Idolatry in the USA?

Think Idolatry is a Thing of the Past?

The story goes that as Moses tarried on the mountain, the people soon grew impatient with a God you cannot see, hear, touch or feel. So they made a Golden Calf for themselves, they made a god like the other nations roundabouts had. It was very tangible indeed. (Exodus 32)

If we were to read the Biblical narrative aright, we would notice a clear and present bias on behalf of the poor. In the one unmistakable moment of social gospel in Matthew, Jesus indicates that the nations would be judged by the way in which the least among the people would be treated. These words hold are a stunning moral imperative for any nation.

“Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;³⁵for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” ³⁷Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” ⁴⁰And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25)

I am puzzled and perplexed by what appears to be a profound disconnect between all the clamor of what passes for religion in America, when what is really being preached is a belief in the Almighty Dollar. The poor are blamed for being poor. They are lazy and shiftless and deserve their plight. All the while the rich are fleecing their pockets, the super-rich and the multi-nationals pay little or no taxes. Jobs are shipped overseas, and the jobs that are left in the public sector are falling to the scythe of budget cuts. In the meantime any attempt to ask the rich, the super-rich and the multi-nationals to share in the tax burden, is spurned by folks who use the name of God to fleece the pockets of the rich.

This while Mary sings her song;

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty. (Luke 1:46ff.)

Folks this is not just beautiful poetry. This is the very Dream of God; it is when the poor are lifted up and the rich are sent empty away. I think that's a bit harsh. I'd settle for just plain justice. But as it turns out, the rich have never been well known for their generosity, with some very notable exceptions, like Warren Buffet for instance; who is calling for a more just tax code.

So I submit this proposition to you. Given the biblical bias for the poor who are the atheists in a more contemporary sense? Are they the ones who, in human compassion call out for the needs of the poor, the homeless or the naked, or are they the ones who turn their backs on human need and suffering?

I know an atheist when I see one. I know the Almighty Dollar when I see it. I know that it is not the use of the name of Jesus that makes anyone Christian, it is rather the way we treat the least of these. For when we treat the poor with compassion we treat all of humanity so; and that is the Dream of God. For when you treat humanity with compassion, we also touch the heart of God.

Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him. Peter claimed he did. If that is so, Jesus insisted, also three times, then "Feed my sheep!" (John 21).

I know an atheist when I see one. It is not the one who denies God's existence. It is rather the one who turns his/her back on the poor. As Jesus himself rather pithily put it at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount; "Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my father in heaven." (Matthew 7.21)

Folks I'll take a secular humanist who cares for the poor any day, over a so-called "christian" who turns his back on suffering and poverty.

I also know idolatry when I see it. It is something you can feel, touch, see; it is the Almighty Dollar and the bottom line. Compassion, love, generosity and forgiveness are a much tougher sell.

I know an atheist when I see one.

Fr. Paul

Butterflies and Baptisms

Stunning Beauty!

It was a pleasant summer day for a drive into the Berkshires. There in a town called South Deerfield is a place called "Magic Wings". It is a butterfly conservatory and I took a number of shots there of some of the most beautiful creatures on the planet. It was an enchanting experience. Quiet New Age Music, butterflies flitting about, and flowers and fountains all making a quiet tribute to the beauty there is all around us every day.

It is no wonder that the early Christians selected a butterfly to be the symbol for the resurrection. It is interesting to note that such an everyday event like a grub becoming a chrysalis, and then emerging as a beautiful butterfly became a symbol for baptism and the resurrection.

The early Christian church understood that what God was looking for from the human family was a total change and not just "membership". For faith to take root, there needs to be a total renewal, a "metamorphosis" of the nature of human nature itself.

This is not just a few drops of water on the forehead. This, like a butterfly, a whole new way of being.

We were really enchanted by the butterfly conservatory. We wandered transfixed by beauty and silence. How like God to evoke in us a sense of the holy in just such a way. How awesome is life. We wander transfixed by the magnificent dimensions of the many moments we experience.

If we want to absorb it in in all its fullness, we will be much more than a common grub, or even something cooped up in a cocoon.

We will emerge at some point into what we were meant to become. We are meant to be "something beautiful for God".

Fr. Paul

Dead Sea Scrolls

Dead Sea Scrolls Online

One of the most exciting discoveries of modern biblical scholarship was the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Containing 972 of some of the oldest texts known to exist from scripture were found at the site on the Dead Sea between 1947 and 1956. Now the materials have been published online

Take your choice of Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek. Any of those languages. They have been translated into English for those who are limited to the last few hundred years of human experience. The passages give us an amazing window into the ancient world, its thought, its faith, and its practice. It tells us much about the Essenes, a community Jesus may well have known about; some go so far as to say he may have been taught there.

