A final thought....

So what did you think?

Was the E100 a good way to learn or review the "Essential" passages of scripture?

Was this blog helpful, not so helpful?  How so?  Be honest!

What passages were a surprise to you?

What should have been included but wasn't?

What was included but you don't think make the top 100?

You can comment below (please include some sort of name), or if you have trouble, email me at:  eleanor(dot)braun(at)gmail(dot)com.

Thanks for reading along with me.  I know there are at a least a few of you, and I'd love to hear from you.

Eleanor

100 - The New Jerusalem

Revelation 21:1 - 22:21

New Jerusalem

"These concluding images [of a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem] depict the heart of Revelation's eschatology and show the hope toward which all the cosmic conflict moves. ...Revelation's ultimate concern is not with the end of the world, but with the end of evil that distorts creation.  The destruction of evil in [the prior reading] marks the end of the first heaven and the first earth, clearing the way for the establishment of God's reign of justice on earth....John's vision of the future is creation affirming, not creation denying; his vision is not of a heavenly city, but of a new city that God sends from heaven to earth.  This vision of a restored and renewed creation is consistent with the eschatological hopes of the Hebrew Scripture."

O'Day and Peterson, Theological Bible Commentary, p 478.

99 - Hallelujah!

Revelation 19:1 - 20:15

The reading starts:

After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,
‘Hallelujah! (emphasis added) 

Well, BEFORE this we have skipped over several chapters in which the sovereignty of God triumphs over all the powers and evils of humankind on earth.  The two chapters immediately preceding recount the defeat of the "Whore of Babylon", representing Rome and all people who have disregarded God's sovereignty.

Whore of Babylon

The seer (John) identifies at least three types of charges:  idolatry and sorcery, violence, and excessive wealth.  The rejoicing in heaven which starts our reading comes from the knowledge that the powers of the earth will succumb to God.

The great climax of the cosmic battle has occurred, and God has triumphed over the evil which distorts the creation God intended for humankind.

Our reading continues with a description of a millennial period during which Christ would reign, leading to the final judgment at which time the dead are "judged according to their works," harking back to an earlier discussion of faith and works.

Do you see this as a literal description of what will happen at the end of the world?  I don't, but I have to admit I don't know.  We cannot know, but I believe those who would try to tie events of history to the visions of this book are using up breath that should be used to teach Jesus' message of justice and compassion.

98 - The Throne of Heaven

Revelation 4:1 - 7:17

What is your image of God?

The God who speaks the universe into existence?

The God who walks in the garden in the evening breeze?

The God who bargains with Abraham over the lives of the people of Sodom?

Or the God of the burning bush?

Or the God who liberates his people from slavery?

Or the God who writes laws on tablets of stone?

Perhaps the God who smacks down the priests of Baal?

Or the God who wants us to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with him?

Or God the tender shepherd who leads us by still waters?

Or God as a mother who cannot forget her child?

Or God as Sophia, Holy Wisdom?

Or God in Jesus, the compassionate one?

Or God in the Holy Spirit, the inspiring one?

Writing, and reading, these descriptions underline how impossible it is to put "God" into human language. God is all of that and so much more.  We have no idea how great is our God.

Now in the beginning of our reading today we see a description that just blows our socks off.

The seer, John, is transported to heaven and sees a throne, with one seated on the throne.  What does the One look like?  "Like jasper and carnelian [gemstones] and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald."  Did you ever imagine God to look like gemstones?

Throne of Heaven

Some of the imagery is drawn from Ezekiel, another vision-laden prophetic book.  It leaves no doubt of God's sovereignty over the universe.

Then we encounter the Lamb.  Quoting Raymond Brown:  "The Lamb, which stands as though slain, is identified as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, who has conquered.  (Clearly here paradoxical symbolism outstrips descriptive logic.)"

Lamb on ceiling at Vatican

The vision is of the Creator and the Redeemer.

Notably in this vision the other inhabitants recognize in Whose presence they are, and engage in continuous songs of praise and worship.

The Lamb now takes the Scroll with the seven seals, and begins to open them.

Scroll with seven seals

The first four seals reveal the famous four horsemen of the Apocalypse:

Four Horsemen:  Conquest, Bloody Strife, Famine, Pestilence

The equine vision is loosely derived from two passages in Zechariah (here and here), but may also represent contemporary issues.

The fifth seal reveals the souls of martyrs, possibly those killed in the persecutions by the Emperor Nero during the 60's.

The sixth seal reveals cosmic disturbances such as earthquakes, storms, lunar eclipses and other events seen as God's judgment on the earth.  We now recognize such events as the natural consequences of an earth with tectonic plates, a usually but not always benign atmosphere, and a satellite revolving around it.  So last week's earthquake and hurricane here on the eastern seaboard were not the sign of the end of the world (I hope).

