Category: Sermon

O Little Town of Bethlehem~ by Fr. Bryan Wolf

The Fourth Sunday of Advent

December 23,2012

The peace and joy of our Lord Jesus Christ, be with you all!

We can sense the excitement in the air!  Christmas is but a couple of days away!  The joyous birthday celebration of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

But what of that very first Christmas?  It really wasn’t even Christmas then.  Bethlehem.  A small town located in the hills of  Judea, a not ten miles from Jerusalem.  Rich in the history of the Jewish people.  Rachel is buried here, and it was here that Ruth and Boaz met and were married- ultimately becoming the great grandparents of David, second king of the Jews.

“Thus says the Lord, you Bethlehem… from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler of all Israel.” [Micah 5:2] “He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord, his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.  And he will be our peace…” [Micah 5:4-5]

When it was announced that a census was to be taken by Quirinius (Roman Governor of Syria), Joseph “… went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, to whom he was pledged to be married and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in the manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”  [Luke 2:4-7]

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them: ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For unto you this day in the town of David, a Savior has been born- he is Christ, the Lord. This will be a sign unto you, you will find him wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger.” [Luke 2:8-12]

We can imagine this chaotic scene.  The small town of Bethlehem crowded and brimming with people, many of them extended families as the census required them to travel to their ancestral villages.  Sharing homes and rooms. Bustling with activity and of course, noise.  Hardly conducive to the stress and strain of childbirth.  But with this information, we tend to overlook an important point.  Our savior was not abandoned, nor born in conditions to harsh.

We learn from scripture, that shepherds were nearby in the fields tending to their sheep at night.  Normally, winters in this part of the world are deary, cold and rainy.  This seems not to have been the case.  Had it been, shepherds normally would have moved their sheep inside barns.  We may believe that this winter’s night was somewhat mild.

Scripture all tells us that there was no “guest room” for Mary to deliver her child.  It is a likely assumption, as they traveled to Bethlehem to register in their ancestral home, that Joseph and Mary had family there.  Being pregnant, we could assume she would not have been turned away.  But with each house filled to the rafters with noisy relatives, where to birth a baby in peace?  In a manger, of course!

A manger, a small attachment to the main house were animals were quartered.  It is dry, warm and cozy.  Close enough for family, but removed enough for quiet.  There Mary and Joseph, could rest from their tiresome journey and insure the baby Jesus was comfortable too.

We needn’t paint a picture of harsh uninviting conditions.  Yes, babies were born in more comfortable conditions such as a house or bed, but this was a frenzied night.  We must remember too, God had provided a magnificent star and a chorus of angels to serenade his birth- could we truly believe God would allow Jesus in a mess?

I cannot think of a more beautiful and tranquil way in which to enter the world at the time. A dry warm manger, laying peaceful under the watchful eyes of mother- and a donkey and a cow or two. A cow has such beautiful eyes. Jesus must have smiled and perhaps even giggled.

Bethlehem- noisy, crowded, bustling.  The manger- dry, warm, safe.

“O holy Child of Bethlehem, acsend to us we pray. Cast out our sin and enter in-  be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angel, the great glad tidings tell. O come to us, abide with us- our dear Lord Emmanuel!” [O Little of Bethlehem, fourth stanza by Fr. Phillip Brooks. (c) 1865.]

Do It Afraid and Saying Yes ~ Rev. Br. Joshua Hatten, OPr

Luke 1:26-38

26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,  27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.   28And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”  29But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.  30The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  31And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.   32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.   33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”   34Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”   35The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.   36And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren.   37For nothing will be impossible with God.”  38Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

As we read in Luke 1:38, Mary says “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”  WOW!  Now that has to be the most courageous act of faith I’ve ever read!  I pray for the strength to act like Our Savior’s Mother, the strength to relinquish the wants of MY WILL and honestly and earnestly pray for “THY WILL BE DONE” – less and less of me, more and more of Our Father’s Will.  To always do what is right and good and just and holy in His sight.  But is it that easy?

