What would you write to the one person who you sincerely think should pick up the work you had begun so faithfully carried out if you were expecting that quite soon you would be, as Paul delicately put it, “poured out as a libation” in martyrdom? Does that help us understand why Paul uses such emotionally charged language? Where there things that Paul knew, or feared, about Timothy?
According to the Gospel of Matthew the first word of Jesus public ministry was: “Repent”; “Repent for the kingdom of Heaven is upon you.” The fourteenth verse of Mark’s Gospel is similar. “After John had been arrested, Jesus came into Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God: ‘The time has come; the kingdom of God is upon you; repent, and believe the Gospel.’”The author of II Peter declares that God is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). It seems the options are repent or perish. That’s pretty blunt. Do you think that the contemporary church makes enough of this clear call to repentance?
Monasticism has always been on the periphery, out of the mainstream, of society. With that Quakers can certainly identify, not only in our worship practices, our understanding of spiritual authority, even our history of intervention, often in unpopular ways, with issues of injustice. The few who are drawn to a monastic life evidence little interest in recruiting others. They rely upon the Holy Spirit to draw others to this pursuit. So they go about their calling to give honest expression to their wholehearted dedication and to the deepest human desire of finding oneness with their creator.
In the 15th chapter of Luke Jesus tells three parables two of which appear nowhere else in the Gospels. Of course the chapter is best is known for the Prodigal Son story. The other two parables while shorter are quite similar. One is the story we’ve called the lost coin, the other is the story of the lost lamb. In each case the token, the animal and the person were once securely held and considered precious to a wife, a shepherd and a father. In the first instance an unwitting lamb wandered away from the flock In the second what became lost may have been due to simple carelessness. In the third, and most dramatic, the son intentionally left. We’ve all heard messages built around each of these stories. I actually think it would be so much better if we remembered these three parables as the Recovered Coin, the Recovered Lamb and the Recovered Son which is the joyful outcome rather than focusing on their respective lostness. It seems we miss a great opportunity for a celebration. For those who have had the experience, recovery from addiction is a difficult process. Recovery, even in the matter of health issues calls for celebration. It’s the time when we might want to sing “The Joy of the Lord is My Strength” because the joy that is experienced by the shepherd, wife, and father respectively which, as scripture tells us is known among the angels should also be known among humanity.
Norm Pasche put into my hands the book In the Spirit of Happiness written by the Monks of New Skete. What I’ve read of it so far it has been wonderful and has opened me to some fresh questions – and in the book I was delighted to find the Monks to say, ‘as Father Laurence said to Brother James in the kitchen, “We have to be sure to mention that what characterizes a monk’s life are the questions that consume him, the same questions that all human beings have to face to truly know themselves.”’ In reading again the story of ‘doubting’ Thomas (John 20:24-29) I’ve found it necessary to begin to explore what for me is a new question: “How is it that the wound of another can become for us a means of grace?”
The story of the good Samaritan seems reckless and scary in its demands on the human heart; especially when we think about the recent uproar in New York regarding the building of a mosque. It seems clear that there will always be some in this world who want their holy wars, who will discriminate, vilify, and even kill in the name of God. They have narrowed down the concept of neighbor to include only those like themselves in terms of creed, caste, race, sex, or sexual orientation.
But there is also evidence that there are many people of good will who have recognized the need for interfaith dialogue.
Today, throughout the Roman Catholic Church, The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated. The idea of Mary being taken up, body and soul, to heaven is based on a book written by an unknown fifth century author who relates the story that the Apostles witnessed Mary’s death and entombment. Later, on a request by the ever-doubting Saint Thomas, the tomb was opened and found to be empty. The Apostles concluded that she had been taken up into heaven. The story has persisted to this day. The Catholic Encyclopedia says of the “day, year or manner of Mary’s death, we know nothing certain.” Because of my father’s Catholic family I still remember the discussion that followed when in 1950 Pope Pious XII declared as a dogma of the Catholic Church that, free from original sin, Mary was assumed into heaven. Vatican II affirmed that and declared that in heavenly glory she is “exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things”.
As you might imagine, the Protestant view has been quite different.
Let’s say you get an email that tells you you’ve just won millions or you just inherited a bundle or you get an unsolicited phone call from an enthusiastic person who tells you that you’ve won a wonderful cruise for one and all you need to do is secure with your credit card the accommodations for the person who will travel with you. We are all leery, aren’t we? Well, maybe we all still share the nostalgia of a childhood Christmas or a birthday. When someone truly significant in our lives gives us something it is a really good day. But generally can we really imagine someone giving us something, something of inestimable worth, for no other reason than it makes them happy?
In the middle of God’s indignation God hesitates, with parental love doubting how he can give this one he loves over to punishment. God is at once judgment and grace, destruction and life. One of the things that makes this passage so powerful is that Yahweh’s holiness and love come together in oneness. Yet God turns from terror and wrath. “My heart recoils within me” God says, “my compassion grows warm and tender”. This ‘holy one in your midst’, this divine presence is at one moment will break the age long cycle.
In this brief vignette, common courtesy would expect Jesus to affirm the one who welcomes him and his followers into her home and prepares all that is needed to make them comfortable. Our instincts tell us that Mary should help her sister. Yet our instincts also tell us that Jesus should not chide his hostess for suggesting that her sister should help with the work of caring for the guests. If Martha is a bit distracted by her many tasks, should he add insult to injury by praising Mary for choosing “the better part?” Our primary inclination is to justify what Jesus does. Yet I’ve heard some women say that thought Jesus was just being a jerk.
Our purpose is encouraging, loving, and supporting a diverse group of people who gather to deepen their experience of the inner light of God. We direct this inner light outward in service to others to share the love of Christ.
**Following the teachings of the Living Christ, we are an open, loving, and affirming community.
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