Michaelmas 2013

ST. MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS

29 September 2013

Readings:

Revelation 12:7-12

Matthew 18:1-14

Key Verses (using the World English Bible):

Rev. 12:7: “There was war in the sky.  Michael and his angels made war on the dragon.  The dragon and his angels made war.”

Matt. 18:14: “It is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”

Note:

Some churches will transfer this feast day to Monday, in order to maintain the Sunday readings.  For reference, the readings for the 4^th Sunday after Creation are: Joshua 5:13-6:7 and Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43.

Reflection

My close friends know I’m not a fan of the fantasy genre.  You won't find Lord of the Rings in my DVD collection, Harry Potter on my bookshelf, “Skyrim” on my computer, or “Dungeons & Dragons” on my coffee table.  I know fiction is all about suspending disbelief, but I can’t really do that while seeing dragons and elves running around, with that barely-real look that only CGI can give them.  I personally prefer the type of fiction that attempts to root itself in the real world.

Oh good, you’re still with me!

Today’s reading from Revelation could’ve easily leapt out of the fantasy genre.  There’s a cosmic war in heaven (war in heaven, can you believe it?), angels, dragons, an old serpent—the basic ingredients for the epic “ultimate good vs. evil conflict”.  Earlier in this chapter from Revelation, a great red dragon had tried to devour the male child about to be born of a “woman clothed with the sun”.  This child “is to rule all the nations” and “was caught up to God, and to his throne”, a peculiar and strangely condensed version of Jesus’ birth.  No wonder we don’t read this on Christmas.  And to top it off, the Archangel Michael and his heavenly host then wage war against this dragon and cast him down to earth.

Readings like these are, of course, the basis for themes of warfare that are prevalent in certain kinds of Christianity.  The church on earth is traditionally called “The Church Militant”.  Unlike “The Church Triumphant”, comprised of the communion of saints, the Church Militant is depicted as wrestling against both earthly and spiritual forces of wickedness that constantly threaten to lead it to damnation (cf. Ephesians 6).  Many of us may have heard phrases like “prayer warrior”, “the Word is the sword”, "slain in the Spirit", “the armor of God”, “the shield of faith”, or hymns like “Onward, Christian soldiers”.

As a Christian, I can’t deny that evil exists.  All you have to do is turn to the news on television.  I mean, barely two weeks ago, we experienced even more mass shootings in the U.S., and for what?  But if you live your life in the constant fear of evil’s next manifestation, you will not live the life that God wants you to live.  There has to be a balance between the paranoia that comes from watching CNN 24 hours a day, and the carefree ignorance that comes from pretending that everything is okay.

That balance is faith.  The more you focus on evil, the more you run the risk of feeding it more energy.  Choose to feed that energy to God—to goodness, to kindness, to love, to your neighbor.  In moments of trial, cling to these things as if your own life depended on it, because living your life does.  And as cliché as the phrase is, ask yourself “What would Jesus do?”  For we know that he would not let fear or evil defeat him—no, he would heal, save, and love.  He would assure us that his Father doesn’t want any one of his little ones to perish.

The overarching promise of God’s own (s)word is that good really does triumph over evil.  Whatever war is to be waged in heaven or on earth, let it be.  Let those who started it, finish it.  Our job is to “rejoice always” and “walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself for us.”

Prayer of the Day

Everlasting God,

you have ordained and constituted in a wonderful order

the ministries of angels and mortals.

Mercifully grant that,

as your holy angels always serve and worship you in heaven,

so by your appointment

they may help and defend us here on earth;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Hymn: “You holy angels bright”

(Words: Richard Baxter, 17^th cent., and John Hampden Gurney, 19^th cent., adapted by Joseph A. Soltero, 2013

Tune: ‘Darwall’s 148^th’, melody and bass by John Darwall, 18^th cent.; harmony by William Henry Monk, 19^th cent.; descant by Sydney Hugo Nicholson, 20^th cent.)

You holy angels bright,

Who wait at God’s right hand,

Or through the realms of light

Fly at your Lord’s command,

Assist our song,

For else the theme

Too high would seem

For mortal tongue.

You blessèd souls at rest,

Who ran this earthly race

And now, from sin released,

Behold the Savior’s face,

His praises sound,

As in his sight

With sweet delight

You now abound.

You saints who toil below,

Adore your heavenly King,

And onward as you go,

Your joyful anthems sing.

Take what he gives.

Through good or ill,

O praise him still,

Who ever lives.

My soul, bear now your part,

Triumph in God above,

And with a well-tuned heart,

Come sing the songs of love!

Let all your days

Till life shall end,

Whate’er he send,

Be filled with praise.

Living water from within

FRIDAY AFTER CREATION 3

27 September 2013

Readings:

2 Peter 3:1-13

John 7:33-39

Key Verses (using the World English Bible):

2 Pet. 3:11-12: “… what kind of people ought you to be in holy living and godliness, looking for and earnestly desiring the coming day of God…?”

John 7:38: Jesus said, “He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.”

Reflection

As we discussed last week (on 21 Sep), the seven-day Jewish Feast of Tabernacles/Booths (Sukkot) recalls the wood-and-leaf dwellings, which sheltered the Israelites during their forty-year wanderings in the desert.  Jesus remarkably uses this particular feast to show that his believers can become the very water, which the Israelites would’ve practically dived right into after a four-decade sojourn through the scorching desert.

