Things Fall apart

 

The Second Coming

William Butler Yeats

Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;

Surely the Second Coming is at hand.

The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out

When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi

Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert

A shape with lion body and the head of a man,

A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,

Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it

Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.

The darkness drops again; but now I know

That twenty centuries of stony sleep

Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,

And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,

Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

‘Things Fall Apart’

I feel that I’ve traveled back in time to eight years ago when Donald Trump was first elected president. The president, playing the role of the agent of chaos, has created the same tension filled atmosphere as before. Each day we awake to some new and increasingly outrageous ideas flowing from the White House. We seem to be watching January 6 all over again, but this time the violence and destruction is coming from within the executive branch of our government while still being directed at our governmental institutions and at our public servants. The difference this time is that the destruction in not being carried out by the ad hoc groups of citizens who were motivated to overthrow an election. This time it is being methodically carried out by presidential appointees and their cohorts who are systematically taking control of multiple departments of our government. I suspect they would argue that the goal is for agents connected to the tech industries to ‘streamline’ government and to implement AI for the efficient running of things, thus creating a smaller, less expensive and more efficient government. 

A government driven by AI would certainly be efficient, but it is based on the false assumption that governing in a democratic republic such as ours is merely a mechanical process, a zero sum game with winners and losers. A democratic republic is about so much more than efficiency or being the winner and others the losers. To work for the greatest number of people, governing must be a give and take, a constant search for common ground, for compromise. The resulting policies, and even the process itself  keep us working together. It requires collective effort on the part of individuals who know each other, understand each other, and trust each other. This keeps participants from going to extremes at which point little positive can happen to address common concerns, and we evolve into chaos or are tempted to fall for strongman rule. A working democratic republic requires understanding, participation, and trust. This is core, the center. Without it our common cause falls apart. As Yeats put it, when things fall apart, the center cannot hold. Have we allowed ourselves to evolve into an age in which we cannot hear or see each other, trust each other? Have we descended to the point at which we don’t even desire to work for a common ground? Have we created our own kind of rough beast about which Yeats warns in his poem?

Responding to a Call to Change

Responding to a Call to Change 

Thoughts on the assigned reading, 2 Corinthians 7:2-12 (1/28/25)

When I read a text, I always struggle to apply it to myself, personally. I struggle because it is much easier to apply it to someone else. I’m guessing that has happened to others as well. I’m okay with good news in a text, but sometimes it hits a little too close to home; taking criticism is hard for me. Oh, I’m getting better at it, but if we are honest, few of us like being told that we are wrong or that we could do better. My ego gets right in there and begins to rationalize why or how I am right, that I had no other choice, so I can’t be blamed. My self image, my self importance my desire are challenged and I don’t like it.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul quite pointedly addressed a variety of issues that I’m sure the people of that time didn’t really appreciate, issues that reflected how they were (or weren’t) living out their lives as people of God. In this text, Paul is addressing that ‘dressing down’ he gave them, and he commends them that they took his chastisement to heart, repented, and were transformed; but this could have gone a very different way. I am particularly struck by verse 10 in which Paul describes two reactions to being confronted with our sin. (law) 

‘…Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death’ (10)

Godly grief: being upset by my sin, by my inability to live in God’s way of loving God and loving others.

Worldly grief: being upset about being corrected, challenged, being insulted or caught in a wrong act, at being told I was wrong.

Godly grief leads to: repentance, restoration, transformation, peace.

Worldly grief leads to: anger, ill will, revenge, division, tension.

When I think about my own experiences, these patterns play out over and over. Like I said, I’m learning, but I have a long way to go. As I thought about this, though, I couldn’t help but see this in action in recent days in a very public way. Pardon me if this upsets you, but I think that it has to be said. In her recent homily at the National Cathedral, Bishop Budde very gently but pointedly alerted President Trump to the fact that people were afraid and possibly harmed by some of his proposed policies and called on him to be merciful as he designed and carried them out. Considering that loving others, being merciful are primary concerns through out scripture, this is an appropriate theme. We, as I write this, are seeing the reaction to this played out publicly; a ‘worldly grief’ as a response to this call for mercy has resulted in anger, ill will, and tension. Prophetic voices in cultures and in scripture have been rarely commended but often condemned, and that appears to be the, at least public, response in this case. But, this is a good word for all of us to hear. We are all participants in a culture that needs to be called to act in mercy. The difference is an environment of peace, being transformed to loving God and loving others, or an environment of tension doubling down on our right to be right and to protect our self image and self-interests.  