Before we get to the seventh seal, our seer, John, shares his vision of protection given to 144,000 "servants of God" by being sealed on their foreheads.  And then there was an uncountable multitude standing before the throne and before the Lamb, singing and worshiping God.  

This reading ends with the joy of those who "have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" -- all those in the presence of God:

15 For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and worship him day and night within his temple,
and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
16 They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat;
17 for the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. 

97 - Message to the Churches

Revelation 2:1 - 3:22

In chapter 1 we learned that John was directed to send a book to seven churches:

10I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11saying, ‘Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.’

Seven churches addressed in Revelation

In Paul's letters to churches in Ephesus, Corinth, Philippi and Galatia, we often had to tease out the problem Paul was addressing by the advice he gave the churches.

Here however the message is quite clear and direct:  what they are doing right, what they are doing wrong, what they need to do to win the victory.  The formula is followed precisely. You could put in in a chart.

In fact many folks have constructed a chart.  Here's one here.

You see that at least one church, Laodicea, has nothing worth commending, and two churches, Smyrna and Philadelphia, receive no rebukes.

But also notice along the top row of this chart.  The author has included a correlation to historical times, as though each church's situation is a prophecy, a foretelling, of what is to come in the future.  If you read through the Wikipedia description of the religious interpretations of Revelation, you see that one option is the "futurist" model.  This chart's correlations reflect that point of view.  I notice that the author of the chart finds particular evil at the height of the Roman Catholic church (Papal supremacy of Dark Ages), and particular good in the (Protestant) Great Awakening.  This perhaps represents a particular viewpoint!

Nonetheless the chart, and more to the point the descriptions of the various churches in Asia Minor, give us some language to evaluate the condition of the Christian church in 21st century America.

What do you think the strengths and weaknesses are?  What advice would we receive?

96 - A Voice and a Vision

Revelation 1:1-20

We've read through many of they key passages of the Bible, encountering creation, beginnings, ancestors, slavery, liberation, law, promised land, battles, judges, kings and kingdoms, prophets, psalms and wisdom, exile, return, birth of the Messiah, beatitudes, parables, miracles, arrest and trial, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, Holy Spirit, missionaries, new churches, conflict, and guidance.

Now we come to the last book, the Revelation, or the Apocalypse.  This is where it should all come together, but this book is a maze inside a mystery, all in over-the-top symbolic language.  What are we to make of it?

First a suggestion, true of all of scripture, but especially true for Revelation:  you will get much more out of it if you (1) use an annotated or study bible, and (2) have and use a good commentary.

Two study bibles you might look at:

The Harper Collins Study Bible, and

The New Oxford Annotated Bible

These books have good introductions to each book, setting them in context, giving a brief overview of what is known about the authors, the circumstances of the writing, and how they relate to the rest of the bible.  The notes, or annotations, are invaluable in interpreting the particular language used, drawing attention to meaning and sources of references in the text.  For example, Revelation is chock full of Old Testament references which might be missed without the annotations.

Commentaries I find useful include*:

The Oxford Bible Commentary

Theological Bible Commentary, O'Day & Petersen

An Introduction to the New Testament, Raymond Brown

And if you are excited by this study and have not done so, please consider signing up for Education for Ministry, where you can study scripture in a group, using materials developed by the University of the South at Sewanee.

Now back to our regularly scheduled comments.

What are we to make of Revelation?

We get a clue to the difficulty we have in understanding this book by looking at its other name:  "Apocalypse," which means revelation.  Apocalyptic literature is a special genre that is characterized by visions mediated by a heavenly being.  The visions often are interpreted to refer to current events and circumstances, but with a cosmic, decisive judgement at the end.  We are somewhat more accustomed to prophetic literature, in which the prophet (e.g., Amos or Micah or Isaiah) interprets the current situation as being against God's will or leading to some outcome, but such literature lacks the overarching cosmic view.

In Revelation we will see what John was shown (note how often words related to "see" show up in these passages).  The overarching theme is God's sovereignty, God's victory in Christ over the evil in the world, and the coming of a "New Jerusalem".

At the beginning of Revelation we are introduced to John who will relate what he was shown by Jesus Christ, mediated by an angel.

This John probably is not the same as the author of the Gospel of John, according to scholars.  His language and in some cases his emphasis is different, although he may have come from the Johannine community.  Rather the author is often referred to as John of Patmos, based on his location on an island in the Aegean sea, just off present day Turkey.

In the first chapter we are introduced to the first vision John has of Jesus, and to the first subject of the book, the letters to the seven churches.

12 Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and in the midst of the lampstands I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest. 14His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, 15his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining with full force.

Jesus with seven lampstands, seven stars

All I can say is, you ain't seen nothin' yet!

