I swear

       

No doubt you have heard today's passage from Matthew many times. I can even recall some of the sermons that I have heard over the years in this regard. I have given it much thought. I have not however made a note of the last few lines which seemed to have escape me. The bulk of thought and reflection gets the attention of the first few sections. So what about swearing? What is it that makes it such an easy thing to do. You can swear by God, Jesus Christ , heaven or hell or just blurt out some expletive when something happens we are not happy with.

        We swear so easily I did a google search to find out why it is that we seem to blurt out these errant ejaculations. It is a habit for sure but it seems to serves a purpose. I want to make some sense of it in view of the holy person we remember today, Anna Julia Haywood Cooper. Anna was an amazing person of incredible intellect, great love and extraordinary accomplishments.  After reading about her life I began to wonder, did she swear? I mean, she was so accomplished and worked hard for God and humanity with such zeal that I don't think that she could possibly had the spare time to swear.

      Swearing it seems is some kind of biological or psychological relief valve. Like a steam system that might explode without an occasional release of pressure. Would we explode if we didn't swear? I have often used that thought process when I am driving among the numerous challenged drivers out there. I was told I might have a stroke if I didn't calm down. I am not one prone to aggressive driving, I'd note that if I didn't let off some steam from these idiots, then, then I might explode. Did God design us this way?

       When I think of Anna Julia then, I think maybe I have too much free time on my hands. Maybe I am focused on the wrong things in life when I find it necessary to swear at any given moment. I certainly accomplish less, focusing on negativity. What good comes from swearing? Focusing on the wrongs or errors? Dissing my God whom I profess to love?  Calling out innocent mistakes and putting focus on the wrong spots? It seems to me that I could be accomplishing so much more if I focused correctly , had a clearer heart and mind. That's it, a clearer heart and mind. If we spend our time in the service of God, ourselves and others, perhaps we will have less time to be going about swearing with no purpose except to misdirect our lives into wrongful behaviour, wasted efforts.  Just some thoughts this bright sunny morning.

Matthew 5:27-37

 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.

 ‘It was also said, “Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.” But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

 ‘Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.” But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be “Yes, Yes” or “No, No”; anything more than this comes from the evil one.

What more must I do Rabbi?

      I may be off a day according to the cosmos. Part of my reflection yesterday seems much more suited to today's passage.  But yesterday is past and the reading here is so in your face that simply cannot just come up with another subject.

       Do you remember that rich chap who came to Jesus and asked what more he needed to do to be saved? He scrupulously followed all the commandments, what more need he do? He seemed to be looking for justification, as if Jesus would say, You are Saved!  The man walked away in utter sadness because Jesus told him to sell his belongings and give the money to the poor. That was the additional step the rich man needed. I won't delve into the comparison one might make about the disproportionate wealth in our society today.

         What I do notice from today's passage is a continuation of the theme that people who have a penchant to obey rules are not necessarily on the top of the salvation heap.  Sometimes we can be so busy minding the rules, we mislead ourselves into thinking we are guaranteed salvation. Worse, we obey the rules and feel free to judge others who are not as good at obeying the rules.

       Jesus was pretty clear on this. Though many would wish to deny it or simply dismiss it, Jesus embraced the sinners.  How many passages do we have to read for it to sink in that the rules are not the answer. Once again I find myself speaking of those two great commandments. They really make those Ten much harder to obey.  Today's passage highlights that even more as if the put an exclamation point on my writing from yesterday.

        We cannot mark off the commandments that we obey one by one as if we are checking off requirements to some Boy Scout merit badge. We don't get extra credit for doing things and acting the way we are supposed to act in the first place. What we get credit for if we are due any at all, is derived from love. Love in action, love as an arbiter of Scripture, love as the profound and limitless characteristic of our Creator. And now, now would be a god time to read 1 Corinthians 13.

Matthew 5:21-26

 ‘You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

An accurate reading

       I am by far the least of those educated and capable of strong and in depth interpretation of Scripture. I know what I know and one thing is that I am quite limited. That is, there is way too much that I do not know. But in knowing my shortcomings, I have a base to build upon. The problem I am told ( and I believe ) is people who know little but think they know it all, think that they need know nothing more. It is a kind of stunted growth and sometimes it is willful ignorance. And God mourns.