Jesus alludes to say Isaiah, who says:

“[The Lord] will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in dry places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters don’t fail.” (Isa. 58:11)

We’re understandably accustomed to imagining Jesus himself as the source from which we spiritually drink.  In the Gospel of John alone, Jesus changes water into wine (2:1-11), preaches entry into God’s Kingdom as a rebirth of water and Spirit (3:5), and promises ‘living water’ to a thirsty Samaritan woman (4:10-15).  In his final moments, blood and water flow from Jesus’ pierced side (19:34).  And in today’s very reading, Jesus says: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink!” (7:37, emphasis mine).

But just one verse later, we find Jesus telling his followers that they can become like him—again.  We saw it when he called his followers “the light of the world”, who must let their light shine before others.  We saw it when Jesus urges a would-be disciple to “take up his cross and follow me.”  We saw it in Paul’s writings, who not only echoed Jesus’ words by calling the Philippians “stars of the cosmos”, but also believed that he was crucified with Christ (presumably after taking up his own cross?), and that Christians would be raised in a resurrection like Christ’s.

Perhaps the point of the Incarnation is that only God’s grace could explain to us the extent of God’s love for all of creation.  We would never have understood it of our own accord.  But once we’ve gotten the message, we are called no longer to be passive recipients, but active “doers of the word”, as James puts it (1:22).  Once we’ve gotten Christ the Word, we can’t keep him to ourselves.  We are called to become light and water for others.

Let me make it clear that I’m not here endorsing street-corner, doomsday and hellfire preaching, mass conversions, crusades, and the like.  I’ve often seen those become contests for how many souls you can win.  God indeed does not wish “that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance”, as Peter writes in today’s reading.  But repentance is not a race. Turning back to God is not finalized on a subway train.  It’s a lifetime process that even saints through the ages never felt they got right.

So what do we do?  Peter urges his community to dedicate themselves to “holy living and godliness”, or piety.  When we focus first on how we’re living, how we’re loving God, neighbor, and self, not only do we begin to show by example, but we also let God be God.  We trust him to turn us into the light and water, the wisdom and refreshment, that will shine and flow into the dark and dry places of souls who need of God’s love.

Prayer of the Day

O God, giver of life and health,

your Son Jesus Christ has called us

to hunger and thirst to see right prevail.

Refresh us with your grace,

that we may not be weary in well-doing;

for the sake of him who meets all our needs,

Jesus Christ our Savior,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

—from the “Book of Common Worship” of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 18^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Hymn: “From my spirit within flows a fountain of life”

(Words: “R.K.”, source is www.hymnal.net; adapted by Joseph A. Soltero, 2013

Music: George Bennard, 20^th cent.)

From my spirit within flows a fountain of life,

And in me flows God, One-in-Three.

God the Father’s the source,

Christ the Son is the course,

And the Spirit imparts life to me.

Refrain:

Lord, I treasure the sweet flow of life,

And my soul, at your feet I lay down.

Deepen, Lord, the complete flow of life,

When you come, may my life be my crown.

In the fresh, tender grass, Jesus makes me lie down.

He leads me by waters of rest.

No more struggle and strain.

All self-effort is vain.

In the flow, I am perfectly blest.

Refrain

Jesus calls us each day to the Holiest Place,

To dwell in his presence divine.

Hallelujah, I’ve heard

An encouraging word:

“Abide! You’re a branch in the vine.”

A cup of water

WEDNESDAY AFTER CREATION 3

25 September 2013

Readings:

1 Peter 1:17-25

Mark 9:38-41

Key Verses (using the World English Bible):

1 Pet. 1:22:  “Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly affection, love one another from the heart fervently.”

Mark 9:42:  Jesus said, “For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name… will in no way lose his reward.”

Reflection

The Season of Creation wisely devotes two Sundays in its three-year cycle to water themes.  As we saw this past Sunday, water can symbolize so many things in Scripture and in the tradition of our faith.  It can represent the grace and power of God, as when God parted the Red Sea, holding its waters back until the Israelites had passed safely through.  It can also portray chaos and danger, as when Jesus calmed the churning waters that threatened his disciples in their sailboat.  Rising from the waters of baptism is meant to reenact the believer’s burial and rebirth, rising to life again, in Christ.

But Scripture is also mindful of the principal symbol of water: our source of life.  The Egyptians panicked as their water turned to blood, for they wouldn’t last more than three days without drinking water.  And in today’s reading from the Gospel, Jesus uses this fact to teach a subtle, yet valuable lesson, one that the Church would do well to heed.

The disciples complain to Jesus that someone who isn't following them is using Jesus’ name to heal.  Jesus’ reply is striking: “Whoever is not against us is on our side… Whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name… will in no way lose his reward.”  For all that Jesus has to say about himself, his mission, his origins, his relation to the Father—and it’s plenty—you won’t find any of that here.  Jesus does not encourage his followers to cross-examine this foreign healer.  Does he confess the consubstantiality of the Son with the Father?  Does she believe that Jesus spoke to the Native Americans too?  Recite the rosary?  Practice only adult baptism?  Keeps the Sabbath on Saturday?  Do they follow the church year, or just the Memorial of the Last Supper?  No, in all essentials, when it comes down to it, Jesus here is swift to include them all on his side.