Whatever the case, happy trails for those of you wishing to take a look into the Ancient Near Eastern World.

And then there is the literature itself. Here's a favorite passage from the Servant Songs of Isaiah. God's word does not return empty. The servant may suffer, there may be a national calamity, such as the one Isaiah and his people faces in the Babylonian Captivity. But God's word endures for ever.

Here is an example of beautiful Biblical poetry;

10 The Second Song of Isaiah Quaerite Dominum
Isaiah 55:6-11

Seek the Lord while he wills to be found; *
call upon him when he draws near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways *
and the evil ones their thoughts;
And let them turn to the Lord, and he will have compassion, *
and to our God, for he will richly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, *
nor your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, *
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

For as rain and snow fall from the heavens *
and return not again, but water the earth,
Bringing forth life and giving growth, *
seed for sowing and bread for eating,
So is my word that goes forth from my mouth; *
it will not return to me empty;
But it will accomplish that which I have purposed, *
and prosper in that for which I sent it.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Rainbow Marriage

God set a rainbow in the clouds for a sign to all humanity of a covenant between us and God. It is a thing of great beauty. All the colors of the spectrum are present in the rainbow. Many of us see it as a sign that God's love is inclusive in ever widening circles of compassion.

Speaking of God's love and human love, there is a teaching of Jesus about marriage that is certainly provocative. It is this:

"Some Pharisees came to him, and to test him they asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?’ He answered, ‘Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning “made them male and female”, and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh”?So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’ They said to him, ‘Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?’ He said to them, ‘It was because you were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but at the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery.’

His disciples said to him, ‘If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.’ But he said to them, ‘Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.’" ~Matthew 19

This is one of the most interesting passages in the Gospels. Jesus teaches his disciples about marriage and divorce, and suddenly he veers off into a totally unrelated subject about eunuchs. What in the world does that have to do with marriage? Or does it?

We can only imagine. Whatever Jesus is teaching, we do know this; not everyone can accept it. This passage cannot be easily dismissed. Eunuchs are common in the ancient Near Eastern world. The practice of castration for any number of reasons is widespread.

But what of the ones who are born "that way"? And what of the ones born that way who love others born "that way". Explain that to me.

Here it is now in black and white. Explain to me why Jesus goes to these lengths to embrace those "born that way"? Why, when he is teaching about marriage does he say that this teaching is so difficult for humanity to accept?

The fact is Jesus reaches out to all the outcasts; and specifically those distanced from the Temple by the Levitical Law code; such as prostitutes, lame, blind, tax collectors, and other unclean sorts. Leviticus specifically distances maimed sorts like eunuchs. Jesus contradicts that law code by his very life and in this particular teaching, by indicating that eunuchs can make themselves so for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. How remarkable!

Dare we say that Jesus is teaching us something about eunuchs we don't want to hear? Jesus didn't shy away from confrontation and controversy. So when he finds himself besieged by biblical literalists who press him for his thoughts on marriage, he describes an ethic of uncompromisingly high standards.

Then the disciples are bewildered and wonder why anyone should marry at all if these impossible standards are set in a manner that is so uncompromising.

Then, in an instant we find Jesus teaching something else difficult to accept.

Marriage is a covenantal relationship. Many heterosexual folks establish such relationships; some don't. Many gay folks have covenantal relationships that last a lifetime, some don't. Here is a controversy for you; when Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, do you suppose he died for those who love one another in fulfillment of Jesus' own command of whatever orientation?

The rainbow is a very beautiful thing. It is a sign of a covenant between God and his people. Jesus expects God's people to keep that covenant with God by keeping a covenant with one another. In this provocative scripture do you see what I see? Another rainbow in the clouds where all people may keep the covenant they make with one another!

Blessings on us one and all,

Fr. Paul

A Prayer of Trust~Thomas Merton

Here's a fine prayer. Many know it well. I shared it earlier today with a friend. I share it now with you. Thomas Merton is a favorite, I know he is a favorite of many. Have a glorious and joy-filled day.

Fr. Paul

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

Announcing a cure for depression!!!

When a priest is "installed" as the rector of a church, s/he is required to say this prayer;

O Lord my God, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; yet you have called your servant to stand in your house, and to serve at your altar. To you and to your service I devote myself, body, soul, and spirit. Fill my memory with the record of your mighty works; enlighten my understanding with the light of your Holy Spirit; and may all the desires of my heart and will center in what you would have me do. Make me an instrument of your salvation for the people entrusted to my care, and grant that I may faithfully administer your holy Sacraments, and by my life and teaching set forth your true and living Word. Be always with me in carrying out the duties of my ministry. In prayer, quicken my devotion; in praises, heighten my love and gratitude; in preaching, give me readiness of thought and expression; and grant that, by the clearness and brightness of your holy Word, all the world may be drawn into your blessed kingdom. All this I ask for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

When I stand at the altar, or sit in the church in a quiet moment these words come back to me. This prayer of oblation reminds us that it is not so much what God does for us that is critical, it is what we do for God and more especially what we do for God's people that matters more.

