Vive la résistance!

       Interesting times these are. Politics seem topsy turvy, facts are no longer labeled as facts and people who label themselves as Christians act in decidedly un-Christian ways. As Charlton Heston said in Planet of the Apes, "It's a madhouse!"

        I search for hope and a solution to this madness. Seemingly intelligent people have 'drunk the Koolaid' and respond as if everything is normal. I feel like I am in the Bizarro world. What can be done? Prayer of course. But God asks us always to do as much as we can, able and are called to. Certainly the leaders of today don't understand what is really going on or they would cooperate or buckle down and do something. It seems to me to have a strong parallel to this section from Corinthians. The Spirit is speaking, are we listening?

       I think of the period of time we are entering where hypocrisy and inhumane policies seem to reign and are likely to continue if not grow with our new Supreme Court justice.  Things may certainly get worse before they get better. Even if the looming election sends a strong message, the die is cast and all that we may be capable of is some kind of legal wrangling, slowing, a resistance movement if you will. But like I said the die is cast for a generation - or more.

          I am astounded that this has happened and is happening. As a faithful person I realize that my time is not God's time at all.  I want immediate results from my actions and I want God to intervene somehow. Perhaps a 'Paul moment' for Trump?  Stop laughing.  I do know however that the Jews were captive for generations. I know that the Jews wandered in the desert for 40 years. I know Monica prayed for 17 years, and surely more.

           What can we do but be attentive ourselves, live, love and pray for deliverance from this utter madness which I know could get worse. You will not find me asking "what could happen next" as if to tempt fate.  This administration and party seem to revel in what new depth they can sink to. What un-Christianly act can they perpetrate and bastardize the Bible in the process to justify their action? 

        Listen, hope, live, love, pray and Vive la résistance!

1 Corinthians 2:6-16

 Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written,
‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
   nor the human heart conceived,
what God has prepared for those who love him’— 
these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual.

 Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are discerned spiritually. Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else’s scrutiny. 
‘For who has known the mind of the Lord
   so as to instruct him?’
But we have the mind of Christ.

Worlds collide

       I think one of the plots of a Star Trek movie involves a ribbon ( or ripple ) of time that was going through the universe. It was a both a time warp ( I guess ) as well as totally different  existences overlapping at given points. It was interesting and surely the stuff of science fiction. Or is it?  One of the themes of so called science fiction is how it represents a modern twist on subjects we are already familiar with. The notion of worlds interacting is a constant theme in our reality, even literature. Think Shakespeare or West side story.

          One of the major problems today in the United States is the battle between keeping church and state separate. The US is not a theocracy and yet is founded in large part on the premise of religious freedom. Worlds collide, political and religious intersecting.  Currently the political is heavily influenced by one faction of the religious, a pseudo-Christian cult trying to take over the government. Real life drama? Heck when I go to the theatre I want comedy I can escape into, not drama or fright,  the real world is has far to much of those. Give me escapism in entertainment.

        Ok, so here we have Paul who we get reacquainted with in this Scripture passage from Acts. Paul is a devout Jew, now a 'sect' leader of The Way and tah dah!  also a Roman born citizen.  The rift is there, the ripple, the two worlds colliding.   I don't know who said it but there is the admonition in Christianity to be part of the world but not of the world.  Live in it but do not succumb to the world temptations and way of living. 

        I think Jesus was quite a practical man, good head on his shoulders. When relaying the story of the 3 slaves who entrusted with the owners money he was heavily critical of the one who simply buried the money for safety. Jesus said as much that had the chap simply put the money in a bank he would have gotten some interest.  I try to piece together snippets like this. Be part of the world, be practical, use common sense. I think Paul was smart in this way too. Paul is in deep ( religious ) trouble and yet he has the presence of mind and intelligence to whip out his citizenship card. Hello, I am a Roman citizen!

        When worlds collide, especially religious, I would advise at the very least to lead with love and stay true to the tenets of one's faith. Rules and rubrics will only exacerbate and escalate problems and disharmony. I also think God gave us brains so perhaps we can use  some practical knowledge as well.  We cannot claim Roman citizenship and we are not talking about putting money in the bank. There are practical aspects, worldly aspects, to every situation and it seems God is not adverse to using them as tools to forward our cause of love. The caveat is not to use such tools to advance our own agenda or what we want to be God's agenda. Always keep our eyes on the prize - God if you will, His will - not our own.  