What would Christianity look like if we really followed this example?  If our many divisions prevent us from offering each other the cup of salvation, why can’t we just offer each other that cup of water instead?  For water, too, is a common need we all share.  We can still disagree; we can still cling in love to the tradition we were raised in.  But when it comes to acts of kindness, to respect, to nourishment and fellowship, we already have Jesus’ promise that no reward will be lost.

Did the disciples get it?  It’s hard to tell with those Twelve sometimes.  On one occasion, Jesus foretold his death, and they began to argue about which one of them was the greatest!  But I imagine that when they lost their Master, their immense grief brought them back to his words, to relish and savor them, like some do when receiving Communion, to hold on to him any way they could.  The community of the apostle Peter is urged “to love one another from the heart fervently.”  I write it this way because, coupled with Jesus’ words, it almost sounds to me like the desperate plea of someone who personally has walked down the path of quick judgment and sectarianism.

In situations of life and death, of sincere love and devotion, creed is not important.  In the things that matter most, God will not ask what religion you belong to, or whom you believe in.   God will simply be there with you, and for you.  There’s nothing to lose.

Prayer of the Day

Most high and holy God,

pour out upon us your one and unifying Spirit,

and awaken in every confession of the whole church

a holy hunger and thirst for unity in you;

through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

—from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, prayer for “Church Unity”, p. 73

Hymn: “Where cross the crowded ways of life”

(Words: Frank Mason North, 1903; adapted by Joseph A. Soltero, 2013

Tune: ‘Gardiner’, aka ‘Germany’, from Sacred Melodies, 1815, arranged by William Gardiner)

Where cross the crowded ways of life,

Where sound the cries of race and clan

Above the noise of selfish strife,

We hear your voice, O Son of Man.

In haunts of wretchedness and need,

On shadowed thresholds dark with fears,

From paths where hide the lures of greed,

We catch the vision of your tears.

From tender childhood’s helplessness,

From human grief and burdened toil,

From famished souls, from sorrow’s stress,

Your heart has never known recoil.

The cup of water giv’n for you

Still holds the freshness of your grace.

Yet long these multitudes to view

The sweet compassion of your face.

O Master, from the mountainside

Make haste to heal these hearts of pain.

Among these restless throngs, abide.

O tread the city’s streets again.

Till all the world shall learn your love,

And follow where your feet have trod,

Till, glorious from your heav’n above,

Shall come the city of our God.

Through the waters

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER CREATION DAY

22 September 2013

Readings:

Isaiah 43:1-9

Mark 6:45-56

Key Verses (using the World English Bible):

Isa. 43:2: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you.”

Mark 6:49-50: When the disciples “saw [Jesus] walking on the sea… [they] were troubled.  But he immediately… said to them, ‘Cheer up! It is I! Don’t be afraid.”

Reflection

My mother says she has a “great respect for the sea”.  In translation, this means she’s afraid of water.  She doesn’t know how to swim (neither do I) and doesn’t really like going to the beach (neither do I—I know, we’re boring!).  But the way she summarizes her hydrophobia, I believe, is both wise and telling, for it accurately captures our conflicted relationship with the element of water.

Water is as essential to life as air is.  We humans, as you probably know, are made up mostly of water.  We can survive about three weeks without food, but only three days without water.  Water cleans our bodies from dirt and germs.  And after a long day under a hot sun, how nice is a cool bath, shower, or dip in the lake?  But we all know the dangers of too much water.  A baby or toddler can drown in less than an inch (2.5 cm) of water.  Most of us might still recall the devastating effects of the tsunami following the 2011 earthquake of Tohoku, Japan.

The Bible, and consequently our faith, reflects that same contradictory relationship between humans and water.  Water is the source of the Egyptians’ despair and anger during the Plague of Blood; later it drowns them in the Red Sea.  Walls of water become Israel’s escape route away from the troublesome Egyptian army; later Israel gives Moses trouble when they can’t stand their thirst any longer.

Today’s readings, however, focus on a relationship that’s neither conflicted nor contradictory, but rather resolute and consistent.  “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you,” says God.  We confess in our tradition that this same God, who once parted the sea, now, in Christ, walks on it in peace, to calm its churning rage.   These stories aren’t interested in showing a God who takes pleasure in the death of a nation, nor in the fright of confused disciples.  No, they want to show a God who chooses to free a vulnerable people, and to lead them home; a God who chooses to climb into a frail boat, and sail to shore with his disciples; a God who wants to rescue his people, to cheer his people, and ultimately to be with his people.

My mother’s “great respect” for the sea might better be classified as “fear”, fear of the unpredictability of water.  But God is not unpredictable.  God’s promises are sure; therefore we have nothing to fear. 

Prayer of the Day

God, our Creator,

as we face the storms of this world,

we celebrate the wonders of wind and weather.

Help us to see your presence,

not only in the forces of nature,

but also among those who suffer from natural disasters.

Teach us to recognize that your Wisdom

is imbedded in all natural forces,

a Wisdom that guides, controls and limits them;

in the name of Christ, the Wisdom of God,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, renewing all things in creation,

now and forever.

