Happy feast of St. Michael and All Angels! I don't have too much input today, mostly because Rev. Margaret Bullit-Jonas preached a great sermon on angels this Sunday, and I think most of you were there to hear it. If not, you can listen to it here (if you are just on the Grace Church home page, go to worship and then click on sermons). Also, here's a link to a website with some great information about this particular feast day.
Which leaves me with the question for you all: what do you believe about angels? How does this play into your faith journey? I'm always struck by the idea of angels constantly circling around God singing God's praises...in fact, the collect (a name for a type of prayer we use in our services) for this particular feast day makes reference to the vocation of praise which the angels have:
"Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted in a wonderful order the ministries of angels and mortals: Mercifully grant that, as your holy angels always serve and worship you in heaven, so by your appointment they may help and defend us here on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."
Amen indeed.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Daily Reading 9/28
Today's reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Some of you may know of this as the "lilies of the field" passage. In this, Jesus tells us not to worry-if God puts so much care into the flowers, think of how much more care God will take with us! Reading through this in the NRSV and The Message provides two very different experiences, I think. I would recommend reading each one to get a better sense of what I mean.
In the NRSV reading I sense a call to place complete trust in God and not worry-not even about what particularly I'm going to eat, but even that I will be able to eat at all! This is a tall order, too. I mean, I have to work to make money to feed myself. And for young people, there is worry sometimes when parents may be ill or out of a job-how will the parents earn money to feed their children? These are very real concerns that many of us face, and sometimes being told not to worry because God will take care of it isn't the most comforting thing in the world. We constantly want to know how? when? what can I do to make this happen? I can't live if I don't eat! However, for many of us this may not be a basic worry. We have clothes on our backs, food on our tables, and roofs over our head (although there are people in our community who lack these things!!!).
The Message presents the call not to worry in a different way-a way that speaks to me when I have my basic needs met. The Message seems to shift the emphasis of the passage from not worrying about basic needs to not worrying about being the most fashionable or having the best of everything. An interesting take on this passage is, for me, when, instead of pointing out that we will be clothed because even the flowers are clothes, the translator of The Message presents us with this: "If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?" Imagine that-God taking pride in me! I find that a pretty powerful statement.
The passage is also summed up differently. The NRSV notes that we shouldn't worry about tomorrow, for the troubles of today are enough for today. The Message reads: "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." Good words by which to live.
In the NRSV reading I sense a call to place complete trust in God and not worry-not even about what particularly I'm going to eat, but even that I will be able to eat at all! This is a tall order, too. I mean, I have to work to make money to feed myself. And for young people, there is worry sometimes when parents may be ill or out of a job-how will the parents earn money to feed their children? These are very real concerns that many of us face, and sometimes being told not to worry because God will take care of it isn't the most comforting thing in the world. We constantly want to know how? when? what can I do to make this happen? I can't live if I don't eat! However, for many of us this may not be a basic worry. We have clothes on our backs, food on our tables, and roofs over our head (although there are people in our community who lack these things!!!).
The Message presents the call not to worry in a different way-a way that speaks to me when I have my basic needs met. The Message seems to shift the emphasis of the passage from not worrying about basic needs to not worrying about being the most fashionable or having the best of everything. An interesting take on this passage is, for me, when, instead of pointing out that we will be clothed because even the flowers are clothes, the translator of The Message presents us with this: "If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?" Imagine that-God taking pride in me! I find that a pretty powerful statement.
The passage is also summed up differently. The NRSV notes that we shouldn't worry about tomorrow, for the troubles of today are enough for today. The Message reads: "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." Good words by which to live.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Daily Reading 9/23
Sorry for the hiatus everyone. I'm still researching t he 12 apostles question from Sunday, and I'll let you know once I find something else (if I ever do!).
Today's reading is from the Gospel of Matthew, 5:38-48. This particular passage is the love your enemies part of this Gospel. You've probably heard it before: Turn the other cheek, love your enemies...I usually hear those sentiments and think of course. I'm used to reading this passage in the NRSV translation of the Bible, but as I said works like The Message present a different approach to the text. I'm pasting the entire passage below:
38-42"Here's another old saying that deserves a second look: 'Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.' Is that going to get us anywhere? Here's what I propose: 'Don't hit back at all.' If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.