*If you don't have a commentary, you might be interested in these on-line introductions to Revelation:

Understanding the Book of Revelation (PBS)

Wikipedia:  Book of Revelation  You may especially be interested in the section on Interpretation, and the various "Religious Views" discussed.

95 - Love One Another

1 John 3:11-4:21


This reading speaks for itself:

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

94 - Faith and Works

James 1:1 - 2:26

So Paul says we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ.

James says faith without works are dead.

Which is right?  Or are they both?

Reading the Epistles sometimes makes my head spin.  I have a hard time counting the angles dancing on the head of pin.

At times like this I like to go back to the Gospels.

I find that Jesus often equates faith with healing.   When Jesus heals Bartimeaus, he says:  "Go, your faith has made you well."

Likewise, the hemorrhagic woman who touched Jesus' cloak, is healed as Jesus says: "Take heart woman, your faith has made you well."

Faith, or better, trust, in Jesus, his life, death and resurrection, makes us whole.

But living as Christians is the next step.

Immediately after Bartimeaus regained his sight, we are told that he followed Jesus on the way.

What is the way?

Jesus tells us the way:

When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ He said to him, ‘ “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’  Matthew 22:34-40

And the Gospels are littered with specific directions and examples - the good Samaritan, the final judgment in Matthew 25, the instruction to the rich young man to sell all he has and give to the poor.  "The Way" is a way of action, of works.  It is a way of being "doers of the word, and not merely hearers..."

For us, as Tracey said in her sermon last Sunday, we are to find our vocation -- the place where our great passion (and abilities) meet the world's great needs.  If we are lucky it's in our paid vocation, as a teacher, a nurse, even as a lawyer or politician or engineer.  Or it's in our volunteer life, as a Red Cross volunteer, a tutor, or a sponsor of a school child in Haiti.

James letter also points us to where our concern should be - with the poor.

Have you found your vocation?

93 - A Living Hope

1 Peter 1:1 - 2:12

Asia Minor

Unlike Paul's letters which were usually written to a specific church dealing with specific problems, this letter attributed to Peter is addressed to "the exiles in Dispersion" in five parts of Asia Minor.  It appears the primary problem was the sense of being exiled from their community -- they were very much a minority,  holding to a foreign religion in the Greco-Roman culture, and therefore very suspect by their neighbors.

So part of the purpose of the letter is to help the Christians there build their sense of uniqueness, to help them understand the hope that is in them, and to give advice on how to interact with those around them.

Interestingly, as the author calls on the primarily Gentile church members to live holy lives he uses Hebrew scripture references:

Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." (1Peter 1:15-16)

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. (Lev 19:1)

And then the author points to the basics of Christian ethics:

Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. (1Peter 1:22)

Frequently in these epistles we see the young churches being encouraged to stay true to the faith in a time of persecution.  But often what we face is not so much persecution as temptation to follow the culture of acquisitiveness and (supposed) power.  I wonder if the same guidelines help us withstand temptation as much as persecution?

92 - A New Creation in Christ

2 Corinthians 4:1 - 6:2

In a somewhat disjointed letter to the church in Corinth, Paul talks about the transforming nature of faith in Christ, and of the suffering he has undergone while being an apostle of the gospel.

He likens himself to fragile clay jars, entrusted with the treasure of the light of Christ.  He looks forward to the day when he sheds his tent (mixed metaphor alert!) and goes to the eternal house in heaven.

Some of Paul's memorable rhetoric is found in this passage:

So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight.

and

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.

How do you exercise the ministry of reconciliation?

91 - The Most Excellent Way

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

This most beautiful description of love is often read as one of the scripture lessons in weddings in church.  What could be a better way to define the relationship between two people who pledge to live their lives together?

But a couple of things should be noted about this reading before filing it under "romantic, emotional" love.

The word for love used in this passage is agape.  This is the word used by Jesus when the Pharisees challenged him to name the greatest law, and he answered:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

Likewise in John, as Jesus is giving final instructions to his disciples, he commands them:

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Jesus is talking about unconditional, self-sacrificial love, asking that his disciples love each other and the world as God loves us.

Love from Theological Virtues by Raphael

It's also important to know the context of Paul singing the praises of agape love.  As is the case in most of his letters, Paul is writing to the church at Corinth to help them deal with issues they are facing.  Just before this passage Paul talks about how many people with many different gifts make up the Body of Christ.  These gifts include "utterance of wisdom" and "utterance of knowledge" and faith and healing and prophecy, and the gift of tongues and the interpretation of tongues.  And he reminds us we all need each other.

As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’, nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’

And

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

The "still more excellent way" he shows us is that we should love one another, over and above any other gifts we have been given.

This is the way of following Christ. 

