2008 MLB American League MVP!

Dustin Pedroia was named the Most Valuable Player in the American League for 2008 this afternoon.

The "little guy" who plays so big - according to Big Papi (David Ortiz) he was the guy who carried the team all year long. Great hitter, fielder, and attitude. Other players played great a lot, but Pedroia did it all year long. Last year he was Rookie of the Year. Wow.

Congratulations!

Collect for week of November 9

O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Anima Christi (The Body of Christ)

Here's a link to the song that I botched up on Sunday. You can listen to it, and a bunch of others that Trinity Vineyard is currently using, some of which I think will be on their next CD.

Trinity Worship

The Anima Christi (words reworked by Martin Reardon)
Body of Christ, sanctify me
Blood of Christ, cleanse me,
O Jesus Christ, save me

Within thy wounds, hid me
From the enemy, defend me
In my hour of death, call me
That I may come to you
That I may be with you
That I may worship you for eternity

These words, which I think are wonderful, come from an ancient prayer (circa 14th century) that Marty Reardon reworked for the song. Marty is the Worship Pastor at Trinity Vineyard in Atlanta. He discusses it a bit at the site linked, but here are both sets of words. I remember being so struck by the original words years ago. It is still widely used after receiving the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in Holy Communion.

The Anima Christi (an original translation)
Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from Christ's side, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee
From the malicious enemy defend me
In the hour of my death call me
And bid me come unto Thee
That I may praise Thee with Thy saints
and with Thy angels
Forever and ever
Amen

Prayer for the President, and President elect

For the President of the United States and all in Civil Authority (BCP, p. 820)

O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world: We commend this nation to your merciful care, that, being guided by your Providence, we may dwell secure in your peace. Grant to the President of the United States, the Governor of this State, and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and do your will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in your fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

a little child shall lead them

Lily's sticker says "I'm a Georgia Voter." I'm so proud of her - she waited in line for two hours to vote! Her comment seemed to sum up so many voter's sentiments this year:
"I'm sick of all this bipartisan bickering. There is no left breast or right breast, there is only milk."

Post Election Reflection

This past election cycle revealed, I think, some of our idols, hypocrisies, and sin as Christians in America. Idols would include our way of life and expected standard of living, and security; hypocrisy would include being intensely "pro-life" for babies in the womb (with which I agree!) but not so concerned about children dying of malnourishment and bad water or people dying in unjust wars (or any war); and our sin would include judgmentalism and arrogance (eg. the inference that it would be unchristian to vote for a certain candidate; or that we are right, that we're on God's side, and others clearly are not). It is my hope and prayer that as Christians in America we can truly be the Church, that we manifest the kingdom of God in how we live in our world and how we live together.

Our hope is not in the government, in a political party, or any person. God's dream, God's kingdom, while we are to work tirelessly for its advancement and realization "on earth as in heaven," will not finally or fully come until the Servant Son, the King, returns to make all things right. Tough times (including not having government support, or even being persecuted by the state) have always been times when the true church, the body of Christ, has been a light and life to the world; they have always been times when Jesus' movement, the kingdom of God, has looked more like Jesus' movement - healing, rescuing, sharing, truly good news in a bad news world.

Some of what I'm getting at is beautifully described in the following quote from a Roman historian, Aristides, who was not a Christian. This was written about one hundred years after Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension;

“It is these Christians, O Emperor, who seem to have sought and found the truth, for they acknowledge God. They don’t keep for themselves the goods entrusted to them. They show love to their neighbors. They don’t do to others what they don’t want done to themselves. They speak gently to those that oppress them, and in this way they keep making their enemies their friends. In fact, it has become their passion to do good to their enemies. Every one of them who has anything gives ungrudgingly to the one who has nothing. If the Christians see a homeless stranger they bring them into their own homes. They rejoice over the brother or sister as if they were a real brother or sister. For the Christians don’t call one another brothers or sisters because of the flesh, but because they believe they are born again in the Spirit of their God. If anyone comes to them who is poor while the Christians have nothing to spare then the entire community will fast for two or three days until everybody can eat together. In this way they can supply any poor person with the things that they need. This, O Emperor, is the rule of life for the Christians. This is how they live. “

King Solomon's mines

this is pretty cool...

Mine from King Solomon's Time Discovered

Researchers led by Thomas Levy of the University of California, San Diego, and Mohammad Najjar of Jordan's Friends of Archaeology, discovered a copper-production center in southern Jordan that dates to the 10th century B.C., the time of Solomon's reign.

The discovery occurred at Khirbat en-Nahas, which means "ruins of copper" in Arabic. Located south of the Dead Sea, the region was known in biblical times as Edom.

Research at the site in the 1970s and 1980s indicated that metalworking began there in the 7th century B.C., long after Solomon.

But Levy and Najjar dug deeper and were able to date materials such as seeds and sticks to the 10th century B.C.

Their findings are reported in Tuesday's issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

:)

more Lily

Isn't she lovely? Isn't she beautiful?

first dress

These are taken from our first video chat with the Atlanta DiCristinas. Lily dressed up for our visit, this is her first time in a dress!

water Lily

all cozy after a bath -

Luke 6:27-38

Love Your Enemies

27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others

37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

tough and tender

I appreciated these words from a commentary on this week's Torah reading (the weekly Jewish lectionary, which covers all of Genesis through Deuteronomy each year).  As Rosh HaShanah is the New Year in the Jewish calendar, the Torah reading is just finishing up.  ("HaShem" is a way of referring to God, literally meaning "the Name," ie.  YHWH, or Yahweh - blessed be his name).

