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Some thoughts on some of the lessons for this week, Seventh of Easter -
Acts 1.15-17, 21-26
+ Judas’ actions were not outside the sphere of God’s intention; what happened to Judas (including vs 18-20); and how he was replaced. (This is not to say that God intended for Jesus to be crucified in any way, shape, or form, but that God intended for Jesus to bring the word of grace and peace into the world, and of course, God understood that this would be one possible development.)
+ Peter suggests that Judas’ betrayal had to happen “to fulfill the scripture.” Obviously I don’t agree with that understanding – how about you? I tend to think something happens and we look for an explanation in scripture.
+ again, looking at vs18-20, Luke brings Judas’ story to a little gentler close. There is no confrontation with the Jewish leaders, there is no going out and hanging himself, he buys the field and stumbles and falls (?), accidental death (?). Through it all he seems to be being directed by Satan. How important is Judas’ story for you? How do you relate to it?
+ note that Judas betrayed Jesus, he also betrayed the trust the other disciples had placed in him.
+ Peter says it is important for Judas to be replaced, for there to be “The Twelve” once again. Why? Is it important for there to be 9 on the supreme court? Or is that last bit just a red herring?
+ Peter says the replacement should be “one of the men” (hmmm) who was with them through the whole adventure, from the baptism through the crucifixion and resurrection and now the ascension.
+ so they nominated Joseph Barsabbas and Mathias, prayed, and cast lots. What do you think of that way of deciding? Would we be just as well off choosing leaders by lot? Even senators, representatives, governors, presidents? How do you think Joseph might have felt? It’s interesting that we don’t hear of either of them again. And in fact we don’t really hear that much about any of “The Twelve”. Paul pretty rapidly takes center stage. But one writer notes that if it were not for innumerable unnamed disciples/apostles going quietly about their lives, there would not have been congregations or proto-congregations for Paul to relate to.
+ so Luke shows how all the actions have been done, all the pieces are in place for something new to happen – what will it be? Well, ok, it was Pentecost. But what about today? How is scripture being fulfilled today, what pieces have been put in place, what might be getting ready to happen?
Here’s a prayer -
God of Exciting Newness,
new life, new hope, new possibilities, new stories -
the newness of Easter was so exciting,
but it was seven weeks ago,
and the candy is gone, the lilies are drooping,
even the “Alleluias” have begun to sound normal.
We scrunch up to the edge of our seat, prick up our ears,
cast our eyes back and forth, and hold our breath.
What new (wonderful, loving, gracious, exciting) thing are you going to do next?
Psalm 1
+ I have always liked the progression in vs 1 – walk with, stand with, settle in and sit down with!
+ what makes for a “happy life”, a safe, secure, coherent, connected, grounded, comfortable life? In the Spirituality of Fundraising study, we are considering where we look for security in our lives. To money? To community? To God? The psalmist says it is paying attention to God words.
+ and then here’s an intriguing line from one of the commentaries – studying the Torah is not listening to a lot of laws, it is “a playful, courageous interpretative act where the community must decide about dimensions of God’s commands in new circumstances.” I really like that. That is how I have experienced real excitement and satisfaction in “Bible Study”. That’s why I’m writing this tonight!
+ There is a moral shape to life, but it is not always completely clear.
+ “Their delight is in the law of God” – where is your delight?
Some take delight in the fishing or bowling
Others take delight in the carriage all a rolling.
I take delight in the juice of the barley,
courting pretty girls in the morning O so early
Mush a ring um durum da – whack fol the Daddyo, whack fol the Daddyo
there’s whiskey in the jar…..
Well, Ok, I don’t know how much of that is within “the moral shape of life”.
+ “Like a tree, standing by the water, we shall not be moved”
+ “the trees yield their fruit and their leaves do not wither” – as opposed to the spruce trees on the way to our camp that have been attacked by the Spruce Budworm. They, and many of the balsams, look pretty sad.
+ the trees are grounded, dependable – who is that in your life and experience?
+ the wicked are lightweight, will have no standing or place or “say” when issues are being decided in the community. Is that how they are like the chaff? Just that they are worthless? (The wind doesn’t seem to be blowing them away!) Well, who are “the wicked” in your life and experience?
+ some voices suggest the lectionary pairs this psalm with the Acts lesson as a response showing the difference between Judas and Mathias. I don’t really like using the psalm as a response to the first lesson – if it’s from the Old Testament or from Acts. I think the psalms stand alone. We used to read or hear the psalm as an act of praise early in the service, before the other lessons. Make a difference to you?
1 John 5.9-13
+ so John wraps it up – the whole purpose is so that we believe and believing we find “eternal life” in “flexible conformity” to the life and words of Jesus. I like that “flexible conformity”!
+ eternal life has two components – one temporal (“everlasting”) and the other qualitative (abundant, secure, in the words of the psalm – “happy”!). So “then” and “now”!
John 17.6-19
+ again the context – Jesus is wrapping up his “after last supper” remarks with a prayer.
+ there was the joke about the tradition that whenever a new pope was installed, the president of the synagogue in Jerusalem would pay a call. During that meeting the president would offer an envelop to the pope, who would decline to accept it and hand it back unopened. The last time this happened, as the president was getting up and leaving, the pope called him back. “I have to confess”, he said, “that while we treasure this ritual greatly, we do not any longer know the meaning of it.” The president acknowledged that for them as well, the reason behind the ritual was lost in time past, and they also no longer knew what was in the envelop. “Should we look?“ he asked. The pope nodded. Slowly, carefully they opened the ancient envelop. It was the check from the Last Supper.
+ the words have come from God, through Jesus, to the disciples. And as Jesus leaves, he sends the disciples to continue the pattern – “to the world”.
+ the “world” here is the totality of life that is at odds with God. Jesus prays that the disciples, who are not of that world but still are in that world, might be kept safe.
+ Jesus “reports” how he has done what God willed.
+ Jesus asks that the disciples/community would exhibit the same “oneness” that exists between God and Jesus. And that God would bring to fulfillment Jesus’ joy in the community. How does all that work out for you? Is Jesus finding joy in our community?
+ Fred Craddock suggests this is the church’s pedigree, from God to Jesus to the Apostles to the church. Maybe that’s another side of the Acts lesson and the importance of having a full quota of 12?
Here’s this week’s prayer from the Spirituality of Fundraising study -
Come, come, whoever you are.
Wanderer, worshiper, lover of living, it doesn’t matter
Ours is not a caravan of despair.
Come even if you have broken your vows a thousand times,
Come, yet again, come, come.
- attributed to Rumi
What do you think – is “lover of living” a positive description or not?
One last Easter “challenge for the week” before whatever is coming next -
Try writing an “Easter Haiku”
That’s what I got for now -
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