90 - The Coming of the Lord

1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11

First Thessalonians is believed to be the earliest extant letter written by Paul, and indeed the first writing of the New Testament.  The letter shows the great affection Paul has for the people of Thessalonica, and his appreciation for their loyalty to the gospel in spite of persecution.  He encourages them to follow the precepts of holiness in behavior towards family and community.

In our reading today he reassures the church that believers who have died will also be taken up at the parousia - the return of the Lord.  The expectation is that the second coming will be within the lifetime of the readers 

¹⁷Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord for ever.

Because of this, Christians should be watchful, and should be prepared.

Jesus' Second Coming

In the next letter, Second Thessalonians, Paul corrects the impression that the parousia is imminent, insisting instead that a series of historical events must take place first.

Two thousand years later and what are we to think?  We still have people proclaiming the end is near (anyone remember Harold Camping?).  Are we to live with our bags packed, thinking only of our own and our family's ride to heaven?  Is that what Christianity is about? Or are we to live out the gospel on earth, feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, and visiting the prisoners, as Jesus commanded in his only teaching on the Judgment?

89 - All Scripture is God Breathed

2 Timothy 3:10 - 4:6

Today's reading, indeed all of 2 Timothy, reads as a last testament of Paul to a favored companion and follower.  It gives reassurance, warns of dangers, and commends fidelity to true teaching.

The verse that is frequently pointed to in this passage as the "money quote" is:

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

Of course at this time "scripture" would mean the Hebrew Scripture - the Old Testament.  Later church teaching would extend it to the New Testament, which did not come into existence for another 200 years.

Does this passage mean that every word of all scripture is dictated by God - that the Bible constitutes the "words of God?"

My understanding is that scripture is a collection of writings, with numerous human authors, editors and translators contributing to finished product.  Within the texts are differing accounts of the same events (creation, the Flood, the Nativity to name a few).

Holy Bible

But the imperfect human construction of scripture does not mean that it is not "true" in the broad sense. Its stories, histories, songs, poems and wisdom presents a picture of the interaction between a loving God and the people of God, as they learned more and more about their God and built a relationship with God.

The Bible is central to our understanding of ourselves and our relationship with each other and with God.  We read three or four passages from it every Sunday.  People being ordained and members of vestry affirm that they believe that everything necessary to salvation is found in the old and new testament.  They do not say that believing every word of the bible is necessary for salvation. We worship God, not a book.

How do you look at the Bible?

88 - Good Soldiers of Christ

2 Timothy 2:1-26

Have you ever been to the ordination of a deacon or priest?  They are wonderful, magnificent services.   Those who have responded to God's call go through the "Process" of discernment, education, formation, and scrutiny. Finally the date is set, the music selected, and the friends and family invited. They kneel and promise to follow the doctrine of the church and obey their bishop.  The bishop lays hands upon them and invokes the Holy Spirit.

In the sermon, the preacher often gives a "charge" to the ordinand -- a special instruction on how to be a good priest, a word of encouragement, or a glimpse into the life to which they have committed themselves.

This portion of 2 Timothy reads very much like a charge:

• Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus;
• Teach what you have learned of Jesus;
• Share in the suffering;
• Follow the rules of the church;
• Preach the gospel;
• Keep your eye on matters of importance.

Likewise when we as lay people are baptized or attend a baptism, we are charged and promise to:

• Continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in prayers, and in breaking of bread;
• Persevere in resisting evil, and to repent and return to Lord when we falter;
• Proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ;
• Seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves;
• Strive for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of all people.

Icon of St Paul

How do you live out your charge?

87 - The Love of Money

1 Timothy 6:3-21

Jesus has made this point repeatedly.

Just two examples:  in Matthew, the rich young man who is following all the law, and Jesus tells him to sell all that he had and give the money to the poor, and then to follow Jesus.  When the young man heard this, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

In Luke, Jesus tells the parable of the rich man whose farm produced many crops, so that he had to build extra storage for them.  And with all those goods stored up, he could "relax, eat, drink and be merry."  But God said to him "You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you.  All the things you have prepared, whose will they be?"  So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.

The author of 1 Timothy puts an even finer point:  "The love of money is the root of all evil."

Does this mean having a 401(k) to support one's retirement is wrong?

I don't think that's what is being said here.  Rather this goes to the sin that kept getting the Hebrew people into trouble with God -- having false idols, believing that acquiring more and more money or stuff is the most rewarding activity, forgetting their creator and liberator.

I recently read what Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks said about the relationship between charity and justice in Jewish thought:

"The word tzedakah is untranslatable because it joins together two concepts that in other languages are opposites, namely charity and justice.  Suppose for example that I give someone $100.  Either he is entitled to it, or he is not.  If he is, then my act is a form of justice.  If he is not, it is an act of charity.  In English a gesture of charity cannot be an act of justice, nor can an act of justice be described as charity.  Tzedakah means both.