      There is a TV channel that shows nothing but movie classics. One of the things that makes it extra special to people is that there is a host that explains to the audience more about the movie than perhaps is generally known. Perhaps it is someone who auditioned for the lead and did not get it, a change in the script that played out particularly well or some gossipy note about the goings o behind the scenes. It all gives the viewer a greater understanding of the movie. It becomes especially important when we are dealing with a different era, different political and social norms. Sometimes even old technology must be explained or understood. The people in a 1940 movie certainly did not have the ability we have afforded us by cell phones, computers and DNA testing and such.  Viewing the past can be intricate job and knowledge and understanding is key to grasp the truth of a given situation.

      It is also true of Scripture. We read things that have been translations of translations from multiple languages and even cultures. Things and messages can easily been missed or even completely lost in translation. If you don't appreciate the culture of the time you miss a lot.

      If we were to imagine Jesus' time as a movie there would have be some serious scene setting. Men are top dogs. Woman are mere chattel. Women had few if any rights and invariably were sold or used for the benefit of men or in business transactions. We won't even discuss language and all the other cultural differences that we would find hard to understand.

        Today the church remembers, Photina, the Samaritan women at the well whom Jesus spent some considerable time talking with. Set the scene, it is noon and Jesus meets Photina. Got the picture?  But do you? Noon, the hottest part of the day is not when the women folk went to the well for water. The women folk went early in the morning when the burden of the sun was not pressing. So when we read this passage, do we see right away that something is amiss?  The Samaritan women is an outcast even in her own society, not just to Jews. She can't even go to the well with the other women. Jesus talking to a  Samaritan is taboo. Jesus talking to this particular Samaritan women is an even bigger no no. If we read this passage from John 4:4-26 we would probably just skip right over any thought about this women. Understanding the scene though is a huge leg up on understanding Scripture. This is so much deeper than a man and a woman at a well, no pun intended.

         People that have a penchant to quote scripture is so cozy and it fits neatly into whatever the agenda is that they are pushing. How wonderful, how nice, how pious.  But scripture study, like living a devout life following in The Way is not easy at all.  In this same passage about the well Jesus says " But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him". Jesus is not talking about rules and rubrics. Jesus is talking about our hearts, our brains, our souls.  God intends for us to use the intellect we are graced with. Knowledge and science are not enemies of faith, they are tools to grow with, tools to love with, tools with which we can serve God. Is it easy? Hells no as some would say. Tough as nails. We have to stretch and grow. We have to seek knowledge and understanding.  We have to obey the Ten commandments in the light of the two Great commandments. That is not the stuff of rules and rubrics but of hard choices, decisions, thoughtfulness and love.

        When a literalist reads the Ten commandments and it says "Thow shall not kill". That is an easy commandment to follow. Do not take the physical life of another. Even in that, there are religious justifications but a hard core person would not even fight in a war.  But Jesus calls us to a deeper understanding with those two great commandments. We miss so much if we simply read words without understanding or a more in depth knowledge. The no-kill commandment speaks of verbal killing too. Insults, gossip, degrading with words and slandering. So you haven't taken any ones life physically, have you ever killed or demeaned someones soul? Have you damaged and demeaned someones psyche? Not so easy any more is it?

       We cannot go forward in the ignorance of cherry picking words and lacking understanding that we are not only capable of but required by our God given intellect to invoke.  We cannot move forward in ignorance when Jesus calls us to more.

        WE are called and capable of som much more than being sheep. Whether it comes to politics and reading the Constitution or Holy Scripture and  a deep fulfilling understanding, we have the tools to know. We have the intellect to understand. We are called to use the gifts God has graced us with.

Matthew 5:13-20

 ‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

 ‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

 ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Thank you Father

       Many years ago, I had the opportunity to be a Eucharistic minister to patients in the hospital in which I worked. It was totally different from my job and a purely voluntary task. I am not quite sure if task is the right word, It was more of a pleasure and something that I looked forward to. If we could only approach everything in life with the same outlook I had for that graced responsibility.

