Meditation on This Sunday's Gospel

The readings for Sunday, July 12, 2009:

First Reading: Amos 7:7-15

First Reading (Semi-cont.): 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19

Psalm: Psalm 85:8-13

Psalm (Semi-cont.): Psalm 24

Second Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14

Gospel: Mark 6:14-29

I've always been fascinated by the people who see God as a sort of cosmic Santa Claus. I had one friend who claimed that if she prayed to God for a parking space, one would open up. She believed that if your life wasn't working out, it was a sign that you needed to pray harder. I heard a colleague declare that he wasn't worried about economic downturns because "The Psalms tell us that the righteous will never beg for bread on the streets" (ironically, he was fired a year after he said this). I wonder what these two people would tell John the Baptist.

Surely John the Baptist is a righteous man. It's hard to imagine such a grisly end to such a powerful prophet is justified.

Of course, it's not justified. There's nothing just about what happens to John the Baptist. He's killed on a whim, to please Herod's lover. It's not like he had a trial and was found guilty and therefore had to be beheaded.

I hate to have to say this, but it's not an unusual outcome for the prophets. It's not an unusual outcome for Christians throughout the centuries. We are not promised riches and fame if we follow God. On the contrary, the Scriptures (both the Old Testament and the New Testament) are quite clear that we may face great suffering.

I see a theme in our recent Gospel readings. Last week, Jesus isn't accepted by his hometown. Recently we saw the disciples sent out two by two, sent out with nothing but what they wear, and they're told to expect rejection. If we follow Jesus, we can't say that we haven't been warned.

Church growth people must be banging their heads against the wall. These promises and warnings are not the kinds of things that entice the unchurched. No wonder we see the recent explosions of Prosperity Gospel books and telecasts.

So, why follow the risen Christ? What's in it for us, besides suffering and martyrdom?

The rest of the Scriptures remind us of the promises and rewards. The world would tell us that we should look for wealth or fame or power, but those aren't the kinds of rewards the Scriptures promise the faithful. However recent news stories (the Michael Jackson coverage, the recent scandal of the South Carolina governor and the Alaska governor) might offer a cautionary tale about how empty a reward fame and riches and power can be.

Jesus offers us a life of fellowship: fellowship with each other, fellowship with God. Psychologists would tell us that humans long for fellowship and that feeling that love and acceptance can be what keeps us healthy and whole (much more than money or fame or power can ever do).

Jesus offers us a chance to be part of the Kingdom of God, a Kingdom where everyone has enough and everyone feels that love. Of course, the catch is that the Kingdom isn't here yet. We have to help build it. We've caught glimpses of it breaking through. It's both now and not yet, this elusive Kingdom. But when we feel/glimpse/experience/live it, we know that it's worth whatever we must endure for the sake of it.

Passing the Peace and Judging a Congregation

On Sunday, I was fairly sure that a visitor sat behind me. She said a slightly different version of The Lord's Prayer. I wondered what she thought of our service. During the passing of the Peace, I tried to make her feel welcome.

If I was out looking at churches, I would see the passing of the Peace as one of the indicators of the health of the church. How do people greet each other? More importantly, how do they greet strangers? I visited one church in Florida, dutifully pinned the visitor badge on my clothes, and then watched, stunned, as absolutely no one--no one--greeted me at any point in the service. I HAD A VISITOR BADGE!! What is the point of a visitor badge, if not to help the members know the people to whom they should be sure to offer a greeting. I didn't go back.

Both Lutheran churches to which I've belonged in South Florida have had long, long periods of time devoted to the passing of the Peace. There's time to greet most everyone, if you're so inclined. It's so different from any other church I've attended. At most churches, there's time to shake the hands of 3 or 4 people, maybe 6 if you're quick.

I wonder if it's a Latin influence? Most of the churches I've attended in other states are fairly buttoned up emotionally. There's not much hugging during the passing of the Peace or moving away from one's pew in those churches. You can tell that those people are descended from northern Europeans. Or perhaps I'm succumbing to stereotypes. I don't think it's that the members of my South Florida churches just like each other that much more, but perhaps it's an element.

Whatever explains it, I like the fact that we greet each other warmly. I truly feel as if those people are wishing God's peace for me. It's like a multitude of extra benedictions. And if I was a visitor, I'd see that moment in the service as a good sign. At least I would if people made some effort to make me feel included. My hope is that my current church does a good job with that, and I try to do my part to welcome the stranger.

Patriotic Music, the 4th of July, and Worship

When we walked into church yesterday, and I saw so many people wearing red, white, and blue, and so many men wearing ties with stars and stripes in the design of the cloth, I thought, oh, no, I should have stayed home.

I'm one of those strange people who feels that national flags don't belong in the sanctuary. I shudder when we sing patriotic songs during worship. I used to belong to a church that after September 11 sang "God Bless America" at every opportunity. I thought I would go out of my mind. If we must sing such songs, let's sing "God Bless Our Native Lands," so that we ask God to shower blessings on all lands.

Yesterday was our first July 4th week-end at our new church, and I'm happy to say that the hymn choices worked well. We sang "Lift Every Voice and Sing" (always a musical challenge, but I find it a joy to sing), "Eternal Father, Strong to Save," and "Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory."

We had children hand out flowers to the people in the congregation who had served in the military. It was interesting to watch those members stand up; all of them were of retirement age. Only one woman stood. My spouse counted that 75% of the men of the congregation had served. Of course, since they're all of retirement age, that fact explains some of the issues facing the mainline Church, namely, the aging of the church and the absence of younger members to take the place of members who will be dying (assuming that our numbers are similar to mainline churches across the land, and according to statistics I've seen, they are).

