Finding Voice

Today’s lectionary passage is Mark 7:24-37. This passage contains two stories. These are the story of the woman who is described as a “Gentile of Syrophoenician origin” and the story of the man who could not hear or speak.

I have blogged much about the former of these stories. I think it is a really important one. This Syrophoenician woman came to Jesus to seek healing for her daughter. Initially Jesus’ response was harsh, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”

I have heard many attempts to mediate this phrase. There are suggestions such as Jesus didn’t really mean it and it was only said to test the faith of the woman. Personally, I don’t like the idea that unpalatable passages are explained away. Sometimes things in the Bible are simply not good and we need to accept and deal with that. I think Jesus’ response here was one of those times. Jesus was focused on his mission to the Jewish people and treated the Syrophoenician woman with contempt.

However, this Syrophoenician woman was not cowed. She challenged the narrowness of that mission. “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” She found her voice to speak for her child. In doing so something amazing happened.  She opened Jesus eyes that the message of healing and wholeness was for everyone.

God used this unnamed woman to reveal to Jesus that the ministry and message was available for all. Thankfully, Jesus had ears to hear the message. The woman found her voice to speak the message of inclusion for future generations. This was a turning point in history. The message became all are welcomed and received.

I also find it quite poignant that this story is featured this weekend. A Syrophoenician was “a native or inhabitant of Phoenicia when it was part of the Roman province of Syria” (Merriam-Webster). So the woman was from Syria.

Syria has been much in the news this week with the refugee crisis. The refugees, too, found voice this week in one photograph of one small boy. It is my hope and prayer that the nations of the world will hear and respond. Perhaps, this little boy from Syria will also speak the message of inclusion for future generations. Perhaps this will be another turning point in history about how refugees are treated. Perhaps, one day, they too will hear the message that all are welcomed and received.

However, the lectionary passage doesn’t end there. It is as if the message of finding a voice needs to be emphasized. The writer of the gospel does it with the story of the man who could not hear or speak. He was brought to Jesus for healing and “his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.” Other people brought this man to Jesus.

So as I read the passage today, the thing that linked the two stories was that these people both found voice. Both were people who would have had no significance in their contemporary culture, even, both would have been considered outcasts. One found voice to speak for another and one was helped by others to find voice.

This week we have talked a lot about how we can be Christ-like to those we meet and, even, what it would mean to be Christ-like. Perhaps there is a hint in this passage. We can be a voice against injustice for those who are outcasts and rejected by society and we can help those who need to find a voice speak out.

A Visit to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne

It was a perfect day. The sun was shining and the sky was blue. The wind was a little chilly. It was what we describe as an “on-off” day. Our coats were on and off all day as we repeatedly moved from shelter to open countryside. It was on this lovely day that we visited the Holy Island of Lindisfarne

In the morning we had driven to Berwick-on-Tweed to visit our friend, Chris. We were delighted that Chris was looking so well after his long months of struggling with illness (Please send healing thoughts his way as he continues his journey towards recovery).

Chris felt strong enough to join us for the afternoon on Lindisfarne. Little did he know that our visit was going to become an eight-mile hike! We arrived at the island at the end of the safe crossing time. This is the time we love the most, when the tide cuts the island off from the mainland for a few hours.

Lindisfarne is a special place. It lies off the North-East coast of England reached by a tidal causeway. It was St. Aidan who arrived at the island in the seventh century. He came from the monastery on Iona, Scotland. He is accredited with bringing Christianity to England. There is a feeling of peace on the island. It is what the Celts used to call a place where “the air is thin.” There is closeness between the natural and the spiritual. The peace is tangible. It is in the air.

We walked around the perimetre of the island. As always, when one moves a little way from the centre of a popular tourist spot the countryside becomes deserted. 

We have spent weeks, days and hours on the island years ago. Nevertheless I was amazed at how familiar it all was as we walked around the almost deserted shore.  We remembered the various bays, the quarry and the paths as if we had walked them yesterday. For Andy and I it was a journey which kindled many memories. As we walked our conversation was often punctuated with “do you remember when …”.