        

Coming out to truth

       Did you ever have a gut feeling or know something is wrong but are too afraid or unwilling to make the changes necessary? Perhaps you could not find the inner strength to speak up or speak out. Perhaps you thought you'd be a minority and had no wishes to make yourself an instant outcast among powerful adversaries or popular opinion. 

       I could be speaking about any host of aspects of modern life. Would you speak vehemently against the atrocities that the Roman church has perpetrated and tried to cover up? Or are you silent, shaking your head in private, perhaps rolling your eyes when a bishop says 'I didn't know it was illegal to have sex with a 14 year old'.  Perhaps you see how disastrous that crossing the line between church and state is and yet, you don't speak up or can't even get up to vote for a solution. There are simply too many silences. We rarely speak out unless it affects us directly.

         Why does a gay person have such difficulty coming out?  Fear of being ostracized? Fear of Mom and Dad, religion, society?  What forces a gay person to come out eventually is that the silence and self denial is intimately damaging to one's psyche, to deny such a fine aspect of one's life.  You know you are a decent person, you know it in your soul and in every fiber of your being but if you come out? Most people do make the transition. To not come out is sadness beyond measure, a denial of the gift God has graced you with. Denial of self on such an intimate level is the real abomination.

        Paul is a Jew, good, practicing and fervent in his beliefs. Enough so that when he sees a threat (as promoted by some religious elite), he seeks out the people of The Way and persecutes them violently.  On some level he knows the truth and God's intervention helps him along even if it means he will now gain hordes of religious enemies in the Jewish community. 

         More often than we might think, those that summon up the courage to speak truth and acknowledge the elephant in the room or the emperor with no clothes (Trump?), or the human decency of equality and liberty, they find kindred spirits and start a movement. There is such an essence of truth that it touches so many others that also know the truth but also have difficulty 'coming out' in whatever the issue at hand is.

           We need more people like Paul today, willing to be converted to the truth. Willing to take a stand for our country perhaps, willing to acknowledge the difference between church and state and acknowledge the godlessness of the pseudo-Christians that seem to be engulfing our society.

            As the bolt of white light presaged Paul's blindness but ultimate  redemption, so we must seek the light of truth for our own conversions. In God's name we pray. 

Acts 21:37-22:16

conversion Just as Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, ‘May I say something to you?’ The tribune replied, ‘Do you know Greek? Then you are not the Egyptian who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?’ Paul replied, ‘I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city; I beg you, let me speak to the people.’ When he had given him permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the people for silence; and when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:

‘Brothers and fathers, listen to the defence that I now make before you.’

 When they heard him addressing them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. Then he said:

 ‘I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated strictly according to our ancestral law, being zealous for God, just as all of you are today. I persecuted this Way up to the point of death by binding both men and women and putting them in prison, as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. From them I also received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I went there in order to bind those who were there and to bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment.

 ‘While I was on my way and approaching Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” I answered, “Who are you, Lord?” Then he said to me, “I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.” Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. I asked, “What am I to do, Lord?” The Lord said to me, “Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told everything that has been assigned to you to do.” Since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, those who were with me took my hand and led me to Damascus.

 ‘A certain Ananias, who was a devout man according to the law and well spoken of by all the Jews living there, came to me; and standing beside me, he said, “Brother Saul, regain your sight!” In that very hour I regained my sight and saw him. Then he said, “The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear his own voice; for you will be his witness to all the world of what you have seen and heard. And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.”

Lover of animals

        Today is the feast of Saint Francis ( of Assisi ). Many Christian denominations celebrate this day in his honor. By all accounts he was a lover of God's creatures, patron of animals and the environment. By most accounts he also was a pacifist having tried to make peace between the Muslims and Christians in 1219. This is my kind of man, animal lover, balls of brass and attuned to the will of God.  An interesting description but Francis truly was no slouch and totally dedicated to God.

          Francis' life is so inspiring that it is no wonder so many see him as a role model and are called to the Franciscan way of living. Nine hundred years later and he still holds a key to contentment, inner peace, the love of our fellow man and the love of God. How could you not be attracted to him?

         Sadly, Francis' attempts at peace between the Muslims and the Christians failed and not because of the Muslims. It is the Christians who would not enter into a peace. I can only imagine how disheartened he was that his message and works not honored by those for whom he was perhaps a prime living exemplar.