Too often, parents and teachers alike resort to harshness in dealing with their children and we adults also too often do the same with each other.  It seems that the art of gentleness and the virtue of kindness has gone out of fashion in our day.  A pity!  Where would we be if Hashem stopped being gentle and kind toward us?  Are we not to treat others the way He treats us?

When Joshua was told to be strong and courageous, Moshe was instructing him first in how to deal with his own people; and only afterwards, with the nations whom they would dispossess.  True strength has no need to be harsh; for true strength is best expressed through gentle firmness.  Genuine courage is not arrogant; it is firm but in a kindly way.  It knows nothing of sarcasm, hostility and agitation.  True biblical strength and courage are expressions of a selfless love toward those whom we serve.  This was the message to Joshua - and indeed, it is the message to us this week.

Of course, "Joshua" was Jesus' name technically.  (The one coming from Hebrew, the other from the Greek, hence the difference).  And Jesus perfectly incarnated this beautiful call to relate as God does...

The whole comment is at

http://www.lekarev.org/torah/Vayelech68.htm

U.S. Catholic Bishops' letter re. Financial Crisis

This financial mess has been so upsetting. Economically, of course, but also trying to understand it - that is a full-time job. The fear factor and the hype to push something through without scrutiny also makes it worse. And the frustration of a whole system that has become so sick, even evil, where "the privatization of gain and socialization of loss" indebts virtually everyone...

Anyway - I'm trying to understand it; I'm trying to trust in the Lord; and I'm trying to see how kingdom living might be radically different than being a Christian who also is committed to the good, old American dream with its consumerism, selfishness, pleasure-seeking marketing, etc.

Robert told me yesterday about a letter that the U.S. Catholic Bishops had released - a five-point moral compass with regard to this 700 billion dollar bailout (that's $700,000,000,000 - a lot of zeroes, and a lot of food, medicine, clothing, housing...).

U.S. Catholic Bishops Letter to Congress, Bush Administration

The letter concludes with this summarizing paragraph:

Our Catholic tradition calls for a "society of work, enterprise and participation" which "is not directed against the market, but demands that the market be appropriately controlled by the forces of society and by the state to assure that the basic needs of the whole society are satisfied" (Centesimus Annus). These words of John Paul II should be adopted as a standard for all those who carry this responsibility for our nation, the world and the common good of all.

Yes indeed - the common good. We exist, of course for the praise of God's glory. One way we fulfill that is to work for the common good, to seek the welfare of the city in which we live (Genesis 1:28; Jeremiah 29:7), to do all we can to promote peace / shalom for all, that is, wholeness, healing, a context for human flourishing...

Looking up this letter reminded me of the Bishops' Pastoral Letter on the Economy released in the late 1980's. I hope to revisit that.

Those of high degree are but a fleeting breath,
even those of low estate cannot be trusted.
On the scales they are lighter than a breath,
all of them together
Put no trust in extortion;
in robbery take no empty pride;
though wealth increase, set not your heart upon it.
God has spoken once, twice have I heard it,
that power belongs to God.
Steadfast love is yours, O Lord
for you repay everyone according to his deeds.
(Psalm 62:12)

from Voice of the Martyrs (link)

IRAN – Parliament Votes to Punish Apostasy with Death

On September 9, Iran's parliament voted in favor of a draft law that would mandate the death penalty for men convicted of apostasy, a charge frequently brought against Christians in the country. If this law passes all stages of Iran’s legislative process, male Muslim converts to Christianity if convicted would have no other punishment than death. Under current Iranian law, apostasy is a capital offense, but the judge is free to decide the penalty. Pray for believers in custody in Iran and ask God to protect them. Ask the Holy Spirit to encourage believers in Iran who are standing for Christ unashamedly despite the cost they might pay. Praise God for their courage.

Israel and Iran

I thought Israel President Peres' remarks at the U.N. quoted here were measured and clear (from the Lekarev Report) -

Peres Speaks to the UN

Following his private meeting with the UN Secretary General, President Shimon Peres also spoke in the United Nations General Assembly one day after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinajad addressed the same body and called Israel "murderers," "deceitful," and in control of international financial centers.

Peres responded firmly, saying that the Iranian leader, whom he did not mention by name, "is a danger to his people, the region and the world. He is a disgrace to the ancient Iranian people. He is a disgrace to the values of Islam. He is a disgrace to this very house, the United Nations, its basic principles and values. His appearance here is already shame."

Peres said that the Iranian people "are not our enemies," but castigated their leadership for standing "at the center of this violence and fanaticism" and for having "built a danger to the entire world. Its quest for religious hegemony and regional dominance divides the Middle East and holds back chances for peace, while undermining human rights. Their despicable denial of the Holocaust is a mockery of indisputable evidence, a cynical offense to survivors of the horror [and is] contradictory to the resolutions adopted by this assembly."

"Tehran combines long-range missiles and short-range minds," Peres summed up.

Peres also noted that Israel's peace overtures have been met with Moslem terrorism: "In Lebanon, we implemented resolution 425. Yet Hezbollah paralyzed the country and cut the road to peace. From Gaza, we withdrew completely and dismantled our settlements. Hamas responded with a bloody takeover and turned the strip into a basis of rocket fire... They added kidnapping to bombings, bringing strife for innocent families. From this important stage, I call for the immediate release of Gilad Shalit, the son of Aviva and Noam, a peace-loving family."

Nonna and Lily

Lily Sofia

Wow, amazing & awesome
It's a beautiful day...