        I would have a list of "Catholic" patients that I would call on. Needless to say this is a very diverse group from ultra-conservative Catholics to non-practicing Catholics. I was always received well.  Some people would refuse communion because they had not gone to confession.  I would respond that I could arrange for a visit from a Priest if that is what they wanted but I also explained that it was our belief as hospital ministers that God would want everyone to receive the saving graces of the Eucharist as long as they professed even a desire and showed some kind of verbal repentance. I might simply ask, "are you sorry for your sins?". If the answer was yes, we were set.  I still recall a person who was so taken back by my offer to receive communion, they viewed it as almost a last rights kind of thing; they were so touched at the offer they began to cry in thanksgiving. 

       What I recall most of all from this ministry, this task, is the humbleness with which I performed my duties. People would always say "Thank you Father" when I was finished and would have to explain that it was my own blessing and honour to be able to bring them communion. I'd also have to say, but I am not a Priest to which they invariably said, "Ok, Father". Doh!  

       Can we approach everything in life as if we are graced with the opportunity? Graced to experience a saint in a new person we have met. Graced to have shared a snippet of time, life and love with another human, a divine and loved creation of God.  Can we be present enough and know that God loves us, that we are offered holy "tasks" all day long. We simply need to open our eyes and see the opportunity before us.  This isn't a holy roller type thing, one where we try to proselytize or quote scripture to people. This is our opportunity to accept love from others and to love others. As Saint Vincent might say " preach the Good News always, use words when necessary".  Our tasks are humble and simple, Franciscan like actions that witness God's love in the world. Our tasks are simply witnessing to God's love in the world, and that means loving actions directed towards ourselves as well. 

        Be humbled at our opportunities to love and be loved.

2 Corinthians 1:1-11

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God that is in Corinth, including all the saints throughout Achaia:

 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ. If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation.

 We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again, as you also join in helping us by your prayers, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted to us through the prayers of many.

Live well, love fiercely, know God

       It is amazing how fixated we can become about things we do not know. Perhaps it is part of our God given DNA as humans. It is really our ingrained desire and purpose to seek out our Creator. To many this is Science. No matter what you call it, God is a mystery to be unravelled. The more we know, it seems the more there is that we do no know.  The more complex we realize the universe is, the more we see how magnificent and powerful is the Creator of all things.

        One of the things we all seem to fixate on is what happens to us after we die. Perhaps as believers it is better asked, what happens in the next realm of our existence?  The other day I invoked the vision of a Pina Colada and a Heavenly beach as heaven for a friend who recently passed.  We even sent flowers based in a glass vase filled with sand and shells. She thought the beach was heavenly. Her idea of retirement was lazing about on a beach somewhere. Mine of course would be an endless stream of cars for me to drive on the best driving roads and no speed limits and not bound by the laws of physics. That is, not having to worry about flying off some cliff instead of around the curve.

        All in all though, it is far better for us to think about the now. If you must think about the hereafter, Jesus makes an excellent point for us. What we have no is imperfect. Like a seed, the shell must be broken for the new life to breach and grow. There is no greater brokenness in this world than what we see when we look around. We are all broken in one way or another. THAT is what we need to realize. We cannot expect perfection and must appreciate our imperfections and loving what God sees in us.  Some people may hide their goodness , their potential or gifts. Some people seem frustrated and paralyzed in their attempts to 'crack their own shell' , progressing and growing in life. One of our major , perhaps thee task of life, is to see God by looking around at others. We must look at the created world and see where God is evidenced. In people we may have some hard looking to do but let us try to see what God sees in all of us. If we cannot see it, then KNOW that God loves that person at least as much as God loves you. Even cracked and damaged, God loves us. We are not perfect here. God sees what we cannot see.

            I like to think that when our imperfect human lives come to a close and we move on to our heavenly inheritance, we will have a new limitless form with sight and wisdom not possible on this side of existence. I call it our 'aha' moment. We will know then what we cannot know or see now. We will know the why and how comes or perhaps we will see that what we think is important is really of no importance.

       No matter what, we are better served concerned about this life and loving God here.

Live well, love fiercely, know God.