            We face the same today, perhaps more so. People that claim to be Christian, agendas and priorities way out of whack. A simple man or woman has a daunting task in front of them if they wish to live a simple dedicated life when so many 'superiors' fail miserably at the same task. In spite of that failed attempt of Francis, he is one of our most beloved sainted people and still an fine example and mentor for our lives this side of Christ himself.

            I challenge everyone to read whatever they can about Francis and know that while the odds of success seem against us, the power of the Spirit always prevails. Live the holy life you are invited to and destined for.

Luke 6:1-11

One sabbath while Jesus was going through the cornfields, his disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them.But some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why are you doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?’ Jesus answered, ‘Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and gave some to his companions?’ Then he said to them, ‘The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.’

 On another sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. Even though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Come and stand here.’ He got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, ‘I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?’ After looking around at all of them, he said to him, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Selling yourself

      Speaking of whoring, I just returned from Las Vegas last week. I did not partake in any particular sins of flesh while there but I am familiar with the term. Honestly, I find whoring more appropriate in our daily lives. From today's passage I will also be thinking of it in terms of religion. 

       The question at hand is how literal you want to be with the term 'whoring'? For those people who have a penchant for promoting their religion or cause with literal snippets from scripture, today may come as a blow.  While adultery is mentioned in today's passage, the notion of whoring is much broader.  Further, God is giving notice as to who will be punished and who will be held responsible.

       Our consciences certainly cannot be abandoned and we cannot take solace for our sins in someone who may have lead us astray but God is giving notice to those that do lead people astray and it is not for the literalists to take any comfort in. 

        It seems rather important then that when we do our Examen or any self reflection, we look at how we really live, who we are beholden to, whom we seem to be willing to sell our souls for.  Whoring is not just for prostitutes of the typical variety.  How do we sell ourselves?  The obvious to me might be what we'd do to place materialism over God. Do we sell our souls to Madison Avenue?  Do we sell our souls to religion by acting smugly that our 'religion' asks us to 'this' and no more.  Hell, religion can be a primary driver of whoredom as today's passage indicates.  Have institutions changed that much? 

         With the broadest definition of 'whoring', how do we fit in? What is it God is asking us to do?

Hosea 4:11-19

whoredom. 

Wine and new wine
   take away the understanding. 
My people consult a piece of wood,
   and their divining-rod gives them oracles.
For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray,
   and they have played the whore, forsaking their God. 
They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains,
   and make offerings upon the hills,
under oak, poplar, and terebinth,
   because their shade is good. 

Therefore your daughters play the whore,
   and your daughters-in-law commit adultery. 
I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore,
   nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery;
for the men themselves go aside with whores,
   and sacrifice with temple prostitutes;
thus a people without understanding comes to ruin. 

Though you play the whore, O Israel,
   do not let Judah become guilty.
Do not enter into Gilgal,
   or go up to Beth-aven,
   and do not swear, ‘As the Lord lives.’ 
Like a stubborn heifer,
   Israel is stubborn;
can the Lord now feed them
   like a lamb in a broad pasture? 

Ephraim is joined to idols—
   let him alone. 
When their drinking is ended, they indulge in sexual orgies;
   they love lewdness more than their glory. 
A wind has wrapped them in its wings,
   and they shall be ashamed because of their altars. 

More than forgiven. Cured as well.

       I am constantly amazed by the one-upmanship of Jesus in the seemingly constant deridement of the Temple elite, the Pharisees and so on. I feel like I'd love to be the one who gives the hoighty-toighty their comeuppance. Of course I never have the presence of mind, I fumfer over words and most of all, I am no way equal to Jesus. That is, with me there is plenty of blame and I make more than my share of mistakes. I can't be calling out anyone but myself.

         That is the point though that I'd love to drive home. No one except Jesus has the right to be making such judgments or chastising people - for anything.  Legally? Go for it. Arrest, charge, trial, lock'm up. Spiritually? You'd better think at least twice. Yet so many seem to have no issue at all promoting their own spin, agenda or rules on others.  While I am not a tremendous fan of Pope Francis, I am heartened and have hope when he himself says ( of gay people ), "If they accept the Lord and have goodwill, who am I to judge them?" That says it, whom am I to judge?

         As much as I would love to be the one that shows up today's equivalent of the pharisees and say 'forgive? I'll go you one further and cure the man of leprosy', I know that I have to take a step back and be more self reflective of my own wounds and errors and far less concerned where others are on their journey to wholeness and holiness. 