We walked across the sand dunes covered with gorse and wild flowers. We introduced Chris to the wilder side of the island. As we walked we dropped into the different bays. Firstly, we visited the long expanse of golden sand with sound of sea gently lapping at the water’s edge. Then the rockier bays with the cliffs full of nesting birds. After which we came to the bay where there are great slabs of rock. This was where we sat a while and ate our sandwiches. It was a magical place as we watched, with great delight, the seals swimming in the bay. At one point we counted about fifty of them.

Sadly, we couldn’t linger there all day but moved on to see more bays. We were beyond sandy beaches now and the coastline was all pebble. We walked along coming nearer and nearer to the castle. The castle was built around 1550, although it underwent much renovation in the early twentieth century. We couldn’t resist a peep into the nearby lime kilns where our children, and, subsequently, our grandchildren played.

As we walked from the castle, views of the priory were in front of us and to our left the harbor. The sun was starting to set and the whole harbor was clothed in golden light.

A stroll through the village, including a wee taste of Lindisfarne mead, completed our circle. The tide was receding, we returned to the car park, happy that we had been blessed with such wonderful day.

Feeding, Fame and Fickleness

Today, the Lectionary continues its glance at John chapter 6 which has spanned three weeks. The chapter starts with a feeding story. Actually, all the Gospels carry feeding stories. The one we are reading today is the Gospel of John’s account of the tale where 5,000 people are fed from the five loaves and two fishes offered by a little boy. Not only were they fed, but the left-overs were enough to fill twelve baskets.

The feeding stories have been mainly interpreted in two different ways. The first way is that they are miracles where bread and fish is supernaturally multiplied.  The second way they have been interpreted is as an example of generosity where the little boy’s gift encourages everyone to share what they brought so there was more than sufficient for all. The end result is the same, 5,000 hungry people are fed.

Last time I blogged on this passage I talked about how I found the feeding stories profoundly disturbing as I tried to imagine reading them in a country where there is no green grass for people to sit on, no crumbs to gather and where perhaps, even one of those crumbs would mean life for another day for a child or an animal. How would I present the gospel with its many feeding stories and where Jesus claims he is the bread of life to those literally starving to death?

Today, as I read the chapter the verses that stood out to me were right at the end of the feeding story.

‘When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.” When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.’ (John 6:14-15)

They caused me to ponder Jesus’ reaction to fame and also the fickleness of humanity.

What is it that causes such extreme reactions in people? The crowd of 5,000 people ate and their reaction was to want to “make him king”. Why? Would we be the same today? If someone supernaturally fed 5,000 people would we be calling for them to run for the next president?

At this point in John’s gospel it is stated that people were following Jesus because of the miracles they saw. Prior to this story, the gospel records no stories about Jesus teaching, nothing that reveals any character, it is purely miracle based.

It seems like the people have short memories. I wonder how many of the 5,000 who were fed and wanted to make Jesus king were in the crowd who shouted “crucify him” a few months later!

As the story continues we see the character of Jesus emerge. It is in his reaction to the offer of fame. He withdrew to a mountain by himself. Now that is a model for us to live by. It is a model of ministry to others. It is a model that shows compassion on hungry people (or sick people, or hurting people, or abused people, or invisible people) but without any desire for fame or recognition. It is a model of service that alleviates suffering then slips away out of sight. It shows the character of the one who has compassion, serves and then withdraws. Let that be our model and our aim as we minister.

But the chapter doesn’t end there, in the gospel of John the story continues. The crowd was persistent they searched for and eventually found Jesus who challenged them saying that they were looking for him only because they ate their fill of the loaves.

Jesus then began to talk about being the bread of life. In the last part of the chapter the dialogue is clearly Eucharistic. One has to wonder if the dialogue is included to affirm the Eucharistic practice that had developed in the Johannine community. Margaret M. Mitchell et al take that view.