1 Corinthians 15: 35 - 38, 42 - 50 

(But someone will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?" Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 

So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven. 

What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 

"Everything is temporary. That don't excuse nothin'."

       Of all the lines in Moonstruck that I often quote, and there are many of them, one of my favorites is spoken by Vince Gardenia (Cosmo Castorini). When Cher (Loretta) says that her new 'engagement' ring (her intendeds pinky ring ) is only temporary, Cosmo says " Everything is temporary. That don't excuse nothin'."

         It seems we go through life and it changes moment by moment. We are poor, we are rich , we are locked into one job, we study, we learn, we get ahead, we fall behind. Life is indeed a roller coaster.  We love and even that it seems is temporary.  This week has been a stark reminder of that.  If there is anything constant it is the changes. That's it! Cosmo is right!

         I can't remember how many people I have heard over the years saying they are waiting to get married or waiting to have children 'until they can afford it'.  So I say, going to stay single are you?  Today's passage speaks of everyone's contribution. In fact Jesus points out that the poor woman who gave a penny gave more than those who gave from their excesses. Everything is temporary, we really do not have the luxury of waiting for things to happen. We can't just sit idly by and wait for the right conditions to appear. Sometimes we have to make the conditions appear. Sometimes we simply have to do with what we have at that moment.

         One of the countless joys of being married to the best man in the world is his ability to show me how to live well at all times. It is not dependent on having the best this or that. It is not dependent on spending wads of money here and there or having the best. When we try to strike a balance between living wildly and saving for old age, we often put off things that celebrate life and make life seem like an endless drudge. Noting our seemingly endless array of travels, a coworker once said "it must be nice" to be able to do all those things. I still recall saying to her that anyone can do them if they plan. It is not hard to create a 5 star trip on a 2 star income. You must plan because everything is temporary.

              Everything in life is temporary and so you get no slack for not doing. No excuses.  Live well, be charitable with your finances and service. Don't hold back in things you want to do, use the brain God gave you to make things work out. Have faith in God too, an absolute must. If you ask God will provide, provided you do your part too.

       One last example. My ex-mother-in-law.  She raised 9 children, no degrees, not even a GED.  She saw the abilities God graced her with. It was not limited to raising 9 kids.  She got her GED, got her BS, got her masters and her masters again. She entered the work force outside the home later in life, in fact, after her husband retired. Then he cooked the meals and cleaned house and she pursued her gift to us. She headed a department at a major university that helped the challenged and advocated for the LGBTQ community as well. She stole my heart even more when she wore a button on campus that read "don't presume I am straight". She may have been one of the first subconscious knocks on my door to realize I am gay. A hero who knew what was temporary and knew not to squander the gifts she had been graced with. She is yet another uncononized saint of the Roman church.

         Just remember what Cosmo said: 

                             Everything is temporary. That don't excuse nothin'.

Mark 12:35-44

 While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, ‘How can the scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David? David himself, by the Holy Spirit, declared,
“The Lord said to my Lord,
‘Sit at my right hand,
   until I put your enemies under your feet.’ ” 
David himself calls him Lord; so how can he be his son?’ And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.

 As he taught, he said, ‘Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honour at banquets!They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.’

 He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny.Then he called his disciples and said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.’ 

For 'Dor'

       There have been several notable times in my life when I have felt that I was  'not far from the kingdom of God.’ There was the time I was stopped at a traffic light when an out of control tanker truck came careening at me, stopping a mere 5 feet front my van - nose to nose. Then there was a more recent time when I was told from a routine exam that I had a blossoming ascending aortic aneurysm. It was large enough to trigger making a surgical date and arranging my affairs but just shy of the need to call an ambulance right then and there. Sobering moments.

       Yesterday a friend passed after a strong and heroic battle with pancreatic cancer. I am sure she knew where this was all taking her. I could see her FaceBook postings even as our conversations were less frequent in her battles. She knew she was not far from the kingdom of God and I know she is there now in the arms of our Lord along with her beloved animal friends who had previously passed. She is at joy, peace and without pain. If Heaven has any earthly tone, she is sipping a cool drink while sunning herself on a Heavenly beach. 

