Christ's gift of freedom - keeping your hand on the plow.

Scripture: 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14 and Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20  •  1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21 and Psalm 16  •  Galatians 5:1, 13-25  •  Luke 9:51-62

This week we have the wonderful story of Elijah being carried up in the whirlwind, and his devoted servant and successor prophet, Elisha, receiving a double share of the spirit in Elijah. Swing lo, sweet chariot - comin' for to carry me home! Or "Double shot of my [God's] love." (I took some liberties with the latter song). We also study the fruits of spirit in Paul's letter to the Galatians, and Jesus' statements of "let the dead bury the dead, and "he who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God."

This passage in Galatians is sometime referred to as the freedom passage. What kind of freedom is Paul talking about? See "Freedom and Obedience" by Jake Wilson.
Do good works, or living "the fruits of the spirit" bring us salvation, or are the effects of God's saving grace? See Fruits of the Spirit, an excerpt from "The Faces of Jesus," by Frederick Buechner. 

What does Jesus mean in his seemingly stern remarks? Consider the thoughts of James Jewell in his sermon with a subtitle of "We Ain't Goin' Let Nobody Turn Us Around," and "Alyce M. McKenzie's "Keep Your Hand on the Plow!"

What if Jesus came to visit? Where do we find God?

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-4, (5-7), 8-15a and Psalm 42 and 43  •  Isaiah 65:1-9 and Psalm 22:19-28  •  Galatians 3:23-29  •  Luke 8:26-39

What would you do? How would you feel... if Jesus came to visit? Compare your thoughts with the healed demoniac and his fellow Gerasenes. What if meant leaving our comfortable, familiar ways and "possessions?" See The Rev. James T. Moors, "When Jesus Comes to Visit."

Where do you find God? What is it like to be in the presence of God? Have you ever felt being in God's presence? What was it like? Describe it as best you can. Read where Elijah found God - not where you might expect. In God's presence, the man running for his life found the strength, serenity, sustenance and purpose to confront the very forces threatening his life, and the lives and faith of God's people. Where does Jesus show us that we can experience God's presence? See The Rev. Kate Huey's "In God's Presence." 

Givers and Takers - A Matter of Life and Death

Scripture: 1 Kings 21:1-10, (11-14), 15-21a and Psalm 5:1-8  •  2 Samuel 11:26-12:10, 13-15 and Psalm 32  •  Galatians 2:15-21  •  Luke 7:36-8:3

 

This week we have stories of greed and destructive possessiveness contrasted with extravagant giving - one leading to death, the other leading to life, and not just life, but life in abundance - joyous living. We learn more about what sin is in the story of Ahab and Jezebel with Naboth's vineyard, and the sin of David in his lust for Bathsheba as he sends Uriah to his death in battle. See The Rev. Janice B. Scott's "What is sin?"

 

In Luke's account of the "sinful woman" who washes Jesus' feet with an expensive ointment from an alabaster jar, and her tears, and dries them with her hair, we really see what extravagant love is. Luke does not place this story immediately prior to the passion story. It is in the midst of Jesus' teaching of forgiveness - the ultimate giving, which frees us from the control of hate, spite, anger and what ever else would separate us from loving God and our neighbor, and getting on with living. In this kind of giving we can experience the joy and peace God intends for us to have, and to share. See "Alabaster Extravagance" by The Rev. Dr. Mary Anderson.

 

 

 

 

 

His liberating compassion gave her a voice...

Scripture: 1 Kings 17:8-16, (17-24) and Psalm 146  •  1 Kings 17:17-24 and Psalm 30  •  Galatians  1:11-24  •  Luke 7:11-17

Two widows, two sons, two deaths. Elijah in Zarephath, and now Jesus in Nain. Restoring life where there is death. Jesus cuts through all rules and conventions of his society in the gospel account from Luke, as he does so many times - there is not one sheep this Good Shepherd will not search out, find, and bring home. Both of our authors give excellent accounts of the status of widows in the society of that time when they lost not only their husbands, but their sons. Essentially they were left to a living death with death not too far behind.  Worse, perhaps, they were left without a voice - silenced, non-persons. In "A people without boundaries, " The Rev. Matt Seddon reminds us that the mission of the church in our Book of Common Prayer "is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ." To be a people who recognize the dignity of every human being.