All Saints Day 2023

All saints Day

Appointed Reading:

Matthew 5: 1-9 (10-12)

Today is a good day to pause and reflect on the lives of grace lived by those we know who have departed. It’s a good day to reflect on the grace we have been given and how that impacts our day-to-day thoughts and actions. 

Jesus words here sound so comforting. We would all like to have people in our lives that treat us like this. But in reality, our human condition tends to marginalize those whose actions and beliefs are such as these. Mankind’s penchant for ‘self-reliance’ has become an excuse, a defense for lives of narrow self-interest directed towards attaining the ‘good life’. Our sense of transactional relationship is based on actions performed for self-advancement. 

Jesus turns the self-interested man towards a God-interested and other interested man. Our transactional culture would say that the people described in these verses have nothing to offer that will enhance their position. 

-the poor, the downtrodden of our culture

-the gentle

-the meek

-those who ask,’is that the right thing to do’ or ‘Can we do better’?

-those who show mercy

-the pure in heart

-the peace makers

-those who are mocked because they try to follow this existence-that of Jesus.

No, they are not rewarded by our transactional culture. These are traits of ‘losers, suckers’. These are people who get walked all over. At best, they are naive and at worst they are dangerous to our ‘way of life’. They just don’t get it!

Yet, these are those who are promised the kingdom of God, They are part of God’s community. Not one of us can live this existence completely. Not one of our ‘dearly departed’ did. But, in Christ, God has restored us to the promise again and again. As we, as they did, realize this grace in our lives, may we respond more and more with lives that are steeped in these characteristics of the community of God.  

More Than Merely Joining

 

“Our church rituals (have) become more about joining the group than changing your life”

(Richard Rohr, On The Threshold of Transformation, p.192)

I’m in the early stages of research for a presentation on the future of the church and this quote has gotten me thinking. Has participating as a member of a church simply evolved into another act of joining a group, another notch on our cultural/social belt, so to speak, similar to joining the Rotary or Lions club? Now, there is nothing wrong with joining a community group. In fact, there are all kinds of data that suggest that this is not only good for the individual, but good for collective society as well. But, I’m thinking about our penchant for joining in order to resume build or a way to meet new people. I realize that, to an extent, this kind of “joining” has always been around. However, I am wondering if after so many decades of emphasizing maximization of our self-interests for economic, and social advantage, that we haven’t marginalized the primary purpose of being part of God’s community by reducing it to a kind of social joining.  

When we are part of God’s community, we are not merely “joining” a group. We are being changed by God to be forgiven, grace filled people who think and act in love towards God, towards others, and towards God’s creation. When I join a group, I can easily rationalize coming and going, choosing the events of which I will be a part. Extending that approach to my church could change my understanding of participation in the body of Christ, and the rituals of the church, of worship become simply another act of “joining”. 

It is, I’m sure different for everybody, but for me, the older I have gotten, the more I have been drawn to the rituals and the sacraments of the  church, the liturgy, the assigned readings for the church year, the special remembrances at services, and even the special services. (The Easter Vigil has become one of the most meaningful services of the year for me). There is a richness there that draws my attention away from myself, away from my shallow tendencies of “joining” and that points me to God’s actions in Christ to change me. 

The Preface to Holy Communion that my church has been using this Fall emphasizes God’s creative and sustaining work in our lives and in the world. If we can understand church less as an institution to join, and more as call to change our lives and a response to being changed, how might that impact the future of the church?

The Preface for Holy Communion;

O God triune, how majestic is your name in all the earth.

Over the eons your merciful might evolved our home, a fragile tree of life.

Here by your wisdom are both life and death, growth and decay,

the nest and the hunt, sunshine and storm.

Sustained by these wonders, we creatures of dust join in the ancient song: 

The earth is full of your glory: The earth is full of your glory.

O God tune, you took on our flesh in Jesus our healer.

In Christ you bring life from death;

we remember his cross, we laud his resurrection.

Broken like bread, he enlivens our body.

Outpoured like wine, he fills the earth with goodness.

Receiving this mystery, we mortals sing our song:

The earth is full of your glory: The earth is full of your glory.

We praise you for the heart of Jesus,

so filled with your love for this earth.

On the Night before he died, he took bread, and gave thanks,

broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:

Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.

Do this for the remembrance of me.

Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,

and gave it for all to drink, saying:

This cup is the new covenant in my blood,

shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.

Do this for the remembrance of me.

Gathered around this table, we your children unite in this song:

The earth is full of your glory: The earth is full of your glory.

O God triune, you create the worlds,

you uphold the living, you embrace the dead.

Send forth your Spirit and renew the face of the earth.

Strengthen us for our journey with this meal,

the body and blood of Christ.

Give us a future that trusts in you and cares for your earth.