It arises from Judaism's theological insistence on the difference between possession and ownership.  Ultimately, all things are owned by God, creator of the world.  What we possess, we do not own -- we merely hold it in trust for God.  .... In Judaism, because we are not owners of our property but guardians on God's behalf, we are bound by the conditions of trusteeship, one of which is that we share part of what we have with others in need.  What would be regarded as charity in other legal systems is, in Judaism, a strict requirement of the law and can...be enforced."*

What impact would it have on your view of money if you treated it as God's money, for which you only have temporary trusteeship?

*Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, To Heal a Fractured World - The Ethics of Responsibility, p 32.

86 - Elders and Deacons

1 Timothy 3:1-16

First and Second Timothy and Titus are together called the "Pastoral Epistles," as they have more to do with how the Christians should live rather than what they should believe.

Scholars generally believe that these three books were written after Paul's death, and quite probably not to the Timothy who traveled with Paul.  Rather they are directions coming from the Pauline community addressing some specific issues and problems faced in Ephasus.

It can be difficult to read 1 Timothy in the 21st century:  in the 2nd chapter, immediately before our reading today, instruction is given concerning women:  "Let a woman learn in silence with full submission.  I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent."  I would love to hear our Presiding Bishop preach on those lines!

Our reading today starts by quoting a saying "whoever aspires to the office of bishop [or overseer] desires a noble task."  Considering what we expect bishops to do, I would wonder about anybody who did aspire to be a bishop!

The sturdy advice for the nature of bishops and deacons makes me wonder if they were not getting very good quality church leaders, particularly with two references to imbibing alcohol.

Our church's current process for choosing those to be ordained as deacons, priests and bishops is very long and tedious, but judging by those we have had serving us at Holy Comforter and the Diocese of Virginia, we are ensured that they bring true faith and a loving heart.  We have been very blessed.

Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church

85 - The Supremacy of Christ

Colossians 1:1-23

Commentators tell us that the author of the letter to the Colossians was probably not Paul, based on both literary and theological differences.  Nevertheless this letter clearly comes out of the Pauline tradition and provides further insight into the thought and experiences of the early church.

The heart of the letter is the "Christ hymn" of 1:15-20, which remind us that Christ was part of creation: "he is the image of the invisible God the firstborn of all creation."  In a somewhat bold during the height of the Roman empire, "in him all things in heaven and earth were created, ... whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers..."

He is the firstborn from the dead - the first resurrected - and he is the head of the church.  "In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell..."  He was God incarnate.

This hymn helps remind us when we get lost in the swirls of competing demands not only in our church life but in life in general what, and Who, is most important.

Colossae

84 - Rejoice in the Lord

Philippians 4:2-9

Paul writes to his beloved church in Philippi, where Lydia was the first convert.  The letter shows his affection, his happy memories, his sense of their being fellow workers with him in sharing the gospel.

He exhorts them to unity and humility, following the example of Christ.  He quotes what was apparently a hymn, celebrating Christ's life, death and resurrection.

At the closing, in our reading today, he seeks the resolution of a conflict between two of his fellow workers in the gospel - Euodia and Syntyche - he wants them to be of the "same mind in the Lord."

Conflict in church?  At this early date?  Who would believe such?

The reality is we have always had conflict in the church.  Circumcised or not-circumcised?  Scripture or tradition? Rome or Reformation?  African Americans as members? Women in the pulpit or no?  Incense or no incense?  Gays & lesbians as bishops?

We have to work these conflicts out.  Whether or not Jesus intended to form a new church, that's what we have and we have to sort out our conflicts or continue to splinter the church in new ways.  How can we put the pieces back together?

83 - The Armor of God

Ephesians 6:10-20

I have to admit, I have little trouble with this passage.

There is the militaristic language of armor, breastplate, shield, sword, contrary to other scripture passages such as "nations shall beat their swords into plowshares," or "turn the other cheek."

And then there is a hint that we are invoking God to be on our side.  I prefer the words attributed to Abraham Lincoln:  "We trust that God is on our side.  It is more important to know that we are on God's side."

But if we take away the military language, what is it that we are advised to cling to?  Truth...righteousness...gospel of peace...faith...salvation.  Those are truly at the core of what makes us Christian.

The author of the letter to the Ephesians (who may not have been Paul) is giving encouragement to the young church in Ephesus in their new life in Christ.  Language we hear in baptismal services comes from this letter:

4:…. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

The strength the Ephesians drew from this letter we can also, if we "pray in the Spirit at all times" for the strength to follow Jesus, and become peacemakers and reconcilers in the world.

