Understanding Righteousness

Righteousness – a priest once told me that one person’s righteousness is another person’s curse. How unredemptive if his statement is true. Righteousness - in a broad sense is defined as the state of a person who is as she or he ought to be, A condition acceptable to God. Matthew’s Jesus, As we’re (Re)learning in Lectionary Year A , more so than Jesus in any of the other gospels focuses on righteousness. The Greek work for Righteousness appears six times in Matthew. you can’t find it in Mark at All, only once in Luke, and twice in John. Matthew is all on it, this Righteousness theme, – and why?

Well, it’s akin to reading any other piece of literature – in order to understand the text – you have to understand the author’s context. we Anglicans incorporate the gift of God-Given reason to interpret scripture and consequently Seek to live righteous, merciful, Peace-loving Christian lives in a complex and often evil world.

Matthew’s frame of reference is vastly different than ours but he’s got one and the Gospel we have received from him expresses it. It is not a mistake that Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount takes place on of all place – a Mountain – a mountain much like the one that Moses came down from when he delivered the ten commandments to the Israelites as they traveled on their exodus to the Promised land. Matthew’s goal is to recognize Jesus’ obedience to, and preservation of Biblical law. (Levine, 2001) Jews of Matthew’s context were bound to a covenant with God – and BY God – they were supposed to live perfectly. If the Law of Moses was meant to provide divine guidance for the ancient Israelites then Jesus’ teachings are meant to provide divine guidance for his followers (That’s US J).

There’s one critical issue for us to keep at the center of our Hearts in terms of righteous living. This kingdom of Heaven has come near (Matthew 4:17), The Reign of God is not a place that people go to when people die. It is a reference to God’s presence on Earth – a universal state of being that God provides– at the end of the age – by overthrowing the forces of evil. (Ehrman, 2000). It is however our responsibility and Mission to participate in the in-breaking of Christ’s presence of Justice and Compassion, Today.

It is Jesus’ commandment for us is to see his fulfillment of the law as a means to help us get past prescriptive law into living more fully into the state of grace he provides for us. For centuries, societies have indoctrinated laws as a means for human beings to respect, and care for each other.

The revolutionary events That we are witnessing in the Middle East over the past Few weeks are living, breathing examples of the essential needs Human beings yearn for when they are oppressed under political systems that completely set aside laws of basic human dignity and yes, Freedom. Christianity is nonetheless not merely about social justice. It is not, in and of itself a community organizing effort. Christianity is about living into Jesus’ life, Death and Resurrection in spiritual, pastoral, and prophetic ways. It’s about jumping right into the pile of Messy Human relationships and finding Christ there.

How about this? How about instead of giving ourselves a grade on righteousness we shift our focus to what’s going on with the lives of the young or elderly people who live in the neighborhoods around us. How about we better spend our time evaluating the nature of our Christian lives, not in order to pass a Law Test, but to consequently gaze onto the world through Jesus’ eyes of compassion and mercy? Striving to be imperfect but dedicated co-creators of Jesus’ Reign – here and now is where and when we can strive to claim Matthean Jesus' righteousness. There are innumerable opportunities for such Christian righteousness, including the (in)direct support of people close to our homes and around the world who need us to walk two miles, rather than one with them.

Blessings Along The Way.

Sts. Martin and Peter - Will We follow them as they follow Christ?

Today is the 25th Anniversary of the celebration of Martin Luther King's Birth. For Episcopalians, today is also the celebration of The Confession of St. Peter. The convergence of these two "feast days" seems somewhat important to me. Both Peter and Martin were disciples who decided that they would follow Jesus Christ all the way to his and their deaths. They were both prophets to the people around them and they both confronted the political and religious leaders of their times and suffered the consequences of their witness to the liberating Christian Gospel.