        As I get older, the time of life seems all that more precious. It is all about my having come out later in life and realizing the second chance in that. It is about finding the love of a man that fulfills all your dreams come true. It is about coming through multiple surgeries for 'replacement parts' as well as cardiac scares, that pesky aneurysm and more. I have quite personally come know just how fragile and precious life is not just because of my own life but also because my dear friend has vanished so quickly before my eyes.

         All this is supposed to be sobering thoughts to remind me and us of just how close we really are to the kingdom of God. There are no guarantees and our earthly judgments of what is fair or just do not apply.  We can be taken up in an instant as can any one of our loved ones.  Are we remotely ready for the transition? Maybe we do not need to prepare with the zeal of a ledger bearing vengeful God. I do believe we are called to use whatever time we have been graced with to our best advantage. We are to use our precious moments to be the most and best that God created us to be. We are to use every opportunity we have been graced with to love and witness to the love of our Creator. In so doing we are 'not far from the kingdom of God.’

          Love always with great joy and a zest for the life you have been graced with.

Mark 12:28-34

 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The first is, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’ Then the scribe said to him, ‘You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that “he is one, and besides him there is no other”; and “to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength”, and “to love one’s neighbour as oneself”,—this is much more important than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.’ When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ After that no one dared to ask him any question.

You are quite wrong

     One of the things that I have noted about myself is that I am not a quick study or quick witted. Invariably, when presented with a situation that requires a quick or pithy response, I come up with the precise words 5 minutes too late. I have however come up with a few phrases and heard a few phrases which I have come to adopt in appropriate situations. Jesus never has this problem of course. Perhaps it has something to do with the authority we have . Perhaps it has to do with the subject matter or whether or not we speak in concert with the Spirit.

        One autumn day we were at the train station, a family group of us heading to the big city for the day. We came upon a sidewalk preacher who was railing against all us sinners around him. Repent! Repent! He then went on to enumerate Gospel verses ( snippets ) that bolstered his cause and subjected everyone to self flagellation and our abominations. He was so woefully short of the true message of the Gospel. The Good News is about love, forgiveness and inclusiveness, none of which was mentioned. As usual I was loathe to come up with an appropriate response even while my family looked to me as a preacher to 'cut him down' with a few words.  I did not, but I think I might now say "I rebuke you and your message of hate and fear in the name of Jesus Christ" or words to that effect.

      In today's passage Jesus is confronted on several counts by the usual taunts of the Pharisees and Herodians. The last words of Jesus in this passage is the subtle zinger I want to say. Most of us get wordy when confronted and the fact is that the “listener” is usually not so much listening as waiting for their turn to rip you a new one. I really like Jesus' simple version “you are quite wrong.” Concise and t the point. I might find my self repeating that statement quite a bit as if it were some kind of judgmental tourettes syndrome. “you are quite wrong”, “you are quite wrong”, “you are quite wrong.”

       What I need to do though is pay attention to the Spirit. Is it me pronouncing error or is it the judgment of God?  I think if it is me, I may be a bit more uncertain. Then, I will will indeed fumpfer with my words and come up with that pithy phrase two minutes too late.  If I speak in concert with the spirit, simplicity may be the best weapon of all. Let the evil doers rampble on with their justifications and lies. All I have to say is “you are quite wrong.”

Mark 12:13-27

 Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said. And they came and said to him, ‘Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?’ But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, ‘Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.’ And they brought one. Then he said to them, ‘Whose head is this, and whose title?’ They answered, ‘The emperor’s.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ And they were utterly amazed at him.

 Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, saying, ‘Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. There were seven brothers; the first married and, when he died, left no children; and the second married her and died, leaving no children; and the third likewise; none of the seven left children. Last of all the woman herself died. In the resurrection whose wife will she be? For the seven had married her.’

 Jesus said to them, ‘Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”? He is God not of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong.’

The gay message of Frederick Douglas

       In today's passage we see a group of people, caretakers of the vineyard, who will do anything to keep what they want. They are willing to commit murder to further their own agenda. It would be easy to go off on a tear about what we feel we are entitled to. Perhaps in many cases it is true, we are entitled to so much as a child of God, but certainly no more than anyone else. We certainly cannot demean or kill others to advance our own cause or desires.

