exchange my word for something lighter. “I think this one maybe hits a little too close to home.” And she wrote back, “It’s really hard when our word is challenging. I can’t wait to hear how God works through your discomfort.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The problem was, I didn’t even want to </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sit</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> with the word and give it credence. I didn’t want to find out how God might “work through my discomfort.” I wanted to delete it and rewind back to “gentleness”. And yet, there was also a part of me that suspected my reaction might mean that it was the right word for me afterall. That I had something to learn this year about sacrifice.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And, sure enough, try as I might to push it aside, the word kept resurfacing. And the longer I sat with it, the softer it became. I thought about Jesus, giving his life as a sacrifice (not just in his death, but in his way of living). Not out of grudging resentment or a need for power, but out of love and a desire to bring every single person into God’s embrace. For Jesus, sacrifice wasn’t a bad word, or a reminder of pain and hardship; it was a self-offering -- a gift. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe shifting my understanding of sacrifice can change my attitude toward the hardships still ahead. Maybe there are things I need to learn how to sacrifice in order to live more fully and lovingly. Like my need to be right. And my need to be understood. And my need to have a clue what the future holds and be assured that everything will be alright. What would it mean to sacrifice some of the things that I hold onto so tightly? Not as punishment, but as gift -- to myself and to others. Maybe this word can help me to bring light out of darkness, with Jesus by my side.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And suddenly, there I was, like Nathanael under the fig tree. Even if it wouldn’t make sense to another living soul, I know that God was reaching out to me with that star word, inviting me to a new way of looking and listening. Inviting me to a new beginning. God had turned my discomfort into meaning, spoken to me in a way I wouldn’t have expected or asked for, seen me deeply -- known me -- and called me forth in love. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Slowly, surely, despite the darkness all around, the light that began in the manger has been flowing out into the world. The light that was just a hint on the horizon only visible to a few has begun to take over the sky in all kinds of surprising colors. This light has the power to warm human coldness and bring hope to lost souls. And this light shows us who we really are—full of light ourselves, just like Jesus. Light that can help call others out of darkness and despair.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So maybe some New Year’s resolutions are in order afterall.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To accept the invitation that wasn’t just for Nathanael, but for all of us: Come and see. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And to show my readiness with the words that weren’t just for Samuel, but for all of us: Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 22.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And to do the work that is certainly for all of us -- to help bring Christ’s light into the darkness of this world. Amen.</span></p></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-56178771703271121162020-11-09T02:45:00.000-08:002020-11-09T02:45:02.937-08:00Wrestling with the Bridesmaids<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">November 8, 2020</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-07c5b2f3-7fff-8ca1-ca1a-eaf0de4bb853"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Matthew 25:1-13</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This Gospel story is horrible. These foolish bridesmaids just can’t get it right and the consequences are dire - like wailing and gnashing of teeth dire. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It reminds me of the most recent iteration of my anxiety dream where I am running into church late - without time to put on my robe or print my sermon - and I can’t make my way to the front - and Oran fires me on the spot. Nothing like this has ever come close to happening and yet I can’t tell you how often I have this kind of dream.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today’s Gospel parable is like my worst anxiety nightmare. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And it feels a little too realistic at this moment in our national life.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here we are just a few days post-election. I intentionally recorded this sermon on Tuesday, so I wouldn’t know the results yet. So I don’t yet know who wins and who loses. (Maybe you don’t either!) But I do know that either way it goes, unless we can change things fast, we are going to be stuck in this Gospel story like quicksand. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">No matter how this election turns out, we are like these bridesmaids divided. Living in fear, judging each other, looking at people that disagree with us with contempt rather than empathy, assuming the worst about the other side. And, of course, we all think </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">we</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> are the so-called “wise” bridesmaids and the others are “foolish” (which is actually better translated “morons” according to everything I’ve read, which fits pretty well with our modern-day name-calling). And it does </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">not</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> feel like the Kingdom of Heaven. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What to do with a gospel reading that feels not just like a horrible nightmare but like a horrible truth?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I kept rereading -- thinking maybe I missed a piece that would help it all make sense. Looking for more hope, more grace, more love. But for me, anyway, it just wasn’t there.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thankfully, my timing was perfect.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I finally read a book that has been on my nightstand for over a year. Karen Armstrong’s </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Lost Art of Scripture: Rescuing the Sacred Texts</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> It was long and frustratingly organized and not very well edited and a little slow, so I can’t say I’d recommend it. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> there was an overarching theme riding through the book that really struck me.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Armstrong shows over a 3000 year span of history that scripture isn’t meant to be read rationally or frozen in time. Instead, God’s word is infinite and un-confinable and it is meant to be continually reimagined -- to be a living thing that enters our hearts and transforms us and inspires us to </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">cultivate habits of empathy and compassion toward the stranger and even the enemy</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Armstrong quotes Rabbi Jonathan Sacks who puts it this way: “The choice is ours. Will the generous texts of our tradition serve as interpretive keys to the rest, or will the abrasive passages determine our ideas of what we are and what we are called to do?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In my book, that question is underlined and starred in two different colors. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And just in time because I desperately needed that permission </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to approach this parable differently.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Because honestly, while there may be another time in my life when I’ll read this Gospel passage and the message I need to hear </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> about keeping awake, or being prepared, or separating myself from people that have made foolish and dire choices, I don’t think that is what my soul or our world needs to hear today.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today it is important for me to push back against this story and to sit in the space of confusion and questions where almost nothing in this story fits my understanding of scripture or my experience of God. To stay smack dab in the middle of that place until my wrestling yields new life.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So let’s start with the separation of people into wise and foolish. Forget the fact that Jesus taught that whoever says, 'You fool!' will be subject to hellfire. Forget that Paul warned that whoever professes themselves to be wise, becomes a fool. The Jesus I know is always taking the side of the underdog -- children, sinners, outcasts -- and, dare I imagine, the foolish? The whole premise of this parable doesn’t sound like Jesus to me.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And wrapping it in pretty paper like a fun wedding party doesn’t make it any more palatable to me. We know what it feels like to be separated and treated differently for who we are or what we think or what we have in this country. Whether it’s based on economics or education or race or political party. And, while we might disagree about the solutions to our problems, I think we can probably agree that that kind of separation doesn’t feel like the Kingdom of Heaven. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think the Kingdom of Heaven is much more like when I was volunteering in my child’s kindergarten class and completely undone by the antics and behavior of one of the kids who refused to sit still or listen or share. I was just about to intervene with my serious face and exasperated voice ... when the assistant teacher sat down on the floor and invited that child to sit on her lap and hugged him and asked what he was feeling. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is the Kingdom of Heaven.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And what about the so-called “wise” bridesmaids’ refusal to share any oil with the others, their sisters and friends? Do we really want to hold </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">that</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> up as behavior to emulate? What about “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, the love of God isn’t in them?” What about loving our neighbors as ourselves?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I don’t think the Kingdom of Heaven can be found in refusing people in need. I think it is more like when my husband found a rare and wonderful pack of toilet paper at Costco in the height of pandemic TP-scarcity and gave half of it to a friend sick with COVID.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And the oil piece…. Running out of oil is such a threat that half the women run out to find more -- and it leads them to miss everything. But some of my favorite miracle stories are about oil miraculously multiplying for people in need, and Jesus’ most beautiful invitations are about turning to </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">him</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to be filled when we are empty.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To me, the Kingdom of Heaven is like when I’d just gotten my driver’s license and was on a long roadtrip with my dad. He trusted me enough to drive while he fall asleep, and, unfortunately, I wasn’t paying much attention to the dashboard and ran out of gas. I managed to coast the car to the shoulder of the road not too far from an exit. I remember being afraid my dad would wake up mad and that this incident would be reason for him to doubt my maturity to be driving cars in the first place. But, thankfully, dad was gracious and kind and understanding as we walked to the gas station which, luckily was just a bit off the exit. I’d expect no less from Jesus.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And what about the bridesmaids arriving late and finding the door shut tight to them? Just a few weeks ago we had the parable about the landowner who includes everyone in the work of the vineyard and pays them all equally no matter what time they arrive. And my favorite hymn paraphrases scripture to promise: “knock and the door will be opened unto you.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I much prefer to think of the Kingdom of Heaven as being like when my family was on vacation at the beach. Our rental came with entrance to the community pool, but we couldn’t find the pass to get through the electronic gate to the pool. We managed to follow another family through the gate, explaining sheepishly but earnestly that we really truly were staying there. We swam and played longer than the other family, and saw that as they were ready to leave, they actually needed the pass to get </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">out</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of the gate too. Just as we started to get nervous about getting stuck inside the fence forever, the dad of the other family clearly also realized that if they left we would get locked in. And so he left one of his flipflops between the door and the gate to prop it open, saying he would come back for it later. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And maybe most shocking of all is the ending of this parable, when the foolish bridesmaids are desperately banging at the door and the bridegroom’s muffled voice says so forebodingly: “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.”</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Is this the same shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep to search for the lost one? The one who calls each of the sheep by name? The one who sees the very foolish prodigal son coming a mile away and runs out to welcome him home?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What if instead the Kingdom of Heaven is like the time when I sat in our Sunday night service -- after a bad day when I had been at my worst -- and I spoke the words of the New Zealand prayer: “It is night after a long day. What has been done has been done; what has not been done has not been done; let it be.” And I knew with every fiber of my being that it was God’s invitation and forgiveness and grace offered to me despite it all.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In his book </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Last Temptation of Christ</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, Nikos Kazantzakis makes midrash of this bridesmaids parable, playing with it through a conversation Jesus has with his disciple Nathaniel. After telling this parable, Jesus asks, "What would you have done, Nathaniel?" And Nathaniel replies, "I would have opened the door." Jesus replies: "Congratulations, friend Nathaniel . . . this moment, though you are still alive, you enter paradise.... Open the door for the foolish virgins and wash and refresh their feet, for they have run much." </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let us usher in the Kingdom of Heaven by living it out as we hope and believe it to be in our heart of hearts. Not through division and name calling -- not through exclusion and hoarding -- not through closed doors and refusing to know each other. But by living as if. As if we are one beloved community, with shared problems and a shared humanity. As if even at our most foolish we are still invited to stick around and receive grace and love. As if every one of us is worth sticking our flip flop in the door to hold it open.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I speak to you in the name of God, Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.</span></p></span>Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-50000139532278374612020-09-14T04:40:00.017-07:002020-09-14T04:42:23.201-07:00Forgiveness ... Can you imagine?<p> <b id="docs-internal-guid-e7b5aa74-7fff-89b4-a392-7ec268b7e4c3" style="font-weight: normal;"></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-e7b5aa74-7fff-89b4-a392-7ec268b7e4c3" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">September 13, 2020</span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-e7b5aa74-7fff-89b4-a392-7ec268b7e4c3" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Genesis 50:15-21, Matthew 18:21-35<br /></span></b></p><p><b id="docs-internal-guid-e7b5aa74-7fff-89b4-a392-7ec268b7e4c3" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-e7b5aa74-7fff-89b4-a392-7ec268b7e4c3" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">One of the rare shared moments of excitement during the pandemic was when</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Hamilton was released to streaming audiences. I’ve seen it three times now and each time I find myself in tears during a scene near the end, when after all the misery and pain that Alexander Hamiton has put his wife Eliza through -- absence and distraction, public infidelity, the death of her oldest child -- we see the two of them walking quietly uptown.</span></b></p><b id="docs-internal-guid-e7b5aa74-7fff-89b4-a392-7ec268b7e4c3" style="font-weight: normal;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are moments that the words don't reach</span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is suffering too terrible to name</span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You hold your child as tight as you can</span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And push away the unimaginable</span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Even though Alexander has been a selfish, unthinking schmuck, even though he clearly doesn’t deserve Eliza, I can’t help being overcome by the beautiful moment of redemption when Eliza takes his hand.</span></p></b><b id="docs-internal-guid-e7b5aa74-7fff-89b4-a392-7ec268b7e4c3" style="font-weight: normal;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They are standing in the garden</span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Alexander by Eliza's side</span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She takes his hand</span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's quiet uptown</span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Forgiveness. Can you imagine?</span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">And I can’t help but feel that right there in that moment is the theological triumph of the whole 2 hour and 45 minute production. It might be about war and politics and brotherhood and romance and the making of America on the surface, but for me, this moment of forgiveness near the end is the highlight.</span></p></b><b id="docs-internal-guid-e7b5aa74-7fff-89b4-a392-7ec268b7e4c3" style="font-weight: normal;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are moments that the words don't reach</span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is a grace too powerful to name</span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We push away what we can never understand</span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We push away the unimaginable</span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Forgiveness in the face of the unimaginable. That’ll preach.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">And, unless you snuck in a nap during our readings, you can’t have helped but notice that forgiveness is the main theme for today.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">In Genesis, we see Joseph’s emotional reunion with his brothers who decades earlier sold him into slavery. Everyone is weeping and Joseph assures the brothers of his forgiveness, "Do not be afraid! ... Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">And in our reading from Matthew, Jesus tells Peter that he should forgive someone who sins against him not just once, not even just seven times, but </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">seventy-seven</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> times. And then Jesus proceeds to tell a shocking parable that ends with a slave being tortured when he doesn’t pass down the forgiveness he’d been shown. Jesus’ words put a chill in my heart: “So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart."</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Some forgiving is easier than others. Small amounts of money, like this story, sure. My kids misbehavior or rudeness, sure. Unintentional mistakes, sure. Angry words here or there, sure. In theory, anyway. Truth be told, sometimes even those things can be hard to forgive. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">So what about the big things? What about the things that really hurt? The things that might even change your life forever? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> After reading this Gospel, my head went immediately to the 2015 massacre at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Where a white stranger was welcomed by a small group of Black parishioners and their senior pastor for Bible study, and then while they closed their eyes for a final prayer, he shot and killed nine of them.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">It was horrific. Unimaginable. Unforgivable.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">And yet, only 2 days later, some of the family members of those who had been killed appeared in court. And when they were invited to make a statement, the first woman, whose mother was killed said this: "I forgive you ... You took something really precious from me. I will never talk to her ever again, I will never be able to hold her again, but I forgive you and have mercy on your soul.” </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">When that story of forgiveness made headlines, I was shocked and impressed by their faith, convicted that this was the true Christian response, and that I could never in a million years be equal to it.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">How do you forgive the unforgivable? How do you forgive once, much less 7 or 77 times when your heart has been broken and everything you thought you knew is ripped away?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The question feels especially relevant this weekend - 19 years after the horrors of 9/11. How do you forgive the unforgivable? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">And then I happened to start reading the June issue of a Christian Century magazine that had been sitting on my bedside table, and came upon an article written by Waltrina Middleton, the cousin of DePayne Middleton, one of the women so brutally killed at Mother Emanuel Church. And she wanted to set the record straight. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Waltrina took issue with the immediate headlines about forgiveness after the Charleston murders. For her, the quick narrative of forgiveness suggested that the lives taken didn’t matter, and that the remaining loved ones didn’t deserve the dignity to grieve -- and didn’t have the right to be angry. She thought that the forgiveness headlines served only to ease the guilt of white supremacy and remove accountability for this nation’s racism. As she saw it, instead of a time of deeper truth-telling and reconciliation around the violence that targets black and brown bodies, people wanted to hurry up and get to the other side so that they could be comfortable.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">For Waltrina, what was needed in the aftermath of Charleston wasn’t forgiveness but lament. What was needed was the freedom “to tell our own stories, speak our truths, and cry out with our rage and sorrow” from our brokenness. And only from that lament could come transformation and beloved community. “[A]s a Christian, yes, I have the capacity to forgive,” Waltrina writes, “but no one gets to define for me what forgiveness looks like for me. And there’s no timetable for attaining or reaching the point of forgiveness. If I have to spend the rest of my life wrestling with the pain of such a loss that we’ve experienced, then I believe that God has grace for me and space for me to use the rest of my life to do that and to get there.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">As I read the article, something shifted for me.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Forgiveness isn’t denial or pretending that a wrong doesn’t matter or a wound doesn’t hurt. Forgiveness doesn’t mean allowing pain to continue or tolerating abuse. Forgiveness doesn’t necessarily come without judgment and it doesn’t automatically restore trust. If it were these things, it would be shallow and meaningless.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Instead, forgiveness is a transformed way of seeing and living. It is a decision not to absorb the wrong done; not to be chained to someone else’s brokenness or to our own bitterness; not to allow someone who has wronged us to define our humanity. Forgiveness is a choice to live into the future despite the scars of the past, prioritizing love rather than resentment. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">And forgiveness not only can lift the burden of anger and bitterness from the person wronged, but it also has the potential to lift the burden of guilt and inhumanity from the person who is forgiven. Forgiveness holds in tension both that the wrongdoer is accountable and that nonetheless there is for them a way back into grace.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">But forgiveness -- real forgiveness -- isn’t easy. It is a messy, non-linear process that involves grief and lament and chaos and letting go. It is hard work that requires transformation. And, truth be told, it isn’t a one-time thing. It’s a life-long pursuit -- a never-ending practice essential to the Christian life.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">As Henri Nouwen puts it, "Forgiveness is the name of love practiced among people who love poorly. The hard truth is that [the human family] love[s] poorly, and so we need to forgive and be forgiven every day, every hour...."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">And when I look closely, I see the hard and beautiful reality of forgiveness not only in Waltrina’s insistence on lament and truth-telling after the Charleston shootings, not only in my own life, but also in our readings for today.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Joseph’s tear-stained forgiveness of his brothers is decades in the making. He arrived there slowly and painfully, and only after a fair amount of wrestling and testing. And only at the end is he able to reframe his suffering to include the possibility of God’s redemptive presence.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">So too in our Gospel, where this urging of 77 bouts of forgiveness comes only after last week’s story, in which Jesus set out the process the community was to use for confrontation and accountability when someone in the church sinned. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">At the end, all stories of forgiveness are more about God’s mercy and forgiveness than our own. That is always the context for our lives -- the magnitude of God’s grace and love for us. Only as we experience God’s forgiveness for ourselves are we able to turn it outward to others. We forgive as we are forgiven. We love as we have been loved. And someday we may find that love and forgiveness aren’t something we do, but part of who we are. As we become givers and receivers of mercy. Children of God living by the grace of a loving God. Beloved community. Step by painful step.</span></p></b><b id="docs-internal-guid-e7b5aa74-7fff-89b4-a392-7ec268b7e4c3" style="font-weight: normal;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Forgiveness. Can you imagine?</span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you see him in the street, walking by her side, talking by her side, </span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Have pity -</span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They are going through the unimaginable.</span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Amen.</span><br /></p></b><p></p><p></p>Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-50942461005640286962020-02-16T11:08:00.002-08:002020-02-16T11:11:05.310-08:00Marie Kondo-ing our Hearts and Lives<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Feb 15/16, 2020</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Deuteronomy 30:15-20</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Organization expert Marie Kondo has a new book coming out, and I’ve been wondering if it will cause the same excitement as her last book and her Netflix series.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Her show, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” was released last New Year’s Day, just in time for our family resolutions. We watched the first show and we all loved Marie Kondo. She doesn’t speak much English, but has such a beautiful, calm aura. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUL16sYEZj5NBtYGDa2RSaMkZRx0mBtGuIulTAYVBOwHn6ui3ZpbWYWQFmXW51ahZfNyhVgj21u5F3WNeclI8lZ6LiPDZlTlam_VD41FK5tyohGDFpTi1nUhHnFuQv_YynZwXR5iON3Zw/s1600/kondo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUL16sYEZj5NBtYGDa2RSaMkZRx0mBtGuIulTAYVBOwHn6ui3ZpbWYWQFmXW51ahZfNyhVgj21u5F3WNeclI8lZ6LiPDZlTlam_VD41FK5tyohGDFpTi1nUhHnFuQv_YynZwXR5iON3Zw/s320/kondo1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We were so inspired that we set a timer for an hour and everyone chose a space to tidy. Anything that inspires that is a win in my book! </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For most of the family, that was the end of that. But not for my husband. Holden is a government worker and his introduction to Marie Kondo came during that long stretch of furlough last year, so he had time on his hands. He got busy on his closet, and to this day, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">his drawers are still folded just so -- things all lined up in Marie Kondo’s pretty tri-fold method. Holden tried to convert me, but I’m afraid I was not very cooperative. “Correct” folding takes a little too much time and effort for my taste. (In fact, one of my favorite ways to make Holden crazy is to throw a towel on the towel stack incorrectly folded and not in the correct color pile.)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZwuPZXhx1bNuCpMjD1GH8vOzh8bCHqQfLusnAW2i2fZNIyafv_bg0NETFNjYubZgNxq8Za9mZFueGw3tWCLJhW1BAqfa-XUfRMj3DFKH2ad68oaSUDcuJl1ymMGS1Li3JRYG4zNrUvU/s1600/kondo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZwuPZXhx1bNuCpMjD1GH8vOzh8bCHqQfLusnAW2i2fZNIyafv_bg0NETFNjYubZgNxq8Za9mZFueGw3tWCLJhW1BAqfa-XUfRMj3DFKH2ad68oaSUDcuJl1ymMGS1Li3JRYG4zNrUvU/s320/kondo2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of course, Marie Kondo’s books and show aren’t meant to be religious. They are about</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> organization, purging, cleaning. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She is focused largely on the Stuff in our lives, and how reducing our material things to what matters, and arranging them neatly, can bring us joy.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And that in itself is a great thing, really. Most of us have a disordered relationship with Stuff. We have too much, and yet we think having more will bring us more happiness. We have trouble disconnecting our Stuff from our self-worth. And we rarely think about where the Stuff comes from, or what it took to make it or get it to us, or what will happen to it when we no longer need it. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But I think the reason Marie Kondo has inspired so many people has less to do with how she organizes Stuff than with the promise of joy and peace and fullness of life that her method seems to promise. She goes into homes that are full of division and misunderstanding and impatience, and brings unity and reconciliation and calm. She touches a deep longing within us that many of us didn’t even know was there. A longing for spaciousness -- not just in our homes, but in our relationships and our lives. Marie Kondo asks us how we want to live.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I think Moses is asking the same question in our Old Testament reading from Deuteronomy. This is Moses’ farewell address -- his final words of wisdom to the Israelites. It is the eve of their settlement in the Promised Land and almost everyone that made the 40 year journey with him from Egypt has died. They are almost close enough to touch the Promised Land. And Moses pauses to look back, to retell their shared history of how God has continued to be faithful through their long journey in the wilderness -- often despite their own unfaithfulness to God and each other.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLYgMJfPHJSyeWpfMj25oMJJiCNqbhoBvRcDzt1GNbWronBFC2S2r0o_KcA7STGgbOK1hHYkKzgB_HmfsWKi0FsxMlbqs3JEGRn930gdngz2UHe-vdb0tokuRS_YGNx_spXM0ln5Eeik/s1600/kondo3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLYgMJfPHJSyeWpfMj25oMJJiCNqbhoBvRcDzt1GNbWronBFC2S2r0o_KcA7STGgbOK1hHYkKzgB_HmfsWKi0FsxMlbqs3JEGRn930gdngz2UHe-vdb0tokuRS_YGNx_spXM0ln5Eeik/s320/kondo3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Moses shares the beautiful history of the covenant their forefathers and mothers made with God. The covenant that God would be their God and they would be God’s people. They would worship and love only one God, and they would act in justice and love towards each other and towards those on the margins. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And then the book of Deuteronomy culminates with our passage. Moses is begging the Israelites to continue in this covenant relationship with God. A new generation is being invited to join the covenant for themselves and become partners with God. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so are we. This is an invitation to us, too. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What will we choose? Life and prosperity, or death and adversity?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It seems like an easy choice, but we all know it isn’t. Life is complicated. Right and wrong are not always clear. And sometimes it’s the little decisions (or sometimes, things you do or don’t do that you don’t even realize are decisions) that end up causing the most trouble. And a lot of the time, even when you have made a great decision initially – something like marrying your spouse, or having a child, or getting baptized, or supporting someone in a crisis – it’s the continual everyday tiny little decisions that are really reaffirmations of that first decision that get you. Before you know it, you look back and see that you’ve been choosing death and adversity, and that was certainly not your intention. Whether it’s letting distance grow in your marriage, or not spending enough time with your child, or not living up to your baptismal vows, or losing touch with a friend who needs you. There are so many ways to forsake that Choice between Life and Death. There are so many ways to give ourselves to what doesn’t matter.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I read about Marie Kondo’s new book, I started thinking maybe it was time for us to try again in our house. Maybe not with her OCD folding method, but with the purging part. But as I read about Marie Kondo’s method, I kept hearing it as a metaphor for so much more. And so today I want to echo Moses’ invitation through the lens of Marie Kondo’s 6-step method to tidying up. How can we Marie Kondo not our homes but our hearts and our lives?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Commit yourself.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For Marie Kondo, of course, this means committing yourself to cleaning up. But for us, it’s a matter of deciding to Choose Life, to commit ourselves to following Jesus, and to realize that every moment is a chance to live into that choice more fully. It doesn’t need to wait until we have more time, or until we understand theology properly, or until we have our lives together. Choose This Day. And every day. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Imagine your ideal lifestyle</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When Marie Kondo goes into a house, she has the people that live there sit on the floor in quiet as they name for themselves the intentions and hopes they have for their home. It’s pretty great advice for us in our Christian faith. Imagine what you want for your life with God. As St. Ignatius puts it, “What is the grace you need from God today?” Everything that follows is the practice that helps you get there.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Put everything out and discard first.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Marie Kondo works by categories of Stuff, but for each category she suggests putting out everything at one time before deciding what needs discarding. This way you can see how much you have.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here too, there is a lot for us to learn. Looking at our lives in full helps us to see our many blessings and be grateful for them. And it may also help us to see pieces of our lives where we are feeling separated from God or from one another. When we look more broadly at our lives we might see connections or patterns that need our attention. Maybe there are things that are burdening you or holding you back that you need to let go of and entrust to God.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are lots of ways to do this. A daily examen, or a gratitude journal, or a talk with a priest or spiritual director, or maybe even a confession (And yes, we do offer that in the Episcopal Church if you need a tangible fresh start!). </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Tidy by category, not by location.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Marie Kondo’s approach is to organize not by room or area, but by type of item. She separates Stuff into 5 categories: clothes, books, paper, miscellaneous items, and sentimental items.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I wonder if our parallel could be the St. Paul’s 5 Tenets? We as people of faith are people who Pray, Worship, Learn, Serve and Give. What if we take some time to think through how each category is going in our life right now. (And if you are too new to the church to know about these, you would make Oran’s day if you ask him about them when he’s back next week!) </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Follow the right order.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For Marke Kondo, it is important not just to tidy by category, but to tidy in order. This seemed sort of arbitrary to me until I realized why. She begins with clothes because that is the easiest for most people to work with. As you work through that category, you are practicing her method, so that by the time you get to the final category (sentimental items), you are ready for the harder decisions. But what I love about Marie Kondo, is that even when someone is unable to make a decision and clearly holding on to something ridiculous, she is gentle and non-judgmental, encouraging them that they can always come back to that piece later.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We all need reminding that some parts of the spiritual life are going to be easier for us than others. Each of us will have a different starting point. Whatever it is, be gentle with yourself and each other. You can always get help, or come back to the piece that feels like too much.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. Ask yourself, "Does it spark joy?"</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This, of course, is Marie Kondo’s most famous question. She wants people to hold each item in their hands and choose to keep things that give them joy.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For Moses, I think the question shifts a little. We are to make decisions based on what gives fullness of life. Our life is a continual practice of learning to walk in God’s ways so that we will really live -- live exuberantly. God doesn’t want to constrict us so that we are only dutifully and fearfully obeying. God wants to free us to love wholeheartedly, to live with a passion for justice and mercy. God wants us to yearn for relationship with God and each other in every part of our lives.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As Moses said to the people around him: “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity…. Choose life.” Amen.</span></div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-59487573261768048962020-02-01T12:08:00.000-08:002020-02-01T12:08:49.894-08:00Holding the Thread, a Holy Adventure<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">February 2, 2020</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Presentation of Jesus in the Temple</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Luke 2:22-40</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">My kids had Monday and Tuesday off school this past week for teacher work days, so I decided to take them skiing. None of us are very good, so we started off slow on the bunny trail. Once we graduated from that, we started trying out the different beginner trails. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGckRMn0jG_MGKjdjpU2JAjWL5vjVz6ovsV6b4kFGz1IHplwp4ggzrsAOcQUk1PT7n7j1fH0ghYQYcCafT1s-mAV4k0wH3Nede4XyNn5cE5MHF8D1wCs4POyTfrkIoeDKGCRbmeDBVs8/s1600/skiing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGckRMn0jG_MGKjdjpU2JAjWL5vjVz6ovsV6b4kFGz1IHplwp4ggzrsAOcQUk1PT7n7j1fH0ghYQYcCafT1s-mAV4k0wH3Nede4XyNn5cE5MHF8D1wCs4POyTfrkIoeDKGCRbmeDBVs8/s320/skiing.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">One trail required us to ski across a long section of what looked at first like fairly flat land to get to the slope. As we were laboriously hauling ourselves across using our poles, we noticed people coming towards us were holding on to handles connected to a rope tow. We thought it looked like great fun - a way to move a little faster without all the effort. It seemed very unjust that the rope tow only moved in one direction, but we looked forward to trying it on our way back. We had finally mastered getting off the ski lift without landing in a tangled mess, so how hard could holding onto a rope be? </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Well, it turned out to be a lot harder than it looked. My youngest, Maya, went first. She kept trying to grab a handle, but they kept slipping by. Finally she caught one, but it gave such a sudden tug that she fell over. It took a few minutes to get her standing up again, but when she did, she successfully reached out and caught a handle. And this time she knew to expect the tug, so she held on tight and started moving. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Next, it was Sophia’s turn. The same thing happened to her, but she got back on her feet more quickly and grasped a handle. Of course, just as she succeeded, Maya, now a little way ahead, got her skis crossed and fell again. She couldn’t get her body out of the way in time, so Sophia pretty much skied straight into her and fell too. It was such a ridiculous comedy of errors that I began hysterically laughing at them and was no help to anyone. Finally both girls managed to stand up and get reattached to the rope tow, and we all eventually made it up what hadn’t looked at all like a hill to us from the start.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The experience reminded me of a poem I love but haven’t ever really been sure I understood. It’s called “The Way it Is” by William Stafford:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">There’s a thread you follow. It goes among</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">things that change. But it doesn’t change.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">People wonder about what you are pursuing.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">You have to explain about the thread.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">But it is hard for others to see.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">While you hold it you can’t get lost.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Tragedies happen; people get hurt</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">or die; and you suffer and get old.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Nothing you do can stop time’s unfolding.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">You don’t ever let go of the thread.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">This poem deeply resonates with me as having something to do with Hope, and we how we hold on to it. But Monday’s ski adventure gave me a new metaphor for how hard-fought holding on to that thread can be. Like our rope-tow experience, sometimes even grabbing hold of the thread of hope involves a lot of ridiculous failure. But once you’ve got it in your hands, it helps you start to move, even if just a little.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">After my head went there, I started imagining other metaphors for how that thread can feel at different times.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Sometimes it’s like a zip line that offers a safe place to attach your harness as you careen dangerously over what feels like nothingness. You have to take a deep breath, close your eyes, and jump, hoping that the thread holds strong.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-C08Efr1Wzv8ZP1j_9NEu1fj184_YM0c5HKqSBiHLOiC4xQpxTy-UHWAVppHNR1H7dXW0v5u3IRl4rf1qzZ1mEiPbyhOuSVgybjiWN9TZiZAddG6BtTGyZD_rcobPhLmXwHEek0Cek0/s1600/zip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="980" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-C08Efr1Wzv8ZP1j_9NEu1fj184_YM0c5HKqSBiHLOiC4xQpxTy-UHWAVppHNR1H7dXW0v5u3IRl4rf1qzZ1mEiPbyhOuSVgybjiWN9TZiZAddG6BtTGyZD_rcobPhLmXwHEek0Cek0/s200/zip.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Other times, it’s more like a kite string, with something at the end that </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">sometimes</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> dances and soars -- wild and free, and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">sometimes</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> can’t get off the ground no matter how fast you run. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsnTMeKGZLzJh7gl1dM6sLXsWQqL-sXHCOVuQlBb_g5IsprtyUHGJCz3x8kCkggiwPu2kLg_6aqRfzj4q5rbVXnDLw30Kq1oHciZ5KwC8zZSjSnFXfpFraPxIKt41I2h5WglY7nr-6so/s1600/kite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="640" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsnTMeKGZLzJh7gl1dM6sLXsWQqL-sXHCOVuQlBb_g5IsprtyUHGJCz3x8kCkggiwPu2kLg_6aqRfzj4q5rbVXnDLw30Kq1oHciZ5KwC8zZSjSnFXfpFraPxIKt41I2h5WglY7nr-6so/s200/kite.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Sometimes it’s like a fishing line, leading eventually to sustenance, but only after a lot of patient casting and a lot of wasted bait.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWZnRWOd1WNRumRJ5NVLbUoIHIM-VnHda4aYeJodBrpi7ULyH9el0FGKxLkUnyeb6ILx4w5-ZuDTUEbNLWv53-H4nXGzgnzjiY_vI-xSARs4v6EQqorXyvWwEC7VQer8Vdjedl6MazV8/s1600/fishing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="540" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWZnRWOd1WNRumRJ5NVLbUoIHIM-VnHda4aYeJodBrpi7ULyH9el0FGKxLkUnyeb6ILx4w5-ZuDTUEbNLWv53-H4nXGzgnzjiY_vI-xSARs4v6EQqorXyvWwEC7VQer8Vdjedl6MazV8/s200/fishing.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Sometimes it’s like a rope leading an explorer blindly through the murky darkness of a cave after his torch batteries have died.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlu7oGNTX3wXCU-YOMB3X4a9oyG9912Gs_g94kC_GZStVPDc1Be4W-ZzijXVVyhh5zoEz9gAiaOyxLCaZzPaowFFp3f4jFJw2gt0LlI15NSWOsBMfq0WAkpNPQDz-Sfdy_A4yOTBvpY7g/s1600/cave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="256" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlu7oGNTX3wXCU-YOMB3X4a9oyG9912Gs_g94kC_GZStVPDc1Be4W-ZzijXVVyhh5zoEz9gAiaOyxLCaZzPaowFFp3f4jFJw2gt0LlI15NSWOsBMfq0WAkpNPQDz-Sfdy_A4yOTBvpY7g/s200/cave.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">And, maybe on the best of days, sometimes it’s like a rosary, holy and reassuring in your hands; or like yarn turning into some beautiful new creation between your knitting needles.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkXvVJo02b34Z8s7P1-hSuhIA0jN07gWZTWJZwMnk2i2UZCI23tQ1DfgUGe0ckANSXDPseinsYG0seTOMNffbNhhAP3X9QI_uhYAqgFj_H7K2Bond1vH2nrPZbt7b_EJiKi_iWPDIaLM/s1600/rosary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkXvVJo02b34Z8s7P1-hSuhIA0jN07gWZTWJZwMnk2i2UZCI23tQ1DfgUGe0ckANSXDPseinsYG0seTOMNffbNhhAP3X9QI_uhYAqgFj_H7K2Bond1vH2nrPZbt7b_EJiKi_iWPDIaLM/s200/rosary.jpg" width="144" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">There’s no telling, really, what that thread will look or feel like on any given day. It is this intangible thing we do our best to hold on to without really knowing why or where it will lead. We hold on in lots of different ways and with varying degrees of determination. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">We just keep holding on, hoping that eventually it leads us home.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">And that is exactly where we find ourselves in our Gospel story today. Face to face with two people that have been holding on to the thread, and have finally been led home.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsyNOf-16SQco1cWPXCbyevGhghyLmjvnwvobTYXROWKV-lvZ-zl-0ewUpChugWft1EMkjic_ePM1PLMhVeyU7XdXgIFRZjbwrkXHxZ7Ui7yKjqDMYeSHNJyU1uY9uAab4A62xYQ5GP8/s1600/Simeon+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="948" data-original-width="1016" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsyNOf-16SQco1cWPXCbyevGhghyLmjvnwvobTYXROWKV-lvZ-zl-0ewUpChugWft1EMkjic_ePM1PLMhVeyU7XdXgIFRZjbwrkXHxZ7Ui7yKjqDMYeSHNJyU1uY9uAab4A62xYQ5GP8/s320/Simeon+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Meet Simeon.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Simeon, we are told, is “righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rests on him.” As his eyes fall upon Jesus, Simeon knows that that this child is somehow the one he’s been waiting for all of his life. He takes the baby in his arms and praises God, giving us the beautiful words that are a beloved part of Evening Prayer and Compline: </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Lord, you now have set your servant free </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">to go in peace as you have promised. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Whom you have prepared for all the world to see:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">A Light to enlighten the nations,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">And the glory of your people Israel.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Simeon is named the “the God-receiver” for his part in this story. Icons of this meeting show Simeon and the baby Jesus gazing into each other’s eyes, expressing the longing of God and humankind for each other. This is where the thread led Simeon.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ztyQEWGEE8Y7fMjyt5d21Q8j_YmGSmSla_BsXk2SuQiR3rB4xwV_xZdJC3_7LfZxkCZJL3ruzDwyOioy2nMgK4LcnRnG11PtnwxDG4iMDStclWXEuovEhodR0o7qGNLjl1T47sFnGMA/s1600/simeon2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="730" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ztyQEWGEE8Y7fMjyt5d21Q8j_YmGSmSla_BsXk2SuQiR3rB4xwV_xZdJC3_7LfZxkCZJL3ruzDwyOioy2nMgK4LcnRnG11PtnwxDG4iMDStclWXEuovEhodR0o7qGNLjl1T47sFnGMA/s320/simeon2.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">My favorite, though perhaps apocryphal, story about Simeon comes from the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition, which celebrates Simeon as one of the translators of the Old Testament scriptures into Greek in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. The story goes that Simeon was translating the book of Isaiah but hesitated when he got to Isaiah 7:14 ("Behold, a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">virgin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> shall conceive and bear a son..."). He decided that couldn’t possibly be right, and was about to translate it instead as “Behold, a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">woman</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> shall conceive and bear a son.” But just then, an angel appeared to Simeon and held back his hand, telling him that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah born of a virgin. This tradition would make Simeon something like 200 years old when he met Jesus. That is a very long time to hold the thread.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">And now, meet Anna.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Anna is a prophet, long widowed. At 84, she has been alone longer than most people in her day have been alive. She has been worshipping with fasting and prayer at the temple night and day for decades, bringing to God her heartbreak for her own life and the world around her, and praying for God to set things right. And this day, she sees the child Jesus and knows immediately that this is the One she has been waiting for. This is the One who would redeem the nation. So Anna begins to praise God to all who will listen, and while her words are not remembered, her faithfulness has never been forgotten. Anna too had held on to that thread.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">These two kept grasping to the thread. Patient and enduring, through good times and bad, times of community and loneliness, times of joy and grief, times of wonder and humdrum ordinary. Through it all, they kept holding out their hand for that thread through their expectant, faithful lives, never knowing exactly where it might lead them. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">And that is the hardest part most of the time. Just sticking to it, showing up, waiting, not giving up on that longing for something more. Anticipating God’s presence even when we can’t see evidence of it. Even when our eyes can’t make out the light in the darkness. Sometimes it takes all we’ve got just to reach out once again for that elusive thread.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">But there is another part that can be hard too. My skiing adventure taught me a little about this too. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">We’d all finally managed to grasp onto that ridiculous rope lift and were making our way up the tiny little slope. We were getting closer to the end of the line. The rope had taken us where we needed to go and now we had to hop off and make room for other folks to grab on. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I have to admit that I was feeling fairly self-satisfied because while everyone else had fallen more than once trying to hold on the rope, I had grasped on and stayed upright. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">There I was -- 20 feet away from the end, then 15, now 10, now 5. I let go and prepared myself for what it might feel like to suddenly </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">not</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> have the rope pulling me forward. But then I realized that the rope </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">was</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> still pulling me forward. The handle had somehow gotten caught under my jacket and I couldn’t get untangled. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Suddenly I was past the UNLOAD HERE sign. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Suddenly, I was knocking over the cone marking the end of the trail. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Suddenly I was careening towards the little shack at the end of the line and the patrol lady who was looking at me in horror. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Just in the nick of time, and definitely in a total panic, I finally managed to extricate myself by flinging my body to the side. Just as I fell on the ground, the patrol lady ran out screaming at me about how dangerous that was, thinking that for some reason I would have intentionally held on too long.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">William Stafford’s poem doesn’t mention it, but I wonder if part of learning how to hold on to that thread is also learning how to gracefully let go and offer it to others.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">In our Gospel story, Simeon and Anna have followed the thread -- longer than they ever might have imagined necessary. And they have had their hopes realized -- finally! They now know the Way by heart. But they don’t just receive this encounter with Jesus and hold it in their hearts. Instead, they </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "roboto" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">become witnesses, inviting others to encounter the Light for themselves. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Simeon and Anna share the good news with the crowd gathered around. They pass along the thread they’ve been holding onto so faithfully, and invite others to be part of this moment of wonder, to share the culmination of the hope that was within them for all those years. They become an embodiment of hope for the rest of us; no longer </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">reaching </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">for that thread, but </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">part </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">of it themselves.</span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-000c1c17-7fff-0bd4-e5d5-b41c658937c4"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I wonder what your experience of finding and holding on to the thread has been like? I wonder who in your life has made it easier for you to hold on along the way? And I wonder how you might be called to help others grab hold?</span></div>
Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-42155386591460405362020-01-12T12:48:00.001-08:002020-01-12T12:48:17.326-08:00Mud Squishing through Jesus' Toes<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">January 12, 2020</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Matthew 3:13-17</b></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In my previous life, as many of you know, I was a lawyer. I did several brief stints as a summer associate at big law firms. Which is, or was in the late 90s anyway, a pretty great life. Not too much work was expected and you got feted with fancy meals and trips to interesting places. But when we weren’t taken out to lunch, one of my favorite perks was the subsidized cafeteria at one of the firms. The food was decent and cheap, and it provided a great social break from the billable hour cycle. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But in the cafeteria there was a rather mysterious closed-off side room for the partners. And so while we’d sometimes enter the cafeteria with the partners, they always veered off into that special room and disappeared to eat. My friends and I would joke about what might be behind the door... imagining linen tablecloths and caviar by candlelight, and maybe some of those kneeling massage stations. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the regular-people room, there were big round tables and sometimes I’d sit with people I knew and sometimes just sit at an empty seat and meet the folks at the table. It was a good way to get to meet new people, especially non-lawyers. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One day I found myself next to a man I hadn’t met who was so much fun to sit with that I joined his table several times after that. He was full of laughter and great stories about his family or weekend adventures. He always had interesting questions that would get us pondering deep things. He didn’t talk much about his work, though he was always interested in hearing about ours. He rarely wore a tie or suit coat, so I figured him for a paralegal or maybe someone who worked in the administrative side of the firm. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It wasn’t until close to the end of the summer that I went to a fundraising gala at the Public Library and someone introduced me to the Head Partner of the L.A. office. And there was my friend from lunch. I was really surprised, and had to confess that I’d had no idea who he was. He laughed and said he was glad. He said people tended to be a lot more fun to be around and more honest about their feelings about the firm before they realized who he was.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had a flashback to that experience when reading our gospel story for today. Because it seems like Jesus really went out of his way NOT to stay in the fancy-people room. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We’ve just spent time with all the scandalous Christmas birth stories. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXEerKG3EahFg5_vqL_hu5daLFmkFPxap_O3MDYCKHRUR67SApGQVCBic1XNqMjE9bjvBOubHhpRxQ67vAPuVLLJpDf2_eKsSY5cnuo4aUUBMyavrQ6MShZTg-_NfbHlfDY8XWq-DUIo/s1600/baptism+manger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="818" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXEerKG3EahFg5_vqL_hu5daLFmkFPxap_O3MDYCKHRUR67SApGQVCBic1XNqMjE9bjvBOubHhpRxQ67vAPuVLLJpDf2_eKsSY5cnuo4aUUBMyavrQ6MShZTg-_NfbHlfDY8XWq-DUIo/s320/baptism+manger.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God could have arrived on the scene as a fabulous king, fancy and rich with the multitudes obeying his every word, rather than coming as a vulnerable, common-place baby in a backwoods town. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God could have come as someone with miraculous powers that would make himself grand, rather than using his power to make life better for the lowly and sick. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God could have come and befriended only the righteous religious people, the clean healthy people, the people that didn’t take so much work -- instead of the outsiders and the friendless and those stinky shepherds. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But that’s not what God chose to do. God came among the people as Jesus and lived among the least and the lost. God broke down every barrier between heaven and earth to live as one of us.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And we see that tendency again this morning in Jesus’ baptism story. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just before the passage we hear today, we are told that all kinds of people are going out to be baptized by John. People from Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region along the Jordan. Even the Pharisees and the Sadducees were making their way to the river. They were all lined up together. People looking to be cleaned of all that made them feel dirty, forgiven for all that made them ashamed. People longing for something more.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSe02GmYdcx7B8yuEfcAW9RmBxkshBavDjK1Xdi47KKYkrOhu56fj7pcHsfbQW26O2HshqDA5CUVWvUPVYvA0ib4DrkgTU8bSOSsi6NliTj4Q1-wCsyZd14jdhsPLWOzoOHdWb3gxMyEM/s1600/baptism+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="169" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSe02GmYdcx7B8yuEfcAW9RmBxkshBavDjK1Xdi47KKYkrOhu56fj7pcHsfbQW26O2HshqDA5CUVWvUPVYvA0ib4DrkgTU8bSOSsi6NliTj4Q1-wCsyZd14jdhsPLWOzoOHdWb3gxMyEM/s1600/baptism+2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And there are lots of things Jesus could have done in this moment. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jesus could have waded into the water and tapped John on the shoulder and taken his place as the one dunking all these people.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Or he could have stayed dry on shore, offering encouragement to the people so in need of forgiveness. Maybe even holding out his hands to help the shivering masses struggle out of the water.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the very least he could have cut to the front of the line to get the job done while the water was still clean!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And clearly the early Church (and maybe the present Church!) would have preferred it that way. Writing our Gospel story for today, Matthew seems totally uncomfortable, embarrassed even, with the idea that Jesus would need baptism, being already pure and fully God. And so Matthew goes out of his way to show John the Baptist trying to resist baptizing Jesus (“I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”). Matthew implies that this was just a box Jesus’ needed to check for righteousness’ sake. Matthew turns it into something closer to a royal ordination than a messy, dripping-wet symbol of new life and inclusion.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But even in Matthew’s version, we can see what’s really happening. Jesus is choosing to stand with the people. Jesus is ready to enter the water, one among many. Once again, Jesus is breaking down every separation between heaven and earth, between rich and poor, between righteous and sinner.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jesus stands shoulder to shoulder with the rest of us messy imperfect humans. He joins the crowd of people -- some who are broken by the world and have given up hope, some who are still managing to hold it together. He identifies with all of us who are longing for something more and he enters the waters of new life right along with us. He is one of us, mud squishing through his toes, water dripping from his hair. Once again, Jesus refuses to separate himself from the world around him.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipIxUaWv-2sdVFKWFrCwvEGDMaO1gcbgqSuYFFVRAz-4MXJcLOA8PQ-ENIW75AzdDPB1Wmwszlwiu4F_oYcfIWqmmftkJeU3i5sk6muyB96Qz1ixsNkjVMNjiorMkT-4YEIfIYZJGcpcc/s1600/baptism+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipIxUaWv-2sdVFKWFrCwvEGDMaO1gcbgqSuYFFVRAz-4MXJcLOA8PQ-ENIW75AzdDPB1Wmwszlwiu4F_oYcfIWqmmftkJeU3i5sk6muyB96Qz1ixsNkjVMNjiorMkT-4YEIfIYZJGcpcc/s320/baptism+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I think our baptisms call us to do the same. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We have a tendency, I think, to see baptism as this special moment for one person and their family. A rite of initiation that brings someone into the Church. A box that needs checking for righteousness’ sake. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But baptism is so much more communal than that, and so much messier.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In a few minutes we will reaffirm our baptismal vows -- making promises:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To seek and serve Christ in all persons, </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To love our neighbors as ourselves,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 72pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To strive for justice and peace among all people,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To respect the dignity of every human being. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Baptism isn’t a one-time thing where the water does the trick and we can check the box and walk away to grab a towel. Baptism is a call to new life -- every minute of every day. We step into the river shoulder to shoulder with all of humanity -- the healthy and the hurt, the brave and the weak, the successful and the flailing. And once we step into the river, we not only become Christ’s own forever, but we become responsible for each other. We spend the rest of our lives with that water seeping into our souls and bodies. Learning to love all these people as we go.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I wonder what these promises might call forth from each of us today?</span></div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-32569506057761928362019-12-08T18:30:00.002-08:002019-12-08T18:33:14.239-08:00John the Baptist (a.k.a., Christmas Pageant Crasher)<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Advent 2 - Isaiah 11:1-10</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well, look who’s crashing the Christmas pageant again!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just as our 4th and 5th graders here at St. Paul’s are getting ready for next week’s Christmas pageant -- with rosy-cheeked Mary and fresh-faced shepherds and gently baa-ing lambs and feathered angels, we get grumpy John the Baptist sporting camel fur and eating locusts. You can almost smell the fumes coming from this man who has been living in the wilderness too long.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckrFOeWyMKdzCty68MXhwhl_qC642cXvKgz-qxsyeZgXgVuhL-g5mNYxl0XvdtyVmSQvJaOJ_TWq-hFLmmg3mZ282oEuSnheOAdZRgb-jQp11aOHk7H8DkgtaTptyOJYgN0rgI8oiEIY/s1600/jbap.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="871" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckrFOeWyMKdzCty68MXhwhl_qC642cXvKgz-qxsyeZgXgVuhL-g5mNYxl0XvdtyVmSQvJaOJ_TWq-hFLmmg3mZ282oEuSnheOAdZRgb-jQp11aOHk7H8DkgtaTptyOJYgN0rgI8oiEIY/s320/jbap.JPG" width="282" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There’s no escaping John the Baptist in the season of Advent, and every year it feels funny to me that he’s the one helping us get ready for Christmas. He was born only a handful of months before Jesus. This part of the story, with him screeching out “You brood of vipers!” won’t come for another 30 years after the nativity story. Couldn’t we stretch out the lovely stories of the angel coming to Mary and Joseph’s dream that told them of the impending birth instead of this grumpy prophet? Or maybe we could spend a little more time with Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth and honor John the Baptist that way -- leaping in his mother’s belly as he acknowledges Jesus in utero? Couldn’t we keep humorless, accusing, doomsday John the Baptist in his wilderness until Lent where it seems like he would better fit?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Or maybe this is precisely where we need him. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My family put up our Christmas tree last weekend. It’s already twinkling with pretty lights and ornaments that remind us of all kinds of happy memories. The paper snowflakes that we cut out as part of our annual tradition are already hanging from our ceiling beams, making neat geometric shadows on the floor. We’ve already started shopping for presents. (In fact, we’ve already had to find a new hiding place for the big comfy bed we got our cats for Christmas because they already discovered our first hiding place.) My daughter has been playing Christmas music on the piano for weeks. And, I’m embarrassed to say, we’ve already eaten our way through 4 batches of our favorite holly cookies.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8ZQJwEQzYFA9xxMm7E6_UtT1-laO9uuUlbBlHorcmUJuDPifa5WpvMKo-qooX9U0NrINCTOyNvfGI7MEAgCXAAcPEblYMxLKzsze4lyTsNJKNWJhEjzB-KgRZiMr47igW2ShLvrz-j8/s1600/xmas+decoration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8ZQJwEQzYFA9xxMm7E6_UtT1-laO9uuUlbBlHorcmUJuDPifa5WpvMKo-qooX9U0NrINCTOyNvfGI7MEAgCXAAcPEblYMxLKzsze4lyTsNJKNWJhEjzB-KgRZiMr47igW2ShLvrz-j8/s320/xmas+decoration.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So maybe it’s the perfect time for John the Baptist to make his dramatic entrance. He’s raw and confrontational. He shocks and disrupts us and makes us completely uncomfortable. He is the exact opposite of the merriment and shininess and fluff of our Christmas preparations. John the Baptist forces us to look into the darkness when we’d rather just be gazing at the twinkling lights.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A friend of mine says John the Baptist always reminds her of her AA sponsor. Someone a little grumpy, a little smelly, a little too serious. Someone that wouldn’t let her lightly skip past her wrongdoings and faults, or joke her way out of amends that needed making. But someone that she always turned to in her moments of greatest need and temptation and darkness nonetheless because she knew that person had been there too. They had reached the bottom, hit the depths of despair, been mired in darkness too. And they’d made it out. They were living proof that out of pain could come wholeness and growth.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think when John talks about the ax lying at the root of the tree he too is speaking from experience. I bet he had some branches of his life cut down because they weren’t bearing good fruit. And I’m guessing he’d had some chaff burned by unquenchable fire because it was getting in the way of the wheat. John the Baptist is preaching and baptizing not because he </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">can’t</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> relate to the struggles of the people but because he </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">can</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. But John has seen the light shining in the deep and overwhelming darkness of his own life, and knows the darkness didn’t overcome it. And so he is pointing to that light with all that he is -- locusts, grumpiness, smell and all. He is preparing us to see what comes next. Helping our eyes get used to the murky darkness so that we are ready when the light begins to dawn.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">John the Baptist gets pulled out every year in Advent to force us, like an AA sponsor would, to acknowledge the darkness. To feel the pain of a world full of suffering. To grieve what we have done and what we have left undone. To feel our longing for the world and for our lives to be made whole.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But look what comes next once we get used to the darkness -- this mystery of Christmas that we are preparing ourselves to enter -- it’s right there in the prophecy given by Isaiah. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Isaiah points to a stump. Once it had been a great tree -- reaching up to heaven, full of life and leaves, stretching out its magnificent branches to provide shade to the creatures below. But then came the ax. And now it was just a stump. A symbol of death. Now it was cut down and useless, seemingly at an end. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But out of what appears to be finished comes a total surprise. A tiny tendril emerging in an utterly unexpected place. The breathing of new creation from a painful end; life emerging from death; a sign of hope in impossible circumstances.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9doIJ89xKVjQDQN6ut2AxZxCGpWITMPStkYv1COMg18mBnLiTm5rgzG1Wdi5p4PLY8EfoAQtulsuS_MpB6TjCW9glT7GdIa9ud0SL_y7dPG5s1PRLc3cm4Vj9DVRkX72ApM3Z0qrbCA/s1600/shoot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="392" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9doIJ89xKVjQDQN6ut2AxZxCGpWITMPStkYv1COMg18mBnLiTm5rgzG1Wdi5p4PLY8EfoAQtulsuS_MpB6TjCW9glT7GdIa9ud0SL_y7dPG5s1PRLc3cm4Vj9DVRkX72ApM3Z0qrbCA/s320/shoot.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is the mystery of Christmas that we are preparing ourselves for this Advent. A shoot coming out of the stump, A branch growing out of the roots. A new and impossible beginning. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A poor girl receiving a mysterious messenger. A child growing in a womb. Immigrants on a long road to an unfamiliar place. A baby born in difficult circumstances. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Or maybe words of forgiveness. An arm stretched out in welcome. A healing prayer. A candle lit. Another day on the road to recovery.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God comes to us -- again and again -- and it is almost never in a way we expect. More often than not God comes hidden in weakness. We have to be very loving and very alert to perceive it.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so John the Baptist’s ax </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> at our roots. Not in violence or vengeance or retribution. That ax lies at our roots in order that a new shoot might begin to grow, and we might begin to notice. Amen.</span></div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-74373438147426358172019-11-11T04:23:00.002-08:002019-11-11T04:23:34.824-08:00No Sausage in the Resurrection<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last weekend I went to a funeral that made me so glad to be an Episcopalian. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Episcopal funeral service is gorgeous. We have beautiful prayers and hymns, lots of scripture, invitations for the congregation to join in. And best of all, even while the funeral service mourns an end, it is also an Easter service that celebrates a new beginning.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My very favorite part of the service is the opening anthems. These are basically scripture passages about death and resurrection that are put together in a beautiful way. They are incredibly powerful and reassuring and they really set the tone for the service.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At my previous church, the clergy would walk in from the back of the church saying the opening anthems. We’d follow behind an acolyte with a cross, if we could get one, and the casket or urn, if there was one, and sometimes the family, if they wanted to process. Last came the clergy, saying the anthems.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_zD9APDiMeQHCfn-754L6VPwfJk1W3_ee-aee9VkXEk9LQgAkQeZCMiHDLIsxv5aWv2mlos-w8U8Fdm3KWtvKPgYlmd3MCiQLmMh8HX2qyiEmUAbA_ZkAstkNCQrsxKY8ArQ7K9y57o/s1600/Funeral+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="850" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_zD9APDiMeQHCfn-754L6VPwfJk1W3_ee-aee9VkXEk9LQgAkQeZCMiHDLIsxv5aWv2mlos-w8U8Fdm3KWtvKPgYlmd3MCiQLmMh8HX2qyiEmUAbA_ZkAstkNCQrsxKY8ArQ7K9y57o/s320/Funeral+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ll never forget my first time officiating a funeral service and how humbling and intense the responsibility seemed as I walked down the aisle speaking these words of assurance in the first person:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And that at the last he will stand upon the earth.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After my awaking, he will raise me up;</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And in my body I shall see God.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I myself shall see, and my eyes behold him</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who is my friend and not a stranger.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I walked behind the empty cross, the urn filled with ashes, and the bereaved family. And I boomed out this promise of resurrection, this assurance of God’s triumph over death, this confidence that we will meet our living God in such an intimate way. Those words became real to me in that moment. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And that was before I understood the context. They say that about 70% of the Book of Common Prayer comes from the Bible. But most of the time I don’t stop to think about where the familiar lines come from.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It turns out that this funeral anthem that rings out so bold and confident is from one of the most miserable men in the Bible.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The book of Job is about this good and righteous and God-loving man whose faith is intentionally tested by Satan, who is sure that the only reason Job is faithful is because his life is so good. And so Satan slowly starts to destroy everything good in Job’s life. First, his family dies tragically. Then his entire livelihood is taken away. Then Job is tormented by terrible pain. And then his friends come and compound his misery with their accusations — blaming Job for his own suffering, assuming that it has been caused by his sinfulness or his lack of faith.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkp9LcEUzimqnAJAfk6VSi3JMLvjXfdtqpDPci8f2-r60H__sqIB-wWV1PFTtJpkXvQL44uF_r9b3hTNiw470N4txqmajC_dZfiS4yQQRg3kJ1EOT4o6Wr5F7QUjlBhvybUPNFuOzM2o/s1600/JOb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkp9LcEUzimqnAJAfk6VSi3JMLvjXfdtqpDPci8f2-r60H__sqIB-wWV1PFTtJpkXvQL44uF_r9b3hTNiw470N4txqmajC_dZfiS4yQQRg3kJ1EOT4o6Wr5F7QUjlBhvybUPNFuOzM2o/s1600/JOb.jpg" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And somehow, at this very lowest point, living destitute and alone and harangued by all around him, Job makes these incredible statements that we hear today in our Old Testament reading. Somehow in the midst of despair, Job has this vision of hope that has become a salve for the brokenhearted and a pillar of strength for the weak throughout the centuries. Impossibly, Job is lifted beyond his own torment by the certainty that his life rests secure in God. Against all odds, Job remains assured of a new life that awaits him, free from the pain and limitations he has experienced on earth.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And our Gospel reading, strange as it is, makes the same promises about resurrection. This reading from Luke - about what happens in heaven to the woman who was married to seven brothers on earth - is an odd one. And not one I had ever thought of as particularly reassuring. That is, until a friend mentioned one day how she found this reading to be an incredible source of comfort. She had been in a rough and abusive marriage, and so she heard Jesus’ words to be words of freedom and hope.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I hadn’t ever heard it that way before, but it turns out she was absolutely right. This passage is based on one of the laws about marriage found in the book of Deuteronomy:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When [a man] dies and has no son, the wife of the deceased shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall tak[e] her in marriage, and perform[] the duty of a husband’s brother to her, and the firstborn whom she bears shall succeed to the name of the deceased brother, so that his name shall not be blotted out of Israel.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now this law feels very foreign to us modern people, to say the least, but its purpose was well-intentioned. This passing down of wives from brother to brother would have promised a home and security for a widow who would otherwise have nothing, and also assure that the tribes of Israel endured. This law is one of the hundreds of Old Testament laws created to try to fit the religious underpinnings of Judaism into the realities of an imperfect world. When Moses and others handed down these laws, they were trying to figure out the best compromises in hard situations. We’ve all been there. But even so it is hard to watch the sausage getting made.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So here come the Sadducees, the priestly class among the Jews that didn’t believe in any resurrection. And they ask Jesus this question about what happens in the resurrection using this arcane law about marriage. They aren’t asking because they really want to know the answer, or because they care about the fate of this hypothetical woman. They are asking only to trap Jesus, hoping to use whatever answer he gives to show how ridiculous the whole idea of resurrection is. But instead, they show how ridiculous their understanding of resurrection is, assuming that earthly conditions would continue in the heavenly realm; assuming that God is somehow limited by the sausage humans create for themselves.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWycFTmYkFAbzPVuQo9wvtc4684J6KYPMZF2WVcVwV-8z0UcWv0RlAKknkkY62rqptP8UT153K3Cpkm5SgeW6helKUNoY6mh-mS2snJI2mZTGTPmbSGQPf9odd5GDYd5OZu0s4wvOYWE/s1600/Funeral+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1600" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWycFTmYkFAbzPVuQo9wvtc4684J6KYPMZF2WVcVwV-8z0UcWv0RlAKknkkY62rqptP8UT153K3Cpkm5SgeW6helKUNoY6mh-mS2snJI2mZTGTPmbSGQPf9odd5GDYd5OZu0s4wvOYWE/s320/Funeral+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When the Sadducees bring up this question about whose husband this woman will be in heaven, Jesus says heaven isn’t like that. “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage,” he says, “but … in that age, they’ll neither marry nor be given in marriage.” Now, if you are sitting out there happily married, this may not sound like such great news. But imagine it from the perspective of this hypothetical woman, passed along like property from brother to brother to brother to brother to brother to brother to brother. She was no one. She was nothing. And yet, Jesus was promising that she would step into heaven on her own — a beloved child of God. She would be free from the sausage making — no longer defined by her barrenness or her widowhood. In the resurrection, new life and freedom would rise out of the ashes of her disappointments and crushed dreams. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9E3IXcZU4MGIYFIzbcodHDt1s8Tr3I1wlLRkbxHfEtg7O51oE539KqkyHPC0QJ0U8M8CTbDtugyYtbrhhiFuJfGkzR34Sejq7sRdX-hcVsyAKhiw_7w3PjvpZMxWEUX0Srjvdy93E_iI/s1600/ashes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="499" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9E3IXcZU4MGIYFIzbcodHDt1s8Tr3I1wlLRkbxHfEtg7O51oE539KqkyHPC0QJ0U8M8CTbDtugyYtbrhhiFuJfGkzR34Sejq7sRdX-hcVsyAKhiw_7w3PjvpZMxWEUX0Srjvdy93E_iI/s320/ashes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The resurrection may not make much sense to people like the Sadducees for whom it was merely a matter of idle curiosity and ill will. But to those who come to God with longing, like Job, like the hypothetical woman, the promise of resurrection is real. It can be a life-line to someone who is dying, loving arms wrapped around someone who is mourning, an open door for someone to whom this life feels hopeless.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God is so much bigger than us.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God’s ways are so different than the ways of the world.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And the resurrection is not bound by our limited imagination.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“For God is the God not of the dead, but of the living; for to God all of them are alive.” Amen.</span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-aa9a66b3-7fff-6f99-5fc3-4afb197f9a61"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-52362324752849006002019-10-13T09:54:00.002-07:002019-10-13T09:54:33.998-07:00Settling Into Babylon<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">October 13, 2019</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jeremiah 29:1-7</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last week we had Psalm 137. A song of lament by people that have been exiled from their home land: “By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered you, O Zion.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And this week, the people are </span><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">still</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> sitting by the waters of Babylon weeping in our Old Testament reading from Jeremiah. They are still waiting for God to change their circumstances, to bring them home out of exile in a foreign land. They are still frozen in mourning, stuck in the face of a completely uncertain future.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qCCaQKutS0Q3FfBYlbgCOIkSAtCDiHCSNtyg2SWO5haAb8XzT4vRm_zwHe0y5ZBImHite8CuzmnXE28qyVdJUFauaoW0lQ0IZj4bRZyAx0HGNnDqU3ZdUa5evuaDqGgBiW4xfJjqSfQ/s1600/waters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="661" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qCCaQKutS0Q3FfBYlbgCOIkSAtCDiHCSNtyg2SWO5haAb8XzT4vRm_zwHe0y5ZBImHite8CuzmnXE28qyVdJUFauaoW0lQ0IZj4bRZyAx0HGNnDqU3ZdUa5evuaDqGgBiW4xfJjqSfQ/s320/waters.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">God had set them apart as Chosen People. And now they are strangers in a strange land.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God had given them the Promised Land. And now they had lost it.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so just like last week, they must have been wondering: "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?"</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When they asked God how they could possibly live like this, they had a certain kind of answer in mind. They were expecting God to come and save them -- maybe with pillars of clouds by day and fire by night, or with a parting of waters, or with some strong personality that would demand that the foreign leader who had captured them “Let my people go!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But instead of a promise of that kind of dramatic deliverance, today God answers them, in the form of a letter from the prophet Jeremiah: “Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In other words: Settle in. This is your life now.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This must have been fairly shocking and unappreciated news for the people, who were hoping for a promise of imminent return to their homeland. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This was not at all what they wanted to hear -- They would be here for generations!?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But this was definitely what they needed to hear. They would be here for generations, so they might as well get used to it and make the best of their circumstances.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Their situation was disheartening, to say the least. And this advice from God wasn’t what they wanted to hear.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But underlying it all was a message of hope that changed not just their self-understanding but their theology. God wasn’t just present with them when they were on top. And God wasn’t just present with them in a certain place -- the temple, or the Promised Land. God was present with them even here, in this foreign land, when they were completely at the mercy of their enemies. Their God was a universal God who ruled over all the earth and all the people. They might be far from home, but they would never be far from God. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And, God tells them, not only should they settle in for the long haul, but they should also “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God wanted the people to pray for the welfare of the people that had captured them. And the word used repeatedly here as “welfare” is actually the Hebrew word </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">shalom</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shalom </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">meaning peace and wholeness and harmony and well-being in every aspect of one’s life. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shalom</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> sums up the dream of God that “all of creation is one, every creature in community with every other, living in harmony."</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The people of God were called by the prophet Jeremiah not to sit and bemoan their fate, not to burn up in anger and negativity, but to seek the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">shalom</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of the whole creation.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I got to this part of the reading, I had a sensation of familiarity. “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you.” Where had I seen that recently? After my brain spun in circles for a few days, it finally came to me. This is the quote inscribed over the front doors of Richmond Hill, an ecumenical intentional community where I go every month for a spiritual guidance program. I’m there each month to learn about how to do spiritual direction with people, to experiment with different kinds of prayer, to practice deep listening. But the community itself is there to pray and work for the city of Richmond. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqi4XYjfGN8VnpRjL5xlAFAdjYOC1Cq1w_QkqQU5mrI0xYbtWcgwBFSwj8gPGTvp3CYqdMBYQwIUYL5f0I8CEHqpe_Pto3NO6EF3FU_mr24NgXTFWyk34GXzCaQZ7GExz0Uo9XYgDgBx4/s1600/richmond+hill.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqi4XYjfGN8VnpRjL5xlAFAdjYOC1Cq1w_QkqQU5mrI0xYbtWcgwBFSwj8gPGTvp3CYqdMBYQwIUYL5f0I8CEHqpe_Pto3NO6EF3FU_mr24NgXTFWyk34GXzCaQZ7GExz0Uo9XYgDgBx4/s320/richmond+hill.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Richmond Hill is an intentional community where about 15 people have made this place their home for a period of years. Each person in the community has agreed to live on site in small apartments without kitchens; to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner in together; to pray together morning, noon and night; and to do the work of providing hospitality — not just for folks like me in the spiritual guidance program, but also for churches on retreat, and people seeking a get-away from their busy lives, and at-risk high school students in their leadership program, and community leaders working for peace and healing in the city. There is always a diverse group of visitors gathered at Richmond Hill, and the people that live there cook and clean and lead retreats and welcome us in. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This stability of living, eating, praying, and hospitality is part of the rule of life the community agrees to when they enter into life at Richmond Hill. It is a beautiful thing. And yet, to be honest, every time I go I think to myself, “I cannot imagine living in this place.” They have very little privacy. They can’t decide to sleep late and skip 7 am prayers, or to eat in their room rather than in the common dining room. They can’t decide who they will be friends with or what to have for lunch. I would feel completely claustrophobic after about a week, I’m sure of it.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At lunch one day I sat with a resident and heard more detail about what this commitment to the community entailed. And I couldn’t help remarking about how hard it must be and how I couldn’t quite imagine doing it. The resident laughed. And she admitted that she’d been pretty weepy and miserable for the whole first year she was there. After about a year of resentment, it hit her in prayer one morning that the stability that was part of the rule of life that she’d taken on didn’t mean just </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">being</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> at Richmond Hill and going through the motions of life in community; true stability meant being there</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> whole-heartedly</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Finally she decided it was time to get over the loss of her previous home and her expectations of privacy and her control over so many aspects of life -- it was time to say yes and enter fully in. And when she did, she said she could finally see God at work all over the place. Finally the community felt like home, the diverse group of residents felt like family, the work she was doing there felt like vocation. Nothing had changed, not really; and yet everything had changed.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m betting it isn’t so different for us. We live our mundane, helter-skelter lives. And we need that same reminder to enter in, to say yes with our whole hearts. To build our houses and live in them; to plant our gardens and eat what they produce. To work for shalom right here, right now.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Esther de Waal, a lay person who wrote about Benedictine spirituality, explained the idea of stability this way: “So many people find themselves in the situation of enclosure, in a marriage or a career, [and] by their refusal to accept it, it has become a trap from which they long to escape, perhaps by actually running away, perhaps by resorting to the daydreaming which begins with that insidious little phrase ‘if only….’ Family life which is boring, a marriage which has grown stale, an office job which has become deadening are only too familiar. Our difficulty lies in the way in which we fail to meet those demands with anything more than the mere grudging minimum which will never allow them to become creative.” What if instead, de Waal challenges, we see ourselves as “inserted into the mystery of Christ through </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">this</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> particular family, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">this</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> particular community, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">this</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> particular place.” Then, this life in which we find ourselves becomes the way to God.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I wonder what it might look like for each of us to settle wholeheartedly into our lives? How might working and praying for the shalom of the people and places that surround us open us to the holy mystery of the presence of God, right here, right now?</span></div>
Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-27355979286983387892019-09-23T04:47:00.002-07:002019-09-23T04:47:26.264-07:00Recalculating<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">September 22, 2019</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Luke 16:1-13</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-152afcb5-7fff-f852-7435-87b66e23be38" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This summer the drive to the beach was hideous. It usually is on summer Saturdays, but this was the worst I’d seen. The crawl of cars wasn’t only before the Bay Bridge but all through the little confusing webs of roads on the other side too. I probably had five times where the little lines on my GPS were so red for so long that the nice British lady inside decided it was time to rethink the whole thing. The screen would freeze for a minute then shift a bit and the lady would say “Recalculating.” And then she would find me some slightly less painful way to go forward. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally, after a much longer drive than anyone was prepared for, we got to the beach and unpacked the car. Finally it was time to head to the beach and forget the last five hours. Finally I would get to ensconce myself on my chair under the umbrella as the kids frolicked in the waves. Finally I would get to lose myself in a great novel, one of my favorite things about the spaciousness of time at the beach. And so with joy I reached for a book in my beach bag.… Only to realize that in the chaos of sunscreen and towels and snacks I’d forgotten to bring one with me. My husband Holden offered the extra book he’d brought -- </span><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">White Fragility: Why it’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Robin DiAngelo. Not quite the fun, fictional novel I was hoping for.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31dlBCw6vPWUhLQc9nUEYsh7uSOCwPc8DJ6MszQRalRQBt7vSE3f0T1Rd6y0bLaxu_ZYTK9TQH-zQyzyzBCZJlwNozBB-ORjOBfuIHrRR0lB0Wh4lrgSPsHMwSliAnnXSju4b3Lb8kTA/s1600/white1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31dlBCw6vPWUhLQc9nUEYsh7uSOCwPc8DJ6MszQRalRQBt7vSE3f0T1Rd6y0bLaxu_ZYTK9TQH-zQyzyzBCZJlwNozBB-ORjOBfuIHrRR0lB0Wh4lrgSPsHMwSliAnnXSju4b3Lb8kTA/s1600/white1.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I wasn’t really surprised by the substance of the book, but the writer talked about racism in a way that caught me in a new way. She wasn’t talking about racism as an </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">event</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> -- like white nationalists marching with tiki torches -- something that we all could point to and judge as bad and easily distance ourselves from. Instead, she was talking about the structure of racism that has been bred over centuries into all of our systems in the United States -- housing and criminal justice and education and finance and employment and politics and, I’m sorry to say, even the Church. She made it clear that as much as I would like to distance myself from these systems, to hold myself innocent, the truth is that I -- as a relatively well-off white person -- am enmeshed in all of them. I may not be responsible for slavery or Jim Crow, I may not have created the systems that resulted from those things, but I certainly benefit from them. It isn’t enough to just be a nice person with good intentions who doesn’t say ugly things.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While reading, and ever since, my reactions to this book have ranged from defensiveness to guilt to new awareness. I’m seeing things differently. But while I know there is a lot of work for me to do, I haven’t figured out yet exactly what that looks like. The issues seem so huge and pervasive that it’s hard to know where to start. It’s hard not to feel paralyzed and hopeless.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so I read with interest and gratitude the news about two weeks ago that Virginia Theological Seminary, my alma mater and St. Paul’s sister in ministry, had decided to set aside a $1.7 million endowment fund for reparations.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The <a href="https://www.vts.edu/news-detail?pk=1268965" target="_blank">press release</a> explained that while the seminary itself hadn’t own enslaved people, many of the early professors did, and at least one building was built by slave labor. And even after slavery ended, the seminary participated in segregation until 1951. The seminary leadership wanted not just to repent for past sins, but (as the press release explained) to repair the material consequences of the past and “commit to a radically different future” through this new fund.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Lo1zmogah4hsnzTpmukZSW0TTHVjdH6xl0LVukZvuupW4zzGs6QYinN8EpkWlGWo2jp-GwD0pXxe6ZE6EeJ1vMfEAjiaPvNnuSRt6rgGj_d1YfJdrdVQc6Nu6Usw85j7OxFQpivlJfk/s1600/VTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Lo1zmogah4hsnzTpmukZSW0TTHVjdH6xl0LVukZvuupW4zzGs6QYinN8EpkWlGWo2jp-GwD0pXxe6ZE6EeJ1vMfEAjiaPvNnuSRt6rgGj_d1YfJdrdVQc6Nu6Usw85j7OxFQpivlJfk/s1600/VTS.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, I know there are different opinions about reparations, and I am not educated enough on the subject to know whether it is the most practical or effective route to changing systems that have been steeped in racism for centuries. But to me It felt good to see the seminary doing </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">something</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - taking a step towards repairing the mess we have all inherited from the past. It won’t change everything, but it feels like a start. It sure beats being paralyzed and hopeless.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Enter, I think, this parable…. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This story, sometimes called the Parable of the Dishonest Manager, is a hard one. The hero of this story isn’t likable. He is lazy and conniving, and he seems to be out only for personal gain. He triumphs by being sneaky and cheating his boss to save his own skin. And then he gets commended and</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">held up as an example. It seems like a very strange story for Jesus to tell.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But, of course, parables aren’t meant to be morality tales. They are stories that use everyday life to reveal deeper truths about God’s kingdom. And, like our manager today, they are often sneaky and unexpected.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With this parable, a little context helps.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Jesus’ time and place, there were mainly two classes of people -- the very rich, and the very poor. The poor were at the mercy of the rich landlords who demanded most of their crops, and the Roman government with its outrageous taxes. The rich would generally delegate their daily business transactions to managers, just like the Roman government delegated their dealings with people to tax collectors. And these middle men were both privileged and despised because they made their living </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">by taking a cut out of every transaction. Their money came off the backs of the poor, an additional payment required along with whatever was owed to the landlord or to the government. And if the poor reached the point where they could no longer pay what was owed, they could be sold into slavery.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These were awful and harsh systems.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But in this parable, the system gets turned upside down.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A rich man hears that his manager has been squandering his property. And so he summons the manager and says to him, “What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.” When the manager realizes he is about to lose his job, he knows he is doomed unless he thinks quick. No other job awaits him, and he’s made a lot of enemies in his dealings. And so he hatches a plan to redeem whatever he can about his situation. He quickly forgives the poor debtors a portion of their debt in his last moments as manager so that they will think kindly of him when he is fired. His motives aren’t pure and his methods are questionable, but his actions still result in the lessening of an impossible burden of debt for people in great need. The manager helps to break down the unjust and oppressive system and gives away the fruits of that system to the people being oppressed.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And the rich man “commends the dishonest manager.” Not for his dishonesty, but for his shrewdness. But interestingly, this phrase “dishonest manager” actually translates literally from the Greek as “steward of unrighteousness.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For me that changes everything.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A steward is a trustee and manager of another's property and resources.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> This manager has been a steward of the rich man’s property and resources, which rely on the unjust and oppressive system to increase. As a steward, he is supposed to care for whatever is entrusted to him for his employer’s benefit.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But it seems like before this moment of reckoning, the manager’s stewarding work has been all about demanding money from poor people to line his own pockets. Now, though, the tide has turned. And the manager is instead stewarding the rich man’s property and resources in a way that benefits the poor as much as possible.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We too are stewards. This is a familiar term for church folks who are used to hearing about stewardship. We have been entrusted by God with all kinds of resources. We are stewards of personal things (like our time, talent and treasure). And we are stewards of our relationships (our families and friends). And we are stewards of communal things (like the earth, our communities, and our institutions). </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But what if we are also called by God to be stewards of unrighteousness?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jesus certainly was. Eating with tax collectors and sinners, lovingly welcoming the unholy, patiently explaining the mysteries of God to the stubborn and unyielding pharisees, even forgiving those who nailed him to the cross. Jesus was constantly stewarding unrighteous people and situations and systems toward the light of God. Constantly turning things upside down.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I think in telling this parable Jesus makes clear that he isn’t naive about the world his followers live in. He knows that we too are surrounded by unrighteousnees, sometimes of our own making, but often not. He knows that w</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">e too are enmeshed in a world of unjust systems, some of which we benefit from, knowingly or unknowingly. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How can we, like this dishonest manager, become stewards of unrighteousness rather than middle managers that keep the oppressive systems strong by our willingness to look the other way? </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How can we move from being paralyzed and hopeless in the face of the unrighteousness that surrounds us to to stewarding it into transformation and wholeness? </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How can we begin to repair the brokenness all around us?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe we can take a hint from the dishonest manager from our parable today, from VTS, and from the unflappable British lady living inside my GPS -- it’s time for some shrewd and imaginative recalculating.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_HoARO0f9zest4vzBROvG9HGsUykKOHW20jzpY4YAU5tY2K3cOYq28bQUP9F6KFqcCA35eer47DeHYmq2ZlCkFw5gEXIJn4p5n5ydNW2D615KSTw-dlyZmPkzb5QuUq-GVe8X4LM71I/s1600/GPS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_HoARO0f9zest4vzBROvG9HGsUykKOHW20jzpY4YAU5tY2K3cOYq28bQUP9F6KFqcCA35eer47DeHYmq2ZlCkFw5gEXIJn4p5n5ydNW2D615KSTw-dlyZmPkzb5QuUq-GVe8X4LM71I/s1600/GPS.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Amen.</span></div>
Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-81164668252856546722019-09-01T10:32:00.002-07:002019-09-01T10:33:36.434-07:00A Grumpy Prophet, and Family stories<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sept 1, 2019</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jeremiah 2:4-13</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jeremiah, from our Old Testament reading today, is a grumpy prophet. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEerv99TOfdmcFKOgPb2hym89NNCQb0_n-QeEeg67WAsKeLfY1sNuHyMzSe8KgDGWqOjnVuISf-m39zpWCNBnDgduqR6uV9gd1AtFI-7gYoqxOLC-am6JCW-rjcZKYzYoHnwQjXiFGdPA/s1600/Jeremiah2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEerv99TOfdmcFKOgPb2hym89NNCQb0_n-QeEeg67WAsKeLfY1sNuHyMzSe8KgDGWqOjnVuISf-m39zpWCNBnDgduqR6uV9gd1AtFI-7gYoqxOLC-am6JCW-rjcZKYzYoHnwQjXiFGdPA/s1600/Jeremiah2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And he’s earned it.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jeremiah had a long career of warning and cajoling and accusing people who had no interest in listening to him. During his lifetime, he was opposed, belittled, ignored, and hated by pretty much everyone. Priests and kings conspired to kill him, more interested in pursuit of wealth and power than heeding Jeremiah’s plea to turn their hearts to God. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well, in today’s reading, Jeremiah is at it again.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He sounds like a lawyer, indicting the people on God’s behalf for breaking their covenant with God. God has been gracious and saved them over and over. But the people have defaulted on their promises to God. They have forsaken God and turned to other Gods. They have chosen what is worthless instead of what is life-giving. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so Jeremiah accuses them; and not just the people of his generation, but their ancestors as well.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But the piece that strikes me as running through the heart of God’s accusation against the people isn’t so much what they’ve done as what they’ve left undone.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They did not say,”Where is the Lord?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first time, Jeremiah phrases it like this: </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“They did not say, ‘Where is the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that no one passes through, where no one lives?’"</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The people of Israel have this incredible history with God, but they’ve stopped telling the old stories about times when everywhere around them were proofs of God’s presence. When they could </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">hear</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> God in the roar of the Red Sea filling behind their path to freedom. When they could </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">see</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> God through the cloud and the fire that God used to lead them in the wilderness. When they could </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">smell</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> God through the aroma of roasting birds that God provided in their hunger. When they could </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">touch</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> God through the fresh water that gushed through rocks when they were thirsty. When they could </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">taste</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> God through the sweet manna that covered the ground like dew.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The people had stopped asking the question “Where is God?” The question that would lead to telling these foundational stories that would remind them who they were and why they existed. They were losing their stories, losing their identity as people of God. God was beginning to disappear for them, and for the next generation. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And new stories were starting to take their place. Dangerous stories that weren’t true. Stories about their independence and their greatness, their wealth and their power.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve recently been reminded how important it is to keep telling old stories.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My cousin Rachel died suddenly in November. I hadn’t seen her in a while. She was part of my dad’s side of the family from Oregon, but as an adult she had moved to Washington state with her family, so we didn’t get to see her much when we visited. Her adult milestones were things I only heard about from other family members. I missed her weddings, only barely meeting her first husband and never her second. She had two sons that I hardly knew. I had no idea what jobs she held or where she lived or who her friends were. So when Rachel died, it felt unreal. And distant - it had been so long since I’d seen her that I didn’t feel like I knew her anymore.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTheX-n5HkXjvcUieHLRamRPLzexr08Tdc9MiTTaCJCAXoOqTAxx8cJr-nMVBTXTTTMHP27GnnDwDztACvLinihZH6sJp6YUlE_EKJ1ZaUUq4ipIStqkiYlbTdGyOH4MyWXyHXabfxhUU/s1600/zack+%2526+rachel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="528" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTheX-n5HkXjvcUieHLRamRPLzexr08Tdc9MiTTaCJCAXoOqTAxx8cJr-nMVBTXTTTMHP27GnnDwDztACvLinihZH6sJp6YUlE_EKJ1ZaUUq4ipIStqkiYlbTdGyOH4MyWXyHXabfxhUU/s320/zack+%2526+rachel.jpg" width="176" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But it hadn’t always been that way. When I was little, we traveled to Oregon almost every summer and would stay with my grandparents. As much as possible, grandma would bring together all the relatives when we visited, and so even though they lived across the country, my cousins always felt like an important part of my life. I was about a decade younger than most of my cousins, so I looked up to them in a big way. My memories of Rachel are most vivid from her teenage years - she was beautiful and extroverted and full of joy. She made us all laugh with her silly jokes and made us comfortable with her constant laughter and enveloping hugs. I wanted to </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">be</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Rachel when I grew up. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqLIs7qf9JNhxlzXPE3ZBQZ0Jq9RcjjTMaSxJQHQ6Myooen8Usqhn9PckEK4dnol31AQ7ewyXmup8WXpzbfoC-Mwew5wDxtIgii3r7dCbCijTSphqHAzJGbYMkOMdtTeKGyKZdoOTVAA/s1600/family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqLIs7qf9JNhxlzXPE3ZBQZ0Jq9RcjjTMaSxJQHQ6Myooen8Usqhn9PckEK4dnol31AQ7ewyXmup8WXpzbfoC-Mwew5wDxtIgii3r7dCbCijTSphqHAzJGbYMkOMdtTeKGyKZdoOTVAA/s320/family.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Flash forward 30 years and she was gone. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then her sister, May, another beloved cousin, emailed asking if we might want to have Rachel’s son Zack visit us over the summer. Zack is 17, living in Washington state with his step-dad. And May wanted to give him a chance to connect to Rachel’s family, maybe to help fill in some missing pieces of his family story. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so in August Zack flew east to stay with us for a couple weeks and join our family beach trip. I was a little worried it might be awkward. This teenage boy we barely knew was going to be stuck with us for 10 days. What if he was bored? What if we had nothing in common? What if this whole thing was a terrible idea?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But it couldn’t have been better. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Zack had grown into this great guy - so much fun and so easy to be around. We ended up talking a lot about his mom. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I shared my stories about Rachel when she was younger. About our epic card games, and the family dinners full of laughter — and always Tillamook cheese. About visiting Rachel and her sister at college and being introduced to seltzer water, which I thought was incredibly gross but pretended to like so they would think I was mature. About how big an impression Rachel’s kindness and beauty and laughter had made on me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And Zack shared stories about his growing up, about his mom’s wedding to his step-dad, about their life together. Through his stories I got a more complete understanding of Rachel as mom and wife.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She came alive for me in a new way, both through my retelling of old stories that I hadn’t thought about in years, and through the new stories Zack told. And those stories definitely brought Zack and I together.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But it wasn’t just the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">old</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> stories that brought us together. Every day we made new memories that would become part of our continuing family story. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Like the emergency room visit after Zack got hit in the jaw by a ball at his first-ever baseball game. (Thankfully, it wasn’t broken and the pain lessened AND he not only got to keep the ball but he had a brief moment of fame on TV.)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOS54OSyLWToL3tKEA5R_cIPXelNfYC75s0j6gwi1wRDLxSZgD1kV0yZlCQp41GcRGbJD0VkMa_0hyrtmHXtqZ4Bu3IyaVLFgOtedXYq1RVevi1HFDJNp0SHSe9k2IoR1L60UwfaeGAlo/s1600/Zack+ER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOS54OSyLWToL3tKEA5R_cIPXelNfYC75s0j6gwi1wRDLxSZgD1kV0yZlCQp41GcRGbJD0VkMa_0hyrtmHXtqZ4Bu3IyaVLFgOtedXYq1RVevi1HFDJNp0SHSe9k2IoR1L60UwfaeGAlo/s320/Zack+ER.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">And the big fish he caught at the beach and proudly fried up for us for dinner one night.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLugTAOHkhHrtR5GbTDpjE_dOkTRNa0QRaKC8I1DeFCDVAi6zqKNdccBdkNlFKledzw2S0wp5HBkWv8WHn5p2W62Hp4RAivHeabV7Y7XEqeuJMSmZNIgmosTvD0_S4fs56OQTTi75cP3c/s1600/Zack+fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLugTAOHkhHrtR5GbTDpjE_dOkTRNa0QRaKC8I1DeFCDVAi6zqKNdccBdkNlFKledzw2S0wp5HBkWv8WHn5p2W62Hp4RAivHeabV7Y7XEqeuJMSmZNIgmosTvD0_S4fs56OQTTi75cP3c/s320/Zack+fish.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">And just the small moments getting to know each other as we toured DC on one of those hop-on-hop-off buses, rode every serious ride at 6 Flags, and taught each other new games.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now I have a relationship with Zack that extends from those old stories. And my cousin-love with Rachel has been passed down to the next generation.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That’s where the people Jeremiah was accusing had failed again. Not only had they not kept telling the old stories about God with them, but they had also stopped looking for new stories of God in their midst. They weren’t asking the question “Where is God NOW?” They were in danger of losing God completely, of thinking they had no need for God in their story.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think we struggle with that same issue. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes the stories of the Bible feel irrelevant. Sometimes we modern people scoff at miracles and feel distant from the Jesus of history. Religion can start to feel old and dusty. We stop hearing the echoes in our own lives of the old stories — echoes of grace and truth, love and redemption.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And then we forget to ask the question “Where is God NOW?” We begin to lose our identity as people of God. And other stories rush in to take God’s place -- that we are what we possess, that we can achieve anything if we work hard enough, that we are the rulers of creation.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So how can we ask the question “Where is God?” The question that leads to our noticing God in our own stories. The question that helps us remember whose we are and why we exist. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How can we go about looking for God’s faithful presence here with us right now? To not just know </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">about</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> God but to be in relationship with God, participate in the life of God, become part of God’s story?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Millenia of Christian spiritual practice offer an almost endless array of possibilities. But my favorite comes from St. Ignatius, a monk from the 16th century. Ignatius developed the Examen, a way of looking back over day to reflect on where God is in your everyday life. After giving thanks for your day, and asking to see it through God’s eyes, you review the pieces of the day, then specifically note the times that brought you the greatest joy and the times that brought you the greatest sorrow or trouble. The Examen ends with asking for God’s presence with you in the day to come. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This practice has been boiled down by generations of youth groups to a simplified version where you take turns sharing your Highs, Lows and God Moments. This makes for pretty interesting dinner table conversation with family or friends.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It doesn’t seem like much, but the process of looking over your day with the intention of seeing God’s presence helps you to become gradually more aware of God’s presence with you, both in the good and in the bad. And while it might seem hard at first to name “God moments,” with practice it not only becomes easier, but slowly it helps attune you to the God moments when they are actually happening. It helps us learn to see our own stories as part of God’s bigger story.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, briefly, back to this indicting lawsuit speech of Jeremiah’s. Our reading at first glance sounds sort of dreadful and grumpy and condemning. But it is actually full of hope and good news. Beneath God’s</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> sadness and anger at the people's betrayal is God's loving desire for the people. The community is broken, but it is not without a future. Despite everything they have done and failed to do, God has not given up -- God still calls them “my people”. God is willing to continue to struggle to recover this relationship.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Their story with God isn’t over.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And neither is ours.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Amen.</span></div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-26360403573522358792019-07-21T12:31:00.001-07:002019-07-21T12:31:39.175-07:00Representing Christianity<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">July 21, 2019</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Luke 10:38-42</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-fa0bdb39-7fff-c494-05b5-d2e724252fe6" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This Mary/Martha story has always put me on edge. There’s Mary plopped down, idly ignoring her guests, comfortable as can be. Meanwhile, Martha is cleaning and cooking and providing hospitality for Jesus and his followers. She is busy doing the work that needs to be done in order for Jesus’ ministry to flourish. So why is Jesus condemning Martha and applauding Mary?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think this story bothers me because it hits so close to home. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Left unchecked, I naturally run much closer to Martha than Mary. I am better at appreciating silence and stillness and sabbath rest in theory than in practice. Life is full of work and responsibilities, and even in my free time I have something of a compulsion toward adventure rather than rest. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To my family’s chagrin, this becomes especially evident on vacation. We’re recently back from a two week trip to the Pacific Northwest. We started in Portland with my extended family and then drove up the coast and around Olympic National Park to join Holden’s family for a week in a house near Seattle. Our days were full exploring the cities, catching up with family members, and hiking in national and state parks. I wanted to do and see everything we could -- who knows if or when we’d ever come back to these places? My family has learned they sometimes need send me out alone while they rest in the hotel room.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Surrounded by people and noise and with limited space, plus the added adventure-compulsion, I generally find it hard to keep up my prayer life on vacation. So it was fortuitous that one event on my Seattle agenda was to go to a Sunday night service at the Church of the Apostles. I’d read about it in an article about emergent worship services so was excited to see it in person. Church of the Apostles is a joint Episcopal/Lutheran venture that began as a coffee shop, before moving to their current space in an old abbey that is now a music and art venue in a somewhat grungy but hip part of town. It’s a cool space with neat lighting and a comfortable section in back for parents and young children with couches and quiet toys. It is intentionally a community of people that might not otherwise be part of a traditional church, and it welcomes all to struggle through their questions of faith and explore new ways of being church in the changing world.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Creativity is a big piece of the Church’s spirituality, which speaks to me for sure. They write their own music, bake their own communion bread (which is served deliciously warm!), and after the sermon they have an 8-10 minute time of reflection. During this “Open Space,” as their website explains, people are</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> “encouraged to meditate, create, interrogate, and react to what they have experienced in the service.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Only Maya, my youngest, was up for joining this adventure, so she and I walked a little uncertainly into this new space, unsure of what to expect. (Even for clergy, it is uncomfortable being a church newcomer!) We sat in the back, observing the people around us and following along with the screen in front. And sure enough, after the sermon came that Open Space. M</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">usic played softly as we were invited to pray where we were or visit one of the prayer stations in the room. Maya and I got up and walked to the area where you could light candles and sit on soft pillows to watch the light of your prayer flicker alongside others’. In another part of the room, we wrote down our own particular prayers to be included aloud with the prayers of the people. We walked curiously to read the instructions by a clothesline where enlarged words from the readings that evening had been strung up. Maya and I each took a word down to pray with (“grace” for me - “freedom” for Maya). We were supposed to fold, rip, or adorn our words in some way and then drop them into a basket for a future community-built creation. As the service progressed, I was taking notes in my head -- evaluating whether certain pieces were working for me, or thinking about how they might feel in a different context. There were still a few minutes of Open Space left, so Maya and I sat back down, with her head in my lap and my arms around her. I realized it was the first time I’d intentionally sat in silence to pray since the vacation began. And it felt good and holy and restorative. I was overwhelmed by love for this little girl leaning on me who is growing up so fast. And I felt held myself -- almost tangibly -- by the love of God, who was inviting me to stop hurrying and striving and just rest. I felt grateful for the welcome respite from the fast pace of the world. It wasn’t long -- just a few minutes -- but it was enough. It was a gift.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe that’s how Mary felt, sitting at Jesus’ feet in our Gospel story. And maybe Jesus knew that was exactly what Martha needed most in the world too. Maybe Jesus in this story isn’t condemning Martha for her work at all, but inviting her -- begging her -- to stop for just a few minutes and rest at his side. Not because what Martha was doing wasn’t worthwhile; her hospitality and support for Jesus were crucial and made his ministry possible. Maybe the reason Jesus encouraged Martha to rest was because he could see that Martha’s work was making her distracted and anxious and troubled. And he knew that an experience of closeness to him was exactly what would sustain her and embolden her for her own ministry. If she was going to feed and take care of others, she needed to be fed and taken care of herself. She needed to pause in order to remember what her work was all about.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That’s what worship - like this - is intended to be: a chance to have a Mary experience. To sit down next to Jesus and be fed and cared for. To surrender our distractions and anxieties and troubles to God. To refocus and come away strengthened and ready to go out into the world and do our God-given Martha work, remembering what it is all about.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, when the church service was done and Maya and I met up with the family after the service, I didn’t say much about it. And that’s largely because Holden’s family is proudly atheist. They are surprisingly well-versed and learned on the subject of the Bible and theology. And they are supportive of me and curious about what I do. They just don’t buy it for themselves. So I tend to feel this self-imposed pressure around them, like I might be their only close encounter with Christianity and therefore need to represent it well. Everything I do and say could affect the possibility of their one day being open to God. So I think carefully about anything I say that might be construed as relating to church or faith or theology, wanting it to be attractive and compelling to them. Which, more often than not, leaves me tongue-tied and stammering whenever the subject comes up. My experience at Church of the Apostles felt like it would be too touchy-feely to broach with this intellectual crowd, so I kept it to myself.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But on the last day of our time together, my sister-in-law surprised me. She asked me if I had any advice for how to answer her young son who was wondering about God and the afterlife. She said that he had some fears about what would come next, and she wondered if it was because of her and her husband’s atheism. She asked me how I imagined the afterlife. I froze, overwhelmed by my internal pressure to get the answer right, to be compelling. But then my mind went to those few minutes at the Church of the Apostles - those moments of candlelight and music with Maya’s head on my lap and the intense feeling of loving and being loved, holding and being held. The release from the striving to be or do, and the invitation to just rest with God. And then I took a deep breath, and thought of that experience as I tried to answer my sister-in-law. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I started by admitting that I don’t have any more knowledge about what comes after this life than anyone else. But that what I believe is that somehow it will be an experience of total welcome and absolute love. We will know ourselves to be cherished, just as we are. And we will actually believe and accept that love and live into it. And not only that, but we will be able to share that same incredible magnitude of love with all of the unique individuals around us. Not just for a few moments here or there, but for eternity; not selfishly, but without condition.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Even as I said it, even as I believed it, even so, I felt like my answer wasn’t enough. It was broad and fluffy, and it was vague, and it wasn’t supported by any facts or evidence. I felt like I’d let her down, let the Church down, maybe even let God down. And then I looked at my sister-in-law and I saw that she had tears in her eyes. Somehow, however inartfully, I’d been able to express a fragment of my experience of the love of God. Somehow I’d been able to get past my Martha self and share my Mary experience. Somehow God’s invitation to rest and be loved had gotten through.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe that is the best and most important gift we representatives of Christianity can offer the world. To witness to our own experiences of the love of God that enables us every once in a while to really believe ourselves to be worthy of love, and to extend that same love to the people around us. And to invite others to join this journey with us; to be held and sustained and reminded of their reason for being. To invite others to Mary moments in this Martha world. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Amen.