Month: November 2012

Text: Isaiah 51:4-6
Date: The Last Sunday of the Church Year (Proper 29) + 11/25/12

Instant replay: We have spent this liturgical year hearing the whole story of the gospel once again of the gift of God’s salvation, this year “Through the Eyes of the Prophets.”[1] Isaiah, mighty seer in days of old, spoke to us words of Advent hope, supplemented by a short comment by the prophet Nathan to King David (2 Sam 7), concerning God’s coming salvation and its arrival in the nativity of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, son of David, the Son of God (Is 64; 40; 61). The initial broadcast of the Christmas gospel came through the Epiphany light shining through the prophets Moses (Gen 1:1-5; Dt 18), Eli and Samuel (1 Sam 3), Jonah of all people (Jonah 3), Isaiah (Is 40), and the author of first and second Kings (2 Kings 5; 2). Then we were led to and through the Lenten temptation and teaching, and the Great and Holy Week suffering, passion and death of our Lord through the eyes again of Moses (Gen 22; 17; Ex 20; Num 21) and Jeremiah (31). Isaiah blew the fanfare of Easter for us (Is 25) whereupon St. Luke picked up the story of the first days of the resurrection community, the Holy Christian Church (Acts 4; 3; 8; 10; 1). After 50 days arose the prophet Ezekiel who likened the Pentecost sending of the Holy Spirit to a valley of dry bones being rejuvenated and given life (Ezek 37). Finally, Isaiah’s call by the Thrice-Holy Lord of Hosts led us into the long green season, which we today conclude. In this season, since last June, we’ve heard, in order of appearance (without repeating), Moses, Ezekiel, Job, Jeremiah, Amos, 1 Kings, Solomon, and Daniel. Continue reading “My Salvation Will Be Forever”

Text: Daniel 12:1-3
Date: Pentecost XXV (Proper 28) + 11/18/12

As the Church calendar comes to a close each year the scripture readings point to the last things, the doctrine of the Last Day, the day of judgment, what you confess every Sunday that you “look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.” We need to hear about the doctrine of the Day of Resurrection because we increasingly need the encouragement to persevere in faith. We need that encouragement to persevere because every year we are closer to that Day than ever. And, while popular TV preachers try to paint a promising, hopeful picture of “your best life now,” the Bible warns that the last days will be characterized not by progress and happiness but by increasing trouble, tribulation and distress. While many churches seek to emphasize a positive, dare I say “happy” worship experience, the only truly helpful (and “joyful”!) thing is when the Church acts as a moral and cultured force in society, calling sin “sin,” and being about the dispensing of the forgiveness of sins and the true hope of eternal life through the gospel of the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Son of God. When Jesus spoke of the signs of the Last Day He drew His followers’ attention to what has been written in the scriptures including our reading today from the prophet Daniel. This text will help us take a realistic attitude to life and faith in this sinful world with the increasing hope of final victory in The Day of Resurrection. Continue reading “The Day of Resurrection”

Text: 1 Kings 17:8-16
Date: Pentecost XXIV (Proper 27) + 11/11/12

Jesus praised a poor widow’s offering as being proportionately more than even the large sums the rich people were giving in the temple, implying a greater faith, love and thanksgiving to God. Elijah was sent to a poor Gentile widow to receive sustenance for his journey. The similarity of the two stories would seem to be only in that the central character in each was a poor widow. But that which really ties the two stories together is God’s care and blessing even through seemingly meager resources. When it comes to the big picture of life it’s even worse. On our own we have no resources and yet we have a loving God who supplies us with forgiveness, life and salvation and everything we need solely out of His love for us as a wonderful gift in spite of, and even because of our impoverishment. This is what is behind St. Paul’s statement sung in today’s Alleluia Verse from Second Corinthians—“You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9). The prophet Elijah was called to represent the one true God who is the source of all life and the God of all comfort and salvation from sin and death. Continue reading “The Widow's Offering”