           Then I started to think about people who advance their own cause by demeaning others. Sometimes, they blame others to avoid the exact thing in themselves. I can easily see how the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania avenue often casts accusations about the things that he is most guilty of himself. A tried and true mode of operation for many.

           How many times have you made note of some individual, especially a preacher or legislator who is vehemently anti-gay?  Their lives seem to be a crusade to take away rights and demean the character and souls of gay people. Then the other shoe drops. How often have we discovered such people are actually gay themselves?  It is an incredibly sad scenario. One is the people who advance their cause at the hands of others. Also, how sad is it that a gift of God such as being gay has been so maligned that a person is filled with such self loathing rather than embrace the beauty and honesty of saying " I am gay".

           The first thing we must realize is the unity and solidarity that God requires as children of God.  Today the Episcopal Church remembers Frederick Douglas as the holy man he was. AME ordained minister, staunch abolitionist, slave, orator and seeker of social justice for all. Mr. Douglas attended the first woman's rights congress in Seneca Falls, New York. In regards to a vote for a resolution to support woman's suffrage, he said that  'he could not accept the right to vote himself as a black man if woman could not also claim that right.' His powerful words rang true with enough attendees that the resolution passed.

            When we honour holy women and holy men, we should count ourselves in that mix as we stand up for everyone. We cannot be faithful believers in the message of Jesus Christ and demean others to advance our own cause. We cannot honor our creator by demeaning ourselves and the essence which God has graced us with.  

        There can be no demeaning, no scape goats; only self love with love and equality in action. 

Mark 11:27-12:12

 Again they came to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? Answer me.’ They argued with one another, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will say, “Why then did you not believe him?” But shall we say, “Of human origin”?’—they were afraid of the crowd, for all regarded John as truly a prophet. So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.’

Then he began to speak to them in parables. ‘A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watch-tower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard. But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. And again he sent another slave to them; this one they beat over the head and insulted. Then he sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and others they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” But those tenants said to one another, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.” So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this scripture:
“The stone that the builders rejected
   has become the cornerstone; 
this was the Lord’s doing,
   and it is amazing in our eyes”?’

 When they realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd. So they left him and went away.

Song of Praise

       There used to be a show called The Jefferson's. It was a consciousness raising comedy  and it was a spin off of All in the Family. Many people can still recall that opening song 'mov'n on up! to the East Side, to a deluxe apartment in the sky!'  The basis of the show was how they had "made it".  America has been called the land of opportunity and so it has been for countless peoples and immigrants. We have been free to live in the pursuit of happiness by our own meaning, our own faith and creation. Black, white, gay, Hindi, Yezidi , pansexual, transexual or whomever you are or worship. This is the place for you to prosper and contribute to society. And so many have and still strive to do. This is why so many strive to come to this country to better themselves.

     The Jeffersons was one of those stories.  The current US President might have you believe that he was a down trodden poor person that with a "small loan" from his father raised himself and made it good. He might also have you believe that he did it all himself and that God graced him to do it all by himself.

       Take these examples and your own graced history and ask what God has wanted for you. Surely God wants the best for every single person, all of his creations.  Have your graces come from your own hard work alone?  Have there been people who have graced your life with help, support and love? Has God had no hand in your well being, progress and prosperity?  Even at a level of mere survival, has there been no sign of God's love and presence in your life?

        The reading from Isaiah this morning is a strong note of remembrance, thanks and praise that is due our Creator. We should not be merely aware of the fact that we were made in God's likeness and with our own totally unique qualities imbued for the good of all humanity.  We should also be aware of the action of God's love in our daily lives, in our growth and in our successes. It would be wise and just and proper to sing our own song of praise in our hearts and lifting our voices to God.  

       Always love, always give thanks.

Isaiah 63:7-14

I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord,
   the praiseworthy acts of the Lord,
because of all that the Lord has done for us,
   and the great favour to the house of Israel
that he has shown them according to his mercy,
   according to the abundance of his steadfast love. 
For he said, ‘Surely they are my people,
   children who will not deal falsely’;
and he became their saviour 
   in all their distress.
It was no messenger or angel
   but his presence that saved them;
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
   he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. 

