Spiritual guidance

        A most magnificent good morning from Bryce Canyon Utah, the Spirit is alive and well. This is what people call a thin space if you choose to sit more than a millisecond.  Joyous.

       Listening to the Spirit seems to punctuate the passage from Scripture today. I often wonder about how some people are so uncertain as to what path to take almost to the point of paralysis. Our human task is to live life, be who we are and also, in that process, to listen to the Spirit. Listening does not precede movement I don’t think but guides us. If God wants our attention she will get it by one means or another.  

           Today I plan on being, just being and taking in the unique Godliness of this location. A day of thankfulness in so many ways. That does not preclude some other agenda God may gave for me. This is true of us all and it surely makes life interesting and truly blessed.    

Acts 16:6-15

 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

 We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshipper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.’ And she prevailed upon us.

No strings attached.

        If you read this blog with any frequency, you'll note my penchant deriding the rules and rubrics that man has created especially in regards to religion. I might be tempted to say that I feel like I am in great company because Jesus also railed against the Pharisees for much the same reason. Honestly though, Jesus is my mentor and it is his example that leads me to these truths, if not all truths. I follow him.

       In today's passage from Acts, you have a fledgling Christian community in Antioch welcoming gentiles into their midst.  It had now been determined that they need not be circumcised. You did not have to become Jewish first in order to become Christian, a follower of Jesus. But humans being what they are, a simple welcome would not suffice. There must be a little human restriction even if it's not to the extent of the Pharisees or heaven forbid, the ways of the Roman Church today.

       So welcome gentiles one and all but.......abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. After all, we wouldn't want to make things too easy now, would we? Well, why not?

       Have so many rules done anything but keep people from being saved? Don't the rules and rubrics only set up standards and judgment without the Spirit?  One of the things that I love about the Episcopal church is your ability to journey. You can believe what you wish as long as Jesus is your Lord and Savior. It's not like Cafeteria Catholics who might be ostracized if they confessed verbally what they have trouble believing or worse, refuse to believe.  Must we believe in Limbo? The assumption of Mary in bodily form into heaven? How about original sin, birth control and the primacy of the Pope?   I would contend that more Catholics are closet Episcopalians than anyone realizes.  The truth is, the naysayers, rule minders and onerous orthodox are merely standing in the way of a thoroughly welcoming and loving Father who embraces everyone.  NO STRINGS ATTACHED.

        Why must we find ways of restricting access, making rules and rubrics that are not of God in the first place?   How can we open ourselves to the same universal welcome that God graces each one of us with. This may be the challenge of a lifetime effort but it surely is our calling if we believe in Jesus Christ and believe following His way, The Way.

             

Acts 15:22-35

 Then the apostles and the elders, with the consent of the whole church, decided to choose men from among their members and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers, with the following letter: ‘The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the believers of Gentile origin in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that certain persons who have gone out from us, though with no instructions from us, have said things to disturb you and have unsettled your minds, we have decided unanimously to choose representatives and send them to you, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.’

 So they were sent off and went down to Antioch. When they gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. When its membersread it, they rejoiced at the exhortation. Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. After they had been there for some time, they were sent off in peace by the believers to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, and there, with many others, they taught and proclaimed the word of the Lord. 

All welcome my beloved ones

       Among the many judgments we render here on earth, we choose whom we deem to be worthy.  We already know that God's justice and who is worthy is not always, or rarely, is what we would decide. It calls to mind for me my time in Seminary.  The judgments began before I entered with who would be 'accepted' into the Pastoral Formation Institute, then who would be accepted into the Diaconal program and eventually who would be ordained. It seemed like somewhat of an elite group even if there was to be quite a mix of different people.  There were railroad conductors, brick layers, cops, teachers, pharmacists, the list was quite broad of who was judged worthy.

          After ordination, I myself was laicised after coming out and daring to establish a loving family with another man. I believe the exact phrase was that I had "attempted to marry another gentleman".  But who chose who here?  The church (Roman) proper had chosen to ordain me. They had already excluded several individuals along the way. I had made the cut. Did I not choose also?  I chose to say yes to the church or to God? In the end, I believe it is God who chose me and it was I that said yes to God. In that sense, I find it highly unusual that the Church Roman can dismiss what God has chosen. I am a Deacon.

       Our lives are full of acceptances and denials, judgments and entrance fees of all sorts. Love, work, play, clubs, associations. Are you worthy? You might have your doubts and that seems incredibly sad to me. We sometimes abdicate our rights and our divine heritage given by God. No one has the authority to withdraw Gods judgment that we are beloved and uniquely created by Her. No one can take that away. It is often on us to realize our own dignity and stand up out and proud, whether you are gay or not.  Simply being whom you are as God is calling you, knowing in your heart and soul and every fiber of your being that God loves you and calls you is important to realize.  No person, no church, no government can take that away from you.