Amen.

—adapted from the liturgy of “Storm Sunday”, Season of Creation

Hymn: “How firm a foundation”

(Words: “K.” in John Rippon’s Selection of Hymns, 1787; adapted by Joseph A. Soltero, 2013

Tune: ‘Foundation’, The Sacred Harp, 1844)

How firm a foundation, O saints of the Lord,

Is laid for your faith in Christ Jesus, the Word!

What more can he say than to you he has said,

To you that to Jesus for refuge have fled?

“Fear not, I am with you.  O be not dismayed!

For I am your God and will still give you aid.

I’ll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,

Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

“When through the deep waters I call you to go,

The rivers of woe shall not over you flow,

For I will be with you, your troubles to bless,

To free you and hallow your deepest distress.

“When through fiery trials your pathway shall lie,

My grace, all sufficient, shall be your supply.

The flame shall not hurt you; I only design

Your dross to consume, and your gold to refine.

“The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,

I will not, I will not desert to its foes.

That soul, though all hell shall endeavor to shake,

I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!”

A human booth

THIRD EMBER DAY OF CREATION

21 September 2013

Readings:

Leviticus 23:33-36, 39-44

John 7:11-24

Key Verses (using the World English Bible):

Lev. 23:42-43: “You shall dwell in booths [for] seven days.  All who are native-born in Israel shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.  I am [the Lord] your God.”

John 7:16-17: [Jesus said,] “My teaching is not mine, but [the Father’s] who sent me.  If anyone desires to do his will, he will know about the teaching, whether it is from God, or if I am speaking from myself.”

Reflection

The Jewish “Festival of Booths” began three evenings ago, on 18 Sept.  Living as I do near an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood, I can spot the booths or “sukkot”, wedged in between the courtyards of neighboring apartment buildings, or their “backyards”.  It’s a curious sight to see in the middle of sprawling New York City—and probably because New York is so busy, so urban, these small, wooden dwellings become easy to miss.

The Torah mandates that the Israelites will live in these booths, or tabernacles, for one week in order to remember the fragile dwellings the Israelites had to live in after the exodus from Egypt.  I wonder how this works in the cities.  Are those booths I see kind of like “communal tabernacles”?  Do the many Orthodox families that live near me each get turns spending some time in the booth?  Surely there has to be some sort of flexibility that I’m not privy to.

Today’s reading from the Gospel finds Jesus teaching his fellow Jews about himself during the Feast of Booths.  Yes, as a faithful Jew, our Lord dwelled in these booths once a year too.  Jesus taught and acted according to his Father’s will, a will which Christians periodically forget includes God’s Torah.

But there’s someone else who decided to take up residence in a tabernacle—well, perhaps not someone “else”.  The same Gospel of John reports that “the Word became flesh, and lived among us” (John 1:14).  The word translated “lived” derives from the same word used to translate “booth” into the ancient Greek Bible, the Septuagint.  Literally, the Word ‘emboothed’ or ‘entabernacled’ himself among us.  The Israelites entered their fragile dwellings as a reminder of their creation as a new, freed people.  Now God takes up residence in the fragile tabernacle that is human flesh, in the human life of Jesus, to be mindful of his creation, and to free them.

For this city-dweller, building a booth to live in, or even to stay in for an hour or two, sounds like an excellent way to get back in touch with nature, with God’s creation.  And, I believe, a Christian should never be afraid of exploring traditions that testify to the Creator, especially ones that our Lord Jesus himself followed.  But even if we don’t, may we never forget that we forever dwell in the booth that is Jesus, the tabernacle that joins both human and divine together.

Prayer of the Day

Living God, we thank you that you have not left us to grope after you in the dark; that your law has been a lamp to our feet, and a light to our path.  In this harvest season, when your people had gathered their crops, your law enjoined on them to leave their homes and make their abode is frail booths.  Thus you reminded them of the transient nature of earthly possessions, of the insecurity of a life fixed on prosperity without faith in you.

Grant us too, O Father, an understanding of this truth, so that no arrogance may tarnish the joy of success; no self-exaltation debase the love of achievement.  Teach us to be humble.  Keep far from us the pride of possession and the despair of want.  In poverty, save us, O God, from bitterness; in abundance, rescue us from self-indulgence.  Incline our hearts to you and keep us from covetousness.  Kindle within us a passion for a better world.  Enlarge our sympathies, make us eager to ease the sorrow and distress of others, and thus learn to know the joy of service.  Lift up our eyes so that, like our ancestors, we too may see, through the leafy booth, the light of sun and star, so that our souls may soar to you.

—adapted from the Union Prayer Book of Reform Judaism, 1940, “Evening Service for ‘Succos’”, p. 199

Hymn: “In many a stone-bound city”

(Words: Jessie E. Sampter in the Union Hymnal of Reform Judaism, 1936; adapted by Joseph A. Soltero, 2013

Tune: Jacob Beimel, Traditional “Succos” melody)

In many a stone-bound city,

Still roofed beneath the skies,

The Lord of boundless pity

Lets little booths arise.

And in those tabernacles,

The wanderer’s blest relief,

God turns our heavy shackles

To strings of fruit and leaf.

