Eve of the Transfiguration

       On this eve of the Transfiguration, I am reminded of my commentary from yesterday ( Wife beaters and believers ). It spoke of how our actions are the true voice of our beliefs. In fact, what we believe will transform us, especially and more so if we are attentive enough, if we listen enough and if we search our own souls enough. The result is the stuff of the Yogi's, of inner peace and dare I say, the likes of the Dali Lama.

       People are transfigured by their beliefs. Will we be a shining beacon or a  mangled presence?  

       All my life I felt called to God. I searched through a full twenty years of Catholic school education including the Seminary and countless classes and workshops. Part of that calling was to make myself worthy, feeling inside that somehow there was something inside me that I had trouble accepting. Once I realized and accepted that I was gay, I was transformed, transfigured into more of the glorious being God had created me to be. No, I am certainly no Dali Lama or Yogi. Far from it. But the acceptance and peace of cooperating with God''s plan for me was a stunning beacon to those who know me. I was a new man, a more peaceful and joyful person. Wow. If such a small level of acceptance of God's plan can yield that kind of results, then what would happen if we fully cooperated and gave ourselves totally to God in love? 

        The transfiguration seems to me a blend of accepting who you are and allowing God to work through you. God is the potter, we are the clay.  Perhaps we are the raw sand and faith and love transform us into stunning crystal glass. 

        Cooperation.  Acceptance.  How we act.  

2 Corinthians 3:1-9,18

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Surely we do not need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you, do we? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all; and you show that you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ towards God. Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

 Now if the ministry of death, chiselled in letters on stone tablets, came in glory so that the people of Israel could not gaze at Moses’ face because of the glory of his face, a glory now set aside, how much more will the ministry of the Spirit come in glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, much more does the ministry of justification abound in glory! And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

Wife beaters and believers

       There is an all too common story, an incredibly sad one, where a wife is beaten by her husband only to find him sorrowful, proclaiming his love, remorseful and swearing promises of repentance. Yes, until it happens again. And again.  It is an age old story that is not the sole story of woman but of many spouses and loved ones. They endure and often succumb to the empty promises and the devil they know rather than escape with the dignity and self respect. It is the age old story of judgment based on what people say versus what people do.  If you say you love someone, battering is certainly not at all involved.  We need to to know and remember that for the sake of love and respect of everyone, our brothers and sisters.

        This passage from Matthew and the reading from Acts ( 2:22-36 )  have a similar theme of our claim of faith, our belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and how we act.  It can be transferred to any religion too. The basis of all religions is the essence of God, creation and love of all. The devil is in the details as they say, the rules and rubrics which are always man made and often not of God so much as men trying to control other men 

( and women ). The task at hand is if you are a believer in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, are you up to the corresponding task of belief? You can proclaim belief all you want but it is your actions, the follow through, that will be the real judge.  That perhaps hokey song  "They will know we are Christians by our love, yes, our love. They will know we are Christians by our love" is probably the truest form of a Creed there is.  We can sit in church and say the Apostles Creed all we want but it is how we act and how we love that matters most. 

       The judgment on those religious right zealots proclaiming faith in Jesus while they strip immigrants' children from their parents arms are an abomination of the highest order.  For those interested all you'd need do is Google what they Bible says about immigrants. The book is chock full of references of treating immigrants reverently, lovingly, and like the brothers and sisters of God that they are. It will not be my judgment ( however harsh ) that strikes these faux believers of Christianity in the government but God's own hand. In my estimation they are all arrogant prigs.

       Most of us though are not in a position to promulgate such evil policies. We are in a position to love and love we must if we dare say we are believers. We may be in a position to alter the government by our voting rights. So, we must do at least that as well. If we do not love, if we do not vote, we are nothing more than the equivalent of a wife beating POS. Pretty simple actually. I am not making that judgment mind you, it would be self imposed. You decide.

Matthew 28:11-20

 While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, ‘You must say, “His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.” If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.’ So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story is still told among the Jews to this day.

 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’

Not as expected

       At the time that Jesus breathed, lived and loved on earth, the Jews were still waiting for the Messiah. I believe it is popularly accepted that they were waiting for a warrior-leader-savior who would redress all the wrongs, make Israel strong and take care of the pesky Romans in short order. That is what they expected, and wanted. Part of the 'Jesus problem' , the one that leads to Jesus being crucified, is that he was not that kind of Messiah at all.  Humans are an interesting lot, especially today. 'Give me what I want' . . . or else!