       It is not surprising that the Word, The Way was opened to Gentiles.  Just as God's very nature insisted that He become human to share in our existence, so too it is God's nature to love with reckless abandon all of her creations from the smallest flower to the grandest animals, from mesons to mountains.

        Are you worthy? Are you called to love in God's name?

         

Acts 15:12-21

 The whole assembly kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles. After they finished speaking, James replied, ‘My brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first looked favourably on the Gentiles, to take from among them a people for his name. This agrees with the words of the prophets, as it is written, 
“After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen;
   from its ruins I will rebuild it,
     and I will set it up, 
so that all other peoples may seek the Lord—
   even all the Gentiles over whom my name has been called.
     Thus says the Lord, who has been making these things known from long ago.” 
Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God, but we should write to them to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from whatever has been strangled and from blood. For in every city, for generations past, Moses has had those who proclaim him, for he has been read aloud every sabbath in the synagogues.’

Whole and holy, cut or uncut?

       Here it is folks, that age old question, cut or uncut?  Well, this is a blog called Beloved Gay Disciple after all.  How many times might a gay man come across such a queery in a posting? Heck, even women might have a preference, cur or uncut?Some things never change.

       Today's passage from Scripture relates what might easily be called 'the first Vatican Council' if the Vatican had existed at that point in time. Among the faithful, it was a battle royal about whether converts to Christianity had to be come Jewish first ( as Jesus was ). The definitive question and rather personal concern became, did converts have to be circumcised?  Cut or uncut as it were.

         Despite those opening two paragraphs, the question might be, how Jewish do we have to be in order to be a good Christian? Let's carry it out a bit further, what physical attributes, what clothes, rules, dogmas do you have to hold to be a good Christian, or a good anything?  We place so much on the physicality of things that we miss the whole intent which is our soul, which is unseen.  Well, that is not quite true. We can see the essence of your soul by one's actions. Truly though, no physicality can adequately represent a true faith and a clean soul. My blessed father-in-law referred to the Hasidim as "the Hats". Perhaps irreverently but the question is, does the clothing really make them holier or better people?  That is part of what the Apostles struggled with and we struggle with today. 

          It seems there are many that are not content unless a physical sign is shown, irrespective of what is in their heart.  Flags, physical gestures, clothing all carry disproportionate weight in our minds. The ultimate gesture I suppose is a wiliness to have your body mutilated in the name of God, whatever good intent it may hold medically. 

       If we are believers that God made us whole and holy, how can we start with the premise that we are flawed and need to be 'cut' to be whole and holy?  I suppose the question goes even further, do we believe in original sin?  Do we begin with the premise that we are flawed at birth or blessed at birth?  I will not answer that here. I will note that current Christian belief at least in the Roman Church is that Original Sin is a given irrevocable dogma. Still, however rationalized, it is a man made concept.

        This is all moot I suppose, the decisions have been made, eh? Truth be told, one of the joys of being an Episcopalian is that we can decide these things for ourselves and hold personal beliefs that we do not have to hide in our hearts like a kid who just swiped a candy bar. We are free to believe and free to grow and free to be whom God made us to be , whole and holy. Just as we are.

Acts 15:1-11

Then certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’ And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to discuss this question with the apostles and the elders. So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, they reported the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the believers. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. But some believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and said, ‘It is necessary for them to be circumcised and ordered to keep the law of Moses.’

 The apostles and the elders met together to consider this matter. After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, ‘My brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that I should be the one through whom the Gentiles would hear the message of the good news and become believers. And God, who knows the human heart, testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us; and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us. Now therefore why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.’

And start all over again

       Sometimes you can read a line from a passage and the Spirit moves you to thoughts beyond your understanding. Today I read quite a few passages. From Acts, Job and including the reading about John Henry Hobart, holy man whom we recall this day.

       It strikes me that Job is quite the complainer. I suppose we all are to lesser or greater degree. We have our reasons. I gave a litany of my own justifications not too long ago. Not at all for the pity which I spurn but more to show that we all have reasons and mine are quite respectable in terms of what trials I have been tasked with. Job however seems to take complaining to an art form. This is all very human of us. We all know someone who embraces the "whoa is me attitude"  to an art form.

       What also is very human and what we probably should be focused on, especially based on today's passages as I read them, is how often we are reborn. How often do we raise ourselves up, dust ourselves off and start all over again. Paul was stoned nearly to death but he rose to his feet the next day and was off on God's mission of love. It's not what we might typically recall of Paul but more, another example of how richly blessed we are to have him as an example and leader of Christ's message to us.

       My kids often admonish me to take it easy, especially if I am doing something remotely strenuous.  Joint replacements, aortic replacement and cardiac scares, I am determined to go down fighting if that is the case. I am inspired by the likes Paul and John Henry who accomplished much and rarely if ever gave in to human frailty or malady. What are we to do, emulate Job?