Here, the Blessed Virgin is truly our example of unwavering faith which she shows by pressing through any fears, worries or anxieties she may have had.  By giving her ‘YES’ to Our Father, by submitting to “let it be with me according to your word” – she shows us that no matter what we may be faced with or feeling,  it is possible to have total faith in God to get us through even the most inexplicable situations.  Just think of some of the trials awaiting Mary simply for submitting to God’s Will.  It could cost her life, being pregnant and unmarried was punishable by death from stoning!  She could have lost her fiancé, Joseph.  She had no idea how he would react to this news!  Can you imagine the looks from her own friends and family she might have received – not to mention the others in her town, from her synagogue, at the market?  I have to believe that at some point these concerns and countless others had to have crossed the Blessed Mother’s mind.  Still, she obeyed. She submitted.  Even if she was terrified, she chose to carry the Son of God, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  In Mary lies a profound secret of great faith that none of us should miss.  DO IT AFRAID.

It is very easy for someone outside of our situations, various as they are, to tell us, when we are faced with real fears, worries and anxieties, to ‘give it to God’ or to ‘cast our cares on the Lord – and leave them there’ or to ‘fear not.’  But for the one actively facing those frightful feelings it often does not seem so simple.  It is in these trials, that I meet Mary.  Though the scriptures don’t tell us WHAT the Virgin Mother was feeling when she submitted to God and showed amazing faith, we can well imagine that she must have panicked at some point, or several points!  But she said yes anyway.  She did it afraid.  Often times, we must do the same thing.  We must endure our trial, shaking in our boots, but pressing inward and onward.  Moving through our various situations scared, but faithfully, still pushing ahead.

May we be so bold in our faith in Our Lord, that our souls will also proclaim the greatness of Our God.  When we accept God's word and when we obey his commands, we will realize great joy and an overwhelming peace becomes available to us – even if what we are faced with seems like it is just too much for us to handle.  Our faith allows us to see that we are not alone, that we can get through all of the curve balls lugged at us, even if we’re terrified.  It is written that God will never leave us nor forsake us, that He is with us always.  Not occasionally, not ‘just through the easy and lovely and happy times.’  Always.  And when we flex our muscles of faith, we’re giving our own fiat, our own ‘YES!’, which allows God to expand in us and use us - and give us the joy, peace, hope and love we need for ourselves and that we need to be a light to the world – to everyone we encounter.

The hope of the world rested on Mary’s ‘YES’ – and she obeyed and Jesus was born.  In a similar way as Christians, the hope of our world rests today on us – will we be like her – will we give our ‘YES’ to God’s will in our lives, no matter how afraid we may be?  Will we give birth to God in our thoughts, words and deeds?  Will we obey the Lord and walk in His ways, no matter how frightening the circumstances are or could become?  Or shall we choose our will to be done because it is easier and requires no courageous faith?  The angel Gabriel tells us in verse 37 “For nothing is impossible with God.”  So when we do not answer with a resounding ‘YES’ to allow God’s birth in our lives, we limit what we can ever have or ever do or ever become.  We must meet the Lords knock on the doors of our hearts with a resounding invitation in – then the Holy Spirit can begin the produce the fruit of Christ-like living in our lives – to the point that  the love, joy, peace, patience and prosperity flow out of us an onto each person that crosses our paths.  But we must un-wrap these gifts of the Spirit so we may, first, use them in our lives and then pass them on and share them with our brothers and sisters.  They cannot flow from us if they are not in us.  And it all starts with our yes to God.

 

 

Gifts

What you are is God’s gift to you.

What you become is your gift to God.

During this time of the year, many of our thoughts turn to gifts: giving and receiving, what we want to give, what we want to receive, what will please those we love, the shopping, the ordering, the wrapping, the general hustle and bustle of the Christmas season centering around gifts ad infinitum, donating to the people with the red kettles and bells so the less fortunate can have gifts…..

And then there’s the practice of ‘re-gifting,’  passing along that unwanted or unusable gift that we were given, to someone else, so that they will have SOMETHING, and so that they too, can possibly pass that pink and orange and green plaid scarf along, re-gifting it themselves to someone else who won’t use it either….and sometimes by some freak chance that unwanted item comes back to us several years later….and not much too worse for the wear….  And is re-gifting, as amusing (and cheap) as it may seem, necessarily a bad thing?