Both King and St. Peter publicly declared the true identity of Jesus Christ as the Messiah. And, they died: King from the gunshot of a racist white man; St. Peter - crucified by the orders of a lunatic Roman Emperor. Their legacies have been softened over time in some ways. King is remembered for his "I have a dream" speech not for his advocacy of sanitation workers in Memphis or denouncement of the Vietnam War.African American historian Vincent Harding had this to say about his friend:

"Martin was one of these "crazy" members of the Christian community who really took Jesus seriously. And believed that the way you get closest to the divine is by getting closer and closer to the most outcast members of the society. And that's a hard path, but once you have chosen it, you know that there's no easy alternative." (Harding, 2011, para. 28)

The Church remembers St. Peter as one of Jesus' closest followers and his role as the Roman Catholic Church's first pope. We speak of his denial (Luke 22: 54-62) but we're more prone to recall his proclamation of Jesus' Divinity.

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ ¹⁴And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ¹⁵He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ ¹⁶Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah,^* the Son of the living God.’ ¹⁷And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you, you are Peter,^* and on this rock^* I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. ¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’

Who do we say Jesus is? How do we say it? Under our breaths, with our reception of the Eucharist. Do we get closer to God by getting closer to the people on the margins of our society. Jesus put his hands onto the bodies of lepers. Peter challenged Nero in Rome and Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. King marched with sanitation workers. What am I willing to do? What is our Church willing to do?

It's my faith that our lives are reborn through sacrificial acts. The mortal end of our lives is not the end of our existence; it's the beginning of new life in Christ's eternal presence. Martin and Peter believed in Jesus and his resurrection. And yet, I'm not a huge fan of martyrdom. I don't want to die as Jesus, Martin Luther King, and Peter died. I don't know many people that do and yet the sacrificial aspects of following Jesus won't go away. I often doubt that I have the same courage. I give thanks for Martin Luther King and St. Peter's examples while often choosing not to pick up my cross as they did. I don't want to be like the White pastors and priests who King chastised in his letter from a Birmingham Jail. Sometimes I am - I am not alone.

I've considered the risks that the Saints have taken on our behalf while wondering what sacrifices I'm willing to make today and the days to come. It's easy to remain in the crowd when and where it is safe; the status quo provides security and solidarity. Walking in Selma of the 60s or treading the Galilean Way with Peter is unsafe. Caring for the least of these demands compassion, courage, and contemplation.

Martin Luther King said on April 3rd, 1968:

Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!

He was murdered the next day.

I want to do God's will too. I hope that faithful Christians do too. The days are still at hand that we must continue to challenge racism, violence, and global oppression as King did. The Holy Spirit encourages us to confess our faith in Jesus as Peter did and faithfully follow them to the Cross and to the Easter tomb with God's help.

I hope that all of us will live more prophetically and push back against the World's desires as Jesus calls us to join him in creating God's reign of justice, love, and reconciliation now, not in the hereafter. I pray that we will continue to walk along The Way, without unnecessary death at our side but with a willingness to go and be faithful disciples as Jesus beckons us to do along The Way.

Reflections on what happened in Tucson this past Saturday

It's not easy to be away from home when a terribly sad event happens. It brings a sense of helplessness and separation that can't be fixed when there's work to be done, snow storms taking place, and little that one's presence in the community would help to resolve or repair. I was away from Tucson, the place of my birth and the community that I shall always call home.

I was driving on the road in New Jersey when I first heard the NPR report that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords had been critically, thankfully not mortally wounded (as first reported). I listened to online radio reports and observed the live news updates even as I tried to craft the final version of my Sunday sermon. (My 8:00 am sermon actually spoke more directly to the tragic events taking place in Tucson). I've watched the news and listened to commentators such as Rachel Maddow who wisely and appropriately remind us that it isn't just Tucson that's a victim of the wild, wild West gun-free control mindset that pervades our nation's psyche. Hundreds of victims are murdered or injured by the misuse and abuse of firearms each year.

