Swatting the Holy tuchas

      Today's passages to me seem to all be connected by the concept of time, talent and treasure,  a concept I was introduced to many years ago. One of the hallmarks of this idea is that everything we have is from God and that we are really only stewards of everything we are graced with. We really do not own anything. Not houses, not things, not  kids or even spouse. At the same time we need to realize that whatever we are graced with gives us a unique responsibility to maintain and build the kingdom of God.

        This resonated with me because I had always held this concept in my heart, long before someone had solidified the ideas and packaged into a program of church renewal. When my spouse showed an interest and talent for the medical field I did everything I could to encourage and nurture that gift from God.  I always believed that to not cooperate with your gifts was a form of sin.  If God gives you a gift / talent, you should use it to best of your ability. The community thus gained a talented practitioner whose talents worked on cancer patients and affected the lives of many thousands of people in a most positive, professional and loving way.

         I was quite amused to read the passage of the wedding feast at Cana.  We recall it most perhaps for Jesus turning water into wine. This did not happen though until a need was identified  and pointed out by Jesus' mother, Mary.  Further,  Jesus responds by saying ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?'  Women were considered chattel in that time and society.  But a Jewish mother being who she is called to be, you find Mary as much as telling Jesus, 'you know who you are just do what I'm telling you to do'. I can even imagine Mary perhaps giving Jesus a gentle swat on his holy behind to drive the point home. The video of this in my mind is amusing.

       The bottom line though, as with Jesus' entire life, is to be fully human and to be everything he was incarnated to be. And Jesus does it perfectly for our benefit.

         Do we cooperate with all we are meant to be? Do we nurture our talents and gifts? Do we appreciate them and the source? There is a strain of Christianity these days which is has some silly name like 'wealth theology'.  The notion that wealth is a sign you are blessed by God. That might not be too bad (except that the converse is totally false) except it also seems to be accompanied by an arrogance and snootiness that does not call you to use that gift to help your fellow man at all.  It even seems to encourage the incredible idea that it is by our own hands that you were graced. It actually makes a God out of money and people. I cannot think of a much worse bastardization of the Jesus' Gospel message.

          So the questions remain. In our journey to wholeness, to be a human fully alive and engaged, cooperating with the gifts and talents God has graced  us with, how  are you doing?

John 2:1-12

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’ Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

1After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there for a few days.

Rules and rubrics of religious rubbish

     I have an old friend who grew up in a very conservative Catholic home in a time when rules and rubrics were everything. As a young man supporting his growing family he worked long hours. Returning home after 11pm his wife had dinner waiting which he promptly devoured until the stroke of midnight lest he commit a Mortal sin, he had to fast for communion the next morning. Midnight was the magic cut off.  Such was life then.

    
 Another example of strictness in how we approached fasting is the no meat in Fridays rule. Of course things have changed except for Lent. Fasting on Fridays in Lent is still the rule. 

       I noticed the calendar this year had St. Pat's day falling on a Friday in Lent. What will become of the Corned Beef ? As has happened before, there will likely be a dispensation. Heaven forbid you might go to hell simply by having one's corned beef & cabbage.

       This might be the long way to cover a conversation my father-in-law and I have quite often about what he calls, and I embrace, "happy horse shit" in reference to religious practises. It's all about accommodation he'd add. He Jewish, me raised Roman Catholic, we are well accustomed to ridiculous man made religious rules, no matter how well intentioned.

       Jesus runs across a similar issue in today's Gospel passage though I am sure he'd never utter the phrase "happy horse shit". 

       What is the intent and reason for fasting? What is real fasting and not the bastardized version so many adhere to these days. When I explained what the rules are today for Catholics to my husband he rightfully just rolled his eyes and shakes his head.

        I poke fun at all the rules and rubrics rubbish of religion but not as some anarchist or anti-Christ. Why do we do the things we do?

       Perhaps it's time we find out lest we become like some pharisee who thinks they are justified and saved by puppeting some odd religious practises. Shouldn't our praise, honour and worship of God, now more than ever, be filled with knowledge, sincerity and meaning?