43-47"You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.
48"In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."
That's definitely put rather differently from the NRSV (not better or worse, mind you, but just in a different way). What is most interesting is the call to "live generously." The Message emphasizes this several times. We are to be generous people in all ways-this doesn't only apply to money. It applies to the very essence of our being. Think about this: it's hard enough sometimes to be generous with things like our money and our time, but with our very selves? I think we all have moments when we present only a certain part of ourself to a certain group of people, and then a different self to another group. Maybe it's a way to protect our inmost being from our enemies. Maybe it's laziness (think about a sports team...it would be easier for me just to be a Red Sox fan up here, right? And I could do it...but it wouldn't be completely honest. Rooting for the Reds takes work on so many levels!). There are many reasons, I'm sure, as to why we do not give people all of ourselves.
But that is what I think this passage is calling us to do. God makes it rain on saints and sinners alike. God also makes the sun shine on people. God offers all of Godself whether you choose to accept it or not.
The NRSV ends this passage saying "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." The Message reades, "Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you." Either way, we are being called to live like God--which means offering ourselves fully whether this is accepted or not.
Closing thought on this particular command: man that's hard. How do I even begin to do this? First thing's first: I have to know who I am and who I'm becoming. That doesn't mean I have to see exactly who I will be in 20 years, much less 20 weeks. But I should probably have a good sense of who I am right now...So I ask you all to think about who you are deep down. How do you show that Self to others around you? Are there parts that you hide (like being a Christian? This goes back to our discussion on the Gospel of Mark on Sunday morning...think about it. Pray about it. And live generously...
Today's reading is from the Gospel of Matthew, 5:38-48. This particular passage is the love your enemies part of this Gospel. You've probably heard it before: Turn the other cheek, love your enemies...I usually hear those sentiments and think of course. I'm used to reading this passage in the NRSV translation of the Bible, but as I said works like The Message present a different approach to the text. I'm pasting the entire passage below:
38-42"Here's another old saying that deserves a second look: 'Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.' Is that going to get us anywhere? Here's what I propose: 'Don't hit back at all.' If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.
43-47"You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.
48"In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."
That's definitely put rather differently from the NRSV (not better or worse, mind you, but just in a different way). What is most interesting is the call to "live generously." The Message emphasizes this several times. We are to be generous people in all ways-this doesn't only apply to money. It applies to the very essence of our being. Think about this: it's hard enough sometimes to be generous with things like our money and our time, but with our very selves? I think we all have moments when we present only a certain part of ourself to a certain group of people, and then a different self to another group. Maybe it's a way to protect our inmost being from our enemies. Maybe it's laziness (think about a sports team...it would be easier for me just to be a Red Sox fan up here, right? And I could do it...but it wouldn't be completely honest. Rooting for the Reds takes work on so many levels!). There are many reasons, I'm sure, as to why we do not give people all of ourselves.
But that is what I think this passage is calling us to do. God makes it rain on saints and sinners alike. God also makes the sun shine on people. God offers all of Godself whether you choose to accept it or not.
The NRSV ends this passage saying "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." The Message reades, "Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you." Either way, we are being called to live like God--which means offering ourselves fully whether this is accepted or not.
Closing thought on this particular command: man that's hard. How do I even begin to do this? First thing's first: I have to know who I am and who I'm becoming. That doesn't mean I have to see exactly who I will be in 20 years, much less 20 weeks. But I should probably have a good sense of who I am right now...So I ask you all to think about who you are deep down. How do you show that Self to others around you? Are there parts that you hide (like being a Christian? This goes back to our discussion on the Gospel of Mark on Sunday morning...think about it. Pray about it. And live generously...