Brooke with Arthur and his "little sister"

more Lily Sofia

Joy

The quilt Brooke made

An involved and in love dad

Lily Sofia

Monica, Mark, and Lily Sofia DiCristina

She weighed 9 lbs, 8 oz and is 21 inches long. She has very long fingers, and a dimple on one side. She, like all babies, is a miracle. So thanks and praise be to God the Father, creator of all that is... and to Jesus Christ who became a human being of the virgin Mary... and to the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life.

Mark and Monica already have been good stewards of the gift they've been given/loaned (they have been reading and listening and learning) and will be great parents!

many nations, one kingdom

“Although Olympic teams enter the stadium at the opening ceremony carrying their national flags, the closing ceremony is designed to highlight unity as if all the athletes belonged to one unified world. This concept came about because of 17-year-old John Ian Wing during the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. During the days just before those games, the world was in turmoil. As teams made their way to Australia, Soviet tanks and troops entered Budapest to put down the Hungarian uprising.

A few days after the opening ceremony John Wing wrote a letter to the organizing committee. He suggested a different kind of march for the closing ceremony: "During the march there will be only one nation ... What more could anybody want if the whole world could be made as one nation?"

So it was done, and this march with a different attitude has become a tradition that has lasted for all Olympic Games-athletes from many nations saying farewell as one body, instead of marching separately under their own national flags. What an inspiring thought about how sports could be in the prophesied world of tomorrow!” (by Graemme Marshall, The Olympic Ideal, http://www.ucgstp.org/lit/gn/gn030/olympic.html)

To be more explicit than I was yesterday in my sermon, what a beautiful symbol of many nations marching in to the Olympics and one nation marching out that a young man envisioned and brought about through a letter written. God sent another young man, whose very life was the Word incarnate, whose dying and rising and made God's kingdom which will never end available to all. Jesus has brought about the "many nations to one kingdom" through his life, death and resurrection; he is the unrivaled Lord and King, and the only one who can deliver on his promises.

And it is not to the beautiful, the strong and the swift that the invitation to march in the glorious procession of the one, everlasting kingdom comes; but to the hurting and helpless, the weak and dependent, who do not trust in chariots or horses, in their own wisdom or strength, but only in the Lord their God.

There are many Scriptures we could use that point to this truth, but I will close with this one:

"You are worthy... for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe, language, people, and nation, and have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."
(Revelation 5:9-10)

The Olympics, Israel, and Romans 11

I mentioned in church about a great article clarifying the Israel / Gentile question, particularly as Paul addresses it in Romans 11. You can find it at Dwight Pryor's site, Center for Judeo-Christian Studies. You can read it or download it from the main page there.

Here's a summary - the article refers to verses 11-12 of Romans 11, and suggests that Paul may actually be drawing an analogy from Homer's Iliad.

"So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass ("fall" KJV, or "misstep") salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure ("defeat" or "diminishing") means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion ("fullness" KJV, or "completion") mean!"
(Romans 11:11-12)

In the Iliad there is a story of a race that Odysseus (Ulysses) wins with divine help. In the race, Ajax, seems to be headed to victory when Odysseus calls upon Athena for greater speed. The goddess causes Ajax to stumble and fall, enabling Odysseus to pass him and take the prize. Ajax manages to right himself to finish second, and share the riches.

The terms Paul uses in Romans 11:11-12 are terms also used as racing terms: the word translated transgression (NIV and ESV) or fall (KJV) was a common term to Paul's Roman audience for a runner taking a false step or a misstep in a race; the term often translated failure was used to denote a competitor's defeat or failure in a race.

From this perspective we see that Paul may again have been using athletic imagery to teach theological truth. Israel indeed stumbled over the chosen stone. But Paul has also affirmed that theirs are the promises, and that the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. Salvation has come to the Gentiles through the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah unto death, to the advantage of the Gentiles. He says he is committed to provoke them to jealousy, so that they will get up and continue the race and share in the riches of God's glory.

O the depth of the riches and wisdom of the knowledge of God! (11:33)

creation care

This is a very interesting blog - it's a young woman (ie. she has young children...) who is trying to go a month without using any plastic. It's posted on the BBC website, though I'm not sure if that's who she works for or not.

month without plastic

the Restoration Project...
"Restoring lives, making disciples, caring for creation"

Manny's gone

Well, Manny Ramirez is gone. A great hitter for the Red Sox for the last eight years, who was also a distraction and a bit of a prima donna. Can't say I'm too disappointed - yes, he had some great hits over the years, and definitely helped us win our first World Series (since way back...) but he also could be very frustrating. And apparently he was ready to go.

Seems like we did well getting Jason Bay from Pittsburgh

Hopefully we can turn things around soon and start winning!

Leslie Newbigin

I finally started reading Leslie Newbigin's "The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society." I've heard it referenced so often by people I respect. I bought it last Fall as we began a Bible study in Matthew with a view that was going to be attentive to Matthew's presentation of the "ekklesia," the church. Matthew is the only gospel that uses that word. The following quote is from the chapter, "The Logic of Mission," about halfway through the book:

"I am concerned to explore the question of how the mission of the Church is rooted in the gospel itself. There has been a long tradition which sees the mission of the Church primarily as obedience to a command. It has been customary to speak of "the missionary mandate." This way of putting the matter is certainly not without justification, and yet it seems to me that it misses the point. It tends to make mission a burden rather than a joy, to make it part of the law rather than part of the gospel. If one looks at the New Testament evidence one gets another impression. Mission begins with a kind of explosion of joy. The news that the rejected and crucified Jesus is alive is something that cannot possibly be suppressed. It must be told. Who could be silent about such a fact? The mission of the Church in the pages of the New Testament is more like the fallout from a vast explosion, a radioactive fallout which is not lethal but life-giving. One searches in vain through the letters of St. Paul to find any suggestion that he anywhere lays it on the conscience of his readers that they out to be active in mission. For himself it is inconceivable that he should keep silent. "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Cor. 9:16). But nowhere do we find him telling his readers that they have a duty to do so." (p. 116)

Hopefully, I'll be able to digest the book enough to share more here in the days to come; but following our Sundays on Jesus' "Discourse on Mission" from Matthew 10, I thought this was a wonderful and appropriate paragraph from Newbigin.