Why all this focus on gift-giving and gift-receiving at this time of year?  The union of Christmas and gift giving was a gradual one; actually, the full story of the bright packages beneath the tree, like most of our Christmas customs, begins in the days before the birth of Christ.  In ancient Rome, gifts were exchanged during the New Year’s celebrations. At first these gifts were simple, such as a few twigs from a sacred grove and small items of food. Many gifts were in the form of vegetables in honor of the fertility goddess Strenia. During the Northern European Yule, (yep, the yuletide season is a pagan thing) fertility was celebrated with gifts made of wheat products, such as bread and alcohol.

Like many of the old and pagan customs, exchanging gifts was difficult to get rid of even as Christianity spread and gained official status. Early church leaders tried to outlaw the custom, but the people cherished it too much to let it go.  St. John Chrysostom urged no compromise with heathen abominations, but he, too, failed in this tenacity of hanging on to the tradition of gift giving.  Since there was no general agreement about the exact date of the birth of Jesus, it must have seemed helpful to have it supersede the Saturnalia, so the rebirth of the sun became instead the birth of the Son of God, and the church leaders looked for a Christian justification for the practice of all this gift giving. This justification was found in the Magi’s act of bearing gifts to the infant Jesus, and in the concept that Christ was a gift from God to the world, bringing in turn the gift of redemption and everlasting life.

What you are is God’s gift to you.

What you become is your gift to God.

Wikipedia defines a gift as the transfer of something without the expectation of receiving something in return. Although gift-giving might involve an expectation of reciprocity, a gift is meant to be free. By extension the term “gift” can refer to anything that makes the other happier or less sad, especially as a favor, including forgiveness and kindness.

God’s gifts to us are free and clear.  He has given us the gift of His Son, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.      He has given us the gift of eternal life:  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (NIV);  The gift of salvation:  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8 (NIV);  And the gifts that are unique to each of us:   “We each of us have our own individual gifts:  But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.” 1Corinthians 7:7 (NIV)

Besides the obvious gift of His Son, and the forgiveness that we receive through Him whom we receive by faith, what other gifts has God given specifically to you?  What talents have you received?  What blessings have been given to you?

We learn about the 7 Gifts of the Spirit in Isaiah 11:2-3:  “2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD— 3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;” (NIV)

And more importantly, what are you doing with those gifts?  What are you giving back to God?  What are you “becoming” as you use your gifts and talents?  Which of the gifts that you have been given are you “regifting?”  In other words, when we’ve received a gift from God, do we share that gift with others?  Do we “regift?”  We are told in 1 Peter 4:10, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” (NIV)  Jesus himself addresses this very thing in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30.  By using our gifts, they multiply and we bring others to know God, and by recognizing what we have been given and using them for God’s glory, we are giving back to God.

What is the most precious thing we can give to God?  The most precious gift we can give is what God wants the most. God wants us to make the fervent attempt to repent, get right with Him, and not lead a double life, trying to follow two contradictory paths, but living our lives according to His will.  God simply wants us to give ourselves to Him.  This is the best gift we can give!   Our gift to Him is how we respond to the gifts He has given us which are the gifts of life and of grace. We can best do this when we are headed in His direction, following His precepts with a grateful, willing heart and mindset, and by striving to be the best that we can be by becoming what it is that He wants us to be.

Barbara Streisand sings in “The Best Gift:”

The best gift
That I ever got
Didn’t really weigh a lot
It didn’t have a ribbon ’round
And it sometimes made a terrible sound
The best of all it seems to me
It wasn’t ‘neath the Christmas tree
And yet, I guess I’d have to say
That it made all the other presents twice as gay
The best gift that I’ve ever known
I’d always wanted most to own
Yet in my dreams of sugar and spice
I never thought it could be so nice
The best gift that I ever get
Was sometimes dry and sometimes wet
Was usually pink but oftentimes red
As it lay so innocently in it’s bed
The best gift of the year to me
The one I hold most dear to me
A gift that simply drove me wild
Was a tiny new born child…

As we celebrate the birth of THE tiny newborn Child, God’s greatest and best Gift to us, let us strive to make ourselves the best gift we can give to others, and to God.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

A Christmas Tree, from the outside~ by Fr. Bryan

The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all this Advent.

We were challenged by our Father General, to consider a sermon keeping the Christmas tree somewhat in mind when we consider the theme.  There were at first many possibilities, but none that seemed to jump to the front.