</span></div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-39513456370487770142019-06-16T12:19:00.000-07:002019-06-16T12:20:23.035-07:00Calculus and the Trinity - in Thanksgiving for Mr. Wallace<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trinity Sunday, Year C</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My favorite teacher in high school was Mr. Wallace.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mr. Wallace taught calculus. It was a small class, and it got even smaller when we winnowed to Calc 2 senior year. Over those two years, Mr. Wallace got to know us pretty well. It was clear he cared about us beyond our math skills and was interested to learn about what we were up to in our non-math hours, too. He read our speeches, laughed at our campaign slogans, and sympathized with our college application struggles. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But Mr. Wallace was also a great teacher. He made calculus feel interesting and relevant, which, as I discovered when I revisited the subject in college, was perhaps not the norm. Whenever possible, Mr. Wallace weaved our real-life high school experiences into the examples he used. We measured the rate of the growth of couples forming as Prom got nearer, and the frequency and future likelihood of decent school lunches, and we graphed a regression line comparing the amount of hours each of us had studied for a test with the grades we received. But my favorite math moment was when he was introducing the concept of vectors (objects with both magnitude and direction). We weren’t getting it, and I think he was as frustrated as we were. And so the next day when we entered the room, all the desks and chairs had been pushed to the side and he had us all pretend to be vectors, moving around the room as he explained the concept until we all caught on.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mr. Wallace taught us calculus and prepared us well for our AP tests, but he also somehow managed to transform what could have been a dreary subject -- with its limits and derivatives and logarithms -- and made it matter to us. Through our relationships with him and with each other, we </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">experienced</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> calculus. And that was why we not only learned it, but enjoyed it.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today, we have at the heart of our worship something else that has a tendency to be a fairly dreary subject -- the Trinity. This is the only day in the entire Church year when our readings and prayers focus on a doctrine, rather than a story or an event or a person.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today we celebrate that we have one God in three persons: traditionally termed Father, Son and Holy Spirit. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The doctrine of the Trinity came into being in the 4th Century, at the Council of Nicea, and we speak the resulting profession of faith every week in the Nicene Creed: “We believe in one God.” “We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ… of one Being with the Father.” “We believe in the Holy Spirit” who “proceeds from the Father and the Son” and who “with the Father and the Son … is worshipped and glorified.” About 100 years later came slightly different trinitarian language in the Athanasian Creed (which we, thankfully, do not say): “We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the persons; nor dividing the essence.” </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unfortunately, the Trinity as a doctrine can be incredibly boring, a chance to use impressive words with Latin and Greek roots that no one understands, like “homoousios.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Trinity can also be a dangerous doctrine. In case there was any question about the importance of the doctrine of the Trinity, the Athanasian Creed also added forebodingly, “Which Faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.” (Maybe this is why Alyse and Oran conspired to assign me to preach today, with the risk of everlasting damnation hanging over us!)</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In fact, the Trinity was cemented into doctrine because of controversy. The Councils created these Creeds at least partially as a defense against heresies, and as a way to establish who was in and out, right and wrong. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Heresies abound and are easy to stumble into when it comes to the Trinity. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Like Arianism - the belief that Jesus was created by God rather than </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">being</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> God himself and therefore is a lesser God.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And Modalism - the idea that Father, Son and Holy Spirit aren’t three distinct </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">persons</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of God but rather are 3 </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">forms</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in which God expresses God’s self.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And Partialism - the idea that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three parts of God that together make up one whole, rather than three distinct persons that are all equally God.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But the truth is, even if we get it right and don’t stumble into heresies, the Trinity can feel pretty remote. It’s just not easy to get your heart around a doctrine. Especially for someone like me that tends to rebel against things I am told I </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">should</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> believe.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So it’s helpful to remember where it all started. Long before heresies and church councils and creeds.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It all started as an experience of God. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From the beginning, people experienced God as: </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Creator of the universe; AND </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">a Redeemer who lived and died and rose again; AND a</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Spirit who acts and breathes in and through our lives and the world around us, comforting and guiding us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Distinct and complete, and yet one.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They didn’t know why or how all of this worked; it was a mystery — a beautiful, awe-inspiring, experiential mystery — that moved and changed and challenged them.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so they began to develop words to capture their experience of God who is diverse and yet still One. They wanted a way to speak about their experience of God more fully, and a way to be able to invite other people in to that experience. And so the doctrine of the Trinity emerged. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But, unfortunately, just like calculus, the reality of the Trinity is so much more interesting, so much more joyful, so much more meaningful, than the words we use to talk about it. We miss out when we see it as a paradoxical doctrine to be learned and believed, rather than a mysterious reality to be experienced.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so, channeling my inner Mr. Wallace - I feel compelled to push away the desks (metaphorically speaking) and imagine what the Trinity might look and feel like. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/2G9ZQrqFynvJRmAnh4CWl7yNq7orld9Y57qMcK4rseJXbIQnGXzPjSgcYn0TGodxI65ZoFjYThmjCJkogCt9Avsg1f6RMH5DpUJt9jmwRRaCO18vf2GikWJCMz3GgWTwVPgfhDwfMpE" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/2G9ZQrqFynvJRmAnh4CWl7yNq7orld9Y57qMcK4rseJXbIQnGXzPjSgcYn0TGodxI65ZoFjYThmjCJkogCt9Avsg1f6RMH5DpUJt9jmwRRaCO18vf2GikWJCMz3GgWTwVPgfhDwfMpE" width="235" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">To me, this is what the doctrine of the Trinity as I usually hear about it looks and feels like. A tight group of 3 that are one on their own - unreachable, unattainable, isolated from creation. Something that doesn’t have much to do with me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> But what if we see the Trinity not as a doctrine, but as a relationship? </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="310" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Mp2CZe4WAcz2_9OaHSVSlLP-l6oIIoPMAMAS2eligy5aj5uvcKRwVQ_sakrL3PnXbaedorHcZ4e7oU7UgH4kxgfqMWmTVOGrwaMth7dNd0Xy0xmrEsXQm0vES1xXOJOLTv0wO04b_RM" width="320" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe what the doctrine of the Trinity intends to capture is that because God is love, God cannot be self-contained and solitary. Instead, from all eternity, God has existed as diverse, unique persons united in a love so powerful that the three persons are utterly one. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe the Trinity is more like a divine circle dance – without beginning or end, without hierarchy or confusion.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> But what if it’s even more than that? What if the doctrine of the Trinity is also about us? What if it speaks to an experience that the Trinity isn’t just about who God is in God’s self, but who God is with us. A relationship among the 3 persons of God that doesn’t end with God, but is always outstretched. God isn’t just in communion amongst God’s self – God is in our midst, longing for communion with us also. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<img height="236" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/mQDweuR2eGR9ViPMOhfqGlcrnviftIE0f2sd3_8YnNlaqkuSkXChT2b8HDCHJ8LVG7d5xvq8DMIIkPrYSm4CC5LF19is07vbriNaksRHvPKHbtCe3czjtJXlqIhXfluu9fBIv5lkPds" width="320" /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are invited to enter into the divine dance - the circle breaks open and draws us in.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> But what if it doesn’t even stop there! We are created in God’s image, and therefore created for relationship. We aren’t just invited into the dance. We are called to dance with others that are already part of the swirling motion, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to invite others in as well. Some of whom will be, undoubtedly, as unlike us as we can imagine. Loving each other is how we participate in the triune life of God. Just like God, we aren’t meant for isolation or self-centeredness; relationship with God and each other is at the core of who we are too. It isn’t what we “know” or “believe” about the Trinity that matters, it’s how we enact it in our lives.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I wonder what that could look like?</span></div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-4008787058316865942019-05-26T13:22:00.001-07:002019-05-26T13:24:07.724-07:00Interruption Science, Made Holy<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="clear: right; float: right; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">May 26, 2019</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Acts 16:9-15, Psalm 67</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was recently introduced to something called interruption science -- the study of how interruptions affect us. Interruptions are defined as “anything that distracts us from our primary task” -- and that can be almost anything. We are constantly bombarded by text message alerts and other electronic buzzes from our phones, by people coming to talk to us about </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">their</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> primary tasks, by appointments and meetings. And then there are the abundant </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">self</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-interruptions -- when we toggle our computer screen to steal a short glance at our email, or start on a tangent because we happen to be reminded by something in front of us. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="text-indent: 48px;"> Interruption scientists have discovered that it takes the average person about 25 minutes to recover from an interruption that is unrelated to the task they were previously working on. But unfortunately, the average human is interrupted at least every 12 minutes (and some studies say self-interruptions may actually bring that number down to every 3 minutes)! </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Which means that most of us have no hope of ever catching up. And the costs are higher than we might realize. All these distractions make it harder for our brains to decide where to focus. So we take longer to complete our most important tasks, often at a lower quality, and experience more stress and frustration in the process. We are also less likely to think deeply, leading to decreased creativity and innovation.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And while I hadn’t heard the term “interruption science” before, I had certainly experienced the phenomena. This inability to find open time to really focus on something important without distraction -- that feels like all-too familiar territory both at work and at home.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So it was actually with some joy that I realized I would have a lot of time alone in the car last weekend. I was heading first to Richmond and then to join some of you at our parish retreat at Shrine Mont. I’m not always a big fan of car trips, but this felt like a welcome chance to step away from the busyness and constant motion of life and sit on my own for a while. Plus, someone had suggested a new podcast for me to try called “Encountering Silence.” So I downloaded a handful of episodes that included interviews with some of the modern greats of Christian spirituality -- Jim Finley, Cynthia Bourgeault, Parker Palmer, James Martin…. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So there I was listening to one of these podcasts, inspired by its thoughtful discussion about prayer and silence and depth, when all of a sudden, about 20 minutes in, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">this</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> happens:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Our conversation will return after this brief moment of silence. Please take a breath and be present in this 30 seconds of silence.” And then a singing bell rang. And rang. And rang.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What was this?! 30 seconds?! Why were they interrupting this great conversation?! Do that on your own time! I quickly pushed the little arrow button on my phone to skip ahead 30 seconds and the conversation began again. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was only when I pushed that arrow button again durng the second episode that the irony hit me. I’d chosen to listen to a podcast called “Encountering Silence.” I was loving hearing about how these different people had experienced silence and what it meant for their spiritual lives. I heartily agree with the premise that contemplation and stillness are an important part of spiritual deepening. My favorite spiritual practices revolve around silence. But despite all this, I couldn’t be bothered to take 30 seconds of silence without begrudging it as a ridiculous interruption.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And, it turns out, I am not the only one.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Interestingly, some of the psalms, including the one we said [sang] today, include a similar kind of spiritual interruption. You don’t see it in our bulletin, but if you look up Psalm 67 in most Bible translations you will see in the margins this little italicized word: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Selah</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Selah</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is a sacred Hebrew word that appears 71 times in the psalms, and twice in our psalm for today. It is a direction to the reader or singer of the psalm to pause - to take a breath - to stop and listen - to reflect and imagine. “You are on sacred ground,” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Selah</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> reminds us. “Stand in awe!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But we ignore it. In fact, we don’t just ignore it -- we take it out. For practical reasons, of course! Just like I skipped through the 30 seconds of silence on my drive to get back to something that seemed more interesting. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We humans too often forget or avoid our deep need to close our eyes, take a breath and listen for God. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe it’s because we’ve gotten so used to living at the speed of machines. Our lives are full of fast-moving traffic and closely scheduled obligations. We are surrounded by noise and activity, and we tend to be very impatient when made to wait for anything. If we find ourselves with a minute in line at the grocery store, most of us can’t help pulling out our phones to check email or compare our lives to the far more interesting ones our friends claim on Facebook or Instagram. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so that bell - that </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Selah</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - or whatever it is that calls us to silence, wherever we might receive an invitation to open ourselves to God in the waiting, even for a mere 30 seconds - those are gifts! That is a completely different kind of interruption than the type that frustrates our days and causes stress.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Over my commutes last weekend, I ended up listening to 6 episodes of the podcast, and by the time I returned home I had grown to look forward to the sound of that bell and the invitation it provided to breathe deeply and gratefully take in the world around me. By the end, my body and brain had come to terms with how very much I need that life-giving interruption of </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Selah</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> written into </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">my</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> margins. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">And that, I think, is where we find Lydia, from our reading from Acts, today. She was a worshiper of God, and she was listening. And because she took opened herself to listen, because she welcomed the life-giving kind of interruptions, she was able to hear God speaking in the depths of her heart. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">As our story puts it, “The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul.” And what she heard was not only life-giving but life-changing.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">This little snippet is our only glimpse of her in the Bible, and yet, like so many of the anonymous or briefly-appearing characters in scripture, Lydia’s legacy is large. She is celebrated as a saint -- the first convert to Christianity in Europe -- her name is synonymous with hospitality and faithfulness. And all because she stilled herself to listen for God. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Experiences of silence and stillness put us in the stance to receive, and from what we feel and hear and experience of God’s presence and care in those moments, we are transformed to speak and act and love as God’s people in the world, free (or at least free-er) from our all-too-human illusion that we are separate from God.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are on sacred ground. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">May we all stand in awe. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Selah</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">! RING BELL.</span></div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-67264729826569023592019-04-13T17:35:00.006-07:002019-04-13T17:35:53.317-07:00Flip Sides<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Palm Sunday, Year C</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">April 14, 2019</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-10915049-7fff-87c6-c3a2-76e561c234bf" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A few weeks ago my family went to the Nationals first home game against the Phillies. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<img height="266" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/0CnBexKtZFxCHf5QeoWtKIjk5vEFjDPCw8TwE_l3zMPWKlv9gv8YVo7AxOWC9ps85VDre4nPu0F491zR7qthDAJG3J8kDZFjeMqbcxWbdOLFPwq6T3sa60yEAwWO8byNKW19adiF8qQ" width="320" /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">This was the first time Bryce Harper returned to what had been his home stadium after signing his $330 million contract with his new team and moving to Philadelphia.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The last game I’d been to at Nats Park had been near the end of the previous season. One of those hot days when a cold $10 beer feels well worth the price. And of course that day Bryce Harper was playing for </span><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">us</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The majority of my family and probably a majority of the fans were proudly wearing our Harper jerseys. Everytime he came up to bat the crowd rejoiced, and when he hit a home run or caught a ball in the outfield they broke into chants of “MVP.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<img height="227" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/F0ObpEgCEliVRmb01-KLKztlc6nDQaNXPBgmPLOZ_oS5-mA8scOGCbvhTjo2fG98Lyi9DdYMYlpT6wnbJdjH4fNp1Y0tJiFx5Ek94p1jgMFMGMEMycPaUim-jRo_0Bqrk3R6nkBYkLY" width="320" /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well, things were sure different this time. It probably didn’t help that the day was cold and there had been a rain delay to make people grouchy. But maybe it wouldn’t have mattered. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last year’s home team hero was now a visiting villain. He could not have been less welcome.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<img height="151" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/lZHuHFu4VCDdJmqVd4x7_Aqp0xufi4Mts2ETqYyDx-2KiSHjCUFGKnNMffXKAQpXFO-Mxnvb8etzmIL7-OtscU7myEapbbqBbEDhtF3ffSZKgxDZUZ1oi41xCF2syNyJNR7wLuzF-Cc" width="320" /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Everywhere around me were Harper jerseys with the word “traitor” painted over top or somehow defaced. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Everytime Harper came up to bat or ran out onto the field, the booing echoed across the stadium. People shouted: “Sellout! Turncoat! Go home to Philadelphia!” And various other curses and epithets not to be repeated in this setting. Let’s just say that it was not family friendly.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-d41c51c7-7fff-262b-2070-40a97fd8ce75" style="text-indent: 0px;"><img height="246" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Oe-vyV07kNhPL2ZeI3kURQhhuS0gaCb9hKOaKAwwRHiT6YofF6kucT4jA16yfMe8I02KWQ8bwkjN--7J2-VjC08yDMPc9fb1tOQ6avjy4vPEJw8LwNNoM3WFGCUub9jmDmCoZXstf94" width="320" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">When Trea Turner broke his finger, people near me screamed out: “Harper, it’s all your fault!” And when Harper was at bat, people yelled for Scherzer to hit him in the jaw.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was a glimpse of the flip sides of humanity. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes we are kind and generous and open and loving. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And sometimes we are hateful and judging and hurtful and mean. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And that turn can happen fast and without much warning. We humans can be very fickle and unpredictable.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We see those extremes of humanity even clearer in our stories for today.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From the Palm Sunday celebration and joy and waving of branches as Jesus enters Jerusalem - with everyone shouting “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” It seems so hopeful and triumphant. “If the crowd were silent, even the stones would shout out!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2fbda464-7fff-ba9c-c52c-e5e5200da8a8" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; text-indent: 0px; white-space: normal;"><img height="144" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-jUs3eiOBF7smOmmt241NAjVM0DuaYsD8AjXOfynTdwnZvcy2q0udJeaxswxuij4GMtZL4y8lgYfe9xsbMH4w0V8PLHCdi4keecYfP1kEYM7yTYRnESJtvqyw6CABGJpECcjGqzxvBs" width="320" /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But then come the Passion story with the crowd’s jeers and accusations. Now everyone is shouting “Crucify, crucify him!” And suddenly there is suffering and death, brokenness and pain.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<img height="141" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8A81OYdBjjlgLYk6DyAI0i7Sr_LyfGFvayX-l30lZRDQv-xw0C0DJP26FPxNSzWm5M8Gcd22NtOgMPncUOUHjfcMO9tjQ9HETvION41rXawYH_33WLMksVb9gn7FgTW33TY5InzSjqE" width="320" /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oh how the tide has turned!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The crowds just went from welcoming Jesus as king to shouting for his death.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In contrast, look at Jesus.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These two experiences couldn’t be more different. And yet somehow through these stories emerges a more complete picture of Jesus. Somehow the truth about God is wrapped up in what seem to be impossible opposites.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We have a God who wins by losing and lives by dying. A God whose light is often best seen in darkness. A God who meets hatred with love, anger with forgiveness, and power with humility.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Somehow the God of creation and power and might and glory is also the God of suffering and loneliness and despair and death. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Through the contrasts of this day we see God for who God really is:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The One who walks with us no matter what.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The One whose arms stretch out in love even on the hard wood of the cross.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-96a79af5-7fff-e2c6-4a00-d499ccf56259" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; text-indent: 0px; white-space: normal;"><img height="213" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-oF-bRwCkd-6gKJaukc8_ZWE8z0JlWwly5xR7l09EtsF8S_aglV4xid7SZv1VlSAka59CZG4pv7xG3Lwq_Sn5IRPN-lkZgvQnO7q5BJA-ys1WQKp8sGaEaDdwZ8rZPbD6M7KCbfRlas" width="320" /></span></span></div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-13382011414228481402019-03-31T17:40:00.001-07:002019-03-31T17:40:15.969-07:00Prodigal Love<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">March 31, 2019</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32</span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-63866177-7fff-0724-18eb-2ee553861ded"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 0pt;">
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;"><colgroup><col width="588"></col><col width="2"></col><col width="2"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr style="height: 606pt;"><td style="padding: 1pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once there was a man who had two sons...</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once there was also a woman who heard this parable so many times that she thought she knew exactly what it meant. Which is pretty much like asking God to come and turn you upside down.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And sure enough...</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My spiritual director gave me this parable several weeks ago as something to pray with during Lent.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once there was a man who had two sons...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYep8K68wmmQbcKUab6caEDj0ZK9cqGjaWuClEdsRriDHHotMeW9oSxuoCpKh5xc998C2UNbzf7GaJomxCdBzaa9JyfRbua1iGMduC2SDvz6_toqvW4oPRyWSuaIdlHll2Q0QebU20NcE/s1600/2+sons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYep8K68wmmQbcKUab6caEDj0ZK9cqGjaWuClEdsRriDHHotMeW9oSxuoCpKh5xc998C2UNbzf7GaJomxCdBzaa9JyfRbua1iGMduC2SDvz6_toqvW4oPRyWSuaIdlHll2Q0QebU20NcE/s320/2+sons.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Because this parable is usually referred to as the Parable of the Prodigal Son, I’ve always assumed that the word “prodigal” meant someone who went away and then came back. But it turns out it doesn’t mean that at all. According to the dictionary, the main definition of prodigal is actually “</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #302f2f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">exceedingly or recklessly wasteful.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #302f2f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Which fits this younger son perfectly. There he is at home feeling claustrophobic. Feeling like he is missing something. Wondering what else is out there in the big wide world. Feeling a longing or emptiness that he thinks can be filled somewhere else. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so he begs his dad for what will one day be his inheritance anyway and goes off and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">squanders it all “in dissolute living.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">” Since we’re defining things, dissolute, it turns out, means “immoral, indulgent in vices, showing a lack of good character.” There are no details given, but we can use our imaginations. If this younger son had a theme song, it might be, “Looking for love in all the wrong places.”</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1llIZ_gqARZkl3pLIWoIqMc6SSi5ccn4ojWJEDuSuTUo7DMkRSh7801l4xp8VklMaqYWSrA6cyA3rpdxZ0FwZM7LjLJfcHGEOMbPS8iWYeqUlXIz4sIXIGrzjhkOnAxjllhcKu4w8Eko/s1600/Dissolute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="873" data-original-width="1278" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1llIZ_gqARZkl3pLIWoIqMc6SSi5ccn4ojWJEDuSuTUo7DMkRSh7801l4xp8VklMaqYWSrA6cyA3rpdxZ0FwZM7LjLJfcHGEOMbPS8iWYeqUlXIz4sIXIGrzjhkOnAxjllhcKu4w8Eko/s320/Dissolute.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But then, as probably often happens with dissolute living, the younger son runs out of money. He finds himself starving and working at one of the least desirable jobs imaginable to Jewish ears -- feeding pigs. And it’s only when he finds himself in this truly dire and desperate place that he begins to realize how good he’d had it at home. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TNu6MXlJZyn7D1s1bKn6kYqjSUerxag3g8rHLf874tLeWFEduCnVk43wYs_YWMQL582QdwJP8hwAh4Iah560uQQzWj2Awu3zQLvQVOvcRNBCG2562EEiar8fA4X3M-bFOo32OfdeH68/s1600/pigs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="400" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TNu6MXlJZyn7D1s1bKn6kYqjSUerxag3g8rHLf874tLeWFEduCnVk43wYs_YWMQL582QdwJP8hwAh4Iah560uQQzWj2Awu3zQLvQVOvcRNBCG2562EEiar8fA4X3M-bFOo32OfdeH68/s320/pigs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The story tells us that in this moment, “he came to himself.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He starts to get a sense that maybe the emptiness he’d always felt couldn’t be satisfied by food or adventure or even other people. And that the tempting voices he’d been following weren’t to be trusted after all.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so, with just a glimmer of realization that what he’d most needed and wanted had been with him at the start, he heads home, rehearsing in his head the speech he plans to give his father.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At first, this felt like such good news to me! The younger son was lost and now has returned! But then, I began reflecting on my own experiences of lost-ness. And I thought about how easily I can be tempted to fill my emptiness in all the wrong places -- with prestige or things or adventure. About the ways in which I too need to repent and turn and begin making my way home. And, truth be told, I found it all rather discouraging.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And then this parable hit again, this time </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #302f2f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">about 2 weeks ago at our Tuesday Cloister Night, where this happened to be the Gospel readin. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #302f2f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once there was a man who had two sons...