I've prayed and contemplated, along with millions of other people of faith about what Saturday's events mean for us. I've wondered about how life on the streets of Tucson has been for the past 70 hours or so since Jared Lee Loughner walked up and shot Rep. Giffords (Gabrielle) and subsequently sprayed dozens of bullets into the gathered crowd killing a nine year old girl who was born on 9/11/2011, a devout Catholic who was a accomplished Federal judge, and four other good people.

I then read +Kirk Smith's words to the Diocese of Arizona about the shooting. His comments regarding the events of this past weekend and the very true and necessary presence of God's help in times of troubled prompted me to offer these remarks in his comments section as well as here:


====================

I went to school with Sheriff Dupnik's daughter in Tucson. I respect the sheriff for his candor and honesty when he said "...Unfortunately, Arizona I think has become sort of the capital,... "We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry.”

I'm delighted and thankful that the Diocese of Arizona and its bishop have been public and prayerful voices and agents of peace and reason in a political and social environment where talk radio commentary is so vitriolic and political leaders continue to draft legislation that is both punitive and prejudicial. I preached on the theme of righteousness ("dikaiosyn?") - the term that Matthew's Jesus uses to describe the purpose of his baptism (Matt. 3:15) and God's Reign (Matthew 6:33). Baptism is not only about our own redemption as Christians - it's the ritualistic means that we accept God's invitation to become peacemakers and agents of righteousness into the world in which we live and pray. I've physically been away from the diocese for a little more than two years. I grieve seeing and being with my friends and family there even as much as I am thankful for the ministries that I have been called to in places away from the state of my birth and the city and university of my youth and first ordained ministry.

I was quite shocked and appalled to hear of the attack on Rep. Gifford, her staff, and gathered community member's on Sat. morning. What took place in front of the Safeway on Ina Road is not indicative of the Tucson community that I know and love. And yet, that tragic and violent event against a remarkably moderate, wise, and compassionate legislator took place nonetheless.

I intend to be with you (in Arizona and especially in Tucson) in spirit as you pray and mourn the deaths and injuries of the citizens who were harmed or murdered even as you give thanks for the bravery and public service of Sheriff Dupnik, heroism of people such as Daniel Hernandez, and the healing skills of surgeons such as Dr. G. Michael Lemole Jr. I ask that you continue to be Christ's light in the urban centers of our home - where so much poverty is evident and so much hatred lies beneath the surface. I hope that you will continue to proclaim Christ's Gospel and be a reasoned voice of fairness and shared rights and responsibilities in a political environment that advocates ineffective benefits for the wealthiest citizens even as it denies health coverage to organ transplant patients who need such surgeries to survive.

I pray that +Kirk, the ordained and lay leaders of the Diocese of Arizona, and the parishioners of The Episcopal Church there as well as Episcopalians around our nation and the world will continue to live into our baptismal covenants by:

*persevering in resisting evil,
*seeking repentance and returning to the Lord,
*proclaiming by word and example the Good News of God in Christ,
*seeking and serving Christ in all persons,
*loving God and our neighbors as ourselves striving for justice and peace among all people respecting the dignity of every human being

Blessings to us all along The Way:

*especially to the victims and their families for healing,
* comfort, and compassion for the alleged assailant and his family for Christ's compassionate and just light to shine on the pain of his soul and mind as well as the darkness of rage in his heart,
*wisdom and courage for the broadcasters, bloggers, and politicians of Arizona and around the country to use their influence and wisdom to bring about an end to the violence across this land and stop victimizing their opponents
*God's urging for us to participate in a shared effort to make this nation a more equitable, less violent and richly diverse place to meaningfully live.

Lastly - I pray that this Season of Epiphany may be a not-so-ordinary time of healing, Grace, and gift-sharing and receiving to my sisters and brothers in Christ as well as all citizens of Tucson who especially need Divine mercy and God-given love in the coming days.