I thought of the traditional recollections, of how the Christmas tree came to be. The folklore story of Martin Luther walking back to his church on a winters’ night and pausing to gaze up at the stars twinkling beyond the branches of an evergreen.  How he set up such a tree within his church adorned with candles, which reminded him of that night.

Then I thought of the legend of St. Boniface and how, confronted by the pagans in Germany he was on a mission to convert, he cut down the beloved oak tree they worshipped and built a church to St. Peter with it’s wood.  After winter, an evergreen sprig sprouted from the stump of the oak he’d cut down- an evergreen that would endure winter after winter.

As I wrestled with the thought for an idea to choose, the Spirit spoke to me in the musings of Sister Dollie. She compares herself to a Christmas tree, “nothing special under all [her] glittery adornments, but yet you [we] welcome me [her] as a sister in Christ.”  Dearest child of God, you are indeed an inspiration and worthy of our love.

How we all are like Christmas trees.  We have somewhere to go, someone to see and we will spend hours preparing. We shower, pick out our nicest clothes or compare patterns and colors, then to the mirror to groom. Is my hair perfect? Does this shirt match my pants? Does it make me look fat? Is this bling to much?  Yes, we are adorned Christmas trees. Only when we have judged ourselves perfect, can we be good enough to go out- to be put in front of the window where everyone can see.

True, but they only see us then from the outside.  Like carolers strolling by on a winter night looking at the beautiful Christmas trees beyond the frosty windows.  They never see just the tree.  Those imperfections hidden beneath the strings of lights, ornaments and tinsel- the broken branches,  the twisted trunk and of course those bare spots.

Before God, we are naked Christmas trees.  God sees our broken branches, our twisted trunk and yes, our bare spots.  God adorns us with love and, unlike our own critical review of ourselves- God embraces us with all our imperfections, faults and “bare spots.” God knows that we are indeed special- for God is our Creator and we are his created.  We are the sheep of His flock and He is our shepherd, regardless of the brightness and quality of our wool.

It is as when we chose that naked tree, to become our Christmas tree. We chose it for it’s shape, its size, it’s fullness and most importantly- for it’s potential. Then we bring it home and adorn it with lights, tinsel and a star. It becomes a beautiful Christmas tree- and we place it in front of the window.

My almighty Creator. You see me as I am. Naked, I kneel before you in all my imperfection. I am like that evergreen tree- broken, twisted and bare.  Make me into a Christmas tree, almighty God- so that I might radiate your love and bring  joy to all those that I meet on this journey through life. Make me worthy of their friendship, and of your love and promise of eternal life.  I kneel before you, my Lord Jesus, as you lay in the manger. I adore and worship you. May the joy, peace, hope and promise of Christmas never end!  Amen.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given- and the government will be upon his shoulders; and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” [Isaiah 9:6]

Are We Blind?

The grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

We begin with our reading from the Holy Gospel of Saint Mark:

“Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man- Bartimaeus, was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout; “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!”

“Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

“Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”  So they called the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He is calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.  The blind man replied, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.”  At once he received his sight and he followed Jesus along the road.”

[Mark 10:46-52]

Bartimaeus lived most of his life being blind. Living in darkness.  No doubt his other senses grew more in sensitivity with his disability, and compensated for his blindness.  There are many documented cases of people who suffer from acute Savant Syndrome, being given miraculous gifts and abilities beyond what we would consider their limitations.

But what of are limitations? Our disabilities? Our blindness?

We live our lives comfortably, in a time when most of the world only knows suffering- hunger, war, displacement, dispossession and discouragement.  Sadly, we don’t need to travel to a foreign country to witness such despair. According to the USDA 22% of American children (16.4 million!) live at the poverty level or below and 56% of households with children under the age of 3 participated Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Woman, Infants and Children(WIC).  In 37 states, at least 20% of households were categorized as being “households without consistent access to food”.  (Two states at the high end of this scale- Oregon and Arizona at 29%!)

The US Department of  Housing and Urban Development, Rural Housing Assistance Corporation; states that 46% of all housing in an area of 179 counties combined from Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee and Virginia- the bulk of the Appalachia backbone, is considered “substandard” (no running water, inadequate plumbing, inadequate insulation, unsafe foundations, roofs and wiring).  The Appalachia Regional Commission of the US Department of Labor, suggests this area to be hardest hit by unemployment- reporting only 35 of the 420 counties in the ARC demographic area as indicating any “positive employment trend.”