But they rebelled
   and grieved his holy spirit;
therefore he became their enemy;
   he himself fought against them. 
Then they remembered the days of old,
   of Moses his servant.
Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea
   with the shepherds of his flock?
Where is the one who put within them
   his holy spirit, 
who caused his glorious arm
   to march at the right hand of Moses,
who divided the waters before them
   to make for himself an everlasting name, 
   who led them through the depths?
Like a horse in the desert,
   they did not stumble. 
Like cattle that go down into the valley,
   the spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
Thus you led your people,
   to make for yourself a glorious name.

Scalding letters and heresies.

         Today the Episcopal Church remembers holy man, Martin Luther. A bit of irony here, Martin Luther was a Roman Catholic Priest. It may be viewed as even funnier that he had no intent to start a new religion. While he tried to address and combat a legion of abuses in the Roman Church he tried to work within that framework of Ecclesial authority. A "Lutheran" church was not on his mind or agenda. Today it is generally acknowledged and accepted that much of which Martin Luther railed against was in fact true and righteous.  Not so good though for Martin. In the end, Martin Luther suffered from a several serious maladies and eventually succumbed. I am sure that like today, his ailments were viewed at the time as punishment from God for the problems he addressed and being at odds so often with the Roman Catholic hierarchy.

             While I am no Martin Luther, I do speak to inherent problems in the Roman Church. Their view of sexuality is antiquated and becoming more irrelevant by the day. The Roman moral authority has been eroded enormously ( almost to the point of extinction ) by the consistent sexual abuses, erroneous teachings on sexuality and the scandals from associated cover ups. So, when I announced with all sincerity, honesty and without guilt that I am gay, it raised a furor and the wires to the Diocesan hierarchy burned like molten phosphorous.  And then, to ask for a release from my marriage vows was the epitome of insult, heresy and scandal.  The letters soon arrived announcing suspension of license to preach and practice. The best letter, of which we still joke and laugh enormously, is the one that stated that I had "attempted to marry another gentleman". That always invokes a belly laugh. The marriage was legal, spiritual, graced by God and, ugh-hm, consummated with proper authority as well.  The Roman Church proper is rather slow to move in any direction except quick to rule, judge and exercise arrogance and cover scandal. In that light it is terribly so like the church Martin Luther wrote an spoke of.  

           Thankfully, my retreat from Catholicism and movement to the Episcopal Church will not cause another schism as has so often happened with others. I have no doubt that it will be eons before their official position and dogma about 'divorce' and sexuality will be modified ( and surely codified, again ).  I may never have my life reviewed by humans to see how far ahead of my time I am. And let it be clear, I am not ahead of myself in love for surely there have been countless same sex couples before us in history, in Scripture and within the church proper as well. 

       While I profess to stand up and step forward in faith and love, not everyone has the strength, the ducation or has been blessed like I have. I step forward not in arrogance or self righteousness. I stand up in humility and surety of foot. I am confident and consoled by God and am as Michael Jackson would say, " I am a lover, not a fighter". 

        Kudos to Martin Luther and his ilk who challenge the wrongs and stand for right, however unpopular and however at odds they are with authority.  All we are called to do is love, it is sad that love is so often at odds with the rules, rubrics and teachings.

1 Timothy 1:1-17

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope,

 To Timothy, my loyal child in the faith:

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

 I urge you, as I did when I was on my way to Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach any different doctrine, and not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies that promote speculations rather than the divine training that is known by faith. But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. Some people have deviated from these and turned to meaningless talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make assertions.

 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it legitimately. This means understanding that the law is laid down not for the innocent but for the lawless and disobedient, for the godless and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their father or mother, for murderers,fornicators, sodomites, slave-traders, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

 I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost.But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Blessed are the gay

     From time to time I have made comments about those that are blessed with wealth. I think God wants everyone to have the fruits of their labor, the finer things of life, a car in the garage and two chickens in every pot. There are those, and many in the present US administration that feel wealth is a blessing from God. Perhaps true, but they flip the coin to say that those who are poor are not blessed or loved less by God and that they perhaps sinned and that is the cause of their poverty. THAT is the furthest from the truth. Whatever gifts, talents or money we are graced with are intended to be used by us for the glory of God, to love our brothers and sisters and to be a fulcrum by which we can love and help others. 