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Daily Reading 9/16
Today's reading from the Gospel of Matthew (4:18-25) takes us to the calling of the first disciples and the earliest days of Jesus's public ministry. When Jesus started preaching and teaching, the book of Matthew tells us that he went throughout Galilee and healed those who needed it, which in turn attracted people from the neighboring regions. All of this is happening after his period of fasting in the desert and right before we get more specific messages from Jesus, like the Sermon on the Mount, so in a way it's kind of an introduction to the adult, public person of Jesus. What I find most interesting about today's reading, though, is the calling of the disciples, especially when he calls Simon (Peter) and Andrew:
"Walking along the beach of Lake Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers: Simon (later called Peter) and Andrew. They were fishing, throwing their nets into the lake. It was their regular work. Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass." They didn't ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed." Matthew 4:18-20 (The Message)
Wow. This passage seems a bit spartan to me--Jesus doesn't really give an introduction. No "Hey my name's Jesus and this is who I am and what I'm all about" kind of thing. Just "Come with me." Even MORE amazing is the brothers' response: "They didn't ask any questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed." Had they heard news of Jesus? Did they have any idea what he was about or who he really was??? We don't know! This passage doesn't tell us, and uses the simplicity of Jesus's request they follow him and the disciples' compliance to emphasize even more their faithfulness from the very beginning. I seriously can't even begin to fathom this. If someone came up to ME and asked this sort of thing, I would have some serious questions. Who are you? Who are you connected with? What are you doing? Why? Why me, for that matter? How did Simon and Andrew do this? I have no idea, to be totally honest. This is definitely a lesson in faith, but I don't even know where to begin to follow it. Should I follow those who come asking things of me without asking for an explanation in response?
This post has more questions than it does anything else, but that's what this passage has always been about for me: the questions. It makes me think about what I would do if a similar question were asked of me today. Just think for a moment about what was at stake for Peter and the others who said "yes": they gave up their livelihood (at a time when life was not easy) and their families (for common folks one of the most important social structures around) to follow someone they didn't know. This would be like someone I didn't know and about whose cause I knew nothing asking me to give up my job, leave my family, and work for him/her. That would take some commitment. Did Peter and Andrew know what they were committing themselves to?
"Walking along the beach of Lake Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers: Simon (later called Peter) and Andrew. They were fishing, throwing their nets into the lake. It was their regular work. Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass." They didn't ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed." Matthew 4:18-20 (The Message)
Wow. This passage seems a bit spartan to me--Jesus doesn't really give an introduction. No "Hey my name's Jesus and this is who I am and what I'm all about" kind of thing. Just "Come with me." Even MORE amazing is the brothers' response: "They didn't ask any questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed." Had they heard news of Jesus? Did they have any idea what he was about or who he really was??? We don't know! This passage doesn't tell us, and uses the simplicity of Jesus's request they follow him and the disciples' compliance to emphasize even more their faithfulness from the very beginning. I seriously can't even begin to fathom this. If someone came up to ME and asked this sort of thing, I would have some serious questions. Who are you? Who are you connected with? What are you doing? Why? Why me, for that matter? How did Simon and Andrew do this? I have no idea, to be totally honest. This is definitely a lesson in faith, but I don't even know where to begin to follow it. Should I follow those who come asking things of me without asking for an explanation in response?
This post has more questions than it does anything else, but that's what this passage has always been about for me: the questions. It makes me think about what I would do if a similar question were asked of me today. Just think for a moment about what was at stake for Peter and the others who said "yes": they gave up their livelihood (at a time when life was not easy) and their families (for common folks one of the most important social structures around) to follow someone they didn't know. This would be like someone I didn't know and about whose cause I knew nothing asking me to give up my job, leave my family, and work for him/her. That would take some commitment. Did Peter and Andrew know what they were committing themselves to?
Monday, September 14, 2009
Holy Cross Day 9/14
Today is Holy Cross Day, known in other Christian traditions sometimes as the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It is a feast (a way church people describe special days) in the church that commemorates the Cross of Christ. Without going into all of the background of the day, just know that it's a moment in the church year when we stop to think about the cross itself. The readings for today are centered around this particular theme of the cross and it's purpose. The Gospel reading for today was John 3:11-17, and it speaks to the purpose of the cross without referring to the cross itself (in other words, it's not a story about Jesus's crucifixion, which is what we might expect on Holy Cross Day).
Some of you may be familiar with John 3:16. I'll quote from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV-it's what we use on Sundays in church) today because it's such a well-known passage and it may jog your memory: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." I've heard this quoted ALOT. Church folks would quote it left and right. It even seeped into popular culture: when I was in high school, pro-wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin's fans would hold up signs saying "Austin 3:16" in a reference to a victory speech he made. So this whole 3:16 thing must be a big deal.