       Just my random thoughts and hopefully a source of self reflection and growth regarding the human side of life for today.

Luke 5:12-26

 Once, when he was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, ‘Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.’ Then Jesusstretched out his hand, touched him, and said, ‘I do choose. Be made clean.’ Immediately the leprosy left him. And he ordered him to tell no one. ‘Go’, he said, ‘and show yourself to the priest, and, as Moses commanded, make an offering for your cleansing, for a testimony to them.’ But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases.But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.

 One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting nearby (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. Just then some men came, carrying a paralysed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. When he saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven you.’ Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, ‘Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven you”, or to say, “Stand up and walk”? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the one who was paralysed—‘I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home.’ Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today.’

Autumn leaves must fall

They say that all good things must end some day
Autumn leaves must fall
But don't you know that it hurts me so
To say goodbye to you
Wish you didn't have to go
No, no, no, no

       This is a part of the lyrics for "A Summer Song" by Chad and Jeremy.  I don't actually recall noticing them until my Dad died many years ago. It seemed to appear out of nowhere on the radio after he died and played numerous times over a span of months. I was always brought to tears. My dad left our home when I was 5 years old and over the years we had  a tenuous relationship, theer was disappointment and in those last ten years of his life, a real friendship had developed between us. We spoke virtually every day and when he died, after my failed attempt at CPR, there was a gaping hole in my heart and in my life. Wish you didn't have to go. No, no, no, no.

        When I began to read the Scripture reading from Acts this morning, Paul is saying good bye to the communities of Asia that he loved so much. He gave some detailed advice and instructions and noted straight forwardly that this would be it. He would not be seen again, likely to be placed in prison (again) or killed when he returned to Jerusalem.  I can easily imagine the torment and mental anguish both Paul and his communities of believers must have felt.  So close and now to be separated forever. This is a way of life of course. Autumn leaves must fall.

          Yesterday we found out that a former coworkers son had died as he walked home from work. An addict had driven his car onto the sidewalk in a suburban community and killed the young man of 26.  As if it wasn't  sad enough, we were all painfully aware that this coworker had lost another son in a car accident several years before.  Quite a heavy burden to carry for anyone. 

           What are we to do?  Without faith this is a task of great enormity. It is not something that can be justified or rationalized. It makes no sense.  We can only note that we are all going to die but that does not make it easier. Even with faith, knowing a person is in heaven or is no longer feeling any pain, does not seem to be a great reliever of grief. We must 'simply' work through the pain and grief and try to remember the best of times, the joy and gift we had been graced with by their presence.

        For those of us that are not drowning in the immediate grief of the situation, there is something that we can take away.  It may be a message that the intimately grief stricken may have difficulty grasping if they ever do. We see so many people pass in our lives, no one is immune from the loss of loved ones, but Autumn leaves must fall. Can we come to know how graced our lives are by the presence of others? Can we see each day as a new beginning to live and appreciate life? After all, there are no guarantees, are there?  Sometimes we need to strike a balance between living life like a moth burning in a flame and putting life on hold planning for the future. But we are not guaranteed that future. Today is all we have. We must graciously accept it, appreciate it and live it to the full.  That is especially true of relationships because that is the essence of life, the playing field of love and the essence of the Trinity.

      Live life to the full, appreciate everyone.

Acts 20:17-38

 From Miletus he sent a message to Ephesus, asking the elders of the church to meet him. When they came to him, he said to them:

‘You yourselves know how I lived among you the entire time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, enduring the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews. I did not shrink from doing anything helpful, proclaiming the message to you and teaching you publicly and from house to house, as I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus. And now, as a captive to the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and persecutions are waiting for me. But I do not count my life of any value to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God’s grace.

 ‘And now I know that none of you, among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom, will ever see my face again. Therefore I declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after I have gone, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Some even from your own group will come distorting the truth in order to entice the disciples to follow them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to warn everyone with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the message of his grace, a message that is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who are sanctified.I coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothing. You know for yourselves that I worked with my own hands to support myself and my companions. In all this I have given you an example that by such work we must support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, for he himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” ’

 When he had finished speaking, he knelt down with them all and prayed.There was much weeping among them all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, grieving especially because of what he had said, that they would not see him again. Then they brought him to the ship.