Who bring in want and sorrow

The stranger’s fruit with psalms,

Shall plant in joy tomorrow

Their citrons and their palms.

The true scapegoat

SECOND EMBER DAY OF CREATION

20 September 2013

Readings:

Leviticus 23:23-32

Luke 7:36-50

Key Verses (using the World English Bible):

Lev. 23:26 “The day of atonement… shall be a holy convocation to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to [the Lord].”

Luke 7:48-49: [Jesus said to the woman,] “‘Your sins are forgiven.’  Those who sat at the table with him began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’”

Reflection

Leviticus 16 describes ancient Israel’s ritual for the Day of Atonement.  After slaughtering the sin offerings and sprinkling their blood, the High Priest is to lay his hands on a live goat, confess Israel’s rebellion and wickedness, and then have the goat, the “scapegoat”, banished into the desert.  Anyone who reads this chapter (and indeed most of Leviticus) is immediately struck by the attention to absolute cleanliness.  Fire must consume what’s left of the sin offerings, that is, the bull and the goat, along with the clothing worn by the man who had escorted the scapegoat into the desert.  The overall impression is that this is a very “dirty” day.

We live in a time in which we’re expected to own up to our own responsibilities, answer for our own mistakes, and make amends for our own offenses.  The idea that our sins, faults, and transgressions can be transferred onto another creature, an innocent one at that, might therefore sound a little ridiculous to us today.  But doesn’t it also sound a little familiar?

“Substitutionary atonement” is the technical term for this teaching, and has come to be one of the ways through which the Church has understood the crucifixion of Jesus.  “Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world” is perhaps the most concise description of this—but see Paul for details!  And being “washed in the blood of the Lamb” or drinking “the blood of Christ, the cup of salvation” is certainly the same type of language found in Leviticus, even if we understand it now to be more symbolic than literal.  But the questions remain: How moral is it for us to cast our sins onto someone else?  Wouldn’t God prefer that we fess up to our own failings?

While meditating on these questions, I kept coming back to our own imperfect human nature.  How often have we been blamed for someone else’s misdeeds?  How often have we returned the favor?  Or, arguably worse, how often do we refuse to forgive ourselves for a wrong we’ve committed?  We tend to scapegoat our neighbor with our own faults, or we exile our own selves off into a desert of unforgivable sin.

God wants neither of these two extremes for any of his children, only forgiveness, healing, and wholeness.  The Day of Atonement provided ancient Israel with a visible face onto which they could cast what they otherwise might’ve preferred to keep hidden.  But ultimately, for us, the story of Jesus echoes what the Psalmist long ago urged us: “Cast your burden on [the Lord], and he will sustain you” (Ps. 55:22).  God himself, in the face of Jesus, desires to be our scapegoat.  God prefers to step in and take on what we would throw upon someone else.  The burdens which weigh us down, we must release, not into some dry, scorching desert, and definitely not onto our neighbor, but into the warm and nourishing embrace of God’s infinite love.  There can be no better healing than that.

Prayer of the Day

God and Father!  On this great day, the Sabbath of the soul, your children, wherever they dwell, gather in sanctuaries to rededicate themselves to you.  We come into your presence with a sense of our unworthiness.  We have yielded to temptations and gone astray after the devices of our hearts, heedless of your holy will.  You who are glorious in holiness, whose love is boundless, purify our hearts and direct our thoughts to you.  Kindle within us a steadfast faith that shall dispel the darkness of doubt and confusion.

Father of mercies!  We do not pray for ourselves alone, but for all your children.  May the recognition of our own failings lead us to be patient with the shortcomings of others, and may every virtue which you have implanted within us reveal to us the dignity and sanctity of each human being.  Every soul is precious in your sight; every life is your gift.  Though one person is often set against another, one nation against another, teach us the common kinship of all humanity.  Cleanse us from falsehood and selfishness; remove from us hatred and cruelty which blight human life.  Unite us in a fellowship of service to you and to our neighbor.

—from the Morning Service for Atonement Day, Union Prayer Book of Reform Judaism, 1945, pp. 170-171

Hymn: “Forgive us, Lord, we turn today”

(Words: Florence Montefiore in the Union Hymnal of Reform Judaism, 1936; adapted by Joseph A. Soltero, 2013

Tune: Samuel Alman, based on a traditional Yom Kippur mode)

Forgive us, Lord, we turn today,

Renew our days, our grief is sore.

Your pardon and your mercy stay

On us, O Lord, for evermore.

You give upon this day of days

New birth to every stricken soul,

“Return to me,” your mandate says,

“And I will heal you, make you whole.”

We are your sheep within your fold,

Remember not our sinful past!

Grant us remission as of old,

Accept the offering of our fast.

Today your children, penitent,

With contrite hearts before you stand.

Be ever more beneficent,

Stretch over us your pardoning hand.

Forgive us, Lord! We would atone.

O save us, save us, Lord most high!

We have no help but you alone,

And Israel calls—O hear their cry!

Amen.

The trumpet of God

FIRST EMBER DAY OF CREATION

18 September 2013

Readings:

1 Corinthians 15:50-57

Matthew 24:27-35

Key Verses (using the World English Bible):

1 Cor. 15:52: “For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.”

Matt. 24:30-31: “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.  He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones.”