        Today's Scripture passage is no different and it strikes at the heart of some of the strongly held beliefs even today.  It is notably indicting of the male dominated, euro-centric Roman church. In today's reading, who is it that discovers and witnesses to the rising of Jesus?  Not the men, cowering in some room. The Apostles were not, at this point, the leaders that even Jesus might have expected when he said, 'come, you will be fishers of men'. It is the woman faithful who are out and about, attending and then witnessing. Not what was expected.

          I guess you would think that the men would be disbelievers even after the 'woman folk'  told them that Jesus had been raised. They ( the men ) do get it though eventually, at least as far as Jesus goes. The roles of woman in the church, not so much.  The Spirit is alive though and we have hope. Right?

          The essence though for me, like all of Jesus' ministry and the lessons learned, is that we quite often don't get what we want or the way we profess to want it. Prayers are answered in funny and imaginative ways all throughout our lives.

          The Jews waiting and praying for the Messiah? And they get Jesus!  He rails against them, 'works' ( as far as they are concerned ) on the Sabbath, embraces all sorts of unclean and the marginalized.  Take care of the Romans? Jesus responds to a Roman Centurion by curing the Centurions male lover.  Jesus the Messiah to everyone? NOT what they ( we? ) were praying and hoping for.

        So what is it that you are praying and hoping for? Are you ready for the unexpected answer? The response that is way more imaginative than you could even conjure in your own limited brain. We are so limited and we pray to be open to the Spirit. Don't we? Do we? Can we? 

Matthew 28:1-10

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This is my message for you.’ So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’

Talk less, love more.

      It is with almost certainty that when I hear the President of the United States accuse someone of something these days I believe it is more likely that he is truly speaking more about himself.  Whatever guilt or lie he embraces about others, it is more likely a projection of himself. Hard to believe I would ever type something like that but it is true. Sometimes I think our very own faults or shortcomings are precisely what we project onto others. Not very imaginative but quite often true.

       The chief Priests and Pharisees are quite adept at this too. In their own conniving and desire for power and control they can see how the followers of Jesus might try to manipulate the whole scenario of Jesus' death into one to their own advantage. The suggestion gives us a look into the mind of those religious leaders doesn't it?

      It is quite easy for us all to go off half cocked as it were, worrying about everyone else and giving little thought to the words and accusations we spew. What is always more difficult, more challenging for sure, is ( first ) keeping our mouths closed, and ( second ), giving some reflection to why we are thinking, projecting perhaps and saying the things we might otherwise do.  Some things we do not not know and it is far beyond our means to climb inside someone else's head to say why 'they' do what they do and say what they say.  The challenge is on us and it is at once more knowable and more appropriate. Why do I do what I do and say what I say?

       There goes that great option for us, introspection, self reflection and thought. In the play Hamilton, the advice is given to "talk less, smile more".  I am not so much for empty, hypocritical smiles but am sure a proponent of a 'talk less' movement.

      Talk less, love more is perhaps the best advice.

Matthew 27:55-66

 Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, ‘Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, “After three days I will rise again.” Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, “He has been raised from the dead”, and the last deception would be worse than the first.’ Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.’ So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

Faith based in . . . . . .

      So Jesus is dead. To this the Scripture passages today attest. It is in somewhat detail that they speak of Jesus rising, 'giving proofs' , working (more) miracles, teaching and advising the faithful after he has risen.  Perhaps setting a more defined course to The Way which was the truths that his very life conveyed.  What do we base our faith on?

      One could go on about his social activism, his all embracing, healing love. How about how much he railed against the religious elite and their arrogant piety? Then too there is the mentioning of his mother and brothers, as in sibs. Which are tenets of our faith in Jesus? Which proofs do you need and what snippet of scripture do you take and run with? Which casual line of scripture do you base a whole philosophy on or twist until nearly broken to make the foundation of your belief?  It find it interesting that even after Jesus has died and risen, He has returned having to offer more proofs. Isn't dying and rising enough? Isn't His life itself, enough?

       The question is still out there though, what do you base your faith in?  I believe in a man, a brother, also God, who showed us by his living how we should act. How we should love , and that L-O-V-E is the key. Love is the key to living, love is the key to interpretation of scripture and love is more important than any tenet or rule or rubric we can create. Even if it is in His name.

      My faith is based on ( in ) . . . . . . .

      

Acts 1:1-14

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over the course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. ‘This’, he said, ‘is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’

 So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’

 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of^* James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

Prophets or profits?