Often John 3:16 is used as a verse of exclusion--I've heard many people quote this verse to explain that they are saved, because they are one of the "everyone who believes." The emphasis then moves to the everyone else who doesn't believe. The verse becomes a verse about those who don't believe and not about the hope of those who do believe. Because of this kind of background, I sometimes struggle when I hear this verse quoted so often. But then I remember what comes next, and I feel that you can't really take verse 16 without verse 17: "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." Thus this verse that is used to provoke conflict and controversy--a verse that is used to create an "us" and a "them"--is followed by Jesus's words that he did not come to condemn anyone, but to help everyone! How cool is that? All of a sudden, in one sentence, this passage moves from being one of potential condemnation and exclusion to one of radical hope and welcome.
Throughout Jesus's life we see this kind of hope and welcome--welcoming those whom society had cast out as worthless: the poor, the weak, the orphans, the widows, the women, the children, the everyday working person...these were all people embraced by Jesus in his lifetime, a lifetime of radical love and welcome. After all, isn't that what the cross is all about? The fact that God loves us so much that God became human in Jesus and then died so that death would no longer have a hold on us? Seems pretty hopeful and welcoming to me...
Some of you may be familiar with John 3:16. I'll quote from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV-it's what we use on Sundays in church) today because it's such a well-known passage and it may jog your memory: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." I've heard this quoted ALOT. Church folks would quote it left and right. It even seeped into popular culture: when I was in high school, pro-wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin's fans would hold up signs saying "Austin 3:16" in a reference to a victory speech he made. So this whole 3:16 thing must be a big deal.
Often John 3:16 is used as a verse of exclusion--I've heard many people quote this verse to explain that they are saved, because they are one of the "everyone who believes." The emphasis then moves to the everyone else who doesn't believe. The verse becomes a verse about those who don't believe and not about the hope of those who do believe. Because of this kind of background, I sometimes struggle when I hear this verse quoted so often. But then I remember what comes next, and I feel that you can't really take verse 16 without verse 17: "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." Thus this verse that is used to provoke conflict and controversy--a verse that is used to create an "us" and a "them"--is followed by Jesus's words that he did not come to condemn anyone, but to help everyone! How cool is that? All of a sudden, in one sentence, this passage moves from being one of potential condemnation and exclusion to one of radical hope and welcome.
Throughout Jesus's life we see this kind of hope and welcome--welcoming those whom society had cast out as worthless: the poor, the weak, the orphans, the widows, the women, the children, the everyday working person...these were all people embraced by Jesus in his lifetime, a lifetime of radical love and welcome. After all, isn't that what the cross is all about? The fact that God loves us so much that God became human in Jesus and then died so that death would no longer have a hold on us? Seems pretty hopeful and welcoming to me...
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Daily Reading, 9/9
First of all, happy 9/9/9! It only happens once every 100 years, so enjoy it while you can.
Today's reading is taken from the New Testament; specifically, it's Phillipians 2:1-11. Scholars aren't completely in agreement as to whether or not this was one letter or perhaps a combination of texts. Interestingly, today's passage includes an early Christian hymn (verses 6-11). The first two chapters of the book are marked by Paul's joyful tone in his writing to the Phillipians. I have to admit that sometimes Paul can be incredibly dense and hard to read, but in today's passage he makes a point that, I think, is pretty clear. Thus, I'm just going to quote it:
"If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand." (Phillipians 2:1-4; The Message).
I don't think I need to say more than that; Paul puts it quite nicely!!!
Today's reading is taken from the New Testament; specifically, it's Phillipians 2:1-11. Scholars aren't completely in agreement as to whether or not this was one letter or perhaps a combination of texts. Interestingly, today's passage includes an early Christian hymn (verses 6-11). The first two chapters of the book are marked by Paul's joyful tone in his writing to the Phillipians. I have to admit that sometimes Paul can be incredibly dense and hard to read, but in today's passage he makes a point that, I think, is pretty clear. Thus, I'm just going to quote it:
"If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand." (Phillipians 2:1-4; The Message).