2000 yr old seed growing

I loved the palm trees in Israel, they were many and huge.  Check out this story from the Lekarev Report. Israeli Scientists Get 2000 year old Seed to Sprout Israeli scientists have succeeded in getting a 2,000-year-old date  seed to sprout and grow into a palm of a native type that had been extinct for hundreds of years.  The seed - nicknamed Methusaleh after the oldest person in the Bible -was found in the ancient fortress of Masada, on a hilltop in the Judean desert by the Dead Sea where Jewish zealots committed mass suicide to avoid surrender to the Romans in the first century CE.  Project manager Sarah Sallon hopes the palm will prove to be a fruit-bearing female, but that she will know only in a few years time, when the now more than 1.20-meter-tall sprout grows into a palm tree.  If another of the seeds found at Masada can be cultivated and proves to be male, the two trees will be able to reproduce.  Israel, which now grows only imported date species originating from countries like Morocco, Egypt and Iraq, would be able to cultivate its own native kind: the Judean date palm, or Phoenix dactylifera in Latin, hundreds of years after it died out.  It is no surprise therefore that Sallon sounds excited. According to the  first-century Roman author, zoologist and botanist Pliny the Elder, "huge" forests of date palms stretched in his time from the Sea of Galilee in what is now northern Israel to the Dead Sea in the south, she explains.

Mercy prayer

Monday, June 9, 2008

Matthew 9:9-13

I've been saying Morning Prayer (Book of Common Prayer) since the beginning of Lent for my morning devotions.  I felt I needed the structure, especially as I returned from a silent retreat at a Catholic retreat center that first weekend in Lent.  I was helped and reminded there by entering into ancient forms of prayer and liturgy, and not left to my whims and feelings any given morning - which sometimes devolves into minimal Bible reading and prayer on the run.

Anyway, it's been good - though I have started to loosen up on strictly following the form. Morning Prayer begins with some opening sentences from Scripture, then immediately calls us to repentance and confession.  This has been good and important for me.  I have been trying to follow the Ignatian pattern of reflecting on the previous 24 hours with Jesus and confessing and repenting in the process.   

This morning as I began with repentance and confession I remembered the ancient "breath prayer:"

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God

have mercy on me, a sinner.

It's been a while since I've practiced it, but the reason it's sometimes referred to as a breath prayer is that it can be prayed continuously, in fact,  it is encouraged to be done that way in prayer - 

as one breaths in, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God," 

and breaths out, "have mercy on me, a sinner."  

Repeating it over and over in prayer, in a disciplined (and yes, focused) manner.  It can become a "habit."  A way of training oneself to be praying it all through the day.

It can be reduced, as one becomes more familiar with it, 

"Lord Jesus Christ," and 

"Have mercy on me."  

It can even simply become, 

"Jesus.  

Mercy."  

We sang during communion last night, "This is the air I breath..."  

Indeed, may it be so.

"I desire mercy, not sacrifice."

(Hosea 6:6;  Matthew 9:13)

Pastor's Wisdom (John Ortberg)

There's not much I would change in this piece of "Pastor's Wisdom" from John Ortberg (except maybe to add Henri Nouwen to the final line and add, "read and live Nouwen sooner...").

"If I could begin ministry all over again, I would spend time seeking to become a healthier person, emotionally and spiritually. I spent a chunk of time serving in an area where I simply did not fit well, where some of my deepest convictions were not congruent, because I was not self-aware enough to have a clear sense of what I valued and believed. I was stuck in a tradition and setting that was familiar and comfortable, but where I did not feel like I could truly be myself; where I could not really talk about the ideas and beliefs that resonated most deeply in me. And I needed people’s approval too much to be able to serve them well. And my neediness made me too defensive to be able to learn from the criticisms that are inevitably a part of ministry.

If I could start all over again, I would spend more time in solitude getting ready for ministry. I would have spent more time getting feedback from people who knew me best. I would try to walk through the pain of letting go what I thought I needed to do and who it was I thought I needed to be so that I could have served with more freedom and effectiveness. I would try to put less pressure on my wife to be committed to my success, rather than to embrace her own gifts and calling.

I would have read Dallas Willard sooner."

(This is syndicated from Jesus Creed, and written by Scot McKnight.)

Most of this I knew in my head, and tried to live out at various times - but still too much of my value was placed on how well the church was doing (especially compared to other "successful" churches) and not on the baptismal reality / experience of identifying with Jesus in truly dying to self and rising with him, the Father's voice of affirmation and acceptance, and the immersion and saturation and covering of the Spirit of God. That image of Jesus' baptism, Nouwen insisted, must be our pattern. Ministry, and even community, must flow out of that place of knowing we are beloved and that God is well-pleased (that there's nothing God is waiting for us to do to fully rejoice over us) - otherwise we will really screw up both ministry and relationships... trust me, I know.

Blessed are those who hunger...

