Dear friends:During the last week of Jesus' earthly life, which is generally called the Passion Week [from Palm Sunday to Holy Saturday], having gone to Jerusalem to celebrate the traditional Jewish festival of Unleavened Bread and the Passover Meal; from Palm Sunday to the day before Holy Thursday [four days], Jesus preached in the Temple precincts, as recorded particularly in the Gospel of Luke 21:37-38:"Every day he was teaching in the temple, and at night he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives, as it was called. And all the people would get up early in the morning to listen to him in the temple.
"These narratives of Jesus' last days in Jerusalem comprise some lengthy sections in the synoptic gospels: Matthew 21-25, Mark 11-13, and Luke 19:28-21:38.It was during the Wednesday of that Passion Week, that Jesus had numerous discourses and conversations with "all the people" who came to hear him speak in the temple precincts -- particularly a very important discussion which occurred between a scribe of the Pharisees [who was also a lawyer] and Jesus. The topic of this discussion is known as The Great Commandmant: it is recorded in Matthew 22:34-40, Mark 12:28-34, and Luke 10:25-28.
Let us review this event:Matthew 22:34-40 ...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 neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."Mark 12:28-34 ...One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him: "Which commandment is the first of all?" Jesus answered: "This is the first: 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one: you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these. Then the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that 'he is one, and besides him there is no other'; and 'and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,' and 'to love one's neighbor as oneself,' -- this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."
After that no one dared to ask him any question.Luke 10:25-28 ...Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live."These are several versions of this Pharisee lawyer / Jesus dialogue, and the synoptic gospel writers take different perspectives on it. However, immensely important is that all three of these evangelists sandwich this Great Commandment dialogue -- between the previous dialogue that Jesus had with the Sadducees about the RESURRECTION [and the Sadducees did not believe in eternal life, being the hereditary elite priestly class that interacted between the Roman rulers and the lower Jewish classes] -- and the subsequent dialogue that Jesus initiates about the MESSIAH as DAVID'S SON.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Today hasn't been my lucky day
Today hasn't been my lucky day. I took my laptop with me to Starbucks in the Safeway to learn how to change the wi-fi settings.
I spent some time in learning mode, and finely managed to figure it out. Feeling proud of myself I turned off the computer and got a shopping cart to began my rounds of shopping.
Remembering that it was important to keep my eyes on the cart with my cell phone and computer on board I was diligent in that effort until I got to the wine shelves. I parked my cart and turned my back on the cart for less than a few seconds, when I turned around my laptop and cell phone were gone.
I looked around and went to the manager where I got less than a cordial answer when I explained my problem. I reported my loss to the Phoenix Police and the young lady officer said to be sure and call Safeway's corporate office and let them know how you were treated.
The managers lack of concern was almost as hurt full as the loss of my computer and cell phone.
I spent some time in learning mode, and finely managed to figure it out. Feeling proud of myself I turned off the computer and got a shopping cart to began my rounds of shopping.
Remembering that it was important to keep my eyes on the cart with my cell phone and computer on board I was diligent in that effort until I got to the wine shelves. I parked my cart and turned my back on the cart for less than a few seconds, when I turned around my laptop and cell phone were gone.
I looked around and went to the manager where I got less than a cordial answer when I explained my problem. I reported my loss to the Phoenix Police and the young lady officer said to be sure and call Safeway's corporate office and let them know how you were treated.
The managers lack of concern was almost as hurt full as the loss of my computer and cell phone.
Friday, September 5, 2008
True Conservatives and how they believe
I haven't posted to my Blog for some time because I was completely upset by the out come of the Lambeth Conference.
I do Spiritual Direction and met with one of my directies last Wednesday. We talked about his experience this summer with one of Arizona's premier Anglo Catholic parishes. Chuck attends on a regular basis a more middle of the road Parrish. I'm big on Justice and being inclusive so the discussion got around to that subject before our time was up. I was quite surprised when he related the following post form the Saint Mary's Parrish newsletter.
I hastened to look it up on the web and was impressed with Fr. Bill's take on Conservatism. I sent out an e asking for permission to post it here and he said yes ... so here it is.
The Angelus September 2008 Volume 52 No.11
The Angelus is the News Letter published monthly by the Episcopal Parish of Saint Mary’s Phoenix, Arizona.
Following all the posturing of the prelates throughout the world before, during and after the Lambeth Conference this summer, it seemed timely and wise to declare again, and perhaps even more directly, the vision of this beloved parish for the People of God, all the People of God. Without exception or exclusion.
We are thought of, and rightly, as a conservative parish. This is due to the fact that we hold the faith entire and full without dissembling our presentation or diluting our catholic and apostolic witness. But a reputation for conservative values in faith and worship is increasingly assumed to mean a narrow and mean-spirited attitude. This travesty is due to the shenanigans (personally I would say “sins”—but I aim for a semblance of charity) of cold hearted, judgmental, and yes, Pharisaical Episcopalians, largely in Africa and Asia, with a smattering of snide Americans. This unhappy, and possibly unholy, group has hijacked the excellent name and glorious reputation of true conservatism, which seeks only to conserve the best and finest of the ages past, that faith “once delivered to the saints.” And to do this in stumbling but dogged fidelity to the words of Christ and the example he set before us.
“Come unto me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden.” All ye, we, the true conservatives, recall that he said. “Judge not, lest ye be judged.” Judge not, period, we, the true conservatives recall that he said. “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone” is an admonition only real, genuine, actual conservatives try to live by.
True conservatives, like so many of us here, champion without compromise the full inclusion and equal incorporation of all people in Episcopal parish life and worship—all people. We do this as best we can, because we, so conservative in our catholic, apostolic and Biblical faith, discern this to be the will and requirement of Jesus—to accept, to serve, to love, to include, to respect, to embrace all people, and rejoice with them and because of them. And to do this without regard to color or ethnic richness, or varied national origin, or marvelously differing sex, gender, and sexual orientations.