Alone on the Beach

It was a brisk and somewhat chilly morning when I went out for a stroll this morning on the boardwalk. The sky was overcast, the waves, choppy, my soul, yearning.

It's not yet really winter here...heck it is in the 50s this morning. So, I went for a walk over to the Ocean Grove Pier. On the way back to my apartment, there were two Canada Geese that went zooming over my head. The geese hang around Asbury Park almost all of the year so it's not too surprising to see them here in December. They are usually in really plentiful gaggles though. This pair was really boogieing as they flew towards the AP Convention Hall. I figured they had become separated from their flock and were racing to find their feathered companions.

It was really interesting though when I walked on the other side of the hall. I heard this lone gander loudly honking. I looked onto the beach to see this rather large bird standing in the sand by himself. Alone. I wondered if he was pleading for companionship. I pondered if he was one of the pair that I'd seen airborne a few minutes before. I felt sad for him. Had he been left behind, deserted? Canada goose family units are quite strong. Why was this bird alone? Why is anyone or anything ever alone of their own choosing?

Then, I looked over my left shoulder back towards the road when I then saw a large gaggle of geese feeding in the tall grass between the road and the beach. How odd. Why is this single male standing and honking all by himself when there's a gaggle of his breed less than 30 yards away?

I thought to myself. Isn't that how life is sometimes. We stand isolated for one reason or another when we are not so far from loved ones or hopeful opportunities. We race to get to a place with someone and wind up separated anyway. We cry (honk) out for help when the companions we need are not so far away at all. God is never that far away or at least that's the essence of our faith.

Here in Advent, I find myself restlessly pondering God's presence once more. I struggle with Winter's approach. My soul desires to cry out for companionship, reassurance, concrete answers. I listen for God nearby the ocean's tides and wispy breezes. I want Christ and the Church to come and rescue me rather than continue my search. I don't take the necessary time that it takes to gaze upon the whole landscape of my life to observe all that is thankfully taking place in nearby and unseen ways.

The extraordinary moment of Christ's birth isn't here yet even as extraordinary moments are taking place right now... Watching, wandering, and sometimes wallowing... onward into Advent we go - not necessarily or ever alone.

Advent 1

We need a savior. We need God to come into the world and offer us Divine love so that we can similarly love one another. The wonder of the Judeo-Christian tradition is that God is both immanent and transcendent. Jesus is born as we are born even as the Creator God resides at the fertile core of our galaxy.

These are just a couple of thoughts I shared in my Advent 1 Sermon. May you encounter Christ in a especially holy way this week.

Blessings Along The Way,
Jim+

This Thanksgiving

President Obama in his Presidential Thanksgiving Day Proclamation states:

This harvest season, we are also reminded of those experiencing the pangs of hunger or the hardship of economic insecurity. Let us return the kindness and generosity we have seen throughout the year by helping our fellow citizens weather the storms of our day.

I totally concur with the President. I listened last night to parish representative after parish representative speak to the efforts they are taking to feed the homeless and offer a Thanksgiving meal to people in need of both shelter and food. +George Councell thanked all of us in the convocation for our acts of kindness and service to Christ's gospel.

Here's something that frustrates me though... as I'm sure it has frustrated Christians down through the centuries. Why does the common person have to take care of another common person when wealthy institutions and organizations pay so little attention to the needs of the poor. Robert Scheer writes:

The assumption of both the Bush and Obama administrations was that what was good for the banks would be good for the general economy, but just the opposite has happened. While the financial sector flourishes, the economy stagnates. As The Wall Street Journal reported in its story on the release of the Fed minutes: "Federal Reserve officials downgraded their outlook for the U.S. economy ... projecting that the jobless rate could exceed 8% for two more years and that it won't return to its former vitality for five years or more."