Reflection

Judaism inaugurates the New Year, or Rosh ha-Shanah (this year, 4 September), with the blowing of the horn or trumpet, known as the Shofar.  Sometimes known as the “Feast of Trumpets”, this holy day was originally called “The Memorial (or Day) of the {Shofar-] Blowing”.  The Union Prayerbook for Jewish Worship (1945) describes the Shofar Service as follows:

“The stirring sound of the Shofar proclaimed the covenant at Mount Sinai which bound Israel to God as a kingdom of priests and a holy people.  Ever since that distant day, the voice of the Shofar has resounded through the habitations of Israel awakening high allegiance to God and His commandments.  At the new moon, on joyous festivals as well as on solemn days of fasting and repentance, and in the Jubilee year when liberty was proclaimed throughout the land, our fathers hearkened to the tones of the ram’s horn and recalled their obligation to serve the Lord with all their heart and with all their strength.  Thus do we, their children, prepare to hearken now to the solemn sound of the Shofar.  May it summon us to struggle against the forces of evil within our hearts and in the world.  Let it arouse within us the will to righteousness and strengthen our trust in God’s justice and love.  May it direct our thoughts to the day when the Shofar will sound for the redemption of all mankind.” (p. 77, Morning Service for the New Year)

Have you ever heard the Shofar blown during a Rosh ha-Shanah service?  I confess that, when I went to Jewish services in college, it sounded to me more like a cavalry call than a stirring, solemn sound.  But when you contemplate the fact that millions of Jews both now and throughout history have been yearly called together for this ancient ritual, its sacredness begins to seep in.  And we Christians must remember that this stirring sound, year after year, also called our Lord Jesus, who was himself a faithful Jew.

Traditionally, the “Autumn Embertide”, the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Holy Cross Day, has been set aside to recall the fast of the seventh month, or Yom Kippur, Judaism’s Day of Atonement.  I’ve decided to incorporate a scriptural reflection on the other holy days falling in its proximity, beginning with Rosh ha-Shanah.

Christianity would benefit so much from a stronger awareness of these days.  We need to be reminded, again and again, of our obligation to serve the Lord with heart and strength.  We need to be inspired, again and again, by God’s justice and love, to seek righteousness and redemption for all of God’s creatures on earth.  When our spirits are dead, we need to hear the trumpet blast that will raise us to a new life and change us.  And when our faith is weak, we need to recall that this same trumpet ushers Christ back into our hearts, even as we believe it will signal his return on the Last Day.

Prayer of the Day

Our God, and God of our ancestors,

hasten the coming of your kingdom,

that the worship of your Name,

and obedience to your law,

may unite all humanity in fellowship and peace.

Bring us near to your service,

that we may be worthy to proclaim your truth.

Satisfy us with your goodness,

and gladden us with your salvation.

Purify our hearts, that we may serve you in truth,

for you, O God, are truth,

and your word endures forever.

Amen.

—Adapted from the Morning Service for the New Year, in the Union Prayerbook of Reform Judaism, p. 58.

Hymn: “Ere space was made, or earth, or sky”

(Words: ‘Adonai Melekh’, “The Lord is King”, translated by Solomon Solis-Cohen, Union Hymnal, 1936; adapted by Joseph A. Soltero, 2013

Tune: ‘Adonoi Melech’, based on two traditional Rosh Hashanah modes)

Ere space was made, or earth, or sky,

The Lord was King!

Ere sun or star shone forth on high,

The Lord was King!

When earth shall be a robe outworn,

And sky shall fade like mists of morn,

Forever shall the Lord be King!

The Lord is King! The Lord was King!

Forever shall the Lord be King!

When earth was flung in star-filled space,

The Lord was King!

And living creatures found their place,

The Lord was King!

When homeward from earth’s corners four,

The scattered folk are called once more,

Forever shall the Lord be King!

The Lord is King! The Lord was King!

Forever shall the Lord be King!

Amen.

Stars of the cosmos

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER CREATION DAY

15 September 2013

Readings:

Philippians 2:12-18

Matthew 5:13-16

Key Verses (using the World English Bible):

Php. 2:15-16: “[May you become]… children of God without defect in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world, holding up the word of life.”

Matt. 5:16: “Let your light shine before men [and women]; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Reflection

One of Jesus’ most familiar sayings is: “I am the light of the world.  He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”  (John 8:12)  Less known is Jesus’ teaching to his disciples: “You are the light of the world”, which we see today’s reading from Matthew’s Gospel.  In a religion that has preferred (for better or worse) to emphasize our sinful, imperfect nature, undeserving of God’s grace and love, one can understand why such a teaching would not be brought to the forefront.

However, Jesus was not alone in this teaching.  After citing a fantastic hymn of Christ’s incarnation, crucifixion, and exaltation, Paul writes to the Church of Philippi that they are “seen as lights in the world”.  The phrase may also be translated as “stars of the universe” or even “stars of the cosmos”.  The stars and the cosmos captivated the minds of our ancestors in ways that our modern lives, with round-the-clock, artificial lighting, can’t even begin to let us imagine.  What a beautiful image, what an extraordinary compliment to be compared to phenomena that still inspire us with awe.