We prayed a special prayer for those who serve in our military, and I see nothing wrong with that. I'm the daughter of an Air Force colonel, so I'm often reminded of how different my upbringing has been. However, I'm more reminded of that fact in academia than in church. In academia, I'm a real freak: Christian, poet, Air Force daughter, female Ph.D. (although this last fact is less bizarre than it once would have been--I'm an English Ph.D., after all, not a female with a Ph.D. in Chemistry or Engineering, which would still be unusual).

All in all, I thought that our worship planners did a good job recognizing our national holiday and integrating it into the service. So often, in other churches, I've seen the worship service subsumed to the patriotic agenda. It was nice to pray for the country and the military, while still realizing that our primary membership must be to the Kingdom of God.

Thinking about the Declaration of Independence

I always love NPR's reading of the Declaration of Independence, the whole thing. It's wonderful to hear the various NPR voices read this document. I've been listening long enough that I've been through several changes of beloved voices, as people die and new people arrive. Go here to hear the whole thing.

I've always been a Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights geek. I love, love, love these documents. The NPR reading always reduces me to tears by the end of the reading.

I think we often forget what these founding parents risked as they launched this fight. I think we forget that the odds were stacked against them. I love these stories of the fight for justice. And to my friends who would tell me of the imperfections of the American story, I would concede some points. But to me, the important thing is that we continue to try to get it right. We continue to try to set free the oppressed and to keep the lamps of liberty lit. We acknowledge the times we've gotten it all frightfully wrong (slavery, the genocide of the Native Americans), but we keep trying to get it right. I see Independence Day as an interesting point where Liberation Theology meets politics and revolution and the world will never be the same.

Here's an interesting thing to ponder on this Independence Day: for what would you be willing to pledge your life, your fortune, and your sacred honor?

Portable Prayer Shawls

One of my grad school friends got some bad news about her dad, who is battling cancer: the first treatment wasn't working. One feels so helpless in this position. I thought about having my church send a prayer shawl, but I know that they come from a religious tradition that doesn't do much (yet) with prayer shawls, so I wasn't sure that was the right thing to do. I decided to make my own version: the portable prayer shawl!




I like the symbolism of the butterflies on the fabric. Each one of these is small enough to fit into a business size envelope. I also put a loop at the top, so they can be hung in some place where they will be a cheerful reminder that people are praying for the family. Hopefully, the butterflies will remind my friend and her family of the possibility of life emerging from the most unlikely circumstances.

A close up of the quilting--my grandmother would be ashamed of my sloppy stitching, but I'm hoping it's the thought that counts.

For the backing fabric, I chose this depiction of sweet treats. My first impulse when someone is in trouble is to bake--but I know that many people are battling weight gain and diabetes. Here's a calorie-free way to send good wishes--not as much fun as gooey brownies, but more practical. And it will last longer.

Meditation on This Sunday's Gospel

The readings for Sunday, July 5, 2009:

First Reading: Ezekiel 2:1-5

First Reading (Semi-cont.): 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10

Psalm: Psalm 123

Psalm (Semi-cont.): Psalm 48

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:2-10

Gospel: Mark 6:1-13

What an intriguing Gospel reading for this Sunday: Jesus rejected by people who had known him since he was little and who knew his family. Perhaps you can relate.

The first part of this Gospel gives us a clear warning about the risks we face when we have expectations of God that might be a bit too firm. We're not really open to God or God's hopes and plans for us when we think we know what God should be up to in the world. The society of Jesus' time had very definite expectations of what the Messiah would look like and what he would do--and Jesus was not that person. How many people ignored God, right there in their midst, because they were looking for someone or something else?

This Gospel also warns us about fame and acclaim, something that might seem very relevant in these days of celebrity deaths. If you've been alive any length of time, you know that the world grants fame to an interesting variety of people. But once again, if we expect God to act like a star, we're setting ourselves up for disappointment.

And the end of the Gospel has a warning for us, as well. If we become believers because we think we'll be famous or we'll make lots of money or we'll have political influence--well, we're likely to be disappointed. The Gospel of Jesus is not about those things that the world considers important--no matter what those Prosperity Gospel folks would have you believe.

Jesus sends out his disciples two by two, with no possessions and not much of a plan. Notice what he does not do--he doesn't make them create a mission statement or a business plan. He doesn't have them raise money for buildings and programs. And he doesn't expect them to work fruitlessly--they are allowed to shake the dust off of their feet and move on.

What would our lives look like, if we followed this model? What would our lives look like if we trusted God more than our retirement plans? Where are we stuck, needing to shake dust off of our feet and move on? Where might God lead us, if we can just learn to trust and learn to move?

Returning from Vacation

So, this morning, I return from a gorgeous week-end of sailing on the Chesapeake Bay (the picture in my last blog post is from that area, taken by my brother-in-law). My fridge is nearly empty, as is my fuzzy brain right now.

So, while I adapt back to regular life, I'll refer you to something else to read. Go here to read a great article by a woman who returned to the Catholic church. As I read it, I thought about a recent blog post of mine (last Monday, I think), and thought, I wish I could have referred people to this article.

Ah, the joys of new technology, with a blog that feels more like an ongoing conversation than a published essay that's done for good--it means that I can refer people to other essays, even though mine is already published.

Enjoy Michele Madigan Somerville's essay, in which she talks about her struggles with the Catholic church and the joys that come from the struggle. I'll be back tomorrow with my weekly Gospel meditation.