Our Lectionary for this Sunday, refers us to Psalm 13: “How long, my Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” [Psalm 13:1]

We are always seeking to find God, but perhaps God has another plan. Maybe he wants us to find someone else  instead. He begs for us to help those who have called out to him. We are God’s answer to the problem. We must open our eyes. We must not be blind to the plight of those less fortunate than ourselves. In doing so, our eyes will be opened and we will truly see God.

There is a Christian recording artist, Steven Curtis Chapman, who has an appropriate song that echos this sentiment in our search for God-  The face of Jesus.  “I saw the face of Jesus on a little orphan girl, standing on a corner on the other side of the world.  I saw the face of Jesus on a little homeless boy, sleeping in a car on Sixteenth Avenue while his mother looked for food.  And I heard the voice of Jesus, gently whisper to my heart- Didn’t you say you wanted to find me?  Well here I am and there you are. I know I may not look like what you expected, but if you remember I am right where I said I would be. So, now that you’ve found me- what now?”

Almighty and most merciful God. Open my eyes so that I might see where help needs to be given. Open my ears so that I might hear the cries for help. Open my lips so that I might encourage and inspire others to help. And most importantly God, open my wallet so that I might donate to those in need. Open my heart so that I might give my time.  We are, after all here, so that you might use us to do your good will- that we help our brothers and sisters carry their cross. And to do this- we need to see. Really see.  Amen.

Live to Serve

The banquet is prepared and those that work to no end and without tire humbly provide a grand service. How fitting for the honored guests to be seated at the table to enjoy the succulent pig! The wine has been properly poured, the name placards bear the identification of those present, and the music is just about to begin. The servers circle around the hall with eyes on emptying plates and glasses. It must be done. The people must be fed.

Some may be offended at the notion that we should serve with reverence; some of us would rather be seated among the fine linens and polished silver. Some may say that serving people is just a dirty job. They may be right. But what about serving at the table of the Lord? What about serving fellow man/woman in the streets and how do we do it without faltering in spirit or passion? Christ speaks of this with His words and with His life. His example is exemplary in this matter. St Paul tells us:

“Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission” (Heb. 5:7)

This sounds like work to me. It screams of passion and undying service. This Holy testament of service represents a requirement for all “Priests of the Order of Melchizedek”. And if it is not known, the designation of the Order of the Priests of Melchizedek are dually assigned to all Christians, including ordained clergy. We all serve and share in this honor. Who do we serve you may ask? We serve each other. We look after each other with reverence for the Holy One’s decrees. We serve those whom suffer through the tribulations of the current day, Christian or not. We do this with confidence. But this is difficult! We live in an age of self. We purposely place our self worth in “things” and not people. Blindly we walk into that grocery store for the best tenderloin but rarely do we notice that we just broke in line to get it! OK, some may be observant…but some are not. But to pay it forward often requires the hindsight of the future; we must be aware before we do something in an attempt to avoid causing duress to someone else. Do we not sacrifice our own self if we desire to serve the table? Christ learned an obedience in His human will and therefore teaches us to do the same.

To lead is to serve. To serve is to suffer and to suffer is to praise God in our actions and not only our words. True greatness is to serve and to do it without a complaint and often times without being noticed. The disciples state that “they are able” to drink of His cup and be baptized like Him. But doesn’t Christ remind us that such a request to be seated at His side can only be seen as a request for temporal power? Does this not remind us that earthly desires such as this are not of HIS father, but of the earth? Jesus makes it clear:

“To sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared” (Mk 10:40).

Such places of position and status are not His to give in this manner. Of course this is not to say that He does not have the authority. He does! But these places may be designated to ones that those seats have been prepared for. St. John Chrysostom reveals to us that these places may be for such people as the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist. It is impossible for us to really know and to anticipate whom Christ was referring to. But we do know that Jesus was speaking of someone else than His immediate disciples. This conversation could also get into some very heavy Christology. Let’s just stop at that. One thing is for sure, Christ made it clear:

“You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant” (Mk 10:42-43) 

I beg of you to observe gently expressions of kindness and service among your fellows and I entreat you to mimic them. Pay it forward, serve and bless, and live to serve again.

Why Me, Lord?