         Not only am I thinking of how we can get up and start over as people, we can get up dust off the church and start over as well.  Vatican II seemed like a good beginning in our time and I think we are called to renew that spirit, thee Spirit, in our churches, communities and selves. We have examples and teachers and faith, we are called to renewal and new life. It is our heritage and our essence. Let us grab our bootstraps, for all of us, move forward and always get back up and start all over again.

Job 29:1,30:1-2,16-31

Acts 14:19-28

 But Jews came there from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds. Then they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples surrounded him, he got up and went into the city. The next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.

 After they had proclaimed the good news to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, then on to Iconium and Antioch.There they strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, ‘It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.’ And after they had appointed elders for them in each church, with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe.

 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had completed. When they arrived, they called the church together and related all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith for the Gentiles. And they stayed there with the disciples for some time.

Feast of understanding

      When the Gospel spread, it came to areas that were no longer primarily Jewish. Not just gentile but also a new civilizations like the Greeks. So you had there, recipients of the Good News trying to understand in terms they knew.  They thought Barnabas and Paul were Zeus and Hermes. We all seem to have little imagination for things that are different than what we are accustomed to. We all try to understand things in familiar, common terms.

         It was a formidable challenge to relate the Good News to a group of people who had altogether different ways of thought. The Greek world and their philosophies and philosophers represented quite a challenge to the fledgling Christians.

         I recall a time when I was adamant that my son eat one vegetable or another and all he was interested in was that it was not Pizza and it was not macaroni and cheese - his standard and understanding of what real and enjoyable food was.  Forcing someone to expand their palate, culinary or in thought, rarely meets with success.

         The Apostles found the way to convert was to educate themselves to the others' way of thought. It actually worked to fight heresy as well. The best 'weapon' was to fully understand your opponent. How wonderful would the world be if we all tried to understand the other from their own viewpoint?  How often do we fail and create problems of great magnitude by simply demanding that others see things from our bloated viewpoint or worse, dismiss the 'other' as unneeded, unwanted or inferior.  This will only come back to bite us on the ass and it does, and it has.

           Imagine in our human, infantile way - imagine how God has to deal with us. Infinitely superior than us, God reaches down to touch us, live with us and understand us. Perhaps this is one of the greatest lessons of Jesus life.  The willingness and desire to understand. The realization that we are not the be all and end all.

       The wisdom of the ages is locked inside every 'other' we can think of, from people, races, sexual orientations, nationalities and religions.  We all have a piece of the pie, lets have a feast that the world has never seen the likes of. Let us try to truly understand our brothers and sisters everywhere.

Acts 14:1-18

The same thing occurred in Iconium, where Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace by granting signs and wonders to be done through them. But the residents of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. And when an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to maltreat them and to stone them, the apostles learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country; and there they continued proclaiming the good news.

 In Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet and had never walked, for he had been crippled from birth. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. And Paul, looking at him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said in a loud voice, ‘Stand upright on your feet.’ And the man sprang up and began to walk. When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, ‘The gods have come down to us in human form!’ Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates; he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifice. When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, ‘Friends, why are you doing this? We are mortals just like you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to follow their own ways; yet he has not left himself without a witness in doing good—giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.’ Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.

Fighting fear

       I recently read that worry is simply praying for something bad to happen. It really struck a cord in me for me to remember one line from an entire book. Another problem for us as humans is fear. Fear would seem to be a lack of hope and certainly a lack of faith.  The response is often to recoil into one's self and deceive ourselves into thinking of the 'good old days' when life was better. We often forget the moaning we had done at the time, noting how miserable were. 

       If we look back and take a long view however, we can see how far we have come. We can see how graced we have been. We can see how far the Spirit has taken us in wisdom and truth. In rejecting the movement forward though we are rejecting the Spirit.

       So was the case in today's passage from Acts where some rejected the Word. The message was then opened to the gentiles as well. Today's Holy person is Alexander Crummell.  A holy man , Priest, who strove for equality even in his own faith, his own church. That I am familiar with.  The church of my birth labels me and other gay men and women as "intrinsically disordered" in their very own catechism.  It seems the movement of the Spirit is fought tooth and nail even today.  When the light of wisdom and truth is revealed and embraced by many churches, others ( like the Roman Catholic Church ) find fit to fight enlightenment and hold fast to ancient and outmoded philosophies and scientific information. Certainly the movement of the Spirit is rejected and insulted.

        Far from an indictment of a church, today's reading is an indictment of us all but also an invitation to be aware, repent and live without the fear of unknowns and move forward in the Spirit as God has promised and delivered - always.

        What fear do we embrace rather than move forward with the Spirit in love and peace? 

Acts 13:44-52

 The next sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy; and blaspheming, they contradicted what was spoken by Paul. Then both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, ‘It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you reject it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we are now turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,
“I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles,
   so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” ’

 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the word of the Lord; and as many as had been destined for eternal life became believers. Thus the word of the Lord spread throughout the region. But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their region. So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them, and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.