Morning Prayer: March 18th

Psalms: 40, 54
Old Testament: Deut 10:12-22
New Testament: Hebrews 4:11-16

Circumcise, then, the foreskin of your heart, and do not be stubborn any longer. (Deut. 10:16)

Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

So I’m posting now because I haven’t had access to a computer until now…..but anyways, on to the reflection 🙂

It’s not too often that I include two Bible verses for contemplation in the same post…..but I think they are related; especially for us as Gentile inheritors of the Gospel.

In our first reading, the question God addresses is: “What does the LORD require?” While the Law is upheld as something which needs to be followed, there is something deeper being hinted at.

In telling the Israelites to circumcise the foreskin of the heart, God is looking for relationship

The individual acts of obedience to statue and ordinance are good……but they are meant to lead to something deeper. A faith lived out, not in the hope of being rewarded…….but lived out with a sense of gratitude and a genuine desire to be close to God.

But how do we…..so far removed from the LORD’s great signs and wonders in Egypt and Calvary, come to believe??? The answer is the Word of God….both in its written form and in the Word that comes to us in the silent movements of the Holy Spirit.

The Christian story has been passed on through the words of Scripture. As North American Christians, we have no other source material. On one level, as Gentile inheritors, we literally take it on the authority of others that the Gospel story is true…we have no choice….especially in light of the plethora of interpretations that came as part of the Protestant Reformation.

On the other hand, we have the Word of God in Scripture…..a text that we can go to for ourselves……to study and critique and question for ourselves…….a process that can crack open our hearts, and let the Light permeate our darkness. +

Morning Prayer: March 15th

Psalm: 45
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 9:4-12
New Testament: Hebrews 3:1-11

Now Moses was faithful in all God’s* house as a servant, to testify to the things that would be spoken later. Christ, however, was faithful over God’s* house as a son, and we are his house if we hold firm* the confidence and the pride that belong to hope. (Hebrews 3:5-6)

In a rare instance, we actually have a direct connection between the OT and NT readings for the Daily Office today. The scripture passage from Deuteronomy recounts all of the bad things Israel did while Moses was up on the mountain receiving the law…….and at the end of the Hebrews selection we have a warning not to be like those who turned their backs on God.

In the middle, we have an interesting comparison between Moses and Jesus. Both are held up as paragons of virtue, but in fundamentally different ways. Moses was a faithful servant, while Christ is a son.

This points to an important comparison that is popular not just with Paul, but with Early Church Fathers. They were always looking at the Old Testament as a sign-post for the New. For example, Eusebius sees Joshua as a forerunner of Jesus because their Hebrew name (yeshua) is the same. The living water that bursts forth from the rock is seen as a forerunner of the water that runs from Jesus’ side on the cross.

As a modern scholar of the Bible, it is hard for me to take this approach seriously……but it is part of our heritage in the Christian family. While the parallels might be weak……. two things stand out in my mind:

a) Even if they are false, some of the theological precepts that develop around them are amazing. Early Church thought should not be discounted simply because it is antiquated

b) Since the Bible is God’s Word, it is meant to be read as a whole…at least in the context of a faith community. Additionally, no individual ever has a definitive reading of Scripture. Who am I to say that the OT doesn’t point to NT? I can certainly have my own opinions….and rely on the interpretation and tradition of the Church….but it is not outside the realm of possibility that the two are compatible. +

Evening Prayer: March 14th (Combo Post)

Psalms: 41, 52, 44
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 8:11-20
New Testament: Hebrews 2:11-18
Gospel: John 2:1-12
Patristic Reading: An excerpt from a sermon of St. Gregory Nanzianzus

Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested (Hebrews 2:18)

The letter to the Hebrews (as we will see over the next two weeks or so) is a fascinating read. Its authorship (though traditionally attributed to Paul) is anonymous and looks at Christ’s role as the high-priest for all of creation.

The fascinating thing about this portrayal is the stark contrasts that exist within the text. In some passages, Christ is depicted as being incredibly close to humanity….showing solidarity with suffering and the struggle against the devil/evil forces in the world. At other points, the cosmic Son is upheld as above all creation and reproach who has no tolerance for backpedaling, apostasy or sin.

As with so many other things in life, I don’t think it is either or. One of the beautiful things about the doctrine of the Incarnation as it has been worked out through the centuries is that we are not forced to decide. Christ is both fully human and fully divine……He is both our Lord and Master, while at the same time, revealing himself as our Brother and Friend.

Of course there is a time and place for reverence……if I didn’t believe that, I doubt very much that I would be becoming a priest. As we work through the readings over the next few weeks, we are going to be hearing about God as law-giver (in the OT) and Christ as the great Eternal Word (through the Gospel of John)….very lofty stuff.

With all of that said, and while there may be times when he seems aloof and outright indifferent to human concerns…….he is still moved to pity and love….to change water into wine….to lead us in celebration and life, rather than expecting us to quake with fear at his presence. 🙂

Taste and see that the LORD is good, happy are they that trust in him. (Psalm 34:8)

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And yet

Morning Prayer: 3rd Sunday of Epiphany

Psalm 63, 98
Old Testament: Isaiah 47:1-15
New Testament: Hebrews 10:19-31

For if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries (Hebrews 10:26-27)

Anyone else scared out of their wits by this verse?!? :P. I am. I sin all the time……and it’s been a LONG time since I was baptized……does this mean that I’m no longer saved????

Here’s where reading things in context helps. The author of Hebrews is writing to a Jewish community that understands Jesus’ mission as a paschal sacrifice to atone for the sins of the whole world.

Chapter 10 of this letter is dedicated to addressing the issue of those who either walk away from the faith, or persists in believing that animal sacrifice is needed.

For those who were leaving the church, they were viewed as apostates….persisting in a continual sin of denying who Christ is and underestimating the efficacy of his atonement.

“Sinning” in general is not what severs us from Grace, for nothing can separate us from the love of God shown to us in Christ. However, if we turn our back on that relationship with Jesus as our Saviour and Mediator…….and stop believing in its effectiveness for the world….what are we left with???

We are left with our own efforts….we are left with our own faults and failings……we are left with a broken world that has no remedy…..turning away from our belief in Jesus not only throws our salvation away….but it also leaves us in the midst of chaos with no life-line.

While we may doubt the story of Jesus, or even question some of his teachings……let us hope that we never turn our hearts and minds away from him. +