Self pity, as defined by Websters dictionairy means: pity for oneself; especially : a self-indulgent dwelling on one’s own sorrows or misfortunes. Lets look at the last part of the definition- “A self-indulgent dwelling on one’s own sorrows or misfortunes”.  How many times a day do you find yourself saying “why me?”, or whining “why can’t I get a break?” as you face yet another tiresome glitch in your day? As Christians we are taught to entrust our pleas to the Lord, that all we would need to do is ask, and it will be given. But I do not think our Creator included self pity as a valid basis for prayer.

In Psalm 22:1-5 we are beseeching God to rescue us, groaning about the many trials man must endure. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.” We then go on to continue our whining, saying “But I am a worm”, {hear the poor me?} “scorned by others, and despised by people”. As if because of our very humanness, we are not worthy to be rescued by God. But the complaining doesn’t stop there. “ All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake their heads; “Commit your cause to the LORD; let him deliver– let him rescue the one in whom he delights!”  Yet it was you who took me from the womb; you kept me safe on my mother’s breast. On you I was cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me you have been my God.”

How many of us have felt just like this poor soul, crying out to God to help us with a trial, a daily issue, or even just something as simple as finding a good parking spot? I know here lately that is all I seem to be doing. Whining to my loving Father because life is just so not fair, crying so many self- pity tears that I have inherited stock in Kleenex tissue. And when an answer, or assistance doesn’t immediately come, I feel like maybe I am just not worth His time. I am a nothing, a nobody. But yet I cry, “ I am your daughter God, why do you not give me what I want?” Yet knowing He never gives us what we want, but always what we need.

As we continue to read in Psalms, “ Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.  Many bulls encircle me, strong bulls of Bashan surround me;  they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.  I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;  my mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.”  Some days are just like this, feeling like our daily struggles are just too much to bear. I know there have been many times “my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast”. As if just one more thing, will send my soul, my spirit in to a deepening chasm of despair, with no hope or rescue in sight.  Just as if I were to already be “in the dust of death”.

But in Hebrews 4:12-16, we are given a glimmer of just how understanding our God really is, and though we may wallow in self-pity, He really does understand what we are going through.

“ Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

This is a very simple but powerful passage for me, and I imagine for many of you. Yes, we whine and complain about yet another item on our to-do list. Or maybe you are like me, and feel as if your spirit has been battered by too many life problems or issues.  We all know the biggies-death, divorce, illness, financial hardship-but what about all those little things that crop up, taxing our already over-loaded emotional and mental resources? Do we complain, indulge in self-pity (I am so guilty of this one), or present a stoic front to the world, thinking we are stronger than these trials? Sorry folks, none of those things will work. First, when you complain enough, people stop listening. And since God already knows the desires of your heart, and as spirit made flesh, He has experienced pretty much everything, then whining to Him is not helpful. Since we have a loving Father “who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin.”, know that your sufferings have been seen and understood.

The next step in this wallowing of despair is self-pity. Do you often feel as if you are the only one going through something? Or maybe you just feel alone, like no one could possibly understand what you are going through.  Trust me, I have been there……..more times than I can count. And though I don’t always quickly pull myself out of it, I am learning to recognize this destructive time-waster. For me, it helps to know God has pretty much got things under control, even if I can’t see it at the time. But there are days I still am too stubborn to admit that maybe I am not the one in control of the Universe.

“Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need”

Looks to me like there is the answer-not whining, not complaining, and certainly not self pity.  That if we boldly approach God, who already knows our needs, we will find mercy and grace. Though we may not see it at the time, He is working in us, and through us, caring for His children in his time, not ours. God knows the desires of your heart, He understands your trials because He himself, through Jesus, has been there, and knowing this, we are tasked with allowing our loving Father to take control, His will then shall be done.

Lady Wisdom

Wisdom:  a deep understanding and realization of people, things, events or situations, resulting in the ability to apply perceptions, judgements and actions in keeping with this understanding. It often requires control of one’s emotional reactions (the “passions“) so that universal principles, reason and knowledge prevail to determine one’s actions. Wisdom is also the comprehension of what is true coupled with optimum judgment as to action.