I don't think I need to say more than that; Paul puts it quite nicely!!!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Daily Reading, 9/8
One of the practices of the Anglican Church, of which the Episcopal Church is a part, is the praying of the Daily Office. There's Morning Prayer, Noonday Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Compline, each a service adapted from the ancient monastic practice of praying 8 times a day.
Part of these offices is the reading of scripture-each day there is a selection from the Old Testament, New Testament, and the Gospels, as well as several Psalms. You can find out what the reading for the day is yourself if you follow along the lectionary-a set order of readings found in the Book of Common Prayer p 934. Or you can go to www.dailyoffice.org and find them there as well (it's a bit easier, I'll admit). One of the features of this blog will be reflections on a reading from the Daily Office. This may not happen every day, but I'm aiming for at least four days a week! So check back here often for updates-some reflecions may even come from one of you, or from something we talk about during a GYC meeting. Or I might find a song or video that speaks to the reading for me that I'd like to share. You never know what you'll find...
For today, we have chapter 16 in Mark's Gospel. If you look in your Bible, you may notice "headings" throughout the text. They might say "the Sermon on the Mount" or "God and Abraham Make a Covenant" or something like that. Just so you know, these aren't in the original text. Indeed, chapter and verse markings are later additions. What you might notice in today's readings if you look at the headings might be something like "the shorter ending of Mark" and "the Longer ending of Mark." Verses 9-20 are only found in later manuscripts and, if you look at the resurrection narratives in the other Gospels, you will notice some similarities.
What does this mean? It means that the actual appearances of Jesus after His resurrection are missing from the more reliable Greek manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark! The most we get is the angel telling the women that Jesus will meet them in Galilee, and a reference to Jesus sending the disciples to proclaim salvation-but even then it's a reference and feels somewhat different from the Jesus we meet in the rest of the text.
Does that mean the recurrection isn't true? If the earliest Gospel in the Bible doesn't have stories of Jesus's appearances, how do we know any of this actually happened? The first thing to remember is don't fret. There are three other Gospels in the Bible. I know, I know this sounds like a cop out-it's not! We take the Bible as a whole, not just the bits and pieces. In some cases this "holistic approach" can cause problems when we see contradictions, but in other cases it enhances and deepens our understanding of different texts.
But if we turn to this particular selection from Mark, I think it speaks to what it means to have faith when we know there's an empty tomb, but we don't get to touch the wounds of the risen Lord as Thomas did. We have to take it on faith, which is definitely hard. The women in the Gospel see an angel who tells them "He has been raised." They have to take that on faith-who knows who could have rolled the stone and removed (read:stolen) the body, but it was a possibility! But the women chose to believe-they went and told the other disciples what they had seen-which wasn't Jesus. It was the empty tomb! That's pretty extraordinary, if you think about. The faith of these women was such that they spread the Good News of Jesus's resurrection without having seen the risen Jesus. They saw the empty tomb!
Sometimes, when I'm in a particularly doubting frame of mind, I have to focus on the empty tomb-I can't even bring myself to conceive of a risen Christ. But the empty tomb feels like something I can begin to get a handle on; something I can see. It's the empty tomb that leads these women towards an understanding of the resurrection of Jesus. It's the empty tomb that first brings that fact home to them. It's the empty tomb that opens their eyes to the fact that death no longer has hold on any of us. This empty tomb can lead us to the risen Christ-something to remember when the risen One is hard to see...
Part of these offices is the reading of scripture-each day there is a selection from the Old Testament, New Testament, and the Gospels, as well as several Psalms. You can find out what the reading for the day is yourself if you follow along the lectionary-a set order of readings found in the Book of Common Prayer p 934. Or you can go to www.dailyoffice.org and find them there as well (it's a bit easier, I'll admit). One of the features of this blog will be reflections on a reading from the Daily Office. This may not happen every day, but I'm aiming for at least four days a week! So check back here often for updates-some reflecions may even come from one of you, or from something we talk about during a GYC meeting. Or I might find a song or video that speaks to the reading for me that I'd like to share. You never know what you'll find...