      The fixation on wealth essentially makes money your God. It is the ultimate repudiation of Christianity and probably a great many other religions as well. What is particularly heinous is the notion that you deserve it more than someone else. It is a devilish and decidedly earthly based heresy that the rich buy into as if wealth can buy happiness or salvation. The ledges of life are full of people who found wealth to be a hindrance and an obstacle to real happiness and salvation. I still recall the troubled life of Christina Onassis. How many lottery winners have squandered their 'wealth' or succumb to the evils of drugs or dissolute living.

        It is more likely that you become rich by a twist a fate, luck or the hard work of others on your behalf. While I would have no compunctions myself enjoying any wealth that I may have, it is incumbent on us to use whatever we have to raise up the kingdom, to glorify God and to help others in need without judgment.

       As to the reading today and all the things we are 'blessed with' we should know what the intention of any gift or grace is for. To witness and raise up, to love and help others. Whatever gift you are graced with, money, talent, being gay, intellectual ability, poet, comedian, or even challenges we may think of in life, all of these are to be used for the kingdom. They are not to be selfishly hoarded or abused. We should never think they are for us alone. We should never think that we received such a gift because God loves us more than someone else. 

          Live life to the full embracing your gifts and preaching the Good News with our talents and treasures.

Luke 6:17-26

 He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

 Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
‘Blessed are you who are poor,
   for yours is the kingdom of God. 
‘Blessed are you who are hungry now,
   for you will be filled.
‘Blessed are you who weep now,
   for you will laugh.

 ‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. 
‘But woe to you who are rich,
   for you have received your consolation. 
‘Woe to you who are full now,
   for you will be hungry.
‘Woe to you who are laughing now,
   for you will mourn and weep.

 ‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

Of Proud Boys and the Westboro Baptist Church.

     Yesterday I was noting that if we do nothing else we are called to stand up and step forward. Some of the most vicious hate and fear mongering groups are the ones that seem to have no other agenda but to 'be there' at the moment to foment hate, outrage and violence. Such groups as the Westboro Baptist church and the Proud Boys, while not having the same agenda, seem to have a similar SOP. 

      The thought of simply stepping up to the plate to say no, or stand up for truth is then not so easy in the face of such ignorant hate groups. One could easily be in the face of Satan himself.  So let me posit yet another way of stepping up. While we are called to stand up and step forward, there is supportive and preemptive action that we are called to.

        In the case of the Proud Boys for example, labelled as a hate group by the SPLC, we see a group who feel that they are a marginalized group. Perhaps they think that white guys are being demeaned and trod upon.  As faithful then it is our job, even before standing up and stepping forward, to educate and understand these hate groups. What s their agenda? Why is it anathema to our desired and proclaimed way of life.? Why is it incompatible with our faith?

         Well white guys, Jesus was a Jew. Scratch that, Jesus IS a Jew. And if you know anything and where he came from and lived, Jesus was not some blond haired blue eyed arianesque savior. Jesus was likely a short, olive skinned arabesque man who probably more resembled a terrorist. That is truth. Our savior is not the man of Hollywood and not in any way a person of hate, vengeance and fear. 

       I embarked on a course recently to read the Bible cover to cover in 90 days. I  strongly suspect that with the difficulty I am having to keep up with my class mates , that I will not be entirely successful.  But the goal speaks to something truly important for any believer. That is to know what the passages of our own Scripture say. It is informative and necessary to understand not only the love of God for us but also how we can and have been lead astray.

         Education is the preemptive strike against ignorance and hate. Education is the necessary precursor to standing up and understanding why these hate mongering groups and individuals are as far from Christianity as anything we could imagine. They are wholly incompatible with saying Jesus is my saviour.

        And if you did nott know, now you know that you should know. Learn and love, love and learn.

2 Timothy 4:1-8

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favourable or unfavourable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.

 As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.