Empowered by your promises,

we rise from our deaths to praise you again:

The earth is full of your glory: The earth is full of your glory.  

Amen, and amen. Amen and amen.

That is about more than joining. That’s about life changing beliefs. 

Jospeh, Guardian of Jesus

 Today, the Church remembers Joseph, Guardian of Jesus

The appointed Reading; Matt. 1:16, 18-21, 24a

In recent weeks, I’ve been preparing a study on what the Bible says about justice, so I seem to see it at some level running through many of the appointed readings, but maybe that shouldn’t be surprising. When we read about doing justice, not far removed we also tend to hear about righteousness, mercy, kindness, acts of healing, helping those in prison… Are you sensing a theme? And, so it is with the appointed reading for today. In this short account of Joseph, we come face-to-face with a man who is righteous, one who does justice. When Joseph found out Mary was pregnant., Matthew says this of him;

…being a righteous man…unwilling to expose her (Mary) to public disgrace planned to divorce her quietly. …But…he took her as his wife.

Joseph was unwilling to cause Mary embarrassment when he would have been within his rights to have publicly humiliated her. But, he went even further! He married her. When we consider our sins, it is easy to claim God’s grace for those specific acts we have done that hurt others, but how often do we also acknowledge our need for grace for failing to act justly, for failing to love, to show mercy, even if it is within our “rights” to act otherwise? Jospeh’s example shows us how life changing doing justice, loving kindness, showing mercy can be.

Gushing Like a River

 Gushing like a River!

Thoughts on one of the appointed readings for today, March 15, 2023

John 7:14-31, 37-39

I have been working on a study on justice and Micah 6:8 has been in the back of my brain, so what follows is somewhat guided by that.

He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

From the reading:

(v 16-18) My teaching is not mine but his who sent me … Those who speak on their own seek their own glory.”

(v 37-38) Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and …one who believes in me drink. …’Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’

When Jesus starts talking about being specifically “sent”, being one with God, he often follows that with talk of changing those who follow him.  I think it’s at this point that people sometimes get a bit hesitant. Oh, we want a God-man who is a personal savior, changing us from lost sinner to saved saint, but Jesus seems to teach about a much more thorough change, a core change. 

I think that we prefer a bit of a distance between ourselves and God, a separation of our religious and secular selves. Jesus, as man, was the ultimate in God-interest and other -interest. We are drawn to the God-man when it comes to being forgiven-being personally saved. When he says “come and drink”, he follows it up with (then)” out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water. Jesus is life changing because he is core changing (out of the believer’s heart). I think that we want to be “saved”, but God, in Jesus , wants to do more than that. God wants to change us, our entire selves.

Think of the Old Testament accounts of God providing life-giving water to Israel in the desert. There were so many people that the water would have had to “gush” out to satisfy them all. Here, John uses the word “rivers”. Strong vibrant rivers don’t tend to trickle, they gush. The living water doesn’t merely satisfy me, it changes my core being to one who can’t help but gush God’s love to others

Lent is a time especially set aside in our church during which we intentionally pause to self-acknowledge how we each have failed to gush forth rivers of living water, how we have protected our self-interest by compartmentalizing God into religious life for our personal “salvation” and secular life for our personal power, prestige, pride, protection. Lent is a time to recognize that the waters of grace in the work of Jesus not only quench our thirst for personal salvation but can drown our compartmentalizing selves so that as saved people, we can gush rivers of living waters for others. And, the beauty of this is that when we fail, and we will, the grace of God in Jesus is present to fill us again and again so we are equipped to be living water for others, doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with our God. It makes me think of Dr. Luther’s thoughts on daily remembering our baptism. 

(baptism) indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God…

"The 1619 Project" a Reaction

  The 1619 Project

Nikole Hannah-Jones

It has been said, “History is written by the winners”.  Having studied and taught  World and US History, Political Science, and International Affairs for longer than I care to admit, I would edit that to read, History is written, edited, taught, mythologized and internalized by the winners. It becomes our national imaginaries, how we see ourselves and, therefore, very hard to change or maybe even question. This book is evidence, however, that the losers also have a history that is carried with them, a way that they too see themselves and their country. I believe that when the winners ignore the history of others, they do so to their own detriment. For good or bad the losers’ history percolates beneath the surface. It may emerge in bits or break through in the established culture, sometimes subtly and unnoticed - sometimes aggressively challenging the status quo. 

The marginalized have always “written” their history. In the past it had been easier for the winners  to control it, either burying it or absorbing useful bits into the popular imaginary. In our technological era, though, most anyone can be heard. The history of the marginalized can be shared globally before it is buried, reworked or conveniently absorbed. It sets there for all to see as an alternative account of what has transpired, as a contrast to the history written by the winners.