This wondrous prayer is a constant reminder that there is so much to do. This is not a duty. This is a joy. Remembering that just being alive is a gift, we cannot help but think that it is in the giving of life to others that great joy is to be found.

Depression is the common cold of the modern world. So is anxiety. I, no less than you, am subject to fits of depression and anxiety, but the best way I know to shake it off is to remember to give away all that I have; not of my money but of my life. This kind of giving is the greatest joy of my life, and is so easily forgotten. A prayer like the one above puts it all back in perspective. It is a wonderful prayer full of grace.

Best of all it is not just for ordained sorts like me, it is for the priesthood of all believers, folks of every way of life, believer and non believer alike, churchman and non-churchman as well. Give your life for others, and you will have joy; boundless joy!

Fr Paul

So let me pose this question; "Good Friday"?

My father died at Christmas when I was a boy. I was sent to church and prayed that prayer; "Our Father who art in Heaven." I looked up into the church's clerestory and saw beauty and art and stained glass windows. I saw light refracted from the sun to bathe lovely wooden pews in an opalescent light. But I did not see God and worse still, I did not see my dad.

When we got to Good Friday, and I saw what they did to Jesus, I couldn't help but ask somewhere deep in my soul and often right out loud to Sunday School teachers and clergy; "How can you call this Friday "Good"?

There were no satisfying answers.

Today I am praying for Peter. He was killed in a motorcycle accident. He was 44, and leaves a young bride and two boys 8 and 6. Barbara just found out that she has lung cancer, and that sounds very serious. Charlie went blind in one eye, his face went into paralysis, he could not walk without assistance. All this on "Good" Friday.

My dad is dead, so is Jesus, and the millions more suffer like Jesus suffers on the cross. I myself have just come through a bout with prostate cancer and on it goes.

So how is any of this "Good"?

When my father died, religious folk said he could not go to heaven because he did not go to church. The non religious folk in my family were much more merciful. They just said he was dead. Period. The religious people wanted him to serve time in purgatory, or worse still in a place where there is much discomfort for ever.

Thank God I'm not religious. Thank God my family isn't either. My grandmother on the other hand was religious in a different kind of way. She was a storyteller, a grand storyteller, who could take a narrative from scripture, twinkle up here eyes, hold your attention with all the dramatic flair of a Shakespearean actress. She told me the story one night of the Call of Samuel (1 Samuel 3). She looked me in the eye when she said "The young boy Samuel did not yet know God". She looked right at me. She did not have to read the text. She knew it by heart.

Something caught me then and there. Later I asked her if God could really call a young boy into the ministry, and she merely hugged me.

Not long after that, coming home from church one clear and sunny summer's day, I sauntered home in wonder as I often did about life and death, and as I squeezed a leaf between my nails from a city hedge, it was as if there was a voice within my heart that seemed to say; "Don't you know there's a special place in my love for your dad? I stopped dead in my tracks. I listened to that silence more closely and it said the same thing again. Then I gave it a voice and said it right out loud. "Don't you know there's a special place in my love for your dad?"

I ran home as fast as I could. I burst into the kitchen where "Ma" as we called her was stirring up a recipe for her family.

"Ma is there a God?"

"Of course there is," she answered simply and as a matter of fact.

"Is there a heaven?"

Somewhat irritated by this sudden onslaught of mundane theology, she said, "Of course there is."

Then daring to pose a somewhat more difficult question, I asked her this; "Is my daddy there?" I knew what she thought of the Irish. They ruined Boston, and my mom too apparently. She didn't think much of the Italians either and I ended up marrying one contrary to her wishes.

She hesitated, but then she said something I shall never forget. In fact I can still feel her embrace and even smell her, and feel her hair as it brushed up against me when she held me in the nape of her neck and said; "Of course he is."

My heart leaped for such joy then as it still does. Imagine! Some day I will see my dad again, and we can go for a ride in his brand new 1951 Chevrolet (that how long ago all this happened).

So I became a priest. I wanted as many people as possible to know what I knew.

There is a special place in God's love for you and all those you love both here and forevermore.

Over time I understood that this Friday is "Good".

I have been a priest for 38 years. Hundreds upon hundreds of Baptisms, Marriages, Holy Unctions, Funerals and Sunday after Sunday lively proclamations of God's Good News!

I fought for civil rights, gender equality and the emerging inclusive church.