There is another way to surround yourself with God's protection.  In the Celtic tradition, there is what is called a Caim prayer.  Here is a description and a brief example from Celtic Daily Prayer - Prayers and Readings from the Northumbria Community:

Draw a circle clockwise around yourself, using the right index finger as you say the prayer; this symbolizes the encircling love of God.  (The situation may make this physical action impractical; in which case see the action in your mind’s eye as you pray.)  See yourself and others encircled and be aware that the living God surrounds and encloses with His love, care and protection.

Circle me (or another being prayed for), Lord.

Keep comfort near

and discouragement afar.

Keep peace within

and turmoil out.

Circle me, Lord

Keep protection near

and danger afar.

Circle me, Lord

Keep home within,

keep despair without.

Circle me, Lord

Keep light near

and darkness afar.

Circle me, Lord

Keep peace within

and anxiety without.

The eternal Father, Son and Holy Spirit

shield me on every side.

Amen.

82 - The Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:16 - 6:10

Paul is just a little upset by what he has heard is going on in the churches in Galatia which he had founded and nurtured.  And it shows in his writing.

He had told them that the Good News of Jesus was available to all, including those who were not circumcised.  After the churches were established other preachers came who preached that circumcision was necessary for all believers in Jesus.  You can see how upset Paul is if you just go back a few verses before today's reading.

So in the letter to the Galatians Paul reiterates what he also said to the Romans:  we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ, not by doing works of the law.

Immediately before today's reading Paul tells his readers what freedom from the law by living in Christ means:

 13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. 14 For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 15 If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

So if you live by this single commandment to love one another, then you do not live by "the flesh" but by the Spirit, and the fruits of the Spirit flow from that way of living.

Have you experienced the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that Paul promises?  Not all the time, but sometimes?  Does Paul's message ring true?

81 - More Than Conquerors

Romans 8:1-39

The letter Paul wrote to the Christian community in Rome in 58AD is his fullest explication of his theology, particularly relating to God's righteousness, and justification by faith in/of Jesus Christ.

This eighth chapter is part of the sometimes dense Pauline theology, and it has great words of encouragement for those who live in Christ.  The first four verses may be as good a summary of his theology as you can find:

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

For those of us who sometimes don't know how to pray or what to pray for:  

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

And finally, the great reassurance of God's love: 

31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 33 Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written,
         "For your sake we are being killed all day long;
          we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered."
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Spirit of God in us

80 - The Trip to Rome

Acts 25:1 - 28:31

In the last chapters of Acts Paul is dragged before the Roman governor and accused of being an "agitator among all the Jews" and a "ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes."

The governor, Felix, can't see any reason to do anything to Paul other than leave him in confinement (leaving open the possibility of a bribe to release him).

Our reading starts when the new governor, Porcius Festus, takes office.  He wants to resolve the issue of Paul quickly.  After hearing the case against Paul he decides to grant Paul's request to be tried as a Roman citizen.  Before going to Rome, he has another hearing before King Agrippa.  The parallels in these hearings and trials to the trials of Jesus are striking -- the Roman authorities are not inclined to punish Paul for accusations, based on false evidence, brought by the Jewish leaders.

Paul before King Agrippa

Paul's transfer to Rome is an adventure, as his ship is run aground off Malta.  The natives provide hospitality, and are stunned when Paul survives the bite of a poisonous viper.  Paul heals the father of a leading citizen of Malta, and other citizens.  Finally their ship is re-provisioned and they depart for Rome.

He was restricted but not confined, and used his time to preach to the Jews - some of whom he convinced and some not.  We are not told of his trial and death -- we just know that he preached boldly about the Kingdom of God and about the Lord Jesus Christ.  Thanks be to God.

79 - More Missionary Journeys

Acts 16:1-20:38

Paul is racking up the frequent preacher miles.

He gets to a number of places and starts churches that he will later send letters to:  Ephesus, Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth are among his stops.

These five chapters have too much action to summarize, but a few of the highlights for me:

• Paul crosses over to Macedonia, present day Greece.  This is the first missionary trip to Europe, paving the way for the rise of European Christianity.
• The first evangelism in Europe was at Philippi, and it was there that Paul met with a group of women at their place of prayer.  The first European convert was a woman named Lydia, a business woman who dealt in purple.  Given the few mentions of women by name in scripture, it is significant that a woman has that role.  She goes on to demonstrate generous hospitality to Paul twice.
• Likewise Priscilla and Aquila, wife and husband, are key partners of Paul.  He takes the pair with him to Ephesus and leaves them there to be in charge of the church.  
• One of my favorite lines in the New Testament:  when in Thessalonica, after Paul had been preaching about Jesus being raised from the dead, his opponents attacked the house where Paul was staying and dragged several Christians before the authorities.  The charge?  "These people...have been turning the world upside down..."  What a great accusation!  If only we all could be charged with turning the world upside down!
• Paul's great speech to the philosophers in Athens.  Paul tailors his argument to them in terms they can understand, and maybe it speaks to those of us in the post-Enlightenment West as well:

Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, "Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. ²³ For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, 'To an unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. ²⁴ The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, ²⁵ nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. ²⁶ From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, ²⁷ so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him-- though indeed he is not far from each one of us. ²⁸ For 'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we too are his offspring.'