Today more and more women – and men – are questioning traditional biblical teaching about deity. Although many people will assert that God is beyond gender, yet long centuries of referring to “Him” as masculine and addressing Him as Lord, King, Father etc have been a strong conditioning factor in our lives, whether we are “religious” or not. Sacred duties and religious rituals have been largely in the hands of men, and a hierarchy has been put firmly in place, constructed on the base that only men in themselves portray the image of God. For many years, it appeared that this view was the only one available, and is still “natural” and enshrined in many religious traditions.

No one can dispute that most biblical teachings come directly, or indirectly, from God, so thus it would stand to reason that wisdom, as defined above, would be a blessed by-product of this knowledge. Yet, in Hebrew apparently, wisdom is a feminine noun “sophia”, and as such, it is referred to as a “she.”
Therefore, the writer of Proverbs personifies her as “Lady Wisdom”.  Many have speculated that this use of such a feminine noun, clearly shows that God is both male and female. Of course no one can say this for sure, but in the following passages, we learn that calling wisdom a “she”, certainly makes her easier to understand. That it actually makes us want to have a more personal relationship with such an interesting person as “Lady Wisdom”.

Proverbs 1:20-33
“Wisdom cries out in the street; in the squares she raises her voice. At the busiest corner she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? Give heed to my reproof; I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called and you refused, have stretched out my hand and no one heeded, and because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when panic strikes you,
when panic strikes you like a storm, and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD, would have none of my counsel, and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way and be sated with their own devices. For waywardness kills the simple, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but those who listen to me will be secure and will live at ease, without dread of disaster.”

As we can see by today’s Bible reading, Wisdom is presented as more than an abstract concept like justice. By personifying wisdom as a woman, the abstract idea becomes more immediate and attainable. And the description, beautiful and poetic as it is, makes Lady Wisdom someone you want to know and know well. As described, wisdom becomes someone whose company you enjoy and look forward to. She is approachable to anyone and everyone. The goodness of your heart and purity of your spirit — not your I.Q. — is what attracts wisdom. The desire and resolve to do what is right and just in the eyes of God are the first steps toward wisdom that anyone and everyone can take, if they so choose. This is never more plainly stated than in the following passages:

Wisdom of Solomon 7:26 – 8:1
“For she is a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of his goodness. Although she is but one, she can do all things, and while remaining in herself, she renews all things; in every generation she passes into holy souls and makes them friends of God, and prophets; for God loves nothing so much as the person who lives with wisdom.  She is more beautiful than the sun, and excels every constellation of the stars. Compared with the light she is found to be superior, for it is succeeded by the night, but against wisdom evil does not prevail. She reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other, and she orders all things well.”

I think the following quote clearly explains how important wisdom was to early Christian Fathers. Portraying this crucial concept in the feminine voice, allowed anyone who wished, the ability to attain a personal relationship with Lady Wisdom.

“Everything to do with her is mysterious and paradoxical. In the Bible she is always female… She is continually being sought and found, lost and found; she ascends and descends; she finds her place in Israel, she can find no place in Israel. She is the divine female companion of God, eternal with Him before creation, and is herself involved in the cosmos as creator, nurturer, teacher and artificer. She acts as intermediary between God and humans and is willing to share herself with them and with the world. She may be married to God or to selected men, and she may be the mother of the created world. Human beings must follow her rules if they are to succeed in this life and also possibly partake in an afterlife with God. It was she who helped God create the universe and she knows all its secrets. She moves through it and orders it well”. (A. P. Long. in: Pirani. A. (ed.) The Absent Mother (1991:46))

I feel that by portraying Wisdom as such an enticing, intelligent, exciting female, the Early Christian authors of the Bible were saying many things:

1. One must strive to learn, and keep wisdom.

2. That such a worthy concept is attainable to all, male and female.

3. Just as with babies, our Mothers fed us, clothed us, and taught us, such is the Wisdom of the Lord.

4. It will nourish and sustain any who seek, and find her, this Lady Wisdom.

Normal???

There is a very staunch and aggressive battle for the hearts and minds of the people in society. In today’s world, we often fight the battle of the “has” and the “has not’s”, do we not? We are “who we are” as a number, a social class, a race, or a creed. Our God given talents, attributes, traits, and preferences define us as a person. But what does that mean and who determines the “normal?”