I fought for the poor, the hungry and the homeless and built a homeless shelter, helped battered women and abused families find shelter. I expanded a soup kitchen and a food pantry. I fought against injustices of all sorts and I collaborated with hundreds and thousands of those who fought side by side with me.

There's lots of Good in that and it all started because Jesus died. My dad died. And God spoke in the silence of the human heart. "Don't you know there's a special place in my heart for the love of YOU!"

Mass Rally at the Lincoln Memorial on Labor Day

Mass Rally at the Lincoln Memorial

Every State House, City/Town Hall in America

Labor Day, 2011

THE KING’S BEACH STATEMENT

by

PAUL B. BRESNAHAN

I wrote this statement last Spring as I looked down the long barrel of class warfare being waged against us. I'm in this for the long haul. We need to be clear about where we stand. What I list below is a reasonable set of demands. What is not reasonable is that we should carry the rich on 10% unemployment, working for $5 an hour, with no health insurance, no vacation, and then having them takes our homes away. 
We may or may not do it this time, but momentum is building. Eventually we, working class, middle class, first responders, teachers, etc. will all see that we are all on the same side. 
I only hope it is not too late.


Preamble:

From Cairo to Wisconsin the people have taken to the streets to demand justice. The grinding poverty under which too many of us are living has caused enough pain and we will join in solidarity with all those who are suffering to hold a GENERAL STRIKE ON MARCH 21st. SPRING BREAK FOR THE AMERICAN WORKER!

We labor for wages that cannot support a family, while the super-rich are giving themselves billions in bonus money. The corporate machine lays us off and the government cuts our jobs, and now they even want to take away collective bargaining. They want to take away a hard won health care victory, they want to take away our homes, they want to take away our social security, and cut medicaid all for the sake of lower taxes for the rich. They have no idea of the pain they inflict upon the poor and the worker and now even on the middle class.

It is time for us to gather on Labor Day at the Lincoln Memorial, every State House in the Union, every City/Town Hall and let them know we mean business. They saved the skins of the Financial Giants because they were too big to fail. They saved the Giant Corporations like GM for the same reason. So what about us? What about the 90% of America who are on the brink because of the excesses of Wall Street? BUDGET CUTS=JOB CUTS. NO! HELL NO!

HERE IS WHAT WE DEMAND!

1. Jobs and Job Security

We demand full employment. Unemployment Bureau is a misnomer. It should be THE EMPLOYMENT BUREAU. Unemployment insurance should then be EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE. The government shall be the employer of last resort.

We demand that all teachers, police, fire and EMT’s be rehired and that we beef

up education and public safety. It is a matter of national security! We cannot afford not to do this at the very least.

THERE SHALL BE UNION REPRESENTATION IN ALL WORKPLACES. The workers shall elect representatives from the workforce who will negotiate on behalf of the worker. THAT'S CALLED COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.

No more layoffs or terminations without a review of elected workforce representation. Grievances shall be brought to the same representatives for mediation and negotiation. WE INSIST ON UNION PROTECTION FOR THE AMERICAN WORKER.

Figure out how to bring our jobs home again. We want to buy American made products again.

2. Wages

We demand an immediate doubling of the minimum wage.

We demand an immediate increase of 20% of all wages under $100,000. You can figure out how to pay for that but you can begin with a super-tax on the super-rich.

And we want another 20% bonus for our work too on November so we can spend it on Black Friday and pump up the economy. They’ve been giving themselves billions in bonuses while we were losing our jobs and suffering from cutbacks, and losing our homes. You owe us!

3. Universal Health Care

We have fought long and hard for healthcare. It is unconscionable that in this country anyone should be deprived of good health care. Now you want to take away this modest advance on behalf of millions of folk in this nation! NO! We demand healthcare. We’re willing to negotiate how to pay for it. But we demand it and we demand it now. Hands off heath care!

4. Two Year Moratorium on Foreclosures

You made a huge mess and we bailed you out (Banks & Mortgage Companies, Finance Institutions.) Now its your turn to bail us out. No more foreclosures for two years while we secure the American worker with good jobs and good pay. Then you better be ready to cut a deal, or its back to the streets!

5. Three Weeks Paid Vacation

You keep preaching to us about family values. I’ll tell you about family values. We want a minimum of three weeks paid vacation, two weeks annual allowance for illness, and five personal days a year. We cannot afford what you have. The least you can do for us is give us time with those we love. Then, as a bonus we'll take four weeks after five years working for you.

6. Quit picking on Gay Folks! Quit the bullying! Quit the threats on Obama and the Liberals! IN CASE YOU HADN’T NOTICED THE GREAT AMERICAN EAGLE CANNOT FLY WITHOUT BOTH WINGS. YOU NEED US AND WE NEED YOU. WE WON’T FIGURE THIS OUT UNLESS WE DO THIS TOGETHER.