Mark 2:18-22

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, ‘Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?’ Jesus said to them, ‘The wedding-guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.

‘No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.

God's justice in these troubling times

     One of my practises this Lenten season is to read a variety of passages before I take time to write and relay whatever it is I have to impart. Hpefully with the Spirit in the lead role. Today I took a passage that my parish had in their own Lenten reflection guide. The author of the reflection is a parishioner who labelled her commentary "Blessed are the Merciful".

     I am well aware of how at odds my idea of justice may be with that of God. Sometimes I am convinced (as many seem to be these days) that my idea of justice is right in line with that of God, as in one in the same.  At the same time I know that just ain't so. God's idea of Justice is far beyond my simple human mind and far beyond the greatest and most compassionate of human minds.

     In Jewish Scripture we might read an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. We can read justification for stoning someone who committed adultery and also for someone who wore garments of two different fabrics.  Abominations and justice of the sword and stone seem right at home with the ancients. Then Jesus comes along and changes almost everything. Don't forgive seven times but seventy times seven! If God's justice is to be seen in the land owner, God paid the workers who worked a small fraction of a day the same wage he paid those who labored hard all day long. Justice?  If someone slaps your right cheek, turn and offer him your left.  What is going on here? When will the lunacy stop!  If the Spirit is alive and well and continually revealing the love and mercy of God, what will be the next level of God's crazy justice will we be called to?

      These days, almost everyone seems embroiled in the political upheavals of electing a bigot, an idiot and his horribly unqualified team into high offices. Did you catch that? Was that a Godly moment on my part and are my calls, or any one's calls for political justice in these times even remotely close to what God would call us to do? How does God call us to act?  Dose "give to Rome" have any meaning here?

      Perhaps it will be a particularly good Lenten season then, what with the extreme challenges we face to align our vision of justice to that of God's in these troubling times. At the same time we are focusing on our personal growth and spiritual journey this Lent, like it or not we are living in a time when we cannot simply stick our head in the sand. If you have any concept of the Gospel and it's relevance to social equality and call to treat everyone fairly (as beloved children of God, one and all)  or if you know what Liberation theology is all about, we have to integrate our personal faith and our call to love and serve our fellow citizens (nationally and globally) especially in these traumatic political times.

       This will come under the heading of wow, what are we supposed to do? As children of God, we are called to, at the very least,  think about these issues and not to simply ignore them as we smile and go on with our daily lives. Perhaps we can meditate on that a bit this season. 

  

Luke 7:36-39

When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

Bearing witness to God's create world for Lent

     It seems to me that Jesus came to call every one of us, all of God's creations, not just the sinners and not just the righteous. God's intricate and magnificent design is seen in every created thing. Everything God created is a witness to the 'music' that stirs in her essence.  Everything and everyone is a facet of the diamond that God has created.

     Yesterday I was noting that part of our Lenten journey might be to embrace our humanity and to discover it, appreciate it, even revel in it, maybe even get all pruny with it.  At the same time as we are appreciating ourselves and the unique being God created and sent into the world, it might also be a great idea for Lent to appreciate everything in God's world.

     I have had a lifelong love of bicycling. Whether it was riding the 5 lonesome miles to work on a little red folding bike compliments of my Dad or riding on my first Schwinn 10 speed the 30 miles back from the bike shop when I had finally saved up money to buy it. These days I cycle around our little island on virtually the same roads you find me driving on each day. What is very different as you ride along a farm country lane though is you notice so much more. There are smells and sights you just don't get driving. The sights and the smells are all part of God's creation that I think I appreciate just a bit more because I am riding along with no particular agenda in mind. There is a mindfulness to my riding. In many ways it is the same reason we enjoy hiking so much.  You really get in tune with God's creation.

       I have a friend named Paul Kimmerling who, among his many talents, is a gifted photographer. I love seeing his perspective and gift to capture a frame of reference for something that  you might not always see as one hurries along on our daily routines. I suppose it is not just his eye but his ability to still himself (no pun intended) and capture a moment, a facet of the world.  It is no wonder that Paul routinely gives spiritual retreats involving photography.