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.
(Matthew 5:6)


This beatitude is the last of the reversal type, or empty -> filled, type.
It is the fourth of the eight that are similar in form ("Blessed are those who... for they shall ..."). The ninth changes from they/those to you and is longer in form.

Who is this describing? If there is blessing for hungering and thirsting for righteousness, just what is righteousness? I think we sort of assume one answer that is close to moral purity or uprightness or sinlessness. While that concept is part of what the term means, it is much richer and broader than that.

The following comes from The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible:
“Righteousness” can mean:
> to cause to be in right relationship with…
> religious observances or requirements
> to give to those in need as an act of mercy
> the act of doing what God requires

“Righteousness is in the OT the fulfillment of the demands of a relationship, whether that relationship be with men or with God. Each man is set within a multitude of relationships; king with people, judge with complainants, priests with worshipers, common man with family, tribesman with community, community with resident alien and poor, all with God. And each of these relationships brings with it specific demands, the fulfillment of which constitutes righteousness. The demands may differ from relationship to relationship; righteousness in one situation may be unrighteousness in another. Further, there is no norm of righteousness outside of the relationship. When God or man fulfills the conditions imposed upon him by a relationship, he is, in OT terms, righteous.” (p. 80)

“Generally, the righteous man in Israel was the man who preserved the peace and wholeness of the community, because it was he who fulfilled the demands of communal living… thus tzedekah (righteousness) is sometimes correlated with “mercy” (Hosea 2:19). He cared for the poor, the fatherless, the widow (Job 29:12-15; 31:16-19; cf. Deut. 24:13; Prov. 29:7). He gave liberally (Ps. 37:21, 25-26; Prov 21:26), providing also for the wayfarer and guest (Job 31:24-25; Ps 37:16; Prov 16:8).” (p. 81)

Dwight Pryor (Center for Judeo-Christians Studies) and N.T. Wright (Paul) argues that in Romans, when Paul writes that God displays his righteousness which comes through faith in Jesus Christ that he is is saying that God is showing covenant faithfulness to his people; more than the imputation of a legal / judicial standing before God... I think this is similar to N.T. Wright's argument also. Both are based, in part, on the "new perspectives on Paul" articulated by E.P. Sanders (but this important discussion is for another day).

Here are some of the ways that Matthew uses the term:
3:15 – “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”
5:10 – “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
5:20 – “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
6:1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”
6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Interesting to note what this passage is about - what is one of the two principle images or experiences that Jesus uses to make his point here? Don’t worry about what you’ll eat or what you’ll drink.
21:32 “For John came to you in the way of righteousness…”

Righteousness on several levels or spheres –

1. Covenantal right relationship with God individually. This right relationship lived out faithfully in fulfilling the demands of the relationship, with is first of all, faith.
2. But also through a "working" or "living" faith, through God’s will being done in and through me – ie. behavior.
3. Seeking first his kingdom and his righteousness (6:33). That is, that right relationships with God and people, and people with one another, be established in our midst, in our community, our state, our nation, our world.


I think a very important point to be made here is that righteousness is generally and principally NOT just individual or personal.

The term righteousness also can have the sense of "justice” (Colossians 4:1; Hebrews 11:33; Revelation 19:11). Hence the idea could mean, "blessed are those who passionately long for justice in God's world..."

Why do you think Jesus uses this phrase “hunger and thirst for righteousness”? What other terminology could he have used? (eg. “Blessed are those who work for righteousness”)

(see Psalm 107:5-9; 42:2; 63:1; Isaiah 49:10; 55:1-2; Amos 8:11;)

It's not a passive longing, but an active seeking; recognizing that we are painfully deficient in the things essential to life as God meant it to be.

"...for they shall be satisfied."

We find the same term in Matthew 15:32 – the five thousand ate and were “satisfied” (same word). In John 6:35 and Revelation 7:16, we hear of those who will not hunger or thirst any more.

Whether Jesus' blessing is for those who are physically hungry now (Luke 6:21) or those who desperately long for peace and justice in God's world - Jesus promises satisfaction for those disciples of his whose present experience is the deprivation of the good for which God designed his world.

But again, Jesus himself lived out this beatitude, and his passion will transform us as we fix our hearts on it.

> Jesus fasted Matthew 40)
> “I thirst” (John 19:28)
> “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work” (John 4:34), and the context there is “living water” – “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever…” (4:13-14)
> “Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied.” (Isaiah 53:11)

Jesus gave himself to accomplish this righteousness, for us and for the whole world. He will make all things right – and with him those who long for it, who look for it, who pray for it and work for it, who hunger and thirst for it, and who truly eat and drink of his true food and drink, shall indeed be satisfied.

Holocaust Rememrance Day

FYI
the following comes from "The Lekarev Report" (lekarev.org)

Holocaust Memorial Day

Precisely at 10:00 am this morning, sirens blared throughout the entire country of Israel and everyone stopped. Cars on highways and city streets immediately halted, as you see on the right in Jerusalem, drivers stepped out beside their vehicles, lowered their heads and there was absolute silence for two minutes while a nation mourned the loss of six million of its people at the hands of the Nazis in World War II.

During the reading of the names at the Knesset today of those who perished, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Shimon Peres read out the names of family members who were killed in the Holocaust, participating in a Knesset ceremony marking the annual Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day. President Peres - who recited the names of his grandparents - took a moment to speak of his memory of them: "When we said goodbye in the train station, before I left to come to Israel, they gave me just two words - 'be Jewish.'"

Cabinet ministers, MKs and survivors of the World War II Nazi genocide also took part in the state ceremony.