“The sacramental language of chapter 6 certainly alludes to a ritual practice used by the Johannine community at some point in its development. It might have come late to the life of the community, or more likely, it describes an accepted practice the understanding of which the evangelist wanted to deepen.” (Cambridge History of Christianity 2006, 142)

In other words, the author of John was giving the first and second century readers a legitimization of their practices. This was both with the Eucharistic language celebrating Jesus’ death and resurrection and with the analogy to Moses and the manna, even to the crowd grumbling as they did in the wilderness.

Yet, that was the verse that stood out as I read the latter half of the chapter. The people began to complain about Jesus because they didn’t like what he said (41). This brought me right back to my first thought about how fickle human beings can be.

This crowd had been fed, they had wanted to make Jesus king, they had sought him out on “the other side of the sea” (25) yet as soon as he started to talk they started to complain.

Apart from all the Eucharistic theology in this chapter I think it offers us a real challenge about our way of living. It speaks a lot about the character of humanity. Much for us to ponder, I think.

Life and Death

Sometimes the lectionary passages are hard to think about. Today’s story is the beheading of John the Baptiser in the Gospel of Mark (6). It is hardly an uplifting story.

Yesterday, it felt really incongruous to be reading it. It was a lovely, warm summer’s day in upstate New York. It was too hot to take the pugs out so Andy and I went for a walk alone starting in Stewart Park. It was a good opportunity, as dogs are not permitted there. All around us were signs of new life. We saw ducklings and goslings being protected by their various parents. Before we left for the park I had walked around our back garden. I saw the fawn and her mother. I discovered that our bat house had a Robin’s nest on top with three babies sticking their heads out. The two baby groundhogs were around. All around us were signs of new life. Then I read the lectionary and it was about death. It seemed so extreme. All around me, I was seeing signs of new life (birth) and yet I was reading about death. Life and death, two transitions into something new and different.

I admit I was tempted to move on from the reading. Perhaps, I could use a different, more uplifting passage to talk about rather than someone being beheaded. However, I decided to remain with it. I would follow Phyllis Trible’s directive to shake a text until it yields a blessing. I would shake this text and see what it revealed.

I wanted to look at John beyond the words of this passage. So here is John from the brief Biblical mentions he gets. His birth had been miraculous. The story is often told as we move into Christmas. The baby, named John a gift from God.  He was Jesus’ cousin. We know very little about his life except that he was sent to the desert (probably to learn and study with the monks). Then he reappeared to announce the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. This is where the author of Mark starts his story. The gospel starts with just a few short verses about John’s ministry ending with the words, “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee.” (1:14) John is not mentioned again in the Gospel of Mark until the beginning of the chapter from which today’s reading is taken. Herod hears the stories about Jesus. He starts wondering if Jesus is John the Baptiser resurrected. Then the author of Mark tells the story, really in parenthesis, of how John lost his life.

The first thing that I noticed as I pondered this story was how young John was. I have three children. They are all older, or perhaps the youngest is the same age, as John would have been. I realise that the life expectancy was lower in those days, but nevertheless, he was just a young man. This passage tells of the end of his life. But as I glanced at the story of John in the various gospels I became aware of how John was born for a purpose. His purpose was to announce the messiah, the Christ. He fulfilled his purpose. In today’s society many people feel aimless. They see no purpose to their lives. What a wonderful thing to know what your destiny is. To feel your purpose for being alive is being, or has been, fulfilled. In that I can find both a real challenge and a blessing.

The second thing I noticed was in Herod’s story. He was tricked by his wife into killing John, which he didn’t want to do. She requested the head of John on a platter. The text tells us, “The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her.” (6:24) I think there is a lesson for us here. Sometimes we have to go against the flow, stand up for what we believe is right even if it is hard. Herod didn’t! We can learn from his mistake.

I have read various accounts of this passage which say that Herod had no choice. I don’t believe that. There is always a choice, even though one of the choices may be hard and cause loss of friends and status.  I think many in our Lindisfarne community have been really good at standing for what is right, supporting the marginalized. Two weeks ago, I, like many others, changed my Facebook profile photograph rainbow in support of the Supreme Court judgment.  I was immediately blocked from an online group where I had previously enjoyed many conversations. It didn’t matter, there is a blessing in doing what one believes is right. I wish Herod could have found that.