For today, we have chapter 16 in Mark's Gospel. If you look in your Bible, you may notice "headings" throughout the text. They might say "the Sermon on the Mount" or "God and Abraham Make a Covenant" or something like that. Just so you know, these aren't in the original text. Indeed, chapter and verse markings are later additions. What you might notice in today's readings if you look at the headings might be something like "the shorter ending of Mark" and "the Longer ending of Mark." Verses 9-20 are only found in later manuscripts and, if you look at the resurrection narratives in the other Gospels, you will notice some similarities.
What does this mean? It means that the actual appearances of Jesus after His resurrection are missing from the more reliable Greek manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark! The most we get is the angel telling the women that Jesus will meet them in Galilee, and a reference to Jesus sending the disciples to proclaim salvation-but even then it's a reference and feels somewhat different from the Jesus we meet in the rest of the text.
Does that mean the recurrection isn't true? If the earliest Gospel in the Bible doesn't have stories of Jesus's appearances, how do we know any of this actually happened? The first thing to remember is don't fret. There are three other Gospels in the Bible. I know, I know this sounds like a cop out-it's not! We take the Bible as a whole, not just the bits and pieces. In some cases this "holistic approach" can cause problems when we see contradictions, but in other cases it enhances and deepens our understanding of different texts.
But if we turn to this particular selection from Mark, I think it speaks to what it means to have faith when we know there's an empty tomb, but we don't get to touch the wounds of the risen Lord as Thomas did. We have to take it on faith, which is definitely hard. The women in the Gospel see an angel who tells them "He has been raised." They have to take that on faith-who knows who could have rolled the stone and removed (read:stolen) the body, but it was a possibility! But the women chose to believe-they went and told the other disciples what they had seen-which wasn't Jesus. It was the empty tomb! That's pretty extraordinary, if you think about. The faith of these women was such that they spread the Good News of Jesus's resurrection without having seen the risen Jesus. They saw the empty tomb!
Sometimes, when I'm in a particularly doubting frame of mind, I have to focus on the empty tomb-I can't even bring myself to conceive of a risen Christ. But the empty tomb feels like something I can begin to get a handle on; something I can see. It's the empty tomb that leads these women towards an understanding of the resurrection of Jesus. It's the empty tomb that first brings that fact home to them. It's the empty tomb that opens their eyes to the fact that death no longer has hold on any of us. This empty tomb can lead us to the risen Christ-something to remember when the risen One is hard to see...
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
What do YOU think?
I read this article recently, and I have to admit that I found it pretty ridiculous. Why? Because I think the reporter is completely wrong. You can read the article here.
Once you've read it, you may wonder why I'm posting it on this website; after all, the article is about 20-somethings, right? This is true, but what's important is that those in high school now are also part of the Millenial or Gen Y generation (the very tail end, it seems, but the age range extends to birthdays in the late 1990s, according to Wikipedia.
What do YOU think about this article? First, it is important to think honestly about our generation (because I too am part of this generation, as crazy as that may seem to some of you guys!). I don't want to say everyone in Gen Y has grown up privileged, because that isn't true. There are so many people our age who are under-privileged, that it would be ridiculous to claim otherwise. We have had unprecedented access to technology and information, that's for sure. With that may have come a feeling of entitlement to knowledge--I know I often feel that way, rightly or wrongly I don't know.
Do you feel entitled to anything? What? Why?
Feel free to shout out in the comments section.
Once you've read it, you may wonder why I'm posting it on this website; after all, the article is about 20-somethings, right? This is true, but what's important is that those in high school now are also part of the Millenial or Gen Y generation (the very tail end, it seems, but the age range extends to birthdays in the late 1990s, according to Wikipedia.
What do YOU think about this article? First, it is important to think honestly about our generation (because I too am part of this generation, as crazy as that may seem to some of you guys!). I don't want to say everyone in Gen Y has grown up privileged, because that isn't true. There are so many people our age who are under-privileged, that it would be ridiculous to claim otherwise. We have had unprecedented access to technology and information, that's for sure. With that may have come a feeling of entitlement to knowledge--I know I often feel that way, rightly or wrongly I don't know.
Do you feel entitled to anything? What? Why?
Feel free to shout out in the comments section.
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