</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #302f2f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This time, in the 45 minutes or so of silence that night,</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> it was the older son that caught my attention. And it occured me that the name “Prodigal Son” is a total misnomer. Because there are actually </span><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">two</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> prodigal sons. The younger one was squandering his father’s money. But the older one is squandering his father’s love. He has spent his entire life “working like a slave,” never disobeying any command. And he thinks that by his efforts he is earning the right to his father’s estate. For his entire life he has missed his father’s generosity and now he has turned petty and angry and bitter. He is so blinded by his self-righteousness that not only is he offended by his father’s welcome of his wayward younger brother, but he refuses to come to the best party the neighborhood has ever seen. It turns out that this older son is just as lost as his younger brother ever was. Maybe his theme song is “Cold as Ice.” </span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOzyUnfTdn6m8qRwNfCtMRpSrBX7sGSkXnjfZNVcCelyYkcJ4n-he-kt5Mq070a2G1Pv-V84tH6jfZEa_ET-PdcGdbCoSSxyatMWaJXIdbGZLglQjM8PFDsNfgyYm_v0QZkgmTMxSnn0/s1600/elder.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOzyUnfTdn6m8qRwNfCtMRpSrBX7sGSkXnjfZNVcCelyYkcJ4n-he-kt5Mq070a2G1Pv-V84tH6jfZEa_ET-PdcGdbCoSSxyatMWaJXIdbGZLglQjM8PFDsNfgyYm_v0QZkgmTMxSnn0/s320/elder.png" width="266" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I sat with this parable, I began reflecting on all the ways I’m like that older brother, thinking that it is all about me and my efforts, and judging the people around me as unworthy or unready. How I too am sometimes cold to the love and generosity offered to me. Again, I have to tell you, I ended up feeling pretty discouraged.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And then the parable hit again - this time as the text assigned for my preaching today.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And that is when the story changed for me. That is when I realized that those sons aren’t what this story is about. Not really.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think this story at its heart really has to do with a second definition of the word “prodigal.” Meaning, “e</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #302f2f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">xtremely generous.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This parable isn’t about the sons.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s about the Father.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is the Parable of the Prodigal Father.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once there was a man who had two sons... A younger son who wanted nothing to do with him. And an older son who completely misunderstood him and thought he was an ungrateful slave master. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But that didn’t change the father.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When the younger son turned away, the father kept vigil on the front porch, hoping against hope for his return. And that is how the father was able to spot his son when</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> he was still far off. The father was filled with compassion. He ran and put his arms around his beloved son and kissed him. He gave him a robe and a ring and invited all the neighbors to the party of a lifetime. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxZZ8ahjdOeDd3VzCRVy1VDX6jipBwX8qsrb-bFwrBg5aIzVjogE2IqUFGX1kzLTChRNgJZ8XuFT6_omamh3ms0SrQlwZCnOSRVFKz2Kw2QT-NO8RzEjhQTAQkNFte5Kje7euUDNgP48/s1600/father2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="231" data-original-width="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxZZ8ahjdOeDd3VzCRVy1VDX6jipBwX8qsrb-bFwrBg5aIzVjogE2IqUFGX1kzLTChRNgJZ8XuFT6_omamh3ms0SrQlwZCnOSRVFKz2Kw2QT-NO8RzEjhQTAQkNFte5Kje7euUDNgP48/s1600/father2.jpeg" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #302f2f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And the father’s response to the older brother’s cold self-righteousness was essentially the same. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #302f2f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The father went out in the middle of his party - abandoning his guests and his celebration - in order to coax and plead with this beloved son to come inside and join the feast. "My Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours!” </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhsLVHeluvTNhTfrtuzvVtw8TMGvg7PSJtz2uiiYc4q3tgPk_7LS0mNJvUA_40NP_Xs29uaYnFIQP6WU9domDIo840YDOyy6INp9h6EuSezN2ObBGSoslPxycpTgs_sp2N_2JIYM5klU/s1600/elder2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhsLVHeluvTNhTfrtuzvVtw8TMGvg7PSJtz2uiiYc4q3tgPk_7LS0mNJvUA_40NP_Xs29uaYnFIQP6WU9domDIo840YDOyy6INp9h6EuSezN2ObBGSoslPxycpTgs_sp2N_2JIYM5klU/s1600/elder2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #302f2f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is prodigal love. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #302f2f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Exceedingly and recklessly wasteful by the world’s standards. Given to children who don’t deserve it or even want it. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #302f2f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And extremely generous, which is God’s standard. Given to children that are beloved, no matter what.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #302f2f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Pharisees and scribes listening to Jesus’ story probably expected It to end with some sort of condemnation. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #302f2f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But this isn’t a story about who’s in and who’s out; who’s a sinner and who’s righteous; or even who’s lost and who’s found. This isn’t a story that condemns.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #302f2f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s a story about a God whose theme song is Amazing Grace. There is nothing discouraging about this story.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #302f2f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once there was a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God who has always been with us, and all that is God’s is ours, including God’s very self. God waits </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #302f2f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">on the front porch keeping vigil and will never stop searching for any of us, no matter how far we wander or how we take that love for granted. W</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ith enough love and blessing for all, God continues to include </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #302f2f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">us in the celebration, no matter how we ignore or refuse the invitation. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not because of anything we do or anything we are. But because that is who</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #302f2f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God is. Amen. </span></div>
<br /><br /></td><td style="padding: 1pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="padding: 1pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-10786653722995528872019-03-04T04:58:00.003-08:002019-03-05T06:56:45.143-08:00Shining Like the Sun<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last Epiphany</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Exodus 34:29-35; Luke 9:28-36</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My youngest daughter, Maya, will turn 9 years old on Tuesday. Which makes me feel a bit nostalgic. Just yesterday she was my baby, happily toddling after her older brother and sister. A naturally joyful person, she was just as excited about a trip to the grocery store as a trip to the zoo, so she transformed our boring chores into adventures just by her presence. And now she is this big kid -- a total extrovert who loves making slime and turning cartwheels.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDLw2bhrbjn4hNy6M3zFdynfO5nenA_zIpJIwxCAP2rhZxWMcaFz0T0Mc5eRP3rv17jfXnNWYlpokqfK0qWfUH8wqRDo-bca4tJDMyVkq6MtFxPDuN9XMu_7HOfKokjs4Fbrdx7zdo8Ec/s1600/Maya+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDLw2bhrbjn4hNy6M3zFdynfO5nenA_zIpJIwxCAP2rhZxWMcaFz0T0Mc5eRP3rv17jfXnNWYlpokqfK0qWfUH8wqRDo-bca4tJDMyVkq6MtFxPDuN9XMu_7HOfKokjs4Fbrdx7zdo8Ec/s320/Maya+9.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes Maya’s birthday is just a regular day. Every once in a while it falls on Ash Wednesday (which makes celebrating a little hard). This year, it’s on Shrove Tuesday, which is perfect for her! Because Maya is our pancake fairy.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In our house, whenever we find ourselves with a free Saturday morning, Maya and I make pancakes. We work side by side, laughing and sniffing and tasting -- and sometimes pretending we are competing on a Chopped championship. Often there is a mystery ingredient or two -- cranberries or pumpkin puree or apples. Then we gather everyone for the meal and the wild rumpus begins. Fruit and syrup and whipped cream go on the lazy susan in the middle and we spin it around madly, competing to see who can create the more beautiful and delicious concoction. Or, more realistically, who can create the highest mountain of whipped cream. Even our cat, Mookie gets into the fun -- he comes running when he hears the sound of the whipped cream and gets a little taste.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is something holy in the way that plain ingredients, like pancake mix and milk and eggs, can be transformed into something so full of joy and connection. The seemingly ordinary is changed into something extraordinary. And it isn’t just the addition of syrup and whipped cream, although those are delightful. It’s also Maya’s increasing independence and creativity in the kitchen. And the family time around the table. The rare and lovely laziness of a morning together, a wide open piece of the day when anything still seems possible and no one is hurried or grouchy. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so it seems very fitting to have pancakes for dinner -- AT CHURCH -- on Shrove Tuesday. It is like an affirmation of my experience of the sanctity of pancake-eating. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I give that background so you’ll understand why when I came to our readings for today pancakes struck me as a perfect metaphor for the transfiguration of Moses and Jesus. The ordinary turned extraordinary.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During Moses’ mountaintop experience from our Old Testament reading, Moses is no longer the reluctant and sometimes grouchy leader of the exiled Israelites, but shines like the sun. There can be no doubt that he is God’s Chosen Prophet and Lawgiver.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHG3qZ4di6LJy-hX9WqLrPzCBx9RIMCIWD771WxH1LPHsZ2qQEPw9hBfn2x4zHIbrIsGo2tY5xoa7F9M5PQzA__kMDnFdlnG-q6c6OLZrAWcm3l97oDns90CQDMPp5kBXRQFk4SVF385Y/s1600/Moses+face+shining.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="395" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHG3qZ4di6LJy-hX9WqLrPzCBx9RIMCIWD771WxH1LPHsZ2qQEPw9hBfn2x4zHIbrIsGo2tY5xoa7F9M5PQzA__kMDnFdlnG-q6c6OLZrAWcm3l97oDns90CQDMPp5kBXRQFk4SVF385Y/s320/Moses+face+shining.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And during Jesus’ mountaintop experience from our Gospel reading, Jesus is no longer seen as a wise and challenging human leader. The glory of God his Father shines from his very being.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistrmtOttHzSgge0FQ67cUVfdVCm_fZWjORDQiMxoL8yrYmlcxBMiH0T8C8fg34w5Z3EkYmDzMjj5qs5bd_-4qWlFzScyrp6iN22StKRLjRq3FPsQ9jwBr4ydmCKktUbhEV82r9BLH1Sw/s1600/transfiguration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1492" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistrmtOttHzSgge0FQ67cUVfdVCm_fZWjORDQiMxoL8yrYmlcxBMiH0T8C8fg34w5Z3EkYmDzMjj5qs5bd_-4qWlFzScyrp6iN22StKRLjRq3FPsQ9jwBr4ydmCKktUbhEV82r9BLH1Sw/s320/transfiguration.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Moses and Jesus experience God and are transfigured. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But then I realized that Jesus hadn’t actually changed in this encounter at all – he was divine all along; he was the beloved Son of God all along. To him, this gathering on the mountaintop was just a chat with his dad. What really changed in this story was the disciples. The way they saw Jesus and the way they now understood themselves and their mission. In that thin space on the mountaintop, they got a little glimpse of what had actually been there all along -- a glimpse of the light that is always shining in the darkness. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And it was similar with Moses. He’d been talking to God for ages before this moment. He’d heard God in the burning bush, been getting daily directions from God as he led the people into the Promised Land. This wasn’t a change for Moses as much as it was for the people traveling with him, who at that moment perhaps finally realized that Moses wasn’t a nagging rule-giver but an example of what it might mean to live into their covenant with their relational God. In that thin space on the mountaintop, they got a glimpse of what had actually been there all along -- and a glimpse of what was possible for them too.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe these stories aren’t just about the transfiguration of Moses and Jesus, but are invitations to us to be transfigured by the thin spaces all around us. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe WE are the pancakes! We are the ones living our ordinary ingredient lives when suddenly, every once in a while, we get a glimpse of the ultimate glory. This is what we were made for! This is what it means to be truly alive!</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s interesting to watch what happens to Peter, James and John in the span of just a few minutes during their mountaintop experience. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First, surprise. They see Jesus’ shining face and glowing clothes and they are stunned. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Next, an attempt to control and capture the situation. “Lord, let us build you all houses” so you can stay RIGHT HERE with us forever. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then they hear God’s voice and they are filled with fear. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think we can all relate to all of those emotions.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But then God incarnate touches them and tells them not to fear. And so they rise, shaky but renewed and ready for the work ahead. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is time to take their transfigured selves back down the mountain and reenter the world. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My guess is that when the disciples went back down that mountain with Jesus, their faces were shining too. They’d discovered a whole new way of looking at Jesus, at God, at themselves. A whole new way of living in the world. And now they understood, even if just for a moment, their call to reflect the light of God in the world around them.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now what about us? </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Every Sunday right here in this place we have opportunities to look beyond what we </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">think</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is real into something even more Real – opportunities to get a glimpse into the reality of God. We open this book to hear scripture read and are invited to enter into the story of God that is still speaking, still inspiring. We shake hands with friends and strangers – just regular people - during the Peace, and become connected to each other as the Body of Christ. We eat regular bread and drink regular wine at this table and somehow Christ is present among and within us. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And then we are dismissed into the world, encouraged to go out and love and serve the Lord. And hopefully, because of our experiences in here, when we go out our faces are shining too.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But it isn’t only in here that we are exposed to God’s Reality. Thomas Merton, Trappist Monk and spiritual writer, wrote about an experience he had in Louisville, Kentucky, on March 18, 1958. It was an ordinary day and ordinary people were going about their ordinary business. But for some reason it suddenly all changed for him. As he described it:</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all these people, that they were mine and I theirs, ... even though we were total strangers. It was as if I suddenly saw the secret beauty of their hearts, ... the core of their reality, the person that each one is in God’s eyes. If only they could all see themselves as they really are. If only we could see each other that way all the time. There would be no more war, no more hatred, no more cruelty, no more greed. [It] was such a relief and such a joy to me that I almost laughed out loud. . . . It was like waking from a dream.... I have the immense joy of being human, a member of a race in which God became incarnate. [I]f only everybody could realize this! But it cannot be explained. There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun.”</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMa4tovrHj96yHzndgsJ7BsVNOwI_52Y2k7FPQ3LUeJZ5IML4WWi99UEv8TXalmvj7YGTFTFdX0I6rJ7sTamIRF2zJzc8ECuUWqj0diXApPRYNhqiVCdgpLZ9lRPyr-SjTjVLERPMorEs/s1600/people+shining.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMa4tovrHj96yHzndgsJ7BsVNOwI_52Y2k7FPQ3LUeJZ5IML4WWi99UEv8TXalmvj7YGTFTFdX0I6rJ7sTamIRF2zJzc8ECuUWqj0diXApPRYNhqiVCdgpLZ9lRPyr-SjTjVLERPMorEs/s320/people+shining.jpg" width="215" /></span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What if when we head out of this place today, we look at the people around us, and ourselves too, as we all are in God’s eyes -- vulnerable and flawed and broken, and also incredibly beloved and shining like the sun. What if we open our eyes to the glory of God that shines even in the darkness and allow it to transfigure us? Amen.</span></div>
Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-64448855395687504782019-02-10T10:30:00.001-08:002019-02-10T10:30:16.649-08:00Catching fish, one at a timeFebruary 10, 2019<br />
Luke 5:1-11<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This week I went to Arizona to be with my aunt to celebrate the life of my uncle who died recently. It was a wonderful gathering of family with everyone sharing their favorite stories. My favorite was one I’d never heard about how Aunt Shirley and Uncle Dick met. He was a Marine stationed in Southern California with one week left to go before he moved to Washington State for a new job. And she was a college student just about to return to the University of Colorado after being home for the summer. And one day they were both invited by friends to a party on the beach. They met and fell in love and three months later they were engaged. And the rest is history.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVaRL9RpTqUd7j1nt-chyphenhyphenW5BDAs_eVpOmZR1-CmMGMgIfgJNPXmkBpkxtRUjnC4ePOIuzUztbxyG2CHjy2T_OFvOjriAUGcA-aFILbllFeip1KutJJlrkGK78xJReLAsJg-aNils0NqCw/s1600/shirley+%2526+dick.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1546" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVaRL9RpTqUd7j1nt-chyphenhyphenW5BDAs_eVpOmZR1-CmMGMgIfgJNPXmkBpkxtRUjnC4ePOIuzUztbxyG2CHjy2T_OFvOjriAUGcA-aFILbllFeip1KutJJlrkGK78xJReLAsJg-aNils0NqCw/s320/shirley+%2526+dick.JPG" width="309" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This story gave me a new lens for looking at my aunt and uncle's marriage. But even while I love their story, I can’t really relate to it. My husband and my origin story wasn’t quite so neat. We met and dated and moved and broke up and kept in touch and moved again and dated again and only after a whole lot of years and an agony of decision-making did we decide to get married. I couldn’t imagine making that kind of sudden and quick decision that could change my life that my aunt and uncle made.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpamJXfbNHe2hufje_iSKHYG0hgUBEk4uHu62yaGlUsnmTnOVd_Gmf5ZqBl8bLV1SK9tZdioBIlzaaq8a9pL-LOSLUHFyCRX0gRVjubpuInSBavoZp9HVstIUY6uMUD06OKWa0_kRdz4A/s1600/Wedding+E%253AH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpamJXfbNHe2hufje_iSKHYG0hgUBEk4uHu62yaGlUsnmTnOVd_Gmf5ZqBl8bLV1SK9tZdioBIlzaaq8a9pL-LOSLUHFyCRX0gRVjubpuInSBavoZp9HVstIUY6uMUD06OKWa0_kRdz4A/s320/Wedding+E%253AH.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>For that same reason I have trouble with the call stories that we get in the Bible. People are always meeting Jesus one minute, and the next minute they are ready to drop everything and follow him. Friends, family, livelihood — boom — they make this big decision and then they’re off and running and they never look back. It all seems so unrealistic.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8XKGkZyrRe7dOoPyX78FnZBk1igfiLcNoREvtG8fU8eo7R9ridsWbIZ9mbVBH5Kpd-YXWMof0FeARd9Gi6Dfewh8RJwoKas-LpvPnwnY3zTEf0OxEtL17tODVEO0wVu7gPXPawsHx5M/s1600/follow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1600" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8XKGkZyrRe7dOoPyX78FnZBk1igfiLcNoREvtG8fU8eo7R9ridsWbIZ9mbVBH5Kpd-YXWMof0FeARd9Gi6Dfewh8RJwoKas-LpvPnwnY3zTEf0OxEtL17tODVEO0wVu7gPXPawsHx5M/s320/follow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Sometimes I wonder -- where are the regular people? People like me that have trouble making big decisions, people that want to stop and ask questions, people that need to mull things over for a while, people that might only be ready for a small step, people that keep messing up and having to try again. <br />
So that’s where I started with our Gospel story for today,. I just couldn’t relate.<br />
Today we join Simon out at the lakeshore. Out where Simon does his work and earns his livelihood, catching fish to sell at the market. Just an ordinary person in an ordinary place on an ordinary day. And suddenly Jesus shows up and steps into Simon’s boat and asks Simon to put the boat out a little way from the shore. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5GmxOwXETTxvJ5dMXa0m-V2ISotS0rarbVLjbQTcZsnsymvt3NwjDNcjDEwTecLq6o4UJDJizr0REmvgEswJrKv49tV01SnYwIlBQU2Mf1TsQdC3Fj8M2K4FFD1WocG-fLK_0J67LsE/s1600/shore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5GmxOwXETTxvJ5dMXa0m-V2ISotS0rarbVLjbQTcZsnsymvt3NwjDNcjDEwTecLq6o4UJDJizr0REmvgEswJrKv49tV01SnYwIlBQU2Mf1TsQdC3Fj8M2K4FFD1WocG-fLK_0J67LsE/s320/shore.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
But the shallow end is where we begin the adventure with Jesus, not where we finish. And so Jesus urges Simon to push out into deeper water. Deep water is where we have to go to get what God has for us -- deep water is where the increase is. Jesus is asking Simon to take a risk -- to leave what is comfortable. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkluNOVpfE60jXicp4qFYrDJ72WzdWBTM-0k7bxpWyNWP6LrdnG4_ah3iHydVfr7WJNiFW4BDQAhvFfxU3V14hH8DM1BL2dL29qVXL20RfNQnhbVD6RHPFx-ialDkww7m3eNsIep3Ai8/s1600/deep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="1000" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkluNOVpfE60jXicp4qFYrDJ72WzdWBTM-0k7bxpWyNWP6LrdnG4_ah3iHydVfr7WJNiFW4BDQAhvFfxU3V14hH8DM1BL2dL29qVXL20RfNQnhbVD6RHPFx-ialDkww7m3eNsIep3Ai8/s320/deep.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>And then Jesus asks Simon to let down his nets for a catch.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This is when Jesus gets a touch of push back from Simon: “We have worked all night long but have caught nothing.” But then, hardly missing a beat, Simon reconsiders: “Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.”<br />
Simon could have said no. He was an exhausted fisherman who had been out all night. He was an expert at his trade being told how to catch fish by a carpenter. He could have insisted that he was right and capable, kept his net clean, rowed his boat back to shore. <br />
But of course he didn’t. (Because what kind of story would that be?) <br />
Simon puts down his nets. <br />
It seems like a small thing. And yet it’s everything. A willingness to risk. A willingness to obey when it doesn’t make sense. A willingness to get involved in the work of God.<br />
And, of course, it turns into a miracle.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEdi_n6x0KCLVc1-n68uv47SGoEGzPvnHwMIF3YnZz6WVl6lC9V4aIDcSEcWWuWhyphenhyphenZjP_RazrThTZFL2puetYGBqeSeRuiKC4aC4cUxZNsCEDULMTrTyIOHvQ0izDZsFsYsjfp2Lk80I/s1600/fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="272" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEdi_n6x0KCLVc1-n68uv47SGoEGzPvnHwMIF3YnZz6WVl6lC9V4aIDcSEcWWuWhyphenhyphenZjP_RazrThTZFL2puetYGBqeSeRuiKC4aC4cUxZNsCEDULMTrTyIOHvQ0izDZsFsYsjfp2Lk80I/s320/fish.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
It’s a miracle of fish, sure -- so many fish that Simon’s nets begin to break. So many fish that they don’t fit on Simon’s boat and he has to call for another boat to come help haul them in. So many fish that those two boats begin to sink.<br />
But the miracle isn’t really about the fish. The crazy catch of fish was just a glimpse of what was possible for Simon. The abundance that was possible even when Simon thought there was nothing but failure and scarcity. The new of life that was possible for someone who thought his life was set and determined by the norms and constrictions of society. <br />
This miracle makes Simon leave everything and follow Jesus.<br />
And the rest is history.<br />
And that’s great. Great for Simon. Great for Jesus. Great for the Church. A great end to the story.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLd7iCxPx_TKy-PFW373o-bbsnZSv_fVwj0Sa01p6urnDA1PLSDAx_lhxxB_SWtpolT-WD6ZR3u2ZeUBMxjn7Fp49cKRQbzxia2CQOar3MvvT_-MgA3ghI3b_2O1QKA6nq8IEJbeESSQ/s1600/icon+peter.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLd7iCxPx_TKy-PFW373o-bbsnZSv_fVwj0Sa01p6urnDA1PLSDAx_lhxxB_SWtpolT-WD6ZR3u2ZeUBMxjn7Fp49cKRQbzxia2CQOar3MvvT_-MgA3ghI3b_2O1QKA6nq8IEJbeESSQ/s1600/icon+peter.jpeg" /></a></div>
But I can’t relate to it.<br />
Because that’s not how my faith journey has worked. I’m a cradle Episcopalian with a life full of times when I’ve felt close to God and felt God’s presence and inspiration to varying degrees, and also a life full of times when I’ve felt far from God and had doubts about the whole thing. I don’t have one Big moment, I have lots of moments, most of which wouldn’t sound like anything if I told you about them. And I haven’t ever had to LEAVE anything to follow Jesus, other than leaving life in the law firm (that didn’t suit me to begin with) to go to seminary and into a vocation that I love, and that hardly felt like a hardship.<br />
And so I found myself feeling distant from Simon’s story and not sure what to do with it.<br />
But then, I thought back to my aunt and uncle. I was struck by the story of how they met because it seemed so magical and dramatic. And it is a great story. But it was only one small piece at the beginning of a much bigger and better story. The real story was what a team Aunt Shirley and Uncle Dick had been for more than 60 years.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FHOFMv9Fj0YW95uXIwbGzvu-ZfY3jkhxJP-rJzPtDGtjs5zxI9UU9ZBZc0xhp5dQl-vQDpKfNonMpUUcn2dElj7qHunfJ5Fo8UgpV5nqSIZO5WWgn_OLnJHEcM41TY9I4vcmcvagxQg/s1600/S+%2526+D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FHOFMv9Fj0YW95uXIwbGzvu-ZfY3jkhxJP-rJzPtDGtjs5zxI9UU9ZBZc0xhp5dQl-vQDpKfNonMpUUcn2dElj7qHunfJ5Fo8UgpV5nqSIZO5WWgn_OLnJHEcM41TY9I4vcmcvagxQg/s320/S+%2526+D.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
They’d raised a family, accumulated life-long friends, pursued interests, and gone on amazing vacations. But they’d also moved a dozen times, lost jobs and changed careers, lost a child in a heartbreaking death, and seen each other through sickness and old age. And somehow through all of their ups and downs they kept making the mundane, ordinary, day-in/day-out decisions that kept them together for more than 60 years. And every one of those decisions, most too small to remember, contributed to making them the team that they were. What was remarkable wasn’t that one story of how they met, good as it was, but the lifetime that followed.<br />
And from that perspective, I think the same is true for Simon. This story about Simon dropping his nets into the water and then leaving everything to follow Jesus -- it’s a great story. It’s an important story of Simon becoming a disciple and starting down the road of faith. But it’s only one small piece of a much bigger and better story that has all kinds of ups and downs, ins and outs. <br />
Simon will walk on water, and be present at Jesus’ transfiguration, and be the first to name Jesus as Messiah, and be the rock on whom the early Church was built. <br />
And Simon will also rebuke Jesus when he talks about his death, and fall asleep when Jesus is desperately praying before he gets arrested, and deny Jesus 3 times at his end, and finally be crucified himself. <br />
The story of Simon’s faith started long before that day when he put down his nets into the deep water -- and it continued for a lifetime. <br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>And I think the same is true for us too. There doesn’t need to be one moment that defines any of us in our relationship with Jesus. Certainly there is no moment that is the end of our story, or the end of what is possible for our lives in God. Every moment is an opportunity to become the people we are created to be. Every moment is an opportunity to follow Jesus more closely. Each of us are a work in progress, invited to encounter the living God every step of the way.<br />
Amen.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-72904834823227597272019-01-13T12:59:00.004-08:002019-01-13T13:01:17.680-08:00Swimming Through the Danger Zone<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Baptism of Jesus</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">January 13, 2019</span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-c4cab5d3-7fff-14c7-1b62-7bb809c824fb" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