So, as I have shaken today’s lectionary passage I have found two blessings. The blessing of living a fulfilled life and the blessing of standing for what one believes is right. I hope you, too, can find a blessing in this text.

Oh, and in case you are wondering, the pugs did get a walk in the cooler night air when we were treated to an amazing dance by the fireflies.

Celebrating Love

What a momentous week! I think we are living in exciting times. This week saw more cracks in the foundation of racism as more and more people stood in solidarity with their Black brothers and sisters.

Then when I opened my Facebook page on Friday it was awash with a sea of colour. On June 26^th the Supreme Court decided that Gay Marriage was legal in all states. I, along with many others, put a rainbow filter over my Facebook profile photograph to show my solidarity with the decision. The whole weekend has been a time of rejoicing amongst many American people. The slogan “Love Wins” is appearing everywhere. It is a time for celebrating love.

In this week’s lectionary psalm (30), the psalmist says, “Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning” and “You have turned my mourning into dancing.”

When I read that, it summed up the feeling of many of the comments I had seen. It is the morning . . . people are rejoicing! From commercial advertisements to government buildings the colours of the rainbow are displayed as joy and approval of the Supreme Court decision is lauded. These photographs certainly add to the celebratory atmosphere.

Friday was the day when we no longer have to talk about “gay marriage”. That phrase can be gone forever. It can be expunged from our collective vocabulary. Now, there is only marriage, a celebration of love and commitment between two people.

I have been a little saddened, or maybe, I should say a lot saddened, to read a few posts from people who are against the Supreme Court decision. Often these have been from people purported to be Christians, yet so full of hatred, condemnation and punishment.

The same thing happened in 1967 when the Supreme Court pulled down the anti- miscegenation laws. Prior to that mixed race marriages were not allowed.

“Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races show that he did not intend for the races to mix."

Judge Bazile 1963

(http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_mar14.htm)

It was another momentous day when on June 12, 1967 the Supreme Court legalized interracial marriage in the USA.

“There can be no doubt that restricting the freedom to marry solely because of racial classifications violates the central meaning of the Equal Protection Clause."

Text from the U.S. Supreme Court

(http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_mar14.htm)

Many people rejoiced and celebrated that love indeed did win. An interview which ABC did with the couple who sparked the Supreme Court case can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaHhZ4IbVYY

Again sadly, some did not rejoice

“One letter I received from a white Christian man went like this:

 ‘As individuals, they are precious souls for whom Christ died and whom we are to love and seek to win. As a race, however, they are unique and different and have their own culture. . . . I would never marry a black. Why? Because I believe God made the races, separated them and set the bounds of their habitation, Deuteronomy 32:8; Acts 17:26. He made them uniquely different and intended that these distinctions remain. God never intended the human race to become a mixed or mongrel race.’”

(http://www.desiringgod.org/sermons/racial-harmony-and-interracial-marriage)

That Supreme Court decision was 48 years ago. I doubt that many people would have the same strong feelings in 2015. My hope and expectation is that in a few years time Friday’s decision will be viewed the same way. It will be an important piece of history. Yet, people will look back and wonder why it was such a big deal. Why could people not marry whosoever they wanted to?

However, for today I am glad that I can rejoice and celebrate another victory towards equality for all.

Of course, all this is about love and modern marriage. Actually, none of it reflects a marriage from Biblical times. The phrase Biblical marriage has been used. But what does that mean? In the times when the Bible was written all the marriages were arranged. They were legal transactions where money and property exchanged hands. Unfaithfulness was punishable by death (Deut. 22:23-24). I think we can say that none of us in the West have Biblical marriages!

And the concept of marriage did not change quickly. In the ensuing years “through most of Western civilization, marriage has been more a matter of money, power and survival than of delicate sentiments.” Read the article (cited below) it gives a good insight (although brief and superficial) to changing ideas on marriage. It was only in the twentieth century that “we worship the couple. Intimacy shrinks to encompass just two, and love becomes the only reason for marriage.”