While referring to an online dictionary, I viewed the definition of normal as “conforming to the standard or the common type”. i It would seem rational to assume that if you had rings around your neck to the point of stretching it, you would be a Padaung women from the Kayan tribe in Burma. Now bring this same woman to downtown Anytown, USA. Would she be accepted? How would our judgmental society see her?

If we are to serve in heaven, would it not be reasonable to say that we must practice here on earth first? We are all different people with various makeups. We are white. We are black. We are gay. We have an assortment of people with an assortment of ethnic backgrounds. We are poor and we are rich. In todays Old Testament reading, we find James, possibly the half brother of Jesus, showing us our patterns of favoritism and judgment.

“For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?”ii

We are guilty of these things that James warns us about, period. Can we change our view and exclusively extend ourselves to our brothers and sisters… unconditionally? It seems that we may have an issue doing this. In the age of segregation, we shunned African Americans. In a post 9/11, era we look at Muslims with suspicions. Brown skin and a burka alarms us. Gays represent sex mongers and the homeless are lazy. James tells us, in the spirit of all that is Christian:

“For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.”iii

Can we walk a mile in someone else’s shoes or would we rather turn a blind eye? Can we have the faith that is required to “let go and let God”?

i Normal. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Stedman’s Medical Dictionary. Retrieved September 05, 2012, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/normal

iiNew Revised Standard Version of the Bible: James 2, 2:2-2:4

iiiNew Revised Standard Version of the Bible: James 2, 2:13

One body and One Spirit!

As I read the bible passages for today, I am reminded of my recent Profession and Ordination to the Diaconate in the Reformed Catholic Church.  Ephesians 4:1-16 states:
“ I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,  making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism,  one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said, “When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.”  (When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean, but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth.  He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.)
The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.  But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.”

As I took my vows to become  Deacon Reverend Sister,  I flashed back to a past which was dominated by a sense of loss, or misdirection. Like most youth, I searched for meaning in my life, experimenting with various doctrines and beliefs. But yet, each left me feeling empty and alone. The love I sought, from others, and things, was always an illusive dream. It was only after I stopped running, and listened to a voice, well rather a shout, that I realized what I wanted, was in front of me all along.  Like a rebellious teenager, I denied my fallibilities, thinking I knew all the answers.  I knew nothing, and no doctrine, or other religion, were what I really needed.  By listening to God’s still voice, I went from a child “tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming” to a daughter of Christ, and now a Deacon.  He knew all along what I was meant to be, it just took me a while to listen to my loving Father.

As this passage states, there really is only “one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism,  one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” He is a God of love, and seeks to use us, His children, to build up that which unites us all in faith and grace. Here we are reminded that we all are called to serve God, to receive His gifts of grace and peace, and to join together to “for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God”   This was made very clear to me a couple weeks ago , when I was blessed to join my fellow clergy in the Dedication of our national church, and the appointment of a newMetropolitan Archbishop to serve as its leader.  As we all joined our hearts, minds, and prayers to “build up the body of Christ”, the church, we each had a role to play. Whether evangelist, prophets, apostle, pastor, deacon, teacher, or parishioner, uniting in faith as we are tasked to do, allowed us to bring in to being what was surely only a dream not too long ago. With Christ providing us strength, we were “joined and knit together by every ligament”, working properly to promote the body’s (the National Church) growth in building itself up in love.

Our next reading, from Psalm 51:1-12, stands as a reminder that though born as a sinner, now by God’s grace and love, am I able to serve Him in my new role as Deacon in the church. It states:
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.  Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.  Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.  Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.  Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.”

By beseeching God to “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”, we are acknowledging that no one is perfect, that despite what we have done in the past, God does forgive us. He will clean us, wash us, and make us, as if “whiter than snow”. That by simply asking, He stands ready to teach us what we must learn to follow and praise Him, and then to carry this knowledge, this “wisdom in our secret heart”, with us out in to the world, to teach others. As clergy, this is key to following God’s commandments, to use the Holy Spirit, our willing spirit, to take the “joy of God’s salvation”, spreading His message in our ministry. Sometimes even us as clergy forget we were once sinners, born guilty of our transgressions, and through faith, made clean of heart. And like children at times, we make mistakes, we sin, we misstep, lose our way, but this passage reminds us that God forgave us once, cleaned us of our iniquity. And yes, He will do it again, because like a loving father, he wants the best for his children. All we have to do is ask, and it shall be granted.