praise for the Messiah

Advent begins in a couple of days. One of my traditions is listening to Handel's Messiah, a lot. I've already started.

I commend it to you. Even if you're not wild about opera like me. (I basically hate opera. I guess Les Miserables is considered opera, and I did like it. ) Anyway, the Messiah is awesome. It's actually called an oratorio.

When I was ordained a priest at the Cathedral of the Advent in Birmingham, I requested the choir (and one of the paid singers) sing "And he shall lead his flock like a shepherd." It was perfect.

It's all about Jesus. the whole thing, over and over.
And it's all Scripture, one after another.

The story goes that Handel locked himself into an attic room or inside a garden temple and had his food brought to him and did not emerge until he had written the whole piece with every part for voice and instrument. Here's some more background from Wikipedia:

> "In the summer of 1741 Handel (age 59), at the peak of his musical prowess but depressed and in debt, began setting Charles Jennens' Biblical libretto to music at his usual breakneck speed. In just 24 days, Messiah was complete."
> "Although the work was conceived and first performed for Easter, it has become traditional since Handel's death to perform the Messiah oratorio during Advent"
> It was premiered during the following season, in the spring of 1742, as part of a series of charity concerts (aiding local hospitals for the mentally ill)"
> "Handel conducted Messiah many times and, as was his custom, often altered the music to suit the needs of the singers and orchestra he had available to him for each performance. In consequence, no single version can be regarded as the "authentic" one."


I'm very thankful for, and blessed by, Handel's Messiah.
All praise and honor and glory and blessing be to Him!!

the peace of Jerusalem, 2

“For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be still, until her righteousness emanates like bright light, and her salvation blazes like a torch.”
Isaiah 62:1

I do not believe that God is finished with Israel, or the Jewish people. I believe God's promises and call to the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob remain. I also believe their hearts are veiled and hardened but that there will be a turning in repentance and faith to the Messiah, and they will be regrafted into the root which is their forefathers. And that will be a great day of salvation. (Romans 9-11)

One of God's promises to the Jewish people is a land. However, that alone is not something that realistically sways, or ought to sway, world or regional politics. But history ought to be. A state for a historically persecuted race is a very good argument. The fact that Israel has not initiated conflict in its 59 years of statehood is (yes, this is true). The fact that the only land that Israel has "seized" has been in conflicts they engaged defensively and maintained land won for their safety and security ought to be acknowledged in world politics. History has been rewritten in a number of ways. And, of course, Islamic Fundamentalism's commitment to eradicate Israel is, or ought to be, a critical issue in world politics.

This is not to say that Israel is guilt-free, I'm not saying that. The settlements in disputed land is one problem, and is wrong. But again, this does not compare in the least to the Arabs trying to take the land prior to and immediately after Israel's declared statehood by the U.N. It does not compare to however many countries' armies massing at their borders in 1967, nor with a surprise attack on Yom Kippur in 1973. And it does not compare morally to terrorism. Period. (Another problem on Israel's side was the war in the spring of 2006 with Lebanon, or rather with Hezbollah entrenched in Southern Lebanon. In principle I don't think it was wrong for Israel to seek to defend itself, but it apparently was disproportionate.)

I'm not necessarily against a Palestinian state at this time. There just ought to be honesty and truthful history.

the Peace of Jerusalem

It's been a while since I've posted here. I have kept up with "The Restoration Project" daily Bible readings if you haven't checked that out. Link.

This picture, as you probably know, is of Jerusalem. It's taken from the Mount of Olives. The wall from left to right near the bottom of the picture is supporting the Temple Mount, a large platform expanded by Herod, to host the Temple and Temple courts. In Jesus' day it was amazingly splendid, one of the wonders of the world. The pretty gold domed building is the Dome of the Rock, a Muslim holy site built over a rock where Mohammad is said to have ascended to visit with God. It's also believed to be the site where Isaac was bound and Abraham passed the test of loving God more than his beloved son. (Muslims have control of the Temple Mount.)