(https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200505/marriage-history)

Sometimes I am amazed by how relevant the lectionary readings are in spite of how old they are. This week the Old Testament reading was about David and Jonathan.  My blog is usually about the gospel reading.  However, today, how could I ignore a passage that talks about the love between two men. The text is 2 Samuel: 1-27. David has just been brought the news that Jonathan is dead. He laments, “Greatly beloved were you to me; your love to me was wonderful passing the love of women.”

The Old Testament tells us that the soul of David was bound to the soul of Jonathan (1 Samuel 18:1). Elsewhere the scripture says that they loved each other as they loved themselves. Jonathan gave David gifts of his clothing and his armour. Another verse tells us that Jonathan took great delight in David.

“Now, imagine if this story had been about Jonathan and a woman. Suppose the author had written that “Jonathan’s soul was bound to Mirriam, and Jonathan loved her as his own soul.” And suppose that upon meeting Mirriam for the first time, Jonathan immediately gave her all his most precious possessions . . .If 1 Samuel 18:1-4 were about Jonathan’s first encounter with a woman, theologians everywhere would be writing about this as one of the greatest love stories of all time.” (The Children are Free: Reexamining the Biblical Evidence on Same Sex Relationships, Jeff Miner and John Tyler Connoley)

I’m not doing an in depth study on David and Jonathan and their relationship. Others have done a great job of doing that.  Today, it suffices to repeat that David declared that Jonathan’s love for him was “wonderful passing the love of women.”

I am glad the lectionary highlighted this relationship today. It is apt to remember this story in this time of rejoicing. Today, I join with those all around America who are celebrating love.

Celtic Rhythm for Life.

What a wonderful weekend we have had. Twenty five of us gathered together at a retreat centre on beautiful Owasco Lake. It was quite eventful! We arrived in the aftermath of a storm which had brought down power lines. Hence there was no electricity. For our Friday evening session we sat in darkness, except for the odd beams of light from mobile phones (oh, the wonders of technology). Power finally came back on in the early hours of Saturday morning startling us from sleep as our bedrooms sprung into brightness.

Our theme for the weekend was a “Celtic Rhythm for Life.” We talked about developing a life practice that allows us to live a balanced life full of appreciation for all we see and hear. Nature has its own rhythm. I awaken to birdsong every morning. Last thing at night I watch the bats darting in and out of our trees.

In the introduction to the weekend +Andy said, “Life is shaped by the sun and moon and stars, in daily and monthly rhythms, and by the yearly cycles of nature in its seasons and changes.”

Today the gospel reading reflects part of this rhythm seen in nature. The text is two of a series of parables in the gospel of Mark (4: 26-34) which talk about what the Realm of God is like.

The first parable reads that the Realm of God is as if  “someone has scattered seed on the ground and would sleep and rise, night and day.”

Can you hear the rhythm? “Sleep and rise, night and day.” “Sleep and rise, night and day.” It is the basic rhythm of all of our lives, sleeping and getting up. It is the basic rhythm of nature, night and day. It is within this rhythm that grow takes place.

The second parable in today’s reading is that of the mustard seed which grows into a tree. Again we can see the same rhythm. The seed is sown and with the passing of time and seasons it grows into a tree.

When we went camping in France one of the wonderful sights to behold was the mustard fields. You can see miles and miles of fields of bright yellow mustard flowers stretching as far as the eye can see. Truly magnificent! However, I don’t think that is the mustard seed mentioned in the text. I think this parable is referring to the mustard tree (Salvadora persica.) This tree originated in Persia which now is Iran. It grows commonly in the Middle East and Africa. It is not technically a tree but an evergreen bush, a shrub which grows to twenty feet high. It has yellow-green flowers. The edible fruit is purple with pink or purple seeds

I have blogged in the past about the mustard tree so don’t intend to repeat the details but this tree is known for many properties. It is used for food, for healing, for cleansing, for shelter and for protection. In both the parables, the stories tell of something that grows from a seed. It is not a fast growth. It is a growth that happens in the rhythm of day and night, sun and rain, winter and summer.