Jesus did a couple of things which were taboo in this Sunday's gospel lesson. He talked to the woman and he touched the bier of the dead. Cutting across anything which would separate us from the love of God. This story is not just about the son. Through his compassion, Jesus also gave life to the widow. She matters. He has given her a voice. A place in the kingdom of God's love. Jesus speaks liberating words. In "Finding a discourse for living," Christopher Burkett tells us , as people of faith, to chose our words carefully - that we use committed, responsible and liberating words - life giving words, Godly words. For the sake of our Lord, may we speak and act with compassion with all God's children, especially those without power, status, or voices of their own.

Who is worthy?

Scripture: Kings 18:20-21, (22-29), 30-39 and Psalm 96  •  1 Kings 8:22-23, 41-43 and Psalm 96:1-9  • 

               Galatians 1:1-12  •  Luke 7:1-10

Do you remember the mantra of Mike Myers and Dana Carvey in Wayne's World? "We're not worthy!" In both this week's epistle of Paul to the Galatians, and the healing of the Roman centurion's servant by Jesus, we can learn much about value and worthiness.

The Rev. Rick Morley has a good discussion of worth and worthiness in his "(un)worthiness." Is it something we earn, or achieve? Who is "worthy" of God's saving grace?

The Rev. David Lose tells us that we should never presume to judge someone by appearances, or believe that they are incapable of demonstrating faith and good works in "Unexpected Faith." He suggests that we offer two prayers this week. Pray to give thanks for people who do not believe as we do, but do good works and who are in our lives, and that we might have the grace to commend their good works, and show them God's love for them. The second prayer is for us. That we be less surprised that God uses people we have decided are unlikely or unexpected to do wonderful things.

Finally, you know I love baseball. Enjoy, as I did, "42," by Nancy Rockwell, who reflects on the story of Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson, and the integration of major league baseball. A great lesson on worthiness.

 

The Meaning of Pentecost

Scripture: Acts 2:1-21 or Genesis 11:1-9  •  Psalm 104:24-34, 35b  •  Romans 8:14-17 or  Acts 2:1-21  •  John 14:8-17, (25-27)

The Lectionary this week contrasts the experience of the Tower of Babel and the Pentecost. Both involve people speaking different languages. In one case they became confused and disperses. In the other case "simple Galileans" were heard to speak and communicate with others in different languages. Why confusion on the one hand, and communication on the other?

Pentecost is sometimes called the birthday of the church, and we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church. What is Pentecost? What does it mean?  In "What Does it Mean? Pentecost Homily" Christopher Burkett tells us, among other things, that it is a time when one can hear in the language of a broken heart, the spirit of eternal love - a time when we hear the whisper of God in our own hearts.

In "'Nothing but' Misses the Point," The Rev. Canon Frank S. Logue tells us that reductionists who define the world as "nothing but" physical explanations or empiricism miss the point. At the same time it can't be reduced to mere emotionalism or hysteria. What is it then?

In "Messy Church" Jo Bailey Wells tells us that in some sense God prefers a little of the chaos of Pentecost to the strict order and central administration with which the Tower of Babel was built. What does she mean, and why?

'...That they might be one.'

Scripture: Acts 16:16-34  •  Psalm 97  •  Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21  •  John 17:20-26

This week's gospel account is Jesus' prayer for us before his ascension: that we might be one as he and the Father are one, that we might share the love of the Father with him. This is a time of tension before Jesus' ascension - between his absence in human form, and his life giving spirit presence. This is a precursor to Trinity Sunday and Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit breathed life into the Church.

This is also a call for unity. What does it mean to be one in Christ? Do we give up our individuality? How can we be one in Christ when, as individuals, we have different opinions, viewpoints and experiences?

Consider The Rev. Dr. Janet Hunt's "A Unity Not of Our Own Making," Professor John W. Martens' "Heaven-Sent," and Pastor David Risendal's "As We Are One."