Paul Bresnahan is a semi-retired Episcopal Priest living in Lynn, Massachusetts.

An Open Letter to Patrick Kennedy

An Open Letter to Patrick Kennedy and Other Catholics

On the Occasion of his Excommunication

Dear Mr Kennedy et al,

According to news reports your bishop has asked you not to receive communion. I find that utterly amazing. I wouldn’t normally “but in” to a matter like this but Rome has taken it upon itself to invite Anglicans and Episcopalians to “come on over” if they find themselves uncomfortable with our stand on the ordination of women and gays within the church’s leadership. As a consequence we now find ourselves in the unpleasant posture of “butting” into each other’s pastoral bailiwick. Therefore I write to you as one parish priest from a small city in Massachusetts.

It seems to me that Jesus fed the 5000 on the hillsides of Galilee without checking anyone’s orthodoxy with regard to religious practice at the time. None of them were Catholics or even Episcopalians. Most were Jews, just like Jesus. There were very likely Samaritans and Gentiles among the crowd and Jesus did not seem to mind if all came to be fed by the bountiful Goodness of God. I cannot imagine that anyone would ask another person of faith to refrain from receiving of that very Goodness especially when trying your level best to care alike for rich and poor, black and white, male and female, gay and straight and all the other folk some will “categorize” into these convenient little pharisaical boxes. Jesus went out of his way; it seems to me, to seek out the very outcasts that “religious” folk sought to exclude.

On the matter of abortion, the Roman Church certainly has a right to maintain its point of view and to do so with all due diligence. But sincere people of faith may also find themselves differing on these matters. I, for instance, would be loathe to go back to the time when women found themselves seeking out dangerous, unclean and illicit procedures from shady characters as my mother did many years ago before this procedure became legal. Forcing women to carry children to full term is just another form of tyranny and oppression. I am told that the fellow in my mother’s case promised to love her on that night the two of them got frisky. He broke that promise when she reported to him that the proverbial rabbit died. He abandoned her. Many men do the same in similar situations today. I would speak vigorously for a woman’s right to choose what to do with her own body particularly when so many seek to exploit and abuse women with impunity. We still refuse to guarantee equal pay for equal work. My mom worked in payroll back in the 50’s, and was distressed at pay inequities way back then. My dad was dead and she was our “breadwinner”. Things haven’t changed much for women since then. May God bless you for speaking up for these women and their families.

On another level, though, I am deeply concerned about Rome’s moral outrage over abortion when it does not seem to be matched by her moral outrage at the abuse of the children we already have on the planet. What of their medical needs; their hunger; their safety from the hands of those who would exploit them sexually and otherwise inside and outside the church? Where is the church’s moral outrage for the living breathing children we have right in front of our eyes. If you have to pick a single issue, why not pick advocacy on behalf of those children we need to love and care about NOW!!!

I am sorry that your bishop has asked you not to receive communion. I know that you are resourceful enough to find a priest who will be only too glad to minister to you of the Goodness of God without regard to the bishop’s directive. But now that Rome has dropped the gauntlet, allow me to simply say that EVERYONE is WELCOME at God’s table in the Episcopal Church. Period.

This comes to you with my sincerest prayers that your bishop and the bishop of Rome will rethink some of these matters. Women, gay folk and the rest of us are awaiting a “kinder, gentler” faith,


Father Paul B. Bresnahan,
Semi-retired Priest-in-Charge
St Gabriel's, Douglassville, PA

An Invitation to an Invlusive Church-II

This post is only slightly different than the previous one, and is the precise language I used in a sermon I gave October 25 at 8 and 19 am.