Jesus Christ offered his life to people in need. His acts of mercy, his rejection of Pharisaic oppression, his opposition to Caesar's taxation, his death on the cross, his resurrection from the Easter Day tomb all point towards the creation of a Reign of God that stands in such a marked contrast to what contemporary capitalism stands for today. A friend of mine commented on my Facebook page:

The Corporate world has replaced the Tzars, Kings and other powers who had the royalty and the peasant. We now have the corporate world with the rich and the rest of us. We get what falls from their table. Even with better economic conditions for us generally, we are still people who live and behave strictly for our self interest.

Is Ben+ correct? Is CitiBank the new Caesar. Is the Church the present-day Christ who stands in opposition to the economic rules governing our financial behavior? Is the Church the present-day Christ who cries out for the poor among us and calls for institutional change as well as for individual acts of kindness? I have a credit card. I will enjoy the security of a job in the warmth of worship in a parish tomorrow morning. We will collect perishable food items to share with our neighbors. Nonetheless, the system on a broader scale will seemingly not change.

Jesus, in the Gospel According to John, says: For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” ³⁴They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” ³⁵Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

We need Christ's bread more than ever these days. We need his presence to push back as best we can with calls for justice and fairness. We need his desire to care for hungry people. Many of our neighbors, need us to give thanks of what we have by offering it to them. We need corporations to think of their stakeholders in a different way - a way that keeps people in their homes, skilled laborers employed, children in school, and forgiving debts to those who have been mistreated. These changes in capitalistic behavior may not come quickly; so we who are The Church, must bridge the gap as Jesus the Christ does for us with hopes for a better and more holy tomorrow

Blessings Along The Way and Best Regards for a Happy and Holy Thanksgiving.

How do I know?

People of Faith, especially clergy, spend a great deal of time wondering about what decisions they should make for the benefit of those they serve and/or more meaning in their lives. Where should I work? What does God want me to do with my life? How can I make my life be more than it is? What can I do to make a difference in the world?

These questions bump up against what we desire to do for ourselves, for our own yearnings, desires, "passions" (if you will). Should I accept a call to ____? What do I intend to achieve in the time I have left with my vocation? I love ___ is it ok for me to pursue that goal? Which cliff do I have to jump off of in order to get what my heart desires?

Dr. Phillip Cary recently wrote an interesting Christian Century article (subscription required) about this vocational topic. Therein he wrote: We shouldn't be praying to discern the Lord's will in our situation; we should be praying to learn how to discern good from bad. That's the kind of prayer that makes us co-workers with the Spirit of Christ, who is working in us, reshaping our hearts so that they will be hearts of wisdom. (para. #23, Sept. 21, 2010).

Cary recalls that Solomon didn't ask God for wealth or fame; Solomon prayed for wisdom, an ability to discern what would be the best use of God's resources and Solomon's own skills for the benefit of the people of Israel.

I can't recall where I was reading about this theme earlier today but that thread prompted me to think about the amount of energy I have been spending on discernment: Where to go, what to do, how to "do it." Ultimately, as much as I would really like to have one - God doesn't provide us a crystal ball for our lives. God does provide us a brain to reason with as well as a heart to guide our path. The Spirit moves within us in such a way as to provide a compass for plotting a course for our pilgrimage of faith. I believe that each Christian's "ministry" is to strengthen everyone’s else's body, heart, and soul to love God and love their neighbors. The Church accomplishes its mission by strengthening these bonds through its incarnational witness to Jesus Christ’s gospel message of compassion, and Grace. Everything else that we do as The Church flows from these commandments. If true, I'm learning in my faith quandary that vocation and call are not so much about "where and when" as they are about "how and how much." Our Lord (in the sense of Messiah, Teacher, and Guide) commands us to use our wisdom, talents, and resources to offer thanks and honor to God even as we strive to bring God's reign of justice, humility, and compassion into being. Figuring out how to live into that mission demands commitment and trust in our abilities to live out Christ's commandments regardless of time or place.

May our landings be soft and our confidence be strong.

Blessings Along The Way,
Jim+