</span></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After Christmas my family spent some time at the beach in Florida. It’s the same Atlantic Ocean that we swim in every summer in Delaware when we do our family trip to Bethany Beach, but it looked and felt surprisingly different. Warmer, which was a nice surprise for January. But also much less predictable. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At Bethany, I’m used to one wave coming at a time. Sometimes the wave is big and scary, and sometimes it’s small and harmless. But either way, it usually breaks in about the same place and so I know how to prepare myself for it. My normal beach practice is to swim out past the breaking point and just float around relaxed, bobbing over the waves before they turn strong and unpredictable. Of course, there is always a danger zone I have to go through to get to that relaxed place -- a few yards where being swooped by a wave is possible -- but once I get through the danger point, I know I’ll be okay. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But in Florida, at least while we were there, it was completely different. There were all kinds of waves breaking all over the place all the time. I couldn’t predict where the danger of being swooped was, and there was no assurance that any amount of swimming would get me past the waves to a calm place. It </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">all</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> felt like danger zone. Now, I’m a firm believer that </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">some</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> fear of the ocean is a good thing, but this uncertainty made me more uncomfortable than I would have expected. I felt vulnerable - for myself and for my kids - and found myself feeling a little paralyzed.</span></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And it occured to me as I came to this realization about my preferred beach-swimming habits that maybe this was actually a metaphor for my preferred life-living habits as well. I would rather know in advance what lies ahead. I’d rather be able to predict how big and forceful the next wave in life is going to be and have a solid idea about when and where it is going to hit. And ideally, I’d prefer to endure risk and pain for just a defined amount of time only as necessary to swim out past it to an assurance of safety and security. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe most of us would prefer those things. I can’t imagine I’m alone in that. But unless we are very young or very lucky, I think we have all experienced that life often doesn’t work that way. No matter how well-intentioned or well-organized we are, that danger zone is always a real and present possibility. Big waves of life hit us unexpectedly and we don’t know how long they’ll last or whether they’ll swoop us under. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In our Old Testament reading, the prophet Isaiah addresses folks who have been completely swooped by waves of life they had not seen coming. The people of Israel have been conquered by the Babylonians and thrown into exile far from all they know and hold dear. And they can’t seem to swim their way out of the danger zone. They are on the precipice of extinction. They feel abandoned by God and fearful for their future. Their faith is threadbare.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And in the midst this desperate and impossible situation, hear God’s promise to them: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you. … You are precious in my sight and honored, and I love you. … Do not fear, for I am with you.” These are words of comfort and hope - a reminder to the exiles that their identity as God’s people is greater than their sins and defeat. A reminder that God’s presence with them isn’t dependant upon smooth waters.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And our Gospel reading holds a remarkably similar promise from God, this one spoken to Jesus. Jesus has been baptized with a crowd of people -- he has been dunked right alongside people who have, like all of us, been damaged and disappointed and worn out by the world. And then comes this voice from heaven: “You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.” But rather than getting to bask in this beautiful promise, Jesus is led almost immediately into the desert wilderness of temptation and testing. And into years of ministry where he is doubted and undermined by friend and foe alike. Jesus, like us, wrestles with uncertainty and fear. He, struggles to be at peace with the path that lies ahead. He is rejected and deserted. He suffers and dies. But these words of God are always there, echoing through his very being, sustaining and strengthening him with every new wave that pummels him.</span></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Israelites weren’t exempt from suffering even though they were God’s chosen people. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jesus wasn’t exempt from suffering by being God’s only begotten Son, or by his baptism with those beautiful words from the heavens. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And we aren’t exempt either, by our faith or by our baptisms. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The unfortunate truth is that God’s faithful people are just as likely to be battered by waves crashing around them as anyone else. We don’t get a promise that bad things won’t happen. We don’t get any certainty about what lies ahead. We aren’t assured a happily ever after. And yet here we are. In this moment. Now is the moment we have, and all of life is somehow contained in it -- no matter what comes next. And so our challenge is not to </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">avoid</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> the waves, thinking that we can somehow steer clear of hardship. The challenge isn’t even to </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">endure</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> as we wait for them to pass. Instead, the challenge is to </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">participate</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in this moment, learn how to live fully and authentically into this moment.</span></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Which brings us, I think, to this baptismal font. The water in here may look calm and harmless, but don’t be fooled. This is the water that moved over the deep at creation. This is the water that flooded the earth before making all things new. This is the water Moses led slaves through into freedom. This is the water of Jesus’ baptism and it is the water of our baptisms. And it may not look it, but this is deep water — we can't just dip our toes (or our foreheads) in. We have to take a deep breath and plunge in. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Because the life that we are called into through this water is no calm and harmless identity. We are to be the light of God shining in a world that is too full of darkness. To be voices of truth ringing out in a world that is too full of confusion. To be comforters reaching out in a world too full of pain. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And we can live into our identities in any given moment precisely because this is the water that shows just how far God will go be with us. This is the water through which we are claimed as God’s beloved sons and daughters. And this is the water through which we know ourselves to be people that never swim alone. Amen.</span></div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-52121209160639289482018-12-24T02:37:00.000-08:002018-12-24T02:37:02.999-08:00Singing Mary's Song<b>December 23, 2018</b><br />
<b>Luke 1:39-55</b><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I’m generally the first to arrive in the office on weekday mornings. In fact, in the winter darkness lately, I’ve been picking my outfits by the light of my cell phone and tiptoeing out of the house in the semi-darkness so as not to wake up my kids. There are some downsides to this. Like, one day last week I arrived to find there was paint all over my sweater. But most of the time, the benefits are greater. Most importantly, I get to be present with my kids after school -- but also I fly down the GW Parkway with no traffic and nothing but green lights in Old Town, and arrive to limitless parking options and uncanny quiet in the office. I’ve grown to love the office at that hour. There is something sort of sacred about the quiet darkness. <br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>On Monday this week, I began my day as usual. I made my way here as the sun rose over the river and got situated in my office. Since I was on to preach today, I took the opportunity of quiet to start looking at today’s readings. So far, a fairly normal morning. But then, all of a sudden, I heard a beautiful woman’s voice singing. I can’t do the tune or her voice justice, so I won’t try to sing it, but her words were: “Bless these bags and these children. Keep them warm, keep them safe. For in this world they have no voice.” At first, I was confused, but then I realized it was the day that the massive collection of Angel Tree presents this congregation had donated were being moved by truckload from the Church to be delivered. Before long the office would be full of helpful people hauling bikes and moving bags and boxes. But until then, the song was a beautiful blessing over the presents; one woman’s prayer for all those who would receive the gifts so many in this parish had bought and organized and wrapped. I’m not even sure who it was singing because I was afraid that if I came out or made any noise, the beautiful song would stop. And I knew how much this blessing was probably needed by the people who would receive these gifts, and so I just listened and added my prayers to hers.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It would have been a gift to overhear this song anytime, but it was especially haunting because the beauty and hope of the singing echoed what I had been in the middle of reading -- the Song of Mary, commonly known as the Magnificat from the Latin version of its first line (“My soul magnifies the Lord”). This is the piece which we read a few minutes ago in the place of a psalm and which also directly follows the chunk from Luke’s gospel that we just heard. <br />
Newly pregnant Mary has arrived at her cousin Elizabeth’s house, and Elizabeth’s child (soon to be known to the world as John the Baptist) leaps for joy in her womb. Elizabeth blesses Mary, and Mary responds with this ancient song of praise. A song that is wild and impossible.<br />
Just consider the singer. The one singing about how the Mighty One has done great things for her is a young, unmarried woman. A nobody from a small town. She is poor and powerless. And that’s all true before she becomes pregnant. With this growing addition, she isn’t only on the margins of society. Now she could be stoned as an adulteress, or at the very least, deserted by family and friends and all of decent society and left with nothing, forced into who-knows-what kind of life to support herself and her child. Her vulnerability is almost unfathomable in our society. You would expect nothing but confusion and fear from someone like Mary. <br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Here’s how Frederick Buechner imagines Mary, through the eyes of the angel Gabriel: "She struck him as hardly old enough to have a child at all, let alone this child. But the angel had been entrusted with a message to give her, and he gave it. He told her what the child was to be named, who he was to be, and something about the mystery that was to come upon her. ’You mustn’t be afraid, Mary,’ he said. As he said it, he only hoped she wouldn’t notice that beneath the great golden wings, he himself was trembling with fear to think that the whole future of Creation hung on the answer of this girl." <br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How could she be God’s choice for such a crucial role? Yet Mary, who has nothing -- no money, no power, no safety, no assurance of future -- finds the courage to sing about how blessed she is by God. Mary sings of her spirit rejoicing when her entire world -- all that she is and all that she’s known -- has been undone and teeters on the brink because of this pregnancy. She has no idea what will become of this baby or herself. And yet she sings.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>And she doesn’t sing sweetly, demurely, calmly. At least I doubt it. I’m betting Mary sings with her jaws clenched and her nails digging into her palms. This is Mary’s fight song. And it is stunning.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>We tend to picture Mary as a meek, blue clad Mona Lisa. But in reality, Mary is a revolutionary figure. The Magnificat has actually been banned by oppressive governments because of it’s dangerous and subversive lyrics. Because Mary sings not just for herself, but for all people everywhere who need to hear that our God is making a way where there is no way. The oppressed and the powerless, the enslaved and the imprisoned, the dying and those who mourn, the homeless and the hopeless. Mary gives a voice to the voiceless, shines a light in all of the dark places of our hearts, our lives, our communities, our world. Mary sings of a world transformed -- the proud scattered, the powerful brought down from their thrones, the rich sent away empty. This is a song about God showing up in the margins and turning the world upside down. <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Now, granted, it wouldn’t seem like there was a lot of evidence of this for someone like Mary to be comforted by. Her reality was entirely different from the song she sings. Her people lived under the brute force of Rome, too fearful to challenge their heavy oppressors. And her local religious culture was dominated by rules of status and hierarchy that excluded someone like her. It’s hard to believe she could even imagine the kind of hope and promise that she sings about.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>And yet, Mary’s song is sung in the past tense. She speaks about God’s promised reversals as if they have already happened -- as if the world has already been righted and restored. Her vision of what was possible with God was so powerful, so rooted in hope, that she could already smell and touch and taste it.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Even though everything around her screams to the contrary, somehow in this moment, Mary is able to see the world as God dreams it, all creation reconciled, the paths made straight, no more crying, no more fear. In this moment Mary knows that the Dream of God is a certain reality that has already begun unfolding, and that the world is rife with hope and possibility. God is already at work; the revolution has already begun. And Mary is confident that she is part of it, as inconsequential as the world might consider her. <br />
<br />
And so, this improbable girl who made space for the spaceless One belts out her own participation in God’s work in the world. She isn’t a passive vessel - she is the Theotokos, the God Bearer. She has found her voice and her connection to the larger story of God. She predicts -- and rightly so -- that all generations will call her blessed for her part in the great mystery of the Incarnation. <br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>So what about us? How can we claim Mary’s hope, imagining the world already unfolding into the Dream of God? And how can we, like Mary, know our ordinary selves to be God-bearers like Mary, called to participate in the transformation? What will our song be?<br />
<br />Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-44248049735734137772018-12-12T11:29:00.002-08:002018-12-12T11:38:00.541-08:00Ode to Thomas Merton, patron saint of people like me<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">December 12, 2018</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wednesday Eucharist</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thomas Merton (December 10)</span></h3>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-f967b3d0-7fff-4dcb-6ad8-99e7bc4e2730"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-f967b3d0-7fff-4dcb-6ad8-99e7bc4e2730"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I feel like I won the lottery this week!</span></span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-f967b3d0-7fff-4dcb-6ad8-99e7bc4e2730">
</span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-f967b3d0-7fff-4dcb-6ad8-99e7bc4e2730"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes when I’m on to preach for a Wednesday Eucharist I go looking at the possible saints to choose from and am not terribly inspired. Sometimes they are people I haven’t heard of, or people whose saintliness feels like a bit of a stretch, or people so far in the past that I have trouble relating to them. (Though I should admit -- thanks be to God -- that even in those weeks I do end up finding some nugget that speaks to me and inspires me, so the exercise is not in vain.)</span></span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-f967b3d0-7fff-4dcb-6ad8-99e7bc4e2730">
</span>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-f967b3d0-7fff-4dcb-6ad8-99e7bc4e2730"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But not this week. This week there was no question in my mind who to choose.</span></span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-f967b3d0-7fff-4dcb-6ad8-99e7bc4e2730">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thomas Merton, of course! Blessedly, his feast day was December 10, making my preaching gig today a piece of cake. Thomas Merton, if you haven’t heard of him (which I would have trouble believing) was a 20th Century Trappist monk and one of the most-influential spiritual writers of recent times.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are two pieces of Merton’s writings that rank on my Top 10 or 20 List of spiritual pieces that have impacted my life. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first is a prayer he wrote that has got to be the prayer of choice for all sincere but confused and befuddled people everywhere. This prayer is what makes Merton the patron saint of all people who are terrible at making decisions, of whom I am queen. I keep thinking it would be a great spiritual practice to wake up everyday and say this prayer. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today I invite you to close your eyes and bring to mind:</span></div>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some decision you are having trouble making. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Or maybe one you’ve already made and acted on but just can’t find peace with. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe there’s something that has been confusing you or causing you trouble. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Or something you’ve been trying so hard at and just can’t get right. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe a situation or a person that you don’t understand. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whatever this piece of your life that comes to mind, hold that in mind for this prayer:</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">O Lord God, </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have no idea where I am going, </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I do not see the road ahead of me, </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I cannot know for certain where it will end. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nor do I really know myself, </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And that fact that I think </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am following Your will </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Does not mean that I am actually doing so. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But I believe </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That the desire to please You </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Does in fact please You. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I hope I have that desire </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In all that I am doing. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I hope that I will never do anything </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Apart from that desire to please You. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I know that if I do this </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You will lead me by the right road, </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Though I may know nothing about it. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Therefore I will trust You always </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Though I may seem to be lost a</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">nd in the shadow of death. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I will not fear, </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For You are ever with me, </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And You will never leave me</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">T o make my journey alone. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Amen.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So much honesty there. And so much promise. That is my gift for you this day. (And I have copies to give you all on your way out, just in case you want to hang it up somewhere for future reference!)</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The second Merton writing that I highly recommend is more of a challenge for us, I think. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Again, I invite your imagination to help. This time, picture some busy place that you’ve been recently or are likely to find yourself today. Some place where you are surrounded by ordinary things, ordinary people. Maybe a school, or a mall, or your workplace, or a traffic light in Old Town.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That is just the kind of ordinary place where Merton was when he wrote this piece. It comes from an experience of his in Louisville, Kentucky, on March 18, 1958. It was an ordinary day and ordinary people were going about their ordinary business. But for some reason there was a moment for him when it all changed - when he was able to see it all differently. He writes:</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all these people, that they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was as if I suddenly saw the secret beauty of their hearts, the depths of their hearts where neither sin nor desire nor self-knowledge can reach, the core of their reality, the person that each one is in God’s eyes. If only they could all see themselves as they really are. If only we could see each other that way all the time. There would be no more war, no more hatred, no more cruelty, no more greed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">This sense of liberation from an illusory difference among us was such a relief and such a joy to me that I almost laughed out loud. . . . It was like waking from a dream of separateness and self-isolation. . . . I have the immense joy of being human, a member of a race in which God Himself became incarnate. As if the sorrows and stupidities of the human condition could overwhelm me, now that I realize what we all are! And if only everybody could realize this! But it cannot be explained. There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Apologies to Merton - I edited this somewhat for ease of hearing for my listeners.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe that is my challenge - to myself, and to you if you want to take it. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s realistic that we can all go around seeing each other shining like the sun all the time. I wish we could. But I almost think it would be enough if for just one moment every day we tried. What if today while you are stuck in traffic, and tomorrow as you are riding on an elevator, and the next day as you push a cart down a grocery store aisle, and the next day as you watch your kid play basketball or sit in a board meeting or have a latte in Starbucks (or whatever ordinary place you find yourself among ordinary people), you try to look upon the people around you, and even yourself, as we are in God’s eyes -- vulnerable and flawed and broken, and also imperfect and incredibly beloved.
And so a gift, and a challenge. Not so bad for a ordinary old Wednesday!</span></div>
</div>
Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-66384403330655735632018-12-02T11:23:00.000-08:002018-12-02T11:25:42.718-08:00How is this Good News?<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">December 2, 2018</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Luke 21:25-36</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-a11316c5-7fff-5be5-7601-ceabae3fa0c5" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yikes.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A parishioner at my previous church used to talk about how sometimes she would hear some shocking reading, and then the priest would announce “The Gospel of the Lord!” and everyone would respond “Praise to you Lord Christ!” And she would just look around in disbelief at the people sitting there, apparently undisturbed by what they’d just heard. She said sometimes she wanted to shake us all and shout out “WHAT? How can that possibly be good news?” </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0Dh_8jXn8cPIJKQdp62ql6MznHVOMmPr6sZeU3N04sPbLhsJKk_SxRkifWjaMW2GfFDCV6l_wcCExjmImDzP5XV2VH8Mj2LSFryfxwUkVFAr2Nplo0BVwU5QY5XThyphenhyphenSwmyAuWCHT224/s1600/Shocked+baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="497" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0Dh_8jXn8cPIJKQdp62ql6MznHVOMmPr6sZeU3N04sPbLhsJKk_SxRkifWjaMW2GfFDCV6l_wcCExjmImDzP5XV2VH8Mj2LSFryfxwUkVFAr2Nplo0BVwU5QY5XThyphenhyphenSwmyAuWCHT224/s320/Shocked+baby.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m sure this would have been one of those readings.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here we are, minding our own business on this first weekend of Advent. We’re looking forward to Christmas, and getting ready for it. We are starting to be surrounded by beauty and celebration. The Scottish Christmas walk this weekend. Twinkling lights turning Old Town into a fairy world. Making pretty Advent wreaths to adorn our tables with candlelight. Starting to hear Christmas music on the radio.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And we come in here, expecting to hear some pretty story that will start us on the path to Christmas. Something that'll get us in the mood for the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHE7U1KRFk2PAewk-UKVoH6uVl-CNeEqe8lPJW5lfYTLJb-LTl79mhE_IWtR1HJcLOUmyH6lRI-rH31mGnvRFmWvwMHXsFSE-QrRVFe-wT9mYIiZHZ3N4-Pqseu-fDDHUuaCsh9OfGWbI/s1600/snowy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" data-original-height="175" data-original-width="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHE7U1KRFk2PAewk-UKVoH6uVl-CNeEqe8lPJW5lfYTLJb-LTl79mhE_IWtR1HJcLOUmyH6lRI-rH31mGnvRFmWvwMHXsFSE-QrRVFe-wT9mYIiZHZ3N4-Pqseu-fDDHUuaCsh9OfGWbI/s1600/snowy.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But rather than preceding Jesus’ birth, this reading takes place right before the plot to kill Jesus unfolds. And so instead of sweet baby Jesus in utero, we get stern adult Jesus talking about the earth being turned upside down and the heavens shaken. In place of an angel bringing “tidings of great joy,” we get the Son of Man coming in a cloud for the judgment day.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidL6Bt4ySPCbWsdTCiR9rnhcYk3xxaqLEebd4ql8u9v7-YZToqQVGoBE6r5Y5ZldxWEJtLMBARMJotkEObvY1SuofZpCImRi8Q-CVH5M1IwmCVjY7-BqLYvg0I4wBL72zYD-MCdi7L2g0/s1600/Jmt.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidL6Bt4ySPCbWsdTCiR9rnhcYk3xxaqLEebd4ql8u9v7-YZToqQVGoBE6r5Y5ZldxWEJtLMBARMJotkEObvY1SuofZpCImRi8Q-CVH5M1IwmCVjY7-BqLYvg0I4wBL72zYD-MCdi7L2g0/s320/Jmt.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This reading is not one of our childhood favorites. This isn’t fit for a Peanuts Christmas special but for some dystopian horror movie. This prickly gospel crashes headlong and unwelcome into the pleasure of the season, bringing doom and gloom and fear and foreboding. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“WHAT? How can that possibly be good news?” </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This reading rubs us raw, it stops us in our tracks. And maybe it hits too close to home.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Because we are surrounded by violence and hate, natural disasters, wars and injustice and poverty. Just this week the CDC reported another year of declining life expectancy due in part to the opioid epidemic increased suicide rates. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And it’s hard to believe this reading wouldn’t have hit just as close to home to the folks for whom it was originally written.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The followers of Jesus were suffering under Roman oppression and persecuted by both the empire and the Jewish rulers for whom this sect felt like a threat. Their lives were precarious and unstable. The doom and gloom that Jesus mentioned probably didn’t feel so far-fetched. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe our human brokenness is all too apparent in its own unique way in every age. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do we really need to be reminded of it?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We’d all like a softer passage, a gentler Jesus, thank you very much.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But maybe what we get is just what we need as we prepare ourselves to enter the mystery of Christmas. Maybe what we need isn’t more parties and shopping and lists. Maybe what we really need is to be shocked awake. To sharpen our expectations. To make space for Christ to be born in us and in the world. Maybe what we need is to have someone shake us and force us to ask: “WHAT? Where is the good news?”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Interestingly, this grim story from Luke’s Gospel comes directly after a conversation Jesus has with people remarking on the temple’s architecture and majesty. These people are raving about how the temple is “adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God.” </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1D2fTXzdoxJZz2iDd2-8D4vC_T2N164Ige9b7RHMkray-e_1lL86rnFr9hgNIBbqhVE_5AhqVCr9Hwr4n2fKAi3pSl6z9i9n-Lk5wR3tociQAbv9nqbgAFiwkfEm2QiVbdxF_pV97Q8/s1600/temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1D2fTXzdoxJZz2iDd2-8D4vC_T2N164Ige9b7RHMkray-e_1lL86rnFr9hgNIBbqhVE_5AhqVCr9Hwr4n2fKAi3pSl6z9i9n-Lk5wR3tociQAbv9nqbgAFiwkfEm2QiVbdxF_pV97Q8/s320/temple.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And Jesus predicts that it will all fall to pieces. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSoRbuFuJ801mXrGcU6XgUh29FfLyRazJgFsf3bHWQ9oC0bCzR28XffVV27mpOSHPQI5twxMN8s6jV6kb831fRy_M5Ii5p24urDqZlDw9wFPVUJiNwl69YyJCRKBp8jMQW8rs-r2regB8/s1600/temple2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSoRbuFuJ801mXrGcU6XgUh29FfLyRazJgFsf3bHWQ9oC0bCzR28XffVV27mpOSHPQI5twxMN8s6jV6kb831fRy_M5Ii5p24urDqZlDw9wFPVUJiNwl69YyJCRKBp8jMQW8rs-r2regB8/s1600/temple2.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The people are horrified: “Oh, no, how could this be?” Jesus thinks they are a little too concerned about the trappings of their faith - the building, their customs and traditions. And so, in this passage that we hear today, Jesus is warning them that the real risk has nothing to do with the external things, but with the substance of their faith - a faith they’ll need to get them through the hard times that are sure to surround them.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe we need that warning too. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I was in seminary, a national study about religious faith came out that horrified everyone in the church business. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBIxi3MzbeDasdbwMxXKOErCMbV-9n_SnQOIHwfe85BkrRrN7r9kkJCc0olaGFBXSfsEDbDs1Hhxk_z72dRKXGo7WdFq6FK5P3SbZsvjqaK9rgSEryS_ZPnQ93qiLGQZ0v3bquE11OyQ/s1600/soul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBIxi3MzbeDasdbwMxXKOErCMbV-9n_SnQOIHwfe85BkrRrN7r9kkJCc0olaGFBXSfsEDbDs1Hhxk_z72dRKXGo7WdFq6FK5P3SbZsvjqaK9rgSEryS_ZPnQ93qiLGQZ0v3bquE11OyQ/s1600/soul.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The study was focused on American teenagers. And the good news was that three out of four American teens claimed to be Christian and most were affiliated with a religious organization. The bad news was that their faith was fairly meaningless. Few of them thought faith mattered at all for their daily life. Almost none could articulate much at all about their faith that would distinguish it from any other religion. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ten years later, the study followed up with this same cohort of people, now no longer teenagers but adults. And not much had changed. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkSHxWnVh4dvH02c7s4PZV51Msa_kNTncGHc3ufjeG0SMEXGEeiiaLdXhfSwoFbxO3ysi8SKYoURxhaLQ-QAKBtKToUQgTEKws-UfKWDeCiryYb29MG0kizEN1tPwSav927KZRbmWFi4A/s1600/souls2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" data-original-height="177" data-original-width="128" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkSHxWnVh4dvH02c7s4PZV51Msa_kNTncGHc3ufjeG0SMEXGEeiiaLdXhfSwoFbxO3ysi8SKYoURxhaLQ-QAKBtKToUQgTEKws-UfKWDeCiryYb29MG0kizEN1tPwSav927KZRbmWFi4A/s320/souls2.jpg" width="231" /></span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">really</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> bad news, the part that indicts all of us, was the finding that they’re getting their belief system from the rest of us. The study found that the vast majority of teens mirror their parents’ religious faith, with other relatives, mentors and ministers being influential predictors as well. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The research team found that rather than Christianity, the religion the most of us seem to be practicing is what the study called “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They found 5 guiding beliefs of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism:</span></span></div>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A God exists who created and orders the world and watches over life on earth. </span></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God wants us to be good, nice and fair to each other. </span></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The central goal of life is to be happy and feel good about myself. </span></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God is not involved in my life except when I need God to resolve a problem. </span></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Good people go to heaven when they die.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span></li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In other words, Be nice, Feel good, and Leave God in the Background. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These studies sent shockwaves through the church world -- church people asking “Oh, no, how could this be?” But it’s hard to believe anyone paying attention could be very surprised. Moralistic Therapeutic Deism seems pretty much like what we see when we look around our individualistic, consumeristic, capitalist society. Be nice, feel good, and leave God loosely connected in the background - seems like a pretty fair description of mainstream religious faith. But, as the researchers pointed out, it isn’t Christianity. And, as Jesus points out, it won’t see us through the hard times that are sure to surround us.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If we leave God in the background, we miss the One who loves us with reckless abandon and breaks into our world and into our lives to make all things new.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If we aim only to be nice and feel good, we don’t hear the challenge to love our enemies, care for the vulnerable, see God in the stranger, live with courage and reject fear.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So while we might wish for a softer passage, maybe what we need is to be shocked into bolder faith and deeper commitment. To be reminded that Christianity calls us to live in a radical way as bright lights in a sea of darkness. To claim our faith as a source of our identity that leads us to follow Jesus into the world. To become partners with God in the advent of a new reality. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jesus tells the folks gathered around him that when they find themselves surrounded by disasters and mistreatment and violence, they should “Stand up and raise their heads, because their redemption is drawing near.” Or, as another translation puts it: “Up on your feet. Stand tall with your heads high. Help is on the way!”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At first glance this reading might make us what to yell out: “WHAT? How is this good news?” At first glance Jesus looks like an angry preacher in Times Square holding up a sign of judgment and screaming that “The End Is Near!” </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTaBOP8kjiUqgsBZCjhAE8PxqaVhRKY9IXTKXMDctrm5AX9Jm_nt8Sg94fnhxgTBXjV6uOkW5u0XUOR6NhZIzKN22MvYyPtUuYfYjEe1DQO3DG5YWdorW5gVh7zL7O_qvGY1lNMVIifj8/s1600/end.