Holocaust Memorial Day is an intensely personal day for Israelis as a very large majority of our citizens lost relatives in the camps of eastern Europe. For those who didn't lose personal family members, the magnitude of the atrocities against our own people staggers the mind and the alarming rise of anti-Semitism across the world at this time gives this day an additional measure of pain and a quiet but very real anxiety.

March of the Living in Auschwitz

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi visited the Warsaw Ghetto and a Jewish cemetery in Poland ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Day, ahead of leading thousands of Jews from around the world today in the annual March of the Living at the Auschwitz concentration camp. It is the first time that an IDF Chief will lead the march.

Ashkenazi visited the Jewish cemetery in Warsaw, Poland to pay his respects to the Jews who died in the Warsaw Ghetto. Ashkenazi stood silent for a few moments and then said: "The answer to what we see here is us, the State of Israel, the IDF and victory."

The Chief met with Jews who continue to live in Poland and visited the Nozyk synagogue. He also visited a memorial to the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, located at the site of the home used as a command center by Mordechai Anielewicz, the local commander of the Jewish uprising against the Nazis.

"In this place Mordechai Anielewicz didn't just hide from the Nazis," Ashkenazi noted, "he also fought. It is fitting that the soldiers of the IDF soldiers learn the story of this uprising. That is why we came to admire and salute the heroes who - despite the realities and balance of power, and the fact that they were untrained civilians - got up and took action and fought. Today we call these principles and moral norms."

"They knew they had no chance of winning, but they fought nevertheless. That is bravery. The importance of victory is a norm for the IDF and a central part of it, alongside remembrance and study of the Holocaust."

Before today's March of the Living, each participant was given the following pledge to recite as well as the words to Hatikva (Israel's national anthemn) and the mourner's Kadish (prayer for mourners). The pledge reads as follows:

"We pledge to keep alive and honor the legacy of the multitudes of our people who perished in the Holocaust.

We pledge to fight anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism, Holocaust denial and all other forms of hatred directed towards the Jewish people and Israel.

We pledge to fight every form of discrimination manifested against any religion, nationality or ethnic group.

We pledge to actively participate in the strengthening of Jewish life in the Diaspora and Israel.

We pledge to increase our knowledge of our Jewish heritage and to pass on a love of Jewish life and learning to the next generation.

We pledge to give tzedaka, to assist in helping the Jewish needy, wherever they may live in the world.

We pledge to involve ourselves in tikkun olam, to build a better world for all members of the human family.

After the Shoah the promise of 'Never Again' was proclaimed. We pledge to create a world where 'Never Again' will become a reality for the Jewish people and, indeed, for all people.

This is our solemn pledge to the Jewish people, to those who came before us, to those of our generation, and to those who will follow in future generations."

Blessed are the meek

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
(Matthew 5:5)

This beatitude may flow out of the previous two... If one is poor in spirit and mourns the brokenness of the world because of sin, one will be meek.

The word here for "meek" (praus) is only used of two people specifically in the Bible: Moses (Numbers 12:3) and Jesus. In fact, this form (adjective) is found only four times in the New Testament, and three of those are in Matthew:

- (Matthew 5:5) "Blessed are the meek"
- (Mathew 11:29) “I am gentle and lowly”
- (Matthew 21:5) “humble, and mounted on a donkey”
- (1 Peter 3:4) to wives, “let your adorning be with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit…”

“Powerless” could also be a good translation (both a condition and an attitude) - which would include the sense of voluntary powerlessness. Meekness does not necessarily mean being weak and vulnerable; it may be so as a voluntary and willful act in the cause of righteousness.

... for they shall inherit the earth

The Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures translates Psalm 37:11 very similarly, translated into English as "the meek shall inherit the earth." The psalm is about the wicked prospering, but those who "wait for the Lord," the "righteous," the "meek" will inherit the land or the earth. “Inherit” can be understood as to possess or acquire.

Again, the context here is the Kingdom. “Theirs is the kingdom” brackets these beatitudes. John and Jesus came preaching the kingdom. I find it interesting that this phrase “inherit the earth” is used in the kingdom context. Kingdoms usually have to do with some sort of territory of earth. Are we to spiritualize this, or is it in some sense to be understood in its plain sense?

We anticipate a new heavens and a new earth, a “new creation.” Jesus doesn’t say “they shall inherit heaven” or even "they shall inherit the kingdom." I have so enjoyed N.T. Wright’s Surprised by Hope, which is a work on resurrection, heaven, and the mission of the church. He argues for "life after life after death." We will be raised from the dead, physically. God's future is a renewed material creation, not disembodied spirits floating around in the clouds. This is a constant theme around the church these days, from Anglican Bishop N.T. Wright, to Presbyterian pastor Tim Keller, to hip independent Mars Hill Bible Church pastor Rob Bell, to the Center for Judeo-Christian Studies teacher Dwight Pryor.

I’m getting a vision of this kingdom thing that Jesus is talking about as a worldwide kingdom, when the earth is renewed and restored. The inheritance we shall obtain is nothing less than the earth, which sounds very similar to God's original mandate to the first man and woman (Genesis 1:26-27).

It will be through meekness, through gentleness and humility. It will not be through the Zealots' sword. It will not be through coercion and domination. Not through human strength, solutions or ingenuity. How did Moses and Jesus bring about their respective kingdoms? Through submission, through meekness, through prayer; and finally, Jesus did so through the cross - the ultimate sign of voluntary weakness. He who enjoyed all power, laid it down, emptied himself of it, and yielded to the ultimate earthly power of the time.