Paul preaching in Athens

What struck you most about this reading? 

78 - The Council at Jerusalem

Acts 15:1-41

Some folks had come from Judea, the Jewish-Christian area, and were teaching that converts to the way of Jesus had to be circumcised, as required in the laws of Moses.

This is not what Paul had been teaching.

The conflict had to go to the head office in Jerusalem.

In the council meeting, Peter, who has had his own experience with converting Gentiles, testifies that the Holy Spirit goes both to Gentiles and to the Hebrew people, and that "we believe that we will be saved by grace of the Lord Jesus..."

Paul also tells of his experiences among the Gentiles.  Here in Acts we don't read what he said.  But when Paul gives his own account of in the letter to the Galatians, we learn that he had the Greek (Gentile) Titus with him, who had not been required to be circumcised.

It is hard to tell a Christian who is standing right in front of you that they aren't good enough.

Finally, James, the brother of our Lord, who is calling the shots at the Jerusalem meeting, quotes scripture in which God indicates that including Gentiles has been part of his plan all along.  James concludes that if Gentiles will follow some basic rules regarding food that has been sacrificed to idols, that they would have the hand of fellowship extended to them.

Thus the path is chosen.  The community of the followers of Jesus will not be a sub-set of Judaism; rather it will be open to all people, to the ends of the earth.

Council of Jerusalem

77 - The First Missionary Journey

Acts 13:1 - 14:28

Paul and Barnabas, along with John Mark, now take off on the first missionary trip.

What do we learn from their travels?

The are bold and courageous.  They go anywhere, take whatever dangers there are - being thrown out of a city, being stoned by opponents.  They just keep on going.

They preach about Jesus in the same way Peter had preached -- there is not a different message.

And they meet people where they are.  To the Jews in the synagogue, they show how Jesus follows on from the line of David, but differed from David because God raised him up.  To the Gentiles they echoed the language that God would make them a light to the world.

Besides preaching they pronounced the healing of the crippled man in Lystra, and spoke to the Greek crowd of the living God, greater than Zeus and Hermes whom they worshiped.

And they helped give structure to the church, appointing elders or presbyters.

Stoning of Paul and Barnabas at Lystra

What an incredible turnaround Paul has made!

76 - The Road to Damascus

Acts 9:1-31

In the last two readings we have seen the Good News being heard and accepted by a foreigner (the Ethiopian), and by Cornelius, a Roman soldier.

Now we have perhaps the most significant conversion in history - that of a zealous Jew who spared nothing to persecute the followers of the Way. He had just received a warrant to arrest any followers of Jesus to bring them to Jerusalem.

Paul was clearly a man of violence - he was "still breathing threats and murder" against the Christians; he was going to bring people bound to Jerusalem.  He tells this story himself later on in Acts 22, emphasizing that this was full blown physical persecution.

When Jesus speaks to Saul, he says he himself as the one being persecuted, identifying with his followers, just as he identified with the hungry and thirsty and sick in Matthew 25.

The action on the road to Damascus is between Jesus and Saul/Paul.  But it still takes the community of believers in Damascus, represented by the somewhat reluctant Ananias, to complete the transformation of Paul into a believer and ultimately the great evangelist.

Fresco by Michelangelo - Conversion of Saul

How did you come to a mature understanding of your faith?  For me the community of those who believe and live out the Gospel message are critical.

75 - Good News for All

Acts 10:1 - 11:18

Did Jesus just come for the Jews?  He seemed to say so, in Matthew.  But here's the risk of proof-texting:  just a few verses later he pronounces a Canaanite - a Gentile - woman's daughter healed because of her faith.

Now Peter is in Joppa, near the gentile community of Caesarea Maritima.  Cornelius, a centurion of the Roman cohort, a Gentile but a believer in the God of Israel, had a vision, a message from God, commanding him to summon Simon Peter.

Peter, in Joppa, sees his own vision of animals being lowered on a sheet.

¹³Then he heard a voice saying, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ ¹⁴But Peter said, ‘By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean.’ ¹⁵The voice said to him again, a second time, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’¹⁶This happened three times, and the thing was suddenly taken up to heaven.

 A vision, a message repeated three times...this is from God, no doubt about it.

The narrative continues in great detail, with words of praise for Cornelius, much hospitality offered and received.

Peter returns to Caesarea to Cornelius' house, preaches that the good news of Jesus is available to all in every nation who fear him and do what is right.  

The Holy Spirit came upon all who heard the word, and Peter baptized all.