An Invitation to an Inclusive Church

The curious fellow in our Gospel lesson today Mr. Bartimaeus, was blind; he was a blind beggar and the louder he screamed for Jesus’ mercy, the more sternly he was warned to hold his tongue. There are many forms of blindness, but as I see it, the blindness of an exclusive faith is perhaps the most profound blindness of all. Thus I can hold my tongue no more than the blind beggar can, because there is something that I can see that I need to share with anyone who will listen. It is not every day that a priest gets to preach to a wider audience than his own congregation, so let me say what is on my heart today.
We have now received an invitation from Catholicism to return to the Mother Church. For those unhappy over The Anglican/Episcopal Church’s “liberal” stance on the ordination of gays and their inclusion in our leadership and membership, there is room in Rome. For those unhappy about the ordination of women, there is spiritual refuge in the purview of the Holy See. Curiously enough, the church that brings you celibacy, will allow married Anglican/Episcopal Church clergy to return as well.
I must respectfully decline that invitation. While I am only one Episcopal Priest, and retired to boot, I find it a curiosity that this invitation comes as it does at a time when it is becoming more apparent than ever that folk are just folk; whether gay or straight, male or female, rich or poor, black or white and so on. How startling that something as obvious as this would be such a matter of controversy. Alas, this is not the first time when the church has been a safe refuge for bigotry. (sorry for the harsh language; but I cannot find another word for the behavior) It is no wonder that so many people have abandoned churches of all denominations. Our squabbles seem very small-minded especially when we review all the urgent issues of the day. No wonder indeed why so many opt out of “organized religion” even at a time when spiritual hunger runs so deep.
Even in Biblical material we are “one in Christ” as the blessed Apostle put; it without respect to classification by sex, gender, orientation, class, or ethnicity. In his very own words, he put it this way, “for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26-28)
This is not at root a liberal/conservative issue it is a biblical one. It has its traditional dimensions as well. For instance, we figured out 600 years ago that it is a good idea to allow the clergy to marry. This is a splendid way to channel clerical libidinal energy. It is no assurance of rectitude, but the instances of clergy misconduct are far more likely to be held in check if there is a marriage within which to practice intimacy than if there is celibacy with no such outlet. Terrible things can happen to a church with celibacy as the only libidinal outlet as we well know, and the Anglican/Episcopal Church figured that out a long, long time ago.
The great question before us is this; are we a house of prayer for all people or not? Jesus made it clear by his courage in seeking out the lame, the halt, the blind (like our friend Bartimaeus), the prostitute, the tax collector, the leper and all the other outcasts that his church was to be a house of prayer for all people. This he did when he overturned the tables in the Temple in a radical revolution that continues to reverberate throughout the church.
There was a special place in his heart too for the “eunuchs” of his time. I wonder what he meant by the following startling saying; But he said to them, "Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can." (Matthew 19:11-12) You can define that term as you like, but they clearly were not a threat to folks of the opposite sex. There is considerable evidence that when the biblical material refers to “eunuchs” we were talking of folks whose interests lay with folks of the same sex. We now refer to this group as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgendered, LGBT for short. And isn't it interesting to note that even Jesus realized that there were those who would find this teaching a hard one to accept. The radical love of Jesus is often hard to take because it includes our enemies.
I believe that Jesus stood up for this crowd too as he stood up for us all, and I am convinced that is why they put him to death on the cross. Jesus was not a liberal. He merely loved everyone! That’s why God died. That’s why God is Risen. That’s why God will come again!
Therefore, I would like to extend an invitation to all you fine folks who have wondered all along why Rome won’t allow her priests to marry. You might find an Episcopal Church to your liking. We have bishops, priests and deacons, and the sacraments to boot, and the clergy can marry and all of us have to have background checks from an outside agency to be sure that we can comfortably call ourselves a “safe church” for children and others. We also figured out that women could take their place at the highest places of the church as bishops, priests, and deacons. Our Presiding Bishop is Katharine Jefferts Schori! Now we are more and more convinced that ordination and membership transcends sexual orientation as well. There are those who differ with us and cite passages in Leviticus and Paul that prescribe such a teaching.
I can cite passages in the Gospel, in Paul, in the Prophets that support a much more compassionate and loving interpretation on the faith tradition. Why anyone would use the bible to exclude people because of gender and orientation is puzzlement to me. But race, was used at another time to justify slavery and the bible has been used to thwart scientific advance as well. The same folks who want to exclude gays refused to look into Galileo’s telescope for about 600 years as well. Many still refuse Darwin's help in advancing us toward fuller understanding of the nature of human nature. They refuse to encourage scientific advancement in stem cell research that could help lead to important cures for so many diseases and ease human suffering. You can add to the list as your leisure.
So, by way of rejoinder to Rome, and some others who have parted company with us; allow me to invite you here; namely to the Episcopal Church; “A House of Prayer for All People”. We have lost quite a few members because of our love for the outcast. So there is plenty of room in most of our churches. More importantly there is plenty of room in God’s heart for you here too. The church has sent out too many chilly messages lately. The church has said terrible thing to gay folk and women. I thought you might like to hear one that proclaims the Good News of God in Christ...the news of a loving compassionate and inclusive church.
I would preach the Gospel today. God loves you and so do I…no exceptions. “We are a house of prayer for all People”…no exceptions, period. And so my friend Bartimaeus, I hope you can see now. Jesus said; Go in peace, your faith has made you well.

An Invitation to an Inclusive Church

We have now received an invitation from Catholicism to return to the Mother Church. For those unhappy over The Anglican/Episcopal Church’s “liberal” stance on the ordination of gays and their inclusion in our leadership and membership, there is room in Rome. For those unhappy about the ordination of women, there is spiritual refuge in the purview of the Holy See. Curiously enough, the church that brings you celibacy, will allow married Anglican/Episcopal Church clergy to return as well.