How can we become meek? How can we be like Jesus? As we look to Jesus and meditate on him, on the way he brought about his kingdom, the way he inherited the earth. How he submitted himself to the Father, and how he emptied himself. How he defeated evil and death by entering it and absorbing it and not perpetuating it.

I’m always rather blown away when I do really meditate on the cross, on Jesus hanging there in weakness, bearing my sins in his body. I try to visualize my sins going into his wounds. And he doesn’t retaliate. He doesn’t return evil for evil, sin for sin, violence for violence. It ends there. He forgives. He buries it, forever. This is how Jesus establishes his kingdom. It is how he inherits the earth.

Later, among his final words to his disciples is "All authority in heaven and earth have been given to me. Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations..." Our kingdom mission is to the whole earth, to all nations, over which Jesus has all authority. Perhaps there is a sense in which Jesus inherited the earth is tied up with our going to, and making disciples of, all nations...

I will tell of the decree:
The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession..."
(Psalm 2:7-8)

forty years ago today

On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr., was gunned down while in Memphis supporting a sanitation workers strike. For those interested in learning more about him, the best books on his life are the three part series by Taylor Branch, "Parting the Waters" [1954-1963] (which my Uncle Leo McCabe gave me and which I lost in the flood), Pillar of Fire [1963-1965], and At Canaan's Edge [1965-1968]. I have only read the first, which is a lengthy work by itself. A much shorter, and more personal account, is "The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr." edited by Clayborne Carson.

I will simply include some prayers in remembrance.

Almighty God, by the hand of Moses your servant you led your people out of slavery, and made them free at last; Grant that your Church, following the example of your prophet Martin Luther King, may resist oppression in the name of your love, and may secure for all your children the blessed liberty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

God of our forebears and our God, who has summoned women and men throughout the ages to be thy witnesses and sometimes martyrs for thee, we bow before thee this day in remembrance and thanksgiving for the life and legacy of thy servant, witness and martyr, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We thank thee for his time among us, for his words and for his deeds, and for the quality of his living witness which eases the pain of recalling the brevity of his years. We rejoice in his example of obedient faith and the scenes and stations of his life which inform and enrich our own faith journeys. And we beseech thee this day for the strength, steadfastness and courage not only to remember but also to obey. ( Dr. Randolph Nugent, United Methodist Church - found at Beliefnet.com)

O Guardian of Israel,
Our shelter and shade,
Stir up in us that flame of justice
That Jesus incited on this earth,
That rages in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

O arouse in us
That very flame of righteousness
That enticed Martin
To be a living sacrifice of praise,
To seek freedom for all God's children.

O to you, God, ever faithful and true,
Be glory for ever and ever.
Amen.

(Attributed to J. Glenn Murray, SJ - found at beliefnet.com)

On the Side of the Angels

On the Side of the Angels
by Joseph D'Souza and Ben Rogers

In preparing for a small group at which we will be discussing "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake," I read this book (finally); it was also triggered by reading an article by Ziya Meral, "Bearing the Silence of God," in Christianity Today (March, 2008). Ziya is Turkish, grew up Muslim and became a Christian when he was 17. He works with Christian Solidarity Worldwide, as does Ben Rogers. Our son, Ben, met Ziya at the University of Toronto while attending a summer course on genocide, and has spoken of him often. Ben Rogers has been to Church of the Apostles several times as a guest of Tom and Lisa Yearwood; Ben human rights work focuses on Pakistan, Burma, and Sri Lanka. Lisa told me Sunday of Ziya and Ben Rogers' connection at CSW.

The book is a call to Christians to become advocates for human rights. One of the strengths of the book is its strong emphasis that Christian human rights advocacy is indeed our kingdom mission calling, and that it is not to be aimed just at human rights for Christians, but for all people regardless of their faith. We are to love all our neighbors, and this includes working for freedom, which demands freedom of faith... which means we love our neighbors who freely choose not to be Christians.

In the chapter, "Good and Evil," the authors suggest that perhaps the best description of the kingdom is found in the beatitudes. Then they share that in the book The Lost Message of Jesus, Steve Chalke and Alan Mann "describe the kingdom as 'the in-breaking shalom of God,' available to us all. We often think of shalom as being synonymous with peace, but in fact the word, used many times throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, incorporates 'contentment, health, justice, liberation, fulfilment, freedom and hope' and affects us in every aspect of life - 'socially, economically, spiritually, and politically.'"

In the chapter "Salt and Light," D'Souza and Rogers describe how Christians in India (in particular, the All India Christian Council, of which D'Souza is the president) have stood with and advocated for the rights of both Muslims and Dalit (the continuing untouchable caste). Even after many Dalit chose to convert, not to Christianity, but to Buddhism, Christians supported their right to be free and reaffirmed their love and support for them. They conclude this section with the beatitude, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."

In the chapter "What Next" they speak of our human and Christian responsibility, and requirement, to make a difference, specifically to be advocates for justice. There are two equally valid and interdependent categories of advocacy - private and public forms of advocacy, or described as engagement and protest. They point out it would be difficult for an individual or organization to do both of these.

There are two sets of essential principles to guide efforts on behalf of the oppressed. (1) Pray, protest, and provide. Mostly prayer is private, and protest and provision is public. In the service of advocacy (2) authenticity, aid, and accountability overlap and deepen the first three.

Prayer is first and foremost, especially for Christian human rights advocacy. Brooke prays everyday through a couple of prayer lists provided by International Justice Mission and Voice of the Martyrs. Every year in November we observe the "International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church."