Israel and the Palestinians are in the news again. A handshake, an agreement, a pledge to come up with a peace plan by the end of next year. We really ought to heed King David's call:

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
'May they be secure who love you!
Peace be within your walls
and security within your towers!'"
(Psalm 122:6-7)

This whole topic has been coming up as we've been discussing "Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith" (by Marvin Wilson of Gordon College) and some of Dwight Pryor's teachings (www.jcstudies.com).

Is God finished with the Jewish people and the nation of Israel? Have they been forever cut off because they generally rejected Jesus the Messiah? What about God's promises to Abraham? God's promises to the people through Moses, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah...?

I'll share more over the next week or so (and I definitely do not have the answers, but I do have some thoughts) . For now, let us "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" and the peace and security of all who love her, and her people.

Prayer for First Sunday of Advent

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Collect for Thanksgiving

Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Noah's covenant and us

We talked last Tuesday night about what are called the Noachide Laws, or the Laws for all mankind, given through God's covenant with Noah. In the text in Genesis, there are only a couple of commands that God gives: basically don't murder, and don't eat the flesh with the blood in it. The rabbis developed this, and articulated seven laws that they said were general laws concerning all humanity. They were:

1. Do not murder.
2. Do not steal.
3. Do not worship false gods.
4. Do not be sexually immoral.
5. Do not eat a limb removed from a live animal.
6. Do not curse God.
7. Set up courts and bring offenders to justice

(You can google this and get lots of good info. such as:
"The U.S. Congress officially recognized the Noahide Laws in legislation which was passed by both houses. Congress and the President of the United States, George Bush, indicated in Public Law 102-14, 102nd Congress, that the United States of America was founded upon the Seven Universal Laws of Noah, and that these Laws have been the bedrock of society from the dawn of civilization. They also acknowledged that the Seven Laws of Noah are the foundation upon which civilization stands and that recent weakening of these principles threaten the fabric of civilized society, and that justified preoccupation in educating the Citizens of the United States of America and future generations is needed. For this purpose, this Public Law designated March 26, 1991 as Education Day, U.S.A.")

What's really interesting about this to me is that it is very likely that when the Jerusalem council in Acts 15 came together to decide what should be required of the Gentiles who were coming to Christ, whether they should formally become Jews or not through circumcision, they very likely discussed and reflected in their decision these Noachide Laws.

Also, in Jesus' day, it had been determined by the sages that for the sake of life (that is threatened life) one could break all the commandments except commit idolatry, immorality, or murder. This too may be what's reflected in the Jerusalem council's decision.

These laws are similar to the Ten Commandments, but with some obvious differences. I just think it's amazing that the Jerusalem Council would be so sensitive and concerned with how to include the Gentiles in this move of God that they didn't even instruct them (us) to observe the big Ten. Their graciousness toward the Gentiles eventually led to the tension and fueled the split between the synagogue and the church. Their point wasn't so much to enforce laws, of course, but the way of Jesus who is the embodiment of all we are to be and do.

4th Day Confession of Faith

Here's Lancelot Andrews' Confession of Faith for the 4th day:

I believe in the Father's lovingkindness;
in the Almighty's saving power;
in the Creator's providence for guarding, ruling, perfecting the universe;

in Jesus, for salvation;
in Christ, for the anointing of His Holy Spirit;
in the only begotten Son, for adoption;
in the Lord, for His care as our Master;
in His conception and birth, for the cleansing of our unclean conception and birth;
in His sufferings endured that we, whose due they were, might not suffer;
in His cross, for the curse of the law removed;
in His death, for the sting of death taken away;
in His burial, for endless corruption in the tomb ended;
in His descent, whither we ought, that we might not go;
in His resurrection, as the first fruits of them that sleep;
in His ascension, to prepare a place for us;
in His sitting, to appear and intercede for us;
in His return, to take unto Him His own;
in His judgment, to render to every man according to his deeds;


in the Holy Ghost, for power from on high,
transforming unto sanctity
from without and invisibly
yet effectually and evidently;
in the Church, a body mystical
of those called out of the whole world
into a commonwealth of faith and holiness;
in the communion of saints, members of this body,
a partaking with one another of holy things,
for assurance of the remission of sins,
for hope of resurrection and translation to life everlasting.