That is how we envision the community.  It grows in the rhythm of life. Many years ago the seeds were planted. We were content, and still are content, to just keep to the rhythm and let the community grow slowly. It is enough just to be. We have always likened the way we grow to the old monastic tradition. We would just be around, a presence largely hidden and if someone discovers the community, likes what they see and hear and want to join, they come and, metaphorically, knock at the door.  And keep knocking, and then keep hanging round, maybe after a few months or a year they would decide to join us. We were delighted to welcome Tony and Thomas as novices in the community this year.

Yet, growth isn’t just about growth of the community. It is about our personal growth (and not just growth from eating the abundance of food Casowasco have provided us with!). Growth and maturity are important. How do we grow? How do we mature? It is by developing our own life practice, by finding, and keeping to our rhythm. We have talked a lot this weekend about finding or recognizing rhythm. We became more aware of the rhythms in all the busyness of own daily lives. We have practiced the rhythm of meditation and silence. We have talked about the rhythm of the church’s calendar. We have experienced the rhythm of the daily office, interspersing our day with times of prayer and reflection. We have opened our eyes to see the rhythm reflected in the natural world with the seasons, spring, summer, autumn and winter. We recognized the importance of the rhythm of rest and re-creation.

It is in the finding and keeping to the rhythm of our own life practice that we experience growth. In the parables, ultimately, the result of growth is harvest or fruit. The harvest provides food. It is the harvest that gives us strength and nourishment and it is the harvest that is shared to feed others.

It always happens when we get together, various people share about their lives, and I am amazed how many are in ministries that care for those who are hurting and in need of healing and protection. The sharing of lives in this way is the result of the rhythm of the life practice, it is the abundance of the harvest.

However, harvest is not an end in itself.  It is not a linear process with a start and a finish. It is the cyclical nature of the rhythm of our lives that is important. Remember, the harvest also produces the seed and the circle continues and repeats. It is the rhythm of our lives.

Two blokes and a bird!

Today is Trinity Sunday. It is a day when traditionally the triune nature of God is considered and celebrated. In the Christian tradition the Trinity is a mystery. There is no adequate explanation although many attempts to understand it have been made. They may be helpful, but Trinity still remains a mystery. I am content to let it be so.

All language about God is metaphor. Human language is inadequate to explain fully the mystery of God. By using metaphor we are saying, “God is a bit like this”. God will always remain more than we can ever think or say.

Traditional language has expressed the Trinity as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Years ago, we realised that the patriarchal nature of this was unsatisfactory. Even when one considers the Spirit as feminine, it still leaves an unbalanced Godhead with a male majority. In the catholic tradition the high profile given to Mary, although not as part of the Trinity, does at least bring more feminine balance when considering the mystery of God.

Augustine suggested Lover, Beloved and the Love that is between them as a picture of the Trinity. Although another good attempt at a metaphor to help bring understanding to the Trinity it too has patriarchal overtones. One being a giver (a provider) while the other is the recipient. 

St Patrick used the three-leafed clover or shamrock as a metaphor to try and explain the Trinity. There is a great clip as the “Irish Twins” together with St. Patrick attempt to explain the mystery of the Trinity. Well worth a watch.

In the prayer book of our community, Way of Living, the language used is Father/Mother, Child and Holy Spirit. This too is inadequate. It was a best attempt to try and reflect a more egalitarian view of the trinity. We considered using parent, but decided that Father/Mother was more intimate, more reflecting of relationship.

In these times, family structures and roles are changing. Traditionally Fathers were seen as more distant, providing for the family and protecting the family while mothers were seen as the heart of family, nurturing and caring for the family. That no longer holds true. I know many women who provide for their family and many men who are nurturing and caring. If using a double epitaph, maybe for some families it would be mother/mother or father/father. Worth pondering how the changing nature of family informs our view of Trinity

Sometimes we are so ingrained with the Father/Son/Spirit language that we forget it is metaphor. We forget that the writers of the New Testament were trying to find culturally relevant ways of expressing relationship with God. Many years ago I read a challenge which I want to issue today. I can’t give credit to the author as I can’t remember the source. (I suspect it was somewhere in FIorenza’s writings). It was to call exclusively God “Mother” for at least a three month period. The rationale being that only when one is as comfortable with calling God, Mother as one is with using Father can the fullness of God start to be perceived.