One form of protest that they write persuasively about is letter writing - to officials who are charged with responding to their constituents concerns and to work for the public good, and to those who are suffering injustice (even if they don't receive them, their captors may read the letters). They quote a letter that Francesco Miranda Branco, an East Timorese prisoner of conscience, sent in reply to an activist in the UK:

My brother, God is very kind and just, and he loves us, you and me who believe in Him. We can never feel angry and upset at God when we suffer, because behind all the suffering He has a beautiful surprise for us.

Secondly they discuss demonstration, both in one's own country (basically safe) and in the country where injustice is occurring. [I could not help but think of Martin Luther King. I recently finished reading "The Autobiography of Martin Luther King" (by MLK, Jr, and Clayborne Carson). Of course, it was really more about nonviolent resistance to unjust laws, or the lack of enforcing just laws, but usually in the context of peaceful demonstration.]

In terms of provision they cite time (volunteering with a human rights organization); financial sacrifice; material assistance (books, clothing, medicine, etc.); providing expertise in various fields (law, computer technology, medicine, construction, land mine clearance, agriculture, etc.); or pursuing a career in order to be an influence for advocacy (such as elected office, State Department, the World Bank, or journalism).

Finally, they conclude in the chapters entitled "Never Give Up!" and "Faith in Action" to call for perseverance in serving the Kingdom mission and doing God's will, for integrating faith and action.

"A Christian approach to human rights is distinguished by love. It is not simply about a cause, a political movement, or a philosophy - it is about human relationships, love, and dignity. As Philip Yancey writes,

A political movement by nature draws lines, makes distinctions, pronounces judgment; in contrast, Jesus' love cuts across lines, transcends distinctions and dispenses grace. Regardless of the merits of a given issue... political movements risk pulling onto themselves the mantle of power that smothers love. From Jesus I learn that, whatever activism I get involved in, it must not drive out love and humility, or otherwise I betray the kingdom of heaven" ( in The Jesus I Never Knew). (p. 183-184)

those who mourn

The second beatitude continues this initial theme of emptiness being filled:
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." (Matthew 5:4)

Again, the scene is Jesus speaking directly to his disciples gathered around him, and to the crowd. Just as he spoke to the believing poor, now he speaks to believers who mourn. He comforts those who trust in him and whose hearts are broken by grief and loss - and also those whose trust in him leads to or intensifies this mourning.

He is not speaking of requirements. These are not imperatives, but blessings - pronouncing the blessing of God on what is, and yet drawing us on to imitate him as the Blessed One. The beauty of them has an imperative impact upon us.

We mourn the brokenness and pain brought on by sin, ours and all around us; we mourn the loss of innocence, of joy, and peace. We mourn for those who are abused and for those who abuse. We mourn hardness of heart, and greed, and hate, and insecurity, and fear. And as his disciples we mourn at the cross. Bonhoeffer continues to bring us to the cross in his section on the Beatitudes in "The Cost of Discipleship."

It is very possible that Jesus and/or Matthew has Isaiah 61 in the background here. Isaiah 61 was the passage the Jesus used for his first sermon in Nazareth (Luke 4), and some of the themes addressed there show up here in the beatitudes - and none more than those who mourn being comforted.

1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.
4 They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.

There is mourning in Zion because the righteous suffer, wicked prosper, and God has not acted to reverse the situation. They mourn because their sins have brought this upon them. But one will come anointed with the Spirit of the Lord to heal, set free the captives, proclaim good news to the poor, and comfort those who mourn. What is devastated will be raised up and what is ruined repaired.

Why would the disciples of Jesus mourn?

I think it's for themselves, for one another, and for the world. In just a few verses we will hear "blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake..." So we will mourn the pain and loss we will experience in following Jesus. But we also will mourn our own sins (James 4:9). We may mourn the failures and sins of those to whom we minister (2 Corinthians 12:21).

But I think we will also mourn because God's will is still not being done fully and finally on earth as it is in heaven, and so we are to pray (6:10). We mourn with those who mourn. We mourn with the hungry and the hopeless, with the poor, the persecuted, and the powerless.

Jesus promises that "they shall be comforted." Whereas the first and the eighth say, "theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (present reality, present blessing), this beatitude begins a series of them where the blessing promised is future. The comfort promised for those who mourn perhaps is promised for when the king comes to make all things right.

When we were discussing this in our group, one of the members shared that she was reading Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini's book "Christ Walks Where Evil Reigned." She was very disturbed that a child who was pulled out alive from under his parents massacred bodies, who still mourns and is deeply damaged, does not have, from this beatitude, the promise of comfort here and now.

As we discussed it, we realized that part of our calling in mourning with those who mourn is also to comfort those who mourn. In this way we become a sign of the inbreaking kingdom that does promise healing and hope and fullness when Jesus appears.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

Finally, we see Jesus weeping for his dead friend (John 11), and lamenting a deaf and hardhearted holy city (Matthew 23:27-29). Jesus, who is the Blessed One, mourns the separation, pain and loss caused by sin, sickness and death. And as we watch him and listen to him, as we go to the cross and mourn with him and for him, we see the reality of the devastation and ruin that we have brought on ourselves, those we love, the world, and most of all, on the beautiful, holy Son of God. And yet, rather than retaliate and pour forth the judgment of God on us and cause more grief, he bears it. He continues to reach out his arms to us, he continues to bear the the blows and the crushing weight of abuse and sin and hate, he continues to embrace us, he continues to forgive us. Even on the cross he comforts his mother and his friend; and as he appears to the eleven he says, "Peace." Thanks be to God.