       I mention Paul and my cycling because they are ways in which we can come closer to God's world, to see Creation in a more intimate way. Besides appreciating ourselves during lent, it behooves us to appreciate everything that God has created. Each and every leaf, rock, animal or person is a creation of God that gives witness to the glory of her creation. I think it is safe to simply say "God so loved the world". Period. You can add more and it would be true and perhaps necessary to note but it is also important to note that God speaks not just through his Son and through us but also through the created world.

       Take the time to see what is all around you.

   

Matthew 9:10-13

And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’

Denying thyself

     'Tis the season to deny thyself, eh? Facebook seemed to be full of people requesting what one was giving up for Lent. They ran the gamut from chocolates, cookies and sweets  to 'giving up always trying to be right' and giving up Lent itself. Interesting ideas you might expect on Facebook.

     Perhaps today's passage gives us an idea of where the idea came from to 'give things up' for Lent.  I always thought it was a the idea of some kind of self denial or an infinitesimal participation in the suffering that Christ so willingly entered into on our behalf. All good reasons.

      But to what extent do we deny ourselves?  Should we deny who we are? That is almost suggested here as Jesus admonishes his disciples not to tell anyone who he is. But there is something much deeper here because Jesus clearly did not hide who he was. If he had, we would not be saved and Jesus might not have been crucified or have died for us.

        I'd like to stay with that notion of denying oneself though.  If you read the first line, Jesus is praying. To who? himself? God praying to God? Even Jesus in all his glory submitted himself to the Father. One part of the Trinity having so much love that he would submit himself to the Father and even to us, all the while not denying the greatness and totality of who he was. 

        As a gay man and a follower of Christ, should I deny who I am? For Lent? at all?  It might be argued that the trials, mischaracterizations and marginalization, if not hate, from acknowledging being gay might be enough alone to appreciate the sufferings of Christ in some way. Simply for being who we are as created by God. Are we not also "beloved" in every sense of the word?

         To that person who suggested giving up Lent, how about giving up simply giving something up? What that leaves you with is embracing who you are in it's totality. Totally human and to what extent divine I'd leave that for you to ponder. In general though, embracing your humanity and who you are as a person is still an excellent way to embrace Lent and to enter into the experience of Jesus. Jesus after all embraced his humanity to the full, shouldn't we?

       Never, ever deny who God made you to be.

Luke 9:18-25

Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say that I am?’ They answered, ‘John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has arisen.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered, ‘The Messiah of God.’ 

He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone, saying, ‘The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.’

Then he said to them all, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves?

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Alt-control-delete for the soul

      Looking at today's passages I wonder how easy it is to convince ourselves of things. I wonder what the process of self reflection is, or lack thereof, that allows us to believe things we do or how we see ourselves in a certain light.

       I can think of several examples right off where I saw myself in certain light without flinching. I recall reading a psychology text in college with a whole host of aberrations listed. I thought I had many of the symptoms listed and that perhaps I was crazy. Well, perhaps I am crazy but I seem to be a highly functioning nut whoever I am. 

       I think another example I have come across of this phenomena is reading a patient package insert for medication. There are soooo many side affects and adverse reactions that if you didn't come away thinking you had one of them, you might easy just stop taking the medication. Sometimes the list is frightening. Sometimes it seems the side affects are the exact thing you are attempting to cure!

         Perhaps a more timely example comes from a recent segment of NPR.  They were discussing fake news and in regard to news in general I suppose and what people seem to believe. We are predisposed it seems to see facts in certain ways.  In other words, two people can hear the same news item and each one will come away thinking that their 'side' has been bolstered. I am not sure how much critical thinking one can do during a given day without falling down in exhaustion but I think critical thinking should be something that is right up there in importance with the requisite, reading, writing and 'rithmatic. 