We can understand what’s going on here, I think, by going back to that fantastic hymn, which Paul cites.  Jesus finds himself in the image of God, equal with God, but he neither grasps nor depends on either of those in order to force salvation upon humanity.  Christ becomes human, knits himself into humanity for humanity’s sake, not his own.  The lesson is twofold.  First, we must not hold on to our flawed human nature as an excuse to not become better.  The phrase, “I’m only human” doesn’t apply here.  We have to try, to act.

But the second is, as many of the early Church Fathers put it, “[Christ] was made man that we might be made God” (St. Athanasius of Alexandria).  Yes, as creatures made in God’s likeness, we really can be “like God”.  But being “like God” means not being self-centered.  That’s why Adam and Eve stumbled; they forgot they already were “like God” the moment they sought to please themselves.  The Psalmist would remind them that in God’s light, and not their own, do we see light (cf. Ps. 36:9). 

The Gospel puts a spin on that and reminds us that only in Jesus’ light, we *are* light.  When we act, not for ourselves, but for others, that’s when we reflect his light, become his light, that same image of God we were created in, the stars of the cosmos.  And that same cosmos can strengthen our faith in times of doubt or fear, whenever we lose sight of Christ’s light.  As the Full Moon reflects the light of an invisible Sun, so we are to reflect the light of a Messiah now visible only through the eye of faith.  And when, from our perspective, the Moon cannot see the Sun, that’s when her light is the fullest and brightest.

Prayer of the Day

Grant us, Lord,

the lamp of love which never fails,

that it may burn in us,

and shed its light on those around us,

and that, by its brightness,

we may have a vision of that holy City,

where dwells the true and never-failing Light,

Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,

who reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

—From the Book of Common Prayer, “An Order of Worship for the Evening”

Hymn: “God make my life a little light”

(Words: Matilda B.B. Edwards, in Good Words, 1873, p. 393; adapted by Joseph A. Soltero, 2013

Tune: ‘Capel’, traditional English melody)

God make my life a little light

Within the world to glow;

A little flame that, burning bright,

Goes with me where I go.

God make my life a little flower,

Whose bud is joy to all,

Content to bloom in sun or shower,

To blossom fair and tall.

God make my life a little song

That comforts all the sad,

That helps the listener be strong,

And makes the singer glad.

God make my life a little staff

Whereon the weak may rest,

So that what health and strength I have

May serve my neighbors best.

God make my life a little hymn

Of tenderness and praise,

Of faith, that never waxes dim,

In God’s most wondrous ways.

Amen.

Holy Cross Day

HOLY CROSS DAY

14 September 2013

Readings:

1 Corinthians 1:17-25

John 12:20-33

Key Verses (using the World English Bible):

1 Cor. 1:18: “The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are saved it is the power of God.”

John 12:32: “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

Reflection

This feast day seems like a random intrusion into the autumn season, one that might better fit Lent or Easter.  Its formal Orthodox name is “The Universal Exaltation [or Lifting-up] of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross”.  Legend has it that in 326, St. Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine the Great (yes, that Constantine) found pieces of the original cross in Jerusalem.  The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was built on that site, and dedicated on 13 September 335.  Pieces of the cross were exhibited to the general public for veneration on the following day.

The cross has been one of the most recognized symbols of human history for the past 2,000 years.  It’s been an instrument of fear, an inspiration of solace, and even an amulet of protection.  When Shakespeare’s Hamlet resolves to “cross” the ghost, he may mean that he’ll intercept the ghost while holding his sword upside-down, thereby turning it into a cross. 

Early Christians, however, seldom portrayed the Crucifixion until about 400 years after Jesus’ death.  While depicting it may have been traumatic, talking about it was far from uncomfortable.  A mere 20 years after Jesus’ death, Paul, the former Pharisaic Jew, a “Hebrew of Hebrews”, had no difficulty ascribing “power” to the cross of Christ.  In his letter to the Corinthian Church, he also suggested that the cross has a message, a word of its own:

“The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are saved it is the power of God.”

Paul may sound smug in his remark, but he’s really not trying to draw a line between *those* poor souls who are dying, and *we* the elite who are saved.  In fact, Paul confesses to the Galatian Church that he has been “crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:20).  Apparently he’s realized that Christ cannot bring new life without bringing the death of an old life.  As a result, all Christians are called to a kind of spiritual crucifixion before the promised spiritual resurrection.

Intelligence quotients vary, but God doesn’t require you to be smart before he’ll talk to you.  In fact, he’s willing to use “foolishness” because that’s something that everyone, even a child, will understand—and aren’t children the ones who’ll enter the kingdom of heaven?  Maybe this is where Paul’s attitude comes from.  It’s like when you’re looking so hard for a solution, and then you find it where you least expected it.  You thought the more you knew, the more you looked, the closer you’d reach your goal.  But the universe had different plans, and pondering its humor now makes you laugh.  Jesus’ death wasn’t funny—but the irony that what he was executed on could foolishly come to symbolize healing, peace, and even hope is enough for you to possibly let out a chuckle.

For me, the ultimate message of the cross is that there’s no place one can go where God is not present: in wisdom and in foolishness; in strength and in weakness; in peace and in violence; in clear paths and stumbling blocks; in life and in death.

What does the cross represent to you?

