When we gather on Sunday mornings for our celebration of the Holy Eucharist, an important part of the service is the affirmation of our faith. We use the Nicene Creed, a statement of Christian beliefs that dates back to the 4th century. We say those words in community, joining a long string of people that have said the same words over the centuries.
The words are familiar, sometimes too familiar. It is all too easy to say them in rote fashion, without giving much thought to their meaning. I find it helpful to occasionally experience (and say) statements of faith that use new and different phrases. I offer you an example, one that I experienced at the conference of the North American Association of the Diaconate that I attended this week.
Affirmation of Faith
We are not alone, we live in God’s world.
We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus,
the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us.
We are not alone. Thanks be to God.
Peace,
Deacon Sue
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
20 June - Banishing Demons
This Sunday’s Gospel – Luke’s version of the healing of the Demoniac – raised an interesting question when we studied the passage at Vestry last Tuesday: is this story meant to be taken literally or figuratively?
My answer was: “Yes.” It doesn’t matter if you believe in “real” demons or want to try to understand the story by putting the modern medical label of schizophrenic on the Demoniac – either way the story is still incredibly powerful. Jesus’ authority is abundantly clear. Legion knows who Jesus is and how powerful he is. The real question is: do we? And are we willing to let Jesus banish the “demons” in our lives? We are all, in one way or another, resistant to change – especially self-change. Equally, we are all comfortable with the phrase: “better the devil you know than the devil you don’t”.
I think this story is inviting us to look at our demons (addictions, times we dig in our heels, etc.) and question whether or not we trust that Jesus has the power to banish them. We are loved by God now. And we will be loved by God if and when we change and let go of our demons. But do we love ourselves now? Do we really trust in God’s love?
Peace,
The Rev. M.E. Eccles, LPC
My answer was: “Yes.” It doesn’t matter if you believe in “real” demons or want to try to understand the story by putting the modern medical label of schizophrenic on the Demoniac – either way the story is still incredibly powerful. Jesus’ authority is abundantly clear. Legion knows who Jesus is and how powerful he is. The real question is: do we? And are we willing to let Jesus banish the “demons” in our lives? We are all, in one way or another, resistant to change – especially self-change. Equally, we are all comfortable with the phrase: “better the devil you know than the devil you don’t”.
I think this story is inviting us to look at our demons (addictions, times we dig in our heels, etc.) and question whether or not we trust that Jesus has the power to banish them. We are loved by God now. And we will be loved by God if and when we change and let go of our demons. But do we love ourselves now? Do we really trust in God’s love?
Peace,
The Rev. M.E. Eccles, LPC
Sunday, June 13, 2010
13 June - Forgiven
A theme constantly in Jesus’ teaching and very near to his heart was the necessity for forgiveness in human relationships. The day Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them to pray he put the issue of forgiveness at the heart of our relationship with God. In two simple and inseparable petitions, he teaches us for all time that forgiveness is conditional. We cannot be forgiven unless we ourselves are forgiving people.
We mention this because something very like it is at the heart of the story in the gospel. It was customary at a meal in the Greco-Roman style for strangers to stand around the edge of the room in the shadows. They might be poor or in some other need. They might be trying to attract the attention of a prominent guest from whom they wished a favor. In Jesus’ case, a woman wants to thank him. She does so very effusively and passionately. Jesus’ host is silently appalled by her behavior and Jesus notices.
How does Jesus deal with the situation? From what he says, we can assume that he and the woman have had a previous encounter. She is known as a sinner, possibly a prostitute. It is obvious that Jesus has made all the difference in her life, probably making it possible for her to deal with the anger and self-hatred which are part of her existence. Anger and self-hatred are part of many of our lives and to get this point across, Jesus tells a story. Its message is that the greater a person’s sense of being forgiven, the greater the gratitude will be. Jesus then applies this to our inner lives. The key statement Jesus makes is in verse 47. “I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
This theme obviously was central in Jesus’ thinking. We hear it in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican in the temple. We hear it again in the story of the prodigal son. On each occasion, Jesus seems to be saying that to realize without illusion who we are, to realize how little we can claim to be, yet at that same moment to realize that we are accepted by God precisely on these terms, is to discover the secret of inner freedom and inner acceptance. To taste this is to taste the Kingdom of God.
Peace,
Fr. Bob +
We mention this because something very like it is at the heart of the story in the gospel. It was customary at a meal in the Greco-Roman style for strangers to stand around the edge of the room in the shadows. They might be poor or in some other need. They might be trying to attract the attention of a prominent guest from whom they wished a favor. In Jesus’ case, a woman wants to thank him. She does so very effusively and passionately. Jesus’ host is silently appalled by her behavior and Jesus notices.
How does Jesus deal with the situation? From what he says, we can assume that he and the woman have had a previous encounter. She is known as a sinner, possibly a prostitute. It is obvious that Jesus has made all the difference in her life, probably making it possible for her to deal with the anger and self-hatred which are part of her existence. Anger and self-hatred are part of many of our lives and to get this point across, Jesus tells a story. Its message is that the greater a person’s sense of being forgiven, the greater the gratitude will be. Jesus then applies this to our inner lives. The key statement Jesus makes is in verse 47. “I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
This theme obviously was central in Jesus’ thinking. We hear it in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican in the temple. We hear it again in the story of the prodigal son. On each occasion, Jesus seems to be saying that to realize without illusion who we are, to realize how little we can claim to be, yet at that same moment to realize that we are accepted by God precisely on these terms, is to discover the secret of inner freedom and inner acceptance. To taste this is to taste the Kingdom of God.
Peace,
Fr. Bob +
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