Today’s gospel passage is John, chapter 3. It is a passage that is associated with the Trinity. (Perhaps worth mentioning here that the word Trinity is never used in the New Testament, it is a later theological term which originated mainly in defense of heresies).  John 3 talks about new birth. Giving birth is feminine imagery. So right here, in this text, which mentions all parts of the Godhead is a predominantly Feminine image.

In the story, Nicodemus came to visit Jesus in the night. Nicodemus said that he recognised that Jesus was from God. Jesus told him that he knew this glimpse of the realm of God was only possible because he was “born from above”. There follows a discourse on the dynamics of new birth.

Reading this passage anew I wondered if we have got it all wrong about being “born again”. It has often been talked about as an experience not to be repeated, a one-time event, a start of a religious journey, an entrance into a life which may exclude others who haven’t been “born again”.

As I read the passage I realized that Nicodemus was born again as he recognised something was from God. It wasn’t something he actively sought. He came to Jesus because of what he had seen not because he wanted to receive something. He was drawn through inner revelation.  Maybe, as we journey through life, every time we see something of God reflected we experience this divine feminine process of being born anew. What a wonderful thought. A spark of the divine in every human being which reacts to people, sights and experiences resulting in us being born anew.

This morning, our garden is clothed in mist. The trees are in bloom. The birds are chirping. Everything looks bright and clean. God is reflected there. Perhaps as I marvel at it something in me is born again.

Being born anew is part the mystery of the trinity . . . I am content to let it remain so.

Moments of Joy

This week, in the set of the lectionary readings, one phrase stood out to me.

 “So that they may have my joy made complete in themselves” (John 17:13)

I spent a few hours mulling it over, particularly the word “joy”. I got four definitions from various dictionaries.

1.  Joy – a feeling of great pleasure

2.  Joy – a feeling of great happiness

3. Joy – an emotion in response to a pleasant observation or remembrance thereof.

4. Joy – the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying: Keen pleasure: Elation.

I even checked up the Greek to see if there was any alternate translation for the word Charan. There isn’t really. Charan is a feminine noun which is consistently translated “Joy.” Strong’s concordance reliably tells me that there are 59 occurrences in the New Testament.

So how do we deal with the concept of “joy”.  The prayer of Jesus was that we would have joy complete in us. Joy is a feeling and an emotion. We clearly do not have it all the time. This is even recognized in other parts of the scriptures.  Romans 12:15 instructs the readers to rejoice with those who rejoice and to mourn with those who mourn.

This week has not been joy filled. Our school community has been devastated by some awful events. It has been a week of mourning with those who mourn. Perhaps, comforting to know that on occasion even Jesus wept.

 Jesus prayed this prayer just before his final journey to the cross. Later Jesus reportedly said, “let this cup pass from me.” (Luke 22; Matthew 26)

That doesn’t sound very joyful at all. If we wanted to, we could talk maybe about obedience or even about submission. But we would be hard pressed to say it was a joyful experience.

Before I go to sleep I often read a novel, – a little lightness at the end of very busy days – it takes a while as I usually read one page and zonk out! Last night I read the following passage.  It made me think as I was still pondering joy.  The character in the book was enjoying the scenery at the seaside after her swim. The author describes her mind as “empty of everything save the physical perfection of now.”

The character went on to say, that she had decided  “one of the good things about being 58 was the fact that one took time to appreciate the really marvellous moments that still came one’s way. They weren’t happiness exactly. Years ago happiness had ceased to pounce unawares with the reasonless ecstasy of youth. This was something better” (Rosamunde Pilcher, Voices in Summer)

I pondered, perhaps that is complete joy. An ability to appreciate and take delight in what is around us. Not big exciting events but everyday small scenes and happenings. Maybe it can be found in bird song, a pretty scene, a fragrant flower, a kind word, a generous act or a smile.