We do this without drawing distinctions between that person who maintains a careful, caring commitment to another person, and that other person who may not, or no longer, have such a bond. We always refuse to marginalize people who have issues of physical challenge, or mental or emotional or developmental characteristics that differ. We will never patronize anyone because of far different intellectual achievements or abilities, or varying language abilities or personal histories. All of this because we know it is what Jesus would do, so clearly did do, as those of us who actually read the Bible, rather than wave it, know full well.
Toleration, inclusion, acceptance of all, without distinction, is far too important a Christian virtue to allow anyone to confuse it with indifference or to allow any to dismiss it as moral relativity or laxity. Indeed, it is more than a crucial Christian virtue, it is a commandment of Christ himself: “Love one another as I have loved you. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” All are redeemed by Christ and so all, all, all are welcome at his Table. Some, as Christ noted, who regard themselves as first will be last, and some who assume they will be the most welcome at his table, will discover in sorrow and shame that they are not seated at all, but thrust out, as they tried to do to others, while those deemed unacceptable by the self-righteous, will come streaming in from “north and south and east and west” the least of his children crowding around the happy banquet Table in his perfect Kingdom in Heaven and his imperfect kingdom in every parish church.
By our Lord’s will and command all sorts and conditions of men and women, the full entire, whole, and grand beloved community, treasured by God and saved by his Son will gather in love, without exception. This is the true faith, this is real religion, this is literal fidelity to Scripture, this is uncompromising witness to traditional catholic moral order. This approach, which is the unshakable commitment of this dear parish, this, and this alone is conservative.
Thanks be to God!
Fr. Bill
I do Spiritual Direction and met with one of my directies last Wednesday. We talked about his experience this summer with one of Arizona's premier Anglo Catholic parishes. Chuck attends on a regular basis a more middle of the road Parrish. I'm big on Justice and being inclusive so the discussion got around to that subject before our time was up. I was quite surprised when he related the following post form the Saint Mary's Parrish newsletter.
I hastened to look it up on the web and was impressed with Fr. Bill's take on Conservatism. I sent out an e asking for permission to post it here and he said yes ... so here it is.
The Angelus September 2008 Volume 52 No.11
The Angelus is the News Letter published monthly by the Episcopal Parish of Saint Mary’s Phoenix, Arizona.
Following all the posturing of the prelates throughout the world before, during and after the Lambeth Conference this summer, it seemed timely and wise to declare again, and perhaps even more directly, the vision of this beloved parish for the People of God, all the People of God. Without exception or exclusion.
We are thought of, and rightly, as a conservative parish. This is due to the fact that we hold the faith entire and full without dissembling our presentation or diluting our catholic and apostolic witness. But a reputation for conservative values in faith and worship is increasingly assumed to mean a narrow and mean-spirited attitude. This travesty is due to the shenanigans (personally I would say “sins”—but I aim for a semblance of charity) of cold hearted, judgmental, and yes, Pharisaical Episcopalians, largely in Africa and Asia, with a smattering of snide Americans. This unhappy, and possibly unholy, group has hijacked the excellent name and glorious reputation of true conservatism, which seeks only to conserve the best and finest of the ages past, that faith “once delivered to the saints.” And to do this in stumbling but dogged fidelity to the words of Christ and the example he set before us.
“Come unto me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden.” All ye, we, the true conservatives, recall that he said. “Judge not, lest ye be judged.” Judge not, period, we, the true conservatives recall that he said. “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone” is an admonition only real, genuine, actual conservatives try to live by.
True conservatives, like so many of us here, champion without compromise the full inclusion and equal incorporation of all people in Episcopal parish life and worship—all people. We do this as best we can, because we, so conservative in our catholic, apostolic and Biblical faith, discern this to be the will and requirement of Jesus—to accept, to serve, to love, to include, to respect, to embrace all people, and rejoice with them and because of them. And to do this without regard to color or ethnic richness, or varied national origin, or marvelously differing sex, gender, and sexual orientations.
We do this without drawing distinctions between that person who maintains a careful, caring commitment to another person, and that other person who may not, or no longer, have such a bond. We always refuse to marginalize people who have issues of physical challenge, or mental or emotional or developmental characteristics that differ. We will never patronize anyone because of far different intellectual achievements or abilities, or varying language abilities or personal histories. All of this because we know it is what Jesus would do, so clearly did do, as those of us who actually read the Bible, rather than wave it, know full well.
Toleration, inclusion, acceptance of all, without distinction, is far too important a Christian virtue to allow anyone to confuse it with indifference or to allow any to dismiss it as moral relativity or laxity. Indeed, it is more than a crucial Christian virtue, it is a commandment of Christ himself: “Love one another as I have loved you. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” All are redeemed by Christ and so all, all, all are welcome at his Table. Some, as Christ noted, who regard themselves as first will be last, and some who assume they will be the most welcome at his table, will discover in sorrow and shame that they are not seated at all, but thrust out, as they tried to do to others, while those deemed unacceptable by the self-righteous, will come streaming in from “north and south and east and west” the least of his children crowding around the happy banquet Table in his perfect Kingdom in Heaven and his imperfect kingdom in every parish church.
By our Lord’s will and command all sorts and conditions of men and women, the full entire, whole, and grand beloved community, treasured by God and saved by his Son will gather in love, without exception. This is the true faith, this is real religion, this is literal fidelity to Scripture, this is uncompromising witness to traditional catholic moral order. This approach, which is the unshakable commitment of this dear parish, this, and this alone is conservative.
Thanks be to God!
Fr. Bill
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