           The big problem here is how often we are swayed and convinced or easily we convince ourselves we are right about this , that or the other thing. I see it in religion and I see even more of it these days it politics. I am certainly not immune. I wish we could actually see the problem and press some kind of reset for ourselves. Perhaps some new kind of glasses so that when we put them on, we see things about life and ourselves more clearly. An alt-control-delete for our hearts and minds - our souls.

          Perhaps that is one of the purposes of Lent. I always loved Baptizing babies because I could remind the parents and congregation just what a new beginning it was. How a clean slate was before us, how this child was the beginning of what we would like the world to be. Lent is our Baptism, a new beginning, a fresh start, an alt-control-delete for our soul. A period of some critical thinking for ourselves, how we see things, what we are convinced of about ourselves and others.  This is a great opportunity folks!

          I am not certain of how you actually set out on this journey, there is no real road map. Perhaps the road maps are are as varied as each one of us. For me, I think I need to assess my guilt. Without degrading myself, asses my flaws, recognize them, try to understand them a bit more and then hopefully come to an appreciation for everyone else out there who is on the same journey of life as I am and may have the same or worse problems. 

Luke 18:9-14

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.’

New Years - the 'it get's better' scripture passage.

Genesis 17:1-16

       Happy New Year!  FaceBook and friends are all filled with memories of revelry, good times and celebrations. Perhaps a hangover or two.. or three or four. We are enjoying a milestone, a new beginning, an opportunity! Get your new years resolutions set - here we go! There is another group of postings though that seem to look a bit backward on this day. People are perhaps a bit introspective and meditate on what the previous year was like.  This new year then marks a recognition of the good things we have been graced with and the good times, family and friends who we are thankful for. We mark down all the good things that have happened. In the eyes of faith, even when we look back and see who has left us to return to our Creator, even if we look at the sad or even horrific things that happened last year, we mark today as a sign of hope.

        As a member of the LGBTQ community I could mark last year the time a horrifically homophobic person was elected President, a Vice president and numerous cabinet choices. Yikes! NOT looking good we might note. But as the saying goes it Gets Better.

        How nice of God to remind us of hope in today's scripture passage. We look at major milestones to mark change and hope - like New Years Day. The truth is we see hope every day we wake up and we should never lose hope. We can note that Abram was ninety-nine years old when God spoke to him about the enormity of the future before him. I know that the ancients were not as scrupulous or had the same vision of what time and dates were as we do but it seems 99 years is a long time for anyone to wait no matter what the standard is.  I was an astounding fifty years old when I embraced my sexuality and who I am. I can recall the story of Saint Monica who prayed for the conversion of her son, Augustin (Saint).  It turns out she would wind up having prayed 17 years for the result she wished for. Certainly not a time frame we'd think she would have preferred. I never would have guessed, St Monica never gave up hope and I am sure Abraham never would have guessed what the future was going to hold. The love of God is so mind blowing, so big we cannot grasp it all with our limited human minds.

        The connection between 'it gets better' and the passage of time may seem quite elusive if not disconnected. When will our lives get better? When will we be free of this our that which hinders us? When will humanity wake up to love, freedom,  a unified community of humanity?  Of course we are tempted to mark today as the day we begin the journey to wholeness for both ourselves and the world. The gym will packed tomorrow morning with earnest and motivated people who are trying.

        As faithful people we see every day and perhaps every minute as an opportunity to change, to grow and to be filled and refilled with the hope that 'it gets better'.  So read this on New Years day and feel strong in your convictions of hope and change but perhaps I should re-post it next week, next month or in July. We are constantly called to be people of hope and never, ever give up. God's graces are promised to us. Let's celebrate that today.

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous.’ Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, ‘As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham;^* for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring^* after you. And I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are now an alien, all the land of Canaan, for a perpetual holding; and I will be their God.’

God said to Abraham, ‘As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. Throughout your generations every male among you shall be circumcised when he is eight days old, including the slave born in your house and the one bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring. Both the slave born in your house and the one bought with your money must be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.’

God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.’