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="620" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTaBOP8kjiUqgsBZCjhAE8PxqaVhRKY9IXTKXMDctrm5AX9Jm_nt8Sg94fnhxgTBXjV6uOkW5u0XUOR6NhZIzKN22MvYyPtUuYfYjEe1DQO3DG5YWdorW5gVh7zL7O_qvGY1lNMVIifj8/s320/end.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But the closer we look the more we can see that this isn’t so much a word of judgment but a word of hope. This is our God-with-us. The one who comes to be among us; to be one of us. The one who walks with us even in the midst of disaster and suffering and pain. The one who promises: “The kingdom of God is all around you, even now!”</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwN3rK1Bb7LLwrBMSixbRZDErXaxGCLpwYahRGctAB1S-s6RejGqkpQ2MJPQ8h6wdALXYfvjZu6p9EZnoK8uEpviAG-Q3a9ZgawUQu9PXxyGyGngPmgUZr3wef9rrACvLLV1V__R0cI44/s1600/walking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1188" data-original-width="1517" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwN3rK1Bb7LLwrBMSixbRZDErXaxGCLpwYahRGctAB1S-s6RejGqkpQ2MJPQ8h6wdALXYfvjZu6p9EZnoK8uEpviAG-Q3a9ZgawUQu9PXxyGyGngPmgUZr3wef9rrACvLLV1V__R0cI44/s320/walking.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are being shaken awake by a God that wants to matter in our lives. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And that, my friends, is very good news indeed.</span></div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-26751352003220697942018-11-06T06:42:00.000-08:002018-11-06T06:44:48.004-08:00Dancing with the Saints<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">November 4, 2018</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Feast of All Saints</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="color: white;">John 11:43-44</span></b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Since we are celebrating the feast of All Saints, I have to admit that, despite having been surrounded by the mention of saints all my life in the Episcopal liturgy, I have a somewhat checkered past around the subject. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">For most of my life, the universe of sainthood felt pretty small and the idea a little dubious. I thought of saints as long-dead, super-duper, church approved people. People that I imagined always behaving perfectly – too perfectly. People that seemed more angelic than human. The kinds of people that churches are named after. Not people I could relate to, much less be. I didn’t see them as having much of anything to do with me and my faith, and I wasn’t ever comfortable with the idea of praying to or through them.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">After a few people that I loved died, the idea of saints began to feel a little more relatable, although still something far off. Now, I could imagine “saints” including my mom, and my grandparents, and dead people I’d heard about or known. Real people with foibles and flaws that had in some way exemplified Jesus’ teachings by the way they lived and loved. Saints were a special group of people that, if I lived well, I too might get to be part of after I died.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And then my family visited St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco. I’d taken a class in seminary with the leaders of the church and loved some of their creative ways of doing liturgy. But what ended up being most striking to me was the 3000 square foot icon on their huge ceiling that portrayed almost 100 saints dancing in a circle, with Jesus looming large among them as the Lord of the Dance. The saints included are children and adults, men and women. They range in historical age from Isaiah from the Old Testament to Desmond Tutu. And they range in orthodoxy too, from the expected (like Francis of Assisi) to the unexpected (like Ella Fitzgerald). There were plenty of Christians but also folks representing other religions – like Rumi the Sufi poet, and Anne Frank and Gandhi. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But the icon was more than a festive and theologically-surprising decoration. At several points in the service we gathered inside that portion of the church, surrounded by the circle of diverse saints, and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">we</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> danced in a circle, arms linked together, part and parcel of the collection of dancing saints. Like them, we were young and old, male and female, black and brown and white, in various stages and ranges of saintliness.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I realize that some people might find the vast range of people included in that icon to be a tad heretical. And yet I think that might have been the moment when I really started to believe that I am, we are, RIGHT NOW – at this moment and forever, part of the communion of saints. That was when I started to understand how Saints (whether with a big and small “S”) could be relevant to my faith and life. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Every week we talk about this idea of the “communion of saints.” It’s part of the Creed, and the Prayers of the People, and the eucharistic prayers. But mostly it had just floated by me, sounding distant and holy and other-worldly But suddenly I could hear it as a way of expressing not only our union with those who have gone before but also a way of living right now. The catechism in the back of our prayer book defines the communion of saints as “the whole family of God, the living and the dead, those whom we love and those whom we hurt, bound together in Christ by sacrament, prayer and praise.”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So the communion of saints isn’t limited to just the famous, church-recognized saints, or even the super well-behaved people. The communion of saints doesn’t just include all the folks that we’ve loved and lost – like our relatives and the parishioners that have died over the year that we’ll name in a few minutes. It includes those of us that are still kicking, whether our saintly qualities are obvious – like Desmond Tutu – or less obvious, like me. We are all part of the communion of saints! It isn’t something we look at from the outside but something we are living in the midst of.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">My youngest daughter is named after one of my favorite writers -- and saints (though not listed in any official list just yet) -- Maya Angelou -- helps me to think about what that might look like.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">I had the great joy of taking a class with Dr. Angelou, who was a professor at Wake Forest where I went to college. It was one of those classes that only seniors could get into, and only if we lucked out and drew a good number when it came time for class registration. Dr. Angelou only offered the class pass/fail, and all that was required was showing up. A couple dozen of us would sit and adore her as she told stories about her life, read from her books, recited poetry and broke out periodically in song. The last class was dinner at her home. We got to see photos of her with everyone wonderful you could imagine. We got to see her gorgeous collection of artwork. We got to see her mementos from life in exotic countries. I don’t remember much of what we ate or who else was there; I just remember how special it felt. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">She was larger than life, full of joy and beauty and wisdom. And she was really helpful at a formative time in my coming to a grown-up faith. She talked openly about her own faith and sang spiritual songs and referred to Bible stories. But she was also painfully honest about how hard she found it all. She said she never felt comfortable calling herself a Christian because it seemed like something she failed at every day.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And maybe that’s why Maya Angelou came to mind for me when I thought about how this communion of saints business might look for those of us still working on it “down here”. She confessed in an interview that she was always amazed when people say, “‘I’m a Christian.’ I always think, ‘Already? You’ve already got it? My goodness, you’re fast.’” “I’m working at trying to be a Christian and that’s serious business. It’s not something where you think, “Oh, I’ve got it done. I did it all day -- hot diggity.’ The truth is, all day long you try to do it, try to be it. And then in the evening, if you’re honest and have a little courage, you look at yourself and say, ‘Hmmm. I only blew it 86 times. Not bad.’ I’m trying to be a Christian.” </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Maybe it’s like I’m a mom and a wife and a daughter because I have kids and a spouse and parents even though my patience and love, my mothering and spousing and daughter-ing, is often imperfect…. And like I am a priest because I’m ordained even though I haven’t fully figured out my pastoral identity…. We are saints not because of our good deeds or because we can claim any kind of perfection, but because we belong to God. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">And because we are saints, we are called to participate -- to do God’s work in the piece of the world in which we find ourselves. God uses us flawed saints to do divine things.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And that’s where the miracle story from our Gospel comes in. This is the big daddy of Jesus’ miracles – raising Lazarus, who had been dead four days, to life again. This is the one that created tons of believers and the one that sets some people on their course to try to destroy Jesus. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But Jesus didn’t raise Lazarus alone. He called the crowd to participate. “Take away the stone,” Jesus commanded them, inviting them to begin the miracle by creating space for it. And then, Jesus said, “Unbind him,” instructing them to complete the miracle and make it visible to everyone. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That’s how it works. God is all around us doing incredible things - renewing and restoring, healing and forgiving. But God doesn’t do it alone. We are invited to become God’s partners in the Kingdom of God. To become part of making God’s vision, God’s promise, a reality. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Because God is in our midst, we are able to do the work of rolling away stones unbinding that is so clearly needed in the world around us. Because God’s light shines through us, we are able to shine as a light in the world to the glory of God. Because Jesus Christ is the Lord of the dance, we are able to hook arms and join in the divine circle.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-46159652067231728562018-10-17T04:25:00.000-07:002018-10-17T04:25:05.777-07:00Chipping Away<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">October 14, 2018</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">Mark 10:17-31</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-83b8d080-7fff-454e-d949-84b79882e800" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #999999;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">It feels odd to say this out loud, but lately I’ve been trying my hand at whittling. It started a few years back when my son was in Cub Scouts and got his whittling badge. At first, I was opposed to the idea of giving my 10 year old a sharp and potentially life-threatening weapon. But the group started out carving soap with plastic knives and learned all the important rules - carve away from your body, make sure no one is in your “blood circle”, close the knife when you aren’t using it. Miraculously, the new knife led to no blood shed. So soon my husband and daughters got into the action, sitting on the porch -- blood circle distance apart -- leaving curls of wood at their feet. It all seemed a little silly and old-fashioned to me. But then one day, out of curiosity, I tried it too. And there was something really refreshing about taking something knobby and rough and making it smooth. There was something meditative about slowly whittling a chunk of branch into a point. None of us are actually able to create anything much other than pointy walking sticks, but I have this vision of someday being able to create something from my imagination out of a block of wood.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">Maybe that’s why the story I’m about to tell you caught my attention...</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">Apparently, one day Michelangelo was hard at work in his studio in Florence, pounding away on a large block of marble with his hammer and chisel. A little child from the neighborhood watched as pieces of stone started falling away. The child had no idea what the sculptor was doing. But a few weeks later, the boy returned and saw, to his surprise, a large and powerful lion sitting in the place where the marble had stood. The boy ran to Michelangelo and said, “How did you know there was a lion stuck inside the marble?” </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #999999;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQzqFWHwRUdZ7XHhIAywa9NARzai1ulCPzLF0rHGWADPBKVQar38ryrCkmO7MPJxxrprxt-SKggxQzY2zLbI2oS8zJKi1MRxzm38L0foaC08eTOlpNAT80H6_ETUrc7zVY49XPPaM00w/s1600/lion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="612" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQzqFWHwRUdZ7XHhIAywa9NARzai1ulCPzLF0rHGWADPBKVQar38ryrCkmO7MPJxxrprxt-SKggxQzY2zLbI2oS8zJKi1MRxzm38L0foaC08eTOlpNAT80H6_ETUrc7zVY49XPPaM00w/s320/lion.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">Now, granted, it’s probably an apocryphal story. But I love it anyway. And what I love even more is that Henri Nouwen took this story and turned in into a spiritual meditation:</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">Nouwen suggests we imagine ourselves as a beautiful but unformed block of marble. What would God need to chip away to reveal the lion inside?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I brought this question with me to the Tuesday night contemplative arts gathering a few weeks ago. I put my colored pencils to work as I thought about </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">my</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> “lion” - my authentic, God-beloved and created core. As I drew, I thought about the parts and pieces that might make up that core, with each piece represented by a different colored shape spiraling out from the center: </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">My glimpses of joy and grace, my love for my family and friends, my work with other people on this journey with God, experiences when God’s presence felt most tangible, moments when I’ve felt I was right where I belonged, times when I couldn’t stop laughing. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">And I added other pieces that I knew could be strengthened to be a more solid part of that core, growing the spiral a little larger:</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">Like a more consistent prayer life. More patience with my children. More attention to the people and moments in front of me. More intention about discerning God’s presence in the world around me. You get the picture.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And then I began to think about what might keep keep my “lion” from being as perfectly formed as it could be. The things that keep me from being my real self or that prevent me from living as fully into my belovedness as possible. I used watercolors to signify all of that, and there were some grays and browns, but mostly these pieces still had color and life too, they just weren’t as clear and vibrant. I realized that what needs chipping away isn’t entirely bad. There is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">some</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> resistance to God, some actively bad intentions and uncharitable thoughts, some laziness and inattention. But when I looked at what I’d drawn there was also plenty of filler filler - distractions and preoccupations and excuses, regrets and worries and fears, attempts to be something I’m just not.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">I think the same is true for the man in our Gospel story today. Mark describes him as a man “with many possessions.” He seems to have lived a good and upright life. He has kept the commandments and worshipped regularly. His neighbors would say he was polite and kind and well-intentioned, I’m guessing. He has done what is expected of a person like him. It doesn’t seem like he has any major dark secrets. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">The irony here is that by society’s standards, this man lacks nothing. He is an impressive piece of marble.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">And yet, he knows something is missing. Despite his wealth and good behavior, he is longing for something deeper. Following the commandments and amassing wealth has not given him the completeness and joy that he aches for. He senses in Jesus that something more is being offered. And maybe he senses in himself some weight that needs lifting. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, there’s another version of the Michelangelo story that has the boy asking the artist how he knew what parts to chip away in order to create the statue. And Michelangelo answered, “I knew there was a lion in there somewhere. I just had to chip away at all the stone that </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">wasn’t</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> lion to get to him.”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">When the rich man runs up to Jesus, he kneels before him just like the people who have come to Jesus to ask him to cure them of their blindness or disease, or to return life to their children or servants that are near death. I think this is a healing story at its heart. And just as Jesus does with the other desperate people that have come to him for healing, Jesus looks at this man and loves him. Just like Michelangelo could see the creature within the marble, Jesus sees at the heart of this man before him the beloved creature of God that he is. And then, as he always does, Jesus offers healing.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">I think the healing Jesus offers in this story is really a chipping away. A chipping away that promises to reveal the glorious lion inside this rich and aching man.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">The trouble is that for this man what needs to be chipped away is his wealth.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">We aren’t told exactly why, but somehow this man’s possessions have gotten in the way of his becoming a lion. Somehow his wealth has gotten in the way of his relationship with God, his ability to fully follow and trust God. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">Maybe his stuff has become for him an idol, something that he is captive to, something he unconsciously considers more valuable than loving God and neighbor. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">Or maybe his confidence in his own ability to make money and care for himself has led him to think he can earn his way to salvation rather than depending on God. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">Or maybe his wealth has become a buffer against vulnerability, making it hard for him to form relationships. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For whatever reason, Jesus says that this man’s material abundance is also the cause of his lacking. And so giving his possessions away to the poor is where potential healing lies.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">Unfortunately, from the story we read today it looks like the rich man may not be up to it. We are told that he is shocked and goes away grieving. It looks like this man is refusing to be healed by Jesus.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">But what if the story isn’t over? </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">Maybe the writer of Mark’s Gospel never knew what ultimately happened to the rich man. For all we know, maybe the man went on to slowly, bit by bit, learn to rely less on his possessions and right behavior and more on Jesus. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">Or maybe, just maybe, this story is intentionally left open so that we can imagine ourselves into it. So that we can grieve along with him as he walks away, knowing that his choice is in some way our choice to make as well. So that we can examine the places in our own lives where we are walking away from Jesus’ healing. So that we can think about what we long for, what we lack, and what needs chipping away in our lives to more closely follow Jesus.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">This is a hard thing that Jesus asks -- of this rich man, but also of us. Chipping away can be hard and painful and slow. Marble doesn’t give way easily, and neither do we. It’s hard to let go of wealth and material possessions. And it’s also hard to let go of control, to fight free of habits or addictions, to say goodbye to an unhealthy relationship, to forego security and comfort, to live in the moment, to say you’re sorry for a long-standing hurt, to work on a marriage that has grown cold, to admit some truth about yourself, to set aside time in an already busy day to devote to something that seems intangible. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But, as Jesus promises in this story, “For God all things are possible.”</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;">We are in the loving hands of a master sculptor, who created us and longs to shape us gradually into God’s image -- our true selves. I wonder what God needs to chip away to reveal your lion?</span></span></div>
Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2897159219240333947.post-53092263496229938392018-07-15T05:54:00.003-07:002018-07-15T05:54:44.202-07:00Out of Whack<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>July 15, 2018</b></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Amos 7:7-15</b></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 16px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b></b></span><br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">And the Lord said to Amos, “What do you see?” I speak to you in the name of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 16px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A while back my husband Holden spent his free time for a few months finishing part of our basement. With a lot of hard work, he turned it from a dark and dingy place full of pipes and insulation and wires </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgOvHOjggn6Da0An1h1XNdx5nmPudUqz2aoEmjkG5Rs43ENKZDxLcIvGINTEI_kFaqsv-wJAflQGxrCbQetQ3GH7xoY99-iidfvuDOfsC6Rwfk_6M2qZSZc0aRSAaRpaVUXizDpG3iLM/s1600/Basement+before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgOvHOjggn6Da0An1h1XNdx5nmPudUqz2aoEmjkG5Rs43ENKZDxLcIvGINTEI_kFaqsv-wJAflQGxrCbQetQ3GH7xoY99-iidfvuDOfsC6Rwfk_6M2qZSZc0aRSAaRpaVUXizDpG3iLM/s320/Basement+before.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
to a relatively light and comfortable place for the kids to play. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYUHnFmITlpwmDUdFaQfBf7b7saW8yERi0ckennSFUPmhUTnng6342rqA3m_AnmNbCCjhE72Y1yonXSmgjHUBHQCjBo7wwSxJDhUaosB9y0GU2ShPIim1FJcY4j-BzBRbRRJfPnE7fSY/s1600/basement+now.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYUHnFmITlpwmDUdFaQfBf7b7saW8yERi0ckennSFUPmhUTnng6342rqA3m_AnmNbCCjhE72Y1yonXSmgjHUBHQCjBo7wwSxJDhUaosB9y0GU2ShPIim1FJcY4j-BzBRbRRJfPnE7fSY/s320/basement+now.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
It was an amazing accomplishment.<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">The problem is that you have to go down a set of stairs to get there. And it turns out that when Holden framed the stairs, something didn’t work out quite as planned, and the 5</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> stair from the bottom ended up about a 1/2 inch taller than it ought to be. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbsoMvj1aVU4hBgpaLVSFkizDyj5wurMsMFgwPKZiSoNiwVCw97Z5rD-LSFqQOpzz747mblixwMGQSG0FbY91ErhvmVKkpPt-QPC35pLh-G6b-w4auJDiLuy9yLbrtLLkCqPuGsNp59s/s1600/stairs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbsoMvj1aVU4hBgpaLVSFkizDyj5wurMsMFgwPKZiSoNiwVCw97Z5rD-LSFqQOpzz747mblixwMGQSG0FbY91ErhvmVKkpPt-QPC35pLh-G6b-w4auJDiLuy9yLbrtLLkCqPuGsNp59s/s320/stairs.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">It seems like such a small difference – you can barely even tell by looking at the stairs that that one step is a touch different.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">But just about every person – child or adult – who goes up our basement stairs trips on that one step.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Even when we point it out and prepare people, they still trip on it.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Even now, a decade later, it still catches me.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNY27VPM9Y6hffbEFofgS0ErBwWHzDtJS4xroxeVCsypWUCuKc11pNiWxqpeJNjr7Zo07Ip91LZ9aGzvGe_hQ5-dKUJNhg8W733cZfM1yDwfiHKt_h5RIynKInxulTYmUPp7t2Tcy_pw/s1600/stair2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNY27VPM9Y6hffbEFofgS0ErBwWHzDtJS4xroxeVCsypWUCuKc11pNiWxqpeJNjr7Zo07Ip91LZ9aGzvGe_hQ5-dKUJNhg8W733cZfM1yDwfiHKt_h5RIynKInxulTYmUPp7t2Tcy_pw/s320/stair2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Apparently, the correct height of a stair is so ingrained in us that our body’s muscle memory tells our legs the height the stair </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">ought </i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">to be.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">And overcoming that norm is really difficult.</span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">Turns out there’s a reason for all those codes and regulations that builders have to follow. They aren’t just there to get us in trouble and make money for contractors. At least I can vouch for the ones about stairs – they are there to protect us, to save us from injury and frustration, and to keep us from inadvertently teaching curse words to our children. Sometimes it’s important to have a standard to measure things against.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">That’s pretty much what the prophet Amos is announcing in our Old Testament reading as he recounts his vision of the Lord standing in the midst of Israel with a plumb line.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZC_b6A4hsoGNDhVHzYt4eIY44nlnbN1aJoKb6uGKJGttpOB8ytrAM9b1cHhgX42es31hyeh_PAwiIM1GIaYvY9V03FaFwSo5CRuljzjZoee_WLE1qStq-bC98NHIftUamPpXbnkbLWE/s1600/plumbline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="600" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZC_b6A4hsoGNDhVHzYt4eIY44nlnbN1aJoKb6uGKJGttpOB8ytrAM9b1cHhgX42es31hyeh_PAwiIM1GIaYvY9V03FaFwSo5CRuljzjZoee_WLE1qStq-bC98NHIftUamPpXbnkbLWE/s320/plumbline.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">Now, in this basement project, Holden actually used a plumb line, so I know what it is (and our walls are pretty straight). The plumb line is a simple tool – just a line with a weight at the end (called the “plumb bob”). You drop the plumb line from a certain spot and gravity will place the bob exactly in line below that spot. So if you build according to that line, you’ll end up with whatever it is you’re building perfectly straight. This is a tool that helps you build something strong and safe and long-lasting.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">So there stands God in Amos’ vision, holding this simple tool in the midst of the people. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">Interestingly, I find that, depending on my mood, Amos’ vision can sound like either a foreboding judgment or like a hopeful promise.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">The judgment part is maybe easier to hear. The Lord makes clear to Amos that measured against the plumb line, Israel is wildly out of whack. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">Amos’ story is set in the Northern kingdom of Israel in the 8th century BC. It was a time of power and prosperity and peace under the king, Jeroboam II. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloQvgRbDCuXriQFJ4vkeoHJBbI81zYDmhZGXuHJqtNrIEMbijuM8hWdHje5z9UqY79RHnjvyfqNiTQXbAv_BankGqovX_E35GpVy9uRH62ZQHrh4BvQvaHbzF9djtMBdPwULv9XO_Cpo/s1600/Jeroboam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloQvgRbDCuXriQFJ4vkeoHJBbI81zYDmhZGXuHJqtNrIEMbijuM8hWdHje5z9UqY79RHnjvyfqNiTQXbAv_BankGqovX_E35GpVy9uRH62ZQHrh4BvQvaHbzF9djtMBdPwULv9XO_Cpo/s1600/Jeroboam.jpg" /></a></div>
It was all that a country could hope for, then or now. But the people and their rulers and priests had forgotten their center, their plumb line. They thought of themselves as chosen people, but they forgot who had chosen them. They thought of their nation as exceptional, blessed by great wealth and power, but the rich and powerful refused to share their blessings with the poor and weak. And their religion had become corrupt and meaningless, ritual for the sake of ritual. <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">So the prophet Amos had his work cut out for him. His job was to confront the king and the religious leaders and the powerful people with the Lord’s sovereignty and justice. To persuade the rich and powerful to act on behalf of the poor and weak. To insist they remember the stranger, the widow, the orphan among them. To reclaim God at the center of their religion. To show the people how off the mark they had become. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>They had been judged, and the judgment was not in their favor. And because of far they had turned from God, Amos prophesies that their<b> </b>high places would be made desolate, their sanctuaries would be laid waste, and their kingdom would fall. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOpNcn2y9K1qZV4ZZA_CKIGUlv4QQO6yWlVokwMq1qV9xa88DmV6iOPlkE0crwCDBqAOzuZGu3xtwOa8bWhrMb5vxbi3Y1S_fpotVAsU6YAkKVE4tbU0E0vrHZDnOXjS49rRwxm90-b_Q/s1600/kingdom+destroyed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="1000" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOpNcn2y9K1qZV4ZZA_CKIGUlv4QQO6yWlVokwMq1qV9xa88DmV6iOPlkE0crwCDBqAOzuZGu3xtwOa8bWhrMb5vxbi3Y1S_fpotVAsU6YAkKVE4tbU0E0vrHZDnOXjS49rRwxm90-b_Q/s320/kingdom+destroyed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Which all sounds pretty dreadful.<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">But this idea of a plumb line in their midst was more than a judgment - it was also a promise. Even though they were already completely out of whack, even though there would be repercussions for their failures<b>,</b> in Amos’ vision God still calls them “my people.” Even though they had rejected and forgotten God, God hadn’t and wouldn’t forget or give up on them. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It isn’t entirely clear what the plumb line was meant to represent in this reading. It might be the prophet Amos himself; it might be the 10 commandments; it might be the covenant God made with Israel’s ancestors. Some Christian commentators read into this a promise of Jesus Christ, the ultimate plumbline — our standard of how to live and be as people of God. But whatever the plumb line was meant to represent, the people needed it — desperately. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">They needed a sign of the love of a God who ached for relationship with them. They needed to remember that they had had been imprinted with the likeness of God from the beginning and that they could still become the people they were created to be. They needed to be reminded of their high calling to do justice and love mercy and walk humbly with their God. They needed God at their center.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>And I wonder if our setting almost 3000 years later is all that different from Amos’. We still need a plumb line to be both judgment of how far we have strayed from our calling as God’s people, and a present hope and promise for our world, for this country, and for each of us individually.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>God’s question for Amos — “What do you see?” — is an equally good question for us.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What do you see that out of plumb in your life? What is the stair that is tripping you up? </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Or maybe, how do you see our community, our nation, and our world out of whack? In what ways are we living like the Northern Kingdom of Israel even now as we receive this vision secondhand from Amos today?</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>And where is our plumb line? How do we know where our center is, and how do we return to it? How do we become more completely the beloved people of God we are created to be? Where do we catch glimpses of what might be possible, if only…? </span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAvtp065_WWoFcAd4vu6xQM-FEpfSKZ_iTFrQI_xbgSC3wgyj5qjFbC5SrvudSi4zStLOIm1WV3TXKk1zLOzTmF5mq8d5rHsrecOzhUf1Tl_zyReEXho5NpF4ZwS-hyjBwCxw_AsOZWU/s1600/plumbline2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAvtp065_WWoFcAd4vu6xQM-FEpfSKZ_iTFrQI_xbgSC3wgyj5qjFbC5SrvudSi4zStLOIm1WV3TXKk1zLOzTmF5mq8d5rHsrecOzhUf1Tl_zyReEXho5NpF4ZwS-hyjBwCxw_AsOZWU/s1600/plumbline2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">What do you see?</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">Amen.</span></div>
Elizabeth Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14473301700475255871noreply@blogger.com0