What do we do with this history of the marginalized, the history that may conflict with the myth we have created? It can no longer be ignored. Do we,

-Label it a lie?

-Call it a distortion of the truth?

-Acknowledge it but suggest that it will be too problematic to teach it or create public

  policy to positively address it?

-Treat it with as much validity as the history written by the winners and attempt to deal

  positively with it?

I used to teach my students that everyone has a national imaginary about their country. It has developed from the history they were taught and experienced as they grew and gained greater experiences. It drives individuals’ attitudes and level of public participation whether that be in civic matters, ideas about culture, community involvement, global attitudes, attitudes about the natural world, or economic perspectives., possibly even in religion. It is not infrequent that we encounter others who face a dissonance between their personal imaginary, history and that created by winners. How we respond to those who have another history to tell will, I think, play a large role in how successfully we increase or decrease the well-being of ourselves, and our fellow citizens, both in our own country and in the world.

A Righteous Branch

 Jeremiah 23: 1-6

A Reading for Christ the King Sunday

“A righteous branch … will deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land …The Lord is our righteousness.”

Jeremiah preaches against the people of Israel and Judah in images of human connections; unfaithful spouses, unfaithful children, cheating neighbors, as well as worship of personal idols. We can get lost in the weeds of specific (pet) sins that we find particularly bad, but I don’t think that is the point here. Jeremiah reveals a “core” problem which is reflected in the way people were treating not just God, but each other; how they (we) treated, or ignored, the marginalized and how they (we) tried to take advantage of each other for personal gain. 

The issue is self-interest, me first living. The specific sin is different for each person, but the core problem is the same; tension between God and tension among ourselves created by our self-interest (sin). The problems this kind of living causes are clear throughout the Bible. 

Into this, Jeremiah is moved to proclaim hope. Hope that one will emerge who will be righteous (God-interested and other-interested) One who will not deal with the people (us) in a self-interested way; rather, whose core will be God-interested and other-interested. The righteousness of that one will become our righteousness. A new Adam appears; Christ is our righteousness, our righteous branch.

This Sunday is Christ the King Sunday. We celebrate that we have one who would transform us to people who are God-interested, people who live justice for others and for God’s creation. 

Aside:

I have come to use the term self-interest as synonymous with the term sin because today society doesn’t really think in terms of “sin”, but self-interest is something we all get. It is the bedrock (the idol?) of modern culture; the self-made man, the individual, personal responsibly, personal rights… It is the language of our economics, our politics, our personal relationships. But, self-interest as one’s only or primary guide can lead to all sorts of things, some not so positive. It seemed only logical, then, to continue that motif when talking about our relationship to God, or maybe God’s will for a relationship with us. I have often been heard to comment that Jesus boiled down God’s law to; Love God - Love others. Thus, you will hear me refer to God-interest - Other-interest. I started thinking about this several years ago as a result of a discussion in my Issues in Economics class. We were discussing the concept of self-interest in economics, and a young lady asked the question, “ Would you say that the original sin (Adam and Eve) was self-interest?” Wow, from the mouths of children. I have found this a useful way to look at my life and with which to understand Scripture. I hope you can get some use out of it as well. 

Some thoughts on Justice

 

What is Justice?

The devotion I read this morning was based on Amos 5 which has some pretty strong accusations against a culture that is both successful and religious, a culture which sounds a bit like ours with its flourishing economy, recreational life-style and nods to public religiosity. Lately, I have been playing with the idea of God’s justice and what it means to be righteous, so several passages in this and surrounding chapters jumped out at me.

    “Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood, and bring righteousness to the ground!”

     “...who afflict the righteous, take bribes and push aside the needy in the gate” 

    “Seek good and not evil,...establish justice in the gate.”

    “...,I despise your festivals,...the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon.”

    “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” 

    “But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood”

It seems to me that we often expect (want?) God to mete out justice on the “unrighteous”, assuming that we are the righteous and others are the ones who deserve God’s justice, the ones who have sinned in ways that we find to be particularly egregious. But, as I read scripture, I find two ways of seeing God’s justice. One is a reference to judgement, but the other and possibly the one that pops up more is something quite different. In this second way of seeing justice, God’s people (and creation?) get what is needed, protection, shelter, necessitates of life, and it appears that God expects those who have been blessed with greater abundance to carry it out- make sure that it happens. Is this, then, a glimpse of what it means to be righteous, to be just; applying our blessings to the welfare of others, not taking advantage of the weak, rather helping the weak, caring about the marginalized?