So I don’t think “joy completed in us” is that we are always to have joyful, elated or happy feelings as the various definitions explain it to us. To experience the emotion of joy continually, would make us far from human. Maybe it would be impossible to recognize and name joy without the conflicting emotions of sadness and fear. Perhaps when Jesus prayed this it was as a blessing. It was a prayer wanting the very best for his friends.

Maybe, for us, joy is complete in us when we have the ability to recognize the moments of joy in small everyday things in the midst of the busyness, sadness and fears that make us human

"The First Baptized Gay Christian"

One of the stories in the lectionary readings today is the tale of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. As I read the passage it gripped me. Not so much the story and the detail but the opening sentence, actually in the reading not even a full sentence but a phrase. I just kept mulling it over and over.

“the road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza (this is a wilderness road).”

It was on this road, a road linking Jerusalem and Gaza that Philip, a Jew, met a eunuch from Africa. Wow, myriads of thoughts went through my mind. I went to sleep thinking about this phrase and woke up thinking of this phrase.

There is so much contained therein. My thoughts were of unrest, fighting, killing, race, religion and sexuality.  The events in Middle East and Baltimore with the accounts and photos coming from those areas also figured. I will leave you to pause and consider all these different strands as there are too many events and they are too overwhelming to be considered in this one short blog.

In the last blog I wrote I talked of how patriarchy is alive and well. Today, I want to expand that thought. I actually prefer the term coined by Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza in 1992 (But She Said: Feminist Practices of Biblical Interpretation), Kyriarchy.  Patriarchy is just a small part of Kyriarchy.  This word is derived from the Greek , kyrios (Lord) and archo (rule). Fiorenza used it to describe any system of domination and submission. It encompasses racism, sexism, homophobia, economic injustice and any other oppressive system.

It was to kyriarchy my mind went as I read the phrase in today’s reading. There are underlying references to race, sexuality, religion and economic systems. Today, I just want to consider one strand.

The story of the eunuch is an interesting one.  He was from the court of Queen Candace in Ethiopia. We are told he was returning home from Jerusalem where he had been to worship, but we are not told which of the many religions he was part of. Obviously, he had some interest in Judaism, as he was reading but not understanding the Jewish scriptures. The story continues that the “Holy Spirit sent Philip to join him”. I think that is also important to remember. This was a God-ordained meeting.

 Eunuchs were considered outcasts in the law (Deut. 23:1).  Although, it should be noted that attempts at integration, with conditions, were mentioned in the book of Isaiah (56).  The eunuch was reading the book of Isaiah. Sadly, like many other marginalized characters in the bible the eunuch remains unnamed. But, I think, here, in this story, is the seed of something happening which will take centuries to come to fruition. Jack Rogers says,

“Over the years, “ Black theology” has brought profound new insights about race to our understanding of the biblical texts. “Feminist theology” opened our eyes to the prominent role of women in the Bible. “Liberation theology” focused our attention and on the Bible’s liberating gospel for the poor and oppressed. Today, “Queer theology” is illuminating our understanding of the role of sexual minorities in the biblical text. In each case the theological insights of formally marginalize groups have enriched the whole church’s understanding of Scripture … Once we remove heterosexist assumptions from our reading of the biblical text a whole new world of depth and meaning emerges.” (Jesus, The Bible, and Homosexuality, 136)

The story of the eunuch continues with Philip explaining the scriptures, and the eunuch ultimately asking if anything “prevents” him being baptized. Philip saw nothing to prevent him, neither his race, nor his sexuality were a barrier.

John J. McNeill comments, “I like to think of this eunuch as the first baptized gay Christian” (Freedom, Glorious Freedom, 186)

Of course, this Bible story is not just about a person being converted to Christianity. It is about so much more. It is about God-ordained radical inclusiveness, where nothing prevents a person entering into God’s realm.

A final word from Jack Rogers,

The fact that the first Gentile convert to Christianity is from a sexual minority and a different race, ethnicity and nationality together form a clarion call for inclusiveness radical grace and Christian welcome to all. (Jesus, The Bible, and Homosexuality, 135.)