Judges 2:1-5, 11-23  and  Romans 16:17-27

     I've cut and pasted quite a bit of Scripture today not content with one selection from the Hours, I think two will do.  The reason is because in each one I am touched by the way the passages seem to rip through time and politics to speak to us today.  Either in way of advice to us or in speaking to how things got the way they are.  I find them enormously fascinating.

     Quite often we think of a prophet speaking about a future event. Perhaps that there are prophets no more. Prophesy is far removed from today it seems.  But here in these passages the prophecy spoken speaks like a judgment on on us right now, not so far removed at all. Perhaps prophecy should be given more credit. Perhaps it is not a lost gift. Maybe, maybe, the Spirit of God is quite alive in trying to convince us how things may go if we do not listen.  Of course it could be written off as a truly keen intellect being able to mentally carry out the logical conclusions of our actions today into tomorrow.

      Whichever the case is, it gives me pause to think we should be listening more, talking less.  Prophets of God's creation warning of global warning should probably be listened to a great deal more. People who call the religious zealots 'fake Christians" have a legitimate point when their actions are a far cry from how Jesus calls us to act. We need to pay attention and not be taken in by wolves in sheep clothing. I strongly advise reading the passages for yourself and seeing the clarity and connection between then and now. It is astounding to me.

Judges 2:1-5, 11-23

Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, ‘I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you into the land that I had promised to your ancestors. I said, “I will never break my covenant with you. For your part, do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; tear down their altars.” But you have not obeyed my command. See what you have done! So now I say, I will not drive them out before you; but they shall become adversaries to you, and their gods shall be a snare to you.’ When the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voices and wept. So they named that place Bochim, and there they sacrificed to the Lord.

 Then the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and worshipped the Baals; and they abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; they followed other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were all around them, and bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger.They abandoned the Lord, and worshipped Baal and the Astartes. So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers who plundered them, and he sold them into the power of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies.Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them to bring misfortune, as the Lord had warned them and sworn to them; and they were in great distress.

 Then the Lord raised up judges, who delivered them out of the power of those who plundered them. Yet they did not listen even to their judges; for they lusted after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their ancestors had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord; they did not follow their example. Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he delivered them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord would be moved to pity by their groaning because of those who persecuted and oppressed them. But whenever the judge died, they would relapse and behave worse than their ancestors, following other gods, worshipping them and bowing down to them. They would not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel; and he said, ‘Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their ancestors, and have not obeyed my voice, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died.’ In order to test Israel, whether or not they would take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their ancestors did, the Lord had left those nations, not driving them out at once, and had not handed them over to Joshua.

Romans 16:17-27

 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep an eye on those who cause dissensions and offences, in opposition to the teaching that you have learned; avoid them. For such people do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded. For while your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, I want you to be wise in what is good, and guileless in what is evil. The God of peace will shortly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

 Timothy, my co-worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my relatives.

 I Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord.

 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. 

 Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whombe the glory for ever! Amen.

Politics aside . . . . . .

      I have been working alongside a woman of great strength. She and I differ vastly in our political beliefs and that could be the cause of great arguments for sure. But such discussions are really not suitable for the workplace and so we came to an unspoken truce at some point to simply do our jobs. Quite a novel idea, eh?  And low and behold, out of this work environment and collegiality came a respect for each other.  We each have faced our demons in many ways, major illness, cancer and world sadness, sad to anyone who breaths even separated from politics.  We are of similar age too and have come to wisdom that such an age can yield having faced pain, illness and the death of loved ones. We have come to know what is truly important in life and the politics can be put aside in respect and that, that perhaps is a secret of the universe.

        In today's Scripture passage we have a litany of people who are commended. In my reading I would be lightening quick in noting that there was a woman deacon in the early church. Yes, woman were intimately involved in ministry in spite of the Roman Church's power grab and ideological tramping of history. But I leave that aside like I was at work and read onward.  The list of people is no different than my coworker whose politics we leave out. We focus on what is most important and realize the faith, love and companionship is the key.  

      Can we move forward in life simply knowing each one of us is imperfect but still loved? Can we focus on what is most important in life and not get overwhelmed with the political position or correctness or sides?  It worked for me and my coworker.

Romans 16:1-16

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well.

 Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus, and who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ.Greet Mary, who has worked very hard among you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. Greet my relativeHerodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus.Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; and greet his mother—a mother to me also. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who are with them. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.