In Amos, the writer charges the people with turning this idea of justice on its head. Those who had power seem to have considered it justice to take advantage of those not as well off, and to mock those who would act righteously. Are they presenting their wealth and power as evidence of their righteousness? (And possibly the others lack of it as their just desert?) The writer declares that God doesn’t want these “offerings of well-being” Rather, God wants people to live justly with each other as their worship - their sacrifice.

“Let justice roll down like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Shout Above the Din, Matthew 20:29-34

 Matthew 20: 29-34

Shouting Above the Din

This is the account of Jesus healing the two blind men who were along the roadside near Jericho. Our initial attention is drawn to the miracle or to the faith for healing displayed by the two men. Something else, or in addition, drew my attention this morning. It must have been fairly loud for the men to have had to shout out to Jesus, and then they were possibly drowned out by the stern warning of others who wanted Jesus’ attention. They shouted even louder though in order to be able to "see". Jesus responded to them and then they acted as well. They followed him.

We too are surrounded by shouting, and often we are among those adding to the din, but are our shouts calls to Jesus to enable us to “see”? Do we, as the blind men did, shout over the other concerns and worries to call on Jesus to give us sight, or understanding? When I am granted that sight, do I respond and recommit to God’s way as these men did, or do I respond by thinking, well, that’s just too hard for me, or that’s not the way I want life to be? 

Most of us are not physically blind, but we all at times are spiritually blind, and that blindness always has its beginnings in ourselves. Do we really want to “see”?  we willing to shout over the din and the warnings of others to be quiet in order to see what God’s way is really about? And, when we do persist and hear the answer to our shouts, are we ready to daily follow Jesus?

Luther advises us to daily remember out baptism, to drown the old Adam so that each day a new man comes forth. Sometimes the cares, worries, and anger surrounding us mean that we have to shout above the din or our own making as those blind men did to see how that new man can walk (follow) in Jesus way. 

Psalm 146

 Psalm 146

Praise God who loves the marginalized; one of which is me!

The psalm appointed for this coming Sunday is very straight forward. 

Praise God who:

-executes justice for the oppressed

-gives food to the hungry

-sets prisoners free

-opens the eyes of the blind

-lifts those who are bowed down

-loves the righteous

-watches over strangers

-upholds the widow and the orphan

I have been blessed in such a way that I haven’t found myself in many of the above categories, at least not physically. But from a spiritual aspect, I find myself often in a number of them. God deals with us on both levels. 

In Matthew 22, Jesus said that the law of God boils down to two things; love God + love others. When God loves others, this psalm shows us what that looks like. What does it look like when I (you) love the other, the marginalized, the hard to love? 

All In, Additional Thoughts

 All In, 2

Mark12: 41-44

“…they contributed out of their abundance.”

“…she put in everything she had” 

I have been thinking about stewardship lately as I am preparing some thoughts to share at church about stewardship and education. When I came across this text for this morning’s devotion, I couldn’t help but see some implications. Earlier this year I ran across this account in Luke so I’m drawing on some of what I wrote at that time. When we think about stewardship, we think about giving, especially in terms of money, but also in terms of time and talent, It is so easy to sit down, with all good intentions, and look at our budgets, our calendars, take talent and interest inventories…. However, I think we all know that it begins with our hearts. Some might call it a mind set, but I think that it’s deeper than that. I also think that many, at least this is true for me, assume that since we are looking at ways to improve our stewardship, then our hearts are “in the right place”. But, what about stewardship of my heart, of my relationship to God and God’s community? How can I develop that more completely.

And here we have the example of the poor widow; she had developed stewardship of her heart of her very being. Notice in the account that Jesus doesn’t necessarily look down on those who had given larger sums of money. Rather, he points out a difference in motivation, maybe self-perception of where one stands in that individual’s relationship with God and God’s community. And it begs the question, with how much of my self-interest am I willing to trust God? Jesus said, “love God; love others” intimating that the rest will take care of itself. 

In my earlier thoughts on this account, I had written that the poor widow was “all in” in her understanding, her perception of her relationship with God. Her contribution was not an act of religious obligation she had planned and was now fulfilling. It was a natural extension of who she was, a natural response to being in a relationship. There were no boxes to tick off for her; tithed, check; went to church so many times, check; participated in x number of service events, check…

So, try beginning to think about stewardship with this question. With how much of my self-interest am I ready to trust God? The answer to that could leave us feeling rather low. But the good news is that God in Christ meets us, self-interest and all, where we are, and God’s Spirit guides us to growth. Jesus did not look down on the contributions of the more wealthy, yet he directed us to the attitude of the poor widow that prompted her contribution. Let’s strive to be “all in” in our relationship with God and God’s community and the rest will flow.