Prayer of the Day

Almighty God,

your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ,

was lifted high upon the cross,

so that he might draw the whole world to himself.

Grant, in your mercy, that we,

who glory in the mystery of redemption,

may have the grace to take up our cross and follow him,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, in glory everlasting.

Amen.

Hymn: “Lift high the cross”

(Words by George W. Kitchin, altered by Michael Newbolt in 1916; adapted by Joseph A. Soltero, 2013

Tune, “Crucifer”, by Sydney H. Nicholson, 1916)

Refrain:

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim

Till all the world adore his sacred Name.

Led on their way by this triumphant sign,

The hosts of God in conquering ranks combine.

Refrain.

Each newborn servant of the Crucified

Bears on the brow the seal of him who died.

Refrain.

O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,

So draw the peoples to your victory.

Refrain.

Crucified Jesus, we to you shall raise

Our songs of triumph and unending praise.

Refrain.

A loving justice

FRIDAY AFTER CREATION 1

13 September 2013

Readings:

Amos 5:6-15

Luke 11:37-46

Key Verses (using the World English Bible):

Amos 5:15: “Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the courts.”

Luke 11:42: “[W]oe to you Pharisees! For you… bypass justice and God’s love.”

Reflection

Love and justice are two of the Bible’s most important themes.  Amos was right to see a link between the two.  Drawing from his Hebrew heritage, Amos knew that loving your neighbor as yourself means treating him (or her) fairly, for surely none of us wants to be treated unjustly.  At a time when Israel’s relative prosperity had led to dishonest commerce, oppression of the poor and needy, and neglect of “inconvenient” holy days (cf. Amos 8:4-7), Amos shouted for justice.  The famous cry, “Let justice roll on like rivers, and righteous like a mighty stream” comes from Amos’ hand (Amos 5:24). 

Jesus, however, honed in on a disturbing side effect of justice.  Too much justice can quickly diminish any room for love.  Amos understood this, judging from today’s reading, but his circumstances forced justice to become the priority.  But life is full of people who prioritize justice at the expense of love—and the Bible is not immune to this reality.

And so we get to the Pharisees of Jesus’ time.  I can’t help but feel some sympathy for the Pharisees, even though the word has become synonymous with “hypocrite”.  The Pharisees are the forefathers of rabbinic Judaism, the only successful branch of the religion to survive the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE.  When you’ve got next to nothing, you cling to what little you have left.  Perhaps as a silent rebellion against their Roman rulers, the Pharisees sought to have the Torah, or God’s Law, rule over daily Jewish life.  Their zeal for the Torah sustained Judaism after its holy city lay in ruins, even as Christianity began to enjoy a prosperity similar to Amos’ Israel.

Jesus sees right through the legalism of the Pharisees he encountered.  They were reading the Torah in such a way that “you load men with burdens that are difficult to carry, and you yourselves won’t even lift one finger to help carry those burdens.” (Luke 6:46)  And in so doing, they would “bypass justice and God’s love.”

Did Jesus move any of them to reevaluate their priorities?  We know he did for at least one self-proclaimed Pharisee: Paul of Tarsus.  Writing to the Church of Philippi, Paul confesses just how well acquainted he was with legalistic zeal, and just how Christ overturned that zeal through the power of faith. (Php. 3:4-6)  Paul had striven to know the Torah backwards and forwards, but now Christ had left him yearning to know something words could never explain: “the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings” (Php. 3:11).

The Season of Creation challenges us to do the same, not just in matters of religion, but also of society.  How are we treating our fellow neighbors?  How can we lighten or even free them from their burdens?  How can we show forth God’s justice without bypassing God’s love?

Prayer of the Day

Loving God,

you desire justice for all.

Enable us to uphold the rights of others.

Do not allow us to be misled by ignorance,

or corrupted by fear or favor.

Unite us to yourself in the bond of love,

and keep us faithful to all that is true.

May we temper justice with love,

so that all our discussions and reflections

may be pleasing to you, and earn the rewards

promised to good and faithful servants.

We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

—adapted from the Opening Prayer of Vatican II

Hymn: “Love is light’s eternal river”

(Words: “Kærlighed er lysets kilde”, N.F.S. Grundtvig, 1853 in Den Danske Salmebog, ‘The Danish Hymnal’, 2011; translated by Joseph A. Soltero, 2013

Tune: ‘Jesu, meines Lebens Leben’, Wolfgang Wessnitzer, 1661)

Love is light’s eternal river.

Love is life’s deep-rooted flow’r.

Therefore shall God’s justice ever

Shine on us with loving pow’r.

As our Savior once declared us,

So the Spirit now has dared us:

Walk in love as Christ loved you,

Such a hope will see you through.

Love adorns the whole creation.

Love illumines heaven’s throne.

For our healing and salvation,

Love sent us God’s only Son.

Christ, the light and life of heaven,

Has for us his own self given.

Now he lives and reigns above

In his Father’s endless love.

Love shall never harm our neighbor.

Love fulfills the law’s commands,*

Joins the Spirit’s fruit and labor

Into holy, perfect bands.**

These become our seeds for sowing

Heaven’s kingdom, ever growing

Since creation was begun,

That through love we may be one.

Amen.

*Rom. 13:10

**Col. 3:14