He then proceeds to Jerusalem and relates the events to the Council.  Peter concludes, and the Council agrees that they should not try to hinder God, who is clearly doing a new thing.  

Peter's trance

How often has God awoken us with a new way of being church?

74 - Sharing the Word

Acts 8:26-40

Philip is the second named deacon chosen at the beginning of Acts 6, after Stephen.

He meets an Ethiopian eunuch.  "Ethiopian" could mean any dark skinned person from south of Egypt -- this man could have been from the Sudan or anywhere at the "ends of the earth."  As a eunuch he could not be a Jew, but he was so taken with the Hebrew scripture and beliefs that he had been up to Jerusalem to worship, and was reading Isaiah.

Philip follows Jesus example and direction at the end of Luke, explaining how Jesus life and death fulfilled scripture, and that this message was to be "proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem."

Philip's tool for preaching about Jesus Christ is the passage from Isaiah about the suffering servant, about which we read earlier.

Although the eunuch would not qualify for the Jewish assembly, Philip has no hesitation in agreeing to baptize him when they come to some water.  The way of Jesus is not just for the Jewish people ... it is for all nations.

Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch

Would you have been able to tell the Ethiopian about the good news?

73 - The First Martyr

Acts 6:8 - 8:8

In the opening of Acts 6, conflict between the Hellenist and the Hebrew Christians over the care of widows leads to the appointment of seven what we would today call deacons, focused on serving the poor.  Stephen, "a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit," along with 6 others were chosen and had hands laid on them ("ordained").  So the first reported conflict in the church was dealt with in a sensible way.

Now in our reading today some Jewish diaspora groups (the Freedmen - former slaves, others from Africa and Asia) started stirring up trouble against Stephen, suborning perjury from some.  So he was hauled before the Council.

Stephen's speech before the Council rehearses salvation history.  Filled with the same boldness which empowered Peter, he challenges the temple leaders by suggesting that the temple is not the only place to worship God, and accusing them of conspiring to murder Jesus, "the Righteous One."

Stephen clearly had not taken a course in how to win friends and influence people.

His accusations are not well received, leading to his stoning to death.  In the crowd is Saul, of whom we will hear much more later.

Stephen being stoned

Stephen's martyrdom is celebrated on December 26.

72 - Growth and Persecution

Acts 3:1 - 4:37

Energized by Pentecost and the early response to their message of repentance and baptism, the apostle continue by healing and preaching, as Jesus did.

First Peter heals a crippled beggar "in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth."

Peter follows with another sermon, invoking Jesus power, and also linking Jesus to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and also to the suffering servant in Isaiah.  Peter repeats his Pentecost message, exhorting the people to repent - to turn, or change one's mind - and turn to God.

As the new Christians will frequently do, Peter and John have upset the authorities, in this case the Sadducees, who did not believe in resurrection of the dead.  They are hauled before the Council, and asked by what authority they preach and teach.

"By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom you crucified," says Peter.

Not two months earlier Peter had been denying that he even knew Jesus, much less that he was a follower.  Now he boldly proclaims that Jesus has given the power to heal, that he is the Messiah for whom the people of Israel have been waiting.

Peter and John before the Council

What if all Christians were able to speak this boldly about Jesus?

71 - Day of Pentecost

Acts 2:1-47

I LOVE Pentecost!

Next to the the Christmas Eve and the Easter Vigil, it is my favorite service of the year.

At the Church of the Holy Comforter it is our celebration of the Holy Spirit for whom we are named.  

The dove kite flies, usually the bishop is present to pray that the Holy Spirit will strengthen and defend the young (and not so young) people being confirmed in the church.

We have incense and great music, we share in the Eucharist, and we have a marvelous reception afterwards.

It is a great celebration!

But of course we are not just celebrating the origins of our little patch of Christianity in Vienna, VA, but in fact the beginning of the Church -- how the followers of the way of Jesus picked themselves up after he was gone and did as he instructed them, to be his witnesses "to the ends of the earth."

The ends of the earth seem to be present in Jerusalem that day, and they understood the message being spoken in their native tongue -- an interesting counterpoint to the Tower of Babel, when God caused the confusion in human languages.  

Peter then addresses the crowd, linking Jesus life, teachings, death, and resurrection with prophecies from Joel, and from Psalm 16.  He presents a basic "Christology" making it clear that Jesus' teachings come from God, summarizing in v 36:  "Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified."

What does it take to follow this Jesus, this Lord?

Peter spells it out very succinctly:

• Repent
• Be baptized 
• in the name of Jesus Christ
• Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit

Then, it is reported they and the 3000 who were added devoted themselves to "the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers".  If this sounds familiar, please check out the baptismal covenant on page 304 of the Book of Common Prayer, right after the Apostles' Creed.

Day of Pentecost - Holy Comforter painting

What would it have been like to be part of that community?