I must respectfully decline that invitation. While I am only one Episcopal Priest, and retired to boot, I find it a curiosity that this invitation comes as it does at a time when it is becoming more apparent than ever that folk are folk; whether gay or straight, male or female, rich or poor, black or white and so on. How startling that something as obvious as this would be such a matter of controversy. Alas, this is not the first time when the church has been a safe refuge for bigotry. (sorry for the harsh language; but I cannot find another word for the behavior)

Even in Biblical material we are “one in Christ” as the blessed Apostle put; it without respect to classification by sex, gender, orientation, class, or ethnicity. In his very own words, he put it this way, “for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26-28)

This is not at root a liberal/conservative issue it is a biblical one. It has its traditional dimensions as well. For instance, we figured out 600 years ago that it is a good idea to allow the clergy to marry. This is a splendid way to channel clerical libidinal energy. It is no assurance of rectitude, but the instances of clergy misconduct are far more likely to be held in check if there is a marriage within which to practice intimacy than if there is celibacy with no such outlet. Terrible things can happen to a church with celibacy as the only libidinal outlet as we well know, and the Anglican/Episcopal Church figured that out a long, long time ago.

The great question before us is this; are we a house of prayer for all people or not? Jesus made it clear by his courage in seeking out the lame, the halt, the blind, the prostitute, the tax collector, the leper and all the other outcasts that his church was to be a house of prayer for all people. This he did when he overturned the tables in the Temple in a radical revolution that continues to reverberate throughout the church.

There was a special place in his heart too for the “eunuchs” of his time. I wonder what he meant by the following startling saying; But he said to them, "Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can." (Matthew 19:11-12) You can define that term as you like, but they clearly were not a threat to folks of the opposite sex. There is considerable evidence that when the biblical material refers to “eunuchs” we were talking of folks whose interests lay with folks of the same sex. We now refer to this group as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgendered, LGBT for short. And isn't it interesting to note that even Jesus realized that there were those who would find this teaching a hard one to accept. The radical love of Jesus is often hard to take because it includes our enemies.

I believe that Jesus stood up for this crowd too as he stood up for us all, and I am convinced that is why they put him to death on the cross. Jesus was not a liberal. He merely loved everyone! That’s why God died. That’s why God is Risen. That’s why God will come again!

Therefore, I would like to extend an invitation to all you fine folks who have wondered all along why Rome won’t allow her priests to marry. You might find an Episcopal Church to your liking. We have bishops, priests and deacons, and the sacraments to boot, and the clergy can marry and all of us have to have background checks from an outside agency to be sure that we can comfortably call ourselves a “safe church” for children and others. We also figured out that women could take their place at the highest places of the church as bishops, priests, and deacons. Our Presiding Bishop is Katharine Jefferts Schori! Now we are more and more convinced that ordination and membership transcends sexual orientation as well. There are those who differ with us and cite passages in Leviticus and Paul that prescribe such a teaching.

I can cite passages in the Gospel, in Paul, in the Prophets that support a much more compassionate and loving interpretation on the faith tradition. Why anyone would use the bible to exclude people because of gender and orientation is puzzlement to me. But race, was used at another time to justify slavery and the bible has been used to thwart scientific advance as well. The same folks who want to exclude gays refused to look into Galileo’s telescope for about 600 years as well. Many still refuse Darwin's help in advancing us toward fuller understanding of the nature of human nature. They refuse to encourage scientific advancement in stem cell research that could help lead to important cures for so many diseases and ease human suffering. You can add to the list as your leisure.

So, by way of rejoinder to Rome, and some others who have parted company with us; allow me to invite you here; namely to the Episcopal Church; “A House of Prayer for All People”. We have lost quite a few members because of our love for the outcast. So there is plenty of room in most of our churches. More importantly there is plenty of room in God’s heart for you here too. The church has sent out too many chilly messages lately. The church has said terrible thing to gay folk and women. I thought you might like to hear one that proclaims the Good News of God in Christ...the news of a loving compassionate and inclusive church.

"A House of Prayer for All People" -a Biblical Base

And so the question may arise; "We call ourselves 'A House of Prayer for all people', how do you figure that means gay folks too?
The simple answer to that question is that I understand that "all" means "all". But if that does not satisfy you, lets dig a bit deeper. If we go to the 56th chapter of the book of the prophet Isaiah, we will read that proclamation in the following context.

Isaiah 56
1 Thus says the Lord: Maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed.
2 Happy is the mortal who does this, the one who holds it fast, who keeps the sabbath, not profaning it, and refrains from
doing any evil.
3 Do not let the foreigner joined to the Lord say, "The Lord will surely separate me from his people"; and do not let the
eunuch say, "I am just a dry tree." 4 For thus says the Lord: To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, who choose the things
that please me and hold fast my covenant, 5 I will give, in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better
than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. 6 And the foreigners who join
themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the sabbath,
and do not profane it, and hold fast my covenant— 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my
house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house
of prayer for all peoples.

Please note first that the main concern here of the prophet is that the maintenance of justice be uppermost in the mind of the faith community.

Secondly the concern is for the foreigner (note verse 3) who is justifiably concerned about being "separated" from the faithful. Foreigners often were separated out in the Law Codes of Israel.

Thirdly, and this I find stunning, the eunuch is concerned about the fact that his (her) lack of offspring leaves him (her) without lineage. (see verse 3). But to both the foreigner and to the eunuch Isaiah, proclaims a compassionate theme. To the eunuch first the prophet proclaims that a memorial will be established within the holy wall of God's dwelling place an everlasting name that shall never be cut off. And to the foreigner God will gather them into the mountain of God and make them joyful in God's holy house of prayer!

What a stunning proclamation! This is especially so since in the Levitical Code we have clear prescriptions against both the foreigner and the eunuch about how closely they may enter the holy place.

Foreigners are pretty straight forward. We all know who they are. Each succeeding group of them have received a mixed if not chilly or even hostile welcome here and abroad, and not for just religious reasons.

But eunuchs; who are they? Are these folks just the ones who tend the sultan's harems in the Ancient Near Eastern world? Or are they perhaps more than that. When Jesus mentioned eunuchs, he mentioned those a) born that way, b) those made that way by man, and c) those who make themselves that way for the sake of the service of God.

You can read that for yourself in Matthew 19 verse 12 and following;

"12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can."

Note that Jesus talks about eunuchs who have "been so from birth". Isn't that interesting? How many folks are there who can make that claim? I suspect that we're talking about a classification of people who transcend mere physical deformity in the genitalia. I suspect that there have always been people who have just not been interested in folks of the opposite sex, and they were that way from the beginning. Note that Jesus presses the point by pointing out that not all may be able to accept this particular teaching, when he says "Let anyone accept this who can." In other words, if you cannot accept this level of compassion, so be it; but with God, there is room for love even here.

Note too that much of the Levitical Code enumerated all kinds of folks who are simply not able to get near to the Temple. Of course, maimed people could not offer gifts. Neither could sinners, prostitutes, lepers, the unclean, tax collectors and the like. In other words, the very people that Jesus sought out to include within the embrace of God's love were the ones held at arms distance by much of the Mosaic Law.

Thus we come to the Cleansing of the Temple! AND I find it interesting that it would come to be called that by the biblical scholars.

Catch the scene if you will; Jesus enters the holy city and approaches the Temple precincts with his band of outcasts; lepers, tax collectors, prostitutes, lame, halt, blind beggars, looking for the healing touch of God. And they are so excited by his approach to the holy place that they spread their garments and palm branches at his feet. They sing Hosanna in the Highest Heaven!

But when Jesus enters the Temple precincts, does he find there a place dedicated to the sanctification of those who look for justice, and the healing touch of God? No! He finds traders in pigeons and money changers. You can read for yourself what happens next;

Mt 21:12Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.

Mr 11:15 Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves;

John 2:14 In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables.

John 2:15 Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.

And with that he proclaimed with all the authority of God; "My house shall be a house of prayer for all people, but you have made it a den of robbers".

You know what happened after that. The Temple Authorities and the Government got together (as they often do) and brought about a mock trial and had then Jesus was crucified.

I submit to you that Jesus crossed the line in many ways. He healed the lame and the blind, he consorted with sinners and prostitutes, tax collectors, lepers, and a whole bunch of other unsavory characters. We even have some evidence that he knew about and embraced the reality that there were foreigners and eunuchs abroad in the land and that there were those who would find it difficult to hear about that, and might prefer to stop their ears from such talk.

When I read that God's church should be a "House of Prayer for All People", I Honest to God feel as though that ought to be understood as ALL PEOPLE!!!"

In the Episcopal Church I believe that we are honestly trying to take this teaching of Jesus seriously. I realize that we are but one tiny corner of the Christian world that teaches this to include the LGBT community. We are in fact one tiny corner of the entire world of faith that teaches so.

The biblical literalists of his time had difficulty with the approach too, no doubt. For to say that you mean "ALL PEOPLE", means just all people.

To put ourselves under that degree of biblical authority may be difficult for many, but for me and my house, we embrace it with joy!

Fr. Paul